cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Building Bridges to Outstanding Customer Service

After years of providing the same annual training to all our student staff regardless of skill level or time of service, it became evident that we needed to revise our approach to better prepare students to deliver the quality service our customers deserve. New students struggled to retain information, asking the same questions repeatedly in their first year. Returners flat out told us they were bored and learned very little in structured training. It was important to get and maintain student interest and enthusiasm for their work while providing them with professional challenges and growth opportunities. Success was measured by the completion of five deliverables: We identified skillsets, redefined position descriptions, and developed a multi-tiered, hands-on training program with specific learning outcomes and assessment tools. Now our annual four-day training features differentiated instruction for each level and area of student employment – Help Desk, Hardware, and Tech Maintenance from new hires through lead consultants. There is also opt-in training for those who are interested in specializing in specific areas of support. ITS full-time staff provide the training on-site and are also responsible for developing an alternate method of delivery for students who are not able to attend in person. To make sure the program continues to meet the needs of our staff and of campus, we instituted a process for annual review and revision of the program.
Impact of different cover crops and termination methods on collard yield

A three-year experiment was conducted in Cullman, AL, to determine the impact of iron clay pea, sunn-hemp, soybean, velvet Bean, sorghum Sudan, and pearl millet cover crops terminated with two methods (rolling and flail mowing) on collard (brassica oleracea var. acephala, L.) yield. Overall, each of the three growing seasons (2013, 2014, and 2015) produced significant differences in cover crop biomass production among cover crops. Across three growing seasons sorghum Sudan and Pearl Millet generated the highest biomass (23,752 and 23,333 kg ha -1 respectively). During the same period, sunn hemp produced 10,908 kg/ha -1 and soybean, velvet bean and iron clay pea produced lower biomass (6,754, 6,068, and 4,360 kg ha -1 , respectively). Termination rates of cover crops used in this study were mostly below 90%. Termination rates above 90% have been recommended by agricultural extension services to plant cash crop into cover crop residue. In all three growing seasons volumetric soil moisture content during evaluation have showed that plots with rolled residue consistently held more VMC than the standing cover crops, indicating that rolled cover crop residue better preserved soil moisture content. Collard green yield was significantly different in each growing season for different covers and termination methods. Averaged over three growing seasons, the highest collard yield was observed for iron clay pea (12,623 kg ha -1 ), Velvet bean (11,020 kg ha -1 ) and sunn hemp (10,802 kg ha -1 ). Data suggest that higher collard yield was obtained with legume cover crops with the benefit of released nitrogen into the soil and utilized by collards. In addition, across all years, the average collard green yield was higher for cover crops which were flail mowed (11,875 kg ha -1 ) compared to rolled/crimped cover crops (7,349 kg ha -1 ).
The “Mojo Man” Presents Black Halloween: Bo Diddley Is a Zombie: 2019, Various ArtistsCD, Koko Mojo KM-CD 45

Halloween is a freaky, enjoyable, once-each-year American tradition. Activities surrounding the October 31st event parallel those practiced during several other annual celebrations. Like Valentine’...
Catalytic, Asymmetric Dearomative Synthesis of Complex Cyclohexanes via a Highly Regio- and Stereoselective Arene Cyclopropanation Using α-Cyanodiazoacetates.

Arene cyclopropanation offers a direct route to higher-order, non-aromatic carbocycles; however, the inherent issue of dictating site selectivity has cumbered the development of novel intermolecula...
Organic Microcavity Light-Emitting Diodes

Microcavities have been extensively studied over the past several decades.1,2 The motivations for such studies range from the most fundamental to the very applied. Microcavities have been useful in clarifying some fundamental problem in electrodynamics such as the effect of vacuum field fluctuations on an emitting dipole.3,4 Microcavity-based devices have been suggested for display applications5 and in enhancing the efficiency of conventional light-emitting diodes.6,7,8,9 Microcavity LEDs based on III-N semiconductors have been proposed as sources for optical communication systems.7,9 This interest has led to numerous contributions, both theoretical and experimental, that have considerably enhanced our understanding of the optical processes in microcavities. We need to point out that there are many types of microcavities and some of the more technologically important ones are described in the following section. In most of this chapter, we will be concerned with the properties and applications of one microcavity type: planar microcavities, often simply referred to as “microcavities.”
Glacial Cycles and Interplanetary Dust

Spectral analysis of proxy global ice data shows conclusively that the cycles of glaciation are astronomically driven. However the same analysis shows serious, perhaps fatal, difficulties with the standard (Milankovitch) theory. We argue that only the 41 kyr cycle of glaciation can be driven by insolation, and that the 100 kyr cycle, dominant for the past million years, is driven by orbital inclination. The linking mechanism is uncertain, although the most likely candidate is that variations in accreting interplanetary dust modulate the cloud cover, and this in turn drives the major glacial cycles.
Ultrasound measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter pre- and post-lumbar puncture.

To test the hypothesis that optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) correlates with real-time changes in intracranial pressure, we performed ultrasound measurements of the ONSD in ambulatory patients undergoing elective lumbar puncture (LP). We conducted a prospective cohort study, including adult patients undergoing LP in a non-emergent setting. We measured ONSD perpendicular to the optic nerve at 3 mm behind the globe in both eyes in the traverse and sagittal planes, with the patient supine. The primary outcome was change in ONSD from pre-LP to post-LP. We calculated association of opening and closing LP pressures with changes in the pre- and post-LP ONSD measurements. The mean patient age was 49.0 years (SD = 37–61, range 19–67) with 21 females (72.4%) and 26 (89.7%) white American (not Hispanic or Latino). The average opening pressure and closing pressures were 20.4 cm and 13.5 cm with a difference of 6.9 cm, (95% CI 3.9–10.0 cm). Pressures between the participants with baseline ONSD measurement > 5 mm (average opening pressure = 21.3 cm) to those < 5 mm (20.2 cm) differed by 1.1 cm (95% CI − 5.7 to 8.0). Linear regression revealed no association between the sagittal, transverse, average, and change in ONSD measurements with the observed LP opening pressure, change in LP pressure, or volume of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) drained. In this study of ambulatory patients undergoing rapid decreases in ICP via elective LP, we detected no acute changes in ultrasonographic measurement of the ONSD.
Artificial Nociceptor Using 2D MoS 2 Threshold Switching Memristor

An artificial nociceptor realized with a single 2D MoS2-based memristor device is demonstrated in this work. The threshold switching memristor (TSM) device exhibits volatile resistance switching characteristics with low threshold voltage and a high ON-OFF ratio of 106. The Au/MoS2/Ag TSM device imitates a nociceptor, a special receptor of a sensory neuron that can detect noxious stimulus and transfer the signal to the central nervous system for preventive actions. The single device exhibits all key features of nociceptors including threshold, relaxation, “no adaptation” and sensitization phenomena of allodynia and hyperalgesia depending on the strength, duration, and repetition of the external stimuli. This work indicates applicability of this device in artificial sensory alarm systems for humanoid robots.
Encoding Complete Metric Structures by Classical Structures

We show how to encode, by classical structures, both the objects and the morphisms of the category of complete metric spaces and uniformly continuous maps. The result is a category of, what we call, cognate metric spaces and cognate maps. We show this category relativizes to all models of set theory (unlike the category of complete metric spaces and uniformly continuous maps). We extend this encoding to an encoding of complete metric structures by classical structures. This provide us with a general technique for translating results about infinitary logic on classical structures to the setting of infinitary continuous logic on continuous structures. Our encoding will also allow us to talk about not only the relations between complete metric structures, but also the potential relations between complete metric structures, i.e. those which are satisfied in some larger model of set theory. For example we will show that given any two complete metric structures we can determine if they are potentially isomorphic by looking at any admissible set which contains them both.
Africans Who Arrive in the United States before 20 Years of Age Maintain Both Cardiometabolic Health and Cultural Identity: Insight from the Africans in America Study.

The overall consensus is that foreign-born adults who come to America age < 20 y achieve economic success but develop adverse behaviors (smoking and drinking) that lead to worse cardiometabolic health than immigrants who arrive age ≥ 20 y. Whether age of immigration affects the health of African-born Blacks living in America is unknown. Our goals were to examine cultural identity, behavior, and socioeconomic factors and determine if differences exist in the cardiometabolic health of Africans who immigrated to America before and after age 20 y. Of the 482 enrollees (age: 38 ± 1 (mean ± SE), range: 20–65 y) in the Africans in America cohort, 23% (111/482) arrived age < 20 y, and 77% (371/482) arrived age ≥ 20 y. Independent of francophone status or African region of origin, Africans who immigrated age < 20 y had similar or better cardiometabolic health than Africans who immigrated age ≥ 20 y. The majority of Africans who immigrated age < 20 y identified as African, had African-born spouses, exercised, did not adopt adverse health behaviors, and actualized early life migration advantages, such as an American university education. Due to maintenance of cultural identity and actualization of opportunities in America, cardiometabolic health may be protected in Africans who immigrate before age 20. In short, immigrant health research must be cognizant of the diversity within the foreign-born community and age of immigration.
Connectivity Maintenance for Multi-Robot Systems Under Motion and Sensing Uncertainties Using Distributed ADMM-based Trajectory Planning.

Inter-robot communication enables multi-robot systems to coordinate and execute complex missions efficiently. Thus, maintaining connectivity of the communication network between robots is essential for many multi-robot systems. In this paper, we present a trajectory planner for connectivity maintenance of a multi-robot system. We first define a weighted undirected graph to represent the connectivity of the system. Unlike previous connectivity maintenance works, we explicitly account for robot motion and sensing uncertainties while formulating the graph edge weights. These uncertainties result in uncertain robot positions which directly affect the connectivity of the system. Next, the algebraic connectivity of the weighted undirected graph is maintained above a specified lower limit using a trajectory planner based on a distributed alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) framework. Here we derive an approximation for the Hessian matrices required within the ADMM optimization step to reduce the computational load. Finally, simulation results are presented to statistically validate the connectivity maintenance of our trajectory planner.
Institutional Arrangements and Farmland Rents in India: A Ricardian Analysis

In addition to environmental factors, the welfare of farming communities in most developing countries depends largely on the credibility of organizations that regulate, implement, and protect different institutional arrangements for facilitating coordination between people. This study adopts the Ricardian approach to investigate whether people’s confidence in such local and national organizations is reflected in farmland rents in rural India. By using repeated cross-sectional household and monthly rainfall data, econometric modeling results indicate a positive relationship between farmland rents and a constructed index of confidence in different organizations. Accounting for the potential endogeneity in this index, TSLS results, with a monthly marginal implicit rent (M-MIR) of $13.32 per acre, reveal an even stronger and significant impact. This implies that the M-MIR of farmlands, of people’s confidence in institutional arrangements is equivalent to 83% of the monthly rural poverty line for a five-member household. The instrument selected to address the potential endogeneity in the confidence index is men’s exposure to mass media in the household. Factors controlled for include - households’ participation in community groups, land area, mode of irrigation, seasonal rainfall, village level information on cattle prices, and distance to different amenities. The findings support the critical importance of continued investment in regional and national entities that oversee and implement various institutional arrangements for facilitating greater cooperation within farming communities.
Analysis of the Impact of Radiation-Induced Optical Transients on Deep-Space Optical Communications Systems using PPM

An analysis on the effects of radiation-induced optical transients in a communications link using PPM is presented. The probability of symbol errors is shown to increase due to ionizing radiation-induced depletion of the optical signal.
Sparse PCA: A New Scalable Estimator Based On Integer Programming

We consider the Sparse Principal Component Analysis (SPCA) problem under the well-known spiked covariance model. Recent work has shown that the SPCA problem can be reformulated as a Mixed Integer Program (MIP) and can be solved to global optimality, leading to estimators that are known to enjoy optimal statistical properties. However, current MIP algorithms for SPCA are unable to scale beyond instances with a thousand features or so. In this paper, we propose a new estimator for SPCA which can be formulated as a MIP. Different from earlier work, we make use of the underlying spiked covariance model and properties of the multivariate Gaussian distribution to arrive at our estimator. We establish statistical guarantees for our proposed estimator in terms of estimation error and support recovery. We propose a custom algorithm to solve the MIP which is significantly more scalable than off-the-shelf solvers; and demonstrate that our approach can be much more computationally attractive compared to earlier exact MIP-based approaches for the SPCA problem. Our numerical experiments on synthetic and real datasets show that our algorithms can address problems with up to 20000 features in minutes; and generally result in favorable statistical properties compared to existing popular approaches for SPCA.
Does Bitcoin Behave Like a Commodity

The paper tests bitcoin returns on predictions made by a commodity theoretical model by Routledge et al (RM). RM predicts the spot price, futures, and implied volatilities behavior to the immediate-use-demand and inventory of a commodity. I find that bitcoins futures and implied volatility behave like any other commodity. However, I do not find predictable behavior in spot prices. Instead, I find a positive relationship between the number of new participants and spot price, which indicates a behavior like an asset driven by network effect versus a commodity.
3D Shape: Its Unique Place in Visual Perception

The uniqueness of shape as a perceptual property lies in the fact that it is both complex and structured. Shapes are perceived veridically -- perceived as they really are in the physical world, regardless of the orientation from which they are viewed. The constancy of the shape percept is the sine qua non of shape perception; you are not actually studying shape if constancy cannot be achieved with the stimulus you are using. Shape is the only perceptual attribute of an object that allows unambiguous identification. In this first book devoted exclusively to the perception of shape by humans and machines, Zygmunt Pizlo describes how we perceive shapes and how to design machines that can see shapes as we do. He reviews the long history of the subject, allowing the reader to understand why it has taken so long to understand shape perception, and offers a new theory of shape. Until recently, shape was treated in combination with such other perceptual properties as depth, motion, speed, and color. This resulted in apparently contradictory findings, which made a coherent theoretical treatment of shape impossible. Pizlo argues that once shape is understood to be unique among visual attributes and the perceptual mechanisms underlying shape are seen to be different from other perceptual mechanisms, the research on shape becomes coherent and experimental findings no longer seem to contradict each other. A single theory of shape perception is thus possible, and Pizlo offers a theoretical treatment that explains how a three-dimensional shape percept is produced from a two-dimensional retinal image, assuming only that the image has been organized into two-dimensional shapes. Pizlo focuses on discussion of the main concepts, telling the story of shape without interruption. Appendixes provide the basic mathematical and computational information necessary for a technical understanding of the argument. References point the way to more in-depth reading in geometry and computational vision.
Interfaces, Protein Films, and Foams

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of the thermodynamics of surfaces with specific reference to the air–water interface and discusses the molecular aspects of the kinetics and thermodynamics of proteins at the air–water interface. A discussion of the properties and the factors affecting the stability of protein-stabilized foams is presented in the chapter. Although all proteins are amphipathic, proteins differ very much in their surface activity. The differences in the surface-active properties of various proteins cannot simply be attributed to nonspecific variations in the amphipathicity of proteins, because, within reasonable limits, most proteins exhibit similar distribution of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues. All of these molecular properties collectively influence the film-forming and foaming properties of proteins. The elucidation of the role of each of these molecular properties on adsorption and film formation of proteins at interfaces is the cherished dream of physical chemists. Such an understanding has been difficult to attain not because of conceptual difficulties but because of the interdependency of each of the molecular properties of the protein on others.
Emerging parasites in food

Abstract: Foodborne parasites have affected humans since antiquity. The complexities of their life cycles play a significant role in their prevalence in certain locations worldwide. Good agricultural practices and food processing have limited or eradicated some parasites from select countries. Still, the emergence or re-emergence of foodborne parasites is occurring worldwide. This chapter will address protozoa and helminths of public health relevance and that are identified in the food supply. Available pre- and post-harvest measures to control parasites in foods are discussed.
Oogenesis in Fundulus heteroclitus. I. Preliminary observations on oocyte maturation in vivo and in vitro.

During the breeding season, the ovary of Fundulus heteroclitus contains follicles of all sizes up to around 1.8 mm in diameter and continuously ovulates eggs (1.7 mm) into the ovarian lumen. Vitellogenic follicles appear to extend up to 1.3 mm, while those larger than 1.4 mm are undergoing hydration concomitant with maturation. If feeding ceases, vitellogenesis appears to stop and maturational stages flush out of the ovary. Refeeding causes reappearance of maturational stages. A culture procedure was developed for dissected F. heteroclitus follicles, and a size range (1.3 to 1.4 mm) was defined which responded to added hormones by undergoing the same maturational changes (germinal vesicle breakdown, fusion, and peripheral detachment of oil droplets, appearance of activability) as occurs in vivo, although the extent of hydration was not quite as extensive. Ovulation, however, did not consistently occur in vitro. Both 11-deoxycorticosterone and progesterone are potent inducers of maturation in vitro, with median effective doses being 10 to 20 ng/ml. Hydrocortisone is about one-tenth as active. Human chorionic gonadotropin promotes maturational changes in about 25% of the follicles over a broad concentration range (1 to 100 IU/ml). The environmental and hormonal mechanisms which influence oocyte maturation in teleosts are discussed inmore » relation to our findings for F. heteroclitus.« less
A kinetic model for the molecular basis of the contractile activity of Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB.

Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB are single-headed, monomeric molecules consisting of one heavy chain and one light chain. Both have high actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity, when the heavy chain is phosphorylated, but neither seems to be able to form the bipolar filaments that are generally thought to be required for actomyosin-dependent contractility. In this paper, we show that, at fixed F-actin concentration, the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activities of myosins IA and IB increase about 5-fold in specific activity in a cooperative manner as the myosin concentration is increased. The myosin concentration range over which this cooperative change occurs depends on the actin concentration. More myosin I is required for the cooperative increase in activity at high concentrations of F-actin. The cooperative increase in specific activity at limiting actin concentrations is caused by a decrease in the KATPase for F-actin. The high and low KATPase states of the myosin have about the same Vmax at infinite actin concentration. Both myosins are completely bound to the F-actin long before the Vmax values are reached. Therefore, much of the actin activation must be the result of interactions between F-actin and actomyosin. These kinetic data can be explained by a model in which the cooperative shift of myosin I from the high KATPase to the low KATPase state results from the cross-linking of actin filaments by myosin I. Cross-linking might occur either through two actin-binding sites on a single molecule or by dimers or oligomers of myosin I induced to form by the interaction of myosin I monomers with the actin filaments. The ability of Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB to cross-link actin filaments is demonstrated in the accompanying paper (Fujisaki, H., Albanesi, J.P., and Korn, E.D. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 11183-11189).
Data-driven programming and behavior for autonomous virtual characters

In the creation of autonomous virtual characters, two levels of autonomy are common. They are often called motion synthesis (low-level autonomy) and behavior synthesis (high-level autonomy), where an action (i.e. motion) achieves a short-term goal and a behavior is a sequence of actions that achieves a long-term goal. There exists a rich literature addressing many aspects of this general problem (and it is discussed in the full paper). In this paper we present a novel technique for behavior (high-level) autonomy and utilize existing motion synthesis techniques. Creating an autonomous virtual character with behavior synthesis abilities frequently includes three stages: forming a model used to generate decisions, running the model to select a behavior to perform given the conditions in the environment, and then carrying out the chosen behavior (translating it into low-level synthesized or explicit motions). For this process to be useful it must efficiently produce realistic behaviors. We address both of these requirements with a novel technique for creating cognitive models. The technique uses programming-by-demonstration to address the first requirement, and uses data-driven behavior synthesis to address the second. Demonstrated human behavior is recorded as sequences of abstract actions, the sequences are segmented and organized into a searchable data structure, and then behavior segments are selected by determining how well they accomplish the character’s long-term goal (see Fig. 1). The resulting model allows a character to engage in a very large variety of high-level behaviors.
Magnetic Interactions In Linear Chain Crystals

Several recent reviews1-5 summarize the physical properties of one-dimensional crystals based on either organic molecules or inorganic complexes. We focus here on magnetic properties and specifically exclude magnetic conductors, or one-dimensional “metals,” in which the approximation of localized moments fails. The crystals of interest are then magnetic insulators or semiconductors that contain linear arrays of localized moments, \({\vec S_n}\).
Evidence of liquid dependent ice nucleation in high-latitude stratiform clouds from surface remote sensors

[1] Ground-based lidar, radar and microwave radiometer observations at Eureka, Canada, Barrow, Alaska and over the western Arctic Ocean measure physical characteristics and morphology of stratiform clouds. Despite transition of a cold atmosphere (−15 C)through ice supersaturated conditions, ice is not observed until soon after a liquid layer. Several cases illustrating this phenomenon are presented in addition to long-term observations from three measurement sites characterizing cloud phase frequency. This analysis demonstrates that clouds composed entirely of ice occur less frequently than liquid-topped mixed-phase clouds at temperatures warmer than −25 to −30 C. These results indicate ice formation generally occurs in conjunction with liquid at these temperatures, and suggest the importance of liquid-dependent ice nucleation mechanisms.
Measurements of Thermal Ion Drift Velocity and Temperature Using Planar Sensors

Satellite measurements of the ion temperature, velocity, and concentration may be obtained by measuring incident variations in the ion flux using a retarding potential analyzer (RPA). A retarding voltage inside the sensor can be used to control the energy of ions having access to the detector. By examining the variations in this flux as a function of energy, the temperature can be determine. The thermal velocity of low energy ions is frequently much less than satellite orbital velocities, in which case the direction of arrival of the ions is approximately aligned along the satellite velocity vector and does not change greatly. In this case the precise arrival angle of the ions can be obtained by a device called an ion drift meter (IDM), which measures the current asymmetry on a detector surface caused by deviations of the ion beam from normal incidence. There is a simple trigonometrical relationship between the ion arrival angles, the normally incident ion velocity, and the transverse velocity. Here we describe the operating principles embedded in the required measurements and the limitations that are inherent in the various measurement techniques. In the presence of a magnetic field where the ion gyrofrequency exceeds the ion-neutral collision frequency, the ion velocity perpendicular to the magnetic field can be derived from a measurement of the electric field vector and knowledge of the magnetic field vector. These conditions apply in the Earth's ionosphere above about 250 km altitude and the relative merits of electric field and ion drift measurements are discussed for this case.
Advanced fiber-optically coupled ultrawideband EM-hardened instrumentation

Recent advances in the fields of analog fiber optic telemetry and high sample rate/wide bandwidth analog to digital conversion have enabled the development of state-of-the art instrumentation for pulsed power applications. The Electromagnetic and Solid State Technologies Division (Code B20) at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) has developed analog fiber-optic telemetry systems capable of operating from DC to 1 kHz and 50 kHz to 6 GHz. Additionally, with the support of the Test and Evaluation/Science and Technology Program, Code B20 is currently developing a 4 GS/s, 1.5 GHz analog bandwidth compact remote digitizer. All systems are heavily shielded to allow measurements to be made in regions of extremely high field strengths up to 200 kV/m. Connection with external instrumentation and control systems is by fiber-optic cabling, providing completely isolated measurements. Detailed descriptions of each system are included and performance data are provided
Semi-Analytic Model for Intergalactic Gamma-Ray Cascades in Extragalactic Magnetic Fields

Primary gamma rays emitted by extragalactic sources, such as blazars, will generate electromagnetic cascades in intergalactic space. These cascades proceed via electron-positron pair production and inverse Compton scattering on cosmic background radiation, mainly the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and extragalactic background light (EBL) fields. The existence of an extragalactic magnetic field (EGMF) could deflect electron-positron pair trajectories and scatter the cascade photons, possibly creating a halo around the source while suppressing the cascade flux collected by a detector. We develop a semi-analytic model for the cascade process and apply it to combined GeV-TeV data on high- frequency-peaked BL Lacertae objects (HBLs) from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and ground-based Cherenkov telescopes, comparing observation results with model predictions using a robust statistical framework. Lower limits with different confidence levels on the field strength of the EGMF derived from this procedure are discussed under various assumptions about the source livetime.
Tetrachloro(η5‐cyclopentadienyl)niobium–Magnesium

(CpNbCl4) [33114-15-7] C5H5Cl4Nb (MW 299.81) InChI = 1S/C5H5.4ClH.Nb/c1-2-4-5-3-1;;;;;/h1-5H;4*1H;/q;;;;;+4/p-4 InChIKey = GKEMWFXJIFQMQF-UHFFFAOYSA-J (Mg) [7439-95-4] Mg (MW 24.31) InChI = 1S/Mg InChIKey = FYYHWMGAXLPEAU-UHFFFAOYSA-N (catalyst for cyclotrimerization of alkynes1) Solubility: sol THF. Preparative Method: generated, in situ, from CpNbCl4 and Magnesium. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: is prepared and used under an inert atmosphere of nitrogen or argon.1 Use in a fume hood.
Coil‐to‐helix transitions in intrinsically disordered methyl CpG binding protein 2 and its isolated domains

Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a canonical intrinsically disordered protein (IDP), that is, it lacks stable secondary structure throughout its entire polypeptide chain. Because IDPs often have the propensity to become locally ordered, we tested whether full-length MeCP2 and its constituent domains would gain secondary structure in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE), a cosolvent that stabilizes intramolecular hydrogen bonding in proteins. The α-helix, β-strand/turn, and unstructured content were determined as a function of TFE concentration by deconvolution of circular dichroism data. Results indicate that approximately two-thirds of the unstructured residues present in full-length MeCP2 were converted to α-helix in 70% TFE without a change in β-strand/turn. Thus, much of the MeCP2 polypeptide chain undergoes coil-to-helix transitions under conditions that favor intrachain hydrogen bond formation. The unstructured residues of the N-terminal (NTD) and C-terminal (CTD) domains were partially converted to α-helix in 70% TFE. In contrast, the central transcription regulation domain (TRD) became almost completely α-helical in 70% TFE. Unlike the NTD, CTD, and TRD, the unstructured content of the methyl DNA binding domain and the intervening domain did not change with increasing TFE concentration. These results indicate that the coil-to-helix transitions that occur in full-length MeCP2 are localized to the NTD, CTD, and TRD, with the TRD showing the greatest tendency for helix formation. The potential relationships between intrinsic disorder, coil-to-helix transitions, and MeCP2 structure and function are discussed.
The unique contribution of home literacy environment to differences in early literacy skills.

The psychometric utility of a home literacy environment measure is evaluated and its unique contribution to predicting literacy skills is examined. The scale is derived from information provided by parents of kindergarten children about the amount of reading materials in the home, and the frequency of library visits, adult literacy‐related behaviors, adult‐child reading, and television viewing. Measures of language, reading, general knowledge and math were collected from 295 children in fall of kindergarten and spring of second grade. The home literacy environment scale predicts unique variance in kindergarten and second grade language‐based, but not number‐based, literacy skills. Hence, the simple and easily administered measure of the home literacy environment proves to be psychometrically strong and uniquely predictive of differences in early literacy skills. †This research was supported by a grant from National Institute of Child Health and Human , Development (HD27176). ∗ Correspondence concerning th...
Exploring the capabilities of immersion lithography through simulation

Immersion lithography has recently emerged as the leading candidate for extending 193nm lithography to the 45nm lithography node and beyond. By immersing the wafer in a high index fluid, lens designs with numerical apertures (NAs) approaching the refractive index of the fluid are possible. While such a high numerical aperture is normally accompanied by an extreme decrease in the depth of focus at the resolution limit, an advantage of the immersion approach to increasing the numerical aperture is that the depth of focus is increased by at least a factor of the refractive index, mitigating some of the DOF loss due to the higher NA and smaller feature. Though this technique for resolution enhancement is receiving significant attention, useful experimental data on the subtle effects of such high NA imaging is one to two years away. Thus, simulation is expected to bridge the gap in immersion lithography research. In this paper, the fundamental imaging physics of immersion lithography will be described. The impact of resolution and depth of focus will be explored, as well as the subtle though significant influence of hyper NAs on polarization related thin film effects and the definition of intensity. With a rigorous model in place, the use of immersion lithography for extending 193nm towards its ultimate limits will be explored.
Purification and properties of proteins essential to DNA encapsulation by phage P22.

Abstract Two noncapsid P22 proteins, p2 and p3, are required for DNA encapsulation. In the in vitro encapsulation system described in the preceding paper, DNA donor extracts lacking p2 or p3 due to mutation are defective. Reconstitution of a 2 − DNA donor extract by an exogenous source of p2 serves as an assay for p2 activity. Attempts to reconstitute 3 − DNA donor extracts have not been successful. p2 can be purified from 3 − -infected cells. The purified active material sediments as an apparent monomer. When the source of p2 is 3 + -infected cells, p2 activity resides in an apparent p2-p3 complex that sediments substantially gaster than monomer p2. p2 activity is unstable in the absence of ATP. These results suggest that p2 and p3 normally function as a complex that interacts with ATP, DNA and proheads in the encapsulation process.
Mineralocorticoid receptor-like aldosterone-binding protein in cell culture.

Receptors for mineralocorticoids have been characterized in kidney and to a lesser extent in certain extrarenal tissues but these receptors have not yet been identified in cells in culture. In the current studies we report the presence of mineralocorticoid receptor-like aldosterone-binding proteins in cloned lines of cultured rat pituitary tumor cells (GC, GH3 sublines) that synthesize and secrete GH and, in some cases, PRL. The apparent Kd of these sites for aldosterone determined from a Scatchard analysis of the binding by intact cells at 37 C is 1 nM, and about 8000 sites per cell were detected. The affinity of the receptors for several steroids is in the order of 9a-fluorocortisol > aldosterone > deoxycorticosterone > cortisol > prednisolone » dexamethasone ≍β-methasone > testosterone > triamcinolone ≍ estradiol. In intact cells and under cell-free conditions, aldosterone stimulates a temperature-dependent nuclear binding of these binding proteins. Under the cell-free conditions, this is inhibited by ...
Neurosurgical management of patients with central nervous system malignancies.

Objectives : To provide an introduction to and description of the neurosurgical technologies used for the diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. Data sources : Published articles, books, and other reference materials. Conclusions : Recent advances in the development of assessment tools and surgical techniques have improved the outcome and quality of life for patients with brain and spinal cord tumors. Further improvements in intraoperative instrumentation and postoperative adjuvant therapy are expected to increase the safety and effectiveness of treatments for CNS malignancies. Implications for nursing practice : Preoperative education for the patient with a CNS malignancy is a special challenge to nurses. Management of these aggressive tumors requires multiple treatment modalities and continued vigilance to detect and palliate recurrent tumors.
Src modulates contractile vascular smooth muscle function via regulation of focal adhesions

Src is a known regulator of focal adhesion turnover in migrating cells; but, in contrast, Src is generally assumed to play little role in differentiated, contractile vascular smooth muscle (dVSM). The goal of the present study was to determine if Src-family kinases regulate focal adhesion proteins and how this might affect contractility of non-proliferative vascular smooth muscle. We demonstrate here, through the use of phosphotyrosine screening, deconvolution microscopy imaging, and differential centrifugation, that the activity of Src family kinases in aorta is regulated by the alpha agonist and vasoconstrictor phenylephrine, and leads to focal adhesion protein phosphorylation and remodeling in dVSM. Furthermore, Src inhibition via morpholino knockdown of Src or by the small molecule inhibitor PP2 prevents phenylephrine-induced adhesion protein phosphorylation, markedly slows the tissue's ability to contract, and decreases steady state contractile force amplitude. Significant vasoconstrictor-induced and Src-dependent phosphorylation of Cas pY-165, FAK pY-925, paxillin pY-118, and Erk1/2 were observed. However, increases in FAK 397 phosphorylation were not seen, demonstrating differences between cells in tissue versus migrating, proliferating cells. We show here that Src, in a cause and effect manner, regulates focal adhesion protein function and, consequently, modulates contractility during the action of a vasoconstrictor. These data point to the possibility that vascular focal adhesion proteins may be useful drug discovery targets for novel therapeutic approaches to cardiovascular disease.
Novel Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGFR)-3 and VEGF-C on Corneal Dendritic Cells

Vascular endothelial growth factor-3 (VEGFR-3) plays a critical role in embryonic cardiovascular development and is thought to be expressed exclusively on the lymphatic endothelium, high endothelial venules, and rarely on adult vascular endothelium. Recent evidence also suggests expression of VEGFR-3 on some tumor-associated macrophages. We have studied the expression of VEGFR-3, its ligand VEGF-C and the co-receptor neuropilin-2, in normal and inflamed corneas and characterized the phenotype and distribution of VEGFR-3+ cells. Our data demonstrate, for the first time, the expression of VEGFR-3 on corneal dendritic cells (DC) and its up-regulation in inflammation. VEGFR-3+ DC are CD11c+CD45+CD11b+, and are mostly major histocompatibility (MHC) class II−CD80−CD86−, indicating immature DC of a monocytic lineage. During inflammation, there is rapid increase in the number of VEGFR-3+ DC in the cornea associated with heightened membranous expression as compared to a mostly intracellular expression in uninflamed tissue. VEGFR-3+ DC in normal corneas are VEGF-C−neuropilin-2−, but express VEGF-C in inflammation. Interestingly, similar cells are absent both in the normal and inflamed skin. These data demonstrate, for the first time, the expression of VEGFR-3 and VEGF-C on tissue DC, which implicate a novel potential relationship between lymphangiogenesis and leukocyte trafficking in the eye.
Plasminogen inhibits TNFα-induced apoptosis in monocytes

Monocytes are major mediators of inflammation, and apoptosis provides a mechanism for regulating the inflammatory response by eliminating activated macrophages. Furthermore, as a consequence of apoptosis, plasminogen binding is markedly increased on monocytoid cells. Therefore, we investigated the ability of plasminogen to modulate monocyte apoptosis. Apoptosis of monocytoid cells (human monocytes and U937 cells) was induced with either TNFα or cycloheximide. When apoptosis was induced in the presence of increasing concentrations of plasminogen, apoptosis was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner with full inhibition achieved at 2 μM plasminogen. Plasminogen treatment also markedly reduced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and reduced levels of active caspase 3, caspase 8, and caspase 9 induced by TNFα or by cycloheximide. We examined the requirement for plasmin proteolytic activity in the cytoprotective function of plasminogen. A plasminogen active site mutant, [D(646)E]-Plg, failed to recapitulate the cytoprotective effect of wild-type plasminogen. Furthermore, antibodies against PAR1 blocked the antiapoptotic effect of plasminogen. Our results suggest that plasminogen inhibits monocyte apoptosis. The cytoprotective effect of plasminogen requires plasmin proteolytic activity and requires PAR1. Because apoptosis of monocytes plays a key role in inflammation and atherosclerosis, these results provide insight into a novel role of plasminogen in these processes.
Conditional control of the quantum states of remote atomic memories for quantum networking

Quantum networks hold the promise for revolutionary advances in information processing with quantum resources distributed over remote locations via quantum-repeater architectures. Quantum networks are composed of nodes for storing and processing quantum states, and of channels for transmitting states between them. The scalability of such networks relies critically on the ability to carry out conditional operations on states stored in separated quantum memories. Here, we report the first implementation of such conditional control of two atomic memories, located in distinct apparatuses, which results in a 28-fold increase of the probability of simultaneously obtaining a pair of single photons, relative to the case without conditional control. As a first application, we demonstrate a high degree of indistinguishability for remotely generated single photons by the observation of destructive interference of their wave packets. Our results demonstrate experimentally a basic principle for enabling scalable quantum networks, with applications also to linear optics quantum computation.
Testing and calibrating parametric wave transformation models on natural beaches

Abstract To provide coastal engineers and scientists with a detailed inter-comparison of widely used parametric wave transformation models, several models are tested and calibrated with extensive observations from six field experiments on barred and unbarred beaches. Using previously calibrated (“default”) values of a free parameter γ, all models predict the observations reasonably well (median root-mean-square wave height errors are between 10% and 20%) at all field sites. Model errors can be reduced by roughly 50% by tuning γ for each data record. No tuned or default model provides the best predictions for all data records or at all experiments. Tuned γ differ for the different models and experiments, but in all cases γ increases as the hyperbolic tangent of the deep-water wave height, Ho. Data from two experiments are used to estimate empirical, universal curves for γ based on Ho. Using the new parameterization, all models have similar accuracy, and usually show increased skill relative to using default γ.
Theoretical Analysis of Relaxation During Shaped Pulses. I. The Effects of Short T1 and T2

Abstract A detailed theoretical treatment of spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation effects which occur during the application of long selective pulses is presented. The effects of T1 and T2 on the degradation of the frequency-domain profile are discussed for a wide variety of pulse shapes. The predicted effects are observed experimentally for residual HOD in a 2:1 (v/v) mixture of DMSO/D20. The relaxation effects for a given pulse are dependent on the ratio of pulse length to relaxation time, and differences between pulses are due to the trajectories of the magnetization produced by each pulse envelope. A comparison of the various pulse shapes is presented for aid in experimental design and data interpretation.
The Number is the Beast: A Political Economy of Organic-Coffee Certification and Producer Unionism

The author argues that organic-coffee certification enacted under the rubric of transnational certification norms alters the logic and practice of economic management and governance in an Oaxacan (Mexican) peasant producers' union. As the title indicates, these changes are productive of social and economic tensions. An economic and ethnographic analysis of ‘certification labor’ demonstrates (a) that the work of certification is distributed within producer organizations such that village and regional leaders become burdened by significant new responsibilities, and (b) that practical changes—including a new producer logic (‘market-price interdependence’) and village certification-service providers (‘peasant inspectors’ and ‘community technical officers’)—have a significant qualitative impact upon household and village economic governance. In addition, certification (c) affects the operation of statewide producer unions, altering the ways in which these interact both with their member organizations and with ...
Democratizing democracy as community development: insights from popular education in Latin America

While many English speaking community developers are familiar with the early work of popular education in Latin America that sprang up during years of dictatorship, most are not aware of the advances in theory and practice our Latin American and Caribbean colleagues created during the era of re-democratization from the mid-1980s into the second decade of the twenty-first century. The social movement linking popular education, community development, and democracy (CDD) is exemplified in the emergence of the Council of Popular Education of Latin America and the Caribbean and its journal of theory and praxis, La Piragua. We situate the social movement and its intellectual work, then examine its utility for CDD practice through an application on the ground, and consider its implications for community development praxis elsewhere.