cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Custom component generation in the night vision integrated performance model

The latest version of the U.S. Army imager performance model, the Night Vision Integrated Performance Model (NV-IPM), is now contained within a single, system engineering oriented design environment. This new model interface allows sensor systems to be represented using modular, reusable components. A new feature, added in version 1.3 of the NV-IPM, allows users to create custom components which can be incorporated into modeled systems. The ability to modify existing component definitions and create entirely new components in the model greatly enhances the extensibility of the model architecture. In this paper we will discuss the structure of the custom component and parameter generators and provide several examples where this feature can be used to easily create new and unique component definitions within the model.
Coping with Uncertainty: Cultivating a Sense of Purpose Among Youth Through Innovations in Work-Based Learning Experiences

Young people in many countries across the globe are facing increased competition for meaningful and decent work. In the context of rapid social and economic change, young people are often uncertain as to how to best prepare for their futures. Career development education (CDE) and work-based learning (WBL) can be instrumental in preparing youth for the future, but do not generally give attention to the rising inequity and uncertainty in the world of work that can undermine youth purpose and engagement in school and work preparation. In this chapter, we report on efforts to develop CDE/WBL drawing from PWT and life design perspectives, with an intentional focus on helping students to identify their sense of purpose and to foster personal and social agency in school and future planning. More specifically, we present the findings from interviews of twelve students enrolled in a summer CDE/WBL program, with a focus on offering opportunities to youth who may not otherwise have access to the career and workplace mentoring. We build on prior research examining the cultivation of youth purpose by exploring students’ construction of purpose and their pathways to lives of purpose and meaning through CDE/WBL.
Sequential short-course radiation therapy and chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant treatment of rectal adenocarcinoma

There is continued debate regarding the optimal combinations of radiation therapy and chemotherapy in the preoperative treatment of locally advanced rectal adenocarcinomas. We report our single-institution experience of feasibility and early oncologic outcomes of short-course preoperative radiation therapy (5 Gy X 5 fractions) followed by consolidation neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We reviewed the records of 26 patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma. All patients underwent short course radiotherapy (5 Gy X 5 fractions) followed by chemotherapy [either modified infusional and bolus 5-fluorouracail and oxalipatin (mFOLFOX6) or capecitabine and oxaliplatin] prior to consideration for surgery. A full course of chemotherapy was defined as at least 8 weeks of chemotherapy. There were five clinical (c) T2, 16 cT3, and five cT4 rectal tumors, with 88% cN+. Twenty-five patients received a median of 4 cycles (range 3 to 8) of mFOLFOX6 (with one cycle defined as a two-week period); one patient received 3 cycles of capecitabine and oxaliplatin. All patients completed SCRT; 81% completed the full course of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 19% requiring dose reductions in chemotherapy, most commonly due to neuropathy. Nineteen patients underwent post-treatment endoscopic evaluation, and nine patients were noted to achieve a complete clinical response (CCR). Six of the nine patients who achieved CCR opted for a non-operative approach of watch-and-wait. Twenty patients underwent surgical resection; pathologic complete response was observed in seven (35%) of these twenty. The main radiation-associated toxicity was proctitis with CTCAE Grade 2 proctitis observed in seven patients (27%). Post-operative Clavien-Dindo Grade 3 complications within 30 days of surgery were identified in six patients (30%), with no Grade 4 or 5 adverse events. Median length of hospital stay was 4.5 days (range 2–16 days); three patients were readmitted within a 30 day period. Short course preoperative radiotherapy followed by neoadjuvant chemotherapy was well-tolerated and achieved oncologic outcomes that compare favorably with short-course radiation therapy alone or long-course chemoradiotherapy. This regimen is associated with high rates of clinical and pathologic complete response.
Communication With Family Child Care Providers and Feeding Preschool-Aged Children: Parental Perspectives.

ABSTRACT Objective To describe parent communication about child nutrition–related topics with family child care providers (FCCPs). Design Five focus groups conducted from December, 2016 to July, 2017. Participants Parents (n = 25) of 2- to 5-year-old children attending family child care homes in Rhode Island. Phenomenon of Interest How and what parents communicate about with FCCPs related to feeding young children. Analysis Recordings were transcribed verbatim. Two independent coders employed content analysis to analyze transcripts. Reflections, emerging themes, and final themes were discussed. Results Participants were recruited through FCCPs and were mostly Hispanic and female. Parents mainly communicated with FCCPs in person. Communication with FCCPs related to how and what children were fed did not occur frequently, and parents usually inquired about how much children ate. Conclusions and Implications Parents did not engage in frequent child nutrition–related communication with their FCCP. However, parents trusted FCCPs to provide healthy and sufficient food to children. More research is needed to identify effective strategies that facilitate child nutrition communication between parents and FCCPs.
Molecular Machines and Energy Channelling

This Workshop deals with the phenomenon of channelling, being defined as the transfer of metabolites between enzymes before the former equilibrate with a pool. Several examples of channelling have been outlined. The question may be raised, whether also energy can be channelled from locations in the cell producing energy towards locations consuming energy. This question is of particular significance in the field of bioenergetics, studying mechanisms of free-energy transduction.
Social support, stress, and life satisfaction among adults with rare diseases.

Objective The goal of this study was to examine the role of stress and four different types of social support in satisfaction with life (SWL) among adults with rare diseases (RDs). We examined whether support is directly related to SWL (main effects model) or related through moderating the inverse relationship between stress and SWL (stress-buffering hypothesis). Method Data came from a cross-sectional survey of adults living in the United States diagnosed with any RD. Participants (n = 1,203) filled out measures of stress, four short-form scales of social support (emotional, informational, tangible, companionship), and SWL. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test both the main effects model and stress-buffering hypothesis. Results Controlling for age, gender, years since diagnosis, and symptom severity, emotional support, but not informational or tangible support, positively predicted SWL. Companionship support was related to SWL over and above other factors. Stress negatively predicted SWL, but none of the types of support moderated this relationship. Conclusion Results suggest companionship and emotional support are beneficial to individuals with RDs regardless of their stress levels. Intervention research should focus on ways to foster more companionship and emotional support to improve SWL in this underserved population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Unusual Case of Common Arterial Trunk With Atresia of the Right Pulmonary Artery and Aortopulmonary Collaterals

We describe a two-year-old African girl with late diagnosis of unusual case of common arterial trunk with two separate pulmonary artery branch origins from the ascending aorta, hypoplastic right pu...
Methane emissions from fossil fuels: exploring recent changes in greenhouse-gas reporting requirements for the State of New York

In 2019, New York State passed aggressive new climate legislation to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and laid out major changes for how emissions are reported. One change is the inclusion of ...
A randomized trial of subcutaneous allergy immunotherapy in inner-city children with asthma less than 4 years of age.

Abstract Background Allergic sensitization to environmental allergens in the first years of life is a strong predictor of asthma morbidity in children. Allergy immunotherapy can improve asthma and allergy outcomes, but its efficacy in inner-city, atopic children of less than 4 years of age with recurrent wheezing has not yet been established. Objective To determine whether subcutaneous allergy immunotherapy improves asthma in a population of US inner-city children when started at less than 4 years of age. Methods In a randomized controlled, open-label phase I-II single-center trial in the Bronx, New York, 58 children with recurrent wheezing or physician-diagnosed asthma were randomized to receive asthma standard of care treatment with or without a 3-year course of multiple allergen subcutaneous immunotherapy. Results A total of 23 children in the control group and 27 children in the immunotherapy group began the study. A total of 20 of 27 children commencing immunotherapy completed at least 2 years of immunotherapy. There was no difference in asthma medication and symptom scores between the treatment or control groups over time. Similarly, naso-ocular symptoms and allergy medication use were similar in both groups over time. Nevertheless, asthma-related quality of life improved in the immunotherapy group compared with the control group (P = .03). Conclusion With the exception of asthma-related quality of life, allergy immunotherapy was ineffective in improving asthma outcomes in this population of inner-city children of less than 4 years of age. These findings suggest that the effects of allergy immunotherapy depend on population-specific factors and highlight the importance of precise predictors of immunotherapy efficacy. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01028560 .
Inverse Design and 3D Printing of a Metalens on an Optical Fiber Tip for Direct Laser Lithography.

An inverse-designed metalens is proposed, designed, and fabricated on an optical fiber tip via a 3D direct laser-writing technique through two-photon polymerization. A computational inverse-design ...
“I am a man of both sides”: female power and Islam in the life and work of a male spirit healer in northern Mozambique

How can male experiences of spirit possession contribute to feminist-influenced anthropology, which has focused mostly on the subordination of women and/or their resistance to male power? I engage ...
Editorial Commentary: Operative Versus Nonoperative Management of Shoulder Instability in the National Football League Athlete: Do What Needs to Be Done-Treatment Choice Does Not Affect Future Performance or Games Played.

Abstract Shoulder instability is common in the National Football League athlete. Nonoperative versus operative treatment of shoulder labrum injury without bone loss depends on many factors, including type and direction of instability, presence or absence of pain and recurrent instability that limits function, and player and season situational issues. Prophylactic surgical treatment in an effort to enhance future player performance and increase the number of future games played should be discouraged. Management of shoulder instability should be based on clinical indication and surgical stabilization should not be done prophylactically in the hope of increasing the number of future games played or enhancing performance.
Construction of analytical solutions and numerical methods comparison of the ideal continuous settling model

Abstract Continuous sediment has a wide application in chemical engineering process, such as wastewater treatment, water reuse, mineral waste manage and processing. This paper provides analytical solutions of the ideal continuous settling model by using the method of characteristics. The analytical solutions are compared with experiment data to show that the solutions accurately predict the sediment height and concentration as a function of time and loading conditions. Additionally, three alternative methods, using finite differences are compared to the analytical solutions, and their accuracy and efficiency are evaluated. It is shown that all three methods are reliable for solving sedimentation problems but have varying efficiency. Method YRD is the most accurate but also has the greatest computation and implementation cost. Method SG is the least accurate but is the easiest to implement with lowest computation cost. Method G is a compromise between the two methods, providing acceptable accuracy and low computation cost.
Nucleosomes of transcriptionally active chromatin: isolation of template-active nucleosomes by affinity chromatography.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the method applied to cultured murine fibroblasts (BALB/c 3T3 cells) for the study of nucleosome structural changes during the induction and repression of the c- fos and c- myc oncogenes. The isolation method discussed in the chapter is based on the premise that the nucleosome is a dynamic structure, changing its conformation and composition to facilitate the transit of the RNA polymerases along the DNA template, and that the changes in nucleosome structure associated with transcription are rapid and reversible. They are mediated, in part, by the postsynthetic modifications of the histones and other nucleosome-associated nonhistone proteins that relax the constraints on the DNA strand. The chromatographic separation of active and inactive nucleosomes depends at the outset on enzymatic methods for the release of nucleosomes from the interphase nucleus. The major advantage of this procedure is that it permits the isolation of transcriptionally active DNA sequences together with the proteins involved in maintaining the active state.
Cognition Is Not Computation: The Argument from Irreversibility

The dominant scientific and philosophical view of the mind – according to which, put starkly, cognition is computation – is refuted herein, via specification and defense of the following new argument: Computation is reversible; cognition isn't; ergo, cognition isn't computation. After presenting a sustained dialectic arising from this defense, we conclude with a brief preview of the view we would put in place of the cognition-is-computation doctrine.
Jitter in SS 433-A clue to the collimation mechanism

The blue and red shift jitter observed in SS 433 is examined with a view to determining its sources. The jitter is characterized by a Delta-z rms amplitude of 0.01, corresponding to a 3000 km/sec Doppler velocity, which is larger than either the width or the error of measurement of the shifted lines. In addition, the amplitude of the jumps is not strongly dependent on the phase in the 164-day cycle, and the amplitudes of the jitter in the redshifted and blueshifted branches are comparable. It is shown that these features set strong constraints on models proposed for SS 433 by Sarazin et al. (1980), Katz (1980), and Van den Heuvel et al. (1980).
Charron, Freedom's Teacher: The Life of Septima Clark

This book joins a growing literature on women in the black freedom struggle in the twentieth century. Freedom's Teacher, however, is more than a biography of Septima Clark. Besides telling the stor...
Book Reviews: General, Applied and Theoretical

Emile Durkheim: His Life and Work. STEVEN LUKES. Emile Durkheim: Selected Writings. ANTHONY GIDDENS, ed. Emile Durkheim: Sociologist and Philosopher. DOMINICK LACAPRA. Durkheim: Morality and Milieu. ERNEST WALLWORK.
Primary Neuroendocrine Tumor (Carcinoid Tumor) of the Testis: A Case Report with Review of Literature

Patient: Male, 34 Final Diagnosis: Primary neuroendocrine tumor of the testis Symptoms: Pain • swelling Medication: None Clinical Procedure: Radical orchiectomy Specialty: Oncology Objective: Rare disease
Distance Measurements on a Dual-labeled TOAC AChR M2δ Peptide in Mechanically Aligned DMPC Bilayers via Dipolar Broadening CW-EPR Spectroscopy

A membrane alignment technique has been used to measure the distance between two TOAC nitroxide spin labels on the membrane-spanning M2δ, peptide of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR), via CW-EPR spectroscopy. The TOAC-labeled M2δ peptides were mechanically aligned using DMPC lipids on a planar quartz support, and CW-EPR spectra were recorded at specific orientations. Global analysis in combination with rigorous spectral simulation was used to simultaneously analyze data from two different sample orientations for both single- and double-labeled peptides. We measured an internitroxide distance of 14.6 A from a dual TOAC-labeled AChR M2δ peptide at positions 7 and 13 that closely matches with the 14.5 A distance obtained from a model of the labeled AChR M2δ peptide. In addition, the angles determining the relative orientation of the two nitroxides have been determined, and the results compare favorably with molecular modeling. The global analysis of the data from the aligned samples gives much more precise estimates of the parameters defining the geometry of the two labels than can be obtained from a randomly dispersed sample.
Genes coding for anti-gal in knock-out mice for the α1,3galactosyltransferase gene : Analysis by hybridomas

THE interaction between the natural anti-Gal antibody and the a-gal epitope (Gala1-3Galb1-4GlcNAc-R) on xenograft cells results in rejection of the xenograft. Moreover, activity of anti-Gal increases by manyfold in xenograft recipients as a result of immune response to a-gal epitopes on the graft. This elicited anti-Gal greatly exacerbates xenograft rejection. A potential method for prevention of anti-Gal production in xenograft recipients is the treatment of such patients with anti-idiotype antibodies for anti-Gal. Such antibodies may neutralize anti-Gal and destroy cells capable of producing this antibody. To determine the possible diversity of such anti-idiotypes, the anti-Gal Ig genes have to be analyzed. As a first step, we studied the diversity of the immunoglobulin genes coding for this antibody in a1,3galactosyltransferase (a1,3GT) knock-out (KO) mice. These mice lack a-gal epitopes and are capable of producing large amounts of anti-Gal, upon immunization with xenograft cell membranes that express a-gal epitopes. Anti-Gal hybridomas were produced by fusion of splenocytes from KO mice, immunized with rabbit red cell membranes, with the mouse myeloma fusion partner X63.Ag.653. Hybridomas from several mice were screened for secretion of anti-Gal in ELISA with synthetic a-gal epitopes linked to BSA, as solid-phase antigen, as previously described. The specificity of these monoclonal antibodies was confirmed by demonstrating their specific binding to glycoproteins that express the a-gal epitope, such as mouse laminin and bovine thyroglobulin. Three hybridomas producing anti-Gal IgM were isolated, each from a different mouse. The Ig genes in these hybridomas were cloned and sequenced. All three anti-Gal clones contained heavy chain (VH) genes derived from the germline Ig gene VH22.1 and light chain (VL) genes derived from the germline Ig gene K5.1 (Table 1). These anti-Gal coding genes contained various somatic mutations in CDR1 and CDR2 regions. Some mutations were also found in frame work (FR) 2 and 3 regions. In addition, the CDR 3 regions differed significantly from one clone to the other. Interestingly, the sequences of the VL genes were much more conserved than those of the VH genes. Analysis of replacement (R) versus silent (S) mutations demonstrated a much higher proportion of R mutations in the CDR regions than in the FR regions (Table 1). Overall, these findings indicated that the Ig gene repertoire for anti-Gal is highly restricted in KO mice, and it consists primarily of one light and one heavy chain Ig genes. This limited repertoire is likely to reflect the structural
Critical nitrate levels for leaf lettuce, radish, and spinach plants

Abstract Leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), and spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) plants were grown in sand culture under variable N concentrations from 0.187 to 48.0 meq/l. The plants were harvested when those grown at 12 meq N/l had attained approximate market maturity. Growth was restricted, and symptoms of N deficiency were evident at the low levels of N. Growth was also restricted at the highest N level. Approximate critical levels for leaf lettuce, radish roots, and spinach are 2000 ppm, 5000 ppm, and 4000 ppm, nitrate‐N respectively, on a dry weight basis.
Characterization and hybridization of DNAs of gyrocotylidean parasites of chimaeroid fishes.

Abstract DNA was isolated from four species of Gyrocotyle and its base composition determined. DNA extracted from alcohol-preserved worms was suitable for some physical-chemical characterization, and for in vitro DNA hybridization studies. Although Gyrocotyle fimbriata readily accumulated adenine, thymine or thymidine, no detectable incorporation into nucleic acids was observed during a 24-h period. Thus, to prepare radioactive DNA for DNA-DNA heteroduplex experiments, the isolated DNA was tritiated in vitro , Heteroduplex formation between DNA from Gyrocotyle rugosa and Gyrocotyle fimbriata was much greater than the amount of hybridization of DNA from either of these species with that from Gyrocotyle maxima or Gyrocotyle parvispinosa . These results, although preliminary, suggest that the technique of DNA hybridization might be developed as a useful method in parasite taxonomy.
Spouses' time allocation to household work: A review and critique

Although there is now much literature on spousal time allocation to household work, it is fragmented by disciplinary boundaries. Differences in theoretical perspectives, empirical models, and research methods have sometimes produced conflicting answers to similar research questions. This article reviews and critiques the theories, methods, and findings of economists, family economists, and family sociologists who have examined factors affecting husbands' and wives' time in household work and division of labor. Based on the literature reviewed, suggestions for future research are offered.
Compatibility of cobalt and chromium depletion gates with RPECVD upper gate oxide for silicon-based nanostructures

Three-dimensional confinement of electrons in silicon-based nanodevices may be achieved using a dual gate structure to confine carriers laterally in a 2D MOSFET inversion layer. We have investigated the temperature stability of cobalt and chromium for thin depletion gates, using remote plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposited (RPECVD) SiO 2 for the deposited dielectric. The thermal stability of the oxide/metal/oxide structure for various annealing regimes was studied by Auger electron spectroscopy sputter profiling and high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Improvements to the RPECVD oxide for comparable annealing were characterized by electrical measurements on MOS capacitors made from deposited RPECVD oxide.
Claiming the Past. : A critical view of the arguments driving repatriation of cultural heritage and their role in contemporary identity politics

This article explores the role that the worldwide movement of repatriation of human remains and cultural heritage—from museums and other institutions to minorities and indigenous populations—plays ...
Determination of ephedrine compounds in nutritional supplements by cyclodextrin-modified capillary electrophoresis.

Abstract Capillary electrophoresis was utilized for the separation, identification, and quantitation of ten stereoisomers in the ephedrine family. Chiral discrimination was accomplished through the use of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, and separation was enhanced at pH 2 in the presence of tetramethylammonium chloride and sodium dodecyl sulfate. Calibration plots of the ephedrines were linear over the range 4–100 μg/ml. This method was used in the analysis of nutritional supplements that contain Ma Huang, a Chinese herbal preparation that is made from plants in the genus Ephedra.
Finding All-Pairs Shortest Path for a Large-Scale Transportation Network Using Parallel Floyd-Warshall and Parallel Dijkstra Algorithms

AbstractParallel computing has become a powerful approach for solving real-time decisions about large-scale, computing-intensive transportation problems. A frequently encountered transportation problem is the “shortest path problem;” that is, finding the shortest path between any two nodes in a transportation network. For the large transportation networks encountered in major metropolitan areas, this problem can be computationally demanding, especially if shortest paths between all the nodes in the network need to be dynamically updated (e.g., evolving traffic conditions). In such a situation, one may wish to harness parallel computing to solve this problem. However, the parallel implementations of commonly used shortest-path algorithms are computationally demanding because of the inherent sequential nature of the search process used by the algorithms. This paper describes parallel implementations and includes performance analyses of two prominent graph algorithms (i.e., Floyd-Warshall and Dijkstra) used ...
Slot discharge damage in air cooled stator windings

A significant problem for modern insulation systems used on large air cooled stator windings is caused by electrical discharge activity at the corona screen. In most cases the activity occurs as a consequence of mechanical abrasion and removal of part of the screen. This produces a number of discharge situations and is usually referred to as slot discharge, because it is confined within the slot cell region. The least damaging situation is where partial discharges occur across an air gap between the laminations and a damaged area of screen. A more damaging situation is a surface discharge because this can lead to more substantial thermal degradation. The most severe damage arises when localised areas of sound screen become isolated from the earth. This can lead to a sustained high intensity discharge and, consequentially, greater thermal damage. The author reviews investigations over a ten year period into aspects of the causes, types and incidence of slot discharge, forensic studies and laboratory simulations using bar and sheet samples. The investigations also included the development of a simple and low-cost technique allowing a noninvasive survey of large motors to identify those exhibiting such discharge activity.
Sonographic Detectability Of Breast Calcifications

Sonographic detectability of mammographically demonstrable breast calcifications depends primarily on the size of the calcific particles. Calcifications smaller than 2 mm in size are detected in fewer than 10% of cases, with equally low detection rates for benign and malignant particles. The inability of sonography to routinely identify malignant breast calcifications will severely restrict its use as a screening tool for cancer detection.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Zeros and Critical Points of Sobolev Orthogonal Polynomials

Using potential theoretic methods we study the asymptotic distribution of zeros and critical points of Sobolev orthogonal polynomials, i.e., polynomials orthogonal with respect to an inner product involving derivatives. Under general assumptions it is shown that the critical points have a canonical asymptotic limit distribution supported on the real line. In certain cases the zeros themselves have the same asymptotic limit distribution, while in other cases we can only ascertain that the support of a limit distribution lies within a specified set in the complex plane. One of our tools, which is of independent interest, is a new result on zero distributions of asymptotically extremal polynomials. Our results are illustrated by numerical computations for the case of two disjoint intervals. We also describe the numerical methods that were used.
Nurses and nursing education in Ghana: creating collaborative opportunities

Aim: This is a story intended to motivate the reader to become immersed in ‘verbal snapshots’ depicting the reality of nursing in Ghana as experienced by the writer. Its purpose is to encourage dialogue and creative collaboration between nurse educators in radically different settings, which would serve to enrich all those involved. Background: During the summer of 2003, a faculty member from the School of Nursing at Georgia Southern University (GSU) travelled to Africa to establish a relationship between GSU and a nursing school in Ghana, West Africa. This paper is based on the daily journal kept by that faculty member who engaged in clinical practice experiences as well as discussions with nursing educators in Ghana. Integrated in this subjective account are health data specific to Ghana. These serve to underscore health issues and situations of urgent concern in Ghana as well as to the global community, and which will assist in highlighting the potential contribution of such collaboration to strengthening the health system of the country. Conclusions: The outcome of the relationship established during this visit was intended to be a meaningful interchange of resources and experiences for both faculty and students at the two schools. It was successful in that regard. Funding is now being sought to enable further collaboration.
Induction and evasion of type I interferon responses by influenza viruses.

Influenza A and B viruses are a major cause of respiratory disease in humans. In addition, influenza A viruses continuously re-emerge from animal reservoirs into humans causing human pandemics every 10–50 years of unpredictable severity. Among the first lines of defense against influenza virus infection, the type I interferon (IFN) response plays a major role. In the last 10 years, there have been major advances in understanding how cells recognize being infected by influenza viruses, leading to secretion of type I IFN, and on the effector mechanisms by how IFN exerts its antiviral activity. In addition, we also now know that influenza virus uses multiple mechanisms to attenuate the type I IFN response, allowing for successful infection of their hosts. This review highlights some of these findings and illustrates future research avenues that might lead to new vaccines and antivirals based on the further understanding of the mechanisms of induction and evasion of type I IFN responses by influenza viruses.
The Delicate Balance Between Secreted Protein Folding and Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Degradation in Human Physiology

Protein folding is a complex, error-prone process that often results in an irreparable protein by-product. These by-products can be recognized by cellular quality control machineries and targeted for proteasome-dependent degradation. The folding of proteins in the secretory pathway adds another layer to the protein folding “problem,” as the endoplasmic reticulum maintains a unique chemical environment within the cell. In fact, a growing number of diseases are attributed to defects in secretory protein folding, and many of these by-products are targeted for a process known as endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD). Since its discovery, research on the mechanisms underlying the ERAD pathway has provided new insights into how ERAD contributes to human health during both normal and diseases states. Links between ERAD and disease are evidenced from the loss of protein function as a result of degradation, chronic cellular stress when ERAD fails to keep up with misfolded protein production, and the ability of some pathogens to coopt the ERAD pathway. The growing number of ERAD substrates has also illuminated the differences in the machineries used to recognize and degrade a vast array of potential clients for this pathway. Despite all that is known about ERAD, many questions remain, and new paradigms will likely emerge. Clearly, the key to successful disease treatment lies within defining the molecular details of the ERAD pathway and in understanding how this conserved pathway selects and degrades an innumerable cast of substrates.
SU-GG-T-436: Setup Accuracy of a Thermoplastic Mask System Using Two-Dimensional (2D) On-Board Imager (OBI) for Fractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy (FSRT)

Purpose: To analyze the setup accuracy of a thermoplastic mask system using two‐dimensional (2D) on‐board imager (OBI) and compare the results with the relocatable Gill‐Thomas‐Cosman (GTC) frame for fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT). Method and Materials: Residual setup accuracy of 9 patients with brain lesions undergoing image‐guided hypo‐fractionated FSRT immobilized using a thermoplastic mask system were retrospectively studied. For each patient, image‐guided setup was performed for each treatment using orthogonal pairs of 2D OBI radiographs registered with reference digitally reconstructedradiography(DRR). Residual errors in the anterial‐posterior (A/P), right‐left (R/L) and superior‐inferior (S/I) directions were measured using in‐house software by contouring and comparing the location of bony anatomy on the DRRs and the orthogonal pairs of OBI radiographs taken immediately before the radiation treatment. The PTV margins required to ensure minimum dose to CTV is 95% for 90% of patients as proposed by Van Herk were also calculated for each direction. Results: Totally, setup accuracy was successfully analyzed for 45 fractions (5 fractions for each patient). The mean and standard deviation (SD) of the residual errors in the A/P, R/L, and S/I directions were 0.04±0.79 (mean ± 1 SD) mm, 0.3±1.32 mm, and −0.39±0.51mm respectively. The required margin to guarantee adequate PTV coverage were 2.57 mm, 3.98 mm and 1.86 mm in respectively the AP, R/L, and S/I direction. These margins were comparable to the 3mm PTV margin currently used for the hypo‐fractionated treatment using the GTC frame at our institution. Conclusion: The setup accuracy of 2D image‐guided FSRT immobilized with the thermoplastic mask system is compatible to the GTC frame for patients with brain lesions.
Domain-based administration of identity-based cryptosystems for secure email and IPSEC

Effective widespread deployment of cryptographic technologies such as secure email and IPsec has been hampered by the difficulties involved in establishing a large scale public key infrastructure, or PKI. Identity-based cryptography (IBC) can be used to ameliorate some of this problem. However, current approaches to using IBC for email or IPsec require a global, trusted key distribution center. In this paper, we present DNSIBC, a system that captures many of the advantages of using IBC, without requiring a global trust infrastructure. The resulting system can be configured to require almost no user intervention to secure both email and IP-based network traffic. We have built a preliminary implementation of this system in Linux.
HCO-3-ATPase activity distribution in rat liver cell fractions prepared by zonal centrifugation.

Plasma membrane sheets prepared by zonal centrifugation of a premicrosomal pellet obtained from a rat liver homogenate are devoid of HCO3−-ATPase activity. Since the microsomal fraction is also lacking in this ATPase activity, it can be concluded that the HCO3−-ATPase is not involved in the secretion of HCO3− into bile.
An intermediate-voltage electron microscopic study of freeze-substituted generative cell in pear (Pyrus communis L.): features with relevance to cell-cell communication between the two cells of a germinating pollen

The ultrastructure of the generative cell (GC) wall complex in germinating pear (Pyrus communis L.) pollen was studied with the aim of identifying features that may shed light on the mechanism of uptake of substances by the GC from its host, the vegetative cell (VC). The techniques of rapid freeze-fixation and freeze-substitution, serial sectioning, and conventional and intermediate-voltage transmission electron microscopy were employed. The wall complex consisted of two plasma membranes (PMs), one derived from the GC and the other from the VC. A nonfibrillar wall material occurred in the space between the two PMs. Plasmodesmata could not be identified in this wall complex. However, in localized areas the wall complex formed processes that protruded into the VC cytoplasm. In other areas, the wall complex showed certain cup-shaped invaginations. Certain double membrane bound multivesicular bodies occurred in the GC cytoplasm; their morphological characteristics indicated that they may have been derived from the GC wall complex. The data indicate that in pear the GC surface is amplified by wall processes, presumably to perform a role analogous to transfer cells.
Formulation and Characterization of a Porous, Elastomeric Biomaterial for Vocal Fold Tissue Engineering Research

Objective:Biomaterials able to mimic the mechanical properties of vocal fold tissue may be particularly useful for furnishing a 3-dimensional microenvironment allowing for in vitro investigation of cell and molecular responses to vibration. Motivated by the dearth of biomaterials available for use in an in vitro model for vocal fold tissue, we investigated polyether polyurethane (PEU) matrices, which are porous, mechanically tunable biomaterials that are inexpensive and require only standard laboratory equipment for fabrication.Methods:Rheology, dynamic mechanical analysis, and scanning electron microscopy were performed on PEU matrices at 5%, 10%, and 20% w/v mass concentrations.Results:For 5%, 10%, and 20% w/v concentrations, shear storage moduli were 2 kPa, 3.4 kPa, and 6 kPa, respectively, with shear loss moduli being 0.2 kPa, 0.38 kPa, and 0.62 kPa, respectively. Storage moduli responded to applied frequency as a linear function. Mercury intrusion porosimetry revealed that all 3 mass concentrations o...
Practical Skills in International Business: Training Needs for Workforce Competence by Minnesota Companies.

Companies doing business internationally face the competitive challenges of a constantly changing operational environment. Employees need to update their international knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) frequently by attending training programs. A survey of Minnesota firms indicate that almost all companies are willing to cover the time and cost of employees attending such programs, apparently believing that workforce development benefits both day‐to‐day operations and improves employee morale. The current specialization in educational (K) and training (SA) programs by academic and nonacademic providers largely meets the needs of students and of corporate workforce development, but company competitiveness overseas could be enhanced if international K and SA providers cooperated more closely in complementary programming. The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support provided for the survey by the College of Management, Metropolitan State University, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and the Minnesota Dep...
Improved Passive Microwave Retrievals of Rain Rate over Land and Ocean. Part II: Validation and Intercomparison

AbstractA new passive microwave rainfall retrieval algorithm for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) that relies on an a priori database derived from matchups between TMI brightness temperatures and precipitation radar (PR)-derived surface rain rates has been developed. In addition to implementing a fairly conventional Bayesian approach to precipitation estimation, it exploits a dimensional reduction technique designed to increase the effective sample density in the database and also to improve the detectability of precipitation over problem surface types. The details of the algorithm itself are described in a companion paper. In this paper, the algorithm is validated against independent PR–TMI matchups from calendar year 2002. The validation results are benchmarked against results obtained for the same scenes from the current standard (version 7) 2A12 rainfall product for TRMM.Validation statistics considered include the biases, correlation coefficients, and root-mean-sq...
Probing geodynamic processes beneath the sea floor

A new initiative in oceanic mantle dynamics is being designed to test geodynamic models of plate tectonics and convection with a new generation of higher-resolution observations in the oceans. The plate tectonic revolution provided a quantitative kinematic framework for describing geodynamic processes in the solid Earth. Three and one-half decades of geological, geophysical, and geochemical observations since this revolution, coupled with increasingly sophisticated numerical models of mantle dynamics, have led to an increased understanding of how plate tectonics works and how convection stirs the interior of the Earth. However, within this broad framework, many fundamental questions remain regarding the structure, composition, and dynamics of the sub-oceanic mantle.
Research in natural language processing: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories

We are carrying out a preliminary investigation of the use of a generalized phrase structure grammar (the formulation of context-free grammars developed in [1] and related works) as the basis for a modular and linguistically robust natural language processor. The grammar. is generated from a kernel set of rules, plus a set of metarulcs that expand the kernel into the full rule set used for processing English. This greatly simplifies the task of testing and modifying the grammar.
Investigating the use of ultrasonic guided waves for aging wire insulation assessment

Aging wiring has become a critical issue to DoD, NASA, FAA, and Industry. The problem is that insulation on environmentally aged wire becomes brittle and cracks. This exposes the underlying conductive wire to the potential for short circuits and fire. The difficulty is that techniques to monitor aging wire problems focus on applying electrical sensing techniques that are not very sensitive to the wire insulation. Thus, the development of methods to quantify and monitor aging wire insulation is highly warranted. Measurement of wire insulation stiffness by ultrasonic guided waves is being examined. Initial laboratory tests were performed on a simple model consisting of a solid cylinder and then a solid cylinder with a polymer coating. Experimental measurements showed that the lowest order axisymmetric mode may be sensitive to stiffness changes in the wire insulation. To test this theory, mil-spec wire samples MIL-W-81381, MIL-W-22759/34, and MIL-W-22759/87 (typically found in aircraft) were heat-damaged in an oven, in a range of heating conditions. The samples were 12, 16, and 20 gauge and the heat-damage introduced material changes in the wire-insulation that made the originally flexible insulation brittle and darker in color. Axisymmetric mode phase velocity increased for the samples that were exposed to heat for longer duration. For example, the phase velocity in the 20-gauge MIL-W-22759/34 wire changed from a baseline value of 2790m/s to 3280m/s and 3530m/s for one-hour exposures to 3490C and 3990C, respectively. Although the heat-damage conditions are not the same as environmental aging, we believe that with further development and refinements, the ultrasonic guided waves can be used to inspect wire-insulation for detrimental environmental aging conditions.
Nephrotic syndrome and renal insufficiency associated with lithium therapy

Although the therapeutic administration of lithium in the psychiatric setting has been associated with various renal side effects, only a few reported cases have suggested a possible link to glomerular disease. We report two patients who, while taking lithium, developed heavy proteinuria caused by minimal change disease and acute renal insufficiency attributable to acute tubular necrosis. These clinical findings resolved on discontinuation of the drug, suggesting a role for lithium in their development. We also postulate that lithium, with its unique properties as a modulator of the phosphoinositol pathway, may play a key role in the pathogenesis of minimal change disease.
6,6′-Dimethoxygossypol: molecular structure, crystal polymorphism, and solvate formation

6,6′-Dimethoxygossypol (DMG) is a naturally occurring derivative of gossypol that is found in relatively high concentration in some Gossypium barbadense cotton varieties. Like gossypol, DMG forms an equimolar solvate with acetic acid, but it was not known if, like gossypol, the compound would also form clathrates with other molecules. To test for this, the compound was crystallized from different solvents. Four new structures of DMG were found that include two polymorphic and two solvated forms. The polymorphs include two monoclinic structures with P21/c and C2/c space groups (P1 and P2, respectively). Packing of the DMG molecules P1 is similar to packing of the gossypol molecules in the P1 polymorphic form of gossypol. The DMG molecules in P2 pack in a highly ordered arrangement that has not been previously observed among gossypol structures. DMG forms equimolar solvates with water (S1) and cyclohexanone (S2). Both structures are triclinic with $$P \bar {1}$$ space groups. The DMG molecules in S2 assemble in a manner that is similar to the gossypol molecules of gossypol–cyclohexanone (1:1), and the DMG molecules in S1 pack in a manner that is similar to the DMG molecules in DMG–acetic acid (1:1) as well as the gossypol molecules in gossypol–acetic acid (1:1). Although DMG is not as versatile a host compound as gossypol, it still forms solvates under many crystallization conditions. Consequently, some care is needed to be sure that one understands exactly which form is recovered when the compound is isolated.
Strategies for macromolecular synchrotron crystallography

Introduction During the past ten years the rate of protein structure determination by X-ray crystallography has risen about tenfold [1]. The use of synchrotron radiation was instrumental for this growth and the fraction of the results obtained this way increased from 28% in 1990 to 80% in 1999 (Figure 1). There are 52 synchrotron stations worldwide used for macromolecular crystallography, and there are more than 30 stations under construction or to be built in the near future. The increase in the number of radiation stations was less of a factor in the growth of the results, however, than the improvements in beam intensity and tunability, detectors (Figure 2), computational capacity, software and data collection protocols. There are numerous advantages of using synchrotron radiation for protein crystallography: rapid data collection, use of smaller crystals than with conventional X-ray sources, and the ability to conduct measurements at multiple wavelengths. The data collection protocols evolved in response to changes in hardware, data integration and phasing software. An experimental protocol is as much a result of a compromise between the various limitations encountered at the beamline as due to the fundamental physics requirements. A typical limitation arises from the difficulty of handling large amounts of data. Currently, the amount of data that can be collected from one frozen crystal can be enormous. A four-wavelength experiment collected with the use of the fast APS-1 detector at the Structural Biology Center (SBC, Argonne National Laboratory) can produce 43 GB of data from a single experiment (180° collected at 0.3° oscillation per frame, 18 MB per frame, four wavelengths) in less than 100 minutes. As shown in this example, the detector’s raw ability to measure diffracted X-rays is only one of the limiting factors in synchrotron crystallography. The rate-limiting step is often the ability to back-up and analyze a fast stream of data produced by a multimodule charge-coupled device (CCD). The separation of data acquisition from data backup and analysis makes optimal data collection