cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Golgi‐mediated Glycosylation Determines Residency of the T2 RNase Rny1p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The role of glycosylation in the function of the T2 family of RNases is not well understood. In this work, we examined how glycosylation affects the progression of the T2 RNase Rny1p through the secretory pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that Rny1p requires entering into the ER first to become active and uses the adaptor protein Erv29p for packaging into COPII vesicles and transport to the Golgi apparatus. While inside the ER, Rny1p undergoes initial N-linked core glycosylation at four sites, N37, N70, N103 and N123. Rny1p transport to the Golgi results in the further attachment of high-glycans. Whereas modifications with glycans are dispensable for the nucleolytic activity of Rny1p, Golgi-mediated modifications are critical for its extracellular secretion. Failure of Golgi-specific glycosylation appears to direct Rny1p to the vacuole as an alternative destination and/or site of terminal degradation. These data reveal a previously unknown function of Golgi glycosylation in a T2 RNase as a sorting and secretion signal.
Electrocardiogram in acute pericarditis. Distributions of morphologic and axial changes by stages.

Abstract Among 50 patients with uncomplicated acute pericarditis, 48 showed classic stage 1 S-T segment deviations; stage 3 T wave inversions developed in 32 patients. Electrocardiographic changes during the transitional stages 2 and 4 were recorded in 23 and 32 patients, respectively. Stage 1 orientation of the S-T segment frontal plane mean vector (ÂS-T) corresponded closely to ÂT and ÂQRS. Precordial S-T segment elevations occurred with increasing frequency from leads V 1 to V 6 . Subsequent T wave inversions produced a wide dispersion of ÂT in stage 3 between −50 ° and +100 °; precordial T waves were always inverted in leads V 5 and V 6 . Forty-one patients had P-R segment shifts; in 93 percent ÂP-R was concentrated between −120 ° and −150 °, directly opposite to ÂP. ÂS-T was oriented to the left and anterior and inferior, representing the generalized subepicardial ventricular myocarditis of acute pericarditis. ÂP-R was oriented to the right and posterior and superior, representing the corresponding generalized atrial injury. The wide dispersion of ÂT in stage 3 is consistent with inhomogeneity of the ventricular recovery process after injury.
Spatial Generalization of Learning in Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements: Implications for the Coordinate Frame and Sites of Learning

We have examined the underlying coordinate frame for pursuit learning by testing how broadly learning generalizes to different retinal loci and directions of target motion. Learned changes in pursuit were induced using double steps of target speed. Monkeys tracked a target that stepped obliquely away from the point of fixation, then moved smoothly either leftward or rightward. In each experimental session, we adapted the response to targets moving in one direction across one locus of the visual field by changing target speed during the initial catch-up saccade. Learning occurred in both presaccadic and postsaccadic eye velocity. The changes were specific to the adapted direction and did not generalize to the opposite direction of pursuit. To test the spatial scale of learning, we examined the responses to targets that moved across different parts of the visual field at the same velocity as the learning targets. Learning generalized partially to motion presented at untrained locations in the visual field, even those across the vertical meridian. Experiments with two sets of learning trials showed interference between learning at different sites in the visual field, suggesting that pursuit learning is not capable of spatial specificity. Our findings are consistent with the previous suggestions that pursuit learning is encoded in an intermediate representation that is neither strictly sensory nor strictly motor. Our data add the constraint that the site or sites of pursuit learning must process visual information on a fairly large spatial scale that extends across the horizontal and vertical meridians.
Program analysis using weighted pushdown systems

Pushdown systems (PDSs) are an automata-theoretic formalism for specifying a class of infinite-state transition systems. Infiniteness comes from the fact that each configuration 〈p,S〉 in the state space consists of a (formal) "control location" p coupled with a stack S of unbounded size. PDSs can model program paths that have matching calls and returns, and automaton-based representations allow analysis algorithms to account for the infinite control state space of recursive programs. Weighted pushdown systems (WPDSs) are a generalization of PDSs that add a general "black-box" abstraction for program data (through weights). WPDSs also generalize other frameworks for interprocedural analysis, such as the Sharir-Pnueli functional approach. This paper surveys recent work in this area, and establishes a few new connections with existing work.
Genesis of GABA-immunoreactive neurons in the ferret visual cortex

The pattern of neurogenesis of GABA-immunoreactive neurons in the ferret primary visual cortex was determined using immunohistochemical and 3H-thymidine autoradiographic techniques. Neurons in the visual cortex of the ferret undergo their final cell division during a period extending from embryonic day 20 (E20) to postnatal day 14 (P14) and follow an inside-out pattern of neuronal production (Jackson et al., 1984) similar to that observed in other mammals. Earlier-generated neurons are found at deeper cortical positions in the adult than are those generated later. Layer I is an exception to this rule, since neurons destined for this layer are produced at both the beginning and end of neurogenesis. In this study, the pattern of neurogenesis of GABA-immunoreactive neurons is compared to the pattern observed for nonimmunoreactive neurons. The overall pattern of cortical neurogenesis (inside-out pattern) is similar for GABA-immunoreactive neurons and neurons that are not GABA-immunoreactive. However, the GABA-immunoreactive neurons born on a given day of development are more broadly distributed across the radial axis of the adult cortex than are nonimmunoreactive neurons generated on the same day. GABA-immunoreactive neurons generated later in neurogenesis are, on average, slightly smaller than those generated early. If GABA-immunoreactive neurons in the visual cortex are interneurons, then these findings suggest that interneurons follow the same pattern of neurogenesis as do projecting neurons in the visual cortex.
Tracking the Current Rise of Chinese Pharmaceutical Bionanotechnology

Background: The Context and Purpose of the Study Over the last decade China has emerged as a major producer of scientific publications, currently ranking second behind the US. During that time Chinese strategic policy initiatives have placed indigenous innovation at the heart of its economy while focusing internal R&D investments and the attraction of foreign investment in nanotechnology as one of their four top areas. China’s scientific research publication and nanotechnology research publication production has reached a rank of second in the world, behind only the US. Despite these impressive gains, some scholars argue that the quality of Chinese nanotech research is inferior to US research quality due to lower overall times cited rates, suggesting that the US is still the world leader. We combine citation analysis, text mining, mapping, and data visualization to gauge the development and application of nanotechnology in China, particularly in biopharmananotechnology, and to measure the impact of Chinese policy on nanotechnology research production. Results, the main findings Our text mining-based methods provide results that counter existing claims about Chinese nanotechnology research quality. Due in large part to its strategic innovation policy, China’s output of nanotechnology publications is on pace to surpass US production in or around 2012.A closer look at Chinese nanotechnology research literature reveals a large increase in research activity in China’s biopharmananotechnology research since the implementation in January, 2006 of China’s Medium & Long Term Scientific and Technological Development Plan Guidelines for the period 2006-2020 (“MLP”). Conclusions Since the implementation of the MLP, China has enjoyed a great deal of success producing bionano research findings while attracting a great deal of foreign investment from pharmaceutical corporations setting up advanced drug discovery operations. Given the combination of current scientific production growth as well as economic growth, a relatively low scientific capacity, and the ability of its policy to enhance such trends, China is in some sense already the new world leader in nanotechnology. Further, the Chinese national innovation system may be the new standard by which other national S&T policies should be measured.
The Living Brain and Alzheimer’s Disease

For nearly a century the definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease has been based upon histopathological changes that can be observed only at autopsy. The marked neuronal loss and development of amyloid-containing extracellular plaques and Tau-containing intracellular neurofibrillary tangles have provided clues to the biology of Alzheimer’s disease as well as insight into clinical-pathological correlations (Duyckaerts et al. 1998). However, we believe that it is now critical to move from histopathological diagnosis to diagnosis in the “living brain.”
Inapproximability Results for Wavelength Assignment in WDM Optical Networks

We address the issue of inapproximability of the wavelength assignment problem in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical networks. We prove that in an n-node WDM optical network with m lightpaths and maximum load L, if NP ≠ ZPP, for any constant δ>0, no polynomial time algorithm can achieve approximation ratio n1/2−δ or m1−δ, where NP is the class of problems which can be solved by nondeterministic polynomial time algorithms, and ZPP is the class of problems that can be solved by polynomial randomized algorithms with zero probability of error. Furthermore, the above result still holds even when L=2. We also prove that no algorithm can guarantee the number of wavelengths to be less than $$(\sqrt{n}/2)L$$ or (m/2)L. This is the first time inapproximability results are established for the wavelength assignment problem in WDM optical networks. We also notice the following fact, namely, there is a polynomial time algorithm for wavelength assignment which achieves approximation ratio of O(m(log log m)2/(log m)3). Therefore, the above lower bound of m1−δ is nearly tight.
Maintaining team coherence under the velocity obstacle framework

Many multi-agent applications may involve a notion of spatial coherence. For instance, simulations of virtual agents often need to model a coherent group or crowd. Alternatively, robots may prefer to stay within a pre-specified communication range. This paper proposes an extension of a decentralized, reactive collision avoidance framework, which defines obstacles in the velocity space, known as Velocity Obstacles (VOs), for coherent groups of agents. The extension, referred to in this work as a Loss of Communication Obstacle (LOCO), aims to maintain proximity among agents by imposing constraints in the velocity space and restricting the set of feasible controls. If the introduction of LOCOs results in a problem that is too restrictive, then the proximity constraints are relaxed in order to maintain collision avoidance. If agents break their proximity constraints, a method is applied to reconnect them. The approach is fast and integrates nicely with the Velocity Obstacle framework. It yields improved coherence for groups of robots connected through an input constraint graph that are moving with constant velocity. Simulated environments involving a single team moving among static obstacles, as well as multiple teams operating in the same environment, are considered in the experiments and evaluated for collisions, computational cost and proximity constraint maintenance. The experiments show that improved coherence is achieved while maintaining collision avoidance, at a small computational cost and path quality degradation.
Satellite perspectives on the spatial patterns of new snowfall in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

The Southern Appalachian Mountains (SAM) are a heavily forested mid-latitude mountain region which provide an ideal location for assessing the suitability of satellite-derived snow maps and explicitly linking atmospheric circulation to the spatial patterns of new snowfall. Although a variety of synoptic-scale circulation regimes contribute to mean annual snowfall, atmospheric circulation processes have largely been absent from efforts seeking to quantify the spatial patterns of new snowfall. This thesis examines the suitability of fractional snow cover (FSC) maps from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to determine the spatial extent of snowfall according to synoptic-scale circulation. FSC maps are analyzed after 122 snowfall events from 2006-12 to provide a suitability analysis of MODIS products for use in the SAM. Results indicate that the SAM presents unique meteorological, physical, and spectral characteristics that are ideal for evaluating the suitability of MODIS for measuring snow cover. Out of 122 observed snow events, 63 are considered suitable for analysis with the FSC maps. The highest FSC values are observed after Gulf/Atlantic Lows and on windward slopes during Northwest Flow snowfall. MODIS data can be successfully used to link broader atmospheric circulation processes of snowfall with the spatial patterns of snow cover.
The Biology of the Boll Weevil in Relation to Cotton Type

Life history of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, was investigated on five cotton types; Gossypium hirsutum Lin. var. Hopi and Deltapine 15, G. barbadense Lin., G. arboreum Lin. var. Nanking, and G. herbaceum Lin. to determine if genetic type influenced the developmental stages, adult size, feeding, and egg-laying habits. Duration of development was not significantly different. G. barbadense received the greatest number of feeding punctures and Hopi (race of G. hirsutum ) received the greatest number of egg punctures. Survival as indicated by percent emergence was significantly lower from G. herbaceum than from other cotton types tested. There was a correlation of square size to weevil size from G. barbadense and G. arboreum .
The reactivity of gaseous ions of bradykinin and its analogues with hydro- and deuteroiodic acid

The kinetics of attachment of hydroiodic acid to gaseous protonated bradykinin, des-Arg1-bradykinin, des-Arg9-bradykinin, and their respective methyl esters are reported. Rate constants range from 9.3 × 10-11 cm3-s-1 for attachment of hydroiodic acid to the (M + H)+ ion of bradykinin to ≪3 × 10-12 cm3-s-1 for a slow-reacting component of a population of (M + H)+ ions derived from des-Arg9-bradykinin. In the cases of the (M + 2H)2+ ions from bradykinin and the (M + H)+ ions from des-Arg9-bradykinin, the rate data could not be fit with a single rate constant, indicating the presence of at least two non-interconverting ion populations. For the (M + 2H)2+ ions, it was demonstrated that the two reacting structures could be induced to interconvert upon gentle activation. The attachment sites are the most basic neutral sites of the molecule, viz., arginine and the N-terminus in the case of bradykinin and its analogues. A simple picture is proposed to estimate the rate constant for hydroiodic acid attachment to a...
Evaluation of hyperosmotic infiltration for the administration of antigen to channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Abstract Conditions affecting the hyperosmotic infiltration of antigens into channel catfish were examined using bovine serum albumin as a model antigen. A two-step procedure involving a 1-min presoak in 3% NaCl and a 30-s immersion in antigen resulted in maximum antigen uptake with minimal handling time. Maximum serum antigen levels at 27°C occurred immediately after immersion while maximum serum antigen levels at 16°C occurred at 30 min post-infiltration. Due to the rapidity of uptake, the gills are postulated as the primary site of antigen uptake in the channel catfish. Anesthetics were ineffective in increasing antigen uptake, and in fact had the opposite effect.
U2 snRNP Binds Intronless Histone Pre-mRNAs to Facilitate U7-snRNP-Dependent 3′ End Formation

In metazoa, pre-mRNA 3' end formation occurs via two pathways: cleavage/polyadenylation for the majority of RNA polymerase II transcripts and U7-snRNP-dependent cleavage for replication-dependent histone pre-mRNAs. An RNA element derived from a replication-dependent histone gene affects multiple steps of pre-mRNA processing. Here, we demonstrate that a portion of this RNA element, present in the majority of histone mRNAs, stimulates U7-snRNP-dependent cleavage. Surprisingly, this element binds U2 snRNP, although it is derived from an intronless mRNA. Specifically, SF3b, a U2 and U12-snRNP component, contacts the RNA element both in vitro and in vivo in conjunction with hPrp43, a DEAH-box helicase. Tethering either U2 or U12 snRNP to histone pre-mRNA substrates stimulates U7-snRNP-dependent cleavage in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we show that U2 snRNP associates with histone pre-mRNAs in vivo. We conclude that U2 snRNP plays a nonsplicing role in histone mRNA maturation.
Experimental investigation of water slamming loads on panels

Rigid-body slamming has become increasingly important as ships travel at higher speeds experiencing larger loads during hull impacts against surface water which can result in structural damage and crew injury. It is necessary to characterise the hydrodynamic loading during water impacts. We present a series of experiments conducted in order to study slamming force events seen by flat plates during free surface impacts. The experiments focus on the characterisation of the loads experienced by flat plates during the first phase of the slamming event, the water entry. They have been conducted in an especially designed test apparatus, the Slingshot Impact Testing System (SITS), which allows us launching objects against the free surface of an open channel, with the possibility of setting up different speeds and deadrise angles. We can study slamming with trapped air between the plate and the water free surface, at high impact speeds and small deadrise angles, allowing us to quantify the resulting cushioning effect. High velocity impacts up to 5 m/s were conducted at angles between 0.3° and 25°. It was found that the trapped air phenomenon significantly cushions flat plate impacts with angles less than 5° and impacts with larger angles adhere to Von Karman’s equations.
Muscle Performance and Physical Function Are Associated With Voluntary Rate of Neuromuscular Activation in Older Adults

Background. Muscle power is related to mobility function in older adults, and effective power production requires rapid neuromuscular activation. Accordingly, this study examines the association of neuromuscular activation rate with muscle performance in persons of different age and mobility function.
Analysis and Simulation of Mixed-Technology VLSI Systems

Circuit simulation has proven to be one of the most important computer aided design (CAD) methods for verification and analysis of, integrated circuit designs. A popular approach to modeling circuits for simulation purposes is to use a hardware description language such as VHDL. VHDL has had a tremendous impact in fostering and accelerating CAD systems development in the digital arena. Similar efforts have also been carried out in the analog domain which has resulted in tools such as SPICE. However, with the growing trend of hardware designs that contain both analog and digital components, comprehensive design environments that seamlessly integrate analog and digital circuitry are needed. Simulation of digital or analog circuits is, however, exacerbated by high-resource (CPU and memory) demands that increase when analog and digital models are integrated in a mixed-mode (analog and digital) simulation. A cost-effective solution to this problem is the application of parallel discrete-event simulation (PDES) algorithms on a distributed memory platform such as a cluster of workstations. In this paper, we detail our efforts in architecting an analysis and simulation environment for mixed-technology VLSI systems. In addition, we describe the design issues faced in the application of PDES algorithms to mixed-technology VLSI system simulation.
Exogenous Jasmonic and Abscisic Acids Act Differentially in Elongating Tissues from Oat Stem Segments

Segments can be cut from the peducular-1 internode of oat (Avena sativa L.) shoots so as to contain the graviresponsive, auxin-sensitive leaf sheath pulvinus, and the gibberellin-sensitive internodal tissue. These two growth-capable tissues were used to study the effects and interactions of jasmonic acid (JA) and abscisic acid (ABA) in regulating cell elongation. When supplied alone at physiologic concentrations (10−5, 10−4m), JA promoted growth and cell wall synthesis in the internodal tissue, whereas by itself, ABA inhibited internodal elongation and even inhibited JA-promoted growth. When gibberellic acid (GA3) was used to stimulate internodal elongation, JA and ABA caused similar levels of inhibition and, at certain concentrations, were synergistic. Inhibition by ABA was initiated several hours earlier than inhibition by JA, and only the ABA effect could be partially overcome by 10−3m aminoethoxyvinylglycine. Both JA and ABA inhibited elongation of pulvinar tissue that was induced to grow by gravistimulus or auxin, although here JA was more potent than ABA at equimolar concentrations. When 10−5m fusicoccin was used as a general nonphysiologic growth stimulus, JA had no effect on the internode but inhibited the pulvinus, whereas ABA had no effect on the pulvinus but inhibited the internode. These results provide strong physiologic evidence that JA and ABA act by different mechanisms in the regulation of elongation, at least in this representative grass.
Abstract 441: Degree or extent of radially-aligned collagen fibrils in the tumor-stromal interface of rodent mammary tumor tissue is an indicator of chemotherapeutic potential of the EGFr inhibitor, Gefitinib

There is an urgent need for unbiased evaluations of potential therapeutic treatments. An early indicator of treatment efficacy might allow for a more individualized and effective therapeutic regimen. In the present study we employed the MNU model of ER+ mammary tumors to address this question. Rats were treated with MNU at 50 days of age. When an animal developed a palpable mammary tumor it was randomized either to Iressa (6 mg/kg BW) or vehicle. Two days following this time animals were biopsied. Three days later animals were replaced on Iressa or vehicle for a period of 6 weeks. The objective was to determine whether tumors that responded to Iressa over a 6 week period exhibited changes in collagen fibril orientation relative to unresponsive tumors within two days of initial treatment. We examined collagen fibril orientation at the tumor-stromal interface. We employed a second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging protocol and examined collagen fiber orientation in normal glands, untreated tumors, tumors treated for 2 days which would then regress or not. We found that untreated tumors or non responsive tumors appeared to have a relatively disoriented pattern at the tumor-stromal interface whereas responding tumors within two days of treatment showed greater orientation of collagen fibrils oriented parallel to the tumor boundary. Thus the degree or extent of radially-aligned collagen fibrils in the tumor-stromal interface of rodent mammary tumor tissue is an indicator of chemotherapeutic potential of the EGFr inhibitor, Gefitinib (Iressa). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 441. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-441
Characterization of Aplysia carboxypeptidase E

Abstract Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) is involved in the biosynthesis of peptide hormones and neurotransmitters. To determine whether a recently reported Aplysia californica cDNA encodes a CPE-like enzyme, this cDNA was expressed in the baculovirus system. The Aplysia CPE is optimal at pH 5.5–6.5 and is inhibited by chelating agents and by the sulfhydryl reagent p-chloromercuriphenyl sulfonate. The effect of divalent cations and active site-directed inhibitors on enzyme activity are generally similar for Aplysia and rat CPE. Western blot analysis using antisera to the N- and C-terminal regions of the Aplysia CPE show that the Aplysia CPE is present in atrial glands and ovotestis. This Aplysia CPE is purified on a p-aminobenzoyl–Arg Sepharose affinity column under conditions that selectively purify rat CPE. Taken together, these results suggest that the previously cloned cDNA represents a CPE-like enzyme that is expressed in Aplysia tissue.
Excitons confined by split-gate potentials

Quasi-one-dimensional excitons in a GaAs-${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$As quantum well are studied; they are produced by an applied twin-split-gate potential which confines the particles laterally and allows free motion in one dimension. A variational approach is used to calculate the binding energies ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{ex}}$ and oscillator strength ${\mathit{f}}_{\mathrm{ex}}$ of these excitonic transitions as functions of the applied voltage and width of the induced potential wells. In the limit of high electrostatic confinement the excitons are strongly polarized and the system resembles a type II structure where electron and hole are spatially separated. The resulting ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathrm{ex}}$ and ${\mathit{f}}_{\mathrm{ex}}$ show a strong dependence on applied voltage and structure width. Strong oscillations are found, which should be observed experimentally, as a consequence of subtle competition between confinement and Coulomb attraction.
Geometry and Classificatin of Solutions of the Classical Dynamical Yang–Baxter Equation

The classical Yang–Baxter equation(CYBE) is an algebraic equation central in the theory of integrable systems. Its nondegenerate solutions were classified by Belavin and Drinfeld. Quantization of CYBE led to the theory of quantum groups. A geometric interpretation of CYBE was given by Drinfeld and gave rise to the theory of Poisson–Lie groups.
The effect of H 2 O on the olivine liquidus of basaltic melts: experiments and thermodynamic models

We designed and carried out experiments to investigate the effect of H2O on the liquidus temperature of olivine-saturated primitive melts. The effect of H2O was isolated from other influences by experimentally determining the liquidus temperatures of the same melt composition with various amounts of H2O added. Experimental data indicate that the effect of H2O does not depend on pressure or melt composition in the basaltic compositional range. The influence of H2O on melting point lowering can be described as a polynomial function $$ {\left( {\rm C^{{\rm melt}}_{{\rm{H_{2} O}}} \;{\text{in}}\;{\text{wt}}\% } \right)}:\Updelta {T}\;{\left( {^{ \circ }\rm C} \right)} = 40.4 {\left( {\rm C^{{\rm melt}}_{{\rm {H_{2} O}}} } \right)} - 2.97 {\left( {\rm C^{{\rm melt}}_{{\rm {H_{2} O}}} } \right)}^{2} + 0.0761 {\left( {\rm C^{{\rm melt}}_{{\rm{H_{2} O}}} } \right)}^{3} . $$ This expression can be used to account for the effect of H2O on olivine-melt thermometers, and can be incorporated into fractionation models for primitive basalts. The non-linear effect of H2O indicates that incorporation of H2O in silicate melts is non-ideal, and involves interaction between H2O and other melt components. The simple speciation approach that seems to account for the influence of H2O in simple systems (albite-H2O, diopside-H2O) fails to describe the mixing behavior of H2O in multi-component silicate melts. However, a non-ideal solution model that treats the effect of H2O addition as a positive excess free energy can be fitted to describe the effect of melting point lowering.
Galactic center gamma-ray excess through a dark shower

The reported excess of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays, emitted from an extended region around the galactic center, has a distribution and rate suggestive of an origin in dark matter (DM) annihilations. The conventional annihilation channels into standard model (SM) $b$ quarks or $\ensuremath{\tau}$ leptons may, however, be in tension with various experimental constraints on antiproton and positron fluxes. We present a framework that is free from such constraints. The key idea is that the mediators between the dark matter and the SM are themselves part of a strongly coupled sector: a hidden valley. In this scenario, the dark matter particles annihilate only into hidden quarks that subsequently shower and hadronize. Hidden quark effective couplings to SM hypercharge allow the lightest hidden bound states to subsequently decay into SM photons, producing the observed photon energy spectrum. Associated production of SM fermions is, in contrast, suppressed by electroweak, loop or helicity effects. We find that, generically, $\ensuremath{\sim}10\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ DM and a confinement scale $\ensuremath{\sim}1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ provide a good fit to the observed spectrum. An SU(2) hidden confining group is preferred over SU(3) or higher-rank gauge groups, up to uncertainties in the extraction of the astrophysical background. An explicit realization of this framework is also presented, and its phenomenology is discussed in detail, along with pertinent cosmological, astrophysical and collider bounds. This framework may be probed by model-independent searches, including future beam-dump experiments.
Selective chemical vapor deposition on excimer-laser-patterned polytetrafluoroethylene from hexafluoroacetylacetonate copper (I) vinyltrimethylsilane

Abstract A new process has been developed to produce patterned copper films with small feature sizes on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). In the first step a sodium naphthalenide etching solution was used to chemically modify PTFE and also create a rough surface which provided good adhesion characteristics. In the second step a KrF excimer laser irradiated the substrate through a mask, ablating the etched layer and leaving a pattern. The typical total absorbed laser energy required to ablate the etched layer was 575 mJ cm−2 and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis showed that the ablated region had a composition similar to that of unmodified PTFE. In the third step, high purity copper was deposited selectively on the unablated regions in a cold wall reactor using (hfac)Cu(VTMS) (hfac [ hexafluoroacetylacetonate; VTMS [ vinyltrimethylsilane) at deposition rates up to 1 μm min−1 at 180 °C and 10 mTorr partial pressure of (hfac)Cu(VTMS) to give films 15–20 μm thick of high purity copper on PTFE. Film resistivities were near bulk values. There are several advantages to this procedure compared with conventional approaches: (1) wet etching and liquid wastes are avoided; (2) conducting paths with dimensions less than 20 μm can be produced; (3) excellent adhesion is obtained; (4) owing to the high energy density available from an excimer laser, rapid throughput is possible.
Toward Understanding and Reducing Errors in Real-Time Estimation of Travel Times

In recent years, the increased deployment of the infrastructure of intelligent transportation systems has enabled the provision of real-time traveler information to the public. Many states as well as private contractors are providing real-time travel-time estimates to commuters to help improve the quality and efficiency of their trips. Accuracy of traveltime estimates is important: inaccurate estimates can be detrimental to travelers, particularly when such estimates are less accurate than a person's ability to predict traffic on the basis of experience. Improving the accuracy of real-time estimates involves identifying and understanding the sources of error. The errors found during the evaluation of real-time travel-time estimates in Portland, Oregon, were explored and solutions are provided for reducing estimation error. The midpoint algorithm used by the Oregon Department of Transportation was used to estimate travel times from speeds obtained from loop detectors. The estimates were assessed for accura...
Essentially finite algorithms for minimizing a class of convex piecewise polynomial functions

We consider minimax problems of the type minte[a,b] max i p t (t), where thep i (t) are real polynomials which are convex on an interval [a, b]. Here, the function max i p i (t) is a convex piecewise polynomial function. The main result is an algorithm yielding the minimum and the minimizing point, which is efficient with respect to the necessary number of computed polynomial zeros. The algorithms presented here are applicable to decision problems with convex loss. While primarily of theoretical interest, they are implementable for quadratic loss functions with finitely many states of nature. An example of this case is given. The algorithms are finite when polynomial zeros need not be approximated.
Interleukin-1 Contributes to High Level IgG Production in the Murine MRL/Ipr Lupus Model

The autoimmune syndrome in MRL/lpr mice resembles human lupus, both in its serologic and immunopathologic characteristics. The contribution of IL-1 to high-level Ig production in the MRL/lpr model is poorly understood. We investigated the effect of treating B-cell-enriched, or, B plus T cell suspensions derived from either pre-disease or diseased lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice with IL-1s or IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra). Disparate patterns of IgG production by B cells and B plus T cells derived from diseased versus pre-diseased MRL/lpr mice was observed following treatment with IL-1s. Remarkably, IL-1s caused significant suppression in IgG production by B cells derived from diseased MRL/lpr mice as compared to B cells derived from pre-disease mice. In mix-and-match experiments with B plus T cells from pre-disease and diseased MRL/lpr mice, both T cell help and B cell hyperactivity, originating in diseased MRL/lpr mice were found to be important factors in high-level IgG production in diseased MRL/lpr mice. ...
Information Processing Load and the Event Rate Function in Sustained Attention

One purpose of this study was to determine the functional relation between background event rate and performance efficiency for two types of vigilance tasks (simultaneous and successive discrimination tasks) which differ in the extent of information processing load imposed on the human operator. A second purpose was to compare preditions from two theories of vigilance concerning the consequences of introducing structural dissimilarity (heterogeneity) between critical signals and neutral events – Jerison's (1970) elicited observing rate hypothesis and Posner's (1978) pathway inhibition model. Signal detections generally declined with increments in event rate. However, the degrading effects of such increments emerged at a slower rate of stimulus repetition (12 to 24 events/min) for the successive than for the simultaneous (24 to 48 events/min) task. Signal detections also declined significantly over time. Consistent with Jerison's model, neither the effects of time or event rate were influenced by stimulus ...
Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts: Autologous Off-the-Shelf Vascular Access?

Dialysis grafts have provided reliable access for millions of patients in need of renal replacement therapy. However, regardless of the material used for artificial dialysis grafts their mean patency remains generally poor and infection rates are greater than native arteriovenous fistulas. The need for superior alternatives to conventional synthetic materials used for vascular access has been an area of investigation for more than 25 years and recently there has been a great deal of progress in the field of tissue-engineered vascular grafts. Many of these technologies are either commercially available or are now entering early phases of clinical trials. This review briefly covers the history, potential advantages, and disadvantages of these technologies, which are likely to create an impact in the field of vascular access surgery.
Effect of food matrix on amandin, almond (Prunus dulcis L.) major protein, immunorecognition and recovery

Abstract Amandin, the primary storage protein in almonds, contains key polypeptides recognized by almond-allergic patients. A variety of food matrices representing diverse categories of foods were analyzed to assess the effect of food matrix on amandin recognition and recovery using rabbit polyclonal antibody based immunoassays. Food matrices from dairy, nuts, and vegetables typically resulted in over-estimation of amandin. Some foods representing legumes and cereals resulted in over-estimation while others in under-estimation of amandin. The amandin recovery range was 116–198 μg/100μg (dairy) 110–292 μg/100μg (tree nuts), 43–304 μg/100μg (legumes), 106–183 μg/100μg (most cereals- with the exception of barley, whole-wheat flour, wild rice and raisin bran whole mix). Amandin recovery from spices was typically low (2–85 μg/100μg) with a few exceptions where higher recoveries were observed (121–334 μg/100μg). Salt (black and white), tea, confectionery (sugar, cocoa, dark chocolate), and fruits (1–83 μg/100μg) generally resulted in lower recoveries. Tested food matrices did not adversely affect amandin immunorecognition in Western blots. The pH and the extraction buffer type affected amandin recovery. The results suggest that food matrix effects as well as extraction conditions need to be carefully evaluated when developing immunoassays for amandin detection and quantification.
Hospitalizations due to hepatitis C in Los Angeles County, 2007–2009: case characteristics and factors associated with mortality

Summary Morbidity and mortality due to hepatitis C (HCV) infection are rising in the United States as the highest risk cohort (those born between 1945 and 1965) ages. It is important for governments and healthcare providers to have timely, readily obtainable data to estimate the burden of HCV locally. Demographic factors, hospital charges and comorbid conditions were summarized for Los Angeles County (LAC) residents who had at least one hospitalization in California during 2007–2009 with HCV as a primary or secondary diagnosis using statewide hospital discharge data. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios for factors associated with dying during hospitalization. A total of 19 907 unique patients were hospitalized with HCV during the 3-year study period; 63.0% were aged 45–65 years; 1874 (9.4%) died. Hospitalizations for HCV doubled during this time period. Total charges for hospitalizations for which HCV was coded as the principal diagnosis increased from $18 million to $58 million, with over 70% charged to government sources. After adjusting for demographic factors, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B (HBV), current alcohol abuse and kidney disease were associated with dying during hospitalization. Based on statewide hospital discharge data, morbidity and mortality from HCV infections increased in LAC from 2007–2009, and pose an economic burden to government. To lower mortality risk, HCV patients should be referred for follow-up. The expected increase in HCV hospitalizations as infected patients' age poses an increasing burden to healthcare systems.
A magnetization and susceptibility study of the order-disorder transformation in VAu4; short range order

Abstract We have studied the kinetics of the order-disorder transformation (ODT) in VAu4 by measuring the time dependent susceptibility produced by a rapid change in temperature and find a rapid initial increase in χ in which 46 per cent of the final susceptibility is achieved 10 min after the temperature jump. The state thus obtained is interpreted as short range order (SRO) in which a known fraction (46 per cent) of V atoms have only Au nearest neighbors. We find that the average magnetic anisotropy constant K increases with increasing order. For ordered VAu4, we find K ⋍ 3·0 × 10 7 ergs/cm 3 . The replacement of Au by Ag in VAu4 allows the existence of SRO but is found to suppress the ODT. Our results confirm the hypothesis that the vanadium moment is localized. We find the temperature independent component of the susceptibility χB to be approximately 0·7 × 10−6 cm3/gm in ordered, disordered, and partially ordered VAu4. This value of χB corresponds to a density of states of 22 states/eV-VAu4, in good agreement with specific heat measurements (SHM) for the ordered phase but not in agreement with SHM for the disordered phase. We find an additional temperature independent component of susceptibility equal to 0·44 × 10−6 cm3/gm, which may be due to the orbital paramagnetism of the disordered phase.
Chiral analyses of peptides by ion/molecule reactions

Abstract Protonated complexes comprised of guest peptides with permethylated hosts (β-cyclodextrin and maltoheptaose) were produced in the gas phase by electrospray ionization and reacted with a gaseous amine in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. An exchange reaction was observed whereby the guest peptide was replaced by the gaseous alkyl amine. The exchange reaction was enantioselective and was used to determine enantiomeric excess in mixtures of enantiomers. The nature of the recognition is probed by the selection of the peptides and the use of molecular dynamics calculations.
Expanded methyl-sensitive cut counting reveals hypomethylation as an epigenetic state that highlights functional sequences of the genome

Methyl-sensitive cut counting (MSCC) with the HpaII methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme is a cost-effective method to pinpoint unmethylated CpGs at single base-pair resolution. However, it has the drawback of addressing only CpGs in the context of the CCGG site, leaving out the remainder of the possible 16 XCGX tetranucleotides in which CpGs are found. We expanded MSCC to include three additional enzymes to address a total of 5 of the 16 XCGX combinations. This allowed us to survey methylation at about one-third of all a mammalian genome's CpGs. Applied to mouse liver DNA, we correctly confirmed data reported with other methods showing hypomethylation to be concentrated at promoters and in CpG islands (CGIs), with gene bodies and intergenic regions being mostly methylated. Grouping unmethylated CpGs, characterized by high MSCC scores (7% false discovery rate), we found a large number of unmethylated regions not qualifying as CGIs located in intergenic and intronic regions, which are highly enriched in functional DNA sequences (open regulatory annotation database) as well as in noncoding yet highly conserved mammalian sequences thought to be important but with as yet unknown function. About 50% of MSCC-defined unmethylated regions do not overlap algorithm-defined CGIs and offer a novel search space in which new functionalities of DNA may be found in health and disease.
Fentanyl, an agonist at the mu opioid receptor, depresses pupillary unrest

Pupillary unrest is a chaotic fluctuation in pupil size that is observed in darkness with the onset of drowsiness, and in ambient light. The mechanism of pupillary unrest in darkness as well as in ambient light is unknown but studies suggest that it is caused by fluctuating activity in the Edinger-Westphal (E.W.) nucleus. Neurons in the periaqueductal gray with oscillating firing patterns that are inhibitory to the E.W. nucleus have been described in the cat. We theorized that such oscillating neurons produce pupillary unrest in light and would be depressed by agents, such as opioids, known to depress inhibitory pathways in the midbrain. An infrared pupillometer was used to measure the effect of light on pupillary unrest in eight volunteer subjects, and on 20 patients scheduled for knee arthroscopy who received fentanyl as premedication. Pupillary unrest was quantified through spectral analysis of fast Fourier transforms. Sixteen-second measurements of pupil size at 33 Hz were filtered to eliminate blink artifacts and baseline drift. Pupillary unrest was augmented by excitation of the E.W. nucleus by light and was depressed by 40 ± 20% after the administration of the moderate dose of 1 mcg/kg of fentanyl. Recovery from the drug effect was observed. Based upon the data from this study we propose that pupillary unrest in light originates within oscillating inhibitory neurons that intermittently depress the E. W. nucleus.
A comparison of consumer views of traditional services and self‐service technologies

Purpose – Few marketing studies look at service classifications for self‐service technologies (SSTs) and none directly compare consumer‐based perceptions of traditional services to SSTs. To fill this gap, this study aims to examine how customers perceived traditional services and SSTs on service classifications criteria proposed by Lovelock, Bowen and Bell.Design/methodology/approach – In two separate studies consumer ratings for each classification method on each service were obtained. Using multi‐dimensional scaling (MDS), 13 traditional services and 12 SSTs were separately mapped onto a perceptual space of service classifications.Findings – The comparison of the two perceptual spaces reveals that consumers viewed the classifications of convenience, person/object, and delivery for SSTs differently than that for traditional services. The classifications of traditional services were represented by two dimensions of customization/standardization and person/object. In contrast, the classifications of SSTs w...
Changes in the Volatile Flavor Components of Sterilized Concentrated Milk during Storage

Summary A characteristic flavor, often described as an old rubber flavor, frequently develops in sterilized concentrated 3 to 1 milk during storage. Evidence is presented that ethanal, dimethyl sulfide, acetone, 2-pentanone, and a pentyl acetate are present in sterilized concentrated milks and are related to flavor changes in this product during storage. Quantitative data are presented for these and other volatile compounds in sterilized concentrated milk stored at various temperatures and times. Increases in storage time or in storage temperature gave significant increases in certain volatile components. Three volatile compounds (including one believed to be 2-pentanone) were detected in stored milks but not immediately after processing and before storage. A possible pentyl acetate was found in the largest amount of all of the volatiles detected in the samples.
Flow Regimes of Newtonian Fluids in Vertical Co-Axial Flows

This paper presents experimental and numerical results of the interfacial dynamics of liquid-liquid flows when a dispersed phase liquid introduced in a continuous phase liquid flow with an arbitrary inlet velocity profile. The flow dynamics are studied as a function of the individual phase Reynolds and Capillary numbers, viscosity ratio, flow rate ratio, and Bond number. Fully-developed (or self-similar solution) model predicted multiple (one to three) solutions of jet diameter for a range of dimensionless numbers. The critical bifurcation parameters are identified in order to study the jet instability. The fully developed jet diameter solutions are plotted in terms of flow ratio of liquid phases and indicate three solution branches. Experiments have been carried out using Poly Ethylene Glycol (PEG)-Canola oil to investigate the three possible solutions predicted by fully developed theory. The measured values of inner fluid radius agree very well with the lower branch of the three branched solution and the deviation of the experimental results for the rest of the branches is observed to be more than 50 percent. Numerical simulations also have been performed to compare the self-similar solution results of liquid jet radius using FLUENT® software. The results predicted by numerical simulations agree very well with both the lower and upper branches of solution predicted by fully developed theory.Copyright © 2006 by ASME