cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Method of Gamma Dose-Rate Measurement Using Energy-Sensitive Counters

A new concept of charge quantization and pulse-rate measurement was developed to monitor low-level gamma dose rates using energy-sensitive, air-equivalent counters. Applying this concept, the charge from each detected photon is quantized by level-sensitive comparators so that the resulting total output pulse rate is proportional to dose rate. The concept was tested with a proportional counter and a solid-state detector for wide-range dose-rate monitoring applications. The prototypic monitors cover a dose-rate range from background radiation levels (10 ?R/h) to 10 R/h.
Roll-over characteristics of human walking on inclined surfaces.

Abstract Roll-over characteristics of able-bodied human subjects walking on ramped surfaces were examined in this study. Ten subjects walked at their normal self-selected speed on a level surface, a 5-deg ramp, and a 10-deg ramped surface. Ramps were designed such that ground reaction forces and center of pressure of the ground reaction forces could be measured on their surfaces. This set-up facilitated calculation of the effective rockers that the ankle–foot (AF) and knee–ankle–foot (KAF) systems conformed to during single-limb stance (contralateral toe off to contralateral heel contact). Since our original “roll-over shapes” were characterized between heel contact and opposite heel contact, we label the shapes found during single-limb stance as “truncated roll-over shapes”. We hypothesized that the ankle–foot system would adapt to the various surfaces, creating a roll-over shape that would change in orientation with different levels of inclination. The truncated AF roll-over shapes supported this hypothesis for uphill walking but did not support the hypothesis for downhill walking. However, truncated roll-over shapes of the KAF system did adjust their orientation to match both the positive and negative levels of surface inclination. In general, the ankle appears to be the main adapting joint when walking up inclined surfaces while the knee becomes important for the overall adaptation in downhill walking. Knowledge of physiological lower-limb roll-over characteristics on ramped surfaces may help in the development of biomimetic prostheses and orthoses that will automatically adapt to changes in walking surface inclination.
Hardness and fracture toughness of thermoelectric La3−x Te4

Lanthanum telluride (La3−x Te4) is a state-of-the-art n-type high temperature thermoelectric material that behaves as a weak and brittle ceramic. Vickers microindentation hardness testing was explored as a rapid analysis technique to characterize the mechanical properties of this material. An indentation size effect was observed with hardness values ranging from 439 ± 31 kgf/mm2 (0.01 kgf/10 s contact time) to 335 ± 6 kgf/mm2 (0.5 kgf/10 s contact time). The Vickers indentation fracture toughness, K VIF, based on measurements of crack lengths emanating from the corners of the Vickers indents was 0.70 ± 0.06 MPa m1/2.
On the Convergence of Broyden-Like Methods

The author provides a finer local as well as semilocal convergence analysis of a certain class of Broyden-like methods for solving equations containing a nondifferentiable term on the m-dimensional Euclidean space (m ≥ 1 a natural number).
BGA package ball field interaction with manufacturing and design

The ball field design in a flip chip (FC) ball grid array (BGA) often becomes the determining factor for the package body size. This paper describes the physical definition of ball fields for different integrated circuit (IC) product types, and the implications of the same on the package reliability. The printed circuit board (PCB) technology in terms of the manufacturing processes, design rules, and cost is a major factor in the determination of the BGA ball field design. It is the PCB level routing impact that can ultimately dictate the pitches and distribution to be used for the FCBGA ball fields and hence the array size. Optimization of package size and board routing can be achieved using different techniques, and these are discussed in detail. Lastly, in choosing the package size and ball field, the BGA coplanarity concerns, induced by the dynamic package warpage, causing solder joint failures during board assembly, and stress, as well as some manufacturing and test driven ball pattern design rules, impacting solder joint reliability (SJR), are discussed.
Anatomically preserved Early Cretaceous bennettitalean leaves: Nilssoniopteris corrugata n. sp. from Vancouver Island, Canada

Early Cretaceous fossilized leaves assignable to the extinct seed plant order Bennettitales occur within an exceptionally diverse Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) flora of anatomically preserved plant fossils at Apple Bay on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. One of the bennettitalean leaf types has an entire margin, with laminae that are attached near the adaxial surface of the midvein. Leaves are 10–15 mm wide with an adaxial surface that shows distinct corrugations, and a midrib that is exposed adaxially. The vascular system of the midrib consists of a crescent-shaped ring of collateral bundles. Lateral veins diverge from midrib at ∼90°, are typically simple but occasionally branch at base of the lamina. Vein density is 12–15 per cm. Leaves are hypostomatic with syndetocheilic stomata that are randomly oriented between veins. Internal anatomy consists of an adaxial hypodermis of closely-spaced isodiametric cells, mesophyll that is differentiated into adaxial palisade and abaxial spongy zones, and collateral bundles that show a distinct bundle sheath with bundle sheath extensions. This novel combination of characters represents the diverse bennettitalean genus Nilssoniopteris. Nilssoniopteris corrugata new species is only the second species of the genus for which internal anatomy is preserved. This species increases the known variation of bennettitalean leaf anatomy, and reinforces our appreciation for the global distribution of bennettitalean seed plants during the Mesozoic.
The Visiting Medical Student Clerkship Program at Mayo Clinic

OBJECTIVE To describe the history, objectives, statistics, and initiatives used to address challenges associated with the Mayo Clinic Visiting Medical Student (VMS) Clerkship Program. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mayo Clinic administrative records were reviewed for calendar years 1995 through 2008 to determine the effect of interventions to increase the numbers of appropriately qualified international VMSs and underrepresented minority VMSs. For numerical data, descriptive statistics were used; for comparisons, χ 2 tests were performed. RESULTS During the specified period, 4908 VMSs participated in the Mayo VMS Program (yearly mean [SD], 351 [24]). Most students were from US medical schools (3247 [66%]) and were male (3084 [63%]). Overall, 3101 VMSs (63%) applied for and 935 (30%) were appointed to Mayo Clinic residency program positions. Interventions to address the challenge of large numbers of international students who participated in our VMS program but did not apply for Mayo residency positions resulted in significantly fewer international students participating in our VMS program ( P P P =.001). Interventions to address the challenge of low numbers of underrepresented minority students resulted in significantly more of these students participating in our VMS program ( P =.005), applying for Mayo residency positions ( P =.008), and being appointed to residency positions ( P =.04). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that specific interventions can affect the characteristics of students who participate in VMS programs and who apply for and are appointed to residency program positions.
Identification of constituents of human neutrophil azurophil granules that mediate fungistasis against Histoplasma capsulatum.

Previously we demonstrated that human neutrophils mediate potent and long-lasting fungistasis against Histoplasma capsulatum yeasts and that all of the fungistatic activity resides in the azurophil granules. In the present study, specific azurophil granule constituents with fungistatic activity were identified by incubation with H. capsulatum yeasts for 24 h and by quantifying the subsequent growth of yeasts via the incorporation of [3H]leucine. Human neutrophil defensins HNP-1, HNP-2, and HNP-3 inhibited the growth of H. capsulatum yeasts in a concentration-dependent manner with maximum inhibition at 8 μg/ml. At a concentration of 4 μg/ml, all possible paired combinations of defensins exhibited additive fungistatic activity against H. capsulatum yeasts. Cathepsin G and bactericidal-permeability-increasing protein (BPI) also mediated fungistasis against H. capsulatum in a concentration-dependent manner. The fungistatic activities of combinations of cathepsin G and BPI were additive, as were those of combinations of cathepsin G or BPI with HNP-1, HNP-2, and HNP-3. Lysozyme and elastase exhibited modest antifungal activity, and azurocidin and proteinase 3 exhibited no significant fungistasis against H. capsulatum yeasts. Thus, defensins, cathepsin G, and BPI are the major anti-H. capsulatum effector molecules in the azurophil granules of human neutrophils.
Alterations in the Sarcoplasmic Protein Fraction of Beef Muscle with Postmortem Aging and Hydrodynamic Pressure Processing

: Capillary electrophoresis (CE) and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) analyses were utilized to detect differences in the sarcoplasmic protein fractions of beef strip loins subjected to aging and hydrodynamic pressure processing (HDP) treatments. At 48 h postmortem, strip loins (n= 12) were halved and subjected to control or HDP treatments. Following treatment, each half was divided into 3 portions which were aged for 0, 5, and 8 d. After each aging period, steaks were removed for Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) analysis and for the extraction of sarcoplasmic proteins which were analyzed by CE and RP-HPLC. Aging by HDP interactions were not detected using either separation technique. With CE analysis, no HDP effects were observed; however, the relative peak area of 8 protein peaks ranging in size from 17 to >200 kDa were influenced by postmortem aging. Separation of proteins by RP-HPLC demonstrated that HDP influenced the relative size of 2 protein peaks while postmortem aging effects were observed in 6 peaks. Alterations in the sarcoplasmic protein fractions detected by both CE and RP-HPLC were correlated to WBSF measurements. Overall, data demonstrate that HDP has minimal effects on sarcoplasmic proteins and that aging related changes in the water soluble protein fractions of muscle may be useful as indirect indicators of beef tenderness. Practical Application: Using 2 different postmortem tenderization techniques, aging and hydrodynamic pressure processing, this study demonstrates that postmortem changes in the soluble protein fraction of beef may be useful as potential indicators of meat tenderness.
Extraction and recombination studies of the interaction of retinol with human plasma retinol-binding protein

Methods have been developed for the removal of retinol from human plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP), so as to form the retinol-free apoprotein, and for the recombination of apo-RBP with retinol to again form the holoprotein. Retinol is removed from RBP by gently shaking a solution of RBP with heptane under controlled conditions. During the shaking, retinol is gradually extracted from the RBP and into the heptane phase. The reassociation of apo-RBP with retinol is achieved by exposing a solution of apo-RBP to Celite coated with a thin film of retinol, followed by isolation of the RBP by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. This procedure results in the recombination of apo-RBP with an amount of retinol almost identical with that previously removed by extraction. The two-phase extraction procedure was used to explore some of the factors which affect the interaction of retinol with RBP. The retinol–RBP complex was most stable in the lower portion of the pH range 5.6 to 10. The rate of removal of retinol from the RBP–prealbumin complex (the form in which RBP normally circulates in plasma) was markedly less than the rate of its removal from RBP alone. The interaction of retinol with RBP appears to be stabilized by the formation of the RBP–prealbumin complex. The recombination procedure was employed to examine the specificity of the binding of retinol to RBP, by determining whether compounds other than all-trans-retinol would effectively bind to apo-RBP. Apo-RBP did not bind cholesterol, but displayed a slight affinity for phytol. The affinity of RBP for β-carotene was minimal, whereas both retinyl acetate and retinal were bound about one-third as effectively as all-trans-retinol. In contrast, retinoic acid bound to apo-RBP almost as effectively as did retinol. Each of two isomers of retinol, 13-cis and 11,13-di-cis-retinol, bound to apo-RBP to some extent. The 13-cis isomer appeared to bind some what less effectively than did the 11,13-di-cis isomer. The binding of retinol to RBP is highly but not absolutely specific.
The systemic arterial pattern of the guinea pig: The head, thorax, and thoracic limb

The systemic arterial pattern of the guinea pig was studied to determine the arrangement of the major arterial trunks and their branches. Fifty-nine specimens were examined by dissection, angiography, and corrosion casting. The arterial arrangement was found to resemble a typical mammalian pattern, although some exceptions were noted. For example, the internal carotid arteries were small and of questionable significance in the cerebral blood supply. Instead, a major portion of the blood supply to the brain appeared to be provided by the internal ophthalmic arteries. In the thoracic region, large dorsal scapular arteries originated and were distributed in part to the large fat pad in the dorsal cervical region. Also, each vertebral artery arose as two separate rami that anastomosed a few millimeters from their origin. The arterial pattern of the thoracic limb presented no unusual features.
Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β Activity Is Required for Androgen-Stimulated Gene Expression in Prostate Cancer

Despite the specificity inferred by its name, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3beta is an important kinase with a plethora of significant cellular targets, including cytoskeletal proteins and transcription factors, and its activity is regulated by phosphorylation on tyrosine/serine residues. As part of our efforts to dissect the molecular basis responsible for androgen-independent progression of prostate cancer, we investigated the role of GSK-3beta in androgen-stimulated gene expression in human prostate cancer cells. Pretreatment of prostate cancer cells harboring wild-type or mutant androgen receptor with the GSK-3beta inhibitors, lithium chloride (LiCl), RO318220, or GF109203X, inhibited R1881-stimulated androgen-responsive reporter activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, the expression of two endogenous androgen-stimulated gene products, prostate-specific antigen and matrix metalloproteinase-2, was suppressed by the GSK-3beta inhibitors in those cells. Most importantly, knocking down GSK-3beta expression via a small interference RNA-mediated gene silencing approach also reduced R1881-stimulated gene expression, demonstrating the specificity of GSK-3beta involvement. Moreover, R1881 treatment of the cells increased phosphorylation status of GSK-3beta on tyrosine residue Y(216) but not on serine residue S(9). Pretreatment of the cells with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 or wortmannin, which blocks androgen action in cells, abolished R1881-induced GSK-3beta Y(216) phosphorylation. However, the phosphatidylinositol 3kinase or GSK-3beta inhibitors did not block R1881-induced nuclear translocation of androgen receptor. Finally, knocking down the expression of Akt or beta-catenin, the two GSK-3beta-related signaling molecules, via siRNA-mediated gene silencing did not significant affect R1881-stimulated gene expression. These findings suggest that GSK-3beta activity is required for androgen-stimulated gene expression in prostate cancer cells.
Inheritance of Viability of Pullets in the Laying House

Abstract HIGH viability of pullets in the laying house is one of the most important qualifications of a superior flock. For a considerable period of time, attention of many workers has been directed toward the value of selective breeding as a tool to increase viability. Recently Moultrie, King and Cottier (1953) have reported very significant progress in reducing mortality through selective breeding. Many other workers have made valuable contributions. Their work is cited by the Alabama workers and need not be reviewed here. Most pedigree breeders now include viability in their selection program. Since selective breeding has been effective in reducing mortality, it seems very probable that hereditary factors may be in operation. Due consideration should be given, however, to such important environmental factors as exposure to and contraction of diseases and parasites, protective vaccinations, medicinal treatments, nutrition, housing, and general management, all of which may affect the death rate. Breeding …
Slice-based cohesion metrics and software intervention

Software reconstruction is a costly endeavor, due in part to the ambiguity of where to focus reengineering effort. Cohesion metrics, and particularly quantitative cohesion metrics, have the potential to aid in this identification and to measure progress. The most extensive work on such metrics is with slice-based cohesion metrics. While their use of semantic dependence information should make them an excellent choice for cohesion measurement, their wide spread use has been impeded by a lack of empirical study. Recent advances in software tools make, for the first time, a large-scale empirical study of slice-based cohesion metrics possible. Three results from such a study are presented. First, base-line values for slice-based metrics are provided. These values act as targets for reengineering efforts with modules having values outside the expected range being the most in need of attention. Second, two longitudinal studies show that slice-based metrics quantify the deterioration of a program as it ages. This serves to validate the metrics: the metrics quantify the degradation that exists during development; turning this around, the metrics can be used to measure the progress of a reengineering effort. Finally, "head-to-head" qualitative and quantitative comparisons of the metrics identify which metrics provide similar views of a program and which provide unique views of a program.
Acceptance angle improvement in the holographic spectrometer for diffuse source spectroscopy

We introduce the surrounding multiplexing technique as a useful method to record multiplexed holograms as spectral diversity filers. We show the acceptance angle of the spectroscopic system can be considerably improved without affecting other performances. ©2006 IEEE/LEOS OCIS codes: (090.7330) Volume holographic gratings; (300.6300) Spectroscopy, Fourier transform, (999.9999) Spherical beam holograms.
Feature Selection for Vibration Sensor Data Transformed by a Streaming Wavelet Packet Decomposition

Vibration signals play a valuable role in the remote monitoring of high-assurance machinery such as ocean turbines. Because they are waveforms, vibration data must be transformed prior to being incorporated into a machine condition monitoring/prognostic health monitoring (MCM/PHM) solution to detect which frequencies of oscillation are most prevalent. One downside of these transformations, especially the streaming version of the wavelet packet decomposition (denoted SWPD), is that they can produce a large number of features, hindering the model building and evaluation process. In this paper we demonstrate how feature selection techniques may be applied to the output of the SWPD transformation, vastly reducing the total number of features used to build models. The resulting data can be used to build more accurate models for use in MCM/PHM while minimizing computation time.
Development of a three dimensional (3-D) silicon micro-array for cell capturing

In this paper, we present the design and fabrication of 3-D silicon micro-arrays consisting of a wide range of isotropically-etched cavities and describe a model based upon their shape to investigate the influence of the etched features on cell trapping within cavities. We performed our study using non-invasive (MCF10A) and invasive (MDA-MB-231) breast cells separately and in a co-culture system. Our results indicate that with the etched surface ratio of ∼65%, it is possible to capture at least 80% of the cells within cavities in the silicon chip. The novel aspect of the proposed approach is that by changing the geometrical pattern of the etched features, it is possible to place the cells into the high density arrays with a desired capturing efficiency. In addition, it is not required to perform any coating or modification of the surface chemistry of the silicon substrate. The presented microstructures can be used as platforms for cell sorting, optical characterization, and basic biological studies.
Perils and Profits: A Reexamination of the Link Between Profitability and Safety in U.S. Aviation

In many industries, for-profit business organizations make decisions that critically impact the safety of their employees and the public. Managers in such organizations often argue that there is no trade-off between profitability and safety because “safety is good business.” However, prior studies examining the profitability–safety relationship report inconsistent and conflicting results. In the present study, the author reexamines this issue, building on insights into managerial risk taking from the behavioral theory of the firm and hypothesizing that the slope of the profitability–safety relationship reaches an inflection point at the organizational profitability aspiration. Using data from the U.S. airline industry, the author finds support for this hypothesis, with results indicating a positive association between airline profitability and airline accident rates for airlines performing below their aspirations but a negative association for airlines performing above their aspirations.
Articulatory blending of lingual gestures

Abstract This paper presents some data on the articulatory nature of assimilatory processes in Spanish consonant clusters. The nature of those assimilations is explored in the light of some of the theoretical assumptions concerning assimilation suggested in the theory of Articulatory Phonology. Differences in articulatory configurations will be assessed qualitatively with respect to the different articulators associated with the production of a particular consonant or group of consonants. Also, the relationship between a consonant 's specifications for constriction location and constriction degree will be studied for these Spanish data. The results point toward a view of assimilation that operates at the level of the whole gesture, not its spatial and temporal specifications, such that constriction location and constriction degree do not assimilate independently. This proposal is consistent with a view of articulatory gestures as the minimal units of phonological organization.
Effect of prestress on tensile yield strength of a Ni3Al alloy

An experimental technique of prestressing and quenching was employed in order to elucidate the nature of pinning points responsible for the anomalous yield strength of Ni3Al. The apparent number density of pinning points at room temperature was found to be unaffected by the prestressing and quenching from elevated temperatures. This result is consistent with the crossslip-pinning (CSP) model in that cross-slipped segments act as pinning points on the leading superpartial dislocations.
L’Objet Sonore Maintenant: Pierre Schaeffer, sound objects and the phenomenological reduction*

The work of Pierre Schaeffer (theorist, composer and inventor of musique concrete) bears a complex relationship to the philosophical school of phenomenology. Although often seen as working at the periphery of this movement, this paper argues that Schaeffer's effort to ground musical works in a ‘hybrid discipline’ is quite orthodox, modelled upon Husserl's foundational critique of both ‘realism’ and ‘psychologism’. As part of this orthodoxy, Schaeffer develops his notion of the ‘sound object’ along essentialist (eidetic) lines. This has two consequences: first, an emphasis is placed on ‘reduced listening’ over indicative and communicative modes of listening; secondly, the ‘sound object’ promotes an ahistorical ontology of musical material and technology. Despite frequent references to Schaeffer and the ‘sound object’ in recent literature on networked music, concatenative synthesis and high-level music descriptors, the original phenomenological context in which Schaeffer's work developed is rarely revisited. By critically exploring Schaeffer's theorising of the ‘sound object’, this paper aims at articulating the distance between contemporary and historical usage of the term.
Ecological genetics and host adaptation in herbivorous insects: the experimental study of evolution in natural and agricultural systems.

Les estimations de la variation genetique et de la selection naturelle sur des caracteres quantitatifs dans des populations actuelles sont examinees. Leurs applications a l'etude de l'evolution des insectes herbivores sont etudiees en se limitant a l'adaptation de l'hote (performance) et a la preference des insectes a la plante hote
Multi-channel real time active noise control system for infant incubators

Excessive noise levels inside infants incubators in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) contribute to number of harmful effects on the infant's health. This paper develops and implements practical active noise control (ANC) systems for the infant incubators. The filtered-X least mean square (FXLMS) algorithm is used to cancel the noise inside the incubator. The multi-channel and pseudo multi-channel ANC systems are proposed to enhance the noise cancellation performance in terms of cancellation gain and quiet zone. An experimental setup based on real Giraffe incubator from GE Healthcare is used for real-time experiments. The results show that the ANC system can dramatically reduce the noise and cost effective.
A Simulation Framework for the Analysis of the TLB Behavior in Virtualized Environments

Due to the rising importance of virtualization, extensive efforts have gone into determining and improving the performance of workloads on virtualized platforms. This has resulted in a series of modifications to the leading architecture used in virtualized system (x86) by adding hardware support for virtualization, the latest of which is the addition of tags and tag comparators to the x86 TLB. In this context, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the TLB behavior of virtualized workloads and understand the change in this behavior with TLB related architectural parameters. One way of obtaining this understanding is by conducting a simulation-based study of the interaction of various micro-architectural parameters and their effect on the TLB behavior. However, the lack of suitable simulation frameworks makes such a study daunting. In this paper, we present a full-system simulation framework which is suitable for conducting such studies. We first motivate the need for TLB modeling in virtualized systems. Then, we present the framework, develop and validate a timing model for the TLB and evaluate the simulation speed when this model is used. Using the timing model, the influence of the TLB on workload performance is examined for a variety of single and multi-domain workloads and compared with equivalent non-virtualized workloads. It is found that the performance of virtualized workloads, in terms of instructions per cycle (IPC), can vary by 1% to 35% due to the TLB and that this IPC variation can be as much as 9 times the variation in nonvirtualized workloads.
Loss of arabinogalactan-proteins from the plasma membrane of NaCl-adapted tobacco cells

Cultured cells of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) adapted to 428 mM NaCl exhibited a reduced rate of cell enlargement, which is probably due to decreased cell-wall extensibility. Arabinogalactan-protein (AGP) has been implicated as a cell-wall-loosening factor (Schopfer 1990). Levels of plasma membrane and extracellular AGPs that react with Yariv reagent were measured and compared between NaCl-adapted and unadapted tobacco cells. Unadapted cells contained a very high level of AGPs on the plasma membrane, which amounted to 0.16 μg·μg−1 membrane protein. In contrast, AGPs were virtually undetectable on the plasma membrane of NaCl-adapted cells. Accumulation of AGPs was also decreased in culture media of NaCl-adapted cells. These data support the hypothesis that AGPs participate in cell expansion. Possible mechanisms of the proposed cell-expansion role of AGPs are discussed.
History of Sea-Floor Spreading West of Baja California

New SIO deep sea magnetic data from immediately west of southern Baja California are presented. Anomalies in the standard sequence of ages from 25 m.y. to 4 or 5 m.y.B.P. are correlated from north to south within the area. Interpreting the anomaly patterns in light of the assumptions of plate tectonics gives the following picture of evolution of the East Pacific Rise as it approached North America. Before 20 m.y.B.P., two Pacific Ocean plates were spreading east-west from each other, locally unaffected by approach of the continent. By 15m.y.B.P. the ridge had split into a “Y” of three ridges radiating from a point. Three Pacific blocks were present, the southern two still spreading east-west, while the northern one inside the arms of the “Y” had a northward relative component of motion presumably derived from coupling to the continent somewhere to the north. Soon after 12 m.y.B.P., the three-ridge system culminated, followed by reorganization into a single ridge spreading NW.—SE. Since 5 m.y. ago the present system has prevailed, with the remnants of the old Eastern Pacific block fused to the continent north of the Rivera Fracture Zone. The Western Pacific block has spread to the northwest, opening the Gulf of California, and carrying southwestern California and Baja California with it.
Mass spectrometric identification of boric acid in fluid inclusions in pegmatite minerals

Direct, on-line mass spectrometric analyses were performed on volatiles released from micro- scopic fluid inclusions in quartz, feldspar, and tourmaline from the miarolitic Belo Horizonte #1 pegmatite in the San Jacinto district, and Himalaya pegmatite dike system in the Mesa Grande district of southern California. These analyses are the first inclusion volatile studies to indicate the presence of significant and variable concentrations of B compounds in pegmatite formation fluids. Boron appears as boric acid B ( OH)7, which is found at levels ranging from less than detection limit ( < 10 -' mole fraction) to as high as 10m4 mole fraction. High B concentrations are seen in inclusion fluids from miarolite filling quartz, cleavelandite variety albite feldspar, and schorl tourmaline from the Belo Horizonte #l, while negligible amounts appear in late-stage green/pink-zoned gem elbaite tourmalines from that mine. Fluid inclusions in quartz, as well as grey and pink tourmaline from the miarolites in the Himalaya mine, have undetectable levels of B compounds. In addition to confirming the presence of very high boric acid concentrations in some pegmatite forming solutions, observations of large variations in abundance may urovide new constraints on fluid chemical evolution trends during the genesis of these regionally and baragenetically complex gem deposits.
A Parallel Implementation of the PBSGDS Method for Solving CBAU Optimization Problems

In previous research, we have proposed a parallel block scaled gradient with decentralized step-size (PBSGDS) method. The method circumvents the difficulty of determining a step-size in the distributed computing environment and enables the proposed parallel algorithm to execute in a distributed computer network with limited amount of date transfer. In this paper, we implement the parallel algorithm within two real Independent System Operator (ISO) Networks, including homogeneous and heterogeneous types PCs-Networks environments, and demonstrate the computational efficiency and numerical satiability through numerous simulation test results in solving a Convex Block Additive Unconstrained (CBAU) optimization problem. Furthermore, the test results show that the performance of the proposed parallel algorithm appears more attractive due to the asynchronous effect in the distributed computing environment.
Thermal Desorption Solid-Phase Microextraction Inlet for Differential Mobility Spectrometry

A splitless thermal desorber unit that interfaces a differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) sensor has been devised. This device was characterized by the detection of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) in water. The detection of BTX in water is important for environmental monitoring, and ion mobility measurements are traditionally difficult for hydrocarbons in water because water competes for charge and quenches the hydrocarbon signals. This paper reports the use of a DMS with a photoionization source that is directly coupled to a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) desorber. The separation and detection capabilities of the DMS were demonstrated using BTX components. Detection limits for benzene, toluene, and m-xylene were 75, 50, and 5 μg mL−1, respectively.
Inference in text understanding

The problem of deciding what was implied by a written text, of "reading between the lines" is the problem of inference. To extract proper inferences from a text requires a great deal of general knowledge on the part of the reader. Past approaches have often postulated an algorithm tuned to process a particular kind of knowledge structure (such as a script, or a plan). An alternative, unified approach is proposed. The algorithm recognizes six very general classes of inference, classes that are not dependent on individual knowledge structures, but instead rely on patterns of connectivity between concepts. The complexity has been effectively shifted from the algorithm to the knowledge base; new kinds of knowledge structures can be added without modifying the algorithm.
Mitochondrial and performance adaptations to exercise training in mice lacking skeletal muscle LKB1

LKB1 and its downstream targets of the AMP-activated protein kinase family are important regulators of many aspects of skeletal muscle cell function, including control of mitochondrial content and capillarity. LKB1 deficiency in skeletal and cardiac muscle (mLKB1-KO) greatly impairs exercise capacity. However, cardiac dysfunction in that genetic model prevents a clear assessment of the role of skeletal muscle LKB1 in the observed effects. Our purposes here were to determine whether skeletal muscle-specific knockout of LKB1 (skmLKB1-KO) decreases exercise capacity and mitochondrial protein content, impairs accretion of mitochondrial proteins after exercise training, and attenuates improvement in running performance after exercise training. We found that treadmill and voluntary wheel running capacity was reduced in skmLKB1-KO vs. control (CON) mice. Citrate synthase activity, succinate dehydrogenase activity, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase content were lower in KO vs. CON muscles. Three weeks of treadmill training resulted in significantly increased treadmill running performance in both CON and skmLKB1-KO mice. Citrate synthase activity increased significantly with training in both genotypes, but protein content and activity for components of the mitochondrial electron transport chain increased only in CON mice. Capillarity and VEGF protein was lower in skmLKB1-KO vs. CON muscles, but VEGF increased with training only in skmLKB1-KO. Three hours after an acute bout of muscle contractions, PGC-1α, cytochrome c, and VEGF gene expression all increased in CON but not skmLKB1-KO muscles. Our findings indicate that skeletal muscle LKB1 is required for accretion of some mitochondrial proteins but not for early exercise capacity improvements with exercise training.
Stimulation of active Na+ and K+ transport by thyroid hormone in a rat liver cell line: Role of enhanced Na+ entry

A continuous cell line derived from rat liver (ARL 15) has been identified that responds to thyroid hormone with a stimulation of active Na,K transport. Stimulation of ouabain-inhibitable K+ uptake, which is half-maximal at a T3 concentration of 1.4 X 10(-10) M, is accompanied by corresponding increases in passive Na+ influx and in passive K+ efflux. The enhancement of Na+ and K+ fluxes by T3 is shown to be accompanied by smaller and equivalent increases both in enzymatically measured Na,K-ATPase activity and in maximal ouabain-sensitive Na,K transport in the presence of the Na+ ionophore monensin. The demonstration that both passive Na+ influx and passive fractional K+ efflux are simultaneously increased by T3 supports the earlier suggestion that the stimulation of active Na,K transport by thyroid hormone is attributable, at least in part, to an enhancement of rate-limiting passive Na+ and K+ fluxes by an increase in membrane permeability.
Policy Tools and Policy Targets: How Does Indirect Policy Delivery Affect Attitudes?

Research has established that Americans prefer indirect modes of policy delivery (e.g, tax breaks) to more direct forms of delivery. In this paper I use two survey experiments to explore one possible mechanism for this relationship: that indirect delivery of benefits reduces the influence of individuals’ attitudes toward the policy target group on their support of the policy. The results provide little support for this hypothesis, however. This project contributes to the literatures on indirect or submerged policymaking and on target populations by testing a novel hypothesis implied by the existing literature.
Modeling the MCN1-activated gastric mill rhythm

The gastric mill rhythm in the stomatogastric ganglion (STG) of the crab Cancer borealis is a network-generated oscillation with a period of 7 to 15 s. This rhythm can be elicited by tonic stimulation of modulatory commisural neuron 1 (MCNI)1. At the heart of the circuit (Figure 1 A) is a half-center oscillator, consisting of the lateral gastric neuron (LG) and interneuron 1 (Int1).
Abstract 1475: Role of FcγRIIB in metastatic melanoma and rhabdomyosarcoma

FcγRIIB, known as immunoglobulin gamma Fc region receptor II-b, is a low affinity surface receptor protein for IgG in hematopoietic cells. As an inhibitory receptor, FcγRIIB contains an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM) in their cytoplasmic tails that transduces an inhibitory signal on coligation with the activating receptors. FcγRIIIb is anchored to the plasma membrane via a C-terminus-linked GPI moiety. Present exclusively on human neutrophils, it plays a predominant role in binding of immune complexes. Its co-aggregation with FcγRIIa activates phagocytosis, degranulation, and the respiratory burst leading to destruction of opsonized pathogens. Activation of neutrophils leads to secretion of a proteolytically cleaved soluble form of the receptor corresponding to its two extracellular domains. Soluble Fc RIIIb exerts regulatory functions by competitive inhibition of Fcγ R-dependent effector functions and via binding to the complement receptor CR3. Dysregulation of FcγRIIB can promote the susceptibility and severity of several organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases invivo. Studies have recently shown that FcγRIIb increased constitutively in malignant lymphocytes and upregulated ectopically melanoma. Using cDNA microarray analysis, we have found that FcγRIIb is upregulated in metastatic melanoma and rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). These results suggest that FcγRIIb maybe involved in regulation of progression to metastatic state in tumor.To study the role of FcγRIIb in metastatic diseases; we established model systems which stably express wild-type and mutants FcγRIIb in melanoma B16 and RMS772 cells. Cell colonies stably expressing FcγRIIb were selected and tested in vitro and in vivo. Our data showed that expression of FcγRIIb inhibited cell proliferation and caused a noticeable change in cell morphology, but did not affect cell motility and invasiveness. However, overexpression of FcγRIIb significantly stimulated lung metastasis of both melanoma and RMS cell lines. Our data suggest that over-expression of FcγRIIb promotes metastasis in melanoma. 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 1475. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1475
The Concept of Alliance

In April, 1965, the Subcommittee on National Security and International Operations of the Senate Committee on Government Operations indicated its intention to inquire into the status of American alliance commitments. The inquiry was designed to begin an analysis of the underlying premises upon which American alliance policy was based. Specifically the Subcommittee raised the following questions:
Mesothelin's minimal MUC16 binding moiety converts TR3 into a potent cancer therapeutic via hierarchical binding events at the plasma membrane

// Yang Su 1, 2 , Katharina Tatzel 1 , Xuejun Wang 1 , Brian Belt 1 , Pratibha Binder 3 , Lindsay Kuroki 3 , Matthew A. Powell 3, 4 , David G. Mutch 3, 4 , William G. Hawkins 1, 4 , Dirk Spitzer 1, 4 1 Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA 2 Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110004, China 3 Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA 4 Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA Correspondence to: Dirk Spitzer, email: spitzerd@wudosis.wustl.edu Yang Su, email: suyang20131973@gmail.com Keywords: TRAIL, Meso64-TR3, mesothelin, MUC16, CA125 Received: March 03, 2016 Accepted: April 10, 2016 Published: April 22, 2016 ABSTRACT TRAIL has been extensively explored as a cancer drug based on its tumor-selective activity profile but it is incapable per se of discriminating between death receptors expressed by normal host cells and transformed cancer cells. Furthermore, it is well documented that surface tethering substantially increases its biologic activity. We have previously reported on Meso-TR3, a constitutive TRAIL trimer targeted to the biomarker MUC16 (CA125), in which the entire ectodomain of human mesothelin was genetically fused to the TR3 platform, facilitating attachment to the cancer cells via the MUC16 receptor. Here, we designed a truncation variant, in which the minimal 64 amino acid MUC16 binding domain of mesothelin was incorporated into TR3. It turned out that the dual-domain biologic Meso64-TR3 retained its high MUC16 affinity and bound to the cancer cells quickly, independent of the TR3/death receptor interaction. Furthermore, it was substantially more potent than Meso-TR3 and TR3 in vitro and in a preclinical xenograft model of MUC16-dependent ovarian cancer. Phenotypically, Meso64-TR3 is more closely related to non-targeted TR3, evident by indistinguishable activity profiles on MUC16-deficient cancers and similar thermal stability characteristics. Overall, Meso64-TR3 represents a fully human, MUC16-targetd TRAIL-based biologic, ideally suited for exploring preclinical and clinical evaluation studies in MUC16-dependent malignancies.
The effect of high temperature thermal treatment on moisture Absorption and dimension stability of wood

The experiment of thermal treatment with high temperature for China fir wood was conducted at 4 varying temperatures and for 4 varying durations,and the effect of treatment temperature and duration time on the moisture Absorption and dimension ability of the wood was investigated in this study.The results show that the thermal treatment could reduce significantly equilibrium moisture content,water Absorption and volume swelling,and improve the dimension stability;the higher the treatment temperature and the longer the treatment time,the lower the amount of equilibrium moisture content,water Absorption,and the volume swelling;Compared with the treatment time,the treatment temperature was a more important factor to affect the moisture Absorption and dimension stability;After thermal treatment,the equilibrium moisture content,water Absorption,and volume swelling could be decreased by about 17.73%～66.74%,33.99%～64.00%,and 36.7%～69.30%,respectively.
Characterization of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci in Munidopsis lauensis , a squat-lobster from the southwestern Pacific

Munidopsis lauensis is a deep-sea squat lobster commonly associated with hydrothermal vents at southwest Pacific back-arc spreading centers. Eight selectively neutral and unlinked polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for this species and two additional loci from a related species were successfully cross-amplified. Eight of the ten total loci conformed to Hardy–Weinberg expectations. Average observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.23 to 0.64 (mean H O = 0.50, SD = 0.15). Seven of ten loci cross-amplified in Munidopsis antonii, a closely related species. Microsatellites developed for M. lauensis are being deployed to study connectivity among populations of this species that occur at hydrothermal vents in Manus and Lau Basins.
Commentary: How useful is ‘burden of disease’ to set public health priorities for infectious diseases?

For many infectious diseases, a low burden of disease does not equate to reduced potential public health importance. Many zoonotic infectious diseases have the potential for human-to-human transmission with potentially devastating consequences as currently seen with Ebola. Policymakers should not be lulled into thinking that the best use of resources is to allocate them only to the most obvious current problems.
Contesting Emperorship: The Center of the Cosmos and Pivot of Power

Introduction The preceding chapter revealed the historical process of moralizing cosmology and transforming imperial sovereignty, as epitomized by the structure of “Wuxing zhi.” This chapter focuses on the content of “Wuxing zhi” – that is, the various interpretations of omens. The discourse of omen interpretation best explains why and how the emperor – his person, body, and behavior – became the center of cosmology and the focus of political contestation. Within the structure of Earth, Man, and Heaven of “Wuxing zhi,” Ban Gu collected 378 cases of bad omens – catastrophes and abnormal phenomena – along with interpretations by major scholars of the Former Han. Even though the scholars represented in “Wuxing zhi” often contradict one another in their interpretations, there is common ground for all of them; all designate the emperor the center of the cosmos and the agent responsible for the bad omens caused by human disorders. All these interpreters focus their criticism on the emperor – his intentionality, behavior, and most important, his relations with various factions of power. Based on this shared focus on the emperor's person, former scholarship has read omen interpretation as a form of political criticism, checking and restraining the emperor. While this view remains highly illuminating, it carries the implication that the emperor was the possessor of power and that omens were a means of controlling that power.