cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MCM-BP Is Required for Repression of Life-Cycle Specific Genes Transcribed by RNA Polymerase I in the Mammalian Infectious Form of Trypanosoma brucei

Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) expression is a classic example of allelic exclusion. While the genome of T. brucei contains >2,000 VSG genes and VSG pseudogenes, only one allele is expressed at the surface of each infectious trypanosome and the others are repressed. Along with recombinatorial VSG switching, allelic exclusion provides a major host evasion mechanism for trypanosomes, a phenomenon known as antigenic variation. To extend our understanding of how trypanosomes escape host immunity by differential expression of VSGs, we attempted to identify genes that contribute to VSG silencing, by performing a loss-of-silencing screen in T. brucei using a transposon-mediated random insertional mutagenesis. One identified gene, which we initially named LOS1, encodes a T. brucei MCM-Binding Protein (TbMCM-BP). Here we show that TbMCM-BP is essential for viability of infectious bloodstream-form (BF) trypanosome and is required for proper cell-cycle progression. Tandem affinity purification of TbMCM-BP followed by mass spectrometry identified four subunits (MCM4-MCM7) of the T. brucei MCM complex, a replicative helicase, and MCM8, a subunit that is uniquely co-purified with TbMCM-BP. TbMCM-BP is required not only for repression of subtelomeric VSGs but also for silencing of life-cycle specific, insect-stage genes, procyclin and procyclin-associated genes (PAGs), that are normally repressed in BF trypanosomes and are transcribed by RNA polymerase I. Our study uncovers a functional link between chromosome maintenance and RNA pol I-mediated gene silencing in T. brucei.
Perspective on “Density-functional theory for fractional particle number: derivative discontinuities of the energy”

This paper provides an overview of the title paper by Perdew, Parr, Levy and Balduz [Phys Rev Lett 49:1691 (1982)]. The title paper extended density functional theory to fractional electron number by an ensemble approach and proved that the energy is a series of straight lines interpolating its values at integer numbers of electrons. It also established that the highest-occupied exact Kohn—Sham orbital energy is the negative of the ionization energy, and showed that the exchange-correlation potential jumps by a constant as the number of electrons increases by an integer. These results are fundamental and continue to inspire developments in density functional theory.
An evaluation of the reliability of time sampling versus continuous observation data collection

Thirty (10 male, 20 female) children, ages 41 to 71 months, were observed simultaneously in a freeplay setting by two observers using a validated assessment of physical activity in children (i.e. the FATS). One observer utilized a whole interval time sampling method of data recording and the second observer used a hand-held computer and continuously entered observations whenever a child's activity level changed, while the computer simultaneously calculated elapsed time (in tenths of seconds) spent in each behavioral category. Overall activity scores generated by the two approaches correlated 0.90 although the time sampling method produced lower estimates of physical activity. It is concluded that whole interval time sampling is a reliable cost-effective method of assessing physical activity levels in children and may be preferable to the continuous computer-assisted approach that was utilized.
Drug Discovery Targeting Cell Division Proteins, Microtubules and FtsZ

Eukaryotic cell division or cytokinesis has been a major target for anticancer drug discovery. After the huge success of paclitaxel and docetaxel, microtubule-stabilizing agents (MSAs) appear to have gained a premier status in the discovery of next-generation anticancer agents. However, the drug resistance caused by MDR, point mutations, and overexpression of tubulin subtypes, etc., is a serious issue associated with these agents. Accordingly, the discovery and development of new-generation MSAs that can obviate various drug resistances has a significant meaning. In sharp contrast, prokaryotic cell division has been largely unexploited for the discovery and development of antibacterial drugs. However, recent studies on the mechanism of bacterial cytokinesis revealed that the most abundant and highly conserved cell division protein, FtsZ, would be an excellent new target for the drug discovery of next-generation antibacterial agents that can circumvent drug-resistances to the commonly used drugs for tuberculosis, MRSA and other infections. This review describes an account of our research on these two fronts in drug discovery, targeting eukaryotic as well as prokaryotic cell division.
Problems of ruin and survival in economics: applications of limit theorems in probability

In this paper the focus is on characterizing and computing the probabilities of ruin in three mathematical models arising in economics. First, we examine a credit system in which small loans without collaterals are extended to a large number of costumers, and study the probability of collapse due to defaults. Next, we consider a Walrasian model of an exchange economy in which the endowments are random, and analyze the probability that at equilibrium prices an agent does not have the minimum income needed for survival. Finally, the problem of sustaining a constant consumption of a resource the stock of which is augmented by a random input is considered. The steady state of the resulting Markov process, the speed at which it is approached, and the possibility of exhaustion of the stock are examined.
Testing mindfulness with perceptual and cognitive factors: External vs. internal encoding, and the cognitive failures questionnaire

Abstract A new approach to testing mindfulness in relation to perceptual and cognitive factors is presented. In two studies a total of 142 participants were tested using a measure of mindfulness and a measure of thoroughness in perceptual processing (“external encoding”). Mindfulness was shown to be correlated with external encoding (study 1) and both mindfulness and external encoding predicted low “cognitive failures” (study 2). Results are discussed in terms of their implications for possible mechanisms responsible for the benefits of mindfulness in psychological well-being.
The genetic code, information density, and evolution

Abstract The information density of the DNA genetic message is calculated for various organisms as a function of their experimentally measured DNA nucleotide base nearest-neighbor frequencies. A relationship between these densities and the organism's evolutionary rank is explored. As a consequence, the DNA base percentage composition of the higher animals is explained.
Intramolecular hydrogen bonding and linear pentapyrrole conformation

Three new linear pentapyrrole rubinoid analogs: 2,3,7,8,17,18,22,23-octamethyl-12,13-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-1,10,15,24,25,27,28,29-octahydro-27H-pentapyrrin-1,24-dione and 2,3,8,12,13,17,22,23-octamethyl-7,18-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-1,10,15,24,25,26,27,28,29-octahydro-27H-pentapyrrin-1,24-dione, and its 7,18-dihexanoic acid analog were synthesized, respectively, from 2,3,7,8-tetramethyl-(10H)-dipyrrin-2-one, from 2,3,8-trimethyl-7-[2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-(10H)-dipyrrinone, and 2,3,8-trimethyl-7-[5-(methoxycarbonyl)pentyl]-(10H)-dipyrrinone. 13C NMR and 1H NMR measurements in (CD3)2SO confirmed the pentapyrrole structures, while 1H NMR data indicate intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the CO2H and dipyrrinone groups. Molecular mechanics modeling studies suggest stable U-shape conformations capable of encapsulating small planar aromatic molecules.
Do heme and bilirubin have identical binding sites on the albumin molecule

Abstract A competition of heme with bilirubin for binding on the albumin molecule has often been assumed. High plasma concentrations of heme are, therefore, thought to promote deposition of bilirubin in the brain and to cause kernicterus. Studies of competitive binding of heme and bilirubin in vitro have, however, not been reported and are the subject of the present paper. The molar binding ratios of bilirubin:albumin and heme: albumin are 1.0, when less than 0.5 percent of albumin is filtered on Sephadex G-25, 0.05M sodium phosphate buffer at pH 8.3. This molar binding ratio holds regardless of whether or not albumin has previously been complexed with either of the pigments. This finding strongly suggests two distinctly different binding sites on the albumin molecule for bilirubin and for heme.
S-asymptotic properties of Boehmians

The S-asymptotic behaviour for the space of Boehmians in d-dimensions is defined and studied. An application for elliptic partial differential equations is given.
Radiation Hardening and Radiation-Induced Chromium Depletion Effects on Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking in Austenitic Stainless Steels

Abstract Radiation hardening and radiation-induced chromium (Cr) depletion were related to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) response among various stainless steels (SS). Available da...
Origin and provenance of spherules and magnetic grains at the Younger Dryas boundary

Abstract One or more bolide impacts are hypothesized to have triggered the Younger Dryas cooling at ∼12.9 ka. In support of this hypothesis, varying peak abundances of magnetic grains with iridium and magnetic microspherules have been reported at the Younger Dryas boundary (YDB). We show that bulk sediment and/or magnetic grains/microspherules collected from the YDB sites in Arizona, Michigan, New Mexico, New Jersey, and Ohio have 187Os/188Os ratios ≥1.0, similar to average upper continental crust (= 1.3), indicating a terrestrial origin of osmium (Os) in these samples. In contrast, bulk sediments from YDB sites in Belgium and Pennsylvania exhibit 187Os/188Os ratios <<1.0 and at face value suggest mixing with extraterrestrial Os with 187Os/188Os of ∼0.13. However, the Os concentration in bulk sample and magnetic grains from Belgium is 2.8 pg/g and 15 pg/g, respectively, much lower than that in average upper continental crust (=31 pg/g), indicating no meteoritic contribution. The YDB site in Pennsylvania is remarkable in yielding 2- to 5-mm diameter spherules containing minerals such as suessite (Fe-Ni silicide) that form at temperatures in excess of 2000 °C. Gross texture, mineralogy, and age of the spherules appear consistent with their formation as ejecta from an impact 12.9 ka ago. The 187Os/188Os ratios of the spherules and their leachates are often low, but Os in these objects is likely terrestrially derived. The rare earth element patterns and Sr and Nd isotopes of the spherules indicate that their source lies in 1.5-Ga Quebecia terrain in the Grenville Province of northeastern North America.
A systems biology approach identified different regulatory networks targeted by KSHV miR-K12-11 in B cells and endothelial cells

Kaposi’s sarcoma associated herpes virus (KSHV) is associated with tumors of endothelial and lymphoid origin. During latent infection, KSHV expresses miR-K12-11, an ortholog of the human tumor gene hsa-miR-155. Both gene products are microRNAs (miRNAs), which are important post-transcriptional regulators that contribute to tissue specific gene expression. Advances in target identification technologies and molecular interaction databases have allowed a systems biology approach to unravel the gene regulatory networks (GRNs) triggered by miR-K12-11 in endothelial and lymphoid cells. Understanding the tissue specific function of miR-K12-11 will help to elucidate underlying mechanisms of KSHV pathogenesis. Ectopic expression of miR-K12-11 differentially affected gene expression in BJAB cells of lymphoid origin and TIVE cells of endothelial origin. Direct miRNA targeting accounted for a small fraction of the observed transcriptome changes: only 29 genes were identified as putative direct targets of miR-K12-11 in both cell types. However, a number of commonly affected biological pathways, such as carbohydrate metabolism and interferon response related signaling, were revealed by gene ontology analysis. Integration of transcriptome profiling, bioinformatic algorithms, and databases of protein-protein interactome from the ENCODE project identified different nodes of GRNs utilized by miR-K12-11 in a tissue-specific fashion. These effector genes, including cancer associated transcription factors and signaling proteins, amplified the regulatory potential of a single miRNA, from a small set of putative direct targets to a larger set of genes. This is the first comparative analysis of miRNA-K12-11’s effects in endothelial and B cells, from tissues infected with KSHV in vivo. MiR-K12-11 was able to broadly modulate gene expression in both cell types. Using a systems biology approach, we inferred that miR-K12-11 establishes its GRN by both repressing master TFs and influencing signaling pathways, to counter the host anti-viral response and to promote proliferation and survival of infected cells. The targeted GRNs are more reproducible and informative than target gene identification, and our approach can be applied to other regulatory factors of interest.
Coronary heart disease mortality. A community perspective.

A mortality survey was taken in an affluent suburban Maryland community of 250,000. During calendar year 1969, there were 719 recorded deaths for persons aged 35 to 74 years, of which 257 (36%) were due to coronary heart disease (CHD). Fifty-four (21%) of the CHD deaths were certified as occurring elsewhere than in a hospital. One hundred eighty-seven CHD victims reached local medical facilities; of these, 101 (54%) were either dead on arrival or pronounced dead in emergency rooms. Thus, in a minimum of 155 instances or 60% of the total CHD mortality experience, the patients died before receiving definitive medical care. The median patient delay, from onset of symptoms until hospital arrival, for the 66 persons with fatal CHD who were hospitalized locally was 5.6 hours. Public education and mobile and other ancillary medical facilities play a role in reducing premature CHD mortality.
Physical scale modeling to verify energy storage inductor parameters

In the pulse charging and discharging of energy storage inductors, the influence of I2R heating, magnetic diffusion skin depth, and eddy current losses must be evaluated. These effects are not easily treated analytically. To address these problems, the system can be constructed according to governing scaling laws. The performance of the model can then be evaluated and scaled up to predict actual system performance. The scaling laws as applied to a 1O-MJ homopolar generator charging a 2-MJ cryogenic aluminum Brooks coil are presented in this paper. System parameters measured on the scale model are compared to parameters subsequently measured on the full-size equipment.
BREED DIFFERENCES IN THE RESPONSES OF RABBITS TO ATHEROGENIC DIETS

Abstract New Zealand White and Dutch rabbits differ markedly in their susceptibility to induction of both hypercholesteremia and atheroma by diets ranging in cholesterol content from 0.1 to 1.0 %. In rabbits fed 0.25 % cholesterol for 3 months liver biopsies were taken at monthly intervals and used to measure in vitro incorporation of [ 14 C]-acetate into cholesterol. Although serum cholesterol rose slightly in the Dutch and markedly in the New Zealand Whites this level of dietary cholesterol did not influence precursor incorporation into liver cholesterol of either breed, indicating the absence of feedback sensitivity to the levels attained by this feeding regime. Liver cholesterol content increased some 5-fold in both breeds and sexes indicating that initial absorption of the sterol was not different. However, serum cholesterol remained low in the Dutch, especially in the males, suggesting their ability to prevent cholesterol efflux from the liver into the systemic circulation. The decay of endogenously labeled [ 14 C]-cholesterol in plasma tested at the end of 5 months revealed no greater ability of the resistant Dutch rabbits to catabolize and/or excrete cholesterol. In fact, paradoxically, cholesterol-fed males demonstrated greatly increased turnover time in both strains, although due to the small number of animals no precise calculation of this parameter was attempted.
Oscillation and Repetitive Firing in Squid Axons Comparison of experiments with computations

Space-clamped squid axons treated with low calcium and computed Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) axons were stimulated by steps of superthreshold current from 101 to 400% of the rheobasic value over a temperature range of 5–27°C. The natural frequency of sustained repetitive firing of real and computed axons depended weakly upon stimulus intensity and strongly upon temperature, with a Q10 of 2.7 (experimental) and 2.6 (computed). For real axons, but not the computed axon, the intervals between the first two spikes were shorter than between subsequent spikes. Constant spike frequencies from 75 Hz at low intensities and temperatures to 330 Hz at high intensities and temperatures were soon achieved. Subthreshold and superthreshold responses were sometimes intermixed in a train of responses from a real axon responding to a constant step of current, but not predicted by HH. The time interval following a spike was always longer than that following a subthreshold oscillation in slightly decalcified real axons, as Huxley and FitzHugh also found for computed axons. There was a bias toward spikes at the beginning of the train and toward subthreshold responses later on. Some repeated patterns were found, every second, third, or fourth response being a spike. Neither the HH equations nor the computed or experimental threshold behaviors show a critical temperature to support a membrane phase transition.
Energy Efficient Algorithms for the RFID Estimation Problem

RFID has been gaining popularity for inventory control, object tracking, and supply chain management in warehouses, retail stores, hospitals, etc. Periodically and automatically estimating the number of RFID tags deployed in a large area has many important applications in inventory management and theft detection. The prior work focuses on designing time-efficient algorithms that can estimate tens of thousands of tags in seconds. We observe that, for a RFID reader to access tags in a large area, active tags are likely to be used. These tags are batterypowered and use their own energy for information transmission. However, recharging batteries for tens of thousands of tags is laborious. Unlike the prior work, this paper studies the RFID estimation problem from the energy angle. Our goal is to reduce the amount of energy that is consumed by the tags during the estimation procedure. We design several energy-efficient probabilistic algorithms that iteratively refine a control parameter to optimize the information carried in the transmissions from the tags, such that both the number and the size of the transmissions are minimized.
Use of control rules and stability index to maintain an effective SPC system in a high-volume fab

In semiconductor manufacturing there is a requirement to control the production processes in order to safeguard the final product electrical performance and wafer yield. As technology increases the number of photo and metal layers increase and the number of production processes to control increases proportionately. It is very important that engineers have the appropriate level of SPC in place at each process such that an alarm is raised and production stopped if a real process excursion takes place. Over control, on the other hand, can actually induce variation or lead to a situation where processes are often stopped due to false alarms. Too little or too much control is unacceptable and either could lead to failure due to yield busts or high production costs. This paper describes how a robust SPC model can be installed and, just as importantly, maintained, in an environment where few engineers are required to manage thousands of process control charts.
Flow Resistance in Curved Femoral Artery Flow Models of Man for Steady Flow

Etude des flux liquidiens sur un modele d'artere femorale. Simulation du flux en fonction du rayon de courbure
Gallo, Robert Charles

(b. 1937) American scientist who demonstrated the retroviral cause of AIDS. Keywords: AIDS; HIV; retrovirus
Policy pathways, policy networks, and citizen deliberation: Disseminating the results of World Wide Views on Global Warming in the USA

Leading a coalition spanning 38 countries, the Danish Board of Technology organized World Wide Views on Global Warming (WWViews) on September 26, 2009. WWViews represented a pioneering effort to hold simultaneous citizen deliberations focusing on questions of climate change policy addressed at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in December 2009. Sponsors and organizers envisioned WWViews as a means to affect the COP15 negotiations, and the project included numerous strategies to influence policy-making. This paper examines the success of such strategies in the USA through the lens of 'policy pathways,' routes of influence to affect the behavior of policy-makers and policy-making bodies. Our analysis highlights the difficulty of connecting citizen deliberations to meaningful policy pathways, and the importance of recognizing and enlisting policy networks, which we define as the collection of relationships, nodes, or pre-existing organizational ties that can be mobilized in the service of agenda- or alternative-setting. Copyright The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.
EU–Russian Relations and Turkey's Role as an Energy Corridor

Abstract This article analyses the impact of EU–Russian relations on Turkey's role as a corridor for the transit of energy supplies to Europe. While the European Union (EU) has inherent leverage in its collective purchase of most Russian gas exports, market power has shifted in Russia's favour. Russian efforts to build new pipelines and widen downstream access have stimulated EU interest in diversifying energy imports and transit routes. In this sense, the EU has recognised Turkey's potential value as a secure and independent route for importing non-Russian energy supplies, which may in turn have an impact on Turkey's EU accession process.
Elevated myo-inositol in gray matter of recently detoxified but not long-term abstinent alcoholics: a preliminary MR spectroscopy study.

Background: Individuals in short-term abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption commonly have neuropsychological impairments with parallel abnormalities in brain structure. Stable, long-term sobriety often results in improvements in both brain structure and function, although the mechanisms underlying these changes are currently not well understood. Methods: To investigate further the neurobiological underpinnings of alcohol-associated brain abnormalities in short-term and long-term abstinence from alcohol, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (echo time, 35 msec; repetition time, 1.5 sec) was used to assay metabolites in the anterior centrum semiovale, anterior cingulate gyrus, and right thalamus of two groups of non-Korsakoff alcoholic men, at different stages of abstinence, compared with a control group of alcohol-nonabusing men. Absolute concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, choline, myo-inositol, and creatine were measured in four recently detoxified alcoholics (mean age, 48.7 years; median abstinence, 41.5 days), five long-term abstinent alcoholics (mean age, 45.1 years; median abstinence, 1.7 years), and five nonalcoholic controls (mean age, 45.0 years). Results: Although there were no between-group differences in concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, choline, or creatine, recently detoxified alcoholics had significantly higher myo-inositol in the thalamus, compared with controls and long-term abstinent alcoholics, and significantly higher myo-inositol in the anterior cingulate gyrus, compared with the controls. Conclusions: Elevations in myo-inositol in recently detoxified alcoholics are compatible with an acute alcohol cytotoxicity model. myo-Inositol is elevated in hyperosmolar states such as hypernatremia, renal failure, and diabetes; alcohol-induced hyperosmolarity may trigger accumulation of myo-inositol to stabilize the intracellular environment. Increases in myo-inositol may also reflect proliferation or activation of glia. The reduction of myo-inositol to control group levels in long-term abstinent alcoholics may reflect osmolar stability in abstinent alcoholics and/or a reduction in glial cell activation.
Multifocal electroretinography as a function of age: the importance of normative values for older adults.

PURPOSE To determine the influence of age on local electroretinographic responses in humans. METHODS Multifocal electroretinograms (mfERGs) were obtained from 62 normally sighted subjects ranging in age from 21 to 81 years. A stimulus array of 103 scaled hexagons was used to measure electrical signals within a retinal area approximately 46 degrees in diameter. Commonly reported mfERG methods were used to quantify the responses: peak-to-peak amplitudes and implicit times, scalar product amplitude, and amplitude and time scales derived from the algorithm of Hood and Li, published in 1997. RESULTS Regression analysis showed significant linear relationships of amplitude and timing measures with age. The rates of losses were 10.5% per decade for peak-to-peak amplitude, 11.7% per decade for scalar product amplitude, and 9.5% per decade for a-scale. The rate of amplitude reduction was highest in the central 3 degrees. Age had less influence on implicit time measures. The rates of timing losses were 1.4% per decade for the N1 component and 1.0% per decade for both the P1 component and the t-scale measure. Using predicted interval ranges, the age was calculated at which 50% of the expected values would fall below the lower 95% prediction interval band of younger subjects. CONCLUSIONS The age-associated mfERG alterations are presented to emphasize the importance of appropriate normative data in interpretation of mfERGs.
Review of Forensic structural engineering handbook by Robert T. Ratay

The Forensic Structural Engineering Handbook is a compilation of 23 leading experts in the field resulting in a comprehensive guide to forensic structural engineering. Edited by Robert T. Ratay, a well-known structural engineering educator and forensic consultant, the handbook reflects the extensive practical experience of the individuals participating in the writing of this handbook. In addition to serving as the editor, Mr. Ratay also contributed to the depth of coverage of the book by writing the chapter on temporary structures, one of his recognized areas of expertise. A complete listing of the chapter titles and contributing authors is provided at the end of this review. Consisting of over 750 pages, the book is organized into three major parts making up a total of 17 chapters. The handbook is well focused and deals almost exclusively with forensic structural engineering for buildings and public assembly structures such as stadiums and arenas. There are a few minor references and examples of bridge design and other civil engineering infrastructure types of failures. Single family residential construction is not emphasized. However, in keeping with the focus on major structures, several examples of multifamily housing structures are included in various locations throughout the handbook. Numerous examples and failure case studies are presented throughout the book offering not only a historical perspective on specific issues, but many sections also present some form of a ‘‘lessons learned’’ discussion. Most of the failure examples and case history studies are identified or referenced in some form to aid the reader in obtaining more information about the actual failure or a particular class of performance issues.
Why guided when freehand is easier, quicker, and less costly?

Computer-assisted implant planning and subsequent production of a surgical template based on this plan has gained attention because it provides restoratively driven esthetics, patient comfort, satisfaction, and the option of flapless surgery and immediate restoration. However, it adds expense and requires more time. Another significant but not so apparent advantage may be improved survival and success over freehand techniques in types III and IV bone. This retrospective analysis was undertaken to examine that possibility. It reports 1-year outcome for 80 implants in 27 consecutively presenting patients treated over a 7-year period using computer-assisted techniques across all bone qualities in commonly encountered treatment indications in private practice. Implants were placed to support single teeth, small bridges, and complete arch restorations in exposed or immediately restored applications, based on primary stability as determined by insertion torque, resonance frequency analysis, and Periotest. For t...
Gastric atrophy, diagnosing and staging

H. pylori is now accepted as the cause of gastritis and gastritis-associated diseases, such as duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, gastric carcinoma, and gastric MALT lymphoma. The natural history of H. pylori gastritis includes inflammation progressing from the antrum into the adjacent corpus resulting in an atrophic front of advancing injury leading to a reduction in acid secretion and eventual loss of parietal cells and development of atrophy. Sub-typing intestinal metaplasia has no clinical value to the patient, the pathologist, or the endoscopist. The pattern, extent, and severity of atrophy, with or without intestinal metaplasia, is a far more important predictor than is intestinal metaplasia subtype. The challenge remains to identify a reliable marker that relates to pre-malignant potential.
Conflicting processes in the evolution of body size and development time.

Body size and development time of Manduca sexta are both determined by the same set of three developmental–physiological factors. These define a parameter space within which it is possible to analyse and explain how phenotypic change is associated with changes in the underlying factors. Body size and development time are determined by the identical set of underlying factors, so they are not independent, but because the mechanisms by which these factors produce each phenotype are different, the two phenotypes are only weakly correlated, and the correlation is context dependent. We use a mathematical model of this mechanism to explore the association between body size and development time and show that the correlation between these two life-history traits can be positive, zero or negative, depending entirely on where in parameter space a population is located, and on which of the underlying factors has a greater variation. The gradient within this parameter space predicts the unconstrained evolutionary trajectory under directional selection on each trait. Calculations of the gradients for body size and development time revealed that these are nearly orthogonal through much of the parameter space. Therefore, simultaneous directional selection on body size and development time can be neither synergistic nor antagonistic but leads to conflicting selection on the underlying developmental parameters.
Teacher Turnover: Examining Exit Attrition, Teaching Area Transfer, and School Migration

The purposes of this research were to quantify trends in three components of teacher turnover and to investigate claims of excessive teacher turnover as the predominant source of teacher shortages. Attrition and teaching area transfer rates were comparable in special and general education and increased substantially from 1991–1992 to 2000–2001. School migration was stable over years, but higher in special than general education. Although annual turnover was high and increased to 1 in 4 teachers (25.6%) by 2000–2001, teacher attrition was lower than in other occupations. Evidence suggests that retention is unlikely to increase without dramatic improvements in the organization, management, and funding of public schools. Until then, an increased supply of qualified teachers is needed to reduce teacher shortages.
The Circles of Latitude: Adoption and Usage of Location Tracking in Online Social Networking

This paper reports preliminary results of an ongoing ethnographic study of people’s attitudes towards and adoption of Google Latitude, a location-tracking technology for mobile devices. In order to understand barriers to adoption, participants include both users and non-users of Latitude, and those whose usage has dropped off. The report focuses on how participants perceive Latitude to be conceptually situated within the ecology of social networking and communication technologies. Earlier work on user attitudes with regard to location tracking emphasized potential privacy concerns. In our research we also identified privacy concerns, but additionally several other more salient tensions such as adoption trends, social conformance, audience management, and information filtering.
Effects of Sample Preparation and Interpretation of Thermogravimetric Curves on Calcium Hydroxide in Hydrated Pastes and Mortars

Calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] is one of the major constituents of hydrated portland cement paste. Its content can be used to trace the progress of cement hydration or serve as an indicator of the extent of pozzolanic reaction. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) method is often used to determine the Ca(OH)2 content because it is a relatively easy and fast procedure. However, no universally accepted method exists for the preparation of TGA specimens and for the interpretation of the resulting TGA curves. This paper presents an investigation on the contents of Ca(OH)2 in samples subjected to different preparation techniques. The results showed that a certain amount of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was produced as a result of carbonation during the sample preparation process. The degree of carbonation was dependent on the sample preparation, and carbonated Ca(OH)2 was considered to determine the accurate total Ca(OH)2 content. In addition, a modified interpretation of the TGA curve for Ca(OH)2 was suggested. In t...
A Critique of Recent Models for the Improvement of Education in Developing Countries

Several models that have been designed in the last two decades for improving formal and nonformal education in developing countries are described and critiqued. The critique employs a variation of Wallace's culture change model as applied by Hutchens in assessing the education of women in Cuba. A model for evaluating educational programs for development is proposed.
Image denoising using total least squares

In this paper, we present a method for removing noise from digital images corrupted with additive, multiplicative, and mixed noise. An image patch from an ideal image is modeled as a linear combination of image patches from the noisy image. We propose to fit this model to the real-world image data in the total least square (TLS) sense, because the TLS formulation allows us to take into account the uncertainties in the measured data. We develop a method to reduce the contribution from the irrelevant image patches, which will sharpen the edges and reduce edge artifacts at the same time. Although the proposed algorithm is computationally demanding, the image quality of the output image demonstrates the effectiveness of the TLS algorithms
Differential scanning calorimetry analysis of morphological changes in segmented elastomers

Investigations of morphological changes which are induced in segmented elastomers by annealing and quenching are reported. Four different polymers were studied each based on the same soft segment—1000 or 2000 molecular weight poly(tetramethylene oxide). The hard segments were 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) chain extended with 1,4-butane diol (ET series), piperazine coupled with 1,4-butane diol bischloroformate (BN-1,4), or dimethyl terephthalate condensed with 1,4-butane diol (H-50). Following annealing at various temperatures (120, 150, 170, or 190°C), the polymers were quenched to ambient conditions, and their properties measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as a function of time following the quench. DSC measurements taken immediately after the quench show that the soft segment Tg is higher than that of the control, suggesting that the applied thermal history promoted increased mixing of hard and soft segments. As time passes after quenching, the Tg values decrease and approach an equilibrium value. This effect is much smaller for those samples having crystalline hard segments. Endotherms attributed to the disruption of long range ordering in the hard segment domains resulted from the annealing process. These endotherms appeared at higher temperatures for higher annealing temperatures. The positions of crystalline melting endotherms were independent of the annealing/quenching conditions investigated.
A programming package for the calculation of cross-sections and probabilities for charge-exchange processes

Title of program: IPFVAIJ No. of bits in a word: 32 Catalogue number: ACRP Overlay structure: None Program obtainable from: CPCProgram Library, Queen~s No. of magnetic tapesrequired: 2 (cardsor magnetic disk University ofBelfast, N. Ireland (see application form in this may be used instead) issue) Otherperipherals used: Cardreader; lineprinter;magneticdisk Computer: IBM 360/65; Installation: University of Nebraska (cardsoptional) Operating system: HASP/OS 360 MVT No. of cards in combinedprogram and test deck: 1031 Programming language used: FORTRAN Card punching code: EBCDIC High speed storage required: 23000 words
Channel estimation for non-ideal OFDM systems

Studies of channel estimation techniques for OFDM systems often assume idealized conditions such as a cyclic prefix (CP) long enough to absorb the entire channel delay spread, or perfect time and frequency synchronization at the receiver. This paper studies the impact of removing these assumptions. We characterize the mean square error (MSE) of various linear channel estimation methods, and we derive analytical expressions for the BER performance. The derivations are kept generic so that they apply to both time-division and frequency-division multiplexing of the pilot signal and the data subcarriers. The analysis is specialized to the BER performance characterization of OFDM-based UWB systems for different realistic channel estimation methods with residual time and frequency errors. The effect of inter-carrier interference (ICI) on channel estimation is shown to be small. However, inter-symbol interference (ISI) severely impacts the quality of the channel estimates and hence can yield a large (>2 dB) data demodulation performance degradation.
A new dual scheme for genetic algorithm in dynamic environments

Dynamic optimization problems are receiving increasing attention from evolutionary algorithm community due to their general occurrences in the real world inspired by the permutation in group theory, a permutation-based dual scheme is introduced into genetic algorithm in order to improve its capability of addressing dynamic order-coding problems. Furthermore, a learning strategy is also developed to tune up the effect of dual scheme. The experimental results over dynamic flow shop problems could indicate the efficiency of the new dual scheme for genetic algorithm in dynamic environments.
Aquaporin-2 Inhibitors: Fishing in the Chemical Pool

The critical contribution of aquaporin-2 (AQP) to water homeostasis in mammals is highlighted by the severe concentrating defects seen in humans with mutations in the AQP2 gene and in mice that are AQP2 null or have loss-of-function mutations in AQP2 .[1][1],[2][2] The role of the antidiuretic
Optimum design of an exponential line transformer for wide-band matching at low frequencies

The optimum matching characteristics of an exponential line transformer for wide-band matching at low frequencies are given. From these, the information necessary for design of such transformers is derived and presented in a graphical form.
Fitting Functions to Data in High Dimensional Design Space

One approach to rapidly exploring large design spaces is to evaluate the performance of a small number of representative points in the space, then based on those points, construct an approximation to the response over a region of interest. Linear, piecewise linear, quadratic and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) models are fit to an example 5-dimensional data set representative of information available in preliminary engineering design. When the number of data points representing a high-dimensional response is small, all of the approximation models appear to perform nearly equally.
b-bit Marginal Regression

We consider the problem of sparse signal recovery from m linear measurements quantized to b bits. b-bit Marginal Regression is proposed as recovery algorithm. We study the question of choosing b in the setting of a given budget of bits B = m · b and derive a single easy-to-compute expression characterizing the trade-off between m and b. The choice b = 1 turns out to be optimal for estimating the unit vector corresponding to the signal for any level of additive Gaussian noise before quantization as well as for adversarial noise. For b ≥ 2, we show that Lloyd-Max quantization constitutes an optimal quantization scheme and that the norm of the signal can be estimated consistently by maximum likelihood by extending [15].
INHIBITION OF PROLINE-C14 INCORPORATION INTO RAT LIVER RIBOSOMES BY THIAZOLIDINE-4-CARBOXYLIC ACID IN A CELL-FREE SYSTEM.

SummaryThiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TZCA) was used to inhibit the incorporation of proline into rat liver ribosomes in a cell-free system. It was found that TZCA was incorporated into ribosomes via a pathway similar to that of proline. The coding polynucleotide for this incorporation was a homo-polymer of cytidine. t-RNA-TZCA-S35 was also isolated, and this presented further evidence that TZCA-S35 was incorporated into ribosomes following the formation of t-RNA-TZCA-S35. Hence, these experiments show that TZCA may be used as a competitive inhibitor to the incorporation of proline into ribosomes in a cell-free system.
An Illusory Consensus behind GMO Health Assessment

Prominent scientists and policymakers assert with confidence that there is no scientific controversy over the health effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)—that genetically modified crops...
Realizing Ultra-Massive MIMO (1024×1024) communication in the (0.06–10) Terahertz band

Abstract The increasing demand for higher bandwidth and higher speed wireless communication motivates the exploration of higher frequency bands. The Terahertz (THz) band (0.06–10 THz) is envisioned as one of the key players to meet the demand for such higher bandwidth and data rates. However, the available bandwidth at THz frequencies comes with the cost of a much higher propagation loss. Due to the power limitations of compact solid-state THz transceivers, this results in very short communication distances of approximately one meter. In this paper, the concept of Ultra-Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (UM MIMO) communication is introduced as a way to increase the communication distance and the achievable capacity of THz-band communication networks. The very small size of THz plasmonic nano-antennas, which leverage the properties of nanomaterials and metamaterials, enables the development of very large plasmonic arrays in very small footprints. For frequencies in the 0.06–1 THz range, metamaterials enable the design of plasmonic antenna arrays with hundreds of elements in a few square centimeters (e.g., 144 elements in 1 cm 2 at 60 GHz). In the 1–10 THz band, graphene-based plasmonic nano-antenna arrays with thousands of elements can be embedded in a few square millimeters (e.g., 1024 elements in 1 mm 2 at 1 THz). The resulting arrays can be utilized both in transmission and in reception (e.g., 1024 × 1024 UM MIMO at 1 THz) to support different modes, from razor-sharp UM beamforming to UM spatial multiplexing, as well as multi-band communication schemes. After introducing the main properties of plasmonic nano-antenna arrays, the working modes of UM MIMO are presented, and preliminary results are provided to highlight the potential of this paradigm. Finally, open challenges and potential solutions to enable UM MIMO communication are described.
A continuous veno-venous hemofiltration protocol with anticoagulant citrate dextrose formula A and a calcium-containing replacement fluid.

IntroductionRegional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) is used as an anticoagulant for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). A systemic calcium (Ca2+) infusion is required to replace Ca2+ lost i...
Abstract 588: Silencing of MnSOD attenuates ATRA-induced neurofilament expression in neuroblastoma cells

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Differentiation therapy with retinoids is a means to treat high-risk neuroblastoma patients when the tumor has recurred after initial attempts of removal by surgery, radiation, and/ or chemotherapy. A metabolite of Vitamin A, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is the main signaling retinoid in vivo and one of the most potent differentiation inducers for human neuroblastoma in vitro. Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is a mitochondrial enzyme that converts the superoxide anion to hydrogen peroxide. Previously we have reported that ATRA increased MnSOD expression and activity in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells. However, our current study suggests that this upregulation may limit the ability of ATRA to induce differentiation. Treatment with ATRA upregulated the expression of neurofilament (an early marker of neuronal differentiation) as early as 48 hrs. Although MnSOD activity was not significantly increased by ATRA until 72 hrs, silencing of the MnSOD gene with siRNA enhanced neurofilament expression over that of cells infected with a control siRNA construct at 48 hrs. This suggests that even basal levels of MnSOD activity can attenuate an early marker of differentiation. We also demonstrated that ATRA decreased catalase expression and increased dichlorofluoroscein fluorescence, suggesting an increase in hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, these data suggest that rather than being scavenged by catalase, hydrogen peroxide may remain present in the cell after ATRA treatment to also limit the differentiation potential of the cells. Taken together, it is apparent that the alteration of redox status by retinoids may contribute to the modulation of genes which are involved in differentiation. (Funding: Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence 1P20RR020180 (KKK) and 5P20RR016477; WV-INBRE 5P20RR016477; WV-NASA 91-175B). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 588. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-588
Infectious diseases in children with cancer

Developments in anticancer therapy and more effective supportive measures during the past two decades have lengthened the life expectancy of children with several types of cancer. As these patients with altered host defenses live longer, they become infected with organisms that until recently were of rare concern. A variety of these infections are described and illustrated.