cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soot surface oxidation in hydrocarbon/air diffusion flames at atmospheric pressure

Soot oxidation was studied experimentally in laminar hydrocarbon/air diffusion flames at atmospheric pressure. Measurements were carried out along the axes of round jets burning in coflowing air considering acetylene, ethylene, propylene and propane as fuels. Measurements were limited to the initial stages of soot oxidation (carbon consumption less than 70%) where soot oxidation mainly occurs at the surface of primary soot particles. The following properties were measured as a function of distance above the burner exit: soot concentrations by deconvoluted laser extinction, soot temperatures by deconvoluted multiline emission, soot structure by thermophoretic sampling and analysis using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), concentrations of stable major gas species (N2, H2O, H2, O2, CO, CO2, CH4, C2H2,C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, and C3H8) by sampling and gas chromatography, concentrations of some radical species (H, OH, O) by the deconvoluted Li/LiOH atomic absorption technique and flow velocities by laser velocimetry. It was found that soot surface oxidation rates are not particularly affected by fuel type for laminar diffusion flames and are described reasonably well by the OH surface oxidation mechanism with a collision efficiency of 0.10, (standard deviation of 0.07) with no significant effect of fuel type in this behavior; these findings are in good agreement with the classical laminar premixed flame measurements of Neoh et al. Finally, direct rates of surface oxidation by O2 were small compared to OH oxidation for present conditions, based on estimated O2 oxidation rates due to Nagle and Strickland-Constable (1962), because soot oxidation was completed near the flame sheet where O2 concentrations were less than 1.2% by volume.
Executive Functioning Complaints and Escitalopram Treatment Response in Late-Life Depression

Objective Executive dysfunction may play a key role in the pathophysiology of late-life depression. Executive dysfunction can be assessed with cognitive tests and subjective report of difficulties with executive skills. The present study investigated the association between subjective report of executive functioning complaints and time to escitalopram treatment response in older adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods 100 older adults with MDD (58 with executive functioning complaints and 42 without executive functioning complaints) completed a 12-week trial of escitalopram. Treatment response over 12 weeks, as measured by repeated Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores, was compared for adults with and without executive complaints using mixed-effects modeling. Results Mixed effects analysis revealed a significant group × time interaction, F (1, 523.34) = 6.00, p = 0.01. Depressed older adults who reported executive functioning complaints at baseline demonstrated a slower response to escitalopram treatment than those without executive functioning complaints. Conclusion Self-report of executive functioning difficulties may be a useful prognostic indicator for subsequent speed of response to antidepressant medication.
Blind estimation of pixel brightness transform

Pixel brightness transforms (PBT), examples of which include gamma correction, sigmoid stretching and histogram equalization, are common operations on digital images, and it is practically useful to estimate such transforms directly from an image. In this work, we describe an effective and efficient method to estimate PBT from images, which takes advantage of the nature of PBT as a mapping between integral pixel values and the distinct characteristics it introduces to the pixel value (PV) histograms of the transformed image. Our method recovers the original PV histogram and the PBT simultaneously with an efficient iterative algorithm, and can effectively handle perturbations due to noise and compression. We perform experimental evaluation to demonstrate the efficacy and efficiency of the proposed method.
ANTIGENIC AND FUNCTIONAL EVIDENCE FOR THE IN VITRO INDUCTIVE ACTIVITY OF THYMOPOIETIN (THYMIN) ON THYMOCYTE PRECURSORS

Thymopoietin, a polypeptide hormone isolated from bovine thymus, induced in vitro the differentiation of prothymocytes to cells with the antigenic and functional characteristics of intrathymic thymocytes. These changes included the acquisition of the differentiation antigens TL and Thy-1 (theta) and the ability to respond to the mitogen Con-A. Thymopoietin appears to be highly speicfic in inducing the prothymocyte to be highly specific in inducing the prothymocyte to thymocyte differentiation and does not affect the pluripotential stem cell measured by the colony forming assay (CFU-S), the erythropoietin-sensitive cell or B-cells. Experiments are in progress to determine whether additional hormonal inductive signals are required to complete the differentiation of an immunologically competent T-cell.
Evaluating the contribution of base stacking during translesion DNA replication.

Despite the nontemplating nature of the abasic site, dAMP is often preferentially inserted opposite the lesion, a phenomenon commonly referred to as the “A-rule”. We have evaluated the molecular me...
Esophageal COX-2 Expression Is Increased in Barrett’s Esophagus, Obesity, and Smoking

Increased esophageal cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression has been associated with Barrett’s esophagus (BE); however, it is unknown whether COX-2 expression varies among patient groups with different clinical or socio-demographic factors. We conducted a case–control study among eligible patients scheduled for elective esophagogastroduodenoscopy and patients eligible for screening colonoscopy recruited from primary clinics. We compared 39 BE tissue samples and 47 squamous tissue samples from BE cases and 240 squamous tissue samples from controls. Clinical and socio-demographic data were prospectively collected. Immunohistochemical staining for esophageal COX-2 was performed and scored. The median COX-2 score was significantly higher in BE tissue than squamous tissue from cases or controls (p < 0.001). Median COX-2 expression levels were higher in tissue samples from participants with a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in the 2nd tertile [unadjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.04; 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) 1.17–3.57] and 3rd tertile (unadjusted OR 2.24; 95 % CI 1.20–4.16) compared with the 1st tertile and from current smokers compared with former or non-smokers (unadjusted OR 1.68; 95 % CI 1.03–2.75). In the multivariate analysis, WHRs in the 2nd tertile (OR 1.92; 95 % CI 1.07–3.45) and the 3rd tertile (OR 2.14; 95 % CI 1.10–4.16) were associated with high COX-2 compared with the 1st tertile, as was current smoking (OR 1.78; 95 % CI 1.06–2.97) compared with former and non-smoking. We found a significant association between elevated esophageal mucosa COX-2 levels and the presence of BE tissue, as well as between elevated COX-2 levels and high WHR and current tobacco smoking. This information may assist in identifying patients likely to benefit from chemoprevention with COX-2 inhibitors.
Significance of the first excited state position in quantum well infrared photodetectors

Abstract Exceptionally rapid progress has been made during the last few years in the performance of GaAs/AlGaAs based quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs), starting from bound-to-bound which has relatively lower sensitivity, and culminating in high performance bound-to-quasibound QWIPs. In this article, we discuss and compare the dependence of absorption, responsivity, dark current, and detectivity of QWIPs with the position of the first excited state in the quantum well.
The mechanisms of glutaraldehyde-fixed sarcoma 180 ascites cell aggregation.

Sediment height analysis was employed to investigate the mechanisms of cell aggregation by glutaraldehyde-fixed sarcoma 180 ascites cells. The aggregation of these cells proceeds by a polymer bridging mechanism in which the surface molecules of one cell associate directly with the surface molecules of adjacent cells by nonbonding interactions. The ability of adhesive surface macromolecules to serve as polymer bridges is regulated by hydrophobic and coulombic interactions. Hydrophobic interactions are not significantly involved in polymer bridgingper se, but instead appear to operate either intramolecularly or between adjacent molecules of the same cell surface, and regulate the conformation and ability of such molecules to form stable intermolecular associations with the surface adhesive molecules of a nearby cell. A disruption of these intrasurface hydrophobic interactions generally promotes cell aggregation. Coulombic forces generated by the fixed charges of surface molecules inhibit aggregation; their diminution by charge neutralization promotes aggregation. It is likely that coulombic repulsive forces regulate intramolecular associations, interactions between adjacent molecules arising from the same cell surface, and interactions between macromolecules arising from different cell surfaces. The actual forces which serve to aggregate two fixed cells are not hydrophobic, but have characteristics commonly attributed to hydrogen bonding. Ion-pairing does not seem to play a role in the aggregation of fixed cells under physiological electrolyte conditions, nor does disulfide bridging.
Convulsive status epilepticus after ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage: frequency, predictors, and impact on outcome in a large administrative dataset

Relatively little is known about the epidemiology of generalized convulsive status epilepticus (GCSE) in acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. We examined the occurrence of GCSE in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) using a large discharge database. Data were derived from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the years 1994–2002. Using the appropriate ICD-9-CM codes, patients admitted through the emergency room with a diagnosis of AIS or ICH were selected for analysis. From these patients, those coded as having GCSE were identified. Multivariate logistic regression was performed using clinical elements available in the database to identify independent predictors of GCSE. The association between GCSE and various outcome measures was also assessed. The cohort included 718,531 hospitalizations with AIS and 102,763 with ICH. GCSE developed in 1,415 (0.2%) of the AIS cohort and 266 (0.3%) of the ICH cohort. For the AIS cohort, female sex, African American race, renal disease, alcohol abuse, sodium imbalance, and hemorrhagic transformation were associated with higher rates, while increasing age, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were associated with lower rates of GCSE. For the ICH cohort, African American and Hispanic race, renal disease, coagulopathy, brain tumor, alcohol abuse, and sodium imbalance were associated with higher rates, while increasing age and hypertension were associated with lower rates of GCSE. GCSE was associated with higher rates of adverse outcomes. GCSE is a rare but serious complication in the setting of acute ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage.
Differential Effects of Inbreeding at Juvenile and Adult Life-History Stages in Peromyscus polionotus

Inbreeding depression traditionally has been measured at early life-history stages, such as neonatal or juvenile viability or deficits in growth and development. I investigated additional fitness components by evaluating impact of inbreeding on reproductive success of adult females in a captive colony of oldfield mice ( Peromyscus polionotus subgriseus and P. p. rhoadsi ). By first conducting analyses on only inbreeding of litters (i.e., relatedness of parents) and then adding maternal effects (mother's inbreeding coefficient independent of parental relatedness, parity, and maternal inactivity), I illustrated effect of inbreeding on life-history characters that were manifested in adulthood. Young in inbred litters (f > 0.1) tended to be smaller than young in outbred litters, but inbred litters did not exhibit any decrements in survival probability. Number of young raised to weaning from inbred and outbred litters did not differ. Inbred females (inbreeding coefficient f > 0.1) reared significantly fewer young than did outbred females (f < 0.1) (independent of whether parents were related and therefore independent of whether young themselves were inbred). Differences between the two subspecies were found for a number of fitness traits. These differences are attributed to chance differences in genetic makeup of founder stocks (founder effect). Examining inbreeding effects only at a single life-history stage (i.e., during the juvenile period) and only on a single fitness trait (juvenile viability) may result in serious underestimation of the extent of inbreeding depression.
Is more better in myeloma

Rosinol and colleagues report the results of a Spanish PETHEMA trial in this issue of Blood . Their study was an attempt to address the role of additional intensive treatments for patients failing to achieve a complete or nearly complete remission after a single autologous transplantation.
Atmospheric dry deposition in the vicinity of the Salton Sea, California—I: Air pollution and deposition in a desert environment

Abstract Air pollutant concentrations and atmospheric dry deposition were monitored seasonally at the Salton Sea, southern California. Measurements of ozone (O3), nitric acid vapor (HNO3), ammonia (NH3), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were performed using passive samplers. Deposition rates of NO3−, NH4+, Cl−, SO42−, Na+, K+ and Ca2+ to creosote bush branches and nylon filters as surrogate surfaces were determined for one-week long exposure periods. Maximum O3 values were recorded in spring with 24-h average values of 108.8 μg m−3. Concentrations of NO and NO2 were low and within ranges of the non-urban areas in California (0.4–5.6 and 3.3–16.2 μg m−3 ranges, respectively). Concentrations of HNO3 (2.0–6.7 μg m−3) and NH3 (6.4–15.7 μg m−3) were elevated and above the levels typical for remote locations in California. Deposition rates of Cl−, SO 4 2 – , Na+, K+ and Ca2+ were related to the influence of sea spray or to suspended soil particles, and no strong enrichments caused by ions originated by human activities were detected. Dry deposition rates of NO 3 – and NH 4 + were similar to values registered in areas where symptoms of nitrogen saturation and changes in species composition have been described. Deposition of nitrogenous compounds might be contributing to eutrophication processes at the Salton Sea.
Sensitivity Analysis of Annual Nitrate Loads and the Corresponding Trends in the Lower Illinois River

AbstractRiverine nutrient concentrations and loads in the Midwestern United States have been identified as a major source of nutrients for the Mississippi River, causing hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. The Illinois River is one of the major contributors of nutrients to the Mississippi River, draining more than 40% of Illinois and parts of Indiana and Wisconsin. The main goals of this study were to calculate annual average nitrate concentration and annual total loads in the Lower Illinois River and its tributaries for 1975–2010, and to determine how the selection of different approaches affects the calculated trends. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has been collecting surface water quality data in Illinois since the early 1970s. This study used nitrite-N+nitrate-N (NO2+NO3) samples provided by IEPA and collected from the Illinois River at Havana and Valley City, Sangamon River at Oakford, and La Moine River at Ripley for the period 1975 to 2010. Discharge data concurrent with routine wat...
PMAC: Energy Efficient Medium Access Control Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

PMAC is a medium access protocol designed for wireless sensor networks. The protocol is based on exploiting the periodicity inherent in carrier sensing schemes like CSMA/CA combined with a relaxed time-access arbitration regime among the competing nodes. Transmission and reception of data frames are made to be strictly receiver-triggered events which makes it possible to bring down idle-listening drastically. The protocol also provides a way to make the channel access collision-free among the two-degree neighbors. PMAC requires no additional control signaling and no network-wide synchronization. The protocol design is not based on making any tradeoffs for the gains in energy efficiency with latency or throughput. It presents high-energy efficiency and throughput improvement in low as well as high-traffic scenarios. The performance of PMAC protocol is demonstrated using simulations and compared with SMAC protocol. In the results presented, PMAC provides an energy-efficiency by a factor of 3-8 when compared with SMAC. Also, latency improvement goes up by a factor of 5 and throughput increases by a factor of 3 on average.
High Regularities in Eye‐Movement Patterns Reveal the Dynamics of the Visual Working Memory Allocation Mechanism

With only two to five slots of visual working memory (VWM), humans are able to quickly solve complex visual problems to near optimal solutions. To explain the paradox between tightly constrained VWM and impressively complex human visual problem-solving ability, we propose several principles for dynamic VWM allocation. In particular, we propose that complex visual information is represented in a temporal manner using only a few slots of VWM that include global and local visual chunks. We built a model of human traveling salesman problem solving based on these principles of VWM allocation and tested the model with eye-movement data. Exactly as the model predicted, human eye movements during traveling salesman problem solving have precise quantitative regularities with regard to both the general statistical pattern of attentional fixations and how they vary across individuals with different VWM capacities. Even though VWM capacity is very limited, eye movements dynamically allocate VWM resources to both local and global information, enabling attention to fine details without loss of the big picture.
Conformance checking of PMI representation in CAD model STEP data exchange files

Recommended practices supplement data exchange standards by providing common implementation guidance associated with specific requirements. ISO 10303 (STEP) product data exchange files that conform to recommended practices ensure interoperability between computer-aided design (CAD) systems and with downstream applications such as manufacturing and inspection. Correct implementation of product and manufacturing information (PMI)-annotations associated with a CAD model's edges and faces such as geometric tolerances, dimensional tolerances, and datum features-in CAD authoring systems and translators is essential for interoperability. This paper discusses an approach implemented in a software tool for checking the conformance of STEP files to the recommended practice for PMI representation. Display Omitted Geometric and dimensional tolerances (PMI) are represented in STEP files.Correct implementation of PMI ensures interoperability with downstream applications.A software tool has been developed for conformance checking of PMI in STEP files.
Laminar fluid behavior in microchannels using micropolar fluid theory

Abstract In this paper, we describe microchannel fluid behavior using a numerical model based on micropolar fluid theory and experimentally verify the model using micromachined channels. The micropolar fluid theory augments the laws of classical continuum mechanics by incorporating the effects of fluid molecules on the continuum. The behavior of fluids was studied using surface micromachined rectangular metallic pipette arrays. Each array consisted of 5 or 7 pipettes with widths varying from 50 to 600 μm and heights ranging from 20 to 30 μm. A downstream port for static pressure measurement was used to eliminate entrance effects. A controllable syringe pump was used to provide flow while a differential pressure transducer was used to record pressure drop. The experimental data obtained for water showed an increase in the Darcy friction factor when compared to traditional macroscale theory, especially at the lower Reynolds number flows. The numerical model of the micropolar fluid theory predicted experimental data better than the classical Navier–Stokes theory and the model compares favorably with the currently available experimental data.
Toward an Analysis of Emotions as Products of Motivating Operations

The study of motivation within behavior analysis has historically pertained to the investigation of organism-environment interactions that alter the efficacy of events as reinforcers or aversive stimuli. A number of authors have noted similarities between the motivational properties of events that are classified as motivating operations (MOs) and the sorts of events typically held to occasion emotions. We will propose that emotions may be most usefully conceptualized within the framework of the MO concept, and that conceptualizing emotions in this way may serve to stimulate research in this important area. In so doing, we will provide a history of the behavior analytic treatment of emotions and offer an account of emotions as products of MOs using several examples from the literature. We will conclude by suggesting several areas in which the present account may generate research.
Quantitative Transcription Factor Binding Kinetics at the Single-Molecule Level

We investigated the binding interaction between the bacteriophage λ-repressor CI and its target DNA using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Large stepwise changes in the intensity of the red fluorescent protein fused to CI were observed as it associated with and dissociated from individually labeled single-molecule DNA targets. The stochastic association and dissociation were characterized by Poisson statistics. Dark and bright intervals were measured for thousands of individual events. The exponential distribution of the intervals allowed direct determination of the association and dissociation rate constants (ka and kd, respectively). We resolved in detail how ka and kd varied as a function of three control parameters: the DNA length L, the CI dimer concentration, and the binding affinity. Our results show that although interactions with nonoperator DNA sequences are observable, CI binding to the operator site is not dependent on the length of flanking nonoperator DNA.
THE KEPLER-19 SYSTEM: A TRANSITING 2.2 R ⊕ PLANET AND A SECOND PLANET DETECTED VIA TRANSIT TIMING VARIATIONS

We present the discovery of the Kepler-19 planetary system, which we first identified from a 9.3 day periodic transit signal in the Kepler photometry. From high-resolution spectroscopy of the star, we find a stellar effective temperature T_(eff) = 5541 ± 60 K, a metallicity [Fe/H] = –0.13 ± 0.06, and a surface gravity log(g) = 4.59 ± 0.10. We combine the estimate of T_(eff) and [Fe/H] with an estimate of the stellar density derived from the photometric light curve to deduce a stellar mass of M_*= 0.936 ± 0.040 M_☉ and a stellar radius of R_* = 0.850 ± 0.018 R_☉ (these errors do not include uncertainties in the stellar models). We rule out the possibility that the transits result from an astrophysical false positive by first identifying the subset of stellar blends that reproduce the precise shape of the light curve. Using the additional constraints from the measured color of the system, the absence of a secondary source in the high-resolution spectrum, and the absence of a secondary source in the adaptive optics imaging, we conclude that the planetary scenario is more than three orders of magnitude more likely than a blend. The blend scenario is independently disfavored by the achromaticity of the transit: we measure a transit depth with Spitzer at 4.5 μm of 547^(+113)_(–110) ppm, consistent with the depth measured in the Kepler optical bandpass of 567 ± 6 ppm (corrected for stellar limb darkening). We determine a physical radius of the planet Kepler-19b of R_p = 2.209 ± 0.048 R_⊕; the uncertainty is dominated by uncertainty in the stellar parameters. From radial velocity observations of the star, we find an upper limit on the planet mass of 20.3 M_⊕, corresponding to a maximum density of 10.4 g cm^(–3). We report a significant sinusoidal deviation of the transit times from a predicted linear ephemeris, which we conclude is due to an additional perturbing body in the system. We cannot uniquely determine the orbital parameters of the perturber, as various dynamical mechanisms match the amplitude, period, and shape of the transit timing signal and satisfy the host star's radial velocity limits. However, the perturber in these mechanisms has a period ≾ 160 days and mass ≾ 6 M_(Jup), confirming its planetary nature as Kepler-19c. We place limits on the presence of transits of Kepler-19c in the available Kepler data.
Efficient Pollution Regulation: Getting the Prices Right

This paper argues for efficient environmental regulations that equate the mar ginal damage of pollution to marginal abatement costs across space. The paper estimates the source-specific marginal damages of air pollution and calculates the welfare gain from making the current sulfur dioxide allowance trading pro gram for power plants more efficient. The savings from using trading ratios based on marginal damages are between $310 and $940 million per year. The potential savings from setting aggregate emissions efficiently and from includ ing more sources of air pollution are many times higher. (JEL H23, Q53, Q58)
Trichloroethylene — a Review of the Literature From a Health Effects Perspective:

This report reviews the literature on the impact of exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) on human health. Special emphasis is given to the health effects reported in excess of national norms by participants in the TCE Subregistry of the Volatile Organic Compounds Registry of the National Exposure Registries--persons with documented exposure to TCE through drinking and use of contaminated water. The health effects reported in excess by some or all of the sex and age groups studied were speech and hearing impairments, effects of stroke, liver problems, anemia and other blood disorders, diabetes, kidney disease, urinary tract disorders, and skin rashes.
A corpus of science journalism for analyzing writing quality

We introduce a corpus of science journalism articles, categorized in three levels of writing quality. The corpus fulﬁlls a glaring need for realistic data on which applications concerned with predicting text quality can be developed and evaluated. In this article we describe how we identiﬁed, guided by the judgements of renowned writers, samples of extraordinarily well-written pieces and how these were expanded to a larger set of typical journalistic writing. We provide details about the corpus and the text quality evaluations it can support. Our intention is to further extend the corpus with annotations of phenomena that reveal quantiﬁable differences between levels of writing quality. Here we introduce two of the many types of annotation on the sentence level that distinguish amazing from typical writing: text generality/speciﬁcity and communicative goal. We explore the feasibility of acquiring annotations automatically, and verify that such features are indeed predictive of writing quality. We ﬁnd that the annotation of general/speciﬁc on sentence level can be performed reasonably accurately fully automatically, while automatic annotations of communicative goal reveals salient characteristics of journalistic writing but does not align with categories we wish to annotate in future work.
Discrimination-shift behavior as a function of rule learning and the number of irrelevant categories

Reversal (R) and extradimensional (ED) choices in an optional discrimination shift study were investigated in college students (N = 150) as a function of varying amounts of previous mandatory R or ED training and the number of irrelevant categories during preshift training. The findings were that as the number of training problems increased, R or ED, the probability increased that the subject’s optional choice was consistent with his previous shift training. Optional choice behavior was not influenced by the number of irrelevant categories.
Effect of Dietary Energy and Protein Levels and Energy Source on White Leghorn Hens in Cages

Abstract THE requirement of the hen for total protein is given at 15% of the diet by the National Research Council (1954). Individual investigators have found a great deal of variation in this requirement; for example, Miller et al. (1957) and Thornton et al. (1957) reported that the hen requires only 12–13% protein, while Milton and Ingram (1957) and others indicated that under certain conditions the protein requirement is approximately 18% of the diet. Hens, particularly light breeds kept in cages where activity is restricted or heavy breeds kept under most conditions, frequently develop obesity during the laying year. McDaniel et al. (1957) reported that floor-housed birds contained nearly 10% less liver fat and lower serum cholesterol values than birds kept in individual cages during a 36 week study. Weiss and Fisher (1957) reported that the addition of 5–10% animal fat to hens (White Leghorns) maintained under floor conditions …
Spatiotemporal multiplexing of chromatic and achromatic information in human vision

Human vision is able to discriminate chromatic from achromatic changes under a wide variety of spatiotemporal conditions. Objectively, we distinguish physically between a light whose spectral energy distribution does not vary in space or time (except for a constant factor), and a light whose spectral distribution changes shape significantly, in either space or time or both. On the subjective level, we can visually discriminate spatiotemporal changes in hue from spatiotemporal changes in lightness. The general question of how to relate these subjective discriminations between chromatic and achromatic variations to the objective ones is still one of the basic problems at the core of visual science. Zone theories have generated opponent-color models that provide a useful framework to analyze these problems. According to those models, post-receptor processing is separated into independent channels, two color-opponent and one achromatic or luminance channel. Physiological and psychophysical data on spatiotemporal properties of chromatic and achromatic channels challenge the notion of chromatic-achromatic independence at an early stage, implying at least one intermediate process where the two types of information are intermixed. This intermediate stage can be modeled as an opponent multiplexing process. The multiplex model suggests decoding operations to separate chromatic and achromatic information at more central stages; and the implementation of those operations entails the generation of orientation selectivity. It is concluded that chromaticachromatic independence, a primal characteristic of human vision, must be implemented at stages located more centrally than previously thought. More generally, opponent multiplexing and the decoding algorithm are valid principles for any number of dimensions, which suggests that information processing other than vision could be studied from this perspective.
Selecting state variables for improved on-line testability through output response comparison of identical circuits

The existence of multiple copies of the same functional units in a design allows on-line testing to be performed by comparing the output responses of identical circuits when identical input sequences are applied to them. We extend the output response comparison scheme for identical sequential circuits in order to increase the fault coverage and reduce the fault latency of an unknown input sequence. The extension is based on using state variables in addition to primary outputs as part of the output response comparison scheme. The proposed procedure orders the state variables of the circuits such that each additional state variable in the ordered list has the highest possible impact on the on-line testability of the circuits. Depending on other constraints, the first state variables in the list can be selected for inclusion in the output response comparison scheme.
Arp2/3 complex and actin depolymerizing factor/cofilin in dendritic organization and treadmilling of actin filament array in lamellipodia.

The leading edge (approximately 1 microgram) of lamellipodia in Xenopus laevis keratocytes and fibroblasts was shown to have an extensively branched organization of actin filaments, which we term the dendritic brush. Pointed ends of individual filaments were located at Y-junctions, where the Arp2/3 complex was also localized, suggesting a role of the Arp2/3 complex in branch formation. Differential depolymerization experiments suggested that the Arp2/3 complex also provided protection of pointed ends from depolymerization. Actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin was excluded from the distal 0.4 micrometer++ of the lamellipodial network of keratocytes and in fibroblasts it was located within the depolymerization-resistant zone. These results suggest that ADF/cofilin, per se, is not sufficient for actin brush depolymerization and a regulatory step is required. Our evidence supports a dendritic nucleation model (Mullins, R.D., J.A. Heuser, and T.D. Pollard. 1998. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 95:6181-6186) for lamellipodial protrusion, which involves treadmilling of a branched actin array instead of treadmilling of individual filaments. In this model, Arp2/3 complex and ADF/cofilin have antagonistic activities. Arp2/3 complex is responsible for integration of nascent actin filaments into the actin network at the cell front and stabilizing pointed ends from depolymerization, while ADF/cofilin promotes filament disassembly at the rear of the brush, presumably by pointed end depolymerization after dissociation of the Arp2/3 complex.
Iron Metabolism: Iron Deficiency and Iron Overload

Iron is an essential cofactor in a variety of cellular processes. Except for a few unusual bacterial species, iron is indispensable for living organisms. However, free iron is toxic because of its propensity to induce the formation of dangerous free radicals. Consequently, iron balance is tightly regulated. Disorders of iron homeostasis are among the most common afflictions of humans. This review discusses inherited iron deficiency and iron overload disorders and recent insights into their pathophysiology.
Explanation of Temporal Clustering of Tsunami Sources Using the Epidemic‐Type Aftershock Sequence Model

Temporal clustering of tsunami sources is examined in terms of a branching process model. It previously was observed that there are more short interevent times between consecutive tsunami sources than expected from a stationary Poisson process. The epidemic‐type aftershock sequence (ETAS) branching process model is fitted to tsunami catalog events, using the earthquake magnitude of the causative event from the Centennial and Global Centroid Moment Tensor (CMT) catalogs and tsunami sizes above a completeness level as a mark to indicate that a tsunami was generated. The ETAS parameters are estimated using the maximum‐likelihood method. The interevent distribution associated with the ETAS model provides a better fit to the data than the Poisson model or other temporal clustering models. When tsunamigenic conditions (magnitude threshold, submarine location, dip‐slip mechanism) are applied to the Global CMT catalog, ETAS parameters are obtained that are consistent with those estimated from the tsunami catalog. In particular, the dip‐slip condition appears to result in a near zero magnitude effect for triggered tsunami sources. The overall consistency between results from the tsunami catalog and that from the earthquake catalog under tsunamigenic conditions indicates that ETAS models based on seismicity can provide the structure for understanding patterns of tsunami source occurrence. The fractional rate of triggered tsunami sources on a global basis is approximately 14%. Online Material: Figures of residual analysis for tsunami and earthquake catalogs.
Vertically stacking 10 periods of self-assembled InAs/InP quantum wires

Summary form only given. Additional confinement in semiconductor quantum wires is expected to significantly improve the performances of semiconductor devices due to the increased density of states at the band edge. We report our result on the fabrication of self-assembled InAs/InP quantum wires (QWRs) with single and 10 vertical-periods. Our InAs QWRs were grown on InP [001] substrates in a Riber 32 MBE system at the temperature of 430/spl deg/C and a growth rate of 0.3 ML/s. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra and PL polarizations of the two samples were investigated at different pump wavelengths, different pump intensities and sample temperatures. Our results exhibited unique behaviors, especially on the stacked quantum wires. Following our detailed analyses, we determined the structure of the stacked quantum wires from the bottom to the top, which is different from the designed one. Furthermore, we have provided a new design that will result in the narrowing of the PL linewidth for the stacked self-assembled quantum wires.
The DEP Domain Determines Subcellular Targeting of the GTPase Activating Protein RGS9 In Vivo

DEP (for Disheveled, EGL-10, Pleckstrin) homology domains are present in numerous signaling proteins, including many in the nervous system, but their function remains mostly elusive. We report that the DEP domain of a photoreceptor-specific signaling protein, RGS9 (for regulator of G-protein signaling 9), plays an essential role in RGS9 delivery to the intracellular compartment of its functioning, the rod outer segment. We generated a transgenic mouse in which RGS9 was replaced by its mutant lacking the DEP domain. We then used a combination of the quantitative technique of serial tangential sectioning-Western blotting with electrophysiological recordings to demonstrate that mutant RGS9 is expressed in rods in the normal amount but is completely excluded from the outer segments. The delivery of RGS9 to rod outer segments is likely to be mediated by the DEP domain interaction with a transmembrane protein, R9AP (for RGS9 anchoring protein), known to anchor RGS9 on the surface of photoreceptor membranes and to potentiate RGS9 catalytic activity. We show that both of these functions are also abolished as the result of the DEP domain deletion. These findings indicate that a novel function of the DEP domain is to target a signaling protein to a specific compartment of a highly polarized neuron. Interestingly, sequence analysis of R9AP reveals the presence of a conserved R-SNARE (for soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) motif and a predicted overall structural homology with SNARE proteins involved in vesicular trafficking and fusion. This presents the possibility that DEP domains might serve to target various DEP-containing proteins to the sites of their intracellular action via interactions with the members of extended SNARE protein family.
HEU Measurements of Holdup and Recovered Residue in the Deactivation and Decommission Activities of the 321-M Reactor Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site

This paper contains a summary of the holdup and material control and accountability (MC&A) assays conducted for the determination of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in the deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) of the Reactor Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The facility was used to fabricate HEU fuel assemblies, lithium-aluminum target tubes, neptunium assemblies, and miscellaneous components for the SRS production reactors. The facility operated for more than 35 years. During this time thousands of uranium-aluminum alloy (U-Al) production reactor fuel tubes were produced. After the facility ceased operations in 1995, all of the easily accessible U-Al was removed from the building, and only residual amounts remained. The bulk of this residue was located in the equipment that generated and handled small U-Al particles and in the exhaust systems for this equipment (e.g., chip compactor, casting furnaces, log saw, lathes A & B, cyclone separator, FreonOcart, riser crusher, …, etc). The D&D project is likely to represent an important example for D&D activities across SRS and across the Department of Energy weapons complex. The Savannah River National Laboratory was tasked to conduct holdup assays to quantify the amount of HEU on all components removed from the facility prior to placing in solid waste containers. The 235U holdup in any single component of process equipment must not exceed 50 g in order to meet the container limit. This limit was imposed to meet criticality requirements of the low level solid waste storage vaults. Thus, the holdup measurements were used as guidance to determine if further decontamination of equipment was needed to ensure that the quantity of 235U did not exceed the 50 g limit and to ensure that the waste met the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) of the solid waste storage vaults. Since HEU is an accountable nuclear material, the holdupassays and assays of recovered residue were also important for material control and accountability purposes. In summary, the results of the holdup assays were essential for determining compliance with the Waste Acceptance Criteria, Material Control & Accountability, and to ensure that administrative criticality safety controls were not exceeded. This paper discusses theg-ray assay measurements conducted and the modeling of the acquired data to obtain measured holdup in process equipment, exhaust components, and fixed geometry scrap cans. It also presents development work required to model new acquisition configurations and to adapt available instrumentation to perform the assays.
Business school internships: sources and resources.

An exit survey was completed by 381 undergraduate students enrolled in a for-credit business school internship course. Among the survey highlights were the following results: the vast majority worked in a for-profit business, with marketing as the most often cited functional area in an internship that was unpaid. A personal contact was most likely to be the source of the internship and one-third received a job offer with some credit being directly related to the School of Business internship program. The full results of the survey are discussed within the context of intelligent careers.
High-Impact Female Entrepreneurship in Latin America: A Preliminary Analysis

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor's 2012 survey, Latin America boasts a high degree of female entrepreneurial activity: 15 percent of working age females are engaged in entrepreneurial startups compared to 19 percent of males. However little is known with regards to the opportunities and constraints for innovative female entrepreneurs with growth-oriented businesses in Latin America. By analysing three case studies from Bolivia, Brazil and Colombia, this paper provides insights into the key areas that need to be improved, presents examples of current programs that are being implemented to reduce gendered impediments and provides recommendations for additional measures.
Lutein and Eicosapentaenoic Acid Interact to Modify iNOS mRNA Levels through the PPARγ/RXR Pathway in Chickens and HD11 Cell Lines

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of lutein and fat or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) interaction on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), PPARs alpha, beta, and gamma, and retinoic acid X receptor (RXR) alpha and gamma mRNA levels. In Expt. 1, macrophages were collected from broiler chicks fed 3 or 6% dietary fat (g/100 g) with 0, 25, and 50 mg lutein/kg feed for 23 d. In Expt. 2, using a 3 x 3 factorial, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) at 0, 15 and 50 micromol/L and lutein at 0, 10 and 100 micromol/L were applied to HD11 cell culture for 24 h. In both experiments, cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide before RNA isolation. Lutein interacted with fat in Expt. 1 and with EPA in Expt. 2 to affect mRNA levels of iNOS, PPARgamma, and RXRalpha in chicken macrophages and HD11 cells, respectively (P < 0.05). At 3% dietary fat or up to 15 micromol/L EPA in the medium, increasing lutein increased the iNOS mRNA. However, at 6% dietary fat or 50 micromol/L EPA, lutein did not cause a rise in iNOS mRNA. Increasing lutein in the medium from 0 to 100 micromol/L decreased iNOS mRNA. Increasing lutein with high fat (6%) or EPA (15 micromol/L EPA) increased PPARgamma and RXRalpha mRNA levels. Lutein increased PPARalpha mRNA levels in both macrophages (P < 0.01) and HD11 (P = 0.01) cells and RXRgamma (P < 0.01) mRNA levels in macrophages. GW9662, a PPARgamma antagonist, prevented (P < 0.01) the lutein-induced iNOS mRNA downregulation in HD11 cells. LG101208, a RXR antagonist, prevented (P < 0.01) iNOS upregulation induced by 10 micromol/L lutein and iNOS mRNA downregulation induced by 100 micromol/L lutein. We conclude that lutein and EPA interact through the PPARgamma and RXR pathways to modulate iNOS mRNA.
Modeling the Viscoelastic Behavior of SBS Block Copolymer Solids

Thermodynamic models for the microphase separation of block copolymers have evolved much further in the past decade than have rheological models for interpreting mechanical property data on these materials. Early thermodynamic theories were designed as two-phase models (1–6), so that diblock AB or triblock ABA was represented as having microphases of pure A and pure B with a sharp interface between. A major advance was the recognition (7) that a third region, an interphase of intermediate composition, must contribute importantly in a system having such small phase dimensions (Fig. 1). Incorporation of this concept in thermodynamic models (7–10) has been quite successful, in terms of predicting microstructural geometries and microphase separation temperatures Ts which have been verified by experiment (e.g., 11).
Species Trees from Gene Trees Despite a High Rate of Lateral Genetic Transfer: A Tight Bound (Extended Abstract).

Reconstructing the tree of life from molecular sequences is a fundamental problem in computational biology. Modern data sets often contain a large number of genes which can complicate the reconstruction problem due to the fact that different genes may undergo different evolutionary histories. This is the case in particular in the presence of lateral genetic transfer (LGT), whereby a gene is inherited from a distant species rather than an immediate ancestor. Such an event produces a gene tree which is distinct from (but related to) the species phylogeny. In previous work, a stochastic model of LGT was introduced and it was shown that the species phylogeny can be reconstructed from gene trees despite surprisingly high rates of LGT. Both lower and upper bounds on this rate were obtained, but a large gap remained. Here we close this gap, up to a constant. Specifically, we show that the species phylogeny can be reconstructed perfectly even when each edge of the tree has a constant probability of being the location of an LGT event. Our new reconstruction algorithm builds the tree recursively from the leaves. We also provide a matching bound in the negative direction (up to a con-
Aging and vasodilation to atrial peptides.

Alterations in the levels or activity of atrial peptides may be associated with cardiovascular pathologies such as hypertension and congestive heart failure that are more common in the elderly. In the present study, we examined the possibity that vascular relaxation to atrial peptides may be affected by animal age. In vitro evaluation of the relaxation produced by atrial peptide-25 (AP-25) in serotonin-contracted rat aorta, carotid artery and mesenteric artery indicated that relaxation was greatest in tissues from rats 1-2 months of age. Nevertheless, roughly 80% of the maximal possible relaxation to AP-25 occurred in arteries from older rats (up to 18-19 months of age). A similar profile of relaxant responsiveness occurred with AP-21 (atriopeptin I). Unlike the arterial preparations examined, portal veins from rats of all ages relaxed similarly to AP-25, consistent with the lack of age-related changes in relaxation to β-agonists in the rat portal vein. In vivo, AP-25 given intravenously lowered blood pre...