cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Issues in managing image and video data

This paper presents an overview of our recent work on managing image and video data. The first half of the paper describes a representation for the semantic spatial layout of video frames. In particular, Markov random fields are used to characterize the spatial arrangement of frame tiles that are labeled using support vector machine classifiers. The representation is shown to support similarity retrieval at the semantic level as demonstrated in a prototype video management system. The second half of the paper describes a method for efficiently computing nearest neighbor queries in high-dimensional feature spaces in a relevance feedback framework.
Attentional bias toward threat in contamination fear: Overt components and behavioral correlates

Recent research suggests that an attentional bias toward threat may play a causal role in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with contamination concerns. However, the attentional components involved in this bias, as well as its behavioral correlates, remain unclear. In the present study, eye movements were recorded in individuals high and low in contamination fear (HCF, LCF, respectively) during 30-s exposures to stimulus arrays containing contamination threat, general threat, pleasant, and neutral images. HCF individuals oriented gaze toward contamination threat more often than LCF individuals in initial fixations, and this bias mediated group differences in responding to a behavioral challenge in a public restroom. No group differences were found in the maintenance of gaze on contamination threat, both in terms of initial gaze encounters, as well as gaze duration over time. However, the HCF group made shorter fixations on contamination threat relative to other image types. The implications of these findings for further delineating the nature and function of attentional biases in contamination-based OCD are discussed.
MASS SPECTROMETRY - A SENSITIVE PROBE OF MOLECULAR GEOMETRY

The unimolecular rearrangement chemistry of molecular ions encountered in mass spectrometers is ideally suited for stereoanalytical purposes. This follows from the spatial dependency of the bond making stage of the rearrangement. Examples are noted which demonstrate how such rearrangements may be utilized to assign configuration with and without deuterium labelling even when only one stereoisomer is available. These rearrangements may occur from molecular ions generated by electron impact or field ionization. Chemical ionization and ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry are known to be sensitive to stereoisomerism but have yet to be developed as stereoanalytical devices. Simple cleavage reactions of molecular ions may reveal stereoisomeric information when two diastereomers give rise to identical product ions. In the latter case appearance potential differences and product intensities differences mirror the enthalpic differences of the precursor neutral diastereomers. These thermochemical effects could be utilized to assign configuration to stereoisomers.
Origin of high-temperature superconductivity in copper oxides - clues from the normal-state resistivity

Abstract The in-plane resistivity data, ϱ ∥ ( T ), as a function of temperature for various Cu-oxide superconductors have provided strong evidence for Fermi-liquid normal state and also important clues for understanding the mechanism responsible for high-temperature superconductivity. A dominant quadratic temperature dependence of ϱ ∥ ( T ) above T c is observed in the electron-doped NdCeCuO system and several relatively low- T c hole-doped cuprates. On the other hand, the high- T c Cu-oxides are always characterized by a linear temperature dependence of ϱ ∥ ( T ). Within the framework of the Fermi-liquid model, the correlation of T c with the temperature variation of T c can be understood as caused by effects arising from a two-dimensional Fermi surface (FS). The flatness of FS and the amount of nesting determine the temperature dependence of ϱ ∥ ( T ) and the magnitude of T c . Both the T 2 and the T dependences are due to electron-electron interaction and the linear temperature variation of ϱ ∥ ( T ) is mostly a manifestation of partial FS nesting. Even with a modest electron-phonon interaction (λ≲1), a T c of the order of 100 K can be achieved with the aid of a sharply varying density of states N ( E ) near the Fermi energy E F . Such a van Hove like singularity in N ( E ) has been proposed in the past as a T c -enhancement mechanism for A15 superconductors and more recently for the Cu oxides. It is shown that T c can be limited by various N ( E ) broadening effects on the scale of k B T c . However, these effects are not sufficient to invalidate the high- T c mechanism in Cu oxides. In addition, experimental findings such as the near-zero isotope effect, the Cu-substitution effect on T c , and the lack of correlation between λ and energy gap to T c ratio 2Δ(0)/ k B T c are consistent with this high- T c mechanism.
Group calls for space policies to transcend politics

At a 22 May briefing, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) called on Congress to “establish space exploration policy goals which transcend partisan political differences.” AIAA president and former NASA administrator Michael Griffin said the “goal of establishing human capability to b e a space-faring species is not a short-term goal,” nor is it a goal that belongs to only one political party. “We will not reach long-term goals without a stable, coherent, sensible plan that transcends elections and leaders,” said Griffin, who has provided advice to Republican U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Griffin pointed to NASA's 2008 authorization as providing the kind of vision needed for NASA. The act called for human return to the Moon and preparation for the capability for permanent bases on the Moon, among other things, he said. “That's the kind of thing that we need. All of the goals espoused by the 2008 act were long-term, generational, strategic in scope,” Griffin said, adding that the act, which had bipartisan support, demonstrated “the kind of societal support, rather than political support, that I believe our space program deserves.”
MapReduce analysis for cloud-archived data

Public storage clouds have become a popular choice for archiving certain classes of enterprise data - for example, application and infrastructure logs. These logs contain sensitive information like IP addresses or user logins due to which regulatory and security requirements often require data to be encrypted before moved to the cloud. In order to leverage such data for any business value, analytics systems (e.g. Hadoop/MapReduce) first download data from these public clouds, decrypt it and then process it at the secure enterprise site.We propose VNCache: an efficient solution for MapReduce analysis of such cloud-archived log data without requiring an apriori data transfer and loading into the local Hadoop cluster. VNcache dynamically integrates cloud-archived data into a virtual namespace at the enterprise Hadoop cluster. Through a seamless data streaming and prefetching model, Hadoop jobs can begin execution as soon as they are launched without requiring any apriori downloading. With VNcache's accurate pre-fetching and caching, jobs often run on a local cached copy of the data block significantly improving performance. When no longer needed, data is safely evicted from the enterprise cluster reducing the total storage footprint. Uniquely, VNcache is implemented with NO changes to the Hadoop application stack.
The number of solutions of the Thouless-Anderson-Palmer equations for p-spin-interaction spin glasses.

The number 〈${\mathit{N}}_{\mathit{s}}$〉 of solutions of the equations of Thouless, Anderson, and Palmer for p-spin-interaction spin glass models is calculated. Below a critical temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ this number becomes exponentially large, as it is in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model (p=2). But in contrast to this, for any pg2 the factor \ensuremath{\alpha}(T)=${\mathit{N}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ln〈${\mathit{N}}_{\mathit{s}}$〉 jumps discontinuously at ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$(p), which is consistent with the discontinuity occurring within the mean-field theory for these models. For zero temperature the results obtained by Gross and M\'ezard are reproduced, and for p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty} one gets the result for the random energy model.
Saturation in Milk and Meat Fats

Meat and milk products from ruminants (cows, goats, sheep, and beef animals) contribute 35 to 40 percent of the fat in the average American diet. Such fat is highly saturated, containing less than about 4 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids. The unsaturated plant lipids (fats) ordinarily consumed by the ruminant are hydrogenated (saturated) in the rumen. Transport and incorporation of this hydrogenated fat into meat and milk follows. Rumen hydrogenation does not take place until the fat is broken down to free fatty acids, thus establishing the fact that lipolysis is an essential feature of the process. Circumvention of this lipolysis may lead to more-unsaturated meat and milk fat.
Influence of experimental cryptorchidism on cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzym and δ5sβ-hydboxysteroid dehydrogenase activities

Testicular cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (CSCCE) and Δ53β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (Δ5-3β-HSD) activities were assessed 12 hours and 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 days after surgical induction of bilateral cryptorchidisn in adult rats. Within 12 hours after surgery CSCCE activity (expressed as dpm of isocaproic acid-14C formed from cholesterol-26-14C/3 hours/testis) was significantly reduced (P 0.05) 1/2, 2, or 4 days after translocation of testes to the abdominal cavity. By day 8 of cryptorchidism, however, Δ5-3β-HSD activity was reduced to 60% of control values (P < 0.05) and continued to decline to approximately 30% of controls during the remainder of the experimental period. These observed alterations in enzyme activities suggest an impairment in the ability of cryptorchid rat testes to synthesize androgens and further indicate that testicular CSCCE is more acutely sensitive to the cryptorchid milieu than Δ5-3β-HSD.
Antiretroviral therapy for prevention is a combination strategy.

In the past several years, the debate of “treatment vs prevention” has shifted with the introduction of the concept of “treatment as prevention,” (TasP), stemming from a series of compelling observational, ecological, and modeling studies as well as HPTN 052, a randomized clinical trial, demonstrating that use of ART is associated with a decrease in HIV transmission. In addition to TasP being viewed as 1 intervention in a combination strategy for HIV Prevention, TasP is, in and of itself, a combination of multiple interventions that need to be implemented with high coverage in order to achieve its potential impact.
Reactivity and structural role of protein amino groups in tobacco mosaic virus.

Abstract The role of protein amino groups in the regeneration of virus-like rods from tobacco mosaic virus A protein in the absence of viral RNA has been investigated. It has been found that in the isolated A protein the ϵ-amino groups of the two lysine residues per polypeptide chain are available for reaction with S -ethyl trifluorothioacetate and with various imidoesters. After total trifluoroacetylation, the protein is incapable of self-assembly to protein rods; but removal of trifluoroacetyl groups leads to recovery of this ability. On the other hand, complete reaction with even comparatively bulky imidoesters does not inhibit rod formation, which suggests that positive charge on one or both of the two lysine residues is essential for this process to occur. The ϵ-amino groups in the isolated A protein were observed to show little, if any, difference in reactability towards S -ethyltrifluorothioacetate. On the other hand, reaction of the imidoester, methyl picolinimidate, with the intact virus was found to be limited almost completely to lysine residue 68, with little or no reaction at lysine residue 53. These results indicate that the lack of reaction at lysine residue 53 is a function of the intact virus structure, and suggest that this residue may be involved in an ion-pair within the virus surface.
Long-term effects of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine administered at birth on the development of brain monoamines

Summary 5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine (12.5, 25.0, or 50.0 μg) was injected intracisternally in male and female rats at birth; animals were killed 3, 12, 24, or 60 days after the injections and brain monoamines were examined for changes in the concentrations of various neurotransmitters. Brain serotonin levels were markedly depleted at all time periods examined, with the greatest reduction occurring after the injection of 50 μg of the drug. In animals killed at 60 days of age, decreases also occurred in the concentrations of brain and spinal cord 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and brain norepinephrine, although the depressions in brain norepinephrine were small (73% of controls) and non-dose related. Spinal cord, and regional and whole brain levels of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were still decreased 120 and 240 days after injection. Whereas brain norepinephrine was also depressed at 240 days of age, brain levels of tryptophan or dopamine, and cardiac levels of norepinephrine, were unchanged.
Effect of combined metformin and oral contraceptive therapy on metabolic factors and endothelial function in overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 19 overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome were randomized to a 3-month course of either metformin plus combined hormonal oral contraceptive (OC) (n = 9) or OC plus matched placebo (n = 10). After 3 months, both treatments had similar effects on androgen levels, lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, and serum inflammatory markers, but flow-mediated dilatation increased by 69.0% in the metformin plus OC group while it remained unchanged in the OC group. Clinical Trial Registration No NCT00682890.
Studies on the radioacetylation of whole cells in culture.

Abstract We have applied the rapid, simple acetic acid anhydride technique to the radioactive covalent acetylation of mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro with the following results. The duration of the reaction for appreciable radionuclidic label incorporation can be as little as 5 min as has been found for other cells. The amount of activity remaining with the cells following acetylation remains constant between 1 h and 2 days, but gradually decreases thereafter. The amount of radioactivity transferred on a per cell basis is constant irrespective of the number of cells per plate, over a 10-fold range of cell concentrations. It is possible, then, to perform controlled labelling experiments without regard to intracellular pool sizes. The method does not appear to affect the functional ability of the cells as measured both by their ability to ingest opsonized sheep red blood cells or become “activated” to be tumoricidal in vitro.
Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Spectra by Helium Ionization Mass Spectrometry (HIMS) on a Modified Atmospheric-Pressure Source Designed for Electrospray Ionization

Chemical-ionization techniques that use metastable species to ionize analytes traditionally use a flat pin or a sharp solid needle onto which the high potential needed to generate the discharge plasma is applied. We report here that direct analysis of samples containing volatile and semivolatile compounds, including saturated and unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, can be achieved on any electrospray-ionization mass spectrometer by passing helium though the sample delivery metal capillary held at a high potential. In the helium plasma ionization source (HPIS) described here, the typical helium flow required (about 20–30 mL/min), was significantly lower than that needed for other helium-ionization sources. By this procedure, positive ions were generated by nominal hydride ion removal from molecules emanating from heated saturated hydrocarbons as large as tetratetracontane (C44H90), at capillary voltages ranging from 2.0 to 4.0 kV. Unsaturated hydrocarbons, on the other hand, underwent facile protonation under much lower capillary voltages (0.9 to 2.0 kV). Although saturated and monounsaturated hydrocarbons bearing the same number of carbon atoms generate ions of the same m/z ratio, a gas-phase deuterium exchange method is described to ascertain the identity of these isomeric ions originating from either protonation or hydride abstraction mechanisms. Moreover, mass spectrometric results obtained by exposing unsaturated hydrocarbons to D2O vapor in an HPIS-MS instrument confirmed that the proton donor for ionization of unsaturated hydrocarbons is protonated water.
Achieving the ballistic-limit current in Si MOSFETs

Abstract The fundamental ballistic limits of on-state current in ultimately scaled Si MOSFETs are examined. Theoretical analysis of these limits, with comparisons to currents that have actually been achieved in recent CMOS technologies and that have been predicted by Monte Carlo simulations, gives insight about why the limits have not been reached and how they might be reached. The study considers SOI as well as bulk-Si devices, and suggests that, for controlled off-state current, only an optimally designed double-gate structure could yield a ballistic-limit on-state current.
Cascadable surface-emitting laser logic: demonstration of Boolean logic

The authors demonstrate cascadable optical logic (AND-, OR- and exclusive OR-gates) implemented with heterojunction phototransistors and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. They also discuss an architecture for implementing binary arithmetic using cascadable surface-emitting laser logic devices and optical symbolic substitution.
Surface adsorption and retention of TNT vapors

A relatively inexpensive and reliable method was developed to generate vapor pulses of explosives using 2,4,6 trinitrotoluene (TNT) for proof of concept. The technology developed in vapor generation and collection was integrated with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) as the primary analytical tool, keeping in mind utility in field scenarios. The use of the technology was demonstrated in evaluating different surfaces for adsorption of TNT vapors from a low air flow. Of the ten materials examined, teflon was found to be the best substrate for adsorption, retention, and subsequent recovery of TNT using ion mobility spectrometry for analysis. The present work has also illustrated that TNT is bound more strongly on some surfaces than others. It was also shown that decomposition of small amounts of TNT on quartz fiber membranes occurs rapidly in the temperature range 235-250 degree(s)C as evidenced by the collection and determination of NO3 away from the surface. The experimental apparatus developed for generation of vapor pulses can be used to study the decomposition of small amounts of explosives as a function of surface, and temperature in the presence and absence of air, and in a static environment or in a flowing gas stream.
IR Spectroscopic Observation of Molecular Transport through Pt@CoO Yolk−Shell Nanostructures

FTIR spectroscopy has been used to monitor the transport of CO to the Pt cores of Pt@CoO nanoparticles forming CO/Pt species. It was found that external Pt sites are not present on the outer surfaces of the ∼10 nm diameter nanostructures and that CO transports to Pt adsorption sites by an activated surface diffusion process through the CoO shells surrounding ∼2 nm diameter Pt cores. The CO transport process is not due to gas-phase transport below 300 K. The weakly bound adsorbed CO/CoO species responsible for transport was directly observed at ∼2147 cm-1 during transport through the CoO shells.
Syntheses and conformational studies of poly(N-epsilon-methyl-L-lysine), poly(N-delta-methyl-L-ornithine), poly(N-delta-ethyl-L-ornithine), and their carbobenzoxy derivatives.

The helix–coil transitions of poly(Ne-methyl, Ne-carbobenzoxy-L-lysine), poly(Nδ-methyl, Nδ-carbobenzoxy-L-ornithine), and poly(Nδ-ethyl, Nδ-carbobenzoxy-L-ornithine) in chloroform–dichloroacetic acid and their corresponding decarbobenzoxylated polypeptides in alkaline solutions were followed by optical rotation measurements. The introduction of a methyl or an ethyl group to the side chains of the carbobenzoxy derivatives of poly(L-lysine) and poly(L-ornithine) appeared to weaken the helical conformation at 25°C. The thermodynamic quantities of the three water-soluble polypeptides were calculated from the data on potentiometric titrations at several temperatures. For uncharged coil-to-helix transition, ΔH = −370 cal/mol and ΔS = −1.1 eu/mol for poly(Ne-methyl-L-lysine), and ΔH = −540 cal/mol and ΔS = −1.6 eu/mol for poly(Nδ-ethyl-L-ornithine) (all on molar residue basis). The absolute values of ΔH and ΔS dropped in the region of pH-induced transition and eventually both quantities became positive. The initiation factor σ was about 2 × 10−3, which was essentially independent of temperature. For poly(Nδ-methyl-L-ornithine) the coil-to-helix transition was not complete even when the polymer was uncharged at high pH.
Differentiation and morphogenesis of mammary cells in vitro

Cells of a mammary cell line isolated from a DMBA-induced rat mammary carcinoma undergo differentiation in vitro. A reversible differentiation leads to the formation of two types of microstructure (domes and ridges); this paper is concerned with the mechanism of dome formation. This differentiation is initiated by inducers, some of which are generated in the cultures and act locally; their effect is strongly dependent on cell concentration and requires hydrocortisone. There are, in addition, exogenous inducers as well as inhibitors. In the pathway to dome formation important roles are played by cAMP (probably both intracellular and extracellular), the organization of the cytoskeleton, and the Thy-1 antigen. The pathway and the significance of the phenomenon for mammary gland development are discussed.
TIME-RESOLVED HOLOGRAPHIC DIFFRACTION AT ATOMIC RESOLUTION

Abstract This article proposes a new way to obtain the diffraction patterns of well oriented molecules at atomic resolution. The method bridges internal source holography, X-ray crystallography and gas phase electron diffraction. It can accurately recover the scatterer in three spatial dimensions. Using pump–probe techniques, it is capable of simultaneous femtosecond time resolution and Angstrom spatial resolution in three dimensions. It can be implemented using existing sources of short pulses of monochromatic electrons or X-rays. It is applicable to the measurement of surface and bulk chemical reactions. The possibility of elucidating enzymatic reactions in macromolecules is of particular interest.
Time series forecasting models involving power transformations

In this paper we discuss procedures for overcoming some of the problems involved in fitting autoregressive integrated moving average forecasting models to time series data, when the possibility of incorporating an instantaneous power transformation of the data into the analysis is contemplated. The procedures are illustrated using series of quarterly observations on corporate earnings per share.
Assessing the Link Between Coastal Urbanization and the Quality of Nekton Habitat in Mangrove Tidal Tributaries

To assess the potential influence of coastal development on habitat quality for estuarine nekton, we characterized body condition and reproduction for common nekton from tidal tributaries classified as undeveloped, industrial, urban or man-made (i.e., mosquito-control ditches). We then evaluated these metrics of nekton performance, along with several abundance-based metrics and community structure from a companion paper (Krebs et al. 2013) to determine which metrics best reflected variation in land-use and in-stream habitat among tributaries. Body condition was not significantly different among undeveloped, industrial, and man-made tidal tributaries for six of nine taxa; however, three of those taxa were in significantly better condition in urban compared to undeveloped tributaries. Palaemonetes shrimp were the only taxon in significantly poorer condition in urban tributaries. For Poecilia latipinna, there was no difference in body condition (length–weight) between undeveloped and urban tributaries, but energetic condition was significantly better in urban tributaries. Reproductive output was reduced for both P. latipinna (i.e., fecundity) and grass shrimp (i.e., very low densities, few ovigerous females) in urban tributaries; however a tradeoff between fecundity and offspring size confounded meaningful interpretation of reproduction among land-use classes for P. latipinna. Reproductive allotment by P. latipinna did not differ significantly among land-use classes. Canonical correspondence analysis differentiated urban and non-urban tributaries based on greater impervious surface, less natural mangrove shoreline, higher frequency of hypoxia and lower, more variable salinities in urban tributaries. These characteristics explained 36 % of the variation in nekton performance, including high densities of poeciliid fishes, greater energetic condition of sailfin mollies, and low densities of several common nekton and economically important taxa from urban tributaries. While variation among tributaries in our study can be largely explained by impervious surface beyond the shorelines of the tributary, variation in nekton metrics among non-urban tributaries was better explained by habitat factors within the tributary and along the shorelines. Our results support the paradigm that urban development in coastal areas has the potential to alter habitat quality in small tidal tributaries as reflected by variation in nekton performance among tributaries from representative land-use classes.
Sustainable IT Budgeting: A Method to Determine Not to Exceed Values for Annual Infrastructure Purchases

Picture-archiving and communication systems are complex entities, but at core they consist of compute processors that are networked together to store and retrieve objects. Therein lay fundamental aspects of both performance benchmarking and predicting future costs, provided one can accurately predict trends in both exam volumes and sizes. Hence, determining the correct amount of capital to reserve annually for the information technology infrastructure can be a difficult process for the administrator of a medical center. Both exam volumes and sizes tend to increase over time. In addition, users demand more compute-intensive applications and expect exam delivery to the desktop to be ever timelier despite the increase in size. Against this, storage, compute, and networking costs tend to decrease over time for the same performance level. At the end of the day, the question of whether to budget more or less capital for next year’s infrastructure is not trivial. This paper develops a methodology that uses current baseline data to predict the “ampleness” of a budget to meet future needs.
Antimony(III)-D, L-tartrates exhibit proton-assisted enantioselective binding in solution and in the gas phase

The negative ion mode ESI mass spectral analysis of antimony(III)-D- and -L-tartrate (“tartar emetic”), in association with leucine enantiomeric isotopomers, revealed remarkable proton-assisted enantioselective molecular recognition phenomena. The current study infers that recognition of amino acids by antimony(III)-D,L-tartrate complexes requires that the chiral selector associate a proton to become enantioselective. The dianionic selector itself failed to show enantiomeric discrimination capacity. This observation was shown to be consistent both in solution-phase targeting full scan and gas-phase targeting collision threshold dissociation (CTD) experiments. Importantly, this disparity in enantioselective binding capacity between the dianionic and the protonated monoanionic representatives of antimony(III)-D- and-L-tartrates could only be clearly revealed by ESI-MS and tandem mass spectrometry experiments as described herein. This finding urges a more in-depth study of mechanisms associated with exhibited enantiomeric resolving capacity of antimony tartrates in HPLC and CE applications, as well as in former ESI-MS association studies.
The energy-redox axis in aging and age-related neurodegeneration

Decrease in mitochondrial energy-transducing capacity is a feature of the aging process that accompanies redox alterations, such as increased generation of mitochondrial oxidants, altered GSH status, and increased protein oxidation. The decrease in mitochondrial energy-transducing capacity and altered redox status should be viewed as a concerted process that embodies the mitochondrial energy – redox axis and is linked through various mechanisms including: (a) an inter-convertible reducing equivalents pool (i.e., NAD(P)+/NAD(P)H) and (b) redox-mediated protein post-translational modifications involved in energy metabolism. The energy–redox axis provides the rationale for therapeutic approaches targeted to each or both component(s) of the axis that effectively preserves or improve mitochondrial function and that have implications for aging and age-related neurodegenerative disorders.
An Oil Dispensing Aerosol for Quality Preservation of Shell Eggs

ABSTRACT Oil has long been used as a coating for shell eggs in an attempt to minimize rate of loss of interior quality. Spamer (1931) reported that Dutch farmers were using oil for preserving eggs as early as 1807. Research and development during the last 150 years has led to the use of certain paraffin base, colorless, odorless and tasteless mineral oils for treating shell eggs. The most widely used process for oil application has been dipping. On the farm the process was hand dipping and at plants mechanical dipping equipment is used. Recently spray oiling has been used with variable success. Swanson (1958) reviewed oiling procedures, pointing out some of the problems of maintaining sanitation with current procedures. The widespread use of aerosol dispensers in many areas led to development of an aerosol-mineral oil product. Work reported here is an evaluation of such a product. Eggs were obtained from the . . .
Functional and structural conservation of Schizosaccharomyces pombe dTMP kinase gene

Abstract We describe the isolation and identification of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe dTMP kinase gene by the complementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle mutant cell, cdc8 . The isolated cDNA contains an open reading frame which can encode a protein with the molecular weight of 24 151. The deduced protein sequence is highly conserved among known dTMP kinase sequences from different organisms. The isolated gene should facilitate our study of its enzymatic activity, as well as nucleotide metabolism and cell cycle regulation in this organism.
Grass genome organization and evolution

The genomes of five species belonging to the grass family have been fully sequenced and provide insight into the structural organization and evolution of grass genomes. Comparative analyses have shown that genes and repeats are organized differently in small genomes compared to large genomes. Small genomes show a clear partitioning between gene-rich euchromatic and gene-poor pericentromeric regions. This is far less the case in larger genomes because many repeats are also interspersed between single genes or small gene islands. This organizational pattern may enhance erosion of colinearity because of the inherent mutagenic effects of transposable elements. Factors contributing to genome diversification, which is not constant in either space or time, are rapid turnover of repeats, chromosomal rearrangements, gene loss or differentiation following gene duplication and potentially the creation of new genes from transposable element-acquired gene fragments.
Patterns of Violent Behavior and Victimization Among African American Youth

Abstract This study examines differences in reported problems among African American youth exposed to violence and victimization. Results suggest that a substantial number of African American youth are exposed to direct victimization while in transit to and from school, while others are indirectly victimized by way of peer victimization. Additional support is found for the impact of violence on mental health status, in that subjects exposed to violence reported greater post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms compared to youth who were not exposed to violence. In light of these findings, it is suggested that future studies continue to examine the impact of violence on the emotional development of youth.
The Racial Hand in the Victorian Imagination

Introduction 1. The case of the blank hand: race and manual legibility 2. Potters and prosthetics: putting Indian hands to work 3. The mummy's hand: art and evolution 4. A hand for a hand: punishment, responsibility, and imperial desire 5. Crimes of the hand: manual violence and the Congo Coda Bibliography.
Design and performance of the 2-ID-B scanning x-ray microscope.

We have constructed a high resolution scanning x-ray microscope at the 2-ID-B beamline at the Advanced Photon Source for 1-4 keV x-ray imaging and microspectroscopy experiments. The microscope uses a Fresnel zone plate to focus coherent x-ray undulator radiation to a 150 nm focal spot on a sample. The spectral flux in the focus is 10{sup 8} ph/s/0.1% BW. X-ray photons transmitted by the sample are detected by an avalanche photodiode as the sample is scanned to form an absorption image. The sample stage has both coarse and fine translation axes for raster scanning and a rotation axis for microtomography experiments. The incident x-ray beam energy can also be scanned via the 2-ID-B monochromator while the sample is kept in focus to record spatially resolved absorption spectra. We have measured the performance of the instrument with various test objects. The microscope hardware, software, and performance are discussed in this paper.
CloudVal: A framework for validation of virtualization environment in cloud infrastructure

We present CloudVal, a framework to validate the reliability of virtualization environment in Cloud Computing infrastructure. A case study, based on injecting faults in the KVM hypervisor and Xen hypervisor, was conducted to show the viability of the framework. The study shows that due to the architectural differences between KVM and Xen, a direct comparison of the two virtualization systems is not feasible. In order to confidently weigh error resiliency of virtualization systems, more comprehensive studies are required. We believe, however, that the fault injection approach and the fault models proposed in this paper are a good starting point towards designing and implementing a benchmark which would enable the assessment of different virtualization infrastructures in a common manner.
A new method to optimize the satellite broadcasting schedules using the mean field annealing of a Hopfield neural network

Reports a new method for optimizing satellite broadcasting schedules based on the Hopfield neural model in combination with the mean field annealing theory. A clamping technique is used with an associative matrix, thus reducing the dimensions of the solution space. A formula for estimating the critical temperature for the mean field annealing procedure is derived, hence enabling the updating of the mean field theory equations to be more economical. Several factors on the numerical implementation of the mean field equations using a straightforward iteration method that may cause divergence are discussed; methods to avoid this kind of divergence are also proposed. Excellent results are consistently found for problems of various sizes. >
A novel use of the lacunarity index to discern landscape function

Discerning the function of a landscape involves comparing landscape use with spatial patterns. To do this requires both quantification of landscape use and landscape pattern and a means of comparing the two. An index of lacunarity has been used to quantify spatial pattern (specifically, habitat contagion). We demonstrate a new way of using the lacunarity index to quantify landscape function as well. We calculated lacunarity to describe landscape patchiness of experimental landscapes with respect to patterns of habitat and non-habitat areas (the previous use of lacunarity) as well as to describe patterns of patch use by animals in those landscapes, irrespective of habitat-patch patterns (a novel application of lacunarity). We demonstrate a disparity between landscape pattern and landscape use. This finding suggests that drawing generalizations of, and making predictions about, how animals respond to landscape spatial structure may not be straightforward.
MEMS mass sensors with uniform sensitivity for monitoring cellular apoptosis

MEMS-based resonant mass sensors can be sensitive tools to measure the physical properties of cells such as their mass. We recently developed an array of sensors that have a uniform mass sensitivity for measuring the stiffness and the long-term growth rate of adherent human colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29) [1]. We demonstrated that for these adherent single cells, the cell growth rate increases with call mass, i.e. larger cells grow faster. The finding points to the fact that additional cell-size control mechanisms might be required for cell size homeostasis over generations and that growth rate is determined by the amount of the ribosomal machinery, which doubles during the cell cycle. Here, we expand our studies by presenting an additional sensor design with further optimization for higher uniformity of the mass sensitivity based on a detailed numerical analysis. We also demonstrate that MEMS resonant mass sensors can be used to measure physical changes in apoptotic cells. HT29 were treated with staurosporine, a potent drug that induces cellular apoptosis. Through Laser Doppler Vibrometery (LDV), we measured changes in the cells' apparent mass, and correlated these changes with optical images using dark field microscopy. Such real-time mass measurements of individual cells coupled with optical imaging can be a powerful tool to understand the physiological processes of cell growth and apoptosis.
Track-following controller design of MEMS based dual-stage servos in magnetic hard disk drives

A decoupled controller architecture and discrete time pole placement design methodology is proposed for dual-stage servo controller design of magnetic hard disk drives. The methodology was applied to the controller design of a dual-stage servo with a MEMS microactuator (MA) which rotates the slider relative to the gimbal. MIMO and SIMO controllers were designed for cases when the microactuator's relative position error signal is respectively available and not available to the control system. The effects of MA resonance variations on the stability and performance of the controller were analyzed for both cases.
New Preface to the Greek Edition of Nietzsche on Morality (2009)

This is a new preface written for the Greek translation of my NIETZSCHE ON MORALITY (Routledge, 2002), which will be published by Okto Publishing (Athens) in 2009. The publisher asked that I discuss how I became interested in Nietzsche, how my views about him evolved, and also how I would respond to the still-common perception (esp. in Europe) of Nietzsche as a thinker of "the right."
Three-dimensional multipath shape factors for spatial modeling of wireless channels

This paper develops a generalized theory of multipath shape factors used to study the small-scale fading statistics in three-dimensional non-omnidirectional multipath channels. Previous results for horizontal propagation channels are special cases of the present framework when the multipath angular power density (APD) and the travel direction of the mobile unit are confined to a plane. The three-dimensional multipath shape factors are derived in terms of the first three degrees of unnormalized spherical harmonics of the APD. Based on the so derived shape factors, analytical expressions for the level crossing rate, average fade duration and approximate envelope correlation are derived for a Rayleigh fading three-dimensional channel.
Swords into ploughshares: John Herschel's progressive view of astronomical and imperial governance

Stargazing Knight Errant, beware of the day When the Hottentots catch thee observing away! Be sure they will pluck thy eyes out of their sockets To prevent thee from stuffing the stars in thy pocketsIf Herschel should find a new star at the Cape, His perils no longer would pain us He will salt the star's tail to prevent its escape And call it ‘The Hottentot Venus’.Astronomy has long been recognized as a tool of empire. Its service to navigation and geography have made it indispensable to European expansion. Britain in particular excelled at this brand of control; each day when the sun set on the British empire, its telescopes continued to enhance imperial power.While the above claims are no longer controversial, we have hardly begun to understand the extent to which imperialism subsequently changed the nature of the physical sciences.
A Meta-Analysis of Experimental Research on Teacher Questioning Behavior

The meta-analytic technique was used to synthesize experimental research findings on the relationship between level of teacher questioning and student achievement. Twenty studies on teachers’ use of “higher” and “lower” cognitive questions were reviewed. Higher cognitive questions require pupils to manipulate information to create and support a response; lower cognitive questions call for verbatim recall or recognition of factual information. Effect sizes were computed to investigate the impact of program monitoring, experimental validity, and level of teacher questioning. Results show that gains in achievement can be expected when higher cognitive questions assume a predominant role during classroom instruction.
Mitochondrial NAD+-dependent malic enzyme from Anopheles stephensi: A possible novel target for malaria mosquito control

Background Anopheles stephensi mitochondrial malic enzyme (ME) emerged as having a relevant role in the provision of pyruvate for the Krebs' cycle because inhibition of this enzyme results in the complete abrogation of oxygen uptake by mitochondria. Therefore, the identification of ME in mitochondria from immortalized A. stephensi (ASE) cells and the investigation of the stereoselectivity of malate analogues are relevant in understanding the physiological role of ME in cells of this important malaria parasite vector and its potential as a possible novel target for insecticide development.
Poverty and Behavior: A Response to a Critique of a Critique of a Special Issue

Abstract Huston, McLoyd, and Garcia Coll (1997) criticize our critique of a special issue of Child Development dealing with poverty. We agree with many of their observations about the complexity of poverty and the need for longitudinal and other research designs on poverty that may provide stronger causal inferences. We continue to believe that Huston et al. underestimate the important contribution that behavior genetic research designs can make toward understanding poverty and that they downplay the methodological necessity of controlling for genetic influences when estimating environmental ones.
Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in a woman taking cesium chloride.

SALIBA, W., et al.: Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia in a Woman Taking Cesium Chloride. A 47- year-old patient presented with syncope and recurrent episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. She had evidence of prolonged QT interval by ECG and had been taking cesium as a dietary supplement. Correction of the hypokalemia and discontinuation of the cesium resulted in normalization of the QT interval during follow-up with no further recurrence of ventricular arrhythmias. The use of this drug is potentially hazardous as it may induce fatal ventricular arrhythmias.
Sepsis and Acute Kidney Injury

Sepsis is a severe and dysregulated inflammatory response to infection characterized by end-organ dysfunction distant from the primary site of infection. Development of acute kidney injury (AKI) during sepsis increases patient morbidity, predicts higher mortality, has a significant effect on multiple organ functions, is associated with an increased length of stay in the intensive care unit, and hence consumes considerable healthcare resources. When compared with AKI of nonseptic origin, septic AKI is characterized by a distinct pathophysiology and therefore requires a different approach. Despite impressive advances in several fields of medicine, the pathophysiology, diagnostic procedures, and appropriate therapeutic interventions in sepsis are still highly debatable. Numerous immunomodulatory agents showing promise in preclinical studies fail to reduce the overwhelmingly high mortality rate of sepsis and provoke AKI when compared with other critically ill patients. Major impediments to progress in understanding, early diagnosis, and application of appropriate therapeutic modalities in sepsis-induced AKI include limited histopathologic information, few animal models that closely mimic human sepsis, and a relative shortage of specific diagnostic tools. Here we discuss the most recent advances in understanding the fundamental mechanisms of sepsis-induced AKI, characteristics of relevant animal models available, and potential therapies.
Les avantages de la recherche-développement, de l'innovation et de l'accroissement de la productivité dans le secteur agricole

Ce rapport examine la bibliographie sur le role que joue la recherche-developpement en agriculture en matiere d’encouragement de l’innovation et de la productivite dans le secteur agricole. Cet examen cherche a clarifier les concepts et la terminologie utilises dans le domaine, a donner une evaluation critique des methodes rencontrees dans les etudes publiees, a rendre compte des principaux resultats et a en tirer des conclusions. Une constatation essentielle est que le taux de rentabilite, pour la collectivite, des investissements dans la recherche-developpement en agriculture est generalement eleve. Les resultats precis varient en fonction des methodes et des hypotheses de modelisation, en particulier des hypotheses concernant la distribution des retards, la nature de l’evolution technologique suscitee par la recherche et la nature des marches des produits agricoles touches.
Optical shock waves on a partially-incoherent background

We experimentally study dispersive optical shock waves on a partially-spatially-incoherent background. We observe statistical wave damping and demonstrate shock waves using both self-defocusing and self-focusing nonlinearities, corresponding to positive and negative optical fluid pressures.
Analysis of the Gal-Chen–Zhang Single-Doppler Velocity Retrieval

Abstract The authors present herein an analysis of a single-Doppler velocity retrieval (SDVR) technique whereby the unobserved wind components are determined from single-Doppler radar data. The analysis is designed to provide information about the behavior and/or sensitivity of the SDVR scheme as a function of various internal and external parameters as well as about observational errors and weights. Results presented for retrieval of both the mean and local flow indicate that the SDVR breaks down if the reflectivity gradient vanishes or if a reflectivity isoline is locally perpendicular to the radar beam. In the absence of reflectivity or radial velocity errors, the mean flow solution is independent of the integration area, the radar location, the signal wavenumber, and the weights. Given perfect radial wind information, error in the reflectivity field degrades the solution. Contrary to the error-free solution, the solution with error depends on the integration area. Error statistics indicate that radial...