cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Politics of Caste and the Deepening of India’s Democracy: The Case of the Backward Caste Movement in Bihar

As the Bihar election approached in the fall of 2015, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies appeared to have a clear advantage (Manor forthcoming). Coming after the BJP’s dramatic victory under the leadership of Narendra Modi in the 2014 parliamentary elections, the contest in Bihar was widely seen as a test as to whether the BJP could gain control over crucial state governments in order to consolidate nationwide hegemony. Aligned against the BJP were two regional lower caste leaders—Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav—longtime rivals who came together in order to stop the “Modi wave.”
The Early Origins of Autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders whose core features of impaired social communication and atypical repetitive behaviors and/or restrictions in range of interests emerge in toddlerhood and carry significant implications at successive stages of development. The ability to reliably identify most cases of the condition far earlier than the average age of diagnosis presents a novel opportunity for early intervention, but the availability of such an intervention is disparate across US communities, and its impact is imperfectly understood. New research may transform the clinical approach to these conditions in early childhood.
Defining the current scope and limitations of dual noncanonical amino acid mutagenesis in mammalian cells

The ability to site-specifically incorporate two distinct noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into the proteome of a mammalian cell with high fidelity and efficiency will have many enabling applications. It would require the use of two different engineered aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS)/tRNA pairs, each suppressing a distinct nonsense codon, and which cross-react neither with each other, nor with their counterparts from the host cell. Three different aaRS/tRNA pairs have been developed so far to expand the genetic code of mammalian cells, which can be potentially combined in three unique ways to drive site-specific incorporation of two distinct ncAAs. To explore the suitability of using these combinations for suppressing two distinct nonsense codons with high fidelity and efficiency, here we systematically investigate: (1) how efficiently the three available aaRS/tRNA pairs suppress the three different nonsense codons, (2) preexisting cross-reactivities among these pairs that would compromise their simultaneous use, and (3) whether different nonsense-suppressor tRNAs exhibit unwanted suppression of non-cognate stop codons in mammalian cells. From these comprehensive analyses, two unique combinations of aaRS/tRNA pairs emerged as being suitable for high-fidelity dual nonsense suppression. We developed expression systems to validate the use of both combinations for the site-specific incorporation of two different ncAAs into proteins expressed in mammalian cells. Our work lays the foundation for developing powerful applications of dual-ncAA incorporation technology in mammalian cells, and highlights aspects of this nascent technology that need to be addressed to realize its full potential.
Lung Ultrasound Findings Detected During Inpatient Echocardiography Are Common and Associated With Short- and Long-term Mortality

OBJECTIVES Although pulmonary abnormalities are easily seen with standard echocardiography or pocket-sized ultrasound devices, we sought to observe the prevalence of lung ultrasound apical B-lines and pleural effusions and their associations with inpatient, 1-year, and 5-year mortality when found in hospitalized patients referred for echocardiography. METHODS We reviewed 486 initial echocardiograms obtained from consecutive inpatients over a 3-month period, in which each examination included 4 supplemental images of the apex and the base of both lungs. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare mortality rates among patients with versus without lung findings. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to determine the relative contributions of age, sex, effusions, and B-lines to overall mortality. RESULTS Of the 486 studies, the mean patient age ± SD was 68 ± 17 years; the median age was 70 years (interquartile range, 27 years); and 191 (39%) had abnormal lung findings. The presence versus absence of abnormal lung findings was related to initial-hospital (8.9% versus 2.0%; P = .001), 1-year (33% versus 14%; P < .001), and 5-year (56% versus 31%; P < .001) mortality. Ultrasound apical B-lines and pleural effusions were both independently associated with increased mortality during initial hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR], 4.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-11.0; and HR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-6.0, respectively). Pleural effusions were also associated with increased 1-year mortality (HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.5-3.4). CONCLUSIONS In hospitalized patients undergoing echocardiography, the simple addition of 4 quick 2-dimensional pulmonary views to the echocardiogram often detects abnormal findings that have important implications for short- and long-term mortality.
Geostatistical Prediction of Microbial Water Quality Throughout a Stream Network Using Meteorology, Land Cover, and Spatiotemporal Autocorrelation

Predictive modeling is promising as an inexpensive tool to assess water quality. We developed geostatistical predictive models of microbial water quality that empirically modeled spatiotemporal autocorrelation in measured fecal coliform (FC) bacteria concentrations to improve prediction. We compared five geostatistical models featuring different autocorrelation structures, fit to 676 observations from 19 locations in North Carolina's Jordan Lake watershed using meteorological and land cover predictor variables. Though stream distance metrics (with and without flow-weighting) failed to improve prediction over the Euclidean distance metric, incorporating temporal autocorrelation substantially improved prediction over the space-only models. We predicted FC throughout the stream network daily for one year, designating locations "impaired", "unimpaired", or "unassessed" if the probability of exceeding the state standard was ≥90%, ≤10%, or >10% but <90%, respectively. We could assign impairment status to more of the stream network on days any FC were measured, suggesting frequent sample-based monitoring remains necessary, though implementing spatiotemporal predictive models may reduce the number of concurrent sampling locations required to adequately assess water quality. Together, these results suggest that prioritizing sampling at different times and conditions using geographically sparse monitoring networks is adequate to build robust and informative geostatistical models of water quality impairment.
IGF-I mRNA localization in trigeminal and sympathetic nerve target zones during rat embryonic development

In recent years evidence has accumulated suggesting that insulin-like growth factors may have significant autocrine or paracrine roles in regulating the rate of growth or state of differentiation of various types of normal and tumorous tissue (1,2). A paracrine/autocrine role for insulin-like growth factor-l (IGF-I) in embryonic development has been suggested by the following observations. IGF-I is secreted by cultured fetal cells and explants and binds to specific receptors in fetal tissue (3,4). IGF-I immunoreactivity is low in fetal serum (5) but both IGF-I immunoreactivity and mRNA are detected in fetal tissues during the course of gestation (6-11). The presence of the type-l IGF receptor during embryogenesis has been demonstrated by binding studies (12,13) and by detection of receptor mRNA (11,14).
Cardiovascular Interactions between Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 and Angiotensin II

Both the activation of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) and elevations of circulating Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 (FGF-23) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in chronic kidney disease. To investigate potential cross-talk between RAAS and FGF-23, we administered angiotensin II (Ang II) to wild-type rodents and the Hyp mouse model of excess FGF-23. Ang II administration for four weeks to wild-type rodents resulted in significant increases in systolic blood pressure and LVH. Unexpectedly, FGF-23 circulating levels were increased by 1.5-1.7 fold in Ang II treated animals. In addition, Ang II treatment increased expression of FGF-23 message levels in bone, the predominant tissue for FGF-23 production, and induced expression of FGF-23 and its co-receptor α-Klotho in the heart, which normally does not express FGF-23 or α-Klotho in physiologically relevant levels. Hyp mice with elevated FGF-23 exhibited increased blood pressure and LVH at baseline. Ang II administration to Hyp mice resulted further increments in blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy, consistent with additive cardiovascular effects. These findings suggest that FGF-23 may participate in unexpected systemic and paracrine networks regulating hemodynamic and myocardial responses.
Silent Witnesses:: Modernity, Colonialism, and Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier's Unfinished Plans for Havana

In Silent Witnesses: Modernity, Colonialism, and Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier9s Unfinished Plans for Havana, Joseph R. Hartman examines Havana9s urbanization under the dictatorship of Gerardo Machado (in power 1925–33), focusing on the largely unrealized plans of French urbanist Forestier and his Franco-Cuban team of architects and planners. Scholars until now have focused on cataloguing the regime9s extant monuments, while giving far less attention to Forestier9s unbuilt urban works. The Machado regime9s building campaign spoke to modern aspirations of Cuban independence and nationhood, but also to enduring colonial paradigms of race, power, and urban space. Interpreting the history of Havana9s urbanization requires taking a critical view of Cuba9s colonial heritage and the survival into modern times of local and imported colonialist practices. Revisiting this history lends new insights into the cultural stakes of urban restoration efforts ongoing in Havana today.
Recomposing the Colonial City: Music, Space, and Middle-Class City Building in Sekondi, Gold Coast c. 1900–1920

One of the prevailing concerns of African urban history has been the reframing of African peoples as active shapers rather than passive inhabitants of twentieth-century cities. Yet this effort to a...
Assessment of Hip Translation In Vivo in Patients With Femoracetabular Impingement Syndrome Using 3-Dimensional Computed Tomography.

Purpose To determine the 3-dimensional (3D) in vivo hip translation in patients with symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) using 3D computed tomography (CT) models with the hip in neutral and FABER (flexion, abduction, and the external rotation) positions and to identify patient predictors associated with the degree of hip translation. Methods Seventy-eight patients with FAIS and cam lesions underwent CT scans in neutral and FABER positions. Demographics including age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) were recorded for each patient. The cam deformity was characterized both in plain x-ray film and 3D. Translation between both positions was calculated using a validated high-precision 3D-3D registration technique. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses sought factors correlated with translation. Results The mean age of the patients included in the analysis was 36.3 ± 9.2 years, with 51% of the study group being female. The mean 3D femoral head center translation was 0.84 ± 0.37 mm, decomposed into vectors on standard anatomical directions as 0.13 ± 0.58 mm medial, 0.10 ± 0.54 mm posterior, and 0.08 ± 0.46 mm inferior. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that total translation was associated with larger alpha angles (β = 0.014; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.003-0.024; P = .013), and greater BMI (β = 0.033; 95% CI 0.001-0.065; P = .042). Furthermore, posterior–inferior translation was associated with BMI (β = 0.032; 95% CI 0.003-0.061; P = .031), whereas medial–lateral translation is associated with the female sex (β = 0.388; 95% CI 0.124-0.634; P = .002), and smaller head radius (β = –0.068; 95% CI –0.128 to –0.007; P = .029). Conclusions As a provocative maneuver, FABER positioning in patients with FAIS resulted in an average measurable translation of the femoral head center in the posterior, medial, and inferior direction. Factors including sex, BMI, and alpha angle predicted the degree of translation. Clinical Relevance The current study demonstrates that there is measurable hip translation between the neutral and FABER positions in patients with symptomatic FAIS, which may cause hip microinstability. Furthermore, the study found an association between hip translation and both modifiable and nonmodifiable factors. This may indicate the need for more comprehensive preoperative surgical planning, intraoperative dynamic examination of the hip, and consideration of capsular plication in certain patients.
Chapter 1 – Viral Diseases

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the viral diseases that are of importance to captive primates or to the health of the personnel involved in their care. The etiology, epizootiology, clinical features, pathogenicity, and zoonotic potentials of various diseases caused by enveloped DNA viruses, non-enveloped DNA-containing viruses, enveloped RNA-containing viruses, and non-enveloped RNA-containing viruses are described in the chapter. Enveloped DNA virus families include Poxviridae, Herpesviridae, and Hepadnaviridae, whereas non-enveloped DNA-containing virus families include Adenoviridae, Papovaviridae, and Parvoviridae. Enveloped RNA-containing virus families are Rhabdoviridae, Filoviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Togaviridae, Flaviviridae, Arenaviridae, and Retroviridae. The non-enveloped RNA-containing viruses discussed in the chapter include Reoviridae, Picomaviridae, and Calciviridae. Five members of the poxvirus family belonging to Orthopoxvirus, Yatapoxvirus, and Molluscipoxvirus genera cause diseases in nonhuman primates. Based on biological criteria, the family Herpesviridae is divided into three distinct subfamilies: Alphaherpesvirinae, Betaherpesvirinae, and Gammaherpesvirinae. The family Adenoviridae encompasses a large number of ubiquitous viruses that affect a wide range of mammalian and avian species worldwide. The family Adenoviridae is divided into two genera, Mastadenovirus and Aviadenovirus, depending on the host. The family Papovaviridae is composed of two genera—Polyomavirus and Papillomavirus—that share many structural and chemical properties. The family Paramyxoviridae contains two subfamilies known to infect nonhuman primates: Paramyxovirinae and Pneumovirinae. The former is divided into two genera: Paramyxovirus, which includes parainfluenza virus type 1, parainfluenza virus type 2, parainfluenza virus type 3, and parainfluenza type 4, and Morbillivirus, which includes measles virus. The subfamily Pneumovirinae contains only a single genus, Pneumovirus, that includes respiratory syncytial viruses.
HIV-Protease Inhibitors

Inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–encoded protease, combined with nucleoside analogues with antiretroviral activity, cause profound and sustained suppression of viral replication, reduce morbidity, and prolong life in patients with HIV infection.1–3 Recent guidelines recommend that initial treatment of all HIV-infected patients include the administration of an HIV-protease inhibitor.4 The HIV-Encoded Protease The HIV protease, encoded in the 5' end of the pol gene, is expressed as part of the gag–pol polyprotein (Figure 1A, Figure 1B, and Figure 1C). This gene encodes a 99-amino-acid protein. Homodimers of this protein have the aspartyl protease activity that is typical of retroviral proteases; monomers . . .
Health and well-being outcomes of women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa: Examining the role of formal schooling, literacy, and health knowledge

Abstract Health is related to individual educational attainment and literacy status; yet education and literacy do not guarantee health knowledge. Prior research studies health knowledge, formal schooling, and literacy as one entity, neglecting crucial differences. Using Demographic and Health Surveys from 27 sub-Saharan African countries, we examine these three pathways to gaining information, acknowledging each is distinct in target population, content, and delivery method, and uniquely contributes to health outcomes for women and children. Overall, all three pathways increase health outcomes, though health-specific knowledge could address the cultural and financial barriers that often come between women and formal schooling.
Controlled Fabrication of DNA Molecular Templates for In Situ Formation and Measurement of Ultrathin Metal Nanostructures.

Fabrication of ultrathin metal nanostructures usually requires some combination of high-vacuum deposition and postgrowth processing, which precludes access to nanostructures of ultrasmall cross sec...
Targeting the Intestine to Prevent Glucocorticoid Induced Osteoporosis

Gut-bone signaling is recognized as contributing to bone health. The gut has two key compartments: 1) the microbiota, which contains more than a trillion bacteria and 2) the intestinal barrier which prevents microbiota and their factors leaking into the lamina propria and blood stream. Chemically inducing barrier leaks causes osteoporosis. Similarly, conditions of osteoporosis (e.g., menopause, diabetes, hyperparathyroidism) are associated with intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and barrier leaks. Glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis (GIO) is also associated with microbial dysbiosis. By depleting the microbiota with antibiotics and performing fecal transplants, we demonstrate a key role for the microbiota in mediating GIO. Factors such as probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri (LR) modify the intestinal microbiota and prevent GIO. LR also prevented glucocorticoid induced intestinal barrier leaks. Treating mice with an intestinal barrier enhancer demonstrats an important role for barrier integrity in preventing GIO. Similarly decreases in osteoblast number, increased marrow adiposity, and increased osteoblast/osteocyte death induced by glucocoroticoid treatment were prevented by LR, the barrier enhancer, and by microbiota depletion. Preventing suppression of Wnt10b is suggested to prevent GIO. Our data support a role for changes in both the microbiota and intestinal barrier function in GIO, making these two components of the gut important therapeutic targets.
Three-Dimensional Morphometry of Ooids in Oolites: A New Tool for More Accurate and Precise Paleoenvironmental Interpretation

The data files for this item are under embargo pending peer review of the corresponding paper. They consist of 2 3D models of segmented oolites in .raw format and 2 corresponding image stacks in .tif format. Please refer to the README file for more details.
Introduction to the Theory and Methods Special Issue on Precision Medicine and Individualized Policy Discovery

We introduce the Theory and Methods Special Issue on Precision Medicine and Individualized Policy Discovery. The issue consists of four discussion papers, grouped into two pairs, and sixteen regula...
Hepatorenal syndrome from an ilio-iliac arteriovenous fistula: A rare complication from an endoleak.

Abstract Arteriovenous fistula is a rare and often unrecognized complication of aneurysms, with a varied and frequently inconsistent presentation. We present the case of an ilio-iliac arteriovenous fistula formation in a 71-year-old man associated with a type III endoleak after endovascular iliac branch repair. Because of rapidly progressing congestive heart failure and hepatorenal syndrome, we performed urgent endovascular repair with successful endoleak exclusion. After the procedure, the patient demonstrated a remarkably rapid and complete recovery.
High-Performance PDES on Manycore Clusters

Performance and scalability of Parallel Discrete Event Simulation (PDES) is often limited by fine-grain communication, especially in execution environments with high communication cost. Low latencies of on-chip communication in emerging manycore processors promise to substantially alleviate conventional PDES bottlenecks. However, scaling to manycore clusters requires balancing faster on chip communication with slower traditional network communication between cluster nodes. In this work, we investigate performance of PDES on a cluster of Intel's Knights Landing (KNL) processors, identify performance bottlenecks, and propose techniques to address them. Specifically, we propose three performance optimizations: (1) a new design of the communication buffer centered around the use of atomic compare-and-swap operations to reduce synchronization overhead between a dedicated communication thread and computation threads; (2) careful selection of the number of computation threads per communication thread to limit the pressure on each communication thread; and (3) balancing the timing of communication and computation threads to ensure their synchronized forward progress. Combined, these optimizations result in a 2X - 16X speedup over baseline implementations in ROSS simulator.
Effect of Context on Scientists’ Normative Beliefs:

Past research on the relationship between scientists’ normative beliefs about public engagement in the context of willingness to engage could prove misleading if respondents do not consider the imp...
Two-Phase Incompressible Flow

The earliest real success in the coupling of the level set method to problems involving external physics came in computing two-phase incompressible flow, in particular see the work of Sussman et al. [160] and Chang et al. [38]. In two-phase incompressible flow, the Navier-Stokes equations are used to model the fluids on both sides of the interface. Generally, the fluids have different densities and viscosities, so these quantities are discontinuous across the interface. Both the discontinuous viscosity and surface tension forces cause the pressure to be discontinuous across the interface as well. In addition, a discontinuous viscosity leads to kinks in the velocity field across the interface.
Non-closed-shell many-electron-theory atomic charge wavefunctions

Abstract Atomic wavefunctions are tabulated for L-S coupled terms of 1s2 2sn 2pm configurations for 4 ≤ Z ≤ 10 and for Z = 14. Results for neutral atoms, positive ions, and negative ions are included. The tables specify the N-electron determinantal basis functions and their coefficients, the one-electron orbital basis functions and their coefficients, the total energy, and the nondynamical correlation energy for each wavefunction. These wavefunctions consist of the restricted Hartree-Fock wavefunction plus the specifically non-closed-shell electron-correlation effects given by the non-closed-shell many-electron theory (NCMET) of Sinanoglu.
Construcciones constitucionales y reglas constitucionales de decisión: reflexiones sobre el cincelado del espacio de implementación

American constitutional theorists dubbed “the new originalists” have in recent years advanced a view of constitutional adjudication, and of extra-judicial constitutional implementation, that centrally features a conceptual distinction between “constitutional interpretation” and “constitutional construction.” Constitutional interpretation is said to be the process of determining the linguistic meaning of the Constitution’s text, whereas constitutional construction is the process of translating the linguistic meaning into legal rules or tests, paradigmatically, but not exclusively, to render a vague meaning more determinate. This paper, written as a contribution to a symposium on the interpretation/construction distinction in constitutional theory, critically assesses the cogency and utility of this way of carving the space of constitutional implementation. It argues: that supplementing originalist constitutional interpretation with the notion of constitutional construction does not save originalism from the many challenges it faces; that the distinction between the determination of a legal text’s linguistic meaning (or “semantic meaning” or “communicative content”) and the construction of legal rules or tests is not especially useful; and that the more perspicuous distinction in the neighborhood lies between determining a text’s legal meaning or content, and crafting doctrine to implement or administer that legal meaning. That is the distinction that undergirds the distinction that I and other scholars have previously offered between “constitutional operative propositions” and “constitutional decision rules.”
Biosynthesis of Dipicolinic Acid in Sporulating Bacillus megaterium

Abstract Extracts prepared from sporulating cultures of Bacillus megaterium can carry out the net synthesis of dipicolinic acid when supplemented with pyruvate and aspartic semialdehyde. The dipicolinic acid-synthesizing system cannot be detected in extracts prepared from vegetative cells. Its induction in the sporulating cultures corresponds, in time, to the period of dipicolinic acid synthesis in vivo.
Linking workplace incivility to citizenship performance: The combined effects of affective commitment and conscientiousness

Summary Although all human relationships are believed to generally adhere to the basic tenets of social exchange the-ory, recent research suggests that exchange processes may vary as a function of individual differences. Wetested this possibility by examining whether the effects of uncivil workplace exchanges on employee attitudesand behavior were moderated by conscientiousness. Using matched data from 190 job incumbents and theirsupervisors, we found (i) the effect of workplace incivility on citizenship performance to be transmittedthrough affective commitment and (ii) the strength of this effect to depend on individual differences in con-scientiousness. As such, the overall pattern of relationships supported moderated mediation, in that, the indi-rect effect of workplace incivility on citizenship performance through affective commitment was stronger forindividuals high (as compared with those low) in conscientiousness. These ﬁndings broadenthe focus ofpriorresearch by illustrating that, in addition to the mediating effects of cognitive and stress-based factors, socialexchange processes are important for understanding incivility’s adverse effects on citizenship performanceand that such exchanges are moderated by individual differences in conscientiousness. Copyright # 2011John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Keywords: workplace incivility; affective commitment; conscientiousness; citizenship performance
The intensification of northern component deepwater formation during the mid‐Pleistocene climate transition

We reconstruct mid-Pleistocene (marine isotope stages (MISs) 13–18) deepwater hydrography at Ocean Drilling Program Site 1063 (4583 m water depth, subtropical North Atlantic) using benthic foraminiferal stable isotope records. These new records complete an ~900 kyr long stratigraphy spanning MISs 8–29 (~250–1030 Ka) when combined with previously published records from Site 1063. The results indicate a change in the circulation regime of the abyssal subtropical North Atlantic during MIS 17. Prior to MIS 17, no significant glacial or interglacial δ13C gradients are evident between Site 1063 and the deep South Atlantic. After MIS 17, interglacial intervals at Site 1063 are characterized by δ13C values that consistently approach those recorded in the deep North Atlantic. Comparing Site 1063 δ13C values to 26 additional published records throughout the entire Atlantic basin supports the idea that this δ13C increase is unique to the deep North Atlantic. After MIS 17, the basin-wide influence of higher δ13C values suggests an increased relative flux of northern sourced bottom waters during interglacial periods. The timing of northern sourced water influence at Site 1063 is consistent with the timing of a shift in the orientation of the Arctic Front. Thus, this shift may signify a link between the northward penetration of relatively warm, saline surface waters into the Norwegian-Greenland Seas stimulating deep convection. Our findings fit well with the model of Imbrie et al. (1993) for the importance of the Nordic heat pump in establishing strong 100 kyr cyclicity in late Pleistocene glacial cycles.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterioferritin: structural heterogeneity, involvement in iron storage and protection against oxidative stress.

The iron-storage protein bacterioferritin (Bfr) from Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain F62 was identified in cell-free extracts and subsequently purified by column chromatography. Gonococcal Bfr had an estimated molecular mass of 400 kDa by gel filtration; however, analysis by SDS-PAGE revealed that it was composed of 18 kDa (BfrA) and 22 kDa (BfrB) subunits. DNA encoding BfrB was amplified by PCR using degenerate primers derived from the N-terminal amino acid sequence of BfrB and from a C-terminal amino acid sequence of Escherichia coli Bfr. The DNA sequence of bfrA was subsequently obtained by genome walking using single-specific-primer PCR. The two Bfr genes were located in tandem with an intervening gap of 27 bp. A potential Fur-binding sequence (12 of 19 bp identical to the consensus neisserial fur sequence) was located within the 5’ flanking region of bfrA in front of a putative −35 hexamer. The homology between the DNA sequences of bfrA and bfrB was 55·7%; the deduced amino acid sequences of BfrA (154 residues) and BfrB (157 residues) showed 39·7% identity, and showed 41·3% and 56·1% identity, respectively, to E. coli Bfr. Expression of recombinant BfrA and BfrB in E. coli strain DH5α was detected on Western blots probed with polyclonal anti-E. coli Bfr antiserum. Most Bfrs are homopolymers with identical subunits; however, the evidence presented here suggests that gonococcal Bfr was composed of two similar but not identical subunits, both of which appear to be required for the formation of a functional Bfr. A Bfr-deficient mutant was constructed by inserting the Ω fragment into the BfrB gene. The growth of the BfrB-deficient mutant in complex medium was reduced under iron-limited conditions. The BfrB-deficient mutant was also more sensitive to killing by H2O2 and paraquat than the isogenic parent strain. These results demonstrate that gonococcal Bfr plays an important role in iron storage and protection from iron-mediated oxidative stress.
Employer attitudes toward workers with disabilities: A review of research in the past decade

The purpose of this review was to provide an update of research findings on employers' attitudes toward workers with disabilities. Fifteen studies published in the last decade were examined. It was found that employers showed positive general attitudes toward workers with disabilities, but had some reservations toward hiring workers with certain types of disabilities. Positive past experiences with individuals with disabilities were associated with more willingness to hire and retain employees with disabilities. However, fewer concerns were identified in this review than previous reviews.
STAPHYLOCOCCAL SENSITIZATION: SPECIFIC BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PHAGE K ON THE BACTERIAL CELL WALL IN LYSIS-FROM-WITHOUT

Ralston, Doris J. (University of California, Berkeley). Staphylococcal sensitization: specific biological effects of phage K on the bacterial cell wall in lysis-from-without. J. Bacteriol. 85:1185–1193. 1963.—Phage K, shown previously to sensitize staphylococcal-wall mucopeptide to the action of a phage-induced enzyme, virolysin, was found to act in a specific manner in that its sensitizing effects were restricted to chemical linkages affected by three staphylococcal lysins. These caused an immediate lysis, whereas egg-white lysozyme, which could also digest the wall mucopeptide, exerted variable effects, even when in the absence of phage it produced some lysis. Evidence was presented that the K1 normal cell autolysin and the K phage virolysin could act synergistically with lysozyme on phage-sensitized cells, and that any effects observed with lysozyme were due to the simultaneous presence of trace amounts of these staphylococcal lysins. None of a series of lysozymelike agents from sea urchins, marine sepunculids, and from rabbit peritoneal histiocytes caused accelerated lysis of phage-sensitized cells, although like lysozyme they showed a slow lysis of phage-free living cells. Other enzymes which did not reduce the turbidity of sensitized cells included agents specific for intracellular components (proteins, lipids, nucleic acids), and enzymes, as decarboxylase, alkaline phosphatase, d-amino oxidase, and hyaluronidase. These results suggested that the main effects of the phage in sensitization were limited to areas of the cell wall involved in protection against the action of the staphylococcal lysins.
Electronic simulation of the biological clock

The term biological clock has been given to the phenomenon displayed by organisms, both plants and animals, that pace their functions in a cyclic fashion related in some way to environmental stimuli.
Issues in Fuzzy Multi-dimensional Public Choice Models

Conventional multi-dimensional public choice models are notoriously unstable. Under all but the most restrictive assumptions, they fail to produce a maximal set under majority rule. We demonstrate that fuzzy multi-dimensional public choice models offer a wider degree of stability without resort to highly complex mathematical calculations.
Sodium dodecyl sulfate- and salt-extracted antigens from various Brucella species induce proliferation of bovine lymphocytes.

Abstract One- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and cellular immunoblotting were used to compare the protein profiles and immunogenic capabilities of salt- and sodium dodecyl sulfate-extracted components isolated from different Brucella species. Cellular immunoblotting demonstrated that freshly isolated bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells proliferated to similar molecular mass components from the various Brucella extractions. One- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed similarities in protein profiles among the different Brucella species that correlated with lymphocyte reactivity. The results presented in this study provide preliminary evidence that common proteins that induce lymphocyte proliferation are present among different Brucella species, suggesting that a genuswide subunit vaccine may be feasible.
Matrix Spatial And Temporal Matched Filter For Background Suppression

The maximum likelihood method is applied to the problem of extracting the correct sequence of spatial patterns from the corresponding sequence of measurement frames corrupted by background noise. Each measurement frame is modeled as the sum of a pattern matrix and a background noise matrix. The model proposed for the statistics of the sequence of background matrices results in jointly Gaussian elements whose correlations are product separable in row, column, and frame indices. The logarithm of the likelihood function is computed and involves a matched filtering operation on the measurement frames, which acts to suppress the background relative to the pattern. Because of the product separability in the back-ground element correlations, this matched filtering operation is accomplished by pre- and post-multiplying the measurement frames by the inverses of the background row and column correlation matrices, respectively. Thus, the measurement frames are operated on in their original matrix format without resorting to stacking. Applications include the detection of targets in background noise.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
S and T Fellowship Experiences in Washington, D.C.

The currency of the engineering profession is knowledge. The knowledge gained by an engineer immersed in public policy is commonly undervalued because it is seen as not being applicable to the technical discipline. However, knowledge of the policymaking process is exactly what is needed to understand and communicate technical data in a way that decision-makers can leverage in developing prudent policies. So exposure to policy in effect enables engineers to apply their knowledge for public benefit — the genesis of the engineering discipline. This is only one of the many compelling reasons why interaction between engineers and policymakers should be valued by industry and academia. It was a motivating factor for two faculty members who recently made a temporary transition away from their respective universities to pursue Science and Technology fellowships in Washington, DC. Both individuals had tremendous experiences, professionally and personally, and encourage other engineers to make a similar adventure in Washington, DC one of their career goals.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Angular Scattering of Electrons in Hydrogen and Helium.

In view of the recent work which has been done by Davisson and Germer (1), G. P. Thomson (2), and others in investigating the angular scattering of electrons by crystals, and the work of E. G. Dymond (3) in extending these investigations to the scattering of electrons by helium, it was thought worthwhile to see if similar results could be obtained for this mattering by other monatomic and diatomic gases.
Displacement Field Of a Dislocation Loop in Anisotropic Cubic Crystals

The displacement field around a dislocation loop in anisotropic cubic crystals has been calculated on the basis of the continuum theory. The components of displacement were obtained by means of the Fourier inversion formula applied to the product of Fourier trans forms of the elastic Green's function and the body force density appropriate for a circular dislocation loop. In performing the inverse transformation, the radial part of the integration was carried out analytically while the double integral over solid angle was evaluated numerically. The results for dislocation loops in copper and niobium are presented in the form of equi-displacement contour plots. I n general, the displacement field is proportional to the anisotropy factor A = 2c44/(c11 − c11). In copper, the magnitude of the displacement field is greater than that of an elastically isotropic crystal by a factor of as much as two. Das Verschiebungsfeld um cine Versetzungsschleife wird im Rahmen der Kontinuums-theorie fur anisotrope kubische Kristalle berechnet. Die Komponenten des Verschiebungs feldes wurden mittels Fourier-Rucktransformation des Produktes aus der elastischen Greenschen Funktion im k-Raum und der vom Versetzuiigsring erzeugten Kraftdichtefunktion im k-Raum gewonnen. Der radiale Anteil dieser Integration wurde analytisch ausgefuhrt, wahrend die verbleibende zweifache Integration uber den Raumwinkel numerisch geschah. Fdr Versetzungsringe in Kupfer und Niob werden Diagramme mit Konturen gleicher Verschiebung gezeigt. Grundsatzlich ist das Verschiebungsfeld proportional zum Anisotropic faktor A = 2c44/(c11 − c12). In Kupfer ist es etwa doppelt so gros wie in einem elastisch iso tropen Kristall.
The hindcast skill of the CMIP ensembles for the surface air temperature trend

[1] Linear trends of the surface air temperature (SAT) simulated by selected models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3 and CMIP5) historical experiments are evaluated using observations to document (1) the expected range and characteristics of the errors in hindcasting the ‘change’ in SAT at different spatiotemporal scales, (2) if there are ‘threshold’ spatiotemporal scales across which the models show substantially improved performance, and (3) how they differ between CMIP3 and CMIP5. Root Mean Square Error, linear correlation, and Brier score show better agreement with the observations as spatiotemporal scale increases but the skill for the regional (5° × 5° – 20° × 20° grid) and decadal (10 – ∼30-year trends) scales is rather limited. Rapid improvements are seen across 30° × 30° grid to zonal average and around 30 years, although they depend on the performance statistics. Rather abrupt change in the performance from 30° × 30° grid to zonal average implies that averaging out longitudinal features, such as land-ocean contrast, might significantly improve the reliability of the simulated SAT trend. The mean bias and ensemble spread relative to the observed variability, which are crucial to the reliability of the ensemble distribution, are not necessarily improved with increasing scales and may impact probabilistic predictions more at longer temporal scales. No significant differences are found in the performance of CMIP3 and CMIP5 at the large spatiotemporal scales, but at smaller scales the CMIP5 ensemble often shows better correlation and Brier score, indicating improvements in the CMIP5 on the temporal dynamics of SAT at regional and decadal scales.
Study on strawberry robotic harvesting system

In order to improve robotic harvesting for strawberry and reduce production cost, the harvesting robot system was designed for table-top culture, which was able to harvest fruits on both sides of itself, and it was supposed to served for sightseeing agriculture and technological show through integrating wireless operation and voice promotion. Based on machine vision and sonar technology, the independent navigation system for harvesting robot was built. The fruits were distinguished according to H(Hue) and S(Saturation) color histogram and the picking-point was located by binocular-vision system. The nondestructive operations for fruit include sucking fruit, holding and electrically cutting fruit-stem, in order to prevent damage on pericarp and disease infection. And the end-effector was positioned by a joint-type industrial manipulator. Finally, as the experimental results showed, the successful harvesting rate was 86%, and every successful harvesting operation on average cost 31.3 seconds, and the average error for fruit location was less than 4.6mm.
Enumeration, isolation, and characterization of ultraviolet (UV-C) resistant bacteria from rock varnish in the Whipple Mountains, California

Abstract The in situ search for life on Mars requires an understanding of the possible habitats available and the types of microbes that inhabit such environments on Earth. Rock varnish is ubiquitous in terrestrial deserts and has been suggested to exist on Mars. Data reported here show that there are very high numbers of bacteria ( 10 7 – 10 8 g −1 dry wt) associated with rock varnish collected in the hot desert of the Whipple Mountains, south of Death Valley, CA, USA. Some of the bacteria identified in the rock varnish from the Whipple Mountains are resistant to UV-C exposure. This suggests that habitats like rock varnish, if they occur in the martian polar regions where liquid water may be available, may provide niches for radiation-resistant life forms such as the bacteria observed in the Whipple Mountains varnish ecosystem. The UV-resistant microbes isolated represent a diverse group of genera, but all are from the order Actinomycetales (the genera Arthrobacter, Curtobacterium, Geodermatophilus, and Cellulomonas). They are metabolically versatile heterotrophs capable of growing on a variety of simple sugars, amino acids, organic acids and aromatic acids as sole carbon and energy sources.
The effect of opponent noise on image quality

A psychophysical experiment was performed examining the effect of luminance and chromatic noise on perceived image quality. The noise was generated in a recently developed isoluminant opponent space. 5 spatial frequency octave bands centered at 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 cycles-per-degree (cpd) of visual angle were generated for each of the luminance, red-green, and blue-yellow channels. Two levels of contrast at each band were examined. Overall there were 30 images and 1 "original" image. Four different image scenes were used in a paired-comparison experiment. Observers were asked to select the image that appears to be of higher quality. The paired comparison data were used to generate interval scales of image quality using Thurstone's Law of Comparative Judgments. These interval scales provide insight into the effect of noise on perceived image quality. Averaged across the scenes, the original noise-free image was determined to be of highest quality. While this result is not surprising on its own, examining several of the individual scenes shows that adding low-contrast blue-yellow isoluminant noise does not statistically decrease image quality and can result in a slight increase in quality.
Primed Neutrophils Require Phosphatidic Acid for Maximal Receptor-Activated Elastase Release

Abstract Background.Priming of neutrophils (PMNs) for protease release is believed to be central to the pathogenesis of PMN-mediated tissue injury observed in ARDS/MOF. Defining the intracellular signaling pathways involved with this excessive protease release may aid in establishing future therapies for ARDS. Phospholipase D (PLD) production of phosphatidic acid (PA) is thought to be pivotal in reactive oxygen species generation but its role in degranulation (i.e., protease release) remains unclear. Our hypothesis was that primed neutrophils require PLD production of PA for maximal activated release of elastase. Methods.Isolated human PMNs were incubated with a well described antagonist of PA production, ethanol (ETOH, 100–1000 mg/dL), and then primed (PAF, 200 nM) followed by activation (fMLP, 1 μM). To mimic fMLP receptor-dependent activation, PMNs were primed and then directly activated with exogenous dioctanoyl l -α-phosphatidic acid (PA8, 0.5–200 μM). To confirm the importance of PA in elastase release, PA8was given to primed–activated PMNs after ethanol pretreatment in an attempt to recover the maximal response. Elastase release was measured by the cleavage of AAPV-pNA. Results.PA blockade with ETOH attenuated PAF-primed/fMLP-activated PMN elastase release in a dose-dependent manner. Exogenous PA8reproduced maximally primed-activated PMN elastase release, and furthermore, PA8was able to restore maximal elastase release following ethanol attenuation. Conclusions.Elastase release from PAF-primed/ fMLP-activated neutrophils is dependent on PA production. Thus, PA production appears to be involved in both oxidant-dependent and independent mechanisms of neutrophil cytotoxicity and may be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of hyperinflammatory diseases such as ARDS/MOF.
A proton-recoil neutron spectrometer for time-dependent ion temperatures on the National Ignition Facility

Summary form only given, as follows. Ion temperatures from inertial confinement fusion targets are usually determined by measuring the Doppler broadening of the neutron spectrum using the time-of-flight method. Measurement systems are generally designed so that the contribution of the duration of neutron production (/spl sim/100 ps) to the width of the neutron signal is negligible. This precludes the possibility of time-dependent ion temperature. If, however, one could measure the neutron energy and arrival time at a detector independently, then time-dependent neutron spectra could be obtained, and ion temperature information deduced. A concept utilizing a proton-recoil neutron spectrometer has been developed in which recoil protons from a small plastic foil ("radiator") are measured. From the energy, arrival time, and recoil Angle of the recoil proton, the birth time and energy of the incident neutron can be deduced. The sensitivity of the system is low, but the higher anticipated neutron yields from the proposed National Ignition Facility may make the technique feasible. Large scintillator arrays currently in use on the Nova facility for neutron spectral measurements consist of /spl sim/1000 channels and detect between 50 and 500 counts for typical time-integrated data. Time-dependent results would then require about an order of magnitude larger system. Key issues for making this system feasible will be keeping the cost per channel low while allowing adequate time (/spl sim/50 ps), energy (20 keV), and angular resolution (2 mrad) for each of the proton detectors.