cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Architecture and the Social Frameworks of Memory: A Postscript to Maurice Halbwachs’ “Collective Memory”

This paper offers a commentary on Maurice Halwachs’ writings on “collective memory” in the years between 1925-1945. Architectural and urban spaces figure prominently in work of the French sociologist since he maintains that memories survive in the longue duree only to the extent they are indexed into architectural places, and mapped into an urban and historical topography. This comes with a caveat: in his pioneering study of “collective memory,” La topographie legendaire des Evangiles en Terre Sainte: etude de memoire collective , Halbwachs highlights the discrepancy between the archaeological record preserved in material culture—for example ancient ruins and monuments—and the living memory of a religious community. Likewise, in his study of working classes, Halbwachs’ neologism, “collective memory” is defined as a deliberately unstable, and socially constructed category. The provisional and fluid definition that Halbwachs assigned to “collective memory” offers an insight into our present predicament. In the last decades, the ability of architecture, urban design, and architectural conservation in framing and preserving a stable and unified cultural heritage has been profoundly challenged. This paper makes the case for moving away from merely technical inquiries that understand architecture and places as “sites of memory” to a new direction that builds upon Halbwachs’ social frameworks of memory. It is thanks to Halbwach’s pioneering, if incomplete, work on “collective memory” that we may understand how the emerging and open-ended social formations transform architecture and urban spaces.
CHEMOKINES, CXC | IL-8

CXCL8/IL-8 is a member of the CXC chemokine family. The CXC chemokines can be further divided into two groups on the basis of a structure/function domain consisting of the presence or absence of three amino acid residues (Glu–Leu–Arg; ‘ELR’ motif) that precede the first cysteine amino acid residue in the primary structure of these cytokines. CXCL8/IL-8 and the other ELR+ CXC chemokines are chemoattractants for neutrophils and act as potent angiogenic factors. CXCL8/IL-8 binds to the CXCR1 and CXCR2 receptors, which are found on neutrophils, T lymphocytes, monocytes/macrophages, eosinophils, basophils, keratinocytes, and mast cells and endothelial cells. CXCL8/IL-8 has been shown to have an important role in the recruitment of neutrophils in bacterial pneumonia and to correlate with the development and mortality of adult respiratory distress syndrome. Furthermore, CXCL8/IL-8 also has a key role in the vascular remodeling that is seen in pulmonary fibrosis.
Versatile Large-Area Custom-Feature van der Waals Epitaxy of Topological Insulators.

As the focus of applied research in topological insulators (TI) evolves, the need to synthesize large-area TI films for practical device applications takes center stage. However, constructing scalable and adaptable processes for high-quality TI compounds remains a challenge. To this end, a versatile van der Waals epitaxy (vdWE) process for custom-feature bismuth telluro-sulfide TI growth and fabrication is presented, achieved through selective-area fluorination and modification of surface free-energy on mica. The TI features grow epitaxially in large single-crystal trigonal domains, exhibiting armchair or zigzag crystalline edges highly oriented with the underlying mica lattice and only two preferred domain orientations mirrored at 180°. As-grown feature thickness dependence on lateral dimensions and denuded zones at boundaries are observed, as explained by a semiempirical two-species surface migration model with robust estimates of growth parameters and elucidating the role of selective-area surface modi...
STIM1 and STIM2 cooperatively regulate mouse neutrophil store-operated calcium entry and cytokine production

Neutrophils are key effector cells of the innate immune system. Calcium-dependent signaling pathways initiated by store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) are known to regulate neutrophil activation; however, the precise mechanism of this process remains unclear. STIM1 and STIM2 are calcium-sensing molecules that link calcium depletion of the endoplasmic reticulum with opening of plasma membrane calcium channels. Although a role for STIM1 in neutrophil SOCE and activation has been established, the function of STIM2 is unknown. Here we use mice with conditional ablation of Stim1 and/or Stim2 to investigate the role of STIM2 in neutrophil activation. We demonstrate that loss of STIM2 results in decreased SOCE, particularly at lower doses of agonists. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, degranulation, and phagocytosis are normal in the absence of STIM2, suggesting STIM1 is the dominant calcium sensor required for classical short-term neutrophil responses. However, neutrophil cytokine production required STIM2, but not STIM1, at least in part as a result of redox regulation of cytokine gene expression. In vivo loss of STIM2 results in lower cytokine levels and protection from mortality in a mouse model of systemic inflammatory response syndrome. These data, combined with previous studies focusing on STIM1, define distinct but cooperative functions for STIM1 and STIM2 in modulating neutrophil bactericidal and cytokine responses.
Predicting Human Computation Game Scores with Player Rating Systems

Human computation games aim to apply human skill toward real-world problems through gameplay. Such games may suffer from poor retention, potentially due to the constraints that using pre-existing problems place on game design. Previous work has proposed using player rating systems and matchmaking to balance the difficulty of human computation games, and explored the use of rating systems to predict the outcomes of player attempts at levels. However, these predictions were win/loss, which required setting a score threshold to determine if a player won or lost. This may be undesirable in human computation games, where what scores are possible may be unknown. In this work, we examined the use of rating systems for predicting scores, rather than win/loss, of player attempts at levels. We found that, except in cases with a narrow range of scores and little prior information on player performance, Glicko-2 performs favorably to alternative methods.
A Match Made in Heaven: An Introduction to Learning by Design and Its Role in Heritage Language Education

Since its development, Learning by Design has successfully guided instructional programs for a variety of subjects, including second language literacy, in elementary, middle, and high schools in Australia. The framework has been significant in offering educators tools to tailor instruction for socially and culturally diverse students. This chapter examines its theoretical underpinnings and some of the projects that it has guided. In addition, it introduces the concept of “Spanish heritage learner,” focusing on the literacy needs of the students who can be classified as such. Next, this chapter discusses the reasons why, based on heritage learners’ needs, Learning by Design seems to be the most appropriate methodology for the development of their literacy in Spanish. The final section presents the works included in the volume.
Using Socratic Circles to Engage English Language Learners in Historical Inquiry and Discussion

This chapter describes how Socratic circles, a dialogic tool that is shown to increase learning talk, can engage English learners (ELs) in historical discussion following inquiry methods of learning in the social studies. Drawing on the related literature, we provide educators with a background about cultural competency and positionalities, historical inquiry, and Socratic circles. Evidence-based examples and strategies are then provided for using historical inquiry and Socratic circles in the social studies classroom to teach important yet difficult concepts (e.g., democracy, liberty) and connect them to content-based curricula. We conclude by connecting dialogue to the C3 frameworks to foster ELs’ civic participation, involvement, and agency and discuss implications and applications for teacher education.
Teaching Collaborative Governance Online: Aligning Collaborative Instruction with Online Learning Platforms

This article focuses on the value of aligning course content and delivery in online instruction. It expands our conceptualization of online learning platforms and multiple instructional roles in the context of teaching collaborative governance. The School of Government and Public Policy at the University of Arizona has developed a Collaborative Governance Program for graduate and professional students to learn how to work together more effectively across institutional, geographic, economic, and social boundaries in different policy domains. In this article, we present the two basic pedagogical building blocks that support the program’s online instruction—collaborative capacity and collaborative learning—and describe how the program is integrating multiple online learning platforms with multiple instructional roles. We conclude by discussing how to generalize from these experiences and how the program is working to evaluate the effectiveness of these instructional approaches.
STEM Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach that utilizes student-directed inquiry processes to develop a product that has real-life connections and applications (Johnson, & Lamb, 2007). Specifically, PBL consists of inquiry-based tasks that help students develop important technological, social, and core curriculum content (Nastu, 2009). PBL has also been defined as a “special case of inquiry” (Slough & Milam, 2008, p. 19). Thus STEM PBL and inquiry-based learning go hand-in-hand in terms of student-centered instruction.
Bedsonia abortion of sheep. 3. Immunological studies.

The presence of complement fixing (CF) antibody, resulting from known or unknown infection, to the Bedsonia group antigen, ameliorates the clinical response and may prevent abortion in sheep following experimental inoculation of the epizootic bovine abortion (EBA) agent. The immunity conferred by the antibody is relative in that a sufficiently large challenge dose of the EBA agent may cause ewes to abort a second time. It is argued that some measure of control of EBA and enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE) can be achieved by the use of vaccines.
93-GHz Signal Beam Steering with True Time Delayed Integrated Optical Beamforming Network

A 93-GHz beam steering experiment based on a 1 × 4 phased array antenna was demonstrated, achieving beam steering angles of −51°, ±34°, ±17° and 0°. An integrated optical beamforming network chip with true time delays was employed.
Nest association of pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus, and golden shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas

I investigated the nest association of pumpkinseeds and golden shiners in an upstate New York pond. Golden shiners spawned in about one-third of pumpkinseed nests. Field observations indicate that golden shiners preferred to spawn in nests of male pumpkinseeds that attracted conspecific females, and avoided nests of pumpkinseeds that failed to do so. Golden shiners did not spawn in any of the nests that I kept clean experimentally after abandonment by male pumpkinseeds, suggesting that a clean nest without a guarding pumpkinseed is not enough to attract shiners to spawn. In field experiments, shiner eggs that were placed away from pumpkinseed nests suffered significantly higher losses to predation than those in the nests. This indicates that golden shiners benefit from spawning in pumpkinseed nests through the protection of their young by the host pumpkinseed.
Interrogando la gramática racial de la blanquitud: Hacia una analítica del blanqueamiento en el orden racial colombiano

This article studies individuals’ perceptions of their skin color as an ideological dimension of whitening. Using binomial logistic regression models with a representative national sample of the AmericasBarometer in Colombia, we ask whether there is an association between ethno-racial categories, skin color, social status, and individual desire for lighter skin color, and, if so, what explains that desire in the heart of a racialized society. This study, after controlling for skin color, finds that individuals who self-identify as white rather than black are more likely to desire a lighter skin. In addition, those with intermediate skin tone also have a greater desire to be lighter. Results show that for self-identified black people in Colombia, whitening seems not to constitute an escape hatch from historical and structural processes of social marginalization or a strategy of evading practices of racial discrimination. Resumen Este articulo estudia la percepcion que tienen los individuos sobre el color de su piel como una dimension ideologica del blanqueamiento. Usando modelos de regresion logistica binaria en una muestra nacional representativa del Barometro de las Americas en Colombia, preguntamos: ?Existe alguna asociacion entre las categorias etnico-raciales, el color de la piel, el estatus social y el deseo individual de tener un color de piel mas claro? ?Que explica el deseo de tener un color de piel mas claro en el seno de una sociedad racializada? Este estudio encuentra que las personas que se autoidentifican como blancas tienen una mayor probabilidad de desear tener un color de piel mas claro que las personas negras, despues de controlar por el color de la piel. Ademas, aquellos con un tono de piel intermedio tambien tienen un mayor deseo de blanqueamiento. Los resultados muestran que, para las personas que se autoidentifican como negras en Colombia, el blanqueamiento parece no constituirse en una ventana de escape de procesos historicos y estructurales de marginacion social, ni en una estrategia de evasion de practicas de discriminacion racial.
Integrated Nonvolatile Phase-shifter Based on Electrically Reconfigurable Low-loss Phase-change Materials

We demonstrate a nonvolatile, small-form-factor (20 µm) phase-shifter based on low-loss phase-change materials (Ge 2 Sb 2 Se 4 Te 1 and Sb 2 Se 3 ) on SOI waveguides. We achieve continuous optical phase modulation and an MZI switch with 30 dB extinction ratio.
Supership Effect on Waterway Depth and Alignments

Superships require special deep-water berthing and moorings, and special alignments of channels. Their wide bams, flat bottoms, restricted maneuverability, long stopping distance and associated hydrodynamic phenomena such as sinkage, bank suction and ship interaction during meeting pose very serious safety problems. The performance of very large ships in restricted waters, in following the channel and the unexpected effects of maneuvering in conjunction with forces affecting vessel are analyzed. Specific examples are cited from the field and tentative channel design data and criteria for horizontal clearance, slope of the slides, effects of depth and currents are provided. The use of superships may speed techniques and applications of nuclear excavations for channels and for maneuvering areas. If applied, these new techniques could create waterways and harbors of adequate depth and area at low cost.
Synthesis of mesoporous silica material with sodium hexafluorosilicate as silicon source under ultra-low surfactant concentration

The discovery of novel inorganic porous materials of MCM-41 family, which are composed of regular hexagonal array of silica tubes with diameters in the range 20–100 A, has opened up new possibilities in the field of catalysis, adsorptions, advanced materials design, etc. [1, 2]. Since its first report in 1992, numbers of research works have been focused on the techniques of synthesis and application of MCM materials [3–7]. In the synthesis of MCM-41 materials, long carbon chain surfactants, e.g. trimethylammonium chloride (CnTAC), were usually employed as template to form the ordered inorganic-organic mesophases. The concentration of surfactants used in the synthesis of materials is one of the most considering factors because of its high expense and harmfulness to environment. Therefore, it’s certainly preferable to synthesize MCM-41 materials by using small amount of surfactants. Some researchers have strived to decrese the concentration of surfactant while keeping the well order of mesoporous silica [8–10]. However, to our knowledge, the concentration of surfactant in the aqueous solution was still higher than 0.5 wt% up to now [10]. In the classical method of synthesis of MCM-41, sodium silicate and silicon alkoxides were generally used as silicon source, and there are rare works employing other compounds of silicon [11, 12]. In the present work, we introduce an easy pathway to synthesize highly ordered mesoporous silica materials by using inexpensive sodium hexafluorosilicate (Na2SiF6) as silicon source under ultra-low surfactant concentration (about 0.2 wt%). In this work, a series of samples with different recipes or procedures were synthesized. In a typical process, an aqueous solution of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) and industrial purity Na2SiF6 were mixed for 30 min under 50 ◦C until solid Na2SiF6 dissolved completely. Then 28 wt% ammonia solution was added to the mixed solution and left the gel to stir for 10 min. After the reaction gels loaded static for another 2 h, the products were filtered, washed with distilled water and heated in a drying oven at 75 ◦C. The as-synthesized samples were calcined in air at 540 ◦C for 18 h to obtain mesoporous silica materials. The X-ray powder diffraction measurements of samples were carried out on a Rigaku RINT 2000 X-ray diffractometer with Cu Kα radiation. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was carried out using a Seiko RTG-
Using H-alpha as a Tracer of the Emission Region of LS I +61 303

The gamma-ray binary LS I +61 303 is one of the brightest Fermi sources, with orbitally modulated emission across the electromagnetic spectrum. Here we present H-alpha spectra of LS I +61 303 that exhibit a dramatic emission burst shortly before apastron, observed as a redshifted shoulder in the line profile. A correlated burst in radio, X-ray, and GeV emission is observed at the same orbital phase. We interpret the source of the emission as a compact pulsar wind nebula that forms when a tidal mass stream from the Be circumstellar disk interacts with the relativistic pulsar wind. The H-alpha emission offers an important probe of the high energy emission morphology in this system.
Application of the ARTMAP neural network to power system stability studies

The authors discuss the application of a novel variation of the adaptive resonance theory (ART) neural network called fuzzy ARTMAP to the determination of the steady-state stability of a synchronous generator. The model of the generator includes the voltage regulator, the excitor, and the power system stabilizer. The results obtained with the fuzzy ARTMAP network are compared with those obtained with a backpropagation network. For online training, the fuzzy ARTMAP network was found to be a better choice because of its faster convergence, but in some cases, the fuzzy ARTMAP network did not perform as well as the BP network. >
On the complexity of SAT

We show that non-deterministic time NTIME(n) is not contained in deterministic time n/sup 2-/spl epsiv// and polylogarithmic space, for any /spl epsiv/>0. This implies that (infinitely often), satisfiability cannot be solved in time O(n/sup 2-/spl epsiv//) and polylogarithmic space. A similar result is presented for uniform circuits; a log-space uniform circuit of polylogarithmic width computing satisfiability requires infinitely often almost quadratic size.
CPD: Health Care Screening for Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Men who have sex with men often do not reveal their sexual practices or sexual orientation to their physician. Lack of disclosure from the patient, discomfort or inadequate training of the physician, perceived or real hostility from medical staff, and insufficient screening guidelines limit preventive care. Because of greater societal stresses, lack of emotional support, and practice of unsafe sex, men who have sex with men are at increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases (including human immunodeficiency virus infection), anal cancer, psychological and behavioural disorders, drug abuse, and eating disorders. Recent trends indicate an increasing rate of sexual risk-taking among these men, particularly if they are young. Periodic screening should include a yearly health risk and physical assessment, as well as a thorough sexual and psychological history. The physician should ask questions about sexual orientation in a non-judgemental manner; furthermore, confidentiality should be addressed and maintained. Office practices and staff should be similarly non-judgemental, with confidentiality maintained. Targeted screening for sexually transmitted diseases, depression, substance abuse, and other disorders should be performed routinely. Screening guidelines, while inconsistent and subject to change, offer some useful suggestions for the care of men who have sex with men. (SA Fam Pract 2005;47(4): 34-39) (Reprinted from: Am Fam Physician 2004;69(May):2149-56. Copyright© 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians.) Permission from the AAFP was granted to publish this article in the hardcopy only. Kindly refer to www.aafp.org or subscribe to the hardcopy of South African Family Practice.
Cyclosporine in Veterinary Dermatology

Cyclosporine is an immunomodulatory medication that is efficacious and approved for atopic dermatitis in dogs and allergic dermatitis in cats; it has also been used to successfully manage a variety of immune-mediated dermatoses in dogs and cats. This article reviews the use of cyclosporine in veterinary dermatology including its mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, drug interactions, side effects, and relevant clinical updates. Dermatologic indications including atopic/allergic dermatitis, perianal fistulas, sebaceous adenitis, and other immune-mediated skin diseases are discussed.
Synthesis of Reagents for the Construction of Hypusine and Deoxyhypusine Peptides and Their Application as Peptidic Antigens

Two new synthetic methods which allow access to (2S)-deoxyhypusine, natural (2S,9R)-hypusine, (2S,9S)-hypusine, and deoxyhypusine- and hypusine-containing peptides are described. The methods involve both the construction of a deoxyhypusine reagent in which the α-nitrogen protecting group is orthogonal to the N-7 and N-12 protecting groups and an alternate synthesis of our previous hypusine reagent, a synthesis which provides for better stereochemical control at C-9. Synthetic hypusine and deoxyhypusine can be generated from these reagents. The hypusine-containing hexapeptide (Cys-Thr-Gly-Hpu-His-Gly) is conjugated to ovalbumin (OVA), keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), and a bis-maleimide; KLH conjugates are also made with the deoxyhypusine- and lysine-containing hexapeptides. Monoclonal antibodies are generated to the hypusine-containing hexapeptide−OVA conjugate in mice. These are isolated and screened against the hypusine-containing hexapeptide−KLH and hypusine-containing hexapeptide−bis-maleimide conjuga...
Outcomes of modular proximal femoral replacement in the treatment of complex proximal femoral fractures: A case series

Abstract Background The treatment of complex femur fractures poses a significant challenge. Even with current advancements and the various implements available for the fixation of femoral fractures, results are often disappointing. This study sought to identify problems associated with and examine results of modular proximal femoral replacement. Outcomes were evaluated in two groups of patients: those receiving primary modular proximal femoral replacement for fractures and those treated with salvage arthroplasty for failed internal fixation. Methods Twelve patients who had received modular proximal femoral replacement as primary treatment for proximal femoral fractures were evaluated along with nine patients treated with salvage proximal femoral replacement for failed internal fixation. After the surgical procedure, patients were evaluated at regular follow-up intervals and contacted by phone at the conclusion of this study. Patient functional results were evaluated using the Merle D'Aubigne hip rating scale, which measures pain, motion and ambulatory status. Routine radiographs were also obtained at each patient visit. Results On average, patients who received modular proximal femoral replacement as the primary surgery for their femoral fractures enjoyed a high-level functional result and had few complications. Subjects who received salvage femoral replacement had a less optimal outcome and experienced more complications. Nonetheless, final post-operative MDA score was significantly increased from pre-operative levels. Conclusion Modular proximal femoral replacement is a viable option in the primary fracture or revision setting, and has been shown to have a reasonable outcome, especially when the nature of initial injury is taken into account.
Design and verification of the IBM system z10 I/O subsystem chips

In this paper, we discuss the microarchitecture, design, and S. Junghans verification of two IBM System z10™ I/O (input/output) chips: the z10™ hub chip, an InfiniBand™ host channel adapter with IBMproprietary enhancements, and the InfiniBand memory bus adapter (MBA) chip, an InfiniBand-to-self-timed-interface fanout chip for attaching legacy I/O. Designing and verifying these chips presented many challenges. We describe our transaction- and packet-tracking concepts and the use of communication groups that emulate the behavior of logical partitions and their role in handling error and recovery cases. A novel technique has been employed to ensure that design implementation and architectural register definitions are consistent in a fully automated approach. Finally, we describe our approach to improving self-test coverage, which is based on an automated process of test-point insertion.
Assessing Water Sustainability Related to Hospitals Using System Dynamics Modeling

Abstract Water is a critical but limited resource. As the population increases, the demand for this resource is growing. However, water needs to be sustained for current as well as future generations. Sustainability considers the balance between social, economic, and environmental factors. Hospitals are one of the major stakeholders within healthcare systems and one of the top users of water resources. This paper discusses a systems thinking approach to evaluate water sustainability related to hospitals and considers how different factors related to hospitals and water sustainability associate to each other. A system dynamics simulator is presented that models the behavior of different factors related to hospitals and water sustainability. The model can help decision makers make more informed decisions related to the factors that have an impact on water sustainability related to hospitals such as water reuse and water reduction. Information about the simulator is presented along with initial results using actual hospital data.
The Growth of Small Fatigue Cracks in A286 Steel

Fatigue crack propagation in high-strength A286 steel was studied by comparing crack growth rates determined from: (1) conventional long-crack propagation tests, (2) closure-free long-crack tests at constant Kmax, and (3) small-crack propagation tests. Small-crack growth rates were measured by following the growth of surface cracks in samples cycled from near-zero stress to 0.5 or 0.8σy. While most of the surface cracks became dormant shortly after nucleation, some grew into long cracks, and some of these propagated at cyclic stress intensities below the long-crack threshold, ΔKth (or ΔK th eff , the threshold cyclic stress intensity after crack closure effects have been removed). Surface cracks grew more rapidly than long cracks at the same ΔKor ΔKeff. The small-crack effect disappeared when the crack-tip plastic zone size became greater than the grain size. The results show that the absence of crack closure is only one of several factors that influence short-crack growth in A286 steel. Both peak stress and microstructural effects are important. Microstructural effects are apparently responsible for subthreshold crack growth; the cracks that grow at ΔK < ΔK th eff form and grow in statistically weak regions of the microstructure.
Analysis of electro-oculographic artifact during vertical saccadic eye movements.

The analysis of vertical saccades by electrooculography (EOG) is limited by the presence of wave-form artifacts that occur with both upward and down-ward saccades. The artifacts have been shown to increase the calculated velocities of upward saccades. For better evaluation of the nature of these artifacts, voluntary vertical saccades were recorded by EOG and magnetic search coil in five normal subjects and by EOG only in two patients who had previously undergone enucleation. All subjects demonstrated peaked EOG artifacts during vertical saccades. The amplitude of these artifacts was decreased but not completely eliminated by eyelid or eyeball fixation during the attempted saccade. Peak saccadic velocities were also decreased by eyelid fixation, but EOG measurements were generally less accurate than those obtained by search coil. There is evidence that these artifacts may be the result of a combination of eyelid electrical activity and resistance effects.
Lactate dehydrogenase subunit and activity changes in hypertrophied heart of the hypoxically exposed rat

Abstract Rats were exposed to an atmospheric pressure as low as 342 mm Hg (6220 m) for 57 days. This resulted in marked increases in blood hemoglobin concentration and heart weight relative to sea level controls. The lactate dehydrogenase electrophoretic isozyme pattern was visibly altered in extracts from such hearts, showing increased staining density of cathodal components amounting to an 11.8% shift toward greater M-subunit composition. This resulted in such hearts from a more than 2-fold increase in M-subunit, while H-subunit increased only slightly. The sum of both subunit changes produced a 37.5% increase in total cardiac lactate dehydrogenase activity in hypoxically exposed animals as compared to controls.
Transient response of linear systems to stationary Gaussian inputs

Abstract A new method is developed for finding the mean and covariance functions of the transient response of a time-invariant stable linear system subject to a stationary Gaussian input. First, stationary response statistics are determined. Then, properties of conditional Gaussian random variables and processes are used to characterize the transient response of the system. The method can be applied to the analysis of linear systems subject to white/colored Gaussian inputs and deterministic/random initial conditions. Several examples are used to demonstrate the method of analysis.
An essential component of the decapping enzyme required for normal rates of mRNA turnover.

A MAJOR pathway of messenger RNA degradation in eukaryotic cells is initiated by shortening of the poly(A) tail, which, at least in yeast, triggers a decapping reaction, thereby exposing the mRNA to 5′→ 3′ degradation1–4. Decapping is the key step in this decay pathway because the transcript body is rapidly degraded following decapping. Accordingly, decapping is the site of numerous controls, including inhibition of decapping by the poly (A) tail3,4 and modulation of mRNA decapping rate by specific sequences3–5. Moreover, a specialized decay pathway that degrades aberrant transcripts triggers rapid mRNA decapping independently of poly (A)-tail shortening6. We have identified a yeast gene, termed DCP1, that encodes the decapping enzyme, or an essential component of a decapping complex. The protein Dcpl is required for the normal decay of many unstable and stable yeast mRNAs, as well as mRNAs that are decapped independently of deadenylation. These results indicate that mRNA-specific rates of decapping, and thus decay, will result from differences in the interaction of the DCP1 decapping enzyme with individual transcripts.
Circadian actions of melatonin at the suprachiasmatic nucleus

The biological clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus plays a well-defined role in regulating melatonin production by the pineal. Emerging evidence indicates that melatonin itself can feed back upon the SCN and thereby influence circadian functions. Melatonin administration has been shown to entrain activity rhythms in rodents and humans. Melatonin binds specifically within the SCN and alters SCN physiology by both acute and clock-resetting mechanisms. The circadian clock in the SCN appears to temporally restrict its own sensitivity to melatonin, such that physiological sensitivity is greatest in the subjective dusk period
Applications of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Flp-FRT System in Bacterial Genetics

The Flp- FRT site-specific recombination system from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a powerful and efficient tool for high-throughput genetic analys
Anomalous vasculature in Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome

Objective To report a case of unique anomalous pelvic vasculature in a woman with Mullerian agenesis. Design Case report. Setting University hospital. Patient(s) A 61-year-old woman with Mullerian agenesis and stage IIIc papillary serous ovarian cancer. Intervention(s) Surgery was performed, including bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, omentectomy, right terminal ileum and right ascending colon resection, ileoascending/transverse colon reanastomosis, and debulking of pelvic plaques along bilateral ureters. The patient had subsequent chemotherapy with taxane and platinum agents and at the time of writing was in remission. Main Outcome Measure(s) None. Result(s) Absence of the uterus was confirmed; rudimentary uterine horns and associated fallopian tubes and ovaries were noted bilaterally. The right ureter coursed below and behind the right common iliac artery, which did not bifurcate into external and internal arteries at the pelvic brim. Instead there was only an external iliac artery that gave off a pelvic branch just before the inguinal ligament. On the left, there was only an internal iliac artery that gave off an external branch after diving into the pelvis. Conclusion(s) It is possible that the aberrant vasculature was partially responsible for the absence of the uterus. Preoperatively, it is important to recognize the possibility of abnormal pelvic vasculature in patients with Mullerian agenesis.
Isolation and determination of the primary structure of a lectin protein from the serum of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis).

Abstract Mass spectrometry in conjunction with de novo sequencing was used to determine the amino acid sequence of a 35 kDa lectin protein isolated from the serum of the American alligator that exhibits binding to mannose. The protein N-terminal sequence was determined using Edman degradation and enzymatic digestion with different proteases was used to generate peptide fragments for analysis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC MS/MS). Separate analysis of the protein digests with multiple enzymes enhanced the protein sequence coverage. De novo sequencing was accomplished using MASCOT Distiller and PEAKS software and the sequences were searched against the NCBI database using MASCOT and BLAST to identify homologous peptides. MS analysis of the intact protein indicated that it is present primarily as monomer and dimer in vitro . The isolated 35 kDa protein was ~ 98% sequenced and found to have 313 amino acids and nine cysteine residues and was identified as an alligator lectin. The alligator lectin sequence was aligned with other lectin sequences using DIALIGN and ClustalW software and was found to exhibit 58% and 59% similarity to both human and mouse intelectin-1. The alligator lectin exhibited strong binding affinities toward mannan and mannose as compared to other tested carbohydrates.
Lattice Boltzmann Simulations of Flow Past a Cylindrical Obstacle

We present lattice Boltzmann simulations of flow past a cylindrical obstacle. Our study is based on the Levy walk model of turbulence in a lattice Boltzmann model. We discuss pressure around the cylinder with laminar and “turbulent” incident flows, as well as the dependence of the von Karman street on the analog of integral scale in our model.
Reviewing medical malpractice cases for a plaintiff's attorney: Heresy or responsibility

Many physicians refuse to provide an expert review of a medical malpractice case for a plaintiff's attorney. They consider it to be "sleeping with the enemy". However, one method of avoiding frivolous suits is for reputable vascular surgeons to provide an honest and thorough review of the care provided to a patient by another vascular surgeon. This article discusses the importance and some guidelines for providing these reviews.
The concentration and isotopic abundances of carbon dioxide in rural and marine air

Abstract An earlier study of the concentration and isotopic abundances of C13 and O18 of carbon dioxide in rural air ( Keeling , 1958) has been extended by reporting the analysis of 106 additional samples of rural air and thirteen samples of air collected over tropical waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean. At locations far removed from terrestrial plants and the influence of cities, the concentration and C13 abundance of carbon dioxide in the air are found to be nearly constant; but the O18 abundance of carbon dioxide, under various circumstances, appears to show a systematic variation with air temperature, ocean water temperature, or season. Extreme values are, concentration: from 0.0303 to 0.0320 volume per cent of original air; C 13 C 12 ratio: from −6.7 to −7.4 per mil; O 18 O 16 ratio: −0.8 to −0.6 per mil. A correlation between C13 abundance and concentration of carbon dioxide previously observed for forest air is again observed. On the basis of this correlation, the C 13 C 12 ratio of the carbon dioxide released by the forest plants has been computed and is found to vary for different stations between −21 and −26 per mil. The O18 abundance of carbon dioxide in forest air is observed to be variable but shows no simple relationship with other measured quantities.
Hydroxyl radical measurements in a photochemical reactor by laser‐induced fluorescence

Measurements of hydroxyl radical (HO) concentrations in ambient air by the technique of laser-induced fluorescence have been recently reported. The present study was undertaken to provide an independent test of the validity of those measurements. A photochemical reactor was used to provide a source of HO, and the concentration of HO in the reactor was determined by the laser-induced fluorescence technique. The HO concentration was also deduced from measured hydrocarbon decay rates in the reactor. There was agreement between the HO concentrations obtained by these two different methods, thus providing further validation of the fluorescence method. Some studies of HO fluorescence efficiency as well as of possible interferences with the fluorescence measurements are reported.
Hydrolysis of dipeptides by human and ovine placentas.

Summary: Human and ovine placental tissue homogenates were assayed for dipeptidase activity in vitro. Glycyl-L-leucine, L-leucyl glycine, glycyl-L-lysine, and L-lysyl glycine were hydrolyzed by placental homogenates. The pH optimum for the reaction was 8.0. The relationship between enzyme activity and concentration was linear for placental homogenate concentrations between 0.01 and 0.10 mg protein/ml of reaction mixture. Enzyme activities were 1.92 ± 0.12 (S.E.) μoles/min/mg protein for hydrolysis of glycyl-L-leucine, 0.34 ± 0.06 (S.E.) μmoles/min/mg protein, for hydrolysis of glycy-L-lysine by human placenta, and 2.79 ± 0.8U μmoles/min/mg protein and 0.41 ± 0.25 μmoles/min/mg protein, respectively, by ovine placenta. The infusion of glycyl-L-lucine into the uterine artery of unstressed catheterized pregnant ewes yielded increased concentrations of both component amino acids in uterine venous blood and of leucine in umbilical venous blood. Speculation: The presence of dipeptidase activity in placental homogenates and the observation that glycyl-L-leucine when infused into the main uterine artery is hydrolyzed to its component amino acids support the hypothesis that leucine and possibly glycine extracted from the placenta by the umbilical circulation may be provided by placental hydrolysis of dipeptides which arise within the placenta from the degradation of larger peptides and proteins.
The Effect of Antenatal Steroids on Transforming Growth Factor β-2(TGFβ 2 ) Concentrations in Human Milk ♦ 588

The Effect of Antenatal Steroids on Transforming Growth Factor β-2(TGFβ 2 ) Concentrations in Human Milk ♦ 588
MYSTICISM AND INEFFABILITY

Mystics often say that their encounters with the divine are ineffable. The flight of the alone to the Alone is and must be wordless, they contend, because the resources of human language (or "merely" human language) are in principle inadequate to convey what happens when a contemplative reaches union with The One. This claim, which I will call the ineffability thesis, is so commonly reiterated in the primary literature of mysticism that such eminent commentators as James, Stace and Suzuki have regarded incommunicability as a defining characteristic of mystical union itself. 1 And some writers, including Underhill, Huxley and more recently Galen Pletcher and Andrew Greeley, have been so taken by the notion that they have advanced startling metaphysical and epistemological theories to account for the purportedly inexpressible aspects of mysticism. 2 In the following discussion, I will attempt to show that the ineffability thesis is false, even though there is more than a grain of truth in the considerations motivating its acceptance. I will argue that confusions about the functions of language are at the heart of the matter and that here, as elsewhere in philosophy, a number of recalcitrant problems can be resolved once these confusions are eliminated. At the outset it is worthwhile to distinguish the ineffability thesis proper from some weaker claims which are its psychological, though not logical, relatives. In these variants, mystics assert that their experiences are incommunicable, or that they baffle telling, meaning thereby only to report the de facto inadequacies of their own vocabularies. The higher forms of mystical union are by all accounts most extraordinary occurrences, and the visionary may well find him
Tracing ecologies of writing

This paper applies ecological concepts to content production in a literal rather than metaphorical fashion. Doing so suggests a new approach for researching writing within organizational environments — an approach focused on practices in relation to textual artifacts. This paper demonstrates this new approach, using Ecofoot, the web site of the Michigan State Office of Campus Sustainability, as an object of analysis. The analysis is not a traditional “rhetorical” or digital — visual analysis of the web site. Rather it proceeds from an empirical examination of the objects, actors, and technologies at play — in visible and invisible ways — in the ongoing production of a participatory content environment.
TerraFly GeoCloud: online spatial data analysis system

With the exponential growth of the usage of web map services, the geo data analysis has become more and more popular. This paper develops an online Spatial Data Analysis System, TerraFly GeoCloud, which facilitates the end user to visualize and analyze spatial data, and to share the analysis results. Built on the TerraFly Geo spatial database, TerraFly GeoCloud is an extra layer running upon TerraFly map supporting many different visualization functions and spatial data analysis models. TerraFly GeoCloud also enables the MapQL technology to create maps using SQL-like statements. The TerraFly GeoCloud system is available at http://terrafly.fiu.edu/GeoCloud/.
Alternatives for Helium-3 in Multiplicity Counters

Alternatives to helium-3 are being actively pursued due to the shortage and rising costs of helium-3. For safeguards applications, there are a number of ongoing investigations to find alternatives that provide the same capability in a cost-effective manner. One of the greatest challenges is to find a comparable alternative for multiplicity counters, since they require high efficiency and short collection or die-away times. Work has been progressing on investigating three commercially available alternatives for high efficiency multiplicity counters: boron trifluoride (BF3) filled proportional tubes, boron-lined proportional tubes, and lithium fluoride with zinc sulfide coated light guides. The baseline multiplicity counter used for the investigation is the Epithermal Neutron Multiplicity Counter with 121 helium-3 filled tubes at 10 atmosphere pressure, which is a significant capability to match. The primary tool for the investigation has been modeling and simulation using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) radiation transport program, with experiments to validate the models. To directly calculate the coincidence rates in boron-lined (and possibly other) detectors, the MCNPX code has been enhanced to allow the existing coincidence tally to be used with energy deposition rather than neutron capture reactions. This allows boron-lined detectors to be modeled more accurately. Variations of tube number and diameter along with variations in the amount of inter-tube moderator have been conducted for the BF3 and boron-lined cases. Tube pressure was investigated for BF3 , up to two atmospheres, as well as optimal boron thickness in the boron-lined tubes. The lithium fluoride was modeled as sheets of material with light guides in between, and the number and thickness of the sheets investigated. The amount of light guide, which in this case doubles as a moderator, was also optimized. The results of these modeling and simulation optimization investigations are described and results presented.
Photodesorption of molecular nitrogen from Pt(111)

Abstract Ultraviolet photodesorption was observed from very weakly chemisorbed N 2 on Pt(111) at surface temperatures less than 40 K. Photochemical data indicate that N 2 chemisorbs on the surface at low coverage and that physisorbed N 2 coexists on the surface at coverages greater than 0.07 ML. The low temperature saturation coverage of N 2 on Pt(111) was 0.41 ML±10%. Laser induced photodesorption of N 2 was observed at ultraviolet wavelengths from 193 to 308 nm, but not at 355 nm, nor at 532 nm. Laser polarization experiments were consistent with a substrate mediated excitation mechanism. The mean translational energy of the photodesorbing N 2 was 〈 E T 〉=0.25±0.05 eV, independent of excitation wavelength. The 193 nm photodesorption cross-section of ∼5×10 −20 cm −2 in the two-phase regime of coverage increased as the coverage was reduced. The N 2 photodesorption dynamics and action spectrum are consistent with a desorption mechanism involving transient attachment of a photoexcited substrate electron into an affinity band of chemisorbed N 2 located roughly 4.0 eV above the Fermi level; presumably the antibonding 2π ∗ affinity band.