cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional autoregressive model

This chapter studies the functional autoregressive (FAR) process which has found many applications. The theory of autoregressive and more general linear processes in Hilbert and Banach spaces is developed in the monograph of Bosq (2000), on which Sections 13.1 and 13.2 are based. We present only a few selected results which provide an introduction to the central ideas, and are needed in the sequel. Section 13.3 is devoted to prediction by means of the FAR process; some theoretical background is given in Section 13.5.
Effect of wettability and surface free energy of collection substrates on the structure and morphology of dry-spun cellulose nanofibril filaments

Utilization of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) for filament production is a comparatively new approach, which can broaden nanocellulose applications by providing continuous long filaments suitable for composite and textile applications. Methods are proposed for the spinning of filaments from cellulose nanofibril suspensions, which are mainly categorized into two groups, i.e. dry-spinning and wet-spinning. For the dry-spinning method, the substrate on which the filament is spun will have a significant influence on the properties of the filament because the as-spun CNF will initially contact it. In this work, the influence of different collection substrates on the properties of CNF filament was studied. Filaments with an average diameter of 0.1 mm were spun on different collection substrates including Teflon tape, Teflon film and glass. The influence of adding oil, as a friction modifier, on the surface properties of the substrate and the structure of the resultant filaments was evaluated. Wettability of each substrate in the absence of oil, and the presence of a thin layer and a thick layer of oil was studied. Circularity of the filaments was measured using image analysis of the cross sections and was correlated with the surface properties of the substrates. It was found that while the surface properties of the collection substrate were related to the uniformity and cross section circularity of the filaments, those spun on a thick layer of oil had the best circular shape irrespective of the substrate material. The results of this study can be used to optimize dry-spinning of CNF filaments.
Dual-Beam Leaky-Wave Antenna Based on Substrate Integrated Printed Ridge Gap Waveguide

A dual-beam leaky-wave antenna (LWA) based on the printed ridge gap waveguide (PRGW) technology is presented. A new H-polarized 1D-periodic substrate integrated gap waveguide leaky-wave antenna (SIGW-LWA) is designed, which has good scanning in backward and forward quadrant simultaneously. A dual-beam radiation pattern is achieved due to simultaneous excitation of two space harmonics (β -1 and β -2 ). The beams scanning range for the proposed antenna started from -67° to -35° for the proper wave and 16° to 28° for the improper wave. The peak gains of the antenna for the proper and improper waves are 17.4 dBi and 16.2 dBi, respectively, with less than 1.3 dBi variation in both quadrants. The proposed antenna has wide impedance bandwidth and narrow fan beams through the whole operating frequency band of 59–67 GHz.
Microstructural anisotropy evaluation in trabecular bone structure using the mode-converted (longitudinal to transverse, L-T) ultrasonic scattering

The mode-converted ultrasonic scattering method is utilized to characterize the structural anisotropy of a phantom mimicking trabecular bone, fabricated using metal additive manufacturing from a high resolution CT image of trabecular horse bone. A normal incidence transducer transmits longitudinal waves into the sample, while the scattered transverse signals are received by an oblique incidence transducer. Four L-T measurements are performed by collecting scattering from four directions. The results show that the L-T converted scattering amplitude is highly dependent on the microstructural anisotropy direction. The ratios of L-T converted amplitudes for measurements in different directions is calculated to characterize the anisotropy of sample. The results show that the anisotropy is changing along the sample, which coincides with simulation results previously obtained on the same structures, as well as with the anisotropy estimated using image processing of the CT scans. The anisotropy was shown to increase monotonously along the sample from 0.48 to 0.7 depending on the location. At the same time, the ratio of LT scattering amplitude measured in two perpendicular directions was shown to increase monotonously from 0.6 to 0.67. These results suggest the potential of mode-converted methods to assess the anisotropy of structures including trabecular bone.
Differential Diagnosis of BCL2-Positive Follicles

The presence of lymphoid follicles in a skin biopsy is always a pathologic finding and may occur in reactive lymphoid infiltrates and in lymphomas. Most cases of primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma (PCFCL) are BCL2-negative. However, a significant subset of PCFCL and most cases of systemic/nodal follicular lymphoma are positive with BCL2 immunohistochemistry. Lymphoid follicles in marginal zone lymphoma can be colonized by BCL2-positive neoplastic B cells and mimic BCL2-positive follicular lymphoma.
Adaptively Preconditioned Stochastic Gradient Langevin Dynamics.

Stochastic Gradient Langevin Dynamics infuses isotropic gradient noise to SGD to help navigate pathological curvature in the loss landscape for deep networks. Isotropic nature of the noise leads to poor scaling, and adaptive methods based on higher order curvature information such as Fisher Scoring have been proposed to precondition the noise in order to achieve better convergence. In this paper, we describe an adaptive method to estimate the parameters of the noise and conduct experiments on well-known model architectures to show that the adaptively preconditioned SGLD method achieves convergence with the speed of adaptive first order methods such as Adam, AdaGrad etc. and achieves generalization equivalent of SGD in the test set.
Initial failure strength prediction of woven composites using a new yarn failure criterion constructed by deep learning

Abstract A new failure criterion for fiber tows (i.e. yarns) is developed based on a micromechanical model using the mechanics of structure genome (MSG) and a deep learning neural network model. The proposed failure criterion can be applied to yarns in mesoscale textile composites modeling while capturing the failure initiation at the fiber and matrix level. A plain weave fiber reinforced composite material example is used to compute the initial failure strength constants of a woven lamina based on the proposed yarn failure criterion. To study the accuracy and efficiency of the failure criterion, a comparison to a meso-micro coupled model explicitly capturing the failure initiation at fiber and matrix level is performed. Moreover, the differences between the mesoscale modeling results based on the proposed criterion and other yarn failure criteria (i.e. maximum stress, Tsai-Wu, and Hashin) are studied. Lastly, the failure envelope analysis of the mesoscale plain weave example is carried out using the MSG solid model to further demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the new yarn failure criterion under combined loading conditions.
A review of variable refrigerant flow HVAC system components for residential application.

Abstract A variable refrigerant flow (VRF) classification is a multi-split Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system that controls refrigerant flow to control separable zones to residential consumer's needs. VRF specific components regulate refrigerant flow control for system performance and reliability. The objective of this review is to recognize the VRF system components that affect various aspects of operation and performance. The investigate of preceding experimentation will better assist in the direction of future progress as development of expansive residential VRF systems are still in primary phases. Findings show that specific testing through different compressor arrangements, electronic expansion valve (EEV) positioning, and air flow operations affect performance and thermal comfort. The system responsiveness and sensitivity are related to the quantity of indoor evaporators that are connected to the system.
Mental health among nonelderly adult cancer survivors: A national estimate

BACKGROUND This study assessed mental health (MH) outcomes across age groups in a nationally representative US sample of adult cancer survivors. METHODS The 2015 to 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health was used to identify respondents aged 18 to 64 years. The authors compared MH outcomes between respondents with a cancer history and respondents without a cancer history in adjusted analyses controlling for demographics and socioeconomic status. Outcomes included past-year major depressive episodes, serious psychological distress, suicidal thoughts, suicidal plans, suicidal attempts, any mental illness, and serious mental illness. All analyses were stratified by age group (18-34, 35-49, or 50-64 years). RESULTS In a comparison of 2656 survivors and 112,952 individuals without cancer, within each age group, survivors had an elevated prevalence of MH problems in 5 of the 7 outcome measures. Among young adults (aged 18-34 years), survivors were more likely than noncancer counterparts to experience major depressive episodes (18.1% vs 9.6%), serious psychological distress (34.2% vs 17.9%), suicidal thoughts (10.5% vs 7.0%), any mental illness (41.1% vs 23.3%), and serious mental illness (13.2% vs 5.9%) in the past year (P values <.05). These differences persisted in adjusted analyses (P values <.01). Similar survivor-comparison differences were observed among older groups but with a smaller magnitude. Among survivors, young adult survivors had the highest likelihood of experiencing MH problems across all outcomes (P values <.05). CONCLUSIONS This population-based study shows an elevated prevalence of MH problems among adult cancer survivors in comparison with the general population. This finding highlights the importance of developing strategies to ensure the early detection of mental illness and to improve access to MH treatment for cancer survivors.
Abstract 5254: Combined in vitro TTFields and paclitaxel reduce proliferation and clonogenicity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells from a patient previously treated with standard-of-care

TTFields therapy in conjunction with chemotherapy has been FDA approved as a first line treatment regimen for patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. Clinical trials are underway to test the efficacy of TTFields in patients with progressive NSCLC or NSCLC brain metastases following standard-of-care or radiosurgery, respectively. Our study utilized tumor cells extracted from a NSCLC metastatic brain tumor from a patient previously treated with standard-of-care chemoradiation prior to progression to brain metastasis. These patient-derived NSCLC cells were subjected to TTFields application with and without paclitaxel to determine if the combination of TTFields with paclitaxel would be more effective than either treatment alone. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient, who was 60 years-old and female. She received concurrent carboplatin/paclitaxel and radiotherapy to the upper lobe of her left lung prior to discovery and resection of a solitary brain lesion. Cells isolated from the metastatic brain tumor were cultured for 3 passages prior to plating on coverslips (4 × 104 each) in DMEM/F12 media with 10% fetal bovine serum. TTFields were applied at ~1.6 V/cm at 150 kHz. Paclitaxel was added to the media to a final concentration of 5 nM. Cells were treated for 14 days. At the end of the treatment period, some coverslips of cells were lysed and assayed for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to represent cell number (n=5) and another set of coverslips of cells were harvested and replated in triplicate for the clonogenic assay (n=3). Groups were compared with one-way ANOVA. Data shown in table are mean ± SD. For the LDH assay, ANOVA p Citation Format: Sharon K. Michelhaugh, Sandeep Mittal. Combined in vitro TTFields and paclitaxel reduce proliferation and clonogenicity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells from a patient previously treated with standard-of-care [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5254.
A reexamination of the tendering profit anomaly

Lakonishok and Vermaelen (J Financ 45:455–477, 1990) and Peyer and Vermaelen (Rev Financ Stud 22:1693–1745, 2009) document profits of around 9% from participating in stock repurchase tender offers during the 1962–1986 and 1987–2001 periods, respectively. The persistence of such large profits over a short trading horizon constitutes a striking anomaly in financial markets. Given the rise of event-driven hedge funds, we reexamine this strategy in recent years (2000–2015) and find that abnormal profits from tendering have disappeared. Examining a sample of closed-end fund repurchase tender offers during the same period, we find abnormal tendering profits of around 0.5%. However, these profits are no longer significant after adjustments for transaction costs.
Maximizing dynamic range of microwave kinetic inductance detectors through high-speed tone tracking

Microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) operate through means of a superconducting resonator that changes resonant frequency and quality factor when incident photons are absorbed in the superconducting material. Incident power on MKIDs is determined by reading out the phase and amplitude of a tone injected into each detector. However, if the incident power on an MKID changes too drastically and the resonant frequency moves too far from the probe tone, amplitude information becomes useless and the detector is effectively out of commission until a VNA sweep is used to relocate resonances. Here we present the designs and preliminary results of a tone-tracking firmware that uses phase information to maintain an on-resonance probe tone at all times, removing the need for time-intensive VNA sweeps during observations and effectively maximizing the dynamic range of MKIDs. We will conclude with a discussion on future NASA missions that hope implement this tone-tracking design.
CD47 differentially regulates white and brown fat function

Mechanisms that enhance energy expenditure are attractive therapeutic targets for obesity. Previously we have demonstrated that mice lacking cd47 are leaner, exhibit increased energy expenditure, and are protected against diet-induced obesity. In this study, we further defined the physiological role of cd47 deficiency in regulating mitochondrial function and energy expenditure in both white and brown adipose tissue. We observed that cd47 deficient mice (under normal chow diet) had comparable amount of white fat mass but reduced white adipocyte size as compared to wild-type mice. Subsequent ex vivo and in vitro studies suggest enhanced lipolysis, and not impaired lipogenesis or energy utilization, contributes to this phenotype. In contrast to white adipose tissue, there were no obvious morphological differences in brown adipose tissue between wild-type and knockout mice. However, mitochondria isolated from brown fat of cd47 deficient mice had significantly higher rates of free fatty acid-mediated uncoupling. This suggests that enhanced fuel availability via white adipose tissue lipolysis may perpetuate elevated brown adipose tissue energy expenditure and contributes to the lean phenotype observed in cd47 deficient mice.
Scientific note Bt transgenic crops do not have favorable effects on resistant insects

[Sayyed et al . ( Ecology Letters (2003) 6: 167-169)][1] hypothesized that insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins produced by transgenic crops could have nutritionally favorable effects that increase the fitness of resistant insects eating such crops. This idea was based on increased pupal weight of resistant larvae of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), fed leaf discs treated externally with a Bt toxin. We summarize evidence from diamondback moth and other pests showing that the Bt toxins in transgenic crops do not enhance performance of resistant insects. Aside from a few notable exceptions in which performance of resistant insects did not differ between Bt and non-Bt crops, Bt crops had adverse affects on resistant insects. * Abbreviations : Bt : Bacillus thuringiensis [1]: #ref-14
Population dynamics of muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) and American mink (Neovison vison): investigating contemporary patterns in a classic predator–prey system

A well-studied predator–prey relationship between American mink (Neovison vison (Schreber, 1777); formerly known as Mustela vison Schreber, 1777) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766)) ...
Quality of YouTube Videos on Prostate Cancer Screening for Black Men.

Background: Black men are disproportionately impacted by prostate cancer. Guidelines agree that Black men should make informed decisions about whether to engage in prostate cancer screening. YouTube is widely used among Black men and impacts understanding of health conditions. Objectives: Given that misleading online health information might be especially harmful to Black men, the objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of information regarding prostate cancer screening for Black men available on YouTube. Methods: Four viewers watched the top 50 videos using the search term “Prostate Cancer Screening in Black Men.” Videos were scored using the previously validated DISCERN quality criteria for consumer health information and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). Results were compared based on video characteristics like presenter perceived demographics and viewer engagement metrics. Results: Inter-rater reliability testing showed consistency for the PEMAT (interclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.69) and DISCERN (ICC= 0.85). Few videos (16%) met the DISCERN quality threshold (54.4/80), and 28% of videos met the PEMAT threshold (10.5/15). Less than half of videos addressed racial disparities in prostate cancer. There was no difference in quality based on perceived race of the presenter (DISCERN P = .06, PEMAT P = .43). Conclusions: The overall quality of videos about prostate cancer screening in Black men is poor, including those with Black presenters. Clinicians should be aware of potential misinformation that Black patients receive from YouTube and the opportunity to improve the quality of available information about prostate cancer screening in Black men.
The contribution of Ca+ calmodulin activation of human erythrocyte AMP deaminase (isoform E) to the erythrocyte metabolic dysregulation of familial phosphofructokinase deficiency

Erythrocyte membrane leakage of Ca2+ in familial phosphofructokinase deficiency results in a compensatory increase of Ca2+-ATPase activity that depletes ATP and leads to diminished erythrocyte deformability and a higher rate of hemolysis. Lowered ATP levels in circulating erythrocytes are accompanied by increased IMP, indicating that activated AMP deaminase plays a role in this metabolic dysregulation. Exposure to a calmodulin antagonist significantly slows IMP accumulation during experimental energy imbalance in patients' cells to levels that are similar to those in untreated controls, implying that Ca2+-calmodulin is involved in erythrocyte AMP deaminase activation in familial phosphofructokinase deficiency. Therapies directed against activated isoform E may be beneficial in this compensated anemia.
Focusing of Structured light with hyperbolic materials

Photonic funnels, conical structures with hyperbolic cores, that have been recently demonstrated at mid-IR frequencies, provide a platform to avoid the diffraction limit and enable a smooth optical link between the nanoscale and microscale. Orbital angular momentum (OAM) of beams play important role in optical manipulation, microscopy, and potentially optical communications.. In this work we analyze theoretically the interaction structured light (light that has non-zero OAM) with photonic funnels. In particular, we study the effect of light confinement, facilitated through the geometric profile of the funnel, on spatial structure of the mode, and its local intensity.
Putative sites for nutrient uptake in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Nutrition of the arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is addressed from a fungal point of view. Intraradical and extraradical structures proposed as preferential sites for nutrient acquisition in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are considered, and their main features compared. This comparison includes the formation and function of branched structures (either intra- or extraradical) as putative nutrient uptake sites with unique morphological and physiological features in the AM fungal colony. The morphology and functioning of these structures are further affected by intra- or extraradical environmental factors. A model is presented which portrays the intrinsic developmental and physiological duality of the AM fungus.
Buyer Search Duration in the Residential Real Estate Market: The Role of the Real Estate Agent

This study examines buyer search duration using a national database consisting of transactions conducted with and without the assistance of real estate brokers. The results of this study indicate t...
A smarter supply chain - end to end Quality Management

For companies in a “Smarter Planet” it is key that they are globally integrated, interconnected and intelligent. For globally integrated supply chains the large enterprises must rely heavily on their suppliers and their suppliers' suppliers for products, services and software. This increased reliance and dependence requires that an extended supply chain have an effective supplier quality management (SQM) system that provides visibility into this complex system. Essential in this SQM system is the ability to provide an end to end (E2E) process that begins with the concept of a new product and manages it through its extended lifecycle. These supply chains of large enterprises are faced with many daunting challenges such as consistent quality, compliance performance, part management (change control, parts obsolescence, counterfeit parts, etc. ), continuous improvement, inventory management, product security, on time delivery, and environment regulation compliances. An added complexity to the extended supply chain is that over the past several years there have been disruptions in the supply chain as a result of raw materials, demand changes, commodity volatility and fuel price increases. Per Manufacturing Insights “Worldwide Supply Chain 2010 top 10 Predictions” the #5 Prediction: “intelligent Supply Chains will put Broader Visibility Burden on Supply Chain Organizations, both Owned and Outsourced” further driving the need for a strong E2E Quality Management System. [1] Many major enterprises', like IBM, are implementing or considering implementing the use of business intelligence in their E2E supply management system.
Expected power loss calculation including protection failures using importance sampling and SOM

Protection failures are rare events, which may result in cascading outages in power systems. Importance sampling is one of the "variance reduction" techniques for rare event simulation in reliability studies. However, in certain reliability analyses applications, importance sampling method reveals some disadvantages, which can be overcome by the introduction of SOM (self organizing map). This paper demonstrates the application of combination of importance sampling and SOM in power system reliability analysis considering protection failures. Both importance sampling and SOM techniques are embedded into non-sequential Monte Carlo simulation implementing the stochastic properties of contingencies, protective response and protection system failures. This newly developed methodology can be called "importance sampling + SOM" based Monte Carlo simulation scheme, which can deal with reliability analysis with rare events efficiently. The IEEE RTS system is used as the test system to demonstrate the performance of this approach.
The fleeting effect of advertising

Abstract This paper adds to the evidence that advertising effects depreciate rapidly. Inclusion of lagged advertising in empirical models may be unnecessary. In addition, the notion that accumulated advertising effects may be a barrier to entry is called into question.
Ovid in the Twentieth Century

review are equally the descendants both of the great masters presented here, and of past and present generations of Barcelona-based Romanists, medievalists and classicists, who include Marti de Riquer, Joan Bastardas, Josep Alsina and Miquel Dolq.6 To give but three examples, Carles Miralles's research on Homer, Josep Lluis Vidal's studies on Virgil and the Virgilian reception, and Pere Quetglas's work for the Glossarium Mediae Latinitatis Cataloniae mirror twentieth-century interest in classical epic and in medieval Catalan texts.7 As well as crossing academic boundaries, Del Romanticisme al Noucentisme testifies to a rich scholarly tradition in classical and Catalan studies at Barcelona. Judging by the papers in this volume, the one-day conference at the University of Barcelona when they were read and discussed must have been a stimulating gathering, plentiful in ideas and enthusiasm. Those of us unable to attend at the time can now thank the editors for their
The EDGES of the Mantle

The core-mantle boundary region is often considered to be the source of narrow upwellings which drive or influence plate motions and continental breakup, fuel large igneous provinces and generate volcanic chains. The plume hypothesis has influenced most fields of geochemistry, petrology, geodynamics and mantle evolution. The key axioms underlying the plume paradigm are identified: Axioms are self-evident truths and are seldom stated explicitly. When they are, they are sometimes not so self-evident. The role of the surface boundary layer is discussed in connection with large igneous provinces and volcanic chains. Partial melting is the expected natural state of the upper mantle and only abnormally high seismic velocities imply absence of melting (slabs, cratons). Plume theoreticians have underestimated the average temperature of the mantle and have overestimated melting temperatures. Extensive melting in the upper mantle does not require abnormal temperatures or plumes. The dynamics and chemistry of midplate volcanism are explainable by near-surface processes. "Midplate" volcanism starts at plate boundaries or discontinuities, at lithospheric "edges", in regions of extension generated by plate processes. The chemistry of "hotspot" basalts implies contamination by processes and materials that occur near the surface of the Earth. A buoyant metasomatised layer at the top of the mantle, near the melting point, removes the need to import heat and chemical inhomogeneity from D" to explain midplate volcanism. D" is an interesting and important region, but any connection to surface processes or chemistry is speculative.
Feasibility study of EEG signals for asynchronous BCI system applications

This paper outlines the experimental procedure and results in determining what types of asynchronous EEG signals are feasible for application to low-cost, real-time BCI systems. It describes the process used to select appropriate signals for testing and the experimental design for determining the feasibility of these signals and their sensitivity to environmental conditions. The results determined that of the three signals tested (occipital alpha waves, frontal theta waves, and frontal muscular signals), the occipital alpha and the frontal muscular signals are feasible to detect due to their high signal-to-noise ratio and insensitivity to environmental conditions.
Physics of Molecular Clouds from Millimeter Wave Line Observations

The advent of millimeter wave molecular line astronomy has made it possible over the past seven years for astronomers to study the physics and chemistry of dense interstellar clouds. The dominant gaseous constituent of these clouds is molecular hydrogen, H2, and hence the name molecular clouds. In fact all interstellar clouds with hydrogen density greater than 100 cm-3 are composed primarily of molecular and not atomic hydrogen. The dominance of molecules in dense clouds is due to the self shielding of H2 from the photodissociating starlight at the wavelengths of the ultraviolet Lyman bands. At a density of 100 cm-3 the production rate of H2 on grain surfaces is sufficient to build up a layer which is optically thick to the photodissociation occurring in the lines of the Lyman band. Inside the clouds, the photodissociation, which is limited to the line wings, is reduced by several orders of magnitude and the production rate dominates with almost all hydrogen converted to H2. Since H2 does not have a true continuum photodissociation at λ > 912 A, the self shielding of the bound-bound-free process of the Lyman bands is critical to the distinction between atomic and molecular clouds.
Sequence of the D-aspartyl/L-isoaspartyl protein methyltransferase from human erythrocytes. Common sequence motifs for protein, DNA, RNA, and small molecule S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferases.

Abstract A widely distributed protein methyltransferase catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-methionine to the free carboxyl groups of D-aspartyl and/or L-isoaspartyl derivatives of L-aspartyl and L-asparaginyl residues. This enzyme has been postulated to function in the repair or the catabolism of age-damaged proteins. We present here the complete amino acid sequence of the more basic isozyme I of this enzyme from human erythrocytes. The sequence was determined by Edman degradation and mass spectral analysis of overlapping trypsin, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, Pseudomonas fragi endoproteinase Asp-N, cyanogen bromide, and hydroxylamine-generated fragments. The NH2-terminus is modified by acetylation and the protein contains 226 amino acids for a calculated molecular weight of 24,575. This value is in good agreement with the molecular weight determined for the purified protein by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of dodecyl sulfate and by gel filtration chromatography under nondenaturing conditions. The identification of 2 different amino acid residues at both positions 22 and 119 may indicate the presence of allelic variants or of two or more closely related structural genes. Finally, comparison of this sequence with those of methyltransferases for RNA, DNA, and small molecules, as well as other S-adenosylmethionine-utilizing enzymes, shows that many of these proteins share elements of three regions of sequence similarity and may be structurally or evolutionarily related.
SPIN: Service Performance Isolation Infrastructure in Multi-tenancy Environment

The flourish of SaaS brings about a pressing requirement for Multi-tenancy to avoid dedicated installation for each tenant and benefit from reduced service delivery costs. Multi-tenancy's intention is to satisfy requests from different tenants concurrently by a single service instance over shared hosting resources. However, extensive resource sharing easily causes inter-tenant performance interference. Therefore, Performance isolation is crucial for Multi-tenancy environment to prevent the potentially bad behaviors of one tenant from adversely affecting the performance of others in an unpredictable manner and prevent the unbalanced situation where some tenants achieve very high performance at the cost of others. Current technologies fail to achieve the goals of both performance isolation and resource share. This paper proposes a Service Performance Isolation Infrastructure (SPIN) which allows extensive resource sharing on hosting systems. Once some aggressive tenants interfere with others' performance, SPIN gives anomaly report, identifies the aggressive tenants, and enables a self-adaptive moderation to remove their negative impacts on others. We have implemented SPIN prototype and demonstrate its isolation efficiency on the Trade6 benchmark which is revised to support Multi-tenancy. SPIN fits industry practice for a performance overhead less than 5%.
China in Central Asia: The Beginning of the End for Russia?

With China continuing to make economic forays into Central Asia, attention has simultaneously turned to Russia’s privileged position in the region. A cursory glance through many articles concerned with the ‘Russia - Central Asia - China’ dynamic provides a misleading impression that Beijing’s strengthened ties with the countries of Central Asia are coming at the expense of Moscow’s influence. This paper will show that events, conventionally characterized as breakthroughs in the ‘China - Central Asia’ relationship in the last four to five years, are in fact part and parcel of larger economic trends that began long before the inking of the energy and trade deals. The reality of China’s growing economic influence in Central Asia is not disputed. What this paper will argue is that despite the heralded dislodging of Russia by China, Russia will continue to play a substantial role in the region through a combination of energy, culture, and military bonds that run much too deep for Beijing to sever in the short to medium term.
Gifted girls, twenty‐five years later: Hopes realized and new challenges found

(2003). Gifted girls, twenty‐five years later: Hopes realized and new challenges found. Roeper Review: Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 154-157.
Competition and cooperation in Hong Kong: exploring the influences of collectivism and instrumental harmony

We examine the relationships between cultural values (harmony, collectivism and individualism) and behaviours (competitive and cooperative). Instrumental harmony is distinguished from value harmony to discriminate between harmony as the end goal of interaction and harmony as a means to some other end. Hong Kong businesspeople respondents' evaluation of cooperative and competitive scenarios is used in a correspondence analysis model to map cultural values onto competitive and cooperative behaviours. The results show that the instrumental harmony cultural value is the most significant cultural value for explaining competitive and cooperative behaviours. The often researched collectivism and individualism values had little significance in explaining competitive and cooperative behaviours.
Comparative approaches toward diamines containing spatially separated homobenzylic and benzylic nitrogen stereocenters

Abstract Several synthetic strategies to diamines 1 – 3 are described. The optimum approach via opening of aziridine afforded 1 – 3 in 29–60% yield over 3–5 steps. A study on formation of the benzylic stereocenter using Toste’s rhenium-catalyzed asymmetric reduction of phosphinyl ketimines was also evaluated and afforded 15 in 92% de.
The synthesis of highly dispersed noble and base metals on silica via strong electrostatic adsorption: I. Amorphous silica

Abstract To determine the correlation between strong electrostatic interaction during impregnation and the high dispersion of reduced metals, a series of silica-supported noble and base metal catalysts prepared by strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA) was compared with the traditional incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) method. Metal ammine complexes ([Pd(NH3)4]+2, [Cu(NH3)4]+2, [Co(NH3)6]+3, [Ru(NH3)6]+2, [Ru(NH3)6]+3 and [Ni(NH3)6]+2) were adsorbed onto amorphous silica at various pHs, and the corresponding metal uptakes were determined as a function of pH at fixed metal concentrations. The pH shifts relative to metal free control experiments were carefully monitored. The revised physical adsorption (RPA) model was used to simulate the adsorption process. The adsorption mechanism of metal ammine complexes over silica is reasonably well described as electrostatic interaction (physical adsorption) instead of ion exchange or chemical reaction. After impregnation, the appropriate reduction temperatures of the samples prepared via SEA and IWI methods were determined by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), the particle size and distribution were measured from scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images, and the metal distribution was analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) also was used as a complementary technique to give information on the dispersion change before and after reduction. The results showed that the SEA method can be applied for many ammine complexes to synthesize well-dispersed metals over amorphous silica.
Long-term effects of ovarian follicular depletion in rats by 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide.

4-Vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) destroys preantral ovarian follicles in rats. Female 28-day Fisher 344 (F344) rats were dosed (30 days) with VCD (80 mg/kg per day, i.p.) or vehicle, and animals were evaluated for reproductive function at subsequent time points for up to 360 days. At each time point animals were killed, and ovaries and plasma collected. VCD reduced (P<0.05) the number of preantral follicles by day 30 relative to control. There were no ultrastructural differences in morphology between VCD-treated and control ovaries. Circulating FSH levels in VCD-treated animals were greater (days 120, 240, and 360, P<0.05) than in controls. Cyclicity was disrupted in the VCD-treated group by day 360. These results show that VCD-induced follicular destruction in rats is associated with a sequence of events (loss of preantral follicles, increased plasma FSH, and cyclic disruption) preceding premature ovarian senescence that is similar to events that occur during the onset of menopause in women.
Prevention of sepsis in total joint arthroplasty

Because of the adoption of effective prophylactic measures such as improved operating room techniques and systemic antibiotics, the prosthetic infection rate for artificial joint procedures has been reduced to 1-2%. However, because of the devastating results and large number of prosthetic procedures, prosthetic infection remains a major challenge. Common pathogens and mechanisms of infection, methods of preventing bacterial adherence to biomaterial surfaces, and clinical preventive strategies for prosthetic infections are discussed.
Infrared absorption bands of acetylene: Part III. Analysis of the bands at 3μ

Abstract The infrared absorption bands of acetylene occurring at 13.7μ have been recorded with a high resolution vacuum infrared grating spectrograph. Analysis of the rotational structure observed has led to the identification of the ν5 fundamentals of 12C2H2 and 12C13CH2 and four “difference” bands of 12C2H2. A discussion has been presented of the rotational and vibrational constants of the acetylene molecule evaluated from these data.
Noise reduction for T2 derived magnetic resonance images

Calculation of magnetic resonance images composed of signals arising from T2 and proton densities can be performed using a least squares fitting procedure from three or four multiple spin-echo images. This procedure works well in regions of high signal-to-noise (S/N) in the multiple spin-echoes. Erroneous T2 values predominate in regions of low S/N, precluding the routine use of T2 images in diagnostic and quantitative analysis. This study demonstrates that only three spin-echoes signals (TE = 20, 40, and 60 msec) and a simple preprocessing selection criteria are necessary to significantly reduce erroneous T2 values. This simple selection criteria obviates the need to apply a median filter to the T2 image and thus preserve both the high inherent contrast and spatial resolution of the T2 derived image.
Cosmic Microwave Background Statistics for a Direction-Dependent Primordial Power Spectrum

Statistical isotropy of primordial perturbations is a common assumption in cosmology, but it is an assumption that should be tested. To this end, we develop cosmic microwave background statistics for a primordial power spectrum that depends on the direction, as well as the magnitude, of the Fourier wave vector. We first consider a simple estimator that searches in a model-independent way for anisotropy in the square of the temperature (and/or polarization) fluctuation. We then construct the minimum-variance estimators for the coefficients of a spherical-harmonic expansion of the directional dependence of the primordial power spectrum. To illustrate, we apply these statistics to an inflation model with a quadrupole dependence of the primordial power spectrum on direction and find that a power quadrupole as small as 2.0% can be detected with the Planck satellite.
Abstract 1251: Anti-cancer mechanisms of se compounds: A stable isotope-resolved metabolomic (SIRM) approach

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Recent rapid advances in analytical tools, especially NMR and mass spectrometry, allow an unprecedented range of metabolites and their transformation pathways to be determined, which transcends classical targeted metabolic studies. We have coupled these tools with stable isotopic tracers [1-3] to investigate the anticancer efficacy and mechanism(s) of different selenium forms using lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells as a model. Selenite (SeO3), methylseleninic acid (MSA) and selenomethionine (SeM) induced distinct changes in steady-state concentrations and 13C labeling patterns of various metabolites including amino & organic acids, nucleotides, antioxidants, as well as phospholipids (PL) and PL metabolites. These changes were determined using a combination of multi-nuclear 2-D NMR, GC-MS, and FT-ICR-MS techniques, which enabled perturbations in multiple metabolic pathways to be simultaneously reconstructed for relating to phenotypic changes. At low µM levels, both SeO3 and MSA inhibited growth, caused cytoskeleton disintegration, and reduced the mitochondrial redox potential in A549 cells. SeM was growth-stimulatory at ≤ 10 µM and inhibited growth but only at 40-fold higher concentration and the extent was much less than MSA or SeO3. These phenotypic differences were related to the early inhibition of glutaminolysis, Krebs cycle, and protein biosynthesis by SeO3, rapid inhibition of pyruvate carboxylation by MSA. SeM had few comparable metabolic effects. Subsequent inhibition of PL biosynthesis was also more substantial in MSA and SeO3 than in SeM-treated cells. The protein and gene expression for key enzymes in these pathways were probed to discern altered metabolic regulations. Thus, the anti-cancer action of MSA differed from that of SeO3 while SeM was not effective against lung cancer cells. The SIRM approach facilitated the resolution of the complex, form-specific anticancer mechanism of Se compounds and is generally applicable to other cancer research problems. 1. Fan, T., et al., Metabolomics-edited transcriptomics analysis of Se anticancer action in human lung cancer cells. Metabolomics Journal, 2005. 1(4): p. 325-339 2. Lane, A.N. and T.W.-M. Fan, Quantification and identification of isotopomer distributions of metabolites in crude cell extracts using 1H TOCSY. Metabolomics, 2007. 3: p. 79-86. 3. Lane, A.N., et al., Isotopomer analysis of lipid biosynthesis by high resolution mass spectrometry and NMR. Analytica Chimica Acta, 2009. 651: p. 201-208. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1251. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1251
Nicotinic receptor-mediated regulation of dopamine transporter activity in rat prefrontal cortex.

The objective of this study was to determine whether nicotine could selectively influence dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex as compared with other dopaminergic areas of brain. Using a superfusion system, we found that nicotine and other agonists at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors enhanced the release of radiolabeled dopamine that was stimulated by 10 μM amphetamine from slices prepared from rat prefrontal cortex. In contrast, nicotine had no effect on amphetamine-stimulated [3H]dopamine release from slices of nucleus accumbens nor striatum. Under the conditions used, which included no added calcium to exclude contribution by exocytotic release, nicotine had no effect on basal release of [3H]dopamine. The enhancement by nicotine was concentration-dependent, reaching a maximum at 5 μM, and producing less release at higher concentrations. Enhancement by nicotine was fully reversed by 30 μM dihydro-β-erythroidine, and by 10 μM mecamylamine, but was not affected by α-bungarotoxin. The potencies of nicotine, epibatidine, cytisine, and A85380 to enhance amphetamine-stimulated dopamine release, as well as the sensitivity of nicotine enhanced release to antagonists, are consistent with mediation via a high-affinity nicotinic acetylcholine receptor containing α4 and β2 subunits, the major species of nicotinic receptor in forebrain. Since low dopaminergic activity in prefrontal cortex is correlated with cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, our findings may help explain why these deficits are improved in schizophrenics by smoking or nicotine administration. Synapse 38:10–16, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Inhibition of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase-catalyzed DNA strand transfer reactions by 4-chlorophenylhydrazone of mesoxalic acid.

DNA strand transfer reactions occur twice during retroviral reverse transcription catalyzed by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The 4-chlorophenylhydrazone of mesoxalic acid (CPHM) was found to be an inhibitor of DNA strand transfer reactions catalyzed by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. Using a model strand transfer assay system described previously [Davis, W. R., et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 14213−14221], the mechanism of CPHM inhibition of DNA strand transfer has been characterized. CPHM was found to target the RNase H activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. DNA polymerase activity was not significantly affected by CPHM; however, it did inhibit the polymerase-independent RNase H activity with an IC50 of 2.2 μM. In the absence of DNA synthesis, CPHM appears to interfere with the translocation, or repositioning, of RT on the RNA·DNA template duplex, a step required for efficient RNA hydrolysis by RNase H. Enzyme inhibition by CPHM was found to be highly specific for HIV-1 reverse transcriptase; little or no i...
The Commodified Adventure Experience

To fulfill their need for excitement and pleasure with the added benefit of safety and efficiency that they may not be able to provide for themselves, people will often look to a commercially offered adventure experience (Cater, 2004). In creating and consuming these adventure experiences, a dollar value is literally assigned to the experience and the consumer typically will sign on the dotted line acknowledging that they are fully aware of the associated risks and will not hold the provider accountable. This manuscript serves to acknowledge that there are both authentic and inauthentic elements of commercially provided adventure experiences and calls for further analysis of the presence of these elements across the range of commercial adventure activities.