cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Molecular Model of Proteoglycan-Associated Electrostatic Forces in Cartilage Mechanics

Measured values of the swelling pressure of charged proteoglycans (PG) in solution (Williams RPW, and Comper WD; Biophysical Chemistry 36:223, 1990) and the ionic strength dependence of the equilibrium modulus of PG-rich articular cartilage (Eisenberg SR, and Grodzinsky AJ; J Orthop Res 3: 148, 1985) are compared to the predictions of two models. Each model is a representation of electrostatic forces arising from charge present on spatially fixed macromolecules and spatially mobile micro-ions. The first is a macroscopic continuum model based on Donnan equilibrium that includes no molecular-level structure and assumes that the electrical potential is spatially invariant within the polyelectrolyte medium (i.e. zero electric field). The second model is based on a microstructural, molecular-level solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation within a unit cell containing a charged glycosaminoglycan (GAG) molecule and its surrounding atmosphere of mobile ions. This latter approach accounts for the space-varying electrical potential and electrical field between the GAG constituents of the PG. In computations involving no adjustable parameters, the PB-cell model agrees with the measured pressure of PG solutions to within experimental error (10%), whereas the ideal Donnan model overestimates the pressure by up to 3-fold. In computations involving one adjustable parameter for each model, the PB-cell model predicts the ionic strength dependence of the equilibrium modulus of articular cartilage. Near physiological ionic strength, the Donnan model overpredicts the modulus data by 2-fold, but the two models coincide for low ionic strengths (C0 < 0.025M) where the spatially invariant Donnan potential is a closer approximation to the PB potential distribution. The PB-cell model result indicates that electrostatic forces between adjacent GAGs predominate in determining the swelling pressure of PG in the concentration range found in articular cartilage (20-80 mg/ml). The PB-cell model is also consistent with data (Eisenberg and Grodzinsky, 1985, Lai WM, Hou JS, and Mow VC; J Biomech Eng 113: 245, 1991) showing that these electrostatic forces account for approximately 1/2 (290kPa) the equilibrium modulus of cartilage at physiological ionic strength while absolute swelling pressures may be as low as approximately 25-100kPa. This important property of electrostatic repulsion between GAGs that are highly charged but spaced a few Debye lengths apart allows cartilage to resist compression (high modulus) without generating excessive intratissue swelling pressures.
A new ensemble method for gold mining problems: Predicting technology transfer

Of the many available innovative e-commerce technologies, only a small number have been successful in practice. Choosing and purchasing the right e-commerce technology is similar to finding gold in the mountains: there is a low frequency of a desirable state and a high frequency of an undesirable state. Thus, such scenarios are called gold mining problems. In such cases, the goal is to increase the probability of accurately predicting the desirable state. However, few prediction methods are sophisticated enough to predict gold mining problem results accurately. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to propose a novel ensemble method dedicated to increasing the probability of accurately predicting desirable states. We develop the vertical boosting with rewarded vote strategy, which generates classifiers for each attribute in a sample. Each classifier then generates individual rules with the assistance of a sensitivity level, to find desirable states. The individual rule sets are generated with adjustment by the multiplier, and then used in the ensemble method to generate combined rules. To show the method's soundness, we perform an experiment with a representative gold mining problem: prediction of transferability of the intellectual properties of e-transaction technology.
Nucleotide-induced Structural Changes in P-glycoprotein Observed by Electron Microscopy *

P-glycoprotein (Pgp) is an ATP hydrolysis driven multidrug efflux pump, which, when overexpressed in the plasma membrane of certain cancers, can lead to the failure of chemotherapy. Previously, we have presented a projection structure of nucleotide-free mouse Pgp from electron microscopic images of lipid monolayer-generated two-dimensional crystals ( Lee, J. Y., Urbatsch, I. L., Senior, A. E., and Wilkens, S. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 40125-40131). Here we have analyzed the structure of cysteine-free human Pgp from two-dimensional crystals that were generated with the same lipid-monolayer technique in the absence and presence of various nucleotides. The images show that human Pgp has a similar structure to the mouse protein. Furthermore, the analysis of projection structures obtained under different nucleotide conditions suggests that Pgp can exist in at least two major conformations, one of which shows a central cavity between the N- and C-terminal halves of the molecule and another in which the two halves have moved sideways, thereby closing the central cavity. Intermediate conformations were observed for some nucleotide/vanadate combinations. A low-resolution, three-dimensional model of human Pgp was calculated from tilted specimen crystallized in the presence of the non-hydrolyzable nucleotide analog, adenosine 5′-O-(thiotriphosphate). The structural analysis presented here adds to the emerging picture that multidrug ABC transporters function by switching between two major conformations in a nucleotide-dependent manner.
DRUG INFORMATION IN PHARMACY PRACTICE

Summary A recent report on pharmacy in the United States indicates that the pharmacist should assume a greater role in providing drug information to both health professionals and patients. The opportunity for this role has been created because of several factors which include ineffective communication of information, difficulty in keeping abreast of new drug developments and inefficient drug-information sources. Factors outside and inside the profession which have determined the pharmacists' current image as a source of drug information are discussed. Suggestions are made which will assist the pharmacist in assuming a more significant and accepted role as a source of drug information.
TH‐C‐137‐10: Development of a GPU Research Platform for Automatic Treatment Planning and Adaptive Radiotherapy Re‐Planning

Purpose: To develop a research platform called SCORE (Super Computing Online Re‐planning Environment) for automatic treatment planning and adaptive radiotherapy re‐planning based on GPU. Methods: Our software is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) based on the Qt framework that allows users to easily and quickly create a new treatment plan based on a reference plan. It consists of several modules, including loading plan and patient geometry from DICOM RT files, automatic and manual rigid registration, deformable registration for contour propagation, previous plan based automatic plan optimization, physician‐driven plan tuning, final dose calculation, and plan exporting in DICOM RT format. For automatic planning, a reference plan is identified from a library of previously delivered plans and it is used to guide the optimization process. For adaptive radiotherapy re‐planning, the original plan of the same patient is used as the reference plan to guide the optimization process to generate a new plan on the new patient geometry defined by either a new CT or Cone‐Beam CT image. All the computation modules have been implemented in CUDA to achieve high efficiency. The results for each step of the workflow can be visualized for review, revision, and approval. Results: SCORE has been well tested and validated for prostate and head/neck cancer cases. The validation was done by comparing SCORE plans against the same plans with re‐calculated dose distributions and DVHs using a commercial planning system. We found that SCORE can generate clinically optimal treatment plans that are realistic and deliverable. The plans can be automatically created in only a few minutes, followed by another few minutes of physician fine‐tuning using an interactive GUI. Conclusion: We have developed a very efficient and user‐friendly GPU‐based research platform that can be used for clinical research on automatic treatment planning and adaptive radiotherapy re‐planning.
Stealing VEGF from Thy Neighbor

The distribution and patterning of blood vessels is controlled by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is precisely regulated throughout its life cycle. Okabe et al. show that VEGF is titrated away from the endothelium by adjacent neurons via endocytosis, regulating density and trajectory of blood vessels.
Synthesis and characterization of layered and scrolled amine-templated vanadium oxides

In order to fully understand the formation mechanism, structure, and role of structural curvature of vanadium oxide nanotubes (VONTs), two isostructural materials (one planar and the other curved)—ethylenediammonium (enH2) intercalated V7O16 and vanadium oxide nanourchins (VONUs)—were synthesized and characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements. The synthesis route to (enH2)V7O16 is developed using vanadium pentoxide as a starting material and employing pH control. VONUs are synthesized using n-dodecylamine as an amine template for the first time. We demonstrate that the structure of the vanadium oxide layer in these compounds is similar to that of VONTs and their magnetic properties all fit to the same model including the temperature-independent, Curie–Weiss, and spin ½ antiferromagnetic dimer contributions. The vanadium oxidation state in tubular structures appears to be higher than in planar compounds such as (eH2)V7O16 and BaV7O16. The role of the template and vanadium reduction in the formation of nanotubes is discussed.
On the Constitution of Sodium at Higher Densities

Using density functional theory the atomic and electronic structures of sodium are predicted to depart substantially from those expected of simple metals for r(s) 130 GPa). Newly predicted phases include those with low structural symmetry and semimetallic electronic properties (including zero-gap semiconducting limiting behavior), and even those that raise the possibility of superconductivity, all at currently achievable pressures. Important differences emerge between sodium and lithium at high densities, and these are attributable to corresponding differences in their respective cores.
Stable numerical evaluation of Grünwald–Letnikov fractional derivatives applied to a fractional IHCP

The computation of Grunwald–Letnikov fractional derivatives from noisy data is considered as an ill-posed problem and treated by mollification techniques. It is shown that, with the appropriate choice of the radius of mollification, the method is a regularizing algorithm. Next, the recovery of the boundary temperature and heat flux functions from one measured transient temperature data at some interior point of a one-dimensional semi-infinite conductor when the governing diffusion equation is of fractional type is discussed. A simple algorithm based on space marching mollification techniques and Grunwald–Letnikov fractional derivatives is introduced for the numerical solution of this inverse ill-posed problem. In all cases, stability and error estimates are included together with numerical examples of interest.
Automated scanning tunneling microscope

Abstract The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is a powerful instrument which gives information on topography, chemical composition and electronic properties of metal and semiconductor surfaces down to the atomic scale. This microscope has been significantly enhanced by an automated control and data-acquisition system. Microprocessor-controlled intelligent instruments grouped around an IBM PC/AT control computer drive the STM and acquire experimental data. Both the hardware and the software are built in a modular manner. Therefore, the control and acquisition system can be tailored to the size, complexity and type of application of the STM instrument. We shall discuss the concept of the automated microscope and explain the functions of the instruments and the software.
Effect of sodium and magnesium fertilisers and irrigation on growth, composition and yield of sugar beet

Field experiments (1968–70) were made to find how sodium and magnesium fertilisers and irrigation affect yield of sugar beet. 0 and 250 kg/ha sodium (as agricultural salt) and 0 and 100 kg/ha magnesium (as kieserite) were tested; also no water and irrigation, to prevent the calculated soil moisture deficit from exceeding 40 mm. The plants contained most sodium during August when plants not given it contained 80 kg/ha and plants given it contained 145 kg/ha. Measured losses of sodium and potassium from the soil equalled the total taken up by the crop. Sodium and irrigation increased the leaf area index and total dry matter of the crop. The average increase in sugar yield was 0·5 t/ha from sodium and 0·68 t/ha from irrigation. From late July onwards, irrigated plants had slightly fewer leaves than unirrigated ones. Plants given sodium had more of their total dry matter in the roots than those not given sodium. The effects of sodium and irrigation were additive. Magnesium fertiliser increased the concentration of magnesium in the plants and their total content, but had no effect on growth, uptake of the other cations or final yield of the crop. It is concluded that sodium increased sugar yield by increasing the leaf area index early in the season and by increasing the proportion of the total dry matter partitioned to the roots; irrigation also appeared to act partly by increasing leaf area index but it also greatly increased the uptake of nutrients.
Wnt5a is required for proper epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in the uterus

Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions play a crucial role in the correct patterning of the mammalian female reproductive tract (FRT). Three members of the Wnt family of growth factors are expressed at high levels in the developing FRT in the mouse embryo. The expression of Wnt genes is maintained in the adult FRT, although levels fluctuate during estrous. Wnt4 is required for Mullerian duct initiation, whereas Wnt7a is required for subsequent differentiation. In this study, we show that Wnt5a is required for posterior growth of the FRT. We further demonstrate that the mutant FRT has the potential to form the posterior compartments of the FRT using grafting techniques. Postnatally, Wnt5a plays a crucial role in the generation of uterine glands and is required for cellular and molecular responses to exogenous estrogens. Finally, we show that Wnt5a participates in a regulatory loop with other FRT patterning genes including Wnt7a , Hoxa10 and Hoxa11 . Data presented provide a mechanistic basis for how uterine stroma mediates both developmental and estrogen-mediated changes in the epithelium and demonstrates that Wnt5a is a key component in this process. The similarities of the Wnt5a and Wnt7a mutant FRT phenotypes to those described for the Hoxa11 and Hoxa13 mutant FRT phenotypes reveal a mechanism whereby Wnt and Hox genes cooperate to pattern the FRT along the anteroposterior axis.
Biotransformations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 by kidney microsomes.

Abstract Vitamin D3-deficient chick kidney microsomes in vitro metabolize 25-hydroxy-[26(27)-methyl-3H]-vitamin D3 to yet structurally unidentified polar metabolites previously designated MIC-I and MIC-II. Kidney microsomes of vitamin D3-repleted chicks could not be demonstrated to produce these metabolites when 3H was the radioactive isotope in positions C-26 and C-27 of the substrate. However, when 25-hydroxy-[26,27-14C]-vitamin D3 was the radioactive substrate, MIC-I and MIC-II production was independent of the vitamin D3 status of the chicks. These results suggest that under conditions of vitamin D3-sufficiency, there is augmented sequential kidney metabolism of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 to products with modified side-chains involving C-26 and/or C-27. It is possible that this metabolism is responsible for the regulation of kidney cellular concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3.
Thermally Induced Electroconvection

Conducting fluid steady convection due to combined effects of thermal gradient and DC electric field predicted by analytical model
Metabolic and morphological changes induced by gibberellic acid on spearmint

The influence of gibberellic acid on the growth of spearmint and on the production of the volatile oil has been studied. Spearmint plants treated once throughout their growth period with foliar sprays of gibberellic acid in a concentration of 50 p. p. m. displayed a 258 per cent increase in linear growth. The experimental plants developed a very thick, wood-like stem which had an extended xylem region and missing ribs. An increase in dry matter and a decrease in water content of the tissues were found. Gibberellic acid treatment decreased percentagewise the amount of volatile oil but did not alter its carvone content. The oil met all N. F. standards. A decrease in total chlorophyll content was found.
Defect Type Recognition System for Wind Turbine by Subtractive Clustering

This paper aims to provide a theoretical procedure for defect type recognition of gearboxes and blades on wind turbine. Firstly, a test environment and pre-defect wind turbines were set up according to most usually happened defect types in wind turbine. The measurement of output current signals from these pre-defect wind turbines under operating is then operated for every defect type. Secondly, Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) is applied to covert those current signals into time-frequency domain. The HHT reveals that those output current signals have three basic features: time, frequency and energy distribution components. Through observe these features, it could recognize different physical characteristic of each defect type. Finally, using fractal theory to extract the pattern features from HHT time-frequency spectrum and then combining it with subtractive clustering identification method for defect type recognition. To show the efficiency of the proposed approach, simulated works have been conducted. The results show that the proposed approach that using HHT analysis and combined with fractal theory to extract defect features can effectively identify which defect type the wind turbine is and also reduce recognition time to find out the defect of wind turbines more efficient.
From Orientalism to surrealism: Wojciech Jerzy Has interprets Jan Potocki

ABSTRACTThis article re-examines the relationship between Saragossa Manuscript's (Has, 1964) literary original and its film adaptation, directed by the idiosyncratic Polish film-maker, Wojciech Jerzy Has. As the eighteenth century neared its dusk, the novel's author Jan Potocki set off for his journey to the Orient. Highly educated and always sceptical of organized religion, he revelled in the cultural traditions of the East and admired its people, while making sure to avoid any of the Christian holy places that were soon to attract scores of European travellers. Later, when travelling in Europe, Potocki was most attracted to Spain, and especially to Andalusia, where Europe's own multicultural past was still palpable. The Saragossa Manuscript, a picaresque novel to whose writing Potocki devoted the last decade of his life, became a testament to his enlightened encounters with cultural difference. Has's film, which fascinated film-makers Louis Bunuel, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and musician Jerr...
TRENDS IN INEQUALITY USING CONSUMPTION‐EXPENDITURES: THE U.S. FROM 1960 TO 1993

While much of the evidence suggests that there was an increase in inequality in the U.S. during the 1980s, the reasons are less evident. Using the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey data, we find that the inequality of consumption-expenditures, as well as the inequality of other measures of resources, widened considerably during the 1980s. While previous studies suggest that increasing inequality is mainly due to increases in within group inequality, we show that by decomposing inequality by the interaction of family type and education almost three-fourths of the increase in inequality is accounted for by changes in inequality between groups and by shifts in the population.
Parastatin (porcine chromogranin A347-419), a novel chromogranin A-derived peptide, inhibits parathyroid cell secretion

Chromogranin A (CgA), previously referred to as secretory protein- I, is a 50-kilodalton protein present in secretory granules of many endocrine and neuroendocrine cells. In the parathyroid it is present and cosecreted with PTH in response to hypocalcemia. CgA appears to be a precursor of bioactive peptides including pancreastatin, P-granin, vasostatin, and chromostatin. The presence of several highly conserved pairs of basic amino acids, putative cleavage sites, in the CgA molecule suggests that other yet unidentified bioactive peptides might exist within the molecule. We tested this speculation by subjecting porcine parathyroid CgA to digestion by endoproteinase Lys-C. Resulting CgA- derived peptides were isolated by reverse-phase Cl8 HPLC and tested for their ability to affect low-Ca*+ stimulated secretion by porcine parathyroid cells. We characterized one peptide, which we named parastatin, that inhibited secretion of both PTH and CgA in a dose- dependent fashion over the range of 0.2-0.6 pM. Parastatin migrated as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electro- phoresis with an apparent mol wt of 11,000. Edman degradation yielded the sequence L-S-F-R-A-P-A-Y-G-F-R-G-P-G-L corresponding to res- idues 347-361 of porcine CgA. Amino acid analysis of endoproteinase Lys-C and endoproteinase Asp-N-generated fragments indicated that parastatin corresponds to residues 347-419 of CgA. A synthetic NH,- terminal fragment of rat parastatin corresponding to residues I-19 was as inhibitory as intact porcine parastatin on parathyroid gland secre- tion. These results extend the concept that CgA is a precursor of biologically active peptides. (Endocrinology 133: 461-466, 1993)
Safety of cardiac angiography with conventional ionic contrast agents

Abstract To characterize the frequency of adverse reactions to conventional ionic contrast agents, data describing the frequency of such reactions were gathered from 4,630 diagnostic cardiac angiographic procedures. The patient population had a large prevalence of severe or unstable cardiac disease (56% had New York Heart Association class III, IV or V, 12.6% had left ventricular end-diastolic pressure >25 mm Hg and 34% had 3-vessel or left main coronary artery disease). The overall minor adverse reaction rate was 14.2%. Major adverse reactions (requiring treatment) occurred in 61 (1.3%) of procedures. All adverse reactions were managed successfully and there were no deaths. Adverse reactions were more frequent in patients with higher New York Heart Association classes and with elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. The adverse reaction rate was not increased in patients with more extensive coronary artery disease, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction or reduced cardiac index. The overall adverse reaction rate was probably influenced by physician behavior. Smaller volumes of contrast agent were administered to patients with more severe cardiac disease. Six percent of procedures were abbreviated either because of an adverse reaction or of concern that a reaction might occur if the procedure were continued. As a result, the diagnostic data obtained were judged to be inadequate in 0.8% of procedures. These data demonstrate that appropriate operator caution within the highly monitored environment of the cardiac catheterization laboratory allows cardiac angiography to be performed safely with conventional ionic contrast agents in most patients. Nonionic contrast agents may offer an advantage of providing greater safety and allowing a better study completion rate in patients who are severely ill and hemodynamically precarious.
Osteopetrosis, Anemia, Thrombocytopenia, and Marrow Necrosis in Beef Calves Naturally Infected with Bovine Virus Diarrhea Virus:

Bovine virus diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in cattle has a complex set of clinical manifestations, depending on the strain of infecting virus, the immunological status of the host, and the presence or absence of coinfecting stains. Transient BVDV can be caused by either cytopathic or noncytopathic viral infection of immunocompete nt cattle. Calves infected in utero with noncytopathic BVDV (NC-BVDV) before the age of immunocompete nce may become persistently infected immunotolerant carriers of the virus. These persistently infected cattle may serve as viral shedders, infecting herdmates. Mucosal disease, the most severe clinical manifestation of BVDV, occurs when cattle are persistently infected with an NC-BVDV and then are coinfected with a cytopathic strain of BVDV. 1,3
Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis

Summary The hypothesis that adequate vitamin D nutrition can contribute to the prevention of multiple sclerosis (MS) was originally proposed to explain the geographical distribution of MS, but only recently has the relation between various measures of vitamin D (eg, sun exposure, dietary sources, and serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D) and risk of developing MS been rigorously investigated. Overall, the results of these studies support a protective effect of vitamin D, but there are uncertainties and many unanswered questions, including how vitamin D exerts a protective effect, how genetic variations modify the effect, and whether vitamin D can influence the course of MS progression.
Charge Resonance Effects on Electronic Absorption Line Shapes: Application to the Heterodimer Absorption of Bacterial Photosynthetic Reaction Centers

The electronic absorption spectrum of the homodimeric special pair in bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers is greatly modified when one of the bacteriochlorophylls is replaced by a bacteriophe...
On second-order strain accumulation in aluminum in reversed cyclic torsion at elevated temperatures

Abstract Experimental on superpure aluminum in reversed cyclic torsion at elevated temperatures showed that the second-order axial elongation of the specimen is increasing with increasing temperature in the 25°C–400°C temperature range. The quadratic relatiion between the accumulated second-order strain increments and the applied shear strain amplitude already found at room temperature holds at each elevated temperature investigated. The accumulated second-order strain increments are functions of the applied shear strain amplitude, previous number of cycles and temperature. The cycle and temperature effects can be separated, both functions being exponential. A fictitious activation energy was calculated for the second-order extension of aluminum and was found to be almost one order of magnitude smaller than the activation energy of static (high temperature) creep, showing that different material parameters are involevd in the two phenomena.
Helical liver CT with computer-assisted bolus-tracking technology: Is it possible to predict which patients will not achieve a threshold of enhancement?

PURPOSE: To determine how often a prescribed threshold of hepatic contrast material enhancement is not reached at helical computed tomography (CT) of the liver in patients in a tertiary teaching hospital-based practice and which variables are predictive of failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hepatic helical CT was performed in 250 consecutive patients with computer-assisted bolus-tracking technology after either mechanical injection at 3 mL/sec (n = 177) or manual injection (n = 73) of 150 mL of iopamidol. Demographic variables were recorded. After 17 seconds, low-milliamperage monitoring scans were obtained every 6 seconds until hepatic enhancement of 50 HU over baseline was achieved. Time-enhancement curves were reviewed. RESULTS: The threshold was not reached by 60 seconds in 88 patients (35%; default group). The success and default groups were similar in most variables and differed only in weight (P = .002), patient status (inpatient, outpatient, or emergency department; P < .001), and injection type (mec...
Multicenter Clinical Experience With the Afirma Gene Expression Classifier

Background: Increasingly, patients with thyroid nodule cytology labeled atypical (or follicular lesion) of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS) or follicular neoplasm (FN) undergo diagnostic analysis with the Afirma gene expression classifier (GEC). No long-term, multisite analysis of Afirma GEC performance has yet been performed. Methods: We analyzed all patients who had received Afirma GEC testing at five academic medical centers between 2010 and 2013. Nodule and patient characteristics, fine needle aspiration cytology, Afirma GEC results, and subsequent clinical or surgical follow-up were obtained for 339 patients. Results were analyzed for pooled test performance, impact on clinical care, and site-to-site variation. Results: Three hundred thirty-nine patients underwent Afirma GEC testing of cytologically indeterminate nodules (165 AUS/FLUS; 161 FN; 13 suspicious for malignancy) and 174 of 339 (51%) indeterminate nodules were GEC benign, whereas 148 GEC were suspicious (44%). GEC results significantly ...
Receivers with improved performance in the presence of co-channel interference based on the wavelet transform

We present the co-channel interference mitigation in the time-scale domain (CIMTS) algorithm which estimates the signal of interest (SOI) and the interfering signal from their superposition in the presence of additive noise. This method is inspired by the reconstruction of the interference from the null space of the SOI in the time-scale domain. Once the null space of the SOI is determined, the interfering signal is reconstructed via a set of linear operations. Then, the SOI is estimated by a simple subtraction of the estimated interference from the observations. >
East meets west: A meta-analytic investigation of cultural variations in idealism and relativism

Ethics position theory (EPT) maintains that individuals' personal moral philosophies influence their judgments, actions, and emotions in ethically intense situations. The theory, when describing these moral viewpoints, stresses two dimensions: idealism (concern for benign outcomes) and relativism (skepticism with regards to inviolate moral principles). Variations in idealism and relativism across countries were examined via a meta-analysis of studies that assessed these two aspects of moral thought using the ethics position questionnaire (EPQ; Forsyth, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 39, 175-184, 1980). This review iden- tified 139 samples drawn from 29 different countries, for a total sample of 30,230 respondents, and concluded that (a) levels of idealism and relativism vary across regions of the world in predictable ways; (b) an exceptionist ethic is more common in Western countries, subjectivism and situationism in Eastern countries, and absolutism and situationism in Middle Eastern countries; and (c) a nation's ethics position predicted that country's location on previously documented cultural dimensions, such as individualism and avoidance of uncertainty (Hofstede, Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work- Related Values, 1980). Limitations in these methods and concerns about the validity of these cross-cultural con- clusions are noted, as are suggestions for further research using the EPQ.
The performance of linear multiple-antenna receivers with interferers distributed on a plane

We find an asymptotic expression for the average signal to interference ratio (SIR) between a transmitter with a single isotropic antenna and a multi-antenna linear receiver in the presence of interferers with single isotropic transmit antennas distributed uniformly on an infinite plane. The channels are modeled as complex Gaussian random variables with average received power dependent on the distance separating nodes. We find that in large networks, the average SIR for a representative link depends primarily on the ratio of the number of receive antenna elements to the area density of interferers. Furthermore for our network model, the SIR grows super-linearly with the number of antenna elements. We also derive an approximate expression for the average capacity of the link when residual interference is treated as noise under certain conditions. We show via Monte-Carlo simulations that the asymptotic results are useful approximations to systems with finite parameters.
High Uniformity with Reduced Surface Roughness of Chloride Based CVD Process on 100mm 4° Off-Axis 4H-SiC

In this work we present the epitaxial growth of 4H-SiC on 100mm 4° off-axis substrates grown in a multi-wafer CVD planetary reactor. Highly uniform epitaxial layers having thickness and doping uniformities of 1.7% and 1.4% respectively were grown in the production reactor with optimized process conditions at 8µm/hr and 30µm/hr growth rates. Process optimizations resulted in epitaxial layers with surface roughness (RMS) of 0.32nm. Epitaxial layers with a thickness of 53µm grown with a 30µm/hr growth process had minimal degradation in surface roughness (RMS of 0.39nm).
Media Portrayals and Health Inequalities: A Case Study of Characterizations of Gene × Environment Interactions

Objectives. This article examines how genetic and environmental interactions associated with health inequalities are constructed and framed in the presentation of scientific research. Methods. It uses the example of a major article about depression in a longitudinal study of young adults that appeared in Science in 2003. Results. This portrayal of findings related to health inequalities uses a genetic lens that privileges genetic influences and diminishes environmental ones. Discussion. The emphasis on the genetic side of Gene x Environment interactions can serve to deflect attention away from the important impact of social inequalities on health.
Valuation of collateralized debt obligations in a multivariate subordinator model

The paper develops valuation of multi-name credit derivatives, such as collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), based on a novel multivariate subordinator model of dependent default (failure) times. The model can account for high degree of dependence among defaults of multiple firms in a credit portfolio and, in particular, exhibits positive probabilities of simultaneous defaults of multiple firms. The paper proposes an efficient simulation algorithm for fast and accurate valuation of CDOs with large number of firms.
Metaphors We Teach By: Examining Teacher Conceptualizations of Literacy in the English Language Arts Classroom

This case study used metaphor analysis to gain insight on the conceptualizations of literacy informing six English Language Arts educators’ understanding of the meaning and goals of U.S. literacy education today. While findings indicated literacy’s functional aspect as the most prominent metaphoric conceptualization employed, the teachers’ use of alternate metaphors to highlight the value of literacy learning beyond its pragmatic outcomes suggests that U.S. literacy education reform may be out of step with the pedagogical goals teachers have for their students. The article concludes with a discussion of the pedagogical implications suggested by the study findings.
CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells Inhibit the Maturation but Not the Initiation of an Autoantibody Response

To investigate the mechanism by which T regulatory (Treg) cells may control the early onset of autoimmunity, we have used an adoptive transfer model to track Treg, Th, and anti-chromatin B cell interactions in vivo. We show that anti-chromatin B cells secrete Abs by day 8 in vivo upon provision of undeviated, Th1- or Th2-type CD4 + T cell help, but this secretion is blocked by the coinjection of CD4 + CD25 + Treg cells. Although Treg cells do not interfere with the initial follicular entry or activation of Th or B cells at day 3, ICOS levels on Th cells are decreased. Furthermore, Treg cells must be administered during the initial phases of the Ab response to exert full suppression of autoantibody production. These studies indicate that CD25 + Treg cells act to inhibit the maturation, rather than the initiation, of autoantibody responses.
Regional differences in perceiving vowel tokens on Southerness, education, and pleasantness ratings

This study investigates the role of regional dialect experience on the social awareness of synthesized vowel tokens to regional in-group and out-group members. For the study, speakers from Reno, NV, were given the same perception test used in a previous study in Memphis, TN. Comparing the Reno results to those found in Memphis, the study examines whether differences in regional vowel norms affect how Westerners rate Southern-shifted and non-Southern-shifted vowel variants on Southernness, education, and pleasantness scales. The study also looks at how Reno raters interpreted shifted back vowel variants, found productively in their local community, compared to front vowel shifts found exclusively in the South. Finally, the paper explores how the results suggest that regional dialect exposure attunes listeners to attend to different aspects of vowel quality than those outside the region. In examining how regional dialect experience affects listener recognition and evaluation of local and nonlocal vowel norms, the paper begins to explore how much the production/perception relationship is mediated by speakers' participation in locally constructed and defined speech communities.
Multiply pulsed collision gas for ion axialization in fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

We present a new multiply pulsed collision-gas technique for ion axialization for Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) high-resolution mass analysis. Ions are axialized in the source trap of a dual-trap FTICR spectrometer by azimuthal quadrupolar irradiation for several tens of seconds at a steady-state pressure maintained by repeated pulses of collision gas (argon), followed by removal of the collision gas and detection at a much lower pressure after transfer to the analyzer trap. Magnitude-mode FTICR mass resolving power, m/delta m approximately 1,770,000, for [M+K]+ ions from laser-desorbed/ionized leucine enkephalin at m/z 594 is demonstrated. This mass resolving power is the highest yet reported for a peptide with any type of laser desorption/ionization mass analyzer.
Controlling Selectivity by Controlling the Path of Trajectories

Consideration of the role of dynamic trajectories in [1,2]- and [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangements suggests a counterintuitive approach to controlling the selectivity. In our hypothesis, [2,3] selectivity can be promoted by reaction conditions that thermodynamically disfavor the [2,3] rearrangement step and thereby make the transition state later. The application of this idea has led to a successful prescription for dictating the selectivity in Stevens/Sommelet-Hauser rearrangements of ammonium ylides. A combination of kinetic isotope effects, crossover experiments, and computational dynamic trajectories support the idea that the selectivity is controlled through control of the path of trajectories.
Amount of Savings Needed for Health Expenses for People Eligible for Medicare: More Rare Good News, p. 2

This paper updates previous estimates by the Employee Benefit Research Institute on savings needed to cover health insurance premiums and health care expenses in retirement. Much like EBRI’s 2012 report, this analysis finds that the savings targets for a 65-year-old retiring in 2013 were not higher than the savings targets for a 65-year-old in the previous year. In fact, these particular savings targets have continued to fall, with the decline ranging from 6-11 percent. This report discusses the model, the savings targets, and continued reasons for the decline in savings targets. In 2010, Medicare covered 62 percent of the cost of health care services for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older, while out-of-pocket spending accounted for 12 percent, and private insurance covered 13 percent. Individuals can expect to pay a greater share of their costs out-of-pocket in the future because of the combination of the financial condition of the Medicare program and cutbacks to employment-based retiree health programs. Because women have longer life expectancies than men, women will generally need larger savings than men to cover health insurance premiums and health care expenses in retirement post-65 when examining needed savings regardless of the savings targets. In 2013, a man would need $65,000 in savings and a woman would need $86,000 if each had a goal of having a 50 percent chance of having enough money saved to cover health care expenses in retirement. If either instead wanted a 90 percent chance of having enough savings, $122,000 would be needed for a man and $139,000 would be needed for a woman. Savings targets declined between 6 percent and 11 percent between 2012 and 2013 for a person or couple age 65. For a married couple both with drug expenses at the 90th percentile throughout retirement who wanted a 90 percent chance of having enough money saved for health care expenses in retirement by age 65, targeted savings fell from $387,000 in 2012 to $360,000 in 2013. The PDF for the above title, published in the October 2013 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another October 2013 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “IRA Asset Allocation, 2011.”
Nonsurgical Lifting and Tightening

Attempts at counteracting the signs of aging, such as redundant facial and neck skin, have become increasingly popular. Traditionally, surgery was the sole treatment for skin laxity. However, with the recent advances in technology, conditions that once required major surgical intervention no longer do so. Devices like nonablative lasers (long pulse 1,064 nm Nd:YAG), have been initiated instead. Primarily created for skin resurfacing with a reduced posttreatment recovery time, these devices also exhibited improvement in skin laxity. Unfortunately, this benefit was modest at best, and thus radiofrequency (RF), infrared, and ultrasound devices were introduced for nonablative tissue tightening via volumetric heating of the deep dermis.
Regulation of Biotechnology for Specialty Crops

While crops improved using biotechnology (recombinant DNA methods) have been widely adopted in soybeans, cotton, maize, and canola, only a few varieties of horticultural or specialty crops have been commercialized. Numerous traits developed through biotechnology would be valuable for specialty crops. However, commericalization of these traits is limited by the diversity of species involved, multiple niche markets, small production windows per cultivar, requirements of processors, distributors and retailers, and access to intellectual property required for developing transgenic varieties. Regulatory requirements for biotech crops, particularly the separate regulation of each transgenic event, are also uniquely burdensome for specialty crops. Targeted assistance with the regulatory process, analogous to the IR-4 program for the registration of agricultural chemicals for minor crops, is recommended as a way to encourage the commercialization of biotech specialty crops. Continuing development of biotech specialty crops in China, India, and other countries may eventually open international markets to these products.
Robust self-assembly

Self-assembly is the process by which small objects aggregate and assemble into large, complicated structures autonomously. Nature adopts this method in building all kinds of structures: atoms react to form molecules; complementary strands of DNA attach to each other and form double helix structures. Besides providing a better understanding of nature, self-assembly also has many applications in nano-scale fabrication. DNA is an important material to use in artificial self-assembly of nano-scale systems due to its "programmable" nature—binding specificity can be achieved by assigning corresponding DNA sequences without changing the geometric structure of the DNA molecules. There are many theoretical designs but experimental studies have observed high error rates. In this thesis, I present several error-correcting schemes for DNA self-assembly and a programmable molecular machine made by self-assembly. The first error-correcting scheme is the "invadable system" which uses biochemistry approach and can do error correction with small efficiency loss. The second scheme is called snaked proofreading scheme which uses combinatorial techniques to do error correction. This is the first scheme that achieves provably good assembly time and provable error-correction. Simulation and preliminary experimental results further confirm the effectiveness of the snaked proofreading scheme. I also present a dimension augmentation technique to reduce the resolution loss introduced by previous error-correcting schemes and a self-healing tile system that protects the system against rare catastrophic events. A set of combinatorial criteria is proposed as a general framework for proving the effectiveness of error-correcting schemes in DNA self-assembly. Self-assembly is closely related to molecular machines. Many nano-devices use self-assembled structures to guide its movement or build its main body. However, most current self-assembled nano-devices only repeat the same operation and are not programmable. In this thesis, I describe a self-assembled DNA-walker that can simulate any Turing machine and thus can be more precisely controlled and perform many interesting tasks including counting and pattern recognition.
From Athletes to Astrophysicists: Gender Differences in Patterns and Predictors of Career Aspirations in Pre-Adolescence

This paper adds to research on girls' growing educational advantage by examining gender differences in career paths. Using baseline data from an intervention study (TRY-IT!) targeting 265 sixth-graders in Title I schools, our research traces adolescent career aspirations by gender, race and class. Additionally, we investigate whether girls and boys exhibit differential sensitivity to environmental risk and protective factors that shape career and educational aspirations. We find that the career choices of boys vary more widely by social context, including socioeconomic status, race, and academic resources. Specifically, among youth with fewer social and academic advantages, girls aspire to more practical careers and careers which require higher levels of educational attainment relative to boys. The findings reveal how sources of inequality such as race and class shape gendered aspirations and complicate gender inequality. We reason that boys' choices are more volatile and socially contingent because of the emphasis on high-status careers as a signifier of masculinity.