cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tie-dyed1 and Sucrose export defective1 act independently to promote carbohydrate export from maize leaves

tie-dyed1 (tdy1) and sucrose export defective1 (sxd1) are recessive maize (Zea mays) mutants with nonclonal chlorotic leaf sectors that hyperaccumulate starch and soluble sugars. In addition, both mutants display similar growth-related defects such as reduced plant height and inflorescence development due to the retention of carbohydrates in leaves. As tdy1 and sxd1 are the only variegated leaf mutants known to accumulate carbohydrates in any plant, we investigated whether Tdy1 and Sxd1 function in the same pathway. Using aniline blue staining for callose and transmission electron microscopy to inspect plasmodesmatal ultrastructure, we determined that tdy1 does not have any physical blockage or alteration along the symplastic transport pathway as found in sxd1 mutants. To test whether the two genes function in the same genetic pathway, we constructed F2 families segregating both mutations. Double mutant plants showed an additive interaction for growth related phenotypes and soluble sugar accumulation, and expressed the leaf variegation pattern of both single mutants indicating that Tdy1 and Sxd1 act in separate genetic pathways. Although sxd1 mutants lack tocopherols, we determined that tdy1 mutants have wild-type tocopherol levels, indicating that Tdy1 does not function in the same biochemical pathway as Sxd1. From these and other data we conclude that Tdy1 and Sxd1 function independently to promote carbon export from leaves. Our genetic and cytological studies implicate Tdy1 functioning in veins, and a model discussing possible functions of TDY1 is presented.
Ventricular Septal Defect Complicating an Acute Myocardial Infarction

A 66-year-old woman with no known medical history presented to the emergency department complaining of chest discomfort and difficulty breathing for the last 24 hours. She was in respiratory distress with a heart rate of 105 bpm and blood pressure of 115/65 mm Hg. The jugular venous pressure was elevated and there was a 4/6 holosystolic murmur across the precordium with a thrill. The ECG (Figure 1) showed acute anterior and inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI). The first total CK-MB fraction and troponin-I levels were 2001 U/L, 25.43 U/L, and 35 ng/mL, respectively. Coronary angiography …
A method for producing block anesthesia of the sacral nerves

F OR many operations, such as those on the rectum, in the urinary bIadder, and on the perineum, anesthesia is ordinariIy satisfactory when the sacra1 nerves have been anesthetized. Data pubIished previousIy support this opinion. t The technic of sacra1 nerve bIock has been described elsewhere, 1 but deserves representation whenever it is refined. AIthough indications and contraindications30 may Iong remain stationary, technic graduaIIy aIters. I hope that uItimateIy a simpIe and effective method wiI1 resuIt. ObviousIy it is onIy in minor detaiIs that the method now presented varies from that described previousIy.31s34 It has been my experience in teaching that if this technic is foIIowed it wiI1 increase the percentage of easy cases and reduce the diffrcuIties. No previous ski11 or experience is necessary to execute these apparentIy minor points, and when such suggestions are foIIowed Iess ski11 is required to insert the needIes into the bony foramina. It is desirabIe that regiona anesthesia, especiaIIy sacra1 bIock, shouId be wideIy used or that the methods at Ieast be famiIiar to as many as have use for them. For this reason I shaI1 attempt to offer suggestions, especiaIIy to the inexperienced, which make for a rather easy and effective method of inducing sacra1 nerve bIock. POSITION OF PATIENT DURING INJECTION
Dry lithography of chemically amplified acid-catalyzed deep-UV and e-beam resist

The process, chemistry, and characterization of the silylation and dry-development of acid catalyzed resist is described. The resist is sensitive to deep-UV, x ray, and e-beam exposure and its sensitivity can be tailored by the relative concentration of its components. The resist is positive or negative for dry or wet development, respectively. Two silylation agents were studied: Hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and N,N-Dimethylaminotrimethylsilane (DMATMS). The silylation was characterized by Fourier-transform-infrared (FTIR) transmission spectroscopy and Rutherford-backscattering spectrometry (RBS). FTIR revealed the total number of OH and SiO bonds, while RBS revealed the composition profile in various regions of the resist. The silylation by HMDS was not well controlled and was characterized by a large incubation period followed by fast penetration. The DMATMS silylation process, however, was well controlled and reproducible. The penetration of the silicon atoms monotonically increased with time until it reached saturation. Films patterned by deep-UV (254 nm) exposure were silylated with DMATMS and were etched by an oxygen plasma in a magnetron ion etcher (MIE). The etch rate of the oxygen plasma was characterized for the unexposed, silylated regions, as well as for the exposed, unsilylated regions. The optimized dry-development process is described and SEM cross sections of lines as narrow as 0.4 micrometers wide are presented.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Role of laser therapy in bladder carcinoma

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder is most common genitourinary tract cancer and its treatment comprises a large number of surgical procedures in urological oncology. Seventy-five percent (75%) of cases recur within two years and the recurrence rate is correlated with the grade of the initial tumor. While Transurethral Resection of the Bladder (TURB) is the current standard of care, the use of laser offers a proven alternative. Sufficient evidence is available that laser treatment of superficial bladder cancer is as effective as TURB. Laser treatment offers several advantages such as decreased incidence of bladder perforation, a near bloodless procedure, catheter-free procedure, and the possibility of outpatient therapy. It has been reported that laser treatment may reduce the recurrence rate of TCC as compared to electrocautery resection. Furthermore, some studies suggest seeding can be avoided with laser resection; however, both items remain highly controversial.
The FeOXTiO2 system. An X-Ray diffraction, thermogravimetric and magnetic susceptibility study

Abstract Titanium dioxide samples, containing iron (up to 8%), heated at 1273 K in air, have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, magnetic susceptibility measurements and chemical analysis. The results show that iron is incorporated as Fe(III) in a limited amount (up to 1.2–1.4 Fe atoms/100 Ti atoms) in the rutile structure. The iron in excess with respect to the solubility limit, reacts with TiO2 giving Fe2TiO5. The analysis of the magnetic susceptibility measurements, performed in a wide temperature range (100–800 K) shows that the incorporation of Fe(III) ions in the rutile structure is not random since pair or higher order clusters of iron ions are present with metal-metal interactions. When the samples are thermally treated in hydrogen, the incorporated iron ions are reduced by a two step process Fe(III) → Fe(II) → Fe(0). The first reaction takes place in solid solution, the second with segregation of the metal. The metallic particles interact with the oxide surface, giving a SMSI causing a reduction of the TiO2 matrix. The effect of the incorporated species on the TiO2 unit cell volume is also discussed.
SIMULATION TECHNOLOGY AND OPA 90 MANAGEMENT TRAINING FOR OIL SPILL CRISES

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the application of computer simulation technology to the discipline of oil spill response management. Since June 1993, the Center for Marine Environmental Protection and Safety has operated a simulation facility for oil spill management training and exercises. The training programs include programs tailored to meet the training requirements and demands of maritime industry qualified individuals and spill management team members. This paper discusses the center's application of oil spill simulation to industry OPA 90 training programs, and to the conduct of exercises under the OPA 90 Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP). The requirements needed to support simulation exercises and the limitations and benefits of oil spill management simulation are reviewed.
Archaeofaunal Relative Abundance, Sample Size, and Statistical Methods

Tests for correlations between sample size and taxonomic relative abundance are commonly used in zooarchaeological analyses to determine whether observed trends in relative abundance might simply be the result of sampling error. Monte Carlo simulations designed to evaluate the utility of this method indicate that it is inadequate as a means of detecting errors resulting from the incorporation of small samples in an analysis. Among simulated sets of sample assemblages, significant correlatoins between sample size and relative abundance are distributed randomly with respect to whether or not Type II errors concerning trends in relative abundance are present, and are underrepresented in cases in which Type I errors are present. This is because the conditions that are most conducive to correlations between sample size and relative abundance are quite different from the conditions that will lead to erroneous conclusions about the presence or absence of a trend in relative abundance. An alternative chi-square-based statistical method for evaluating trends in sample relative abundance, Cochran's test of linear trend, results in lower rates of both Type I and Type II errors than is the case with previously used correlation-based methods.
A.C. admittance of double-injection space-charge-limited diodes

It is shown that the high-frequency admittance for a double-injection space-charge-limited diode can be written in a very simple form both for the ohmic-relaxation regime and for the dielectric-relaxation regime.
Optimization of power and its variability with an artificial immune network algorithm

A bi-objective optimization model of power and power changes generated by a wind turbine is discussed in this paper. The model involves two objectives, power maximization and power ramp rate (PRR) minimization. A new constraint for power maximization based on physics and process control theory is introduced. Data-mining algorithms were used to identify the model of power generation from the industrial data collected at a wind farm. The models and constraints derived from the data were integrated to optimize the power itself and the power variability, expressed as the power ramp rate. Due to the nonlinearity and complexity of the optimization model, an artificial immune network algorithm was used to solve it. The optimization results, such as computed operation strategies and the corresponding outputs, are demonstrated and discussed.
Minding one's manners: Revisiting moral explanations

Soulevant la question de la justifiabilite des croyances morales par comparaison avec la confirmation empirique des croyances scientifiques, l'A. montre que l'observation empirique n'est pas pertinente pour les croyances morales, memes si celles-ci possedent le meme pouvoir explicatif que les croyances scientifiques. Examinant la notion d'explication moral dans le cadre du debat opposant G. Harman et N. Sturgeon, l'A. rejette l'implication entre les croyances et les normes morales en se referant a l'analogie de l'etiquette chez D. Copp et en analysant le veritable probleme du systeme de regles qui se pose aux realistes
GW domains of the Listeria monocytogenes invasion protein InlB are required for potentiation of Met activation

The Listeria monocytogenes protein InlB promotes intracellular invasion by activating the receptor tyrosine kinase Met. Earlier studies have indicated that the LRR fragment of InlB is sufficient for Met activation, but we show that this is not the case unless the LRR fragment is artificially dimerized through a disulphide bond. In contrast, activation of Met proceeds through monomers of intact InlB and, at physiologically relevant concentrations, requires coordinated action in cis of both InlB N-terminal LRR region and C-terminal GW domains. The GW domains are shown to be crucial for potentiating Met activation and inducing intracellular invasion, with these effects depending on association between GW domains and glycosaminoglycans. Glycosaminoglycans do not alter the monomeric state of InlB, and are likely to enhance Met activation through a receptor-mediated mode, as opposed to the ligand-mediated mode observed for the LRR fragment. Surprisingly, we find that gC1q-R, a host protein implicated in InlB-mediated invasion, specifically antagonizes rather than enhances InlB signalling, and that interaction between InlB and gC1q-R is unnecessary for bacterial invasion. Lastly, we demonstrate that HGF, the endogenous ligand of Met, substitutes for InlB in promoting intracellular invasion, suggesting that no special properties are required of InlB in invasion besides its hormone-like mimicry of HGF.
Image tube spectra of pluto and triton from 6800 to 9000 Å

A three-stage Varo image tube was used to obtain spectra of Pluto and Triton as well as comparison stars for the spectral region from 6800 to 9000 A, and the question of whether an adsorption feature near 8900 A indicates the presence of an atmosphere is considered. The feature, more definitive for Pluto than for Triton, occurs in a wavelength region which produces a steeply diminishing response in the image tube. If certain conditions are assumed, the pressure indicated by the feature is the pressure that can be expected from the equilibrium vapor pressure of a methane frost. If the absorption is spurious, the analysis indicates upper limits for methane on Pluto and Triton.
The Prevalence and Outcome of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy: A Population Based Study in Olmsted County, MN

Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Predicts Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in the General Community: Comparison to Other BNP Biomarkers Fima Macheret, Paul McKie, Guido Boerrigter, Lisa Costello-Boerrigter, Lahr Brian, Denise Heublein, Sandberg Sharon, Alessandro Cataliotti, Richard Rodeheffer, John C. Burnett Jr.; Cardiorenal Research Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Division of Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
While Dysferlin and Myoferlin Are Coexpressed in the Human Placenta, Only Dysferlin Expression Is Responsive to Trophoblast Fusion in Model Systems

The syncytiotrophoblast is a specialized epithelium derived from mononuclear cytotrophoblasts that fuse to form this extensive syncytium. Dysferlin is expressed primarily in the apical plasma membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast in the human placenta. Here, we document the presence of another member of the ferlin family, myoferlin, in the placenta and show that it too is expressed primarily in the syncytiotrophoblast. Additionally, we examined the trophoblastic cell lines BeWo, JAR, and JEG-3 for the expression of dysferlin and myoferlin and determined the extent to which their expression was modulated by cell-cell fusion. In trophoblastic cells, there was a positive correlation between cell fusion and increased dysferlin expression but not myoferlin expression. Regarding expression, these trophoblastic cell lines recapitulate the distribution of dysferlin in mononuclear cytotrophoblasts and the syncytiotrophoblast in vivo.
A physiological systems approach to modeling and resetting of mouse thermoregulation under heat stress

Heat stroke (HS) is a serious civilian and military health issue. Due to the limited amount of experimental data available in humans, this study was conducted on a mouse mathematical model fitted o...
Management of Penetrating Head Injuries: Lessons Learned

xperience in combat casualty care has guided principles in the management of penetrating head injuries in the miliE tary population. The recommended guidelines were based on lessons learned and have evolved from Korea to Vietnam to the Iraq war, and are reflected in the Emergency War Surgery manual (last edition, 4—2012) and the publication of Guidelines for the Management of Penetrating Brain Injury in 2001, which has attempted to standardize the management of penetrating brain injury.
Winter space use of coyotes in high-elevation environments: behavioral adaptations to deep-snow landscapes

In the last century, coyotes (Canis latrans) have expanded their range geographically, but have also expanded their use of habitats within currently occupied regions. Because coyotes are not morphologically adapted for travel in deep snow, we studied coyote space use pat- terns in a deep-snow landscape to examine behavioral adaptations enabling them to use high elevations during winter. We examined the influence of snow depth, snow penetrability, canopy cover, and habitat type, as well as the rates of prey and predator track encounters, on coyote travel distance in high-elevation terrain in northwestern Wyoming, USA. We backtracked 13 radio-collared coyotes for 265.41 km during the winters of 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, and compared habitat use and movement pat- terns of the actual coyotes with 259.11 km of random travel paths. Coyotes used specific habitats differently than were available on the landscape. Open woodlands were used for the majority of coyote travel distance, followed by mixed conifer, and closed-stand spruce-fir. Prey track encounters peaked in closed-stand, mature Douglas fir, followed by 50- to 150-year-old lodgepole pine stands, and 0- to 40-year-old regeneration lodgepole pine stands. Snowmobile trails had the most variation between use and availability on the landscape (12.0 % use vs. 0.6 % avail- able). Coyotes increased use of habitats with dense canopy cover as snow penetration increased and rates of rodent and red squirrel track encounters increased. Additionally, coy- otes spent more time in habitats containing more tracks of ungulates. Conversely, use of habitats with less canopy cover decreased as snow depth increased, and coyotes traveled more directly in habitats with less canopy cover and lower snow penetration, suggesting coyotes used these habitats to travel. Coyotes persisted throughout the winter and effectively used resources despite deep snow condi- tions in a high-elevation environment.
Identification of novel bacterial histidine biosynthesis inhibitors using docking, ensemble rescoring, and whole-cell assays

Abstract The rapid spread on multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus requires not just novel treatment options, but the development of faster methods for the identification of new hits for drug development. The exponentially increasing speed of computational methods makes a more extensive use in the early stages of drug discovery attractive if sufficient accuracy can be achieved. Computational target identification using systems-level methods suggested the histidine biosynthesis pathway as an attractive target against S. aureus . Potential inhibitors for the pathway were identified through docking, followed by ensemble rescoring, that is sufficiently accurate to justify immediate testing of the identified compounds by whole-cell assays, avoiding the need for time-consuming and often difficult intermediary enzyme assays. This novel strategy is demonstrated for three key enzymes of the S. aureus histidine biosynthesis pathway, which is predicted to be essential for bacterial biomass productions. Virtual screening of a library of ∼10 6 compounds identified 49 potential inhibitors of three enzymes of this pathway. Eighteen representative compounds were directly tested on three S. aureus - and two Escherichia coli strains in standard disk inhibition assays. Thirteen compounds are inhibitors of some or all of the S. aureus strains, while 14 compounds weakly inhibit growth in one or both E. coli strains. The high hit rate obtained from a fast virtual screen demonstrates the applicability of this novel strategy to the histidine biosynthesis pathway.
Immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region genes contribute to the induction of thyroid-stimulating antibodies in recombinant inbred mice.

Graves’ hyperthyroidism is an autoimmune disease occurring spontaneously in humans and caused by autoantibodies that stimulate the thyrotropin receptor. In mice, inducing Graves’-like hyperthyroidism requires in vivo expression of the thyrotropin receptor using plasmid or adenovirus vectors. However, mice with different genetic backgrounds vary markedly in their susceptibility to induced hyperthyroidism. Further, in some strains major disparities exist between the induction of hyperthyroidism and detection of thyroid-stimulating antibodies. To break tolerance, virtually all Graves’ mouse models involve immunization with human thyrotropin-receptor DNA and the standard thyroid-stimulating antibody bioassay uses cells expressing the human thyrotropin receptor. We hypothesized, and now report, that disparities between hyperthyroidism and thyroid-stimulating antibody bioactivity are explained, at least in part, by differential antibody recognition of the human vs the mouse thyrotropin receptor. The genetic basis for these species differences was explored using genotyped, recombinant-inbred mouse strains. We report that loci in the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region as well as in the major histocompatibility complex region contribute in a strain-specific manner to the development of antibodies specific for the human or the mouse thyrotropin receptor. The novel finding of a role for immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene involvement in thyroid-stimulating antibody epitopic specificity provides potential insight into genetic susceptibility in human Graves’ disease.
Extension of the biological effective dose to the MIRD schema and possible implications in radionuclide therapy dosimetry

In dosimetry-based treatment planning protocols, patients with rapid clearance of the radiopharmaceutical require a larger amount of initial activity than those with slow clearance to match the absorbed dose to the critical organ. As a result, the dose-rate to the critical organ is higher in patients with rapid clearance and may cause unexpected toxicity compared to patients with slow clearance. In order to account for the biological impact of different dose-rates, radiobiological modeling is beginning to be applied to the analysis of radionuclide therapy patient data. To date, the formalism used for these analyses is based on kinetics derived from activity in a single organ, the target. This does not include the influence of other source organs to the dose and dose-rate to the target organ. As a result, only self-dose irradiation in the target organ contributes to the dose-rate. In this work, the biological effective dose (BED) formalism has been extended to include the effect of multiple source organ contributions to the net dose-rate in a target organ. The generalized BED derivation has been based on the Medical Internal Radionuclide Dose Committee (MIRD) schema assuming multiple source organs following exponential effective clearance of the radionuclide. A BED-based approach to determine the largest safe dose to critical organs has also been developed. The extended BED formalism is applied to red marrow dosimetry, as well as kidney dosimetry considering the cortex and the medulla separately, since both those organs are commonly dose limiting in radionuclide therapy. The analysis shows that because the red marrow is an early responding tissue (high α/β), it is less susceptible to unexpected toxicity arising from rapid clearance of high levels of administered activity in the marrow or in the remainder of the body. In kidney dosimetry, the study demonstrates a complex interplay between clearance of activity in the cortex and the medulla, as well as the initial activity ratio and the S value ratio between the two. In some scenarios, projected BED based on both the cortex and the medulla is a more appropriate constraint on the administered activity than the BED based on the cortex only. Furthermore, different fractionated regimens were considered to reduce renal toxicity. The MIRD-based BED formalism is expected to be useful for patient-specific adjustments of activity and to facilitate the investigation of dose-toxicity correlations with respect to dose-rate and tissue repair mechanism.
Siblings Are Special: Initial Test of a New Approach for Preventing Youth Behavior Problems

Abstract Purpose A growing body of research documents the significance of siblings and sibling relationships for development, mental health, and behavioral risk across childhood and adolescence. Nonetheless, few well-designed efforts have been undertaken to promote positive and reduce negative youth outcomes by enhancing sibling relationships. Methods Based on a theoretical model of sibling influences, we conducted a randomized trial of Siblings Are Special (SIBS), a group-format afterschool program for fifth graders with a younger sibling in second through fourth grades, which entailed 12 weekly afterschool sessions and three Family Nights. We tested program efficacy with a pre- and post-test design with 174 families randomly assigned to condition. In home visits at both time points, we collected data via parent questionnaires, child interviews, and observer-rated videotaped interactions and teachers rated children's behavior at school. Results The program enhanced positive sibling relationships, appropriate strategies for parenting siblings, and child self-control, social competence, and academic performance; program exposure was also associated with reduced maternal depression and child internalizing problems. Results were robust across the sample, not qualified by sibling gender, age, family demographics, or baseline risk. No effects were found for sibling conflict, collusion, or child externalizing problems; we will examine follow-up data to determine if short-term impacts lead to reduced negative behaviors over time. Conclusions The breadth of the SIBS program's impact is consistent with research suggesting that siblings are an important influence on development and adjustment and supports our argument that a sibling focus should be incorporated into youth and family-oriented prevention programs.
Mechanism of anionic conduction across ClC.

ClC chloride channels are voltage-gated transmembrane proteins that have been associated with a wide range of regulatory roles in vertebrates. To accomplish their function, they allow small inorganic anions to efficiently pass through, while blocking the passage of all other particles. Understanding the conduction mechanism of ClC has been the subject of many experimental investigations, but until now, the detailed dynamic mechanism was not known despite the availability of crystallographic structures. We investigate Cl− conduction by means of an all-atom molecular dynamics simulation of the ClC channel in a membrane environment. Based on our simulation results, we propose a king-of-the-hill mechanism for permeation, in which a lone ion bound to the center of the ClC pore is pushed out by a second ion that enters the pore and takes its place. Although the energy required to extract the single central ion from the pore is enormous, by resorting to this two-ion process, the largest free energy barrier for conduction is reduced to 4 kcal/mol. At the narrowest part of the pore, residues Tyr-445 and Ser-107 stabilize the central ion. There, the bound ion blocks the pore, disrupting the formation of a continuous water file that could leak protons, possibly preventing the passage of uncharged solutes.
Toward optimal fragment generations for ab initio protein structure assembly

Fragment assembly using structural motifs excised from other solved proteins has shown to be an efficient method for ab initio protein-structure prediction. However, how to construct accurate fragments, how to derive optimal restraints from fragments, and what the best fragment length is are the basic issues yet to be systematically examined. In this work, we developed a gapless-threading method to generate position-specific structure fragments. Distance profiles and torsion angle pairs are then derived from the fragments by statistical consistency analysis, which achieved comparable accuracy with the machine-learning-based methods although the fragments were taken from unrelated proteins. When measured by both accuracies of the derived distance profiles and torsion angle pairs, we come to a consistent conclusion that the optimal fragment length for structural assembly is around 10, and at least 100 fragments at each location are needed to achieve optimal structure assembly. The distant profiles and torsion angle pairs as derived by the fragments have been successfully used in QUARK for ab initio protein structure assembly and are provided by the QUARK online server at http://zhanglab.ccmb. med.umich.edu/QUARK/. Proteins 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
EROSION RATES OF ALPINE BEDROCK SUMMIT SURFACES DEDUCED FROM IN SITU 10BE AND 26AL

We have measured the concentration of in situ produced cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al from bare bedrock surfaces on summit flats in four western U.S. mountain ranges. The maximum mean bare-bedrock erosion rate from these alpine environments is 7.6 ± 3.9 m My−1. Individual measurements vary between 2 and 19 m My−1. These erosion rates are similar to previous cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) erosion rates measured in other environments, except for those from extremely arid regions. This indicates that bare bedrock is not weathered into transportable material more rapidly in alpine environments than in other environments, even though frost weathering should be intense in these areas. Our CRN-deduced point measurements of bedrock erosion are slower than typical basin-averaged denudation rates (∼ 50 m My−1). If our measured CRN erosion rates are accurate indicators of the rate at which summit flats are lowered by erosion, then relief in the mountain ranges examined here is probably increasing. We develop a model of outcrop erosion to investigate the magnitude of errors associated with applying the steady-state erosion model to episodically eroding outcrops. Our simulations show that interpreting measurements with the steady-state erosion model can yield erosion rates which are either greater or less than the actual long-term mean erosion rate. While errors resulting from episodic erosion are potentially greater than both measurement and production rate errors for single samples, the mean value of many steady-state erosion rate measurements provides a much better estimate of the long-term erosion rate.
Sensor Failure Tolerant Supervisory Control

This paper discusses problems related to partial observation supervisory controllers with possibly faulty sensors using the framework of discrete-event systems. At initialization all sensors are operational such that the sensors observe occurrences of events and transmit those observations to the controller, but, when a sensor fails, it ceases to send signals to the controller. A new version of observability is introduced that is part of the necessary and sufficient conditions for controller existence under the assumption of faulty sensors. A polynomial-time construction is given that can be used to test for and then synthesize a non-blocking controller with faulty sensors using standard supervisory control methods.
Substitution and Income Effects of Lump-Sum Income at the Aggregate Level: The Effective Budget Constraint of the Government and the Flypaper Effect

This paper analyzes the effect of a change in lump-sum (private) income on the tax and expenditure decisions of a government constrained by taxpayers’ behavioral responses to the tax policy. Changes in lump-sum income are generally characterized as pure income effects on taxpayers’ behavior, and considered by normative public finance theory as imposing no price effects on the economy. In this paper we show that pure income effects at the individual level can lead to three distinguishable effects at the aggregate level. The reason is that a change in lump-sum income affects taxpayers’ behavioral responses to taxation and the size of the tax bases, altering the marginal cost of tax collections. The optimal fiscal responses of a welfare maximizing government can be broken up into a “net substitution effect,” associated with a change in the marginal cost of public funds, a “private income effect,” associated with the increase in private consumption, and a “public income effect,” which is equivalent to the effect of intergovernmental transfers. As a consequence, the effects of lump-sum income and intergovernmental transfers on fiscal decisions are shown to be generally different, but consistent with empirical findings of the literature on the flypaper effect.
Domestic and Sexual Violence as Sex Discrimination: Comparing American and International Approaches

Feminist theory's insights into the ways in which domestic and sexual violence reflects and perpetuates sex-based inequality have been critical in advancing both domestic and international advocacy. This essay, part of a symposium on "The Global Impact of Feminist Legal Theory," explores the comparative roles those arguments have played. It first surveys the nature of recent reforms in the United States. Despite the fact that many reforms were grounded in arguments exposing domestic and sexual violence as a manifestation of historic sex-based discrimination, the current landscape of legal remedies and social services, with few exceptions, lack an express acknowledgment of domestic and sexual violence as a problem of sex discrimination. Yet the daily experience of domestic and sexual violence survivors continues to reflect sex discrimination's ongoing legacy. International human rights law contrasts with that of the United States in that it explicitly defines violence against women as a problem of inequality. The essay investigates the impact of that express link by analyzing the steps countries have reported taking to comply with international human rights laws' express anti-discrimination mandates, through the reports of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. It concludes that international human rights frameworks' structural incorporation of a mandate to address the root causes of domestic and sexual violence holds the potential to ensure that states address prevention and social and cultural transformation in addition to improved social services and criminal interventions.
Ultrafast optics and optoelectronics

The first subpicosecond laser pulses were produced over a decade ago. Since then, steady progress in laser development has resulted in even shorter pulses, more reliable sources, and an increasingly wider range of wavelengths to choose from. Where laser pulses themselves are not short enough, nonlinear efforts in single-mode optical fibers can be used to compress, reshape, and frequency shift them further. Pulses have been generated that are as short as a few optical cycles in duration, are wavelength tunable, and have very high peak powers (although perhaps not all at the same time).
The Effect of Reality TV on Civic Behaviors

Viewer voting for and participation in reality TV shows such as American Idol has been frequently compared to US voting for and participation in American presidential elections. This comparison is often used to substantiate the cultural impact of shows such as American Idol and to infer commentary on American values. American Idol itself is part of the growing trend in viewer participation and collaboration in driving a storyline and outcome of TV shows and other telemedia. This trend in real-time audience participation runs parallel and most likely not coincidentally with the growth of web 2.0 tools, particularly social networking tools, in which users connect, interact, and react and respond to each other on the direction of the storyline and the fates of the participants. To note, in that the 2008 presidential election was examined and discussed both on TV and through news sites, and leveraged through social networking sites, it is worth considering if skills in online participation for a TV show transfer to a sense of self-efficacy and participation in a real election. This study takes a look at one small piece of the equation: the effect of a popular reality TV show on a viewer's sense of efficacy and attitude towards voting in an election. This study also provides insight into specific groups of people's levels of participation through various online tools.
Preface to 'The Business and Information Technology (BIT) Project: A Global Study of Business Practice'

The Business and Information Technologies (BIT) study documents the information technology driven changes that occur in business structures, business practices and sector structures. Conducted by participating countries at appropriate time intervals and encompassing a wide spectrum of industry sectors, the study provides hard information on what is really happening across the economic landscape as a result of changes in information technologies. The global perspective combined with the longitudinal view offers a unique and comparative picture of technology and business practice across the globe.
Kant on common sense and scepticism

Is the refutation of scepticism a central objective for Kant? Some commentators have denied that the refutation of either theoretical or moral scepticism was central to Kant's concerns. Thus, in his recent book Kant and the Fate of Autonomy, Karl Ameriks rejects 'taking Kant to be basically a respondent to the skeptic'. According to Ameriks, who here has Kant's theoretical philosophy in mind,What Kant goes on to propose is that, instead of focusing on trying to establish with certainty – against skepticism – that the objects of common sense exist, let alone that they have philosophical dominance, or, in contrast, on explaining that it is only the theoretical discoveries of science that determine what is objective, one can rather work primarily to determine a positive and balanced philosophical relation between the distinct frameworks of our manifest and scientific images.
Testing Equivalence of Observed and Generated Time Series Data by Spectral Methods

Validation of a dynamic econometric marketing model requires that the time series data simulated be equivalent to observed data from a comparable period. Spectral analysis is presented as an equiva...
The Development of Automatic Inquirying and Signing Note Software of Dimentional Tolerance in the Pro/E Environment

The signing note of the dimentional tolerance in the Pro/E environment need look up the manual, and the process is tedious and time-consuming.Under the VC++6.0 environment, using Pro/Toolkit procedure development technology to carry on secondary development in Pro/E, and using Access2000 to build the database of GB dimentional tolerance, a set of software was designed which can automatic inquiry and sign note dimentional tolerance.Using this software, the users do not need to look up the manual to obtain the amount of deviation, only need to choose the corresponding size and tolerance code and the grade of tolerance.The software can sign note each kind of size conforms to GB, and may conveniently adjust the size position and the revision parameter, which realizes automatic inquirying and fast automatic signing note dimentional tolerance.
Accounting for Speech Rate in Spoken Word Recognition.

To test whether speech rate influences the interpretation of lexically-ambiguous forms, we conducted a visual-world eyetracking study. We varied the speech rate of carrier phrases, to see if this influences how listeners perceive sequences with a coronal/labial ambiguity. Our results suggest that listeners’ interpretations are sensitive to speech rate: Even with identical acoustic materials, listeners’ real-time processing of ambiguous words is influenced by the speech rate of the surrounding carrier sentence. This work highlights the importance of incorporating speech rate into existing models of spoken word recognition.
Infertility in an XX male.

Abstract A case of an infertile male subject with a 46XX female karyotype is reported. A testicular biopsy revealed hyalinized tubules with Sertoli cells and marked interstitial cell hyperplasia. Chromosomal studies showed the presence of 46 chromosomes with an XX sex chromosome constitution, confirmed with trypsin banding. XX male subjects present an interesting diagnostic problem and need to be differentiated from XXY male subjects with Klinefelter’s syndrome. The clinical features of this rare syndrome are discussed and the literature is reviewed.
Copper-catalyzed dehydrogenative borylation of terminal alkynes with pinacolborane

LCuOTf complexes [L = cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbenes (CAACs) or N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs)] selectively promote the dehydrogenative borylation of C(sp)–H bonds at room temperature. It is shown that σ,π-bis(copper) acetylide and copper hydride complexes are the key catalytic species.
Summary and Final Thoughts

Chapter 8 offers some final thoughts and comments beginning with a discussion involving a high-ranking PAWI official on Bishop Bradford’s attempt to unite the previously divided Christian Churches in the English-speaking Caribbean. This chapter continues with a brief summary of some of the book’s major themes and findings on topics related to religious networking, church growth, the simultaneous process of centralization and decentralization, balancing charisma and institutionalization, and the internal divisions and external pressures of the Charismatic movement. A discussion ensues that provides deeper insight into some of the more controversial issues within the Charismatic movement. The book concludes with an outlook on the Charismatic movement in the English-speaking Caribbean and its possibilities as it pushes toward the future.
Real-time assessment of carbon nanotube alignment in a polymer matrix under an applied electric field via polarized Raman spectroscopy

Abstract A technique has been developed utilizing polarized Raman spectroscopy to measure alignment of carbon nanotubes in situ in a polymer matrix under an applied electric field. Previous studies of alignment have been restricted to optically transparent solvents or polymerized specimens that prevent accurate analyses of alignment dynamics in polymers. The effects of electric field strength on the degree of alignment and the time to achieve an aligned state are discussed. The use of in situ, real-time polarized Raman spectroscopy provides a non-invasive technique for assessing carbon nanotube alignment, which can assist in determining processing conditions to improve the mechanical and electrical properties of aligned nanocomposites.
High speed, direct detection 1k Frame-Store CCD sensor for synchrotron radiation

This work presents the development of a high speed, direct detection, 1k Frame Store CCD camera for synchrotron radiation. We review the research and development of this detector from small scale prototypes to a megapixel sensor, highlighting design challenges and solutions, and reporting on the achieved imaging performance. Further, we report on performance improvements obtained by implementing a second-generation fast readout integrated circuit manufactured in 0.25µm CMOS technology, as well as a voltage buffer chip manufactured in high voltage 0.35µm CMOS technology. The camera presented in this paper is high vacuum-compatible to allow for soft X-ray detection.
Non-Thermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma

Publisher Summary Plasma-chemical and plasma-processing systems are traditionally divided into two major categories: thermal and non-thermal ones. Non-thermal plasma offers high selectivity and energy efficiency of plasma-chemical reactions; it is able to operate effectively at low temperatures, in contact with fragile and delicate materials and does not require any quenching. This chapter focuses on the non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma, highlighting its different phenomenons and practical applications. Non-thermal plasma may be produced by a variety of electrical discharges or electron beams. The basic feature of these various technologies is that they produce plasma in which the majority of the electrical energy primarily goes into the production of energetic electrons–instead of heating the entire gas stream. Some of the well-established phenomena such as the Townsend mechanism of electric breakdown of gases and in large gaps, Streamer breakdown mechanism, Leader breakdown mechanism, Corona discharge, pulsed Corona discharge, dielectric-barrier discharge, and spark discharges are described. The also chapter discusses technical issues involved In the development of a point-of-use water treatment system capable of inactivating waterborne microorganisms commonly found in drinking water through the implementation of plasma technology. There are many different types of electrode configurations that can be used to generate the plasma discharge in water, including a point-to-plane configuration and a coaxial configuration. Furthermore, a plasma-based water treatment system has many advantages compared to chemical or mechanical water treatment methods, such as very minimal maintenance, low operating power, and minimal pressure loss through the device. Therefore, a plasma based water treatment is advantageous in the implementation of a point-of-use water treatment system as well as in a large industrial water treatment.
Candida parapsilosis protects premature intestinal epithelial cells from invasion and damage by Candida albicans

Candida is a leading cause of late-onset sepsis in premature infants and is thought to invade the host via immature or damaged epithelial barriers. We previously showed that the hyphal form of Candida albicans invades and causes damage to premature intestinal epithelial cells (pIECs), whereas the non-hyphal Candida parapsilosis, also a fungal pathogen of neonates, has less invasion and damage abilities. In this study, we investigated the potential for C. parapsilosis to modulate pathogenic interactions of C. albicans with the premature intestine. While a mixed infection with two fungal pathogens may be expected to result in additive or synergistic damage to pIECs, we instead found that C. parapsilosis was able to protect pIECs from invasion and damage by C. albicans. C. albicans-induced pIEC damage was reduced to a similar extent by multiple different C. parapsilosis strains, but strains differed in their ability to inhibit C. albicans invasion of pIECs, with the inhibitory activity correlating with their adhesiveness for C. albicans and epithelial cells. C. parapsilosis cell-free culture fractions were also able to significantly reduce C. albicans adhesion and damage to pIECs. Furthermore, coadministration of C. parapsilosis cell-free fractions with C. albicans was associated with decreased infection and mortality in zebrafish. These results indicate that C. parapsilosis is able to reduce invasion, damage, and virulence functions of C. albicans. Additionally, the results with cellular and cell-free fractions of yeast cultures suggest that inhibition of pathogenic interactions between C. albicans and host cells by C. parapsilosis occurs via secreted molecules as well as by physical contact with the C. parapsilosis cell surface. We propose that non-invasive commensals can be used to inhibit virulence features of pathogens and deserve further study as a non-pharmacological strategy to protect the fragile epithelial barriers of premature infants.