cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mid-infrared Laser System Development for Dielectric Laser Accelerators

Abstract Laser-driven particle accelerators based on dielectric laser acceleration are under development and exhibit unique and challenging pump requirements. Operation in the mid-infrared (5 μm) range with short pulses ( 500 μJ) and good beam quality is required. We present our progress on the design and development of a novel two- stage source of mid-infrared pulses for this application, which is based on optical parametric amplification. Beta barium borate and zinc germanium phosphide crystals are used, and are pumped by a Ti:sapphire ultrashort laser and seeded by self-phase modulation and parametric generation-based sources.
A citric acid-derived ligand for modular functionalization of metal oxide surfaces via "click" chemistry.

Citric acid is a widely used surface-modifying ligand for growth and processing of a variety of nanoparticles; however, the inability to easily prepare derivatives of this molecule has restricted the development of versatile chemistries for nanoparticle surface functionalization. Here, we report the design and synthesis of a citric acid derivative bearing an alkyne group and demonstrate that this molecule provides the ability to achieve stable, multidentate carboxylate binding to metal oxide nanoparticles, while also enabling subsequent multistep chemistry via the Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. The broad utility of this strategy for the modular functionalization of metal oxide surfaces was demonstrated by its application in the CuAAC modification of ZnO, Fe2O3, TiO2, and WO3 nanoparticles.
The Financial Crisis: A Retrospective

Government efforts to manage the financial crisis and to promote economic recovery have been extensive over the past three years. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been distributed—and much of it now repaid—from the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The Federal Reserve holds more than $2 trillion in mortgage-backed securities, collateralized loans to financial institutions, and other assets and liabilities to maintain liquidity in the financial markets. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act injected more than $600 billion into the economy through tax breaks, loans, contracts, grants, and entitlements. Congress also passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010. Yet economic recovery remains flat. The author examines the reform effort to date, key points of its primary focus, and the politics of implementing the reform as a factor in eventual economic recovery. One component of the reform, the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, holds the greatest potential for changing the way consumers participate in the financial markets, but also has drawn the greatest debate and opposition. While regulatory reform alone will not revive the economy, a newly conceived and broadly participatory Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could simplify and streamline the complex linkages that contribute to the supply of credit.
Altered expression of mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA in p53-deficient mouse embryos revealed by differential display.

Inactivation of the tumor suppressor p53 is associated with neural tube defects and altered teratogenicity in early embryos. To gain insight into the function of p53 during early embryogenesis, RNA profiles of wild-type p53(+/+) and p53(3/3) null mutant mouse embryos were compared at the head-fold stage (day 8 post coitum) using HPLC-based mRNA differential display. The results of this screen revealed a deficiency of mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA in p53(3/3) embryos. RT-PCR showed abnormalities in 16S rRNA levels relative to some representative nuclear (COIV, L-actin) and mitochondrial (COIII) transcripts in p53(3/3) embryos, and that 16S rRNA expression increased with development of p53(+/+) embryos during neurulation. Embryos that lack p53 also displayed weakened cytochrome c oxidase staining and reduced ATP content. During neurulation, the mouse embryo switches from an anaerobic (glycolytic) to an aerobic (oxidative) metabolism. The preliminary results of the present study suggest that p53 may be involved, directly or indirectly, in this transition. fl 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Evidence for segmental gene conversion between a cognate hsp70 gene and the temperature-sensitively transcribed hsp70 genes of Trypanosoma brucei.

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei expresses several heat shock proteins of 70 kDa (hsp70). We show that, from 5' to 3', a diverged cognate hsp70 gene (gene 1) is separated by about 6 kb of DNA from a cluster of five identical hsp70 genes (genes 2-6). The hsp70 cognate gene has a predicted open reading frame of 676 amino-acids. The steady-state mRNA levels of gene 1 are unaffected by temperature shifts up to 42 degrees C. Hsps of diverse organisms share several fully conserved amino acid domains in the N-terminal region of the hsp70 proteins. These conserved amino acid domains are also observed in the T. brucei hsp70 genes 1-6. However they are, in contrast to the heat shock genes of other eukaryotes, encoded by nucleotide sequence blocks that are identical in all six hsp70 genes. These conserved domains, located in the 5' coding region, range in size from several to hundreds of nucleotides and are separated by highly diverged nucleotide sequences. The nucleotide sequence conservation between hsp70 gene 1 and hsp70 genes 2-6 indicates that selective sequence homogenization, presumably through gene conversion, maintained the amino acid sequence conservation.
Global tropical cyclone activity: A link to the North Atlantic Oscillation

An index of global tropical cyclone activity (GTCA) is extracted from an interbasin dispersion matrix composed of correlations in the frequency of tropical cyclones among the five principal basins of activity over the period 1966–1998. The extraction is performed using a single-factor common factor analysis model. Factor scores provide the index of GTCA. The time series of factor scores is matched with annual series' of the El Nino-southern oscillation (ENSO) and the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) revealing a statistical link to the NAO, but not to the ENSO. Results suggest a greater role of high latitude atmospheric and oceanic processes in modulating tropical cyclone climate than previously considered.
Cause of Spontaneous Echocardiographic Contrast as Assessed by Scanning Electron Microscopy

Spontaneous echo contrast ("echocardiographic smoke") is known to occur in low-flow states and to require the presence of red cells and plasma proteins. Limited morphologic information regarding the microanatomic structure of red cells exhibiting spontaneous echo contrast is known. The study was designed to evaluate the microanatomic features of red cells exhibiting spontaneous echocardiographic contrast with scanning electron microscopy. With human blood, a beaker, and a stirring bar, a simple model for demonstration of spontaneous echo contrast and its reversal was devised. Blood elements were "sampled" from within this model at times of high and low spontaneous echogenicity by adherence of blood elements to poly-L-lysine-coated slides that were subsequently fixed and examined with scanning electron microscopy. Spontaneous echo contrast was maximal at complete stasis or low-flow states and could be abolished by agitation of blood with continuous stirring. Sampling during low-flow states with high echogenicity showed a preponderance of clumped red cells, whereas at high-flow and low echogenicity states red cells were dispersed and usually solitary. No morphologic features suggestive of activation of the coagulation system were noted. Spontaneous echo contrast is caused by reversible red blood cell clumping, which occurs in fresh human blood at low-flow (low shear rate) states and can be abolished by increasing flow. This phenomenon is independent of activation of the clotting system.
Presynaptic Strontium Dynamics and Synaptic Transmission

Strontium can replace calcium in triggering neurotransmitter release, although peak release is reduced and the duration of release is prolonged. Strontium has therefore become useful in probing release, but its mechanism of action is not well understood. Here we study the action of strontium at the granule cell to Purkinje cell synapse in mouse cerebellar slices. Presynaptic residual strontium levels were monitored with fluorescent indicators, which all responded to strontium (fura-2, calcium orange, fura-2FF, magnesium green, and mag-fura-5). When calcium was replaced by equimolar concentrations of strontium in the external bath, strontium and calcium both entered presynaptic terminals. Contaminating calcium was eliminated by including EGTA in the extracellular bath, or by loading parallel fibers with EGTA, enabling the actions of strontium to be studied in isolation. After a single stimulus, strontium reached higher peak free levels than did calcium (approximately 1.7 times greater), and decayed more slowly (half-decay time 189 ms for strontium and 32 ms for calcium). These differences in calcium and strontium dynamics are likely a consequence of greater strontium permeability through calcium channels, lower affinity of the endogenous buffer for strontium, and less efficient extrusion of strontium. Measurements of presynaptic divalent levels help to explain properties of release evoked by strontium. Parallel fiber synaptic currents triggered by strontium are smaller in amplitude and longer in duration than those triggered by calcium. In both calcium and strontium, release consists of two components, one more steeply dependent on divalent levels than the other. Strontium drives both components less effectively than does calcium, suggesting that the affinities of the sensors involved in both phases of release are lower for strontium than for calcium. Thus, the larger and slower strontium transients account for the prominent slow component of release triggered by strontium.
De Novo Activation of the β-Phaseolin Promoter by Phosphatase or Protein Synthesis Inhibitors

The promoter for the phaseolin (phas) bean seed protein gene adopts an inactive chromatin structure in leaves of transgenic tobacco. This repressive architecture, which confers stringent spatial regulation, is disrupted upon transcriptional activation during embryogenesis in a process that requires the presence of both a transcription factor (PvALF) and abscisic acid (ABA). Toward determining the need for de novo synthesis of proteins other than PvALF in transcriptional activation we explored the effect of several eukaryotic protein synthesis inhibitors. Surprisingly, cycloheximide (CHX), emetine, and verrucarin A were able to induce transcription from the phas promoter in tobacco and bean leaf tissue in the absence of either PvALF or ABA. This induction was decreased by the replication inhibitors hydroxyurea and aphidicolin but not by genistein or mimosine. Since protein phosphatases and kinases are essential components of the ABA signal transduction pathway, it is conceivable that CHX is also capable of inducing phosphorylation of proteins usually involved in ABA-mediated activation. Interestingly, okadaic acid, an inhibitor of serine/threonine phosphatase, also strongly activated transcription from the phas promoter. In contrast, the protein synthesis inhibitors anisomycin and puromycin did not activate transcription from the phas promoter, nor did the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors phenylarsine oxide and sodium orthovanadate. These discrete but different results on transcriptional activation may reflect specific modes of action of the inhibitors, or they may reflect differential interactions of the inhibitors or of downstream events resulting from inhibitor activity with presently unknown components of the transcriptional activation system.
Specificity and Cross-Reactivity of Monoclonal Antibodies Reactive with the Core and Lipid A Regions of Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide

Twenty-nine murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were prepared against antigenic determinants in the core and lipid A regions of Escherichia coli and Salmonella minnesota lipopolysaccharide (LPS). At least eight distinct MAb specificities were identified. Epitopes recognized by MAbs bearing these specificities were localized in the hexose, heptose, and 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid regions of the core oligosaccharide and on lipid A. Two groups of MAbs exhibited multispecificity for similar but distinct core- and lipid A-related epitopes. Some core-reactive MAbs cross-reacted with corresponding E. coli and Salmonella rough mutant chemotypes; others were specific for E. coli J5 LPS. Lipid A-specific MAbs reacted with free lipid A from diverse sources. Few MAbs reacted with smooth LPS. Antibody cross-reactivity was restricted by inter- and intraspecies differences in covalent core structure and by epitope concealment by overlying O-side chain and core sugars. The putative cross-reactive and antiendotoxic properties of MAbs specific for the core-lipid A complex may be limited by the inability of such MAbs to recognize determinants on "native" LPS.
Filter radiometer monitoring system for integrating sphere sources

Two critical requirements of a calibration source are short- and long-term operational stability and repeatability. Monitoring the source is an asset in determining the origin of temporal changes, thus increasing confidence in source performance and quantifying repeatability. Monitor data which fall outside established parameters indicate that the source requires maintenance or re-calibration against the standard. The NASA GSFC Code 920. 1 Radiance Calibration Facility (RCF) has developed a Filter Radiometer Monitoring System (FRMS) to continuously monitor the performance of its integrating sphere calibration sources in the 400-2400nm region. Sphere output change mechanisms include lamp aging, coating (BaSO4) deterioration, and water vapor level. FRMS wavelength bands are selected to be sensitive to changes caused by these mechanisms. Several FRMS bands coincide with common remote sensing instrument bands.
Apoptosis Induced by Adenovirus-mediated p53 Gene Transfer in Human Glioma Correlates with Site-specific Phosphorylation

Therapeutic replacement of the p53 gene using an adenovirus vector (Ad-p53) may be an effective alternative to conventional therapies for the treatment of glioma. We have previously demonstrated that the introduction of Ad-p53 into glioma cells containing mutant p53 induces apoptosis, whereas glioma cells containing wild-type p53 are resistant. However, Ad-p53 will enhance the radiosensitivity of wild-type p53 glioma cells by increasing their tendency for apoptosis. The mechanism underlying these different responses to Ad-p53 has not been elucidated to date. Because phosphorylation of p53 at serines 15, 20, and 392 may play a role in regulating p53-mediated apoptotic activity, we determined the phosphorylation status of exogenous p53 in mutant and wild-type gliomas after Ad-p53 transfer. Monolayer cultures of glioma cell lines expressing mutant p53 (U251 and U373) or wild-type p53 (U87 and D54) were infected with Ad-p53 and analyzed by Western blotting. High levels of exogenous p53 were detected in both cell lines after Ad-p53 transfer. However, only apoptotic mutant p53 cells expressed high levels of phospho-Ser15-p53 and phospho-Ser20-p53. The levels of phospho-Ser15-p53 and phospho-Ser20-p53 were very low in wild-type p53 cells after Ad-p53 infection alone. When wild-type p53 glioma cells were exposed to radiation after Ad-p53 infection, phospho-Ser15-p53 and phospho-Ser20-p53 were detected at high levels, and the cells subsequently underwent apoptosis; no change in serine 392 was detected. The induction of apoptosis and the expression of phospho-Ser15 and phospho-Ser20 in these cells were also enhanced by the combination of Ad-p53 and other DNA-damaging agents such as cisplatin and bichloroethyl nitrosourea. Furthermore, the expression of phospho-Ser15-p53 and phospho-Ser20-p53 correlated with the amount of apoptosis; the apoptotic activity of p53 in glioma cells was partially inhibited by a mutation of p53 at serine 15. These results suggest that phosphorylation of p53 at serine 15 and serine 20 is critical for apoptosis induction in p53 gene therapy for gliomas.
Habitat Use of American Alligators in East Texas

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) has made a remarkable recovery throughout its range during the last half-century. In Texas, USA, current inland alligator population and harvest management strategies rely on generalized and often site-specific habitat and population data generated from coastal populations, because it is assumed that habitat and demographic similarities exist between inland and coastal populations. These assumptions have not been verified, however, and no studies have specifically examined inland alligator habitat use in Texas. We quantified alligator habitat use in East Texas during 2003–2004 to address this information gap and to facilitate development of regionally specific management strategies. Although habitat was variable among study areas, alligators used habitats with >50% open water, substantial floating vegetation, and emergent vegetation close (<12 m) to dry ground and cover. Adults used habitats further from dry ground and cover, in open water (75–85%), with less floating vegetation (6–22%) than did subadults, which used habitats that were closer to dry ground and cover, with less open water (52–68%), and more floating vegetation (8–40%). Although habitat use mirrored coastal patterns, we estimated alligator densities to be 3–5 times lower than reported in coastal Texas, likely a result of inland habitat deviations from optimal coastal alligator habitat, particularly in the preponderance of open water and floating vegetation. Our findings that 1) inland habitats varied among sites and did not exactly match assumed optimal coastal habitats, 2) alligators used these inland habitats slightly differently than coastal areas, and 3) inland alligator densities were lower than coastal populations, all highlight the need for regionally specific management approaches. Because alligator populations are influenced by habitat quality and availability, any deviations from assumed optimal habitat may magnify harvest impacts upon inland populations.
Predicting Plant Extinction Based on Species-Area Curves in Prairie Fragments with High Beta Richness

Species-area relationships and island biogeography theory are commonly used to predict how species richness will decline with fragmentation. There are a variety of largely untested assumptions in these approaches, including the assumptions that populations are distributed uniformly before fragmentation, and that local extinctions are due to effects of small population sizes. If populations are not distributed uniformly, then populations can be abundant locally but rare globally. This would cause extinction rates to be smaller than predicted. We tested extinction theory by developing estimates of the number of plant species that should be present in small tallgrass prairie fragments and then testing the uniformity assumption by partitioning species richness into α (within site) and β (among site) components in Iowa prairies. Many more native prairie plant species were present in surveys of prairie fragments (491) than was predicted based on theory (27-207). A large proportion (75%) of the total species richness was β richness. We suggest that the high proportion of β richness wa sr esponsible for the shallow species-area slopes and the lower than expected number of species losses and that a better understanding of what determines β diversity will improve predictions of fragmentation effects on richness of plants. We also suggest that plants in prairie remnants may be best conserved by protecting different prairie types rather than by protecting a few large areas containing a single prairie type.
Theorizing the Cuban Revolution

An assessment of the outcomes of the Cuban Revolution in terms of theories of both the causes and outcomes of revolutions in general reveals that that the revolution has been spectacularly successful in terms of ensuring the well-being of the vast majority of Cubans, while at the same time failing to deliver fully democratic institutions and freedoms. The success of the revolution in maintaining itself against U.S. hostility and the deepening of neoliberal global capitalism is attributed to the strength of the political culture that the revolution has forged and carried forward across the generations. The future of the revolution looks bright, especially if the Cuban people find a way to secure deeper democratic gains to match their social and economic ones.
The role of exercise in reducing the risks of gestational diabetes mellitus in obese women

The global obesity epidemic continues unabated, now rapidly expanding to developing countries. Multiple comorbidities and premature mortality are associated with obesity, most frequently diabetes. The associated financial and economical burden is escalating as well. The sedentary lifestyle adopted by many pregnant women because of traditional practices and the current recommendation for gestational weight gain are contributing factors to the obesity and diabetes epidemic. Physical inactivity is recognized as an independent risk factor for obesity insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes; the physiological and hormonal changes associated with pregnancy magnify this risk. Conversely, evidence and accumulated experience indicate that antenatal lifestyle interventions that include physical activity and judicious dieting could improve the pregnancy outcome and reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and is effective as an adjunctive therapy for diabetes in pregnancy. All major professional organizations, among them American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American Diabetes Association (ADA), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), and Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), recommend lifestyle interventions that include diet and exercise to prevent or manage gestational diabetes or diabetes mellitus.
Enhancing patient safety during feeding-tube insertion : A review of more than 2000 insertions

Background: An intervention to reduce complications from insertion of small-bore nasogastric feeding tubes was performed. Methods: This was a Performance Improvement project with the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) format; interventions occurred in July 2003. Electronic searches of risk management and radiology databases identified feeding-tube malpositions and complications from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2004. Chart abstraction and a pre- and postintervention comparison were performed. Interventions were adoption of a more compliant feeding tube, direct supervision of residents, technology-guided insertion, and implementation of explicit policies and procedures. Results: Of all small-bore nasogastric feeding-tube placements, 1.3%–2.4% resulted in 50 documented cases of feeding-tube malpositions during 4 years. Over half of the 50 patients were mechanically ventilated, and only 2 had a normal mental status. There were 13 complications (26% of malpositions), including 2 deaths, which were directly ...
An integrated approach for electrical engineering laboratories

The Department of Electrical Engineering at Auburn University has implemented a new curriculum, which features replacement of the previous 10 (quarter-based) core laboratories with 6 new core labs. These new labs differ in four significant ways. First, content of each new lab course is decoupled from specific lecture courses, a marked departure from the previous approach. Second, the laboratory studies are designed to give students experience across several EE subdisciplines in an integrated manner. Third, the new labs have much greater integrated design requirements, which better prepare students for their two-quarter capstone senior design project, and fourth, the new core labs provide a platform for students to improve their oral and written communications, study some professional ethics issues, and learn how to work effectively in both independent and team settings. In this paper, the authors describe the general philosophies and overall design of the new integrated laboratories, and present some student and faculty experiences (both positive and negative).
Evidence for female‐biased dispersal in North American porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum)

Although sex biases in natal dispersal are well known among birds and mammals, female-biased dispersal in polygynous mammals is rare. North American porcupines are polygynous and recent evidence suggests that natal dispersal in this species may be female-biased. We used data on disappearances, immigration, and reproductive behaviours to characterize natal dispersal and examine the extent to which inbreeding avoidance may motivate natal dispersal in porcupines. We predicted that, if female porcupines were the predominant dispersers, rates of disappearance and immigration would be higher for females than for males. Also, if females disperse to avoid mating with fathers, then the mean age of females at first conception should be less than the mean residence time of adult males. Population data suggested that natal dispersal was female-biased because a higher proportion of females (31%) disappeared than males (11%), and 78% of 18 immigrants observed in the population were females. Data on pregnancies indicated that female age at first conception ([ape ]25 months) was less than the mean residence time of adult males ([ape ]26 months), suggesting that female porcupines may disperse to avoid incestuous matings with fathers. Little is known regarding potential resource competition between mothers and offspring, or on how philopatric males avoid mating with their mothers. Additional data are needed in these areas to interpret dispersal tendencies in porcupines.
Microstructural Architecture of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 Thin Films for Tunable Microwave Applications

BaxSr1−xTiO3 (BST, x=0.5 and 0.6) thin films have been deposited onto (100) MgO single crystal substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The room temperature capacitance and dielectric quality factor (Q=1/tanδ have been measured as a function of electric field (≤ 100 kV/cm) at microwave frequencies (1 to 20 GHz) using silver interdigitated electrodes deposited on top of the BST film. It has been observed that the dielectric constant of the film and its change with electric field are closely related to film phase (amorphous to crystalline phase) and film strain which affects the ionic polarization of the film. Amorphous BST films show high dielectric Q (> 100) with low dielectric constant (~30-200) and low dielectric tuning (< 1%), presumably due to small ionic polarization. Crystalline films have a higher dielectric constant (~1000-3000) and a higher dielectric tuning (~ 65%) but a lower dielectric Q (~20). As an optimal microstructure of the film for tunable microwave applications, strain-relieved large-grained (~5000 A) randomly oriented polycrystalline films were deposited using a thin amorphous buffer layer of BST (~50 A). Very large grains (size up to a few microns) were observed in BST films prepared using a thicker amorphous buffer layer (~500 A). We will present results on how careful control of microstructure can lead to films with optimal dielectric properties for the tunable microwave devices.
Circular polarization operation of double-slot fed microstrip antennas

The circular polarization (CP) operation of double-slot-fed microstrip antennas is studied theoretically and tested experimentally. Typical results for CP square and rectangular microstrip antennas on 1/8-in-thick substrates (Rexolite 2200 with a relative permittivity of 2.62) are shown. The rectangular patch is designed by the use of a feed loci plot in which the effective dimensions of the patch are used to take the fringing field effects into account. The axial ratios in both cases are much lower than 3 dB over a wide range of observation angles, even though the theory only guarantees CP at the broad side. >
Forced Expression of α-Myosin Heavy Chain in the Rabbit Ventricle Results in Cardioprotection Under Cardiomyopathic Conditions

Background— The biochemical differences between the 2 mammalian cardiac myosin heavy chains (MHCs), α-MHC and β-MHC, are well described, but the physiological consequences of basal isoform expression and isoform shifts in response to altered cardiac load are not clearly understood. Mature human ventricle contains primarily the β-MHC isoform. However, the α-MHC isoform can be detected in healthy human ventricle and appears to be significantly downregulated in failing hearts. The unique biochemical properties of the α-MHC isoform might offer functional advantages in a failing heart that is expressing only the β-MHC isoform. This hypothesis cannot be tested in mice or rats because both species express α-MHC as the predominant isoform. Methods and Results— To test the effects of persistent α-MHC expression on the background of β-MHC, we made transgenic (TG) rabbits that expressed rabbit α-MHC cDNA in the ventricle so that the endogenous myosin was partially replaced by the transgenically encoded species. Mole...
Investigations of the plasma bullet velocity by electrical and optical techniques

Summary form only given. The propagation velocity of the atmospheric helium pulsed plasma jet/bullet generated by the plasma pencil has been investigated through electrical and optical diagnostic techniques. The electrically-based technique measures the jet velocity from the time delay between the jet current peaks along the jet propagation axis. Using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) the temporal evolution of the reactive species along the plasma jet axis was observed and this evolution provided a measure of the average and instantaneous plasma bullet velocity. The measured velocities are compared to the velocity obtained from the images of the plasma jet taken at different times by using an ICCD camera. It is found that the magnitude of the velocity measured by the electrical technique is little higher than the velocity measured by imaging and spectroscopy techniques, which produced similar results. However, in all cases, the bullet velocity is in the same order of magnitude (*105 m/s). It is also shown that each pulse generates a single bullet and this bullet propagates leaving a low density plasma channel behind it.
Bacteria, Sex, and Systematics*

Philosophical discussions of species have focused on multicellular, sexual animals and have often neglected to consider unicellular organisms like bacteria. This article begins to fill this gap by considering what species concepts, if any, apply neatly to the bacterial world. First, I argue that the biological species concept cannot be applied to bacteria because of the variable rates of genetic transfer between populations, depending in part on which gene type is prioritized. Second, I present a critique of phylogenetic bacterial species, arguing that phylogenetic bacterial classification requires a questionable metaphysical commitment to the existence of essential genes. I conclude by considering how microbiologists have dealt with these biological complexities by using more pragmatic and not exclusively evolutionary accounts of species. I argue that this pragmatism is not borne of laziness but rather of the substantial conceptual problems in classifying bacteria based on any evolutionary standard.
Evaluating metrics to improve population health.

The 7 metrics articles in this issue of Preventing Chronic Disease address the following topics: public health policy (1), health care access and quality (2), social and economic determinants (3), health behaviors (4), environmental metrics (5), population health outcomes (6), and health inequalities (7). The articles differ in the degree to which they establish a conceptual framework for linking metrics to rewards to improve population health. Their different perspectives raise questions of whether these metrics should meet certain criteria, regardless of domain, or whether some flexibility in the criteria for assessing metrics is necessary and desirable. Questions that arise in establishing such criteria relate to structure and function as well as data availability.
Annular atrophic lichen planus

We describe a case of generalized, asymptomatic, chronic annular lichen planes. The centers of the large annular lesions were atrophic and had lost their elasticity. Histologic examination revealed an absence of elastic fiber in the center, Electron microscopy revealed fragmented elastic fibers. Examination of early lesions showed that elastolysis had already begun in the heavy cellular infiltration. We conclude that the annular configuration resulted from the elastolytic activity of the inflammatory cells with the formation of foci of localized acquired cutis laxa.
Gender differences in the upward mobility of black managers: Double whammy or double advantage?

This study draws upon the theory and research on intraorganizational mobility to examine gender differences in the upward mobility of black managers. Results suggest that neither the “double whammy” assumptions nor the “double advantage” assumptions are accurate descriptions of the contemporary experience of black female managers in corporate America. Upward mobility rates were nearly identical for both gender groups. Other findings and the implications of the results for future research are discussed.
Aortic outflow occlusion predicts rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background Current threshold recommendations for elective abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair are based solely on maximal AAA diameter. Peak wall stress (PWS) has been demonstrated to be a better predictor than AAA diameter of AAA rupture risk. However, PWS calculations are time-intensive, not widely available, and therefore not yet clinically practical. In addition, PWS analysis does not account for variations in wall strength between patients. We therefore sought to identify surrogate clinical markers of increased PWS and decreased aortic wall strength to better predict AAA rupture risk. Methods Patients treated at our institution from 2001 to 2014 for ruptured AAA (rAAA) were retrospectively identified and grouped into patients with small rAAA (maximum diameter 6 cm). Patients with large (>6 cm) non-rAAA were also identified sequentially from 2009 for comparison. Demographics, vascular risk factors, maximal aortic diameter, and aortic outflow occlusion (AOO) were recorded. AOO was defined as complete occlusion of the common, internal, or external iliac artery. Computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis simulations were performed to calculate wall stress distributions and to extract PWS. Results We identified 61 patients with rAAA, of which 15 ruptured with AAA diameter 60 mm (27% vs 8%; P = .047). Among all patients with rAAAs, those with AOO ruptured at smaller mean AAA diameters than in patients without AOO (62.1 ± 11.8 mm vs 72.5 ± 16.4 mm; P = .024). PWS calculations of a representative small rAAA and a large non-rAAA showed a substantial increase in PWS with AOO. Conclusions We demonstrate that AOO, PAD, and COPD in AAA are associated with rAAAs at smaller diameters. AOO appears to increase PWS, whereas COPD and PAD may be surrogate markers of decreased aortic wall strength. We therefore recommend consideration of early, elective AAA repair in patients with AOO, PAD, or COPD to minimize risk of early rupture.
Observations on Cobalt Polycythemia. I. Studies on the Peripheral Blood of Rats.

Conclusions1. Injections of cobaltous chloride continued over a period of 8 months without apparent serious toxicity has resulted in persistent polycythemia during this period of a degree comparable to that occurring in polycythemia vera in man. 2. The average increases in blood volume and total erythrocyte mass as compared with controls was 80% and 192% respectively, due entirely to increase in erythrocytes since plasma volume decreased 16% on the average. 3. The erythrocyte of polycythemic animals as compared with the normal increased in volume 41% due almost entirely to an increase in the thickness of the cell. The hemoglobin content remains essentially unchanged.
Pathogenic characterization of Vibrio parahaemolyticus serotype O3:K6 isolated from cases of food poisoning in Nanshan District,Shenzhen,2006-2012

Objective To characterize O3∶ K6 serotype of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from cases of food poisoning during 2006-2012 in Nanshan District,Shenzhen. Methods Strains of V. parahaemolyticus serotype O3∶ K6 were collected. Multi-PCR,pulsed field gel electrophoresis( PFGE),and KirbyBauer were performed. Results A total of 44 strains of V. parahaemolyticus( O3∶ K6) obtained from diarrhea patients with food poisoning were collected. All strains were tdh gene positive and trh gene negative.PFGE indicated that the 44 strains could be divided into 2 clone complexes. Clone 1( C1) had 19 strains,with 17-20 bands for each strain,while clone 2( C2) had 25 strains,with 17-18 bands for each one.Differences between C1 and C2 were found in position of 200,190,and 100 Kb,while the other bands were similar. All the 44 strains( 100. 00%) were sensitive to cefrazidime,cefepime,gentamicin,levoflocacin,tetracycline,chloramphenicol,and sulphamethoxazole,72. 73%( 32 /44),18. 18%( 8 /44),and18. 18%( 8 /44) of strains were resistant to ampicillin,kanamycin,and streptomycin,and 9. 09%( 4/44),65.91%( 29/44),and 65.91%( 29/44) of strains were moderately sensitive to the three antibiotics,respectively. Conclusion The main PFGE clone complexes of strains of V. parahaemolyticus serotype O3∶ K6 isolated in the local area were C1 and C2,with tdh gene positive and trh gene negative.
Development of soil fauna at mine sites during 46 years after afforestation

Summary At the afforested overburden heap “Langteichhalde” (lignite mining district Berzdorf, Eastern Germany) a long-term study of the soil fauna (since 1961) was completed by new investigations between 1996–1999 taking microfauna, mesofauna and macrofauna into consideration. Detailed information about the present development of testate amoebae, nematodes, lumbricids, spiders and harvestmen, oribatids, centipedes, millipedes, apterygotes, ants, carabid and staphylinid beetles are briefly compared with the earlier succession of these groups. Generally, both the species inventory as well as diversity points to a change from open landscape communities to woodland associations, albeit in a more or less poor condition. Differences of the settlement depending on deciduous or coniferous afforestation type and surface profile (crests, troughs) are discussed. The contribution of soil organisms to organic matter decomposition was studied by bait lamina tests, the minicontainer technique, and by calculating the potential zootic decomposition level. At the deciduous afforestation the overall soil biological activity reaches the level of natural woodland soils very quickly (after 10– 20 years), even though based upon the continuing development of soil faunal entities. Primarily coniferous afforestations show an impeded decomposing activity, even if developing in a mixed wood. During succession of the mine site community an interesting interrelationship between parts of the soil fauna, especially between lumbricids and microarthropods, can be demonstrated.
Partition SRAM and RRAM based synaptic arrays for neuro-inspired computing

Memory array architectures have been proposed for on-chip acceleration of weighted sum and weight update in the neuro-inspired machine learning algorithms. As the learning algorithms usually operate on a large weight matrix size, an efficient mapping of a large weight matrix on the hardware accelerator may require partitioning the matrix into multiple sub-arrays. In this work, we built a circuit-level macro simulator to evaluate the performance of partitioning a 512×512 weight matrix into the SRAM and RRAM based accelerators. Generally, with more partitioning and finer granularity of the array architecture, the read/write latency and the dynamic read/write energy will decrease due to an increased computation parallelism at the expense of larger area and leakage power, as shown in the case of the SRAM accelerator. However, the RRAM accelerator does not improve the read latency and read energy beyond a certain partition point because the overhead due to multiple intermediate stages of adders and registers will dominate.
Anodically grown functional oxide nanotubes and applications

Among various material nanoarchitectures, the nanotube geometry has received incredible attention due to the unique properties provided by its high surface area as well as nanoscale wall thickness and the availability of a variety of techniques to fabricate them. Since the beginning of this century, anodization has emerged as one of the most effective techniques for the fabrication of functional oxide nanotubes. Oxide nanotubes of a number of metals and alloys have been developed using this versatile technique. We review here the research activities on anodic nanotubes of various binary, ternary, and multinary materials and their selected applications.
The Role of T Cell Costimulation by CD80 in the Immune Response to Human Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia.

Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM) is characterized by the presence of monoclonal serum IgM and bone marrow infiltration by lymphoplasmacytoid cells. The transforming event(s) and mechanisms underlying disease progression remain uncertain. The rationale behind the use of allogeneic tumor cell lines as therapeutic vaccines is that multiple antigens shared by both the immunizing line and the patient’s tumor are presented by shared human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules. Most tumor cells are of poor immunogenicity and do not effectively induce antigen-specific immune responses. This is frequently due to low densities of HLA/antigen complexes and a lack of costimulatory molecules. CD80 appears to be the most efficient costimulatory molecule in humans. In this experiment, we introduced the CD80 gene into allogeneic WM cells to effect in vitro stimulation of T lymphocytes. A human WM cell line, WM103 (HLA-A2 positive, HLA-A1 and CD80 negative), kindly provided by Dr. Al-Katib, and human CD80 plasmid DNA (hB7-pBCMGHis), Dr. E. Podack, were used. 2 ×10 6 WM103 cells were resuspended in 100 μl of Human B Cell Nucleofector Solution (Amaxa), and 5μg of plasmid DNA. Nucleofector program U-15 used for transfection. Cells were cultured for 48h and harvested. Transfected WM103 cells were examined for expression of CD80 antigen by FACS (FACSCalibur, Becton Dickinson) using PE-conjugated anti-human CD80 (eBioscience). HLA-typed normal mononuclear cells were isolated and used as responders at a density of 1 × 10 6 /well. Irradiated (3000 rads) WM103 cells (5 × 104/well) were used as stimulatosr at four dilutions 1:1, 1:0.5, 1:0.25 and 1: 0.125, incubated for 5 days, and treated for 18h with 1 μCi [3H] thymidine per well. liquid scintillization counting was performed in triplicate. It has been established that T cell activation by presenting cells (APC) requires two types of signals: the first generated from T cell receptor engagement with specific antigen, and the second by constimulatory molecules. Interaction of CD80 on APCs with their natural ligand on T cells has a crucial role in costimulation and maintenance of T cell immunity. CD80 transfected allogeneic or autologous cells have not been reported in patients with WM, although similar vaccines have shown good activity in other human studies. In this report, transfection of CD80 into WM103 cells induced an allogeneic response in T cells from healthy donors, demonstrating that CD80 expression can lead to accessory cell-independent activation of native T cells. These experiments support the hypothesis that lack of expression of T-cell costimulatory molecules contributes to WM escape from immune surveillance, and provide preliminary data for the use of CD80 transfection in the immunotherapy of human WM.
Inflammation as a Therapeutic Target To Improve Vascular Function in Kidney Disease.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are postulated to link cardiovascular disease and CKD and may be part of a vicious cycle, with CKD leading to increased inflammation and subsequently more rapid loss
The Fire and Light at the Heart of Youth Ministry

Once scholarly reflection on youth ministry was limited to relatively few research tools, but recently scholars have employed a growing range of modes of analysis. In part, the expanding landscape of research is due to its having been relegated as a form of practical theology, concerned with the contexts of ministry. While this new complexity has undoubtedly advanced the level of critical reflection on youth ministry, the field risks losing its center—the very object of faith. This paper represents a challenge to those theorising youth ministry, not to abandon contextual analysis, but to focus anew on the Christ image as the source of our ministry. A return to a focus on revelation suggests, among other things, attending to theological aesthetics.
Neural Response to Biological Motion in Healthy Adults Varies as a Function of Autistic-Like Traits

Perception of biological motion is an important social cognitive ability that has been mapped to specialized brain regions. Perceptual deficits and neural differences during biological motion perception have previously been associated with autism, a disorder classified by social and communication difficulties and repetitive and restricted interests and behaviors. However, the traits associated with autism are not limited to diagnostic categories, but are normally distributed within the general population and show the same patterns of heritability across the continuum. In the current study, we investigate whether self-reported autistic-like traits in healthy adults are associated with variable neural response during passive viewing of biological motion displays. Results show that more autistic-like traits, particularly those associated with the communication domain, are associated with increased neural response in key regions involved in social cognitive processes, including prefrontal and left temporal cortices. This distinct pattern of activation might reflect differential neurodevelopmental processes for individuals with varying autistic-like traits, and highlights the importance of considering the full trait continuum in future work.
High voltage performance of a dc photoemission electron gun with centrifugal barrel-polished electrodes.

The design and fabrication of electrodes for direct current (dc) high voltage photoemission electron guns can significantly influence their performance, most notably in terms of maximum achievable bias voltage. Proper electrostatic design of the triple-point junction shield electrode minimizes the risk of electrical breakdown (arcing) along the insulator-cable plug interface, while the electrode shape is designed to maintain <10 MV/m at the desired operating voltage aiming at little or no field emission once conditioned. Typical electrode surface preparation involves diamond-paste polishing by skilled personnel, requiring several weeks of effort per electrode. In this work, we describe a centrifugal barrel-polishing technique commonly used for polishing the interior surface of superconducting radio frequency cavities but implemented here for the first time to polish electrodes for dc high voltage photoguns. The technique reduced polishing time from weeks to hours while providing surface roughness comparab...