cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of the child with Down syndrome on maternal stress

This article examines the nature and correlates of stress in mothers of children with Down syndrome. In the first part of our study, we compared 27 mothers of children with Down syndrome with 15 mothers of children with heterogeneous causes of learning difficulty. Using Abidin's (1995) Parenting Stress Index (PSI), mothers in the Down syndrome group reported lower total child-related stress levels, particularly concerning the degree to which the mother considers the child acceptable and reinforcing. In the second part, we identified predictors of stress in mothers of children and adolescents with Down syndrome (N = 37). Children's behaviour problems related to higher levels of overall and specific domains of child-related stress, and children who were reported as being more cheerful and outgoing had parents who judged their offspring as more acceptable and reinforcing. Mothers also rated their children as less reinforcing when offspring were older.
One Sequence, Two Ribozymes: Implications for the Emergence of New Ribozyme Folds

We describe a single RNA sequence that can assume either of two ribozyme folds and catalyze the two respective reactions. The two ribozyme folds share no evolutionary history and are completely different, with no base pairs (and probably no hydrogen bonds) in common. Minor variants of this sequence are highly active for one or the other reaction, and can be accessed from prototype ribozymes through a series of neutral mutations. Thus, in the course of evolution, new RNA folds could arise from preexisting folds, without the need to carry inactive intermediate sequences. This raises the possibility that biological RNAs having no structural or functional similarity might share a common ancestry. Furthermore, functional and structural divergence might, in some cases, precede rather than follow gene duplication.
Roton-Limited Mobility of Ions in Superfluid He 4

We calculate the roton-limited mobility of ions in superfluid ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ for temperatures below \ensuremath{\sim} 1.7\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Taking, as a first approximation, a constant ion-roton transition-matrix element, which we treat as an adjustable parameter, we find good agreement with experiment for both positive and negative ions. This model calculation indicates that the most mobile of the recently discovered "exotic" negative carriers is a very light ion.
Development of Leaf Spectral Models for Evaluating Large Numbers of Sugarcane Genotypes

Leaf refl ectance has been used to estimate crop leaf chemical and physiological characteristics. Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) leaf N, C, and chlorophyll levels are important traits for high yields and perhaps useful for genotype evaluation. The objectives of this study were to identify sugarcane genotypic variation in leaf hyperspectral refl ectance, leaf chemical (chlorophyll, N, and C), and yield (juice sucrose content, commercial recoverable sucrose [CRS], cane yield in tonnes of cane per hectare [TCH], and sucrose yield in tonnes of sucrose per hectare [TSH]) traits and to determine relationships between leaf refl ectance and these chemical and yield traits. In Stage II of the Canal Point, FL, sugarcane cultivar development program, we measured spectral refl ectance and chemical traits on three leaves of the top visible dewlap from each of 87 genotypes in December 2008 and 208 and 124 genotypes in May, July, September, and October 2009 and 2010, respectively. Yield traits were determined on mature plants. Genotypic variation of leaf refl ectance mainly occurred in 540 to 1200 nm. Leaf relative chlorophyll, N, C, and C to N ratio varied among genotypes and during the growing season. Highly signifi cant calibrations were developed for leaf chemical traits using leaf refl ectance (P < 0.0001). Correlations of juice sucrose, CRS, TCH, and TSH with leaf refl ectance were poor. Measurement of leaf refl ectance is a promising tool for estimating leaf chemical traits but not for predicting yield traits across a large number of diverse genotypes in early selection stages of a sugarcane breeding program.
Biological and economic potentials of Eucalyptus grandis and slash pine as biomass energy crops.

Various cultural factors influence the biological and economic potentials of Eucalyptus grandis and slash pine as biomass energy crops for southern and northern Florida, respectively. On muck soil, superior E. grandis progenies may produce up to 70 dry Mg ha−1 in 24 months. However, coppicing success on muck soil has been inconsistent. Clones superior in frost-resilience and vigor and propagated as rooted cuttings have increased productivity potential on sandy soils. Break-even costs GJ−1 range from just under US$2 for E. grandis short-rotation intensive culture (SRIC) on muck soils (10 000 trees ha−1 with a 6-year rotation, i.e. seedling/coppice/coppice cycles of 2 years each) to US$4.00 GJ−1 on sandy soils. Planting density, but not coppice rotation, is sensitive to the discount factor. Through 8 years, slash pine yields responded well to soil amendments on typical sites and to high planting densities. Fertilization and vegetation control increased productivity some seven times over conventional culture through 5 years. For slash pine SRIC, higher discount rates increased initial stocking levels and shortened rotations. Break-even costs for slash pine are within the range of values estimated for E. grandis.
A biodegradable vascularizing membrane: a feasibility study.

Abstract Regenerative medicine and in vivo biosensor applications require the formation of mature vascular networks for long-term success. This study investigated whether biodegradable porous membranes could induce the formation of a vascularized fibrous capsule and, if so, the effect of degradation kinetics on neovascularization. Poly( l -lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly( dl -lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) membranes were created by a solvent casting/salt leaching method. Specifically, PLLA, PLGA 75:25 and PLGA 50:50 polymers were used to vary degradation kinetics. The membranes were designed to have an average 60 μm pore diameter, as this pore size has been shown to be optimal for inducing blood vessel formation around nondegradable polymer materials. Membrane samples were imaged by scanning electron microscopy at several time points during in vitro degradation to assess any changes in pore structure. The in vivo performance of the membranes was assessed in Sprague–Dawley rats by measuring vascularization within the fibrous capsule that forms adjacent to implants. The vascular density within 100 μm of the membranes was compared with that seen in normal tissue, and to that surrounding the commercially available vascularizing membrane TheraCyte. The hemoglobin content of tissue containing the membranes was measured by four-dimensional elastic light scattering as a novel method to assess tissue perfusion. Results from this study show that slow-degrading membranes induce greater amounts of neovascularization and a thinner fibrous capsule relative to fast degrading membranes. These results may be due both to an initially increased number of macrophages surrounding the slower degrading membranes and to the maintenance of their initial pore structure.
Blood Management May Have an Impact on Length of Stay After Total Hip Arthroplasty

Background The steady rise in demand for total hip arthroplasty constitutes a significant and increasing burden on health care resources. The biggest contributors to the total cost of hip replacement procedures other than the price of the implant are hospital stay and postoperative rehabilitation. Blood management is one of the most adjustable factors that can impact length of stay and cost-efficiency while improving patient safety.
Range expansion and population dynamics of co-occurring invasive herbivores

Although a range of studies have suggested that competition plays a critical role in determining herbivore assemblages, there has been little work addressing the nature of interactions between competing invasive herbivores. We report the results of research on the hemlock woolly adelgid Adelges tsugae (‘HWA’) and elongate hemlock scale Fiorinia externa (‘EHS’), invasive herbivores that both feed on eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). HWA has been linked to hemlock mortality throughout the East Coast of the US; the loss of hemlock threatens to permanently alter surrounding ecosystems. We assessed the spread and impact of both species by resurveying 142 hemlock stands across a 7,500 km2 latitudinal transect, running from coastal CT to northern MA, for HWA and EHS density as well as hemlock mortality. These stands had been previously surveyed in either 1997–1998 (CT) or 2002–2004 (MA). While the number of HWA-infested stands has increased, per-stand HWA density has substantially decreased. In contrast, EHS distribution and density has increased dramatically since 1997–1998. Hemlock mortality was much more strongly related to HWA density than to EHS density, and many stands remain relatively healthy despite an overall increase in hemlock mortality. There was a positive correlation between HWA and EHS densities in stands with low mean HWA densities, suggesting the potential for host-plant-mediated facilitation of EHS by HWA. Our findings underline the importance of research explicitly addressing interactions between competing invasive species, and of determining the potential consequences of these interactions for the invaded ecosystem.
Adaptive Photonic Beamforming for Physical Layer Security of Mobile Signals in Optical Fronthaul Networks

We experimentally demonstrate adaptive photonic beamforming for physical layer security of mobile signals over optical fronthaul networks. 33dB signal suppression to eavesdroppers located 0.1m away from intended users is achieved after 8km SSMF transmission.
Two-Photon Microscopy with Diffractive Optical Elements and Spatial Light Modulators

Two-photon microscopy is often performed at slow frame rates due to the need to serially scan all points in a field of view with a single laser beam. To overcome this problem, we have developed two optical methods that split and multiplex a laser beam across the sample. In the first method a diffractive optical element (DOE) generates a fixed number of beamlets that are scanned in parallel resulting in a corresponding increase in speed or in signal-to-noise ratio in time-lapse measurements. The second method uses a computer-controlled spatial light modulator (SLM) to generate any arbitrary spatio-temporal light pattern. With an SLM one can image or photostimulate any predefined region of the image such as neurons or dendritic spines. In addition, SLMs can be used to mimic a large number of optical transfer functions including light path corrections as adaptive optics.
Association of clinical risk factors with functional status following lung transplantation.

A fundamental goal of lung transplantation is the regaining of functional capacity, yet little is known about what factors are associated with the achievement of this goal. The aim of this study is to test the association of clinical risk factors with functional status 1 year following lung transplantation. We conducted a cohort study of 321 lung transplants and assessed functionality by the distance achieved during a standard 6-min walk test (6MWT). Preoperative recipient risk factors were evaluated for association with functional status and adjusted for confounding using multivariable linear regression models. In these multivariable analyses, recipient female gender (p < 0.001), recipient pretransplant body mass index (BMI) of greater than 27 kg/m2 (p = 0.017) and shorter pretransplant 6MWT distances (p = 0.006) were independently associated with shorter distances achieved during 6MWT after lung transplant, while cystic fibrosis (CF) (p = 0.003), and bilateral lung transplant (p = 0.014) were independently associated with longer distances achieved. Approximately 51% of the variance in 6MWT distance was explained by these risk factors in the linear regression models (R2= 0.51). These findings may have implications in patient counseling, selection, procedure choice, and may lead to interventions aimed at improving the functional outcomes of lung transplantation.
AQP4-IgG placental transfer in NMO pregnancies

Antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG) are a highly specific biomarker in Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and have an important role in the disease pathogenesis. Currently the regulation of AQP4-IgG entry into the brain remains unresolved. Few studies have addressed the effect of maternal AQP4 IgG on the offspring. Recently it was suggested that maternal AQP4 IgG results in an increased frequency of miscarriages in AQP4 IgG seropositive patients. In addition, a study in mice showed that human AQP4 IgG injected into the maternal circulation leads to fetal death by causing placental inflammation. This effect was strongly dependent on coinjection of human complement. We wanted to understand whether AQP4 IgG acts on the placenta or directly on the embryo (brain, spinal cord or other organs), or both. Therefore we retroorbitally injected different concentrations (60 to 200 μg) of human monoclonal AQP4 IgG, monoclonal AQP4 IgG which cannot activate the complement system (comp def AQP4 IgG) or isotype control IgG into pregnant mice at embryonic day E14.5. We are investigating the effects on embryos and placentas at different time points. Results show that maternal AQP4 IgG induces a titer-dependent death of the offspring, while the complement deficient antibody as well as an isotype human monoclonal control did not lead to fetal death. In addition we are investigating endogenous AQP4 expression in placenta and fetal brain using real time PCR at different embryonic stages. Preliminary results show that AQP4 expression is significantly higher in the fetal brain compared to the placenta at all gestational stages. This animal model, which does not require prior experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) or injection of human complement, will help us to understand pregnancy risks in AQP4 IgG seropositive NMOSD patients.
Epitaxy-on-Electronics technology for monolithic optoelectronic integration: foundations, development, and status

Joseph F. AhadianClifton G. Fonstad, Jr.Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Electrical Engineeringand Computer Science77 Massachusetts AvenueRoom 13-3030Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139E-mail: joeah@oevlsi.mit.eduAbstract. Optoelectronic very large scale integrated (OE-VLSI) circuitsare a basic component of optical interconnects proposed to overcomethe limitations of high-speed electrical interconnects. Epitaxy-on-electronics (EoE), a monolithic integration technology capable of com-bining thousands of optoelectronic devices with VLSI-complexity GaAsElectronics, is reviewed. The fundamental assumptions on which theEoE technology is founded are explained and the development of theEoE integration process is reviewed. Then, the recently completedOPTOCHIP research foundry project, which made LED-based optoelec-tronic integrated circuits (OEICs) available to optical interconnect re-searchers, is described. Finally, integrated LED, photodetector, and cir-cuit characterization results are detailed. These results show the utility ofEoE OEICs in implementing optical interconnect architectures and pointout current performance limitations.
Iodination of H-2 and TL with a coupled insoluble enzyme system: Kinetics and effects on antigenic activity

Abstract The murine alloantigen TL and H-2 a were iodinated using a coupled insolubilized enzyme system of lactoperoxidase and glucose oxidase. The kinetics of iodination were followed and it was found that maximum specific activity was achieved between 15 and 20 minutes. Antigenic activities were followed by inhibition of cytotoxicity. Under the conditions described there was little effect on antigenic activities, yet high specific radioactivities were obtainable.
The association of treatment-related symptoms with quality-of-life outcomes for localized prostate carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND Most studies of treatment outcomes in men with localized prostate carcinoma have emphasized sexual, urinary, and bowel symptoms with the assumption that they have an impact on quality of life. However, very few studies have directly examined and compared the impact of these symptoms on overall and cancer specific quality of life. METHODS The authors examined 783 incident cases of localized prostate carcinoma, diagnosed from 1993 to 1998, and 1928 age-matched healthy controls from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study cohort. Information on frequency of ejaculation and urinary symptoms were collected before cancer diagnosis. After cancer diagnosis, the authors mailed a questionnaire including the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form–36 Health Status Survey (SF-36), the Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System–Short Form (CARES-SF), and the University of California at Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index in 1998. RESULTS Cases had slightly lower scores on most of the SF-36 scales and reported much more bother from sexual, urinary, and bowel symptoms compared with healthy controls. Among prostate carcinoma patients, bowel symptoms had the greatest negative impact on quality of life, followed by sexual and urinary symptoms. As expected, treatment-related symptoms were associated with the physical domains of quality of life, but psychosocial domains were just as strongly affected. CONCLUSIONS Patients and health care providers need to consider the potential mental quality-of-life impacts associated with prostate carcinoma treatment symptoms when making treatment decisions. Even after patients have completed cancer treatment, significant health impairments may remain. Health care providers should continue to address the mental and physical well-being of prostate carcinoma patients in follow-up care. Cancer 2002;94:862–71. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10248
Multiple accessory pathways in the permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardia

The permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardia (PJRT) has been successfully eliminated by ablation of the accessory pathway responsible for the tachycardia. The coexistence of multiple accessory pathways responsible for different, long RP-interval tachycardias was not documented previously. Five patients with PJRT underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory pathways. Three of 5 patients had 2 accessory pathways each: 1 had 2 left free wall accessory pathways, another had a right posterior free wall and right posteroseptal pathway, whereas the third had 2 right posteroseptal pathways approximately 1 cm apart. The remaining 2 patients each had 1 right posteroseptal accessory pathway. Seven of 8 pathways were successfully ablated with a median of 3 radiofrequency pulses. No patient developed complications. Peak serum creatine kinase ranged from 131 to 311 IU/liter, with peak MB fraction 7 to 17 IU/liter, or 5 to 11%. Follow-up electrophysiologic study, 29 to 70 days after ablation, revealed no inducible tachycardia and no evidence of accessory pathway conduction, except for the 1 pathway not ablated. All patients remained asymptomatic 17 to 29 months after ablation. Thus, patients with PJRT can have several accessory pathways that can be safely and effectively eliminated with radiofrequency catheter ablation.
The basement membrane of the enamel organ in human odontogenesis

This study was designed to record findings of a basement membrane in human fetal jaws relative to the oral epithelium, dental lamina, and developing teeth. With the use of Lillie's allochrome stain, this could be followed from the oral epithelium and dental lamina to the tooth jaws. The basement membrane was easily traced along the inner enamel epithelium, but only after elimination of the counterstaining phases was it visible adjacent to the outer enamel epithelium.
An exact treatment of some integrals appearing in the three-body contributions to transport coefficients

Abstract The convergence properties of the integral corresponding to the three-body cyclic collisions in the two-dimensional density expansion of transport coefficients are investigated. It is shown exactly that the integral considered by Oppenheim et al. and by Eu diverges logarithmically in the switching parameter e.
Space, Time and Falsifiability Critical Exposition and Reply to “a Panel Discussion of Grünbaum’s Philosophy of Science”

Prompted by the “Panel Discussion of Grunbaum’s Philosophy of Science” (Philosophy of Science 36, December, 1969) and other recent literature, this essay ranges over major issues in the philosophy of space, time and space-time as well as over problems in the logic of ascertaining the falsity of a scientific hypothesis.
Liquid-crystalline characteristics of the thick filament lattice of striated muscle.

THE lattice of thick filaments (A-band lattice) in striated muscle is similar in many respects to smectic liquid-crystalline structures in which macromolecules are arranged parallel to and equidistant from each other forming lattice planes1,2. Like other liquid-crystalline systems, this lattice may exist in two characteristic conditions which are determined either by a simple balance between electrical forces3–5,7 or subject to an additional volume-limiting force6–8. Some mathematical analyses2,4–6,9–12 agree with the experimental results obtained from glycerinated muscle3 and skinned fibres13–15, but are only applicable to the electrically balanced liquid-crystalline condition. The behaviour of the thick filament lattice in intact living muscle cannot be explained exclusively in terms of a balance between Van der Waals' and electrostatic force5 because the Donnan-osmotic steady state across the sarcolemma determines the net water flux and thereby controls the fibre and lattice volumes. Cross bridges or M-line bridges cannot be evoked as a mechanism for maintaining the lattice regularity because the array persists in EGTA-relaxed skinned fibres in muscles having no M-line structure14.
Evaluation of the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual Urban Street Free-Flow Speed Prediction Model

The performance of the new 2010 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM 2010) procedure that predicts free-flow speed by using posted speed limit and eight additional variables was evaluated. The eight additional variables were the proportion of segment length with restrictive median, the proportion of segment with curb on the right-hand side, the number of access point approaches on the right side in the subject direction of travel, the number of access point approaches on the right side in the opposing direction of travel, the segment length, the width of the signalized intersection, the number of through lanes, and the distance between intersections. Multiday speed data from 104 Florida urban street segments with a speed limit ranging from 25 to 55 mph were used in the study. Field mean free-flow speed was determined for each analysis segment as well as the geometric and traffic attributes required by HCM 2010 to predict free-flow speed. Statistical and graphical analyses showed that the HCM 2010 speed prediction...
Do you see what I see?: An infant held together by gaze

This paper is an account of an observation that began antenatally and continued until the arrival of a sibling when Lucy was 11 months old. Gaze and the importance of seeing and being seen were cen...
THE CRETACEOUS-TERTIARY BOUNDARY COCKTAIL : CHICXULUB IMPACT TRIGGERS MARGIN COLLAPSE AND EXTENSIVE SEDIMENT GRAVITY FLOWS

A distinctive mixture of reworked microfossils, impact-derived materials, and lithic fragments occurs in sediments at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the basinal Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. We have named this mixture the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary “cocktail.” Lithologic and paleontologic evidence suggests that the cocktail was deposited by giant sediment gravity flows, apparently triggered by the collapse of continental margins around the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the Chicxulub impact. As most microfossils in the gravity-flow units are reworked, biostratigraphy provides only maximum ages. Recognition of the cocktail is a reliable way to identify Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary deposits in the basinal Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.
Decentralized search in networks using homophily and degree disparity

We propose a new algorithm for finding a target node in a network whose topology is known only locally. We formulate this task as a problem of decision making under uncertainty and use the statistical properties of the graph to guide this decision. This formulation uses the homophily and degree structure of the network simultaneously, differentiating our algorithm from those previously proposed in the literature. Because homophily and degree disparity are characteristics frequently observed in real-world networks, the algorithm we propose is applicable to a wide variety of networks, including two families that have received much recent attention: small-world and scale-free networks.
Increasing Research Productivity: The Impact of Knowledge Management Applications in University Research Environments

Scientists and universities strive to produce a large volume of high-quality research. Universities supply the resources to enable scientific inquiry, such as the recently developed knowledge management (KM) tools. The use of KM platforms varies substantially in different environments. We examined the association between the use of KM tools and research productivity among four state universities in New York using analysis of variance techniques. We found a significant positive association. Important limitations are noted, and implications for both the study and the use of KM tools are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanical Properties and Electronic Structure of Mullite Phases Using First‐Principles Modeling

The alumino-silicate series (Al4+2xSi2−2xO10-x, x = 0–1), is an important class of structural ceramics with many applications. Except for the end member (x = 0), which is the crystalline phase sillimanite, the reported crystal structures of the other phases, called mullites, all have partially occupied sites which makes any theoretical calculation a formidable task. In this article, we describe a systematic and detailed theoretical investigation of the structures and properties of the phases in this series. We constructed stoichiometric supercell models for the four well-known mullite phases 3Al2O3·2SiO2, 2Al2O3·SiO2, 4Al2O3·SiO2, 9Al2O3·SiO2, corresponding to x = 0.25, 0.40, 0.67, and 0.842. The construction of the models began with experimentally reported crystal structures followed by systematic removal of selected atoms at the partially occupied sites to maintain charge neutrality. A large number of models were built for each phase and fully relaxed to high accuracy using the Vienna ab initio simulation package program. The model with the lowest total energy for a given x was chosen as the representative structure for that phase. Together with sillimanite (x = 0) and the silica free ι-Al2O3 (x = 1), this series' electronic structure and mechanical properties were studied via first-principles calculations. Their elastic coefficients and mechanical properties (bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, and Poisson's ratio) were evaluated. The electronic structure, effective charges, bonding, and optical properties of these mullite phases were calculated using the orthogonalized linear combination of atomic orbitals method. These first-principles results provide the basis for an explanation of the experimentally observed structure and properties of mullite phases and their trends with x at the fundamental level.
Systematics of a Rare Species of Pocket Gopher, Pappogeomys alcorni

Pappogeomys alcorni is a peripherally isolated species that currently is designated as a rare species in Mexico. There are only 4 known museum specimens, all collected between the years 1950 and 1966, and recent attempts have failed to locate individuals in the wild. Although only 1 new specimen (skin only) has been collected since the original systematic work on P. alcorni, new analytical methods permit reexamination of existing specimens. DNA was isolated from a 48-year-old museum skin to investigate the phylogenetic relationship of this rare taxon to other species of Pappogeomys and Cratogeomys. Phylogenetic analysis based on 424 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene and morphometric analysis of 101 individuals of Pappogeomys indicate that P. alcorni is a geographically disjunct subspecies of P. bulleri rather than a monotypic species.
Modeling how thinking about the past and future impacts network traffic with the gosmr architecture

We present the GOSMR architecture, a modular agent architecture designed to actuate web browsers and other network applications, and demonstrate the importance of modeling how users think about the past and future in accurately modeling network traffic. The architecture separates the hierarchical generation of goals and incentives (Behaviors) from hierarchical implementations of their pursuit (Actions). Cognitive aspects modeled include the hyperbolic discounting of future payoffs, the chance a user forgets a task, and the ability of the user to defer tasks for later. The system also uses a logical grammar to allow agents to communicate Beliefs and delegate Actions. Using records of weekend Virtual Private Network traffic from over three thousand users at a medium-scale enterprise, we provide evidence for the importance of the forgetting, payoff discounting, and procrastinating aspects of the model, showing that agent payoff discounting and lookahead predict the observed spike in Sunday night traffic, while forgetfulness can explain a decline in activity on Saturday where the utility of login should be increasing. We then use the learned parameters from this fitting to actuate agents visiting a social networking website hosted on a virtual machine, and we measure the impact of increasing or decreasing the perceived ease of login on the hourly volume of network traffic at peak times.
Demonstration of Compact Microwave Photonic Crystal Channelizers and Displacement Tunable Filters

The authors demonstrate a new way to design ultra-compact microwave channelizers by the combination of different types of lattices and properties of photonic crystals (PhCs). The authors also present and experimentally validate sensitive displacement tunable filters based on the guided resonance of PhCs. PhCs offer the opportunity to construct ultra-small integrated circuits to overcome the limitations of integrated electric circuits. In this talk, the authors experimentally demonstrate hybrid lattice PhC channelizers that display these unique properties by allowing the control of the wavelength selective dropping characteristics by engineering both the dispersion surface and the bandgap of the PhC. In addition, the authors present experimental results of a series of simple yet efficient spectral filters. In particular, if two PhC slabs are combined, they form a sensitive displacement-tunable structure that can be utilized in designing functional tunable devices, such as switches, filters, modulators, and sensors.
Using Photographs to Integrate Liberal Arts Learning in Business Education.

The inclusion of photographic approaches in the business classroom can incorporate missing elements of liberal education into business education, which were highlighted in a recent Carnegie study o...
Chloroplast development and nuclear gene expression in cotyledons of soybean seedlings

SUMMARY With the greening of soybean cotyledons after germination, development of the photosynthetic membrane system and particularly granal stacking were correlated with decreasing chlorophyll a/b ratios. Chlorophyll a/b binding proteins are known to be localized mainly in the appressed membrane regions and to have a role in mediating granal membrane appression. The chlorophyll a/b binding protein genes became operative very early in the development of the photosynthetic membrane system and coincided with incipient granal formation. However, the accumulation of chlorophyll a/b binding protein mRNAs decreased as the chloroplasts approached full development. As predicted from the literature, an early amyloplast developmental stage was observed, and prolamellar-like structures appeared early in the development of the chloroplasts, but subsequently disappeared. The reported amoeboid stage that follows the amyloplast phase was not observed, and starch persisted until quite late in development of the chloroplasts. Also, deformations in the shape of the developing chloroplasts indicated that they were amoeboid as they increased in size and as granal formation increased. Phytoferritin accumulations were observed at every stage of development, suggesting that it was not utilized during chloroplast development.
Airway smooth muscle electrophysiology in a state of flux

Activation of chloride currents and release of internally sequestered Ca(2+) in airway smooth muscle have long been associated with excitation and contraction. Surprisingly, however, two recent publications (Deshpande DA, Wang WC, McIlmoyle EL, Robinett KS, Schillinger RM, An SS, Sham JS, Liggett SB. Nat Med 16: 1299-1304, 2010; Gallos G, Yim P, Chang S, Zhang Y, Xu D, Cook JM, Gerthoffer WT, Emala CW Sr. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 302: L248-L256, 2012) have linked both events to relaxation. This begs a closer look at our understanding of airway smooth muscle electrophysiology and its contribution to excitation-contraction coupling. This Editorial Focus highlights those two aforementioned studies and several other equally paradoxical findings and proposes some possible reinterpretations of the data and/or new directions of research in which the answers might be found.
The Point Groups as Semi-direct Products

In this appendix the semi-direct product structure of the point groups is described, and it is shown how the general procedures summarized in Appendix 3 lead to a systematic determination of point group irreducible representations. McIntosh [146] has emphasized that the resulting nomenclature for the IRs is perhaps more rational than the familiar notation established by Placzek (cf. [6,85]); the point symmetry groups have also been treated from this viewpoint by Altmann [125,174], Bradley and Cracknell [175], and Fritzer [176,177] (see also [186,187]). The semi-direct decomposition of the point groups is helpful in the construction of rigid/nonrigid correlation diagrams, as discussed in Chapter 4.
Chip-level thermal analysis, modeling, and optimization using multilayer green's function

With the continual scaling of devices and interconnects, accurate analysis and effective optimization of the temperature distribution of a ULSI chip are increasingly important in predicting and ensuring the performance and reliability of the chip before fabrication. Motivated by the design challenges, this dissertation aims at a detailed study of the areas of thermal analysis, modeling, and optimization of ULSI chips. In particular, this dissertation introduces LOTAGre, a high-efficiency O (n lg n) multilayer Green's function-based thermal analysis method. LOTAGre can analyze ULSI chips consisting of multilayer heterogeneous heat conduction materials, with either wire-bonding packaging or flip-chip packaging, under uniform or nonuniform ambient temperatures. By integrating the eigen-expansion technique and the transmission line theory, this dissertation derives the multilayer heat conduction Green's function, including the s-domain version which can be used to compute the thermal transfer impedance between two arbitrary locations in the chip and establish compact thermal models for the critical components in the chip. To aid interconnect thermal analysis, this dissertation introduces a new Schafft-type interconnect temperature distribution model which is very flexible in addressing the effects of chip packaging, surrounding ambient temperatures, and the temperature gradients within the interconnect. An efficient O (n) method is introduced to solve the interconnect temperature distribution from the model. To optimize the chip temperature distribution, this dissertation introduces an optimal power budget model that determines the optimal allocation of cell powers to different regions of the chip so that the resultant temperature distribution most closely approximates the target temperature distribution for the chip. The generalized minimal residue method and the conjugate gradient method are employed to construct top-level and front-level thermal optimizers to solve the optimal power budget efficiently. Finally, the dissertation describes the procedure to incorporate the optimal power budget model into the widely distributed Capo placement tool to enable thermal optimization in the cell placement stage.
Cross-shore surfzone tracer dispersion in an alongshore current

[1] Cross-shore surfzone tracer dispersion in a wave driven alongshore current is examined over a range of wave and current conditions with 6 continuous dye releases, each roughly 1–2 hours in duration, at Huntington Beach, California. Fluorescent dye tracer released near the shoreline formed shore parallel plumes that were sampled on repeated cross-shore transects with a jet ski mounted fluorometer. Ensemble averaged cross-shore tracer concentration profiles are generally shoreline attached (maximum at or near the shoreline), with increasing cross-shore widths and decreasing peak values with downstream distance. More than a few 100 m from the source, tracer is often well mixed across the surfzone (i.e., saturated) with decreasing tracer concentrations farther seaward. For each release, cross-shore surfzone absolute diffusivities are estimated using a simple Fickian diffusion solution with a no-flux boundary at the shoreline, and range from 0.5–2.5 m2 s−1. Surfzone diffusivity scalings based on cross-shore bore dispersion, surfzone eddy mixing length, and undertow driven shear dispersion are examined. The mixing-length scaling has correlation r2 = 0.59 and the expected best-fit slope <1, indicating that horizontal rotational motions are important for cross-shore tracer dispersion in the surfzone.
Cutaneous legionellosis: case report and review of the medical literature.

Discrete nodules developed on the leg of a 27-year-old immunosuppressed woman after an allogeneic stem cell transplant. Biopsy and culture grew Legionella pneumophila serogroup 8. On day 7 of azithromycin treatment, respiratory distress and abnormal liver transaminases developed, and the patient died on day 14. Review of the medical literature identified 19 reports of Legionella species-associated skin or soft tissue infections (total of 20 patients, 13 with confirmed infection). Manifestations of the 13 confirmed cases included erythematous macular rash (n = 7), erythema after thoracentesis (n = 1), abscess formation (n = 4), respiratory symptoms (n = 6), and abnormal chest radiographs (n = 8). Six required surgical exploration and debridement, and 7 were immunocompromised. Rash and respiratory infection improved with antibiotics in 10, but 3 died. Immunosuppression may predispose transplant recipients to Legionella infections. Diagnostic biopsies may facilitate appropriate treatment.
Rapid Development of New Protein Biosensors Utilizing Peptides Obtained via Phage Display

There is a consistent demand for new biosensors for the detection of protein targets, and a systematic method for the rapid development of new sensors is needed. Here we present a platform where short unstructured peptides that bind to a desired target are selected using M13 phage display. The selected peptides are then chemically synthesized and immobilized on gold, allowing for detection of the target using electrochemical techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is also used as a diagnostic tool during biosensor development. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by creating a novel peptide-based electrochemical biosensor for the enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT), a well-known biomarker of hepatotoxicity. Biopanning of the M13 phage display library over immobilized ALT, led to the rapid identification of a new peptide (ALT5-8) with an amino acid sequence of WHWRNPDFWYLK. Phage particles expressing this peptide exhibited nanomolar affinity for immobilized ALT (Kd,app=85620 nM). The newly identified ALT5-8 peptide was then chemically synthesized with a C-terminal cysteine for gold immobilization. The performance of the gold-immobilized peptides was studied with cyclic voltammetry (CV), QCM, and EIS. Using QCM, the sensitivity for ALT detection was 8.960.9 Hz/(mg/mL) and the limit of detection (LOD) was 60 ng/ mL. Using EIS measurements, the sensitivity was 142612 impedance percentage change %/(mg/mL) and the LOD was 92 ng/mL. In both cases, the LOD was below the typical concentration of ALT in human blood. Although both QCM and EIS produced similar LODs, EIS is preferable due to a larger linear dynamic range. Using QCM, the immobilized peptide exhibited a nanomolar dissociation constant for ALT (Kd=20.160.6 nM). These results demonstrate a simple and rapid platform for developing and assessing the performance of sensitive, peptide-based biosensors for new protein targets.
Simulation as design

Whilst simulation offers much to the designer of process control systems, it is rarely used for small systems because of the overhead of moving between simulation and implementation. A technique is presented which views simulation as an integral part of implementation and which removes the disincentive to simulation. Indeed, simulation and implementation are considered as two alternative compilations of the same design text. It is shown how this idea can be the basis of a design method. >
Performance-Based Moisture Susceptibility Evaluation of Warm-Mix Asphalt Concrete Through Laboratory Tests

This study used the cyclic direct tension test, indirect tensile strength test, and Hamburg wheel tracking device (HWTD) test to evaluate the moisture susceptibility of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) mixtures. The stripped areas that were quantified by digital imaging analysis were derived from the cyclic direct tension, indirect tensile strength, and HWTD tests and were compared with the mechanical properties of the mixtures to identify sensitive moisture susceptibility indicators. These methods were applied to a Superpave® 9.5-mm hot-mix asphalt mixture and five corresponding WMA mixtures that used the following technologies: (a) Evotherm 3G that contained a chemical additive, (b) foaming, (c) WMA-A that contained a chemical additive and was under development, (d) WMA-B that contained an organic additive and was under development, and (e) WMA-C that also contained an organic additive (different from that used in WMA-B) and was under development. Fatigue life ratios obtained from the simplified viscoelastic cont...
Investigation of the Mechanism of Resistance to Third-Generation Cephalosporins by Class C β-Lactamases by Using Chemical Complementation

The widespread use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections has led to the continuing challenge of antibiotic resistance. For beta-lactam antibiotics, the most common form of resistance is the expression of beta-lactamase enzymes, which inactivate the antibiotics by cleavage of the beta-lactam core. In this study, chemical complementation, which is a general method to link the formation or cleavage of a chemical bond to the transcription of a reporter gene in vivo, was employed in combination with combinatorial mutagenesis to study the mechanism by which the class C beta-lactamase P99 might evolve resistance to the commonly administered third-generation cephalosporin cefotaxime. The chemical complementation system was first shown to be able to distinguish between the wild-type (wt) class C beta-lactamase P99 and the clinically isolated extended-spectrum class C beta-lactamase GC1 in the presence of cefotaxime. The system was then employed to evaluate the activity of mutants of wt P99 towards cefotaxime. A number of single-point mutations at position 221 (Tyr in wt P99) were identified that conferred resistance towards inhibition by cefotaxime, with as much as a 2000-fold increase in k(cat) and a 100-fold increase in k(cat)/K(M) (k(cat)=the rate of catalysis; K(M)=the Michaelis constant), as compared to those of the wt enzyme. Finally, the chemical complementation system was employed in a high-throughput screen to identify a number of mutants of P99 that have multiple mutations around the substrate-binding pocket that increase resistance towards cefotaxime inhibition. The catalytic turnover of cefotaxime by the most active mutant identified was 5500 times higher than that of the wt P99. The resistant mutants suggest a mechanism by which a number of mutations can confer resistance by increasing the flexibility of the Omega loop and altering the positioning of residue 221. Thus, as illustrated in this study, chemical complementation has the potential to be used as a high-throughput screen to study a wide range of enzyme-drug interactions.
Testis–brain RNA-binding protein (Translin) is primarily expressed in neurons of the mouse brain

The subcellular location(s) of the DNA- and RNA-binding protein, Testis-Brain RNA-Binding Protein (TB-RBP)/Translin in mouse brain has been determined in paraffin sections by immunocytochemistry with an affinity purified antibody to mouse recombinant TB-RBP. Nuclear staining was frequently seen in neurons throughout the brain, but no TB-RBP/Translin was detected in many of the neurons in superficial layers of the cerebral cortex and in some cells of the cerebellum. Cytoplasmic staining extending into the dendrites was seen in large neurons such as pyramidal neurons in Layer 5 of the cortex and magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamus or the brainstem raphe.
Demographic and Parental Characteristics of Youthful Sexual Offenders

This study, employing meta-analysis, investigates 20 years (1973-1993) of empirical data involving demographic and parental correlates of youthful sexual offenders. Three offender subtypes, pedophilic, sexual assault, and mixed offense youth, are identified. Pedophilic youth are described as being principally Caucasian, living in foster care, and having an education of < sixth grade. They tend to be from lower to mid socioeconomic status (SES) maladaptive families. Mothers of these youth have been physically abused as children, and fathers abuse drugs. Sexual assault youth come from low-to mid-SES, single parent, dysfunctional families with fathers abusing alcohol. These youth are most often Caucasian. Mixed offense offenders are predominately from lower SES families, are Caucasian, Protestant, and have <? high school education. Families are dysfunctional with paternal substance abuse. Fathers report being neglected as children, whereas mothers indicate physical abuse.