cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the Coleopteran–Specific Protein Gene of Bacillus thuringiensis Var. tenebrionis

The gene encoding the coleopteran–specific insect control protein from Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis was isolated and characterized. When expressed in either E. coli or P. fluorescens the gene directs the production of biologically active insect control protein that is lethal to Colorado potato beetle. The gene contains two functional translational initiation codons in the same reading frame leading to the production of both the full length protein and an N–terminal truncated form. The gene has been engineered to produce each of these two proteins separately, and each is active against Colorado potato beetle. Native crystals from B.t. var. tenebrionis were found to contain five distinct proteins derived from this single gene either as primary translation products or the result of proteolysis. Comparison of this gene to a lepidopteran–specific B.t. gene revealed only limited regions of homology.
THE ASSOCIATION OF A3872G POLYMORPHISM ON C-REACTIVE PROTEIN WITH PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE AND WAIST HIP RATIO INDEX IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

Recent data consider inflammatory biomarkers and waist hip ratio (WHR) index prognostic agents of advanced atherosclerosis. C- reactive protein (CRP) contributes to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the impact of common polymorphisms of inflammatory genes on the
Long-term trends of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin-receptor blocker use after heart failure hospitalization in community-dwelling seniors

Abstract Background Despite multiple trials demonstrating the benefit of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) for heart failure (HF) patients with systolic dysfunction, studies have reported underuse of these drugs. Little is known about recent trends in the use of ACEI/ARB in community-dwelling seniors. Methods Using administrative data from pharmacy assistance programs and Medicare in two states, we identified all patients hospitalized for HF between 1995 and 2004 who survived ≥90 days after discharge. The study outcomes were filled prescriptions for an ACEI or ARB within 90 days after discharge. We assessed age, gender, race, and comorbidities. Multivariate modified Poisson regression was used to analyze temporal trends. Results Of 54,453 patients identified, 26,166 (48%) filled prescriptions for ACEIs/ARBs within 90 days after discharge from HF, but utilization of these drugs did not increase during the decade studied. Among those who were on ACEI/ARB before the index hospitalization, 74% filled at least one ACEI/ARB prescription within 90 days after the hospitalization. These results were similar among the subgroup of HF patients with prior MI. Conclusions Use of ACEI/ARB after discharge from HF hospitalization in seniors did not increase over the decade of observation and may still be inadequate.
A pilot quantitative study of topographic correlation between reticular pseudodrusen and the choroidal vasculature using en face optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE To analyze the topographic correlation between reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) visualized on infrared reflectance (IR) and choroidal vasculature using en-face volumetric spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). METHODS A masked observer marked individual RPD on IR images using ImageJ (NIH, Bethesda, MD). Using the macular volume scan (Cirrus, Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc, Dublin, CA), the RPE slab function was used to generate a C-scan of the most superficial choroidal vasculature. An independent masked grader created a topographic binary map of the choroidal vasculature by thresholding the en-face image, which was overlaid onto the IR map of RPD. For each IR image, ImageJ was used to generate a random set of dots as "control lesions". RESULTS 17 eyes of 11 patients (78±13.7 years) with RPD were analyzed. The average number of RPD lesions identified on IR images was 414±71.5, of which 49.6±4.3% were located overlying the choroidal vasculature, compared to 45.4±4.0% in controls (p = 0.014). 50.4±4.3% of lesions overlay the choroidal stroma, of which 76.5±3.1% were ≤3 pixels from the choroidal vessels. The percentage of RPD lesions located within ≤3 pixels from the choroidal vasculature was significantly greater than the percentage located ≥7 pixels away. (p<0.0001). Compared to controls (71.6±3.8%), RPD were more likely to be located ≤3 pixels away from choroidal vessels (p = 0.014). In contrast, control lesions were more likely to be ≥7 pixels away from choroidal vessels than RPD (9.1±1.9% vs. 4.8±1.2%, respectively, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Our analysis shows that RPD lesions follow the underlying choroidal vasculature. Approximately half the RPD directly overlay the choroidal vessels and the majority of the remaining lesions were ≤3 pixels (≤30 microns) from the vessel edge, supporting the hypothesis that RPD maybe related to pathologic changes at the choroidal level.
Optimization problem solving with auctions in Cultural Algorithms

In this paper we investigate the role that the competition among knowledge sources plays in the problem solving behavior of a population as the complexity of the optimization problem solving landscapes increases. We employ a type of game theoretic mechanism, auctions, in our study. Our main goal is to determine whether it matters if knowledge sources competed for individuals using auction mechanisms or weighted majority win mechanisms as the landscape complexity increased. The weighted majority win situation allows the Knowledge Sources to make predictions about future success whereas the Auction mechanism allows them to invest in their future by using tokens earned from recent performance. This latter approach allows contextual Knowledge Sources such as Situational Knowledge to play a larger role. Although the results are preliminary, it appears that the auction mechanism is more efficient when solving a problem in situations where contextual information is available. In that case, it is easier for the knowledge sources to make judicial bids or investments. However, once the landscapes become chaotic there is less contextual information available and correspondingly little advantage to the auction mechanism over the weighted majority win situation in terms of the number of generations needed to achieve a solution.
Decentralization, aging policy, and the age of Clinton.

This article examines the recent trends in decentralization and their implications for aging policy in the Clinton presidency. It first discusses a decade-long trend toward decentralizing policy and then examines some recent federal enactments that promote more discretion by stale and local policymakers, suggesting that these may set the framework for aging policy during most of Clinton's first term. A basic premise of the discussion is, however, that the degree of flexibilily varies with the policy area being analyzed-housing, transportation, health and social services-and whether these are "old" (pre-1980s) or "new" (post-1980s) policies. It concludes with the suggestion that a dual-centered, shared federal-state solution may provide the best approach to the premier issue in aging policy today-long-term care.
The Russian municipal duma elections of 1917: A preliminary computation of returns

(1969). The Russian municipal duma elections of 1917: A preliminary computation of returns. Soviet Studies: Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 131-163.
COMPARATIVE TRIAL OF ANTIBIOTIC REMOVAL DEVICE AND CONVENTIONAL BLOOD CULTURE IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

In patients with prior antimicrobial therapy recovery of microorganisms present in the blood is often delayed or prevented. Our clinical trial tested the usefulness of the Antibiotic Removal Device (ARD) in a pediatric population. Equal volumes of blood were inoculated in a sequentially randomized fashion into ARD and standard (STD) pediatric blood culture bottles. Each was independently processed and monitored by the early subculture technique. Clinical relevance of all isolates was independently determined by predefined criteria. Of a total of 966 cultures, 61 (6.3%) were positive.
Winston Churchill: In crisis, eloquence

Churchill by his Contemporaries. Edited by Charles Eade. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1954. $6.00. Winged Words: Sir Winston Churchill as Writer and Speaker. By H. L. Stewart. New York: Bouregy and Curl, Inc., 1954; pp. vi+114. Winston Churchill: The Biography of a Great Man. By Robert Lewis Taylor. New York: Pocket Books, Inc., 1954; pp. 405. $.25. Triumph and Tragedy: The Second World War. By Winston S. Churchill. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1953; pp. vii+800. $6.00.
A theory of natural selection incorporating interaction among individuals. I. The modeling process

Abstract Short- and long-term consequences of natural selection, operating in accordance with the classical (non-interaction) model, are reviewed. This review provides the basis for comparisons of the optimum results of the classical model with the results from interaction models. Then as a first step, the simplest interaction modeling system (Model I) is developed subject to the following conditions: (i) The natural selection model is constructed so that it is compatible with the one that already exists for artificial selection theory. This condition ensures that an overall theory is formulated which embraces both natural and artificial selection with a single modeling system and a common notation. (ii) The interaction theory is developed so that it is an extension of the classical theory. This condition ensures that the generalized theory includes the classical results as a special case when interaction is absent. The short- and long-term consequences of selection operating with Model I are determined to be less than optimal when compared with the classical results. Future papers in this series will consider how the interaction model can be modified in order to produce results which tend toward optimality.
Axonal transport of mitochondria requires milton to recruit kinesin heavy chain and is light chain independent

Mitochondria are distributed within cells to match local energy demands. We report that the microtubule-dependent transport of mitochondria depends on the ability of milton to act as an adaptor protein that can recruit the heavy chain of conventional kinesin-1 (kinesin heavy chain [KHC]) to mitochondria. Biochemical and genetic evidence demonstrate that kinesin recruitment and mitochondrial transport are independent of kinesin light chain (KLC); KLC antagonizes milton's association with KHC and is absent from milton–KHC complexes, and mitochondria are present in klc −/− photoreceptor axons. The recruitment of KHC to mitochondria is, in part, determined by the NH2 terminus–splicing variant of milton. A direct interaction occurs between milton and miro, which is a mitochondrial Rho-like GTPase, and this interaction can influence the recruitment of milton to mitochondria. Thus, milton and miro are likely to form an essential protein complex that links KHC to mitochondria for light chain–independent, anterograde transport of mitochondria.
An efficient method for parallel interval global optimization

Finding the global minimum for an arbitrary differentiable function over an n-dimensional rectangle is an important problem in computational science, with applications in many disciplines. We present a parallel depth-first algorithm along with a potential load balancing technique, and acceleration devices that provides a significant reduction in run time compared with a popular breadth-first search algorithm. Our algorithm reliably obtains global minima for test functions commonly used in the literature, with the highest speedup achieved for highly multimodal functions.
Phonological feature based variable frame rate scheme for improved speech recognition

In this paper, we propose a new scheme for variable frame rate (VFR) feature processing based on high level segmentation (HLS) of speech into broad phone classes. Traditional fixed-rate processing is not capable of accurately reflecting the dynamics of continuous speech. On the other hand, the proposed VFR scheme adapts the temporal representation of the speech signal by tying the framing strategy with the detected phone class sequence. The phone classes are detected and segmented by using appropriately trained phonological features (PFs). In this manner, the proposed scheme is capable of tracking the evolution of speech due to the underlying phonetic content, and exploiting the non-uniform information flow-rate of speech by using a variable framing strategy. The new VFR scheme is applied to automatic speech recognition of TIMIT and NTIMIT corpora, where it is compared to a traditional fixed window-size/frame-rate scheme. Our experiments yield encouraging results with relative reductions of 24% and 8% in WER (word error rate) for TIMIT and NTIMIT tasks, respectively.
Scientific myth-conceptions†

Using several familiar examples—Gregor Mendel, H. B. D. Kettlewell, Alexander Fleming, Ignaz Semmelweis, and William Harvey—I analyze how educators currently frame historical stories to portray the process of science. They share a rhetori- cal architecture of myth, which misleads students about how science derives its authority. Narratives of error and recovery from error, alternatively, may importantly illustrate the nature of science, especially its limits. Contrary to recent claims for reform, we do not need more history in science education. Rather, we need different types of history that convey the nature of science more effectively. C
NMR Solution Structure of a DNA Dodecamer Duplex Containing a cis-Diammineplatinum(II) d(GpG) Intrastrand Cross-Link, the Major Adduct of the Anticancer Drug Cisplatin†

The structure of the DNA duplex dodecamer, d(CCTCTG*G*TCTCC·GGAGACCAGAGG), containing the cisplatin d(GpG) 1,2-intrastrand cross-link at the position denoted by asterisks, was determined in solution by high-resolution 2D NMR spectroscopy and restrained molecular dynamics refinement. The cis-[Pt(NH3)2{d(GpG-N7(1),N7(2))}] lesion causes the adjacent guanine bases to roll toward one another by 49°, leading to an overall helix bend angle of 78°. These features are more exaggerated than those observed in the X-ray crystal structure determined for the same platinated duplex [Takahara et al. (1995) Nature 377, 649−652]. A common property of the solution and crystal structures is the widening and flattening of the minor groove opposite the platinum adduct, affording geometric parameters resembling those found in A-form DNA. This deformation is especially noteworthy for the solution structure because its sugar puckers are primarily those of B-form DNA. The unwinding of the helix at the site of platination is 25°. ...
A new survey of methamphetamine users in treatment: Who they are, why they like "meth," and why they need additional services

The quality and quantity of illicit methamphetamine has recently increased due to introduction of a new precursor, 1-phenyl-2-propanone (P2P). This paper updates the problems associated with methamphetamine use. Methamphetamine-using clients (N = 222) entering a Texas program participated in computer-assisted interviews in 2010 and 2011 about routes of administration, other drugs used, severity of dependence, mental and physical health, perceived risks and benefits of use, family history, and abuse and neglect experienced as children and adults. Special needs of this population include therapies for trauma, gender-focused counseling, safe housing, and prevention messages to discourage use of the drug.
The kinematics of fountain flow in mold‐filling

Moldability criteria and process optimization for both reactive and thermoplastic injection molding hinge on the mold-filling step. The fluid mechanics of the filling step is typically described in terms of a one-dimensional main flow and a complex two-dimensional flow near the advancing front, often termed the “fountain flow.” A unique apparatus which permits direct observation of the fountain flow in a rectangular cavity is described. The motion of tracer lines as well as the pathlines have been photographed for both Newtonian and shear-thinning liquids. The data show clearly the main flow, the transition to the front flow, and the deceleration and acceleration zones in the fountain flow, which lead to a “mushrooming” of the tracer line. In addition, Galerkin finite-element analysis is used to predict the isothermal free-surface flow of a Newtonian liquid near the advancing front between parallel plates. The most interesting visualization of the calculated flow is obtained by tracking lines of material, thus producing numerical tracer experiments. The calculations show the widely varying residence times and the complex shear and extensional deformation histories of fluid elements as they move through the fountain flow region. The calculations are in agreement with the experiments and clarify previous results, both theoretical and experimental, that did not capture the details of the entire flow field.
The Globalization of Capital Flows: Who Benefits?

This article analyzes the benefits and costs of financial globalization. While most attention has been placed on the opportunity to obtain additional capital, the benefits from incorporating international norms are also highlighted. The article examines the trends in capital flows, both from public sector institutions and private investors, placing special emphasis on foreign direct investment and remittances. Major problems identified are the skewed distribution of foreign investment—not only among regions and countries, but also among types of firms—as well as its volatility. The article concludes with a set of policy recommendations to spread the benefits of foreign capital and to make it more productive.
The Financial Misadventures of Charles Bulfinch

Though Charles Bulfinch is regarded as one of America's first great architects, his own memoir betrays his continuing shame over his business failures. Unable to support himself through architecture, Bulfinch tried to emulate his client Harrison Gray Otis's success in real estate development—with disastrous results.
Testing for erbB-2 by immunohistochemistry in breast cancer.

The success of recent clinical trials using Herceptin (trastuzumab, a humanized anti–erbB-2 antibody) as therapy for patients with advanced breast cancer 1-3 has generated a great deal of renewed interest in laboratory testing for overexpression of the erbB-2 oncoprotein. An article by Jacobs et al 4 in this issue of the Journal describes an interesting study evaluating interlaboratory agreement in assessing overexpression of erbB-2 by permanent-section immunohistochemistry (IHC). In that study, adjacent tissue sections from 93 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer specimens were immunostained independently in 2 very experienced laboratories. They used the same polyclonal primary antibody but different automated immunostainers, detection systems, and methods of scoring the IHC signal. The rates of erbB-2 overexpression observed by the 2 laboratories were almost identical (23% and 24%), in line with the expected rate of 20% to 30% from many previous studies, and the agreement in interpreting cases as positive or negative for overexpression was 97%, which is remarkable. Acknowledging that it can be problematic to obtain reproducible quantitative results when assessing any biomarker by IHC, including erbB-2, one can still conclude reasonably from this study 4 that experienced laboratories using the same primary antibody and otherwise sound but somewhat dissimilar methods can obtain consistent and reasonable results when measuring overexpression of erbB-2 by IHC. One cannot conclude from this study, as the authors acknowledge, 4 that testing for erbB-2 by IHC therefore needs
Genetic Structure and Migration in Native and Reintroduced Rocky Mountain Wolf Populations

Gray wolf (Canis lupus) recovery in the Rocky Mountains of the U.S. is proceeding by both natural recolonization and managed reintroduction. We used DNA microsatellite analysis of wolves transplanted from Canada to two reintroduction sites in the U.S. to study population structure in native and reintroduced wolf populations. Gene flow due to migration between regions in Canada is substantial, and all three recovery populations in the U.S. had high genetic variation. The reintroduced founders were moderately genetically divergent from the naturally colonizing U.S. population. These findings corroborate that the reintroduction more than meets generally accepted genetic guidelines. Maintaining this variation, however, will depend on ample reproduction in the first few generations. In the long term genetic variation will best be retained if migration occurs among the recolonizing and the two transplanted populations. Evidence from field observation and genetic studies shows extensive dispersal by wolves, and we conclude that exchange among these groups due to natural dispersal is likely if public tolerance and legal protection are adequate outside lands designated for wolf recovery. La recuperacion del lobo gris (Canis lupus) en las montanas Rocallosas de los Estados Unidos ha procedido tanto de la recolonizacion natural, como de la reintroduccion controlada. Para estudiar la estructura poblacional de lobos nativos y reintroducidos, utilizamos analisis de microsatelites de ADN de lobos transplantados de Canada hacia dos sitios de reintroduccion en los Estados Unidos. El flujo de genes debido a la migracion entre regiones del Canada es sustancial y las tres poblaciones en recuperacion de Estados Unidos tuvieron una alta variacion genetica. Los fundadores de las reintroducciones fueron moderadamente divergentes de las poblaciones colonizadoras naturales desde el punto de vista genetico. Estos resultados corroboran que la reintroduccion concuerda mas que bien con los lineamientos geneticos generalmente aceptados. Sin embargo, mantener esta variacion dependera en gran medida de la reproduccion de las primeras generaciones. En un largo plazo, la variacion genetica sera retenida al maximo si ocurren migraciones entre las problaciones recolonizadoras y las transplantadas. Evidencias de campo y estudios de genetica muestran una dispersion extensiva de los lobos y concluimos que el intercambio entre estos grupos debido a la dispersion natural es posible, siempre y cuando la tolerancia del publico y la proteccion legal sean adecuadas fuera de las tierras designadas como areas de recuperacion de los lobos.
Growth of limb muscle is dependent on skeletal-derived Indian hedgehog

Abstract During embryogenesis, muscle and bone develop in close temporal and spatial proximity. We show that Indian Hedgehog, a bone-derived signaling molecule, participates in growth of skeletal muscle. In Ihh−/− embryos, skeletal muscle development appears abnormal at embryonic day 14.5 and at later ages through embryonic day 20.5, dramatic losses of hindlimb muscle occur. To further examine the role of Ihh in myogenesis, we manipulated Ihh expression in the developing chick hindlimb. Reduction of Ihh in chicken embryo hindlimbs reduced skeletal muscle mass similar to that seen in Ihh−/− mouse embryos. The reduction in muscle mass appears to be a direct effect of Ihh since ectopic expression of Ihh by RCAS retroviral infection of chicken embryo hindlimbs restores muscle mass. These effects are independent of bone length, and occur when Shh is not expressed, suggesting Ihh acts directly on fetal myoblasts to regulate secondary myogenesis. Loss of muscle mass in Ihh null mouse embryos is accompanied by a dramatic increase in myoblast apoptosis by a loss of p21 protein. Our data suggest that Ihh promotes fetal myoblast survival during their differentiation into secondary myofibers by maintaining p21 protein levels.
A theorem connecting Shapley-Owen power scores and the radius of the yolk in two dimensions

The link derived in Theorem 1 between centrality (relative to the yolk) and power (defined in Shapley-Owen terms) has important political implications. For example, if the policy is composed of interest groups, then any interest group whose ideal point falls far from the political “center” (defined as the center of the yolk) can have very little power in Shapley-Owen terms. Power is not only a function of the number of votes an interest group has, but it is also a function of its position. Centrally located interest groups have more power than peripheral ones. In terms of policy positions, Shapley-Owen power refers to the power to move an outcome from one median line to another-shifts that are not likely to make much difference to the actor who is pivotal. However, if an actor can exact rents for being the pivotal actor, then these differences are important, and centrally located actors may be in the best position to derive non-policy benefits from having this ability to shift outcomes by a shift of their vote.
Lewis and Clarks’ Tempest: The ‘perfect storm’ of November 1805, Oregon, USA

Three weeks after arriving near the Pacific Northwest (PNW) coast in November 1805, Lewis and Clarks’ Corps of Discovery experienced a two-day windstorm that may have rivaled the strongest historically documented storms of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Based on the Corps’ detailed historical accounts describing the event as the perfect storm, we characterized the severity of the 1805 windstorm using tree-ring growth anomalies from windsnapped Sitka spruce collected at three sites along the northern Oregon Coast. We compared the 1805 gale to eight other documented events with comparable storm tracks and exceptional magnitude including the 1880 and 1951 events that each caused more than a billion board feet (c. 2.4 million m3) of windthrow. Statistical comparison of tree-growth responses revealed that the 1805 windstorm was the only event to differ significantly (?2; test, p < 0.05, d.f. = 1) from all other storms. Our findings demonstrate the potential application of tree-ring data and historical documents to understand previously obscure climatic events similar to the extreme droughts that led to the demise of the Roanoke Colony during the sixteenth century and adversity experienced by the Jamestown Colony during the seventeenth century. Specifically, we identify the Lewis and Clark tempest of 1805 as being among the most severe PNW windstorms during the past two centuries, and may have contributed to the Corps’ dismal view of coastal Pacific Northwest weather.
The Pathology of Influenza Virus Infections

Influenza viruses are significant human respiratory pathogens that cause both seasonal, endemic infections and periodic, unpredictable pandemics. The worst pandemic on record, in 1918, killed approximately 50 million people worldwide. Human infections caused by H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have raised concern about the emergence of another pandemic. The histopathology of fatal influenza virus pneumonias as documented over the past 120 years is reviewed here. Strikingly, the spectrum of pathologic changes described in the 1918 influenza pandemic is not significantly different from the histopathology observed in other less lethal pandemics or even in deaths occurring during seasonal influenza outbreaks.
Isofunctional Enzymes PAD1 and UbiX Catalyze Formation of a Novel Cofactor Required by Ferulic Acid Decarboxylase and 4-Hydroxy-3-polyprenylbenzoic Acid Decarboxylase

The decarboxylation of antimicrobial aromatic acids such as phenylacrylic acid (cinnamic acid) and ferulic acid by yeast requires two enzymes described as phenylacrylic acid decarboxylase (PAD1) and ferulic acid decarboxylase (FDC). These enzymes are of interest for various biotechnological applications, such as the production of chemical feedstocks from lignin under mild conditions. However, the specific role of each protein in catalyzing the decarboxylation reaction remains unknown. To examine this, we have overexpressed and purified both PAD1 and FDC from E. coli. We demonstrate that PAD1 is a flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-containing protein. However, it does not function as a decarboxylase. Rather, PAD1 catalyzes the formation of a novel, diffusible cofactor required by FDC for decarboxylase activity. Coexpression of FDC and PAD1 results in the production of FDC with high levels cofactor bound. Holo-FDC catalyzes the decarboxylation of phenylacrylic acid, coumaric acid and ferulic acid with apparent kca...
Electrical conduction in silicon nitrides deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition

Abstract Current conduction in Si-rich and stoichiometric silicon nitride as well as in oxynitride is studied in detail. Representative samples from each of the three categories exhibit Ohmic, Poole-Frenkel and Fowler-Nordheim tunnelling currents to differing extents. All the samples show an Ohmic region at low electric fields. The oxynitride sample has the largest Ohmic region, and the Si-rich sample the smallest. Under intermediate and high fields, the oxynitride sample shows only Fowler-Nordheim tunnelling, but the Si-rich sample is dominated by Poole-Frenkel emission. The stoichiometric sample shows a Poole-Frenkel region at intermediate fields and a Fowler-Nordheim region at high fields. These results indicate that the oxynitride sample has the lowest density of traps, and the Si-rich sample has the highest. Our observations are explained in terms of the flexibility of bonding configurations of N and O atoms, and the formation of Si[sbnd]Si bonds in Si-rich silicon nitride.
Elastic Properties and Prime Elements

In a commutative, cancellative, atomic monoid M, the elasticity of a non-unit x is defined to be ρ(x) = L(x)/l(x), where L(x) is the supremum of the lengths of factorizations of x into irreducibles and l(x) is the corresponding infimum. The elasticity ρ(M) of M is given as the supremum of the elasticities of the nonzero non-units in the domain. We call ρ(M) accepted if there exists a non-unit x∈M with ρ(M) = ρ(x). In this paper, we show for a monoid M with accepted elasticity that $$ \{\rho (x)\,|\,x\,{\text{a non - unit of }}M\} = {\user2{\mathbb{Q}}} \cap [1,\rho (M)]{\user2{}} $$ if M has a prime element. We develop the ideas of taut and flexible elements to study the set {ρ (x) | x a non-unit of M} when M does not possess a prime element.
The Rise and Realization of Molecular Chemical Engineering

Modern chemical engineering involves the integration of physical and chemical phenomena over length scales ranging from the atomic/molecular to the macroscopic. The ability to delve into the molecular world and to learn how to engineer it has opened broad sectors of new technology. How has chemical engineering reached this point? How is chemical engineering taking advantage of this position? How will chemical engineering move forward based on its ability to engineer at the molecular/atomic length scale? In this article, I will provide my biased answers to these questions. Since I will provide my perspective on these issues, I begin by outlining my career in chemical engineering so that my responses can be placed in the context of that portion of chemical engineering history.
Random parameter discrete bilinear system stability

Stability of discrete, time-varying, stochastic, bilinear systems is studied. Bilinear systems with output feedback are included. Mean-square stability conditions are derived for stochastic models without the assumption of stationarity for the random noise. The feedback function includes a larger class of functions than the class of linear functions or functions satisfying the Lipschitz condition. The sufficient stabilizing conditions depend only on the coefficient matrices of the bilinear system. >
LowVoltage Analog CMOS Filter Design

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Implications of Low-Power-Supply Voltages on Techniques for Analog CMOS Filters Low-Voltage OTA-C Techniques Very-Low-Voltage SC Techniques This chapter contains sections titled: References
An early to middle Miocene record of ice-sheet and landscape evolution from the Friis Hills, Antarctica

The Friis Hills (77°45′S, 161°30′E), in the McMurdo Dry Valleys region, Antarctica, is a 1-km-high inselberg with early to middle Miocene–aged glacial deposits preserved on its upper surface. Lithology, sedimentology, and ice-flow direction define three units within a 34-m-thick sequence: the Friis I, Friis II, and Cavendish drifts. Tills in Friis I drift were deposited from alpine glaciers flowing to the SW. An extensive tephra bed in the drift is 19.76 ± 0.11 Ma in age based on 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating. Tills in Friis II drift were deposited from alpine glaciers flowing to the SE. Fossiliferous fluvial and lacustrine beds in the drift indicate that vegetation and insects repeatedly recolonized the Friis Hills during periods of reduced ice. The geographic distribution of modern descendants of the fossils specifies mean summer temperatures of 6–7 °C and precipitation as much as 3000 mm during these interglacial periods. The presence of fossils also indicates deposition of Friis II drift occurred before the mid-Miocene climate transition ca. 14.1 Ma. After this, eastward-flowing ice partially eroded the Friis I and II drifts. The ice also cut parallel troughs to the N and S, topographically isolating the Friis Hills. The Cavendish drift represents renewed deposition but from eastward-flowing outlet glaciers within the newly established troughs. Together, the Friis Hills drifts register multiple stages in the evolution of the East Antarctic cryosphere, including the general growth of the system, reorganizations of glacial drainage patterns, and periods of major downcutting. Importantly, they also provide constraints on terrestrial climate conditions during these stages. The Friis Hills record is the first that can be directly compared with shallow-marine records from the Ross Sea. The record also provides new constraints for paleoglaciological models of the early East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Based on lithologic and geomorphic arguments, the Friis Hills drifts are younger than nearby Sirius Group tillites, which predicates that the Sirius Group in the Dry Valleys region is at least early Miocene, or more probably, Oligocene in age.
Impact of Scaling on the Dipolar Coupling in Magnet–Insulator–Magnet Structures

The ability to control the magnetization of individual nanomagnets has made possible a broad class of devices, which store and manipulate information in the form of magnetization. For these devices to serve as building blocks for computation, they must be concatenable while allowing the information to flow in a directional manner. One scheme that has been proposed for this is the use of a dipolar coupling unit, a vertical stack of magnet–insulator–magnet, in which the information is transmitted from one magnet to the other through dipolar interaction. In this paper, we have used a novel magnetic force microscopy-based approach to demonstrate that a vertical dipolar coupling unit can be used to transfer information. We also investigated how the strength of the interaction can be maximized while preserving the directionality. The experimental observations were understood using micromagnetic simulations, and a scaling approach has been proposed for ultra-thin magnets.
Shareholder Robbery, Russian Style

This short op-ed-length article discusses one instance, characteristic of Russia's stock markets in the 1990s, in which an oligarch engaged in extensive self-dealing with a controlled company, to the severe detriment of minority shareholders, ignoring both the Russian company law and the company's own charter. Shareholder attempts to seek redress in the Russian courts were dismissed on such odd grounds that corruption is the only plausible explanation. I have updated the original article slightly to reflect facts not available at the time.
Virtual colonoscopy: Potential clinical applications of a new technique

The potential role of virtual colonoscopy is not limited to colorectal cancer screening, although that is its greatest potential. Same-day VC should be offered for patients undergoing an incomplete colonoscopy. Conversely, faster, more accurate interpretation by the radiologist on the same day as a VC should lead to the consideration by the gastroenterologist of same-day colonoscopy for patients with a suspicious, significantly sized polyp.
Logistic Regression for Clustered Binary Data in Proband Studies with Application to Familial Aggregation of Sleep Disorders

SUMMARY Estimation is considered for the class of conditional logistic regression models for clustered binary data proposed by Qu et al. (Communications in Statistics, Series A 16, 3447-3476, 1987) when clusters are sampled on the basis of the outcome for one or more cluster members. The problem is suggested by data from a study designed to investigate familial aggregation of sleep disorders. After appropriate consideration of the mode of ascertainment of "cases" and "controls," it is shown that the model is preserved under this form of sampling, and a method of estimation is presented. The inconsistency of two alternative methods is demonstrated, and an example is provided. Models for clustered binary outcomes have proven useful in epidemiology and other applied fields. In the type of applications relevant to this paper, the clustering effect is of primary interest, as opposed to treatment or covariate effects. For example, in studies of familial aggregation, the extent of aggregation or clustering of disease outcomes within families may indicate the relative importance of familial-environmental and genetic factors as possible risk factors for disease. Applications where the characterization of the precise mode of inheritance is important are more appropriately dealt with using relevant methods for pedigree analysis. However, Susser and Susser (1989) suggest that investigation of familial aggregation may be useful as a first test for a genetic cause of a disease. A strategy frequently used in familial aggregation studies and genetic epidemiology is to identify one or more individuals with known disease status and then to determine the disease status and other characteristics of the remaining family members. The initially selected individuals are termed "probands." This approach is particularly advantageous when studying rare traits (Thompson, 1986). Probands can be diseased (positive) or diseasefree (negative), and there may be more than one per family, although for our most important results we employ assumptions that effectively exclude this possibility. Proband studies can be characterized as "retrospective" in the sense that sampling is conditional on the disease outcome of the probands. Thus, in a proband study, as in a case-control study, the proportion of affected probands is under the control of the investigator. However, it is
Sodium nitroprusside enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis via a mitochondria-dependent pathway in human colorectal carcinoma CX-1 cells

The tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL, Apo-2L) is a recently characterized member of the family of programmed cell death-inducing ligands that includes TNF-α and CD95L (FasL). It is well known that TRAIL binds to the death signaling receptors, DR4 and DR5, and initiates the TRAIL death pathway. Activation of this pathway, mediated through a caspase cascade, causes apoptosis. In this study, we hypothesized that oxidative stress facilitates TRAIL-induced apoptosis by promoting caspase activity through cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Human colorectal carcinoma CX-1 cells were treated with various concentrations of TRAIL (12.5–200 ng/ml) and/or sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 0.03–1 mM) for 12 h. SNP, a nitric oxide donor, which had little toxic effect by itself, enhanced TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity. For example, TRAIL-induced apoptosis (200 ng/ml) was increased by a factor of 2.5-fold in the presence of 1 mM SNP. The combined treatment also caused an increase in cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activity, and PARP cleavage. Overexpression of Bcl-2 completely blocked the SNP-promoting effects, but only moderately inhibited TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Similar results were observed in the presence of hydrogen peroxide or peroxynitrite. Taken together, the present studies suggest that SNP enhances TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity by facilitating the mitochondria-mediated caspase signal transduction pathway.
How Novelle May Have Shaped Visual Imaginations

Artists figure fairly frequently in novelle, so it is not unreasonable to suppose that they may have taken more than a passing interest in the genre. Although much scholarly effort has been dedicated to the task of exploring how Horace’s adage “ut pictura poesis” affected the course of the visual arts during the Italian Renaissance and vast scholarly effort has been assigned to the study of Boccaccio’s literary efforts (much more so than the efforts of his successors), relatively little effort has been spent on the dauntingly interdisciplinary task of estimating how the development of prose literary imagination may have affected habits of perception and may also have augmented the project of integrating quotidian observations into pictorial compositions. In contrast to these issues of “realism”, the essay also addresses questions of how the literary conventions of novelle, although they may have been created in deliberate defiance of current social norms, may eventually have helped to shift those norms. More specifically, the gender norms of the novelle offer intriguing precedents for characterizations that we find in the visual arts, from Botticelli to Leonardo to Michelangelo, ones that rarely match what we know of societal expectations of the day. The argument, though necessarily speculative, is addressed as much to the question of how readers and viewers might have had their thinking shaped by their combined aesthetic experiences as by the more traditional question of identifying artists’ sources. Did theorizing about style, or simply thinking about what made for vividness or impressiveness, shift readily between the verbal and the visual, and perhaps more easily then than now? Can we create a history of art that seeks evidence from the whole literary record rather than consistently prioritizing poetry and the “poetic”?
Sex dimorphisms of crossbridge cycling kinetics in transgenic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mice.

We illustrate sex dimorphisms in crossbridge kinetics where male hypertrophic cardiomyopathy hearts displayed an increased while female hypertrophic cardiomyopathy hearts displayed a decreased tens...
Properties and Application of Cationic Weak Gel Profile Control and Flooding Agent

The cationic weak gel profile control and flooding agent(PFA) was composed of cationic polycryamides(0.50%) and cross-linking agent(0.03%～0.06%).After flooding with a large amount of PFA,the restorable permeability of oil and water is 91.6% and 15.3%,respectively.The corn water-plugging rate is greater than 90% and the gradient of breakthrough pressure is greater than 0.4 MPa/cm.The ratio of throwing into and producing is 1:3.24。
Effect of Transforming Growth Factor-β_1 in a Neonatal Mouse Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Model Induced by Moderate Hyperoxia Exposure

Objective:To study the effect and injuries of moderate hyperoxia exposure(60% O2) on a neonatal mouse development to observe the effect of TGF-β1 on the lung injuries of the neonatal mouse bronchopulmonary dysplasia.Methods: Thirty neonatal female KM mice were randomly divided into an experiment group and a control group(n=15).The control group was put in the air(FiO2 0.21) and the experiment group was put in the sealed oxygen box(FiO2 0.6) to prepare the model of the neonatal female mouse bronchopulmonary dysplasia induced by moderate hyperoxia,record the mouse body weight at the 2nd,7th,14th,21st,28th days after inhaling oxygen and observe the changes of pulmonary histopathology of different time points by HE staining and the expression levels of TGF-β1 protein by immunohistochemistry.Results: The body weight of the mouse in the experiment group was significantly reduced after 7 days of inhaling oxygen and the structure of normal alveolar disappeared,alveolar was fused and the alveolar intervals were thickened under the HE staining.The expression of TGF-β1 increased after 72 hours of hyperoxia exposure and the expression of TGF-β1 would continuously increase with the prolongation of inhaling oxygen.Conclusion:Oxygen inhalation of sustainable higher concentration may result in growth failure and pulmonary alveolarization block and appear pulmonary changes that is similarities to human bronchopulmonary dysplasia.TGF-β1 plays an important roles in development and sustainment of the pulmonary fibrosis(PF).
Empirical Study on Variation and Contributing Factors of Regional Potato Production Structure in China: Based on Panel Data of Provinces from 1995 to 2010

This paper attempts to describe the regional characteristics of China's potato production and to find out their main contributing factors. Based on the dynamic computation and analysis of statistics of the respective proportion of the potato production of 25 provinces in the total amount of China during 1995- 2010, significant and stable regional characteristics were revealed. The potato production in western provinc es had a greater proportion in national total potato production and the central and eastern provinces were in the opposite. Then, with the panel data model, this paper analyzed the contributing factors of the regional characteristics. The empirical results showed that the rural people's non-agriculture income proportion, per capita cultivated land in rural areas and the per capita potato consumption expenditures of local urban people were the important influencing factors of regional characteristics of China's potato production.
Nudging Merit Goods: Conceptual, Normative, and Practical Connections

AbstractMainstream economics has traditionally maintained a respect for preferences and the choices that individuals make based on them. But recent advances in psychology and behavioral economics have led scholars and policy-maker to doubt if people make wise choices in their own interests. Based on this, libertarian paternalists endorse choice interventions—nudges—designed to steer people to decisions that will better promote their interests. However, the complex, multifaceted, and subjective nature of interests implies that policy-makers are imposing externally chosen interests for people’s own when designing nudges. In this sense, policy-makers are treating the interests they choose to advance like merit goods as described by Richard Musgrave, goals or ends that are explicitly judged by policy-makers to be worth advancing even if they are not ranked highly or chosen consistently by individuals themselves. This paper will make explicit the conceptual and normative connections between nudges and merit go...
Bullying Britain, Conquering Mexico, Claiming the Canal

Franklin's vision of an expanding British North American empire required a colonial union. The lesson, Franklin learned from the example of the Six Nations Confederacy was about the importance of union to the establishment of the imperial control of North America. The most radical aspect of Franklin's vision was his conception of an emerging parity between England and the colonies. Washington's and Franklin's efforts to spur unity suggest that the move toward the creation of an American union is best understood as a 'grasstips' movement. Franklin and Washington's participation in the expansionist thrust reflected both the personal and the public interests each had in acquiring control of the Ohio Country. The revolutionary faction in the colonies wouldn't accept political subordination or limitations on its territorial and commercial expansionism. The bloody battles at Lexington and Concord in April 1775 marked the beginning of a de facto war of independence for the colonies.