cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of convergent beam electron diffraction methods for simultaneous structure and Debye Waller factor determination

The measurement of accurate and precise structure factors and Debye Waller (DW) factors by quantitative convergent beam electron diffraction (QCBED) permits experimental determination of the electron density distribution and probing of interatomic bonding in crystals. The three QCBED methods used successfully for high precision measurements of low order structure factors to date, namely the zone axis pattern (ZAP) method, the excited row ER method and the multi-beam off-zone axis (MBOZA) technique, differ from each other regarding the crystal orientation relative to the incident electron beam. Consequently, the details of their respective dispersion surface representations differ regarding the number, relative amplitudes and phases of excited Bloch wave branches. Under the same experimental setup conditions, the factors most important to the degree of accuracy and precision achievable in electron density determination for crystals with QCBED methods ultimately depend on the sensitivity of the excited Bloch wave branches and the resultant contrast in the respective CBED patterns to changes in both structure and DW factors. In general, a QCBED pattern will be more sensitive to changes in both structure and DW factor, if it contains more and stronger excited Bloch wave branches, as dynamic interactions of the Bloch waves increase the sensitivity of the pattern. In this work we analyzed Bloch wave excitation and dispersion surfaces for the three most popular QCBED methods. The analysis indicates, that the QCBED patterns obtained using the MBOZA orientation generally contain more and stronger excited Bloch wave branches. Hence, MBOZA diffraction patterns are more sensitive than the ZAP and the ER patterns to changes in both DW and structure factors and therefore allow in differences to the other two methods simultaneous refinements effectively and robustly.
The nucleation and growth of voids in a material containing a distribution of grain-boundary particles

Abstract Void growth is analysed when a grain boundary contains a distribution of second phase particles. The rate of void growth is determined by the ease with which material can plate out around the particles or the rale at which the material surrounding the particles can deform by power-law creep. At low applied stresses, stress is concentrated onto the particles which can act as nucleating sites for new cavities. The stress at a particle is a function of its size, and increases as the area fraction of voids increases. A new cavity can nucleate once this stress reaches a critical value, and because materials contain a distribution of particle sizes, nucleation occurs continuously during the course of an experiment.
Cross-ownership as a hostage exchange to support collaboration

The impossibility of writing complete contracts causes loss of profitable transactions among firms, since their managers cannot ex ante bind themselves to future actions. The author shows how a reallocation of ownership rights into a network of mutual shareholdings among a coalition of firms produces an efficient enforcement mechanism. Cooperation is achieved by exchanging control rights until a mutual threat of capture of control is established. By making control over their firms vulnerable to a takeover by the other members of the coalition, each firm is able to make a credible commitment to future efficient actions. In equilibrium no punishment is administered, so that the arrangement achieves the outcome under complete contracts. More generally, it is proved that a mutual hostage exchange may dominate the threat of loss of reputation as an enforcement mechanism.
High-Throughput Biophysical Analysis of Protein Therapeutics to Examine Interrelationships Between Aggregate Formation and Conformational Stability

Stabilization and formulation of therapeutic proteins against physical instability, both structural alterations and aggregation, is particularly challenging not only due to each protein’s unique physicochemical characteristics but also their susceptibility to the surrounding milieu (pH, ionic strength, excipients, etc.) as well as various environmental stresses (temperature, agitation, lyophilization, etc.). The use of high-throughput techniques can significantly aid in the evaluation of stabilizing solution conditions by permitting a more rapid evaluation of a large matrix of possible combinations. In this mini-review, we discuss both key physical degradation pathways observed for protein-based drugs and the utility of various high-throughput biophysical techniques to aid in protein formulation development to minimize their occurrence. We then focus on four illustrative case studies with therapeutic protein candidates of varying sizes, shapes and physicochemical properties to explore different analytical challenges in monitoring protein physical instability. These include an IgG2 monoclonal antibody, an albumin-fusion protein, a recombinant pentameric plasma glycoprotein, and an antibody fragment (Fab). Future challenges and opportunities to improve and apply high-throughput approaches to protein formulation development are also discussed.
The localization of thyroid hormones in the organs and tissues of the guinea pig: an autoradiographic and chromatographic study.

THERE is little or no information available on the localization of thyroid hormones within organs and tissues. One short survey of the autoradiographic distribution of endogenously labelled thyroid hormone in the tissues and organs of the rat is included in a general survey of autoradiography (1) (See Fig. 78 in that article). Subsequent to this there have been reports on the localization of radioactivity in the pituitary and the central nervous system of the rabbit after treatment with labelled thyroxine (2) (3) and iodide (4). The results to be reported in this paper represent a preliminary survey by means of autoradiography of the localization of radioactive iodine in a variety of tissues and organs after administration of either radioactive thyroxine (T4) or radioactive triidothyronine (T3). The chemical composition of the concentrated radioactive materials was determined by concurrent chromatographic analysis. In this way a more precise insight into the localization of of biologically active thyroid ...
Vagal afferent influences on the phasic activity of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle.

The respiratory activity of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle is strongly influenced by both pulmonary stretch and pressor receptors. These influences are mediated by afferent fibers in the vagus nerves. This demonstration is made possible by the unique anatomic arrangement of the right vagus nerve in the cat, which allows accurate separation of afferent from efferent fibers in its cervical portion.
SUMMARY REMARKS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR ON-LINE NUCLEAR ORIENTATION

Nuclear orientation (NO), lik~ other sub-specialty fields including perturbed angular correlations and Mossbauer effect, has existed for many years as a basic technique for studying hyperfine interactions, which is often rather loosely defined as the interaction of nuclei with their environment. These techniques thus have the potential to elucidate problems in nuclear physics and in solid-state physics. Indeed, early low temperature NO work in the mid-1950's revealed many new properties of paramagnetic salts and also established many nuclear spectroscopic parameters, including spins, moments, and radiation multipolarities of certain relatively simple and long-lived radioactive decay schemes such as B~ and S~n. (A review of the development of the field is given by Postma and Stone fl].) In the late 1950's two important advances occurred: the parity-violating B~ beta-decay experiment of Wu et al. [2], which showed that. NO could be used to attack nuclear problems of fun-~-am~ta] interest, and the discovery that ferromagnetic metals could be used as host lattices for NO, which greatly extended the range of orientable nuclei by replacing the need to incorporte them chemically into a paramagnetic salt with the need to introduce them physically as a component of a dilute alloy. The late 1960's saw two further technological developments--the dilution refrigerator and the Ge(Li) detector--that boosted the capability of NO as a nuclear spectroscopic tool. The NO investigator could now study decay schemes at high resolution and could do so for long periods, permitting even very weak transitions to be precisely measured. For more than a decade, NO laboratories continued to turn out precise and useful nuclear spectroscopy data, refining, elaborating, and often correcting previous knowledge, but it is clear that this work did not reveal any new or unexpected features of nuclear structure and that the frontiers of research of low-energy nuclear physics lay elsewhere. One such frontier is the study of the short-lived decays of nuclei far from stability. Following the development of isotope separators on-line with accelerators and reactors over a decade ago, studies of nuclei far from stability have provided many new insights and led to numerous discoveries in the shapes, motions and structure of nuclei. These discoveries include, for example, the coexistence of both near-spherical and deformed shapes in one nucleus, unexpected new regions of very strong deformation, the importance of reinforcing shell gaps for both protons and neutrons on the nuclear shape, and the importance of new shell gaps at different proton and neutron numbers on the structure of nuclei. There are other important discoveries in this field which do not bear on NO studies, such as proton radioactivity of nuclear ground states, beta-delayed twoand three-neutron decay and beta-delayed two-proton decay. The importance of these discoveries and the broad ranges of unexplored nuclear terrain still
Oscillatory relaxation of Al(110) reinvestigated by using medium-energy ion scattering

Medium-energy ion scattering (MEIS) has been used to investigate the room-temperature structure of clean Al(110). The motivation for this work was the presence of a significant discrepancy between two previous independent low-energy electron diffraction results concerning the sign of the third-to-fourth layer relaxation. We find a damped oscillatory contraction–expansion for the first three interlayer spacings. The relaxation results are (in percent change from the bulk interlayer spacing): Δd12=−8.5±1.0%, Δd23=+4.8±1.2% and Δd34=−3.9±1.4%. These results are compared with other theoretical and experimental values.
Statistical Analysis of Multiple Sociometric Relations.

Abstract Loglinear models are adapted for the analysis of multivariate social networks, a set of sociometric relations among a group of actors. Models that focus on the similarities and differences between the relations and models that concentrate on individual actors are discussed. This approach allows for the partitioning of the actors into blocks or subgroups. Some ideas for combining these models are described, and the various models and computational methods are applied to the analysis of data for a corporate interlock network of the 25 largest organizations in Minneapolis/St. Paul and for a classic network of 18 monks in a cloister. The computational techniques all involve variations on the standard iterative proportional-fitting algorithm used extensively in the analysis of multidimensional contingency tables.
Electroporation based gene therapy — From the bench to the bedside

A critical aspect of gene transfer is effective delivery of the transgene to the appropriate target. Electrically mediated delivery (electroporation) of plasmid DNA has been accepted as a viable approach to achieve effective delivery. One promising area is delivering plasmid DNA to skin. Gene transfer to the skin with electroporation is currently being evaluated for its potential for inducing angiogenesis for wound healing and for delivering DNA vaccines to the skin. Experiments utilizing a plasmid encoding for vascular endothelial growth factor has demonstrated how wound healing could be accelerated. In another study, delivery of a plasmid encoding Hepatitis B surface antigen have demonstrated that high antibody titers can be induced after two applications (prime/boost). Our laboratory has also examined the use of electroporation to delivery plasmid DNA encoding various cytokines as a potential therapy for melanoma. The plasmid is injected directly into the tumor followed by the administration of electroporation. Extensive preclinical work provided the rationale for a Phase I proof of concept first in human trial in patients with accessible cutaneous melanoma metastases. Biopsies of treated lesions showed significant necrosis of melanoma cells within the tumor as well as IL-12 expression. Lymphocytic infiltrate was observed in biopsies from patients in several cohorts. Clinical evidence of responses in untreated lesions suggested there was a systemic response following therapy was observed. Since this trial several other clinical studies utilizing electroporation to deliver plasmid DNA have been initiated. It is clear that this delivery approach has tremendous potential to facilitate the translation of gene transfer protocols from the bench to the bedside.
A parallel QR algorithm for the nonsymmetric eigenvalue problem

Abstract This paper describes a prototype parallel algorithm for approximating eigenvalues of a dense nonsymmetric matrix on a linear, synchronous processor array. The algorithm is parallel implementation of the explicitly-shifted QR, employing n distributed-memory processors to deliver all eigenvalues in O (n2) time. The algorithm uses Givens rotations to generate a series of unitary similarity transformations. The rotations are passed between neibouring processors and applied, in pipeline fashion, to columns of the matrix. The rotations are also accumulated in a unitary transformation matrix, enabling the solution of eigenvectors via back-substitution and back-transformation. The algorithm involves only local communication, and confronts the problems of convergence, splitting and updating the shift in a pipelined scheme. The algorithm is implemented on a hypercube, using a ring of processors to simulate a systolic array. Experimental results on the NCUBE/seven hypercube show O (n) speedup over competing sequential codes, despite the overhead of interprocessor communication. Speedup and efficiency are estimated by comparing with EISPACK performance.
Codon bias in actin multigene families and effects on the reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships

Codon usage patterns and phylogenetic relationships in the actin multigene family have been analyzed for three dipteran species—Drosophila melanogaster, Bactrocera dorsalis, and Ceratitis capitata. In certain phylogenetic tree reconstructions, using synonymous distances, some gene relationships are altered due to a homogenization phenomenon. We present evidence to show that this homogenization phenomenon is due to codon usage bias. A survey of the pattern of synonymous codon preferences for I I actin genes from these three species reveals that five out of the six Drosophila actin genes show high degrees of codon bias as indicated by scaled Ξ2 values. In contrast to this, four out of the five actin genes from the other species have low codon bias values. A Monte Carlo contingency test indicates that for those Drosophila actin genes which exhibit codon bias, the patterns of codon usage are different compared to actin genes from the other species. In addition, the genes exhibiting codon bias also appear to have reduced rates of synonymous substitution. The homogenization phenomenon seen in terms of synonymous substitutions is not observed for nonsynonymous changes. Because of this homogenization phenomenon, “trees” constructed based on synonymous substitutions will be affected. These effects can be overt in the case of multigene families, but similar distortions may underlie reconstructions based on single-copy genes which exhibit codon usage bias.
Creep and shrinkage analysis of composite systems under axial load and biaxial bending

The instantaneous and creep and shrinkage behaviour of composite steel-concrete sections subjected to axial load and biaxial bending is examined analytically using the age-adjusted effective modulus method and a stress relaxation procedure. Any cross-section that can be discretized in rectangular elements can be analysed using the approach described in this study. Material non-linearities (concrete cracking and crushing as well as steel yielding) are included in the formulation by empolying an interative numerical procedure. The analytical method was implemented in a computer program and case studies demonstrate that composite columns under complex loads experience a considerable redistribution of stresses and strains, causing the degree of cracking and the secondary load effects (P-delta) to increase.
Complexes of theophylline with divalent metal ions

Abstract Theophylline (Tp)metal ion complexes of the type M(Tp) 2 (L) 2 ·XH 2 O, where M = Cu(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II), L = O, NH 3 , Cl, Br, and X = 0, 1, 2 were examined in the IR 600–200 cm −1 region. Room temperature magnetic susceptibilities were acquired for the Cu(II) complexes. These values were slightly low, and when IR spectra of the above complexes were compared to similar compounds of known structure, the metal atoms in the above complexes appear to have distorted tetrahedral stereochemistries, with theophylline acting as a bridge for polymer formation. CuTp 2 exhibits a very low magnetic susceptibility, suggesting that extensive magnetic exchange interactions have occurred.
A three-dimensional model for the dynamics of micro-endmills including bending, torsional and axial vibrations

Abstract Attainable geometric accuracy and surface finish in a micromilling operation depends on predicting and controlling the vibrations of micro-endmills. The specific multi-scale geometry of micro-endmills results in complexities in dynamic behavior, including three-dimensional vibrations, which cannot be accurately captured using one-dimensional (1D) beam models. This paper presents an analytically based three-dimensional (3D) model for micro-endmill dynamics, including actual cross-section and fluted (pretwisted) geometry. The 3D model includes not only bending, but also coupled axial/torsional vibrations. The numerical efficiency is enhanced by modeling the circular cross-sectioned shank and taper sections using 1D beam equations without compromising in model accuracy, while modeling the complex cross-sectioned and pretwisted fluted section using 3D linear elasticity equations. The boundary-value problem for both 1D and 3D models are derived using a variational approach, and the numerical solution for each section is obtained using the spectral-Tchebychev (ST) technique. Subsequently, component mode synthesis is used for joining the individual sections to obtain the dynamic model for the entire tool. The 3D model is validated through modal experimentation, by comparing natural frequencies and mode-shapes, for two-fluted and four-fluted micro-endmills with different geometries. The natural frequencies from the model was seen to be within 2% to those from the experiments for up to 90 kHz frequency. Comparison to numerically intensive, solid-element finite-elements models indicated that the 3D and FE models agree with less than 1% difference in natural frequencies. The 3D-ST model is then used to analyze the effect of geometric parameters on the dynamics of micro-endmills.
Statistical model predicts shoreline erosion rates due to sea level rise

While sea level rise in the face of global warming is a well-acknowledged threat, providing estimates of the local impact—the information needed by planners to develop effective strategies against the rising waters—has been difficult. Many attempts treat the global ocean as a giant bathtub, where increased water volume simply rises up and floods the land. Understandably, these approaches fall short of accurately estimating the impact of storms, sea level rise, and human influence on coastlines. The next extension toward an accurate longterm prediction of shoreline change necessarily includes a representation of the dynamic interaction between coastal features and the rising water.
Reaction-controlled diffusion: Monte Carlo simulations.

We study the coupled two-species nonequilibrium reaction-controlled diffusion model introduced by Trimper et al. [Phys. Rev. E 62, 6071 (2000)] by means of detailed Monte Carlo simulations in one and two dimensions. Particles of type A may independently hop to an adjacent lattice site, provided it is occupied by at least one B particle. The B particle species undergoes diffusion-limited reactions. In an active state with nonzero, essentially homogeneous B particle saturation density, the A species displays normal diffusion. In an inactive, absorbing phase with exponentially decaying B density, the A particles become localized. In situations with algebraic decay rho(B)(t) approximately t(-alpha(B)), as occurring either at a nonequilibrium continuous phase transition separating active and absorbing states, or in a power-law inactive phase, the A particles propagate subdiffusively with mean-square displacement (t)(2)(A)> approximately t(1-alpha(A)). We find that within the accuracy of our simulation data, alpha(A) approximately alpha(B) as predicted by a simple mean-field approach. This remains true even in the presence of strong spatiotemporal fluctuations of the B density. However, in contrast with the mean-field results, our data yield a distinctly non-Gaussian A particle displacement distribution n(A)(x-->,t) that obeys dynamic scaling and looks remarkably similar for the different processes investigated here. Fluctuations of effective diffusion rates cause a marked enhancement of n(A)(x-->,t) at low displacements /x-->/, indicating a considerable fraction of practically localized A particles, as well as at large traversed distances.
Psychographic Profiling of the Online Shopper

Shopping orientations are psychographic measures that have been used to discern consumersâ€™ preferences for shopping media. In this study, shopping orientations and their relationship with consumersâ€™ actual use and intention to use online shopping are examined. Data for the study was collected through a survey that was mailed to a stratified sample of 800 consumers. Usable responses were received from 281 survey participants, who were classified into three shopping segments â€” home, community, and apathetic â€” based on their shopping orientations. The three shopping segments were found to differ on online shopping measures. Specifically, the home shopping segment was found to be positively associated with online shopping in contrast to the community and apathetic shopping segments. Further analysis revealed that there were no significant associations between shopping segments and commonly used demographic variables including gender, age, income, and education. Implications of these findings are discussed along with suggestions for future research.
Mathematical formulation and analysis of the nonlinear system reconstruction of the online image-guided adaptive control of hyperthermia.

Purpose: A nonlinear system reconstruction can theoretically provide timely system reconstruction when designing a real-time image-guided adaptive control for multisource heating for hyperthermia. This clinical need motivates an analysis of the essential mathematical characteristics and constraints of such an approach. Methods: The implicit function theorem (IFT), the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) necessary condition of optimality, and the Tikhonov–Phillips regularization (TPR) were used to analyze and determine the requirements of the optimal system reconstruction. Two mutually exclusive generic approaches were analyzed to reconstruct the physical system: The traditional full reconstruction and the recently suggested partial reconstruction. Rigorous mathematical analysis based on IFT, KKT, and TPR was provided for all four possible nonlinear reconstructions: (1) Nonlinear noiseless full reconstruction, (2) nonlinear noisy full reconstruction, (3) nonlinear noiseless partial reconstruction, and (4) nonlinear noisy partial reconstruction, when a class of nonlinear formulations of system reconstruction is employed. Results: Effective numerical algorithms for solving each of the aforementioned four nonlinear reconstructions were introduced and formal derivations and analyses were provided. The analyses revealed the necessity of adding regularization when partial reconstruction is used. Regularization provides the theoretical support for one to uniquely reconstruct the optimal system. It also helps alleviate the negative influences of unavoidable measurement noise. Both theoretical analysis and numerical examples showed the importance of having a good initial guess for accomplishing nonlinear system reconstruction. Conclusions: Regularization is mandatory for partial reconstruction to make it well posed. The Tikhonov–Phillips regularized Gauss–Newton algorithm has nice theoretical performance for partial reconstruction of systems with and without noise. The Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm is a more robust algorithmic option compared to the Gauss–Newton algorithm for nonlinear full reconstruction. A severe limitation of nonlinear reconstruction is the time consuming calculations required for the derivatives of temperatures to unknowns. Developing a method of model reduction or implementing a parallel algorithm can resolve this. The results provided herein are applicable to hyperthermia with blood perfusion nonlinearly depending on temperature and in the presence of thermally significant blood vessels.
Erratum: Corrigendum to “Thermochemistry of glass forming Y-substituted Sr-analogues of titanite (SrTiSiO5)” [J. Mater. Res. 24(11), 3380 (2009)]

A study of the influence of mesoporous SiO2 on the dehydrogenation of NaAlH4 and TiF3-doped NaAlH4 revealed that the amount of hydrogen evolved is 3.8 wt% for the pristine NaAlH4 and around 4.2 wt% for the TiF3-doped NaAlH4, but increases to 4.9-5.0 wt% once the samples are doped with mesoporous SiO2 in the temperature range of 100-350 °C. A favorable synergistic effect on the NaAlH4 dehydrogenation is achieved as mesoporous SiO2 is added as a codopant along with TiF3, which is associated with the nanosized pores and high specific surface area of mesoporous SiO2. The catalytic mechanism of mesoporous SiO2 is more physical than chemical relative to the catalytic mechanism of TiF3.
Left Ventricular False Tendons: Anatomic, Echocardiographic, and Pathophysiologic Insights

Left ventricular (LV) false tendons are chordlike structures that traverse the LV cavity. They attach to the septum, to the papillary muscles, or to the free wall of the ventricle but not to the mitral valve. They are found in approximately half of human hearts examined at autopsy. Although it has been more than 100 years since their initial description, the functional significance of these structures remains largely unexplored. It has been suggested that they retard LV remodeling by tethering the walls to which they are attached, but there are few data to substantiate this. Some studies have suggested that false tendons reduce the severity of functional mitral regurgitation by stabilizing the position of the papillary muscles as the left ventricle enlarges. LV false tendons may also have deleterious effects and have been implicated in promoting membrane formation in discrete subaortic stenosis. This article reviews current understanding of the anatomy, echocardiographic characteristics, and pathophysiology of these structures.
Zooarchaeological Analysis of a Late Dorset and an Early Thule Dwelling at Cape Grinnell, Northwest Greenland

Abstract Geografisk Tidsskrift—Danish Journal of Geography 110(2):315–336, 2010 Excavations were undertaken at the site of Cape Grinnell, Northwest Greenland, by the Inglefield Land Archaeology Project in 2008. A well-preserved Late Dorset semi-subterranean mid-passage dwelling and an early Thule semi-subterranean sod-block house yielded radiocarbon dates of ca. 700–500 cal. B.P. Faunal remains from both structures had marked differences in species diversity suggesting Late Dorset had a wider diet breadth and made more intensive use of locally available resources than early Thule. Spatial analysis of the house interiors revealed that Late Dorset tended to concentrate carcass processing and discard at the rear of their dwelling and bone burning is minimal. The early Thule processed their food in two main areas: in front of the sleeping platform and on the central paving stones adjacent to the storage alcove. Burned bone was concentrated near the sleeping platform and to a lesser extent on the central pavin...
Structural complexity as a determinant of serial pattern learning

Abstract A new methodology extends the study of serial pattern learning to nonhuman organisms by constructing patterns using elements that are both familiar and motivationally meaningful to animals. Two experiments examine the ability of rats to anticipate various quantities of food as measured by running times in a runway when the quantities occur in a serial order. In Experiment 1, a serial monotonic pattern (14-7-3-1-0 food pellets) produced more rapid learning and more accurate anticipation of the various quantities (“tracking”) than a serial nonmonotonic pattern (14-1-3-7-0 food pellets), particularly with respect to the final 0-pellet element. In Experiment 2, the same monotonic pattern generated faster learning and more accurate anticipation of pattern elements than a weakly monotonic pattern (14-5-5-1-0 pellets). Associative explanations including simple excitatory or inhibitory effects, temporal anticipation, reinforcement contrast, and the number and discriminability of pairwise associations are not adequate to account for the data. Rather, the formally defined structural complexity of each pattern adequately predicts its relative difficulty.
Image recognition system based on novel measures of image similarity and cluster validity

We introduce an image recognition system that does not require availability of a complete training data. The system consists of a constrained K-Means clustering algorithm and an image recognition neural network. For finding similarity between images we use a novel image similarity measure and introduce a new image cluster validity measure to determine the most probable number of clusters. Extensive testing on several image datasets indicates good performance of the system.
A Path to Complex Carbohydrates

Glycans are carbohydrate-containing compounds that include oligosaccharides as well as the carbohydrate parts of glycoproteins or glycolipids. All cells contain glycans, ranging from those that benefit from the development, metabolism, and immune responses of the host to those involved in cancer metastasis or hostpathogen interactions ( 1 ). The oligosaccharide sequence of a glycan determines which proteins it binds to and can thus profoundly influence its physiological activity. The full complement of glycans has not been determined for any cell type, but recent analyses of known mammalian glycans have revealed that there are underlying sequence patterns ( 2 , 3 ). It remains difficult to assign functions to specific glycan sequences because the relevant oligosaccharides cannot easily be accessed either by synthesis or by isolation from cells ( 4 ). On page 379 of this issue, Wang et al. report a general and efficient strategy for generating diverse glycans ( 5 ).
AGB Evolution in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Observations and theoretical studies of the evolution of massive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Magellanic Clouds are reviewed. Recent results support the hypothesis that AGB is truncated, probably through mass loss, before these stars can attain the theoretically predicted maximum luminosity. In particular, IRAS observations of the LMC provide little evidence for the presence of highly obscured 'cocoon' stars.
An Experimental Color Comparator

The design and construction of an experimental subjective color comparator is discussed. The unit permits binocular viewing of a constant, 2-degree split matching field with a dark surround. During observation of the field, continuous adjustments of the color of the “standard” side are possible with three controls, each associated with one of the subjective attributes of color. Data useful in calculating the I.C.I. tristimulus values for the matched sample appear on calibrated dials. Color samples to be matched by Illuminant “C” are inserted in the instrument on small cards. Larger samples—external to the comparator—such as textiles, agricultural products, wall panels, etc., can be evaluated for all types of illumination. In every case, texture in the sample is obscured by the comparator mechanism. Some data is presented to indicate the matching tolerances that can be expected.
Insufficient Reporting on Race and Ethnicity in Randomized Trials for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Comment on the Article by Simsek et al

describing the incomplete reporting of recruitment infor-mation for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in clinicaltrials of biologic agents (1). We agree with the authors’assessment that the inadequacy of information on the re-cruitment process limits the reader’s ability to assess theexternal validity of the ﬁndings.We would also like to highlight other important limita-tions in the reporting of clinical trial results of biologicagents in RA that compromise the generalizability of theﬁndings to individual patients. Whereas participant ageand sex are uniformly reported, information concerningrace and ethnicity is inconsistently reported despiteemerging evidence of disparities in outcomes among mi-nority patients (2). To support this observation, we per-formed a systematic review of 76 published clinical trialsof biologic agents from 1999 to 2012 and found that 29(38%) of the 76 trials reported on the proportion of pa-tientswhowerewhiteversusnonwhite,andonly11(14%)of the 76 trials reported on race or ethnic subgroups. Sim-ilar trends have been observed in other reviews of clinicaltrials from the general medical literature (3).It should be further emphasized that reporting of otherpatient characteristics reﬂecting socioeconomic status,such as employment status and household income, wouldbe helpful to improve the interpretability of results (4).These indices were previously found to signiﬁcantly im-pact patient outcomes in several diseases, including RA(5). Exclusion of these types of data points may hinder aclinician’s ability to determine whether the ﬁndings of aparticular study are applicable to individual patients.As pointed out by Simsek and Yazici, consensus state-ments such as the Consolidated Standards of ReportingTrials offer guidance regarding the reporting of results,although the original guidelines do not speciﬁcally ad-dress the reporting of race and ethnicity (6). We believethat increased reporting of patient demographic informa-tion, particularly race and ethnicity, could shed light onthe reasons for the disparities in outcomes seen in minor-ity patients in clinical practice (7). This increased report-ing will also improve the interpretability of results fromtrials of biologic agents in RA to speciﬁc patient popula-tionsandclarifythegeneralizabilityoftheseresultsforourincreasingly diverse patient population.Jeffrey Potter, MDTanya Spruill, PhDJeffrey D. Greenberg, MD, MPH
The internal structure of English transitive sentences.

A major question in psychology is whether the same mechanisms are required for language learning and processing as for other cognitive tasks. A substantial body of literature has shown that natural categories are organized around a prototype, with other category members resembling the prototype to a greater or lesser amount based on the degree of shared properties. In order to investigate whether the prototype notion could be extended to linguistic phenomena, adult students (N=148) rated 512 sentences on a 7-point scale as to their goodness of fit to the categoryEnglish transitive sentence. Sentences differed in the animacy fo their actors and patients, the noun pairs used as actor/patient exemplars, and the hypothesized prototypicality of their verbs. Each of the identified factors showed the spread in ranking across different exemplars that is typical of other natural categories, but the factors interacted with each in complex ways to determine the overall ranking of the sentence. Not all sentences were equally representative of the categoryEnglish transitive sentence. In general, sentences with animate actors, high-prototypicality verbs, and animate patients were the most prototypical, followed closely by sentences with animate actors high-prototypicality verbs, and inanimate patients. Results were consistent with the suggestion that language and other types of cognitive tasks require the same basic processes and structures.
The Role of Nuclear Factor κB in the Interferon Response

The nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) transcription factor regulates the expression of genes involved in cell survival and immune responses. We have identified a novel interferon (IFN)-activated signaling pathway that leads to NF-κB activation and demonstrate that a subset of IFN-stimulated genes and microRNAs that play key roles in cellular response to IFN is regulated by NF-κB. This review focuses on the IFN-induced NF-κB activation pathway and the role of NF-κB in the expression of IFN-induced coding and noncoding genes, antiviral activity and apoptosis, and the therapeutic application of IFN in cancer and infectious disease.
Lake geometry: Implications for production and sediment accretion rates

A geometric analysis distinguishes between the size and shape components of lake morphometry. Implications of shape for nutrient recycling are investigated using models that relate two ratios: (1) sediment surface area in contact with the epilimnion to epilmnetic volume, and (2) mean depth to maximum depth (the depth ratio). The epilimnion's sediment surface area to volume ratio declines with depth ratio, in lakes with thermoclines shallower than about 1·2 times the mean depth. As depth ratio decreases, therefore, potential nutrient recycling from the sediment surface, productivity, and sediment accretion rates are predicted to increase. This prediction is borne out by a significant netative correlation between productivity and depth ratio. The theoretical relationship of depth ratio to productivity and sediment accretion rate helps explain some limnological differences among lake districts. Glacially-formed lakes often have low depth ratios, and should therefore be more productive and fill with sediment more rapidly than otherwise similar lakes with high depth ratios, which often originate from volcanic or tectonic events.
Endoscopic orbital and optic nerve decompression.

Soon after its introduction by Walsh and Ogura in the 1950s [1], transantral decompression of the orbit became a popular technique to treat patients with severe proptosis from Graves’ disease. This procedure enabled otolaryngologists to remove the orbital floor and medial wall through the familiar Caldwell-Luc approach, allowing for decompression of the enlarged orbital muscles and fat into the maxillary and ethmoid sinuses. Soon after the introduction of endoscopic instrumentation for the performance of sinus surgery in the mid-1980s, however, surgeons began to experiment with an entirely transnasal approach to treat diseases of the orbit. Kennedy et al [1] and Michel et al [2] first described endoscopic orbital decompression in the early 1990s. Because high-resolution endoscopes provided improved visualization in key anatomic regions, including the medial orbital wall and skull base, this technique soon gained widespread acceptance for the treatment of patients with Graves’ disease, largely replacing the transantral approach. In addition to providing enhanced visualization, endoscopic instrumentation allowed for complete and safe bone removal, particularly along the orbital apex and optic canal. Although the use of endoscopic orbital decompression for the orbital manifestations of Graves’ disease has been well established, the indications and applications for optic nerve decompression remain in evolution.
Templated grain growth (TGG) of PMN-PT textured components using SrTiO/sub 3/ templates

Tapes of PMN-PT containing 5 to 10 volume % of SrTiO/sub 3/ seeds were cast and subjected to heat treatments of 1250/spl deg/C in either air or oxygen atmospheres for 10 hours in order to texture the samples and enhance the (h00) peaks of PMN-PT. Lead-based additives such as lead oxide (PbO) and lead carbonate (PbCO/sub 3/) were introduced to create a liquid phase during heat treatment of the samples. The effects of sintering atmosphere, sintering time, and addition of lead-based additives were studied to determine which factors resulted in the highest degree of texturing. SEM studies revealed that the grown PMN-PT regions from the SrTiO/sub 3/ seeds were approximately 40-60 /spl mu/m in length after proper heat treatment. XRD studies showed an enhancement in the (100) and [200] crystallographic orientations of PMN-PT. Calculated Lotgering factor (f) values indicated that the samples fabricated with 1 wt.% PbO at 1250/spl deg/C for 10 hours in an oxygen atmosphere were textured up to /spl sim/50%.
Development of high efficiency green and deep green light emitters in piezoelectric group-iii nitrides

Green and deep-green light emitting diodes are still the weakest link in energy efficient solid-state lighting. We analyze the limiting factors of the external quantum efficiency and summarize our approach of dislocation and polarization control.
Streptococcus pneumoniae DNA Initiates Type I Interferon Signaling in the Respiratory Tract

ABSTRACT The mucosal epithelium is the initial target for respiratory pathogens of all types. While type I interferon (IFN) signaling is traditionally associated with antiviral immunity, we demonstrate that the extracellular bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae activates the type I IFN cascade in airway epithelial and dendritic cells. This response is dependent upon the pore-forming toxin pneumolysin. Pneumococcal DNA activates IFN-β expression through a DAI/STING/TBK1/IRF3 cascade. Tlr4−/−, Myd88−/−, Trif−/−, and Nod2−/− mutant mice had no impairment of type I IFN signaling. Induction of type I IFN signaling contributes to the eradication of pneumococcal carriage, as IFN-α/β receptor null mice had significantly increased nasal colonization with S. pneumoniae compared with that of wild-type mice. These studies suggest that the type I IFN cascade is a central component of the mucosal response to airway bacterial pathogens and is responsive to bacterial pathogen-associated molecular patterns that are capable of accessing intracellular receptors. IMPORTANCE The bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, leading to upwards of one million deaths a year worldwide and significant economic burden. Although it is known that antibody is critical for efficient phagocytosis, it is not known how this pathogen is sensed by the mucosal epithelium. We demonstrate that this extracellular pathogen activates mucosal signaling typically activated by viral pathogens via the pneumolysin pore to activate intracellular receptors and the type I interferon (IFN) cascade. Mice lacking the receptor to type I IFNs have a reduced ability to clear S. pneumoniae, suggesting that the type I IFN cascade is central to the mucosal clearance of this important pathogen.
Tectonic Evolution of the Caribbean

The development of the Caribbean is discussed in terms of modern tectonic theory. The nature of the site on which the Caribbean formed is examined, and the development of the rifted margins of the Caribbean is described. Constraints on Caribbean evolution from the relative motions of North and South America are briefly examined, and the Caribbean Oceanic Plateau is discussed. The great island-arc system of the Caribbean is addressed in detail, emphasizing the way the Great Arc of the Caribbean was segmented. The role of Central America in Caribbean history is briefly considered.
On Multiagent Q-Learning in a Semi-Competitive Domain

Q-learning is a recent reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm that does not need a model of its environment and can be used online. Therefore it is well-suited for use in repeated games against an unknown opponent. Most RL research has been confined to single agent settings or to multiagent settings where the agents have totally positively correlated payoffs (team problems) or totally negatively correlated payoffs (zerosum games). This paper is an empirical study of reinforcement learning in the iterated prisoner's dilemma (IPD), where the agents' payoffs are neither totally positively nor totally negatively correlated. RL is considerably more difficult in such a domain. This paper investigates the ability of a variety of Q-learning agents to play the IPD game against an unknown opponent. In some experiments, the opponent is the fixed strategy Tit-for-Tat, while in others it is another Q-learner. All the Q-learners learned to play optimally against Tit-for-Tat. Playing against another learner was more difficult because the adaptation of the other learner creates a nonstationary environment in ways that are detailed in the paper. The learners that were studied varied along three dimensions: the length of history they received as context, the type of memory they employed (lookup tables based on restricted history windows or recurrent neural networks (RNNs) that can theoretically store features from arbitrarily deep in the past), and the exploration schedule they followed. Although all the learners faced difficulties when playing against other learners, agents with longer history windows, lookup table memories, and longer exploration schedules fared best in the IPD games.
Mars Science Laboratory CHIMRA/IC/DRT flight software for Sample Acquisition and Processing

The design methodologies of using sequence diagrams, multi-process functional flow diagrams, and hierarchical state machines were successfully applied in designing three MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) flight software modules responsible for handling actuator motions of the CHIMRA (Collection and Handling for In situ Martian Rock Analysis), IC (Inlet Covers), and DRT (Dust Removal Tool) mechanisms. The methodologies were essential to specify complex interactions with other modules, support concurrent foreground and background motions, and handle various fault protections. Studying task scenarios with multi-process functional flow diagrams yielded great insight to overall design perspectives. Since the three modules require three different levels of background motion support, the methodologies presented in this paper provide an excellent comparison. All three modules are fully operational in flight.
Time Allocation and Patterns of Item Response.

A measure of student patterns of item response is usually interpreted as a measure of carelessness or guessing. However, when aggregated to the class level, it was shown that the index identifies classes that have a poor match between test content and instructional coverage. In particular, Sato's (1980) caution index identified classes whose pattern of time allocation across content areas was atypical. In addition, it was found that the mean caution index for a class can best be interpreted knowing the within-class standard deviation of the index.
Perceptions Of Accountants: What Are They After Enron And WorldCom?

College students evaluated accountants, along with five other occupations, using Osgood’s semantic differential model. This model of semantic meaning captures three semantic dimensions – evaluation, potency, and activity. Students gave accountants high ratings on the evaluation (good - bad) dimension, but they rated accountants much lower on the potency (deep - shallow) dimension and activity (fast - slow) dimension. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for the future of the accounting profession.