cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robust and tunable signal processing in mammalian cells via engineered covalent modification cycles

Rewired and synthetic signaling networks can impart cells with new functionalities and enable efforts in engineering cell therapies and directing cell development. However, there is a need for tools to build synthetic signaling networks that are tunable, can precisely regulate target gene expression, and are robust to perturbations within the complex context of mammalian cells. Here, we use proteins derived from bacterial two-component signaling pathways to develop synthetic phosphorylation-based and feedback-controlled devices in mammalian cells with such properties. First, we isolate kinase and phosphatase proteins from the bifunctional histidine kinase EnvZ. We then use these proteins to engineer a synthetic covalent modification cycle, in which the kinase and phosphatase competitively regulate phosphorylation of the cognate response regulator OmpR, enabling analog tuning of OmpR-driven gene expression. Further, we show that the phosphorylation cycle can be extended by connecting phosphatase expression to small molecule and miRNA inputs in the cell, with the latter enabling cell-type specific signaling responses and accurate cell type classification. Finally, we implement a tunable negative feedback controller by co-expressing the kinase-driven output gene with the small molecule-tunable phosphatase. This negative feedback substantially reduces cell-to-cell noise in output expression and mitigates the effects of cell context perturbations due to off-target regulation and resource competition. Our work thus lays the foundation for establishing tunable, precise, and robust control over cell behavior with synthetic signaling network.
Adaptation of Fluctuating Magnetoacoustic System to External Signals

The adaptation of systems to external influences is of broad interest. We study the influence of microwave signals of different shapes on the magnetoacoustic wave system with a giant nonlinearity in canted antiferromagnet FeBO3 at room temperature, which is close to its phase transition to the paramagnetic state. The classical nonlinear system obeys external deterministic signals; the modulation response describes the shape of these signals. In response to a noisy spectrum, the system shows self-organization, and mode competition selects one excited mode while suppressing others. With an increase in the power of the external signal, another self-organization is observed in the form of a narrow peak at the frequency of the fundamental minimum. This represents the first observation of the macroscopic quantum statistical phenomenon, Bose-Einstein condensation of magnetoacoustic wave quanta in a wave system with a high level of thermal fluctuations. The resulting picture of adaptation can analogously be transferred to many other adaptive wave systems, including large scale adaptive wave systems in the natural environment.
SOME THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF A STALL PROOF AIRPLANE

For the stall proof airplane there should be a stabilizing pitching moment below the stall angle of attack of sufficient amount to prevent the attainment of the stall angle of attack which cannot be over-ridden by control deflections. This paper presents (1) a development of the moment equations to show the theoretical considerations of a stall proof airplane and (2) the nonlinear moment characteristics that must be obtained to satisfy the stall proof requirements. In addition, it is shown that an aerodynamic spoiler located on the under surface of the horizontal tail can be designed to meet these requirements of a stall proof airplane. Wind tunnel results are shown to validate assumptions and predictions.
Contrast performance modeling of broadband reflective imaging systems with hypothetical tunable filter fore-optics

Most mass-produced, commercially available and fielded military reflective imaging systems operate across broad swaths of the visible, near infrared (NIR), and shortwave infrared (SWIR) wavebands without any spectral selectivity within those wavebands. In applications that employ these systems, it is not uncommon to be imaging a scene in which the image contrasts between the objects of interest, i.e., the targets, and the objects of little or no interest, i.e., the backgrounds, are sufficiently low to make target discrimination difficult or uncertain. This can occur even when the spectral distribution of the target and background reflectivity across the given waveband differ significantly from each other, because the fundamental components of broadband image contrast are the spectral integrals of the target and background signatures. Spectral integration by the detectors tends to smooth out any differences. Hyperspectral imaging is one approach to preserving, and thus highlighting, spectral differences across the scene, even when the waveband integrated signatures would be about the same, but it is an expensive, complex, noncompact, and untimely solution. This paper documents a study of how the capability to selectively customize the spectral width and center wavelength with a hypothetical tunable fore-optic filter would allow a broadband reflective imaging sensor to optimize image contrast as a function of scene content and ambient illumination.
Condensation in Supersonic and Hypersonic Wind Tunnels

Publisher Summary In an isentropic expansion of a vapor mixture, the entropy of individual components is not necessarily constant. In an expansion of moist air, the presence of water vapor may be neglected until condensation occurs. The relative humidity of moist air during an expansion in a supersonic nozzle increases rapidly with increasing Mach number. Saturation—with respect to equilibrium conditions—is reached for all normal humidities ahead of a nozzle throat. The shocklike disturbances and pressure nonuniformities, which are seen near the throat of a supersonic nozzle operated with moist air, are because of the condensation of the water vapor and the attendant heat release in the flow. Actual condensation is nearly always observed at supersonic speeds, which demonstrates that before condensing, the water vapor is in a highly supersaturated state. Finally, it is apparent that the prediction of condensation effects in nozzles operated with moist air is a subject for kinetic theory. However, once the condensation environment is known, thermodynamic and fluid dynamic considerations will be applicable.
Robust Control of Semi-Rigid/Flexible Structures

This paper addresses the robustness issue of controlling semi-rigid/flexible structures. Conditions are derived that guarantee the robust stability of semi-rigid/flexible structures controlled by a single actuator under parametric uncertainty. These conditions provide simple constraints on the feedback gains of the controller. The freedom in choosing feedback gains that satisfy these constraints can be used to achieve other performance requirements such as pole assignment. As an application, the conditions are used to design controllers for a simple semi-rigid mechanical system.
Knowledge About Cancer and Use of Health Care Services Among Hispanic- and Asian-American Older Adults

The study described in this article assessed the perceptions of older members of three ethnic groups (Hispanic, Chinese, and Vietnamese) concerning the accessibility of diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation services, especially in relation to cancer. The specific purposes of the study were to (1) develop a sociocultural instrument for assessing the characteristics of the populations at risk for cancer, patterns of use of health care services, and the degree to which individuals were satisfied with those services, (2) test the validity of the instrument, (3) identify and describe the respondents' perceptions about cancer and their knowledge of the disease, (4) evaluate their current access to diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation services, and (5) identify barriers-both actual and perceived-against seeking cancer treatment and rehabilitation. On the basis of their preliminary findings, the authors offer a series of recommendations for removing the barriers to health care revealed by the study.
Introduction to Physics in Modern Medicine

Introduction and Overview Telescopes for Inner Space Optics: the science of light Fiber optics applications in medicine: endoscopes and laparoscopes Robotic surgery and virtual reality in the operating room Telemedicine and military applications Lasers in Medicine What is a laser? More on the science of light: beyond the rainbow How lasers work How light interacts with body tissues Laser beams and spatial coherence Cooking with light: photocoagulation Trade-offs in photocoagulation: power density and heat flow Cutting with light: photovaporization More power: pulsed lasers Lasers and color The atomic origins of absorption How selective absorption is used in laser surgery Lasers in dermatology Laser surgery on the eye New directions: lasers in dentistry Advantages and drawbacks of lasers for medicine New directions: photodynamic therapy-killing tumors with light New directions: Diffusive optical imaging Seeing with Sound Sound waves What is ultrasound? Ultrasound and energy How echoes are formed How to produce ultrasound Images from echoes Ultrasound scanner design Ultrasound is absorbed by the body Limitations of ultrasound: image quality and artifacts How safe is ultrasound imaging? Obstetrical ultrasound imaging Echocardiography: ultrasound images of the heart Origins of the Doppler effect Using the Doppler effect to measure blood flow Color flow images Three-dimensional ultrasound Portable ultrasound-appropriate technology for the developing world X-Ray Vision Diagnostic x-rays: the body's x-ray shadow Types of x-ray interactions with matter Basic issues in x-ray image formation Contrast media make soft tissues visible on an x-ray How x-rays are generated X-ray detectors Mammography: x-ray screening for breast cancer Digital radiography Computed tomography (CT) Application: spotting brittle bones-bone mineral scans for osteoporosis Images from Radioactivity Nuclear physics basics Radioactivity fades with time: the concept of half-lives Gamma camera imaging Emission tomography with radionuclides: SPECT and PET Application: emission computer tomography studies of the brain Hybrid scanners Radiation Therapy and Radiation Safety in Medicine Measuring radioactivity and radiation Origins of the biological effects of ionizing radiation The two regimes of radiation damage: radiation sickness and cancer risk Radiation therapy: killing tumors with radiation New directions in radiation therapy Magnetic Resonance Imaging The science of magnetism Nuclear magnetism Contrast mechanisms for MRI Listening to spin echoes How MRI maps the body How safe is MRI? Creating better contrast Sports medicine and MRI Magnetic resonance breast imaging Mapping body chemistry with MR spectroscopy Brain mapping and functional MRI Each chapter contains an Introduction, Questions, and Problems.
The Aspectual System of Navajo

The Navajo language is unfamiliar, and its grammar is notoriously complex. In developing this analysis I have been interested in the answers to three questions. The first two are based on the grammatical pattern of the language, and must impose themselves on everyone who investigates its aspectual system. What is the function of the Navajo pattern of verb lexicalization? What is the semantic role of the verb lexeme categories? The intricate Navajo lexicalization, and a set of formally marked verbal categories, are important features of the language. The third question arises in the two-component theory to which we are committed: What are the situation types of Navajo and how do they relate to the Aristotelian set of situation type categories? I attempt to answer these three questions, setting out the relevant facts about the language and showing how its system can be understood within the two-component framework. I give only the main outlines of the aspectual system; the examples and comments will suggest directions for future research.1,2
EditorialEvidence based library and information practice.

Whilst many of us engage in supporting clinicians in identifying, appraising and using evidence, how many of us adopt the same approach to our own work? A recent survey by the UK LIS Research Coalition indicated that 60% of respondents use research reports as a source of information whilst a similar proportion of health library respondents use professional events such as conferences as a source of information. This summer sees the 6th International Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP6) being held at the University of Salford, UK between 27th-30th June which will go some way to satisfying this latter information need whilst the Health Information and Libraries Journal can help satisfy the need for research reports. Whatever you’re doing this summer, let’s make it evidence based.
Utilization of Glycosaminoglycans/Proteoglycans as Carriers for Targeted Therapy Delivery

The outcome of patients with cancer has improved significantly in the past decade with the incorporation of drugs targeting cell surface adhesive receptors, receptor tyrosine kinases, and modulation of several molecules of extracellular matrices (ECMs), the complex composite of collagens, glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans that dictates tissue architecture. Cancer tissue invasive processes progress by various oncogenic strategies, including interfering with ECM molecules and their interactions with invasive cells. In this review, we describe how the ECM components, proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, influence tumor cell signaling. In particular this review describes how the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA) and its major receptor CD44 impact invasive behavior of tumor cells, and provides useful insight when designing new therapeutic strategies in the treatment of cancer.
Privacy vulnerabilities in encrypted HTTP streams

Encrypting traffic does not prevent an attacker from performing some types of traffic analysis. We present a straightforward traffic analysis attack against encrypted HTTP streams that is surprisingly effective in identifying the source of the traffic. An attacker starts by creating a profile of the statistical characteristics of web requests from interesting sites, including distributions of packet sizes and inter-arrival times. Later, candidate encrypted streams are compared against these profiles. In our evaluations using real traffic, we find that many web sites are subject to this attack. With a training period of 24 hours and a 1 hour delay afterwards, the attack achieves only 23% accuracy. However, an attacker can easily pre-determine which of trained sites are easily identifiable. Accordingly, against 25 such sites, the attack achieves 40% accuracy; with three guesses, the attack achieves 100% accuracy for our data. Longer delays after training decrease accuracy, but not substantially. We also propose some countermeasures and improvements to our current method. Previous work analyzed SSL traffic to a proxy, taking advantage of a known flaw in SSL that reveals the length of each web object. In contrast, we exploit the statistical characteristics of web streams that are encrypted as a single flow, which is the case with WEP/WPA, IPsec, and SSH tunnels.
Structural Details of Aqueous Attack on a Phosphate Glass by 1H/31P Cross-Polarization NMR

One- and two-dimensional heteronuclear correlation solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance experiments allow a direct study of the chemistry of water incorporation into a simple phosphate glass network. One main pathway for water incorporation into phosphate glass networks is through the formation of P−OH groups, and previous 1H magic-angle-spinning NMR investigations of proton environments in silicate and phosphate glasses suggest that hydroxyl groups are involved in multiple hydrogen-bonding motifs with backbone units within the glass networks. The presence of multiple proton environments presents more complex structural issues for aqueous incorporation into glass systems, which have yet to be explained unambiguously. The spectral editing capabilities of two-dimensional cross-polarization NMR identify specific subunits in modified sodium phosphate glasses, and strong evidence is presented for the formation of intramolecular as well as weaker intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Using a combination of one- and ...
Occurrence and characterization of multiple novel genotypes of Mycobacterium immunogenum and Mycobacterium chelonae in metalworking fluids

Rapidly growing mycobacteria colonize metalworking fluids, leading to contamination of occupational environments and exposure-related respiratory illnesses in machine workers. Lately, it has been emphasized that these fluids are colonizable by a single genotype of a rapidly growing mycobacterium species, Mycobacterium immunogenum. Here, we report on the genotypic diversity of mycobacteria in these fluids, including isolation and characterization of multiple novel genotypes of two distinct species, Mycobacterium chelonae and M. immunogenum. Using agar culturing and Mycobacterium-specific PCR, 13 mycobacterial isolates were recovered from 100 geographically diverse in-use metalworking fluid samples. Based on restriction fragment length polymorphism of PCR products, DNA sequencing (hsp65 gene segment), and phylogenetic analysis of 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, six isolates were identified as M. immunogenum and seven as M. chelonae; an additional isolate from metalworking fluid diluent water was identified as M. diernhoferi. Genomic DNA macro-restriction fragment pattern analysis, using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis with XbaI and SpeI restriction digestions, showed intraspecies variation among the isolates of M. immunogenum and M. chelonae. Visual and computer-assisted dendrogram analysis of the XbaI macro-restriction patterns revealed three novel genotypes of M. immunogenum and two of M. chelonae, whereas SpeI macro-restriction patterns revealed only two genotypes for each isolate. None of the identified genotypes matched the reportedly dominant one of M. immunogenum from metalworking fluids. Both mycobacterial species are prevalent in metalworking fluids and there is a considerable strain-level genetic diversity within them.
Spiritualism and Suicide

Spiritualism is a religion whose beliefs incude the idea that the spirit of deceased persons moves to a spirit world, and that it is possible to communicate with these deceased spirits occasionally, through living persons known as mediums. Data involving the use of spiritualists, regardless of whether one accepts their beliefs or not, may be of interest to students of suicidal behavior. This paper explores the views of spiritualists towards suicide and their potential use for the study of suicide.
Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction study of the thermal decomposition of an ettringite-group crystal

A Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction study of the thermal decomposition of a naturally occurring, ettringite-group crystal is presented. Raman spectra, recorded with increasing temperature, indicate that the thermal decomposition begins at ≈55 °C, accompanied by dehydration of water molecules from the mineral. This is in contrast to previous studies that reported higher temperature breakdown of ettringite. The dehydration is completed by 175 °C and this results in total collapse of the crystalline structure and the material becomes amorphous. The Raman scattering results are supported by X-ray diffraction results obtained at increasing temperatures.
New developments in MRI contrast enhancement

Ongoing developments in contrast media for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) should lead to an improvement in sensitivity for the detection of disease, better definition of normal and pathologic anatomy, added functional information, and an expansion of diagnostic MRI applications. Currently available for clinical use are four low-molecular-weight gadolinium complexes which distribute in the extracellular fluid space and highlight defects in the blood-brain barrier. An estimated 20–45% of patients undergoing MRI examination receive one of these governmental-approved gadolinium complexes. In addition, contrast agents differing in purpose and primary magnetic effect, both paramagnetic proton relaxation and magnetic susceptibility agents, are being developed. These include agents for enhancing the blood pool, myocardium, liver, lymph nodes, tumors, and gastrointestinal lumen. Criteria for suitability of new contrast agents include diagnostic efficacy, safety, stability, pharmacology, and cost.
A comparison of driver behavior at railroad grade crossings with two different protection systems

An observational study was conducted which compared the behavior of drivers at a railroad-highway grade crossing as trains approached. The effectiveness of a flasher-only protection system was compared with one incorporating flashers and barrier gates for a particular crossing. The addition of the gates significantly reduced the percentage of drivers crossing in front of trains from 67% to 38%. Plots of crossing probabilities showed them reduced as time until train arrival and the distance of the train from the crossing decreased. Train speed did not seem logically related to the probability of crossing perhaps because it is not well perceived. Drivers crossing around barrier gates tended to stop or slow on approach significantly less than those crossing with flashers only. It was suggested that the gates themselves provided an impediment to crossing which forced drivers inclined to cross into making a hurried and sometimes perilous decision. Their behavior was seen as explaining the surprisingly high number of accidents that occur at barrier-gate crossings. Discouraging drivers from driving around barrier gates was seen as essential if safety at these crossings was to be improved. Extending the length of gates and the education of the drivers regarding the law were seen as possible ways of increasing compliance.
Emotional climate, feeding practices, and feeding styles: an observational analysis of the dinner meal in Head Start families

A number of studies conducted with ethnically diverse, low-income samples have found that parents with indulgent feeding styles had children with a higher weight status. Indulgent parents are those who are responsive to their child's emotional states but have problems setting appropriate boundaries with their child. Because the processes through which styles impact child weight are poorly understood, the aim of this study was to observe differences in the emotional climate created by parents (including affect, tone of voice, and gestures) and behavioral feeding practices among those reporting different feeding styles on the Caregiver's Feeding Styles Questionnaire. A secondary aim was to examine differences on child weight status across the feeding styles. Participants were 177 Head Start families from Houston, Texas (45% African-American; 55% Hispanic). Using an observational approach, the relationship between the observed emotional climate of the meal, behavioral feeding practices, and self-reported parent feeding styles were examined. Mean age of the children was 4.4 years (SD = 0.7) equally distributed across gender. Families were observed on 3 separate dinner occasions. Heights and weight were measured on the parents and children. Parents with self-reported indulgent feeding styles made fewer demands on their children to eat during dinner and showed lower levels of negative affect and intrusiveness. Surprisingly, these parents also showed higher levels of emotional detachment with their children during dinner. Hispanic boys with indulgent parents had significantly higher BMI z scores compared to Hispanic boys in the other three feeding style groups. No other differences were found on child weight status. Results suggest that the emotional climate created by indulgent parents during dinner and their lack of demands on their children to eat may play an important role in how young children become overweight. Numerous observed emotional climate and behavioral differences were found between the other self-reported feeding styles as well. Results suggest that parents' self-reported feeding styles may be a proxy for the emotional climate of the dinner meal, which may in turn influence the child's eating behaviors and weight status.
Midfoot Fusion Technique for Neuroarthropathic Feet: Biomechanical Analysis and Rationale

To test the hypothesis that a plate applied to the plantar (tension) side of the medial midfoot provides stronger fixation than midfoot fusion with screw fixation, we biomechanically compared the two constructs for midfoot fusion. We created a model of midfoot instability in eight matched pairs of cadaver legs by section of joint capsule, ligaments, and tendons about Lisfranc's joints, and then performed a load-to-failure study to compare the fixation provided by a plantarly applied third tubular plate with that by cortical screws. After an initial load deformation curve to 1000 N was obtained, specimens were cyclically loaded at 200 to 750 N for 3000 cycles and then loaded to failure (screw pullout, fracture, or deformation >3 mm). Comparing the plantar plate and midfoot fusion with screw fixation constructs, a plate applied to the plantar (tension) aspect of the medial midfoot provides a stronger, sturdier construct than does midfoot fusion with screw fixation.
Nitrogen-fixing Bacillus sp. associated with Douglas-fir tuberculate ectomycorrhizae

Nitrogenase activities, measured by acetylene reduction, were detected under microaerophilic field conditions in Douglas-fir tuberculate ectomycorrhizae. Tuberculate ectomycorrhizae consist of densely packed clusters of ectomycorrhizal rootlets enclosed in a supplementary fungal peridium-like layer. Nitrogenase activity was primarily in the external layer and was greatly enhanced with added sucrose. The bacterium isolated, a nitrogen-fixing, spore-forming Bacillus sp., is an aerobe but requires anaerobic conditions for nitrogenase activity. Respiration in the tuberculate complex by the fungus, roots, and associated mycorrhizosphere microbes probably contributes to maintaining a microaerophilic niche where nitrogen fixation can take place. Water extracts of peridium or mycorrhizal root tips enhanced nitrogenase activity of this associative Bacillus sp., thereby indicating a close nutritional relationship between this bacterium and the tuberculate mycorrhizae. Thiamine more significantly enhanced bacterial nitrogenase activity than biotin; no activity was detected with p-aminobenzoic acid. Even though the levels ofnitrogenase activities in the tubercles in situ were low, as measured by the present methods, they may indicate a significant contribution to the nitrogen dynamics of these nitrogen-limited Douglas-fir forests over a long-term period.
Suicide during pregnancy and its neglect as a component of maternal mortality

OBJECTIVES: To raise awareness about the socio-cultural factors which may lead pregnant women to commit suicide. METHODS: This paper reviews and compiles current international literature on this topic, and suggests comparison with evidence from the past. RESULTS: Suicide during pregnancy is often due to the limited choices women face when confronted with an unwanted pregnancy. Neglect of this subject is due in part to the exclusion of suicide from classification as 'maternal death,' and other difficulties in collecting reliable data. CONCLUSIONS: The problem of suicide during pregnancy underscores the need for sex education at an early age, access to family planning, and access to safe abortion services. Language: en
The effects of thymic epithelial monolayer-conditioned medium on suppressor cell function following chemotherapy in pediatric patients.

Human thymic epithelial monolayer-conditioned medium (TEM-CM) enhanced concanavalin A (ConA)-induced suppressor T-lymphocyte activity in 15 of 17 studies of fractionated light-density bone marrow mononuclear cells (LD-BMMC) obtained from pediatric cancer patients within 7 days of chemotherapy (P<0.001). However, TEM-CM depressed ConA-induced suppressor T-lymphocyte activity in 14 of 18 studies of LD-BMMC obtained from patients who had received their chemotherapy 14–21 days previously (P<0.05). In studies of LD-BMMC from normal subjects, TEM-CM did not show any significant effect on suppressor cell activity, nor did TEM-CM significantly affect spontaneous suppressor cell activity in patients or normals. The effect of direct culture on thymic epithelial monolayers was equivalent to the effect of TEM-CM in both ConA-induced and spontaneous suppressor cell assays. These data demonstrate thymic factor-mediated changes in suppressor T-cell activity of pediatric cancer patients and suggest a postchemotherapy alteration in the bone marrow population of inducible prethymic T cells.
Paenibacillus lentus sp. nov., a β-mannanolytic bacterium isolated from mixed soil samples in a selective enrichment using guar gum as the sole carbon source.

A novel bacterial strain, CMG1240T, was isolated in 1988 from mixed soil samples collected from the United States and South America in a selective enrichment medium with guar gum as the sole carbon source. This microbial isolate showed β-mannanolytic activity to hydrolyse the galactomannans present in guar gum. Strain CMG1240T was aerobic, Gram-stain-variable, non-motile, rod-shaped and endospore-forming. It was further examined based on a combination of phenotypic, physiological and genetic characterization. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, cellular lipid profile and fatty acid composition, strain CMG1240T was shown to belong unequivocally to the genus Paenibacillus . Quinone analysis showed that MK-7 was the only menaquinone detected. The main cell-wall sugar was xylose with trace amounts of mannose and glucose. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and unknown glycolipids, phospholipids, phosphoglycolipids and other lipids. The peptidoglycan structure was A1γ (meso-diaminopimelic acid-direct). The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0 and C16 : 0. The DNA G+C content was 46 mol% as determined experimentally and by analysis of the genomic sequence. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain CMG1240T shared highest similarity with that of Paenibacillus fonticola ZLT (97.6 %) while all other tested Paenibacillus strains showed lower sequence similarities (≤95.3 %). The results of DNA–DNA hybridization and chemotaxonomic tests enabled the genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain CMG1240T from P. fonticola . Based on these results, strain CMG1240T ( = ATCC BAA-2594T = DSM 25539T) should be designated the type strain of a novel species within the genus Paenibacillus , for which the name Paenibacillus lentus sp. nov. is proposed.
Absorbing FSS ground plane for reduced-Radar Cross Section of conformal antennas

Several approaches in the literature have been attempted for reducing the Radar Cross-Section (RCS) of antennas, specifically for conformal patch antennas. Ideally, the antenna should function unimpeded at the communication frequency but should have a minimal radar signature at all other frequencies of interest. Here, absorbing Frequency Selective Surfaces are used as the ground plane of a conformal antenna in order to reduce the RCS at higher frequencies. This technique offers many advantages over existing published techniques in the literature that generally show limited RCS reduction or poor antenna performance.
Formation Mechanisms of Clean Zones During the Surface Flashover of Contaminated Insulators

The mechanism of breakdown on a contaminated insulator surface under High Voltage dc (HVDC) has been studied. A new laboratory contamination technique is proposed, which yields uniformly contaminated test specimens. Using this method, flashover processes have been systematically studied and recorded on high speed films. These tests reveal the existence of a "clean zone" around the anode for test voltages of both polarities. A theory is proposed to describe the formation of such a "clean zone" and its role in the flashover process.
Sperm competition in deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi )

Six experiments were conducted to determine the effects of mode of estrus (cycling versus postpartum) and intervals between matings on sperm competition in deer mice. When there was no lengthy interval between matings by different males, sperm competition matings by different males, sperm competition with females in postpartum estrus was the same as that with females in cyclin estrus (i.e., no male order effect). Imposition of 4 h delays between males did not engender a mating advantage when females were in postpartum estrus. When 4 h intervals were imposed with females in cycling estrus and tests were begun relatively early in the dark phase, there was a secondmale advantage with respect to the number of pups sired. When minimal delays were imposed with females in cycling estrus the time of testing within the dark phase did not affect the pattern of sperm competition, but larger litters were born following matings later in the dark phase. When 4 h delays were imposed with the first male mating late in the dark phase a first-male advantage resulted. It is hypothesized that for females in cycling estrus there is a period of peak fertilizability. There is no straight-forward effect of delays between males per se; rather, effects must be analyzed in relation to the period of peak fertilizability. The timing of insemination appears less critical for postpartum females.
Correlated hopping transport of labeled particle in two sublattice systems

We extend a previous treatment of labeled particle hopping transport in a system containing a background of general concentration of particles with hard core repulsion. The particles hop stochastically on a lattice with interpenetrating two spatial sublattices. We allow for an arbitrarily large potential difference between sites on different sublattices which can result in vastly different sublattice-dependent hopping rates. The present analysis is based on a suitable self-consistent scheme of hopping rate renormalization, whereby the correlation-induced slowing down of the tracer is the same both within and without a coupled, tracer-vacancy fluctuation field. Theoretical predictions for the tracer diffusion are tested against Monte Carlo simulations with much improved results over those given in the previous work.
Eccentric blastema formation in aneurogenic limbs of Ambystoma larvae following epidermal cap deviation.

The influence of the epidermal cap on blastema cell aggregation was studied by utilizing eccentric epidermal caps on aneurogenic and sparsely innervated forelimbs of Ambystoma larvae. When the position of an epidermal cap was shifted from its usual location to an eccentric one, mesenchymatous cells aggregated under it to establish a correspondingly eccentric blastema. Since the epidermal cap's influence on blastema cell aggregation was independent of the presence of nerves, these experiments lend further support to the hypothesis that, under the conditions of the present experiments, the epidermal cap of the regenerating limb functions to control the aggregation of the blastema cells.
Sarcoptes scabiei: Histopathological Changes Associated with Acquisition and Expression of Host Immunity to Scabies

The sequential changes in the histology in scabietic lesions were investigated for hosts (rabbits) during sensitization and reinfestation with Sarcoptes scabiei. Experimentally infested naive hosts developed heavy scabies infestations but 65% of the hosts showed induced immunity (resistance) to reinfestation. All hosts (naive, immune, and susceptible) exhibited an initial cell infiltrate in scabietic lesions that consisted predominantly of neutrophils and a few macrophages. This was followed by a dense plasma cell infiltrate. Upon reinfestation the progression of neutrophil infiltration was faster and the response was greater in hosts who acquired immunity than those in the susceptible hosts.
News shocks and business cycles

Abstract This paper proposes and implements a novel structural VAR approach to the identification of news shocks about future technology. The news shock is identified as the shock orthogonal to the innovation in current utilization-adjusted TFP that best explains variation in future TFP. A favorable news shock leads to an increase in consumption and decreases in output, hours, and investment on impact – more suggestive of standard DSGE models than of recent extensions designed to generate news-driven business cycles. Though news shocks account for a significant fraction of output fluctuations at medium frequencies, they contribute little to our understanding of recessions.
Microstructural Characteristics of Y 2 O 3 -MgO Composite Coatings Deposited by Suspension Plasma Spray

Dense composite Y2O3-MgO coatings have been deposited by suspension plasma spray. Ethanol-based suspensions of powders synthesized by thermal decomposition of precursor solutions containing yttrium nitrate (Y[n]) and magnesium nitrate (Mg[n]) or magnesium acetate (Mg[a]) were selected as the feedstock; this gave powders with both phases in each particle, to inhibit phase segregation during solvent evaporation. The influence of powder characteristics on the microstructures of the coatings was investigated. The Y[n]Mg[a] suspension was more stable, with a better dispersion of the component phases than the Y[n]Mg[n] suspension. The coatings deposited using each suspension type exhibited lamellar structures comprising Y2O3 and MgO phases in wavy alternating streaks, with unmelted/semi-melted particles entrapped in the lamellae; this indicates that phase segregation still occurred in the molten state. Eutectic structures were formed in the coating generated using the Y[n]Mg[a] suspension, resulting from improved mixing of the component phases in the suspension powder.
Saving Face With Family Members: Corrective Facework After Reconciling With a Romantic Partner

This purpose in the present study was to examine how people manage face needs when talking with family about a romantic relationship reconciliation. The researcher completed an inductive analysis from data collected from 26 in-depth interviews and found that participants accounted for their reconciliation through active corrective facework (by updating family and accounting for reconciliation) and passive corrective facework (by choosing not to update family or account for reconciliation). The findings and interpretations shed light: (a) on how corrective facework is performed in ongoing relationships rather than one-time interactions or hypothetical situations, (b) the intersection between accounts and facework, and (c) the complexities of corrective facework.
The protein thiol metallothionein as an antioxidant and protectant against antineoplastic drugs

Metallothioneins (MTs) are major zinc-binding protein thiols that are readily inducible and whose functions remain unclear. Recent evidence supports a role for MT as an antioxidant. Mechanisms underlying this function may include direct interception of free radicals, complexation of redox sensitive transition metals, altered zinc homeostasis or interaction with glutathione (GSH). MT overexpression after direct gene transfer in cultured cells, decreases cytotoxicity, to partially reduce reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and markedly attenuates intracellular oxidation of reporter molecules including dichlorofluorescein and cis-parinaric acid. Conversely, enhanced intracellular oxidation is seen in cells derived from mice lacking both functional MTI and MTII genes. GSH levels are unaffected in MT null cells relative to wildtype, suggesting the antioxidant function of MT is independent of GSH. In tumor cells there is at least a 400-fold range in MT levels and a 10-fold difference in the ratio of nuclear to cytoplasmic distribution. No correlation exists between MT levels and GSH levels demonstrating the autonomous regulation of intracellular thiol pools. This may be important for cancer chemotherapies since MT overexpression is seen in human tumor cells with acquired drug resistance. The authors found no evidence for altered MT isoform profiles in drug resistant cells that overexpress MT. Recent evidence suggests MT subcellular location may dictate functionality and MT may help determine the threshold for apoptosis. Thus, MT is a stress-inducible protein with antioxidant attributes that may participate independently or in conjunction with GSH to protect cells against injurious agents.
Epidemiology and Adverse Cardiovascular Risk Profile of Diagnosed Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with menstrual and reproductive abnormalities, insulin resistance, and obesity. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of diagnosed PCOS and its association with cardiovascular risk factors. Setting: The study is set in an integrated health care delivery system in northern California. Patients: A total of 11,035 women with PCOS were identified by one or more outpatient diagnoses of PCOS using health plan databases. An age-matched sample of women without PCOS was also selected. Outcome Measures: Prevalence of PCOS and targeted cardiovascular risk factors [hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and body mass index (BMI)] were measured. Results: During 2002–2004, the prevalence of diagnosed PCOS among female members aged 25–34 yr was 2.6% (95% confidence interval 1.6–1.7%). Women with diagnosed PCOS were more likely than those without PCOS to be obese [BMI ≥ 30 mg/m2; odds ratio (OR) 4.21, 3.96–4.47]. Furthermore,...
TH-E-110-02: Performance Characterization of a Cone-Beam Computed Tomography System for Musculoskeletal Imaging

Purpose: A dedicated cone‐beam CT(CBCT)system for musculoskeletal extremities imaging has recently been developed to complement existing technologies and provide new capabilities in weight‐bearing imaging, combined planar and volumetric imaging, and improved workflow. This paper presents the first physical performance characterization of the scanner prototype in terms of imaging dose, contrast resolution, spatial resolution and image quality. Methods: The system employs a Varian 3030+ flat‐panel detector (0.194 mm pixel pitch) and a 0.875 kW fixed anode x‐ray source. The scanning orbit is 220o, and the magnification factor is 1.3. Performance characterization involved measurements of HVL and imaging dose in a 16 cm CTDI phantom as a function of tube voltage (60–120 kVp) and position with respect to the scanning orbit. Contrast, noise, and line‐pair resolution were investigated using a Catphan phantom. Anthropomorphic knee and hand phantoms with simulated soft tissues provided initial qualitative assessment of spatial and contrast resolution. Results: Effective dose at the isocenter was 0.14 mSv for a nominal knee scan (90 kvp, 93.1 mAs/scan) and 0.07 mSv for a nominal hand scan (90 kVp, 49 mAs/scan), compared to 0.03–0.16 mSv in conventional CT of the extremities. The entrance surface dose for the knee varied 0.08–0.22 mSv, depending on location. Spatial resolution exceeded 15 lp/cm (0.33 mm−1) for full‐resolution readout. Soft‐ tissue contrasts inserts in the range ∼+−20 HU were readily discernable. Exquisite visualization of bone architecture and soft‐tissue visibility approaching that of conventional CT was observed in anthropomorphic phantoms. Conclusion: The prototype scanner provides high spatial resolution, volumetric images with soft‐tissue resolution at doses less than or comparable to conventional CT. The capability for weight‐bearing and multi‐mode imaging could benefit a wide variety of musculoskeletal applications. The prototype system is being deployed in a clinical feasibility study This research was supported in collaboration with Carestream Health, Inc., Rochester, NY
Impacts of large‐scale oscillations on pan‐Arctic terrestrial net primary production

[1] Analyses of regional climate oscillations and satellite remote sensing derived net primary production (NPP) and growing season dynamics for the pan-Arctic region indicate that the oscillations influence NPP by regulating seasonal patterns of low temperature and moisture constraints to photosynthesis. Early-spring (Feb–Apr) patterns of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) are proportional to growing season onset (r = −0.653; P = 0.001), while growing season patterns of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) are proportional to plant-available moisture constraints to NPP (Im) (r = −0.471; P = 0.023). Relatively strong, negative PDO phases from 1988–1991 and 1998–2002 coincided with prolonged regional droughts indicated by a standardized moisture stress index. These severe droughts resulted in widespread reductions in NPP, especially for relatively drought prone boreal forest and grassland/cropland ecosystems. The influence of AO and PDO patterns on northern vegetation productivity appears to be decreasing and increasing, respectively, as low temperature constraints to plant growth relax and NPP becomes increasingly limited by available water supply under a warming climate.
Quantifying larval trematode infections in hosts: A comparison of method validity and implications for infection success.

Abstract Accurately estimating parasite transmission success and subsequent infection load has important ramifications for a wide range of disease-related questions and research disciplines. Recent interest in the role of parasites in amphibian population declines and deformities, for instance, has prompted increased interest in approaches to quantify infection and pathology. Here, we introduce a novel method of fluorescently labeling trematode cercariae and optimize its application to interactions between the pathogenic trematode Ribeiroia ondatrae and amphibian hosts (Lithobates sphenocephalus). We then compare the efficacy of this method with two other approaches commonly used to assess infection in second intermediate hosts – necropsy and tissue clearing – with a focus on accuracy, precision, and bias. Dye (Invitrogen, BODIPY® FL C12) concentrations of
Numerical Modeling of Soot Emissions in Diesel Sprays Based on Detailed Fuel and PAH Chemistry

Numerical modeling of soot formation and oxidation in diesel sprays was conducted using a multistep soot model coupled with reaction mechanisms for fuel oxidation and polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) formation. As new combustion strategies such as low-temperature combustion emerge, the demand for accurate numerical models has also increased to predict the effects of subtle changes in the operating conditions on combustion and exhaust emissions. Accurate prediction of soot emissions from diesel engines remains challenging, particularly for low-temperature combustion conditions with massive exhaust gas recirculation. Soot emissions from the engine are highly sensitive to local temperature and chemical compositions. In this article, an n-heptane mechanism is combined with a detailed PAH mechanism to simulate diesel spray combustion and emissions formation. The mechanisms are validated against experimental data of ignition delays and flame speeds. The overall reaction mechanism consists of 68 species and 145 re...