cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mirage events & driver haptic steering alerts in a motion-base driving simulator: A method for selecting an optimal HMI

This paper describes a new method, a 'mirage scenario,' to support formative evaluation of driver alerting or warning displays for manual and automated driving. This method provides driving contexts (e.g., various Times-To-Collision (TTCs) to a lead vehicle) briefly presented and then removed. In the present study, during each mirage event, a haptic steering display was evaluated. This haptic display indicated a steering response may be initiated to drive around an obstacle ahead. A motion-base simulator was used in a 32-participant study to present vehicle motion cues similar to the actual application. Surprise was neither present nor of concern, as it would be for a summative evaluation of a forward collision warning system. Furthermore, no collision avoidance maneuvers were performed, thereby reducing the risk of simulator sickness. This paper illustrates the mirage scenario procedures, the rating methods and definitions used with the mirage scenario, and analysis of the ratings obtained, together with a multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) approach to evaluate and select among alternative designs for future summative evaluation.
Structure and Dynamics of Electron Injection and Charge Recombination in i-Motif DNA Conjugates.

The dynamics of electron injection have been investigated in intramolecular i-motif conjugates possessing stilbenediether (Sd) and perylenediimide (PDI) chromophores separated by either four or six hemiprotonated cytosine C–C base pairs assembled with synthetic loops. Circular dichroism spectra are consistent with the formation of i-motif structures in the absence or presence of Sd and PDI chromophores. The fluorescence of the Sd chromophore is essentially completely quenched by neighboring C–C base pairs, consistent with their function as an electron donor and electron acceptor, respectively. However, the fluorescence of the PDI chromophore is only partially quenched. The dynamics of electron injection from singlet Sd into the i-motif and subsequent charge recombination has been determined by femtosecond transient absorption (fsTA) spectroscopy and compared with the results for electron injection and charge recombination in Sd-linked hairpins possessing cytosine–guanine (C–G) or 5-fluorouracil–adenine (F...
Measurement of. delta. sigma/sub L/ and C/sub L/L = (L,L; 0,0) in proton-proton scattering between 300 and 800 MeV

Measurements are reported of the difference ..delta..sigma/sub L/ between proton-proton total cross sections for parallel and antiparallel spin states and of the parameter C/sub L/L for proton-proton elastic scattering near 90/sup 0/, for thirteen energies between 300 and 800 MeV. The ..delta..sigma/sub L/ results agree well with previous ANL ZGS and SIN data, but disagree with recent results from TRIUMF. Attempts to understand the cause of the discrepancy have been unsuccessful, but possible sources are discussed. The ..delta..sigma/sub L/ and C/sub L/L results have been used with other experimental data to extract quantities which depend only on spin-singlet, coupled spin-triplet, and spin-triplet partial waves. Structure is found in these quantities, which appears to be associated with the resonantlike /sup 1/D/sub 2/ and /sup 3/F/sub 3/ partial waves. Additional similar structure is also found, which may be due either to the /sup 3/P/sub 0/ partial wave or the (/sup 3/P/sub 2/, /sup 3/F/sub 2/) partial-wave pair.
Mechanically stable conjugate and suspended lasing membranes of bridged nano-cylinders

We present two different fabrication approaches for a suspended lasing membrane with intricate sub-micron patterning for an InGaAsP/InP platform. One approach involves a hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) electron beam lithography resist as a dry etch hard mask and another with an added chromium (Cr) hard mask. The Cr hard mask process allows for fine control over patterned dimensions in comparison to the HSQ mask. This is crucial to both membrane stability and device performance. Both approaches are heavily susceptible to dry etch requirements and the etching window used for membrane release. The techniques presented here are of practical interest to the design of membrane based devices with applications in microfluidic biosensors and flexible laser membranes.
Disparaging Trademarks and Social Responsibility

This study examines the use of disparaging and offensive trademarks and mascots by sports teams. Specifically, this study considers whether the continued use of Native American symbols and mascots in sports comports with the Christians-Nordenstreng conceptualization of social responsibility, which considers the three principles of human dignity, truth-telling, and nonmaleficence. To do this, the article considers the history and arguments both for and against the use of these symbols in sports communication. This article concludes with a discussion of how the use of these trademarks does not fulfill the three principles of social responsibility and what that means for the symbols’ continued use.
Error messages are classifiers: a process to design and evaluate error messages

This paper presents a lightweight process to guide error report authoring. We take the perspective that error reports are really classifiers of program information. They should therefore be subjected to the same measures as other classifiers (e.g., precision and recall). We formalize this perspective as a process for assessing error reports, describe our application of this process to an actual programming language, and present a preliminary study on the utility of the resulting error reports.
Manufacturing an Artificial Intelligence Revolution

While the term "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) was coined in the 1950s, in recent years AI has become a focus of attention in mainstream media. Yet the forces behind AI's revival have been unclear. I argue here that the "AI" label has been rebranded to promote a contested vision of world governance through big data. Major tech companies have played a key role in the rebranding, partly by hiring academics that work on big data (which has been effectively relabeled "AI") and helping to create the sense that super-human AI is imminent. However, I argue that the latest AI systems are premised on an old behaviorist view of intelligence that's far from encompassing human thought. In practice, the confusion around AI's capacities serves as a pretext for imposing more metrics upon human endeavors and advancing traditional neoliberal policies. The revived AI, like its predecessors, seeks intelligence with a "view from nowhere" (disregarding race, gender and class)---which can also be used to mask institutional power in visions of AI-based governance. Ultimately, AI's rebranding showcases how corporate interests can rapidly reconfigure academic fields. It also brings to light how a nebulous technical term (AI) may be exploited for political gain.
Investigation of novel inverted NiO@NixCo1-xO core-shell nanoparticles

Inverse core-shell nanoparticles, comprised of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) core covered by a ferromagnetic (FM) or ferrimagnetic (FiM) shell, are of current interest due to their different potential application and due to the tunability of their magnetic properties. The antiferromagnetic nature of NiO and high Neel temperature (523 K) makes this material well suited for inverse core-shell nanoparticle applications. Our primary objective in this project has been to synthesize and characterize inverted core-shell nanoparticles (CSNs) comprised of a NiO (AFM) core and a shell consisting of a NixCo1-xO (FiM) compound. The synthesis of the CSNs was made using a two-step process. The NiO nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical reaction method. Subsequently, the NiO nanoparticles were used to grow the NiO@NixCo1-xO CSNs using our hydrothermal nano-phase epitaxy method. XRD structural characterization shows that the NiO@NixCo1-xO CSNs have the rock salt cubic crystal structure. SEM-EDS data indicates the p...
Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm and Live with Themselves

Preface.- 1. Nature Of Moral Agenc.- 2. Mechanisms Of Moral Disengagement.- 3. Entertainment Industry.- 4. Gun Industry.- 5. Corporate World.- 6. Capital Punishment.- 7. Terrorism And Counterterrorism.- 8. Environmental Sustainability.- References??.- Index.
Harnessing RIG-I and intrinsic immunity in the tumor microenvironment for therapeutic cancer treatment.

// David L. Elion 1 and Rebecca S. Cook 2, 3, 4 1 Cancer Biology Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA 2 Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA 3 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University School of Engineering, Nashville, TN 37232, USA 4 Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA Correspondence to: Rebecca S. Cook, email: Rebecca.cook@vanderbilt.edu Keywords: immunotherapy; RIG-I; innate immunity; pyroptosis; tumor microenvironment Received: March 24, 2018 Accepted: May 24, 2018 Published: June 22, 2018 ABSTRACT Cancer immunotherapies that remove checkpoint restraints on adaptive immunity are gaining clinical momentum. Approaches aimed at intrinsic cellular immunity in the tumor microenvironment are less understood, but are of intense interest, based on their ability to induce tumor cell apoptosis while orchestrating innate and adaptive immune responses against tumor antigens. The intrinsic immune response is initiated by ancient, highly conserved intracellular proteins that detect viral infection. For example, the RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), a family of related RNA helicases, detect viral oligonucleotide patterns of certain RNA viruses. RLR activation induces immunogenic cell death of virally infected cells, accompanied by increased inflammatory cytokine production, antigen presentation, and antigen-directed immunity against virus antigens. Approaches aimed at non-infectious RIG-I activation in cancers are being tested as a treatment option, with the goal of inducing immunogenic tumor cell death, stimulating production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, enhancing tumor neoantigen presentation, and potently increasing cytotoxic activity of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. These studies are finding success in several pre-clinical models, and are entering early phases of clinical trial. Here, we review pre-clinical studies of RLR agonists, including the successes and challenges currently faced RLR agonists on the path to clinical translation.
Anesthetic implications for coexisting cardiac capillary hemangioma and multiple coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistulas.

Abnormalities of the coronary vascular branches and cardiac hemangiomas represent together unusual clinical entities, with an incidence difficult to establish for the former as the vast majority of the patients with these anomalous vascular connections are usually asymptomatic and 2.8% for the latter. Symptomatic patients may develop dyspnea on exertion or chest pain secondary to a “coronary steal” phenomenon as part of the underlying pathophysiology of the disease. The authors report a case of a patient with concomitant cardiac capillary hemangioma with multiple coronary to pulmonary artery fistula connections that was successfully treated with surgical resection of the tumor and ligation of the fistula tracts. A comprehensive and balanced anesthesia management aimed to preserve tight hemodynamic stability to avoid increased myocardial demand and worsening of the coronary steal becomes essential in these patients.
Fission Product Recovery from Waste Solutions by Solvent Extraction

Increasing industrial, military, and space requirements for certain fission products places emphasis on new and large-scale methods for their recovery from reactor process waste liquors. With recen...
Diagnostic Imaging of Degenerative Spine Diseases: The Technical Approach

The assessment of spinal degenerative diseases with diagnostic imaging – as well as other fields of application – has seen remarkable development with technological progress, in particular regarding computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Only 20 years ago, conventional radiography was considered the basis of degenerative spine diagnostic imaging and we proceeded to second-line investigations choosing between CT and MRI based on radiographic findings and clinical evidence. Today, the situation has changed radically thanks to the greater availability of CT and MRI, the relative cost reduction, and the greater scanning speed.
The Design of Hand Gestures for Selecting Virtual Objects

Providing input for the selection of objects in virtual, augmented, and mixed-mode reality can be done with hand-held controllers or hand gestures depending on the complexity and precision required...
Participation Takes Many Forms: Exploring the Frameworks Surrounding Children’s Engagement in Participatory Research

This chapter begins by outlining a conceptual understanding of young children as competent individuals capable of engaging in effective participatory research with rights to be treated accordingly. Within this participatory view of children engaged within the process of research, Fielding’s (Forum 43(2):100–110, 2001) four level model of student participation delineates the nuances of participatory work in educational environments. Fielding’s model distinguishes between students as sources of data, students as active respondents, students as co-researcher, and students as researchers. To further clarify the processes of participation with young children, Lansdown’s (Can you hear me? The right of young children to participate in decisions affecting them, Working papers in early childhood development, vol 36. Bernard van Leer Foundation, The Hague, 2005) framework is introduced to differentiate the degrees of children’s participation within experiences – consultation, participatory processes, and self-initiation. This chapter features a brief research vignette, drawn from a long-term digital photography project with preschool children, to explore adult’s and children’s participatory engagement and research roles.
CryptoAPI-Bench: A Comprehensive Benchmark on Java Cryptographic API Misuses

Several studies showed that misuses of cryptographic APIs are common in real-world code (e.g., Apache projects and Android apps). There exist several open-sourced and commercial security tools that automatically screen Java programs to detect misuses. In order to compare their accuracy and security guarantees, we develop a comprehensive benchmark named CryptoAPI-Bench. CryptoAPI-Bench consists of 171 unit test cases that cover basic cases, as well as complex cases, including interprocedural, field sensitive, multiple class test cases, and path sensitive data flow of misuse cases. The benchmark also includes correct cases for testing false positive rates. We evaluate CryptoAPI-Bench on four tools, namely, SpotBugs, CryptoGuard, CrySL, and Coverity and present their performance and comparative analysis. Our benchmark is useful for advancing state-of-the-art solutions in the space of misuse detection.
Integrative Genomic Analysis and Functional Studies Reveal GP5, GRN, MPO and MCAM as Causal Protein Biomarkers for Platelet Traits

Rationale: Mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet count (PLT) are platelet measures that have been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality risk. Identifying protein biomarkers for these measures may yield insights into CVD mechanisms. Objective: We aimed to identify causal protein biomarkers for MPV and PLT among 71 CVD-related plasma proteins measured in Framingham Heart Study (FHS) participants. Methods and Results: We conducted integrative analyses of genetic variants associated with PLT and MPV with protein quantitative trait locus (pQTL) variants associated with plasma proteins followed by Mendelian randomization (MR) to infer causal relations of proteins for PLT/MPV, and tested protein-PLT/MPV association in FHS participants. Utilizing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived megakaryocyte (MK) clones that produce functional platelets, we conducted RNA-sequencing and analyzed transcriptome-wide differences between low- and high-platelet producing clones. We then performed small interfering RNA (siRNA) gene knockdown experiments targeting genes encoding proteins with putatively causal platelet effects in MK clones to examine effects on platelet production. Protein-trait association analyses were conducted for MPV (n = 4,348) and PLT (n = 4,272). Eleven proteins were associated with MPV and 31 with PLT. MR identified four putatively causal proteins for MPV and four for PLT. Glycoprotein V (GP5), granulin (GRN), and melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) were associated with PLT in both protein-trait and MR analyses. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) showed significant association with MPV in both analyses. MK RNA-sequencing analysis results were directionally concordant with observed and MR-inferred associations for GP5, GRN, and MCAM. In siRNA gene knockdown experiments, silencing GP5, GRN, and MPO decreased platelet counts. Conclusions: By integrating population genomics data, epidemiological data, and iPSC-derived MK experiments, we identified four proteins that are causally linked to platelet counts. These proteins and genes may be further explored for their utility in increasing platelet production in bioreactors for transfusion medicine purposes as well as their roles in the pathogenesis of CVD via a platelet/blood coagulation-based mechanism.
A critique of the approach to controlling electrostatic risk in semiconductor production and identification of a potential risk from the use of equipotential bonding

Equipotential bonding, whereby objects are connected to a common electrical potential (usually ground) to prevent electrostatic discharges during material handling, has been shown to increase the risk of field-induced reticle damage. It is explained how the presence of an electric field can cause electrostatic damage in a reticle without a discharge event taking place. A comparison is drawn between the damage mechanisms that can take place in reticles and in semiconductor devices. The use of equipotential bonding during the manufacture of electrically sensitive semiconductor and micro-electro-mechanical systems is discussed. It is concluded that while equipotential bonding eliminates the risk of ESD during material handling, it simultaneously creates other risks for the devices being manufactured, which has the potential to introduce latent defects. An alternative methodology for dealing with electrostatic risk in semiconductor manufacturing is proposed, which would eliminate the undesirable enhancement of field-induction effects that is a consequence of using equipotential bonding.
The Effect of Oral Contraceptive Hormones on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Strength

Background:Women are 2 to 9 times more likely to experience an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury than men. Various hormones including relaxin, progesterone, and estrogen influence ACL strengt...
Abstract A17: Polyploid giant cancer cells lead to evolution of drug resistance in high-grade ovarian cancer

Whole genomic duplications (WGD) have been reported in 37% to 56% of high-grade cancers. WGD leads to formation of polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) with salient and atypical nuclear morphology noted by light microscopy. However, PGCCs are generally considered nonviable due to their inability to execute mitosis. We have recently reported that PGCCs are capable of generating mitosis-competent progeny cells via primitive amitotic division including budding, splitting, and burst. We have further demonstrated that PGCCs are part of the process of somatic reprogramming named the giant cell life cycle composed of four distinct but overlapping phases including initiation, self-renewal, termination, and stability. The giant cell life cycle resets the somatic cell from the mitotic cycle to stress-induced endoreplication cell cycle via WGD to form PGCCs. The PGCCs activate endogenous embryonic factors for the reprogramming, which leads to the birth of drug-resistant cells by clonal selection from newly generated heterogeneous cancer stem cells. However, the underlying genetic and epigenetic mechanisms during WGD remain unclear. By mapping DNA methylation and whole-genome sequencing, monitoring the telomere dynamics, and tracking the cellular and nuclear morphology using microscopic time-lapse imaging observations during the time course of giant cell life cycle, we hereby provide new evidence that the daughters cells derived from PGCCs have massive alterations at the whole-genome and epigenome levels. The reprogrammed resistant daughter cells are achieved, at least in part, by genomic instability via shortened telomeres. Targeting PGCCs and promoting their differentiation during the course of giant cell life cycle may represent a novel approach to intercept drug resistance. Citation Format: Na Niu, Xiaoran Li, Jun Yao, Anil Sood, Jinsong Liu. Polyploid giant cancer cells lead to evolution of drug resistance in high-grade ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolving Landscape of Cancer Modeling; 2020 Mar 2-5; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A17.
Age Differences in Social Schematicity

A reduced processing resource in older adults is a popular current explanation for age differences in cognition. A reduced resource hypothesis has also been used to explain age differences in social information processing. We have argued that a simple resource reduction interpretation is inadequate to explain many social cognitive phenomena, including causal attributions. We have focused on aspects of social information processing, such as automaticity of access to information held in memory, that must be considered in the context of concurrent processing resources to explain age differences in social reasoning, when they occur. More critically, we have identified a major competitor to a reduced processing resource account: age differences in the content, schematicity, and activation of social knowledge and social belief systems. This account does not depend upon reductions in processing capacity, but instead argues that an individual of any age will not engage in elaborative social reasoning when actors in social contexts violate strongly held beliefs about appropriate social behaviors. According to this view, age differences in social norms and rules regarding appropriate behaviors account for age differences in causal attributions in the type of social vignettes we have examined in our research. We have also provided a brief description of an empirical approach that addresses the difficult issue of how to measure different individuals’ relevant belief systems, in terms of content and schematicity of that content. We believe this approach can help to compare and contrast the processing resource view with a knowledge view of age differences in causal attributions, and perhaps, other kinds of social information processing as well.
Legitimizing the “War on Terror”: Political Myth in Official-Level Rhetoric

This paper argues that mythical discourse affects political practice by imbuing language with power, shaping what people consider to be legitimate, and driving the determination to act. Drawing on Bottici's (2007) philosophical understanding of political myth as a process of work on a common narrative that answers the human need to ground events in significance, it contributes to the study of legitimization in political discourse by examining the role of political myth in official‐level U.S. war rhetoric. It explores how two ubiquitous yet largely invisible political myths, American Exceptionalism and Civilization vs. Barbarism, which have long defined America's ideal image of itself and its place in the world, have become staples in the language of the "War on Terror." Through a qualitative analysis of the content of over 50 official texts containing lexical triggers of the two myths, this paper shows that senior officials of the Bush Administration have rhetorically accessed these mythical representations of the world in ways that legitimize and normalize the practices of the "War on Terror."
Just Undercompensation: The Idiosyncratic Premium in Eminent Domain

When the government exercises its power of eminent domain to take private property, the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that the property's owners receive "just compensation," which the Supreme Court has defined as equal to the property’s fair market value. Today, a well-established consensus exists on three basic propositions about this fair market value standard. First, the standard systematically undercompensates owners of taken property, because market prices do not reflect owners' personal valuations of particular pieces of property. Second, this undercompensation is unfair to those owners. And third, an appropriate way to rectify this problem is to add fixed-percentage bonuses to the amount of compensation paid. Several states have recently enacted laws requiring such bonuses, and prominent academics have endorsed their adoption. This Article, however, argues that all three of these widely accepted propositions are false. First, examining the economics of market-price formation reveals that fair market value includes compensation for more subjective value than previously recognized. Second, much of what market value leaves uncompensated should not, in fairness, receive compensation. Third, although justice may require paying compensation above fair market value in certain situations, this Article argues that the solution favored by academics and recent state legislation is itself unjust, undermining the civic and moral equality of rich and poor property owners by relatively overcompensating the rich while undercompensating the poor for losses which have equal value to rich and poor alike. The Article concludes by showing how an alternative approach can avoid these fairness problems.
Tensor and Vector Asymmetries in P-D⃗ Elastic Scattering at 600 MeV

We report the results of the first measurement of the deuteron tensor and vector asymmetries in p-d elastic scattering at 600 MeV proton kinetic energy.
Musical taste and patterns of symbolic exclusion in the United States 1993–2012: Generational dynamics of differentiation and continuity

Abstract Most research in the sociology of taste has focused primarily on the role of socioeconomic status (SES) in modulating patterns of cultural choice. This has led to a general neglect of the role of age as a structuring factor in its own right. In this paper, we turn our attention to cross-sectional and over-time differences in expressions of cultural taste across age groups. We concentrate on the phenomenon that Bryson (1996) has referred to as “symbolic exclusion”: namely, the (differential) propensity of persons to express dislike for certain cultural styles. Comparing musical dislikes from the 1993 General Social Survey data to a replication of the same instrument in 2012, we find that, overall, Americans are less likely to express dislikes across most musical categories, with the most substantial declines observed for Rap and Heavy Metal, especially among college-educated young adults. The exceptions to this pattern are the Country, Folk, and Religious styles, all of which are more likely to be disliked in 2012 than they were in 1993, and Rock and Classical music, both of which are increasingly rejected by high-status young people at the same time that they are less likely to be rejected by their same-status older counterparts.
Control of Pineal N-Acetylserotonin by a Beta Adrenergic Receptor

A specific and sensitive assay for N -acetylserotonin, the precursor of the pineal hormone melatonin, is described. The levels of N -acetylserotonin in the pineal gland rise in vivo after the administration of l -isoproterenol. l -Propranolol, a beta adrenergic blocking agent, reverses the rise in N -acetylserotonin caused by isoproterenol within 15 min. Phentolamine, an alpha adrenergic blocking agent, is without effect. Turning on the lights or administering l -propranolol at night causes a rapid decrease in the amount of N -acetylserotonin in the pineal. Thus the level of N -acetylserotonin varies as does the level of N -acetyltransferase, which in turn is controlled by stimulation of a beta adrenergic receptor. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors thank Dr. Takeo Deguchi for his helpful criticism and advice throughout the course of these studies.
Leisure activities and depressive symptoms in older adults with cognitive complaints.

Background: Depressive symptoms are common in older adults and associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment. Leisure activities are often promoted for individuals with mood symptoms but few studies compare the effects of different types of leisure activities on reducing depressive symptoms. Methods: Data were analyzed from participants enrolled from 2008–2009 in the Mental Activity and eXercise (MAX) Trial, which examined the effects of physical plus mental activity over 12 weeks in inactive older adults with cognitive complaints. There were no significant differences between intervention groups on the primary outcome of cognitive function or the secondary outcome of depressive symptoms; therefore, all participants were combined for the current analyses in which we examined changes in leisure activity engagement (Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS)), and changes in depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)) as a function of changes in leisure activity engagement from baseline to post-intervention. Results: Participants’ mean age was 73.0 years, 61.6% were female, and 63.6% were non-Hispanic white. There was a significant change in total hours per week engaged in leisure activities from baseline (36.7 hours, SD = 12.7) to post-intervention (40.4 hours, SD = 15.7; paired t-test p = 0.02), and mean change in depressive symptoms was significantly inversely correlated with change in leisure activity hours such that increases in total leisure activity were associated with decreases in depressive symptoms (r = −0.21, p = 0.04). Conclusions: Increasing the total amount of leisure activity levels may help lower depressive symptoms in inactive older adults with cognitive complaints.
Low Cost Time Efficient Multi-tone Test Signal Generation Using OFDM Technique

In this paper, we present a new multi-tone test signal generation method with different frequency tones uniformly distributed across a wideband spectrum. It employs OFDM (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) spread spectrum technique to allow users to define signal parameters with a great flexibility as per the test requirements. This OFDM method essentially starts from the frequency sampling and then conversion to generate time domain signals, which can significantly reduce the number of data points in the signal generation. Response of such test signals from the device under test (DUT) can be captured and analyzed so as to characterize frequency response associated with each frequency tone. For validation, simulations with Matlab Simulink tool and hardware implementation on a Xilinx Virtex5 FPGA board are developed.
Sharing and caring of eScience data

This commentary reflects on the issues presented in this volume from the perspective of a large eScience project, GEON, whose aim is to promote data integration in the geosciences within the US and abroad. Technical, social, and regulatory challenges accompanying the collection, curation, and sharing of eScience data are discussed. Opportunities and barriers to engaging in international eScience collaborations are highlighted.
The inverted complex Wishart distribution and its application to spectral estimation

Abstract The inverted complex Wishart distribution and its use for the construction of spectral estimates are studied. The density, some marginals of the distribution, and the first- and second-order moments are given. For a vector-valued time series, estimation of the spectral density at a collection of frequencies and estimation of the increments of the spectral distribution function in each of a set of frequency bands are considered. A formal procedure applies Bayes theorem, where the complex Wishart is used to represent the distribution of an average of adjacent periodogram values. A conjugate prior distribution for each parameter is an inverted complex Wishart distribution. Use of the procedure for estimation of a 2 × 2 spectral density matrix is discussed.
Identification of a kinetically significant anion binding (KISAB) site in the N-lobe of human serum transferrin.

Human serum transferrin (hTF) binds two ferric iron ions which are delivered to cells in a transferrin receptor (TFR) mediated process. Critical to the delivery of iron to cells is the binding of hTF to the TFR and the efficient release of iron orchestrated by the interaction. Within the endosome, iron release from hTF is also aided by lower pH, the presence of anions, and a chelator yet to be identified. We have recently shown that three of the four residues comprising a loop in the N-lobe (Pro142, Lys144, and Pro145) are critical to the high-affinity interaction of hTF with the TFR. In contrast, Arg143 in this loop does not participate in the binding isotherm. In the current study, the kinetics of iron release from alanine mutants of each of these four residues (placed into both diferric and monoferric N-lobe backgrounds) have been determined ± the TFR. The R143A mutation greatly retards the rate of iron release from the N-lobe in the absence of the TFR but has considerably less of an effect in its pres...
Inhibition of cholinesterase activity by isocyanates.

Exposure of workers to isocyanates may result in irritation and/or sensitization of the respiratory tract. An immunologic mechanism for sensitization has been presented previously. This investigation explored whether, as a possible mechanism for the irritation reaction, the toxic respiratory effect of isocyanates might be due to their ability to inhibit cholinesterases. Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), hexyl isocyanate (HI), and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (2,6-TDI) were found to completely inhibit purified human serum cholinesterase when added at molar ratios of 4:1 to 8:1 (isocyanate:enzyme). By contrast, molar ratios of 50:1 or greater were required for 50% enzyme inhibition by 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (2,4-TDI), phenyl isocyanate, or o-tolyl isocyanate. Enzyme inhibition was also achieved by exposure of purified cholinesterase to atmospheres containing 1 ppm isocyanates. Under these conditions, HDI and HI were again the most potent enzyme inhibitors with much less reactivity shown by 2,4-TDI and 2,6-TDI. Under more physiologic conditions, when whole human plasma was the source of cholinesterase, HDI and HI were still potent enzyme inhibitors. However, with the latter two isocyanates, the molar concentrations needed to effect 50% enzyme inhibition suggested affinity labeling by these reagents. The potent cholinesterase inhibition shown by HDI and HI may offer explanation for observed respiratory symptomatology noted upon exposure to these isocyanates.
The role of nitrogen fixation in cyanobacterial bloom toxicity in a temperate, eutrophic lake.

Toxic cyanobacterial blooms threaten freshwaters worldwide but have proven difficult to predict because the mechanisms of bloom formation and toxin production are unknown, especially on weekly time scales. Water quality management continues to focus on aggregated metrics, such as chlorophyll and total nutrients, which may not be sufficient to explain complex community changes and functions such as toxin production. For example, nitrogen (N) speciation and cycling play an important role, on daily time scales, in shaping cyanobacterial communities because declining N has been shown to select for N fixers. In addition, subsequent N pulses from N2 fixation may stimulate and sustain toxic cyanobacterial growth. Herein, we describe how rapid early summer declines in N followed by bursts of N fixation have shaped cyanobacterial communities in a eutrophic lake (Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, USA), possibly driving toxic Microcystis blooms throughout the growing season. On weekly time scales in 2010 and 2011, we monitored the cyanobacterial community in a eutrophic lake using the phycocyanin intergenic spacer (PC-IGS) region to determine population dynamics. In parallel, we measured microcystin concentrations, N2 fixation rates, and potential environmental drivers that contribute to structuring the community. In both years, cyanobacterial community change was strongly correlated with dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations, and Aphanizomenon and Microcystis alternated dominance throughout the pre-toxic, toxic, and post-toxic phases of the lake. Microcystin concentrations increased a few days after the first significant N2 fixation rates were observed. Then, following large early summer N2 fixation events, Microcystis increased and became most abundant. Maximum microcystin concentrations coincided with Microcystis dominance. In both years, DIN concentrations dropped again in late summer, and N2 fixation rates and Aphanizomenon abundance increased before the lake mixed in the fall. Estimated N inputs from N2 fixation were large enough to supplement, or even support, the toxic Microcystis blooms.
A Gradient in the Distribution of Introns in Eukaryotic Genes

The majority of eukaryotic genes consist of exons and introns. Introns can be inserted either between codons (phase 0) or within codons, after the first nucleotide (phase 1) and after the second (phase 2). We report here that the frequency of phase 0 increases and phase 1 declines from the 5' region to the 3' end of genes. This trend is particularly noticeable in genomes of Homo sapiens and Arabidopsis thaliana, in which gains of novel introns in the 3' portion of genes were probably a dominant process. Similar but more moderate gradients exist in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans genomes, where the accumulation of novel introns was not a prevailing factor. There are nine types of exons, three symmetric (0,0; 1,1; 2,2) and six asymmetric (0,1; 1,0; 1,2; 2,1; 2,0; 0,2). Assuming random distribution of different types of introns along genes, one can expect the frequencies of asymmetric exons such as 0,1 and 1,0 or 1,2 and 2,1 to be approximately equal, allowing for some variation caused by randomness. The gradient in intron distribution leads to a small but consistent and statistically significant bias: phase 1 introns are more likely at the 5' ends and phase 0 introns are more likely at the 3' ends of asymmetric exons. For the same reason, the frequency of 0,0 exons increases and the frequency of 1,1 exons decreases in the 3' direction, at least in H. sapiens and A. thaliana. The number of introns per gene also affects the distribution and frequency of phase 0 and 1 introns. The gradient provides an insight into the evolution of intron-exon structures of eukaryotic genes.
Expression of an ovine growth hormone transgene in mice increases archidonic acid in cellular membranes

The degree of unsaturation of membrane lipids has been implicated in a number of physiological disorders, yet its regulation remains poorly understood, especially the regulation of the synthesis and distribution of arachidonic acid levels, the most abundant long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid in membranes. Transgenic mice expressing the ovine metallothionein 1a — ovine growth hormone (oMt1a-oGH) fusion gene exhibited significantly elevated levels of a number of long chain polyusaturated fatty acids in serum, including arachidonic acid. In oMt1a-oGH transgenic mice the products of all three desaturation pathways are affected by the expression of the ovine growth hormone trangene. The essential precursors of membrane long chain polyunsturated fatty acids, 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3, were reduced in transgenic relative to controls, and their desaturation and elongation products, arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3), were elevated. As rare intermediate long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as eicosatrienoic acid (20:3n-9) were also signficantly elevated, we conclude that these observations reflect increased activity of the Δ-5 and Δ-6 desaturase enzymes. In contranst, the products of the stearoyl CoA or Δ-9 desaturase, were significantly reduced in oMt1a-oGH expressing transgenics relative to their levels in control mice.
Induction of flagellation and a novel agar-penetrating flagellar structure in Salmonella enterica grown on solid media: possible consequences for serological identification

Salmonella enterica grown on solid medium containing iron, thiosulfate and 100 mM hexoses and amino acids underwent cell surface differentiation involving increased flagellation (electrophoretic isotypes 60, 54 and 50 kDa), conversion from rough to smooth lipopolysaccharide, and assembly of a matrix that penetrated 1.4% agar. Flagellation was also induced in the avian pathogen S. enterica var Pullorum, which is diagnostically defined as aflagellate. Induction correlated closely with a simple colonial color change when Hektoen Enteric agar was used as the basal growth medium. Group D1 egg-contaminating Salmonella grown under inducing conditions deviated from their expected H-antigen immunoreactivity, suggesting possible consequences for the interpretation of the Kauffman-White identification scheme.
Mortality transition in Korea: its implications for health policy and education.

Abstract This paper discusses the progress and prospects for mortality reduction in Korea, drawing upon the scanty data available in the literature. Data suggest that recent mortality improvement in Korea is slowing; that male mortality patterns at older ages are deviating from model life tables; that infant and child mortality is relatively high; and that transitional changes in the cause-of-death structure of infants and children are lagging behind their elders. Implications of these trends form a principal basis for concern about health policy issues in Korea. Any continuing progress in mortality would require major effort in several areas: accurate and adequate assessment of disease patterns and health behavior; reexamination of current health care strategies and public health measures; and analyses of social and economic development policies relevant to health conditions.
Is the new composite cranium from Swartkrans a small robust australopithecine

Clarke, Howell and Brain have recently presented evidence which suggests that more than one hominid taxon is represented at Swartkrans in South Africa1. They demonstrated that parts of a cranium and most of the left portion of a face, SK 847, fit together with a left temporal SK 846b and the maxilla SK 80. The maxilla was originally placed in the taxon “Telanthropus capensis”2, but the genus was subsequently sunk and the specimens were transferred to Homo erectus3, and later inappropriately suggested for membership in “Homo habilis”4.
Energetics and Electronic Rearrangements of Proton Transfer in (H3NHOH2)

Proton transfer between N and O in the hydrogen-bonded system (H3NHOH2)+ is studied by ab initio molecular orbital methods. Potential energy curves are calculated at the hartree–Fock level using the 4–31G basis set for hydrogen bond lengths R(NO) varying from the equilibrium value of 2.664 to 3.10 A. Short hydrogen bonds are associated with asymmetric single-well potentials in which the minimum corresponds to the NHO configuration. For longer R(NO) separations, the potential is of double-well form, including both NHO and NHO as minima. It is found that the height of the energy barrier to proton transfer is sensitive to both stretches and bends of the hydrogen bond. Continuous changes in the electron density are monitored at various stages of proton transfer via density difference maps and Mulliken population analyses. The initial loss of density from the proton-accepting molecule during the first half of the transfer is accelerated during the second half. A correlation is drawn between the energetics of transfer in a number of systems and the net charge lost by the proton-acceptor group.
Effect of sialidase on blood group specificity of hog submaxillary glycoproteins.

Abstract Hogs can be divided into three phenotypes A, H and In, depending on the ability of extracts of their submaxillary glands to inhibit the agglutination of human A cells with human anti-A, and human O cells with eel-anti-H serum. Evidence is here provided that the inactive glycoprotein, In, represents H active glycoprotein containing additional N -glycolyl neuraminic acid, which stereospecifically masks the H determinant, α (1 → 2)-L-fucosyl residue.
Scaling of sexual dimorphism in body size and breeding system in primates

RENSCH1,2 showed, more than 20 years ago, that sexual dimorphism in body size tends to increase with increasing body size in various arthropod and avian taxa. Recently, the same positive relationship has been suggested for mammals in general3, and primates in particular4. Based on their findings on primates, Clutton-Brock et al.4 discussed several possible functional explanations for this relationship, but considered none of them wholly satisfactory. In particular, they rejected the hypothesis that positive allometry in sexual dimorphism in weight may be the product of an association of size and polygyny; they did not present statistical data to that effect, however. I argue here that, on the contrary, there is a strong relationship between polygyny and positive allometry for sexual dimorphism in body size. The evidence is based on an analysis of the relationship between the scaling of sexual dimorphism in body weight and the breeding system for 53 primate species, which in most cases coincide with those chosen by Clutton-Brock et al.4 for their study. The findings are incorporated into a multifactorial system on the evolution of sexual dimorphism in body size.
Sexual segregation in North American elk: the role of density dependence.

We investigated how density-dependent processes and subsequent variation in nutritional condition of individuals influenced both timing and duration of sexual segregation and selection of resources. During 1999–2001, we experimentally created two population densities of North American elk (Cervus elaphus), a high-density population at 20 elk/km2, and a low-density population at 4 elk/km2 to test hypotheses relative to timing and duration of sexual segregation and variation in selection of resources. We used multi-response permutation procedures to investigate patterns of sexual segregation, and resource selection functions to document differences in selection of resources by individuals in high- and low-density populations during sexual segregation and aggregation. The duration of sexual segregation was 2 months longer in the high-density population and likely was influenced by individuals in poorer nutritional condition, which corresponded with later conception and parturition, than at low density. Males and females in the high-density population overlapped in selection of resources to a greater extent than in the low-density population, probably resulting from density-dependent effects of increased intraspecific competition and lower availability of resources.
Action learning: business applications in North America

Reviews many of the published studies of the application of action‐learning strategies to management and executive development in North American organizations. Concludes that there are few meaningful examples of action learning that have been analysed for their organizational or developmental effects. Examples that are published seem to assess action learning more for its team‐building applications, with little attention being paid to using this process to facilitate individual or organizational learning.