cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tailoring Encodable Lanthanide-Binding Tags as MRI Contrast Agents

Lanthanide-binding tags (LBTs), peptide-based coexpression tags with high affinity for lanthanide ions, have previously been applied as luminescent probes to provide phasing for structure determination in X-ray crystallography and to provide restraints for structural refinement and distance information in NMR. The native affinity of LBTs for Gd(3+) indicates their potential as the basis for engineering of peptide-based MRI agents. However, the lanthanide coordination state that enhances luminescence and affords tightest binding would not be ideal for applications of LBTs as contrast agents, due to the exclusion of water from the inner coordination sphere. Herein, we use structurally defined LBTs as the starting point for re-engineering the first coordination shell of the lanthanide ion to provide for high contrast through direct coordination of water to Gd(3+) (resulting in the single LBT peptide, m-sLBT). The effectiveness of LBTs as MRI contrast agents was examined in vitro through measurement of binding affinity and proton relaxivity. For imaging applications that require targeted observation, fusion to specific protein partners is desirable. However, a fusion protein comprising a concatenated double LBT (dLBT) as an N-terminal tag for the model protein ubiquitin had reduced relaxivity compared with the free dLBT peptide. This limitation was overcome by the use of a construct based on the m-sLBT sequence (q-dLBT-ubiquitin). The structural basis for the enhanced contrast was examined by comparison of the X-ray crystal structure of xq-dLBT-ubiquitin (wherein two tryptophan residues are replaced with serine), to that of dLBT-ubiquitin. The structure shows that the backbone conformational dynamics of the MRI variant may allow enhanced water exchange. This engineered LBT represents a first step in expanding the current base of specificity-targeted agents available.
Redmon on ‘Exists’

. . . 'exists' as used when we have a sentence of the form [(i)] or [(2)] when 'a' is a proper name, tells us something about the name 'a'. Granting that 'a' has a use in some context ("language"), sentences of the above form tell us in which language 'a' has a use. Since we are normally speaking in the language of facts, [(2)] tells us that 'a' has no use in this language, and by implication that it has its use in nonfactual, i.e. fictional contexts or languages (p. 59).
Huygens' principle for wave equations on symmetric spaces

Let X = GK be a symmetric space, LX the Laplace-Betrami operator on X, and 2ϱ the sum of the positive restricted roots of X (with multiplicity). Using the Fourier transform on X we write down the solution of the modified wave equation ∂2u∂t2 = (LX + ¦ϱ¦2)u on X. It is proved, using the Paley-Wiener theorem for this Fourier transform (S. Helgason, Ann. of Math. 98 (1973), 451–480) that the equation satisfies Huygens' principle if dim X is odd and all Cartan subgroups of G are conjugate.
Dynamical stability of an ion in a linear trap as a solid-state problem of electron localization

When an ion confined in a linear ion trap interacts with a coherent laser field, the internal degrees of freedom, related to the electron transitions, couple to the vibrational degree of freedom of the ion. As a result of this interaction, the quantum dynamics of the vibrational degree of freedom becomes complicated, and in some ranges of parameters even chaotic. We analyze the vibrational ion dynamics using a formal analogy with the solid-state problem of electron localization. In particular, we show how the resonant approximation used in analysis of the ion dynamics, leads to a transition from a two-dimensional (2D) to a one-dimensional problem (1D) of electron localization. The localization length in the solid-state problem is estimated in cases of weak and strong interaction between the sites of the 2D cell by using the methods of resonance perturbation theory, common in analysis of 1D time-dependent dynamical systems. We show that the localization length can be used as an indicator of the effective temperature of the trapped ion, which can be experimentally measured.
Alkylation of isobutane with 2-butene over anion-modified zirconium oxide catalysts

Abstract Alkylation of isobutane with cis-2-butene was carried out in the liquid phase in a fixed bed reactor with a sulfated zirconia catalyst, ZrO2/SO4. The influence of the main process variables, i.e., time-on-stream (TOS), isobutane/olefin (I/O) ratio, feed flow rate and reaction temperature on 2-butene conversion and product distribution was investigated. A high initial C5+ alkane yield was observed, associated chiefly with cracking of trimethylpentanes (TMPs). The alkylation/cracking ratio increased with increasing TOS. A run was carried out at 24°C for 70 h with essentially complete conversion of butene to alkylate (C5+), and a TMP maximum selectivity of 69%. No unsaturated olefins or straight chain paraffins were detected in the alkylate product during the catalyst lifetime. The length of the run allowed determination of the apparent sequence in which the various products were formed and converted into one another. Unpromoted ZrO2/SO4 had a higher activity and longer lifetime (TOS) than a platinum promoted catalyst, PtZrO2/SO4. A Pt/ZrO2/WO3 catalyst had even less activity. Two ZrO2/SO4 catalysts which were prepared from the same Zr(OH)4 had similar activity. The ZrO2/SO4 catalyst was regenerated with air at 450°C, with no loss in selectivity to TMPs.
Testosterone production by the prepubertal mouse testis is not depressed by ethanol.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the sensitivity of testicular steroidogenesis during pubertal development to inhibition by ethanol. In vivo and in vitro human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-stimulated steroidogenesis were examined in CFW mice as a function of age. Plasma androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) increased from ages 23 to 60 days in control mice. Acute ethanol treatment (3 g/kg) yielded static levels of androstenedione (0.45 ± 0.03 ng/mL), testosterone (6.4 ± 0.56 ng/mL), and DHT (2.3 ± 0.18 ng/mL) from ages 23 to 60 days, 30 to 60 days, and 35 to 60 days, respectively, resulting in reduction of plasma androstenedione, testosterone, and DHT (P < 0.05) relative to control values, but not until ages 35, 50, and 45 days, respectively. A similar insensitivity of the prepubertal testis to ethanol was seen in vitro. Inhibition of in vitro androstenedione and testosterone accumulation was seen only after ages 26 and 45 days, respectively. The data indicate that testosterone production by the pubertal testis is relatively insensitive to direct inhibition by ethanol. Previous studies have shown that chronic ethanol treatment of adolescent mice delays testicular maturation. The present study suggests that if chronic ethanol-induced delayed testicular development were due to impaired steroidogenesis, such impairment would be secondary to reduced gonadotropin stimulation and/or due to a chronic, rather than an acute, effect of ethanol.
Processing of sequentially presented letters

The effect on the number of letters S can report of the duration of each sequentially presented letter was compared with that of processing time, defined as the time from the onset of a letter to the onset of the next letter. Four Ss were each shown 1250 common English words, from four to eight letters long, one letter at a time. Each letter acted as a visual noise field for the preceding letter. The duration of each letter and the interval between letters was varied independently. The S reported the letters he saw after each word was displayed. It was found that the processing time (onset to onset) predicted the number of letters correctly reported, regardless of the partition between on time and off time. A calculation was made of the number of milliseconds of on plus off time that are needed to ensure correct report of each letter. This time was independent of the duration of the processing time, but was positively correlated with the number of letters in the word. This correlation is probably in part artifactual, so that no claim can be made that it takes longer to process a letter of a long as compared to a short word.
dancing with corpses reconsidered: an interpretation of famadihana (in Arivonimamo, Madagascar)

In September of 1990 I was talking with a woman named Irina about something an ancestor of hers had done some 60 years earlier. Like all the andriana or nobles of Betafo (a community to the north of the town of Arivonimamo, in Imerina, Madagascar) she was descended from a certain Andrianambololona, whose body, together with those of his wife and daughter and of three of his retainers, was buried in a large white tomb in the center of the village of Betafo, a five-minute walk across the rice fields from her house. This particular ancestor, she was telling me, has long had the custom of appearing to his descendants in dreams to announce when the occupants of the tomb felt cold and needed to have a famadihana performed: that is, to be taken out and wrapped in new silk shrouds. When this happened in 1931, his descendants quickly gathered and organized the ritual. But, in their hurry perhaps, they forgot to exhume the bodies of the three retainers buried at the foot of the tomb somewhat apart from the rest. "The afternoon after they'd finished," she said, "the town suddenly caught fire and burned to the ground. And the next morning he came once more to the person"-the individual who had originally had the dream-"and said, 'If you don't wrap us all, next time I'll kill you outright .. .' So they got the tombs ready again and rewrapped
Uncoupling of late transcription from DNA replication in bacteriophage T4 development

Abstract The conditions for uncoupling T4 late transcription from concurrent replication have been explored. Replication-late transcription coupling is retained when viral DNA is not glucosylated. Coupling is also retained in bacteria that have been pre-infected with phage T3. The latter are known to induce the synthesis of an enzyme that hydrolyses S -adenosylmethionine, the methyl group donor in DNA methylation. However, in order to demonstrate this effect of ligation on replication-late transcription coupling it is necessary to prevent nucleolytic degradation of unligated DNA. This has been done by introducing a gene 46 mutation. Thus ts gene 43 (DNA polymerase)- ts or am gene 30 (DNA ligase)- am gene 46 mutants have been found to make late messenger, tail fiber protein and lysozyme in the absence of continuing DNA synthesis. The parental, unreplicated DNA of these phages can also serve as a template for late transcription and concomitantly undergoes single-strand scissions. A model of DNA “competence” for late transcription is proposed on the basis of these observations. (1) Competent DNA contains interruptions (breaks or gaps) that are essential for the binding-initiation steps of T4 late RNA transcription. (2) Gaps are created by endonuclease action or as the direct consequence of discontinuous replication. (3) DNA ligase seals these interruptions and controls late transcription negatively.
Remarks on E. A. Rahmanov's paper “on the asymptotics of the ratio of orthogonal polynomials”

Abstract It is pointed out that the proof of the basic result of Rahmanov's paper has a serious gap. It is documented by original sources that a statement he relied on in the proof contains a misprint, and it is shown by a counterexample that this statement (with the misprint) is, in fact, false. A somewhat weaker statement is proved true.
"From Troubled Ground to Common Ground": The Locust Grove African- American Cemetery Restoration Project: A Case Study of Service-Learning and Community History

Abstract This article chronicles a movement to restore Shippensburg, Pennsylvania9s Locust Grove Cemetery, a historic African-American burial ground. The cemetery faced persistent troubles exacerbated by changing demographics in the surrounding neighborhood, its caretakers9 limited resources, and the community9s history of racial discrimination. Beginning in 2003, Shippensburg University applied history students assisted with research, grant writing, and interpretative materials. By 2005, a community coalition formed that built on the students9 efforts, ultimately mobilizing the resources needed to finish the restoration. This case study illustrates the complex dynamics of a community preservation campaign and ways Public History programs can support such efforts.
Additional evidence from a paradigm for inferring discriminative processes in children and adults

A previously developed paradigm which incorporates a correlational methodology into an experimental context was used in the present study to specify more definitely the attribute(s) underlying verbal discrimination learning under normal conditions. In the case of fifth- and sixth-grade children, it was found that frequency theory is sufficient to account for performance on the task. However, older subjects were less homogeneously reliant on the frequency attribute. While many older subjects appeared to utilize frequency cues, others adopted strategies that resulted in the utilization of attributes other than frequency.
Unsteady flow of an inelastic power-law fluid in a circular tube

Abstract Flow of a power-law fluid with a suddenly applied arbitrary time-dependent pressure gradient in a horizontal circular tube is presented. The momentum equations are solved numerically using a implicit finite-difference technique for the time-dependent velocity profiles for both start up and oscillating pressure gradients. Dimensionless curves are presented showing velocity profile development and phase angle variation for a variety of power-law index values.
The stability and energetics of corotating uniform vortices

Equilibrium shapes of two-dimensional rotating configurations of uniform vortices are numerically calculated for two to eight corotating vortices. Additionally, a perturbation series is developed which approximately describes the vortex shapes. The equilibrium configurations are subjected to a linear stability analysis. This analysis both confirms existing results regarding point vortices and shows that finite vortices may destabilize via a new form of instability derived from boundary deformations. Finally, we examine the energetics of the equilibrium configurations. We introduce a new energy quantity called ‘excess energy’, which is particularly useful in understanding the constraints on the evolution of unstable near-equilibrium configurations. This theory offers a first glance at nonlinear stability. As an example, the theory explains some features of the merger of two vortices.
The Jouvenel Mission to Rome and the Origins of the Laval‐Mussolini Accords, 1933–1935

(1982). The Jouvenel Mission to Rome and the Origins of the Laval‐Mussolini Accords, 1933–1935. The Historian: Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 20-30.
Using a Visual Analogue Scale to Assess Delay, Social, and Probability Discounting of an Environmental Loss

As anthropogenic influences on climate change become more readily apparent, the role of behavioral science in understanding barriers to sustainable actions cannot be overstated. Environmental psychologists have proposed that some major barrier to sustainability are the delayed, socially distant, and probabilistic effects of public policy efforts aimed at preserving Earth’s resources. This proposal places sustainability squarely within the research topic of delay, social, and probability discounting – processes well known to behavioral scientists. To date, there has been surprisingly little behavioral research examining the role of discounting processes in environmental decision making. In the present study, we examined the degree to which simple hyperbolic models of discounting can describe college students’ ratings of concern and their willingness to act in the face of an environmental loss. Findings suggest that hyperbolic models of delay, social, and probability discounting adequately describe these self-report data. Interestingly, but sadly unsurprisingly, ratings of willingness to act were discounted more steeply than concern across delay, social, and probability discounting tasks. A greater understanding of the behavioral processes associated with sustainability can inform better public policy efforts and may bridge the gap between environmental psychology and behavior analysis.
Manufacturing optimization improvements leveraging SEMI E94-1107

In 2007, SEMI's information and control committee approved a new version of SEMI E94 (E94-1107). This version relaxed the connection between carriers and control job for processing wafers and formally introduced a way to redirect material based on host requests after the beginning of processing. As simulations indicate, this new standard is impacting several fab performance indicators, including throughput, cycle time, yield, and Just-In-Time (JIT) customer response. This paper discusses possible use cases leveraging the new standard feature and the resulting performance improvements.
Precision markup modeling and display in a global geo-spatial environment

A data organization, scalable structure, and multiresolution visualization approach is described for precision markup modeling in a global geospatial environment. The global environment supports interactive visual navigation from global overviews to details on the ground at the resolution of inches or less. This is a difference in scale of 10 orders of magnitude or more. To efficiently handle details over this range of scales while providing accurate placement of objects, a set of nested coordinate systems is used, which always refers, through a series of transformations, to the fundamental world coordinate system (with its origin at the center of the earth). This coordinate structure supports multi-resolution models of imagery, terrain, vector data, buildings, moving objects, and other geospatial data. Thus objects that are static or moving on the terrain can be displayed without inaccurate positioning or jumping due to coordinate round-off. Examples of high resolution images, 3D objects, and terrain-following annotations are shown.
Baseband Weiner filter processing for mine detection from scanned laser-induced acoustic data

We consider the problems of detecting, localizing, and characterizing the shapes of buried mines from acoustic transducer data. A multipath model is used to describe the contributions in the data from fields scattered both by the ground as well as the object. By identifying the parameters in the model, we can successfully solve the target identification problem. Unfortunately, the narrow band and bandpass characteristics of the transducer in our system prevent a straightforward application of a Wiener filter as a means of extracting these parameters. Because of the bandpass nature of the transducer it is necessary to develop a base-banding procedure as a preprocessing stage for the Wiener filter. Due to the very narrow bandwidth, a detect and subtract method is constructed to extract the weak signal arising from the buried object which otherwise is drowned out in the sidelobes generated by the processing of the ground bounce. We demonstrate the utility of our approach on real experimental data collected at Northeastern University.
Thither supramolecular chemistry

The way forward for a field in its infancy is to focus on complexity and integrated systems that may lead to emergent phenomena, suggests J. Fraser Stoddart at Northwestern University.
Reply to "Phase measurements"

In response to the Comment by Barnett and Pegg [preceding paper, Phys. Rev. A 47, 4537 (1993)] it is pointed out that their objection is really based on a different measurement scheme. If our measurement procedure is repeated many times with different phase shifters inserted at one input port, the method yields an almost continuous probability density.
Challenges of Trainees in a Multidisciplinary Research Program: Nano-Biotechnology

The breadth of knowledge required for the multidisciplinary field of nanotechnology challenges and extends traditional concepts of multidisciplinary graduate education. There is a paucity of information, both general reporting and peer-reviewed studies, on the challenges for graduate students working in this multidisciplinary paradigm, from the students’ perspectives. We report two graduate-student perspectives from different instructional models: (i) the core academic department that has expanded student choice by allowing additional classes to be taken from outside the core department and (ii) multiple departments working together to provide choice and diversity across the curriculum. We find, even after many years of multidisciplinary research, that traditional university organizational structure does not easily accommodate multidisciplinary research. In addition, administrative autonomy of academic departments and colleges, competition among various departments for contracts and grant submission, and a disconnect between research and teaching challenge multidisciplinary research endeavors. The students recommend that (i) university administrators support multidisciplinary departments and develop mechanisms to promote faculty participation; (ii) institutions and departments provide more multidisciplinary groups, centers, and institutes and encourage networking through broad collaboration; (iii) more graduate and postdoctoral fellowships for multidisciplinary research be created; and (iv) departments create more flexible curricula allowing their students to participate in more courses outside the department, necessary for a multidisciplinary thesis. Progress in multidisciplinary science will rely both on deep, specialized knowledge and, increasingly, on scientists who can speak a number of scientific languages and take advantage of synergistic connections. As new and more effective approaches to multidisciplinary training are developed, perhaps it is time to listen more to those with the most intimate experience of the system’s successes and failures—the students who are training now to be the next generation of research leaders.
Location before emergence of the female bee, Centris pallida, by its male (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae)

Large numbers of males of the bee Centris pallida Fox have been observed patrolling areas in which females are emerging. Males locate specific sites at which a buried bee is about to emerge and dig down to meet the other individual, male or female. If it is a female, mating is initiated when she scrambles into the excavation pit created by the male. Males fight intensely with one another for possession of digging sites and for unburied virgin females. Experiments indicate that males locate conspecifics beneath the surface on the basis of extremely non-specific olfactory cues; they are capable of locating buried honey bees and other insects. The evolution of digging behaviour is traced to selection favouring males that are first to reach a virgin female which will mate just once in her lifetime. A number of examples are given of other insects that have evolved similar abilities, apparently in response to similar selection pressures.
Characteristic functions of stochastic integrals and reliability theory

This paper concerns reliability theoretic problems involving systems of n components subject to stochastic hazard rates with independent increments. General methods are given for finding the probabilities of service at specified times and the joint characteristic function of the system failure time and the component hazard rates at the time of failure. These methods involve evaluation of integrals of the form where u′ is an n-component row vector, W(t) is an n by n matrix, and X(t) is an n-component stochastic process with independent increments and X(0) = 0. Some illustrative applications to one component systems and multicomponents systems in series and in parallel are presented.
FUNCTIONAL EQUATIONS IN THE THEORY OF DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING: VIII. THE VARIATION OF GREEN'S FUNCTIONS FOR THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL CASE.

Abstract : The functional equation technique of dynamic programming is used to study the dependence of the Green's function of the equation u' + q(x)u = f(x), u(a) = u(1) = 0, upon the parameter a. (Author)
The HicAB cassette, a putative novel, RNA-targeting toxin-antitoxin system in archaea and bacteria

Toxin-antitoxin systems (TAS) are abundant, diverse, horizontally mobile gene modules that encode powerful resistance mechanisms in prokaryotes. We use the comparative-genomic approach to predict a new TAS that consists of a two-gene cassette encoding uncharacterized HicA and HicB proteins. Numerous bacterial and archaeal genomes encode from one to eight HicAB modules which appear to be highly prone to horizontal gene transfer. The HicB protein (COG1598/COG4226) has a partially degraded RNAse H fold, whereas HicA (COG1724) contains a double-stranded RNA-binding domain. The stable combination of these two domains suggests a link to RNA metabolism, possibly, via an RNA interference-type mechanism. In most HicB proteins, the RNAse H-like domain is fused to a DNA-binding domain, either of the ribbon-helix-helix or of the helix-turn-helix class; in other TAS, proteins containing these DNA-binding domains function as antitoxins. Thus, the HicAB module is predicted to be a novel TAS whose mechanism involves RNA-binding and, possibly, cleavage. Contact: koonin@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
FDSOI for low power CMOS (invited)

As the low power technology is scaled to below 32 nm node, a number of challenges are emerging, that of scaling L (to fit at pitch) and the device leakage (GIDL and junction) . A fully depleted device can enable both L scaling and at the same time keep the GIDL much below the bulk CMOS. Significant progress has been made on FD on thin SOI. They include demonstration of devices with the right threshold (with high K) on SOI films of ∼5-6 nm, and L of ∼20 nm. It is argued that FDSOI can meet the requirements for a LP technology.
Growth and Poverty in Developing Countries

A quantitative framework for projecting levels of poverty under different assumptions about GNP growth, population growth, and changes in income distribution is described. Differences in distributional policies have been at least as important to poverty alleviation as differences in aggregate growth rates. A marginal share for the lowest 60 percent of income recipients of approximately 40 percent is as high as has been observed in countries in which growth has been sustained at reasonable levels. Substantial improvements in income distribution have taken place under a variety of policies. The model indicates that it is possible to design national and international policies to eliminate the lag between growth of income of the poor and growth of the developing country as a whole. However, such results would require substantial modification of both national and international policies that are unlikely to take place without a considerable reordering of social priorities. Economic data are included. 36 references.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF RANDOMLY RECOVERED X-RAY- INDUCED SEX-LINKED GENETIC EFFECTS IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER*

Cytogenetic analysis of more than 1500 randomly recovered lethal X chromosomes derived from 2000 and 3000 r X-ray exposures of post-meiotic male germ cells has made possible a plot of the distribution in different regions of the X chromosome of: (1) gene mutations associated with cytologically normal chromosomes, (2) mutations associated with chromosomal rearrangement breakpoints, (3) deficiencies, and (4) rearrangement breakpoints whether or not they are associated with mutations. The distribution of point mutations, vital loci and rearrangement breakpoints in different regions of the X chromosome is not proportional to either the number of bands or the relative DNA content. Further, the density of vital loci (those capable of mutating to a lethal allele) is quite different in some regions as compared to others. For example, vital loci in the 3AB region, which has been thoroughly studied by Judd and others, are at least as numerous as bands; whereas, the 3CD region, equally long, has only two vital loci. Other regions densely populated with vital loci include 1B, 1F-2A, 10A, 11A, and 19EF; sparsely populated regions include 6EF and 10B-10E. It seems reasonable to conclude that the recovered X-ray-induced mutants available for analysis do not represent a random sample of those initially induced in the exposed male germ cells.
Automated Analysis of Java Methods for Confidentiality

We address the problem of analyzing programs such as J2ME midlets for mobile devices, where a central correctness requirement concerns confidentiality of data that the user wants to keep secret. Existing software model checking tools analyze individual program executions, and are not applicable to checking confidentiality properties that require reasoning about equivalence among executions. We develop an automated analysis technique for such properties. We show that both over- and under- approximation is needed for sound analysis. Given a program and a confidentiality requirement, our technique produces a formula that is satisfiable if the requirement holds. We evaluate the approach by analyzing bytecode of a set of Java (J2ME) methods.
Evaluation of the effects of oral water and low-density barium sulphate suspension on bowel appearance on FDG-PET/CT

The purpose of this study is to assess which of five bowel preparation regimes offers superior bowel distension and to assess if these regimes adversely affect FDG activity on PET/CT imaging. The study conformed to HIPAA regulations. Ninety patients were divided into five groups of 18 who received no oral contrast agent (group A); 900 ml of water orally (group B); or 900, 1,350, or 1,800 ml of LDB (groups C, D, E, respectively). PET/CT examinations were assessed quantitatively (bowel diameter, SUV) and qualitatively (visual assessment grading scale) for bowel distension and FDG activity by two blinded readers. ANOVA was utilized to determine if a statistically significant difference (SSD) existed between the groups in terms of distension and FDG uptake. Qualitatively superior bowel distension was observed in group C (LDB) compared to B (water) and greater distension was noted with increased volumes of LDB in C, D, and E. Quantitatively there was an SSD in mean distension between groups C and B (P 0.05). LDB as an oral contrast agent provides superior bowel distension over water and does not induce increased FDG bowel activity.
Linking the Behavioral and Structural Domains of Representation in a Synthesis System

Hierarchical design representation can be a useful approach to the problem of handling the complexity of digital designs. A means of linking together hierarchical behavioral representations in a design system is presented. Along with other information, this linking correlates the abstract behavior and logical structure together, opening the way for multilevel analysis aids that include these levels. Multilevel simulation is briefly discussed.
Considering context in discursive leadership research

In addition to leadership psychology, there is another journey to understand the context of leadership that takes as its starting point the linguistic turn in the social and the organizational sciences. Those impacted by the linguistic turn are broadly social constructionist, discursive, and more qualitative than mainstream leadership scholars. In varying degrees, these scholars view context as multi-layered, co-created, contestable, and locally achieved. This article explores a constellation of perspectives united by these themes, introduces the qualitative special issue articles, and suggests directions for future research on the context of leadership.
Effect of Spawning Substrate Area to Male Ratio on Fathead Minnow Egg Production

Abstract A commercially feasible indoor hatching system for fathead minnow Pimephales promelas requires an efficient egg collection process that maximizes egg numbers while minimizing spawning substrate. Four ratios of substrate area to the number of male fathead minnow were compared by stocking approximately 40 males and 80 females into each of sixteen 3.3-m2 outdoor pools to determine the volume of eggs that could be collected every 2–3 d. No differences in mean egg volume were found among the three lowest ratios of substrate area to the number of males (85, 170, and 255 cm2), and egg volume did not differ between the lowest (85 cm2) and highest (340 cm2) ratios, indicating that 85 cm2 of spawning substrate per male was sufficient. On average, less than one-third of the males were nesting at any one time. These results strongly suggest that lower spawning substrate area : male ratios should be tested to further refine this new hatchery method. Received November 17, 2011; accepted February 9, 2012
Design of flexible reduced kinetic mechanisms

Reduced mechanisms are often used in place of detailed chemistry because the computational burden of including all the species continuity equations in the reactor model is unreasonably high. Contemporary reduction techniques produce mechanisms that depend strongly on the nominal set of problem parameters for which the reduction is carried out. Effects of variability in these parameters on the reduced mechanism are the focus of this work. The range of validity of a reduced mechanism is determined for variations in initial conditions. Both sampling approaches and quantitative measures of feasibility, such as the flexibility index and the convex hull formulation, are employed. The inverse problem of designing a reduced mechanism that covers the desired range of initial conditions is addressed using a multiperiod approach. The effect of the value of a user-defined tolerance parameter, which determines whether the predictions made by the reduced mechanism are acceptable, is also assessed. The analytical techniques are illustrated with examples from the literature.
Sampling bounds for sparse support recovery in the presence of noise

It is well known that the support of a sparse signal can be recovered from a small number of random projections. However, in the presence of noise all known sufficient conditions require that the per-sample signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) grows without bound with the dimension of the signal. If the noise is due to quantization of the samples, this means that an unbounded rate per sample is needed. In this paper, it is shown that an unbounded SNR is also a necessary condition for perfect recovery, but any fraction (less than one) of the support can be recovered with bounded SNP. This means that a finite rate per sample is sufficient for partial support recovery. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for both stochastic and non-stochastic signal models. This problem arises in settings such as compressive sensing, model selection, and signal denoising.
The effects of hurricanes on birds, with special reference to Caribbean islands

Cyclonic storms, variously called typhoons, cyclones, or hurricanes (henceforth, hurricanes), are common in many parts of the world, where their frequent occurrence can have both direct and indirect effects on bird populations. Direct effects of hurricanes include mortality from exposure to hurricane winds, rains, and storm surges, and geographic displacement of individuals by storm winds. Indirect effects become apparent in the storm's aftermath and include loss of food supplies or foraging substrates; loss of nests and nest or roost sites; increased vulnerability to predation; microclimate changes; and increased conflict with humans. The short-term response of bird populations to hurricane damage, before changes in plant succession, includes shifts in diet, foraging sites or habitats, and reproductive changes. Bird populations may show long-term responses to changes in plant succession as second-growth vegetation increases in storm-damaged old-growth forests.The greatest stress of a hurricane to most upland terrestrial bird populations occurs after its passage rather than during its impact. The most important effect of a hurricane s i the destruction of vegetation, which secondarily affects wildlife in the storm's aftermath. The most vulnerable terrestrial wildlife populations have a diet of nectar, fruit, or seeds; nest, roost, or forage on large old trees; require a closed forest canopy; have special microclimate requirements and/or live in a habitat in which vegetation has a slow recovery rate. Small populations with these traits are at greatest risk to hurricane-induced extinction, particularly if they exist in small isolated habitat fragments.Recovery of avian populations from hurricane effects is partially dependent on the extent and degree of vegetation damage as well as its rate of recovery. Also, the reproductive rate of the remnant local population and recruitment from undisturbed habitat patches influence the rate at which wildlife populations recover from damage.
Teaching computers to watch television: content-based image retrieval for content analysis

This article reviews computer science perspectives on video processing and explores the ways in which automated video analysis can be employed in social scientific studies of film and television content.
Attentional Networks and Consciousness

The term consciousness is an important one in the vernacular of the western literature in many fields. It is no wonder that scientists have assumed that consciousness will be found as a component of the human brain and that we will come to understand its neural basis. However, there is rather little in common between consciousness as the neurologist would use it to diagnose the vegetative state, how the feminist would use it to support raising male consciousness of the economic plight of women and as the philosopher would use it when defining the really hard question of the subjective state of awareness induced by sensory qualities. When faced with this kind of problem it is usual to subdivide the term into more manageable perhaps partly operational definitions. Three meanings that capture aspects of consciousness are: (1) the neurology of the state of mind allowing coherent orientation to time and place (2) the selection of sensory or memorial information for awareness and (3) the voluntary control over overt responses. In each of these cases the mechanisms of consciousness overlap with one or more of the attentional networks that have been studied with the methods of cognitive neuroscience. In this paper we explore the overlap and discuss how to exploit the growing knowledge of attentional networks to constrain ideas of consciousness.
Cryptosporidiosis in immunodeficient Arabian foals.

Five of six immunodeficient Arabian foals that died of adenoviral infection were found to be infected with an intestinal coccidian of the genus Cryptosporidium. Various developmental stages of the ...
Delivery of siRNA to ovarian cancer cells using laser-activated carbon nanoparticles

Aim: The RNAi-mediated knockdown of gene expression is an attractive tool for research and therapeutic purposes but its implementation is challenging. Here we report on a new method based on photoacoustic delivery of siRNA developed to address some of these challenges. Materials & methods: Physical properties and photoacoustic emission of carbon black (CB) particles upon near-infrared laser irradiation were characterized. Next, ovarian cancer cells Hey A8-F8 were exposed to near-infrared nanosecond laser pulses in the presence of siRNA targeting EGFR gene and CB particles. The intracellular delivery of siRNA and silencing of the target gene were determined by specific qPCR assays. Results & conclusion: Laser-activated CB nanoparticles generated photoacoustic emission and enabled intracellular delivery of siRNA and significant knockdown of its target EGFR mRNA. This physical method represents a new promising approach to targeted therapeutic delivery of siRNA.
The Effects of Laundering on the Performance of Open-End and Ring-Spun Yarns in Jersey Knit Fabrics

Bleached all-cotton and 50/50 cotton-polyester jersey knit fabrics were used for experimental purposes in this study. They were constructed similarly from open-end and ring-spun yarns in sizes 16s and 22s (English cotton count), respectively, with twist multiples suitable for each yarn type. The performance properties of the fabrics were evaluated initially and following 5, 15, and 25 laundering periods by means of a battery of destructive and nondestructive tests. When the physical characteristics of the fabrics composed of open-end-spun yarns were compared with those of ring-spun yarns, the open-end-spun cotton and cotton-polyester yarns in sizes 16s and 22s displayed superior resistance to pilling, slow wickability, and good dimensional stability. Because of the compactness of the open-end-spun yarns, these yarns experienced the least amount of compression and the greatest percentage of recovery. Due to the strength deficiencies of open-end-spun yarns, the cotton and cotton-polyester fabrics produced b...
Molecular and metabolic pattern classification for detection of brain glioma progression

Abstract Objectives The ability to differentiate between brain tumor progression and radiation therapy induced necrosis is critical for appropriate patient management. In order to improve the differential diagnosis, we combined fluorine-18 2-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET), proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H MRS) and histological data to develop a multi-parametric machine-learning model. Methods We enrolled twelve post-therapy patients with grade 2 and 3 gliomas that were suspicious of tumor progression. All patients underwent 18 F-FDG PET and 1 H MRS. Maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the tumors and reference regions were obtained. Multiple 2D maps of choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) of the tumors were generated. A support vector machine (SVM) learning model was established to take imaging biomarkers and histological data as input vectors. A combination of clinical follow-up and multiple sequential MRI studies served as the basis for assessing the clinical outcome. All vector combinations were evaluated for diagnostic accuracy and cross validation. The optimal cutoff value of individual parameters was calculated using Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) plots. Results The SVM and ROC analyses both demonstrated that SUVmax of the lesion was the most significant single diagnostic parameter (75% accuracy) followed by Cho concentration (67% accuracy). SVM analysis of all paired parameters showed SUVmax and Cho concentration in combination could achieve 83% accuracy. SUVmax of the lesion paired with SUVmax of the white matter as well as the tumor Cho paired with the tumor Cr both showed 83% accuracy. These were the most significant paired diagnostic parameters of either modality. Combining all four parameters did not improve the results. However, addition of two more parameters, Cho and Cr of brain parenchyma contralateral to the tumor, increased the accuracy to 92%. Conclusion This study suggests that SVM models may improve detection of glioma progression more accurately than single parametric imaging methods. Research support National Cancer Institute, Cancer Center Support Grant Supplement Award, Imaging Response Assessment Teams.
Computation of moving boundaries and interfaces and stabilization parameters

The interface-tracking and interface-capturing techniques we developed in recent years for computation of flow problems with moving boundaries and interfaces rely on stabilized formulations such as the streamline-upwind/Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) and pressure-stabilizing/Petrov-Galerkin (PSPG) methods. The interface-tracking techniques are based on the deforming-spatial-domain/stabilized space-time formulation, where the mesh moves to track the interface. The interface-capturing techniques, typically used with non-moving meshes, are based on a stabilized semi-discrete formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations, combined with a stabilized formulation of the advection equation governing the time-evolution of an interface function marking the interface location. We provide an overview of the interface-tracking and interface-capturing techniques, and highlight how we determine the stabilization parameters used in the stabilized formulations
Repression of the miR-143/145 cluster by oncogenic Ras initiates a tumor-promoting feed-forward pathway

Although activating mutations in RAS oncogenes are known to result in aberrant signaling through multiple pathways, the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the Ras oncogenic program remains poorly characterized. Here we demonstrate that Ras activation leads to repression of the miR-143/145 cluster in cells of human, murine, and zebrafish origin. Loss of miR-143/145 expression is observed frequently in KRAS mutant pancreatic cancers, and restoration of these miRNAs abrogates tumorigenesis. miR-143/145 down-regulation requires the Ras-responsive element-binding protein (RREB1), which represses the miR-143/145 promoter. Additionally, KRAS and RREB1 are targets of miR-143/miR-145, revealing a feed-forward mechanism that potentiates Ras signaling.
Preference elicitation for interface optimization

Decision-theoretic optimization is becoming a popular tool in the user interface community, but creating accurate cost (or utility) functions has become a bottleneck --- in most cases the numerous parameters of these functions are chosen manually, which is a tedious and error-prone process. This paper describes ARNAULD, a general interactive tool for eliciting user preferences concerning concrete outcomes and using this feedback to automatically learn a factored cost function. We empirically evaluate our machine learning algorithm and two automatic query generation approaches and report on an informal user study.
Optimally sensitive control for distributed parameter systems

The objective of this paper is the extension of optimally sensitive control techniques to distributed parameter systems. In particular, these adaptive control techniques are applied to distributed systems in which either the initial states or a vector of constant plant parameters are unknown. The result is the synthesis of a feedback control structure that adapts the nominal open-loop control in such a manner as to compensate for the errors introduced by model uncertainties. This requires defining the sensitivity matrices and deriving a set of distributed equations whose solution yields the requisite sensitivity matrices.
Power Region for Fading Multiple-Access Channel with Multiple Antennas

This paper studies the fading multiple-access channel (MAC) with additive Gaussian noise and multiple transmit and receive antennas. It is assumed that the receiver has the perfect channel state information (CSI) while the mobile transmitters have no such knowledge. This paper presents a transmission scheme where the receiver jointly optimizes the signal covariance matrices for all transmitters, based on the channel distribution information (CDI) and the rate demand of each individual user, and then feeds them back to all transmitters. Under this scheme, the achievable multi-user power region that is composed of all transmit power-tuples with which a given set of "ergodic" rates is achievable for all transmitters, is characterized by using convex optimization techniques. It is observed from simulation results that the transmit optimization based on the CDI can provide substantial power savings in the fading MAC.