cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research Directions in Quantum Cryptography

Quantum cryptography is an approach to securing communications by applying the phenomena of quantum physics. Unlike traditional classical cryptography, which uses mathematical techniques to restrict eavesdroppers, quantum cryptography is focused on the physics of information. Quantum cryptography provides secure communication, whose security depends only on the validity of quantum theory, i.e., it is guarantied directly by the laws of physics. This is a substantial difference from any classical cryptographic techniques. This article summarizes the current state of quantum cryptography and provides potential extensions of its feasibility as a mechanism for securing existing communication systems
Helping Students Get to Where Ideas Can Find Them

Winnie the Pooh said, of the hums that came to him from time to time, “Poetry and hums aren’t things which you get. They’re things which get you. And all you can do is to go where they can fi nd you” (Milne, 1928/2007, p. 173). This journal issue is about helping students get their minds, their awareness, and their feelings so active and thoughtful and informs that they are in a place where hums—or connections, understandings, new ideas—can fi nd them. I start with a brief story. My colleague Alythea McKinney and I were presenting some of her work to a group of research educators. She described engaging fi fth and sixth graders in a critical exploration (see Cavicchi et al., 2009) of documents pertaining to butter making in the United States at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. These children had been examining original historical texts and images, and forming ideas about how U.S. farmers and their families might have experienced the Industrial Revolution; and they were taking those ideas further through drawing and writing about them, through considering each other’s thoughts and drawings, and through examining further documents that McKinney offered them (McKinney, 2008). Our audience was interested, engaged, and impressed with the student work. But we had presented the work as an example of critical exploration, our particular approach to curriculum and teaching, and near the end of the session one member of the audience asked us what was unique about what we were doing. She recognized that the children whose work we presented are working together, that they are provided well selected resource materials, that they create artwork in the interests of
A genetic screen supports a broad role for the Drosophila insulator proteins BEAF-32A and BEAF-32B in maintaining patterns of gene expression

Chromatin domain insulators are thought to insulate adjacent genes, including their regulatory elements, from each other by organizing chromatin into functionally independent domains. Thus insulators should play a global role in gene regulation by keeping regulatory domains separated. However, this has never been demonstrated. We previously designed and characterized a transgene that is under GAL4 UAS control and encodes a dominant-negative form of the Boundary Element-Associated Factors BEAF-32A and BEAF-32B. The BID transgene encodes the BEAF self-interaction domain but lacks a DNA binding domain. Expression of BID in eye imaginal discs leads to a rough eye phenotype. Here we screen for dominant mutations that modify this eye phenotype. This assay provides evidence for cross-talk between different classes of insulators, and for a broad role of the BEAF proteins in maintaining patterns of gene expression during eye development. Most identified genes encode other insulator binding proteins, transcription factors involved in head development, or general transcription factors. Because it is unlikely that insulator function is limited to eye development, the present results support the hypothesis that insulators play a widespread role in maintaining global transcription programs.
A visualization study of poly(ethylene terephthalate) flow using potential chain‐ordering die geometries

Streak-photographic and stress birefringence techniques were used to analyze the flow of poly(ethylene terephthalate) through potential chain-ordering die geometries. The streak photographs were used to determine velocity distributions and streamlines in various convergent dies. The different contours were seen to have a significant effect on the polymer streamlines and velocity distributions. The measured velocities were used to develop empirical equations, specific for each geometry, which relate velocity to position within the die and to throughput rate. Flow birefringence was used to determine the extent of molecular ordering. The optimum chain-ordering die geometry was determined to be one which included a rapid initial decrease in cross-sectional area. Birefringence was also used to monitor polymer flow instability. An unusual mechanism for instability was observed at intermediate throughput rates.
Pollen Digestion by Darwin's Finches and Its Importance for Early Breeding

This paper examines the role of pollen digestion in the early breeding of Darwin's finches. Pollen is a rich source of protein, but the extent to which birds digest pollen has been debated. On Isla Daphne Major, Galapagos, Geospiza scandens, the Cactus Finch, and G. fortis, the Medium Ground Finch, consume pollen and nectar of the prickly pear cactus, Opuntia echios. I found that >90% of ingested pollen was digested during passage through the gut of adult and nestling G. scandens and adult G. fortis. This value is twice as high as the maximum reported for birds, and comparable to the most efficient digestion known for specialist marsupials. Nectar is ingested with pollen by the finches and may stimulate germination of pollen in the crop, facilitating digestion. Opuntia pollen grains germinated in vitro in a nectar and water solution. Breeding of finches typically follows shortly after the arrival of the first heavy rains of the year. In 6 of 12 years, however, some G. scandens pairs bred and successfully fledged young before onset of the rains. At these times, Opuntia flowers were abundant, arthropods were scarce, and the diet of G. scandens was predominantly Opuntia pollen and nectar. As a result of breeding early, pre-rains breeders produced more clutches and fledged more young per year than post-rains breeders. Although G. fortis take pollen and nectar from Opuntia flowers and efficiently digest pollen grains, they feed on flowers to a much lesser extent than G. scandens, and did not breed before the rains. These results have implications for similar vertebrate pollinator and plant systems in arid tropical regions.
MicroRNA-Directed Cleavage of Nicotiana sylvestris PHAVOLUTA mRNA Regulates the Vascular Cambium and Structure of Apical Meristems

Leaf initiation in the peripheral zone of the shoot apical meristem involves a transition to determinate cell fate, but indeterminacy is maintained in the vascular cambium, a tissue critical to the continuous growth of vascular tissue in leaves and stems. We show that the orientation of cambial growth is regulated by microRNA (miRNA)-directed cleavage of mRNA from the Nicotiana sylvestris ortholog of PHAVOLUTA (NsPHAV). Loss of miRNA regulation in semidominant phv1 mutants misdirects lateral growth of leaf midveins and stem vasculature away from the shoot, disrupting vascular connections in stem nodes. The phv1 mutation also expands the central zone in vegetative and inflorescence meristems, implicating miRNA and NsPHAV in regulation of meristem structure. In flowers, phv1 causes reiteration of carpel initiation, a phenocopy for loss of CARPEL FACTORY/DICER LIKE1, indicating that miRNA is critical to the termination of indeterminacy in floral meristems. Results point to a common role for miRNA in spatial and temporal restriction of HD-ZIPIII mediated indeterminacy in apical and vascular meristems.
On the intersections of polynomials and the Cayley–Bacharach theorem

Let R = K[x1 ;:::;x n] and let f1 ;:::;f n be products of linear forms with fi of degree di. Assume that the fi have d1 ;:::;d n common zeros. Then we determine the maximum number of those zeros that a form of degree k can go through without going through all of them. This is a version of a conjecture of Eisenbud, Green, and Harris. We suggest a possible method for using this to explore the case where the fi are arbitrary forms of degree di with the right number of common zeros. c 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Sporulation and Enterotoxin Production by Mutants of Clostridium perfringens

The ability of Clostridium perfringens type A to produce an enterotoxin active in human food poisoning has been shown to be directly related to the ability of the organism to sporulate. Enterotoxin was produced only in a sporulation medium and not in a growth medium in which sporulation was repressed. Mutants with an altered ability to sporulate were isolated from an sp(+) ent(+) strain either as spontaneous mutants or after mutagenesis with acridine orange or nitrosoguanidine. All sp(0) (-) mutants were ent(-). Except for one isolate, these mutants were not disturbed in other toxic functions characteristic of the wild type and unrelated to sporulation. A total of four of seven osp(0) mutants retained the ability to produce detectable levels of enterotoxin. None of the ent(-) mutants produced gene products serologically homologous to enterotoxin. A total of three sp(-) mutants, blocked at intermediate stages of sporulation, produced enterotoxin. Of these mutants, one was blocked at stage III, one probably at late stage IV, and one probably at stage V. A total of three sp(+) revertants isolated from an sp(-) ent(-) mutant regained not only the ability to sporulate but also the ability to produce enterotoxin. The enterotoxin appears to be a sporulation-specific gene product; however, the function of the enterotoxin in sporulation is unknown.
A dynamic frequency selective surface using addressable metamaterials

In summary, we have presented the design and experiment of a frequency selective metamaterial surface that controls the scattering of incident electromagnetic radiation. The surface consists of digitally addressable CELC metamaterials tuned to realize a spatial gradient in the reflection coefficient phase angle, resulting in a scattered field distribution that matched very closely with theoretical predictions. We showed measurements of the scattered electric field for two different potentiometer configurations, and showed peak deflection 10° and 25° away from the specular direction.
Polyoma Pseudovirions I. Sequence of Events in Primary Mouse Embryo Cells Leading to Pseudovirus Production

The relationship of the intracellular events leading to the production of polyoma pseudovirions in primary mouse embryo cells has been investigated. Replication of polyoma deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) began 18 hr after infection. Assembly of viral capsid protein occurred 12 hr later. Intracellular fragments of host cell DNA, of the size found in pseudovirions, were first detected 36 hr after infection. The amount of intracellular 14S host DNA that was produced during infection was seven times greater than the amount of polyoma DNA synthesized. The relative pool sizes of polyoma DNA and 14S DNA at the time of virus assembly may dictate the amounts of polyoma virus and pseudovirus produced.
Maternal effects and embryo genetics: germination and dormancy of crop–wild sunflower hybrids

Gene flow between agricultural crops and related wild plant populations can produce hybrids which differ significantly from their wild counterparts in many life history traits, including seed traits. Seeds from wild annuals often possess significant dormancy, while cultivated varieties have been selected to germinate immediately under favourable conditions. Consequently, the dormancy characteristics of crop–wild hybrids could influence their survival, seed-bank dynamics and, ultimately, the extent to which crop genes persist in wild populations. Dormancy characteristics can be influenced by both maternal effects, as well as the genetics of a seed's embryo, which are the result of contributions from both parents. Here we focus on how maternal effects and embryo genetics affect seed dormancy in crop–wild hybrid sunflowers (Helianthus annuus). Using three laboratory experiments, we quantified the germination and dormancy of 15 crop–wild hybrid sunflower cross types, while also identifying achene characteristics that may influence the differential germination observed. We found that increased frequencies of crop alleles and the maternal effects imparted by hybridization can reduce dormancy, though the effect of increased frequencies of crop alleles was more pronounced in wild- and F1-produced than in the crop-produced achenes. The more open pericarp of the crop-produced achenes and the shorter relative distance that their radicles had to travel to germinate may explain some of the observed maternal effects. Finally, we generated hypotheses about how these results could affect survival and crop gene introgression in the field.
Is incarceration during pregnancy associated with infant birthweight

OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether incarceration during pregnancy is associated with infant birthweight. METHODS: Multivariable analyses compared infant birthweight outcomes among three groups of women: 168 women incarcerated during pregnancy, 630 women incarcerated at a time other than during pregnancy, and 3910 women never incarcerated. RESULTS: After confounders were controlled for, infant birthweights among women incarcerated during pregnancy were not significantly different from women never incarcerated; however, infant birthweights were significantly worse among women incarcerated at a time other than during pregnancy than among never-incarcerated women and women incarcerated during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Certain aspects of the prison environment (shelter, food, etc.) may be health-promoting for high-risk pregnant women.
Development of a wiki-based, expert community-driven nanosystem vocabulary

The NSDL Materials Digital Library Pathway (MatDL) is utilizing a wiki to facilitate the expert community-driven development of a controlled vocabulary on assembly of nanosystems. Vocabulary development is being initiated using preferred subject terms gathered from Dublin Core metadata captured during the execution of nanoscale computer simulation codes of a research group whose members are defining terms and relationships between terms.
Incidence and Identification of Klebsiella planticola in Clinical Isolates with Emphasis on Newborns

Studies conducted in France and Germany suggest that up to 19% of clinically identified Klebsiella sp. are actually Klebsiella planticola, an environmental species that has been attributed to two cases of septicemia, with a rare isolate of Klebsiella terrigena (0.4%) being identified. A 1-year survey of newborns on a neonatal ward, also conducted in Germany, reported that 72% of Klebsiella sp. were Klebsiella oxytoca and 8.7% were K. planticola. The tests necessary to identify these species are not found in most clinical identification schemes or in the database matrices of most commercial identification products. To determine the incidence of unrecognized K. planticola among the Klebsiella sp. isolates in our collection, we used the battery of seven supplemental tests amended from the work of Monnet and Freney to test 352 stock isolates and 84 fresh clinical isolates from four local hospitals. After testing 436 strains of Klebsiella, only one strain was identified as a possible K. planticola and none was identified as K. terrigena. We tested an additional 43 stock strains of K. oxytoca isolated from newborns by using eight biochemical tests and found one additional strain of K. planticola. The occurrence of K. planticola in our collection is far less frequent than that observed in other countries.
An exploration of activity loss during hydrodechlorination and hydrodebromination over Ni/SiO2

Abstract The gas-phase catalytic hydrodechlorination (HDC) of 1,3-dichlorobenzene (1,3-DCB) and hydrodebromination (HDB) of 1,3-dibromobenzene (1,3-DBB) have been studied ( T =573 K) over Ni/SiO 2 . The catalyst was 100% selective in terms of hydrodehalogenation where HDC far exceeded HDB, an effect that is attributed to substituent inductive effects. Catalytic activity declined with time on stream with a concomitant increase in partial dehalogenation (to the mono-haloarene). A precontact of the catalyst with the haloarene resulted in a complete loss of any hydrogenation activity. The pre- and postreaction catalyst samples have been characterized by TPR, TEM, H 2 chemisorption, TPD, XRD, and XANES/EXAFS. Appreciable Ni particle growth during catalysis (particularly HDB) has been observed with Ni particle faceting, which is attributed to a halide-induced metal agglomeration/reconstruction; there was no evidence of any bulk nickel halide formation. The possible effect of nickel sintering on hydrodehalogenation was considered by inducing particle growth by thermal means where the resultant sintering did not result in any significant loss of catalytic activity. Catalyst deactivation is linked to a restructuring of the Ni sites during reaction that serves to disrupt H 2 chemisorption/desorption dynamics: the used samples exhibit a lower H 2 uptake with weaker surface interactions.
It Wouldn't Hurt to Create a Safer Military

Militaryhealthandreadi-nessdependsonanintensiveefforttocontrolinjuries.Giventhehistoricalsuccessofthemilitaryinwardingoffinfectiousand communicable diseases, the Armed Forces are takingtherightstepnowbyinvestingininjuryprevention.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) itself did not immediately recognize injuries as apredictable and preventable public health problem.WhentheCDCwascreatedin1946aspartoftheactivityfor Malaria Control in War Areas (MCWA), its missionwas to protect U.S. Armed Forces and civilians frommalaria during World War II.
Electron nuclear double resonance near the phase transitions of the KH2PO4-type of ferroelectrics

Using high rf fields, a low-loss microwave cavity/ENDOR coil system, and the AsO4- 4 centre as a probe, we have detected ENDOR signals from 1H. 39K, 31P, 85Rb, 87Rb and 133Cs in the close vicinity of paraelectric-ferroelectric transitions of the KH2PO4-type of compounds. This methodology enhances E.P.R. spectral resolution and motional sensitivity by almost two orders of magnitude, and appears to be a valuable complement to spin-echo techniques, even for samples exhibiting high dielectric losses.
Home automation using Cloud Network and mobile devices

Today, we are entering post-PC era where mobile devices (e.g. iPads, Smartphones and Handheld tablets) are handling daily tasks that traditional desktop and laptop computers once handled. Several reports show that personal computers are no longer on the leading the edge of computing and the use of mobile devices are quickly taking over. Accompanying the shift from PCs to multi-touch mobile devices is the use and implementation of Cloud Networking. With the availability of products which integrate mobile devices and cloud networking rapidly increasing, many users can see how new technology can impact their everyday lives. In this paper we have developed a Home Automation system that employs the integration of multi-touch mobile devices, cloud networking, wireless communication, and power-line communication to provide the user with remote control of various lights and appliances within their home. This system uses a consolidation of a mobile phone application, handheld wireless remote, and PC based program to provide a means of user interface to the consumer. The home automation system differs from other systems by allowing the user to operate the system without the dependency of a mobile carrier or Internet connection via the in-home wireless remote. This system is designed to be low cost and expandable allowing a variety of devices to be controlled.
Increased interstitial loading reduces the effect of microstructural variations in cardiac tissue

Electrical propagation in diseased and aging hearts is strongly influenced by structural changes that occur in both the intracellular and interstitial spaces of cardiac tissue; however, very few st...
Structural heart disease, SCN5A gene mutations, and Brugada syndrome: a complex ménage à trois.

The report of the Second Consensus Conference, published in Circulation in 2005, defined the Brugada syndrome as ST-segment elevation in the right precordial ECG leads (so-called type 1 ECG) and a high incidence of sudden death in patients with structurally normal hearts.1 An autosomal dominant disease with incomplete penetrance, Brugada syndrome has been linked to mutations in SCN5A , the gene encoding the alpha subunit of the cardiac sodium channel.2 More than 80 mutations in SCN5A have been linked to this syndrome (references cited in Reference 1). Analysis of several of these mutations has consistently demonstrated a loss of function related to multiple mechanisms, including failure of sodium channel protein expression and changes in the voltage and time dependence of sodium channel current activation, inactivation, or reactivation.1 Still, SCN5A mutations have been reported in only &20% of patients with Brugada syndrome diagnosed on the basis of clinical criteria, suggesting that other genetic defects and/or other disease mechanisms may give rise to this clinical picture. To complicate matters further, SCN5A mutations have also been identified in patients with the long-QT syndrome. These mutations generally lead to a “gain of function” in the sodium channel, which prolongs the QT interval by increasing inward current. In fact, at least 3 human diseases have been linked to defects in this gene: Brugada syndrome, long-QT syndrome, and progressive conduction disturbances.2–4 Furthermore, there is considerable overlap of clinical profiles, so some patients with Brugada syndrome also have atrial fibrillation, conduction defects with sinus node abnormalities, or prolonged QT interval (reviewed in Reference 1). Thus, genotype-phenotype relationships in Brugada syndrome are highly complex and serve to underscore our incomplete knowledge of the pathogenesis of this type of inherited arrhythmogenic disease. Article p 3680 A similar area of increasing complexity and uncertainty has to …
Multicenter experience using simeprevir and sofosbuvir with or without ribavirin to treat hepatitis C genotype 1 after liver transplant.

Treatment with an all-oral interferon-free antiviral regimen using simeprevir and sofosbuvir with or without ribavirin (RBV) for 12 weeks resulted in high sustained virologic response (SVR) rates along with minimal adverse events in non–liver transplant (LT) patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. This is the first multicenter report on the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of this regimen in LT recipients. A total of 123 patients (76% male, 74% white, 60% genotype 1a, 30% METAVIR F3-F4, 4% decompensation, 11% cholestatic recurrence, 7% had kidney transplant, and 82% previously failed pegylated interferon/RBV-based regimens) received treatment and were followed for a median of 30 weeks (range 12-53 weeks). The median time from LT to treatment was 32 months (range 2-317 months). Tacrolimus was the primary immunosuppression in 91% of patients. Minimal immunosuppression dose adjustments were required. An SVR 12 weeks after treatment completion (SVR12) was achieved in 90% of patients (95% confidence interval 84%-96%). In patients with genotype 1a infection, the SVR12 rate was significantly lower in those with METAVIR F3-F4 (71%) compared to those with F0-F2 (91%). Half of the patients achieved undetected HCV RNA at treatment week 4, and their SVR12 rate was significantly higher (96%) compared to those with detectable HCV RNA (83%). Treatment was very well tolerated with mild degrees of adverse events, except for one death possibly due to drug-induced lung injury. In the 25 patients who received RBV, 72% developed anemia requiring intervention. Conclusion: An all-oral interferon-free antiviral regimen using simeprevir and sofosbuvir with or without RBV for 12 weeks was very well tolerated and resulted in excellent SVR12 rates in LT recipients with HCV genotype 1 infection. (Hepatology 2015;61:1880–1886)
Comment on "Another look at climate sensitivity" by Zaliapin and Ghil (2010)

Zaliapin and Ghil (hereafter, ZG) claim that the linearity of the climate feedback model in Roe and Baker (2007) (hereafter, RB) invalidates our derivation of the well-known skewed shapes of published probability distributions (pdfs) of climate sensitivity. We show here that linearity is fully justified. Nonlinearity could be of some importance only if the focus is on exotic and improbable events, which appear to be the focus of ZG, instead of the sensitivity pdfs, which were the focus of RB. do yield skewed climate sensitivity pdfs therefore renders the ZG exercise irrelevant for the study of these simulations. Since 1R and 0 are known, the importance of the nonlinear term in Eq. (1) depends only on the ratio a/(f 1). Thus to examine the effect of linearizing the equation on computing sensitivity pdfs, we have analyzed the ranges of values of f and a relevant for this problem. We first consider the conceptually possible limiting case that f ! 1. RB explicitly cut off the feedback distribution at
Regulation of human cytochrome P450scc and adrenodoxin messenger ribonucleic acids in JEG-3 cytotrophoblast cells.

Cycloheximide generally inhibits steroidogenesis, but has different effects on the accumulation of the mRNAs for various steroidogenic enzymes in different species, tissues, and cell lines. In bovine adrenocortical cells, cycloheximide prevents ACTH- or cAMP-induced accumulation of the mRNAs for cytochrome P450scc and adrenodoxin, but in human cells, cycloheximide induces the accumulation of adrenodoxin mRNA. To study the potential role of the 3'-untranslated regions, and especially the AU-rich regions, of adrenodoxin and P450scc mRNAs in cycloheximide-sensitive regulation of mRNA accumulation, we constructed a series of vectors expressing P450scc or adrenodoxin mRNA with its own or each other's 3'-untranslated sequences and transfected them into human JEG-3 cytotrophoblast cells. Removal of the AU-rich 3'-untranslated sequences of adrenodoxin mRNA and replacing them with the 3'-untranslated region of P450scc did not alter the abundance or apparent stability of this mRNA, or its inducibility by cyclohexim...
Effect of exercise training on ventricular function, dyssynchrony, resting myocardial perfusion, and clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure : A nuclear ancillary study of Heart Failure and A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise TraiNing (HF-ACTION); design and rationale

Background Technetium Tc 99m gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has become the cornerstone of noninvasive risk stratification in patients with ischemic heart disease, but its role in patients with heart failure is not as well established. Study Design This study is a substudy of the H eart F ailure and A C ontrolled T rial I nvestigating O utcomes of Exercise Trai N ing (HF-ACTION) trial—a National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute–funded randomized controlled trial—designed to evaluate the role of exercise training in patients with heart failure due to left ventricular dysfunction. For this substudy, a total of 300 patients distributed on an approximately 1:1 basis between the exercise training and usual care arms of HF-ACTION will undergo resting technetium Tc 99m gated SPECT at baseline and 12 months to compare changes in left ventricular function with exercise training. These changes, along with baseline data, will be correlated with changes in exercise parameters, inflammatory markers, and clinical outcomes: death, cardiovascular hospitalization, and quality of life scores. In a subset of patients, first-pass radionuclide ventriculography will be obtained to assess the relationship between ventricular dyssynchrony, ejection fraction, changes in exercise parameters, and outcomes. Conclusion The role of nuclear imaging in patients with heart failure remains poorly defined. This substudy aims to harness the power of a large heart failure trial (HF-ACTION) to further delineate the utility of technetium Tc 99m gated SPECT imaging and first-pass radionuclide ventriculography for predicting important clinical outcomes in this population.
Disassembly and degradation of photosystem I in an in vitro system are multievent, metal-dependent processes.

An in vitro system was created to study the process of membrane protein degradation by using photosystem I (PS1) as a model membrane protein. Purified chloroplast membranes were incubated at 30 °C in a defined buffer along with various extracts or reagents to reconstitute the disassembly and degradation of PS1, which was monitored by a variety of techniques that probe the integrity of the PS1 complex: photo-biochemical assays, semi-native gel electrophoresis, low temperature fluorescence spectroscopy, and immunoblots using antibodies against different PS1 subunits. During a typical time course, degradation of PS1 appeared to be a multievent process, with disassembly of the complex preceding proteolysis of the subunits. The first change seen was a rapid (
Reduced cycle indices and their applications in enumeration of NMR signals and equivalence classes

An efficient technique is formulated based on a polynomial structure which we call the reduced cycle index for the enumeration of equivalence classes and NMR signals under group action. The reduced cycle indices are shown to be the cycle index polynomials of a subset of significantly smaller order of the point group of the molecule. Thus, the reduced cycle indices are much simpler and their use leads to a considerable reduction in tile computation of the generating functions from the cycle indices and irreducible representations contained in a set.
Porphyromonas gingivalis surface components induce interleukin-1 release and tyrosine phosphorylation in macrophages

The aim of the present study was to characterize the responses of macrophages to surface antigens of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Native fimbriae, full-length recombinant fimbrillin, and a lectin-like 12-kDa antigen all stimulated BALB/c peritoneal macrophages to secrete interleukin (IL)-1β. The antigens induced similar patterns of tyrosine phosphorylation; proteins in approximately 35–46 kDa range of undetermined identities were phosphorylated in the macrophages. The abilities of the surface antigens to induce IL-1β were markedly attenuated by tyrosine kinase inhibitors. This inhibition correlated with inhibition of the induced phosphorylation of specific macrophage proteins at tyrosine. The data suggest that tyrosine kinase(s) plays an important role in the regulatory intracellular signaling mechanisms by which P. gingivalis surface antigens can mediate certain responses in macrophages.
Deficits and the Dividend Tax Cut: Tax Policy as the Handmaiden of Budget Policy

The 2003 dividend tax cut is scheduled to expire in 2010, but President Bush continues to urge Congress to make it permanent. President Bush argues that the dividend tax cut promotes long-term economic growth, stimulates the economy, makes the tax system fairer, provides a steady source of income for needy senior citizens, and pays for itself. This Article evaluates the various rationales President Bush offered to justify the dividend tax cut, with an emphasis on the long-term growth rationale. The economic effects of the dividend tax cut, determined without regard to the fact that it was deficit financed, are controversial and the subject of continuing debate among economists. Early evidence suggests that the tax cut increased the size of dividend payouts and the initiation of dividend payouts. Other evidence suggests, however, that the dividend increases may not be as large as some studies indicated, may not be attributable to the dividend tax cut, and may be temporary. Taking into account the deficit financing of the dividend tax cut, the economic effects of the dividend tax cut are clearer. The deficit financing of the dividend tax cut creates negative growth consequences that offset any positive growth consequences of dividend tax relief. The dividend tax cut also is inequitable. It disproportionately benefits high-income Americans but disproportionately burdens low-income and middle-income Americans, due to the effects of cuts in discretionary spending, such as the 2004 and 2005 federal budget cuts that stalled necessary maintenance work on the New Orleans levee system just before Hurricane Katrina. Congress should not make the dividend tax cut permanent and should repeal the dividend tax cut immediately. Cutting the shareholder-level tax on dividends could have been a viable way of reforming the corporate tax if the dividend tax cut had been structured to ensure that corporate income is taxed at least once and Congress had made up the lost revenue in an equitable and efficient manner or had enacted offsetting spending cuts in an equitable and efficient manner. As enacted, the dividend tax cut does not ensure that corporate income will be taxed at least once and was deficit financed without regard for the harmful future economic and distributional consequences of that deficit financing. This Article also considers the tax policy implications of the long term fiscal gap and critiques the "five easy pieces" and "starve the beast" approaches to tax and budget policy.
Renal Salt and Water Handling in Water Immersion in the Nephrotic Syndrome

1. Eleven nephrotic patients were immersed up to the neck in 1.3 m of water at 34°C for 4 h. 2. A diuresis began, within the first hour of, and continued throughout, immersion. The urine osmolality fell significantly and decreased to hypotonic levels in the first hour of immersion and increased gradually during the remainder of immersion and postimmersion. 3. Throughout immersion there was a steady increase in urinary sodium and chloride excretion and a sharp fall in the postimmersion hour. 4. Overall fractional excretion of sodium and of chloride increased steadily throughout immersion and fell during the post-immersion hour. 5. There was an increase in urinary potassium excretion on immersion but no change in fractional excretion of potassium. There was an initial increase in distally reabsorbed sodium/chloride on immersion, as expressed by positive values of C H2O in the first hour of immersion. 6. Plasma aldosterone levels were initially elevated in only two out of nine patients. There was a significant fall in plasma aldosterone levels on immersion, but there was no correlation between sodium/chloride handling and aldosterone levels on immersion.
Recent Advances in Organic Photovoltaic Cells and Integrated Modules

Efficient organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules and cells have been fabricated based on a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and a soluble C70 derivative, [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM-70). Power conversion efficiency of 4.1 % under AM 1.5 G were obtained in individual P3HT/PCBM-70 cells. Integrated photovoltaic modules with up to four cells connected in series were demonstrated with a maximum open-circuit voltage of 2.48 V.
Multicenter Analysis Of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: Patient Characteristics, Treatment Patterns and Survival

Introduction Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is increasing in incidence. Prospectively validated standardized treatment strategies for PCNSL are lacking. Moreover, therapeutic strategies have recently evolved without clear understanding of their impact on survival. This analysis aimed to study the impact of clinico-demographic characteristics and variability in patterns of care on survival outcomes in patients with PCNSL treated at five institutions in the Chicago Area. Methods Patients with PCNSL (excluding primary ocular) were retrospectively reviewed in an IRB approved, multicenter longitudinal registry. Data on disease and patient characteristics and outcomes were assessed in patients diagnosed between 2000-2012. Survival data was analyzed using Kaplan Meier method and Log-Rank. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard regression. Results We identified 99 patients with PCNSL with a median age of 63 years (24-88); 46% of these patients were less than 60 years of age. 54% of patients were male. 34 of 74 tested patients had elevated LDH (46%), 30 of 96 evaluated patients had deep structure involvement (31%), 56 of 67 tested patients had elevated CSF protein concentrations (84%), and 22 of 49 tested patients were EBER+ (45%). Of the 80 patients assessed for immunocompromise, 11 (14%) were HIV+ and 11 (14%) were on immunosuppressives leading up to their PCNSL diagnosis. Treatment data was acquired in 94 patients of which 90 patients were actively treated while 4 patients remained untreated; treatment data could not be obtained in 5 patients. In actively treated patients (n=90), the following therapeutic strategies were used: a high dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) containing regimen ± rituximab (R) + whole brain radiation (WBRT; n=28), a HD-MTX containing regimen ± R (n=57), WBRT alone (n=3) or R alone (n=2). 55 patients got R as part of their treatment. 27 patients received intrathecal chemotherapy (IT). Response data was available in 75 patients with an overall response in 60 patients (overall response rate of 80%; 55% with complete response), stable disease in 2, and progression in 13. Median follow-up was 10.6 months (0.1-104.6). Age, sex, LDH, CSF protein concentrations, location of tumor, EBV status, HIV status and type of therapy were factors evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses for impact on survival. Neither age, sex, high LDH, high CSF protein concentrations, deep structure involvement, nor EBV status impacted OS on Log-Rank analysis. HIV+ status was negatively associated with OS (31.4 vs 1.6 mo in HIV- vs HIV+ respectively, P P =.01). In multivariate Cox regression, HIV was a risk factor for inferior OS (HR 16.5; P P Conclusion Therapeutic strategies for PCNSL vary in the Chicago Area although HD-MTX is commonly used. Therapy has evolved to incorporate rituximab and omit WBRT/IT without adverse effect on OS, a strategy that is undergoing evaluation in prospective trial. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Fischer Indolizations as a Strategic Platform for the Total Synthesis of Picrinine.

Picrinine, which is a member of the akuammiline family of alkaloids, was first isolated in 1965 from the leaves of Alstonia scholaris. The natural product possesses a daunting polycyclic skeleton that contains a furanoindoline, a bridged [3.3.1]azabicycle, two N,O-acetal linkages, and six stereogenic centers. These structural features render picrinine a challenging and attractive target for total synthesis. This paper provides a full account of our synthetic forays toward picrinine, which culminates in the first total synthesis of this long-standing target. Central to the success of our approach is the use of the Fischer indolization reaction to introduce the C7 quaternary stereocenter and the indoline nucleus of the natural product’s scaffold. We probe some of the subtleties of this classic transformation by examining some of the most complex Fischer indolization substrates to date. Additionally, we describe various roadblocks encountered in our experimental efforts, which were successfully overcome to c...
“Standards for college libraries”: Foundations

Cet article traite des normes pour les bibliotheques de colleges americains (Standards for college libraries). Ces normes pour les bibliotheques existent depuis 1940 mais elles sont reevaluer regulierement. Cet article traite des nouveaux changements des normes de 1995 et des bases sur lesquelles ont ete creees ces normes. Les normes reevaluees en 1995 concernent : les collections, les bibliothecaires et le budget
Engineering Polyester Elastomers and the Future for TPE’s

In the ideal world, new technologies arise in response to the definable needs of society and the marketplace. This is just another way of saying that necessity is the mother of invention.
All-optical graphical models for probabilistic inference

Considering that high performance electronic computation has become extremely efficient, for an optical hardware accelerator to be relevant, it must solve a type or a set of problems where its electronic counterpart is still struggling in term of size, energy, or time. We have identified one such challenge as the minimization of large scale Ising Hamiltonians when the number of particles is on the order of a million. Here we discuss an algorithmic approach based on probabilistic inference using graphical model and message passing.
Journalism as Academic Research: Just Give Them What They Want!

Journalism can and should be recognized as academic research output only if it reflects the same level of rigour and impact as any other academic research output. Scholars need to understand what their colleagues, supervisors and peers expect and then deliver exactly that. This commentary first defines journalism and academic research output. Then, it considers the problems of how to measure research impact and understand epistemology. Finally, this essay discusses the implications for journalism from the requirements of the ‘institutional review board’ (IRB) with research that involves human subjects in the United States.
Relating fire-caused change in forest structure to remotely sensed estimates of fire severity

Fire severity maps are an important tool for understanding fire effects on a landscape. The relative differenced normalized burn ratio (RdNBR) is a commonly used severity index in California forests, and is typically divided into four categories: unchanged, low, moderate, and high. RdNBR is often calculated twice—from images collected the year of the fire (initial assessment) and during the summer of the year after the fire (extended assessment). Both collection times have been calibrated to field measurements, but field data with both pre-fire and post-fire observations of matched plots are typically not available. This study uses a large network of field plots (n = 175) that was surveyed the year of and one year after a large wildfire in the central Sierra Nevada, USA, to quantify forest structure, mortality, and fire effects within fire severity categories from both the initial and extended RdNBR assessments. Most plots were classified in the same severity category in both assessments, particularly when mortality was high. Comparing initial and extended assessments, plots with lower pre-fire basal area were more likely to be classified at lower severity in the extended assessment, while plots with greater tree density were more likely to be classified at higher severity. High-severity plots had significantly greater pre-fire density of small trees. The high-severity category clearly captured stand-replacing fire effects (>95% basal area mortality, >99% tree density mortality), with typically all trees exhibiting high levels of crown consumption and scorching. In other severity categories, most large-sized and intermediate-sized trees survived, and moderate-severity fire favored survival of shade-intolerant species. Results suggest that both the initial and extended RdNBR assessments give an accurate representation of forest structural change in mixed-conifer forests following fire, particularly those of high severity.
The genetics of embryogenesis in Drosophila.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes that any study of genetic variations modify embryogenesis can be approached with two objectives in mind. On the one hand, one might emphasize the embryological aspects of such studies by concentrating on how mutation-produced modifications of particular embryological events can help to elucidate the developmental interactions involved, and aid in the search for the cellular and biochemical mechanisms that are fundamental to them. On the other hand, one might emphasize the genetic aspects of investigating such mutations. The purpose of this chapter to examine how the study of genetic variations that affect embryogenesis in drosophila has in the past contributed, and may in the future contribute, to an understanding of the precise nature of gene action in development. The ultimate goal is, of course, an understanding of the mechanisms that integrate the activities of both the genome and the cytoplasm such that development regularly proceeds from one state of determination and differentiation to the next.
The effect of nonlinear decompression history on H 2 O/CO 2 vesiculation in rhyolitic magmas

Magma ascent rate is one of the key parameters that controls volcanic eruption style, tephra dispersion, and volcanic atmospheric impact. Many methods have been employed to investigate the magma ascent rate in volcanic eruptions and most rely on equilibrium thermodynamics. Combining the mixed H2O-CO2 solubility model [Liu et al., 2005] with the diffusivities of both H2O and CO2 for normal rhyolitic melt [Zhang et al., 2007; Behrens and Zhang, 2009], we model the kinetics of H2O and CO2 in rhyolitic eruptions that involve non-linear decompression rates. Our study focuses on the effects of the total magma ascent time, the non-linearity of decompression paths, and the influence of different initial CO2/H2O content on the post-eruptive H2O and CO2 concentration profiles around bubbles within the melt. Our results show that, under most circumstances, volatile-diffusion profiles do not constrain a unique solution for the decompression rate of magmas during an eruption, but, instead, provide a family of decompression paths with a well-defined trade off between ascent time and non-linearity. An important consequence of our analysis is that the common assumption of a constant decompression rate (averaged value) tends to overestimate the actual magma ascent time.
Factors Associated with Developmental Behavioral Pediatricians Prescribing Psychotropic Medication to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Study of Three DBPNet Sites.

OBJECTIVE Psychotropic medications are frequently prescribed to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but little is known about the prescribing practices of developmental-behavioral pediatricians (DBPs). Our objective was to determine whether clinical site, age, insurance, or comorbidities influenced DBPs prescribing psychotropic medication for children with ASD. METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed using electronic health record data of all patients with ASD seen at 3 academic developmental-behavioral pediatrics (DBP) clinical programs from January 2010 to December 2011. Data included age, diagnoses, primary insurance, and medications prescribed. Factors associated with prescribing psychotropic medication were examined using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS Sites varied in the frequency with which they prescribed psychotropic medication for children with ASD (site 1: 33.1%, site 2: 49.3%, site 3: 4.0%; p < .001). We found that the following factors predicted prescribing of psychotropic medications: comorbidities (odds ratio [OR]: 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.58-3.18), age, and primary insurance. However, the impact of insurance depended on age. For 3- to 5-year-old children, those on Medicaid were more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications than those with private insurance (OR: 1.65; 95% CI, 1.29-2.12). This was particularly true for alpha-2-adrenergic agonists (OR: 2.48; 95% CI, 1.56-3.92) and atypical antipsychotics (OR: 2.57; 95% CI, 1.46-4.55). CONCLUSION There are large variations in prescribing psychotropic medication to children with ASD at 3 academic DBP programs. Further research is needed to understand factors that contribute to higher use of psychotropic medication in young children with Medicaid.