cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trinexapac-ethyl rate and application timing effects on seed yield and yield components in tall fescue

Abstract Trinexapac-ethyl (TE) has been used for lodging control and seed yield enhancement in several grass seed crop species but little is known about how this plant growth regulator (PGR) performs in tall fescue [ Schedonorus arundinaceus (Shreb.) Dumort.]. The objective of this study was to determine how TE application rate and timing influences seed productivity over six diverse lodging environments in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Three field trials were conducted to examine TE effects on seed yield and yield components. Stem length, a key factor in lodging control, was reduced incrementally with increasing TE rate from 17% reduction at 200 g TE ha −1 to a maximum of 39% reduction at 600 g TE ha −1 . Lodging was consistently reduced by TE but had no effect on above-ground biomass and panicles m −2 . Over environments, TE increased seed yield by an average 40% over the untreated control. However, TE rate or application timing did not differentially affect seed yield across environments. Increases in tall fescue seed yield attributable to TE were the result of increased seed number m −2 and improved harvest index (HI), but not seed weight. A better understanding of TE-induced seed yield increases will aid in improving use efficiency and economy of this important PGR.
New Estimates of the Scale Height and Surface Density of OB Stars in the Solar Neighborhood

Galactic latitudes and photographic magnitudes for large samples (N ~ 2000–4000) of OB stars within 10° of the Galactic plane and 4 kpc of the Sun are used to estimate the exponential scale height and surface density of these objects assuming a barometric extinction model. Depending upon the scale height and differential extinction of the absorbing layer, estimates of the OB-star scale height hOB vary from ~ 25 to 65 pc and of the surface density from ~ 6 to 80 stars per 105 pc2. Reasons for the wide spread in this latter figure are discussed. For an absorbing layer of scale height σ = 100 pc and B-band extinction of 2 mag kpc-1, we find hOB ~ 45 pc and ~ 26 stars per 105 pc2. The total Galactic population of these stars is estimated at ~ 60,000, and their formation rate at one every 40 years. Estimates of the scale height are found to be essentially independent of the assumed mean absolute magnitude for OB stars.
Specially doped (Ce:Fe:) LiNbO3-based crystal holography

A special doped Ce:Fe LiNbO3 photorefractive (PR) crystal holography using a visible- light low-power laser diode is presented. Analysis of angular and wavelength selectivities of PR holograms are given, in which we have shown that the wavelength-multiplexed reflection- type holograms offer a uniform and efficient selectivity. Experimental demonstrations are provided. The application of this specially doped crystal to optical signal processing computing and neural networks are feasible.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Radiocarbon-based circulation age of the world oceans

[1] The distributions of deep ocean Δ14C data are often used to illustrate the rate of deep ocean circulation. The associated conventional 14C ages show a difference of 1000 years between the North Atlantic and the Southern Ocean and a difference of another 1000 years between the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific. These differences may be interpreted directly and mistakenly as the timescale of circulation. The characterization of the deep ocean circulation being millennial is common. Using objectively gridded, natural Δ14C “data” of Key et al. (2004), I recast Δ14C in terms of circulation by accounting for (1) long-surface ocean reservoir 14C ages and (2) two sources of deep water formed in the North Atlantic and around Antarctica. The new distribution of “circulation 14C ages” is more consistent with the deep ocean being characterized by a centennial timescale than a millennial timescale. Also, the role of the southern sourced deep water is now made more obvious. By accounting for the two important controls on oceanic 14C that are not well known outside the field of chemical oceanography, the new map will be useful as an illustration of global deep ocean circulation to the wider scientific community and as a pedagogical tool to new students in Earth sciences and oceanography.
THE EFFECT OF SOME SOLUBLE INORGANIC ADMIXTURES ON THE EARLY HYDRATION OF PORTLAND CEMENT

THE EFFECTS OF THE SOLUBLE CHLORIDES, BROMIDES, NITRATES, SULPHATES AND ACETATES OF CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, LITHIUM, SOKIUM AND ZINC AS WELL AS THE CORRESPONDING MINERAL ACIDS ON THE EARLY HYDRATION OF NEAT PORTLAND CEMENT PASTES HAVE BEEN STUDIED. BOTH THE CATIONS AND ANIONS ARE RANKED ACCORDING TO THEIR GENERAL EFFECTIVENESS AS ACCELERATORS OF THE HYDRATION OF THE CALCIUM SILICATE PHASE.
On models and methods for Bayesian time series analysis

Abstract A new approach to the applied econometric problems of adjusting and forecasting univariate time series with component models is described. The models used differ from the familiar ARIMA class by having components derived from fractionally differenced Gaussian processes and by allowing for simultaneous estimation of deterministic along with random components. Methodology proposed for fitting these models is based on Bayesian principles, with particular emphasis placed on assessing sensitivity of conclusions to model assumptions. The methods require extensive likelihood-related computations, using frequency domain representations to produce a range of new graphical diagnostic displays. They are illustrated with an extended example.
An investigation of flow boiling regimes in microchannels of different sizes by means of high-speed visualization

Boiling in microchannel heat sinks is attractive for high-performance electronics cooling due to the high heat transfer rates that can be achieved. However, the physics of flow boiling in microchannels, the flow patterns present, and the effect of microchannel size on the boiling regimes have not been investigated extensively, particularly with dielectric fluids. In the present work, experiments are conducted with a perfluorinated dielectric fluid, Fluorinert FC-77, to investigate the effect of channel size and mass flux (250 to 1600 kg/m2s) on microchannel flow boiling regimes by means of high-speed photography. Seven different silicon test pieces with parallel microchannels of widths ranging from 100 to 5850 mum, all with a depth of 400 mum, are considered. Flow visualizations are performed with a high-speed digital video camera while local measurements of the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop are simultaneously obtained. The visualizations show that flow regimes in microchannels of width 400 mum and larger are similar, while those in the 100 mum wide microchannels are distinctly different. Also, unlike the 100 mum wide microchannels, in which bubble nucleation at the walls is suppressed at a relatively low heat flux, nucleate boiling is dominant over a wide range of heat flux for microchannels of width 400 mum and larger.
Assessment of Heavy Metals in Red King Crabs Following Offshore Placer Gold Mining

Abstract Red king crabs, Paralithodes camtschaticus, with commercial and subsistence importance, seasonally occur nearshore in Norton Sound, north-eastern Bering Sea, Arctic Alaska. Since the end of the nineteenth century, the coastal area in the northern Sound has been intensively mined for placer gold. Mining was extended offshore in 1986–1990. Heavy metal concentrations in the crabs were monitored during 1987–1990 to assess the impact of offshore mining. Crabs were only present in the study area during ice-covered months when mining was seasonally suspended. Arsenic, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn and Hg concentrations in muscle and hepatopancreas tissues were generally not different between mined and unmined reference (control) areas. Furthermore, concentrations of these metals were not different in similar surficial sediments upcurrent and downcurrent of mining. The concentrations of most metals in both tissues fluctuated over the study period, with no temporal trend. Exceptions were for Hg in muscle tissue and As in hepatopancreas tissue which showed progressive significant increases each year. Also, there was a fractionation of selected metals between the two tissues; Cr, Pb and Zn were greater in muscles, whereas Cd, Cu and Ni were greater in hepatopancreas. Arsenic and Hg had similar concentrations in both tissues. All elemental concentrations in the crab muscles from Norton Sound were below or within the range of concentrations observed in red king crabs from five other locations in the North Pacific, including a mined area. In Norton Sound, all metals, except Cd, were at least an order of magnitude below the US Food and Drug Administration guidance levels for contamination or human consumption. This investigation demonstrated that mining activities did not affect the concentrations of the heavy metals measured in red king crabs.
Eliminating Housing Tax Preferences: A Distributional Analysis

Abstract We examine the distributional impact of potential changes in the tax treatment of owner-occupied housing in this paper. In particular, we focus on the removal of mortgage interest and local property tax deductibility. A theoretical model of the demand for housing is developed that captures the impact of removing these deductions on housing demand. Then, we use a large cross section of individual income tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service for 1990 to estimate the distributional effects of removing housing deductions. Taxpayers are ranked by income and tax liability, both with and without the housing deductions. By comparing tax liability under the alternative regimes, and composing measures of the distributional impact of removing housing tax deductions using the classic Suits index, we assess both revenue neutral and nonrevenue neutral distributional effects. Results in both cases indicate that the removal of the tax deductibility of mortgage interest and property taxes would increase the progressivity of the income tax substantially.
A CASE STUDY OF CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT METHODS IN A MAJOR AUTOMOTIVE OEM

To compete in the global market, many manufacturers are moving towards mass customization of products. This allows the manufacturer to take advantage of the high volumes found in mass production while still manufacturing products that fit the needs of individual customers. In order to effectively implement mass customization principles in production, the manufacturers must rely on some form of configuration management to keep track of the large amount of domain knowledge that is involved. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of existing configuration management practices and why they are necessary in today’s economy. This includes a case study of the configuration management and configuration change practices of a major automotive OEM. Based on the results of the case study, the authors present a series of recommendations to increase the effectiveness of the OEM’s change management practices.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Diffuse reflecting surfaces for the infrared and far infrared

Efficient random-scattering surfaces for the IR have been fabricated by cementing submillimeter-sized shavings or pellets to a metallic substrate with metal-filled epoxy, followed by deposition of a Ag overcoating. The measured height and lateral spacing distributions for these preparations are both nearly Gaussian. Net surface reflectivities of ≥90% have been measured at 10 µm, and the threedimensional angular intensity distributions agree with the cosine law that defines a perfect uniform diffusing surface to within ~10%. Careful extrapolation of the 10-µm data into the far IR, combined with sample measurements at 90 and 250 µm, indicate that reflectivities of > 96% can be achieved for λ ≥ 90 µm with comparable uniformity of diffusion. These surfaces are intended for use in overmoded resonator cavities excited by continuously tunable, pulsed, far-IR lasers, but they should also find use in other applications where high net reflectivity, uniform diffusion, and ready contrl of the dimensions of the individ scattering elements are important considerations.
Placing data in the hands of discipline-specific decision makers: Campus-wide writing program assessment

Abstract Writing is complex, and assessment of writing is equally complex, particularly when considering the need to measure outcomes at the institutional level while providing meaningful data that informs curriculum reform and supports learning at the discipline-level. Using a multi-layered assessment that incorporates standardized measures of writing assessment, such as two writing subtests of the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) published by ACT, as well as locally-developed rubric ratings, data from the assessment process can provide useful information to departmental faculty, assisting them in understanding students’ skills in their given content areas. The data generated in this system provides unique perspectives on discipline-specific writing expectations and outcomes.
The Myth of the Black Matriarchy

(1981). The Myth of the Black Matriarchy. The Black Scholar: Vol. 12, The Best of the Black Scholar: The Black Woman, pp. 26-34.
Revisiting Cooperative Learning...And Making It Work: Success with Cooperative Learning On the Secondary Level

By revisiting a framework for successful cooperative learning strategies, secondary teachers can ensure that their cooperative learning activities produce solid learning and satisfying results. What are some common questions about cooperative learning and recommendations for teachers interested in making cooperative learning strategies work?
The Nottingham group is finitely presented

We prove that the Nottingham group N (Fp) is finitely presented as a pro-p group for p > 2.
Albuterol Delivery by 4 Different Nebulizers Placed in 4 Different Positions in a Pediatric Ventilator In Vitro Model

BACKGROUND: The type of aerosol generator and the position in the ventilator circuit are crucial to determine aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation. We compared lung deposition of albuterol aerosols generated by 4 different nebulizers placed in-line in 4 different positions in a pediatric ventilator model. METHODS: Two brands of continuously operated jet nebulizer (6 L/ min, oxygen), an ultrasonic, and a vibrating mesh were compared when placed at the ventilator, the humidifier, the Y-piece, and 30 cm before the Y-piece. The jet, ultrasonic, and vibrating mesh nebulizers were operated for 5, 15, and 15 min, respectively. The tested solutions contained 2.5 mg, 5.0 mg, and 7.5 mg of albuterol sulfate. The ventilator settings were: pressure-regulated volume control mode, tidal volume 200 mL, breathing frequency 20 breaths/min, PEEP 5 cm H2O, FIO2 0.4, inspiratory time 0.75 s, bias flow 2 L/min, and heater 37°C. The circuit was connected in series to a 5.5 mm cuffed endotracheal tube, a deposition filter, and a lung model. Albuterol was measured by spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Intra-device comparison: the jet and vibrating mesh nebulizers performed best at either the ventilator or humidifier, and worst at the Y-piece. The ultrasonic nebulizer performed best at the humidifier and worst at the Y-piece. Inter-device comparison: the vibrating mesh nebulizer outperformed both jet nebulizers at all tested positions, and the ultrasonic nebulizer when placed at either the ventilator or the humidifier. Lung deposition increased for the jet and ultrasonic nebulizers, but not for vibrating mesh nebulizer, when increasing the loading volume while maintaining the nominal dose. CONCLUSIONS: The vibrating mesh nebulizer was the most efficient device. The nebulizers were more efficient when placed at either the ventilator or the humidifier, and less efficient when placed at either the Y-piece or 30 cm from the Y-piece. These conclusions are valid for the tested conditions. Data regarding optimization of operating conditions should not be extrapolated among nebulizers of different operating principles. Key words: mechanical ventilation; albuterol; jet nebulizer; vibrating mesh nebulizer; ultrasonic nebulizer; position; pediatrics; aerosol; humidifier. [Respir Care 2013;58(7):1124–1133. © 2013 Daedalus Enterprises]
THE PROCESSING, PROPERTIES AND STRUCTURE OF CARBON FIBERS

This paper reviews the processing, properties, and structure of carbon fibers. Carbon fibers are derived from several precursors, with polyacrylonitrile being the predominant precursor used today. Carbon fibers have high strength (3–7 GPa), high modulus (200–500 GPa), compressive strength (1–3 GPa), shear modulus (10–15 GPa), and low density (1.75–2.00 g/cm3). Carbon fibers made from pitch can have modulus, thermal, and electrical conductivities as high as 900 GPa, 1,000 W/mK, and 106 S/m, respectively. These fibers have become a dominant material in the aerospace industry and their use in the automotive and other industries is growing as their cost continues to come down.
Effect of a child care center-based obesity prevention program on body mass index and nutrition practices among preschool-aged children.

This study examined the effect of an early childhood obesity prevention program on changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) z-score and nutrition practices. Eight child care centers were randomly assigned to an intervention or attention control arm. Participants were a multiethnic sample of children aged 2 to 5 years old (N = 307). Intervention centers received healthy menu changes and family-based education focused on increased physical activity and fresh produce intake, decreased intake of simple carbohydrate snacks, and decreased screen time. Control centers received an attention control program. Height, weight, and nutrition data were collected at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months. Analysis examined height, weight, and BMI z-score change by intervention condition (at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months). Pearson correlation analysis examined relationships among BMI z-scores and home activities and nutrition patterns in the intervention group. Child BMI z-score was significantly negatively correlated with the number of home activities completed at 6-month post intervention among intervention participants. Similarly, intervention children consumed less junk food, ate more fresh fruits and vegetables, drank less juice, and drank more 1% milk compared to children at control sites at 6 months post baseline. Ninety-seven percent of those children who were normal weight at baseline were still normal weight 12 months later. Findings support child care centers as a promising setting to implement childhood obesity prevention programs in this age group.
Seawater and porewater fluorescence in the Santa Barbara Basin

The fluorescence of filtered seawater and porewaters from the Santa Barbara Basin has been measured. Porewater fluorescence exceeded that in the overlying seawater by a factor of 10–500. The water column profile of fluorescence can be explained by photochemical degradation of fluorescent components in surface waters and diffusion of “marine humic substances” from the sediments into basin bottom waters. Porewater fluorescence increases linearly with depth to at least 2 m and correlates well with titration alkalinity and ammonium ion concentration. The sources and the type of molecules responsible for fluorescence remain unknown.
How language use shapes meaning: A Case Study of Singapore Southern Min Loanword Balu

In contact linguistics, an overlooked area that has immense research potential is regular semantic change exhibited by loanwords. Due to the relatively shorter histories of contact languages as compared to ‘normal’ languages, semantic changes in contact languages are far better understood, thereby presenting us with case studies of polysemous words where contact-induced change and regular semantic change can be better demarcated. Studying such phenomena will thus shed light on the cognitive processes behind semantic change. This paper looks at how language use shapes the semantic pathway of Singapore Southern Min loanword balu and suggests that the findings in this paper can be applied cross-linguistically to other cases of regular semantic change. Singapore Colloquial Malay adverb baru ‘recently’ was borrowed into Singapore Southern Min as balu ‘recently’. Although Southern Min balu and Malay baru both share a common function, they exhibit disparate semantic pathways. Data gathered shows that loanword balu ‘recently’ has no tendency to develop a conjunctive function similar to that of Singapore Colloquial Malay and baru ‘recently’ has no tendency to develop another adverbial function like that of balu ‘recently’ in Singapore Southern Min. Initial findings of this paper suggest that the contrasting semantic pathways for Southern Min balu ‘recently’ and Malay baru ‘recently’ are due to differences in semantic fields a particular word is most strongly associated. Nevertheless, the overarching mechanism behind both semantic changes is still pragmatic inferencing, or in other words, a reanalysis of contextually ambiguous sentences.
The Lytic Transcriptome of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Reveals Extensive Transcription of Noncoding Regions, Including Regions Antisense to Important Genes

Genomewide analyses of the mammalian transcriptome have revealed that large tracts of sequence previously annotated as noncoding are frequently transcribed and give rise to stable RNA. Although the transcription of individual genes of the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has been well studied, little is known of the architecture of the viral transcriptome on a genomewide scale. Here we have employed a genomewide tiling array to examine the lytic transcriptome of the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, KSHV. Our results reveal that during lytic growth (but not during latency), there is extensive transcription from noncoding regions, including both intergenic regions and, especially, noncoding regions antisense to known open reading frames (ORFs). Several of these transcripts have been characterized in more detail, including (i) a 10-kb RNA antisense to the major latency locus, including many of its microRNAs as well as its ORFs; (ii) a 17-kb RNA antisense to numerous ORFs at the left-hand end of the genome; and (iii) a 0.7-kb RNA antisense to the viral homolog of interleukin-6 (vIL-6). These studies indicate that the lytic herpesviral transcriptome resembles a microcosm of the host transcriptome and provides a useful system for the study of noncoding RNAs.
The electrophysiological properties of diphenylhydantoin sodium as compared to procaine amide in the normal and digitalis-intoxicated heart.

The effects of diphenylhydantoin sodium (Dilantin) on ventricular automaticity, intraventricular conduction, atrioventricular (A-V) conduction, and sinus rate have been determined in the digitalis-intoxicated and normal heart. These effects have been compared with procaine amide. Diphenylhydantoin sodium depresses ventricular automaticity and enhances A-V conduction while having little or no effect on intraventricular conduction or sinus rate. Procaine amide differed from diphenylhydantoin sodium in that it caused depression of both A-V and the intraventricular conduction, as well as slowing of the sinus rate. The results indicate that the electrophysiological properties of diphenylhydantoin sodium make it superior to procaine amide in the treatment of digitalis toxicity. Both diphenylhydantoin sodium and procaine amide can suppress digitalis arrhythmias due to enhanced automaticity, but procaine amide may promote "re-entry" arrhythmias by potentiating the intraventricular conduction defect caused by the ...
Frequencies of FoxP3+ naïve T cells are related to both viral load and naïve T cell proliferation responses in HIV disease

HIV infection results in depletion and dysfunction of naive CD4(+) T cells. The mechanisms underlying these deficiencies are not understood. We investigated the frequencies of CD4(+) naive subsets in HIV disease as defined by expression of CD25 and/or FoxP3 and the relationship of these frequencies to naive T cell proliferation function. We observed increased proportions of CD25(+)FoxP3(+) and CD25(+)FoxP3(-) cells and decreased proportions of CD25(-)FoxP3(-) cells within the naive CD4(+) cell compartment from HIV-infected persons compared with findings in healthy donors. These perturbations were related to higher plasma HIV RNA levels but not with higher immune activation, as measured by the proportions of CD38(+) memory CD4(+) T cells. Naive T cell proliferation responses to mitogen stimulation were inversely related to the frequencies and absolute numbers of FoxP3(+) naive T cells. MDA, a marker of oxidative stress, and sCD14, a marker of monocyte activation and a surrogate for microbial translocation, were increased in serum samples from HIV(+) donors; however, neither marker was related to naive T cell function in HIV(+) donors. These observations suggest that alterations in naive T cell subset frequencies could contribute to naive T cell dysfunction in HIV disease, but these alterations are not necessarily the result of chronic immune activation.
Disentangling Resource and Apparent Competition: Realistic Models for Plant-herbivore Communities

Abstract We analyse a model food web in which two plant species compete for a nutrient and are attacked by a herbivore species, with both resource and apparent competition occurring between plants. Simple rules based on equilibrium nutrient concentration ( R *) and herbivore density ( H *) have been proposed to govern competitive outcomes (e.g. Holt et al ., 1994, Am. Nat. 144, 741–771), but these earlier analyses assumed linearity of the nutrient-dependent plant growth function and the herbivore functional response. We now relax these assumptions. When plant growth is nonlinear, there is a rich set of potential trade-offs among plant competitive ability, plant maximal growth rate, plant defenses against herbivores, and preferences of herbivore attack on plants. Given stability, asymptotic outcomes can include exclusion of one plant species, priority effects wherein exclusion depends on initial conditions, and herbivore-mediated coexistence. Nonlinear herbivore functional responses potentially frustrate the application of simple rules for competitive outcomes. Nevertheless, there are circumstances in which simple rules appear to perform well. In these cases, graphical theory relates properties of food chains (nutrient, herbivore, and one plant species only) to asymptotic outcomes in food webs (with both plant species). Competitive outcomes in the graphical theory are summarized by R * and H * quantities. Our approach works best when plant species differ greatly in nutrient-dependent growth rates, and herbivores preferentially attack plants with high ratios of nutritional benefit to cost (measured by handling and processing times). A parameterized model of Daphnia and several algal species suggests that our approach could perform well in practice.
Normal mammary gland morphology in pubertal female mice following in utero and lactational exposure to genistein at levels comparable to human dietary exposure

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of in utero and lactational exposure to genistein (0, 0.1, 0.5, 2.5 and 10 mg/kg/day) on mammary gland morphology in female B6D2F1 mice at levels comparable to or greater than human exposures. The effect of diethylstilbestrol (DES; 0, 0.1, 1, 10 g/kg/day) on the mammary gland was also examined as a positive estrogenic control. Pregnant females were treated by daily gavage from gestational day 12 to postnatal day (PND) 20. Female offspring were weaned on PND21 and mammary gland whole mounts were examined for growth (length and area of the epithelial tree), proliferation (number of terminal end buds (TEBs)), and differentiation (density of alveolar buds (ABs)) on PND49. The highest dose of DES induced a significant increase in mammary gland growth (P0.05) and also decreased the number of TEBs (P 0.06). The density of ABs was not significantly affected by DES. By contrast to DES, genistein had no effect on mammary gland morphology at any dose. These results suggest that in utero and lactational exposure to genistein at levels comparable to or greater than human exposures do not adversely affect mammary gland development in pubertal female B6D2F1 mice. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Optimal tendon placement of a tendon control system for large flexible structures

The optimal tendon placement of a tendon control system for a 2-D N-bay, truss is considered. With the criterion of optimality for optimal tendon placement being controllability and robustness of the tendon control system, the optimal tendon placement problem can be formulated as a constrained optimization problem which can be solved using dynamic programming; therefore, the globally optimal solution to the optimal tendon problem can be obtained efficiently. A tendon control system is designed for a 2-D 11-bay truss using this technique. >
The L84F polymorphic variant of human O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase alters stability in U87MG glioma cells but not temozolomide sensitivity

First-line therapy for patients with glioblastoma multiforme includes treatment with radiation and temozolomide (TMZ), an oral DNA alkylating chemotherapy. Sensitivity of glioma cells to TMZ is dependent on the level of cellular O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) repair activity. Several common coding-region polymorphisms in the MGMT gene (L84F and the linked pair I143V/K178R) modify functional characteristics of MGMT and cancer risk. To determine whether these polymorphic changes influence the ability of MGMT to protect glioma cells from TMZ, we stably overexpressed enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP)-tagged MGMT constructs in U87MG glioma cells. We confirmed that the wild-type (WT) eGFP-MGMT protein is properly localized within the nucleus and found that L84F, I143V/K178R, and L84F/I143V/K178R eGFP-MGMT variants exhibited nuclear localization patterns indistinguishable from WT. Using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide] proliferation and clonogenic survival assays, we confirmed that WT cells expressing eGFP-MGMT are resistant to TMZ treatment compared with control U87MG cells, and that each of the polymorphic eGFP-MGMT variants confers similar resistance to TMZ. However, upon exposure to O(6)-benzylguanine (O(6)-BG), a synthetic MGMT inhibitor, the L84F and L84F/I143V/K178R variants were degraded more rapidly than WT or I143V/K178R in a proteasome-dependent manner. Despite the increased O(6)-BG- stimulated protein turnover caused by the L84F alteration, cells expressing L84F eGFP-MGMT did not exhibit altered sensitivity to the combination of O(6)-BG and TMZ compared with WT cells. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the L84F polymorphic variant has altered protein turnover without modifying sensitivity of U87MG cells to TMZ or combined TMZ and O(6)-BG. These findings may provide a clue to determining the clinical significance of MGMT coding-region polymorphisms.
A 30-180 GHz harmonic mixer-receiver

The authors have combined integrated circuit antenna technology with microwave circuit design and a back-to-back Schottky diode chip to build a wideband millimeter-wave harmonic mixer-receiver. The design is planar, very simple to build, and yields excellent performance from 30-180 GHz. Application areas include wideband early warning systems and search and rescue applications, and for extending the range of spectrum analyzers and power meters to the millimeter-wave region. >
Gender Identity Disorder

According to the DSM IV, a person with GID is a male or female that feels a strong identification with the opposite sex and experiences considerable stress because of their actual sex (Task Force on DSM-IV and American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The way GID is characterized by health professionals, patients, and lay people belies certain assumptions about gender that are strongly held, yet nevertheless questionable. The phenomena of transsexuality and sex-reassignment surgery puts into stark relief the following question: “What does it mean to be male or female?” But while the answer to that question may be informed by contemplation of GID, we should also be aware that the answer to the question “what does it mean to have GID?” is shaped by our concepts of male and female. First, I consider the concept of transsexuality, and explain how it forces us to clarify our concepts of sex and gender, and leads to the development of what I will call the “standard view.” I then explain GID from a mental-health standpoint, question the concept of gender identity, and try to uncover some fundamental assumptions of the standard view. I argue that these assumptions are at odds with the plausible view that gender supervenes on physical, psychological, and/or social properties. I go on to argue, contra the standard view, that gender has no essence. I suggest an anti-essentialist account of gender according to which “man” and “woman” are cluster concepts. This undermines the dualistic conception of gender that grounds the standard view. An anti-essentialist view of gender cannot make sense of the concept of “gender identity” and hence sees so-called “GID” as primarily conflict between the individual and her society, and only derivatively a conflict between the individual and her body.
Extending coprime sensor arrays to achieve the peak side lobe height of a full uniform linear array

A coprime sensor array (CSA) is a non-uniform linear array obtained by interleaving two uniform linear arrays (ULAs) that are undersampled by coprime factors. A CSA provides the resolution of a fully populated ULA of the same aperture using fewer sensors. However, the peak side lobe level in a CSA is higher than the peak side lobe of the equivalent full ULA with the same resolution. Adding more sensors to a CSA can reduce its peak side lobe level. This paper derives analytical expressions for the number of extra sensors to be added to a CSA to guarantee that the CSA peak side lobe height is less than that of the full ULA with the same aperture. The analytical expressions are derived and compared for the uniform, Hann, Hamming, and Dolph-Chebyshev shadings.
New Liquid Precursors for Chemical Vapor Deposition

New precursors have been found for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of many metal oxides. Each precursor is a mixture formed by randomly attaching a selected set of organic groups, such as the isomers of the butyl group, to a metal 2,4-pentanedionate (also known as acetylacetonate) in place of the methyl groups of the 2,4-pentanedionate ligand. Most of these new mixed metal beta-diketonates are liquids at room temperature, whereas the corresponding metal 2,4-pentanedionates are solids. In the cases where they were solids or viscous liquids, small amounts of organic solvents were added to reduce the viscosity. We have so far prepared mixed beta-diketonate precursors for barium, strontium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, indium, tin, lead, bismuth, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, manganese, iron, ruthenium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, yttrium, lanthanum and cerium. Liquid sources are much more convenient for CVD than solid sources. These liquid mixtures or solutions were vaporized by ultrasonically nebulizing the liquid into a flow of hot nitrogen carrier gas preheated to 150-250 °C. These vapor mixtures were mixed with air or oxygen and flowed over substrates heated typically to 350-450 °C. Films of the corresponding metal oxide (or carbonate, in the case of barium, strontium and calcium) were deposited on substrates of silicon or glass. Gas pressures from 20-760 Torr were used. Because a common set of ligands is used for each of these metal precursors, they can be mixed as liquids or vapors without any precipitation due to ligand exchange reactions. To demonstrate their use in forming mixed metal oxides, we have prepared films of ferroelectric barium titanate. This method should be applicable to other mixed metal oxides of current interest, such as high dielectric constant strontium titanate, ferroelectric bismuth strontium tantalate, superconducting yttrium barium copper oxide, refractory yttrium zirconium oxide, second-harmonic generating barium borate, metallic lanthanum strontium cobalt oxide and magnetoresistive lanthanum strontium manganate.
Severe disseminated staphylococcal disease associated with osteitis and septic arthritis

We reviewed the records of 1,156 patients treated for acute staphylococcal osteitis or septic arthritis over a 12-year period; 38 had been critically ill with evidence of multiple-organ involvement and 30 (79%) had features of the toxic shock syndrome. The mortality rate of these 38 patients was 13% and the long-term orthopaedic complication rate was 39%. The diagnosis and management of patients with osteitis or septic arthritis, disseminated staphylococcal disease, and the toxic shock syndrome is discussed.
Inspiratory Muscle Function Following Abdominal Weight Exercises in Healthy Subjects

Three indexes of inspiratory muscle function were evaluated in 20 healthy young adults before and after a six-week program of diaphragmatic breathing exercises. Thrice weekly, each subject performed 30 maximal voluntary diaphragmatic contractions in the supine position with a moderately heavy weight (range: 7-23 kg, or 15.4-50.7 lb) placed on the anterior abdominal wall to resist diaphragmatic descent. This protocol failed to improve 1) inspiratory capacity, 2) peak inspiratory flow rate, and 3) maximal pressures generated by the inspiratory muscles under static conditions. These finding indicated that this commonly used isotonic exercise regimen does not increase the maximal shortening, velocity of shortening, or strength of the diaphragm in healthy subjects. On the other hand, most subjects increased the maximal weight they found tolerable, performed the exercise more rapidly, and reported that their initial discomfort either waned or disappeared by the end of the program. These latter observations suggest that the exercise program might have improved inspiratory muscle endurance.
Economics of future growth in photovoltaics manufacturing

The past decade's record of growth in the photovoltaics manufacturing industry indicates that global investment in manufacturing capacity for photovoltaic modules tends to increase in proportion to the size of the industry. The slope of this proportionality determines how fast the industry will grow in the future. Two key parameters determine this slope. One is the annual global investment in manufacturing capacity normalized to the manufacturing capacity for the previous year (capacity-normalized capital investment rate, CapIR, units $/W). The other is how much capital investment is required for each watt of annual manufacturing capacity, normalized to the service life of the assets (capacity-normalized capital demand rate, CapDR, units $/W). If these two parameters remain unchanged from the values they have held for the past few years, global manufacturing capacity will peak in the next few years and then decline. However, it only takes a small improvement in CapIR to ensure future growth in photovoltaics. Any accompanying improvement in CapDR will accelerate that growth.
High-Throughput Crystallization of l-Alanine Using iCrystal Plates and Metal-Assisted and Microwave-Accelerated Evaporative Crystallization

We present a comprehensive study of high-throughput crystallization of l-alanine (a model amino acid) using circular crystallization platforms (are hereafter referred to as the iCrystal plates) designed to work with the metal-assisted and microwave-accelerated evaporative crystallization (MA-MAEC) technique. The iCrystal plates are constructed using a circular 21-, 95-, and 204-well design that afford for homogeneous microwave heating of all samples. In addition, the iCrystal plates were modified with metal thin films (gold, copper, silver, and nickel), which act as selective nucleation sites for selective crystallization to occur on the surface of the crystallization platforms. Silver thin films were found to be ideal for MA-MAEC applications as compared to other metal surfaces based on the observations of crystal number and size. The size and number of wells on the iCrystal plates were found to have negligible effect on the growth of l-alanine crystals, where all three iCrystal plates were found to have...
Out of Our Right Minds: The Effects of Cognitive Bias on Social Problems and How Taking the Middle Road Can Help

This Article provides a framework that government can use to help alleviate today’s social problems by designing laws and policies using behavioral decision theory. Insights from behavioral decision theory reveal various motivations behind citizens’ behavior. For example, people do not always make decisions in a rational manner, considering all options. Instead, we are boundedly rational. That is, we often make decisions without fully analyzing problems or comprehending risks. Rather, we use mental shortcuts, known as heuristics, which lead to predictable and systematic errors, known as cognitive biases. These cognitive biases, in turn, can be the basis for many social problems including poverty, gun control, and drugs.Many current laws and policies either ban boundedly rational conduct or ignore it. However, a middle-road solution first explored by legal scholars Cass Sunstein and Christine Jolls — “debiasing through law” — can be used by government to design and enact laws that eliminate or reduce people’s boundedly rational behavior. Applying the knowledge gained from behavioral decision theory, debiasing through law contemplates changes to our legal system that complement people’s natural inclinations and mental processing. If government can use the insights from behavioral decision theory to “get inside peoples’ heads,” such a strategy could greatly mitigate or eradicate today’s social problems.This Article applies behavioral decision theory and the concept of debiasing through law to the social problem of road deaths and injuries, with a specific focus on motorcyclists and safety helmets. On May 11, 2011, the United Nations launched a global initiative to address the issue of road injuries, a leading cause of death worldwide. Increasing helmet-wearing rates is an integral part of the initiative.Although helmets have been proven to save lives, most states in the U.S. do not require that adult motorcyclists wear them. The framework proposed in this Article, which can be applied to a variety of social problems, first provides a historical look at motorcyclists. Second, it analyzes their unique heuristics and cognitive biases. Finally, the framework provides empirically proven debiasing recommendations to help reduce bikers’ judgment errors, encourage their use of helmets even without mandatory laws, and ultimately, increase road safety. Interviews with bikers were conducted to determine their specific heuristics and biases, and their colorful and poignant comments about riding and helmets are integrated into the Article.
Parity Violation in Deep Inelastic Scattering with the SoLID Spectrometer at JLab

We discuss precision measurements of PVDIS with the upgraded JLab 12 GeV beam by using a Solenoidal Łarge Iintensity Device (SoLID). The unique feature of SoLID, combining high luminosity and large acceptance, makes it possible to reach the high precision needed to have a high impact by using PVDIS to probe physics beyond the Standard Model. A measurement of PVDIS in deuterium will determine a fundamental coupling constant that is inaccessible with other means. PVDIS measurements can also access a number of topics in QCD physics, including searching for charge symmetry violation in the parton distribution functions, determining the d/u ratio in the proton without nuclear effects, and a clean extraction of higher-twist effects due to quark-quark correlations. SoLID allows a full exploitation of the physics potential of the JLab 12 GeV upgrade. In addition to PVDIS, it has a set of approved highly-rated experiments to study nucleon transverse spin and transverse structure by using polarized semi-inclusive DIS and to study non-perturbative gluon dynamics with J/Ψ production near threshold. A brief description of the SoLID spectrometer is also given.
Solving the grid defender's dilemma: Tamper protection for distributed cyber-physical systems

Embedded devices installed as part of the smart grid rollout present a major dilemma for grid defenders, because they are soft targets that could allow an attacker to access critical assets (generators, control centers, etc.) deeper in the utility's network. While both physical tampering and intrusion protection are large, well-studied fields, state-of-the-art protection schemes suffer from several flaws: They are not powerful enough to respond properly to different tamper events, their severe responses can lead to reduced grid availability, and they often require more setup resources than a utility operator can provide. To protect these networks, we present TEDDI (Tamper Event Detection on Distributed Infrastructure), a distributed, sensor-based tamper protection architecture for embedded devices on utility networks. TEDDI uses data gathered from across the network to make more-informed and more-accurate tamper decisions, and can customize its response based on the event it sees. It can also be configured and installed quickly, without needing a large base of knowledge beforehand. In this paper, we lay out the TEDDI architecture, and discuss how TEDDI solves the grid defender's dilemma better than current work.
A review of attribution theory in achievement contexts

Attribution theory has proved to be a useful conceptual framework for the study of motivation in educational contexts. This article reviews a number of the major principles of attribution theory as they relate to achievement strivings. Among the topics considered are the antecedents to particular selfascriptions, the consequences of causal attributions for emotional reactions to success and failure, help-seeking and help-giving, peer acceptance and rejection, achievement evaluation, and attributional process in African-American populations. The relations between attribution theory and other dominant motivational conceptions, as well as some criticisms of the theory, are also addressed.
Age-Related Decline in Natural IgM Function: Diversification and Selection of the B-1a Cell Pool with Age

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of pneumonia, which claims the lives of people over the age of 65 y seven times more frequently than those aged 5-49 y. B-1a cells provide immediate and essential protection from S. pneumoniae through production of natural Ig, which has minimal insertion of N-region additions added by the enzyme TdT. In experiments with SCID mice infected with S. pneumoniae, we found passive transfer of IgG-depleted serum from aged (18-24 mo old) mice had no effect whereas IgG-depleted serum from young (3 mo old) mice was protective. This suggests protective natural IgM changes with age. Using single cell PCR we found N-region addition, which is initially low in fetal-derived B-1a cell IgM developing in the absence of TdT, increased in 7- to 24-mo-old mice as compared with 3-mo-old mice. To determine the mechanism responsible for the age related change in B-1a cell IgM, we established a mixed chimera system in which mice were reconstituted with allotype-marked mature peritoneal B-1a cells and adult bone marrow cells. We demonstrated even in the presence of mature peritoneal B-1a cells, adult bone marrow contributed to the mature B-1a cell pool. More importantly, using this system we found over a 10-mo-period peritoneal B-1a cell IgM changed, showing the number of cells lacking N-region additions at both junctions fell from 49 to 29% of sequences. These results strongly suggest selection-induced skewing alters B-1a cell-derived natural Ab, which may in turn be responsible for the loss of natural IgM-mediated protection against pneumococcal infection.