cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure-function Relationships in the Evolution of Elastin

The evolution of the structure of the rubber-like protein elastin, found in connective tissues which are subjected to periodic physiological stress, was studied with respect to its phylogenetic distribution, fiber morphology and arrangement, response to deformation, and amino acid composition. Aortae and other tissues from several vertebrates and invertebrates were examined for the presence of elastin, which was defined on the basis of a characteristic amino acid composition, the presence of the unique crosslinks desmosine and isodesmosine, and by histologic criteria. The protein was present in all vertebrates except the primitive jawless fishes and was absent from all invertebrates which were examined. In addition, the morphology of aortic elastin fibers differed markedly among the vertebrate families. Biochemical analysis revealed increases in both the degree of crosslinking and hydrophobicity in elastins from higher vertebrates (mammals, birds) as compared to those from bony fish. Mammalian elastin displayed an increased tendency toward coacervation (polymerization into aggregated structures) at 37°C and behaved differently from a conventional elastomer when stretched in a microcalorimeter. Selection for an increasingly hydrophobic elastin appears to have paralleled the development of a highly-pressurized, closed circulatory system in homeothermic animals. The data do not support a common genetic origin for elastin and other connective tissue proteins. Significant variations in amino acid composition among aortic elastins from different species, however, indicate that genetically distinct elastin types could have arisen by divergence from a common ancestral gene.
Simultaneous diophantine approximation with excluded primes

Given real numbers α1,...,αn, a simultaneous diophantine e-approximation is a sequence of integers P1,..., Pn, Q such that Q 0 we show that at least one of the following holds:(a)there is a simultaneous diophantine e-approximation which excludes p, or(b)there exist a1,...,an ∈ ℤ such that Σajαj = 1/p + t, t ∈ ℤ and Σ|aj|≤n3/2|eNote that these two conditions are mutually nearly exclusive in the sense that in case (b) the aj witness that there is no simultaneous diophantine e/ (n3/2p)-approximation excluding p. The proof method is Fourier analysis using results and techniques of Banaszczyk [Ban93].As an application we show that for p a prime and bounded d/p -- 1 the ring ℤ/pkℤ contains a number all of whose d-th roots (mod pk) are small.We generalize the result to simultaneous diophantine e-approximations excluding several primes and consider the algorithmic problem of finding, in polynomial time, a simultaneous diophantine e-approximation excluding a set of primes.
High gamma power in ECoG reflects cortical electrical stimulation effects on unit activity in layers V/VI

Objective. Cortical electrical stimulation (CES) has been used extensively in experimental neuroscience to modulate neuronal or behavioral activity, which has led this technique to be considered in neurorehabilitation. Because the cortex and the surrounding anatomy have irregular geometries as well as inhomogeneous and anisotropic electrical properties, the mechanism by which CES has therapeutic effects is poorly understood. Therapeutic effects of CES can be improved by optimizing the stimulation parameters based on the effects of various stimulation parameters on target brain regions. Approach. In this study we have compared the effects of CES pulse polarity, frequency, and amplitude on unit activity recorded from rat primary motor cortex with the effects on the corresponding local field potentials (LFP), and electrocorticograms (ECoG). CES was applied at the surface of the cortex and the unit activity and LFPs were recorded using a penetrating electrode array, which was implanted below the stimulation site. ECoGs were recorded from the vicinity of the stimulation site. Main results. Time–frequency analysis of LFPs following CES showed correlation of gamma frequencies with unit activity response in all layers. More importantly, high gamma power of ECoG signals only correlated with the unit activity in lower layers (V–VI) following CES. Time–frequency correlations, which were found between LFPs, ECoGs and unit activity, were frequency- and amplitude-dependent. Significance. The signature of the neural activity observed in LFP and ECoG signals provides a better understanding of the effects of stimulation on network activity, representative of large numbers of neurons responding to stimulation. These results demonstrate that the neurorehabilitation and neuroprosthetic applications of CES targeting layered cortex can be further improved by using field potential recordings as surrogates to unit activity aimed at optimizing stimulation efficacy. Likewise, the signatures of unit activity observed as changes in high gamma power in ECoGs suggest that future cortical stimulation studies could rely on less invasive feedback schemes that incorporate surface stimulation with ECoG reporting of stimulation efficacy.
Quantum interference in attosecond transient absorption of laser-dressed helium atoms

We calculate the transient absorption of an isolated attosecond pulse (IAP) by helium atoms subject to a delayed infrared (IR) laser pulse. With the central frequency of the broad attosecond spectrum near the ionization threshold, the absorption spectrum is strongly modulated at the sub-IR-cycle level. Given that the absorption spectrum results from a time-integrated measurement, we investigate the extent to which the delay dependence of the absorption yields information about the attosecond dynamics of the atom-field energy exchange. We find two configurations in which this is possible. The first involves multiphoton transitions between bound states that result in interference between different excitation pathways. The second involves the modification of the bound state absorption lines by the IR field, which we find can result in a subcycle time dependence only when ionization limits the duration of the strong-field interaction.
Liquid Crystalline Compounds Exhibiting Two Smectic B Modifications

Abstract Four liquid crystalline compounds, i.e., three terephthal-bis-4-n-alkylanilines (TBAA; alkyl = pentyl, hexyl, and heptyl) and N-(4-n-heptyloxybenzylidene)-4-n-hexylaniline (HBHA) were synthesized and the phase transitions were studied by means of optical microscope, differential scanning calorimeter and miscibility relationships. It is indicated that all the compounds exhibit a smectic B-smectic B phase transition of which the transition heat is very small. Furthermore, a brief description is given of a smectic phase of TBAA which occurs only monotropically.
Alienation, Police Stories, and Percival

There are many people in organizations who have feelings of alienation; that is they feel they do not fit in, they get no meaning out of their work, they feel belittled or abused by their superiors or colleagues; they desire to break loose the masks they wear, or to find some sense of meaningfulness. In our paper, we demonstrate our assumption of alienation in the workplace by reviewing a collection of satirical and ironic organizational stories from police officers working at a county sheriff’s department. Our argument is that if it seems that alienation might not be resolved through organizational change efforts and interventions, or might not be resolved through radical change of the economic conditions of modern industrial life, then alienation might be changed through the aggregation of individual projects from below. We discuss the possibility of resolving alienation at the workplace by using the legend of Percival as an analogy.
Cloud-Environment Interface Instability: Part II: Extension to Three Spatial Dimensions

Abstract Three-dimensional numerical experiments were performed with thermals rising in a stably stratified environment to study the cloud-environment boundary instability. This work extends that reported in Part I. It is shown that the analytical theory developed in Part I, which describes the evolution of the laminar interface between the thermal and its environment, applies to the three-dimensional case with only minor modifications. As in the two-dimensional case, the scale selection and growth rate of the unstable modes appear to depend upon the depth and velocity change across the shear layer near the interface, which is in rough agreement with classical linear theory developed for the case of planar geometry. Analysis is presented that indicates further evolution of the three-dimensional eddies results in a transition to turbulence. A decrease of the Taylor-microscale Reynolds number and leveling off of the average enstrophy and velocity-derivative skewness is observed in the numerical experiments,...
Storage and secretion of β-endorphin and related peptides by mouse pituitary tumor cells: Regulation by glucocorticoids

Abstract Clonal AtT-20 mouse pituitary tumor cells synthesize and secrete corticotropin, β-lipotropin, and related opioid peptides (endorphins). AtT-20/D16v cells contained approximately 540 pmol/mg protein of β-lipotropin, β-endorphin, γ-endorphin, and α-endorphin in the molar proportions 9, 64, 5, and 22%, respectively. The subcellular distribution of opioid activity and β-endorphin immunoreactivity indicates the localization of endorphins in particulate cytoplasmic organelles. AtT-20/D16v cells and cells of a newly derived subclone secrete β-lipotropin and β-endorphin into culture medium at a basal rate of up to 28 pmol/mg protein/ hr. Treatment of cells with dexamethasone (half-maximally effective concentration 2 n m ) reduced basal secretion; part of the inhibitory response occurred rapidly ( t 1 2 approximately 2.4 h) and another part occurred considerably more slowly. The rapid phase of the response was prevented by actinomycin D or cycloheximide. Reduction of intracellular β-endorphin immunoreactivity by dexamethasone followed kinetics resembling the slower phase. Secretion was stimulated 1.8-fold or 7-fold by 1 m m N 6 ,O 6 ′ -dibutyryl cyclic AMP or 80 m m KCl, respectively; dexamethasone inhibited secretion stimulated by either compound. It is concluded that (a) AtT-20 cells probably store and secrete β-endorphin-related peptides by mechanisms similar to those of corticotropin-endorphin producing cells of the anterior pituitary gland; and (b) glucocorticoids rapidly inhibit secretion of these peptides by a mechanism that involves increased transcription and translation of protein(s) which inhibit synthesis or increase catabolism of the peptides.
Waveform Selection for an Electrically Enhanced Seine for Use in Harvesting Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus from Ponds

.— A series of rapid screening trials was used to identify a waveform with the potential to repel channel catfish Ictalurus punctarus away from a seine. Waveforms were not considered effective unless they repelled catfish away from an advancing electrical array without causing electrotaxis, narcosis, or observable injuries. Over 600 varying combinations of waveform types, voltages, pulse frequencies, pulse widths, and pulse sweeps were evaluated in order to select the best waveform for use in constructing an electrically enhanced seine. A number of electrode designs were evaluated to determine the most efficient and effective electrode combination, size, and configuration to use in the screening trials. In studies conducted in concrete vats, harvest efficiencies (the percentage offish present that were captured) greater than 92% were achieved using a low to high frequency waveform with a 6.0–60 Hz sweep and a 2 msec pulse width over a 4 sec sweep time. This waveform was selected for use in the construction of an electrically enhanced seine that will be used in future pond harvest studies.
Enabling Integrated Information Framework as Cloud Services for Chemical and Petroleum Industry

Business agility is of vital importance to chemical and petroleum industry, especially in rapid response to diagnose and exchange of real-time information and other relevant data sources. From IT perspective, emerging delivery models such as cloud computing offer the possibility to build the elastic infrastructure and flexible computing platform, thus enable enterprises to focus on their core competences. In this paper we investigate how the new delivery models of cloud service achieve the improvement of the efficiency by means of Integrated Information Framework (IIF) of chemical and petroleum. In infrastructural level, the capabilities and implementation mechanism of cloud based IIF solution lifecycle management are presented. Based on such management foundation, a business process environment delivered in Platform-as-a-Service business model is provided for rapid development of business agility. Finally, IIF in public and enterprise SaaS models to enable the chemical and petroleum value chain and service market is discussed. This paper demonstrates how the cloud computing technologies and architecture patterns significantly enhance the capability and agility of not only chemical and petroleum using IIF, but also the enterprise with similar requirements, business models and IT architectures in other industries.
How can aspiration of vomitus in obstetrics best be prevented

: Concern about the incidence of maternal aspiration and its effect upon maternal morbidity and mortality has resulted in restricting oral intake of laboring women, although data show maternal death to be rare. Among many factors that can be linked to the occurrence of aspiration, the most important appears to be faulty administration of obstetric anesthesia.
Accessing Concrete Operational Reasoning Strategies in Preoperational Children

ABSTRACT This study addresses three questions: (a) Are the cognitive skills that underlie games of make-believe play-specific or are they of a more general cognitive order? (b) Is the reported prevalence of identity explanations on the conservation training tasks a function of the standard conservation inquiry, or is it an indication that the identity explanation is a more primitive cognitive precursor of concrete operational reversibility? (c) Does SES affect the ability to formulate the logical explanations required for the conservation task? Following conservation pretests, 64 nonconserving 4 and 5 year olds were assigned to four different conditions: Group 1 participated in pretense play, Group 2 was exposed to a correct conserving judgment of quantity, Groups 3 and 4 received only conservation posttests. The conservation posttests administered to Groups 1, 2, and 3 deviated from the usual standard procedures by providing the subjects with a correct judgment and a set of specific questions designed to...
Experimental Methods Using Scale-Sensitive, Geometric Analysis of Surface Textures for Tribology

This paper describes the application of new scale-sensitive texture analysis methods in tribology experiments that are based on applying F-tests and regression analyses to the results of length-scale, area-scale [1], and filling-scale analyses of measured tribilogical surfaces, combined with physical testing. These methods can improve understanding of the interaction of surface roughness, or textures, and tribological phenomena. The challenges in using surface metrology to elucidate the texture-related mechanisms that control tribological interactions are to capture the relevant information in the surface texture in its measurement, extract it in the analysis, then connect it convincingly with the tribilogical interactions.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Orthotopic Liver Transplantation for Congenital Biliary Atresia: An 11-year, Single-center Experience

OBJECTIVE: The authors analyze a single center's 11-year experience with 190 orthotopic liver transplants for congenital biliary atresia. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Hepatic portoenterostomy generally is the initial treatment for children with congenital biliary atresia. Despite multiple modifications of the hepatic portoenterostomy, two thirds of treated patients still develop recurrent cholestasis, portal hypertension, cholangitis, and cirrhosis. Therefore, the only hope of long-term survival in the majority of children with congenital biliary atresia is definitive correction with orthotopic liver transplantation. METHODS: The medical records of 190 consecutive patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation for congenital biliary atresia from July 1, 1984 to February 29, 1996 were reviewed. Results were analyzed via Cox multivariate regression analysis to determine the statistical strength of independent associations between pretransplant covariates and patient and graft survival. Actuarial patient and graft survival was determined at 1, 2, and 5 years. The type and incidence of post-transplant complications were determined, as was the quality of long-term graft function. The median follow-up period was 3.21 years. RESULTS: The liver grafts were comprised on 155 whole-organ, 24 reduced-size, and 11 living donor organs. Median pretransplant values for recipient age, weight, and total bilirubin were 1.4 years, 12.3 kg, and 13.8 mg/dL, respectively. One hundred sixty-four patients (86%) had undergone prior hepatic portoenterostomy. Eighty-seven patients (46%) were United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) status 1 or 2 at the time of liver transplantation. The majority (15/24, 62%) of reduced-size graft recipients were UNOS status I at the time of transplantation. One hundred fifty-nine patients (84%) received a single graft, whereas 31 patients required 37 retransplants. The 1, 2, and 5 year actuarial patient survival rates were 83%, 80% and 78% respectively, whereas graft survival rates were 81%, 77%, and 76%, respectively. Cox multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that pretransplant total bilirubin, UNOS status, and graft type significantly predicted patient survival, whereas recipient age, weight, and previous hepatic portoenterostomy did not. Current median follow-up values for total bilirubin and aspartate aminotransferase levels in the 154 surviving patients were 0.5 mg/dL and 34 international units/L, respectively. CONCLUSION: Long-term patient survival after orthotopic liver transplantation for congenital biliary atresia is excellent and is independent of recipient age, weight, or previous hepatic portoenterostomy. Optimal results are obtained in this patient population when liver transplantation is performed before marked hyperbilirubinemia, and when possible, using a living-donor graft.
The Pentecostal Significance of Numbers 11

Numbers 11 describes a very significant interconnectedness of the Spirit of God and leadership/ministry of God's people and prophetic activity. This is established as the LORD answered the first great need of Moses in leading the people of Israel on the journey through the wilderness of the Promised Land with a special demonstration of his Spirit. The empowering of the 70 elders accompanied by a prophetic experience foreshadowed the Acts 2— Pentecost event. Therefore, Number 11 should be considered as the foundational Charismatic/Pentecostal passage in the Old Testament.
Oligopeptides as substrates and inhibitors for a new constitutive nitric oxide synthase from rat cerebellum.

Abstract A new constitutive nitric oxide synthase (NOS) that utilizes both L -arginine and bradykinin (BK) as substrates has been purified from rat cerebellum. This NOS is calmodulin-dependent with L -arginine, but calmodulin-independent with BK. Peptide products obtained using BK and a related nonapeptide as substrates were isolated and sequenced. Both N- and C-terminal arginines of BK are oxidized to citrullines by this enzyme. With BK as substrate NOS activity is competitively inhibited by N G -methyl-, N G -nitro- L -arginines, and a BK receptor antagonist. Our results suggest that oligopeptide-utilizing NOS may occur in other tissues, and show for the first time that oligopeptides can function as substrates or inhibitors of NOS.
Ejecta source and transport modeling in the FLAG hydrocode

Abstract We present the ongoing development and implementation of an ejecta model in the FLAG hydrocode. Ejecta is the term given to particulate matter that is produced at the free surface of a material subject to extreme shock loading. Following shock propagation into a material and reflection at its free surface, conditions may be sufficient to induce phase changes, damage, or fragmentation at the surface. The dynamics of the fragmentation may be such that a “cloud” of particulate matter forms and propagates away from the material. Modeling such phenomena in a continuum hydrodynamics code challenges the assumptions underlying the numerical approximations made in the hydrodynamics. The representative scales for the particulate matter are often much smaller than the representative scales for the bulk material producing the ejecta. However, this scale separation allows for statistical descriptions of ejecta that are compatible with continuum mechanics. Earlier work documents an initial effort in modeling ejecta in the FLAG hydrocode. The FLAG hydrocode computes continuum mechanics solutions for fluid and solid materials in an Arbitrary–Eulerian–Lagrangian (ALE) framework. To model ejecta in FLAG, a hybrid particle-continuum representation was defined that allows for coupling with continuum materials on large (bulk) scales. Numerical models were developed and implemented for particle production (sourcing) as well as for solving the particle equations of motion. The numerics were shown to conserve mass, momentum and energy, and preliminary results were given for modeling drag and volume effects. This work documents recent advances in source and transport models. Spatial and temporal dependencies have been added to the source models to account for geometric free-surface variations, mesh dependence, and shock loading. More physically relevant drag models have been implemented that include Reynolds number effects. These will be presented along with test results verifying the models. A FLAG model of an actual ejecta experiment will also be presented.
Electrocatalysis: a futuristic view

Bowden and Rideal [Proc R. Soc. A.120, 59 (1928)] were the first to carry out a systematic series of measurements of the same electrode reaction, hydrogen evolution, on a number of metals. However, they did not have an electrocatalytic attitude and consequently did not directly compare the rate constants from such measurements. The word “electrocatalysis” was first used by Grubb [Low Temperature Hydrocarbons, 17th Annual Power Sources Conference, Atlantic City (1963)] in 1963 in connection with the investigations of fuel cells. However, the first interpretation of electrocatalysis came before that in a famous paper by Horiuti and Polanyi [Acta Physicochini., U.S.S.R. 2, 505 (1935)] and the basic diagram of this paper is given. Here the rate of the reaction is controlled by the heat of activation and there is a relationship between this quantity and heat of adsorption δδHOX=βδδHAds . This seminal theory of 1935 has played a part in various guises in the development of electrocatalysis till today. In this document, examples of application of this theory will be given in the form of recent progress made and then the discussion will change to a presentation of near future tasks, the presentation ending by an attempt to predict some possible electrocatalytic situations beyond 2050.
Excimer fluorescence from phenanthrene-9-carboxylate derivatives

Phenanthrene and most of its known derivatives do not form stable, fluorescent excimers. Moderately intense, long-lived excimer fluorescence has been observed for lactone and lactam derivatives of phenanthrene. The solvatochromic shift of this excimer fluorescence is similar to that previously reported for the pyrene excimer. Stabilization of the excimer is attributed to the increased polarizability of phenanthrene by a coplanar carbonyl substituent. Excimer formation is not observed for a coplanar cyano substituent or an orthogonal carbonyl substituent.
Black and white college women's perceptions of early maternal employment

Black (n = 89) and White (n = 121) female students rated their perceptions of the mother of a one-year-old infant as a function of the mother's race (Black/White) and employment role (employment/nonemployment after the birth of her child). Results showed that White, compared to Black, students anticipated comparatively more role-related costs for the employed than the nonemployed mothers. Furthermore, Blacks, but not Whites, expected more role-related emotional rewards for the employed than the nonemployed mothers. The data are linked to previous findings concerning Whites' and Blacks' attitudes toward role integration.
Morphology of the brook trout spermatozoon as determined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy

Abstract Spermatozoal morphology of the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) was studied with a scanning electron microsco1pe and transmission electron microscope. The spermatozoon has an ovate, somewhat flattened head, 2.9µm long and 2.1 µm wide; a low mitochondrial collar, 0.7 µm long and 0.6 µm wide; and a flagellum about 27 µm long. A study of sectioned material failed to disclose the presence of an acrosome. The mitochondrial collar encircles the flagellum but is separated from it by the cytoplasmic canal. The flagellum gradually tapers toward its posterior end, where the diameter decreases sharply to form an end piece. Sections through the tail show that it consists of the typical 9 + 2 axoneme, which conforms to the description given for simple flagella and cilia.
The HAWC and SAFIRE adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators

The High-Resolution Airborne Wide-band Camera (HAWC) and Submillimeter and Far Infrared Experiment (SAFIRE) are far-infrared experiments which will fly on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) aircraft. HAWC's detectors will operate at 0.2 Kelvin, while those of SAFIRE will be at 0.1 Kelvin. Each instrument will include an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) to cool its detector stage from the liquid helium bath temperature (HAWC's at 4.2 Kelvin and SAFIRE's pumped to about 1.3 Kelvin) to its operating temperature. Except for the magnets used to achieve the cooling and a slight difference in the heat switch design, the two ADRs are nearly identical. We describe the ADR design and present the results of performance testing.
1033. Enhanced Engraftment of Retrovirally Transuduced Hematopoietic Stem Cells Following Treatment with Diprotin-A

Introduction: Low levels of engraftment resulting from transplantation of limited numbers of transduced cells continue to be a major problem in hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy. Treatment of bone marrow cells with the tri-peptide Diprotin-A (Ile-Pro-Ile), a CD26 inhibitor, has been shown to improve homing of hematopoietic stem cells to bone marrow, increasing the efficiency of bone marrow engraftment. Here, we demonstrate that Diprotin-A can enhance engraftment of limiting numbers of genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells expressing an allogeneic MHC antigen and result in long-term molecular chimerism leading to induction of transplantation tolerance.
Combining complex signal change in functional MRI

With the development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques, data analysis methods based on complex MR data have been proposed. However, the methods have not been popular for fMRI community, in part because the phase activation in conventional GRE fMRI has been suggested to originate from the large veins (1). Recently, novel fMRI methods such as transition-band SSFP fMRI and an alternating balanced SSFP method for neuronal current measurement (2) have been proposed. In these methods, the functional contrasts exist in the complex domain, providing significant and localized complex signal change. Hence, the usefulness of the complex-data analysis methods has become increasingly important for these applications by allowing them to reliably obtain complex activation. As mentioned in his letter, Dr. Rowe has proposed a complex-data analysis method based on the generalized likelihood ratio test (3). Despite the usefulness of the method, the computational complexity of the method, which requires multiple iterations to estimate the parameters, hampers the routine use of the method. This is particularly true for high-resolution studies that we targeted in our study. To overcome this inefficiency, we have proposed a new method based on T 2 statistics combined with generalized linear model (4). Dr. Rowe’s letter expressed concerns about the relationship of our model to his model and some mathematical errors. Here we present our responses to his points:
Impacts of invasive riparian knotweed on litter decomposition, aquatic fungi, and macroinvertebrates.

Bohemian knotweed (Polygonum × bohemicum), the hybrid between Japanese and giant knotweed, is the most common invasive knotweed species in western North America and the most difficult to control. Invasive knotweed congeners spread aggressively along streams and establish dense monotypic stands, reducing riparian plant species diversity. Allochthonous organic matter inputs from riparian plants are an important source of energy and nutrients for organisms in small streams. However, little information exists concerning the influence of knotweed on stream processes. This study examines the quality of Bohemian knotweed leaves compared to native red alder and black cottonwood leaves, along with leaf-associated fungal biomass accumulation, macroinvertebrate communities, and decay rates from three forested streams in western Washington State. Senesced knotweed leaves were lower in nitrogen and phosphorus, and higher in cellulose, fiber, and lignin content than alder leaves, but were more similar to cottonwood leaves. Fungal biomass differed among species and changed over time. Macroinvertebrate shredders collected from leaf packs after 31 days were proportionately more abundant on alder leaves than knotweed and cottonwood. Decay rates were not significantly different among leaf species, but during the first 31 days alder broke down faster than knotweed. After 56 days, all of the leaf packs were mostly decomposed. Overall, these findings do not show major discrepancies between leaf species except those related to initial litter structural and chemical quality. However, changes in the timing and quantity of litter inputs are also important factors to be considered in understanding the impact of invasive knotweed on stream ecosystem processes.
Tuning of a digital proportional-integral compensator for DC-DC power converter

This paper presents a scheme to manually tune a digital Proportional-Integral (PI) controller (TunePI scheme) to achieve optimized dynamic performance of a DC-DC power converter. Based on a previously proposed compensated-error-signal-based auto-tuning of compensator gain to achieve optimized gain for a given set of other compensator parameters, i.e. zero(s) and pole(s), the paper presents a new scheme that will tune the complete set of a PI compensator parameters to result in a design with an optimum set of parameters for improved dynamic performance. This paper focuses on discussing the TunePI scheme and presenting theoretical and experimental results that employ the TunePI scheme to manually tune a digital PI compensator. This will be used as the base for a future work to develop a controller that is able to auto-tune the PI compensator during the power converter operation (online auto-tuning).
A knowledge-based reliability analysis system

Probabilistic reliability analysis is reviewed, and an expert system that assists a reliability engineer in performing risk analysis for complex systems is presented. The system releases the reliability engineer from the repetitive tasks of enumerating support states and modifying the primary failure equation and assists in organizing target system descriptions into an explicit model and in deriving a block diagram from it. The methodology used to derive Boolean failure equations from a description of the target system is described. System functionality is modeled in such a way that reliability analysis can be facilitated and automated as far as possible. Knowledge about objects in the application domain, i.e. components and functions, as well as knowledge about the analysis process is incorporated into the analysis system. Knowledge is represented in the form of frames and rules in the function dependency model and in the supporting agents. >
Microchimerism and rejection in clinical transplantation

Summary Background Haemopoietic microchimerism has been identified in recipients of solid-organ transplants and is thought by some to be critical for the development and maintenance of immunological tolerance. The aim of this study was to correlate prospectively the persistence of donor cells with clinical outcome in recipients of kidney, kidney and pancreas, and liver transplants. Methods Persistence of donor cells in recipient peripheral blood was assessed at 3 days, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation by a two-stage nested PCR technique to detect donor MHC HLA DR gene specifically. A pretransplant blood sample was collected from each patient to serve as an individual negative control. Seven liver, six kidney and pancreas, and 17 kidney patients were enrolled. 12 of the 17 kidney patients and all of the kidney and pancreas, and liver recipients were suitable for analysis. Exact matches for donors and recipients at the HLA DR loci (n=1) or inability to obain primer pair specificity among similar HLA DR types (n=4), meant that we were unable to analyse five patients. Findings Donor DNA was detected in 20 (80%) of 25, ten (40%) of 25, seven (30%) of 23, five (22%) of 23, and six (32%) of 19 recipients at 3 days, and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months post-transplant, respectively. Within individuals, the detection of donor DNA varied over time; only two patients had detectable donor DNA at all times. Analysis of the whole group of transplant patients showed a similar frequency and severity of rejection episodes in patients with and without microchimerism as defined by detectable donor DR genes. Interpretation These data suggest that a significant percentage of the recipients had persistent donor class II DNA in the peripheral circulation for at least 1 year after transplantation. We showed that a pretransplant blood sample is critical to avoid a false-positive result, and suggest that detectable chimerism may vary over time in individual patients. Therefore, analysis of microchimerism with a single, post-transplant analysis may not help in making clinical decisions for individual patients.
Endoscopic culture-directed antibiotic therapy: Impact on patient symptoms in chronic rhinosinusitis

Abstract Background Endoscopically guided cultures are frequently employed to guide antimicrobial therapy in refractory chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of culture-directed antibiotics on patient symptoms. Methods Retrospective review was conducted of 105 adult CRS patients undergoing evaluation in the ambulatory clinic of tertiary care academic medical center. Results The most common microbes were Staphylococcus aureus (29.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (23.8%) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (11.4%). Normal respiratory flora or no growth was found in 19% of patients. Culture results changed antibiotic choices in 77% of patients. Statistically significant change in total SNOT-20 scores and all 4 subdomains was noted, with improvement being clinically meaningful in the rhinologic subdomain (− 1.10, p Conclusion Endoscopic-derived sinus cultures are associated with clinically meaningful change in the rhinologic subdomain of SNOT-20 scores, and repeat purulence was infrequently noted at follow-up. Further prospective studies are needed to better delineate the role of cultures in CRS management. Level of evidence 4.
Exotic and Invasive Herbaceous Range Weeds

T here is a considerable body of terminology developed during the 20th century concerning range weed control. This terminology was developed so individuals concerned with herbaceous range weeds could communicate. Nothing is more boring than terminology, but in the case of range weed control, if everyone gets on the same page in terminology, an artificially cloudy subject becomes much clearer. A weed is simply a plant growing in a site where it is not desired. You can make up your own standards for what constitutes desirability. It may be forage production, nutritional quality, or season of growth or have little to do with forage characteristics. Watershed protection, chance of ignition and rate of spread of wildfires, and wildlife habitat are all plant characteristics that influence individual perception of plant desirability. A weed may be a desirable plant in one location and a weed in another. For example, in the salt deserts of Nevada, desert salt grass is a desirable forage species in alkaline/saline habitats surrounding playas. It is virtually the only herbaceous forage species adapted to grow in such environments. In the irrigated alfalfa fields of Nevada, it is considered a serious herbaceous weed.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE SECONDARY STRUCTURE OF THE MITOCHONDRIAL LARGE SUBUNIT rRNA GENE (16S) IN SPIDERS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR PHYLOGENETIC RECONSTRUCTION

Abstract We investigated the pattern of molecular variation with respect to secondary structure in the 16S ribosomal RNA gene and its phylogenetic implications for arachnids with a focus on spiders. Based on a model by Gutell et al. (1996), secondary structures were proposed for the 3′ half of 16S in the mygalomorph spider Aptostichus atomarius. Models were also constructed for a hypervariable length of the 16S in three other arachnids, which revealed a trend of stem and loop reduction in more advanced arachnids. Using a simple statistical approach to compare functional regions, we found that internal and external loops are more variable than stems or connection regions. Down-weighting or excluding regions which code for the more variable loops improved tree topologies by restoring the monophyly of the genus Aptostichus, a group supported by combined 16S, COI, and morphological data in other analyses. This study demonstrated the utility of considering secondary structure for DNA sequence alignment and phy...
Illustration of Resonant Modulation

The previous chapters in Part I of this book discussed the present understanding of direct modulation properties of laser diodes with particular emphasis on modulation speed. A quantity of major significance in the small-signal modulation regime is the − 3 dB modulation bandwidth, which is a direct measure of the rate at which information can be transmitted by intensity modulation of the laser. However, one can obtain a large modulation optical depth (in fact, pulse-like output) at repetition rates beyond the − 3-dB point by driving the laser with sufficient RF drive power to compensate for the drop-off in the modulation response of the laser.
Current recommendations of managing HBV infection in preconception or pregnancy

Hepatitis B remains a leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver transplantation worldwide. Management of chronic hepatitis B during pregnancy is challenging. Transmission of hepatitis B to infants still occurs perinatally although immunoprophylaxis is widely available for infants born to mothers with chronic hepatitis B infection. The emerging data suggest that initiation of antiviral therapy in the beginning of the third trimester in highly viremic mothers can prevent immunoprophylaxis failure in their infants. The available drug safety data show that lamivudine, telbivudine and tenofovir are generally safe to be used during the pregnancy. In order to minimize the fetal exposure to the antiviral medication, antiviral therapy during the pregnancy should be limited to a selected group of patients with cirrhosis, high hepatitis B viral load, or prior history immunoprophylaxis failure. An elective Caesarean section may reduce the risk of perinatal transmission. For those females planning for pregnancy or in early stage of pregnancy, communication and follow-up among obstetrician, gastroenterologist, and primary care physician are important. In this article, we will review the features of hepatitis B infection before, during and after the pregnancy; the risk factors that increase mother-to-child transmission; safety data on antiviral drug use during pregnancy; and the potential role of Caesarean section in selected cases.
Greenland Ice Sheet Mass Balance Reconstruction. Part II: Surface Mass Balance (1840–2010)*

AbstractMeteorological station records, ice cores, and regional climate model output are combined to develop a continuous 171-yr (1840–2010) reconstruction of Greenland ice sheet climatic surface mass balance (Bclim) and its subcomponents including near-surface air temperature (SAT) since the end of the Little Ice Age. Independent observations are used to assess and compensate errors. Melt water production is computed using separate degree-day factors for snow and bare ice surfaces. A simple meltwater retention scheme yields the time variation of internal accumulation, runoff, and bare ice area.At decadal time scales over the 1840–2010 time span, summer (June–August) SAT increased by 1.6°C, driving a 59% surface meltwater production increase. Winter warming was +2.0°C. Substantial interdecadal variability linked with episodic volcanism and atmospheric circulation anomalies is also evident. Increasing accumulation and melt rates, bare ice area, and meltwater retention are driven by increasing SAT. As a con...
Alloys that form conductive and passivating oxides for proton exchange membrane fuel cell bipolar plates

During the operation of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, a high-resistance oxide is often formed on the cathode surface of base metal bipolar plates. Over time, this corrosion mechanism leads to a drop in fuel cell efficiency and potentially to complete failure. To address this problem, we have developed alloys capable of forming oxides that are both conductive and chemically stable under PEM fuel cell operating conditions. Five alloys of titanium with tantalum or niobium were investigated. The oxides were formed on the alloys by cyclic voltammetry in solutions mimicking the cathode- and anode-side environment of a PEM fuel cell. The oxides of all tested alloys had lower surface resistance than the oxide of pure titanium. We also investigated the chemical durability of Ti–Nb and Ti–Ta alloys in more concentrated solutions beyond those typically found in PEM fuel cells. The oxide films formed on Ti–Nb and Ti–Ta alloys remained conductive and chemically stable in these concentrated solutions. The stability of the oxide films was evaluated; Ti alloys having 3% Ta and Nb were identified as potential candidates for bipolar plate materials.
EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL PREPARATION STRATEGIES ON PROBLEM SOLVING IN A WEB-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT*

This study reports the effects of different types of instructional preparation strategies on the problem solving performance of college students taking an introductory physics class. Students were divided into four equally skilled groups and solved the same physics problems after receiving different instructional preparations (engaging in interactive tutorials, solving similar problems or reading worked examples) in a web-based learning environment. Problem solving characteristics of the students, such as problem completion time and number of incorrect answers, were then analyzed to investigate the effects of different preparation approaches employed. The analysis results suggest that interactive tutorials could be more beneficial than other types of preparation strategies by providing just-in-time scaffolding and reducing the cognitive load of acquiring schemas when the target knowledge under study is difficult and complicated.
Insect stage-specific receptor adenylate cyclases are localized to distinct subdomains of the Trypanosoma brucei Flagellar membrane.

ABSTRACT Increasing evidence indicates that the Trypanosoma brucei flagellum (synonymous with cilium) plays important roles in host-parasite interactions. Several studies have identified virulence factors and signaling proteins in the flagellar membrane of bloodstream-stage T. brucei, but less is known about flagellar membrane proteins in procyclic, insect-stage parasites. Here we report on the identification of several receptor-type flagellar adenylate cyclases (ACs) that are specifically upregulated in procyclic T. brucei parasites. Identification of insect stage-specific ACs is novel, as previously studied ACs were constitutively expressed or confined to bloodstream-stage parasites. We show that procyclic stage-specific ACs are glycosylated, surface-exposed proteins that dimerize and possess catalytic activity. We used gene-specific tags to examine the distribution of individual AC isoforms. All ACs examined localized to the flagellum. Notably, however, while some ACs were distributed along the length of the flagellum, others specifically localized to the flagellum tip. These are the first transmembrane domain proteins to be localized specifically at the flagellum tip in T. brucei, emphasizing that the flagellum membrane is organized into specific subdomains. Deletion analysis reveals that C-terminal sequences are critical for targeting ACs to the flagellum, and sequence comparisons suggest that differential subflagellar localization might be specified by isoform-specific C termini. Our combined results suggest insect stage-specific roles for a subset of flagellar adenylate cyclases and support a microdomain model for flagellar cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling in T. brucei. In this model, cAMP production is compartmentalized through differential localization of individual ACs, thereby allowing diverse cellular responses to be controlled by a common signaling molecule.
Ozone precursor relationships in the ambient atmosphere

The concentrations of ozone, nitrogen oxides, and nonmethane hydrocarbons measured near the surface in a variety of urban, suburban, rural, and remote locations are analyzed and compared in order to elucidate the relationships between ozone, its photochemical precursors, and the sources of these precursors. While a large gradient is found among remote, rural, and urban/suburban nitrogen oxide concentrations, the total hydrocarbon reactivity in all continental locations is found to be comparable. Apportionment of the observed hydrocarbon species to mobile and stationary anthropogenic sources and biogenic sources suggests that present-day emission inventories for the United States underestimate the size of mobile emissions. The analysis also suggests a significant role for biogenic hydrocarbon emissions in many urban/suburban locations and a dominant role for these sources in rural areas of the eastern United States. As one moves from remote locations to rural locations and then from rural to urban/suburban locations, ozone and nitrogen oxide concentrations tend to increase in a consistent manner while total hydrocarbon reactivity does not.
The pessimism behind optimistic simulation

In this paper we make an analogy between the time that storage must be maintained in an optimistic simulation and the blocking time in a conservative simulation. By exploring this analogy, we design two new Global Virtual Time (GVT) protocols for Time Warp systems. The first protocol is based on null message clock advancement in conservative approaches. Our main contribution is a new protocol inspired by Misra's circulating marker scheme for deadlock recovery. It is simple enough to be implemented in hardware, takes no overhead in the normal path, can be made to work over non-FIFO links, and its overhead can be dynamically tuned based on computational load.