cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PIC&RUN: An integrated assay for the detection and retrieval of single viable circulating tumor cells

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) shed from solid tumors can serve as a minimally invasive liquid biopsy for monitoring disease progression. Because CTCs are rare and heterogeneous, their biological properties need to be investigated at the single cell level, which requires efficient ways to isolate and analyze live single CTCs. Current methods for CTC isolation and identification are either performed on fixed and stained cells or need multiple procedures to isolate pure live CTCs. Here, we used the AccuCyte-RareCyte system to develop a Protocol for Integrated Capture and Retrieval of Ultra-pure single live CTCs using Negative and positive selection (PIC&RUN). The positive selection module of PIC&RUN identifies CTCs based on detection of cancer surface markers and exclusion of immune markers. Combined with a two-step cell picking protocol to retrieve ultrapure single CTCs, the positive selection module is compatible for downstream single cell transcriptomic analysis. The negative selection module of PIC&RUN identifies CTCs based on a live cell dye and the absence of immune markers, allowing retrieval of viable CTCs that are suitable for ex vivo culture. This new assay combines the CTC capture and retrieval in one integrated platform, providing a valuable tool for downstream live CTC analyses.
Recent Advances in Molecular Basis of Lung Aging and Its Associated Diseases

Aging is often viewed as a progressive decline in fitness due to cumulative deleterious alterations of biological functions in the living system. Recently, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying aging biology has significantly advanced. Interestingly, many of the pivotal molecular features of aging biology are also found to contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic lung disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, for which advanced age is the most crucial risk factor. Thus, an enhanced understanding of how molecular features of aging biology are intertwined with the pathobiology of these aging-related lung disorders has paramount significance and may provide an opportunity for the development of novel therapeutics for these major unmet medical needs. To serve the purpose of integrating molecular understanding of aging biology with pulmonary medicine, in this review, recent findings obtained from the studies of aging-associated lung disorders are summarized and interpreted through the perspective of molecular biology of aging.
Proof of Stahl’s conjecture in some new cases

Abstract Saul Stahl defined the s -tuple coloring of a graph G and formulated a conjecture on the multichromatic numbers of the Kneser graph K G m , n . The conjecture was completely proved for graph parameters n = 2 , 3 , and m = 2 n + 1 by Stahl, and in specially for m = 10 and n = 4 by Kincses et al. Furthermore we know that the conjecture is true if s = q n . In this paper we present a new lower bound for the multichromatic numbers of K G m , n , which is sharp for graph parameters 2 n m 3 n and cases q n − n m − 2 n s q n . So we confirm Stahl’s conjecture in these new cases.
The missteps of a young and flustered professor in the face of a challenging graduate student: the story of Z

In this article, I offer a story, rendered in creative nonfiction, of my experience as a young and flustered college professor challenged by a defiant and disruptive graduate student. The story is ...
Studying the Excess in the Recursive Jigsaw Reconstruction (RJR) Search Using the Emulated RJR (eRJR) Technique

Chapter 7 describes the conventional 3\(\ell \) search [2] which does not see an excess of observed events above the background prediction [2] using data collected in 2015 and 2016, corresponding to \(36.1~{\text {fb}}^{-1}\) of data collected. Another search by the ATLAS collaboration using the recursive jigsaw reconstruction (RJR) technique [3, 4] also using \(36.1~{\text {fb}}^{-1}\) of data collected between 2015 and 2016 [1] found excesses of three-lepton events in two regions, one targeting low-mass resonances and another utilizing ISR to target resonances with mass differences with respect to the LSP close to the Z boson mass.
Peroxisome import stress impairs ribosome biogenesis and induces endoplasmic reticulum genes

Peroxisome biogenesis diseases (PBDs) are characterized by global defects in peroxisomal function and can result in severe brain, liver, kidney, and bone malfunctions. PBDs are due to mutations in peroxisome biogenesis factors (PEX genes) that are responsible for peroxisome assembly and function. There is increasing evidence suggesting that peroxisome import functions decline during aging. The transcriptome profiling of peroxisome import defects is still lacking. To identify conserved responses, we undertook a bioinformatic transcriptomic analysis on Drosophila oenocyte specific Pex1, Pex12 and Pex5 knockdowns. In addition, we performed analysis on human cells with induced peroxisome import stress. We uncovered that oenocyte-specific Pex1, Pex12 and Pex5 have distinct transcriptional profiles with each other. Using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), we identified protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum pathway, specifically ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway is enriched and induced in all PEX knockdowns in Drosophila. Moreover, we uncovered decreased expression in ribosome biogenesis genes in flies and human cells. Indeed, we identified a stall at the 59-ETS cleavage sites during the ribosome biogenesis and impaired 40S small ribosomal export in both flies and human. Our data indicates an unexpected link between peroxisome and ribosome biogenesis. Our results suggest that reduced ribosome biogenesis could be conserved cellular response to reduce peroxisome import stress.
Program quality components related to youth civic engagement

Abstract In this study we assess improvement in civic engagement skills following youth leadership program participation, as well as the program quality components related to youth civic engagement skill development. Participants included 320 youth, ages 12–18, from 5 different youth programs nationwide that included a community advocacy component who completed self-report surveys at pre- and post- test. Using hierarchical multiple regression analyses, we assessed the role of program quality components of skill-building, leadership opportunities, positive adult relationships, as well as the additional component of equitable climate, in increased civic engagement skills. Results indicate that youth participating in positive youth development programs report a significant increase in civic engagement skills. Results further indicate that skill-building opportunities and equitable climate are associated with higher civic engagement scores among youth.
Resettlement adjustment patterns to rural development programs: the case of Tiga dam in Kano State of Nigeria

A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY.
Isolation and Characterization of φ80 Transducing Bacteriophage for a Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase Gene

A new method for isolating specialized transducing phages is described. It was used to isolate a group of φ80 transducing phages which carry various bacterial markers from the metB region of the Escherichia coli chromosome. Some of the phages selected for transduction of the supA36 marker were also shown to carry rif, a locus known to specify the β subunit of ribonucleic acid polymerase. Expression of the prophage rifr gene in lysogens was demonstrated by its ability to confer rifampin resistance on part of the cellular ribonucleic acid polymerase pool.
Computer Science is not Enough

Despite huge investment, and the best of intentions, most development projects fail. This is particularly true of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) projects. We contend that a significant contributor to this failure is the lack of breadth in project design and implementation, and in the training of project implementers. Successful ICTD interventions, in addition to being based on the best computer science research has to offer, must be guided by the relevant social, cultural, political, economic and gender factors that underlie the interaction of the technology with the community into which it is being placed. We therefore argue that efforts to distance computer science from the broader context of ICTD scholarship and practice are misguided. ICTD should be recognized as a truly interdisciplinary area of research and practice. We further argue that ICTD as a discipline has a particular need for academic practitioners. We close with a compilation of current known ICTD academic efforts worldwide.
Processing pre-existing connect-the-dots puzzles for educational repurposing applications

This paper presents an algorithm for processing Connect-the-Dots puzzles. In particular, the use of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and other image processing algorithms to process pre-existing Connect-the-Dots puzzles is explored. An algorithm was developed which utilizes Matlab and C# to locate and identify the numbers in the puzzles. To test the accuracy of the algorithm an experiment was conducted using 20 hand selected puzzles from an online source. The function of the algorithm was evaluated by visually capturing the make-up of the puzzles and comparing them to the results generated by the algorithm. Results show that the algorithm has promise of great accuracy with the implementation of small improvements. The proposed research will aid in the development of an application that will provide educational benefits to children in an emergent technological world.
The Equity Risk Premium: A Consensus of Models

We estimate the equity risk premium by combining information from twenty models. Our main finding is that there is broad agreement across models that the equity premium reached historical heights in July 2013 even when the models are substantially different from each other and use more than one hundred different economic variables. Our preferred estimator places the one-year-ahead equity premium in July 2013 at 14.5 percent, the highest level in fifty years and well above the 10.5 percent that was reached during the financial crisis in 2009. The models also show broad agreement that the term structure of equity risk premia is high and flat: expected excess returns at all foreseeable horizons are just as high as at the one-year horizon. A high equity premium that is not expected to mean-revert in the near future is an unprecedented phenomenon. Because expected dividend growth has not been above average in 2013, we conclude the high equity premium is mostly due to unusually low discount rates at all horizons.
The immune system as a regulator of thyroid hormone activity.

It has been known for decades that the neuroendocrine system can both directly and indirectly influence the developmental and functional activity of the immune system. In contrast, far less is know...
Cosmological Distribution Functions

The evolution of probability distribution functions (PDFs) of continuous density, velocity and velocity derivatives ( deformation tensor) fields in the theory of cosmological gravitational instability are considered. We show that in the Newtonian theory the dynamical equations cannot be reduced to the closed set of Lagrangian equations. Since continuous fields from galaxy surveys need sufficiently large smoothing which exceeds the scale of nonlinearity, one can use the Zel'dovich approximation to describe the mildly non-linear matter evolution, which allows the closed set of Lagrangian equations. The closed kinetic equation for the joint PDF of cosmological continuous fields is derived in this approximation. The analytical theory of the cosmological PDFs with arbitrary (including Gaussian) initial statistics is developed, based on the solution on the kinetic equaiton. For Gaussian initial fluctuations, the PDFs are parametrized by only linear {\it rms} fluctuations $\sigma$ on given filtering scale. Density PDF $P(\rho, t)$ and PDF $M(\lambda_1, \lambda_2, \lambda_3; t)$ of eigenvalues of the deformation tensor field in the Eulerian space evolve very rapidly in non-linear regime. On the contrary, velocity PDF $Q(\vec v, t)$ remains invariant under non-linear evolution. For small $\sigma$ the Edgworth series is suggested to reconstruct
The tale of TL1A in inflammation

TL1A (also known as TNFSF15) is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family member expressed by monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs), synovial fibroblasts, and endothelial cells in response to stimulation by cytokines, immune complexes, and microorganisms. Its cell surface receptor, DR3 (also known as TNFSF25, WSL-1, TRAMP, and LARD), is mainly expressed by T cells.
Development of an analytical reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method for characterization of recombinant antibodies

Analytical characterization of monoclonal antibodies has been hindered by the lack of appropriate chromatographic methods to be used in conjunction with high-resolution MS. Current methodologies for standard RP-HPLC are incompatible with antibodies due to irreproducibility, low recovery, short column lifetimes, and poor resolution of degradation products. An analytical RP-HPLC-MS method was developed for monitoring and characterizing intact IgG1antibodies. Key parameters required for improved chromatographic resolution included long alkyl chains of the stationary phase (Zorbax SB300 C8), column temperatures elevated to 65-70 degrees C and combination of trifluoroacetic acid and heptafluorobutyric acid ion-pairing agents. RP chromatographic separation of degradation species and C-terminal lysine variants along with the characterization of glycosylation profile by mass spectrometry demonstrates the capability of this method for whole antibody analysis.
Multielement absorption by crops grown on Ithaca sludge-amended soil.

Absorption of 42 elements by plants representing major classes of edible garden crops on sludge-amended soil were studied. Sludge from the city of Ithaca, NY was used. The Ithica sludge process includes primary settling, trickle filtration, anaerobic digestion and finally vacuum filtration with the addition of lime. It had a pH of 7.2 and had remained in a pile outside for one year. The crops planted were: bush bean, cabbage, carrot, onion, tomato, millet and potato. Only the edible plant portions were collected for analysis. The sludge showed relatively high levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti, and Zn. B, Br, Ca, Cd, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, I, Mo, Ni, Sb, Sc, Se, Ta, V, W and Yb were found higher in at least 3 of the crops grown during the first year on sludge-amended soil as compared to the control. Ca, Cd, Cl, Cu, Fe, I, Mo, Ni, W and Yb were most consistently high, their plant concentrations in the sludge-soil treatment exceeding those of the controls in 5 or more of the crops studied. Plant absorption of the elements B, Br, Cd, Cl, Cu, I and Ni would probably not be greatly affected by themore » higher pH (7.1) of the sludge-soil mixture as compared to the soil alone (5.3). Absorption of Ca, Mo and Se would be favored by the rise in pH while absorption of iron would tend to be decreased. Al, B, Br, Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, and K were most consistently high in second year crops from the sludge-soil mixture. Cr and Cu were lower in second year crops. Ni in beans, Cd and Sb in onions and Hg in millet attained concentrations of some concern in the first year crops.« less
Scoliosis: surgical versus nonsurgical treatment.

This article reviews the nonoperative and operative decision making process in idiopathic scoliosis in the adolescent and adult with additional comments about degenerative scoliosis. Because knowledge of the natural history of idiopathic scoliosis is essential for decision making, this will be cover
Research on the Application of Software Defined Network in Electric Power Data Communication Network

Software defined network (SDN) is a new architecture of network. The design concept of SDN is the separation of network control plane and forwarding plane and the realization of programmable control. Standford University put forward the concept of openflow in 2007, it provides standard interfaces and separates the data forwarding and routing control function of the traditional network communication equipment by the flow control method. The article makes a deep research on SDN from the aspects of technical connotation, equipment model and etc. It also makes a research on the actual demand and the existing problems of electric power data communication network of which the application of SDN in electric power data communication network is discussed.
Entrepreneurship in a Transition Economy: An Examination of Venture Creation in Hungary

This study examines entrepreneurs and new ventures in a transition economy, Hungary, and identifies what variables distinguish between Hungarian entrepreneurs and their new ventures in the pre-1988 transition period from that which followed. The variables that discriminate most strongly are their business strategies. The newer firms had a concentration strategy while the older firms had a new product development strategy. Other variables that discriminated between the groups include reacting to the political environment, satisfaction with firm performance, encouragement from investors, recent investment in building improvement, and family history of entrepreneurship. The newer entrepreneurs had more family role models of entrepreneurship.
SERUM LIPOPROTEINS AND HUMAN NEOPLASTIC DISEASE.

Abstract Serum lipoproteins have been measured m 20 normal subjects. Young women from a convent were studied weekly for a 12-week period, and women from the Institute staff in single experiments. The subjects were divided on the basis of family history for cancer. The same studies were done on 9 young women with advanced cancer of the breast. Lipoproteins with densities less than 1.006 g/ml, e.g., Sf20–100 and Sf0–20, and Sf10–20 class floating in solution density 1.0635 g/ml, are elevated in serum from subjects with advanced cancer of the breast. Of these, Sf0–20 (1.006, unaltered serum) was significantly higher in subjects with cancer. These elevations were not present in the normal subjects who had a negative family history for cancer. The high-density lipoprotein Sf0–4 (1.125, NaCl) which is the major component floating at solution density 1.125 g/ml, was very low in subjects with cancer. It was low consistently in only the normal subjects with cancer in their immediate blood relatives. These differences were highly significant. Although this high-density lipoprotein fluctuates during the menstrual cycle, and each serial subject had a stable range of values, it is possible that a pronounced family history for cancer may influence the serum levels of Sf0–4 or HDL2.
Further developments in oxidation of methane traces with radiofrequency discharge

The radiofrequency discharge, previously shown to oxidize trace levels of methane in oxygen, was studied with contaminated air at 50, 600, and 760 torr. As with oxygen, the concentration of methane traces could be reduced by several orders of magnitude, and no organic reaction products were detected in the effluent; however, substantial concentrations of NOx (0.1-6%) were formed during treatment. The concentration of NOx was decreased by using a large diameter electrode. There is evidence that the process will oxidize N2 and NO as well as organic impurities in oxygen or oxygen/inert gas atmospheres.
Solvent composition effects in the normal-phase liquid chromatography of nitrogen heterocycles and hydroxyl aromatics on a nitrophenyl stationary phase

Abstract The normal-phase liquid chromatographic model of Snyder was considered for a high-performance Nucleosil NO2 stationary phase. Various chloroform-n-heptane mobile phases were used to evaluate the ability of the Snyder model to approximately describe retention on the Nucleosil NO2 column. It was found that log capacity factor (k′) vs. solvent strength plots were linear for nitrogen heterocycle and hydroxyl aromatic solutes for a wide range of mobile phase compositions. It was concluded that retention behavior could be approximated for nitrogen and hydroxyl substituted aromatics by using plots of log k′ vs. solvent strength for chloroform-n-heptane mobile phases ranging from 40% to 100% chloroform.
Aberration Corrected Microscopy of CVD Graphene and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry of Epitaxial Graphene and CVD Graphene for Comparison of the Dielectric Function

Graphene's importance in post-CMOS device research drives the need for a variety of metrology methods for film characterization. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) on metallic foils and the thermal decomposition of SiC have become two of the dominant fabrication methods of large area graphene due to their industrial scalability. The former method has required transfer of the graphene film to secondary substrates (i.e. SiO2/Si) for electrical and optical characterization, but is conducive to TEM imaging due to the fact that the film can be etched from the growth foil and directly transferred to support grids. The latter method does not require film transfer for optical or electrical characterization and can control layer number by selection of process parameters as well as Si-face vs. Cface growth. The work will present STEM imaging of CVD graphene performed at 60 kV with atomic resolution achieved through aberration correction. Single-crystal areas are identified as well as defect structures.
Mite Chromosomes : an Exceptionally Small Number

ALTHOUGH the chromosomes of thousands of plants and animals have been investigated and chromosome numbers found to vary widely, the overall trend has been toward the evolution of a moderate number in most taxa. Very few species have been reported to have as few as n = 2 chromosomes. Jackson1 reported the flowering plant Haplopappus gracilis to be n = 2 and most cytology textbooks indicate that the nematode Parascaris equorum (= Ascaris megalocephala) possesses one pair of chromosomes in germ line cells. In the latter species, however, the two chromosomes fragment into numerous small chromosomes in the soma, and therefore the germ line chromosomes are considered aggregate bodies2. In the Insecta some coccid members of the tribe Iceryini have a haploid number of two chromosomes and unfertilized haploid eggs develop parthenogenically into males3. Sokolov4 found two species of water mites (Eylais rimosa and Eylais setosa) to be n = 2, but these species do not display haploid parthenogenesis. The rarity of reported cases of such a low chromosome number throughout the plant and animal kingdoms prompted us to report the following data.
Insuring Continuity of Care for Chronic Disease Patients After a Disaster: Key Preparedness Elements

ABSTRACT Background Care for patients with chronic diseases is a challenge after a disaster. This is particularly true for individuals from health disparate populations as they are less likely to evacuate, have fewer financial resources and often depend on resource-strapped institutions for their care. The specific aim of the study presented here was to elicit challenges and solutions in the provision of health care to those with chronic diseases after Hurricane Katrina in coastal Alabama and Mississippi. Methods Focusing on agencies providing care to health disparate populations, a qualitative methodology was employed using in-depth interviews with health and social service providers. Participants identified key elements essential to disaster preparedness. Results Predisaster issues were patient education and preparedness, evacuation, special needs shelters, and health care provider preparedness. Postdisaster issues were communication, volunteer coordination, and donation management. Conclusions Lessons learned from those on the ground administering health care during disasters should inform future disaster preparations. Furthermore, the methodological approach used in this study engendered collaboration between health care institutions and may enhance future interagency disaster preparedness.
Nucleotide sequence of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene from soybean mitochondria.

The cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene was isolated from a soybean mitochondrial library and subcloned into M13 for DNA sequencing. The sequences of the gene and flanking regions are presented and compared to the corresponding gene from maize. There is approximately 94% sequence homology between the soybean (dicot) and maize (monocot) coding sequences at the nucleotide level. The soybean sequence exists as a single copy in the mitochondrial genome and contains an open reading frame that could encode a polypeptide of 527 amino acids. There is very little sequence homology between the soybean and maize sequences upstream from the coding regions and none is detected downstream. Even the 3′ ends of the COI coding regions differ considerably between soybean and maize. There are many amino acid differences at the carboxy terminus and the predicted polypeptide contains one less amino acid than the maize sequence. Northern analysis of the soybean mitochondrial RNA suggests that this region is actively transcribed and yields two major transcripts.
Noninterpenetrating indium sulfide supertetrahedral cristobalite framework

Realizing the synthesis and crystal structure of microporous materials with pore sizes 10--20 {angstrom} has been a formidable challenge in molecular sieve science. Access to such materials, with uniform pore size, is expected to impact the petrochemical and the life-sciences fields by providing opportunities for the size and shape-selective catalysis/separation of large molecules. In this direction, theoretical approaches to decorating specific 4-connected networks have been proposed, whereby replacing each (T1) tetrahedron, TX{sub 4}, in a given network by a larger tetrahedron (hereafter referred to as a supertetrahedron), signified Tn, yields a porous network due to the increased size of the building blocks. With large n, frameworks of unprecedented porosity could be achieved. Recognizing the potential of this approach, the authors have embarked on a program aimed at using inorganic clusters as molecular building blocks in the assembly of extended networks: The copolymerization of Mn(II) with the tetrahedral adamantine Ge{sub 4}S{sub 10}{sup 4{minus}} (T2) cluster, composed of 4 GeX{sub 4/2} tetrahedra, yielded MnGe{sub 4}S{sub 10}{center{underscore}dot}2(CH{sub 3}){sub 4}N having a porous cristobalite network with the organic cations occupying the void space.
Pulmonary patterns of adenosine-3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate accumulations in response to adrenergic or histamine stimulation in Bordetella pertussis-sensitized mice.

Abstract Susceptible strains of mice when injected with Bordetella pertussis vaccine develop a marked hypersensitivity to histamine and other agents of pharmacologic interest. The possibility was raised that this hypersensitivity is due to a reduced responsiveness of adenylate cyclase to adrenergic stimulation in various tissues of the pertussis-sensitized organism. This paper describes experiments showing that, in contrast to some other tissues, the resting level of adenosine-3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in lungs, as well as the capacity of the pulmonary cAMP system to respond to adrenergic activation, as effected by naturally occurring or synthetic catecholamines, is unaltered by the pertussis sensitization of the animals. Another finding here-in described is the pulmonary cAMP rise in both normal and pertussis-sensitized mice after histamine administration. Using beta-adrenergically blocked and adrenalectomized mice, evidence was obtained indicating that the increased amounts of cAMP after histamine may have resulted from an adrenergically mediated effect.
A Fast Gas Sampling System for ICP Spectrometry

We have recently published the details of a variable-pressure inductively coupled (27 MHz) plasma torch which operates with very low total gas consumption, with low rf power, and with a wide variety of plasma support gases, including helium. Because of these particular features, this torch is also able to be used as a GC detector and as a small-volume gas sampling sensor when used with commercial ICP instrumentation. It is this latter application which is described briefly in this note.
The Globular Cluster System of M31

Previous data on globular cluster candidates in M31 have been studied in order to identify a large sample of clusters with reliable UBV photometry and independent reddening estimates. The distribution of the intrinsic colors of the M31 globular clusters is similar to that of the Galactic globulars. While the flattening and kinematics of the system of metal-rich clusters suggest a disk, the more metal-poor clusters reveal little evidence for rotation. It is noted that the flattening of the system of metal-poor and intermediate clusters resembles that of the M31 spheroid, and that the effective radius of the intermediate system also resembles that of the spheroid.
Detection of blackhole attack in a Wireless Mesh Network using intelligent honeypot agents

A Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) is a promising way of providing low-cost broadband Internet access. The underlying routing protocol naively assumes that all the nodes in the network are non-malicious. The open architecture of WMN, multi-hop nature of communication, different management styles, and wireless communication paves way to malicious attackers. The attackers can exploit hidden loopholes in the multipath mesh routing protocol to have a suction attack called the blackhole attack. The attacker can falsify routing metrics such as the shortest transmission time to reach any destination and thereby suck the network traffic. We propose a novel strategy by employing mobile honeypot agents that utilize their topological knowledge and detect such spurious route advertisements. They are deployed as roaming software agents that tour the network and lure attackers by sending route request advertisements. We collect valuable information on attacker's strategy from the intrusion logs gathered at a given honeypot. We finally evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed architecture using simulation in ns-2.
Resource allocation plasticity in sea urchins: rapid, diet induced, phenotypic changes in the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Müller)

Abstract The gonads of sea urchins have a dual function: reproduction and nutrient storage. In general, these animals are secondarily sessile and cannot easily migrate from areas of low resource availability to areas of high resource availability. Given these conditions, an experiment was performed to test the hypothesis that sea urchins ( Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis Muller) from an area of low food quality could rapidly increase gonadal tissue in response to a sudden increase of high quality food. Sea urchins were collected from a site that lacked preferred algae on Swans Island, Maine. Initially, animals were dissected to determine the percentage of the various body components. The remaining animals were distributed among four groups of equal number and size distribution. Each group was assigned randomly to 1 of 4 feeding treatments: Alaria esculenta , Laminaria digitata , Laminaria longicruris , and Ascophyllum nodosum . Animals were fed ad libitum during the experiment. Half of the sea urchins from each treatment were dissected after 3 weeks and the rest after 6 weeks. Significant differences were found among the treatments at both the 3 and 6 weeks dissections with A . esculenta producing the greatest increase in gonad wet weight. For the 6 weeks dissections there appeared to be a compensatory loss of perivisceral fluid in sea urchins that increased gonadal tissue. No differences among treatments were found for the body wall, Aristotle's lantern, or gut body components. Synthesizing these results with studies of other closely related species reveals a dynamic picture of resource allocation and phenotypic plasticity in sea urchins. Environmental variation can induce morphological change in sea urchins and these modifications have been described as graded reaction norms. The results presented here show that the temporal responses of the reaction norms of the various body components are graded and different components vary in response time.
Six Phase Synchronous Machine with AC and DC Stator Connections, Part II: Harmonic Studies and a Proposed Uninterruptible Power Supply Scheme

The relationships of the mutual leakage inductances with winding displacement angle and pitch for a number of practical six phase winding configurations are derived. The voltage harmonic distortion and torque pulsation of a six phase machine with AC-DC stator connections are characterized in terms of the operating load conditions, winding displacement angle, pitch, converter commutating reactance, and rotor impedance. It is shown that for most operating conditions a displacement angle of 300 appears to be optimum with respect to voltage harmonic distortion and torque pulsation. The effects of neglecting the mutual leakage coupling on the voltage harmonic distortion, torque pulsation and transient characteristics of the machine are examined. A novel application of the six phase machine in an uninterruptible power supply scheme is proposed. Results on the dynamic performance of the proposed UPS scheme to input voltage spikes and to a normal supply interruption are included.
Rapid measurements of neptunium oxidation states using chromatographic resins

The Savannah River Site's (SRS) H-Canyon facility uses ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) to separate impure neptunium (Np) from a high sulfate feed stream. The material is processed using a two-pass solvent extraction purification which relies on CAN to oxidize neptunium to Np(VI) during the first pass prior to extraction. Spectrophotometric oxidation-state analyses normally used to validate successful oxidation to Np(VI) prior to extraction were compromised by this feed stream matrix. Therefore, a rapid chromatographic method to validate successful Np oxidation was developed using Eichrom Industries TRU and TEVA{reg_sign} resins. The method was validated and subsequently transferred to existing operations in the process analytical laboratories.
Georges Duby’s Mâconnais after fifty years: reading it then and now

Georges Duby’s La societe aux XIe et XIIe siecles dans la region mâconnaise was the foundation stone of the major school of French medieval social history in the last generation. This article reflects on the reasons for its historiographical importance at the time, and especially the narrative of the ‘feudal revolution’ that it is largely responsible for generating. Returning to Duby’s database, the charters of Cluny and of St Vincent of Mâcon, it reconsiders Duby’s portrayal of tenth century society in the Mâconnais and concludes that there is no basis in that evidence for any ‘mutation’ or ‘revolutionary’ social change occurring around the year 1000.
Acceleration and delay of first vaginal oestrus in female mice by urinary chemosignals: Dose levels and mixing urine treatment sources

Abstract The effects of varying dose levels and mixing of urine from various types of donor mice on the age of sexual maturation in female mice were tested. Over the range from 0.001 ml/day to 0.01 ml/day, there was no difference in the effectiveness of male urine in producing acceleration of puberty, nor was there any difference over the same dose range for urine from grouped females bringing about a delay of puberty. Urine from pregnant and lactating females brought about earlier puberty when applied in the higher dose amounts but was not effective in altering the age of first oestrus relative to untreated controls at lower doses. These findings concerning dose levels are important for a full understanding of the behavioural consequences of urinary chemosignals. When urine from different sources was mixed, all treatments which involved urine from grouped females produced delays in first oestrus. The second finding has important consequences for a feedback model for population regulation in house mice involving urinary chemosignals that accelerate or delay sexual maturation and thus shorten or lengthen generation time by affecting reproductive behaviour.
On the question of the primary acceptor in bacterial photosynthesis: Manganese substituting for iron in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides R-26

Abstract Iron was partially replaced by manganese in a reaction center preparation of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides R-26. The reaction centers containing manganese were distinguished spectroscopically (EPR) from those containing iron. The low-temperature photochemical activities were found to be identical for both species. This makes it unlikely that the transition metal by itself is the primary electron acceptor.
Variable Porosity in Siliceous Skeletons: Determination and Importance

Gas adsorption data were used to obtain the specific surface area and specific pore volume for a variety of biogenically precipitated silica semples. The results suggest that this material is finely divided and porous. This interpretation was corroborated by the use of transmission electron microscopy at magnifications up to 180,000.
Succinylacetone pyrrole, a powerful inhibitor of vitamin B12 biosynthesis: Effect on δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase

Abstract Succinylacetone, a competitive inhibitor (KI = 400 μM) of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase of Clostridium tetanomorphum , is converted non-enzymatically upon incubation with δ-aminolevulinic acid to succinylacetone pyrrole, a much stronger competitive inhibitor (KI = 5 μM) of the enzyme. A similar effect is seen in vivo: when present in the growth medium at concentrations of about 1 μM, the pyrrole decreases the level of corrinoids produced by this organism by half, while succinylacetone at 200 μM causes only 19 per cent inhibition of corrinoid formation. Levulinic acid is a much weaker inhibitor in vitro and in vivo. The inhibition by succinylacetone pyrrole is considered to be due to its structural resemblance to δ-aminolevulinic acid rather than to porphobilinogen, the reaction product of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase: succinylacetone, succinylacetone pyrrole, and levulinic acid all contain a succinyl group.
Photoemission studies of clean and oxygen-covered Pt 6(111) × (100)☆

Abstract Employing the enhanced sensitivity obtained by using synchrotron radiation near the Cooper minimum for the 5d valence electrons, we have located the oxygen 2p and 2s levels for oxygen chemisorbed on a Pt 6(111) × (100) crystal. We find the oxygen 2p level located −6 eV with a FWHM of 3 eV and the 2s at −21.6 eV. A factor of four difference in saturation coverage is measured between temperatures of 300 and 120 K, but the position and width of the 2p level is independent of temperature. We observe also the 1b1 orbital of weakly adsorbed H2O molecules, which has pure O 2p parentage; from the intensity of this orbital, we are able to suggest why it is difficult to observe the oxygen 2p signal at low photon energies. In addition, we note a strong preferential attenuation in the Pt states near Ef for the adsorbed H2O in spite of the weak nature of the bond.
Toxicity of formic acid to red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren.

BACKGROUND: Ants often compete with other ants for resources. Although formic acid is a common defensive chemical of formicine ants, it does not occur in any other subfamilies in Formicidae. No information on toxicity of formic acid to red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta, is available. This study examined its contact and fumigation toxicity to S. invicta in the laboratory. RESULTS: In a contact toxicity bioassay, 24 h LD50 values of formic acid for workers ranged from 124.54 to 197.71 µg ant−1. Female alates and queens were much less sensitive to formic acid than workers. At a concentration of 271.72 µg ant−1, which killed 81.09 ± 16.04% of workers, the 24 h mortality was up to 39.64% for female alates and 38.89% for queens. In fumigation bioassays, 24 h LC50 values ranged from 0.26 to 0.50 µg mL−1 for workers, 0.32 µg mL−1 for male alates and 0.70 µg mL−1 for female alates. Complete mortality (100%) in queens occurred 24 h after they had been exposed to 1.57 µg mL−1 of formic acid. At a concentration of 2.09 µg mL−1, KT50 values ranged from 23.03 to 43.85 min for workers, from 37.84 to 58.37 min for male alates, from 86.06 to 121.05 min for female alates and from 68.00 to 85.92 min for queens. CONCLUSION: When applied topically, formic acid was significantly less toxic than bifenthrin to red imported fire ants. Although its fumigation toxicity was lower than that of dichlorvos, formic acid had about an order of magnitude higher toxicity to S. invicta than to other insects studied so far. It may be worth investigating the use of formic acid for managing imported fire ants. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Histocompatibility as adaptive response to discriminatory within-organism conflict: a historical model.

AbstractMulticellular tissue compatibility, or histocompatibility, restricts fusion to close kin. Histocompatibility depends on hypervariable cue genes, which often have more than 100 alleles in a population. To explain the evolution of histocompatibility, I here take a historical approach. I focus on the specific example of marine invertebrate histocompatibility. I use simple game-theoretical models to show that histocompatibility can evolve through five steps. These steps include the evolution of indiscriminate fusion, the evolution of discriminatory within-organism conflict, the evolution of minor histocompatibility, the evolution of major histocompatibility, and the evolution of major histocompatibility cue polymorphism. Allowing for gradual evolution reveals discriminatory within-organism conflict as a selective pressure for histocompatibility and associated cue polymorphism. Existing data from marine invertebrates and other organisms are consistent with this hypothesis.
Gynecologic Care of Elderly Women

Evaluation and management strategies for addressing abnormal bleeding, discharge, urinary symptoms, and sexuality amongst elderly women are presented.
The Role of Testing Programs in Verifying Structural Integrity of Medium Speed Diesel Generator Components

The reliability of emergency diesel generators is of prime concern to the nuclear power industry. Assurance that these components will perform their intended functions has usually been approached by requiring frequent, and occasionally abusive, testing. The testing procedure is suspected to result in some life reduction to the equipment. A current program addresses the evaluation of structural integrity of diesel generator components through a combination of engine pre- and postoperational testing, design analysis, nondestructive examination, and monitoring to maximize reliability with minimum wear of the engine. This program employs engineering analysis to understand previous problems, to predict future performance of critical components, and to define areas of focus for NDE or monitoring. The analysis also provides conservative in-service inspection intervals and a quantitative basis to extend or eliminate NDE requirements. Engine testing and inspection provide verification of this analysis and at the same time refine the accuracy of the predictions. This paper describes applying this combined analytical and testing-approach to major diesel engine components such as crankshafts, connecting rod bearing shells, and pistons.
Classification of Digital Amplitude-Phase Modulated Signals in Time-Correlated Non-Gaussian Channels

In this paper, a new algorithm is proposed for the classification of digital amplitude-phase modulated signals in flat fading channels with time-correlated non-Gaussian noise. The first-order statistics of the additive noise is modeled by a Gaussian mixture distribution and an autoregressive (AR) process is used to model the time-correlation. The proposed classifier involves the use of a whitening filter, necessary to reduce the complexity of the classification process, and maximum-likelihood classification. For the estimation of the whitening filter coefficients, a new blind technique that is based on the use of a robust H∞ filter is developed. After whitening the received signal, following a composite hypothesis testing approach, the unknown fading and noise distribution parameters are estimated. Results are presented which show that when the noise process is time-correlated non-Gaussian, the proposed classifier outperforms maximum-likelihood classifiers developed under the assumption that the noise process is either white non-Gaussian or white Gaussian. It is also shown that when the noise process is white Gaussian, the proposed classifier's performance closely approaches that of the maximum-likelihood classifier developed for white Gaussian noise channels.
A new RLC buffer insertion algorithm

Most existing buffering algorithms neglect the impact of inductance on circuit performance, which causes large error in circuit analysis and optimization. Even for the approaches considering inductance effects, their delay models are too simplistic to catch the actual performance. As delay-length dependence is approaching linear with inductance effect (Ismail and Friedman, 1999), fewer buffers are needed to reduce RLC delay. This motivates this work to propose a new algorithm for RLC buffer insertion. In this paper, a new buffer insertion algorithm considering inductance for intermediate and global interconnect is proposed, based on downstream impedance instead of traditional downstream capacitance. A new pruning technique that provides tremendous speedup and a new frequency estimation method that is very accurate in delay computation are also proposed. Experiments on industrial netlists demonstrate that our new algorithm reduces the number of buffers up to 34.4% over the traditional van Ginneken's algorithm that ignores inductance. Our impedance delay estimation is very accurate compared to SPICE simulations, with only 10% error while the delay model used in the previous RLC algorithm has 20% error (Ismael et al., 2001). The accurate delay model not only reduces the number of buffers, but also brings high fidelity to the buffer solutions. Incorporating slew constraints, the algorithm is accelerated by about 4times with only slight degradation in solution quality
Caterpillars and consciousness

Abstract The dominant position in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) is computationalism where the operative principle is that cognition in general and consciousness in particular can be captured by identification of the proper set of computations. This position has been attacked from several angles, most effectively, in my opinion, by John Searle in his now famous Chinese Room thought experiment. I critique this Searlean perspective on the grounds that, while it is probably correct in its essentials, it does not go far enough. Quite simply, it runs afoul of the problem of emergentism. The proffered solution to this problem is that consciousness (or very rudimentary forms of it) needs to be viewed as an inherent property of organic form. While this recasting of the problem solves the emergentist dilemma it opens up a number of other issues. However, the new problems, unlike the old, appear in principle to be amenable to scientific analysis.
Multi-trap Raman tweezers integrated with phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy for monitoring biological dynamics of individual cells

We report the development of a multiple-trap Raman tweezers array integrated with phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy for simultaneously acquiring Raman spectra, refractility, and fluorescence images of multiple individual cells.