cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research Immersion at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine — An Integrated Curriculum Producing Scientist Physicians for the Future of Healthcare

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) is a four-year allopathic medical school in Roanoke, Virginia, that matriculated its first class of 42 students in August, 2010. The creation of a new medical school through the partnership of an established public research intensive university, Virginia Tech, and an established private health system, Carilion Clinic provided a rare opportunity to craft a high-impact research curriculum, unique in both design and delivery. As part of the new curriculum, the faculty created a comprehensive four-year, longitudinal, research program that integrates the principles and practice of active participatory research into both basic and clinical science education and ultimately into the lifelong application of evidence-based medicine to patient care.
Fluorescent sensors for the enantioselective recognition of mandelic acid: signal amplification by dendritic branching.

Novel chiral bisbinaphthyl compounds have been synthesized for the enantioselective fluorescent recognition of mandelic acid. By introducing dendritic branches to the chiral receptor unit, the fluorescence signals of the receptors are significantly amplified because of the light-harvesting effect of the dendritic structure. This has greatly increased the sensitivity of the sensors in the fluorescent recognition. Study of the three generation sensors demonstrates that the generation zero sensor is the best choice for the recognition of mandelic acid because of its greatly increased fluorescence signal over the core and its high enantioselectivity. This sensor is potentially useful for the high throughput screening of chiral catalysts for the asymmetric synthesis of α-hydroxycarboxylic acids.
Breeding season of Octopus vulgaris

Female Octopus vulgaris Cuvier mated in the laboratory in every month tested. Females maintained in isolation after capture and not mated in the laboratory laid eggs, fertile and infertile, each month of the year. The longest period of sperm viability was 104 days. Young specimens weighing between 4.0 and 66.0 g were found regularly. It is concluded that O. vulgaris breeds throughout the year, at least in Bahamian waters.
Unimolecular Reactions of CH2BrCH2Br, CH2BrCH2Cl, and CH2BrCD2Cl: Identification of the Cl−Br Interchange Reaction

The recombination reactions of CH2Br and CH2Cl radicals have been used to generate vibrationally excited CH2BrCH2Br and CH2BrCH2Cl molecules with 91 kcal mol−1 of energy in a room-temperature bath ...
High power cryogenic targets

The development of high power cryogenic targets for use in parity violating electron scattering has been a crucial ingredient in the success of those experiments. As we chase the precision frontier, the demands and requirements for these targets have grown accordingly. We discuss the state of the art, and describe recent developments and strategies in the design of the next generation of these targets.
A novel cone beam breast CT scanner : Preliminary system evaluation

The clinical goal of breast imaging is to detect tumor masses when they are as small as possible, preferably less than 10 mm in diameter. Conventional screen-film mammography is the most effective tool for the early detection of breast cancer currently available. However, conventional mammography has relatively low sensitivity for the detection of small breast cancers (under several millimeters). Specificity and the positive predictive value of mammography remain limited owing to an overlap in the appearance of benign and malignant lesions, and surrounding structure. We propose to address the limitations accompanying conventional mammography by incorporating a cone beam CT reconstruction technique with a recently developed flat panel detector (FPD). We have performed a computer simulation study and preliminary phantom studies to prove the feasibility of developing an FPD-based cone beam CT breast imaging technique for a small size normal breast phantom. In this study, we report the design and construction of a novel FPD-based cone beam breast CT scanner prototype. In addition, we present the results of phantom studies performed on our current FPD-based cone beam CT scanner prototype, which uses the same flat panel detector proposed for the cone beam breast CT scanner prototype, to predict the image performance of the novel cone beam breast CT scanner, while we are completing the construction of the system.
Compatibility study of solid ceramic breeder materials

Abstract A high temperature (873 K) test of the compatibility of ceramic solid breeders (Li 2 O, γ-LiA10 2 and Li 2 SiO 3 ) with candidate structural materials (Type 316 stainless steel, HT-9, Inconel-625, and Ti-6242) was done for 1900 h. Scale formation was greatest for the Li 2 O/alloy couples; Li 5 FeO 4 was observed in the Li 2 O/HT-9 and Li 2 O/316 SS scales; and LiCrO 2 was observed in most scales.
LOCAL LAND POLICY OVERRIDES: WHEN ARE THEY APPROPRIATE?

The state has the power both to enable local communities to regulate land usage, as well as to override local jurisdictions' zoning policies. In Massachusetts, two pieces of legislation have empowered the state to override local land use control for the purpose of constructing two types of facilities: low and moderte income housing and hazardous waste treatment facilities. Both initiatives have stimulated considerable debate and controversy. This paper provides a framework or “test” for understanding the relative appropriateness of state overrides in general. In addition, the two Massachusetts case are discussed and analyzed according to these criteria.
ALn1±xBi4±xS8(A=K,Rb;Ln=La,Ce,Pr,Nd): New Semiconducting Quaternary Bismuth Sulfides

Abstract The isostructural compounds KLa 1.28 Bi 3.72 S 8 (I), RbLa 1± x Bi 4± x S 8 (II), RbCe 0.84 Bi 4.16 S 8 (III), KCe 1± x Bi 4± x S 8 (IV), KPr 1± x B 4± x S 8 (V) and KNd 1± x Bi 4± x S 8 (VI) were synthesized. The structures of compounds (I) and (III) were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. They crystallize in the orthorhombic Pnma space group (#62), a =16.6524(9) A , b =4.0712(2) A, c =21.589(1) A, R 1=0.0397, w R 2=0.0743 (all data) for (I) and a =16.7469(2) A , b =4.0528(1) A, c =21.753(1) A, R 1=0.0345, w R 2=0.0613 (all data) for (III). The structure type found in these compounds is made up of NaCl-type and Gd 2 S 3 -type fragments which connect to form tunnels filled with alkali metal ions. The structure has three types of metal positions, a six-coordinate type and two with higher coordination numbers, seven and eight. The NaCl-type fragment contains the six-coordinate positions which are exclusively occupied by Bi atoms, while the Gd 2 S 3 -type fragment contains the seven- and eight-coordinate positions which display mixed bismuth/lanthanide atom occupancy. The compounds are semiconductors with band gaps around 1.0 eV and they melt incongruently between 770 and 800°C. The electrical conductivities of the La analogs and magnetic properties of the Ce analogs are reported.
Vortex flow hypothesis for a yawed rotor blade in reverse flow

Rotating blades at high advance ratios can experience reverse flow on the retreating side of the rotor disc, where the freestream flow is directed from the sharp trailing edge of the blade to the blunt leading edge. Better understanding of this flow regime can help advance the design of high-speed rotorcraft. In this work, it is hypothesized that the sharp trailing edge of a reverse flow blade develops an attached vortex in a similar manner to a sharp-edged delta wing. Lift, drag, and pitching moment data for a static yawed blade in reverse flow are acquired using a load cell and the lift measurements are compared to predictions made with an adaptation of the Polhamus model. Surface tuft flow visualization confirms the presence of an attached spanwise vortex on the blade. Surface flow behavior is used to explain the behavior of observed aerodynamic loads, and correlations are made to previous results found in the literature. Vorticity transport analysis is used to justify the surface flow behavior variation with yaw angle and angle of attack.
Application of multivariate statistical procedures to identify transcription factors that correlate with MRP2, 3, and 4 mRNA in adult human livers

Multidrug resistance-associated proteins 2–4 (MRP2–4) are membrane efflux transporters critical for the hepatic clearance of pharmaceuticals and endogenous chemicals. Little is known about the constitutive regulation of MRP2–4 mRNA in normal human liver.The purpose of this study was to identify transcription factors whose expression significantly correlates with MRP2–4 mRNA in human liver specimens.Ninety adult human livers were profiled for mRNA expression of MRP2–4 as well as aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and gamma (γ), liver X receptor alpha (LXRα), farnesoid X receptor (FXR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα), hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha (HNF1α) and 4 alpha (4α), and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) transcription factors. Using linear regression and stepwise selection of partial R2-values, CAR, HNF1α, and PPARα mRNA exhibited the gre...
G66(P) Interesting cases of pyridoxine dependent epilepsy in late childhood

We report cases of two children with intractable epilepsy who responded to treatment with pyridoxine in late childhood. Case details Case 1: A 14 year old girl born following an uneventful pregnancy to non consanguinous parents. She has global developmental delay. She developed epilepsy at around 2 years of age. Her extensive investigations including an MRI of brain were normal. She had various types of seizures and these were refractory to antiepileptic medications. A trial of pyridoxine at around 13 years of age surprisingly had a very good effect on her seizure control. We are currently awaiting the result of urinary L-α-aminoadipic semialdehyde (AASA). Case 2: A 4 year old girl born following normal pregnancy developed infantile spasms at 4 months of age. She was treated with numerous courses of steroids with suboptimal response. Extended investigations including the MRI brain were normal. She eventually developed refractory epilepsy with cognitive decline. A trial of pyridoxine at 3 years of age achieved good control of epilepsy and improved her cognition as well. The urinary AASA was negative and the result of PNPO gene mutation is awaited. Discussion Pyridoxine dependent epilepsy is a syndrome that usually presents with neonatal intractable seizures. It may present later in infancy or early childhood. A variety of seizure types are reported, the most common being generalised tonic clonic seizures which progress to status epilepticus. Urinary AASA is usually elevated and the genetic testing is available for this condition now. Our cases responded to the empirical trial of Pyridoxine at a much later age. Conclusion We recommend testing for pyridoxine deficiency and therapeutic trial with pyridoxine in children with refractory epilepsy in all the age groups. Early detection and treatment of this condition not only achieves good seizure control but can possibly improve developmental outcome as well.
Understanding Treatment Effect Mechanisms of the CAMBRA Randomized Trial in Reducing Caries Increment

The Caries Management By Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) randomized controlled trial showed that an intervention featuring combined antibacterial and fluoride therapy significantly reduced bacterial load and suggested reduced caries increment in adults with 1 to 7 baseline cavitated teeth. While trial results speak to the overall effectiveness of an intervention, insight can be gained from understanding the mechanism by which an intervention acts on putative intermediate variables (mediators) to affect outcomes. This study conducted mediation analyses on 109 participants who completed the trial to understand whether the intervention reduced caries increment through its action on potential mediators (oral bacterial load, fluoride levels, and overall caries risk based on the composite of bacterial challenge and salivary fluoride) between the intervention and dental outcomes. The primary outcome was the increment from baseline in decayed, missing, and filled permanent surfaces (ΔDMFS) 24 mo after completing restorations for baseline cavitated lesions. Analyses adjusted for baseline overall risk, bacterial challenge, and fluoride values under a potential outcome framework using generalized linear models. Overall, the CAMBRA intervention was suggestive in reducing the 24-mo DMFS increment (reduction in ΔDMFS: -0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.01 to 0.08; P = 0.07); the intervention significantly reduced the 12-mo overall risk (reduction in overall risk: -19%; 95% CI, -7 to -41%;], P = 0.005). Individual mediators, salivary log10 mutans streptococci, log10 lactobacilli, and fluoride level, did not represent statistically significant pathways alone through which the intervention effect was transmitted. However, 36% of the intervention effect on 24-mo DMFS increment was through a mediation effect on 12-mo overall risk (P = 0.03). These findings suggest a greater intervention effect carried through the combined action on multiple aspects of the caries process rather than through any single factor. In addition, a substantial portion of the total effect of the CAMBRA intervention may have operated through unanticipated or unmeasured pathways not included among the potential mediators studied.
Attenuation of forgetting by pharmacological stimulation of aminergic neurotransmitter systems.

Abstract Mice were trained in one-way active avoidance to a criterion of 3 4 avoidances and tested under extinction conditions one week later when substantial forgetting had occurred. Thirty min prior to testing animals were injected with either saline or different doses of drugs which activate the noradrenergic (phenylephrine, salbutamol, clonidine) dopaminergic (L-dopa(Sinemet) transdihydrolisuride, apomorphine) and serotonergic (fluoxetine, 5-methoxy DMT) neurotransmitter systems. Results showed that all agents alleviated forgetting in a dose dependent fashion. Untrained mice treated with the most effective dose of representative drugs from each class did not exhibit avoidance behavior at testing indicating that the improved performance of trained animals was probably not the result of increased activity or other non-memorial effects of the drugs. It was concluded that pharmacological agents which stimulate monoamine systems may improve memory retrieval by activating a non-specific neural system which controls arousal, attention and motor readiness.
In Vitro and In Vivo Studies Identify Important Features of Dengue Virus pr-E Protein Interactions

Flaviviruses bud into the endoplasmic reticulum and are transported through the secretory pathway, where the mildly acidic environment triggers particle rearrangement and allows furin processing of the prM protein to pr and M. The peripheral pr peptide remains bound to virus at low pH and inhibits virus-membrane interaction. Upon exocytosis, the release of pr at neutral pH completes virus maturation to an infectious particle. Together this evidence suggests that pr may shield the flavivirus fusion protein E from the low pH environment of the exocytic pathway. Here we developed an in vitro system to reconstitute the interaction of dengue virus (DENV) pr with soluble truncated E proteins. At low pH recombinant pr bound to both monomeric and dimeric forms of E and blocked their membrane insertion. Exogenous pr interacted with mature infectious DENV and specifically inhibited virus fusion and infection. Alanine substitution of E H244, a highly conserved histidine residue in the pr-E interface, blocked pr-E interaction and reduced release of DENV virus-like particles. Folding, membrane insertion and trimerization of the H244A mutant E protein were preserved, and particle release could be partially rescued by neutralization of the low pH of the secretory pathway. Thus, pr acts to silence flavivirus fusion activity during virus secretion, and this function can be separated from the chaperone activity of prM. The sequence conservation of key residues involved in the flavivirus pr-E interaction suggests that this protein-protein interface may be a useful target for broad-spectrum inhibitors.
A Comparison of Single Book Renewals by Subject and Patron Status for Similar Rates of Renewal and Return.

This study compares the rates of single renewal and return from the home loan of English language books of The Ohio State University Libraries across subjects and patron status. The chi square test of equal proportionality is used to make comparisons between data sets. Findings show differences by subject and patron status for single renewal and return. When the renewals were compared to books that were checked out and then simply returned, the renewed books were kept longer. The slow return of renewals suggests that consideration be given to penalities for overdue renewals. Also, various strategies using publicity should be tested in order to find ways to increase the percentage of books returned by the due date. © 1986 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Productive Replication of Human Papillomavirus 31 Requires DNA Repair Factor Nbs1

Activation of the ATM (ataxia telangiectasia-mutated kinase)-dependent DNA damage response (DDR) is necessary for productive replication of human papillomavirus 31 (HPV31). We previously found that DNA repair and homologous recombination (HR) factors localize to sites of HPV replication, suggesting that ATM activity is required to recruit factors to viral genomes that can productively replicate viral DNA in a recombination-dependent manner. The Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 (MRN) complex is an essential component of the DDR that is necessary for ATM-mediated HR repair and localizes to HPV DNA foci. In this study, we demonstrate that the HPV E7 protein is sufficient to increase levels of the MRN complex and also interacts with MRN components. We have found that Nbs1 depletion blocks productive viral replication and results in decreased localization of Mre11, Rad50, and the principal HR factor Rad51 to HPV DNA foci upon differentiation. Nbs1 contributes to the DDR by acting as an upstream activator of ATM in response to double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) and as a downstream effector of ATM activity in the intra-S-phase checkpoint. We have found that phosphorylation of ATM and its downstream target Chk2, as well as SMC1 (structural maintenance of chromosome 1), is maintained upon Nbs1 knockdown in differentiating cells. Given that ATM and Chk2 are required for productive replication, our results suggest that Nbs1 contributes to viral replication outside its role as an ATM activator, potentially through ensuring localization of DNA repair factors to viral genomes that are necessary for efficient productive replication. IMPORTANCE The mechanisms that regulate human papillomavirus (HPV) replication during the viral life cycle are not well understood. Our finding that Nbs1 is necessary for productive replication even in the presence of ATM (ataxia telangiectasia-mutated kinase) and Chk2 phosphorylation offers evidence that Nbs1 contributes to viral replication downstream of facilitating ATM activation. Nbs1 is required for the recruitment of Mre11 and Rad50 to viral genomes, suggesting that the MRN complex plays a direct role in facilitating productive viral replication, potentially through the processing of substrates that are recognized by the key homologous recombination (HR) factor Rad51. The discovery that E7 increases levels of MRN components, and MRN complex formation, identifies a novel role for E7 in facilitating productive replication. Our study not only identifies DNA repair factors necessary for HPV replication but also provides a deeper understanding of how HPV utilizes the DNA damage response to regulate viral replication.
Finger-mounted silicon sensor for providing force feedback information

A silicon-based tactile sensor is fabricated and tested on human subjects. The sensor is packaged in a flexible polyimide-based skin which allows the sensor to be mounted on the finger. The sensor is fabricated using anisotropic and isotropic etching, silicon-to-silicon bonding, and other standard microfabrication technologies. The sensor was characterized on the bench. The sensor is capable of withstanding loads in excess of 100 N. Typical output sensitivity is 1.4 mV/V/N. In addition, a dynamic calibration and a tracking experiment were performed on human subjects. For the human subject experiments the sensor was mounted on the distal phalangeal pad of the thumb on the dominant hand. A dual beam strain gage dynamometer was used to measure the actual forces. The force range for the dynamic calibration was based on the maximum acceptable pinch force of the subjects. Sensor design and operation are described. Statistical analysis of the human subject experiment is presented and future work is discussed.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Coulomb drag by small momentum transfer between quantum wires.

We demonstrate that in a wide range of temperatures Coulomb drag between two weakly coupled quantum wires is dominated by processes with a small interwire momentum transfer. Such processes, not accounted for in the conventional Luttinger liquid theory, cause drag only because the electron dispersion relation is not linear. The corresponding contribution to the drag resistance scales with temperature as T 2 if the wires are identical, and as T 5 if the wires are different.
Dexamethasone transport and ocular delivery from poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) gels.

Abstract We explore ocular delivery of dexamethasone (DX) via poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) contact lenses, which are known to have a much higher bioavailability in comparison to eye drops. Three derivatives of dexamethasone (dexamethasone 21-disodium phosphate (DXP), dexamethasone, and dexamethasone 21-acetate (DXA)) are explored. These drugs are loaded in the gels by soaking in aqueous or ethanol solutions, and also by direct addition of the drug to the polymerizing mixture. Dynamic drug concentrations in the aqueous phase are monitored both in loading and release experiments. The data is utilized to determine the partition coefficients and the mean diffusivity, which includes contributions from both bulk and surface diffusion. Finally we utilize the transport model to predict the bioavailability of the three forms of dexamethasone for drug delivery via contact lenses. The transport of each of the drug is diffusion limited with diffusivities of 1.08 × 10−11 and 1.16 × 10−11 m2/s for DX and DXA, respectively. The diffusivities of DXP depend on concentration and on ionic strength, and are much smaller than those for DX and DXP. The bioavailability for delivery of these drugs via contact lenses is much higher than that for drops, and the bioavailability is the highest for DXA.
GIS AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING -- A CASE STUDY.

AAPPLICATION OF GIS AND NON-GIS METHODS TO IDENTICAL DATA FROM A SUBURB OF PORTLAND, MAINE.
VOLATILE FATTY ACID SENSITIVITY OF VEILLONELLA CF3 FROM A CONTINUOUS‐FLOW PROBIOTIC CULTURE

Veillonella CF3 which was isolated from chicken cecum as part of an anti- Salmonella competitive exclusion culture and produces significant amounts of propionic acid was used to examine growth and survival response to short-chain volatile fatty acids. Growth rate of Veillonella CF3 was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased by exposure to propionate and butyrate (20–150 mM), while increased by addition of acetate (20–60 mM) during cultivation in anaerobic Viande Levure broth at pH 7.0. As determined by percent survivors of Veillonella CF3 in the presence of acetate, propionate or butyrate at pH 5.0, butyrate was highest in bactericidal activity, while acetate was least. Survival patterns during incubation at pH 5.0 with propionate, which seems to exert major antibacterial activity in the cecum, showed that Veillonella CF3 could multiply and survive during prolonged incubation with propionate lower than 100 mM following an initial decrease in viable cells. However, no viable cells were recovered after six days at concentrations higher than 200 mM. The results indicate that this probiotic Veillonella CF3 strain may possess adaptive mechanisms for survival against high concentrations of propionate, which are initially bacteriostatic to the Veillonella strain.
Selective reduction of seminal ribonuclease by glutathione.

Abstract Incubation of seminal ribonuclease with glutathione leads to the formation of a monomeric species which exhibits twice the specific activity of the native dimer. The monomer was found to possess two mixed disulfides of glutathione at residues 31 and 32, the residues ordinarily involved in the intermolecular disulfide bonds linking the subunits of the native dimer. Formation of the monomer results in only minor changes in the far ultraviolet circular dichroism spectra. The rate of the glutathione-facilitated dissociation reaction is fairly slow, requiring 60 min for completion. Attempts to dimerize the monomer all failed, implying that the dissociation reaction is irreversible. The glutathione reduced monomer was compared with the monomer formed during the regeneration of reduced, denatured bovine seminal ribonuclease in the presence of glutathione. By all criteria examined, the two monomeric forms are identical. It is concluded that the mixed disulfide monomer is the favored form of the enzyme in the presence of glutathione.
Out-thinking about Not-words

Our key counseling words are ambiguous and misleading. There are a number of possible meanings that could be supplied for each. The words do not have identifiable agreed-upon relationships to significant events in real life. The result is miscommunication and misunderstanding. The negative effects on counseling research and training are discussed. The points are illustrated by reference to “counseling.” Words should clearly symbolize or describe identifiable events in real life. Writers should try to use words the reality of which can be verified. Readers need to stay reality-oriented instead of word-oriented, especially when the relationship between words and reality is unclear.
Psychological Testing and the Selection of Police Officers A National Survey

Through a national survey of municipal police departments, this study identifies current selection and psychological assessment practices for police officers. Of the 355 police agencies invited to participate in the survey, 155 returned completed questionnaires (43%). Analyses of the extent and nature of assessment procedures revealed that the majority of police departments perform a background investigation, medical exam, interview with applicant, drug test, physical fitness exam, and polygraph test. Furthermore, more than 90% of responding agencies require a psychological evaluation of applicants, which shows a significant increase from prior surveys. Results from this study shed light on the changes and trends that have occurred in police selection in the past decade. Overall, the majority of police departments that responded used extensive and sophisticated selection measures, especially those departments serving larger cities. However, many agencies are not following public policy guidelines and psyc...
Use of an ultrawideband synthetic aperture radar technique for buried mine detection

The recent interest in the potential of ultra-wideband (UWB) radar techniques has given rise to many fundamental questions on the relative merits of UWB versus more traditional radar designs. SRI has been actively engaged in the use of UWB radar for a variety of applications, including ground-penetrating synthetic aperture radar. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques are a convenient way of obtaining meaningful images from radar return signals, and the UWB/SAR combination may prove to be a powerful tool for imaging buried mines and mine fields. This paper discusses the results of a project to use a UWB/SAR to image buried mines. The UWB/SAR technique is explained briefly and experimental results are presented.
The Effect of Shrews on the Space Utilization of Voles

Tracking data from voles ( Microtus pennsylvanicus ) and from its occasional predator, the short-tailed shrew ( Blarina brevicauda ), confined together in an outdoor enclosure (20 by 40 meters), demonstrated that voles tend to avoid places frequented by shrews. Laboratory tests indicated that voles avoid shrews more than they avoid laboratory mice and that a vole's response to a shrew is similar to its response to shrew odor. One of the testing procedures generated U-shaped curves of exploratory behavior.
Geometric frustration and magnetization plateaus in quantum spin and Bose-Hubbard models on tubes

We study $\mathrm{XXZ}$ Heisenberg models on frustrated triangular lattices wrapped around a cylinder. In addition to having interesting magnetic phases, these models are equivalent to Bose-Hubbard models that describe the physical problem of adsorption of noble gases on the surface of carbon nanotubes. We find analytical results for the possible magnetization plateau values as a function of the wrapping vectors of the cylinder, which in general introduce extra geometric frustration besides the one due to the underlying triangular lattice. We show that for particular wrapping vectors $(N,0),$ which correspond to the zigzag nanotubes, there is a macroscopically degenerate ground state in the classical Ising limit. The Hilbert space for the degenerate states can be enumerated by a mapping first into a path in a square lattice wrapped around a cylinder (a Bratteli diagram), and then to free fermions interacting with a single ${\mathbf{Z}}_{N}$ degree of freedom. From this model we obtain the spectrum in the anisotropic Heisenberg limit, showing that it is gapless. The continuum limit is a $c=1$ conformal field theory with compactification radius $R=N$ set by the physical tube radius. This result cannot be checked against a Lieb-Schultz-Mattis argument, for the argument is inconclusive when applied to this problem. We show that the compactification radius quantization is exact in the projective ${J}_{\mathrm{xy}}{/J}_{z}\ensuremath{\ll}1$ limit, and that higher-order corrections reduce the value of R. The particular case of a $(N=2,0)$ tube, which corresponds to a two-leg ladder with cross links, is studied separately and shown to be gapped because the fermion-mapped problem contains superconducting pairing terms.
Laser mode locking with addition of nonlinear index

A nonlinear index medium introduced into a passively or actively mode-locked system can lead to shorter pulses. The bandwidth limitation by gain dispersion is partially overcome by spectral broadening via the nonlinear index medium. We have found that the pulse shortening in an actively mode-locked system is limited to roughly a factor of 2 by the onset of an instability which occurs when an excessive amount of nonlinear medium is added. The instability appears as an oscillation in the pulse shape and energy. The study suggests that active mode locking of Nd YAG lasers could be improved by such means. It is also likely that the colliding pulse mode-locked system is affected by nonlinear index processes. We have found a pulse shortening of roughly the same magnitude as in the actively mode-locked system, again limited by the onset of instability.
Fuzzy logic based smoothing control of wind/PV generation output fluctuations with battery energy storage system

The battery energy storage system (BESS) is the current typical means of smoothing intermittent wind or solar power generation. Such BESS hybrid power systems require a suitable control strategy that can effectively regulate power output levels and battery state of charge (SOC); otherwise, a problematically large energy storage capacity is necessary. This paper presents the results of a wind/PV/BESS hybrid power system simulation analysis undertaken to improve the smoothing performance of wind and PhotoVoltaic (PV) power generation and the effectiveness of battery SOC control. A fuzzy-logic-based power smoothing method is presented for reducing output power fluctuations of wind/PV hybrid power generation systems and regulating the battery SOC under the typical conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed method was verified using MATLAB/SIMULINK software.
Double-stranded ribonuclease activities from HeLa cell nuclei

Abstract Degradation of poly(I)·[ 3 H] poly(C) to acid-soluble products is observed with a nuclear lysate from HeLa cells. Most of the activity is lost after Sephadex G-100 chromatography, but can be regained by mixing two fractions, FI and FII, that elute separately. FII has been further purified by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and phosphocellulose, and is then totally dependent on FI for any activity with poly(I)·poly(C). However, FII retains some activity with poly(C); and in the presence of FI, it can be substituted by purified E. coli RNase II for the degradation of poly(I)·poly(C). Thus, at least two macromolecular components participate in the bulk degradation of poly(I) poly(C) in HeLa nuclear lysates, and one of them may be a single-stranded exonuclease.
Whole-genome sequencing of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Cubana strains isolated from agricultural sources

We report the draft genomes of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Cubana strain CVM42234, isolated from chick feed in 2012, and S. Cubana strain 76814, isolated from swine in 2004. The genome sizes are 4,975,046 and 4,936,251 bp, respectively.
L'école de la périphérie: Scolarité et ségrégation en banlieue

L'ecole de la peripherie: Scolarite et segregation en banlieue. Agnes van Zanten. Presses Universitaires de France, 2001. 424 pp.
Structure and Function Converge To Identify a Hydrogen Bond in a Group I Ribozyme Active Site

The determination of how enzymes achieve their catalytic power requires an understanding of how structural motifs are used to position functional groups of enzymes and substrates within active sites. The recent explosion of RNA crystal structures provides an extraordinary opportunity to delve deeply into the relationship between ribozyme structure and function. The Tetrahymena group I ribozyme provides an attractive system for such studies because of the wealth of structural information, with ten crystal structures of group I introns solved in the past five years,[1–5] and extensive functional information[6] that enables incisive analysis of the energetics of catalysis.
Aversive Learning Modulates Cortical Representations of Object Categories

Experimental studies of conditioned learning reveal activity changes in the amygdala and unimodal sensory cortex underlying fear acquisition to simple stimuli. However, real-world fears typically involve complex stimuli represented at the category level. A consequence of category-level representations of threat is that aversive experiences with particular category members may lead one to infer that related exemplars likewise pose a threat, despite variations in physical form. Here, we examined the effect of category-level representations of threat on human brain activation using 2 superordinate categories (animals and tools) as conditioned stimuli. Hemodynamic activity in the amygdala and category-selective cortex was modulated by the reinforcement contingency, leading to widespread fear of different exemplars from the reinforced category. Multivariate representational similarity analyses revealed that activity patterns in the amygdala and object-selective cortex were more similar among exemplars from the threat versus safe category. Learning to fear animate objects was additionally characterized by enhanced functional coupling between the amygdala and fusiform gyrus. Finally, hippocampal activity co-varied with object typicality and amygdala activation early during training. These findings provide novel evidence that aversive learning can modulate category-level representations of object concepts, thereby enabling individuals to express fear to a range of related stimuli.
IL-12 Enhances Antibody Responses to T-Independent Polysaccharide Vaccines in the Absence of T and NK Cells

Polysaccharide vaccines to encapsulated bacteria such as Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae are weakly immunogenic due to their T-independent (TI) nature. Even when converted to T-dependent forms through conjugation to foreign proteins, polysaccharides induce responses that are deficient in many respects, such as induction of murine IgG2a Ab, the isotype that mediates optimal complement fixation and opsonization. We now show that IL-12 treatment of mice induces significantly increased levels of IgG2a Ab to the model TI-2 Ag, DNP-Ficoll, and to vaccines composed of polysaccharides from pneumococci and meningococci. Use of immunodeficient mice lacking T cells and/or NK cells demonstrated that such cells were not responsible for the observed Ab enhancement. Furthermore, the use of IFN-γ knockout mice showed that stimulation of TI-2 Ab responses by IL-12 was only partially dependent on IFN-γ. The ability of IL-12 to dramatically enhance TI Ab responses suggests that IL-12 will be useful as a powerful vaccine adjuvant to induce protective immune responses against encapsulated pathogens.
Mitral valve prolapse prevalence and complications: an ongoing dialogue.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is generally understood to be the systolic displacement of an abnormally thickened, redundant mitral leaflet into the left atrium during systole.1 This valvular abnormality has been associated with mid-systolic clicks, late systolic murmurs, and serious complications such as bacterial endocarditis, severe mitral regurgitation, and sudden death.2 Unfortunately, our understanding of the prevalence, complication rate, and associations of mitral valve prolapse has been clouded by the use of varying techniques, changing diagnostic criteria, and conclusions drawn from highly selected referral populations. Despite this confusion, an understanding of the prevalence of mitral valve prolapse and the identification of subgroups most susceptible to complications remain important because MVP is the most common cause of valve repair/replacement for isolated mitral regurgitation in the United States, 3 and the thickened leaflets form a recognized substrate for bacterial endocarditis.4 See p 1355 Since the early 1970s, echocardiography has been suggested to be the ideal method for noninvasively recording the movement of the prolapsing mitral leaflets.1 Unfortunately, the continually changing echocardiographic methods and criteria for diagnosis for MVP over the last 30 years have often obscured rather than enhanced our understanding of the disorder.5 During the past decade, new echocardiographic criteria for MVP have been established on the basis of an understanding of the 3-dimensional structure of the mitral valve.6 Recent studies that used these criteria have shed new light on the prevalence and complications of MVP in the general population,7 although less is known about the natural history of MVP as diagnosed by these new criteria. The report in this issue of Circulation by Avierinos et al8 expands our understanding by describing the clinical outcomes in a group of 833 asymptomatic patients with echocardiographic MVP monitored for a mean of 5.4 years. The study …
Field evaluation of the versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system (VACES) particle concentrator coupled to the rapid single-particle mass spectrometer (RSMS-3)

A field evaluation of versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system (VACES) coupled to a rapid single- particle mass spectrometer (RSMS-3) was conducted as part of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Supersite program in Pittsburgh during March 2002. RSMS- 3 hit rate increases were measured, and possible particle composition changes introduced by the VACES were examined in the single- particle mass spectra. The hit rates increased by 5 - 20 times at particle sizes ranging from 40 to 640 nm. VACES only enhances the hit rate by about a factor of 2 for large particle sizes because the RSMS-3 flow rates for these particles did not match the optimum operating condition of VACES. During the 3 days of measurements most of the particles were a mixture of carbonaceous material and ammonium nitrate with a variation across the spectrum from particles that were mostly carbonaceous to particles that were mostly ammonium nitrate. Both ambient and concentrated carbonaceous and ammonium nitrate composition distributions were indistinguishable with RSMS-3, suggesting that VACES introduces an insignificant artifact for those particles.
Amyloid Nucleation: Evidence for Nucleating Cores within Unstructured Protein Aggregates

Despite significant progress investigating the self-assembly of amyloid-forming materials, our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms and structural pathways involved in this phenomenon remains limited. Detailed understanding of these assembly pathways is of significant importance for both development of amyloids as functional nanomaterials, as well the biological understanding of amyloidosis. Using fluctuation microscopy and imaging, we have previously demonstrated that the nucleation of Amyloid-s(16-22) peptide, the nucleating core of Amyloid-s, initiates within dense unstructured peptide aggregates, and elongation proceeds via monomer addition to the active ends of growing nanostructures (Liang et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 6306-6308). This previous work utilized a Rhodamine-labeled amyloid peptide (Rh1722), which co-assembles with Amyloid- s(16-22) without affecting the morphology of the nanostructures. In order to further investigate the mechanisms of assembly at a molecular level, we are using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) to probe the lifetime of Rh1722. Rh1722 is highly sensitive to the local environment, and thus its fluorescence lifetime serves as a sensitive indicator of local amyloid environment and inferred structure. Our initial studies have revealed distinct fluorescence lifetime values within amyloid aggregates compared to nanotubes, suggesting that this technique will allow us to follow details at the molecular level in the nucleation, growth, and maturation processes. We also have evidence for the existence of nucleating cores within the unstructured peptide aggregates. These observations and future studies will further inform our understanding of amyloid nucleation and growth.This work is supported by NSF grants MCB-0817966 and DMR-0907435.
High Gain ZnO Nanowire Phototransistor

We demonstrate the potential of nanowires as photo transistors with internal gain. Two- terminal single ZnO nanowire devices have been fabricated, which under UV illumination, show high photoconductive gain (approaching 1010) due to hole-trapping at surface states.
HDMX regulates p53 activity and confers chemoresistance to 3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the deadliest tumors afflicting humans, and the mechanisms of its onset and progression remain largely undefined. Our attempts to elucidate its molecular pathogenesis through DNA copy-number analysis by genome-wide digital karyotyping and single nucleotide polymorphism arrays identified a dramatic focal amplification on chromosome 1q32 in 4 of 57 GBM tumors. Quantitative real-time PCR measurements revealed that HDMX is the most commonly amplified and overexpressed gene in the 1q32 locus. Further genetic screening of 284 low- and high-grade gliomas revealed that HDMX amplifications occur solely in pediatric and adult GBMs and that they are mutually exclusive of TP53 mutations and MDM2 amplifications. Here, we demonstrate that HDMX regulates p53 to promote GBM growth and attenuates tumor response to chemotherapy. In GBM cells, HDMX overexpression inhibits p53-mediated transcriptional activation of p21, releases cells from G0 to G1 phase, and enhances cellular proliferation. HDMX overexpression does not affect the expression of PUMA and BAX proapoptotic genes. While in GBM cells treated with the chemotherapeutic agent 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), HDMX appears to stabilize p53 and promote phosphorylation of the DNA double-stranded break repair protein H2AX, up-regulate the DNA repair gene VPX, stimulate DNA repair, and confer resistance to BCNU. In summary, HDMX exhibits bona fide oncogenic properties and offers a promising molecular target for GBM therapeutic intervention.
Stress interaction between subduction earthquakes and forearc strike‐slip faults: Modeling and application to the northern Caribbean plate boundary

[1] Strike-slip faults in the forearc region of a subduction zone often present significant seismic hazard because of their proximity to population centers. We explore the interaction between thrust events on the subduction interface and strike-slip faults within the forearc region using three-dimensional models of static Coulomb stress change. Model results reveal that subduction earthquakes with slip vectors subparallel to the trench axis enhance the Coulomb stress on strike-slip faults adjacent to the trench but reduce the stress on faults farther back in the forearc region. In contrast, subduction events with slip vectors perpendicular to the trench axis enhance the Coulomb stress on strike-slip faults farther back in the forearc, while reducing the stress adjacent to the trench. A significant contribution to Coulomb stress increase on strike-slip faults in the back region of the forearc comes from “unclamping” of the fault, i.e., reduction in normal stress due to thrust motion on the subduction interface. We argue that although Coulomb stress changes from individual subduction earthquakes are ephemeral, their cumulative effects on the pattern of lithosphere deformation in the forearc region are significant. We use the Coulomb stress models to explain the contrasting deformation pattern between two adjacent segments of the Caribbean subduction zone. Subduction earthquakes with slip vectors nearly perpendicular to the Caribbean trench axis is dominant in the Hispaniola segment, where the strike-slip faults are more than 60 km inland from the trench. In contrast, subduction slip motion is nearly parallel to the Caribbean trench axis along the Puerto Rico segment, where the strike-slip fault is less than 15 km from the trench. This observed jump from a strike-slip fault close to the trench axis in the Puerto Rico segment to the inland faults in Hispaniola is explained by different distributions of Coulomb stress in the forearc region of the two segments, as a result of the change from the nearly trench parallel slip on the Puerto Rico subduction interface to the more perpendicular subduction slip beneath Hispaniola. The observations and modeling suggest that subduction-induced strike-slip seismic hazard to Puerto Rico may be smaller than previously assumed but the hazard to Hispaniola remains high.
Phytozome: a comparative platform for green plant genomics

The number of sequenced plant genomes and associated genomic resources is growing rapidly with the advent of both an increased focus on plant genomics from funding agencies, and the application of inexpensive next generation sequencing. To interact with this increasing body of data, we have developed Phytozome (http://www.phytozome.net), a comparative hub for plant genome and gene family data and analysis. Phytozome provides a view of the evolutionary history of every plant gene at the level of sequence, gene structure, gene family and genome organization, while at the same time providing access to the sequences and functional annotations of a growing number (currently 25) of complete plant genomes, including all the land plants and selected algae sequenced at the Joint Genome Institute, as well as selected species sequenced elsewhere. Through a comprehensive plant genome database and web portal, these data and analyses are available to the broader plant science research community, providing powerful comparative genomics tools that help to link model systems with other plants of economic and ecological importance.