cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of enzymes upon metabolism storage and release of carbohydrates in normal and abnormal endometria.

This paper presents preliminary data concerning the relationship of various components of glandular epithelium and effect of enzymes on metabolism, storage, and release of certain substances in normal and abnormal endometria. Activity of these endometrial enzymes has been compared between two groups: 252 patients with normal menstrual histories and 156 patients, all over the age of 40, with abnormal uterine bleeding. Material was obtained by endometrial biopsy or curettage. In the pathologic classification of the group of 156, 30 patients had secretory endometria, 88 patients had endometria classified as proliferative, 24 were classified as endometrial hyperplasia, and 14 were classified as adenocarcinoma. All tissue was studied by histologic, histochemical, and biochemical methods. Glycogen synthetase activity caused synthesis of glucose to glycogen, increasing in amount until midcycle, when glycogen phosphorylase activity caused the breakdown to glucose during the regressive stage of endometrial activity. This normal cyclic activity did not occur in the abnormal endometria, where activity of both enzymes continued at low constant tempo. Only the I form of glycogen synthetase increased as the tissue became more hyperplastic. With the constant glycogen content and the increased activity of both the TPN isocitric dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the hyperplastic and cancerous endometria, tissue energy was created, resulting in abnormal cell proliferation. These altered biochemical and cellular activities may be the basis for malignant cell growth.
Epitaxial ordered-alloy formation through surface reactions: Al on Ni{0 0 1}

Abstract We have studied the products of vacuum deposition of Al on Ni{0 0 1} to compare with Au on Cu{0 0 1}, which is known to develop a surface alloy. Slow vacuum deposition of Al onto unheated Ni{0 0 1} produces partially-ordered one- and two-layer-thin epitaxial Al films. These films have larger interlayer spacing (by about 15%) than the Ni substrate and a substantial disordered component. Anneals of the films, or slow deposition of Al onto a hot Ni{0 0 1} substrate, produce well-crystallized epitaxial films of Ni 3 Al{0 0 1}. The alloy is not confined to just the surface layer, hence it is not a surface alloy. The thickness of the alloy films can be controlled via the deposition rate of Al and/or the temperature of the Ni substrate. Deposition of Ni on Al{0 0 1}; does not result in ordered alloy formation.
Evidence from chronosequence studies for a low carbon-storage potential of soils

OVER most of the Earth's land surface, the amount of carbon stored in soil organic matter exceeds by a factor of two or three the amount stored in living vegetation. This pool of soil carbon is large (1.5 × 1018 g)1,2 and plays a dynamic part in the geochemical carbon cycle. Prentice and Fung3 have suggested that terrestrial vegetation and soils would act as a large sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide if its concentration were twice the present level. Here I use data from chronosequence studies to show that the production of refractory humus substances in soils sequesters only ∼0.4 × 1015 g C yr−1 from the atmosphere, accounting for just 0.7% of terrestrial net primary production. Moreover, agricultural practices tend, on balance, to cause a release of soil carbon to the atmosphere4,5. Thus if the terrestrial biosphere is indeed to act as a carbon sink under future elevated levels of carbon dioxide, this would be more likely to be the result of changes in the distribution and biomass of terrestrial vegetation than of changes in the accumulation of soil organic matter.
Increased sensitivity of accelerated amino acid ion-exchange chromatography.

Abstract Modifications of the Amino Acid Analyzer are presented which change the colorimeter cuvet configuration to allow for greater sensitivity as well as to provide increased resolution of the fractions eluted from the ion-exchange columns. Cuvet changes are combined with three different recorder modes—normal, expanded, and dual-range—which provide accurate analysis in concentration ranges of 0.020–0.600 μmole, 0.002–0.045 μmole, and 0.002–0.250 μmole, respectively.
Expectation and autokinesis.

The reported direction of autokinesis for naive observers is not biased by gaze deviations of 22.5 deg of arc. However, instructions to expect either “inward” or “outward” movement produce reports of autokinetic movement that are progressively biased in the expected direction. Instructions to expect “more” or “less” movement resulted in a decrease in the reported duration of apparent movement for the “less” group but no change for the “more” group. Response bias is not considered to play a role in these results. The results are discussed in terms of fixational bias and selective attention mechanisms of autokinesis.
Large deflections of cantilever beams of non-linear materials of the Ludwick type subjected to an end moment

Abstract This paper deals with the large deflections (finite) of thin cantilever beams of non-linear materials of the Ludwick type. The beam is subjected to an end constant moment. Large deflections of beams induce geometrical non-linearity. Therefore, in formulating the analysis, the exact expression of the curvature is used in the Euler-Bernoulli law. A closed-form solution is presented for the resulting second-order non-linear differential equation. This solution is compared to previous results assuming linear elastic materials. Deflections at the free end of beams of aluminum alloy and annealed copper are obtained.
Modeling, arousal, and aggression.

Summary In order to determine the effects of reading aggressive, neutral, and erotic passages on subsequent aggressive responding, 89 female and 61 male undergraduates were randomly assigned to six conditions, with Ss either insulted or not insulted while reading one of the three types of passages. The dependent measure of aggression was a questionnaire which evaluated the study by using a rating scale and a choice of adjectives measure. Analysis of the rating scale evaluations showed a significant treatment effect such that the erotic group was more aggressive than the neutral group, which did not differ from the aggressive group. A significant treatment × insult interaction also indicated that Ss in the no-insult-aggressive and insult-neutral conditions were significantly less aggressive than those in the other four groups. Similar trends were found for the adjective choice measure. The results supported the arousal theory rather than the incompatible response theory of sexual stimulation. The interacti...
An expert system for academic counseling

In recent years, high enrollment has greatly increased the counseling loads of academic advisors at American colleges and universities. Expert systems can assist academic counselors by solving a relatively easy class of problems which deal with the most encountered cases. In this paper, a prototype expert system, CLASS COUNSELOR, is presented. CLASS COUNSELOR recommends a set of courses after an interactive session with the student. It handles the upper division courses of the undergraduate program in the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Florida. The program runs on IBM-AT personal computers and compatibles.
Abrasion resistant inorganic/organic coating materials prepared by the sol-gel method

Novel abrasion resistant coating materials prepared by the sol-gel method have been developed and applied on the polymeric substrates bisphenol-A polycarbonate and diallyl diglycol carbonate resin (CR-39). These coatings are inorganic/organic hybrid network materials synthesized from 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane functionalized organics and metal alkoxide. The organic components are 3,3′-iminobispropylamine (IMPA), resorcinol (RSOL), diethylenetriamine (DETA), poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI), glycerol and a series of diols. The metal alkoxides are tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS). These materials are spin coated onto bisphenol-A polycarbonate and CR-39 sheets and thermally cured to obtain a transparent coating of a few microns in thickness. Following the curing, the abrasion resistance is measured and compared with an uncoated control. It was found that the abrasion resistance of inorganic/organic hybrid coatings in the neat form or containing metal alkoxide can be very effective to improve the abrasion resistance of polymeric substrates. The adhesion tests show that the adhesion between coating and substrate can be greatly improved by treating the polymeric substrate surface with a primer solution of isopropanol containing 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APS). The interaction between 3-APS and the polycarbonate surface was investigated by a molecular dynamics simulation. The results strongly suggest that the hydrogen bonding between the amino group of the 3-APS and ester group in the polycarbonate backbone are sufficiently strong to influence the orientation of the primer molecules. The abrasion resistance of these new coating systems is discussed in light of the structure of the organic components. All of these results show that these coating materials have excellent abrasion resistance and have potential applications as coating materials for lenses and other polymeric products.
The fluvial and pyroclastic deposits of the Cagayan Basin, Northern Luzon, Philippines—an example of non-marine volcaniclastic sedimentation in an interarc basin

The Cagayan basin of Northern Luzon, an interarc basin 250 km long and 80 km wide, contains a 900 m thick sequence of Plio-Pleistocene fluvial and pyroclastic deposits. These deposits are divided into two formations, the Ilagan and Awidon Mesa, and three lithofacies associations. The facies, which are interpreted as meandering stream, braided stream, lahar, and pyroclastic flow and fall deposits, occur in a coarsening upward sequence. Meandering stream deposits interbedded with tuffs are overlain by braided stream deposits interbedded with coarser pyroclastic deposits; lahars and ignimbrites. The coarsening upward volcaniclastic deposits reflect the tectonic and volcanic evolution of the adjacent Cordillera Central volcanic arc. Uplift of the arc resulted in the progradation of coarser clastics further into the basin, the development of an alluvial fan, and migration of the basin depocentre away from the arc. The coarsening of the pyroclastic deposits reflects the development of a more proximal calc-alkaline volcanic belt in the maturing volcanic arc. The Cagayan basin sediments serve as an example of the type and sequence of non marine volcaniclastic sediments that may form in other interarc basins. This is because the tectonic and volcanic processes which controlled sedimentation in the Cagayan basin also affect other arc systems and will therefore control or significantly influence volcaniclastic sedimentation in other interarc basins.
Promoting the Positive Development of Boys in High-Poverty Neighborhoods: Evidence from Four Anti-Poverty Experiments.

This study uses geocoded address data and information about parent's economic behavior and children's development from four random-assignment welfare and anti-poverty experiments conducted during the 1990s. We find that the impacts of these welfare and anti-poverty programs on boys' and girls' developmental outcomes during the transition to early adolescence differ as a function of neighborhood poverty levels. The strongest positive impacts of these programs are among boys who lived in high-poverty neighborhoods at the time their parents enrolled in the studies, with smaller or non-statistically significant effects for boys in lower poverty neighborhoods and for girls across all neighborhoods. This research informs our understanding of how neighborhood context and child gender may interact with employment-based policies to affect children's well-being.
A high-voltage, high-temperature reverse conducting thyristor

This paper describes the structure and electrical characteristics of a silicon p-n-p-n inverter switch which has been fabricated to demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining both high-voltage and high-temperature capability in the same device while still maintaining reasonable dynamic properties. It was realized that in most inverter systems, feedback rectifiers are required, and thus the reverse blocking capability of a thyristor is not utilized. This was used to advantage in the design of a thyristor by integrating an anti-parallel rectifier into a conventional thyristor structure. Although this approach results in a thyristor having a negligible reverse blocking capability in comparison to commercially available power thyrisitors, the potential advantages of lower conduction losses, high maximum junction temperatures, and integrated antiparallel rectifier may be attractive for use in inverters. Reverse conducting thyristors designed in this fashion have been operated with reasonable turnoff times at a forward blocking voltage of 1000 volts while at case temperatures of up to 230°C.
Signing Me onto Your Accounts through Facebook and Google: A Traffic-Guided Security Study of Commercially Deployed Single-Sign-On Web Services

With the boom of software-as-a-service and social networking, web-based single sign-on (SSO) schemes are being deployed by more and more commercial websites to safeguard many web resources. Despite prior research in formal verification, little has been done to analyze the security quality of SSO schemes that are commercially deployed in the real world. Such an analysis faces unique technical challenges, including lack of access to well-documented protocols and code, and the complexity brought in by the rich browser elements (script, Flash, etc.). In this paper, we report the first "field study" on popular web SSO systems. In every studied case, we focused on the actual web traffic going through the browser, and used an algorithm to recover important semantic information and identify potential exploit opportunities. Such opportunities guided us to the discoveries of real flaws. In this study, we discovered 8 serious logic flaws in high-profile ID providers and relying party websites, such as Open ID (including Google ID and Pay Pal Access), Face book, Jan Rain, Freelancer, Farm Ville, Sears.com, etc. Every flaw allows an attacker to sign in as the victim user. We reported our findings to affected companies, and received their acknowledgements in various ways. All the reported flaws, except those discovered very recently, have been fixed. This study shows that the overall security quality of SSO deployments seems worrisome. We hope that the SSO community conducts a study similar to ours, but in a larger scale, to better understand to what extent SSO is insecurely deployed and how to respond to the situation.
In AβPP-overexpressing cultured human muscle fibers proteasome inhibition enhances phosphorylation of AβPP751 and GSK3β activation: effects mitigated by lithium and apparently relevant to sporadic inclusion-body myositis

Muscle fiber degeneration in sporadic inclusion-body myositis (s-IBM) is characterized by accumulation of multiprotein aggregates, including aggregated amyloid-beta (Abeta)-precursor protein 751 (AbetaPP751), Abeta, phosphorylated tau, and other 'Alzheimer-characteristic' proteins. Proteasome inhibition is an important component of the s-IBM pathogenesis. In brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and AD transgenic-mouse models, phosphorylation of neuronal AbetaPP695 (p-AbetaPP) on Thr668 (equivalent to T724 of AbetaPP751) is considered detrimental because it increases generation of cytotoxic Abeta and induces tau phosphorylation. Activated glycogen synthase kinase3beta (GSK3beta) is involved in phosphorylation of both AbetaPP and tau. Lithium, an inhibitor of GSK3beta, was reported to reduce levels of both the total AbetaPP and p-AbetaPP in AD animal models. In relation to s-IBM, we now show for the first time that (1) In AbetaPP-overexpressing cultured human muscle fibers (human muscle culture IBM model: (a) proteasome inhibition significantly increases GSK3beta activity and AbetaPP phosphorylation, (b) treatment with lithium decreases (i) phosphorylated-AbetaPP, (ii) total amount of AbetaPP, (iii) Abeta oligomers, and (iv) GSK3beta activity; and (c) lithium improves proteasome function. (2) In biopsied s-IBM muscle fibers, GSK3beta is significantly activated and AbetaPP is phosphorylated on Thr724. Accordingly, treatment with lithium, or other GSK3beta inhibitors, might benefit s-IBM patients.
A new familial syndrome with osseous dysplasia and mental deficiency

Two male siblings, born to unrelated parents, presented what we believe to be anew congenital dysmorphic syndrome characterized by mental retardation, short stature, microcephaly, peculiar facies, narrow thoracic cage with pectus carinatum, hypoplastic genitals, hypoplastic skin lesions, and skeletal deformities. The latter included short metatarsals and metacarpals, small phalanges with tufting, and epiphysitis of the spine. Studies of the family revealed two maternal female cousins who had several of the unusual features noted above. The mechanism of inheritance is undetermined, although X-linked semidominant is one consideration.
Political Violence and Journalism in a Multiethnic State: A Case Study of Burma (Myanmar)

Debates about the role of media in situations of political violence call into question whether journalists should focus on “objective” reporting or instead facilitate conflict resolution. Yet an in...
Characterization of elemental release during microbe–granite interactions at T = 28 °C

Abstract This study used batch reactors to characterize the mechanisms and rates of elemental release (Al, Ca, K, Mg, Na, F, Fe, P, Sr, and Si) during interaction of a single bacterial species (Burkholderia fungorum) with granite at T = 28 °C for 35 days. The objective was to evaluate how actively metabolizing heterotrophic bacteria might influence granite weathering on the continents. We supplied glucose as a C source, either NH4 or NO3 as N sources, and either dissolved PO4 or trace apatite in granite as P sources. Cell growth occurred under all experimental conditions. However, solution pH decreased from ∼7 to 4 in NH4-bearing reactors, whereas pH remained near-neutral in NO3-bearing reactors. Measurements of dissolved CO2 and gluconate together with mass-balances for cell growth suggest that pH lowering in NH4-bearing reactors resulted from gluconic acid release and H+ extrusion during NH4 uptake. In NO3-bearing reactors, B. fungormum likely produced gluconic acid and consumed H+ simultaneously during NO3 utilization. Over the entire 35-day period, NH4-bearing biotic reactors yielded the highest release rates for all elements considered. However, chemical analyses of biomass show that bacteria scavenged Na, P, and Sr during growth. Abiotic control reactors followed different reaction paths and experienced much lower elemental release rates compared to biotic reactors. Because release rates inversely correlate with pH, we conclude that proton-promoted dissolution was the dominant reaction mechanism. Solute speciation modeling indicates that formation of Al–F and Fe–F complexes in biotic reactors may have enhanced mineral solubilities and release rates by lowering Al and Fe activities. Mass-balances further reveal that Ca-bearing trace phases (calcite, fluorite, and fluorapatite) provided most of the dissolved Ca, whereas more abundant phases (plagioclase) contributed negligible amounts. Our findings imply that during the incipient stages of granite weathering, heterotrophic bacteria utilizing glucose and NH4 only moderately elevate silicate weathering reactions that consume atmospheric CO2. However, by enhancing the dissolution of non-silicate, Ca-bearing trace minerals, they could contribute to high Ca/Na ratios commonly observed in granitic watersheds.
RF enhanced PECVD system for CNT field-emitter cathode array deposition

We present the development of a Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) system for deposition of multi-walled, vertically aligned Carbon Nano-Tubes (CNT) as cathode field emitter sites in a large (1000 × 1000), 1 cm2 area array. The CNT deposition is compatible with the use of Si wafers containing the individual emitter site ballasts in the form of Si n-type JFETs and series source resistors. In earlier attempts to deposit CNTs in the PECVD system using only DC power for combined plasma, heat, and bias E-field generation severe arcing was observed which frustrated the yield1. By adding modest amounts of RF power to the system the bias generation and heating is decoupled from the plasma generation, CNT growth temperatures can be lowered and the arcing on the insulator surfaces of the Si wafer is significantly reduced. Initial results from the deposition system will be presented together with the measured CNT field-emission I–V characteristics.
Alternative (M2) activation of Kupffer cells by PPARδ ameliorates obesity-induced insulin resistance

Macrophage infiltration and activation in metabolic tissues underlie obesity-induced insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. While inflammatory activation of resident hepatic macrophages potentiates insulin resistance, the functions of alternatively activated Kupffer cells in metabolic disease remain unknown. Here we show that in response to the Th2 cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARdelta) directs expression of the alternative phenotype in Kupffer cells and adipose tissue macrophages of lean mice. However, adoptive transfer of PPARdelta(-/-) (Ppard(-/-)) bone marrow into wild-type mice diminishes alternative activation of hepatic macrophages, causing hepatic dysfunction and systemic insulin resistance. Suppression of hepatic oxidative metabolism is recapitulated by treatment of primary hepatocytes with conditioned medium from PPARdelta(-/-) macrophages, indicating direct involvement of Kupffer cells in liver lipid metabolism. Taken together, these data suggest an unexpected beneficial role for alternatively activated Kupffer cells in metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Improving risk-adjusted measures of surgical site infection for the national healthcare safety network.

Background. The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) has provided simple risk adjustment of surgical site infection (SSI) rates to participating hospitals to facilitate quality improvement activities; improved risk models were developed and evaluated.Methods. Data reported to the NHSN for all operative procedures performed from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2008, were analyzed. Only SSIs related to the primary incision site were included. A common set of patient- and hospital-specific variables were evaluated as potential SSI risk factors by univariate analysis. Some ific variables were available for inclusion. Stepwise logistic regression was used to develop the specific risk models by procedure category. Bootstrap resampling was used to validate the models, and the c-index was used to compare the predictive power of new procedure-specific risk models with that of the models with the NHSN risk index as the only variable (NHSN risk index model).Results. From January 1, 2006, through December ...
Optimal Fixed-Point Implementation of Digital Filters

We consider the problem of finding optimal realizations of discrete-time digital filters w.r.t. implementation on a finite-memory machine with a fixed-point processor. A realization for which the performance of the fixed-point implementation under quantization effects is closest (in some sense) to the ideal performance (assuming precise arithmetic) is considered optimal. The transfer function corresponding to the optimal implementation is not necessarily the same as the transfer function of the original filter. Therefore, the optimal implementation cannot be obtained via a change of coordinates. This problem is inherently a nonlinear control problem due to the presence of the quantizer. We use a signal + noise model to linearize the system. After linearization, the problem of finding the optimal realization is still a nonconvex optimization problem. We show that under some mild technical assumptions the problem can be convexified losslessly, and transformed into an equivalent set of LMIs for which numerical solutions can be obtained efficiently.
Child-Rearing Practices and Societal Complexity: Effect of Disequilibrium on Cognitive Development

Summary Strong relationships are found to hold between a combination of purported cultural measures of disequilibrating or challenging child-rearing practices and the recognized measure of cultural complexity, as rated in a sample of 181 world-wide societies. The results support the thesis that disequilibrium facilitates cognitive growth, especially in areas of social development.
The Concentration of African‐American Poverty and the Dispersal of the Working Class: An Ethnographic Study of Three Inner‐city Areas

For almost ten years there has been growing concern about the concentration of poverty among African-Americans living in the inner cities of America’s metropolitan areas. Along with this concern a debate has emerged between Douglas Massey and co-authors, and William Julius Wilson as to what the root cause of this concentration is, as well as its impact on the African-American community. Most of the evidence directed toward answering these questions has come from the analysis of large data sets. With data from a five-year ethnographic study of three inner-city areas in Los Angeles, New York and Detroit, this paper presents evidence of how the dynamic associated with the increasing trend toward concentration gets worked out in everyday life. It demonstrates that the process of concentration is more complicated than simply the job loss explanation advanced by Wilson, or segregation effects argued by Massey et al. Further, it provides evidence that while social isolation does occur as a result of the concentration dynamic, it is the isolation from the working class (as opposed to the middle class) that has the most profound negative impact on the poor. Finally, the paper provides evidence that as social isolation has increased between the African-American poor and the other social strata within the African-American community, it has not precipitated generalized feelings of hopelessness among the poor as Wilson and Massey suggest. Depuis une dizaine d’annees, la concentration de la pauvrete au sein des africains-americains vivant dans le centre des villes des metropoles americaines est devenue un sujet d’inquietude de plus en plus marque. Un debat est apparu sur ce point entre Douglas Massey, ses co-auteurs, et William Julius Wilson quant a la cause premiere de cette concentration et de son impact sur la communaute africain-americaine. La plupart des preuves qui servent a repondre a ces questions proviennent de l’analyses de larges banques de donnees. Utilisant des donnees provenant d’une etude ethnographique de cinq ans sur trois quartiers de centre-ville a Los Angeles, New York et Detroit, cet article apporte des elements de preuve qui montrent comment la dynamique associee a la tendance croissante a la concentration fonctionne dans la vie de tous les jours. Il demontre que le processus de concentration est plus complique que la simple explication de la perte de travail avance par Wilson ou les effets de la segregation suggeres par Massey et al. De sucroit, le papier montre que lorsque que l’isolement social est le resultat de la dynamique de concentration/segregation, c’est la separation de la classe ouvriere (et non des classes moyennes) qui produit les resultats les plus negatifs sur les pauvres. Ce papier montre enfin que si la segregation s’est accrue entre les pauvres africains-americains et les autres groupes sociaux de cette communaute, cela n’a pas engendre de sentiments generalises de desespoir parmi les pauvres contrairement a ce qui avait ete suggere par Wilson et Massey.
HOUSEHOLD FOOD CHOICE IN FOUR FOOD CATEGORIES: HEALTHY OR UNHEALTHY?

The interest of this study is the tradeoff between nutrition and taste in consumer food choice. We examine choice between more and less healthy versions of particular foods within four important grocery categories: breakfast cereal, milk, bread, and soft drinks. Within a category, products do not greatly differ in terms of cost and convenience, and nutritional differences are easily determined. Consumers are less likely to choose unhealthy foods due to cost or convenience advantages, or through ignorance. This makes the choice between taste and nutrition more apparent. We use annual expenditure data reported by a large sample of households participating in the AC Nielsen Homescan data system. For each of the food categories we develop a measure of ‘healthiness’ of household expenditures. This is regressed on household demographics and a measure of market prices. We find that households with college-educated heads and higher income households make significantly healthier choices in all the categories. The former was expected. However, although income is generally associated with healthier diets, this is usually attributed to the cost of healthy foods, an explanation inapplicable here. This suggests a deeper understanding of the role of income in diet is needed. As expected, the presence of children leads to a lowering of household nutrition, but primarily for cereal and bread: beverages are little affected. Older households tend to make healthier choices. Finally, we find a reasonably strong role for prices, perhaps reflecting high substitutability among products whose major difference essentially involves a single dimension.
Transient dynamics and the destabilizing effects of prey heterogeneity

The presence of prey heterogeneity and weakly interacting prey species is frequently viewed as a stabilizer of predator-prey dynamics, countering the destabilizing effects of enrichment and reducing the amplitude of population cycles. However, prior model explorations have largely focused on long-term, dynamic attractors rather than transient dynamics. Recent theoretical work shows that the presence of prey that are defended from predation can have strongly divergent effects on dynamics depending on time scale: prey heterogeneity can counteract the destabilizing effects of enrichment on predator-prey dynamics at long time scales but strongly destabilize systems during transient phases by creating long periods of low predator/prey abundance and increasing extinction probability (an effect that is amplified with increasing enrichment). We tested these general predictions using a planktonic system composed of a zooplankton predator and multiple algal prey. We first parameterized a model of our system to generate predictions and tested these experimentally. Our results qualitatively supported several model predictions. During transient phases, presence of defended algal prey increased predator extinctions at low and high enrichment levels compared to systems with only a single edible prey. This destabilizing effect was moderated at higher dilution rates, as predicted by our model. When examining dynamics beyond initial oscillations, presence of the defended prey increased predator-prey temporal variability at high nutrient enrichment but had no effect at low nutrient levels. Our results highlight the importance of considering transient dynamics when assessing the role of stabilizing factors on the dynamics of food webs.
On the consistency of maximum likelihood estimation of phylogenetic trees from nucleotide sequences.

Felsenstein (1973, 1978, 1981) and other workers have advocated the method of maximum likelihood (ML) for estimating phylogenetic trees from discrete character data, particularly nucleotide sequences, in part because it is thought to be consistent, i.e., it will converge on the true tree as more and more data are accumulated. In contrast, the method of maximum parsimony is known to converge, under certain conditions, on the wrong tree as more data are added (Felsenstein, 1978). Felsenstein's (1973) argument for the consistency of the ML method was based on earlier work (Wald, 1949) that demonstrated that maximum likelihood estimation of statistical parameters, such as means, variances, etc., is consistent under a wide variety of conditions. This work also guarantees the consistency of the ML estimate of the branch lengths of a phylogenetic tree, given the correct tree topology and nucleotide substitution model. However, as pointed out by several workers (e.g., Nei, 1987:325; Saitou, 1988; Yang, 1994, 1996; Yang et al, 1995; Russo et al., 1996), these attributes do not guarantee the consistency of the ML method for estimating the tree topology. The usual ML method for estimating a tree involves finding the ML branch lengths for a given tree topology and substitution model, repeating the process for several to many other topologies, and then selecting the topology with the highest ML value as the best estimate of the true tree (Felsenstein, 1981). Yang (1994:329-330) wrote that
Time optimal slewing of a rigid body with flexible appendages

The control problem of time-optimal, rest to rest, slewing of a rigid body with flexible appendages through a large angle is considered. A finite dimesional time optimal slewing problem is proposed as a relaxation of an ill-posed infinite dimensional time optimal slewing problem. The optimal control history is shown to have an important time symmetry property. The switching times, final time and costates at mid-maneuver are shown to satisfy a system of nonlinear algebraic equations.
Antioxidants and xanthophyll cycle-dependent energy dissipation in Cucurbita pepo L. and Vinca major L. acclimated to four growth PPFDs in the field

The acclimation of photochemistry, xanthophyll cycle-dependent energy dissipation, and antioxidants was characterized in leaves of Cucurbita pepo L. and Vinca major L. that developed under photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFDs) ranging from deep shade to full sunlight in the field. The predominant acclimatory response of leaf pigment composition was an increase in the xanthophyll cycle pool size with increasing growth PPFD. In both species, the estimated rate of thermal energy dissipation at midday increased with increasing PPFD and midday levels of zeaxanthin and antheraxanthin per chlorophyll were closely correlated with the levels of non-photochemical fluorescence quenching under all growth PPFD regimes. However, at full sunlight there appeared to be considerably higher levels of xanthophyll cycle-dependent energy dissipation in V. major compared with pumpkin while estimated rates of photochemistry exhibited the reverse trend. Leaf activities of the antioxidant enzymes ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, as well as ascorbate content, increased with increasing growth PPFD in both plant species. Activities/contents were higher under 100% full sunlight and increased more strongly from intermediate growth PPFDs to 100% full sunlight in V. major than in C. pepo. These patterns of acclimation are similar to those exhibited by xanthophyll cycle-dependent energy dissipation. The patterns of acclimation of glutathione reductase are discussed in the context of the multiple roles for reduced glutathione. Catalase acclimated in a manner consistent with its role in scavenging H 2 O 2 generated via photorespiration and/or mitochondrial respiration. Leaf α-tocopherol did not exhibit growth PPFD-dependent trends.
Local immunity against Newcastle disease virus in the newly hatched chicken's respiratory tract.

Inoculation of 200 mean egg infectious doses (EID50) of lentogenic Newcastle disease virus strain B1 (NDV-B1) into the air sac of 4-day-old specific-pathogen-free chicks provided significant protection against challenge of the air sac with 100 chicken mean lethal doses (LD50) of velogenic NDV-H but no protection against reinfection when the challenge was by the eye. Conversely, inoculation of the eye with 200 EID50 of NDV-B1 provided significant protection against challenge of the eye but not of the air sac with 100 chicken LD50 of NDV-H. Birds that received both antiserum and intraocular immunization were subsequently protected against both eye and air-sac challenge. On the other hand, birds that received antiserum and air-sac immunization were protected only against air-sac challenge but not against ocular challenge. Low levels of passively administered antibody did not prevent infection of the eye or air sac but greatly reduced the mortality rate after inoculation of either the vaccine or the challenge viruses. Passively administered antibody also suppressed hemagglutination-inhibiting and virus-neutralizing antibody formation stimulated by air-sac infection but not antibody formation stimulated by ocular infection. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that local immunity is responsible for prevention of infection, since birds were immune to reinfection at one site and simultaneously susceptible at the other site of infection.
Genomic Analysis and Geographic Visualization of the Spread of Avian Influenza (H5N1)

DANIEL JAMES, ANDREW W. HILL, ROBERT GURALNICK,' FARHAT HABIB,' ERIC WALTARI, AND WARD C. WHEELER J Department ofBiomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, 3190 Graves Hall, 333 W. 10th Ave. Columbus, Ohio, 43210-1239, USA; E-mail: Daniel.Janies@osumc.edu Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-0334, USA; E-mail: Robert.Guralnick@colorado.edu, Andrew.Hill@colorado.edu University of Colorado Museum, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 80309-0265 "Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, 1040 Physics Research Building, 191 West Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1117, USA; E-mail: farhat@pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York, 10024-5193, USA; E-mail: ewaltari@amnh.org, wheeler@amnh.org
Oral Resveratrol Therapy Inhibits Cancer-Induced Skeletal Muscle and Cardiac Atrophy In Vivo

The mechanism by which cancer mediates muscle atrophy has been delineated in the past 3 decades and includes a prominent role of tumor-derived cytokines, such as IL-6, TNFα, and IL-1. These cytokines interact with their cognate receptors on muscle to activate the downstream transcription factor NF-κB and induce sarcomere proteolysis. Experimentally, inhibiting NF-κB signaling largely prevents cancer-induced muscle wasting, indicating its prominent role in muscle atrophy. Resveratrol, a natural phytoalexin found in the skin of grapes, has recently been shown to inhibit NF-κB in cancer cells, which led us to hypothesize that it might have a protective role in cancer cachexia. Therefore, we investigated whether daily oral resveratrol could protect against skeletal muscle loss and cardiac atrophy in an established mouse model. We demonstrate resveratrol inhibits skeletal muscle and cardiac atrophy induced by C26 adenocarcinoma tumors through its inhibition of NF-κB (p65) activity in skeletal muscle and heart. These studies demonstrate for the first time the utility of oral resveratrol therapy to provide clinical benefit in cancer-induced atrophy through the inhibition of NF-κB in muscle. These findings may have application in the treatment of diseases with parallel pathophysiologies such as muscular dystrophy and heart failure.
Assessment of haptics-based interaction for assembly tasks in virtual reality

This paper investigates the benefits of haptics-based interaction for performing assembly-related tasks in a virtual environment. The research examines the context in which haptic feedback affects user performance and identifies assembly operations that are influenced. Forty participants completed three experiments relevant to virtual assembly: weight discrimination, part positioning, and manual assembly. Each experiment featured a series of trials generated from factorial combinations of performance variables. Subjects were assessed based on task completion time and different measures of accuracy. When compared to visual-only methods, quantitative results show that haptics-based interaction is beneficial in improving performance by reducing completion times for weight discrimination, permits higher placement accuracy when positioning virtual objects, and enables steadier hand motions along three-dimensional trajectories. The results also indicate that user accuracy in weight discrimination is dependent on hand dominance when manipulating the virtual object combined with the provided sensory information.
Learning to recognize promoter sequences in E. coli by modeling uncertainty in the training data

Automatic recognition of promoter sequences is an important open problem in molecular biology. Unfortunately, the usual machine learning version of this problem is critically flawed. In particular, the dataset available from the Irvine repository was drawn from a compilation of promoter sequences that were pre-processed to conform to the biologists' related notion of the consensus sequence, a first-order approximation with a number of shortcomings that are well-known in molecular biology. Although concept descriptions learned from the Irvine data may represent the consensus sequence, they do not represent promoters. More generally, imperfections in preprocessed data and statistical variations in the locations of biologically meaningful features within the raw data invalidate standard attribute-based approaches. I suggest a dataset, a concept-description language, and a model of uncertainty in the promoter data that are all biologically justified, then address the learning problem with incremental probabilistic evidence combination. This knowledge-based approach yields a more accurate and more credible solution than other more conventional machine learning systems.
Influence of Diet on Lactate, Alanine and Serine Turnover and Incorporation into Glucose in the Dog

Four diets containing 0 to 62% of energy from carbohydrate and 24% to 48% of energy from protein were fed to young dogs. The influence of these diets on the turnover of [U-14C]-L-lactate, [U-14C]-L-alanine and [U-14C]-L-serine and on the incorporation of these gluconeogenic precursors into plasma glucose of the dog was established. Blood lactate levels were lowered when high-protein diets were fed but were not influenced by the level of carbohydrate in the diet or by a 48-hour fast. Plasma alanine and serine levels were elevated in dogs fed the high-protein diets and were lowered by a 48-hour fast. Turnover of lactate was increased in dogs fed high-carbohydrate diets whereas turnover of alanine and serine was increased in dogs fed the high-protein diets. Following a 48-hour fast, 14C-lactate conversion to plasma glucose was lower in dogs fed the high-protein diets than in dogs fed the lower protein diets whereas 14C-alanine and 14C-serine conversion to plasma glucose was increased in dogs fed the high-protein. Thus, the diet consumed altered the relative importance of these gluconeogenic precursors to the maintenance of plasma glucose.
Phosphorescent materials for application to organic light emitting devices

Organic phosphors have demanded the attention of the organic electroluminescence community because they enable efficiencies quadruple that of fluorescent materials. In this work, we review the categories of organic phosphors: lanthanide complexes, organic phosphors and metal-organic complexes. The characteristics necessary for efficient phosphor- escence are considered and conclusions are drawn as to the most promising materials.
Two and Three-Dimensional Modeling of DM Columns under Embankments

Deep mixed (DM) columns have been commonly used to increase bearing capacity of soft soil and reduce total and differential settlements of embankments. In most analyses (especially numerical analyses) of embankments over DM columns, two-dimensional models are commonly used for simplicity. However, it is not clear how well the two-dimensional (2D) models represent the behavior of embankments over DM columns that are typically installed in a three-dimensional (3D) pattern, such as a square or triangular pattern. In this study, 2D and 3D numerical analyses were conducted to show the comparisons of their results including maximum settlements and vertical stresses. In the 2D analysis, individual DM columns and the soil between these columns are converted to several DM walls parallel to the centerline of the embankment. The DM walls are assumed to have equivalent moduli or strength averaged from the individual DM columns and the soil between these columns based on their areas and moduli or strengths. The comparisons show that the 2D model calculates slightly (conservatively) larger maximum settlements at the base of the embankment than the 3D model if the DM walls/columns are within the elastic limit. However, the 2D and 3D models produce very different results of vertical stresses on the top of DM walls/columns.
Experiences in implementing simulation-based support for operational decision making in semiconductor manufacturing

We describe a discrete event simulator that has been deployed in a 300 mm wafer fabrication plant to aid short-term, operational decision-making. Our simulator has been designed and calibrated to produce reliable predictions over simulation horizons as short as a few days to several weeks. It has been automated to run daily, without the need for manually provided data. We provide motivating examples illustrating the need for short-term predictions, and share insights on aspects of the simulator design that contribute to its usefulness and accuracy. Finally, we include several examples of how the simulator has been used to aid operational and tactical decision-making at the IBM wafer fabrication plant in East Fishkill, NY.
Protein and Energy Intake in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease: How Much is Too Much?

Uremic wasting is strongly associated with increased risk of death and hospitalization events in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recent evidence indicates that patients with advanced chronic kidney disease are prone to uremic wasting due to several factors, which include the dialysis procedure and certain comorbid conditions, especially chronic inflammation and insulin resistance or deficiency. While the catabolic effects of dialysis can be readily avoided with intradialytic nutritional supplementation, there are no established alternative strategies to avoid the catabolic consequences of comorbid conditions other than treatment of their primary etiology. To this end, there is no indication that simply increasing dietary protein and energy intake above the required levels based on level of kidney disease is beneficial in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. However, aside from the potential adverse effects such as uremic toxin production, dietary protein and energy intake in excess of actual needs might be beneficial in maintenance dialysis patients as it may lead to weight gain over time. Clearly, the role of obesity in advanced uremia needs to be examined in detail prior to making any clinically applicable recommendations, both in terms of ''low'' and ''high'' dietary protein and energy intake.
Surface Functionalized Biocompatible Magnetic Nanospheres for Cancer Hyperthermia

We report a simplified single emulsion (oil-in-water) solvent evaporation protocol to synthesize surface functionalized biocompatible magnetic nanospheres by using highly concentrated hydrophobic magnetite (gel) and a mixture of poly(D,L lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and poly(lactic acid-block-polyethylene glycol-maleimide) (PLA-PEG-maleimide) (10:1 by mass) polymers. The as-synthesized particles are approximately spherical with an average diameter of 360-370 nm with polydispersity index of 0.12-0.18, are surface-functionalized with maleimide groups, and have saturation magnetization values of 25-40 emu/g. The efficiency of the heating induced by 400-kHz oscillating magnetic fields is compared for two samples with different magnetite loadings. Results show that these nanospheres have the potential to provide an efficient cancer-targeted hyperthermia.