cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drosophila ELL is associated with actively elongating RNA polymerase II on transcriptionally active sites in vivo

Several factors have been biochemically characterized based on their ability to increase the overall rate of transcription elongation catalyzed by the multiprotein complex RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Among these, the ELL family of elongation factors has been shown to increase the catalytic rate of transcription elongation in vitro by suppressing transient pausing. Several fundamental biological aspects of this class of elongation factors are not known. We have cloned the Drosophila homolog (dELL) in order to test whether ELL family proteins are actually associated with the elongating Pol II in vivo. Here we report that dELL is a nuclear protein, which, like its mammalian homologs, can increase the catalytic rate of transcription elongation by Pol II in vitro. Interestingly, we find that dELL co-localizes extensively with the phosphorylated, actively elongating form of Pol II at transcriptionally active sites on Drosophila polytene chromosomes. Furthermore, dELL is relocalized from a widespread distribution pattern on polytenes under normal conditions to very few transcriptionally active puff sites upon heat shock. This observation indicates a dynamic pattern of localization of dELL in cells, which is a predicted characteristic of a Pol II general elongation factor. We also demonstrate that dELL physically interacts with Pol II. Our results strongly suggest that dELL functions with elongating RNA polymerase II in vivo.
An implicit ghost-cell immersed boundary method for simulations of moving body problems with control of spurious force oscillations

A fully-implicit ghost-cell immersed boundary method for simulations of flow over complex moving bodies on a Cartesian grid is presented. The present immersed boundary method is highly capable of controlling the generation of spurious force oscillations on the surface of a moving body, thereby producing an accurate and stable solution. Spurious force oscillations on the surface of an immersed moving body are reduced by alleviating spatial and temporal discontinuities in the pressure and velocity fields across non-grid conforming immersed boundaries. A sharp-interface ghost-cell immersed-boundary method is coupled with a mass source and sink algorithm to improve the conservation of mass across non-grid conforming immersed boundaries. To facilitate the control for the temporal discontinuity in the flow field due to a motion of an immersed body, a fully-implicit time-integration scheme is employed. A novel backward time-integration scheme is developed to effectively treat multiple layers of fresh cells generated by a motion of an immersed body at a high CFL number condition. The present backward time-integration scheme allows to impose more accurate and stable velocity vectors on fresh cells than those interpolated. The effectiveness of the present fully-implicit ghost-cell immersed boundary method coupled with a mass source and sink algorithm for reducing spurious force oscillations during simulations of moving body problems is demonstrated in a number of test cases.
Activation of the Wnt Signaling Pathway: A Molecular Mechanism for Lithium Action

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3 beta/zeste-white-3/shaggy) is a negative regulator of the wnt signaling pathway which plays a central role in the development of invertebrates and vertebrates; loss of function and dominant negative mutations in GSK-3 beta lead to activation of the wnt pathway in Drosophila and Xenopus. We now provide evidence that lithium activates downstream components of the wnt signaling pathway in vivo, leading to accumulation of beta-catenin protein. Our data indicate that this activation of the wnt pathway is a consequence of inhibition of GSK-3 beta by lithium. Using a novel assay for GSK-3 beta in oocytes, we show that lithium inhibits GSK-3 beta from species as diverse as Dictyostelium discoideum and Xenopus laevis, providing a biochemical mechanism for the action of lithium on the development of these organisms. Lithium treatment also leads to activation of an AP-1-luciferase reporter in Xenopus embryos, consistent with previous observations that GSK-3 beta inhibits c-jun activity. Activation of the wnt pathway with a dominant negative form of GSK-3 beta is inhibited by myo-inositol, similar to the previously described effect of coinjecting myo-inositol with lithium. The mechanism by which myo-inositol inhibits both dominant negative GSK-3 beta and lithium remains uncertain.
Imaged thoracoscopic lung biopsy.

Imaged thoracoscopic surgery is a technique utilized to operate on the intrathoracic organs without making a formal thoracotomy incision. Eleven patients underwent lung biopsy with this procedure and each had markedly reduced postoperative pain. Each patient resumed preoperative activity levels within one week of discharge from the hospital. Besides thoracotomy and thoracoscopy, imaged thoracoscopic surgery provides another option for approaching the intrathoracic organs. (Chest 1992; 102:60–62)
Applications of diffractive optics to diode laser arrays and amplifiers

This paper reviews applications of diffractive optics to optical resonators using diode laser arrays and wide-stripe diode-laser amplifiers as the gain medium. The mode profile can be tailored to any desirable shape by proper design of the diffractive optics. By optimizing additional cavity parameters, these resonators can be designed to discriminate against higher- order cavity modes, insuring single-spatial-mode operation. As a first example, we show a diffractive laser mirror designed to excite a uniform-intensity supermode of an AlGaAs laser array. The effect of varying the phase of this array on modal discrimination is studied. In the second example, a laser mirror is designed to produce a super-Gaussian beam profile in a wide-stripe semiconductor laser amplifier. Two-and-eight-tenths watts of diffraction-limited optical power is obtained.
Pseudohyperkalemia in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Pseudohyperkalemia occurs occasionally in patients with extreme leukocytosis. Increased white blood cell fragility coupled with mechanical stress is felt to be causal. Serum and plasma potassium levels have been both associated with pseudohyperkalemia. Whole blood potassium determination will usually verify the correct diagnosis. It is important to diagnose this condition early so that patients are not inappropriately treated. Two patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and extreme leukocytosis are presented, one with pseudohyperkalemia and one with probable pseudohyperkalemia, and diagnostic considerations are discussed
Semi-supervised learning for peptide identification from shotgun proteomics datasets

Shotgun proteomics uses liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to identify proteins in complex biological samples. We describe an algorithm, called Percolator, for improving the rate of confident peptide identifications from a collection of tandem mass spectra. Percolator uses semi-supervised machine learning to discriminate between correct and decoy spectrum identifications, correctly assigning peptides to 17% more spectra from a tryptic Saccharomyces cerevisiae dataset, and up to 77% more spectra from non-tryptic digests, relative to a fully supervised approach.
General Approach to the Total Synthesis of 9-Methoxy Substituted Indole Alkaloids: Synthesis of Mitragynine, as well as 9-Methoxygeissoschizol and 9-Methoxy-Nb-methylgeissoschizol

Herein, the full details of the synthesis of the 9-methoxy-substituted Corynanthe indole alkaloids mitragynine (1), 9-methoxygeissoschizol (3), and 9-methoxy-Nb-methylgeissoschizol (4) are described. Initially, an efficient synthetic route to the optically active 4-methoxytryptophan ethyl ester 20 on a multigram scale was developed via a Mori−Ban−Hegedus indole synthesis. The ethyl ester of d-4-methoxytryptophan 20 was obtained with a radical-mediated regioselective bromination of indoline 12 serving as a key step. Alternatively, the key 4-methoxytryptophan intermediate 22 could be synthesized by the Larock heteroannulation of aryl iodide 10b with the internal alkyne 21a. The use of the Boc-protected aniline 10b was crucial to the success of this heteroannulation. The α,β-unsaturated ester 6 was synthesized via the Pictet−Spengler reaction as the pivotal step. This was followed by a Ni(COD)2-mediated cyclization to set up the stereocenter at C-15. The benzyloxy group in 31 was removed to provide the inter...
A theory of magnetic vibrational circular dichroism

Abstract A theory of type B magnetic vibrational circular dichroism (MVCD) is developed and applied. The motion of the nuclei is treated classically and the momentum correlation between their motion and the electronic motion is treated explicitly.
Split comets and the origin of crater chains on Ganymede and Callisto

WHEN the Voyager 1 spacecraft flew through the jovian system in January 1979, it returned images of several prominent chains of impact craters on the surface of the moon Callisto (Fig. 1). These impressively straight chains, or catenae, are composed of between 4 and 25 craters, and are up to 620 km long. They were initially thought to be secondary craters produced by debris from a larger primary impact1, but detailed searches for source craters have been largely unsuccessful: a satisfactory explanation for the crater chains has yet to be found. Inspired by the recent observations of comet Shoemaker–Levy 9, which split into a line of about 20 fragments as it swept past Jupiter2, we suggest that the impact of previous split comets might be responsible for at least some of the catenae on Callisto. In support of this hypothesis, we find that nearly all of Callisto's crater chains are on the Jupiter-facing hemisphere, as are an additional three catenae that we have found on Ganymede. We present a simple model of tidal breakup which both reproduces the range of observed chain lengths and indicates that the parent comets responsible for the Callisto catenae were typically no more than about 10 km in diameter.
Nucleation of two-dimensional phases on the (111) surface of Cu-Ag alloys

Abstract Experiments have been performed on the (111) surface of dilute Cu-Ag alloys under conditions where the surface segregation of Ag leads to a two-dimensional phase transition in which a 2D Cu-rich surface phase undergoes transformation to 2D Ag-rich phase upon cooling, and vice versa. The results show that the formation sites of the Ag-phase upon cooling are different from those at which the Cu-phase forms on heating. Three possible interpretations are provided: nucleation at points of intersection of high diffusivity paths with the surface, nucleation enhancement by sub-surface compositional fluctuations, and nucleation at rough versus smooth regions of the surface. The first interpretation can be ruled out, but it is not possible to distinguish conclusively between the other two interpretations.
Short-term impact of a laparoscopic "mini-residency" experience on postgraduate urologists' practice patterns.

Background To assist practicing urologists incorporate laparoscopic urology into their practice, a 5-day mini-residency (M-R) program with a mentor, preceptor, and proctor experience was established at the University of California, Irvine, and we report the initial results. Study design Thirty-two urologists underwent laparoscopic ablative (n=17) or laparoscopic reconstructive (n=15) training, including inanimate model skills training, animal laboratory, and operating room observation. A questionnaire was mailed 1 to 15 months (mean, 8 months) after their M-R program, and responses were reviewed. Results A 100% response rate was achieved. The mean M-R participant age was 49 years (range 31 to 70 years). The majority of the participants (72%) had laparoscopic experience during residency training and had performed between 5 and 15 laparoscopic cases before attending the M-R program. Within 8 months after M-R, 26 participants (81%) were practicing laparoscopic surgery. Participants were performing laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (p=0.008), nephroureterectomy (p Conclusions A 5-day intensive laparoscopic ablative and reconstructive surgery course seems to encourage postgraduate urologists, already familiar with laparoscopy, to successfully expand the scope of their procedures to include more complex laparoscopic techniques such as nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy, and pyeloplasty into their clinical practice.
Health Care Expenditures Attributable to Smoking in Military Veterans

Introduction The health effects of cigarette smoking have been estimated to account for between 6%-8% of U.S. health care expenditures. We estimated Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care costs attributable to cigarette smoking. Methods VHA survey and administrative data provided the number of Veteran enrollees, current and former smoking prevalence, and the cost of 4 types of care for groups defined by age, gender, and region. Cost and smoking status could not be linked at the enrollee level, so we used smoking attributable fractions estimated in sample of U.S. residents where the linkage could be made. Results The 7.7 million Veterans enrolled in VHA received $40.2 billion in VHA provided health services in 2010. We estimated that $2.7 billion in VHA costs were attributable to the health effects of smoking. This was 7.6% of the $35.3 billion spent on the types of care for which smoking-attributable fractions could be determined. The fraction of inpatient costs that was attributable to smoking (11.4%) was greater than the fraction of ambulatory care cost attributable to smoking (5.3%). More cost was attributable to current smokers ($1.7 billion) than to former smokers ($983 million). Conclusions The fraction of VHA costs attributable to smoking is similar to that of other health care systems. Smoking among Veterans is slowly decreasing, but prevalence remains high in Veterans with psychiatric and substance use disorders, and in younger and female Veterans. VHA has adopted a number of smoking cessation programs that have the potential for reducing future smoking-attributable costs.
Landau-Kleffner syndrome with continuous spikes and waves during slow-wave sleep

The Landau-Kleffner syndrome is sometimes associated with continuous spike-waves during slow-wave sleep. The clinical significance of this association is unclear. In order to investigate differences in glucose metabolic patterns between awake and sleep states in two children with Landau-Kleffner syndrome and continuous spike-waves during slow-wave sleep, fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomographic (PET) studies were performed in each state. In the first patient, the awake interictal PET study revealed moderate hypometabolism in the thalamus and frontal and temporal cortex and mild hypometabolism in the parietal and anterior cingulate cortex bilaterally. Occipital cortex was severely hypometabolic bilaterally. In a repeat PET study performed during sleep in which continuous spike-waves during slow-wave sleep were present, the only difference noted compared to the awake study was a marked bilateral increase in temporal cortex metabolism. The awake interictal PET in the second child was normal, except f...
When does recurrent connectivity improve neural population coding

Neural systems contain many cells, and an important problem is to understand if and how those neurons work together to form a functioning system. In sensory neuroscience -- which is our focus -- this function is to encode information about a stimulus so that it can be transmitted to other brain areas. An experimentally accessible, and hence popular, way to assess collective behavior is to measure the trial-to-trial covariability in the responses of multiple neurons over repeats of the same stimulus, called noise correlations. Repeat presentations of the same stimulus yield different responses on each trial, and that variability is typically correlated across different neurons [1,2] (although, see [3] for one counterexample). In the past two decades, the impact of these noise correlations on population coding has generated great interest. While nothing can add more information about the stimulus than was contained in the inputs (the data processing inequality), noise correlations determine the extent to which noise in the neural system degrades the amount of information that a neural population conveys about a stimulus (for example, see [4-6]). There are two main ways in which these noise correlations can be generated: the cells may receive common (noisy) input from (some of) the same upstream source(s), or the cells may be (recurrently) coupled to one another. At the same time, most work on noise correlations and population coding (with a few notable exceptions, including [7,8]) ignores their mechanistic origins. Interestingly, the few studies that have considered the mechanistic origins of noise correlations [7,8] have concluded that recurrent connectivity tends to hinder population coding, or has little overall effect: even though recurrent coupling can “sharpen” neural tuning curves, this advantage is more than offset by the fact that it generates harmful noise correlations. This begs the question of when -- if ever -- recurrent coupling can improve population coding, and of whether noise correlations with different mechanistic origins have different impacts on coding performance? To address these issues, we are investigating models in which groups of cells with, and without, recurrent coupling are driven by noisy inputs. The cells themselves are then noisy spike generators, and we are varying the fraction of shared inputs to the cells (which modifies the noise correlations due to common input), and the inter-neuronal connectivity, and computing the coding capacity of the resultant networks. Preliminary results indicate that, in some cases – similar to those discussed in [9] – recurrent coupling can combat the cell-intrinsic variabililty enough that the population’s coding performance is improved even though the noise correlations the are generated by that coupling do themselves hinder that coding performance. We are in the process of expanding and generalizing on this work. Support for this work came from NSF grants DMS-1122106, and CRCNS DMS-1208027 and a Burroughs- Wellcome Fund Career Award at the Scientific Interface to ESB.
North American Paragonimiasis: Case Report of a Severe Clinical Infection

Paragonimiasis is an important cause of pulmonary disease worldwide. It results from an infection with Paragonimus, a parasite that reproduces through a complex life cycle involving snails, crustaceans, and mammals. Humans acquire the disease by ingesting uncooked freshwater crab or crayfish. Paragonimus species are distributed globally, and the disease is well known in endemic regions of Asia where culturally based methods of food preparation foster human transmission. Paragonimus also exists in regions of the United States but has been a rare cause of pulmonary disease. We report a case of a previously healthy young man who developed a dense empyema from Paragonimus kellicotti that ultimately required thoracotomy and praziquantel to eradicate his infection.
The carcinogen ethionine elevates progesterone levels.

ETHIONINE is a potent carcinogen, but little is known about its mode of action. It is known that it does not react extensively with DNA1. It may be an ubiquitous carcinogen, as it is synthesised by Escherichia coli2 and several other microorganisms, so studies of its mode of action are important. We reported recently a novel effect of ethionine in the immature chick3. The oviducts of chicks previously stimulated with oestrogen behaved after the administration of ethionine as if they had received a second stimulation with oestrogen or progestin4–6. The egg white proteins, ovalbumin and conalbumin were synthesised and distinct morphological changes, characteristic of stimulation by oestrogen or progestin appeared. It was thus not clear whether ethionine (or its metabolic product) was affecting steroid hormone receptors7 directly, or interferring in some way with steroid hormone metabolism to produce elevated levels of endogenous oestrogen or progestin. We report here that ethionine or its sulphoxide are unique in inducing in the chick oviduct the effects cited above; analogues were inactive. We also report that the administration of ethionine elevates serum progesterone levels over 10-fold, to a concentration which may be sufficient to account for the profound changes in the immature oviduct.
Progress in modelling multilayer salt-fingering structures

Abstract Real-world salt fingering structures (consisting of convective layers interlaced with thin salt-finger layers) are modeled by a second-order closure technique. In order to achieve physically realistic behaviour in the limit of vertical motion within the salt fingering layer (hereafter SFL) the convective turbulence model of Zeman and Lumley is modified to behave properly in the limit of one-dimensional “turbulence” motion. With the assumption of perfect correlations within the SFL and the length scale (spacing) of salt fingers the system of model equation is closed. Numerical results indicate that the model predicts the observable features of the two-layer laboratory experiments.
Noradrenergic stimulation in vivo increases (Na+, K+)-adenosine triphosphatase activity.

In order to evaluate the role of norepinephrine in regulating activity of (Na+, K+)-ATPase in vivo, enzyme activity was measured in rat brain after electrical stimulation of the locus coeruleus and after administration of piperoxane. Both treatments resulted in increased (Na+, K+)-ATPase activity in locus coeruleus projection areas, but not in corpus striatum. The increased activity was limited to the same side as the stimulating electrode. Destruction of noradrenergic fibers from the locus coeruleus with 6-hydroxydopamine prevented the increase in enzyme activity with piperoxane.
A soil water balance model for no-tillage and conventional till systems

Abstract The objective of this study was to develop a model to simulate the soil water status in no-tillage and conventional tillage systems. Model components include routines for determining plant water interception, plant growth, root development, surface runoff and infiltration, plant available soil water, evaporation, and evapotranspiration. A database for two growing seasons of corn production was used to develop mathematical expressions for various model components and to calibrate and verify the model. Procedures for parameter determination and adjustment are presented. Results include a comparison of simulated soil water status to field measurements for two tillage systems. Good agreement between simulation results and field measurements of soil water is obtained at 0–30 cm soil depth for two different climatic conditions.
Activation of steroid hormone–receptor complexes in intact target cells in physiological conditions

AT physiological temperatures glucocorticoids1–5, in common with other steroid hormones6, initially interact with normal target cells such as the rat thymocyte by forming hormone–receptor complexes that seem first to be located in the cytoplasm and then rapidly become bound to the nucleus. At low temperatures (0–4 °C) the hormones, when incubated either with target cells or with cytosols from such cells, form ‘non-activated’ complexes that do not bind to nuclei; subsequent warming of the cells1–5, or of the cytosols together with nuclei2,7–11, leads to the formation of nuclear-bound complexes. As shown originally with oestrogens12 and later with glucocorticoids2,7–10,13, if cytosols with non-activated complexes formed at 0–4 °C are warmed to 20–37 °C in the absence of nuclei, the complexes become ‘activated’, and will then bind to nuclei even at low temperatures. Activation, which can also be brought about by increased ionic strength7–9,13, gel filtration, dilution and other treatments14, has been studied extensively and is known to be accompanied by several changes other than enhanced affinity for nuclei. For glucocorticoid–receptor complexes the changes include enhanced affinity for DNA7,10,13–15 and altered mobility on phosphocellulose16, DEAE-Sephadex17 and DEAE-cellulose18 columns. This last property is the one we have used in our experiments. Despite the many published studies on activation, formation of non-activated complexes and subsequent activation have apparently never been demonstrated in cells or cytosols exposed to steroids at normal body temperatures only. Consequently, it is not known whether non-activated complexes and activation have any significant role in physiological conditions, and at least one well known scheme of steroid hormone action19 does not include the activation step. It is therefore possible that when steroid hormones bind to cytoplasmic receptors at physiological temperatures they immediately form activated complexes. The results described here show that for glucocorticoids this alternative can be excluded: when these steroids interact with receptors in rat thymus cells at 37 °C they initially form non-activated complexes, and subsequently give rise to activated complexes.
IL-13 signaling in cells stably expressing FLAG-human IL-13R Alpha 2

Abstract Rationale IL-13Rα2 is a high affinity receptor for IL-13 that is a possible decoy receptor for IL-13. We developed a model to study the effects of this receptor on IL-13 dependent gene induction. Methods U937 cells are derived from human monocytes and respond to IL-13 by Stat6 signaling and CD23 gene induction. We stably transfected these cells to express a FLAG-IL-13Rα2 fusion protein. Surface expression of FLAG, IL-13Rα2, and IL-13 binding activity were determined in transfected cells and U937 controls. IL-13 dependent Stat6 responses were determined. Results U937 cells transfected to express FLAG-IL-13Rα2 fusion protein were assayed for the presence of FLAG, IL-13Rα2, and IL-13 binding. Transfected cells displayed surface expression of FLAG and IL-13Rα2 by flow cytometry. IL-13 binding was demonstrated in the transfected cells. Untransfected U937 cells demonstrated no significant surface expression of FLAG or IL-13Rα2 and no significant IL-13 binding. Cells expressing FLAG-IL-13Rα2 had decreased activation of Stat6 in response to IL-13 than U937 controls. Conclusions U937 cells transfected with FLAG-IL-13Rα2 fusion protein demonstrate surface expression of this receptor and bind IL-13 as shown by sandwich FACS. Expression of FLAG-IL-13Rα2 decreases IL-13 dependent Stat6 activation.
Efficient etch bias compensation techniques for accurate on-wafer patterning

As technology development advances into deep submicron nodes, it is very important not to ignore any systematic effect that can impact CD uniformity and the final parametric yield. One important challenge for OPC is in choosing the proper etch process correction flow to compensate for design-to-design etch shrink variations. Although model-based etch compensation tools have been commercially available for a few years now, rules-based etch compensation tables have been the standard practice for several nodes. In our work, we study the limitations of the rules-based etch compensation versus model-based etch compensation. We study a 10nm process and provide the details of why using Model-Based Etch Process Correction can achieve up to 15% improvement in final CD uniformity. We also provide a systematic methodology for identifying the proper etch correction technique for a given etch process and assessing the potential accuracy gain when switching to the model-based etch correction.
Vertical organic transistors

A capacitor that basically consists of two parallel metal plates with dielectric materials in between, can store charge at the two inner surfaces of the metal plates when a voltage bias is applied. As the thickness of the metal-plate electrodes decrease to nanometers range, we find an interesting physical phenomenon, i.e., the stored charges can modify the physical properties of the semiconductor layer coated on top of it. This discovery leads us to demonstrate a whole-new concept field-effect transistor, a vertical organic transistor with a novel device structure by stacking gate-source-drain vertically. This vertical stack consists of an active cell (drain/organics/source) on top of a capacitor cell (source/dielectrics/gate). When the gate (capacitor) is biased, charges are stored in the capacitor cell. As the thickness of the source electrode is thin enough, typically in the nanometer range, the active cell can also sense the stored charges within the capacitor cell, and, subsequently, modulate the charge injection from the source into the organics. This unique device structure provides an extremely short "channel length" and large channel conduction area. As a result, we achieved organic transistors with low working voltage (less than 5 V), high current output (up to 10 mA or 4 A/cm 2 ), and high ON/OFF ratio (up to 4×10 6 ). This device solves two long-standing issues with organic transistors, high working voltages and low current output. This novel device with its enhanced operating characteristics opens new directions for organic transistors and their applications. The device operation mechanism is different from traditional field effect transistors, where we proposed an injection-controlled mechanism, which can basically explain the observed electrical phenomenon of our vertical transistors.
Neural Dynamics Underlying Target Detection in the Human Brain

Sensory signals must be interpreted in the context of goals and tasks. To detect a target in an image, the brain compares input signals and goals to elicit the correct behavior. We examined how target detection modulates visual recognition signals by recording intracranial field potential responses from 776 electrodes in 10 epileptic human subjects. We observed reliable differences in the physiological responses to stimuli when a cued target was present versus absent. Goal-related modulation was particularly strong in the inferior temporal and fusiform gyri, two areas important for object recognition. Target modulation started after 250 ms post stimulus, considerably after the onset of visual recognition signals. While broadband signals exhibited increased or decreased power, gamma frequency power showed predominantly increases during target presence. These observations support models where task goals interact with sensory inputs via top-down signals that influence the highest echelons of visual processing after the onset of selective responses.
Signatures of spin and charge energy scales in the local moment and specific heat of the half-filled two-dimensional Hubbard model

Local moment formation driven by the on-site repulsion U is one of the most fundamental features in the Hubbard model. At the simplest level, the temperature dependence of the local moment is expected to have a single structure at T{approx}U, reflecting the suppression of the double occupancy. In this paper we show low-temperature quantum Monte Carlo data for half-filling which emphasize that the local moment also has a signature at a lower energy scale which previously had been thought to characterize only the temperatures below which moments on different sites begin to correlate locally. We discuss implications of these results for the structure of the specific heat, and connections to quasiparticle resonance and pseudogap formation in the density of states.
Divergent host plant adaptation drives the evolution of sexual isolation in the grasshopper Hesperotettix viridis (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the absence of reinforcement

Early stages of lineage divergence in insect herbivores are often related to shifts in host plant use and divergence in mating capabilities, which may lead to sexual isolation of populations of herbivorous insects. We examined host preferences, degree of differentiation in mate choice, and divergence in cuticular morphology using near-infrared spectroscopy in the grasshopper Hesperotettix viridis aiming to understand lineage divergence. In Kansas (USA), H. viridis is an oligophagous species feeding on Gutierrezia and Solidago host species. To identify incipient mechanisms of lineage divergence and isolation, we compared host choice, mate choice, and phenotypic divergence among natural grasshopper populations in zones of contact with populations encountering only one of the host species. A significant host-based preference from the two host groups was detected in host-paired feeding preference studies. No-choice mate selection experiments revealed a preference for individuals collected from the same host species independent of geographic location, and little mating was observed between individuals collected from different host species. Female mate choice tests between males from the two host species resulted in 100% fidelity with respect to host use. Significant differentiation in colour and cuticular composition of individuals from different host plants was observed, which correlated positively with host choice and mate choice. No evidence for reinforcement in the zone of contact was detected, suggesting that divergent selection for host plant use promotes sexual isolation in this species.
Changes in the Microbial Flora of Smoked Chicken during Storage

Abstract Smoked broiler halves were stored at 25, 15 or 5°C. for up to 28 days. Samples were analyzed for total aerobic plate counts, yeasts and molds, coliforms, percent salt and phenolic content. At 25° C. a mixed microbial flora was evident with visible mold growth. At 5 and 15°C, yeasts and molds were the predominate microbial flora. The major source of contamination was believed to be the sawdust. No coliforms were found in the smoked product regardless of storage temperature. Salt penetration was rapid throughout chicken muscle whereas the major concentration of phenols was located on the skin.
Pharmacy management of vaccines.

H. Eric cannon, PharmD, is director of pharmacy and director of Health and Wellness, SelectHealth, intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake city, u tah. autHor corrESPonDEncE: H. Eric cannon, PharmD,
Fire and dynamics of granivory on a California grassland forb

predation Abstract. This study examines the effects of burning and granivory on the reproductive success of the rare plant Amsinckia grandiflora (Boraginaceae). Fire is often used in California grasslands as a means of exotic species control, but the indirect effects these controls have on the reproductive ecology of native plants are rarely assessed. The interaction of fire with granivory of A. grandiflora seeds was examined in California grasslands over five years (1998-2002). In 1998 and 1999, both burned and unburned plots had bird-exclusion (netted) and no-exclusion (open) treatments. Predation rates were high (51-99%) and final predation rates did not differ among treatments. In 2000, granivory rates in the unburned, open plots were lower than in previous years (14%), and rodent trapping yielded only a single animal. Low granivory rates were observed in 2001 for unburned, open plots (47%). In 2001, burned=open plots experienced significantly more granivory (87%) than either burned=netted plots (37%) or unburned=open plots (47%). In 2002, every seed was taken from burned, open plots. Granivory was highly variable, ranging from 4 to 100% per plot over a 3-week period. Nearly all plots were discovered (>10% predation) by granivores in all trials in all years. When data from all treatments were combined, sig- nificant differences in granivory rates occurred among years, indicating stronger inter-year effects than within-year effects due to burning or bird exclusion. Fire affects granivory when overall predation rates are low, but when predation levels are high (as they were in 1998 and 1999), fire may not affect granivory occurring within the same year. Models extending seed survivorship through the dry summer indicate that most seeds are eaten, even when granivory rates are low.
ANALYSES OF AMINO ACIDS IN FLOWER NECTARS OF HYBRIDS AND THEIR PARENTS, WITH PHYLOGENETIC IMPLICATIONS

SUMMARY A method for the collection and analysis of free amino acids in very small quantities of nectar is described. By dansylation and three-system polyamide chromatography individual amino acids may be detected at concentrations as low as 10 pmoles per μl. This has been used for the identification of constellations of acids present in floral nectar from species and hybrids of Aloe, Oxalis, Silene, Cercidium and Armeria. Almost without exception, nectars of F1 hybrids contain all of the amino acids found in the nectars of both parents combined. The usefulness of this‘additiveness’in tracing the phylogeny of groups of species in which allopolyploidy and auto-polyploidy may have played a role is illustrated by analyses of nectars from species of Geranium (section Ruberta). Also the value of nectar amino acid analyses in the investigation of intro-gressive hybridization is illustrated by studies of Aquilegia and Penstemon in the Sierra Nevada of California. The constancy of the amino acid patterns in parental species contrasts with the recombination patterns in the hybrid swarms. Finally, it is suggested that nectar amino acid patterns are as useful chemotaxonomically as other groups of plant chemicals and should be utilized accordingly.
A case of 45,X Turner syndrome with spontaneous ovulation proven by ultrasonography

A well-documented case of non-mosaic Turner syndrome, with spontaneous pubertal development and ovulatory cycles is reported. Mosaicism could be excluded both by karyotyping of 172 metaphases of blood lymphocytes and fibroblasts, and by fluorescence in situ hybridization, using an X-centromeric probe, in 200 blood lymphocyte nuclei. This Turner syndrome patient underwent normal pubertal development, with spontaneous menarche at 14 years, followed by regular monthly periods. Hormonal measurements performed during puberty were consistent with the patient's pubertal development. At the age of 26 years the patient was referred for complete fertility evaluation. Detailed hormonal analyses were performed in a given cycle. They showed midluteal phase estradiol and progesterone values within the range corresponding to normal ovulation and corpus luteum function. In the same cycle, pelvic ultrasonography was also performed at days 13, 15 and 18. It demonstrated a spontaneous ovulation, with follicular rupture that occurred between days 15 and 18. This is the first report of a spontaneous ovulation in Turner syndrome evidenced, not only by hormonal analysis, but also by ultrasonographic demonstration of follicular rupture.
Six-Minute Magnetic Resonance Imaging Protocol for Evaluation of Acute Ischemic Stroke Pushing the Boundaries

Background and Purpose—If magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is to compete with computed tomography for evaluation of patients with acute ischemic stroke, there is a need for further improvements in acquisition speed. Methods—Inclusion criteria for this prospective, single institutional study were symptoms of acute ischemic stroke within 24 hours onset, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ≥3, and absence of MRI contraindications. A combination of echo-planar imaging (EPI) and a parallel acquisition technique were used on a 3T magnetic resonance (MR) scanner to accelerate the acquisition time. Image analysis was performed independently by 2 neuroradiologists. Results—A total of 62 patients met inclusion criteria. A repeat MRI scan was performed in 22 patients resulting in a total of 84 MRIs available for analysis. Diagnostic image quality was achieved in 100% of diffusion-weighted imaging, 100% EPI-fluid attenuation inversion recovery imaging, 98% EPI-gradient recalled echo, 90% neck MR angiography an...
Minutes of the Annual Meeting

Election of Members to Board of Directors: The ballots were opened and counted to be 122. The Bylaws say we need 10% of the homeowners to hold an election, which is 98.7. Three seats needed to be filled. Ramona Steele received 119 votes, Gloria Hammond received 119 votes, Spresa Clements received 5 votes, Roy Hart received 1 vote, and Doris Swanson received 1 vote. Gloria Hammonds and Ramona Steele were re-elected. Spresa Clements was appointed to fill the vacant position until next September. Ramona and Gloria will serve a three year term of office.
Real-Coded GA for Parameter Optimization in Short-Term Load Forecasting

This work explores the possibility of real-coded genetic optimization of the parameters of a Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN) for short-term electric load forecasting. A new approach is proposed to optimize the connecting weights and the structure of membership function. The adjustable parameters of the network such as connecting weights and rule sets of the network are viewed as constraints that we impose on GA in the learning process. Instead of working on the conventional bit by bit operation, both the crossover and mutation operators are real-value handled. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by comparison to a non-GA based forecasting approach. The algorithm is comprehensively tested with actual load data of an electric utility and the Mean Absolute of Percentage of Error (MAPE) is below 2.0% in most.
Denying Culture in the Transplant Arena: Technocratic Medicine's Myth of Democratization

In the United States, organ transfer has generated a highly selective and overly specialized approach to bioethics. A dominant assumption is the myth of medical democracy: whereas professionals involved in this highly technocratic arena publicly embrace notions of medical equality, particularized practices expose another reality. The more specific ideological tenets of medical democracy read as follows: First, all potential transplant patients are equally deserving of replacement organs. Further, all citizens are entitled to equal access to these unusual commodities, which are regularly described as precious and scarce “national resources.” Whether the premises of medical democracy are in fact played out in daily practice, however, is another matter entirely. Organ donation is driven by a universalized sense of humanity, whereby all bodies are assumed equal beneath the surgeon's knife. Yet the social worth of individuals varies radically: children, pregnant women, the unemployed, and prisoners, for example, expose a wide spectrum of responses to certain categories of bodies. So, too, do the cultural origins of organ donors. By drawing on anthropological knowledge of sociomedical practices relevant to organ transfer, this essay explores this theme of medical democracy specifically in reference to the needs of Latinos in New York City.
Social Networks and Home-School Relations

Although parental participation in schooling is a common topic in the rhetoric of educational reform, few researchers have looked at the process by which people learn to become parents. This article describes how parents in two communities constructed their roles in a social context shaped by economic resources, local notions of home-school relations, and information networks. Framed from a Vygotskian perspective, it examines parenting as a social activity that is internalized by individuals through their daily interactions. It connects the actions of parents with the activities of schools, showing the relationships between family ideas about their roles and the practices of school as interrelated.
The evolution of lee-wave-rotor activity in the lee of Pike's Peak under the influence of a cold frontal passage: Implications for aircraft safety

Abstract A lee-wave–rotor system interacting with an approaching cold front in the lee of Pike’s Peak near Colorado Springs, Colorado, on 1 April 1997 is studied observationally and numerically. Dynamical effects associated with the approaching cold front caused the amplification of the evolving lee wave and rotor, creating increasingly more hazardous flight conditions for nearby airports. The rapidly evolving winds measured by a Doppler lidar and 915-MHz wind profilers, and simulated by the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), produced light-to-moderate turbulence for a research aircraft making missed approaches at the Colorado Springs Airport during the wave amplification phase. As the cold front approached the foothills, the lee-wave–rotor system ended abruptly, reducing hazardous flight conditions. The Doppler lidar’s detailed measurements of the lee-wave–rotor system allowed for an evaluation of RAMS ability to capture these complex wind features. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons betw...
Genetic reinforcement learning approach to the heterogeneous machine scheduling problem

Focuses on the development of a learning-based heuristic for scheduling heterogeneous machines. Although list scheduling methods have been widely used for a large class of scheduling problems, including the heterogeneous machine scheduling problem, they involve designing priority rules, which usually require a fair amount of insights on the characteristics of the problem to be solved. Instead of elaborate design of priority rules in a single step, we propose an iterative list scheduling process, which refines priority rules while generating a number of schedules. The proposed iterative list scheduling is formulated as a reinforcement learning problem, with states and actions defined in list scheduling. Due to the large number of possible states, reinforcement learning algorithms which use value functions in constructing an optimal policy may not be suitable for scheduling problems. Thus, to directly work with policies rather than the values of states, we propose genetic reinforcement learning (GRL), in which the policies of reinforcement learning are encoded into the chromosomes of genetic algorithms and a near-optimal policy is searched for by genetic algorithms. A GRL-based scheduler, called evolutionary intracell scheduler (EVIS), has been developed and applied to various scheduling problems such as the heterogeneous machine scheduling, the processor scheduling, the job-shop scheduling, the flow-shop scheduling, and the open-shop scheduling problems. The proposed model of EVIS, which has a linear order of population-fitness convergence, is verified by computer experiments. Even without fine tuning EVIS, the quality of solutions achieved by EVIS is comparable to that of problem-tailored heuristics for most of the problem instances.
ABNER: an open source tool for automatically tagging genes, proteins and other entity names in text

Summary: ABNER (A Biomedical Named Entity Recognizer) is an open source software tool for molecular biology text mining. At its core is a machine learning system using conditional random fields with a variety of orthographic and contextual features. The latest version is 1.5, which has an intuitive graphical interface and includes two modules for tagging entities (e.g. protein and cell line) trained on standard corpora, for which performance is roughly state of the art. It also includes a Java application programming interface allowing users to incorporate ABNER into their own systems and train models on new corpora. Availability: ABNER is available as an executable Java archive and source code from http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~bsettles/abner/ Contact: bsettles@cs.wisc.edu