cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New algorithm for computation of DCT through pyramidal addition

Associative Processors can perform parallel operations in massive scale because of which they are found to be efficient for video coding. Due to the inherent nature of the architecture, performing DCT becomes computationally intensive. To overcome this drawback, multiple DCTs are performed in parallel. This approach results in huge data traffic as it is performed for multiple blocks of video data. In this paper we present a new approach to perform DCT on associative processor. In this approach we make use of the shape of DCT basis vectors to extract parallelism. Such an approach reduces both the average number of cycles and the data traffic involved in video coding. Further, the video coding can be performed on Macro block basis thereby reducing a huge number of redundant operations.
First countability, tightness, and other cardinal invariants in remainders of topological groups

Abstract We consider the following natural questions: when a topological group G has a first countable remainder, when G has a remainder of countable tightness? This leads to some further questions on the properties of remainders of topological groups. Let G be a topological group. The following facts are established. 1. If G ω has a first countable remainder, then either G is metrizable, or G is locally compact. 2. If G has a countable network and a first countable remainder, then either G is separable and metrizable, or G is σ -compact. 3. Under ( MA + ¬ CH ) every topological group with a countable network and a first countable remainder is separable and metrizable. Some new open problems are formulated.
Novel microsatellite markers for Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) population delineation and broodstock management

Twenty-one new disomic, polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers were isolated in Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus. These markers yielded a total of 220 alleles in a survey of 16 fish; two to 21 alleles/locus were observed. Each locus segregated in a Mendelian fashion when tested in a family, and a set of 14 of the loci distinguished between siblings and half-siblings. Average observed heterozygosity ranged from 18.8 to 100.0%, and no linkage disequilibrium was detected. These loci should detect sufficient genetic diversity to allow kinship analysis for broodstock management, gene marking for stocking assessment and life history studies, and delineation of fine-scale population structure.
Gas permeation and lifetime tests on polymer-based barrier coatings

We describe a flexible, transparent plastic substrate for OLED display applications. A flexible, composite thin film barrier is deposited under vacuum onto commercially available polymers, restricting moisture and oxygen permeation rates to undetectable levels using conventional permeation test equipment. The barrier is deposited under vacuum in a process compatible with conventional roll- coating technology. The film is capped with a thin film of transparent conductive oxide yielding an engineered substrate (BarixTM) for next generation, rugged, lightweight or flexible OLED displays. Preliminary tests indicate that the substrate is sufficiently impermeable to moisture and oxygen for application to moisture-sensitive display applications, such as organic light emitting displays, and is stable in pure oxygen to 200 degrees Celsius.
Mechanism of extramedullary haematopoiesis in rabbits with saponin-induced myelofibrosis and myeloid metaplasia

The saponin-induced myelofibrosis and myeloid metaplasia model in the rabbit was used to study mechanisms of extramedullary haematopoiesis. Haematopoietic progenitor cells, erythroid colony forming units (CFU-E) and burst forming units (BFU-E) were assayed serially in the peripheral blood, spleen and bone marrow after saponin administration, employing the in vitro methylcellulose culture technique. Animals that had undergone splenectomy prior to saponin administration were also studied. The results demonstrated increases of progenitor cells in the blood and spleen and a simultaneous depletion of such cells in marrow after saponin treatment. The results in splenectomized animals were similar to those observed in non-splenectomized animals after saponin administration. The findings indicate that following saponin administration there is a release of CFU-E and BFU-E from bone marrow into periphery and probably deposition in the spleen, and suggest that myeloid metaplasia in myelofibrosis may result from colonization of extramedullary sites originating from the bone marrow.
Transfer of multivariate classification models between laboratory and process near-infrared spectrometers for the discrimination of green Arabica and Robusta coffee beans.

Analogous to the situation found in calibration, a classification model constructed from spectra measured on one instrument may not be valid for prediction of class from spectra measured on a second instrument. In this paper, the transfer of multivariate classification models between laboratory and process near-infrared spectrometers is investigated for the discrimination of whole, green Coffea arabica (Arabica) and Coffea canefora (Robusta) coffee beans. A modified version of slope/bias correction, orthogonal signal correction trained on a vector of discrete class identities, and model updating were found to perform well in the preprocessing of data to permit the transfer of a classification model developed on data from one instrument to be used on another instrument. These techniques permitted development of robust models for the discrimination of green coffee beans on both spectrometers and resulted in misclassification errors for the transfer process in the range of 5–10%.
Comparison of long-term renal function after spinal cord injury using different urinary management methods

Abstract Objective: To determine the effect of different bladder management methods on long-term renal function in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: Cohort study. Setting: Model SCI care system within a large teaching hospital. Patients: Consecutive sample of 1, 114 persons with SCI who were injured between 1969 and 1994. Main Outcome Measure: Total and individual kidney effective renal plasma flow (ERPF). Results: ERPF was generally lower in persons with cervical injuries or kidneys that had a renal stone, older persons, and women. Overall, there was very little change in renal function as time postinjury increased, and there were no clinically meaningful differences in the change in renal function over time among persons using different bladder management methods. Conclusion: Renal function was adequately preserved in the great majority of persons and did not appear to be influenced to any great extent by method of bladder management.
AIDS-related obsessive compulsive disorder: A treatment dilemma

Abstract Fears about the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have emerged in health-care professionals who come into frequent contact with blood and bodily fluids. The present case describes an orthopedic surgeon with a one-year history of severe obsessive compulsive disorder involving a fear of AIDS. Despite a behavioral program of exposure and response prevention, no appreciable treatment gains were made. Several factors are examined that may have contributed to his treatment failure. In particular, adherence to the Centers for Disease Control guidelines regarding the prevention of HIV transmission may have compromised the implementation of an efficacious behavioral program. Also, the patient's overvalued ideation about his personal risk for HIV infection and potential for infecting others no doubt presented an obstacle to treatment. Although excessive, his concerns were nonetheless valid given his medical training and in many respects parallel fears expressed by other health-care professionals. Implications for treatment are discussed.
Oral Antibiotic Drug Interactions of Clinical Significance to Dermatologists

Oral antibiotics are commonly prescribed by dermatologists in clinical practice. When prescribing an oral antibiotic, as with other systemic medications, it is important to consider potential interactions with other drugs, including over-the-counter medications. The most common drug interaction mechanisms that may lead to clinically significant sequelae are inhibition of GI drug absorption and alterations in drug metabolism. Tetracycline and quinolones undergo chelation interactions with many metal ions found in antacids and mineral supplements. Some macrolides, such as erythromycin, inhibit the hepatic metabolism of many other drugs, increasing the risk for toxicity. Rifampin increases the metabolism of many other drugs, thus predisposing to treatment failure. Drug interactions can only be averted if their potential is understood and recognized in advance.
Molecular weights of protein multimers from polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Abstract A nonlinear relationship between polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) retardation coefficients ( K R ) and molecular weights has been observed during analysis of several multimeric proteins. Although the deviation from linearity over a wide range of molecular weights is slight, it can lead to significant errors in the estimation of the sizes of individual multimers. Two alternative methods of analysis of PAGE results are compared and demonstrated to yield linear relationships for multimeric proteins having molecular weights as high as 900,000.
Quantitative analysis of variants of the far-lateral approach: condylar fossa and transcondylar exposures.

Background The rationale for choosing between the condylar fossa and transcondylar variations of the far-lateral approach requires understanding of the relationships between the occipital condyle, jugular tubercle, and hypoglossal canal. Objective We examined the anatomic relationship of these 3 structures and analyzed the effect that changes in these relationships have on the surgical exposure and angle of attack for these 2 approaches. Methods Anatomic measurements of 5 cadaveric heads from 3-dimensional computed tomographic scans were compared with direct measurements of the same specimens. The condylar fossa and transcondylar approach were performed sequentially in 8 of 10 sides. Surgical exposure and angle of attack were measured after each exposure. Results The jugular tubercle (JT) angle (JTA) measures the angle formed by reference points on the condyle, hypoglossal canal, and JT. When the JT and occipital condyle are not prominent (JTA > 180 degrees ), the transcondylar approach does not significantly increase petroclival or brainstem exposure compared with the condylar fossa approach; however, it does significantly increase the angle of attack to the junction of the posterior inferior cerebellar and vertebral arteries and the surgical angle for the medial part of the JT (P Conclusion The condylar fossa and transcondylar approaches provide similar exposures of the petroclivus and brainstem when the JT and occipital condyle are not prominent (JTA > 180 degrees on 3-dimensional computed tomographic). However, for lesions below the hypoglossal canal, the transcondylar approach is preferred because it significantly increases the angle of attack.
Large Ranging of Ultrasonic Testing Inspection Internal Defects of Mass Concrete Structure

The ranging greater than 3m is not accorded with china engineering construction standardization association standard TECHNOLOGICAL SPECIFICATION FOR INSPECTION OF CONCRETE DEFECTS BY ULTRASONIC METHOD[CECS 21:200 (Transducer spacing is 2~3m). This paper studied large ranging of ultrasonic test mass concrete structure, and analyzed a project instance that was inspected the internal defects of mass concrete structures with various test methods, compared of those results. As detection is shown, first, with the test distance increased to 5.1m, the velocity of sound shows a linear trend of continuous development trend. Second, responds to improve of concrete strength, the velocity of sound increases, but not shows a linear trend. In addition, with the test distance increasing, concrete strength increases, but the velocity is down. A large ranging of ultrasonic test method was developed based on these observations.
Variable beam intensity profile shaping for layer uniformity control in laser hardening applications

Abstract A circular laser beam with a variable intensity profile is used to manipulate the time dependent temperature field within the surface of a hypo-eutectoid steel with the aim of controlling the uniformity of the resultant hardened layer. A 3D thermal model with a moving surface heat source is coupled with a simple rate equation containing a temperature dependent time constant calculated using the initial grain size and carbon content of the steel. The transformation kinetics of the pearlite/ferrite → austenite conversion are modelled and used to calculate the resultant martensite fraction in the material surface and the martensite field is plotted to reveal the shape and extent of the hardened layer. The beam profiles used in the model are recreated in an experiment using a variable laser beam profile shaper. The beam shaper is capable of transforming the raw top-hat beam output of a laser into a thin annular shaped beam with a uniform central intensity feature; the power ratio of the central to annular intensity features can be varied. Microscopy and microhardness tests are used to characterise the shape and hardness of a cross-section of the hardened layer created by a single pass of the laser beam. Both the experiment and the model show that the uniformity of the hardened layer can be controlled by selection of the appropriate power ratio of central to annular intensities. It is found that there are optimal power ratios for maximum uniformity that increase with increasing processing speed.
Bloch representation of x for a finite crystal

Abstract The eigenstates and eigenvalues of an electron in a finite (L=Na), 1-D, periodic potential subjected to a constant electric field are shown to be solutions to an Nth-order secular equation which does not couple band indices. Implications for Wannier-Stark ladders and related phenomena are stressed.
Excitation of a Canonical RF Shelter with Relativistic Electrons and with Enhanced Risetime Bremsstrahlung

In two tests at the Aurora flash x-ray machine, a cavity (canonical rf shelter) was excited in two ways: (1) with relativistic electrons, and (2) with enhanced-risetime bremsstrahlung. Differences in cavity excitation resulting from the two types of sources are explored. The relativistic electrons excite the cavity producing large electric fields (>80 kV/m), but are not expected to produce much of a SGEMP response in individual cables and electronic boxes inside the shelter, because the electrons are easily shielded by such enclosures. The relativistic electron current density in the case of direct e-beam injection is about two orders of magnitude greater than the Compton electron current density produced by enhanced risetime bremsstrahlung. The direct e-beam currents, therefore, excite significantly larger electromagnetic fields than the bremsstrahlung produced Compton currents. The greater penetrating power of the bremsstrahlung radiation, on the other hand, excites both the larger cavity and smaller interior sub-cavities and cables. The two methods thus provide a possible means of distinguishing between different types of SGEMP excitation. Conclusions are drawn from the results concerning the feasibility of using relativistic electrons in SREMP simulation schemes.
Link analysis for space communication links using ARQ protocol

In space communications, standard link analysis assumes that messages are sent once. For a communication link that uses an error-correction coding scheme, bit-error-rate (BER) or frame-error-rate (FER), and link margins are common metrics that characterize the quality of a link, and they are used to determine the supportable data rate. With the advent of Automatic Repeat-reQuest (ARQ) protocols, when messages are corrupted during transmission, they can be resent multiple times automatically until they are correctly received and acknowledged. The concept of BER, FER, and link margin cannot be directly applied, and the link analysis approach for ARQ links needs to be re-examined. In [1] we described the problem formulation and defined the evaluation metrics to analyze the performance of ARQ links, and derived analytical models that describe the statistical behavior of the space links that use ARQ. In this paper, we show that by integrating these analytical ARQ protocol models into the standard link analysis, we bypass the need to simulate or emulate the ARQ protocol operations, and generate analytical models on effective data rate, effective throughput, latency, and FER. We demonstrate this approach using the Lunar L2 Flyby Mission communication scenarios, and discuss the insights and trades between link efficiency, latency, and error rate.
The effect of β-galactoside accumulation on the uptake of phosphate into cells and cell nucleotides of Escherichia coli

The effect of the accumulation of β-galactosides on the uptake of Pi into cells and cell nucleotides was examined in ML strains of Escherichia coli. Nonmetabolizable sulfur analogs of lactose, which are accumulated only in the presence of the product of y gene of the Lac operon, inhibited the uptake of P1 into whole cells and into cell nucleotides. This inhibition was most pronounced in starved cells, those with a low rate of ATP production. When the cell membrane was disrupted by sonication or detergents, the inhibition was lost. No significant inhibition was seen in y− strains or in inducible y+ strains which were not induced. Hence. inhibition of the uptake of phosphate into nucleotides is dependent on the presence of the product of the y gene and a β-galactoside. A technique using 32Pi and 33P1 was developed for simultaneously measuring the turnover and level of nucleotides. β-Galactosides inhibited ATP synthesis in aerobic cells, but stimulated ATP synthesis in anaerobic cells, indicating that an intermediate of oxidative phosphorylation was the source of energy for β-galactoside accumulation.
Absorption induced confinement of lasing modes in diffusive random medium

We demonstrate numerically that reabsorption of emitted light in diffusive random media suppresses feedback from the unpumped part of sample. The lasing modes are dramatically different from quasimodes of the passive system.
Testing Image Processing Algorithms for Melanoma Detection

Treatment of skin cancer depends upon the timely detection of abnormal skin lesions.1 Unfortunately, in the early stages of skin cancer, patients lack awareness of symptoms that should motivate them to visit their primary physician or dermatologist. Once patients detect the symptoms of skin cancer, particularly melanoma, it may have metastasized, by which time treatment outcomes are poor and medical costs are high.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Taxonomic Status of Macrocerides Species (Diptera: Phoridae)

Abstract The taxonomic status of the nine species of the mostly Neotropical genus Macrocerides Borgmeier is reviewed after the holotypes of seven species are examined. Macrocerides anacleti Borgmeier, M. brevicornis Borgmeier, and M. luteus Borgmeier are transferred to Myriophora Brown (new combinations). Macrocerides neivai Borgmeier is transferred to Apocephalus (new combination), creating a homonym with Apocephalus neivai Borgmeier for which the replacement name A. elizaldae is proposed. The African Macrocerides leydheckeri Schmitz is placed in a new genus, Macrocerophora. Tauricornus, a new subgenus of Macrocerides, is proposed for a monophyletic group that includes M. (T.) abaristalis Borgmeier, M. (T). attophilus Disney, and two new species, M. (T.) taurocephalus from southern Texas, United States of America, and M. (T.) borkenti from Costa Rica to northern South America.
Test results of prototype two-phase reservoirs for the CAPL flight experiment

The Capillary Pumped Loop Flight Experiment (CAPL) was designed to test components being considered for inclusion in the Earth Observing System (EOS) instrument thermal control system. The thermal operating conditions of a capillary pumped loop (CPL) heat transport system are controlled by a two-phase reservoir. Three prototype two-phase reservoirs designed for use in microgravity applications were built to CAPL specifications and performance tested at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center using anhydrous ammonia as the working fluid. Test results for liquid expulsion rates and CPL operational control are presented for each reservoir.
On causes of GridFTP transfer throughput variance

In prior work, we analyzed the GridFTP usage logs collected by data transfer nodes (DTNs) located at national scientific computing centers, and found significant throughput variance even among transfers between the same two end hosts. The goal of this work is to quantify the impact of various factors on throughput variance. Our methodology consisted of executing experiments on a high-speed research testbed, running large-sized instrumented transfers between operational DTNs, and creating statistical models from collected measurements. A non-linear regression model for memory-to-memory transfer throughput as a function of CPU usage at the two DTNs and packet loss rate was created. The model is useful for determining concomitant resource allocations to use in scheduling requests. For example, if a whole NERSC DTN CPU core can be assigned to the GridFTP process executing a large memory-to-memory transfer to SLAC, then only 32% of a CPU core is required at the SLAC DTN for the corresponding GridFTP process due to a difference in the computing speeds of these two DTNs. With these CPU allocations, data can be moved at 6.3 Gbps, which sets the rate to request from the circuit scheduler.
Axisymmetric Calculations of a Low-Boom Inlet in a Supersonic Wind Tunnel

This paper describes axisymmetric CFD predictions made of a supersonic low-boom inlet with a facility diffuser, cold pipe, and mass flow plug within wind tunnel walls, and compares the CFD calculations with the experimental data. The inlet was designed for use on a small supersonic aircraft that would cruise at Mach 1.6, with a Mach number over the wing of 1.7. The inlet was tested in the 8-ft by 6-ft Supersonic Wind Tunnel at NASA Glenn Research Center in the fall of 2010 to demonstrate the performance and stability of a practical flight design that included a novel bypass duct. The inlet design is discussed here briefly. Prior to the test, CFD calculations were made to predict the performance of the inlet and its associated wind tunnel hardware, and to estimate flow areas needed to throttle the inlet. The calculations were done with the Wind-US CFD code and are described in detail. After the test, comparisons were made between computed and measured shock patterns, total pressure recoveries, and centerline pressures. The results showed that the dual-stream inlet had excellent performance, with capture ratios near one, a peak core total pressure recovery of 96 percent, and a large stable operating range. Predicted core recovery agreed well with the experiment but predicted bypass recovery and maximum capture ratio were high. Calculations of offdesign performance of the inlet along a flight profile agreed well with measurements and previous calculations.
Adaptive Filter Simulation Implementations of the Sampled Matrix and Applebaum Howells Methods

The Sampled Matrix and Applebaum Howells methods of adaptive sidelobe jamming suppression for radar systems are analyzed. The effects of maneuvering jammers on the cancellation ratios, using adaptive processors were determined by computer simulation. Plots of cancellation ratio degradation versus time are also presented. The results indicate that optimum weighting of adaptive filters yields significant improvements for received beam pattern configurations. Noise attenuation in the jammer vicinity is suppressed by greater than 80 dB, relative to the main lobe peak, with a corresponding increase in energy output for target isolation, as confirmed by an evaluation of beam patterns. The Sampled Matrix method also provides a higher cancellation ratio, with a minimal number of samples, due to the rapid convergence rate and use of noniterative procedures.
Subjective Expectation Adjustments of Early-to-Late Reverberant Energy Ratio and Reverberation Time to Match Visual Environmental Cues of a Musical Performance

The subject of auditory-visual integration has become increasingly important with the introduction of highresolution playback devices for on-screen object segregation. What effect does the visual location of an object have on a participant’s expectations of that object’s auditory stimulus? Several studies have looked at the phenomenon in recent years, but these studies rely on static images, speech signals, or photographs alone to represent the visual scene. Building on these studies, our aim is to propose a novel testing method using monochromatic compositing (blue-screen technique) to locate a musical performance recorded in a studio in a number of virtual acoustical environments being assessed by a subject. In this study, the participant is asked to match two distinct acoustical parameters, Early-to-Late Reverberant Energy Ratio and Reverberation Time, of two musical performances in five contrasting visual environments according to his or her expectations of how the room should sound given its visual appearance. This study reveals participant resiliency in the presence of forced auditoryvisual mismatch; participants are able to adjust the presented acoustic modeling algorithm in a statistically similar way despite randomized starting values for the monitored parameters. Subjective results of the experiment are presented along with objective measurements for verification.
Electric field mediated assembly of three dimensional equilibrium colloidal crystals

We report confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) measurements, Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, and an analytical model of the assembly of three dimensional (3D) equilibrium colloidal crystals within quadrupole electrodes on microscope cover slip surfaces. Micron sized fluorescent silica colloids in an index matching dimethylformamide (DMF) medium enable three dimensional CSLM imaging to measure particle coordinates. By matching density profiles from CSLM measurements and MC simulations, we obtain electrostatic, dipole–field, dipole–dipole, and gravitational potentials that accurately capture the three dimensional microstructure and morphology. We also report analytical density profiles with fluid–solid coexistence by balancing gravitational and electric field mediated compression against local osmotic pressure, which agree with CSLM and MC results. These results provide fundamental information on the assembly of three dimensional equilibrium colloidal crystals in the presence of multiple external fields and with coexisting inhomogeneous fluid and solid phases.
Airline Crew Scheduling with Regularity

The airline crew scheduling problem is the problem of assigning crew itineraries to flights. The problem is hard due to a large number of itineraries and the complicated cost function of an itinerary. The classic approach, which uses a set partitioning formulation, only captures the objective function of minimizing cost. We add a second goal of maximizing the repetition or regularity of itineraries over a weekly horizon and we develop models that capture regularity. We present a new algorithm that solves the crew scheduling problem over a weekly horizon. Solutions are reported that improve on existing solutions used by an airline.
From in vitro EC50 to in vivo dose–response for antiretrovirals using an HIV disease model. Part II: Application to drug development

The purpose of this research was to qualify a previously derived quantitative model-based framework that proposed an in vitro–in vivo linkage to predict the dose–response relationship of an antiretroviral (ARV) new molecular entity (NME) in a monotherapy trial. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 ribonucleic acid (RNA) data from monotherapy trials in ARV naive/experienced HIV-infected subjects for eight drugs (i.e. application case, a representative drug for a given class used for external validation) across four distinct classes of ARV agents (co-receptor antagonists; non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors; nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors; and integrase strand transfer inhibitors) were obtained. Using the in vitro EC50 (protein binding corrected) and a class-specific scaling factor (SF), the in vivo IC50 was calculated for each drug. The integrated pharmacokinetic (PK)–pharmacodynamic (PD) disease model used the predicted in vivo IC50 to simulate the HIV-1 RNA-time profiles for dosing regimens that were studied in the monotherapy trials for each drug. The simulated HIV-1 RNA time profiles were then compared to the observed data. The simulated HIV-1 RNA-time profiles matched well with those observed in the monotherapy trials except for one drug in the INSTIs class. The derived SF represents a useful in vitro–in vivo linkage to predict the dose–response relationship for a NME using in vitro data. The mechanistic PK–PD disease model-based framework is useful to assist the dose selection for monotherapy trials and comparator modeling approaches.
Anatomic reference for computed tomography of the head of the foal

The purpose of this study was to produce an anatomic reference for computed tomography (CT) of the head of the foal for use by radiologists, clinicians, and veterinary students. The head from each of 2 foals, euthanized for reasons unrelated to head pathology, was removed and prepared for CT scanning. Using a third-generation CT scanner, 5-mm contiguous transverse images were acquired. The heads were then frozen and sectioned using a band saw, with the cuts matched as closely as possible to the CT slices. The anatomic sections were photographed and radiographed. The radiographs and anatomic photographs were digitized and matched with the corresponding CT image. Each CT image was compared with its corresponding radiographic and anatomic section to assist in the accurate identification of specific structures. Clinically relevant structures were identified and labeled in corresponding images (CT, anatomic slice, and radiograph of slice). Only structures identified in the CT image were labeled in 1 of the other 2 images. Sagittal (reference) images of the horse's head were reconstructed from the transverse CT scans, and were used to indicate the level from which each of the transverse images was obtained. Corresponding labeled images were then formatted together with a legend for identification of specific anatomic structures.
Utilizing Human Blood Plasma for Proteomic Biomarker Discovery

Candidate proteomic biomarker discovery from human plasma holds both incredible clinical potential as well as significant challenges. The dynamic range of proteins within plasma is known to exceed 1010, and many potential biomarkers are likely present at lower protein abundances. At present, proteomic based MS analyses provide a dynamic range typically not exceeding ∼103 in a single spectrum, and ∼104−106 when combined with on-line separations (e.g., reversed-phase gradient liquid chromatography), and thus are generally insufficient for low level biomarker detection directly from human plasma. This limitation is providing an impetus for the development of experimental methodologies and strategies to increase the possible number of detections within this biofluid. Discussed is the diversity of available approaches currently used by our laboratory and others to utilize human plasma as a viable medium for biomarker discovery. Various separation, depletion, enrichment, and quantitative efforts as well as rece...
Differential Sensitivity to Inhibitors Discriminates between Two Types of Kinases Responsible for in Vivo Phosphorylation of Different Sites in the Carboxy-Terminal Tail of Chicken Neurofilament-M

In order to characterize the phosphorylation of neurofilaments (NF) in intact neurons, we examined the ability of several protein kinase inhibitors to interfere with the incorporation 32P into individual NF polypeptides of sensory neurons in culture. We also examined their effect on the post-translational mobility shift on SDS-PAGE that accompanies phosphorylation of newly synthesized NF-M. Several agents known to inhibit cyclic nucleotide-, Ca2+/calmodulin-, and Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent protein kinases (H7, HA1004, trifluoperizine, sphingosine) had no effect on the phosphorylation of any NF polypeptide, in either assay. In contrast, two broadly active protein kinase inhibitors, staurosporine and K252a, inhibited the incorporation of 32P into NF-M by 60-70% and also blocked the post-translational mobility shift. They had no effect on NF-L. The action of staurosporine and K252a was identical to that of 25 mM LiCl. Proteolytic cleavage and phosphopeptide mapping of 32P-labeled NF-M from control and treated cultures revealed that the phosphorylation of only one subset of phosphopeptides was affected by staurosporine, K252a, and LiCl. These were contained within a single chymotryptic fragment of the NF-M tail segment, probably containing most of the 17 repeats of a KXXS/TP motif. The phosphorylation of another subset of phosphopeptides was insensitive to these inhibitors. They were contained within a different chymotryptic fragment of the tail segment which contains a KSD and four KSP potential phosphorylation sites. This differential sensitivity to protein kinase inhibitors distinguishes two different types of effector-independent kinases that phosphorylate, in vivo, different sites within the NF-M tail.
"AS FIRECRACKERS TO ATOM BOMBS": KINSEY, SCIENCE, AND AUTHORITY

The works of Alfred C. Kinsey and his colleagues at Indiana University, most notably Wardell Pomeroy, have been lightning rods for controversy since its initial publication. Yet, in the past decade it seems as though there has been perhaps more attention in the "popular" media to Kinsey, the man, and his work than in the years immediately following the publication of his two major works. In this review essay, I want to touch on what I believe has led to this "revival" fervor. I will argue that the "science" on which the work ofKinsey et al. is built on is of little importance. On the other hand, it is precisely the science that Kinsey et al. represent that is important to the current attention focused on them, especially Kinsey and Pomeroy. Before going much further, I must admit something of an embarrassment; or, at least something I think makes me much like many who discuss Kinsey et al. freely. Prior to planning this review, I had never read Kinsey et al. (1948) from cover to cover. True, over the years I had checked the volume out of the library and consulted a particular chapter or some sections, looking for information about the issue I was researching at the time ("purposeful" reading). I had never taken the time to truly read through the entire volume following the logic chain from start to finish. No doubt there will be many who think I still have not done so, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps this essay will motivate some
Variations of heavy metals and arsenic in fish and other organisms from the Calcasieu River and Lake, Louisiana.

The edible parts of several species of fish and other marine organisms inhabiting the Calcasieu River/Lake, Louisiana were analyzed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ag, Zn, and As. Concentrations of all metals measured in both intra and interspecies showed no significant variation with sample location. Differences in elemental concentrations were related to organism mobility and not to site-specific variations in metal loadings. Different species of finfish contained only trace amounts of Cd (0.02-0.08), Ag (<0.01–0.3), Pb (<0.2–0.5), and As (<0.1–0.3) mg kg−1. Concentrations of Cu and Cr were highly variable, in contrast to Zn, which was present in relatively constant amounts across all species (28 ± 7 mg kg−1). Sessile organisms such as oysters had the highest concentrations of heavy metals, including Cd. Periphyton and Zooplankton were the only groups that showed differences in metal concentrations with sampling location.
Acquiring knowledge of derived nominals and derived adjectives in context.

Purpose This research investigated children’s ability to acquire semantic and syntactic knowledge of derived nominals and derived adjectives in the context of short passages. The study also investi...
S-parameter measurement prediction for bipolar transistors using a physical device simulator

S-parameter data characterizing bipolar IC test structures (including layout parasitics) are derived from two-dimensional device simulations of a submicrometer emitter bipolar transistor (BJT). The modeling used for the calculation of the BJT test structure S-parameter response is reported. The effects of interconnect and bond pads used in the IC test structure layout are evaluated. In addition, a two-layer metal interconnect-based test structure with very low signal loss is proposed. This result has applications in: (1) designing BJT test structures for IC technologies, (2) supplementing existing two-port S-parameter measurements to provide three-port characterization, and (3) evaluating the accuracy of on-chip S-parameter calibration techniques for specific IC test structure layouts. >
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Vpu Protein Inhibits NF-κB Activation by Interfering with βTrCP-mediated Degradation of IκB

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpu protein binds to the CD4 receptor and induces its degradation by cytosolic proteasomes. This process involves the recruitment of human betaTrCP (TrCP), a key member of the SkpI-Cdc53-F-box E3 ubiquitin ligase complex that specifically interacts with phosphorylated Vpu molecules. Interestingly, Vpu itself, unlike other TrCP-interacting proteins, is not targeted for degradation by proteasomes. We now report that, by virtue of its affinity for TrCP and resistance to degradation, Vpu, but not a phosphorylation mutant unable to interact with TrCP, has a dominant negative effect on TrCP function. As a consequence, expression of Vpu in HIV-infected T cells or in HeLa cells inhibited TNF-alpha-induced degradation of IkappaB-alpha. Vpu did not inhibit TNF-alpha-mediated activation of the IkappaB kinase but instead interfered with the subsequent TrCP-dependent degradation of phosphorylated IkappaB-alpha. This resulted in a pronounced reduction of NF-kappaB activity. We also observed that in cells producing Vpu-defective virus, NF-kappaB activity was significantly increased even in the absence of cytokine stimulation. However, in the presence of Vpu, this HIV-mediated NF-kappaB activation was markedly reduced. These results suggest that Vpu modulates both virus- and cytokine-induced activation of NF-kappaB in HIV-1-infected cells.
Reticle contributions to CD uniformity for 0.25-μm DUV lithography

The trend in the semiconductor industry is towards superior imaging performance requiring fundamentally tighter control of device Critical Dimensions (CD) and yield. This paper focuses on the analysis of reticle contributions to intrafield CD Uniformity for step and repeat 0.25 micrometer DUV Lithography. A method is described to subtract the reticle fingerprint contribution from the CD measurement data. The method demonstrated that CD Uniformity, in terms of 3(sigma) , is perhaps only a valid statically allowed estimate if it is used after reticle correction. The extensive intrafield CD uniformity evaluation was performed on a typical ASML PAS 5500/300 DUV stepper to determine the impact of various illumination conditions. For APEX-E2408 photoresist, the actual intrafield CD uniformity was 13 nm (3(sigma) ) at best focus and 14 nm (3(sigma) ) over a 0.6 micrometer focus range for 0.25 micrometer dense lines and annular illumination with a NA equals 0.54. Subtracting the reticle fingerprint yields the exposure tool CD component of 8 nm (3(sigma) ) at best focus and 8 nm (3(sigma) ) over a 0.6 micrometer focus range. This is smaller than the reticle CD error component of 10 nm (3(sigma) ) which results from 32 nm (3(sigma) ) mask CD uniformity and a reticle sensitivity factor of 1.3. It is, therefore, imperative to reduce the reticle CD influence to realize further resolution reductions in manufacturing. Subtracting the reticle CD non-uniformity contribution allows us more accurately to determine the lithographic tool contribution to the CD uniformity budget.
On the Importance of Self-Determination for Intrinsically-Motivated Behavior:

Yoked pairs of subjects solved puzzles such that one member of each pair was given choice about what puzzles to work on and how much time to allot to each, while the yoked subject was assigned the same puzzles and time allotments as those chosen by the first subject. It was predicted and found that subjects who chose the activities and time allotments -in other words, who had additional self-determination--would be more intrinsically motivated than subjects doing the same activity without choice.
Solvent-Dependent Photoinduced Tautomerization of 2-(2‘-Hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole

The solvent-dependent ground-state conformational equilibrium and excited-state dynamics of 2-(2‘-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole have been characterized in several solvents on the femtosecond to nanosecond time scales. The only observable ground-state tautomer is the enol, which exists in equilibrium between the syn- and anti-rotational isomers. In the anti-enol isomer, the phenyl hydroxyl group appears to not interact strongly with solvent but rather forms a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond with the benzoxazole oxygen atom. In the syn-enol isomer, the phenyl hydroxyl proton may interact with solvent or form an internal hydrogen bond with the benzoxazole nitrogen atom. Upon excitation, the proton is transferred from the oxygen atom to the nitrogen atom of the internally hydrogen bonded syn-enol isomer in 170 fs, regardless of the solvent. The lifetime of the resulting excited keto tautomer is solvent dependent and on the order of picoseconds. In addition to these dynamics, several additional dynamic process...
A 0.18µm CMOS switched-capacitor amplifier using current-starving inverter based op-amp for low-power biosensor applications

Silicon biosensor arrays for the generation of chemical images have been proposed for the study of cell migration and tissue development. In order for these arrays to be viable they need highly accurate and low-power read channels. Low-power designs are key to making sure that heat generated by the silicon chip does not affect the bio-samples being tested. This paper presents an ultra-low power switched capacitor amplifier design for use in such a biosensor system. The amplifier was designed using a commercial 0.18μm process with a reduced supply voltage of 0.9V to minimize power consumption. The amplifier has an input signal bandwidth of 1kHz and consumes only 4μW with a 1MHz sampling rate. The total harmonic distortion (THD) of the amplifier output is -67.68dB resulting in an effective resolution of 10.96 bits.
Modeling constraints on the spread of agriculture to Southwest China with thermal niche models

Abstract Understanding how, why and by what mechanisms agricultural practices, technologies and products spread out of their zones of original development is a central theme of archaeology. To date, very few studies have combined agro-ecological modeling with detailed analyses of archaeobotanical remains to outline the kinds of challenges that ancient humans faced as they moved crops into environments different from their original homeland of domestication. This paper employs ecological niche modeling to outline the constraints faced by ancient humans as they moved rice, millets and eventually wheat and barley into the mountainous region of Southwest China. In particular, we propose that moving rice into this region presented considerable challenges for its cultivators and we infer that its spread into this area was facilitated by breeding cold adapted varieties of rice or by combining its cultivation with that of millet. High altitude areas did not take up full-scale agriculture until the introduction of cold adapted western Eurasian domesticates such as wheat and barley. The temperature niche models reinforce the adoption of these regionally varied agricultural strategies and support the significance of domesticates other than rice for the spread of agriculture into Southwest China.
Preparation and characterization of ultrathin free-standing carbon films

Ultrathin free-standing carbon films with thicknesses of ∼8–14 nm were prepared by peeling from glass after pyrolization of the polyfurfuryl alcohol precursor at 700 °C. The carbon films were characterized by using optical profilometry, confocal Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and a two-point probe I - V station measurement. The results confirmed the formation of ultrathin free-standing carbon films with a polyaromatic domain structure. Those films had up to a 90% transmittance with respect to air and had an ohmic behavior. In this work, we also suggest that the most likely peeling mechanism of carbon films results from glass corrosion.
Carbon kinetic isotope effect in the oxidation of methane by hydroxyl

The carbon kinetic isotope effect in the reaction of CH/sub 4/ with OH has an experimentally measured value of 1.003. The measurement was performed using a static system in which the source of OH was the gas-phase photolysis of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ with ultraviolet light produced by a high-pressure mercury arc lamp. Implications for the tropospheric cycle of CH/sub 4/ are considered briefly. 4 references, 2 tables.
Optimal menu hierarchy design: syntax and semantics

Increasingly users must navigate through a hierarchy of menus in order to access the various functions available on a computer. As the number of functions proliferates and the menu hierarchies grow more complex, the time it takes users to access any given function has become unacceptably slow. Specifically, given a set of functions, recent studies have shown how to identify the structure of the complete, homogeneous hierarchy that minimizes the average time to access these functions. In this article a general method for finding the optimal hierarchy is developed. The method does not confine the search for an optimal hierarchy to the set of complete, homogeneous hierarchies; nor, given suitable input, does the method select as optimal a hierarchy that cannot be easily navigated. It is important to identify the optimal hierarchy because it can reduce the average access time considerably, in some cases (at least in theory) by almost 100%.
Discrimination hurts but mindfulness may help: Trait mindfulness moderates the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms

Discriminatory experiences are not only momentarily distressing, but can also increase risk for lasting physical and psychological problems. Specifically, significantly higher rates of depression and depressive symptoms are reported among people who are frequently the target of prejudice. Given the gravity of this problem, this research focuses on an individual difference, trait mindfulness, as a protective factor in the association between discrimination and depressive symptoms. In a community sample of 605 individuals, trait mindfulness dampens the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms. Additionally, mindfulness provides benefits above and beyond those of positive emotions. Trait mindfulness may thus operate as a protective individual difference for targets of discrimination.