cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory and Implementation of Nuclear Safety System Codes - Part I: Conservation Equations, Flow Regimes, Numerics and Significant Assumptions

Abstract The design and analysis of the thermal/hydraulic systems of nuclear power plants necessitates system codes that can be used in the analysis of steady-state and transient conditions. Due to the dispersed development of system codes over many laboratories and universities, there are several system codes available for use. Many of the available codes have multiple similar versions developed for specific user needs. The code comparisons provided in the two parts of this article series allow users to select the appropriate system code for their specific problems. In this comparison, the governing equations for mass, momentum and energy conservation are evaluated. It will be shown that the governing equations do not vary substantially between the codes considered. Most of them utilize a lumped approach with only two fields to represent two phase flow. Two-phase flows are divided into flow regimes based on their appearance and the flow structure. The regimes are used to select appropriate closure relationships to model heat transfer, interfacial drag, and other flow conditions. In addition, major assumptions about the governing and closure equations in these codes are compared and discussed. The most significant of the assumptions is that the governing equations can be discretized in time. The numerical approach of the codes is compared to one another since the numerical approach not only affects the speed of the system codes but also the accuracy of the results. In the second part of this article, the closure relations, their major assumptions, experimental verification and validation are discussed. The results of these articles also guide the development of these system codes, the underlying thermal/hydraulic models, and indicate areas where models must be improved to adequately address issues with new reactor design and development activities.
Left hemisphere plasticity and aphasia recovery

A recent study by our group revealed a strong relationship between functional brain changes in the left hemisphere and anomia treatment outcome in chronic stroke patients (N=26) with aphasia (Fridriksson, 2010). The current research represents a continuation of this work in which we have refined our methods and added data from four more patients (for a total sample size of 30) to assess where in the left hemisphere treatment-related brain changes occur. Unlike Fridriksson (2010) which only focused on changes in correct naming as a marker of treatment outcome, the current study examined the relationship between changes in left hemisphere activity and changes in correct naming, semantic paraphasias, and phonemic paraphasias following treatment. We also expanded on the work by Fridriksson by examining whether neurophysiological measures taken at baseline (defined henceforth as the time-point before the start of anomia treatment) predict treatment outcome. Our analyses revealed that changes in activation in perilesional areas predicted treatment-related increases in correct naming in individuals with chronic aphasia. This relationship was most easily observed in the left frontal lobe. A decrease in the number of semantic and phonemic paraphasias was predicted by an activation change in the temporal lobe involving cortical areas that were shown to be active during picture naming in 14 normal subjects. In contrast, a far less certain relationship was found between baseline neurophysiological measures and anomia treatment outcome. Our findings suggest that improved naming associated with behavioral anomia treatment in aphasia is associated with modulation of the left frontal lobe whereas a reduction in naming errors is mediated by left posterior regions that classically are thought to be involved in language processing.
Does Repeated AD Exposure Impair or Facilitate Recall of ADS with Similar Affective Valence? An Exploratory Study

In this study we examine how repetition of print advertisements can inhibit (rather than facilitate) brand recall in print advertisements that share similar affective valences. We find that reexposure to positively valenced advertisements impairs recall of brands in other positively valenced ads, but not recall of brands in negatively valenced ads and vice versa. Neutral ads provide boundary conditions for this effect: reexposure to neutrally valenced advertisements does not differentially affect recall of brands in neutral ads, and recall of brands in neutral ads is not affected by reexposure to positively or negatively valenced ads. Our findings indicate that repetition of a target ad may be able to impair recall of competitors' brands in subsequent like-valenced ads in addition to having the well-understood benefit of enhancing recall of the advertised brand. We discuss implications of these findings for practitioners and academic researchers.
Stimulus effects of d-amphetamine 1: DA mechanisms

Abstract As part of a continuing effort to assess the role of monoaminergic neuronal systems in the subjective effects of CNS stimulants, 10 rats trained to discriminate 1.0 mg/kg d -amphetamine from saline were treated with compounds that act through different dopaminergic mechanisms. In substitution (generalization) tests, 20 mg/kg of the dopamine (DA) uptake inhibitor GBR 12909 mimicked the training drug completely; at a dose of 15 mg/kg, GBR 12909 substituted for d -amphetamine incompletely. Neither the D 1 agonist SSKF 0.05–0.2 mg/kg) had amphetamine-like effects. When given in combination with the training drug, the D 1 antagonist SCH 23390 blocked the amphetamine cue completely at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg but did not have significant effects at higher or lower doses; the D 2 antagonist metoclopramide did not block d -amphetamine at any dose tested (1–5 mg/kg). These data indicate that: a) The discriminable effects of d -amphetamine are due, at least in part, to inhibition of DA uptake; b) direct stimulation of either D 1 or D 2 receptor sites is not sufficient to evoke d -amphetamine-like responding; and c) blockade of D 1 receptors attenuates the subjective effects of d -amphetamine to a greater extent than blockade of D 2 receptors.
Air Blast and Ground Shock Waves Generated at Long Distances from Demolitions of High Explosives

Abstract A summary of air blast wave and seismic wave measurements at long distances from chemical detonations obtained during a survey of demolition activities at installations of the Field Service Division, Ordnance Ammunition Command, is presented. Disturbances to surrounding residents as a result of demolition activities were found to be traceable solely to air blast waves, seismic disturbances generated directly by the demolition being far too small at the distances in question to be of consequence. The intensities of the air blast waves were found to depend primarily on weather conditions at the time of detonation, and less than one might expect on the quantity of explosive detonated. Under ideal conditions for blast wave propagation as much as five-fold enhancement above “normal” intensity of the air blast wave pressure was noted, while under conditions least favorable for propagating the blast wave as much as a twenty-fold reduction from “normal” was measured. Comparison of results with informatio...
Coulomb excitation studies of 160Dy, 162Dy and 164Dy

Abstract Coulomb excitation measurements with 16O and 4He projectiles have been performed on 160Dy, 162Dy, and 164Dy. The ground-state rotational bands up through the 8+ member were observed in the 16O experiments. The measured excitation probabilities yield B(E2; I → I −2) values which are generally in agreement with the rotational predictions except for the 6+ → 4+ values. In each nucleus, probabilities for exciting the 2+, 4+, and 6+ members of the γ-vibrational band were measured and compared with calculated results. The B (E2; 0+ → 2+γ) values were measured in experiments involving 4He ions. The Kπ = 2− octupole band was observed in each nucleus in addition to 1− bands in 160Dy and 162Dy. Excitation probabilities were analyzed in an attempt to extract B(E3) values.
On resonant reflection by a plane grating

The resonant minimum of the transmission coefficient (maximum of the reflection coefficient) of an infinite, periodic, plane grating for normal incidence of a plane wave is determined analytically.
Eddy Viscosity and the Solar Radiation

DICKE1, although not the first to do so, has proposed that the deep interior of the Sun rotates faster than the visible exterior (see also Roxburgh2, Sakurai3). One result is that the departure of the mass distribution from spherical symmetry would, through its quadrupole moment, cause a contribution to the advance of the perihelion of the planet Mercury, on the basis of Newtonian mechanics, which represents a sufficiently good approximation for this purpose. Unless the fast interior rotation and corresponding interior mass distribution is known and correct allowances made, no precise check of the success of general relativity theory can be made on the basis of the astronomically observed perihelion advance. The main question is whether some such situation concerning the interior rotation can be established, or at least made plausible.
Autocorrelation via two-wave mixing in barium titanate

A coherent optical processor is constructed using two-wave mixing in a BaTiO3 crystal. This system is capable of performing autocorrelation of an input image in two successive steps. Theoretical considerations of the system are successfully compared with the experimental results. Influences of the mixing angle and intensity ratios on the result are discussed.
Self-referentiality of Brouwer–Heyting–Kolmogorov semantics

Abstract The Godel–Artemov framework offered a formalization of the Brouwer–Heyting–Kolmogorov (BHK) semantics of intuitionistic logic via classical proofs. In this framework, the intuitionistic propositional logic IPC is embedded in the modal logic S 4 , S 4 is realized in the Logic of Proofs LP , and LP has a provability interpretation in Peano Arithmetic. Self-referential LP -formulas of the type ‘t is a proof of a formula ϕ containing t itself’ are permitted in the realization of S 4 in LP , and if such formulas are indeed involved, it is then necessary to use fixed-point arithmetical methods to explain intuitionistic logic via provability. The natural question of whether self-referentiality can be avoided in realization of S 4 was answered negatively by Kuznets who provided an S 4 -theorem that cannot be realized without using directly self-referential LP -formulas. This paper studies the question of whether IPC can be embedded in S 4 and then realized in LP without using self-referential formulas. We consider a general class of Godel-style modal embeddings of IPC in S 4 and by extending Kuznetsʼ method, show that there are IPC -theorems such that, under each such embedding, are mapped to S 4 -theorems that cannot be realized in LP without using directly self-referential formulas. Interestingly, all double-negations of tautologies that are not IPC -theorems, like ¬ ¬ ( ¬ ¬ p → p ) , are shown to require direct self-referentiality. Another example is found in IPC → , the purely implicational fragment of IPC . This suggests that the BHK semantics of intuitionistic logic (even of intuitionistic implication) is intrinsically self-referential. This paper is an extended version of [26] .
Mobility of Anion Spin Probes in Hectorite Gels: Viscosity of Surficial Water

The mobility of water adjacent to layer silicate clay surfaces and the spatial range of influence of these surfaces on the physical properties of water have been subjects of some controversy. In an attempt to further characterize the surficial water of clays, electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy was used to determine the rotational mobility of an anionic nitroxide spin probe (3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrohdinyloxy) in hectorite gels of variable water content. There was a measurable decrease in average mobility of the anion probe only when the clay/water ratio exceeded 1 kg L −1 . Because «negative adsorption» tended to exclude the anion from the near-surface regions except at quite low water content, mobility of the anion probe was unaffected by adsorption processes and could be used to estimate the viscosity of water within 100 A of the surface. The spin probe results indicate that, at low water contents, the addition or removal of water changes the rigidity of all the water, so that the viscosity of the interlamellar water cannot be estimated by averaging that of the adsorbed and added free water. The results place the maximum range of silicate surface influence on dynamic water properties at about five molecular diameters, with up to two monolayers of water at each surface being one to two orders of magnitude more rigid than free water
How ranker and learner choice affects classification performance on noisy bioinformatics data

One of the main characteristics of bioinformatics datasets is noise. Noise refers to incorrect or missing values in a dataset and has a detrimental effect on classification. In this study we evaluate the robustness of six classification algorithms and ten filter-based feature selection techniques, specifically to study how the different techniques are impacted by particularly challenging datasets in order to find the techniques which are less sensitive to class noise. To investigate the robustness of the classification algorithms and feature selection techniques, we injected artificial noise (which varied both in terms of noise level and noise distribution) into 12 relatively noise-free bioinformatics datasets, creating a spectrum of noisy datasets with three levels of learning difficulty (Easy, Moderate, and Hard). We then used ten feature rankers from three different families, along with six classification techniques, to build predictive models. We found that the Random Forest 100 learner is the least sensitive to class noise, and thus is a good candidate for classification across all rankers and learning difficulty levels. Logistic Regression, on the other hand, gave the worst performance across all rankers and learning difficulty levels. Additionally, we found that some rankers were successful at ameliorating the difficulty of hard datasets for all learners other than Logistic Regression, meaning that with these rankers the datasets act as though they are less noisy.
Pikachurin interaction with dystroglycan is diminished by defective O-mannosyl glycosylation in congenital muscular dystrophy models and rescued by LARGE overexpression

Congenital muscular dystrophies (CMD) such as muscle-eye-brain disease caused by defective glycosylation of α-dystroglycan (α-DG) exhibit defective photoreceptor synaptic function. Mouse knockouts of dystroglycan and its extracellular matrix binding partner pikachurin recapitulate this phenotype. In this study, pikachurin-α-dystroglycan interactions in several mouse models of CMD were examined by pikachurin overlay experiments. The results show that hypoglycosylation of α-dystroglycan resulted in markedly reduced pikachurin-α-dystroglycan interactions. Expression of pikachurin is abolished at the outer plexiform layer of two mouse models, protein O-mannose N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase 1 (POMGnT1) knockout and Large(myd) mice. Overexpressing LARGE restored this interaction in POMGnT1 knockout cells. These results indicate that pikachurin interactions with α-dystroglycan and its localization at the photoreceptor ribbon synapse require normal glycosylation of α-dystroglycan.
Dielectric failure of volume and surface types

IN THIS investigation, an attempt is made to obtain an interpretation of phenomena and also to serve practical ends. Since laboratory tests are preferably simple and of a controlled nature, the results are very limited when weighed against the multitudinous considerations of field applications. After earlier exploration, in which both materials and techniques were given careful scrutiny, four solid dielectrics were chosen for the present study.1?3 Failure of practical dielectric structures in most cases is clearly through a volume of solid or else across the surface at an interface. Therefore, values of electric stress necessary to produce puncture constitute many of the compiled data in this paper. Likewise, flashover voltage is given for the materials as determined from the use of a fixed structure in air. The frequency range was from 60 cycles per second (cps) to 100 megacycles per second (mc), and the effects of temperature and humidity were studied.
Documentation for the non-scientist

In the past few years the number of computer users from the humanities and social sciences has increased markedly. Realizing the tremendous advantage that text processing programs and statistical packages afford in the pursuit of their work, the "non-scientists" (1) have begun to regard the computer as a necessary academic tool. As more and more members of the liberal arts community attempt to acquire computing skills, those of us charged with the task of providing instruction in the use of computer programs and systems must take into account the needs and, particularly, the perspective and intellectual habits of a fundamentally new breed of computer user.
Short sale constraints: the impact on the return distribution

This paper tests empirically Hong and Stein's theoretical finding, that in an environment of short sale constraints, investor disagreement over future equity prices leads to negatively skewed return distributions. This study uses data from the Indian equity market to examine the third and fourth moments of the return distribution. The skewness of the return distribution is estimated both from realized returns and option prices. Empirical results provide partial supportive evidence for Hong and Stein's hypothesis.
Characteristics of the Nuclear RNA Polymerase from Rat Anterior Pituitary Tissue

Nuclei were isolated from the anterior pituitary glands of male rats with the aid of Triton X–100. An average recovery of 90% was achieved. In the presence of all four nucleoside triphosphates and magnesium ions, these nuclei incorporated [3H]nucleotides into an RNA product with a base composition similar to ribosomal RNA. Incorporation was inhibited by pyrophosphate, actinomycin D and deoxyribonuclease. These properties are characteristic of RNA polymerase activity. Several aspects of the assay procedure were studied, including incubation time, divalent cation concentration, pH and nucleoside triphosphate concentration, and the optimal conditions for assay of pituitary polymerase were determined. Pituitary nuclei isolated from adult males were about three times as active as liver nuclei. The level of enzyme activity in pituitary nuclei varied somewhat with age. Activity was 60% greater in 56–day—old rats than in 2 5–dayold rats, but no further increase was found in, 100–day—old rats. (Endocrinology 92: 1...
Mimicking Bollywood in Slumdog Millionaire: Global Hollywood’s Newest Co-Optation of Culture:

In an age when mass media transcend geographic barriers, Slumdog Millionaire (SDM) represents a new type of film in the global media market—a seemingly Bollywood, although not technically Bollywood, production. As film-going provides a site for ideological and cultural production, this article examines SDM’s success as a product imitative of Bollywood film. Due to its recency, SDM has yet to be examined as a product that crosses both cultural and geographic boundaries with commercial ties to major Hollywood media conglomerates. Applying political economic theory, this research examines the reasons for Hollywood involvement in a film production that is mimetic of the Bollywood genre, in an attempt to better understand the global political economic factors that drive the film industry today.
Diabetic Charcot Neuroarthropathy of the Foot and Ankle with Osteomyelitis.

One of the most devastating foot and/or ankle complications in the diabetic population with peripheral neuropathy is the presence of Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN). In recent years, diabetic limb salvage has been attempted more frequently as opposed to major lower extremity amputation for CN of the foot and ankle with ulceration and/or deep infection. Treatment strategies for osteomyelitis in the diabetic population have evolved. This article reviews some of the most common surgical strategies recommended for the diabetic patient with CN of the foot and/or ankle and concomitant osteomyelitis.
On the performance of bi-phase modulated UWB signals in a multipath channel

The bi-phase modulation (BPM) for ultra-wide bandwidth (UWB) systems has some advantages over other modulation schemes such as a smoother power spectral density and higher resistance to jitter. In this paper, we estimated the BER performance of the BPM for two different data rates, 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps, in a multipath environment through simulation and compared the results with that for the pulse position modulation (PPM). Our results indicate that the BPM performs better than the PPM for both data rates. The BER performance is sensitive to the data rate for both modulation schemes, and the performance gap between the two data rates increases as the SNR increases.
Subject matter knowledge, classroom management, and instructional practices in middle school science classrooms

This study examined the interrelationships among three major components of classroom teaching: subject matter content knowledge, classroom management, and instructional practices. The study involved two middle school science classes of different achievement levels taught by the same female teacher. The teacher held an undergraduate degree with a major in social studies and a minor in mathematics and science from an elementary teacher education program. The findings indicated that the teacher's limited knowledge of science content and her strict classroom order resulted in heavy dependence on the textbook and students' individual activities (e.g., seatwork) and avoidance of whole-class activities (e.g., discussion) similarly in both classes. Implications for educational practices and further research are discussed.
Practical Disk Diffusion Method for Detection of Inducible Clindamycin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci

Resistance to macrolides in staphylococci may be due to active efflux (encoded by msrA) or ribosomal target modification (macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B [MLSB] resistance; usually encoded by ermA or ermC). MLSB resistance is either constitutive or inducible following exposure to a macrolide. Induction tests utilize closely approximated erythromycin and clindamycin disks; the flattening of the clindamycin zone adjacent to the erythromycin disk indicates inducible MLSB resistance. The present study reassessed the reliability of placing erythromycin and clindamycin disks in adjacent positions (26 to 28 mm apart) in a standard disk dispenser, compared to distances of 15 or 20 mm. A group of 130 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and 100 isolates of erythromycin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were examined by disk approximation; all CNS isolates and a subset of S. aureus isolates were examined by PCR for ermA, ermC, and msrA. Of 114 erythromycin-resistant S. aureus isolates, 39 demonstrated constitutive resistance to clindamycin, while 33 showed inducible resistance by disk approximation at all three distances. Only one isolate failed to clearly demonstrate induction at 26 mm. Of 82 erythromycin-resistant CNS isolates that contained ermA or ermC, 57 demonstrated constitutive clindamycin resistance, and 25 demonstrated inducible resistance, at 20 and 26 mm. None of the 42 S. aureus isolates or 18 CNS isolates containing only msrA and none of the erythromycin-susceptible isolates yielded positive disk approximation tests. Simple placement of erythromycin and clindamycin disks at a distance achieved with a standard disk dispenser allowed detection of 97% of S. aureus strains and 100% of CNS strains with inducible MLSB resistance in this study.
Epigenetic Regulation of Neural Gene Expression and Neuronal Function

The development and function of the CNS requires accurate gene transcription control in response to proper environmental signals. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and other chromatin-remodeling events, are critically important in mediating precise neural gene regulation. This review focuses on discussing the role of DNA methylation and histone modifications in neural lineage differentiation, synaptic plasticity and neural behavior. We postulate that DNA methylation- and histone modification-mediated gene regulation is not only important for neural cell differentiation but also crucial for high-order cognitive functions such as learning and memory.
More Status or More Children? Social Status, Fertility Reduction, and Long-Term Fitness

Abstract A model is presented that shows that reduced fertility in humans can be explained as part of an evolved strategy to maximize long-term fitness in the face of periodic calamities that result in demographic crashes. Three conditions must be met for this model to be plausible: (1) human population history has been characterized by local periods of growth punctuated by recurrent crashes caused by calamities such as climatically induced resource shortfalls; (2) a strategy is available to individuals that increases the probability of survival through a crash, but that, to implement, requires diverting resources away from producing more offspring; and (3) long-term fitness benefits to increased survivorship through a crisis must outweigh or equal the fitness benefits that would accrue to putting the same resources into higher fertility. We present a model that shows that increases in survivorship can outweigh the benefits of higher fertility even if crises are neither very frequent nor particularly severe.
Tackling the challenging motif problem through hybrid particle swarm optimized alignment clustering

Previous studies show that Gibbs sampling methods and the like desperately failed to solve the challenging motif problem. This paper proposes a new hybrid algorithm, integrated Gibbs with particle swarm optimization (PSO) based motif alignment clustering (PSO-MAC), to solve the challenging motif problem by iteratively refining a population of potential solutions. The PSO-MAC algorithm is closely incorporated into a variant Gibbs called pseudo-Gibbs (pGibbs) motif sampler. Notably, pGibbs as a forerunner is executed multiple times and hence it brings about a population of potential alignments. Then, a PSO procedure coupled with motif alignment clustering (MAC) is developed to fine-tune such a population of solutions. The hybrid PSO-MAC algorithm aims to glean high quality motif solutions by cyclically refining and clustering the solution pool. Simulation and experimental results show that the new hybrid algorithm performs markedly better than others tested, and surprisingly it is able to solve the challenging motif problem with high precision. The new hybrid algorithm is also successfully applied to large-scale ChIP-Seq data sets.
A statistical model for signature verification

A Bayesian model for off-line signature verification involving the representation of a signature through its curvature is developed. The prior model makes use of a spatial point process for specifying the knots in an approximation restricted to a buffer region close to a template curvature, along with an independent time-warping mechanism. In this way, prior shape information about the signature can be built into the analysis. The observation model is based on additive white noise superimposed on the underlying curvature. The approach is implemented using Markov chain Monte Carlo and applied to a collection of documented instances of William Shakespeare's signature.
Pulse compression in a silver gallium sulfide, midinfrared, synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator

We present experiments and numerical modeling of optical-pulse compression in a silver gallium sulfide, synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator. In the experiments, 10 ps pump pulses from a pulsed Nd:YAG laser interacted in the parametric oscillator to generate infrared output pulses as short as 500 fs, yielding over 20-fold compression. Parametric conversion and pulse compression were studied by numerical simulation of the nonlinear wave equations and found to be in excellent agreement. The compression mechanism is related to group-velocity walkoff in the nonlinear interaction. Dispersion measurements and simulations of pulse compression in the wavelength range of 2.5-4.0 µm indicate that compression is inversely related to the signal-idler group-velocity difference. Although compression requires group-velocity walkoff between the pump and signal waves, the compression is most strongly controlled by the mismatch between the signal and idler group velocities.
Cryoelectron tomography of HIV-1 envelope spikes: further evidence for tripod-like legs.

A detailed understanding of the morphology of the HIV-1 envelope (Env) spike is key to understanding viral pathogenesis and for informed vaccine design. We have previously presented a cryoelectron microscopic tomogram (cryoET) of the Env spikes on SIV virions. Several structural features were noted in the gp120 head and gp41 stalk regions. Perhaps most notable was the presence of three splayed legs projecting obliquely from the base of the spike head toward the viral membrane. Subsequently, a second 3D image of SIV spikes, also obtained by cryoET, was published by another group which featured a compact vertical stalk. We now report the cryoET analysis of HIV-1 virion-associated Env spikes using enhanced analytical cryoET procedures. More than 2,000 Env spike volumes were initially selected, aligned, and sorted into structural classes using algorithms that compensate for the ‘‘missing wedge’’ and do not impose any symmetry. The results show varying morphologies between structural classes: some classes showed trimers in the head domains; nearly all showed two or three legs, though unambiguous three-fold symmetry was not observed either in the heads or the legs. Subsequently, clearer evidence of trimeric head domains and three splayed legs emerged when head and leg volumes were independently aligned and classified. These data show that HIV-1, like SIV, also displays the tripod-like leg configuration, and, unexpectedly, shows considerable gp41 leg flexibility/heteromorphology. The tripod-like model for gp41 is consistent with, and helps explain, many of the unique biophysical and immunological features of this region.
End3p-mediated endocytosis is required for spore wall formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

During sporulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, vesicles transported to the vicinity of spindle pole bodies are fused to each other to generate bilayered prospore membranes (PSMs). PSMs encapsulate the haploid nuclei that arise from the meiotic divisions and serve as platforms for spore wall deposition. Membrane trafficking plays an important role in supplying vesicles for these processes. The endocytosis-deficient mutant, end3Δ, sporulated poorly and the spores produced lost resistance to ether vapor, suggesting that END3-mediated endocytosis is important for sporulation. End3p-GFP localized to cell and spore peripheries in vegetative and sporulating cells and colocalized with actin structures. Correspondingly, the actin cytoskeleton appeared aberrant during sporulation in end3Δ. Analysis of meiosis in end3Δ mutants revealed that the meiotic divisions occurred with wild-type kinetics. Furthermore, PSMs were assembled normally. However, the levels of proteins required for spore wall synthesis and components of the spore wall layers at spores were reduced, indicating that end3Δ mutants are defective in spore wall synthesis. Thus, END3-mediated endocytosis is important for spore wall formation. Additionally, cytological analyses suggest that trafficking between the plasma membrane and PSMs is important earlier during sporulation.
Redox-sensitive DNA binding by homodimeric Methanosarcina acetivorans MsvR is modulated by cysteine residues

Background Methanoarchaea are among the strictest known anaerobes, yet they can survive exposure to oxygen. The mechanisms by which they sense and respond to oxidizing conditions are unknown. MsvR is a transcription regulatory protein unique to the methanoarchaea. Initially identified and characterized in the methanogen Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus (Mth), MthMsvR displays differential DNA binding under either oxidizing or reducing conditions. Since MthMsvR regulates a potential oxidative stress operon in M. thermautotrophicus, it was hypothesized that the MsvR family of proteins were redox-sensitive transcription regulators.
Geographic and genetic isolation in spring-associated Eurycea salamanders endemic to the Edwards Plateau region of Texas

Populations of neotenic, spring-associated salamanders of the genus Eurycea occupy discontinuous sites throughout the Edwards Plateau of central Texas and many warrant conservation attention. Here we used DNA sequence data from a nuclear (rag1) and a mitochondrial (ND4) gene to determine (1) the extent of genetic isolation among seven Edwards Plateau Eurycea populations and (2) the relationship between genetic distance and both geographic distance and hydrogeological features. Coalescent-based methods detected little gene flow among the sampled Eurycea populations, and we were unable to reject a model of complete isolation for any pair of populations. These findings were consistent with the relatively high genetic distances we detected among the sampled Eurycea populations (pairwise ϕST ranged from 0.249 to 0.924). We detected a positive correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance, which is consistent with a pattern of isolation by distance. However, while controlling for geographic distance, we did not detect a positive relationship between genetic distance and aquifer or river distance. Thus, we found no evidence that aquifers and/or rivers serve as dispersal corridors among isolated Eurycea populations. Based on these results, we have no evidence that re-colonization of spring sites by migrant salamanders following local extirpation would be likely. Our findings indicate that spring-associated Eurycea salamander populations occupying the Edwards Plateau region are genetically isolated, and that each of these populations should be considered a distinct management unit.
Reduction of Propofol Injection Pain with a Double Lumen IV Set

Abstract Study Objective: To investigate if the use of a new double lumen IV set (DLIS) decreases the incidence of propofol injection pain compared with single lumen IV set (SLIS) administration. Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. Setting: Operating rooms in a university hospital. Patients: 50 adult ASA physical status I and II patients of both genders undergoing general anesthesia for elective surgery. Interventions: Patients were injected with propofol either through a DLIS or a SLIS. Measurements and Main Results: Three different pain indices were recorded to be present or absent: (1) verbal report of pain during propofol injection, (2) grimacing during propofol injection, and (3) recall of injection pain in the recovery room. When the DLIS was used, the incidence of verbal pain, grimacing during propofol injection, and recall of pain during recovery were lowered significantly by 53%, 46%, and 52 %, respectively (chi square analysis of contingency table with Yates correction, p Conclusions: The DLIS significantly reduced the incidence of propofol injection pain compared with SLIS. Further studies are indicated to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this device.
Role of cysteine residues in structural stability and function of a transmembrane helix bundle.

To study the structural and functional roles of the cysteine residues at positions 36, 41, and 46 in the transmembrane domain of phospholamban (PLB), we have used Fmoc (N-(9-fluorenyl)methoxycarbonyl) solid-phase peptide synthesis to prepare α-amino-n-butyric acid (Abu)-PLB, the analogue in which all three cysteine residues are replaced by Abu. Whereas previous studies have shown that replacement of the three Cys residues by Ala (producing Ala-PLB) greatly destabilizes the pentameric structure, we hypothesized that replacement of Cys with Abu, which is isosteric to Cys, might preserve the pentameric stability. Therefore, we compared the oligomeric structure (from SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and function (inhibition of the Ca-ATPase in reconstituted membranes) of Abu-PLB with those of synthetic wild-type PLB and Ala-PLB. Molecular modeling provides structural and energetic insight into the different oligomeric stabilities of these molecules. We conclude that 1) the Cys residues of PLB are not necessary for pentamer formation or inhibitory function; 2) the steric properties of cysteine residues in the PLB transmembrane domain contribute substantially to pentameric stability, whereas the polar or chemical properties of the sulfhydryl group play only a minor role; 3) the functional potency of these PLB variants does not correlate with oligomeric stability; and 4) acetylation of the N-terminal methionine has neither a functional nor a structural effect in full-length PLB.
WETICE 2003 Eight Enterprise Security (ES) workshop report

The topics covered Role Based Access Control (RBAC), Security Risk Management and Software Security, Data Sanitization, and Network Intrusion Detection and Prevention. Two papers tied for best paper and presentation combination. The papers were: 1. "An Economic Damage Model for Large-Scale Internet Attacks," by Thomas Dubendorfer, Arno Wagner, Bernhard Plattner, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. 2. A Model for Access Negotiations in Dynamic Coalitions," by Himanshu Khurana, NCSA, University of Illinois, and Virgil Gligor, University of Maryland.
Elaborating sensor data using temporal and spatial commonsense reasoning

Ubiquitous computing has established a vision of computation where computers are so deeply integrated into our lives that they become both invisible and everywhere. In order to have computers out of sight and out of mind, they will need a deeper understanding of human life. LifeNet (Singh and Williams, 2003) is a model that functions as a computational model of human life that attempts to anticipate and predict what humans do in the world from a first-person point of view. LifeNet utilizes a general knowledge storage (Singh, 2002) gathered from assertions about the world input by the web community at large. In this work, we extend this general knowledge with sensor data gathered in vivo. By adding these sensor-network data to LifeNet, we are enabling a bidirectional learning process: both bottom-up segregation of sensor data and top-down conceptual constraint propagation, thus correcting current metric assumptions in the LifeNet conceptual model by using sensor measurements. Also, in addition to having LifeNet learning general common sense metrics of physical time and space, it will also learn metrics to a specific lab space and chances for recognizing specific individual human activities, and thus be able to make both general and specific spatial/temporal inferences, such as predicting how many people are in a given room and what they might be doing. This paper discusses the following topics: (1) details of the LifeNet probabilistic human model, (2) a description of the plug sensor network used in this research, and (3) a description of an experimental design for evaluation of the LifeNet learning method.
Who Serves the People? Educational Backgrounds of South Korean and Japanese Bureaucrats:

Numerous studies reveal that the higher civil service in many countries has been occupied by well-educated males, but the educational backgrounds of each nation's civil servants are different and vary with regard to the cultural and social norms of each country. Education is a major determinant for employment and promotion. The definition of well-educated is determined by each nation's political, social, and economic environment. This study investigates the educational backgrounds of government employees in South Korea and compares them to those of government employees in Japan. Primary attention is given to changes in public employment practices based on variables of educational back-ground (i.e., education level, institutional path, and field of study). Findings indicate that there are many similarities between the South Korean and Japanese government work forces, and the "best product" policy in public employment practices is common in both countries. In this setting, the public bureaucracy is a major ...
Active Stat3 is required for survival of human squamous cell carcinoma cells in serum-free conditions

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin is the most aggressive form of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), and is the single most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S., with over one million new cases reported each year. Recent studies have revealed an oncogenic role of activated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) in many human tumors, especially in those of epithelial origin, including skin SCC. Stat3 is a mediator of numerous growth factor and cytokine signaling pathways, all of which activate it through phosphorylation of tyrosine 705. To further address the role of Stat3 in skin SCC tumorigenesis, we have analyzed a panel of human skin-derived cell lines ranging from normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK), to non-tumorigenic transformed skin cells (HaCaT), to highly tumorigenic cells (SRB1-m7 and SRB12-p9) and observed a positive correlation between Stat3 phosphorylation and SCC malignancy. We next determined the role of Stat3 activity in cell proliferation and viability under serum-free culture conditions. This was accomplished by suppressing Stat3 activity in the SRB12-p9 cells through stable expression of a dominant negative acting form of Stat3β, which contains a tyrosine 705 to phenylalanine mutation (S3DN). The S3DN cells behaved similar to parental SRB12-p9 cells when cultured in optimal growth conditions, in the presence of 10% fetal calf serum. However, unlike the SRB12-p9 cells, S3DN cells underwent apoptotic cell death when cultured in serum-free medium (SFM). This was evidenced by multiple criteria, including accumulation of sub-G1 particles, induced PARP cleavage, and acquisition of the characteristic morphological changes associated with apoptosis. This study provides direct evidence for a role for Stat3 in maintaining cell survival in the conditions of exogenous growth factor deprivation produced by culture in SFM. We also propose that delivery of the S3DN gene or protein to tumor cells could induce apoptosis and/or sensitize those cells to the apoptotic effects of cancer therapeutic agents, raising the possibility of using S3DN as an adjunct for treatment of skin SCC.
Synthesis and characterization of non-hydrolysable diphosphoinositol polyphosphate messengers

The diphosphoinositol polyphosphates (PP-IPs) are a central group of eukaryotic messengers. They regulate numerous processes, including cellular energy homeostasis and adaptation to environmental stresses. To date, most of the molecular details in PP-IP signalling have remained elusive, due to a lack of appropriate methods and reagents. Here we describe the expedient synthesis of methylene-bisphosphonate PP-IP analogues. Their characterization revealed that the analogues exhibit significant stability and mimic their natural counterparts very well. This was further confirmed in two independent biochemical assays, in which our analogues potently inhibited phosphorylation of the protein kinase Akt and hydrolytic activity of the Ddp1 phosphohydrolase. The non-hydrolysable PP-IPs thus emerge as important tools and hold great promise for a variety of applications.
Tracking tracer breakthrough in the hyporheic zone using time-lapse DC resistivity, Crabby Creek, Pennsylvania

Characterization of the hyporheic zone is of critical importance for understanding stream ecology, contaminant transport, and groundwater-surface water interaction. A salt water tracer test was used to probe the hyporheic zone of a recently re-engineered portion of Crabby Creek, a stream located near Philadelphia, PA. The tracer solution was tracked through a 13.5 meter segment of the stream using both a network of 25 wells sampled every 5-15 minutes and time-lapse electrical resistivity tomographs collected every 11 minutes for six hours, with additional tomographs collected every 100 minutes for an additional 16 hours. The comparison of tracer monitoring methods is of keen interest because tracer tests are one of the few techniques available for characterizing this dynamic zone, and logistically it is far easier to collect resistivity tomographs than to install and monitor a dense network of wells. Our results show that resistivity monitoring captured the essential shape of the breakthrough curve and may indicate portions of the stream where the tracer lingered in the hyporheic zone. Timelapse resistivity measurements, however, represent time averages over the period required to collect a tomographic data set, and spatial averages over a volume larger than captured by a well sample. Smoothing by the resistivity data inversion algorithm further blurs the resulting tomograph; consequently resistivity monitoring underestimates the degree of fine-scale heterogeneity in the hyporheic zone.
Masculine interventions and transnational celebrity activism in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti

For a time following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, two male celebrity activists dominated transnational media coverage of the recovery effort. Grammy-award winning musician Wyclef Jean and actor/director Sean Penn both reacted swiftly by travelling to Haiti and garnered praise for their financial and organisational contributions to the relief efforts. The two men also engaged in a brief conflict over who was the more legitimate activist in Haiti. The symbolically powerful feud between the two men produced themes of transformation, travel, time, and competence that relied upon gendered and racialised norms to position one man as a more authentic activist than the other. Through critical analysis, I argue that transnational media created a narrative around Jean and Penn in which masculinity, ethnic and national identity, and celebrity converge to reinforce oppositional male archetypes.
Floquet topological insulators for sound

The unique conduction properties of condensed matter systems with topological order have recently inspired a quest for the similar effects in classical wave phenomena. Acoustic topological insulators, in particular, hold the promise to revolutionize our ability to control sound, allowing for large isolation in the bulk and broadband one-way transport along their edges, with topological immunity against structural defects and disorder. So far, these fascinating properties have been obtained relying on moving media, which may introduce noise and absorption losses, hindering the practical potential of topological acoustics. Here we overcome these limitations by modulating in time the acoustic properties of a lattice of resonators, introducing the concept of acoustic Floquet topological insulators. We show that acoustic waves provide a fertile ground to apply the anomalous physics of Floquet topological insulators, and demonstrate their relevance for a wide range of acoustic applications, including broadband acoustic isolation and topologically protected, nonreciprocal acoustic emitters.