cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Field Scale Study of the Effect of Pile Size, Turning Regime and Leaf to Grass Mix Ratio on the Composting of Yard Trimmings

Composting is fast becoming the primary disposal option for leaves and grass in the U.S. due to proposed bans on the land filling and incineration of these wastes. To date, few systematic field scale studies have been done to compare the effects of turning regime, pile size and feed stock mix ratios on the rate of compost production or the properties of finished compost. In this study, leaf, grass and brush mixtures of 4:1:1, 4:2:1, 4:3:1, as well as 4:2:1 and 4:3:1 with staged grass addition, were formed into windrows and piles and composted for 136 days. Using a windrow turner, one series of windrows (#1) was turned seven times every four weeks, while the second series of windrows (#2) was turned once every four weeks. The piles were turned using a front-end loader once every four weeks. Results showed that windrow temperatures rose to 55–62° C in 6 days and remained at this temperature through day 60 and then slowly declined to around 45° C by day 100. Pile temperatures rose to higher levels (68–74° C) and remained above 60° C for 100 days. Windrow oxygen concentrations ranged between 1 and 4% while the oxygen concentrations in the piles fluctuated greatly between 2 and 18%. Organic matter loss was fastest in windrows series #1 and slowest in the piles. The pH of all the treatments rose from neutral to slightly alkaline (pH>8). The bulk density increased by more than 400% for windrows in series #1 but by only 150%, and 100%, respectively, for windrows in series #2 and the piles. The results indicate that turning frequency has a significant effect on bulk density, a slight effect on the rate of organic matter loss, and an insignificant effect on temperature and oxygen concentration. The mix ratio of leaves to grass, on the other hand, had no significant effect on most measured parameters. The composts from all the treatments were stable after 60 days of compo sting as indicated by oxygen uptake rates of less than 0.1 mg O2/g organic matter/hr. None of the composts inhibited seed germination or root elongation as measured by the Cress seed test.
The Civil War in U.S. Foreign Relations Law: A Dress Rehearsal for Modern Transformations

This Article explains how the Executive Branch argued, and the Supreme Court accepted, dramatic departures from prior understandings of the foreign affairs Constitution during the Civil War. In this sense, the Civil War interlude was, in this sense a "dress rehearsal" for modern transformations in the foreign affairs Constitution.
Do Bits Really Work? Revisiting the Empirical Link between Investment Treaties and Foreign Direct Investment

In this article I replicate, expand, and critique an earlier analysis by Neumayer and Spess claiming to have identified strong evidence that developing countries that sign bilateral investment treaties (BITs) enjoy massive increases in foreign direct investment (FDI). In the face of a series of relatively small but very justifiable changes in methodology and model specification the apparently positive effect of BITs on FDI largely (and in some cases entirely) falls from statistical significance. I conclude that the case for BITs is far weaker than Neumayer and Spess suggest.
Oxidative Pretreatments for the Enhanced Removal of Organic Sulfur from Coal

Publisher Summary Inexpensive oxidants appear as good as expensive oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide, peroxyacetic acid, potassium permanganate, and sodium dichromate, for the oxidative pretreatment step in a desulfurization process. Any oxidation prior to base/alcohol desulfurization enhances the removal of sulfur from coal. Two coal samples are obtained from the Illinois Coal Basin Sample Program (IBCSP), IBC-101, and IBC-106. The oxidative pretreatments remove about 10% of the sulfur from the IBC-101 coal and about 15% of the sulfur from the IBC-106 coal. After combined oxidation and desulfurization, the average sulfur removal for the 101 coal is around 60% with the highest level being 70%. For the IBC-106 coal, the average level of desulfurization is 65% with the highest level being 74%. X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) analysis shows the conversion of divalent sulfur forms to their oxidized counterparts upon peroxyacetic acid (PAA) oxidation and the successful removal of the oxidized sulfur forms during the base/alcohol desulfurization stage.
GABA excitation in mouse hilar neuropeptide Y neurons.

Neuropeptide Y-containing interneurons in the dentate hilar area play an important role in inhibiting the activity of hippocampal circuitry. Hilar cells are often among the first lost in hippocampal epilepsy. As many types of neurons are found in the hilus, we used a new transgenic mouse expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in a subset of neurons that colocalized neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SST), and GABA for whole-cell, perforated, and cell-attached recording in 240 neurons. As these neurons have not previously been identifiable in live slices, they have not been the focus of physiological analysis. Hilar NPY neurons showed modest spike frequency adaptation, a large 15.6 ± 1.0 mV afterhyperpolarization, a mean input resistance of 335 ± 26 mΩ, and were capable of fast-firing. Muscimol-mediated excitatory actions were found in a nominally Ca2+-free/high-Mg2+ bath solution using cell-attached recording. GABAA receptor antagonists inhibited half the recorded neurons and blocked burst firing. Gramicidin perforated-patch recording revealed a GABA reversal potential positive to both the resting membrane potential and spike threshold. Together, these data suggest GABA is excitatory to many NPY cells. NPY and SST consistently hyperpolarized and reduced spike frequency in these neurons. No hyperpolarization of NPY on membrane potential was detected in the presence of tetrodotoxin, AP5, CNQX and bicuculline, supporting an indirect effect. Under similar conditions, SST hyperpolarized the cells, suggesting a direct postsynaptic action. Depolarizing actions of GABA and GABA-dependent burst-firing may synchronize a rapid release of GABA, NPY, and SST, leading to pre- and postsynaptic inhibition of excitatory hippocampal circuits.
Development of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry based screening assay for PfTrxR inhibitors using relative quantitation of intact thioredoxin.

Rationale Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) catalyzes the reduction of thioredoxin disulfide (Trx-S(2)) to thioredoxin dithiol (Trx-(SH)(2)) that is essential for antioxidant defense mechanism and DNA synthesis in the parasite and is a validated drug target for new antimalarial agents. Methods In this study, we have developed a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based functional assay to identify inhibitors of PfTrxR by quantifying the product formed (Trx-(SH)(2)) in the enzymatic reaction. Relative quantitation of the reaction product (intact Trx-(SH)(2)) was carried out using an Agilent 6520 QTOF mass spectrometer equipped with a positive mode electrospray ionization (ESI) source. Results The calibration curve prepared for Trx-(SH)(2) at concentrations ranging from 1.8 to 116.5 µg/mL was linear (R(2) >0.998). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of Trx-(SH)(2) were at 0.45 and 1.8 µg/mL respectively. To validate the developed functional assay we have screened reference compounds 1, 2 and 3 for their PfTrxR inhibitory activity and ten natural compounds (at 10 μM) which were earlier identified as ligands of PfTrxR by a UF-LC/MS based binding assay. Conclusions The developed LC/MS-based functional assay for identification of inhibitors of PfTrxR is a sensitive and reliable method that is also amendable for high-throughput format. This is the first representation of a relative quantitation of intact Trx-(SH)(2) using LC/MS.
Inward rectification of resting and opiate-activated potassium currents in rat locus coeruleus neurons

Intracellular recordings were made from rat locus coeruleus neurons in vitro, and membrane currents were measured at potentials from -50 to -130 mV. In the absence of any applied agonists, the slope conductance of the cells increased 3-fold when the cell was hyperpolarized from -60 to -120 mV. This conductance increase was complete within 5 msec of the onset of a hyperpolarizing command and was subsequently independent of time for several seconds. The conductance increase was blocked by cesium chloride (1-2 mM), rubidium chloride (1-2 mM), or barium chloride (1-100 microM). The membrane potential range over which the conductance increased was centered at the potassium equilibrium potential (EK; extracellular potassium concentration, 2.5-10.5 mM): the current/voltage (I/V) relation of the cell could be well described by supposing that there were 2 potassium conductances, one voltage independent (G1) and the other (inward rectifier, Gir) activated according to the expression Gir = Gir,max/(1 + exp[(V - EK)/k]), where k ranged from 15 mV in 2.5 mM potassium to 6 mV in 10.5 mM potassium. The additional membrane potassium conductance that developed when agonists at mu-opioid and alpha 2-adrenoceptors were applied also became larger with membrane hyperpolarization, and this voltage dependence was also reduced or blocked by rubidium, cesium, and barium; in the presence of these agonists the current also reached its final value within 5 msec. However, the conductance increased by the agonists (Gag) was not well expressed by simply increasing the values of G1 and Gir,max. It was best described by a potassium conductance that increased according to Gag,max/(1 + exp[(V - Vm)/k]), where Vm (the potential at which the conductance was half-maximum) was close to the resting potential of the cell.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Cancer-Related Distress in Young Adults Compared to Middle-Aged and Senior Adults.

Purpose: Little is known about cancer-related distress during young adulthood. Results from the few studies that have directly assessed this age group have indicated that young adults (YAs) may be at greater risk of developing psychosocial difficulties due to their unique challenges of coping with cancer. This study's objective was to investigate cancer-related distress in YAs compared to older adults. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study compared the distress level of YAs (18–39 years old) with that of middle-aged (40–64 years old) and senior adults (65–90 years old) using the Distress Thermometer (DT) and associated Problem List (PL). Factors that may be associated with distress by age group were examined, including demographics, cancer type, and PL items endorsed. Results: YAs had higher cancer-related distress than senior adults but similar distress levels to middle-aged adults. Findings from distress comparisons across demographics, cancer types, and PL items endorsed suggest that YAs an...
Characteristics of salivary diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome in West Africa.

Abstract Objective.—To determine the prevalence of diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome (DILS) in the minor salivary glands of 30 African Cameroonian adults with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Design.—Salivary gland tissue was analyzed using a modified classification system that was developed to aid the diagnosis of Sjogren syndrome. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach are discussed. Materials and Methods.—Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, hematoxylin-eosin–stained biopsy sections were prepared for 30 patients with AIDS, 26 healthy individuals who declined human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, and 4 seronegative healthy controls. Tissues were immunostained for CD4/CD8+ lymphocytes and cytomegalovirus (CMV), and transmission electron microscopy was performed to locate viral particles. Patients were tested for HIV-1 and HIV-2 by the HIV/Chek System 3 or CAMSTIX-HIV-1 and HIV-2 assay. Results.—Severe salivary ductal atypia (96%) was the feature most strongly associ...
Allegiance Effects in Assessment: Unresolved Questions, Potential Explanations, and Constructive Remedies

The provocative results of Blair, Marcus, and Boccaccini (2008) suggest that the allegiance effect, previously suggested in psychotherapy outcome studies, may apply to studies of actuarial risk assessment. Despite this finding, the mechanisms of the effect, particularly in assessment research, are unknown and warrant further investigation. We discuss the file drawer effect, selective reporting, and “data massaging” as three potential explanations for allegiance effects in the assessment domain. Furthermore, we offer four suggestions for minimizing allegiance effects and their impact: routinely coding for allegiance in meta-analytic studies, operationalizing allegiance in multiple ways, encouraging collaborations among authors with differing allegiances, and creating study registries to track all dependent variables measured in studies.
"On the Job" Learning: A Bioinformatics Course Incorporating Undergraduates in Actual Research Projects and Manuscript Submissions

The sequencing of whole genomes and the analysis of genetic information continues to fundamentally change biological and medical research. Unfortunately, the people best suited to interpret this data (biologically trained researchers) are commonly discouraged by their own perceived computational limitations. To address this, we developed a course to help alleviate this constraint. Remarkably, in addition to equipping our undergraduates with an informatic toolset, we found our course design helped prepare our students for collaborative research careers in unexpected ways. Instead of simply offering a traditional lecture- or laboratory-based course, we chose a guided inquiry method, where an instructor-selected research question is examined by students in a collaborative analysis with students contributing to experimental design, data collection, and manuscript reporting. While students learn the skills needed to conduct bioinformatic research throughout all sections of the course, importantly, students also gain experience in working as a team and develop important communication skills through working with their partner and the class as a whole, and by contributing to an original research article. Remarkably, in its first three semesters, this novel computational genetics course has generated 45 undergraduate authorships across three peer-reviewed articles. More importantly, the students that took this course acquired a positive research experience, newfound informatics technical proficiency, unprecedented familiarity with manuscript preparation, and an earned sense of achievement. Although this course deals with analyses of genetic systems, we suggest the basic concept of integrating actual research projects into a 16-week undergraduate course could be applied to numerous other research-active academic fields. © 2015 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 43(3):154–161, 2015.
Late Holocene Environmental Changes in Arid Southwestern Madagascar

A 5000-yr stratigraphic record containing fossil pollen, charcoal, and bones of the extinct Quaternary megafauna from Andolonomby, a hypersaline pond in arid southwestern Madagascar, shows evidence for climatic desiccation beginning about 3000 yr B.P. Pollen spectra shift at this time from primarily arboreal taxa characteristic of forests and woodlands of more mesic western Madagascar, to wooded savanna typical of somewhat drier localities. Between 3000 and 2000 yr B.P., the site became increasingly arid. Charcoal and pollen evidence indicates that increased fire and disturbance occurred at the site beginning ca. 1900 yr B.P., probably signaling the beginning of human settlement in the area. The fossil record suggests that various human and natural factors on the island may have interacted in the subsequent millennium to culminate in the extinction of the entire endemic megafauna.
Test-retest reliability and descriptive statistics of geometric measurements based on plantar pressure measurements in a healthy population during gait.

A B S T R A C T Previous studies have demonstrated that pressure, force, area, and time measurements can be reliably collected from pedobaragraphic platforms, but no studies have analyzed geometric measurements. The purpose of this study was to establish the test–retest reliability of geometric measurements obtained during gait at a self-selected speed using a two-step approach. Data were collected on both feet for 10 healthy participants using the emed-x platform. Reliability of 15 geometric measurements was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). All 15 measurements were demonstrated to be reliable (ICC > 0.8), with 12 measurements ICC > 0.90. Collection of geometric measurements at a self-selected pace with the emed-x platform was found to be reliable and can be used for investigation in research settings.
Polymorphic electrophile response elements in the mouse glutathione S-transferase GSTa1 gene that confer increased induction.

Abstract Induced transcription of a battery of stress response genes in mammals, including several phase I and phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes, is regulated by the electrophile responsive element (EpRE). Because previous directed mutagenesis of nucleotide motifs within the large, composite EpRE were shown to affect transcription factor binding and associated induced expression of dependent genes, we hypothesized that naturally-occurring variation or polymorphism in the EpRE sequence, if found, could affect the induced expression of important protective genes like glutathione S -transferases, and that this could be an important determinant of cancer risk in humans and other mammals. To determine whether this occurred in nature, 32 strains and species of inbred mice were screened to examine the EpRE sequence present in the mGSTa1 promoter. Two species, Mus caroli and Mus spretus , showed TGAC→TGGC mutations in the tandem TGAC motif. Inducibility (15-fold) of the variant Mus spretus EpRE sequence in a reporter gene construct in HepG2 cells was significantly increased versus the wild-type EpRE sequence (8-fold). A comparison of mGSTa1 -induced expression in the livers of Mus spretus , Mus caroli , and BALB/cJ mice showed the highest level of mGSTa1 mRNA in livers from the Mus spretus and Mus caroli mice. This naturally-occurring polymorphism within the EpRE domain is the first mutation with an associated phenotype to be reported within a promoter regulatory element of a drug metabolizing gene.
Fuzzy logic data correlation approach in multisensor-multitarget tracking systems

Abstract In this paper, a fuzzy logic data correlation approach for multisensor–multitarget tracking is proposed. This fuzzy correlation approach is developed based on fuzzy clustering means algorithm. The proposed approach is applied to a two- and a four-dimensional multisensor–multitarget tracking system using Monte Carlo simulations. Fuzzy system performance evaluation is presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the new approach. The computational complexity of this approach is also analyzed and compared to that of conventional fuzzy logic data association methods. Considerable improvement in terms of computational complexity and performance is achieved.
Long-term reliability of single-crystal silicon thin films: the influence of environment on the fatigue damage accumulation rate

Single-crystal silicon thin films were forced to resonate at high frequency (~40 kHz) in different environments to study the long-term durability of this structural material used in microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices. The fatigue characterization structure consists of a notched cantilever beam attached to a plate shaped mass and is actuated at resonance, creating fully reversed, constant amplitude, sinusoidal stresses at the notch root. The dynamic behavior of the resonating structure has been meticulously quantified to allow accurate stress measurements from the knowledge of the driving voltage amplitude and the calculation of the quality factors in air and vacuum. In addition, the change in resonant frequency is periodically monitored for long-life specimens. Fatigue failure was observed for specimens tested in humid air and medium vacuum . In air, the stress-life ( S-N ) curve confirms the unique fatigue behavior already attributed to silicon thin films. In vacuum, the strength of the specimens appears to increase, and fatigue failure is delayed. Fracture surface examination reveals distinct features on the fracture surfaces of long-life fatigued specimens, not found in quasistatic failure, that are clear indications of initiation regions. The decrease rate in resonant frequency during cycling is demonstrated to be related to damage accumulation rate, and is strongly sensitive to both stress amplitude and humidity . The different currently proposed mechanisms are discussed in light of this new set of experimental evidence.
A video-intervention to improve clinician attitudes toward patients with sickle cell disease: the results of a randomized experiment.

BACKGROUND Clinician attitudes toward patients are associated with variability in the quality of health care. Attitudes are typically considered difficult to change, and few interventions have attempted to do so. Negative attitudes toward adults with sickle cell disease have been identified as an important barrier to the receipt of appropriate pain management for this patient population.
SU-E-T-422: Lung SBRT Using Cyberknife: Technique and Treatment Outcome.

Purpose: At East Carolina University, we have been treating primary and secondary lungcancers with Cyberknife stereotactic body radiotherapy (CK‐ SBRT) since February 2009. Till October 2011, we have treated a total of 79 patients (83 sites). In this study, we present our experience in CK‐SBRT and clinical outcome of the treated patients. Methods: Of the 79 patients, 43 were female; age of the whole patient population ranged 33.2–89.7yrs (median=73.2yrs). Patients treated for primary lungcancer (n=57) had severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and were not surgical candidates. Cyberknife robotic system with tracking techniques (Synchrony=52, XsiteLung=22, XsightSpine=5) were used. Majority of the patient (n=52) had multiple gold fiducials placed (1–6 placed; 1–4 tracked per patient) either percutaneously or bronchoscopically. CTimages were used for dosimetric planning, by medical physicists, using Cyberknife MultiPlan software. Prescription doses were 25Gy‐55Gy in 3–5 fractions (mean=48.2Gy, median=50Gy); doses were prescribed mainly to 80% isodoseline (range=75–96%, mean=81.4%). PTV margin varied from 0–7mm (mean±SD=3.2±1.4mm), based on the tumor locations; breathing patterns and cancer type. Dosimetric coverage of GTV and PTV were (mean±SD): 97.8±5% and 94.7±6.9%, respectively. The treatment response was assessed using either a CT or a PET scan or both. Results: The median follow up was 13.1months (range 0.3–31.9 months). Overall response rate was 98.8% (CR=73.5%). Local failure free survival at one year was 84% for primary (n=57), 76% for recurrent (n=16) lungcancer and 100% for metastatic (n=10) tumors. The toxicity rate was low with one patient reported to have chest wall pain and one patient developed grade 3–4 radiation pneumonitis. Conclusions: In most of the cases tight PTV margins were used. Since the prescriptions were at 80% isodeose line with more than 94% PTV coverage, the treatment outcome appeared reasonable. Further study relating PTV margin, dosimetric coverage, and treatment outcome is in progress.
Synthesis of a water-soluble chiral N-acylcalix(4)arene amino acid derivative

Abstract The synthesis of a novel water-soluble chiral N -acylcalix(4)arene amino acid derivative has been achieved. The chiral calix(4)arene is in a “cone” conformation according to NMR spectroscopy. We report preliminary results using this chiral calixarene derivative as a mobile phase additive in capillary electrophoresis.
Agent heterogeneity and consensual decision making on the Federal Open Market Committee

The consensual aspects of decision making are essential for understanding policy made by administrative organizations that take the form of a commision or board. Consensual decision making reflects the degree of policy cohesion exhibited by high-level officials within administrative organizations. It is proposed here that this type of behavior may differ between heterogeneous agents. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve System serves as a salient setting for testing these propositions in a time series context. The empirical results indicate that major intra-institutional differences exist between Board of Governor (BOG) and Regional Bank President (RBP) members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) regarding consensual behavior. In terms of policy decision making, the econometric evidence clearly demonstrates that the consensual behavior of these agents are fundamentally different from one another. This in turn has important implications for the study of other commission and board policy making bodies that consist of agents who are not all homogeneous.
Question: Can you provide your customers with the efficiency of your induction motor models given only an input current value? The answer: Yes

This paper describes a simple graphical method for the finding a reasonably-accurate value for the efficiency of any balanced multiphase motor for any arbitrarily-selected value of operating current. The method assumes the following routine conditions: the motor operates at rated voltage and frequency; the stray load loss and the rotor core loss are negligible; the no load speed of the motor is known along with the five Steinmetz Model element values; and that the only model element that varies under normal operating conditions is the reflected rotor resistance, r2/s. The method makes use of a Unit Circle that has been developed from the forward impedance of the traditional six-element-per-phase model illustrated in IEEE Standard 112. This paper elaborates upon a specific facet of the general analyses that have been addressed in previous papers written by the writer; this facet should be of particular interest to motor manufacturing personnel who must provide technical support for their customers.
Protein Repair Methyltransferase from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus UNUSUAL METHYL-ACCEPTING AFFINITY FORd-ASPARTYL AND N-SUCCINYL-CONTAINING PEPTIDES

Abstract Proteinl-isoaspartate-(d-aspartate)O-methyltransferases (EC 2.1.1.77), present in a wide variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, can initiate the conversion of abnormal l-isoaspartyl residues that arise spontaneously with age to normal l-aspartyl residues. In addition, the mammalian enzyme can recognize spontaneously racemizedd-aspartyl residues for conversion tol-aspartyl residues, although no such activity has been seen to date for enzymes from lower animals or prokaryotes. In this work, we characterize the enzyme from the hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Pyrococcus furiosus. Remarkably, this methyltransferase catalyzes both l-isoaspartyl andd-aspartyl methylation reactions in synthetic peptides with affinities that can be significantly higher than those of the human enzyme, previously the most catalytically efficient species known. Analysis of the common features of l-isoaspartyl andd-aspartyl residues suggested that the basic substrate recognition element for this enzyme may be mimicked by an N-terminal succinyl peptide. We tested this hypothesis with a number of synthetic peptides using both the P. furiosus and the human enzyme. We found that peptides devoid of aspartyl residues but containing theN-succinyl group were in fact methyl esterified by both enzymes. The recent structure determined for thel-isoaspartyl methyltransferase from P. furiosus complexed with an l-isoaspartyl peptide supports this mode of methyl-acceptor recognition. The combination of the thermophilicity and the high affinity binding of methyl-accepting substrates makes the P. furiosus enzyme useful both as a reagent for detecting isomerized and racemized residues in damaged proteins and for possible human therapeutic use in repairing damaged proteins in extracellular environments where the cytosolic enzyme is not normally found.
Isabelle Anguelovski, Neighborhood as Refuge: Community Reconstruction, Place Remaking, and Environmental Justice in the City (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2014).

The environmental justice literature has grown considerably since the 1970s. Studies from the United States have demonstrated the disproportionate exposure of lower-income and/or minority neighborh...
Self-Recognition at the Atomic Level: Understanding the Astonishing Molecular Diversity of Homophilic Dscams

The Drosophila Dscams are immunoglobulin superfamily members produced from a single gene that is diversified by alternative splicing to produce a family of cell-surface proteins with over 19,000 different ectodomain isoforms. Dscams are critical for neuronal wiring, and mounting evidence suggests that they play a key role in self-avoidance between sister branches from neurons, which depends on homophilic self-recognition by Dscams. Two recent papers shed new light on Dscam recognition: first by showing that the vast majority of Dscam isoforms mediate specific homophilic binding and second by revealing the essence of the molecular basis of homophilic recognition by Dscams through high-resolution structural studies.
46,XX gonadal dysgenesis, short stature, and recurrent metabolic acidosis in two sisters.

Gonadal (ovarian) dysgenesis in 46,XX individuals is genetically heterogeneous. We report on two sisters who, in addition to primary ovarian failure, have marked short stature and recurrent episodes of dehydration with metabolic acidosis. Studies performed during one of these episodes suggested mitochondrial dysfunction; however, results of biochemical analysis of electron transport chain activity in skeletal muscle and mitochondrial DNA studies were normal. We discuss the phenotype in relation to previously described conditions of 46,XX gonadal dysgenesis. We suggest this constellation of findings represents a new syndrome.
Probablity of Detection for ICW Radars

Eclipsing of received signals is analyzed for Interrupted Continuous Wave (ICW) radars. A probability density for the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) at the Doppler filter output is derived which incorporates eclipsing effects and a fluctuating target cross section model. The probability of detection as a function of SNR is calculated for typical ICW parameters and the magnitude of the detection loss due to eclipsing is assessed
SU‐E‐J‐55: Influence of Patient Weight and Couch Rotation On the Accuracy of a Surface Tracking System for Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of patient weight and couch angle on the treatment accuracy of brain SRS guided by the AlignRT system integrated with TrueBeam couch system. Method and Materials: A Winston Lutz phantom with a facemask on top was used to simulate a brain SRS treatment with surface monitoring. The phantom contained small fiducial markers that guided the initial setup using kV and CBCT imaging. A CT scan of the phantom was taken and used to form a plan that included 15 sets of different combinations of couch and gantry angles. Once the phantom was set up, a reference image for surface was acquired and motion monitoring was initiated. The gantry and couch were then moved to their respective positions and an EPID image was acquired. A motion report was generated on the AlignRT system. EPID image registration was performed using the OBI system with DRRimage and the shifts were recorded. The method was repeated for evaluation of patient weight with five different weights in the range of 20 and 120 kg. Results: Examination of the AlignRT data suggests that the accuracy of TrueBeam couch system is slightly compromised for the longitudinal direction (< 0.9 mm) after applying couch rotation during the tracking. The accuracy did not seem to be affected by varying patient weight if couch sagging is compensated for initial setup. All of the deviations of the AlignRT record showed that the accuracy was within 1 mm to the deviations from image registration of isocenter. Conclusions: Our data suggests that TrueBeam couch system maintains geometric accuracy of up to 120 kg of weight, at various gantry and couch angle positions, suggesting that the system is reliable for use with Brain SRS treatments. Addition of AlignRT for intrafraction monitoring helps to ensure that the treatment remains accurate.
A high-pressure X-ray diffraction study of iron nitrides: Implications for Earth's core

[1] High-pressure X-ray diffraction studies of cubic close-packed γ′-Fe4N and hexagonal close-packed -Fe7N3 have been performed to pressures of 51 GPa in order to constrain the elastic properties and phase transitions of these materials under the pressures of the Earth's interior. The ɛ-Fe7N3 phase remains stable to the highest pressures of these measurements, with a bulk modulus (K) of 168(10) GPa and a (K′) of 5.7(1.5). Fe4N appears to undergo a phase transition to either a hexagonal crystalline structure similar to that of Fe7N3 or may disorder by 32.4 GPa. The bulk modulus of γ′-Fe4N up to this pressure is 155(3) GPa, with K′ assumed to be 4. Both volume and Gibbs free energy calculations indicate that between these two nitride phases, the hexagonal close-packed phase is more stable under deep Earth conditions. The amount of nitrogen in iron meteorites indicates that significant quantities of nitrogen (of order 0.5 wt %) could have been incorporated in Earth's core during accretion. Since iron meteorites are derived from the core material of differentiated bodies in the early solar system, nitrogen is likely a component of the light alloying elements in the Earth's core. If nitrogen partitions preferentially into interstitial sites within ɛ-Fe relative to liquid, than the abundance of nitrogen in meteorites implies that N could be the primary light alloying component in Earth's inner core. The elastic properties of ɛ-Fe7N3 extrapolated to inner core conditions are found to meet the primary criteria for a light alloying component of the inner core: It is both less dense than, and approximately as compressible as, ɛ-Fe. Indeed, we document that the elasticity of nitrogen-bearing iron compounds is quite similar to that of end-member iron. However, the anisotropy of Fe7N3 on compression is substantially greater than that of ɛ-Fe, with its a axis being substantially more compressible than its c axis. Thus a mixture of iron and iron nitride (or a solid solution between the two) in the inner core could easily generate the observed anisotropy of this body.
Influence of sound source width on human sound localization

Free-field sound localization experiments generally assume that a loudspeaker can be approximated by a point-source; however, a large loudspeaker may extend beyond the width that two sources can be discriminated. Humans can accurately discriminate sound source locations within a few degrees, thus one might expect localization precision to decrease as a function of sound source diameter, much as precision is lower for localizing the center of a wide, blurry light source. In order to test the degree to which humans differentially localize small and large sound sources, auditory targets were presented using a single 25.4 cm by 10.2 cm elliptical loudspeaker with the primary axis oriented both horizontally and vertically in different sessions. Subjects were seated with their heads fixed by a bite bar in a darkened, echo-attenuating room facing a cylindrical, acoustically transparent screen at a distance of 2 meters. Auditory targets consisted of repeating bursts (5 Hz) of low frequency band-pass noise (0.2 – 1 kHz, 75 dB SPL). Subjects were instructed to quickly and accurately guide a laser pointer mounted on a cylindrical joystick towards targets, presented randomly within a field ± 40° in azimuth by ± 10° in elevation, with oversampled points located every ten degrees along the primary meridians. Localization accuracy and precision (mean and standard deviation of localization error at oversampled locations) were not significantly different between speaker orientations, and were comparable to baseline measurements recorded using a 7.6 cm circular speaker. We conclude that low frequency sound localization performance is not dependent upon the size of the sound source as predicted theoretically, and is well approximated by a point source.
Cyclooxygenase-2 Is Required for Tumor Necrosis Factor-α– and Angiotensin II–Mediated Proliferation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Abstract —Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and angiotensin II (Ang II) induced a transient increase in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA accumulation, without affecting COX-1 mRNA levels. The kinetics of COX-2 mRNA accumulation were similar in VSMCs challenged with either TNF-α or Ang II; mRNA accumulation peaked at 2 hours and decreased to control levels by ≈6 hours. Accumulation of COX-2 mRNA was associated with a time-dependent increase of COX-2 protein expression that displayed similar kinetics in response to either TNF-α or Ang II. Both the increase in COX-2 mRNA accumulation and protein expression in response to either TNF-α or Ang II were inhibited by the mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal–regulated kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD098059. In addition, the AT 1 -selective receptor antagonist losartan attenuated the Ang II–mediated increase in COX-2 mRNA accumulation; the AT 2 -selective antagonist PD123319 had no effect. Prostacyclin I 2 synthesis was tightly coupled to expression of COX-2, whereas prostaglandin E 2 and thromboxane A 2 (TXA 2 ) synthesis may be associated with differential usage of COX-1 and COX-2. The COX-2–selective inhibitors NS-398 and nimesulide and the TXA 2 receptor antagonist BMS 180,291 inhibited TNF-α– and Ang II–mediated increases in DNA content and cell number by ≈95%. These findings suggest that a prostanoid derived from COX-2, possibly TXA 2 , may contribute to VSMC hyperplasia in vessel injury or pathophysiological conditions associated with elevated levels of either TNF-α or Ang II.
Polycomb Proteins Remain Bound to Chromatin and DNA during DNA Replication In Vitro

The transcriptional status of a gene can be maintained through multiple rounds of cell division during development. This epigenetic effect is believed to reflect heritable changes in chromatin folding and histone modifications or variants at target genes, but little is known about how these chromatin features are inherited through cell division. A particular challenge for maintaining transcription states is DNA replication, which disrupts or dilutes chromatin-associated proteins and histone modifications. PRC1-class Polycomb group protein complexes are essential for development and are thought to heritably silence transcription by altering chromatin folding and histone modifications. It is not known whether these complexes and their effects are maintained during DNA replication or subsequently re-established. We find that when PRC1-class Polycomb complex-bound chromatin or DNA is replicated in vitro, Polycomb complexes remain bound to replicated templates. Retention of Polycomb proteins through DNA replication may contribute to maintenance of transcriptional silencing through cell division.
Common Molecular Pathways in Skeletal Morphogenesis and Repair

The formation of bone is a continual process in vertebrate development, initiated during fetal development and persisting in adulthood in the form of remodeling and repair. The remarkable capacity of skeletal tissues to regenerate has led to the hypothesis that the molecular signaling pathways regulating skeletogenesis are shared during fetal development and adult wound healing. A number of key regulatory pathways that are required for endochondral ossification during fetal development are described, and their reintroduction in fracture repair demonstrated. Secreted proteins such as Sonic and Indian hedgehog exert their effect on pattern formation and chondrogenesis in the appendicular skeleton, partly through regulation of molecules such as bone morphogenic proteins (Bmps) and parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP). Once chondrocytes have matured and hypertrophied, they undergo apoptosis and are replaced by bone; the transcription factor Cbfal plays a critical role in this process of chondrocyte differentiation and ossification. Analyses of the expression patterns of these genes during fracture healing strongly suggest that they play equivalent roles in adult wound repair. Knowledge acquired through the study of fetal skeletogenesis will undoubtedly contribute to an understanding of fracture repair, and subsequently guide the development of biologically based therapeutic interventions.
Creating a doc spec

All technical documentation projects benefit from a good content plan or doc spec. The doc spec is a blueprint for a document. It identifies the product, users, source materials, and subject matter experts (SME). It also provides a preliminary outline of topics, and it estimates the effort to produce the document. Although the doc spec described is for a printed software user guide, you can adapt your doc spec for other types of documentation, including hardware manuals and training guides. The doc spec template is simply a tool that leads you through the document planning and estimating process. Your customized doc spec captures the who, what, when, why, and how of your project.
Complexation of trace metals by adsorbed natural organic matter

Abstract The adsorption behavior and solution speciation of Cu(II) and Cd(II) were studied in model systems containing colloidal alumina particles and dissolved natural organic matter. At equilibrium a significant fraction of the alumina surface was covered by adsorbed organic matter. Cu(II) was partitioned primarily between the surface-bound organic matter and dissolved Cu-organic complexes in the aqueous phase. Complexation of Cu2+ with the functional groups of adsorbed organic matter was stronger than complexation with uncovered alumina surface hydroxyls. It is shown that the complexation of Cu(II) by adsorbed organic matter can be described by an apparent stability constant approximately equal to the value found for solution phase equilibria. In contrast, Cd(II) adsorption was not significantly affected by the presence of organic matter at the surface, due to weak complex formation with the organic ligands. The results demonstrate that general models of trace element partitioning in natural waters must consider the presence of adsorbed organic matter.
Some observations of grain boundary ledges and ledges as dislocation sources in metals and alloys

Direct observations of grain boundary ledges have been made in annealed Ni, Al, Cu, Mo, Ta, Ir, 304 Stainless Steel and Inconel 600 by transmission electron microscopy. Grain boundary ledges have been observed to be sources of dislocations during and after plastic deformation, and to resemble the appearance of dislocation pileups in the transmission electron microscope. Ledge density (number per unit length of grain boundary) has been observed to increase with an increase in grain boundary misorientation in Ni and 304 Stainless Steel, and the distribution of misorientations was observed to be continuous over the range 0 deg <θ< 90 deg at an annealing temperature of 1060°C. The mean grain boundary misorientation in 304 Stainless Steel was also observed to decrease with a decrease in the recovery temperature following cold reduction and to vary from 10 to 45 deg in the temperature range of 660 to 1060°C. An essential point of this investigation is that Li’s theoretical treatment of the flow-stress, grain-size relation based on the existence of grain boundary ledges and their action as sources of dislocations under stress is shown to be correct.
Influence of Subtherapeutic Levels of Oxytetracycline on Salmonella typhimurium in Swine, Calves, and Chickens

Abstract Subtherapeutic levels of oxytetracycline in animal feeds have been evaluated to determine their influence on the relative quantity, prevalence, shedding, and antibiotic susceptibility of Salmonella typhimurium in swine, calves, and chickens, when compared with nonmedicated controls. The medicated groups were fed rations containing oxytetracycline commencing 5 days prior to oral inoculation with S. typhimurium and continuing through a 28-day post-inoculation period. Colonization of S. typhimurium occurred in all three animal species as evidenced by clinical signs of infection and/or colony counts in feces measured on seven separate occasions over the 28-day observation period. The accumulated data demonstrate that the subtherapeutic use of oxytetracycline did not bring about any increases in the quantity, prevalence, or shedding of S. typhimurium in swine, calves, and chickens. In fact, the medication generally brought about a decrease in the percentage of animals carrying S. typhimurium during the study period. In contrast to results in swine and calves, there was a significant occurrence of S. typhimurium resistance to oxytetracycline in chickens. Resistant colonies were isolated from chickens sporadically but never on more than two consecutive test periods. These isolates were also resistant to streptomycin, but not to the other six antibiotics tested. The population of resistant S. typhimurium isolated from medicated chickens was no larger than that of susceptible S. typhimurium isolated from the nonmedicated animals. It is concluded that no evidence has been obtained which would relate the continuous low-level feeding of oxytetracycline for a 4-week period to an increased incidence of disease in animals or as a hazard to humans.
Some essentially self-adjoint one-electron dirac operators

A class of smooth functions is introduced and it is shown that, the one-electron Dirac operator corresponding to an element with atomic number less than 102, is essentially self-adjoint on this class of functions. The proof makes essential use of the fact that each of these operators admits a complete family of reducing subspaces. At the same time we use an explicit formula for the resolvent kernel of the part of these operators over such a reducing subspace.
Origin of earliest planetary crust: role of compositional convection

The formation of earliest stable planetary crust poses the following dilemma. All surface crusts formed by direct quenching of planetary-scale magma are mafic and dense, and will founder. All felsic crystals light enough to float will form only after protracted differentiation and will grow too slowly to be separated from their parent magma on the short timescale of near-surface residence. Early crust must be intrinsically stable to accretionary bombardment in order to survive, hence it must float. One solution is to make pop-up felsic crust on a rapid time scale by collecting the lighter evolved liquid, not the crystals. Such a liquid is produced by solute rejection at depth from growing mafic crystals, and it rises by compositional convection. It stirs and cools the magma and reduces the accretionary thermal maximum, perhaps to zero. It has a high viscosity and high barrier to nucleation, hence may coalesce metastably. Near the surface, rapid crystallization will follow spontaneous nucleation. Rafts and rockbergs will coalesce to form the earliest crust. On the moon, this is anorthositic. On the earth, the presence of water enhances the silica content of the network-rich liquid and gives rise to tonalite. Existing ancient tonalites may reflect an original tonalitic crust. Modern oceanic rhyolites and trondhjemites may owe their existence to a similar process of liquid collection, and could therefore serve as a test of the crust-forming hypothesis.