cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transparent Back Contacts for Superstrate (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se $_{\bf 2}$ Thin Film Solar Cells

Molybdenum oxide (MoO3) and tungsten oxide (WO3) are considered as transparent back contacts for (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se-2 thin film solar cells. MoO3 and WO3 films were deposited by reactive RF sputtering at room temperature in an Ar/O-2 ambient on (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga) Se-2 absorber layers with various Ga/(Ga + In) and Ag/(Ag + Cu) ratios. Determination of the valence band offsets by XPS showed that Ag-alloying of absorber layer changes the energy band alignment at the absorber-back contact interface with MoO3 and WO3 contacts. This produces a primary contact with lower valence band offset compared with Cu(In,Ga) Se-2 counterparts. The effect is less significant in films with Ga > 0.5 and Ag > 0.5 (corresponding to E-g > 1.4 eV) probably due to the different nature of ordered vacancy compounds forming near the surface phases.
NG2 Cells in White Matter But Not Gray Matter Proliferate in Response to PDGF

Glial cells that express the NG2 proteoglycan and the α receptor for PDGF (NG2 cells, polydendrocytes) make up the fifth major cell population that serves as oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in the postnatal CNS. Although recent studies have suggested differences in their proliferation and oligodendrocyte differentiation in gray and white matter, the mechanism underlying the observed differences has been unclear. Using organotypic slice cultures from the forebrain and cerebellum of early postnatal NG2creBAC:ZEG mice, we have compared basal and growth factor-induced proliferation of NG2 cells in gray and white matter. NG2 cells in white matter exhibited greater proliferative response to PDGF AA than those in gray matter. Heterotopic slice transplant and explant cultures suggested intrinsic mechanisms for the differential proliferative response of gray and white matter cells. Additionally, younger white matter NG2 cells showed a more robust proliferative response to PDGF. Basal and PDGF-induced proliferation of gray and white matter NG2 cells was largely dependent on Wnt/β-catenin and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase acting through the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway and not through ERK. These data uncover a previously unrecognized divergence between gray and white matter NG2 cells in the developing brain in their proliferative response to PDGF.
Three-dimensional spatial grouping affects estimates of the illuminant.

The brightnesses (i.e., perceived luminance) of surfaces within a three-dimensional scene are contingent on both the luminances and the spatial arrangement of the surfaces. Observers viewed a CRT through a haploscope that presented simulated achromatic surfaces in three dimensions. They set a test patch to be ∼33% more intense than a comparison patch to match the comparison patch in brightness, which is consistent with viewing a real scene with a simple lightning interpretation from which to estimate a different level of illumination in each depth plane. Randomly positioning each surface in either depth plane minimized any simple lighting interpretation, concomitantly reducing brightness differences to ∼8.5%, although the immediate surrounds of the test and comparison patches continued to differ by a 5:1 luminance ratio.
CRIME BY COMMITTEE: CONSPIRATORS AND COMPANY MEN IN THE ILLEGAL ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY CARTEL, 1954–19591

We show how cartels rely on the adaptive social structure of committee meetings to ameliorate the competitive difficulties of markets. We distill the structure of the cartel committee and test hypotheses relating market structure to committee structure and ultimately to the efficacy of cartel price-fixing. Cartel continuity and the corporate authority of the cartel are strong predictors of cartel effectiveness. Cartel continuity is responsive to market conditions that favor cartel formation. Centralization of cartel authority in decision making results in improved collusive pricing effectiveness. Centralization of cartel authority responds to expanding industry volume that bring about incentives to increase firm level market share at the expense of other cartel members.
Estradiol Partially Recapitulates Murine Pituitary Cell Cycle Response to Pregnancy

Because pregnancy and estrogens both induce pituitary lactotroph hyperplasia, we assessed the expression of pituitary cell cycle regulators in two models of murine pituitary hyperplasia. Female mice were assessed during nonpregnancy, pregnancy, day of delivery, and postpartum. We also implanted estradiol (E2) pellets in female mice and studied them for 2.5 months. Pituitary weight in female mice increased 2-fold after E2 administration and 1.4-fold at day of delivery, compared with placebo-treated or nonpregnant females. Pituitary proliferation, as assessed by proliferating cell nuclear antigen and/or Ki-67 staining, increased dramatically during both mid-late pregnancy and E2 administration, and lactotroph hyperplasia was also observed. Pregnancy induced pituitary cell cycle proliferative and inhibitory responses at the G1/S checkpoint. Differential cell cycle regulator expression included cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p21Cip1, p27Kip1, and cyclin D1. Pituitary cell cycle responses to E2 administra...
Generation of an HIV Resistant T-cell Line by Targeted “Stacking” of Restriction Factors

Restriction factors constitute a newly appreciated line of innate immune defense, blocking viral replication inside of infected cells. In contrast to these antiviral proteins, some cellular proteins, such as the CD4, CCR5, and CXCR4 cell surface receptors, facilitate HIV replication. We have used zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) to insert a cocktail of anti-HIV restriction factors into the CCR5 locus in a T-cell reporter line, knocking out the CCR5 gene in the process. Mirroring the logic of highly active antiretroviral therapy, this strategy provides multiple parallel blocks to infection, dramatically limiting pathways for viral escape, without relying on random integration of transgenes into the genome. Because of the combination of blocks that this strategy creates, our modified T-cell lines are robustly resistant to both CCR5-tropic (R5-tropic) and CXCR4-tropic (X4-tropic) HIV-1. While zinc finger nuclease–mediated CCR5 disruption alone, which mimics the strategy being used in clinical trials, confers 16-fold protection against R5-tropic HIV, it has no effect against X4-tropic virus. Rhesus TRIM5α, chimeric human-rhesus TRIM5α, APOBEC3G D128K, or Rev M10 alone targeted to CCR5 confers significantly improved resistance to infection by both variants compared with CCR5 disruption alone. The combination of three factors targeted to CCR5 blocks infection at multiple stages, providing virtually complete protection against infection by R5-tropic and X4-tropic HIV.
Three-dimensional Reconstruction of Bovine Papillomavirus at Near-atomic Resolution by Single Particle Cryo Electron Microscopy

Our reconstruction sets a new benchmark. We were able to assign many side chain rotamers and build a complete atomic model including previously undetermined segments, which suggests a novel mechanism of viral assembly.
A real-time 3D interface using uncalibrated cameras

This paper proposes a real-time 3D user interface using multiple possibly uncalibrated cameras. It tracks the user’s pointer in real-time and solves point correspondences across all the cameras. These correspondences form spatio-temporal “traces” that serve as a medium for sketching in a true 3-D space. Alternatively, they may be interpreted as gestures or control information to elicit some particular action(s). Through view synthesis techniques, the system enables the user to change and seemingly manipulate the viewpoint of the virtual scene even in the absence of camera calibration. It also serves as a flexible, intuitive, and portable mixed-reality display system. The proposed system has numerous implications in interaction and design, especially as a general interface for creating and manipulating various forms of 3-D media.
Interaction of plasma membrane fibronectin receptor with talin—a transmembrane linkage

Many observations suggest the presence of transmembrane linkages between the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. In fibroblasts both light and electron microscopic observations reveal a co-alignment between actin filaments at the cell surface and extracellular fibronectin1–3. These associations are seen at sites of cell matrix interaction, frequently along stress fibres and sometimes where these bundles of microfilaments terminate at adhesion plaques (focal contacts). Non-morphological evidence also indicates a functional linkage between the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix. Addition of fibronectin to transformed cells induces flattening of the cells and a reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, with the concomitant appearance of arrays of stress fibres4–6. Conversely, disruption of the actin cytoskeleton by treatment with cytochalasin B leads to release of fibronectin from the cell surface7. As yet, there is no detailed knowledge of the molecules involved in this transmembrane linkage, although several proteins have been suggested as candidates in the chain of attachment between bundles of actin filaments and the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane: these include vinculin8, α-actinin9 and talin10, each one having been identified at regions where bundles of actin filaments interact with the plasma membrane and underlying cell-surface fibronectin10–13. Recently, the cell-substrate attachment (CSAT) antigen14 has been identified as a plasma membrane receptor for fibronectin15, raising the possibility that this glycoprotein complex may serve as a bridge between fibronectin and one or more of the underlying cytoskeletal components mentioned. Here we have investigated the interaction of the purified CSAT antigen with these cytoskeletal components, and we demonstrate an interaction specifically between the CSAT antigen and talin.
Tension patterns of the anteromedial and posterolateral grafts in a double‐bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

The two functional bundles of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), namely, the anteromedial (AM) and posterolateral (PL) bundles, must work in concert to control displacement of the tibia relative to the femur for complex motions. Thus, the replacement graft(s) for a torn ACL should possess similar tension patterns. The objective of the study was to examine whether a double-bundle ACL reconstruction with the semitendinosus-gracilis autografts could replicate the tension patterns of those for the intact ACL under controlled in vitro loading conditions. By means of a robotic/universal force moment sensor (UFS) testing system, the in situ force vectors (both magnitude and direction) for the AM and PL bundles of the ACL, as well as their respective replacement grafts, were determined and compared on nine human cadaveric knees. It was found that double-bundle ACL reconstruction could closely replicate the in situ force vectors. Under a 134-N anterior tibial load, the resultant force vectors for the intact ACL and the reconstructed ACL had a difference of 5 to 11 N (p > 0.05) in magnitude and 1 to 13 degrees (p > 0.05) in direction. Whereas, under combined rotatory loads of 10-N-m valgus and 5-N-m internal tibial torques, the corresponding differences were 10 to 16 N and 4 degrees to 11 degrees, respectively. Again, there were no statistically significant differences except at 30 degrees of flexion where the force vector for the AM graft had a 15 degrees (p < 0.05) lower elevation angle than did the AM bundle.
EXAMINING THE LUSCHER COLOR TEST

98 subjects rated the 8 colored cards from the Luscher Color Test from their most to least preferred colors. Luscher claimed subjects who select identical color combinations have similar personalities. Statements were formed from Luscher's descriptors of personalities while ensuring that the social desirability of the statements was equal. Subjects were asked to state the extent to which their personalities matched the descriptive statements. Luscher suggested that people who favor red and yellow are more extraverted than those who prefer blue and green, but the data did not support Luscher's predictions. Color preference was not related to self-descriptions when social desirability was controlled. Moreover, people favoring green and blue were not more introverted than those favoring red or yellow.
Natural orbitals as substitutes for optimized orbitals in complete active space wavefunctions

Abstract Complete-active-space self-consistent-field (CASSCF) orbitals are computationally expensive and are sometimes difficult to converge. We assess complete-active-space configuration interaction (CASCI) in a basis of natural orbitals as a less expensive alternative to CASSCF. Natural orbitals are generated from various single-reference wavefunctions. The approach is applied to bond breaking in methyl fluoride and ethylene. With natural orbitals from correlated wavefunctions, CASCI parallels CASSCF potential curves, and coupled-cluster singles and doubles natural orbitals give nonparallelity errors of only 1–3 kcal mol −1 even for a very large active space in methyl fluoride or double bond breaking in ethylene.
Insights on linking forests, trees, and people from the air, on the ground, and in the laboratory

Governing natural resources sustainably is a continuing struggle. Major debates occur over what types of policy "interventions" best protect forests, with choices of property and land tenure systems being central issues. Herein, we provide an overview of findings from a long-term interdisciplinary, multiscale, international research program that analyzes the institutional factors affecting forests managed under a variety of tenure arrangements. This program analyzes satellite images, conducts social-ecological measurements on the ground, and tests the impact of structural variables on human decisions in experimental laboratories. Satellite images track the landscape dimensions of forest-cover change within different management regimes over time. On-the-ground social-ecological studies examine relationships between forest conditions and types of institutions. Behavioral studies under controlled laboratory conditions enhance our understanding of explicit changes in structure that affect relevant human decisions. Evidence from all three research methods challenges the presumption that a single governance arrangement will control overharvesting in all settings. When users are genuinely engaged in decisions regarding rules affecting their use, the likelihood of them following the rules and monitoring others is much greater than when an authority simply imposes rules. Our results support a frontier of research on the most effective institutional and tenure arrangements for protecting forests. They move the debate beyond the boundaries of protected areas into larger landscapes where government, community, and comanaged protected areas are embedded and help us understand when and why deforestation and regrowth occur in specific regions within these larger landscapes.
Low power, low cost, wireless camera sensor nodes For human detection

Our demonstration consists of sensor nodes suitable for imageintensive network applications. We developed nodes for stationary and mobile deployment, for face recognition and human detection applications, respectively. Both designs consist of a visible spectrum camera sensor and a Zigbee-compliant wireless data transceiver. The stationary model receives input from a PIR motion sensor, while the mobile model incorporates distance measures from either an infrared or ultrasonic sensor and includes a robot for demonstration of mobility. Our node uses strictly commercial off the-shelf components, and not including the robotic accoutrement, is relatively inexpensive. The stationary node will be on display for face recognition of attendees. Additionally, we intend to demonstrate the mobile node for a human detection application, wherein the node detects objects, and transmits them to a host machine for face detection processing.
An Orally Available BACE1 Inhibitor That Affords Robust CNS Aβ Reduction without Cardiovascular Liabilities.

BACE1 inhibition to prevent Aβ peptide formation is considered to be a potential route to a disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Previous efforts in our laboratory using a combined structure- and property-based approach have resulted in the identification of aminooxazoline xanthenes as potent BACE1 inhibitors. Herein, we report further optimization leading to the discovery of inhibitor 15 as an orally available and highly efficacious BACE1 inhibitor that robustly reduces CSF and brain Aβ levels in both rats and nonhuman primates. In addition, compound 15 exhibited low activity on the hERG ion channel and was well tolerated in an integrated cardiovascular safety model.
Why are there cattle in the conservation area? Social barriers to biofuel governance in Brazil

Abstract Amid a rapid expansion of global investments in biofuels there has been an equally rapid proliferation of concerns about the inadequacies of current governance schemes to mitigate the environmental impacts of growing agroenergy production. Managing the land use practices of small producers in a way that ensures their activities are financially and environmentally sustainable is a particularly pressing issue that has been overlooked in research on biofuel governance. I illuminate these challenges through an ethnographic study on the multiple breakdowns of environmental governance in the Southern Goias region of Brazil, a major expansion region for sugarcane ethanol production. I focus on one of the most pressing compliance issues among small and medium size sugarcane farmers; their persistent use of federally mandated conservation areas for cattle production. I find that while these transgressions are often perceived by administrators and officials as being the result of a lack of “environmental awareness” among rural farmers, they are better understood as a safety net to protect landowners against perceived risks of sugarcane production. These violations are further enabled by continuing ambiguity in the enforcement structure for conservation legislation in the region. Recalibrating regulatory systems to better address these issues of accountability and risk is a critical step toward improving environmental governance of global biofuel commodity chains.
Assessing the socioeconomic impacts of wetland mitigation in the Chicago region

Under current federal and local wetland protection regulations, damage to wetlands from urban development must be mitigated. A variety of mitigation methods exist, several of which create or restor...
Narrating National Defeat: Recuperative Epic in Renaissance France

AbstractThis article asks how storytelling, when part of a project of literary nation building, can function in a recuperative manner, such that military failure can be reformulated as divinely ordained Victory. The particular case studied here is that of a short epic written by Etienne Dolet (1509–1546) for the king Francis I (r. 1515–1547), first published in Latin as the Fata (or Destinies) and then in a self-authored French translation published under the title Les Gestes (The Great Deeds). To study Dolet's storytelling strategies and following a contextualizing introduction, this article focuses first on how Dolet narrates French victory at the Battle of Marignano (1515) and then on the tale of French defeat at Pavia (1525), which led to the king's humiliating capture and imprisonment in Madrid. Similar storytelling techniques are deployed in both circumstances, and it is suggested that this very transferability is what allows Dolet's storytelling to be (potentially) so successful.
Phosphorylation Fails to Activate Chloride Channels from Cystic Fibrosis Airway Cells

Chloride impermeability of epithelial cells can account for many of the experimental and clinical manifestations of cystic fibrosis (CF)1,2. Activation of apical-membrane Cl− channels by cyclic AMP-mediated stimuli is defective in CF airway epithelial cells3,4, despite normal agonist-induced increases in cellular cAMP levels4,5. This defect in Cl− channel regulation has been localized to the apical membrane by exposing the cytoplasmic surface of excised membrane patches to the catalytic subunit (C subunit) of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and ATP. In membranes from normal cells, C-subunit activated Cl− channels with properties identical to those stimulated by cAMP-dependent agonists during cell-attached recording. Activation by the C subunit was not observed in CF membranes, but the presence of Cl− channels was verified by voltage-induced activation. The failure of the C subunit to activate the Cl− channels of CF membranes indicates that the block in their cAMP-mediated activation lies distal to induction of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity and focuses our attention on the Cl− channel and its membrane-associated regulatory proteins as the probable site of the CF defect.
Using convalescent whole blood or plasma as passive immune therapy for the global war against Ebola

The number of Ebola infections from the current outbreak continues to grow with imported cases now being reported outside West Africa. There is an urgent need to develop immediate and effective countermeasures. Convalescent whole blood or plasma from patients who have recovered from Ebola virus diseases (EVD) is a unique resource that should be used on a larger scale through well-developed formal programs following the WHO interim guidance. This type of treatment has been proven effective in the past and it can contribute significantly to the control of the current Ebola outbreak.
Cordillera formation, mantle dynamics, and the Wilson cycle

We propose that the Andes Cordillera formed by a “collision” between the trenchward-moving South American plate and the Nazca slab and subslab mantle. Resistance to trenchward motion, in the form of horizontal compressive normal stress, deforms South America9s leading edge. The advancing continent also perturbs the subslab mantle flow field as mantle is displaced. This flow field, detected via shear-wave splitting, includes trench-parallel flow away from a central stagnation point and corner flow around the northern and southern ends of the continent. The corresponding spatial variation in applied stress accounts for the large-scale characteristics of Andean deformation: buckling at the stagnation point (maximum normal stress) forming the Central Andes and Bolivian orocline, and corner flow associated with the eastward motion of the Caribbean and Scotia plates. The high stresses required to form and maintain the Andes imply that South America9s trenchward motion is primarily driven by deep mantle flow coupled to its base; no other driving force of sufficient magnitude is available. Similarities between North and South American plate motion history and large-scale Cordillera structure indicate that the western North American Laramide Rockies formed in a similar manner and that the North American plate is also driven westward by deep mantle flow. We infer that Atlantic spreading itself is similarly driven. By contrast, slab rollback in a closing ocean basin opens marginal basins at convergent margins, as in the western Pacific. We suggest that there is a causal link between the opening and closing of ocean basins and the formation of cordilleras and marginal basins. Cordillera formation occurs at the leading continental margin during the spreading phase of the Wilson cycle, whereas marginal basins form during the closing phase.
Characterization and Mathematical Modeling of a Bienzyme Electrode for l-Malate with Cofactor Recycling

The coimmobilization of a NADP+-dependent dehydrogenase with p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (PHBH, EC 1.14.13.2) in front of a Clark electrode yields a flexible design for highly selective, dehydrogenase-based biosensors. The use of l-malate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating, EC 1.1.1.40) as a model enzyme resulted in a novel l-malate sensor. It had improved characteristics compared with those of earlier sensor approaches: a strongly reduced NADP+ requirement (0.01 mmol L-1), an extended linear range from 0.005 to 1.1 mmol L-1 l-malate, and a working stability of more than 30 days. Only inexpensive chemicals (p-hydroxybenzoate, MgCl2) were needed in millimolar amounts. A linear mathematical model for the steady state helped to elucidate the sensor operation. Both experimental and simulation results indicated that the bienzyme sensor behaved like a quasi monoenzyme electrode with a hypothetical “l-malate hydroxylase”: The response was determined by the substrate concentration and diffusivity only, indicating...
ENU mutagenesis: a work in progress

Recent progress in the development of resources for genomic analysis, highlighted by the release of both proprietary (Celera) and public domain assemblies of the mouse genome ( ), has been paralleled by a renewed enthusiasm for phenotype-driven
Singular values of matrix exponentials

The singular values of a matrix and those of its exponential are related via multiplicative majorization. Matrices giving some equalities in the majorization are characterized. As an application, a scalar inequality for the exponential function is generalized to a matrix-valued inequality and the case of equality is examined.
Gas separations in fluoroalkyl-functionalized room-temperature ionic liquids using supported liquid membranes

Abstract A series of four imidazolium salts containing increasing lengths of fluoroalkyl substituents was synthesized. The three that exist as molten salts at 296 K were tested for their gas separation properties relating to CO 2 , O 2 , N 2 and CH 4 using a supported ionic liquid membrane (SILM) configuration. These fluoroalkyl-functionalized room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) were found to exhibit ideal selectivities for CO 2 /N 2 separation that were lower than their alkyl-functionalized analogues, but higher ideal selectivity for CO 2 /CH 4 separation. The differences in performance of fluoroalkyl-functionalized RTILs relative to their alkyl-functionalized counterparts are explained through the use of solubility parameters, group contributions and in context of the classically observed deviations of fluorocarbons from “regular” solution behavior.
Natural language graphics

The Natural Language Graphics Project (NLG) at The Ohio State University is concerned with natural language programming in an interactive graphics environment. Natural interaction between men depends on a combination of both graphical and linguistic modes of communication [1]. The goals of the project are to study the relationships between graphical and linguistic processing in a programming environment. To achieve these goals, associated practical and theoretical issues in man-machine interaction, computer graphics, computational linguistics, and knowledge representation will be investigated.
Photophysical properties of pheophorbide-a in different carrier-systems

Various tetrapyrrolic compounds are well-known photosensitizers in PDT. One of the important unsolved problems in PDT research is the selective accumulation of such compounds in tumor tissues. In this context different carrier systems for efficacious and directed transport of the dyes to the tumor tissue are still under investigation. From these investigations new problems have arisen like change of the sensitizer's photoactivity and photostability. As a result the relation between energy and electron transfer processes (that means the relative efficacy of sensitization via type I and II) during illumination can change. The photophysical properties of Pheoporbide a in different sensitizer-carrier systems (antibodies and liposomes), are investigated.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Pore-Scale Model for Thermal Conductivity of Unsaturated Sand

A new framework is proposed for predicting thermal conductivity dry out curves (TCDC) quantifying the relationship between soil thermal conductivity and degree of saturation at non-elevated temperatures. Pore-scale expressions are derived to quantify water retention and corresponding conductive heat transport for an idealized contacting-sphere geometry approximating that of granular (sand-sized) porous media. Measured water retention behavior is used to constrain a simulated soil–water characteristic curve and corresponding TCDC by differentiating pores containing water in the form of inter particle liquid bridges from pores containing water in the form of saturated pockets. Modeled TCDCs compare well with experimental measurements for representative fine-, medium-, and coarse-grained sands. Predicted thermal conductivity is within 5–10 % of the full scale range for saturations greater than 20 %. Model predictions perform as well as or better than predictions made using many existing empirical approaches. Because the model directly incorporates basic soil properties and process variables in its formulation, including grain size, grain size distribution, and wetting direction, it becomes a potentially useful framework to improve understanding of fundamental controls on soil thermal conductivity.
Evaluation of an application for making palmtop computers accessible to individuals with intellectual disabilities.

AbstractBackground Palmtop computers provide a promising mobile platform to address barriers to computer‐based supports for people with intellectual disabilities. This study evaluated a specially designed interface to make navigation and features of palmtop computers more accessible to users with intellectual disabilities.Method The specialised cognitively accessible interface was compared with a standard Windows CE interface. Participants completed a structured set of navigation/computer use tasks using both the experimental and control conditions. Measurements included the amount of assistance needed and errors made in completing the navigation/computer use tasks.Results Participants (N = 32) made significantly fewer errors (p<.001) and required significantly fewer prompts (p<.001) while using the specialised software interface compared to the mainstream Windows interface.Conclusions The research demonstrates the feasibility of using special software design methods, such as linear program flows, error m...
Evidence of a Polymorphic Life Cycle in the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Adelges tsugae (Homoptera: Adelgidae)

Hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand, has a polymorphic life cycle which involves hemlock, Tsuga , and spruce, Picea . Studies in Connecticut revealed that about half of the offspring produced by the sistens during June of two consecutive years became wingless adult progrediens. These closely resembled their mothers and remained on hemlock. The other half became winged adult sexupara and migrated to spruce where they produced eggs of the sexuales. However, none of the sexuales nymphs that hatched survived on any of 12 spruce species tested. Adelges tsugae , a cool-loving species, completed most of its development on hemlock from October through June. During the warm summer months, this insect aestivated as a first-instar nymph on the young branches at the base of the needles. All three generations of A. tsugae on hemlock had six stages of development, which included the egg, four nymphal instars, and the adult. Eggs and first-instar nymphs of the three generations were indistinguishable from one another. However, many of the later instars and the adults were readily distinguished from one another by the presence or absence of thoracic sutures and wing bud notches, by their degree of sclerotization, and by the size and shape of the body, thorax, and antennae.
Electrical resistivity of giant moment systems: NiRh

Abstract Electrical resistivity measurements between 2 and 700°K on NiRh alloys, which have giant magnetic polarization clouds, reveal a magnetic scattering behavior that is strikingly different from that found in giant-moment NiCu alloys.
Approaches to increasing skin melanin with MSH analogs and synthetic melanins.

Increased public awareness of ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced skin cancers has lead to new interest in technologies for protection from sun exposure. Although many sun protection formulations are available, few of them attempt to achieve that provided by melanin itself, i.e., wide-spectrum absorbance of radiant energy coupled with anti-oxidant activity from a single product. In that regard, technologies in two separate areas are at or near the commercialization stage: 1) hormonal enhancement of natural skin melanin content, and 2) inclusion of natural and synthetic melanins in cosmetic formulations to impart melanin-like color to the skin. In this article, these approaches are briefly summarized using as examples Melanotans I and II, superpotent analogs of the melanin-stimulating hormone melanocortin (MSH), and Melasyn, a group of plant-derived synthetic melanins that have successfully been incorporated into cosmetic formulations for use as sun protectants and as cover-ups for problems resulting from uneven pigmentation, such as seen in vitiligo.
Effect of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) on human monocyte function and metabolism

Recent evidence indicates that phagocytic cells play a major role in tissue inflammation. The release of enzymes, lipid metabolites such as prostaglandins, and reactive oxygen species by these cells appear to mediate the inflammatory process. In this study we have evaluated the effects of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) on human monocyte function and metabolism. We demonstrate that DDC impairs that antibody-dependent cytoxicity (ADCC) of monocytes to red cell targets. The concentration of DDC which caused maximal suppression of ADCC also prevented the burst of oxidative metabolism in monocytes stimulated by sensitized red cells targets or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). DDC also impairs the lipid metabolism of these cells as indicated by a decrement in malonyldialdehyde (MDA) production. These data indicate that DDC impairs the activity of two major biochemical pathways in monocytes which are related to the inflammatory process, i.e., the release of oxygen metabolites and prostaglandins.
Blood Volume of the Normal Female as Determined with P32 Labeled Red Blood Cells.

ConclusionAs measured in 16 normal females with P32 labeled red blood cells, the blood volume was 64.4 cc/kg; total red cell volume was 27.0 cc/kg with the plasma volume 37.0 cc/kg body weight. These values for the total red cell volume do not differ markedly from those observed in a similar group of males when the difference in total body fat in the two sexes is taken into consideration.
Hydrazide Reactive Peptide Tags for Site-Specific Protein Labeling

New site-specific protein labeling (SSPL) reactions for targeting-specific, short peptides could be useful for the real-time detection of proteins inside of living cells. One SSPL approach matches bioorthogonal reagents with complementary peptides. Here, hydrazide reactive peptides were selected from phage-displayed libraries using reaction-based selections. Selection conditions included washes of varying pH and treatment with NaCNBH3 in order to specifically select reactive carbonyl-containing peptides. Selected peptides were fused to T4 lysozyme or synthesized on filter paper for colorimetric assays of the peptide–hydrazide interaction. A peptide–lysozyme protein fusion demonstrated specific, covalent labeling by the hydrazide reactive (HyRe) peptides in crude bacterial cell lysates, sufficient for the specific detection of an overexpressed protein fusion. Chemical synthesis of a short HyRe tag variant and subsequent reaction with two structurally distinct hydrazide probes produced covalent adducts obse...
Amino acid sequence of the first hypervariable region of 2κ and Aλ Bence Jones cryoglobulin

Abstract Two κ and one λ Bence Jones protein cryoimmunoglobulins were sequenced for 40 NH 2 -terminal residues. Both κ proteins belonged to the VKI subgroup and the λ protein to the VλIII subgroup. One κ and the λ protein had several rare substitutions in relatively constant positions in the variable region whereas the sequence of the second κ protein was unremarkable. In the first hypervariable region the two κ proteins had Asx at position 31 and all 3 proteins had Tyr at position 32. However, a non-cryoprecipitating VKI BJP also showed Asp and Tyr in positions 31 and 32. It is concluded that the structural requirements for cryoprecipitation of light chains are probably complex and not the result of a similar amino acid sequence in the variable region of cryoprecipitating light chains.
Seronegative Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome in a Young Female Presenting with a Headache

Abstract Background Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is a rare disease that causes rapid vascular occlusion in multiple organ systems. Initial presentation varies depending on the organs affected. Although headache is a common complaint in the emergency department (ED), it is a very rare presentation of CAPS. Case Report A 43-year-old previously healthy woman presented to the ED with severe headache. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was excluded and she was discharged home. She returned 36 h later with diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperthyroidism, and thrombosis in her cerebral venous sinus, aorta and splenic artery. She was treated with heparin, steroids, plasmapharesis, and i.v. immunoglobulin, after which she improved. This constellation of symptoms is highly suggestive of CAPS initiated by a polyglandular autoimmune syndrome, despite negative serology. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Although a rare cause of headache, CAPS is a potentially fatal disease that requires early identification and initiation of appropriate treatment.
Characterization and quantitative analysis of DNA adducts formed from lower chlorinated PCB-derived quinones.

Polychlorinated biphenyls are wide pollutants readily detected in environmental and human specimens. DNA adduction occurs through the corresponding quinones. Polychlorinated biphenyls are first metabolized to arene oxides, which can be further oxidized to dihydroxy metabolites by microsomal cytochrome P450s. The catechol and hydroquinone products are further oxidized by peroxidases to quinones, which are electrophilic and capable of reacting with DNA to form adducts. DNA adduction is initiated by Michael addition preferentially to guanosine followed by stabilization through enolization. Another nucleophilic attack forms a five-membered ring, which aromatizes by dehydration to form the final adduct. This report describes the characterization and quantitative study of DNA adducts formed from lower chlorinated PCB-derived quinones. Quantitative study by HPLC/ESI-MS/MS and 3 2 P-postlabeling-HPLC gave the adduct levels in the range of 3-1200 adducts per 10 8 nucleotides. These results demonstrate that increasing chlorine substitution is associated with lower yields of DNA adduct. Although 3 2 P-postlabeling is more sensitive than HPLC/ESI-MS/MS for the quantitative analysis of DNA adducts, modification levels were severely underestimated by the 3 2 P-postlabeling assay as compared to the HPLC/ESI-MS/MS assay.
A Multiscale Investigation of Ground Water Flow at Clear Lake, Iowa

Ground water flow was investigated at Clear Lake, a 1468-ha glacial lake in north-central Iowa, as part of a comprehensive water quality study. A multiscale approach, consisting of seepage meters (and a potentiomanometer), Darcy’s law, and an analytic element (AE) model, was used to estimate ground water inflow to and outflow from the lake. Estimates from the three methods disagreed. Seepage meters recorded a median-specific discharge of 0.25 lm/s, which produced a lake inflow rate between 90,750 and 138,200 m 3 /d, but no detectable outflow. A wave-induced Bernoulli effect probably compromised both inflow and outflow measurements. Darcy’s law was applied to 11 zones around the lake, producing inflow and outflow values of 10,500 and 5000 m 3 /d, respectively. The AE model, GFLOW, coupled with the parameter estimation model, UCODE, simulated ground water flow in a 700-km 2 region using 31 hydraulic head and base flow measurements as calibration targets. The model produced ground water inflow and outflow rates of 14,300 and 9200 m 3 /d, respectively. Although not a substitute for field data, the model’s ability to simulate ground water flow to the lake and the region, estimate uncertainty for model parameters, and calculate a lake stage and associated lake water balance makes it a powerful tool for water quality management and an attractive alternative to the traditional methods of ground water/lake investigation.
Wireless image sensor networks: event acquisition in attack-prone and uncertain environments

Wireless Image Sensor Networks (WISNs) consisting of untethered camera nodes and sensors may be deployed in a variety of unattended and possibly hostile environments to obtain surveillance data. In such settings, the WISN nodes must perform reliable event acquisition to limit the energy, computation and delay drains associated with forwarding large volumes of image data wirelessly to a sink node. In this work we investigate the event acquisition properties of WISNs that employ various techniques at the camera nodes to distinguish between event and non-event frames in uncertain environments that may include attacks. These techniques include lightweight image processing, decisions from n sensors with/without cluster head fault and attack detection, and a combination approach relying on both lightweight image processing and sensor decisions. We analyze the relative merits and limitations of each approach in terms of the resulting probability of event detection and false alarm in the face of occasional errors, attacks and stealthy attacks.
Underwater Sensor Barriers with Auction Algorithms

With current technologies submarines can thwart active or passive sonar detection. A viable alternative to detect submissible vessels is to use magnetic or acoustic sensors in close proximity to possible underwater pathways of them. This approach may require deploying large-scale underwater sensor networks to form barriers. We show new results for construction barriers in 3D sensor networks. First, we prove that barriers are unlikely to exist in a large 3D fixed emplacement sensor field where sensor locations follow a Poisson point process. We then derive the notion of 3D stealth distance to measure how far a submarine can travel in a sensor network without detection. Finally, we describe energy conserving approaches for constructing a 3D barrier using mobile nodes to detect intruders. We focus on developing an energy efficient matching of mobile sensors that move to cover gridpoints using auction algorithms. We compare our results of the auction approach to an optimal approach using simulations and show that the auction algorithm produces similar results to the optimal approach at a reduced computational expense. This provides a fruitful new approach to constructing barriers in 3D sensor networks.
The Transition Away from Traditional Incarceration: Community-Based Corrections

In the search for alternatives to traditional correctional efforts, community based corrections has emerged. Through a review of the literature, this paper examines what community-based corrections...
Correlation of Quantitative Diffusion-Weighted and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI Parameters With NCCN Risk Group, Gleason Score, and Maximum Tumor Diameter in Prostate Cancer.

patients had pre-SBRT FDG-PET/CT scans with documented pretreatment SUVmax. Treatment fractionation consisted of 60Gy in 3 fractions with a median treatment time of six days (range 3-21 days). Local, regional, and distant failures specified from the last day of treatment were evaluated independently according to the terms of RTOG 1021. Tumor control, overalland progression-free survivals were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to determine whether SUVmax, age, KPS, gender, tumor size/T stage, or smoking history influenced outcomes. SUVmax was evaluated as both a continuous and as a dichotomous variable using a cutoff of b5 and ≥5. Results: With a median follow-up of 15 months, median OS and PFS were 25.3 and 40.3 months, respectively. In the univariate analysis, pretreatment SUVmax with a cutoff value of 5 predicted for OS and PFS (p = 0.024, each) but did not achieve significance for LC (p = 0.256). On Cox univariate regression analysis, SUV as a dichotomous variable predicted for both OS and PFS (p = 0.027 and p = 0.030, respectively). Defined as a continuous variable, SUVmax continued to predict for OS and PFS (p = 0.003, each), but also predicted LC (p = 0.045) and trended toward significance for DC (p = 0.064). Tumor stage, histology, KPS, and age were significant for OS on univariate analysis and were included in multivariate analyses. On ANOVA test, tumor T-stage and histology were both significantly correlated to SUVmax (p = 0.013 and p b 0.001, respectively). Tumor stage remained a significant predictor of OS on multivariate analysis (p = 0.05), though SUVmax did not predict for OS as a dichotomous or continuous variable (p = 0.209 and p = 0.223, respectively). It did, however, predict for PFS as a continuous variable (p = 0.009) and neared significance as a dichotomous variable (p = 0.053). SUVmax also trended toward significance for local control as a continuous variable (p = 0.076). Conclusions: SUVmax appears to be a statistically and clinically significant independent prognostic marker for progression-free survival in patients with Stage 1 NSCLC treated with SBRT. Prospective studies to more accurately define the role of tumor FDG uptake in the prognosis of NSCLC are warranted.
Localized Fisher discriminant analysis based complex chemical process monitoring

Complex chemical process is often corrupted with various types of faults and the fault-free training data may not be available to build the normal operation model. Therefore, the supervised monitoring methods such as principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares (PLS), and independent component analysis (ICA) are not applicable in such situations. On the other hand, the traditional unsupervised algorithms like Fisher discriminant analysis (FDA) may not take into account the multimodality within the abnormal data and thus their capability of fault detection and classification can be significantly degraded. In this study, a novel localized Fisher discriminant analysis (LFDA) based process monitoring approach is proposed to monitor the processes containing multiple types of steady-state or dynamic faults. The stationary testing and Gaussian mixture model are integrated with LFDA to remove any nonstationarity and isolate the normal and multiple faulty clusters during the preprocessing steps. Then the localized between-class and within-class scatter mattress are computed for the generalized eigenvalue decomposition to extract the localized Fisher discriminant directions that can not only separate the normal and faulty data with maximized margin but also preserve the multimodality within the multiple faulty clusters. In this way, different types of process faults can be well classified using the discriminant function index. The proposed LFDA monitoring approach is applied to the Tennessee Eastman process and compared with the traditional FDA method. The monitoring results in three different test scenarios demonstrate the superiority of the LFDA approach in detecting and classifying multiple types of faults with high accuracy and sensitivity. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011
A 13.1GOPS/mW 16-core processor for software-defined radios in 40nm CMOS

A 16-core processor for software-defined radios is realized in 40nm CMOS. Featuring domain-specific kernels, flexible control and multi-scale interconnects, the processor achieves a peak energy efficiency of 13.1GOPS/mW (76fJ/OP) at 415mV, 25MHz, and a peak performance of 1.17TOPS at 1V, 500MHz, showing >2.4× higher energy efficiency than state-of-the-art communication chip multiprocessors, and closing the gap with functionally-equivalent ASICs to within 2.6×.