cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computing with feeling

Abstract Computers are usually considered as manipulators of numbers, words and symbols: machines with which we communicate visually by printers, plotters and displays, and sometimes audibly through music synthesis and speech recognition. We are engaged in a project involving touch communication with computers in order to broaden computer graphics capability. Originally pioneered by Noll and by Batter and Brooks, touch communication with computers can link together brain, hands and computer to explore new worlds of felt imagery, worlds existing only in computer memory. Humans are distinguished from other animals particularly by two things: the hands, which allow fine manipulations of objects in the environment, and the brain, which permits thought. Touch communication with computers employs both of these most human capabilities. What we're searching for is a closer symbiosis between humans and machines, a partnership of two unlike species growing together as both learn to perform joint tasks better. This symbiosis demands a better interface where machine meets person. The first of our touch communication systems is a three-dimensional force-position system called “Touchy Feely” in which mechanical simplicity is gained by using a tetrahedral coordinate system, employing the computer to transform into other coordinate systems. We are also designing a force, torque, position and orientation system. “Touchy Twisty”, which will permit the user to feel the docking of one three-dimensional object with another: in other words, to allow the assembly of computer simulated objects. There are many applications of human-computer touch communication to research and learning, extending into such areas as computer science, engineering design, chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, psychology, art, and insight for the blind. With touch communication we can feel things never felt or seen before and perceive spatial relationships not otherwise possible. We can thereby create a more sensitive awareness and understanding of natural phenomena in three-dimensional space, phenomena involving forces and torques for which visual representation is often inappropriate or impossible.
AspectJ: the language and support tools

Complex systems usually contain design units that are logically related to several objects in the system. Some examples include: tracing, propagation of interrupts, multi-object protocols, security enforcement etc. This crosscutting between those design units and the objects is a natural phenomenon. But, using traditional implementation techniques, the source code — i.e. the classes — becomes tangled with the implementation of the crosscutting concerns.AspectJ is an aspect-oriented extension to the Java™ programming language that enables the clean modularization of crosscutting concerns. Using AspectJ we can encapsulate in program modules (aspects) the implementation of those design units that would otherwise be spread across the classes.This demo illustrates what the AspectJ language can do and it shows the tools that support developing programs with this language. We present an example program, and demonstrate the edit-compile-debug cycle in an IDE that supports AspectJ.
Virtue, Personality, and Social Relations: Self‐Control as the Moral Muscle

Morality is a set of rules that enable people to live together in harmony, and virtue involves internalizing those rules. Insofar as virtue depends on overcoming selfish or antisocial impulses for the sake of what is best for the group or collective, self-control can be said to be the master virtue. We analyze vice, sin, and virtue from the perspective of self-control theory. Recent research findings indicate that self-control involves expenditure of some limited resource and suggest the analogy of a moral muscle as an appropriate way to conceptualize virtue in personality. Guilt fosters virtuous self-control by elevating interpersonal obligations over personal, selfish interests. Several features of modern Western society make virtue and self-control especially difficult to achieve.
Probability distribution and new scaling law for the resistance of a one-dimensional Anderson model

The exact probability distributions of the resistance $\ensuremath{\rho}$, the conductance, and $\mathrm{ln}(1+\ensuremath{\rho})$ are calculated for the 1D Anderson model with purely off-diagonal disorder at $E=0$. Analysis of the distribution yields the surprising results that $〈\ensuremath{\rho}〉$ grows exponentially with length, despite previous studies indicating that the state at $E=0$ is extended, and the typical resistance $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\rho}}$ increases as $\mathrm{exp}({L}^{\frac{1}{2}})$. The relationship between this behavior and the temperature dependence of the resistance of thin wires is discussed.
High Speed Water Sterilization Using One-Dimensional Nanostructures

The removal of bacteria and other organisms from water is an extremely important process, not only for drinking and sanitation but also industrially as biofouling is a commonplace and serious problem. We here present a textile based multiscale device for the high speed electrical sterilization of water using silver nanowires, carbon nanotubes, and cotton. This approach, which combines several materials spanning three very different length scales with simple dying based fabrication, makes a gravity fed device operating at 100000 L/(h m2) which can inactivate >98% of bacteria with only several seconds of total incubation time. This excellent performance is enabled by the use of an electrical mechanism rather than size exclusion, while the very high surface area of the device coupled with large electric field concentrations near the silver nanowire tips allows for effective bacterial inactivation.
The Arrogance of Public Sociology

My job is to introduce a little tension into an otherwise harmonious system. Public sociology, along with its cousin policy sociology, are currently very popular. My guess is that the vast majority of the audience is in agreement with Burawoy's call for an enlargement of public sociology. And I suspect that most people in the U.S. today who call themselves sociologists somehow want to be molders of society. It is important, therefore, to challenge some issues implied by the call for more public sociology. Yet, criticizing Burawoy's argument in a cogent way is difficult because his position is not entirely clear. Because what he means by "public sociology" is somewhat problematic, almost anything I say can be countered by a disclaimer that the object of my comment is not, in fact, part of his position or that it is not what he meant. Nevertheless, I will react to what I understand his points to be and to what I interpret his statements about public sociology to imply. As I understand it, Burawoy argues that (1) public sociology bears an interactive and mutually stimulating relationship with other forms of sociology, particularly what he calls "professional sociology," (2) public sociology is a desirable activity to be encouraged; indeed, that it is vital to the health of the entire sociological enterprise, (3) public sociology depends on a base of strong professional sociology and that the two are not fundamentally incompatible. Further, from his remarks here and from his writings, I gather that public sociology encompasses many things, including: (1) engagement in political activities to promote somebody's conception (I guess his) of social justice, (2) actively revealing to nonprofessional audiences the knowledge that sociologists think they have or the truths they think they know, (3) orienting our research and writing around moral issues, (4) engaging the public in debate about moral questions based on sociological insights, and (5) helping various "publics" solve problems or gather information relevant to their concerns, or helping to create such publics. If my interpretation of the meaning of "public sociology" is correct, then a program encouraging sociologists to become more "public" would appear to be a mistake. In my opinion, "public sociology" (1) involves some false assumptions, (2) endangers what little legitimacy sociology has, thereby helping
Quantitative detection of Beauveria bassiana GHA (Ascomycota: Hypocreales), a potential microbial control agent of the emerald ash borer, by use of real-time PCR.

Accurate monitoring of an introduced, mass-released microbial control agent is essential in evaluating its persistence and in designing application strategies for insect pest control. As part of our multi-year study on the development and use of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana against the emerald ash borer, a major invasive pest of ash trees, we are determining persistence of the fungus sprayed on ash trees and leached onto soil. We developed a real-time PCR assay to detect and quantify B. bassiana strain GHA, the active ingredient in the mycoinsecticide utilized in our field studies. Real-time PCR primers and probe, based on a 445-bp sequence characterized amplified region fragment unique to GHA, generated a 96-bp fragment that was also specific to this strain. We also developed a DNA extraction method to maximize accuracy of quantification from environmental samples. DNA from fungal conidia in soil samples or recovered from leaf and bark washings was extracted using bead mill homogenization followed by purification of the crude extract using Sephadex-polyvinylpolypyrrolidone microcolumns. Sensitivity assays comparing quantity of GHA DNA detected between pure and mixed samples showed that background genomic DNA from bark and leaf did not significantly affect detection sensitivity. However, background soil DNA and likely remaining co-extracted contaminants reduced sensitivity of assays at 400 pg or less of GHA DNA. Comparison of various conidial titer on ash bark and leaves versus predicted values based on real-time PCR showed that estimates were best obtained from samples with high titer of the fungus.
Homarus Americanus Stomatogastric Nervous System Dissection

With the goal of understanding how nervous systems produce activity and respond to the environment, neuroscientists turn to model systems that exhibit the activity of interest and are accessible and amenable to experimental methods. The stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) of the American lobster (Homarus americanus; also know was the Atlantic or Maine lobster) has been established as a model system for studying rhythm generating networks and neuromodulation of networks. The STNS consists of 3 anterior ganglia (2 commissural ganglia and an oesophageal ganglion), containing modulatory neurons that project centrally to the stomatogastric ganglion (STG). The STG contains approximately 30 neurons that comprise two central pattern generating networks, the pyloric and gastric networks that underlie feeding behaviors in crustaceans1,2. While it is possible to study this system in vivo3, the STNS continues to produce its rhythmic activity when isolated in vitro. Physical isolation of the STNS in a dish allows for easy access to the somata in the ganglia for intracellular electrophysiological recordings and to the nerves of the STNS for extracellular recordings. Isolating the STNS is a two-part process. The first part, dissecting the stomach from the animal, is described in an accompanying video article4. In this video article, fine dissection techniques are used to isolate the STNS from the stomach. This procedure results in a nervous system preparation that is available for electrophysiological recordings.
Factors Associated With Fear of Lymphedema After Treatment for Breast Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To identify demographic and treatment characteristics associated with postoperative fear of lymphedema. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient breast clinic at a comprehensive cancer center in the northeastern United States. SAMPLE: 324 patients undergoing treatment for unilateral breast cancer. METHODS: Women with breast cancer were prospectively screened for lymphedema (relative volume change of 10% or greater) preoperatively and every three to eight months postoperatively via Perometer arm volume measurements. Fear was simultaneously evaluated via questionnaire. Multivariate linear mixed-effects regression models were used to identify factors associated with mean postoperative fear score and to plot the average fear score over time within axillary surgery type subgroups. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Postoperative fear of lymphedema. FINDINGS: Higher preoperative fear score (p < 0.0001), younger age at diagnosis (p = 0.0038), and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) (p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with higher mean postoperative fear score. The average fear score changed nonlinearly over time (p < 0.0001), decreasing from preoperative to 24 months postoperative and leveling thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative fear, younger age at diagnosis, and ALND may contribute to postoperative fear of lymphedema. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Individualized education that begins preoperatively, continues throughout treatment, and is re-emphasized 24 months postoperatively may help minimize fear of lymphedema.
Joint Power and Secret Key Queue Management for Delay Limited Secure Communication

In recent years, the famous wiretap channel has been revisited by many researchers and information theoretic secrecy has become an active area of research in this setting. In this paper, we design a wireless communication system that achieves constant bit rate data transmission over a block fading channel, securely from an eavesdropper that listens to the transmitter over another independent block fading channel. It is well known that, the method of sending secure information using the binning techniques inspired by the wiretap channel fails to secure the information at times when the eavesdropper channel has favorable conditions over the main channel. This phenomenon is called secrecy outage. In our system, however, we exploit the times at which the main channel is favorable over the eavesdropper channel for us to be able to transmit some random secret key bits along with the data bits. These key bits are stored in a separate key queue at the transmitter as well as the receiver, and are utilized to secure data bits, whenever the channel conditions favor the eavesdropper. We show that, our system achieves a high performance at any given desired outage probability by jointly controlling the key queue and the transmit power. We show that the optimal power control involves a time sharing between secure waterfilling and channel inversion strategies and the key queue operates in the heavy traffic regime to achieve the maximum delay limited rate possible, under a small outage constraint. This work can be viewed as a first step in providing a framework that combines both information theory and queueing analysis for the study of information theoretic security.
The remittive effects of alefacept.

The duration of response to treatment with alefacept has been assessed in patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis who responded to alefacept therapy in phase 2 and phase 3 clinical studies. In a phase 2 trial, duration of response was based on time to retreatment with alefacept. In two phase 3 studies, the more objective measure of maintenance of a ≥50% reduction from baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 50) was used. Two patient subsets were analyzed: (1) those who achieved a PASI 75 at any time during the trials and (2) those who achieved a Physician Global Assessment of “clear” or “almost clear” at any time during the trials. Regardless of the criterion used or the route of alefacept administration (intravenous or intramuscular), the median duration of response to alefacept therapy ranged from 7 to 10 months across the three studies. Alefacept is a remittive therapy for psoriasis.
Multi-objective optimal design of groundwater remediation systems: application of the niched Pareto genetic algorithm (NPGA)

Abstract A multiobjective optimization algorithm is applied to a groundwater quality management problem involving remediation by pump-and-treat (PAT). The multiobjective optimization framework uses the niched Pareto genetic algorithm (NPGA) and is applied to simultaneously minimize the (1) remedial design cost and (2) contaminant mass remaining at the end of the remediation horizon. Three test scenarios consider pumping rates for two-, five-, and 15 fixed-location wells as the decision variables. A single objective genetic algorithm (SGA) formulation and a random search (RS) are also applied to the three scenarios to compare performances with NPGA. With 15 decision variables, the NPGA is demonstrated to outperform both the SGA algorithm and the RS by generating a better tradeoff curve. For example, for a given cost of $100,000, the NPGA solution found a design with 75% less mass remaining than the corresponding RS solution. In the 15-well scenario, the NPGA generated the full span of the Pareto optimal designs, but with 30% less computational effort than that required by the SGA. The RS failed to find any Pareto optimal solutions. The optimal population size for the NPGA was found by sensitivity analysis to be approximately 100, when the total computational cost was limited to 2000 function evaluations. The NPGA was found to be robust with respect to the other algorithm parameters (tournament size and niche radius) when using an optimal population size. The inclusion of niching produced better results in terms of covering the span of the tradeoff curve. As long as some niching was included, the results were insensitive to the value of the parameter that controls niching ( σ share >0).
A differential delay equation arising from the sieve of Eratosthenes

Consideration is given to the differential delay equation introduced by Buchstab (1937) in connection with an asymptotic formula for the uncanceled terms in the sieve of Eratosthenes. Maier (1985) used this result to show there is unexpected irreqularity in the distribution of primes in short intervals. The function omega(u) is studied in this paper using numerical and analytical techniques. The results are applied to give some numerical constants in Maier's theorem.
Effective heterogeneous hydrolysis of phosphodiester by pyridine-containing metallopolymers

Abstract The copper (II) complex of a simple pyridine- and amide-containing copolymer serves as an effective catalyst for heterogeneous hydrolysis of the prototypical phosphodiester substrate bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate at pH 8.0 and 25 °C. The catalysis has a first-order rate constant of kcat = 8.3 × 10−6 s−1, corresponding to a catalytic proficiency of 75-thousand folds relative to the uncatalyzed hydrolysis with a rate constant of k0 = 1.1 × 10−10 s−1 in aqueous buffer solution at pH 8.0. This observation suggests that polymers can be designed to include various functional groups feasible for effective metal-centered catalysis of phosphodiester hydrolysis.
The isolation of large quantities of undamaged cellular organelles and cytosolic enzymes using a low-shear continuous tissue homogenizer

There is often a need to isolate large quantities of subcellular components such as membrane-coated organelles (e.g., nuclei, lysosomes, and mitochondria), cell membranes, and soluble (cytosolic) proteins. Instruments which can homogenize relatively large masses of tissue, primarily those with rapidly rotating blades and cylinders, are excessively vigorous, often resulting in damaged and/or low yields of the subcellular components. This paper describes procedures for obtaining high yields of undamaged subcellular components using a continuous bulk tissue homogenizer which performs with low shear (the low-shear continuous homogenizer or LSC). This homogenizer is simple in operation, durable and can be used with a variety of tissues. Fibrous tissues are more difficult to homogenize using this instrumentation and require a premincing to small pieces (0.2 to 1.0-cm diam) followed by filtration through 2-4 mesh (two to four apertures per inch). Methods for bulk preparations with enhanced recoveries of undamaged nuclei, and a typical soluble multimeric enzyme, phosphofructokinase, are presented. Electron microscope views of the homogenates show the preserved state of the other subcellular components. The LSC homogenizer requires less physical effort with no "hands on" operation and thus is safer. This homogenizer requires less homogenization time compared to the smaller, hand-held Potter-Elvehjem-type homogenizers. Operations requiring low temperature can be performed at room temperature as long as the continuously passing homogenate solutions are kept chilled.
The Princess and the Pea: A Story of Cell Mechanics

Single molecules of integrins, a class of trans-membrane proteins involved in cell adhesion, experience a peak force of 40 pN through their ligands during initial adhesion. This force requirement was determined using a series of double stranded (ds) DNA tethers, each with a different rupture force, conjugated to the ligand. Here, force spectroscopy is performed by multiplexing two types of DNA tethers on the same surface: one that requires a strong rupture force (54 pN) and the other, a weak rupture force (12 pN). When presented alone, cells adhere to the strong tethers but not the weak tethers. However, when multiplexed, the result is synergistic; cells can adhere to a surface displaying just a few molecules of the strong tether if, and only if, they are presented along with many weak tethers. This degree of ultra-sensitivity raises a question on how cells suppress noise during decision making based on nano-mechanical environments.
Improvement in structural and functional echocardiographic parameters during chronic heart failure therapy guided by natriuretic peptides: mechanistic insights from the ProBNP Outpatient Tailored Chronic Heart Failure (PROTECT) study.

Aims We sought to determine if heart failure (HF) care with a goal to lower N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations, compared with standard of care (SOC) management, is associated with improvement in echocardiographic parameters of cardiac structure and function. Methods and results Of 151 subjects with HF due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) prospectively randomized to NT-proBNP-guided vs. SOC HF care, 116 had serial echocardiographic data. Endpoints in this echocardiographic study included the relationship between change in NT-proBNP and LV reverse remodelling, as well as associations between biomarker-guided therapy and measures of diastolic function, right ventricular (RV) size and function, estimates of LV filling pressure and RV systolic pressure (RVSP), and the degree of mitral regurgitation (MR). After a mean of 10 months of study procedures, in adjusted analyses, final NT-proBNP concentrations predicted risk of remodelling [hazard ratio (HR) LV end-diastolic volume index = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10–1.86, P = 0.007; HR LV end-systolic volume index = 1.54, 95% CI 1.10–1.91, P = 0.01; HR LV ejection fraction (LVEF) = 1.53, 905% CI 1.12–1.89, P = 0.02]. In addition to greater improvement in LVEF and reductions in LV volume, compared with SOC, NT-proBNP-guided patients showed significant decreases in the ratio of early transmitral peak velocity to early diastolic peak annular velocity (E/E'), pulmonary vein peak S velocity, RV fractional area change, RVSP, and MR severity. Conclusion NT-proBNP concentrations may serve as a non-invasive indicator of the state of cardiac structure and function in HF due to LVSD. Multiple, prognostically meaningful echocardiographic variables improved more significantly in patients treated with NT-proBNP-guided care vs. SOC. Trial registration: NCT00351390.
Cutaneous Water Loss in Reptiles

Cutaneous and respiratory evaporation were compared in five species of reptiles at 23°C. There seemed to be a clear correlation between water loss and aridity of the animal9s habitat, total evaporation from the desert lizard Sauromalus obesus being about 5 percent of that from the crocodilian Caiman sclerops. Cutaneous evaporation was the major avenue of water loss in all animals examined. This is contrary to the common belief that reptilian skin is practically impermeable to water.
THE EXCRETION OF CARBON DIOXIDE BY FROG NERVE

1. Quiescent sciatic nerve of the frog discharges CO(2) at the average rate of 0.00876 mg. CO(2) per gram of nerve per minute. 2. Sciatic nerve steeped one minute in boiling water discharges CO(2) at first at a low rate and after an hour and a half not at all. 3. Degenerated sciatic nerve discharges CO(2) at a slightly higher rate than normal living nerve does. 4. Connective tissue from the frog discharges CO(2) at an average rate of 0.0097 mg. per gram of tissue per minute. 5. Assuming that a nerve is composed of from one-half to one-quarter connective tissue the CO(2) output from its strictly nervous components is estimated to be at a rate of 0.008 mg. CO(2) per gram of nerve per minute. 6. Stimulated sciatic nerve increases the rate of its CO(2) output over quiescent nerve by about 14 per cent. When this number is corrected for strictly nervous tissue the rate is about 16 per cent. 7. The increased rate of CO(2) production noted on stimulation in normal sciatic nerves was not observed when they were boiled, blocked, or degenerated. It was also not observed with stimulated strands of connective tissue.
Recent advances in high-temperature niobium alloys

Nb, the lowest-density refractory metal, is of great interest for aircraft propulsion applications whose service temperatures are of the order of 1100-1150 C; the major impediment to such applications has thus far been the difficulty of fostering inherent, rather than coating-imparted oxidation resistance in Nb-base alloys. An additional impetus for Nb alloy development is the need for structural materials applicable to space nuclear power reactors, such as the SP-100 that is currently under development. Significant development has recently occurred in the use of Nb alloys as matrices reinforced by TiC particles or by W fibers.
High intensity bunch length instabilities in the SLC damping rings

The SLC damping rings function to provide low emittance, short bunches for injection into the linac. As the beam intensity in the rings was raised, as part of the SLC luminosity improvement program, we observed a threshold above which beam jitter would occur in the linac. Frequent machine trios, caused by beam loss on some bunches, were associated with the jitter. These erratic "flier" pulses were traced to extraction phase errors from the damping rings. This paper covers the diagnosis of this condition and the observations of the transient bunch length instability phenomena. The evidence of this turbulent (microwave) bunch length instability is seen in both time domain and in frequency domain measurements. The instability has been dubbed the "sawtooth" because of the characteristic time dependent nature of the phase and bunch length signals. It is present in both the SLC electron and positron damping rings at about the same threshold of 3/spl times/10/sup 10/ particles per bunch. There is also some evidence in numerical simulations of transient bunch lengthening phenomena, which is discussed later in this paper. >
Minimizing Nonconvex Non-Separable Functions

Regularization has played a key role in deriving sensible estimators in high dimensional statistical inference. A substantial amount of recent works has argued for nonconvex regularizers in favor of their superior theoretical properties and excellent practical performances. In a dierent but analogous vein, nonconvex loss functions are promoted because of their robustness against \outliers". However, these nonconvex formulations are computationally more challenging, especially in the presence of nonsmoothness and nonseparability. To address this issue, we propose a new proximal gradient meta-algorithm by rigorously extending the proximal average to the nonconvex setting. We formally prove its nice convergence properties, and illustrate its eectiveness on two applications: multi-task graph-guided fused lasso and robust support vector machines. Experiments demonstrate that our method compares favorably against other alternatives.
The analgesic potency of acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen in 2- and 15-month-old rats

A method developed by Randall and Selitto (1957) for testing the potency of analgesic drugs was used to examine the effectiveness of acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen in 2- and 15-month-old rats. A yeast solution was injected into the rear paw of the rats to produce inflammation. To measure the degree of analgesia produced by each drug, pressure was exerted on the inflamed paw, and the pressure (mmHg) that produced a pain response was recorded. The results of the experiment revealed that each drug produced an increased pain threshold in the younger animals, but none of the drugs were effective in the older animals.
Initialization of distributed spacecraft for precision formation flying

In this paper we present a solution to the formation initialization (FI) problem for N distributed spacecraft located in deep space. Our solution to the FI problem is based on a three-stage sky search procedure that reduces the FI problem for N spacecraft to the simpler problem of initializing a set of sub-formations. We demonstrate our FI algorithm in simulation using NASA's five spacecraft terrestrial planet finder mission as an example.
Does the Presence of Venture Capitalists Improve the Survival Profile of IPO Firms

The role of venture capital in the creation of the public corporation is now widely recognized. This study investigates whether venture capitalists add value to the going public process by improving the survival profile of IPO issuers. The survival of IPO issuers is not only likely to depend on managerial actions but also on the effectiveness of key market participants such as investment bankers and analysts. The form and function of the venture capital industry allows venture capitalists to influence the actions of managers, investment bankers, and analysts, and attract institutional interest. Conducting survival analyses using the Cox hazard methodology, we find that the involvement of venture capitalists improves the survival profile of IPO firms. Several other variables that are potentially influenced by VC involvement like R&D allocations, analyst following, investment banker prestige, and success on road shows are also positively related to the survival time of IPO issuers.
Early effects of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm secreted products on inflammatory responses of human epithelial keratinocytes

Chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, and venous leg ulcers contribute to a considerable amount of mortality in the U.S. annually. The inability of these wounds to heal has now been associated with the presence of microbial biofilms. The aim of this study was to determine if products secreted by S. aureus biofilms play an active role in chronic wounds by promoting inflammation, which is a hallmark of chronic wounds. In vitro experiments were conducted to examine changes in gene expression profiles and inflammatory response of human epithelial keratinocytes (HEKa) exposed to products secreted by S. aureus grown in biofilms or products secreted by S. aureus grown planktonically. After only two hours of exposure, gene expression microarray data showed marked differences in inflammatory, apoptotic, and nitric oxide responses between HEKa cells exposed to S. aureus biofilm conditioned media (BCM) and HEKa cells exposed to S. aureus planktonic conditioned media (PCM). As early as 4 hours post exposure, ELISA results showed significant increases in IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, and CXCL2 production by HEKa cells exposed to BCM compared to HEKa cells exposed to PCM or controls. Nitric oxide assay data also showed significant increases in nitric oxide production by HEKa cells treated with BCM compared to HEKa cells treated with PCM, or controls. Taken together, these results support and extend previous findings that indicate products secreted by S. aureus biofilms directly contribute to the chronic inflammation associated with chronic wounds.
BMP signaling dynamics in the follicle cells of multiple Drosophila species

The dorsal anterior region of the follicle cells (FCs) in the developing Drosophila egg gives rise to the respiratory eggshell appendages. These tubular structures display a wide range of qualitative and quantitative variations across Drosophila species, providing a remarkable example of a rapidly evolving morphology. In D. melanogaster, the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway is an important regulator of FCs patterning and dorsal appendages morphology. To explore the mechanisms underlying the diversification of eggshell patterning, we analyzed BMP signaling in the FCs of 16 Drosophila species that span 45 million years of evolution. We found that the spatial patterns of BMP signaling in the FCs are dynamic and exhibit a range of interspecies' variations. In most of the species examined, the dynamics of BMP signaling correlate with the expression of the type I BMP receptor thickveins (tkv). This correlation suggests that interspecies' variations of tkv expression are responsible for the diversification of BMP signaling during oogenesis. This model was supported by genetic manipulations of tkv expression in the FCs of D. melanogaster that successfully recapitulated the signaling diversities found in the other species. Our results suggest that regulation of receptor expression mediates spatial diversification of BMP signaling in Drosophila oogenesis, and they provide insight into a mechanism underlying the evolution of eggshell patterning.
Farmers' Perceived Costs of Wetlands: Effects of Wetland Size, Hydration, and Dispersion

We survey landowners to investigate the costs associated with the presence of permanent or seasonal wetland areas in cropland. We find, as predicted by our conceptual model, that dispersion of wetland areas imposes substantial inconvenience costs for producers but that costs respond nonlinearly and irregularly to changes in the frequency of hydration. Producer attitudes toward conservation and environmental regulation have a significant impact on perceived costs, as do some demographic attributes. The analysis suggests that incentives to aggregate dispersed wetlands into larger contiguous areas could benefit landowners and at the same time provide a net increase in wetland area. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.
Acute Angiotensin II Infusions Elicit Pressure Natriuresis in Mice and Reduce Distal Fractional Sodium Reabsorption

Acute angiotensin II (Ang II) infusions into mice increase arterial pressure (AP) and elicit pressure natriuresis. We used this model of pressure natriuresis to delineate the distal nephron responses to AP-mediated increases in distal sodium delivery. In the first group, we measured changes in urinary sodium excretion (U Na V) in male C57/BL6 anesthetized mice (n=9) before and during acute Ang II infusions (5 ng/g of body weight per minute). Acute Ang II infusions increased AP (98±3 to 126±5 mm Hg; P P Na V (0.6±0.2 to 1.3±0.2 μEq/min; P Na V and urine flow (y=0.207x+0.030; P Na V and AP (y=0.027x−2.100). In a separate series, distal sodium delivery and fractional reabsorption of distal sodium delivery were determined in control (n=12) and Ang II–infused mice (n=8) by comparing U Na V before and after blockade of the 2 major distal nephron sodium transporters with amiloride (5 mg/kg of body weight) plus bendroflumethiazide (12 mg/kg of body weight). A positive relationship was found between U Na V (y=0.015x−1.100; P P P
Fixed-rate power allocation strategies for enhanced secrecy in MIMO wiretap channels

This paper studies the use of artificial interference in reducing the likelihood that a confidential message transmitted between two multi-antenna nodes is intercepted by a passive eavesdropper. A portion of the transmit power is used to broadcast the information signal with just enough power to guarantee a certain data rate for the intended receiver, and the remainder of the power is used to broadcast artificial noise in order to mask the desired signal from a potential eavesdropper. The interference is designed to be orthogonal to the multiple-stream information signal when it reaches the desired receiver. A modified water-filling algorithm is proposed that balances the required transmit power with the number of spatial dimensions available for jamming the eavesdropper. Numerical results verify the increase in secrecy capacity under the proposed transmission scheme.
Chronic estradiol and progesterone treatment in conscious dogs : effects on insulin sensitivity and response to hypoglycemia

We evaluated the effect of chronic (3 wk) subcutaneous treatment with progesterone and estradiol (PE; producing serum levels observed in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy) or placebo (C) on hepatic an...
Wood Colorization through Pressure Treating: The Potential of Extracted Colorants from Spalting Fungi as a Replacement for Woodworkers’ Aniline Dyes

The extracellular colorants produced by Chlorociboria aeruginosa, Scytalidium cuboideum, and Scytalidium ganodermophthorum, three commonly utilized spalting fungi, were tested against a standard woodworker's aniline dye to determine if the fungal colorants could be utilized in an effort to find a naturally occurring replacement for the synthetic dye. Fungal colorants were delivered in two methods within a pressure treater—the first through solubilization of extracted colorants in dichloromethane, and the second via liquid culture consisting of water, malt, and the actively growing fungus. Visual external evaluation of the wood test blocks showed complete surface coloration of all wood species with all colorants, with the exception of the green colorant (xylindein) from C. aeruginosa in liquid culture, which did not produce a visible surface color change. The highest changes in external color came from noble fir, lodgepole pine, port orford cedar and sugar maple with aniline dye, cottonwood with the yellow colorant in liquid culture, lodgepole pine with the red colorant in liquid culture, red alder and Oregon maple with the green colorant in dichloromethane, and sugar maple and port orford cedar with the yellow colorant in dichloromethane. The aniline dye was superior to the fungal colorants in terms of internal coloration, although none of the tested compounds were able to completely visually color the inside of the test blocks.
Central Presynaptic Terminals Are Enriched in ATP but the Majority Lack Mitochondria

Synaptic neurotransmission is known to be an energy demanding process. At the presynapse, ATP is required for loading neurotransmitters into synaptic vesicles, for priming synaptic vesicles before release, and as a substrate for various kinases and ATPases. Although it is assumed that presynaptic sites usually harbor local mitochondria, which may serve as energy powerhouse to generate ATP as well as a presynaptic calcium depot, a clear role of presynaptic mitochondria in biochemical functioning of the presynapse is not well-defined. Besides a few synaptic subtypes like the mossy fibers and the Calyx of Held, most central presynaptic sites are either en passant or tiny axonal terminals that have little space to accommodate a large mitochondrion. Here, we have used imaging studies to demonstrate that mitochondrial antigens poorly co-localize with the synaptic vesicle clusters and active zone marker in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and the cerebellum. Confocal imaging analysis on neuronal cultures revealed that most neuronal mitochondria are either somatic or distributed in the proximal part of major dendrites. A large number of synapses in culture are devoid of any mitochondria. Electron micrographs from neuronal cultures further confirm our finding that the majority of presynapses may not harbor resident mitochondria. We corroborated our ultrastructural findings using serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM) and found that more than 60% of the presynaptic terminals lacked discernible mitochondria in the wild-type mice hippocampus. Biochemical fractionation of crude synaptosomes into mitochondria and pure synaptosomes also revealed a sparse presence of mitochondrial antigen at the presynaptic boutons. Despite a low abundance of mitochondria, the synaptosomal membranes were found to be highly enriched in ATP suggesting that the presynapse may possess alternative mechanism/s for concentrating ATP for its function. The potential mechanisms including local glycolysis and the possible roles of ATP-binding synaptic proteins such as synapsins, are discussed.
Development of a Pulse-Width Modulated Pneumatic Rotary Valve for Actuator Position Control

A new concept in the directional flow control of a high speed pneumatic actuation system is proposed. Two recent developments reported in the literature, namely (i) the application of pulse-width modulation techniques to on-off pneumatic valves and (ii) the introduction of a high speed rotary air valve, are merged in the design of a novel rotary flow control valve with built-in pulse-width modulation. Valve feasibility is demonstrated experimentally through the closed-loop position control of a pneumatic actuator. Static and dynamic performance characteristics as predicted by a detailed nonlinear lumped parameter model, compare favorably with measured data. Additionally, a simple linear time-invariant model, with a few empirical parameters, of the system is developed and validated through comparison with experiment and the nonlinear model. Then, several system design improvements based on this simple linear model are implemented and evaluated with the detailed nonlinear model.
Song learning in birds: diversity and plasticity, opportunities and challenges

A common trend in neuroscience is convergence on selected model systems. Underlying this approach is an often implicit assumption that mechanisms observed in one species are characteristic of all related species. Although the model system approach has been extremely productive, it might not account for all of the mechanistic differences between species that differ behaviourally. Using the neural system that regulates song learning in songbirds as an example, we demonstrate how integrating model system and comparative approaches can lead to a more complete picture of neural mechanisms, and can resolve issues raised by a focus on selected species.
State Variable Extraction and Partitioning to Reduce Problem Complexity for ATPG and Design Validation

This paper presents a new algorithm to extract characteristic flip-flops, which form a characteristic state set, using state-correlation information. The extracted characteristic state set allows us to focus on a significantly smaller set of flip-flops while ignoring other flip-flops, thereby simplifying the target problem and reducing state explosion in very large sequential circuits. Next, partitioning is applied only on the characteristic state variables, and partial state transition graphs (STGs) are built. During test generation, no specific fault or design error is targeted; instead, test vectors are generated using a twofold criteria: 1) whether the vector will expand the overall STGs and 2) whether this vector will break the relationship among flip-flops within the correlated sets. While generating vectors, state and transition exploration histories for each state group are maintained by dynamically constructing partial STGs for all state groups. By limiting a maximum size any state group can be, maintaining the complete state and transition exploration histories for each state group is feasible even for very large sequential circuits. Experiments showed that our extraction algorithm can reduce the original complete state set by up to 97%. In addition, with the reduced state variables, it achieves not only equal or better coverages for both stuck-at faults and design errors, the execution time is also significantly reduced due to the much fewer flip-flops that this paper needs to consider. For some large sequential circuits, highest coverages have been obtained
Examining Energy Use in Heterogeneous Archival Storage Systems

Controlling energy usage in data centers, and storage in particular, continues to rise in importance. Many systems and models have examined energy efficiency through intelligent spin-down of disks and novel data layouts, yet little work has been done to examine how power usage over the course of months to years is impacted by the characteristics of the storage devices chosen for use. Long-term power usage is particularly important for archival storage systems, since it is a large contributor to overall system cost. In this work, we begin exploring the impact that broad policies (e.g. utilize high-bandwidth devices first) have upon the power efficiency of a disk based archival storage system of heterogeneous devices over the course of a year. Using a discrete event simulator, we found that even simple heuristic policies for allocating space can have significant impact on the power usage of a system. We show that our system growth policies can cause power usage to vary from 10% higher to 18% lower than a naive random data allocation scheme. We also found that under low read rates power is dominated by that used in standby modes. Most interestingly, we found cases where concentrating data on fewer devices yielded increased power usage.
Ammonium cycling in the rocky intertidal: Remineralization, removal, and retention

Rocky intertidal productivity is traditionally thought to be sustained almost solely by upwelled nitrate with remineralized forms of minor importance. Using tidepools as natural experimental mesocosms, we conducted 15N-tracer experiments to test whether ammonium remineralized within the rocky intertidal is also a significant source of fixed N to localized ecosystem production. Comparison of tidepools with and without the dominant bivalve Mytilus californianus allowed consideration of its role in NH+4 cycling. Closed water-incubation bottles were used to investigate the contribution of suspended microbes to NH+4 cycling. Tidepools with mussels had both greater NH+4 remineralization (two times) and NH+4 removal as compared with those without, with daytime rates greater than nighttime rates. Incorporation of NH+4 tracer by particulate organic matter and macroalgae, and the persistence of this signal in tidepools for several days following the experiment, showed retention of autochthonous NH+4 in the system. Remineralization rates were tightly correlated to removal rates when compared over all treatments and experiments, but NH+4 remineralization was significantly greater than removal, suggesting a surplus available to nearshore primary producers.
Family Values as Practiced by Feminist Parents Bridging Third-Wave Feminism and Family Pluralism

The shift from second-wave feminism, with its emphasis on gender equality, to third-wave feminism, whose concern is with oppression more generally, poses intriguing questions about theoretical and social change. We have chosen to explore these issues through the insight and perspectives of families who parent from feminist perspectives. To gain information regarding the dynamics of feminist families we conducted in-depth interviews with all members of 20 self-identified feminist families, including two-parent families, single-parent families, gay and lesbian families, and so on. The families were selected because the parents identify with feminist principles broadly defined, that is, they are raising their children with a sense of equality for women. In exploring common themes, we find these feminist families go beyond nonsexist parenting to parenting that seems to enable their children to become conscious of and to challenge hierarchy and oppression generally. We suggest these parenting practices coincid...