cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissection of the Transcriptional Program Regulating Secondary Wall Biosynthesis during Wood Formation in Poplar

Wood biomass is mainly made of secondary cell walls; hence, elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the transcriptional regulation of secondary wall biosynthesis during wood formation will be instrumental to design strategies for genetic improvement of wood biomass. Here, we provide direct evidence demonstrating that the poplar (Populus trichocarpa) wood-associated NAC domain transcription factors (PtrWNDs) are master switches activating a suite of downstream transcription factors, and together, they are involved in the coordinated regulation of secondary wall biosynthesis during wood formation. We show that transgenic poplar plants with dominant repression of PtrWNDs functions exhibit a drastic reduction in secondary wall thickening in woody cells, and those with PtrWND overexpression result in ectopic deposition of secondary walls. Analysis of PtrWND2B overexpressors revealed up-regulation of the expression of a number of wood-associated transcription factors, the promoters of which were also activated by PtrWND6B and the Eucalyptus EgWND1. Transactivation analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that PtrWNDs and EgWND1 activated gene expression through direct binding to the secondary wall NAC-binding elements, which are present in the promoters of several wood-associated transcription factors and a number of genes involved in secondary wall biosynthesis and modification. The WND-regulated transcription factors PtrNAC150, PtrNAC156, PtrNAC157, PtrMYB18, PtrMYB74, PtrMYB75, PtrMYB121, PtrMYB128, PtrZF1, and PtrGATA8 were able to activate the promoter activities of the biosynthetic genes for all three major wood components. Our study has uncovered that the WND master switches together with a battery of their downstream transcription factors form a transcriptional network controlling secondary wall biosynthesis during wood formation.
Fatigue damage in bulk metallic glass I: Simulation

Abstract The atomic processes underlying cyclic fatigue was investigated in a metallic glass using molecular-dynamics simulations. A simple four component Lennard–Jones model was used to characterize the behavior of the free volume during deformation. The deformation behavior observed was typical of that seen experimentally, involving both elastic and plastic strains, load history dependence and strain rate sensitivity. Changes in free volume and excess strain were monitored during deformation to demonstrate how the stress state affects the distribution of free volume and how regions with excess free volume preferentially deform. Simulation results indicated that free volume levels were increased and localized during deformation, a process that was greatly accelerated under cyclic loading conditions. The results are used to rationalize the poor fatigue properties commonly reported for metallic glasses.
Response to Comment on "Mixed-Layer Deepening During Heinrich Events: A Multi-Planktonic Foraminiferal δ18O Approach"

Hillaire-Marcel and de Vernal question our hypothesis of the “homogenization of the upper water masses” of the North Atlantic during Heinrich events 0, 1, and 4. Here, we respond to their specific points and synthesize data from the southern Labrador Sea cores, the basic tenet of Hillaire-Marcel and de Vernal's arguments.
FT-IR imaging and pyrolysis-molecular beam mass spectrometry: new tools to investigate wood tissues.

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microimaging spectroscopy and pyrolysis molecular beam mass spectrometry (py-MBMS) were used as rapid analysis tools to evaluate differences in the chemical composition of 1-year-old transgenic aspens. Multivariate analysis of the spectroscopic data sets was used to compare the cell wall composition of nontransformed control to transgenic aspen plants with GRP-iaaM gene and with GRP-iaaM/35S-ACCase gene. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to both the FT-IR and py-MBMS spectra, which revealed sample groupings due to differences in chemical composition. Evaluating the PCA loadings allows determination of the chemical features responsible for the groupings. The FT-IR microimaging data was also used to monitor changes in the chemical composition as a function of the distance from the pith to the bark using partial least squares (PLS) analysis. The analysis shows that the changes in the composition of the xylem that occur over one annual growth ring can be monitored with FT-IR microimaging.
Ventricular morphology and coronary arterial anatomy in hearts with isomeric atrial appendages

Background. Knowledge of the precise anatomy can be advantageous when striving to improve surgical results in patients with visceral heterotaxy. Methods. We studied the ventricular mass, and its coronary arterial supply, in 125 specimens with isomeric right and 58 with isomeric left appendages. Results. The situation in which each atrium connected to its own ventricle was the most common arrangement in hearts with isomeric left appendages. The pattern with both atriums connecting to the same ventricle was more frequently seen in those with isomeric right appendages. Concordant ventriculoarterial connections were seen in only 4% of cases with isomeric right appendages, but were seen in 45% of those with isomeric left appendages. Abnormal patterns in branching of the coronary arteries were commonly associated with abnormal ventricular architecture. The morphologically right or left ventricular arteries were frequently lacking in those hearts with a dominant ventricle and a rudimentary and incomplete ventricle. A solitary coronary artery was seen in 13%. Conclusions. Recognition of these abnormalities is of clinical importance if optimal surgical strategies are to be established for patients with visceral heterotaxy.
Building Language Blocks in L2 Japanese: Chunk Learning and the Development of Complexity and Fluency in Spoken Production

This pilot study examined the development of complexity and fluency of second language (L2) spoken production among L2 learners who received extensive practice on grammatical chunks as constituent units of discourse. Twenty-two students enrolled in an elementary Japanese course at a U.S. university received classroom instruction on 40 grammatical chunks through communicative drills and memorization of dialogues that contained the target chunks. The students completed two spontaneous conversation tasks in Japanese at five-week intervals during the semester. Development of their speech between the first and second conversation task was analyzed from three perspectives: 1) the number of accurately used chunks, 2) the complexity of utterances (the number of chunks per t unit), and 3) oral fluency (pause length and speech rate). Matched-pair t tests revealed significant gains in the number and range of the gram- matical chunks produced over time, as well as in the complexity of individual utter- ances. However, there were no significant gains in the fluency of oral production.
Anorexia Nervosa in an African-American Female of a Lower Socioeconomic Background

The following case study describes the presentation and treatment of an African-American female from an impoverished family. At initial evaluation, she met all DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa. Her history was significant for extensive emotional, physical and sexual abuse by multiple family members and others. Anorexia nervosa in African-American females presents unique challenges for diagnosis and treatment. The illness may be overlooked in a population in which weight loss is frequently assumed to result from malnutrition, medical problems, or more common psychiatric diagnoses. Difficulty in procuring and maintaining necessary and appropriate professional treatment presents an additional impediment to comprehensive, effective care.
Regulation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in Brevibacterium flavum

NADP-Specific G6P dehydrogenase was partially purified from Brevibacterium flavum. Its activity, with an optimum pH of 7.5, was stabilized by KC1 or Mg2+ and inhibited by diamide, a sulf-hydryllreagent. It was also inhibited by oxaloacetate, FBP, PRPP, acetyl-CoA, Ru5P, xylulose 5-phosphate and NADPH. Among them, oxaloacetate showed the strongest inhibition. The concentration of oxaloacetate giving 50% inhibition was 0.09 mm. The inhibitions by oxaloacetate, FBP, PRPP, and NADPH were non-competitive, mixed, and competitive for both the substrates, respectively. Oxaloacetate in combination with FBP, PRPP, or Ru5P inhibited the activity cumulatively. The sensitivities to the oxaloacetate, FBP, and PRPP inhibitions were lost on ammonium sulfate treatment, whereas that to NADPH inhibition was not affected at all. The inhibition by oxaloacetate was specific to glutamate-producing bacteria belonging to the genera, Brevibacterium and Corynebacterium, in contrast to those by FBP and PRPP, which were found in almo...
Mixed convection in a channel provided with heated porous blocks of various shapes

Abstract The present work is a numerical simulation of laminar mixed convective in a two-dimensional parallel-plate channel provided with porous blocks of various shapes. The upper plate is thermally insulated while the blocks, heated from below, are attached on the lower one. The Brinkman–Forchheimer extended Darcy model with the Boussinesq approximation is adopted for the flow in the porous regions. The governing equations with the appropriate boundary conditions are solved by the control volume method. The influence of the buoyancy force intensity, the porous blocks shape going from the rectangular shape to the triangular shape, their height, the porous medium permeability, the Reynolds number and the thermal conductivity ratio is analyzed. The results reveal essentially, that the shape of the blocks can alter substantially the flow and heat transfer characteristics. In addition, it is shown that judicious choices of these parameters can lead to high heat transfer rates with a moderate increase of pressure drop.
Analysis of type specific antigenic determinants of two structural polypeptides of mouse RNA C-type viruses

Abstract Radioimmunoassay techniques have previously been shown to be highly sensitive and specific for the detection of intra- and interspecies determinants of antigens of RNA C-type viruses. In the present report, two murine leukemia virus (MuLV) polypeptides, with molecular weights of 30,000 and 12,000, are shown to contain type-specific determinants by use of appropriate radioimmunologic procedures. These methods have made it possible to distinguish three groups of MuLV. The type-specific antigenic properties of the viral polypeptides examined are shown to be independent of previously described host range and neutralization properties.
Decreased Glucose Tolerance in the Rat Following Hypophysectomy

Fasted hypophysectomized (Hpx) rats (85-110 g) were utilized 3 or more weeks after the operation. Impairment of the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was observed using a 15, 30 and 50% glucose (G) solution (1 ml/100 g bw). The impairment of the OGTT was greater with increased load of glucose. Neither 6, 18 or 24 hr of fasting, nor force feeding twice daily with 500 mg G in addition to the regular diet, altered the impairment in the OGTT when compared with control (C) rats. IVGTT (250 mg/100 g bw) also showed a significant impairment in the Hpx rats (p < 0.001). Bovine growth hormone (GH), 0.1 mg/rat/e.o. day, for 3 weeks, produced a normalization of the OGTT in the Hpx rats. Excess of GH (0.5 mg/rat/day) injected after operation for period of 2-7 days accelerated the onset of the impairment in the OGTT that appears regularly 3 weeks after operation. During the OGTT, the highest values of circulating insulin were significantly delayed in Hpx rats and the free fatty acids were significantly lower in the H...
Prevention of preterm delivery with 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate: Pharmacologic considerations

Despite advances in neonatal care, the burden of preterm birth remains high. Preterm birth is a multifactorial problem, and strategies to identify and treat medical risk factors in early pregnancy have not been effective in reducing preterm birth rates. In a sentinel clinical trial, prophylactic therapy with 17-hydoxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) reduced the risk of recurrent, spontaneous preterm birth in 34% of women. As a result, clinical practice changed and extensive research on 17-OHPC followed. The increasing body of evidence demonstrated a variable efficacy of the drug. This review will examine the plausibility, pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and safety of 17-OHPC when used in the setting of preterm birth prevention. We will also discuss pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics data to highlight drug metabolism and mechanism of action, which will help clarify the variability in clinical outcomes and efficacy.
Hyperplasia of hepatic bile ducts in mice following long-term administration of butylated hydroxytoluene

Abstract Six of 18 male BALB/c mice regularly givena diet containing 0·75% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and killed at 12 months of age showed a marked hyperplasia of the hepatic bile ducts, with an associated subacute cholangitis. None of the 64 untreated control mice nor 19 BHT-treated control mice that additionally received diethylnitrosamine in their drinking-water, developed proliferation of the bile-duct epithelium. While the cause, pathogenesis and fate of the observed lesion is uncertain, further investigation is needed to determine the possible hazard arising from long-term human consumption of BHT.
Inequality and doctoral education: exploring the “rules” of doctoral study through Bourdieu’s notion of field

While studies have examined a myriad of issues in doctoral study, much of this research has not employed the tools of major social and cultural thinkers to the dynamics of doctoral education. This paper explores the use of Bourdieu’s notion of field to render visible the practices and contexts of doctoral education that produce inequalities across doctoral students. This qualitative study with 15 doctoral students in Engineering and in Philosophy demonstrated that these inequalities related to conflicted and codified rules of success within doctoral study, and students’ struggle to understand these rules, and then act in ways that enable students’ success in doctoral education.
Random sink model for vacancy loss during quenching

Abstract Earlier models for random distributions of dislocation sinks are extended to cover the loss of vacancies during quenching. A model of random spherical-surface sinks is also developed. Results of experimental measurements on platinum wires of two purities and varying dislocation densities are best fitted by the random spherical-surface sink model.
Chromatography and electrophoresis of nuclear soluble proteins

Abstract Two groups of nuclear soluble proteins, one prepared by direct saline extraction and the other obtained by disengaging DNA-histones, have been examined by column chromatography and starch-gel electrophoresis, and compared with cytoplasmic soluble proteins. Differences in chromatographic pattern, electrophoretic heterogeneity, and isotope incorporation activity among these proteins have been presented and their possible significances discussed.
Calculations of neutron evaporation from 252Cf fission 14 fragments based on the shell model

Abstract The average neutron kinetic energies and the residual total gamma ray energies as a function of fragment mass are calculated for the spontaneous fission of 252 Cf on the basis of the Nilsson model and of the B.C.S. Hamiltonian.
Balance control of articulated rovers with active suspension

Abstract The paper proposes a simple and computationally efficient method for the modelling of highly articulated rovers traversing rough terrain. The method is based on the propagation of position and orientation velocities through wheels and various joints and linkages of the rover. These velocity equations are combined to form the Jacobian matrix of the rover that relates the position and orientation of the rover to various active (actuated) and passive rover joint variables. A rearrangement of the Jacobian equation allows determining the actuation variables for motion control. Rover balance control for avoiding tipover is achieved by actuating the suspension joints. This is done through a pseudo-inverse method which optimizes a balance performance criterion. To illustrate the kinematics modelling and balance control concepts, the method is applied to a rover similar to the NASA's Sample Return Rover.
Acoustic resonance in MEMS scale cylindrical tubes with side branches

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is a useful monitoring technique that is well suited for trace gas detection. This method routinely exhibits detection limits at the parts-per-million (ppm) or parts-per-billion (ppb) level for gaseous samples. PAS also possesses favorable detection characteristics when the system dimensions are scaled to a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) design. One of the central issues related to sensor miniaturization is optimization of the photoacoustic cell geometry, especially in relationship to high acoustical amplification and reduced system noise. Previous work relied on a multiphysics approach to analyze the resonance structures of the MEMS scale photo acoustic cell. This technique was unable to provide an accurate model of the acoustic structure. In this paper we describe a method that relies on techniques developed from musical instrument theory and electronic transmission line matrix methods to describe cylindrical acoustic resonant cells with side branches of various configurations. Experimental results are presented that demonstrate the ease and accuracy of this method. All experimental results were within 2% of those predicted by this theory.
Field-based and laboratory stable isotope probing surveys of the identities of both aerobic and anaerobic benzene-metabolizing microorganisms in freshwater sediment.

Summary Laboratory incubations of coal-tar waste-contaminated sediment microbial communities under relatively controlled physiological conditions were used to interpret results of a field-based stable isotope probing (SIP) assay. Biodegradation activity of 13C-benzene was examined by GC/MS determination of net 13CO2 production and by GC headspace analysis of benzene loss. Key experimental variables were: the site of the assays (laboratory serum-bottle incubations and in situ field sediments), benzene concentration (10, 36 or 200 p.p.m. in laboratory assays), and physiological conditions (anaerobic with or without sulfate or nitrate additions versus aerobic headspace or the uncontrolled field). In anaerobic laboratory incubations of benzene at 10 p.p.m., greater than 60% of the substrate was eliminated within 15 days. During anaerobic incubations of 200 p.p.m. benzene (70 days), 0.9% benzene mineralization occurred. When benzene (36 p.p.m.) was added to sediment with air in the serum-bottle headspace, 14% of the initial 13C was mineralized to 13CO2 in 2.5 days. In the field experiment (178 μg 13C-benzene dosed to undisturbed sediments), net 13CO2 production reached 0.3% within 8.5 h. After isopycnic separation of 13C (heavy)-labelled DNA from the above biodegradation assays, sequencing of 13C-DNA clone libraries revealed a broad diversity of taxa involved in benzene metabolism and distinctive libraries for each biodegradation treatment. Perhaps most importantly, in the field SIP experiment the clone libraries produced were dominated by Pelomonas (betaproteobacteria) sequences similar to those found in the anaerobic 10 p.p.m. benzene laboratory experiment. These data indicate that the physiological conditions that prevail and govern in situ biodegradation of pollutants in the field may be interpreted by knowing the physiological preferences of potentially active populations.
An economic model of waterlogging and salinization in arid regions

Abstract Waterlogging and salinization arise in arid areas largely because two essential resources, irrigation water and the assimilative capacity of unconfined aquifers, are not priced or allocated correctly to reflect scarcity values and opportunity costs. Farm-level and project-level models of crop production are examined to identify policies that will encourage farmers to consider opportunity costs and the effects of irrigation and leaching on depth to regional water tables. Appropriate policies include volumetric water pricing, water markets, tradable water allotments, adjustments in area-based cost recovery programs, and incentives for farmers to use irrigation methods that reduce deep percolation. Implementing appropriate versions of these policies may reduce the rate of increase in waterlogged and saline areas.
Histone variants specific to the transcriptionally active, amitotically dividing macronucleus of the unicellular eucaryote, tetrahymena thermophila

Abstract Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (triton-acid-urea followed by SDS) has been used to resolve two previously uncharacterized, quantitatively minor histone variants in acid extracts from macronuclei of Tetrahymena thermophila. Utilizing techniques which allow characterization of these variants without purifying them in significant quantities, we identify one protein as a subtype of H3. The other protein is a moderately lysine-rich histone whose tryptic peptide map differs from that of both H2A and H2B. However, its pattern of secondary modifications, its detergent-binding properties and its methionineless nature all suggest that it is more like H2A than any other histone. Both variants are associated with nucleosomes derived from macronuclei. Thus primary sequence variants of the inner histones, presumably indicative of nucleosome heterogeneity, exist in a lower eucaryote, in an amitotic nucleus, and within the nucleus of a clonally propagated organism. Evidence is presented that these newly described minor variants are absent in micronuclei, suggesting that they play an important role in the structural and functional differentiation of macronuclear chromatin.
A Further Study of Tuttle's Test as a Means of Detecting Non-Compensated Organic Heart Lesions

(1937). A Further Study of Tuttle's Test as a Means of Detecting Non-Compensated Organic Heart Lesions. Research Quarterly. American Physical Education Association: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 123-129.
Phenological responses in maple to experimental atmospheric warming and CO2 enrichment

Evidence that global warming has altered the phenology of the biosphere, possibly contributing to increased plant production in the northern hemisphere, has come from a diversity of observations at scales ranging from the view of the back yard to satellite images of the earth. These observations, coupled with an understanding of the effects of temperature on plant phenology, suggest that future changes in the atmosphere and climate could alter plant phenology with unknown or unpredictable consequences. We assessed the effects of simulated climatic warming and atmospheric CO2 enrichment on the spring and autumn phenology of maple trees (Acer rubrum and A. saccharum) growing for four years in open-top field chambers. CO2 enrichment ( 1300ppm) had no consistent effects on the timing of budbreak and leaf unfolding in the spring or leaf abscission in the autumn. Warming ( 141C) usually had predictable effects: in two of the three years of assessment, budbreak occurred earlier in warm chambers than in ambient temperature chambers, and leaf abscission always occurred later. The lengthening of the growing season could contribute to increased productivity, although effects of temperature on other physiological processes can concurrently have negative effects on productivity. In 1995, budbreak was unexpectedly delayed in the warmer chambers, apparently the result of advanced budbreak leading to injury from a late-spring frost. Likewise, there was increased risk associated with longer leaf retention in the autumn: in 1994, leaves in the warm chambers were killed by freezing temperatures before they had senesced. These observations support the premise that global warming could increase the length of the growing season. Phenological responses should, therefore, be part of any assessment of the possible consequences of global change, but our results also suggest that those responses may not always have positive effects on production.
High resolution structure of the ba3 cytochrome c oxidase from Thermus thermophilus in a lipidic environment.

The fundamental chemistry underpinning aerobic life on Earth involves reduction of dioxygen to water with concomitant proton translocation. This process is catalyzed by members of the heme-copper oxidase (HCO) superfamily. Despite the availability of crystal structures for all types of HCO, the mode of action for this enzyme is not understood at the atomic level, namely how vectorial H+ and e- transport are coupled. Toward addressing this problem, we report wild type and A120F mutant structures of the ba3-type cytochrome c oxidase from Thermus thermophilus at 1.8 A resolution. The enzyme has been crystallized from the lipidic cubic phase, which mimics the biological membrane environment. The structures reveal 20 ordered lipid molecules that occupy binding sites on the protein surface or mediate crystal packing interfaces. The interior of the protein encloses 53 water molecules, including 3 trapped in the designated K-path of proton transfer and 8 in a cluster seen also in A-type enzymes that likely functions in egress of product water and proton translocation. The hydrophobic O2-uptake channel, connecting the active site to the lipid bilayer, contains a single water molecule nearest the CuB atom but otherwise exhibits no residual electron density. The active site contains strong electron density for a pair of bonded atoms bridging the heme Fea3 and CuB atoms that is best modeled as peroxide. The structure of ba3-oxidase reveals new information about the positioning of the enzyme within the membrane and the nature of its interactions with lipid molecules. The atomic resolution details provide insight into the mechanisms of electron transfer, oxygen diffusion into the active site, reduction of oxygen to water, and pumping of protons across the membrane. The development of a robust system for production of ba3-oxidase crystals diffracting to high resolution, together with an established expression system for generating mutants, opens the door for systematic structure-function studies.
On supporting the use of procedures in office work

In this paper, we discuss the utility of AI techniques in the construction of computer-based systems that support the specification and use of procedures in office work. We begin by arguing that the real work of carrying out office procedures is different in kind from the standard computer science notions of procedure "execution". Specifically, office work often requires planning and problem solving in particular situations to determine what is to be done. This planning is based on the goals of the tasks with which the procedures are associated and takes place in the context of an inherently open-ended body of world knowledge. We explore some of the ways in which a system can provide support for such work and discuss the requirements that the nature of the work places on such support systems. We argue that the AI research fields of planning and knowledge representation provide useful paradigms and techniques for meeting those requirements, and that the requirements, in turn, present new research problems in those fields. Finally, we advocate an approach to designing such office systems that emphasizes a symbiotic relationship between system and office worker.
Guided Wave Fluorescence In Thin Film Er- Doped Barium Titanate

Guided-wave absorption and fluorescence in epitaxial Er:BaTiO3 thin film channel waveguides on MgO are reported. Guided- wave absorption is strongly dependent on post- growth annealing. Stimulated emission over a 40 nm bandwidth (λ cente:_ 1.54 μm) has been achieved in oxygen-annealed waveguides. At 1.54 μm the absorption is reduced from:_ -2 dB/cm to:_ -1.3 dB/cm in a 2.2 mm long 5 μm wide channel waveguide due the presence of the pump light.
A survey of well conserved families of C2H2 zinc-finger genes in Daphnia

A recent comparative genomic analysis tentatively identified roughly 40 orthologous groups of C2H2 Zinc-finger proteins that are well conserved in "bilaterians" (i.e. worms, flies, and humans). Here we extend that analysis to include a second arthropod genome from the crustacean, Daphnia pulex. Most of the 40 orthologous groups of C2H2 zinc-finger proteins are represented by just one or two proteins within each of the previously surveyed species. Likewise, Daphnia were found to possess a similar number of orthologs for all of these small orthology groups. In contrast, the number of Sp/KLF homologs tends to be greater and to vary between species. Like the corresponding mammalian Sp/KLF proteins, most of the Drosophila and Daphnia homologs can be placed into one of three sub-groups: Class I-III. Daphnia were found to have three Class I proteins that roughly correspond to their Drosophila counterparts, dSP1, btd, CG5669, and three Class II proteins that roughly correspond to Luna, CG12029, CG9895. However, Daphnia have four additional KLF-Class II proteins that are most similar to the vertebrate KLF1/2/4 proteins, a subset not found in Drosophila. Two of these four proteins are encoded by genes linked in tandem. Daphnia also have three KLF-Class III members, one more than Drosophila. One of these is a likely Bteb2 homolog, while the other two correspond to Cabot and KLF13, a vertebrate homolog of Cabot. Consistent with their likely roles as fundamental determinants of bilaterian form and function, most of the 40 groups of C2H2 zinc-finger proteins are conserved in kind and number in Daphnia. However, the KLF family includes several additional genes that are most similar to genes present in vertebrates but missing in Drosophila.
A modular software real-time brain wave detection system

The philosophy behind the modular design and implementation of a computer-driven facility to collect and process EEG records is illustrated. The software modules are stand-alone programs in their own right that can externally be reconfigured into the components to solve a more complex problem. As such, they behave like the "commands" of a command line interpreter (CLI). They are easily invoked by the use of operating system macros without increasing the demands on the system operator. By the use of an experiment parameter and specifications table (a common data base) the specifics of a given series of experiments are prestored well in advance of data collection; specification of a new table filename changes the nature of the experiment. Complete operating system macro "menus" can be predesigned and stored. To change the experiment the operator simply changes the "menu". The system has been used to collect and process single visual evoked responses (unaveraged EEG records) elicited from human subjects for a series of cognitive experiments with relatively good classification error rates.
Habitat Protection Under the Endangered Species Act

Although some species have been hunted into extinction, the major cause of extinctions has been the destruction of natural habitat. One of the purposes of the United States Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, is "to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved." However, protection of habitat of species listed as endangered or threatened pursuant to the Act is incomplete. Although not often done, the federal government can acquire habitat and create refuges for species under Section 5 of the Act. Also infrequent is the designation or labeling of public or private land (not acquisition) as critical habitat under Section 4 for subsequent protection under Section 7 (Sidle 1987). Under Section 7, federal agencies must ensure that any action authorized, funded, or carried out by such agencies will not jeopardize the continued existence of endangered or threatened species, or result in the destruction or adverse modification of designated critical habitat. However, Section 7 does not apply to state agencies, private citizens, and organizations unless federal permits or funds are involved. Sadly, in spite of the Act, the habitats of endangered and threatened species can slowly or quickly disappear. Section 9 details prohibitions regarding the taking, possession, and importation of listed species. These activities generally involve direct human contact with listed species. For some listed species, the Act may appear to convey an inadequate conservation standard: for example, shooting an endangered bird is a crime, but bulldozing its habitat may not be. However, the Act defines "take" very broadly to include "harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct" (16 United States Code 1532 [19]). Section 9 does not specifically mention the destruction of habitat. Prior to November 1981, regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of the Interior defined harm in the above definition of take as such (50 Code of Federal Regulations ? 17.3):
Unsteady Compressible Laminar Boundary-Layer Flow within an Expansion Wave,

Numerical solutions for the unsteady compressible laminar boundary-layer flow developed within a centered expansion wave are obtained for two wall thermal conditions, isothermal and adiabatic. The Howarth's transformation, similarity transformation via one-parameter groups, and then series expansion are employed for the solutions. The solutions are of second-order accuracy and are shown to improve over the Hall's zero-order solution for the temperature distribution in the boundary layer. It is shown that both velocity and temperature boundary layer grow rapidly behind the expansion wavefront but attenuate further downstream. If the wall temperature is held at the undisturbed temperature, the heat transfer occurs from the wall to the expanding gas. The rate of heat transfer increases from the wavefront to approximately £ = 0.35 behind the wave where maximum heat transfer is observed. The isothermal wall temperature is found to be higher than the adiabatic wall temperature by a factor (1 + 0.335£).
Hybrid Valence Bands in Strained-Layer Heterostructures grown on Relaxed SiGe Virtual Substrates

The use of alternative channel materials such as germanium [1,2] and strained silicon (e-Si) [3-5] is increasingly being considered as a method for improving the performance of MOSFETs. While e-Si grown on relaxed Si1-xGex is drawing closer to widespread commercialization, it is currently believed that almost all of the performance benefit in CMOS implementations will derive from the enhanced mobility of the n-MOSFET [5]. In this paper, we demonstrate that e-Si p-MOSFETs can be engineered to exhibit mobility enhancements that increase or remain constant as a function of inversion density. We have also designed and fabricated e-Si / e-Ge dual-channel p-MOSFETs exhibiting mobility enhancements of 10 times. These p-MOSFETs can be integrated on the same wafers as e-Si n-MOSFETs, making symmetric-mobility CMOS possible.
Gamma Radiation Effects on the Glass Transition Temperature and Mechanical Properties of PMMA/soot nanocomposites

Summary Poly(methy1 methacrylate) (PMMA) was produced via free radical polymerization. Polymer samples were sonicated and melt compounded to form 1%, 0.5%, and 0.25% PMMAlsoot samples. Soot containing unpurified carbon nanotubes was provided by NASA Ames Research Center. The composites were compression molded and exposed to ionizing radiation in air from a Cesium-137 source. The PMMAisoot samples were characterized before and after exposure to radiation. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to determine glass transition temperatures. Mechanical properties of composites were characterized via Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and microhardness measurements. The glass transition temperatures from this study, when compared to similar studies conducted by Harmon et. a1 on purified single-wall and multi-wall carbon nanotube composites indicate that soot composites possess lower radiation resistance.
Fruitful research: drug target discovery for neurodegenerative diseases in Drosophila.

Introduction: Although vertebrate model systems have obvious advantages in the study of human disease, invertebrate organisms have contributed enormously to this field as well. The conservation of genome structure and physiology among organisms poses unexpected peculiarities, and the redundancy in certain gene families or the presence of polymorphisms that can slightly alter gene expression can, in certain instances, bring invertebrate systems, such as Drosophila, closer to humans than mice and vice versa. This necessitates the analysis of disease pathways in multiple model organisms. Areas covered: The author highlights findings from Drosophila models of neurodegenerative diseases that have occurred in the past few years. She also highlights and discusses various molecular, genetic and genomic tools used in flies, as well as methods for generating disease models. Finally, the author describes Drosophila models of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's tri-nucleotide repeat diseases, and Fragile X syndrome and summariz...
Direct Renal effects of a fructose-enriched diet: interaction with high salt intake

Consumption of fructose has increased during the last 50 years. Excessive fructose consumption has a detrimental effect on mammalian health but the mechanisms remain unclear. In humans, a direct relationship exists between dietary intake of added sugars and increased risk for cardiovascular disease mortality (52). While the causes for this are unclear, we recently showed that fructose provided in the drinking water induces a salt-dependent increase in blood pressure in Sprague-Dawley rats in a matter of days (6). However, little is known about the effects of fructose in renal salt handling and whether combined intake of high fructose and salt can lead to salt-sensitive hypertension before the development of metabolic abnormalities. The long-term (more than 4 wk) adverse effects of fructose intake on renal function are not just due to fructose but are also secondary to alterations in metabolism which may have an impact on renal function. This minireview focuses on the acute effect of fructose intake and its effect on salt regulation, as they affect blood pressure.
Herpesviral Diseases of the Horse

Equidae are susceptible to infection by three viruses of the family Herpetoviridae. Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), an alphaherpesvirus which exists as two subtypes, is responsible for respiratory disease of young animals as well as for sporadic and epizootic abortigenic or neurologic disease. Epizootic abortion caused by EHV-1 infection can cause economically devastating losses.
Distracted Pedestrians in Crosswalks: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract Thousands of adult pedestrians are killed or injured each year. In spite of ever growing knowledge of correlates of risk pedestrian behavior, much remains to be learned. A small body of research has applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to the problem of risky crossing decisions. We employed TPB to examination of intentions to cross under varying types of distraction. Eighty adults completed measures of injury exposure, followed by a questionnaire structured around TPB assessing intentions to cross streets under common conditions of self-imposed distraction. Results were similar to other research, suggesting attitude and perceived behavioral control predicted intentions to cross streets while distracted. Results are discussed in the context of similar studies, and with regard to future directions and injury prevention efforts.
Hierarchy-Legitimizing Ideologies Reduce Behavioral Obligations and Blame for Implicit Attitudes and Resulting Discrimination

Three preregistered studies investigated people’s judgments of whether someone with implicit racial bias is obligated to change their bias and to avoid discrimination based on that bias. Two studies showed that hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies—Belief in a Just World, Social Dominance Orientation, and political conservatism—predict lower obligation judgments. One study showed that hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies predicted greater protection of a potential discriminator; in another, they also predicted lower protection of a person who may be discriminated against. Lastly, one study showed that greater obligation judgments predicted greater blame of a person who discriminated based on implicit bias. Taken together, these four studies address how people’s ideologies relate to their obligation judgments for implicit racial bias and how those obligation judgments are related to blame for discrimination resulting from implicit racial bias.
Preparing to Watch TV: A Training Model for Accessing Captions for Students who are Deaf

Adding captions to televised programs was a media modification to enable accessibility of television to people with restricted access to the audio components, such as those who are deaf or hard-of hearing. Captioned television for the deaf is becoming quite common. In the United States, television captions are generally in written English; however, the English literacy rate among people who are deaf is quite low. Therefore, this research explored a way to make captioned television usable by its intended audience. An instructional method was implemented among a group of junior high school students who are deaf, to train them to be attentive to certain types of information by facilitating their acquisition of knowledge and critical viewing. The initial implementation of the training suggests a need for improving deaf students' access to their prior knowledge to apply to reading comprehension and language related skills. The results of the two-week training of no increase in captioning comprehension bring in...
Using Video Modeling, Prompting, and Behavior-Specific Praise to Increase Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity for Young Children with down Syndrome.

Children with Down syndrome may be at increased risk of problems associated with inactivity. Early intervention to increase physical activity may lead to increased participation in typical activiti...
Real Function of Semiconducting Polymer in GaAs/Polymer Planar Heterojunction Solar Cells

We systematically investigated GaAs/polymer hybrid solar cells in a simple planar junction, aiming to fundamentally understand the function of semiconducting polymers in GaAs/polymer-based heterojunction solar cells. A library of semiconducting polymers with different band gaps and energy levels were evaluated in GaAs/polymer planar heterojunctions. The optimized thickness of the active polymer layer was discovered to be ultrathin (∼10 nm). Further, the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of such GaAs/polymer planar heterojunctions was fixed around 0.6 V, regardless of the HOMO energy level of the polymer employed. On the basis of this evidence and others, we conclude that n-type GaAs/polymer planar heterojunctions are not type II heterojunctions as originally assumed. Instead, n-type GaAs forms a Schottky barrier with its corresponding anode, while the semiconducting polymer of appropriate energy levels can function as hole transport layer and/or electron blocking layer. Additionally, we discover that both GaAs s...
Hybrid Optimization for a Combinatorial Aircraft Design Problem

Economic and environmental considerations call for highly sophisticated new aircraft designs. Numerical optimization procedures can aid the designer in searching for the best available design. However, an aircraft optimization problem is a combinatorial problem which consists of continuous and discrete design variables. The latter stand for both, design choices and the possible application of new technologies that might enable a significant advantage compared to conventional designs. This paper approaches this problem with a hybrid optimization algorithm, i.e. the use of two di!erent o ptimization algorithms in a single process. Here, this is a combination of a binary-coded genetic algorithm and a gradient based method as the hybrid optimizer. Applied to the design of a 150-seat aircraft, the algorithm identified three promising configurations. They operate at low cost and have a reduced environmental impact compared to current aircraft with a similar mission.
A Model for Particle Size and Phase Distributions in Ground Cement Clinker

A model has been developed to describe a granule of unground clinker, to simulate the grinding process by the removal of particles according to a user-defined particle size distribution, and to characterize the exposed surface areas and volumes of each clinker phase present. The composition of the clinker granule and the distribution of phases within the granule are also user defined.
Empirical Tests of the Human-Web Interaction Cycle

Farris (2003) proposed the Human-Web Interaction (HuWI) cycle, which predicts that 1) system knowledge (i.e., one's knowledge base) will direct interaction with a website, 2) system knowledge will be modified by the user's interaction with the website, and 3) only goal-relevant information should be attended to during these interactions. This paper describes two experiments that tested these three predictions. In Experiment 1, performance was worse when participants' system knowledge was inconsistent with a website, which suggests that system knowledge was directing interaction with the website. In addition, participants tested for knowledge of the content before and after interacting with the website demonstrated higher posttest scores than pretest scores, which indicates that system knowledge was modified by interacting with the website. In Experiment 2, participants attended primarily to goal-relevant information, if the goal pertained to content. These findings generally support the validity of the Hu...
Analysis of Hybrid Dynamical Systems With Uncertainty in Initial Conditions

Hybrid dynamical systems (HDS) models are backbone of modeling a myriad of systems found in systems engineering, buildings, manufacturing, auto-pilot control, and chemical processes domains among others. Uncertainty quantification (UQ) techniques to ascertain output variability in HDS with parametric uncertainty is relatively understudied topic. In this paper, we present a novel method to enable UQ of HDSs. Specifically, we outline a computational pipeline to solve different types of Stochastic Hybrid Systems (SHS) with uncertainty in initial conditions. The developed method is based on a numerical integration technique Conjugate Unscented Transform (CUT) and discrete UQ technique. The developed method has been applied to different range of problems including theoretical problems and real life mechanical systems modeled in Simulink environment. Performance of the proposed method has been compared against Monte Carlo and Unscented Transform methods. Results indicate superior performance of the proposed technique over the existing methods.Copyright © 2015 by ASME