cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
653 FOOD PROTEIN-INDUCED ENTEROCOLITIS: CORRELATION BETWEEN ORAL CHALLENGE AND LYMPHOCYTE TRANSFORMATION INDUCED BY SPECIFIC FOOD PROTEINS

653 FOOD PROTEIN-INDUCED ENTEROCOLITIS: CORRELATION BETWEEN ORAL CHALLENGE AND LYMPHOCYTE TRANSFORMATION INDUCED BY SPECIFIC FOOD PROTEINS
Expertise acquisition as sustained learning in humans and other animals: commonalities across species

Expertise acquisition may be a universal attribute of animals. In this study data on foraging efficiency, or expertise, was compared for four species: honeybees (Apis mellifera), oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and humans (Homo sapiens). Polynomial regression models were constructed to investigate the relationship between age and foraging efficiency. There was a similar expertise–acquisition function between age and foraging efficiency across species, best described by a quadratic equation. The peak of performance was reached, in all cases, before the average age of death but well after reaching physical maturity and the percentage of lifespan devoted to the skill was more than 10% of the species-typical lifespan.
A General Statement of the Problem and Description of a Proposed Method of Calculation for Some Meniscus Problems in Materials Processing

The equilibrium shape of aliquid meniscus at a liquid-gas phase boundary of a system in which solid, liquid, and gaseous phases coexist is given by a balance of forces acting on the system. It is often greatly desirable in many materials processing applications to know and be able to predict this meniscus shape, because controlling it often affects the structure or properties of the resulting material. A method of calculation is introduced along with the Surface Evolver computer program, and solutions for simple geometries obtained using this program are compared with existing analytical and simple numerical solutions.
Underlying assumptions of human spaceflight in the United States

Abstract Throughout the 50 years of the space age, a basic assumption has reigned that human exploration represented the epitome of the endeavor. Both the United States and the Soviet Union founded their efforts on that belief and remain to the date dominant forces in the human exploration and development of space. But why did the two superpowers locked in the cold war struggle pursue human spaceflight? The answer usually given involves the quest for pride and prestige in the cold war rivalry as each sought to best the other in a complex and expensive game of “one-upmanship.” Without denying the significance of the cold war in prying open the treasury of the United States for human spaceflight, the endeavor seems to have been attractive in the first place because of several underlying assumptions that are deeply seated in the American values. This essay suggests that Americans embraced human space exploration because of its potential for extending human dominion into space and for the promise of colonization and expansion, although that has usually been at best a subtext for the effort. When thinking about these human activities over the long term, moreover, it raises important and difficult questions about the evolution and survival of the species.
Similarity transformations and quantum statistics

Abstract The invariance of the partition function to operator similarity transformations is exploited as a tool in quantum statistics. Detailed application is made to a fluid system of interacting bosons where the ground state wave function is real and nodeless. We perform a similarity transformation whose generator is a function only of the coordinates and is in fact the logarithm of the ground state wave function. The non-Hermitian transformed Hamiltonian is governed by the generator rather than by the original potential. The contribution of the ground state to the canonical partition function occurs as a simple factor—the remaining factor describes the excitation gas. It is simple to insure a proper count of the states of the system. This leads to a picture of number constrained excitations and thus to an Einstein condensation even for strongly interacting particles. The spectrum of excitations is only weakly temperature dependent except in the long wavelength limit.
Thein vivo synthesis and release of tritium labeled acetylcholine by cat cerebral cortex

Abstract Experiments were conducted in which cerebral cortical acetylcholine in the cat was labeled by the prior intracortical injection of choline-methyl-H 3 . A lncite chamber, which was sealed against the cortical surface at the site into which the tritiated choline had been injected 1 hr previously, formed the walls of a pool into which the labeled ester could be released from the underlying cortical tissue. In the absence of cortical stimulation, the presence of labeled acetylcholine in the tissue underlying the collection chamber was confirmed by Chromatographic analysis. Direct stimulation of the ipsilateral cortex and conducted neuronal impulscs initiated by stimulation of the contralateral cortex evoked a significant release of the labeled ester from the underlying cortex into the chamber fluid. These findings provide further evidence in support of a transmitter function for acetylcholine in the central nervous system.
SOME HUMAN FACTORS DESIGN ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AUTOMOBILE NAVIGATION INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Abstract This paper addresses some of the major human factors issues associated with automobile navigation information systems. Human factors objectives of navigation efficiency, ease, safety, and roadway use efficiency are specified. Major decision trade-offs for the display or navigation-related information and the operator control of navigation functions are addressed. When appropriate, design recommendations are made based on the current state of human factors knowledge. For every case, major underlying human factors concerns associated with various design alternatives are discussed.
Hyperechoic foci in the thalamic region imaged via the posterior fontanelle: a potential mimic of thalamic pathology.

Background. We have incidentally noted foci of increased thalamic echogenicity (FITE) on cranial sonographic images obtained via the posterior fontanelle (PF) that were not confirmed on images obtained while scanning through the anterior fontanelle (AF). Therefore, we postulated that this is a normal variant of PF imaging rather than true thalamic pathology. Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of FITE detected on posterior and anterior fontanelle images. Materials and methods. Parasagittal images were obtained bilaterally through the trigone of the lateral ventricles (including the thalami) via both the anterior and posterior fontanelles in 15 consecutive neonates (30 thalami) and evaluated independently by two pediatric radiologists for the presence or absence of FITE. Thalami were graded as grade 0 (no FITE), grade 1 (possible FITE), or grade 2 (definite FITE). Follow-up CT (n = 3) and MR (n = 1) were reviewed. Results. FITE were absent in 87 % of thalami imaged via the AF, and possible FITE were present in 13 % of these cases. No cases of definite FITE were identified via the AF. However, possible FITE were identified in 33–40 % of thalami and definite FITE were seen in 33 % of thalami imaged via the PF. Conclusions. FITE seen only on images obtained through the PF on cranial sonography are a normal finding and should not be attributed to thalamic hemorrhage or ischemia.
Holocene depositional history of a microtidal cuspate foreland cape: Cape Lookout, North Carolina

Abstract The Holocene stratigraphy of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, and the connecting barrier limb (Core Banks) displays sharply contrasting depositional histories. Beneath the Core Banks barrier chain a transgressive sequence of overwash storm deposits rests on back-barrier silty sands and salt marsh peats, evidence of the island's erosive landward migration. However, core holes drilled at Cape Lookout reveal a regressive vertical stacking of sediments that marks a major Holocene facies change. Here, fine-grained, burrowed shoreface deposits are overlain by coarse-grained, horizontally bedded, barrier-washover sands. Cape Lookout has evolved during the late Holocene as a prograding cuspate spit type of headland. This accretion is a result of the combined effects of oceanic washover deposition with sand accumulated from a dominant southerly longshore transport. During the past 4000 years the rate of sea-level rise slowed markedly in the area resulting in a decreased rate of landward migration for Core Banks. As the island became relatively stable with respect to sea-level rise, large volumes of sand were being transported along-shore to Cape Lookout and offshore to its subaqueous shoals. The slower landward retreat of the island probably allowed for a rapid southerly extension of Core Banks along with a buildup of the Cape Lookout shoals. The sedimentation and growth of Cape Lookout over the past 4000 years probably reflects a similar history of development for other capes and shoals along the southeastern coast of the United States. The large-scale cuspate morphology present today may therefore be a relatively recent phenomenon.
Evidence for superoxide-dependent reduction of Fe3+ and its role in enzyme-generated hydroxyl radical formation

This report describes studies yielding additional evidence that superoxide anion (O2) production by some biological oxidoreductase systems is a potential source of hydroxyl radical production. The phenomenon appears to be an intrinsic property of certain enzyme systems which produce superoxide and H2O2, and can result in extensive oxidative degradation of membrane lipids. Earlier studies had suggested that iron (chelated to maintain solubility) augmented production of the hydroxyl radical in such systems according to the following reaction sequence: O2 + Fe3+ leads to O2 + Fe2+ Fe2+ + H2O2 leads to Fe3+ + HO-+OH-. The data reported below provide additional support for the occurrence of these reactions, especially the reduction of Fe3+ by superoxide. Because the conditions for such reactions appear to exist in animal tissues, the results indicate a mechanism for the initiation and promotion of peroxidative attacks on membrane lipids and also suggest that the role of antioxidants in intracellular metabolism may be to inhibit initiation of degradative reactions by the highly reactive radicals formed extraneously during metabolic activity. This report presents the following new information: (1) Fe3+ is reduced to Fe2+ during xanthine oxidase activity and a significant part of the reduction was oxygen dependent. (2) Mn2+ appears to function as an efficient superoxide anion scavenger, and this function can be inhibited by EDTA. (3) The O2-dependent reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ by xanthine oxidase activity is inhibited by Mn2+, which, in view of statement 2 above, is a further indication that the reduction of the iron involves superoxide anion. (4) Free radical scavengers prevent or reverse the Fe3+ inhibiton of cytochrome c3+ reduction by xanthine oxidase. (5) The inhibition of xanthine oxidase-catalyzed reduction of cyt c3+ by Fe3+ does not affect uric acid production by the xanthine oxidase system. (6) The reoxidation of reduced cyt c in the xanthine oxidase system is markedly enhanced by Fe3+ and is apparently due to enhanced HO-RADICAL formation since the Fe3+-stimulated reoxidation is inhibited by free radical scavengers, including those with specificity for the hydroxyl radical.
Riemannian geometry of thermodynamics and systems with repulsive power-law interactions.

A Riemannian geometric theory of thermodynamics based on the postulate that the curvature scalar R is proportional to the inverse free energy density is used to investigate three-dimensional fluid systems of identical classical point particles interacting with each other via a power-law potential energy gamma r(-alpha) . Such systems are useful in modeling melting transitions. The limit alpha-->infinity corresponds to the hard sphere gas. A thermodynamic limit exists only for short-range (alpha>3) and repulsive (gamma>0) interactions. The geometric theory solutions for given alpha>3 , gamma>0 , and any constant temperature T have the following properties: (1) the thermodynamics follows from a single function b (rho T(-3/alpha) ) , where rho is the density; (2) all solutions are equivalent up to a single scaling constant for rho T(-3/alpha) , related to gamma via the virial theorem; (3) at low density, solutions correspond to the ideal gas; (4) at high density there are solutions with pressure and energy depending on density as expected from solid state physics, though not with a Dulong-Petit heat capacity limit; (5) for 3 3.7913 a phase transition is required to go between these regimes; (7) for any alpha>3 we may include a first-order phase transition, which is expected from computer simulations; and (8) if alpha-->infinity, the density approaches a finite value as the pressure increases to infinity, with the pressure diverging logarithmically in the density difference.
The pressure dependence of the infrared active vibrations in C60

Abstract The pressure dependence of the infrared spectrum of C 60 has been obtained up to 195 kbar. The vibrational modes can be divided into two classes with the lowest frequency mode having almost no pressure dependence and the other modes having a positive pressure dependence.
Autonomous, Hands‐Free Shape Memory in Glassy, Liquid Crystalline Polymer Networks

Repeatedly forming temporary shapes can be a limitation to the employment of shape memory polymers. This work utilizes glassy, liquid crystal polymer networks to spontaneously form 3D shapes that are independent of a user. These shapes are autonomously fixed with rapid temperature cycling.
Community Growth Gaming A Survey Method

Since the late 1 970s, many studies have debated the pros and cons of community growth control/management, and quite a few of them made allegations about citizen motivations underlying growth control. Most such allegations, however, are commentators' speculations based on effects of growth control. I nstead, this article presents empirical research that attempts to determine citizen motivation (intent) by directly examining individuals' perceptions and attitudes toward growth control. A specially designed gaming method was used to elicit individuals' feelings for socially sensitive issues; it was applied to survey research of suburban residents' motivations for community growth control in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. In contrast to the popular allegations of growth control critics, this research revealed that citizens who oppose growth are not necessarily limited to the elite class of homeowners, and, further, that they are motivated primarily to protect the family-oriented life-style that a su...
Optimal signature sequences that maximize sum capacity in fading CDMA channels

The problem of designing optimal spreading sequences for the symbol synchronous fading CDMA channel is considered for arbitrary channel fading distributions. A numerical algorithm is developed to compute optimal spreading sequences when the channel distribution information is available. The optimal signature sequences for a flat fading CDMA channel are characterized completely using numerical optimization algorithms. From the numerical results it can be seen that the generalized Welch bound equality signals (GWBE) achieve the sum capacity without any loss of optimality for a broad class of flat fading channels. It is also shown that under low SNR conditions, the GWBE Signals are precisely the sequences that maximize the sum capacity in the flat fading Rayleigh multiple access channel.
Prevalence of hyperandrogenemia in the polycystic ovary syndrome diagnosed by the National Institutes of Health 1990 criteria.

Objective To determine the prevalence of elevated total and free T, and DHEAS, alone and in combination, in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting Tertiary care academic medical center. Patient(s) Seven hundred twenty patients diagnosed with PCOS according to the National Institutes of Health 1990 criteria. Intervention(s) History, physical examination, and blood sampling. Main Outcome Measure(s) Hyperandrogenemia, defined as at least one androgen value above the 95th percentile of 98 healthy control women (i.e., total T >88 ng/dL, free T >0.75 ng/dL, and DHEAS >2,750 ng/mL). Result(s) A total of 716 subjects with PCOS were included. The overall prevalence of hyperandrogenemia in PCOS was 75.3%. Supranormal levels of free T were present in 57.6%, of total T in 33.0%, and of DHEAS in 32.7% of patients with PCOS. When assessing the prevalence of two abnormal values, the prevalence of simultaneously elevated androgens was lowest with total T and DHEAS (1.7%) and highest with total T and free T (20.4%). Altogether, simultaneous elevations in all three markers were found in 8.7% of subjects with PCOS. Conclusion(s) Approximately three-fourths of patients with PCOS diagnosed by the National Institutes of Health 1990 criteria have evidence of hyperandrogenemia; the single most predictive assay was the measurement of free T with ∼60% of patients demonstrating supranormal levels.
Ex vivo renal artery reconstruction for complex renal artery disease.

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate long-term outcome of renal revascularization by ex vivo renal artery reconstruction for complex renal artery disease. Methods From 1987 to 2012, 23 patients (17 women; mean age, 45 years) with complex renal artery lesions underwent open renal revascularization by ex vivo technique. Underlying disease included fibromuscular dysplasia with aneurysm (11), atherosclerotic aneurysm (6), Takayasu arteritis (3), and other (3). Outcomes analyzed included primary, primary assisted, and secondary patency rates; antihypertensive medication requirements; renal function and preservation; and mortality. Late graft patency, renal size, and cortical thickness were analyzed by serial renal duplex ultrasound examinations. Results Twenty-four kidneys in 23 patients were revascularized by ex vivo renal artery reconstructive techniques. Perioperative complications were limited to two patients requiring reoperation for bleeding. Renal function did not change, and there were no in-hospital deaths. During a mean follow-up of 44 months, a single bypass graft occluded, requiring repeated bypass, which was performed with renal preservation. Primary, primary assisted, and secondary patency rates were 94% at 5 and 10 years. Compared with preoperative values, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and the number of antihypertensive medications were reduced ( P P = .25 and P = .35, respectively). In addition, there was no difference in treated kidney size or renal cortical thickness on follow-up compared with preoperative measurements ( P = .15 and P = .62, respectively). No patient required dialysis. There were three late deaths, none related to the renal procedure, providing 5- and 10-year survival of 85% and 68%, respectively. Conclusions Ex vivo renal artery reconstruction for complex renal artery disease confers a benefit in blood pressure while preserving renal mass and function. This technique should be considered a competitive alternative to other open surgical techniques for the management of complex renal artery disease.
Temperature dependence of the absorption coefficient and halfwidth of the P(6) line of carbon monoxide

Abstract The line center absorption coefficient and halfwidth of the P (6) rotational-vibrational line of carbon monoxide have been measured in the temperature range 303–783°K using high resolution, i.r. diode laser spectroscopy. The temperature dependence was also calculated and agrees with the experimental data within ±6% for the absorption coefficient and ±9% for the halfwidth. This verification of the theoretical relations used in the calculation is discussed briefly.
Thermal Conductivity, Second Sound, and Phonon Hydrodynamic Phenomena in Nonmetallic Crystals

A variety of phonon-gas phenomena in nonmetals are discussed in a unified manner using a set of macroscopic equations developed from the solution of the linearized phonon Boltzmann equation. This set of macroscopic equations, appropriate for the description of a low-temperature phonon gas, is solved for a cylindrical sample in the limit ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{N}\ensuremath{\ll}R$; ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{N}\ensuremath{\lambda}_{R}^{}{}_{}{}^{z}\ensuremath{\gg}{R}^{2}$. Here ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{N}$ is the normal-process mean free path, $\ensuremath{\lambda}_{R}^{}{}_{}{}^{z}$ is the mean free path for momentum-loss scattering calculated in the Ziman limit, and $R$ is the radius of the sample. The solution in this limit exhibits Poiseuille flow of the phonon gas as first discussed by Sussmann and Thellung. An equation for the thermal conductivity which correctly includes this phenomenon is found. Using this equation, the possible outcomes of steady-state thermal-conductivity measurements are discussed in terms of the microscopic scattering rates. Heat-pulse propagation is discussed from a similar point of view. The existence of Poiseuille flow in steady-state thermal-conductivity measurements bears directly on the possibility of observing second sound in solids. A quantitative analysis of available data on LiF suggests that the chemical purity of these samples sets very stringent limits on the observation of either of these effects. The observation of Poiseuille flow in solid ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ samples by Mezov-Deglin strongly suggests that this material is a prime subject for investigations of second-sound propagation.
Some new orthogonal arrays OA(4r,r12p,2)

Abstract We developed an algorithm to search for new orthogonal arrays, OA ( 4 r , r 1 2 p , 2), for odd r. With it, we found new orthogonal arrays with 4 r = 36 through 124 runs. Many other new arrays can be obtained from these new arrays.
Primary sphenoid sinus neoplasms: a report of four cases with common clinical presentation treated with transsphenoidal surgery and adjuvant therapies.

Primary neoplasms of the sphenoid sinus are a rare occurrence, accounting for approximately 1–2% of all paranasal sinus tumors. Here we report a series of four such patients. Four patients with sphenoid sinus neoplasms were identified (1%), all treated during the year 2003. The four patients included two women and two men (mean age 61 years, range 44–70 years). Two patients presented with unilateral abducens cranial nerve (CN) palsies; one had trigeminal facial numbness and dizziness; another had headache, epistaxis, and partial third and fourth CN palsies. MRIs in all patients demonstrated large sphenoid sinus masses with partial clival and sellar bone erosion but with clear visualization of the pituitary gland above the mass. Cavernous sinus invasion was present in all four cases, including one patient with tumor in the ethmoid sinus and intra-tumoral hemorrhage. No patients had endocrinopathy. All patients underwent subtotal tumor removal via an endonasal transsphenoidal route. Tumor histology included neuroendocrine carcinoma, sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and giant cell tumor. Post-operatively, all four patients had improved symptoms with complete resolution of diplopia in 3 of 3 patients. Metastatic work-ups were negative in all patients, and all received fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy; three received chemotherapy. One patient required a second endonasal tumor debulking 15 months after the first for new visual loss that then resolved. At a median follow-up of 21 months, all patients are alive and functional. Intra-sphenoidal tumors are locally invasive tumors that include a wide pathological spectrum. In this small series, they presented with cavernous sinus symptoms and headache but not endocrinopathy. Recognizing their distinctive clinical presentation and MRI features is helpful in differentiating them from primary sellar tumors. Their aggressive nature warrants a multimodality treatment plan including surgical debulking, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy in some cases.
High Yield Events of Molecular Emission Induced by Kiloelectronvolt Particle Bombardment

In an effort to improve our understanding of large molecule emission in organic SIMS, the sub-kiloelectronvolt and kiloelectronvolt Ar atom-induced sputtering of polystyrene tetramers adsorbed on A...
Built-In Proactive Tuning System for Circuit Aging Resilience

VLSI circuits in nanometer VLSI technology experience significant aging effects, which are embodied by performance degradation over operation time. Although this degradation can be compensated by over-design, it induces remarkable power overhead which is undesirable in tightly power-constrained designs. Dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) is a more power-efficient approach. However, its coarse granularity implies difficulty in handling fine-grained variations in the aging effects. We propose a Built-In Proactive Tuning (BIPT) system that allows each circuit block to autonomously tune its performance according to its own degree of aging. The BIPT system is validated through SPICE simulations on benchmark circuits with consideration of NBTI effect. The experimental results indicate that the proposed BIPT system leads to about 45% less power than the approach of over-design while maintaining the same performance. Compared to DVS, BIPT can achieve the same aging resilience with about 30% less power dissipation.
Optimal suffix tree construction with large alphabets

The suffix tree of a string is the fundamental data structure of combinatorial pattern matching. Weiner (1973), who introduced the data structure, gave an O(n)-time algorithm for building the suffix tree of an n-character string drawn from a constant size alphabet. In the comparison model, there is a trivial /spl Omega/(n log n)-time lower bound based on sorting, and Weiner's algorithm matches this bound trivially. For integer alphabets, a substantial gap remains between the known upper and lower bounds, and closing this gap is the main open question in the construction of suffix trees. There is no super-linear lower bound, and the fastest known algorithm was the O(n log n) time comparison based algorithm. We settle this open problem by closing the gap: we build suffix trees in linear time for integer alphabet.
Instantaneous kinematic phase reflects neuromechanical response to lateral perturbations of running cockroaches

Instantaneous kinematic phase calculation allows the development of reduced-order oscillator models useful in generating hypotheses of neuromechanical control. When perturbed, changes in instantaneous kinematic phase and frequency of rhythmic movements can provide details of movement and evidence for neural feedback to a system-level neural oscillator with a time resolution not possible with traditional approaches. We elicited an escape response in cockroaches (Blaberus discoidalis) that ran onto a movable cart accelerated laterally with respect to the animals' motion causing a perturbation. The specific impulse imposed on animals (0.50 $$\pm $$ 0.04 m s $$^{-1}$$ ; mean, SD) was nearly twice their forward speed (0.25 $$\pm $$ 0.06 m s $$^{-1})$$ . Instantaneous residual phase computed from kinematic phase remained constant for 110 ms after the onset of perturbation, but then decreased representing a decrease in stride frequency. Results from direct muscle action potential recordings supported kinematic phase results in showing that recovery begins with self-stabilizing mechanical feedback followed by neural feedback to an abstracted neural oscillator or central pattern generator. Trials fell into two classes of forward velocity changes, while exhibiting statistically indistinguishable frequency changes. Animals pulled away from the side with front and hind legs of the tripod in stance recovered heading within 300 ms, whereas animals that only had a middle leg of the tripod resisting the pull did not recover within this period. Animals with eight or more legs might be more robust to lateral perturbations than hexapods.
Generalized H-infinity vehicle control utilizing dimensional analysis

The selection of a nominal plant model is a central design choice for a robust controller design. In the case of vehicle dynamic studies, the nominal plant model for a vehicle is traditionally chosen using knowledge of a particular experimental vehicle under study. With such a design focus on one particular plant, it may be questionable whether the resulting controller synthesis technique provides experimental conclusions that are generalizable to several other vehicle types. This work develops an alternative, dimensionless representation of vehicle dynamics that is more suitable for a generalized vehicle analysis. Within such a nondimensional framework, the average of vehicle parameters becomes well defined, and perturbations about the average are easily developed that reasonably encompass all production vehicles. These uncertainty bounds are then used to generate a robust controller suitable for nearly all passenger vehicles. For the purposes of demonstration, the focus of this work is a lateral-positioning control task. The resulting controller is demonstrated on a scaled experimental vehicle.
The Xenorhabdus nematophila nilABC Genes Confer the Ability of Xenorhabdus spp. To Colonize Steinernema carpocapsae Nematodes

Members of the Steinernema genus of nematodes are colonized mutualistically by members of the Xenorhabdus genus of bacteria. In nature, Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes are always found in association with Xenorhabdus nematophila bacteria. Thus, this interaction, like many microbe-host associations, appears to be species specific. X. nematophila requires the nilA, nilB, and nilC genes to colonize S. carpocapsae. In this work, we showed that of all the Xenorhabdus species examined, only X. nematophila has the nilA, nilB, and nilC genes. By exposing S. carpocapsae to other Xenorhabdus spp., we established that only X. nematophila is able to colonize S. carpocapsae; therefore, the S. carpocapsae-X. nematophila interaction is species specific. Further, we showed that introduction of the nilA, nilB, and nilC genes into other Xenorhabdus species enables them to colonize the same S. carpocapsae host tissue that is normally colonized by X. nematophila. Finally, sequence analysis supported the idea that the nil genes were horizontally acquired. Our findings indicate that a single genetic locus determines host specificity in this bacteria-animal mutualism and that host range expansion can occur through the acquisition of a small genetic element.
Support vector machine regularization

Finding the best decision boundary for a classification problem involves covariance structures, distance measures, and eigenvectors. This article considers how eigenstructures are an inherent part of the support vector machine (SVM) functional basis that encodes the geometric features of a separating hyperplane. SVM learning capacity involves an eigenvector set that spans the parameter space being learned. The linear SVM has been shown to have insufficient learning capacity when the number of training examples exceeds the dimension of the feature space. For this case, an incomplete eigenvector set spans the observation space. SVM architectures based on insufficient eigenstructures lack sufficient learning capacity for good separating hyperplanes. However, proper regularization ensures that two essential types of ‘biases’ are encoded within SVM functional mappings: an appropriate set of algebraic (and thus geometric) relationships and a sufficient eigenstructure set. WIREs Comp Stat 2011 3 204–215 DOI: 10.1002/wics.149 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Exact solutions of semiclassical non-characteristic Cauchy problems for the sine-Gordon equation

Abstract The use of the sine-Gordon equation as a model of magnetic flux propagation in Josephson junctions motivates studying the initial-value problem for this equation in the semiclassical limit in which the dispersion parameter e tends to zero. Assuming natural initial data having the profile of a moving − 2 π kink at time zero, we analytically calculate the scattering data of this completely integrable Cauchy problem for all e > 0 sufficiently small, and further we invert the scattering transform to calculate the solution for a sequence of arbitrarily small e . This sequence of exact solutions is analogous to that of the well-known N -soliton (or higher-order soliton) solutions of the focusing nonlinear Schrodinger equation. We then use plots obtained from a careful numerical implementation of the inverse-scattering algorithm for reflectionless potentials to study the asymptotic behavior of solutions in the semiclassical limit. In the limit e ↓ 0 one observes the appearance of nonlinear caustics, i.e. curves in space–time that are independent of e but vary with the initial data and that separate regions in which the solution is expected to have different numbers of nonlinear phases. In the appendices, we give a self-contained account of the Cauchy problem from the perspectives of both inverse scattering and classical analysis (Picard iteration). Specifically, Appendix A contains a complete formulation of the inverse-scattering method for generic L 1 -Sobolev initial data, and Appendix B establishes the well-posedness for L p -Sobolev initial data (which in particular completely justifies the inverse-scattering analysis in Appendix A).
Activation of Chromosomal DNA Replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by Acidic Transcriptional Activation Domains

A large body of evidence from viral systems has established that transcription factors play an important and direct role in activating viral DNA replication. Among the transcriptional activation domains that can stimulate viral DNA replication are acidic domains such as those derived from herpes simplex virus VP16 and the tumor suppressor p53. Here we show that acidic activation domains can also activate a cellular origin of replication in a chromosomal context. When tethered to the yeast ARS1 (autonomously replicating sequence 1) origin of replication, both VP16 and p53 activation domains can enhance origin function. In addition, the C-terminal acidic region of the yeast transcription factor ABF1, which normally activates the ARS1 origin, is sufficient for activating ARS1 function when tethered to the origin. Mutations at residues Trp-53 and Phe-54 of a 20-residue (41 to 60) activation region of p53 abolish the activation of both replication and transcription, suggesting that the same structural determinants may be employed to activate both processes in yeast. Furthermore, using a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis method, we demonstrate that the GAL4-p53 chimeric activator can activate initiation of chromosomal replication from an origin inserted at the native ARS1 locus. These findings strongly suggest functional conservation of the mechanisms used by the acidic activation domains to activate viral DNA replication in mammalian cells and chromosomal replication in yeast.
In vivo response to electrochemically aligned collagen bioscaffolds

Collagen-based biomaterials are a viable option for tendon reconstruction and repair. However, the weak mechanical strength of collagen constructs is a major limitation. We have previously reported a novel methodology to form highly oriented electrochemically aligned collagen (ELAC) threads with mechanical properties converging on those of the natural tendon. In this study, we assessed the in vivo response of rabbit patellar tendon (PT) to braided ELAC bioscaffolds. Rabbit PTs were incised longitudinally and the ELAC bioscaffold was inlaid in one limb along the length of the tendon. The contralateral limb served as the sham-operated control. Rabbits were euthanized at 4 or 8 months postoperatively. High-resolution radiographs revealed the absence of ectopic bone formation around the bioscaffolds. Four months post-implantation, the histological sections showed that the ELAC bioscaffold underwent limited degradation and was associated with a low-grade granulomatous inflammation. Additionally, quantitative histology revealed that the cross-sectional areas of PTs with the ELAC bioscaffold were 29% larger compared with the controls. Furthermore, ELAC-treated PTs were significantly stiffer compared with the controls. The volume fraction of the tendon fascicle increased in the ELAC-treated PT compared with the controls. By 8 months, the ELAC bioscaffold was mostly absorbed and the enlargement in the area of tendons with implants subsided along with the resolution of the granulomatous inflammation. We conclude that ELAC is biocompatible and biodegradable and has the potential to be used as a biomaterial for tendon tissue engineering applications.
Osteon remodeling dynamics in the Cayo Santiago Macaca mulatta: The effect of matriline

At the microstructural level, bones remodel throughout life. This process is recorded in bone cortex as osteons. A more comprehensive understanding of the interaction between genetic regulation and environmental factors in osteon remodeling will increase the value of this skeletal record and enable more accurate reconstruction of individual life histories. The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of maternal lineage to normal age and sex variation in osteon remodeling dynamics in Macaca mulatta. Femoral cross sections from 57 Cayo Santiago-derived rhesus macaques representing five matrilines were examined to evaluate the effect of genetic relatedness on osteon remodeling dynamics. Analysis of variance revealed an effect of maternal lineage on osteon area and Haversian canal area. The other variables did not differ significantly among matrilines. Analysis of covariance revealed no significant interactions among age, sex, and matriline for any of the microstructural variables.
Zusammensetzung und Struktur der Proteine

Proteine sind unter den Makromolekulen lebender Systeme die vielseitigsten und besitzen bei nahezu allen biologischen Prozessen entscheidende Funktionen. Sie wirken als Katalysatoren, transportieren und speichern andere Molekule – zum Beispiel Sauerstoff –, leisten mechanische Dienste, verleihen Immunitat, ermoglichen Bewegung, ubermitteln Nervenimpulse und kontrollieren Wachstum sowie Differenzierung. Tatsachlich befasst sich der groste Teil dieses Buches damit, was Proteine tun und wie sie diese Funktionen erfullen.
Carboxyl-Group Footprinting Maps the Dimerization Interface and Phosphorylation-induced Conformational Changes of a Membrane-associated Tyrosine Kinase

Her4 is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase belonging to the ErbB-EGFR family. It plays a vital role in the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and mutations in Her4 have been found in melanoma and lung cancer. The kinase domain of Her4 forms a dimer complex, called the asymmetric dimer, which results in kinase activation. Although a crystal structure of the Her4 asymmetric dimer is known, the dimer affinity and the effect of the subsequent phosphorylation steps on kinase domain conformation are unknown. We report here the use of carboxyl-group footprinting MS on a recombinant expressed, Her4 kinase-domain construct to address these questions. Carboxyl-group footprinting uses a water-soluble carbodiimide, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide, in the presence of glycine ethyl ester, to modify accessible carboxyl groups on glutamate and aspartate residues. Comparisons of Her4 kinase-domain monomers versus dimers and of unphosphorylated versus phosphorylated dimers were made to map the dimerization interface and to determine phosphorylation induced-conformational changes. We detected 37 glutamate and aspartate residues that were modified, and we quantified their extents of modification by liquid chromatography MS. Five residues showed changes in carboxyl-group modification. Three of these residues are at the predicted dimer interface, as shown by the crystal structure, and the remaining two residues are on loops that likely have altered conformation in the kinase dimer. Incubating the Her4 kinase dimers with ATP resulted in dramatic increase in Tyr-850 phosphorylation, located on the activation loop, and this resulted in a conformational change in this loop, as evidenced by reduction in carboxyl-group modification. The kinase monomer-dimer equilibrium was measured using a titration format in which the extent of carboxyl-group footprinting was mathematically modeled to give the dimer association constant (1.5–6.8 × 1012 dm2/mol). This suggests that the kinase-domain makes a significant contribution to the overall dimerization affinity of the full-length Her4 protein.
A family of permutations for concurrent factorization of block tridiagonal matrices

The inherent strong seriality of closely coupled systems is circumvented by defining a family of permutations for reordering equation sets whose matrix of coefficients is Hermitian block tridiagonal. The authors show how these permutations can be used to achieve relatively high concurrency in the Cholesky factorization of banded systems at the expense of introducing limited extra computations due to fill-in terms in the factors. Directed graphs are developed for the concurrent factorization of the transformed matrix of coefficients by the Cholesky algorithm. Expressions for speedup and efficiency are derived in terms of parameters of the permutation, set of equations, and machine architecture. >
Ocean Energy On-Demand Using Underocean Compressed Air Storage

Renewable ocean energy sources are typically highly variable and uncontrolled, resulting in the production of low value electricity. Storing energy in the form of compressed air is a mature technology on land. Utilizing hydrostatic pressure at depth in the ocean to maintain constant pressure in the air supply chamber offers large recovery efficiency advantages. If salt dome caverns are not available, the design challenge is the development of a low cost bottom-founded air storage chamber.© 2007 ASME
Transference of power: shifting expertise to expert system developers

As expert system developers transfer expert knowledge into a system, the potential exists for the surrogate system to disrupt the prior balance of power between experts and developers in the organization. Although there has been extensive research in expert systems, there is a lack of investigations into both the organizational impacts of expert system development and more specifically, the potential power shifts within the organization. In the field of management, there have been numerous studies of how participants within an organization vie for and deal with power. This paper uses the organizational power model proposed by Pfeffer (1981) as the theoretical foundation for the discussion of transference of expertise, and thus power, in expert systems development. This paper contributes to the current literature by proposing a new theoretical base for expert system research in organizations. >
How Rossby wave breaking over the Pacific forces the North Atlantic Oscillation

[1] Anticyclonic Rossby wave breaking (RWB) over a well-defined, limited-area region of the east Pacific leads to the positive polarity of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) by locally piling up wave activity where it may be advected downstream, resulting in increased wave activity flux and anticyclonic RWB over the subtropical Atlantic. A composite time series shows that Pacific RWB occurs several days prior to the Atlantic RWB and the peak of the NAO index. Following Pacific RWB, a channel of increased pseudomomentum flux extends from the Pacific wave breaking region, northeastward toward midlatitudes of eastern North America where pseudomomentum density accumulates for several days prior to moving eastward and leading to anticyclonic RWB over the Atlantic.
Beam steering in narrow-stripe high-power 980-nm laser diodes

We used near-field scanning optical microscopy to measure the optical beam characteristics of weakly-guided narrow-stripe high-power laser diodes. For both facets of the device, we correlate changes in the near-field optical characteristics with beam steering and the kink in the light output versus operating current curve. Our measurements demonstrate that: 1) frequency-locking of lateral modes exists for operating currents below the kink in the L-I curve; 2) beam steering is a result of a shift of in the beat-length pattern inside the laser cavity of the frequency-locked lateral modes; and 3) the kink in the L-I curve results from a sudden increase in the beam waist of the guided-modes.
Allotetraploid Mimulus sookensis are highly interfertile despite independent origins

Polyploidy (whole-genome duplication) has contributed significantly to angiosperm evolution and diversification. To date, it has been found that most polyploids are the result of multiple formation events, which may contribute to genetic diversity and affect interfertility among polyploid lineages of independent origin. A recently discovered allotetraploid derivative of Mimulus guttatus and M. nasutus, Mimulus sookensis, is found throughout the valleys of western Oregon and Vancouver Island. Here, we analyse the patterns of nucleotide diversity at three chloroplast and six nuclear loci in M. guttatus, M. nasutus and M. sookensis, to gain insight into the formation of M. sookensis. By analysing the patterns of genetic variation seen in the diploid progenitors in comparison with the variation seen in M. sookensis, we are able to show that M. sookensis has recurrently formed. We also observed that most M. sookensis individuals are fixed heterozygotes at all of the nuclear loci examined, suggesting that duplicate gene loss is not extensive in M. sookensis. To assess the possibility that hybridization among M. sookensis has contributed to genetic diversity, we conducted crossing experiments within M. sookensis. We found that M. sookensis of independent origin are highly interfertile, suggesting that crossing barriers do not exist within M. sookensis, and that hybridization among M. sookensis may result in new recombinant genotypes. Together, the data suggest that although recurrent origins may be common, they can contribute to genetic diversity without contributing to reproductive isolation among independently arisen polyploid lineages.
A qualitative evaluation of 40 voluntary, smoke-free, multiunit, housing policy campaigns in California

Background Although it is legal for multiunit housing (MUH) property owners in all 50 states to prohibit smoking on their premises, including in individual units, MUH constitutes a relatively new setting to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke via voluntary smoke-free policy. This paper examines California state-funded smoke-free MUH policy campaigns between 2004 and 2010. Methods A cross-case analysis of 40 state-funded smoke-free MUH policy campaigns was conducted via an examination of final evaluation reports submitted to the California Tobacco Control Program. Results The most effective voluntary smoke-free MUH policy campaigns typically included: (1) learning the local [MUH] context, (2) finding and using a champion, (3) partnering with like-minded organisations, (4) building relationships with stakeholders, (5) collecting and using local data and (6) making a compelling case to decision makers. Discussions The aforementioned steps tended to be intertwined, and successfully securing voluntary smoke-free MUH policy required a strategic but flexible plan of implementation prior to entrance into the field. Campaigns designed to enhance voluntary smoke-free MUH policy adoption should underscore the economic viability of such policies during each strategic step.