cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Viral Activators and Epigenetic Regulators on HIV-1 LTRs Containing Naturally Occurring Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms

Following human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integration into host cell DNA, the viral promoter can become transcriptionally silent in the absence of appropriate signals and factors. HIV-1 gene expression is dependent on regulatory elements contained within the long terminal repeat (LTR) that drive the synthesis of viral RNAs and proteins through interaction with multiple host and viral factors. Previous studies identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) site I and Sp site III (3T, C-to-T change at position 3, and 5T, C-to-T change at position 5 of the binding site, respectively, when compared to the consensus B sequence) that are low affinity binding sites and correlate with more advanced stages of HIV-1 disease. Stably transfected cell lines containing the wild type, 3T, 5T, and 3T5T LTRs were developed utilizing bone marrow progenitor, T, and monocytic cell lines to explore the LTR phenotypes associated with these genotypic changes from an integrated chromatin-based microenvironment. Results suggest that in nonexpressing cell clones LTR-driven gene expression occurs in a SNP-specific manner in response to LTR activation or treatment with trichostatin A treatment, indicating a possible cell type and SNP-specific mechanism behind the epigenetic control of LTR activation.
Development of a New Mining Intrinsically Safe DC Electrical Prospecting Apparatus

Abstract The DC electrical prospecting apparatus plays an important role in the prevention of water disasters in coal, but most of traditional instruments of this kind for mining use 51 series MCU as the core chips, which has the defects such as high power consumption, small storage capacity, inconvenient operation and difficult to carry with, all of them restrict the applications of the DC electrical prospecting apparatus. This paper starts from the principle of mining DC electrical prospecting instrument, and designs a new type of this kind of device by the modular method, the system includes system module, transmitter module, receiver module, storage module, communication module and ect.. .And at the same time, it also affords the electrical performance of the system. Finally, by doing the comparison test with the traditional instruments, it proves of the advantages of the new electrical instrument, such as high precision, low cost, low power consumption, much more storage capacity, convenient communication, friendly interface and so on.
Compact and high efficiency polymer air-trench waveguide bends and splitters

A fabrication process for PFCB waveguide air-trench bends with scanning electron microscope (SEM)-based electron beam lithography (EBL) and autoalignment has been developed and high efficiency air-trench bends (97.2% for TE polarization and 96.2% for TM polarization) have been demonstrated. We have successfully developed a high aspect ratio (18:1) anisotropic PFCB etch using a CO/O 2 etch chemistry in an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etcher (ICP RIE) for PFCB waveguide air-trench splitter fabrication. The fabricated splitters show a 90.1% overall efficiency and ~ 85-to-15 (85:15) splitting ratio for 950 nm wide splitter trench, which closely matches 2D-FDTD simulation results. Using air-trench bends, an ultracompact PFCB arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) 8 x 8 wavelength demultiplexer for Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) application had been designed. Compared to a conventional AWG in the same material system, the air-trench bend AWG reduces the area required by a factor of 20. Compact ring resonators using these splitters and bends has been designed and fabrication and improvements are currently underway.
Aberrant cAMP Metabolism in NF1 Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Cells

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath (MPNST) cell lines derived from patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF!) were found to have basal cAMP levels which are two-fold higher than cAMP levels in normal human adult Schwann cells (nHSC). PCR analysis also revealed that normal adult human Schwann cells express mRNA for types Ill, IV, and IX adenylyl cyclase (AC) while NF1 MPNST cells express AC mRNA of types II, V, and VIII in addition to expressing all the isoforms of normal adult human Schwann cells. Further PCR analysis revealed that NF1 MPNST lines express mRNA for EP2 and EP4 prostaglandin receptors whereas nHSC only express mRNA for the EP2 receptor. Exogenous prostaglandins alone or in combination with PDGF BB induced greater increases in cAMP levels and proliferation of NF1 MPNST cells compared to nHSC. We conclude that aberrant cAMP signaling in NF1 MPNST cells contributes to tumor formation in NF1 patients.
Chronic ethanol-induced decreases in the response of dentate granule cells to perforant path input in the rat.

The neurotoxic effects of chronic ethanol consumption were investigated in the rat hippocampus by electrophysiological analyses of synaptic function of entorhinal afferents to stratum moleculare of the dentate gyrus. Rats were maintained on ethanol- or sucrose-containing liquid diets for a period of 20 weeks and were withdrawn from the special diets for a period of 8 weeks prior to acute electrophysiological studies. Synaptic response strength (Input/Output (I/O) functions) and synaptic potentation (pairedpulse, frequency and long-term) were evaluated in each rat. Chronic ethanol treatment failed to influence the response strength or potentiation of basic synaptic responses (EPSP). Rather, the ethanol effects were confined to the population spike (PS). Chronic ethanol treatment produced reductions in PS responses 1) in the asymptotic portions of the I/O curves, 2) in paired-pulse potentiation, 3) in response to 1 and 5 Hz low-frequency stimulation and 4) during the development of long-term potentiation. Expressing PS amplitude as a function of EPSP amplitude emphasized the independence of these actions from those of the synaptic potentials. Definitive evidence concerning the cellular alterations underlying these effects of chronic ethanol treatment are presently lacking. However, available evidence supports the hypothesis that the ethanol-induced decreases in PS responses result from a reduction in the “excitability” of granule cells in the dentate gyrus.
THE SECOND PERIODIC EIGENVALUE AND THE ALIKAKOS-FUSCO CONJECTURE

Abstract We investigate the maximality properties of the second periodic eigenvalue of the Hill's operator. The potential function is normalized so that its average over a period is zero. Apart from its own significance, this question is related to the study of the motion-by-curvature equation.
Development of in vitro assays for measuring the relative potency of leptospiral bacterins containing serogroups canicola, grippotyphosa, icterohaemorrhagiae, and pomona

Historically, potency testing of bacterins containing Leptospira involved a hamster vaccination-challenge assay. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has long recognized that an in vitro system has several inherent advantages over the animal model. This is a review of the work performed at the USDA to replace the hamster vaccination-challenge model used to test Leptospira bacterins. The work covered a span of approximately 20 years and resulted in the development of USDA monoclonal antibody based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the quantitation of antigen in bacterins containing Leptospira serogroups canicola, icterohaemorrhagiae, pomona, and grippotyphosa. The monoclonal antibodies used in the assay a) recognize lipopolysaccharide-like epitopes on the surface of the whole cell, b) agglutinate the homologous leptospiral serovars but do not agglutinate heterologous leptospiral serovars or heterologous bacterial species, and c) passively protect hamsters against a homologous challenge but fail to protect hamsters against heterologous challenges. Once developed, the performance of each ELISA was evaluated at the USDA followed by industry evaluation. Serials that passed the hamster vaccination-challenge assay yielded ELISA relative potency values of 1.0 or greater. These ELISAs have been shown to be a reproducible, sensitive, specific, and inexpensive alternative to the current Codified hamster potency assay.
Differential impact of parenting sick infants

Parenting a newborn infant has been identified as a significant stressor, and parenting a sick infant evokes an even greater stress. This study evaluated the differential impact of parenting infants with interrupted infantile apnea vs. extremely low birth weight infants. These infants were compared to normal infants on the Bayley Scales of Infant Assessment and the Parenting Stress Index when the infants were 6 months old. Significant effects on the mental index revealed that the low birthweight infants performed more poorly than did the other groups. A stepwise multiple discriminant analysis on the Parenting Stress Index suggested that child adaptability, maternal restrictions, isolation, and health were significant stressors. Mothers of apneic infants were affected most severely by their child's illness. The lower educational level of these mothers may have influenced these findings.
Repeat abdominal imaging examinations in a tertiary care hospital.

Abstract Background Reducing unnecessary repeat imaging may reduce waste and costs, and improve health care quality. We aimed to quantify repeat imaging rates in patients with abdominal imaging examinations, and identify factors associated with repeat imaging. Methods We retrospectively analyzed all diagnostic abdominal computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), fluoroscopy, and radiograph reports performed at our institution between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2009. Primary outcome measure was the rate of repeat abdominal imaging (RAI) examinations, defined as any imaging examination of the abdomen on the same patient within 0-90 days of the first (enrollment) examination. We used natural language processing tools to extract recommendations for follow-up imaging from radiology reports. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were fitted to determine the effect of patient age, sex, study modality, care setting, follow-up recommendations, and history of neoplasm on the primary outcome over time. Results Over 10 years, 245,184 abdominal imaging examinations were performed (43.2% CT, 20.6% US, 16.6% radiograph, 13.9% fluoroscopy, 5.7% MRI). The RAI rate remained unchanged (41.2% to 41.7%); unadjusted RAI volume increased from 6596 to 12,218 ( P Conclusions A large proportion of abdominal imaging examinations result in a repeat study. Many factors contribute to repeat imaging, including patient age, sex, underlying disease, initial study modality, practice setting, and radiologist's recommendation.
An unusual cyanide-bridged extended A-frame complex: the molecular structure of [Pd2Br2(μ-PPh2)(μ-dppm)2(μ-CN)2]

The tetranuclear palladium complex [Pg 2 Br 2 (μ-PPh 2 )(μ-dppm) 2 (μ-CN) 2 ] was isolated by slow crystallization of an acetone solution, and its solid state structure has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The molecule is composed of two dppm-bridged dipalladium moieties held together by two cyano ligands. It adopts an extended or double A-frame structure, with the additional bridging PPh 2 groups occupying sites on opposite faces of the Pd 4 unit.
Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene as used in articular prostheses (a molecular weight distribution study)

Currently there is widespread use of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) acetabular components in total joint replacement prostheses. What has been most surprising about the wear of UHMWPE under such circumstances is the occurrence of brittle fracture. Such fracture had not been observed in the usual engineering tests done in the laboratory on UHMWPE. It was only when prosthese which had been removed from patients were examined or run in hip joint simulators with serum or synovial fluid as the lubricant, that brittle fracture was encountered. The problem of environment-enhanced brittle fracture in plastics dates back to 1946. Interestingly, the phenomenon was first described in polyethylene. The prime variables involved are polymer molecular weight, sensitizing environment, stress filed, and temperature. Other things being equal, brittle behavior in polyethylene is extremely sensitive to the amount of low molecular weight polymer present. In the light of the foregoing we have studied the molecular weight distribution in six commercially available UHMWPE components. These were obtained from six different manufacturers. The specimens were characterized both on their bearing (wear) surfaces and in their interior bulk. The results obtained indicate that: 1 The UHMWPE components contain substantial amounts of low molecular weight polymer. 2 The UHMWPE components differ significantly in molecular weight distribution. 3 The UHMWPE components contain substantial amounts of crosslinked polymer.
A fast analytical undulator model for realistic high-energy FEL simulations

A number of leading FEL simulation codes used for modeling gain in the ultralong undulators required for SASE saturation in the <100 A range employ simplified analytical models both for field and error representations. Although it is recognized that both the practical and theoretical validity of such codes could be enhanced by incorporating realistic undulator field calculations, the computational cost of doing this can be prohibitive, especially for point-to-point integration of the equations of motion through each undulator period. In this paper we describe a simple analytical model suitable for modeling realistic permanent magnet (PM), hybrid/PM, and non-PM undulator structures, and discuss selected techniques for minimizing computation time.
WE‐C‐224C‐08: Pre‐Clinical Evaluation of the New Xoft‐AxxentTM Electronic Brachytherapy System

Purpose: To evaluate the preclinical functionality of the new Xoft‐Axxent™ Electronic BrachytherapySystem intended for partial breast irradiation treatment. Methods and Materials: The EB system consisting of: controller, X‐ray source catheter, and the balloon applicator was tested for: graphical user interface functionality, X‐ray generator parameters stability, beam output constancy, source position accuracy, timer accuracy, end effects, and dose distribution versus Ir‐192 source. The safety features and the adequacy of the proposed shielding also have been tested. The system's log files which record the kVp, beam and filament currents were used to make inferences about the stability of the X‐ray generator. Output constancy, timer accuracy, and end effects were measured using a PTW‐34013 ion chamber and phantom. The dosimetriccharacteristics of the source obtained in a manner consistent with TG‐43U protocol were entered into Plato™‐TPS to compute the dose distributions. Source position verification was performed using manufacturer supplied procedures. Source step size accuracy was independently verified using external markers. The effect of transit time on dose distributions was simulated using low steps and dwell times for the transit positions. Results: The GUI was found to be functional for its intended purposes. The parameters of the X‐ray generator were found to have variations of <0.5%(1σ). Output for single source was constant within 0.7% and for multiple sources 1.6% over the duration of the testing. Source position accuracy was <1.0mm. The timer error and linearity were −2.0s and 0.32%, respectively. Dose distributions show higher inhomogeneities towards the proximal end compared with Ir‐192 distribution. All safety features were found to be operational. Conclusion: During preclinical evaluation the system was found to perform as expected. Minor revisions were proposed and should be integrated in the clinical system.
Evaluation of Wind Forecasts and Observation Impacts from Variational and Ensemble Data Assimilation for Wind Energy Applications

AbstractThe U.S. Department of Energy Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP) has recently been completed with the aim of 1) understanding the performance of different mesoscale data assimilation systems for lower-atmospheric wind prediction and 2) determining the observation impacts on wind forecasts within the different assimilation systems. Here an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) was tested against a three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) technique. Forecasts lasting 24 hours were produced for a month-long period to determine the day-to-day performance of each system, as well as over 10 individual wind ramp cases. The observation impacts from surface mesonet and profiler/sodar wind observations aloft were also tested in each system for both the month-long run and the ramp forecasts.It was found that EnKF forecasts verified over a domain including Texas and Oklahoma were better than those of 3DVAR for the month-long experiment throughout the forecast window, presumably from the use of fl...
Multilocular cystic disease in adults Imitator of renal cell carcinoma

Abstract Clinical, radiographic, and surgical findings in a case of multilocular renal cyst are presented. The history, physical examination, and laboratory findings, including excretory urogram, renal scan, nephrotomogram, and arteriogram were compatible with the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. The urologist's awareness of this entity may prevent erroneous treatment in children. In adults, it may allow the preservation of uninvolved renal parenchyma, particularly in a solitary kidney.
Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax associates with a molecular chaperone complex containing hTid-1 and Hsp70.

Abstract Tax, an oncogenic viral protein encoded by human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), induces cellular transformation of T lymphocytes by modulating a variety of cellular gene expressions [1]. Identifying cellular partners that interact with Tax constitutes the first step toward elucidating the molecular basis of Tax-induced transformation. Here, we report a novel Tax-interacting protein, hTid-1. hTid-1, a human homolog of the Drosophila tumor suppressor protein Tid56, was initially characterized based on its interaction with the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein [2]. hTid-1 and Tid56 are members of the DnaJ family [2, 3], which contains a highly conserved signature J domain that regulates the activities of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) by serving as cochaperone [4–6]. In this context, the molecular chaperone complex is involved in cellular signaling pathways linked to apoptosis, protein folding, and membrane translocation and in modulation of the activities of tumor suppressor proteins, including retinoblastoma, p53, and WT1 [7–12]. We find that expression of hTid-1 inhibits the transformation phenotype of two human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. We show that Tax interacts with hTid-1 via a central cysteine-rich domain of hTid-1 while a signature J domain of hTid-1 mediates its binding to Hsp70 in HEK cells. Importantly, Tax associates with the molecular chaperone complex containing both hTid-1 and Hsp70 and alters the cellular localization of hTid-1 and Hsp70. In the absence of Tax, expression of the hTid-1/Hsp70 molecular complex is targeted to perinuclear mitochondrial clusters. In the presence of Tax, hTid-1 and its associated Hsp70 are sequestered within a cytoplasmic "hot spot" structure, a subcellular distribution that is characteristic of Tax in HEK cells.
Right ventricular remodeling in idiopathic and scleroderma-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension: two distinct phenotypes

AbstractPatients with scleroderma (SSc)–associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have worse survival than patients with idiopathic PAH (IPAH). We hypothesized that the right ventricle (RV) adapts differently in SSc-PAH versus IPAH. We used cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) and hemodynamic characteristics to assess the relationship between RV morphology and RV load in patients with SSc-PAH and IPAH. In 53 patients with PAH (35 with SSc-PAH and 18 with IPAH) diagnosed by right heart catheterization (RHC), we examined cMRIs obtained within 48 hours of RHC and compared RV morphology between groups. Regression analysis was used to assess the association between diagnosis (IPAH vs. SSc-PAH) and RV measurements after adjusting for age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), left ventricular (LV) mass, and RV load. There were no significant differences in unadjusted comparisons of cMRI measurements between the two groups. Univariable regression showed RV mass index (RVMI) was linearly associated with m...
Frequency hopping pattern detection in wireless ad hoc networks

Frequency hopping is a technique that wireless devices communicate in a way that the transmission frequencies are alternated in a pre-determined ordered hopping pattern known only to the sending and receiving devices. In this paper, we develop an algorithm called frequency hopping pattern detection to detect the frequency hopping pattern of a wireless ad hoc network. The algorithm is performed in three stages. Stage 1 locates the first frequency in the pattern; stage 2 detects the remaining frequencies; and stage 3 calculates the entire hopping pattern. All three stages work together and guarantee the capture of all frequencies used, the pattern in which they occur, and the length of transmission for each frequency. The algorithm is simulated in a VHDL environment. Simulation results verify the correctness of the algorithm.
Superoxide and peroxyl radical generation from the reduction of polyunsaturated fatty acid hydroperoxides by soybean lipoxygenase

Soybean lipoxygenase is shown to catalyze the breakdown of polyunsaturated fatty acid hydroperoxides to produce superoxide radical anion as detected by spin trapping with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO). In addition to the DMPO/superoxide radical adduct, the adducts of peroxyl, acyl, carbon-centered, and hydroxyl radicals were identified in incubations containing linoleic acid and lipoxygenase. These DMPO radical adducts were observed just prior to the system becoming anaerobic. Only a carbon-centered radical adduct was observed under anaerobic conditions. The superoxide radical production required the presence of fatty acid substrates, fatty acid hydroperoxides, active lipoxygenase, and molecular oxygen. Superoxide radical production was inhibited when nordihydroguaiaretic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene, or butylated hydroxyanisole was added to the incubation mixtures. We propose that polyunsaturated fatty acid hydroperoxides are reduced to form alkoxyl radicals and that after an intramolecular rearrangement, the resulting hydroxyalkyl radical reacts with oxygen, forming a peroxyl radical which subsequently eliminates superoxide radical anion.
COMPARISON OF THE TRIBOLUMINESCENT YIELD AND DECAY TIME FOR EUROPIUM DIBENZOYLMETHIDE TRIETHYLAMMONIUM SYNTHESIZED USING DIFFERENT SOLVENTS

Europium dibenzoylmethide triethylammonium (EuD4TEA) is one of the brightest known triboluminescent (TL) materials. First synthesized in 1966, emission from EuD4TEA is bright enough to be seen in daylight. In this paper we report the synthesis of Eu(III) tetrakis compounds using different solvents, and their influence on the appearance, TL yield, and decay time. The physical appearance of Eu compounds changed with the solvent type. Further, the solvents influenced the time for nucleation and completion of the reaction. TL measurements show that Eu tetrakis compounds derived from acetone solvent had the largest emission, while the smallest emission with the shortest decay time was obtained for the product from chloroform solvent. Photoluminescent emission spectra for the compounds from different solvents show the 5D0 → 7F1, 5D0 → 7F2 and 5D0 → 7F3 peaks which are consistent with previously reported results for EuD4TEA. However the intensity of the 5D0 → 7F2 transition shows the 613.5 nm is larger than the 611.7 nm for the products from 1-butanol and methylene chloride. Eu compound from 1-butanol shows a more intense 616.5 nm and 624.2 nm peaks, of which the later peak is almost merged into the background for Eu compounds obtained from the other solvents.
Radar cross section of a simple target: A three-dimensional conducting rectangular box

Broadside radar cross section behavior of various simple shaped targets pervades the literature, but the rectangular box results are not among them. Through integral equation techniques these are now also available. The configurations range from thick plates and cubes to rectangular boxes. Examined are the effects of object sizes, configuration changes, and polarization variations.
Gross morphological consequences of irradiation of the cerebellum in infant rats with repeated doses of low-level X-ray

Abstract The cerebellum of rats was irradiated with daily doses of 50–200 r hard X-ray, on successive days following birth, total number of exposures ranging from 1 to 10. The purpose was to design a method of selectively eliminating a specifiable proportion of the postnatally proliferating and migrating precursor cells of cerebellar microneurons. In this study the gross morphological consequences of different irradiation schedules were determined. Mortality rate was not raised by localized cerebellar irradiation, except in rats that received ten successive daily doses, and the animals that survived through infancy, including those that received 10 × 200 r, showed normal body growth. Total brain weight was markedly reduced in the animals receiving more than 2 × 100–200 r; the highest reduction was seen in animals that received 10 × 200 r. The bulk of reduction in total brain weight could be attributed to weight loss in the intended area of irradiation. Areal measurements showed that cerebellar irradiation did not affect appreciably the growth with age in the width and length of the cerebrum, but increase in the length and height of the cerebellum was markedly retarded. With single or multiple doses of 200 r cerebellar length was greatly reduced by day 10. Reduction at 30 and 90 days was not evident with 1–2 × 200 r, but with 4–5 × 200 r cerebellar length was reduced to the level of control animals 10 days of age, and with 10 × 200 r to the level of neonates. The cytological bases of the drastic effects produced by radiation remain to be determined.
Parental Validating and Invalidating Responses and Adolescent Psychological Functioning: An Observational Study

The current study assessed the extent to which parental validating and invalidating behaviors (a) could be reliably measured in parent–adolescent relationships, (b) differed significantly between c...
BEAMS cloud model for high-fidelity simulations

The BEAMS (battlefield emission and multiple scattering) model is a 26-stream radiative transfer algorithm for the prediction of diffuse radiance in finite 3D non-uniform aerosol clouds. It has been developed by the US Army Research Laboratory as a visualization tool that satisfies the need for visual simulations to show realistic variation of a cloud with varying viewing angle, cloud geometry, optical depth, and external incident radiation.Uses of this high fidelity model for simulating propagation effects in a realistic 3D terrain environment are shown. Examples are shown in the visible wavelength for both daytime scenarios and nighttime scenarios (where the cloud is artificially illuminated by flares). Other examples are shown for infrared wavelengths, which use the GTSIMS model for terrain radiance prediction. Performance issues of cloud rendering are also discussed, including modeling the cloud with performer billboards on the silicon graphics computers.
Recent progress and perspective in solution-processed Interfacial materials for efficient and stable polymer and organometal perovskite solar cells

In this review, we summarize the latest developments in solution-processed interfacial layers that have contributed to the significantly improved performance of polymer and perovskite solar cells (PSCs and PVSCs). The solution-processed interfacial materials, including organic electrolytes, organic–inorganic hybrids, graphene oxides (GOs), transition metal oxides (TMOs), and self-assembled functional materials, along with their integration into efficient PSCs, polymer tandem cells (PTCs), and the emerging perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) are discussed. Regarding the rapid progress of PSCs and PVSCs, strategies and perspectives of further improving solution-processed interfacial materials are also discussed to help readers understand the challenges and opportunities in transitioning from scientific curiosity into technology translation for realizing low-cost, printable, and high-efficiency flexible solar cells to address the scalability issues facing solar energy.
Low Output Capacitance 1500V 4H-SiC MOSFETs with 8 mΩ·cm2 Specific On-Resistance

SiC MOSFETs are characterized with a specific on-resistance of 8 m⋅cm2 at room temperature and a blocking voltage of 1500 V. Due to the negative shift in the threshold voltage, devices typically show a reduction in on-resistance with temperature. However, this work shows that a positive resistance temperature coefficient can be achieved by proper device design. SiC MOSFETs were characterized for use in high-frequency resonant converters, where an important switching device figure of merit is the product of the device on-resistance and output capacitance (Ron×Coss). For devices with an active area of 3.6×10-3 cm2, the output capacitance is 12.5 pF at a drain bias of 270V. Thus, these device achieve a resonant converter figure of merit Ron×Coss = 28 ⋅pF at room temperature and 34 ⋅pF at 150°C, better than commercial silicon superjunction devices operating at the same temperatures.
The geochemistry of shales, siltstones and sandstones of Pennsylvanian-Permian age, Colorado, USA : implications for provenance and metamorphic studies

A series of shales and sandstones found near the source of the Sangre de Cristo, Belden, and Maroon Formations from central Colorado were examined petrographically and were analyzed for major and selected trace elements, including the REE. The sandstones from the Belden Formation have higher quartz/feldspar ratios than do those from the Maroon and Sangre de Cristo Formations. Also, the alkali feldspar (i.e., orthoclase, microcline, perthite)/plagioclase ratio decreases in the order Sangre de Cristo Formation>Maroon Formation>Belden Formation, but the CIW′ (chemical index of weathering=molecular [Al2O3/(Al2O3+Na2O)]∗100) decreases in the order Belden Formation>Sangre de Cristo Formation>Maroon Formation. This suggests that the Belden Formation had a more plagioclase-rich granitoid source and more intense weathering of the source than did the Maroon and Sangre de Cristo Formations. Also, the variation in the elemental composition within the terrigenous sediment may be explained in terms of the variation in the observed minerals. Elemental ratios critical of provenance are statistically the same between the finer sediment of the Maroon and Sangre de Cristo Formations and fall within the range of a granitoid provenance, suggesting a similar granitoid source composition for the two formations. The fine sediment from the Belden Formation, however, has significantly more negative Eu anomalies and lower La/Sc and Th/Cr ratios than those of the Maroon and Sangre de Cristo Formations, suggesting a more differentiated granitoid source for the Belden than for the Maroon and Sangre de Cristo Formations. Most elemental concentrations or ratios vary by a factor of 0.12 to 60 between adjacent fine and coarse sediment (<1-m distances). Thus, it is not recommended that metasedimentary sequences similar in composition to this study be examined to determine element mobility during metamorphism as the variation due to sedimentary processes is so large.
Dislocations in Complex Materials

Deformation of metals and alloys by dislocations gliding between well-separated slip planes is a well-understood process, but most crystal structures do not possess such simple geometric arrangements. Examples are the Laves phases, the most common class of intermetallic compounds and exist with ordered cubic, hexagonal, and rhombohedral structures. These compounds are usually brittle at low temperatures, and transformation from one structure to another is slow. On the basis of geometric and energetic considerations, a dislocation-based mechanism consisting of two shears in different directions on adjacent atomic planes has been used to explain both deformation and phase transformations in this class of materials. We report direct observations made by Z-contrast atomic resolution microscopy of stacking faults and dislocation cores in the Laves phase Cr2Hf. These results show that this complex dislocation scheme does indeed operate in this material. Knowledge gained of the dislocation core structure will enable improved understanding of deformation mechanisms and phase transformation kinetics in this and other complex structures.
BCS temperature-dependent superconducting energy gap in domain boundaries of melt-textured YBa2Cu3O7

Attenuation and velocity measurements in low magnetic fields in the superconducting state of a melt-textured sample of YBa2Cu3O7 are reported. Changes in both attenuationα and relative velocitydv/v are observed at the penetration fieldH′ c1 of its domain boundaries. The change indv/v atH′ c1 appears to be proportional to the repulsive force between vortices. The change inα atH′ c1 may be produced by a relaxation process involving superconducting quasiparticles in the vicinity of the normal core of the vortices. Analysis of the relaxation time associated with this process yields a temperature-dependent energy gap which follows the BCS dependence. The relaxation time associated with the process is about 10−11 sec.
Optical technique to sense thermal stress in sapphire

An optical technique for measuring surface stress in chromium-doped sapphire windows is reported. The approach utilizes the well-known effects of temperature and stress on the spectral profile of chromium ion fluorescence in crystalline sapphire. In this study, the sapphire samples were selectively doped with a surface concentration of chromium ions, which provided a direct measure of the stress and temperature in the surface region of the window. A series of fluorescence measurements were performed to calibrate the effects of temperature and mechanical stress on the spectral characteristics of the surface fluorescence. The results of this laboratory study are currently being developed into a dynamic, non-contact probe of stress in infrared seeker windows while under simulated conditions of flight.
Influence of Abuse History on Male Adolescent Self-Reported Comfort With Interviewer Gender

Two hundred sixty-four inner-city adolescent males undergoing an evaluation in an outpatient clinic for sex offenders were questioned as to their preference and comfort in talking about sex with a male versus a female interviewer. Overall these adolescents were significantly more comfortable with a female interviewer, p < .05. Of the 135 nonabused subjects, 53% did not express a preference. However, those adolescents who themselves had been victims of sexual and/or physical abuse (49%) preferred a female interviewer, p < .02. Those individuals victimized by males showed the greatest preference for female interviewers, although those abused by females also preferred a female interviewer. Results indicate that self-disclosure about sexual material may be facilitated when interviewers of both genders are available.
Social behavior and genital swelling in pregnant chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Previous reports of increased sexual activity associated with genital swelling during chimpanzee pregnancy have suggested that the tumescent pregnant female may be regarded as a regularly cycling estrous female. Analysis of additional data from seven pregnant and eight cycling females, however, indicated that tumescent pregnant females differed from cycling females in some social interactions with males. As in earlier reports, pregnant females were more receptive to male-initiated copulatory bouts. In addition, pregnant females initiated grooming bouts with males much less frequently than did cycling females, and males spent less time grooming and less frequently inspected the genitals of pregnant than cycling cagemates. This tendency to decrease social interaction during pregnancy is consistent with field reports that pregnant chimpanzees prefer the company of their offspring and other noncycling females. In addition, the genital swelling patterns of 40 chimpanzee pregnancies were analyzed. Length of gestation averaged 231.5 days. Although a high degree of individual variation existed, females were swollen an average of 41% of the days observed, yet reached maximum swelling only 8.7% of the time. Genital swelling was less frequent during the third trimester, averaging 50.5, 47.9, and 22.6% tumescent days in each trimester. Young pregnant females showed maximum swelling more often than did older females. This finding is discussed with respect to field reports of intercommunity transfer of young, tumescent female chimpanzees.
Recombinant expression and purification of human androgen receptor in a baculovirus system.

Abstract A full-length human androgen receptor (hAR) cDNA was used to produce recombinant baculovirus. Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells infected with this virus expressed protein with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag (His 6 -hAR) in soluble and insoluble forms. The soluble cytosolic His 6 -hAR demonstrated similar association and dissociation half-times for mibolerone, similar binding affinity for mibolerone, and similar steroid specificity as bona fide AR. Under native conditions, the soluble cytosolic His 6 -hAR was purified to apparent homogeneity in the presence of dihydrotestosterone, using metal ion affinity chromatography. The insoluble pellet fraction was solubilized with strong denaturant 6 M guanidine HCl, and His 6 -hAR was purified from it in the presence of 6 M guanidine HCl. Both the solubilized crude pellet fraction and the solubilized/purified His 6 -hAR could be renatured to bind mibolerone. The baculovirus system will therefore provide an efficient means for producing hAR for ligand-binding assays, as well as purifying hAR for detailed molecular analyses.
Data Phase ALIS II: Implementing the System at Texas A&M: A Case Study

Selecting, installing, and implementing an integrated library system is a time consuming and expensive undertaking. Factors that can result in disappointment (and even regret) are always present, and must be anticipated, recognized and properly handled. The experiences of libraries (that were in the vanguard of those installing automated sytems) provide an important resource from which other libraries can benefit. The experience of Texas A&M with the selection and implementation of DataPhase system is a particularly interesting (on‐going) case study. Two sidebars present the current perspectives of DataPhase Corporation and the Texas A&M University Library administration.
Depolarization index and the average degree of polarization.

Two single number metrics for depolarization of samples are contrasted: (1) the average degree of polarization of the exiting light averaged over the Poincare sphere and (2) the depolarization index of Gill and Berbenau [Opt. Acta 32, 259-261 (1985); 33, 185-189 (1986)1. The depolarization index is a geometric measure that varies from 0 for the ideal depolarizer to 1 for nondepolarizing Mueller matrices. The average degree of polarization also varies from 0 to 1 and characterizes the typical level of depolarization. Although the depolarization index is very often close to the average degree of polarization, these two metrics can differ by more than 0.5 for certain Mueller matrices.
Phase insensitive frequency modulation LIDAR for long distance CO 2 monitoring

Gas monitoring over long distances using Frequency Modulation (FM) spectroscopy require phase insensitive detection scheme because of the severe scintillation problem. We report our effort to develop a long working distance CO2 monitoring LIDAR that uses phase insensitive Two-Tone Frequency Modulation (TTFM) spectroscopy technique. We could detect 10-4 single pass absorption, and could detect 1ppm CO2 level change in normal air.
Prosody and Intonation in Non-Bantu Niger-Congo Languages: An Annotated Bibliography

Most linguists are well aware of the fact that data pertaining to languages spoken in Africa are often less readily available than information on languages spoken in Europe and some parts of Asia. This simple fact is one of the first and largest challenges facing Africanist linguists in their pursuit of preliminary data and references on which to base their research. The challenge of locating relevant materials only increases in difficulty as the search for information narrows to include only certain subfields of linguistics or languages of a particular genetic stock. Africanist linguists interested in phonology and phonetics will find that a preliminary search for information and references pertaining to the study of intonation and prosody in African languages yields a significant bias towards materials focusing on languages in the Bantu branch of the Niger-Congo language family, as well as a select few welldocumented languages spoken elsewhere on the continent. One can explain this research bias toward Bantu languages in terms of a number of factors, including the sheer number of constituent languages in this sub-family, the relatively peaceful conditions that exist in many of the nations in which people speak Bantu languages, and overwhelmingly significant factors that have influenced the post-colonial attitudes toward Europeans and Western research in certain parts of the African continent. This bias compounds the research difficulties faced by linguists interested in languages outside the Bantu branch of the Niger-Congo family in that linguists have devoted less time to these languages, and the materials that exist are sometimes difficult to obtain. This bibliography will provide an account of materials published over the past twenty-five years pertaining to the study of intonation and prosodic phonology and phonetics in non-Bantu Niger-Congo languages. I will assume that the reader has some familiarity with both African languages and linguistics. One will find an explanation of any limits on the scope and selection of materials included in this bibliography in this introduction.
To search or to crawl?: towards a query optimizer for text-centric tasks

Text is ubiquitous and, not surprisingly, many important applications rely on textual data for a variety of tasks. As a notable example, information extraction applications derive structured relations from unstructured text; as another example, focused crawlers explore the web to locate pages about specific topics. Execution plans for text-centric tasks follow two general paradigms for processing a text database: either we can scan, or 'crawl," the text database or, alternatively, we can exploit search engine indexes and retrieve the documents of interest via carefully crafted queries constructed in task-specific ways. The choice between crawl- and query-based execution plans can have a substantial impact on both execution time and output "completeness" (e.g., in terms of recall). Nevertheless, this choice is typically ad-hoc and based on heuristics or plain intuition. In this paper, we present fundamental building blocks to make the choice of execution plans for text-centric tasks in an informed, cost-based way. Towards this goal, we show how to analyze query- and crawl-based plans in terms of both execution time and output completeness. We adapt results from random-graph theory and statistics to develop a rigorous cost model for the execution plans. Our cost model reflects the fact that the performance of the plans depends on fundamental task-specific properties of the underlying text databases. We identify these properties and present efficient techniques for estimating the associated cost-model parameters. Overall, our approach helps predict the most appropriate execution plans for a task, resulting in significant efficiency and output completeness benefits. We complement our results with a large-scale experimental evaluation for three important text-centric tasks and over multiple real-life data sets.
Path planning and path tracking control of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs)

Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) will be playing increasingly important role in the future battlefields. How to automatically guide and control UGVs under varying environment conditions represents a challenging issue. This paper presents a novel approach to achieving path planning and path tracking of UGVs under dynamic environments. We apply the topology theory to find the optimal path given any starting and ending points. Algorithms are developed to construct discrete points representing all the possible trajectories, from which an optimal path is identified for the UGV to track. The control scheme used is based on memory based control theory. The optima] path can be dynamically changed according to information gathered from the surrounding environment by the sensor and also the UGV can dynamically track the path using the developed tracking control algorithms. Both theoretic and simulation studies will show the effectiveness of the method.
Changes in Concentrations of Estradiol Nuclear Receptors in the Preoptic Area, Medial Basal Hypothalamus, Amygdala, and Pituitary Gland of Middle-Aged and Old Cycling Rats*

This study determined whether the biochemical characteristics of the estradiol (E2) nuclear receptor located in three different brain areas and the pituitary gland (PIT) change in aging rats undergoing declining reproductive function. To measure maximal E2 nuclear receptor concentrations, groups of young (3–4 months old), middle-aged (8–11 months old), and old (16–18 months old) cycling rats were injected iv with E2 to translocate maximally cytosolic receptors into the nucleus. One hour later they were killed and nuclear extracts were prepared. Maximal E2 nuclear receptor concentrations and dissociation constants were assessed in the preoptic area (POA), medial basal hypothalamus (MBH), amygdala (AMYG), and PIT using an in vitro exchange assay and covariance analyses of double reciprocal plots (Lineweaver-Burk). Middle-aged cycling rats exhibited decreased E2 nuclear receptor concentrations in the POA, but no change in the MBH, AMYG, or PIT. Old rats exhibited decreased E2 nuclear receptor concentrations ...
Health care providers' perceptions of the vulnerability of persons with disabilities: Sociological frameworks and empirical analyses

In this study, we explored health care providers' perceptions about their professional responsibility for persons with disabilities. We examined the providers' perceptions of the vulnerability of persons with disabilities to sexual exploitation. We also elicited the professionals' assumptions about the consequences of such exploitation to the persons with disability and the professionals working with them. Our analyses indicated that these professionals perceived that different categories of disability pose different risk of sexual exploitation. Populations with forms of cognitive impairment were considered most vulnerable. In terms of professional responsibility for the care of persons who might have experienced sexual exploitation, respondents reported least confidence in their ability to detect instances of exploitation. In contrast, respondents expressed greater confidence in their ability to report and conduct follow-up of abuse. The professionals anticipated providing emotional support to persons who experienced exploitation. We discuss the study's implications for training and policy formation.