cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RF power potential of 45 nm CMOS technology

This paper presents the first measurements of the RF power performance of 45 nm CMOS devices with varying device widths and layouts. We find that 45 nm CMOS can deliver a peak output power density of around 140 mW/mm with a peak power-added efficiency (PAE) of 70% at 1.1 V. The PAE and P out decrease with increasing device width because of a decrease in the maximum oscillation frequency (f max ) for large width devices. The PAE also decreases with increasing frequency because of a decrease in gain as the operating frequency approaches f max . The RF power performance of 45 nm devices is shown to be very similar to that of 65 nm devices.
Application of the RESET test to the original Andersen-Jordan equation

Abstract In applying the RESET test to the original Andersen-Jordan (AJ) equation, additional information is used to identify the set of test variables. The test findings signify the non-linearity of the conditional mean and suggest that the original AJ equation estimated for 1952:iv–1968:ii is misspecified. Further evidence suggests that the relation between money and GNP inferred from the AJ equation differs significantly in 1952:iv–1959:iii from 1959:iv–1968:ii, with traditional implications only strictly confirmed for the second period. The main point made is that more information can help detect specification errors when applying the RESET test.
Upper extremity microsurgery.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand the indications for free flap coverage of the upper extremity. 2. Know the advantages and disadvantages of the flaps discussed. 3. Have a basic understanding of the anatomy of the flaps discussed. 4. Have a variety of options for free tissue transfer.The application of microsurgical tissue transfer to reconstruction of the upper extremity allows repair of significant bone and soft-tissue defects. Through the years the approach has changed from one of simply getting the wound covered to primary reconstruction to preserve or regain function. A wide variety of free flaps offers the potential to reconstruct nearly any defect of the arm and hand. Vascularized bone transfer can be utilized to repair large bony defects, while innervated free muscle transfer can replace missing muscle function. The total array of flaps and their indications is beyond the scope of a single discussion, but this article focuses on a few flaps that have found application for coverage and functional restoration in the hand and upper extremity.
Creating a departmental culture for communication grants

Extramural funding to support communication research influences and is influenced by the culture of our discipline, universities, and departments. Both the National Communication Association and the International Communication Association have established closer ties to funding agencies and encouraged members' grant writing pursuits through mentorship and convention programs, newsletter columns, and publicity. Universities vary in how much support they have available as infrastructure to assist in the submission and administration of grants. Some institutions facilitate extramural funding endeavors through mentoring programs, university-wide research centers, sharing of indirect costs, and space. Department cultures, too, vary in the resources available to support grants. Departments in many ways have the most direct effects on grant-supporting cultures. In addition to activities indicated for the discipline and university, departments can build a grant culture by recognizing grant writing in their person...
Phenomenological treatment of multilayer growth

A phenomenological treatment of multilayer growth has been carried out with three basic assumptions: (1) steady-state conditions existing at the phase boundary between two phases within the multilayer, (2) a well-defined stoichiometric composition and structure existing for each layer, and (3) the same kinetics growth law followed by each layer. The supply of matter for the growth of each layer within the multilayered structure was considered to be from solid-state boundary reactions; using the concept of boundary-regions, general equations for the apparent growth rate of the region were derived. The treatment has been applied to linear kinetics, parabolic kinetics, and logarithmic kinetics. Using the equations obtained from this treatment, the effect of neighboring layers on the apparent growth rate of a given layer is shown.
A Th1 cytokine–enriched microenvironment enhances tumor killing by activated T cells armed with bispecific antibodies and inhibits the development of myeloid-derived suppressor cells

In this study, we investigated whether activated T cells (ATC) armed with bispecific antibodies (aATC) can inhibits tumor growth and MDSC development in a Th1 cytokine–enriched (IL-2 and IFN-γ) microenvironment. Cytotoxicity mediated by aATC was significantly higher (P < 0.001) against breast cancer cell lines in the presence of Th1 cytokines as compared with control co-cultures. In the presence of aATC, CD33+/CD11b+/CD14−/HLA-DR− MDSC population was reduced significantly under both control (P < 0.03) and Th1-enriched (P < 0.036) culture conditions. Cytokine analysis in the culture supernatants showed high levels of MDSC suppressive chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10 in Th1-enriched culture supernatants with highly significant increase (P < 0.001) in the presence of aATC. Interestingly, MDSC recovered from co-cultures without aATC showed potent ability to suppress activated T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity (P < 0.001), IFN-γ production (P < 0.01) and T-cell proliferation (P < 0.05) compared to those recovered from aATC-containing co-cultures. These data suggest that aATC can mediate enhanced killing of tumor cells and may suppress MDSC and Treg differentiation, and presence of Th1 cytokines potentiates aATC-induced suppression of MDSC, suggesting that Th1-enriching immunotherapy may be beneficial in cancer treatment.
How good is bad weather

Accurately identifying key parameters in complex systems demands sufficient excitation, so that the resulting data will be informative enough to reveal hidden parameter values. In many situations, however, users choose inputs that attempt to optimize the system response, not necessarily those that yield more informative data. This leads to the classic tradeoff between exploitation and exploration in learning problems. Farmers face a similar issue. Although they would like to identify key soil parameters affecting the growth of their crops, market pressures force them to manage their product to maximize yield, resulting in less informative data. This suggests that weather, and bad weather in particular, may play a critically important role in creating informative data for crop systems by driving them into low-yield regimes that no farmer would otherwise choose to explore. This paper investigates these issues using a standard computational model for corn and real weather data. Two model-based measures characterizing any year's weather pattern are introduced. The first measure characterizes how well a particular year's weather pattern produces corn, according to the model. The second measure characterizes how well a particular year's weather pattern distinguishes the way different soil types affect corn growth. We then use these measures to show that, from the perspective of corn, bad weather can indeed be very good for distinguishing soil type.
Colonial mentality: A review and recommendation for Filipino American psychology

Colonial mentality is a term used widely by ethnic studies scholars and by the Filipino American community to refer to a form of internalized oppression among Filipinos and Filipino Americans. The authors propose that colonial mentality is a construct that is central to the understanding of the psychology of contemporary Filipino Americans. Drawing on larger scholarship from postcolonial studies and psychological research on oppression, the authors review the historical and sociological contexts in which to understand the significance of the colonial mentality concept for the Filipino American population. The authors also review the existing literature on colonial mentality and provide specific recommendations for incorporating this construct into research and practice with Filipino Americans. It is argued, through this illustrative example of colonial mentality among Filipino Americans, that examining the psychological impact of colonialism is a way to incorporate larger historical and sociological contextual variables into ethnic minority research and practice.
Minimizing Mixed-Signal Coupling and Interaction

This paper surveys techniques and strategies aimed at minimizing electro-magnetic coupling and interaction on mixed-signal IC's. Consideration is given to substrate coupling, power rail and i/o driver resonances, near field capacitive and inductive as well as package interaction and module level radiated emissions.
The Toleration and Erotization of Rape: Interpreting Charles Perrault s Le Petit Chaperon Rouge within Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century French Jurisprudence

Fairy tales encapsulate the enduring myths of a culture, encoding the traditions and the moral values by which we like to think we live. (Garton 289) Ce que le monde fournit au mythe, c est un r el historique, d fini, si loin qu il faille remonter, par la fa on dont les hommes l ont produit ou utilis ; et ce que le mythe restitue, c est une image naturelle de ce r el. […] Le mythe ne nie pas les choses, sa fonction est au contraire d en parler: simplement, il les purifie, les innocente, les fonde en nature et en ternit , il leur donne une clart qui n est pas celle d explication, mais celle du constat. (Barthes, Paris, 230) What the world supplies to myth is an historical reality, defined, even if this goes back quite a while, by the way in which men have produced or used it; and what myth gives in return is a natural image of this reality. […] Myth does not deny things, on the contrary, its function is to talk about them; simply, it purifies them, it makes them innocent, it gives them a natural and eterna...
Glycerol shock treatment facilitates purification of herpes simplex virus

We describe an improved method for purification of herpes simplex virus. The primary improvement is the use of glycerol shock treatment to lyse infected cells. This is a rapid and simple technique that efficiently extracts the cytoplasm from the nucleus, while preserving nuclear integrity. Nearly 100% cell lysis is achieved by this method, and cytoplasmic virus yield is optimal. Other improvements to increase virus yield and purity and to economize on equipment are described.
Human erythrocyte NADH: (acceptor) oxidoreductase. Kinetic properties and competitive substrate inhibition by ferricyanide

The kinetic mechanism of human erythrocyte membrane NADH: (acceptor) oxidoreductase (EC 1.6.99.3) was studied by product and substrate inhibition kinetics. With ferricyanide as the substrate, the enzyme reaction follows an ordered bi-bi reaction mechanism. The Michaelis-Menten constants for NADH and ferricyanide are 0.014 and 0.049 mM, respectively. The competitive substrate inhibition effect of ferricyanide was due to its direct binding to the enzyme and forming an inactive binary complex. The dissociation constant of the complex was determined to be 0.37 mM.
Mark Green and the Collapse of the Urban Democratic Coalition

This article examines the 2001 New York City Mayoral Election. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attack had a major impact on the outcome of the election, making it possible for Michael Bloomberg, the lifelong Democrat turned Republican, to defeat Mark Green. The major candidates and the events surrounding the campaign are discussed. Green's defeat indicates that the alliance between white liberals, Latinos, and African Americans has begun to collapse, endangering the Democratic Party's dominance of urban America. The essay also suggests that labor unions, also a key to Democratic electoral hopes, are losing their political influence.
Rapid Adaptive Segmentation By Estimation And Reassignment Of Uncertainty Pixels

A segmentation approach that uses successive cost processing is introduced. By processing graytone information the background is extracted adaptively throughout the image and pixels are classified into uncertainty and brightness relative to local background. The uncertainty pixels correspond to an estimate of the overlap between the graytone distributions of the background and dark objects, and the background and bright objects. Uncertainty pixels identify image regions requiring further processing with local and spatial information rather than merely graytone information. One rapid method resolves uncertainty by selecting thresholds at the maxima of local normalized edge magnitude histograms. The statistical means of floating histograms and of the estimated local background are used to control the search for thresholds in the local normalized edge magnitude histograms. Floating histograms retain the local brightness relationship between non-background pixels and the background. This method can distinguish between seven or less distributions locally by determining additional thresholds in the normalized edge magnitude histograms of dark pixels and bright pixels. The graytone image is then mapped into a multiple-label image corresponding to object brightness relative to local background. Another method erodes boundaries of uncertainty regions with a non-maxima edge magnitude suppression technique that insures consistent gradient direction among adjacent edgels. Gradient direction space is partitioned into certainty and uncertainty arc zones. A certainty arc zone directs an edgel during non-maxima suppression to the 8-neighbor it bounds; an uncertainty zone to the two 8-neighbors that bound the arc zone. Good quality and rapid segmentations have been obtained in industrial scenes of modest complexity. Background-object and interior object boundaries are satisfactorily outlined and the enclosed regions are represented with the proper relative brightness label.
EFFECT OF SODIUM LACTATE, CALCIUM LACTATE AND SODIUM ALGINATE ON BACTERIAL GROWTH AND AMINOPEPTIDASE ACTIVITY

The effects of sodium alginate (0.4 and 0.8%), calcium lactate (0.15 and 0.3%) and sodium lactate (60% solution; 1, 2, 3 and 4%) on growth and aminopeptidase activity of Pseudomonas fragi ATCC 4973 and Salmonella typhimurium in trypticase soy broth or autoclaved ground beef were studied for 5 days at 5°C. Sodium alginate and calcium lactate did not change colony counts of P. fragi or S. typhimurium; and had only slight effects on aminopeptidase activity. Sodium lactate (3 and 4%) showed inhibitory activity on growth and aminopeptidase activity of P. fragi. Sodium lactate also decreased aminopeptidase activity of S. typhimurium but had no major influence on colony counts. In general, aminopeptidase activity was inhibited more than cell multiplication by higher levels of alginate and sodium lactate.
Simulated atmospheric N deposition alters fungal community composition and suppresses ligninolytic gene expression in a northern hardwood forest.

High levels of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition may result in greater terrestrial carbon (C) storage. In a northern hardwood ecosystem, exposure to over a decade of simulated N deposition increased C storage in soil by slowing litter decay rates, rather than increasing detrital inputs. To understand the mechanisms underlying this response, we focused on the saprotrophic fungal community residing in the forest floor and employed molecular genetic approaches to determine if the slower decomposition rates resulted from down-regulation of the transcription of key lignocellulolytic genes, by a change in fungal community composition, or by a combination of the two mechanisms. Our results indicate that across four Acer-dominated forest stands spanning a 500-km transect, community-scale expression of the cellulolytic gene cbhI under elevated N deposition did not differ significantly from that under ambient levels of N deposition. In contrast, expression of the ligninolytic gene lcc was significantly down-regulated by a factor of 2–4 fold relative to its expression under ambient N deposition. Fungal community composition was examined at the most southerly of the four sites, in which consistently lower levels of cbhI and lcc gene expression were observed over a two-year period. We recovered 19 basidiomycete and 28 ascomycete rDNA 28S operational taxonomic units; Athelia, Sistotrema, Ceratobasidium and Ceratosebacina taxa dominated the basidiomycete assemblage, and Leotiomycetes dominated the ascomycetes. Simulated N deposition increased the proportion of basidiomycete sequences recovered from forest floor, whereas the proportion of ascomycetes in the community was significantly lower under elevated N deposition. Our results suggest that chronic atmospheric N deposition may lower decomposition rates through a combination of reduced expression of ligninolytic genes such as lcc, and compositional changes in the fungal community.
Accumulation of estrogen in a vocal control brain region of a duetting song bird

Tritiated estradiol (E) was injected into bay wrens (Thryothorus nigricapillus), a tropical species in which females sing complex vocal duets with males. Autoradiographic analysis revealed that males and females have equal proportions of cells labeled by estradiol or its metabolites (E target cells) in a telencephalic region involved in song: the caudal nucleus of the ventral hyperstriatum (HVc). Other forebrain song regions failed to show labeling by E. E or its metabolites were accumulated, however, by cells in the midbrain song region ICo (the intercollicular nucleus) and in hypothalamic regions. This pattern of accumulation in the song system differs from that observed in a previous study in which bay wrens were injected with tritiated testosterone (T); T or its metabolites were accumulated by cells in HVc, RA (robust nucleus of the archistriatum), MAN (magnocellular nucleus of the neostriatum), ICo, and nXII (hypoglossal (nucleus). Such comparison suggests that cells in HVc have different steroid accumulation properties from those in other song regions. Bay wrens differ from zebra finches (Poephilia guttata), in which HVc contains very few E target cells. The wrens are more similar to canaries (Serinus canarius), because both species have E target cells in HVc, and females of both species are able to sing. The interspecies comparison raises the question of whether the ability of HVc cells to accumulate E or its metabolites in both species constitutes a precondition for the bisexual potential for song production.
Posterior cataract induction by UV-B radiation in albino mice.

Abstract UV-B radiation (290–320 nm) was very effective at inducing posterior cortical cataracts in mice similar to those seen in the human senile lens. UV-A radiation, in contrast, was at most weakly cataractogenic. The posterior opacities induced by UV-B began to appear 5–6 months after daily exposure to 8× 10−6 W cm−2 for 12 hr per day or 10−4 W cm−2 for 1 hr per day. Progression was more rapid following the more intense exposure rate. The cataracts developed without any apparent damage to the cornea. A hypothesis of how damage sustained by the epithelium results in posterior opacities is presented.
Assessing Health Care Reform: Potential Effects on Insurance Coverage Among Persons With Disabilities

The changes enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are designed to substantially increase health insurance coverage. The authors analyze the health care reforms to assess the pot...
Influence of parasitoid-host density and host availability on the laboratory propagation ofMicroctonus aethiops [Hym.: Braconidae] parasitoid ofHypera postica [Coleop.: Curculionidae]

Laboratory studies of the arrhenotokous braconid wasp,Microctonus aethiops (Nees) were conducted relative to maximizing parasitoid production without adversely affecting sex ratios of the progeny.
Network-Scale Emulation of General Wireless Channels

This paper presents a framework for signal-level emulation of propagation effects over generalized fading channels at the scale of entire networks. Network emulation enables research into network- scale systems - which would otherwise be limited to low-fidelity network simulators and one-off field experiments - to use real radio hardware and realistic channel models. Our hardware and software architecture goes beyond previous work in that it supports real-time emulation of a very general and parametric class of channels, which includes vehicular (broadband mobile-to-mobile) and indoor channels in addition to classical stationary-to- mobile and stationary-to-stationary channels.
Productivity in the retail industry: does insider ownership of shares matter?

The purpose of this article is to analyse the influence of corporate insider ownership of shares on the performance of companies in the retail industry. Prior research examined the relationship between insider ownership and firm values measured by Tobin's Q. In this article, we focus on the relationship between insider ownership and efficiencies measured using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). To estimate efficiency using DEA, we treat employees, total earning assets (that includes property, plant and equipment and current assets), inventory and selling, general and administrative expenses as inputs and sales, income before extraordinary items and stock market values as outputs. This study confirms positive relationship between insider ownership and efficiencies of companies in the retail industry.
VIOLENCE IN SPORT: A THEORETICAL NOTE

To comprehend violence in sport there is a need to understand gender ideology and issues of masculinity in culture. One approach to explaining gender ideology and masculinity in sports in Athens' violence theory on violentization.
Mechanism of coronary vasodilation produced by bradykinin.

BACKGROUNDBradykinin has been demonstrated to be an endothelium-dependent vasodilator in the cerebral circulation of the mouse, but the actions of bradykinin on regional tissue perfusion in the canine coronary circulation have not been studied.METHODS AND RESULTSThe mechanism of coronary vasodilation by bradykinin was studied in open-chest, anesthetized dogs. The role of cyclooxygenase stimulation, bradykinin B2 receptor activation, and endothelium-derived relaxing factor in bradykinin-mediated vasodilation was studied in separate groups of dogs. Bradykinin was infused intracoronarily so as to avoid changes in systemic hemodynamics capable of altering the regional distribution of coronary blood flow (radioactive microspheres). Bradykinin produced a preferential increase in subendocardial blood flow. Pretreatment with indomethacin had no effect on bradykinin-mediated increases in total left ventricular flow or the transmural distribution of coronary blood flow. Blockade of bradykinin B2 receptors with the ...
Bcl-2 regulation of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor and calcium signaling in normal and malignant lymphocytes: Potential new target for cancer treatment

The anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 is a versatile regulator of cell survival. Its interactions with its own pro-apoptotic family members are widely recognized for their role in promoting the survival of cancer cells. These interactions are thus being targeted for cancer treatment. Less widely recognized is the interaction of Bcl-2 with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R), an InsP3-gated Ca(2+) channel located on the endoplasmic reticulum. The nature of this interaction, the mechanism by which it controls Ca(2+) release from the ER, its role in T-cell development and survival, and the possibility of targeting it as a novel cancer treatment strategy are summarized in this review. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Calcium signaling in health and disease. Guest Editors: Geert Bultynck, Jacques Haiech, Claus W. Heizmann, Joachim Krebs, and Marc Moreau.
Percutaneous Closure of Postmyocardial Infarction Ventricular Septal Defect

Postinfarction ventricular septal defect remains an important complication for myocardial infarction. It is associated with high mortality and morbidity. Despite early surgical closure attempts, mortality remains about 19–49%. Percutaneous approach, especially in high surgical risk patients is a promising alternative to traditional surgical closure, thus avoiding the deleterious effects of cardiopulmonary bypass and the ventriculotomy. The Amplatzer P.I. Ventricular Septal Defect Occluder is a device specifically designed to percutaneously close these defects in adult patients. The results reported using this device are comparable (if not better) to those for surgical closure. Here, we review the experience using this device and depict in detail the technical aspects of the procedure.
TGF-β Sensitivity Restrains CD8+ T Cell Homeostatic Proliferation by Enforcing Sensitivity to IL-7 and IL-15

The pleiotropic cytokine TGF-β has been implicated in the regulation of numerous aspects of the immune response, including naive T cell homeostasis. Previous studies found that impairing TGF-β responsiveness (through expression of a dominant-negative TGF-β RII [DNRII] transgene) leads to accumulation of memory phenotype CD8 T cells, and it was proposed that this resulted from enhanced IL-15 sensitivity. Here we show naive DNRII CD8 T cells exhibit enhanced lymphopenia-driven proliferation and generation of “homeostatic” memory cells. However, this enhanced response occurred in the absence of IL-15 and, unexpectedly, even in the combined absence of IL-7 and IL-15, which were thought essential for CD8 T cell homeostatic expansion. DNRII transgenic CD8 T cells still require access to self Class I MHC for homeostatic proliferation, arguing against generalized dysregulation of homeostatic cues. These findings suggest TGF-β responsiveness is critical for enforcing sensitivity to homeostatic cytokines that limit maintenance and composition of the CD8 T cell pool. (154 words).
Japan's hiropon panic: resident non-Japanese and the 1950s meth crisis.

Abstract Background This qualitative historical policy analysis explores Japan's early postwar market for hiropon (methamphetamine/meth) and the impact of its anti- hiropon campaigns. The paper traces the origins of medical methamphetamine production in prewar Japan; known at that time by its former brand-name, ‘Philopon' (pronounced hiropon ), and argues that the anti-meth ‘shock-horror' campaigns of the 1950s were exacerbated by long-simmering animosity toward non-Japanese residents – especially Koreans and Taiwanese. Methods Through an analysis of both English- and Japanese-language source materials, the paper explores the gritty, frightening themes of Japan's 1950s-era anti-meth propaganda campaigns and the parallel effort by police to arrest, prosecute, and deport members of the resident Korean and Taiwanese communities. Results The author demonstrates that by incorporating a wider variety of contemporary Japanese-language sources such as news reports and anti-drug propaganda materials about the postwar hiropon trade, we may more fully appreciate the historic, underlying social tensions behind the swift and targeted public response. Conclusion The author concludes that Japan's postwar federal and municipal governments, together with police and media agencies, cultivated a sensational ‘drug panic' designed both to dissuade citizens from using hiropon and to fuel a concerted police campaign against non-Japanese involved in the meth trade.
A novel 3 V, 7 mA PHEMT GaAs active MMIC mixer/LNA for wireless applications

A novel monolithic integrated active mixer/LNA utilizing advanced pseudomorphic GaAs FETs has been developed for a mobile wireless receiver. RF coverage is 900 MHz to 2400 MHz. The mixer/LNA operates on a single 3 volt supply at 7 mA. The mixer provides 4 dB conversion gain with a -10 dBm LO drive. The LNA provides a 1.6 dB noise figure and 14 dB gain. The die is small and packaged in the SSOP-16 plastic package to keep costs low. This is the only GaAs PHEMT active mixer/LNA known to provide such performance from such a small DC requirement.
Learning and Instruction in Social, Cultural Environments: Promising Research Agendas

My charge is to discuss the challenges and significant research questions for pedagogy. I believe the top challenges we face are to address inequitable opportunities to learn and participate in physical activities and to improve the quality of teachers and physical education, especially for those children and adolescents who feel alienated and disengaged. The most promising research agendas are (a) to design and research a variety of curriculum programs aimed at different age groups, cultural settings, subject matter, and curricular goals; (b) to study mechanisms for successful dissemination and long-term teacher adoption of field-tested curriculum; (c) to study programs that successfully produce graduates who value diversity, resist socialization, and are well-prepared to work with diverse populations in urban environments; and (d) to study what undergraduates actually learn in their coursework, how they transfer that knowledge to practice, and how their practice impacts student learning and engagement i...
The Expanded Impact of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Some infections will result in anogenital warts and anogenital or oropharyngeal cancers. Preventing HPV infection is a public health priority to reduce cancer and HPV-associated complications. Prevention through vaccination is the most cost-effective and lifesaving intervention to decrease the burden of HPV-related cancers and other HPV-associated diseases. It is critical for pediatricians to make a strong recommendation for early and timely vaccination and completion of the 3-dose series. The goal of early vaccination is to immunize before first exposure to HPV virus.
Stress-induced seamount formation at ridge-transform intersections

Our current understanding of thermal and physiographic gradients at the ridge suggests that hotspot (or buoyant melt) will be directed to the center of ridge segments and away from the ridge-transform intersections (RTIs). However, hotspots located at RTIs can be found on almost every spreading ridge across the planet. Finite element models are used to demonstrate that increasing transform strength dramatically increases extensional stresses at RTIs. Several models are presented that suggest that increased extensional stress at RTIs may result in adiabatic melting, thinning of the lithosphere, and consequently a change in the physiographic and thermal gradient at the ridge. Whether this change results in the formation of a hotspot, the propagation of the ridge, or the formation of a new weak transform is dependent on a variety of factors. However, it appears that hotspot formation at RTIs may be the result of lithospheric processes rather than deep-seated mantle plumes.
Cure State Distributions in Rubbers by Dynamic Nano-Indentation

A depth-sensing and frequency-specific dynamic indentation technique was used to determine the spatial distributions of dynamic moduli, including storage (E') and loss moduli (E), in poly-cis-1,4-butadiene (BR) and brominated poly(isobutylene-co-p-methylstyrene) (BIMS) rubbers with varying degrees of cure and with or without carbon black fillers as a function of penetration depth. The BR rubbers were cured with sulfur and a sulfur accelerator and the BIMS rubbers were cured using zinc oxide and stearic acid. The dynamic modulus reached a constant bulk value after the Berkovich indentor penetrated into rubbers far beyond the surface. Spatially averaged bulk dynamic moduli thus determined using the nano-indentation technique were compared with the tensile extensional moduli and the frequency-dependent dynamic tensile moduli both measured from the bulk rubbers. Spatial distributions of cure and its dependence on penetration depth were evaluated as functions of cure level, filler loading, and sample surface preparation. The ultimate goal is to provide quantitative cure distribution maps in rubber blends and compounds through a combination of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and dynamic nano-indentation characterization.
Rapid stimulation of Ins (1,4,5)P3 production in rat aorta by NE: correlation with contractile state

Rapid stimulation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 production in rat aorta by NE: correlation with contractile state. Am. J. Physiol. 264 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 33): H126-H132, 1993.--The isomeric composition of inositol phosphates generated in response to norepinephrine (NE) stimulation and the relationship of inositol phosphate production to release of intracellular Ca2+ as measured by contraction were characterized in rat aorta prelabeled with [3H]inositol. NE stimulated a rapid and transient increase in labeled D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins-(1,4,5)P3] levels. A maximal increase in labeled Ins(1,4,5)P3 occurred within 15 s of stimulation followed by a decline to control levels at 5 min. D-Myo-inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate [Ins-(1,3,4)P3] and D-myo-inositol 1-monophosphate [Ins(1)P] levels also increased rapidly in response to NE. In contrast to the transient production of Ins(1,4,5)P3, Ins(1,3,4)P3 and Ins(1)P production was maintained in the presence of NE. Half-maximal stimulation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 production and Ca2+ release occurred at 0.3 microM NE, and maximal effects were obtained with 10 microM NE. The concentration-response curve and time course for production of Ins(1,4,5)P3 correlated with the neurotransmitter-induced Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, indicating that the level of Ins(1,4,5)P3 regulated the Ca(2+)-release mechanism. In the continued presence of NE, the intracellular pools did not completely refill with Ca2+ despite the return of Ins-(1,4,5)P3 levels to basal at 5 min. These results demonstrate that NE stimulates a rapid increase in Ins(1,4,5)P3 that correlates with contraction in Ca(2+)-free buffer. The reuptake of Ca2+ into intracellular stores is regulated by a mechanism that may not involve Ins(1,4,5)P3.
Fractionation of Surface-Modified Gold Nanorods Using Gas-Expanded Liquids

Gold nanorods (GNRs) have found widespread applications in nanocomposites and thin films, because of their unique optical, chemical, and photothermal properties, which are dictated by the rod size ...
Lepanthes gerardensis (Orchidaceae), una nueva especie de Costa Rica

Lepanthes gerardensis from north-central Costa Rica is described and illustrated. It is most simi- lar to the Mexican L. ancylopetala Dressler, from which it differs in shorter habit, petiolate leaves with broadly elliptic blades, and different lip shape. It appears to be a specialized twig-epiphyte.
Research on simulative technical theory and methodology of turbine rotor

The design of simulated sample is a very important work while carrying out reliability test of structural fatigue,yet the research and application of theory in this aspect are correspondingly deficient.The focal point of design lies in ensuring the consistency of fatigue life of testing sample and structural component.The basic thought of partial stress method of simulated sample design,which was put forward in this paper,enriched the designing theory of simulated sample.It is indicated with the application of living example that this method is effective and feasible.
Advances in Chemokine Receptor CXCR3 Research

CXCR3 is a specific receptor of interferon induced mononuclear factor (Mig), interferon induced protein 10 (IP-10) and interferon induced t-cell Alpha chemical chemotactic factors (I-TAC) which can induce the migration of activated effector cells to specific organization when binding the ligands, so participate in the pathologic process of a variety of diseases.
Research Data Sharing and Reuse Practices of Academic Faculty Researchers: A Study of the Virginia Tech Data Landscape

This paper presents the results of a research data assessment and landscape study in the institutional context of Virginia Tech to determine the data sharing and reuse practices of academic faculty researchers. Through mapping the level of user engagement in “openness of data,” “openness of methodologies and workflows,” and “reuse of existing data,” this study contributes to the current knowledge in data sharing and open access, and supports the strategic development of institutional data stewardship. Asking faculty researchers to self-reflect sharing and reuse from both data producers’ and data users’ perspectives, the study reveals a significant gap between the rather limited sharing activities and the highly perceived reuse or repurpose values regarding data, indicating that potential values of data for future research are lost right after the original work is done. The localized and sporadic data management and documentation practices of researchers also contribute to the obstacles they themselves often encounter when reusing existing data.
Developing an Interdepartmental Training Program for E-Resources Troubleshooting

The purpose of this article is to show how analysis of historical data from reported e-resources access problems at the Georgia State University Library was employed to improve the format and quality of future access problem identification and reportage and to create training for public services staff. The goal of the training was to provide front line staff at public service points with an appropriate level of knowledge, enabling them to either resolve basic issues with patrons in real time, or to report critical information effectively to others, thereby ensuring faster and more accurate problem resolution. The authors discuss the development, delivery, and impact of this ongoing training.
60-Hz magnetic field exposure effects on the melatonin rhythm and photoperiod control of reproduction

Adult Djungarian hamsters in long (16 h of light) or short (10 h of light) days for 6 wk were acutely exposed to a 1-G 60-Hz magnetic field (MF) for 15 min 2 h before dark. The nighttime rise in melatonin was delayed and duration reduced in MF-exposed hamsters in both photoperiods compared with sham controls. In a second replicate experiment, MF effects on melatonin rhythm duration were repeated in hamsters in short but not long days, and amplitudes at some clock times differed between the same treatment groups in the two studies. To test the hypothesis that daily MF abbreviates melatonin rhythm duration and induces a long-day reproductive response, adults in shot days were exposed daily to MF. After 3 wk, pineal and serum melatonin rhythms were the same in MF and sham groups; reproduction remained suppressed. Irrespective of acute MF exposure effects on the melatonin rhythm, daily MF treatment does not alter photoperiodic time measurement or the clock mechanism controlling reproduction. Adaption to environmental MF exposures may be part of a normal physiological mechanism that maintains photoperiodic responsiveness in individuals and a seasonal pattern of reproduction.
Log-Pearson Type III Distribution

The log-Pearson type 3 (LP3) distribution has been one of the most frequently used distributions for hydrologic frequency analyses since the recommendation of the Water Resources Council (1967, 1982) of the United States as to its use as the base method. The Water Resources Council also recommended that this distribution be fitted to sample data by using mean, standard deviation and coefficient of skewness of the logarithms of flow data [i.e., the method of moments (MOM)]. A large volume of literature on the LP3 distribution has since been published with regard to its accuracy and methods of fitting or parameter estimation. McMahon and Srikanthan (1981) and Srikanthan and McMahon (1981) examined the applicability of LP3 distribution to Australian rivers and questioned the assumption of setting to zero the coefficient of skewness of logarithms of peak discharges that were not statistically different from zero. They evaluated the effect of sample size, distribution parameters and dependence on peak annual flood estimates. Gupta and Deshpande (1974) applied LP3 distribution to evaluate design earthquake magnitudes. Phien and Jivajirajah (1984) applied LP3 distribution to annual maximum rainfall, annual streamflow and annual rainfall. Wallis and Wood (1985) found, based on Monte Carlo experiments, that the flood quantile estimates obtained by using an index flood type approach with either a generalized extreme value distribution or a Wakeby distribution fitted by PWM were superior to those obtained by LP3 distribution with MOM -based parameters. This finding was challenged later by several investigators (Beard, 1986; Landwehr et al., 1986).
Public policy issues: Earthquake engineering

A method of cost-benefit analysis under uncertainty is presented for different policies of building codes and for upgrading the old existing structures. The tools are those of risk and decision analysis, assuming that expected values are a sound basis for decisions in the public sector. The method relies on the assessment of the expected value of the losses due to an earthquake per year in a given region, on the basis of a set of iso-intensity maps of the area. The expected value of the loss is computed for different levels of building codes. Costs and benefits are evaluated over a 50-yr period. An expected cost per life saved is computed, allowing comparison with other means of mitigation of earthquake effects—e.g., earthquake prediction—and with other sectors involving life saving programs. An example with rough numerical data has been presented for the San Francisco Bay Area. It gives, for the 1973 and the 1976 versions of the Uniform Building Code (UBC), the expected cost per life saved in buildings subjected to earthquakes per type of use and per type of structure. The method allows an assessment of the marginal economic effects of further building code requirements according to the type of structure and the level of occupancy.
The Economic Implications of a Reusable Flexible Digital Ureteroscope: A Cost-Benefit Analysis

Purpose: Questions remain regarding the durability and longevity of flexible ureteroscopes. The objective of this study was to estimate the potential economic benefits of single use, flexible digit...
Gut chemosensing: implications for disease pathogenesis

The ability of humans to sense chemical signals in ingested substances is implicit in the ability to detect the five basic tastes; sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Of these, sweet, bitter, and umami tastes are detected by lingual G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Recently, these receptors were also localized to the gut mucosa. In this review, we will emphasize recent advances in the understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of foregut luminal chemosensing, with special emphasis on cell surface GPCRs such as the sweet and proteinaceous taste receptors (TASRs), short- and long-chain fatty acid (FA) receptors, and bile acid receptors. The majority of these luminal chemosensors are expressed on enteroendocrine cells (EECs), which are specialized endocrine cells in the intestine and pancreas that release gut hormones with ligand activation. These gut hormones are responsible for a wide variety of physiologic and homeostatic mechanisms, including glycemic control, appetite stimulation and suppression, regulation of gastric emptying, and trophic effects on the intestinal epithelium. Released from the EECs, the gut peptides have paracrine, autocrine, and endocrine effects. Additionally, EECs have unique direct connections to the enteric nervous system enabling precise transmission of sensory data to and communication with the central nervous system. We will also describe how gut sensors are implicated in gut hormone release, followed by examples of how altered gut chemosensing has been implicated in pathological conditions such as metabolic diseases including diabetes and obesity, functional dyspepsia, helminthic infections, colitis, gastric bypass surgery, and gastric inflammation and cancer.
Spatial and temporal patterns of plantation forests in the United States since the 1930s: an annual and gridded data set for regional Earth system modeling

Abstract. Plantation forest area in the conterminous United States (CONUS) ranked second among the world's nations in the land area apportioned to forest plantation. As compared to the naturally regenerated forests, plantation forests demonstrate significant differences in biophysical characteristics, and biogeochemical and hydrological cycles as a result of more intensive management practices. Inventory data have been reported for multiple time periods on plot, state, and regional scales across the CONUS, but the requisite annual and spatially explicit plantation data set over a long-term period for analysis of the role of plantation management on regional or national scales is lacking. Through synthesis of multiple inventory data sources, this study developed methods to spatialize the time series plantation forest and tree species distribution data for the CONUS over the 1928–2012 time period. According to this new data set, plantation forest area increased from near zero in the 1930s to 268.27 thousand km2 in 2012, accounting for 8.65 % of the total forestland area in the CONUS. Regionally, the South contained the highest proportion of plantation forests, accounting for about 19.34 % of total forestland area in 2012. This time series and gridded data set developed here can be readily applied in regional Earth system modeling frameworks for assessing the impacts of plantation management practices on forest productivity, carbon and nitrogen stocks, and greenhouse gases (e.g., CO2, CH4, and N2O) and water fluxes on regional or national scales. The gridded plantation distribution and tree species maps, and the interpolated state-level annual tree planting area and plantation area during 1928–2012, are available from https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.873558 .
A Novel Method for Direct Assessment of Everyday Competence Among Older Adults.

Background Recent findings indicate that impairments in functional performance do occur among individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Most assessment strategies for everyday competence are associated with challenges with reliability, are typically in paper and pencil format, or require in-person administration by a trained professional. Objective This paper reports on a novel technology-based assessment battery of everyday competence that includes ecologically valid simulations of daily activities important to independence. Methods The sample included 85 non-cognitively impaired older adults aged 65+ and 62 older adults diagnosed with amnestic MCI (aMCI). Participants completed standard measures of cognitive abilities and the computerized battery of everyday tasks, which included simulations of a doctor's visit; and medication and financial management tasks. Results The older adults with aMCI performed significantly poorer on all three tasks in the everyday task battery. Performance on these measures were also moderately correlated with standard measures of cognitive abilities and showed good test-retest reliability. Conclusions The results show that it is feasible to use a technology-based assessment battery of everyday tasks with both non-cognitively impaired older adults and older adults with MCI. The use of this type of battery can overcome many of the logistic constraints associated with current functional assessment protocols.