cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Satellite tobacco ringspot virus RNA: biological activity of DNA clones and their in vitro transcripts.

Abstract The satellite RNA of tobacco ringspot virus (STobRV RNA) replicates in association with tobacco ringspot virus (TobRV), apparently by means of intermediates that are multimeric, tandem repeats of STobRV RNA ( M. C. Kiefer, S. D. Daubert, I. R. Schneider, and G. Bruening, 1982 , Virology 121, 262–273) and which are capable of autolytic cleavage to produce active monomeric RNA (G. A. Prody, J. T. Bakos, J. M. Buzayan, I. R. Schneider, and G. Bruening, Science , in press). We have prepared plasmids that contain circularly permuted dimeric and trimeric cDNA forms of the 359 residue monomeric STobRV RNA sequence. The dimeric and trimeric DNA inserts contain contiguous, unpermuted monomeric and dimeric STobRV RNA sequences, respectively. Monomeric RNAs of both the encapsidated, (+), and the complementary, (-), polarities were prepared in vitro: transcripts of cloned sequences were initiated at the bacteriophage SP6 promoter, and these autolytically processed to generate RNA with the electrophoretic mobility of monomeric STobRV RNA. Monomeric (+)RNA transcripts and double-stranded DNA with a permuted trimeric sequence were biologically active, as judged by their ability to engender encapsidated STobRV RNA when inoculated to plants in the presence of TobRV. Biological activity was not detected with monometric RNA transcripts of the (-) polarity or with single-stranded DNAs that contained permuted dimeric sequences of either polarity.
Mother-child joint conversational exchanges during events: Linkages to children's memory reports over time

This longitudinal study explores linkages between patterns of mother–child conversation as events unfold and children's subsequent event memory reports. Eighty-nine mother-child dyads took part in novel “adventures” in their homes when the children were 36 and 42 months old. In contrast to “low joint talk” dyads, the conversations of “high joint talk” dyads were characterized by a high proportion of children's correct responses to their mothers' Wh- questions, and a low proportion of failures to respond to these queries. Children in the high joint talk dyads reported more in memory assessments at 36 and 42 months than their low joint talk counterparts. The results point to specific forms of elaborative conversational interactions that may be especially important for successful remembering.
Intrauterine device use in a high-risk population: experience from an urban university clinic.

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptability, efficacy, and complication rates of the ParaGard intrauterine device (IUD; Duramed Pharmaceuticals Inc, Cincinnati, OH) and the Mirena intrauterine system (IUS; Berlax Laboratories, Wayne, NJ) in a cohort of women who attended an urban university-based obstetrics and gynecology resident clinic. Study Design A retrospective chart review was conducted for 194 women who had an IUD/IUS inserted between January 2000-December 2005. Results One-third of the women who received an IUD had a history of sexually transmitted disease before the insertion. No differences were found between women with an IUD or an IUS regarding demographics and obstetric and gynecologic history before IUD insertion. The IUD was associated with significantly higher rates of herpes simplex and Neisseria gonorrhea infections, complaints of expulsion, and unintended pregnancy after the insertion. No increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease was associated with IUD use. Conclusion IUD/IUS use appears to be safe, acceptable, and feasible in high-risk patients. The IUS had lower rates of complications and greater acceptability than the IUD.
Aerosol loading in the Southeastern United States: reconciling surface and satellite observations

Abstract. We investigate the seasonality in aerosols over the Southeastern United States using observations from several satellite instruments (MODIS, MISR, CALIOP) and surface network sites (IMPROVE, SEARCH, AERONET). We find that the strong summertime enhancement in satellite-observed aerosol optical depth (AOD) (factor 2–3 enhancement over wintertime AOD) is not present in surface mass concentrations (25–55% summertime enhancement). Goldstein et al. (2009) previously attributed this seasonality in AOD to biogenic organic aerosol; however, surface observations show that organic aerosol only accounts for ∼35% of fine particulate matter (smaller than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter, PM2.5) and exhibits similar seasonality to total surface PM2.5. The GEOS-Chem model generally reproduces these surface aerosol measurements, but underrepresents the AOD seasonality observed by satellites. We show that seasonal differences in water uptake cannot sufficiently explain the magnitude of AOD increase. As CALIOP profiles indicate the presence of additional aerosol in the lower troposphere (below 700 hPa), which cannot be explained by vertical mixing, we conclude that the discrepancy is due to a missing source of aerosols above the surface layer in summer.
Use of quaternary ammonium to control the spread of aquatic invasive species by wildland fire equipment

Wildland firefighting equipment moves large volumes of raw water during fire incidents in order to extinguish flames or control fire growth. This water movement may serve as pathways for aquatic invasive organisms to be moved between water bodies and watersheds. The equipment used may become contaminated and serve as vectors for future invasions across large geographic areas. New guidelines used by federal firefighting agencies recommend the application of sanitation solutions using quaternary ammonium compounds for decontaminating wildland fire equipment to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species that may foul the equipment. While quaternary ammonium compounds have been tested on other aquatic organisms, the effectiveness of such compounds has not been systematically tested on dreissenid mussels. We tested the survival of quagga mussel veligers after exposure to a 3% solution of Sparquat 256 ® for 5 and 10 minutes. We assessed survival immediately after treatment and then after 60 minutes in fresh water. We found that a 5 minute exposure duration was insufficient to kill 100% of tested veligers. However a 10 minute exposure, as prescribed in the interagency operational guidelines for preventing spread of aquatic invasive species, was effective in killing all tested veligers, but not immediately after treatment. An additional 60 minutes were required after the quaternary ammonium solution was removed before 100% mortality was achieved. This work highlights the need for more rigorous evaluation of the effectiveness of various sanitation solutions in killing quagga and zebra mussels under different ambient temperatures in order to validate and refine the sanitation protocol for firefighting equipment and other applications.
SU-E-T-180: The Radiological Physics Center's Anthropomorphic Quality Assurance Phantom Program.

Purpose: To describe the phantoms, program logistics and current results for the Radiological Physics Center's (RPC) anthropomorphic QA phantom program for credentialing institutions for participation in NCI‐sponsored advanced technology clinical trials. Methods: The RPC has developed an extensive phantom credentialing program consisting of four different phantoms designs: H&N, pelvis, lung and spine. These QA phantoms are water‐filled plastic shells with imageable targets, avoidance structures, and heterogeneities that contain TLD and radiochromic filmdosimeters. Institutions wishing to be credentialed request a phantom and are prioritized for delivery. At the institution, the phantom is imaged, a treatment plan is developed, the phantom is positioned on the treatment couch and the treatment is delivered. The phantom is returned and the measured dose distributions are compared to the institution's electronically submitted treatment plan dosimetry data. Results: The RPC currently has an inventory of 31 H&N, 10 pelvis, 9 lung, and 8 spine phantoms that are mailed to institutions nationally and internationally. In 2011, 444 of these phantoms were mailed out for credentialing. Once the phantom is sent, it takes the institution an average of 26 days to return it to the RPC. On average the dosimeters are analyzed within 17 days and the report is sent 21 days after receipt of the phantom data. In 2011 the percent of phantoms meeting the acceptance criteria increased by 12, 13 and 6 percentage points for the H&N, spine and lung phantoms, respectively. It fell by 5 percentage points for the pelvis phantom. Conclusions: The RPC's QA phantom program has been an effective and responsive QA tool for assessing the use of advanced technologies in NCI sponsored clinical trials. The RPC has been efficient in its mailing of phantoms, and analyzing and reporting results. Work supported by PHS grant CA10953 and CA081647 (NCI, DHHS).
Managing IS Development: A Contingency-Growth Approach

Since Nolan had proposed a growth stage model for information systems IS development, the term has become very popular in IS research areas. The research model proposed has made significant contributions to the IS field. For IS managers, this model provides a guideline to build and manage information systems effectively. For researchers, it has been used as an important tool controlling the confounding effects of the different information systems. Many researchers have made efforts to access the model's validity and plausibility. Overall, these efforts have not been supportive to Nolan's stage model. This paper will review Nolan's growth stage model and its subsequent related research. Changes that have occurred during the last ten years in the IS area will be investigated. Based on a review of literature and our experience, a new conceptual framework for managing IS resources will be proposed.
The geochemistry of Central American volcanic gas condensates

Results of analyses for Cl, F, SO 4 , Ca, Mg, Na, and K in 132 condensates from fumaroles of the Central American volcanoes Santiaguito, Fuego, Pacaya, Izalco, Cerro Negro, and Arenal are given. Each fumarole is of high temperature, greater than 150°C, and is located within 500 m of an active volcanic vent. Condensates were collected over a 5-yr period, August 1964-July 1969. The variation in chemistry of the condensates is shown to depend upon the fumarole location and the time of collection relative to the eruptive and cooling history of the volcano. Ground-water dilution also affects concentration because it is variable and cumulative. The data show that Cl and F in condensates decrease as the magma source is depleted and as the ground-water component in the fumarole increases. F is believed to be depleted by reaction with wallrock, as well. The alkalis, Na and K, are shown to come in part from the wallrock, and probably in part from the magma. Wallrock is suspected to be the chief source of Ca and Mg, as the Ca/Mg ratio in condensates is that of the wallrock. Fumaroles at main active vents are shown to be SO 4 rich, with comparatively low CI/SO 4 ratios. Fumaroles on flows are Cl-rich. The ratio CI/SO 4 decreases at fumaroles in or near a main vent at the beginning of an eruptive period. Regular monitoring of the condensate at such fumaroles should enable prediction of eruptive periods months in advance, although the exact timing would vary with location. The practicality of the method depends upon the existence of accessible fumaroles.
Controlled synthesis of monohydroperoxides by α-tocopherol inhibited autoxidation of polyunsaturated lipids

Abstract α-Tocopherol influences product formation during the autoxidation of unsaturated lipids and, if present in sufficient quantity (5%; 0.1M), only cis,trans -conjugated diene monohydroperoxides are formed: the formation of trans,trans -isomers and secondary oxidation products (e.g. hydroperoxyepidioxides) is suppressed. At this high concentration α-tocopherol does not exert its recognised antioxidant effect but allows autoxidation to proceed smoothly and quite rapidly to produce good yields of monohydroperoxides. This property, coupled with preparative high performance liquid chromatography, has been utilised to prepare and isolate the isomeric monohydroperoxides of methyl arachidonate and 2-linoleoyl-1,3-dipalmitoylglycerol.
Specific proteolysis regulates fusion between endocytic compartments in Xenopus oocytes

We examined the role of proteolytic ligand modification in endosomal targeting using vitellogenin (VTG) uptake by Xenopus oocytes as a model system. Non-cleavable VTG is internalized, but does not appear in yolk platelets. We identified two inhibitors of VTG processing into the yolk proteins: the ionophore monensin and pepstatin A, a specific inhibitor of cathepsin D. Pepstatin neither affected ligand binding and internalization, nor inhibited the degradation of nonspecifically incorporated proteins, whereas monensin inhibited all of these processes. Inhibiting VTG processing prevented its deposition into yolk platelets by strongly interfering with endosome-yolk platelet fusion. Monensin treatment resulted in morphologically abnormal endosomes, while pepstatin only inhibited VTG cleavage and the subsequent fusion of endosomes with yolk platelets. Since VTG cleavage is initiated prior to its deposition in platelets, we postulate that ligand proteolysis could be necessary for normal endosomal targeting.
A new family with hyperthyroxinemia caused by transthyretin Val109 misdiagnosed as thyrotoxicosis and resistance to thyroid hormone--a clinical research center study

Serum transthyretin (TTR) is a protein of liver origin that under normal conditions transports approximately 20% T4. Missense mutations of the TTR gene produce familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy and rarely, euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia (EHT). Of the 3 TTR variants so far identified with increased affinity for T4, Ser6, Thr109, and Met119, only TTR-Thr109 has high enough affinity for T4 to produce consistent hyperthyroxinemia in the heterozygous individuals. Because the mutation GCC-->ACC in codon 109 results in the loss of one Bso FI site in exon 4 of the TTR gene, the use of this enzyme was suggested to screen for TR-Thr109 in subjects with EHT. We investigated a family with dominantly inherited EHT, in which two of eight affected members received ablative thyroid treatment for presumed thyrotoxicosis, and one was misdiagnosed as having resistance to thyroid hormone. All affected individuals had serum reverse T3 concentrations above normal and average T4 50% above the mean of unaffected relatives. Total T3 and TSH levels were within the normal range. Although loss of the Bso FI site in one allele of the two TTR suggested the presence of Thr109, gene sequencing revealed a different mutation in the same codon (GCC-->GTC) producing TTR-Val109. T4-binding to TTR-Val109 was compared to that of the normal TTR-Ala109 and the formerly identified variant TTR-Thr109. Association constants were 1.3, 9.5, and 13.6 X 10(7) M-1 for TTR-Ala109, Val109, and Thr109, respectively. Thus, for equally expressed mutant and normal allele and 20% of serum T4 bound to TTR, the calculated mean serum T4 concentration of heterozygotes for TTR-Val109 should be 50% above the normal mean; the observed value being 55%. These results are in agreement with the observations based on the crystallographic structure of TTR-Thr109 indicating that the extra atoms in Val as in Thr, which are absent in the Ala of the wild type TTR, widen the ligand binding site.
Induced anxiety in the treatment of obesity: A preliminary case report

Two instrumental conditioning techniques were utilized in helping a female graduate student achieve weight loss. Induced anxiety, a behavior therapy procedure, was applied in conjunction with verbal shaping and reinforcement of weight loss over a 15-week treatment period. The subject lost a total of 41.5 lbs during the length of the therapeutic program and maintained the loss during a 60-week no-contact followup period. There were also indications of improved adjustment in coping with daily stresses, heightened feelings of value and worth, and no evidence of “symptom substitution.”
A model for quantifying the value of RFID-enabled equipment tracking in hospitals

US hospitals spend millions of dollars on lost, misplaced and stolen equipment every year. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology provides potential solutions to this problem. The nation's top healthcare providers installing RFID have demonstrated the benefits of RFID. However, most other providers have not followed suit due to the lack of models available to provide measurable steps in successful RFID installation and sustainability, and to predict legitimate returns on investment. To respond this need, we propose a Markov chain model that could quantify the benefits of RFID from reducing equipment shrinkage and staff time of searching for equipment and increasing equipment utilization in hospitals. Using the proposed Markov chain model, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the performance improvement by RFID-enabled equipment tracking in a hospital. Our results demonstrate that an RFID-enabled equipment tracking system could significantly increase equipment utilization. In addition, the proposed model may be used to evaluate the equipment preparation and maintenance policies in hospitals with RFID, and could be easily extended to quantifying the benefits of RFID tracking systems in other industries.
The Cultural Work of Magical Realism in Three Young Adult Novels

Magical realism as a literary mode is often subversive and transgressive, questioning the values and assumptions of the dominant society that it depicts. Young adult literature, by contrast, is typically thought to serve a socializing function, helping to integrate young readers into adult society. What then is the cultural work of magical realism when it appears within young adult novels? An examination of three young adult novels—by Francesca Lia Block, David Almond, and Isabel Allende—reveals that they employ magical realism to accomplish socialization through subversion.
Neural mechanisms for visual memory and their role in attention.

Recent studies show that neuronal mechanisms for learning and memory both dynamically modulate and permanently alter the representations of visual stimuli in the adult monkey cortex. Three commonly observed neuronal effects in memory-demanding tasks are repetition suppression, enhancement, and delay activity. In repetition suppression, repeated experience with the same visual stimulus leads to both short- and long-term suppression of neuronal responses in subpopulations of visual neurons. Enhancement works in an opposite fashion, in that neuronal responses are enhanced for objects with learned behavioral relevance. Delay activity is found in tasks in which animals are required to actively hold specific information “on-line” for short periods. Repetition suppression appears to be an intrinsic property of visual cortical areas such as inferior temporal cortex and is thought to be important for perceptual learning and priming. By contrast, enhancement and delay activity may depend on feedback to temporal cortex from prefrontal cortex and are thought to be important for working memory. All of these mnemonic effects on neuronal responses bias the competitive interactions that take place between stimulus representations in the cortex when there is more than one stimulus in the visual field. As a result, memory will often determine the winner of these competitions and, thus, will determine which stimulus is attended.
Spouse adjustment to cancer surgery: Distress and coping responses

Although often acknowledged, the impact of the surgical treatment of cancer on the spouse of the adult cancer patient is a largely unexplored area. The present study examined distress, coping, and appraisal among spouses (N = 36) and patients (N = 43) assessed prior to and following surgery. The results indicated that at both the presurgical and postsurgical period, spouses were exhibiting significantly greater distress than patients. Surprisingly, spouses' levels of distress remained fairly constant across the presurgery to postsurgery period, while the patients' distress decreased. Escape and avoidance behaviors were found to be maladaptive for spouses coping with their partners' surgical treatment. Appraisal was also found to be a critical factor in understanding individual reactions to the stress of cancer surgery. Spouses of cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment appear to be an underacknowledged population at risk.
Overview Of Aero-Optical Phenomena

High energy pulsed and high power CW lasers are considered. The path of the photons is traced from generation in the laser cavity to interaction with a target. At each step along the path, the interaction between aerodynamics and laser radiation must be understood to avoid serious degradation of beam quality. Beam distortion effects are cumulative. Aero-optics as an interdisciplinary technical area has achieved a level of maturity where most pitfalls can be circumvented.
Job Satisfaction as a Social Concern

Individual and organizational adaptations to the dynamics of restricted economic growth are examined, and speculations are made about adaptations in a no-growth economy. The restricted-growth adaptations come together in job satisfaction, sought by the individual and provided by the organization in recognition of its social commitment.
Mechanical properties of a cryogenically mechanically alloyed polycarbonate–poly(aryl ether ether ketone) system

The processing–property relationship of a model cryogenically mechanically alloyed polymer–polymer system [polycarbonate (PC) and poly(aryl ether ether ketone) (PEEK)] was investigated. PC and PEEK powders were cryogenically mechanically alloyed for 10 h, and the resulting two-phase powder particles were processed into testable coupons with a miniature ram-injection molder. The bulk mechanical properties of the coupons made from the mechanically alloyed powders and nonmechanically alloyed powders were investigated as a function of mechanical alloying and injection-molding parameters. The injection-molded coupons were mechanically tested in the three-point-bending mode. The results demonstrated that no measurable improvement was achieved in the energy to break, strain at failure, or failure strength in the coupons made from the mechanically alloyed materials in comparison with those of the coupons made from the nonmechanically alloyed powders. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1196–1202, 2003
Biology of AAV Serotype Vectors in Liver-Directed Gene Transfer to Nonhuman Primates

Vectors based on adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) show promise for the treatment of genetic diseases. This study evaluates the biology of AAV-mediated gene transfer to liver in nonhuman primates (NHPs) using vectors based on AAV serotypes 2, 7, and 8. Transgenes encoding self-proteins were selected to minimize the confounding development of transgene-specific immune responses. These included the β subunit of choriogonadotropic hormone (bCG) and erythropoietin (Epo), both derived from cDNAs from rhesus macaques. Experiments were performed with bCG in rhesus macaques and Epo in cynomolgus macaques. We demonstrated the previously untested hypothesis that preexisting immunity to a natural infection does substantially diminish the efficacy of gene transfer with a vector derived from an endogenous virus. Route of vector administration clearly has an impact on the development of immune responses to self-antigens. In general, efficiency of gene transfer to liver with AAV7 and 8 vectors was higher than what was achieved with AAV2, although a variety of host factors may influence this important parameter, such as preexisting immunity, gender, and transgene immunity.
Analysis of structure in fuzzy linear programs

Abstract Fuzzy linear programming problems are analyzed within the fuzzy set context to uncover redundancies, infeasibilities, variables whose values are fixed, and implied bounds on rows and columns. Applications include pre-analysis of perturbed constraint matrices and post-optimization analysis fuzzy linear programming problems.
Digital image processing techniques applied to the radar detection problem

The author investigates the utility of applying to the radar detection problem several nonlinear filtering structures that have been shown to be useful in image processing. In particular, a CFAR-(constant-false-alarm-rate-)like window processing technique is described. After describing the form of this processing window and pointing out the similarities between it and both conventional CFAR and median filtering windows, the author presents performance results. Results are shown that clearly demonstrate the utility of this window in suppressing cluster and main lobe sidelobe interference. The proposed nonlinear filter structure can track narrowband signals without having to estimate filter coefficients. It can reduce the effects of both Gaussian and exponential noise. The filter is also able to greatly improve the appearance of a detected signal in wideband noise. >
When good instructions go bad: generalizing return-oriented programming to RISC

This paper reconsiders the threat posed by Shacham's "return-oriented programming" -- a technique by which W-xor-X-style hardware protections are evaded via carefully crafted stack frames that divert control flow into the middle of existing variable-length x86 instructions -- creating short new instructions streams that then return. We believe this attack is both more general and a greater threat than the author appreciated. In fact, the vulnerability is not limited to the x86 architecture or any particular operating system, is readily exploitable, and bypasses an entire category of malware protections. In this paper we demonstrate general return-oriented programming on the SPARC, a fixed instruction length RISC architecture with structured control flow. We construct a Turing-complete library of code gadgets using snippets of the Solaris libc, a general purpose programming language, and a compiler for constructing return-oriented exploits. Finally, we argue that the threat posed by return-oriented programming, across all architectures and systems, has negative implications for an entire class of security mechanisms: those that seek to prevent malicious computation by preventing the execution of malicious code.
Vibrational control: Nonlinear theory

A notion of vibrational stabilizability for a class of nonlinear systems is introduced and analyzed.
Use of multivitamin supplements in relation to allergic disease in 8-y-old children

Background: Multivitamins are frequently consumed by children, but it is unclear whether this affects the risk of allergic disease. Objective: We sought to study the association between multivitamin supplementation and allergic disease in 8-y-old children. Design: Data were obtained from a Swedish birth cohort study. Information on lifestyle factors, including use of vitamin supplements, environmental exposures, and symptoms and diagnoses of allergic diseases, was obtained by parental questionnaires. In addition, allergen-specific IgE concentrations of food and airborne allergens were measured in blood samples collected at age 8 y. A total of 2423 children were included in the study. The association between use of vitamin supplements and the selected health outcomes was analyzed with logistic regression. Results: Overall, no strong and consistent associations were observed between current multivitamin use and asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, or atopic sensitization at age 8 y. However, children who reported that they started taking multivitamins before or at age 4 y had a decreased risk of sensitization to food allergens (odds ratio: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.97) and tendencies toward inverse associations with allergic rhinitis. In contrast, there was no consistent association among children who started to use multivitamins at or after age 5 y. Conclusion: Our results show no association between current use of multivitamins and risk of allergic disease but suggest that supplementation with multivitamins during the first years of life may reduce the risk of allergic disease at school age. Am J Clin Nutr
Status of the NRC Decommissioning Program

On July 21, 1997, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published the final rule on Radiological Criteria for License Termination (the License Termination Rule or LTR) as Subpart E to 10 CFR Part 20. NRC regulations require that materials licensees submit Decommissioning Plans to support the decommissioning of its facility if it is required by license condition, or if the procedures and activities necessary to carry out the decommissioning have not been approved by NRC and these procedures could increase the potential health and safety impacts to the workers or the public. NRC regulations also require that reactor licensees submit Post-shutdown Decommissioning Activities Reports and License Termination Plans to support the decommissioning of nuclear power facilities. This paper provides an update on the status of the NRC’s decommissioning program. It discusses the staff’s current efforts to streamline the decommissioning process, current issues being faced in the decommissioning program, such as partial site release and restricted release of sites, as well as the status of the decommissioning of complex sites and those listed in the Site Decommissioning Management Plan. The paper discusses the status of permanently shut-down commercial power reactors and the transfer of complex decommissioning sites and sites listed on the SDMP to Agreement States. Finally the paper provides an update of the status of various tools and guidance the NRC is developing to assist licensees during decommissioning, including an effort to consolidate and risk-inform decommissioning guidance.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Characterization of transfer molding effects on RF performance of power amplifier module

In this study, impacts of transfer molding material on electrical performance of a Power Amplifier (PA) module for GSM/GPRS mobile phone application were characterized. Critical areas on the module to cause output power (Pout) degradation were identified, which serves as a guidance for design compensation to minimize molding effects. Molding compound dielectric property is an important variable to the molding effects. Therefore, dielectric property measurement techniques and capabilities were established up to 10 GHz. Various molding compound materials from vendors were obtained. Dielectric constant (Dk) and loss tangent (Df) were measured up to 10 GHz. Electromagnetic (EM) simulations on the PA module US PCS band (1850 to 1910 MHz) die output matching physical structures, including Cu transmission lines and MOS capacitors and their wirebonds, bias feeding, and daisy chain coupler before and after molding, were conducted using measured dielectric property data. Simulations show that the most sensitive area to molding are MOS capacitors and their wirebonds, which caused center band frequency shifting 31 MHz lower after molding. Selective glob top encapsulate experiments were conducted on the PA module US PCS band path, and critical areas for power-out (Pout) drop and band frequency shift were identified. MOS capacitors and their wirebonds in the output matching circuit accounted for 58% of total Pout drop after molding, and GaAs die with inter-stage matching passives on and off chip accounted for 22% of total Pout drop. Small signal gain measurements show that pass band center frequency shifted lower after glob top encapsulate the MOS capacitors and their wirebonds, which significantly dropped gain at high frequency edge of 1910 MHz. Design compensation to minimize Pout drop was used to tune module band purposely higher to account for the frequency shift after molding. Next generation die and module design was compensated, and band center was purposely shifted higher.
Virus-host cell interactions during hepatitis C virus RNA replication: impact of polyprotein expression on the cellular transcriptome and cell cycle association with viral RNA synthesis.

Considerable controversy surrounds the impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) protein expression on viability of host cells and regulation of the cell cycle. Both promotion of cellular proliferation and apoptosis have been observed in different experimental systems. To determine whether expression of the entire complement of HCV proteins in the context of ongoing viral RNA replication significantly alters the host cell transcriptome and cell cycle regulatory processes, we carried out high-density oligonucleotide microarray studies and analyzed cell cycle distributions and S-phase entry in Huh7 cell clones harboring selectable, full-length, replicating HCV RNAs that express the entire genotype 1b, HCV-N polyprotein, and clonally related cells in which all viral RNA was eliminated by prior treatment with alpha interferon. Oligonucleotide microarray analyses revealed only subtle, coordinated differences in the mRNA profiles of cells containing replicating viral RNA and their interferon-cured progeny, with variation between different cell clones having a greater influence on the cellular transcriptome than the presence or absence of replicating HCV RNA. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated no significant differences in cell cycle distribution among populations of asynchronously growing cells of both types. Cell lines containing replicating viral RNA and their interferon-cured progeny were able to reenter the cell cycle similarly after transient G 1 arrest. In contrast, although viral protein expression and genome replication did not alter cell cycle control in these cells, HCV genome replication was highly dependent on cellular proliferation, with viral RNA synthesis strongly decreased in poorly proliferating, confluent, or serum-starved cells and substantially enhanced in the S phase of the cell cycle.
A Pioneer Nursing Genomics Staff Development Program

In 2001, a large Midwestern medical center determined that providing genomics education to all members of its health care team was a top priority. Two advanced practice nurses were selected to coordinate education for a diverse group of over 6000 nurses. A needs assessment conducted during an entry level genomics course revealed 82% of nurse attendees had no working knowledge of genomics but 83% considered genomics relevant to their clinical practice. Genomics education has been delivered using a variety of methods that prepares nurses in all practice settings to understand and clinically apply genomics information. Creation of a Nursing Genomics Interest Group has served to develop expertise in a core group of nurses using a ‘train the trainer’ approach which maximizes genomics education to all nursing specialties and strengthens the infrastructure for ongoing education. This presentation includes information on how to implement a nursing genomics staff development program and expand it in a logical and structured manner. Nurses are in a unique position to step forward to meet the burgeoning genomic education demands of patients and families. A structured nursing genomics staff development program can enhance capacity to provide state of the art health care within the profession of nursing.
Controlling Morphological Parameters of Anodized Titania Nanotubes for Optimized Solar Energy Applications

Anodized TiO2 nanotubes have received much attention for their use in solar energy applications including water oxidation cells and hybrid solar cells (dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and bulk heterojuntion solar cells (BHJs)). High surface area allows for increased dye-adsorption and photon absorption. Titania nanotubes grown by anodization of titanium in fluoride-containing electrolytes are aligned perpendicular to the substrate surface, reducing the electron diffusion path to the external circuit in solar cells. The nanotube morphology can be optimized for the various applications by adjusting the anodization parameters but the optimum crystallinity of the nanotube arrays remains to be realized. In addition to morphology and crystallinity, the method of device fabrication significantly affects photon and electron dynamics and its energy conversion efficiency. This paper provides the state-of-the-art knowledge to achieve experimental tailoring of morphological parameters including nanotube diameter, length, wall thickness, array surface smoothness, and annealing of nanotube arrays.
COVE: a visual environment for multidisciplinary science collaboration

New technologies and approaches are transforming how we carry out and communicate science. In oceanography, large multidisciplinary teams are developing deep-water ocean observatories of unprecedented scale. These observatories will allow hundreds of scientists from disparate fields to conduct experiments together, provide real-time sensor and data access through the Internet, and create a vast archive of data. My work explores some of the challenges of creating collaborative tools to support this new science. Working together with a team of scientists, I designed and deployed the Collaborative Ocean Visualization Environment (COVE) to bring together the data, processes and people on the team. I then carried out three field evaluations of COVE: a multi-month deployment with the scientists, engineers, and graphics staff of the observatory design team, and two different two-week deployments as the primary planning and collaboration platform for expeditionary cruises to map observatory node sites and geothermal sites. Based on these experiences and insight gained in these deployments, I explore the needs of interactive tools to support the work of large multidisciplinary ocean science teams.
Influence of enhanced malate dehydrogenase expression by alfalfa on diversity of rhizobacteria and soil nutrient availability

Transgenic alfalfa over-expressing a nodule-enhanced malate dehydrogenase (neMDH) cDNA and untransformed alfalfa plants were grown at the same field site and rhizosphere soils collected after 53 weeks of plant growth. These alfalfa lines differ in the amount and composition of root organic acids produced and exuded into the rhizosphere. Nucleotide sequencing of PCR-based 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) clone libraries and Biologe GN microtiter plates were employed to assess the activity of naturally occurring rhizobacteria in the two alfalfa rhizospheres. Selected macro- and micro-elements in the two alfalfa rhizosphere soils were also measured. Analysis of 240 16S rDNA clone sequences indicated the existence of about 11 bacterial phyla and their major subdivisions in the two alfalfa rhizosphere samples. There were qualitative changes in the abundance of bacterial phylogenetic groups between rhizosphere soils of transgenic and untransformed alfalfa. Carbon substrate utilization profiles suggested that rhizosphere samples from transgenic alfalfa had significantly greater microbial functional diversity compared with rhizosphere samples from untransformed alfalfa. The concentrations of nitric acid extractable P, K, Mn, Zn and Cu increased significantly in the transgenic alfalfa rhizosphere compared with the untransformed alfalfa rhizosphere. These observations indicate that organic acids produced by plant roots significantly influence rhizosphere microbial diversity and availability of macro- and micro-nutrients and demonstrate the utility of such trangenic plants as tools for studying the potential impact of plant root exudates on soil microbial ecosystems. q 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
The case for antenna cancellation for scalable full-duplex wireless communications

Recent works have considered the feasibility of full duplex (FD) wireless communications in practice. While the first FD system by Choi et.al. relied on a specific antenna cancellation technique to achieve a significant portion of self-interference cancellation, the various limitations of this technique prompted latter works to move away from antenna cancellation and rely on analog cancellation achieved through channel estimation. However, the latter systems in turn require the use of variable attenuator and delay elements that need to be automatically tuned to compensate for the self-interference channel. This not only adds complexity to the overall system but also makes the performance sensitive to wide-band channels. More importantly, none of the existing FD schemes can be readily scaled to MIMO systems.In this context, we revisit the role of antenna cancellation in FD communications and show that it has more potential in its applicability to FD than previously thought. We advocate a design that overcomes the limitations that have been pointed out in the literature. We then extend this to a two-stage design that allows both transmit and receive versions of antenna cancellation to be jointly leveraged. Finally, we illustrate an extension of our design to MIMO systems, where a combination of both MIMO and FD can be realized in tandem.
Recovery of forest plant communities in post‐agricultural landscapes

As landscapes throughout Europe and eastern North America recover from past agricultural use, forests continue to reflect their agricultural history. For centuries after agriculture has ceased, plant communities on abandoned agricultural lands remain impoverished in herbaceous species characteristic of uncleared forests. To facilitate the recovery of biological diversity in these forests, and to anticipate the effects of future land-use decisions, we need to understand the process of recolonization. The unique interactions between forest herbs and agricultural history also allow us to explore some universal questions in ecology, such as how dispersal and environment limit species distributions.
Numerical Investigation of the Three-Dimensional Flow Structure About a Revolving Wing

A numerical study is conducted to examine the vortex structure about a revolving wing in quiescent flow employing a high-fidelity, implicit large eddy simulation (ILES) technique found to be effective in simulating flows that exhibit interspersed regions of laminar, transitional, and turbulent flows. The revolving wing configuration consists of a single, aspect ratio one rectangular plate extended out a distance of 0.5 chords from the origin. Shortly after the onset of the motion, the rotating wing generates a stable and coherent vortex system across the leading edge and wing root that remains throughout the motion. The aerodynamic loads are also analyzed and found to remain mostly constant during the maneuver. Transitional effects on the vortex system are investigated over a range of Reynolds numbers (3,000 < Re < 15,000). It is found that higher Reynolds numbers promote more breakdown of the leading edge and root vortices, but do not alter the stability of the vortex system. The aerodynamic loads also show little sensitivity to Reynolds number with the higher Reynolds numbers producing only moderately higher forces. Comparisons with recent experimental PIV measurements using a PIV-like data reduction technique applied to the computational solution show very favorable agreement with the mid-span velocity and vorticity contours.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
An adaptively trained neural network

A training procedure that adapts the weights of a trained layered perceptron artificial neural network to training data originating from a slowly varying nonstationary process is proposed. The resulting adaptively trained neural network (ATNN), based on nonlinear programming techniques, is shown to adapt to new training data that are in conflict with earlier training data without affecting the neural networks' response to data elsewhere. The adaptive training procedure also allows for new data to be weighted in terms of its significance. The adaptive algorithm is applied to the problem of electric load forecasting and is shown to outperform the conventionally trained layered perceptron. >
Nanocytology for field carcinogenesis detection: novel paradigm for lung cancer risk stratification.

Despite being curable at early stages, lung malignancies remain the leading cause of cancer deaths among North Americans, underscoring the need for more effective early diagnostic strategies. Lung cancer should be eminently screenable since the at-risk population is well defined (~90% of lung cancer occurs in current or former smokers) [1]. While previous trials with chest x-ray and sputum cytology has been disappointing, there has been renewed interest in screening using low-dose computerized tomography (LDCT). The landmark results came from a randomized trial of 55,000 smokers (National Lung Cancer Screening Trial) that demonstrated that LDCT screening resulted in a 20% reduction of lung cancer deaths. However, the false positives rate with LDCT was substantial (cumulative rate of 33% after two LDCTs). Importantly, 7% of these false positive LDCTs mandated an invasive procedure (generally bronchoscopy) [2]. The poor positive predictive value results from the low prevalence of lung cancer in the asymptomatic smokers (~1%) and represents one of the most vexing barriers to LDCT screening [3]. Indeed, even with excellent test performance (e.g., 90% sensitivity and 90% specificity), more than nine in ten positives are actually false positives in conventional lung cancer screening groups. Thus, the concerns over cost and harms from false positives (e.g., patient anxiety, cost and complications from unnecessary invasive procedures) represent major impediments to the implementation of LDCT for population screening.
Pattern Recognition with Optimal Margin Classifiers

Pattern classifiers use problem specific knowledge, an example database, or a combination of the two to provide a functional mapping from input patterns to class labels. Several important methods are described, including statistical techniques and neural nets. The tradeoffs between memorization of the training data, and the ability of classifiers to give correct outputs for inputs that are not contained in the example database are described. The notion of capacity of a family of functions is introduced as a means to control this tradeoff. Finally, the optimal margin learning algorithm is described as a means of applying the derived concepts to practical pattern classification problem.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Thermophilic Cyanobacterium from the Family Oscillatoriales (Strain MTP1) from the Chalk River, Colorado

ABSTRACT The draft genome (57.7% GC, 7,647,882 bp) of the novel thermophilic cyanobacterium MTP1 was determined by metagenomics of an enrichment culture. The genome shows that it is in the family Oscillatoriales and encodes multiple heavy metal resistances as well as the capacity to make exopolysaccharides.
Ultrasound for Subacromial Bursitis

Calcific subacromial bursitis is a problem frequently encountered by physical therapists. This disorder is probably the result of rotator cuff tendonitis, which is associated with secondary involvement of the immediately overlaying subacromial bursa.1 Medical texts suggest conservative treatment including rest, cold, and irrigation and needling the bursal sac.2–4 Ultrasound (US) treatment is suggested for calcific subacromial bursitis although one study indicates that US does not assist in the resolution of the calcium deposit.5,6 PATIENT HISTORY The subject was a 38-year-old woman with a sedentary lifestyle. She reported a two-year history of left shoulder pain that began gradually and without trauma. She experienced varying degrees of pain during the two-year period but was never pain free. She traumatized the shoulder by falling on it and reported to the emergency room with intolerable pain. Roentgenograms (Figs. 1 and 2) demonstrated a subacromial calcification. An unsuccessful attempt was made to irrigate the bursa.…