cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immigrant Women in the Shadow of Me Too

The Trump Administration has targeted all immigrants, not just women. But many of the new and harmful immigration policies have had a disproportionate impact on immigrant women. From limiting the availability of asylum for domestic violence victims, to targeting victims of gender-based violence for interior enforcement, the Administration has made being an immigrant woman more dangerous than ever before.18 Moreover, these policies have been viewed as anti-immigrant policies, rather than anti-woman policies, and the coordinated response to them has been part of the immigrants’ rights movement rather than part of #MeToo. Given the success of #MeToo in advancing women’s rights to be free from gender-based violence, this omission is a missed opportunity that has led to the further marginalization of immigrant women.
Associations of public water system trihalomethane exposure during pregnancy with spontaneous preterm birth and the cervicovaginal microbial-immune state.

Abstract Background Water total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are disinfectant byproducts found in municipal water supplies. TTHM exposure has been linked to cancer and may be associated with adverse reproductive outcomes. A non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota and low cervicovaginal beta-defensin-2 levels are associated with increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth. Whether TTHM exposure increases the risk of spontaneous preterm birth or alters the cervicovaginal microbial or immune state is unknown. Objective Investigate associations of water TTHM levels with spontaneous preterm birth, a non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota, and beta-defensin-2 levels in a completed, diverse, urban pregnancy cohort. We hypothesized that higher TTHM levels would be associated with spontaneous preterm birth, a non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota, and lower beta-defensin-2 levels. Design Methods: This was a secondary analysis of participants (n = 474) in the Motherhood & Microbiome (M&M) study (n = 2000), who lived in Philadelphia and had cervicovaginal samples analyzed for cervicovaginal microbiota composition and beta-defensin-2 levels. The microbiota was classified into community state types (CSTs). CST IV (non-optimal microbiota) is characterized by a paucity of Lactobacillus species and wide array of anaerobes. Municipal water TTHM levels were obtained from 16 sites monthly across the city of Philadelphia to establish mean residential water supply levels for each participant for the first four months of pregnancy (prior to vaginal swab collection at 16–20 weeks’ gestation). Associations of water TTHM levels with spontaneous preterm birth and a non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota birth were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Multivariable linear regression was used to model associations of water TTHM levels with log-transformed cervicovaginal beta-defensin-2 levels. Since water TTHM levels vary by season and beta-defensin-2 levels have been shown to differ by race, stratified models by warm (April–September) and cold (October–March) seasons as well as by self-identified race were utilized. Results Participants’ water supply TTHM levels (mean μg/L [SD]) were higher in the warm (53.5 [9.4]) than cold (33.4 [7.5]) season (p Conclusion We did not detect associations of water TTHM levels with spontaneous preterm birth or the structure of the cervicovaginal microbiota. However, the finding of a significant interaction between TTHM and race on beta-defensin-2 levels suggest that environmental exposures may contribute to differences in reproductive tract innate immune function by race. Future studies to delineate environmental contributions to the cervicovaginal microbial-immune state, a potentially important biologic underpinning for preterm birth, are warranted.
Dispersal reduces interspecific competitiveness by spreading locally harmful traits

Just as intraorganismal selection can produce "selfish" elements that lower individual fitness, selection at the organismal level can favour traits that reduce the fitness of conspecifics and potentially impact population survival. Because dispersal can affect how these traits are distributed within species, it may determine whether their negative consequences are restricted locally or spread throughout the species' range. We present an individual-based simulation model that explores the interaction between dispersal rate and traits that increase individual fecundity at the expense of conspecific fitness. We first modelled dispersal as a trait that varied within species and then fixed the within-species dispersal rates and modelled competition between species that differed only in dispersal rate. Reproductive isolation allowed species differences in dispersal rates to become associated with traits moulded by intraspecific competition, but this association did not occur when dispersal variation was distributed within species due to recombination between the dispersal and competition loci. Alleles that reduced the fitness of conspecifics were maintained at lower frequencies in low-dispersal species, resulting in a competitive advantage over high-dispersing species. Although high-dispersal species initially outcompeted low-dispersal species owing to enhanced colonization opportunities, low-dispersal species ultimately showed greater representation across a range of ecological and genetic scenarios. This process may shift the makeup of communities over time towards a greater representation of low-dispersal species.
Multiplex genome editing in Arabidopsis thaliana using Mb3Cas12a.

The use of CRISPR-Cas proteins for the creation of multiplex genome engineering represents an important avenue for crop improvement, and further improvements for creation of knock-in plant lines via CRISPR-based technologies may enable the high-throughput creation of designer alleles. To circumvent limitations of the commonly used CRISPR-Cas9 system for multiplex genome engineering, we explored the use of Moraxella bovoculi 3 Cas12a (Mb3Cas12a) for multiplex genome editing in Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified optimized cis-regulatory sequences for driving expression of single-transcript multiplex crRNA arrays in A. thaliana, resulting in stable germline transmission of Mb3Cas12a-edited alleles at multiple target sites. By utilizing this system, we demonstrate single-transcript multiplexed genome engineering using of up to 13 crRNA targets. We further show high target specificity of Mb3Cas12a-based genome editing via whole-genome sequencing. Taken together, our method provides a simplified platform for efficient multiplex genome engineering in plant-based systems.
Supraharmonic emission from a three-phase PV system connected to the LV grid

Abstract Existing international standards address harmonic orders up to the 40th or 50th (at 2 or 2.5 kHz for a 50 Hz network). Modern converters effectively suppress components within that range, but they also tend to shift emission to higher frequencies. Recently reported cases of disturbances in modern distribution grids specifically attributed to supraharmonics (harmonic components within the 2–150​ kHz range) have drawn interest in associated research. Grid-connected PV systems utilizing PWM-controlled inverters inject supraharmonic currents into the distribution network at their point of connection. Comprehension of their electrical behavior, including their impact on grid supraharmonic levels, can be achieved through extensive simulation studies. In this paper, a three-phase PV system is simulated using models successfully already developed for single phase PV inverters that increase simulation speed by avoiding time-consuming procedures. Current and voltage waveforms as well as supraharmonic levels are presented. The simulation results are compared with real measurements obtained from an operating small rooftop PV system and evaluated. Additional simulations are carried out using different values for system parameters and their respective impact on supraharmonic levels is assessed. Moreover, this paper presents real supraharmonics’ measurements from a grid-connected 8kWp PV system.
HSP72-Like Immunoreactivity After Fluid Percussive Brain Injury in the Rat: Relationship to Cell Type

We have previously developed a model of fluid percussive head injury in the rat and focussed on alterations in permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to plasma proteins [1]. In the present study we examined the immunolocalization of the stress protein HSP72 after brain injury and relate these findings to the pattern of breakdown of the BBB. Rats were subjected to a lateral fluid percussive brain injury (4.5–5.2 atm., 20 msec.) and HSP72-like immunoreactivity was evaluated in brain sections at the light microscopic level. At the impact site, which typically exhibits prolonged barrier breakdown, the superficial cortex exhibited necrotic changes. Within this necrotic area immunoreactivity was restricted to blood vessels. In the adjacent cortex, numerous neurons and glia as well as pia arachnoid and blood vessels were immunostained. In other brain regions such as parasagittal cortex, deep cortical layer, and CA3 in the posterior hippocampus, which express transient abnormal permeability and no obvious pathological changes, only a limited number of neurons and glia were immunostained. Vessels exhibited no immunoreactivity. These results suggest that sites of breakdown of the BBB correspond to cell populations that are stressed and /or injured, as defined by expression of HSP72. Differential expression of HSP72 is correlated in part with the duration of breakdown of the BBB, and probably with the magnitude of local tissue injury.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Paternalism and Filicide

This article analyzes the failure of the Indian state in providing compensation to victims of the Bhopal Gas Leak. On it’s thirtieth anniversary most of the known victims have not received their compensation, or adequate health care, and have spent three decades dealing with the state bureaucracy for their claims. This is a case where the state’s paternalistic takeover of victims’ claims and compensation, through the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster (Processing of Claims) Act, 1985 (BGLDA), may have killed thousands because of bureaucratic delays and errors. This article critiques the BGLDA from the economic point of view.The BGLDA gave the Central Government the exclusive right to, represent, and act in place of all the victims and claimants. The processing of claims of victims of the gas leak is fraught with Type I and Type II errors. Funds were diverted to pay spurious claims (or Type I error) and after thirty years genuine victims have still not received compensation (Type II error). This paper argues that the adversarial system of litigation, due to its competitive nature in the production of evidence, minimizes both types of error. In addition, lawyers working on contingency fees within an adversarial legal process have the appropriate incentives to minimize both types of errors. The welfare commissioners and the bureaucracy set up under the BGLDA did not have the appropriate incentives to discover the knowledge generated in the adversarial system. The BGLDA, in replacing the adversarial system with the inquisitorial state bureaucracy and circumvented the discovery process, which led to high error and delayed compensation.
User interface handles for web objects

On the desktop, users are accustomed to having visible handles to objects that they can organize, share, and manipulate. Web applications today feature many loosely defined classes of such objects, like flight itineraries, products for sale, people, recipes, and restaurants, but there are no interoperable handles for these high-level semantic objects. On the web, users need visible handles that can represent an evolving set of semantically rich objects. Such handles would enable a simple, direct, and consistent interface for data representation and transfer. This thesis proposes Clui, a platform for exploring a new data type, called a Webit, that provides uniform handles to objects. Users drag and drop Webits between sites to transfer data, auto-fill search forms, map associated locations, or share Webits with others. While Clui offers a developer API to add Webit support to web sites, Clui plugins allow users to use Webits immediately. Plugins create Webits by extracting semantic data from existing web pages, and they augment sites with drag and drop targets that accept and interpret Webits, all without requiring the cooperation of site developers. Contributions of this thesis include design principles, derived from experimentation, that guide the functionality and behavior of handles for web objects; a system design that provides an adoption path for such handles; and a scalable approach for realizing handles that enforce access controls. To evaluate the usability of Webits, we conducted two in-laboratory studies and collected qualitative observations and feedback. The results suggest that the system is usable and effective in improving user efficiency. While using the system, participants expressed enthusiasm and delight, and believed that Webits would be useful for their daily web activities. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, libraries.mit.edu/docs - docs@mit.edu)
Low-overhead distributed transaction coordination

This thesis presents Granola, a transaction coordination infrastructure for building reliable distributed storage applications. Granola provides a strong consistency model, while significantly reducing transaction coordination overhead. Granola supports general atomic operations, enabling it to be used as a platform on which to build various storage systems, e.g., databases or object stores. We introduce specific support for independent transactions, a new type of distributed transaction, that we can serialize with no locking overhead and no aborts due to write conflicts. Granola uses a novel timestamp-based coordination mechanism to serialize distributed transactions, offering lower latency and higher throughput than previous systems that offer strong consistency. Our experiments show that Granola has low overhead, is scalable and has high throughput. We used Granola to deploy an existing single-node database application, creating a distributed database application with minimal code modifications. We run the TPC-C benchmark on this platform, and achieve 3× the throughput of existing lock-based approaches. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Removal of pain-relieving drugs from aqueous solutions using Octolig and selected metalloligs

The possibility of removing certain pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen and naproxen) from water was tested using Octolig, a commercially available material with polyethylenediimine moieties covalently attached to high-surface area silica gel. In addition, the efficacy of two transition metals (cupric and ferric) derivatives of Octolig was tested. Previously amoxicillin had been successfully subjected to column chromatography for removal by means of ion encapsulation, the effectiveness of which would depend upon having appropriate anionic functional groups. Both pharmaceuticals were removed by passage over Octolig columns, though with less effectiveness than was achieved previously with xanthenylbenzenes or selected food dyes. Somewhat greater removal, ca 90%, was achieved using Cuprilig, the copper(II) derivative, but not with Ferrilig the iron(III) derivative, perhaps because the hydroxide counter ion was more closely associated with the transition metal ion and was not available to assist in proton removal.
Characterization of system calibration parameters for high gain dual polarization satellite beacon diagnostics of ionospheric variations

[1] We present complementary methods for calibrating the dual-polarization feed of a ground-based tracking antenna used for ionospheric measurements. Several calibration parameters are defined which describe the state of the measurement equipment. These key parameters then form a transformational Mueller matrix which may be used to remove system bias in data received from known beacons. Several strategies are developed to quantify these time-dependent distortions for the Green Bank 140′ diameter antenna and receiver, although these methods could be applied to other similar systems. One approach quantifies the receiver biases in terms of amplitude and gain differentials. This is accomplished by measuring polarimetric differences between channels using a test signal with a known amplitude and phase. Due to variations over time periods on the scale of a beacon track, this procedure is most effective when the calibration signal is injected concurrently with the beacon measurements. To determine antenna feed distortion, including cross-polarization and ellipticity, data is recorded from an external celestial source. An example shows the effectiveness of this calibration technique by comparing calibrated data to data without correction. Error estimates of the calibration parameters in the example establish an upper bound of 0.22 TEC units for measurements at 150 MHz along track.
Low-temperature specific heat of polycrystalline Ba 0.6 K 0.4 BiO 3

We have measured the specific heat of a superconducting polycrystalline sample of ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{0.6}$${\mathrm{K}}_{0.4}$${\mathrm{BiO}}_{3}$ at temperatures from 1.7 to 91 K. The low-temperature data can be fit best by a cubic term \ensuremath{\beta}=0.234 mJ/mol ${\mathrm{K}}^{4}$ (Debye temperature ${\mathrm{FTHETA}}_{D}$=346 K) and a linear term \ensuremath{\gamma}T. We find that \ensuremath{\gamma} may be zero; it has an upper bound of 0.30 mJ/mol ${\mathrm{K}}^{2}$, an order of magnitude smaller than the value found previously for ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$. This result supports the view that ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{0.6}$${\mathrm{KBi}}_{0.4}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ has the properties of a BCS-like superconductor.
Radio Pulsars: New and Old

The field of radio pulsars is now a very exciting field. New pulsar surveys have uncovered millisecond pulsars in the Galactic disk and the globular cluster system. Sensitive high frequency surveys have penetrated the inner Galaxy and discovered a large number of predominantly young pulsars. Combination of radio and optical observations have resulted in a reasonable understanding of the evolution of magnetic field in pulsars from birth to very late stages. The discovery of three new pulsar-SNR associations have vastly improved our understanding of the formation of neutron stars by Type II supernovae. The discovery of new millisecond and binary pulsars, the so-called ‘recycled’ pulsars, has offered new insights in the evolution of their progenitors, the low mass X-ray binaries. However, the kinematics of the millisecond pulsars is still a major puzzle. New observations especially of kinematics of X-ray binaries and binary pulsars are needed to make further progress. It was only two years ago that the first pulsar was discovered in the globular cluster system. The current score stands at eight and it appears that pulsars will soon eclipse the X-ray binaries as a probe of the formation and evolution of neutron stars in this most ancient part of the Galaxy. Thus, on the whole, observations of radio pulsars are shedding considerable light on the formation and evolution of neutron stars.
The quasi-biennial oscillation in the Earth's atmosphere and its links to longer period variability

The dynamical theory of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of the zonal winds in the equatorial stratosphere is reviewed, and the role of the QBO in producing interannual variability in the extratropical stratosphere is discussed. It is argued that the extratropical winter stratosphere has two basic climate regimes; one in which the eddy motions are strong and polar temperatures are warm, and a second in which the eddy motions are weak and polar temperatures are cold. The equatorial QBO influences the extratropics through the mechanism of changing the probability that the winter stratosphere lies in either the strong eddy or weak eddy regime. This influence appears to undergo a quasi-decadal variation (QDO), which may or may not be related to the solar cycle. It is speculated that if the QDO is related to solar forcing, the mechanism is one in which the net effect of weak solar cycle forcing alters the probability density function of the climate regimes in such a way that the strong eddy regime becomes more probable in the westerly QBO phase during sunspot maximum, than during sunspot minimum.
The Training of Psycho-Educational Technicians (Para-Professionals) to Administer a Screening Battery Which Delineates Dyslexia and Hyperkinesis

A methodology is described regarding the training of paraprofessionals to administer and score a battery of tests which assesses the areas of intelligence, academics, perception, and behavior. The data could be utilized by the professional diagnostician or educational psychologist to obtain a differential diagnosis of dyslexia and hyperkinesis, i.e., SLD. The training program involved 40 hours of concentrated instruction and 10 participants with varying academic backgrounds and experience.The study indicated that a high percentage of the participants became proficient in the administration and scoring of the battery. These could be expected to test under the direction of a professional diagnostician; thereby increasing the professional's effectiveness and efficiency.The study established no correlation between the participant's previous academic degrees or level of intelligence and the level of proficiency during the training program.A positive correlation existed between the participants who had previous...
Negative chemical amplification resist systems based on polyhydroxystyrenes and N-substituted imides or aldehydes

Aqueous base developable negative deep UV resist systems composed of phenolic resins, monofunctional latent electrophiles, and a sulfonium salt photochemical acid generator are described. This study was carried out to see whether attachment of a bulky substituent onto the phenolic group via C- or O-alkylation reduces the dissolution rate of the phenolic resin in aqueous base to provide negative images even when no crosslinking is involved in the mechanism. The latent electrophiles selected are N-hydroxymethyl and N-aceotxymethylimides as well as high- boiling aldehydes. Our matrix resins are para-, meta-, and ortho-isomers of polyvinylphenol and copolymers of p-hydroxystyrene.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Altered expression of splicing factor, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1, in mouse lung neoplasia.

Our previous proteomic investigation of lung neoplasia in vitro demonstrated a high concentration of the lung cancer biomarker and splicing factor, hnRNP A2/B1, in the transformed mouse lung epithelial cell line, E9. Since changes in pre-mRNA splicing profoundly affect neoplastic progression, we examined hnRNP A2/B1 expression in chemically induced primary mouse lung tumors, an in vivo model of pulmonary adencocarcinoma. Tumor hnRNP A2/B1 content and spatial distribution assessed by immunohistochemistry varied with stage of progression, genetic background, and whether tumors were induced by a single agent (urethane) or by 2-stage initiation/promotion (3-methylcholanthrene/butylated hydroxytoluene) carcinogenesis. To address mechanisms governing hnRNP A2/B1 expression changes, we utilized in vitro models. hnRNP A2/B1 protein was overexpressed in E9, the spontaneous tranformant of immortalized but non-neoplastic E10 cells, but expression was not strictly a function of enhanced proliferative rate in neoplastic cells. Elevated mRNA content was positively associated with cell division in both E10 and E9, but hnRNP A2/B1 protein levels decreased in proliferating E10 cells. The increased mRNA reflected enhanced mRNA stability, as shown by measuring time-dependent mRNA decay after inhibiting transcription. Dysregulation of hnRNP A2/B1 expression during lung neoplasia in vivo thus depends on complex gene–environmental interactions that affect cell type-specific changes in mRNA processing and, most probably, the rates of translation and/or protein degradation. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mably and Berne

The Swiss Cantons had no greater admirer in the eighteenth-century than the French political thinker Gabriel Bonnot de Mably. The feeling was mutual, at least to some extent, since the Bernese Patriotic Society awarded its first prize in 1763 to Mably, for his dialogue Entretiens de Phocion. The prize then led to an exchange of letters, stretching across some two decades, with Daniel Fellenberg, founder of the Patriotic society—the most important block of Mably's correspondence to have survived. This essay considers the 1763 prize and the correspondence with Fellenberg for the light they cast both on Mably and on Bernese participation in the wider currents of eighteenth-century thought.
How Security Agencies Control Change: Executive Power and the Quest for Autonomy in the FBI and CIA

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency gain autonomy when they exercise executive power, performing tasks that are so urgent, secretive, or forceful that they cannot be anticipated by law. The FBI exhibited a clear instance of autonomy when, with a view to its long term responsibilities, it resisted remaking itself as a counterterrorism agency to the degree that politicians requested. The second case, involving the CIA, produced more mixed results. The agency appeared to exhibit autonomy by exercising its powerful security tasks, including control over information and covert operations, and by resisting a consensus for major organizational change. Nevertheless, its large number of administrative and analytical rather than executive tasks prevented the agency from developing the coherent, independent perspective necessary for a high degree of true autonomy.
What feeling is the "feeling of knowing?".

Having a word on the tip of our tongue is a mundane and slightly annoying experi- ence. And yet, as Brown’s article helps us see, the theoretical implications of a TOT experience range very widely. The study of TOTs may also turn out to be useful for larger methodological reasons. Here, too, Brown recognizes that the investigation of TOTs offers an especially good example of convergent cognitive analysis, a way to combine phenomenology (e.g., James’s treatment of the fringe) with more objective methods of scientific investigation such as experimental psychology and computer modeling. For what it is worth, I am in complete agreement with Brown’s general approach to the TOT experience. And we also agree on various specific points, though in some cases Brown does not see this. Unfortunately, Brown at times attributes to me views that I simply do not hold; for example, that I take the feeling of knowing to be necessarily veridical or that the feeling of knowing demands a search of all relevant nonconscious information. I want to keep my comments directed toward issues that are of larger importance for the study of consciousness and the fringe and not fuss about our misunderstandings unless they have wider cognitive implications. For this reason I focus on Brown’s discussion in his ‘‘Current Research’’ section and the phenomenology most relevant to it. I believe the chief difficulty with Brown’s article is that it does not address James’s treatment of the feeling of knowing as it operates in a TOT state. This oversight undercuts a good deal of Brown’s specific analysis and helps contribute to his misun- derstanding of my own proposals regarding the role of the fringe in retrieval, monitor- ing, and control and why, as a matter of phenomenology, the feeling of knowing rightly understood is simply another term for the experience of rightness (Mangan, 1991, 1993a, 1993b).
Analysis of air quality data near roadways using a dispersion model

Abstract We used a dispersion model to analyze measurements made during a field study conducted by the U.S. EPA in July–August 2006, to estimate the impact of traffic emissions on air quality at distances of tens of meters from an eight-lane highway located in Raleigh, NC. The air quality measurements consisted of long path optical measurements of NO at distances of 7 and 17 m from the edge of the highway. Sonic anemometers were used to measure wind speed and turbulent velocities at 6 and 20 m from the highway. Traffic flow rates were monitored using traffic surveillance cameras. The dispersion model [Venkatram, A., 2004. On estimating emissions through horizontal fluxes. Atmospheric Environment 38, 2439–2446] explained over 60% of the variance of the observed path averaged NO concentrations, and over 90% of the observed concentrations were within a factor of two of the model estimates. Sensitivity tests conducted with the model indicated that the traffic flow rate made the largest contribution to the variance of the observed NO concentrations. The meteorological variable that had the largest impact on the near road NO concentrations was the standard deviation of the vertical velocity fluctuations, σ w . Wind speed had a relatively minor effect on concentrations. Furthermore, as long as the wind direction was within ±45° from the normal to the road, wind direction had little impact on near road concentrations. The measurements did not allow us to draw conclusions on the impact of traffic-induced turbulence on dispersion. The analysis of air quality and meteorological observations resulted in plausible estimates of on-road emission factors for NO.
Temporally regulated nuclear entry of the Drosophila period protein contributes to the circadian clock

The Drosophila period protein (PER) is a predominantly nuclear protein and a likely component of a circadian clock. PER is required for daily oscillations in the transcription of its own gene and thus participates in a circadian feedback loop. In this study, key pacemaker neurons of the Drosophila brain were examined to determine whether the subcellular distribution of PER changes with the time of day. Indeed, PER was found to accumulate in the cytoplasm for several hours before entering the nucleus during a narrow time window. Three long-period mutations (perL) cause a delay in the timing of nuclear translocation and a further delay at elevated temperature. The data indicate that regulation of PER nuclear entry is critical for circadian oscillations by providing a necessary temporal delay between PER synthesis and its effect on transcription.
Behavior of manganese in aqua-benthic environment in the Hiro Bay

The horizontal and vertical distributions of manganese in sea water, interstitial water and sediments in the Hiro Bay, Seto Inland Sea, Japan, have been investigated. The outflow from a pulp mill is the primary source of manganese in this bay. The industrial waste water contained 0.19 mg l−1 of manganese, mostly in a dissolved form. This manganese diffused out both horizontally and vertically into the surrounding sea water. The content of manganese in the liquid and solid phases in the sediments, however, are inverse with that in the sea water; namely the lowest concentration of manganese in the sediments was observed at the station near the outfall and manganese concentration increased with the distance from the outfall.
Congenital idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis associated with a phenotypic Turner's syndrome.

Abstract A case of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis in a girl with phenotypic Turner's syndrome is reported. The coincidence of these rare anomalies, reported only once before, is unlikely to occur by chance. Essential clinical features leading to early diagnosis of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis in infancy are presented. Surgical treatment when the child weighed 15.9 kg gave satisfactory results at 18-month follow-up study.
Hybrid Surface Design for Robust Superhydrophobicity

Surfaces may be rendered superhydrophobic by engineering the surface morphology to control the extent of the liquid–air interface and by the use of low-surface-energy coatings. The droplet state on a superhydrophobic surface under static and dynamic conditions may be explained in terms of the relative magnitudes of the wetting and antiwetting pressures acting at the liquid–air interface on the substrate. In this paper, we discuss the design and fabrication of hollow hybrid superhydrophobic surfaces which incorporate both communicating and noncommunicating air gaps. The surface design is analytically shown to exhibit higher capillary (or nonwetting) pressure compared to solid pillars with only communicating air gaps. Six hybrid surfaces are fabricated with different surface parameters selected such that the Cassie state of a droplet is energetically favorable. The robustness of the surfaces is tested under dynamic impingement conditions, and droplet dynamics are explained using pressure-based transitions b...
Enhanced ion acoustic lines due to strong ion cyclotron wave fields

Abstract. The Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST) satellite detected intense and coherent 5–20 m electric field structures in the high-latitude topside auroral ionosphere between the altitudes of 350 km and 650 km. These electric fields appear to belong to electrostatic ion cyclotron (EIC) waves in terms of their frequency and wavelengths. Numerical simulations of the response of an electron plasma to the parallel components of these fields show that the waves are likely to excite a wave-driven parallel ion acoustic (IA) instability, through the creation of a highly non-Maxwellian electron distribution function, which when combined with the (assumed) Maxwellian ion distribution function provides inverse Landau damping. Because the counter-streaming threshold for excitation of EIC waves is well below that for excitation of IA waves (assuming Maxwellian statistics) our results suggest a possible two step mechanism for destabilization of IA waves. Combining this simulation result with the observational fact that these EIC waves share a common phenomenology with the naturally enhanced IA lines (NEIALS) observed by incoherent scatter radars, especially that they both occur near field-aligned currents, leads to the proposition that this two-step mechanism is an alternative path to NEIALS.
Structure and expression in Beethoven's Op. 132

Abstract Expressive disjunctions rack almost every gesture of Beethoven's A‐minor String Quartet, Op. 132, obscuring the path of what Joseph Kerman called the “single journey” the work so persuasively pursues. Untangling the processive design played out over the course of the work—the play of inflectional energies between a single half‐step pairing, e and f‐natural, can provide a thread that helps trace that journey across every level of structure, from the largest tonal relations within and between movements to the moment‐to‐moment thematic and textural details that shape the musical surface.
Interfacial Interaction Dependence of Microdomain Orientation in Diblock Copolymer Thin Films

The dependence of the orientation of lamellar microdomains in thin films of symmetric diblock copolymers of polystyrene-b-polymethyl methacrylate was quantitatively investigated by small angle neutron scattering, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and reflectance optical microscopy. A mixed orientation of the lamellar microdomains was found when the difference in the interfacial energies between each block and the substrate was not strong enough to force the orientation of the lamellae parallel to the substrate throughout the film. A limiting film thickness was found, below which a parallel alignment of the lamellar microdomains was seen throughout the film. This film thickness was found to depend on the strength of the interfacial interactions of each block with the substrate. TEM images indicate that the surface field suppresses the fluctuations in the microdomain, reduces defects, and consequently, propagates the orientation of the domains parallel to the surface into the film.
Structure and function of the reticular cell in the planarian Dugesia dorotocephala

Structural and functional characteristics of the reticular cell in the planarian Dugesia dorotocephala were studied by light and electron microscopy. Since the reticular cells have numerous glycogen granules, lipid droplets and some lysosomes in their cytoplasm, they are easily distinguishable from other cell types. They migrate into the injured tissue, cover the injured mesenchyme, and also phagocytize debris of degenerating cells. The reticular cells also recognize foreign invaders such as bacteria. The larger aggregates of killed bacteria are encapsulated by reticular cells and eliminated into the intestine, whereas small aggregates are phagocytized by reticular cells. When cell wall extract of bacteria was inserted into the planarian body before insertion of killed bacteria, reticular cells were found to respond more quickly and vigorously to subsequent insertion of killed bacteria, indicating that the reticular cell has an immune response memory. When planarians were treated with 0.3 ppm cadmium sulfate and 0.01 ppm TPA, reticuloma tumors were induced in 76% of exposed planarians, indicating the similarity to blood cell diseases in mammals such as leukemia or lymphoma which are also induced by TPA. When these tumors were transplanted into normal hosts, the tumor cells were attacked by host reticular cells. These observations indicate that planarian reticular cells are primitive blood cells, playing important roles in nutrient transportation, homeostatic control of cells, and in defence and immune surveillance systems.
Tailoring the Wet Strength of Linerboard Via Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Atmospheric dielectric-barrier discharge treatments were shown to be a facile and direct means of enhancing the wet-strength tensile properties of softwood kraft linerboard furnish. The improvements in wet-tensile strength were shown to vary between 10-190% depending on the charge of cold plasma applied. These benefits were accompanied with a minor increase in dry tensile strength and slight decrease dry tear strength and negligible changes in creep properties. AFM analysis of the treated sheets demonstrated that this treatment results in surface smoothing of the fibers.
On the origin of alternating bond distortions and the emergence of chirality in polyoxometalate anions.

Alternating short and long bond length (ABL) distortions observed within the ring structures of molecular metal oxide anions or polyoxometalates (POMs) are reminiscent of the cooperative linear ABL distortions in perovskite d0 metal oxides. We show herein that these distortions have a common origin: a pseudo Jahn−Teller (PJT) vibronic instability. Four POM structural types with different MnOn ring sizes are investigated herein using density functional theoretical methods: Lindqvist [M6O19]q− (n = 4), Keggin α-[XM12O40]q− (n = 6), Wells−Dawson α-[X2M18O62]q− (n = 8), and Preyssler [(Na)P5W30O110]14− (n = 10), where M = MoVI and WVI and X = SiIV, GeIV, PV, AsV, SVI, and SeVI. Chirality is induced within the latter three structural types by the ABL ring distortions. The calculations confirm the PJT vibronic origin of the ABL distortions with good agreement between calculated geometries and published single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Both theory and experiment show that the vibronic interaction and disto...
The Role of Depression, Attributions, and Sex in Relation to Negative Arousal in Problematic Social Situations.

The present study was designed to evaluate the role of depression, internal/external attributions and sex differences in relation to reported negative arousal in problematic social situations. A group of 215 undergraduate psychology students were divided into depressed ( n = 30) and nondepressed ( n = 185) groups on the basis of results on the Beck Depression Inventory. Each participant was presented a series of 12 brief vignettes depicting potentially problematic social situations. After reading each vignette, participants rated them as to internal/external causality and reported arousal reactions along three dimensions (i.e. very uptight/very relaxed, very displeased/very pleased, and very uncomfortable/very comfortable). Results failed to find a relationship between depression and negative arousal in problematic social situations. However, findings did support the proposition that individuals who attributed causality to internal factors in problematic social situations tend to experience more negative arousal than do individuals who attribute causality to external factors. Finally, some support for sex differences in reported arousal was found with females experiencing more negative arousal than males. The need for further research on the relationship of each of these areas to negative arousal is discussed.
PS-BC: power-saving considerations in design of buffer caches serving heterogeneous storage devices

Under a replacement policy, existing operating systems identify and maintain most frequently used storage data in buffer caches located in main memory, aiming at low-latency I/O data accesses. However, replacement policies can also strongly affect energy consumptions of various connected storage devices, which has not been a consideration in the design and implementation of buffer cache management. In this paper, we present a system framework for an energy-aware buffer cache replacement, called PS-BC (power-saving buffer cache). By considering several critical factors affecting system energy consumption, PS-BC can effectively improve system energy efficiency, while it is able to flexibly incorporate conventional performance-oriented buffer cache replacement policies for different performance objectives. Our experimental studies based on a trace-driven simulation show that the PS-BC framework embedded with the CLOCK replacement policy can achieve an energy saving rate of up to 32.5% with a minimal overhead for various workloads.
A protein factor from Bufo marinus erythrocytes cross-bridges microtubules in vitro.

Abstract A microtubule cross-bridging factor was isolated from erythrocytes of the toad, Bufo marinus. Erythrocytes were lysed and their cytoskeletons disassembled by sonication and high salt extraction. The solubilized proteins were recovered and fractionated using Sephadex G-200 column chromatography. The protein fractions from the column were analysed by SDS-PAGE and pooled into three groups: high molecular weight (HMW) proteins that eluted from the column in the void volume and had a protein composition that included HMW polypeptides; intermediate MW proteins that were shown by SDS-PAGE to contain polypeptides smaller than 120 000 D; and low MW (LMW) proteins that contained polypeptides smaller than 70 000 D. Each group was further fractionated by phosphocellulose (PC) chromatography. The flow-through was recovered, and bound proteins were then eluted by a step gradient of salt (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 M KCl). To assay for microtubule cross-bridging activity, column fractions were incubated with taxol-stabilized mictotubules, formed from PC-purified brain tubulin (PC microtubules). Negatively stained samples were examined in the electron microscope for the reconstitution of microtubule bundles with interconnecting cross-bridges. The HMW protein fraction from the G-200 column contained the cross-bridging factor. When these proteins were further fractionated by PC chromatography only the fraction eluted by 0.2 M KCl induced the formation of microtubule bundles with cross-bridges. No other protein fraction isolated by the described method revealed cross-bridges between microtubules in vitro.
Exploratory assessment of sportfish consumption and polybrominated diphenyl ether exposure in New York State anglers

Abstract A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the influence of sportfish consumption on body burden of nine polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners in 36 New York State (NYS) anglers. Participating anglers who had previously reported consuming sportfish from Lake Ontario and its tributaries were found to have significantly higher blood plasma levels of BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, and the sum of measured PBDE congeners (ΣPBDE), than anglers who had previously reported no consumption of sportfish from these waters. Bivariate analysis was used to evaluate potential dietary predictors of PBDE plasma levels, including indicators of consumption of sportfish, as well as commercial fish, wild waterfowl, dairy products, and beef. The number of years of reported consumption of Lake Ontario sportfish between 1980 and 1990 was found to be correlated with plasma levels of BDE-47, BDE-85, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153, BDE-154, and ΣPBDE. The number of meals, eaten in the year prior to study participation, of Lake Ontario sportfish species known to have high levels of other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was correlated with plasma levels of BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-85, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-154, and ΣPBDE. Multiple linear regression revealed that the number of years consuming Lake Ontario sportfish between 1980 and 1990, after adjusting for plasma lipids, was a weak, but statistically significant, predictor of ΣPBDE plasma levels (β=0.130, 95% CI: 0.007–0.254). These results suggest that sportfish consumption can contribute measurably to PBDE body burden in NYS anglers, although there are likely to be additional, more significant, sources of exposure.
Circulation induced by river inflow in well mixed water over a sloping continental shelf

Abstract The pressure field over a sloping continental shelf subject to freshwater runoff at the coast can be resolved into a nearly two-dimensional dynamic height field and a residual field, the latter arising from the interaction of baroclinity and topography. The residual field is essentially three-dimensional and so constituted as to supply the fluid for the baroclinic alongshore flow off a coastal source of buoyancy associated with the cross-isobath density gradients. The intensity of the induced residual circulation (its total transport in m3 s−1) varies directly with the buoyancy input and bottom slope, and inversely with the zero-order alongshore flow velocity and Coriolis parameter. Over the Mid-Atlantic Bight continental shelf the runoff-induced residual circulation makes a generally weak contribution to the observed mean flow field. It could, however, be more important over a low-latitude shelf subject to high runoff.
Phase and amplitude reconstruction from 2D frequency domain interferogram for mid-infrared short optical pulse

Ultrashort micropulse characterization of IR-FEL is essential to both FEL development and applications such as terahertz spectroscopy and coherent excitation. Due to wavelength limitation of nonlinear medium, existing techniques of pulse shape measurement are not suitable to the Far IR-FEL of above 100 micron. We present the technique of interferometric cross- correlation in the Fourier space to directly obtain the phase and amplitude information of mid-infrared short optical pulse. By introducing a grating pair as disperser, the interferometric cross-correlation for different spectral components of spectrally expanded pulse is recorded by the 2-D array detector as function of relative delay and spectrum. The relative phases in the pulse spectrum are retrieved from the 2-D interferogram, and the spectrum amplitude is taken from the square root of the power spectrum, the pulse shape can be accurately reconstructed by fast Fourier transform of the complex spectrum field. Without nonlinearity, this technique is very likely to be extended to the Far IR-FEL.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.