cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical determination of stability regions for orbital motion in uniformly rotating second degree and order gravity fields

Abstract The stability of orbital motion about a uniformly rotating arbitrary second degree and order gravity field is investigated. A normalized form of the equations of motion are derived and analyzed. A numerical stability criteria is proposed and used to evaluate the stability of initially near-circular orbits in the equatorial plane of the body. Regions of stable and unstable motion are clearly delineated, and are seen to be strongly related to resonances between the mean motion and the body rotation rate.
GPU optimizations for a production molecular docking code

Modeling molecular docking is critical to both understanding life processes and designing new drugs. In previous work we created the first published GPU-accelerated docking code (PIPER) which achieved a roughly 5x speed-up over a contemporaneous 4 core CPU. Advances in GPU architecture and in the CPU code, however, have since reduced this relalative performance by a factor of 10. In this paper we describe the upgrade of GPU PIPER. This required an entire rewrite, including algorithm changes and moving most remaining non-accelerated CPU code onto the GPU. The result is a 7x improvement in GPU performance and a 3.3x speedup over the CPU-only code. We find that this difference in time is almost entirely due to the difference in run times of the 3D FFT library functions on CPU (MKL) and GPU (cuFFT), respectively. The GPU code has been integrated into the ClusPro docking server which has over 4000 active users.
Differentials in Adult Mortality and Activity Limitation by Years of Education in the United States at the End of the 1990s

This study examines mortality differentials and health disparities between educational groups within the 1998 adult population (ages 25 and older) in the United States. Mortality differentials are measured using average life expectancy and health disparities by expected years without activity limitation. The results indicate that for both sexes, higher education is associated with higher life expectancy. Those with higher levels of education also have higher life expectancy without activity limitation. Adults with higher education can also expect to enjoy a greater percentage of their expected lives free of any form of activity limitation. At each level of education, adult females have a higher level of activity limitation compared to adult males. At the same level of education, adult females expect to enjoy smaller percentages of their remaining lives free of activity limitation compared to adult males of the same age.
The role of stereotactic biopsy in assessment of nonpalpable breast lesions

Background When mammography identifies a lesion suspicious for cancer, stereotactic needle core biopsy (SCNB) and needle localization (NL) surgical biopsy are options for obtaining tissue. This study compared the results of these two biopsy methods in evaluating nonpalpable radiologically suspicious breast lesions. Methods Records of 292 women who underwent SCNB or surgical biopsy at two institutions were reviewed over 28 months. The women were separated into two groups, under 50 years of age and 50 years of age and older. Results A total of 70 women over the age of 50 had stereotactic biopsy. One hundred and three had NL biopsies. The rate of positivity was 37% and 33% for Stereotactic and NL biopsy respectively (P = 0.693). A total of 44 women under the age of 50 had stereotactic biopsy. Seventy had NL biopsies. The rate of positivity was 7% and 21 %, respectively, for Stereotactic and NL (P = 0.082). NL surgical biopsy costs on average $2354.00. SCNB averages $949 including followup mammogram. Conclusion SCNB is a cost-effective, accurate method of breast biopsy. This report retrospectively compares SCNB with surgical open biopsy aided by NL. The cost savings occurred primarily in surgeon's fees and anesthesia fees. We found no statistical difference in 50-year-old patients in the frequency of the diagnosis of breast cancer when comparing the two types of biopsies.
Foscarnet for suppression of human immunodeficiency virus replication.

Abstract The effect of foscarnet against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was evaluated in nine HIV-infected individuals; six completed 28 days of induction therapy. The overall mean increase in CD4+ lymphocytes was 64 cells per mm3. The mean decline in the HIV antigen concentration was 108 pg/ml (P = 0.03), and suppression was related to systemic foscarnet exposure by a maximum-effect pharmacodynamic model.
Vortex dynamics in self-dual Maxwell-Higgs systems with a uniform background electric charge density.

We introduce self-dual Maxwell-Higgs systems with a uniform background electric charge density and show that the self-dual equations satisfied by topological vortices can be reduced to the original Bogomol'nyi equations without any background. These vortices are shown to carry no spin but to feel the Magnus force due to the shielding charge carried by the Higgs field. We also study the dynamics of slowly moving vortices and show that the spin-statistics theorem holds to our vortices.
Shear axial modes in a PCTSCM. Part III: sensing shear waves

Abstract The potential of piezoelectric, continuously twisted, structurally chiral materials (PCTSCMs) for sensing shear waves is explored. The shear waves to be sensed are supposed to be incident normally on the open face of a PCTSCM slab with hexagonal 6mm reference crystal symmetry. The back face is assumed to be perfectly rigid. After using the quasi-electrostatic approximation, an expression for the potential difference generated across the PCTSCM slab is obtained Numerical results confirm that the potential difference displays zonal characteristics that depend on the pitch of the PCTSCM and the operating frequency.
Dual Earner Husbands and Wives: Marital Satisfaction and the Workplace Culture of Each Spouse

This article focuses on the relationship between workplace culture and marital satisfaction for dual-earner husbands and wives (N = 156 couples). We use contagion theory as a framework, and posit that the experiences of both partners contribute to perceptions of marital satisfaction held by individual spouses. Breaking workplace culture into three components (time demands, work pressure, and workplace social support), we find evidence in the full model of both individual (spillover) and spousal (crossover) effects for the marital satisfaction of dual-earner wives, and spousal (crossover) effects for dual-earner husbands. In particular, our analyses highlight the important role played by wives’ workplace social support. Implications of the study are discussed.
Characteristics of Cell Shape in Two Dimensions

The shape of a cell is closely related with its properties, and in certain conditions it has been shown that change in cell shape can change cell behavior and outcome. However in two dimensions cells have complicated outlines, and it is not yet clear how best to characterize cell shape. Here we study the characteristics of cell shape of the 10T1/2 cell line in two-dimensional culture, and a few osteosarcoma cancer cell lines. The two dimensional surfaces are treated to make them either hydrophobic or hydrophilic, and the cells imaged after fixing, using membrane and actin labeling. The cells are also treated with pharmacological modulators of the cytoskeleton, yielding a large number of different shape types, and shape perturbations. Shape parameters are calculated by first using image processing to obtain binary outlines of the cells, and then calculating a number of geometric parameters, such as area, perimeter length, aspect ratio, fractal dimension etc. Simultaneously we also use orthogonal polynomial decompositions using Zernike moments to calculate shape characteristics. Using statistical data analysis we compare the ability of the Zernike moment expansion to capture the different shapes and their perturbations with that of the geometric parameters. We find that both types of shape calculations give insights into how a cell determines its shape on a surface.
Data network equipment energy use and savings potential in buildings

Network connectivity has become nearly ubiquitous, and the energy use of the equipment required for this connectivity is growing. Network equipment consists of devices that primarily switch and route Internet Protocol (IP) packets from a source to a destination, and this category specifically excludes edge devices like PCs, servers and other sources, and sinks of IP traffic. This paper presents the results of a study of network equipment energy use and includes case studies of networks in a campus, a medium commercial building, and a typical home. The total energy use of network equipment is the product of the stock of equipment in use, the power of each device, and their usage patterns. This information was gathered from market research reports, broadband market penetration studies, field metering, and interviews with network administrators and service providers. We estimate that network equipment in the USA used 18 TWh, or about 1% of building electricity, in 2008 and that consumption is expected to grow at roughly 6% per year to 23 TWh in 2012; world usage in 2008 was 51 TWh. This study shows that office building network switches and residential equipment are the two largest categories of energy use consuming 40% and 30% of the total respectively. We estimate potential energy savings for different scenarios using forecasts of equipment stock and energy use, and savings estimates range from 20% to 50% based on full market penetration of efficient technologies.
Comparison of spatial and non-spatial logistic regression models for modeling the occurrence of cloud cover in north-eastern Puerto Rico

Abstract We compared a non-spatial logistic regression model (LRM) with two spatial models, i.e., logistic mixed model (LMM) and geographically weighted logistic model (GWLM), to model/predict the occurrence of orographic cloud cover at the Luquillo Experimental Forest in north-eastern Puerto Rico. The cloud cover data were derived from two Landsat images on a relatively clear day and a relatively cloudy day, respectively. In these models, the response variable was binary with 0 representing non-cloudy areas and 1 representing cloudy areas. The covariates included slope, aspect, and the difference between elevation and lifting condensation level. The results indicated that the spatial LMM did not improve the prediction of probability of cloud cover over the non-spatial LRM. One possible explanation is that the LMM was not able to account for the anisotropy in the non-spatial LRM residuals. In contrast, the GWLM with the bandwidth close to the effective range of the semivariogram of the LRM residuals showed the best model fitting among the three types of models, resulting in the lowest Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and sum of squared errors (SSE), and the smallest spatial autocorrelation and heterogeneity in the model residuals. The GWLM model coefficients were spatially nonstationary, ranging from negative to positive depending on locations. The significance of the covariates also varied spatially. Our study demonstrated that GWLM is a useful and effective tool to account for spatial heterogeneity in modeling/predicting the occurrence or probability of cloud cover, using the spatial data derived from satellite imagery and GIS.
Dynamics of Airfoil Separation Control using Zero-Net Mass-Flux Forcing

Zero-net mass-flux jet based control of flow separation over a stalled airfoil is examined using numerical simulations. Two-dimensional simulations are carried out for a NACA 4418 airfoil at a chord Reynolds number of 40,000 and angle of attack of 18 deg. Results for the uncontrolled flow indicate the presence of three distinct natural time scales in the flow corresponding to the shear layer, separation bubble, and wake regions. The natural frequencies are used to select appropriate forcing frequencies, and it is found that forcing frequencies closer to the separation bubble frequency elicit the best response in terms of reduction of separation extent and an improvement in aerodynamic performance. In contrast, higher forcing frequencies closer to the natural shear layer frequency tend to enhance separation. The vortex dynamics and frequency response of flow are examined in detail to gain insight into mechanisms underlying the observed behavior.
RNA-RNA interactions enable specific targeting of noncoding RNAs to nascent Pre-mRNAs and chromatin sites.

Intermolecular RNA-RNA interactions are used by many noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) to achieve their diverse functions. To identify these contacts, we developed a method based on RNA antisense purification to systematically map RNA-RNA interactions (RAP-RNA) and applied it to investigate two ncRNAs implicated in RNA processing: U1 small nuclear RNA, a component of the spliceosome, and Malat1, a large ncRNA that localizes to nuclear speckles. U1 and Malat1 interact with nascent transcripts through distinct targeting mechanisms. Using differential crosslinking, we confirmed that U1 directly hybridizes to 5′ splice sites and 5′ splice site motifs throughout introns and found that Malat1 interacts with pre-mRNAs indirectly through protein intermediates. Interactions with nascent pre-mRNAs cause U1 and Malat1 to localize proximally to chromatin at active genes, demonstrating that ncRNAs can use RNA-RNA interactions to target specific pre-mRNAs and genomic sites. RAP-RNA is sensitive to lower abundance RNAs as well, making it generally applicable for investigating ncRNAs.
Crystallization and preliminary X‐ray analysis of tetanus neurotoxin C fragment

Two crystal forms of recombinant tetanus neurotoxin C fragment have been obtained. The C fragment corresponds to the C-terminal 451 amino-acid residues of tetanus neurotoxin and is the subunit responsible for receptor binding by the toxin. Both forms belong to space group P212121. Form I has unit-cell dimensions of a = 71.3, b = 79.7, c = 94.0 A and produces thin plate crystals. Form II has unit-cell dimensions of a = 67.4, b = 79.7, c = 91.1 A and produces thick rod-shaped crystals. Diffraction data to 2.6 A have been collected from form II crystals.
Testing a causal model of corporate risk taking and performance.

The determinants of organizational risk taking and its impact on economic performance are critical issues in strategic management. Using a model that included risk, performance, performance expecta...
Do some IPM concepts contribute to the development of fungicide resistance? Lessons learned from the apple scab pathosystem in the United States

One goal of integrated pest management (IPM) as it is currently practiced is an overall reduction in fungicide use in the management of plant disease. Repeated and long-term success of the early broad-spectrum fungicides led to optimism about the capabilities of fungicides, but to an underestimation of the risk of fungicide resistance within agriculture. In 1913, Paul Ehrlich recognized that it was best to 'hit hard and hit early' to prevent microbes from evolving resistance to treatment. This tenet conflicts with the fungicide reduction strategies that have been widely promoted over the past 40 years as integral to IPM. The authors hypothesize that the approaches used to implement IPM have contributed to fungicide resistance problems and may still be driving that process in apple scab management and in IPM requests for proposals. This paper also proposes that IPM as it is currently practiced for plant diseases of perennial systems has been based on the wrong model, and that conceptual shifts in thinking are needed to address the problem of fungicide resistance.
Ecological toxicology: Experimental analysis of toxic substances in ecosystems

Premanufacture testing of new chemicals is considered as an applied problem in biogeochemistry, consisting of experimentation at several complimentary levels of resolution. A descending sequential testing protocol is proposed which begins with combined fate and effects experiments in ecosystems (e.g., laboratory microcosms) followed by studies of processes and species which are hypothesized to be important at finer levels of resolution.
Timekeeping by the pineal gland

N-Acetyltransferase, an enzyme involved in melatonin production in the pineal gland, exhibits a circadian rhythm in chickens with peak values in the dark-time and low values during the light-time, commencing at lights-on. When pineal glands of chickens killed during the dark-time (with high N-acetyltransferase activity) were organ-cultured, there was a decline in enzyme activity to light-time values. Regardless of the time of the dark at which the chickens were killed, the enzyme activity reached light-time levels at precisely the same time.
Selfobject Transferences in Supervision

Selfobject transferences are one of the valuable aditions of Heinz Kohut's theory to psychodynamic clinical practice. This paper endeavors to apply selfobject transferences to the supervisory process. Supervisor and supervisee are both seen as capable of having selfobject transferences. Implication for the supervisory relationship are explored based on whether one or both parties have selfobject transferences and how the selfobject trabsferences interact.
729 PANCREATIC FUNCTION TESTING WITH A LIPID ANALOGUE

To develop a simple, non-invasive technique for evaluating pancreatic lipolytic activity, we have synthesized a triglyceride analogue containing para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) esterified to carbon-3 of glycerol. The lipid, dipalmitoyl-mono-para-aminobenzoyl glycerol (diPalm GMPA), is hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipase, and the PABA released from it is absorbed, conjugated in the liver and excreted in the urine. To rats with ligated pancreatic ducts and to sham-operated controls, we administered, per gavage, 85 mg/kg of diPalm GMPA and collected blood and urine for up to 48 hours. In neither group of animals did blood PABA ever rise significantly above baseline values. By 12 hours, 6.3 ± 3.9% of the administerd PABA was recovered in the urine of the ligated rats and 38 ± 8.1% in the urine of the control rats; at 24 hours the values were 11.2 ± 6.3 and 68 ± 10.3%, respectively. To a dog with spontaneous pancreatic acinar atrophy and a control, we gave 40 mg/kg of diPalm GMPA. Blood PABA levels remained unchanged in both animals. By 8 hours, 12.9% of the administered PABA was recovered in the control dog's urine but only 1.50% in the test dog's urine. Conclusions: DiPalm GMPA may be a useful probe to evaluate pancreatic lipolytic function. The modest serum levels of PABA following diPalm GMPA administration suggest slow digestion/absorption of the lipid substrate coupled with rapid clearance of the liberated PABA from the blood.
Generalized Query-Based Active Learning to Identify Differentially Methylated Regions in DNA

Active learning is a supervised learning technique that reduces the number of examples required for building a successful classifier, because it can choose the data it learns from. This technique holds promise for many biological domains in which classified examples are expensive and time-consuming to obtain. Most traditional active learning methods ask very specific queries to the Oracle (e.g., a human expert) to label an unlabeled example. The example may consist of numerous features, many of which are irrelevant. Removing such features will create a shorter query with only relevant features, and it will be easier for the Oracle to answer. We propose a generalized query-based active learning (GQAL) approach that constructs generalized queries based on multiple instances. By constructing appropriately generalized queries, we can achieve higher accuracy compared to traditional active learning methods. We apply our active learning method to find differentially DNA methylated regions (DMRs). DMRs are DNA locations in the genome that are known to be involved in tissue differentiation, epigenetic regulation, and disease. We also apply our method on 13 other data sets and show that our method is better than another popular active learning technique.
Kerr-lens mode-locking of Nd:glass laser

We report what is to our best knowledge the first Kerr-lens mode-locking of a Nd:silicate glass laser. Pulses as short as 64 fs were generated. For a broadband inhomogeneously broadened laser, the formation of the soliton-like pulses requires a minimum amount of negative group velocity dispersion (GVD), and more negative GVD is needed to have stable, self-sustained mode locking.
Addendum: Extracting an entangled state of n-t qubits from an n-qubit entangled state after errors at t sites

We present a detailed study of the method recently proposed by Yang and Gea-Banacloche [Phys. Rev. A 64, 032309 (2000)] to protect a maximally entangled state of n atomic qubits against spontaneous-emission-induced decoherence. We compare this to an approach based on nonradiative states, in the case where the number of thermal photons in the environment is nonzero.
Estimates of selection parameters associated with harvest index in oat lines derived from a bulk population

Harvest index of grain crops is defined as grain yield divided by total plant yield. We estimated the heritability percentages of harvest index and its components, grain yield and plant weight, the genotypic and phenotypic correlations among these three traits, and the genotypic correlations of harvest index with plant height, 100-seed weight, grain number, and heading date by using a population of 1200 F9-derived oat lines tested in six environments. Furthermore, we examined the relative selection efficiencies of indirect selection for yield through harvest index and of index selection for yield through yield plus harvest index.
Compact fluorescence sensor using on-chip silicon nitride microdisk

We demonstrate a compact on-chip fluorescence sensor using small silicon nitride microdisk resonators, designed to enhance the pump, collect fluorescence emission, and suppress the pump at the collection port with 53dB extinction.
The potential for Cerenkov luminescence imaging of alpha-emitting radionuclides

Targeted α-emitting drugs are promising for cancer therapy, but cannot be effectively imaged by conventional techniques. Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) has previously been shown capable of imaging β(+)- and β(-)-emitting radionuclides in vivo and could have the potential to image α-emitters. Cerenkov light production from α-emitters is through Compton scattering and from farther down the decay chain. This causes the Cerenkov production to vary in time and depend on sample geometry, complicating the interpretation of CLI images. We used the simulation toolkit Geant4 to predict the Cerenkov light output from five α-emitting radionuclides that have therapeutic potential: (225)Ac, (230)U, (213)Bi, (212)Bi and (212)At. We found that (225)Ac, (213)Bi and (212)Bi produced an order of magnitude more Cerenkov light than (18)F. However, the light from (225)Ac is delayed from the initial decay, possibly decreasing the correlation of the drug and light source. This indicates that CLI will not be helpful in the development of some α-emitting drugs.
The Prosecution of Hate Crimes The Limitations of the Hate Crime Typology

Since the development of bias crime legislation over the past few decades, scholars have debated the merits of the legislation and questioned its enforcement.(1) In light of such concerns, this study presents characteristics of all cases prosecuted as bias crimes in a New Jersey county between 2001 and 2004 and applies the hate crime typology originally developed in 1993. Results show that, in this jurisdiction, the typology is an inadequate tool for classifying cases prosecuted as hate crimes. Approximately one third of the cases are unclassifiable according to the typology. Findings indicate that the typology is useful for understanding cases in which bias is the sole motivation but inadequate for application to the many cases in which bias is a peripheral motivation.
Molecular characterization and chromosomal localization of DRT (EPHT3): a developmentally regulated human protein—tyrosine kinase gene of the EPH family

By screening a human fetal brain cDNA expression library using a monoclonal antiphosphotyrosine antibody and by 5' RACE procedures, we have isolated overlapping cDNAs encoding a receptor-type tyrosine kinase belonging to the EPH family, DRT (Developmentally Regulated EPH-related Tyrosine kinase gene). The DRT gene is expressed in three different size transcripts (i.e. 4, 5 and 11 kb). DRT transcripts are expressed in human brain and several other tissues, including heart, lung, kidney, placenta, pancreas, liver and skeletal muscle, but the 11 kb DRT transcript is preferentially expressed in fetal brain. Steady-state levels of DRT mRNA in several tissues, including brain, heart, lung and kidney, are greater in the midterm fetus than those in the adult. DRT transcripts are detectable at low levels in a human teratocarcinoma cell line (NTera-2), but its expression is greatly increased after the NTera-2 cells are induced to become postmitotic neurons (NTera-2N) by retinoic acid treatment. These data suggest that DRT plays a part in human neurogenesis. A large number of tumor cell lines derived from neuroectoderm express DRT transcripts, including 12 neuroblastomas, two medulloblastomas, one primitive neuroectodermal tumor and six small cell lung carcinomas (SCLC). Interestingly, several neuroblastoma cell lines with 1p deletion and one SCLC cell line express DRT transcripts of aberrant size (i.e. 3, 6 and 8 kb) in addition to those found in normal tissues. We mapped the DRT gene to human chromosome 1p35-1p36.1 by PCR screening of human-rodent somatic cell hybrid panels and by fluorescence in situ hybridization. As the distal end of chromosome 1p is often deleted in neuroblastomas and altered in some cases in SCLCs, these chromosomal abnormalities may have resulted in the generation of aberrant size transcripts. Thus, the DRT gene may play a part in neuroblastoma and SCLC tumorigenesis.
Sensor-based robot deployment algorithms

In robot deployment problems, the fundamental issue is to optimize a steady state performance measure that depends on the spatial configuration of a group of robots. For such problems, a classical way of designing high-level feedback motion planners is to implement a gradient descent scheme on a suitably chosen objective function. This can lead to computationally expensive algorithms that may not be adaptive to uncertain dynamic environments. We address these challenges by showing that algorithms for a variety of deployment scenarios in uncertain stochastic environments and with noisy sensor measurements can be designed as stochastic gradient descent algorithms, and their convergence properties analyzed via the theory of stochastic approximations. This approach yields often surprisingly simple algorithms that can accommodate complicated objective functions, and work without a detailed model of the environment. To illustrate the richness of the framework, we discuss two applications, namely source seeking with realistic stochastic wireless connectivity constraints, and coverage with heterogeneous sensors.
Partial age‐specific life tables for Monochamus titillator in Dendroctonus frontalis infested loblolly pines

Partial age-specific life tables were constructed for Monochamus titillator (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) infested loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees. Successive life stages including egg, early larvae, mid-stage larvae, late larvae, and adult emergence were sampled within six sample trees. Generation mortality ranged from 60.94% to 98.61% in sample trees. Highest mortality typically occurred to eggs and mid-stage larvae. Possible mortality factors included resinosis, predaceous beetles, parasitoids, and woodpeckers. Dendroctonus frontalis brood stages were determined for consecutive M. titillator sampling. Monochamus titillator and D. frontalis coexisted and likely interacted in the phloem of host trees for at least 20 days.
Bioacoustic tools for enhancing animal management and productivity: effects of recorded calf vocalizations on milk production in dairy cows

Abstract Vocal communication mediates social relationships in many mammalian species and can be particularly important in mother–infant interactions. Mammalian species in general and cows in particular exhibit a strong mother–infant bond that is frequently expressed through vocal exchanges among mothers and their infants. Several species produce calls that are exclusively used to induce nursing behavior. We therefore predicted that calf calls would affect the behavior and biology underlying lactation in dairy cows. Playback of calf vocalizations were conducted at two dairies under controlled conditions. Exposure to calf vocalizations significantly increased milk production in experimental cows by 1–2% in the milking session immediately following the milking session in which playbacks were conducted. The playback of calf vocalizations in the milking parlor therefore increased overall milk production (but not immediate milk release or letdown) in dairy cows. These data suggest that the use of calf vocalization playback as a bioacoustic tool provides a non-chemical alternative for increasing milk production in dairy cows.
Silicone Breast Implants, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia

ABSTRACTClinical studies have continued to suggest a relationship between silicone breast implants and chronic fatigue syndrome. Extensive epidemiologic studies, however, indicate that such a relationship is likely to be by chance and the successful lawsuits against producers of silicone breast implants are based on factors other than scientific proof. We present several perspectives on this issue which are probably relevant to other reports of putative etiologic agents for chronic fatigue syndrome.
Ptc1p regulates cortical ER inheritance via Slt2p

Studies in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have shown that the inheritance of endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, and vacuoles involves the capture of a tubular structure at the bud tip. Ptc1p, a serine/threonine phosphatase, has previously been shown to regulate mitochondrial inheritance by an unknown mechanism. Ptc1p regulates the high osmolarity glycerol mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and has also been implicated in the cell wall integrity (CWI) MAPK pathway. Here we show that the loss of Ptc1p or the Ptc1p binding protein, Nbp2p, causes a prominent delay in the delivery of ER tubules to the periphery of daughter cells and results in a dramatic increase in the level of phosphorylated Slt2p, the MAPK in the CWI pathway. Either loss of Slt2p or inhibition of the CWI pathway by addition of sorbitol, suppresses the ER inheritance defect in the ptc1Δ and nbp2Δ mutants. Our findings indicate that Ptc1p and Nbp2p regulate ER inheritance through the CWI MAPK pathway by modulating the MAPK, Slt2p.
Divergent Perpetuities Modulated by Regime Switches

In a divergent case, we obtain limit theorems for a suitably normalized sequence generated by a random linear recursion with dependent coefficients. The dependence structure of the coefficients is defined through an auxiliary random sequence that represents the current “state of Nature” (alternatively, current regime of the “underlying economy”) and thus serves as an exogenous dynamic environment for the model. We assume that the exogenous environment is a stochastic process with long-range dependence, so that the current state of Nature reflects the whole past of the process.
MRI guides diagnostic approach for ischaemic stroke

Background and aim Identification of ischaemic stroke subtype currently relies on clinical evaluation supported by various diagnostic studies. The authors sought to determine whether specific diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) patterns could reliably guide the subsequent work-up for patients presenting with acute ischaemic stroke symptoms. Methods 273 consecutive patients with acute ischaemic stroke symptoms were enrolled in this prospective, observational, single-centre NIH-sponsored study. Electrocardiogram, non-contrast head CT, brain MRI, head and neck magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and transoesophageal echocardiography were performed in this prespecified order. Stroke neurologists determined TOAST (Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) classification on admission and on discharge. Initial TOAST stroke subtypes were compared with the final TOAST subtype. If the final subtype differed from the initial assessment, the diagnostic test deemed the principal determinant of change was recorded. These principal determinants of change were compared between a CT-based and an MRI-based classification schema. Results Among patients with a thromboembolic DWI pattern, transoesophageal echocardiography was the principal determinant of diagnostic change in 8.8% versus 0% for the small vessel group and 1.7% for the other group (p Conclusions DWI patterns appear to predict stroke aetiologies better than conventional methods. The study data suggest an MRI-based diagnostic algorithm that can potentially obviate the need for echocardiography in one-third of stroke patients and may limit the number of secondary extracranial vascular imaging studies to approximately 10%.
Functional form of motion priors in human motion perception

It has been speculated that the human motion system combines noisy measurements with prior expectations in an optimal, or rational, manner. The basic goal of our work is to discover experimentally which prior distribution is used. More specifically, we seek to infer the functional form of the motion prior from the performance of human subjects on motion estimation tasks. We restricted ourselves to priors which combine three terms for motion slowness, first-order smoothness, and second-order smoothness. We focused on two functional forms for prior distributions: L2-norm and L1-norm regularization corresponding to the Gaussian and Laplace distributions respectively. In our first experimental session we estimate the weights of the three terms for each functional form to maximize the fit to human performance. We then measured human performance for motion tasks and found that we obtained better fit for the L1-norm (Laplace) than for the L2-norm (Gaussian). We note that the L1-norm is also a better fit to the statistics of motion in natural environments. In addition, we found large weights for the second-order smoothness term, indicating the importance of high-order smoothness compared to slowness and lower-order smoothness. To validate our results further, we used the best fit models using the L1-norm to predict human performance in a second session with different experimental setups. Our results showed excellent agreement between human performance and model prediction - ranging from 3% to 8% for five human subjects over ten experimental conditions - and give further support that the human visual system uses an L1-norm (Laplace) prior.
Sensitive Data Requests: Do Sites Ask Correctly?

To ensure the security of sensitive Web content, an organization must use TLS and do so correctly. However, little is known about how TLS is actually used on the Web. In this work, we perform large-scale Internet-wide measurements to determine if Web sites use TLS when needed and when they do, if they use it correctly. We find hundreds of thousands of pages where TLS is either not used when it should be or is used improperly, putting sensitive data at risk.
Divalent nickel, cobalt and iron complexes of an amide-appended N2S2 ligand : Synthesis, characterization and reactivity with hydroxide anion

Divalent nickel, cobalt and iron complexes {[(bmppa)Ni(CH3CN)](ClO4)2 (1), [(bmppa)Co(CH3CN)](ClO4)2 (2), [(bmppa)Fe(CH3CN)](ClO4)2 (3)} of an amide-appended N2S2-donor ligand {bmppa = N,N-bis(2-methylthio)ethyl-N-[(6-pivaloylamido-2-pyridyl)methyl]amine} have been prepared and characterized using 1H NMR, IR, UV/Vis, elemental analysis and magnetic moment measurements. The complexes 2 and 3 were also characterized by X-ray crystallography. When treated with 1 equiv. of Me4NOH·5H2O in methanol, 1 and 2 form deprotonated amide complexes {[(bmppa–)Ni]ClO4 (4), [(bmppa–)Co]ClO4·H2O (5)} which were isolated and characterized by 1H NMR, IR, UV/Vis, elemental analysis and magnetic moment measurements. Treatment of the FeII complex 3 with 1 equiv. of Me4NOH·5H2O in methanol produced the free bmppa chelate ligand and a precipitate of an unidentified iron species. Heating of 5 at 50 °C in methanol for 5 d resulted in a ca. 50 % yield of amide methanolysis products and a small amount of products resulting from oxidative N-dealkylation of the bmppa ligand. It has been previously shown that a zinc analog of 5 undergoes quantitative amide methanolysis under milder conditions. Complex 4 does not undergo amide cleavage upon heating at 50 °C in methanol for 5 d. A rationale for the metal-dependent amide methanolysis reactivity of these complexes is proposed on the basis of structural differences in the “parent” protonated complexes. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)
EFFECT OF PRESSURIZATION OF PRE‐RIGOR BEEF MUSCLES ON PROTEIN QUALITY

The effect of hydrostatic pressurization of pre-rigor beef round muscle (semitendinosus) on protein quality was biologically and chemically determined. For biological evaluation rats (Long-Evans strain) were used. Chemical evaluation was carried out by amino acid analysis. The biological and chemical protein efficiency ratios (PER) of pressurized meat were 2.47 and 2.7, respectively, compared to 2.60 and 2.84 for the control meat. Pressurization did not affect the apparent biological value (BV) or net protein utilization (NPU) of meat but significantly (P < 0.05) improved protein digestibility. Total essential and nonessential amino acid contents of pressurized samples were not different from that of the control. At the range tested, the protein quality of meat was not adversely affected by pressure treatment.
Structural Design Elements in Biological Materials: Application to Bioinspiration

Eight structural elements in biological materials are identified as the most common amongst a variety of animal taxa. These are proposed as a new paradigm in the field of biological materials science as they can serve as a toolbox for rationalizing the complex mechanical behavior of structural biological materials and for systematizing the development of bioinspired designs for structural applications. They are employed to improve the mechanical properties, namely strength, wear resistance, stiffness, flexibility, fracture toughness, and energy absorption of different biological materials for a variety of functions (e.g., body support, joint movement, impact protection, weight reduction). The structural elements identified are: fibrous, helical, gradient, layered, tubular, cellular, suture, and overlapping. For each of the structural design elements, critical design parameters are presented along with constitutive equations with a focus on mechanical properties. Additionally, example organisms from varying biological classes are presented for each case to display the wide variety of environments where each of these elements is present. Examples of current bioinspired materials are also introduced for each element.
Cyber Defense Competitions and Information Security Education: An Active Learning Solution for a Capstone Course

The content of information security curricula spans a wide array of topics. Because of this variety, a program needs to focus on some particular aspect and provide appropriate depth of education. Active learning theory provides insight into methods of increasing skill development and retention through specific instructional methods. Applying active learning to a capstone course in information security centered around management of security in a business setting has been shown to be highly effective. Using a Cyber Defense Competition to provide a hands-on opportunity for students to test their skills and develop team based management skills in an operational business environment impacts many constituencies. Participating students learn in a true active learning environment. Instructors are able to evaluate the thoroughness of their curriculum in its intended setting. Other students learn as teams prepare for the competition. In the end, everyone feels they had learned important lessons.
Prognostic Value of Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Imaging in Patients With Advanced-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma

Purpose To determine whether the amount of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the primary lung cancer on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging at the time of presentation has prognostic significance in patients with advanced-stage non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and Methods A retrospective review identified 214 patients with advanced-stage NSCLC (stage IIIA, IIIB, and IV) who underwent FDG PET study at the time of diagnosis. Extensive clinical data, including tumor histologic cell type, pathologic stage at presentation, and treatment, were recorded. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in the primary tumor on FDG PET on survival was examined using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results One hundred fifty-eight (74%) of the 214 patients died and 56 patients were reported alive at 27 months (range, 3 to 140 months) after the diagnosis of NSCLC. Using the median SUVmax of 11.1, the patient population was subdivided. The median survival of the 106 patients with the...
DRAMA IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Este trabalho apresenta os principios tecnicos para o uso de drama em ensino de idiomas, incluindo exemplos de exercicios especialmente uteis para a complementacao de qualquer programa de linguas, independentemente de aspectos metodologicos.
Aboveground net primary production response of semi-arid shrublands to chronic experimental dry-season N input

Urban chaparral and coastal sage scrub (CSS) shrublands of southern Californian have been exposed to high-levels of dry-atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition for decades. The productivity of these semi-arid shrublands is reportedly N limited, thus N exposure is hypothesized to cause an increase in aboveground net primary production (NPP). To test this hypothesis the aboveground biomass and litter production of a post-fire chaparral and a mature CSS stand were measured over an 8 year period in plots exposed to either ambient or elevated N input (ambient + 50 kg N ha−1 y−1). Results support this hypothesis; however, trends in NPP varied over time or were affected by rainfall. For post-fire chaparral, NPP was initially inhibited by N input, but over time NPP increased consistently in plots exposed to added N. For CSS, the effect of N exposure was positively correlated with annual rainfall and N exposure caused NPP to increase significantly when rainfall exceeded approximately 450 mm year−1. Thus, while N enrichment may increase the NPP of these semi-arid shrublands, temporal patterns may take years to emerge or be dependent on water availability. These results highlight the importance of long-term experiments and the potential for interactions between water and nutrients in semi-arid ecosystems.
The development of numerical estimation: evidence against a representational shift

How do our mental representations of number change over development? The dominant view holds that children (and adults) possess multiple representations of number, and that age and experience lead to a shift from greater reliance upon logarithmically organized number representations to greater reliance upon more accurate, linear representations. Here we present a new theoretically motivated and empirically supported account of the development of numerical estimation, based on the idea that number-line estimation tasks entail judgments of proportion. We extend existing models of perceptual proportion judgment to the case of abstract numerical magnitude. Two experiments provide support for these models; three likely sources of developmental change in children’s estimation performance are identified and discussed. This work demonstrates that proportion-judgment models provide a unified account of estimation patterns that have previously been explained in terms of a developmental shift from logarithmic to linear representations of number.
Detection and Seasonal Occurrence of Gall-Forming Wasps (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on Geraldton Wax Plant

The major pest of the cut-flower crop, Geraldton wax, Chamelaucium uncina-tum Schauer, is a gall-forming wasp, Oncastichus goughi Headrick & Lasalle. Little information is available concerning the activity and distribution of this pest in California. The objectives of this study, then, were to determine if sticky cards would trap adult gall wasps in the field and to determine the seasonal and varietal distribution of these wasps in southern California Geraldton wax fields. Field trials determined that either yellow or green insect sticky cards may be used to trap populations of adult gall wasps. Trap data indicated that populations of adult gall wasps peaked during fall (October-November) and varied throughout the remainder of the year. Furthermore, among the varieties examined, the cultivar 'Lady Stephanie' was least susceptible to adult gall wasps, whereas the cultivar White' was most susceptible.
Peach Twig Borer: Field Use of a Synthetic Sex Pheromone

Methods for trapping Anarsia lineatella Zeller with a synthetic sex pheromone were studied in peaches and almonds in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Pherocon® IC sticky traps at a height of 2.0 m were found to be satisfactory for routine collecting of moths. Comparisons of 3 pheromone formulations showed a mixture of 5 mg trans -5-decenyl acetate and 1 mg trans -5-decen-l-ol in rubber septa best for attracting moths. Male moths responding to the pheromone showed a distinct diel periodicity, with peak flight occurring between 2400 and 0200 h. Seasonal flight studies in 1974 showed 3 major flight periods in peaches between April and November, while 4 moth flights occurred in almonds during the same period.
A 2D Covalently Bound Continuous Protein Gradient Assay

Traditional methods of quantifying cell movement in response to a chemotactic factors provide either a binary count of cell migration in response to a known concentration of the factor of interest in solution, as in Boyden chamber assays, or a method of tracking cells to determine velocities across a solubilized protein gradient where exact concentrations vary over time and are difficult to define, as in the Ibidi chemotaxis gradient assay. Using a silane self-assembling monolayer (SAM)-based procedure pioneered by V Hlady and associates, we have developed an assay capable of covalently binding a wide variety of proteins to an optically transparent surface in a 2D pattern via amine linkages. The pattern was then verified by contact angle and Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This new assay provides greater control of protein concentration and gradient intensity than when using only solubilized proteins.
Functionalizing C60 via Nucleophilic Trapping of its Radical Cations: 1. Alkoxylation and Arylation of C60; 2. Synthesis of Earmuff Ethers (Difulleroxyalkanes)

While its electrochemical oxidation is difficult, Cgg is readily oxidized in protic superacidic media. In order to exploit the reactive nature of the radical cations thus formed for the purpose of generating novel fullerene derivatives, a method involving nucleophilic trapping of oxidized Cgg has been developed. Thus, trapping oxidized Cgg with alcohols and aromatics results in the formation of alkoxylated and arylated C60, respectively, while trapping oxidized CgQ with x, y-diols results in the formation of x, y-difulleroxyalkanes (earmuff ethers).