cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hints, multiple attempts, and learning outcomes in a computer-based formative assessment system

In formative assessment, providing feedback, such as hints and multiple opportunities to answer a question, are important features that support learning. Increasingly in computer-based systems that support formative assessment, the controls are given to instructors over the settings that encourage or discourage learners' hint opening behaviour or multiple attempts. Different settings may affect how learners: a) access hints differently; b) make multiple attempts to improve answers or give up. Ultimately, these settings may encourage effortful behaviours and eventually, learning. This study analysed empirical process data and examined under which settings learners: a) persist with multiple attempts to reach correct answers; b) conscientiously submit all problems assigned to them; c) perform better in terms of getting a correct answer on their first try. Evidence showed that instructors' use of settings that encourage hint opening and multiple attempts was associated with learners' higher persistence and conscientiousness, but with lower performance.
Post-operative gastroparesis following carbohydrate loading in a diabetic patient.

Abstract Gastroparesis is a syndrome of delayed gastric emptying associated with nausea, vomiting, and postprandial fullness. Despite multiple etiologies, diabetes is one of the principal causes of gastroparesis. This case report examines a 57 year-old woman with poorly controlled diabetes type II (HbA1c 8.3%) complicated by diabetic nephropathy who was readmitted for gastroparesis after two days following uncomplicated robotic surgical staging for endometrial cancer. Prior to the procedure, the patient had received carbohydrate loading in accordance with our center’s enhanced recovery pathway; this resulted in severe acute hyperglycemia, a recognized cause of gastroparesis in women with diabetes. During her readmission, she improved with bowel rest and optimization of glycemic control. This case suggests that routine pre-operative carbohydrate loading should be used with caution in poorly controlled diabetic patients.
Evaluation of a Local Ordinance to Prevent Any Underage Purchases in Liquor Stores: The Need for Enforcement.

Objective In June 2012, Baltimore City, MD, enacted legislation (commonly referred to as the Mosby Bill) prohibiting all liquor stores (outlets that primarily sell alcoholic beverages) from selling "any food, goods, wares, supplies, or other merchandise to any person under the age of 18." Three years after enactment, we evaluated the impact of this legislation on non-alcohol product sales among youth. Method Research assistants (RAs) ages 16-20 were trained in using a standardized observational tool to quantify and record characteristics of the outlets, including products sold. A trained pair comprising one RA age 16 to 20 and one RA exactly age 18 were sent into every liquor store (i.e., packaged goods stores and bar/taverns with packaged goods sales) in Baltimore to conduct the assessment and make a non-alcohol purchase. Since the research was not conducted in concert with the police, the 18-year-old RA made the purchase attempt while the other (age 16 to 20) RA completed the assessment. Results Purchase attempts were made at 502 liquor stores, and 352 of those attempts were successful (able to make purchase without being asked for identification or age; noncompliance rate = 68.1%). Noncompliance was highest among packaged goods stores compared with bar/taverns, and in neighborhoods with a lower median household income and a higher proportion of African American residents (p Conclusions This evaluation demonstrates that, in the absence of enforcement, ordinances are neither likely to be honored nor to achieve the intended public health benefits.
“Coming Out” as a Virgin (or Not): The Disclosure of Virginity Status Scale

Virginity is an invisible status and thus something that individuals typically must decide whether to disclose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the disclosure of virginity status (DVS), which refers to the extent an individual has revealed or concealed whether they subjectively identify as being a virgin or not to selected individuals or groups. Young adults (N = 760) completed an online survey about sexuality. DVS appears to conform to a structure of disclosure to family, to peers, and to religious figures; lying about virginity status to family/peers and to religious figures emerged as distinct factors. Differences in DVS by gender and virginity status suggest that DVS may be dependent upon gendered sexual scripts of the group the target of disclosure belongs to.
GeoGraph: A Framework for Graph Processing on Geometric Data

In many applications of graph processing, the input data is often generated from an underlying geometric point data set. However, existing high-performance graph processing frameworks assume that the input data is given as a graph. Therefore, to use these frameworks, the user must write or use external programs based on computational geometry algorithms to convert their point data set to a graph, which requires more programming effort and can also lead to performance degradation. In this paper, we present our ongoing work on the Geo- Graph framework for shared-memory multicore machines, which seamlessly supports routines for parallel geometric graph construction and parallel graph processing within the same environment. GeoGraph supports graph construction based on k-nearest neighbors, Delaunay triangulation, and b-skeleton graphs. It can then pass these generated graphs to over 25 graph algorithms. GeoGraph contains highperformance parallel primitives and algorithms implemented in C++, and includes a Python interface. We present four examples of using GeoGraph, and some experimental results showing good parallel speedups and improvements over the Higra library. We conclude with a vision of future directions for research in bridging graph and geometric data processing.
Abstract 20091: Platelets Play Positive and Negative Roles in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Formation and Rupture

Objective: It is estimated that >90% of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients are on anti-platelet regiments without documented benefit or clinical evaluation. Therefore, we examined the effects of pharmaceutical blockade of platelet activation in either early or late-stage angiotensin II (AngII)-induced AAA formation in a mouse model. Methods and Results: Temporal studies: Male Ldlr-/- mice (8 weeks) fed a saturated fat and cholesterol-enriched diet were infused with AngII (1,000 ng/kg/min) via mini-osmotic pumps for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 28 days. Utilizing in vivo platelet and macrophage labeling agents, it was determined that platelet accumulation (1 day) precedes macrophage accumulation (3 days) in the abdominal aorta. Further, platelet factor 4, a marker of platelet activation, increased time-dependently during the 28 day infusion. Early therapy during AAA formation: Aspirin (30 mg/L via drinking water [ASA]) or diet supplemented with the P2Y12 inhibitor clopidogrel (50 mg/kg/day [Plavix]) was administe...
Convergence w.p.1 for Unconstrained Systems

In this chapter, we treat four basic SA algorithms for the constrained optimization problem. Many of the techniques of proof are similar to those used in Chapter II and, in order to avoid duplications, the treatment is occasionally a little sketchy. The iterates {Xn} generated by the penalty-multiplier methods of Sections 5.1 and 5.4, and Lagrangian method of Section 5.2 are not necessarily feasible, although “their limits are. The iterates generated by the projection method of Section 5.3 are constrained to lie in the feasible set. The projection ideas of Section 2.3 are quite versatile and special simple forms appear in the analysis of the other algorithms, under various noise conditions. The noise condition A5.1.6 which is used in the main result of Section 5.1 is given in the form that is required in the proof. However, the condition holds under more readily verifiable conditions, as illustrated in Section 5.1.2. The Lagrangian method is particularly useful when the values of the constraint functions cannot be calculated, but can be observed with additive observation noise.
Mead in the Trenches

This essay examines the D.C. Circuit's attempts to implement the important Supreme Court decision in United States v. Mead (2001), which constricted, to an uncertain degree, the scope of deference afforded to agencies' views on questions of law. The essay suggests that the Circuit's day-to-day experience with Mead has been unfortunate, that its Mead-related work product is, in a nontrivial number of cases, seriously flawed, incoherent or ambiguous. It also suggests that these mistakes are traceable to the flaws, fallacies and confusions of the Mead decision itself.
Abstract 16905: Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Reveals that Cardiac Calcium ATPase Dimerizes and Forms a Complex with Phospholamban in a 2:1 Stoichiometry

The sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) has been proposed to form functional dimers in vitro. In order to investigate whether SERCA forms homo-dimers in live cells, we fused canine SERCA2a to cerulean (Cer) or yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), and quantified SERCA-SERCA interactions by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). SERCA-SERCA FRET efficiency was dependent on the labeling position of the fluorescent protein tags, with the highest FRET efficiency achieved when the respective fluorescent proteins were fused to SERCA N-termini. FRET was reduced by competition with unlabeled SERCA, suggesting that the observed FRET was due to specific protein-protein interactions. Progressive photobleaching of YFP showed that Cer intensity increased linearly with decreasing YFP intensity, suggesting that the stoichiometry of the SERCA complex is a dimer. In contrast, a control experiment with phospholamban (PLB) oligomer showed a non-linear YFP/Cer relationship, consistent with its well-known p...
IN VIVO SIGNIFICANCE OF PENICILLIN (PCN) TOLERANCE IN EXPERIMENTAL ENTEROCOCCAL (E) ENDOCARDITIS (IE)

Although PCN tolerance has been proposed as one possible explanation of the poor response of some cases of IE, the in vivo significance of this phenomenon is not clear. Therefore, we examined the importance of tolerance in the rabbit model of aortic valve IE. Tolerant (T) and non-tolerant (NT) E strains were identified in vitro by MBC/MIC ratios, timed-killing assays, autolysis and a penicillin gradient-replicate plate method.
From the Concrete to the Abstract: Visual Representations of Program Execution.

Programmers have always been curious about what their programs are doing, especially when the behavior is not what they are expecting. Since program execution is intricate and involved, visualization has long been used to provided the programmer with appropriate insights into program execution. This paper looks at the evolution of visual representations of program execution, showing how they have moved from concrete representations of relatively small programs to abstract representations of larger systems. Based on this, we describe the challenges implicit in future execution visualizations and methodologies that can meet these challenges.
A contribution to the life-history ofSonerila Wallichii Benn

An account of the life-history ofSonerila Wallichii with reference to microsporogenesis, megasporogenesis and embryogeny is presented in this paper. The chromosome number as determined in the pollen mother cells is eight. The ovules are bitegumentary with mostly a single and rarely multiple archesporium. Further developmental stages of the multiple archesporium to double tetrad stages have been noticed. A hypostase-like tissue at the chalazal region is prominently seen. The development of the embryosac conforms to the normal 8-nucleate type.
Commissioning and initial stereotactic ablative radiotherapy experience with Vero

The purpose of this study is to describe the comprehensive commissioning process and initial clinical performance of the Vero linear accelerator, a new radiotherapy device recently installed at UT Southwestern Medical Center specifically developed for delivery of image-guided stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). The Vero system utilizes a ring gantry to integrate a beam delivery platform with image guidance systems. The ring is capable of rotating ± 60° about the vertical axis to facilitate noncoplanar beam arrangements ideal for SABR delivery. The beam delivery platform consists of a 6 MV C-band linac with a 60 leaf MLC projecting a maximum field size of 15 × 15 cm² at isocenter. The Vero planning and delivery systems support a range of treatment techniques, including fixed beam conformal, dynamic conformal arcs, fixed gantry IMRT in either SMLC (step-and-shoot) or DMLC (dynamic) delivery, and hybrid arcs, which combines dynamic conformal arcs and fixed beam IMRT delivery. The accelerator and treatment head are mounted on a gimbal mechanism that allows the linac and MLC to pivot in two dimensions for tumor tracking. Two orthogonal kV imaging subsystems built into the ring facilitate both stereoscopic and volumetric (CBCT) image guidance. The system is also equipped with an always-active electronic portal imaging device (EPID). We present our commissioning process and initial clinical experience focusing on SABR applications with the Vero, including: (1) beam data acquisition; (2) dosimetric commissioning of the treatment planning system, including evaluation of a Monte Carlo algorithm in a specially-designed anthropomorphic thorax phantom; (3) validation using the Radiological Physics Center thorax, head and neck (IMRT), and spine credentialing phantoms; (4) end-to-end evaluation of IGRT localization accuracy; (5) ongoing system performance, including isocenter stability; and (6) clinical SABR applications.
Effect of soil salinity on the electro-chemical and chemical kinetics of some plant nutrients in submerged soils

The electro-chemical and chemical kinetics of six California rice soils were significantly influenced by the presence of salts up to an EC of 9 mmhos/cm in saturation extract (ECe). Subsamples of each soil salinity treatment were incubated for periods up to 10 weeks after flooding. Most of the changes in Eh and pH values took place in the first 3–4 weeks after submergence. Salinity decreased pH values, but slightly increased the redox-potential. Both ammonification and nitrate reduction were significantly decreased, by increasing soil salinity. Salinity up to 9 mmhos/cm did not affect levels of Bray and Kurtz extractable P, but increased the water extractable Ca, Mg, K and Mn. In DTPA extract, salinity in incubated soils had no effect on Zn in 4 soils, but it decreased Fe in acid and neutral soils. Possible explanations for the electro-chemical and chemical kinetic changes due to flooding and salinity are discussed.
Affine-invariant B-spline moments for curve matching

This paper deals with the problem of matching and recognizing planar curves which are modeled as B-splines. The paper presents a fast algorithm for estimating the control points of the B-spline which is robust to nonuniform sampling and noise. Curve matching is achieved by using the similarity measure based on the knot points associated with the B-spline curves. This method, however, can not handle the affine transformation and/or occlusion between the curves. This paper presents solutions to these two problems through the use of a new class of weighted B-spline curve moments that results in (1) a closed-form solution for the affine transformation parameters; (2) the starting and ending points of the segment on the prototype curve that was affine transformed to yield the observed curve. The method is used for classifying affine transformed silhouette of aircrafts, and appears to perform well. >
Use of structural dynamic and fatigue sensitivity derivatives in an automotive design optimization

Direct accounting for durability rarely finds its way into multidisciplinary optimization. Though reduction of loads by some means can certainly have a beneficial influence on the fatigue performance of a structure, changes in load levels are not a direct measure of the influence of design changes on fatigue performance. In this paper, a previously described method for calculating design sensitivities of a fatigue performance index is used in a simple optimization of suspension damping and stiffness on a simple truck model. The dynamic loading is a conceptual representation of the industrial practice of road testing and simulation. Results demonstrate the feasibility of using a direct measure of fatigue performance in formal structural optimization.
MECHANICAL TRAUMA EFFECT ON CLOT STRUCTURE FORMATION

The exposure of platelet rich plasma to graded mechanical trauma for times of five minutes is shown to have marked effects on clot structure formation. The mechanical strength of the clot formed can be a factor of five weaker, the initiation time shortened and the initial polymerization rate increased by a factor of two. Mechanical trauma can also cause the formation of platelet aggregates, which may be important in thromboembolic phenomena associated with extended use of blood contacting prosthetic devices.
Neurotoxic meroditerpenoids from the tropical marine brown alga Stypopodium flabelliforme

Brine shrimp toxicity and TLC analysis guided the isolation of five new and biologically active meroditerpenoids [2beta,3alpha-epitaondiol (1), flabellinol (2), flabellinone (3), stypotriolaldehyde (4), and stypohydroperoxide (5)] along with five known compounds from the marine brown alga Stypopodium flabelliforme collected in Papua New Guinea. The planar structures of compounds 1-5 were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis (1D and 2D NMR, LRMS, HRMS, IR, and UV), while relative configuration was determined by 1D and 2D NOE experiments. X-ray crystallography confirmed the relative configuration of 2beta,3alpha-epitaondiol (1), and the modified Mosher's ester method was used to establish its absolute configuration. All of the new metabolites were moderately toxic to murine neuro-2a cells (LC50 2-25 microM), and three [2beta,3alpha-epitaondiol (1), flabellinol (2), and flabellinone (3)] possessed potent sodium channel blocking activity. Stypotriolaldehyde (4) had a biphasic effect on the concentration of intracellular Ca2+ in rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGN). The previously known compound, stypoldione (6), also modulated intracellular calcium concentration and was cytotoxic in CGN. Metabolites 2beta,3alpha-epitaondiol (1), flabellinol (2), and flabellinone (3) displayed moderate cytotoxicity to the NCI-H460 human lung cancer cell line.
Observations of the 9 June 2009 Dissipating Supercell from VORTEX2

AbstractOn 9 June 2009, the second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2) captured a unique dataset of dense observations throughout the lifetime of an isolated supercell, including its demise. This event provides a rare opportunity to explore the conditions and processes associated with supercell demise, as well as add to our understanding of supercell maintenance within the context of storm–environment interactions. The target storm on 9 June formed just to the cool side of a quasi-stationary boundary and initially exhibited strong low-level rotation. Over time, however, the storm moved deeper into the cool air and completely dissipated. Three near-inflow soundings launched over the lifetime of the supercell illustrated an increase in low-level convective inhibition (CIN) over time. However, an elevated layer containing sufficient instability and modest inhibition was also present, suggesting an unrealized potential for elevated convection. The near-storm environment a...
The association of histidyl-tRNA synthetase with reticulocyte ribosomes.

Abstract Some aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase activity is found attached to ribosomes. This phenomenon was investigated in detail using the histidyl-tRNA synthetase of rabbit reticulocytes, 10–15% of which is attached to ribosomes from cells lysed osmotically. The enzyme can be eluted from ribosomes by KCl solutions of 0.1 to 0.2 M. The enzyme eluted from ribosomes and the enzyme of reticulocyte cytosol can be associated with KCl washed ribosomes. A constant ( K A ) of 5 · 10 8 to 5 · 10 9 M −1 has been determined for the association reaction, indicating a high level of affinity and specificity. One bound enzyme molecule is found per 500 ribosomes from freshly lysed reticulocytes, and one molecule can be associated per 300 ribosomes from a crude enzyme preparation. One enzyme molecule can be associated per two ribosomes using a partially purified enzyme preparation. Thus the number of binding sites approaches a limit, and possibly molecules in addition to His-tRNA synthetase can be attached to the same binding sites. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation indicates that the enzyme is bound both to polysomes and to 80-S ribosome monomers, and that the enzyme is bound by each of the ribosomal subunits. There appear, therefore, to be at least two binding sites per ribosome. The significance of ribosomal binding of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, which occurs with high affinity and specificity in the absence of KCl, is considered.
Generalization of the Numerov method for solution of N d breakup problem in configuration space

A new computational method for solving the configuration-space Faddeev equations for three-nucleon systems has been developed. This method is based on the spline decomposition in the angular variable and a generalization of the Numerov method for the hyperradius. The $s$-wave calculations of the inelasticity and phase shift as well as breakup amplitudes for $n\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ and $p\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ breakup scatterings for lab energies 14.1 and $42.0\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{MeV}$ were performed with the Malfliet-Tjon I-III potential. In the case of $n\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ breakup scattering the results are in good agreement with those of the benchmark solution [J. L. Friar, B. F. Gibson, G. Berthold, W. Gl\"ockle, Th. Cornelius, H. Witala, J. Haidenbauer, Y. Koike, G. L. Payne, J. A. Tjon, and W. M. Kloet, Phys. Rev. C 42, 1838 (1990); J. L. Friar, G. L. Payne, W. Gl\"ockle, D. H\"uber, and H. Witala, Phys. Rev. C 51, 2356 (1995)]. In the case of $p\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ quartet breakup scattering disagreement for the inelasticities reaches up to $6%$ as compared with those of the Pisa group [A. Kievsky, M. Viviani, and S. Rosati, Phys. Rev. C 64, 024002 (2001)]. The calculated $p\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ amplitudes fulfill the optical theorem with a good precision.
A human T-T-cell hybridoma-derived lymphocyte chemoattractant factor.

Abstract Human T-T hybridomas were developed as a strategy for obtaining lymphokines that alter T-lymphocyte motility. Mitogen-stimulated human T lymphocytes were fused with cells of the human CEM lymphoma line and the supernatants derived from these fusion products were assessed for chemoattractant activity in a modified Boyden chamber assay. Supernatants from hybridoma 41B 2 enhanced lymphocyte migration to 198 ± 13% (mean ± SEM) of control. Characterization by Sephadex G-100 molecular sieve chromatography revealed a single peak of chemoattractant activity corresponding to a molecular weight (MW) of 56,000. This activity eluted from a Sephadex QAE anion-exchange column at 4–6 mS. Subsequent isoelectric focusing in sucrose revealed an isoelectric point of 9.0–9.2. Fractions with activity after sequential molecular sieve and anion-exchange chromatography were concentrated, radiolabeled with 125 I, and subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Autoradiography revealed a band which corresponded to a MW of 14,000 (representing four similar monomeric chains) and to the region from which chemoattractant activity could be detected in eluates from slices of unstained gels run in parallel. The biological activity of this hybridoma-derived lymphocyte chemoattractant was abolished by treatment with trypsin and neuraminidase but was unaffected by heating to 56 °C. We conclude that certain human T-T-cell hybridomas constitutively elaborate a lymphocyte chemoattractant that appears to be physicochemically identical to a previously described human lymphokine, lymphocyte chemoattractant factor.
Knowledge discovery from imbalanced and noisy data

Class imbalance and labeling errors present significant challenges to data mining and knowledge discovery applications. Some previous work has discussed these important topics, however the relationship between these two issues has not received enough attention. Further, much of the previous work in this domain is fragmented and contradictory, leading to serious questions regarding the reliability and validity of the empirical conclusions. In response to these issues, we present a comprehensive suite of experiments carefully designed to provide conclusive, reliable, and significant results on the problem of learning from noisy and imbalanced data. Noise is shown to significantly impact all of the learners considered in this work, and a particularly important factor is the class in which the noise is located (which, as discussed throughout this work, has very important implications to noise handling). The impacts of noise, however, vary dramatically depending on the learning algorithm and simple algorithms such as naive Bayes and nearest neighbor learners are often more robust than more complex learners such as support vector machines or random forests. Sampling techniques, which are often used to alleviate the adverse impacts of imbalanced data, are shown to improve the performance of learners built from noisy and imbalanced data. In particular, simple sampling techniques such as random undersampling are generally the most effective.
International, national or local? Explaining the substance of democracy promotion: the case of Eastern European democracy promotion

The EU is one of the most prominent democracy promoters in the world today. It has played an especially important role in the democratization of its Eastern European member states. Given the acknowledged success and legitimacy of EU democracy promotion in these countries, it could be expected that when they themselves began promoting democracy, they would borrow from the EU's democracy promotion model. Yet this paper finds that the EU's model has not played a defining role for the substantive priorities of the Eastern European democracy promoters. They have instead borrowed from their own democratization models practices that they understand to fit the needs of recipients. This article not only adds to the literature on the Europeanization of member state policies but also contributes both empirically and theoretically to the literature on the foreign policy of democracy promotion. The article theorizes the factors shaping the substance of democracy promotion—how important international ‘best practices’ a...
A geochemical study of long-chain n-aldehydes in Washington coastal sediments

A series of n-aldehydes, C20 to C32, with strong even-to-odd carbon preference was identified in the mixture of solvent extractable lipids isolated from various Washington coastal sediments. A limited survey of the lipid composition of surface waxes of foliage and cuticular waxes of pollen from several major plant species indigenous to the Pacific Northwest revealed that similar series of n-aldehydes are intrinsic to regional vegetation. Debris from such plants, discharged at the mouth of the Columbia River, represents a “preformed” source of the n-aldehyde series accumulating in sediments from the Washington coastal region. Although the evidence suggests n-aldehydes are largely introduced erosionally to this region as a chemical component of land-derived debris and are not formed in situ in the coastal sediments, further study is warranted to establish the postdepositional stability of this series of compounds relative to other lipids of higher plantwax origin. Despite but few literature reports of the occurrence of these geochemicals, long-chain n-aldehydes are very likely common in many sediments from environments that receive an input of detrital organic matter from higher plants.
The Politics of Difference vs the Ethics of Essentializing Looking Back and Looking Forward in Humanities Discourse about Human Nature

Now that the intensity of the Culture Wars has abated, a humanities discourse about human nature that has been practically impossible to conduct in nonpartisan terms for the last 25 years or so can be revisited and reconstructed. In an attempt to revive that discourse, the following argument critiques the extreme postmodern position of ‘constructed humanity’ and offers an argument about the necessity and usefulness of a modest version of essentialism based on the ethical claim that respect for the Other can only be made with authority when it is based on an appeal to common humanity, not when it is based on an appeal to some ad hoc, abstract principle of Difference. Yet postmodern claims about the shaping pressures of language, history, culture, gender, race, ethnicity, and class play important roles in helping us understand how a common human nature gets mediated by cultural contexts. In the end the Humanities need the perspectives of both humanists and postmodernists to keep humanistic discourse about h...
NMDA Receptor Agonists Fail To Alter Release from Cerebellar Basket Cells

Previous studies of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) expression on axons of cerebellar molecular layer interneurons have produced conflicting results. We made use of the calcium sensitivity of vesicular release machinery to test for NMDAR activity in basket cell axons. Iontophoresis of l-aspartate, an NMDAR agonist, onto basket cell axon collaterals had no effect on evoked IPSCs measured in synaptically coupled Purkinje cells. Furthermore, calcium indicators in basket cell varicosities did not report any change in intracellular calcium following iontophoresis of l-aspartate or two-photon uncaging of glutamate. In contrast, activation of presynaptic purinergic receptors by iontophoresis of ATP decreased evoked IPSC amplitudes and action potential-evoked calcium transients in axonal varicosities, demonstrating the effectiveness of activating presynaptic receptors by iontophoresis. We find no evidence for functional NMDARs in basket cell varicosities.
Hybrid Inductor Modeling at L-Band using 1-Port Fixtured S-Parameter Measurements

Methods for deriving accurate L-band inductor models using 1-port fixtured S-parameter measurements are presented, along with examples of modeled inductor data. The modeled inductors include both surface mount " chip" inductors with nominal values ranging from 4.7nH to 330nH, and wire-wound " leaded" inductors with nominal values from 7.5nH to 470nH. The test fixture for the surface mount inductors consists of a CoilCraft 1-port coaxial fixture, whereas a modified SMA connector was used as a test fixture for the leaded inductors. In both cases, the measurements were taken using an HP8510B network analyzer, to allow for careful modeling of the fixture. The fixture models were used to de-embed the time-delay and energy storage effects of the fixtures from the coaxially calibrated HP8510 measurements of the fixtured inductors. Using EESof's Libra CAD package and de-embedded 1-port S-parameter data, models were developed for 33 samples of 21 inductance values of chip inductors, and 22 samples of leaded inductors. The models are seen to fit the measured data over a broad band, from low RF through resonance. Models for devices which self-resonate above 1 GHz maintain close tracking to measured data over the L-band (1-2 GHz). TRL calibrated 2-port microstrip measurements of the inductors were performed to verify the models obtained from the 1-port measured data. The 2-port measurement data is seen to track the 1-port measurements well, with some uncertainty caused by the effect of the microstrip mounting gap. Simple lumped/distributed filter circuits employing the inductors also were fabricated and tested.
Contrasting molybdenum cycling and isotopic properties in euxinic versus non-euxinic sediments and sedimentary rocks: Refining the paleoproxies

Abstract The redox-sensitive transition element molybdenum is present in the Earth's crust at trace concentrations but is abundant in seawater, marine sediments, and ancient sedimentary rocks. These occurrences have led to the development of a suite of paleoredox proxies based on the bulk concentration of Mo, its isotopic composition, and the covariation of Mo with total organic carbon (TOC) in ancient black shales. However, these proxies have almost exclusively targeted the identification and interpretation of euxinic environments, where bottom waters are both anoxic and sulfidic. Here we present a discussion of the Mo geochemistry of non-euxinic sediments, where hydrogen sulfide is sometimes present yet always restricted to pore waters. We propose a new paleoredox application that uses Mo concentrations to help distinguish between environments where sulfide was present in the bottom waters and environments where sulfide was restricted to pore waters. Under ideal conditions, it is also possible to infer the presence of Mn-oxides recycling in non-euxinic paleoenvironments based on the Mo isotope composition of ancient black shales, providing a critical constraint on bottom water oxygenation.
Task-Related Suppression of the Brainstem Frequency following Response

Recent evidence has shown top-down modulation of the brainstem frequency following response (FFR), generally in the form of signal enhancement from concurrent stimuli or from switching between attention-demanding task stimuli. However, it is also possible that the opposite may be true – the addition of a task, instead of a resting, passive state may suppress the FFR. Here we examined the influence of a subsequent task, and the relevance of the task modality, on signal clarity within the FFR. Participants performed visual and auditory discrimination tasks in the presence of an irrelevant background sound, as well as a baseline consisting of the same background stimuli in the absence of a task. FFR pitch strength and amplitude of the primary frequency response were assessed within non-task stimulus periods in order to examine influences due solely to general cognitive state, independent of stimulus-driven effects. Results show decreased signal clarity with the addition of a task, especially within the auditory modality. We additionally found consistent relationships between the extent of this suppressive effect and perceptual measures such as response time and proclivity towards one sensory modality. Together these results suggest that the current focus of attention can have a global, top-down effect on the quality of encoding early in the auditory pathway.
The orbit structure of uniformly positive cyclic systems

In this paper, we apply the concepts introduced in the immediately preceding paper [3] to obtain further insight into the orbit structure of third-order positive cyclic systems studied in [I, 21. For this purpose, we first extend (in Section 2) to autonomous families of differential systems some old ideas of G. D. Birkhoff’s theory of dynamical systems [j]. In particular, we extend to autonomous families the definition of minimal sets and observe that they always exist on compact manifolds. We nest make (in Section 3) some general observations, which are immediate corollaries of our earlier work, about uniformly positive cyclic systems of arbitrary order. We then consider autonomous families of third-order uniformly positive cyclic systems and examine the projections on the unit sphere s” of their orbits (i.e., phase space trajectories). We determine on S2 the elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic points and the minimal sets of these families. We describe (in Theorem 9) aperiodic solution which (projectively) bounds an “equatorial belt” containing all the oscillatory solutions. Finally, we show that the asymptotic qualitative behavior (as t 4 &COO) can be described quite well by reference to this belt and an orthogonal “polar cap” containing all the positwe solutions.
The electronic spectrum of (−)-s-(ps)-2,5,3',6'-tetrahydro[2.2]paracyclophane-2-carboxylic acid

Abstract A new, efficient route was used in the synthesis of [2,2]paracyclophane-2-carboxylic acid. The chiral acid was then resolved and the Birch reduction performed yielding one enantiomer of tetrahydro[2,2]paracyclophane-2-carboxylic acid. The UV spectrum of tetrahydro[2,2]paracyclophane-2-carboxylic acid in isopentane shows one absorption at 206 nm (ϵ max =5271). There are three bands observed in the CD spectrum in isopentane at 236 nm ([θ] = 1.8 × 10 4 ), 201 nm ([θ]=-16×10 4 ) and a positive band indicated below 180 nm but not observed, in ethanol the CD spectrum exhibits a band at 205 nm ([θ]= 1.5×10 4 ) and the UV spectrum shows a band at 208 nm (ϵ max =5915). The bands were assigned and possible reasons for the occurrence of a π→π * transition at unexpectedly long wavelengths are discussed.
Structure and development of streamwise vortex arrays embedded in a turbulent boundary layer

An investigation of the structure and development of streamwise vortices embedded in a turbulent boundary layer was conducted. The vortices were generated by a single spanwise row of rectangular vortex generator blades. A single embedded vortex was examined, as well as arrays of embedded counter rotating vortices produced by equally spaced vortex generators. Measurements of the secondary velocity field in the crossplane provided the basis for characterization of vortex structure. Vortex structure was characterized by four descriptors. The center of each vortex core was located at the spanwise and normal position of peak streamwise vorticity. Vortex concentration was characterized by the magnitude of the peak streamwise vorticity, and the vortex strength by its circulation. Measurements of the secondary velocity field were conducted at two crossplane locations to examine the streamwise development of the vortex arrays. Large initial spacings of the vortex generators produced pairs of strong vortices which tended to move away from the wall region while smaller spacings produced tight arrays of weak vortices close to the wall. A model of vortex interaction and development is constructed using the experimental results. The model is based on the structure of the Oseen Vortex. Vortex trajectories are modelled by including the convective effects of neighbors.
Rapid High-Dimensional Entanglement Characterization from Compressive Measurements

We experimentally demonstrate rapid characterization of a high-dimensional entangled channel using compressive sensing. Unlike basis scan, this technique effectively scales to large dimensions and efficiently handles very low flux signals.
Modelling and designing digital control systems with averaged measurements

An account is given of the control systems engineering methods applicable to the design of digital feedback controllers for aerospace deterministic systems in which the output, rather than being an instantaneous measure of the system at the sampling instants, instead represents an average measure of the system over the time interval between samples. The averaging effect can be included during the modeling of the plant, thereby obviating the iteration of design/simulation phases.
Stamen abscission zone transcriptome profiling reveals new candidates for abscission control: enhanced retention of floral organs in transgenic plants overexpressing Arabidopsis ZINC FINGER PROTEIN2.

Organ detachment requires cell separation within abscission zones (AZs). Physiological studies have established that ethylene and auxin contribute to cell separation control. Genetic analyses of abscission mutants have defined ethylene-independent detachment regulators. Functional genomic strategies leading to global understandings of abscission have awaited methods for isolating AZ cells of low abundance and very small size. Here, we couple laser capture microdissection of Arabidopsis thaliana stamen AZs and GeneChip profiling to reveal the AZ transcriptome responding to a developmental shedding cue. Analyses focus on 551 AZ genes (AZ551) regulated at the highest statistical significance (P ≤ 0.0001) over five floral stages linking prepollination to stamen shed. AZ551 includes mediators of ethylene and auxin signaling as well as receptor-like kinases and extracellular ligands thought to act independent of ethylene. We hypothesized that novel abscission regulators might reside in disproportionately represented Gene Ontology Consortium functional categories for cell wall modifying proteins, extracellular regulators, and nuclear-residing transcription factors. Promoter-β-glucuronidase expression of one transcription factor candidate, ZINC FINGER PROTEIN2 (AtZFP2), was elevated in stamen, petal, and sepal AZs. Flower parts of transgenic lines overexpressing AtZFP2 exhibited asynchronous and delayed abscission. Abscission defects were accompanied by altered floral morphology limiting pollination and fertility. Hand-pollination restored transgenic fruit development but not the rapid abscission seen in wild-type plants, demonstrating that pollination does not assure normal rates of detachment. In wild-type stamen AZs, AtZFP2 is significantly up-regulated postanthesis. Phenotype data from transgene overexpression studies suggest that AtZFP2 participates in processes that directly or indirectly influence organ shed.
Update on Cytomegalovirus Infections of the Gastrointestinal System in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the gastrointestinal tract is the most common manifestation of tissue-invasive CMV disease, and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipient. In addition to the direct effects of the infection, its indirect effects on allograft function, risk for other opportunistic infections, and mortality are significant in this population. The most common clinical syndromes are esophagitis, colitis, and hepatitis; however, infection can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Diagnosis is usually by histopathology or viral culture of tissue specimens; molecular assays also often have a role. Antivirals are the cornerstone of therapy for gastrointestinal tract CMV disease and complications such as recurrent infection and antiviral resistance are not uncommon. Prevention with antiviral prophylaxis or preemptive therapy is important. This review summarizes recent data regarding the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gastrointestinal tract CMV infection in the SOT population.
Extended objects in superfluid 3He

Abstract Recent theoretical work on magnetic solutons in superfluid 3 He is reviewed. Magnetic solitons can be considered as domain walls in the texture associated with the spin coordinates describing the condensate. In particular, creation and detection of solitons by magnetic means are treated. Some recent results on monopoles in superfluid 3 He are also briefly described.
Packet forwarding misbehavior detection in next-generation networks

The next-generation Internet promises to provide a fundamental shift in the underlying architecture to support dynamic deployment of network protocols. With the introduction of programmability and dynamic protocol deployment in routers, potential vulnerabilities and attacks are expected to increase. In this paper, we consider the problem of detecting packet forwarding misbehavior in routers. Specifically, we focus on an attack scenario, where a router selectively drops packets destined for another node. Detecting such an attack is challenging since it requires differentiating malicious packet drops from congestion-based packet losses. We propose a controller-based misbehavior detection technique that effectively detects malicious routers using a hash-based delay sampling and verification. We provide a performance analysis of the detection accuracy and quantify the performance overhead of our system. Our results show that our technique provides accurate detection with low sampling rates.
AF-Lattices on a regular quadratic space

Abstract Let F be a field with a Dedekind set of spots S, let D F be the integers of F determined by S. Let V be a regular quadratic space over F with associated bilinear form B(x, y). We find necessary and sufficient conditions on the volume of a lattice L so that (1) if x, y ∈ L, B(x, y) ∈ D F and (2) L is maximal with respect to (1). This result is applied to the case where V is an algebraic number field over the rationals and the bilinear form is given by Tr(xy).
Characterization of ultra-thin TiO2 films grown on Mo(112)

Abstract Ultra-thin TiO2 films were grown on a Mo(112) substrate by stepwise vapor depositing of Ti onto the sample surface followed by oxidation at 850 K. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the Ti 2p peak position shifts from lower to higher binding energy with an increase in the Ti coverage from sub- to multilayer. The Ti 2p peak of a TiO2 film with more than a monolayer coverage can be resolved into two peaks, one at 458.1 eV corresponding to the first layer, where Ti atoms bind to the substrate Mo atoms through Ti–O–Mo linkages, and a second feature at 458.8 eV corresponding to multilayer TiO2 where the Ti atoms are connected via Ti–O–Ti linkages. Based on these assignments, the single Ti 2p3/2 peak at 455.75 eV observed for the Mo(112)–(8 × 2)–TiOx monolayer film can be assigned to Ti3+, consistent with our previous results obtained with high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy.
Mineral assemblage and aggregates control carbon dynamics in a California conifer forest

Uncertainty about the effects of climate change on terrestrial soil organic C stocks has generated interest in clarifying the processes that underlie soil C dynamic. We investigated the role of soil mineralogy and aggregate stability as key variables controlling soil C dynamics in a California conifer forest. We characterized soils derived from granite (GR) and mixed andesite-granite (AN) parent materials from similar forest conditions. Granite and AN soils contained similar day mineral assemblages as determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD), dominated by vermiculite, hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite (HIV), kaolinite, and gibbsite. However, AN soils contained significantly more Al in Al-humus complexes (6.2 vs. 3.3 kg m - 2 ) and more crystalline and short-range order (SRO) Fe oxyhydroxides (30.6 vs. 16.8 kg m - 2 ) than GR soils. Andesite-granite pedons contained nearly 50% more C relative to GR soils (22.8 vs. 15.0 kg m - 2 ). Distribution of C within density and aggregate fractions (free, occluded, and mineral associated C) varied significantly between AN and GR soils. In particular, AN soils had at least twice as much mineral associated C relative to GR soils in all horizons. Based on 1 4 C measurements, occluded C mean residence time (MRT) > mineral C > free C in bath soil types, suggesting a significant role for aggregate C protection in controlling soil C turnover. We found highly significant, positive correlations between Al-humus complexes, SRO Al minerals, and total C content. We suggest that a combination of aggregate protection and organo-mineral association with Al-hnmus complexes and SRO Al minerals control the variation in soil C dynamics in these systems.