cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure and ligand binding properties of the epoxidase component of styrene monooxygenase

Styrene monooxygenase (SMO) is a two-component flavoprotein monooxygenase that transforms styrene to styrene oxide in the first step of the styrene catabolic and detoxification pathway of Pseudomon...
Simple model for the nonlinear optical response of gases in the transparency region.

We present a simple model for the nonlinear optical response of atomic gases for pulses with center wavelengths in the transparency region and peak fields for which ionization is not prevalent. By comparing with simulations based on the Schrodinger equation for a hydrogen atom we demonstrate that the model accurately captures the dispersion of the nonlinear polarization as well as noninstantaneous effects for a variety of photon energies and also a two-color pulse. Our approach should be of utility in simulating near- and mid-infrared pulse propagation in dielectric media for which extreme nonlinear effects can arise.
Restenosis after coronary angioplasty: An overview

Despite substantial basic and clinical efforts to address the problem of restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention, effective preventive therapies have not yet been developed. Nevertheless, the accumulated information has provided much insight into the process of restenosis in addition to allowing standards to be developed for adequate clinical trials. The pathophysiology of restenosis increasingly appears to be distinct from that of primary atherosclerosis. Restenosis involves elastic recoil, incorporation of thrombus into the lesion and fibrocellular proliferation in varying degrees in different patients. Lack of an animal model that satisfactorily mimics restenosis is a major impediment to further understanding of the process. Clinical studies are hampered by difficulties in finding a single unifying definition of restenosis and by variable methods of reporting follow-up. Reporting of clinical outcomes of all patients in angiographic substudies would allow a more satisfactory interpretation of the results of clinical trials. Current noninvasive test results are not accurate enough to substitute for angiographic and clinical outcome data in intervention trials. In the majority of observational studies, only diabetes and unstable angina have emerged as consistently associated with restenosis; whereas most of the standard risk factors for atherosclerosis have a less consistent relation. Disappointingly, the new atherectomy and laser technologies have not affected restenosis rates. The one possible exception is coronary stenting, as a result of the larger luminal diameter achieved by the placement of the stent. In conclusion, although substantial continued effort is necessary to explore the basic aspects of cellular proliferation and mechanical alteration of atherosclerotic vessels, attention to the principles of clinical trials and observation are required to detect the impact of risk factors and interventions on the multifactorial problem of restenosis. Adequate sample sizes, collection of clinical and angiographic outcomes and factorial study designs hold promise for unraveling this important limitation of percutaneous intervention.
Adenocarcinoma of the Gastric Cardia

Although adenocarcinoma of the stomach has decreased in incidence over the past several decades, cancer of the gastric cardia has increased rapidly over this time frame. There are several differences
Index of refraction in ‘dirty’ displacive ferroelectrics☆

Abstract We report measurements of the optic index of reflection as a function of temperature, n(T), for several highly disordered ferroelectrics: PLZT ceramic [Pb1−xLax(Zr0.65Ti0.35)1−x/4O3 where x = 0.08] and single crystals of Pb3(MNb2)O9 where M = Zn and Mg. The results are qualitatively different from the unusual displacive ferroelectric behavior and the difference is clearly due to local disorder.
Measurement Properties of a Park Use Questionnaire

This study determined the criterion validity and test–retest reliability of a brief park use questionnaire. From five U.S. locations, 232 adults completed a brief survey four times and wore a global positioning system (GPS) monitor for 3 weeks. We assessed validity for park visits during the past week and during a usual week by examining agreement between frequency and duration of park visits reported on the questionnaire to the GPS monitor results. Spearman correlation coefficients (SCC) were used to measure agreement. For past week park visit frequency and duration, the SCC were .62 to .65 and .62 to .67, respectively. For usual week park visit frequency and duration, the SCC were .40 to .50 and .50 to .53, respectively. Usual park visit frequency reliability was .78 to .88 (percentage agreement: 69%-82%) and usual park visit duration was .75 to .84 (percentage agreement: 64%-73%). These results suggest that the questionnaire to assess usual and past week park use had acceptable validity and reliability.
Comparison of SOI and junction isolation for substrate crosstalk suppression in mixed mode integrated circuits

Using two-dimensional computer simulations and measurements on silicon, it is shown that whereas silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based processes provide high isolation from crosstalk in mixed mode analogue-digital integrated circuits, p/n junction isolation can provide equal or better crosstalk immunity with less expense.
The Importance of Collateral Reading for Spanish Classes

Author's Summary— Because of the limited amount of time at the disposal of the average teacher in the classroom, collateral reading bearing on the life, literature, and customs of Spanish-speaking countries is largely not given the care that it should have. A careful program of collateral reading can be used to give the students knowledge of and interest in things Spanish, without interfering with the classroom work.
Arrangement of Core Membrane Segments in the MotA/MotB Proton-Channel Complex of Escherichia coli†

The stator of the bacterial flagellar motor is formed from the membrane proteins MotA and MotB, which associate in complexes with stoichiometry MotA4MotB2 (Kojima, S., and Blair, D. F., preceding paper in this issue). The MotA/MotB complexes conduct ions across the membrane, and couple ion flow to flagellar rotation by a mechanism that appears to involve conformational changes within the complex. MotA has four membrane-crossing segments, termed A1−A4, and MotB has one, termed B. We are studying the organization of the 18 membrane segments in the MotA4MotB2 complex by using targeted disulfide cross-linking. A previous cross-linking study showed that the two B segments in the complex (one from each MotB subunit) are arranged as a symmetrical dimer of α-helices. Here, we extend the cross-linking study to segments A3 and A4. Single Cys residues were introduced by mutation in several consecutive positions in segments A3 and A4, and double mutants were made by pairwise combination of subsets of the Cys replacem...
Diagenetically altered sabkha-type Pleistocene dolomite from the Arabian Gulf.

Diagenetically altered Pleistocene dolomite occurs in the shallow subsurface of the Arabian Gulf, offshore of Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia. This dolomite accumulated in relatively shallow marine to sabkha depositional environments. In contrast with the thin extent of most other Quaternary sabkha and sabkha-related dolomite deposits, these deposits comprise a thick (>56 m) accumulation. Additionally, this Pleistocene dolomite displays a high degree of ordering and has a more nearly ideal stoichiometric composition than the dolomite from the depositionally and diagenetically analogous Abu Dhabi sabkha complex. The Pleistocene dolomite also has lower δ13 and δ18O values than the modern Abu Dhabi sabkha dolomite, and higher values than those commonly reported for analogous dolomite from the ancient rock record. The low δ18O values, in conjunction with the geological setting, indicate that the diagenetic waters were meteoric or mixed meteoric and marine in composition. Thus, the degree of ordering, stoichiometric and stable isotopic values indicate that this dolomite has undergone diagenetic alteration relative to its presumed Holocene precursor.
Effect of Block Copolymer Architecture on the Thermally Induced Swelling of Micelle-Containing Multilayer Thin Films

We investigate the effect of block copolymer (BCP) molecular weight and connectivity on the morphology and time–temperature dependent swelling of thin film hydrogels created through layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of BCP micelles with poly(acrylic acid). BCPs of poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (D) and poly(propylene oxide) (P), a P–D diblock, a long D–P–D triblock, and a short D–P–D triblock copolymer, were compared in terms of their temperature response in solution and within micelle–polyelectrolyte multilayers (mPEMs). The critical micellization concentration and micellization temperature of the BCPs in solution, as well as the swelling transition temperature, Tstt, of the mPEMs, decreased with increasing P block length. AFM imaging of dry mPEMs shows regular dimpled surface structures that arise from surface relaxation of micelles. When the mPEMs are cooled below Tstt in water, the thin ∼200 nm films can swell reversibly between 3 and 6 times their dry thicknesses within 2 min. The degree of sw...
Malnutrition increases dentate granule cell proliferation in immature rats after status epilepticus.

Purpose: Nutritional insults early in life have a profound and often permanent effect on the development of the central nervous system. A direct relationship between malnutrition and epilepsy has not been established; however, it is believed that inadequate nutrition may predispose the brain to seizures. This study was designed to determine whether neonatally malnourished rats are different from nourished rats in terms of flurothyl seizure susceptibility at postnatal day (P)15, in the behavioral manifestations of seizures, and in status epilepticus-induced hippocampal injury. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rat pups were maintained on a starvation regimen from P2 until P 17. Age-matched control rats were not exposed to starvation. At P15, all animals were exposed to flurothyl-induced status epilepticus. At P17, the rats received a single injection of bromodeoxyuridine (50 mg/kg intraperitoneal) to determine the extent of genesis of new cells in the dentate gyrus. At P18, the rats were killed, and the brains were processed for histology and immunohistochemistry. Results: Preliminary analysis indicates that early malnutrition did not modify flurothyl seizure susceptibility or the behavioral manifestations of seizures at P15. Histological assessment did not reveal any evidence of hippocampal cell loss after status epilepticus in either group. Malnutrition per se induced an increase in the genesis of new cells in the anterior dentate granule cell layer. Although exposure to status epilepticus augmented the expression of new cells in the dentate gyrus in both groups, this expression was more pronounced in the malnourished group. Conclusions: The findings suggest that malnutrition early in life alters dentate plasticity but not the susceptibility to flurothyl seizures. Although status epilepticus can increase the expression of new cells in the dentate gyrus in immature rats, malnutrition followed by status epilepticus further increases dentate granule cell proliferation.
Allele-specific copy-number discovery from whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing

Copy-number variants (CNVs) are a major form of genetic variation and a risk factor for various human diseases, so it is crucial to accurately detect and characterize them. It is conceivable that allele-specific reads from high-throughput sequencing data could be leveraged to both enhance CNV detection and produce allele-specific copy number (ASCN) calls. Although statistical methods have been developed to detect CNVs using whole-genome sequence (WGS) and/or whole-exome sequence (WES) data, information from allele-specific read counts has not yet been adequately exploited. In this paper, we develop an integrated method, called AS-GENSENG, which incorporates allele-specific read counts in CNV detection and estimates ASCN using either WGS or WES data. To evaluate the performance of AS-GENSENG, we conducted extensive simulations, generated empirical data using existing WGS and WES data sets and validated predicted CNVs using an independent methodology. We conclude that AS-GENSENG not only predicts accurate ASCN calls but also improves the accuracy of total copy number calls, owing to its unique ability to exploit information from both total and allele-specific read counts while accounting for various experimental biases in sequence data. Our novel, user-friendly and computationally efficient method and a complete analytic protocol is freely available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/asgenseng/.
The steady and transient free convection boundary layer on a uniformly heated vertical plate

Abstract A Zehnder-Mach interferometer was used to study the free convection thermal boundary layer about a uniformly heated vertical plate and to derive the heat transfer coefficients connected with this situation. The experiments were performed when the plate was immersed in water and the steady state boundary layer, as well as its transient development from an initial state at rest and with uniform temperature to steady state condition, was investigated when a step function in the power input to the plate was applied. Results for the steady state runs agree very well with the results of an analysis by Sparrow and Gregg. The transient runs indicate that the temperature field in the fluid develops initially in the same way as for heat conduction into a semi-infinite solid. After a short transition period, the steady state condition is reached. The boundary layer grows with time in such a way that it increases at first with increasing time, reaches a maximum, and decreases again until it settles to its steady state value. The wall temperature and the local heat transfer coefficient can be predicted for the whole period from start to steady state by the solution for one-dimensional unsteady conduction or for the steady state boundary layer.
Dynamic fringe-saving A*

Fringe-Saving A* is an incremental version of A* that repeatedly finds shortest paths from a fixed start cell to a fixed goal cell in a known gridworld in case the traversability of cells changes over time. It restores the content of the OPEN and CLOSED lists of A* at the point in time when an A* search for the current search problem could deviate from the A* search for the previous search problem. Thus, Fringe-Saving A* reuses the beginning of the previous A* search that is identical to the current A* search. In this paper, we generalize the correctness proof of Fringe-Saving A* to cover the case where the goal cell changes over time in addition to the traversability of cells. We then apply Fringe-Saving A* to the problem of moving an agent along a shortest path from its current cell to a fixed destination cell in a known gridworld, where the shortest path is replanned whenever the traversability of cells changes. Our experimental results show that the resulting Dynamic Fringe-Saving A* algorithm can outperform both repeated A* searches and D* Lite (a state-of-the-art incremental version of A*) in highly dynamic gridworlds, with runtime savings of up to a factor of about 2.5.
What the Brain Stem Tells the Frontal Cortex. II. Role of the SC-MD-FEF Pathway in Corollary Discharge

One way we keep track of our movements is by monitoring corollary discharges or internal copies of movement commands. This study tested a hypothesis that the pathway from superior colliculus (SC) to mediodorsal thalamus (MD) to frontal eye field (FEF) carries a corollary discharge about saccades made into the contralateral visual field. We inactivated the MD relay node with muscimol in monkeys and measured corollary discharge deficits using a double-step task: two sequential saccades were made to the locations of briefly flashed targets. To make second saccades correctly, monkeys had to internally monitor their first saccades; therefore deficits in the corollary discharge representation of first saccades should disrupt second saccades. We found, first, that monkeys seemed to misjudge the amplitudes of their first saccades; this was revealed by systematic shifts in second saccade end points. Thus corollary discharge accuracy was impaired. Second, monkeys were less able to detect trial-by-trial variations in their first saccades; this was revealed by reduced compensatory changes in second saccade angles. Thus corollary discharge precision also was impaired. Both deficits occurred only when first saccades went into the contralateral visual field. Single-saccade generation was unaffected. Additional deficits occurred in reaction time and overall performance, but these were bilateral. We conclude that the SC-MD-FEF pathway conveys a corollary discharge used for coordinating sequential saccades and possibly for stabilizing vision across saccades. This pathway is the first elucidated in what may be a multilevel chain of corollary discharge circuits extending from the extraocular motoneurons up into cerebral cortex.
Multiple wavelength conversion with gain by high repetition-rate pulsed-pump fiber OPA

We propose and demonstrate a novel multiple wavelength converter with gain based on a pulsed-pump fiber optical parametric device. Penalties ranging from 0.26 to 1.24 dB for /spl plusmn/k /spl times/100 GHz (k= 1,2,3,4) wavelength conversion were measured.
The ACTA Committee

In discussing the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), most policymakers and commentators have focused on either the lack of transparency and accountability in the negotiation process or the problems raised by the TRIPS-plus standards included in the Agreement. While these issues deserve our urgent attention, it is important not to ignore the institutional arrangements laid out in Chapter V of the Agreement. In the long run, this chapter is likely to become the most far-reaching and dangerous of all the chapters in ACTA. Behind only the chapter on substantive standards, Chapter V is the second longest chapter in the Agreement. Included in this chapter are provisions creating and governing a little institution called the "ACTA Committee." On its face, those provisions are boring, mundane, and highly administrative. In reality, they govern matters ranging from membership to amendments to rules and procedures. Those provisions also help institutionalize ACTA as a freestanding, self-evolving forum. As a result, they have the potential to determine the future development of not only ACTA, but also the international intellectual property system. This chapter explains why the ACTA Committee could become such a powerful institution. It begins by providing an overview of the provisions governing the Committee. It then explains how the ACTA Committee provides a freestanding, self-evolving architecture to facilitate the ratcheting up of international intellectual property standards. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the Committee's ramifications for both developing countries and the international intellectual property system.
Dissociative Phase Transitions, Split Shock Waves, Rarefaction Shocks, and Detonations

We present a comparative study of two different chemically-sustained shock waves. One shows behavior expected from the Zel’dovich, von Neumann, and Doering (ZND) continuum theory of planar detonations. The other exhibits the complexity of a split shock wave resulting from the presence of a polymorphic phase transition. This comparative study demonstrates the importance of carefully considering the high-pressure characteristics of the model in developing potentials for simulating detonations. This comparative study also raises the fascinating possibility of a first-order phase transition accompanying a condensed-phase detonation.
Jonathan Edwards as Historian

analysis of presuppositions prevailing in the field, and, of course, a review of and reflections upon developments in the course of the incumbent's professional years. Whether this particular typology of addresses, that is, this general classification system, accords with yours is not the point at issue. Rather, I wish to stress the moment of uncertainty which is experienced, inevitably, as one sets about the task of composing his or her contribution under the constraints of office. Quite frankly, at first I had thought to turn this problem to advantage by offering as the substance of my presentation a critical review of those presidential addresses which have graced the Society through its venerable history. This seemed to be a way that an office-holder might serve the Society in a properly historical fashion. Of course I foresaw difficulties. Should I stop analysis at a discreet distance, shall we say in 1950? Or ought I pass over the addresses of those predecessors who are still active members of the Society, especially if they might be in attendance? Such practical considerations were finally less important in dissuading me from taking this course, however, than the advice of good friends and colleagues: "Build upon your current research interests; it will be a more appropriate presentation." In the perspective suggested by that counsel, let me share with you some reflections on "The History of the Work of Redemption" or, more precisely, Jonathan Edwards' projected study, work on which was terminated by his early death. These will be, you should gather from the introductory comments, reflections upon an undertaking still very much in progress on my part. In the spring months of 1739, starting in March, Jonathan Edwards began to preach a series of sermons, finally totaling thirty, to his Northampton parish.' His text was Isaiah (51:8): "For the moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them like wool but my righteousness shall be forever and my salvation from generation to generation." The doctrine he developed was: "The work of redemption 1. The published version presented the sermons in the form of a sustained treatise. Alan Heimert, in Religion and The American Mind (Cambridge, Mass., 1966), p. 60, referred to "the thirty-nine sermons delivered in 1739." The actual number was thirty.
A LabVIEW-based operating system for parallel transmit systems

Parallel transmit technology in the clinical setting has yet to receive widespread adoption. To retrofit existing clinical systems for multi-channel transmit, dedicated hardware and a flexible, user-friendly software interface must be developed. We have designed a LabVIEW-based software system to drive an 8-channel parallel transmit system and provide a straightforward interface for the pulse designer. The software system plays out the RF envelopes, controls hardware settings and calibrations, performs some power sequencing, monitors the RF waveforms, and pre-distorts the RF envelopes for linearization, placing the system operational burden on the software system, rather than the user. The system supports transmit-SENSE applications, allowing for amplitude and phase control on each channel. The software system facilitates a quick switchover between the existing 3T GE clinical system and the parallel transmit system.
MotifMiner: a general toolkit for efficiently identifying common substructures in molecules

Scientific research often involves examining structural relationships in molecules since scientists strongly believe in the causal relationship between structure and function. Traditionally, researchers have identified these patterns, or motifs, manually using biochemical expertise. However, with the massive influx of new biochemical data and the ability to gather data for very large molecules, there is great need for techniques that automatically and efficiently identify commonly occurring structural patterns in molecules. Previous automated substructure discovery approaches have each introduced variations of similar underlying techniques and have embedded domain knowledge. While doing so improves performance for the particular domain, this complicates extensibility to other domains. Also, they do not address scalability or noise, which is critical for certain structural domains like macromolecules. In this paper, we present MotifMiner, a general toolkit for automatically identifying common motifs in most any scientific molecular dataset. We describe both our application framework and services for identifying motifs, as well as demonstrate the flexibility of our system by analyzing several disparate domains, including protein, drug, and MD simulation datasets.
Matrix factorisation methods applied in microarray data analysis

Numerous methods have been applied to microarray data to group genes into clusters that show similar expression patterns. These methods assign each gene to a single group, which does not reflect the widely held view among biologists that most, if not all, genes in eukaryotes are involved in multiple biological processes and therefore will be multiply regulated. Here, we review several methods of matrix factorisation that identify patterns of behaviour in transcriptional response and assign genes to multiple patterns. We focus on these methods rather than traditional clustering methods applied to microarray data, which assign one gene to one cluster.
Self-energy correction to the bound-electron g factor of P states

The radiative self-energy correction to the bound-electron g factor of 2P{sub 1/2} and 2P{sub 3/2} states in one-electron ions is evaluated to order alpha(Zalpha){sup 2}. The contribution of high-energy virtual photons is treated by means of an effective Dirac equation, and the result is verified by an approach based on long-wavelength quantum electrodynamics. The contribution of low-energy virtual photons is calculated both in the velocity and in the length gauge, and gauge invariance is verified explicitly. The results compare favorably to recently available numerical data for hydrogenlike systems with low nuclear charge numbers.
Optimized scheduling of complex resource allocation systems through approximate dynamic programming

In spite of the tremendous progress that has been attained by the scientific community on the sequencing and scheduling problems that underlie the operation of many technological applications, there is a remaining gap between the analytical insights and results offered by the existing scheduling theory and the solutions to the scheduling problems that are typically adopted in the industrial practice. The work undertaken in this project seeks to bridge this gap by tapping upon recent developments in the Supervisory Control of Resource Allocation Systems and Approximate Dynamic Programming. When combined, these two areas provide high-fidelity representations of the underlying dynamics and effective tools for developing (near-)optimal scheduling policies while explicitly managing the complexity that underlies the development and implementation of these policies. This write-up outlines the basic framework that supports the proposed approach and reports upon the current progress of the work.
Design and evaluation of a cache memory simulation program

We present the results of the evaluation we carried out concerning the cache memory simulation programs available on the Internet. We also present the results of a research, which we conducted, concerning students' understanding of the cache memory internal operation and implementation and the role of the cache memory in the communication between the CPU and the main memory. Based on the evaluation results and the research results, we designed a cache memory simulation program, which implements a realistic model of the cache operation. The main results of the program's evaluation pointed out that, after using the simulation program the students had a better understanding of the cache memory operations (identification, placement, replacement) for a direct mapped cache and a set associative cache.
Survival, mortality, and predators of red tree voles ( Arborimus longicaudus )

Abstract Although estimations of vital rates are important to understand population dynamics of small mammals, there is little information on survival rates and causes of mortality for many species. In 2002–2003, we estimated monthly and annual survival of 50 radiocollared red tree voles (Arborimus longicaudus) during a study of movements and diel activity patterns in western Oregon. Estimated annual survival for both sexes combined was 0.15 (95% CI = 0.06 to 0.31) and was influenced little by mass at initial capture. In the analysis of explanatory variables, we did not find strong effects of gender, vole age, or forest age on survival. We suspect this may have been due to small sample size and low power to detect effects, because some of the point estimates were suggestive of large differences among groups. Most mortality was due to predation, with 15 of 25 deaths attributed to weasels (Mustela spp.). Weasels preyed upon significantly more females than males (14:1, respectively). Other confirmed or suspe...
Single-wafer integrated semiconductor device processing

The authors present an overview of various single-wafer fabrication techniques for integrated processing of microelectronic devices. Numerous processing modules, sensors, and associated fabrication processes have been developed for advanced semiconductor device manufacturing. The combination of single-wafer processing, cluster tools, sensors, and advanced factory control/computer-integrated manufacturing techniques provides a capability for flexible fast-cycle-time device manufacturing. Specific developments and results are described in the areas of dry/vapor-phase surface cleaning, epitaxy, plasma processing, rapid thermal processing, and in situ sensors. An integrated sub-half micrometer CMOS technology based on these single-wafer fabrication methods including rapid thermal processing is also described. >
Maximal inspiratory pressure: does reproducibility indicate full effort?

BACKGROUND--Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) is often relied upon as an index of inspiratory muscle strength, and reproducibility of MIP taken to indicate maximal effort. This study was designed to determine whether reproducibility is a valid indicator of maximal effort. METHODS--Ten normal subjects were studied, all of whom were familiar with the MIP test but none was an experienced subject. They were told that the purpose was to measure how accurately they could generate 50% of their MIP. Each performed nine MIP efforts and nine submaximal efforts. Means and coefficients of variation of peak negative inspiratory pressure (Pmax) and the ranges of the best three efforts were calculated for each type. RESULTS--Mean (SE) Pmax averaged-93.8 (6.0) cm H2O for the maximal efforts and -60.6 (7.7) cm H2O for the submaximal trials, with coefficients of variation averaging 8.71 (1.75)% and 14.58 (2.63)%, respectively and the ranges averaging 6.5 (1.1)% and 13.4 (3.5)%, respectively. There was no clear separation between the coefficients of variation or ranges of maximal and submaximal efforts. In four cases the ranges of the best three submaximal efforts were less than 5 cm H2O and less than 5% -criteria that have been used to validate MIP results. These four subjects had lower ranges for submaximal than maximal efforts, even when expressed as percentages of the means. CONCLUSION--Reproducibility should not be relied upon to indicate a valid MIP test, especially for research purposes when relatively small changes in inspiratory muscle strength must be discriminated.
Peak-Performance DFA-based String Matching on the Cell Processor

The security of your data and of your network is in the hands of intrusion detection systems, virus scanners and spam filters, which are all critically based on string matching. But network links are getting faster and faster, and string matching is getting more and more difficult to perform in real time. Traditional processors are not keeping up with the performance demands, whereas specialized hardware will never be able to compete with commodity hardware in terms of cost effectiveness, reusability and ease of programming. Advanced multi-core architectures like the IBM Cell Broadband Engine promise unprecedented performance at a low cost, thanks to their popularity and production volume. Nevertheless, the suitability of the cell processor to string matching has not been investigated so far. In this paper we investigate the performance attainable by the cell processor when employed for string matching algorithms based on deterministic finite-state automata (DFA). Our findings show that the cell is an ideal candidate to tackle modern security needs: two processing elements alone, out of the eight available on one cell processor provide sufficient computational power to filter a network link with bit rates in excess of 10 Gbps.
Static data association with a terrain-based prior density

We consider the problem of estimating the states of a static set of targets, given a collection of densities, each representing the state of a single target. We assume there is no a priori knowledge of which of the given densities represent common targets, but that a prior density for the target locations is available. For a two-dimensional (2-D) location estimation problem, we construct a prior density model based on known features of the terrain. We then give a simple Gaussian association-estimation algorithm using the prior density and present some simulation results. We briefly discuss extensions to nonstatic models.
A reliable behavioral assay for the assessment of sustained photophobia in mice.

Purpose: To develop a mouse behavioral assay that can assess differential nocioceptive sensitivity to light (photophobia). Materials and Methods: Normal C57BL/6J mice and congenic albino mice, C57BL/6J-Tyr c-2J/j, were habituated to a light/dark box testing chamber and then tested for a preference for the dark versus the light compartment in response to increasing brightness of the light compartment. Results: We found a statistically significant difference between the normal and the albino mice (N = 5/strain) in their preference for the dark compartment when the ambient condition in the light compartment was 1,000 lux, whereas at 0 lux, both groups of animals exhibited no preference for either compartment. Conclusions: The approach described here presents the first mouse behavioral assay for assessing aversion/avoidance behavior in response to light that appears to be comparable to human photophobia. This approach can be used to test other causes of sustained photophobia in mouse models, as well as to ass...
Effect of Sb on the Properties of GaInP Top Cells

It is well known that the efficiency of GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cells is limited by the band gap of the GaInP top cell, which, in turn, is determined by the degree of compositional ordering in the GaInP base layer. Attempts to raise the band gap by the addition of Al to the top cell have met with limited success due to the strong affinity between Al and oxygen. Here we investigate a different approach. It has been shown that the presence of antimony on the surface of GaInP during its growth suppresses the ordering process and increases the band gap. In this paper, we study the effects of Sb on the properties of GaInP top cells. We show that, in addition to raising the band gap of GaInP, it also increases the incorporation of Zn and changes the relative incorporation of Ga and In. These effects depend strongly on the substrate orientation, growth temperature and rate, and the Sb/P ratio in the gas phase. We show that the band gap of the GaInP top cell (and the Voc) can be increased without reducing the minority carrier collection efficiency. The implications of these results are presented and discussed.
The Intraseasonal Oscillation and the Energetics of Summertime Tropical Western North Pacific Synoptic-Scale Disturbances

Abstract The tropical intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) causes variations in the large-scale flow over the western North Pacific during June–August that strongly impact the energetics of tropical depression (TD)-type disturbances. An energetics analysis is conducted with NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data during June–August of 1979–2001. Composite TD-type disturbance perturbation kinetic energy (PKE) is significantly higher during ISO 850-hPa westerly periods than during ISO 850-hPa easterly periods. ISO westerly periods are associated with enhanced barotropic conversion and enhanced perturbation available potential energy (PAPE) to PKE conversion. ISO easterly periods are characterized by diminished TD-type PKE, negligible barotropic conversion, and weakened PAPE to PKE conversions, as compared to composite TD-type disturbances during ISO westerly periods and the entire June–August record. Barotropic conversion accounts for a larger fraction of the PKE generation during ISO westerly periods than during the entire J...
Transient Liquid Phase Bonding of Silicon Nitride Ceramics

Transient liquid-phase bonding describes a process using oxynitride glass compositions which melt and wet Si3N4 when heated and then, on further reaction, either disappear into the bulk or form other desired refractory phases. Such reactions occur between Si3N4 powder particles and intergranular liquids during densification and are the basis for all silicon nitride hot pressing and sintering. Since the bonding composition is very similar to that already present intergranularly in Si3N4, it is possible in principle to homogenize the join so that the original boundary disappears. Alternatively, the sealing composition can be adjusted to crystallize specific refractory oxynitride compounds in the boundary.
Nest Tree Use by the Endangered Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel in the Central Appalachian Mountains

Little is known about nest tree use of the endangered Virginia northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus). Because nesting sites could be a limiting factor, it is important to understand the denning ecology to further manage and protect this subspecies. We compared characteristics of nest trees used by Virginia northern flying squirrels with randomly selected trees during summer and fall of 2000 and 2001. We tracked 13 Virginia northern flying squirrels to 59 nest trees. The squirrels used an average of 3.6 nest trees/month, switching trees frequently. Sixty-nine percent of the nests were in cavities and 31% were leaf nests. Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and Fraser magnolia (Magnolia fraseri) were selected for nest trees more than expected based on availability. A large portion of nest trees were in larger and taller trees than trees in the surrounding area. There also was a significant number of trees located next to or near skidder and hiking trails. Although a large number of nest trees were similar across sites, there was variation in the characteristics of nest trees used, suggesting that Virginia northern flying squirrels may not be as specialized in nest tree selection as indicated by previous studies.
Neighborhoods of Health: Comparing Boundaries for Measuring Contextual Effects on Health in Accra, Ghana

The concept of neighborhood is at the forefront of place and health research as an appropriate scale of study (Sampson 2003; Riva et al. 2007). What actually constitutes a neighborhood is subjective at best, but an underlying idea of a geographic unit of limited size with some degree of social interaction is generally acknowledged (Weiss et al. 2007). The last two decades have seen significant evidence that the neighborhood influences health beyond individual characteristics in the developed and developing world (Pickett and Pearl 2001; Sampson et al. 2002; Stafford and Marmot 2003; Montgomery and Hewett 2005; Perera et al. 2009; Diez-Roux 1998; Robert 1999). While there are a number of issues for health and place research, establishing geographical boundaries that define ‘place’ has been the subject of significant debate in the field (Diez Roux 2001; Entwisle 2007; Gauvin et al. 2007).
Simultaneous deletion of Bax and Bak is required to prevent apoptosis and interstitial fibrosis in obstructive nephropathy

Proximal tubular injury and apoptosis are key mediators of the development of kidney fibrosis, a hallmark of chronic kidney disease. However, the molecular mechanism by which tubular apoptotic cell death leads to kidney fibrosis is poorly understood. In the present study, we tested the roles of Bcl-2-associated X (Bax) and Bcl-2 antagonist/killer (Bak), two crucial proteins involved in intrinsic apoptotic cell death, in the progression of kidney fibrosis. Mice with proximal tubule-specific Bax deletion, systemic deletion of Bak, and dual deletion of Bax and Bak were subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Dual deficiency of Bax and Bak inhibited tubular apoptosis and atrophy. Consistent with decreased tubular injury, dual ablation of Bax and Bak suppressed UUO-induced inflammation and kidney fibrosis with decreased tubular cell cycle arrest, expression of fibrogenic and inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress in the kidney. Bax or Bak deficiency was insufficient to prevent apoptosis and all other aforementioned malevolent effects, suggesting compensatory mediation by each other in the respective signaling pathways. These data suggest that dual ablation of Bax and Bak in the kidney is required to prevent UUO-induced tubular apoptosis and the consequent kidney inflammation and fibrosis.
Chapter 9 Adrenal Steroid Regulation of Potassium Transport

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the numerous factors that play a role in regulating potassium (K) secretion, including tubular fluid flow rate, acid-base status, alterations in the sodium (Na) and K balance, and a variety of humoral factors, most notably the adrenal steroids. The chapter presents the cellular mechanisms of action of mineralocorticoids on K secretion by the rabbit cortical collecting duct. As K secretion is intimately associated with Na absorption, the regulation of both ions (Na + , K + ) is considered in the chapter. To obtain an understanding of the cellular mechanisms of action by which mineralocorticoids influence Na and K transport in the cortical collecting duct, it is imperative that the role of the two cell types—principal cells and intercalated cells—be delineated. The mammalian cortical collecting duct avidly reabsorbs Na and secretes K. The principal cell of the nephron segment is primarily responsible for the transport of both cations and that this cell is a mineralocorticoid target site. Mineralocorticoids exert multiple effects on this cell type to bring about the chronic regulation of Na and K transport and the maintenance of electrolyte balance.
Towards effective emerging infectious disease surveillance

Editor's note In this plenary talk given at the annual meeting of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences at Texas Tech University last October, Professor Sophal Ear, then of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, discussed his research on the political economy of emerging infectious disease (EID) surveillance programs. His talk reviews lessons learned for U.S. military medical research laboratories collaborating with developing countries and is comprised of three case studies: Cambodia (U.S. Naval Area Medical Research Unit 2 or NAMRU-2), Indonesia (also NAMRU-2 in the context of H5N1 or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza),1 and Mexico (that country's handling of A/H1N1 or Swine Flu in 2009).2 Professor Ear's research provides policymakers with tools for improving the effectiveness of new or existing EID surveillance programs. His work also offers host countries the opportunity to incorporate ideas, provide opinions, and debate the management of political and economic constraints facin...
Tactical target observation of YZ-B fogging shrapnel-gun equipment

ObjectiveTo observe the tactical target of YZ-B fogging shrapnel-gun equipment for controlling mosquitoes and flies.MethodsHaving experiment in mimic area and fields and observing the efficacy of fogging shrapnel-gun against mosquitoes,flies and cockroaches.ResultsWhen shrapnel-gun shot out in an angle of 20°～45°,the distance was 182.5～350 meters.There were two type of delay fogging machinery,3 s and 4 s.They could last for(4.25±0.5) min and(4.0±0.5) min.The type of 4 s was better than 3 s.The smoke rate were 83% for 3 s and 95% for 4 s.When the shrapnel-gun equipment was put above the ground for 0～5 m,if it was 50 cm above the ground,it could kill 95% Culex pipiens pallens,Musca domestica and Blattella germanica.The population of mosquito and flies declined to 100%.ConclusionYZ-B fogging shrapnel-gun equipment got an ideal effect against mosquitoes,flies and cockroaches.The experiment result achieved satisfying design request.
Detecting Protein-Protein Interactions by Gel Filtration Chromatography

Upon protein-protein interaction, the formed complex is subject to a change in size. A number of methods can be utilized to detect such a change. Gel filtration technology is well recognized for its ability to monitor and separate protein species of different sizes, and can greatly facilitate functional studies of protein complexes. In addition, gel filtration can be performed in any buffer system that preserves the protein complex formation and function. Therefore, it can be a significantly useful method for studying protein interactions. In this chapter, a protocol for performing gel filtration is described in detail.
An Easy-To-Build, Low-Cost, High-Performance SailBot

Boats built to the SailBot Class rules are high-performance, computer-controlled vessels and to win requires both good systems development and a good boat. The loose rules allow for exotic design and construction in order to improve vessel performance, though with increasing cost of materials. This paper describes the naval architecture design, construction and test sailing of a high-performance SailBot Sea Quester, built using basic tools and inexpensive materials, and costing €1200. The paper proposes alternative construction methods with an estimated built cost of approximately $600, though with the loss of some operating performance. Sea Quester was launched and sailed under remote control on 25 April 2014 and testing is in progress.