cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heatmap and Hierarchical Clustering Analysis to Highlight Changes in Young Children’s Developmental Progressions Using Virtual Manipulative Mathematics Apps

The purpose of this study was to examine what patterns were revealed using heatmaps with hierarchical clustering to examine preschooler’s performance, speed, and developmental progressions in counting and seriation. The chapter describes a study conducted with 35 preschoolers who used six touchscreen virtual manipulative mathematics apps in two different learning sequences: counting and seriation. The analysis employed heatmaps coupled with hierarchical clustering to highlight changes in children’s performance, speed, and developmental progressions, between a pre- and post- assessment app after using two learning apps. This method allowed for analysis of individual and whole group data examining several tasks within each app and also several apps within each learning sequence. The analysis revealed different clusters of children grouped according to their developmental progressions which were related to incremental changes in performance and speed from the Pre to Post App use.
The Laws and Economics of Confucianism

Tying together cultural history, legal history, and institutional economics, The Laws and Economics of Confucianism: Kinship and Property in Preindustrial China and England offers a novel argument as to why Chinese and English preindustrial economic development went down different paths. The dominance of Neo-Confucian social hierarchies in Late Imperial and Republican China, under which advanced age and generational seniority were the primary determinants of sociopolitical status, allowed many poor but senior individuals to possess status and political authority highly disproportionate to their wealth. In comparison, landed wealth was a fairly strict prerequisite for high status and authority in the far more 'individualist' society of early modern England, essentially excluding low-income individuals from secular positions of prestige and leadership. Zhang argues that this social difference had major consequences for property institutions and agricultural production.
Recent advances in the determination of calcium and its use as an internal standard in environmental samples: fundamentals and applications

Calcium is a major component of the human body and has many important functions in the environment. This review considers major developments in atomic spectrometry for the determination of calcium ...
Analog Representations in Digital Arithmetic: A Review

After decades of being overshadowed by digital systems, analog computing is back in the spotlight, given its speed and energy economy and the proliferation of compute-intensive applications that do not require high precision. While pure analog processing has quite a few niche uses, hybrid digital/analog schemes satisfy the needs of many more application domains. In this paper, we review number representation schemes that are based on the analog encoding of numeric values in an otherwise digital arithmetic system, showing them to be closer than ever to practical realizability. We also point to several possible extensions and generalizations of the proposed schemes.
Honey bee colony performance and health are enhanced by apiary proximity to US Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands

Honey bee colony performance and health are intimately linked to the foraging environment. Recent evidence suggests that the US Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has a positive impact on environmental suitability for supporting honey bee apiaries. However, relatively little is known about the influence of habitat conservation efforts on honey bee colony health. Identifying specific factors that influence bee health at the colony level incorporates longitudinal monitoring of physiology across diverse environments. Using a pooled-sampling method to overcome individual variation, we monitored colony-level molecular biomarkers during critical pre- and post-winter time points. Major categories of colony health (nutrition, oxidative stress resistance, and immunity) were impacted by apiary site. In general, apiaries within foraging distance of CRP lands showed improved performance and higher gene expression of vitellogenin (vg), a nutritionally regulated protein with central storage and regulatory functions. Mirroring vg levels, gene transcripts encoding antioxidant enzymes and immune-related proteins were typically higher in colonies exposed to CRP environments. Our study highlights the potential of CRP lands to improve pollinator health and the utility of colony-level molecular diagnostics to assess environmental suitability for honey bees.
Neurobiologically Poor?: Brain Phenotypes, Inequality, and Biosocial Determinism:

The rise of neuroplasticity has led to new fields of study about the relation between social inequalities and neurobiology, including investigations into the “neuroscience of poverty.” The neural p...
A PRELIMINARY M ULTIPLE R ESISTANCE R OUTINE FOR DERIVING D RY DEPOSITION V ELOCITIES F ROM M EASURED QUANTITIES

Because there is no simple device capable of measuring the dry deposition rates of small particles and trace gases directly, much current activity is focused on the use of an inferential technique. In this method, measurements of atmospheric concentration (C) of selected chemical species are coupled with evaluations of appropriate deposition velocity (Va) to yield estimates of dry deposition rate from their product. Difficulties arise concerning the ability to measure C, and especially regarding the poor knowledge of V a for many species. A multiple resistance routine for deriving deposition velocities is presented here. Current knowledge of biological processes is incorporated into a first-generation 'big leaf' model; formula- tions of resistances appropriate for describing individual leaves are combined to simulate the canopy as a whole. The canopy resistance is combined with estimates of aerodynamic and boundary-layer resistances to approximate the total resistance to transfer, from which deposition velocity is then computed. Special emphasis is given to the influence of the diurnal cycle, to the way in which the various transfer resistances can be inferred from routine data, and to the role of canopy factors (e.g., leaf area index, wetness, temperature response, and sunshade fractions).
Bone marrow morphologic features, MyPRS, and gene mutation correlations in plasma cell myeloma

Genetics has played an important role in risk stratification for plasma cell myeloma patients, providing therapeutic guidance. In this study, we investigated the correlation of bone marrow morphologic features and genetic aberrations, including gene expression profiles, translocations, and gene mutations. For the first time we show that high plasma cell volume, diffuse sheet growth pattern, immature cell morphology, high mitotic index, and increased reticulin fibrosis, significantly correlates with high risk disease determined by MyPRS gene expression profiles. Furthermore, we show the association between MyPRS risk stratification and chromosomal alterations and specific gene mutations. We also demonstrate the combinational effect of TP53 mutation and 17p loss on the histological changes in bone marrow.
Environmental algal phage isolates and their impact on production potential for food and biofuel applications.

Aims The United States Department of Energy is aiming to bring microalgal biofuels into commercial use by 2030 at the price of $3 per gasoline gallon equivalent. Large-scale production of biofuel faces many challenges including naturally occurring algal phages; and characterizing this threat is the aim of this study. Methods and results Bench-scale experiments were performed to study the impact of viral infectivity on the production of microalgal in bioreactors. All environmental samples were tested positive for algal phages which showed various levels of infectivity against Synechocystis PCC 6803 and the environmental isolates of microalgae. The viral attachment to algal cells was observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and to determine the shape and size of the viral particles. All the viruses detected were c. 50-60 nm icosahedral particles. Viral infection resulted in 48% reduction in the biomass of the infected algal culture in 22 days. Conclusions This study has lead to the conclusion that the microalgal phages prevalent in natural environment may cause infections in broad range of microalgae used for biofuel production. Significance and impact of the study This study has detected and quantified the phages that can infect algal populations in natural freshwater habitats and laboratory cultures of microalgal strains. The impact of viral threat to health of commercial algal production operations has been identified in this study.
730. Cefiderocol for the Treatment of Achromobacter xylosoxidans Infections in Two Lung Transplant Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Background Achromobacter xylosoxidansis a highly resistant Gram-negative bacterium that causes chronic infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Treatment options for A. xylosoxidans are limited. In the peri-lung transplant setting, the treatment of A. xylosoxidans infections is especially challenging. Cefiderocol is a novel siderophore cephalosporin antibiotic with broad anti-Gram-negative activity, including against A. xylosoxidans. We report here two cases of compassionate use of cefiderocol in CF lung transplant recipients with A. xylosoxidans infection.
Imaging biomarkers quantify therapeutic effect in 3D-printed skin cancer constructs (Conference Presentation)

Chemical space for small molecule therapeutics discovery is greatly under-explored due to difficulties in animal testing, the first bottleneck compounds encounter in going from formula to human use. We developed and validated an assay that combines 3D tissue biofabrication with high-throughput imaging biomarkers. This may impact more diseases than just skin cancer, where we have recently shown promising preliminary findings. Our skin constructs have normal epidermis, with populations of human keratinocytes, dermis with human fibroblasts and tumor spheroids containing populations of human squamous cell carcinoma cells. We present imaging biomarkers that show the cellular chemotherapeutic treatment. This constitutes a novel chemotherapeutic assay that may enable a paradigm-shifting drug discovery pipeline. Such a pipeline could enable tissue-relevant assay on a high throughput scale and be both more robust than monolayer cell culture and easier than animal models.
‘There are no other options for us because of who we are’: employment and retention in care among gay and bisexual men and transgender women living with HIV in Guatemala

The purpose of this study was to improve understanding of the relationship between employment and retention in HIV care among gay and bisexual men and transgender women in Guatemala. We interviewed...
28 – Energy Markets

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses energy markets. Energy markets are important because energy is a basic ingredient in the process of specialization and trade that takes place in modern economies. Energy is used in production and transportation and for heat and other uses. Without energy, the economy would revert to a simple, primitive one. There are many sources of energy but each source depends on the price that is paid for energy. At low prices, wood and some coal energy will be produced. If the price of energy is high, other sources such as oil will be used. The price of energy is important for two reasons. First, it sets the trade-off between energy and other goods, and makes the society aware of energy's opportunity cost. Second, price serves as an incentive to develop new energy resources. Price controls are particularly dangerous in energy markets because price ceilings not only hold down prices but also delay production of energy from new sources.
Abstract 4436: Combination therapy with an antibody specific for transferrin receptor 1 (ch128.1/IgG1) and bortezomib or lenalidomide results in increased survival in an in vivo model of human multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B-cell proliferative disorder of monoclonal malignant plasma cells. It is the second most common hematologic malignancy in the United States, after non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Clinical manifestations of MM include osteolytic bone lesions, hypercalcemia, renal failure, anemia, recurrent infections, and neuropathy. Standard treatments for MM include the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, as well as lenalidomide, a thalidomide analog with immunomodulatory and antiangiogenic properties. Although the use of these two agents in combination with other therapies have significantly improved MM survival, the disease remains incurable. We previously developed a mouse/human chimeric antibody (ch128.1/IgG1) specific for human transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1). TfR1, also known as CD71, is a meaningful target for antibody-based cancer therapy, given its high expression on malignant cells and relevant role in cancer cell pathology. We have reported that treatment of SCID-Beige mice bearing disseminated human KMS-11, MM.1S, or MM.1R myeloma tumors with ch128.1/IgG1 results in significant antitumor activity in early and late disease stages. The mechanism of antitumor activity is Fc-mediated in which macrophages are considered to play a relevant role. Since combining multiple treatments with differing mechanisms of action is an effective antitumor strategy, and given the relevance of bortezomib and lenalidomide in MM therapy, we decided to explore, for the first time, the combination of these two agents with ch128.1/IgG1. We found that treatment with a single dose of ch128.1/IgG1, or multiple doses of bortezomib or lenalidomide used as single agents, results in significant antitumor activity in SCID-Beige mice bearing late stage disseminated human MM.1S tumors. However, this antitumor activity is superior when ch128.1/IgG1 was combined with bortezomib or lenalidomide, showing significantly longer survival compared to each therapy used alone. These results suggest that the addition of a ch128.1/IgG1 therapy arm in a combinatorial treatment regimen involving bortezomib and/or lenalidomide is a promising strategy against human B-cell malignancies such as MM. Citation Format: Pierre V. Candelaria, Miguel Nava, Otoniel Martinez-Maza, Tracy R. Daniels-Wells, Manuel L. Penichet. Combination therapy with an antibody specific for transferrin receptor 1 (ch128.1/IgG1) and bortezomib or lenalidomide results in increased survival in an in vivo model of human multiple myeloma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4436.
Impact of Hospital Visitor Restrictions on Racial Disparities in Obstetrics

Racial disparities in both obstetrics and COVID-19 are well documented. Troublingly, implicit biases and related testimonial injustice potentiate adverse outcomes for women of color whose voices and concerns have been historically discredited by the medical establishment. In the context of COVID-19, the restriction of hospital visitors for infection prevention and control in a labor and delivery setting may disproportionately burden black women by eliminating or severely limiting access to essential in-person advocacy, which threatens to exacerbate existing disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes. The potential disproportionate impact of visitor restrictions on women of color should inform the ongoing pandemic response.
The effects of recall length and reporting aids on household reporting of health care events in the medical expenditure panel survey

We examined the effects of length of recall period and written records on the accuracy of household reports of health care use of Medicare beneficiaries in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a widely used nationally-representative federal survey. Our sample contained 1,375 Medicare beneficiaries with 5 complete rounds of MEPS interviews during 2001–2003 who were matched to their Medicare claims records. Household respondents systematically underreported any emergency department use per round (mean of 0.07 vs. 0.09 in the claims, p< 0.001) and number of ambulatory visits per 90 days (2.3 vs. 2.7, p< 0.001). In logistic regressions, recall periods less than 2 months and, to a lesser extent, 3 to 4 months were associated with lower odds of underreporting visits and higher overall accuracy. Calendars and bills, insurance statements, and other records of health care events kept by some MEPS respondents also were associated with lower odds of underreporting.
The Global-Normal Disk Oscillations and the Persistent Low Frequency QPO in X-ray Binaries

We suggest that persistent low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) detected in X-ray, ultraviolet, optical energy ranges the black hole (BH) sources XTE J1118+480, GRO J1655-40 LMC X-1 at ~ 0.1 Hz, and QPOs in HZ Her/Her X-1 at ~ 0.05 Hz and in Neutron Star (NS) binaries 4U 1323-62, 4U 1746-31 and EXO 0748-76 at ~ 1 Hz are caused by the global disk oscillations in the direction normal to the disk (normal mode). We argue that these disk oscillations are a result of the gravitational interaction between the central compact object and the disk. A small displacement of the disk from the equatorial plane results in a linear gravitational restoring force opposite to this displacement. Our analysis shows that the frequency of this mode is a function of the mass of the central object and it also depends on the inner and outer radii of the disk which in turn are related to the rotation period of the binary system. We derive an analytical formula for the frequency of the normal disk mode and show that these frequencies can be related to the persistent lower QPO frequencies observed in the NS and BH sources. We offer a new independent approach to the black hole mass determination by interpreting this low QPO frequency as the global disk oscillation frequency. The implementation of this method combined with the independent method which uses the X-ray energy spectra (Shrader & Titarchuk 1999) results in stringent constraints for the black hole masses.
Potential solutions to several vestibular challenges facing clinicians

Among other problems, patients with vestibular problems suffer imbalance, spatial disorientation, and blurred vision. These problems lead to varying degrees of disability and can be debilitating. Unfortunately, a large number of patients with vestibular complaints cannot be diagnosed with the clinical tests available today. Nor do we have treatments for all patients that we can diagnose. These clinical problems provide challenges to and opportunities for the field of vestibular research. In this paper, we discuss some new diagnostic and treatment options that could become available for tomorrow's patients. As a new diagnostic, we have begun measuring patient's perceptual direction-detection thresholds. Preliminary results appear encouraging; patients diagnosed with bilateral loss have yaw rotation thresholds almost ten times greater than normals, while patients diagnosed with migraine associated vertigo have roll tilt thresholds well below normal at 0.1 Hz. As a new treatment, we have performed animal studies looking at responses evoked by electrical stimulation provided by a vestibular prosthesis. Results measuring the VOR demonstrate promise and preliminary studies of balance and perception are also encouraging. While electrical stimulation is a standard means of stimulation, optical stimulation is also being investigated as a way to improve prosthetic stimulation specificity.
Usefulness of Aggressive Behaviour Risk Assessment Tool for prospectively identifying violent patients in medical and surgical units

Aim. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the Aggressive Behaviour Risk Assessment Tool for prospectively identifying violent patients in medical-surgical units. Background. Although patient violence against nurses is a serious occupational hazard, there is a lack of simple screening tools with acceptable sensitivity and specificity for identifying potentially violent patients in medical-surgical units. Methods. A prospective cohort study involving patients admitted to six medical-surgical units at an acute care hospital was conducted from August 2009 to December 2009. Primary nurses completed the 17-item checklist within 24 hours of admission. A second identical checklist was completed by another nurse to assess the inter-rater reliability. Following a violent event or just prior to discharge, the violent event outcome section was completed to collect information about violent event, if any. A multivariate logistic regression model with backward elimination was used to select a set of parsimonious items that best predict violent behaviours. Results. Fifty-six patients out of 2063 (2·7%) had one or more violent events. A parsimonious set of ten items were selected for the tool. Receiver Operating Characteristics analysis of Aggressive Behaviour Risk Assessment Tool showed that the area under the curve was 0·82 (95% Confidence Interval, 0·75-0·90). The sensitivity and specificity at the cut-off score of 1 were 70·9% and 89·3%, respectively. The Cohen's Kappa for inter-rater reliability was 0·647. Conclusion. The Aggressive Risk Assessment Tool is a simple, easy-to-use assessment tool with acceptable inter-rater reliability, sensitivity and specificity that may be useful for prospectively identifying violent patients in medical-surgical units. Language: en
Access to Emergency Contraception and its Impact on Fertility and Sexual Behavior.

Half of all pregnancies in the USA are unintended suggesting a high incidence of either improper or nonuse of contraceptives. Emergency birth control (EBC) provides individuals with additional insurance against unplanned pregnancy in the presence of contraception failure. This study is the first to estimate the impact of switching EBC from prescription to nonprescription status in the USA on abortions and risky sexual behavior as measured by STD rates. Utilizing state-level variation in access to EBC we find that providing individuals with over-the-counter access to EBC leads to increase STD rates and has no effect on abortion rates. Moreover individual-level analysis using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth indicates that risky sexual behavior such as engaging in unprotected sex and number of sexual encounters increases as a result of over-the-counter access to EBC which is consistent with the state-level STD findings. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Theoretical examination of reference electrodes for lithium-ion cells

An electrochemical model was developed to compare the use of internal and external reference electrodes for the study of lithium-ion cells. The impact of reference electrode placement on electrode measurements was examined using idealized reference electrodes in cells undergoing short-duration pulse currents. The effectiveness of internal reference electrodes with finite size and impedance was also examined.
Homogenized Energy Model and Markov Chain Monte Carlo Simulations for Macro Fiber Composites Operating in Broadband Regimes

Macro Fiber Composites (MFCs), comprised of PZT fibers, are being considered for a variety of applications due to their flexibility and relatively low production costs. Like other PZT actuators, MFCs also exhibit hysteresis and constitutive nonlinearities that must be characterized in models and control designs to achieve the full potential. Here we use an Euler-Bernoulli beam model coupled with the homogenized energy strain model to predict the structural/hysteretic response of a thin cantilever beam with an MFC patch attached during a series of frequency sweep experiments. Optimization routines are employed to optimized both MFC parameters and beam parameters using a subset of displacement data. The posterior probability distribution of each model parameter is estimated using Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, we present model predictions with quantified uncertainties.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Divergent glial and neuronal differentiation in a cerebellar medulloblastoma in an organ culture system: in vitro occurrence of synaptic ribbons

A cerebellar medulloblastoma from a 2-year-old boy was maintained in vitro in an organ culture system for 6.5 months, and the explants studied by light and electron microscopy at different time intervals. The tumor cells progressively demonstrated divergent differentiation into astrocytes and neuroblasts. Astrocytic differentiation, confirmed by immunohistochemistry for GFA protein, became maximal after about 7 weeks in vitro and was thereafter maintained in different areas of the explants. Concomitantly, neuroblastic differentiation was expressed in other cells, with the progressive development of cell processes filled with many microtubules, of neuroblastic rosettes, of increased numbers of dense-core and clear-centered vesicles, of occasional 9 + 0 cilia, and of synaptic ribbons appearing in vitro. Neuroblastic differentiation was most pronounced in 4- and 6-month-old explants, but synapses were not found. The differentiating features reported are in contrast to those of the original tumor, which was largely undifferentiated. The alternative interpretation of a divergent glial and pineocytic differentiation is also considered. These findings support the concept of the differentiating bipotential of the cerebellar medulloblastoma.
Habituation, Dishabituation, and Recovery Effects in Visual Warnings:

Decrement of visual attention to repeatedly exposed warning labels and signs has been discussed in the warning literature without much empirical research support. The present research examined whet...
Redox-Magnetohydrodynamics for Microfluidic Control: Remote from Active Electrodes and Their Diffusion Layers

Localized, directed microfluidic flow in bulk solution, far from diffusion layers at active electrodes, was induced by redox-magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) using a magnet smaller than the distance between the electrodes to tune the flow. This "remote MHD" indicates that redox species are required only at active electrodes to sustain a faradaic current, not in the bulk where microfluidic control is desired. Thus, complete separation of redox species from sample and analyte, which can be achieved by ion-conducting barriers or electrode surface modifications, will boldly expand applications of redox-MHD in micro total analysis systems. Flow was effected in a model solution of ferricyanide/ferrocyanide and potassium chloride, between two sets of electrodes located 17.5 mm apart on a chip. A stack of two permanent magnets, 6-mm wide (one-third of the interelectrode distance), was positioned under the chip between electrodes, and a 30 μA electronic current was applied to the electrodes. The resulting ionic current led to a MHD force causing fluid flow of ≤16.9 μm/s above the magnet, determined by video microscopy of 10-μm latex-polystyrene microbeads and particle image velocimetry software. Calculations indicate that MHD is the major source of the observed flow, although the magnetic field gradient may affect the flow profile.
Rational design of novel red‐shifted BRET pairs: Platforms for real‐time single‐chain protease biosensors

Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) systems to date have been dominated by use of blue-green Renilla luciferase (Rluc) as the energy donor. Although effective in many cases, the expense and unfavorable biochemical attributes of the substrate (phenylcoelenterazine) limit utility of Rluc-based BRET systems. Herein we report a series of novel BRET pairs based on luciferases that utilize D-luciferin, resulting in red-shifted photonic outputs, favorable biochemical attributes, and increased efficacy. We developed a modified Forster equation to predict optimal BRET luciferase donor-fluorophore pairs and identified tdTomato as the optimal red fluorophore acceptor for click beetle green luciferase (CBG). A prototypical single-chain protease biosensor, capable of reporting on executioner caspase activity in live cells and in real-time, was generated by inserting a DEVD linker between CBG and tdTomato and validated in vitro with recombinant caspases and in cellulo with apoptosis-sensitive and -resistant cell lines. High signal-to-noise ratios ( approximately 33) and Z' factors (0.85) were observed in live cell longitudinal studies, sufficient for high-throughput screening. Thus, we illustrate a general methodology for the rational design of new BRET systems and provide a novel single-chain BRET protease biosensor that is long lived, red-shifted, and utilizes D-luciferin.
The perils of borrowing: Role of the professional in mutual help groups

Abstract The differences between help offered by members of mutual help groups and help offered by trained professionals are clarified. The perils for professionals who emulate the methods of mutual help associations are discussed.
Control of the wave equation at a rational point

Abstract The wave equation is controlled by a force at one point, which is a rational point of the interval [−1, 1]: geometric interpretations are given of the controllable subclasses.
Anisotropic s-wave superconductivity in MgB 2

It has recently been observed that ${\mathrm{MgB}}_{2}$ is a superconductor with a high transition temperature. Here we propose a model of anisotropic s-wave superconductivity which consistently describes the observed properties of this compound, including the thermodynamic and optical response in sintered ${\mathrm{MgB}}_{2}$ wires. We also determine the shape of the quasiparticle density of states, the tunneling conductance, and the anisotropy of the upper critical field and the superfluid density which should be detectable once single-crystal samples become more generally available.
Role of Microscopic Physicochemical Forces in Large Volumetric Strains for Clay Sediments

In a clay-water-electrolyte system, each particle is under the influence of van der Waals attraction, electrical double-layer repulsion, Born's repulsion, hydrodynamic viscous drag, and gravity. This study investigates the role of microscopic forces in the volumetric behavior of clay sediments. The microscopic forces are implemented in a 2D discrete element method (DEM) framework that uses spheres to represent clay particles. The model is validated with two well-defined problems: (1) an analytical estimation of force-equilibrium for the system of colloidal particles; and (2) the theoretical settling velocity of spherical particles according to Stokes' law. An experimental program is developed to measure the free swell of Georgia kaolinite, Na-montmorillonite, and Ca-montmorillonite. The experimental results are used to validate the DEM framework in its ability to correctly model the volumetric strains inherent to clay sediments. A good agreement between the model prediction and the experimental data is ob...
Engineering applications of strong ground motion simulation

Abstract The formulation, validation and application of a procedure for simulating strong ground motions for use in engineering practice are described. The procedure uses empirical source functions (derived from near-source strong motion recordings of small earthquakes) to provide a realistic representation of effects such as source radiation that are difficult to model at high frequencies due to their partly stochastic behavior. Wave propagation effects are modeled using simplified Green's functions that are designed to transfer empirical source functions from their recording sites to those required for use in simulations at a specific site. The procedure has been validated against strong motion recordings of both crustal and subduction earthquakes. For the validation process we choose earthquakes whose source models (including a spatially heterogeneous distribution of the slip of the fault) are independently known and which have abundant strong motion recordings. A quantitative measurement of the fit between the simulated and recorded motion in this validation process is used to estimate the modeling and random uncertainty associated with the simulation procedure. This modeling and random uncertainty is one part of the overall uncertainty in estimates of ground motions of future earthquakes at a specific site derived using the simulation procedure. The other contribution to uncertainty is that due to uncertainty in the source parameters of future earthquakes that affect the site, which is estimated from a suite of simulations generated by varying the source parameters over their ranges of uncertainty. In this paper, we describe the validation of the simulation procedure for crustal earthquakes against strong motion recordings of the 1989 Loma Prieta, California, earthquake, and for subduction earthquakes against the 1985 Michoacan, Mexico, and Valparaiso, Chile, earthquakes. We then show examples of the application of the simulation procedure to the estimatation of the design response spectra for crustal earthquakes at a power plant site in California and for subduction earthquakes in the Seattle-Portland region. We also demonstrate the use of simulation methods for modeling the attenuation of strong ground motion, and show evidence of the effect of critical reflections from the lower crust in causing the observed flattening of the attenuation of strong ground motion from the 1988 Saguenay, Quebec, and 1989 Loma Prieta earthquakes.
The initiating factors of late preconditioning in skeletal muscle.

Abstract Purpose. The goal of these studies was to determine the initiating factors for late preconditioning in the microcirculation of skeletal muscle. Materials and methods. The cremaster muscle of male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent 4 h of ischemia and then 60 min of reperfusion. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) consisted of 45 min of ischemia but was done 24 h before the 4 h of ischemia. To mimic the effects of IPC in the late phase, adenosine (ADO) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was given 24 h before the prolonged ischemia via local intraarterial infusion. To block the effects of IPC in the late phase, 8-sulfophenyl-theophylline (a nonspecific ADO receptor blocker) or NW-nitro- l -arginine (a nonselective nitric oxide synthase antagonist) was given prior to IPC. Microvascular response to IPC and pharmacological preconditioning were determined by measuring arteriole diameters and capillary perfusion using intravital microscopy. Results. Administration of ADO or SNP on day 1 without IPC produced a similar microvascular protection against prolonged ischemia/reperfusion on day 2 as that induced by IPC alone. In contrast, blocking ADO receptors or nitric oxide synthase on day 1 just prior to IPC eliminated the IPC-induced microvascular protection seen on day 2. In addition, inhibition of nitric oxide synthase on day 1 diminished the protection induced by ADO, but blocking ADO receptors on day 1 did not compromise the protection induced by SNP. Conclusion. The results from these studies suggest that up regulation of ADO is the initiating factor with secondary up regulation of nitric oxide in late preconditioning. Both ADO and nitric oxide contribute to initiating microvascular protection in the late phase of IPC.
Modified Heliocentric Coordinates for Particle Dynamics

A modified heliocentric coordinate system is found for the dynamics of $n+1$ particles that is barycentric, diagonalizes the kinetic energy, and is symmetric in $n$ of the particles. The $n$ planetary vectors are based on Radau's canonical point between the center of mass and the heliocenter. These coordinates, described by Radau in 1868 and forgotten, are especially valuable for describing centrosymmetric molecular fragments $A{B}_{n}$, and useful also for the mass polarization in atoms.
3D NMR studies of C-centered n-ad structures in poly(ethylene-co-n-butylacrylate-co-13C-carbon monoxide) (polyEBC)

Three-dimensional HC A C X and HC A C X -HH-TOCSY NMR experiments (J. Magn. Reson. 2004, 168, 352) at 750 MHz have been used to investigate the resonance assignments and monomer sequence distributions of C-centered triads and pentads in poly(ethylene-co-n-butyl acrylate-co- 13 C-carbon monoxide), poly(EBC*) terpolymer prepared from 13 C-labeled carbon monoxide. These experiments provide spectra with correlations among mutually coupled atoms with 6co plotted along the f 1 dimension and δ CA and δ H of adjoining groups plotted along the f 2 and f 3 dimensions, respectively. The correlation among signals in three planes in a 3D NMR spectrum facilitates selective detection of the resonances from the structure fragments near the 13 C labeled ketone carbonyl groups. Moreover, these experiments provide enormous spectral resolution, permitting the identification of numerous unresolved signals that are overlapped in 2D 1 H- 13 C HMBC NMR spectrum. The correlation of resonances involving three different nuclei (δ H , δ CA , and 6co) provides unambiguous atomic connectivity information in the polymer backbone that facilitates analysis of comonomer composition, stereo-sequence distribution and branching structures. Occasionally, these experiments provide additional proof of the methods adopted to perform chemical shift assignments from 2D HMBC NMR experiments.
Biosynthesis of alkane-2,3-diols: enzymatic reduction of 3-hydroxyoctadecane-2-one to octadecane-2,3-diol by a NADPH (B-side) specific microsomal reductase from the uropygial glands of ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus).

Abstract Cell-free preparations from the uropygial gland of ring-necked pheasant catalyzed the reduction of a synthetic R,S-mixture of 3-hydroxyl[3-14C]octadecane-2-one (acyloin) to a mixture of threo- and erythro-[3-14C]octadecane-2,3-diol, the final step in the postulated pathway for the biosynthesis of alkane-2,3-diols. The product of enzymatic reduction was identified by Chromatographic techniques and chemical degradation studies. The acyloin reductase showed a pH optimum near 4.0 and specificity for NADPH. With stereospecifically labeled [3H]NADPH, it was shown that acyloin reductase preferentially transferred hydride from the B-side of the nicotinamide ring to the acyloin. A typical Michaelis-Menten substrate saturation was observed for the acyloin and an apparent Km of 70 μ m was calculated from linear double reciprocal plots. Acyloin reductase was inhibited by thioldirected reagents such as p-chloromercuribenzoate and N-ethylmaleimide. Subcellular fractionation of the gland homogenates using sucrose density gradient centrifugation showed that acyloin reductase activity coincided with NADPH:cytochrome c reductase activity, strongly suggesting that acyloin reductase is localized in the microsomal membranes.
Strain compensated CdSe/ZnSe/ZnCdMgSe quantum wells as building blocks for near to mid-IR intersubband devices

Abstract In order to increase the conduction band offset of the ZnCdMgSe-based material system we studied the incorporation of strained CdSe layers to obtain deeper quantum wells for shorter wavelength intersubband transitions than those obtained in lattice-matched structures. Five CdSe/ZnSe/ZnCdMgSe multi-quantum wells (QW) samples grown by molecular beam epitaxy are studied in detail by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), cw-photoluminescence (PL), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) absorption experiments. TEM and XRD results confirmed good structural quality of the samples. All the multi-QW PL energies were below the ZnCdSe lattice-matched to InP alloy bandgap (2.1 eV), which serves as first evidence of having achieved deeper quantum wells. FTIR absorptions from 3.83 to 2.56 μm were measured, shorter than those achieved by the lattice matched system. Simulations based on these results predict that absorptions as low as 2.18 μm can be obtained with these materials.
Dynamics of the KcsA Selectivity Filter Probed using Intrinsic Tyrosine Fluorescence

KcsA is activated by intracellular protons through a large conformational change in the inner helical-bundle gate. The selectivity filter and surrounding structures play a crucial role in ion conduction as an inactivation gate. To monitor the conformational dynamics of the selectivity filter under various experimental conditions we engineered a KcsA construct devoid of tryptophan and tyrosine residues with the exception of residue Y78, locatd in the middle of the selectivity filter. Fluorescence lifetimes indicate that the microenvironment polarity of Y78-KcsA decreases upon gating, irrespective of the type of ion (K+, Rb+, NH4+, Cs+) present in the selectivity filter. Further, time-resolved anisotropy measurements indicate that the dynamics associated with the segmental mobility of the selectivity filter is significantly restricted, and this gating-driven motional restriction is more pronounced in High K+ and Rb+ conditions. Red Edge Excitation Shift (REES) measurements of Y78-KcsA show slow water relaxation dynamics under conditions that stabilize conductive and non-conductive filter conformations, suggesting the presence of bound/restricted water molecules in both filter conformations. Interestingly, opening the lower gate appears to further restrict the water molecules in the vicinity of the selectivity filter. Overall, our results show that the conformational dynamics associated with the selectivity filters of collapsed (Low K+) and open-inactivated KcsA are significantly different despite showing essentially identical conformations as derived from crystal structures. This highlights the importance of hydration dynamics in gating of K+ channels.
Wide-field conditioning effects on small-field neurons in the posterior sigmoid gyrus of domestic cats.

Abstract Single neurons were isolated in four different recording sites in sensorimotor cortex of the domestic cat, all sites being topographically related to the contralateral forepaw. Conditioning-testing interactions were made on 409 small-field neurons, the testing input being the contralateral forepaw (also the ipsilateral forepaw in the case of bilateral-field neurons) and the conditioning input being any paw that was ineffective in exciting the neuron. About 29% of the neurons showed inhibitory interactions and 23% showed facilitatory interactions. Of these, about 5.5% showed both effects, according to the conditioning site. Nearly 54% of the neurons failed to show any interaction effects. Most of the latter were isolated in the two posterior recording sites, located in somatosensory area I; the interaction effects were found predominantly in the two anterior recording sites, located in agranular tissue. Neurons that responded only to contralateral forepaw stimulation (sa neurons) and showed facilitatory interactions from the other three paws had response properties characteristic of neurons that respond to all four paws (m neurons). The sa neurons that showed inhibitory interactions from the other three paws did not differ significantly in response properties from those that showed no interaction effects. These findings are relevant to current criteria for the classification of sensorimotor cortex neurons and lead to remarks on the possible thalamic routes that mediate the interaction effects.
Effect of nikethamide on pentobarbital sleeping time in various animal species

Abstract 1. 1. Pretreatment of rats with nikethamide results in a shortened sleeping time on a standard dose of pentobarbital. 2. 2. Three cold-blooded species, the chameleon, caiman and the frog, did not respond with a shortened sleeping time after treatment with nikethamide. 3. 3. The chicken and guinea pig were refractory. 4. 4. Two species did respond with a shortened sleeping time. One was the mouse, the other was the domestic rabbit.
Synergy of elastic and inelastic energy loss on ion track formation in SrTiO3

While the interaction of energetic ions with solids is well known to result in inelastic energy loss to electrons and elastic energy loss to atomic nuclei in the solid, the coupled effects of these energy losses on defect production, nanostructure evolution and phase transformations in ionic and covalently bonded materials are complex and not well understood due to dependencies on electron-electron scattering processes, electron-phonon coupling, localized electronic excitations, diffusivity of charged defects, and solid-state radiolysis. Here we show that a colossal synergy occurs between inelastic energy loss and pre-existing atomic defects created by elastic energy loss in single crystal strontium titanate (SrTiO3), resulting in the formation of nanometer-sized amorphous tracks, but only in the narrow region with pre-existing defects. These defects locally decrease the electronic and atomic thermal conductivities and increase electron-phonon coupling, which locally increase the intensity of the thermal spike for each ion. This work identifies a major gap in understanding on the role of defects in electronic energy dissipation and electron-phonon coupling; it also provides insights for creating novel interfaces and nanostructures to functionalize thin film structures, including tunable electronic, ionic, magnetic and optical properties.
Plane stress deformation zones at crack tips in polycarbonate

The plastic deformation produced crack tips in polycarbonate (PC) films stretched in tension, has been characterized by optical and transmission electron microscopy. An extensive and diffuse region of deformation is formed in unannealed specimens. Within this zone the ratio (vf) of local film thickness to the (undeformed) thickness far away from the crack varies gradually both along and across the zone. The minimum ratio of ∼ 0.5 occurs at the crack tip. In contrast to this behaviour, films annealed for a short time just below the glass transition temperature Tg showed a highly localized response, the plastic strain being confined to a well-defined flame shaped deformation zone (DZ) ahead of the crack. Within most of this DZ, vf is constant at ∼ 0.7, rising to 1 over a distance of 10 μm at the zone tip, and falling to ∼ 0.5 over a distance of ∼ 4 μm around the crack tip. Bi-refringence measurements show that a high degree of molecular orientation occurs within the zone. These experiments support the idea that an increase in the localization of the plastic strain response upon annealing below Tg is responsible for the embrittlement of PC by such heat treatment.
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus K8 exon 3 contains three 5'-splice sites and harbors a K8.1 transcription start site.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) K8 and K8.1 open reading frames are juxtaposed and span from nucleotide (nt) 74850 to 76695 of the virus genome. A K8 pre-mRNA overlaps the entire K8.1 coding region, and alternative splicing of KSHV K8 and K8.1 pre-mRNAs each produces three isoforms (α, β, and γ) of the mRNAs. We have mapped the 5′ end of the K8.1 RNA in butyrate-induced KSHV-positive JSC-1 cells to nt 75901 in the KSHV genome and have shown that exon 3 of the K8 pre-mRNA in JSC-1 cells covers most part of the intron 3 defined previously and has three 5′-splice sites (ss), respectively, at nt 75838, 76155, and 76338. Selection of the nt 75838 5′-ss dictates the K8 mRNA production and overwhelms the RNA processing. Alternative selection of other two 5′-ss is feasible and leads to production of two additional bicistronic mRNAs, K8/K8.1α and -β. However, the novel bicistronic K8/K8.1 mRNAs translated a little K8 and no detectable K8.1 proteins in 293 cells. Data suggest that production of the K8/K8.1 mRNAs may be an essential way to control K8 mRNAs, especially K8α, to a threshold at RNA processing level.