cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving the statistical efficiency of computer simulation experiments

Abstract Simulation experiments may generally be regarded as statistical experiments driven by random inputs. Therefore, the results of any simulation model represent estimates (random outputs) characterized by experimental errors. To obtain improved estimates and to increase the statistical efficiency of the simulation (as measured by the variances of the output random variables), various types of variance-reduction techniques are utilized. This paper focuses on some of these techniques.
Propranolol-mediated attenuation of MMP-9 excretion in infants with hemangiomas.

Importance Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) vary substantially in localization and extent of tissue involvement, but IH biological progression is remarkably unique and predictable. Propranolol is an effective treatment for symptomatic IH, but its mechanism of action remains unknown and understudied. Objective To compare excreted proteins in infants with IH being treated with propranolol vs prednisolone. Design, Setting, and Participants Exploratory urine proteomics profiling of patients with IH from July 2010 to September 2012 at a tertiary pediatric hospital. Participants were infants with IH treated at our institution who were participating in a blinded, randomized trial comparing prednisolone vs propranolol. They ranged in age from 14 days to 15 months at enrollment. Exclusion criteria included a history of diabetes mellitus, asthma, and/or cardiovascular disease including hypertension or hypotension. Urine samples were longitudinally collected from all participants. Specimens were desalted, concentrated, and gel fractionated, and the protein content was identified using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Western blot analyses and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were performed to validate mass spectrometry findings. Intervention Treatment with propranolol or prednisolone administered starting before the age of 6 months. Main Outcomes and Measures Proteins present in urine samples and change in urinary levels of proteins over time. Results Samples were obtained from 3 patients treated with prednisolone, 3 patients treated with propranolol, and 5 untreated controls with IH. More than 1000 urinary proteins were identified by proteomics. Patients treated with propranolol demonstrated attenuation of excreted matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in urine over the proliferative phase of the condition compared with prednisolone-treated patients. These findings were validated with Western blot analysis and quantified with ELISA, which confirmed mean urinary MMP-9 levels in the first year of life to be significantly lower in propranolol-treated patients with IH compared with prednisolone-treated patients with IH (0.118 vs 0.501 ng/mL; P = .03) or with nontreated patients with IH (0.118 vs 3.69 ng/mL; P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance Propranolol treatment decreases urinary excretion of MMP-9 in patients with IH. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 may be a biomarker for IH propranolol responsiveness, and its signaling pathways may represent the molecular target of this drug.
The enhancement of humoral and cellular immune responses by dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide.

Abstract Dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDA) produced marked enhancement of both cellular and humoral immune responses to SRBC when administered to mice intraperitoneally, or of cellular immunity when given subcutaneously. Stimulated cellular responses were seen as increased footpad swelling as a measure of delayed hypersensitivity and increased antigen-induced blastogenesis. Elevation of humoral response was reflected in increased numbers of splenic plaque-forming cells (PFC) and in circulating anti-SRBC antibody. Adjuvancy did not depend on addition of the lipid of DDA to antigen, as both humoral and cellular responses were enhanced whether DDA and SRBC were admixed or injected separately 4 hr apart intraperitoneally. DDA also enhanced the PFC response to the T-cell independent antigen TNP-LPS. The DDA effects are accompanied by macrophage activation, which may mediate at least in part the observed responses. DDA-activated macrophages exhibit fast spreading, are highly phagocytic, and elaborate significantly greater amounts of thymocyte mitogenic factor(s) than do normal resident peritoneal macrophages. This activation may effect the stimulation of antigen-specific primary lymphocyte responses by adjuvant and expansion of memory-cell populations which lead to the observed enhancement of secondary responses.
Sinus Rhythm Restoration and Treatment Success: Insight From Recent Clinical Trials

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common supraventricular tachyarrhythmia with substantial morbidity and mortality. This review briefly describes the mechanisms of AF development and progression, including electrical, structural, and contractile remodeling. In addition, the potential benefits of achieving and maintaining sinus rhythm are discussed. For example, rhythm control has been associated with improvements in left ventricular function, AF symptoms, exercise tolerance, the ability to perform activities of daily living, and quality of life. More recently, dronedarone, a noniodinated benzofuran derivative approved for use in the treatment of AF, was shown to significantly improve clinical outcomes including cardiovascular hospitalizations and death from any cause in A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Parallel Arm Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Dronedarone 400 mg bid for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Hospitalization or Death From Any Cause in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation/Atrial Flutter (ATHENA). The review concludes with an examination of AF treatment options and expectations. Evidence suggests that the complete absence of AF recurrence is not always achievable; however, complete restoration of sinus rhythm may not be necessary for patients to achieve clinically meaningful benefits. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The editorial assistance provided for this manuscript was funded by Sanofi-Aventis. The authors were fully responsible for all content and editorial decision, and received no financial support or other form of compensation related to the development of the paper. The authors have no other funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.
Kinetic and quantitative evaluation of material cytotoxicity in vitro

Abstract A new method of evaluating cytotoxicity of materials on the basis of cell damage is described. This method, whereby the release of radioactive chromium from target cells is measured, is rapid and highly sensitive, allows adequate cell-material contact, and permits objective quantitation of cell damage with good accuracy.
Effects of phorbol esters on contraction and protein kinase C activation in rabbit aorta

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between the contractile efficacy of phorbol esters and their ability to activate protein kinase C in intact rabbit aorta. Phorbol dibutyrate (PDB) induced a maximal contraction approximately 3.5-fold greater than that to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). The magnitude of maximal PDB- and PMA-induced contraction correlated with the magnitude of protein kinase C activation, as assessed by the decrease in cytosolic protein kinase C activity. KCl (60mM) did not potentiate the PMA-induced decrease in cytosolic protein kinase C activity. These results suggest that the lack of efficacy of PMA is due to its inability to activate protein kinase C in the intact rabbit aorta. It is speculated that the different contractile efficacies of phorbol esters result from selective activation of protein kinase C isoforms, and that the amounts of these isoforms varies amongst vascular tissues.
Physiologic determinants of nocturnal incontinence after ileal pouch—anal anastomosis

The goals of the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) operation are the construction of a fecal reservoir and the preservation of anal function, without compromising continence. Some of the patients are incontinent at night. The aim of our study was to identify the mechanisms responsible for nocturnal incontinence. We analyzed patients undergoing IPAA for ulcerative colitis, who underwent anorectal tests between 1993 and 1995. All patients were subjected to pull-through manometry and pelvic floor function studies, and 33 patients underwent overnight ambulatory manometry. Among 44 patients (27 men and 17 women), 22 had complete continence, whereas 22 had nocturnal incontinence. Mean age was 40 +/- 1 years. There were no differences with regard to sex, age, stool consistency, and ability to differentiate gas from stool between groups; only stool frequency was lower in the continent group (median [range] 6 [3 to 10] vs. 8 [5 to 25] stools/24 hours; P = 0.011). Resting and squeezing anal canal pressure did not differ (P = 0.42 and P = 0.73, respectively). Resting, squeezing, and defecating anorectal angle, percentage of pouch evacuation, and perineal descent, all measured scintigraphically, did not differ between groups (all P >0.05). Ambulatory manometry showed that the mean anal canal pressure was higher in continent patients compared to incontinent patients, both during awake (88 +/- 11 vs. 62 +/- 8; P = 0.032) and sleep (81 +/- 14 vs. 49 +/- 9; P = 0.029) periods. The motility index was similar (awake, P = 0.88; sleep, P = 0.95), as was the number of episodes where the pouch pressure was greater than the anal canal pressure (P = 0.28). In otherwise continent patients after IPAA, the combination of high stool frequency and low basal anal canal pressure may be related to nocturnal incontinence. Moreover, standard anorectal physiology tests cannot identify these subtle differences.
Remembering the past and imagining the future: Selective effects of an episodic specificity induction on detail generation

According to the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis, remembering past experiences and imagining future experiences both rely heavily on episodic memory. However, recent research indicates that nonepisodic processes such as descriptive ability also influence memory and imagination. We recently found that an episodic specificity induction—brief training in recollecting details of past experiences—enhanced detail generation on memory and imagination tasks but not a picture description task and thereby concluded that the induction can dissociate episodic processes involved in remembering the past and imagining the future from those nonepisodic processes involved in description. To evaluate the generality of our previous findings and to examine the role of generative search in producing those findings, we modified our paradigm so that word cues replaced picture cues, and a word comparison task that requires generation of sentences and word definitions replaced picture description. Young adult particip...
Compartmentation of Organic Acids in Corn Roots I. Differential Labeling of 2 Malate Pools

Bicarbonate-(14)C and acetate-(3)H were simultaneously provided to corn roots to give 2 isotopic forms of malate in the tissue, malate-(14)C produced by dark fixation reactions and malate-(3)H produced by reactions of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Following a short pulse of exposure to the isotopes, the dissimilation of both isotopic forms of malic acid was followed. The rate of utilization of malate-(3)H was much faster than that of malate-(14)C.These results are interpreted as showing that the malate produced from (14)CO(2) is in a pool physically separated from that in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The introduction of the 2 isotopes through distinct metabolic pathways produced the differential labeling of 2 distinct pools of malate.
Cardiac myocyte sizes in right compared with left ventricle during overweight and hypertension.

Abstract Evidence is sparse concerning hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes in left and right ventricles (LV, RV). LV and RV from 105 forensic autopsies were weighed. Cross sectioned cardiac myocyte thicknesses were measured in hematoxylin and eosin–stained paraffin sections. Overweight (OW) is body weight >104.3 kg and hypertension (HT) is mean arterial pressure >106.7 mm Hg assessed from renal histology. Mean RV weights and cardiomyocyte thicknesses held nearly perfect proportionality to the LV values. Exceptions to these patterns were (1) myocytes were slightly thicker than expected in RV of the 27 specimens with the smallest myocyte thicknesses; (2) weights were slightly greater than expected in RV of hypertensives; and (3) myocytes were slightly smaller than expected in RV of OW subjects. Myocyte hypertrophy appears to affect LV and RV equally, preserving constant proportionality between them in a number of conditions which include OW, HT, and perhaps some cardiomyopathies. Ischemic, valvular, and right ventricular disorders determined at autopsy are specifically omitted from this provisional conclusion. The three exceptions from this principle were of small magnitude and unimpressive statistical significance which calls for cautious interpretation. Neither OW nor HT appears to act predictably upon the heart as exclusively volume or pressure overload.
Mature middle and inner ears express Chd7 and exhibit distinctive pathologies in a mouse model of CHARGE syndrome

Heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding chromodomain-DNA-binding-protein 7 (CHD7) cause CHARGE syndrome, a multiple anomaly condition which includes vestibular dysfunction and hearing loss. Mice with heterozygous Chd7 mutations exhibit semicircular canal dysgenesis and abnormal inner ear neurogenesis, and are an excellent model of CHARGE syndrome. Here we characterized Chd7 expression in mature middle and inner ears, analyzed morphological features of mutant ears and tested whether Chd7 mutant mice have altered responses to noise exposure and correlated those responses to inner and middle ear structure. We found that Chd7 is highly expressed in mature inner and outer hair cells, spiral ganglion neurons, vestibular sensory epithelia and middle ear ossicles. There were no obvious defects in individual hair cell morphology by prestin immunostaining or scanning electron microscopy, and cochlear innervation appeared normal in Chd7(Gt)(/+) mice. Hearing thresholds by auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing were elevated at 4 and 16 kHz in Chd7(Gt)(/+) mice, and there were reduced distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE). Exposure of Chd7(Gt)(/+) mice to broadband noise resulted in variable degrees of hair cell loss which inversely correlated with severity of stapedial defects. The degrees of hair cell loss and threshold shifts after noise exposure were more severe in wild type mice than in mutants. Together, these data indicate that Chd7(Gt)(/+) mice have combined conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, correlating with changes in both middle and inner ears.
Fitting parametric random effects models in very large data sets with application to VHA national data.

Background With the current focus on personalized medicine, patient/subject level inference is often of key interest in translational research. As a result, random effects models (REM) are becoming popular for patient level inference. However, for very large data sets that are characterized by large sample size, it can be difficult to fit REM using commonly available statistical software such as SAS since they require inordinate amounts of computer time and memory allocations beyond what are available preventing model convergence. For example, in a retrospective cohort study of over 800,000 Veterans with type 2 diabetes with longitudinal data over 5 years, fitting REM via generalized linear mixed modeling using currently available standard procedures in SAS (e.g. PROC GLIMMIX) was very difficult and same problems exist in Stata’s gllamm or R’s lme packages. Thus, this study proposes and assesses the performance of a meta regression approach and makes comparison with methods based on sampling of the full data.
A 2-terminal perovskite/silicon multijunction solar cell enabled by a silicon tunnel junction

With the advent of efficient high-bandgap metal-halide perovskite photovoltaics, an opportunity exists to make perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. We fabricate a monolithic tandem by developing a silicon-based interband tunnel junction that facilitates majority-carrier charge recombination between the perovskite and silicon sub-cells. We demonstrate a 1 cm2 2-terminal monolithic perovskite/silicon multijunction solar cell with a VOC as high as 1.65 V. We achieve a stable 13.7% power conversion efficiency with the perovskite as the current-limiting sub-cell, and identify key challenges for this device architecture to reach efficiencies over 25%.
Activity budgets in two species of bee flies (Lordotus: Bombyliidae, Diptera): a comparison of species and sexes

This study compares time budgets of males and females of two sympatric species of bee flies, Lordotus pulchrissimus and L. miscellus. These species occur synchronously in sand dune habitat on the north shore of Mono Lake, Mono Co., California, and feed almost exclusively on the flowers of a composite shrub, Chrysothamnus nauseosus. The two closely related species, with similar ecological requirements and in an identical environment, allocate time and energy in very different ways, even when accomplishing the same ecological goals. L. pulchrissimus males and females engage respectively in aggressive interactions and feeding primarily in the morning. In contrast, L. miscellus males and females intersperse brief periods of resting with flying when defending territories and feeding, and they keep up these activities until later in the day. Similarly within species, males are involved in aggressive interactions for a shorter period each day, and females feed over a longer period. Flies in all sex-species classes but male pulchrissimus allocate their time energetically in similar ways. Male pulchrissimus spend more time each day in energetically costly activities; they engage in continuous hovering flight and intense interactions in aerial aggregations. While male miscellus feed little, male pulchrissimus spend a large portion of their time feeding, approximately as much as females, contrary to the expectation that males should be foraging-time minimizers. This study corroborates the conclusions of previous studies on bee-fly communities by showing that nectar and pollen are important resources for adult bee flies, at least for some species: Individuals of these two species spend a large proportion of their adult lifetimes feeding.
Sequential vs. random retrieval of a large indexed file

An indexed sequential (IS) file allows both sequential and random retrieval of its records. When a large IS file is stored in a disk pack with one assembly that must seek different cylinders to retrieve records, the total seek times will become a primary concern for choosing file access methods. While sequential retrieval requires some additional time for sorting the input keys, it may gain considerable reduction in seek times as the access arm does not move in and out to access different records. Once a sorting (internal or external) algorithm is chosen, the time can be estimated as sorting techniques are well developed and documented. In this paper, the average total seek times for both sequential and random retrieval of the file are derived. The result can be used to facilitate a tradeoff study between the two retrieval methods for a particular application.
An Analysis of Phonological Processes Involved in Spoken English of Hong Kong Primary Pre-service Teachers

This study investigated the English phonological processes and speech articulation of adult Cantonese-English speakers residing in Hong Kong. The Phonology Test for Cantonese Speakers of English (PTCSE) was developed to assess English articulation and phonological processes of native speakers of Cantonese. Data from 37 adult participants, analyzed descriptively, yielded a total of 466 phonological process deviations. Two syllable words presented the most difficulty, followed by three and single syllable words. Results indicated this group of Cantonese-English speaking participants displayed a wide variety of articulatory patterns, some of which were not evidenced by the literature. Phonological processes noted in this study included: (a) stopping; (b) fronting; (c) deaffrication; (d) gliding; (e) devoicing; (f) lip rounding; (g) backing; (h) affrication; (i) voicing; (j) pre-vocalic singleton omission; (k) post-vocalic singleton omission; (l) consonant sequence reduction; (m) vowel deviations; and, (n) vowel additions. Five suggested instructional strategies focusing on speech production are provided.
Possible causes of the variability of postglacial uplift in North America

Postglacial uplift data from 33 sites in northeastern North America reveal that during the period from 11,000 years B.P. to 7000 years B.P., glacio-isostatic uplift rates varied in a consistent manner with distance from the former margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The consistent trends of these uplift rate variations with distance from the former ice sheet margin suggest that they were not the result of changes in the rate of ice sheet retreat or local tectonic activity. They instead may have resulted from rebound affected significantly by the earth's viscosity at a depth approximately equal to the wavelength of isostatic deformation [McConnell, R.K., Jr., Journal of Geophysical Research 70, 5171 (1965)]. Extremely high viscosities below 600 km, however, probably provide the lower limit for this relationship.
The role of iris pigmentation in the perception of an afterimage

Duration, direction-change frequency, and color-change frequency of an induced afterimage were investigated as a function of iris pigmentation (blue or brown) and the wavelength of a light pulse used to bleach retinal photoreceptors. For blue-irised subjects, a yellow (Wratten 9) pulse produced the longest enduring afterimage while a blue-green (Wratten 44A) pulse produced the shortest enduring afterimage. The reverse was true for brown-irised subjects. Neither of the other dependent measures was affected by iris pigmentation or by pulse color. The afterimage duration results were explained in terms of the possible role of the iris in selectively and differentially filtering various wavelengths of light as a function of its pigmentation.
Microstructure of a textured YBa2Cu3Ox superconductor with flux jumps

Abstract The microstructure of a highly textured bulk YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (123) superconductor, with high transport J c (≥ 3.7×10 4 A/cm 2 at 77 K) and flux jumps (T ≤ 10K), were characterized by XRD, polarized optical microscopy, SEM and STEM. It was found that the grains of the 123 superconductor are preferentially oriented along the a-b plane of the 123 phase. The Y 2 BaCuO 5 and CuO particles are dispersed in the 123 matrix and the highly dense twins run through the matrix everywhere. Some irregular-shaped BaCuO 2 CuO mixtures were observed in the grain boundaries. The aligned 123 crystals and microstructural defects in the 123 matrix are considered to be responsible for the high J c value and flux jumps.
Thermal properties and adhesion strength of modified soybean storage proteins

Soy proteins have shown great potential for adhesive and resin applications. This investigation characterized the thermal and adhesive properties of the major soy protein components conglycinin (7S) and glycinin (11S) after chemical modification. These globulins were extracted from defatted soy flour, then modified with either sodium hydroxide, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), or urea. Modified 7S, 11S, and mixtures of 7S and 11S at varying ratios were evaluated for gluing strength with cherry veneer plywood and for thermal denaturation using DSC. Adhesive strength and water resistance were significantly improved for all proteins modified with sodium hydroxide. Gluing strength and water resistance were improved for SDS- and ureamodified proteins containing greater portions of 7S globulins. The opposite behavior was observed for proteins containing large amounts of 11S globulins. DSC results showed that the temperatures of denaturation (T d ) decreased for the proteins modified with sodium hydroxide or urea, whereas the T d values of proteins modified with SDS were similar to the unmodified proteins. These results suggested that, at the concentrations studied, sodium hydroxide or urea could denature soybean protein more effectively than SDS, resulting in lower protein thermal stability. Soybean proteins with high ratios of 11S had more ordered structures, as evidenced by the high enthalpy values of protein denaturation observed in DSC measurements.
Remote sensing of vegetation water content using shortwave infrared reflectances

Vegetation water content is an important biophysical parameter for estimation of soil moisture from microwave radiometers. One of the objectives of the Soil Moisture Experiments in 2004 (SMEX04) and 2005 (SMEX05) were to develop and test algorithms for a vegetation water content data product using shortwave infrared reflectances. SMEX04 studied native vegetation in Arizona, USA, and Sonora, Mexico, while SMEX05 studied corn and soybean in Iowa, USA. The normalized difference infrared index (NDII) is defined as (R 850 - R 1650 )/(R 800 + R 1650 ), where R 850 is the reflectance in the near infrared and R1650 is the reflectance in the shortwave infrared. Simulations using the Scattering by Arbitrarily Inclined Leaves (SAIL) model indicated that NDII is sensitive to surface moisture content. From Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and other imagery, NDII is linear with respect to foliar water content with R 2 = 0.81. The regression standard error of the y estimate is 0.094 mm, which is equivalent to about a leaf area index of 0.5 m 2 m -2 . Based on modeling the dynamic water flow through plants, the requirement for detection of water stress is about 0.01 mm, so detection of water stress may not be possible. However, this standard error is accurate for input into the tau-omega model for soil moisture. Therefore, NDII may be a robust backup algorithm for MODIS as a standard data product.
Avoidance conditioning in Limulus

Limulus has successfully been trained to respond to light using an avoidance-conditioning design. This success depends critically on an unusual harness employed in the experiment.
A new visible light-cured resin system applied to removable prosthodontics

Preliminary studies of VLC resins have produced promising results; however, additional research is necessary to completely define qualities of this material. Biologic testing of VLC (Triad) resins indicated that they are nontoxic and biocompatible. They have a wide range of uses in all subdisciplines of prosthodontics. Advantages such as accuracy of fit, superior strength, complete polymerization without residual compounds, ease of fabrication and manipulation, patient acceptance, ability to bond with other denture base resins, and low bacterial adherence make this material an important addition to the choices available to dentists. As with many new materials, there are initial problems or hurdles that must be overcome before there is widespread use. Initial formulations of material had insufficient flexural strength and tended to fracture when flexed over uncut sites on a stone cast. This problem has been reduced by Dentsply International, Inc. with the introduction of the new improved formulation. The original VLC bonding agent did not provide sufficient bond strength with acrylic resin denture base materials, but this also has been improved with development of a new VLC bonding agent. The problem of microporosity and small voids produced when adapting VLC resin sheets against a stone cast may be overcome with pressure or vacuum adaptation techniques. A promising application of VLC resin material is in direct intraoral procedures such as relining of dentures. Physical and chemical properties are superior to autopolymerizing methacrylates. Preliminary studies have shown successful patient acceptance to this clinical procedure. It is of particular advantage to the patient not to be without dentures for the period of at least 1 day necessary for a laboratory-processed relining. Immediate light-curing is time-saving and convenient compared to indirect (heat-cured) relining. Until recently, most direct intraoral applications of autopolymerizing acrylic resin reliner material were considered temporary or expedient to a permanent procedure. The patient and dentist may now have another treatment choice. The release of residual methyl methacrylate, among other shortcomings of AP materials, is not a concern when using the VLC reliner material. Some patients may notice a nonobjectionable taste to the uncured material; however, they can be reassured that the taste will be only temporary until the material is completely polymerized in the curing unit. The flow of the material can be regulated by selection of appropriate viscosity, warming and cooling measures, and partial intraoral polymerization with hand-held curing lights.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
All-optical parallel-to-serial conversion by holographic spatial-to-temporal frequency encoding.

Optical processors that perform parallel-to-serial and serial-to-parallel data conversion are introduced and experimentally demonstrated for long-distance optical communication networks.
Chikungunya viral fitness measures within the vector and subsequent transmission potential.

Given the recent emergence of chikungunya in the Americas, the accuracy of forecasting and prediction of chikungunya transmission potential in the U.S. requires urgent assessment. The La Reunion-associated sub-lineage of chikungunya (with a valine substitution in the envelope protein) was shown to increase viral fitness in the secondary vector, Ae. albopictus. Subsequently, a majority of experimental and modeling efforts focused on this combination of a sub-lineage of the East-Central-South African genotype (ECSA-V) – Ae. albopictus, despite the Asian genotype being the etiologic agent of recent chikungunya outbreaks world-wide. We explore a collection of data to investigate relative transmission efficiencies of the three major genotypes/sub-lineages of chikungunya and found difference in the extrinsic incubation periods to be largely overstated. However, there is strong evidence supporting the role of Ae. albopictus in the expansion of chikungunya that our R0 calculations cannot attribute to fitness increases in one vector over another. This suggests other ecological factors associated with the Ae. albopictus-ECSA-V cycle may drive transmission intensity differences. With the apparent bias in literature, however, we are less prepared to evaluate transmission where Ae. aegypti plays a significant role. Holistic investigations of CHIKV transmission cycle(s) will allow for more complete assessment of transmission risk in areas affected by either or both competent vectors.
SU-E-T-487: Impact of Geometric Uncertainties in Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Using the Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant (SAVI)

Purpose: Single-entry multi-catheter devices have been developed for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). Rotational and translational uncertainties are usually mitigated by quality assurance, however its actual dosimetric impact has not been addressed, which is presented here for SAVI applicator. Methods: Under Institutional Review Board exemption status, we retrospectively analyzed 48 APBI treatment plans using SAVI applicator. For quick calculation of dose-volume histogram (DVH) considering geometric uncertainties, the coordinate of each voxel of critical organs after rotation or translation along the central catheter was calculated using an in-house software instead of rotating or translating the entire dose distribution. Results: For most cases, the skin doses increased with rotation to both directions. At 10 degree of rotation, the increase of Dmax (percent prescribed dose) at 50% (median), 75%, 90%, and 100% (maximum) percentile were 0.3%, 1.7%, 5.6% and 25.0%, respectively. The increase of chest wall Dmax at 50%, 75%, 90%, and 100% percentile were 0.1%, 1.0%, 10.3% and 38.8%, respectively. The increase of skin Dmax of the patients with the distance between skin surface and lumpectomy cavity surface ≤16 mm was significantly larger than those with the distance >16 mm. Similarly, patients with the distance between lung and lumpectomy cavity surface ≤20 mm showed higher sensitivity of chest wall Dmax against rotation than patients with the distance <20 mm. Translation of the applicator showed larger impact on the skin dose than rotation, although the effects on chest wall was less than 2% even at 10 mm displacement. At 5 mm of translation, increase of skin Dmax at 50%, 75%, 90%, and 100% percentile were 2.3%, 8.0%, 15.3% and 77.7%, respectively. Conclusion: The impacts of the geometric uncertainties (rotation and translation) of SAVI applicator were investigated. The skin-lumpectomy cavity and lung-lumpectomy cavity distances showed significant relationship with skin and chest wall doses, respectively.
Heme Proteins in Sulfide-oxidizing Bacteri/Mollusc Symbioses

SYNOPSIS. A number of bivalve mollusc species in the families Vesicomyidae, Lucinidae and Solemyidae from sulfide-rich sediments harbor sulfide-oxidizing bacteria as intracellular symbionts in gills. Cytoplasmic hemoglobin, relatively uncommon in symbiont-free gills, is a nearly constant feature in these symbiont-harboring bivalve gills and may function in the delivery of oxygen and sulfide to ensure symbiont autotrophy and host cell respiration. However, biochemical characteristics of isolated hemoglobins from these species differ vastly. For example, within clams of the same genus, gill hemoglobin concentrations vary from micromolar to millimolar. Ligand reaction rate constants of multiple gill hemoglobins from a single species differ by three orders of magnitude. Gill hemoglobins from congeners form different derivatives in the presence of sulfide. Some hemoglobins react avidly with hydrogen sulfide while others appear refractory. This assortment of characteristics suggests that the role of hemoglobin in each symbiotic association cannot be generalized.
Coordination number of zinc ions in the phosphotriesterase active site by molecular dynamics and quantum mechanics

We have run several molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on zinc-containing phosphotriesterase (PTE) with two bound substrates, satin and paraoxon, and with the substrate analog diethyl 4-methylbenzylphosphonate. A standard nonbonded model was employed to treat the zinc ions with the commonly used charge of +2. In all the trajectories, we observed a tightly bound water (TBW) molecule in the active site that was coordinated to the less buried zinc ion. The phosphoryl oxygen of the substrate/inhibitor was found to be coordinated to the same zinc ion so that, considering all ligands, the less buried zinc was hexa-coordinated. The hexa-coordination of this zinc ion was not seen in the deposited X-ray pdb files for PTE. Several additional MD simulations were then performed using different charges (+1, +1.5) on the zinc ions, along with ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, to evaluate the following possibilities: the crystal diffraction data were not correctly interpreted; the. hexa-coordinated zinc ion in PTE is only present in solution and not in the crystal; and the hexa-coordinated zinc ion in PTE is an artifact of the force field used. A charge of + 1.5 leads to a coordination number (CN) of 5 on both zinc ions, which is consistent with the results from ab initio and DFT calculations and with the latest high resolution X-ray crystal structure. The commonly used charge of +2 produces a CN of 6 on the less buried,zinc. The CN on the more buried zinc ion is 5 when the substrate/inhibitor is present in the simulation, and increases to 6 when the substrate/inhibitor is removed prior to the simulation. The results of both of the MD and. quantum mechanical calculations lead to the conclusion that the zinc ions in the PTE active site are both penta-coordinated, and that the MD simulations performed with the charge of +2 overestimate the CN of the zinc ions in the PTE active site. The overall protein structures in the simulations remain unaffected by the change in zinc charge from + 2 to + 1.5. The results also suggest that the charge + 1.5 is the most appropriate for the molecular dynamics simulations on zinc-containing PTE when a nonbonded model is used and no global thermodynamic conclusion is sought. We also show that the standard nonbonded model is not able to properly treat the CN and energy at the same time. A preliminary, promising charge-transfer model is discussed with the use of the zinc charge of + 1.5.
Decomposition of the conjugacy representation of the symmetric groups

Consider the two natural representations of the symmetric groupS n on the group algebra ℂ[S n ]: the regular representation and the conjugacy representation (acting on the basis by conjugation). Letm(λ) be the multiplicity of the irreducible representationS λ in the conjugacy representation and letf λ be the multiplicity ofS λ in the regular representation. By the character estimates of [R1] and [Wa] we prove (1) For any 1>e>0 there exist 0 N(e) with max \( \{ \frac{{\lambda _1 }} {n},\frac{{\lambda '_1 }} {n}\} \leqslant \delta \left( \varepsilon \right), \), $$1 - \varepsilon< \frac{{m\left( \lambda \right)}}{{f^\lambda }}< 1 + \varepsilon $$ whereλ 1 is the size of the largest part inλ andλ′1 is the number of parts inλ. (2) For any fixed 1>r>0 and e>0 there existκ=κ(e, r) andN(e, r) such that, for any partitionλ ofn>N(e, r) with max\( \{ \frac{{\lambda _1 }} {n},\frac{{\lambda '_1 }} {n}\} < r, \), $$A - \varepsilon< \frac{{m\left( \lambda \right)}}{{f^\lambda }}< A + \varepsilon $$ whereA is a constant which depends only on the fractions $$ \frac{{\lambda _1 }} {n},...,\frac{{\lambda _1 }} {n},\frac{{\lambda '_1 }} {n},...,\frac{{\lambda '_k }} {n}. $$ This strengthens Adin-Frumkin’s result [AF] and answers a question of Stanley [St].
A deformable body dynamic analysis of planetary gears with thin rims

Planetary gear sets are used commonly by automotive and aerospace industries. Typical applications include jet propulsion systems, rotorcraft transmissions, passenger vehicle automatic transmissions and transfer cases and off-highway vehicle gearboxes. Their high-power-density design combined with their kinematic flexibility in achieving different speed ratios make planetary gears sets often preferable to counter-shaft gear reduction systems. As planetary gear sets possess unique kinematic and geometric properties, they require specialized design knowledge [1]. One type of the key parameters, the rim thickness of the gears, must be defined carefully by the designer in order to meet certain design objectives regarding power density, planet load sharing, noise and durability. From the power density point of view, the rim of the each gear forming the planetary gear set must be as thin as possible in order to minimize mass. Besides reducing mass, added gear flexibility through reduced rim thickness was shown to reduce the influence of a number of internal gear and carrier errors, and piloting inaccuracies [2]. In addition, it was also reported that a flexible internal gear helps improve the load sharing amongst the planets when a number of manufacturing and assembly related gear and carrier errors are present [3–6]. Many of these effects of flexible gear rims were quantified under quasi-static conditions in the absence of any dynamic effects. The effect of rim thickness on gear stresses attracted significant attention in the past. A number of theoretical studies [7–14] modelled mostly a segment of spur gear with a thin rim. In these studies, the gear segment was typically constrained using certain boundary conditions at the cut ends and a point load along the line of action was applied to a single tooth in order to simulate the forces imposed on a sun or an internal gear by the mating planet. This segment of the gear was modelled by using the conventional finite element (FE) method with the same boundary conditions applied in order to simulate the actual support conditions. These models do not
Association of a de novo 16q copy number variant with a phenotype that overlaps with Lenz microphthalmia and Townes-Brocks syndromes.

Background Anophthalmia and microphthalmia are etiologically and clinically heterogeneous. Lenz microphthalmia is a syndromic form that is typically inherited in an X-linked pattern, though the causative gene mutation is unknown. Townes-Brocks syndrome manifests thumb anomalies, imperforate anus, and ear anomalies. We present a 13-year-old boy with a syndromic microphthalmia phenotype and a clinical diagnosis of Lenz microphthalmia syndrome.
Oriented sols for fiber diffraction from limited quantities or hazardous materials

A method for making oriented sols for fiber diffraction is described. Samples are made by centrifuging dilute solutions of filamentous assemblies in thin-walled glass X-ray capillaries for several days at low speeds. Orientation is improved by exposure to high magnetic fields. The method is demonstrated for tobacco mosaic virus and potato virus X, and shown to produce orientation comparable with that achieved by conventional methods of specimen preparation. The method requires much smaller quantities than conventional methods, and is better suited for use with hazardous materials and labile assemblies.
Semantic integration and sentence perception

A mixed list of semantically well-integrated (SWI) and semantically poorly integrated (SPI) sentences (constructed from associative sentence norms) was presented for shadowing to one group of Ss under quiet and to another group under noise (-5 db signal-to-noise ratio). The SWI and SPI sentences were balanced for length, number, and stress of syllables, number and type of phones, noun animateness, and word frequency. An incidental-recall task followed one trial of shadowing. As anticipated, shadowing under quiet was virtually perfect for both SWI and SPI sentences, noise reduced shadowing overall and SWI sentences were shadowed better than SPI sentences under noise. Incidental learning of SWl material was enhanced by noise, and noise produced a difference in incidental learning in favor of SWI material. An assumption underlying the present research is that the meaning of a word is represented by (among other things) the linguistic contexts that are part of its dictionary definition and the linguistic contexts that are correlates of the experiences (linguistic and nonlinguistic) commonly associated with the word. Such contexts are referred to here as a word's contextual features. Thus, on this view the predicates in the sentences, The doctor
Follow the crowd in a new direction: When conformity pressure facilitates group creativity (and when it does not)

Abstract Adopting a person by situation interaction approach, we identified conditions under which conformity pressure can either stifle or boost group creativity depending on the joint effects of norm content and group personality composition. Using a 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design, we hypothesized and found that pressure to adhere to an individualistic norm boosted creativity in groups whose members scored low on the Creative Personality Scale ( Gough, 1979 ), but stifled creativity in groups whose members scored high on that measure. Our findings suggest that conformity pressure may be a viable mechanism for boosting group creativity, but only among those who lack creative talent.
Effect of friction and cavity depth on the elastic indentation of a cylindrical rod

Abstract Using finite element analysis, the elastic displacement of a rigid cylindrical rod pushed by an axial load into an existing cavity of the same diameter as the rod located in the surface of a half space was studied. It was found that such displacement is proportional to the applied load and decreases with increasing depth of the cavity. It is the largest for the slip condition over all the contact surfaces and the smallest for the stick condition over the same surfaces. Also for the same load, the maximum von Mises stress under the punch decreases with increasing depth of the cavity. If not glued to the punch, both the bottom and the lateral surfaces of the cavity are in contact with the punch during deformation.
Differences in fertility determinants: Developed and developing countries

This study estimates two separate fertility models for developed and underdeveloped countries to determine if they are the same. The model differs from past studies in two respects: (1) a simultaneous equation model is used, and (2) an opportunity cost of fertility is included in the fertility equation. When this more complete model of fertility is used, the sets of regression coefficients of the fertility equations of developed and developing countries prove hereroge‐neous, contrary to the conclusions of past studies. Thus, it is suggested that development planning’ in underdeveloped and developed countries might proceed differently as far as the population variable is concerned. Underdeveloped countries may find it necessary to allocate scarce capital to investment in human beings, for this seems to be a powerful tool whereby population growth can be limited. On the other hand, developed countries might find it advantageous to invest in human capital and also to encourage greater female participation in...
Electron and hole transport in ambipolar, thin film pentacene transistors

Solution-processed, ambipolar, thin-film pentacene field-effect transistors were employed to study both electron and hole transport simultaneously in a single, organic solid-state device. Electron and hole mobilities were extracted from the respective unipolar saturation regimes and show thermally activated behavior and gate voltage dependence. We fit the gate voltage dependent saturation mobility to a power law to extract the characteristic Meyer-Neldel (MN) energy, a measure of the width of the exponential distribution of localized states extending into the energy gap of the organic semiconductor. The MN energy is ∼78 and ∼28 meV for electrons and holes, respectively, which reflects a greater density of localized tail states for electrons than holes. This is consistent with the lower measured electron than hole mobility. For holes, the well-behaved linear regime allows for four-point probe measurement of the contact resistance independent mobility and separate characterization of the width of the localized density of states, yielding a consistent MN energy of 28 meV.