cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Markovian model for reliability and other performance measures of software systems

Several studies have been undertaken in recent years to investigate the software failure phenomenon, with the objective of developing analytical models for quantitative assessment of software performance. Most of these studies assume that the times between software failures follow an exponential distribution with a failure rate that depends on the number of errors in the system (see, for example, Jelinski and Moranda, 5 Littlewood and Verrall 6 and Shooman 11 ). A key assumption made in most of these studies is that the errors are removed with certainty when detected. However, as pointed out in Miyamoto 7 and Thayer et al., 12 errors are not always corrected when detected. The existing models do not provide a solution for such situations.
Immune Cell PD-L1 Colocalizes with Macrophages and Is Associated with Outcome in PD-1 Pathway Blockade Therapy.

Purpose: Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is expressed in tumor cells and immune cells, and both have been associated with response to anti-PD-1 axis immunotherapy. Here, we examine the expression of PD-L1 to determine which cell type carries the predictive value of the test. Experimental Design: We measured the expression of PD-L1 in multiple immune cells with two platforms and confocal microscopy on three retrospective Yale NSCLC cohorts (425 nonimmunotherapy-treated cases and 62 pembrolizumab/nivolumab/atezolizumab-treated cases). The PD-L1 level was selectively measured in different immune cell subsets using two multiplexed quantitative immunofluorescence panels, including CD56 for natural killer cells, CD68 for macrophages, and CD8 for cytotoxic T cells. Results: PD-L1 was significantly higher in macrophages in both tumor and stromal compartment compared with other immune cells. Elevated PD-L1 in macrophages was correlated with high PD-L1 level in tumor as well as CD8 and CD68 level (P Conclusions: In nearly 500 non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases, the predominant immune cell type that expresses PD-L1 is CD68+ macrophages. The level of PD-L1 in macrophages is significantly associated with the level of PD-L1 in tumor cells and infiltration by CD8+ T cells, suggesting a connection between high PD-L1 and “hot” tumors. In anti-PD-1 axis therapy–treated patients, high levels of PD-L1 expression in macrophages are associated with longer OS and may be responsible for the predictive effect of the marker.
Aortic distensibility in alkaptonuria.

Abstract Introduction Alkaptonuria (AKU) is a rare inherited disorder of tyrosine metabolism resulting in an accumulation of homogentisic acid oxidation products in the joints and cardiovascular system. Aortic distensibility may be a non-invasive indicator of cardiovascular complications. Descending thoracic aortic distensibility in alkaptonuria has not been studied. Methods Patients diagnosed with alkaptonuria underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and gated non-contrast and contrast-enhanced cardiovascular computed tomography. Using MRI cine images, aortic distensibility of the descending thoracic aorta was determined. Results Seventy-six patients with alkaptonuria were imaged. When compared to literature normal values, aortic distensibility in AKU was impaired (5.2 vs 6.2 × 10−3, p Conclusions Patients with alkaptonuria have impaired aortic distensibility, which is likely an early marker for reduced cardiovascular health. Variables such as age, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and aortic and coronary calcification were associated with impaired distensibility.
The Scorched and Depleted Earth: Terrestrial Decadence in Fin-de-Siecle Russia

Abstract Anxieties about climate change and planetary decline at the turn of the last century found expression in scientific debates, artistic literature, publicistic writing, and religious philosophy. This article analyzes representations of earth as being exhausted and dehydrated in works of literature by Vladimir Korolenko and philosophical writings by Nikolai Fedorov and Vladimir Solov’ev. It argues that literary decadence, which has been defined by fears about civilizational collapse, also encompasses anxieties about environmental collapse, which comprises the discourse of terrestrial decadence. At stake is not only a revision of the scope of a literary movement; I also suggest that this discourse of terrestrial decadence troubles the binary of culture and nature on which the edifice of modernity rests.
Non-invasive post-mortem interval diagnostics using a hand-held Raman spectrometer

Abstract Reliable methods used to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI) of skeletonized human remains are critically important for the accurate determination of time of death. During the early stages of decomposition (day ~ 1–25), PMI can be determined by visual observation, temperature analysis, and forensic entomology. On an annual timescale, luminol chemiluminescence and carbon isotope analysis can be used to determine the PMI. However, there is no reliable methodology that can be used for mid-term (day 22–300) timescale. In this study, we investigated the potential of Raman spectroscopy, a non-invasive and non-destructive analytical technique, for PMI analyses. The Raman-based diagnostics was achieved by spectroscopic analysis of human cadaver incisors. We observed gradual changes in the intensity of 1402 cm−1 band that can be used to differentiate days 22–42 and above day 42 PMI. These results demonstrate the great potential of Raman spectroscopy for precise and non-invasive analysis of decomposition processes in the human body which is critically valuable in forensic science.
Trends in anxiety among adults in the United States, 2008–2018: Rapid increases among young adults

Abstract Introduction In a time of global uncertainty, understanding the psychological health of the American public is imperative. There are no current data on anxiety trends among adults in the United States (US) over time. This study aimed to investigate prevalence of anxiety among US adults from 2008 to 2018. Methods Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which is an annual, cross-sectional survey on substance use and mental health in the US, were analyzed in 2020. Prevalence of past-month anxiety was estimated among those ages ≥18, by survey year from 2008 to 2018. Time trends were tested using logistic regression. Results Anxiety increased from 5.12% in 2008 to 6.68% in 2018 (p Conclusions Anxiety is increasing among adults under age 50 in the US, with more rapid increase among young adults. To prepare for a healthier adulthood and given direct and indirect (via 24/7 media) exposure to anxiety-provoking world events, prophylactic measures that can bolster healthy coping responses and/or treatment seeking seem warranted on a broad scale.
Does EIF2S3 Retrogene Activation Regulate Cancer/Testis Antigen Expression in Human Cancers?

Cancer/Testis (C/T) antigens are a group of antigens, expressed in almost all types of cancers, which can elicit an immune response in patients whose cancers express these antigens. They are currently of great interest as targets for the development of cancer biomarkers and the creation of immunotherapies that directly target tumors in patients. Currently there are 280 C/T antigens and their variants listed on the C/T antigen data base. All known C/T antigens are encoded for by genes which are normally only expressed in the male testis; specifically during the process of spermatogenesis. They are therefore only expressed in germ cells that are in the process of differentiating into sperm. Expression of C/T antigens in tumors is thus a biological anomaly as, with the exception of germ cell tumors, cancers arise from somatic tissues which are not known to express any of the genes specifically involved in spermatogenesis. How and why C/T antigens are expressed in tumors remains an enigma. In this paper we present a hypothesis which proposes a mechanism for the activation of C/T antigen encoding genes in tumors. We propose that aberrant activation of the human autosomal retrogene, EIF2S3B, which regulates initiation and maintenance of spermatogenesis in males, is responsible for C/T expression. Because both male and females have tumors that express C/T antigens activation of spermatogenesis genes in tumors must involve a non-sex specific pathway. This can be explained by the copy number of EIF2S3 genes uniquely present within the human genome.
Brand and quality effects on introduction of store brand products

Abstract This paper considers a supply chain with a single manufacturer selling a national brand product via a single retailer. The retailer has the option to introduce a product under his own brand into the market with the same functionality as the national brand product. We simultaneously consider the consumer bases of the national brand and store brand along with consumers' willingness to pay for quality and the supply chain control (centralized vs. decentralized). By analyzing the game-theoretic models, we offer managerial insights about the influences of brands' consumer bases on the quality and pricing decisions of the retailer, and on the manufacturer's willingness-to-collaborate when the retailer introduces the store brand product. We find that, although it is usually easier for the retailer to introduce a product under a store brand with a large consumer base, doing so with manufacturers of well established national brands can be difficult, when the retailer often has to greatly mark down his store brand product's quality and price. We also find that a store brand product with a small consumer base shall be launched only when the supply chain is switched to a centralized control and when the manufacturer's national brand has a large consumer base. These important findings offer guidance to both national brand manufacturers and retail store managers regarding the launch of store brand products.
Hydrogen Isotope Fractionation in the Talc–Serpentine–Brucite–Water System: Theoretical Studies and Implications

We have carried out DFT-based first-principles calculations of hydrogen isotope fractionation among serpentine, talc, brucite, and water as a function of temperature. The results for the fractionat...
Engaging a Whole Child, School, and Community Lens in Positive Education to Advance Equity in Schools

Recent decades of education policy, research, and practice have brought focus on a positive education approach as applied within tiered service delivery frameworks to meet diverse needs of varied intensities. Related, the science of implementation has begun to increase understanding of supports to strengthen use of a positive education approach within tiered service delivery frameworks. To date, the body of work has fostered important shifts in how problems are viewed and addressed using a positive lens, supporting more equitable opportunity in education. To realize the full potential, however, there is a need to integrate theory and science as embedded within a whole child, school, and community lens. We propose that positive education will advance equity when grounded in integrated theory and science across developmental systems theory, prevention science, ecological systems theory, and implementation science. We first provide a brief overview of schools as a context to serve as assets or risks to equity, followed by a discussion of theory and science using a whole child, whole school, and whole community lens. We end with directions for science and practice in advancing a positive education approach.
New Frontiers in Fair Lending: Confronting Lending Discrimination Against Ex-Offenders

The dramatic increase in the number of people leaving the nation's prisons and jails has contributed to a renewed interest in safe community reentry strategies. While issues surrounding housing, employment, and recidivism have dominated the scholarly landscape in this area, far less attention has been paid to those collateral consequences which affect ex-offender access to credit and financial services. For example, government financial assistance agencies and the private lenders that participate in government-sponsored lending programs routinely inquire into borrowers' criminal histories, and one federal court has held that criminal exposure bears a direct relationship to creditworthiness. In this article, Henderson weaves fair lending principles (as expressed in the Equal Credit Opportunity Act) with the goals of effective reentry policies and argues that despite the possible existence of a correlation between criminal exposure and likelihood of default, the use of criminal history in any determination of creditworthiness should be prohibited or at least curtailed. Given the practice's serious implications for both the ability of individual ex-offenders to reenter society effectively, as well as for the ability of receiving communities to effectuate crime prevention and community development initiatives, the author argues that the federal government ought to take the lead in developing statutory and administrative solutions that effectively fill the "advocacy gap" in credit and financial services where recourse to the courts is not available.
High power single-polarization fiber lasers

The design and performance of several novel Yb-doped laser fibers is reviewed. In particular, all-glass double-clad fibers and single-polarization fibers as technologies for developing the next generation of high-power fiber lasers are discussed.
Characterization of the aldo-keto reductase 1C gene cluster on pig chromosome 10: possible associations with reproductive traits

Background The rate of pubertal development and weaning to estrus interval are correlated and affect reproductive efficiency of swine. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for age of puberty, nipple number and ovulation rate have been identified in Meishan crosses on pig chromosome 10q (SSC10) near the telomere, which is homologous to human chromosome 10p15 and contains an aldo-keto reductase (AKR) gene cluster with at least six family members. AKRs are tissue-specific hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases that interconvert weak steroid hormones to their more potent counterparts and regulate processes involved in development, homeostasis and reproduction. Because of their location in the swine genome and their implication in reproductive physiology, this gene cluster was characterized and evaluated for effects on reproductive traits in swine.
Nitrogen fixation (nif) genes of the cyanobacterium Anabaena species strain PCC 7120. The nifB-fdxN-nifS-nifU operon.

A second nitrogen fixation (nif) operon in the cyanobacterium (blue-green alga) Anabaena (Nostoc) sp. strain PCC 7120 has been identified and sequenced. It is located just upstream of the nifHDK operon and consists of four genes in the order nifB, fdxN, nifS, and nifU. The three nif genes were identified on the basis of their similarity with the corresponding genes from other diazotrophs. The fourth gene, fdxN, codes for a bacterial type ferredoxin (Mulligan, M. E., Buikema, W. J., and Haselkorn, R. (1988) J. Bacteriol. 167, 4406–4410). The four genes are probably transcribed as a single operon, but are expressed at a lower level than the nifHDK operon, and only after a developmentally induced DNA rearrangement occurs that excises a 55-kilobase pair element from within the fdxN gene (Golden, J. W., Mulligan, M. E., and Haselkorn, R. (1987) Nature 327, 526–529; Golden, J. W., Carrasco, C. D., Mulligan, M. E., Schneider, G. J., and Haselkorn, R. (1988) J. Bacteriol. 170, 5034–5041). The promoter for the nifB operon was located by primer extension. Comparison of the nifB 5′-flanking sequence with the nifH 5′-flanking sequence did not reveal any consensus base pairs that would define a nif promoter for Anabaena. The operon contains two instances of 7-base pair directly repeated sequences: seven copies of the repeated sequence are found between the nifB and fdxN genes and six copies are found between the nifS and nifU genes. The function of these repeats is unknown.
Ion formation by electron impact

Dissociative attachment and polar dissociation cross sections were measured for the following molecules: HC1, NO, N2O, C6H6, SiH4, Si2H6, and LiH. Direct ionization and dissociative ionization cross sections were determined for the following molecules: H2, D2, N2, O2, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, H2O, Co, CO2, CH4, SiH4, Sih4, Si2H6, N2*, and NH3. An experimental apparatus for a pulsed extraction technique was fabricated and successfully tested.
Risk tells us who, but not what or how" empirical assessment of the complexity of criminogenic needs to inform correctional programming

Research Summary The current study used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify profiles of criminogenic needs in a sample of 17,252 community-supervised individuals from one state's probation system. The purpose of this research was to illustrate the complexity of offender need profiles to inform the development and implementation of correctional interventions. The LCA analyses revealed four classes of dynamic needs. Conditional item probabilities were examined to label the four classes based on their likelihood of presenting with static risk, criminogenic needs, and destabilizing factors (i.e., factors that indirectly relate to recidivism). The four classes were characterized by the following: a low probability of both risks and destabilizers (LN-LD), a moderate probability of risk and criminogenic needs with a high probability of multiple destabilizers (MN-HD), a high probability of risk and needs with moderate probabilities of destabilizers (HN-MD), and a high probability of static and criminogenic needs and destabilizers (HN-HD). Finally, the relationship between latent class membership and three separate recidivism outcomes was assessed. Consistent with study hypotheses, individuals in latent classes characterized by a greater probability of criminogenic needs and lifestyle destabilizers were more likely to experience subsequent criminal justice involvement, regardless of risk level. Policy Implications Simplifying the complexity of offender risk and need profiles through empirical classification has direct implications for policy and practice. First, it clarifies whether dynamic needs and/or risk should drive decision making. Second, the integration of dynamic risk factors into the case management process can inform strategies to mitigate static risk and inform the development of new and improved interventions. The current study findings provide insight into the clustering of dynamic risk factors within individuals. This classification structure has the potential to increase the precision of case management decisions by identifying targets for programming that are likely to co-occur for many offenders. Specifically, programs can be developed to tailor components to specific static risk and need profiles. Language: en
Network access in a diversified internet

There is a growing interest in virtualized network infrastructures as a means to enable experimental evaluation of new network architectures on a realistic scale. The National Science Foundation's GENI initiative seeks to develop a national experimental facility that would include virtualized network platforms that can support many concurrent experimental networks, with the goal of reducing barriers to new network architectures. This paper focuses on how to extend the concept of virtualized networking through LAN-based access networks to the end systems. We demonstrate that our approach can improve performance by an order of magnitude over other approaches and can enable virtual networks that provide end-to-end quality of service.
Corporate Criminal Liability & the Alien Tort Statute: Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum

Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co., (2d. Cir.) overruled numerous 2d circuit decisions and contradicts sister federal appellate courts in other circuits, finding that corporate liability in international law is not a sufficiently specific norm to support a finding of liability under the Alien Tort Statute. That decision is clearly erroneous. Kiobel violates the general principle of legality, immunizing corporate conduct from liability even in cases where States would be liable for violating jus cogens norms and thus also violates the principle of sovereign equality of States due to principles of comity and res judicata. Kiobel also is an abnegation by the U.S. of U.S. obligations under international law. While no state is obliged to remedy jus cogens violations, each state is obliged to respect them. Because Kiobel reflects a deep and significant split at the circuit courts, because it concerns U.S. international legal obligations, because the stakes, in human and financial terms are high, because it was so obviously wrongly decided, the split that Kiobel represents will surely eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court. This article explains precisely why the court's decision in Kiobel misapprehends the structure and sources of international law and consequently reaches the wrong result for the wrong reasons. The U.S. Supreme Court will likely conclude that the ATS governs jus cogens claims against natural and artificial persons without a showing of state action, but requires state action or complicity with state action otherwise.
Vibrational spectroscopy and normal-mode analysis of Fe(II) octaethylporphyrin.

The normal-mode spectrum for the four-coordinated heme compound Fe(II) octaethylporphyrin, Fe(OEP), has been determined by refining force constants to the experimental Fe vibrational density of states measured with nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS). Convergence of the calculated spectrum to the data was achieved by first imposing D4 symmetry on the model structure as well as the force constants, progressively including different internal coordinates of motion, then allowing the true Ci (or S2) point group symmetry of the Ci1 Fe(OEP) crystal structure. The NRVS-refined normal modes are in good agreement with Raman and IR spectra at high frequencies. Prior density functional theory predictions for a model porphyrin are similar to the core modes computed with the best-fit force field, but significant differences between D4 and Ci modes underline the sensitivity of porphyrin Fe normal modes to structural details. Some differences between the Ci best fit and the NRVS data can be attributed to i...
Coarse particle speciation at selected locations in the rural continental United States

Abstract A few short-term special studies at National Parks have shown that coarse mass (CM) (2.5– 10 μ m ) may not be just crustal minerals but may consist of a substantial amount ( ≈ 40 –50%) of carbonaceous material and inorganic salts such as calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate. To more fully investigate the composition of coarse particles, a program of coarse particle sampling and speciation analysis at nine of the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) sites was initiated 19 March 2003 and operated through the year 2004. Only the data for 2004 are reported here. Sites were selected to be representative of the continental United States and were operated according to IMPROVE protocol analytical procedures. Crustal minerals (soil) are the single largest contributor to CM at all but one monitoring location. The average fractional contributions range from a high of 76% at Grand Canyon National Park to a low of 34% at Mount Rainier National Park. The second largest contributor to CM is organic mass, which on an average annual fractional basis is highest at Mount Rainier at 59%. At Great Smoky Mountains National Park, organic mass contributes 40% on average, while at four sites organic mass concentrations contribute between 20% and 30% of the CM. Nitrates are on average the third largest contributor to CM concentrations. The highest fractional contributions of nitrates to CM are at Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge, Great Smoky Mountains, and San Gorgonio wilderness area at 10–12%. Sulfates contribute less than about 5% at all sites.
The lift force on a small sphere in the presence of a wall

Abstract The flow of a viscous fluid around a sphere is analysed using a perturbation scheme for a small-sphere Reynolds number when the sphere is sufficiently “;near” a solid wall that the correction due to the wall of the velocity in the inertial region is not negligible. The expansion is used to calculate the transverse force on a small sphere moving in a shearing flow near a wall. The calculation of the force reduced to solving an ordinary differential equation in the transverse direction for the Fourier transform in the other spatial directions of the transverse velocity. The resulting wall-induced lift force is smaller than the force in the same unbounded shear flow, and cannot change the direction of the lift force.
Between and Within Couple-Level Factors Associated with Gay Male Couples’ Investment in a Sexual Agreement

Sexual agreements are common among gay male couples, and between one-third and two-thirds of gay men acquire HIV while in a same-sex relationship. Studies have assessed whether agreements could be used for HIV prevention yet additional research is needed. By using dyadic data collected from 361 U.S. gay male couples, the present cross-sectional study sought to assess whether certain between and within couple-level relationship characteristics predict a partner's value in, commitment to, and satisfaction with an agreement. On average, couples with higher levels of constructive communication and relationship satisfaction and commitment were associated with partners who had higher levels of investment in the agreement. Within the couple, differences in commitment and investment of the relationship were also found to be negatively associated with partners' investment toward an agreement. Implications are discussed for how sexual agreements may be used to develop new HIV prevention efforts for gay male couples.
Tension level during preconditioning influences hamstring tendon graft properties.

Background: Hamstring tendon grafts used for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction are preconditioned to reduce the influence of viscoelasticity on the stiffness and tension.Hypothesis: Increasing the tension applied during preconditioning will decrease the loss of tension and stiffness due to viscoelasticity.Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.Methods: Six quadruple-strand hamstring tendon grafts were tested twice in vitro with 2 tension levels applied during preconditioning. The grafts were preconditioned at 80 N or 160 N, followed by 15 minutes of relaxation, and subsequently loaded to 80 N to represent application of initial tension. After 5 minutes of relaxation, the tension was recorded and the stiffness was measured over 0.06 mm of displacement. The tension and stiffness measurements were repeated 3 hours later. The data were compared between the 2 preconditioning levels with a 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance.Results: Graft tension and stiffness were significantly larger (P <...
Binary modifiers for the determination of zinc in pure copper and nickel-based alloy by longitudinal Zeeman electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract The determination of zinc in pure copper and nickel-based alloy was successfully accomplished with a longitudinal Zeeman-effect correction and end-capped transversely heated graphite atomizer. Since aqua regia (an acid mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid, 1:3, v/v) was used as the dissolving reagent, volatile ZnCl 2 was formed. Consequently, less Zn was found in the sample. EDTA could improve the atomic absorption profiles. Binary modifiers, EDTA + Pd(NO 3 ) 2 and EDTA + Mg(NO 3 ) 2 , were effective for eliminating the chloride interference and the spectral interference from Cu I 213.853 nm. The experimental results obtained with and without the modifiers were compared. Increase of 200 °C in the pyrolysis temperature resulted from the addition of binary modifiers for both pure copper and nickel-based alloys. For pure copper, the atomization temperature increased from 1400 to 1600 °C whereas the atomization temperature increased from 1100 to 1600 °C for nickel-based alloys. The analytical performance of the proposed method was evaluated. Zinc contents in the pure copper and nickel-based alloy standards determined with both binary modifiers agreed closely with the certified values. The recovery ranged from 93 ± 2 to 104 ± 6% at 95% confidence level. The detection limits obtained by the binary modifiers of EDTA + Pd(NO 3 ) 2 and EDTA + Mg(NO 3 ) 2 were 0.77 and 0.31 pg, respectively.
Acute and chronic regulation of Na+/K+-atpase transport activity in the RN22 Schwann cell line in response to stimulation of cyclic amp production

Na + /K + -ATPase-dependent Rb + uptake of RN22 Schwann cells was stimulated by cholera toxin (0.25 μg/ml), forskolin (2 mM), or 8-bromo cAMP(1 mM). At 2 h Rb + uptake was increased by 162 ± 6% (cholera toxin), 151 ± 14% (forskolin), and 207 ± 15% (8-bromo cAMP). Cholera toxin or 8-bromo cAMP treatment for 12-24 h resulted in a second peak of Na+/K+-ATPase-dependent Rb + transport activity of 186 ± 12 and 265 ± 9% of control, respectively. Cholera toxin also transiently stimulated the activity of the Na + , K + , 2Cl - -cotransporter with a peak at 2 h (179 ± 9%), returning to basal levels by 24 h. Inhibition of the Na + ,K + ,2Cl - -cotransporter by bumetanide (0.1 mM) or by reduction of the Na + gradient (10 mM veratridine treatment) prevented the early peak in ATPase activity but not the second peak. These results indicated that the early transient stimulation of Na + /K + ATPase activity by cholera toxin was due to an increase in cellular Na + , secondary to stimulation of Na + ,K + ,2Cl - -cotransport activity. Western blot analysis of cellular homogenates and purified membrane fractions showed that the second peak of Rb + uptake activity was a result of translocation of transport protein from an intracellular microsomal pool to the plasma membrane. Rb + uptake by dominant negative protein kinase A mutants of the RN22 cell was not stimulated by cholera toxin treatment (acute or chronic) confirming the cAMP/protein kinase A dependency of both acute and long-term regulation of transport activity. In the absence of a change in Michaelis constants or of an increase in total transport protein of cellular homogenates, neither a change in enzyme kinetics nor an increase in de novo synthesis of transport protein could account for the increase in transport activity.
An improved narrow-band noise source.

Abstract Through the use of recently available, low cost circuitry, a simplified method of generating variable band-width narrow-band noise is described. In addition to providing independent adjustment of bandwidth and center frequency, extremely sharp filtering characteristics can be achieved. The technique involves the use of an analog multiplier to avoid the generation of spurious signals in producing the desired suppressed carrier noise signals.
Nonnegativity restricted least squares combinations

Abstract In combining reasonably efficient forecasts of a time series, nonnegative weights are intuitively meaningful and their constrained least squares estimators are known to have desirable theoretical properties. It is analytically shown that whether such inequality (or equality) constraints will result in gains in efficiency depends on the number of observations in the fit sample and the mean level of the fit set. Next, the performances of the combination forecasts of a macroeconomic time series obtained using Nonnegativity Restricted Least Squares (NRLS) and other combination methods are exhaustively compared. It is shown that NRLS combination models are more efficient, more robust, and less sensitive to sample size than Ordinary Least Squares, Equality Restricted Least Squares, minimum-variance, and outperformance models. They are more efficient than historical weighting and equal weighting methods only for large samples. Two heuristic NRLS algorithms are shown to yield equally accurate and robust combined forecasts.
Estimating Survival of Atlantic Salmon during the Intragravel Period

Abstract Survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar between fertilization and emergence was monitored in Northern Stream, Washington County, Maine. Green eggs were buried in modified Whitlock–Vibert egg boxes and survival was estimated on five occasions–four before emergence and one at emergence. Survival was 74% through hatching, but decreased rapidly after hatching to only 2% at emergence.
Preparation of azoDNA and its use in affinity chromatography.

Abstract A limited coupling reaction between 4-diazobenzoic acid ([ 14 C]carboxyl) and sheared single-stranded DNA was employed to prepare a ligand capable of bonding covalently with aminopentane Sepharose C1-4B. The ligand AzoDNA demonstrated small changes in ultraviolet absorbance spectra yet, unlike the parent DNA, had a distinct fluorescence emission peak at 400 nm when excited at 292 nm in neutral or alkaline solutions. On hydroxyapatite thermal chromatography the AzoDNA eluted as single-stranded DNA, while following catalytic reduction, the associated fluorescence and [ 14 C]azobenzoate radioactivity were removed in large part from the derivatized DNA. In the coupling reaction, prior derivatization of the ligand DNA was required for covalent bonding to aminopentane Sepharose C1-4B and, at optimal polydeoxynucleotide concentrations, about 75 μg was bound/ml of packed gel. DNA:DNA hybridization reactions were accomplished using AzoDNA aminopentane Sepharose C1-4B gels with 50% of the hybridized polynucleotide strands being eluted at temperatures approximating the T m values measured optically. The use of the AzoDNA gel was extended to the hybridization of adenovirus 2 and vaccinia complementary RNA. The viral complementary RNAs were specifically bound to matrices containing the homologous AzoDNA and eluted under conditions consistent with destabilization of RNA:DNA hybrids. These applications indicate the potential utility of AzoDNA-extensor arm affinity chromatography for the isolation of specific viral RNA molecules.
Oncolytic Viruses Derived from the γ34.5-Deleted Herpes Simplex Virus Recombinant R3616 Encode a Truncated UL3 Protein

Replication-competent herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) mutants are used in clinical trials in the experimental treatment of cancer. Mutants G207, HSV1716, NV1020, and Oncovex GM-CSF share in common a defect in one or both copies of the gene encoding the neurovirulence factor, ICP34.5, and are thus neuroattenuated. These viruses are acknowledged to differ from one another (a) in the specific types of mutations intentionally introduced during their derivation and (b) in the inherent genetic differences retained from the different parent strains used in their construction. Unintended mutations are expected to emerge at some low frequency during the selection for and passage of mutant viruses. Here we demonstrate that during the construction of the oncolytic virus R3616, a nonsense mutation arose in an untargeted region of the HSV-1 genome that resulted in a substantial truncation of the viral protein known as UL3. This report is the first published documentation that oncolytic herpesviruses developed and used in clinical trials contain adventitious mutations. The implications of these findings for the characterization and development of vectors proposed for use in clinical trials are discussed.
Family Resemblances: Studies in the Internal Structure of Categories

Abstract Six experiments explored the hypothesis that the members of categories which are considered most prototypical are those with most attributes in common with other members of the category and least attributes in common with other categories. In probabilistic terms, the hypothesis is that prototypicality is a function of the total cue validity of the attributes of items. In Experiments 1 and 3, subjects listed attributes for members of semantic categories which had been previously rated for degree of prototypicality. High positive correlations were obtained between those ratings and the extent of distribution of an item's attributes among the other items of the category. In Experiments 2 and 4, subjects listed superordinates of category members and listed attributes of members of contrasting categories. Negative correlations were obtained between prototypicality and superordinates other than the category in question and between prototypicality and an item's possession of attributes possessed by members of contrasting categories. Experiments 5 and 6 used artificial categories and showed that family resemblance within categories and lack of overlap of elements with contrasting categories were correlated with ease of learning, reaction time in identifying an item after learning, and rating of prototypicality of an item. It is argued that family resemblance offers an alternative to criterial features in defining categories.
The law of illumination before Bouguer (1729): Statement, restatements and demonstration

Summary Contrary to what has been asserted or implied by Mach and more recent writers, the law of illumination and the study of photometry were not ignored in the years between Kepler's first enunciation of the former in 1609 and Bouguer's Essai on the latter in 1729. The law of illumination was in fact denied in 1613 by Aguilonius. It was probably rediscovered independently and certainly reformulated in more modern terms by Mersenne and Castelli in 1634, and by Boulliau in 1638. It was again formulated and this time demonstrated empirically by Montanari no later than 1676, and possibly as early as 1634 by Castelli. Although neither the law nor photometry were major concerns before Bouguer, they were not completely neglected either.
Characterization of the ovarian and reproductive abnormalities in prepubertal and adult estrogen non-responsive estrogen receptor α knock-in (ENERKI) mice

Estrogen non-responsive estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) knock-in (ENERKI) mice have a mutation (glycine 525 to leucine, G525L) in the ligand-binding domain of ERalpha. The mutant ERalpha protein has a significantly lower affinity and response to endogenous estrogens, while not altering growth factor activated ligand-independent pathways. ENERKI females demonstrated signs of early follicle development as determined by a significant increase in antral follicle formation by 20 days of age. Adult ENERKI females were infertile, had hemorrhagic ovarian follicular cysts, and failed to develop corpora lutea in response to a superovulation regimen. These results illustrate the importance of ERalpha ligand-induced signaling for ovarian development and for estrogen feedback on the hypothalamus and pituitary. Although ERalpha ligand-induced signaling by endogenous estrogens is lost in ENERKI females, the ERalpha selective agonist propyl pyrazole triol (PPT), a synthetic nonsteroidal compound, is still able to activate G525L ERalphain vivo to increase uterine weight. To test whether PPT could restore ligand-dependent receptor activation, ENERKI females were treated with PPT and evaluated for spontaneous ovulation, ovarian hemorrhagic cysts, and LH serum levels. Daily PPT treatments beginning on day 4 of life prevented formation of ovarian hemorrhagic cysts in adult ENERKI animals. In accordance with this result, preputial gland weight and LH levels were also lowered in these animals, indicating PPT treatments most likely led to restoration of ERalpha negative feedback of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
Ion Bernstein instability in the terrestrial magnetosphere: Linear dispersion theory

[1] Linear kinetic dispersion theory for electromagnetic fluctuations in a homogeneous, magnetized, collisionless plasma is used to study the properties of an ion Bernstein mode instability driven by a proton velocity distribution fp(v) such that ∂fp(ν⊥)/∂ν⊥ > 0, where ⊥ denotes directions perpendicular to the background magnetic field Bo. Here fp(v) = f1(ν) − f2(ν), where f1 and f2 are Maxwellian velocity distributions with slightly different densities and temperatures; plasma parameters are taken from magnetospheric observations. Then the growth rate of this instability has relative maxima at ωr ≃ nΩp, where n = 1, 2, 3, … and Ωp is the proton cyclotron frequency; wave vector k at 0 < k∥ ≪ k⊥, where ∥ and ⊥ denote the directions parallel and perpendicular to Bo; and wavelengths of the order of or smaller than the proton gyroradius. The maximum instability growth rate is a monotonically decreasing function of the electron-to-proton temperature ratio but has its largest value at an intermediate value of the proton β (∼0.5 for the parameters considered here).
Alloantigen presentation to naive CD8+ T cells by mouse microglia: Evidence for a distinct phenotype based on expression of surface-associated and soluble costimulatory molecules

We previously showed that approximately one-third of mouse primary microglial clones derived from individual precursor cells residing in normal brain constitutively present alloantigens (alloAgs) to naive CD8+ T cells (Moore et al.: J Neuroimmunol 41:203, 1992). To understand the basis for this alloAg presenting (alloAgP) activity, we developed a panel of microglial cell lines that were characterized by patterns of alloAgP activity similar to that of the primary clones. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that microglia with and without alloAgP activity expressed similar levels of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules; however, CD80 (B7-1) and CD86 (B7-2) expression was primarily restricted to the alloAgP- cell lines. Monoclonal antibody (Mab) to CD80 only partially blocked the proliferative response of allogeneic CD8+ T cells cocultured with the presenting cell lines, whereas Mab to CD86 completely inhibited the response, indicating a significant role for this molecule in T-cell activation. Using an immunoassay, recombinant mouse cytokines, cytokine-specific Mabs, and the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to detect specific cytokine mRNAs, we found the synthesis of interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-6, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) to be restricted to the alloAgP- cell lines. Costimulatory roles were then identified for these molecules. We conclude that the ability to present alloAg is a property of a subset of microglia that constitutively express CD86 and secrete costimulatory cytokines that promote the expansion of the alloAg-stimulated CD8+ T cells.
Surface And Near-Surface Defects In Glass-To-Glass Bonds

Mechanical defects in glass-to--lass bonds have been characterized by optically measuring ultrasonic waves that travel along the interface. Such waves are ideal for the evaluation of interference-fit and adhesive bondline properties because significant interactions occur as the propagating waves sample bondline surface structure and because the effects of these interactions can be observed. Ultrasonic wave interactions with different types of defects at or near the boundary may be theoretically analyzed by considering a generalized model of the interface. In this paper, such theoretical predictions are compared with recent acoustooptical measurements of surface and near-surface defects. Specifically, the model developed by Murty and others consisting of two elastic solids separated by a Newtonian viscous liquid layer of thickness H 0 and viscosity coefficient n suggests several types of behavior if defects are present. First, surface defects cause interface wave scattering and attenuation. This attenuation has been interferometrically measured as a function of void diameter on several glass-to-glass boundariesA‚Â° Second, sensitivity to near-surface defects has been observed by optically interacting with the internal interface wave fields on either side of such boundaries. Decreased sensitivity to buried defects has been noted as the ratio of substrate densities decreases. Optical measurements and analytical interface wave behavior are compared for both of these cases.
Infrared transmission efficiency of refractive and reflective nonimaging devices for a full-spectrum solar energy system

A solar collector/receiver for a full-spectrum solar energy system is being designed by a research team lead by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Nevada, Reno. This solar energy system is unique in that it utilizes the majority of the solar spectrum. The collector/receiver is a modified Cassegrain system that uses a large parabolic mirror and a secondary mirror comprised of multiple planar segments. The secondary mirror segments are coated with a spectrally selective cold mirror coating that lets the infrared (IR) energy pass through while reflecting the visible light. The focus of this paper is on determining whether a refractive or a reflective non-imaging (NI) tube will produce the most uniform irradiance of the IR energy on the thermophotovoltaic (TPV) array. It has been shown that a rectangular NI tube will work well for the prototype system3. The results herein show that a reflective NI tube will perform best for this system, with a short length, minimum/maximum flux ratio of 0.94 and power output of 37W. It is also shown that a square shaped TPV array can increase the optical efficiency by 9% and the overall system efficiency by 2%.
A list-oriented extension of the lambda-calculus satisfying the Church-Rosser theorem

Abstract A list-oriented extension of the type-free lambda-calculus is considered where lists have a unique applicative property. This property is related to the combining form of construction in Backus's functional programming system called FP. We express this property in our system by two extra reduction rules, which we call γ-rules. Our extension helps reducing the gap between type-free lambda-calculus and high-level functional languages. The main purpose of this paper is to prove the consistency of this extended lambda-calculus by showing that it satisfies the Church—Rosser theorem.
Characterization of Roseofilum reptotaenium (Oscillatoriales, Cyanobacteria) gen. et sp. nov. isolated from Caribbean black band disease

Casamatta D., Stanic D., Gantar M. and Richardson L.L. 2012. Characterization of Roseofilum reptotaenium (Oscillatoriales, Cyanobacteria) gen. et sp. nov. isolated from Caribbean black band disease. Phycologia 51: 489–499. DOI: 10.2216/11-10.1 Black band disease (BBD) is a pathogenic microbial consortium dominated in terms of biomass by phycoerythrin-rich, gliding, filamentous cyanobacteria. Studies of BBD using molecular methods have shown that the 16S rRNA gene sequence of ‘Oscillatoria’ sp. is consistently found in BBD samples worldwide. The purpose of this study is to erect a new genus, Roseofilum gen. et sp. nov., encompassing these and other previously reported strains. Using a polyphasic approach we characterized two strains of BBD Oscillatoria isolated from BBD infected corals in the Caribbean. These strains have the ability to tolerate sulphide, anoxia, and pH values in the range from 4.5 to 10, with optimal growth at pH 6 to 8. Growth occurs by photoautotrophy, including sulphide-insensitive oxy...
Medication Therapy Management Services Provided by Student Pharmacists

Objectives. To evaluate the impact of student pharmacists delivering medication therapy management (MTM) services during an elective advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE).Methods. Student ph...
Using FPGAs for data and reorganization engines: preliminary results for spatial pointer-based data structures

FPGAs have appealing features such as customizable internal and external bandwidth and the ability to exploit vast amounts of fine-grain instruction-level parallelism. In this paper we explore the applicability of these features in using FPGAs as data search and reorganization engines for performing search and reorganization computations over spatial pointer-based data structures for which traditional computing platforms perform poorly. The preliminary experiments, for a set of simple spatial queries over spatial sparse-mesh and quad-tree data structures, reveal that 3 year-old FPGA devices can deliver performance that is on par and in some instances even superior to that of today's workstations. This experience suggests that the integration in memory of FPGA-like fabrics for implementing smart memory engines should be performance-wise very advantageous.