cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Online Social Network Effects in Labor Markets: Evidence From Facebook's Entry into College Campuses

In this paper, I estimate the causal effect of increased exposure to online social networks during college on future labor market outcomes. Using quasi-random variation from Facebook's entry to college campuses during its infancy, I exploit a natural experiment to determine the relationship between online social network access and future earnings. I find a positive effect on wages from Facebook access during college. This positive effect is largest in magnitude for female students, and students from lower-middle class families. I provide evidence that this positive effect from Facebook access comes through the channel of increased social ties to former classmates, which in turn leads to strengthened employment networks between college alumni. My estimates imply that access to Facebook for 4 years of college causes a 2.7 percentile increase in a cohort's average earnings, relative to the earnings of other individuals born in the same year. This translates to an average nominal wage increase of $3,000-$5,000 in 2014.
The Goldilocks effect of lake size on within-population diversity in stickleback

Abstract Many generalist species consist of disparate specialized individuals, a phenomenon known as ‘individual specialization’. This within-population niche variation can stabilize population dynamics, reduce extinction risk, and alter community composition. But, we still only vaguely understand the ecological contexts that promote niche variation and its stabilizing effects. Adaptive dynamics models predict that intraspecific variation should be greater in environments with two or more equally-profitable resources, but reduced in environments dominated by one resource. Here, we confirm this prediction using a comparison of threespine stickleback in 33 lakes in on Vancouver Island, Canada. Stickleback consume a combination of benthic and limnetic invertebrates, focusing on the former in small lakes, the latter in large lakes. Intermediate-sized lakes support generalist populations, which arise via greater among-individual diet variation, not by greater individual diet breadth. These intermediate lakes exhibit correspondingly greater morphological diversity, while genomic diversity increases linearly with lake size. These results support the theoretical expectation that habitats with an intermediate ratio of resources are “just right” for promoting ecologically relevant intraspecific diversification.
Tax-advantaged trust use among IPO executives: Determinants and implications for valuation and future performance

We examine the prevalence and determinants of CEOs' use of tax-advantaged trusts prior to their firm's IPO. Twenty-three percent of CEOs use tax-advantaged pre-IPO trusts, and share transfers into ...
Engineering new branches of the kynurenine pathway to produce oxo-(2-aminophenyl) and quinoline scaffolds in yeast

The kynurenine pathway, named after its non-proteinogenic amino acid precursor L-kynurenine, is responsible for the de novo biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) in eukaryotes. Oxo-(2-aminophenyl) and quinoline molecules downstream from L-kynurenine also serve as antagonists of several receptors of the central nervous system in mammals. In this study, we engineered new biosynthetic routes in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce a suite of L-kynurenine-derived natural products. Overexpression of Homo sapiens L-tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (HsTDO2) in S. cerevisiae led to marked increase in the production of L-kynurenine and downstream metabolites. Using this background, new branch points to the kynurenine pathway were added through the incorporation of a Psilocybe cubensis noncanonical L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (PcncAAAD) capable of catalyzing both decarboxylation and decarboxylation-dependent oxidative-deamination reactions of L-kynurenine and 3-hydroxy-L-kynurenine to yiel...
Erratum for Wood et al., "Initial Characterization of the Two ClpP Paralogs of Chlamydia trachomatis Suggests Unique Functionality for Each".

Volume 201, no. 2, e00635-18, 2019, [https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00635-18][1]. Page 10, line 14: “Acyl-carrier-protein” should read “Activator of cylindrical proteases.” [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1128/JB.00635-18
A semi-empirical model for two-level system noise in superconducting microresonators

We present measurements of the low--temperature excess frequency noise of four niobium superconducting coplanar waveguide microresonators, with center strip widths $s_r$ ranging from 3 $\mu$m to 20 $\mu$m. For a fixed internal power, we find that the frequency noise decreases rapidly with increasing center strip width, scaling as $1/s_r^{1.6}$. We show that this geometrical scaling is readily explained by a simple semi-empirical model which assumes a surface distribution of independent two-level system fluctuators. These results allow the resonator geometry to be optimized for minimum noise.
Matched sequential tumor molecular profiling in solid malignancies may impact clinical practice

Abstract Objectives To determine if performing repeat tumor molecular profiling in solid malignancies over time can identify new findings that impact clinical care. Methods All patients with a solid malignancy and more than 1 tumor molecular analysis were identified at a single institution. Each test report was examined to identify the genomic alterations. Chart review was performed to determine subsequent therapies following each test result and the impact of tumor profiling on clinical practice. Results At a single institution, 110 patients were identified with having more than 1 tumor molecular analysis, with 98 subjects having test results available for review. Eighty-seven patients had differences in reported results at the time of subsequent analysis. These differences may reflect changes in tumor biology, be attributed to intra-patient or intra-tumor heterogeneity or be due to technical updates of the next generation sequencing platforms. Among the 98 subjects with solid tumors, the median time between tests was 10 months (range 0.5–66 months), with the majority of tests performed at the time of disease progression or recurrence. In this population, a total of 30 patients received targeted therapies that were associated with actionable findings on any tumor molecular analysis. Of these, 6 patients had new genomic findings identified on sequential testing that affected treatment. Conclusions The future of cancer care must include precision medicine approaches. Evolution of next generation sequencing has contributed to this effort. Results of this single institution study summarize the reported findings on tumor molecular testing and suggest that subsequent testing may impact clinical care in a subset of patients. While only 6% of patients in this study saw a change in treatment based on new findings on sequential testing reports, this approach may be more clinically relevant in the future with the development of novel targeted therapies. This may be especially significant in a patient population that has progressed on standard therapies and where treatment options are limited.
HII Shells Surrounding Wolf-Rayet stars in M31

We present the results of an ongoing investigation to provide a detailed view of the processes by which massive stars shape the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM), from pc to kpc scales. In this paper we have focused on studying the environments of Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars in M31 to find evidence for WR wind-ISM interactions, through imaging ionized hydrogen nebulae surrounding these stars. We have conducted a systematic survey for HII shells surrounding 48 of the 49 known WR stars in M31. There are 17 WR stars surrounded by single shells, or shell fragments, 7 stars surrounded by concentric limb brightened shells, 20 stars where there is no clear physical association of the star with nearby H-alpha emission, and 4 stars which lack nearby H-alpha emission. For the 17+7 shells above, there are 12 which contain one or two massive stars (including a WR star) and that are <=40 pc in radius. These 12 shells may be classical WR ejecta or wind-blown shells. Further, there may be excess H-alpha point source emission associated with one of the 12 WR stars surrounded by putative ejecta or wind-blown shells. There is also evidence for excess point source emission associated with 11 other WR stars. The excess emission may arise from unresolved circumstellar shells, or within the extended outer envelopes of the stars themselves. In a few cases we find clear morphological evidence for WR shells interacting with each other. In several H-alpha images we see WR winds disrupting, or punching through, the walls of limb-brightened HII shells.
Introduction: Feminine Journeys of the Mahabharata

This chapter introduces the subject of the book and presents the scope and purpose of the book. Each chapter of the book is examined in the introduction exploring the individual contribution of the chapter, while also connecting it to the broad themes of exile and deviance in the women’s narratives that run throughout the book in various chapters. A number of female narratives are in the form of a journey in which various stages of the life of women are narrated. The women go from high identity to losing identity in the process of the journey and finally returning and recovering a high position of prominence again. The biographical journey of identity to anonymity might sometimes involve exile in the forest or sometimes it may involve travel to other unknown worlds or realms. Important elements of the narratives such as journey through the unknown, exile, and life in the forest or other worlds leave scope for the examination of women’s roles, their heroic personality, and also their enduring legacy.
A Unified Approach to Bermudan and Barrier Options Under Stochastic Volatility Models with Jumps

Many financial assets, such as currencies, commodities, and equity stocks, exhibit both jumps and stochastic volatility, which are especially prominent in the market after the financial crisis. Some strategic decision making problems also involve American-style options. In this paper, we develop a novel, fast and accurate method for pricing American and barrier options in regime switching jump diffusion models. By blending regime switching models and Markov chain approximation techniques in the Fourier domain, we provide a unified approach to price Bermudan, American options and barrier options under general stochastic volatility models with jumps. The models considered include Heston, Hull–White, Stein–Stein, Scott, the 3/2 model, and the recently proposed 4/2 model and the α-Hypergeometric model with general jump amplitude distributions in the return process. Applications include the valuation of discretely monitored contracts as well as continuously monitored contracts common in the foreign exchange markets. Numerical results are provided to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
Exercise 22: Adoptive Transfer of Lymphocytes: B and T Lymphocyte Cooperation for Antibody Production

In this exercise, we will demonstrate that combinations of B and T lymphocytes are required to efficiently produce antibodies against antigen. We will be using sheep red blood cells (SRBC) as the antigen. Irradiated CBA mice will serve as recipients for lymphoid cell suspensions from the spleen and thymus of a syngeneic donor. Mice exposed to whole body ionizing irradiation of 650–750 rads become immunologically suppressed. In addition, various biochemical and functional properties of the lymphocytes become impaired. Lymphocytes are highly sensitive to radiation and so animals whose lymphocytes have been inactivated can be reconstituted with various cell populations to study the functions of the different cells.
Cities and Mental Life

While climate change can induce mental states such as anxiety, fear, stress, and depression, which affect our existence, other wicked problems such as vast social and economic inequalities that manifest in the urban environments do also. This phenomenon appears to be well entrenched in many cities today. In turn, through expanding our taxonomy to include wicked and saving technologies, we can employ these terms to enhance our understanding of situations in the urban sphere that manifest as distinctly harmful mental states. Common examples include homelessness and home-related issues, traffic, and extreme loneliness. Due to passive acceptance of such situations, some people might assume that these unfortunate realities are metropolitan places' inherent characteristics. However, viewing them as merely circumstantial provides a way to change how we perceive cities' possibilities, meaning that we can upgrade our position on such matters. This chapter lays the groundwork for that undertaking. It identifies some of the wicked technologies in play, and in turn, marks them as ones that could benefit from specialized study to discover means that can mitigate harms and change the unwelcome conditions surrounding them.
Das Maynard Keynes Problem

One of the classic questions in the history of ideas first arose one hundred years ago in Germany. Reading Adam Smith's two great works, The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations, late 19th century German economists were struck by an apparent puzzle: how could the theorist who made sympathy the mainspring of human action in the first book argue in the second that calculating self-interest was the primary motive force? Thus arose das Adam Smith Problem. How could one reconcile the advocate of sympathy with the advocate of self-interest? The history of the attempts to answer this question is instructive in many ways. It is instructive, in part, as a lesson in the fertility of the history of economic thought as a source of ideas. A. O. Hirschman is an outstanding example of an original and creative theorist who has come to fresh insights on the basis of his research on the question (see Hirschman, 1977,1986). The history is also instructive in pointing out the indeterminate nature of the solution to the problem. Despite the stature of the scholars who have worked in the field and the high quality of their work, one must ultimately accept that we shall never know the 'true' answer to the question. Smith left few papers and the context of his thought is itself a puzzle for us. Careful reconstruction of the unfolding social, cultural, and philosophical worlds that Smith inhabited would certainly be hallmarks of any 'acceptable' answer to the question, but authorities on each of these background areas themselves disagree about what was happening in the worlds in which Smith lived. Reasonable persons must agree to disagree about the answer to the question.
Issues in modeling for data mining

Modeling in data mining has not been fully explored; so data mining is often regarded as a set of added operations in database systems. The consequence is that many notions are overloaded. Some terms often have different semantics. This paper continues previous effort to explore and reiterate some fundamental issues in data mining.
Attitudes Toward and Knowledge of AIDS Among African American Social Work Students

Social work students can be trained to assume critical roles in response to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in the African American community. To effectively prepare social work students for these roles, educators must ascertain the knowledge and attitudes of students toward the epidemic. Although several researchers have studied the AIDS knowledge and attitudes of social work students in general, none have reported on the knowledge and attitudes of African American social work students as a group. In the present study, 48 graduate-level African American social work students responded to a questionnaire to measure these characteristics. Many students had incomplete knowledge about AIDS, felt unprepared to handle AIDS practice situations, and felt apprehensive about contact with people with AIDS. Social work educators need to take steps to ensure that African American social work students are prepared to intervene effectively in the AIDS epidemic.
Spiroplasma found in the eyes of scrapie affected sheep

Objective Scrapie, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) occurring naturally in sheep, characteristically shows a severe retinopathy that is well developed in the terminal phases of the disease. In this study, we set out to demonstrate similar retinal changes in our ruminant spiroplasmosis TSE model. Procedure The eyes from deer, sheep, and goats that were inoculated intracranially with the laboratory strain of spiroplasma (suckling mouse cataract [SMCA] strain of Spiroplasma mirum) or with Spiroplasma sp. isolated from the brains affected with scrapie or with chronic wasting disease were examined by light microscopy for pathologic changes and by immunocytochemistry for distribution of spiroplasma antigen. The eyes were also obtained from a research flock of sheep with terminal scrapie, from which the intraocular tissues were submitted aseptically for culture assay in M1D broth or as explants on bovine corneal endothelia (BCE). Results The eyes from the spiroplasmosis ruminant models showed retinopathy remarkably similar to eye lesions seen in sheep with scrapie. The spiroplasma antigen accrued in the ruminant model eye tissues, particularly in the retina, the vitreous humor, and the corneal endothelia. A Spiroplasma sp. grew out of the scrapie-affected eyes both in the M1D broth and in the BCE cultures but did not expand. These new spiroplasma isolates differed immunologically from SMCA. Conclusion These data showed a clear association of spiroplasma with scrapie suggesting that these bacteria have a role in the pathogenesis of TSE and that the eye should be a research focus for future studies of TSE.
Binding of Rabbit Gamma Globulin by Competent Bacillus subtilis Cultures

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-mediated transformation of Bacillus subtilis can be inhibited by antibodies which specifically interact with single-stranded DNA. This inhibition occurs at a time when the transformation reaction is insensitive to deoxyribonuclease. Studies with radioactive proteins revealed that the maximal binding of gamma globulin occurs immediately preceding the development of maximal competence in the population. Other proteins, such as deoxyribonuclease cytochrome c and serum albumin also adsorb to the surface of the cell. After treatment with lysozyme, 67% of the radioactive gamma globulin remains associated with the cytoplasmic membrane. These findings suggest that the DNA is complexed in a deoxyribonuclease-insensitive form to the surface of the cell and is converted to a single-stranded state prior to transport past the membrane and integration into the chromosome.
Distance Learning in Accounting Courses from the Student's Perspective (1999-2006)

Universities throughout the nation are faced with the reality of an increase in demand from placebound, adult working students who live and work in locations that may be hundreds of miles from traditional college campuses, and require a less centralized mode of course instruction. At the same time technological advances are now available that provide universities with a wide range of instructional modes of instruction that include interactive television (ITV) with real time audio and visual at a number of decentralized classroom sites, live and remote. Distance learning/distance education (DE) technologies currently allow an instructor to deliver university course instruction to several remote sites in real time via live ITV, while teaching a class to students in a traditional university classroom setting. While there are a growing number of studies on distance education, there are relatively few research studies on student satisfaction, with existing research showing mixed results (Anderson, Banks and Leary, 2002, Beaghan, 2006), and very little research on the effect of two-way ITV on university accounting and business course instruction (Arndt and Lafollette, 1991, Pirrong and Lathen, 1990, Seay and Milkman, 1994). University accounting course instruction may involve a number of different modes of instruction that include live instruction, online instruction and distance education. This research study looks at differences in student perception of value and satisfaction with quantitatively oriented courses delivered via ITV between groups of students in accounting courses taught between 1999 and 2006. Specifically this study looks at differences in attitudes between two groups of students, live and remote, and whether students who receive course instruction at remote sites via ITV perceive the same degree of value and satisfaction as do students receiving the same course instruction live and in real time.
IL-15 activates telomerase and minimizes telomere loss and may preserve the replicative life span of memory CD8+ T cells in vitro.

The preservation of the replicative life span of memory CD8 + T cells is vital for long-term immune protection. Although IL-15 plays a key role in the homeostasis of memory CD8 + T cells, it is unknown whether IL-15 regulates the replicative life span of memory CD8 + T cells. In this study, we report an analysis of telomerase expression and telomere length in human memory phenotype CD8 + T cells maintained by IL-15 in vitro. We demonstrate that IL-15 is capable of activating telomerase in memory CD8 + T cells via Jak3 and PI3K signaling pathways. Furthermore, IL-15 induces a sustained level of telomerase activity over long periods of time, and in turn minimizes telomere loss in memory CD8 + T cells after substantial cell divisions. These findings suggest that IL-15 activates stable telomerase expression and compensates telomere loss in memory phenotype CD8 + T cells, and that telomerase may play an important role in memory CD8 + T cell homeostasis.
Transient Tertiary Contact Formation in the CGRP Neuropeptide Revealed by Nanosecond Laser Spectroscopy

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is an intrinsically disordered, 37 residue neuropeptide that acts as a potent vasodilator, which is of considerable interest in migrane research. It is a member of the calcitonin peptide (Ct) family, together with amylin, calcitonin and adrenomedullin. These are genetically and structurally related intrinsically disordered hormone peptides that are able to bind to each other’s receptors, though with varying degrees of affinity. They contain highly conserved sequence elements that have been experimentally shown to affect the secondary structural preferences of these peptides. The effect of such conserved elements on tertiary structure has not been experimentally explored to the same extent. Detecting tertiary structural properties of IDPs is considerably more challenging due to fast reconfigurations of the backbone over a wide range of possible conformations. High resolution time-resolved techniques are needed.We use a nanosecond-resolved spectroscopic technique based on tryptophan triplet quenching by cystine to detect tertiary contact formation in CGRP under varying solvent and temperature conditions. Using this technique, Vaiana et al.1 have previously shown that conserved structural elements of amylin induce compact states characterized by short end-to-end distances, and that compaction is not driven by hydrophobic side-chains. Using triplet quenching we explore the effect of these conserved elements on the conformation and dynamics of CGRP, a peptide with higher mean hydrophobicity and net charge per residue than amylin. We discuss our findings in relation to secondary structural preferences of these peptides and discuss their possible functional role.Footnote1 Vaiana S.M. et al. Biophys. J. 97 2009.
Quality Measure Performance in Small Practices Before and After Electronic Health Record Adoption

Introduction: To date, little research has been published on the impact that the transition from paper-based record keeping to the use of electronic health records (EHR) has on performance on clinical quality measures. This study examines whether small, independent medical practices improved in their performance on nine clinical quality measures soon after adopting EHRs. Methods: Data abstracted by manual review of paper and electronic charts for 6,007 patients across 35 small, primary care practices were used to calculate rates of nine clinical quality measures two years before and up to two years after EHR adoption. Results: For seven measures, population-level performance rates did not change before EHR adoption. Rates of antithrombotic therapy and smoking status recorded increased soon after EHR adoption; increases in blood pressure control occurred later. Rates of hemoglobin A1c testing, BMI recorded, and cholesterol testing decreased before rebounding; smoking cessation intervention, hemoglobin A1c control and cholesterol control did not significantly change. Discussion: The effect of EHR adoption on performance on clinical quality measures is mixed. To improve performance, practices may need to develop new workflows and adapt to different documentation methods after EHR adoption. Conclusions: In the short term, EHRs may facilitate documentation of information needed for improving the delivery of clinical preventive services. Policies and incentive programs intended to drive improvement should include in their timelines consideration of the complexity of clinical tasks and documentation needed to capture performance on measures when developing timelines, and should also include assistance with workflow redesign to fully integrate EHRs into medical practice.
Software-based test and diagnosis of SoCs using embedded and wide-I/O DRAM

Modern CMOS technology enables the integration of billions of transistors on a single chip. Emerging three-dimensional (3D) stacking techniques using through-silicon vias (TSVs) promise even higher integration by combining multiple dies in a single package. In order to keep the test cost low and enhance field reliability, there is a need to re-think conventional test practices, such as test-data compression and online testing, as well as test-application techniques and fault diagnosis. Traditional hardware-based on-chip decompression solutions are limited to compression techniques that do not require large hardware overhead for decompression. However, today's system-on-chip designs (SoCs) offer resources, such as embedded processors and large amounts of fast embedded memories, that can be exploited for efficient on-chip test application, online testing, and diagnosis using software-based compression. Examples of such systems are 3D ICs with wide-I/O DRAM or traditional ICs with embedded DRAM (eDRAM). We propose a test and diagnosis solution that makes use of software-based decompression of deterministic scan-test pattern and allows for test application from on-chip DRAM to the logic die, extending traditional hardware-based methods and allowing for online scan-based test and diagnosis. This solution therefore targets SoCs that contain, in addition to a microprocessor, multiple digital-logic cores and glue logic, all of which need to be tested using scan test patterns. Simulation results for benchmarks show that we can achieve high test-data compression, comparable with what is obtained using commercial tools, as well as high-resolution on-chip diagnosis with negligible hardware and test-time overhead.
Analysis of dual active bridge based power electronic transformer as a three-phase inverter

Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converter finds applications in the intermediate high frequency link power conversion stage of a high-power solid state transformer. In this paper, a three phase inverter based on DAB topology is proposed for grid interconnection of Photo Voltaic (PV) system. Two phase-shifted active bridges are interfaced through a single-phase high frequency transformer where the transformer leakage inductance works as the main energy transfer element. A novel switching technique is proposed to achieve dc-to-three phase ac power conversion using DAB without an intermediate dc-stage at the ac-side bridge. The inverter has advantages of high-switching frequency operation thus high power density and direct dc-to-three phase ac conversion which makes it suitable for PV applications. Steady-state analysis of the converter with the proposed switching scheme is presented along with simulation results.
Paleoseismologic Evidence for a >8 Ka Age of the Most Recent Surface Rupture on the Eastern Sierra Madre Fault, Northern Los Angeles Metropolitan Region, California

Paleoseismologic data from the Sierra Madre fault, a major north-dipping reverse fault that extends for 75 km across the northern edge of the Los Angeles metropolitan region, indicate that the most recent surface rupture on the eastern part of the fault occurred more than 8000 years ago. Coupled with evidence for a minimum reverse-slip rate of 0.6–0.9 mm/yr on the strand that we trenched, the long elapsed interval since the most recent event suggests that the Sierra Madre fault breaks during very infrequent, large-magnitude ( M W ≥ 7) earthquakes. Events of such large magnitude are much larger than the largest earthquakes that have occurred on any of the Los Angeles area urban faults during the ∼200-year-long historic period (e.g., the 1971 M W 6.7 San Fernando and 1994 M W 6.7 Northridge earthquakes) and must be considered in future seismic hazard analyses for southern California. Although more paleoseismologic data are needed to determine whether or not the Sierra Madre fault ruptures together with adjacent faults, available data already show that the Raymond fault, a west-southwest-trending left-lateral strike-slip fault that intersects the central Sierra Madre fault, has ruptured to the surface at least once, and possibly several times, since the most recent surface rupture on the eastern Sierra Madre fault. Moreover, if the San Andreas fault (SAF) and the Sierra Madre fault ever rupture together, then such events must be exceedingly rare, with at least 50–100 SAF M W ∼8 so-called Big Ones occurring between every possible combined SAF–Sierra Madre fault event.
Chitosan and lactic acid-grafted chitosan nanoparticles as carriers for prolonged drug delivery.

Nanoparticles of ~10 nm in diameter made with chitosan or lactic acid-grafted chitosan were developed for high drug loading and prolonged drug release. A drug encapsulation efficiency of 92% and a release rate of 28% from chitosan nanoparticles over a 4-week period were demonstrated with bovine serum protein. To further increase drug encapsulation, prolong drug release, and increase chitosan solubility in solution of neutral pH, chitosan was modified with lactic acid by grafting D,L-lactic acid onto amino groups in chitosan without using a catalyst. The lactic acid-grafted chitosan nanoparticles demonstrated a drug encapsulation efficiency of 96% and a protein release rate of 15% over 4 weeks. With increased protein concentration, the drug encapsulation efficiency decreased and drug release rate increased. Unlike chitosan, which is generally soluble only in acid solution, the chitosan modified with lactic acid can be prepared from solutions of neutral pH, offering an additional advantage of allowing proteins or drugs to be uniformly incorporated in the matrix structure with minimal or no denaturization.
Evidence That the Stilbene-Derived Optical Brightener M2R EnhancesAutographa californicaM Nucleopolyhedrovirus Infection ofTrichoplusia niandHeliothis virescensby Preventing Sloughing of Infected Midgut Epithelial Cells

Abstract Previous reports have shown that the stilbene-derived optical brightener M2R increases mortality and hastens death of larval lepidopterans orally challenged with baculoviruses. The mechanism of viral enhancement, however, has not been elucidated. We used a reporter gene recombinant ofAutographa californicaMNPV (AcMNPV-hsp70/lacZ) to investigate the enhancing effects of M2R on pathogenesis, mortality and time to death in larvae ofTrichoplusia ni,andHeliothis virescensinoculated as newly molted fourth instars (40s) and at various hours after molting (e.g., 16 h = 416). For both hosts, M2R significantly reduced the time to death by AcMNPV. In 40-inoculated larvae, M2R accelerated infection of tracheal cells, but overall the effects on pathogenesis were minor, and no significant increase in mortality over controls was observed. Among infected M2R-treated 416H. virescens,there were significantly more foci per insect compared to controls, and first lacZ expression was detected in the midgut epithelium at 6 h postinoculation (hpi). In contrast, no lacZ signals were detected in the midgut epithelia of control insects at any time point, and first lacZ expression was observed in the tracheal system at 14 hpi. When we compared virus-induced mortality inH. virescensinoculated at various times during the fourth instar, we found that M2R treatment enhanced mortality levels progressively for larvae inoculated later during the instar. Our results suggested that inT. niandH. virescens,M2R enhanced AcMNPV pathogenesis by blocking the sloughing of infected primary target cells in the midgut, thereby countering developmental resistance and increasing mortality.
Learning Information Status of Discourse Entities

In this paper we address the issue of automatically assigning information status to discourse entities. Using an annotated corpus of conversational English and exploiting morpho-syntactic and lexical features, we train a decision tree to classify entities introduced by noun phrases as old, mediated, or new. We compare its performance with hand-crafted rules that are mainly based on morpho-syntactic features and closely relate to the guidelines that had been used for the manual annotation. The decision tree model achieves an overall accuracy of 79.5%, significantly outperforming the hand-crafted algorithm (64.4%). We also experiment with binary classifications by collapsing in turn two of the three target classes into one and retraining the model. The highest accuracy achieved on binary classification is 93.1%.
Shear strength of aluminum-sapphire interfaces

Abstract Interfacial shear strength tests were conducted at room temperature in an ultrahigh-vacuum environment on aluminum-sapphire interfaces prepared from four different combinations of polycrystalline aluminum and basal plane sapphire surfaces. The adhesive strengths developed across interfaces prepared from UHV cleaned, and also UHV cleaned then dosed with 1000 langmuir of oxygen, aluminum and sapphire surfaces were found to be greater than the adhesive strength of the aluminum metal to itself. Interfaces made from UHV cleaned aluminum and ambient air exposed sapphire produced lower adhesion and a shear coefficient of 0.7 in contrast to the shear coefficient of 0.8 developed by interfaces where both surfaces were initially UHV cleaned. Interfaces made from ambient air exposed aluminum and sapphire surfaces developed a shear coefficient of only 0.2 when tested at low normal loads. At high normal loads adhesion increased causing the shear coefficient value of those interfaces to rise to 0.7.
Effects of area on old-growth forest attributes: implications for the equilibrium landscape concept

To investigate applicability of the equilibrium landscape concept to various attributes of vegetation, the effects of sampling area (or grain size) on structural and compositional stand parameters were determined in an old-growth hemlock-hardwood forest. Three 1-ha plots, each gridded into 100 0.01-ha subplots, were established on the Roaring Fork watershed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA. Estimates for 10 different stand descriptors were calculated for a variety of grain sizes (subplot aggregation levels) ranging from 0.01 to 1 ha. The stand descriptors included measures of physical structure (basal area and biomass) as well as measures of species composition (relative basal area). All stand descriptors exhibited high deviation from the corresponding 3-ha mean at grain sizes approximating observed canopy gap area ( 0.5 ha. The relationship between sample variance and grain size was inverse and approximately log-log linear for all descriptors. Biomass, basal area, and large canopy tree density had relatively steep slopes. These variables of physical structure presumably were related to canopy gap size and distribution. The remaining measures of density and relative basal area had gentler slopes, indicating a milder decrease in variation with increasing grain size. Coefficients of variation for each parameter also showed this response to grain size, with compositional parameters having relatively high variation at scales > 0.5 ha. In general, the nature of physical structure patches (e.g. total basal area and biomass) differed from that of composition patches (e.g. relative basal area of individual species). This contrast should be considered in equilibrium landscape concepts and vegetation sampling design.
CONTROL STUDY OF MEDICAL (M) VERSUS SURGICAL (S) TREATMENT OF VESICOURETERAL REFLUX (VUR)

The purpose of this prospective study is to determine whether renal scars may be prevented in children with VUR by either a strict M treatment program or by S treatment (ureteral reimplantation) combined with a M program. Patients(pts) age 2 months to 12 years were admitted to the study after voiding cystourethrogram(VCUG) showed VUR grade 2a or greater regardless of the presence or absence of renal scars on excretory urogram(EU). After classification according to age and grade of VUR pts were assigned by randomization to the M or S regimen. All pts were treated prophylactically with Septra(Str)(lmg TMP, 5mg SMX/lb) or Macrodantin(Mcd)(lmg/lb) nightly. Pts with 2a VUR were assigned only to the M program and did not undergo cystoscopy. Urine cultures were done monthly for 6 months then every 2 months, nitrite tests at 2-4 week intervals at home on overnight specimens, CBC, BUN, creatinine, SGOT at the beginning of study and at regular intervals. 33 pts have now been followed for a total of 277 months. Only 3 pts had a positive urine culture, 2 on Str and 1 on Mcd prophylaxis. Follow-up VCUGs of pts on M treatment have shown no change in 4, ↓ grade of VUR in 2 and no VUR in 3. Follow-up EU show no change in 4, (2 on S protocol), ↓ calyceal abnormalities with ↑ growth in 1. Blood tests remain normal. Although S cures VUR, children on a strict M protocol maintain a sterile urine, show ↓ VUR, ↓ renal abnormalities and ↑ growth of affected kidneys. Supported by Burroughs Wellcome Co. grant.
Molecular Analysis of the Glycoprotein C-Negative Phenotype of Attenuated Marek's Disease Virus

Abstract Serial passage of oncogenic serotype 1 Marek's Disease virus (MDV) in cultured avian cells results in attenuation of viral oncogenicity and pathogenicity. Coincident with attenuation, expression of MDV glycoprotein C (gC) is significantly reduced. Regulation of MDV gC may have important implications for virus-host interactions and have important consequences in the process of viral attenuation. To investigate the mechanism by which MDV gC expression is reduced during attenuation of the very virulent serotype 1 MDV strain Md11, protein levels, gene structure, steady-state RNA levels, and transcription rates of MDV gC from ontogenic and attenuated isolates of Md11 were determined. Comparison of these data with similar studies on MDV proteins whose expression is not altered during attenuation indicates that reduced expression of MDV gC is directly related to reduction in transcription rate of the MDV gC gene in attenuated Md11. Reduced transcription rates and lack of any gross structural alterations in the attenuated MDV gC gene suggest that MDV regulatory protein(s) which interact with the MDV gC promoter are altered during attenuation of MDV strain Md11. This conclusion is Supported by DNA sequence data which indicate that the promoters of oncogenic and attenuated Md11 gC genes are identical.
In vivo characterization of skeletal phenotype of genetically modified mice.

Genetically modified mouse models provide an important tool for understanding of the roles of specific gene in skeletal growth, development, and aging. Appropriate study design is essential for characterization of skeletal phenotype of these mice. It is important to characterize the bone status of the different phases of skeletal development including the early rapid growth, attainment of peak bone mass, and age-related bone loss phases. In C57BL/6 strain mice, cancellous and cortical bone mass rapidly increases with age before 3 months of age, and reaches the peak cancellous bone mass at approximately 6-8 months of age, while cortical bone mass continuously increases until 12 months of age. Thereafter, age-related decrease in bone mass occurs. According to these observations, at least three different age groups need to be evaluated for bone status to cover the different phases of the life span: 1-3 months of age for rapid growth, 6-9 months for peak bone mass, and >12 months for aged phases. Furthermore, bone resorption and formation activities on all bone surfaces (periosteal, endocortical, intracortical, and cancellous) need to be evaluated. In this article, we briefly summarize our findings in the estrogen receptor-beta knockout (BERKO) and the P2X7 receptor (an ATP-gated ion channel) knockout mice. In BERKO female mice, bone status at 6, 13, and 21 months of ages was evaluated as compared with the wild-type litter-mate controls. We found that estrogen receptor-beta plays an inhibitory role in periosteal bone formation and longitudinal and radial growth during the growth period, whereas it plays a role in stimulation of bone resorption, bone turnover, and bone loss on cancellous and endocortical bone surfaces during the aging process. We also found that ER-beta knockout improves the survival rate between 6 and 21 months of age. In P2X7R knockout mice, bone status at 2, 5, 9, and 15 months of age was evaluated for both sexes as compared with their wild-type littermate controls. We found that P2X7R plays a role in stimulating periosteal and cancellous bone formation and inhibiting cancellous bone resorption during the growth period.
Aromatic antimony compounds. Transition metal complexes of 2,5-dimethylstibacyclopentadienyl

Abstract Hydrostannation of 2,4-hexadiyne with dibutyltin dihydride gave 1,1-dibutyl-2,5-dimethylstannole, which was converted to 2,5-dimethylstibacymantrene and to bis(2,5-dimethylstibacyclopentadienyl)iron.
Neonatal neurosteroid administration alters parvalbumin expression and neuron number in medial dorsal thalamus of adult rats.

Abstract The neuroactive steroid 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnane-20-one (allopregnanolone) is a potent endogenous modulator of GABA A receptor function. A single neonatal allopregnanolone administration (10 mg/kg, i.p.) was previously shown to alter the localization of parvalbumin-positive neurons in the prefrontal cortex at maturity. Cells in the prefrontal cortex receive the majority of their inputs from the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus. We investigated whether neonatal allopregnanolone administration alters the neuronal population of the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus. We show that the number of parvalbumin-expressing neurons is increased while the total neuron number is decreased in the medial dorsal nucleus after allopregnanolone administration. EAAT3 (excitatory amino acid transporter type 3, the neuron-specific glutamate reuptake transporter) immunoreactivity was unchanged in adjacent sections. These findings suggest that neonatal allopregnanolone administration disrupts the normal development of the prefrontal cortex and medial dorsal thalamus, indicating that neurosteroid levels are important for proper development of thalamocortical systems and may play a role in neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia.
Supply chain and distribution network: semiconductor supply network simulation

More efficient and effective control of supply networks is conservatively worth billions of dollars to the national and world economy. Developing improved control requires simulation of physical flows of materials involved and decision policies governing these flows. This paper describes our initial work on modeling each of these flows as well as simulating their integration through the synchronized interchange of data. We show the level of abstraction that is appropriate, formulate and test a representative model, and describe our findings and conclusions.
Advances in the analytical modeling of linear and nonlinear density-wave instability modes

Abstract Advances in the analysis of the linear stability of ventilated and unventilated boiling channels are presented. It is also shown that the entire closed loop transfer function matrix must be considered when evaluating the linear stability margin of a Multi-Input/Multi-Output (MI/MO) system such as a boiling water nuclear reactor (BWR). An analysis is also presented of finite amplitude instability modes. It is shown that a boiling channel can exhibit both subcritical and supercritical bifurcations.
Performance analysis of locking methods with limited wait depth

Abstract A number of recent studies have proposed lock conflict resolution methods to improve the performance of standard locking, i.e., the two-phase locking concurrency control method with the general waiting policy. The wait depth limited (WDL) method, which is an improvement on the running priority (RPS) method, outperforms other known concurrency control methods, except optimistic concurrency control methods in a system with “infinite” processing capacity. This paper provides an analysis of RPS, which is extensible to modified WDL with a performance comparable to WDL, but requiring fewer comparisons to determine the transaction to be aborted. The analyses of RPS and modified WDL are much more complicated than those of the no waiting and the cautious waiting methods, which only abort transactions making conflicting lock requests, while both active and blocked transactions can be aborted by RPS and modified WDL. We also extend the analysis to a system with multiple transaction classes, e.g., as determined by the number of requested locks, which occur according to prespecified frequencies, i.e., the fractions of transactions in the input stream. Our analysis ensures that the composition of completed transactions as affected by transaction aborts is not different from the incoming transaction frequencies. It follows from validation results that the analysis of RPS is quite accurate up to the point at which the peak throughput is attained in an infinite resource system. We also demonstrate the correspondence between flow diagrams and semi-Markov chains and provide justifications for using the exponential distribution for transaction waiting times.
Subtidal Eelgrass Declines in the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire and Maine, USA

Long-term monitoring of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) beds in the central subtidal portion of the Great Bay Estuary showed declines at both transplanted sites and reference beds. Eelgrass beds transplanted as mitigation for habitat loss from port development reached comparable functions (e.g., primary production, canopy structure) to natural reference sites by the late 1990s, within 6 years of transplanting. Data from 2001 to the present show significant declines in eelgrass parameters (biomass, shoot density, canopy height, leaf area) at all sites, suggesting that these declines are the result of an estuary-wide factor.