cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of freight and forwarding company in facilitating the export-import process in Kelantan Malaysia

This case study discusses the role of freight and forwarding companies in facilitating the export import process related to the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Service (Maqis) agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrobased Industry in Kelantan, Malaysia. This case study used qualitative interview method to collect descriptive data on freight and forwarding companies and also from Maqis role, problems faced and suggestions for improvement on the smoothness of the import-export process. The findings of this case study showed that the Maqis needs to issue a specific standard to facilitate the process of aligning the work by informing the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to freight and forwarding companies located in Kelantan, particularly those dealing with import export of products from Thailand. This case study can contribute in terms of ideas and suggestions towards continuous improvement either for the Maqis or the freight and forwarding companies. Suggestions for future researchers need to see the effectiveness of the export import process among customers who use Maqis services from aspects of customer satisfaction and service quality.
Loss of friends and psychological well-being of older Chinese immigrants

Focusing on a less studied aspect of friendship and an overlooked type of loss, this study examined associations between loss of friends and psychological well-being among older Chinese immigrants ...
Sub-Saharan Growth Dynamics, Panel Estimation, and Human Capital

The existing empirical literature has either not sufficiently examined growth dynamics or relied on events-studies of turning points that fail to explain growth (or do it adequately). We study growth relative to a frontier country, take explanatory variables also as ratios, and examine determinants of growth separately for periods of relative convergence (r-convergence) versus divergence. Sub-Saharan African countries are eminently suitable for examination because they experience both copiously, have quite granular data, and the number of periods for the two experiences is almost the same. We use the neo-classical growth model and panel estimation; including the “between” estimator. The main difference of the divergence panels from the r-convergence panels is on the role of human capital. When human capital is contributing to growth in a statistically significant way, countries are catching-up in relative income; when it is not, they are falling behind both relatively and absolutely. Comparing this paper to the literature, we study growth dynamics independent of events-study, have a stream-lined study of dynamics, take long periods averaging 20-30 years, find TFP to be less important than human capital for both income growth and income levels, and the excess-effect of human capital over TFP is about 2.5 times for growth than for income levels.
Low temperature recovery of acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) fermentation products via microwave induced membrane distillation on carbon nanotube immobilized membranes

Acetone, butanol and ethanol (ABE) mixture separation from dilute aqueous fermentation products is an important process for the biofuel industry. Here, we present a novel approach for ABE recovery using microwave induced membrane distillation (MD). Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and octadecyl amide (ODA) functionalized CNTs were immobilized on membrane surfaces and were used in sweep gas MD separation of ABE. The ABE flux, separation factor and mass transfer coefficient obtained with CNT and CNT-ODA immobilized membranes were remarkably higher than those of the commercial pristine membrane under various experimental conditions. The ABE flux enhancement reached as high as 105, 100 and 375% for the CNIM and 63, 62 and 175% for CNIM-ODA respectively. The ABE flux obtained was nearly ten times higher than that reported previously for pervaporation. The mass transfer coefficient also increased significantly along with a lower activation energy for the modified membranes. Mechanistically speaking, the immobilization of carbon nanotubes on the active membrane layer led to preferential sorption of ABE leading to enhanced separation. This phenomenon has been validated by the reduction of contact angles for the aqueous ABE mixtures on the CNT and CNT-ODA immobilized membranes indicating enhanced interaction of ABE on the membrane surface.
Local Government Dependence on Criminal Justice Revenue and Emerging Constraints

Revenue generated through the criminal justice system has become a key component of local government budgets across the United States. Although numerous restrictions exist to constrain traditional ...
¿Cómo temblar más allá de la soberanía? El espectro beckettiano de Derrida

Our main hypothesis is: in order to understand the singular trembling of Derrida’s philosophical work, and with it, the philosophic-political significance of it, one has to examine not only Derrida’s own conception of writing and, specifically of literature, but also the resonance of his work with that of an author who appears as his own writerly ghost: Samuel Beckett. This examination will follow the trembling between the two authors up to its utmost conclusion, where not only the limits of language, but also those of any kind of sovereignty are effaced through this quake.
Graph fractal dimension and the structure of fractal networks

Fractals are geometric objects that are self-similar at different scales and whose geometric dimensions differ from so-called fractal dimensions. Fractals describe complex continuous structures in nature. Although indications of self-similarity and fractality of complex networks has been previously observed, it is challenging to adapt the machinery from the theory of fractality of continuous objects to discrete objects such as networks. In this article, we identify and study fractal networks using the innate methods of graph theory and combinatorics. We establish analogues of topological (Lebesgue) and fractal (Hausdorff) dimensions for graphs and demonstrate that they are naturally related to known graph-theoretical characteristics: rank dimension and product dimension. Our approach reveals how self-similarity and fractality of a network are defined by a pattern of overlaps between densely connected network communities. It allows us to identify fractal graphs, explore the relations between graph fractality, graph colourings and graph descriptive complexity, and analyse the fractality of several classes of graphs and network models, as well as of a number of real-life networks. We demonstrate the application of our framework in evolutionary biology and virology by analysing networks of viral strains sampled at different stages of evolution inside their hosts. Our methodology revealed gradual self-organization of intra-host viral populations over the course of infection and their adaptation to the host environment. The obtained results lay a foundation for studying fractal properties of complex networks using combinatorial methods and algorithms.
Examining the No-Choice Option in Conjoint Analysis

Conjoint analysis is a survey-based method used to measure consumer preferences and predict demand for products that may not yet exist in the marketplace. The most frequently used form of conjoint analysis involves having respondents choose from among a relatively small set of oﬀerings with each described by a relatively small number of features. The validity of the resulting data rests on the inclusion of each alternative’s brand name, which proxies for the attributes not mentioned in the study, and the inclusion of an outside “no-choice” option that accounts for brands not explicitly included. Respondents selecting the no-choice option have determined that some other oﬀering, not included in the survey, is preferred to those included in the survey, and that is better for them to hold onto their money and not make a purchase at this time. Thus, selecting the no-choice option assumes that respondents have some knowledge of the prices and features of the outside goods not included in the study. In this paper, we examine the eﬀect of providing respondents with information about the prices and features of outside goods on conjoint preference estimates. Using a national sample of respondents in the tooth whitening category, we ﬁnd that conjoint estimates are surprisingly robust to the information provided about the outside no-choice options.
Improving the thermal stability and n-butanol oxidation activity of Ag-TiO2 catalysts by controlling the catalyst architecture and reaction conditions

Abstract We demonstrate a novel methodology of encapsulating and dispersing Ag nanoparticles in a reducible, mesoporous TiO2 nanosphere to enhance thermal stability and catalytic activity for VOC oxidation. Through comparisons with surface-impregnated Ag-TiO2, which suffer from significant sintering and deactivation after aging at 550 °C, we show that encapsulation helps maintain a uniform Ag particle distribution (2−5 nm) and promotes metal-support interactions by maximizing interfacial sites, thereby improving activity and stability. In addition, we discover that subjecting the encapsulated catalyst to a post-synthesis solvothermal treatment step anchors the active metal more strongly to the support, which helps maintain superior activity under repeated aging cycles. Finally, recognizing that industrial flue gas streams inevitably contain water vapor we examine a constructive method of deliberately exposing the catalyst’s surface to water vapor before beginning the reaction. This simple method enhances the rate of VOC oxidation up to six-fold at temperatures as low as 40 °C.
255 Investigating VISTA’s role intrinsic to T cells in the tumor microenvironment

Background Cancer immunotherapies, specifically checkpoint blockade therapies, have demonstrated clinical importance for long term patient survival. One of the major limitations to checkpoint blockade therapies, is the low response rate: ~30% with anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1 treatment. This may be due to heterogeneity of the patients‘ immune system and the tumor microenvironment including T cell inhibitions. There is a clear need to study this phenomenon and develop additional therapies for long term survival to include a broad range of patients. V-domain Immunoglobulin Suppressor of T-cell Activation (VISTA) is a suppressive protein expressed on many cell types in the tumor microenvironment including cytotoxic T cells. VISTA’s role on T cells has been described as maintaining quiescence and peripheral tolerance in a graft vs host disease model, but is not fully understood in context of the tumor microenvironment. Methods We use a series of invivo experiments, including T cell specific VISTA knock outs, to understand the role of VISTA on T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Results Here we show a series of in vivo experiments that suggest VISTA has a potent intrinsic role on T cells and therefore anti-tumor immunity. Using a T cell specific VISTA knock out, our results suggest that the absence of VISTA on T cells in combination with anti-CTLA4 and vaccine is a very powerful tumor suppressor compared to vaccine and anti-CTLA4 treatment alone. These results also indicate that the absence of VISTA alters the phenotype of cytotoxic T cells in several ways including the production of inflammatory cytokines. Conclusions Our preliminary data provides foundation to study VISTA’s role intrinsic to T cells in the tumor microenvironment and how disrupting VISTA’s influence intrinsic to T cells may be advantageous for anti-tumor immunity and long term patient survival. Ethics Approval All in vivo studies were reviewed and approved by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (Approval number 2019–2142).
Queer Athlete, Non-biological Mothers: Competing, Marginalized, Identities.

While athletes must be tough and dedicated to sport, many mothers feel pressured to commit to caregiving. A small but growing body of literature has examined how female athletes negotiate these seemingly conflicting roles of mother and athlete. However, the current literature has predominantly focused on heterosexual, cisgender, White women. In this paper, we examine the subject position of the queer athlete, non-biological mother by drawing on the literature on queer parenthood, motherhood in sport, and discourse analysis. Specifically, we use stories from mainstream media to understand ways that queer athlete, non-biological mothers simultaneously are re/produced within dominant discourses and expand our understanding of motherhood.
Objects: An Introduction

This chapter introduces classes and objects. Public and private data members along with value-returning methods and void methods with parameters are discussed. How objects are created and how methods are invoked are illustrated using contour diagrams. Contours help the reader have a better understanding of object-oriented concepts by providing visual representation of objects. Constructors are introduced along with multiple objects and classes. Lastly, UML (Universal Modeling Language) class diagrams are illustrated and a complete program implementing a simple class and client program is provided.
GraphX: graph processing in a distributed dataflow framework

In pursuit of graph processing performance, the systems community has largely abandoned general-purpose distributed dataflow frameworks in favor of specialized graph processing systems that provide tailored programming abstractions and accelerate the execution of iterative graph algorithms. In this paper we argue that many of the advantages of specialized graph processing systems can be recovered in a modern general-purpose distributed dataflow system. We introduce GraphX, an embedded graph processing framework built on top of Apache Spark, a widely used distributed dataflow system. GraphX presents a familiar composable graph abstraction that is sufficient to express existing graph APIs, yet can be implemented using only a few basic dataflow operators (e.g., join, map, group-by). To achieve performance parity with specialized graph systems, GraphX recasts graph-specific optimizations as distributed join optimizations and materialized view maintenance. By leveraging advances in distributed dataflow frameworks, GraphX brings low-cost fault tolerance to graph processing. We evaluate GraphX on real workloads and demonstrate that GraphX achieves an order of magnitude performance gain over the base dataflow framework and matches the performance of specialized graph processing systems while enabling a wider range of computation.
Induction and isolation of auxotrophic mutants in mammalian cells.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a mutant isolation procedure, which selectively kills normal cells but allows mutant forms to survive. The procedure involves differential incorporation of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) into normal but not mutant cells, followed by illumination with near-visible light which destroys only those cells that contain BUdR-DNA. The mutant cells survive the treatment and are isolated. An incubation period of several days is provided for mutant expression to occur after treatment with the mutagen. This period is also necessary to permit the cells to recover and resume active growth after the mutagenic experience and to ensure that the prototrophic cells grow vigorously when the BUdR is added. The treatment of cells with BUdR and visible light reduces the cell survival by a factor of about 10 –4 . The procedure involving exposure of the cells to BUdR plus visible light requires that the induced auxotrophic mutants undergo a two-day starvation period as one day is required for incubation in the deficient medium, F12D, and an additional day in F12D plus BUdR.
Evidence for the induction of a conformational change of bovine trypsin by a specific substrate at pH 8.0.

A method is described that permits the covalent attachment of enzymes to solid matrices in the presence of saturating levels of a specific substrate under conditions where the enzyme is optimally active. Bovine trypsin immobilized on glass and agarose in the presence of saturating levels of N-α-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester differs in a number of respects from the enzyme bound in the absence of substrate. Trypsin bound in the presence of substrate (ES form) is attached to porous glass through three more side chains than the enzyme coupled in the absence of substrate (E form). The rate of inactivation by iodoacetamide for the ES form is much greater than that for the E form. The two enzyme forms differ also in their reactivity with TLCK and DFP, active site-directed inhibitors. The pH dependences of the ES and the E forms bound to agarose differ; the pH optima are 9.0 and 8.5 for the ES and E forms, respectively. The thermal denaturation of the agarose-trypsins occurs in two distinct steps. The inactivation rate of the ES form is significantly slower than the E form in both stages. Also, for the hydrolysis of both N-α-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester and N-α-benzoyl-Larginine amide, the Km values for the ES form were lower than the Km values for the E form. Our data suggest that a substrate-induced conformatonal change occurs with trypsin, and that this conformation is stabilized when the enzyme is bound by multiple attachments to a solid support. These findings support the “induced-fit” theory in general and lend support to the interpretation of the activation of trypsin by methyl guanidine that is part of a specific substrate (Inagami, T., and Hatano, H. [1969] J. Biol. Chem. 244, 1176).
Collecting data for software reliability analysis and modeling

This paper studies the collection of appropriate data for software reliability analysis and modeling. Our approach satisfies the data requirements for various reliability models under the constraints imposed by our project environment. These data-model relations and data - environment constraints are characterized to provide a tentative roadmap for data collection. In the process of collecting data for a group of projects in the system testing stage, we encountered various problems and devised solutions and improvement initiatives to deal with them. We summarize our experience in this paper so that similar initiatives in quality improvement under similar environments can be implemented more effectively.
NaCaCo 2 F 7 : A single-crystal high-temperature pyrochlore antiferromagnet

We report the magnetic characterization of the frustrated transition metal pyrochlore ${\text{NaCaCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{F}}_{7}$. This material has high spin Co${}^{2+}$ in CoF${}_{6}$ octahedra in a pyrochlore lattice and disordered nonmagnetic Na and Ca on the large-atom sites in the structure. Large crystals grown by the floating zone method were studied. The magnetic susceptibility is isotropic; the Co moment is larger than the spin-only value; and in spite of the large Curie Weiss theta (\ensuremath{-}140 K), freezing of the spin system, as characterized by peaks in the ac and dc susceptibility and specific heat, does not occur until around 2.4 K. This yields a frustration index of $f\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{CW}}/{T}_{f}\ensuremath{\approx}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}56$, an indication that the system is highly frustrated. The observed entropy loss at the freezing transition is low, indicating that magnetic entropy remains present in the system at 0.6 K. The compound may be the realization of a frustrated pyrochlore antiferromagnet with weak bond disorder. The high magnetic interaction strength, strong frustration, and the availability of large single crystals makes ${\text{NaCaCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{F}}_{7}$ an interesting alternative to rare earth oxide pyrochlores for the study of geometric magnetic frustration in pyrochlore lattices.
Differential desensitization and phosphorylation of three cloned and transfected alpha 2-adrenergic receptor subtypes

Genes encoding 3 distinct subtypes of human alpha 2-adrenergic receptor are known and are found, respectively, on chromosome 10, 4, and 2 (alpha 2-C10, alpha 2-C4, and alpha 2-C2 adrenergic receptors). All 3 receptors inhibit adenylyl cyclase via Gi proteins. To study and compare their regulatory properties we assessed the ability of each to undergo agonist-promoted desensitization and phosphorylation. When Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing each of the three receptor genes were incubated with epinephrine for 20 min, a marked decrease in sensitivity to subsequent agonist-mediated inhibition of adenylyl cyclase was observed for the alpha 2-C10 and alpha 2-C2 receptors but not for the alpha 2-C4 receptors. When similar incubations were performed with 32Pi-labeled cells and the receptors were immunoprecipitated with specific antibodies, alpha 2-C10 and alpha 2-C2 receptors were found to undergo an approximately 3-fold increase in receptor phosphorylation after epinephrine exposure. When transfected into COS cells epinephrine also stimulated phosphorylation of alpha 2-C10 and alpha 2-C2 receptors while having only a slight effect on alpha 2-C4 receptors. Cotransfection of the cells with the cDNA encoding the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase further increased receptor phosphorylation for alpha 2-C10 and alpha 2-C2 receptors while having little or no effect on alpha 2-C4 receptors. Moreover purified and reconstituted recombinant alpha 2-C10 receptors could be phosphorylated in an agonist-dependent fashion whereas alpha 2-C4 receptors could not. These observations suggest receptor subtype-specific differences in susceptibility to regulatory phosphorylation and desensitization.
Effects of microstructure banding on hydrogen assisted fatigue crack growth in X65 pipeline steels

Abstract Banded ferrite–pearlite X65 pipeline steel was tested in high pressure hydrogen gas to evaluate the effects of oriented pearlite on hydrogen assisted fatigue crack growth. Test specimens were oriented in the steel pipe such that cracks propagated either parallel or perpendicular to the banded pearlite. The ferrite–pearlite microstructure exhibited orientation dependent behavior in which fatigue crack growth rates were significantly lower for cracks oriented perpendicular to the banded pearlite compared to cracks oriented parallel to the bands. The reduction of hydrogen assisted fatigue crack growth across the banded pearlite is attributed to a combination of crack-tip branching and impeded hydrogen diffusion across the banded pearlite.
Poly(A) Signal-Dependent Transcription Termination Occurs through a Conformational Change Mechanism that Does Not Require Cleavage at the Poly(A) Site

Transcription termination for genes encoding polyadenylated mRNAs requires a functional poly(A) signal (PAS) in the nascent pre-mRNA. Often called PAS-dependent termination, or PADT, it is widely assumed that the PAS requirement reflects an obligatory poly(A) site cleavage requirement for termination. Cleavage is thought to provide entry for a 5'-to-3' exonuclease that targets RNA polymerase II via the nascent transcript-i.e., the torpedo model. To assess the role of cleavage in PADT, we developed a PADT assay using HeLa nuclear extract. Here we examine the basal mechanism of PADT and show that cleavage at the poly(A) site is not required for PADT. Isolated elongation complexes undergo termination in a PAS-dependent manner when incubated in buffer, in the absence of extract, nucleotides, or cleavage at the poly(A) site. Thus, PADT-proficient complexes undergo a conformational change that triggers termination. PADT is inhibited by α-amanitin, which presumably blocks the required conformational change.
Chapter 11 Trade policies in developing countries

Publisher Summary Trade policies in developing countries have been a focal point of analysis for international economists in the past several decades. A desire for rapid economic growth in developing countries raised many questions about the relationship between trade and growth. This chapter discusses that the policies adopted in many developing countries have often been widely at variance with those emanating from models of rational resource allocation and provided researchers with ample scope for analysis of their effects. Simultaneously, analysts have examined the theoretical and empirical content of the rationales given for rejection of the rational resource allocation models. Some developing countries reversed their trade policies in important ways, often with dramatic results. These reversals and the resulting changes in economic structure also provided stimulus for analysis of the link between trade policies and development. Thus, the subject matter usually regarded as comprising trade and development emanates largely out of the concerns and experience of developing countries. The chapter outlines the issues and their historical evolution, setting the groundwork for later sections. It focuses on the analysis of policies adopted under alternative trade strategies and introduces factor market imperfections into the analysis. It also deals with issues of so-called export pessimism and instability of the international market.
Sterile Neutrinos in the Early Universe

We discuss the role played by right-handed sterile neutrinos in the early universe. We show how the well known 4He constraint on the number of relativistic degrees of freedom at early times limits the equilibration of the right-handed neutrino sea with the background plasma. We discuss how this allows interesting constraints to be placed on neutrino properties. In particular, a new limit on the Dirac mass of the neutrino is presented.
La Gran Marcha: Anti-Racism and Immigrants Rights in Southern California

Millions of people across the United States took to the streets in spring 2006 to protest repressive immigration legislation, demand just immigration reform, and seek justice in daily life. This article has two aims. First, we seek to intervene in the popular immigration debate, which denies racism and claims to be concerned only with law-and-order. Second, we analyze (im)migration politics in relation to national racial formations. That is, racialized immigration policies do not exist apart from a racially stratified citizenry. We rely on the concept of social death to trace state policies of immigration and criminalization as key sites of interracial and transnational struggles against racism and for justice and liberation. Thus, we seek to elucidate possibilities for anti-racist alliances and social change. We conclude with a discussion of the ways in which we see the immigrants rights movement connecting with other struggles for social justice, and the implications that concepts of national racial formation and social death have for the movement against global apartheid.
SAPPHIRE: an always-on context-aware computer vision system for portable devices

Being aware of objects in the ambient provides a new dimension of context awareness. Towards this goal, we present a system that exploits powerful computer vision algorithms in the cloud by collecting data through always-on cameras on portable devices. To reduce comunication-energy costs, our system allows client devices to continually analyze streams of video and distill out frames that contain objects of interest. Through a dedicated image-classification engine SAPPHIRE, we show that if an object is found in 5% of all frames, we end up selecting 30% of them to be able to detect the object 90% of the time: 70% data reduction on the client device at a cost of ≤ 60mW of power (45nm ASIC). By doing so, we demonstrate system-level energy reductions of ≥ 2x. Thanks to multiple levels of pipelining and parallel vector-reduction stages, SAPPHIRE consumes only 3.0 mJ/frame and 38 pJ/OP — estimated to be lower by 11.4× than a 45 nm GPU — and a slightly higher level of peak performance (29 vs. 20 GFLOPS). Further, compared to a parallelized sofware implementation on a mobile CPU, it provides a processing speed up of up to 235× (1.81 s vs. 7.7 ms/frame), which is necessary to meet the real-time processing needs of an always-on context-aware system.
On Seeing One's Own Shadow: Political Philosophy as an Intellectual Enterprise

Abstract Political philosophy is a discipline related to all other disciplines in a manner that prevents it from becoming autonomous but at the same time not absorbed into other disciplines. When political philosophy ceases to be itself, other disciplines rush in to take its place and thereby themselves undermine their own being.
Activation of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Inhibits Synapsin I Phosphorylation in Visceral Sensory Neurons

Activation of glutamate metabotropic receptors (mGluRs) in nodose ganglia neurons has previously been shown to inhibit voltage-gated Ca++ currents and synaptic vesicle exocytosis. The present study describes the effects of mGluRs on depolarization-induced phosphorylation of the synaptic-vesicle-associated protein synapsin I. Depolarization of cultured nodose ganglia neurons with 60 mm KCl resulted in an increase in synapsin I phosphorylation. Application of mGluR agonists 1-aminocyclopentane-1s-3r-dicarboxylic acid (t-ACPD) and L(+)-2-Amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4) either in combination or independently inhibited the depolarization induced phosphorylation of synapsin I. Application of the mGluR antagonist (RS)-α-Methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG) blocked t-ACPD-induced inhibition of synapsin phosphorylation but not the effects of L-AP4. In addition, application of either t-ACPD or L-AP4 in the absence of KCl induced depolarization had no effect on resting synapsin I phosphorylation. RT-PCR analysis of mGluR subtypes in these nodose ganglia neurons revealed that these cells only express group III mGluR subtypes 7 and 8. These results suggest that activation of mGluRs modulates depolarization-induced synapsin I phosphorylation via activation of mGluR7 and/or mGluR8 and that this process may be involved in mGluR inhibition of synaptic vesicle exocytosis in visceral sensory neurons of the nodose ganglia.
Selection of Small Daphnia pulex by Yellow Perch Fry in Oneida Lake, New York

Abstract Length distributions of Daphnia pulex in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) fry stomachs and in simultaneously collected plankton samples were compared for evidence of size-selective predation in Oneida Lake, New York. On 15 of 18 sample dates during a 6-week period in midsummer, yellow perch fry selectively fed on D. pulex that were significantly smaller than those in plankton samples. No evidence of fluctuation in size selection as a result of diurnal vertical migrations of D. pulex or movements of yellow perch fry was found. A relationship between yellow perch length and D. pulex length was demonstrated: yellow perch consistently selected smaller D. pulex than they were capable of consuming from the population. We hypothesize that size selection by yellow perch results from interactions among learned predatory search images; greater escape potential of large, faster-swimming D. pulex; and low attack proficiency of young, weak-swimming yellow perch fry.
Bayesian turbo multiuser detection for nonlinearly modulated CDMA

This study introduces a blind iterative multiuser detection scheme for demodulating nonlinearly modulated CDMA signals in Gaussian and non-Gaussian noise, based on the Bayesian inference. The detector jointly estimates the channel gains, the noise parameters and the transmitted symbols. It yields asymptotically to the MAP receiver (or minimum error probability on decisions) by using the Gibbs sampler, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method for Bayesian computation. Its performance is compared with that of the coherent parallel interference cancelation receiver and an iterative detector based on interference suppression. It is seen that the proposed Bayesian multiuser detector offers substantial performance gain over those existing methods, especially in a highly loaded system and in the presence of non-Gaussian ambient noise. Being a "soft-input soft-output" algorithm, the Bayesian multiuser detector is particularly well suited for turbo processing in a coded system: the multiuser detector can incorporate the a priori symbol probabilities, and it produces as output the a posteriori symbol probabilities; the channel decoder delivers information about the code bits prior distributions, which can then be fed back to the multiuser detector to refine its processing, and vice versa. Hence, the proposed Bayesian multiuser detector naturally leads to a turbo receiver structure for joint multiuser detection and decoding.
Intracellular potentials from “idle” cells in cerebral cortex of cat

Abstract Intracellular recording was carried out in “idle” cells from somatosensory, motor and anterior suprasylvian cortex of cat. The cells were studied simultaneously with examination of the DCR, spreading cortical depression, responses to stimulation of midline and postero-ventral thalamic nuclei, and Metrazol-induced seizure discharge. 1. 1. Observations were made on 70 cells showing resting membrane potentials of 50–80 mV. “Idle” cells show no injury discharge upon impalement and no spontaneous firing. During repetitively evoked DCR, and responses to repetitive stimulation (6–60/sec) of midline and postero-ventral thalamic nuclei, “idle” cells show a slow depolarizing response (SDR). The depolarization can attain a magnitude of 20 mV, summates and outlasts the stimulus period for one or more sec. The SDR never gives rise to cell discharge and closely corresponds in configuration to the evoked surface-negative shifts. If stimulation fails to evoke surface slow negativity, it produces no change in the intracellular record. 2. 2. During spreading cortical depression, a marked membrane depolarization (20–40 mV) occurs. Duration and configuration of the depolarization approximates the negative SP shift that accompanies the depression. During this sustained depolarization, a surface stimulus is no longer capable of producing an SDR. Upon recovery of resting membrane potential, surface stimulation once again evokes an SDR. 3. 3. After i.v. injection of Metrazol, there is a reduction in membrane potential followed by appearance of transient membrane depolarizations. Each depolarization corresponds closely to a paroxysmal wave recorded at the surface. 4. 4. The alternatives that “idle” cells are neuroglia, pyramidal cell dendrites or short axon cells are discussed.
Small Scale Prototype Biomass Drying System for Co-Combustion With Coal

Thermoelectric power plants burn thousands of tons of non-renewable resources every day to heat water and create steam, which drives turbines that generate electricity. This causes a significant drain on local resources by diverting water for irrigation and residential usage into the production of energy. Moreover, the use of fossil reserves releases significant amounts of greenhouse and hazardous gases into the atmosphere. As electricity consumption continues to grow and populations rise, there is a need to find other avenues of energy production while conserving water resources. Co-combusting biomass with coal is one potential route that promotes renewable energy while reducing emissions from thermoelectric power plants. In order to move in this direction, there is a need for a low-energy and low-cost system capable of drying materials to a combustion appropriate level in order to replace a significant fraction of the fossil fuel used. Biomass drying is an ancient process often involving the preservation of foods using passive means, which is economically efficient but slow and impractical for large-scale fuel production. This effort, accomplished as an undergraduate capstone design project, instead implements an active drying system for poplar wood using theorized waste heat from the power plant and potentially solar energy. The use of small-scale prototypes demonstrate the principles of the system at a significantly reduced cost while allowing for calculation of mass and energy balances in the analysis of drying time, Coefficient of Performance, and the economics of the process. Experimental tests illustrate the need to distribute air and heat evenly amongst the biomass for consistent drying. Furthermore, the rotation of biomass is critical in order to address the footprint of the system when placing next to an existing thermoelectric power plant. The final design provides a first step towards the refinement and development of a system capable of efficiently returning an amount of biomass large enough to replace non-renewable resources. Finally, an innovative methodology applied to the dryer is discussed that could recover water evaporated from the biomass and utilize it for agricultural purposes or within the power plant thermodynamic cycle.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
GROWTH OF MOUSE VAGINAL EPITHELIAL CELLS IN VITRO

Pieces of adult mouse vagina (comprising epithelium and connective tissue), when explanted onto glass coverslips, gave rise to outgrowing sheets of pure epithelium whose cells had ultrastructural features in common with the cells of origin in vivo. Epithelial outgrowths from vaginas of estradiol-primed and nonprimed ovariectomized mice were studied. After the first 5 days in vitro, in the absence of estradiol, the labeling index and length of the cell cycle were similar in both types of cultures. The values were similar to those reported by others in vivo in response to estrogen. Thus, proliferative activity of cells from nonprimed mice was stimulated merely by in vitro conditions, while proliferation of cells from primed mice continued at the high level existing prior to explantation. The high rate of proliferation wasnot associated with keratinization of any cells. In the continued absence of estrogen, cells from both kinds of cultures showed a progressive decrease in proliferative activity between 5 and 14 days, also associated with inability of cells to keratinize. Addition of estradiol didnot reverse the mitotic drop or promote keratinization. Supplementation with hydrocortisone and insulin had no effect. The results suggest that (a) vaginal epithelial cells in vitro require factors in addition to estradiol in order to maintain a high level of proliferative activity or to differentiate fully by keratinization and (b) keratinization is not dependent on rate of cell proliferation.
Polarized Resonance Radiation in Weak Magnetic Fields

Effect of a magnetic field on the polarization of resonance radiation of mercury and of sodium.---(1) Mercury $\ensuremath{\lambda}2536$. A beam of plane polarized monochromatic light was focussed on the bulb containing the vapor at low pressure (0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C), and the polarization of the resonance radiation was determined photographically with the aid of a quartz wedge and a double image quartz prism. If the exciting beam is going east with the electric vector vertical, when the earth's field is carefully neutralized the polarization is 90 per cent in any horizontal direction and zero vertically; a field of only 2 gauss directed north reduces the polarization in its direction to nearly zero (the decrease with increasing field being exponential), changes the polarization east and also up to 60 percent, and increases the intensity directed upwards threefold. Similar effects are produced by fields in other directions. The polarization with zero field does not approach 100 per cent at low pressures, since 90 per cent was found also with the vapor at -50\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, when the radiation first appeared. It was thought that the high value might be due to an orientation of the resonating atom by the field of the exciting light, but a beam of concentrated sunlight produced no effect. As found by Malinowski, a strong field of 10,000 gauss merely increased the intensity of the radiation about 10 per cent. This added light was found to be unpolarized. (2) Sodium $D$ line. In the case of sodium vapor the tube was heated to 185\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, the observations were visual, and as a source of unreversed light, the glow on the surface of a sodium glass vacuum tube carrying a discharge, was used. The effects observed are similar to those for mercury, but differ for some directions; fields forty times stronger were required, and the polarization in zero field was only 6 per cent, probably due to traces of hydrogen. This was increased by the field in some directions to 30 per cent.Effect of magnetic field on fluorescent light of iodine vapor and on white scattered light from mercury and ether vapors.---The polarization was found not to be affected.
A new approach to water disinfection: I. N,N-dimethylalkylbenzyl-polystyrene anion exchange resins as contact disinfectants

A quaternary ammonium type anion exchange resin with the N,N-dimethyldodecylbenzyl moiety as the functional group was synthesized and tested as a contact water disinfectant. The long chain alkyl groups are attached to a conventional polystyrene matrix with 2% divinylbenzene as a crosslinker which is insoluble and chemically stable. Suspensions containing up to a total of >109 live cells of the gram positiveBacillus subtilis were disinfected by passage through 1 ml beds of the polymer, Resin 12, at flow rates of 10 to 12 ml min−1 before any viable cells could be detected in the effluent. The disinfectant action increased with increasing temperature and was attributed to the intrinsic antimicrobial properties of the N,N-dimethyldodecylbenzyl function. The large disinfectant capacity and instant disinfection on contact may be understood as a consequence of the extremely high surface concentration of the quaternary functions on the resin beads and the strong hydrophobic effect driving the organisms toward the solution-resin interface. Resin 12 can be regenerated although the ethanolic HCL used in our experiments should be replaced by a less harsh regenerant for practical applications. The results obtained with Resin 12 are to be seen as the demonstration of a new approach to water disinfection using insoluble contact antimicrobials as an alternative to chlorination and other methods based on soluble, reactive agents.
ANTIBODY OF THE IGG2 SUBCLASS, ACTINOBACILLUS ACTINOMYCETEMCOMITANS, AND EARLY-ONSET PERIODONTITIS

Susceptibility to early-onset periodontitis (EOP) appears to be attributable to a gene inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. This explains why EOP clusters in families and why about half of the family members develop periodontal disease early in life. Manifestation of EOP is variable, with some patients having a localized form restricted to first molars and incisors (LJP) and others with a severe generalized form of periodontitis (SP). The extent and severity of disease is less in patients who are seropositive for Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans than in seronegative patients, and this relationship prompted the hypothesis that anti-A. actinomycetemcomitans helps limit disease. The dominant antibody is an IgG2 reactive with the serotypespecific carbohydrate. The incidence of the LJP form of EOP is about 10 times higher in blacks than in whites. Interestingly, blacks have higher levels of serum IgG2, a higher frequency of anti-A. actinomycetemcomitans antibody, and higher serum titers of IgG2 anti...
Tracheal Aspirate as a Substrate for Polymerase Chain Reaction Detection of Viral Genome in Childhood Pneumonia and Myocarditis

Background —Infectious respiratory disorders are important causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. Viral causes are common and may lead to rapid deterioration, requiring mechanical ventilation; myocardial dysfunction may accompany respiratory decompensation. The etiologic viral diagnosis may be difficult with classic methods. The purpose of this study was to evaluate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a diagnostic method for identification of causative agents. Methods and Results —PCR was used to amplify sequences of viruses known to cause childhood viral pneumonia and myocarditis. Oligonucleotide primers were designed to amplify specific sequences of DNA virus (adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and Epstein-Barr virus) and RNA virus (enterovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A, and influenza B) genomes. Tracheal aspirate samples were obtained from 32 intubated patients and nucleic acid extracted before PCR. PCR results were compared with results of culture, serology, and antigen detection methods when available. In cases of myocarditis (n=7), endomyocardial biopsy samples were analyzed by PCR and compared with tracheal aspirate studies. PCR amplification of viral genome occurred in 18 of 32 samples (56%), with 3 samples PCR positive for 2 viral genomes. Amplified viral sequences included RSV (n=3), enterovirus (n=5), cytomegalovirus (n=4), adenovirus (n=3), herpes simplex virus (n=2), Epstein-Barr virus (n=1), influenza A (n=2), and influenza B (n=1). All 7 cases of myocarditis amplified the same viral genome from heart as found by tracheal aspirate. Conclusions —PCR is a rapid and sensitive diagnostic tool in cases of viral pneumonia with or without myocarditis, and tracheal aspirate appears to be excellent for analysis.
Liver function tests: inadequate screening modality for detection of liver metastasis in head and neck carcinoma.

Objective. Report the prevalence and risk factors of liver metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) while evaluating the utility of liver function tests (LFTs) in detection of such metastases.Study Design. Case series with chart review.Setting. Tertiary referral center.Subjects and Methods. Of 745 patients with newly diagnosed HNSCC (oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx) treated at University of North Carolina hospitals from 1989 to 2005, 655 had sufficient data for analysis.Results. Prevalence of liver metastasis was 3% (20/655) with 7 patients demonstrating early metastasis and 12 with late metastasis. Oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal lesions constituted 65% of identified liver metastasis but only 39% of the study population. Patients with oropharyngeal lesions were most likely to develop liver metastasis (P = .047). Abnormal LFTs were seen in 26% of all patients. Overall sensitivity and specificity were 45% and 75%. Seventy-five percent of patients with liver metastasis had s...