cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two novel virulence loci, mxiA and mxiB, in Shigella flexneri 2a facilitate excretion of invasion plasmid antigens.

Abstract A bank of over 4,200 lacZ protein fusions in Shigella flexneri 2a was screened for fusions to temperature-regulated promoters. One mutant, BS260, was completely noninvasive on HeLa cells and mapped to a region on the 220-kb virulence plasmid in which we had previously localized several avirulent temperature-regulated operon fusions (A.E. Hromockyj and A.T. Maurelli, Infect. Immun. 57:2963-2970, 1989). The phenotype of BS260 was similar to that of the previously identified mxi (membrane expression of invasion plasmid antigens) mutants, since it made wild-type intracellular levels of the invasion plasmid antigens (Ipa) but was deficient in the surface expression of IpaB and IpaC. Six kilobases of DNA upstream of the BS260 fusion end joint were cloned, but no temperature-regulated promoter was found, whereas the fusion end joint clone of the noninvasive mxi operon fusion mutant BS226 contained a temperature-regulated promoter. The locus defined by BS260 was designated mxiA, and that defined by BS226 was designated mxiB. Closer analysis of the mxiA and mxiB phenotypes by a cell-free enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that the mutants failed to excrete IpaB and IpaC into the culture medium, whereas wild-type cells actively released these antigens. Excretion of the ipa polypeptides from wild-type bacteria was confirmed by Western blot analysis of culture supernatants. Protease protection experiments revealed that wild-type S. flexneri 2a actually had much lower levels of surface-exposed IpaB and IpaC relative to those in the total antigen pool. In addition, examination of cellular fractions showed that, although there was no IpaB or IpaC in the outer membrane of BS260 and BS226, the antigens did accumulate in the cytoplasmic membrane. A 76-kDa temperature-regulated polypeptide in wild-type S. flexneri was identified as the putative mxiA gene product. These results strongly suggest that IpaB and IpaC represent truly excreted proteins of S. flexneri and that the mxiA and mxiB loci on the plasmid code for accessory proteins required to facilitate their export through the bacterial outer membrane. These data also suggest that mxiA is part of an operon that specifies additional mxi genes. The products of this operon may constitute a unique multicomponent protein secretion apparatus involved in the transport of Shigella virulence determinants.
The Structure of the Haemophilus influenzae HMW1 Pro-piece Reveals a Structural Domain Essential for Bacterial Two-partner Secretion

In pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, many virulence factors are secreted via the two-partner secretion pathway, which consists of an exoprotein called TpsA and a cognate outer membrane translocator called TpsB. The HMW1 and HMW2 adhesins are major virulence factors in nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae and are prototype two-partner secretion pathway exoproteins. A key step in the delivery of HMW1 and HMW2 to the bacterial surface involves targeting to the HMW1B and HMW2B outer membrane translocators by an N-terminal region called the secretion domain. Here we present the crystal structure at 1.92 A of the HMW1 pro-piece (HMW1-PP), a region that contains the HMW1 secretion domain and is cleaved and released during HMW1 secretion. Structural analysis of HMW1-PP revealed a right-handed beta-helix fold containing 12 complete parallel coils and one large extra-helical domain. Comparison of HMW1-PP and the Bordetella pertussis FHA secretion domain (Fha30) reveals limited amino acid homology but shared structural features, suggesting that diverse TpsA proteins have a common structural domain required for targeting to cognate TpsB proteins. Further comparison of HMW1-PP and Fha30 structures may provide insights into the keen specificity of TpsA-TpsB interactions.
Can the concentration-collusion hypothesis be refuted empirically?☆

Abstract Simulations based on the multiple equilibria property of repeated game models are used to demonstrate that conventional cross-section regressions may be incapable of detecting a relationship between concentration and performance.
On the average redundancy rate of the Lempel—Ziv code with the k -error protocol

Abstract In this paper we examine the average redundancy rate of a Lempel–Ziv'78 code with the k-error protocol. Storer and Reif have studied this modification of the Lempel–Ziv (LZ) scheme and showed that it provides an efficient protection against error propagation while preserving the asymptotic optimality of the code. We refine this result by providing an asymptotic expression for the average redundancy rate of this code for memoryless sources. Using analytic methods, we establish our result by exploiting a relationship between a parsing scheme of the LZ encoder with the k-error protocol and a generalization of the digital search tree (DST) structure. We accompany our analysis with a number of experiments that test the validity of our theoretical result and demonstrate the effects of various additional modifications of the LZ algorithm.
Fractal: a mobile code-based framework for dynamic application protocol adaptation

The rapid growth of heterogeneous devices and diverse networks in our daily life, makes it is very difficult, if not impossible, to build a one-size-fits-all application or protocol, which can run well in such a dynamic environment. Adaptation has been considered as a general approach to address the mismatch problem between clients and servers; however, we envision that the missing part, which is also a big challenge, is how to inject and deploy adaptation functionality into the environment. In this paper we propose a novel application level protocol adaptation framework, Fractal, which uses the mobile code technology for protocol adaptation and leverages existing content distribution networks (CDN) for protocol adaptors (mobile codes) deployment. To the best of our knowledge, Fractal is the first application level protocol adaptation framework that considers the real deployment problem using mobile code and CDN. To evaluate the proposed framework, we have implemented two case studies: an adaptive message encryption protocol and an adaptive communication optimization protocol. In the adaptive message encryption protocol, Fractal always chooses a proper encryption algorithm according to different application requirements and device characteristics. And the adaptive communication optimization protocol is capable of dynamically selecting the best one from four communication protocols, including Direct sending, Gzip, Bitmap, and Vary-sized blocking, for different hardware and network configurations. In comparison with other adaptation approaches, evaluation results show the proposed adaptive approach performs very well on both the client side and server side. For some clients, the total communication overhead reduces 41% compared with no protocol adaptation mechanism, and 14% compared with the static protocol adaptation approach.
Digital particle image accelerometry

A high-resolution video-based technique for obtaining two-dimensional fluid acceleration field data has been developed. The algorithm uses a combination of cross-correlations and autocorrelations on doubly exposed images of particle-seeded flows. Autocorrelations of individual video frames in an image pair yield two instantaneous velocity fields from which accelerations can be computed. Cross-correlations between successive images in the pair are used to resolve directional ambiguity associated with the autocorrelation. Time intervals are made arbitrarily small through the use of a laser sheet generator circuit which is synchronized with the framing rate of the camera. The technique is validated using a fluid-filled Petri dish subject to a known periodic motion. Ongoing development, uncertainties, and limitations of the technique are discussed.
A massively parallel implementation of QC-LDPC decoder on GPU

The graphics processor unit (GPU) is able to provide a low-cost and flexible software-based multi-core architecture for high performance computing. However, it is still very challenging to efficiently map the real-world applications to GPU and fully utilize the computational power of GPU. As a case study, we present a GPU-based implementation of a real-world digital signal processing (DSP) application: low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoder. The paper shows the efforts we made to map the algorithm onto the massively parallel architecture of GPU and fully utilize GPU's computational resources to significantly boost the performance. Moreover, several efficient data structures have been proposed to reduce the memory access latency and the memory bandwidth requirement. Experimental results show that the proposed GPU-based LDPC decoding accelerator can take advantage of the multi-core computational power provided by GPU and achieve high throughput up to 100.3Mbps.
An Unpublished Whitman Postcard to Karl Knortz

Presents a previously unpublished postcard dated April 20th, 1883, and provides a brief description of its addressee.
The development of infant monkeys fed low phenylalanine diets.

Extract: The nutritional adequacy of a commercial low-phenylalanine diet (Diet LF) has been investigated in infant rhesus monkeys. All animals were fed a control diet (Diet CD) during the first month of life. Thereafter, animals in Group A were fed LF until seventy-five days of age. This diet was then supplemented with 0.1 g of L-phenylalanine per kilogram of body weight until 105 days of age and with 0.2 g of L-phenylalanine per kilogram from 105 to 135 days of age. Animals in Group B were fed LF supplemented with an amount of L-phenylalanine equal to that contained in CD (0.087 g/100 ml) from 30 to 135 days of age. For the remainder of the first year of life, all animals were again fed CD. Animals in Group A developed growth failure, anemia, hypoproteinemia, dermatitis, edema, hypophenylalaninemia and elevated levels of several other free amino acids in serum when fed LF. The addition of supplements of L-phenylalanine corrected hypoproteinemia, hypophenylalaninemia, and anemia, but improvement of dermatitis and growth rates were not seen until the animals were again fed CD. Animals in Group B developed dermatitis and elevated levels of several of the free amino acids in serum, but showed no other biochemical or clinical evidence of phenylalanine deficiency. After one year of age, all animals were evaluated for learning behavior. There was a significant decrease in the learning ability of animals in Group A, while that of animals in Group B was comparable with that of control animals. Speculation: Synthetic diets have been proposed as specific therapy for those inborn errors of metabolism that usually result in serious disability or death. Infant rhesus monkeys fed a commercial low-phenylalanine diet developed a syndrome of phenylalanine deficiency comparable with that which has been reported in some human infants fed the same diet. This study demonstrates the potential adverse effects of any diet deficient in essential nutrients and indicates that this subhuman primate may be of value in investigating the nutritional adequacy of other synthetic diets that may be proposed for use in children.
Food-centered discourses: Intellectual communities across fields of knowledge

In Chicana Feminisms: A Critical Reader , many contributors point out the ways in which Chicana/Latina writers used a multi-genre interconnection in their creative and non-creative work. This tradition is not new. Rosaura Sanches, Guillermo Padilla and others, working on the Recovery Hispanic Literary Project, indicate that the literary production of the late 1800s and early 1900s also reveals a combination of genres: folklore, ethnography, autobiography, prose and lyrical fiction. The argument set forth by the interconnection of genres is that writers speak for, about, to, and within a diverse community. Voices in the Kitchen , my forthcoming book, follows this history. I refer to the diverse communities I address within it as forming part of a non-academic and academic world. The different styles and multiple voices in the book aim at revealing the different discourses used mainly by feminist academics and working class-women on diverse issues dealing with acts of agency within the realm of food. The non-academic community's discourses are reflected by the ethnographic aspects of the book where Mexican working-class women and I charlamos (chat) about food. The academic communities’ discourses of theorizing and analyzing manifest themselves in the language of philosophy, architecture, anthropology, geography, literary and cultural criticism. The shift of food voices in my writing is rather prevalent. The theoretical implications of this methodology and the paradigm it offers involve a three-part exploration. First, how does the language of food speak differently according to its localized place? Second, what are the conceptual ways in which food-centered discourses overlap in such places? This overlap creates what I call a borderless boundary zone . The final exploration is to ask: what are the strengths, as well as the limitations, in bridging the food voices from different places and spaces?
Fluvoxamine in the treatment of panic disorder: a multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in outpatients

Serotonergic mechanisms have been implicated in panic disorder, and several preliminary studies suggest that fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is helpful in its treatment. This 8-week double-blind parallel-group study compared fluvoxamine with a placebo in 188 patients with DSM-III-R defined panic disorder with or without agoraphobia. Efficacy assessments included a Daily Panic Attack Inventory, the Sheehan Disability Scale, the Clinical Anxiety Scale and the Clinical Global Impression Scale. When compared with the placebo, fluvoxamine produced highly significant improvements in most measures of the frequency and severity of panic disorder and in the more global aspects of disability and distress. Significant improvement was evident as early as week 1 for some panic variables. Fluvoxamine is a potent anti-panic agent with a relatively rapid onset of action.
Suppression of an amyloid β-peptidemediated calcium channel response by a secreted β-amyloid precursor protein

Secreted isoforms of the beta-amyloid precursor protein potently enhance neuronal survival in cell cultures exposed to toxic amyloid beta peptide. Lowering of intracellular calcium levels to offset the increases in intraneuronal calcium caused by amyloid beta peptide is thought to underly this neuroprotection. Because we have shown previously that an amyloid beta peptide-mediated potentiation of calcium channel currents may contribute to this cytosolic calcium overload, the present study examined the effects of a secreted beta-amyloid precursor protein on the calcium channel response to amyloid beta peptide. When compared with untreated cultured rat hippocampal neurons, cells that underwent a 24 h preincubation with beta-amyloid precursor protein 751 displayed decreases in the relative size of the calcium channel response to amyloid beta peptide. A membrane-permeable analog of cyclic GMP, a second messenger believed to be involved in the calcium regulation process mediated by beta-amyloid precursor proteins, also attenuated the modulatory calcium channel response. Co-application of beta-amyloid precursor protein 751 with amyloid beta peptide did not alter calcium channel response to amyloid beta peptide. Taken together, these findings suggest that secreted beta-amyloid precursor proteins can suppress a calcium channel response to amyloid beta peptide that is potentially injurious to the cell, and as such, may define a neuroprotective mechanism that is specific for amyloid beta toxicity.
Mass Spectrographic Mass Assignment of Radioactive Isotopes

Characteristics of positive ion emission for various compounds on a tungsten filament are noted. Methods of analysis of mixtures of radioactive isotopes by mass spectrograph are described. The following mass assignments are made: 108-day yttrium, 88; 57-day yttrium, 91; 1-year ruthenium, 106; 300-day cerium, 144; 3.7-year element 61, 147; 55-day strontium, 89; 25-year strontium, 90; 60-hour yttrium, 90; 12.6-day barium, 140; 40-hour lanthanum, 140.
Deontological Reconceptualization: A Study of Moral Education in Beijing

This study explores the enactment and evolution of moral education in Beijing, China. In particular, the author examines the extent to which moral education teachers develop reflective thinking and broach controversial issues within their classrooms. Drawing on interview data from secondary moral education (deyu) teachers, professors who prepare moral education teachers, and individuals involved in directing curricular efforts in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, the author suggests that reflective thinking is slowly becoming a reality within some Beijing moral education classrooms and that this evolutionary curriculum change has the potential to transform Chinese society. Yet, respondents suggested a paucity of controversial issues confronted in classrooms and an uncritical stance toward government policy and action.
Heat transfer and interface inversion during the Czochralski growth of yttrium aluminum garnet and gadolinium gallium garnet

Abstract Computer-aided simulations are performed using an integrated process model for the Czochralski (CZ) growth of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) and gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG). Internal radiant heat trabsfer through the crystal is responsible for the deeply convex melt/crystal interface and the propensity for crystal cracking with large cone angles during CZ YAG growth. The nature of interface inversion by crystal rotation is fundamentally different for YAG growth under low and high thermal gradients. Results suggest that classical “flat-interface” growth via crystal rotation is attainable for YAG growth only under low-gradient thermal conditions, while this limitation is not as stringent for the growth of GGG. The depth of the melt is also shown to affect interface inversion for GGG. The complicated dependence of interface inversion on many system details, rather than solely crystal rotation, suggests that this effect is not adequately described by simple, universal scalings which have been previously proposed.
Using Couple Data as a Methodological Tool: The Case of Marital Violence.

The paper demonstrates the use of couple data as a methodological tool. Using Straus's Conflict Tactics Scale as an example, it is shown that couple data may be used for the evaluation of scale items and for the assessment of the validity of frequency estimates of violence and its relationship with other variables. The results provide clear evidence that aggregate husband-wife data cannot substitute for couple data.
Observation of hot-electron energy loss through the emission of phonon-plasmon coupled modes in GaAs.

We have directly observed hot-electron energy loss through the emission of phonon-plasmon coupled modes in n-type Si-doped GaAs. We have obtained hot-luminescence data which exhibit a peak due to the initial unrelaxed hot electrons followed by a peak lower in energy by the L + coupled-mode energy. The lower-energy peak corresponds to hot-electron relaxation via emission of a phonon-plasmon coupled mode. The observed peak agrees well with energy-loss calculations
Water hyacinth growth in anaerobic digester effluents

Abstract Growth characteristics and N assimilation of water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes [Mart] solms) were evaluated for diluted and undiluted effluents from anaerobic digesters containing 15 N-labeled water hyacinth as feedstock. The diluted effluents were an excellent growth media for plants and resulted in high dry weight gains. The highest gain in plant dry weight (18 gm −2 day −1 ) was noted for the diluted effluent having an initial NH 4 N concentration of 65 mg liter −1 and an electrical conductivity (EC) of 1·6 dSm −1 . Plant death was observed in four of the six undiluted effluents. Ammonium loss from the effluents was described with first-order kinetic rate constants which ranged from 0·175 to 0·593 day −1 . Plant assimilation of 15 NH 4 N ranged from 36 to 66% in diluted effluents and from 2 to 77% in undiluted effluents. Plant survival was not dependent entirely on NH 4 N concentrations or EC of the effluents.
Analytic Properties of Symmetry Breaking in the σ Model

In the tree approximation to the $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ model the scalar-field vacuum expectation values are multi-valued functions of the symmetry-breaking parameters. The implications of this for the existence of a radius of convergence for perturbation expansions about the symmetry limit are analyzed. Special attention is given to the structure of the solutions as a function of the mass parameter in the original Lagrangian. Although this parameter is numerically small in a fit to data, its precise value determines whether the underlying symmetry-limit solution can exhibit spontaneous breakdown of the symmetry. The mathematical structure of the solutions is surprisingly similar to that of the mean-field theory in statistical mechanics. It is suggested that the real world may be near a "phase transition" and that new methods in statistical mechanics could be exploited to analyze chiral dynamics, with results more general than found in the particular model considered here.
Do mothers always know best? Oviposition mistakes and resulting larval failure of Pieris virginiensis on Alliaria petiolata , a novel, toxic host

Alliaria petiolata is a European biennial herb that invades North American forests and has direct negative effects on associated flora and fauna. In some places, A. petiolata has invaded the habitat of Pieris virginiensis, a rare, univoltine butterfly that normally uses native spring ephemeral crucifer hosts. There are occasional observations of P. virginiensis laying eggs on A. petiolata, but the frequency and effects of these “mistake oviposition events” are not yet known. We investigated P. virginiensis oviposition preference through field observations in three locations (NY, OH, PA), and also through laboratory experiments measuring egg deposition of adult females on either a native or invasive crucifer. In addition, we examined neonate larval performance through no-choice feeding assays on both A. petiolata leaves and cabbage leaves painted with A. petiolata leaf extracts. We found that P. virginiensis lays significantly more eggs on the exotic A. petiolata than on its native host Cardamine diphylla in both field and laboratory experiments. Caterpillars fed either A. petiolata leaf tissue or its ethanol extract did not survive to pupation, and most died after only a few days. Continual invasion and persistence of A. petiolata in P. virginiensis habitats may lead to genetic bottlenecking and possibly local extinctions without human intervention.
Measurements of the Static Load (On Pad) Performance and Pad Temperatures in a Flexure-Pivot Tilting-Pad Bearing

Measurements of the bearing displacements and pad edge temperatures in a four-shoe flexure-pivot tilting-pad bearing under static loading toward a pad are presented. The test rig consists of a vertical rigid journal and shaft supported on precision ball bearings and driven by a variable speed motor. The housing is suspended by cables and holds the flexure-pivot bearing with four 80° arc length pads, 50% offset and null preload. The length, diameter, and nominal radial clearance of the bearing are equal to 46 mm, 127 mm, and 0.178 mm, respectively, with a pad flexural rotational stiffness equal to 1125 N-m/rad. Steady-state tests with an ISO VG 22 oil are conducted at three rotational speeds (1800, 3000, and 4500 rpm) with loads applied to the bearing with a simple jack and load cell mechanism. Measurements include the bearing displacements in two orthogonal directions, oil flow rate, lubricant inlet and discharge temperatures, and the leading and trailing edge pad temperatures for each pad. The measuremen...
Coordination of lateral giant and non-giant systems in crayfish escape behavior

1. The modal escape response of a wellrested crayfish to a tap on the abdomen consists of an initial lateral giant-mediated flexion, a movement-triggered reflex extension, and then a series of centrally patterned, non-giant mediated, extension-flexion cycles (Figs. 1 and 2). 2. We investigated three models to explain how the non-giant system is triggered (Fig. 3). Direct stimulation of the giant axons in unrestrained animals showed that neither their central activity nor the sensory consequences of the tailflip they produce are sufficient to trigger the non-giant system (Fig. 4). 3. In well-rested animals, weak taps often triggered the non-giant system alone, i.e., without activating the giant axons (Fig. 5). This may have occurred rarely in earlier studies since the non-giant system habituates more rapidly than the lateral giant system (Fig. 6). 4. Although firing the giant axons does not trigger the non-giant system, the giant axons do cause subthreshold excitation which can summate with sensory input to trigger the non-giant system (Fig. 7). 5. The combined results show that the giant and non-giant systems are usually activated in parallel. The orderly transition from giant to non-giant escape behavior is in large part the result of marked differences in the latencies of each system: the median latency for the lateral giant axon response is 6 ms compared to approximately 140 ms for the non-giant response (Fig. 8). 6. The long latency of the non-giant system may be inherent to the processing time required to set up the nervous system for an optimal response. Direct observations establish that the non-giant system uses at least one bit of information that the giant axon system ignores: it reacts to the laterality of the stimulus as well as to its anterior-posterior location (Fig. 9).
Omphalocele-Exstrophy-Imperforate Anus-Spinal Defects (OEIS) in Triplet Pregnancy after IVF and CVS

BACKGROUND Omphalocele-exstrophy-imperforate anus-spinal defects (OEIS) complex is a rare sporadic condition. CASE We identified an infant with major malformations resembling OEIS. He was the product of a 30-week triplet pregnancy conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and evaluated by chorionic villi sampling (CVS). In this article, we review the possible pathogenetic mechanisms in this case, including IVF, multiple gestation, trauma to the uterus or uterine vessels following CVS, and placenta accreta. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the cumulative effects of all or some of these factors may have resulted in uteroplacental insufficiency adequate to produce this phenotype. This case provides additional evidence for the uterine vascular pathogenesis of OEIS complex in humans. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 67467–471, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Theory for the semi-analytical calculation of oil recovery and effective relative permeabilities using streamtubes

Abstract A semi-analytical method has been developed for calculating oil recovery in two and three dimensions, and for calculating effective relative permeabilities for coarse grids. The calculations are based on the assumption that the effects of a changing mobility field can be accounted for by using fixed streamtube geometries with flowrates updated to account for the changing mobility distribution. The single-phase pressure distribution from a numerical solution of Laplace's equation is used to calculate the pressure distribution for a two-phase flow based on a mapping of the solution of the Buckley-Leverett equation onto the streamtubes derived from the single-phase solution. The displacement calculations for oil recovery are based on theory previously developed by Dykstra and Parsons, extended to include the effects of spatially varying permeability and continuously changing mobilities, as occurs in solutions of the Buckley-Leverett equation for typical values of the mobility ratio. This idea has also been extended to the calculation of effective relative permeabilities for coarse-grid simulation and finally establishes the proper rules for averaging the results of fine-grid numerical simulations of two-phase flow for the definition of effective two-phase flow properties on coarse grids. These calculations have been generalized to three-dimensional flows by the simple device of conceptually inserting a gridded plane across the flow and defining each streamtube at that location as those streamlines which pass through any one of the grid cells. When combined with time-of-flight calculations from the gridded plane to both the producer and injector, the distribution of pore volume along each streamtube can be calculated. This information, combined with a tabulation of the single-phase, steady-state pressure distribution along each streamtube, provides all of the information needed for the semi-analytical calculation of oil recovery and effective flow properties in three-dimensional flows. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTO‐ELICITATION AFTER COLONIALISM

In photo-elicitation studies of colonial imagery, photographs are seen as repositories of historical data. This article examines the author's experience of photo-elicitation in the postcolonial context of The Gambia, West Africa. Here, Gambian viewers responded to the aesthetic and compositional details of colonial photographs rather than their historical content. This attention to the surface of the photograph and its aesthetic qualities suggests a disconnection or distraction from the colonial history depicted in the images. This photo-elicitation does not engage or resolve a historical relationship with the colonial past. Rather, it reveals an engagement with elements of the photograph in which the visual legacies of colonialism—identification, representation, memorialization—remain absent. The absence of acknowledged connections to the past calls into question the ability of the photograph to represent the colonial past or its subjects to the viewer. In Gambian viewers’ preoccupation with aesthetic details, the photograph becomes a crafted object, rather than a link to colonial subordination. This calls into question the efficacy of photo-elicitation to demonstrate reactions to colonialism that move beyond Eurocentric frameworks.
Runtime Self-Calibrated Temperature–Stress Cosensor for 3-D Integrated Circuits

On-chip temperature and stress sensors are important for runtime system management techniques tackling thermomechanical reliability issues in 3-D integrated circuits (ICs). However, traditional temperature and stress sensor designs require large calibration overhead to improve accuracy, which incurs significant cost for massive production. To address the challenge, in this paper, we propose a novel temperature–stress cosensor design for 3-D ICs. By exploring the inherent reciprocity of temperature and stress mechanisms, it achieves runtime self-calibration such that no dedicated calibration effort is needed. Simulation results show that the cosensor achieves 0.26 $^{\circ}{\rm C}$ and 0.43 MPa accuracy on average in temperature and stress measurements, respectively, when evaluated in $[{-}60^{\circ}{\rm C}, 140^{\circ}{\rm C}]$ . In addition, the accuracy of self-calibrated sensors remains within 1.1 $^{\circ}{\rm C}$ and 2.3 MPa when there exists up to 5% measurement noise, which shows that the self-calibration process is relatively insensitive to various noises.
Interactions of Defects and Domain Walls in LiNbO3 – Insights from Simulations

The defect formation energies of various possible defect complexes in stoichiometric LiNbO3 are calculated and the dominant defects are predicted based on their relative stabilities. The atomistic structure of one type of ferroelectric domain wall is discussed and the width of the domain wall is identified. Based on the analysis of polarization components normal to and transverse to the domain wall plane, it is found that domain walls exhibit Bloch and Neel like characteristics. Point defects are found to have lower formation energies at domain wall. Therefore, domain walls can be considered as trap sites of point defects. Due to the wide applications of ferroelectric LiNbO3 1 , it is crucial to understand the local structure of domain walls at the nanoscale and their influence on the macroscopic properties of the material 2, 3 . Moreover, the presence of point defects can change the physical properties and interact with domain walls. Here, we report density functional theory (DFT) calculations and atomistic simulations of the structure and stability of one type of domain wall, and the dominant intrinsic point defect complexes in stoichiometric LiNbO3. The structure and energetics of the Y-domain wall in LiNbO3 are presented and the width of the domain wall is determined. Finally, the interaction between point defects and domain wall are explicitly characterized the point-defect formation energy as a function of distance from the domain wall. 2. Methodology The calculations of structures and energies of point defects and domain walls using density functional theory (DFT) are carried out using the Vienna Ab Initio Simulation Package (VASP) 4, 5 . Briefly, the projected augmented wave (PAW) method combined with generalized gradient approximation (GGA) is employed to achieve both accuracy and flexibility 6 . The Li 2s 1 , Nb 4p 6 4d 4 5s 1 , and O 2s 2 2p 4 are treated as valence electrons 7, 8 . details of the calculations can be found elsewhere 7-9 . Although the domain walls in the DFT supercell are quite close to each other, they allow us to perform benchmark
Percutaneous bypass: subintimal recanalization of peripheral occlusive disease with IVUS guided luminal re-entry

Abstract Angioplasty of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) has lower technical success rates with longer procedure times and poorer outcomes. Subintimal recanalization remains limited by the lack of controlled re-entry into the true lumen of the target vessel. We report our experience using a commercially available catheter-based system equipped with an intravascular ultrasound scanner to achieve controlled true lumen re-entry in patients with peripheral CTOs. In a 4-month period, 6 patients with lower extremity (LE) ischemia from CTOs were treated. Occluded segments were crossed subintimally, and controlled re-entry was secured using the CrossPoint TransAccess catheter. This 6.2 F dual-lumen catheter contains an integrated 64-element phased array intravascular ultrasound scanner enabling targeting of structures. Intravascular ultrasound-guided luminal re-entry was achieved by advancing a 24-gauge needle to a desired length and delivering a 0.014" guide wire into the target lumen. The occluded segments were balloon dilated and stented using self-expanding nitinol stents. Effective luminal re-entry and re-establishment of antegrade flow occurred in all 6 patients. Time to recanalization ranged from 5 to 10 minutes. All patients were free of ischemic symptoms at 1 to 5 month follow-up. There were no procedure-related complications. Our preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of using this catheter system for subintimal recanalization with controlled re-entry in CTOs. This approach can improve the technical success rate, reduce the time of the procedure, and minimize potential complications.
Bayesian approach to the prediction problem in complete and censored samples from the gamma and exponential populations

The situation considered in this paper is that in which a single complete sample and an additional set of k censored samples, each of which is censored both above as well as below, are vailable from the gamma with known integervalued shape parameter. The purpose hers is to predict an order statistic in the future sample, that is., in the (k+1)-th sample (or at stage k), based on the aarlier samples. For this purpose, a predictive dinfcrTout Ion is obtained for the general case of gammn distribution with knowa shape parameter. Particular cases including exponential are considered. A discussion on the comparison between the variances of the complete sample case and that of the censored case is given, An illustrative example is provided by a simulated life test.
Cystine lyase: β-cystathionase from turnip roots

Abstract Cystine lyase (EC 4.4.1.-) was purified 277-fold by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation, chromatography on calcium phosphate and DEAE-cellulose with a 6% recovery. The MW as measured by gel filtration on Biogel p-300 was ca 150 000. The enzyme catalysed the pyridoxal phosphate-dependent degradation of cystine to pyruvate, ammonia and cysteine persulfide. Cysteine persulfide normally degraded spontaneously to elemental sulfur and cysteine, that further reacted to yield cystine and H2S. Pyridoxal phosphate stabilized the enzyme. The Km value for cystine was 0.94 mM. The enzyme was insensitive to thiol reagents but was inhibited by some thiols (which may have reduced the cystine). Cystine lyase degraded many compounds having the L -α-amino propionic acid group with a thioether or disulfide linkage attached to the β-carbon but was inactive towards D -configuration at the α-carbon or L -homocystine. The cystine lyase was also a β-cystathionase as indicated by (1) a constant ratio of β-cystathionase activity to cystine lyase activity throughout a 277-fold purification, (2) the inhibition of cystine lyase activity by cystathionine and inhibition of β-cystathionase activity by cystine and (3) similarity in sensitivity to heat, cyanide and hydroxylamine. Using DL -cystathionine as substrate, the Km value was 4 mM.
Comparison of surrogate surface techniques for estimation of sulfate dry deposition

Abstract The dry deposition rates of sulfate particles to artificial surfaces within and above a mature hardwood forest were measured over an annual range of synoptic weather conditions. Artificial, or ‘surrogate’, surfaces representing both rough and smooth textural types included deposition buckets, petri dishes, filter paper, Teflon configurations and polycarbonate membranes. Ambient concentrations of sulfate and sulfur dioxide were also monitored. The artificial surfaces were evaluated on the basis of the magnitude of the sulfate dry deposition rates and measurement precision. Correlations between techniques and the magnitude of the deposition velocities identified technique similarities. Ambient concentrations of the sulfur oxides and the deposition rates were not well correlated. For diverse reasons, many of the techniques were found to have limited reliability. The petri dish, bucket inside and filter plate surfaces were found to represent the most precise devices for the estimation of dry deposition to smooth, complex and rough artificial surfaces, respectively. Seasonal averages for samplers exposed at all heights were 11.2, 27.7 and 71.2μg SO 4 2− m −2 h −1 , yielding mean deposition velocities to surfaces exposed within the forest canopy of 0.03,0.11 and 0.14 cm s −1 and an annual estimate of the potential dry deposition to a foliated hardwood forest of 4.0, 11.5 and 21.0 kg SO 4 2− ha −1 for the petri dish, bucket inside and filter plate surfaces, respectively. The indirect ratio between deposition rates and velocities results from varying concentrations of ambient sulfate between sampling periods. The accuracy of the filter plate data is suspect due to a significant correlation with sulfur dioxide concentrations. Sulfur concentration and deposition rate gradients indicate the forest is providing a net sink for sulfur pollutants during periods with foliage. The wide range of dry deposition rates estimated from the variety of deposition surfaces emphasizes the uncertainty of the artificial surface measurement techniques. In spite of these limitations, surrogate surfaces provide an estimate of sulfate flux rates not currently obtainable from natural surfaces.
Experimental observation of a striking similarity between quantum hall transport coefficients

Abstract The derivative of the Quantum Hall resistance, ρ xy , with respect to the carrier density, n , has been measured for a two-dimensional electron gas in a GaAs-Al x Ga 1− x As heterostructure, as a function of magnetic field. dρ xy /d n exhibits a remarkable similarity to the diagonal resistivity, ρ xy , to the extent that one is almost directly proportional to the other. Our result suggests the possibility of a fundamental connection between the two quantities.
An evaluation of in situ training to teach sexual abuse prevention skills to women with mental retardation

The current study evaluated a behavioral skills training (BST) program in combination with in situ training to teach sexual abuse prevention skills to five women with mild to moderate mental retardation. In situ assessments were conducted following BST and in situ training sessions were conducted for those who were unable to demonstrate the skills in the natural setting. The results showed that generalization of the safety skills to the natural setting occurred for three of the five participants following one to two in situ training sessions. One participant required 12 in situ training sessions and three booster training sessions to reach criterion level. Three of four participants assessed 1 month following training maintained the skills. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Vector space model for the generalized parts grouping problem

The vector perturbation approach is introduced for addressing the generalized parts grouping problem, identifying part families for a general set of suppliers, not just a single supplier. This method is driven by the need for flexible and lean supply chain systems. A vector space model is used to represent a set of operation sequences as opposed to the traditional matrix and integer programming models in group technology. Using this approach, we find that we are able to generate part groups from 90% of the available parts, in which all the operation sequences are preserved. This contrasts the traditional methods using which only 66% of the available parts can be grouped. Furthermore, a vector representation of operation sequences provides an intuitive means for discovering the natural structure of the part data. From these results, we conclude that this technique can dramatically improve the effectiveness of the entire supply chain.
Optimal Offer Strategies in Mergers and Acquisitions

This paper models the corporate takeover process as a bargaining game under certainty. During the takeover process, an acquirer is generally uncertain about the minimum price the target shareholders will accept. Normally, a takeover is concluded after a sequence of offers have been made. This paper derives optimal offer strategies for the buyer at each stage of this bargaining game under uncertainty. Uncertainty about the target's minimum acceptable price is represented by a probability distribution. Optimal offer strategies depend on the probability distribution of the minimum acceptable price, which can change during the offer process.
The role of visualization in effective data cleaning

Using visualization techniques to assist conventional data mining tasks has attracted considerable interest in recent years. This paper addresses a challenging issue in the use of visualization for data mining: choosing appropriate parameters for spatial data cleaning methods. On one hand, algorithm performance is improved through visualization. On the other hand, characteristics and properties of methods and features of data are visualized as feedbacks to the user. A 3-D visualization model, called Waterfall, is proposed to assist spatial data cleaning in four important aspects: dimension-independent data visualization, visualization of data quality, algorithm parameter selection, and measurement of noise removing methods on parameter sensitiveness.
Involvement of ‘stress–response’ kinase pathways in Alzheimer's disease progression

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia, affecting more than 25 million people worldwide. Current models of the pathophysiological mechanisms of AD suggest that the accumulation of soluble oligomeric forms of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides causes early loss of excitatory synapses and impairs synaptic plasticity. The signaling pathways mediating Aβ oligomer-induced impairment of synaptic plasticity and loss of excitatory synapses are only beginning to be unraveled. Here, we review recent evidence supporting the critical contribution of conserved ‘stress–response’ kinase pathways in AD progression.
Critical reactions to the japanese management model: A public sector perspective

Because there has been considerable interest in the Japanese management model, this study explores its limitations for the American setting and particularly the American public sector. These limitations include (1) cultural barriers, (2) the incompleteness of the model, and (3) undesirable elements in the model. This analysis concludes that there is little new in humanistic or participative terms to be found in the Japanese approach. Despite several objectionable elements in the model, some of its devices are instructive and may be carefully adapted to public sector use, but adoption of the whole model is unlikely and undesirable.
Cluster Separability in Relativistic Quantum Mechanics

Using a simple model we provide a quantitative study of the size of the corrections needed to restore cluster properties to the construction of Poincare invariant dynamical models with kinematic spins, first provided by B. Bakamjian and L. H. Thomas. Our model calculations suggest that these corrections are too small to have a quantitative impact on nuclear physics observables calculated using models with meson and nucleon degrees of freedom.
Skinner, Maslow, and Psilocybin

This article describes a personal experience of altered consciousness as a result of ingesting "magic mushrooms" (psilocybin). It also briefly notes the reactions of Fred Skinner and Abraham Maslow to a report to them of this experience made by the author when he was a graduate student 30 years ago. Familiarity with the effects of hallucinogens may facilitate communication with terminally ill individuals, and such substances may serve as efficacious tools for actualizing visionary potential.
Figural after-effects, rate of “figure-ground” reversal, and field dependence

Field-independent Ss showed greater figural after-effects on a specific perceptual task and also higher reversal rates on a series of reversible figure tasks than did field-dependent Ss. The present data reveal a significant linkage between figural after-effect performance and diverse other perceptual response styles and suggest strongly, as did the results of a previously reported related study, that the elemental processes underlying these effects are related to broader and more complex behavior variables.
Microbial Transformation of Artemether

Microbial transformation of the semisynthetic sesquiterpene artemether, using Cunninghamella elegans and Streptomyces lavendulae, resulted in the isolation of five microbial metabolites that were c...