cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adverse Events of Pharmacologic Treatments of Major Depression in Older Adults.

What are the adverse events of antidepressants prescribed to treat major depressive disorder in adults 65 years and older?
Few-Shot Sound Event Detection

Locating perceptually similar sound events within a continuous recording is a common task for various audio applications. However, current tools require users to manually listen to and label all the locations of the sound events of interest, which is tedious and time-consuming. In this work, we (1) adapt state-of-the-art metric-based few-shot learning methods to automate the detection of similar-sounding events, requiring only one or few examples of the target event, (2) develop a method to automatically construct a partial set of labeled examples (negative samples) to reduce user labeling effort, and (3) develop an inference-time data augmentation method to increase detection accuracy. To validate our approach, we perform extensive comparative analysis of few-shot learning methods for the task of keyword detection in speech. We show that our approach successfully adapts closed-set few-shot learning approaches to an open-set sound event detection problem.
Laser diode coherence

We use a Michelson interferometer to explore the spectroscopic properties of laser diode emission over a wide range of operational conditions. By studying how the interferogram changes with drive current, we demonstrate the relationship between coherence length and spectral bandwidth. At low injection current, the laser source operates more like an ordinary light-emitting diode (LED), generating a relatively broad spectrum with short coherence length. In contrast, when the drive current exceeds the single-mode lasing threshold, we obtain a steady sinusoidal interferogram throughout the movable mirror scanning range, indicative of monochromatic light. At intermediate injection, we observe a beating pattern due to the presence of multiple longitudinal lasing modes. We verify that the beat distance, or optical travel between beats, is consistent with the spectrally validated mode spacing.
A Tutorial on PES Pareto Methods for Analysis of Noise Propagation in Feedback Loops

This paper represents a tutorial on the so called PES Pareto methodology of analyzing the sources of noise in a feedback loop. Originally conceived for analyzing noise contributors in magnetic hard disk drives, the method provides a means of systematically identifying uncertainty contributors to a servo loop. Once identified and ranked according to their overall effect on the error and output signals, the top ranking sources can be worked on first, either by finding ways to reduce their magnitude or by altering system components to reduce sensitivity to the the noise contributors. The PES Pareto Method is based on three ideas: (1) an understanding of how Bode's Integral Theorem applies to servo system noise measurements, (2) a measurement methodology that allows for the isolation of individual noise sources, and (3) a system model that allows these sources to be recombined to simulate the servo loop's error signal. The method requires the measurement of frequency response functions and output power spectra for each servo system element. Each input noise spectrum can then be inferred and applied to the closed loop model to determine its effect on error signal uncertainty. The PES Pareto Method is illustrated by decomposing PES signals that were obtained from a hard disk drive manufactured by Hewlett-Packard Company in the mid 1990s. However, beyond this old lab data, the method should be applicable to a wide variety of control loops.
Protein concentration effect on protein-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding and endotoxin removal

It is known some proteins can disaggregate endotoxins and form complexes with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Nevertheless, how protein concentration affects protein-LPS binding and endotoxin removal is unknown. In this study, protein samples at various concentrations were incubated with endotoxin samples at a fixed concentration. The mixtures were filtered by ultrafiltration membranes. As protein concentration increased, the amount of endotoxin detected in the filtrates increased too. This result indicates protein concentration has significant effect on protein-LPS binding and the amount of endotoxin disaggregated.
Quantizer design for switched linear systems with minimal data-rate

In this paper, we present a quantization scheme that reconstructs the state of switched linear systems with a prescribed exponential decaying rate for the state estimation error. We show how to use the Lyapunov exponents and a geometric object called Oseledets' filtration to design such a quantization scheme. Then, we prove that this algorithm works at an average data-rate close to the estimation entropy of the given system. Furthermore, we can choose the average data-rate to be arbitrarily close to the estimation entropy whenever the switched linear system has the so-called regularity property. We show that, under the regularity assumption, the quantization scheme is completely causal in the sense that it only depends on information that is available at the current time instant. Finally, we present simulation results for a Markov Jump Linear System, a class of systems for which the realizations are known to be regular with probability 1.
Bi2O3 nano-flakes as a cost-effective antibacterial agent

Bismuth oxide is an important bismuth compound having applications in electronics, photo-catalysis and medicine. At the nanoscale, bismuth oxide experiences a variety of new physico-chemical properties because of its increased surface to volume ratio leading to potentially new applications. In this manuscript, we report for the very first time the synthesis of bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) nano-flakes by pulsed laser ablation in liquids without any external assistance (no acoustic, electric field, or magnetic field). The synthesis was performed by irradiating, pure bismuth needles immerged in de-ionized water, at very high fluence ∼160 J cm−2 in order to be highly selective and only promote the growth of two-dimensional structures. The x- and y-dimensions of the flakes were around 1 μm in size while their thickness was 47.0 ± 12.7 nm as confirmed by AFM analysis. The flakes were confirmed to be α- and γ-Bi2O3 by SAED and Raman spectroscopy. By using this mixture of flakes, we demonstrated that the nanostructures can be used as antimicrobial agents, achieving a complete inhibition of Gram positive (MSRA) and Gram negative bacteria (MDR-EC) at low concentration, ∼50 ppm.
Chemotherapy completion rate for locally advanced rectal cancer at a safety-net hospital.

e15597Background: Patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) typically receive chemoradiation prior to surgery, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (standard). Recently there has been a grow...
Photoacoustic-guided endovenous laser ablation: Characterization and in vivo canine study.

Abstract Endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure, often guided by ultrasound (US) imaging, for treating venous insufficiencies. US imaging limitations in accurately visualizing the catheter and the lack of a temperature monitoring system can lead to sub-optimal outcomes. An integrated photoacoustic (PA)-guided EVLA system has been previously developed and reported to overcome the shortcomings of US-guided procedure. In this study, we further characterized the system and tested the in vivo utility. In addition, PA thermometry was further explored by compensating the variation of PA signal with temperature with respect to the temperature-dependent absorption of blood and water. In vivo imaging results indicated that the PA-guided EVLA system can provide high contrast and accurate images of the ablation catheter tip overlaid on US images of the background tissue. Additionally, absorption-compensated PA signal amplitudes over a relevant range of temperature were measured and demonstrated.
Delineation of the etiology of a mass-like echo density in the left ventricle using three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography.

Live/real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (3DTTE) provides an incremental value in the delineation of various cardiac pathologies. In this study, two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2DTTE) of a 56-year-old patient showing a prominent echo density suggestive of a mass in the left ventricle probably attached to the ventricular side of the anterior mitral leaflet, is reported. Systematic cropping of the 3DTTE dataset showed the mass to be a calcified mitral strut chord viewed in cross section. This is well visualized in the accompanying movie clip. This case highlights the advantage of 3DTTE in which the whole of the ventricle including the mitral valve apparatus is captured in the dataset facilitating cropping at any desired angulation. (Echocardiography 2012;29:502-504)
Irrelevant attributes and imbalanced classes in multi-label text-categorization domains

An interesting issue in machine learning is induction in multi-label domains where each example can be labeled with two or more classes at the same time. In a work focusing on text categorization, we followed the most commonly used approach and induced a binary classifier for each class. Analyzing the results, we noticed that performance had been impaired by two factors. First, in text domains, each class is characterized by a different set of attributes; an appropriate attribute-selection technique thus has to be applied separately to each of them. Second, the individual classes often have to be induced from imbalanced training sets, a circumstance we addressed here by majority-class undersampling. The paper provides details of the induction system and reports the results of systematic experimentation.
A background calibration scheme for pipelined ADCs including non-linear operational amplifier gain and reference error correction

This paper presents a background noninvasive true calibration technique to correct for nonidealities in pipelined analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Pipelined ADC suffers from finite nonlinear gain in amplifiers, ratio mismatch in capacitors, and errors in voltage references. Most calibration schemes do not account for reference voltage errors or nonlinearity in amplifiers, which introduce severe distortion in pipelined ADCs designed in a deep-submicron and nanometer-scale digital CMOS process. The proposed digital calibration scheme uses an insignificant, low-speed, low-power, high-resolution sigma-delta ADC to estimate a set of digital error-correction parameters in background using an adaptive LMS algorithm. The technique is shown to correct all static errors within a single framework - finite amplifier gain, capacitor ratio mismatch, voltage reference errors and amplifier nonlinearity. The scheme is demonstrated for a 14-bit A/D converter intended for speeds higher than 100Msample/s.
Changing conceptual ecologies with task-structured science curricula

There is currently a great deal of interest in science curricula in which student learning is organized around a single overarching task. One claim is that this approach can lead to a better understanding of scientific content, where content is understood in its original, narrow sense. As researchers, we would like to know if these claims about student content learning actually hold. Ideally, we would be able to map out students' changing conceptual ecologies. However, such work is theoretically and methodologically difficult. To make this task feasible, we focus on the recurrent functional patterns of knowledge, which we refer to as modes. Using "mode-sensitive" clinical interviews with middle school students working with the "I, Bio" curriculum, we demonstrate how analysis at the level of modes can capture the landscape of a conceptual ecology, and provide a language for describing the broad sweep of conceptual changes that result from task-structured instruction.
Physicochemical correlation between amino acid sites in short sequences under selective pressure

The activities and properties of proteins are the result of interactionsamong their constitutive amino acids. In the course of natural selection, substitutionswhich tend to destabilize a particular structure may be compensated byother substitutions which confer stability to that structure. Patterns of coordinatedsubstitutions were studied in two sets of selected peptides. The first is aset of 181 amino acid sequences that were selected in vitro to bind a MHC classI molecule (Kb). The second is a set of 114 sequences of the Hypervariable Region1 of Hepatitis C virus, which, originating from infected patients, resultfrom natural selection in vivo. The patterns of coordinated substitutions in bothdatasets showed many significant structural and functional links between pairsof positions and conservation of specific selected physicochemical properties.
A Logical Approach to Factoring Belief Networks.

We have recently proposed a tractable logical form, known as deterministic, decomposable negation normal form (d-DNNF). We have shown that d-DNNF supports a number of logical operations in polynomial time, including clausal entailment, model counting, model enumeration, model minimization, and probabilistic equivalence testing. In this paper, we discuss another major application of this logical form: the implementation of multi-linear functions (of exponential size) using arithmetic circuits (that are not necessarily exponential). Specifically, we show that each multi–linear function can be encoded using a propositional theory, and that each d-DNNF of the theory corresponds to an arithmetic circuit that implements the encoded multi–linear function. We discuss the application of these results to factoring belief networks, which can be viewed as multi–linear functions as has been shown recently. We discuss the merits of the proposed approach for factoring belief networks, and present experimental results showing how it can handle efficiently belief networks that are intractable to structure–based methods for probabilistic inference.
Perpendicular propagation of magnetosonic waves

[1] Azimuthal and radial propagation characteristics of perpendicularly propagating fast magnetosonic waves in an axis-symmetrical medium with the presence of plasmapause is investigated analytically based on Snell's law. We find thatQ = nr sin ψ is conserved during the propagation, where n is wave refractive index, ris geo-centered distance, andψ is wave azimuthal angle with zero pointing radially outward. The radial range of wave propagation can be determined by comparing Q and the radial profile of nr.Trapped waves, which are bounded in a narrow radial range but migrate azimuthally and even circularly, are identified inside the plasmapause over a broad range of wave azimuthal angles and over a broad range of wave frequencies from the proton gyrofrequency to the lower hybrid resonance frequency. In contrast untrapped waves launched inside and outside the plasmasphere can travel azimuthally 0–4 hrs and 0–7 hrs in local times respectively. The substantial radial and azimuthal propagation may account for the presence of magnetosonic waves away from the source region.
Incorporating safety into transportation planning for small and medium-sized communities

The City of Ames, in Iowa is a typical small-sized urban area. In 2008, the city had an estimated population of 56,500 and covered an area of 21.6 square miles. In 2003, the Ames Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) was designated with a planning area of 36 square miles. Ames hosts Iowa State University with an enrollment of 27,900 as of Fall 2009. During the period 20022008, on average 1,000 traffic crashes (of property damage over $1,000 worth) occurred. To meet the requirement of future development and solve the transportation problem facing today, city planners and engineers are seeking additional ways to explicitly consider safety in the transportation planning process. Historically, the approach to safety problem identification and mitigation has been reactive; ―black spots or hot spots‖ have been identified by ranking locations based on the crash frequency and severity, mainly at the corridor-level and without considering the exposure rate (vehicle miles traveled) and socio-demographics of the study area. To address safety in planning process, a larger study analysis area at the Transportation Analysis Zone (TAZ) level or the network planning-level should be used to address the needs of development of the community in the future and incorporate safety into long-range transportation planning process. This thesis examines how existing planning models (for example, the PLANSAFE models presented in NCHRP Report 546) can be used for forecasting safety in the future in small and medium-sized communities, due to changes in socio-demographics, traffic demand, road network and countermeasures. The thesis also evaluates the applicability of the Empirical Bayes (EB) method to network-level analysis for small planning areas. Finally, application of US Road Assessment Program (usRAP) protocols at the local urban road network is investigated. It is anticipated that incorporating safety methods into the long-range transportation planning process can assist city decision-makers in setting and monitoring progress towards transportation safety goals.
Market Segmentation and the 'Hump-Shaped' Response of Output to Monetary Policy Shocks

In the data, after a contractionary monetary policy shock aggregate output decreases over time, with a trough after four to eight quarters. This paper replicates the ‘hump-shaped’ response of output with a segmented markets model where part of the households are excluded from flnancial markets. A contractionary monetary policy shock is modeled as an unanticipated increase in the short-term nominal interest rate. Since households and flrms need cash-in-advance to purchase consumption and hire labor, an increase in the nominal interest rate discourages the households’ consumption demand and labor supply, and the flrms’ labor demand. In a benchmark full participation model, the efiect is strongest in the impact period, and decays over time. When markets are segmented, however, the shock has an additional liquidity efiect, increasing the real interest rate above fundamentals, and decreasing the growth rate of the participants’ labor supply. As a result, the response of the aggregate labor and output has a trough several quarters after the shock. The model is able to replicate the sign, the magnitude and the persistence of the responses of output, money, prices and interest rates. It can generate a positive response of the real interest rate together with a negative response of the output growth rate.
Heat capacities, standard entropies and Gibbs energies of Sr-, Rb- and Cs-substituted barium aluminotitanate hollandites

Abstract Heat capacities of Sr-, Rb-, and Cs-hollandite with the compositions Ba1.14Sr0.10Al2.38Ti5.59O16, Ba1.17Rb0.19Al2.46Ti5.53O16, and Ba1.18Cs0.21Al2.44Ti5.53O16 were measured from T = (2 to 300) K using a Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS). From the heat capacity results, the following thermodynamic parameters have been determined. The characteristic Debye temperatures ΘD over the temperature range (30 to 300) K of Sr-, Rb-, and Cs-hollandite are T = (178.2, 189.7, and 189.2) K, respectively, and their standard entropies at T = 298.15 K are (413.9 ± 8.3), (415.1 ± 8.3), and (419.6 ± 8.4) J · K−1 · mol−1. Combined with previously reported formation enthalpies, their corresponding Gibbs energies of formation from oxides (ΔfGox°) are (−194.9 ± 11.4), (−195.0 ± 12.8), and (−201.1 ± 12.8) kJ · mol−1, and those from elements (ΔfGel°) are (−7694.6 ± 12.5), (−7697.0 ± 13.9), and (−7697.1 ± 13.9) kJ · mol−1 at T = 298.15 K. The similarities among the obtained ΔfGox° values suggest that the three substituted hollandites have similar thermodynamic stabilities at standard conditions, which is in agreement with the ease of Cs–Rb–Sr substitutions in the hollandite structure.
SONGS OF CHIWESHE AND SONGS OF ZIMBABWE

I am , I have my story I want relayed through the wireless. I was married to a wife at in 1927 till 1950, but this wife went away with some one of no importance. I had three children with this wife, though one died whilst in Standard IV at School. This wife wronged me by deceiving me that she wanted leave for two weeks. She then went for good to her home where she got married to and the name of the wife is .l
Making Enzymatic Methods Optimum for Measuring Compounds with a Kinetic Analyzer

Kinetic enzymatic methods for analysis of substrates can be made optimum for a sensitive photometric analyzer by adjusting the activity of the triggering (catalyzing) enzyme so that the reaction rate is maximum at the time of measurement. At this optimum activity, the exponential time constant for exhaustion of substrate equals the time between triggering and rate measurement. The scale factor (defined as measured activity divided by sample concentration in the reaction mixture) is the same for all tests. Sensitivity to substrate concentration is predictable from instrumental absorbance uncertainty and molar absorptivity of the absorbing species. These predictions from Michaelis theory were verified experimentally for pyruvate and lactate triggered with lactate dehydrogenase, for glucose triggered with hexokinase, and for triglycerides triggered with glycerol kinase, the reaction rate being measured 30 s after triggering. Sensitivities of 1.5 x 10-7 mol/ liter were achieved. Serum diluted 1000-fold and analyzed for glucose gave a repeatability of 25 mg/liter with linearity to 4.0 g/liter. Samples diluted 300-fold and analyzed for triglycerides gave 30 mg/liter repeatability, with linearity to concentrations exceeding 3.0 g/liter.
Variation in age composition among colony sizes in Cliff Swallows

Variation in group size is characteristic of most social species. The extent to which individuals sort among group sizes based on age may yield insight into why groups vary in size and the age-specific costs and benefits of different social environments. We investigated the age composition of Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) colonies of different sizes over 18 years at a long-term study site in western Nebraska, USA. Using years elapsed since banding as a relative measure of age for over 194,000 birds, we found that the proportion of age-class-1 swallows (birds banded as nestlings or juveniles or adults in the year of banding) of both sexes increased in larger colonies and at colony sites becoming active later in the summer. Age composition was unrelated to how often a particular colony site was used. The effect of colony size most likely reflected the fact that older birds return to the same colony site in successive years even when the colony size there decreases, and that yearlings and immigrants benefit more from larger colonies than do older, more experienced individuals. The date effect probably resulted in part from later spring arrival by younger and/or immigrant swallows. At fumigated sites where ectoparasitic swallow bugs (Oeciacus vicarius) had been removed, age composition did not vary with either colony size or colony initiation date. The patterns reported here appear to be driven partially by the presence of ectoparasites and suggest that the hematophagous bugs influence variation in Cliff Swallow group composition. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that variation in colony size reflects, in part, age-based sorting of individuals among groups.
Left-handed Z-DNA is induced by supercoiling in physiological ionic conditions

In physiological ionic conditions (200mM NaCl), the (dC–dG)16 and (dC–dG)13 blocks in plasmid pRW751 are in a left-handed state when the negative superhelical density of the plasmid is greater than 0.072. As the salt concentration decreases or when (dmC–dG) sequences are present, less negative supercoiling is required to induce the right- to left-handed DNA transition. Furthermore, the single strand-specific nuclease, S1, recognizes and cleaves aberrant structural features at the junction between neighbouring right- and left-handed DNA regions.
TeleSpeech Therapy Pilot Project: Stakeholder Satisfaction

This pilot study of a school-based telepractice pilot project in a rural, remote county of North Carolina investigated the satisfaction of parents/caregivers, teachers, and administrators with a year-long telespeech therapy program delivered by a university clinic. Upon completion of the almost year-long project, a satisfaction survey incorporating a 5-point equal-appearing Likert scale (1= strongly disagree; 5= strongly agree) was disseminated to the stakeholders. The results were sorted by the three populations surveyed and indicated stakeholder satisfaction with student progress toward their speech and language goals, and clinician accessibility and responsiveness (mean ratings > 4 points). The respondents (N=23) also indicated they would “recommend TeleSpeech Therapy to other school districts” (mean rating: 4.3). The only mean rating below 4.0 was associated with teacher responses to the statement: “My expectations for the TeleSpeech Therapy program have been met” (mean rating: 3.92). Overall, parents/caregivers, teachers, and administrators appeared to find telepractice a satisfactory service delivery model for school-based speech-language therapy.
Orbital resonances in the chemisorption of oxygen on an aluminum (100) surface

Abstract Results of extensive Xα cluster model calculations are presented. Clusters of 5, 9 and 25 atoms representing a (100) surface of aluminum have been used to study the chemisorption of oxygen atoms. For oxygen atoms incorporated in the surface layer, the present calculations predict structure in the electronic density of states, attributable to O 2p character, at ≈ 3.5, 7.0 and 9.5 eV below the Fermi level. Comparisons with other theoretical work as well as recent photoemission experiments are made.
Radio tomographic imaging and tracking of stationary and moving people via kernel distance

Network radio frequency (RF) environment sensing (NRES) systems pinpoint and track people in buildings using changes in the signal strength measurements made by a wireless sensor network. It has been shown that such systems can locate people who do not participate in the system by wearing any radio device, even through walls, because of the changes that moving people cause to the static wireless sensor network. However, many such systems cannot locate stationary people. We present and evaluate a system which can locate stationary or moving people, without calibration, by using kernel distance to quantify the difference between two histograms of signal strength measurements. From five experiments, we show that our kernel distance-based radio tomographic localization system performs better than the state-of-the-art NRES systems in different non line-of-sight environments.
Contextualism and conceptual disambiguation

I distinguish between Old Contextualism, New Contextualism, and the Multiple Concepts Theory. I argue that Old Contextualism cannot handle the following three problems: (i) the disquotational paradox, (ii) upward pressure resistance, (iii) inability to avoid the acceptance of skeptical conclusions. New Contextualism, in contrast, can avoid these problems. However, since New Contextualism appears to be a semanticized mirror image of MCT, it remains unclear whether it is in fact a genuine version of contextualism.
QTL Architecture of Resistance and Tolerance Traits in Arabidopsis Thaliana in Natural Environments

Quantitative-genetic approaches have offered significant insights into phenotypic evolution. However, quantitative-genetic analyses fail to provide information about the evolutionary relevance of specific loci. One complex and ecologically relevant trait for plants is their resistance to herbivory because natural enemies can impose significant damage. To illustrate the insights of combined molecular and ecological research, we present the results of a field study mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance and tolerance to natural rabbit herbivory in the genetic model, Arabidopsis thaliana. Replicates of the Ler x Col recombinant inbred lines were planted into field sites simulating natural autumn and spring seasonal germination cohorts. Shortly after flowering, herbivores removed the main flowering inflorescence (apical meristem). We found several main-effect QTL for resistance within each seasonal cohort and significant QTL-season interactions, demonstrating that the loci underlying resistance to a single herbivore differ across seasonal environments. The presence of QTL x environment also shows that variation at specific loci is only available to selection in some environments. Despite significant among-line variance components, no QTL for tolerance were detected. The combined results of the quantitative-genetic and QTL analyses demonstrate that many loci of small effect underlie tolerance to damage by rabbits, and counter the hypothesis of locus-specific tradeoffs between resistance and tolerance. The results also provide insights as to the locus-specific nature of evolutionary constraints, i.e. some loci influence flowering time and resistance in both seasonal cohorts. Our results show how linking molecular-genetic tools with field studies in ecologically relevant settings can clarify the role of specific loci in the evolution of quantitative traits.
Innovative Care Delivery Model to Address Obesity in Older African-American Women: Senior Wellness Initiative and Take Off Pounds Sensibly Collaboration for Health (SWITCH)

Objectives: To determine the feasibility and acceptability of integrating Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), a national nonprofit weight-loss program through which people have lost a clinically significant amount of weight, into a community program that serves African Americans (AAs) and to determine weight change. Design: Single-group pilot design. Setting: Denver, Colorado. Participants: Community-dwelling participants aged 51 to 85. Intervention: Participants were recruited through a program that serves AAs, and new TOPS chapters were started at a church, senior center, and senior residence for independent living. Measurements: Feasibility was measured by determining the ease of recruitment and acceptability was measured according to retention. The secondary outcome was weight change. Results: Sixty-four percent of people who were referred to the program or attended an information session participated in the study. The retention rate at 52 weeks was 79%. At 52 weeks, 16 of 48 participants had lost 5% or more of their initial weight, and 23 had lost 0% to 4.9% of their initial weight. Conclusions: Recruiting AA women through the Center for African American Health was feasible, and the program was acceptable. One-third of participants lost a clinically significant amount of weight. TOPS may be one way to combat the health disparity of obesity in AA women.
Bacterial second messengers, cGMP and c‐di‐GMP, in a quest for regulatory dominance

Bacteria and eukaryotes differ in the organization of their key signal-transduction pathways but share certain signalling components, including cyclic nucleotide second messengers. In this issue, a paper by British, Irish and Taiwanese scientists (An et al, 2013) describes a signaltransduction pathway that regulates virulence and biofilm formation in the bacterial plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris. Remarkably, this pathway involves a cascade of two nucleotide second messengers, with cyclic GMP (cGMP), a typically eukaryotic messenger, directly regulating synthesis of cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP), a ubiquitous bacterial messenger. This study broadens the scope of cGMP-regulated processes in bacteria, offers structural insights into cGMP binding by bacterial cGMP receptors, and expands the range of bacteria using cGMP in signal transduction. Such multi-level regulatory cascades may well function in other organisms. In higher eukaryotes, cAMP and cGMP are important second messengers that mediate effects of light, nitric oxide, hormones and other signals to regulate vision, muscle contraction, vasodilatory effects, sleep, memory and various other functions, see, for example, Beavo and Brunton (2002). Over the last half of a century, studies of cAMP- and cGMPrelated systems have been rewarded with six Nobel prizes in Physiology or Medicine and one in Chemistry. In all eukaryotes, synthesis of cAMP and cGMP is catalysed by similar enzymes that belong to the class III adenylate/ guanylate cyclase family (PF00211 in the Pfam database,
World's Fastest Modeling Job, or Information Architecture: What Is It? The Multidisciplinary Adventures of Two Ph.D. Students

La conference au sommet de l'ASIS (American Society for Information Science) pour l'annee 2000 portait sur le theme Definir l'architecture de l'information. L'A. decrit le processus par lequel les organisateurs et les participants ont mis au point conjointement un modele d'architecture de l'information, -chacun proposant ses propres termes pour la definition du domaine-, les reactions a ce modele et les implication de cet exercice de modelisation sur le domaine. Les efforts realises pour obtenir une definition ont ainsi permis la formation d'une communaute d'interet pour l'architecture de l'information tout en favorisant la communication entre theoriciens et praticiens du domaine.
Transformation of cells cultured from human brain tissue.

Abstract Cell lines grown from brain tissue obtained during diagnostic biopsies of two patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) stopped dividing after 12 to 14 passages. They were maintained in this stationary phase by refeeding with fresh medium at weekly intervals. After 5–7 weeks, clusters of surviving cells exhibited luxuriant growth, nuclear pleomorphism, and aneuploid karyotypes. Isoenzyme patterns and mixed agglutination confirmed the human origin of the cells. No evidence of infection with SV40, or viruses other than the measles-like agent previously reported in such cells in SSPE, was detected. The possible mechanisms of this transformation are discussed.
Paper: Image motion compensation system for the shuttle infrared telescope facility

The shuttle infrared telescope facility (SIRTF) is mounted in the orbiter on the instrument pointing system (IPS) and requires that the image at the focal plane be stabilized to better than 0.25 arcsec in order to achieve the scientific goals of the device. Current estimates of IPS performance accuracy indicate that additional stabilization will be necessary to meet the SIRTF requirements. An image motion compensation system, utilizing a charge coupled device (CCD) star tracker located at the focal plane and a steerable mirror in the SIRTF optical path, has been designed to work in conjunction with the IPS. The CCD tracks multiple stars simultaneously and through the use of a high-performance microcomputer generates three-axis attitude errors and gyro drift estimates to correct disturbances not compensated for the IPS control system. The SIRTF control system is described in detail and performance is analyzed with respect to system noise inputs, environmental disturbances, and error sources such as bending and feed-forward scale factor. It is concluded that the SIRTF accuracy and stability requirements can be met with this design.
Selling Decency and Innocence: Names of Singing Groups in the Malt Shop Memories Collection

AbstractThis study examines the names of sixty-five male and female singing groups in the Malt Shop Memories collection and their economic, social, and cultural influences. Record companies' efforts to sell the emerging rock'n'roll to teenagers of mid-1950s to mid-1960s affluent America resulted in group names intended to reduce the negative attitudes toward the music. Non-threatening group names were designed to exude images of wholesomeness and purity to appease parents and the public who regarded rock'n'roll as chaotic, vulgar, and the cause of America's social ills. These names, reflecting such ordinary categories as Birds and Animals, Place Names, Mystique and Wonder, and more, combined with a mandated dress code to sell an image of decency and innocence in the face of a rebellious new style of music.
Using Life Cycle Assessment to Guide Catalysis Research

The use of life cycle assessment (LCA) as a tool to guide catalyst development is demonstrated by comparing the environmental impact of acrylic acid production from propylene, the current commercial feedstock, to propane as an alternate feedstock. Acrylic acid is currently produced in a two-step process from propylene. Because of its lower cost, propane is an attractive alternative to propylene; however, no catalysts are currently available that can compete with the high yield of the propylene process. The LCA was performed using SimaPro, and impact assessment was determined using the Eco-Indicator 99 method. A comparison of the two feedstocks at the 87% yield of the current commercial propylene process demonstrated that switching to propane would decrease the environmental impact of the process by 20%. Determination of environmental impact as the yield from the potential propane process was varied predicts that, at yields exceeding 6%, the propane process will have a lower environmental impact than the c...
Segmentation of transform systems on the East Pacific Rise: Implications for earthquake processes at fast-slipping oceanic transform faults

Seven of the eight transform systems along the equatorial East Pacific Rise from 12° N to 15° S have undergone extension due to reorientation of plate motions and have been segmented into two or more strike-slip fault strands offset by intratransform spreading centers (ITSCs). Earthquakes recorded along these transform systems both teleseismically and hydroacoustically suggest that segmentation geometry plays an important role in how slip is accommodated at oceanic transforms. Results of thermal calculations suggest that the thickness of the brittle layer of a segmented transform fault could be significantly reduced by the thermal effect of ITSCs. Consequently, the potential rupture area, and thus maximum seismic moment, is decreased. Using Coulomb static stress models, we illustrate that long ITSCs will prohibit static stress interaction between transform segments and limit the maximum possible magnitude of earthquakes on a given transform system. Furthermore, transform earthquakes may have the potential to trigger seismicity on normal faults flanking ITSCs.
Triumph of the Bandwidth Commons: Elastic Reservations, Price Incentives, and Request Realignement in LambdaGrids

Reservation of lightpaths in dynamically switched optical networks facilitates guaranteed bandwidth. However, reservation of bandwidth can often lead to bandwidth fragmentation which significantly reduces system utilization and increases the blocking probability of requests. An interesting approach to mitigating this problem is to induce quasi-flexibility in the user requests. A smart scheduling strategy can then exploit this quasi- flexibility and optimize bandwidth utilization. However, there has to be an incentive for flexibility from the user's perspective as well. In this paper, we explore how the network service provider (NSP) can influence user flexibility by dynamically engineering pricing incentives and by suggesting request realignment to overcome reservation contention. Ultimately, user flexibility will lead to efficient network utilization, reduce the price for the users, and increase the revenue for the NSP.
Long-term effects of family-based treatment for obesity on nontreated family members

We have previously shown that children in families in which both obese parents and children were targeted and reinforced for weight loss were more successful in weight loss after 5 years than children in a child alone target or nonspecific target control group. This effect was not observed in participating parents, with parent weight returning to baseline levels for all treatment groups (Epstein, Wing, Koeske and valoski, in press). The current study assessed the effect of the family-based treatment for childhood obesity on nontreated parents and siblings. Given the limitation that the majority of the nontreated parent and sibling data were based on participating parent report, the results showed overweight nonparticipating siblings of children in the parent plus child treatment group had significantly greater percent overweight change than overweight siblings in the child alone or nonspecific target groups. No significant group differences were observed for obese nonparticipating parents or for nonobese nonparticipating siblings or parents over the five-year period.
Analysis of the Mechanical Properties of Pristine and Thermally Aged PC/PMMA Micro and Nanolayered Films

Microlayered polymer films are synthetic polymers with biomimicking layered structures which have been successfully commercialized. Nanolayered polymer films have been developed in recent years using advanced process technology. The innovative nanolayered polymer films have more complex hierarchical systems with truly biomimic nature. There are many potential applications for the nanolayered films such as gas barrier materials and spherical gradient refractive index lens. However, as polymers possess many properties that are different from metals and other traditional materials, the mechanical properties of the polymer films can vary widely depending on the material formulation, environmental temperature, and time. In this work, standard mechanical tests have been conducted to study the relationship between the mechanical properties and the layered structures. The impact of thermal aging on the mechanical behavior of the micro and nanolayered polymer films has also been investigated experimentally. The composition of the polymer films under study are 50vol% polycarbonate (PC) and 50vol% poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The layer thickness ranges from 31 nm to 32 μm and the film thickness 50.8 μm to 254 μm. These films were thermally aged at 115°C and 125°C in a constant temperature oven for up to four weeks. The mechanical properties, including the modulus of elasticity, tensile strength and ductility, have been tested on the pristine and thermally aged films. It has been observed that the mechanical properties of the films vary with the layered structure and film thickness. The thermal aging temperature and aging time have significant effects on the overall character of the stress-strain responses. Films with different thicknesses and layer formations respond to the thermal conditions differently.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Comparison of Al/ZnO and Ag/ZnO interfaces of back-reflectors for thin film Si∶H photovoltaics

Real time spectroscopic ellipsometry (RTSE) and exsitu normal incidence reflectance and scattering spectroscopies have been applied to analyze the optical characteristics of Al/ZnO back-reflector (BR) structures used in thin film Si∶H photovoltaics. The results of this study have been compared with those of previous detailed studies of Ag/ZnO structures. The structures explored here are relevant to the substrate/BR/n-i-p solar cell configuration and consist of an opaque Al film having a controllable thickness of surface roughness, followed by up to ∼3000 A of ZnO. All Al and ZnO films have been prepared by rf magnetron sputtering, the ZnO under a standardized set of conditions at room temperature. The thickness of the final roughness thickness on Al has been varied by adjusting its deposition conditions in order to investigate the effects of Al film roughness on interface formation and Al/ZnO interface optical properties. From a comparison of the complex dielectric functions e = e 1 + ie 2 of the Al/ZnO and Ag/ZnO interface layers, we find that the localized plasmon feature is observed at higher energies for the Al/ZnO than for the Ag/ZnO interface, as would be expected based on the higher bulk plasma energy of Al. As a result, the primary loss mechanism for Al/ZnO is dissipation, not through localized plasmon modes as in Ag, but rather through intraband and interband absorption intrinsic to the Al. General approaches for reducing losses for both Al/ZnO and Ag/ZnO structures are discussed.
The Specificity of Milk Lipase. II. Kinetics, and Relative Lipolytic Activity in Different Milks,

Summary The values obtained for maximum velocity ( Vm ) for the lipolytic activity in milk toward milk fat, Tween-20, and methyl butyrate were 1.6, 2.4, and 2.1 (units per 100ml.), respectively, and the values for the Michaelis-Menten constant were 6.3%, 0.81%, and 0.54 M , respectively. The values for the activation energy in the range of 30 to 37° C. for the milk fat, Tween-20, and methyl butyrate hydrolyses were calculated to be 6,200, 14,500, and 12,500 calories, respectively. The kinetic data were considered in terms of a multiple lipase system in milk. The limitations of this approach were emphasized. The variation in the relative lipolytic activity obtained in different milks towards different substrates is considered to be preliminary evidence for the presence of multiple lipolytic enzymes in milk.
Effect of delay in thermal systems with long ducts

Abstract We analyze simple, one-dimensional models of thermal systems with long ducts in which there is a delay due to the time it takes the fluid to travel along the duct. A general solution of the dynamic problem of a single duct with time-dependent inlet and ambient temperatures is obtained, and several special cases are described in detail. Of particular interest is the periodic case in which the inlet and ambient temperatures are sinusoidal in time. Also presented is a model that includes the effect of thermal inertia of a heater located at the entrance to a duct for which the time-dependent temperature fields for periodic heating are calculated. Periodic behavior in closed loops and open loops with branching are also discussed.
Biosynthesis of Insulin in Anglerfish Islets

IT is now well established that insulin is synthesized according to the proinsulin route1–4. Our studies are concerned with the mechanisms of biosynthesis in anglerfish islets. The anglerfish insulin was isolated chromatographically on CM-cellulose as previously described5,6; a typical chromatogram is presented in Fig. 1. The main components of the first two peaks were found to be two pep tides which have amino-acid compositions similar to that of hog glucagon.
A Comparative Study of Zirconium-Based Coating on Cold Rolled Steel

An experimental zirconium-based conversion coating on cold rolled steel was investigated in the present work. The following tests on differently pretreated panels, such as bonderite®NT-1, oxsilan®9810/1 and lz-4356, were conducted to evaluate corrosion performance include adhesion test, T-bent test, neutral salt spray test and warm salt water dipping test and electrochemical studies were also performed. The whole results showed that the experimental zirconium-based conversion coating had well-pleasing corrosion protection properties and adhesion properties, and similar lever performance as compared to the other industrial coatings. The experimental zirconium-based conversion coating was very hopeful about industrial application.