cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seasonal dynamics of the association between sweet potato and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

To better understand the behavior of selected vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) isolates in the field, we documented the growth of roots, root hairs, and VAM colonization of inoculated and noninoculated sweet potato plants (Ipomea batatas (L.) Lam. cv White Star) over a growing season. We also determined the seasonal dynamics of P and Zn uptake, and shoot and storage-root growth. Shoot cuttings were inoculated with an isolate of either Glomus etunicatum Becker and Gerdemann or Acaulospora rugosa Mortan, or were not inoculated, and were harvested 2, 4, 8, 13, 20, and 27 weeks after planting (WAP). At each harvest, roots were sampled at 0 to 30, 30 to 60, and 60 to 90 cm depths and at 0, 23, 83, and 116 cm from the base of the shoot. At the end of the study, the roots of three non-inoculated plants were sampled by soil horizon. Inoculation had no affect on shoot growth or total shoot uptake of P and Zn; shoot dry mass and P and Z content increased rapidly up to 20 WAP, while shoot length continued to increase through 27 WAP. Shoot-P concentration of plants inoculated with A. rugosa at 2 and 8 WAP were higher than the noninoculated plants, while shoot-Zn concentration was not affected by inoculation. Storage-root yields of inoculated plants were higher than yields for noninoculated plants. Root length density, and percentage of root length with root hairs and VAM colonization were highest and most dynamic near the base of the plant. Percentage of root length colonization by VAM fungi was highest in the E2 horizon, intermediate in the Bh horizon, and lowest in the Ap horizon. Percentage of root length with root hairs had the opposite pattern. Intensive measurements of root characteristics close to the base of the plant, and shoot P-content and concentration during the period of rapid yield production, provided the most useful data for evaluating the activity of effective isolates.
Investigation of Regulation of FtsZ Assembly by SulA and Development of a Model for FtsZ Polymerization

In Escherichia coli FtsZ organizes into a cytoskeletal ring structure, the Z ring, which effects cell division. FtsZ is a GTPase, but the free energy of GTP hydrolysis does not appear to be used for generation of the constriction force, leaving open the question of the function of the GTPase activity of FtsZ. Here we study the mechanism by which SulA, an inhibitor of FtsZ induced during the SOS response, inhibits FtsZ function. We studied the effects of SulA on the in vitro activities of FtsZ, on Z rings in vivo, and on a kinetic model for FtsZ polymerization in silico. We found that the binding of SulA to FtsZ is necessary but not sufficient for inhibition of polymerization, since the assembly of FtsZ polymers in the absence of the GTPase activity was not inhibited by SulA. We developed a new model for FtsZ polymerization that accounts for the cooperativity of FtsZ and could account for cooperativity observed in other linear polymers. When SulA was included in the kinetic scheme, simulations revealed that SulA with strong affinity for FtsZ delayed, but did not prevent, the assembly of polymers when they were not hydrolyzing GTP. Furthermore, the simulations indicated that SulA controls the assembly of FtsZ by binding to a polymerization-competent form of the FtsZ molecule and preventing it from participating in assembly. In vivo stoichiometry of the disruption of Z rings by SulA suggests that FtsZ may undergo two cooperative transitions in forming the Z ring.
Automated mapping of large binary objects using primitive fragment type classification

Security analysts, reverse engineers, and forensic analysts are regularly faced with large binary objects, such as executable and data files, process memory dumps, disk images and hibernation files, often Gigabytes or larger in size and frequently of unknown, suspect, or poorly documented structure. Binary objects of this magnitude far exceed the capabilities of traditional hex editors and textual command line tools, frustrating analysis. This paper studies automated means to map these large binary objects by classifying regions using a multi-dimensional, information-theoretic approach. We make several contributions including the introduction of the binary mapping metaphor and its associated applications, as well as techniques for type classification of low-level binary fragments. We validate the efficacy of our approach through a series of classification experiments and an analytic case study. Our results indicate that automated mapping can help speed manual and automated analysis activities and can be generalized to incorporate many low-level fragment classification techniques.
Integrating LDV Audio and IR Video for Remote Multimodal Surveillance

This paper describes a multimodal surveillance system for human signature detection. The system consists of three types of sensors: infrared (IR) cameras, pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) color cameras and laser Doppler vibrometers (LDVs). The LDV is explored as a new non-contact remote voice detector. We have found that voice energy vibrates most objects and the vibrations can be detected by an LDV. Since signals captured by the LDV are very noisy, we have designed algorithms with Gaussian bandpass filtering and adaptive volume scaling to enhance the LDV voice signals. The enhanced voice signals are intelligible from targets without retro-reflective finishes at short or medium distances (<100m). By using retroreflective tapes, the distance could be as far as 300 meters. However, the manual operation to search and focus the laser beam on a target with both vibration and reflection is very difficult at medium and large distances. Therefore, infrared (IR) imaging for target selection and localization is also discussed. Future work remains in automatic LDV targeting and intelligent refocusing for long range LDV listening.
Atomic oxygen effects on NiSi and Ni(Pt)Si: Novel oxidation mechanism

XPS data demonstrate that exposure of NiSi or Ni(Pt)Si to atomic oxygen at 300 K results in the kinetically controlled formation of transition metal silicate-containing overlayers > 45 ? thick regardless of the type of substrate doping. The results indicate that plasma exposure poses significant problems for NiSi/Ni(Pt)Si processing and oxide removal prior to subsequent metallization.
Verifying marine-hydro-kinetic energy generation simulations using SNL-EFDC

Increasing interest in marine hydrokinetic (MHK) energy has led to significant research regarding optimal placement of emerging technologies to maximize energy capture and minimize effects on the marine environment. Understanding the changes to the near- and far-field hydrodynamics is necessary to assess optimal placement. MHK projects will convert energy (momentum) from the system, altering water velocities and potentially water quality and sediment transport as well. Maximum site efficiency for MHK power projects must balance with the requirement of avoiding environmental harm. This study is based on previous modification to an existing flow, sediment dynamics, and water-quality code (SNL-EFDC) where a simulation of an experimental flume is used to qualify, quantify, and visualize the influence of MHK energy generation. Turbulence and device parameters are calibrated against wake data from a flume experiment out of the University of Southampton (L. Myers and A. S. Bahaj, “Near wake properties of horizontal axis marine current turbines,” in Proceedings of the 8th European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference, 2009, pp. 558–565) to produce verified simulations of MHK-device energy removal. To achieve a realistic velocity deficit within the wake of the device, parametric studies using the nonlinear, model-independent, parameter estimators PEST and DAKOTA were compared to determine parameter sensitivities and optimal values for various constants in the flow and turbulence closure equations. The sensitivity analyses revealed that the Smagorinski subgrid-scale horizontal momentum diffusion constant and the k-e kinetic energy dissipation rate constant (C e4 ) were the two most important parameters influencing wake profile and dissipation at 10 or more device diameters downstream as they strongly influence how the wake mixes with the bulk flow. These results verify the model, which can now be used to perform MHK-array distribution and optimization studies.
Stationary pulses of light in an atomic medium

We describe and experimentally demonstrate the conversion of light propagating in a medium of Rb atoms into an excitation with localized, stationary electromagnetic energy, which can be held and released after a controllable interval.
Energy-level statistics of model quantum systems: Universality and scaling in a lattice-point problem

We investigate the statistics of the numberN(R, S) of lattice pointsn∈Z 2, in an annular domain π(R, w)=(R+w)A\RA, whereR, w>0. HereA is a fixed convex set with smooth boundary andw is chosen so that the area of π(R, w) isS. The statistics comes fromR being taken as random (with a smooth density) in some interval [c 1 T,c 2,T],c 2>c 1>0. We find that in the limitT→∞ the variance and distribution of ΔN=N(R; S)−S depend strongly on howS grows withT. There is a saturation regimeS/T→∞, asT→∞, in which the fluctuations in ΔN coming from the two boundaries of π are independent. Then there is a scaling regime,S/T→z, 0<z<∞, in which the distribution depends onz in an almost periodic way going to a Gaussian asz→0. The variance in this limit approachesz for “generic”A, but can be larger for “degenerate” cases. The former behavior is what one would expect from the Poisson limit of a distribution for annuli of finite area.
Structural Integrity of Composite Columns Subject to Fire

This article investigates the thermal response of an axially restrained composite column, which is exposed to a heat flux due to fire. The heat damage, the charred layer formation and nonuniform transient temperature distribution in the column exposed to fire from one side are calculated by the thermal model developed by Gibson et al. [1]. For the thermal response analysis, the mechanical properties of the fire-damaged (charred) region are considered negligible, while the degradation of the elastic properties with temperature in the undamaged layer (especially near the glass transition temperature of the matrix) is accounted for using experimental data for the elastic moduli. Due to the nonuniform stiffness distribution through the thickness and the effect of the ensuing thermal moment, the structure behaves like an imperfect column, and responds by bending rather than buckling in the classical Euler (bifurcation) sense. Another important effect of the non-uniform temperature is that the neutral axis moves away from the centroid of the cross-section, resulting in an additional moment due to eccentric mechanical loading, which tends to bend the structure. The compressive behavior of a column subjected to simultaneous high intensity surface heating and axial compressive loading was investigated experimentally to verify the anticipated theoretical response. All specimens exhibited bending and subsequent catastrophic failure, even at compressive stresses well below these corresponding to the Euler load.
BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS OF CONCURRENT ETHANOL‐SUCROSE AND SUCROSE REINFORCEMENT IN THE RAT: EFFECTS OF ALTERING VARIABLE‐RATIO REQUIREMENTS

These experiments examined the own-price and cross-price elasticities of a drug (ethanol mixed with 10% sucrose) and a nondrug (10% sucrose) reinforcer. Rats were presented with ethanol-sucrose and sucrose, both available on concurrent independent variable-ratio (VR) 8 schedules of reinforcement. In Experiment 1, the variable ratio for the ethanol mix was systematically raised to 10, 12, 14, 16, 20, and 30, while the variable ratio for sucrose remained at 8. Five of the 6 rats increased ethanol-reinforced responding at some of the increments and defended baseline levels of ethanol intake. However, the rats eventually ceased ethanol-reinforced responding at the highest variable ratios. Sucrose-reinforced responding was not systematically affected by the changes in variable ratio for ethanol mix. In Experiment 2, the variable ratio for sucrose was systematically increased while the ethanol-sucrose response requirement remained constant. The rats decreased sucrose-reinforced responding and increased ethanol-sucrose-reinforced responding, resulting in a two- to 10-fold increase in ethanol intake. Experiment 3 examined the substitutability of qualitatively identical reinforcers: 10% sucrose versus 10% sucrose. Increases in variable-ratio requirements at the preferred lever resulted in a switch in lever preference. Experiment 4 examined whether 10% ethanol mix substituted for 5% ethanol mix, with increasing variable-ratio requirements of the 5% ethanol. All rats eventually responded predominantly for the 10% ethanol mix, but total amount of ethanol consumed per session did not systematically change. In Experiment 5, the variable-ratio requirements for both ethanol and sucrose were simultaneously raised to VR 120; 7 of 8 rats increased ethanol-reinforced responding while decreasing sucrose-reinforced responding. These data suggest that, within this ethanol-induction procedure and within certain parameters, demand for ethanol-sucrose was relatively inelastic, and sucrose consumption was independent of ethanol-sucrose consumption. Demand for sucrose, on the other hand, was relatively elastic, and ethanol-sucrose readily substituted for it. The results are discussed in terms of applying a behavioral economic approach to relationships between drug and nondrug reinforcers.
Assessment of public–private–NGO partnerships: Water and sanitation services in slums

The Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) is a trade union founded in 1972 to organize women in the informal sector in the western Indian state of Gujarat for better working conditions and social security provisions. The Gujarat Mahila Housing SEWA Trust (MHT) and the SEWA Bank are independently registered SEWA sister organizations that facilitate self-employed women's access to housing and financial services, respectively. This paper seeks to document and critically analyze the experiences of MHT and SEWA Bank in partnering with the state, the private sector, funding agencies, urban local bodies and other NGOs in developing and delivering housing, water and sanitation programs for low-income urban families living in slums. Using MHT as a case study, this paper will shed light upon challenges and opportunities NGOs may face while collaborating with partners with different core philosophies, motivations, working styles, strengths and constraints. The paper also makes recommendations that would enable different actors to play an optimal role in partnerships designed to improve the living and working conditions of the poor.
Endonuclease V (nfi) Mutant of Escherichia coli K-12

Endonuclease V (deoxyinosine 3′ endonuclease), the product of the nfi gene, has a specificity that encompasses DNAs containing dIMP, abasic sites, base mismatches, uracil, and even untreated single-stranded DNA. To determine its importance in DNA repair pathways, nfi insertion mutants and overproducers (strains bearing nfi plasmids) were constructed. The mutants displayed a twofold increase in spontaneous mutations for several markers and an increased sensitivity to killing by bleomycin and nitrofurantoin. An nfi mutation increased both cellular resistance to and mutability by nitrous acid. This agent should generate potential cleavage sites for the enzyme by deaminating dAMP and dCMP in DNA to dIMP and dUMP, respectively. Relative to that of a wild-type strain, an nfi mutant displayed a 12- to 1,000-fold increase in the frequency of nitrite-induced mutations to streptomycin resistance, which are known to occur in A · T base pairs. An nfi mutation also enhanced the lethality caused by a combined deficiency of exonuclease III and dUTPase, which has been attributed to unrepaired abasic sites. However, neither the deficiency nor the overproduction of endonuclease V affected the growth of the single-stranded DNA phages M13 or φX174 nor of Uracil-containing bacteriophage λ. These results suggest that endonuclease V has a significant role in the repair of deaminated deoxyadenosine (deoxyinosine) and abasic sites in DNA, but there was no evidence for its cleavage in vivo of single-stranded or uracil-containing DNA.
Iron and Heart Disease: the Epidemiologic Data

There has developed a general theory of chronic and degenerative disease causation—the Oxidative Stress Theory. This theory states that the production of tissue-damaging free radicals is an essential component in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases and that iron may help to catalyze the reactions producing free radicals. As a result, it has been suggested that the risk of coronary heart disease increases with increasing body iron stores. In support of that hypothesis, a prospective epidemiologic study of heart disease in Finnish men found that the risk of heart attack increased with increasing levels of serum ferritin. However, the vast majority of the epidemiologic data, including results from prospective, cross-sectional, and case-control and autopsy studies, published since that initial study have failed to support the original hypothesis that high body iron stores increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
In-vehicle secure wireless personal area network (SWPAN)

During the last several years, the interest in wireless networking has grown significantly due to the availability of many wireless products, such as cell phones, wireless enabled mice, keyboards, modems, and many other products. Bluetooth-enabled cell phones, personal digital assistance (PDAs), and laptops are becoming common. Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) products are growing at a rapid rate. Several companies have already started developing WiMax products. The reason for the rapid growth of wireless technology is that it provides the users with additional convenience over the wired technology. General Motors Corporation introduced a Bluetooth network in its 2003 Saab 9-3 model car. Having a wireless personal area network (WPAN) in a vehicle will allow the driver to control the various operations within the vehicle without taking his hands off the steering wheel. For example, the driver will be able to make a phone call through a Bluetooth-enabled headset and a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone using voice-activated dialing features. If the Bluetooth network is connected to the vehicle's wired network through an appropriate gateway device, then the driver will be able to control the lights, windshield wipers, air flow, heat, and various other features of the vehicle through a Bluetooth-enabled headset and voice-activated features. An in-vehicle WPAN will also allow the users to use their PDAs as electronic car keys. Though an in-vehicle WPAN can provide the users with many convenient features, it can also make the vehicle system vulnerable to many types of security attacks unless it is properly designed. In this paper, the authors present a technique for building an in-vehicle secure WPAN (SWPAN). The technique is user friendly and easy to use
Digital ulcers: overt vascular disease in systemic sclerosis

RP is an almost universal manifestation of SSc, with 95% of all patients being affected, and resulting in digital ulcers (DUs) in approximately 30% of the patients each year. DUs are a major clinical problem, being associated with substantial morbidity (reduced quality of life, pain, disability and disfigurement) that can escalate to gangrene and amputation. Ideally, the treatment of DUs would improve tissue integrity and viability, promote ulcer healing and reduce the formation of new ulcers. Treatments that have shown potential include calcium channel blockers, prostacyclin analogues and endothelin receptor antagonists. However, until recently, management was based on empirical experience. The recent approval (in Europe) of the dual endothelin receptor antagonist, bosentan, to reduce the number of new DUs in patients with SSc and ongoing DU disease, means that there is now an approved therapy--and new hope--for the treatment of DUs in these severely afflicted patients.
Fundamental performance limits and efficient polices for Transportation-On-Demand systems

Transportation-On-Demand (TOD) systems, where users generate requests for transportation from a pick-up point to a delivery point, are already very popular and are expected to increase in usage dramatically as the inconvenience of privately-owned cars in metropolitan areas becomes excessive. Routing service vehicles through customers is usually accomplished with heuristic algorithms. In this paper we study TOD systems in a formal setting that allows us to characterize fundamental performance limits and devise dynamic routing policies with provable performance guarantees. Specifically, we study TOD systems in the form of a unit-capacity, multiple-vehicle dynamic pick-up and delivery problem, whereby pick-up requests arrive according to a Poisson process and are randomly located according to a general probability density. Corresponding delivery locations are also randomly distributed according to a general probability density, and a number of unit-capacity vehicles must transport demands from their pick-up locations to their delivery locations. We derive insightful fundamental bounds on the steady-state waiting times for the demands, and we devise constant-factor optimal dynamic routing policies. Simulation results are presented and discussed.
Optimal path planning for the motion of a wheel

In this paper, the authors examine optimal path planning for the motion of a wheel which minimizes some combination of time and effort expended. Several techniques are examined but a combination of continuation and multi-dimensional Newton-Raphson shooting is shown to be effective, within limits. >
Correlated Asymmetry of Sequence and Functional Divergence Between Duplicate Proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The role of sequence divergence in functional divergence of duplicate genes is a topic of great interest. In this study, we compare the numbers of amino acid substitutions in each sequence since two yeast duplicates diverged, using a preduplication ancestral outgroup. Using this strategy, we explored the relationship between sequence divergence and functional divergence between duplicate partners. We show that the degree of relative functional asymmetry between duplicate proteins is proportional to the relative sequence divergence between them. Furthermore, of the two duplicates, the copy closer to their ancestral sequence (fewer number of amino acid substitutions) interacts with more proteins and affects fitness more severely when deleted. Therefore, asymmetric sequence divergence between duplicates is correlated with asymmetric functional divergence and may underlie the duplicate's role in genetic robustness against mutations. Among the functional traits considered, protein abundance appears to have the strongest correlation with the nonsynonymous divergence between duplicates. Taken together with the results from whole-genome analyses, our results indicate that within-species duplicates are subject to the same evolutionary force that acts on interspecific sequence and functional divergence. In particular, we detect signs of purifying selection on the more slowly evolving duplicate.
A Résumé of Linear Algebra

Two elements dominate linear algebra: matrices and vectors. One may identify vectors with certain matrices but not vice versa. Thus matrices are the dominant feature. We shall, therefore, first deal with matrices and then with vectors.
THE ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF CHANGES IN BIODIVERSITY: A SEARCH FOR GENERAL PRINCIPLES101

This paper uses theory and experiments to explore the effects of diversity on stability, productivity, and susceptibility to invasion. A model of resource competition predicts that increases in diversity cause com- munity stability to increase, but population stability to decrease. These opposite effects are, to a great extent, explained by how temporal variances in species abundances scale with mean abundance, and by the differential impact of this scaling on population vs. community stability. Community stability also depends on a negative covariance effect (competitive compensation) and on overyielding (ecosystem productivity increasing with diversity). A long-term study in Minnesota grasslands supports these predictions. Models of competition predict, and field experiments confirm, that greater plant diversity leads to greater primary productivity. This diversity-productivity relationship results both from the greater chance that a more productive species would be present at higher diversity (the sampling effect) and from the better ''coverage'' of habitat heterogeneity caused by the broader range of species traits in a more diverse community (the niche differentiation effect). Both effects cause more complete utilization of limiting resources at higher diversity, which increases resource retention, further increasing productivity. Finally, lower levels of available limiting resources at higher diversity are predicted to decrease the susceptibility of an ecosystem to invasion, supporting the diversity-invasibility hypothesis. This mechanism provides rules for community assembly and invasion resistance. In total, biodiversity should be added to species composition, disturbance, nutrient supply, and climate as a major controller of population and ecosystem dynamics and structure. By their increasingly great directional impacts on all of these controllers, humans are likely to cause major long-term changes in the functioning of ecosystems worldwide. A better understanding of these ecosystem changes is needed if ecologists are to provide society with the knowledge essential for wise management of the earth and its biological resources.
Behind the Numbers: Inverse Probability Weighting

Inverse probability weighting is a propensity score-based technique that can be used to compensate for imbalance in the study groups; it is an alternative to regression based adjustment of the outcomes.
Power-efficiencies of multi-hop paths for routing in wireless networks

In energy constrained wireless networks, routing algorithms should base the selection of the next hop from the available nodes after taking into consideration the power efficiency of each option. With multiple routing choices available, a systematic methodology to determine the power efficiency of each path in a decentralized manner is of significant importance. This paper analyzes the power-efficiency of using multi-hop versus direct paths while taking into account the overhead power due to transceiver electronics in addition to the MAC/protocol overhead. We first obtain the threshold l/sub o/ for the distance between the source and destination, within which direct routing is more efficient than multi-hop routing. The analysis is then extended for multi-hop routing where we obtain the optimal number of hops the route should have, and the optimal distance at which we should seek the next hop.
Improving the Transition Behavior of High School Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorders Using a Randomized Interdependent Group Contingency

Abstract The current study evaluated the effects of an interdependent group contingency with randomized components on student behavior during the transition from lunch to class. The study was conducted in three high school classrooms in an alternative school setting for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and used an ABAB withdrawal design. During the intervention, the teacher informed the students that it was time for class to begin and then scanned the room to count the number of students ready (i.e., seated at assigned desk, eyes directed at the teacher or front of the room, and not being physically or verbally disruptive). The teacher randomly selected a criterion number of students who needed to be ready to start instruction. If the class met the criterion, the teacher randomly selected a reward. Dependent variables included the percentage of students ready to begin instruction within 5 min of the official class start time and the number of minutes past the official start time that class...
Impact of Residential Mechanical Ventilation on Energy Cost and Humidity Control

The DOE Building America program has been conducting research leading to cost effective high performance homes since the early 1990's. Optimizing whole house mechanical ventilation as part of the program's systems engineered approach to constructing housing has been an important subject of the program's research. Ventilation in residential buildings is one component of an effective, comprehensive strategy for creation and maintenance of a comfortable and healthy indoor air environment. The study described in this white paper is based on building energy modeling with an important focus on the indoor humidity impacts of ventilation. The modeling tools used were EnergyPlus version 7.1 (E+) and EnergyGauge USA (EGUSA). Twelve U.S. cities and five climate zones were represented. A total of 864 simulations (2*2*3*3*12= 864) were run using two building archetypes, two building leakage rates, two building orientations, three ventilation systems, three ventilation rates, and twelve climates.
Standardization and Calibration Part 2: Brief Stimuli, Immittance, Amplification, and Vestibular Assessment

I had the great good fortune to be accepted as an Audiology Master's student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the mid-1970s. Ray Karlovich and Terry Wiley provided me with an excellent foundation in acoustics and instrumentation. Neither would accept a superficial understanding of the physical sciences from their audiology students—they wanted us to understand the theoretical and computational bases of the relevant physical sciences, so we could apply this understanding to each patient we saw in the clinic. In my Ph.D. program at Wisconsin, I focused on auditory physiology, especially in the area of auditory evoked potentials. My mentors in evoked potentials, Bob Goldstein and Kurt Hecox, taught me a lot about the evoked responses themselves, and yet it was Ray's and Terry's acoustics and instrumentation that helped me figure out how to calibrate the transient stimuli typically used to elicit auditory evoked potentials. One of my early publications described several approaches to calibrating the level of acoustic transients and the spectral analyses of these transients.1 In the sensory domains, it is not possible to directly measure perception, and so we must use some response (e.g., the push of a button, the raising of the hand, the recording of an auditory brainstem response) as a surrogate measure of the actual percept. This means that if we do not fully and accurately quantify the acoustic (or other sensory) stimulus, then the response is largely meaningless. Now, more than 35 years after taking coursework from Ray and Terry, I still use the knowledge and skills gained in their courses on a very regular basis. I have used this knowledge to calibrate the stimuli I use in my experimental investigations. I have passed along this knowledge in book chapters. I served as the Vice Chair and Chair of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) S3 Bioacoustics, which would not have been even remotely possible without the mentorship and teaching skills of Ray Karlovich and Terry Wiley.
Damage effect on top plate of layered structure under impact of falling mass from blast layer

For investigate on the dynamic response and local damage of top plate of structure under impact of the falling mass from blast layer on condition of air distribution layer.The whole response of the structure was analyzed by the theory of system energy balance,and the falling mass impacting the target was simulated by the FEM method.The result shows that the local damage of the concrete plate is predominant under the impact of the falling mass,the dynamic response of the whole structure could be neglected.The steel net embedded into the concrete plate can prohibit the emergence and development of the inner cracks in the concrete plate and the falling down of the concrete of back surface.The steel plate sticked on the back of the top plate can prohibit the damage of the concrete plate efficiently.
AFD-based method for signal line EM reliability evaluation

In this paper, the atomic flux divergence (AFD) based flow for AC and pulsed DC signal line electromigration (EM) reliability estimation is proposed. The flow is implemented as a 3-stage filter based on the average (AVG) and root-mean-square (RMS) current densities. A relationship between AVG and/or RMS current densities, maximum AFD, and EM lifetime is established and validated. To avoid the necessity of solving finite element equations, SPICE-based simulation scheme is proposed for fast AFD calculation. Fitting functions to evaluate signal line EM with AC and pulsed DC patterns are proposed. To prove fidelity, healing factors for AC EM obtained from our method are verified against measured results. Results of the traditional and proposed methods are compared.
Effect of zinc ions on δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase in Ustilago sphaerogena

Abstract The activity of δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase (E.C. 4.2.1.24) in crude extracts of the smut fungus Ustilago sphaerogena, grown in its sporidial stage, has been found to depend on the concentration of Zn++ in the culture media; half-maximal effect was at about 2 × 10−6 M. Dialysis of crude extracts did not result in the loss of enzyme activity, which might be expected if the enzyme is activated by reversible enzyme-Zn++ complex formation, and addition of Zn++in vitro had little effect up to 10−5 m. Higher concentrations of Zn++ were inhibitory in accord with the implication of essential SH in this enzyme as revealed by inhibition with Cu++ or iodoacetate. Attempts to obtain highly active enzyme by the addition of Zn++ to crude extracts from zinc-deficient cells were unsuccessful. The increase in the activity caused by the addition of Zn++ (3 × 10−5 m ) to a culture previously grown in the presence of low concentration of Zn++ (10−7 m ) was effectively inhibited by simultaneous addition of p-fluorophenylalanine (4.5 × 10−4 m ), but little inhibition was observed when actinomycin D (200 mg/ liter) was substituted for the amino acid analogue. Thus it appears that Zn++ is required for the synthesis of this enzyme protein at the translation level.
High level ab initio calculations on ClFn− (n = 1–6): Recoupled pair bonding involving a closed-shell central ion

Abstract In this paper we complete our studies of the bonding in the ClF n +,0,− series, characterizing the structures and energetics of the ground and low-lying excited states of ClF n − ( n = 1–6) via coupled cluster calculations with large correlation consistent basis sets and interpreting the results of the calculations using concepts from generalized valence bond (GVB) theory. The chlorine anion is isoelectronic with the argon atom, possessing three 3p lone pairs. However, the electrons in Cl − are much less tightly bound than those of Ar, and it is thus possible for the fluorine atom to form recoupled pair bonds and recoupled pair bond dyads with the chlorine anion even if this is not possible with the argon atom. The calculated dissociation energies, D 0 (F n −1 Cl F), for the anions are 28.9, 72.3, 12.5, 59.9, 4.5, and 38.8 kcal/mol for n = 1–6, and the adiabatic electron affinities, EA 0 (ClF n ), are 2.25, 4.78, 3.29, 5.47, 3.80, and 5.43 eV, respectively [CCSD(T)/RCCSD(T)/AVQ + Z]. Unlike the cation series, the ClF n − anions have competing dissociation channels, ClF n − → ClF n −1 + F − and ClF n − → ClF n −1 − + F, because of the similar electron affinities of the fluorine atom and some of the ClF n −1 species. The ClF 2 − and ClF 4 − anions dissociate to F − and (ClF, ClF 3 ), while the remaining members of the family dissociate to F and ClF n −1 − . However, the electronic structure of the ClF 2 − species at its equilibrium geometry is consistent with the addition of a fluorine atom to ClF − . In addition to the ground states of ClF n − , three previously unknown excited states were found for ClF 2 − , ClF 3 − , and ClF 4 − with excitation energies of Δ E 0 = 2.24, 2.02 and 2.11 eV, respectively. In contrast to the ground states, which possess the maximum number of recoupled pair bond dyads, the excited state species have one fewer dyad and two additional recoupled pair bonds.
PD-1 signaling and inhibition in AML and MDS

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are clinically and molecularly heterogeneous clonal myeloid disorders with a poor prognosis especially in the relapsed refractory setting and in patients above the age of 60. While allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a potentially curative approach, high relapse, morbidity, and mortality rates necessitate the development of alternative therapies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors unmask tumoral immune tolerance and have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant hematologic and solid malignancies. The rationale for the investigation of those agents in AML and MDS is supported by an observed increased expression of programmed cell death 1 protein (PD-1) and ligand 1 (PD-L1) in the hematopoietic microenvironment of AML and MDS, and its association with low TP53 and a poor prognosis. Early clinical experience in combination with a hypomethylating agent has shown encouraging responses; however, larger clinical trials are needed to determine the role of checkpoint inhibition in myeloid malignancies.
Attica Correctional Facility

Attica Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison located in Western New York State. Not unlike other prisons throughout the United States, the prison population reflected changes in the arrest and prosecution focusing on minority and political groups. The inclusion of more African Americans and Black Muslim groups became a serious issue in the late 1960s and early 1970s as the legal system was struggling with the continued “hands-off doctrine,” ignoring the legal rights of inmates. The problem came to a crisis point with the infamous four-day inmate takeover of the prison following a violent prison riot. The control of the riot by then New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller and its ramifications has become one of the most important incidents in corrections history. Keywords: corrections; criminal justice; prison; punishment
Skateboarding for transportation: exploring the factors behind an unconventional mode choice among university skateboard commuters

Efforts to promote non-motorized, active transportation modes typically focus on walking and bicycling. However, other self-propelled devices such as skateboards, roller skates, and push scooters can and are being used as means of transportation. In California, users of these unconventional modes travel up to an estimated 48 million miles per year. Skateboarding in particular appears to be an increasingly popular niche travel mode in areas with good weather and younger age groups, including college students. Why do skateboarders choose to skateboard for travel rather than using more conventional modes? To investigate this question, we interviewed and surveyed skateboard commuters at the University of California, Davis, home to over 1000 skateboard commuters. It appears skateboard travelers are motivated by a feeling that skateboard travel is both fun and convenient. The importance of fun is not particularly surprising given the common association of skateboarding with recreation. However, the importance of convenience shows that skateboarders do not think they are sacrificing functionality for fun. In fact, skateboarders view skateboarding as uniquely practical, blending near bicycling speeds with pedestrian-like flexibility. This runs counter to some regulations that restrict skateboard travel based on a perception that skateboarding is an unnecessary nuisance. The results demonstrate the attractiveness of a travel mode that blend characteristics of walking and bicycling.
Exploring the Requisite Skills and Competencies of Pharmacists Needed for Success in an Evolving Health Care Environment.

Objective. To identify and describe the core competencies and skills considered essential for success of pharmacists in today’s rapidly evolving health care environment.Methods. Six breakout groups of 15-20 preceptors, pharmacists, and partners engaged in a facilitated discussion about the qualities and characteristics relevant to the success of a pharmacy graduate. Data were analyzed using qualitative methods. Peer-debriefing, multiple coders, and member-checking were used to promote trustworthiness of findings.Results. Eight overarching themes were identified: critical thinking and problem solving; collaboration across networks and leading by influence; agility and adaptability; initiative and entrepreneurialism; effective oral and written communication; accessing and analyzing information; curiosity and imagination; and self-awareness.Conclusion. This study is an important step toward understanding how to best prepare pharmacy students for the emerging health care needs of society.
Neutrophil polarization by IL-27 as a therapeutic target for intracerebral hemorrhage

Shortly after intracerebral hemorrhage, neutrophils infiltrate the intracerebral hemorrhage-injured brain. Once within the brain, neutrophils degranulate, releasing destructive molecules that may exacerbate brain damage. However, neutrophils also release beneficial molecules, including iron-scavenging lactoferrin that may limit hematoma/iron-mediated brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage. Here, we show that the immunoregulatory cytokine interleukin-27 is upregulated centrally and peripherally after intracerebral hemorrhage. Data from rodent models indicate that interleukin-27 modifies neutrophil maturation in the bone marrow, suppressing their production of pro-inflammatory/cytotoxic products while increasing their production of beneficial iron-scavenging molecules, including lactoferrin. Finally, interleukin-27 or lactoferrin administration results in reduced edema, enhanced hematoma clearance, and improved neurological outcomes in an animal model of intracerebral hemorrhage. These results suggest that interleukin-27/lactoferrin-mediated modulations of neutrophil function may represent a therapeutically viable concept for the modification of neutrophils toward a “beneficial” phenotype for the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage. Neutrophils are important modulators of tissue damage after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but how this function is regulated is not clear. Here, the authors show interleukin-27 promotes the tissue-protecting functions of neutrophils via, at least partly, the induction of lactoferrin to present a potential therapy for ICH.
"Coming out" rhetoric in disability studies: Exploring the limits of analogy by looking at its fit with the Deaf experience

This article takes as its entry point the borrowing of coming out discourse in Disability Studies. It first discusses the limits of using such analogies and then investigates its fit when considering the specificity of the Deaf experience. The research is based on five personal histories garnered through in-depth interviews with individuals primarily discussing their processes of coming to identify as Deaf, but also some discussion of coming to identify as gay/lesbian. Their stories indicate that unlike its deployment in broader disability studies, the discourse of coming out in relation to adopting a Deaf cultural identity does not resonate. Instead, the narratives show that while these Deaf individuals did use a sign for "coming out" to describe their process of identifying as gay/lesbian, they did not use it to describe their Deaf identity development. Their narratives of coming to identify as culturally Deaf instead predominantly use a phrase that can interpreted from sign language as "becoming Deaf," although some of the same processes and features of identity development are present. It concludes with a discussion of the tensions between Deaf and disability studies, the limits of analogizing disability with other categories and particularly the limits of coming out discourse regarding the Deaf experience, as well as a discussion of the universalizing view of disability studies.
Quantification of thioether-linked glutathione modifications in human lens proteins

Dehydroalanine (DHA) and dehydrobutyrine (DHB) intermediates, formed through β-elimination, induce protein irreversible glutathionylation and protein-protein crosslinking in human lens fiber cells. In total, irreversible glutathionylation was detected on 52 sites including cysteine, serine and threonine residues in 18 proteins in human lenses. In this study, the levels of GSH modification on three serine residues and four cysteine residues located in seven different lens proteins isolated from different regions and different aged lenses were quantified. The relative levels of modification (modified/nonmodified) were site-specific and age-related, ranging from less than 0.05% to about 500%. The levels of modification on all of the sites quantified in the lens cortex increased with age and GSH modification also increased from cortex to outer nucleus region suggesting an age-related increase of modification. The levels of modification on sites located in stable regions of the proteins such as Cys117 of βA3, Cys80 of βB1 and Cys27 of γS, continued increasing in inner nucleus, but modification on sites located in regions undergoing degradation with age decreased in the inner nucleus suggesting GSH modified proteins were more susceptible to further modification. Irreversible GSH modification in cataract lenses was typically higher than in age-matched normal lenses, but the difference did not reach statistical significance for a majority of sites, with the exception Cys117 of βA3 crystallin in WSF. Except for S59 of αA and αB crystallins, GSH modification did not induce protein insolubility suggesting a possible role for this modification in protection from protein-protein crosslinking.
Effects of morphological patterning on endothelial cell migration.

The migration of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) plays an important role in vascular remodeling. Here we studied the effects of cell morphology on the migration of bovine aortic ECs by culturing cells on micropatterned strips of collagen matrix (60-, 30-, and 15-µm wide). The spreading areas of the cells on 15- and 30-µm wide strips were 30% lower than those on 60- µm wide strips and unpatterned collagen. The cells on 15-µm wide strips completely aligned in the direction of the strip, and had significantly lower shape index than those in all other groups. On strips of all widths, ECs tended to migrate in the direction of strips. ECs on 15-µm wide strips had highest speed, particularly in the direction of the strip. Vinculin staining showed that the leading edge of ECs on 15-µm wide strips had focal adhesions that were oriented with their lamellipodial protrusion and the direction of cell migration; this arrangement of the focal adhesions may promote EC migration. The present study provides direct evidence on the role of cell morphology in EC migration, and will help us to understand the mechanisms of EC migration during angiogenesis and wound healing.