cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Properties of dicarboximide‐resistant strains of Botrytis cinerea

Dicarboximide-resistant strains of Botrytis cinerea were isolated from natural substrates and also produced in the laboratory. All these strains exhibited a similar degree of resistance to the dicarboximide fungicides iprodione and vinclozolin, and this resistance persisted in the absence of the fungicides. The natural frequency of resistance to both chemicals was approximately three in 107 conidia but could be enhanced by up to 1000 times after a single exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of either chemical. Mycelium of the resistant strains was able to infect fruit and vegetables to a similar extent as that of sensitive strains, although infection of carrot roots was markedly less aggressive. The resistant strains were separable into two groups according to their growth habit on culture media. Both groups were relatively slow growing and showed a marked lack of sporulation compared with most sensitive strains. This lack of sporulation may account for the apparent failure of resistant strains to increase rapidly in strawberry plantations that had received dicarboximide sprays in successive seasons.
Kinetic Study of the Acidic Hydrolysis of Oleuropein, the Major Bioactive Metabolite of Olive Oil

Abstract The hydrolytic stability of Oleuropein (OE), the major bioactive molecule of olive oil was investigated under acidic conditions. For this purpose a reversed‐phase liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated using a C8 column and a diode array detection system. Statistical evaluation of the proposed HPLC method showed good linearity, precision and accuracy so that it can be used for analytical purposes. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the method was less than 3.76% and the LOQ was established to be 0.5 µg/mL. OE was hydrolyzed at three different HCl concentrations (1, 0.1, and 0.01 N) under different temperatures. The results obtained were treated as logarithms of concentration vs. time because it was realized that the hydrolysis followed first order kinetics. The observed degradation rate constants kobs were determined as well as the corresponding half‐lifes t1/2. Arrhenius plots were also constructed from the hydrolysis data. The results indicate that OE is stable un...
Direct diffeomorphic reparameterization for correspondence optimization in statistical shape modeling

In this paper, we propose an efficient optimization approach for obtaining shape correspondence across a group of objects for statistical shape modeling. With each shape represented in a B-spline based parametric form, the correspondence across the shape population is cast as an issue of seeking a reparameterization for each shape so that a quality measure of the resulting shape correspondence across the group is optimized. The quality measure is the description length of the covariance matrix of the shape population, with landmarks sampled on each shape. The movement of landmarks on each B-spline shape is controlled by the reparameterization of the B-spline shape. The reparameterization itself is also represented with B-splines and B-spline coefficients are used as optimization parameters. We have developed formulations for ensuring the bijectivity of the reparameterization. A gradient-based optimization approach is developed, including techniques such as constraint aggregation and adjoint sensitivity for efficient, direct diffeomorphic reparameterization of landmarks to improve the group-wise shape correspondence. Numerical experiments on both synthetic and real 2D and 3D data sets demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approach. We propose an approach for optimizing shape correspondence across a population.B-splines are used for shape representation and reparameterization.The quality measure of the statistical shape model is the description length.An adjoint method for deriving analytical sensitivity is developed.The approach improves shape correspondence in a group-wise manner.
Brain temperature change and movement activation induced by intravenous cocaine delivered at various injection speeds in rats.

Speed of intravenous (i.v.) injection presumably affects the rewarding effects of cocaine in humans. Work with animals has shown alterations in the behavioral and neurochemical effects of cocaine based on delivery speed. We studied the effects of cocaine (1 mg/kg) as both a single i.v. injection and a series of five repeated injections (8-min intervals) delivered at different speeds (4, 16, and 64 s) on brain, muscle, and skin temperatures, and locomotion in awake, unrestrained rats. Since cocaine has a distinctive action on temperature, any enhancement of cocaine’s properties by injection speed should readily be seen. When given as a single injection, cocaine increased brain temperature and locomotion, but transiently decreased skin and muscle temperatures; these effects were augmented by a high injection speed. Regardless of injection speed, however, changes in brain temperature and locomotion were strongly correlated with basal brain temperatures; higher temperatures were associated with less change after cocaine injection. When given as a series of five injections, cocaine increased brain temperature and locomotion. Although skin temperature initially decreased, it increased after successive cocaine injections. With each successive cocaine injection in the series, measures of temperature and movement parameters increased to a plateau and brain temperature change became biphasic. While confirming the results of others that rapid injection speed enhances cocaine-induced locomotor activation, our study suggests that delivery rate also affects the basic physiological actions of cocaine.
Improved identification of posterior left ventricular pseudoaneurysms by transesophageal echocardiography.

1. Falcone MW, Roberts WC. Atresia of the right atria1 ostium of the coronary sinus unassociated with persistence of the left superior vena cava: a clinicopathologic study of four adult patients. AM HEART J 1972;83:604-11. 2. Gerlis LM, Gibbs JL, Williams GJ, Thomas GD. Coronary sinus orifice atresia and persistent left superior vena cava. A report of two cases, one associated with atypical coronary artery thrombosis. Br Heart J 1984;52:648-53. 3. von Ltidinghausen M, Lechleuthner A. Atresia of the right atria1 ostium of the coronary sinus. Acta Anat 1988;131:81-3. 4. Fudemoto Y, Kobayashi T, Wakasugi S, Joh T, Fujimoto K, Toyama S. Atresia of the right atria1 coronary sinus with the persistent left superior vena cava diagnosed by coronary angiography. Respir Circ (Tokyo) 1976;24:625-30. 5. Yeager SB, Balian AA, Gustafson RA, Neal WA. Angiographic diagnosis of coronary sinus ostium atresia. Am cJ Cardiol 1985;56:996. 6. Watson GH. Atresia of the coronary sinus orifice. Pediatr Cardiol 1985:6:99-101.
An analytic model for the barrier-limited mode of operation of the permeable base transistor

The Permeable Base Transistor (PBT) is a novel semiconductor device structure employing a metal control electrode embedded in a single crystal of semiconductor. Over much of the operating range of the PBT the current density is limited by the energy barrier in the vicinity of the control electrode, An analytic description of this mode of operation is presented. The microscopic electrostatic potential within the device is calculated within the depletion-layer approximation. The electrostatic potential determines the height and shape of the energy barrier, which in turn determines the current density. Transport over the barrier is studied, with both dissipative mechanisms (described by the diffusion equation) and ballistic mechanisms (thermionic emission) taken into account.
Specific inhibition of glucosyltransferase of Streptococcus mutans

Clinical dextran, partially oxidized with sodium periodate, acts as a potent inhibitor of the extracellular glucosyltransferases of several cariogenic strains of oral Streptococcus mutans. Preincubation with oxidized dextran resulted in a rapid loss of up to 80% of the ability of the enzyme preparation to synthesize polysaccharide from sucrose, but there was no loss of enzyme activity when the oxidized dextrans were reduced with sodium borohydride before preincubation with enzyme. The presence of unoxidized clinical dextran during the preincubation period afforded the enzymes protection against inhibition by partially-oxidized dextran, but clinical dextran did not readily restore activity when it was added after incubation of the enzyme with oxidized polysaccharide. Fructosyltransferase, and glycogen and starch phosphorylase, activities were not inhibited by oxidized dextran, and the bacterial glucosyltransferases were not inhibited by partially oxidized glycogen and amylose. It is proposed that the potent and specific inhibition of glucosyltransferase by oxidized dextran results from the interaction of dialdehyde groups with reactive functional groups close to the dextran-binding site of the enzyme.
Demonstration of cavernomatous transformation of the portal vein by magnetic resonance imaging

A case of cavernomatous transformation of the portal vein demonstrated by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is reported. Correlative images on scintigraphy and ultrasound are included. As in other vascular abnormalities, MR imaging is capable of depicting the findings noninvasively.
A Novel Pathway to the Manifestations of Metabolic Syndrome

Pathways leading from obesity to the manifestations of metabolic syndrome involve a number of metabolic risk factors, as well as adipokines, mediators of inflammatory response, thrombogenic and thrombolytic parameters, and vascular endothelial reactivity. Increased adipose tissue mass contributes to augmented secretion of proinflammatory adipokines, particularly tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), along with diminished secretion of the "protective" adiponectin. In our view, TNF alpha and adiponectin are antagonistic in stimulating nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) activation. Through this activation, TNF alpha induces oxidative stress, which exacerbates pathological processes leading to oxidized low-density lipoprotein and dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, hypertension, endothelial dysfunction, and atherogenesis. NF-kappa B activation further stimulates the formation of additional inflammatory cytokines, along with adhesion molecules which promote endothelial dysfunction. Elevated free fatty acid, glucose, and insulin levels enhance this NF-kappa B activation and further downstream modulate specific clinical manifestations of metabolic syndrome.
Defects in silicon: the role of vibrational entropy

Abstract Vibrational free energies are calculated from first-principles in the same Si periodic supercells routinely used to perform defect calculations. The specific heat, vibrational entropy, and zero-point energy obtained in defect-free cells are very close to the measured values. The importance of the vibrational part of the free energy is studied in the case of two defect problems: the relative energies of the H 2 and H 2 ∗ dimers and the binding energy of a copper pair. In both cases, the vibrational entropy term causes total energy differences to change by about 0.2 eV between 0 and 800 K. We also comment on the rotational entropy in the case of H 2 and the configurational entropy in the case of the Cu pair. These examples illustrate the importance of extending first-principles calculations of defects in semiconductors to include free energy contributions.
Selective nonoperative management of leaks after gastric bypass: Lessons learned from 2675 consecutive patients

Objective:To compare outcomes of patients with leaks after primary Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (GBP) managed operatively with those managed nonoperatively and subsequently derive indications for selective nonoperative management.Summary of Background Data:There is no consensus on the management of leak
Polymerization studies on protein from the dahlemense strain of tobacco mosaic virus: Light scattering and related studies

Abstract Light-scattering and related studies on protein of Dahlmense strain of tobacco mosaic virus (DTMV) show that its polymerization characteristics are considerably different from those of TMV protein. At pH 6.0 in phosphate buffer (I = 0.1), the extent of polymerization of DTMV protein is greater than that of TMV protein, they are nearly the same at pH 6.25, and that of DTMV protein is less than that of TMV protein at pH 6.5. At pH 7.0 and 7.5, DTMV protein polymerizes more readily than TMV protein. Similar studies in phosphate buffer (I = 0.05) show that the extent of polymerization for DTMV protein is less than that of TMV protein at pH 6.0 and almost negligible at pH 6.25. Acid-base titration studies show that, upon temperature-mediated polymerization, about 2 H+ ions are bound per monomer of DTMV protein at pH 6.O. Electron microscope studies show that DTMV protein exists at room temperature as double discs and polymerized rods in phosphate buffer at pH 7.5, I = 0.1; at pH values below 6.5, DTMV protein is entirely in the form of polymerized rods. Velocity sedimentation studies of DTMV protein at room temperature are in agreement with these findings. At low temperatures, except at pH 7.5, most of the material sedimented with an s value of around 25 S. Thus, at low temperatures, except at pH 7.5, DTMV protein in solution is in the form of particles the size of double discs with an M r of 596,000 g/mole or even larger. Therefore, temperature-mediated polymerization of DTMV protein at pH values below 6.5 in phosphate buffer (I = 0.1) and below 6.25 in phosphate buffer (I = 0.05) involves particles at least as large as double discs as the starting material.
Nuclear Receptor Coactivators and Corepressors

The nuclear receptors belong to a superfamily of proteins, many of which are ligand-regulated, that bind to specific DNA sequences and control specific gene transcription. Recent data show that, in addition to contacting the basal transcription machinery directly, nuclear receptors inhibit or enhance transcription by recruiting an array of coactivator or corepressor proteins to the transcription complex. In this review we define the properties of these putative coregulatory factors; we describe the basal and coregulatory factors that are currently known to interact with nuclear receptors; we suggest various mechanisms by which coactivators and corepressors act; we discuss issues that are raised by the presence of multiple, perhaps competing, coregulatory factors; and we speculate how these additional regulatory layers may explain the heterogeneity of hormone responses that are observed in normal and malignant tissues.
The impact of considering adaptation in health state valuation.

Abstract Patients with chronic health conditions often rate their quality of life (QoL) significantly higher than non-patients. One explanation for this discrepancy is that non-patients focus on the negative aspects of the onset of a condition, especially the early difficulties people face when they first experience a debilitating condition, without considering that patients can adapt to it over time. To test this hypothesis, we had 359 people perform person tradeoff (PTO) elicitations in an online survey, varying whether the treatment programs under consideration saved the lives of patients (a) with pre-existing paraplegia; or (b) who would experience new onset of paraplegia. Half of each group completed an “adaptation exercise” which encouraged them to consider their own ability to emotionally adapt to negative events in general and specifically to having paraplegia. The adaptation manipulation increased the value participants placed on pre-existing paraplegia (p=0.03) and on new onset paraplegia (p=0.05), relative to saving healthy lives. Moreover, the adaptation exercise dramatically reduced the differences between evaluations of pre-existing and new onset paraplegia to values within 2% of each other. Our findings suggest that asking non-patients to do an adaptation exercise before giving QoL ratings may help close the gap in ratings between patients and citizen non-patients.
Establishing Dialogues: Moral Reflection Within Online, Threaded Case Discussions

This study examines online, threaded case discussions with regard to the ways teacher candidates displayed a morally reflective stance toward teaching and how unique features of online discourse shaped this stance. Thirty-one small-group case discussions and seven whole-class synthesis discussions were analyzed along two dimensions: (1) candidate's ability to perceive the moral ambiguity and complexity of particular situations and (2) candidate's ability to engage in deliberations regarding moral action. Key features of the online discourse were identified. All features of a morally reflective stance were displayed in the online discussions; however, there were gradations of depth/breadth and a tendency to engage in deliberations over action, rather than the perception of moral dimensions. The authors identified several features of the online format that influenced moral reflection, which include increased access to the conversational floor, time to deliberate and be deliberative, the impact of the initia...
The Transformational Nature of Web-Based Mediation: Constructing a Research Agenda for In-Service Public Administration Students

To assess the compatibility between Web-based instructional technology and student behavioral traits requires researchers to utilize variables consistently. Instead, inconsistency rules as researchers operationalize principal variables differently—an outcome that causes confusion and undermines development of a unified knowledge base. This situation is disturbing, as the ubiquity of Web instruction can become an appealing option for working in-service public administration and international students. To establish an empirically grounded research agenda, time the has come to accept commonality in terminology. The paper identifies and discusses three primary research variables. First, in its application to higher education, Web technology is transformational. It divides instruction into two distinct forms of mediation: Web and non-Web based. Second, two student behavioral traits—learning style orientations and teaching method preferences—serve to determine whether in-service more than pre-service students e...
Molecular mechanism of adventitious root formation in rice

Adventitious roots account for the majority of the rice root system and play an irreplaceable role in rice growth and development. Rice adventitious roots are formed by division of the innermost ground meristem cells in the central cylinder, and some lateral roots are observable in the adventitious root system. Multiple hormones have been implicated in the regulation of root development. Auxin is involved in the initiation of adventitious roots, whereas cytokinin inhibits adventitious root initiation, but promotes adventitious root elongation. Other phytohormones such as nitric oxide, ethylene, brassinosteroid, jasmonic acid and gibberellin may be also involved in regulating adventitious root initiation and development. Additionally, more than 600 root development related quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been located by QTL analysis of root traits.
The Relativistic Thomas-Fermi Atom

The Thomas-Fermi equation determining the inner atomic potential and the charge distribution is generalized to take care of the relativistic change of mass with velocity. The relativistic equation is then solved numerically by means of a first order perturbation method and with the help of the differential analyzer. The solution is applied to the case of mercury and it is shown that while the atomic potential changes only slightly, the charge density is appreciably increased in the immediate vicinity of the nucleus and slightly decreased at larger distances.
A nonstandard curve-fitting application in modelling lake depth

Abstract This paper describes a nonstandard curve-fitting problem in that two distinct procedures are involved in determining the appropriate set of parameters. The first procedure determines the parameter candidates, a step that could involve using a constrained least squares technique. The approach used in this paper, however, is to model the parameter structure with a linear program. The second stage takes the selected parameter candidates and generates the corresponding curve via a computer model for lake depth. The advantages of the linear programming approach are discussed.
ZF V-BLAST for Imperfect MIMO Channels using Average Performance Optimization

In practice, channel estimation is often imperfect due to the noise and interference. This paper extends the V-BLAST system to the imperfect channel state information by dividing the channel matrix into two parts. Upon an assumption that the channel estimation error vectors are independent complex Gaussian with zero mean and known second-order statistics, a symbol detection ordering criteria for ZF V-BLAST system is proposed which aims at providing, in each layer, the maximum average signal to interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), over the random channel errors. This robust V-BLAST ordering rule takes the imperfect CSI into account, while maintaining the simple implementation of the V-BLAST structure. It is shown that the new ordering criterion is capable of achieving global performance optimization and outperforms the standard ZF V-BLAST when estimation errors exist.
Age- and sex-related glomerulonephritis in New Zealand white mice.

Abstract Both New Zealand white (NZW) and black (NZB) mice develop a form of clinically silent glomerulonephritis. In the former, the renal lesion is more pronounced in females and results from the deposition of immune complexes in glomeruli. The most prominent features of the lesions are deposits of immune complexes in the mesangium and an increase in the number of cells in glomeruli. More advanced lesions consisted of complexes in the peripheral capillary wall. By contrast, NZB mice showed only minimal sex differences; furthermore, their lesions were less advanced than in the NZW females. These data show that renal disease in the NZB/W hybrid is most similar to nephritis of the female NZW mouse.
Separation Method for Oxygen Mass Transport Coefficient in Gas and Ionomer Phases in PEMFC GDE

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are the most promising candidate systems for alternative electricity generation. To meet the power density, reliability and cost requirements that enable the mass production of fuel cells, increased power output as well as cost reduction remain the most important obstacles. To increase the power density, a fuel cell should operate at high current, where its performance is limited by the finite transport rates of the reactants and products within the gas diffusion electrode (GDE), consisting of a gas diffusion layer (GDL) and a catalyst layer. Operation at high current density is a significant concern for a cathode because air, which is used as the oxidant, is dilute and contains only 21% oxygen. Transport limitations hamper the flow of oxygen at the cathode electrode, causing voltage losses by reducing the concentration of the oxygen at a catalyst surface. Additionally, transport limitations impede the flow of produced water out of the electrode, keeping the membrane humidified, but in extreme cases resulting in GDE liquid water blockages. Gas transport losses depend on cell geometry, flow field design, GDE textural properties and the fuel cell operating conditions. A better understanding of this particular limitation is necessary to increase the performance and decrease the fuel cell size in applications with power system volume requirements such as material handling, ground support equipment and unmanned vehicles. 1 At the microscopic level, reagent transport from theflowfield channels to the catalyst occurs by both diffusion and convection in the gas phase and by diffusion in the ionomer phase. Therefore, the separation of the overall mass transport coefficient into gas and ionomer phase contributions is desirable to clarify the transport mechanism and identify the rate-determining step for membrane/electrode assembly (MEA) optimization. The limiting current is the maximum current that can be obtained from a cell as the reagent concentration at the electrode surface approaches zero. 2 This parameter describing the asymptotic behavior of the polarization curve at low cell voltage is an important MEA and GDE mass transport characteristic. The limiting current can be used as a tool to study mass transport phenomena in PEMFC because the limiting current can provide experimental data for the investigation of the correlation between the GDE structure and the fuel cell performance. 3‐16
Prospective pilot study of painful lumbar facet joint arthropathy after intra-articular injection of hylan G-F 20

Objective To examine changes in pain, disability, and medication usage over time from baseline to up to 12 months after facet joint injection of hylan G-F 20. Design Prospective, uncontrolled, pilot study. Setting University spine center. Participants Fifteen patients (12 females), mean age of 57 years (standard deviation=12.5), with a median duration of low back pain of 24 months (interquartile range=11-66). Methods Patients who fulfilled inclusion criteria underwent diagnostic blocks with local comparative anesthetics at one unilateral facet joint (FJ). Those with a true positive response underwent 2 1.0-mL intra-articular hylan G-F 20 injections, 10 days apart, into the painful FJ. A third hylan G-F 20 injection was offered to patients dissatisfied with the results obtained with the first 2 injections. Main Outcome Measures Visual analog scale (VAS) (average, standing, walking), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), SF-36, finger to floor distance (FTF), tolerance (standing, sitting, walking), analgesic usage, and patient satisfaction collected at baseline, 7-10 days, and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months follow-up. Results Repeated measures mixed-models indicated that VAS (average, standing, walking [ P all P = .029), SF-36 ( P = .013), FTF ( P = .032), and sitting tolerance ( P = .020) all showed significant changes from baseline up to 6 months and were not sustained at 12 months; with the exception of the baseline to 12-month difference for FTF. There was not evidence of changes over time in standing ( P = .085) or walking ( P = .084) tolerance. Satisfaction initially increased from baseline (0%) to 7-10 days (64%) but declined over time (36% at 12 months). As compared with baseline (80%), analgesic usage decreased nominally over time showing significant decreases at 6 months (33%, P = .0253) and increased slightly at 12 months (45%). Conclusions Viscosupplementation for lumbar FJ arthropathy with hylan G-F 20 is associated with modest efficacy that predominately lasts up to 6 months. Limitations include a small sample size and lack of both a control and blinding. Larger, randomized, controlled studies are indicated to better clarify its clinical safety, efficacy, and utility.
Tissue and organ specificity of Eimeria tenella (Railliet and Lucet, 1891) Fantham, 1909 in cecectomized chickens.

SYNOPSIS. The ceca of 2-week-old chicks were surgically removed. One week post-operation each cecectomized bird was given 2 × 106 sporulated Eimeria tenella oocysts per os. Birds from the same hatch, with intact ceca, served as controls and were infected the same time as the cecectomized birds. However, in order to reduce mortality, control birds were each given 1 × 104 sporulated E. tenella oocysts per os. Four cecectomized and 5 control birds were killed 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 hours after inoculation. Tissues from the small and large intestine of each bird proximal to the cecal junction were removed, processed by the dioxan method, and studied microscopically for developmental stages of the parasite. Developmental stages of the parasite were observed in all sections from the large intestine of cecectomized chickens. Initial sporozoite penetration and subsequent development of the parasite in this location was similar to that observed in the cecal mucosa of non-cecectomized chickens. No parasites were observed in sections of the small intestine of cecectomized birds 12 or 24 hours after inoculation, and findings after 48 and 72 hours were inconsistent. However, numerous parasites were observed in sections 96, 120, and 144 hours post-inoculation. In contrast, endogenous stages of the parasite were not seen in tissue sections of the small and large intestine of birds with intact ceca until 120 hours after inoculation. Numerous young gametocytes were then observed in sections from all birds. Similarly, mature gametocytes were observed in all fixed sections 144 hours after inoculation. No evidence was found that would indicate whether or not infection in the small and large intestine of birds with intact ceca or the small intestine of cecectomized birds was initiated by sporozoites or merozoites, nor was evidence found to suggest that development of any stage of the parasite was suppressed in these organs.
Effects of a non-linear energy sink (NES) on vortex-induced vibrations of a circular cylinder

We investigate in detail the passive control of vortex-induced vibrations of a freely oscillating circular cylinder using a non-linear energy sink consisting of a secondary system having linear damping and an essential non-linear cubic stiffness. The loads on the cylinder are calculated using a direct numerical simulation of the incompressible flow over the cylinder using a parallel computational fluid dynamics code. A strongly coupled fluid structure control numerical model is used to determine the responses of the cylinder and the sink as well as the flow. We vary the sink parameters (mass and damping) and determine their effects on the response of the coupled system. We find multiple stable responses of the coupled system for different mass ratios and damping coefficient of the sink, depending on the initial conditions.
Decomposition Approaches to Batch Plant Design and Planning

Design of batch facilities through a mathematical programming approach lead to large problem size. A heuristic approach which was proposed in an earlier paper (Subrahmanyam et al. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 1994b, 33, 2688) used decomposition techniques to solve an aggregate problem and a series of scheduling problems. Each of these problems corresponds to a mixed integer linear program. In this work, we derive a theoretical relationship between the aggregate problem and the detailed design formulation. A hierarchy of aggregate problems is derived, based on which an algorithm is developed to obtain optimal solutions to the overall design problem. A number of industrially derived cases are solved to illustrate and validate the algorithm.
Plasmid-mediated iron uptake and virulence in Vibrio anguillarum.

Abstract The plasmid pJM1 of Vibrio anguillarum harbors genes encoding proteins that enable the bacterial cell to survive under iron limiting conditions. A subset of these proteins are involved in the biosynthesis of the siderophore anguibactin and in the internalization of the ferric–siderophore into the cell cytosol. We have identified several genes encoding non-ribosomal peptide synthetases that catalyze the synthesis of anguibactin, these genes are: angB/G, angM, angN, angR, and angT. In addition, the genes fatA, fatB, fatC, and fatD are involved in the transport of ferric–anguibactin complexes. These transport genes, together with the biosynthesis genes angR and angT, are included in the iron transport biosynthesis operon (ITBO). Both the biosynthesis and the transport genes are under tight positive as well as negative control. We have identified four regulators; two of them, a chromosomally encoded Fur and a plasmid-mediated antisense RNA, RNAβ, act in a negative fashion, while positive regulation is facilitated by AngR and TAFr. We also have evidence that the siderophore itself plays a positive role in the regulatory mechanism of the expression of both transport and biosynthesis genes.
Two Critics of the Ideological “Lie”: Raymond Aron’s Encounter With Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

The incomparable force of Solzhenitsyn is connected with his person, to what defines his message: the unconditional refusal of the lie. It can happen that one cannot tell the truth, he repeats, but one can always refuse the lie. The Soviet regime appears to him to be perverse as such because it institutionalizes the lie: despotism calls itself liberty, the press subjugated to a party pretends to be free, and at the time of the Great Purge, Stalin proclaimed the Constitution to be the most democratic in the world. Solzhenitsyn’s voice carries far and high because it does not weary of calling us back to the intrinsic perversity of totalitarianism.
The reduction of unnecessary x-ray exposure during intraoral examinations

A cone-collimating device that collimates the beam to a rectangle, eliminates plastic-pointer scatter, controls aluminum-filter and air scatter, and can be used with the techniques currently employed is described for use with dental x-ray apparatus. The cone is constructed of radio-opaque materials that collimate the primary beam to a rectangular field. The cone was designed in 2 parts; the proximal (round) part was made of 16-gauge steel tubing, 7.5 cm in dia, and the distal part of 18-gauge coldrolled steel. Rectangular collimation of the beam reduces the primary irradiated skin surface area by 36% from that of the 2.75-in. dia circular beam, so that the gonadal dose should be 55% less when the maxillary incisor area is irradiated. The metal cone effectively controls the aluminumfilter and air scatter outside the primary beam area. With the reduction in the volume of tissue irradiated, there is much less tissue scatter, and an appreciable improvement in the quality of film contrast was noticed. It was concluded that the use of a rectangular collimated field of 4.5 by 5.5 cm with a roentgen-opaque metal cone is a practical method for considerably reducing unnecessary exposure in periapical intraoral roentgenographic examinations. (TCO)
Similar effects of zinc deficiency and restricted feeding on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in rats.

The objective of this study was to determine whether alterations in HDL composition observed previously were due specifically to zinc deficiency or to reduction in food intake. Rats were placed into three groups and fed for 21 d a zinc- adequate diet (100 ppm) ad libitum, or a zinc-deficient diet (< 1 ppm) ad libitum, or the zinc-adequate diet at an intake equal to that of the deficient group. Blood plasma was fractionated into VLDL, LDL and HDL fractions, and plasma and the isolated fractions were analyzed for lipids and apolipoprotein composition. Analysis of plasma and liver zinc indicated that animals consuming the low zinc diet were defi cient. Zinc deficiency and restricted feeding were associated with lower plasma and VLDL triglycA©ride levels and lower HDL cholesterol levels. The similarities in overall pattern of lipoprotein composition between the zinc-deficient and restricted-intake groups indicate that reduction in food intake may account for the differences in lipo protein composition which were observed. J. Nutr. 116: 1889-1895, 1986.
Multiband Excitation for Speech Enhancement

The speech enhancement algorithm proposed aims to improve the quality of denoised speech by introducing voicing information to a Wiener-type spectral amplitude gain function. A constrained Multiband Excitation (MBE) model is used to emphasize harmonic components of the glottal input; and a low variance and bias Autoregressive Multitaper (ARMT) estimate models the vocal tract. Objective and Subjective evaluations show improvement over unconstrained models and those using high variance spectrum estimators.
Maxflow Based Routing for Traffic Engineering and Sustained High Bitrate Applications

We present a data routing mechanism based on graph- theoretic maximum flow algorithms. The goal is to maximize data flow between source and destination pairs. Though multiple paths are used for data transmission, the goal of this mechanism is primarily to maximize throughput rather than provide fault-tolerance or quality-of-service as with other multipath mechanisms. Challenges relating to selecting participating links and routers are identified and addressed. Implementation aspects of traditional maximum flow algorithm categories; path augmentation and preflow- push are discussed and the choice of preflow-push is motivated. Simulations give insight into the effect of the reported power-law growth of connectivity on maximum flow algorithms by showing that strict power-law growth in detrimental to throughput. Growth by addition of random links gives better overall throughput than power-law growth. Finally, we show that though packet reordering is extensive in a maximum flow session, the reordering is deterministic leading to the possibility of designing transport algorithms that can use this predictability in minimizing the effect on reordering sensitive applications.
Integrating LANDIS model and a multi-criteria decision-making approach to evaluate cumulative effects of forest management in the Missouri Ozarks, USA

a b s t r a c t Public forest management requires consideration of numerous objectives including protecting ecosystem health, sustaining habitats for native communities, providing sustainable forest products, and provid- ing noncommodity ecosystem services. It is difficult to evaluate the long-term, cumulative effects and tradeoffs these and other associated management objectives. To demonstrate the capabilities of tech- niques suitable to support such evaluations we combined a spatially explicit landscape-scale, succession and disturbance model (LANDIS) with wildlife habitat suitability models and a multi-criteria decision- making framework to compare four management alternatives across a 700 km 2 area of the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, USA. We estimated the combined, cumulative effects of tree species suc- cession, fire disturbance, fuel accumulation, fire hazard, wind disturbance and timber harvest on future species composition, age class distribution, timber products, and wildlife habitat suitability for eastern wild turkey and eastern gray squirrel. We applied a structured, multi-criteria, decision-making frame- work (PROMETHEE) to analyse forest conditions and to derive weighted composite scores for seven criteria applied to each alternative management scenario. The approach provides a systematic, repeat- able, transparent, spatially explicit framework for evaluating the long-term, landscape-scale cumulative effects of management alternatives. The methodology does not encompass all the factors that influence decisions about public land management, but it captures many important ones. The underlying models provide a way to test and accumulate knowledge about forest response to succession and disturbance and to use those relationships to support decision making with the best available science.
Bank erosion of legacy sediment at the transition from vertical to lateral stream incision

Streambank erosion is a primary source of suspended sediments in many waterways of the US Atlantic Piedmont. This problem is exacerbated where banks are comprised of fine sediment produced by the intensive land use practices of early European settlers. A stream in this region, Richland Creek incises into banks comprised of three stratigraphic layers associated with historic land use: pre-European settlement, early European agriculture and development, and water-powered milldam operation. This study aims to identify the bank processes along a reach of Richland Creek that is eroding towards its pre-disturbance elevation. The volume of material that has eroded along this stream since the milldam breached was calculated by differencing a reconstructed surface of the pond bed and an aerial lidar digital terrain model (DTM). Immediately downstream from the study reach, the channel is floored by bedrock and immediately upstream the rate of channel erosion approximately doubled along the longitudinal profile of Richland Creek, which indicate that the study reach spans the transition from a channel dominated by vertical incision in the upstream direction to horizontal widening in the downstream direction. The combined hydrometeorological conditions and dominant processes causing reach-scale cut bank erosion were investigated with analyses of stream stage, precipitation, and streambank volumetric and surfaces change that was measured during nine terrestrial lidar surveys in 2010–2012. The spatial variability of erosion during a simulated precipitation event was examined in a field-based experiment. Erosion was greatest where mill pond sediment columns detached along vertical desiccation and horizontal seepage cracks. This sediment accumulated on the bank toe throughout the study and was a source of readily-entrained fine sediment contrary to the upper reaches where depositional accommodation space is more limited. Findings suggest that hotspots of sediment excavation progress upstream, indicating that restoration efforts should focus upon stabilizing banks at these locations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clock Games: Theory and Experiments

Timing is crucial in situations ranging from currency attacks, to product introductions, to starting a revolution. These settings share the feature that payoffs depend critically on the timing of a few other key players - and their moves are uncertain. To capture this, we introduce the notion of clock games and experimentally test them. Each player's clock starts on receiving a signal about a payoff relevant state variable. Since the timing of the signals is random, clocks are de-synchronized. A player must decide how long, if at all, to delay his move after receiving the signal. We show that (i) equilibrium is always characterized by strategic delay - regardless of whether moves are observable or not; (ii) delay decreases as clocks become more synchronized and increases as information becomes more concentrated; (iii) When moves are observable, players "herd" immediately after any player makes a move. We then show, in a series of experiments, that key predictions of the model are consistent with observed behavior.
Auxin schafft Ordnung im Blätterwald

Schonheit in der Natur ist oft eine unverhoffte Symmetrie im Chaos des Lebendigen. Bei Pflanzen bestechen die Widerspruche zwischen den individuell so unterschiedlichen Blattern und ihren regelmasigen Anordnungen. Diese symmetrischen Folgen von Blattanlagen, Bluten oder Samen beruhen auf der kontrollierten Verteilung des Wachstumshormons Auxin. Junge Blatter in den wachsenden Pflanzenteilen leiten das Hormon um, so dass erst in einem bestimmten Abstand das nachste Blatt entsteht.
Implementation of unobservable state-preserving topology attacks

This paper studies the vulnerability of AC state estimation (SE) with respect to a class of unobservable state-preserving topology attacks, in which the topology data are changed by attacker while the states remain unchanged. An algorithm based on breadth-first search (BFS) is developed to determine the subset of topology data and measurements required to launch successful unobservable state-preserving topology attacks. It is shown that the proposed algorithm can enable an attacker to obtain the localized topology and corresponding measurement data to mount an attack that bypasses bad data detector and successfully changes topology information of the system in the cyber layer.
The validation of the Texas revised inventory of grief on an older Latino sample.

Abstract Purpose: Bereavement is considered to be one of the most profound experiences in older adulthood. However, assessments of emotional reactions to grief and loss have often been based on measures tested on primarily Anglo samples. This study examined the validity and factor structure of a commonly used bereavement measure on an older Latino sample. Design and Methods: Using convergent and discriminant validation procedures, this instrument was tested using a purposive sample of 134 older, recently bereaved Latinos. Results: While the instrument was originally designed to measure two domains of grief: Past Behaviors and Present Feelings, confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor solution for this sample which included also Disbelief of the loss. Items within this domain included anger, rejection, and a sense of injustice. Implications: This study underscores the need for improved measures in research on grief and bereavement to capture the intensity and severity of grief i...
My Passion and Passages with Red Blood Cells

This article mainly presents, in sequential panels of time, an overview of my professional involvements and laboratory experiences. I became smitten with red blood cells early on, and this passion remains with me to this day. I highlight certain studies, together with those who performed the work, recognizing that it was necessary to limit the details and the topics chosen for discussion. I am uncertain of the interest a personal account has for others, but at least it's here for the record.
Risk Adjusted Set Membership Identification of Wiener Systems

This technical note addresses the problem of set membership identification of Wiener systems. Its main result shows that even though the problem is generically NP-hard, it can be reduced to a tractable convex optimization through the use of risk-adjusted methods. In addition, this approach allows for efficiently computing worst-case bounds on the identification error. Finally, we provide an analysis of the intrinsic limitations of interpolatory algorithms. These results are illustrated with a non-trivial problem arising in computer vision: tracking a human in a sequence of frames, where the challenge here arises from the changes in appearance undergone by the target and the large number of pixels to be tracked.
Fire and other disturbances of the forests in Mount Rainier National Park

The recent history of catastrophic disturbances in forests was reconstructed at Mount Rainier National Park. Basic data were ages of trees based on ring counts of early seral conifer species and maps of age-class boundaries from field work and aerial photographs. Maps illustrate age classes of the forests and show disturbances from fires, snow avalanches, and lahars (volcanic mudflows). Fires are by far the most important major disturbers, followed by snow avalanches and lahars. Fires over 250 ha in size are called fire events. Burns over 1000 ha, which may have been one fire or a series of fires within a short time, are called fire episodes. Important fire events or episodes occurred in the years 1230, 1303, 1403, 1503, 1628, 1688, 1703, 1803, 1825, 1856, 1858, 1872, 1886, 1894, 1930, and 1934 A.D. The largest fire episode was in 1230; it affected approximately 47% of the forests in the park. The majority of the forests are over 350 yr old, and several stands are over 1000 yr old. Stands 350 yr and 100 to 200 yr in age are the most extensive age classes in the park. Three fire frequency indices are compared. None describe fire frequency at Mount Rainier well. Natural fire rotation was estimated at about 434 yr. All but two episodes of major fires since 1300 A.D. correspond well with major droughts reconstructed for locations east of the Cascade Range crest. Impacts of humans on the disturbance regime may have increased the frequency of fire in the 1850–1900 period, followed by a decrease in frequency after 1900. Fuel build-up as a result of fire suppression should have no significant impact on fire frequency, since fires are relatively infrequent and fuels accumulate naturally.