cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Near-real time aboveground carbon emissions in Peru

Monitoring aboveground carbon stocks and fluxes from tropical deforestation and forest degradation is important for mitigating climate change and improving forest management. However, high temporal and spatial resolution analyses are rare. This study presents the most detailed tracking of aboveground carbon over time, with yearly, quarterly and monthly estimations of emissions using the stock-difference approach and masked by the forest loss layer of Global Forest Watch. We generated high spatial resolution (1-ha) monitoring of aboveground carbon density (ACD) and emissions (ACE) in Peru by incorporating hundreds of thousands of Planet Dove satellite images, Sentinel-1 radar, topography and airborne LiDAR, embedded into a deep learning regression workflow using high-performance computing. Consistent ACD results were obtained for all quarters and months analyzed, with R2 values of 0.75-0.78, and root mean square errors (RMSE) between 20.6 and 22.0 Mg C ha-1. A total of 7.138 Pg C was estimated for Peru with annual ACE of 20.08 Tg C between the third quarters of 2017 and 2018, respectively, or 23.4% higher than estimates from the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment. Analyzed quarterly, the spatial evolution of ACE revealed 11.5 Tg C, 6.6 Tg C, 8.6 Tg C, and 10.1 Tg C lost between the third quarters of 2017 and 2018. Moreover, our monthly analysis for the dry season reveals the evolution of ACE at unprecedented temporal detail. We discuss environmental controls over ACE and provide a spatially explicit tool for enhanced forest carbon management at scale.
Early snowmelt reduces aphid abundance ( Aphis asclepiadis ) by creating water-stressed host plants ( Ligusticum porteri ) and altering interactions with ants

Declining snow cover is reshaping ecological communities. Early loss of snow cover initiates changes in key interactions that mediate herbivore abundance, i.e., top-down and bottom-up effects. In this study, we used a field experiment to test the effects of host plant water stress and phenology on the multitrophic interactions that determine aphid abundance. The aphid, Aphis asclepiadis, in our study system colonizes the flowering stalks of the host plant Ligusticum porteri and relies on a protection mutualism with ants. We added snow and water to replicate host plants and tested for a variety of phenological and physiological responses to these treatments. Relative to host plants in ambient conditions, both water and snow addition reduced key signals of water stress (senescence and abscisic acid levels) and increased seed set. While aphid colonies were generally larger with reduced host plant water stress, the ant–aphid mutualism interacted with plant quality in complex ways. Without ant tending, we did not detect differences in aphid colony growth with host plant treatment. When tended by ants, aphid colony growth was greatest on host plants with snow addition. Host plant quality also altered the benefits exchanged in this mutualism. Ant-tended colonies hosted by plants with snow addition produced honeydew enriched in trehalose, which may have decreased both ant and natural enemy abundance. Our results suggest that early loss of snow reduces aphid abundance by creating low-quality, water-stressed host plants, and this effect may be exacerbated by natural enemies and the costs of ant attendance.
Clutter-Masked Waveform Design for LPI/LPD Radarcom Signal Encoding

In this work we propose a method of in situ clutter deconvolution and modeling using experimentally obtained UWB radar data. The obtained clutter models are then used for random sequence encoding of radar-communication (radarcom) signals to achieve clutter-masked transmissions and improve communication security. We present the results of clutter modeling from the laboratory data obtained with the software-defined radar system. We then show that such clutter-masked radarcom signals generated using the local clutter model are highly likely to be interpreted as just clutter returns by an unauthorized interceptor. We also present the results of communication and radar performance of these radarcom signals and contrast them with those obtained using a linear frequency modulated waveform. It is shown that the proposed radarcom design method has high potential to achieve secure communications in adversarial conditions, while simultaneously addressing radar sensing needs.
Bacterial Cell Wall Glycopolymers Affect Polymer Chain Alignment and Mechanics of Streptococcus mutans

Antibiotic resistance is the phenomenon in which bacteria is or becomes resistant to antibiotics. As it pertains to oral bacteria, current methods for elimination of their presence and reduction of infection is through mechanical means, such as brushing, flossing, or swishing with an alcoholic rinse. These methods loosen the bacteria from oral surfaces or attack bacteria through cell disruption by protein denaturation and lipid membrane dissolution. One strain of oral bacteria that can cause plaque accumulation, chewing difficulty, impaired speech, and dental caries is Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans). S. mutans is a group of Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, cocci bacteria that can contribute to a multitude of oral hygiene concerns, including loss of dental implants in cases of high concentration. Research suggests that modification of the cell wall may lead to new developments on how to regulate cell permeation, thereby, regulation of microbial resistance mechanisms. In this work, three S. mutans stains with altered peptidoglycan layers are studied through atomic force and confocal microscopy. Surface roughness differences due to molecular glycerol phosphate alterations are quantified and compared at two positions: near the pole of the cell and within the septal region. We show AFM images of bacteria scans, including the cell wall, and quantitative surface roughness measurements at the two difference regions for each strain investigated.
A Teleneuropsychology Protocol for the Cognitive Assessment of Older Adults During COVID-19

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic prompted the need for a teleneuropsychology protocol for the cognitive assessment of older adults, who are at increased risk for both COVID-19 and dementia. Prior recommendations for teleneuropsychological assessment did not consider many of the unique challenges posed by COVID-19. The field is still in need of clear guidelines and standards of care for the assessment of older adults under the current circumstances. Advantages of teleneuropsychological assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic include reduced risk of contracting the virus, eliminating travel time and reducing cost, and more rapid access to needed services. Challenges include disparities in technology access among patients, reduced control over the testing environment, impeded ability to make behavioral observations, and limited research on valid and reliable cognitive assessment measures. The aim of this perspective review is to propose a teleneuropsychological protocol to facilitate neuropsychological assessment utilizing a virtual platform. The proposed protocol has been successful with our clinical and research populations and may help neuropsychologists implement teleneuropsychology services without compromising validity or reliability. However, there is increasing need for research on teleneuropsychological assessment options for both clinical and research purposes.
Your mother was right, washing matters: An alkyne-analog of ibuprofen reveals unwanted reactivity of aromatic compounds with proteins during copper-catalyzed click chemistry

Abstract Bioorthogonal chemistry, in particular the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), has enabled the robust identification of covalent protein targets of probes and drugs. Ibuprofen is commonly used pain and fever reducer and is sold as an enantiomeric racemate. Interestingly, the stereoisomers can be enzymatically converted through an ibuprofen-CoA thioester intermediate, which might non-specifically react with protein nucleophiles. Here, we use an alkyne-analog of ibuprofen to make two discoveries. First, we find that ibuprofen likely does not result in notable chemical labeling of proteins. However, we secondly find that aromatic compounds can react with proteins during the CuAAC reaction unless they are appropriately washed out of the mixture. This second discovery of false positive labeling has important technical implications for the application of this approach.
Computer simulation of materials using parallel architectures

Algorithms are designed to implement molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations on emerging concurrent architectures. A highly efficient multiresolution algorithm is designed to carry out large-scale MD simulations for systems with long-range Coulomb and three-body covalent interactions on distributed-memory MIMD (multiple instruction multiple data) machines. The performances of these algorithms are tested on the Intel Touchstone Delta and IBM SP-1 systems. The computational complexities of these algorithms are O(N) and parallel efficiencies close to 0.9. The core computational kernel of the QMD approach consists of solutions of parabolic partial differential equations (PDE) such as the time-dependent Schrodinger equation or time-dependent Kohn-Sham equation. This problem is coupled with another computationally intensive problem, i.e., solution of elliptic PDEs (the Poisson equation) for the long-range electron-electron interaction. We have designed parallel algorithms for both problems on SIMD (single instruction multiple data) machines.
Neuro-Oscillatory Phase Alignment Drives Speeded Multisensory Response Times: An Electro-Corticographic Investigation

Even simple tasks rely on information exchange between functionally distinct and often relatively distant neuronal ensembles. Considerable work indicates oscillatory synchronization through phase alignment is a major agent of inter-regional communication. In the brain, different oscillatory phases correspond to low- and high-excitability states. Optimally aligned phases (or high-excitability states) promote inter-regional communication. Studies have also shown that sensory stimulation can modulate or reset the phase of ongoing cortical oscillations. For example, auditory stimuli can reset the phase of oscillations in visual cortex, influencing processing of a simultaneous visual stimulus. Such cross-regional phase reset represents a candidate mechanism for aligning oscillatory phase for inter-regional communication. Here, we explored the role of local and inter-regional phase alignment in driving a well established behavioral correlate of multisensory integration: the redundant target effect (RTE), which refers to the fact that responses to multisensory inputs are substantially faster than to unisensory stimuli. In a speeded detection task, human epileptic patients (N = 3) responded to unisensory (auditory or visual) and multisensory (audiovisual) stimuli with a button press, while electrocorticography was recorded over auditory and motor regions. Visual stimulation significantly modulated auditory activity via phase reset in the delta and theta bands. During the period between stimulation and subsequent motor response, transient synchronization between auditory and motor regions was observed. Phase synchrony to multisensory inputs was faster than to unisensory stimulation. This sensorimotor phase alignment correlated with behavior such that stronger synchrony was associated with faster responses, linking the commonly observed RTE with phase alignment across a sensorimotor network.
Sediment Organic Matter

The organic matter content of lake sediments provides a variety of indicators, or proxies, that can be used to reconstruct paleoenvironments of lakes and their watersheds and to infer histories of regional climate changes. Organic matter constitutes a minor but important fraction of lake sediments. It originates from the complex mixture of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and other organic matter components produced by organisms that have lived in and around the lake (e.g., Meyers, 1997; Rullkotter, 2000). As an accumulation of “geochemical fossils”, the organic matter content of lake sediments provides information that is important to interpretations of both natural and human-induced changes in local and regional ecosystems.
Validation of distal femur preparation using a universal cutting guide for a Total Knee Arthroplasty

A Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) requires instrumentation for limb alignment and component positioning. Five separate bone cuts are needed in order to prepare the distal femur for implant acceptance. Currently, Stryker Corporation uses 8 different sized cutting guides in surgical kits to match the patient's distal femur. These cutting guides restrict the movement of the surgical saw in order to determine cut positions. Our team has designed a universal cutting guide instrument for TKA procedures to restore limb alignment and place components accurately. The new device was validated by performing mock TKA procedures using femoral trial components positioned on sawbones for each size implant (1–8). The implementation of a universal cutting guides will reduce the amount of surgical instrumentation and decrease operative time without effecting accuracy and alignment.
Economic and Social Indicators of Rural Development from an Economic Viewpoint

A disproportionately large share of our economic development problems, involving maldistributions of population, employment, and income, is found in rural areas. Although these problems directly affect the residents of rural areas, they are linked to economic problems in urban areas. Per capita income comparisons indicate the differential effects of economic development on the population. For example, per capita incomes of residents outside metropolitan areas are only about 71 percent of those in the orban-oriented ones. In addition, about one-third of all families live in nonmetropolitan areas, but over half of all low income families live there. Further, large geographic areas such as the Appalachian, Mississippi Delta, and Ozark regions are below the Nation as a whole in terms of the general level of economic development. Even in the urban centers of these rural regions, the average resident has not commensurately participated in the benefits derived from our Nation's economic development and growth. Comparisons of per capita income for different years show these maldistributions have persisted for decades.
Unitary respresentation of multichannel amplitudes

A representation for two-body multichannel amplitudes is found in terms of the solution of a nonsingular integral equation which permits the construction of systematic unitary approximations.
Multiprocessor architecture using an audit trail for fault tolerance

In order to deploy a tightly-coupled multiprocessor (TCMP) in the commercial world, the TCMP must be fault tolerant. Researchers have designed various checkpointing algorithms to implement fault tolerance in a TCMP. To date, these algorithms fall into 2 principal classes, where processors can be checkpoint dependent on each other. We introduce a new apparatus and algorithm that represents a 3rd class of checkpointing scheme. Our algorithm is distributed recoverable shared memory with logs (DRSM-L) and is the first of its kind for TCMPs. DRSM-L has the desirable property that a processor can establish a checkpoint or roll back to the last checkpoint in a manner that is independent of any other processor. In this paper, we describe DRSM-L and present results indicating its performance.
Translation Planes of Characteristic p That Admit SL(2,pr)

Publisher Summary One of the most basic problems in the study of translation planes (characteristic p) is to determine the possible collineation groups generated by collineations of order p. This chapter explores the situations where the p-elements generate SL(2,p r ) and investigates the permutation group action of a collineation group isomorphic to SL(2,p r ) acting on the points and lines of a translation plane. The Desarguesian plane Σ of order n admits SL(2,n) and is characterized by such a group. The chapter discusses the combinatorial nature of the spaces fixed pointwise by the Sylow p-subgroups.
Proper design of grounding for SMPS converters

Converters that are used in a switching mode power supply (SMPS) are usually well designed internally so as to maximize efficiency and minimize output noise. However, deficiencies in the distribution of power and grounding within the PCB where the SMPS converters will be located can negate many of the advantages provided by these converters. It is shown that inductive and capacitive effects in the way SMPS converters are used in a PCB are one of the major causes of high conductive emission in PCBs. Furthermore, it is shown that changes in grounding layouts can affect these inductive and capacitive effects.
EDVAC drum memory phase system of magnetic recording

The three principal aspects of the read-recording system used for the magnetic drum memory of the EDVAC are described in some detail. These are the general recording method, the component parts of the system, and the general over-all system of recording and reading back the information recorded.
Checking the manipulation checks in information security research

Purpose – An increasing amount of attention is being paid to the human side of information security programs, leading to research designs that require the manipulation of study variables. The purpose of this paper is to highlight a traditional assessment of such designs, the manipulation check, and examine how its absence can undermine otherwise solid research efforts. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews literature from the fields of research methods, organizational behavior and information systems for extant perspectives and viewpoints on manipulation checks, which are then brought into the realm of information security research. Findings – The possible risks involved with failing to perform manipulation checks are discussed, which include a possibility of making Type II errors. The paper provides further insight on the timing, method and manner in which manipulation checks can be performed. Originality/value – A disappointing number of research articles in the area of information security f...
Impact of extent of surgery on survival in patients with small nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in the United States.

Background Nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) ≤2 cm have uncertain malignant potential, and optimal treatment remains unclear. Objectives of this study were to better understand their malignant potential, determine whether extent of surgery or lymph node dissection is associated with overall survival (OS), and identify other factors associated with OS.
Revrsed Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Triphenylphosphine in a Reaction Mixture

Abstract An isocratic reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method is described for monitoring concentrations of triphenylphosphine (TPP) and other compounds involved in an oxygen-transfer reaction catalyzed by a molybdenum complex. Using an inexpensive octadecylsilane column and a mobile phase consisting of aqueous acetonitrile, good separations and linear chromatographic responses were achieved for solutions of TPP, pyridine and each of their oxides in the mobile phase with concentrations in the range of 0.0012 – 0.12 grams/100 mL. No evidence for TPP precipitation was observed during the analysis of supersaturated solutions containing TPP at concentrations as high as 0.27 grams/100 mL. Chromatograms of more concentrated TPP solutions exhibited a second peak corresponding in retention time to TPP-oxide. Contrary to the interpretation of a similar effect in a previous study, evidence is presented indicating that this second peak is not the result of decomposition of TPP to its oxide, but...
Nonvisualization of Spleen on Sulfur Colloid Images: A Sequel of Massive Infarction

A 52-YEAR-OLD female presented with acute onset of left upper quadrant pain, nausea, and vomiting. About 10 days prior to the onset of symptoms, patient had acute myocardial infarction, which was treated with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and intracoronary urokinase infusion. The physical examination revealed bi-basilar pulmonary crackles, hypoactive bowel sounds, and diffuse abdominal tenderness. No abdominal rigidity or guarding were noted. The relevant laboratory findings included WBC count of 12.1 thousands/laL (N = 3.8 to 9.8); Hemoglobin 14.3 g/dL (N = 12.1 to 15.1); Hematocrit 43% (N = 36.1% to 44.3%); Platelet count 193 (N = 190 to 405 thousand/I.tL); Serum Sodium 137 (N = 135145 mmol/L); Serum Potassium 4.2 (N = 3.3-4.9 mmol/L); Serum Chloride 100 (N = 97 to 110 mmol/L); Serum Bicarbonate 20 (N = 22 to 31 mmoUL); Plasma Glucose 157 (N = 70-110 mmol/ L); Blood Urea Nitrogen 25 (N = 8 to 25 mg/dL); and Serum Creatine Kinase of 32 (N = 20 to 170 IU/L). The patient was medicated with oral Couma-
Elevated maternal serum α-fetoprotein levels and oligohydramnios: poor prognosis for pregnancy outcome

The outcome of 21 pregnancies with elevated maternal serum α-fetoprotein levels associated with oligohydramnios was studied. Seven of the 21 pregnancies ended in spontaneous abortion or intrauterine fetal death before week 24 of pregnancy. Five patients experienced premature labor between 24 and 26 weeks of gestation; each fetus was either stillborn or died in the immediate neonatal period. Four patients were delivered of infants after 32 weeks of gestation; each infant was either stillborn or died in the immediate neonatal period. Four patients electively had their pregnancies terminated. One patient was delivered at term of a healthy, growth retarded male infant who on follow-up at age 17 months was developmentally normal. Only three cases were associated with a fetal defect. Patients should be counseled that, even in the absence of a demonstrable cause for diminished amniotic fluid on ultrasonography, raised maternal serum α-fetoprotein levels coupled with oligohydramnios seem to carry a poor prognosis.
The regulation of the biosynthesis of sterols and steroids in the placenta

Abstract Minced term human placenta incubated in vitro for 2 hr synthesized squalene, lanosterol and cholesterol from labeled acetate and labeled mevalonate. The products were isolated and purified by chromatography on thin-layer plates or on alumina columns, by bromination and debromination, by recrystallization, and by the formation of derivatives. The sterols produced remained within the tissue and did not appear in the incubation medium. Experiments in which the substrate was added sequentially showed that the rate of synthesis of the squalene and sterols was linear over at least the first hour of the 2 hr incubation. The addition of human chorionic gonadotrophin, HCG, decreased the amount of label in cholesterol isolated at the end, apparently by increasing the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone and other products. The experiments indicate that the placenta contains a relatively large pool of sterols of which cholesterol is a rather small fraction. The rate-limiting step in the synthesis of cholesterol appears to be in the latter part of the sequence. The marked differences in the 3H:14C ratios of squalene, lanosterol and cholesterol from experiments with acetate-1-14C and mevalonate-5-3H added simultaneously suggest that the metabolic pathway from acetate to cholesterol differs in some respects from that from mevalonate to cholesterol.
METHACRYLOYL DERIVITIZED HYPERBRANCHED POLYESTER. 2. PHOTO-POLYMERIZATION AND PROPERTIES FOR DENTAL RESIN SYSTEMS

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the usefulness of the synthesized hyperbranched multi-methacrylates (H-MMAs) in dental applications. We synthesized three hyperbranched multi-methacrylate oligomers and evaluated them as modifiers for use in the dental resin system: bisphenol A glycidyl dimethacrylate (BisGMA)/tri(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). Their photo-polymerization activities, viscosity, mechanical properties, such as compression, diametral tensile, and flexural strength, were evaluated. H-MMAs (10%) modified dental resins have lower polymerization shrinkage and about 15% increase in mechanical strength compared to the Bis-BisGMA control. For example, H30-MMA has compressive, diametral tensile, and flexural strength of 576, 47, and 85 MPa, compared with the BisGMA control having 497, 43, and 77 MPa. In addition, hyperbranched polymer modified resins have higher glass transition temperature (Tg) and lower thermal expansion coefficient (α) than the control. This research is sig...
A Continued Fraction Algorithm for Approximating All Real Polynomial Roots

It is almost presumptuous to write another paper on approximating the real roots of a polynomial with real coefficients because so much is known, theoretically and practically, about the subject. However, the advent of computers makes it worthwhile to look again at some long forgotten theorems that can now be efficiently implemented on a computer to find all the real roots (and their multiplicities) of a real polynomial. Since a real number can be accommodated explicitly on the computer only by rational approximations, the generality of our method is restricted by the computer to polynomials with rational coefficients. Indeed, all the examples we tested had integral coefficients because a polynomial with rational coefficients is easily made equivalent to a polynomial with integral coefficients. For all practical purposes, therefore, our polynomials have integral coefficients. The theorem that lies at the heart of our algorithm was proved in 1836 by Vincent ([6], [7]) and uses a continued fraction algorithm to separate the roots. Once a root is separated out, we continue with a continued fraction algorithm that approximates the root to any desired accuracy. An interesting feature of the program is that there is no problem with round-off error because not only are the coefficients integers, but integer arithmetic is used and all computations are exact. We programmed in APL because it handles polynomials so efficiently. Our algorithm for finding all real roots first tests for rational roots, using the rational root theorem, and then factors out the linear factors, leaving a polynomial whose real roots are all irrational. The multiplicity of each rational root is also noted. The algorithm then tests the new polynomial for multiple irrational roots using an elegant procedure described in Uspensky [6, p. 65]. Let X,.denote the product of all linear factors corresponding to simple roots; let X2 denote the product of all linear factors corresponding to double roots, etc. If there are no roots of multiplicity k, we set Xk = 1. If, for example, P(x) = (x 1)(x 2)(x 3)2(x 4)2(x 5)3, then P(x) can be written in the form P(x) = X2X2X3, where X, = (x 1)(x 2), X2 = (x 3)(x 4), and XA = (x 5). In general a polynomial P(x) with r multiple roots can be written in the form P(x) = a,,X,X2 ... X'where a,, is a constant and X, = (x b,) ... (x bj) is a polynomial whose simple roots are all the roots of multiplicity i of P. The X, are obtained as follows: Let D, = gcd{P, P'} (P, P'), where P' is the derivative of P. Generate a sequence of polynomials D2= (D, D ), D3 =(D2, D2), etc. An easy calculation shows that
Antisense inhibition of BRCA1 expression and molecular analysis of hereditary tumors indicate that functional inactivation of the p53 DNA damage response pathway is required for BRCA-associated tumorigenesis.

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that mutation of TP53 is a requirement for BRCA-associated cancer development. Methods. A cell line experimentally deficient in BRCA1 protein was constructed using a regulatable antisense expression vector expressing 4000 bp from the BRCA1 cDNA. Changes in BRCA1, p53, and p21 protein levels were assayed by immunoblotting. Ovarian tumors with germline mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 were screened for mutations in TP53 by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Results. Antisense inhibition of BRCA1 protein caused p53 and p21 protein levels to rise, indicating that partial loss of BRCA1 function activates the p53 DNA damage response pathway. Somatic mutation of TP53 was observed in 7 of 14 BRCA-associated ovarian tumors. Conclusions. Our findings provide novel evidence that loss of BRCA1 function in human cells activates the p53 DNA damage response pathway and that loss of this pathway, by somatic mutation of TP53, is a likely requirement for BRCA-associated tumor development.
NOTCH1 Regulates Osteoclastogenesis Directly in Osteoclast Precursors and Indirectly via Osteoblast Lineage Cells

NOTCH signaling is a key regulator of cell fate decisions in prenatal skeletal development and is active during adult tissue renewal. In addition, its association with neoplasia suggests that it is a candidate therapeutic target. We find that attenuated NOTCH signaling enhances osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption in vitro and in vivo by a combination of molecular mechanisms. First, deletion of Notch1-3 in bone marrow macrophages directly promotes their commitment to the osteoclast phenotype. These osteoclast precursors proliferate more rapidly than the wild type in response to macrophage colony-stimulating factor and are sensitized to RANKL and macrophage colony-stimulating factor, undergoing enhanced differentiation in response to low doses of either cytokine. Conforming with a role for NOTCH in this process, presentation of the NOTCH ligand JAGGED1 blunts the capacity of wild-type bone marrow macrophages to become osteoclasts. Combined, these data establish that NOTCH suppresses osteoclastogenesis via ligand-mediated receptor activation. Although NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 collaborate in regulating osteoclast formation, NOTCH1 is the dominant paralog. In addition, NOTCH1 deficiency promotes osteoclastogenesis indirectly by enhancing the ability of osteoblast lineage cells to stimulate osteoclastogenesis. This is achieved by decreasing the osteoprotegerin/RANKL expression ratio. Thus, NOTCH1 acts as a net inhibitor of bone resorption, exerting its effect both directly in osteoclast precursors and indirectly via osteoblast lineage cells. These observations raise caution that therapeutic inhibition of NOTCH signaling may adversely accelerate bone loss in humans.
A storm surge database for the US Gulf Coast

Tropical cyclone-generated storm surges are among the most deadly and costly natural disasters to impact the United States. Unfortunately, no comprehensive storm surge dataset provides reliable, historical storm surge information for the United States. This paper introduces SURGEDAT, the first comprehensive surge database for the US Gulf Coast. SURGEDAT identifies the location and height of peak storm surge for 195 surge events since 1880. A total of 62 sources were utilized to construct this dataset, including 28 Federal Government sources, numerous academic publications, and more than 3000 pages of newspaper from 16 daily periodicals. Surge heights in this database range from Hurricane Katrina's 8.47 m surge to 1.22 m surges generated by 20 separate events. Spatial analysis reveals enhanced surge magnitudes and frequencies along the Central and Western Gulf Coast, as well as the Florida Keys, while reduced levels of surge activity were observed along the eastern Florida Panhandle and the West Coast of Florida. The methods utilized to create this database are thoroughly documented, a table provides the comprehensive list of surges, and a map provides the spatial distribution of peak surge events. SURGEDAT will be valuable to coastal stakeholders, including planners and emergency managers, coastal scientists, and the hurricane and storm surge research communities. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Paracrystalline Arrays in the Mitochondria of the Peritrichous Ciliate Carchesium polypinum1,2

SYNOPSIS Intramitochondrial inclusions of a paracrystalline nature were observed in the peritrichous ciliate Carchesium polypinum This ciliate was found growing in the effluent of a sewage treatment plant. When paracrystalline inclusions were present, there was one per mitochondrion. A variety of profiles was encountered, all presumably of the same structure. Cross-sections revealed packed, spherical masses of 100-150 A diameter with dense walls 30-40 A thick and a variety of core densities. In more longitudinal sections the paracrystalline array appeared as long. electron-dense, finely filamentous elements oriented in parallel arrays and regularly spaced with a diameter of 60-100 A. Mitochondria tended to cluster, and between closely apposed mitochondria a dense, amorphous material was present. Numerous bud-like processes projected from mitochondria. Structural evidence, particularly the arrangement and core densities of these arrays, suggests a filamentous type of viral infection.
Soliton perturbation theory for the quadratic nonlinear Klein–Gordon equation

Abstract This paper studies the adiabatic dynamics of soliton velocity due to the quadratic Klein–Gordon equations, in presence of perturbation terms. The soliton perturbation theory is exploited for 1-soliton solution of this equation.
Increases in Immunoreactive Parathyroid Hormone with Age

IN the process of conducting studies to characterize the effects of age on bone mass and the skeleton in adult human subjects, we measured serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone by a radioimmunoassay that is specific for the biologically inactive carboxylterminal portion of the hormone. We now report that the mean concentration of circulating parathyroid hormone measured by this assay increases with age and that this age-related increase in hormone level is associated with decreases in mean serum ionized calcium and mean serum phosphorus. Methods Normal subjects who ranged in age from 21 to 89 years were studied. The 75 men and . . .
The Molecular Chaperone, ClpA, Has a Single High Affinity Peptide Binding Site per Hexamer

Substrate recognition by Clp chaperones is dependent on interactions with motifs composed of specific peptide sequences. We studied the binding of short motif-bearing peptides to ClpA, the chaperone component of the ATP-dependent ClpAP protease of Escherichia coli in the presence of ATPgammaS and Mg2+ at pH 7.5. Binding was measured by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) using the peptide, AANDENYALAA, which corresponds to the SsrA degradation motif found at the C terminus of abnormal nascent polypeptides in vivo. One SsrA peptide was bound per hexamer of ClpA with an association constant (K(A)) of 5 x 10(6) m(-1). Binding was also assayed by changes in fluorescence of an N-terminal dansylated SsrA peptide, which bound with the same stoichiometry of one per ClpA hexamer (K(A) approximately 1 x 10(7) m(-1)). Similar results were obtained when ATP was substituted for ATPgammaS at 6 degrees C. Two additional peptides, derived from the phage P1 RepA protein and the E. coli HemA protein, which bear different substrate motifs, were competitive inhibitors of SsrA binding and bound to ClpA hexamers with K(A)' > 3 x 10(7) m(-1). DNS-SsrA bound with only slightly reduced affinity to deletion mutants of ClpA missing either the N-terminal domain or the C-terminal nucleotide-binding domain, indicating that the binding site for SsrA lies within the N-terminal nucleotide-binding domain. Because only one protein at a time can be unfolded and translocated by ClpA hexamers, restricting the number of peptides initially bound should avoid nonproductive binding of substrates and aggregation of partially processed proteins.
Dependency measures under bivariate homogeneous shock models

The bivariate exponential (BVE) model, defined and explained by Marshall and Olkin (Marshall, A.W. and Olkin, I., 1967, J. Am. Stat. Assoc., 62, 30–44.), is a well-motivated model derived from practical failure process. Edwardes (Edwardes, M.D., 1993, Stat. Prob. Lett., 17, 415–419.) further studied BVE model and proved that under BVE model, Kendall's τ and correlation coefficient are equal. In this article, a more general bivariate model, referred to as bivariate homogeneous shock (BHS) model, is introduced and some of its dependency measures are investigated. Despite the singularity feature of BHS model, these dependency measures are found to be of simple forms with mathematical elegance. In virtue of these simple forms, we prove that BVE is also a necessary condition for the equality between Kendall's τ and correlation coefficient.
Distinctive features, dichotic competition, and the encoding of stop consonants

“Same”-“different” response latencies were measured for dichotic CV syllables at stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) of 20–480 msec. The results showed a consistent effect of distinctive feature separation on latencies and error rates, which persisted at longer SOAs. This supports the idea that phonemes are retained in memory in a distinctive feature code at least for half a second, and that such a code is also involved in the comparison of successive phonemes. The pattern of errors and latencies suggested two components in dichotic competition: “perceptual integration” at short SOAs and “perceptual noise” at longer SOAs. A “perceptual space” analogy is suggested: two stimuli must be separated by a minimum distance (including time separation as a dimension) to be perceived as distinct; if they are perceived as distinct, they are first categorized and then compared by assessing their distance in a phonetic space.
Investigation of warpage induced reliability of a system in package in assembly process

The power system in package (SIP) includes multiple chips such as power IGBT, diodes and IC controllers. With more chips encapsulated in one single package, the silicon die crack failure is becoming more and more challenging. In this paper, a leadframe based power SIP package is investigated. The warpage induced reliability in assembly process is studied. The initial leadframe pad warpage will induce high tensile stress in silicon die during clamping process. A 3D FEA model for the assembly clamping process is developed. Parametric modeling DoE is carried out to simulate the impact of different leadframe warpage shape (concave and convex), different lead frame pad warpages, different die sizes, different leadframe thickness and different BLTs.
IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND DEMOCRATIC POLITICS

The advent of impact assessment as a tool of policy is the latest chapter in our understanding of the relationship between science and politics. As such, it presents at least two challenges to democratic politics. Given its emphasis on appropriate procedural character of conteniporary democratic systems. And by raising the value of technical and scientific information in environmental disputes, impact assessment poses a challenge to existing concepts of popular sovereignty, based as they are on interest and preference rather than knowledge. These challenges, however, do not rep- resent irreconcilable differences. Although there may be an inherent ten- sion between impact assessment and democratic politics, there are also areas of affinity between the two. And we are destined to accept and adapt to this tension because, in fact, understanding is one of our principal defenses against tyranny.
Resource mobilization in a Marxist‐Leninist society: The case of Poland's solidarity movement

The application of resource mobilization theory to Poland's Solidarity movement helps in understanding the structure and dynamic of authoritarian socialist societies. A focus on mobilization — defined as ‘the process by which a unit gains significantly in the control of assets it previously did not control’ ‐ permits the identification of assets (or resources) available to a movement. These include a membership, labour, facilities and equipment, access to the mass media, and access to power. The underlying question is: where do the resources necessary to the development of a movement come from in a communist‐ruled society plagued by shortages? In Poland, a variety of groups and organizations were able to link together and provide Solidarity with its needs as a movement. The Polish experience indicates, first, that groups must be considered real political actors in any analysis of elite—mass relations in Poland, and that this phenomenon should be carefully considered in its application to other East Europe...
Heuristic Method for Identifying Concave Pareto Frontiers in Multi-Objective Dynamic Programming Problems

Aerospace engineers and analysts tasked with informing system-level decisions commonly seek to identify the frontier of Pareto-optimal solutions with respect to objectives of interest. For problems in which decisions are made over multiple stages or periods, dynamic programming can be an efficient and effective method for identifying such a Pareto frontier. To employ traditional dynamic programming, however, a single objective function must be defined. Aggregation of multiple objectives into a single objective using traditional simple additive weighting has the limitation of permitting identification of only points on convex portions of the Pareto frontier. This can translate into detection of a frontier with significant and misleading gaps. This paper proposes a theory-motivated aggregation function modification and method to improve the ability of dynamic programming procedures to detect concave portions of Pareto frontiers in multi-objective, multistage problems. Following a theoretical motivation and ...
Recruiting Minorities Into Clinical Trials Toward a Participant-Friendly System

The purpose of this review is to describe the state of the art in recruiting participants for clinical trials designed to test new methods of treatment or disease prevention. The ultimate objective of this review is to provide a summary of key issues in recruiting diverse populations into clinical trials, particularly ethnic and racial minorities. An overview of general issues related to clinical trial participation is followed by a detailed discussion of specific issues that must be addressed by investigators as they recruit minority populations for clinical trial. To date, the majority of clinical trials have included a limited segment of the U.S. population: middle-class, married white males. These trials have faced many problems in their efforts to recruit participants, including barriers to physician participation, barriers to subject participation, barriers to planning and implementing effective recruitment strategies, and costs of the recruitment phase of clinical trials. Following this general introduction is a discussion of the definition of diverse populations. The first step investigators must take as they prepare to recruit study participants is to develop a relevant definition of the subject populations. A detailed review of investigators' experiences in recruiting minorities into clinical trials is presented, including barriers to minority recruitment, barriers inherent in study design, researcher bias, barriers to minority physician participation, as well as strategies for minority recruitment, modifications of study design, and cost issues. Formal evaluation of recruitment strategies has been limited. Most investigators present descriptive reports of their experience in recruiting diverse populations into clinical trials. Research into the issues presented and rigorous testing of specific strategies is needed. A series of steps that are essential to effective clinical trials recruitment of diverse populations is presented.
Family care as a useful alternative to the long-term hospital confinement of geropsychiatric patients.

: The present philosophy in the treatment of mental patients tends to bring the problem back to the community. In such a rehabilitative program, the Binghamton State Hospital is using supervised family-care homes as a successful alternative to the long-term hospital confinement of homeless geropsy-chiatric patients. Within the administration of Binghamton State Hospital, there are 60 family-care homes for 390 patients, of whom about one third are over 65 years of age. In some homes there are mixed populations with respect to both age and sex. In October 1969 there were 77 geriatric females and 36 geriatric males under family care. The average age was 69 for the females and 71 for the males. The average length of hospital stay before placement in family care was nine years and ten months. The average duration of residence in a family-care home up to October 1969 was four years and four months. The homes are selected by the State Hospital Administration and are supervised by various teams of the unitized Broome County Unit. A team consists of a physician, a social worker, nurses, attendants, an occupational therapist and a recreational therapist. It instructs the family-care “mother” and the patient about the various methods for resocialization, takes care of medical and psychiatric supervision, and makes arrangements for eventual working activities. Placement in a family-care home has three practical results: 1) elderly psychiatric patients are returned to the community without being under the stress of having to manage their own daily problems; 2) in the hospital there is better utilization of the beds for patients who require residential treatment programs; and 3) family care is more economical for the hospital and, consequently, for society.
Selecting for disability: acceptable lives, acceptable reasons.

We agree with Hope and McMillan (2012) that physicians generally should respect their patients’ autonomy in using preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to select for disability. We think, however...
The oxidation of the GaAs (110) surface

Abstract It is demonstrated that, contrary to previous proposals, Ga surface atoms are already involved in the oxidation process for the lowest observable oxygen coverages (0.01 monolayer). A similar involvement of As atoms could not be readily ascertained experimentally, although it is to be expected from energetic considerations. An oxidation model consisting of multiple bridge bonds to both Ga and As surface atoms is proposed, which is consistent with diverse experimental data for the GaAs(110) surface.
Evidence for the stratification of hydrocarbons in the epicuticular wax layer of female Megacyllene robiniae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Contact pheromones mediate mate recognition and play important roles in mating systems of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). One common bioassay of contact chemoreception in cerambycids involves presenting a freeze-killed female to a male in a Petri dish arena. If the male attempts to mate with the female carcass, it confirms that mate recognition signals are present and intact and behavior is not involved. Cuticular hydrocarbons are then stripped from the female with successive solvent washes, rendering her unattractive to males and also resulting in a crude extract containing the cuticular hydrocarbons. To test the bioactivity of the crude extract, the same female is then treated with the extract and presented again to the male. Males of some species, including Megacyllene robiniae (Forster), respond less readily to reconstituted females than to those same beetles before they were solvent-extracted. In the present study, we test the hypothesis that the contact pheromone of M. robiniae, Z9:C25, exists as a layer on the surface of the epicuticle. We used solid phase microextraction (SPME) to sample cuticular hydrocarbons of female beetles after they were freeze-killed, solvent washed, and treated with crude cuticular extracts. We found that extracting cuticular hydrocarbons from females and applying the resulting crude extract back onto the solvent-washed cadaver scrambles the wax layer and decreases the abundance of the contact pheromone presented on the surface of the insect.