cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Joule heating induced stream broadening in free-flow zone electrophoresis.

The use of an electric field in free-flow zone electrophoresis (FFZE) automatically leads to Joule heating yielding a higher temperature at the center of the separation chamber relative to that around the channel walls. For small amounts of heat generated, this thermal effect introduces a variation in the equilibrium position of the analyte molecules due to the dependence of liquid viscosity and analyte diffusivity on temperature leading to a modification in the position of the analyte stream as well as the zone width. In this article, an analytic theory is presented to quantitate such effects of Joule heating on FFZE assays in the limit of small temperature differentials across the channel gap yielding a closed form expression for the stream position and zone variance under equilibrium conditions. A method-of-moments approach is employed to develop this analytic theory, which is further validated with numerical solutions of the governing equations. Interestingly, the noted analyses predict that Joule heating can drift the location of the analyte stream either way of its equilibrium position realized in the absence of any temperature rise in the system, and also tends to reduce zone dispersion. The extent of these modifications, however, is governed by the electric field induced temperature rise and three Peclet numbers evaluated based on the axial pressure-driven flow, transverse electroosmotic and electrophoretic solute velocities in the separation chamber. Monte Carlo simulations of the FFZE system further establish a time and a length scale over which the results from the analytic theory are valid.
Should consent be required for organ procurement

Must we obtain a patient's consent before posthumously removing her organs? According to the consent requirement, in order to permissibly remove organs from a deceased person, it is necessary that her prior consent be obtained. If the consent requirement is true, then this seems to rule out policies that do not seek and obtain a patient's prior consent to organ donation, while at the same time vindicating policies that do seek and obtain patient consent. In this paper, however, I argue that once we recognize the difference between consent, on the one hand, and wishing or desiring, on the other, we will see that obtaining consent before organ removal is neither necessary nor sufficient to respect patient autonomy in organ procurement.
The racially unequal impact of the US organ procurement system.

Efforts to meet the demand for organs have long had disproportionate effects on members of particular races, not only because of disparate levels of need for transplants but because of the way our donation system works.
Activation of Human Neutrophils by Granylocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor: Role of Guanine-Nucleotide Binding Proteins

The human hormone granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), which is released by activated T lymphocytes, endothelium and fibroblasts, is an important stimulus for the proliferation of erythroid and myelomonocytic stem cells in vitro (Golde and Gasson, 1988). GM-CSF is also an important in vitro regulator of granulopoiesis and neutrophil function. It induces significant leukocytosis and shortens the period of neutropenia following bone marrow transplantation,and in patients with AIDS, it increases the number of neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes (Groopman et. al., 1987; Donahue et. al., 1986; Metcalf, 1985; Golde and Gasson, 1988). The addition of GM-CSF to mature human neutrophils primes these cells to subsequent stimulation by chemotactic factors such as fMet-Leu-Phe and thus it plays an important role in the host defense (Weisbart et. al., 1987; Dahinden et. al., 1988, Sullivan et. al., 1987; Naccache et. al., 1988; Weisbart, et. al., 1986; Mege et. al., 1989). The responses which are primed include oxidative burst, phagocytosis, arachidonic acid release and others. In addition to the priming of neutrophils, the addition of GM-CSF to human neutrophils produces on its own some responses (Coffey et. al., 1988; Gomez-Cambronero et. al., 1989; McColl et. al., 1989; Mege et. al., 1989; Nathan, 1989).
Serving Latino Families Caring for a Person with Serious Mental Illness

What do mental health practitioners need to know about providing culturally relevant services for Latino families dealing with severe mental illness in a loved one? In this chapter, we will review salient sociocultural issues that practitioners and program managers need to consider in the design and delivery of quality care for Latino families with a member diagnosed with schizophrenia and other related disorders. We will examine pertinent research and practice areas on: the caregiving ideology characteristic of Latino families, cultural issues that affect Latino family participation in services, family involvement in services in the early stages of the illness, and psychoeducational approaches with Latino families. We will draw from our experience in the development of a culturally based psychoeducational intervention for Spanish-speaking families and discuss the applicability of a cultural exchange framework for increasing the cultural fit between family and provider cultures. Finally, the practice implications of an approach that prospectively takes into account the cultural strengths and resources that families bring into treatment are addressed.
A simplified perturbation model for calculation of few-group cross sections and reaction rates

A fast efficient perturbation model is developed for generating four-group cross sections and flux spectrum and performing fuel depletion in a light water reactor unit cell configuration. In the thermal energy region, an approximate solution of the neutron spectrum is determined based on the Wigner-Wilkins free-gas hydrogen scattering model. In the fast energy region, a combination of analytical and empirical techniques is used to determine resonance cross sections. These models are combined in a perturbation scheme and incorporated as the SIFAS code. Reaction rates of important nuclides in reactor cores can be estimated by the code to within 0.5% for fuel depletion studies with fuel burnup of up to 30,000 MWd/tonne.
A RATE THEORY OF DISLOCATION MOTION INCORPORATING INERTIAL OVERSHOOT EFFECTS

Abstract A rate theory of dislocation motion which incorporates inertial overshoot effects is developed by extending the results for Brownian motion of a particle in a force field. The theory provides a probability distribution function ρ(x,v,t) that the system is at a position x with velocity v at time t. The distribution is centered about the purely mechanical solution. This provides a satisfactory theoretical basis for the observed mechanical-thermal dichotomy in experimental plastic flow and internal friction results. When the damping constant is changed suddenly the changes are mechanical-like. For changes with temperature, the distribution effects dominate, and the behavior is thermal or rate-like. For small damping coefficients B, the advance distance per thermally activated event is strongly dependent on B. For moderate B, the usual rate theory is obtained. For large B, the frequency factor v is reduced. Thus a phase diagram separating different regimes and behavior is obtained.
An agent-based model for simultaneous phone and SMS traffic over time

The present work describes a utility-based, multi-agent, dynamic network model of phone call and SMS traffic in a population. The simulation is novel in its ability to generate interactions from both an asymmetric and a symmetric media simultaneously. Within the model, we develop and test a simple extension to the theory of media multiplexity, a well-known theory of how humans use the communication media available to them with different alters (friends). Model output qualitatively matches patterns in real data at the network-level and with respect to how humans use SMS and voice calls with different alters and thus shows general support for our theoretical claim.
Bifurcation analysis of catalytic partial oxidations in laboratory-scale packed-bed reactors with heat exchange

Abstract A detailed ignition-extinction analysis of laboratory scale reactors with heat exchange with the furnace is provided for the case of single and multiple oxidation reactions. It is shown that the same volume or mass of catalyst packed in tubes of different diameter and/or with different lengths of inert sections could lead to different types of ignition-extinction behavior as well as product distribution. The impact of tube diameter, heat exchange time, and length of inert sections on the ignition-extinction behavior is analyzed with either the space time (flow rate) or the furnace temperature as the parameter that is varied experimentally. While the highly exothermic oxidative coupling of methane is used as an example to illustrate the approach, the results are applicable to laboratory reactors in which catalytic partial oxidations, oxidative dehydrogenations or other exothermic reactions occur. The results of ignition-extinction behavior are used to provide guidelines for the interpretation of data and for the scale-up of such processes.
Learning from Experimental Communities Using Behavioral Systems Analysis

Many threats society faces are self-engineered, with modifiable behaviors linked to reducing their potential harm for future generations. These challenging issues do not have transparent solutions, because an experimental analysis of behavior has not been functionally applied to larger group units. Mainstream society is a most complex form of group behavior, and single-subject research hides interactivity, but there is a middle ground. Relevant comparisons could be more easily made using smaller experimental communities that thrive by integrating into their ecosystem. This article describes how two behaviorally-inspired experimental communities function as total performance systems and provides suggestions for future analyses.
Dana L. Cloud. Reality Bites: Rhetoric and the Circulation of Truth Claims in U.S. Political Culture. Columbus, OH: The Ohio State University Press, 2018. 216 pages. $29.95 paperback.

Recently, I heard a radio ad for The New York Times that shook me. The ad sold the paper via Truth: buy the paper, get the Truth. Facts as raw goods. Sandwiched between ads for Chevrolet trucks and...
Small screening design when the overall variance is unknown

Abstract Consider the problem of a design for estimating all main effects and the overall error variance. The conventional choice is a saturated orthogonal array supplemented by several center points (as popularized in Response Surface Methodology). We propose an alternative design — the projection of a larger Hadamard matrix. In this article, we prove that the proposed design is optimal for estimating error variance, and thus is preferable over the conventional choice. Under various common error distributions, theoretical values of Var ( σ ˆ 2 ) are evaluated to illustrate our theory. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate that the proposed design achieves a more reliable estimate of error variance, as well as a reliable significant test. Furthermore, we study the optimal follow-up plan. Relevant optimality theories are established and a convenient construction method for optimal follow-up design is proposed.
Differential effects of ethanol on behavior and GABAA receptor subunit expression in zebrafish (Danio rerio) with alternative stress coping styles

Variation in stress responses between individuals is linked to factors ranging from stress coping styles to sensitivity of neurotransmitter systems. Many anxiolytic compounds (e.g. ethanol) can increase stressor engagement through modulation of neurotransmitter systems and are used to investigate stress response mechanisms. Here we assessed the role of the GABAA system on the variation of the behavioral stress response by comparing individuals differing in stress coping styles that were chronically treated with ethanol. Specifically, we investigated resulting changes in stress-related behavior and whole-brain GABAA receptor subunits (gabra1, gabra2, gabrd, & gabrg2) in response to a novelty stressor. There were significant main and interaction effects on two stress-related behaviors, where the ethanol-treated proactive individuals showed lower stress-related behaviors than their reactive counterparts. Proactive individuals showed significantly higher expression of gabra1, gabra2, and gabrg2 compared to reactive individuals and ethanol treatment resulted in upregulation of gabra1 and gabrg2 in both stress coping styles. These results show that differences in stress-related behaviors between stress coping styles may be facilitated in part by expression of select GABAA receptor subunits.
An Information Diffusion Approach to Rumor Propagation and Identification on Twitter.

With the increasing use of online social networks as a source of news and information, the propensity for a rumor to disseminate widely and quickly poses a great concern, especially in disaster situations where users do not have enough time to fact-check posts before making the informed decision to react to a post that appears to be credible. In this study, we explore the propagation pattern of rumors on Twitter by exploring the dynamics of microscopic-level misinformation spread, based on the latent message and user interaction attributes. We perform supervised learning for feature selection and prediction. Experimental results with real-world data sets give the models' prediction accuracy at about 90\% for the diffusion of both True and False topics. Our findings confirm that rumor cascades run deeper and that rumor masked as news, and messages that incite fear, will diffuse faster than other messages. We show that the models for True and False message propagation differ significantly, both in the prediction parameters and in the message features that govern the diffusion. Finally, we show that the diffusion pattern is an important metric in identifying the credibility of a tweet.
The Cyber Risk Premium

This paper studies how the stock market perceives and prices cyber risk. To estimate the ex-ante likelihood that a firm will experience a cyber attack, we apply cross-validated logistic LASSO regressions to a set of firm and industry characteristics along with an estimate of a firm’s self-perceived level of cyber risk gauged from its 10K. We find this measure of a firm’s vulnerability to cyber attacks influences both investor portfolio choices and stock prices. In particular, institutional investors tend to sell stocks with high cyber risk and buy those with low cyber risk; this tendency is stronger during periods with higher data breach concerns. We document that firms with higher cyber risk tend to have higher average realized stock returns and higher ex-ante cost of equity.
Generalized entanglement entropy, charges, and intertwiners

The entanglement theory in quantum systems with internal symmetries is rich due to the spontaneous creation of entangled pairs of charge/anti-charge particles at the entangling surface. We call these pair creation operators the bi-local intertwiners because of the role they play in the representation theory of the symmetry group. We define a generalized measure of entanglement entropy as a measure of information erased under restriction to a subspace of observables. We argue that the correct entanglement measure in the presence of charges is the sum of two terms; one measuring the entanglement of charge- neutral operators, and the other measuring the contribution of the bi-local intertwiners. Our expression is unambiguously defined in lattice models as well in quantum field theory (QFT). We use the Tomita-Takesaki modular theory to highlight the differences between QFT and lattice models, and discuss an extension of the algebra of QFT that leads to a factorization of the charged modes.
SPARCam: the UV camera for the Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS)

The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) will be a 6U CubeSat whose mission will be to observe M stars in two ultraviolet (UV) bands—SPARCS far UV (S-FUV: 153-171 nm) and SPARCS near UV (S-NUV: 260-300 nm). SPARCS would be the first mission to provide time-dependent spectral slope, intensity and evolution of M dwarf stellar radiation; measurements that are critical to deciphering observations of planetary atmosphere from missions such as JWST. The baseline UV camera for SPARCS (SPARCam) includes the electronics boards and two UV detectors, one optimized for each of the SPARCS bands. The camera’s low-noise electronics are based on JPL’s compact, modular design and provide dynamic observation capabilities. For its detectors, SPARCam uses 2D-doped (i.e. delta-doped) CCDs for both channels. Here we present SPARCam development and characterization results prior to payload integration. Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.
Role for Mucin-5AC in Upper and Lower Airway Pathogenesis in Mice.

Mucin-5AC (MUC5AC) is a major secreted mucin in pathogenic airways. To determine its role in mucus-related airway disorders, Muc5ac-deficient (Muc5ac−/−) and wild-type (Muc5ac+/+) mice were compare...
Time-resolved in-situ temperature measurement and analysis for continuous-wave laser sintering of carbon nanotube – Metal composites on a polymer substrate

Abstract Previous research work shows that metal nanocomposite thin films fabricated by laser sintering of mixtures of metal nanoparticles (NPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a polymer substrate have a great potential to help enhance reliability and durability of metal components in flexible electronic devices. To gain a good relevant fundamental understanding, it is important to know the material thermal history during laser sintering. However, an in-situ temperature measurement has been rarely reported in a paper in the literature for laser sintering of metal NP-CNT mixture thin films on a polymer substrate. Such temperature measurements are reported in this paper, which are performed using a two-color pyrometry system set up by the authors to overcome related technical challenges such as high spatial and temporal resolution requirements. The measurement method is non-contact, and by measuring thermal radiation in two wavelength ranges it does not require the value of the target surface emissivity. The electrical resistivities of composite material sintered with different laser scanning speeds are also measured. Under the conditions studied, it has been found that as the laser scanning speed increases significantly, the average melted material temperature in the measurement spot only slightly decreases, but the melting duration drops significantly. The average electrical resistivity of sintered composite material first decreases and then increases with the laser scanning speed. The measured material surface temperatures for laser sintering of CNT and silver NP mixtures are similar to those for laser sintering of silver NPs with the same laser scanning speed.
Securing V2I Communications in 5G and Beyond Wireless System Using Gradient Ascent Approach

The 5G and beyond wireless systems, instead of being just an extension of 4G, are regarded as `network of networks' which is expected to integrate heterogeneous wireless networks including wireless vehicular networks (WVN). The WVN promises to solve many issues such as reducing road accidents, traffic jams, fuel consumption and commute time, which is subject to various security issues such as eavesdropping, where attackers attempt to overhear the secret transmitted signal passively (which makes the detection/defense very difficult). In this work, our objective is to implement a security scheme by improving the secrecy capacity in Sub-6 GHz and millimeter-wave (mmWave) bands. Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) for 5G and beyond wireless network. Unlike previous works where the secrecy capacity is increased by randomly augmenting the source power or setting the system combiners/precoders, in this work we employ the Gradient Ascent algorithm to search for the best combiners/precoders that maximize the secrecy rate performance. We further present two different optimization scenarios: fixed and variable transmission power.
Phylogeny, Structure and Composition of Cell Membranes

DR. BLOBEL: In an average eukaryotic cell there are as many as 1 billion protein molecules, 10,000 to 50,000 of which are separate species. These various species of protein fall into groups which have similar topology such as lysosomal proteins, peroxisomal proteins and those which are found exclusively in the mitochondrial matrix or the intermembrane space of the chloroplast stroma, etc.
In vitro attachment of Salmonella typhimurium to chicken cecal mucus: effect of cations and pretreatment with Lactobacillus spp. isolated from the intestinal tracts of chickens.

Abstract The attachment of radiolabeled Salmonella typhimurium 333/O cells to immobilized cecal mucus from specific-pathogen-free leghorn chickens was determined in the presence of D-mannose. The attachment of S. typhimurium was inhibited by the chelating agents EDTA and citrate and by lanthanum but was enhanced in the presence of the calcium, barium, and manganese divalent cations. Summary findings of the effect of lectins are included. Attachment of lactobacilli, previously isolated from the intestines of chickens, to mucus was also enhanced by calcium and inhibited by chelators. The pretreatment of immobilized mucus with portions of cultures of five of eight strains of lactobacilli inhibited subsequent attachment of the S. typhimurium strain. Spent culture supernatant fluid and/or washed cells from these cultures inhibited attachment, and inhibition was enhanced by preheating the cells or supernatant fluid at 80 degrees C. Results indicate that S. typhimurium mucus attachment not involving mannosyl-dependent receptors is influenced by presence of cations. Lactobacillus spp. isolated from the intestinal tracts of chickens produce cellular and cell-free components that inhibit this form of attachment to chicken intestinal mucus.
Picosecond Infrared Study of Carbonmonoxy Cytochrome c Oxidase: Ligand Transfer Dynamics and Binding Orientations

Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO), an enzyme which catalyzes the reduction of dioxygen to water in the terminal step of the respiratory chain, combines several fundamental chemical processes in performing its function; electron, proton and ligand transfers.[1] The coordination chemistry and ligation dynamics of the cytochrome a 3-CuB site, where O2 and other small molecules such as CO, NO and isocyanates can bind, are essential to the function of the enzyme.[2] The sensitivity of the vibrational frequencies and bandwidths of small molecules to changes in coordination and environment makes infrared spectroscopy uniquely useful as a probe for those processes, particularly at CUB +, which generally is not observable by other spectroscopies. [1,2] Recent time-resolved infrared (TRIR) and visible absorption measurements have shown that coordination to CuB + is an obligatory mechanistic stop for CO entering the cytochrome a 3 heme site and departing the protein after photodissociation. [2] The timescale (> 10−7 s) of the TRIR measurements, however, precluded observation of the ligation dynamics immediately following photodissociation. Here we report a picosecond timescale TRIR study of these events. The results reveal that the photoinitiated ligand transfer of CO from Fea3 2+ to CuB +, which are believed to lie 4–5 A apart [1], occurs within 1 ps.
Adolescent Medicine: Growth of a Discipline

Adolescent medicine encompasses the major health and developmental conditions of young people in the second decade of life (Fig 1).1-5 Many of these conditions result from the rapid physical and psychologic growth that young people experience. This commentary will reflect on the development of adolescent medicine as a discipline and the challenges that the field now faces 30 years after its inception.6,7 The growth of adolescent medicine as a discipline is reflected in the development of professional organizations for those interested in providing health services to adolescents, the dissemination of new findings pertinent to this age group, and the training of young professionals who will provide care to and conduct research into the health care of adolescents.
Polar lobe formation by embryos of Ilyanassa obsoleta. Effects of inhibitors of microtubule and microfilament function.

Abstract Polar lobe formation by embryos of the marine snail Ilyanassa was prevented by the microfilament disrupting agent, cytochalasin B. Colchicine and vinblastine, which disrupt microtubules, had no effect on polar lobe formation, but prevented resorption of lobes. None of these drugs affected protein synthesis. Emetine, which abolished protein synthesis, did not prevent formation or resorption of lobes, though it delayed these processes somewhat and eventually caused arrest of embryonic development.
Decisionmaking & the Limits of Disclosure: The Problem of Predatory Lending

Despite the importance of the transaction, many Americans are not making optimal home loan decisions, in two important respects. First, many borrowers are not obtaining home loans at optimal price terms, prices that a competitive market of borrowers engaged in effective price-shopping would produce. Second, the home loan decisions of many borrowers are not optimal choices with regard to risk of loss of the home, both in that the benefits of the loan are outweighed by the risk of loss of the home imposed by the loan, and in that borrowers are failing to take advantage of alternatives that are preferable, in cost-benefit terms, to shouldering that risk of loss. The households paying these high prices and facing this high risk of foreclosure are disproportionately African-American, Latino, and low to moderate income, households that already have fewer financial resources and significantly lower homeownership rates. The sale of these overpriced and overly risky home loans constitutes what has come to be known as predatory lending. From a legal and policy perspective, what is puzzling about this problem is that borrowers are agreeing to these loans against their own self-interest and despite federally-mandated disclosures regarding loan price, and, for some loans, risk of foreclosure. This paper argues that the problem is not so puzzling when the structure of the home loan market and consumer decisionmaking within that market are carefully analyzed. Federal law regarding home lending is based on a rational actor model of borrower decisionmaking, with some allowances for bounded rationality. But borrowers frequently depart from the law's model due to widespread cognitive limitations, heuristics, biases, and emotional coping mechanisms. This paper explains how sellers are able to take advantage of these impediments to optimal decisionmaking and the structure of the market to convince significant numbers of borrowers to take loans that are overpriced and overly risky. The paper also makes a number of suggestions for reform.
A Review of “Ethics and Professional Issues in Couple and Family Therapy”

Although legal and ethical issues pervade all levels of a couple and family therapist's professional life, there are surprisingly few books that focus solely on that topic. Hecker's edited book pro...
Entropy and Energy Bounds for Metastability Based TRNG with Lightweight Post-Processing

On-chip True Random Number Generators (TRNG) are important cryptographic primitives in a variety of applications. In advanced CMOS process technologies, intra-die variations in transistor parameters bias the TRNG and degrade the statistics of the bit stream generated. In this work, we present a stochastic model for metastability based TRNG circuit incorporating both the impact of intra-die variations and thermal noise. The stochastic model is used to estimate the expected entropy out of a TRNG at a given process corner for variations in channel length and threshold voltage. We use the stochastic model to study the impact of variations on three lightweight post-processing techniques: von Neumann corrector, XOR function, and PRESENT cipher. The expected bit rate out of von Neumann corrector, number of XOR stages required for entropy extraction and the number of iterations for using PRESENT encryption are estimated for various process corners using the probabilistic entropy values. These analyses are further extended to different device sizing and operating voltage to explore the optimum trade-off between entropy extraction and energy overhead. A combination of HSPICE circuit simulation using 32 nm Predictive Technology models and stochastic modeling in MatLab show that XOR function and von Neumann corrector have an energy overhead ranging from 0.012pJ/bit to 0.15pJ/bit at the cost of decreased yield and bit-rate respectively. PRESENT cipher provides robust entropy extraction by increasing the number of encryption iterations from 1 for $\mu/\sigma(Leff) to 3 for $\mu/\sigma(Leff)>8\%$ . With a maximum of 2.52pJ/bit PRESENT provides a more energy efficient solution compared to AES for entropy extraction in power constrained applications.
Approach to Very Small (< 1.5 cm) Cystic Renal Lesions: Ignore, Observe, or Treat?

OBJECTIVE. This article will review the current available literature on the prevalence, behavior, and pathology of very small (< 1.5 cm) cystic renal lesions. A summary of the recommended approach to these very small lesions is provided. CONCLUSION. Limited data exist to guide the management of very small cystic renal lesions. Because most data favor benign or indolent behavior, vigorous workup of the very small cystic renal lesion seems unnecessary.
Degradation of pufLMX mRNA in Rhodobacter capsulatus is initiated by nonrandom endonucleolytic cleavage.

Abstract Differential expression of genes within the puf photosynthesis operon of Rhodobacter capsulatus is achieved primarily through marked segmental differences in stability within the polycistronic puf operon transcripts. The comparatively stable pufBA segment of these transcripts outlives the labile pufLMX segment and accumulates as an abundant puf mRNA degradation intermediate. Here we present further evidence that degradation of pufBALMX mRNA is initiated by endonucleolytic cleavage within the short-lived pufLMX mRNA segment. By deletion analysis, a region sufficient to mediate rapid degradation of this labile RNA segment has been defined. The 3' boundary of this region maps to within a stretch of 30 nucleotides corresponding to pufL codons 49 through 59. Evidence that initial cleavage of the pufLMX RNA segment occurs predominantly upstream of pufM codon 99 has been obtained by using a novel method, hairpin insertion analysis. Additional data indicate that the efficacy of RNA stem-loop structures as 3'-exonuclease barriers is reduced when they are located in translated regions of messages.
Interaction of the sensor module of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv KdpD with members of the Lpr family.

Summary The genetic and biochemical mechanisms by which Mycobacterium tuberculosis senses and responds to the complex environment that it encounters during infection and persistence within the host remain unknown. In a number of bacterial species, the Kdp signal transduction pathway appears to be the primary response to environmental osmotic stress, which is primarily mediated by K+ concentration in bacteria. We show that kdp encodes for components of a mycobacterial signalling pathway by demonstrating the K+ dependence of kdpFABC expression in both M. tuberculosis H37Rv and Mycobacterium smegmatis. To identify proteins of M. tuberculosis that participate in this signalling pathway, we used the N-terminal sensing module of the histidine kinase KdpD as bait in a yeast two-hybrid screen. We show that the sensing domain of KdpD interacts specifically with two membrane lipoproteins, LprJ (Rv1690) and LprF (Rv1368). Overexpression of lprF and lprJ alleles in mycobacterial kdpF–lacZ reporter strains enabled us to identify alleles that modulate kdpFABC expression. By exploiting the yeast three-hybrid system, we have found that the histidine kinase domain of KdpD forms ternary complexes with LprF and LprJ and the sensing module of KdpD. Our results establish a role for membrane proteins in the Kdp signalling pathway and suggest that LprF and LprJ function as accessory or ligand-binding proteins that communicate directly with the sensing domain of KdpD to modulate kdp expression.
Performance criteria for resonant tunneling diodes as millimeter‐wave power sources

A figure-of-merit expression is derived for resonant tunneling diodes being used as millimeter-wave sources. It is found that for very high-frequency applications the most important parameter is the ratio of the peak current to the device capacitance. Results for lattice-matched and pseudomorphic InP-based resonant tunneling structures that have a high figure-of-merit are presented.
Oral Contraceptive Discontinuation: Do Side Effects matter?

Objective The purpose of this study was to assess self-reported side effects in women after they received the oral contraceptive (OC) and to compare discontinuation rates, according to presence or absence of side effects. Study Design The study comprised 1716 women aged Results Nearly 60% of subjects discontinued the OC by 6 months. Most subjects reported no changes in headaches, weight, moodiness, and sexual satisfaction during the first 3 months of OC use. Subjects with any complaints, especially women with increased headaches or moodiness, were more likely to discontinue the OC prematurely. Nonetheless, most discontinuation occurred for reasons that were unrelated to side effects. Conclusion Side effects are absent or mild among most OC users, but women with complaints are more likely to discontinue. Side effects are less important reasons for discontinuation than widely believed.
Automatic classification of unexploded ordnance applied to Spencer Range live site for 5x5 TEMTADS sensor

This paper details methods for automatic classification of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) as applied to sensor data from the Spencer Range live site. The Spencer Range is a former military weapons range in Spencer, Tennessee. Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) sensing is carried out using the 5x5 Time-domain Electromagnetic Multi-sensor Towed Array Detection System (5x5 TEMTADS), which has 25 receivers and 25 co-located transmitters. Every transmitter is activated sequentially, each followed by measuring the magnetic field in all 25 receivers, from 100 microseconds to 25 milliseconds. From these data target extrinsic and intrinsic parameters are extracted using the Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm and the Ortho-Normalized Volume Magnetic Source (ONVMS) algorithms, respectively. Namely, the inversion provides x, y, and z locations and a time series of the total ONVMS principal eigenvalues, which are intrinsic properties of the objects. The eigenvalues are fit to a power-decay empirical model, the Pasion-Oldenburg model, providing 3 coefficients (k, b, and g) for each object. The objects are grouped geometrically into variably-sized clusters, in the k-b-g space, using clustering algorithms. Clusters matching a priori characteristics are identified as Targets of Interest (TOI), and larger clusters are automatically subclustered. Ground Truths (GT) at the center of each class are requested, and probability density functions are created for clusters that have centroid TOI using a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). The probability functions are applied to all remaining anomalies. All objects of UXO probability higher than a chosen threshold are placed in a ranked dig list. This prioritized list is scored and the results are demonstrated and analyzed.
Multilocus Lod Scores in Large Pedigrees: Combination of Exact and Approximate Calculations

To detect the positions of disease loci, lod scores are calculated at multiple chromosomal positions given trait and marker data on members of pedigrees. Exact lod score calculations are often impossible when the size of the pedigree and the number of markers are both large. In this case, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach provides an approximation. However, to provide accurate results, mixing performance is always a key issue in these MCMC methods. In this paper, we propose two methods to improve MCMC sampling and hence obtain more accurate lod score estimates in shorter computation time. The first improvement generalizes the block-Gibbs meiosis (M) sampler to multiple meiosis (MM) sampler in which multiple meioses are updated jointly, across all loci. The second one divides the computations on a large pedigree into several parts by conditioning on the haplotypes of some ‘key’ individuals. We perform exact calculations for the descendant parts where more data are often available, and combine this information with sampling of the hidden variables in the ancestral parts. Our approaches are expected to be most useful for data on a large pedigree with a lot of missing data.
Postshock Mesenteric Lymph Induces Endothelial NF-κB Activation

Background Posthemorrhagic shock mesenteric lymph (PSML) has been shown to activate pulmonary endothelial cells and cause lung injury. Although multiple mediators may be involved, most of these effects are mediated by nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation. Degradation of the inhibitor of kappa B (IκB) is a key regulatory step in the activation of NF-κB. We therefore hypothesized that PSML would cause IκB degradation with subsequent NF-κB phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Methods Mesenteric lymph was collected from male rats before shock and each hour after shock for up to 3 h ( n = 5). Buffer (control), buffer + 10% (v/v) lymph, or buffer + tumor necrosis factor (10 ng/mL) were incubated with human pulmonary endothelial cells for 30 min and then lysed. Immunoblots of lysates were probed for IκB and phospho-p65. Immunohistochemistry was performed on cells grown on glass slides and then treated as above with the third PSML sample. Cells were fixed and then probed for p65. Statistical analysis was performed with Student’s t -test and analysis of variance with significance was set at P Results Western blots of cell lysates for IκB demonstrated a steady decrease in total IκB with each lymph sample. Phosphorylation of NF-κB , p65 component, steadily increased with each PSML sample, with a maximum reached during the third PSML sample, which also significantly increased translocation of NF-κB to the nucleus. Conclusion Postshock mesenteric lymph bioactivity is mediated by pathways which involved IκB degradation. These pathways offer novel off targets for clinical intervention to prevent the distal organ injury caused by postinjury hemorrhagic shock.
An institutional theory of hydraulic fracturing policy

The use of high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has increased substantially over the past five years in the United States. Use of this drilling technology to extract natural gas from hitherto impermeable shale is expected to increase even more in coming decades. Two institutions, integration contracts and well spacing requirements, evolved to mitigate the common-pool economic wastes associated with conventional oil and gas drilling. U.S. regulators have applied these institutions to fracking. However, shale plays differ geologically from conventional plays and are subject to different extractive technologies. We theorize that the point-source pollution characteristics of conventional drilling allowed integration contracts and well space requirements to minimize local negative environmental externalities as an unintended byproduct of minimizing common-pool economic wastes. The non-point source pollution characteristics of fracking, however, make these institutions insufficient to minimize negative environmental externalities associated with drilling in shale plays, because the economic waste problem is different. If policymakers understand the crucial differences between conventional oil and gas plays and shale plays and the drilling technologies applied to them, they should be better equipped to craft fracking regulatory policies that internalize problematic externalities.
Simple Measurement of Ultrashort Pulses

We demonstrate and simulate ultrasimple, alignment-free, single-shot devices for measuring broadband ultrashort pulses. We also present a simple single-shot method for measuring the complete spatio-temporal pulse field, for measuring nonlinear-optical effects, such as continuum generation.
On the Organisation of the Fossil Plants of the Coal-Measures. Part XV

Some years ago M. Renault described some specimens of petioles of Ferns, which he identified with Corda’s genus Zygopteris , identical, in part, with Cotta’s genus Tubicaulis . In my memoir, Part VI., I described, from the lower Carboniferous rocks of Lancashire, two of M. Renault’s species, viz., Zygopteris Lacattii and Z. bibractensis ; but, from an unwillingness to multiply genera based only upon the ill understood fragments of imperfectly known plants, I proposed ( loc. cit ., p. 677) the provisional adoption of the neutral generic term Rachiopteris for a considerable number of these objects, which appeared to be either rhizomes or petioles of Ferns. Subsequent researches have, I think, shown the wisdom of doing so; at all events, further discoveries, which I now propose to put on record, unmistakably confirm my opinion. In the same memoir ( loc. cit ., p. 173) M. Renault described a rhizome, with petioles, the latter of which closely resembled those of Corda’s genus Anachoropteris , and to which the French palaeontologist gave the name of Anachoropteris Decaisnii . But the structure of the rachis of this plant, especially of the transverse section of its vascular bundle, was wholly different from that of any plant previously observed. Having obtained a stem identical with this Anachoropteris , but without any petioles connected with it, I figured my specimen in my memoir, Part VI., Plate 58, fig. 51, where I described it as closely resembling M. Renault’s Anachoropteris Decaisnii .
Food Insecurity is Associated with Household Utility Insecurity among Individuals Living with HIV/AIDS in Rural Appalachia

Individuals living with HIV are faced with numerous issues, including access to medications and food, as well as the struggle to pay for day-to-day expenses, such as utilities. This cross-sectional study examined the levels of food security and household utility security among individuals living with HIV/AIDS in rural Appalachia, as well as medication adherence. More than half of the participants (n = 45, 54.9%) were living in food insecure households and nearly half (n = 38, 46.2%) of participant households were energy secure. Food insecurity was significantly correlated with energy insecurity (tau = 0.394, P .05). This study supports that individuals living with HIV/AIDS have decreased access to resources needed for food and utilities.
Mesial prefrontal cortical lesions and timidity in rats. III. behavior in a semi-natural environment

Behavior of adult male rats with and without lesions in mesial prefrontal cortex (MFC) was studied in a large (72 m2) semi-natural environment (SNE) equipped with numerous wooden nest boxes. The experiment was conducted in 2 partial replicates, one in summer, one in mid-winter. Subjects were introduced to this environment 11 days after surgery, in groups. In the first replication, control and lesioned rats were subjected to mild food deprivation, beginning two weeks after introduction into the SNE. In the second replication, rats were first restricted to separate areas of the SNE, then later allowed full run of the environment. This procedure was then repeated. Summarizing the findings of both replicates, MFC rats were more likely to be found inside nest boxes than controls, changed nest boxes less often, and were less likely to obtain or hoard food from the daily feeding sessions, or to hoard and use nesting material. MFC rats were lower in social rank than controls, and lost less weight during the initial two weeks in replicate one, perhaps due to their relative inactivity. These differences waned over time when MFC rats were competing only within their group, but not when the brain damaged rats were forced to compete with intact controls. It is concluded that the timidity previously described in studies of MFC rats in a laboratory setting (Holson, Holson and Walker) has ethological validity, in that it is also evident in an SNE. The implications of these findings for an understanding of the evolution and function of prefrontal cortex are briefly discussed.
Inhibition of slow action potentials of guinea pig atrial muscle by adenosine: a possible effect on Ca2+ influx.

Adenosine decreases the force of contraction in atrial muscle, the uptake of Ca2+, the plateau phase and duration of the action potential. In contrast to acetylcholine which increases K+ permeability the effects of adenosine are antagonized by caffeine and are not blocked by atropine. It has been suggested that these effects of adenosine are mediated by a depression of the cell membrane to Ca2+ permeability. In order to test this hypothesis we attempted to determine whether adenosine had inhibitory effects on the slow action potential of potassium-depolarized (20 mm) atrial muscle treated with norepinephrine (5 × 10−5m). With the slow action potentials it appears that Ca2+ carries the inward current since (1) the overshoot varies according to the Nernst equation upon changes in extracellular [Ca2+], (2) changes in inward ionic flow associated with the action potential are paralleled by changes in developed tension. Adenosine at micromolar concentrations reduced within seconds the rate of rise and amplitude of the action potential. The action potentials lost their all-or-none nature and appeared graded with adenosine. The muscle became completely inexcitable at concentrations as low as 10.2 μm. These effects of adenosine could either be reversed within seconds by enzymatic degradation of adenosine or by raising the extracellular [Ca2+]. These findings suggest that adenosine depresses the membrane permeability to Ca2+ either directly or through an indirect membrane stabilizing effect mediated by permeability changes in Na+ or K+ ions. This effect of adenosine possibly occurs on the extracellular side of the membrane since adenosine can only exist extracellularly and large and charged adenosine derivatives (ATP, ADP, AMP, c-AMP, NAD and NADP) that probably do not penetrate the cell cause similar effects.
The Lag in the Effect of Monetary Policy on Income and Interest Rates

I. Introduction, 288. — II. Monetary changes, interest rates, and national income, 288. — III. Lag in effect of monetary policy, 291. — IV. Measurement of effects of monetary policy changes, 292.
Radiolytic hydrogen generation from aluminum oxyhydroxide solids: theory and experiment

Exploratory work on gamma exposure to dried solids with chemically-bound water that are typical of those produced on aluminum-clad nuclear fuel in reactor and post-discharge storage has shown a profound production of hydrogen (as the sole gaseous species) from dry boehmite (γ-AlOOH or Al2O3·H2O) powders and barely observable hydrogen from dry gibbsite (γ-Al(OH)3 or Al2O3·3H2O) under gamma irradiation from cobalt-60. A computational investigation of hydrogen bond energies was performed to provide insights to explain the experimental observations. A gas phase or single-molecule model, and a solid phase model were used. For all model reactions, computations indicate hydrogen loss is more favorable for boehmite than for gibbsite, in qualitative agreement with the experimental findings.