cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generating localized waves from independently addressable pulse driven arrays

After a brief historical perspective on the origins and developments of space-time coupled solutions of the wave equation, the so-called localized waves (LWs), my presentation will emphasize how they can be and have been launched from independently addressable pulse driven (IAPD) arrays. These IAPD arrays are characterized by each element having the possibility to be driven with an individualized time domain waveform. Several acoustic and electromagnetic LW solutions, the IAPD arrays than can launch them, and the near-field and extended far-field region behaviors characterizing the localized beams launched by them, as well as the experiments that have verified these effects, will be discussed.
Molecular dynamics analysis of the structural and dynamic properties of the functionally enhanced hepta-variant of mouse 5-aminolevulinate synthase.

Heme biosynthesis, a complex, multistage, and tightly controlled process, starts with 5-aminolevulinate (ALA) production, which, in metazoa and certain bacteria, is a reaction catalyzed by 5-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS), a pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme. Functional aberrations in ALAS are associated with several human diseases. ALAS can adopt open and closed conformations, with segmental rearrangements of a C-terminal, 16-amino acid loop and an α-helix regulating accessibility to the ALAS active site. Of the murine erythroid ALAS (mALAS2) forms previously engineered to assess the role of the flexible C-terminal loop versus mALAS2 function one stood out due to its impressive gain in catalytic power. To elucidate how the simultaneously introduced seven mutations of this activity-enhanced variant affected structural and dynamic properties of mALAS2, we conducted extensive molecular dynamics simulation analysis of the dimeric forms of wild-type mALAS2, hepta-variant and Rhodobacter capsulatu...
High-Resolution Structural Dynamics of Bifunctionally Spin-Labeled Myosin by EPR of Oriented Muscle Fibers

We have performed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) on actin-bound myosin labeled with a bifunctional spin label (BSL), in oriented muscle fibers. Our goal was to determine the effect of known small-molecule effectors on the structure of the complex of the myosin II catalytic domain (CD) bound to actin. The use of BSL in our EPR experiments greatly enhances the resolution of orientation and interspin distance measurements, due to the stereospecific bifunctional attachment to the protein backbone at two engineered Cys residues. We used Dictyostelium myosin II with Cys labeling sites as a model. Three pairs of Cys residues were engineered on our construct, which were located on relay helix, K-helix (upper 50 kDa domain), and W-helix (lower 50 kDa domain). Skinned muscle fiber bundles (actin filaments), decorated with spin-labeled myosin in the absence of nucleotide (“rigor”), were oriented parallel to the spectrometer's applied magnetic field. This procedure enables measurement of the orientation of BSL with respect to actin, which in turn gives us the orientation of individual myosin II structural elements. We tested several known myosin effectors, including arachidonic acid (AA). We observed a significant change in the structure of actin-bound myosin induced by AA, consistent with a change in the actin-activated ATPase activity of the spin-labeled construct. Our goal is to understand the structural changes in the myosin II CD in the presence of activators and inhibitors of actomyosin. This work was supported by NIH grant AR32961 to DDT.
Abstract WMP40: Intra-arterial Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Large Animal Endovascular Canine Stroke Model: Findings on Serial Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Background: Cell therapy is promising in rodent pre-clinical studies. Confirmation of efficacy of this novel approach in large animals is recommended. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) assesses white matter microstructure in the CNS using Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Diffusion Tensor Tractography (DTT) DTT produces a 3D representation of the white matter tracts (WMT) in which data are displayed on a colored map that helps to identify the integrity of the tracts selected under the region of Interest (ROI). The purpose of this study was to use DTI-DTT analysis, and correlate it with the neuro-assessment of dogs over one month after ipsilateral intra-arterial (IA) Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSCs) 48 hours after a brain-stroke was reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (rMCAo) Methods: Mongrel Hounds (n=5), aged 12-36 months, were included in this pilot study. rMCAo was induced via endovascular approach using a detachable helical ultra-coil over 35-80 min. MSCs (1-20 millions) were infused intra-arterially 48hrs post stroke in the ipsilesional cervical internal carotid. DTI-T images were obtained at 48h post rMCAo pre-IA cell delivery, 15 & 30 days. DTT was also generated. FA-ADC values of the right & left hemisphere and CST were determined. Weekly neuro-evaluations were performed using our canine neuro-scale Results: Our data suggest a correlation between the neurological recovery and improvement in the FA-ADC values (see figure). An increase in the caliber of corticospinal tracts ipsilateral to the stroke by day 30 compared to pre-injection was observed on the DTT reconstruction for two canines that showed neurological improvement ( see figure) Conclusions: Serial DTI-DTT imaging after IA cell therapy shows improvement in white matter tracts correlating with neurologic recovery. This supports further development of DTI-DTT biomarkers to measure neurologic recovery in experimental models as well as early clinical trials. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Case report: Percutaneous electrical neural field stimulation in two cases of sympathetically-mediated pain.

Background: Fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) are both chronic pain syndromes with pathophysiologic mechanisms related to autonomic nervous system dysregulation and central sensitization. Both syndromes are considered difficult to treat with conventional pain therapies. Case presentations: Here we describe a female veteran with fibromyalgia and a male veteran with CRPS, both of whom failed multiple pharmacologic, physical and psychological therapies for pain, but responded to percutaneous electrical neural field stimulation (PENFS) targeted at the auricular branches of the cranial nerves. Discussion: While PENFS applied to the body has been previously described for treatment of localized pain, PENFS effects on cranial nerve branches of the ear is not well-known, particularly when used for regional and full-body pain syndromes such as those described here. PENFS of the ear is a minimally-invasive, non-pharmacologic therapy that could lead to improved quality of life and decreased reliance on medication. However, further research is needed to guide clinical application, particularly in complex pain patients.
Observation of Quantum Correlations Using Feedback

Measurements proceed by establishing correlations between a system and a meter. In a quantum description, these correlations are established by quantum fluctuations of the meter exciting the system. We observe such measurement-induced quantum correlations in the interferometric measurement of position.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A Novel Anti-Inflammatory Treatment Option for Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis?

Treatments for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have progressed at a rapid rate over the past 20 years, but treating patients with recalcitrant disease still remains a difficult task. Current ther...
Using global t-SNE to preserve inter-cluster data structure

The t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) method is one of the leading techniques for data visualization and clustering. This method finds lower dimensional embeddings of data points while minimizing distortions in distances between neighboring data points. By construction, t-SNE discards information about large scale structure of the data. We show that adding a global cost function to the t-SNE cost function makes it possible to cluster the data while preserving global inter-cluster data structure. We test the new "global t-SNE" (g-SNE) method on one synthetic and two real data sets on flowers and human brain cells which have significant and meaningful global structures. In all cases, g-SNE outperforms t-SNE in preserving the global structure. The weight parameter λ of the global cost function determines the balance between local and global distances preservations. For the human brain atlas data set, we show the tradeoff of λ in representing global structure of data. Using g-SNE with the optimized λ may therefore yield biological insights into how data is organized on multiple scales.
Computational Study of Methane C-H Activation by Diiminopyridine Nitride/Nitridyl Complexes of 3d Transition Metals and Main-Group Elements.

The C–H bond activation of methane using Ph,MePDI–M≡N [Ph,MePDI = 2,6-(PhN═CMe)2C5H3N] (M = V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Al, or P) has been studied via three reaction pathways: [2σ + 2π] addition, hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA), and direct insertion. The activating ligand is a nitride/nitridyl (N), with diiminopyridine (PDI) as the supporting ligand. Calculations show reasonable C–H activation barriers for Co, Ni, Al, and P Ph,MePDI nitrides, complexes that favor an HAA pathway. Electrophilic Ph,MePDI nitride complexes of the earlier metals with a nucleophilic actor ligand—V, Mn, Fe—follow a [2σ + 2π] addition pathway for methane activation. Free energy barriers for methyl migration, Ph,MePDI–M(CH3)═NH → Ph,MePDI–M–N(H)CH3, are also interesting in the context of alkane functionalization; discriminating factors in this mechanistic step include the strengths of the σ-bond and metal-actor ligand π-bond that are broken and the electrophilicity of the actor ligand to which methyl migrates.
Some research approaches toward minimizing herbicidal residues in the environment.

According to a recent quotation, “starvation and environmental deterioration are the inevitable results of a burgeoning world population. To consider this fact only ‘a problem of the underdeveloped world’ is like saying to a fellow passenger ‘your end of the boat is sinking’.”
Regulation of p53-Dependent Apoptosis by E1A and E1B

Regulation of apoptosis (programmed cell death) is a fundamentally important process in development, is required for maintaining homeostasis (reviewed in Raff 1992), and is an important cellular defense against cancer and viral infection (reviewed in White and Gooding 1994; White 1993; White et al. 1994). The product of the p53 tumor suppressor gene is the most frequently mutated gene in human tumors (Hollstein et al. 1991; Malkin et al. 1990), and loss of p53 function in animal models dramatically increases the incidence of cancer (Donehower et al. 1992). Expression of the p53 protein will induce either growth arrest (Diller et al. 1990; Ginsberg et al. 1991; Kuerbitz et al. 1992; Martinez et al. 1991) or apoptosis (Yonish-Rouach et al. 1991), depending on the physiological circumstances. It is intriguing that p53 may function as a tumor suppressor by inducing cell death, as this would be the most effective means for irreversibly insuring the elimination of abnormal, emerging cancer cells. We have discovered that the transforming gene products of adenovirus encode activities that both activate (E1A) and repress (E1B) p53-dependent apoptosis in the normal course of productive infection in human cells and during the transformation of primary rodent cells (White et al. 1991, 1992, 1993; Rao et al. 1992; Debbas and White 1993; White and Gooding 1994; White 1993; Chiou et al. 1994a.
The Myelin Associated Glycoprotein In Demyelinating Diseases

The myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) is an integral protein of both central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) myelin. Its molecular weight is approximately 100K Daltons (Quarles, 1979; Figlewicz et al., 1981), and its concentration is 2.7µg/mg protein in adult rat brain and 0.65µg/mg in sciatic nerve (Johnson et al., 1982). MAG is approximately one-third carbohydrate by weight and contains fucose, mannose, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylneuraminic acid (Barbarash et al., 1981).
Welcoming transgender and nonbinary patients: expanding the language of "women's health".

In this article, we consider the impact of gendered language on our ability to provide inclusive care and to address health disparities experienced by transgender and nonbinary people. We posit that while obstetrician-gynecologists and others trained in women's health are already well positioned to extend care to this population, we can improve this care through simple adjustments in the framing and language we use.
Identifying and Forecasting Potential Biophysical Risk Areas within a Tropical Mangrove Ecosystem Using Multi-Sensor Data

Abstract Mangroves are one of the most productive ecosystems known for provisioning of various ecosystem goods and services. They help in sequestering large amounts of carbon, protecting coastline against erosion, and reducing impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes. Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha harbors the second largest mangrove ecosystem in India. This study used Terra, Landsat and Sentinel-1 satellite data for spatio-temporal monitoring of mangrove forest within Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary between 2000 and 2016. Three biophysical parameters were used to assess mangrove ecosystem health: leaf chlorophyll (CHL), Leaf Area Index (LAI), and Gross Primary Productivity (GPP). A long-term analysis of meteorological data such as precipitation and temperature was performed to determine an association between these parameters and mangrove biophysical characteristics. The correlation between meteorological parameters and mangrove biophysical characteristics enabled forecasting of mangrove health and productivity for year 2050 by incorporating IPCC projected climate data. A historical analysis of land cover maps was also performed using Landsat 5 and 8 data to determine changes in mangrove area estimates in years 1995, 2004 and 2017. There was a decrease in dense mangrove extent with an increase in open mangroves and agricultural area. Despite conservation efforts, the current extent of dense mangrove is projected to decrease up to 10% by the year 2050. All three biophysical characteristics including GPP, LAI and CHL, are projected to experience a net decrease of 7.7%, 20.83% and 25.96% respectively by 2050 compared to the mean annual value in 2016. This study will help the Forest Department, Government of Odisha in managing and taking appropriate decisions for conserving and sustaining the remaining mangrove forest under the changing climate and developmental activities.
Advancing Age-Friendly Workplaces Through the NIOSH National Center for Productive Aging and Work

The workforce in the USA and other industrialized countries is aging, mainly because of increased life expectancy, the presence of the “baby boom” generation, and declining fertility rates. Moreover, emerging trends, such as the shift toward nonstandard or contingent work arrangements and the erosion of defined-benefit plans, will require workers to prolong their stay in the workforce. Hence, understanding the safety and health needs of aging workers is a necessity, not only to better protect and advance the safety, health, and well-being of those who work into later life but also to take advantage of the important contributions that older individuals can make to their employers and society as a whole. The National Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH) has long recognized the growing need to examine the impact of age-related changes on the occupational safety and health (OSH) outcomes and well-being of aging workers. In 2015, NIOSH launched the National Center for Productive Aging and Work (NCPAW). Drawing from the concept of productive aging and adapting it to OSH, NCPAW seeks to advance the safety, health, and lifelong well-being of workers of all ages. This mission can be accomplished through the support of safe and healthy work environments for everyone through comprehensive strategies that allow workers to be safe, healthy, and productive at all ages. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the productive aging concept as it applies to workers of all ages. This chapter also applies this concept to workers’ personal and professional development and their contributions to their organizations as they transition throughout the life cycle. Then the chapter discusses productive aging as a guiding framework for “age-friendly” workplaces. Finally, the chapter provides an overview of NCPAW’s approach to productive aging in the context of occupational safety and health (OSH) and its research and practical implications.
¿Y si no estuviesen las escuelas secundarias en las Ciudades- Barrios? Tensiones entre la mejora de las condiciones de escolarización y el desfinanciamiento de algunas políticas de inclusión socioeducativa en la Provincia de Córdoba.

This article presents a case study in a secondary school located in a City - Neighborhood of Cordoba Capital whose students are, predominantly, the first generation of families to access, stay, and graduate from secondary school. From the contributions of Social Regulation Theory (Reynaud, 1997, 2003), this study accounts for the dynamics that cut across the policies associated with the expansion of compulsory secondary schooling (ESS) when they reach the school and translate into growth of school enrollment and struggles to improve the conditions of the students’ schooling. Given the recent loss of funding of some policies aimed at guaranteeing ESS, we hypothesize that in the selected school the tension between control of outcomes accountability for results and school autonomy would be deepening the process of delegating responsibility on the school over the schooling of vulnerable sectors.
Age and sex determination of subadult skeletons.

Forensic anthropologists who work in the medicolegal area are frequently requested to examine the partial or complete remains of individuals, with the goal generally being the identification of the individual in regard to age, sex, race, and stature. These data may then be used in an attempt to learn the identity of the individual or individuals. The condition of the material available for analysis varies tremendously. Complete skeletons with or without soft tissue should present the fewest problems. Those bodies which are less complete, consisting of parts of a skeleton only, present more problems in identification and in many instances may not be identifiable at all, although there are instances on record of individuals being identified on the basis of a few teeth and fragments of a mandible or maxilla.
Hydrolytic stability of ternary and quaternary urethane end-capped oligoesters

The hydrolytic stability was evaluated for a series of oligoesters comprised of three or four different monomers. The oligoesters were prepared from adipic acid (AA) and isophthalic acid (IPA) with six different diols, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, neopentyl glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-butene-1,4-diol, and one triol, trimethylolpropane. The hydroxyl-terminated ternary and quaternary oligoesters were end-capped using phenyl isocyanate. The hydrolysis rate constants were obtained from acid number. The flexibility of diacids had a determinative effect on the hydrolytic stability of the carbamate end-capped oligoesters.
Replicating outcomes of Survivors Healing from Abuse: Recovery through Exposure (SHARE): A brief exposure-based group treatment for incarcerated survivors of sexual violence.

Objective Survivors Healing from Abuse: Recovery through Exposure (SHARE) is a group treatment for incarcerated women that targets sexual abuse sequelae. Previous research on SHARE found significant reductions in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms among completers. However, evidence for SHARE has been limited to open pilot studies conducted in one prison. Therefore, this study sought to replicate the results of previous SHARE studies in a separate facility. Method Thirty-two women incarcerated in a minimum-security prison participated in an open trial of SHARE. Six separate groups were conducted, each consisting of eight 1.5-hr sessions. Results Pre- to posttreatment symptom reductions in PTSD, depression, and GAD were statistically significant with large effect sizes. Moreover, 21-37% of treatment completers evidenced reliable change in their symptom reduction during the course of treatment. Most women who did not evidence reliable change were already below the clinical cutoff on the corresponding symptom measure at pre-treatment and remained below by post-treatment. Conclusions These results are consistent with prior studies of SHARE and provide additional support for the positive outcomes of this brief, targeted trauma-focused treatment for incarcerated women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Examining transmission of gut bacteria to preserved carcass via anal secretions in Nicrophorus defodiens

Direct transmission of bacteria to subsequent generations highlights the beneficial nature of host-bacteria relationships. In insects, this process is often mediated by the production of microbe-containing secretions. The objective of this study was to determine if the burying beetle, Nicrophorus defodiens, utilizes anal secretions to transmit adult digestive tract bacteria onto a small vertebrate carcass; thus creating the potential to aid in carcass preservation or pass digestive tract bacteria to their larval offspring. Using high-throughput Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we characterized bacterial communities of adult beetle digestive tracts, their anal secretions, and prepared mouse carcasses. We also examined unprepared carcass bacterial communities as a means to interpret community shifts that take place during carcass preservation. We found a vast reduction in diversity on prepared carcasses after anal secretion application. Overall, there was little similarity in bacterial communities among adult digestive tracts, anal secretions, and prepared carcasses, suggesting bacterial communities found in adult digestive tracts do not successfully colonize and achieve dominance on prepared carcasses by way of beetle anal secretions. We concluded that N. defodiens does not transmit their digestive tract bacterial communities to prepared carcasses in a wholesale manner, but may transmit key microbes, including core microbiome members, to preserved carcasses that may ultimately act to sustain larvae and serve as inocula for larval digestive tracts.
Quantity and Quality: An Rx for Efficient Drug Purchasing

Drug procurement agencies and organizations spend billions of dollars on drugs for patients in the developing world. These drugs are essential to the health of many millions of patients — but only if they are safe and effective. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria offer "prequalification" programs designed to help drug procurers identify suppliers of safe and effective drugs. But while they do some good, both programs are flawed: they focus too little on drug quality, favor local producers that may not qualify under the more rigorous drug approval systems of the United States and Europe, and exercise little oversight of how drug procurers use their lists. Such bureaucratic bungling can mean the difference between life and death.
Properties Of Winning Tickets On Skin Lesion Classification.

Skin cancer affects a large population every year -- automated skin cancer detection algorithms can thus greatly help clinicians. Prior efforts involving deep learning models have high detection accuracy. However, most of the models have a large number of parameters, with some works even using an ensemble of models to achieve good accuracy. In this paper, we investigate a recently proposed pruning technique called Lottery Ticket Hypothesis. We find that iterative pruning of the network resulted in improved accuracy, compared to that of the unpruned network, implying that -- the lottery ticket hypothesis can be applied to the problem of skin cancer detection and this hypothesis can result in a smaller network for inference. We also examine the accuracy across sub-groups -- created by gender and age -- and it was found that some sub-groups show a larger increase in accuracy than others.
Predicting Autism in Infancy.

By definition, autism spectrum disorder emerges during early childhood. However, despite longstanding recommendations for earlier identification and intervention, there has been relatively slow progress in lowering the average age of diagnosis and enrollment in treatment for affected children. This has been due to several factors, including the inadequacy of behavioral risk markers and clinical practice entailing a “wait to see” or “wait to fail” approach to identification. Converging evidence now suggests that brain changes precede changes in behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder. This work has led to the discovery of potential biomarkers of presymptomatic or prodromal risk, which may be used to accurately identify children at ultra-high risk during the first year of life. Such findings raise the possibility of intervention before the consolidation of core autistic features and during a period of substantial neural plasticity. While these avenues of research suggest strong potential for eventual clinical application, they also raise new questions regarding content, dosage, and timing of intervention as well as ethical, legal, and social considerations concerning presymptomatic identification and treatment.
Transcriptomic Changes and the Roles of Cannabinoid Receptors and PPARγ in Developmental Toxicities Following Exposure to Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol.

Human consumption of cannabinoid-containing products during early life or pregnancy is rising. However, information about the molecular mechanisms involved in early life stage Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) toxicities is critically lacking. Here, larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) were used to measure THC and CBD-mediated changes on transcriptome and the roles of cannabinoid receptors (Cnr) 1 and 2 and peroxisome proliferator activator receptor γ (PPARγ) in developmental toxicities. Transcriptomic profiling of 96-hour post fertilization (hpf) cnr+/+ embryos exposed (6-96 hpf) to 4 μM THC or 0.5 μM CBD showed differential expression of 904 and 1095 genes for THC and CBD, respectively, with 360 in common. KEGG pathways enriched in the THC and CBD datasets included those related to drug, retinol, and steroid metabolism and PPAR signaling. THC exposure caused increased mortality and deformities (pericardial and yolk sac edemas, reduction in length) in cnr1-/- and cnr2-/- fish compared to cnr+/+ suggesting Cnr receptors are involved in protective pathways. Conversely, the cnr1-/- larvae were more resistant to CBD-induced malformations, mortality, and behavioral alteration implicating Cnr1 in CBD-mediated toxicity. Behavior (decreased distance travelled) was the most sensitive endpoint to THC and CBD exposure. Co-exposure to the PPARγ inhibitor GW9662 and CBD in cnr+/+ and cnr2-/- strains caused more adverse outcomes compared to CBD alone, but not in the cnr1-/- fish, suggesting that PPARγ plays a role in CBD metabolism downstream of Cnr1. Collectively, PPARγ, Cnr1, and Cnr2 play important roles in the developmental toxicity of cannabinoids with Cnr1 being the most critical.
Shared injustice, splintered solidarity: Water governance across urban-rural divides

Abstract In response to rapid urbanization and intensifying climatological instability, cities are implementing major water infrastructure projects to mitigate water supply and flood risks. Drawing on four cases from South and Southeast Asia, we show how megacities’ search for additional water supplies or sites to store floodwater repeatedly disadvantage the most vulnerable groups in rural and urban areas. Rather than rehashing urban–rural conflicts, we argue these outcomes demonstrate the continuous reproduction of water insecurity for a class of society that is dispossessed of water and rural livelihoods, excluded from water and land access within the cities they migrate to, and evicted from flood-securitized cities back to the periphery. Water-related injustices confronting the urban poor mirror injustices along the entire water governance spectrum that begins and ends in rural areas. These shared vulnerabilities suggest opportunities for solidarity across urban–rural divides and novel directions for research and coalition building. A fundamental challenge ahead will be whether and how urban and rural poor groups can build regional or national alliances across geographic and identity divides.
CESR status [Cornell Electron Storage Ring]

The Cornell Electron Storage Ring operates with trains of bunches that collide with a horizontal crossing angle of /spl plusmn/2.1 mrad. CESR has achieved a peak luminosity of 4.1/spl times/10/sup 32/ cm/sup -2/ s/sup -1/ with a total current of 320 mA and nine two-bunch trains in each beam. The beam-beam tune shift parameter saturates at /spl xi//sub /spl nu///spl sim/0.04. The current dependence of luminosity and tune shift parameter are shown. We discuss beam optics, crossing angle, injection, current limits and upgrade status.
Commentaries on Gordon and on Bylund

Commentaries on Gordon and on Bylund in regards to my book, Labor Economics From a Free Market Perspective.
An innovative approach to teaching structural induction for computer science

Proofs by induction are central to many computer science areas such as data structures, theory of computation, programming languages, program efficiency-time complexity, and program correctness. Proofs by induction can also improve students’ understanding and performance of computer science concepts such as programming languages, algorithm design, and recursion, as well as serve as a medium for teaching them. Even though students are exposed to proofs by induction in many courses of their curricula, they still have difficulties understanding and performing them. This impacts the whole course of their studies, since proofs by induction are omnipresent in computer science. Specifically, students do not gain conceptual understanding of induction early in the curriculum and as a result, they have difficulties applying it to more advanced areas later on in their studies. The goal of my dissertation is twofold: (1) identifying sources of computer science students’ difficulties with proofs by induction, and (2) developing a new approach to teaching proofs by induction by way of an interactive and multimodal electronic book (e-book). For the first goal, I undertook a study to identify possible sources of computer science students’ difficulties with proofs by induction. Its results suggest that there is a close correlation between students’ understanding of inductive definitions and their understanding and performance of proofs by induction. For designing and developing my e-book, I took into consideration the results of my study, as well as the drawbacks of the current methodologies of teaching proofs by induction for computer science. I designed my e-book to be used as a standalone and complete educational environment. I also conducted a study on the effectiveness of my e-book in the classroom. The results of my study suggest that, unlike the current methodologies of teaching proofs by induction for computer science, my e-book helped students overcome many of their difficulties and gain conceptual understanding of proofs induction.
Capitalist investment and political liberalization

We consider a simple political-economic model where capitalist investment is constrained by the government’s temptation to expropriate. Political liberalization can relax this constraint, increasing the government’s revenue, but also increasing the ruler’s political risks. We analyze the ruler’s optimal liberalization, where our measure of political liberalization is the probability of the ruler being replaced if he tried to expropriate private investments. Poorer endowments can support reputational equilibria with more investment, even without liberalization, so we find a resources curse, where larger resource endowments can decrease investment and reduce the ruler’s revenue. The ruler’s incentive to liberalize can be greatest with intermediate resource endowments. Strong liberalization becomes optimal in cases where capital investment yields approximately constant returns to scale. Adding independent revenue decreases optimal liberalization and investment. Mobility of productive factors that complement capital can increase incentives to liberalize, but equilibrium prices may adjust so that liberal and authoritarian regimes coexist.
Indexing permafrost soil organic matter degradation using high-resolution mass spectrometry

Microbial degradation of soil organic matter (SOM) is a key process for terrestrial carbon cycling, although the molecular details of these transformations remain unclear. This study reports the application of ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry to profile the molecular composition of SOM and its degradation during a simulated warming experiment. A soil sample, collected near Barrow, Alaska, USA, was subjected to a 40-day incubation under anoxic conditions and analyzed before and after the incubation to determine changes of SOM composition. A CHO index based on molecular C, H, and O data was utilized to codify SOM components according to their observed degradation potentials. Compounds with a CHO index score between –1 and 0 in a water-soluble fraction (WSF) demonstrated high degradation potential, with a highest shift of CHO index occurred in the N-containing group of compounds, while similar stoichiometries in a base-soluble fraction (BSF) did not. Additionally, compared with the classical H:C vs O:C van Krevelen diagram, CHO index allowed for direct visualization of the distribution of heteroatoms such as N in the identified SOM compounds. We demonstrate that CHO index is useful not only in characterizing arctic SOM at the molecular level but also enabling quantitative description of SOM degradation, thereby facilitating incorporation of the high resolution MS datasets to future mechanistic models of SOM degradation and prediction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Imaging the behavior of molecules in biological systems: breaking the 3D speed barrier with 3D multi-resolution microscopy

The overwhelming effort in the development of new microscopy methods has been focused on increasing the spatial and temporal resolution in all three dimensions to enable the measurement of the molecular scale phenomena at the heart of biological processes. However, there exists a significant speed barrier to existing 3D imaging methods, which is associated with the overhead required to image large volumes. This overhead can be overcome to provide nearly unlimited temporal precision by simply focusing on a single molecule or particle via real-time 3D single-particle tracking and the newly developed 3D Multi-resolution Microscopy (3D-MM). Here, we investigate the optical and mechanical limits of real-time 3D single-particle tracking in the context of other methods. In particular, we investigate the use of an optical cantilever for position sensitive detection, finding that this method yields system magnifications of over 3000×. We also investigate the ideal PID control parameters and their effect on the power spectrum of simulated trajectories. Taken together, these data suggest that the speed limit in real-time 3D single particle-tracking is a result of slow piezoelectric stage response as opposed to optical sensitivity or PID control.
Incorporating labour market structure in regional econometric models

Regional forecasting models typically involve sets of explanatory variables that are highly collinear. As a result, the specifications and the forecasts themselves are highly sensitive to minor changes in specification and additions or deletions to the sample observations. This present paper illustrates how persistent effects derived from regional production relations can be incorporated in estimating regional forecasting models. Inclusion of these effects is shown to reduce problems of multicollinearity and to improve the structural representation and the forecasting performance of regional econometric models.
Pediatric malignancies presenting as a possible infectious disease.

Background The clinical, laboratory, and radiological features of malignancy can overlap with those of infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the findings in children who were initially thought to have an infectious disease but ultimately proved to have a malignancy.
Source rules, trade and income taxes, and electronic commerce: designing rules for the taxation of cross-border income.

Abstract Several issues in the design of international tax rules are examined. One is whether the income from intangible assets such as royalties should be taxed by the host country in which the intangibles are used or the home country in which they were developed. Another is whether local sales should be a basis for taxing foreign companies even if they have no local physical presence. A third related issue is whether a destination basis income tax is a valid policy option. The introduction develops a general framework to evaluate tax regimes, based on efficiency along various behavioral margins such as the choice of where to exploit an intangible asset. The analysis concludes that the income from intangible assets should be taxed by the home country, not the country where it is used. Also, any attempt to tax foreign companies based on their local sales is simply the equivalent of a tariff. The paper shows that there are some extreme circumstances which would justify a tariff to offset the distortions created by an income tax, but electronic commerce does not seem to qualify for this departure from the benefits of free trade. Finally, a destination basis income tax creates an incentive to invest abroad rather than at home. It is an improper attempt to graft a consumption tax concept onto an income tax
Plasmid pU29, a vehicle for mutagenesis of the photosynthetic puf operon in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

Plasmid pU21, which carries the reaction center and light-harvesting genes (puf operon) of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata, has been redesigned by site-specific mutagenesis. Five restriction sites have been removed and three unique restriction sites have been introduced into this 11,589-bp pBR322 derivative. The modifications divide the puf structural genes into four regions separated by five unique and nonmutagenic restriction sites. These four fragments have been subcloned into the M13-mp series of vectors to facilitate oligonucleotide-mediated site-specific mutagenesis experiments on the photosynthetic apparatus structural genes. The inserts can then be returned from the M13 replicative form to the redesigned pU21 derivative. The modified plasmid, pU29, greatly facilitates in vitro mutagenesis experiments since previously described techniques and screening procedures are more efficient with M13 derivatives carrying smaller inserts. Additionally, tandem homologous sequences (the reaction center L and M subunits) within the puf operon are now separated on different phage vectors, eliminating problems encountered in the targeting of mutagenic oligonucleotides to only one of the two homologous sites.
A Second Look at the Revolution in Counseling

In 1965 the revolutionary counseling development was tailoring specific behavioral goals with clients and testing innovative procedures to help clients learn how to achieve their goals. Since then an experimental self-correcting approach has produced a variety of techniques known to help clients overcome many problems, and has led substantial numbers of counselor educators to teach behavioral approaches to counselors. Future counseling will emphasize prevention more than remediation, internal more than external control, and a better balance among cognition, emotion, and action. Anyone can join the continuing search for better procedures to help clients learn.
Radio receiver techniques

This session reviews recent innovations in integrated radio design for a wide variety of applications; the modern techniques to be discussed include frequency impedance translation techniques, spatio-spectral beam forming, phase arrays and synchronization of IR radios.
Numerical construction of balanced state manifold for single-support legged mechanism in sagittal plane

Legged mechanisms can walk and run but sometimes encounter a risk of falling. In this article, a general numerical framework of balance criteria for a single-support legged mechanism is proposed and demonstrated. Explicit forms of necessary and sufficient conditions for balancing are identified and the balanced state manifold is constructed accordingly in the extended phase space of joint angle, joint velocity, and actuation limit. Within the iteration loops for partitioned joint angle and actuation limit, a nonlinear constrained optimization problem is formulated where the dynamic models of the legged mechanism are incorporated. The necessary conditions for balancing, such as the Zero-Moment Point, positive normal reaction, friction, and the ability to end up at a final static equilibrium, are implemented along with the system parameters for generality. The sequential quadratic programming method numerically solves for the velocity extrema within the complete feasible domain to construct the balanced state manifold as a viability kernel, which is a reachable superset of all possible controller-based domains. The balanced state manifold, along with its demonstration using the proposed optimal balancing motion for minimum energy and biped walking motions in sagittal plane, shows valid features that are physically consistent. The framework can be extended to systems in three-dimension with higher complexity, both in single and double support phases, for the development and stability analysis of walking robots and humans.
The relationship between cognitive and somatic measures in the assessment of anxiety

The purpose of this study was to establish the extent and direction of the relationship between physiological and self-report measures of anxiety. Helping-profession trainees’ responses at rest, in anticipation of a stressful situation, and during the stressful situation were monitored with electromyography and finger temperature instruments. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was administered at the conclusion of each of the three data collection phases. The results did not reveal a relationship among the three distinct assessment modalities during any phase of the study. In general, the Pearson produce-moment correlation coefficients were so small as to say little about the strength or direction. However, the relationship of each assessment modality with itself in later phases of the study was significant at the .01 level.
Daredevils of Sasun: Poetics of an Epic, by Azat Yeghiazaryan, trans. S Peter Cowe

AZAT YEGHIAZARYAN, trans. S. Peter Cowe Costa Mesa, CA, Mazda Publishers, 2008, xii + 239 pp, $35.00, ISBN 1-568-59167-4 In response to an appeal by Georg VI, locum tenens and later Supreme Patriar...
Corporate income tax incidence in the presence of sector-specific unemployment

Abstract This paper explores the implications of sector-specific unemployment in the analysis of the corporate income tax incidence. The analysis builds on a modified Harris-Todaro framework in which the corporate wage is indexed to commodity prices while the noncorporate wage is flexible. We present the sufficient conditions under which a tax burden falls more heavily upon capital and contrast them with the original Harberger results. Also examined in this paper is the incidence of unemployment benefits and their effects on the unemployment rate.
Rapid osmometry with diffusible polymers

High speed automatic osmometer applied to measurements of diffusible branched polyethylene samples, discussing apparent molecular weight observations
Does CD95 have tumor promoting activities

Abstract CD95 (APO-1/Fas) is an important inducer of the extrinsic apoptosis signaling pathway and therapy induced apoptosis of many tumor cells has been linked to the activity of CD95. Changes in the expression of CD95 and/or its ligand CD95L are frequently found in human cancer. The downregulation or mutation of CD95 has been proposed as a mechanism by which cancer cells avoid destruction by the immune system through reduced apoptosis sensitivity. CD95 has therefore been viewed as a tumor suppressor. Furthermore, increased CD95L concentration in tumor patients has been linked to tumor cells killing infiltrating lymphocytes in a process called “the tumor counter attack”. Recent data have illuminated unknown activities of CD95 in tumor cells with downregulated or mutated CD95 in the presence of increased CD95L. Under these conditions the stimulation of CD95 signals nonapoptotic pathways, activating NF-κB and MAP kinases for example, which may result in the induction of tumorigenic or prosurvival genes. A new model of CD95 functions is proposed in which CD95 is converted from a tumor suppressor to a tumor promotor by a single point mutation in one of the CD95 alleles, a situation frequently found in advanced human cancer, resulting in apoptosis resistance and activation of tumorigenic pathways.
Xylan-hydrolysing enzymes from Streptomyces spp.

Screening of some mesophilic species of Streptomyces indicated that enzyme activities capable of removing O-acetyl, arabinosyl, 4-O-methylglucuronyl, and feruloyl substituents from xylan were present in culture filtrates, in addition to endo-β-(1,4)-xylanases. Low constitutive levels of acetyl xylan esterase, arabinosidase, 4-O-methylglucuronidase, and ferulic acid esterase could be greatly elevated by supplementation of liquid media with starch-free wheat bran, oat spelts xylan, or sugar cane bagasse. One organism, S. olivochromogenes, produced particularly high levels of acetyl xylan esterase, ferulic acid esterase, arabinosidase, and 4-O-methylglucuronidase as well as endo-β-(1,4)-xylanase. Partial purification of extracellular preparations from S. flavogriseus and S. olivochromogenes disclosed the presence of multiple forms of both anionic and cationic enzyme activities. Several of the hydrolysing activities occurred as “families” in association with endo-β-(1,4)-xylanase.
A critical examination of vestibular function in motor-impaired learning-disabled children

This study examined the role of the vestibular system in balance and coordination problems found in motor-impaired, learning-disabled (LD) children. Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and vestibulo-spinal tests (moving platform posturography) were performed on 15 learning disabled and 54 normal children. Twelve LD children had normal VOR scores suggesting normal peripheral vestibular inputs. All 15 LD children had abnormal posturography. Motor-impaired LD children could not appropriately integrate vestibular information with visual and somatosensory inputs for postural orientation. Results suggest that the best discriminator of abnormal sensorimotor function in LD children are posturography trials requiring orientation to gravity despite absent or inaccurate visual and somatosensory cues, rather than traditionally relied on VOR and Romberg tests.
Effect of cigarette smoking on the circulation of the oral mucosa.

Much research has been done on cigarette smoking and its relation to systemic and local pathologic conditions of the human body.1-13 No one has studied the effect of cigarette smoking on blood circulation of the oral mucosa, however. If significant changes occur in the oral circulatory system, they may have undesirable effects on systemic and local pathologic conditions. The purpose of this project was to determine whether smoking without inhaling has an effect of the blood circulation of the oral mucosa that is not mediated through the sympathetic nervous svstem.