cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship between 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylate malonyltransferase and D-amino acid malonyltransferase

Abstract An enzyme preparation isolated from mungbean hypocotyls catalyses the malonyl-CoA-dependent N -malonylation of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), D -phenylalanine (Phe), D -methionine and 2-aminoisobutyric acid with K m values of 0.15, 0.8, 3.4 and 5.1 mM, respectively L -enantiomers of Phe and methionine were, however, not malonylated by the enzyme preparation. When ACC was tested on D -Phe malonyltransferase activity, or when D -Phe was tested on ACC malonyltransferase activity, these compounds exhibited competitive inhibition kinetics with K i values similar to their respective K m values. Such a relationship suggests that malonylations of ACC and D -amino acids are catalysed by the same enzyme. This view was further supported by the observations that the ratio ACC- D -Phe malonyltransferase activities remained constant throughout various fractionation steps and both enzyme activities were inhibited similarly by various sulphydryl reagents and 1-aminocycloalkane-1-carboxylic acids.
Number of grains required to homogenize elastic properties of polycrystalline ice

Abstract The number of grains required for homogeneous elastic behavior of polycrystalline S2 is determined in this paper. The two extreme cases of (i) no grain boundary slip and (ii) free grain boundary sliding are examined. Detailed finite element simulations of uniaxial loading of specimens containing polygonal grains are performed. The results show that at least 230 grains are required to homogenize the elastic properties. The effect of the grain's elastic anisotropy on the homogenized properties is more important when no grain boundary sliding is allowed; grain shape is more important when grain boundary sliding is permitted. The stress components at the grain centers approximately follow the Gaussian distribution. The average computed homogenized Young's modulus and Poisson ratio at −16°C are: 9.58 GPa and 0.33 with no grain boundary sliding; 7.83 GPa and 0.45 with free grain boundary sliding.
Structure−Activity Relationships of Antibacterial and Biocompatible Copolymers

The development of polymers that are both bactericidal and biocompatible would have many applications and are currently of research interest. Following the development of strongly bactericidal copolymers of 4-vinylpyridine and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate, biocompatibility assays have been completed on these materials to measure their potential biocompatibility. In this article, a new methodology for measuring protein interaction was developed for water-soluble polymers by coupling proteins to surfaces and then measuring the adsorption of copolymers onto these surfaces. Ellipsometry was then used to measure the thickness of adsorbed polymers as a measurement of biocompatibility. These results were then compared and correlated with the results of other biocompatibility assays previously conducted on these polymers, affording a greater understanding of the biocompatibility of the copolymers as well as improving the understanding of the effect of hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups that is ...
Hydraulic permeability and activation energy of human keratinocytes at subzero temperatures.

Abstract Studies on isolated human keratinocytes provide a model for design of optimal freeze-thaw protocols for skin cryopreservation and banking. Nucleated keratinocytes from the basal layer of split thickness human cadaveric skin were separated by a combined trypsin and DNAse digestion and suspended in Dulbecco's minimal essential medium with fetal calf serum. A small volume of suspension was frozen on a microprocessor controlled cryostage. Extracellular ice was nucleated at predetermined subzero temperatues, and the temperature was held constant for the duration of the experiment. The osmotic response of the cells to the formation of extracellular ice was recorded on 35-mm photographic film. Selected serial frames were digitized for automated computer evaluation of metric parameters of specific cells. Changes in the apparent cell volume were quantified over a period of several minutes to obtain dehydration curves associated with exposure to concentrated extracellular electrolytes. The Kedem-Katchalsky coupled flow transport model was statistically fit to the data using a personal computer. Values for the permeability coefficients were adjusted to optimize the correlation between the theory and the data. An activation energy of 44.8 kJ/mol and a water permeability of 0.035 μm (atm · min) at 0 °C were derived from the data measured over a temperature range from −2 to −9 °C.
Growth of β-MnO2 films on TiO2(110) by oxygen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract We have used oxygen plasma assisted MBE to grow epitaxial films of pyrolusite (β-MnO 2 ) on TiO 2 (110) for thicknesses of one to six bilayers (BL). We define a bilayer to be a layer of Mn and lattice O and an adjacent layer of bridging O within the rutile structure. The resulting surfaces have been characterized in situ by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, low-energy electron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. Well-ordered, pseudomorphic overlayers form for substrate temperatures between 400 and 500°C. Mn–Ti intermixing occurs over the time scale of film growth (∼1 BL/min) for substrate temperatures in excess of 500°C. Films grown at 400–500°C exhibit island growth, whereas intermixed films grown at temperatures of 500–600°C are more laminar. 1 BL films grown at 450°C are more laminar than multilayer films grown at the same temperature, and form a well-ordered surface cation layer of Mn on the rutile structure with at most 10% indiffusion to the second cation layer.
Gold nanocages as contrast agents for two-photon luminescence endomicroscopy imaging.

Abstract We explored the possibility of using gold (Au) nanocages as a new class of exogenous contrast agents for endomicroscopic nonlinear imaging. The two-photon luminescence cross-section of nanocages was characterized. Two-photon luminescence endomicroscopy imaging of a phantom, cancer cells and biological tissues was performed, demonstrating that Au nanocages can potentially serve as an effective molecular contrast agent for nonlinear endomicroscopy imaging. From the Clinical Editor In this study, the utility of Au nanocages is described in a variety of settings as effective molecular contrast agent for nonlinear endomicroscopy imaging.
Fully Stripped Heavy Ion Yield vs Energy for Xe and au Ions

The Bevalac is now capable of accelerating U-238 ions to approximately 1 GeV/amu and measurements have shown that fully stripped U-238 ions are produced with good yield at these energies. However, knowing the stripping yields at different energies for U-238 does not allow an accurate prediction for other, lower Z projectiles. Consequently, extensive stripping yield measurements were made for Au-197 and Xe-139 ions. In addition to the stripping measurements from the direct Bevalac beam, pickup measurements were also made with specially prepared bare, one electron, and two electron ions. Since many research groups are considering heavy ion storage rings and/or synchrotrons, the pickup cross section for bare ions is important to estimate beam lifetime in terms of the average machine vacuum. Since the Mylar target provides a pickup probability similar to air, a preliminary analysis of the Xe/sup 54 +/ and U/sup 92 +/ data are presented along with predictions for other ions ranging down to Fe/sup 26 +/. 11 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.
Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase overexpression by adenovirus mediated gene transfer and in transgenic mice

The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2a) is a major determinant of cardiac relaxation. It has been demonstrated that the steady state levels of the mRNA coding for this pump are reduced in human heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy. Although results regarding the protein level are controversial, most functional studies indicate decreased SERCA2a activity in heart failure. The extent to which a potential decrease in the calcium sequestering function of this protein could contribute to the contractile dysfunction in heart failure, and whether a reconstitution of SERCA2a could alleviate heart failure, are yet unknown. To further investigate these questions two methodological approaches were chosen. Adenovirus mediated gene transfer provides an approach to study functional consequences of SERCA2a overexpression in cardiac myocytes in vitro [[1]][1], and a transgenic mouse model allows the effects of cardiac overexpression of SERCA2a to be examined in vivo [[2]][2]. [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2
Investigation of Human Telomerase Holoenzyme Assembly, Activity, and Processivity Using Disease-linked Subunit Variants

After the initial discovery of human telomerase deficiency in the X-linked form of the bone marrow failure syndrome dyskeratosis congenita, mutations in genes encoding telomerase subunits have been identified in patients with a wide spectrum of disorders. Structure/function studies of disease-linked variants of human telomerase RNA (hTR) or telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) have exploited in vitro reconstitution of the enzyme catalytic core and/or a PCR-amplified activity assay readout that would not reflect alterations of cellular RNP assembly efficiency, telomeric primer recognition, and/or repeat addition processivity. Here we used telomerase reconstitution in vivo and direct telomeric-repeat primer extension activity assays to compare the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) assembly and activity properties of disease-linked subunit variants in holoenzyme context. Analysis of a large panel of hTR variants revealed numerous biochemical mechanisms for telomerase loss of function, including reduced association of hTR with TERT, reduced RNP catalytic activity, or loss in fidelity of telomeric repeat synthesis. An absolute correlation exists between hTR loss of function and hematopoietic deficiency, but there is no readily apparent telomerase deficiency imposed by an hTR variant linked to pulmonary fibrosis. Some disease-linked TERT variants have altered properties of holoenzyme assembly or repeat addition processivity, but other TERT variants linked to either pulmonary fibrosis or hematopoietic deficiency retained normal hTR interaction and RNP catalytic activity. Combined with additional hTR structure/function studies, our results establish a new resolution of insight into hTR structural requirements for hTR-TERT interaction and for the catalytic cycle of human telomerase holoenzyme.
Effects of support composition and pretreatment on the activity and selectivity of carbon-supported PdCunClx catalysts for the synthesis of diethyl carbonate

The oxidative carbonylation of ethanol to diethyl carbonate (DEC) has been investigated on catalysts prepared by dispersing CuCl2 and PdCl2 on activated carbon and carbon nanofibers. The objectives of this work were to establish the effects of support structure and pretreatment on the dispersion of the catalytically active components and, in turn, on the activity and selectivity of the catalyst for DEC synthesis. At the same surface loading of CuCl2 and PdCl2, partially oxidized carbon nanofibers resulted in a higher dispersion of the active components and a higher DEC activity than could be achieved on activated carbon. Catalyst characterization revealed that nearly atomic dispersion of CuCl2 and PdCl2 could be achieved on the edges of the graphene sheets comprising the carbon nanofibers. Over oxidation of the edges or their removal by heat treatment of the nanofibers resulted in a loss of catalyst activity. The loss of catalyst activity with time on stream could be overcome by the addition of ppm levels of CCl4 to the feed. While catalysts prepared with CuCl2 alone were active, a fivefold increase in activity was realized by using a PdCl2/CuCl2 ratio of 1/20. It is proposed that the Pd 2+ cations interact with [CuCl2] � anions to form
Conversational language comprehension using integrated pattern-matching and parsing

Abstract One of the major problems in natural language understanding by computer is the frequent use of patterned or idiomatic phrases in colloquial English dialogue. Traditional parsing methods typically cannot cope with a significant number of idioms. A more general problem is the tendency of a speaker to leave the meaning of an utterance ambiguous or partially implicit, to be filled in by the hearer from a shared mental context which includes linguistic, social, and physical knowledge. The appropriate representation for this knowledge is a formidable and unsolved problem. We present here an approach to natural language understanding which addresses itself to these problems. Our program uses a series of processing stages which progressively transform an English input into a form usable by our computer simulation of paranoia. Most of the processing stages involve matching the input to an appropriate stored pattern and performing the associated transformation. However, a few key stages perform aspects of traditional parsing which greatly facilitate the overall language recognition process.
The Osmolyte Trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO) Increases the Proteolytic Activity of Botulinum Neurotoxin Light Chains A, B, and E: Implications for Enhancing Analytical Assay Sensitivity

Botulism, the disease caused by botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), secreted by the spore-forming, anaerobic bacteria Clostridium botulinum, has been associated with food poisoning for centuries. In addition, the potency of BoNTs coupled with the current political climate has produced a threat of intentional, malicious poisoning by these toxins. The ability to detect and measure BoNTs in complex matrixes is among the highest research priorities. However, the extreme potency of these toxins necessitates that assays be capable of detecting miniscule quantities of these proteins. Thus, signal-boosting strategies must be employed. A popular approach uses the proteolytic activity of the BoNT light chain (LC) to catalyze the cleavage of synthetic substrates; reaction products are then analyzed by the analytical platform of choice. However, BoNT LCs are poor catalysts. In this study, the authors used the osmolyte trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) to increase the proteolytic activities of BoNT LCs. Their data suggest that concentrated solutions of TMAO induce complete folding of the LCs, resulting in increased substrate affinity and enhanced enzyme turnover. The authors observed increases in catalysis for BoNT serotypes A, B, and E, and this increased proteolytic activity translated into substantial increases in analytical assay sensitivity for these medically relevant toxins.
MicroRNA 375 Mediates Palmitate-Induced Enteric Neuronal Damage and High-Fat Diet-Induced Delayed Intestinal Transit in Mice

Background & Aims A high-fat diet (HFD) can cause serious health problems, including alteration of gastrointestinal transit, the exact mechanism of which is not clear. Several microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in energy homeostasis, lipid metabolism, and HFD-induced weight gain. We investigated the role of miRNAs in HFD-induced damage to the enteric nervous system. Methods Male mice were fed a HFD (60% calories from fat) or regular diets (18% calories from fat) for 11 weeks. Mice on regular diets and HFDs were given intraperitoneal injections of Mir375 inhibitor or a negative control. Body weights, food intake, stool indices, and gastrointestinal transit (following Evans blue gavage) were measured. An enteric neuronal cell line (immorto-fetal enteric neuronal) and primary enteric neurons were used for in vitro studies. Results HFD delayed intestinal transit, which was associated with increased apoptosis and loss of colonic myenteric neurons. Mice fed a low-palmitate HFD did not develop a similar phenotype. Palmitate caused apoptosis of enteric neuronal cells associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Palmitate significantly increased the expression of Mir375 in vitro; transfection of cells with a Mir375 inhibitor prevented the palmitate-induced enteric neuronal cell apoptosis. Mir375 expression was increased in myenteric ganglia of mice fed HFD and associated with decreased levels of Mir375 target messenger RNAs, including Pdk1. Systemic injection of a Mir375 inhibitor for 5 weeks prevented HFD-induced delay in intestinal transit and morphologic changes. Conclusions HFDs delay colonic transit, partly by inducing apoptosis in enteric neuronal cells. This effect is mediated by Mir375 and is associated with reduced levels of Pdk1. Mir375 might be targeted to increase survival of enteric neurons and gastrointestinal motility.
The sounds of silence: towards automated evaluation of student learning in a reading tutor that listens

We propose a paradigm for ecologically valid, authentic, unobtrusive, automatic, data-rich, fast, robust, and sensitive evaluation of computer-assisted student performance. We instantiate this paradigm in the context of a Reading Tutor that listens to children read aloud, and helps them. We introduce interword latency as a simple prosodic measure of assisted reading performance. Finally, to validate the measure and analyze performance improvement, we report initial experimental results from the first extended in-school deployment of the Reading Tutor.
Applicant selection procedures for orthodontic specialty programs in the United States: Survey of program directors

© 2011 by Elsevier Masson, American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. doi.org/10.1016/j.ajodo.2011.06.027
Photoprotection of DNA (in vitro) by acyclothymidine dinucleosides

Excessive exposure to sunlight is primarily implicated in ultraviolet (UV) induced skin cancers worldwide. Direct absorption of UV radiation by DNA leads to the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) resulting in DNA damage. The molecular mechanisms involved in the mutagenicity of CPDs are well established. Photoprotection of the skin from the detrimental effects of UV is essential in preventing skin damage. A variety of formulations, which essentially contain UV filters have been used as photoprotective agents of the skin. These comprise aromatic and inorganic molecules, whose mechanism of action involves either absorption, reflection, or scattering of UV radiation. However, the downstream photoproducts of some of these molecules have undesirable characteristics which compromise their utility. A biomimetic approach involving structural analogs of nucleic acids can help overcome these limitations. Herein, we show the photoprotective action of acyclothymidine dinucleosides on both plasmid and cellular DNA.
Using spoken utterance compression for meeting summarization: A pilot study

Most previous work on meeting summarization focused on extractive approaches; however, directly concatenating the extracted spoken utterances may not form a good summary. In this paper, we investigate if it is feasible to compress the transcribed spoken utterances and if using the compressed utterances benefits meeting summarization. We model the utterance compression task as a sequence labeling problem, and show satisfying performance using a CRF model that incorporates a variety of features capturing lexical, syntactic, and discourse information. We evaluate the impact of utterance compression on the meeting summarization task using compressed sentences (pre-compression) and original transcripts (post-compression), and find that using the compressed meeting transcripts yields slightly better summarization performance. In general, using sentence compression together with extractive summarization can generate reasonable compressed summaries. This is a step closer to abstractive summarization.
Comparative history: Technology, community and social transformation in China and Zimbabwe

James Zheng Gao, Meeting Technology's Advance: Social Change in China and Zimbabwe in the Railway Age (Westport, CT and London: Greenwood Press, 1997), 218 pp, US$65.00, ISBN 0–313–30095‐X.
Vitamin supplementation and reduced risk of basal cell carcinoma

A clinic-based case-control study was conducted to determine the association between vitamin supplement use and risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin. The subjects were 131 patients with histopathologically confirmed primary BCC and 200 cancer-free controls with non-premalignant skin disorders. Use of any vitamins (mainly multivitamins and vitamins A, C, and E) was associated with reduced risk of BCC. After controlling for age, sex, cigarette smoking, number of lifetime severe sunburns, and skin actinic elastosis, regular vitamin supplementation was associated with a significantly reduced risk of BCC (odds ratio (OR) = 0.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.2-0.06). The ORs decreased as the regularity (p < 0.001) and daily doses of supplement used increased, especially for vitamins A (p < 0.005) and E (p < 0.005). Vitamin supplementation was not associated with alterations in cellular DNA repair. These results, however, cannot be considered conclusive because of the relatively low participation rates (131/830 for cases and 200/1406 for controls) due to the requirement of blood donation and more rigorous studies are needed to clarify the effect of supplemental vitamins, particularly of vitamins A and E, on the risk of BCC of the skin.
Active water management at the cathode of a planar air-breathing polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell using an electroosmotic pump

In a typical air-breathing fuel cell design, ambient air is supplied to the cathode by natural convection and dry hydrogen is supplied to a dead-ended anode. While this design is simple and attractive for portable low-power applications, the difficulty in implementing effective and robust water management presents disadvantages. In particular, excessive flooding of the open-cathode during long-term operation can lead to a dramatic reduction of fuel cell power. To overcome this limitation, we report here on a novel airbreathing fuel cell water management design based on a hydrophilic and electrically conductive wick in conjunction with an electroosmotic (EO) pump that actively pumps water out of the wick. Transient experiments demonstrate the ability of the EO-pump to “resuscitate” the fuel cell from catastrophic flooding events, while longer term galvanostatic measurements suggest that the design can completely eliminate cathode flooding using less than 2% of fuel cell power, and lead to stable operation with higher net power performance than a control design without EO-pump. This demonstrates that active EO-pump water management, which has previously only been demonstrated in forced-convection fuel cell systems, can also be applied effectively to miniaturized (<5 W) air-breathing fuel cell systems.
Turning at intersections and pedestrian injuries.

Objective. To evaluate if precrash vehicle movement is associated with the severity of pedestrian injury. Methods. We used comprehensive information on pedestrian, vehicle, and injury-related characteristics gathered in the Pedestrian Crash Data Study (PCDS), conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (1994–1998). The odds ratio of severe injuries (injury severity score ≥ 15) and crash fatality rate for right- and left-turn collisions at intersection compared with straight vehicle movement were compared using a logistic regression model and taking into consideration the type of vehicle and age of the pedestrians as potential effect modifiers. Later we evaluated the intermediate effect of impact speed on the association by adding it to the logistic regression model. Results. Of 255 collisions eligible for this analysis, the proportion of pedestrian hit during straight movement, right turns, and left turns were 48%, 32%, and 10%, respectively. Sixty percent of the pedestrians in...
The Metabolic Syndrome and Cognitive Decline in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC)

Background: Midlife metabolic syndrome (MetS) may impact cognitive health as a construct independently of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and other components. Methods: 10,866 participants aged 45-64 years at baseline were assessed for MetS and completed cognitive testing at two later time points (3 and 9 years from the baseline visit). Results: MetS is associated with increased odds of low cognitive performance in the domains of executive function and word fluency, but not with 6-year cognitive decline. Individual MetS components explained this association (hypertension, diabetes, low HDL, elevated triglycerides and increased waist circumference). Conclusions: A focus on the individual risk factors as opposed to MetS during midlife is important to reduce the incidence of cognitive impairment in later life.
The effect of a tube-building phoronid on associated infaunal species diversity, composition and community structure

Habitat modifying organisms can alter the distribution of associated species. We surveyed soft-sediment patches in Bodega Harbor, California and found that patches with high densities of the phoronid Phoronopsis harmeri (Pixell, 1912), a chemically-defended tube-building lophophorate, have higher infaunal abundance and richness than similar patches with low densities of P. harmeri. To determine whether this difference was driven by P. harmeri and whether this difference is attributable to the activities of the organism, or simply its physical structure, we conducted a field experiment with four treatments: live phoronids, mimics of phoronid structure, phoronid-free sediments (bare) and unmanipulated sediments. Although the field experiment did not detect differences in the overall abundance or richness of infauna among the manipulated treatments, some of the individual species did show a positive response to the presence of phoronids and phoronid structure (i.e., mimics). In particular, the polychaete Boccardia proboscidea, the amphipod Monocorophium uenoi, and harpacticoid copepods were facilitated by the presence of phoronids and phoronid structure when there was sediment disturbance. The inconsistency between the results of the survey and of the manipulative experiment may be largely driven by the disturbance caused by the manipulation. However, where P. harmeri has an effect, it is generally positively associated with infaunal abundance that may be attributable to the stabilization of sediments.
Transient Current Spectroscopy of Neutron Irradiated Silicon

Deep levels in semiconductors have been extensively studied using capacitance transients. This technique is referred to as Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS). A similar technique using transient currents is called Transient Current Spectroscopy (TCS). The basis of both DLTS and TCS are discussed, and some advantages of TCS over DLTS are pointed out. Some examples of past applications of DLTS to neutron irradiated silicon are given. The present application of TCS to defects in silicon is presented. Defect energy levels, capture cross sections and spatial profiles have been determined using TCS.
A Review of the Domains of Health Disparities and Their Impact on Health Care for Persons with Spinal Cord Injury

The purpose of this article was to review the domains of health care disparities and their impact on health care for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). The determinants of health disparities are entrenched in public policy and health insurance, the economic environment, the places where we live, the built environment, and the knowledge base of health care professionals on disability issues.
ONSET OF FAILURE IN ALUMINUM HONEYCOMBS UNDER GENERAL IN-PLANE LOADING

Abstract Of interest here is the theoretical prediction of the onset of failure in aluminum honeycombs under arbitrary macroscopic loading conditions. A failure surface is defined in macroscopic stress space by the onset of the first buckling-type instability encountered along proportional load paths, where each load path is defined by a fixed macroscopic load orientation and a fixed ratio of principal macroscopic stresses. The influence of specimen size (i.e., geometric scale effects), and the influence of geometric microstructural imperfections on these failure surfaces, are investigated through a combination of analytical (i.e., Bloch wave) and numerical (i.e., finite element) techniques. All of the analyses presented here are carried out for commercially available honeycombs, and the results show an extreme sensitivity of the onset of failure in these materials to the macroscopic load orientation and the principal macroscopic stress ratio. In addition, the failure surface for a perfectly periodic honeycomb of infinite extent, is found to be an upper bound for the failure surfaces of the corresponding finite honeycomb specimens with microstructural imperfections. Moreover, the construction of the failure surfaces for the imperfect specimens requires the numerical solution for large, multicell models, while the failure surface for the finite, perfectly periodic model is obtained with less computational effort, since calculations involving only the unit cell are required. The methodology proposed in this investigation, therefore, provides a useful predictive tool for the design of these materials.
Clock gating approaches by IOEX graphs and cluster efficiency plots

Clock Gating has been the most widely used method to reduce dynamic power for digital designs. Increasingly the need to assess the quality of a clock gating implementation has resulted in generation of various benchmarking criteria. These criteria however fail to provide a feel to the designer about quality of a current implementation and the scope available for further clock gating. Prior work has also reported various datapath based clock gating techniques to optimize for dynamic power. In this paper we present a new approach to analyze this problem through the IO Exclusivity (IOEX) graphs and Cluster Efficiency (CE) plots. The IOEX graph captures the datapath activity across the sequential elements normalized to the source clock. This exercise produces sequential elemental clusters or modules, which are amenable to clock gating. A CE plot then provides a visual insight into these fine grained implementations to aid the designer to further gate the given cluster. This additional gating can then be implemented either at synthesis or at the layout stages, depending on the design cycle time. Results from 65nm designs show that up to 20% dynamic power savings can be achieved with our approach over and above the industry standard low power synthesis solutions.
Interface Debonding in Fatigue Cycling of Glass Reinforced Plastics

The fatigue failure mechanisms of three unidirectional laminated compos ite material systems (consisting of a common fiber in varying resin matrices) were investi gated. Static tensions tests of the pure resins and composites in the axial direction were analyzed in conjunction with fatigue test data to determine failure characteristics. The resins with the highest strain energy density and ultimate strain exhibited the best fatigue properties. A comparison of fatigue curves for both pure resins and composites data showed that the dominant failure mechanism in fatigue is a combination of matrix cracking and interface debonding.
GETTING OUT THE LATINO VOTE: How Door-to-Door Canvassing Influences Voter Turnout in Rural Central California

Using randomized experimentation, this study of a municipal election in Central California examines the effects of face-to-face canvassing on voter turnout. This is the first randomized experiment to focus on Latino voter mobilization. Building on previous field experimentation, this study focuses on a local school board election held in Dos Palos, CA. Two kinds of appeals were made to potential voters: one emphasized ethnic solidarity; the other emphasized civic duty. Canvassing was remarkably successful; voters who were contacted were significantly more likely to vote. The mobilization effort had a particularly large effect on the turnout of Latino Democrats.
Multiple timescale dispatch and scheduling for stochastic reliability in smart grids with wind generation integration

Integrating volatile renewable energy resources into the bulk power grid is challenging, due to the reliability requirement that the load and generation in the system remain balanced all the time. In this study, we tackle this challenge for smart grid with integrated wind generation, by leveraging multi-timescale dispatch and scheduling. Specifically, we consider smart grids with two classes of energy users - traditional energy users and opportunistic energy users (e.g., smart meters or smart appliances), and investigate pricing and dispatch at two timescales, via day-ahead scheduling and real-time scheduling. In day-ahead scheduling, with the statistical information on wind generation and energy demands, we characterize the optimal procurement of the energy supply and the day-ahead retail price for the traditional energy users; in real-time scheduling, with the realization of wind generation and the load of traditional energy users, we optimize real-time prices to manage the opportunistic energy users so as to achieve system-wide reliability. More specifically, when the opportunistic users are non-persistent, we obtain closed-form solutions to the two-level scheduling problem. For the persistent case, we treat the scheduling problem as a multi-timescale Markov decision process. We show that it can be recast, explicitly, as a classic Markov decision process with continuous state and action spaces, the solution to which can be found via standard techniques.
The Beginnings of T-B Collaboration

In 1966, at about the same time that Peyton Rouse and Charles Huggins shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discoveries of tumor viruses and hormonal control of carcinoma, respectively, Claman, Chaperon, and Triplett published a seminal article in the The Journal of Immunology ([1][1]). The
Practitioner and professional development research

Language Teaching Research (LTR) is one of the only top-tier academic journals in the broader field of Applied Linguistics/TESOL that has a long-standing sub-section devoted solely to practitioner research. What makes articles published in this sub-section unique is that they have been authored by teachers or teacher educators conducting research on their own practices, exposing their own puzzles/struggles, trying out alternative ways of being a teacher or teacher educator in their unique professional worlds, and offering insights into how the activity of practitioner research transforms how they think about themselves, their students, and their work. Authors draw on a range of methodological approaches often found under the umbrella term ‘practitioner research’, including action research, exploratory action research, teacher research, exploratory practice, case study, and narrative inquiry. As the editor of this sub-section since 2013, it is my honor to introduce the first special issue of LTR devoted entirely to Practitioner and professional development research. Set within a two-semester instructional unit called Starting language research Mark Wyatt and Carmen Pasamar Marquez trace how they attempt to guide a group of undergraduate applied language students through their initial entree into conducting language research. Grounded in exploratory action research, they draw from their own reflective journal entries and student interview data to articulate an initial ‘puzzle’ of how to make the unit relevant and meaningful to students learning German, French, and Spanish, while also chronicling the various ways in which they supported students as they engaged in collaborative inquiry-based language research. The project enabled them to uncover students’ preconceived notions about language research, assisted them as they explored relevant researchable topics, helped them scaffold a range of practical research activities, supported their attempts to build students’ technical skills of working with language data, and helped them not only evaluate the quality of students’ final projects but highlight the intellectual value of having language students engage in language research. Their project provides insights into how engagement in exploratory action research enabled them to act as productive researchers and learners of teaching while simultaneously enabling their students to act as productive researchers and learners of language. 629508 LTR0010.1177/1362168816629508Language Teaching ResearchEditorial research-article2016
Antecedents, Outcomes, and Moderating Influences on Industrial Distributors’ Satisfaction with Supplier Relationships

A nationwide survey of U.S. industrial distributors showed that expectations of benefits from a relationship with a core supplier and the outcomes of that relationship are important antecedents of distributor satisfaction with a relationship. The underlying outcome dimensions -- tangible and intangible benefits -- affect satisfaction levels. However, among the expectation dimensions, only price benefits influence satisfaction. The impact of expectations and outcomes on relationship satisfaction are moderated by relationship style and distributor size.
CO Oxidation at the Au–Cu Interface of Bimetallic Nanoclusters Supported on CeO2(111)

DFT+U calculations of the structure of CeO2(111)-supported Au-based bimetallic nanoclusters (NCs) show that a strong support–metal interaction induces a preferential segregation of the more reactive element to the NC–CeO2 perimeter, generating an interface with the Au component. We studied several Au -based bimetallic NCs (Au-X, X: Ag, Cu, Pd, Pt, Rh, and Ru) and found that (Au–Cu)/CeO2 is optimal for catalyzing CO oxidation via a bifunctional mechanism. O2 preferentially binds to the Cu-rich sites, whereas CO binds to the Au-rich sites. Engineering a two-component system in which the reactants do not compete for binding sites is the key to the high catalytic activity at the interface between the components.
Post-Transcriptional Regulation of Interferons and Their Signaling Pathways

Interferons (IFNs) are low molecular weight cell-derived proteins that include the type I, II, and III IFN families. IFNs are critical for an optimal immune response during microbial infections while dysregulated expression can lead to autoimmune diseases. Given its role in disease, it is important to understand cellular mechanisms of IFN regulation. 3′ untranslated regions (3′ UTRs) have emerged as potent regulators of mRNA and protein dosage and are controlled through multiple regulatory elements including adenylate uridylate (AU)-rich elements (AREs) and microRNA (miRNA) recognition elements. These AREs are targeted by RNA-binding proteins (ARE-BPs) for degradation and/or stabilization through an ARE-mediated decay process. miRNA are endogenous, single-stranded RNA molecules ∼22 nucleotides in length that regulate mRNA translation through the miRNA-induced silencing complex. IFN transcripts, like other labile mRNAs, harbor AREs in their 3′ UTRs that dictate the turnover of mRNA. This review is a survey...
Telehealth consultation in a self-contained classroom for behavior: A pilot study

ABSTRACTStudents with challenging behavior severe enough to warrant placement in a self-contained special education classroom statistically have poor school and post-school outcomes compared to typical peers. Teachers in these classrooms often lack sufficient training to meet student needs. This pilot study investigated the use of a telehealth consultation model to increase selected teaching behaviors (i.e., praise, prompts/precorrections, and student opportunities to respond) and reduce the presence of challenging child behaviors in a self-contained special education classroom. Overall results demonstrated increased targeted positive teaching behaviors and a substantial decrease of student challenging behavior upon the introduction of the first intervention phase. Although findings in phase two and three were less conclusive, challenging behavior remained low throughout the intervention. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Effect of Long-term Located Fertilization on Phosphorous Adsorption and Desorption in Non-calcareous Fluvo-aquic Soil

Based on the long-term located fertilization in non-calcareous fluvo-aquic soil for 28 years,the experiment was carried out to study the phosphorous adsorption and desorption traits of different treatments.The results showed that the adsorption curve of P coincided with Langmuir equation.Application of organic fertilizer and its combination with N could decrease the maximum adsorption capacity(Xm),the constant of adsorption energy(k) and the maximum buffer capacity(MBC).Xm of M2N1 was the lowest,reducing 312.05 μg/g compared with CK.The k and MBC of M2 were the lowest reducing 0.20 and 139.41 μg/g compared with CK respectively.The quantity of P desorption had direct ratio to that of adsorption.The desorption quantity of fertilizer treatments were higher than that of CK at every P level.In result,soil tightly binding with P in CK,the adsorptive phosphorous was difficult for desorption.But in the treatments of application of organic fertilizer and its combination with N,the phosphorous desorption was easy,especially in the treatment with high application of organic fertilizer and its combination with N.
Effect of transplantation on respiration and composition of aortic valves and pericardium.

Summary Autologous and homologous pericardial grafts and aortic leaflet homografts transplanted into the descending aorta of dogs are viable structures with a comparatively high oxygen uptake. In addition, they thickened markedly and displayed an increase in mass and a decrease in area. Simultaneously, the water content increased markedly. The three graft types could not be distinguished by gross inspection or physical dimensions after 40 days of implantation. Although all graft types displayed similar changes in electrolyte composition with implantation, the aortic leaflet homografts maintained their distinctive compositional characteristics. The graft elements that displayed measurable respiration by diffusion in these studies appeared to be largely, if not entirely, host fibrous tissue of high metabolic activity. It is not determinable from these studies how much, if any, of the transplanted tissue, autologous or homologous, actually survives.
Ribosome-bound polyriboadenylate polymerase.

Abstract The relationship in vitro of the enzyme polyriboadenylate polymerase to ribonucleoprotein particles was investigated. The enzyme was predominantly bound to 70 S ribosomes in solutions containing 10 mM MgCl2, and to 50 S ribosomes in 1 mM and 0.1 mM MgCl2. Little if any enzymic activity was found associated with 100 S ribosomes. Dissociation of the enzyme from ribosomes in low concentrations of MgCl2 was reversible. Purified polyriboadenylate polymerase was also found to bind to 70 S, 50 S, and 30 S particles. The polyriboadenylate product of the reaction catalyzed by the ribosomal enzyme was bound to ribonucleoprotein particles in a rapidly sedimenting complex. With increasing time of incubation the sedimentation rate of this complex increased. After 5 min, it was about 130 S; 20 min, 190 S; and 60 min, greater than 300 S. This increase in sedimentation velocity of the polyriboadenylate-ribosome complex appeared to be due to aggregation of polyriboadenylate rather than to chain prolongation; the average polymer size between 5 to 60 min of incubation remained constant at approximately 200 adenylate units. The sedimentation coefficient of polyriboadenylate dissociated from ribosomes in 0.1 mM MgCl2 was 5 to 8 S. The rapid sedimentation of the complex was not changed by pancreatic ribonuclease, but after limited incubation with micrococcal nuclease, polyriboadenylate sedimented with 70 to 100 S ribosomes. Although less than 1% of total ribosomes was present in the polyriboadenylate-ribosome complex, these ribosomes were associated with most of the enzymic activity.
Post-Traumatic Segmental Corpus Cavernosum Fibrosis: The Diagnostic Value of Cavernosography and the Surgical Correction by Cavernosum-Cavernosum Shunt

A case is reported of post-traumatic segmental corpus cavernosum fibrosis with subsequent loss of erection. Evaluation of such problems with cavernosography is essential. Surgical correction included resection of the fibrotic segment and a cavernosum-cavernosum shunt, which resulted in good erections.
Intra-Individual Variability in Movement

The role of variability in movement disorders has recently received direct theoretical, experimental, and clinical attention. Here, we outline the uses of the primary measures of movement variability and introduce the theoretical and clinical questions that have been investigated beyond that of movement variability as noise.
Neural Regions Associated With Categorical Speech Perception and Production

Speech perception and production have been characterized as categorical processes. In this paper, I present neuropsychological and neuroimaging evidence that supports the idea that speech processes are categorical as well as discussing what types of representations are important in perception and production tasks. It has become increasingly clear that both prefrontal and temporal-parietal regions are critical for perceiving phonemes categorically and producing phonemes that are good exemplars of a given phonemic category. I suggest that motor speech representations are important for both perception and production and that these are most likely housed in the prefrontal cortex. Moreover, information about acoustic features associated with phonemes almost certainly resides in more posterior cortices. Whereas these cortical regions are thought to maintain motor or acoustic information necessary for successful categorical perception and production, other regions such as the cerebellum can indirectly affect these abilities. Although speech perception and production appear effortless, these abilities rely on intact functioning of a large network of neural regions.
Preparation of tetrafluoroethylene from the pyrolysis of pentafluoropropionate salts

Abstract The use of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) in academic institutions beyond a few millimoles has often been inhibited by the compound's inherent danger and general lack of commercial availability. On the other hand, TFE is prepared industrially on a rather large scale by a number of major fluorochemical companies via the pyrolysis of chlorodifluoromethane at high temperatures, yielding TFE and HCl. For a few years at The University of Alabama and Clemson University, we have been preparing TFE on a 100+-gram scale by the pyrolysis under dynamic vacuum of pentafluoropropionate salts, which can be obtained from the neutralization of pentafluoropropionic acid with a M(OH)n (where M = Li, Na, K, and Cs for n = 1 and Mg, Ca, and Ba for n = 2). Additionally, potassium pentafluoropropionate can be prepared from the reaction of potassium trimethylsilanolate and ethyl pentafluoropropionate. The pentafluoropropionate salts and their decomposition products have been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), accelerating rate calorimetry (ARC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and single-crystal X-ray crystallography, where applicable. Typical yields of TFE obtained from pyrolysis of potassium pentafluoropropionate obtained from the acid-base neutralization method are >98%, while yields of TFE from the same salt prepared by the silanolate method from ethyl pentafluoropropionate are ca. 80%.
Overlap of Atherosclerotic Disease

The importance of identifying overlap disease aids not only in perioperative management but may explain the long-term success or failure of operative interventions. Arterial disease represents a systemic process; thus, isolated interventions may benefit regional symptoms but do not change the overall prognosis for patients. Mitigating these systemic risk factors would logically not only improve perioperative morbidity and mortality but also long-term survival.