cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can’t get there from here: The decision to apply to a selective college

Abstract In an attempt to increase applications from low-income students, some selective 4-year colleges are developing programs to target and attract low-income students. However, relatively little research has looked at factors important in the college application process, and in particular, how these factors differ for low-income students. This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) to analyze factors influencing students’ college application decisions, with a focus on the decision to apply to a selective 4-year college. We hypothesize that distance from a student's home to selective colleges may play a role in the application decision and differentially impact low-income students. Our results suggest that distance does matter, although the effects do not vary by family income level.
Compact bandpass filters in coplanar strip lines

The authors describe a compact bandpass filter design implemented in asymmetric coplanar strip lines. For initial demonstration, it was built on print circuit boards using modified two-pole Butterworth bandpass filter topology. The novel filter design does not use bonding wires, vias or any interconnecting structure. It is not based on quarter wavelength sections either. It uses the creation of an electrode pattern on the coplanar strip electrodes to emulate an equivalent circuit. The pattern is fine-tuned using full-wave simulations. Bandpass filters for 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) and 5.15–5.85 GHz UNII (Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure) bands were designed, fabricated and measured. Measurement responses agree well with full-wave simulation results. The electrode pattern can be scaled for different centre frequency and improved with fine-tuning procedure. For chip-level implementation, the filter size can be greatly reduced because of much smaller minimum electrode width.
Colocolic intussusception caused by pneumatosis cystoides coli

We report the case of a 29-year-old man with a long-standing history of abdominal pain related to an intermittent colocolic intussusception caused by pneumatosis cystoides coli. To our knowledge, only one similar case has been reported in the English-language literature.
The depositional environment of zinc, lead and cadmium in reservoir sediments☆

Abstract Despite low water retention dams and intervening reservoirs, reservoirs located downstream from a lead-zinc mining and milling area contain relatively higher concentrations of zinc, lead and cadmium than reservoirs in other areas. These metals are also concentrated in reservoir bottom sediments relative to surrounding soils. The zinc and lead content closely correlates to depth of water, organic content and percentage of clay-sized sediments. Zinc is preferentially weathered and transported from its source relative to lead. A model is developed in which the zinc and lead are transported by ionic and/or organo-metallic solution into reservoirs. Because of the relatively long residency time of water in reservoirs, the zinc and lead in the water is removed by clay minerals. Most of the zinc and lead content of the sediments is shown to be associated with sediments of specific gravity between 2·0 and 2·9. The efficiency of these reservoirs as a sink for zinc and lead results in the removal of an average 0·3 ppm zinc and 0·04 ppm lead from waters passing through Fort Gibson Reservoir.
Trypanosoma brucei Has Two Distinct Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase β Enzymes

In higher eukaryotes, DNA polymerase (pol) β resides in the nucleus and participates primarily in DNA repair. The DNA polymerase β from the trypanosomatid Crithidia fasciculata, however, was the first mitochondrial enzyme of this type described. Upon searching the nearly completed genome data base of the related parasite Trypanosoma brucei, we discovered genes for two pol β-like proteins. One is ∼70% identical to the C. fasciculata pol β and is likely the homolog of this enzyme. The other, although ∼30% identical within the polymerase region, has unusual structural features including a short C-terminal tail and a long N-terminal extension rich in prolines, alanines, and lysines. Both proteins, when expressed recombinantly, are active as DNA polymerases and deoxyribose phosphate lyases, but their polymerase activity optima differ with respect to pH and KCl and MgCl2 concentrations. Remarkably, green fluorescent protein fusion proteins and immunofluorescence demonstrate that both are mitochondrial, but their locations with respect to the mitochondrial DNA (kinetoplast DNA network) in this organism are strikingly different.
Pre-B cell loss in senescence coincides with preferential development of immature B cells characterized by partial activation and altered Vh repertoire.

Abstract Senescent mice show decline in B lymphopoiesis marked by reduced pre-B cells. Analysis of bone marrow from aged (∼2 years old) BALB/c mice indicates that, in senescence, an increased proportion of immature B cells exhibit a CD43/S7+ surface phenotype. This results from continued production of new CD43/S7+ B cells in aged mice from their limited pre-B cell pool while production of CD43/S7− immature B cells is highly reduced. CD43/S7 is ordinarily observed on a minor subset of immature B cells in young mice and is indicative of their partial activation. Senescent immature B cells, both ex vivo and derived in vitro, also demonstrate increased expression of VhS107 concomitant with CD43/S7. These alterations in the phenotype and Vh repertoire among senescent immature B cells likely originate prior to surface Ig expression. In aged mice with depleted pre-B and immature B cells in vivo, pre-B and immature B cells exhibited increased apoptosis in vitro. Dexamethasone-induced apoptosis among B lineage cells in young adult mice also resulted in pre-B cell loss and increased expression of CD43/S7 and VhS107 among immature B cells similar to that observed spontaneously in aged mice. These results suggest that old age, possibly due to increased apoptosis, results in loss of pre-B cells and alterations in the phenotype and Vh repertoire of newly derived B cells.
On hulls of linear operators

To every complex or real Banach space E we shall make correspond a locally convex Hausdorff space (J~, T), called the hull of E, with the following properties: (i) E is a snbspace of E; (ii) every linear operator A with both domain and range in E has a unique extension A in/2; (iii) the spectra of A and .4 coincide; (iv) if A has empty residual spectrum, then .,t has a pure point spectrum. Thus, by extending A to /~, the spectrum remains the same set, but it is resolved into eigenvalues of A. As a matter of fact, there are many ways to obtain such hulls. One of the simplest is to take E to be the vector space of all bounded sequences in E; two such sequences are identified if their difference converges to zero. Assigning to every equivalence class ~ E the norm
CYBER TRUST MODEL WITH APPLICATION TO THE ELECTRIC GRID

Our overall objective is to develop a multilayered model that can identify system vulnerabilities and detect anomalous system behavior. Once these model components have been developed, we could link the resulting multilayered SCADA systems (e.g., substation networks linked by the Internet) to determine system interactions, and then test, refine, and validate these models and data through increasingly sophisticated experiments to discover and record additional dependencies and system interactions. What do we want to trust? We want to have confidence that the system is available and reliable to deliver power to the utility's customers as their needs demand. Furthermore, we want a secure system that is not vulnerable to cyber attacks. Why might we have lack of trust in critical infrastructure systems? External threats to the electrical power infrastructure are increasing over internal threats. One reason is the increasing use of the Internet for connecting substation networks to other parts of the electric grid.
Kinetics of the catalytic destruction of cyanogen chloride

Abstract The catalytic destruction of cyanogen chloride (CNCI) in air has been investigated in a fixed-bed microreactor using a 2.15% Pt/α-alumina catalyst. If the feed stream contains water vapor, CNCl conversion as high as 98% can be achieved at 375°C and 170 000 cm3 h−1 g−1 space velocity. In contrast, the CNCl conversion in a dry inlet gas stream is 20% at 440°C and 46 000 cm3 h−1 g−1 space velocity. Water vapor in the feed stream significantly enhances the conversion of CNCl by providing an alternate hydrolysis pathway for destruction. It also promotes the complete conversion of CNCl to CO2 and HCl with negligible selectivity to CO and Cl2. The CNCl conversion decreases with increasing concentration in the feed stream. A kinetic model of the form r = kCa/1(1 + KpCp) adequately represents the data in the presence of water vapor.
Platy coral patch reefs from eastern Panthalassa (Nevada, USA): Unique reef construction in the Late Triassic

Abstract Upper Triassic (Lower Norian) reefal buildups near Mina, Nevada, represent some of the earliest scleractinian coral reefs from eastern Panthalassa. The small patch reefs (~ 20–40 m high and ~ 50–150 m wide, obvious metre-scale elevation above the surrounding sediments) are from the Luning Allochthon and grew on an inner to middle ramp or in a deep lagoon. The Mina patch reefs were constructed by several different coral ecomorphotypes (platy, tabular, domal/massive, and branching corals) interpreted to have had zooxanthellate symbionts, and record subtle coral zonation within the reefs. Based on modern coral ecomorphotypes, platy to tabular corals at Mina grew in the lower euphotic zone (stressed by low light conditions), and the massive or domal corals inhabited shallower water (possibly above fair weather wave base) and were stressed by wave energy. Unlike most other Late Triassic reef ecosystems where phaceloid branching corals or calcareous sponges constitute the principal bioconstructors, the platy to tabular corals were the primary builders in the Mina patch reefs. The Mina reefs are also unique because cryptic and cavernous internal environments, epibionts, cryptobionts, and thick microbial crusts are rare or absent. The combination of platy coral dominance with the lack of epibionts/cryptobionts/microbial crusts suggests that the Norian reefs from Mina, Nevada represent a unique form of scleractinian reef construction from the Late Triassic.
Comparing 3DQRS and VCG approaches for ECG QRS detection within 1.5T, 3T and 7T MRI

Background Electrocardiograms (ECGs) obtained within High-field MRIs are distorted due to the Magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) effect. Blood plasma electrolytes ejected into the aorta during early systole interact with the strong magnetic field of the MR scanner to produce a MHD-induced voltage (VMHD) [1]. The VMHD overlay on ECG traces can result in intermittent QRS detection. Vectorcardiogram (VCG) based gating approaches have been conventionally adapted in most MRI scanners [2], but may fail at high field strengths [3]. Recently, a multiple ECG channel cross-correlation based algorithm, 3DQRS, has been developed to provide increased sensitivity levels in these environments [4]. The 3DQRS approach constructs a 3-D ECG representation, where the third dimension, in addition to voltage and time, is deemed a channels axis, formed from concurrent viewing of the precordial leads V1-V6. This study quantitatively compares 3DQRS and VCG approaches at a variety of MRI field strengths to assess the robustness of these methods.
Operation of an Improved, Continuous Annular Chromatograph

Abstract A rotating annular chromatograph has been demonstrated to have utility in the continuous separation of solutes in a feed stream. Recent modifications to the system have resulted in a more efficient separation. Design of the inlet and the exit has been significantly changed to improve chromatograph performance. Refinements have also been made to the method of gradient elution. The effects of changing superficial velocity and initial resin loading on the height equivalent to a theoretical plate are shown for the ternary nickel-cobalt carbonate amine system. A continuous separation of this ternary mixture utilizing pH gradient elution is presented.
Effects of Wheat Leaf Pubescence on the Hessian Fly

The effects of leaf pubescence of wheat on Mayetiola destructor (Say) were studied in greenhouse and field experiments. Ovipositing females were observed to be more restless on the pubescent-leaved ‘Vel’ wheat than on the glabrous-leaved ‘Arthur’ wheat. Vel generally had fewer eggs than Arthur, and a higher percentage was on the abaxial surface which led to a lower number of successfully established larvae on Vel. Also, mean larval length was less and the larvae were farther from the 4th basal node on Vel than on Arthur. Further, a significantly lower percentage of the eggs on Vel hatched and developed to the puparium stage than on Arthur. These laboratory studies were confirmed by field observations that showed the effectiveness of leaf pubescence in reducing natural populations of the Hessian fly. Leaf pubescence of wheat appears to be a potentially valuable source of resistance to the Hessian fly.
A cost-benefit analysis of the physical mechanisms of membrane curvature

Multiple processes in the cell require curved membranes. Stachowiak, Brodsky and Miller discuss how lipids and vesicle cargo proteins represent energy barriers to membrane bending, and how different mechanisms may operate to overcome these barriers as drivers of membrane curvature.
Comparison of Yersinia pestis to other closely related Yersinia species using fatty acid profiles

Abstract Capillary gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC–FID) was used to determine the cellular fatty acid (CFA) profiles of six Yersinia pestis strains. The profiles were then compared with the CFA profiles of other closely related Yersinia species including: Y. pseudotuberculosis, Y. enterocolitica, Y. intermedii, Y. kristensenii and Y. frederiksenii. For GC–FID analysis, whole cell fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from cells cultured on brain–heart infusion (BHI) agar at 35 °C for 24 h were obtained by saponification, methylation and extraction into hexane/methyl tert-butyl ether. A data set for each Yersinia species was prepared using fatty acid profiles from five replicates prepared on different days. Major fatty acids of the 26 Yersinia strains evaluated in this study were straight-chain 12:0, 14:0, 15:0, 16:0 and unsaturated summed 16:1 ω7c/16:1 ω6c, 18:1 ω7c, and summed 14:0 3OH/16:1 iso, and 17:0 ω cyclo 7–8. The CFA profiles for Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis are similar, but there are several fatty acids, 16:1 ω5c, 16:0, 17:1 ω7c, 17:0 ω cyclo 7–8, 19:0 and summed 18:2 ω6c, 9c/18:0 ante, that differ significantly between these two species. Analysis of FAMEs from Yersinia strains grown on BHI agar by a rapid GC–FID method can provide a sensitive procedure for the identification of these organisms, and this analytical method provides a procedure for the differentiation of Y. pestis strains from closely related Yersinia species.
Contrast and assimilation effects in judgments of line configurations containing the Mueller-Lyer figure

Two experiments are reported in which contrast and assimilation effects of anchor line lengths upon focal line lengths were observed. In Experiment 1 straight-line anchors shorter than, and parallel to, focal Mueller-Lyer figures made the figures appear shorter than the same Mueller-Lyers anchored by straight lines longer than the figures. In Experiment 2, focal stimuli were straight lines and parallel anchors were Mueller-Lyer figures. When focal length approximated anchor length, judged length of the focal stimulus was less if anchoring Mueller-Lyers had inward obliques than if the obliques pointed outward. However, as focal length deviated from anchor length, this effect of Mueller-Lyer obliques reversed; outward obliques made focal lines appear shorter than did inward obliques. Results are discussed in terms of adaptation-level theory (A-L theory).
SES and race-ethnic differences in the stress-buffering effects of coping resources among young adults

ObjectivesThis study assesses socioeconomic status (SES) and race-ethnic differences in the extent to which coping resources (social support and self-esteem) buffer the negative impact of chronic stress on depressive symptoms.DesignWe analyze data from a large community-based sample of young adults (ages 18–23) living in Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA (N = 1411).ResultsStudy findings indicate that the stress-buffering effects of social support or self-esteem do not vary by SES. However, independent of SES and other study controls, non-Hispanic whites experience greater stress-buffering effects from social support than African-Americans and African-Americans experience greater stress-buffering effects from self-esteem than Cubans and Nicaraguans.ConclusionIn light of these results, we conclude that a greater understanding of racial and ethnic differences in mental health requires close attention to cultural transmissions of coping strategies within groups, which may be partly responsible for these differe...
Heterogeneity in the actions of drugs that bind in the DNA minor groove.

Distamycin and Hoechst 33258 have long served as the model compounds for biochemical, biophysical, and clinical studies of the drugs that bind in the DNA minor groove. However, the results presented in this investigation clearly show that 4,6-diamidino-2 phenylindole (DAPI) is superior to both of these drugs at negating the effects of intrinsic DNA curvature and anisotropic bendability as measured by electrophoretic and ligation analysis. In addition, DAPI was more effective than distamycin and Hoechst 33258 at inhibiting the assembly of nucleosomes onto synthetic and natural sequences that have multiple closely spaced oligo-AT sequences that serve as drug binding sites. Since these effects may be related to the biological action of the drugs, it was of interest to determine the mechanism that was responsible for the enhanced action of DAPI. The possibility that the differential drug potencies resulted from differential overall affinities of the ligands for A-tract molecules was considered, but drug bindi...
Second-site antibiotic resistance mutations in the ribosomal region of yeast mitochondrial DNA.

A large proportion of the spontaneous erythromycin resistant mutants isolated from a strain carrying a previously-induced chloramphenicol resistance mutation at cap3 do not map at ery1, the locus most often associated with mitochondrial erythromycin resistance. Most of the new mutations are also nonallelic at spil, spi2, and other known antibiotic resistance loci within the 21S rRNA gene; they are allelic with each other and define the new locus, ery2. Induced second-site erythromycin resistant mutants from the cap r3 strain, as well as spontaneous or induced mutants from strains carrying a cap r 1 mutation, all tend to map at eryl. The cap r3 mutation is apparently necessary for the expression of erythromycin resistance resulting from a second mutation at ery2.
A practical approach to semantic configuration management

A configuration management (CM) tool is supposed to build a consistent software system following incremental changes to the system. The notion of consistency usually is purely syntactic, having to do with the sorts of properties analyzed by compilers. Semantic consistency traditionally has been studied in the field of formal methods and has been considered an impractical goal for CM.Although the semantic CM problem is undecidable, it is possible to obtain a structural approximation of the semantic effects of a change in a finite number of steps. Our approximation technique is formalized in logic and is based on information-theoretic properties of programs. The method in its present form applies to many but not all software systems, and it is programming-language independent. To the best of our knowledge, the semantic CM problem has not been formalized previously in nonsemantic terms, and we believe that our simplified formulation offers the potential for considerably more powerful debugging and configuration management tools.
Results of labral-level arthroscopic iliopsoas tenotomies for the treatment of labral impingement.

Purpose To document the clinical results of arthroscopic iliopsoas tenotomies performed at the level of the labrum to treat labral injuries caused by iliopsoas impingement. Methods From a review of the database of the senior author (J.S.K.) of 300 hip arthroscopies that were performed between September 2009 and May 2011, 30 patients who had an arthroscopic release of the iliopsoas tendon at the level of the labrum and at least 2 years' follow-up were identified. In all cases the release was performed to treat a tight psoas tendon that was found at arthroscopy to be impinging on a torn or inflamed labrum. The results of hip arthroscopy in these patients were assessed with Byrd's 100-point modified Harris Hip Score system before arthroscopy and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Results The mean age of the 30 patients was 35 years, and their preoperative scores averaged 43 points. After surgery, the patients had 6-month scores that averaged 73 points and 12-month scores that averaged 84 points (range, 40 to 100 points). Over the first postoperative year, in 3 of the 5 patients whose preoperative ultrasound imaging showed snapping of the tendon, recurrent painful snapping developed in the hip. All 3 had iliopsoas bursa injections and had immediate relief of their hip pain. In 2 patients the relief was temporary and an arthroscopic release of the tendon at the lesser trochanter was performed. The 2-year scores of the remaining 28 patients who did not have a second iliopsoas tenotomy averaged 88 points, and 23 of these patients had good or excellent results (scores ≥80 points). Conclusions An arthroscopic release of the iliopsoas tendon at the level of the labrum was effective for alleviating hip pain from labral lesions caused by impingement of the tendon in 23 of 30 patients (77%). The remaining 7 patients had persistent hip pain and hip scores lower than 80 points because of recurrent snapping of the tendon (3), development of avascular necrosis (1), progression of degenerative joint disease (1), or chronic greater trochanteric bursitis (2). Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.
Electron Spectroscopic Studies of Perfect and Defect Metal Oxide Surfaces

A number of surface sensitive electron spectroscopic techniques have been used during the last few years to study the geometric and electronic structure of well characterized surfaces of metal oxide single crystals. For rocksalt monoxides, the (100) surface has been found to be very nearly a truncation of the bulk lattice; only qualitativelow energy electron diffraction (LEED) measurements have been performed on other oxide crystal structures. The electronic structure of nearly perfect oxide surfaces is generally very similar to that of the bulk, although excitonic surface states have been found on some rocksalt oxides. However, the presence of O-vacancy point defects on transition metal oxide surfaces changes their electronic structure drastically, increasing the d-orbital population of the cations adjacent to the defect. These surface defects are generally the active sites for chemisorption, with nearly perfect surfaces being relatively inert with respect to most of the molecules that have been studied.
Middle-level preservice mathematics teachers’ mental representations of classroom floor plans

This study reports the results of an innovative assignment in which preservice teachers’ mental representations were examined through drawing floor plans of an “ideal middle-level mathematics classroom.” The 41 middle-level mathematics preservice teachers created two floor plans, one at the beginning of the semester and the other for the course final. An essay was also submitted describing how the final floor plan addressed the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics principle of Teaching. Participants designed and described floor plans that encouraged the use of inquiry and hands-on activities and technology as instructional strategies, focused on student learning styles and individual needs, established a comfortable, organized and safe learning environment, demonstrated flexibility in grouping strategies, and encouraged communication between peers and with the teacher. The essays also suggest that the preservice teachers’ emerging teacher identity was influenced by professional experiences such as ...
Daily and Tidal Components in the Persistent Rhythmic Activity of the Crab, Sesarma

IN intertidal organisms the rates at which various physiological functions proceed are often related to the state of the tide. In a habitat in which environmental conditions change so drastically with the ebb and flow of the tidal waters, this is not particularly surprising. What is remarkable is that the rate of many of these functions continues to vacillate in approximate synchrony with the tide when organisms are removed to non-tidal, constant conditions in the laboratory. These persistent vacillations are referred to as tidal or bimodal lunar day rhythms. By way of example, persistent tidal rhythms have been described for oxygen consumption in crabs1; vertical migrations of planarians2 and diatoms3; colour change in crabs4; spontaneous activity in crabs5,6, amphipods7,8, and fish9; and filtration rate in mussels10.
Culture clash and the road to world domination

As commercial interest in open-source software development grows, an apparent conflict between the cultures of open source and capitalism threatens to derail the movement's momentum. In fact, the character and operation of both are shaped at many levels by an important, shared ethos: the value of individual freedom. The paper discusses the value of open-source development and considers open-source hacking.
Rawls’ Theory of Justice: Domestic and International Perspectives

In A Theory of Justice, John Rawls seeks to derive principles of justice from the agreement of rational, hypothetical individuals, each concerned to further his own interests. From a carefully defined initial situation of choice, Rawls derives two basic principles: one demanding equal liberties for all, the other permitting inequalities in wealth and authority only when they serve to maximize the expectations of those who are left worst off. This article explores the political and social implications of Rawls' theory. It is argued (1) that the theory requires a constitutional democracy, offering very strong protection to political and intellectual liberties; and (2) that it also requires a highly egalitarian distribution of wealth and income. Although Rawls does not discuss international distributive justice, there are good reasons for concluding that his distributive principles ought to apply globally.
PDEF and PDEF-induced proteins as candidate tumor antigens for T cell and antibody-mediated immunotherapy of breast cancer

Novel breast tumor antigens are needed to develop T cell and antibody-based vaccine immunotherapy approach against breast cancer. To this purpose, we have previously shown that PDEF is frequently over expressed in human breast tumors and exhibits highly restricted expression in normal human tissues that is primarily limited to normal prostate. Moreover, PDEF expression correlates with poor overall survival for breast cancer patients. Additionally, Pse (prostate-specific Ets, mouse homologue of PDEF) is immunogenic in female mice and PDEF sequence contains HLA-A2 binding potentially immunogenic peptides. Together, these observations support PDEF as a novel candidate breast tumor antigen. Further, we have identified certain PDEF-induced proteins including CEACAM6, B7-H4, and S100A7 as additional candidate breast tumor antigens.
Optimizing Sorting with Machine Learning Algorithms

The growing complexity of modern processors has made the development of highly efficient code increasingly difficult. A promising automatic code generation strategy is implemented by library generators. This approach has mainly been applied to scientific codes which can be optimized by identifying code characteristics that depend only on the target machine. In this paper, we study the generation of sorting routines whose performance also depends on the characteristics of the input data. We present two approaches to generate efficient sorting routines. First, we consider the problem of selecting the best "pure" sorting algorithm as a function of the characteristics of the input data. We used machine learning algorithms to compute a function for each target machine that, at runtime, is used to select the best algorithm. Our second approach generalizes the first approach and can build new sorting algorithms from a few primitive operations. We use genetic algorithms and a classifier system to build hierarchically-organized hybrid sorting algorithms. Our results show that the algorithms generated using this second approach are quite effective and perform significantly better than the many conventional sorting implementations we tested. In particular, the routines generated using the second approach performs better than the most popular libraries available today: IBM ESSL, INTEL MKL and the C+ + STL.
A Comparison of Orlistat Use in a Veteran Population: A Pharmacist-Managed Pharmacotherapy Weight-Loss Clinic versus Standard Medical Care:

Objective:To determine whether a pharmacist-managed pharmacotherapy weight-loss clinic using orlistat is beneficial in promoting weight loss and reducing cardiovascular risk.Methods:A retrospective...
The hot seat: Profiling the marketing department chair

The chair of the marketing department serves a critical role in balancing the needs of the university with those of the faculty. Because most department chairs are drawn from the faculty in their d...
Corrigendum to “An apparent homozygous deletion in maltase-glucoamylase, a lesson in the evolution of SNP arrays” [Mol. Genet. Metab. 107 (2012) 674–678]

a Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA b Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA c National Institutes of Health Undiagnosed Diseases Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA d Office of the Clinical Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Binding of type II nuclear receptors and estrogen receptor to full and half-site estrogen response elements in vitro

The mechanism by which retinoids, thyroid hormone (T3) and estrogens modulate the growth of breast cancer cells is unclear. Since nuclear type II nuclear receptors, including retinoic acid receptor (RAR), retinoid X receptor (RXR) and thyroid hormone receptor (TR), bind direct repeats (DR) of the estrogen response elements (ERE) half-site (5'-AGGTCA-3'), we examined the ability of estrogen receptor (ER) versus type II nuclear receptors, i.e. RARalpha, beta and gamma, RXRbeta, TRalpha and TRbeta, to bind various EREs in vitro . ER bound a consensus ERE, containing a perfectly palindromic 17 bp inverted repeat (IR), as a homodimer. In contrast, ER did not bind to a single ERE half-site. Likewise, ER did not bind two tandem (38 bp apart) half-sites, but low ER binding was detected to three tandem copies of the same half-site. RARalpha,beta or gamma bound both ERE and half-site constructs as a homodimer. RXRbeta did not bind full or half-site EREs, nor did RXRbeta enhance RARalpha binding to a full ERE. However, RARalpha and RXRbeta bound a half-site ERE cooperatively forming a dimeric complex. The RARalpha-RXRbeta heterodimer bound the Xenopus vitellogenin B1 estrogen responsive unit, with two non-consensus EREs, with higher affinity than one or two copies of the full or half-site ERE. Both TRalpha and TRbeta bound the full and the half-site ERE as monomers and homodimers and cooperatively as heterodimers with RXRbeta. We suggest that the cellular concentrations of nuclear receptors and their ligands, and the nature of the ERE or half-site sequence and those of its flanking sequences determine the occupation of EREs in estrogen-regulated genes in vivo .
The Future of Nuclear Archaeology: Reducing Legacy Risks of Weapons Fissile Material

This report describes the value proposition for a “nuclear archaeological” technical capability and applications program, targeted at resolving uncertainties regarding weapons fissile materials production and use. Central to this proposition is the notion that one can never be sure that all fissile material is adequately secure without a clear idea of what “all” means, and that uncertainty in this matter carries risk. We argue that this proposition is as valid today, under emerging state and possible non-state nuclear threats, as it was in an immediate post-Cold-War context, and describe how nuclear archaeological methods can be used to verify fissile materials declarations, or estimate and characterize historical fissile materials production independent of declarations. Methods for accurately estimating plutonium production from graphite reactors have been demonstrated and could be extended to other reactor types. Proposed techniques for estimating HEU production have shown promise and are under development.
Fiscal Pressure, Tax Competition and the Adoption of Tax Increment Financing

Tax increment financing (TIF) has been widely adopted as an economic development tool by municipalities. This study estimates a structural probit model of municipal TIF adoption decisions using data drawn from cities in Indiana. It provides empirical evidence that factors such as fiscal pressures, tax competition, economic distress, industrial composition, availability of alternative programmes and the expected gains in property values from the use of TIF exert significant influence in a city's decision to adopt a TIF programme. After using an accurate measure of prior growth, this analysis finds no empirical evidence to support the contention that growing cities are more likely to adopt TIF.
Orientation, Hydrogen Bonding, and Penetration of Water at the Organic/Water Interface

Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy is used to measure the vibrational spectroscopy of water molecules at the interface between water and several hydrophobic liquids. The studies probe the bonding interactions in the interfacial region between water molecules and molecules in the organic phase. Complementary FTIR and isotopic exchange studies have been used to confirm spectral assignments in the VSF measurements. These studies which largely focus on the CCl4/H2O system show that hydrogen bonding interactions weaken and the water coordination number decreases at the interface, relative to the bulk aqueous phase. Although the CCl4/H2O system exhibits weak H2O−H2O interactions, the interaction of water with the CCl4 phase results in a substantial orientational ordering of these weakly interacting interfacial water molecules. The orientation of these water molecules displays a dependence on the aqueous phase pH, which can be attributed to the screening of the neat interfacial potential, and is displayed th...
Long circumpolar atmospheric waves

The periods of long waves in the circumpolar atmosphere are considerably longer than at lower latitudes because the variation of the Coriolis parameter with latitude decreases from the equator to the poles. The period length increases with decreasing meridional extent of the oscillation and with increasing meridional wave number. Numerical examples of period lengths for different longitudinal and meridional wave numbers and for different meridional extents of the oscillations are shown in Figs. 1–3. The vertical variation of the oscillations is considered only for the simple case of an isothermal atmosphere in order to illustrate the role of the vertical structure of the atmosphere in determining the free oscillations and in regulating the atmospheric response to a forcing function. As a specific example a periodic heating function has been assumed whose intensity decreases upward exponentially. With plausible values for the amplitude of this heating function reasonable values are obtained for the wind and pressure disturbance due to the heating.
Magma Contamination within the Volcanic Pile: Origin of Andesite and Dacite

Evidence from several volcanic regions indicates that andesite and dacite of the basalt-andesite-dacite-rhyolite association form by contamination of primary basalt and rhyolite magmas by material of the volcanic pile. This evidence includes bulk composition, phenocryst assemblage, inclusion content of lava, and the association of different lava types in time and space. The dacite of Glass Mountain, formed by contamination of rhyolite magma as it intruded the Medicine Lake highland shield volcano, illustrates this process.
Pediatric sedation in North American children's hospitals: a survey of anesthesia providers

Summary Background : Information about the existence and organization of pediatric sedation services in North America is not available. We conducted a survey to collect this information from anesthesiologists at pediatric institutions and to identify factors perceived as limiting the development of sedation services. Method : We electronically mailed a confidential survey about pediatric sedation practice to an attending anesthesiologist involved in pediatric sedation at 116 children's hospitals in the United States and Canada. We identified the institutions using Internet resources. Electronic mailing addresses were obtained from departmental websites, society membership directories and departmental administrators. Our follow-up for nonresponders was by a second e-mail and a telephone call. Results : A total of 54 completed questionnaires were received, a response rate of 47%. Forty-nine (91%) were received from US hospitals, and the remainder from Canadian. Fifty percent of hospitals had a formal pediatric sedation service. Fifty-four percent utilized a ‘mobile’ provider model. Hospital credentialing for nonanesthesiologist providers varied between 66 and 76% for ‘deep’ and ‘conscious’ sedation, respectively. A nurse–physician provider combination was the most common, utilized in 59% of hospitals. Anesthesiologists were the sole sedation providers in 26% of institutions. Propofol was used regularly by nonanesthesiologists for sedation of nonintubated (42%) and intubated (63%) patients. Eighty-seven percent of institutions reported barriers to development of pediatric sedation services. The most common barrier was a shortage of providers, particularly anesthesiologists. Conclusions : Propofol use by nonanesthesiologists is common. Addressing the shortage of providers, and allocating resources for credentialing providers will encourage further development of pediatric sedation practice.
Can Commercial Soil Microbial Treatments Remediate Plant–soil Feedbacks to Improve Restoration Seedling Performance?

Seedling performance is often a limiting factor in ecological restoration. Changes in the soil microbial community generated by invasive plants contribute to seedling failure. A method to remediate invasive species-induced changes to the soil microbial community that results in increased native species seedling performance and decreased invasive species seedling performance could have a large impact on the success of many restoration efforts. In a greenhouse experiment, we first examined the changes in the soil microbial community created by invasive compared to native grasses. Then, we investigated four microbial treatments (bacterial inoculant, fungal inoculant, fungicide, and bactericide/fungicide) to remediate microbial plant–soil feedbacks (PSFs) created by invasive species Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis and increase the performance of natives Andropogon gerardii, Elymus canadensis, Pascopyrum smithii, and Schizachyrium scoparium. We found that the PSF mitigation treatments had some context-dependent utility for restoration. For example, all of the treatments decreased the performance of B. inermis and fungal inoculant decreased the performance of P. pratensis. However, no single treatment increased the performance of all natives. Fungicide increased the performance of A. gerardii and E. canadensis in soil previously occupied by B. inermis and the performance of S. scoparium in soil previously occupied by P. pratensis. If validated in the field, PSF mitigation treatments may have utility for restoration practitioners.
The Brandeis Dice Problem and Statistical Mechanics

Abstract Jaynes invented the Brandeis Dice Problem as a simple illustration of the MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) procedure that he had demonstrated to work so well in Statistical Mechanics. I construct here two alternative solutions to his toy problem. One, like Jaynes׳ solution, uses MaxEnt and yields an analog of the canonical ensemble, but at a different level of description. The other uses Bayesian updating and yields an analog of the micro-canonical ensemble. Both, unlike Jaynes׳ solution, yield error bars, whose operational merits I discuss. These two alternative solutions are not equivalent for the original Brandeis Dice Problem, but become so in what must, therefore, count as the analog of the thermodynamic limit, M -sided dice with M → ∞ . Whereas the mathematical analogies between the dice problem and Stat Mech are quite close, there are physical properties that the former lacks but that are crucial to the workings of the latter. Stat Mech is more than just MaxEnt.
Adjuvant immunotherapy of melanoma and development of new approaches using the neoadjuvant approach

Melanoma is the third most common skin cancer but the leading cause of death from cutaneous malignancies. Although early-stage disease is frequently cured by surgical resection with excellent long-term survival, patients with deeper primary lesions (AJCC stage IIB-C) and those with microscopic (IIIA) or clinically evident regional lymph node or in-transit metastases (IIIB-C) have an increased risk of relapse and death, the latter approaching 70% or more at 5 years. In patients at high risk of recurrence/metastases, adjuvant therapy with high-dose interferon alpha-2b (HDI) following definitive surgical resection has been shown to improve relapse-free and overall survival. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy have offered the prospect to improve regional recurrence risk and overall survival in several solid tumors. The advent of effective new molecularly targeted therapies for metastatic disease and new immunotherapies that overcome checkpoints of immune response have augmented the range of new options that are in current trial evaluation to determine their role as potential adjuvant therapies, alone and in combination with one another, and the established modality of IFN-α. The differential characteristics of the host immune response between early and advanced melanoma provide a strong mechanistic rationale for the use of neoadjuvant immunotherapeutic approaches in melanoma, and the opportunity to evaluate the mechanism of action suggest neoadjuvant trial evaluation for each of the new candidate agents and combinations of interest. Several neoadjuvant trials have been conducted in the phase II setting, which have illuminated the mechanism of IFN-α, as well as providing insight to the effects of anti-CTLA4 blocking antibodies. These agents (anti-CTLA4 blocking antibody ipilimumab, and BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib) are likely to be followed by other immunotherapies that may overcome the PD-1 checkpoint (anti-PD1 and anti-PDL-1) as well as other molecularly targeted agents such as the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib and the MEK inhibitors trametinib, selumetinib, and MEK162 in the near future. Evaluation of the clinical role of these agents as adjuvant therapy will take years to accomplish to ascertain the relapse-free survival benefits and overall survival benefits of these agents, but neoadjuvant exploration may provide early critical evidence of the therapeutic benefits, as well as clarifying the mechanisms of these agents alone and in combination.
Cherenkov emission spectroscopy for tissue oxygen saturation assessment

Radiation from a linear accelerator induces Cherenkov emission in tissue. The absorption and scatter of this light imparts spectral changes which can be made quantitative through the use of standard spectroscopic techniques.
Demand-responsive Lighting – A Field Study

AbstractDemand-responsive buildings utilize control mechanisms to reduce their electricity use during periods of high grid-wide demand, primarily to aid utilities in maintaining grid stability. Dimming lighting is proposed as one such demand response mechanism, and several laboratory studies have explored the speed and extent of dimming that is either noticeable or acceptable to occupants. We conducted a field study to examine whether these laboratory findings could be applied in real buildings with commercial lighting control systems. The study, conducted during summer months, included an open-plan office with 330 dimmable luminaires, and a college campus with 2300 dimmable luminaires across several buildings. In the office building we conducted two afternoon demand response trials, which dimmed lights by up to 35 percent over 15–30 minutes. The power reduction achieved was 5.2 kW (23 percent), and 5.3 kW (24 percent), respectively. At the campus site we conducted three afternoon demand response trials, ...
Electrical Resistance Anomalies During Electromigration Testing of Cu Conductor Lines: Examples of Local Melting?

We have observed abrupt, reversible resistance changes during electromigration (EM) testing of 0.16μm thick, 100μm long damascene Cu conductor lines with TaN liners and W vias. Lines of 0.2μm, 0.8μm and 2μm widths were tested and compared. The tests were conducted at temperatures of 300C – 350C and with current densities of 0.6 × 106 A/cm2 to 1.6 × 106A/cm2. In most cases an incubation period with negligible resistance increase is followed by a period of continuous, gradual resistance increase, attributed to formation and growth of voids in the conductor line. With further EM, the resistance curves show spike like features, with a sudden resistance increase, followed by a resistance decrease, often to values close to those before the start of EM. In other cases, no resistance decrease occurs, and the line fails. We present resistance data, microstructural observations and thermal calculations that suggest that the resistance decrease results from sudden, local Joule heating melting of conductor line segments and voids being partially filled by the back-flowing liquid Cu, which then solidifies. In some cases line failure results from liquid Cu erupting through the top surface passivation layer, rather than flowing back to fill voids in the line.
High Temperature Film Cooling Test Facility and Preliminary Test Results

This paper describes a new high temperature test facility developed through a collaborative effort between the University of Pittsburgh and the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The scope of this paper will include a description of this experimental test facility and a discussion of some test results collected from a flat plate (Haynes 230) using a single row of fan-shaped film cooling holes. This test specimen has been tested at two different pressures (i.e., 1.3 and 3 bar). The hot gas path flow velocity (i.e., 60 m/s) and the hot gas temperature (i.e., 1300 K) have been maintained as a constant for these tests. At each of these test conditions, five different film cooling blowing ratio conditions have been evaluated, including a condition with no film cooling. The overall cooling effectiveness and the reduction in heat flux for a point near the center of the test sample are reported and discussed.© 2012 ASME