cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pepple: Programmable network measurement for troubleshooting soft failures

Networks have been expanding in scale and speeds, however, it is difficult to troubleshoot network problems because of specific measurement policies and services in different administrative domains. Moreover, many network issues are very subtle, e.g. a link becomes increasing slow but still connected, where active measurement is instrumental. While many measurement infrastructures have been developed and used, the measurement and troubleshooting process typically requires human intervention and leads to inefficiency. In this work, we propose a programmable network measurement approach to address the challenges in automatic measurement and troubleshooting. We design a control plane to learn from historical measurement results to build a graph of available measurement hosts and their routes. On the top of such a control plane, We also present a set of APIs to allow network operators define measurement tasks programmatically and initiate the measurement to locate problematic links automatically. The measurement control plane is implemented in 300 lines of Python code. We show the use cases of the proposed APIs where we can locate problematic network link(s) in 15 minutes with less than 10 lines of Python code running on perfSONAR infrastructure, compared to hours with a conventional troubleshooting approach.
Power-insensitive silicon crystal-cut for amplitude-stable frequency synthesis

This paper reports on the theoretical prediction and experimental verification of the existence of a power-insensitive crystal cut in doped single crystal silicon (SCS). The existence of such a cut enables fully harmonic excitation of extensional elastic waves with negligible dispersion. Aligning bulk acoustic resonators to this power-insensitive cut along with suppression of boundary-induced nonlinearities enable realization of vibration-amplitude insensitive frequency references. An analytical formulation is presented to characterize the anisotropic anharmonic behavior of SCS elasticity, predicting the existence of the power-insensitive cut at ∼30° offset from axis. This prediction is experimentally verified through implementation and characterization of an array of waveguide-based resonators aligned to different crystallographic directions. The resonators are optimized for substantial suppression of boundary induced nonlinearities through dispersive energy trapping technique. Among these, the waveguide-based resonator aligned to 22.5° cut shows a 1-dB compression point at 29dBm, which is 50× higher power-handling compared to / counterparts. Dispersive energy trapping used for elimination of geometrical nonlinearities simultaneously realizes a high Q of ∼7,000 at 80MHz, which is independent of the crystallographic orientation.
Quantitative chemical imaging with stimulated Raman scattering microscopy.

Chemical imaging plays an increasingly important role in studying heterogeneous biological systems. It combines molecular spectroscopy with high-resolution spatial information to create quantitative images of molecular distributions. Here I summarize recent progress in technical developments and biological applications of a specific chemical imaging technique—stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy. SRS microscopy allows for a wide range of molecules – both endogenous and exogenous – to be imaged at high spatial and temporal resolution in living cells, tissues, and organisms. I will focus on developments in SRS imaging that enable detection of non-fluorescent molecules and drive new biological applications.
The Vicious Cycle of Chronic Pain in Aging Requires Multidisciplinary Non-pharmacological Approach to Treatment

This review summarizes how aging contributes to pain chronification and how recent developments in neuroscience can inform management of chronic pain in the elderly. Normal aging can boost pain chronification through neurodegeneration, alterations in circadian rhythms, inflammaging, as well as musculoskeletal deterioration and metabolic dysregulation. These processes are interconnected and bidirectional. There is accumulating evidence for the central role of inflammaging in chronic pain, and novel therapies are in development to address inflammaging. Social support and relapse prevention are particularly important aspects of interventions in the elderly. The confluence of multiple neurobiological mechanisms in the course of aging and pain chronification calls for an integrative health approach to management. In addition to pharmacotherapy, a comprehensive approach should include nutritional, psychological, and physical interventions.
That Which We Call Reality

A physical principle cannot be said to be true until it has been shown to be false and its envelope of applicability precisely delineated. —Sheldon Lee Glashow In Fashion, Faith and Fantasy in the ...
Reasoning With Inaccurate Spatial Knowledge

This paper describes work in progress on spatial planning for a semi-autonomous mobile robot vehicle. The overall objective is to design a semi-autonomous rover to plan routes in unknown, natural terrains. Our approach to spatial planning involves deduction of common-sense spatial knowledge using geographical information, natural terrain representations and assimilation of new and possibly conflicting terrain information. This report describes our ongoing research and implementation.
Managing R&D in Diversified Companies

(1990). Managing R&D in Diversified Companies. Research-Technology Management: Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 37-42.
Semicircular-like, and Semicircular Laws Induced by Certain C ∗ -probability Spaces over the Finite Adele Ring A ℚ

Starting from the finite Adele ring A ℚ, we construct certain C ∗ -probability spaces under tensor product. From such C ∗ -probability spaces, we establish-and-study Banach ∗-probability spaces, and consider weightedsemicircular elements, and semicircular elements there.
Incidence and Fate of Viruses in Sludges

The study of the occurrence and inactivation of viruses in sludge is currently a topic of much research. Ward and Ashley (1,2,3,4) have published numerous papers concerning the mechanisms of virus inactivation. Several recent conferences emphasizing the incidence and fate of pathogens in sludges include: “Risk Assessment and Health Effects of Land Application of Municipal Wastewater and Sludges”(5); “Sludge Management Disposal and Utilization”(6); “Acceptable Sludge Disposal Techniques”(7); “National Conference on Composting of Municipal Residues and Sludges”(8); and “Radiation for a Clean Environment”(9). This paper represents the results of a literature evaluation considering the types and number of viruses to be expected in raw and treated sludges; the efficiency of virus removal by primary, secondary, and sludge handling treatment methods; and the occurrence and persistence of viruses in sludge and soil systems.
19 – Gender and the Heart: Sex-Specific Differences in Normal Myocardial Anatomy and Physiology and in the Experiences of Some Diseases of the Cardiovascular System

This chapter reviews some of the differences between men and women's normal cardiac physiology and describes some differences in their unique experiences with common diseases of the cardiovascular system. Women's hearts and coronary arteries are generally smaller than that of their male counterparts because women's bodies are smaller as compared to that of men. According some researchers, small vessel size is a predictor of increased risk of in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, in both sexes, and found that sex was an important predictor of coronary size. Investigators have studied myocyte death in congestive heart failure and noted a significant impact of gender on the process. Sex-specific differences in the properties of the myocardium have prompted a widely held hypothesis that the hormonal milieu of men and women modulates not only the functional characteristics of the cardiovascular system, but is also the reason that premenopausal women are relatively less likely to develop coronary artery disease. The activity of the renin-angiotensin system in males and females is different and is complexly affected by estrogen. Electrophysiological differences in men and women are well described. Women have a faster resting heart rate than men. There are differences in autonomic nervous system activity in men and women that influence cardiac rates and rhythms.
Cytogenetic and molecular analysis of sex-chromosome monosomy.

Abstract X chromosome- and Y chromosome-specific DNA probes were used to study different aspects of the genesis of sex-chromosome monosomy. Using X-linked RFLPs, we studied the parental origin of the single X chromosome in 35 spontaneously aborted and five live-born 45,X conceptions. We determined the origin in 35 cases; 28 had a maternal X (Xm) and seven had a paternal X (Xp). There was a correlation between parental origin and parental age, with the Xp category having a significantly reduced mean maternal age by comparison with the Xm group. Studies aimed at detecting mosaicism demonstrated the presence of a Y chromosome or a second X chromosome in three of 33 spontaneous abortions, a level of mosaicism much lower than that reported for live-born Turner syndrome individuals.
The Neural Control of Eye Movements in Acquired and Developmental Reading Disorders

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the characteristics of the normal reader's eye movements during reading, abnormal eye movements and the relationship of different types of dyslexia to eye movement patterns. Developmental dyslexia is referred to as a specific reading disability in which the child has normal intelligence and is at least two years behind expected grade level in reading, has normal sensory acuity, and is without neurological damage and emotional problems. The chapter further discusses the types of eye movement disorders that result from lesions of the central nervous system and illustrates how these abnormalities affect reading. The chapter additionally presents eye movement data from two patients with eye movement disorders. It is shown that disordered efferent oculomotor control causes severe and insuperable problems. During reading, the eyes make a series of saccadic eye movements, generally in a left-to-right direction. The term “saccade” is used to distinguish this rapid, jerky type of eye movement, separated by fixational pauses, from pursuit or smooth tracking movements in which the eyes move slowly, maintaining fixation on a moving target or on a stationary point while the head moves. There are three types of saccadic eye movement disorders that are known to influence reading behavior: paralytic or slow saccades that result from lesions involving the basal ganglia, brain stem, and cerebral cortex; impaired saccadic initiation that results from acquired and congenital apraxias involving the left and right parietal lobe; and dysmetric saccades, which result from lesions involving the cerebellum and cerebellar pathways.
Arendtian Communicative Responsibility

Hannah Arendt argues for a kind of public communicative responsibility grounded not in human nature but in the human condition of plurality and natality and in the nature of thinking itself. Responsibility so understood avoids many of the pitfalls associated with the intentional agency idea of responsibility. However, it raises additional issues. What motivates us to think? Is she privileging the private over the public? If so, is such a hierarchy ethically sound? If we are always to be judging and punishing others, are we not again reducing responsibility to accountability?
WTO membership and corruption

Abstract Despite widespread belief that accession process and formal membership to the World Trade Organization (WTO) improve the quality of governance within a country, there is no convincing empirical evidence to substantiate this thought. Here, I investigate whether the WTO status of a country has a causal effect on firm-level reports of political corruption using a nonparametric partial identification approach to bound the average treatment effects (ATEs). I also analyze conditional ATEs to explore various sources of potential heterogeneity. Contrary to popular belief, I find that WTO membership is likely to have no causal effect on domestic corruption overall. And if anything, it is likely to increase corrupt practices, particularly among firms that are established post WTO membership and those that are government owned.
Loss of Adrenergic Nerves in the Bone Marrow Microenvironment Drives an Aging HSC Niche Phenotype

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) aging is accompanied by an expansion of myeloid-biased HSCs with declined long-term self-renewal functions, contributing to the development of hematologic malignancies. Recent studies have suggested a role for the bone marrow microenvironment in HSC aging but the extrinsic molecular mechanisms driving their aging remain largely unknown. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) form a critical component of the HSC niche, promoting HSC quiescence and balanced differentiation. Some MSC activity is found associated with arterioles, which are densely innervated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). We used tridimensional whole-mount bone marrow confocal immunofluorescence imaging of HSCs and vascular structures to investigate the effects of aging on the HSC microenvironment. Comparative bone marrow analyses of aged (20-24 months) C57BL/6 and Nestin-GFP transgenic mice (where GFP marks MSCs) with young (2 month-old) C57BL/6 mice, revealed significant reductions in sympathetic innervation (3-fold, p Disclosures Frenette:Pfizer: Consultancy; GSK: Research Funding; PHD Biosciences: Research Funding.
Thermodynamically consistent treatment of the growth of a biopolymer in the presence of a smooth obstacle interaction potential

We investigate the effect of filament-obstacle interactions on the force-velocity relation of growing biopolymers, via calculations explicitly treating obstacle diffusion and stochastic addition and subtraction of subunits. We first show that the instantaneous subunit on- and off-rates satisfy a rigorous thermodynamic relationship determined by the filament-obstacle interaction potential, which has been violated by several calculations in the literature. The instantaneous rates depend not only on the average force on the obstacle but also on the shape of the potential on the nanometer length scale. Basing obstacle-induced reduction of the on-rate entirely on the force, as previous work has often done, is thermodynamically inconsistent and can overestimate the stall force, sometimes by more than a factor of two. We perform simulations and analytic calculations of the force-velocity relation satisfying the thermodynamic relationship. The force-velocity relation can deviate strongly from the Brownian-Ratchet predictions. For shallow potential wells of depth $\ensuremath{\sim}5\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{k}_{B}T$, which might correspond to transient filament-membrane attachments, the velocity drops more rapidly than predicted by the Brownian-Ratchet model, in some cases by as much as a factor of 50 at an opposing force of only 1 pN. On the other hand, the zero-force velocity is much less affected than would be expected from naive use of the Boltzmann factor. Furthermore, the growth velocity has a surprisingly strong dependence on the obstacle diffusion coefficient even when the dimensionless diffusion coefficient is large. For deep potential wells, as might result from strong filament-membrane links, both the on- and off-rates are reduced significantly, slowing polymerization. Such potentials can sustain pulling forces while polymerizing but only if the attractive well is relatively flat over a region comparable to or greater than the monomer size. For double-well potentials, which have such a flat region, the slowing of polymerization by external pushing force is almost linear up to the stall force in some parameter ranges.
Hibonite Blue: A New Class of Intense Inorganic Blue Colorants.

Commercially available spinel cobalt blue (CoAl2O4) utilizes a significant amount of carcinogenic Co2+, which makes its synthesis more hazardous and environmentally harmful. Considerable effort has been put into developing more environmentally benign and robust blue pigments to replace cobalt blue. A new class of blue pigments with tunable hue were prepared. The solid solution series, CaAl12-2x Co x Ti x O19 (0 < x ≤ 1), crystallizes in a hexagonal mineral hibonite (CaM12O19) structure with five distinct crystallographic sites for M cations (M = Al, Co, and Ti). The origin of intense blue color is attributed to a synergistic effect of allowed d-d transitions involving the chromophore Co2+ in both tetrahedral and trigonal bipyramidal crystal fields. Compared with commercial cobalt blue, these tunable hibonite blues possess a reddish hue that intensifies the blue color as observed in Y(In,Mn)O3 (YInMn) blues, with a significant reduction of Co2+ concentration from 33% to as low as 4% by mass. A significant advantage of hibonite blues over cobalt blue is the substantial reduction in carcinogenic cobalt content while enhancing the color properties at a reduced cost for raw materials.
Symptomatic cerebral vasospasm in the setting of carmustine wafer placement for glioblastoma: A case presentation and review of literature.

Background Gliadel placement in glioblastoma resection, particularly with concurrent chemoradiation, has demonstrated an improvement in survival. There have been several reported adverse effects, some of which lend to significantly increased morbidity and mortality. With only two other cases described in literature, cerebral vasospasm secondary to carmustine-impregnated wafers is an extremely rare side effect. Case description We report the case of a 51-year-old female who presented with the left lower limb paresis 8 days after high-grade glioma resection provoked by carmustine wafer placement. Conclusion We urge surgeons to reconsider placement of carmustine wafers in nations where the surgical resection cavity includes exposed large cerebral vasculature. We also propose the early identification of this devastating complication in the postoperative period by maintaining a high clinical suspicion and prompt utilization of computed tomography and digital subtraction angiography in the management and treatment of these patients accordingly.
Stereoscopic Vision & Testing Techniques – Overview

Stereoscopic vision or stereopsis is the highest level of binocular vision. It is acquired in the early years of life and requires the “simultaneous perception” of each eye separately, as well as the “matching” of the two images during brain development. First of all, it gives man the visual perception of depth, but it also broadens his field of vision and increases his visual acuity. As anyone can easily understand it is especially useful in everyday life. It is not particularly well known, but the quality of vision at night is based on stereotypes. Finally, people who do not have stereoscopic vision are in a difficult position as they are at immediate risk of injury. For the above reasons, it is clear why constipation should be controlled, with specific diagnostic tests, especially during childhood.
The Jesuit Mission in Japan and History of Rhetoric and Its Languages

This article addresses the works of the Jesuit Mission Press dedicated to rhetorical persuasion. The Society tried to transplant Christian expressions of faith inJapanin Latin and in European Christian paintings, and it met with the indigenous convention of expressions. Because these two expressive conventions are so different, the effect of their interactions sometimes took a turn unexpected by the Jesuit missionaries who stayed inJapanfrom 1549 to 1639. To implant Christianity, the Society adopted a holistic approach of building schools and hospitals in order to reach a wide range of population, while Jesuits operated very carefully so that their teaching would not disturb the existing social order inJapan. At the same time, the mission press worked to publish texts with the Christian doctrine, to teach how to say prayers, to explain puzzling aspects of Christianity, and to set the standard for the language to be used as church Japanese. These documents also taught how to survive the proscription.
Do the Effects of Police Body-Worn Cameras on Use of Force and Complaints Change Over Time? Results From a Panel Analysis in the Milwaukee Police Department:

Police body-worn cameras (BWCs) can help improve transparency, accountability, and policing behaviors. This study extends prior BWC research by using a panel analysis design with a measure of treat...
Foreign material evaluation equipment: collecting method

In injector manufacturing, mixed defectives are incurred by foreign materials. We developed a foreign material evaluation equipment to show the specification of foreign material reduction and defect generation. This paper discusses our foreign material collecting method with decreased adhesion strength and increased cleaning force.
POSTAL SERVICE: MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND POSSIBILITIES OF LIBERALIZATION

Postal Services play a fundamental role in each nation, because of the double impact they generate from a social and economic point of view. The introduction of the European directives opens the way towards a larger importance of free competition. But, even if liberalisation of postal markets has just occurred with good results in some countries, it doesn’t exist a unique solutions applicable everywhere. Costs of postal sector are strictly connected with delivered volumes, so liberalisation can change into a great failure in those markets characterised by a small postal volume. The aim of this research is to underline the importance of inquiring into the real existence of natural monopoly structure into the postal sector and to reconsider the definition of universal service obligation. Liberalisation has to be followed by a reduction of the cost supported by the incumbent, especially in a low volume per capita market
Interactive part selection for mesh and point models using hierarchical graph-cut partitioning

This paper presents a method for interactive part selection for mesh and point set surface models that combines scribble-based selection methods with hierarchically accelerated graph-cut segmentation. Using graph-cut segmentation to determine optimal intuitive part boundaries enables easy part selection on complex geometries and allows for a simple, scribble-based interface that focuses on selecting within visible parts instead of precisely defining part boundaries that may be in difficult or occluded regions. Hierarchical acceleration is used to maintain interactive speed on large models and to provide connectivity when extending the technique to point set models.
High-level expression of Escherichia coli NADPH-sulfite reductase: requirement for a cloned cysG plasmid to overcome limiting siroheme cofactor.

Abstract The flavoprotein and hemoprotein components of Escherichia coli B NADPH-sulfite reductase are encoded by cysJ and cysI, respectively. Plasmids containing these two genes overexpressed flavoprotein catalytic activity and apohemoprotein by 13- to 35-fold, but NADPH-sulfite reductase holoenzyme activity was increased only 3-fold. Maximum overexpression of holoenzyme activity was achieved by the inclusion in such plasmids of Salmonella typhimurium cysG, which encodes a uroporphyrinogen III methyltransferase required for the synthesis of siroheme, a cofactor for the hemoprotein. Thus, cofactor deficiency, in this case siroheme, can limit overexpression of a cloned enzyme. Catalytically active holoenzyme accounted for 10% of total soluble protein in a host containing cloned cysJ, cysI, and cysG. A 5.3-kb DNA fragment containing S. typhimurium cysG was sequenced, and the open reading frame corresponding to cysG was identified by subcloning and by identifying plasmid-encoded peptides in maxicells. Comparison with the sequence reported for the E. coli cysG region (J. A. Cole, unpublished data; GenBank sequence ECONIRBC) indicates a gene order of nirB-nirC-cysG in the cloned S. typhimurium fragment. In addition, two open reading frames of unknown identity were found immediately downstream of cysG. One of these contains 11 direct repeats of 33 nucleotides each, which correspond to the consensus amino acid sequence Asp-Asp-Val-Thr-Pro-Pro-Asp-Asp-Ser-Gly-Asp.
Na+/H+ exchanger isoforms NHE-2 and NHE-1 in inner medullary collecting duct cells. Expression, functional localization, and differential regulation.

Recent cloning experiments have identified the existance of four distinct Na+/H+ exchanger isoforms designated as NHE-1, NHE-2, NHE-3, and NHE-4. The cellular distribution, subcellular localization, and regulation of one of these isoforms, NHE-2, in the kidney remains unknown. Northern hybridization showed that NHE-2, along with NHE-1, is expressed in cultured renal medullary collecting duct (mIMCD-3) cells. Acid-stimulated, dimethyl amiloride-sensitive 22Na+ uptake and sodium-dependent pHi recovery occurred only from the basolateral surface of the cells, indicating localization of Na+/H+ exchanger to the basolateral membrane domain. Incubation of IMCD cells in high osmolality media (510 mosm/liter) for 72 h stimulated the Na+/H+ exchanger activity by 59% (p 0.05). Northern hybridization, however, indicated that NHE-1 mRNA increased, whereas NHE-2 mRNA decreased in acid media. In conclusion, mIMCD-3 cells express NHE-1 and NHE-2 mRNAs. The cell functional studies in mIMCD-3 cells strongly suggest that NHE-2, along with NHE-1, is expressed in the basolateral membrane domain. They further demonstrate differential regulation of NHE-1 and NHE-2 mRNAs in response to acidosis and high osmolality and suggest that NHE-2 may be involved in volume regulation of IMCD cells.
Deconvolution of u channel magnetometer data: Experimental study of accuracy, resolution, and stability of different inversion methods

We explore the effects of sampling density, signal/noise ratios, and position-dependent measurement errors on deconvolution calculations for u channel magnetometer data, using a combination of experimental and numerical approaches. Experiments involve a synthetic sample set made by setting hydraulic cement in a 30-cm u channel and slicing the hardened material into ∼2-cm lengths, and a natural lake sediment u channel sample. The cement segments can be magnetized and measured individually, and reassembled for continuous u channel measurement and deconvolution; the lake sediment channel was first measured continuously and then sliced into discrete samples for individual measurement. Each continuous data set was deconvolved using the ABIC minimization code of Oda and Shibuya (1996) and two new approaches that we have developed, using singular-value decomposition and regularized least squares. These involve somewhat different methods to stabilize the inverse calculations and different criteria for identifying the optimum solution, but we find in all of our experiments that the three methods converge to essentially identical solutions. Repeat scans in several experiments show that measurement errors are not distributed with position-independent variance; errors in setting/determining the u channel position (standard deviation ∼0.2 mm) translate in regions of strong gradients into measurement uncertainties much larger than those due to instrument noise and drift. When we incorporate these depth-dependent measurement uncertainties into the deconvolution calculations, the resulting models show decreased stability and accuracy compared to inversions assuming depth-independent measurement errors. The cement experiments involved varying directions and uniform intensities downcore, and very good accuracy was obtained using all of the methods when the signal/noise ratio was greater than a few hundred and the sampling interval no larger than half the length scale of magnetization changes. Addition of synthetic noise or reduction of sampling density decreased the resolution and accuracy of all the methods equally. The sediment-core experiment involved uniform (axial) magnetization direction and strongly varying intensities downcore. Intensity variations are well resolved and directions are accurate to within about 5 degrees, with errors attributable to omission and/or inaccurate calibration of cross terms in the instrument response function.
Bony Pathology in the Cancer Patient

Bony pathology in the cancer patient represents a significant source of morbidity and mortality. Complications include insufficiency and pathological fractures resulting from either medical treatments or bony metastases that can cause significant functional limitations. Additional complications include spinal cord compression, hypercalcemia, and bone marrow failure. Rehabilitation management of such conditions is reviewed, with an emphasis on diagnostic and therapeutic management. Bracing and focused rehabilitation programs facilitate maximal participation and functional outcomes, which can result in an enhanced quality of life. Specific rehabilitation goals and strategies are discussed, with an emphasis on tailoring these according to the functional staging of the patient.
Genetic dissociation of the encapsidation and reverse transcription functions in the 5' R region of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

The efficient packaging of genomic RNA into virions of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is directed by cis -acting encapsidation signals, which have been mapped to particular RNA stem-loop structures near the 5′ end of the genome. Earlier studies have shown that three such stem-loops, located adjacent to the major 5′ splice donor, are required for optimal packaging; more recent reports further suggest a requirement for the TAR and poly(A) hairpins of the 5′ R region. In the present study, we have compared the phenotypes that result from mutating these latter elements in the HIV-1 provirus. Using a single-round infectivity assay, we find that mutations which disrupt base pairing in either the TAR or poly(A) stems cause profound defects in both packaging and viral replication. Decreased genomic packaging in a given mutant was always accompanied by increased packaging of spliced viral RNAs. Compensatory mutations that restored base pairing also restored encapsidation, indicating that the secondary structures of the TAR and poly(A) stems, rather than their primary sequences, are important for packaging activity. Despite having normal RNA contents, however, viruses with compensatory mutations at the base of the TAR stem were severely replication defective, owing to a defect in proviral DNA synthesis. Our findings thus confirm that the HIV-1 TAR stem-loop is required for at least three essential viral functions (transcriptional activation, RNA packaging, and reverse transcription) and reveal that its packaging and reverse transcription activities can be dissociated genetically by mutations at the base of the TAR stem.
Inhibition of sham feeding-stimulated acid secretion in dogs by immunoneutralization of gastrin

A monoclonal antibody to gastrin was used to study the role of circulating gastrin in mediating acid secretion stimulated by sham feeding in dogs. On separate days, four conscious, fasted, adult mongrel dogs with esophageal and gastric fistulae were pretreated intravenously with either 7 mg of gastrin monoclonal antibody (MAb 28.2), 7 mg of keyhole limpet hemocyanin monoclonal antibody as control, or 12.5 micrograms/kg atropine sulfate. Thirty minutes later, acid secretion was stimulated first by sham feeding for 5 min, then, 60 min later, by an intravenous infusion of a maximum stimulatory dose of histamine (40 micrograms/kg) for 60 min, and after returning to basal, by intravenous infusion of a submaximal stimulatory dose of gastrin (200 pmol.kg-1.h-1) for 60 min. Acid output from secretions collected every 15 min by gravity drainage was determined by titration to pH 7.0 with 0.2 N NaOH. Sham feeding-stimulated acid output (17.7 +/- 5.5 mmol/h) was significantly inhibited by administration of either MAb 28.2 (0 mmol/h) or atropine (1.7 +/- 1.1 mmol/h). Histamine-stimulated acid output (19.6 +/- 3.4 mmol/h) was not reduced by either pretreatment. Gastrin-stimulated acid output (3.9 +/- 0.6 mmol/h) was significantly reduced only by pretreatment with MAb 28.2 (0.1 +/- 0.1 mmol/h) and not by atropine (2.2 +/- 1.4 mmol/h). A background intravenous infusion of pentagastrin (0.5 microgram.kg-1.h-1) restored sham feeding-stimulated acid output blocked by administration of MAb 28.2, although the intrinsic acid response to sham feeding could not be seen with the background pentagastrin infusion. Furthermore, the plasma gastrin response to sham feeding was not blocked by atropine pretreatment. Because immunoneutralization of both gastrin and cholinergic blockade significantly inhibited acid output during sham feeding, circulating gastrin and cholinergic pathways are involved in mediating the cephalic phase of gastric acid secretion in dogs.
Graduated Response and the Turn to Private Ordering in Online Copyright Enforcement

At the end of 2008, the music industry ended its five-year campaign of litigation against individual peer-to-peer file sharers and announced that it would be shifting its online copyright enforcement efforts to a model known as graduated response. The most widely publicized form of graduated response is a “three strikes and you’re out” model, in which a user’s Internet access is suspended or terminated by his or her ISP following that user’s receipt of three successive notices of copyright infringement. As it has been presented by entertainment industry trade groups, the enforcement paradigm embodied in graduated response forgoes litigation and statutory mandates in favor of voluntary cooperation between rights owners and Internet access providers - parties that have long been at loggerheads with each other in the war on piracy. This article seeks to explain, in the context of evolving network management technology and its impact on intermediary liability rules, why the time may be ripe for broadband providers and corporate rights owners to renegotiate their respective roles in the project of online copyright enforcement. Following an analysis of the turn to private ordering and technology-based mechanisms for policing copyrights online, this article proposes a set of principles to guide the implementation of graduated response regimes so that consumers, who have come to rely on uninterrupted Internet access for everything from banking to blogging, do not fall victim to immature filtering technologies and overzealous enforcement.
Does the effect of micronutrient supplementation on neonatal survival vary with respect to the percentiles of the birth weight distribution

Scientic Background: In developing countries, higher infant mortality is partially caused by poor maternal and fetal nutrition. Clinical trials of micronutrient supplementation are aimed at reducing the risk of infant mortality by increasing birth weight. Because infant mortality is greatest among the low birth weight infants (LBW) ( 2500 grams), an eectiv e intervention may need to increase birth weight among the smallest babies. Although it has been demonstrated that supplementation increases the birth weight in a trial conducted in Nepal, there is inconclusive evidence that the supplementation improves their survival. It has been hypothesized that a potential benet of the treatment on survival among the LBW infants is partly compensated by a null or even harmful eect among the largest infants. Exploratory analyses have suggested that the treatment eect on birth weight might vary with respect to the percentiles of the birth weight distribution. Data: The methods in this paper are motivated by a double-blind randomized community trial in rural Nepal (Christian et al 2003a,b). The investigators implemented an intervention program to evaluate benets of the following micronutrient supplementations: folic acid and vitamin A (F+A); folic acid, iron, and vitamin A (F+I+A); folic acid, iron, zinc, and vitamin A (F+I+Z+A); multiple nutrients and vitamin A (M+A). Each micronutrient supplement was administered daily to 1000 pregnant women, who ultimately delivered approximately 800 live-born infants. The team measured the birth weight within 72 hours of delivery and then followed the infants for one year to determine whether or not they survived. In addition, they measured several characteristics of the mother (maternal age, maternal height, arm circumference) and of the infant (weight, length, head and chest circumference).
Size and DNA content of nuclei in various tissues of male, female, and worker honeybees.

A cytological investigation of honeybee tissues was pursued by two techniques. The first was an estimation of nuclear volume in large samples of nuclei; the second was a determination of DNA per nucleus by absorption photometry of Feulgen-stained nuclei.
Kneser–Tits for a rank 1 form of (after Veldkamp)

We prove the Kneser-Tits conjecture for groups of index using an argument inspired by a 1968 paper by Veldkamp. We also prove that these groups are stably rational varieties.
Towards robust two-level methods for indefinite systems

Despite the fact that iterative solution techniques are recently gaining recognition among practitioners and finding their way into commercial software arena, the current state of the art in iterative methods remains unsatisfactory in many respects. Users of large production codes such as ANSYS, NASTRAN, ALGOR, SDRC, EMRC and ANSYS often observe many “bad” cases resulting from poorly conditioned or indefinite systems for which their iterative solvers converge prohibitively slow or systematically break. Consequently and perhaps rightfully so, a number of commercial software houses, including ABAQUS, refrain from utilizing iterative solver technology primarily because of its lack of robustness.
A Dissection of the CD45/Side Scatter “Blast Gate”

CD45/side scatter (SS) gating is widely used for isolating blasts by flow cytometry (FC). However, other cells contaminate the "blast gate" (BG); CD45/SS gating is thus imprecise, particularly when there are few blasts. We studied the BG contents in 21 myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs), 14 myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), 7 chronic myelomonocytic leukemias (CMMLs), and 40 nonneoplastic control samples using 4-color FC with cluster analysis. There were no significant differences across groups in the median percentage of BG events represented by blasts (14.7%-22%), granulocytes (23.3%-33.2%), lymphocytes (2.1%-3.2%), and erythroids (1.0%-9.8%). Monocytes were a larger percentage of BG events in CMML (24.2%). Basophils averaged 35.4% of the BG in MPNs. The percentage of blasts within the BG averaged 94.2% in control samples vs 88.2% in MDSs and 80.7% in CMMLs. Blasts averaged about 20% of events in the BG. About 10% to 20% of blasts fell outside the BG in CMMLs and MDSs. Our data highlight pitfalls in using a traditional BG for blast analysis in nonacute myeloid disorders.
Strengthening π–π Interactions While Suppressing Csp2–H···π (T-Shaped) Interactions via Perfluoroalkylation: A Crystallographic and Computational Study That Supports the Beneficial Formation of 1-D π–π Stacked Aromatic Materials

The design and synthesis of aromatic crystalline materials with controllable crystal structure packing is of particular interest in organic semiconductor and optoelectronic devices, where 1-D π–π stacked structures that enhance charge mobility are the most beneficial. We report here that the π–π interactions between aromatic molecules can be strengthened and the Csp2–H···π (T–shape) interaction can be suppressed by perfluoroalkylation of corresponding aromatics. Both crystal structure data and ab initio calculations show that the π–π interaction is strengthened due to the electronic effects of perfluoroalkyl substituents, and the Csp2–H···π interaction is suppressed by the steric effects of the perfluoroalkyl substituents. The Csp3–F···F–Csp3 attractive interactions between perfluoroalkyl chains further stabilize the crystal structures. We also found that Csp3–F···π interaction can be eliminated if an optimal electron deficiency of the π system is tuned by adjusting the number of perfluoroalkyl substituen...
A Data Mining Approach to Creating Fundamental Traffic Flow Diagram

Abstract This paper investigates application of clustering techniques in partitioning traffic flow data to congested and free flow regimes. Clustering techniques identify the similarities and dissimilarities between data, and classify the data into groups with similar characteristics. Such techniques have been successfully used in market research, astronomy, psychiatry, and transportation. A framework is proposed for clustering traffic data based on fundamental traffic flow variables. Three types of clustering techniques are investigated: 1) connectivity-based clustering, 2) centroid-based clustering, and 3) distribution-based clustering. Specifically, hierarchical clustering, K-means clustering and general mixture model (GMM) were investigated. Traffic sensor data from three freeway bottleneck locations in two major U.S. metropolitan areas, St. Louis, Missouri, and Twin Cities, Minnesota, were used in the study. Various combinations of traffic variables were investigated for all three clustering techniques. The results indicated that the clustering is an effective way to partition traffic data into the free flow and congested flow regimes. Partitioned traffic data can be used to create fundamental traffic flow diagrams and macroscopic traffic stream models. Using speeds, or both speeds and occupancies as input variables produced the best clustering results. The performance of K-means and hierarchical clustering techniques were comparable to each other and they outperformed GMM clustering.
Species aggregation: the influence of detritus in a benthic invertebrate community

Species aggregation with detritus was examined in a zoobenthic stream community. Detritus was quantified (dry weight in particle size categories) in contiguously arranged quadrats along four transects within a 40m stream section. Total organism density was found to be positively related to increasing detrital biomass (dry weight) in all transects, although the magnitude of this association was influenced by the detrital particle size distribution in each quadrat. Eliminating certain particle size categories of detritus resulted in substantial changes in the magnitude of association. For example, in one transect, total organism density and total detrital biomass showed no association. However, when one particle size category (greater than 10 mm) was removed a highly significant relationship was found. Total detrital biomass was found to be a useful predictor of organism distribution, however, inordinately high detrital biomass and variance within larger particle size categories can mask a relationship. This result suggests that the use of discrete size categories is necessary when considering species/ detrital relationships. Significant associations were found between the density of particular species and total biomass of detritus. The magnitude, as well as significance, of these associations were found to vary when correlations were calculated with restricted particle size categories of detritus. Species associations were often not consistent between transects, possibly due to local characteristics of detritus or overriding environmental factors. Current velocity was found to be unimportant in determining the detrital biomass held in the substrate. Likewise, few associations were found between current velocity and organism density in three out of four transects. Results of this study suggest that habitat selection by some taxa is influenced by local variation in detrital biomass, as well as detrital particle size composition.
Substrate Uptake and Activation by Dimolybdenum and Ditungsten Hexaalkoxides–Factors Influencing the Cleavage of C–X Multiple Bonds in the Reactions Between [Mo2(OR)6] (R tBu or CH2tBu) and Ar2CS, Et2NCN, and P(nBu)3

The reaction between diarylthiones and [Mo2(OCH2tBu)6] in hydrocarbon solvents yielded [Mo2(OCH2tBu)6-(μ-S)(CAr2)] by cleavage of the CS double bond. The Lewis base adduct [Mo2 (OCH2tBu)6(μ-S) (CPh2) (PMe3)] (2) has been crystallographically characterized; it contains six- and five-coordinate Mo atoms linked through μ-S and μ-OR groups. The rate of the cleavage of the CS bond has been studied by variable-temperature 1H NMR in [D8]toluene. A Hammett plot shows that both electron-donating and electron-releasing substituents in the aryl groups enhance the rate relative to Ph2CS. The activation parameters for cleavage of the CS bonds in Ph2CS, (p-MeOC6H4)2CS, and (m-CF3C6H4)2CS exhibit essentially identical values for ΔS‡, while ΔH‡ is somewhat smaller for the thiones bearing electron-donating or -withdrawing substituents. We also studied the reversible binding of Et2NCN to [Mo2(OtBu)6] as a model system wherein the CN bond is reduced but not cleaved and the (MM)6+ center oxidized. Finally, the reversible binding of P(nBu)3 to [Mo2(OCH2tBu)6], wherein the product exhibits no net oxidation of the metal centers, has been similarly studied. The activation parameters for these three classes of reactions are compared with previous studies of the reversible binding of CN− to [M2(OR)6] compounds and the reaction 2[W2(OiPr)6] → [W4(OiPr)12]. We propose that the activation parameters associated with CS cleavage are associated with the formation of a μ-η1,η2-SCAr2 reactive complex similar to others described elsewhere,[23] and that they result from a) the bimolecular nature of the reaction and b) reorganizational energy. The greater facility of CX multiple-bond cleavage in reactions involving [W2(OR)6] compounds relative to [Mo2(OR)6] compounds, the substituent effects, and the dependence on R are discussed in terms of the orbital energy match between the MM and CX π and π* orbitals, and an analogy is made with neutral Diels-Alder cycloaddition reactions.
Rape in militarised conflicts: variations in international outrage and responsiveness

World War II genocide in Germany, the Rwanda genocide in the early 1990s and the Darfur genocide today are visceral reminders of the devastation and senselessness in the breakdown of human order, a poignant but sad insight into the nature of man and politics. Yet the international community, and by extension the United Nations (UN), have shown a remarkable reluctance to address rape and other forms of gender violence perpetrated during militarised conflicts. Given the psychological toll and devastating effect of rape and the growing number of conflicts, this effort does not speak well to the UN’s commitment to problems that destabilise international peace. It does however raise concerns in the minds of those who see the UN as cherrypicking which conflicts to address while sidestepping others until it is too late. With a view to the Allies’ response to genocide during World War II, this article argues that the realist analytical framework of world politics provides the most plausible basis for explaining variations in international response in militarised conflicts such as Rwanda and Darfur. We present testable hypotheses to conclude that while rape in itself may not be the sole trigger for interventions, states with unstable regimes or sovereign capacity whose government has been deposed are more likely to be the object for interventions or held accountable than those with otherwise stable governments who benefit from the support of a hegemonic power. To victims of crimes of rape caught in militarised conflicts, and to whom justice may come only after a perpetrator regime has been deposed, the conclusion that the decision to intervene is predicated more on political might than justice is disquieting.