cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of deubiquitinases in DNA damage response

DNA damage response (DDR) serves as an integrated cellular network to detect cellular stress and react by activating pathways responsible for halting cell cycle progression, stimulating DNA damage repair, and initiating apoptosis. Efficient DDR protects cells from genomic instability while defective DDR can allow DNA lesions to go unrepaired, causing permanent mutations that will affect future generations of cells and possibly cause disease conditions such as cancer. Therefore, DDR mechanisms must be tightly regulated in order to ensure organismal health and viability. One major way of DDR regulation is ubiquitination, which has been long known to control DDR protein localization, activity, and stability. The reversal of this process, deubiquitination, has more recently come to the forefront of DDR research as an important new angle in ubiquitin-mediated regulation of DDR. As such, deubiquitinases have emerged as key factors in DDR. Importantly, deubiquitinases are attractive small-molecule drug targets due to their well-defined catalytic residues that provide a promising avenue for developing new cancer therapeutics. This review focuses on the emerging roles of deubiquitinases in various DNA repair pathways.
Sixty Seconds Above Sixty Degrees: Connecting Arctic and Non-Arctic Classrooms in the Age of Climate Change

Science education literature highlights a need to better understand teachers’ experiences of navigating barriers to implementing climate change education curriculum. This chapter presents findings of a qualitative study of teachers’ perspectives during the facilitation of a digital environmental storytelling project called #60above60, which connects students in Arctic and non-Arctic urban contexts. The focus is on teachers’ cognitive interpretations of the project and broader individuals in climate change education. The results and subsequent discussion in this paper will be useful to people and organizations interested in understanding how teachers and institutions implement curriculum incorporating climate change, sustainability, and student action-oriented instruction.
The Effects of Consumers’ Media Exposure, Attention, and Credibility on Pro-environmental Behaviors

This study investigates the effects of consumers’ media exposure and attention to corporate sustainability communication on their environmental protection behavior intentions and green purchasing b...
Survey of Material Degradation in Globally Fielded PV Modules

Material durability is a critical factor in designing systems to sustain decades of continuous operation in terrestrial environments. As service lifetime expectations of PV modules continue to grow, it is important that we understand the implications of durability on module performance and safety so that manufacturers can make informed decisions on materials selection. Of particular interest are polymeric components— encapsulants and backsheets—that must withstand decades of exposure to sunlight and other terrestrial forces, often in aggressive climates. While investigations of polymer degradation due to individual stressors—such as irradiance, temperature, humidity, and external forces—have been widely investigated in the literature, the interdependency of these stressors as encountered in the field is not well characterized. To better understand the collective impact of environmental stressors on module durability, DuPont has developed an unprecedented global program for evaluating and assessing degradation of module components and materials in the field. Our database includes over 355 installations that account for nearly 2 GW of power, with module service lives ranging from years to decades. We present here results and analysis of our field survey through 2019, in which correlations between operational lifetime and degradation are established and recurring instances of severe backsheet degradation are highlighted. Our findings illustrate the temporal nature of backsheet degradation and highlight the importance of materials selection in mitigating financial risk.
Iris Photobiology and Scanning Modules

In order to evaluate the preferred modules to scan and document the iris structure, it is necessary to discuss the photobiology of the anterior chamber of the eye where the iris is located.
Addressing Health Disparities in the Rural United States: Advocacy as Caregiving among Community Health Workers and Promotores de Salud .

Rural populations in the United States are faced with a variety of health disparities that complicate access to care. Community health workers (CHWs) and their Spanish-speaking counterparts, promotores de salud, are well-equipped to address rural health access issues, provide education, and ultimately assuage these disparities. In this article, we compare community health workers in the states of Indiana and Texas, based on the results of two separate research studies, in order to (1) investigate the unique role of CHWs in rural communities and (2) understand how their advocacy efforts represent a central form of caregiving. Drawing on ethnographic, qualitative data-including interviews, photovoice, and participant observation-we analyze how CHWs connect structurally vulnerable clients in rural areas to resources, health education, and health and social services. Our primary contribution to existing scholarship on CHWs is the elaboration of advocacy as a form of caregiving to improve individual health outcomes as well as provoke structural change in the form of policy development. Finally, we describe how CHWs became especially critical in addressing disparities among rural populations in the wake of COVID-19, using their advocacy-as-caregiving role that was developed and well-established before the pandemic. These frontline workers are more vital than ever to address disparities and are a critical force in overcoming structural vulnerability and inequities in health in the United States.
Cephalometric and Functional Mandibular Reconstructive Outcomes Using a Horizontal Scapular Tip Free Flap

Scapula tip free flaps (STFFs) have become an increasingly popular option for head and neck reconstruction. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of using the STFF in a horizontal orientation to take advantage of the anatomy of the scapular tip bone to re-create a mandibular symphysis. Eight patients underwent oromandibular reconstruction with a horizontally oriented STFF between October 2016 and June 2020. Virtual surgical planning was used to design the bony reconstruction in 6 cases. Primary outcomes, including flap survival, complications, and return to oral diet, were collected. Cephalometric measurements were obtained to compare preoperative and postoperative mandibular projection and width. All flaps survived without compromise, and no fistulas developed postoperatively. Seven patients returned to taking an oral diet. Cephalometric analysis revealed comparable measurements between preoperative and postoperative mandibles and reconstructed mandibles, respectively. STFFs may be oriented horizontally to reconstruct large anterior mandibular defects with satisfactory results.
Chapter 10 Interactions between HHV-6 and other viruses

Publisher Summary HHV-6 has been most commonly isolated from the peripheral blood of immunocompromised individuals, including patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HHV-6 isolates have also been obtained from patients with autoimmune disorders—another category of individuals with severe immunologic dysfunctions. This chapter provides a strong motivation to study the interactions between HHV-6 and different viral agents, particularly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or other viruses targeting the immune system. This chapter also gives a brief overview of interactions between HHV-6 and HIV-I, HHV-6 and HTLV-I, HHV-6 and the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), and between HHV-6 and the human cytomegalovirus HCMV.
When She Learns Her Son Is Gay

WHEN SHE WAS EIGHT, her mother used the word, but it meant something different. This was long before she was Mrs. Schlafly, long before she was the scourge for the Right, "The Sweetheart of the Silent Majority," the ardent anti-communist, claimed by John Birch as his loyal philosophical daughter, the comfort of Cardinal Mindszenty, the unrelenting foe of the ERA, protectress of the unborn, the raging moral core in the heart of a country bound, but for her, for hell. This was 1932 and the anti-Christ came to St. Louis. Her daddy took her to see him because he wanted to teach her how to look evil full in the face and not blink, that was what he told her. They rode the streetcar to Union Station where the band played "Happy Days Are Here Again" over and over, and the jittery throng was so thick the police closed off Market Street for two blocks on either side of the railroad terminal. A woman on stilts, wearing a straw hat with donkey ears, threw toffee wrapped in wax paper to the children, but her daddy told her to leave it on the pavement because it was Democratic sweets, and she did, although all around her boys and girls gleefully chomped on the sticky balls of candy, brown sugared saliva glinting from their chins. One boy ate seven pieces at once, his cheek swollen as by a tumor. Before the Depression, her daddy had been Someone and even though they ate now only because her mother sold gloves behind the counter at Famous and Barr, he still had the bearing of a capital "P" Personage, and the crowd parted to let them pass, the regal man in the somber gray suit and the little girl in the powder blue dress and the yellow ribbons in her hair and the white gloves fastened with faux pearl buttons at her slender wrists.
Using Laptop Computers to Improve the Performance of Minority Students: A Pilot Project

A school system and a university joined forces to improve the science and mathematics environment for local minority students with a program that utilized computer technology. The initiative involved individual students from all of the high schools in the Winston–Salem/Forsyth County (North Carolina) School System. In this initiative, Wake Forest University operated a two-week Summer Science and Math Experience for minority students. During the two weeks, students worked intensively with computers and, at the end of the summer program, a laptop computer was loaned to each student for personal use during the of school year. Through interviews and questionnaires, students overwhelmingly endorsed their involvement in the computer-oriented project, both the summer and academic year phases. They especially liked having access to the Internet (provided by the project), being able to use e-mail and chat rooms, and utilizing the information retrieval potential. Parents and teachers surveyed also praised the project, feeling that their students learned more as a result of being involved in project activity.
Self-care management questionnaire for long-term indwelling urinary catheter users.

Aims Self-management is believed to be an important behavioral capacity in people with chronic illness, and self-efficacy is an important component contributing to self-management. Two new and related measures for urinary catheter self-efficacy (C-SE) and self-management (C-SMG) were developed based on existing tools and tested for psychometrics for use in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) teaching urinary catheter self-management. Methods The instruments were evaluated at baseline (intake face to face interview) with 202 persons and with 158 of the same individuals 6 months later by telephone interviews. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted in an iterative process related to items’ theoretical and statistical appropriateness. To assess construct validity and goodness of fit for model testing, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with the samples at intake and 6 months. Also, bivariate analyses were conducted of the measures in relation to each other. Results Both scales were modified reducing the items to 13 in each, with four factors in C-SE and three factors in C-SMG. Reliability testing (Cronbach's alpha) was viewed as satisfactory for both scales, though some of the subscale (factors) reliabilities were lower in the self-management measure. Confirmatory factor analysis was adequate. Correlation of the two instruments (r = 0.25, P < 001) suggests that they are related scales. Conclusion With a change in the C-SMG scale from 3- to 5-level responses and subsequent testing, both new scales are appropriate for use separately or together as a questionnaire related to catheter self-care management in intervention research with long-term indwelling urinary catheter users. Neurourol. Urodynam. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases and the Control of Cellular Signaling Responses

Publisher Summary It is important to realize that in vivo protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a reversible, dynamic process in which the net level of phosphate in a target substrate reflects not only the activity of the PTKs that phosphorylate it, but also the competing action of the protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) that catalyze the dephosphorylation reaction. One of the major technical difficulties that held back the study of PTPs was the requirement for a suitably phosphorylated purified protein substrate with which to measure enzyme activity. This was a particularly acute problem for the PTPs because at this time their physiological substrates were either not yet clearly identified or unavailable in the quantity required for routine assays. The development of this substrate gave us the means to assay PTP activity over a broad range of substrate concentrations. It also enabled us to exploit the ability of the insulin receptor PTK to utilize ATPγS as a phosphate donor and thus to generate a highly thiophosphorylated derivative of RCM lysozyme. Because tyrosine phosphorylation has been implicated in promoting cell growth and proliferation, PTPs, as the natural antagonists of PTK function, may exert a negative effect on such growth-promoting signals by triggering net dephosphorylation of proteins in the membrane. The advantage of the involvement of receptor PTPs in such a phenomenon is that their extracellular segments may “sense” cell-cell contact directly.
On-resin synthesis of novel arginine-isostere peptides bearing substituted amidine headgroups

A methodology is presented for the facile synthesis of Arg-containing peptides modified at the guanidine headgroup as substituted amidine cores. This process allows for the iterative construction of these Arg isosteres while the peptide is being built out on the solid support, providing a high potential for diversity in substitution pattern in the resulting peptide. A series of N-Pmc-substituted thioamides were condensed with deprotected δ-N Orn-bearing peptides while attached to the solid support using Mukaiyama's reagent as coupling reagent, yielding isosteric Arg-containing analogs. Peptides were cleaved using trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate/TFA and analyzed in their crude form in order to illustrate the amenability of this process toward production of peptide isolates in high crude purity. Arg-containing peptides having a single Arg isostere were utilized to show the general utility of this approach as well as a multiple-Arg-containing construct, illustrating the amenability of this method toward stepwise construction of differently substituted amidine headgroups within the same peptide.
High moisture corn stover pelleting in a flat die pellet mill fitted with a 6 mm die: physical properties and specific energy consumption

The quality and specific energy consumption (SEC) of the biomass pellets produced depend upon pelleting process conditions. The present study includes understanding the effect of feedstock moisture in the range of 28–38% (wet basis [w.b.]) and preheating in the range of 30–110°C at two die speeds of 40 and 60 Hz on the physical properties and SEC. A flat die pellet mill fitted with a 6 mm die was used in the present study. The physical properties of pellets such as moisture content, unit, bulk and tapped density, durability, and expansion ratio and SEC of the pelleting process are measured. The results indicate that the pellets produced have durability values in the range of 87–98%, and unit bulk and tapped density in the range of 670–1100, 375–575, and 420–620 kg/m³. Increasing the feedstock moisture content from 33% to 38% (w.b) decreased the unit, bulk and tapped density by about 30–40%. Increasing feedstock moisture content increased the expansion ratio and decreased the density values. A higher feedstock moisture content of 38% (w.b.) and higher preheating temperature of 110°C resulted in lower density and a higher expansion ratio, which can be attributed to flash off of moisture as the material extrudes outmore » of the die. The SEC was in the range of 75–275 kWh/ton. Higher feedstock moisture content of 38% (w.b.) and a lower die speed of 40 Hz increased the SEC, whereas lower to medium preheating temperature (30–70°C), medium feedstock moisture content of 33% (w.b.), and a higher die speed of 60 Hz minimized the SEC to <100 kWh/ton.« less
Positive Development among Diverse Youth

The positive youth development (PYD) perspective is based on the notion that all young people possess strengths and the capacity for healthy growth. The key hypothesis within the PYD perspective is that thriving occurs when the strengths of youth are aligned across adolescence with ecological resources (or “assets”) that promote positive, healthy development (e.g., assets such as high-quality parenting, mentoring, teaching, or coaching; effective youth development programs; or opportunities for youth to participate in and take leadership of valued family, school, and community activities). The 4-H Study of PYD has sought to bring data to bear on these ideas about the individual and ecological bases of PYD. We discuss several findings derived from tests of the model of PYD forwarded by Lerner and Lerner, including the structure of PYD, its antecedents in youth strengths and ecological developmental assets, and both positive and problematic outcomes among youth. The results of the 4-H Study of PYD provide important insights into how individual and contextual factors coalesce to promote adolescent thriving. Keywords: positive youth development; relational developmental systems theories; intentional self-regulation; hopeful future; school engagement; ecological assets
Black English: An Essay Review

One of the legacies of the various Black Pride movements of the sixties has been the proliferation of books on "Black English." This has been ably and amply documented by the Brasches' fine bibliography. It was not until the scholarly community could conceive of black Americans as having sufficiently distinctive patterns of culture that such studies were carried out or found much of an audience. Before that, of course, black language was commonly accounted for in the same way as other Afro-American behaviors, as evidences of some essential cultural disability. Even the standard work on ethnic continuity and diversity in the United States, Glazer and Moynihan's Beyond the Melting Pot, could not get beyond
CHARACTERIZATION OF ACTINOBACILLUS PLEUROPNEUMONIAE RIBOFLAVIN BIOSYNTHESIS GENES

In this paper, we report the identification, cloning, and complete nucleotide sequence of four genes from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae that are involved in riboflavin biosynthesis. The cloned genes can specify production of large amounts of riboflavin in Escherichia coli, can complement several defined genetic mutations in riboflavin biosynthesis in E. coli, and are homologous to riboflavin biosynthetic genes from E. coli, Haemophilus influenzae, and Bacillus subtilis. The genes have been designated A. pleuropneumoniae ribGBAH because of their similarity in both sequence and arrangement to the B. subtilis ribGBAH operon.
Quantization of tensor representations and deformation of matrix bialgebras

Abstract The quantum matrix bialgebra M q (2) and quantum plane k 2 q are constructed as preferred deformations of the classical matrix bialgebra and plane, that is, the comultiplication for M q (2) and the M q (2)-coaction for k 2 q remain unchanged on all elements (not just generators) during the deformation. The construction of these algebras is obtained by quantizing the standard representations of the Lie algebra (2) and the appropriate symmetric group on each tensor power of the vector space of coordinate functions on the plane. Analyzing the invariant elements of these representations then leads to the desired deformations.
Beyond the intrinsic-extrinsic dichotomy: Self-determination in motivation and learning

Researchers have typically portrayed intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as dichotomous. Although this dichotomy has explanatory utility, we present a differentiated view of extrinsic motivation, arguing that the relative autonomy of one's motivated actions is more useful for characterizing the motivational basis of learning than is the undifferentiated intrinsic-extrinsic dichotomy. Our concept of autonomous extrinsic motivation is based on a developmental analysis of the processes of internalization and integration. In this article we review extensive research indicating that intrinsic motivation and integrated internalization are facilitated by autonomy supportive social contexts, and that these autonomous forms of motivation, in turn, promote high-quality learning.
Superior mesenteric artery syndrome involving the duodenum and jejunum

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction involving the duodenum. Diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion with radiologic confirmation. We report an unusual presentation of the SMA syndrome involving both the duodenum and jejunum initially not recognized on contrast-enhanced CT. This case demonstrates the judicious use of multiple modalities in evaluating for this syndrome.
Nanocluster-associated vacancies in nanocluster-strengthened ferritic steel as seen via positron-lifetime spectroscopy

Nanocluster-strengthened ferritic alloys are promising as structural materials because of their excellent high-temperature strength and radiation-damage resistance. Recently, Fu et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 225502 (2007)] predicted that vacancies play an essential role in the formation and stabilization of nanoclusters in these materials. Positron-lifetime spectroscopy has been used to test this theoretical prediction in a nanocluster-strengthened Fe-based alloy. Nanoclusters (2--4 nm in diameter) containing Ti, Y, and O have been observed in a mechanically alloyed ferritic steel by atom-probe tomography. Vacancy clusters containing four to six vacancies have also been found in this material. In contrast, no vacancy clusters were detected in similar alloys containing no nanoclusters. These results indicate that vacancies are a vital component of the nanoclusters in these alloys.
Restricted quantum exchange theory for intramolecular vibrational relaxation in polyatomic molecules

Abstract We pose and solve a new quantum statistical counting problem and develop it further to obtain a theory for intramolecular vibrational coupling. Simple analytical expressions are presented for T 1 and T 2 relaxation rates. The formulas predict, in agreement with experiments, that high energy linewidths are nearly energy independent.
Continental crust composition constrained by measurements of crustal Poisson's ratio

DECIPHERING the geological evolution of the Earth's continental crust requires knowledge of its bulk composition and global variability. The main uncertainties are associated with the composition of the lower crust. Seismic measurements probe the elastic properties of the crust at depth, from which composition can be inferred. Of particular note is Poisson's ratio,Σ ; this elastic parameter can be determined uniquely from the ratio of P- to S-wave seismic velocity, and provides a better diagnostic of crustal composition than either P- or S-wave velocity alone1. Previous attempts to measure Σ have been limited by difficulties in obtaining coincident P- and S-wave data sampling the entire crust2. Here we report 76 new estimates of crustal Σ spanning all of the continents except Antarctica. We find that, on average, Σ increases with the age of the crust. Our results strongly support the presence of a mafic lower crust beneath cratons, and suggest either a uniformitarian craton formation process involving delamination of the lower crust during continental collisions, followed by magmatic underplating, or a model in which crust formation processes have changed since the Precambrian era.
LHC-B: a dedicated LHC collider beauty experiment

Abstract LHC-B is a forward detector optimized for the study of CP-violation and other rare phenomena in the decays of beauty particles at the LHC. An open geometry forward detector design, with good mass, vertex resolution and particle identification, will facilitate the collection of a large numbers of event samples in diverse B decay channels and allow for a thorough understanding of the systematic uncertainties. With the expected large event statistics, LHC-B will be able to test the closure of the unitarity triangle and make sensitive tests of the Standard Model description of CP-violation. Here we describe the experiment and summarize its anticipated performance.
Inviscid transonic wing design using inverse methods in curvilinear coordinates

An inverse wing design method has been developed around an existing transonic wing analysis code. The original analysis code, TAWFIVE, has as its core the numerical potential flow solver, FLO30, developed by Jameson and Caughey. Features of the analysis code include a finite-volume formulation; wing and fuselage fitted, curvilinear grid mesh; and a viscous boundary layer correction that also accounts for viscous wake thickness and curvature. The development of the inverse methods as an extension of previous methods existing for design in Cartesian coordinates is presented. Results are shown for inviscid wing design cases in super-critical flow regimes. The test cases selected also demonstrate the versatility of the design method in designing an entire wing or discontinuous sections of a wing.
Measurement of some nonlinearities in servomechanisms

A method is given for establishing the describing functions and transfer function for a servomechanism with saturation and hysteresis nonlinearities. This method makes use of a technique given by V. B. Haas, Jr. (in a personal communication to the authors) in measuring the phase and amplitude of the first harmonic of the system output with respect to a sinusoidal input.
Electron-impact excitation of the resonance transition in Be+: An ab initio treatment of core-correlation and -polarization effects.

We present theoretical electron-impact-excitation cross sections for several transitions in Be/sup +/, and fluorescence radiation polarizations for the Be/sup +/ resonance doublet. The projectile-electron energy varies from 0.3--2.0 Ry. A five-state close-coupling approximation is used. The target model is the most sophisticated employed in any scattering calculation to date, and yields oscillator strengths for several transitions in Be/sup +/ that are the most accurate available. Our results do not, however, improve upon previous work as regards the notable discrepancies between calculations and experimental measurements for excitation of the resonance transition. This indicates that high rigor in the treatment of short-range core-correlation effects is not required for an accurate description of these processes, and therefore either that other, heretofore ignored, effects must be taken into account in the theory or that other measurements are necessary. An accurate measurement of the hyperfine structure of the j = (3/2) fine-structure level of the doublet would be of particular and decisive importance.
Radionuclide-labeled red blood cells: current status and future prospects

Radiolabeling of red cells and their clinical and research application in nuclear medicine constitute an area of continued interest and steady growth during the past two decades. Significant advances have been made so that at the present time, radiolabels with sufficient in vitro and in vivo stability are available for diverse applications. Technetium-99m-labeled red cells in particular have revolutionized the field of cardiovascular nuclear medicine by making possible the external evaluation of various heart parameters with minimum radiation dose or trauma to the patient. Among other areas of study that use 99m Tc-RBC are blood pool imaging, detection of vascular malformations, red cell mass determination, detection of gastrointestinal bleeding, and of hemangiomas. Heat-damaged 99m Tc-RBC find application in spleen imaging, accessory spleen localization, detection of GI bleeding, and in other areas. A critical evaluation is presented of the various in vitro and in vivo labeling techniques that are currently available for red cell labeling. Even though the presently used procedures provide satisfactory labeled preparations, ideal radioisotopic RBC labels remain to be developed. Intermediate (2–3 days) as well as long-lived (≈30 days) radionuclidic labels are highly desirable for a number of clinical procedures where 99m Tc is not useful due to its short half-life. A clearer understanding of the mechanistic aspects of various labeling reactions is expected to aid in the design of better and improved RBC labels that will help fulfill various areas of need in nuclear medicine applications. New approaches such as the use of radiolabeled antibodies to red cell antigens, or labeling specific receptor sites in the cell may lead to substantial improvements in the labeling methodology and could yield labeled cells with the least damage and maximum in vivo stability.
Deletions of the long arm of chromosome 10

Patients with a partial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 10 are rare. We report eight new cases involving various segments of 10q: one terminal deletion (10q26), four (8;10) translocations resulting in terminal deletions (10q26) and duplications (8q24.3), a de novo interstitial deletion (10q23), an interstitial deletion due to a (10;13) translocation (10q11.2----10q22.1), and a ring (10p15----10q26).
Life history and life table analysis of the whitefly predator Delphastus catalinae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) on collards

The ladybeetle, Delphastus catalinae (Horn), is one of the most commonly used predacious natural enemies being commercially reared for controlling whiteflies, including Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biotype B (=B. argentifolii Bellows & Perring), on various ornamental and vegetable crops under greenhouse conditions. The development, survivorship, and fecundity of D. catalinae feeding on B. tabaci biotype B on collard plants were determined in the laboratory, and the age-specific life table parameters were analyzed based on the life history data. Developmental time was 4.0, 1.9, 1.1, 1.4, 5.2, and 5.3 days for eggs, first, second, third, fourth instars, and pupae, respectively, with an average of 18.9 days from oviposition to adult emergence for both sexes, 19.0 days for females, and 18.8 days for males. Adult longevities averaged 146.6 days for both sexes, 122.6 days for females, and 170.5 days for males. After an average 4.9 days preoviposition period, females laid a mean of 5.6 eggs per day over a 97.0-day period. Net reproductive rate (R0) and gross reproductive rate (ΣMmx) were estimated by life table analysis at 276.8 and 325.1, respectively. Generation time (T) and doubling time (DT) were 35.6 and 4.8 days respectively, and the intrinsic rate of natural population increase (rm) was estimated at 0.158, or l= 1.171 for the finite rate of increase. The rm value of D. catalinae is similar to or higher than those of the whitefly feeding on most vegetable and ornamental crops, indicating that the ladybeetle is capable of regulating populations of B. tabaci biotype B and other whiteflies under greenhouse conditions.
Androgen Receptor-Mediated Apoptosis Is Regulated by Photoactivatable Androgen Receptor Ligands

We have studied nonsteroidal ligands of the human androgen receptor (hAR) and have shown elsewhere that when photoactivated by visible light they collide with O2 to yield singlet oxygens (1O2) in vitro. Here we report cell killing after brief light activation (405 nm) of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2,2-dimethyl-6-(trifluoromethyl)-8-pyridono[5,6-g]quinoline (TDPQ) in human prostate tumor cells. TDPQ/AR complexes were required for the death response because AR-positive LNCaP cells were killed, whereas AR-negative PC-3 cells were resistant. Excess dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blocked the TDPQ effect when the two were added together; irradiation of cells containing DHT alone had no effect. When LNCaP AR expression was suppressed using small interfering oligonucleotides targeting AR, photocytotoxicity was diminished. Conversely, stable transfection of hAR into PC-3 cells made the cells photosensitive to TDPQ. Similar results were obtained using a structural isomer of TDPQ, and also the synthetic steroidal AR ligand R1881. Cell death occurred via apoptosis as demonstrated by annexin V immunostaining, nuclear condensation, and caspase inhibition. Death involved oxidative stress, because it was prevented by addition of the antioxidant ascorbic acid during photoactivation. Detection of elevated levels of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine in nuclei of irradiated cells indicated oxidative DNA damage. Apoptosis spread into adjacent nonirradiated cells by direct cell-cell contacts, indicative of a bystander effect. Other photoactivatable ligands are described, implying a general method for ablation of cells bearing specific nuclear hormone receptors.
Wavenumber Selection in Nonlinear Baroclinic Instability

Abstract Laboratory experiments with finite-amplitude baroclinic waves arising from instability of a two-layer f-plane shear flow are reported. They show that as the system becomes more and more supercritical, as measured by decreasing E½/Ro, where E is the Ekman number and Ro the Rossby number associated with the driving, there are a succession of wavenumber transitions to lower and lower wavenumbers. At finite amplitude, the dominant wavenumber is considerably smaller than that predicted by linear stability theory. A simple weakly nonlinear model is constructed to interpret the laboratory results. It shows that because the longer growing waves do not extract energy as rapidly from the mean flow as the shorter ones, at finite amplitude, the preferred equilibrium states are dominated by the former. The theoretical calculation also indicates that at least near the neutral curve sideband harmonics do not substantially affect the equilibration process. In addition, a mechanism that may explain the observatio...
Manganese(II) as a paramagnetic probe of the tertiary structure of transfer RNA.

Abstract The effect of manganese on both the low field (10–15 ppm) and the high field (0–3 ppm) NMR spectra of unfractionated tRNA and yeast tRNAPhe has been investigated. Trace amounts of Mn2+ cause selective broadening of resonances which are assigned to specific tertiary interactions. The order in which resonances broaden is the same as the order in which they are stabilized by the addition of magnesium, namely s4U8 · A14, U33 and A58 · T54. From this we conclude that three of the strong binding sites probably are the same for both Mn2+ and Mg2+, and that these sites are located close to the tertiary interactions which are stabilized by the strongly bound metals. The broadening data, taken in conjunction with published X-ray data on yeast tRNAPhe, permit us to suggest some plausible locations for the strong binding sites.
Contribution by Macroalgal Mats to Primary Production of a Shallow Embayment Under High and Low Nitrogen-loading Rates

Abstract The limits on primary production in areas undergoing eutrophication may be set by indirect effects of nitrogen loading, i.e. decreasing irradiances, associated with proliferating opportunistic algae. Using in situ photon flux density (PFD) availability estimates within unattached algal mats and photosynthetic parameters determined from photosynthesis vs. irradiance (P vs. I) curves generated for the dominant components of mat assemblages, Cladophora vagabunda and Gracilaria tikvahiae , seasonal net mat production rate for estuaries (Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) receiving high (Childs River) and low (Sage Lot Pond) N-loading rates were determined. Although abundance of C. vagabunda was 2× greater than G. tikvahiae , the former species contributed only about 50% of total mat productivity, due largely to rapid light attenuation within the dense algal mat. While mat production was low and similar at both sides during winter (≈0·35 g C m −2 day −1 ), for other seasons, the net mat daytime productivity at Childs River, the N-loaded site, was 2·5× higher than rates determined for Sage Lot Pond. Although annual net daytime production at Childs River (1094 g C m −2 year −1 ) was comparable to estimates for other algal mat assemblages in eutrophic systems, primary production of the Waquoit Bay system was found to become self-limiting as available PFD controls maximum productivity. In photosynthetically inactive portions of the algal mat, carbon release was estimated from tissue-loss measurements at 0·14 g C m −2 day −1 for C. vagabunda and 0·05 g C m −2 day −1 for G. tikvahiae . Annual in situ C release of 73 g C m −2 is ≈20% of annual net mat production (fixed carbon not respired by algae) in this embayment. Although both estuaries showed net autotrophy year round (Pg:R>1), the high metabolic cost of a large, inactive mat resulted in lower Pg:R ratios at Childs Rivers than at Sage Lot Pond, particularly during the summer period of peak production. Thus, it is predicted that the Waquoit Bay system will experience an overall decline in Pg:R ratios and consequent increase in anoxic events as eutrophication continues.
Effects of Solar Control Window Films on Color Changes of Upholstery Fabrics Exposed to Sunlight

The influence of semi-transparent Mylar® solar control window films on color changes of three upholstery fabrics was investigated through exposure of the fabrics in outdoor chambers. Comparisons were made among fabrics exposed in racks equipped with window glass without film and identical fabrics exposed in racks containing window glass onto which three different solar control films were applied. Changes in color of the fabrics were assessed at two-week intervals over a 24-week exposure period.
Comparative assessment of physical and cognitive ergonomics associated with robotic and traditional laparoscopic surgeries

Background We conducted this study to investigate how physical and cognitive ergonomic workloads would differ between robotic and laparoscopic surgeries and whether any ergonomic differences would be related to surgeons’ robotic surgery skill level. Our hypothesis is that the unique features in robotic surgery will demonstrate skill-related results both in substantially less physical and cognitive workload and uncompromised task performance.
A Framework for Electronic Reverse Auction (eRA) Research

ABSTRACT After nearly two decades, electronic reserve auction (eRA) continues to be a widely-used eProcurement tool. Buyers report that eRA helps them reap savings in cost and procurement time and expands the pool of eligible suppliers. Suppliers point out reduced operating, selling or customer acquisition costs, a more level playing field, and access to new markets. However, questions have been raised about the actual benefits of eRA for buyers and suppliers and its potentially negative impact on buyer-supplier relationships. Given the controversy over the nature of the outcomes actually achieved with eRA, more research is needed to provide insights that can guide buyers and suppliers toward effective use of eRA. To this end, this paper identifies independent variables which impact electronic reverse auction outcomes, intervening process variables related to the way eRA is implemented, and outcome variables that are important to buyers and suppliers who use eRA. The variables are mapped onto a framework,...
Why Rig Efficiencies Have Decreased-Solutions

For the past five or six years the drilling industry has experienced growth at a dramatic rate, beginning with the 1974-75 lease sales. During this period, contractors have increased the mobile rig fleet in the Gulf of Mexico by 116 percent, and have enjoyed 100 percent utilization. Although the rig population has exhibited this drastic rate of growth, an unexpected decline in the number of wells drilled has become evident with the average number of wells decreasing from 8.23 per mobile rig to 3.8 per mobile rig. This behavior can be directly related to rig and drilling inefficiencies. This paper outlines this phenomena, and analyzes it on the basis of four criteria: the relationship between rig production, operator expenditure, and drilling efficiency; the causative factors attributable to decreasing rig efficiencies; the prospectus for the future concerning operator requirements with regard to contractor operations; and possible solutions to increasing contractor and drilling efficiency.
A possible role for Na+,K+-ATPase in regulating ATP-dependent endosome acidification.

Abstract Endosomes maintain a slightly acidic internal pH, which is directly responsible for their ability to ensure proper sorting of incoming receptors and ligands during endocytosis. At least two distinct subpopulations of endosomes can be distinguished, designated "early" and "late" on the basis of their kinetics of labeling with endocytic tracers. The subpopulations differ not only in their functions (rapid receptor recycling and transport to lysosomes, respectively) but also in their capacities for acidification in intact cells and in vitro. To investigate the possible basis for pH regulation in endosomes, we have studied the transport properties and ion permeabilities of early and late endosomes isolated from Chinese hamster ovary cells. Using endosomes selectively labeled with pH-sensitive endocytic tracers, we found that ATP-dependent acidification is electrogenic, being accompanied by the generation of an interior-positive membrane potential which opposes further acidification. While membrane potential and, consequently, acidification was controlled by the influx of permeant anions and efflux of protons and alkali cations, acidification was further modulated in Na+ and K+-containing buffers by the ouabain- and vanadate-sensitive Na+,K+-ATPase, which appears to be a functional component of the endosomal membrane. The data suggest that electrogenic Na+ transport due to Na+,K+-ATPase activity contributes to the interior-positive membrane potential, thereby reducing ATP-dependent H+ transport. Importantly, inhibition of acidification by Na+,K+-ATPase activity was found only in early endosomes, consistent with their limited acidification capacity relative to late endosomes and lysosomes.
Comparative evaluation of FPGA and ASIC implementations of bufferless and buffered routing algorithms for on-chip networks

Most existing packet-based on-chip networks assume routers have buffers to buffer packets at times of contention. Recently, deflection-based bufferless routing algorithms have been proposed as an alternative design to reduce the area, power, and complexity disadvantages associated with buffering in routers. While bufferless routing shows significant promise at an algorithmic level, these algorithms have not been shown to be efficiently implementable in practice. Neither were they extensively compared to existing buffered routing algorithms in realistic designs. This paper presents our comparative evaluation of and experiences with realistic FPGA and ASIC designs of state-of-the-art (1) virtual-channel buffered, (2) deflection-based bufferless, and (3) deflection-based buffered routing algorithms using two different network topologies and network sizes. We show that bufferless routing algorithms are implementable without significant complexity, and compare their performance, area, frequency, and power consumption to their buffered counterparts. Our results indicate that bufferless routing can lead to significant area (38%), power consumption (30%), and router cycle time (8%) reductions over the best buffered router implementation on 65nm ASIC design, while operating at higher frequency.
Changing Epidemiology of Infections in Patients with Neutropenia and Cancer: Emphasis on Gram-Positive and Resistant Bacteria

Over the past 3 decades, considerable changes have occurred in the types of bacteria causing infection in febrile patients with neutropenia and cancer. Twenty years ago, gram-negative bacteria caused approximately 70% of bloodstream infections. As a probable consequence of long-dwelling intravascular devices, fluoroquinolone prophylaxis, and high-dose chemotherapy-induced mucositis, there has been a shift toward gram-positive coccal bacteremia. In most centers today, approximately 70% of bacteremic isolates are gram-positive cocci. Of potential concern is that antimicrobial-resistant gram-positive organisms are becoming increasingly frequent in patients with neutropenia. Fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli are being isolated from several cancer centers. Several "new" organisms, such as Stomatococcus mucilaginosus, Bacillus cereus, Leuconostoc species, Corynebacterium jeikeium, Rhodococcus species, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Moraxella catarrhalis, Burkholderia cepacia, and Bartonella species, now cause infections in these patients. Careful application of infection-control principles, judicious prophylaxis, appropriate evaluation of new antibiotics, and prompt effective therapy will maximize benefits for these patients.
Complicaciones secundarias al filtro recuperable Bard: informe de un caso

Ensayos recientes han demostrado la eficacia de la insercion a corto plazo de filtros de vena cava inferior en el tratamiento y profilaxis de la enfermedad tromboembolica venosa, especialmente en pacientes con contraindicacion reversible a la anticoagulacion. Ello ha permitido ampliar el uso de los filtros recuperables con la esperanza de evitar las complicaciones a largo plazo de los filtros permanentes. Sin embargo, ningun ensayo ha demostrado complicaciones con los filtros recuperables individuales y, por tanto, la decision de insertar un filtro de vena cava debe estudiarse de forma exhaustiva y se debe determinar claramente su efecto beneficioso. Comentamos nuestra experiencia con las complicaciones observadas durante la extraccion del filtro recuperable Bard en 2 pacientes.
Instant profiling: Instrumentation sampling for profiling datacenter applications

Profile-guided optimization possesses huge potential to save costs for datacenters. Hardware performance monitoring units enable profiling with negligible overhead and they have been proven to be effective to help programmers find code regions to optimize by monitoring datacenter applications continuously on live traffic. However, these hardware features are inflexible and often buggy, limiting the types of data that can be gathered. Instrumentation-based profiling can complement or replace hardware functionality by providing more flexible and targeted information gathering. Unfortunately, the overhead of existing instrumentation mechanisms prevents their use in production runs. In order to be used in datacenters, we need a profiling mechanism to impose overheads of less than a few percent, in terms of both throughput and latency, while still generating meaningful profile data. This paper presents instant profiling, an instrumentation sampling technique using dynamic binary translation. Instead of instrumenting the entire execution, instant profiling periodically interleaves native execution and instrumented execution according to configurable profiling duration and frequency parameters. It further reduces the latency degradation of initial profiling phases by pre-populating a software code cache. We evaluate the performance and effectiveness of this new profiling technique on the SPEC CINT2006 benchmark suite and two datacenter application benchmarks. We show that it is well-suited for deployment to datacenters by incurring less than 6% slowdown and 3% computational overhead on average.