cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unusual Spectroscopic and Electric Field Sensitivity of Chromophores with Short Hydrogen Bonds: GFP and PYP as Model Systems

Short hydrogen bonds, with heavy-atom distances less than 2.7 A, are believed to exhibit proton delocalization, and their possible role in catalysis has been widely debated. While spectroscopic and/or structural methods are usually employed to study the degree of proton delocalization, ambiguities still arise, and no direct information on the corresponding potential energy surface is obtained. Here, we apply an external electric field to perturb the short hydrogen bond(s) within a collection of green fluorescent protein S65T/H148D variants and photoactive yellow protein mutants, where the chromophore participates in the short hydrogen bond(s) and serves as an optical probe of the proton position. As the proton is charged, its position may shift in response to the external electric field, and the chromophore's electronic absorption can thus reflect the ease of proton transfer. The results suggest that low-barrier hydrogen bonds (LBHBs) are not present within these proteins even when proton affinities between donor and acceptor are closely matched. Exploiting the chromophores as precalibrated electrostatic probes, the covalency of short hydrogen bonds as a nonelectrostatic component is also revealed. A theoretical framework is developed to address a possible contribution of unusually large polarizabilities of short hydrogen bonds due to proton delocalization, but no clear evidence for this phenomenon is found in accordance with the absence of LBHBs.
Singularity-Free Model Predictive Spacecraft Attitude Regulation Using a Variable-Speed Control Moment Gyroscope Model

This paper discusses spacecraft attitude control using variable-speed control moment gyroscopes. A new operational concept for variable-speed control moment gyroscopes is proposed, i.e., the flywheels and the gimbals of the variable-speed control moment gyroscopes do not always spin at high speed, they spin at high speed only when they need to. The dynamics of the variable-speed control moment gyroscopes are incorporated into the model for the control system design. The complex nonlinear system can be represented as an equivalent linear time-varying system. As a result, an effective control system design method, model predictive control using robust pole assignment, can be used to design the spacecraft attitude control system using variable-speed control moment gyroscopes. A combination of the new operational concept and a model that includes the variable-speed control moment gyroscopes’ dynamics leads to several nice features: 1) the control system does not have any singular point; 2) the design reduces energy consumption because the fly wheels and gimbals are most likely operated at low speed when the spacecraft is stabilized; and 3) the theoretical analysis shows that the designed system is uniformly exponentially stable. A design example is provided. The simulation result shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.
The politics of anti-austerity protest: South Korea in 1997–1998 and Greece in 2009–2010:

Why does austerity confront varying degrees of popular resistance? While prior research primarily addresses the economic threat of austerity as the stimulus for anti-austerity protest, a growing vo...
Cellular Basis of Insulin Resistance: A Tale of the Microvasculature

Abstract Insulin is a vasoactive hormone and muscle microvasculature is an important insulin action target. Insulin-induced muscle microvascular perfusion closely couples with insulin-stimulated muscle glucose uptake. Muscle microvasculature critically links insulin’s vascular action to its metabolic action by actively modulating insulin delivery to the muscle and providing adequate endothelial surface area for insulin extraction to the muscle interstitium. This insulin delivery process is rate limiting in muscle insulin action and insulin actively regulates its own delivery to muscle. Muscle microvascular insulin resistance occurs well before muscle metabolic insulin resistance in diet-induced obesity and contributes to the pathogenesis of muscle metabolic insulin resistance, making the muscle microvasculature a potential therapeutic target for the prevention and management of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Associations between plasma cytokine levels and gut microbiota composition in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

351Background: Plasma cytokines and the gut microbiome have been shown separately to influence the response to systemic therapy in mRCC. We sought associations between serum cytokines and gut micro...
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors with BRAF Gene Fusions. A Report of Two Cases Showing Low or Absent KIT Expression Resulting in Diagnostic Pitfalls

Although most gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) exhibit activating mutations in either KIT or PDGFRA, rare cases have shown to be driven by gene fusions involving kinases, mainly involving NTRK3, and rarely BRAF or FGFR1. BRAF gene rearrangements have been described in only 2 patients to date, as separate case reports. In addition, BRAF V600E mutation is an uncommon but established oncogenic pathway in GIST. In this report, we describe two new GIST cases harboring novel BRAF fusion genes, arising in 2 young-adult women (37 and 40 years of age) in the small bowel and distal esophagus, both with a spindle cell phenotype. The small bowel GIST measured 2.8 cm and showed a high cellularity and a mitotic rate of 20/50 HPFs, while the esophageal lesion measured 7 cm and 1/50 HPFs. Immunohistochemically, both tumors showed diffuse reactivity for DOG1, while KIT/CD117 was weakly positive in the small bowel GIST and completely negative in the esophageal tumor. Based on these findings, the latter case was misinterpreted as a low grade myxoid leiomyosarcoma, as it showed a myxoid stroma, reactivity for SMA and focal positivity for desmin. Archer FusionPlex revealed a fusion between BRAF with either AGAP3 or MKRN1 gene partners. Moreover, MSK-IMPACT DNA targeted sequencing confirmed both fusions but did not identify additional mutations. In one case with available material, the BRAF gene rearrangement was also validated by FISH. The recognition of BRAF fusion-positive GISTs is critical as it may be associated with a low level of KIT expression and may result in diagnostic challenges with significant impact on therapeutic management. The clinical benefit with KIT inhibitors, such as imatinib, remains to be determined. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Enduring Rivalries in the Asia-Pacific

1. What about enduring rivalries? 2. Protracted conflicts between asymmetric dyads 3. Interstate acrimony in the Asia-Pacific 4. Polarity, polarization and power shifts 5. Incentives for conflict: fuses and firebreaks 6. Economics trumps politics 7. Adding agency to structure 8. Wither Asia-Pacific rivalries?
Ultrasonic Nondestructive Evaluation of Prseus Pressure Cube Article in Support of Load Test to Failure

The PRSEUS Pressure Cube Test was a joint development effort between the Boeing Company and NASA Langley Research Center, sponsored in part by the Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project and Boeing internal R&D. This Technical Memorandum presents the results of ultrasonic inspections in support of the PRSEUS Pressure Cube Test, and is a companion document with the NASA test report and a report on the acoustic emission measurements made during the test.
Signal Processing in Nervous Systems

The processing of electrical signals by the brain has long held a particular fascination for students and researchers. When DuBois Reymond made the first successful laboratory measurements of the nerve impulse in the mid-19th century, he wrote: “If I do not greatly deceive myself, I have succeeded in realizing in full actuality… the hundred years’ dream of physicists and physiologists, to wit, the identification of the nervous principle with electricity.” About half a century later Sherrington, in a classic work summarizing his research on the integration of spinal reflex activity, characterized the nervous system as “… an enchanted loom where millions of flashing shuttles weave a dissolving pattern, always a meaningful though never an abiding one.”
Fluoride stimulates cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl- channel activity.

While studying the regulation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), we found that addition of F− to the cytosolic surface of excised, inside-out membrane patches revers...
Checksumming Strategies for Data in Volatile Memories

The increase in the number of processors needed to build exascale systems implies that the mean time between failure will further decrease, making it increasingly important to develop scalable techniques for fault tolerance. In this paper we develop an efficient checksum-based approach to fault tolerance for data in volatile memory systems, i.e., an approach without the need to save any data on stable persistent storage. The developed scheme is applicable in multiple scenarios, including: 1) online recovery of large read-only data structures from the memory of failed nodes, with very low storage overhead 2) online recovery from soft errors in blocked data, and 3) online recovery of read/write data via in-memory checkpointing. The approach uses a logical multi-dimensional view of the data to be protected. Changing the dimensionality of the data view enables a trade-off between multiple factors, including the storage overheads, the checksum generation time, the failure recovery time, and the number of faults that can be tolerated. Experimental results demonstrating effectiveness of the approach are presented on a Cray XE6 system.
Not‐for‐Profit Organizations

A not-for-profit organization (NFPO) is characterized by (i) not having intentional surplus from activities and (ii) the absence of indicia of ownership that gives owners or resource providers a simultaneous share in profit and control. Keywords: not-for-profit organizations
The Obama International Tax Plan: A Major Step Forward

On May 4, 2009, President Obama in person introduced a set of proposals to reform U.S. international taxation that are the most significant advance toward preserving the income tax on cross-border transactions since the enactment of Subpart F by the Kennedy Administration in 1962. In essence, the Obama proposals (the “Obama Plan”) introduce a 21st Century version of the vision begun by Thomas Adams in 1918 and continued by Stanley Surrey in 1961: A world in which source and residence taxation are coordinated so as to achieve the underlying goals of the international tax regime. As I have explained at length elsewhere, these goals are the Single Tax Principle (all income from cross-border transactions should be subject to tax once, not more and not less) and the Benefits Principle (active income should be taxed primarily at source, passive income primarily at residence). The Obama Plan does this by addressing the central problem of implementing corporate and individual income taxation in a world of open economies: Effective source taxation requires residence taxation, and effective residence taxation requires source taxation. In what follows, I will comment on the major proposals in the Obama Plan and explain how they form a coherent step forward toward achieving the Single Tax and Benefit Principles. I will first address the proposals related to the taxation of active income earned by corporations, and then the proposals related to the taxation of passive income earned by individuals.
Effects of auroral-particle anisotropies and mirror forces on high-latitude electric fields

It is noted that, for most of the mechanisms for the strong electric fields that characterize the narrow regions in which there is acceleration and precipitation of ring current and/or plasma-sheet plasma, certain effects must be taken into account in simulations of auroral electric fields. The effects are those of auroral particle anisotropy, of mirror forces due to the inhomogeneous geomagnetic field, of auroral electron backscatter by the atmosphere, and of electron trapping by the combination of magnetic mirroring and electrostatic forces. What is more, the effects of the very strong perpendicular electric field must also be taken into account in a kinetic description of the Poisson equation in order to achieve a unified theory of the auroral electrostatic structure. Progress in these areas during the past few years is reviewed. It is shown that particle anisotropies and mirror forces can account for some basic electrostatic features of the quiet arc, while additional effects may be occurring in strong events in which the parallel potential drop is more than about 10 kV.
Provenance-Based Information Trustworthiness Evaluation in Multi-Hop Networks

In this paper, we present a trust model to evaluate the trustworthiness of information as well as the information publishing nodes based on the information provenance. We consider two factors in evaluating the provenance-based information trust: Path Similarity and Information Similarity. In multihop networks, information can flow through multiple hops from multiple paths. We model the similarity between different paths which deliver information about the same event and the similarity between two information items about the same event which are delivered through different paths. Both path and information similarity factors are considered in determining the trust of the information. This information trust is indeed used as a feedback factor to adaptively adjust trust of the nodes in the network. Detailed analysis of the proposed approach is presented along with simulation results for validation.
A highly reliable converter for wind power generation application

This paper proposes a novel soft switching ac link converter for wind power generation. In this converter, the link is formed by a low reactive rating series inductor/capacitor (LC) pair having alternating current and voltage. Therefore, the proposed converter does not include any dc capacitors or chokes, resulting in a very compact design and reliable performance. The proposed converter is a partial resonant converter i.e. only a small time interval is allocated to resonance in each cycle. Hence, while the resonance facilitates zero current turn-off of the switches, the LC link has low reactive ratings and low power dissipation. Due to the zero current turn off of the switches, the switching frequency can be as high as permitted by the switches. The high frequency of the link minimizes the size of the passive components. Switches used in this converter can be of any type; even SCRs can be used. In order to provide galvanic isolation a single phase high frequency transformer can be added to the link. Light weight and compactness, along with high efficiency and long lifetime, make the proposed converter, which is named Series Partial Resonant Converter (SEPARC), an excellent candidate for different applications, especially wind power generation systems. In this paper, the performance of the proposed converter is evaluated for wind power generation applications.
Severity of Intraventricular Extension Correlates With Level of Admission Glucose After Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose—Hyperglycemia after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with poor outcome, but the pathophysiology of ICH-induced glucose dysregulation remains unclear. We sought to identify clinical and radiographic parameters of ICH that are associated with admission hyperglycemia. Methods—Patients admitted to the Columbia University Medical Center Neurological Intensive Care Unit with spontaneous ICH between January 2009 and September 2010 were prospectively enrolled in the ICH Outcomes Project. Clinical, radiographic, and laboratory data were collected prospectively. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to identify the glucose level with optimal sensitivity and specificity for in-hospital mortality. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of outcome measures where appropriate. Results—One hundred four patients admitted during the study period were included in the analysis. Mean admission glucose level was 8.23±3.15...
Affective and cognitive design for mass personalization: status and prospect

The prevailing practice of design for mass customization manifests itself through a configure-to-order paradigm, which means to satisfy explicit customer needs (CNs) and built upon legacy design. With pervasive connectivity and interactivity of the Internet and sensor networks, personalization has been witnessed in a number of industry sectors as a promising strategy that makes the market of one a reality. Mass personalization entails a strategy of producing goods and services to satisfy individual customer's latent needs with values outperforming costs for both customers and producers. This review paper envisions an affective and cognitive design perspective to mass personalization. By exploiting implicit market demand information and revealing latent CNs, mass personalization aspires to assist customers in making better informed decisions, and to the largest extent, to anticipate customer satisfaction and adapt to customer delight. The key dimensions of mass personalization are identified and discussed. By capitalizing on user experience, affective and cognitive design for mass personalization is expected to address individual customer's latent CNs. The decisions of affective and cognitive design, involving affective and cognitive needs elicitation, affective and cognitive analysis, and affective and cognitive fulfillment, are reviewed with a wide range of interests, including engineering design, human factors and ergonomics, engineering psychology, marketing, and human-computer interaction. Recent trends and future research directions are also speculated to inspire more meaningful research in this area.
User interface flexibility and limits of effective computer documentation for users

This paper looks at the increasing flexibility of computer interfaces and the resulting impact on the effectiveness of the computer manufacturer's documentation (reference manuals, training packages, and so on). The paper identifies the types of documentation that begin to lose effectiveness as the user interface becomes more flexible, and briefly looks at ways to keep that documentation as effective as possible.
Caffeine prevents weight gain and cognitive impairment caused by a high-fat diet while elevating hippocampal BDNF

Obesity, high-fat diets, and subsequent type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are associated with cognitive impairment. Moreover, T2DM increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and leads to abnormal elevation of brain beta-amyloid levels, one of the hallmarks of AD. The psychoactive alkaloid caffeine has been shown to have therapeutic potential in AD but the central impact of caffeine has not been well-studied in the context of a high-fat diet. Here we investigated the impact of caffeine administration on metabolism and cognitive performance, both in control rats and in rats placed on a high-fat diet. The effects of caffeine were significant: caffeine both (i) prevented the weight-gain associated with the high-fat diet and (ii) prevented cognitive impairment. Caffeine did not alter hippocampal metabolism or insulin signaling, likely because the high-fat-fed animals did not develop full-blown diabetes; however, caffeine did prevent or reverse a decrease in hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) seen in high-fat-fed animals. These data confirm that caffeine may serve as a neuroprotective agent against cognitive impairment caused by obesity and/or a high-fat diet. Increased hippocampal BDNF following caffeine administration could explain, at least in part, the effects of caffeine on cognition and metabolism.
Rhodium supported in basic zeolite Y: A selective and stable catalyst for CO hydrogenation

Catalysts prepared by a condensation reaction of Rh(CO)2(acac) within the supercages of zeolite Y made basic by treatment with NaN3 are active for CO hydrogenation and selective for low-molecular-weight olefins and methanol. High partial pressures of CO (or CO + H2) stabilize the catalyst. The predominant species in the catalyst are suggested to be rhodium carbonyl clusters trapped in the zeolite cages.
One-loop scalar field contributions to graviton-graviton scattering and helicity non-conservation in quantum gravity

Abstract We present and discuss the helicity amplitudes for graviton-graviton scattering via a loop of massless scalars. The amplitudes have the expected analytic structure but do not conserve helicity. We prove that as a consequence helicity is not conserved in pure quantum gravity either and the helicity flip amplitudes are given by two times the scalar loop contributions. Implications for the higher-loop renormalizability of quantum gravity are discussed.
Different states of avian myeloblastosis virus dna polymerase and their binding capacity to primer tRNATrp

Three different DNA polymerase species can be identified by phosphocellulose chromatography following treatment of the avian myeloblastosis virus αβ DNA polymerase with 1,4-dioxane: (1) α DNA polymerase, (2) residual αβ DNA polymerase, and (3) a species enriched for β DNA polymerase. Binding studies with the major species of primer RNA (tRNATrP) involved in the initiation of RNA-directed DNA synthesis in vitro, were carried out with these three DNA polymerase species. Both αβ and the β DNA polymerase enriched species bound tightly to [32P]tRNATrp as demonstrated by the ability of both enzymes to exclude tRNATrp on Sephadex G-75 columns and by increasing the sedimentation rate of tRNATrp in glycerol gradients. Neither enzyme required divalent metal ion for binding to tRNATrp at 0°. The binding capacity of these two enzymes to tRNATrp was significantly reduced in the presence of MgCl2. This reduction in binding capacity was most likely due to conformational changes of tRNATrp resulting from selective binding with Mg2+. α DNA polymerase, even when present in a 1000-fold molar excess with respect to tRNATrp, did not bind to this primer RNA irrespective of whether or not divalent metal ion was present. These results suggest that the β subunit in αβ DNA polymerase is required for effective binding of the holoenzyme to tRNATrp.
Physical mechanism of the surface d → d + is transition

We discuss the basic physical mechanism of the surface d → d + is transition. Using the first-order perturbation theory, we show that the mid-gap states drive the transition. We present various order-of-magnitude estimates and consistency checks that support this picture.
Preparation of I2@SWNTs: Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of I2-Loaded SWNTs

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) along with inductively coupled plasma analysis (ICP-AE) and Raman spectroscopy have been used to define the location and to quantify the amount of iodine in HiPco SWNT samples loaded with molecular I2 via sublimation (I2-SWNTs). The exterior-adsorbed I2 can be removed (as I-) by reducing the sample of filled nanotubes with Na0/THF or by heating the I2-SWNTs to 300 °C (without reduction), leaving I2 contained only within the interior of the SWNTs (I2@SWNTs) as proven by XPS. These I2@SWNTs contain ∼25 wt % of I2 and are stable without the loss of I2 even after exposure to additional reduction with Na0/THF or upon heating to ca. 500 °C.
Investigation of the Spark Cycle Effect on Material Removal Rate in Wire Electrical Discharge Machining

The development of new, advanced engineering materials and the needs for precise and flexible prototype and low-volume production have made wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) an important manufacturing process to meet such demand. This research investigates the effect of spark on-time duration and spark on-time ratio, two important EDM process parameters, on the material removal rate (MRR) and surface integrity of four types of advanced material: porous metal foams, metal bond diamond grinding wheels, sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets, and carbon-carbon bipolar plates. An experimental procedure was developed. During the wire EDM, five types of constraints on the MRR due to short circuit, wire breakage, machine slide speed limit, and spark on-time upper and lower limits have been identified. An envelope of feasible EDM process parameters is created and compared across different work-materials. Applications of such process envelope to select process parameters for maximum MRR and for machining of micro features are presented.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Combined pharmacological and fine-structural studies of choline O-acetyltransferase at the myoneural junction.

Summary A cytochemical method for the fine-structural localization of choline-O-acetyltransferase (ChAc, EC 2.3.1.6) at newt myoneural junctions has been developed. Experiments were controlled by biochemical justification of each procedure. Triceps muscles were fixed in 2% buffered formaldehyde, washed and incubated with choline, acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA), manganous chloride and potassium ferricyanide. Coenzyme A (CoA), a product of the action of ChAc, reduced ferricyanide to ferrocyanide which precipitated with Mn2+ to yield an electron-dense marker at the site of ChAc activity. Final product was associated with the membrane of synaptic vesicles in the myoneural junction and under certain conditions with invaginations of presynaptic membrane. Schwann processes, junctional folds, muscle fibers and sarcoplasm, and the presynaptic axoplasm were devoid of reaction product. Some reaction product occurred in the absence of added substrates and this was due to endogenous substrates. When tissues were treated with a ChAc inhibitor, N-hydroxyethyl-4-(1-naphthylvinyl) pyridinium bromide (NVP), final product was diminished in the presence of added substrates. Further controls, such as heat inactivation, treatment with Cu2+, replacement of glucose with non-metabolizable surcrose, and fixation-inactivation provided evidence that the final product was due to the activity of ChAc. The cytochemical localizations are discussed with reference to current pharmacological and cell biological views of ChAc and synaptic vesicles.
Measurements of nonlinear harmonic radiation and harmonic microbunching in a visible SASE FEL

The experimental characterization of nonlinear harmonic generation (NHG) and electron beam microbunching at saturation from a visible SASE FEL are presented in this report. The gain lengths, spectra and energies of NHG were experimentally measured up to the third harmonic, and agree with theoretical predictions. Electron beam microbunching in both the fundamental and the second harmonic as the function of the SASE output were experimentally observed over the full range of SASE gain. The bunching factors for both the fundamental (b1) and second harmonic (b2) were experimentally characterized at saturation. The microbunching data provides another test of SASE saturation as well as correlating the NHG and electron beam microbunching modes to the fundamental SASE.© 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.PACS: 41.60. Cr;41.60. Ap;4185. Ja
Thermo-Electro-Mechanical Behavior of Ferroelectric Materials Part II: Introduction of Rate and Self-Heating Effects

A micro-electro-mechanical model of the behavior of piezoelectric ceramics including thermal, rate, and self-heating effects is presented and simulations are compared to experimental data. The rate dependent model is an extension of an earlier rate independent model. Results include analytical and numerical investigations of the behavior of piezoelectric ceramics. The model is based on physical mechanisms and includes elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric anisotropy. Moreover, the model is based on an internal energy approach so that work-energy relations may be directly applied. Special consideration of potential physical mechanisms responsible for material behavior in the largely unexplored intermediate rate regime (50-1000 Hz) at high fields is given. Results from the model give insight into material behavior.
Effects of Age on the Judged Distance to Virtual Objects in the near Visual Field

The following experiment examines effects of observers' age on their judged depth of nearby virtual objects displayed with see-through, Helmet Mounted Displays (HMDs). Monocular, biocular or stereoscopic viewing conditions were used. Two previous finding were investigated: 1) the effect of accommodative demand on judged target depth (Ellis & Menges, 1995) and 2) the change in judged depth of a virtual object due to the introduction of a physical surface at its previously judged depth (Ellis, Bucher & Menges, 1995). Observed effects were consistent with the older subjects' loss of accommodative response and reflexive accommodative vergence. In the present study it was found that only subjects younger than 38 yrs were able to benefit from correctly presented accommodative demand in the monocular viewing situations. Older subjects were especially likely to make greater depth judgment errors in the monocular viewing situations and would especially benefit from compensatory design of the stimulus to correct th...
Analyzing the microRNA Transcriptome in Plants Using Deep Sequencing Data

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 20- to 24-nucleotide endogenous small RNA molecules emerging as an important class of sequence-specific, trans-acting regulators for modulating gene expression at the post-transcription level. There has been a surge of interest in the past decade in identifying miRNAs and profiling their expression pattern using various experimental approaches. In particular, ultra-deep sampling of specifically prepared low-molecular-weight RNA libraries based on next-generation sequencing technologies has been used successfully in diverse species. The challenge now is to effectively deconvolute the complex sequencing data to provide comprehensive and reliable information on the miRNAs, miRNA precursors, and expression profile of miRNA genes. Here we review the recently developed computational tools and their applications in profiling the miRNA transcriptomes, with an emphasis on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Highlighted is also progress and insight into miRNA biology derived from analyzing available deep sequencing data.
Area-Efficient Antenna-Scalable MIMO Detector for K-best Sphere Decoding

K-best sphere decoding is one of the most popular MIMO (Multi-Input Multi-Output) detection algorithms because of its low complexity and close to Maximum Likelihood (ML) Bit Error Rate (BER) performance. Unfortunately, conventional multi-stage sphere decoders suffer from the inability to adapt to varying antenna configurations, requiring implementation redesign for each specific array structure. In this paper, we propose a reconfigurable in-place architecture that is scalable to an arbitrary number of antennas at run-time, while reducing area significantly compared with other sphere decoders. To improve the throughput of the in-place architecture without any degradation in BER performance, we propose partial-sort-bypass and symbol interleaving techniques, and also exploit multi-core design. Implementation results for a 16-QAM MIMO decoder in a 130 nm CMOS technology show a 41% reduction in area compared to the smallest sphere decoder while maintaining antenna reconfigurability, and better throughput. When implemented for the 802.11n standard, our architecture results in 42% reduction in area compared to the multi-stage architecture.
Parity Unfavoredness and the Distribution of Photofragments

The angular distribution of photodisintegration products, previously resolved into contributions with different angular momentum transfers ${\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{j}}}_{t}={\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{j}}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}\ensuremath{-}1$, is analyzed further according to the parity of ${j}_{t}$. Odd values of ${j}_{t}+{j}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}+l$ correspond to parity-unfavored transitions which result from effectively pseudotensor interactions with the unobserved fragments. In electric dipole processes, these transitions yield an angular distribution with the fixed asymmetry parameter ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{\mathrm{unf}}=\ensuremath{-}1$ while the distribution of parity-favored transitions consists of three standard functions weighted by dynamical factors.
Homoleptic Disilylphosphido Complexes [M[P(SIR3)2]x)n and Their Use as Precursors to Phosphide Semiconductor Nanoclusters

Abstract Several homoleptic disilylphosphido complexes are described, which are relatives of the well-known homoleptic disilylamido complexes. The differing properties of the amido and phosphido ligands are ascribed to normal periodic relationships.
The structure of cytochromec and the rates of molecular evolution

The x-ray structure analysis of ferricytochromec shows the reasons for the evolutionary conservatism of hydrophobic and aromatic side chains, lysines, and glycines, which had been observed from comparisons of amino acid sequences from over 30 species. It also shows that the negative character of one portion of the molecular surface is conserved, even though individual acidic side chains are not, and that positive charges are localized around two hydrophobic “channels” leading from the interior to the surface.
Stress-induced changes of glucose levels in cockroach haemolymph

Abstract 1. 1. Cockroaches were subjected to periods of stress lasting for 1, 2·5, 4 and 5 min. 2. 2. Haemolymph samples were taken after the period of stress and analyzed for glucose content. 3. 3. Haemolymph glucose levels of animals stressed for 5 min were significantly higher than those of nonstressed controls. 4. 4. Haemolymph glucose levels returned to normal within 3–4 hr after cessation of the stress period.
Spin‐free wave functions in many‐electron perturbation theory. II. Systems with one nonclosed shell

The formulation developed in Paper I for a closed shell system is extended for a system with one nonclosed shell. Roothaan's restricted Hartree–Fock (RHF) open-shell wave function is taken as the zero-order solution. The first-order Schrodinger equation is then solved for the spatial part of the wave function by reducing it to a set of one- and two-electron equations, using the properties of the symmetric group SN.
Ecological implications of projected climate change scenarios in forest ecosystems in northern Michigan, USA

Changes in seasonal temperature and precipitation, as predicted by several global climate models, were utilized together with a stochastic daily weather stimulation model to evaluate the ecological impacts of projected global climate change scenarios on temperate forest ecosystems in northern Michigan, USA. The model simulated the impacts of these projected changes on ecologically significant weather variables, such as the length of the frost-free period, average growing season temperature, average growing season degree days (4.4° C basis), summer precipitation, potential evaporation during the growing season, and the ratio of precipitation to potential evaporation during July and August. The results indicate that even the lower range of predicted climate changes could lead to ecologically and commercially significant changes in the composition and productivity of these forests. Of particular concern is the possibility of climatically induced regional decline episodes for a number of important commercial species in the northern temperate forests of central North America.
X-ray standing-wave study of monolayers of Sb on GaAs(110).

The x-ray standing-wave technique has been used to determine the geometrical structure of Sb on GaAs(110). Using the back reflection diffraction geometry from (220) and (400) planes, we find the average vertical distance of Sb atoms from the GaAs surface to be 2.27±0.05 A in agreement with theoretical calculations for the epitaxial continued layer structure. Other models of buckled zigzag chains are found inconsistent with our results. Additionally, our data indicate less than 10% disorder in the Sb overlayer
Some observations on the economic importance of sugar‐beet downy mildew in England

SUMMARY Sugar-beet downy mildew is most prevalent in England in the sugar-beet and mangold seed-growing area of South Lincolnshire and West Norfolk. The most widespread and severe recent outbreaks were in 1957, and in 1965 when 6412 acres were reported with more than 10% infected plants. The fungus usually overwinters in sugar-beet and mangold seed crops, and in England other ways of overwintering are seldom important. Steckling beds are infected in the autumn, and the disease may increase rapidly in the seed crop in early spring. Summer-sown stecklings get more downy mildew than stecklings sown in spring under a cereal cover crop, and direct-drilled seed crops get more downy mildew than transplanted crops.
Three-Dimensional Microstructural Imaging of Sulfur Poisoning-Induced Degradation in a Ni-YSZ Anode of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Three-Dimensional Microstructural Imaging of Sulfur Poisoning-Induced Degradation in a Ni-YSZ Anode of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Polymer blends as high explosive binders

One approach to high-density, high-modulus binders for explosives is to blend low-density, high-modulus polymers with high-density, low-modulus polymers. Improved properties, which miscible pairs theoretically should have, are discussed. Two attempts to achieve miscibility between a high-density fluoropolymer (Kel-F 800) and high-modulus thermoplastics (Lucite 130 and Phenoxy PKHJ) were unsuccessful. These blends are immiscible and their physical properties are additive or not significantly enhanced. Anelastic properties of the blends indicate phase separation by the presence of two glass transitions, one associated with each phase. Unfortunately, neither of these pairs has merit as an improved plastic-bonded explosive binder. However, a compatible (miscible) pair would be an improved binder if the appropriate polymer pair could be found.
Calorimetric and NMR Characterization of a Rem2 G-Domain Interaction with the Sh3-GK Core of the Ca2+ Channel Beta4 Subunit

The RGK (Rad, Rem1, Rem2 and Gem/Kir) subfamily of small GTPases has potent inhibitory effects on high voltage-activated Ca2+ channels. The inhibition has been shown to occur through a mechanism that is dependent on the Ca2+ channel beta subunit. In this study, we characterized an interaction between the G domain of Rem2 and the beta4 guanylate kinase (GK) domain using NMR and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) techniques. We determined that the interaction is endothermic, has a stoichiometry of 1, and a Kd 156 uM, which is three orders of magnitude weaker than the beta4 interaction with the pore-forming alpha1 subunit. NMR chemical shift perturbation analysis reveals that Rem2 interacts exclusively with the GK domain of the SH3-GK core by way of residues located in the former GMP binding region of the inactive kinase. The site is composed of residues just proximal to 310 helix sequences 2 and 3, and residues in alpha helix 6. Thus, the RGK binding site is clearly distinct from the binding site for the alpha1 subunit AID peptide. Site-directed mutagenesis of surface residues combined with ITC indicate that multiple GK sequences contribute to Rem2 binding collectively. These results support the idea that Ca2+ channel inhibition by Rem2 is unlikely to be the result of direct competition with alpha1 binding to the beta subunit. Instead, it argues in favor of a mechanism in which beta subunit-anchored Rem2 executes its inhibitory effect through other contacts with alpha1 subunits. This study demonstrates that NMR combined with ITC can provide detailed information on important weak protein-protein interactions involved in Ca2+ channel regulation.
Phase equilibrium investigations of the Adirondack class basalts from the Gusev plains, Gusev crater, Mars

Phase equilibrium experiments have been performed on a synthetic analog of the Gusev plains basalt composition from the Spirit landing site on Mars. Near-liquidus phase relations were determined over the pressure range of 0.1 to 1.5 GPa and at temperatures from 1125 to 1390 °C in a piston cylinder apparatus and 1 atm gas mixing furnace. The composition is multiply saturated with olivine, orthopyroxene, and spinel near its liquidus at 1320 °C and 1.0 GPa, or 85 km depth on Mars, placing an upper limit constraint on the thickness of the Martian lithosphere at the time of eruption. Our experimental work suggests that the Gusev basalts are anhydrous batch melts of a primitive Martian mantle similar to the composition estimated by Dreibus and Wnke (1984). The temperature of multiple saturation indicates the persistence of high mantle potential temperatures on Mars, similar to those on the modern Earth, until at least the very latest Noachian (3.7 Ga). These high mantle temperatures would be responsible for persistent basaltic volcanism throughout the southern highlands during the first billion years of Mars's history. The source for Gusev basalts differs strongly from the source for shergottite meteorites, reinforcing the idea of the absence of global mantle convection and mixing on Mars. The existence of a relatively primitive mantle reservoir requires that at least part of the mantle underwent little modification during early planetary differentiation.
Effects of electrochemical stimulation of the ventral hippocampus on hypothalamic electrical activity and pituitary gonadotropin secretion in female rats.

Application of an anodal DC electrochemical stimulus to the ventral hippocampus (VHPC) produced changes in the multiple unit activity (MUA) of the arcuate (ARH) and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei and in tonic and cyclic mechanisms controlling release of pituitary LH in female rats. In ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats, both hypothalamic nuclei responded to VHPC stimulation in less than 6 min with increases in MUA which persisted for hours. The effect was apparently due to the deposition of iron since stainless steel electrodes were effective while platinum electrodes were not. This response was dependent on the presence of an intact medial corticohypothalamic tract, and it did not occur in the dorsomedial hypothalamus, zona incerta or median eminence. Stimulation of the VHPC region which increased ARH neuronal activity also resulted in a significant decrease in plasma LH within 3 hr after its application. Stimulation of the caudate nucleus or mere insertion of electrodes into the VHPC did not lower pl...
In-situ TEM mechanical testing of nanocrystalline zirconium thin films

Abstract Mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline zirconium thin films was investigated in-situ inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The yield stress measured for specimens with
NSF seeks nominations for Waterman Award

The National Science Foundation is asking for nominations for the 14th annual Alan T.Waterman Award. The award recognizes outstanding work by a young researcher in any field of science, mathematics, or engineering and is designed to encourage further highquality research. The award was established in 1975 to mark the 25th anniversary of NSF and to honor Waterman, the first director of the Foundation. The recipient of the award receives as much as $500,000 for up to 3 years of research or advanced study in mathematical, physical, medical, biological, engineering, social, or other sciences at the institution of the recipient's choice.
An unusual C2-domain in the active-zone protein piccolo: implications for Ca2+ regulation of neurotransmitter release

Ca2+ regulation of neurotransmitter release is thought to require multiple Ca2+ sensors with distinct affinities. However, no low-affinity Ca2+ sensor has been identified at the synapse. We now show that piccolo/aczonin, a recently described active-zone protein with C-terminal C2A- and C2B-domains, constitutes a presynaptic low-affinity Ca2+ sensor. Ca2+ binds to piccolo by virtue of its C2A-domain via an unusual mechanism that involves a large conformational change. The distinct Ca2+-binding properties of the piccolo C2A- domain are mediated by an evolutionarily conserved sequence at the bottom of the C2A-domain, which may fold back towards the Ca2+-binding sites on the top. Point mutations in this bottom sequence inactivate it, transforming low-affinity Ca2+ binding (100–200 µM in the presence of phospholipids) into high-affinity Ca2+ binding (12–14 µM). The unusual Ca2+-binding mode of the piccolo C2A-domain reveals that C2-domains are mechanistically more versatile than previously envisaged. The low Ca2+ affinity of the piccolo C2A-domain suggests that piccolo could function in short-term synaptic plasticity when Ca2+ concentrations accumulate during repetitive stimulation.
Reservoir Competence of Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) for Escherichia coli (Eubacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae)

Larval and adult lesser mealworms, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), were found to harbor a Congo red-binding strain of Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani & Chalmers both on the external surface of their body and internally for 12 d. Thereafter, E. coli was not detected, even though the beetles were exposed continuously to a food source inoculated with the bacteria. Lesser mealworm larvae and adults discharge E. coli bacteria in their feces for up to 6 and 10 d, respectively. However, bacteria were no longer detected in their feces after larvae underwent a single molt to the next larval stage. This indicated there was no transstadial transmission of this strain of E. coli. Consumed infected larvae were found to cause more 1-d-old chicks to have positive cloacal swabs for Congo red-binding E. coli than consumed infected adults. The data indicated that the lesser mealworm may play a role in the direct transmission of E. coli and contribute to the spread of this bacteria in broiler production systems. This may be achieved by beetles being directly consumed by chickens or indirectly by spread of the bacteria throughout the broiler house by lesser mealworm feces.
A stress test for mass spectrometry–based proteomics

A multilaboratory study attempts to dispel some of the notions of the irreproducibility of mass spectrometry–based proteomics by pinpointing where the methodological problems are and where challenges remain.
An atomistic-to-continuum coupling method for heat transfer in solids

In this work, we present a seamless, energy-conserving method to couple atomistic and continuum representations of a temperature field in a material. This technique allows a molecular dynamics simulation to be used in localized regions of the computational domain, surrounded and overlaid by a continuum finite element representation. Thermal energy can pass between the two regions in either direction, making larger simulations of nano-scale thermal processes possible. We discuss theoretical developments and numerical implementation details. In addition, we present and analyze a set of representative simulations.
Regional Variation in Family Support for the Elderly in China: A Geodevelopmental Perspective

The author examines the impact of rapid social change and economic development on family support for older parents in contemporary urban China. Based on the 1992 Survey on China's Support Systems for the Elderly, the author uses three levels of economic development as proxies for developmental stages in a study carried out from a geodevelopmental perspective. It is found that intergenerational support in urban China is persistent as far as instrumental support is concerned, and that the level of support follows a U-shaped pattern along the axis of economic development. It is in the mid-developed urban areas that intergenerational support seems the weakest. If the pattern from the less-developed to the developed urban areas reflects a time path, then the suggested trajectory will not lead to a convergence with the old-age support system found in the West. The author concludes that, although some aspects of economic support for the elderly will likely be consistent with modernization theory, the old-age sup...