cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of algal productivity and nutrient removal capacity between algal CSTR and algal MBR at the same light level under practical and optimal conditions

Abstract High rate algal ponds often require large land area and face difficulties in algae harvesting due to low biomass concentration and poor settleability of algae. By uncoupling solids retention time (SRT) and hydraulic retention time (HRT), algal membrane bioreactor (A-MBR) is a promising technology for high-density algae cultivation and wastewater polishing. In this bench-scale study, the performance of the A-MBR with a tanks-in-series configuration was compared with that of a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) in terms of algal productivity, nutrient removal capacity, and overall performance under practical and optimal conditions (1-d HRT, 10-d SRT for A-MBR and 4-d HRT for CSTR). At the fluorescent light intensity of 200 ± 15 μmol/m2/s, algal biomass concentrations in the A-MBR and algal CSTR were 1327 ± 17 mg COD/L and 267 ± 6 mg COD/L, respectively. The areal algal productivities were 6.0 ± 0.1 g VSS/m2/d and 3.5 ± 0.1 g VSS/m2/d in the A-MBR and algal CSTR, respectively. Nutrient removal capacities of the A-MBR were 7.75 ± 0.54 g N/m3/d and 2.46 ± 0.01 g P/m3/d which were about three times of those in the algal CSTR (1.96 ± 0.10 g N/m3/d and 0.58 ± 0.02 g P/m3/d). Meanwhile, algal biomass from both systems had high phosphorus content (1.93 ± 0.13% in A-MBR and 1.88 ± 0.06% in algal CSTR) due to algae-facilitated phosphate precipitation. This result demonstrated that algal productivity and nutrient removal capacity could be significantly improved in the A-MBR system with a tanks-in-series configuration.
Mixture-Based Peptide Libraries for Identifying Protease Cleavage Motifs

All proteases and peptidases are to some extent sequence-specific, in that one or more residues are preferred at particular positions surrounding the cleavage site in substrates. I describe here a general protocol for determining protease cleavage site preferences using mixture-based peptide libraries. Initially a completely random, amino-terminally capped peptide mixture is digested with the protease of interest, and the cleavage products are analyzed by automated Edman sequencing. The distribution of amino acids found in each sequencing cycle indicates which residues are preferred by the protease at positions downstream of the cleavage site. On the basis of these results, a second peptide library is designed that is partially degenerate and partially fixed sequence. Edman sequencing analysis of the cleavage products of this peptide mixture provides preferences amino-terminal to the scissile bond. As necessary, the process is reiterated until the full cleavage motif of the protease is known. Cleavage specificity data obtained with this method have been used to generate specific and efficient peptide substrates, to design potent and specific inhibitors, and to identify novel protease substrates.
Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Xylitol Producing Wild Yeast Strains from Different Fermented Fruit Juices

This study was aimed to isolate potential yeast species from commercial fruits available in different places of Chennai, India. Fruit juice samples were cultured in yeast extract dextrose (YED) media. A total of 33 yeast isolates originating from fruit juice were identified by molecular approaches and screened for the potential yeast for fermenting condition for xylitol production. For detailed and final identification, the ITS-PCR products were subjected to sequencing followed by Blast analysis. These genera including Candida (13 isolates), Pichia (7 isolates), Meyerozyma (5 isolates), Saccharomycetes (2 isolates), Hanseniaspora (3 isolates), Saccharomycetales (2 isolates) and Debaryomyces (1 isolates) as well as three related anamorphic species assigned to phylogenetic analyzed frominternal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Based on biochemical test and xylanase assay, out of 33 isolates, six isolates showed maximum enzyme activity. Among 6 isolates, Candida tropicalis strain LY15 showed above >300 colony xylose utilization test. HPLC analysis confirmed the xylitol production from Candida tropicalis strain LY15, indicating the potential role of the isolate at industrial scale.
Intermediate valence to heavy fermion through a quantum phase transition in Yb 3 (Rh 1 -x T x ) 4 Ge 13 (T =Co ,Ir ) single crystals

Single crystals of ${\mathrm{Yb}}_{3}(\mathrm{Rh}{}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{T}_{x}){}_{4}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{13}$ $(T\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Co},\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Ir})$ have been grown using the self-flux method. Powder x-ray diffraction data on these compounds are consistent with the cubic structure with space group $Pm\overline{3}n$. Intermediate-valence behavior is observed in ${\mathrm{Yb}}_{3}(\mathrm{Rh}{}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{T}_{x}){}_{4}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{13}$ upon $T$ = Co doping, while $T$ = Ir doping drives the system into a heavy-fermion state. Antiferromagnetic order is observed in the Ir-doped samples ${\mathrm{Yb}}_{3}(\mathrm{Rh}{}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{T}_{x}){}_{4}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{13}$ for $0.5lx\ensuremath{\le}1$ with ${T}_{N}=0.96$ K for ${\mathrm{Yb}}_{3}\mathrm{Ir}{}_{4}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{13}$. With decreasing $x$, the magnetic order is suppressed towards a quantum critical point around ${x}_{c}$ = 0.5, accompanied by non-Fermi-liquid behavior evidenced by logarithmic divergence of the specific heat and linear temperature dependence of the resistivity. The Fermi-liquid behavior is recovered with the application of large magnetic fields.
Abstract 266: MicroRNA Profiling Identifies Enrichment for Proteoglycan-Genes in Symptomatic Carotid Plaques

MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding to discrete sites of genes and inhibiting translation. The objective of this study was to identify microRNAs and downstream enriched targets associated with symptomatic carotid plaques. Carotid plaque samples from patients were defined as symptomatic if they were associated with a prior ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack, or as asymptomatic if there were no prior ischemic events. Digital microRNA profiling was performed on the NanoString nCounter analysis system (NanoString Technologies, Seattle, WA) on carotid plaques from symptomatic (n=6) and asymptomatic (n=6) patients. We used the BioConductor/R package "edgeR" to perform moderated-ANOVA testing for differences in gene abundance between groups, assuming a negative binomial distribution of gene counts, with Benjamini-Hochberg multiple hypothesis correction to control false discovery rate. Analysis revealed five microRNAs that were significantly up-regulated in the symptomatic cohort (see Table 1) including miR-16, which was confirmed by RTqPCR (p=0.02). Predicted downstream targets of miR-16 were enriched for proteoglycan related genes including hyaluronan synthase 2, perlecan and betaglycan. Additionally, RTqPCR demonstrated up-regulation of CathepsinB transcript in symptomatic patients (n=46-50 per cohort, p=0.02) while CathepsinL and heparanase transcripts were not significantly different. CathepsinL enzyme activity was also not significantly different (n=46-50 per cohort). Taken together, these findings may reveal novel proteoglycan mediated signaling pathways, mediated through miR-16, regulating the progression of carotid plaque formation.
Low Contrast Sub-wavelengths Grating Lenses

In this work, we have demonstrated the light concentration from zero-contrast gratings (ZCG) subwavelength structures and compared the light concentration properties of previously proposed high-contrast gratings (HCG) to the ZCG micro concentrating lenses. To address the challenges of potential HCG fabrication, the difference between ZCG and HCG micro lenses is investigated numerically and found both of these subwavelength grating structures have similar light concentration characteristics. To gain deeper understanding of this phenomenon, we have explored the light concentration formation process and discussed the concentration mechanism in detail. Our work will be promising to provide a new ZCG micro lens potentially with easier and more controllable fabrication and could be utilized for various integrated nanophotonics applications, from optical cavities, read/write heads and concentrating photovoltaics.
pKa Values in the Undergraduate Curriculum: What Is the Real pKa of Water?

Since at least the 1960s, organic chemistry textbooks have featured pKa tables for organic acids that include values for H2O and H3O+ (15.74 and −1.74, respectively) that are thermodynamically and chemically indefensible. Here we trace this error back to Bronsted’s early contributions in the 1920s to the Bronsted–Lowry Theory of acids and bases. Organic chemists generally defend the use of these values by citing measurements of the equilibrium constant for the water + methoxide acid–base reaction that suggested that methanol (pKa = 15.54) is a stronger acid than water; from this, organic chemists have concluded that pKa of water must be 15.74 rather than 14.00. Here we discuss the problems that invalidate this conclusion, the most important being that it is based on the use of the pure liquid standard state (mole fraction = 1) that is quite different from the standard state for acidities determined in dilute solution (molality = 1). Using the latter standard state, the equilibrium constant for the water/m...
A 3D printing method for droplet-based biomolecular materials

The field of developing biomolecular droplet-based materials using a bottom-up approach remains underexplored. Producing tissue-like materials, from entirely synthetic components, presents an innovative method to reconstruct the functions of life within artificial materials. Aqueous droplets, encased with lipid monolayers, may be linked via bilayer interfaces to make up structures that resemble biological tissues. Here we present the design and development of an easy-to-build 3D printer for the fabrication of tissue-like biomolecular materials from cell-sized aqueous droplets. The droplets are generated using a snap off technique, capable of generating 30 droplets per minute. The printed network of droplets may also be functionalized with various types of membrane proteins to achieve desired engineering applications like sensing and actuation, or to mimic electrical communication in biological systems. Voltage sensitive channels are introduced into selected droplets to create a conductive path with the material in the presence of an external field.
Sisyphean Dilemmas of Development: Contrasting Urban Infrastructure and Fiscal Policy Trends in Maputo, Mozambique

In sub-Saharan African (SSA) cities like Maputo, land commodification is predictably fueled by plans for aspirational infrastructure serving elites. What is rather more peculiar, however, is the way in which the promotion of some fiscal policy reforms can also inadvertently support land commodification and the uneven development it (re)produces. This article describes how efforts to host both democratic fiscal reforms (via localized exercises like participatory budgeting) and to tap into international capital circuits to stir economic development (via aspirational infrastructure and urban redevelopment plans) can produce a Sisyphean dilemma. While gains in ordinary infrastructure investments (e.g. wells, water pumps) were achieved democratically in Maputo's KaTembe district with the participatory budget, these material (and political) improvements have been rendered irrelevant by better funded aspirational infrastructure projects for KaTembe (e.g. bridges, high-rise residential buildings, tourist facilities) supported by more opaque decisions made by the national government without residential input. Given the wide embrace of participatory budgeting in contexts of weak democracy across SSA cities and elsewhere, Maputo's experience serves as a timely alert of the risks run when this popular exercise is prematurely promoted, especially when wider-scaled property tax reforms could better redress uneven and undemocratic urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Predicting protein-DNA binding free energy change upon missense mutations using modified MM/PBSA approach: SAMPDI webserver.

Motivation Protein-DNA interactions are essential for regulating many cellular processes, such as transcription, replication, recombination and translation. Amino acid mutations occurring in DNA-binding proteins have profound effects on protein-DNA binding and are linked with many diseases. Hence, accurate and fast predictions of the effects of mutations on protein-DNA binding affinity are essential for understanding disease-causing mechanisms and guiding plausible treatments. Results Here we report a new method Single Amino acid Mutation binding free energy change of Protein-DNA Interaction (SAMPDI). The method utilizes modified Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM/PBSA) approach along with an additional set of knowledge-based terms delivered from investigations of the physicochemical properties of protein-DNA complexes. The method is benchmarked against experimentally determined binding free energy changes caused by 105 mutations in 13 proteins (compiled ProNIT database and data from recent references), and results in correlation coefficient of 0.72. Availability and implementation http://compbio.clemson.edu/SAMPDI. Contact ealexov@clemson.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Adaptive Testing With a Hierarchical Item Response Theory Model

The hierarchical item response theory (H-IRT) model is very flexible and allows a general factor and subfactors within an overall structure of two or more levels. When an H-IRT model with a large number of dimensions is used for an adaptive test, the computational burden associated with interim scoring and selection of subsequent items is heavy. An alternative approach for any high-dimension adaptive test is to reduce dimensionality for interim scoring and item selection and then revert to full dimensionality for final score reporting, thereby significantly reducing the computational burden. This study compared the accuracy and efficiency of final scoring for multidimensional, local multidimensional, and unidimensional item selection and interim scoring methods, using both simulated and real item pools. The simulation study was conducted under 10 conditions (i.e., five test lengths and two H-IRT models) with a simulated sample of 10,000 students. The study with the real item pool was conducted using item parameters from an actual 45-item adaptive test with a simulated sample of 10,000 students. Results indicate that the theta estimations provided by the local multidimensional and unidimensional item selection and interim scoring methods were relatively as accurate as the theta estimation provided by the multidimensional item selection and interim scoring method, especially during the real item pool study. In addition, the multidimensional method required the longest computation time and the unidimensional method required the shortest computation time.
Space Shuttle Data Management System

The report presented herein is derived from IBM’s activity over the past two years as a member of the North American Rockwell, General Dynamics, Honeywell, American Airlines, British Aircraft Corporation Phase B shuttle team and from IBM’s investment program and other various contracts. This is the approach that IBM has suggested to NASA through North American Rockwell and should not be construed as NASA’s position.
Food and History

Brief discussion of a topic like “food and history” demands clear statement of what one intends to do. The two chief temptations are either to present part as though it adequately mirrors the whole, or else to schematize the whole in such a way as to lose contact with concrete experience. In this paper I have chosen to commit both sins in sequence, hoping that they may cancel each other sufficiently to give us some glimpse of reality.
The relationship between syntactic knowledge and reading comprehension in EFL learners

Via a variety of measurements, 64 Hungarian native speakers in the 12th grade learning English as a foreign language in Slovakia were tested in a cross-sectional correlational study in order to determine the relationship between the ability to process complex syntax and foreign language reading comprehension. The test instruments involved a standardized reading comprehension test in English, and a test of syntactic knowledge in both Hungarian and English, in addition to a background questionnaire in Hungarian. Power correlations and regression analyses rendered results that showed syntactic knowledge to be a statistically significant estimator for foreign language reading comprehension. The study provides evidence that the ability to process complex syntactic structures in a foreign language does contribute to one’s efficient reading comprehension in that language.
MC1: A Bespoke Analysis Tool for Spatio-temporal Park Traffic Data

This paper describes a web-based traffic data analysis tool developed for the VAST 2017 Mini Challenge 1. The tool consists of two linked heat maps which allow for the inspection of daily activity for vehicles, as well as a histogram which allows for the analysis of total time spent by vehicles in the park. Combined, these views allow for the analysis of both spatial and temporal patterns in the park preserve.
Surfactant-Free Process for the Fabrication of Polyimide Aerogel Microparticles

This work focuses on the fabrication of polyimide aerogel microparticles of diameter 200–1000 μm from a surfactant-free, two-phase, silicone oil/dimethylformamide (DMF) oil-in-oil (O/O) system using a simple microfluidic device. The polyimide sol prepared in DMF is turned into droplets suspended in silicone oil in the microfluidic device. The droplets are guided to a heated silicone oil bath to accelerate sol–gel transition and imidization reactions, thereby yielding spherical, discrete gel microparticles that do not undergo coalescence. The discrete gel microparticles are isolated and supercritically dried to obtain aerogel microparticles. The microparticle size distribution shows dependence on dispersed and continuous phase flowrates in the microfluidic channels. The microparticle surface morphology shows dependence on the silicone oil bath temperature.
The Barrow Biomimetic Spine: Face, Content, and Construct Validity of a 3D-Printed Spine Model for Freehand and Minimally Invasive Pedicle Screw Insertion.

Study Design:Description and evaluation of a novel surgical training platform.Objectives:The purpose of this study was to investigate the face, content, and construct validity of 5 novel surgical t...
Hybrid Aortic Arch Repair Using a Ministernotomy

Hybrid thoracic endovascular aortic repair with surgical arch debranching is an accepted method for total arch reconstruction. Although off-pump arch debranching is increasingly used as a prophylac...
Bad Teens, Smug Hacks and Good TV: The Success and Legacy of Scared Straight!

The in-your-face approach (literally) of Scared Straight! has made an indelible impact on the shape of prison representation and the public discussion around juvenile delinquency and prison more generally. Its impact and approach have been cyclically reinforced with Scared Straight! Another Story (1980), Scared Straight! 10 Years Later (1987), Scared Straight! 20 Years Later (1999) and Beyond Scared Straight (2011–2015). After the original Scared Straight! aired, prison systems in several states initiated similar programs to discourage juvenile delinquency; the Scared Straight! model persists today despite the inaccuracies of the statistics quoted in the film and research confirming its ineffectiveness at preventing incarceration. This chapter focuses on why Scared Straight! (1978) was successful. I argue that the Supreme Court’s approach to journalists’ access to prisons, the film’s focus on black aggression and the framing of Scared Straight! as a public service, all within the context of an increasingly competitive televisual landscape, are key to understanding the success and impact of Scared Straight!
Looking GLAMORous: Vehicle Re-Id in Heterogeneous Cameras Networks with Global and Local Attention

Vehicle re-identification (re-id) is a fundamental problem for modern surveillance camera networks. Existing approaches for vehicle re-id utilize global features and local features for re-id by combining multiple subnetworks and losses. In this paper, we propose GLAMOR, or Global and Local Attention MOdules for Re-id. GLAMOR performs global and local feature extraction simultaneously in a unified model to achieve state-of-the-art performance in vehicle re-id across a variety of adversarial conditions and datasets (mAPs 80.34, 76.48, 77.15 on VeRi-776, VRIC, and VeRi-Wild, respectively). GLAMOR introduces several contributions: a better backbone construction method that outperforms recent approaches, group and layer normalization to address conflicting loss targets for re-id, a novel global attention module for global feature extraction, and a novel local attention module for self-guided part-based local feature extraction that does not require supervision. Additionally, GLAMOR is a compact and fast model that is 10x smaller while delivering 25% better performance.
Substrate-engraved antireflective nanostructured surfaces for high-power laser applications

A critical component for all high-power laser systems that is particularly susceptible to laser damage is the antireflective coating, which maximizes energy transmission and minimizes scattered and stray light. We demonstrate the ability to generate substrate-engraved nanostructured surfaces (NS) for scalable and designable antireflective (AR) coatings that are monolithic to the substrate and can handle peak power levels comparable to the bulk material. Experimentally measured reflectance from these fabricated structures has validated our effective index theory-based transmission matrix model, demonstrating the designability of the AR properties. Upon exposure to sufficiently high fluences, a new mode of damage, nanostructured surface damage, has been observed and is likely the result of thermally driven material reflow accompanied by plasma initiation on the nanostructured surface. At 1053 nm, nanostructured surface damage onsets at 39J/cm2 with sample cleaning and 74J/cm2 after laser conditioning—very close to the reference substrate at 81J/cm2. At 351 nm we show damage onset of 30J/cm2, with reference substrate material damage onset of 47J/cm2. Therefore, damage is close to the bulk material and represents an improvement with respect to other methods. The nanostructured surfaces were found to be mechanically durable and able to withstand cleaning procedures with sonication. Under normal incidence mechanical testing with a 200 µm radius indenter tip, the AR performance of these nanostructured surfaces was minimally impacted at pressures orders of magnitude higher than an average fingerprint pressure—indicating that incidental handling contact will not affect NS structures. Mechanical damage is attributed to plastic compression, not fracturing of the NS features. We demonstrate for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that NS AR coatings, despite being rich in etched surface features, can tolerate laser fluences comparable to unprocessed optical surfaces. Furthermore, laser-damage features of NS indicate a unique non-growing failure mode whereby following absorption the featureless damage site does not precipitate future damage growth, reducing considerably the burdens for managing optics processing in high-power laser systems.
Organizational Underdog Narratives: The Cultivation and Consequences of a Collective Underdog Identity

Underdog stories are ubiquitous––the disadvantaged and outmatched protagonist overcoming the odds. Leaders across industries, from telecom to sports, employ these narratives to inspire members of t...
Crisis as Kairos: Our Samaria Right Next Door? Acting on Crisis to Minister to Our Native Neighbors

In June 2016, a wildfire swept through the Spokane Indian Reservation burning 18,000 acres, destroying many homes and knocking out power to the tribal headquarters town of Wellpinit. The power outage resulted in spoiled food at the only grocery store in town and a blown pump at the town’s only well. This was the second fire in two years to rock the community’s well-being, and the crisis created lingered on for months for members of the Spokane Tribe. Some still have not fully recovered. Meantime, less than 50 miles away, in the city of Spokane, which derives its name from the tribe, the smoke was a mere irritation to our eyes and lungs as the crisis garnered little attention beyond our health concerns (and spoiled vacations). / Beyond the fires, which are increasing in frequency and intensity because of global climate change, my neighbors, the Spokane Tribe, face a number of other crises, such as an environmental and health crisis (created by an abandoned open-pit uranium mine now actively leaking high-grade uranium into the Spokane River), an economic crisis (caused by high unemployment of 45.3%), a suicide epidemic, and a growing opioid addiction problem. / Missiologist Donald K. Smith has suggested that crisis creates opportunity to form opinions and even change them. And American-Korean missionary Michael Oh has contended that God is sovereign over crises and has “gracious gospel purposes” in them. / Tribal communities all around us are majority world cultures, some besieged by similar, structurally-created crises. Given the colonial history of the dominant culture church, the gospel has made little inroads into many of these communities and an understandable suspicion remains towards outsiders. Might crises, such as those listed above or others among our Native American neighbors, provide the opportunity for us to be good neighbors in the time of crisis, thus opening the door a bit further to effective ministry in our nearby “Samarias?” / In this article, I examine the opportunities, in a growing world of crisis, for Christians to be involved in reaching majority world cultures right in our own backyards.
Patterns of Seed-to-Seedling Transmission of Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum, the Causal Agent of Cotton Bacterial Blight.

Cotton bacterial blight (CBB), caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum (Xcm), was a major disease of cotton in the United States in the early part of the 20th century. The recent reemergence of...
School Bus Routing Problem with a Mixed Ride, Mixed Load, and Heterogeneous Fleet:

Special education students are usually routed on different buses than non-disabled general education students. To make the routes more efficient, this study proposes serving general students and sp...
Mitigating Evasion Attacks on Machine Learning based NIDS Systems in SDN

Today, network-based intrusions are among the most prevalent security threats our networked systems face. In the case of software-defined networks (SDN), not only the connected devices and services but also the SDN controllers may be subjected to intrusion attempts. The advent of efficient and robust machine learning (ML) algorithms along with the availability of a large number of network datasets enabled the development of ML-based network intrusion detection systems (NIDS). Recent work has demonstrated that ML-based NIDS systems are vulnerable to evasion attacks where the adversary targets the ML classifier in the NIDS system to evade detection by performing various packet perturbations. In this work, we propose an approach to build robust ML based NIDS systems that use multiple ML classifiers trained with reduced feature sets. Our approach depends on a careful feature selection procedure based on Permutation Feature Importance, a wrapper based feature engineering method. Our evaluations on well-known datasets show that the proposed hybrid multi-classifier system is robust and performs well against the packet perturbation attacks considered in this work.
Transient kinetic analysis for studying ionizations in RNA modification enzyme mechanisms

Abstract The application of in vitro kinetic tools has the potential to provide important insight into the molecular mechanisms of RNA modification enzymes. Utilizing quantitative biochemical approaches can reveal information about enzyme preferences for specific substrates that are relevant for understanding modification reactions in their biological contexts. Moreover, kinetic tools have been powerfully applied to identify and characterize roles for specific amino acid residues in catalysis, which can be essential information for understanding the molecular basis for human disease, as well as for targeting these enzymes for potential therapeutic interventions. RNA methyltransferases are a particularly interesting group of RNA modification enzymes because of the diversity in structure and mechanism that has been revealed among members of this group, even including some examples of enzymes that use entirely distinct reaction mechanisms to form identical methylated nucleotides in RNA. Yet, many questions remain unanswered about how these distinct catalytic strategies are facilitated by the relevant enzyme families. We have applied in vitro kinetic analysis to specifically focus on catalytically relevant ionizations in the context of tRNA methyltransferase reactions, by measuring rates under conditions of varied pH. This analysis can be applied broadly to RNA methyltransferases to expand our understanding of these important enzymes.
Experimental Observation of Zonal Flow and Its Scalings in Axisymmetric Magnetic Field

The anomalous radial transport generated by drift wave turbulence is a fundamental open physics question in magnetic confinement systems, both in modern tokamaks and current and next generation mirror machines. The role of self-generated zonal flows (ZF) in transport regulation via its shear is a potent concept and a physics issue. ZF are believed to be spontaneously excited by drift wave turbulence via Reynolds stress from small-scale fluctuations to large-scale flow. A basic physics experimental study of zonal flows associated with ITG (ion temperature gradient) drift modes has been performed in the Columbia Linear Machine (CLM). The difficult problem of detection of ZF has been solved via a novel diagnostic using the paradigm of FM (frequency modulation) in radio transmission. We find a power spectrum peak at ITG (‘carrier’) frequency of kHz 120 ~ and FM sidebands at frequency of kHz 2 ~ . We have definitively identified ZF with azimuthal and axial symmetry ( ) 0 , 0 // ≈ ≈ k kθ and
Liquid nitrogen cooled CMOS

Mainframe computers are still the exclusive domain of bipolar technology. In the near future, however, it is believed a large-scale liquid-nitrogen cooled CMOS computer system may Become available. Liquid nitrogen temperature (77°K) operation economically combines bipolar speeds with MOS circuit densities and power levels. Changing the ambient temperature raises additional issues including packaging, testing and reliability.
Differential Sampling for Fast Frequency Acquisition Via Adaptive Extended Least Squares Algorithm

This paper presents a differential signal model along with appropriate sampling techinques for least squares estimation of the frequency and frequency derivatives and possibly the phase and amplitude of a sinusoid received in the presence of noise. The proposed algorithm is recursive in mesurements and thus the computational requirement increases only linearly with the number of measurements. The dimension of the state vector in the proposed algorithm does not depend upon the number of measurements and is quite small, typically around four. This is an advantage when compared to previous algorithms wherein the dimension of the state vector increases monotonically with the product of the frequency uncertainty and the observation period. Such a computational simplification may possibly result in some loss of optimality. However, by applying the sampling techniques of the paper such a possible loss in optimality can made small.
Numerical modeling in hydrology

The equation governing isothermal flow of water in deformable media is one of mass conservation. For an appropriately small volume element satisfying certain averaging criteria, the conservation equation helps convert the rate of accumulation of mass to an equivalent, average time-derivative of the potential function. The goal of numerical modeling is to evaluate the rate of mass accumulation in the volume element by integration in space and time. In order to carry out the integration, the flow region has to be partitioned and spatial gradients of potential evaluated. Depending on the procedure by which spatial partitioning is achieved and on the manner in which potential gradients are evaluated, different numerical schemes such as the integral finite difference method and the finite element method arise. These methods can lead to a set of either explicit or implicit discretized equations. In setting up the equations, time-dependent coefficients may be handled in either a quasi-linear or an iterative fashion. The final set of implicit equations, giving rise to a sparse coefficient matrix, may be handled through direct solvers or through iterative solvers. Numerical models may be validated with the help of analytic solutions to partial differential equations or with experimental data. Based onmore » set-theoretic concepts, it is reasoned that numerical models possess far greater generality than merely providing analytic solutions to the partial differential equation. To derive the real benefit of numerical models, therefore,techniques should be developed to validate numerical solutions based on their axiomatic foundations, rather than relying upon analytic solutions. Although our current computing abilities transcend our ability to generate sophisticated field data, there is considerable scope for further research on numerical methods.« less
Steady and unsteady nonlinear flow treatment using the full potential equation

The steady and unsteady forms of the full potential equation are treated using implicit numerical methods based on the approximate factorization technique or relaxation concepts. Problems solved include supersonic flows over complex configurations with embedded subsonic regions, and flows over airfoils and spheres at all Mach numbers. The treatment involves time linearization of density, flux linearization in the marching direction, theory of characteristic signal propagation, steady and unsteady wake treatment, flux biasing concepts for artificial viscosity, and unsteady far-field based on the Riemann invariants.
Vancomycin-induced acute tubular necrosis

Objectives: To report nephrotoxicity in the form of acute tubular necrosis (ATN) related to vancomycin. Methods: This study was conducted at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Saudi Aramco, Dharan, Saudi Arabia between June and August 2013. All patients who received intravenous vancomycin as a part of the hospital’s vancomycin stewardship program were monitored for the development of ATN. Results: A total of 89 patients received vancomycin over a 3-month period. Three patients developed ATN attributed to high levels of vancomycin, with an incidence of 3.4%. Conclusion: Intravenous vancomycin is nephrotoxic and can lead to ATN. The medical community must be aware of the potential risks of vancomycin associated nephrotoxicity. Renal function and vanomycin drug levels should be closely monitored.
Effect of Acidity on the Composition of an Indigenous Soil Population of Rhizobium trifolii Found in Nodules of Trifolium subterraneum L.

Abstract Acidity affected which members of an indigenous soil population of Rhizobium trifolii nodulated Trifolium subterraneum L. cv. Mt. Barker. In three experiments involving plants grown either in mineral salts agar adjusted to pH 4.8 or 6.8 and inoculated with a soil suspension or grown directly in samples of unamended soil (pH 4.8) or soil amended with CaCO3 (pH 6.4), 121 of 151 isolates of R. trifolii were placed into four serogroups. Seventy-nine of these isolates were placed into two serogroups (6 and 36) whose nodulating ability was affected by the pH of the plant root environment. Representatives of serogroup 6 occupied the greatest percentage of the nodules at the low pH in both mineral salts agar (77%) and in unlimed soil (47 and 57%). The same serogroup was a minor nodule occupant at the higher pH in mineral salts agar (0%) and in limed soil (0 and 10%). In contrast, serogroup 36 was virtually absent in nodules formed at the low pH, whereas it was the dominant serogroup at the higher pH in both mineral salts agar (32%) and in limed soil (35 and 49%). Despite the isolates from within each serogroup being antigenically identical, separation of cellular proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis revealed four and six different gel types within serogroups 6 and 36, respectively. Isolates represented by one or two gel types dominated the contribution of each serogroup to the nodule population. Further evidence for differences between isolates within each gel type were revealed from measurements of symbiotic effectiveness.
A rapid sensitive assay for specific protein synthesis in cells and in cell-free translations: Use of Staphylococcus aureus as an adsorbent for immune complexes

Abstract Formalin-fixed, heat-inactivated Staphylococcus aureus Cowen Type I (SAC) (Kessler, S. W. (1975) J. Immunol. 115 , 1617–1624) has been used to isolate antibody-bound tyrosine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.5) from radioactively labeled cell-free extracts and translation reactions of polysomes and poly(A)-containing messenger RNA. Under our conditions, SAC immunoprecipitation of cell-free extracts generated a radioactive background in control serum precipitations of 0.1%, an average of fivefold lower than backgrounds obtained by direct and indirect antibody precipitations. It is shown that the major source of the background, which limits sensitivity of the assay, comes from the amounts of antiserum and bacterial adsorbent in the assay. Procedures are presented to provide low backgrounds in more general applications of the precipitation method. From these experiments, SAC immunoprecipitation is shown to be a rapid, economical method to assay for specific protein synthesis under a variety of experimental conditions with noise levels much lower than with other standard methods.
Translation recognition in highly proficient Hindi–English bilinguals: The influence of different scripts but connectable phonologies

This study investigates the phonological nature of the lexical links in the bilingual lexicon using different-script bilinguals. Highly proficient Hindi–English bilinguals performed a translation recognition task (i.e., decide whether two words presented sequentially are a correct translation pair). For the critical trials, the second word was a nontranslation distractor word and thus required a no response. The properties of the no trials were manipulated to examine participants' sensitivity to orthographic and phonological relations. The first manipulation investigated whether different-script bilinguals utilise the L1 translation equivalent link in a similar fashion as same-script bilinguals and tested the generalisability of the Revised Hierarchical Model (RHM) to the case of different-script bilinguals. The second manipulation tested the predictions of the Bilingual Interactive Activation plus model (BIA +) regarding phonological nonselectivity in the bilingual lexicon. Results suggest that these hig...
Youth Who Have Sexually Offended: Using Strengths and Rapport to Engage Families in Treatment

To address the problem of sexual offenses perpetrated by youth, a recognized treatment framework, risk, need, and responsivity delivers appropriate services according to youths’ relative risk level. Service programs espousing this framework intermittently integrate families. Little is known about how families become engaged in services, and research has yet to comprehensively identify family protective factors. Recognizing family engagement as an avenue by which risk can be mitigated, our qualitative study interviews providers throughout one western state (N = 19) on family engagement strategies. Using rigorous data collection and analyses methods, the results revealed that providers engage families through building rapport and a strength-based approach. Service engagement implications and study limitations are noted.
Using introspective self@narrative to analyze consumption: Experiencing plastic surgery

Using autoethnography, this paper approaches consumption through a consumer's introspective narrative. Presented according to the three stages of Gould's (1993) Product Use Cycle, plastic surgery is connected to the writer's past using artifacts and photographs to elicit significant memories of potential motivations for purchase. Next, influences for purchase choice and the purchase experience are described from diaries and audiotaped transcriptions. Finally, the author reflects on purchase effects to identify significant revelations, reversals and themes involved in the gestalt of a facelift purchase process.
Does LKB1 Mediate Activation of Hepatic AMP-Protein Kinase (AMPK) and Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in Obese Rats?

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) improves steatosis and reduces liver triglycerides in obese rats. Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are key metabolic regulators that reduce lipogenesis and increase fatty acid oxidation. LKB1 phosphorylates AMPK and may activate SIRT1. We hypothesize that RYGB in obese rats is associated with an upregulation of the LKB1–AMPK–SIRT1 signaling pathway. Obese Sprague–Dawley male rats underwent RYGB or sham. Liver tissue was obtained at 9 weeks postoperatively. Protein levels of SIRT1, LKB1, p-LKB1, AMPKα, p-AMPKα, and p-protein kinase C-ζ (PKC-ζ) were determined. Protein associations of LKB1 with each of SIRT1, AMPKα, and PKC-ζ were determined by co-immunoprecipitation. Data are mean ± SD; for t test, p < 0.05 was significant. RYGB increased protein levels of hepatic AMPKα, p-AMPKα, and SIRT1 (all p < 0.001 vs. sham); p-LKB1 but not LKB1 increased after RYGB (p < 0.001 vs. sham). Physical interactions of LKB1–AMPK and LKB1–SIRT1 increased after RYGB (p < 0.001 vs. sham). Although PKC-ζ mRNA and p-PKC-ζ did not change, interactions between LKB1 and PKC-ζ increased after RYGB (p < 0.001 vs. sham). RYGB increases hepatic levels of SIRT1, AMPK, and p-AMPK as well as increasing interactions of LKB1 with AMPK or SIRT1. p-PKC-ζ may play an intermediary role in the interaction between AMPK and SIRT. These findings demonstrate key signaling changes in powerful metabolic regulators that may account for the resolution of steatosis after RYGB.
Studies in auditory timing: 2. Rhythm patterns.

Listeners discriminated between 6-tone rhythmic patterns that differed only in the delay of the temporal position of one of the tones. On each trial, feedback was given and the subject’s performance determined the amount of delay on the next trial. The 6 tones of the patterns marked off 5 intervals. In the first experiment, patterns comprised 3 “short” and 2 “long” intervals: 12121, 21121, and so forth, where the long (2) was twice the length of a short (1). In the second experiment, patterns were the complements of the patterns in the first experiment and comprised 2 shorts and 3 longs: 21212, 12212, and so forth. Each pattern was tested 45 times (5 positions of the delayed tone × 3 tempos × 3 replications). Consistent with previous work on simple interval discrimination, absolute discrimination (Δt in milliseconds) was poorer the longer the intervals (i.e., the slower the tempo). Measures of relative discrimination (Δt/t,wheret was the short interval, the long interval, or the average of 2 intervals surrounding the delayed tone) were better the slower the tempo. Beyond these global results, large interactions of pattern with position of the delayed tone and tempo suggest that different models of performance are needed to explain behavior at the different tempos. A Weber’s law model fit the slow-tempo data better than did a model based on positions of “natural accent” (Povel & Essens, 1985).
Direct association of ligand-binding and pore domains in homo- and heterotetrameric inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors.

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) are a family of intracellular Ca2+ channels that exist as homo- or heterotetramers. In order to determine whether the N-terminal ligand-binding domain is in close physical proximity to the C-terminal pore domain, we prepared microsomal membranes from COS-7 cells expressing recombinant type I and type III IP3R isoforms. Trypsin digestion followed by cross-linking and co-immunoprecipitation of peptide fragments suggested an inter-subunit N- and C-terminal interaction in both homo- and heterotetramers. This observation was further supported by the ability of in vitro translated C-terminal peptides to interact specifically with an N-terminal fusion protein. Using a 45Ca2+ flux assay, we provide functional evidence that the ligand-binding domain of one subunit can gate the pore domain of an adjacent subunit. We conclude that common structural motifs are shared between the type I and type III IP3Rs and propose that the gating mechanism of IP3R Ca2+ channels involves the association of the N-terminus of one subunit with the C-terminus of an adjacent subunit in both homo- and heterotetrameric complexes.
Phase II study of 9-aminocamptothecin in previously treated lymphomas: results of Cancer and Leukemia Group B 9551.

To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of the topoisomerase I inhibitor, 9-aminocamptothecin (9-AC), in patients with relapsed lymphoma and to correlate 9-AC plasma concentrations with response and toxicity. Eligible patients had relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) treated with one or two prior regimens, low grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) treated with one or two prior regimens, or aggressive NHL treated with one prior regimen. The first nine patients received 9-AC dimethylacetamide 0.85 mg/m2 per day intravenously over 72 h every 2 weeks and the remaining 27 patients received 9-AC/colloidal dispersion 1.1 mg/m2 per day. Patients received a minimum of three cycles unless progression or intolerable toxicity occurred. Responding patients received two cycles past best response with a minimum of six cycles. CALGB 9551 accrued 37 patients from April 1996 through October 2000; one patient with HD, 18 patients with indolent lymphoma, and 17 patients with aggressive lymphoma. The overall response rate was 17%, with response rates of 11% (2 partial responses) in patients with indolent histologies and 23% (1 complete response, 3 partial responses) in patients with aggressive histologies. The patient with HD did not respond. Response rates were similar for both drug formulations. The median remission duration for the six responders was 6.5 months, with one remission lasting longer than 12 months. Significant grade 3 and 4 toxicities included neutropenia (66%), anemia (31%), and thrombocytopenia (36%), with 20% of patients experiencing grade 3 or 4 infection. No treatment related deaths occurred. Steady state serum concentrations did not correlate with patient response or toxicity. Single agent 9-AC has modest activity in aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas.
spatializing culture: the social production and social construction of public space in Costa Rica

In this article I explore how an integrated approach to the anthropological study of urban space would work ethnographically. I discuss four areas of spatial/cultural analysis—historical emergence, sociopolitical and economic structuring, patterns of social use, and experiential meanings—as a means of working out of the methodological implications of broader social construction theoretical perspectives. Two plazas in San Jose, Costa Rica, furnish ethnographic illustrations of the social mediating processes of spatial practices, symbolic meaning, and social control that provide insight into the conflicts that arise as different groups and sociopolitical forces struggle to claim and define these culturally significant public spaces. [urban space, ethnographic methods, plazas, Costa Rica, social production, social construction]