cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The protective effects of self-compassion on alcohol-related problems among first nation adolescents

Given the disproportionate alcohol-related consequences experienced by North American Indigenous youth, there is a critical need to identify related risk and protective factors. Self-compassion, wh...
Viremia controls Env-specific antibody-secreting cell responses in SIV-infected macaques pre- and post-ART

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the kinetics of Env (gp140)-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) during acute and early chronic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection, and prior to and postantiretroviral therapy (ART) in rhesus macaques. DESIGN AND METHODS At week 0, rhesus macaques were inoculated intravenously with SIVmac239 and the viral loads were allowed to develop. Daily ART was initiated at week 5 post infection until week 18, though the animals were monitored until week 28 for the following parameters: enumeration of SIV gp140-specific ASCs by ELISPOT; quantification of viremia and SIV gp140-specific IgG titres through qRT-PCR and ELISA, respectively; estimation of monocytes, follicular helper T cells (Tfh) and memory B cell frequencies using polychromatic flow cytometry. RESULTS Direct correlations were consistently found between blood SIV gp140-specific ASC responses and viremia or SIV Env-specific IgG titres. In contrast, SIV gp140-specific ASC responses showed inverse correlations with the percentage of total memory B cells in the blood. In lymph nodes, the magnitude of the SIV gp140-specific ASC responses also followed the viral load kinetics. In contrast, the number of SIV gp140-specific ASCs presented did not correlate with frequencies of circulating activated monocyte (CD14+CD16+) or Tfh cells. CONCLUSION Blood and/or lymph node viral loads may regulate the onset and magnitude of SIV gp140-specific ASCs during SIV infection and following ART in rhesus macaques.
Eco-friendly Synthesis of Nanoporous Magnesium by Air-Free Electrolytic Dealloying with Recovery of Sacrificial Elements for Energy Conversion and Storage Applications

The synthesis of nanoporous Mg with minimal surface oxide coverage has been hindered by its high chemical reactivity. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of three-dimensional bicontinuous nanoporous Mg with ligament and pore sizes in the range of 20–30 nm using air-free electrolytic dealloying with recovery of the sacrificial material. The starting material consists of a magnesium–lithium parent alloy with lithium as the sacrificial component. During selective electrolytic leaching in an anhydrous lithium-conducting organic electrolyte solvent, the sacrificial lithium is stripped from the magnesium–lithium parent alloy used as the working electrode and plated on a pure lithium foil used as the counter electrode, enabling sacrificial element recovery, making the process eco-friendly. The morphology of the fabricated nanoporous Mg was thoroughly investigated using electron microscopy techniques, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and X-ray diffraction. The synthesized nanoporous Mg is attractive for energy conversion and storage applications. Here, we show that it can produce hydrogen on-demand by hydrolysis with pure water and that it can also be used as a high-capacity lithium-ion battery anode.
Phase transition zones in compositionally complex alloy films influenced by varying Al and Ti content

Abstract Phase changes due to compositional variation of alloying elements in the AlCrFeNiTi and AlCoFeNiTi families of compositionally complex alloys (CCAs) were investigated by employing magnetron co-sputtering synthesis techniques and microstructural characterization via scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Compositional alterations were introduced by varying the input power provided to either an Al or Ti target, as well as by the substrate quadrant location. A synergistic relationship between Al and Ti was observed in which both elements compete to drive phase formation, and was revealed to be further influenced by substituting Cr with similarly sized, but structurally dissimilar, Co. The crystallinity of the studied samples was mapped with respect to Ti and Al content to emphasize the distinct compositions where phase transitions occur for each CCA family. Nanoindentation was employed to study how different phases affect the mechanical properties, with results indicating that amorphous samples generally exhibited lower hardness and moduli when compared to the crystalline and “mixed” phase samples. This work highlights how sputtering can be used to control individual elements within CCA families in order to examine how their atomic characteristics contribute to phase formation and crystallinity.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Response to Intervention: Comparing the Reading Achievement of ELLs and Native English Speakers.

EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION: COMPARING THE READING ACHIEVEMENT OF ELLS AND NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS Philip Kiersten Sapienza July 27,2012 Teaching reading in the mainstream classroom is a challenge. This challenge is compounded when trying to meet the needs of English language learners. Recently, Response to Intervention (R TI) has been suggested as a framework for classroom teachers to use in order to meet the wide range of needs of their students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an RTI reading instructional model when used with English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream classrooms. A mixed-method, quasi-experimental, pre/post design was implemented. A purposive sample was drawn from third grade students in schools that integrated ELLs and native English speakers. Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) were used to assess Reading achievement. Student reading assessment scores from the end of second grade were used as a covariate. Data were analyzed using MANCOV A. Further analysis of the ELLs included in the study was conducted using MANCOV A with Assessing
Light-enhanced calcification, and the role of oxidative phosphorylation in calcification of the coral Acropora cervicornis.

Photosynthetically enhanced calcification has been studied in the hermatypic coral, Acropora cervicornis. The rate in the light is directly proportional to the intensity of illumination between 0 and 10500 lx. Sodium azide, sodium cyanide, 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP), pentachlorophenol and carbonyl cyanide, m-chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP) inhibit light (i.e. photosynthetically) dependent rates. With the exception of sodium azide, this may be attributed to an inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation. Dark rates of calcification are unaffected by the addition of these compounds.
Time-Sharing Parallel Jobs in the Presence of Multiple Resource Requirements

Buffered coscheduling is a new methodology that can substantially increase resource utilization, improve response time, and simplify the development of the run-time support in a parallel machine. In this paper, we provide an in-depth analysis of three important aspects of the proposed methodology: the impact of the communication pattern and type of synchronization, the impact of memory constraints, and the processor utilization. The experimental results show that if jobs use non-blocking or collective-communication patterns, the response time becomes largely insensitive to the job communication pattern. Using a simple job access policy, we also demonstrate the robustness of buffered coscheduling in the presence of memory constraints. Overall, buffered coscheduling generally outperforms backfilling and backfilling gang scheduling with respect to response time, wait time, run-time slowdown, and processor utilization.
Meetings Outside the Box: a program to build skills in science communication through networking of graduate level trainees and high school teens (29.1)

The vision of this project is to leverage an existing program for graduate level trainees (Trainee Meetings Outside the Box, TMOB) in the launch of a newly developed program for high school teens (Teen Meetings Outside the Box, TeenMOB). TMOB has been extremely well received amongst graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Texas Health and Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). The mission of TMOB is to provide a structured setting for the discussion and development of scientific communication skills for trainees, which will serve as the foundation for the continued effective communication of science and career development. Following this model, we will create an environment that allows TMOB trainees to work closely with teens interested in science to organize a sustainable teen science cafe (TeenMOB). The goals of TeenMOB are to: 1. Provide dynamic, engaging, and facilitated group discussions designed to promote scientific career building skills and mentoring relationships among ...
Impact of the Apnea Monitor on Family Life

The article "Impact of the Apnea Monitor on Family Life" by Black et al ( Pediatrics 62:681, November 1978) carried an incorrect address for reprints. The correct address is Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13210.
Covert channels in 802.11e wireless networks

WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks) have been widely used in business, school and public areas. The newly deployed 802.11e protocol provides QoS in WLANs. However there are some vulnerability in it. This paper analyzed the 802.11e protocol for QoS support in WLANs and two new covert channels are proposed. These proposed covert channels provide signalling method in order to have reliable communication. The proposed covert channels have no impact on normal traffic pattern, thus it cannot be detected by monitoring traffic pattern.
Adaptive low-power bus encoding based on weighted code mapping

In this paper, we propose an adaptive low-power bus encoding algorithm based on weighted code mapping (WCM). The WCM algorithm transforms an original bus data vector to a low-energy code through one-to-one mapping. The code mapping is determined by the data probability distribution in the original sequence. The WCM algorithm considers both the self and coupling capacitance of the bus wires. A window-based adaptive encoding algorithm is proposed to improve the energy saving by adaptively changing the code mapping for different data probability characteristics. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing coding algorithms by either significantly lower computation/hardware complexity or higher energy savings.
Bioreducible Polycations in Nucleic Acid Delivery: Past, Present, and Future Trends

Polycations that are degradable by reduction of disulfide bonds are developed for applications in delivery of nucleic acids. This Feature Article surveys methods of synthesis of bioreducible polycations and discusses current understanding of the mechanism of action of bioreducible polyplexes. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the biological redox environment and toxicity, trafficking, transfection activity, and in vivo behavior of bioreducible polycations and polyplexes.
Apparent depletion of NE stores after repetitive stimulation of cat colon in presence of phenoxybenzamine.

Abstract Colons taken from cats pretreated with phenoxybenzamine were repetitively stimulated at 10sec for 15 min. Initially, the overflow of NE was excessive but declined progressively with increased duration of stimulation and in 15 min had practically stopped though only about 10% of total amine had been released. When the 15 min stimulation was repeated, after resting the colon preparation for 1 hr, the nerve endings again responded to nerve stimuli. These results suggest that repetitive stimulation restricts vesicles to the vicinity of the presynaptic membrane. Ordinarily the transmitter released to the receptors would be retrieved by these vesicles, but in the presence of phenoxybenzamine they become depleted because of constant overflow into the venous effluent. When stimulation is stopped, normal Brownian movement would cause those granules at membrane surface to be replaced.
A model-theoretic coreference scoring scheme

This note describes a scoring scheme for the coreference task in MUC6. It improves on the original approach by: (1) grounding the scoring scheme in terms of a model; (2) producing more intuitive recall and precision scores; and (3) not requiring explicit computation of the transitive closure of coreference. The principal conceptual difference is that we have moved from a syntactic scoring model based on following coreference links to an approach defined by the model theory of those links.
A theoretical study of the rydberg states of N2 obtained from excitations of the valence 3σg, 1πu and 2σu levels

Abstract Rydberg singlet and triplet states of N 2 have been computed for the series obtained from excitations of the valence 3σ g , 1π u and 2σ u levels and converging to the X 2 Σ + g , A 2 Π u and B 2 Σ + u states of the ion. Interactions of states of the same symmetry, but belonging to different series are found to be essential in accounting for the lowest term values.
ISS ECLSS Technology Evolution for Exploration

The baseline environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) currently deployed on the International Space Station (ISS) and the regenerative oxygen generation and water early 1990's. While they are generally meeting, or exceeding requirements for supporting the ISS crew, lessons learned from hardware development and on orbit experience, together with advances in technology state of the art, and th&e unique requirements for future manned exploration missions prompt consideration of the next steps to be taken to evolve these technologies to improve robustness and reliability, enhance performance, and reduce resource requirements such as power and logistics upmass This paper discusses the current state of ISS ECLSS technology and identifies possible areas for evolutionary enhancement or improvement.
Computer simulation of nucleation on (001) Kossel crystal surface with and without diffusion

Abstract The Monte Carlo technique was applied to nucleation-controlled growth of a (001) Kossel crystal surface, either with or without surface diffusion. The sizes of critical nucleus, n0, and of supercritical cluster, n+, have been obtained at different temperatures and supersaturations. With the inclusion of diffusion, both sizes are reduced, and this explains why the nucleation dip of nucleation growth is shortened. However, n + n 0 ≈2 , as predicted by the theory of Burton, Carbrera and Frank, only in the absence of diffusion. Also, when diffusion operates the kink site density along steps is no longer independent of supersaturation. It is concluded that surface diffusion brings the system further away from thermodynamic equilibrium.
Mingus, Cassavetes, and the Birth of a Jazz Cinema

In November 1958, John Cassavetes premiered his revolutionary independent film Shadows in a series of midnight screenings at the Paris Theater in New York City. Village Voice critic Jonas Mekas immediately proclaimed it a work of genius, calling it “the most frontier-breaking American feature in at least a decade.” Most audience members, including Cassavetes, hated it.Cassavetes reassembled his cast and crew and shot extensive new footage, modifying old scenes and adding new ones. The final version premiered at Amos Vogel’s legendary Cinema 16 on November 11, 1959, and was an overnight critical sensation.One of the myths that propelled Shadows to instant notoriety was its improvisational origins. It’s considered by many to be the first “true” cinematic jazz narrative, both for its racially charged subject and its unconventional, unscripted making in the streets of Manhattan.4 It’s been further celebrated for an original score by one of the all-time jazz greats, Charles Mingus. However much of the legend is deceptive. Little of Mingus’s music appears in the final film. Actual jazz scenes are conspicuously absent. And recent writingsby Ray Carney, Tom Charity and others have attempted to debunk or clarify much of the improvisation myth.
Finite Element Analysis for evaluating liver tissue damage due to mechanical compression

The development of robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RMIS) has resulted in increased research to improve surgeon training, proficiency and patient safety. Minimizing tissue damage is an essential consideration in RMIS. Various studies have reported the quantified tissue damage resulting from mechanical compression; however, most of them require bench work analysis, which limits their application in clinical conditions of RMIS. We present a new methodology based on nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis that can predict damage degree inside tissue. The effects of the boundary conditions and material property of the FE model on the simulated von Mises stress value and tissue damage were investigated. Four FE models were analyzed: two-dimensional (2D) plane strain model, 2D plane stress model, full three-dimensional (3D) model, and 3D thin membrane model. Nonlinear material properties of liver tissue used in the FEA were derived from previously reported in vivo and in vitro experiments. Our study showed that for integrated von Mises stress and tissue damage computations, the 3D thin membrane model yielded results closest to the full 3D analysis and required only 0.2% of the compute time. The results from 3D thin membrane and the full 3D models fell below plane-strain model and above the plane-stress model. Both stress and necrosis distributions were impacted by the material property of FE models. This study can guide engineers to design surgical instruments to improve patient safety. Additionally it is useful for improving the surgical simulator performance by reflecting more realistic tissue material property and displaying tissue damage severity.
The roots of operational (value-for-money) auditing in English-speaking nations

Abstract Operational auditing, also known as comprehensive auditing, management auditing, performance auditing, and value-for-money auditing, has had a diverse history across countries and professional disciplines. Although operational auditing is primarily a function of the internal and governmental auditor, public accountants and management consultants also perform similar audits. The roots of operational auditing go in multiple directions, as various organisations have played major roles in its development. Influential organisations were the General Accounting Office (GAO), under the leadership of T. Coleman Andrews; the American Institute of Management, led by Jackson Martindell; the Canadian Comprehensive Auditing Foundation, under the leadership of J. J. Macdonell; and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), under the leadership of many individuals. Although the work of Martindell was carried on simultaneously with that of the IIA and the GAO, there was little influence of one group on another. In...
Free-ion yield and electron mobility in liquid hydrocarbons: A consistent correlation

A correlation is sought between the free-ion yield and electron mobility in liquid hydrocarbons in terms of the elastic and the inelastic scattering mean free paths of epithermal (≤0.2 eV) electrons. These determine the thermalization distance distribution and consequently the free-ion yield. The thermal quasi-free electron mobility, μqf, can also be obtained from the same cross sections. Finally, the effective mobility is derived from μqf using the electron trap concentration and binding energy, thereby establishing a relationship between free-ion yield and mobility. Thus, given the input data for trapping and the elastic and inelastic cross sections, both the free-ion yield and the effective mobility may be obtained from the interactions of epithermal electrons. In very low mobility liquids (μ < 0.1 cm2 v-1 s-1), transport is governed by trapping and detrapping rates, being relatively independent of μqf. As found by Jay-Gerin et al. (Can. J. Chem. 1993 , 71, 287) the free-ion yield in such cases is virt...
A new He discharge-afterglow and its application as a gas chromatographic detector

Abstract A description is given for a low frequency, high voltage, electrodeless discharge-afterglow sustained in helium at atmospheric pressure. When this discharge-afterglow was used as an element-selective, multi-element detector for gas chromatography, absolute limits of detection in the picogram range were obtained for F, Cl, Br, I, C, P, S, Si, Hg and As. Because GC effluents were introduced directly into the afterglow region of the discharge, extinguishment and contamination of the primary discharge were completely eliminated.
Un-ionized Ammonia Exposure in Nile Tilapia: Toxicity, Stress Response, and Susceptibility to Streptococcus agalactiae

Abstract A series of experiments were conducted to determine the toxicity, behavior, blood glucose stress response, and disease susceptibility in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus following un-ionized ammonia (UIA) exposure. The acute toxicity of un-ionized ammonia to Nile tilapia was measured in a 96-h static test. The median lethal concentration (LC50) was 1.46 mg/L UIA at 24 and 48 h postexposure, 1.33 mg/L at 72 h postexposure, and 0.98 mg/L at 96 h postexposure. No mortalities were noted in unexposed (0 mg/L) control fish or fish exposed to 0.5 mg/L UIA. However, 93–100% mortalities were observed within 24 h among fish exposed to 2.0, 3.0, or 4.0 mg/L UIA. In additional UIA exposure experiments, Nile tilapia were exposed to sublethal concentrations (0.32–0.37 mg/L UIA) for 24 h and then administered an intraperitoneal injection with 750 colony-forming units (CFU) of Streptococcus agalactiae per fish. Mortalities of UIA-exposed and control fish were not significantly different 21 d postchallenge. Blo...
SIMPLIFICATION AS THE GOAL OF PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN CHILD SPEECH1

It is argued here that childhood phonological errors systematically simplify the child's inventory of phonetic elements and strings. The argument is based upon a straightforward criterion of simplicity which is formalized in the following definition: if a phonological error reduces the total number of contrastive phonetic elements or strings which would otherwise occur in the child's speech, it can be said that the error is one of “simplification.” All of the well-documented types of phonological errors in child speech are a result of simplification.
The Future of Enterprise IT in the Cloud

The widespread availability and adoption of cloud services creates new challenges for enterprise IT and prompts the need for new methodologies, tools, and skill sets for managing a hybrid portfolio of these services and traditional IT systems.
A microfluidic device that forms and redirects pheromone gradients to study chemotropism in yeast

Chemotropism, or directed cell growth in response to a chemical gradient, is integral to many biological processes. The mating response of the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a well studied model chemotropic system. Yeast cells of opposite mating type signal their positions by secreting soluble mating pheromones. The mutual exchange of pheromones induces the cells to grow towards one another, resulting in mating projections or “shmoos.” Yeast cells exhibit a remarkable ability to orient their growth toward the nearest potential mating partner, and to reorient (i.e., bend their mating projections) in response to a change in the direction of the pheromone gradient. Although a number of microfluidic devices have been used to generate linear pheromone gradients and to measure initial orientation, none of them have the capability to change the direction of the gradient, other than to invert it. We have developed a microfluidic device that can produce stable pheromone gradients and rapidly rotate them in 90° increments, mimicking the dynamic gradients yeast are exposed to in situ, and allowing for the study of reorientation as well as initial orientation. The mean angle of orientation exhibited by gradient-stimulated yeast cells in this device was 56.9°. In control experiments, cells subjected to pheromone coming from all four directions showed no evidence of orientation. Switching the direction of the pheromone source by 90° induced 83.6% of the polarized cells to change their direction of growth. Of these, 85.2% bent their mating projections toward the second source, demonstrating the utility of this device in the study of reorientation with specifically controlled gradients.
Pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage: report of three cases and review of the literature.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) appears on CT as hyperdensity in the subarachnoid space. In rare circumstances a similar appearance may occur in the absence of subarachnoid blood, a finding that has been termed “pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage.” We describe three patients who presented with abrupt alterations in mental status in whom CT falsely suggested SAH, and we review the literature regarding this imaging finding. In contrast to prior reports, all three of our patients had a favorable outcome.
Cognitive and motivational determinants of children's humor responses

Abstract Cognitive and motivational influences on children's humor responses were examined. Forty-eight Caucasian children from three economically heterogeneous schools were tested. Equal numbers of middle SES and lower SES boys and girls from kindergarten and third grade were shown 12 aggression and dependency cartoons of different difficulty levels. Three responses to each cartoon were recorded: mirth, funniness rating, and comprehension score. Results support aspects of both psychodynamic and cognitive theories of humor response. All children preferred aggressive themes to dependency themes, and third graders especially showed attenuated response to dependency cartoons. Funniness ratings decreased as difficulty levels increased. IQ, as assessed by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-R, was positively related to humor. Mirth responses and funniness ratings increased as comprehension increased.
Potential effects of the increase in carbon dioxide and climate change on the dynamics of vegetation

The continued CO2 loading of the atmosphere appears to be responsible for inducing three new force factors controlling dynamic changes in the world’s vegetation. They come from (1) enhanced fertilization with the single most important plant nutrient, (2) the widely expected global temperature increase, and (3) aggravated weather disturbances. Increased CO2 absorption may enhance plant growth but it may also increase soil-nutrient limitations. It surely will enhance the metabolism of forest trees similarly as global warming will enhance plant metabolism, but both factors may also shorten the lifespan of perennial plants. Increased weather disturbances can be expected to produce new physiological stresses on the standing vegetation, particularly on habitats with poor soils. Since wide-spread forest decline has been reported from both the Atlantic and Pacific region, it seems possible that the roughly synchronic mass mortality of trees during the past two decades is related to the global increase in CO2. The paper gives an overview of forest decline and dieback as known from past and present research and suggests how the changing atmospheric environment may interact in this widely observed contemporary phenomenon of vegetation dynamics.
A fish-based index of biotic integrity to assess intermittent headwater streams in Wisconsin, USA.

I developed a fish-based index of biotic integrity (IBI) to assess environmental quality in intermittent headwater streams in Wisconsin, USA. Backpack electrofishing and habitat surveys were conducted four times on 102 small (watershed area 1.7–41.5 km2), cool or warmwater (maximum daily mean water temperature ≥22 C), headwater streams in spring and late summer/fall 2000 and 2001. Despite seasonal and annual changes in stream flow and habitat volume, there were few significant temporal trends in fish attributes. Analysis of 36 least-impacted streams indicated that fish were too scarce to calculate an IBI at stations with watershed areas less than 4 km2 or at stations with watershed areas from 4–10 km2 if stream gradient exceeded 10 m/km (1% slope). For streams with sufficient fish, potential fish attributes (metrics) were not related to watershed size or gradient. Seven metrics distinguished among streams with low, agricultural, and urban human impacts: numbers of native, minnow (Cyprinidae), headwater-specialist, and intolerant (to environmental degradation) species; catches of all fish excluding species tolerant of environmental degradation and of brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) per 100 m stream length; and percentage of total individuals with deformities, eroded fins, lesions, or tumors. These metrics were used in the final IBI, which ranged from 0 (worst) to 100 (best). The IBI accurately assessed the environmental quality of 16 randomly chosen streams not used in index development. Temporal variation in IBI scores in the absence of changes in environmental quality was not related to season, year, or type of human impact and was similar in magnitude to variation reported for other IBI's.
Data path development for multiple electron beam maskless lithography

Electron beam lithography has been used in the production of integrated circuits for decades. However, due to the limitation of throughput it was not a viable solution for high volume manufacturing and its biggest application is the production of semiconductor masks. For many considerations it has particularly now become desirable to eliminate the semiconductor mask and introduce maskless lithography for semiconductor fabrication. Multiple Electron Beam Maskless Lithography (MEBML2) has been proposed as a solution to overcome the traditional source current limitation of an electron beam system by using many thousands of parallel electron beamlets to write a pattern directly on the wafer. In developing the MEBML2 tool the challenges have shifted and, in absence of the mask, the system data path has emerged as one of the central challenges. The main theme in the data path development is bandwidth. The required raw bandwidth at the patterning beams is determined by throughput and resolution, i.e. pixel size and number of intensity modulation levels. To achieve a production worthy throughput at 10 wafers per hour in a Gaussian-beam-based maskless lithography system, by writing 3.5-nm pixels at 2 levels (on/off) which is required for the 22-nm lithography node, the required aggregate bandwidth at the beam blanker array is up to 45 Tbit/s. Such a large bandwidth requirement means that the data path architecture is mainly characterized by the bandwidth of the data streams in the system. Compression techniques can be used to reduce the intermediate data stream bandwidth requirements and consequently lead to simplifying the system design, reducing power consumption and footprint, but come at the cost of increased data processing complexity and possible limitations on throughput. In this paper we will show results from the development of a prototype data path for the Gaussian-beam-based maskless lithography system. A new concept for data processing and storage is proposed. The vertex-based processing and storage technique is adopted to reduce memory usage considerably, with only modest requirements on the hardware resources. It reveals that a realistically implementable data path system for the maskless lithography tool in high volume manufacturing is feasible.
Supramolecular self-assembly of d(TGG)4, synergistic effects of K+ and Mg2+

Spectral evidence indicates that molar concentrations of K+ can induce aggregate formation in d(TGG)4. The 320-nm turbidity monitoring indicates that more than 1 M KCl is needed for the onset of aggregation to occur at 20 degrees C within the time span of 24 h. The kinetic profile is reminiscent of autocatalytic reactions that consist of a lag period followed by accelerative and levelling phases. Progressive shortening of lag periods and more rapid accelerative phases accompany further increases in [K+]. Interestingly, the presence of Mg2+ greatly facilitates the aggregate formation and results in the prominent appearance of an intense psi-type CD. For example, whereas 1 M K+ fails to induce aggregate formation of d(TGG)4 within 24 h, the addition of 1 mM Mg2+ to a 1 M K+ solution is sufficient to induce the onset of aggregation in approximately 12 h. Furthermore, adjustment of the buffer to 16 mM Mg2+/1 M KCl reduces the lag time to less than 10 min and aggregation is nearly complete in 2 h. The requirement of [K+] for aggregation is reduced to 2 mM in the presence of 16 mM Mg2+, a reduction of nearly three orders of magnitude when compared to solutions without Mg2+. The effects of K+ and Mg2+ ions are synergistic, because the presence of 16 mM Mg2+ alone does not induce aggregate formation in this oligomer. Thermal stabilities of the aggregates are strongly dependent on the concentrations of these two ions. Although aggregates formed in the presence of 2 M KCl alone melt around 55 degrees C, those formed with added 16 mM Mg2+ melt at approximately 90 degrees C, with some aggregates remaining unmelted even at 95 degrees C. The slow kinetics of aggregate formation led to the appearance of gross hystereses in the cooling profiles. The interplay of these two ions appears to be specific, because the replacement of K+ by Na+ or the replacement of Mg2+ by other divalent cations does not lead to the observed self-assembly phenomenon, although Sr2+ can substitute for K+. A possible mechanism for the formation of self-assembled structures is suggested.
Correlations between epithelial cells and bacterial populations in bacteriological skin samples.

SUMMARY The purposes of this study were to determine whether the variability in populations of skin bacteria observed between individuals is related to the number of epithelial cells removed during the skin scrubbing procedure and also whether any particular group of microorganisms can be directly associated with epithelial cells. Foreheads of 31 subjects were sampled using the cup scrubbing method, and bacterial populations were quantified as: total anaerobes, aerobes, Propionibacterium spp., aerobic coryneforms, and Micrococcaceae. Epithelial cells were counted in a haemocytometer. Correlation coefficients were positive between total bacterial populations and epithelial cell counts, with the largest values of 0.64 for Propionibacterium spp., 0.58 for Micrococcaceae, and 0.15 for aerobic coryneforms. High epithelial cell counts were always associated with high bacterial populations, but high bacterial counts occurred, in some instances, with low epithehal cell counts; epithelial cells are not, therefore, responsible for variations in bacterial populations in all cases. Stained smears of epithelial cells from subjects from whom aerobic coryneforms were not cultured showed microcolonies of presumptive anaerobic diphtheroids, closely associated with epithelial cells. These findings and the high correlation between Propionibacterium spp. and epithelial cells suggests a re-examination of the location of anaerobes in the stratum corneum.
Antitumor effects of ajulemic acid (CT3), a synthetic non-psychoactive cannabinoid.

One of the endogenous transformation products of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is THC-11-oic acid, and ajulemic acid (AJA; dimethylheptyl-THC-11-oic acid) is a side-chain synthetic analog of THC-11-oic acid. In preclinical studies, AJA has been found to be a potent anti-inflammatory agent without psychoactive properties. Based on recent reports suggesting antitumor effects of cannabinoids (CBs), we assessed the potential of AJA as an antitumor agent. AJA proved to be approximately one-half as potent as THC in inhibiting tumor growth in vitro against a variety of neoplastic cell lines. However, its in vitro effects lasted longer. The antitumor effect was stereospecific, suggesting receptor mediation. Unlike THC, however, whose effect was blocked by both CB(1) and CB(2) receptor antagonists, the effect of AJA was inhibited by only the CB(2) antagonist. Additionally, incubation of C6 glioma cells with AJA resulted in the formation of lipid droplets, the number of which increased over time; this effect was noted to a much greater extent after AJA than after THC and was not seen in WI-38 cells, a human normal fibroblast cell line. Analysis of incorporation of radiolabeled fatty acids revealed a marked accumulation of triglycerides in AJA-treated cells at concentrations that produced tumor growth inhibition. Finally, AJA, administered p.o. to nude mice at a dosage several orders of magnitude below that which produces toxicity, inhibited the growth of subcutaneously implanted U87 human glioma cells modestly but significantly. We conclude that AJA acts to produce significant antitumor activity and effects its actions primarily via CB(2) receptors. Its very favorable toxicity profile, including lack of psychoactivity, makes it suitable for chronic usage. Further studies are warranted to determine its optimal role as an antitumor agent.
Micropressure measurement with 1μ and smaller cannulae

Abstract Micropipettes with ground beveled openings of 1 μ i.d. and smaller were utilized in a resistance servo-nulling pressure measuring system. The microcannulae, filled with 1 m NaCl have electrical impedance on the 8–11 Megohm range. The required bridge sensitivity was obtained with a negative capacitance input amplifier. In vitro frequency response is 25 Hz. In vivo tests in capillaries of the rabbit omentum showed pulsatile pressures.
LIGHTS OUT : DEACTIVATION OF THE PHOTOTRANSDUCTION CASCADE

The phototransduction G-protein-coupled signaling cascade is an extremely rapid response to photons of light. Equally important to activation of signaling is switching the signal off. A variety of strategies, ranging from the action of kinases and phosphatases, to feedback regulation by substrates and small molecules, ensures efficient inactivation. Here, we focus on phototransduction in Drosophila as a paradigm for the study of deactivation in a complex G-protein-coupled signaling pathway in vivo.
Decorrugation, edge detection, and modelling of total field magnetic observations from a historic town site, Yellowstone National Park, USA

Cinnabar, Montana is a historic town site and railroad depot near the northern edge of Yellowstone National Park and was inhabited between 1883 and 1903. Remains of foundations and old photographs help determine the area of the town, but the south and east limits are unknown. We acquired total field magnetic intensity data to help determine the full extent of the town. Randomly distributed ferrous magnetic sources on the surface and typical noise associated with acquisition complicate the signal. To separate signal and noise we applied filtering and edge detection techniques common in the aeromagnetic industry to our data. Regional removal, decorrugation, upward continuation, and edge detection successfully separated signal and noise. Following filtering, we extracted two larger anomalies from the data set. For those two anomalies, we estimated the edges of their causative sources by calculating the maxima in the horizontal gradient of their anomalies and by inverse modelling those sources; both methods yield similar results. An archaeological test unit excavation within one of the anomalies clearly indicates the remains of buried domestic features, the foundation to a house or other building associated with the late nineteenth to early twentieth century use of Cinnabar. Thus the southeast extent of Cinnabar is greater than previously thought. The lack of surface indicators or adequate historic photography precluded the identification of this buried feature without the aid of the magnetic study. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A general method for improving spatial resolution by optimization of electron multiplication in CCD imaging

The electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) camera possesses an electron multiplying function that can effectively convert the weak incident photon signal to amplified electron output, thereby greatly enhancing the contrast of the acquired images. This device has become a popular photon detector in single-cell biophysical assays to enhance subcellular images. However, the quantitative relationship between the resolution in such measurements and the electron multiplication setting in the EMCCD camera is not well-understood. We therefore developed a method to characterize the exact dependence of the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) on EM gain settings over a full range of incident light intensity. This information was further used to evaluate the EMCCD performance in subcellular particle tracking. We conclude that there are optimal EM gain settings for achieving the best SNR and the best spatial resolution in these experiments. If it is not used optimally, electron multiplication can decrease the SNR and increases spatial error.
Mother to child transmission of HIV-1 in a Thai population: role of virus characteristics and maternal humoral immune response.

The objective of this study was to investigate factors influencing mother to child transmission of HIV-1 in Thailand, where HIV-1 CRF01_AE, the major subtype in Southeast Asia, predominates. Samples from 84 HIV-1 infected, anti-retroviral treatment-naive, non-breast feeding mothers, 28 who transmitted HIV-1 to their babies (transmitters) and 56 who did not (non-transmitters), were studied for maternal humoral immune response and virus characteristics. Maternal humoral immune response was measured by lymphocyte phenotyping; neutralizing antibodies to laboratory HIV-1 MN strain and two clinical isolates; peptide binding antibody to gp41 and V3 from strains CRF01_AE, B, and MN; autologous antibodies; and quasispecies diversity. Virus characteristics studied were viral load, co-receptor usage, and viral replication capacity. No significant difference between transmitters and non-transmitters was found for any parameter of maternal humoral immune response. However, viral load and viral replication capacity were significantly higher in transmitters versus non-transmitters and were not correlated with each other. This suggests that viral replication capacity may be a transmission factor independent of viral load, which is already well established as a risk factor for transmission of HIV-1. All except four viral isolates used the CCR5 co-receptor. This is one of few studies of vertical transmission in a population where HIV-1 CRF01_AE predominates. The data suggest that in this population the maternal humoral immune response was not important in preventing transmission at parturition, but that virus characteristics were key factors, and that viral replication capacity may contribute to birth-associated mother to child transmission of HIV-1.
Complement inhibition prevents gut ischemia and endothelial cell dysfunction after hemorrhage/resuscitation

Abstract Background: Complement, a nonspecific immune response, is activated during hemorrhage/resuscitation (HEM/RES) and is involved in cellular damage. We hypothesized that activated complement injures endothelial cells (ETCs) and is responsible for intestinal microvascular hypoperfusion after HEM/RES. Methods: Four groups of rats were studied by in vivo videomicroscopy of the intestine: SHAM, HEM/RES, HEM/RES+sCR1 (complement inhibitor, 15 mg/kg intravenously given before resuscitation), and SHAM+sCR1. Hemorrhage was to 50% of mean arterial pressure for 60 minutes followed by resuscitation with shed blood plus an equal volume of saline. ETC function was assessed by response to acetylcholine. Results: Resuscitation restored central hemodynamics to baseline after hemorrhage. After resuscitation, inflow A1 and premucosal A3 arterioles progressively constricted (–24% and –29% change from baseline, respectively), mucosal blood flow was reduced, and ETC function was impaired. Complement inhibition prevented postresuscitation vasoconstriction and gut ischemia. This protective effect appeared to involve preservation of ETC function in the A3 vessels (SHAM 76% of maximal dilation, HEM/RES 61%, HEM/RES+sCR1 74%, P Conclusions: Complement inhibition preserved ETC function after HEM/RES and maintained gut perfusion. Inhibition of complement activation before resuscitation may be a useful adjunct in patients experiencing major hemorrhage and might prevent the sequelae of gut ischemia. (Surgery 1998;124:782-92.)
Structural health monitoring of offshore structures using ambient excitation

Abstract This work explores the role of ambient excitation and empirical modeling in detecting damage in offshore structures. Two simple models of an articulated offshore structure are excited with the output of a stochastic process conforming to the ambient Pierson–Moskowitz wave distribution. Because ambient excitation (hence the resulting response) is typically modeled as a narrow-band process, the resulting response is ‘practically’ low-dimensional allowing for phase space methods of analysis to be applied. Based on the structure's response to this excitation empirical phase space models are constructed. Structural response data from an undamaged structure are used to make predictions on the response of a damaged structure. As damage is incurred, the resulting prediction error increases. The result is a data-driven approach which can successfully detect a stiffness degradation in model offshore structures. This technique is demonstrated effective for diagnosing the presence, and in one of the examples the magnitude, of the degradation.
Protein-only inheritance in yeast: something to get [PSI+]-ched about

Recent work suggests that two unrelated phenotypes, [PSI+] and [URE3], in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are transmitted by non-covalent changes in the physical states of their protein determinants, Sup35p and Ure2p, rather than by changes in the genes that encode these proteins. The mechanism by which alternative protein states are self-propagating is the key to understanding how proteins function as elements of epigenetic inheritance. Here, we focus on recent molecular-genetic analysis of the inheritance of the [PSI+] factor of S. cerevisiae. Insights into this process might be extendable to a group of mammalian diseases (the amyloidoses), which are also believed to be a manifestation of self-perpetuating changes in protein conformation.
Measurement of Gas Transport through Fiber Preforms and Densified Composites for Chemical Vapor Infiltration

Gas transport via pressure-driven permeation or via concentration-driven diffusion is a key step in the chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process. This paper describes methods for the measurement of these properties for CVI preforms and partially infiltrated composites. Results are presented for Nicalon-fiber cloth layup preforms and composites, Nextel-fiber braid preforms and composites, and a Nicalon-fiber three-dimensional (3-D) weave composite. The permeability of Nicalon cloth layup preforms is strongly dependent on the packing density over the range of 29-40 vol% but is only weakly dependent on the orientation of the alternating cloth layers. The specimen-to-specimen variation is high (standard deviation of 20%), which reflects the statistical nature of the interlayer separation and alignment. This variability also affects the results for the partially densified specimens, where the permeability values for specimens of similar density can be very different. Trends in the diffusion factor results are similar to those for permeability, which reflects the fact that both transport parameters are dependent on the structure of the same pore network, although in somewhat different ways. The permeability of Nextel braid preforms is dependent on the thread count and the weight for cloths with similar construction and packing density. The gas permeability of the finer wave (6.3 tows/cm (16 tows/in.)) is approximately one-half that of the coarser weave (3.5 tows/cm (9 tows/in.)). Results are reported for a small number of infiltrated composites with Nextel fiber reinforcement. Attempts to mount a Nicalon-fiber 3-D weave preform specimen have been unsuccessful. Results for a small number of composite specimens with 3-D weave reinforcement are reported.