cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative comparisons of in situ microbial biodiversity by signature biomarker analysis

Microscopic examinations have convinced microbial ecologists that the culturable microbes recovered from environmental samples represent a tiny proportion of the extant microbiota. Methods for recovery and enzymatic amplification of nucleic acids from environmental samples have shown that a huge diversity existsin situ, far exceeding any expectations which were based on direct microscopy. It is now theoretically possible to extract, amplify and sequence all the nucleic acids from a community and thereby gain a comprehensive measure of the diversity as well as some insights into the phylogeny of the various elements within this community. Unfortunately, this analysis becomes economically prohibitive if applied to the multitude of niches in a single biome let alone to a diverse set of environments. It is also difficult to utilize PCR amplification on nucleic acids from some biomes because of coextracting enzymatic inhibitors. Signature biomarker analysis which potentially combines gene probe and lipid analysis on the same sample, can serve as a complement to massive environmental genome analysis in providing quantitative comparisons between microniches in the biome under study. This analysis can also give indications of the magnitude of differences in biodiversity in the blome as well as provide insight into the phenotypic activities of each community in a rapid and cost-effective manner. Applications of signature lipid biomarker analysis to define quantitatively the microbial viable biomass of portions of an Eastern USA deciduous forest, are presented.
Proper orthogonal decomposition reduced model for mass transport in heterogenous media

Numerical models with fine discretization normally demand large computational time and space, which lead to computational burden for state estimations or model parameter inversion calculation. This article presented a reduced implicit finite difference scheme that based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) for two-dimensional transient mass transport in heterogeneous media. The reduction of the original full model was achieved by projecting the high-dimension full model to a low-dimension space created by POD bases, and the bases are derived from the snapshots generated from the model solutions of the forward simulations. The POD bases were extracted from the ensemble of snapshots by singular value decomposition. The dimension of the Jacobian matrix was then reduced after Galerkin projection. Thus, the reduced model can accurately reproduce and predict the original model’s transport process with significantly decreased computational time. This scheme is practicable with easy implementation of the partial differential equations. The POD method is illustrated and validated through synthetic cases with various heterogeneous permeability field scenarios. The accuracy and efficiency of the reduced model are determined by the optimal selection of the snapshots and POD bases.
Fitting matrix-valued variogram models by simultaneous diagonalization (Part II: Application)

As an application, we demonstrate a proposed variogram modeling scheme using a spatial data set. Because the scheme relies on a procedure for simultaneously diagonalizing several matrices, we briefly describe the FG and least-squares algorithms. The model obtained by our scheme is used to cokrige the data. In addition, the proposed scheme is compared to more traditional methods.
Light-current curve of a tunneling-injection quantum dot laser

The potential for high-power operation of a laser exploiting tunneling-injection of electrons and holes into quantum dots (QDs) from two separate quantum wells (QWs) is studied. An extended theoretical model is developed to account for out-tunneling leakage of carriers from QDs. Even in the presence of out-tunneling from QDs, the parasitic recombination flux outside QDs is shown to remain restricted with increasing injection current; correspondingly, the LCC becomes more and more linear and the slope efficiency closer to unity at high injection currents. The linearity is due to the fact that the current paths connecting the opposite sides of the structure lie entirely within QDs - in view of the threedimensional confinement in QDs, the out-tunneling fluxes of carriers from dots are limited.
Rapid Assessment of Lepidoptera Predation Rates in Neotropical Forest Fragments1

The mechanisms underlying responses of invertebrates to forest edges remain poorly understood. Here, we use an experimental approach to investigate the predation rates on butterflies in two neotropical forest fragments. Neither distance from forest edge nor degree of forest openness affected predation rates on artificial caterpillars. The mean predation rate of artificial caterpillars on Barro Colorado Island (1500 ha) was significantly higher than that on Peninsula Gigante (2600 ha) likely due to density-dependent effects. Our study demonstrates the utility of artificial predation experiments for rapid assessment of relative lepidoptera predation rates in tropical forests.
Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty for stenosis of a porcine bioprosthesis in the tricuspid valve position.

Abstract Recently, percutaneous balloon dilatation has been successfully used for treatment of congenital aortic and pulmonary valvular stenoses.1 We report the first case of percutaneous valvuloplasty of a severely stenosed porcine bioprosthetic valve.
The theory of a spherical premixed laminar flame

Abstract The general equations governing the behaviour of a low velocity steady state, premixed, laminar flame are given for the case of spherical symmetry, and the differences from the plane flame pointed out. Numerical solutions obtained on the IBM-650 computer for the simple A → B flame with Lewis number unity are discussed. Two innovations introduced in this type of calculation are : (a) the integrations were performed by starting at the cold instead of the hot boundary, which was simpler in this case, and (b) the flameholder temperature was regarded is the eigenvalue instead of the mass fow rate. The definition of burning velocity is discussed, and is dependence on radius of curvature in clearly shown by the results. The relation between flameholder heat loss and stability is examined in the light of a recent discovery by Hirschfelder and co-workers. The advantages of the spherical flame for flame structure studies are described.
Mitochondrial calcium function and dysfunction in the central nervous system

The ability of isolated brain mitochondria to accumulate, store and release calcium has been extensively characterized. Extrapolation to the intact neuron led to predictions that the in situ mitochondria would reversibly accumulate Ca2+ when the concentration of the cation in the vicinity of the mitochondria rose above the ‘set-point’ at which uptake and efflux were in balance, storing Ca2+ as a complex with phosphate, and slowly releasing the cation when plasma membrane ion pumps lowered the cytoplasmic free Ca2+. Excessive accumulation of the cation was predicted to lead to activation of the permeability transition, with catastrophic consequences for the neuron. Each of these predictions has been confirmed with intact neurons, and there is convincing evidence for the permeability transition in cellular Ca2+ overload associated with glutamate excitotoxicity and stroke, while the neurodegenerative disease in which possible defects in mitochondrial Ca2+ handling have been most intensively investigated is Huntington's Disease. In this brief review evidence that mitochondrial Ca2+ transport is relevant to neuronal survival in these conditions will be discussed.
Multilayer Periodic and Random Metamaterial Structures: Analysis and Applications

In recent years, multilayer photonic bandgap structures comprising stacks of alternating layers of positive and negative index have been proposed for a variety of applications, such as perfect imaging, filters, sensors, coatings for tailored emittance, absorptance, etc. Following a brief review of the history of negative index materials, the performance of such stacks is reviewed, with emphasis on analysis of plane wave and beam propagation, and possible applications in sensing. First, the use of the transfer matrix method to analyze plane wave propagation in such structures to determine the transmittance and reflectance is developed. Examples of cases where the Bragg bandgap and the so-called zero \(n \) > gap can be used for possible applications in sensing are illustrated. Next, the transfer matrix approach is extended to simulate the spatial evolution of a collection of propagating and nonpropagating TE and TM plane waves (or plane wave spectra) incident on such multilayer structures. The use of the complex Poynting theorem in checking the computations, as well as monitoring powers and the stored electric or magnetic energy in any section of the multilayer stack, is illustrated, along with its use in designing alternating positive and negative index structures with optimal gain to compensate for losses in the negative index material. Finally, the robustness of PIM-NIM stacks with respect to randomness in the dimensions of the PIM-NIM structure is examined. This should be useful in determining the performance of such structures when they are physically fabricated.
Remodeling of axo-spinous synapses in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression

Dendritic spines provide a compartment for assembly and functional organization of synaptic machinery that plays a fundamental role in neuronal communication and neuroplasticity. Studies in humans as well as in animal models have demonstrated abnormal spine architecture in several psychiatric disorders, including depression and other stress-related illnesses. The negative impact of stress on the density and organization of spines is thought to contribute to the behavioral deficits caused by stress exposure. Moreover, there is now evidence that medication-induced recovery involves changes in synaptic plasticity and dendrite morphology, including increased expression of pre- and postsynaptic plasticity-related proteins, as well as the density and function of axo-spinous synapses. Here we review the evidence from brain imaging and postmortem studies demonstrating that depression is accompanied by structural and functional alterations of cortical and limbic brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. In addition, we present more direct evidence from basic research studies that exposure to stress alters spine morphology, function and plasticity and that antidepressants, particularly new rapid acting agents, reverse these effects. Elucidation of the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms that control spine synapse assembly and plasticity will contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of depression and development of novel, more effective therapeutic agents.
Evaporation of ammonium nitrate particles

Abstract Microscopic anhydrous ammonium nitrate particles are levitated in a vacuum in an electric quadrupole trap at 25°C. Size and mass changes of the evaporating particles are monitored continuously in situ using light scattering and gravity balancing. Both supersaturated liquid droplets at the zero-solvent limit and crystalline solids are studied. The measured vapor pressure of the liquid is p = (3.18 ± 0.45) × 10−6 torr. Fresh solid particles evaporate at a rate dr dt = − 0.23 As −1 where r is an equivalent radius. Beyond 4 h the rate is a constant −0.06 A s−1. These rates are consistent with that predicted from thermodynamics if the mass accommodation coefficient is α = 0.02 initially and 0.004 after 4 h. Aerosol sampling by several groups indicates the presence of solid ammonium nitrate particles in the atmosphere. Long lifetime and long-range transport of these particles are predicted regardless of ammonia and nitric acid vapor concentrations.
Families of graphs with chromatic zeros lying on circles

We define an infinite set of families of graphs, which we call $p$-wheels and denote $(Wh)^{(p)}_n$, that generalize the wheel ($p=1$) and biwheel ($p=2$) graphs. The chromatic polynomial for $(Wh)^{(p)}_n$ is calculated, and remarkably simple properties of the chromatic zeros are found: (i) the real zeros occur at $q=0,1,...p+1$ for $n-p$ even and $q=0,1,...p+2$ for $n-p$ odd; and (ii) the complex zeros all lie, equally spaced, on the unit circle $|q-(p+1)|=1$ in the complex $q$ plane. In the $n \to \infty$ limit, the zeros on this circle merge to form a boundary curve separating two regions where the limiting function $W(\{(Wh)^{(p)}\},q)$ is analytic, viz., the exterior and interior of the above circle. Connections with statistical mechanics are noted.
Prevention training of wrong-site spine surgery.

Objective Wrong-site surgery (WSS) is considered a sentinel event by the Joint Commission. The education of spine surgery fellows on WSS is unknown. Our objective was to evaluate North American spine surgery fellows’ education, awareness, and experience with WSS. Design Observational survey study. Setting Spine surgery fellows in North America. Participants From April 2013 to July 2013 and in July 2014 anonymous questionnaires were sent to 156 spine surgery fellows participating in 75 programs. Demographic information (fellowship location and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accreditation of the fellowship) were collected. We also collected data on the following: if didactics on WSS are offered during fellowship, spine surgery fellows’ experience with WSS, WSS prevention methods used during fellowship, and whether spine surgery fellows are interested in didactics or webinars on the prevention of WSS. Results Of 152 spine surgery fellows, 46 (30.3%) completed the questionnaires. Among them, 39 (84.6%) were orthopedic surgeons and 7 (15.4%) were neurosurgeons. Most were in non–Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited programs (70%) and were in training in the Midwest (37%), the South (30.4%), the Northeast (15.2%), and the West (15.2%). Furthermore, 30.4% had experienced WSS. Only 15 fellows (33%) had formal didactics on WSS during their fellowship. Most spine surgery fellows (61%, p = 0.03) were interested in a formal didactics on the prevention of WSS during their fellowship curriculum. Most (58.7%) were also interested in a Webinar on the prevention of WSS. We found of the 14 fellows that experienced WSS, 11 (79%) were significantly interested in formal didactics on WSS compared with those who had not experienced WSS (14/32, 44%; p Conclusions This is the first study evaluating spine surgery fellowship education on WSS. Among the spine surgery fellows, 30% had already experienced WSS and only 33% had formal fellowship didactics on WSS. Owing to the significant patient care and medicolegal ramifications from WSS, spine surgery fellowships should consider adding WSS prevention didactics to their curriculum.
Temperature dependent transport properties in GaN, Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/N, and In/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/N semiconductors

Ensemble Monte Carlo simulation is used to determine the electron saturation velocity and low-field mobility for Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/N and In/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/N. Acoustic phonon, optical phonon, intervalley, ionized impurity, alloy, and piezoelectric scattering are included in the simulation. Doping concentration ranging from 10/sup 17/ cm/sup -3/ to 10/sup 19/ cm/sup -3/ is considered in the temperature range from 50 K to 500 K, Theoretical calculation shows excellent agreement with low-field mobility experimental data. Empirical expressions for low field mobility and saturation velocity are provided as functions of temperature, doping concentration and mole fraction.
Transfer of tolerance to collagen type V suppresses T-helper-cell-17 lymphocyte-mediated acute lung transplant rejection.

Background.Rat lung allograft rejection is mediated by collagen type V (col(V)) specific T-helper-cell 17 (Th17) cells. Adoptive transfer of these cells is sufficient to induce rejection pathology in isografts, whereas tolerance to col(V) suppresses allograft rejection. Therefore, we tested whether
Inhibition of secretion of rat calcitonin by calmodulin inhibitors.

Studies were designed to investigate the potential importance of calmodulin in release of calcitonin (CT) in response to an increase in the concentration of extracellular Ca.In vitro release of CT from baby rat thyroparathyroids incubated up to 8 h was examined at normal (1 mM) and high (2.5 mM) Ca in serum-free medium in the presence and absence of the potent calmodulin inhibitors, trifluoperazine (TFP) and N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-Cl-1-naphthalene sulfonamide (W-7). The drugs chloropromazine (CLP) and haloperiodol (HAL) which, like TFP, are anti-psychotic agents also were tested. In some studies release of parathyroid hormone (PTH) into medium also was studied. At 2.5 mM Ca, CT release was increased five- tenfold compared with 1 mM Ca while PTH was suppressed by ≈ 80%. The increased release of CT induced by 2.5 mM Ca was inhibited 60–90% by 10−4 M TFP and 10−4 M W-7, but was unaffected by 10−4M CLP or HAL. In the presence of 1 mM Ca, the increased release of PTH also was inhibited significantly by 10−4 M TFP and 10−4 M W-7. In relatedin vivo studies, administration of TFP i.v. to rats just before induction of hypercalcemia with i.v. CaCl2 suppressed the increase in plasma CT normally observed 3 min later in a dose-related manner. The results show that calmodulin inhibitors can inhibitin vitro secretion of CT, and release of PTH as well. Additionally, inhibition of thein vivo CT response to a Ca challenge was observed within minutes of drug administration. The findings support the notion that calmodulin plays an important role in Ca-mediated release of CT from the C-cell.
Increasing the proportion of autologous arteriovenous fistulas does not diminish fistula patency.

Objective: Arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) constructed before and after initiating the kidney disease outcomes and quality initiative (KDOQI) guidelines were reviewed at a single academic center to identify decreased patency with use of potentially inferior vein conduits. Methods: Primary access procedures performed pre- and post-adoption of KDOQI guidelines were compared for the primary outcomes of maturation rate and primary patency and the secondary outcome of access utilization. Results: The proportion of autologous AVFs created was higher post-KDOQI (73% vs 35%, P < .001), and an increased use of the basilic vein was observed (20% vs 2%, P < .05). The failure rate of fistula maturation was reduced post-KDOQI (24% vs 38%, P < .05); however, access utilization was also decreased (59% vs 75%, P < .001). Conclusions: Adherence to KDOQI guidelines for AVFs does not compromise fistula patency and increased use of the basilic vein may lead to superior fistula maturation rates. Early referral may result in lower fistula utilization rates, however.
Quantitative-qualitative transformations based on fuzzy logic

Fuzzy controllers make transformations from qualitative rules into numerical (corresponding) mappings; while fuzzy information compression mainly make transformation from numerical data into qualitative rules. The core of ideas of fuzzy computing is the quantitative-qualitative transformation based on fuzzy logic.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Diffraction characteristics of three-dimensional crossed-beam volume gratings

The theory of diffraction by gratings formed by the interference of two crossed three-dimensional “arbitrary-profile plane waves” in a photosensitive medium is developed. The detailed diffraction characteristics for the case of crossed-beam gratings formed by two three-dimensional “Gaussian plane waves” are presented. The diffraction efficiencies of these gratings and the profiles of the transmitted and diffracted beams are calculated as functions of the grating strength. The influence of the relative size (the Gaussian beam diameter) of the two writing beams on the diffraction efficiency is determined. Diffraction characteristics for readout with beams of profiles different from those used for writing are presented.
Repeated games with local monitoring and private communication

Abstract I consider repeated games with local monitoring: each player observes his neighbors’ moves only. Hence, monitoring is private and imperfect. Communication is private: each player can send different (costless) messages to different players. The solution concept is perfect Bayesian equilibrium. I prove that a folk theorem holds if and only if each player has two neighbors. This extends the result of Ben-Porath and Kahneman (1996) to private communication, provided the existence of sequential equilibrium.
Fractional indices in supersymmetric theories

The regularized index introduced by Witten for supersymmetric theories and discussed by Callias for elliptic operators is studied. We relate this index to Levinson's theorem for potential scattering and clarify its meaning even when it takes on fractional values. The index can be (and usually is) half-integer whenever the continuum in the spectrum extends down to zero energy.
Cholesterol Efflux-mediated Signal Transduction in Mammalian Sperm β-CYCLODEXTRINS INITIATE TRANSMEMBRANE SIGNALING LEADING TO AN INCREASE IN PROTEIN TYROSINE PHOSPHORYLATION AND CAPACITATION

Sperm capacitation in vitro is highly correlated with an increase in protein tyrosine phosphorylation that is regulated by cAMP through a unique mode of signal transduction cross-talk. The activation of this signaling pathway, as well as capacitation, requires bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the incubation medium. BSA is hypothesized to modulate capacitation through its ability to remove cholesterol from the sperm plasma membrane. Here we demonstrate that the cholesterol-binding heptasaccharides, methyl-beta-cyclodextrin and OH-propyl-beta-cyclodextrin, promote the release of cholesterol from the mouse sperm plasma membrane in media devoid of BSA. Both of these beta-cyclodextrins were also demonstrated to increase protein tyrosine phosphorylation in the absence of BSA in both mouse and bull sperm, and the patterns of phosphorylation were similar to those induced by media containing BSA. The potency of the different beta-cyclodextrins to increase protein tyrosine phosphorylation in sperm was correlated with their cholesterol binding efficiencies, and preincubation of the beta-cyclodextrins with cholesterol-SO4- to saturate their cholesterol-binding sites blocked the ability of these compounds to stimulate protein tyrosine phosphorylation. The beta-cyclodextrin effect on protein tyrosine phosphorylation was both NaHCO3 and protein kinase A-dependent. The beta-cyclodextrins were also able to capacitate mouse sperm in the absence of BSA, as measured by the ability of the zona pellucida to induce the acrosome reaction and by successful fertilization in vitro. In summary, beta-cyclodextrins can completely replace BSA in media to support signal transduction leading to capacitation. These data further support the coupling of cholesterol efflux to the activation of membrane and transmembrane signaling events leading to the activation of a unique signaling pathway involving the cross-talk between cAMP and tyrosine kinase second messenger systems, thus defining a new mode of cellular signal transduction initiated by cholesterol release.
Altered expression of cyclins and c-fos in R6 cells that overproduce PKCε

Since PKC epsilon functions as an oncogene when stably overexpressed in R6 rat fibroblasts (Cacace et al. 1993) in the present study we examined whether transformed R6-PKC epsilon cells display abnormalities in the expression of specific early response and cyclin genes. When vector control and R6-PKC epsilon cells were starved of serum for 72 h they arrested in G0/G1 and showed passage through the cell cycle at similar rates after subsequent stimulation with 10% fetal calf serum plus TPA. In PKC epsilon cells, induction of cyclin D1 protein was markedly reduced, and that of cyclin A was slightly reduced when compared to control cells. Northern blot analyses indicated that decreased expression of cyclin D1 and A protein in PKC epsilon cells is due to translational or post-translational effects. A study of early response gene expression in PKC epsilon cells indicated that there was a marked reduction in the expression of c-fos mRNA but not in c-jun or c-myc mRNAs. The marked decreases in cyclin D1 and c-fos expression seen in PKC epsilon cells were not seen in R6 cells that overexpress PKCs alpha or beta. These findings suggest that PKC epsilon cells bypass certain normal signal transduction and cyclin-controlled pathways involved in cell proliferation.
Suppression subtractive hybridization coupled with microarray analysis to examine differential expression of genes in virus infected cells

High throughput detection of differential expression of genes is an efficient means of identifying genes and pathways that may play a role in biological systems under certain experimental conditions. There exist a variety of approaches that could be used to identify groups of genes that change in expression in response to a particular stimulus or environment. We here describe the application of suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) coupled with cDNA microarray analysis for isolation and identification of chicken transcripts that change in expression on infection of host cells with a paramyxovirus. SSH was used for initial isolation of differentially expressed transcripts, a large-scale validation of which was accomplished by microarray analysis. The data reveals a large group of regulated genes constituting many biochemical pathways that could serve as targets for future investigations to explore their role in paramyxovirus pathogenesis. The detailed methods described herein could be useful and adaptable to any biological system for studying changes in gene expression.
Consistency of Angular Tuning in the Rat Vibrissa System

Each region along the rat mystacial vibrissa pathway contains neurons that respond preferentially to vibrissa deflections in a particular direction, a property called angular tuning. Angular tuning is normally defined using responses to deflections of the principal vibrissa, which evokes the largest response magnitude. However, neurons in most brain regions respond to multiple vibrissae and do not necessarily respond to different vibrissae with the same angular tuning. We tested the consistency of angular tuning across the receptive field in several stations along the vibrissa-to-cortex pathway: primary somatosensory (barrel) cortex, ventroposterior medial nucleus of the thalamus (VPM), second somatosensory cortex, and superior colliculus. We found that when averaged across the population, neurons in all of these regions have low (superior colliculus and second somatosensory cortex) or statistically insignificant (barrel cortex and VPM) angular tuning consistencies across vibrissae. Nevertheless, in each region there are a small number of neurons that display consistent angular tuning for at least some vibrissae. We discuss the relevance of these findings for the transformation of inputs along the vibrissa trigeminal pathway and for the detection of sensory cues by whisking animals.
An oscillating hot-wire technique for resolving the magnitude and direction of velocity measurements using single hot-wire sensors

Thermal anemometry is a classic flow-velocity measurement technique that is known to suffer from the inability to discern the flow direction. The current paper describes an innovative approach whereby an oscillating hot wire is used to extract velocity direction and magnitude information from single hot-wire measurements. It is shown that the new sensor operates in one of two modes depending on the velocity amplitude of the wire oscillation. Furthermore, results from applying the technique to measure the phase-averaged velocity in an oscillating pipe flow experiment are presented. The results from the hot-wire measurements show good agreement with those from laser Doppler velocimetery measurements in the same facility.
Influence of rate of treatment on the naming abilities of adults with chronic aphasia

Abstract There is a lack of empirical evidence on which clinicians can base their daily decisions about aphasia treatment rate and duration. The purpose of this series of studies was to review the outcomes of various rates of speech/language therapy on the naming performances of adults with aphasia. A retrospective pre/post design was employed with a total of 40 subjects across studies. Results revealed the significant positive effects of intensive speech/language therapy on the naming skills of adults with aphasia, and that these improvements were greater than those obtained during non-intensive treatment, Although there are limitations of the treatment-based, retrospective research design, this line of research contributes to the ability of rehabilitation professionals to make appropriate treatment recommendations regarding treatment rate.
Applications of GaAs quantum well infrared photoconductors at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Abstract Prior to 1990 large format, hybridized GaAs quantum well infrared photoconductors (QWIP) arrays had not been fabricated. In a unique collaboration between the Goddard Space Flight Center, ATT/Bell Labs and the Rockwell Science Center we designed and built a 128×128 element GaAs/AlGaAs QWIP array, developed a continuous flow liquid helium cooler/camera system and successfully performed airborne imaging test flights over the Wallops Flight Facility. As a result of work performed at Lockheed Martin of Dallas, Texas a 256×256 QWIP was developed and Goddard obtained a unit for a second-generation camera system. A more compact imaging system was developed which could operate with a liquid nitrogen dewar. This instrument was used as part of the joint NASA/Southern African Fire-Atmosphere Research Initiative campaign to gather airborne terrestrial science information. This system was also used to evaluate the emission/reflectance properties of commercially available pyrgeometers and pyranometers. These radiometers rely on constants for the filter dome and the detector which are key in making absolute measurements. In an effort to improve the optical coupling efficiency and also to develop QWIPs with sensitivity beyond 11 μm a partnership has been established between Goddard and the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). By corrugating the surface of the QWIP array, normal incidence radiation is deflected almost horizontally allowing for absorption in the quantum wells. Most recently, a joint Goddard/Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ARL proposal to develop a four band, hyperspectral, 512×640 QWIP array has been funded by the Earth Science Technology Office of NASA. This three year effort will focus on expanding the integrated QWIP spectral imaging capability, utilizing a new Sunpower, Inc. cryocooler and developing a linear variable etalon to produce the hyperspectral image from 3 to 15.4 μm. The four IR bands are (1) 3–5 μm, (2) 8.5–10 μm, (3) 10–12 μm and (4) 14–15.4 μm. These four bands are spectrally subdivided into approximately 200 bands. This paper will discuss these efforts in general with an emphasis on the system performance.
N-glycans on the short ectodomain of the primary envelope glycoprotein play a major role in the polyclonal activation of B cells by lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus.

The common biologically cloned isolates of lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV-P and LDV-vx) invariably cause a polyclonal activation of B cells in immunocompetent mice. It is recognized by an at least 10-fold increase in plasma IgG2a levels and the de novo formation of immune complexes that most likely consist of autoantibodies and their antigens. The present study indicates that three closely spaced N-glycans on the short ectodomain of the primary envelope glycoprotein, VP-3P, of LDV-P/vx, play a major role in inducing the polyclonal proliferation of B cells. IFN-γ then seems to mediate the differentiation of the activated B cells to IgG2a-producing plasma cells. These conclusions are based on the finding that the IgG2a hypergammaglobulinaemia and immune complex formation were much lower in mice that were infected with LDV variants (LDV-C and LDV-v) whose VP-3P ectodomains lack two of the three N-glycans than in LDV-P/vx infected mice. In contrast, the VP-3P ectodomains of three neutralization escape variants of LDV-C/v whose VP-3P ectodomains possess three N-glycosylation sites caused a polyclonal activation of B cells comparable to that of LDV-P/vx.
Perfectionistic concerns suppress associations between perfectionistic strivings and positive life outcomes

Perfectionism has been frequently associated with diverse negative psychological outcomes, but less frequently with positive psychological outcomes. This investigation reports multiple regression analyses based on survey data from 216 psychology students. These analyses indicate that adaptive perfectionistic strivings and maladaptive perfectionistic concerns predict desirable outcomes including psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and affect. That perfectionistic strivings predicted these outcomes is inconsistent with the small zero-order correlations between perfectionistic strivings and the positive outcomes, indicating that maladaptive perfectionistic concerns act as a suppressor variable in this relationship. These findings illustrate the importance of conceptualizing perfectionism as having both adaptive and maladaptive dimensions, and of assessing both simultaneously when examining relationships between perfectionism and other substantive variables.
Sex differences in the course of personality development: a meta-analysis.

Size and stability of sex differences in personality growth throughout adolescence and adulthood are examined. Studies using the Washington University Sentence Completion Test of ego development served as the primary source data. Sixty-five studies (encompassing more than 9,000 Ss) generated 113 independent effect sizes. Sex differences in ego development were moderately large among junior and senior high-school students (female advantage), declined significantly among college-age adults, and disappeared entirely among older men and women. Sex differences were relatively stable during early and middle adolescence. The greater maturity displayed by adolescent girls is not an artifact of superior verbal abilities: Sex differences in ego development were more than twice the magnitude of differences in vocabulary skills (Hyde & Linn, 1988). The present findings, together with findings from reviews of sex differences in moral judgment, aggression, and empathy, suggest that adolescent girls achieve developmental milestones earlier than boys, a difference that declines with age. Sex differences in personality development are not well documented beyond the common observation that young girls are less aggressive and less egocentric than young boys. Girls are typically portrayed as more mature than boys (Pitcher & Schultz, 1983), but it is not known if this sex difference extends past early childhood. It is not known if females consistently reach developmental milestones earlier than males, or if this advantage disappears with age or even reverses itself, revealing males as the more precocious sex. If sex differences in personality development do disappear, is the decline gradual or abrupt, and does it occur during early adolescence, late adolescence, young adulthood, or old age? Despite the burgeoning literature on sex differences, these questions have never been addressed. Indeed, despite 80 years of research (e.g., Eagly, 1987; Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974; Tyler, 1947; Wellman, 1933; Woolley, 1910), sex differences in temperament and social behavior have rarely been reviewed from a developmental perspective. This gap in understanding has been due to the absence of a well-defined model of personality development that could be used to evaluate male and female development. The recent proliferation of stage theories has clarified the major milestones of growth, opening the way for male-female comparisons that have hitherto been absent. The most comprehensive developmental scheme is found in Loevinger's (1976) system of ego development, which supplies both a detailed model of development and a rigorous method for its assessment (the Washington
Mercury concentrations in migratory waterfowl harvested from Southern Nevada Wildlife Management Areas, USA.

Mercury concentrations were determined in 14 species of migratory waterfowl harvested from Southern Nevada Wildlife Management areas during the 2001–2002 hunting season. Common mergansers (2.61 ± 0.87 ppm liver; 0.22 ± 0.04 ppm muscle), northern shovelers (3.51 ± 3.8 ppm liver; 0.16 ± 0.03 ppm muscle), and bufflehead (2.63 ± 0.24 ppm liver; 0.91 ppm muscle) had the highest concentrations of mercury in the liver and muscle of the species harvested. The relationships between muscle and liver concentrations were also examined. These data indicate that liver tissue can be used with reasonable confidence (r >.80 for most species) to predict mercury concentrations in muscle, the most commonly consumed portion of waterfowl. The mercury concentrations reported here are some of the highest reported in the scientific literature, and they identify certain species, such as the northern shoveler and common merganser, that have accumulated unusually high concentrations of mercury. Evidence for the use of these three species as possible bioindicators for mercury is also presented. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 35–44, 2004.
Hand hygiene noncompliance and the cost of hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

background. Hand hygiene noncompliance is a major cause of nosocomial infection. Nosocomial infection cost data exist, but the effect of hand hygiene noncompliance is unknown. results. Model 1 was associated with 42 MRSA infections (infection rate, 0.0042%). Mean infection cost was $47,092 (95% confidence interval (CI), $26,040-$68,146); mean cost per noncompliant event was $1.98 (95% CI, $0.91-$3.04). Model 2 was associated with 980 MRSA infections (0.098%). Mean infection cost was $53,598 (95% CI, $50,098-$57,097); mean cost per noncompliant event was $52.53 (95% CI, $47.73-$57.32). A 200-bed hospital incurs $1,779,283 in annual MRSA infection-related expenses attributable to hand hygiene noncompliance. A 1.0% increase in hand hygiene compliance resulted in annual savings of $39,650 to a 200-bed hospital. conclusions. Hand hygiene noncompliance is associated with significant attributable hospital costs. Minimal improvements in com- pliance lead to substantial savings. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2010; 31:357-364
Efficient VLSI implementation of inverse discrete cosine transform [image coding applications]

In this paper, a novel 2D IDCT architecture, based on the energy compaction property of the 2D DCT, is proposed. This architecture performs 2D IDCT directly on the 2D DCT data set, avoiding the need for the transposition memory. We derive a recursion equation from the definition of the 2D IDCT algorithm and use it to implement a wavefront array processor. The wavefront array processor consists of highly regular, parallel and pipelined processing elements which are suitable for VLSI implementation. This implementation also utilizes the sparseness property of the 2D DCT coefficients to reduce the computational complexity. It is shown that the proposed architecture achieves a high throughput rate, (15+m) clock cycles per 2D DCT data set, where m is the number of the non-zero DCT coefficients. Another important aspect of this architecture is that it provides an efficient way to control the trade-off between visual quality of the reconstructed image and computational complexity.
Fast coupled noise estimation for crosstalk avoidance in the MCG multichip module autorouter

A multilayer, multichip module (MCM) router, called MCG, is introduced for x-y routing. An efficient method has been derived to allow candidate routes for the nets to be considered simultaneously for compatibility rather than incrementally extending routes or routing one net at a time as in many other techniques. This allows incorporation of accurate models for determining the potential for crosstalk problems during the routing process. MCG incorporates a crosstalk avoidance procedure which facilitates correct-by-design routing in systems susceptible to noise problems. In comparisons with other routers on industrial benchmarks, the MCG router has shown substantial improvement in routing density, number of layers, number of vias, and total interconnect length over routers such as V4R and SLICE. Our test results show up to 18% improvement in via count and up to 33% improvement in the required number of routing layers for these examples over V4R. One of the benchmarks presented contains 37 VHSIC gate arrays, over 7000 nets, and over 14000 pins (pads). Routing at finer pitches with crosstalk avoidance shows a further improvement in interconnect density.
Concurrent Sound Segregation Across the Adult Life-Span

Abstract To be a successful participant in a single conversation during difficult listening conditions, the listener has to segregate incoming sounds into separate conversations and focus on the co...
Thoracodorsal artery scapular tip autogenous transplant: vascularized bone with a long pedicle and flexible soft tissue.

Objective To demonstrate that the 3 reconstructive advantages of the thoracodorsal artery scapular tip transplant (Tdast), a long pedicle, independently mobile tissue components, and the 3-dimensional nature of the scapular tip, will improve the quality and success of complex reconstructions by avoiding vein grafting, preventing the need for 2 separate transplants, and facilitating bony inset. Design Prospective case series. Setting Tertiary care academic medical center. Patients Twenty-one patients (male to female ratio, 16:5; mean age, 52 years) underwent reconstruction of the upper, middle, and lower face from 2001 through 2006. Indications for reconstruction were tumor ablation in 11 patients, secondary reconstruction in 4 patients, osteoradionecrosis in 4, and posttraumatic reconstruction in 2. Seventeen patients underwent radiation. Interventions All patients underwent harvest of an autogenous transplant of scapular tip bone and latissimus dorsi soft tissue based on the thoracodorsal artery. The mean bone length was 5.2 cm (range, 2.5-9.0 cm), and the mean cutaneous surface area was 68 cm2(range, 20-250 cm2). Main Outcome Measures Reduction of vein grafting, avoidance of 2 transplants, use of the triangular shape of the scapular tip in reconstruction, complications, and shoulder function. Results The success rate of transplantation was 100%. The use of this transplant avoided vein grafting in 16 patients and the need for 2 separate transplants in 11 patients, and the 3-dimensional nature of the scapular tip facilitated inset in 13 patients. In 14 patients, more than 1 of these reconstructive advantages was achieved. In 6 patients, all 3 were accomplished. Eleven patients experienced a complication. The major complication rate was 33%, and the minor complication rate was 33%. The mean Constant-Murley test of shoulder function score was 87 of 100 (range, 74-100). Conclusions The Tdast is an excellent choice for reconstruction in the head and neck as an alternative to procedures requiring vein grafting and multiple free tissue transplants, or in which the 3-dimensional contour of the scapular tip aids in reconstruction. The complication rate should be assessed in the context of the risk factors of the patient population and the outcome with respect to stable employment, increasing body mass index, and maintenance of shoulder function.
Octonionic Gravity Formation, Its Connections to Micro Physics

We ask if Octonionic quantum gravity is a relevant consideration near the Planck scale. Furthermore, we examine whether gravitational waves would be generated during the initial phase, 0  , of the universe when triggered by changes in spacetime geometry; i.e. what role would an increase in degrees of freedom have in setting the conditions during 0  , so that the result of these conditions can be observed and analyzed by a gravitational detector. The micro physics interaction is due to the formation of a pre Planckian to Planckian space time transition in spatial dimensions at and near the Planck dimensional values, i.e. 10 –33 centimeters in spatial dimensions. This transition would be abrupt and arising in micro physics regimes of space time.
Regulation of Chandelier Cell Cartridge and Bouton Development via DOCK7 Mediated ErbB4 Activation

Chandelier cells (ChCs), typified by their unique axonal morphology, are the most distinct interneurons present in cortical circuits. Via their distinctive axonal terminals, called cartridges, these cells selectively target the axon initial segment of pyramidal cells and control action potential initiation; however, the mechanisms that govern the characteristic ChC axonal structure have remained elusive. Here, by employing an in utero electroporation-based method that enables genetic labeling and manipulation of ChCs in vivo, we identify DOCK7, a member of the DOCK180 family, as a molecule essential for ChC cartridge and bouton development. Furthermore, we present evidence that DOCK7 functions as a cytoplasmic activator of the schizophrenia-associated ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase and that DOCK7 modulates ErbB4 activity to control ChC cartridge and bouton development. Thus, our findings define DOCK7 and ErbB4 as key components of a pathway that controls the morphological differentiation of ChCs, with implications for the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
Heat-related illness in Washington State agriculture and forestry sectors.

BACKGROUND: We sought to describe heat-related illness (HRI) in agriculture and forestry workers in Washington State. METHODS: Demographic and clinical Washington State Fund workers' compensation agriculture and forestry HRI claims data (1995-2009) and Washington Agriculture Heat Rule citations (2009-2012) were accessed and described. Maximum daily temperature (Tmax ) and Heat Index (HImax ) were estimated by claim date and location using AgWeatherNet's weather station network. RESULTS: There were 84 Washington State Fund agriculture and forestry HRI claims and 60 Heat Rule citations during the study period. HRI claims and citations were most common in crop production and support subsectors. The mean Tmax (HImax ) was 95°F (99°F) for outdoor HRI claims. Potential HRI risk factors and HRI-related injuries were documented for some claims. CONCLUSIONS: Agriculture and forestry HRI cases are characterized by potential work-related, environmental, and personal risk factors. Further work is needed to elucidate the relationship between heat exposure and occupational injuries. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
On the constrained Walrasian and Lindahl correspondences

Abstract This paper establishes conditions on preferences under the constrained Walrasian correspondence W c , the constrained Lindahl correspondence L c , and the weak Lindahl correspondence L w that is introduced in this paper are subcorrespondences of the (weak) Pareto-efficient correspondence P ( P w ).