cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiative transport quantities for a hydrogen plasma

Abstract The object of this investigation is to evaluate various radiative transport quantities for a hydrogen plasma. These transport quantities pertain to the analysis of radiative energy transfer in nonisothermal gases, and they include the Planck mean, modified Planck mean, linear Planck mean, and Rosseland mean absorption coefficients, in addition to the modified emissivity and its derivative which appear in the formulation for the linearized radiative flux. Twenty one spectral lines are included in the calculations, and the line profiles are taken to be Stark profiles. Results are presented for temperatures from 10 000°K to 20 000°K and electron densities of 1016, 1017, and 1018cm-3. The importance of line radiation, relative to continuum radiation, and the practical achievement of the optically thin and optically thick limits, are discussed.
Arteriovenous malformation of the uterus associated with a missed abortion.

Arteriovenous malformation of the uterus is a rare uterine abnormality. This entity is generally associated with the presence of molar disease, choriocarcinoma and uterine surgery, but may be congenitally acquired. The presence of an arteriovenous malformation generally leads to unexplained profuse uterine bleeding. The diagnosis of this entity has traditionally been made by arteriography, and the treatment is usually hysterectomy. We present a patient with an arteriovenous malformation of the uterus whose prior delivery was by Cesarean section. The patient experienced episodes of heavy vaginal bleeding in the first month following the procedure of suction curettage for a first-trimester pregnancy loss. Chorionic villus sampling performed prior to the procedure showed a chromosomally normal fetus. The diagnosis of an arteriovenous malformation was made by color Doppler velocimetry and confirmed with arteriography. The patient desired to maintain her fertility. Interventional radiological techniques were successfully utilized to obliterate the arteriovenous malformation with the use of polyvinyl alcohol particles (250 micro m) and gelfoam. Discussion includes the presenting signs and symptoms along with the method of both diagnosis and conservative management.
Abolition with chloramine-T of inactivation in barnacle muscle fibers results in stimulation of the ouabain-insensitive sodium efflux.

Abstract The hypothesis that chloramine-T stimulates the basal Na+ efflux in barnacle fibers as the results of the entry of trigger Ca2+ into the myoplasm from the bathing medium was examined in this study. Two reasons for doing so can be given. One is that the oxidant is known to abolish inactivation in sodium and potassium channels. The other is that L-type Ca2+ channels are present in barnacle fibers, and an increase in internal free Ca2+ in these fibers is known to stimulate the Na+ efflux, particularly in ouabain-poisoned fibers. The results of the experiments are as follows: (i) Chloramine-T exerts a biphasic effect on the Na+ efflux: inhibition is followed by stimulation, the threshold concentration being 10−5 M. This is also found to be the threshold concentration for shortening of these fibers. (ii) The kinetics of the inhibitory effect resemble those of ouabain. (iii) Ouabain is without effect on the stimulatory phase caused by chloramine-Y. (iv) Application of chloramine-T after the full effect of 10−4 M-ouabain is reached elicits solely a stimulatory response. (v) The dose-response curves for the stimulatory action of chloramine-T in unpoisoned and ouabain-poisoned fibers are alike except that the threshold concentration is less than 10−5 M in poisoned fibers. (vi) Basal light emission from unpoisoned and ouabain-poisoned fibers loaded with the photoprotein, aequorin, some 60 min beforehand increased as soon as they are exposed to 10−4 M chloramine-T. The response recorded in unpoisoned fibers is monophasic and usually transitory, whereas it is multiphasic and usually sustained in ouabain-poisoned fibers. (vii) The dose-response curve for chloramine-T shows a shift to the left in poisoned fibers. (viii) The magnitude of the rise in light emission depends on the external Ca2+ concentration. A rise fails to take place in the nominal absence of external Ca2+. Taken together, these results support the above hypothesis that chloramine-T causes the entry of trigger Ca2+ into the myoplasm from the outside and provide evidence that stimulation of the Na+ efflux is associated not only with this event but also with a reduced Na+ gradient resulting from inhibition of the membrane Na+/K+-ATPase system by the oxidant. Thus, the suggestion put forward is that this oxidant promotes reverse Na+/Ca2+ exchange and is able to exert multiple effects on membrane transport.
Noninvasive measurement of rate of left ventricular relaxation by Doppler echocardiography. Validation with simultaneous cardiac catheterization.

BACKGROUNDThe instantaneous pressure gradient between the left ventricle and left atrium during systole can be calculated from the mitral regurgitation Doppler velocity curve. The purpose of our study was to determine the accuracy of measuring the time constant of relaxation (TAU) derived from the Doppler mitral regurgitation signal by comparing it with simultaneous high-fidelity left ventricular pressure measurements in humans.METHODS AND RESULTSTwenty-five patients had continuous-wave Doppler mitral regurgitation recordings performed with simultaneous high-fidelity left ventricular pressure measurements. Fifteen of these patients had measurements of six to eight beats at various RR intervals. Doppler velocity curves were converted to left ventricular pressure curves by different methods through application of the modified Bernoulli equation at 3-msec intervals. The correlation between catheter-derived and Doppler-derived TAU was best when a zero asymptote and knowledge of the left ventricular end-diasto...
meta-DENSE complex acquisition for reduced intravoxel dephasing

Displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) with a meta-DENSE readout and RF phase cycling to suppress the STEAM anti-echo is described for reducing intravoxel dephasing signal loss. This RF phase cycling scheme, when combined with existing meta-DENSE suppression of the T1 recovering signal, yields higher quality DENSE myocardial strain maps. Phantom and human images are provided to demonstrate the technique, which is capable of acquiring phase contrast displacement encoded images at low encoding gradient strengths providing better spatial resolution and less signal loss due to intravoxel dephasing than prior methods.
Quantification of Phosphorylation of Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS

Serine/threonine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) regulates the function and subsequent insulin signaling of this protein. Human IRS-1 has 1242 amino acid residues, including 182 serines and 60 threonines. The size, complexity, and relatively low abundance of this protein in biological samples make it difficult to map and quantify phosphorylation sites by conventional means. A mass spectrometry peak area based quantification approach has been developed and applied to assess the relative abundance of IRS-1 phosphorylation in the absence or presence of stimuli. In this method, the peak area for a phosphopeptide of interest is normalized against the average of peak areas for six selected representative IRS-1 peptides that serve as endogenous internal standards. Relative quantification of each phosphopeptide is then obtained by comparing the normalized peak area ratios for untreated and treated samples. Two non-IRS-1 peptides were added to each digest for use as HPLC retention time markers and additional standards as well as references to the relative quantity of IRS-1 in different samples. This approach does not require isotopic or chemical labeling and can be applied to various cell lines and tissues. Using this method, we assessed the relative changes in the quantities of two tryptic phosphopeptides isolated from human IRS-1 expressed in L6 cells incubated in the absence or presence of insulin or tumor necrosis factor-α. Substantial increases of phosphorylation were observed for Thr446 upon stimulation. In contrast, no obvious change in the level of phosphorylation was observed for Ser1078. This mass spectrometry based strategy provides a powerful means to quantify changes in the relative phosphorylation of peptides in response to various stimuli in a complex, low-abundance protein.
HIV Diversity as a Biomarker for HIV Incidence Estimation: Including a High-Resolution Melting Diversity Assay in a Multiassay Algorithm

Multiassay algorithms (MAAs) can be used to estimate cross-sectional HIV incidence. We previously identified a robust MAA that includes the BED capture enzyme immunoassay (BED-CEIA), the Bio-Rad Avidity assay, viral load, and CD4 cell count. In this report, we evaluated MAAs that include a high-resolution melting (HRM) diversity assay that does not require sequencing. HRM scores were determined for eight regions of the HIV genome (2 in gag, 1 in pol, and 5 in env). The MAAs that were evaluated included the BED-CEIA, the Bio-Rad Avidity assay, viral load, and the HRM diversity assay, using HRM scores from different regions and a range of region-specific HRM diversity assay cutoffs. The performance characteristics based on the proportion of samples that were classified as MAA positive by duration of infection were determined for each MAA, including the mean window period. The cross-sectional incidence estimates obtained using optimized MAAs were compared to longitudinal incidence estimates for three cohorts in the United States. The performance of the HRM-based MAA was nearly identical to that of the MAA that included CD4 cell count. The HRM-based MAA had a mean window period of 154 days and provided cross-sectional incidence estimates that were similar to those based on cohort follow-up. HIV diversity is a useful biomarker for estimating HIV incidence. MAAs that include the HRM diversity assay can provide accurate HIV incidence estimates using stored blood plasma or serum samples without a requirement for CD4 cell count data.
Comparison of Two Forms of Intensive Speech Treatment for Parkinson Disease

This study investigated the effect of two forms of intensive speech treatment, (a) respiration (R) and (b) voice and respiration (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment [LSVT]), on the speech and voice deficits associated with idiopathic Parkinson disease. Forty-five subjects with Idiopathic Parkinson disease completed extensive pretreatment neurological, otolaryngological, neuropsychological, and speech assessments. All subjects completed 16 sessions of intensive speech treatment, 4 times a week for 1 month. Pre- and post-treatment measures included intensity and maximum duration during sustained vowel phonation. Intensity, habitual fundamental frequency, fundamental frequency variability, and utterance and pause duration were measured during reading of the "Rainbow Passage" and conversational monologue as well. Family and subject self-ratings were completed pre- and post-treatment for the perceptual variables loudness, monotonicity, hoarseness, overall intelligibility, and initiation of conversation. Significant pre- to post-treatment improvements were observed for more variables and were of greater magnitude for the subjects who received the voice and respiration treatment (LSVT). Only subjects who received the LSVT rated a significant decrease post-treatment on the impact of Parkinson disease on their communication. Correlations between descriptive prognostic variables (i.e., stage of disease, speech/voice severity rating, depression, and time since diagnosis) and magnitude of treatment-related change indicated these factors did not significantly predict treatment effectiveness. These findings suggest that intensive voice and respiration (LSVT) treatment, focusing on increased vocal fold adduction and respiration, is more effective than respiration (R) treatment alone for improving vocal intensity and decreasing the impact of Parkinson disease on communication.
Effect of Insulin and Lipolytic Hormones on Cyclic AMP Phosphodiesterase Activity in Normal and Diabetic Rat Adipose Tissue

Insulin has been shown to lower cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels in hormonally sensitive tissue. The mechanism by which this lowering occurs has not yet been fully defined. We studied the effects of insulin on rat adipose tissue cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) in an incubation system. The adipose tissue used was from both normal animals and animals rendered diabetic by intravenous injections of streptozotocin. Rat epididymal fat pads were incubated in a Krebs- Ringer bicarbonate—4% albumin system with 0, 100, 1,000, or 10,000 μU⁄ml insulin (INS); epinephrine (EPI) or glucagon (GLU) at several different concentrations. After 15 min of incubation, each tissue was homogenized, centrifuged, and the supernatant assayed for cAMP PDE activity using the breakdown of [3H]cAMP. The data was used to characterize cAMP PDE into apparent high and low Km PDE components. In the normal animals, INS increased Vmax of the low Km PDE components; 100 μU⁄ml INS, 30%; 1000 μU⁄ml INS, 40%; and 10,000 μU⁄ml INS, 20%. In contras...
Raz on Rights

In the April I984 issue of Mind, J. Raz offers an account of the nature of rights. 1 His account is general, in that it is meant to explain and illuminate the nature of rights in the context of all moral theories in which they play a role. My remarks here are focused on what Raz takes to be the main feature of his account: the claim that rights are intermediate conclusions in arguments from individual interests to duties. More specifically, he says, '. . . the interests are part of the justification of the rights, which are part of the justification of the duties' (p. 208). Although Raz is correct in holding that individual interests constitute the ground of rights (or part of the justification of them), I argue that he is mistaken in claiming that rights are the ground of duties. A close examination of what is required to complete an argument from interests to rights reveals that his position on the relationship between rights and duties is untenable, at least as part of a general account of the nature of rights. Further, the considerations which lead Raz to believe that rights are the ground of duties can be explained more easily within an alternative account of the relationship between duties, rights, and interests. First, consider the argument from interests to rights. It seems clear, as Raz claims, that interests constitute at least part of the ground of rights. If persons never had (and never could have) any interest in life, liberty, property, etc., it would make no sense to speak of rights to these things. The point of rights is to secure certain interests for individuals. However, it is equally clear (as Raz acknowledges) that interests constitute only part of the justification of rights. We cannot move directly from the claim 'P has an interest in X' to the claim 'P has a right to XV. P may have an interest in a Harvard education, but it does not necessarily follow that she has a right to one. The reason we cannot make a direct inference from interests to rights is that in the world as we know it, individuals' interests often come into conflict. We cannot infer from P's interest in a Harvard education that she has the corresponding right because other persons' interests may have to be sacrificed if we are to secure this interest for P. If she is admitted to Harvard, the quality of education may be reduced for other students, it may be necessary for the college to turn away another more qualified applicant who would have been admitted, others may have to sacrifice resources in order to provide financial aid for P, etc. Unless we know that these conflicts of interests ought to be resolved in P's favour, we cannot conclude that she has a right to a Harvard education. Likewise, we cannot move directly from the claim that P has an interest (even a vital interest) in receiving an artificial
Chemisorption of NO on Re studied by XPS

Abstract The adsorption of nitric oxide on clean rhenium has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. At room temperature only dissociative adsorption occurs; at 100 K, NO adsorbs molecularly at low coverages. Higher NO exposures lead to the formation of NO 2 which dissociates upon warming above 180 K.
Modules with trivial source, modular monomial representations and a modular version of Brauer's induction theorem

LetG be a finite group andK an algebraically closed field of characteristicp ≠ 0. It is shown that for any indecomposableKG-moduleM with a trivial “source” in the sense ofJ. A. Green there exist at most 1-dimensionalKV-modulesS 1(V) andS 2(V) withV ranging over all subgroups ofG with a normal Sylow-p-subgroupV p and an elementary factor groupV/V p such that $$\mathop \oplus \limits_V S^1 (V)^{V \to G} \oplus M \cong \mathop \oplus \limits_V S_2 (V)^{V \to G} $$ , i.e.M is essentially induced from 1-dimensional representations of such subgroups. Moreover it is shown that one can associate to any direct sum of suchM certain numerical invariants (characters), which distinguishM within this class of modules up to isomorphism. The work is based onR. Brauer's induction theorem andJ. A. Green's transfer theorem. It is closely related to some earlier work ofS.B. Conlon.
Ueber solvatisierte Kolloide

Es werden Gele beschrieben von trocknen Metallseifen in verschiedenen organischen Losungsmitteln. Die Fahigkeit zur Bildung stabiler klarer Gele ist in diesen Systemen ungewohnlich gros. Besonders Aluminium- und Magnesiumseifen sind gute Gelbildner. In Bezug auf die Dispersionsmittel sind gute Gelbildner z. B. fur Al-Stearat: Benzol, Toluol, Xylol, CHCl3, CCl4, Aethylenchlorid, Hexan, Heptan, Dekan; nicht jedoch Pentan, Anilin, Pyridin, Kresol, Orthotoluidin, Benzylbenzoat. Die Versuche zeigen u. a., das kolloider Zustand und Gelbildungsvermogen durchaus nicht zwangslaufig mit dem Elektrolytcharakter der Systeme verknupft sind, und warnen vor der Ueberschatzung der sog.„elektrochemischen“ Theorien des kolloiden Zustandes.
Verbal discrimination learning and retention as a function of task and performance or observation

Learning and retention of verbal materials were compared in high school students under perform (guessing with feedback) or observe (watching the performer) conditions. The correct response was randomly determined, or the shortest word, or the word that made a short message when linked to contiguous correct words. In acquisition, subjects did better when performing, females did better than males, and the shortest word group did better than the other groups. There was a variety of interactions in the retention tests, for example, that between scoring (observing subjects either scored their paired performers’ responses as right or wrong or simply observed their paired performers) and trials. A transitory inhibitory effect could be attributed to the scoring operation, thus partially confirming a result reported earlier.
Analysis of Infection Control Surveillance Data in a Long-Term–Care Facility: Use of Threshold Testing

Objective To describe long-term trends in nosocomial infection rates and the threshold testing method for evaluating nosocomial surveillance data in a long-term-care facility (LTCF). Design Descriptive epidemiology of prospectively collected infection control surveillance data and application of threshold testing for detecting possible outbreaks. Threshold testing uses the binomial distribution to calculate probabilities of infection frequency at selected endemic levels (mean number of infections per month) and compares these probabilities to observed infection frequency. Setting One hundred twenty-bed LTCF located within a public, university-affiliated hospital. Patients and methods The study period was 1987 through 1994. Yearly endemic levels of specific types of infection were calculated and threshold levels were determined using a previously published method. In this study, a probability of P = .01 was chosen to determine the threshold at a specific endemic level; if the observed number of infections in a month reached or exceeded the threshold level, the likelihood that this occurred by chance alone was 1% or less. Interventions None. Results The overall mean nosocomial infection rate ranged from three to five episodes per 1,000 resident care days per year; mean yearly rates from 1990 onward were higher and more stable than those from 1987 to 1989. The most common infections identified were lower respiratory tract, skin and soft tissue, urinary tract, and conjunctivitis. For each of these infections, threshold levels were calculated periodically, using only the monthly frequency of infection. Despite variations in the yearly mean endemic level of various infections, threshold levels were stable except for skin and soft-tissue infection. Conclusions Threshold testing for analysis of infection control surveillance data in the LTCF setting is straightforward and does not require knowledge of statistics, special computer software, or calculation of rates; given the stable population in the typical LTCF, threshold testing can be based on variations in the monthly count of infections and provides an objective evaluation of surveillance data and a method to identify when outbreaks may be occurring.
Complete Genome Sequence of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli N4-Like Podophage Pollock

ABSTRACT Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is a multidrug-resistant bacterium that is well known for its ability to cause diarrhea in humans. Bacteriophages may be used to treat clinical cases involving bacterial dysentery. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of an enterotoxigenic E. coli phage, Pollock, an N4-like podophage.
Influence of natural organic matter on the adsorption of metal ions onto clay minerals.

The influence of natural organic matter (NOM) on the adsorption of Al, Fe, Zn, and Pb onto clay minerals was investigated. Adsorption experiments were carried out at pH = 5 and pH = 7 in the presence and absence of NOM. In general, the presence of NOM decreased the adsorption of metal ions onto the clay particles. Al and Fe were strongly influenced by NOM, whereas Zn and Pb adsorption was only slightly altered. The interaction of the metal ions with the minerals and the influence of NOM on this interaction was investigated by coupling SdFFF with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICPMS) or an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICPAES). Quantitative atomization of the clay particles in the ICP was confirmed by comparing elemental content determined by direct injection of the clay into the ICPMS with values from acid digestion. Particle sizes of the clays were found to be between 0.1 and 1 μm by sedimentation field-flow fractionation (SdFFF) with UV detection. Aggregation...
Low energy light-triggered oxidative cleavage of olefins

Abstract A series of substituted olefins were tested for their reactivity with singlet oxygen as a singlet oxygen-mediated cleavable linker. Low intensity light of 200 mW/cm 2 was irradiated to the solution of an olefin and 5,10,15-triphenyl-20-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-21 H ,23 H -porphyrin under atmospheric condition. Among the tested olefins, 1,2- cis -diphenoxyethylene reacted fast with singlet oxygen, >80% within 15 min yielding a stoichiometric conversion to aldehyde product without any side reactions.
Second nonocular cancers in retinoblastoma: a unified hypothesis. The Franceschetti Lecture.

(1999). Second nonocular cancers in retinoblastoma: a unified hypothesis The Franceschetti Lecture. Ophthalmic Genetics: Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 193-204.
Genetic control of bacteriophage M13 DNA synthesis.

Abstract In the filamentous single-stranded DNA phage M13, the DNA replicates via the three steps shown in Figure 1: first, conversion of the infecting single-stranded molecule to a double-stranded replicative form; then, production of a pool of RF † molecules; finally, synthesis of progeny single strands. The various viral DNA molecules can be distinguished from each other when appropriately labeled nucleic acid extracts from infected cells are sedimented in neutral sucrose gradients. Phage genetic control over the three replicative steps was studied by infecting non-permissive host cells with amber mutants for each of the six known M13 genes and determining which mutations blocked steps in DNA synthesis. In addition, infections with the wild type phage were carried out in the presence of high levels of chloramphenicol to determine which steps could proceed without viral protein synthesis. The experiments show that no viral protein synthesis is needed to permit conversion of the infecting DNA strand to an RF molecule, but that the product of M13 gene 2 is required for the build-up of the RF pool and the product of gene 5 for progeny single-strand production. The scheme for M13 DNA synthesis differs in several respects from that for the icosahedral single-stranded DNA phages φX174 and S13.
Vasospasm after spontaneous angiographically negative subarachnoid hemorrhage

Background Vasospasm, delayed infarcts and clinical deterioration due to delayed cerebral ischemia (CD-DCI) following digital subtraction angiography (DSA)-negative, spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are infrequently and inconsistently described in the literature.
Bulk file I/O extensions to Java

Author(s): Bonachea, D | Editor(s): Gannon, Dennis; Mehrotra, Piyush | Abstract: The file I/O classes present in Java have proven too inefficient to meet the demands of high-performance applications that perform large amounts of I/O. The inefficiencies stem primarily from the library interface which requires programs to read arrays a single element at a time. We present two extensions to the Java I/O libraries which alleviate this problem. The first adds bulk (array) I/O operations to the existing libraries, removing much of the overhead currently associated with array I/O. The second is a new library that adds direct support for asynchronous I/O to enable masking I/O latency with overlapped computation. The extensions were implemented in Titanium, a high-performance, parallel dialect of Java. We present experimental results that compare the performance of the extensions with the existing I/O libraries on a simple, external merge sort application. The results demonstrate that our extensions deliver vastly superior I/O performance for this array-based application.
Functionalized, carbon nanotube material for the catalytic degradation of organophosphate nerve agents

Recent world events have emphasized the need to develop innovative, functional materials that will safely neutralize chemical warfare (CW) agents in situ to protect military personnel and civilians from dermal exposure. Here, we demonstrate the efficacy of a novel, proof-of-concept design for a Cu-containing catalyst, chemically bonded to a single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) structural support, to effectively degrade an organophosphate simulant. SWCNTs have high tensile strength and are flexible and light-weight, which make them a desirable structural component for unique, fabric-like materials. This study aims to develop a self-decontaminating, carbon nanotube-derived material that can ultimately be incorporated into a wearable fabric or protective material to minimize dermal exposure to organophosphate nerve agents and to prevent accidental exposure during decontamination procedures. Carboxylated SWCNTs were functionalized with a polymer, which contained Cu-chelating bipyridine groups, and their catalytic activity against an organophosphate simulant was measured over time. The catalytically active, functionalized nanomaterial was characterized using X-ray fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy. Assuming zeroth-order reaction kinetics, the hydrolysis rate of the organophosphate simulant, as monitored by UV-vis absorption in the presence of the catalytically active nanomaterial, was 63 times faster than the uncatalyzed hydrolysis rate for a sample containing only carboxylated SWCNTs or a control sample containing no added nanotube materials. Open image in new window
Polarization of spontaneous emission from aligned laser atoms

Abstract Polarization of the spontaneous emission from aligned laser atoms is experimentally observed and polarization of the spontaneous emission from polarized laser atoms is discussed.
Continuous flow stirred tank turbulence parameters in the impeller stream

Abstract Turbulence parameters in the impeller stream of a continuous flow, stirred tank have not been previously measured, although concurrent with this work, others have made measurements in batch systems. The turbulence parameters were obtained in the direction of the velocity vectors by means of a hot-film probe. The directions of the mean velocity vectors were first determined with a three-dimensional Pilot tube. The average velocities obtained with the Pilot tube were much higher than with the hot-film anemometer due to the high intensity and large scale turbulence in the flow field. The turbulance field was anisotropic and intermittent, the latter being caused by a highly turbulent and randomly moving jet generated by the impeller blades. Autocorrelations and one-dimensional spectra of the velocity fluctuations were obtained at various positions in the stream. These revealed the presence of periodic velocities close to the impeller, generated by the rotating blades. Integral velocity scales were calculated from the autocorrelation after subtracting the contribution of the periodic velocities. Velocity microscales and energy dissipation rates were calculated mostly from the derivative signals of the fluctuating velocities, although other techniques were used for comparison at selected positions. The probability density distributions of the velocity fluctuations were significantly different from the normal distribution and negatively skewed. Intermittency factors were obtained with an electronic on-off circuit and a few positions from the flatness factor. The latter method did not yield satisfactory results because of the non-normal distribution of velocities. The conclusion that one may draw from this work is that modern turbulence measuring equipment can successfully help to characterize the flow in as complex a field as that of a mixing vessel. In a later paper, we will show to what extent one can use this information to predict the mixing in such a system.
Religion and Latino Partisanship in the United States

This article examines the interplay among religion, ethnicity, and the partisanship of Latinos in the U.S. Using pooled data from the 1990-2000 National Election Studies, we assess denominational affiliation and religious commitment as explanations of partisanship. We show that there is more religious diversity among Latinos than is usually acknowledged in studies of Latino politics and that the political importance of religion among Latinos has not been adequately assessed because variation beyond a Catholic/non-Catholic dichotomy has been ignored. We demonstrate that variation in Latino religious affiliation has important political implications.
A missense mutation in the seventh transmembrane domain constitutively activates the human Ca2+ receptor

A missense mutation, A843E, in the seventh transmembrane domain of the human Ca2+ receptor, identified in a subject with autosomal dominant hypocalcemia, was found to cause a constitutive activation while at the same time lowering the maximal response of the receptor to Ca2+. A truncated human Ca2+ receptor lacking the majority of the N-terminal extracellular domain failed to respond to Ca2+ despite an excellent cell surface expression. The A843E mutant version of this truncated receptor showed constitutive activation. These results identify A843 as a critical residue for maintaining the inactive conformation of the human Ca2+ receptor. Substitution of glutamate, but not lysine or valine, for alanine 843 leads to activation of the human Ca2+ receptor in a manner that no longer depends upon Ca2+ binding to the extracellular domain.
Functionalization of electrospun ceramic nanofibre membranes with noble-metal nanostructures for catalytic applications

This article reports a simple method for functionalizing the surface of TiO2 (both anatase and rutile) and ZrO2nanofibre membranes with Pt, Pd, and Rh nanoparticles. The TiO2membranes were prepared in the form of nonwoven mats by electrospinning with a solution containing both poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) and titanium tetraisopropoxide, followed by calcination in air to generate anatase (at 510 °C) or rutile (at 800 °C). The ZrO2membranes were fabricated with a solution of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) and zirconium acetylacetonate, followed by calcination in air at 550 °C to yield the tetragonal phase. The fibre mats were then immersed in a polyol reduction bath to coat the surface of the nanofibres with Pt, Pd, or Rh nanoparticles of 2–5 nm in size. In addition, the ceramic fibres decorated with Pt nanoparticles could serve as a substrate to grow Pt nanowires ∼7 nm in diameter with lengths up to 125 nm. We subsequently demonstrated the use of Pd-coated anatase fibre membranes as a catalytic system for cross-coupling reactions in a continuous flow reactor. Contrary to the conventional setup for an organic synthesis, a continuous flow system has advantages such as short reaction time and no need for separation. The membrane-based catalytic system can also be fully regenerated for reuse.
Indoor geolocation using RF multipath with probabilistic data association

An indoor navigation problem is considered where the objective is real-time tracking of transponding tags in multipath environments using signals sent from and received at a set of radio frequency (RF) sources at fixed and known locations. Current systems depend on detection of direct path signals and treat multipath signals as spurious. We present an approach for exploiting the multipath signals to maintain tracking when direct paths are undetected. The method relies on estimating the parameters of minimum-complexity models of the indirect path lengths. A maximum of three parameters is required to model indirect path lengths arising from an arbitrary number of specular reflections off planar surfaces. A probabilistic data association filter (PDAF) is used to mitigate uncertainties arising from noise, closely-spaced path lengths, and path length crossovers. The method is tested via simulation using bandlimited signals synthesized from ray trace data. Performance is compared to an optimized direct path filter using Monte Carlo analysis. No prior knowledge of multipath parameters or indoor infrastructure is assumed, and measurements are restricted to time-of-arrival (TOA) only. The results indicate that the PDAF consistently outperforms the direct path filter when one or more direct paths are blocked.
Business Owner Demography, Human Capital, and Social Networks

While early work on the topic of entrepreneurship tended to portray entrepreneurs as heroic individuals (e.g., see Raines & Leathers, 2000, on Schumpeter’s description), more recent perspectives have come to recognize that new business activity is often initiated by groups of startup owners. Starting in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a new generation of scholars in the entrepreneurship field called for a systematic program of research that would document the prevalence of startup teams, describe their properties, and assess their impact on business performance (e.g., Gartner, Shaver, Gatewood, & Katz, 1994; Kamm, Shuman, Seeger, & Nurick, 1990). In a review of developments in entrepreneur research and theory, Gartner et al. (1994) noted that “the ‘entrepreneur’ in entrepreneurship is more likely to be plural, rather than singular” (p. 6). They offered an expansive definition of startup teams, which included owners, investors, organizational decision-makers, family members, advisors, critical suppliers, and buyers as possible candidates for the role of “entrepreneur.”
Nanosecond-Pulsed Uniform Dielectric-Barrier Discharge

The authors report a new nanosecond-pulsed dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) for sterilization and other medical applications. In the literature, several discharges have been reported, with pulse durations on the order of hundreds of nanoseconds. In this paper, a novel pulsed DBD has been developed, with only few tens of nanosecond pulsewidths working uniformly over large range of electrode gap distance in air under atmospheric pressure.
Prostacyclins, thromboxanes and cardiovascular disease

Abstract Recent work in the field of essential fatty acid metabolism has led to the discovery of two new classes of compounds, the thromboxanes and prostacyclins. The opposing effects of these on the cardiovascular system, and the inhibition of their synthesis by certain anti-inflammatory drugs are providing promising new insights into the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic heart disease.
Changing Behavior Risk For Teen Pregnancy In The United States, 1991-2007

Purpose: After dramatic declines in teen birth and pregnancy in the 1990s and first half of 2000s, teen birth rates in the United States increased by 3% in 2006. Using a previouslydeveloped Pregnancy Risk Index (PRI) which summarizes pregnancy risk in a population based on contraceptive use and sexual activity, we examined behavioral correlates of these trends and the potential for future change in teen pregnancy.
Subspace-based blind channel estimation for OFDM by exploiting virtual carriers

Reliable channel estimation is indispensable for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems employing coherent detection and adaptive loading in order to achieve high data rate communications. Several options exist in practical OFDM systems-including training symbols, cyclic prefix, virtual carriers, pilot tones, and receiver diversity-to facilitate channel estimation. In this paper, a subspace blind channel estimation method based on exploiting the presence of virtual carriers is proposed for OFDM systems over a time-dispersive channel. The method can be applied to conventional OFDM systems with cyclic prefix as well as OFDM systems with no cyclic prefix. The reduction/elimination of cyclic prefix thereby provides the OFDM systems the potential to achieve higher channel utilization than most previously reported cyclic prefix based estimators. Sufficient channel identifiability condition is developed as well. Comparison with two other recently reported subspace methods is presented via computer simulations to support the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Towards adding probabilities and correlations to interval computations

The paper is a continuation of our previous work towards the use of probability information in interval computations. While in the previous work, bounds on the first order moments are taken into account, the contribution of this article is to deal with correlations. Specifically, in this paper, we develop a new method that takes into account both correlation among measured parameters and bounds on their expected values when doing interval computation.
Ebs1p, a negative regulator of gene expression controlled by the Upf proteins in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Mutations in EBS1 were identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that cosuppress missense, frameshift, and nonsense mutations. Evidence from studies of loss of function and overexpression of EBS1 suggests that Ebs1p affects gene expression by inhibiting translation and that a loss of EBS1 function causes suppression by increasing the rate of translation. Changes in EBS1 expression levels alter the expression of wild-type genes, but, in general, no changes in mRNA abundance were associated with a loss of function or overexpression of EBS1. Translation of a lacZ reporter was increased in strains carrying an ebs1-Δ mutant gene, whereas translation was decreased when EBS1 was overexpressed. The cap binding protein eIF-4E copurifies with Ebs1p in the absence of RNA, suggesting that the two proteins interact in vivo. Although physical and genetic interactions were detected between Ebs1p and Dcp1p, copurification was RNase sensitive, and changes in the expression of Ebs1p had little to no effect on decapping of the MFA2 transcript. The combined results suggest that Ebs1p inhibits translation, most likely through effects on eIF-4E rather than on decapping. Finally, EBS1 transcript levels are under the control of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), providing the first example of an NMD-sensitive transcript whose protein product influences a step in gene expression required for NMD.
Do Leveraged ETFs Increase Volatility

The 2008 financial crisis has produced volatility levels not seen since the 1987 stock market crash more than 20 years ago. During that time, the culprit was thought to be index futures and program trading. This time, leveraged ETFs and their rebalancing trades have been singled out by some to explain both the spike in volatility and the appearance of large price swings at the end of the trading day. This study examines the merit of these accusations and whether the increase in volatility and end of the day price momentum is indeed linked to leveraged ETFs and their rebalancing trades. For the S&P 500, the relationship appears to be a spurious coincidence.
X-ray crystal structure of the hypothetical phosphotyrosine phosphatase MDP-1 of the haloacid dehalogenase superfamily.

The haloacid dehalogenase (HAD) superfamily is comprised of structurally homologous enzymes that share several conserved sequence motifs (loops I−IV) in their active site. The majority of HAD members are phosphohydrolases and may be divided into three subclasses depending on domain organization. In classes I and II, a mobile “cap” domain reorients upon substrate binding, closing the active site to bulk solvent. Members of the third class lack this additional domain. Herein, we report the 1.9 A X-ray crystal structures of a member of the third subclass, magnesium-dependent phosphatase-1 (MDP-1) both in its unliganded form and with the product analogue, tungstate, bound to the active site. The secondary structure of MDP-1 is similar to that of the “core” domain of other type I and type II HAD members with the addition of a small, 28-amino acid insert that does not close down to exclude bulk solvent in the presence of ligand. In addition, the monomeric oligomeric state of MDP-1 does not allow the participati...
Simulation analysis of a collisionless multiple access protocol for a wavelength division multiplexed star-coupled configuration

A collisionless wavelength division multiple access protocol is introduced for a passive star-coupled photonic network that possesses significant performance and flexibility advantages over alternative approaches. A detailed simulation analysis is developed to study the behavior of the protocol with varying system characteristics. The protocol is control channel based: one of the WDM channels is used to reserve access for data packet transmission on the remaining data channels. Control channel access arbitration is achieved through time-division multiplexing, enabling all active nodes to transmit once every control cycle. This approach significantly reduces the long synchronization delays typical of time-division multiplexing systems: the control cycle length is proportional to the control packet size rather than the data packet size. The proposed approach has the advantage that variable sized data packets in a collisionless environment are supported without utilization degradation. Furthermore, a mechanism is introduced that relaxes the constraints on the switching times of the optical components by decreasing the performance sensitivity. The performance is evaluated in terms of network throughput, packet delay, and control and data channel utilization. In particular, this paper examines the performance impact with variations in the number of nodes and data channels, packet generation rate, data packet length, and the optical device switching latencies. >
Mapping global grassland ecosystems: a comparison of four data sets

Grassland ecosystems have broad global geographic distribution, occurring in tropical and temperate latitudes and from near sea level to high mountain slopes. The author lists the areas by continent of the world's grasslands as depicted in four global land cover data sets. Grasslands, by definition, include regions where the dominant vegetative cover is herbaceous. Functionally, they include managed rangelands and pastures. These ecosystems have been experiencing alterations such as changes in productivity, desertification, influx of exotic species, and conversion to agriculture. Some of the largest temperate grassland areas have been subjected to broad-scale land use conversion. For example, the central plains of North America have been largely converted into the "world's most productive dryland wheat region". Grassland regions exhibit sensitivity to changes in environmental conditions. For example, the boundaries between grasslands and other vegetation types, as well as between different grassland types, on the North American plains are subject to change based on factors such as available exhibit sensitivity to changes in moisture, precipitation, length of growing season, or maximum temperature within the growing season. In global climate change scenarios, there are predicted changes for such environmental factors, however the magnitude and location for the changes are as yet unclear. In some cases, climate changes coupled with the human-induced changes of grasslands are expected to intensify such processes as desertification or degradation.
PechaKucha Presentations: Teaching Storytelling, Visual Design, and Conciseness

Courses: Public speaking, business, and professional communicationObjectives: To improve students' ability to use storytelling elements in presentations; to improve students' ability to design visually appealing slides; to improve students' ability to be concise in oral presentations.
Molecular Analysis and Structure-Activity Relationship Modeling of the Substrate/Inhibitor Interaction Site of Plasma Membrane Monoamine Transporter

Plasma membrane monoamine transporter (PMAT) is a new polyspecific transporter that interacts with a wide range of structurally diverse organic cations. To map the physicochemical descriptors of cationic compounds that allow interaction with PMAT, we systematically analyzed the interactions between PMAT and three series of structural analogs of known organic cation substrates including phenylalkylamines, n-tetraalkylammonium (n-TAA) compounds, and β-carbolines. Our results showed that phenylalkylamines with a distance between the aromatic ring and the positively charged amine nitrogen atom of ∼6.4 A confer optimal interactions with PMAT, whereas studies with n-TAA compounds revealed an excellent correlation between IC(50) values and hydrophobicity. The five β-carbolines that we tested, which possess a pyridinium-like structure and are structurally related to the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium, inhibited PMAT with high affinity (IC(50) values of 39.1-65.5 μM). Cytotoxicity analysis further showed that cells expressing PMAT are 14- to 15-fold more sensitive to harmalan and norharmanium, suggesting that these two β-carbolines are also transportable substrates of PMAT. We then used computer-aided modeling to generate qualitative and quantitative three-dimensional pharmacophore models on the basis of 23 previously reported and currently identified PMAT inhibitors and noninhibitors. These models are characterized by a hydrogen bond donor and two to three hydrophobic features with distances between the hydrogen bond donor and hydrophobic features ranging between 5.20 and 7.02 A. The consistency between the mapping results and observed PMAT affinity of a set of test compounds indicates that the models performed well in inhibitor prediction and could be useful for future virtual screening of new PMAT inhibitors.