cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethnicity and the stigma of disabilities

Abstract Recent studies reveal significant differences in the attitudes held by people of various ethnic groups toward people with disabilities. We surveyed university students and community members on a scale of desired social distance from people with disabilities. Study 1 revealed that Asian-American participants were more likely to stigmatize and less likely to differentiate between individuals with physical and mental illness than were their African-American, Latin-American or European-American counterparts. Study 2 compared U.S. born with Asian born Asian-Americans and found that nativity was a useful predictor of attitudes toward people with disabilities. Asian born participants were more likely to stigmatize disabilities overall (except mental illness and old age) than U.S. born participants presumably because of the level of assimilation. These cultural differences may have health care and psychosocial implications for those who are disabled and for health care providers.
Effect of sunlight intensity and albinism on the covering response of the Caribbean sea urchin Tripneustes ventricosus

At Discovery Bay, Jamaica, Tripneustes ventricosus lives in beds of the turtle grass Thalassia testudinum. Especially during daylight hours, it covers its aboral surface with fragments of this plant and other objects. Normally pigmented, wild-type sea urchins covered themselves significantly less with Thalassia when sunlight was experimentally decreased to 66% or 32% ambient intensity. Consistent with this result, naturally occurring sea urchins exhibited significantly less covering at a deep (3.5 m) site than at a shallow (1 m) site, where light intensities at the bottom were 619 and 946 μmol s−1 m−2, respectively. The graded covering response to light intensity suggests that covering is a defense against damaging solar radiation. Albino sea urchins covered themselves significantly more with Thalassia than wild-type sea urchins in both full and 66% sunlight. In addition, at the shallow site where they accounted for about 4% of the population, they showed significantly greater covering than wild-type urchins. The greater covering response of albino sea urchins suggests a greater susceptibility to solar radiation.
An overview of volcano infrasound: From hawaiian to plinian, local to global

Abstract Volcano infrasound is an increasingly useful technique for detecting, locating, characterizing, and quantifying eruptive activity, and can be used to constrain eruption source parameters. In recent years, studies of infrasound data from active volcanoes have shown clear progress towards mitigating volcanic hazards and understanding volcanic source processes. Volcano acoustic sources are shallow or aerial, thus volcano infrasound data provide valuable information on eruption dynamics and are readily combined with direct and remote observations of gas, ash, and other eruptive phenomena. The infrasound signals produced by volcanoes are indicative of the eruption style and dynamics. Here we review the diversity of infrasound signals generated by a wide variety of volcanic eruptions, from hawaiian to plinian, and the physical processes inferred to produce them. We place particular emphasis on regional (15–250 km distance) and global (> 250 km distance) volcano infrasound studies, as recent work in this area has made significant advances in monitoring and characterizing remote and difficult-to-monitor eruptions. Long-range infrasonic detection of explosive volcanic eruptions is possible due to the energetic source mechanisms involved, minor atmospheric attenuation at low frequencies, and the existence of waveguides in the atmosphere. However, accurate characterization of the atmosphere and its spatiotemporal variability is required for reliable long-range sound propagation modeling and correct interpretation of global infrasound recordings. Conversely, because volcanic explosions are energetic and sometimes repetitive infrasound sources, they can be used to validate atmospheric and acoustic propagation models.
Does Rational Persuasion Influence Potential Consultees

Success in collaborative school-based consultation depends on whether teachers implement interventions suggested by consultants. In business literature, Rational Persuasion (RP) has been identified as one potentially effective way to influence consultee perceptions about proposed interventions. RP includes intervention information, why it is important to decide to use the intervention, and potential objections to the intervention with arguments against those objections. The influence of these RP elements on potential school-based consultees has not been studied. This preliminary analog study investigated whether presenting RP importance and objections for behavioral interventions influenced teachers' ratings of acceptability, effectiveness, and commitment-to-implement. Participants included 71 teachers enrolled in graduate education courses. The within-subject design included three video vignettes of each of three conditions for three different behavioral interventions (total of nine possible videos, three presented to each group). Results suggest that the influence of RP on acceptability, perceived effectiveness, and commitment-to-implement ratings was inconsistent. Implications for research and practice are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 627–640, 2003.
Prognostic applications of exercise testing.

During the past three decades, the exercise test has evolved into a method of considerable importance in the evaluation of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. Exercise testing...
The organization of radial glial fibers in spontaneous neocortical ectopias of newborn New Zealand black mice

Abstract Forty percent of New Zealand Black (NZB) mice, a strain that develops severe autoimmune disease, have ectopic collections of neurons in layer I of the neocortex. This strain is used as a model for similar anomalies seen in the dyslexic brain. In the present study we immunohistochemically stained radial glial fibers and their anchoring processes (which form the glial external limiting membrane) in the region of ectopias in NZB mice. The organization of glial fibers was abnormal in and around the ectopic region. Radial glial fibers underlying the ectopia were denser than in the surrounding cortex, and within the ectopia there was a disorganized matrix of glial fibers. Most glial fibers, however, did not enter the ectopia, but instead curved towards the edge of the ectopia and attached there. The glial limiting membrane was breached in the area of the ectopia, indicating that an insult to this membrane may have allowed neurons to migrate into layer I and the overlying subarachnoid space. This finding along with the results of the accompanying paper on puncture wounds of the cortex of newborn rodents supports the view that rupture of the external limiting glial membrane is responsible for the inappropriate migration of neurons into the molecular layer.
Managing Agricultural Emissions to the Atmosphere: State of the Science, Fate and Mitigation, and Identifying Research Gaps

The impact of agriculture on regional air quality creates significant challenges to sustainability of food supplies and to the quality of national resources. Agricultural emissions to the atmosphere can lead to many nuisances, such as smog, haze, or offensive odors. They can also create more serious effects on human or environmental health, such as those posed by pesticides and other toxic industrial pollutants. It is recognized that deterioration of the atmosphere is undesirable, but the short- and long-term impacts of specific agricultural activities on air quality are not well known or understood. These concerns led to the organization of the 2009 American Chemical Society Symposium titled . An outcome of this symposium is this special collection of 14 research papers focusing on various issues associated with production agriculture and its effect on air quality. Topics included emissions from animal feeding operations, odors, volatile organic compounds, pesticides, mitigation, modeling, and risk assessment. These papers provide new research insights, identify gaps in current knowledge, and recommend important future research directions. As the scientific community gains a better understanding of the relationships between anthropogenic activities and their effects on environmental systems, technological advances should enable a reduction in adverse consequences on the environment.
Cellular compartmentalization of secondary metabolism

Fungal secondary metabolism is often considered apart from the essential housekeeping functions of the cell. However, there are clear links between fundamental cellular metabolism and the biochemical pathways leading to secondary metabolite synthesis. Besides utilizing key biochemical precursors shared with the most essential processes of the cell (e.g., amino acids, acetyl CoA, NADPH), enzymes for secondary metabolite synthesis are compartmentalized at conserved subcellular sites that position pathway enzymes to use these common biochemical precursors. Co-compartmentalization of secondary metabolism pathway enzymes also may function to channel precursors, promote pathway efficiency and sequester pathway intermediates and products from the rest of the cell. In this review we discuss the compartmentalization of three well-studied fungal secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways for penicillin G, aflatoxin and deoxynivalenol, and summarize evidence used to infer subcellular localization. We also discuss how these metabolites potentially are trafficked within the cell and may be exported.
Nonenzymatic Browning In Synthetic Systems Containing Ascorbic Acid, Amino Acids, Organic Acids, And Inorganic Salts

The browning reactions between ascorbic acid and the 20 amino acids except tyrosine were studied at 44° and 72°C in model systems and the colour formation was followed by measurement of the absorbance at 400 nm. The progress and the extent of the colour development in unbuffered systems were dependent on temperature, incubation period, individual amino acids, and other additives. All amino acids except cysteine interacted with ascorbic acid, resulting in more pronounced colour formation than when ascorbic acid was present alone. Cysteine protected ascorbic acid against the formation of the brown pigment. Tryptophan exceeded all the other amino acids in enhancing the browning of ascorbic acid. At 72°C colour development caused by ascoibic acid and tryptophan was further enhanced by the presence of malic acid, citric acid, Feso4, Cuso4, and Na2Hpo4, but colour formation was reduced by fumaric acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, Cacl2, Nahso3, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium tetraphosphate, sodium metaphosphate, and sodium polyphosphate.
Enhancement of Glucose transport in clone 9 cells by exposure to alkaline pH: Studies on potential mechanisms

Incubation of a nontransformed rat liver cell line. Clone 9, at pH 8.5 resulted in an ≈16-fold stimulation of cytochalasin B-inhibitable 3-O-methylglucose (3-OMG) transport, an effect that was independent of the presence of serum. Exposure to 100 ng/ml 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) stimulated 3-OMG uptake, and the enhancement was not additive to that produced by incubation at pH 8.5. In cells “depleted” of protein kinase C activity by a 20-hr exposure to TPA, however, the stimulation of 3-OMG transport in response to incubation at alkaline pH was still fully demonstrable. In control and alkaline pH-exposed cells, the inhibition of 3-OMG uptake by cytochalasin B was consistent with a single-site ligand binding model (K 1≈10−7 m). Northern blot analysis demonstrated the presence of only the human erythrocyte/rat brain/HepG2 cell glucose transporter-mRNA isoform (EGT), and the abundance of this mRNA was unchanged following exposure to alkaline pH. Immunoblot analysis, using polyclonal antibodies directed against the carboxy-terminal dodecapeptide of EGT, demonstrated and ≈2.0-fold increase in the abundance of transporters in partially purified plasma membrane fractions following incubation at pH 8.5, while EGT abundance was unchanged in whole-cell extracts. It is concluded that the stimulation of glucose transport in response to incubation of Clone 9 cells at alkaline pH does not require the presence of serum or activation of protein kinase C, and that the response is at least in part mediated by an increase in the number of glucose transporters in the plasma membrane.
A supervisory control paradigm for real-time control of flexible manufacturing systems

Most of the current academic flexible manufacturing system (FMS) scheduling research has focused on the derivation of algorithms or knowledge-based techniques for efficient FMS real-time control. Here, the limitations of this view are outlined with respect to effective control of actual real-time FMS operation. A more realistic paradigm for real-time FMS control is presented, based on explicit engineering of human and automated control functions and system interfaces. To illustrate design principles within the conceptual model, an example of algorithmic and operator function models for a specific real-time FMS control problem are developed.
Scaling of structural response of containments

Abstract The scaling of the response of containments subjected to internal pressure and other static loadings is treated in this paper. Primary emphasis will be given to reinforced and prestressed concrete containments. Topics covered include: • - basic similitude relations for model design, loading, deformations, and stress resultants, and the associated scaling factors. • - distortion of dead load (self weight) stresses. • - materials for fabricating reduced scale structures, and sensitivities of failure modes to material properties. • - cracking similitude and scaling of the bond between concrete and reinforcement. • - influence of fabrication and construction practices on structural response of reinforced and steel models. • - expected levels of confidence in physical modeling.
Comparative analysis of sequence characteristics of imprinted genes in human, mouse, and cattle

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic mechanism that results in monoallelic expression of genes depending on parent-of-origin of the allele. Although the conservation of genomic imprinting among mammalian species has been widely reported for many genes, there is accumulating evidence that some genes escape this conservation. Most known imprinted genes have been identified in the mouse and human, with few imprinted genes reported in cattle. Comparative analysis of genomic imprinting across mammalian species would provide a powerful tool for elucidating the mechanisms regulating the unique expression of imprinted genes. In this study we analyzed the imprinting of 22 genes in human, mouse, and cattle and found that in only 11 was imprinting conserved across the three species. In addition, we analyzed the occurrence of the sequence elements CpG islands, C + G content, tandem repeats, and retrotransposable elements in imprinted and in nonimprinted (control) cattle genes. We found that imprinted genes have a higher G + C content and more CpG islands and tandem repeats. Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) were notably fewer in number in imprinted cattle genes compared to control genes, which is in agreement with previous reports for human and mouse imprinted regions. Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and long terminal repeats (LTRs) were found to be significantly underrepresented in imprinted genes compared to control genes, contrary to reports on human and mouse. Of considerable significance was the finding of highly conserved tandem repeats in nine of the genes imprinted in all three species.
Optimal control of flood water with sediment transport in alluvial channel

Abstract Flood water in an alluvial channel (or river) conveys suspended sediments from upstream to downstream, and entrains bed materials along with flood currents. Morphological changes on channel/river bed trend to reduce the conveyance capability of channel, and then to affect water stages and discharges. It is therefore necessary to quantify the influence of sediment transport on variations of water stages for the purpose of best flood water management in alluvial rivers. This paper presents a simulation-based optimization model to systematically investigate optimal control of flood stages for various geometries and sediment properties in alluvial channels. This integrated system consists of a well-established one-dimensional river flow model and a non-uniform/non-equilibrium sediment transport model, as well as an adjoint model for determining the sensitivity of objective function. Flood control is demonstrated by operating a single floodgate and multiple gates to withdraw flood waters from alluvial channel. The optimal withdrawal hydrographs for scheduling the floodgate opening operations are obtained under the constraints of objective water stages applied to target reaches. It is found that the influence of morphological changes on flood control becomes significant under certain hydrological and morphological conditions, and varies with the installation of control structures. This preliminary study shows that this simulation-based optimization model is effective to facilitate best management of flood and sediment transport and design of control structures in alluvial channels/rivers.
RANKS OF RELATIVE-UNIT-GROUPS RELATED TO redset(f)

Given an irreducible polynomial f in k[X1,…, Xn] (where k is a field) such that k is algebraically closed in the quotient field of A ≔ k[X1,…,Xn]/f k[X1,…,Xn], we show that k(f) is algebraically closed in k(X1,…,Xn). Further, if n ≥ 2 and char k = 0, then we show that the number of k-translates of f that are reducible in k[X1,…, Xn] is bounded above by the rank of U(A)/U(k). Finally, we prove a similar bound for the number of reducible composites of the form Γ(f) with Γ ∈ k[T] monic irreducible.
Synthesis and characterization of novel rhenium(V) tetradentate N2O2 Schiff base monomer and dimer complexes.

Several rhenium(V) oxo complexes with tetradentate N2O2 Schiff base ligands were synthesized and characterized. The general synthetic procedure involved reaction of [NBu4][ReOCl4] with a tetradentate Schiff base ligand (L1 = N,N‘-ethylenebis(acetylacetoneimine), (acac2en) or L2 = N,N‘-propylenebis(acetylacetoneimine) (acac2pn)) in ethanol solution to generate complexes of the form trans-ReOX(L) where X = Cl-, MeO-, ReO4-, or H2O. The product isolated from the reaction was found to be dependent on the reaction conditions, in particular the presence or absence of water and/or base. The μ-oxo-Re2O3(L)2 dimers were synthesized and characterized for chemical and structural comparison to the related monomers. Conversion of the monomer to its dimer analogue was followed qualitatively by spectrophotometry. The complexes were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, UV−vis, and IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystallographic data reported for the structures are as follows: t...
Phosphonolipids: Localization in Surface Membranes of Tetrahymena

Approximately 60 percent of the phospholipids from the membrane sheath of Tetrahymena pyriformis cilia contain 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid. This is more than twice the concentration found in total cell lipids. The resistance of these lipids to hydrolytic enzymes suggests that they increase the stability of the surface membranes.
Stable isotope differences among morphotypes of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (Ehrenberg): implications for high-latitude palaeoceanographic studies

SUMMARY The stable isotopic composition of planktonic foraminifera plays a paramount role in interpretations of past oceanographic and environmental conditions; thus an accurate understanding of the factors which influence their isotopic composition is essential. In order to increase the palaeoceanographic utility of the high-latitude planktonic foraminifera Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, its shape and oxygen and carbon isotopic variability are quantitatively described in this study. Over 8200 specimens of N. pachyderma from 36 gravity and piston core tops from surface sediments of the North Atlantic and southern Indian Oceans were digitized and analysed via Fourier series in closed form. The morphological results are presented in detail elsewhere and are utilized in this study to select specimens for isotopic analyses. Significant isotopic differences exist between morphological variants of this important high-latitude speaes. Specimens become depleted in both oxygen and carbon isotopes as the test shape becomes more pentagonal and less quadrate. The isotopic differences cannot be attributed to test thickening nor to size or coiling direction. This observation has important implications in the use of this speaes as a tracer in high-latitude palaeoceanographic investigations. In particular, future isotopic investigations utilizing this species should analyse single forms to allow for clear interpretation of palaeoceanographic signals.
LACK OF EFFECT OF ALLOPURINOL ON MORTALITY IN A MOUSE MODEL OF ENDOTOXIC SHOCK

Oxygen-derived free radicals have been associated with many forms of cell injury and types of organ dysfunction, includino recently in a rat model of gram-negative sepsis. A possible source of free radicals in this setting is through activity of the enzyme xanthine oxidase, as has been shown in reperfusion injury. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pretreatment with allopuinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, on mortality in a mouse model of endotoxin shock. Methods. Sixty mice were divided into 2 equal groups. Treatment group received allopurinol, 50 mg/kg/day in 0.5 ml water by gavage feed each of 4 days prior to endotoxin challenge. Control animals received water gavage alone. Animals were challenged with 0.05 meg of intraperitoneal endotoxin (E. Coli 0111:B4) following dactinomycin sensitization according to a model previously described by this laboratory. Mice were checked every 24 hours.for survival. Results. Mortality for the control and treated groups at 96 hours were 32% and 46% respectively. These rates were not statistically different; nor were differences in mortality between the two groups demonstrated at 24, 48 or 72 hours. Conclusions. These data do not support an important role for free radicals generated by the xanthine oxidase system in this model, and suggest another, as yet undetermined source of radicals influencing mortality in endotoxemia.
Numerical Calculation of Interaction Between the Ferromagnetic Dots and Vortices

Enhancing the pinning force in high-Tc superconductors can be achieved by externally introduced periodic magnetic dots. We have numerically calculated the interaction between the magnetic dot and the vortex in high-Tc superconductors. The London equation is used to generate two-dimensional vortex lattice. In the matching condition, we calculate the attraction force between the magnetic dots and vortices at various conditions. It is found that the magnitude of the pinning from the dots is compatible with the intrinsic pinning force of YBCO thin film materials.
Infection: a stimulus for tic disorders

The object of this study was to investigate the potential association of infections, especially group A hemolytic streptococcal infection, with the abrupt onset/exacerbation of tics or obsessive-compulsive behaviors. A structured clinical interview was used to evaluate 80 consecutive children, 5-17 years of age, with a diagnosis of tic disorder. Forty-two patients (53%) described a sudden, explosive onset or worsening of tic symptoms; 15 of these 42 had their exacerbation historically associated with an infection, nine of the 15 specifically with a streptococcal infection. Comparisons between those nine individuals and the remainder of the study population are presented. The results of this study reveal that descriptions of an abrupt tic onset or exacerbation are not uncommon in children with tic disorders; approximately 11% of children with tic disorders described abrupt changes of tic behavior within a 6-week period after a streptococcal infection.
Gene Delivery Properties of End-Modified Poly(β-amino ester)s

Here, we present the synthesis of a library of end-modified poly(beta-amino ester)s and assess their utility as gene delivery vehicles. Polymers were synthesized using a rapid, two-step approach that involves initial preparation of an acrylate-terminated polymer followed by a postpolymerization amine-capping step to generate end-functionalized polymers. Using a highly efficient poly(beta-amino ester), C32, we show that the terminal amine can greatly affect and improve polymer properties relevant to gene delivery. Specifically, the in vitro transfection levels can be increased by 30% and the optimal polymer:DNA ratio lowered 5-fold by conjugation of the appropriate end group. The most effective modifications were made by grafting primary diamine molecules to the chain termini. The added charge and hydrophobicity of some derivatives enhanced DNA binding and resulted in the formation of polymer-DNA complexes less than 100 nm in diameter. In addition, cellular uptake was improved 5-fold over unmodified C32. The end-modified poly(beta-amino ester)s presented here are some of the most effective gene-delivery polycations, superior to polyethylenimine and previously reported poly(beta-amino ester)s. These results show that the end-modification of poly(beta-amino ester)s is a general strategy to alter functionality and improve the delivery performance of these materials.
Variable Metric Methods for Minimizing a Class of Nondifferentiable Functions

We develop a class of methods for minimizing a nondifferentiable function which is the maximum of a finite number of smooth functions. The methods proceed by solving iteratively qquadratic programming problems to generate search directions. For efficiency the matrices in the quadratic programming problems are suggested to be updated in a variable metric way. By doing so, the methods possess many attractive features of variable metric methods and can be viewed as their natural extension to the nondifferentiable case. To avoid the difficulties of an exact line search, a practical stepsize procedure is also introduced. Under mild asumptions the resulting method converge globally.
Industrial relations in foreign and local firms in Asia

The recent phenomenal growth of multinational companies (MNC's) has sparked major controversies everywhere regarding their nature, role and mission. Particularly in the Third World countries, where MNC phenomenon has had a historic significance since the colonial era, new controversies have become evident with reference to emerging relationships between MNC's and a new class of indigenous entrepreneurs. Central to these controversies are concerns that suggest a significant advantage gap between MNC's and local companies in the Third World. A recent report of the United Nations Commission on Transnational Corporations [23] provides an assessment of growing advantage gap between the two with respect to their participation in world trade, investments, technology, technical and managerial skills, organization of production, distribution networks and market size. However, the magnitude and nature of MNC advantage over local firms in the area of industrial relations are not fully known. Flanagan and Weber [11], Lea [23], Roberts [29], Tudyka [31] and Weiss [34], represent a growing point of view in the literature that MNC's have continued to not only dominate, but also influence the evolution of systems of industrial relations in many nations. But as Bomers [7] points out that an accurate assessment of this dominance and influence has proven difficult due to serious methodological and theoretical shortcomings. Part of the foregoing difficulty is due to the nature of available theoretical constructs for comparative research. For example, various theoretical constructs, ranging from the classical model of Dunlop et al. [21] to the contemporary systems analysis [1], continue to focus on relationships among local actors (labor, employers and government) within a purely domestic context with reference to the web of rules, ideology and a history of interaction among them. As Bomers [7] and Roberts [29] reveal that the MNC phenomenon, with its transnational and complex structure, has not been adequately treated as an important force on the domestic industrial relations scene. Hence, according to Flanagan and Weber [11], the scope of both industrial relations theory and research have not expanded sufficiently to explain the impact of MNC's on host country systems and vice versa.
Characterization of stoichiometric adsorption complexes in H-ZSM-5 using microcalorimetry

We have used microcalorimetry to examine the stoichiometric adsorption complexes formed by ammonia, pyridine, and isopropylamine at the A1 sites in H-ZSM-5. The results show that the heats of adsorption for each adsorbate are constant up to a coverage of one molecule /Al, implying that all of the acid sites in H-ZSM-5 are equivalent in strength. The adsorption energies of the complexes formed by ammonia, pyridine, and isopropylamine were found to be 150, 200, and 240 kJ/mol, respectively. Comparison of these values with a simple potential-energy model which assumes that the heat of adsorption scales linearly with gas phase proton affinities suggests that proton transfer dominates the interaction between the adsorbate and the acid site, but that other factors must also be included.
Radiographic manifestations of an unusual combination Type I and Type II dentin dysplasia

Abstract Dentin dysplasia is a rare autosomal dominant hereditary variant of dentinogenesis imperfecta. The primary defect is mesodermal and involves the dentin. Two types (Type I and Type II) of dentin dysplasia have been described previously. The current case presents radiographic findings which include characteristics common to both types. It is proposed that either a third type (Type III) be recognized or the variability of the developmental defect precludes definitive subclassification.
Birth Month Affects Longevity

The authors examined the association between birth month and longevity for major league baseball players. Players born in the month of November had the greatest longevities whereas those born in June had the shortest life spans. These differences remained after controlling for covariates such as birth year, career length, age at debut, height, and player position. The authors determined that the most likely explanation is that those born during seasons when mortalities are highest are constitutionally weakened and more likely to succumb to life threatening conditions later in life.
Gauge invariance and the structure of charged particles

The Weyl principle of gauge invariance is used to obtain an enlarged gauge invariant curvature tensor consisting of the usual Einstein-Ricci tensor plus terms involving the electromagnetic potentials and held strengths. An invariant Lagrangian density is constructed by multiplying this tensor by a metric tensor consisting of a symmetric and an anti-symmetric part. By introducing an arbitrary transformation of gauge into this Lagrangian density we obtain an operator which has exactly the form required by the second-order Dirac theory, and the variational principle then gives us the second-order Dirac equation provided we interpret the position occupied by the particle as being a localized noneuclidean region in which the Gaussian curvature is equal to the reciprocal of the square of the Compton wavelength. One of the consequences of this interpretation is that the Newtonian constant of gravitation inside a partiale must be enormously larger than it is in empty space and must depend on the mass of the particle. To obtain selfconsiatent results one has to assume this constant to be of the order of ħc/m2, that is, the reciprocal of the fine structure constant multiplied by the square of the specific charge of the particle. This assumption leads to a very interesting model of a charged particle in which the electrostatic repulsive forces are held in equilibrium by the large interior gravitational forces. Mass renormalization terms of the right form and order of magnitude as well as a mechanism to account for the capture of photons by charged particles are also obtained. The cosmological consequences of this theory are discussed.
The epidemiological characteristics and genetic diversity of dengue virus during the third largest historical outbreak of dengue in Guangdong, China, in 2014

Summary Objectives The third largest historical outbreak of dengue occurred during July to December 2014, in 20 of 21 cities of Guangdong, China. The epidemiological and molecular characteristics of the introduction, expansion and phylogeny of the DENV isolates involved in this outbreak were investigated. Methods A combination analyses of epidemiological characteristics and genetic diversity of dengue virus was performed in this study. Results In total, 45,236 cases and 6 fatalities were reported. Unemployed individuals, retirees and retailers were the most affected populations. A total of 6024 cases were verified to have DENV infections by nucleic acid detection, of which 5947, 74 and 3 were confirmed to have DENV-1, -2, and -3 infections, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses of DENV-1 isolates were assigned into three genotypes (I, IV, and V). Genotype V was the predominant genotype that likely originated from Singapore. The DENV-2 isolates were assigned to the Cosmopolitan and Asian I genotypes. A unique DENV-3 isolate (genotype III) shared high similarity with isolates obtained from Guangdong in 2013. Conclusions A combination analyses demonstrated the multiple geographical origins of this outbreak, and highlight the importance of early detection, the case management and vector surveillance for preventing further dengue epidemics in Guangdong.
Simulation with the regional climate model RegCM2 of extremely anomalous precipitation during the 1991 east Asian flood: An evaluation study

One of the potential applications of the regional climate model RegCM2 developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is to analyze and possibly forecast high-resolution spatial features of anomalous, short-term climate variations. To evaluate the ability of RegCM2 to predict anomalous precipitation, a simulation of the east Asian flood that occured during May through July 1991 was performed. This simulation was driven by large-scale atmospheric background derived from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) analysis. We found that RegCM2 is capable of reproducing an anomalous rainbelt in the flood region from the Yangtze-Huai River Basin (eastern China) to southern Japan, and to produce local, strong rainfall centers within the belt. It reasonably well simulates the spatial patterns of the circulations, the anomalous early leap of the summer monsoon to the flood region, and the stable maintenance of the summer monsoon, which directly results in the formation of the flood. One of the major deficiencies in the model is its overestimation of precipitation in the rainfall centers, by about 30%, as compared to the analysis. Another deficiency of the model is the shift northward of the simulated rainbelt near Japan, resulting in a significant bias of rainfall over Japan. In addition, the ending of the flood is not well predicted by the model. Our analysis indicates that a bias pattern in the simulated circulations, which is dependent upon the Earth's surface type (i.e., land or ocean), is prossibly the major reason for these deficiencies.
Establishment of Native Aquatic Plants for Fish Habitat: Test Plantings in Two North Texas Reservoirs

ABSTRACT Test plantings of native aquatic plant species were made in two Texas reservoirs. Founder populations of three native submersed or floating-leaved species were established within small (2- × 2-m) exclosures utilizing actively growing transplants. Herbivory and excessive sedimentation proved to be deterrents to plant survival and expansion. Nine small founder populations of Vallisneria americana were established within North Lake, a small reservoir with limited water level fluctuations and a developing community of native pioneer aquatic plants. Plants within all nine exclosures successfully established and began vegetative growth. In intact exclosures, the plants rapidly covered the sediment surface within the exclosures. Expansion beyond the exclosures was variable and occurred primarily during the cooler portions of the year when herbivory was assumed to be low. During the spring of the second growing season, herbivores cropped most of the previous expansion leaving only a narrow fringe of plan...
Learning by the parasitoid wasp, Aphidius ervi (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), alters individual fixed preferences for pea aphid color morphs

Learning, defined as changes in behavior that occur due to past experience, has been well documented for nearly 20 species of hymenopterous parasitoids. Few studies, however, have explored the influence of learning on population-level patterns of host use by parasitoids in field populations. Our study explores learning in the parasitoid Aphidius ervi Haliday that attacks pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris). We used a sequence of laboratory experiments to investigate whether there is a learned component in the selection of red or green aphid color morphs. We then used the results of these experiments to parameterize a model that examines whether learned behaviors can explain the changes in the rates of parasitism observed in field populations in South-central Wisconsin, USA. In the first of two experiments, we measured the sequence of host choice by A. ervi on pea aphid color morphs and analyzed this sequence for patterns in biased host selection. Parasitoids exhibited an inherent preference for green aphid morphs, but this preference was malleable; initial encounters with red aphids led to a greater chance of subsequent orientation towards red aphids than predicted by chance. In a second experiment, we found no evidence that parasitoids specialize on red or green morphs; for the same parasitoids tested in trials separated by 2 h, color preference in the first trial did not predict color preference in the second, as would be expected if they differed in fixed preferences or exhibited long-term (> 2 h) learning. Using data from the two experiments, we parameterized a population dynamics model and found that learning of the magnitude observed in our experiments leads to biased parasitism towards the most common color morph. This bias is sufficient to explain changes in the ratio of aphid color morphs observed in field sites over multiple years. Our study suggests that for even relatively simple organisms, learned behaviors may be important for explaining the population dynamics of their hosts.
In-situ Kinetics Studies on Hydrogenation of Transition Metal (=Ti, Fe) Doped Mg Films

In this paper we report on kinetics studies of the growth rates of a hydride phase during the metal-hydride phase transformation of Mg films doped with transition metals (=Ti, Fe). Infrared emission imaging of wedge-shaped thin films during hydrogen loading reveals different effects of Ti and Fe additives on Mg hydride growth rates. Compared to hydrogenation of pure Mg, Ti addition (atomic fraction 1.6 % and 2.3 %) does not increase the Mg hydride growth rate. However, this doping results in the formation of a thicker hydride layer residing on top of the films. The hydrogenation rate is increased by an order of magnitude for addition of atomic fraction 3.1 % of Fe and the thickness of Mg hydride layer is more than twice that of the hydride layer during hydrogenation of pure Mg. Results obtained here can be used to guide powder design for hydrogen storage applications.
Relative Degradation of Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA: An Experimental Approach*

Single copy nuclear loci often cannot be amplified from degraded remains, necessitating the analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The success in analyzing mtDNA is generally thought to result from its higher copy number in the cell; however, other factors, such as cellular location or molecular features, may be equally or more important in the superior preservation of mtDNA. To explore and compare mtDNA and nuclear DNA degradation, mouse tissues (muscle, liver, and brain) were allowed to degrade at different temperatures, and the relative degradation of a mitochondrial gene, a single copy nuclear gene, and a multi-copy nuclear gene was assayed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The tissues were also homogenized, allowing the three loci to degrade in the same cellular environment. Gene copy number and cellular location both influence DNA recovery. In some instances, multi-copy loci could be recovered when the single copy locus could not; however, the pattern of relative DNA degradation changed between whole and homogenized tissues. The overall results indicate that DNA degradation is influenced by multiple factors-including cellular location, chromatin structure, and transcriptional activity-factors that could be used to exploit loci for more robust forensic analysis from degraded biological material.
Improved phylogenetic motif detection using parsimony

We have recently demonstrated (La et al, Proteins, 58:2005) that sequence fragments approximating the overall familial phylogeny, called phylogenetic motifs (PMs), represent a promising protein functional site prediction strategy. Previous results across a structurally and functionally diverse dataset indicate that phylogenetic motifs correspond to a wide variety of known functional characteristics. Phylogenetic motifs are detected using a sliding window algorithm that compares neighbor joining trees on the complete alignment to those on the sequence fragments. In this investigation we identify PMs using heuristic maximum parsimony trees. We show that when using parsimony the functional site prediction accuracy of PMs improves substantially, particularly on divergent datasets. We also show that the new PMs found using parsimony are not necessarily conserved in sequence, and, therefore, would not be detected by traditional motif (information content-based) approaches.
Bank-aware Dynamic Cache Partitioning for Multicore Architectures

As Chip-Multiprocessor systems (CMP) have become the predominant topology for leading microprocessors, critical components of the system are now integrated on a single chip. This enables sharing of computation resources that was not previously possible. In addition, the virtualization of these computational resources exposes the system to a mix of diverse and competing workloads. Cache is a resource of primary concern as it can be dominant in controlling overall throughput. In order to prevent destructive interference between divergent workloads, the last level of cache must be partitioned. In the past, many solutions have been proposed but most of them are assuming either simplified cache hierarchies with no realistic restrictions or complex cache schemes that are difficult to integrate in a real design. To address this problem, we propose a dynamic partitioning strategy based on realistic last level cache designs of CMP processors. We used a cycle accurate, full system simulator based on Simics and Gems to evaluate our partitioning scheme on an 8-core DNUCA CMP system. Results for an 8-core system show that our proposed scheme provides on average a 70% reduction in misses compared to non-partitioned shared caches, and a 25% misses reduction compared to static equally partitioned (private) caches.
New Party versus Old Left Realignments: Environmental Attitudes, Party Policies, and Partisan Affiliations in Four West European Countries

In the past two decades, the tranquility of European electoral politics was disrupted by the rise of new social movements and a number of smaller New Left parties. These developments have initiated a debate over the possibility of a partisan realignment on the basis of New Politics issues. However, past research that tries to assess the probability of a New Politics realignment neglects to incorporate the policy behavior of established parties as a variable in New Politics realignments. This article tries to fill this gap by analyzing how parties' environmental policies, mediated by electoral laws, affect the link between environmental attitudes and voters' partisanship. The results suggest that Old Left parties are considerably more able than previously assumed to absorb the environmental challenge. In contrast, new party realignments are less prevalent than previously assumed in West European party systems. The results stress the importance of the interplay between public opinion, party policies, and el...
Genome Sequence of SCB34, a Sequence Type 131 Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolate Causing Neonatal Early-Onset Sepsis.

ABSTRACT SCB34 is a sequence type 131, highly invasive, multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolate that produced neonatal bacteremia. Whole-genome sequencing was performed using a 250-bp library on the Illumina MiSeq platform; 5,910,264 reads were assembled de novo using the A5 assembly pipeline. The total contig length was 5,227,742 bp; the RAST server was used for annotation.
Kinetics of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Metapopulation Movement during Urinary Tract Infection

ABSTRACT The urinary tract is one of the most frequent sites of bacterial infection in humans. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are the leading cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and are responsible for greater than 80% of uncomplicated cases in adults. Infection of the urinary tract occurs in an ascending manner, with colonization of the bladder leading to possible kidney infection and bacteremia. The goal of this study was to examine the population dynamics of UPEC in vivo using a murine model of ascending UTI. To track individual UPEC lineages within a host, we constructed 10 isogenic clones of UPEC strain CFT073 by inserting unique signature tag sequences between the pstS and glmS genes at the attTn7 chromosomal site. Mice were transurethrally inoculated with a mixture containing equal numbers of unique clones. After 4 and 48 h, the tags present in the bladders, kidneys, and spleens of infected mice were enumerated using tag-specific primers and quantitative real-time PCR. The results indicated that kidney infection and bacteremia associated with UTI are most likely the result of multiple rounds of ascension and dissemination from motile UPEC subpopulations, with a distinct bottleneck existing between the kidney and bloodstream. The abundance of tagged lineages became more variable as infection progressed, especially after bacterial ascension to the upper urinary tract. Analysis of the population kinetics of UPEC during UTI revealed metapopulation dynamics, with lineages that constantly increased and decreased in abundance as they migrated from one organ to another. IMPORTANCE Urinary tract infections are some of the most common infections affecting humans, and Escherichia coli is the primary cause in most uncomplicated cases. These infections occur in an ascending manner, with bacteria traveling from the bladder to the kidneys and potentially the bloodstream. Little is known about the spatiotemporal population dynamics of uropathogenic E. coli within a host. Here we describe a novel approach for tracking lineages of isogenic tagged E. coli strains within a murine host by the use of quantitative real-time PCR. Understanding the in vivo population dynamics and the factors that shape the bacterial population may prove to be of significant value in the development of novel vaccines and drug therapies.