cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates (PIPs) in Poliovirus Replication Complexes Trafficking to Viral Replication Organelles

Viruses are intracellular parasites which utilize their host cell's subcellular machinery for their own replication by remodeling of the host's intracellular membranes. Lipids with phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) head groups have been found to be crucial for the formation of these replication organelles in enteroviruses and flaviviruses. Lipid binding assays show that poliovirus protease 3Cpro specifically binds to PI4P. Using NMR spectroscopy, binding with other phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs) has been detected and specific residues has been identified which exhibits chemical shift changes upon binding with 3Cpro. PI3P, PI4P, and PI5P have been found to exhibit similar chemical shift perturbation patterns upon binding with 3Cpro. Our results indicate that a novel PIP binding site has been identified, with some residues exhibiting long range interactions (or a secondary binding site).
Distribution of compaction bands in 3D in an aeolian sandstone: The role of cross-bed orientation

Abstract We report the occurrence of bed-parallel and high-angle compaction bands as well as crooked or wiggly compaction bands in the aeolian Aztec Sandstone exposed throughout the Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Field observations at several locations within the Park show that depositional domains (dune units characterized by cross-beds therein) with particular ranges of cross-bed orientations corresponding to certain deformational/structural domains (compaction bands of different orientations) occur adjacent to each other in a consistent pattern. We distinguish three architectural categories of depositional and structural domains: 1) cross-beds with bed-parallel compaction bands, 2) cross-beds with high-angle compaction bands, and 3) cross-beds with both bed-parallel and high-angle compaction bands overlapping in a relatively narrow transition zone. The field data demonstrates that the orientation of the cross-beds for each of these domains falls into a certain range. In fact, there is a strong correlation between the bottom set and high-angle compaction bands and the top set and the low-angle bed-parallel compaction bands. This implies that the cross-bed heterogeneity and the resulting mechanical anisotropy may play a significant role in the formation, orientation, distribution, and compartmentalization of compaction bands in the study area. Data sets on the dimensions of both depositional and structural domains indicate that they are interrelated and show a wide range of distributions. There is plenty of evidence for contemporaneous age relationships between compaction bands of various orientations. Based on this temporal relationship, we propose that at least one set of bands, and perhaps all of them, accommodated primarily localized compaction oblique to the principal planes of stress. Alternatively, if each set of the compaction bands represents the principal planes, then, the stress orientation must have varied spatially, perhaps due to the anisotropy of the aeolian medium with variable cross-bed orientation.
Afterword: Mysteries of Culture

All humans face the same epistemological dilemma: They must rely on an inherently limited—albeit life-giving—frame of reference to understand a world (which includes other people and cultures) that can never be completely understood in humanly particular terms. Given our common lot, anthropologists and “Natives,” and outsiders and insiders, are never absolutely different, for difference is a matter of degree. Further more, the reality of difference, for all humans, is to be found in semiotic processes like translation and interpretation. Even terms that seem neutral to us, like individual and society, are culturally distinctive concepts that would not be commonsensical to all people, everywhere. Even the most familiar meanings are never completely transparent, not even to those “Natives” who use them with ease. Thus, anthropological outsiders and the insiders they study (and who study them) must struggle to transcend their own familiar rationalizations in their attempts to understand one another.
A physics based model for the RTD quantum capacitance

A simple derivation of the form for the compact model of the quantum capacitance in a resonant tunneling diode (RTD) is presented. The quantum capacitance is shown to reduce the resistive cutoff frequency. The implementation of the model into SPICE is described. The distorting effect of the strongly nonlinear quantum capacitance on an oscillator circuit is demonstrated in a SPICE simulation. The nonlinearity becomes important for the highest frequency applications when the RTD capacitance is comparable to the capacitance in the rest of the circuit.
Automatic layout and visualization of biclusters

Biclustering has emerged as a powerful algorithmic tool for analyzing measurements of gene expression. A number of different methods have emerged for computing biclusters in gene expression data. Many of these algorithms may output a very large number of biclusters with varying degrees of overlap. There are no systematic methods that create a two-dimensional layout of the computed biclusters and display overlaps between them. We develop a novel algorithm for laying out biclusters in a two-dimensional matrix whose rows (respectively, columns) are rows (respectively, columns) of the original dataset. We display each bicluster as a contiguous submatrix in the layout. We allow the layout to have repeated rows and/or columns from the original matrix as required, but we seek a layout of the smallest size. We also develop a web-based search interface for the user to query the genes and samples of interest and visualise the layout of biclusters matching the queries. We demonstrate the usefulness of our approach on gene expression data for two types of leukaemia and on protein-DNA binding data for two growth conditions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The software implementing the layout algorithm is available at http://bioinformatics.cs.vt.edu/~murali/papers/bivoc .
Scaling sun and shade photosynthetic acclimation of Alocasia macrorrhiza to whole‐plant performance – II. Simulation of carbon balance and growth at different photon flux densities

A whole-plant carbon balance model incorporating a light acclimation response was developed for Alocasia macrorrhiza based on empirical data and the current understanding of light acclimation in this species. The model was used to predict the relative growth rate (RGR) for plants that acclimated to photon flux density (PFD) by changing their leaf type, and for plants that produced only sun or shade leaves regardless of PFD. The predicted RGR was substantially higher for plants with shade leaves than for those with sun leaves at low PFD. However, the predicted RGR was not higher, and in fact was slightly lower, for plants with sun leaves than for those with shade leaves at high PFD. The decreased leaf area ratios (LARs) of the plants with sun leaves counteracted their higher photosynthetic capacities per unit leaf area (Amax). The model was manipulated by changing parameters to examine the sensitivity of RGR to variation in single factors. Overall, RGR was most sensitive to LAR and showed relatively little sensitivity to variation in Amax or maintenance respiration. Similarly, RGR was relatively insensitive to increases in leaf life-span beyond those observed. Respiration affected RGR only at low PFD, whereas Amax was moderately important only at high PFD.
The effects of taurolidine alone and in combination with doxorubicin or carboplatin in canine osteosarcoma in vitro

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) affects over 8000 dogs/year in the United States. The disease usually arises in the appendicular skeleton and metastasizes to the lung. Dogs with localized appendicular disease benefit from limb amputation and chemotherapy but most die within 6–12 months despite these treatments. Taurolidine, a derivative of taurine, has anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects against a variety of cancers. The following in vitro studies tested taurolidine as a candidate for adjuvant therapy for canine OS. Tests for p53 protein status and caspase activity were used to elucidate mechanisms of taurolidine-induced cell death. Results: Taurolidine was cytotoxic to osteosarcoma cells and increased the toxicity of doxorubicin and carboplatin in vitro. Apoptosis was greatly induced in cells exposed to 125 μM taurolidine and less so in cells exposed to 250 μM taurolidine. Taurolidine cytotoxicity appeared caspase-dependent in one cell line; with apparent mutant p53 protein. This cell line was the most sensitive to single agent taurolidine treatment and had a taurolidine-dependent reduction in accumulated p53 protein suggesting taurolidine’s effects may depend on the functional status of p53 in canine OS. Conclusion: Taurolidine’s cytotoxic effect appears dependent on cell specific factors which may be explained, in part, by the functional status of p53. Taurolidine initiates apoptosis in canine OS cells and this occurs to a greater extent at lower concentrations. Mechanisms of cell death induced by higher concentrations were not elucidated here. Taurolidine combined with doxorubicin or carboplatin can increase the toxicity of these chemotherapy drugs and warrants further investigation in dogs with osteosarcoma.
Gene therapy with adenovirus-mediated myocardial transfer of vascular endothelial growth factor 121 improves cardiac performance in a pacing model of congestive heart failure.

Abstract Background: Myocardial ischemia is the most common cause of congestive heart failure. Angiogenic therapy has recently been demonstrated to enhance myocardial perfusion in the ischemic setting. We therefore hypothesized that administration of adenovirus encoding for vascular endothelial growth factor could be used to enhance myocardial function in a pacing-induced model of heart failure. Methods: Yorkshire swine underwent a left thoracotomy with placement of a ventricular epicardial pacing system. Animals received adenovirus coding either for the 121-amino-acid isoform of vascular endothelial growth factor (Ad CU VEGF121.1 group, n=8) or a null vector coding for no genes (AdNull group, n=8). The adenovirus was administered in the left ventricular free wall as 10 transepicardial injections of 100 μL each (total dose of 10 11 particle units). After a 1-week recovery period, animals were paced at a rate of 230 beats/min for 7 days to induce heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiographic and sonomicrometric measurements were performed before pacing (baseline), on termination of pacing (day 0), and then weekly for 3 weeks. Results: The fractional area change was significantly decreased in AdNull animals at day 0 after pacing compared with the Ad CU VEGF121.1 animals (29% ± 14% vs 46% ± 8%, P =.02). The fractional area change recovered to baseline values within 7 days in the Ad CU VEGF121.1 animals (62% ± 7%) but remained significantly impaired in the AdNull group compared with that in the Ad CU VEGF121.1 animals up to day 21 ( P =.04). Similarly, fractional wall thickening demonstrated a decrease at day 0 after pacing that was greater ( P CU VEGF121.1 group in 5 of 6 segments. Fractional wall thickening returned to levels approximating prepacing values in all segments within 7 days in the Ad CU VEGF121.1 group but remained significantly impaired compared with prepacing fractional wall thickening ( P CU VEGF121.1 group (10% ± 4% vs 16% ± 3%, P =.004) and remained significantly impaired ( P Conclusion: Preservation of cardiac performance and a more rapid recovery of myocardial function can be achieved in a model of pacing-induced cardiomyopathy with adenovirus-mediated administration of vascular endothelial growth factor compared with that seen in a null virus control group. These data suggest that angiogenic therapy may be useful clinically in treating cardiomyopathy. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2002;123:1101-13
Comparison of results from four linear constitutive relations in isotropic finite elasticity

We use four linear constitutive relations to study "nite deformations of a biaxially loaded elastic membrane, triaxially loaded cube, and simple extensional and simple shearing deformations of an elastic body. In each case, the body is assumed to be isotropic and homogeneous. It is shown that only the neoHookean relation (a linear relation between the Cauchy stress tensor and the left Cauchy}Green tensor) and the Signorini’s relation (a linear relationship between the Cauchy stress tensor and the Almansi}Hamel strain tensor) predict load}deformation curves that qualitatively agree with most of the test observations. A similar conclusion holds when the body is assumed to be incompressible. ( 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Consequences of sex‐selective harvesting and harvest refuges in experimental meta‐populations

Harvesting for food or sport is often non-random with respect to demographic state, such as size or life stage. The population-level consequences of such selective harvesting depend upon which states are harvested and how those states contribute to population dynamics. We focused on a form of selective harvesting that has not previously been investigated in an experimental context: sex-selective harvesting, a common feature of exploited, dioecious populations. Using simple metapopulations (two patches connect by dispersal) of sexually dimorphic Bruchid beetles in the laboratory, we contrasted the effects of female-selective, male-selective, and non-selective harvesting over six generation of population dynamics. We also tested the ability of a harvest refuge (one patch of the metapopulation free from harvesting) to mitigate the effects of harvesting, and whether refuge effects interacted with sex selectivity. Sex-selective harvesting significantly perturbed operational sex ratios and harvest refuges dampened these perturbations. Metapopulations assigned to male-selective and non-selective treatments were able to fully compensate for harvesting, such that their dynamics did not differ from non-harvested controls. Only female-selective harvesting led to significant reductions in population size and this effect was completely offset by dispersal from a harvest refuge. A two-sex model confirmed that population dynamics are more sensitive to female vs. male harvesting, but suggested that higher levels of male harvest than included in our experiment would cause population decline. We discuss the roles of density-dependent competition and frequency-dependent sexual processes in the population response to sex-selective harvesting.
High-bandwidth density optical I/O for high-speed logic chip on waveguide-integrated organic carrier

We demonstrate a high-bandwidth density optical I/O on a waveguide-integrated organic carrier. Each transmitter channel operates at a data rate up to 20 Gb/s for an aggregate value of 240 Gb/s. High-speed and inter-channel crosstalk characterization show that the optical multi-chip module realizes over 10 times higher bandwidth density than conventional optical fiber modules by chip-level packaging and waveguide core pitch reduction, therefore the module supports a nearly 2 Tb/s bandwidth.
Glacial History of the Last Eleven Thousand Years in Adams Inlet, Southeastern Alaska

Thick sections of Wisconsin and younger deposits exposed in recently deglaciated Adams Inlet, Glacier Bay National Monument, southeastern Alaska, reveal the glacial history of the area. Following deposition of the late Wisconsin Granite Canyon till, Forest Creek glaciomarine sediments were laid down. These sediments contain volcanic ash that may have been derived from Mt. Edgecumbe 200 km south of Adams Inlet on Kruzof Island. Wood on top of the Forest Creek sediments is dated at 10,940 ± 155 yrs B.P. Land was nearly 90 m lower than present levels; it rose an average of at least 2 cm per year, causing retreat of the sea. Adams Inlet and tributary valleys were then filled in Hypsithermal time with glacial out-wash and inwash gravel. By 1700 B.P., the entrance to Adams Inlet had been dammed by growing fans forming glacial Lake Adams in the inlet and adjacent valleys. Glacier ice of Neoglacial time then advanced into the lake. Retreat of this ice from the tributary valleys to the central part of the inlet was followed by deposition of a local sandy outwash into the valleys. The time of this retreat and the stabilization of Adams Inlet Glacier possibly coincides with the Little Optimum (A.D. 1150 – 1300). Adams Inlet Glacier then expanded to its maximum Neoglacial extent about A.D. 1700, and it may have remained there as late as 1835. Several glacial lakes formed in tributary valleys during subsequent deglaciation. Deposits of these lakes, glaciofluvial deposits, and till comprise the Glacier Bay Formation in Adams Inlet. Retreat from Neoglacial position is well documented by historical observations.
Wideband on-chip RF MEMS switches in a BiCMOS technology for 60 GHz applications

In this paper, an on-chip RF MEMS capacitive switch is designed and simulated with a 0.13 mum IBM SiGe BiCMOS technology for the first time. Mechanical and electrical design of the high frequency switch are discussed in this paper. Special consideration to improve Con/Coff ratio of the switch is used with multi metal layers configuration. The switch is designed for 60 GHz wireless applications, the results show that the switch has the insertion loss is less than 0.2 dB when the switch is off, while the isolation loss is larger than 15 dB when the switch is on over the frequency from 40 to 70 GHz. The calculated pull-in voltage of the switch is only about 10 volts, the switch is compact comparing with the reported PIN diode RF switch and has the membrane dimension of 10 mum x 240 mum.
Introduction to Knowledge Flows: Knowledge Transfer, Sharing, and Exchange Minitrack

This short paper serves to introduce the minitrack on knowledge flows and to summarize its constituent proceedings articles.
Interaction of recombinant leukocyte A interferon with lipid monolayers

Abstract The extent of interaction of recombinant leukocyte A interferon (IFN-α) with neutral, positively charged and negatively charged phospholipid monomolecular films was studied by measuring its ability, after injection into the subphase, to increase surface pressures exerted by such lipid films. The maximum surface pressure exerted by IFN-α in the absence of a lipid film (22.6 dyne/cm) was found to be nearly identical to the critical pressure for penetration of IFN-α into each of the lipid films studied. Thus, for lipid films at surface pressures above this value, there was no measurable penetration by IFN-α. At lower surface pressure values, injection of IFN-α into the subphase resulted in an increase in pressure, indicating its penetration into the film. Since the surface pressure exerted by natural and artificial bilayer structures is greater than 22.6 dyne/cm, extrapolation of these observations suggests that IFN-α would be excluded from the lipid bilayer of liposomes.
Small aperture, dual frequency ultrasound transducers for intravascular contrast imaging

Intravascular ultrasound imaging is a powerful tool in assessing cardiovascular diseases, and contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging has the ability to generate high signal to noise ratio images and can provide information such as degree of plaque vascularization and molecular function. Currently, however, contrast enhanced intravascular ultrasound (CE-IVUS) imaging has not been used clinically. Design, fabrication, and characterization of a small aperture (0.6 × 3 mm), dual frequency ultrasound transducer were performed, followed by microbubble tests for viability study of CE-IVUS imaging. Results show that more than 1.23 MPa (mechanical index: 0.48) was generated by the 6.5 MHz transmission component at the imaging area, where nonlinear response of microbubbles was detected by the 30 MHz broadband (-6dB bandwidth: 58.6%) receiving component. Nonlinear echo response from microbubbles flowing through a micro-tube with diameter of 0.2 mm was clearly detected with a signal to noise ratio higher than 12 dB. These promising results show that small aperture, dual frequency transducers are capable of detecting contrast agents using split frequency detection methods and suggest they are a reasonable platform for CE-IVUS imaging.
Cavity with a deformable mirror for tailoring the shape of the eigenmode

We demonstrate an optical cavity that supports an eigenmode with a flattop spatial profile--a profile that has been proposed for the cavities in the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, the second-generation laser interferometric gravitational wave observatory--because it provides better averaging of the spatially dependent displacement noise on the surface of the mirror than a Gaussian beam. We describe the deformable mirror that we fabricated to tailor the shape of the eigenmode of the cavity and show that this cavity is a factor of 2 more sensitive to misalignments than a comparable cavity with spherical mirrors supporting an eigenmode with a Gaussian profile.
Labelling DNA strand breaks with BrdUTP. Detection of apoptosis and cell proliferation

In situ presence of numerous DNA strand breaks is a typical feature of apoptotic cells. Selective DNA strand break induction by photolysis (SBIP) at sites that contain incorporated halogenated DNA precursors has recently been proposed as a method of analysing DNA replication. Detection of DNA strand breaks, thus, enables one to identify apoptotic and/or DNA replicating cells. The current methods for DNA strand break labelling rely on the use of exogenous terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase which either directly attaches the fluorochrome conjugated triphosphodeoxynucleotides to 3'OH ends in the breaks, or indirectly labels 3'OH ends with digoxygenin or biotin conjugated triphosphodeoxynucleotides. A limitation of these methodologies, especially restricting their routine application in the clinic, is high cost of reagents. In the present study we have tested whether relatively simple compound BrdUTP, which is approximately three orders of magnitude less expensive than dUTP conjugated to digoxygenin, can be used as marker of DNA strand breaks. Apoptosis of HL-60 cells was induced by DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin. The incorporated BrdUTP was detected by fluoresceinated anti-BrdUrd MoAb. Cellular fluorescence was measured by flow cytometry as well as by Laser Scanning Cytometer (LSC). The data show that intensity of DNA strand break labelling with BrdUTP was nearly four- and two-fold higher than that obtained with the indirect labelling using biotin- or digoxygenin-conjugated dUTP, respectively, and over eight-fold higher than in the case of direct labelling with the fluorochrome (fluorescein or BODIPY)-conjugated deoxynucleotides. The increased labelling of DNA strand breaks with BrdUTP may reflect more efficient incorporation of this precursor by terminal transferase, compared to the nucleotides with bulky fluorochrome conjugates. DNA strand break labelling with BrdUTP, thus, offers a possibility of more sensitive (and at lower cost) detection of apoptotic or DNA replicating cells, compared to the alternative methods of DNA strand break labelling.
Study on Multilayered Electrodes for Ferroelectric Thin Film Capacitors

The ferroelectric properties of PZT on RuO2 electrodes were compared to those on RuOStudy on Multilayered Electrodes for Ferroelectric Thin Film Capacitors. It seems that the microstructure of PZT film plays an important role in the improvement of electrical properties. In particular, the change in the grain size of PZT film is responsible for the enhancement of the electrical properties. It was found in this study that films with smaller grain size had larger coercive fields. The exact dependence of the grain size on the hysteretic property is not fully understood at present. However, it is believed that the grain size affects both domain formation and domain pinning because of the influence of grain boundaries. The change in physical properties of PZT films due to the bottom electrode is understood in terms of interfacial modifications. Here we report on a method to modify physical properties of PZT films utilizing interfacial engineering.
Chapter 2 The Source of Algal Colonizers on Rock Substrates in a Freshwater Impoundment.

Abstract The source of algal colonizers onto rock substrates in a eutrophic reservoir was analyzed during the spring diatom pulse by placing sediment traps in and beyond the periphyton growth zone and by scraping intact surfaces of known age. Impingement or “raining” of diatom cells from the water column was more important in the recolonization of rock surfaces than direct encroachment from the adjacent attached community. Relative to substrate-associated standing crops ( = 2.16 × 104cells mm−2), high densities of planktonic and periphytic diatoms impinged from the water column ( = 5.03 × 103cells mm−2d−1), particularly in the upper (surge) zone. Direct encroachment from immediately adjacent populations contributed very little quantitatively (none detected) or qualitatively (6 rare taxa of 67 total diatom taxa found) to the recolonization of denuded surfaces. Storm-induced turbulence reduced natural periphyton densities by up to 47%, with pseudoperiphytic species (e.g., Fragilaria vaucheriae ) exhibiting greater losses than attached forms. The percentage of nonliving diatoms on rock substrates increased during calm periods, prior to storm events.
Does the Claim Not to Be Tried Support Immediate Appeal of an Order That Sets Aside a Settlement Agreement

It is spring, and as the early crocuses annually blossom forth, so yet another collateral order doctrine case flowers on the Supreme Court's docket. In one of the longest-running riffs on doctrinal law, the Supreme Court in Digital Equipment is hearing its eighth case in seven years involving the collateral order doctrine of interlocutory appeal. As Casey Stengel might have said, you could look it up. In this year's collateral order outing, the Supreme Court will grapple with concepts of what court orders are important, and when and if a party has a right not to go to trial. The primary issue the Court will address is whether the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals was correct in determining that Digital Equipment Corporation had no right to immediately appeal a lower federal court's order that set aside settlement agreement on grounds of fraud after Desktop Direct, Inc. had dismissed its lawsuit against Digital Equipment Corporation as part of the agreement?The struggle between DEC and Desktop concerning whether DEC is entitled to an immediate review of the district court's decision to vacate the dismissal is significant for its potential impact on settlement negotiations. DEC would have the Supreme Court believe that, unless the Court validates a right to an appeal in this situation, litigants will always be bargaining in the shadow of the possibility that a party may be forced to go to trial when it expects that its settlement has foreclosed trial. Thus, the strong public policy concerning enforceability of settlement agreements, including standard provisions not to litigate, would be subverted if enforcement had "to await the end of the very litigation sought to be avoided." Desktop counters that, under applicable collateral order standards, DEC's rights "would be perfectly vindicable" through ordinary appellate review after trial, especially where the settlement itself was the product of fraudulent misrepresentation. Digital Equipment is significant in a broader sense in that the Supreme Court will have to clarify three aspects of the collateral order doctrine: (1) what it means when an issue involves a right not to go to trial, (2) whether the importance of the issue is a legitimate judicial concern, and, if so, (3) the methodology for assessing the importance of an issue under the collateral order standards.
From Decision Procedures to Synthesis Procedures

Software synthesis is a technique for automaticallygenerating code from a given specification. The goal of softwaresynthesis is to make software development easier while increasingboth the productivity of the programmer and the correctnessof the produced code. In this paper we present an approachto synthesis that relies on the use of automated reasoning anddecision procedures. First we describe how to generalize decisionprocedures into predictable and complete synthesis procedures.Here completeness means that the procedure is guaranteed tofind code that satisfies the given specification. We illustrate theprocess of turning a decision procedure into a synthesis procedureusing linear integer arithmetic as an example.However, writing a complete specification can be a tedious task,sometimes even harder than writing the code itself. To overcomethis problem, ideally the user could provide a few input-outputexamples, and then the code should be automatically derived.We outline how to broaden usability and applications of currentsoftware synthesis techniques. We conclude with an outlook onpossible future research directions and applications of synthesisprocedures.
Greeks in the East or Greeks and the East? Problems in the Definition and Recognition of Presence

This article considers the question of Greek presence in the Levant from a number of viewpoints. It first surveys the attitudes of both classical and biblical archaeologists towards Greek imports in the Levant, examining the extent to which expectations have driven interpretation. It then addresses the problem of identifying the users of Greek pottery in the Levant and the criteria used to identify them. Such matters as quantities of imports, preferred shapes, shapes intended for special uses, and other elements of material culture such as architecture, burial customs, and inscriptions are discussed to see whether they can be used to help us identify Greeks in the East, or even whether they shed light on relations between Greece and the East. Although the presence of Greeks in the Levant is hotly debated, the presence of Greek imports in the Levant is not in doubt. PreHellenistic Greek pottery in varying quantities, dating from the tenth century B.C. through the Persian period (late sixth-fourth centuries B.C.) has been found all along the coastal Levant from Cilicia in the north to the Egyptian Delta in the south (fig. 1). This article will address the problem of what Greek pottery in the East can, or cannot, tell us about its
Long-term elevated post-eruption sedimentation at Mount Pinatubo, Philippines

Post-eruption sedimentation rates from two basins draining Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, are compiled and extended through A.D. 2009 to compare short-term predictions with long-term yields. The Pasig-Potrero and Sacobia Rivers were covered by >1 km 3 of thick pyroclastic flow deposits during the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, blanketing 30% of each basin with highly erodible sediments. Erosion of these deposits led to some of the highest sediment yields ever recorded. Yields peaked in 1991 and declined exponentially for the first decade following the eruption. Deposition on the aggrading alluvial fan shows that sedimentation rates from 2001 to 2009 were almost twice as high as an exponential decay model would predict, with rates that have leveled off and are no longer declining exponentially. Patterns of long-term sedimentation are similar to those of the North Fork Toutle River (Washington State, United States) at Mount St. Helens, with two phases of erosion and sediment export. In the first, erosion of hillslope tephra and carving of the initial valley network lead to high sediment yields that decline exponentially over 5–10 yr. In the second phase, continued valley widening and fluvial instability maintain high sediment yields for at least two decades. A comparison of post-eruption deposition with pre-eruption yields indicates that century- to millennial-scale sedimentation is dominated by sediment associated with discrete eruptive events.
Citizens' United? A Comparison of Constitutional Concepts in U.S. and German Law: Market, State, and Constitution (Rechtsvergleichung der Erfassungsbegriffen im Deutschen und U.S. Recht: Markt, Staat, Verfassung)

The essay compares U.S. and German constitutional concepts of the State, the Market, and Constitution, with some references to Citizen's united as a foil to bring out the conceptual differences. The essay includes precise equivalent terms in English and German inline as well as in parallel text format so that the work can serve as a good base for legal comparison, legal harmonization, and language acquisition. 16 pages, 104 footnotes.
Blind Waypoint Navigation Using a Computer Controlled Vibrotactile Belt

Tactons are computer-generated tactile cues that work in conjunction with a vibrotactile device placed on the skin surface. A belt prototype was designed and controlled wirelessly from a laptop. Each tacton was encoded as four pulses at 250 Hz. The vibrotactile belt was secured along the waistline of 22 participants (20–26 years old); who were blindfolded and asked to alternatively navigate to a waypoint through one of two courses of equivalent complexity, guided one only by audio cues and the other only by vibrotactile cues. Half of the participants first navigated using audio cues and then tacton cues, while the other half navigated in the alternate order. Although the analysis showed average completion time through the tacton-guided course was slower and with more errors, than the audio-guided course, those who navigated first using audio cues completed the tacton maze faster and with less errors.
Minimalism, Creative Writing, and The Reader/Writer Connection

I begin this chapter with a short poem of my own that I have given the unimpressive title of “Untitled.” I agree that it feels lazy when writers do this. In fact, I hate when writers do this. Why couldn’t the author or poet take the time to craft some sort of title, at least any sort of title, in order to make the poem feel finished? Titles have uses after all.
Correlated and Entangled Orbital Angular Momentum

In this chapter, the study of optical orbital angular momentum (OAM) is introduced, a topic whose literature has grown rapidly since the early 1990s, as a result of both the intrinsic scientific interest of the subject and of the potential applications in areas ranging from high capacity quantum cryptography to the creation of optical spanners for the manipulation of nanostructures. It is be shown that the use of correlated photon methods leads to improved results and new applications in this area as well.
Role of Hydrogen Peroxide in the Prevention of Growth and Aflatoxin Production by Aspergillus parasiticus.

Hydrogen peroxide, 0.0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.3 and 0.5% was added to 25 ml of a glucose-yeast-salts medium which was inoculated with 1 ml of a spore suspension containing 106 conidia of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 and then was incubated at 14 or 28°C. Cultures held at 28°C were analyzed after 3, 7 and 10 d for mycelial dry weight, pH and accumulation of aflatoxin B1 and G1. Incubation of some cultures at 28°C was continued for 90 d. Cultures held at 14°C were analyzed after 1, 2 and 3 months for mycelial dry weight, pH and aflatoxin production. Amounts of aflatoxin produced were determined using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The percentage of inhibition or stimulation by the additive was used to make comparisons between treatments and control. Overall, increasing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide to 0.3 or 0.5% completely prevented growth and aflatoxin production for up to 90 d of incubation at 14 or 28°C.
Improving patient safety and workflow efficiency with standardized pretreatment radiation therapist chart reviews.

Abstract Purpose Radiation therapists play a critical role in ensuring patient safety; however, they are sometimes given insufficient time to perform quality assurance (QA) of a patient's treatment chart and documentation before the start of treatment. In this work, we show the benefits of introducing a formal therapist prestart QA checklist, completed in a quiet space well in advance of treatment, into our workflow. Methods and materials A therapist prestart QA checklist was created by analyzing in-house variance reports and treatment unit delays over 6 months. Therapists were then given dedicated time and workspace to perform their checks within the dosimetry office of our department. The effectiveness of the checklist was quantified by recording the percentage of charts that underwent QA before treatment, the percentage of charts with errors needing intervention, and treatment unit delays during a nearly 2-year period. The frequency and types of errors found by the prestart QA were also recorded. Results Through the use of therapist prestart QA, instances of treatment unit delays were reduced by up to a factor of 9 during the first year of the program. At the outset of this new initiative, nearly 40% of charts had errors requiring intervention, with the majority being scheduling related. With upstream workflow changes and automation, this was reduced over the period of a year to about 10%. Conclusions The number of treatment unit delays was dramatically reduced by using a formal therapist prestart QA checklist completed well in advance of treatment. The data collected via the checklist continue to be used for further quality improvement efforts.
Hate Speech in the Information Age

Chapter 3 introduces a theoretical foundation to illustrate how the Internet’s unique properties allow subversive social movements to legitimize their causes through a borrowed network of associations. Klein’s theory of information laundering demonstrates how the constructs of cyberspace—primarily search engines, political blogs, and social networks—can unwittingly take an illegitimate currency—hate speech—and transform it into what is rapidly becoming an accepted form of web-based knowledge. The section further explores how an online information seeker can unknowingly find their way into hate dens that have been designed to appear as educational, political, scientific, and even spiritual in nature.
Kawasaki Disease and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Any Connection to Vaccination?

Kawasaki disease (KD) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are two conditions with unknown etiology that occur in young children. KD is an acute self-limited vasculitis that occurs predominantly in infants and young children that can lead to coronary artery aneurysms or ectasia. Clinical criteria have been developed and well described to diagnose the constellation of signs and symptoms of this syndrome. Though 45 years have passed since the syndrome was first described, the etiology of KD remains elusive. It has been speculated that KD is infectious in origin, though no specific infectious source has been identified. Since KD presents at an age when infants and young children are receiving their primary vaccine series it has been questioned as to whether the vaccinations themselves are the inciting event behind KD. KD has been linked to a number of vaccines, yet no evidence of a cause-and-effect association exists and should not serve as a barrier to vaccination.
Corn, Beer, and Marine Resources at Casas Grandes, Mexico: An Analysis of Prehistoric Diets Using Microfossils Recovered from Dental Calculus

Abstract To better understand the diets of the prehistoric people of Casas Grandes, Mexico, we collected dental calculus from human remains of 110 individuals. Our goal was to identify any microfossils present in the calculus matrix preserved on ancient human teeth. Once identified, we used the results to reconstruct aspects of prehistoric diets during the Viejo (700–1200 CE) and Medio (1200–1450 CE) periods in and nearby Paquime, the regional center of the Casas Grandes cultural tradition. Our data support the conclusion that maize was cultivated and consumed throughout both time periods, supplemented by local plants and possibly marine resources. Further, evidence for cultural food modification such as fermentation, roasting, grinding, and nixtamalization (an alkaline treatment of maize) was identified. The data suggest prehistoric plant use may have exceeded simple subsistence, being modified for other purposes such as alcohol production.
Beyond the Flipped Classroom: Implementing Multiple, Simultaneous Pedagogical Styles Using Scrumage (Abstract Only)

While the "flipped classroom" style has some educational benefits, there are also known benefits to other pedagogical approaches such as lectures, educational games, class discussions, and case studies. In addition to a wide variety of pedagogical approaches, there are a wide variety of computer science learning materials, including videos, interactive tutorials, e-textbooks and traditional textbooks. The choices of approach and materials present a series of trade-offs and may favor some groups of students over others. In this workshop, we present a methodology called Scrumage, (SCRUM for AGile Education) which allows each student in a course to adopt the pedagogical approach and materials that best fit each student's individual learning needs. Scrumage adapts concepts from the Scrum project management technique to manage student teams where the project is learning. Each team learns with the style they prefer, so that multiple pedagogical styles and materials are in use in the course simultaneously. Participants in this workshop will be introduced to the methodology, benefits, and tools of this approach and will work through guided steps to implementing it in the course of their choice.
An Online Environment to Compare Students’ and Expert Solutions to Ill-Structured Problems

Practitioners often face ill-structured problems. However, it is difficult for instructors to assess their students’ work on such problems, as a broad set of solutions exist and may depend on the context. One way to assess student learning is through the evaluation of their mental models, which can be presented in the form of a causal network or ‘map’. While comparing a student’s map to an expert’s map can assist with the evaluation, this is a challenging process, in part, due to variations in language, resulting in the use of different terms for the same construct. The first step of the comparison is to address these variations by aligning as many of the students’ terms with their equivalent in the expert’s map. We present the design and implementation of a software to assist with the alignment task. The software improves on previous work by optimizing usability (e.g., minimizing the number of clicks to create an alignment) and by leveraging previous alignments to recommend new ones. In addition, alignments can be done collaboratively, as our system is available online: one instructor can invite others to edit or see the alignments. Further improvements to this system may be achieved using content-based recommender systems or natural language processing.
Chain programming over difference constraints

Chain Programming is a restricted form of Linear Programming with a number of interesting properties. A Chain Program is characterized by a total ordering on the program variables (of a linear program). In other words, the constraints x1 ≤ x2...xn are either implicitly or explicitly part of the constraint system defined by a linear program. At the present juncture, it is not clear whether an arbitrary linear program augmented with a chain is easier to solve than linear programs in general, either asymptotically or computationally; however, it is definitely the case that Chain Programs possess a number of useful properties. In this paper, we restrict ourselves to linear programs that are constituted entirely of difference constraints. For such linear programs (also called Difference Constraint Systems), we show that the total ordering of the program variables results in an elegant divide and conquer algorithm for the problem of feasibility testing. This approach can be parallelized in straightforward fashion to run on any SIMD or MIMD architecture, thereby greatly enhancing its effectiveness. Inasmuch as difference constraint logic is an integral part of a number of verification problems in both Model-checking and real-time scheduling, our result is of particular importance to these communities. Secondly, difference constraint systems are duals of shortest path problems in directed graphs and hence our study is important from the perspectives of the Artificial Intelligence and Operations Research communities as well. One of the surprising consequences of our research is the establishment of a link between Chain Programs over Difference Constraints (CPD) and a specialized class of Totally Unimodular (TUM) matrices called interval matrices. This connection makes it likely that there exists a more efficient algorithm for the problem of feasibility testing in CPDs.
Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction in Children

The cricopharyngeus is the major functional component of the upper esophageal sphincter. Failure of this sphincter to relax in a coordinated fashion during swallowing is a rare cause of dysphagia in pediatric patients but can lead to significant morbidity. Diagnosis of cricopharyngeal achalasia is typically made with a videofluoroscopic swallow study, with the potential support of other methods such as endoscopy and manometry. There are a number of described techniques for management ranging from dilation to open myotomy.
PopCorns: Power Optimization Using a Cooperative Network-Server Approach for Data Centers

Data centers have become a popular computing platform for various applications, and account for nearly 2% of total US energy consumption. Therefore, it has become important to optimize data center power, and reduce their energy footprint. With newer power- efficient design in data center infrastructure and cooling equipment, active components such as servers and the network consume most of the power with emerging sets of workloads. Most existing work optimizes power in servers and networks independently, and do not address them together in a holistic fashion that can achieve greater power savings. In this paper, we present PopCorns, a cooperative server-network framework for power optimization. We propose power models for switches and servers with low-power modes. We also design job scheduling algorithms that place tasks onto servers in a power-aware manner, such that servers and network switches can take effective advantage of low-power states. Our experimental results show that we are able to achieve more than 20% higher power savings compared to a baseline strategy that performs balanced job allocation across the servers.