cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Seductions of Clarity

The feeling of clarity can be dangerously seductive. It is the feeling associated with understanding things. And we use that feeling, in the rough-and-tumble of daily life, as a signal that we have investigated a matter sufficiently. The sense of clarity functions as a thought-terminating heuristic. In that case, our use of clarity creates significant cognitive vulnerability, which hostile forces can try to exploit. If an epistemic manipulator can imbue a belief system with an exaggerated sense of clarity, then they can induce us to terminate our inquiries too early – before we spot the flaws in the system. How might the sense of clarity be faked? Let’s first consider the object of imitation: genuine understanding. Genuine understanding grants cognitive facility. When we understand something, we categorize its aspects more easily; we see more connections between its disparate elements; we can generate new explanations; and we can communicate our understanding. In order to encourage us to accept a system of thought, then, an epistemic manipulator will want the system to provide its users with an exaggerated sensation of cognitive facility. The system should provide its users with the feeling that they can easily and powerfully create categorizations, generate explanations, and communicate their understanding. And manipulators have a significant advantage in imbuing their systems with a pleasurable sense of clarity, since they are freed from the burdens of accuracy and reliability. I offer two case studies of seductively clear systems: conspiracy theories; and the standardized, quantified value systems of bureaucracies.
Polymer Immobilized Doxorubicin as A Regional Therapeutic Agent

All drugs encounter cell surface membranes. Pharmacologists have been concerned with the importance of these membranes as barriers to the action of medicinal agents for many years. The enormous increase in our understanding of the composition and function of cellular membranes has, however, stimulated a variety of investigations which have shown that a number of drugs exert their pharmacological effects through direct alteration of intrinsic membrane function(s).
Stakeholder Perceptions of Specialized Accreditation by the Aviation Accreditation Board International: Part Two–Aviation Students and Industry Employers

In an effort to understand the current status of specialized accreditation in collegiate aviation and the reasons why so few aviation programs are accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI), a comprehensive study was undertaken to determine the perceptions held by the following four stakeholders of collegiate aviation regarding specialized accreditation by AABI: administrators of both AABI accredited and non-AABI accredited aviation programs, collegiate aviation program students, and aviation industry employers. This article is the second in a series of three reporting the results of this nationwide study, and presents the perceptions of collegiate aviation students and aviation industry employers. Recommendations specific to part two of this nationwide study include: (a) Collegiate aviation students should become better informed about AABI and the current accreditation status of the program they attend; and (b) Aviation industry employers should be willing to collaborate with AABI on developing quality aviation graduates via the AABI Industry-Educator Forum and consider placing an emphasis on hiring graduates of AABI accredited programs.
Older MSM and HIV/AIDS: A Grounded Theory Study to Inform Prevention

OLDER MSM AND HIV/AIDS: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY TO INFORM PREVENTION By Johnnie O’Neal, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013. Chair: Elizabeth Cramer, Ph.D. Professor, School of Social Work This study sought to increase knowledge as it relates to HIV-prevention for older adults, especially for MSM who are HIV-negative. In participating in this study, participants shared their experiences, stories and feelings related to their exposure to HIV and HIV-prevention initiatives. Using a Traditional Grounded Theory method, 22 interviews with older MSM were conducted with the aim of producing a theory that explained how these men lived prior to HIV, the different ways they responded to the onset of the virus, how they have lived their lives over the last three decades, and the extent to which the virus continues to impact their lives.
Neural Networks as Dynamical Systems

The activity levels of n neurons are represented by a point x in n-dimensional state space, that is, the space consisting of n-tuples x = (x1, x2,…, xn) of real numbers. Define a gain function gi = gi(xi) by gi = 0 if xi ≤ −ei; gi = 1 if xi ≥ ei; and gi is continuously differentiable and increasing for |x1| < ei. We call gi′(0) the gain of gi. For example, gi might be piecewise linear (see Fig. 0.1), that is, a ramp function, with gi(xi) = (xi+ei)/(2 ei) for |xi| < ei.
Common Themes, Questions and Opportunities: Creating a Context for Continued Improvement

A great deal has been learned about child maltreatment over the past 50 years. The problem is perceived as more complex in terms of how best to design and implement strategies to address it and how to tailor those strategies across different populations and contexts. This chapter builds upon the Doris Duke fellows’ work and describes emergent themes related to the nature of the problem (engaging multiple disciplines, broadening the concept of maltreatment, focusing on risk and protective factors), the nature of the response (integrating the response across the lifespan, embracing methodological pluralism, promoting data use and data sharing), building a unified response to child maltreatment (integrating neurobiological, implementation, and contextually sensitive research approaches), and building and sustaining new leadership for the field (nurturing transdisciplinary practice, introducing scholars to the policy world, enriching the pipeline of qualified scholars). The chapter concludes by articulating operational pillars that will undergird the fellows’ future work.
Postpartum Teens’ Perception of the Food Environments at Home and School

Background. An environment that supports healthy eating is one factor to prevent obesity. However, little is known about postpartum teen’s perceptions of their home and school environments and how this relates to dietary behaviors. Purpose. This study explores the relationship between home and school environments and dietary behaviors for postpartum teens. Design. Conducted cross-sectionally during 2007-2009 across 27 states and included 889 postpartum teens enrolled in Parents as Teachers Teen Program. Data included measures of sociodemographics and perceptions of school and home food environments. A 7-day recall of snack and beverage frequency assessed dietary behaviors. Logistic regression explored associations between baseline environment measures and dietary behaviors at baseline and postintervention (approximately 5 months after baseline) for the control group. Results. Respondents reported greater access and selection (i.e., variety of choices) of healthy foods and beverages at home than school. At...
Haberler versus Nurkse: The Case for Floating Exchange Rates as an Alternative to Bretton Woods?

This paper examines the alternative views of fixed versus floating exchange rates presented in Gottfried Haberler's Prosperity and Depression (1937) and Ragnar Nurkse's Interwar Currency Experience (1944). It shows how Haberler presented a model of exchange rates that is an anticipation of the Mundell-Fleming approach, and demonstrated how floating rates could offer a protection against the transmission of monetary shocks. But Haberler refrained from an open advocacy of a floating rate system, and indeed continued to work with the League of Nations and with Nurkse during the War, when the League published Nurkse's study of the interwar experience, which argued that a managed fixed rate system would reduce the likelihood of speculative attacks and hot money flows.
α-Ketoglutaric Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase of Pseudomonas: PROPERTIES OF THE SEPARATELY INDUCED ISOENZYMES

Abstract In Pseudomonas putida, two induced catabolic pathways, from hydroxyproline and from d-glucarate, converge at a common step, dehydrogenation of α-ketoglutaric semialdehyde to α-ketoglutarate. The dehydrogenases respectively induced by hydroxyproline or glucarate were both purified to homogeneity and compared. In contrast to an earlier, more limited comparison, which revealed no reliable difference between them, detailed electrophoretic, structural, immunological, and genetic studies now show them to be distinct proteins, although closely similar in most kinetic properties studied, as well as in molecular weight, subunit status, and amino acid composition. An unexpected finding was the presence of enzymatic activity for the preceding step in the hydroxyproline pathway (Δ1-pyrroline-4-hydroxy-2-carboxylate deaminase) associated with both the glucarate-induced and hydroxyproline-induced dehydrogenases. In each enzyme, the finding of a 4- to 5-fold lower number of separable tryptic peptides compared with the number expected from subunit size and amino acid composition suggests possible sequence redundancy but needs further investigation.
Electron microscopy analysis of amorphous and crystalline diamond coated silicon field emitters

The present paper concentrates on the morphology and microstructure of the coatings, as determined from electron microscopy investigations of coated Si emitters. The microscopy techniques used in this study include scanning electron microscopy to examine the macroscopic diamond morphology; high resolution TEM to study both detailed morphology and interface structure; selected area electron diffraction to determine if the film is crystalline or amorphous and to identify the coating species; and electron energy loss spectroscopy to determine the nature of the carbon bonding-sp/sup 3/, sp/sup 2/, or amorphous-in the film.
Preparation of Ketenes and Ketene Dimers

Ketenes contain the functional group CCO. They have been classified as aldoketenes and ketoketenes. The ketenes are prepared by modifications of the general methods for the synthesis of olefins. The ketenes are much more reactive than simple olefins, however, and are more likely to enter into combination with the reagents from wich they are prepared or with solvents used or into self-condensation to yield dimers or polymers, Many of the aldoketenes, which are generally more reactive than ketoketenes, have not been isolated as the pure monomers. The dimers of aldoketenes have some of the properties of ketenes and some are useful. Keywords: ketenes; Ketene dimers; malonic acid derivatives; ketoketenes; dehalogenation; haloacyl halides; regeneration; experimental procedures
Efficient interpolation of high‐frequency domain data by phase smoothing

[1] In this paper, a novel phase-smoothing method is proposed to efficiently interpolate the fine resolution frequency data from sparse samples in the high-frequency range. This is achieved by taking the effect of the complex exponential term e−jkr in the electromagnetic field into account, which causes the oscillation in the system response especially in the high-frequency domain. By phase-smoothing, even though the magnitude of the field quantity is unchanged, both real and imaginary parts of the frequency response become smoother. The interpolation is performed separately for both real and imaginary parts so that the sample rate required for accurate reconstruction is significantly reduced. The interpolation is carried out by the matrix pencil method, the coefficients of which are calculated by using the total least squares implementation to improve accuracy. Several numerical examples are presented to illustrate the applicability of this unique phase-smoothing method in ultra-high-frequency bands.
Intestinal phosphate transport in spontaneously hypertensive rats and genetically matched controls.

Abstract Hypophosphatemia has been documented in patients with hypertension and in spontaneously hypertensive rats compared with genetically matched control Wistar-Kyoto rats. However, renal tubular reabsorption is increased in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Therefore, it was hypothesized that decreased serum phosphate levels in spontaneously hypertensive rats may be related to a decrease in the intestinal transport of phosphate. To test this hypothesis, sodium-dependent phosphate uptake by jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles of spontaneously hypertensive rats and genetically matched Wistar-Kyoto rats was determined. Phosphate uptake consisted of two components: sodium-independent passive diffusion across the brush border and sodium-dependent, carrier-mediated uptake. The initial rate of uptake in spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats was linear up to 20 seconds. The initial rate and time course of jejunal sodium-dependent phosphate uptake was decreased in adult spontaneously hypertensive rats compared with corresponding mean values in Wistar-Kyoto rats. This decrease was secondary to a decrease in V max rather than K m , suggesting that the number and/or the activity of the sodium-phosphate transporters is decreased. Sodium-dependent phosphate uptake was pH dependent, with greater uptake at pH 6.0 than at pH 7.4. However, uptake values were lower in spontaneously hypertensive rats than in Wistar-Kyoto rats at all pH levels tested. In contrast, sodium-dependent phosphate uptake in weanling rats (prehypertensive state) was not significantly different between spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats. Vitamin D deficiency in both spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats decreased V max and K m of sodium-dependent phosphate uptake, whereas 1,25(OH) 2 vitamin D 3 administration increased V max and K m in both spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats. These results suggest that the hypophosphatemia seen in adult spontaneously hypertensive rats is secondary to a decrease in sodium-dependent phosphate uptake compared with controls. The sodium-phosphate transporter in spontaneously hypertensive rats is responsive to vitamin D administration.
New Media, Creativity, and the Olympics: A Case Study into the Use of #NBCFail During the Sochi Winter Games

The Olympic Games are not only the world’s biggest media event but now also the world’s largest hypermedia (online, mobile, and social media) event, too. This presents a ripe context for the prolif...
A radical on the Met-Tyr-Trp modification required for catalase activity in catalase-peroxidase is established by isotopic labeling and site-directed mutagenesis.

A transient tyrosyl-like radical with a narrow doublet X-band EPR signal is present during catalase turnover by Mycobacterium tuberculosis catalase-peroxidase (KatG). Labeling of KatG with β-methylene-deuterated tyrosine causes a collapse of the doublet to a singlet, while for 3,5-ring-deuterated tyrosine-labeled enzyme, no changes occur in the EPR signal. Except for the replacement Tyr229Phe, all other single-tyrosine mutants of KatG exhibit the same narrow doublet EPR signal and catalase activity similar to that of the wild-type enzyme. These findings confirm that this catalytically competent radical is associated with Tyr229, whose 3′ and 5′ protons are replaced as a result of cross-links with neighboring Met255 and Trp107 side chains in the post-translationally modified enzyme containing a distal-side Met255-Tyr229-Trp107 adduct.
Imbalance between growth and funding in academic computing science: two trends c

This report is endorsed by the Computer Science Board and prepared by the board's Committee on Research Funding in Computer Science.
Dual far infrared laser diagnostic of magnetized plasmas

A dual far infrared laser has been constructed and its properties have been exploited to probe tokamaklike discharges in the CDX toroidal device. Thermal variation of the difference frequency between the two far infrared cavities is slow, although the cavities lack thermal stabilization, simply because their assembly on the same chassis exposes them to virtually identical temperature changes. The optical arrangement beyond the laser permits conversion within minutes between interferometry and density fluctuation observation, and within an hour between different operating wavelengths. Line average densities of 2 × 1013 cm−3 and coherent fluctuations in the neighborhood of 20 kHz have been measured with this diagnostic.
Sustainable design and synthesis of hydrocarbon biorefinery via gasification pathway: Integrated life cycle assessment and technoeconomic analysis with multiobjective superstructure optimization

Abstract This paper proposes a multiobjective, mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model for the superstructure optimization of hydrocarbon biorefineries via gasification pathway under economic and environmental criteria. The proposed hydrocarbon biorefinery superstructure includes a number of major processing stages, such as drying of the cellulosic biomass feedstocks, air separation unit, gasification, syngas conditioning, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, hydroprocessing, power generation, and the diesel and gasoline production. The superstructure considers alternatives of technologies and equipment, such as gasification technologies, cooling options, hydrogen production sources, and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis catalysts. The economic objective is measured by the net present value ( NPV ), and the environmental concern is measured using global warming potential ( GWP ) that follows the life cycle assessment procedures, which evaluates the gate-to-gate environmental impacts of hydrocarbon biofuels. The multiobjective MINLP model simultaneously determines the technology selection, operation conditions, flow rate of each stream, energy consumption of each unit, economic performance, environmental impacts, and equipment sizes. The multiobjective MINLP problem is solved with the ɛ -constraint method. The resulting Pareto-optimal curve reveals the trade-off between the economic and environmental performances. The optimal solution reveals that the high-temperature gasification, direct cooling, internal hydrogen production and cobalt catalysis have the best environmental and economic performances. At the breakeven point, where the optimal NPV is 0, the unit production cost of hydrocarbon biorefinery is $4.43 per gasoline-equivalent gallon (GEG) with unit GWP of 20.92 kg CO 2 eqv./GEG. In the case of maximum NPV of $810 MM, the corresponding unit production cost is $3.17/GEG.
DIAGNOSTIC OPEN LUNG BIOPSY IN CHILDREN

Lung biopsy is often required to establish the cause of diffuse infiltrative pulmonary disease. While open lung biopsy permits better tissue sampling, controversy exists concerning potential risks of the procedure. Over a 4-year period, 35 patients ages 3 months to 18 years with diffuse pulmonary disease underwent diagnostic open lung biopsy. In 28 patients, a preexisting malignancy was present. All biopsy procedures were performed in the operating room, with general anesthesia used in all but 1 case. Lingular biopsies were performed in the 26 patients with bilateral disease. A specific etiology was identified in 24 patients: 17 had pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; 1 fungal pneumonia; 1 bacterial pneumonia; 2 desquamative interstitial pneumonia; 1 pulmonary hemosiderosis; 1 pulmonary histiocytosis, and 1 methotrexate pneumonitis. The remaining 11 patients had non-specific pneumonitis. One patient subsequently demonstrated to have pneumocystis carinii pneumonia had a falsely negative biopsy. The only significant complications were 2 pneumothoraces requiring prolonged chest tube drainage. There were no deaths directly attributable to the operative procedure. One patient with a brain tumor died 18 hours after biopsy due to cerebellar herniation. Open lung biopsy is a safe and reliable diagnostic technique in seriously ill pediatric patients with diffuse pulmonary disease.
Foot focusing device for binocular dissecting microscope.

(1950). Foot Focusing Device for Binocular Dissecting Microscope. Stain Technology: Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 217-218.
Chimeric Trop2 virus-like particles: a potential immunotherapeutic approach against pancreatic cancer.

Trop2 is a recently discovered cell surface glycoprotein overexpressed in pancreatic cancer which could potentially be used as an immunotherapeutic target. Enveloped virus-like particles (VLPs) are highly immunogenic and versatile immune stimulatory agents which can be modified to incorporate exogenous proteins on their membrane envelope to use as cancer vaccines. In this study, we investigated the effects of murine Trop2 (mTrop2) VLP immunization in a pancreatic cancer syngeneic murine model. VLPs incorporating mTrop2 were used to immunize C57BL/6 tumor-bearing mice. Immunization with mTrop2 VLPs led to a significant reduction in tumor growth accompanied by a broad activation and tumor infiltration of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells as well as natural killer and natural killer T cells. VLP immunization generated mTrop2-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and antibodies with no measurable induction of autoimmunity. Importantly, VLP immunization decreased the population of regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells inside the tumor tissue resulting in decreased levels of immunosuppressive cytokines like interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β while promoting the activation of immature macrophages and dendritic cells. Furthermore, combination of VLP immunization with gemcitabine treatment showed an improved effect significantly increasing the survival of tumor bearing mice. Our results demonstrate that mTrop2 VLP immunization can activate broad antitumor immune responses and affect key players in the tumor microenvironment overcoming a major barrier, which has limited the efficacy of cancer vaccines. This study presents a novel immunotherapeutic approach which could potentially be used as an alternative treatment option in combination therapies to treat pancreatic cancer patients.
New insights on the doping of ZnO films with elements from group IIIA through electrochemical deposition

This study was focused in the electrodeposition of both compact and nanostructured extrinsic n-type doped ZnO films, which was achieved with aluminum, gallium, and indium. These elements were directly added into a Zn(II) rich electrolyte with molecular oxygen acting as an oxide precursor in aqueous perchlorate media. This way, the use of nitrate ions, whose by-products are accumulated in the aqueous electrolyte, and chloride ions, an electrically active element in ZnO, was therefore avoided. Speciation diagrams, conditional solubility diagrams and a potentiodynamic study were used to explain the way in which extrinsic n-type ZnO can be prepared by electrochemical deposition. Relatively compact films with a highly preferred orientation along the c-axis were suitable for impedance measurements, thus allowing the measurement of their doping levels. Al- and Ga-doped lamellar nanostructures were successfully prepared when the nature of the anion was changed from perchlorate to sulfate. Under specific conditions, the structure of these films changed from opened and isolated nanosheets to interconnected ones. Morphological, optical, and crystallographic properties of these films were also analyzed. Results and discussion presented here should provide a better understanding toward the study of alternative materials in fields such as photovoltaics and photocatalysis.
The Differential Effects of Racially Homophilous Sponsorship Ties on Job Opportunities in an Elite Labor Market: The Case of NCAA Basketball Coaching†

We examine how an assistant coach's race and the race of his supervisor (the head coach) interact to affect future job quality. While past research argues that homophily is beneficial to job mobility, we find differential effects based on the race. OLS and OLR regression analyses on the quality of one's first head coaching job in NCAA men's basketball indicate that black assistant coaches working under black head coaches (black homophily) are significantly disadvantaged compared to all other racial combinations: white assistants with white supervisors (white homophily), white assistants with black supervisors (white heterophily), and black assistants with white supervisors (black heterophily). In contrast, there is no significant difference in job quality among the latter three groups: white homophily, white heterophily, and black heterophily. This indicates that while homophily is neither advantageous nor disadvantageous for whites, it is disadvantageous for black job candidates. This racially based disadvantage makes it difficult for minority job candidates to break through the glass ceiling and has real-world financial implications.
Effect of mechanical design of the suspension on dynamic loading process

In designing a load/unload system utilized in hard disk drives, necessary care needs to be taken to ensure that the slider does not damage the disk surface during loading and unloading processes. However, a small deviation in the design point of the preload between the load-dome and flexure can lead to undesirable loading processes resulting in an adverse number of slider/disk contacts. In this study, we show that if the preload between the load-dome and flexure is too low, the slider can oscillate causing the corners of the slider to contact the disk multiple times even though the slider is a few microns away from the disk. In addition, the slider can be sucked down towards the disk resulting in a complete separation of the load-dome from the flexure assembly leading to uncontrolled loading conditions. This separation occurs while the suspension is still on the ramp, and thus no preload is exerted on the slider immediately following the separation. Consequently, the slider flies at a flying height higher than the design point until the gap between the load-dome and flexure closes. Hence, the suspension must be carefully designed to suppress slider oscillation and to ensure that the load-dome does not separate during the loading process.
Photoprotective substance occurs primarily in outer layers of fish skin

Methanol extracts of dorsal skin layers, eyes, gills, and livers from ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation-sensitive and UVB-tolerant species of freshwater fish were examined for a substance that appears to be photoprotective. Significantly larger amounts of this substance were found in extracts of outer dorsal skin layers from both UVB-sensitive and UVB-tolerant fish when compared with extracts of inner dorsal skin layers. This substance occurred in minor amounts or was not detected in eye, gill, and liver extracts. The apparent primary function of this substance in fish is to protect the cells in outer dorsal skin layers from harmful levels of UVB radiation.
A method for increasing thrust reverser utilization on STOL aircraft.

A technique for increasing the utilization of thrust reversers on STOL aircraft is described. The technique involves asymmetric orientation of the reversed exhaust in such a manner as to avoid the problems of self-ingestion, even in the presence of a cross wind, and cross ingestion between adjacent engines. Experimental results of ingestion in a single nacelle inlet are discussed and flow visualization pictures are presented. An analytical model of ingestion is described and sample results are shown.
Cytoplasmic γ-Actin Is Not Required for Skeletal Muscle Development but Its Absence Leads to a Progressive Myopathy

Summary Nonmuscle γ cyto -actin is expressed at very low levels in skeletal muscle but uniquely localizes to costameres, the cytoskeletal networks that couple peripheral myofibrils to the sarcolemma. We generated and analyzed skeletal muscle-specific γ cyto -actin knockout ( Actg1 -msKO) mice. Although muscle development proceeded normally, Actg1 -msKO mice presented with overt muscle weakness accompanied by a progressive pattern of muscle fiber necrosis/regeneration. Functional deficits in whole-body tension and isometric twitch force were observed, consistent with defects in the connectivity between muscle fibers and/or myofibrils or at the myotendinous junctions. Surprisingly, γ cyto -actin-deficient muscle did not demonstrate the fibrosis, inflammation, and membrane damage typical of several muscular dystrophies but rather presented with a novel progressive myopathy. Together, our data demonstrate an important role for minimally abundant but strategically localized γ cyto -actin in adult skeletal muscle and describe a new mouse model to study the in vivo relevance of subcellular actin isoform sorting.
Prediction in random coefficient regression

Abstract Random coefficient regression and autoregressive models are important in diverse applications such as the classical statistical analysis of random and mixed effects models, the modelling of certain econometric and biological time series, and as a means for image compression. This paper develops nonparametric prediction intervals for a random coefficient regression model. The construction of these intervals requires a consistent estimate for the joint distribution of the model's random coefficients. Two such consistent estimates — a new one using minimum distance ideas and an earlier one based on estimated moments (Beran and Hall, 1992) — are discussed.
Using forgetful routing to control BGP table size

Running the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), the Internet's interdomain routing protocol, consumes a large amount of memory. A BGP-speaking router typically stores one or more routes, each with multiple attributes, for more than 170,000 address blocks, and growing. When the router does not have enough memory to store a new route, it may crash or enter into other unspecified behavior, causing serious disruptions for the data traffic. In this paper, we propose a new mechanism for routers to handle memory limitations without modifying the underlying routing protocol and without negatively affecting convergence delay. Upon running out of memory, the router simply discards information about some alternate routes, and requests a "refresh" from its neighbors later if necessary. We present an optimal offline algorithm for deciding which alternate routes to evict, and explore the trade-off between memory size and refresh overhead using a large BGP message trace. Based on these promising results, we design and evaluate efficient online algorithms that achieve most of the performance benefits. We believe that our scheme can significantly improve the scalability and robustness of IP routers in the future.
Site-Directed Spin Labeling Evidence of the Leader-Linker Interaction in the Glycine Riboswitch using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Riboswitches are mRNA transcripts that function to modulate genetic expression through selective recognition and binding of cognate ligands which, subsequently, induces RNA conformational changes. Continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW EPR) spectroscopy, when employed with site-directed spin labeling (SDSL), is a useful technique for investigating changes in site-specific dynamics within biological systems. In this work, SDSL CW EPR was used to study the leader-linker interaction in the Vibrio cholerae glycine riboswitch. The glycine riboswitch binds two molecules of glycine to regulate the expression of genes associated with glycine metabolism. The recently described leader-linker interaction in the glycine riboswitch has been investigated using biochemical methods and was shown to play a functional role in the ligand binding process. To probe local RNA backbone dynamics of select sites within the leader-linker interaction SDSL, using the R5 spin label, was employed. Incorporation of spin labels was achieved through the use of optimized ligation methodologies that allow small, synthetically modified RNA to be joined to the larger riboswitch RNA sequence. Empirical analysis of X-band EPR line shapes was used to characterize dynamics of the interaction at varying temperatures for differing folded states of the riboswitch in the absence or presence of salts and glycine ligand. Spectral variation at the labeled sites is in agreement with postulated secondary structural elements and has provided spectroscopic evidence in support of the leader-linker interaction.
Pathways of muscle protein breakdown in injury and sepsis.

The purpose of this article is to review evidence that the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway plays an important role in injury- and sepsis-induced muscle catabolism. Such evidence includes upregulated gene expression of several of the components of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway as well as energy-dependency of the injury- and sepsis-induced muscle protein breakdown. Although the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is the predominant mechanism of muscle breakdown in various catabolic conditions, other proteolytic mechanisms, in particular calcium-dependent, calpain-mediated protein degradation, probably participate as well. Language: en
Cognitive ability and strategic sophistication

Abstract In three experiments we examine the extent to which strategic sophistication (i.e., inductive reasoning, iterative dominance and level-k thinking) is determined by broader cognitive skills. In the first experiment we replicate previous results showing strong associations between cognitive ability and sophistication in a game of iterative dominance and show that similar results arise in a game requiring induction. In the second two experiments we extend the literature in new directions. In Experiment 2 we modify the games to better capture participantsʼ ability to reason inductively and predict the sophistication of others and, again, find strong associations between cognitive ability, measured using a common IQ test, and sophistication. In Experiment 3 we examine more closely the causal nature of the relationship between cognitive ability and sophistication. We use a standard tool from cognitive psychology to randomly shock the cognitive ability of participants and show that this significantly affects game performance.
Identification of the long ubiquitin extension as ribosomal protein S27a

Two proteins of unknown function are encoded by 3' in-frame extensions of ubiquitin genes. The polypeptides are synthesized as an additional 52 or 76-80 amino acids on the C terminus of ubiquitin, an unusual arrangement conserved in man, yeast and plants (J. Callis and R. Vierstra, personal communication). Although not homologous to each other or to ubiquitin, both extension proteins are highly basic and contain patterns of cysteine and histidine similar to those proposed to form 'zinc fingers'. The longer C-terminal extension protein (CEP80) is 30% lysine and arginine and, when denatured, behaves like a small cationic protein. Its properties after isolation in physiological conditions, however, suggested that CEP80 is part of an RNA-protein complex. Using the antibodies that confirmed the presence of CEP80 in eukaryotic cells, we show here that the protein is located on ribosomes. Immunoblotting of rat 40S subunit proteins specifically identifies CEP80 as ribosomal protein S27a.
Influence of nalidixic acid adaptation on sensitivity of various Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli to EO water treatment

Abstract This study was designed to validate the use of nalidixic acid-adapted strains of various STEC for electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water efficacy testing. The resistance of total 48, parent (NalS) and adapted (NalA) strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and six major serotypes of non-O157, STEC were tested against EO water using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and inoculated beef trims. MIC was conducted for 15 s testing period with free chlorine concentrations of 3.00, 2.50, 2.00, 1.50, 1.00, 0.50 and 0.25 mg/L. While, beef trims (5 cm cubes) were inoculated with a cocktail of the same serogroup strains and treated with EO water (50 mg/L available chlorine) for 1 min. The MIC values of individual strains ranged from 0.41 to 1.66 mg/L free chlorine of EO water. When treated on beef trim, pathogen load reductions ranging from 0.44 to 1.54 log CFU/cm2 were observed. No significant differences in sensitivity towards EO water treatment were observed between NalS and their NalA derivatives in either study which validates the use of NalA strains in EO water efficacy study. In addition, the EO water treatment that reduced E. coli O157:H7 was equally or more effective in reducing non-O157 STEC on beef trim.
The maize Sh2r6hs ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) large subunit confers enhanced AGP properties in transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Abstract The rate of cereal seed starch biosynthesis is determined largely by the activity of starch biosynthetic enzymes within the endosperm. The heterotetrameric allosteric enzyme ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) controls the first committed step in starch synthesis, and is inhibited by phosphate (P i ) and activated by 3-PGA. An altered AGP large subunit ( Sh2r6hs ) from maize containing two alterations relative to the wild-type maize Sh2 sequence was introduced into wheat. The rev6 alteration confers reduced P i inhibition and decreased heat stability in maize and the hs alteration has been shown to increase AGP subunit interactions and enzyme stability in Escherichia coli . We have previously shown that low-level expression of Sh2r6hs under control of the maize Sh2 promoter increases yield in wheat and rice. Our objective here was to examine how Sh2r6hs affects AGP activity and yield in wheat and whether further yield increases were possible with greater Sh2r6hs expression. We therefore developed an additional population of transgenic wheat expressing SH2R6HS under control of the endosperm specific wheat Glutenin ( Glu ) promoter. Yield increases in high-expressing Glu promoter Sh2r6hs lines were comparable to those with the Sh2 promoter despite the fact that the Glu promoter confers ∼20 times higher levels of Sh2r6hs expression than the Sh2 promoter and five times more SH2R6HS accumulation versus native wheat large AGP subunits. However, the high expression allowed endosperm AGP kinetic analysis. The I 0.5 of wheat AGP was increased from 2.0 to 4.1 mM P i by SH2R6HS expression and the A 0.5 was decreased from 0.82 to 0.31 mM 3-PGA. Two properties of Sh2r6hs AGP were identified that indicate greater subunit stability: wheat AGP small subunit levels were higher without variation in small subunit transcript levels, and in vitro activity was twice as great as untransformed AGP activity after heat treatment. Both r6 and hs alterations act independently and synergistically to modify AGP allosteric-regulation, increase AGP subunit stability, and increase yield in plants expressing Sh2r6hs .
Volcanic Activity and Climatic Changes

Radiocarbon dates of volcanic activity suggest variations that appear to be related to climatic changes. Historical eruption records also show variations on the scale of years to centuries. These records can be combined with simple climatic models to estimate the impact of various volcanic activity levels. From this analysis it appears that climatic prediction in the range of 2 years to many decades requires broad-scale volcanic activity prediction. Statistical analysis of the volcanic record suggests that some predictability is possible.
Oceanographic preferences of Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus , on their Gulf of Mexico breeding grounds

Electronic tagging and remotely sensed oceanographic data were used to determine the oceanographic habitat use and preferences of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L.) exhibiting behaviors associated with breeding in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Oceanographic habitats used by 28 Atlantic bluefin tuna exhibiting breeding behavior (259 days) were compared with available habitats in the GOM, using Monte Carlo tests and discrete choice models. Habitat utilization and preference patterns for ten environmental parameters were quantified: bathymetry, bathymetric gradient, SST, SST gradient, surface chlorophyll concentration, surface chlorophyll gradient, sea surface height anomaly, eddy kinetic energy, surface wind speed, and surface current speed. Atlantic bluefin tuna exhibited breeding behavior in the western GOM and the frontal zone of the Loop Current. Breeding areas used by the bluefin tuna were significantly associated with bathymetry, SST, eddy kinetic energy, surface chlorophyll concentration, and surface wind speed, with SST being the most important parameter. The bluefin tuna exhibited significant preference for areas with continental slope waters (2,800–3,400 m), moderate SSTs (24–25 and 26–27°C), moderate eddy kinetic energy (251–355 cm2 s−2), low surface chlorophyll concentrations (0.10–0.16 mg m−3), and moderate wind speeds (6–7 and 9–9.5 m s−1). A resource selection function of the bluefin tuna in the GOM was estimated using a discrete choice model and was found to be highly sensitive to SST. These habitat utilization and preference patterns exhibited by breeding bluefin tuna can be used to develop habitat models and estimate the probable breeding areas of bluefin tuna in a dynamic environment.
Considerations in the management of damage to the mandibular nerve

If the mandibular nerve is damaged when surgery is performed, its treatment should be generally left to nature, unless the nerves are easily accessible to be sutured. The patient should be advised of the potential problem before surgery. Damage to the mandibular nerve is possible in any surgical procedure. An understanding of the anatomy, physiology, and regenerative problems of the nerve can aid the practitioner in managing any damage.
Foliar Damage, Ion Content, and Mortality Rate of Five Common Roadside Tree Species Treated with Soil Applications of Magnesium Chloride

Sensitivity to magnesium chloride (MgCl2) was assessed on five common roadside tree species by maintaining soil concentrations at 0-, 400-, 800-, or 1,600-ppm chloride via MgCl2 solution over four growing seasons. Evaluations of growth, leaf retention, foliar damage, and ion concentrations were conducted. Water potentials were measured on two species. Foliar chloride and magnesium concentrations were positively correlated with foliar damage in all species. Conifers exhibited mild damage during the first growing season but moderate to severe damage during the first winter and second growing season. The two highest MgCl2 treatments caused leaf loss, severe damage, or mortality of Douglas-fir, lodgepole, and ponderosa pines after two seasons of treatments and of limber pine after four seasons. Aspen also displayed foliar damage and crown loss but abscised damaged leaves and flushed asymptomatic leaves throughout the growing seasons. The highest treatment caused mortality of aspen in 4 years. Approximately 13,000–17,000-ppm foliar chloride was associated with severe damage in conifers but ranged from 13,000- to 33,000-ppm in fully necrotic leaves. Aspen foliage contained the highest concentrations of chloride (24,000–36,000-ppm), and limber pine leaves had the lowest (<14,200-ppm). Although MgCl2 caused reductions in leaf water potential, aspen and ponderosa pine did not appear to be under substantial moisture stress and continued to take up ions. Mortality of common roadside tree species in 2 to 4 years can occur due to high MgCl2 soil concentrations, and transportation officials should consider these implications in their management plans.
Long-Term Effects of the 1991 Gulf War on the Hydrocarbon Levels in Clams at Selected Areas of the Saudi Arabian Gulf Coastline

Abstract The hydrocarbon levels in the clam Meretrix meretrix at selected locations along the Saudi Arabian Gulf coastline for the period 1981–90 (prior to the 1991 Gulf War) are compared to those from the war and post-war periods. Five of the nine sites in the study were affected by the war oil spill. There was no significant impact in the n -alkane levels. However dibenzothiophenes and phenanthrenes increased significantly in the clam tissue during the war period. These values returned to pre-war levels after a short period of time (within two years). The data from the sites affected by the oil spill are compared with data from the other four unaffected sites in the study that are located further to the south.
Designing the Ideal Uranyl Ligand: a Sterically-Induced Speciation Change in Complexes with Thiophene-Bridged Bis(3-hydroxy-N-methylpyridin-2-one)

Structural characterization of a mononuclear uranyl complex with a tetradentate, thiophene-linked bis(3-hydroxy-N-methylpyridin-2-one) ligand reveals the most planar coordination geometry yet observed with this ligand class. The introduction of ethylsulfanyl groups onto the thiophene linker disrupts this planar, conjugated ligand arrangement, resulting in the formation of dimeric (UO2)2L2 species in which each ligand spans two uranyl centers. Relative energy calculations reveal that this tendency toward dimer formation is the result of steric interference between ethylsulfanyl substitutents and linking amides.
Locating salient items in large data collections with compressive linear measurements

Recent advances in compressive sensing (CS) have established that high-dimensional signals that possess sparse representations in some basis or dictionary can be accurately recovered from relatively few linear measurements. As a result, CS strategies have been proposed and developed in a number of application domains where sensing resource efficiency is of primary importance. This paper examines a class of compressive anomaly detection tasks, where the aim is to identify the locations of a nominally small number of outliers in a large collection of data (which may be scalar or multivariate) using a small number of observations of the form of linear combinations of subsets of the data. We introduce a generalized notion of sparsity termed here as saliency, and establish that a novel sensing and inference technique called Compressive Saliency Sensing (CSS), comprised of a randomized linear sensing strategy and associated computationally efficient inference procedure based on techniques from group testing, can accurately identify the locations of k outliers in a collection of n items from only m = O(k log n) linear measurements. We describe several inference tasks to which our approach is suited, including “traditional” k-sparse support recovery problems; identification of k outliers in the “simple” signal model of Donoho and Tanner, characterized by nominally binary vectors having k entries strictly in (0, 1); and identification of vectors that are outliers from a common (low-dimensional) linear subspace.
Linear Optimal Theory Applied to Active Structural Bending Control

To improve ride qualities and structural fatigue life of high-performance aircraft, control of structural flexing is desirable. Linear optimal control via the root-square locus was employed to design a simple, effective bending-control system for four XB-70 coupled longitudinal bending modes. The weighted sum of the mean-square differential angular acceleration and the control surface position was minimized for random wind-gust inputs. Approximation of frequency response characteristics of high-order optimal compensations led to a suboptimal mechanization (fixed-parameter, third-order transfer function with a programmed gain) which produced nearly optimal performance for three diverse low-altitude flight cases. The rms differential angular acceleration was reduced by a factor of 5 for a control expenditure of approximately 13°/sec rms elevon rate per fps of rms wind-gust velocity. Changed vehicle parameters for a fourth flight case require different sensor locations for effective control. Extensive design data show correlation of performance with plant gain and performance-index weighting factors, indicating a potential for predesign prediction of results. Comparable performance is provided by simple, uncompensated feedbacks for some cases, but stability margins are lower than for the near-optimal systems.