cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Probing the coupling between proton and electron transfer in photosystem II core complexes containing a 3-fluorotyrosine.

The catalytic cycle of numerous enzymes involves the coupling between proton transfer and electron transfer. Yet, the understanding of this coordinated transfer in biological systems remains limited, likely because its characterization relies on the controlled but experimentally challenging modifications of the free energy changes associated with either the electron or proton transfer. We have performed such a study here in Photosystem II. The driving force for electron transfer from TyrZ to P680•+ has been decreased by ∼80 meV by mutating the axial ligand of P680, and that for proton transfer upon oxidation of TyrZ by substituting a 3-fluorotyrosine (3F-TyrZ) for TyrZ. In Mn-depleted Photosystem II, the dependence upon pH of the oxidation rates of TyrZ and 3F-TyrZ were found to be similar. However, in the pH range where the phenolic hydroxyl of TyrZ is involved in a H-bond with a proton acceptor, the activation energy of the oxidation of 3F-TyrZ is decreased by 110 meV, a value which correlates with the ...
Is there still a need for gifted education? An examination of current research

Abstract What recent research has been conducted about gifted and talented students and their learning experiences in school? As we complete the first decade of the new century we are entering a time when much attention is focused on remediation and test preparation; it only seems appropriate to reflect upon what has been learned about gifted education during the last few decades and consider the compelling evidence that may or may not support special services for gifted and talented. Consensus on which research themes and studies should be included in this type of examination would difficult to reach, but we have identified six important themes that are discussed in the article. This review of research strongly suggests that the need for gifted education programs remains critical during the current time period in American education when our nation's creative productivity is being challenged by European and Asian nations.
Theoretical and computational studies of carbon nanotube composites and suspensions : Electrical and thermal conductivity

Monte Carlo simulations have been performed, aimed at finding a critical fractional volume (CFV) associated with the onset of percolation for randomly oriented nanotubes (or, indeed, any conductive particles with large aspect ratios) that are randomly dispersed in a low thermo- or electroconductive medium. The nanotubes were treated as capped interpenetrating conductive cylinders (``sticks'') with high (up to 2000) aspect ratio $a$. It has been found that for these aspect ratios the CFV is inversely proportional to $a$ resulting in surprisingly low filler volume loadings, of the order of 0.01%, required to achieve percolation in such systems. By studying fluctuations of the CFV and the density of the percolation clusters, various critical indices of the percolation theory have been calculated including the critical index of conductivity, $t$. For three-dimensional systems it has been found that $t$ decreases substantially with an increase in the aspect ratio. The calculated thermal and electrical conductivity of the nanotube suspensions and composites as functions of the nanotube loading is in good agreement with recent experimental data.
Principles and Practices of Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy

The laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) is an essential tool for many biomedical imaging applications at the level of the light microscope. The basic principles of confocal microscopy and the evolution of the LSCM into today's sophisticated instruments are outlined. The major imaging modes of the LSCM are introduced including single optical sections, multiple wavelength images, three-dimensional reconstructions, and living cell and tissue sequences. Practical aspects of specimen preparation, image collection, and image presentation are included along with a primer on troubleshooting the LSCM for the novice.
Anatomy of the thyroarytenoid branch of the recurrent laryngeal nerve

Objective To determine the position and anatomic variability of the thyroarytenoid (TA) branch of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). Methods The RLN on 13 human cadaver specimens (24 sides) was dissected to the termination of the TA branch in the TA muscle. A pin was placed at the inferior aspect of the thyroid cartilage at the inferior tubercle. Using a caliper, the distance from the pin to the TA branch of the RLN was measured. The direction of the nerve and number of branches were recorded. Results The average distance to the TA branch of the RLN is 4.23 mm with a standard deviation of 2.86 mm. The median distance is 3.75 mm. Most of the specimens fell in a range of 1 to 4 mm. Overall, 54% of the nerves traveled in a horizontal direction, but vertical and oblique orientations were observed. About 20% of specimens demonstrated branching of the TA nerve. Conclusion Measuring 4 mm from the inferior tubercle along a perpendicular line from the thyroid tubercle on the inferior border of the thyroid cartilage provides a good estimate of the location of the TA branch of the RLN. This information is useful when creating a posterior thyrotomy for TA neurectomy for patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia. Knowledge of the course and possible branching of the nerve, will aid in localizing the nerve as well as ensuring adequate resection.
Aggregate Market Reaction to Earnings Announcements

This paper identifies a distinct immediate announcement period negative relation between earnings announcement surprises and aggregate market returns. Such a relation implies that market participants use earnings information in forming expectations about expected aggregate discount rates and, specifically, that good earnings news is associated with a positive shock to required returns. We also find some evidence that this negative relation persists well beyond the immediate announcement period, suggesting that market participants do not immediately fully impound these future market return implications of aggregate earnings news.
Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) tethering to muscle selective A-kinase anchoring protein (mAKAP) is necessary for myogenic differentiation

Differentiation of skeletal myoblast cells to functional myotubes involves highly regulated transcriptional dynamics. The myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors are critical to this process, synergizing with the master regulator MyoD to promote muscle specific gene transcription. MEF2 is extensively regulated by myogenic stimuli, both transcriptionally and post-translationally, but to date there has been little progress in understanding how signals upstream of MEF2 are coordinated to produce a coherent response. In this study, we define a novel interaction between the muscle A-kinase anchoring protein (mAKAP) and MEF2 in skeletal muscle. Discrete domains of MEF2 and mAKAP bind directly. Their interaction was exploited to probe the function of mAKAP-tethered MEF2 during myogenic differentiation. Dominant interference of MEF2/mAKAP binding was sufficient to block MEF2 activation during the early stages of differentiation. Furthermore, extended expression of this disrupting domain effectively blocked myogenic differentiation, halting the formation of myotubes and decreasing expression of several differentiation markers. This study expands our understanding of the regulation of MEF2 in skeletal muscle and identifies the mAKAP scaffold as a facilitator of MEF2 transcription and myogenic differentiation.
Surface interactions of Au(I) cyclo-trimer with Au(111) and Al(111) surfaces: A computational study

article i nfo A plane-wave density functional theory (DFT) study on surface interactions of a cyclo-(Au(μ-Pz))3 monolayer (denoted as T), Pz = pyrazolate, with Au(111) and Al(111) surfaces (denoted as M') has been performed. Structural and electronic properties at the M'-T interfaces are determined from individually optimized struc- tures of M', T and M'-T. Results show that the gold pyrazolate trimer (T) binds more strongly on the Au(111) surface than on Al(111). Charge redistribution has been observed at both M'-T interfaces, where charge is "pushed" back towards the Au(111) surface from the trimer monolayer in Au(111)-T system, while the op- posite happens in the Al(111)-T system where the charge is being pushed toward the trimer monolayer from the Al(111) surface. Considerable changes to the work function of Au(111) and Al(111) surfaces upon the tri- mer adsorption which arise from monolayer vacuum level shifts and dipole formation at the interfaces are calculated. The interaction between cyclo-(Au(μ-Pz))3 with metal surfaces causes band broadening of the gold pyrazolate trimer in M'-T systems. The present study aids better understanding of the role of intermo- lecular interactions, bond dipoles, energy-level alignment and electronic coupling at the interface of metal electrodes and organometallic semiconductor to help design metal-organic field effect transistors (MOFETs) and other organometallic electronic devices.
A Direct and Rapid Radioimmunoassay Method for 17β-Estradiol in Women Undergoing Ovulation Induction

Abstract Several radioimmunoassay methods for serum 17β-estradiol are presently in use. Methods that have been reported for the determination of 17β-estradiol require preliminary extraction of the steroid and, in some cases, chromatographic separation. Ovulation induction in anovulatory women can be accomplished by the serial administration of gonadotropins (Pergonal). Rapid and accurate determinations of serum 17β-estradiol are necessary to adjust the daily gonadotropin dose. In order to meet this requirement, a direct and rapid radioimmunoassay for serum 17β-estradiol was developed in our laboratory that allows the determination of 17β-estradiol levels in up to fifty samples within 3 to 4 h without the need for prior extraction or purification.
New Evidence for Free AIH

RECENT work in this laboratory on the vapour density of the compound, AlH3·2N(CH3)3, has indicated that this material dissociates reversibly in two steps. In Table 1, the pressures at various temperatures are presented for a sample of known weight in a volume of approximately 1 litre. The pressures, measured with a mercury manometer, have been corrected to 0°.
Investigation of Electronic and Vibrational Properties of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Functionalized with Diazonium Salts†

Single-walled carbon nanotube films functionalized with 4-chlorophenyl and 4-nitrophenyl diazonium groups were studied by resonant Raman and optical absorption spectroscopies. Samples with different degrees of functionalization, from 0.24 to 4.1% of functional groups in relation to the number of carbon atoms in the nanotube, were used in the experiments. The effects of the functional groups on the electronic and phonon structures were addressed by a resonant Raman investigation using several different laser excitation energies. A dependence of the optical excitation energies on the nanotube functionalization is reported. A shift in the optical transition energies as well as a broadening in the resonance Raman profiles are observed for the functionalized samples, caused by the charge transfer between the nanotube and the functional group. Comparison between Raman and optical absorption results reveals a dependence of the functionalization with the nanotube diameter. The absolute dependence of the ratio bet...
Investigation of Cut-Off Sizes and Collection Efficiencies of Portable Microbial Samplers

This research investigated the physical collection efficiencies and cut-off sizes of SMA MicroPortable, BioCulture, Microflow, Microbiological Air Sampler (MAS-100), Millipore Air Tester (MAT), SAS Super 180, and RCS High Flow portable microbial samplers when collecting Polystyrene Latex particles ranging from 0.5 to 9.8 μm in aerodynamic size. Traditional collection efficiency measurements often directly compare particle concentrations upstream and downstream of the sampler without considering the particle losses. Here, we developed a new approach which tests collection efficiencies of the sampler with and without agar collection plate loaded. This method thus allows estimating the effective collection efficiency, i.e., the fraction of incoming particles deposited onto the agar collection medium only. The experimental cut-off sizes, or d 50, of the investigated samplers ranged from 1.2 μm for the RCS High Flow, 1.7 μm for the MAS-100, 2.1 μm for SAS Super 180, to 2.3 μm for MAT; for other three samplers ...
On the covariate-adjusted estimation for an overall treatment difference with data from a randomized comparative clinical trial

To estimate an overall treatment difference with data from a randomized comparative clinical study, baseline covariates are often utilized to increase the estimation precision. Using the standard analysis of covariance technique for making inferences about such an average treatment difference may not be appropriate, especially when the fitted model is nonlinear. On the other hand, the novel augmentation procedure recently studied, for example, by Zhang and others (2008. Improving efficiency of inferences in randomized clinical trials using auxiliary covariates. Biometrics 64, 707–715) is quite flexible. However, in general, it is not clear how to select covariates for augmentation effectively. An overly adjusted estimator may inflate the variance and in some cases be biased. Furthermore, the results from the standard inference procedure by ignoring the sampling variation from the variable selection process may not be valid. In this paper, we first propose an estimation procedure, which augments the simple treatment contrast estimator directly with covariates. The new proposal is asymptotically equivalent to the aforementioned augmentation method. To select covariates, we utilize the standard lasso procedure. Furthermore, to make valid inference from the resulting lasso-type estimator, a cross validation method is used. The validity of the new proposal is justified theoretically and empirically. We illustrate the procedure extensively with a well-known primary biliary cirrhosis clinical trial data set.
Breast Density as a Predictor of Mammographic Detection: Comparison of Interval- and Screen-Detected Cancers

Background Screening mammography is the best method to reduce mortality from breast cancer, yet some breast cancers cannot be detected by mammography. Cancers diagnosed after a negative mammogram are known as interval cancers. This study investigated whether mammographic breast density is related to the risk of interval cancer. Methods Subjects were selected from women participating in mammographic screening from 1988 through 1993 in a large health maintenance organization based in Seattle, WA. Women were eligible for the study if they had been diagnosed with a first primary invasive breast cancer within 24 months of a screening mammogram and before a subsequent one. Interval cancer case subjects (n = 149) were women whose breast cancer occurred after a negative or benign mammographic assessment. Screen-detected control subjects (n = 388) were diagnosed after a positive screening mammogram. One radiologist, who was blinded to cancer status, assessed breast density by use of the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. Results Mammographic sensitivity (i.e., the ability of mammography to detect a cancer) was 80% among women with predominantly fatty breasts but just 30% in women with extremely dense breasts. The odds ratio (OR) for interval cancer among women with extremely dense breasts was 6.14 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.95-19.4), compared with women with extremely fatty breasts, after adjustment for age at index mammogram, menopausal status, use of hormone replacement therapy, and body mass index. When only those interval cancer cases confirmed by retrospective review of index mammograms were considered, the OR increased to 9.47 (95% CI = 2.78-32.3). Conclusion Mammographic breast density appears to be a major risk factor for interval cancer.
A FORTRAN IV program for presenting optimally ordered paired comparison stimuli

The presentation of paired comparison stimuli has long been a popular research technique. The program described herein provides a convenient system for generating paired comparison stimuli and for recording certain data. Output. The program performs two functions: (I) It generates a balanced set of paired comparison stimuli where each pair is punched on a card. When these cards are interpreted, they may be presented directly to Ss as stimuli. (2) Next, if rank order data are being collected, the cards may be resubmitted to the program after they have been sorted by Ss. A lower triangular matrix of stimulus pair ranks is generated. Each card is assigned a code that may be suppressed when the cards are interpreted for use as stimulus decks, but can be used to record the ranks of the paired comparisons in the sorted decks. An important feature of the program is that the stimulus decks are balanced for optimal presentation order according to a method developed by Ross (1934). The purpose of this ordering is to avoid presentation effects by arranging the pairs so that they are balanced to minimize space and time errors, by avoiding systematic repetitions which might have suggestion effects, and by maintaining maximum space between pairs having common members. The presentation order for five stimuli, for instance, is as follows: 1-2,5-3,4-1,3-2,4-5,1-3,2-4,5-1,3-4,2-5. The lower triangular matrix of stimulus pair ranks is, of course, a distance matrix and may be analyzed by means of multidimensional scaling or cluster analysis techniques. The program thus supplies direct card input to other programs such as Young's (1973) POLYCON or Johnson's (1967) hierarchical clustering analysis. Program Restriction and Language. The program generates a balanced paired comparison stimulus deck for up to 45 stimuli. It is written in FORTRAN IV, Level G, language for the IBM 360. Availability. A writeup and listing of the program along with example output may be obtained without cost from Bobby J. Calder, Organizational Behavior Program, Department of Business Administration, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801.
Efficacy of esomeprazole in controlling reflux symptoms, intraesophageal, and intragastric pH in patients with Barrett's esophagus*

SUMMARY Barrett's esophagus is a metaplastic condition associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease and an increased risk for adenocarcinoma. Acid plays a significant role in the development and progression of Barrett's esophagus and high dose proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy is often needed. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of esomeprazole, a new potent PPI, on symptom relief and intraesophageal and intragastric acid suppression in patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE). Patients were evaluated by standardized questionnaires and dual sensor 24-h pH monitoring while receiving esomeprazole at a dose (40–80 mg/day) needed for control of symptoms. Analyses of intraesophageal and intragastric pH profiles were then made. Thirteen patients, mostly men, were studied. All tolerated esomeprazole (40–80 mg/day) with good symptom control. Sixty-two percent of patients with BE had abnormal intraesophageal pH profiles despite adequate symptom control on esomeprazole which was associated with significant breakthrough of intraesophageal acid control, particularly at night. Low nocturnal intragastric pH correlated highly with nocturnal intraesophageal acid reflux (P = 0.004) and there was a relative failure of nocturnal intragastric acid control with esomeprazole. A high percentage of patients with BE continue to exhibit pathologic GERD and low intragastric pH despite esomeprazole for reflux symptom control. For an antisecretory treatment aimed at chemoprevention of esophageal adenocarcinoma to be effective, higher PPI dosing confirmed by pH monitoring may be necessary.
Low-cost maskless grayscale lithography using a new photo-definable polyimide for polymer MEMS applications

We present the novel use of a positive-tone photosensitive polyimide for the rapid production of grayscale features using a maskless lithography system including several sample geometries to illustrate the general capabilities of this method. Commonly used in the fabrication of MEMS and other micro-scale devices, polyimide films are known for their extreme mechanical and thermal stability [1,2,3]. Unfortunately, photo-definable polyimides historically have possessed significantly limiting critical properties, i.e. decreased elongation, low tensile strength and high film stresses. The use of a new polyimide, HD-8820, overcomes these limitations and allows direct patterning of polyimide into complex geometries without the need for imprinting, plasma etching or other secondary processing steps [4]. The entire fabrication sequence, from CAD file to cured structure, can take only 4 hours making this a fast, low-cost method of producing polymer MEMS devices with excellent mechanical properties.
Genetic Manipulation of the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (Development of Strains Lacking Photosystem I for the Analysis of Mutations in Photosystem II)

We have taken a genetic approach to eliminating the presence of photosystem I (PSI) in site-directed mutants of photosystem II (PSII) in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. By selecting under light-activated heterotrophic conditions, we have inactivated the psaA-psaB operon encoding the PSI reaction center proteins in cells containing deletions of the three psbA genes. We have also introduced deletions into both copies of psbD in a strain containing a mutation that inactivates psaA (ADK9). These strains, designated D1-/PSI- and D2-/PSI-, may serve as recipient strains for the incorporation of site-directed mutations in either psbA2 or psbD1. The characterization of these cells, which lack both PSI and PSII, is described.
Assessing Speech Discrimination in Individual Infants.

Assessing speech discrimination skills in individual infants from clinical populations (e.g., infants with hearing impairment) has important diagnostic value. However, most infant speech discrimination paradigms have been designed to test group effects rather than individual differences. Other procedures suffer from high attrition rates. In this study, we developed 4 variants of the Visual Habituation Procedure (VHP) and assessed their robustness in detecting individual 9-month-old infants' ability to discriminate highly contrastive nonwords. In each variant, infants were first habituated to audiovisual repetitions of a nonword (seepug) before entering the test phase. The test phase in Experiment 1 (extended variant) consisted of 7 old trials (seepug) and 7 novel trials (boodup) in alternating order. In Experiment 2, we tested 3 novel variants that incorporated methodological features of other behavioral paradigms. For the oddity variant, only 4 novel trials and 10 old trials were used. The stimulus alter...
Electric fault detection for vector-controlled induction motors using the discrete wavelet transform

Focuses on the detection of electrical faults in vector-controlled induction motor systems. Systems controlled by a robust mechanism, such as vector control, have an increased ability to adapt to changes in system parameters and reject disturbances. Therefore, if there are faults in the system they may be difficult to detect. The controller tends to compensate for the faults and minimize their impact on the system outputs. A fault detection algorithm based on the discrete wavelet transform is developed. The algorithm computes a "fault index" for stator winding faults such that fault signature and the fault degree can be determined in a clear manner.
Reason and Authority in Habermas: A Critique of the Critics

Some critics of JUrgen Habermas have charged that his ideas have an affinity with authoritarianism. This criticism rests on a fundamental misinterpretation of Habermas' project for a communicative ethics. Political authoritarianism is deeply incompatible with his conceptions of practical rationality and normative legitimacy. After demonstrating this incompatibility, I propose an explanation for the persistence of misunderstanding on this question. In conclusion, some suggestions are offered as to the sort of political orientation one can justifiably derive from Habermas' philosophical foundations.
Renyi entropy measures of heart rate Gaussianity

Sample entropy and approximate entropy are measures that have been successfully utilized to study the deterministic dynamics of heart rate (HR). A complementary stochastic point of view and a heuristic argument using the Central Limit Theorem suggests that the Gaussianity of HR is a complementary measure of the physiological complexity of the underlying signal transduction processes. Renyi entropy (or q-entropy) is a widely used measure of Gaussianity in many applications. Particularly important members of this family are differential (or Shannon) entropy (q=1) and quadratic entropy (q=2). We introduce the concepts of differential and conditional Renyi entropy rate and, in conjunction with Burg's theorem, develop a measure of the Gaussianity of a linear random process. Robust algorithms for estimating these quantities are presented along with estimates of their standard errors.
Strongly consistent identification algorithms and noise insensitive MSE criteria

Windowed cumulant projections of nonGaussian linear processes yield autocorrelation estimators which are immune to additive Gaussian noise of unknown covariance. By establishing strong consistency of these estimators, strongly consistent and noise insensitive recursive algorithms are developed for parameter estimation. These computationally attractive schemes are shown to be optimal with respect to a modified mean-square-error (MSE) criterion which implicitly exploits the high signal-to-noise ratio domain of cumulant statistics. The novel MSE objective function is expressed in terms of the noisy process, but it is shown to be a scalar multiple of the standard MSE criterion as if the latter was computed in the absence of noise. Simulations illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithms and compare them with the conventional algorithms. >
Resource document on access to firearms by people with mental disorders

The American Psychiatric Association, ("APA"), with more than 36,000 members at present, is the Nation's leading organization of physicians who specialize in psychiatry. APA provides for education and advocacy and develops policy through Position Statements. It promotes enhanced knowledge of particular topics relevant to psychiatric practice and patient care through Resource Documents. Since 1993, the APA has developed various positions and resource materials related to firearms and mental illness, incorporating evolving themes as new issues emerge. This paper reflects the APA's 2014 Resource Document on "Access to Firearms by People with Mental Disorders." This article is derived from work done on behalf of American Psychiatric Association and remains the property of APA. It has been altered only in response to the requirements of peer review.
Friction and wear in microfabricated harmonic side-drive motors

Polysilicon variable-capacitance rotary harmonic side-drive micromotors and results from operational and frictional studies of these motors are described. Quantitative studies of wear under electric excitation are also reported. Voltages as low as 26 V across 1.5- mu m gaps are sufficient for operation. Frictional force estimates of 0.15 mu N at the bushings and 0.04 mu N in the bearings are obtained from measurements of stopping voltages. Extended operation of these motors to near 100 million wobble cycles at excitation frequencies of 10000 r.p.m. and 25000 r.p.m. for operational durations of 150 h and 71 h, respectively, are studied. The results indicate that bearing wear is significant and results in changes in the gear ratio of the motors by as much as 20%. Typical gear ratios are near 90 at the start of motor operation and decrease to about 70 as the bearings wear out. >
Falsely Elevated Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein (PTH-RP) in a Patient With Hypercalcemia and Renal Failure

Humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM) is the cause of hypercalcemia in the majority of patients with hypercalcemia and cancer. Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-RP) has been identified as the circulating factor that mediates HHM. An N-terminal and a C-terminal PTH-RP are clinically useful assays for screening patients for HHM, and both assays are elevated in such patients. C-terminal PTH-RP depends on glomerular filtration and accumulates in patients with renal failure without malignancy, resulting in falsely-elevated levels, whereas N-terminal PTH-RP is low or undetectable in such patients. We present a case of a patient with renal failure and hypercalcemia who did not have an obvious malignancy and who presented with an elevated C-terminal PTH-RP level and a normal N-terminal PTH-RP. In patients with renal failure and hypercalcemia without cancer, C-terminal PTH-RP may be falsely elevated, especially if the eGFR is <20 mL/minute, and in such patients, N-terminal PTH-RP, because it is less affected by renal function, is the preferred test.
On the practical importance of the SSP property for Runge–Kutta time integrators for some common Godunov‐type schemes

We investigate through analysis and computational experiment explicit second and third-order strong-stability preserving (SSP) Runge-Kutta time discretization methods in order to gain perspective on the practical necessity of the SSP property. We consider general theoretical SSP limits for these schemes and present a new optimal third-order low-storage SSP method that is SSP at a CFL number of 0.838. We compare results of practical preservation of the TVD property using SSP and non-SSP time integrators to integrate a class of semi-discrete Godunov-type spatial discretizations. Our examples involve numerical solutions to Burgers' equation and the Euler equations. We observe that 'well-designed' non-SSP and non-optimal SSP schemes with SSP coefficients less than one provide comparable stability when used with time steps below the standard CFL limit. Results using a third-order non-TVD CWENO scheme are also presented. We verify that the documented SSP methods with the number of stages greater than the order provide a useful enhanced stability region
Reading subjects: passbooks, literature and apartheid

Between 1916 and 1981, 17.25 million black South Africans were arrested for pass-law infringements. Though passbooks were pivotal texts in the lives of many South Africans, scholarship has focused mostly on their role in administering labour influxes. Thus the implications of having books facilitate state power have been largely unexplored. This article considers passbooks as books to examine how they narrated lives and conditioned various political and racial modes of subjectivity. It argues that despite passbooks’ unparalleled control over South Africans’ everyday lives, passbooks failed to mould all life stories into the rigid forms promulgated by apartheid doxa. Counter-narratives in black and ‘coloured’ writing of the period provide a useful framework for re-evaluating the role of reading and writing in the production of power. As interventions in the apartheid state’s monopoly of public discourse, such writing insisted that there be alternative ways of writing the apartheid subject into the archive.
A new proof of the Garsia-Wachs algorithm

Abstract A new proof of correctness for the Garsia-Wachs algorithm is presented. Like the well-known Hu-Tucker algorithm, the Garsia-Wachs algorithm constructs minimum cost binary trees in O(n log n) time. The new proof has a simpler structure and is free of the difficult inductions of the original.
Th2-Dependent B Cell Responses in the Absence of CD40-CD40 Ligand Interactions

CD40 is thought to play a central role in T cell-dependent humoral responses through two distinct mechanisms. CD4 + T helper cells are activated via CD40-dependent Ag presentation in which CD80/CD86 provides costimulation through CD28. In addition, engagement of CD40 on B cells provides a direct pathway for activation of humoral responses. We used a model of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of β-galactosidase ( lacZ) into murine lung to evaluate the specific CD40-dependent pathways required for humoral immunity at mucosal surfaces of the lung. Animals deficient in CD40L failed to develop T and B cell responses to vector. Activation of Th2 cells, which normally requires CD40-dependent stimulation of APCs, was selectively reconstituted in CD40 ligand-deficient mice by systemic administration of an Ab that is agonistic to CD28. Surprisingly, this resulted in the development of a functional humoral response to vector as evidenced by formation of germinal centers and production of antiadenovirus IgG1 and IgA that neutralized and prevented effective readministration of vector. The CD28-dependent B cell response required CD4 + T cells and was mediated via IL-4. These studies indicate that CD40 signals to the B cells are not necessary for CD4 + Th2 cell-dependent humoral responses to be generated.
Random walk/Markov Chain model for sensor positional uncertainty with application to UXO discrimination

We considered the problem of sensor signal processing in the presence of positional uncertainty with application to classification of unexploded ordnance from observations of electromagnetic induction data. Our approach is based on the synthesis of random walk and Markov chain models for describing the correlated positional perturbations. Using this model, we develop an algorithm for the estimation of target parameters in which we minimize the maximum data misfit where the maximization is taken over the range of positional uncertainties supported by our model. The specific Markov nature of this model leads naturally to a low complexity estimation scheme based on the Viterbi algorithm. The results of using our Min- Max approach show significant improvement in final classification relative to the case where positional uncertainty is ignored.
IL-1 Receptor-Associated Kinase Signaling and Its Role in Inflammation, Cancer Progression, and Therapy Resistance

Chronic inflammation has long been associated with the development of cancer. Amongst the various signaling pathways within cancer cells that can incite the expression of inflammatory molecules are those that activate IL-1 receptor associated kinases (IRAK). The IRAK family comprises of four family members, IRAK-1, IRAK-2, IRAK-3 (also known as IRAK-M), and IRAK-4, which play important roles in both positively and negatively regulating the expression of inflammatory molecules. The wide array of inflammatory molecules that are expressed in response to IRAK signaling within the tumor microenvironment regulate the production of factors that promote tumor growth, metastasis, immune suppression and chemotherapy resistance. Based on published reports and compelling preliminary data, we propose that the dysregulated activation of the IRAK signaling pathway in cancer cells contributes to disease progression by creating a highly inflammatory tumor environment. In this article, we present both theoretical arguments and experimental data in support of this hypothesis.
FlincGs: novel, non-FRET cGMP biosensors with nanomolar sensitivity for NO-induced signaling

Previously, our lab has developed FRET-based cGMP-indicators (cygnets) to study the spatial and temporal dynamics of intracellular cGMP [1]. Cygnets have been proven to advance our understanding of NO/cGMP signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells [2]. However, FRET based indicators suffer from intrinsic technical difficulties: they require a dual emission detection system, show overall low cyan/yellow emission ratio changes, and are generally insensitive to physiological (low nanomolar) stimuli of NO. These restrictions prompted us to develop several novel, non-FRET based cGMP biosensors (FlincG:fluorescence indicator of cyclic GMP), which are composed of a single circular permutated EGFP (cpEGFP) fused to regulatory fragments of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). Based on the different PKG type I isoforms, we designed α-FlincG and β-FlincG. A third construct (δFlincG), had the entire N-terminal region truncated. All three indicators were expressed and purified from E. coli and showed cGMP selective changes in total 510 nm emission intensities of 50–200% with apparent KD,cGMP values ranging from 40 nM to 1.2 μM. Furthermore, we observed a >1000 fold selectivity for cGMP over cAMP. Interestingly, in adenovirus transfected vascular smooth muscle cells (P0), FlincG indicators detected cGMP responses to sub-nanomolar NO. The apparent EC50 values were determined as 0.3 nM, 12 nM and 7 nM for αFlincG, β-FlincG and δ-FlincG, respectively. Due to their superior kinetic characteristics, FlincG biosensors may serve as ideal tools to elucidate cGMP signaling in cultured smooth muscle cells and in intact arteries using conventional epi-fluorescence microscopy as well as confocal fluorescence microscopy.
The central and southern Elsinore fault zone, southern California

We examine hypocenter patterns, geomorphic features, total slip determinations, and slip-rate information to define the active elements of the southern and central portions of the right-lateral Elsinore fault zone in southern California. In addition to the Elsinore fault, the seismicity patterns define a continuous fault between about 33°N and 33.5°N, 7 to 12 km east of the Elsinore fault, that corresponds to the Aguanga, Agua Tibia, and Earthquake Valley faults. This part of the fault zone is double stranded. Total slip and current slip rate are apparently distributed between the two strands. Slip transfer between the strands occurs at the ends of the eastern strand over two steps with topographic signatures reflecting the step geometries in a right-lateral fault zone: a contractional left step occupied by Palomar mountain, and an extensional right step within the Vallecito-Fish Creek basin. We suggest that the two strands of the double-stranded portion of the fault zone have different ages, and the proportion of slip carried by each strand may have changed through time. Hypocenter patterns define several northeast-striking faults within the fault zone; we attribute a 1940 ML 5.1 earthquake to one of them.
Impairment of carotid-cardiac vagal baroreflex in wheelchair-dependent quadriplegics.

The incidence of orthostatic hypotension can increase after prolonged exposure to chair rest and bedrest and is associated with post-bed rest impairment of the carotid-cardiac baroreflex response. We therefore hypothesized that the hypotension observed in humans confined to wheelchairs may be manifested by a reduced baroreflex sensitivity. We compared baroreflex responses of 16 wheelchair-dependent (WCD) quadriplegics with those of 15 able-bodied subjects (ABS) matched for age, height, and weight. Beat-to-beat R-R intervals were measured during application of graded pressures from 40 to -65 mmHg using a neck chamber for noninvasive stimulation of the carotid baroreceptors. Changes of R-R intervals were plotted against carotid distending pressures. The maximum slope of the stimulus-response relationship was greater (P less than 0.0001) in ABS (6.1 +/- 0.6 ms/mmHg) than in WCD (2.6 +/- 0.4 ms/mmHg). The range of the R-R interval response, i.e., the capacity to buffer blood pressure changes, was only 138 +/- 19 ms in WCD compared with 253 +/- 19 ms in ABS (P less than 0.001). Mean sitting systolic-to-diastolic blood pressures in WCD (92/60 mmHg) were less (P less than 0.0001) than in ABS (120/77 mmHg), although there were no significant differences between groups in supine resting blood pressures. Chronic loss of stimulation to carotid baroreceptors by routine standing posture is associated with attenuated sensitivity and reduced buffer capacity of the arterial baroreflex and hypotension during sitting in WCD patients.
The Chowla-Selberg formula for quartic Abelian CM fields

We provide explicit analogues of the Chowla-Selberg formula for quartic abelian CM fields. This consists of two main parts. First, we implement an algorithm to compute the CM points at which we will evaluate a certain Hilbert modular function. Second, we exhibit families of quartic fields for which we can determine the precise form of the analogue of the product of gamma values.
Adaptive mode control in a few-mode fiber

We experimentally demonstrated control of guided waves at two locations within a two-mode fiber by combining adaptive optics, mode-division-multiplexing, and time-division-multiplexing. The method can be generalized to mode control at multiple desired fiber network locations.
Some Dynamic Elements of Contests for the Presidency

Despite the measured pace of American elections, there have now been a number of presidential campaigns since the advent of survey studies of voting. However sparingly, political history slowly has added to the set of distinct configurations of men and events which comprise a contest for the Presidency. The set is still small, whatever the impression created by massed thousands of interviews or by the accompanying files of election returns. Yet it is now large enough to be pressed hard for evidence about the sources of electoral change.A primary virtue of measurements extended over a series of elections is that they can throw light on the problem of change. So long as the earliest voting studies were confined to cross-sectional relationships, they could deal only very inadequately with changes superimposed on these relationships or with changes in the relationships themselves. In the case of Lazarsfeld's enormously influential Erie County study in 1940, the natural limitations of a single-election study were compounded by the investigators' misfortune in choosing a campaign whose dominant personality and principal issues differed little from those of preceding elections. I have often wondered whether the static social determinism of The People's Choice would have emerged from a campaign in which the tides of short-term change were more nearly at flood.I shall examine here some sources of change which are richly evident in the presidential elections of the last two decades.
Failure of short-term administration of thyrotrophic hormone to produce exophthalmos in man.

SummaryThe parenteral administration of thyroid stimulating doses of 3 thyrothrophic hormone preparations in 13 patients both with and without thyroid glands for from 3 to 22 days failed to cause any statistically significant increase in proptosis. Under the conditions of this experiment, the short-term administration of TSH did not cause exophthalmos in man.
Black Lives Matter and the Paradoxes of U.S. Black Politics From Democratic Sacrifice to Democratic Repair

This essay seeks to understand the complex response to the current Black Lives Matter protests against police violence, which pose deeper questions about the forms of politics that black citizens—w...
The role of the placenta in fetal and perinatal pathology. Highlights of an eight months' study.

Abstract Two thousand two hundred and fifty-seven placentas were examined, and, of these, 622 were processed for histologic appraisal. A causal relationship of placental membrane infections to mid-trimester abortion and to premature labor is confirmed and elaborated. Special attention is drawn to nonspecific inflammatory lesions of fetal villi, the significance of which has not yet been determined. There were numerous unusual fetuses and neonatal deaths encountered in the study. Cases of special interest are presented, including twin hydrocephalic infants, an acardiac twin, a thanatophoric dwarf, and several anencephalic infants. Examples of twin placentas, single umbilical artery, and chorangioma are included, with a brief review.
Investigation on Prevalence of Chronic Diseases among Drivers of Different Types of Small Vehicle

[Objective]To understand the health status of small vehicle drivers.[Methods]According to the Management method for occupational health surveillance and the Physical qualifications for automobile driver and their protocol(GB18463-2001),the occupational health examination results of 568 taxi drivers(the occupational driver group) and 482 private car drivers(the non-occupational driver group) were analyzed statistically,and were compared with 396 control workers.[Results]The incidence of chronic gastritis,fatty liver,hypertension,benign prostatic hyperplasia,gynecologic diseases,dermatosis and spinal joint diseases of the occupational driver group was significantly higher than that of the control group.The most common diseases were chronic gastritis,fatty liver and hypertension,which the prevalence reached 32.0%,29.0% and 18.0% respectively,and the prevalence increased with working years.In the non-occupational driver group,the most common diseases were fatty liver and hypertension,which the prevalence reached 24.7% and 16.2% respectively.Most of non-occupational drivers had the history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.Nearly a quarter of them often drunk alcohol and smoked.The abnormal rate of blood pressure,distance vision,color discrimination and ECG of the non-occupational driver group was significantly higher than that of control group.[Conclusion]The health status of small vehicle drivers is not optimistic,and the health education among occupational drivers needs to be strengthened.
Bringing in the Work of Nature From Natural Capital to Hybrid Labor

Ecological concern has recently prompted efforts to assess the economic value of ecological functions: the “work of nature” must no longer be taken for granted as a free amenity, but priced and acc...
An extra-articular arthrodesis of the subastragalar joint for correction of paralytic flat feet in children.

Correction of pronated feet by arthrodesis of the subastragalar joint or by procedures adapted to limit eversion at the subastragalar joint has been accomplished by many surgeons. In this paper a method of obtaining fusion of the subastragalar joint with bone grafts is presented. The advantage of the method is that height is restored to the tarsus by the operation. Since the grafts are placed in the sinus tarsi, they are essentially extraarticlar in position and should interfere with growth in a minimal degree. The technique is simple and mechanical fixation of the joint is obtained with the grafts. When the deformity is due to paralysis, the muscle imbalance must be corrected to prevent recurrence of the deformity. In cases of mild to moderate severity, it is advisable to transfer the peroneus longus to the base of the second metatarsal. The severe cases in which the astragalus is in marked equinus require tendon transference which provides support to the astragaloscaphoid region. Although this operation has been used primarily in the correction of paralytic flat feet, it would seem to be of merit in the treatment of severely pronated feet in young children and the rocker deformities club-foot.
The damaged index digit. A source of components to restore the crippled hand.

1. When the index finger is irreversibly damaged or amputated, simple removal of the index metacarpal enhances function of the hand by elimination of an obstruction in the web space between the thumb and long finger.2. Before ray amputation of the index finger is performed, it should be inventoried
Monopoly and Antitrust Policies in Network-Based Markets such as Electricity

Deregulation requires a shift entirely from regulatory economics to industrial-organization economics. Effective competition requires parity among competitors and an avoidance of cooperation. The specific criteria for effective competition include (in most cases) at least 5 reasonably comparable rivals, no single-firm dominance, and reasonably free entry. Premature deregulation, before those conditions are reached, is a cardinal error and is usually irreversible.