cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mineral-hosted biofilm communities in the continental deep subsurface, Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, SD, USA.

Deep subsurface biofilms are estimated to host the majority of prokaryotic life on Earth, yet fundamental aspects of their ecology remain unknown. An inherent difficulty in studying subsurface biofilms is that of sample acquisition. While samples from marine and terrestrial deep subsurface fluids have revealed abundant and diverse microbial life, limited work has described the corresponding biofilms on rock fracture and pore space surfaces. The recently established Deep Mine Microbial Observatory (DeMMO) is a long-term monitoring network at which we can explore the ecological role of biofilms in fluid-filled fractures to depths of 1.5 km. We carried out in situ cultivation experiments with single minerals representative of DeMMO host rock to explore the ecological drivers of biodiversity and biomass in biofilm communities in the continental subsurface. Coupling cell densities to thermodynamic models of putative metabolic reactions with minerals suggests a metabolic relationship between biofilms and the minerals they colonize. Our findings indicate that minerals can significantly enhance biofilm cell densities and promote selective colonization by taxa putatively capable of extracellular electron transfer. In turn, minerals can drive significant differences in biodiversity between fluid and biofilm communities. Given our findings at DeMMO, we suggest that host rock mineralogy is an important ecological driver in deep continental biospheres.
Coherent synchrotron radiation wake expressions with two bending magnets and simulation results for a multiturn energy-recovery linac

This paper consists of two main parts regarding coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR). The first part extends the CSR theory of two particle interaction from a system of one bending magnet to two bending magnets, where the wake can leak from the first to the second. The new theory agrees well with the established simulation code Bmad. The second part of the paper presents the CSR simulation results on CBETA, the Cornell BNL Energy-Recovery-Linac (ERL) Test Accelerator, in which the magnets are so close to each other and the new extended theory becomes important. CBETA is the first multiturn ERL with superconducting radio frequency (SRF) accelerating cavities and a Fixed Field Alternating gradient (FFA) beamline. Simulations show that CSR causes phase space dilution that becomes more significant as the bunch charge and the number of recirculation passes increase. Potential ways to mitigate the CSR effects, including adding vacuum chamber shielding and increasing bunch length, are being investigated.
Centrality and Centralisation: A Social Network Analysis of the Early Soviet Film Industry, 1918-1953

Die sowjetische Filmindustrie bestand wie jede andere Institution aus Netzwerken von Menschen, die sich kannten oder die Menschen kannten, die sich kannten. In diesem Artikel untersucht Joan Neuberger einige dieser Beziehungen mithilfe der Analyse digitaler sozialer Netzwerke. Sie wendet die digitale Netzwerkanalyse an, um Verbindungen zwischen sowjetischen Regisseuren und Schauspielern im Zeitraum von 1918 bis 1953 zu untersuchen, und zeigt zum einen, inwieweit Unbekanntheit vorteilhaft sein konnte, und zum anderen, dass Veranderungen in der ethnischen und regionalen Integration in dieser Zeit ein anderes Bild der Zentralisierung aufweisen als jenes in Studien der politischen Zentralisierung.
Validating the visceral sensitivity index in an eating disorder sample

OBJECTIVE Individuals with eating disorders (EDs) often have difficulty tolerating uncomfortable body sensations. As such, anxiety sensitivity specific to gastrointestinal (GI) sensations, has relevance for EDs. However, to date, no validated measures of this construct exist in EDs. Thus, the present study sought to validate the visceral sensitivity index (VSI), a 15-item measure originally validated in an irritable bowel syndrome sample, in an ED sample and explore associations with ED symptoms. METHOD Two hundred and sixty-six adolescents (n = 116) and adults (n = 150) in an ED partial hospital program completed the VSI and related measures at admission. Confirmatory factor analysis examined the factor structure of the VSI and hierarchical regression analyses explored associations between the VSI and ED symptoms. RESULTS The original version of the VSI had adequate model fit. An alternative 13-item model removing specific items with poor fit and less theoretical relevance to EDs also demonstrated good fit. The 15-item and 13-item VSI had strong internal consistency (α = .93-.94), and correlation results supported the convergent and divergent validity of both versions. Higher visceral sensitivity was associated with elevated body dissatisfaction, cognitive restraint, purging, restricting, and excessive exercise (p-values <.05), beyond length of illness, body mass index, and trait anxiety. DISCUSSION Results support the relevance of GI-specific anxiety in EDs and suggest that the original 15-item VSI and modified 13-item VSI have strong psychometric properties in an ED sample. Given comparable model fit and psychometric properties, both versions of the VSI may be used for future ED research.
Abstract 14463: A Novel Mouse Model of the Effect of Acute Kidney Injury on Neointima After Injury of an Artery

Introduction and Hypothesis: Acute kidney injury (AKI), even if renal function returns to normal, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We have developed a novel, mouse mo...
Medial entorhinal cortex activates in a traveling wave

Summary Traveling waves of cortical activity are hypothesized to organize cortical information processing and support interregional communication. Yet, it remains unknown whether interacting areas exhibit the matched traveling waves necessary to support this hypothesized form of interaction. Here, we show that the strongly-interacting medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and hippocampus exhibit matched traveling waves. We demonstrate that both the field potential and spiking in the MEC exhibit prominent 6-12 Hz ‘theta’ traveling waves matching those of the hippocampus. The theta phase shifts observed along the MEC were accounted for largely by variation in waveform asymmetry. From this, we hypothesize that that gradients in local physiology underlie both the generation of MEC traveling waves and the functional variations observed previously across the MEC.
Rethinking Salt Supply Chains: Cost and Emissions Analysis for Co-production of Salt and Freshwater from U.S. Seawater

Is it feasible to build desalination plants for the co-production of salt and freshwater from U.S. seawater that could lead to a restructuring of supply chains for salt imports? As it is predicted that climate change will increase water stress worldwide, an increasing number of countries are using desalination plants to generate freshwater. In most such cases, residual concentrates must be disposed of, and the disposal cost is increasing as countries are becoming more environmentally conscious. Selective salt recovery can help to alleviate this issue, as it reduces the need for concentrate disposal and generates additional revenue. To gain some insights into the costs and benefits of co-production plants, we have collected data on current desalination practices and salt imports in the U.S., along with the manufacturing costs and energy requirements for co-production plants. We have used this data to build an optimization model to determine an optimal number and location of co-production plants in the U.S. and their potential markets for the sale of co-produced salt. In our analysis, we have considered a different total number of co-production facilities, and for each configuration we evaluated the resulting net water cost and carbon emissions impact. Our results indicate that there exists the potential for building several co-production plants in the U.S. that would be both financially competitive with existing desalination plants and lead to a reduction in carbon emissions. This information might be of use to both governments and businesses when they make decisions about the type of desalination facilities built and the implemented “polluter pays” policies.
The “Wave Bridge” for bypassing oceanic wave momentum

Here, we introduce and investigate the concept of the Wave Bridge that can bypass the momentum of oceanic waves about ocean objects. The Wave Bridge is composed of a wave energy absorber on the upstream side of an ocean object, and a wave maker on its downstream side. The wave absorber and the wave maker are mechanically connected in such a way that the wave energy absorbed on the upstream side is simultaneously used by the wave maker downstream of the ocean object to generate waves. The Wave Bridge therefore protects the ocean object from waves by transferring incident wave energy from the upstream to the downstream. Furthermore, since the wave absorbed upstream is the same as the one generated downstream, the corresponding horizontal forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in sign and hence cancel each other, resulting in a zero net horizontal force on the Wave Bridge and its supporting structure. Our experimental results show a wave protection efficiency of up to 97 % and a horizontal force protection efficiency of up to 80 %. We also investigate the effect of the finite height of the Wave Bridge and the resulting wave energy leakage underneath the plungers on the overall protection efficiency. The Wave Bridge and its variants may reduce the costs of offshore structures by reducing the wave loads, provide calm water in the midst of an energetic ocean for future offshore cities, and conserve energy of dynamic position systems by reducing the wave-induced disturbances of vessels.
Modernizing Exploration and Navigation in Enterprise Systems with Interactive Visualizations

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems empower employees with access to vast amounts of data from across the organization. Learning how to navigate an enterprise system and explore the data within, however, can require herculean effort. Despite the efficacy of visualizations for enhancing knowledge discovery and exploration, they have yet to be applied to assisting users of ERP systems. In this paper, we present two visualization components designed specifically for those users. The first provides an easy-to-use search interface for visualizing relationships between data entities, while the second supports navigation via an interactive map. Both have been implemented in a prototype for validation in future studies.
Magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy. Convenient quantitative determination of uroporphyrin and coproporphyrin in urine samples.

Abstract Magnetic circular dichroism provides a convenient, sensitive, and accurate method to determine the concentration of uroporphyrin (I) and coproporphyrin (II) in urine specimens. The acidified sample is measured directly, and the recorded spectrum is analyzed by a least-squares fitting procedure using the spectra of the pure components as fitting functions. The lowest detection limit is 10 μg/liter of total porphyrins, the accuracy is about 5%, and the minimum sample volume required is 1 ml. The possibility of determining small amounts of myoglobin in serum was also investigated. Conversion to the hemochrome results in the occurrence of a very intense MCD band at 555 nm, thus permitting the detection of myoglobin levels as low as 0.1–0.2 μg/ml.
Cruel and Unusual Punishment and the Eighth Amendment as a Mandate for Human Dignity: Another Look at Original Intent

This Article examines the originalist approach to interpretation of the Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause and concludes that restricting the meaning of the Clause to the historical moment contemporary with ratification does an injustice to the truly "original intent" of the Framers that the Constitution was to serve American posterity in a meaningful way. The piece demonstrates that one can seriously consider the Fifth and Eighth Amendments to the United States Constitution and conclude - reading them together - that the death penalty is "cruel and unusual" and, therefore, unconstitutional, without doing violence to the "original intent" of the Framers. In constructing this argument, I address the proposition of the Fifth Amendment's apparent approval of capital punishment and conclude that the Fifth is not an insurmountable hindrance to per se unconstitutionality of the death penalty under the Eighth. I briefly examine the English and American history of the death penalty, explore a comparative analogy of the constitutional position of the death penalty with that of slavery, and briefly look at the international abolitionist perspective via the development of South African constitutional jurisprudence regarding the death penalty. I conclude that the Fifth Amendment's recognition of the death penalty need not be read to exclude the death penalty from constitutional scrutiny and per se invalidation under the Eighth Amendment. The Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause can be used as a device to bring America's penal system in line with the overarching aspirations of life and dignity that abound in our Constitution as they are recognized by a persuasive majority of the world's liberal democracies. Such a recognition of these transcendent principles would herald a truly "originalist" interpretive ethic.
THE WAGE-GOODS CONSTRAINT ON A DEVELOPING ECONOMY Theory and Evidence

Abstract In a dual economy, the traditional, or agricultural sector generally has a relatively low supply response to prices. If, in addition, the real wages of the modern, or industrial sector are denominated at least partly in terms of the product of agriculture, then agricultural output sets an upper bound on employment in industry. Such a constraint may be binding in the short run, whenever the level of food production is low. This is called the ‘wage-goods constraint’. This paper examines the analytics of a wage-goods constraint in the framework of a two-commodity model of a dual economy, with surplus labor, where (unconstrained) industrial output is demand-determined. The effects of either expansionary or redistributive policy may be quite different, and sometimes perverse, in a situation where the wage-goods constraint is binding. Next, data for the Indian economy is used to test the hypothesis that the wage-goods constraint was binding in the Indian industrial sector between the years 1955 to 1980. The results indicate that this was the case for most of the period.
Efficient reduction of quadratic forms

The positive definite integer quadratic form, ax 2 + bxy + cy 2, is of some importance in number theory. For example such quadratic forms have been shown useful in factorization of large integers. For many applications it is important to be able to recognize when two quadratic forms are equivalent, so it is useful to be able to reduce these quadratic forms to a canonical representation.
Rather bait than switch

Abstract This paper reviews some of the theory [e.g. Postner (1973)] on the incentives of firms to advertise deceptively. It argues that the widely held belief that these incentives are small and are outweighed by important disincentives is based on unjustified assumptions about consumer rationality. The paper presents a model of advertising and consumer reactions in which consumers manifest a form of bounded rationality. Given this, it is demonstrated that, under cogent assumptions about parameter values, some firms will have an incentive to advertise deceptively, causing a net welfare loss to society in the absence of corrective policy.
Case Reports and Case Series

Case Reports and Case Series are descriptive observational studies. Their characteristic is that there is no control group so they do not permit of effective or reliable analysis. The case studies are the base level of hierarchy of evidence, and even though very exposed to the possibility of bias they do have great clinical utility. The simplicity of Case Reports mean that in theory any clinician can organise and carry them out. Despite a high number of dentistry publications being Case Reports, little attention is paid to appraisals of their quality. Recently a series of publications took into consideration the CARE guidelines that give the key points that should figure in a good Case Report. The Case Reports website (http://www.care-statement.org/index.html) provides a template for the proper writing of Case Reports and has some interesting links to other resources that we shall look at in the next issue.
Vicarious hypocrisy: Bolstering attitudes and taking action after exposure to a hypocritical ingroup member

Abstract Four studies tested the prediction that when highly identified group members observe another ingroup member behave hypocritically, they experience vicarious hypocrisy, which they reduce by bolstering their support for the ingroup hypocrite's message. Participants in Experiment 1 (N = 161) who witnessed a similar ingroup member act hypocritically about using sunscreen reported more positive attitudes toward using sunscreen than participants exposed to an outgroup hypocrite or to a dissimilar ingroup hypocrite. The effect of vicarious hypocrisy on attitude bolstering was attenuated in Experiment 2 (N = 68) when ingroup identity was affirmed. In Experiment 3 (N = 64), more highly identified participants acquired sunscreen when a fellow ingroup member's hypocrisy was attributed to high compared to low choice. Experiment 4 (N = 68) showed that a misattribution cue attenuated the effect of vicarious hypocrisy on sunscreen acquisition. The discussion focuses on the vicarious dissonance processes that motivate some observers to defend, rather than reject, a hypocritical ingroup member.
Cromolyn and Nedocromil

Both nedocromil sodium and cromolyn sodium are anti-inflammatory drugs that may be used in the therapy of allergic diseases. These diseases include asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic ocular disorders. Additional therapeutic uses have been proposed. Nedocromil and cromolyn are both available in the United States for asthma therapy, but only cromolyn is available for the treatment of the other conditions. Recent publications in the evidence-based literature have upheld the safety profile of nedocromil and cromolyn but increasingly suggest that other topical anti-inflammatory agents are more effective and have comparable safety at recommended doses. Nedocromil sodium and cromolyn sodium both can be used prophylactically prior to isolated allergen exposures and must be used regularly for maintenance therapy. No consistent, severe adverse reactions occur with either drug.
Improving turbocharged diesel engine operation with turbo power assist system

The paper investigates improvements in the turbocharged diesel engine transient response that can be attained when a turbocharger power assist system, consisting, for example, of an electric motor and a battery, is coupled to the turbocharger shaft. The method of investigation relies on formulating and solving numerically an appropriate minimum time optimal control problem. Comparison with a conventional turbocharged diesel engine response reveals the mechanism by which acceleration improvements are attained while maintaining high fuel efficiency and equivalent smoke emission levels. A feedback controller that generates responses qualitatively similar to the optimal ones is also described.
Finite precision analysis of the lattice and the Schur algorithms for the autocorrelation method of linear prediction

The authors study the finite arithmetic properties of the Schur and the lattice recursions. They derive the error variance of the reflection coefficient at each stage of each algorithm and present experimental results which agree very closely with the analytical results. They also show that the lattice recursions have a significant accuracy advantage over the Schur recursions when the problem is ill-conditioned or, equivalently, when the absolute values of the reflection coefficients are close to one. >
From chattel to wage slavery in Jamaica, 1740–1860

(1993). From chattel to wage slavery in Jamaica, 1740–1860. Slavery & Abolition: Vol. 14, The wage of Slavery: From Chattel Slavery to wage labour in Africa, the Caribbean and England, pp. 13-40.
Assessment of oil contamination in the marine environment by pattern recognition analysis of paraffinic hydrocarbon content of mussels

Data on the paraffinic hydrocarbon content of mussels (Mytilus edulis and M. califomianus) were analyzed statistically in an attempt to assess oil contamination of several aquatic areas of the greater Puget Sound basin in the State of Washington. The mussels were collected quarterly over a period of two years from ten locations. Fundamental statistical treatment of the data did not reveal meaningful trends. Application of pattern recognition techniques to the hydrocarbon data set allowed the mussel samples to be successfully classified into groups, from areas near known sources of potential pollution or from areas remote from known pollution. Several samples however, could not be grouped consistently as either from contaminated or uncontaminated sites. In addition, the mussels from a particular area could be separated as to season of sampling. Seasonal variation in levels of individual paraffinic hydrocarbons were greater than annual changes. The n-C16 hydrocarbon concentration was the most useful of the 34 features studied for establishing possible oil contamination of the areas. The n-C16 hydrocarbon content was also used successfully to detect oil spills and to define uncontaminated locations in Puget Sound.
Heat transfer at the solid-liquid interface during melting from a horizontal cylinder

Abstract Heat transfer during melting from a horizontal cylindrical heat source with a uniform surface heat flux (heated electrically) and a uniform surface temperature (heated by circulating a fluid through a multipass heat exchanger) embedded in n -paraffinsn-heptadecane and n-octadecane have been studied experimentally. The instantaneous shape of the melt volume was recorded photographically and local heat transfer coefficients at the solid-liquid interface, determined from these data, are presented. For quasi-steady melting, the local and average heat transfer results are correlated in dimensionless form. Using the correlation thus determined, the solid-liquid interface position was calculated and found to be in good agreement with experimental data.
Applying X-ray CT to measure macropore diameters in undisturbed soil cores

Abstract X-ray CT data are used to quantify macropore hole perimeters, equivalent hole diameters and hole porosities in undisturbed soil cores from the same soil taken from a forest and from a field in perennial grasses. This analysis demonstrates the capabilities of X-ray CT as a tool to rapidly and nondestructively quantify macropore characteristics. The data are analyzed using an algorithm previously developed by the authors. The differences in macropore characteristics between the forest and field are compared. Only those macropores with computed equivalent diameters greater than 0.5 mm were evaluated. The most holes were found in the 0.5 to 1.0-mm-diameter range. The mean diameter was 19% larger in the field cores than in the forest cores, but the field cores had 21% fewer total number of holes. This resulted in approximately equal computed values for hole porosity for the forest and field cores. However, the hole porosity due to hole diameters of 2.0 mm and less was 56% greater in the forest cores than the field cores. Frequency distributions for CT numbers, proportional to soil bulk density, were evaluated. Both forest and field cores had highly skewed frequency distributions due to the presence of the macropores. The field core distribution was more skewed than for the forest cores.
Enhanced 1.53 μm emission of Er3+ ions in phosphate glass via energy transfer from Cu+ ions

Optimizing the efficiency of Er3+ emission in the near-infrared telecommunication window in glass matrices is currently a subject of great interest in photonics research. In this work, Cu+ ions are shown to be successfully stabilized at a high concentration in Er-containing phosphate glass by a single-step melt-quench method, and demonstrated to transfer energy to Er3+ thereby enhancing the near-infrared emission about 15 times. The spectroscopic data indicate an energy conversion process where Cu+ ions first absorb photons broadly around 360 nm and subsequently transfer energy from the Stokes-shifted emitting states to resonant Er3+ absorption transitions in the visible. Consequently, the Er3+ electronic excited states decay and the 4I3/2 metastable state is populated, leading to the enhanced emission at 1.53 μm. Monovalent copper ions are thus recognized as sensitizers of Er3+ ions, suggesting the potential of Cu+ co-doping for applications in the telecommunications, solar cells, and solid-state lasing ...
Multispectral and synthetic aperture radar remote‐sensing‐based models for holocene coastline development in the Ambracian Gulf, Epirus, Greece

In this paper we explore the use of high-platform remotely sensed data from Landsat ETM, SPOT IV HRV, Radarsat and ASTER satellites in combination with sedimentological data from previous geological coring research to understand the alluvial history of the Ambracian Gulf, Greece. Using sensor response to variable compositions and textures of discrete deposits, we are able to reconstruct the spatial extent of sedimentary lithosomes. Geological cores allow us to relate these deposits diachronically with absolute radiometric determinations, stratigraphical correlations and periods of coastal formation predicted by geomorphological research. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rhetoric and recapture: theorising digital game ecologies through EA’s The Sims series

This essay offers an ecocritical approach to studying games that accounts for the relationships between nature, technology and culture as they are configured by game design. By performing a reading of rhetoric and technological recapture in Electronic Arts’s (EA’s) The Sims series, the essay untangles how game design and game technology reflect ideologies – sometimes even conflicting ones – about how humans should relate to and interact with nature. This essay also argues that advancements in digital game technology afford designers and players the option to explore and perpetuate more complex and diverse ideologies about humans and nature that move away from anthropocentric and speciesist perspectives.
Managing production with flexible capacity deployment for serial multi-stage manufacturing systems

This paper presents a model for serial multi-stage manufacturing systems facing variability from two sources. One source is demand uncertainty; the other is manufacturing uncertainty associated with all manufacturing stages. A production control policy based on the planned lead time and the manufacturing capacity requirement is developed. It is shown that this production control policy has the effect of reducing the variance of production output for all manufacturing stages. Some specific analyses are provided to illustrate the production control policy developed. The model developed provides a vehicle for examining the interrelationships among the production output, the planned lead time and the actual manufacturing flow time. The risk-pooling value over both demand randomness and manufacturing uncertainty, which is achieved through consolidating some manufacturing capacity and deploying flexible capacity among the manufacturing stages, is analyzed. This risk-pooling value can be realized in the form of either reduced manufacturing flow time or increased effective capacity to meet more demand. It is shown that the risk-pooling value increases as the planned lead time decreases.
Blinding laser weapons

At its October 1995 Review Conference, the Convention on Conventional Weapons* added a protocol banning the use and transfer of blinding laser weapons. The background to, and significance and limitations of this ban are discussed.
The Literature on Railway Rate Theory

I. Railway rate theory developed to explain and justify rates not based on cost, 168.— Early analysis an overhead-cost theory, 173.— Terminology, 174.— Development of overhead-cost theory, 178.— Joint-cost explanation, 182.— Criticism of the analogy, 184.— Monopoly explanation, 185.— Grouping of later writers, 186.— The attack on the joint-cost theory, 189.— Back hauls, 197.— Defenders of the joint-cost theory, 199.— Classification of recent writers, 203.— Discrimination not always possible, 206. II. Do preferential rates burden other traffic? 208.— Charging what the traffic will bear and monopoly profits, 214.— Value of service leading to excessive rates, 220.— Arguments for cost of service, 224.— Are cost allocations practicable? 225.— The assumption of unused capacity, 228.— Differential charging will persist, 229.
Buddhism and acceptance and commitment therapy

The philosophy, basic theory, applied theory, and technology of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are briefly described. Several issues relevant to Buddhist teachings—the ubiquity of human suffering, the role of attachment in suffering, mindfulness, wholesome actions, and self—are examined in relation to ACT. In each case there are clear parallels. Given that a major focus in the development of ACT has been on the identification of basic behavioral processes that make sense of acceptance and defusion-based treatments, these parallels suggest that the basic account may also provide a scientific grounding within the behavioral tradition for a range of Buddhist concepts and practices.
Group comparisons of mathematics performance from a cognitive diagnostic perspective

Traditional comparisons of test score means identify group differences in broad academic areas, but fail to provide substantive description of how the groups differ on the specific cognitive attributes required for success in the academic area. The rule space method (RSM) allows for group comparisons at the cognitive attribute level, which consists of the cognitive knowledge, skills, and abilities an individual can employ to solve a problem. In the current study, we extend RSM group comparison methods to include comparisons of the attribute characteristic curves (ACCs) and provide a method for estimating and plotting the ACCs using SAS. We further investigated Taiwanese mathematics performance on TIMSS-1999 by comparing cognitive attributes between students of different achievement levels as well as between male and female students. The results indicated the highest and lowest achieving students differed most on mastery probabilities for Algebra (C3), Open-ended items (S10), and Rule application in algebr...
Close-Coupled Chips Can Coordinate to Contain Collisions

Reducing collisions caused by the concurrent trans- missions of RFID chips (tags) is a crucial research topic in designing efficient air-interface protocols in passive-tag RFID systems. Different anti-collision protocols are proposed to improve the tag reading efficiency, by ordering the tags' participation over a period of time, by stochastic or deterministic manner. All existing anti-collision protocols follow a 'single line of thought'; wherein the onus for mitigating collisions is always on the reader, with no active role being played by the tags. We propose a fundamentally different strategy of enabling communications among the tags, especially to assist the reader in further resolving collisions. Overthrowing the conventional wisdom of limited RFID communication allowed only between the reader and tags, recent experimental studies have shown the possibility of Tag-to-Tag (T2T) communication, in industry popular UHF RFID systems. Two tags within the Near-Field (NF) of each other, can electro- magnetically couple with and therefore communicate, as long as they are receiving energy from the reader. A critical property of NF communication systems is their small reading range, about 30mm for a 900MHZ UHF RFID system. This provides a two spheres of communication, and enables concurrent T2T communications to happen within the long-range (around 6m) of a UHF RFID system. In this NF UHF passive tag RFID system, a tag can promiscuously listen to its NF neighboring tags' collided- transmissions, and give them a second chance for identification. In this paper, we will augment two different variants of frame- slotted ALOHA protocols to support promiscuous learning of NF tags, and study the change in reading efficiency in terms of delay and energy costs. Our detailed performance evaluation study will demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed augmented protocols, both in terms of delay and energy costs.
Inhibition of MDM2 homodimerization by XIAP IRES stabilizes MDM2, influencing cancer cell survival

It is known that the MDM2 protein is stabilized when it forms a heterodimer with its partner MDM4, but MDM2 protein stability in its homodimer form is not known. The MDM2 protein contains a C-terminal RING domain that not only functions as an E3 ligase to regulate ubiquitination of p53 and MDM2 itself, but also is characterized to be able to bind several specific cellular mRNAs to regulate gene expression. In this study, we evaluate whether the MDM2 protein stability is regulated by the binding of a specific small RNA (XIAP IRES mRNA). We performed chemical cross-linking and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay to measure the human MDM2 protein stability in its homodimer form and the effect of XIAP IRES on MDM2 homodimerization and protein stabilization. Ubiquitination and pulse-chase assays were used to detect MDM2 self-ubiquitination and protein turn-over. Fluorescent titration and ITC were used to examine the binding between MDM2 RING protein and XIAP IRES. Western blot assay was used for determining protein expression. Clonogenic assay, WST and flow cytometry were used to test the effects of XIAP IRES, siXIAP and IR on cancer cell growth and apoptosis. We found that self-association (homodimerization) of MDM2 occurs through the C-terminal RING domain of MDM2 and that the MDM2 protein becomes unstable when it is homodimerized. MDM2 homodimerization resulted in an increased function of the RING domain for MDM2 self-ubiquitination. Binding of XIAP IRES to the RING domain inhibited MDM2 homodimerization and self-ubiquitination, which resulted in stabilization of MDM2, as well as increased XIAP expression. Upregulation of XIAP and MDM2 that led to inhibition of p53 by the XIAP IRES resulted in cell growth and survival in both p53-normal and -deficient cancer cells. Our study identified a new IRES RNA that interacts with MDM2 protein and regulates its stabilization, which suggested that targeting of MDM2 through disruption of MDM2 protein-RNA interaction might be a useful strategy for developing novel anti-cancer therapeutics.
A New Ontology-Supported and Hybrid Recommending Information System for Scholars

A new ontology-supported and hybrid recommending information system for scholars was proposed. Not only can it fast integrate specific domain documents, but also it can extract important information from them through the hybrid filtering technology to take information integration and recommendation ranking. The experiment outcomes proved that the reliability and validity measurements of the whole system performance can achieve the high-level outcomes of information recommendation. Furthermore, this paper also discussed and investigated the advantages and shortcomings of the construction of a recommendation system with different approaches and accordingly provided the design philosophy of customized services for recommendation systems.
Odontoblast-specific expression of cre recombinase successfully deletes gene segments flanked by loxp sites in mouse teeth†

Embryonic or neonatal lethality of mice with targeted disruption of critical genes preclude them from further characterization of specific roles of these genes during postnatal development and aging. In order to study the molecular roles of such genes in teeth, we generated transgenic mouse lines expressing bacteriophage Cre recombinase under the control of the mouse dentin sialophosphoprotein (dspp) gene promoter. The expression of Cre recombinase protein was mainly detected in the nucleus of the odontoblasts. The efficiency of Cre activity was analyzed by crossing the Dspp-Cre mice with ROSA26 reporter (R26R) mice. The offspring with both genotypes have shown specific deletion of intervening sequences flanked by loxP sites upstream of the reporter gene, thereby facilitating the expression of the beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) gene in the teeth. The activity of beta-gal was initially observed in the odontoblasts of 1-day-old mice and increased with tooth development. Almost all of the odontoblasts have shown lacZ activity by 3 weeks of age. We could not detect Cre recombinase activity in any other cells, including ameloblasts. These studies indicate that the Dspp-Cre transgenic mice will be valuable to generate odontoblast-specific gene knockout mice so as to gain insight into the molecular roles of critical genes in the odontoblasts during dentinogenesis.
Effect of polycations on prostaglandin synthesis in cultured glomerular mesangial cells

The presence of uniform negative charges on the surface of cultured rat glomerular mesangial cells was demonstrated by an ultrastructural marker, cationized ferritin. Interaction between cell surface negative charges and protamine sulfate, stimulated the synthesis of prostaglandins E2, F2 alpha, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) in a dose-dependent manner, reaching a maximum response at protamine concentration of 50 micrograms/ml. The effect of protamine sulfate was reversed by 25 units/ml heparin. The polyanions, L-glutamic and L-aspartic acids, reversed the protamine effect in a dose-dependent manner. Excess substrate, arachidonic acid, masked the protamine sulfate-stimulated PGE2 synthesis by mesangial cells. The effect of protamine sulfate on PGE2 synthesis was rapid, peaked in 5 min and was independent of extracellular Ca2+. A synthetic cation, poly(L-lysine) hydrobromide, exerted a similar effect on cellular PGE2 synthesis in mesangial cells. The effect of poly(L-lysine) was dependent on the molecular mass of the cationic species employed and was maximum at 17 to 90 kDa. The use of large molecular mass polymers of L-lysine (175 and 565 kDa) resulted in a decline in PGE2 synthesis. These observation indicate that, in mesangial cells, changes in cell membrane electrical charge are linked to enhanced biosynthetic activity and eicosanoid synthesis.
Alkanethiolate-Protected Gold Clusters Generated from Sodium S-Dodecylthiosulfate (Bunte Salts)

A new synthesis for alkanethiolate-functionalized gold clusters derived from sodium S-dodecylthiosulfate is presented. The new clusters are analytically characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and UV−vis absorption spectroscopy. These monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs) are indistinguishable in composition, monolayer architecture, and Au−sulfur bonding from those previously prepared from dodecanethiol using the Brust synthesis. One difference is that, for syntheses run under identical conditions, the average core dimensions for MPC products from sodium S-dodecylthiosulfate are somewhat larger. The average core size of MPCs synthesized from sodium S-dodecylthiosulfate is somewhat solvent-dependent, being smaller when they are made using toluene/H2O rather than THF/H2O.
Combining the Right Features for Complex Event Recognition

In this paper, we tackle the problem of combining features extracted from video for complex event recognition. Feature combination is an especially relevant task in video data, as there are many features we can extract, ranging from image features computed from individual frames to video features that take temporal information into account. To combine features effectively, we propose a method that is able to be selective of different subsets of features, as some features or feature combinations may be uninformative for certain classes. We introduce a hierarchical method for combining features based on the AND/OR graph structure, where nodes in the graph represent combinations of different sets of features. Our method automatically learns the structure of the AND/OR graph using score-based structure learning, and we introduce an inference procedure that is able to efficiently compute structure scores. We present promising results and analysis on the difficult and large-scale 2011 TRECVID Multimedia Event Detection dataset.
Inhomogeneous deformations of non-linearly elastic wedges

Abstract We study a class of non-universal inhomogeneous deformations of both compressible and incompressible isotropic non-linearly elastic wedges. In the case of compressible solids we obtain a necessary condition which the stored energy ought to satisfy, so that it may be possible to deform the body in the assumed manner, by the application of surface tractions. In the case of the incompressible solids, we show that the pressure field ought to have a special structure if the assumed form of deformation is to be possible. For certain simple constitutive theories the governing equations can be integrated and explicit exact solutions can be obtained.
Measurements in support of the Deepwater Horizon (MC-252) oil spill response

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon (MC-252) drilling platform on 20 April 2010 began a long response by the United Area Command. Previous responses to oil spills were limited in time due to the amount of oil spilled and were generally confined to the surface. Some of the oil from the Deepwater Horizon wellhead in 1500 meters of water broke into smaller droplets, whose density caused much of the oil to stay within a zone from 1000 to 1300 meters depth. The remainder of the oil rose to the surface. The two primary locations of oil required a broad collection of remote sensing techniques to locate and monitor the oil spill. Surface oil was monitored primarily from the air using aircraft and satellite assets. Satellite visible, infra-red, and radar satellite imagery helped to locate oil in the northern Gulf of Mexico and help predict its movement away from the spill site. Daily over-flights by aircraft provided higher spatial and temporal resolution data that were assimilated into daily products. These remote sensing assets were able to track the surface oil, but the subsurface oil required different techniques. In addition to salinity and temperature profiles to determine the subsurface structure, fluorometry and dissolved oxygen measurements provided information related to oil and its consumption by microorganisms. Water samples collected from CTD casts were analyzed on-board and returned to on-shore laboratories.
Access and use of medical care among obese persons.

The prevalence of obesity and severe obesity is growing rapidly, along with obesity-related comorbidities and mortality. Given the increased health risks associated with obesity, it is vital that obese persons have adequate access to, and make consistent use of, medical care services. Assuming obese persons have access to medical care that is comparable to non-obese persons, one would expect to observe greater use of medical services among obese persons. In this article we briefly review empirical evidence of the access to and use of medical care among obese persons. Although certain subgroups that tend to have disproportionately high prevalences of obesity (i.e., low socioeconomic status, minority groups) have reduced access to care, no studies have specifically examined whether or not obese persons have the same access to health care as do their lean counterparts. With respect to use of health care services, however, obesity has been consistently linked with greater rates of utilization and increased health care expenditures. Both the increased use and cost appear to be largely a function of treating obesity-associated comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. We conclude that, although it is clear that obesity is associated with both greater use and cost of medical care, the relationship between obesity and access to medical care has not been determined.
Effects of endotoxin on myocardial hemodynamics, performance, and metabolism during beta adrenergic blockade.

Abstract : The question of the precise role of the heart in shock has been largely unresolved. Previous separate reports have shown that both excitatory and depressant actions on the myocardium after endotoxin are observed. The purpose of the present study was to assay the possibility of a direct myocardial toxic action of endotoxin or a circulating myocardial depressant factor released in the blood of endotoxin shocked animals. This was accomplished by utilization of beta adrenergic blockade (propranolol) under the experimental conditions of constant cardiac output and aortic pressure in an isolated canine heart preparation exchanging blood with an intact support animal shocked by endotoxin.
Idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery.

Thirteen patients with idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery are described and their clinical, roentgenologic, electrocardiographic, and hemodynamic features are elaborated. Absence or mildness of symptoms was the most significant finding in this series. A pulmonic systolic murmur was constantly present. The roentgenogram showed various degrees of dilatation of the pulmonary artery in the presence of normal heart size. The electrocardiogram was normal. The hemodynamic studies showed a mild systolic pressure gradient across the pulmonic valve in some cases in the presence of normal right ventricular pressure. A possible explanation of this finding is discussed. Idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery is a benign lesion and does not affect cardiac function to any appreciable degree.
Teaching technical skills in pediatrics

Technical skills are an important and difficult part of managing a very sick or injured child. However, technical procedures are more often learned from experience than practice. This article reviews a variety of technical skills and procedures commonly performed in a pediatric emergency department. Each technical procedure can be practiced using live or artificial model for simulation.