cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adenovirus-mediated Gene Transfer Into Infarcted Myocardium: Feasibility, Timing, and Location of Expression

Abstract Gene transfer as a therapeutic modality for the treatment of myocardial ischemia and/or infarction has been proposed as a revolutionary approach to improve collateral circulation, enhance myocardial viability and amplify healing. Our study was undertaken to assess the feasibility, efficiency, anatomic distribution, timing and localization of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer into the vicinity of infarcted myocardium in the adult mammalian heart. We induced myocardial infarction by subjecting rats to 60 min of coronary artery occlusion followed by sustained reperfusion. Gene transfer into the infarction area was performed using direct injection of a replication-defective adenovirus vector encoding the bacterial reporter gene,β-galactosidase. A total of 5.0×109plaque-forming units of virus was delivered into the left ventricular myocardium either immediately (n=7) or at 7 (n=6), 22 (n=5) or 30 days (n=5) after reperfusion of rat hearts. Control rats received either 50μl of saline 13 days after myocardial infarction (n=2) or were not subjected to infarction and received Adenovirus carrying theβ-galactosidase gene as described above (n=4). All rats were killed at 7 days after cardiac injection. Hearts were harvested, frozen and sectioned and stained forβ-galactosidase activity and with hematoxylin and eosin. Sections were evaluated by light microscopy. Relativeβ-galactosidase activity was measured by digital planimetry and expressed as the ratio of the maximal area ofβ-galactosidase staining relative to the total area of the section examined (%± S.E.M. ).β-galactosidase gene expression was limited mainly to viable myocytes at the border of the myocardial infarction. The area of transgene expression in the non-infarcted hearts (28±7%) was significantly higher (P=0.02) than at any time point studied in infarcted tissues (3.4±1.2%, 1.4±1.0%, 2.8±0.8% and 3.4±0.9% at reperfusion and at 7, 22 and 30 days after myocardial infarction, respectively). Hearts injected 7 days after infarction had significantly less transgene activity (P=0.03) with three of five samples displaying no macroscopically visibleβ-gal activity. Following viral injection, an inflammatory response consisting of mononuclear cell infiltration was much less intense seven days following injection in non-infarcted control rat hearts than at any of the time points examined for infarcted hearts. Gene transfer into infarcted myocardium, while feasible, was limited by low transfection efficiency when compared to non-infarcted normal myocardium. Transgene expression in the infarcted myocardium appears restricted to residual cardiomyocytes in the periphery. Nevertheless, the ability to introduce genes into these viable peripheral cells might be a useful therapeutic strategy for enhancing neovascularization, collateral flow and healing.
Extensions of Gauss Quadrature Via Linear Programming

Gauss quadrature is a well-known method for estimating the integral of a continuous function with respect to a given measure as a weighted sum of the function evaluated at a set of node points. Gauss quadrature is traditionally developed using orthogonal polynomials. We show that Gauss quadrature can also be obtained as the solution to an infinite-dimensional linear program (LP): minimize the $$n$$nth moment among all nonnegative measures that match the $$0$$0 through $$n-1$$n-1 moments of the given measure. While this infinite-dimensional LP provides no computational advantage in the traditional setting of integration on the real line, it can be used to construct Gauss-like quadratures in more general settings, including arbitrary domains in multiple dimensions.
Large Particle Size Distribution in Five U.S. Cities and the Effect on a New Ambient Participate Matter Standard (PM10)

A mobile aerosol-sampling system was used to determine the large particle ambient aerosol size distribution (up to approximately 100 μm particle diameter) in five cities across the United States: Birmingham, Alabama; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; and Riverside, California. A mobile wide range aerosol classifier (WRAC) developed at the University of Florida was used. The study shows that any measurement of ambient particulate matter with a size-fractionating inlet sampler will be influenced by the ambient particle size distribution. Mass distribution measurements determined by the WRAC were compared with mass measurements obtained simultaneously using TSP Hi-Vol and 15 μm cut-size inhalable particulate network samplers. Aerosol size-classification results showed the presence of a large particle mass mode at all sites sampled. The position and magnitude of the large particle mode varied and was not a simple function of concentration. The percentage of ...
carne, carnales, and the carnivalesque: Bakhtinian batos, disorder, and narrative discourses

This paper critically juxtaposes the subjugating, dominant discourses of elite Mexican thinkers like Octavio Paz concerning Mexican male, working-class, speech/body play with such performances as experienced in Mexican-American south Texas. The latter are interpreted as a counterhegemonic universe of discourses against these authoritative elite narratives. Nonetheless the paper is reflexively conscious of its own interpretive stance in this relationship. [poetics, politics, ethnography, Mexican-American]
Role of integrins in cell invasion and migration

As cancer cells undergo metastasis--invasion and migration of a new tissue--they penetrate and attach to the target tissue's basal matrix. This allows the cancer cell to pull itself forward into the tissue. The attachment is mediated by cell-surface receptors known as integrins, which bind to components of the extracellular matrix. Integrins are crucial for cell invasion and migration, not only for physically tethering cells to the matrix, but also for sending and receiving molecular signals that regulate these processes.
Mammographic image segmentation using combined morphological filtering and contextual Bayesian labeling

The objective of this study is to develop an efficient method to highlight the geometric characteristics of defined patterns, and isolate the suspicious regions which in turn provide the improved segmentation of objects. In this paper, a combined method of using morphological operations and contextual Bayesian relaxation labeling was developed to enhance and segment various mammographic contexts and textures. This method has been used to segment mammographic images for the extraction of masses. The testing results showed that the proposed method can detect all suspected masses as well as high contrast objects.
Application-specific instruction memory customizations for power-efficient embedded processors

An encoding technique exploits application information to reduce power consumption along the instruction memory communication path in embedded processors. Microarchitectural support enables reprogrammability of the encoding transformations to track specific code effectively, and the restriction to functional transformations delivers major power savings. Having reprogrammable hardware also allows flexible, inexpensive switches between transformations.
Quantification of serine enantiomers in rat brain microdialysate using Marfey's reagent and LC/MS/MS

Abstract The ability to selectively measure serine enantiomer concentrations in rat brain microdialysate is essential during drug discovery to study the interaction of d -serine with the N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) subtype of the glutamate receptor. NMDA receptor-stimulating agents, such as d -serine, have been shown to reduce the negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in individuals with schizophrenia when added to conventional or atypical antipsychotic drug regimens. In the work presented here, an LC/MS/MS assay was developed and validated to simultaneously measure d -serine and l -serine concentrations in rat brain microdialysate. Reverse phase chromatographic resolution of the enantiomers was obtained through derivatization with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5- l -alanine amide (Marfey's reagent). The assay was validated to determine concentrations over the range of 10–7500 ng/mL using electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Both intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were less than 16.5% (RE) and 7% (CV) for both analytes, respectively, and assay throughput was increased significantly relative to existing methodologies.
ADSORPTION ISOTHERMS AND THERMOCHEMICAL DATA OF FD&C RED N° 40 BINDING BY CHITOSAN

Chitosan is a natural polymer that has been employed in dye adsorption. In this work, adsorption and thermodynamic data for the interaction of FD&C Red n° 40 food dye with chitosan in aqueous solutions were investigated. The equilibrium adsorption isotherms were determined by the batch method, from 298 to 338 K. Adsorption data were adjusted to five isotherm models: Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich, in order to determine which presented the best adjustment to the experimental data. Error analysis showed that the Langmuir isotherm model was the most appropriate for fitting the experimental data, with a maximum monolayer adsorption of 3065.8 µmol g-1 at 308 K. Negative enthalpy (-112.7 kJ mol-1), entropy (-0.338 kJ mol-1 K-1) and Gibbs free energy (-15.6 to 1.0 kJ mol-1) values demonstrated that the adsorption process is exothermic, spontaneous, favorable, and that randomness of the system decreases during the adsorption process.
Interpersonal Reactions to Suicide Attempt: The Role of Respondent Causal Attributions

Interpersonal responses to a depressed person with or without a suicide attempt were examined. It was hypothesized that the depressed person who attempted suicide would receive higher negative attributions and interpersonal rejection, and that attributions would mediate the relationship between exposure to a depressed person and rejection. Contrary to hypotheses, respondents were more willing to interact with, held higher esteem for, and endorsed lower negative attributions for the depressed person who attempted suicide. Mediation hypotheses were supported. Findings suggest that a suicide attempt may promote less negative attributions toward depressed individuals, which in turn dampen negative interpersonal reactions.
High current battery impedance testing for power electronics circuit design

In hybrid electric vehicles, the operation of the power electronics circuits usually generates great amount of switching frequency related current ripple. This current ripple would be absorbed by both the battery and the passive components at the front end of the power electronics circuits. The amount of the current ripple that goes into the battery is largely decided by the battery impedance. So, in this paper, a high power converter based impedance tester and an impedance test of nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery at power converter switching frequency with high DC offset current are presented. The test method and test platform introduced in this paper can also be used for other different types of batteries, ultra capacitors, fuel cells, and as well as photovoltaic modules.
Analyzing Power of 3 He( n , n ) 3 He Between 1.60 and 5.54 MeV

We report the measurements of the analyzing power Ay(θ) of n-3He elastic scattering with unprecedented accuracy and angular coverage at five incident neutron energies between 1.60 and 5.54 MeV. To this end, we employed the polarization-transfer reactions 3H(p, n)3He and 2H(d, n)3He at 0° for neutron generation and a recently developed high-pressure 3He gas scintillator as an active target, enabling neutron-time-of-flight and 3He recoil-energy determinations. We obtained simultaneously the neutron polarization with a 4He-based polarimeter, capitalizing on the well-known n-4He Ay(θ). Our n-3He Ay(θ) data are compared to rigorous four-nucleon calculations using high-precision nucleon–nucleon potential models. The agreement between data and calculations is fair at the lower energies and becomes less satisfactory with increasing neutron energy. However, in comparison to the pure isotriplet p-3He system in the same energy region, the agreement between measured and calculated Ay is much better for the mixed (isotriplet and isosinglet) n-3He system, indicating large and somewhat counterintuitive isospin effects. We note that the incorporation of a Δ-mediated three-nucleon force in calculations of n-3He scattering was found to affect Ay(θ) negligibly, suggesting the need for the reconsideration of fundamental interactions in resolving the four-nucleon analyzing power puzzle first established about a decade ago in p-3He scattering.
Stress and Depression in Mothers of Failure-to-Thrive Children

Compared 30 mothers whose children were hospitalized for failure-to-thrive (FTT) to a normative group on standardized measures of perceived stress and depression. Child and maternal medical and demographic data were also taken. Standardized development and feeding assessments were done. Descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and t tests were used to describe and examine group differences. FTT children were perceived overall as more stressful, less adaptable, more inconsolable, and more unhappy than were healthy children. Child characteristics associated with higher maternal stress levels were higher birth weight, absence of organic disease or behavioral feeding problems, and higher IQ. Maternal self-report of depression, attachment to her child, sense of competence in parenting, social isolation, and relationship to spouse were not different from the normative sample.
Control of nonlinear delay differential equations in W2(1) with economic applications

The control of economic system's growth with delay is formulated to illustrate Euclidean (E^n) and function space (W"2^(^1^)) controllability of a general nonlinear delay equation. Sufficient conditions are given, in terms of the control matrix, for controllability of the general nonlinear system. These conditions are shown to be necessary for W"2^(^1^) controllability. The theory is then applied to a simple dynamics of gross national product and interest rate. The concept of function space controllability is very appropriate: once the target is hit, it remains on a certain growing function for some time.
To Have and to Hold The Video Collector’s Relationship with an Ethereal Medium

Studies of VCR usage have tended to seize on the gender politics of nuclear family viewing contexts or, increasingly, the fascination with home entertainment systems that seek to transfer the aesthetic trappings and cultural legitimacy of cinema to the smaller screen. This article argues for consideration of VCR usage by the TV collector, for whom the pleasures and practices of video collecting are regularly decoupled from discourses of “home theatre” and articulated to a range of aesthetic and ideological preferences that challenge media scholars to think beyond the domestic viewer-consumer model of television fandom. In addition, as new media technologies usher in the “postvideo” age, TV collectors speak to the continuing cultural and symbolic power of video as an archiving tool, fetish object, and medium of exchange.
Identification and detection of a virus associated with strawberry pallidosis disease

Tzanetakis, I. E., Halgren, A. B., Keller, K. E., Hokanson, S. C., Maas, J. L., McCarthy, P. L., and Martin, R. R. 2004. Identification and detection of a virus associated with strawberry pallidosis disease. Plant Dis. 88:383-390. The etiology of pallidosis, a disease of strawberry identified more than 45 years ago, remains unknown. We report a putative agent of the disease, a virus belonging to the Crinivirus genus of the Closterovirideae family. A sensitive reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) test has been developed. Polyclonal antibodies that can be used to detect the virus in petiole tissue blots were developed using a recombinant virus coat protein. The nucleotide sequences of regions of the viral genome that encode the heat shock protein 70 homolog and the major coat protein were obtained. Alignments of the major coat protein show that the virus isolated from strawberry plants positive for pallidosis is most closely related to Cucumber yellows virus (syn. Beet pseudo-yellows virus) and Cucurbit yellow stunt disorder virus, members of the Crinivirus genus.
Magnetic recording channel front-ends

Readback front-end electronics for both inductive and magnetic recording (MR) heads are investigated. For inductive front-ends, it is shown that the channel bandwidth is determined by the transfer of the induced head voltage to the front-end input terminals. The parameters limiting this bandwidth are calculated. A noise analysis shows that the signal-to-noise ratio can be optimized and gives the parameter values for which this happens. The effect of noise matching of the head to the front-end is demonstrated. For MR front-ends the principles of auto bias and relative resistance sensing are presented. Front-end configurations producing voltage biasing and current biasing are discussed. Two examples of signal conditioning in MR front-ends are given: an on-the-chip equalizer compensating the frequency roll-off introduced by the head cable inductance, and a signal-adaptive circuit for removing thermal asperities. >
The contribution of animal models of aspergillosis to understanding pathogenesis, therapy and virulence

Animal models of aspergillosis have been used extensively to study various aspects of pathogenesis, innate and acquired host-response, disease transmission and therapy. Several different animal models of aspergillosis have been developed. Because aspergillosis is an important pulmonary disease in birds, avian models have been used successfully to study preventative vaccines. Studies done to emulate human disease have relied on models using common laboratory animal species. Guinea pig models have primarily been used in therapy studies of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Rabbits have been used to study IPA and systemic disease, as well as fungal keratitis. Rodent, particularly mouse, models of aspergillosis predominate as the choice for most investigators. The availability of genetically defined strains of mice, immunological reagents, cost and ease of handling are factors. Both normal and immunosuppressed animals are used routinely. These models have been used to determine efficacy of experimental therapeutics, comparative virulence of different isolates of Aspergillus, genes involved in virulence, and susceptibility to infection with Aspergillus. Mice with genetic immunological deficiency and cytokine gene-specific knockout mice facilitate studies of the roles cells, and cytokines and chemokines, play in host-resistance to Aspergillus. Overall, these models have been critical to the advancement of therapy, and our current understanding of pathogenesis and host-resistance.
Sitting or Standing for Computer Work — Does a Negative-Tilt Keyboard Tray Make a Difference?:

The effects of using an electric height-adjustable worksurface, with and without the addition of a negative-tilt keyboard tray, on wrist posture, comfort, typing performance and body movements was studied. Eighteen subjects experienced four test conditions: typing while sitting with the keyboard on a flat surface or negative tilt keyboard tray, and standing with the keyboard on a flat surface or negative tilt keyboard tray. Results show that the most neutral typing wrist posture (least wrist extension) was maintained when sitting rather than standing. There was a slight wrist posture benefit with the negative tilt tray for both sitting and standing. Sitting with a negative-tilt tray was the most comfortable condition. Sitting was more comfortable than standing. No performance differences between conditions were found. When sitting there was more foot movement than when standing. When standing there was more weight shifting than when sitting.
Party System Nationalization and Women's Legislative Representation

Many scholars have sought to explain the wide variation in women's legislative representation found across the globe. In this article, we open a new line of inquiry that seeks to determine whether differences in the nationalization of the party system help explain the variation in women's representation. In more nationalized party systems, there is little variation in the patterns of party votes across the countries. In more regionalized systems, patterns of party vote vary widely among regions. The existing literature on party system nationalization argues that more nationalized systems focus policy debates and policy outcomes at the national level. We argue that the incentive to focus on national as opposed to regional outcomes can overcome obstacles to women's representation similar to the way in which electoral system incentives create more opportunities for women. Using a data set of 45 democratic countries, we test this argument. We find no direct impact of party system nationalization on women's legislative representation. Yet, we find an interactive effect of party system nationalization and the electoral system. Increases in party system nationalization improve women's representation in concert with electoral system incentives that spur women's representation.
Finding Problems: When Digital Library Users Act as Usability Evaluators

Users in digital library usability evaluation typically participate as subjects in studies designed and conducted by usability experts and digital library researchers. What happens however when users take the role of the researchers, and with some basic HCI training, design and conduct their own evaluation of a digital library? For several years, teams of students in master's level HCI classes at Drexel University were given the assignment of designing and carrying out heuristic evaluations of the interface of the Internet Public Library. Their final evaluation reports regularly focused on what, to a usability expert, would not be considered interface issues, such as problems with finding resources in the library. These outcomes contrasted with those of a parallel evaluation of the IPL carried out by doctoral students with a background in HCI, which found interface issues to be the main concerns. A post hoc comparison and analysis of these evaluations highlights differences between users' and evaluators' perceptions of usability, and has implications for the design of digital library evaluation and the roles of users and evaluators in such evaluation.
The future of digital

Digital media has transformed the ways in which we process data and information. With the power of modern computing technologies, we can gather, analyze, replicate, and transfer digital content at unprecedented speeds and scale. These advantages stimulate the digitization of physical books, manuscripts, and documents to make them an integral part of the digital repositories. However, transforming physical artifacts into digital formats places them in the same vulnerable position of the born digital content: there is no insurance that the content will be accessible in the future. We reflect on the unique nature of digital media and research needed to devise effective methods and techniques to facilitate long term access to digital content.
Approximation Algorithms and Network Games

Information and computer systems involve the interaction of multiple participants with diverse goals and interests, such as servers, routers, etc., each controlled by different parties. The future of much of the technology we develop, depends on our ability to ensure that participants cooperate despite their diverse goals and interests. In such settings the traditional approach of algorithm design is not appropriate: there is no single entity that has the information or the power to run such an algorithm. While centralized algorithms cannot be used directly in environments with selfish agents, there are very strong ties with certain algorithmic techniques, and some of the central questions in this area of algorithmic game theory.
The third age of antimicrobial therapy.

was difficult to administer, and the use of animal serum was associated with significant adverse effects, including allergic reactions and serum sickness. The active ingredient in serum therapy was specific antibody, and the use of serum therapy required a specific diagnosis. Thus, to treat pneumococcal pneumonia, a physician would both have to accurately determine that the problem was caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and to establish the serotype. Consequently, the development of serum therapy was a major catalyst for immunological research, as investigators tried to understand the nature of effective antibodies and develop rapid diagnostic methods. By the 1930s, the art of diagnosis was so advanced that it was possible to diagnose pneumococcal pneumonia within several hours by injecting sputum into mice, recovering the organism, and typing with serological reagents. The first age of antimicrobial therapy came to a relatively abrupt end in the late 1930s with the introduction of effective chemotherapy in the form of sulfonamide.
We know less than we should about methods of meta-analysis.

Keywords: inverse-variance weights; heterogeneity; random-effects model; Q statistic; softwareInspired by the papers of Gene Glass, Robert Rosenthal, Frank Schmidt, and Will Shadish and Jesse Lecy, I examinethe connection between research on methods and the practice of meta-analysis. Surprisingly, most results in theliterature on methods have only limited relevance to actual practice. The reasons for this situation seem to formﬁve categories: incorrect assumptions, inaccurate approximations, preference for simplicity, unrealisticsimulations, and inertia. I brieﬂy discuss these and give illustrative examples.I am grateful to the Editors for this opportunity. The reﬂections of Gene Glass, Bob Rosenthal, and FrankSchmidt provide fascinating insights into the early development of meta-analysis. And, as Will Shadish and JesseLecy show graphically, the “big bang” has produced extensive research and yielded very wide and diverseapplications.My systematic involvement in meta-analysis began in the 1990s as a participant for several years in theTechnology Assessment Group, directed by Fred Mosteller and Tom Chalmers and based at the Harvard Schoolof Public Health. Then work assignments shifted my focus to other areas for about 15years. When I was able tore-engage with meta-analysis, I had a lot of literature to catch up on (that process continues). My interest wasin the part that Bob Rosenthal describes as “very mathy,” but I was eager to see how research on methods tookinto account conditions in actual meta-analyses. As I read various publications on methods, I was surprised that,despite the extensive literature, most of the results had limited relevance to actual practice. Several reasons seemresponsible for this situation:† Incorrect (but convenient) assumptions† Inaccurate approximations† Preference for simplicity† Unrealistic simulations† InertiaThis list is unlikely to be complete. Some publications are highly relevant but, discouragingly, have not hadenough impact. Examples include Hamza et al. (2008) and Kulinskaya et al. (2011a, 2011b). In what follows, I brieﬂydiscuss the ﬁve reasons and give illustrative examples.
owlcpp: a C++ library for working with OWL ontologies.

The increasing use of ontologies highlights the need for a library for working with ontologies that is efficient, accessible from various programming languages, and compatible with common computational platforms. We developed owlcpp, a library for storing and searching RDF triples, parsing RDF/XML documents, converting triples into OWL axioms, and reasoning. The library is written in ISO-compliant C++ to facilitate efficiency, portability, and accessibility from other programming languages. Internally, owlcpp uses the Raptor RDF Syntax library for parsing RDF/XML and the FaCT++ library for reasoning. The current version of owlcpp is supported under Linux, OSX, and Windows platforms and provides an API for Python. The results of our evaluation show that, compared to other commonly used libraries, owlcpp is significantly more efficient in terms of memory usage and searching RDF triple stores. owlcpp performs strict parsing and detects errors ignored by other libraries, thus reducing the possibility of incorrect semantic interpretation of ontologies. owlcpp is available at http://owl-cpp.sf.net/ under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.
Knowledge is not everything: Analysis of children's performance on a haptic comparison task

Abstract The relative effects of developmental level and domain-specific knowledge on children's ability to identify and make similarity decisions about object concepts based only on haptic (touch) information were investigated. Children aged 4–9 years with varying levels of dinosaur knowledge completed a cross-comparison task in which they haptically explored pairs of familiar (dinosaur) and unfamiliar (sea creature) models that varied in terms of their degree of differentiability. Older children explored models more exhaustively, found more differentiating features and consequently made fewer errors than younger children did. High knowledge enabled children to identify models correctly, but was also associated with the use of a hypothesis testing strategy, which led children to make greater numbers of “miss” errors on the cross-comparison task. Performance in the control domain illustrated that the hypothesis testing strategy was specific to the high knowledge domain. Potential explanations for the role of knowledge and development in haptic exploration are considered.
Advancing the science of microbial symbiosis to support invasive species management: a case study on Phragmites in the Great Lakes

A growing body of literature supports microbial symbiosis as a foundational principle for the competitive success of invasive plant species. Further exploration of the relationships between invasive species and their associated microbiomes, as well as the interactions with the microbiomes of native species, can lead to key new insights into invasive success and potentially new and effective control approaches. In this manuscript, we review microbial relationships with plants, outline steps necessary to develop invasive species control strategies that are based on those relationships, and use the invasive plant species Phragmites australis (common reed) as an example of how development of microbial-based control strategies can be enhanced using a collective impact approach. The proposed science agenda, developed by the Collaborative for Microbial Symbiosis and Phragmites Management, contains a foundation of sequential steps and mutually-reinforcing tasks to guide the development of microbial-based control strategies for Phragmites and other invasive species. Just as the science of plant-microbial symbiosis can be transferred for use in other invasive species, so too can the model of collective impact be applied to other avenues of research and management.
Some Diversity Product Properties of A Family of Space-Time Trellis Codes with Asynchronous Full Diversity

In order to achieve full cooperative diversity in a relay network, most of the existing space-time coding schemes require the synchronization between terminals. A family of space-time trellis codes that achieve full cooperative diversity order without the assumption of synchronization has been recently proposed. The family is based on the stack construction by Hammons and El Gamal and its generalizations by Lu and Kumar. It has been shown that the construction of such a family is equivalent to the construction of binary matrices that have full row rank no matter how their rows are shifted. We call such matrices as shift full rank (SFR) matrices. Given such a code generated from an SFR matrix, for different delays occurring at the relays, the code corresponds to different trellis structures and thus has different diversity products in general. In this paper, we first give a pair of upper bound and lower bound of the diversity products for arbitrarily possible delays. Furthermore, for the special case of two relays and BPSK modulation, we present some detailed analyses for the relationship between the SFR generator matrices and the minimum values of all the diversity products corresponding to different delays.
Growth and Characterization of the Binary Defect Alloy Cu2-xSe and the Relation to II–VI/I–III–VI Heterojunction Formation

Synchrotron radiation soft x-ray photoemission spectroscopy was used to investigate the development of the electronic structure at the CdS/Cu2Se heterojunction interface. Cu2−xSe layers were deposited on GaAs (100) by molecular beam epitaxy from Cu2Se sources. Raman spectra reveal a strong peak at 270 cm−1, indicative of the Cu2−xSe phase. Atomic force microscopy reveals uniaxial growth in a preferred (100) orientation. CdS overlayers were then deposited in-situ, at room temperature, in steps on these epilayers. Photoemission measurements were acquired after each growth in order to observe changes in the valence band electronic structure as well as changes in the Se3d and Cd4d core lines. The results were used to correlate the interfacial chemistry with the electronic structure and to directly determine the CdS/Cu2−xSe and heterojunction valence band discontinuity and the consequent heterojunction band diagram. These results are compared to the valence band offset (ΔEv) for the CdS/CuInSe2 heterojunction interface.
Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of Clostridium difficile spore proteins.

Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming, anaerobic, Gram-positive organism that is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated infectious diarrhea, commonly known as C. difficile infection (CDI). C. difficile spores play an important role in the pathogenesis of CDI. Spore proteins, especially those that are surface-bound may play an essential role in the germination, colonization and persistence of C. difficile in the human gut. In our current study, we report the identification of two surface-bound spore proteins, CdeC and CdeM that may be utilized as immunization candidates against C. difficile. These spore proteins are immunogenic in mice and are able to protect mice against challenge with C. difficile UK1, a clinically-relevant 027/B1/NAP1 strain. These spore proteins are also able to afford high levels of protection against challenge with C. difficile 630Δerm in golden Syrian hamsters. This unprecedented study shows the vaccination potential of C. difficile spore exosporium proteins.
Spectral Effects on the Rate of Convergence of the LMS Adaptive Algorithm

An adaptive algorithm can be used to find a least-square-error solution for linearly estimating a random process given observations of a related random process. Such an algorithm can iteratively update a weight vector, an approximation of the optimal Wiener solution, as input data is presented in a streaming way. The Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm is one of the most popular adaptive algorithms because it is simple and robust, as it is used in many commercial applications of significance. However, the performance of LMS may vary greatly when the autocorrelation matrix of its input has a high eigenvalue spread, so there is a need to be able to predict its performance in practice. The LMS/Newton algorithm is an ideal variation of the LMS algorithm that is immune to the eigenvalue spread problem, and it is commonly used as a theoretical benchmark for adaptive algorithms. In this thesis, we study the performance of LMS relative to LMS/Newton. The analysis is done for stationary and nonstationary signal statistics. In the stationary case, transient behavior results when the adaptive weight vector starts from initial conditions and proceeds toward the Wiener solution, and in steady-state, the adaptive weight vector hovers randomly about the Wiener solution. In the nonstationary case, the Wiener solution varies randomly, and the adapting weight vector is tracking a moving target. In both cases, simple expressions are found for the performance of LMS relative to LMS/Newton. When the input autocorrelation matrix is Toeplitz (as would be the case with an adaptive transversal filter), these expressions are translated to the frequency domain. Our results imply that, if the input power spectrum is similar to the spectrum of the Wiener solution (e.g. a low-pass input and a low-pass Wiener filter), the transient performance of LMS is better than that of LMS/Newton, in spite of a high a eigenvalue spread. If the above spectra are dissimilar (e.g. a low-pass input and a band-pass Wiener filter), LMS/Newton would be faster than LMS. In the nonstationary case, if the input spectrum is similar to the spectrum of the time variations of the Wiener solution, LMS tracks better than LMS/Newton in steady-state. Otherwise, the tracking performance of LMS/Newton would be superior to that of LMS.
Viral protein requirements for assembly and release of human parainfluenza virus type 3 virus-like particles.

To understand the roles of human parainfluenza virus 3 (HPIV3) proteins in assembly and release, viral proteins were expressed individually and in combination in 293T cells. Expression of the matrix (M) protein triggered release of enveloped, matrix-containing virus-like particles (VLPs) from cells. When M was co-expressed with the nucleocapsid (N), fusion (F) or haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) proteins, VLPs that contained M+N, M+F and M+HN, respectively, were generated, suggesting that M can independently interact with each protein to facilitate assembly and release. Additionally, expression of N protein enabled incorporation of the phosphoprotein (P) into VLPs, likely due to known N–P interactions. Finally, the HPIV3 C protein did not enhance VLP release, in contrast to observations with the related Sendai virus. These findings reinforce the central importance of the M protein in virus assembly and release, but also illustrate the variable roles of other paramyxovirus proteins during these processes.
Functionalization of cotton fiber by partial etherification and self-assembly of polyoxometalate encapsulated in Cu3(BTC)2 metal-organic framework.

A combination of a Keggin-type polyoxometalate (POM), [CuPW11O39]5–, with a Cu3(BTC)2 metal–organic framework (MOF-199/HKUST-1; where BTC is benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate), was successfully self-assembled on a cellulose substrate (cotton) with a room-temperature process. Cotton fibers were functionalized by partial etherification. Cu3(BTC)2 metal–organic framework and polyoxometalate encapsulated in Cu3(BTC)2 metal–organic framework were self-assembled on the carboxymethylate ion sites initiated with copper nitrate using ethanol and water as solvents. Octahedral crystals were observed on both MOF-cotton and POM-MOF-cotton; both contained copper while the POM-MOF-cotton also contained tungsten. Occupancy of POM in MOF cages was calculated to be about 13%. Moisture content remained at 3 to 4 wt % similar to that of untreated cotton. Reactivity to both hydrogen sulfide and methyl parathion was higher for POM-MOF-cotton due to the Keggin polyoxometalate and the extra-framework cations Cu2+ ions compensating th...
Theory of Inelastic Neutron Scattering from Superfluid He 4 with a Free Surface

It is shown that one can take advantage of total neutron reflection at a free surface to eliminate volume-proportional terms in inelastic neutron scattering. When this is done, the neutron inelastic-scattering cross section for superfluid He/sup 4/ with a free surface is found, within an ideal-fluid model, to contain only ripplon peaks distinctly separated from a smooth background due to nonresonant single-phonon processes occurring near the surface of the liquid. Some numerical results are given for the predicted cross section. (auth)
Model-Mediated Teleoperation With Predictive Models and Relative Tracking

This paper presents a model-mediated approach for teleoperation with haptic feedback in the presence of time delays on the order of seconds. The target application for the control scheme is teleoperation of robotic manipulators for space systems in geosynchronous orbit. Previous work in model-mediated teleoperation allowed operators to interact with a virtual model of the remote robot and environment, where the remote robot follows the operator’s commands after a delay and the virtual model is updated when the remote data is available. Our approach adds predictive models, mediated command execution, and a dynamic slave model. A single-degree-of-freedom experiment using a simulated robot and environment demonstrate improvements in the control of remote robot position and environment contact forces, in comparison to previous approaches.© 2013 ASME
Supervenience, by chance? Reply to Crane and Mellor

Now consider a group of individuals who share all their intrinsic physical properties, including P, at time t1. Call the conjunction of these properties P1. Within the group, select two individuals, a and b, such that at a later time t2, a is M but b is not. Supervenience will now fail if a and b have all the same intrinsic physical properties at t2. As Crane and Mellor realize, there are two cases to consider. Case 1. The physical properties of a and b at t2 are produced by P1 deter-
Shoulder Rotational Laxity is Related to Joint Loading During Throwing

Throwing arm injuries are common and often related to shoulder rotational laxity. Both shoulder external and internal rotational laxity are often checked in a physical assessment. The shoulder external rotation of the throwing arm during physical assessment is reported to be about 10 degree greater than the non-throwing arm [1]. Throwing arm injuries often occur during throwing activities. High forces and torques were generated during throwing activity. Extremely high shoulder external rotation (about 180°) and high internal rotation velocity (over 7000°/s) during baseball pitching are reported [2].Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Development and Coherence of Beliefs Regarding Disease Causality and Prevention.

Guided by a naive theories perspective on the development of thinking about disease, this study of 188 children aged 6 to 18 examined knowledge of HIV/AIDS causality and prevention using parallel measures derived from open-ended and structured interviews. Knowledge of both risk factors and prevention rules, as well as conceptual understanding of AIDS causality, increased with age. Younger children displayed more advanced knowledge in response to structured questions than in response to open-ended questions. Contrary to hypothesis, knowledge of causality was not more advanced than knowledge of prevention in elementary school. Moreover, correlations between the two types of knowledge were often nonsignificant except when the same method was used to assess both. Thus, methodology matters in assessing children's knowledge of disease, children's intuitive thinking is not consistently coherent, and it may be safest to educate children explicitly about sound prevention rules rather than assume they will infer th...
Injuries of the Hard Palate and the Horizontal Buttress of the Midface

Traumatic injuries to the hard palate occurred In 20% of all Le Fort midfacial fractures. The side of a palatal split was directly related to the side that received the highest Le Fort injury. In a...
Pulpal response to dentin etched with 10% phosphoric acid

PURPOSE: To histopathologically evaluate the effect of etching sound dentin with 10% phosphoric acid, in cavities prepared just within the DEJ on young patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four orthodontic patients who required premolar extractions were selected for the study. Each of the patients had facial Class V resin composite restorations placed in two maxillary premolars selected for extraction. Each preparation was cut circular, 2 mm in circumference and 0.5 mm into dentin. The dentin of one maxillary premolar preparation, randomly selected, was etched with 10% phosphoric acid (Bisco) for 20 seconds. This was followed by the placement of a dentin bonding agent (All-Bond 2) and a microfilled composite restoration (Silux). The contralateral maxillary premolar, received a similar preparation, but the dentin surface was lined with a light-cured glass ionomer liner before etching of the enamel, followed by placement of a dentin bonding agent and a microfilled resin composite restoration. One of the mandibular premolars was randomly selected as a negative control, having no treatment. Fourteen days after the placement of the restorations, the teeth were extracted, and histologically examined for insult to the pulpal tissues. Injury to the pulp was evaluated by quantitative measures of histopathology, including necrosis, infiltration by inflammatory cells, and other indicators of tissue injury. RESULTS: Using a Kruskal-Wallis analysis, there was no statistically significant difference in pulpal histopathology of the teeth with etched dentin versus teeth with dentin protected by a liner or the negative control teeth (P < 0.05).
Polarization entangled cluster state generation in a lithium niobate chip

We present a design of a quantum information processing C-phase (Controlled-phase) gate applicable for generating cluster states that has a form of integrated photonic circuits assembled with cascaded directional couplers on a Ti in-diffused Lithium Niobate (Ti-LN) platform where directional couplers as the integrated optical analogue of bulk beam splitters are used as fundamental building blocks. Based on experimentally optimized fabrication parameters of Ti-LN optical waveguides operating at an 810nm wavelength, an integrated Ti-LN quantum C-phase gate is designed and simulated. Our proposed C-phase gate consists of three tunable directional couplers cascaded together with having different weighted switching ratios for providing a tool of routing vertically- and horizontally-polarized photons independently. Its operation mechanism relies on selectively controlling the optical coupling of orthogonally polarized modes via the change in the index of refraction, and its operation is confirmed by the BPM simulation.
Mediational activities in a dynamic geometry environment and teachers’ specialized content knowledge

Abstract Dynamic geometry environments can support learning of geometry through mediating learners’ activity. To understand how dynamic geometry environments mediate the activity of mathematics teachers, we used Rabardel’s categories of tool mediations in an instrument-mediated activity. We analyzed the discursive and inscriptive interactions of 4 mathematics teachers who worked for 15 weeks as a team to construct geometric figures and solve open-ended geometric problems in a collaborative, dynamic geometry environment. Teachers’ specialized content knowledge was evident when they used the environment epistemically. In addition to Rabardel’s epistemic and pragmatic mediations, we found and coined a third mediation—pedagogic mediation—by which teachers use the environment to help other team members understand particular geometric objects and relations among them. Understanding how teachers use technological tools can inform the design of professional development programs that engage them with such tools to extend their specialized content knowledge.
Toward an Interactive Theory of Communication-Acculturation

In this paper, the acculturation process is conceptualized from the communication systems' point of view. Communication and acculturation are viewed as interdependent and inseparable processes, and...