cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stat3 as an Oncogene

STATs are latent transcription factors that mediate cytokine- and growth factor-directed transcription. In many human cancers and transformed cell lines, Stat3 is persistently activated, and in cell culture, active Stat3 is either required for transformation, enhances transformation, or blocks apoptosis. We report that substitution of two cysteine residues within the C-terminal loop of the SH2 domain of Stat3 produces a molecule that dimerizes spontaneously, binds to DNA, and activates transcription. The Stat3-C molecule in immortalized fibroblasts causes cellular transformation scored by colony formation in soft agar and tumor formation in nude mice. Thus, the activated Stat3 molecule by itself can mediate cellular transformation and the experiments focus attention on the importance of constitutive Stat3 activation in human tumors.
Growth performance and muscle oxidation in rats fed increasing amounts of high-tannin sorghum

Oxidative processes deteriorate the quality of meat products. High tannin sorghums (HTS) contain flavonoid oligomers known as proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins. These compounds act as anti-oxidants in vitro, but their effectiveness in vivo remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that moderate amounts of dietary HTS could reduce markers of oxidation on muscle of rats without having detrimental effects in growth. We used 2 groups of 38 male Sprague Dawley rats at 5 and 13 wk of age each. Each age group was fed 4 diets in a completely randomized design. The younger group was fed the experimental diets for 10 wk (10W); whereas the older group was fed for 2 wk (2W). The diets were modified from the NIH-07 diet and contained HTS and corn at ratios of 0:50 (S0, control), 20:30 (S20), 35:15 (S35), and 50:0 (S50) as a percentage of the diet. Growth and the efficiency of gain were assessed periodically measuring BW, ADFI, ADG, and G:F. Oxidation in muscle was measured in fresh tissue and after 6 d of aerobic-refrigerated storage. Muscles evaluated were LM and soleus (SM). Fresh liver was also evaluated. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and carbonyl content were used as markers of lipid and protein oxidation, respectively. No differences in BW, ADFI, ADG, and G:F were observed in 2W rats. Greater (P < 0.05) ADFI and ADG were observed in 10W-S35 group between d 1 and 7 and greater BW (P = 0.049) was observed in group 10W-S35 at d 70 compared with 10W-S0. No differences were observed between S0 and any HTS diet in G:F in 10W and 2W rats. No differences in TBARS or carbonyls were observed in liver. No differences in TBARS were observed in fresh and aged LM and SM. When LM samples were aged for 6 d, decreased carbonyl contents (P < 0.01) were observed in 10W-S35 and 10W-S50 diets compared with 10W-S0. Reductions in carbonyls were also observed in aged SM between 2W-S50 and 2W-S0 (P = 0.013). We concluded that inclusion of 35% HTS in the diet increased intake and growth rate of young, fast-growing rats without changing the efficiency of gain. Feeding HTS reduced markers of protein oxidation in rat muscle after 6 d of refrigerated storage. If similar results are observed in animals such as swine or cattle, the use of HTS as animal feed should be reassessed.
Induction of Peptidylglycine α-Amidating Monooxygenase in N18TG2 Cells: A Model for Studying Oleamide Biosynthesis

Abstract The fatty-acid primary amide, oleamide, is a novel signaling molecule whose mechanism of biosynthesis is unknown. Recently, the N 18 TG 2 cell line was shown to synthesize oleamide from oleic acid, thereby demonstrating that these cells contain the necessary catalytic activities for generating the fatty-acid primary amide. The ability of peptide α-amidating enzyme, peptidylglycine-α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM; EC 1.14.17.3), to catalyze the formation of oleamide from oleoylglycine in vitro suggests this as a function for the enzyme in vivo. This investigation shows that N 18 TG 2 cells, in fact, express PAM and that cellular differentiation dramatically increases this expression. PAM expression was confirmed by the detection of PAM mRNA, PAM protein, and enzymatic activity that exhibits the functional characteristics of PAM isolated from mammalian neuroendocrine tissues. The regulated expression of PAM in N 18 TG 2 cells is consistent with the proposed role of PAM in the biosynthesis of fatty-acid primary amides and further establishes this cell line as a model for studying the pathway.
Solar granulation, limb flux, and oblateness

The radiation field, emergent from an inhomogeneous atmosphere, may differ significantly from that calculated using a mean model for such an atmosphere. In the solar case, horizontal anisotropy of the granulation pattern leads to azimuthal dependence of the emergent intensity, and this appears as a latitude-dependent limb flux which may mimic oblateness. We examine this latitude-dependence for several two and three-dimensional models of the inhomogeneous solar atmosphere, with varying degrees of anisotropy in the granulation pattern. Elongation along an east-west axis of about 7% would yield a signal somewhat imperfectly mimicking an excess oblateness of 4 × 10−5. Using the Babcock-Leighton model of the general solar magnetic field we show that some stretching of granules, of this order of magnitude, should be expected. However, it may vary with the solar activity cycle, and in any case the result is very sensitive to the parameters adopted. Even if study of granulation observations should exclude elongations as high as 7%, smaller essentially undetectable elongations may exist. We find that 1 % elongation can account for 25–50 % of a signal corresponding to excess oblateness 4 × 10−5. We conclude that anisotropy of the granulation pattern may influence oblateness determinations; when this is considered together with other effects, much of the claimed oblateness may be eliminated.
Investigation of multiphase printing writing modes on mask performance in MEBES 4500

Multiphase printing (MPPTM) has been shown to improve registration and CD performance by reducing butting errors, averaging scan linearity errors and improving stripe boundary CD performance. In the MEBES 4500, improvements in the data path allow MPP to be used with a tolerable increase in write time making it an attractive option. A major concern is determining if MPP printing requires modification of subsequent mask processing steps. The use of larger spot sizes and multiple voting in MPP printing may alter CD performance during mask processing. Additionally, the multipass strategy inherent to MPP could result in a different CD signature due to time based effects. A further concern is to determine if MPP CD's impact pattern fidelity since this will affect inspectibility and wafer performance. Several experiments were conducted to determine how well MPP integrates with processing, how it is impacted by temporal averaging of errors and if it significantly alters pattern fidelity. A range of input addresses and different resist systems were investigated.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Hydrogen Cycling by the Unicellular Marine Diazotroph Crocosphaera watsonii Strain WH8501

The hydrogen (H₂) cycle associated with the dinitrogen (N₂) fixation process was studied in laboratory cultures of the marine cyanobacterium Crocosphaera watsonii. The rates of H₂ production and acetylene (C₂H₂) reduction were continuously measured over the diel cycle with simultaneous measurements of fast repetition rate fluorometry and dissolved oxygen. The maximum rate of H₂ production was coincident with the maximum rates of C₂H₂ reduction. Theoretical stoichiometry for N₂ fixation predicts an equimolar ratio of H₂ produced to N₂ fixed. However, the maximum rate of net H₂ production observed was 0.09 nmol H₂ μg chlorophyll a (chl a)⁻¹ h⁻¹) compared to the N₂ fixation rate of 5.5 nmol N₂ μg chl a⁻¹ h⁻¹, with an H₂ production/N₂ fixation ratio of 0.02. The 50-fold discrepancy between expected and observed rates of H₂ production was hypothesized to be a result of H₂ reassimilation by uptake hydrogenase. This was confirmed by the addition of carbon monoxide (CO), a potent inhibitor of hydrogenase, which increased net H₂ production rates ∼40-fold to a maximum rate of 3.5 nmol H₂ μg chl a⁻¹ h⁻¹. We conclude that the reassimilation of H₂ by C. watsonii is highly efficient (> 98%) and hypothesize that the tight coupling between H₂ production and consumption is a consequence of fixing N₂ at nighttime using a finite pool of respiratory carbon and electrons acquired from daytime solar energy capture. The H₂ cycle provides unique insight into N₂ fixation and associated metabolic processes in C. watsonii.
The K-fluorescence yield of Te and the total and K-shell conversion coefficients of the 35.48 keV transition in 125I decay

Abstract High-resolution Ge(Li) X-ray spectrometers were used in the singles and coincidence modes to determine the K-fluorescence yield of Te from carrier-free sources of 125 I. The same experiments give the total and K-shell conversion coefficients of the 35.48 keV transition in 125 Te. The values found for ω K , α T and α K are 0.859±0.022, 13.65±0.55 and 12.01±0.36, respectively, assuming that the K-capture probability in 125 I decay is P K = 0.797±0.003. The values of α T and α K agree with the theoretical prediction of Hager and Seltzer for an M1 transition with less than 0.4% E2 admixture.
Enhancing the Ductility of Sn-Ag-Cu Lead-Free Solder Joints by Addition of Compliant Intermetallics

Tin (Sn)-rich lead (Pb)-free solders containing rare-earth (RE) elements have been shown to exhibit desirable attributes of microstructural refinement and enhanced ductility relative to conventional Sn-3.9Ag-0.7Cu lead-free solder, due to the unique mechanical properties of RE-Sn intermetallics. However, the roles of soft intermetallic phase in the enhanced ductility of Pb-free solder still need to be further investigated. In this paper, Ca and Mn were selected as doping elements for Sn-Ag-Cu solder. The mechanical properties of Ca-Sn and Mn-Sn intermetallics as a function of indentation depth were measured by nanoindentation using the continuous stiffness method (CSM). The microstructure and mechanical properties of as-reflowed Ca- and Mn-containing Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints were studied and compared with those of conventional Sn-Ag-Cu and RE-containing solder joints. It is shown that soft intermetallics result in higher ductility in Pb-free solders.
Hard X-Rays and Gamma Rays from Type Ia Supernovae

The γ-ray light curves and spectra are presented for a set of theoretical Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) models including deflagration, detonation, delayed detonation, and pulsating delayed detonations of Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarfs, as well as merger scenarios that may involve more than the Chandrasekhar mass and helium detonations of sub-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarfs. The results have been obtained with a Monte Carlo radiation transport scheme that takes into account all relevant γ-transitions and interaction processes. The result is a set of accurate line profiles that are characteristic of the initial 56Ni mass distribution of the supernova models. The γ-rays probe the isotopic rather than merely the elemental distribution of the radioactive elements in the ejecta. Details of the line profiles (including the line width, shift with respect to the rest frame, and line ratios) are discussed. With sufficient energy and temporal resolution, different model scenarios can clearly be distinguished. Observational strategies are discussed for current and immediately upcoming generations of satellites (Compton Gamma Ray Observatory [CGRO] and International Gamma-Ray Astrophysical Laboratory [INTEGRAL]), as well as projected future missions including presently unavailable equipment such as Laue telescopes. With CGRO, it is currently possible with sufficiently early observations (near optical maximum) to distinguish helium detonations from explosions of Chandrasekhar-mass progenitors and of those involving mergers up to a distance of about 15 Mpc. This translates into one target of opportunity every 8 years. SNe Ia up to about 10 Mpc would allow detailed CGRO studies of line ratios of 56Co lines. INTEGRAL will be able to perform detailed studies of the 56Co line profiles with a range comparable to CGRO. The superior sensitivity of INTEGRAL for low energies makes detection and detailed study of the positron annihilation line and appropriate low-energy 56Ni lines possible up to about 10-15 Mpc for all models. This capability means that this lower energy range may be the most useful for INTEGRAL detection and study of SNe Ia. Such studies will allow the determination of the precise time of the explosion. Whereas the current generation of γ-ray detectors will allow the study of supernovae that are discovered by other means, a new generation of proposed γ-ray detectors with sensitivity of about 10-6 photons s-1 cm-2 would generate the opportunity to discover supernovae by their γ-ray emission up to a distance of ≈ 100 Mpc. This would allow a systematic study of the variety of SNe Ia in terms of their γ-ray properties, independent of their optical properties. In addition, since γ-rays are not obscured by the host galaxy, such experiments would, for the first time, provide absolute supernova rates. Relative rates as a function of the morphology of and position in the host galaxy could be studied directly.
CaATP as a Substrate to Investigate the Myosin Lever Arm Hypothesis of Force Generation

Abstract In an effort to test the lever arm model of force generation, the effects of replacing magnesium with calcium as the ATP-chelated divalent cation were determined for several myosin and actomyosin reactions. The isometric force produced by glycerinated muscle fibers when CaATP is the substrate is 20% of the value obtained with MgATP. For myosin subfragment 1 (S1), the degree of lever arm rotation, determined using transient electric birefringence to measure rates of rotational Brownian motion in solution, is not significantly changed when calcium replaces magnesium in an S1-ADP-vanadate complex. Actin activates S1 CaATPase activity, although less than it does MgATPase activity. The increase in actin affinity when S1 · CaADP · P i is converted to S1 · CaADP is somewhat greater than it is for the magnesium case. The ionic strength dependence of actin binding indicates that the change in apparent electrostatic charge at the acto-S1 interface for the S1 · CaADP · P i to S1 · CaADP step is similar to the change when magnesium is bound. In general, CaATP is an inferior substrate compared to MgATP, but all the data are consistent with force production by a lever arm mechanism for both substrates. Possible reasons for the reduced magnitude of force when CaATP is the substrate are discussed.
Attention to Semantic versus Phonetic Verbal Attributes as a Function of Individual Differences in Arousal and Learning Strategy.

Abstract It has been argued that deep processing of semantic information helps students to learn faster and perform better on classroom tests. Using paired associates tasks, it has been found that high arousal subjects make more errors when the response terms are phonetically similar. Subjects low on arousal make more errors when response words are semantically similar. If the encodings of semantic features are assumed to be “deeper” and more durable than the encodings of “shallow,” phonetic features, then studies have suggested that anxious students process shallowly and are thus at a disadvantage when learning information. The present study treats deep processing as a learning style and used the Synthesis—Analysis scale of the Inventory of Learning Processes to assess it. It is hypothesized that arousal would be negatively related to the learning style of deep processing. It is also hypothesized that the interaction obtained in earlier studies, i.e., greater susceptibility to semantic interference with low arousal and phonetic interference with high arousal, would occur only when Synthesis—Analysis scores are low. It is assumed that the habitual use of a deep processing strategy by students high on Synthesis—Analysis could counteract the limiting effect of arousal on cue utilization. The study provides support for both hypotheses.
Multi-chromatic pH-activatable 19F-MRI nanoprobes with binary ON/OFF pH transitions and chemical-shift barcodes.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful noninvasive imaging technique that has greatly impacted basic biological research as well clinical diagnosis of cancer and other diseases.[1] Conventional MR contrast agents are T1 (e.g. Gd-DTPA) or T2-based (e.g. iron oxide), which cause significant longitudinal or transverse relaxation of protons, respectively.[2] Despite their success in many biological applications, one potential limitation is the lack of multi-chromatic features that allows for simultaneous detection of multiple signals. Recently, 19F has received significant attention in MR imaging and spectroscopy studies.[3] Compared to 1H-MRI, 19F-MRI has little biological background due to the low levels of endogenous fluorine in the body. Moreover, 19F has 100% natural abundance and its gyromagnetic ratio (40.06 MHz/T) is second only to 1H, which makes it more sensitive for detection over other nuclei.[3f]
Pixel-Based Invariant Feature Extraction and its Application to Radiometric Co-Registration for Multi-Temporal High-Resolution Satellite Imagery

Here we present a robust fully automated method for relative radiometric co-registration. First, a new low dimensional feature-point descriptor, called the Expanded Haar-Like Filter (EHLF) descriptor, is introduced. The EHLF has many desirable properties like flexible design, fast computation, and multi-scale description, while also being insensitive to variations in image quality. Next, two spatial matching schemes are proposed for increasing the percentage of correctly matched feature points. The first is based on a global affine model and the second utilizes dynamic local template fuzzy distance matching. Finally, precise pixel-to-pixel invariant feature points are extracted from a diversity of image locations centered at matched local extrema points. Experimental results show that for high-resolution multi-temporal imagery, the EHLF descriptor can obtain matched feature points with accuracies equivalent to that using a higher dimensional descriptor. In addition, the EHLF descriptor produces a larger number of correctly matched feature points. The spatial matching methods significantly improve feature-point matching, especially for image pairs with large geometric distortions. Radiometric co-registration quality based on the pixel-based invariant features was tested using four different evaluation datasets, and the results demonstrate that the proposed approach produces the lowest normalized root-mean-square error compared with six other automated methods. The proposed method depends on successful extraction of feature points, which may not be available for the scenes that are fully undeveloped (e.g., forest areas). Nonetheless, Monte Carlo simulations show that 30 to 50 correctly matched feature points will provide relatively stable radiometric calibration coefficients.
After 9/11: Goal disruption, emotional support, and psychological health in a lower exposure sample

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were traumatic even for Americans who were not directly victimized or in the geographic vicinity. This study examined whether emotional support received through interaction with others buffered the association between terrorism-related stress and psychological health (depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms) for individuals with lower exposure to the attacks. Five hundred eleven college students from an eastern university completed measures of goal disruption (stress) from terrorism, received emotional support, and psychological health in the first 2 weeks of December 2001. The results indicate that received emotional support moderated the relationship between goal disruption and depression and somatic symptoms. These findings suggest that the provision of emotional support should be understood as a fundamental communication skill relevant to recovery from disaster events.
Integrated surveillance: foundation of the future NAS

Surveillance provides a view of operations within the National Airspace System (NAS). Safety and efficiency are the essentials of this system. As the demands of capacity and efficiency grow, so must the ability to assess the immediate and evolving operations within the NAS. Safety and efficiency can improve when appropriate procedures and technologies are applied. Surveillance plays an integral role in the NAS in separation assurance, traffic flow management, flight planning, fleet management, collaborative decision making, and collision avoidance. In addition, surveillance may be used to support functions such as fleet monitoring and management, traffic flow management, and search and rescue operations. To address future surveillance needs, the RTCA Free Flight Steering Committee (FFSC) requested that its Select Committee develop an industry consensus on a high-level surveillance operational concept, a supporting architecture, and a roadmap for achieving that architecture.
Variation in Thickness of the Capillary Basement Membrane in Single Muscles of Diabetic Subjects

Thickness of skeletal muscle's capillary basement membrane was measured in gastrocnemius and quadriceps femoris muscles of diabetic subjects. At least two different sites of each muscle studied were biopsied. Comparison of these biopsy samples revealed a marked and significant variation in thickness of the capillary basement membrane at different sites within the same muscle. In one subject so studied, this variation was found regardless of the method of fixation or the method of measurement of capillary basement membrane thickness used. Variation was present in diabetics suffering from long-term complications of the disease as well as in diabetics free of such complications. A reevaluation of the biologic significance of basement membrane thickness measurements, as presently applied, is indicated in the light of the variability of base-line values.
Efficient calculation of steady state probability distribution for stochastic biochemical reaction network

The Steady State (SS) probability distribution is an important quantity needed to characterize the steady state behavior of many stochastic biochemical networks. In this paper, we propose an efficient and accurate approach to calculating an approximate SS probability distribution from solution of the Chemical Master Equation (CME) under the assumption of the existence of a unique deterministic SS of the system. To find the approximate solution to the CME, a truncated state-space representation is used to reduce the state-space of the system and translate it to a finite dimension. The subsequent ill-posed eigenvalue problem of a linear system for the finite state-space can be converted to a well-posed system of linear equations and solved. The proposed strategy yields efficient and accurate estimation of noise in stochastic biochemical systems. To demonstrate the approach, we applied the method to characterize the noise behavior of a set of biochemical networks of ligand-receptor interactions for Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling. We found that recruitment of type II receptors during the receptor oligomerization by itself doesn't not tend to lower noise in receptor signaling, but regulation by a secreted co-factor may provide a substantial improvement in signaling relative to noise. The steady state probability approximation method shortened the time necessary to calculate the probability distributions compared to earlier approaches, such as Gillespie's Stochastic Simulation Algorithm (SSA) while maintaining high accuracy.
The central Gulf of Mexico Ocean Observing System: Development, resiliency and lessons learned

In 2004, the University of Southern Mississippi established a coastal ocean observing system in the north-central Gulf of Mexico, where there had been a gap in real-time oceanographic observations on the continental shelf, to be a local component of the Integrated Ocean Observing System. The development of the Central Gulf of Mexico Ocean Observing System is described. This development was heavily influenced by the tropical storms and hurricanes that have affected the area, especially hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
Endogenous social effects on intimate partner violence in Colombia

Abstract Intimate partner violence (IPV) is now recognized as a worldwide public health problem. Most theories ascribe IPV to individual, family, or cultural factors. Empirical support for these theories is inconsistent; however, community-level clustering of IPV behaviors is commonplace, indicating these behaviors are autocorrelated. In this study I use social interaction models and DHSIII data from Colombia to jointly model household and neighborhood effects on individual reports of beatings and forced sex. I find the probability a Colombian woman ever experienced IPV is dependent on her union status, schooling, number of live births, area of residence, and her partner’s schooling. Net of these factors, the odds of ever being beaten were 64% higher for a woman living in a cluster where the proportion of other women reporting beatings exceeded the sample mean. These results show that endogenous social processes affect IPV levels and indicate the need for community-level IPV control efforts.
TH-A-I-609-01: Design and Performance Characteristics of Digital Radiographic Receptors

Digital radiographic receptors have been available in medical imaging for the last two decades, but are just now becoming commonplace in the clinical environment in conjunction with the deployment and implementation of electronic image acquisition, display and archiving in radiology and the medical enterprise. Therefore, a need exists to identify the design and performance characteristics of these detectors to determine an appropriate system for a specific or general clinical task, and to keep abreast of the technological changes and innovations that are constantly occurring. Devices include Computed Radiography(CR) using photostimulable phosphordetectors,Charge‐Coupled‐Device(CCD) and Complementary Metal‐Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) cameras optically coupled to a phosphor scintillator, slot‐scan CCD technology with linear or rectangular arrays, and thin‐film‐transistor (TFT) two‐dimensional arrays coupled to phosphor converters and photodiodes or semiconductor detectors. Because digital devices produce images that are inherently signal to noise ratio limited (rather than contrast limited as is the case with analog film), each is designed to provide high spatial resolution simultaneous to delivering high detective quantum efficiency, and at the same time attempting to achieve low radiationdose. Some digital systems do this better than others. Quantitative analysis yields performance metrics including modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE). Detectorsystem applicability to a given imaging task, system cost, portability, image handling and practicality are issues that must be considered prior to purchase and implementation. This presentation gives the attendee an overview of these issues. Educational Objectives: 1. To understand the variety of digital detector technologies for medicalradiography and mammography 2. To provide an overview of each detector from a physics/quantitative perspective 3. To compare the detectors in terms of image quality and radiationdose 4. To review some issues regarding acceptance testing and periodic quality control 5. To summarize the pros and cons with respect to user function, system integration, and costs
Towards smart transmission substations with Modular Transformer Converter systems

This paper provides the background and introduces the concept of Modular Transformer Converter (MTC) system as a power flow controller for transmission substations. The MTC based power flow controller is desired also to provide back-up function due to aging and failure of transmission transformers. Several different connection configurations for the MTC based power flow controller are proposed and compared. The proposed MTC solution offers controllable and increased power flow margins as well as improved system performance under line faults and system disturbances. The proposed MTC solution is aimed at being scalable, transportable, efficient, and to increase reliability for transmission systems.
Marketing breast milk substitutes: problems and perils throughout the world

On 21 May 1981 the WHO International Code of Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes (hereafter referred to as the Code) was passed by 118 votes to 1, the US casting the sole negative vote. The Code arose out of concern that the dramatic increase in mortality, malnutrition and diarrhoea in very young infants in the developing world was associated with aggressive marketing of formula. The Code prohibited any advertising of baby formula, bottles or teats and gifts to mothers or ‘bribery’ of health workers. Despite successes, it has been weakened over the years by the seemingly inexhaustible resources of the global pharmaceutical industry. This article reviews the long and tortuous history of the Code through the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the HIV pandemic and the rare instances when substitute feeding is clearly essential. Currently, suboptimal breastfeeding is associated with over a million deaths each year and 10% of the global disease burden in children. All health workers need to recognise inappropriate advertising of formula, to report violations of the Code and to support efforts to promote breastfeeding: the most effective way of preventing child mortality throughout the world.
Microcontrollers in music HCI instruction: reflections on our switch to the Atmel AVR platform

Over the past year the instructors of the Human Computer Interaction courses at CCRMA have undertaken a technology shift to a much more powerful teaching platform. We describe the technical features of the new Atmel AVR based platform, contrasting it with the Parallax BASIC Stamp platform used in the past. The successes and failures of the new platform are considered, and some student project success stories described.
Dermal bite wounds as indicators of reproductive seasonality and behaviour in the Atlantic stingray, Dasyatis sabina

Synopsis Elasmobranch fishes exhibit a series of complex courtship and mating behaviours in which males inflict significant bite wounds to the body of female mates. However, the variety and frequency of mating wounds are not known across a full reproductive season for any species. We examined the distribution and abundance of dermal wounds in adult Atlantic stingrays, Dasyatis sabina, which have a protracted and defined mating season to determine (1) if dermal wounds can be used as indicators of mating activity, (2) whether different categories of bite wounds can be associated with specific mating behaviours, and (3) whether the skin thickness in females is sexually dimorphic. Adults of both sexes showed fresh wounds during the full duration of the mating season (October‐June) and there was no relationship between ray size and wound density. Females had more total wounds than males in every month with a maximum average of 20.2 wounds per female in April. Mating wounds were categorized into five distinct forms: single track, double track, bite, margin abrasion and excision. Wounds were randomly distributed over the body of males but concentrated on the posterior half of the disc in females. Each wound type occurred in approximately equal proportions among sexes with the exception of the precopulatory and copulatory-induced margin abrasions which accounted for 13.7% of the total wounds in females but only 3.1% in males. We suggest that the pronounced and concurrent appearance of single track, double track and bite wounds among males results from random premating courtship attacks by males because females cannot be visually discriminated. However, the concentration of wounds on the posterior disc of females is consistent with the possible presence of olfactory cues (e.g. pheromones) that are released at the cloaca. The pectoral fin dermis of females was 50% thicker than that of males, which eliminated the excision of margins during male grasping and functions to reduce female injury. The temporal occurrence of wounds from October through June and peak in April is consistent with previous reproductive studies that show fresh sperm in the reproductive tract of females over the protracted mating period and also ovulation in late March or early April. The importance of social reproductive biting is discussed in relation to the reproductive induction hypothesis proposed to possibly explain the protracted mating of this species. Monitoring of dermal wounds provides a useful non-invasive technique to determine reproductive activity and a means for inference of social relationships in elasmobranch populations.
Varicella-Zoster virus: Recent therapeutic advances

Summary Chickenpox is a common childhood problem. In otherwise healthy children, the disease is usually benign, although secondary complications can occur. Symptomatic therapy has long been the mainstay of treatment. Acyclovir use in such cases remains controversial secondary to the marginal benefit in relation to the additional cost incurred by an already costly disease. Advancements in the form of prevention have been made in an attempt to decrease the current hardship of VZV infection. The Oka strain of varicella vaccine should soon be available in the United States. Varicella vaccine has been shown to be immunogenic and well tolerated in healthy children. Lifetime follow-up is needed to determine the true duration of immunity and any effect on the epidemiology of adult varicella or recurrent zoster compared to natural infection. With the development of immunization, it is hoped that the varicella vaccine will become the next addition to the childhood vaccination schedule, possibly as a “quadrivalent” product with measles, mumps, and rubella. Widescale use of the varicella vaccine may render this once common childhood disease obsolete.
Does Fiscal Dependency Matter? Aid Elasticities for Dependent and Independent School Districts.

Abstract In New York state, there is a perception that the fiscally dependent status of the five large city school districts creates an impediment to the attainment of standards. I attempt to assess the impact of fiscal dependence on educational spending. The results suggest that levels of spending may be systematically lower in the fiscally dependent districts. There is, however, little evidence that the general purpose governments to which these districts are fiscally dependent “steal” a disproportionate share of state aid for education. I conclude by evaluating policies that could mitigate any detrimental impact that fiscal dependence might have. This evaluation leads me to the conclusion that, even if spending levels are inadequate, elimination of fiscal dependency may not be the best policy for addressing this problem. Instead, policy makers may want to consider governance changes that would better align responsibilities for allocating revenues to the schools and for governing the schools.
Better Neutralization of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) Than HSV-2 by Antibody From Recipients of GlaxoSmithKline HSV-2 Glycoprotein D2 Subunit Vaccine

The Herpevac Trial evaluated a herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) glycoprotein D (gD2) subunit vaccine to prevent genital herpes. Unexpectedly, the vaccine protected against genital HSV-1 infection but not genital HSV-2 infection. We evaluated sera from 30 women seronegative for HSV-1 and HSV-2 who were immunized with gD2 in the Herpevac Trial. Neutralizing antibody titers to HSV-1 were 3.5-fold higher than those to HSV-2 (P < .001). HSV-2 gC2 and gE2 on the virus blocked neutralization by gD2 antibody, while HSV-1 gC1 and gE1 did not block neutralization by gD2 antibody. The higher neutralizing antibody titers to HSV-1 offer an explanation for the Herpevac results, and shielding neutralizing domains provides a potential mechanism.
Mapping thermal resistance around vacancy defects in graphite

High purity bulk graphite is applicable in many capacities in the nuclear industry. The thermal conductivity of graphite has been found to vary as a function of how its morphology changes on the nanoscale, and the type and number of defects present. We compute thermal conductivities at the nanolevel using large scale classical molecular dynamics simulations and by employing the Green-Kubo method in a set of in silico experiments geared towards understanding the impact of defects in the thermal conductivity of graphite. We present the results obtained for systems with 1– 3 vacancies, and compile a summary of some of the methods applied and difficulties encountered.
Effect of Sub-Therapeutic Levels of Antimicrobials in Feed on the Intestinal Carriage of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Turkeys

SUMMARY Since the 1950s, antimicrobials have been added to poultry feed at sub-therapeutic levels to minimize illness and promote growth. Despite the benefits to the agricultural industry and domestic animals, there are fierce debates worldwide on whether or not this practice carries a consequence in terms of human health. Turkeys and broilers provided these additives have increased weight gain, muscle yield, and feed conversion—in part due to decreases in diseases such as coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis. Benefits achieved by adding these compounds to animal feeds are attributed in part to a shift in the gut microflora. However, studies have been published in which it was determined that competitive exclusion cultures, administered to birds to control colonization by human pathogens such as Salmonella, can be negatively affected by antimicrobials commonly used in poultry rations. Other published studies have reported an increase in Salmonella levels when experimentally challenged birds were fed diets containing low levels of antimicrobials. This study demonstrated that although naturally occurring populations of Campylobacter were virtually unaffected by antimicrobial feed additives, Salmonella populations were significantly decreased when commercial turkeys were fed rations containing flavomycin, virginiamycin, or monensin.
Penethamate hydriodide (neo-penil): influence on blood protein-bound iodine levels.

BLOOD protein-bound iodine (PBI) determinations have become an important tool in the estimation of thyroid function. Factitious elevation of the PBI is caused by drugs and diagnostic agents which contain iodine. It appeared of interest to determine whether a similar effect was exerted by penicillin G diethylaminoethyl ester hydriodide (Penethamate Hydriodide or Neo-Penil®). Four individuals who were clinically euthyroid were studied. One patiet with lung abscess received 500,000 units of Neo-Penil intramuscularly every six hours for nineteen days. A second patient with lung abscess was given a similar dosage for four days. Two healthy physicians were each given a single injection of 500,000 units intramuscularly. Blood proteinbound iodine was determined by the method of Connors (1). The normal range is considered to be from 3.5 to 6.7 micrograms per 100 cc. of blood. The results are shown in Table 1. In 2 normal subjects, single doses of 500,000 units elevated the PBI concentrations to the hyperthyroid ra...
Does Japan’s accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership mean an opportunity or a threat to the US textile industry? A quantitative evaluation

This study provides a quantitative evaluation on the potential impact of the implementation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on the economic interests in the US textile industry, particularly with regard to Japan’s accession to the agreement. By adopting the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) computable general equilibrium model based on the GTAP8 database, results of the study show that: first, trade creation effect of the TPP would result in an increase of the US textile exports to other TPP members; however, with Japan’s accession to the TPP, the potential expansion of the US textile exports would be substantially offset. Second, the TPP would negatively affect the US textile exports to the North American Free Trade Agreement and CAFTA regions, particularly in the case when Japan becomes a TPP member. Third, the TPP would expand the two-way intra-industry trade between the United States and Japan for textiles. Fourth, the TPP would cause an expansion of the trade deficit as well as a decline of...
Exact Slopes of Test Statistics for the Multivariate Exponential Family

The objective of this paper is to investigate exact slopes of test statistics {Tn} when the random vectors X1, ..., Xn are distributed according to an unknown member of an exponential family {Pθ; θ∈Ω. Here Ω is a parameter set. We will be concerned with the hypothesis testing problem of H0θ∈Ω0 vs H1: θ∉Ω0 where Ω0 is a subset of Ω. It will be shown that for an important class of problems and test statistics the exact slope of {Tn} at η in Ω−Ω0 is determined by the shortest Kullback–Leibler distance from {θ: Tn(λ(θ)) = Tn(λ(π))} to Ω0, λθ = Eθ)(X).
Evaluating support for global address space languages on the Cray X1

The Cray X1 was recently introduced as the first in a new line of parallel systems to combine high-bandwidth vector processing with an MPP system architecture. Alongside capabilities such as automatic fine-grained data parallelism through the use of vector instructions, the X1 offers hardware support for a transparent global-address space (GAS), which makes it an interesting target for GAS languages. In this paper, we describe our experience with developing a portable, open-source and high performance compiler for Unified Parallel C (UPC), a SPMD global-address space language extension of ISO C. As part of our implementation effort, we evaluate the X1's hardware support for GAS languages and provide empirical performance characterizations in the context of leveraging features such as vectorization and global pointers for the Berkeley UPC compiler. We discuss several difficulties encountered in the Cray C compiler which are likely to present challenges for many users, especially implementors of libraries and source-to-source translators. Finally, we analyze the performance of our compiler on some benchmark programs and show that, while there are some limitations of the current compilation approach, the Berkeley UPC compiler uses the X1 network more effectively than MPI or SHMEM, and generates serial code whose vectorizability is comparable to the original C code.
ESAT-6-Like Protein Secretion in Bacillus anthracis

Proteins of the WXG100 family represent the prototypical substrates of bacterial type VII secretion systems that typically encompass 100 residues, lack canonical signal peptides, and form helix-turn-helix hairpin structures with WXG positioned in the turn element. Bacillus anthracis encodes six WXG100 proteins, herein referred to as EsxB, EsxL, EsxP, EsxQ, EsxV, and EsxW. With the exception of EsxB, B. anthracis proteins harbor C-terminal extensions that are appended to canonical WXG domains. When cultured in liquid broth, B. anthracis secretes two substrates, EsxB and EsxW, into the extracellular environment. EsxB is required for the stability and secretion of EsxW; however, EsxW is dispensable for EsxB secretion. In agreement with the hypothesis that EsxB binding to substrates promotes recognition and secretion by the type VII pathway, EsxB is reported to interact with EsxB and EsxW. Unlike deletions in mycobacterial EsxB, deletion of five N- or C-terminal residues does not affect the ability of mutant B. anthracis EsxB to travel the type VII pathway and initiate secretion of EsxW. Translational fusion of ubiquitin to the N or C terminus of EsxB also had no effect, while ubiquitin insertion into the center turn abrogated secretion. Anthrax-infected guinea pigs mounted humoral immune responses to EsxB, EsxP, and EsxW, which suggests that B. anthracis activates the type VII secretion pathway during infection.
Rf atmospheric plasma based air filtration using porous metals

Summary form only given. Atmospheric plasmas, specifically RF atmospheric plasmas, provide efficient means for sterilization and biological remediation. Several groups have shown that under ideal conditions total elimination of bacteriological agents, such as E. Coli, is possible. The goal of this project is to design and optimize a flowing air sterilization system based around porous metals and atmospheric RF plasmas, which is compatible with current air handling infrastructure. This system is designed to eliminate organic contaminants down to the viral level with minimal impedance to airflow. Optimization of this system will focus on decontamination efficiencies, minimization of power consumption, and ease of incorporation into existing airflow systems. Unique challenges to this project include: geometries dictated by existing air flow systems, minimizing pressure drops through the system, power consumption, the necessity of a very stable glow discharge, and the interaction of the unique electrical properties of porous metal structures with RF driven plasmas. System design, characterization of the plasma region, and preliminary tests as an inline air treatment system are presented.
Effects of Dietary Palmitoleic Acid on Plasma Lipoprotein Profile and Aortic Cholesterol Accumulation Are Similar to Those of Other Unsaturated Fatty Acids in the F1B Golden Syrian Hamster

The lower susceptibility of palmitoleic acid (16:1) to oxidation compared to PUFA may confer functional advantages with respect to finding acceptable alternatives to partially hydrogenated fats, but limited data are available on its effect on cardiovascular risk factors. This study investigated the effect of diets (10% fat, 0.1% cholesterol, wt:wt) enriched with macadamia [monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)16:1], palm (SFA,16:0), canola (MUFA,18:1), or safflower (PUFA,18:2) oils on lipoprotein profiles and aortic cholesterol accumulation in F1B Golden Syrian hamsters (n = 16/group). After 12 wk, 8 hamsters in each group were killed (phase 1). The remaining hamsters fed palm oil were changed to a diet containing coconut oil, while hamsters in the other diet groups continued on their original diets for an additional 6 wk (phase 2). With minor exceptions, the time course and dietary SFA source did not alter the study outcomes. Macadamia oil-fed hamsters had lower non-HDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations compared with the palm and coconut oil-fed hamsters and higher HDL-cholesterol compared with the coconut, canola, and safflower oil-fed hamsters. The aortic cholesterol concentration was not affected by dietary fat type. The hepatic cholesterol concentration was higher in the unsaturated compared with the saturated oil-fed hamsters. RBC membrane and aortic cholesteryl ester, triglyceride, and phospholipid fatty acid profiles reflected that of the dietary oil. These data suggest that an oil relatively high in palmitoleic acid does not adversely affect plasma lipoprotein profiles or aortic cholesterol accumulation and was similar to other unsaturated fatty acid-rich oils.
The Positivistic Foundations of Relativity Theory

For over two hundred years the classical, Newtonian concept of time reigned in physics. But by the end of the nineteenth century, physicists had realized that there was something fundamentally wrong with Newton’s analysis of physical time and space. The failure to detect the earth’s motion through the aether, which constituted a relative or physical space at rest with respect to metaphysical space,1 prompted a crisis in physics which compelled men like Lorentz, Larmor, and Poincare to revise and then abandon the Galilean transformation equations in favor of the relativistic Lorentz transformations. In so doing, they had already sounded the death knell of Newtonian physics, for they had relativized the sensible measures of metaphysical time and space in a way undreamed of by Newton. But they did so without abandoning the notion that there really is a true time and a true space.