cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The NIST Advanced Measurement Laboratory: at the leading edge of measurement science and technology

The National Institute of Standards and Technology as the U.S. National Metrology Institute has the fundamental responsibility to continuously push the limits of measurement science (metrology) to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness. In 2004, NIST finished construction of a $235 million, 49 843 m 2 Advanced Measurement Laboratory to enhance its measurement capabilities in response to the fast-growing metrology needs of the scientific and industrial community.
Hydrogen/nitrogen dioxide kinetics: Derived rate data for the reaction H2 + NO2 = HONO + H at 833 K

The development of comprehensive reaction mechanisms involving H/N/O species would aid the understanding of propellant combustion phenomena and the modeling of NO{sub x} removal processes. These mechanisms can be efficiently developed using a hierarchical approach, beginning with the simplest species and reactions that are common to the reaction kinetics of more complex fuels. Along these lines, this laboratory has experimentally investigated and numerically modeled NO{sub 2} and N{sub 2}O decomposition and the H{sub 2}/NO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}N{sub 2}O, and CO/H{sub 2}O/N{sub 2}O reactions over wide ranges of pressures at intermediate temperatures. since this work, the authors have updated several rate constants in the H{sub 2}/O{sub 2}, CO/H{sub 2}O/O{sub 2}, and NO{sub x} submechanisms in a manner consistent with recently published rate data and mechanistic studies of the CO/H{sub 2}O/O{sub 2}/NO{sub x} system. In light of the recent modifications to their reaction mechanism, they have reevaluated their previous data and obtained new data on the H{sub 2}/NO{sub 2} system at temperatures near 833 K in an effort to better characterize {kappa}{sub 23}. During the course of this work, Park et al. reported rate data for {kappa}{sub 23} at temperatures between 600--775 K which are also much lower than the previous recommendationmore » of Tsang and Herron. As will be discussed, their new data are in very good agreement with the theoretical expression given in this recent study.« less
Hybrid SVM-ANFIS for protein subcellular location prediction

Predicting protein subcellular locations may help us understand protein functions and analyse protein interactions with other molecules. Many machine learning and computational techniques have been used to predict protein subcellular locations. In this paper, we propose a new hybrid classification system called SVM-ANFIS based on Support Vector Machines and Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System for protein subcellular location prediction. The experimental results show that the new system can not only achieve high total accuracies but also improve local accuracies in protein subcellular location prediction.
A phase-corrected coupled-states approximation for inelastic scattering

Abstract A simple phase correction is derived for the coupled-states (CS) approximation based on WKB phase shifts for the electric part of the potential. The resulting phase-corrected CS (PCCS) scattering matrix agrees well in both phase and magnitude with the exact one. The PCCS approximation should then give accurate m-state information for any quantization axis.
A Characterization of African Easterly Waves on 2.5–6-Day and 6–9-Day Time Scales

AbstractThis study shows that the African easterly wave (AEW) activity over the African monsoon region and the northern tropical Atlantic can be divided in two distinct temporal bands with time scales of 2.5–6 and 6–9 days. The results are based on a two-dimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition (2D-EEMD) of the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA). The novel result of this investigation is that the 6–9-day waves appear to be located predominantly to the north of the African easterly jet (AEJ), originate at the jet level, and are different in scale and structure from the well-known low-level 2.5–6-day waves that develop baroclinically on the poleward flank of the AEJ. Moreover, they appear to interact with midlatitude eastward-propagating disturbances, with the strongest interaction taking place at the latitudes where the core of the Atlantic high pressure system is located. Composite analyses applied to the mode decomposition indicate that the interaction of the...
Iterated Logarithm laws for weighted averages

It Let {if,, n > 1 } be independent, identically distributed (i.i.d.) random variables with zero means and unit variances. The Law of the Iterated Logarithm is shown to hold for sequences {an Xn} provided that the constants {an} satisfy (i) n a, 2 < C ~ a~, (ii) ~ a~ --* oo. j=t j=l
Further Observations on Tabanidae (Horseflies) in Louisiana.

The observations here given in brief supplement the reports of Professor J. S. Hine and the authors on the Tabanidae or horseflies of Louisiana. One additional species has been taken as adult and the larvae of nine species, which had not been previously taken in this stage, have been collected in the field. Notes on the time of year when adults of various species were taken in the vicinity of Baton Rouge during 1922 and 1923 are given, as well as a brief statement as to the species that were observed to be of most importance as pests of livestock in this locality.
Resolving spatial modes of lasers via matrix completion

We explain a technique that recovers the structure and the modal weights of spatial modes of lasers from a limited number of spatial coherence measurements. Our approach interpolates the unobserved spatial coherence measurements via the low-rank matrix completion algorithm based on nuclear norm minimization and then extracts the set of modes via singular value decomposition. Numerical examples are provided on a variety of lasers to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method, and it is shown that the proposed method can further reduce the number of measurements by a factor of 2 for a moderate data size.
A thermostat for light scattering measurements

A thermostat for light scattering studies is described in which the glass cell containing the solution under investigation is immersed in water maintained at constant temperature. The construction is such that the phototube used for detection of scattered light is at room temperature whatever the temperature of the sample. The liquid bath about the sample cell minimizes both troublesome reflections of the incident light and errors arising from refraction effects.
Factors influencing aestivation in Laricobius nigrinus (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), a predator of Adelges tsugae (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)

Laricobius nigrinus Fender is being reared for release as a biological control agent for hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand. HWA is an introduced insect lethal to hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr. and T. caroliniana Engelm.) in the eastern United States. In nature, the predator (Laricobius nigrinus) and its prey (HWA) undergo a dormant period in the summer (aestivation). In the laboratory, the aestivation of L. nigrinus has not been synchronized with that of HWA, resulting in significant predator mortality. Four factors (genetics, temperature, photoperiod, and moisture) were investigated for their effects on aestivation in L. nigrinus. Both the number of individuals and the time at which they emerged from aestivation were measured in response to these factors. Temperature was the most important cue for termination of aestivation, and photoperiod was a modifying factor. High temperature and long day length delayed emergence and high moisture levels resulted in greater emergence but did not affect emergence time. Genetics, as represented by broods, was not a major factor in aestivation termination. These results have led to improvement in rearing L. nigrinus, since emergence from aestivation can now be synchronized with the active period of HWA. Increased success in rearing has expedited field releases of L. nigrinus in the eastern United States.
Nitrobenzoates and Aminobenzoates Are Chemoattractants for Pseudomonas Strains

Three Pseudomonas strains were tested for the ability to sense and respond to nitrobenzoate and aminobenzoate isomers in chemotaxis assays. Pseudomonas putida PRS2000, a strain that grows on benzoate and 4-hydroxybenzoate by using the β-ketoadipate pathway, has a well-characterized β-ketoadipate-inducible chemotactic response to aromatic acids. PRS2000 was chemotactic to 3- and 4-nitrobenzoate and all three isomers of aminobenzoate when grown under conditions that induce the benzoate chemotactic response. P. putida TW3 and Pseudomonas sp. strain 4NT grow on 4-nitrotoluene and 4-nitrobenzoate by using the ortho (β-ketoadipate) and meta pathways, respectively, to complete the degradation of protocatechuate derived from 4-nitrotoluene and 4-nitrobenzoate. However, based on results of catechol 1,2-dioxygenase and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase assays, both strains were found to use the β-ketoadipate pathway for the degradation of benzoate. Both strains were chemotactic to benzoate, 3- and 4-nitrobenzoate, and all three aminobenzoate isomers after growth with benzoate but not succinate. Strain TW3 was chemotactic to the same set of aromatic compounds after growth with 4-nitrotoluene or 4-nitrobenzoate. In contrast, strain 4NT did not respond to any aromatic acids when grown with 4-nitrotoluene or 4-nitrobenzoate, apparently because these substrates are not metabolized to the inducer (β-ketoadipate) of the chemotaxis system. The results suggest that strains TW3 and 4NT have a β-ketoadipate-inducible chemotaxis system that responds to a wide range of aromatic acids and is quite similar to that present in PRS2000. The broad specificity of this chemotaxis system works as an advantage in strains TW3 and 4NT because it functions to detect diverse carbon sources, including 4-nitrobenzoate.
Acceleration of the Shiftable $\mbi{O}{(1)}$ Algorithm for Bilateral Filtering and Nonlocal Means

A direct implementation of the bilateral filter requires O(σs2) operations per pixel, where σs is the (effective) width of the spatial kernel. A fast implementation of the bilateral filter that required O(1) operations per pixel with respect to σs was recently proposed. This was done by using trigonometric functions for the range kernel of the bilateral filter, and by exploiting their so-called shiftability property. In particular, a fast implementation of the Gaussian bilateral filter was realized by approximating the Gaussian range kernel using raised cosines. Later, it was demonstrated that this idea could be extended to a larger class of filters, including the popular non-local means filter. As already observed, a flip side of this approach was that the run time depended on the width σr of the range kernel. For an image with dynamic range [0,T], the run time scaled as O(T2/σr2) with σr. This made it difficult to implement narrow range kernels, particularly for images with large dynamic range. In this paper, we discuss this problem, and propose some simple steps to accelerate the implementation, in general, and for small σr in particular. We provide some experimental results to demonstrate the acceleration that is achieved using these modifications.
Montgomery Identities for Fractional Integrals and Fractional Inequalities

In this chapter we develop some integral identities and inequalities for the fractional integral. We obtain Montgomery identities for fractional integrals and a generalization for double fractional integrals. We also give Ostrowski and Gruss inequalities for fractional integrals. This chapter is based on [80].
Modeling a Store's Product Space as a Social Network

A market basket is a set of products that form a single retail transaction. This purchase data of products can shed important light on how product(s) might influence sales of other product(s). Departing from the standard approach of frequent itemset mining, we posit that purchase data can be modeled as a social network. One can then discover communities of products that are bought together, which can lead to expressive exploration and discovery of a larger influence zone of product(s). We develop a novel utility measure for communities of products and show, both financially and intuitively, that community detection provides a useful complement to association rules for market basket analysis. All our conclusions are validated on real store data.
Progress Report on the NBS/LOS Alamos RTM

The NBS-Los Alamos 200 MeV Racetrack Microtron (RTM) is being built under a program aimed at developing the technology needed for high-current intermediateenergy CW electron accelerators. In this report we give an overview of the present status of the project. Recent progress includes: (1) completion of testing of the 100 keV chopper-buncher system demonstrating a normalized emittance well under the design goal of 2.6 ? mm mrad at currents exceeding the design goal of 600 ?A; (2) operation of the rf structures comprising the 5 MeV injector linac at power levels up to 50 kW/m, resulting in an accelerating gradient at s=1 of 2 MV/m (compared to a design goal of 1.5 MV/m). The measured shunt impedance is 82.5 Mn/m; (3) construction and installation of the 30 ton end magnets of the RTM. Field mapping of one magnet has been completed and its uniformity exceeds the design goal of ±2 parts in 104; (4) performance tests (with beam) of prototype rf beam monitors which measure current, relative phase, and beam position in both transverse planes. (5) Installation and initial operation of the primary control system.
PS1-37: Regional Epidemiologic Assessment of Prevalent Periodontitis Using an Integrated Electronic Health Record System

Background/Aims The purpose of this study is to describe an oral health surveillance platform that queries a clinical/administrative data warehouse to estimate the regional prevalence of periodontitis.
Response of aphid-tending ants to a repellent produced by wasps (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Vespidae)

Predation by ants on wasp brood is responsible for the evolution of an ant repellent produced by social wasps in the genus Polistes . The active component of the repellent, methyl palmitate, and its methyl ester homolog, methyl myristate, were tested against four ant species tending aphids. All four ant species were repelled, but the degree of repellency varied. Two hypotheses were tested to account for the differential repellency among ant species: repellency is a negative function of body size, and differences in social modes of foraging correlate with differences in repellency. The latter hypothesis was supported, in that ant species lacking plasticity in their foraging strategy and relying on trail odors are repelled much more extensively than ants using a variety of cues for locating food. It is hypothesized that wasps evolved their chemical defense in response to selection pressure from trail-following ants.
A Split Image Vision Sensor

A vision sensor has been developed that uses only two lenses, a split prism, and a detector to acquire an image. This system uses the split prism to create a split image such that the displacement of the image is proportional to its range from the sensor. Prototype sensors have been examined both theoretically and experimentally, and have been found to measure object ranges with less than ±2 percent error. Acquisition of a single-point depth measurement is sufficiently fast for real-time use, and the optical components needed to build the sensor are inexpensive. The effect that each optical component has on the performance of the sensor is also discussed, and an optimal system design procedure is developed
Foresee (4C): Wireless link prediction using link features

As an integral part of reliable communication in wireless networks, effective link estimation is essential for routing protocols. However, due to the dynamic nature of wireless channels, accurate link quality estimation remains a challenging task. In this paper, we propose 4C, a novel link estimator that applies link quality prediction along with link estimation. Our approach is data-driven and consists of three steps: data collection, offline modeling and online prediction. The data collection step involves gathering link quality data, and based on our analysis of the data, we propose a set of guidelines for the amount of data to be collected in our experimental scenarios. The modeling step includes offline prediction model training and selection. We present three prediction models that utilize different machine learning methods, namely, naive Bayes classifier, logistic regression and artificial neural networks. Our models take a combination of PRR and the physical layer information, i.e., Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and Link Quality Indicator (LQI) as input, and output the success probability of delivering the next packet. From our analysis and experiments, we find that logistic regression works well among the three models with small computational cost. Finally, the third step involves the implementation of 4C, a receiver-initiated online link quality prediction module that computes the short temporal link quality. We conducted extensive experiments in the Motelab and our local indoor testbeds, as well as an outdoor deployment. Our results with single and multiple senders experiments show that with 4C, CTP improves the average cost of delivering a packet by 20% to 30%. In some cases, the improvement is larger than 45%.
Basic Biology of GAPDH

The GAPDH gene is highly conserved with a promoter that contains several types of regulatory elements, perhaps even in a distal intron. Curiously, the transcription start site shows some ambiguity and there are codon-sharing exons at alternate exon junctions. While there is only one functional gene for GAPDH in humans, the genome is littered with pseudogenes, representing a trove of researchable content. Tissue-specific expression speaks to the glycolytic function of GAPDH; thus, it’s not surprising to see expression increased in cancer cells. Modulation of protein levels becomes an opportunity for intervention. The abundance of GAPDH in the cell provides the rationale (albeit, tenuous) for its use as a loading control. The single paralogous GAPDHS, which is the spermatogenic form of the protein, provides a curious study in cell-type specificity and perhaps intervention (i.e. contraception). And it is no wonder that great biochemists were kept busy for decades unveiling the nuances of GAPDH enzymology. While the active site of the enzyme is well-characterized and the catalytic mechanism is well-described, the role of inter-subunit interactions in catalysis still offers some mysteries, particularly with regards to other emerging enzymatic properties. The GAPDH protein exhibits an intrinsic asymmetry of the subunits, which also may speak to its functional diversity.
Assessing Helminth Community Structure and Patterns in Gizzard Helminths of Blue-Winged Teal (Anas Discors)

Abstract: Helminth community structure (prevalence and abundance) and patterns (associations and distributions) of gizzard worms were examined in blue-winged teal (Anas discors) migrating through south Texas to their wintering grounds (n = 50) and as they migrated back to their breeding grounds (n = 50). Three species of nematodes (Amidostomum acutum, Epomidiostomum uncinatum, and Streptocara crassicauda) and 1 species of cestode (Gastrotaenia cygni) were recovered, representing 1,164 helminth individuals. Amidostomum acutum was the most prevalent (92%) and abundant (817 individuals; 70% of total worms), while G. cygni was the least prevalent (16%) and abundant (23 individuals; 2%). Ninety-eight blue-winged teal were infected with 1 to 4 species. Amidostomum acutum and E. uncinatum were the most frequently (45%) observed association of 2 or more species, followed by A. acutum, E. uncinatum, and S. crassicauda (19%), and A. acutum and S. crassicauda (14%). Significant positive correlations were mainly bet...
Mapping an Interface of SecY (PrlA) and SecE (PrlG) by Using Synthetic Phenotypes and In Vivo Cross-Linking

SecY and SecE are integral cytoplasmic membrane proteins that form an essential part of the protein translocation machinery in Escherichia coli. Sites of direct contact between these two proteins have been suggested by the allele-specific synthetic phenotypes exhibited by pairwise combinations of prlA and prlG signal sequence suppressor mutations in these genes. We have introduced cysteine residues within the first periplasmic loop of SecY and the second periplasmic loop of SecE, at a specific pair of positions identified by this genetic interaction. The expression of the cysteine mutant pair results in a dominant lethal phenotype that requires the presence of DsbA, which catalyzes the formation of disulfide bonds. A reducible SecY-SecE complex is also observed, demonstrating that these amino acids must be sufficiently proximal to form a disulfide bond. The use of cysteine-scanning mutagenesis enabled a second contact site to be discovered. Together, these two points of contact allow the modeling of a limited region of quaternary structure, establishing the first characterized site of interaction between these two proteins. This study proves that actual points of protein-protein contact can be identified by using synthetic phenotypes.
Standardizing Functional Tests

A standardized test for evaluation of meteorological measuring systems in the natural environment is described. The test is designed to provide a quantitative statistical value that will indicate the reliability of a particular system output. This quantity called functional precision provides a quantitative estimate of the difference in readings that can be expected from systems of identical design and construction when exposed to the same environmental conditions. The mathematical definition of this parameter is described and methods of application are discussed. Two specific examples are presented. A new surface sensor for measuring wind gust is compared with present observational practice and the functional precision determination for an upper air sounding system is summarized.
Is The Law a Mere Parchment Barrier to Human Rights Abuse

The “mere parchment barriers” created by constitutional provisions may lead to decreases in the extent to which nations abuse the human right not to be imprisoned, tortured, killed, or made to disappear arbitrarily or because of your political views. A global pooled cross-national time-series analysis for a 21-year period shows that adopting selected constitutional provisions protecting individual rights and freedoms, promoting judicial independence, and guarding against states of emergency—and keeping the provisions in place for 10 years—has the potential to reduce a nation's level of state terror substantially, from one in which political imprisonment affects large numbers of the politically active population and political murders are common, to one where the rule of law is secure, for example. We report significant caveats about and limitations of the research. Nevertheless, we conclude that, since it may be easier to change constitutions than to build effective democracy, to create massive amounts of ...
Draft Genome Sequence of a Metabolically Diverse Antarctic Supraglacial Stream Organism, Polaromonas sp. Strain CG9_12, Determined Using Pacific Biosciences Single-Molecule Real-Time Sequencing Technology

ABSTRACT Polaromonas species are found in a diversity of environments and are particularly common in icy ecosystems. Polaromonas sp. strain CG9_12 is an aerobic, Gram-negative, catalase-positive, white-pigmented bacterium of the Proteobacteria phylum. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Polaromonas sp. strain CG9_12, isolated from an Antarctic supraglacial stream.
Studies on Bacterial Pyrogenicity: III. Specificity of the United States Pharmacopeia Rabbit Pyrogen Test

The specificity of the first or “presumptive” portion of the USP rabbit pyrogen test was investigated by use of a new absolute standard of reference. The reference standard was a 0.9% sodium chloride solution prepared to be pyrogen-free. Details of the preparation were described. The hypothesis was explored that the temperature response of rabbits after intravenous injection of the standard solution was independent of exogenous pyrogen. Reactions observed among the rabbits in our colony allowed a classification of these animals ranging from “consistently reliable” to “consistently unreliable.” Details of the experimental results and implications for pyrogen testing are discussed. The recommendation was made that all rabbit test animals be “screened” in sham and actual tests before being used for pyrogen testing.
Cheating on a Mutualism: Indirect Benefits of Ant Attendance to a Coccidophagous Coccinellid

Coccinellids (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are generally unable to prey on ant-tended prey. However, particular coccinellid species have morphological, behavioral, or chemical characteristics that render them immune to ant attacks, and some species are even restricted to ant-tending areas. The benefit gained from living in close association with ants can be twofold: (1) gaining access to high-density prey areas and (2) gaining enemy-free space. Here, the myrmecophily of Azya orbigera Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), an important predator of the green coffee scale, Coccus viridis (Green) (Hemiptera: Coccidae), is reported. In this paper, three main questions were studied. (1) Are the waxy filaments of A. orbigera larvae effective as defense against attacks of the mutualistic ant partner of C. viridis, Azteca instabilis F. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)? (2) Does A. instabilis reduce the rate at which A. orbigera larvae prey on scales? (3) Do A. orbigera larvae gain enemy-free space by living in close association with A. instabilis? Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to answer these questions. We found that, because of the sticky waxy filaments of A. orbigera larvae, A. instabilis is incapable of effectively attacking them and, therefore, the predation rate of A. orbigera on C. viridis does not decrease in the presence of ants. Furthermore, A. instabilis showed aggressive behavior toward A. orbigera's parasitoids, and the presence of ants reduced the parasitism suffered by A. orbigera. This is the first time that this kind of indirect positive effect is reported for an ant and a coccidophagous coccinellid. Furthermore, this indirect positive effect may be key to the persistence of A. orbigera's populations.
Bilingualism and representation: Locating Spanish-English contact in legal institutional memory

This article examines how the official legal record, presumably an institutional space consisting of Standard American English (SAE), can become a record of a regional variety of English. Utilizing theory from language contact situations, interactional sociolinguistics, and critical discourse analysis, it describes and explains how a prestigious societal institution, often analyzed as imposing its powerful voice on those less powerful, exhibits some permeability as it absorbs at least a few discursive representations of a less dominant bilingual and bicultural group. Traces of the SpanishEnglish contact situation, biculturalism, and Latino life find their way into the official discursive space via stereotype, topic, lexical items, prepositions, and some verbal constructions. The discussion covers why some legal arenas are more impervious to linguistic and cultural diversity (or "accented English") than are others. The conclusion discusses what such representations might mean for Latina women. (Standard English, Latino English, official record, prepositions, language contact, legal system)*
Rethinking Urban Development

This short article discusses urban redevelopment, and its relation to economic productivity and various concepts of well being. It notes that solutions adopted in one era are apt to be the problems of the next. The article then introduces the four articles comprising the George Mason Law Review “Rethinking Urban Development” Symposium.Dean Daniel Rodriguez and Professor David Schleicher’s The Location Market stresses the importance of agglomeration economics, by which critical masses of similar individuals lead to enhanced productivity. On the other hand, Professor J. Peter Byrne’s Historic Preservation and Its Cultured Despisers: Reflections on the Contemporary Role of Preservation Law in Urban Development stresses the importance for human flourishing of a critical mass of historic structures. Professor Peter Salsich’s Does America Need Public Housing? asserts the importance of a supply of societal housing. Finally, Professors Julie Forrester and Jerome Organ assert, in Promising to be Prudent: A Private Law Approach to Mortgage Loan Regulation in Common-Interest Communities, that private covenants limiting leveraging by homebuyers could prevent or alleviate harm to community residents from another housing bust. Together, the articles mirror the variety of contemporary development issues.
Global Mapping of Cyber Attacks

Abstract : Identifying factors behind countries weakness to cyber-attacks is an important step towards addressing these weaknesses at the root level. For example, identifying factors why some countries become cyber-crime safe heavens can inform policy actions about how to reduce the attractiveness of these countries to cyber-criminals. Currently, however, identifying these factors is mostly based on expert opinions and speculations. In this work, we perform an empirical study to statistically test the validity of these opinions and speculations. In our analysis, we use Symantec's World Intelligence Network Environment (WINE) Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) telemetry data which contain attack reports from more than 10 million customer computers worldwide. We use regression analysis to test for the relevance of multiple factors including monetary and computing resources, cybersecurity research and institutions, and corruption. Our analysis confirms some hypotheses and disproves others. We find that many countries in Eastern Europe extensively host attacking computers because of a combination of good computing infrastructure and high corruption rate. We also find that web attacks and fake applications are most prevalent in rich countries because attacks on these countries are more lucrative. Finally, we find that computers in Africa launch the lowest rates of cyber-attacks. This is surprising given the bad cyber reputation of some African countries such as Nigeria. Our research has many policy implications.
Apolipoprotein A-I gene expression is regulated by cellular zinc status in hep G2 cells.

The influence of Zn on the expression of the apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) gene in Hep G2 cells was examined. Zn depletion was achieved with a low-Zn (ZD) medium prepared from Zn-free growth medium (Opti), a ZD medium containing Chelex 100-extracted fetal bovine serum (CHE), and a medium containing chelator 1,10-phenanthroline (OP). Compared with those for their respective controls, cellular Zn levels were reduced by 55, 48, and 46% and apoA-I mRNA abundances were reduced by 20, 29, and 28% in Opti, CHE, and OP systems, respectively, after one passage in ZD media or 24 h in OP medium. To establish the specificity of Zn treatment, groups of ZD cells were treated with their respective control media for the last 24 h (ZDA) or normal cells were cultured with OP medium supplemented with Zn (OP-Zn). ZDA treatments partially normalized cellular Zn levels in the Opti system and restored or elevated apoA-I mRNA levels in the Opti or CHE system, respectively. Similarly, the OP-Zn treatment restored the cellular Zn and apoA-I mRNA levels. Furthermore, one passage of culture with Zn-supplemented media in both the Opti and CHE systems resulted in higher cellular Zn and apoA-I mRNA levels than those for controls. Most significantly, short-term high-Zn induction to normal cells markedly elevated the cellular Zn (3-fold) and apoA-I mRNA (5-fold) levels. Data derived from this study strongly suggest that the expression of apoA-I is regulated by cellular Zn status.
Unique Works/Unique Challenges at the Intellectual Property/Competition Law Interface

Competition law has significantly relaxed its position on intellectual property, giving rightholders greater flexibility to make licensing decisions. The new attitude can be partly attributed to increased appreciation of the rationality of actors and partly to the realization that usually, patented inventions have substitutes, that copyrighted material can be re-produced through independent creation, and that these alternatives constrain rightholders' abilities to set high prices or limit output. This paper argues that these analytical approaches are now too readily applied. There are advances protected by intellectual property laws that are unique or that can, through market or government forces, become unique. Examples include human genome sequences and popular computer operating systems. Obviously, assumptions of substitutability do not hold for these works. More subtly, the forces that create uniqueness can undermine assumptions about rational exploitation. The further upstream a discovery lies, or the more complex the protected system is, the more difficult it becomes to conceive of all its possible applications, especially those remote from the rightholder's field of expertise. Those who have that expertise may be barred by the right from gaining enough hands-on experience with the invention to understand how they could use it, or they may lack the motivation to invest in determining whether a particular research strategy is, in fact, workable. Thus, there is significant danger that rights in these works could impede innovation and impair consumer welfare. These observations have several implications. Most significantly, they suggest that greater scrutiny should be given to refusals to deal and licensing should be required in some circumstances. Although compulsory licensing can diminish incentives to innovate, that concern is overblown in this context. To the extent that potential licensees work in areas where the rightholder lacks information, the right holder would not have reaped the rewards of innovating anyway. In effect, a licensing requirement uses the superior knowledge of the potential licensee to correct mistakes caused by the imperfect rationality of the right holder. Enforcement, in short, solves the information asymmetry problem that would otherwise frustrate efficient innovation.
Thermal Transport to Sessile Droplets on Superhydrophobic Surfaces With Rib and Cavity Features

This paper reports on measurements of thermal transport to solitary sessile water drops placed on heated superhydrophobic substrates at constant temperature. Data was obtained by heating the surfaces to specified constant temperatures and gently placing a single water droplet of nominally 3 mm diameter on the surface. The droplet was allowed to evaporate completely while two video cameras and one infrared camera imaged it during the evaporation process. The images were post-processed to yield transient geometric and thermal information, including droplet volume, projected droplet-substrate contact area, and droplet temperature. The total evaporation time and Nusselt and Grashof numbers were determined from the measurements. For all scenarios, the substrate temperature was maintained below the saturation temperature of water and was varied from 60 to 100 °C. Three different rib-patterned superhydrophobic substrates were investigated of 0.5, 0.8, and 0.95 cavity fraction, respectively. The rib features ranged in width from 2 to 30 μm and in height from 15 to 20 μm, while the cavities between the ribs ranged in width from 30 to 38 μm. Results were also obtained for a smooth hydrophobic substrate for comparison purposes. Droplet evaporation times increase with substrate cavity fraction and decrease with increasing substrate temperature. Heat transfer rates decrease with increasing substrate cavity fraction and increase with substrate temperature. The Nusselt number generally increases with the Grashof number raised to the 1/4 power, and Nusselt number is larger for lower cavity fraction substrates.© 2013 ASME
Correlated Imaging with Aberration Cancellation

We discuss an apparatus capable of producing correlated-photon “ghost” images that cancel all object-induced aberrations in a particular plane and all odd-order aberrations induced by the image-forming optics. We show that both entangled and classically correlated light sources can produce the desired spatial-aberration cancellation.
NMR Characterization of Ionicity and Transport Properties for a Series of Diethylmethylamine Based Protic Ionic Liquids

The ionicity and transport properties of a series of diethylmethylamine (DEMA) based protic ionic liquids (PILs) were characterized, principally utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. PILs were formed via the protonation of DEMA by an array of acids spanning a large range of acidities. A correlation between the 1H chemical shift of the exchangeable proton and the acidity of the acid used for the synthesis of the PIL was observed. The gas phase proton affinity of the acid was found to be a better predictor of the extent of proton transfer than the commonly used aqueous ΔpKa. Pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR was used to determine the diffusivity of the exchangeable proton in a subset of the PILs. The exchangeable proton diffuses with the acid if the PIL is synthesized with a weak acid, and with the base if a strong acid is used. The ionicity of the PILs was characterized using the Walden analysis and by comparing to the ideal Nernst–Einstein conductivity predicted from the 1H PFG-NMR results.
Analysis of the Evolutionary Stages and Trajectory of the Innovation System for Technological Knowledge in Industrial Clusters

From the innovation system perfective,the meaning of the innovation system for technology knowledge of industrial cluster(ISTKIC) was expounded.The features of ISTKIC,especially the technology knowledge,innovation participators and innovation action were studied and its structural model was composed.The special staged characteristic of ISTKIC was pointed out and the evolutionary regular pattern and trajectories were revealed.The case of ISTKIC from Shenyang equipment machine manufacturing industry was also analyzed.
Conformal core-shell nanostructured photodetectors with enhanced photoresponsivity by high pressure sputter deposition

Working gas pressure during sputter deposition can significantly affect the conformality of a thin film when it is grown on a nanostructured surface. In this study, we fabricated core-shell nanostructured photodetectors, where n-type In2S3 nanorod arrays (core) were coated with p-type CuInS2 (CIS) films (shell) at relatively low and high Ar gas pressures. In2S3 nanorods were prepared by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique using a thermal evaporator unit. CIS films were deposited by RF sputtering at Ar pressures of 2.7x10-2 mbar (high pressure sputtering, HIPS) and 7.3x10-3 mbar (low pressure sputtering, LPS). The morphological characterization was carried out by means of SEM. The photocurrent measurement was conducted under 1.5 AM Sun under no bias. Nanostructured photodetectors of HIPS-CIS/GLAD-In2S3 (i.e. HIPS-GLAD) were shown to demonstrate enhanced photoresponse with a photocurrent value of 98 μA, which is about ∼230% higher than that of LPS-GLAD devices. The enhancement originates from the improved core-shell structure achieved by more conformal coating of the CIS shell. In addition, the results were compared to their counterpart thin-film devices incorporating an In2S3 film coated either with HIPS or LPS CIS layer. Nanorod devices with high and low pressure CIS films showed photocurrent values ∼20 times and ∼ 19 times higher compared to those of high and low pressure film devices, respectively. This finding can be explained by the higher light absorption property of nanorods, and the reduced inter-electrode distance as a result of core-shell structure, which allows the effective capture of the photo-generated carriers. Therefore, the results of this work can pave way to the development of high photoresponse core-shell semiconductor devices fabricated by physical vapor deposition techniques.
Exploring Nature, Making the Nation: The Spatial Politics of Ecotourism in Lebanon

This article explores how Lebanese ecotourism sites and excursions present a spatial narrative marked by aspirations for a consolidated nation that connects the rural and the urban across a diverse ecological terrain. Employing several ecotourism projects as case studies, I argue that ideas about nation-making that are rooted in embodied interaction with and awareness of the natural landscape engender a form of national territorialization that relies not upon staying “in place” but rather through the very mobility of the citizen-traveler across the national space. A central aim of my analysis of ecotourism, in a country strained by geographical divisions entangled with complex issues of national belonging, is to broaden the conversation within anthropology about the political life and spatial dimensions of domestic tourism within the Global South.
Evaluation of long-term surface-retrieved cloud droplet number concentration with in situ aircraft observations

A new cloud-droplet number concentration (NDROP) value added product (VAP) has been produced at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site for the 13 years from January 1998 to January 2011. The retrieval is based on surface radiometer measurements of cloud optical depth from the multi-filter rotating shadow-band radiometer (MFRSR) and liquid water path from the microwave radiometer (MWR). It is only applicable for single-layered warm clouds. Validation with in situ aircraft measurements during the extended-term aircraft field campaign, Routine ARM Aerial Facility (AAF) CLOWD Optical Radiative Observations (RACORO), shows that the NDROP VAP robustly reproduces the primary mode of the in situ measured probability density function (PDF), but produces a too wide distribution, primarily caused by frequent high cloud-droplet number concentration. Our analysis shows that the error in the MWR retrievals at low liquid water paths is one possible reason for this deficiency. Modification through the diagnosed liquid water path from the coordinate solution improves not only the PDF of the NDROP VAP but also the relationship between the cloud-droplet number concentration and cloud-droplet effective radius. Consideration of entrainment effects rather than assuming an adiabatic cloud improves the values of the NDROP retrieval by reducing themore » magnitude of cloud-droplet number concentration. Aircraft measurements and retrieval comparisons suggest that retrieving the vertical distribution of cloud-droplet number concentration and effective radius is feasible with an improvement of the parameter representing the mixing effects between environment and clouds and with a better understanding of the effect of mixing degree on cloud properties.« less
A Brief Social Skills Intervention to Reduce Challenging Classroom Behavior.

Social skills instruction has been recommended as a way of improving behavioral and social outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A brief social skills intervention (Stop and Think (Knoff in The stop & think social skills program, Sopris West, Longmont, CO, 2001) was used to extend the current literature base for students with EBD. A multiple-baseline across classrooms design was used to examine negative social behavior of five participants attending a self-contained school setting for students with challenging behavior. The primary intervention components included: (a) teach, (b) model, (c) role play, and (d) performance feedback. Specific social skills addressed in intervention were listening, using nice talk, accepting consequences, ignoring others, and following directions. Participants were taught to use a 5-step process for each social skill: (1) stop and think, (2) identify good and bad choices, (3) identify steps to performing the good choice, (4) implement steps, and (5) reflect on the good choice you made. Results indicated students benefitted from 12 sessions of explicit social skills instruction as evidenced by decreases in negative social behavior. Social behavior improvements maintained during 2-week follow-up observations. Decreasing negative social behaviors is important in improving general social and behavioral outcomes as well as demonstrating growth toward being prepared to transition back to less restrictive environments. Limitations, recommendations for future research, and practice implications are discussed.
Secure Network Bandwidth Provisioning for Quality of Services (QoS) Guarantees

This paper studies the problem of secure network bandwidth provisioning. Solving the problem plays a key role in the successful delivery of cloud services since secure network performance is a fundamental consideration in cloud computing design that is associated with service level agreement (SLA) An SLA is a contract agreed on between a customer and a network service provider. It defines the quality of service (QoS) that the network service provider promises to offer and a fee that the customer agrees to pay for its services. A network service provider uses a set of network resources to support cloud service applications subject to an SLA. The QoS in this paper includes percentile response time, network utilization, and vulnerability. This paper gives an approach for network bandwidth optimization or provisioning in such an environment that minimizes the total cost of network bandwidth used by a network service provider for a cloud service application while satisfying a QoS and a fee negotiated between a customer and the network service provider. We finally present resulting algorithms and demonstrate the applicability of the algorithms through simulation experiments.
Identification of a Novel Alternatively Spliced Form of AML1-ETO and Analysis of Its Role in Leukemogenesis.

The 8;21(q22;q22) translocation is found in 12% of all AML cases, including 40–50% of AML M2 subtype and a small portion of M0, M1, and M4 subtypes. The translocation brings together the DNA sequence encoding the N-terminus of the AML1 (RUNX1) with nearly all of ETO (MTG8) to generate the AML1-ETO fusion protein. The most commonly known AML1-ETO fusion protein (full length AML1-ETO) is encoded by AML1 exons 1 to 4 and by ETO exons 2 to 11 and has 752 a.a. However, a recently discovered ETO exon 9a can provide a protein translation stop codon after the last amino acid encoded by exon 8. The predicted AML1-ETO protein using exon 9a (AML1-ETO9a) has 575 a.a. and does not include the NHR3 and NHR4 domains at the C-terminus of full length AML1-ETO. To demonstrate the presence of the AML1-ETO9a transcript, we performed RT-PCR using RNA prepared from t(8;21) patient samples. Exon 9a transcript was detected in all patient samples when PCR generated a 595 bp fragment with ETO exon 6 and exon 9 primers and was detected in seven of the 14 samples when PCR generated a 1381 bp fragment with AML1 exon 4 and ETO exon 9a primers, indicating the presence of AML1-ETO9a mRNA in patient samples. The predicted molecular weight of AML1-ETO9a protein with 575 a.a. is 63.8 kDa and a 64 kDa AML1-ETO fusion protein has been reported in both Kasumi-1 cells and t(8;21) leukemic blasts. We compared the effects of AML1-ETO and AML1-ETO9a on proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells using FDCPmix cell line, which is an IL-3 dependent multipotent hematopoietic stem cell line. Both forms of fusion proteins inhibited the myeloid lineage differentiation when cells were cultured in the presence of GM-CSF and G-CSF. However, these fusion proteins showed opposite effects on cell cycle progression. AML1-ETO suppressed cell cycle with prolonged G0/G1; AML1-ETO9a enhanced cell cycle with shortened G0/G1. Expression of these fusion proteins in primary bone marrow cells showed a similar result. Most importantly, only AML1-ETO9a efficiently induced acute myeloid leukemia in mice. Thus, the observation that a shorter form of AML1-ETO is a dominant factor in t(8;21) related leukemogenesis exhibits a new paradigm in the understanding of t(8;21) tumorigenesis.