cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Root pruning reduces the vegetative and reproductive growth of apple trees growing under an ultra high density planting system

Abstract Braeburn, Royal Gala, Oregon Red Delicious, Splendour, Granny Smith and Fuji/MM.106 apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) growing under an ultra high density planting system were manually root pruned, with a sharp spade, prior to 4th leaf in early Spring (September) 1994, along both sides of the row and between trees, 20 and 30 cm from the trunk, to the depth of 30 cm. The soil was duplex soil with all lateral roots lying in the top 30 cm. Root pruning effects were evident in both the 1st and 2nd years after treatment with the more severe effect being for the more severe pruning. Severe (20 cm from trunk) root pruning decreased tree height by 12%, shoot length by 12%, tree and shoot diameter, and number of branches per tree compared to the control. Severe root pruning increased the number of flowering spurs per selected shoot (from 2.4 to 4.2) and on the main stem (from 9.4 to 20) in the 1995/1996 season. Total yield (3.3 to 1.2 kg tree−1 in 1994/1995, 4.1 to 2.6 in the 1995/1996 season) and average fruit size (146 to 128 g in 1994/1995, 129 to 107 g in 1995/1996 season) decreased in both seasons. This suggested a lack of balance between the reproductive components and potential yield. Part of this can be explained by reduced bourse and shoot (6.2 to 4.5 leaves per shoot in 1994/1995) leaves for carbohydrate supply to the developing fruits.
Itk-mediated integration of T cell receptor and cytokine signaling regulates the balance between Th17 and regulatory T cells

A proper balance between Th17 and T regulatory cells (Treg cells) is critical for generating protective immune responses while minimizing autoimmunity. We show that the Tec family kinase Itk (IL2-inducible T cell kinase), a component of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathways, influences this balance by regulating cross talk between TCR and cytokine signaling. Under both Th17 and Treg cell differentiation conditions, Itk(-/-) CD4(+) T cells develop higher percentages of functional FoxP3(+) cells, associated with increased sensitivity to IL-2. Itk(-/-) CD4(+) T cells also preferentially develop into Treg cells in vivo. We find that Itk-deficient T cells exhibit reduced TCR-induced phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) targets, accompanied by downstream metabolic alterations. Surprisingly, Itk(-/-) cells also exhibit reduced IL-2-induced mTOR activation, despite increased STAT5 phosphorylation. We demonstrate that in wild-type CD4(+) T cells, TCR stimulation leads to a dose-dependent repression of Pten. However, at low TCR stimulation or in the absence of Itk, Pten is not effectively repressed, thereby uncoupling STAT5 phosphorylation and phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) pathways. Moreover, Itk-deficient CD4(+) T cells show impaired TCR-mediated induction of Myc and miR-19b, known repressors of Pten. Our results demonstrate that Itk helps orchestrate positive feedback loops integrating multiple T cell signaling pathways, suggesting Itk as a potential target for altering the balance between Th17 and Treg cells.
Buckeye Check Cashing and the Separability Doctrine

In Buckeye Check Cashing, Inc. v. Cardegna, the Supreme Court held that arbitrators, not courts, are to decide whether a contract that includes an arbitration clause is illegal as usurious; and that the separability doctrine applies in state court as well as federal court. This article examines various implications of Buckeye, which can be summarized as follows: (1) Buckeye was one of a series of class actions filed in Florida challenging as usurious the fees charged on payday loans. Despite the fact that most payday loan contracts included arbitration clauses and most arbitration clauses included class arbitration waivers, the plaintiffs were able to obtain a court adjudication of the usury issue and class relief for most individuals (albeit for many in arbitration instead of in court). (2) After Buckeye, the question of whether a court can resolve a challenge to the main contract (which includes an arbitration clause) likely depends on whether the challenge is one that undercuts a party's assent to the main contract. If so, the defense - such as lack of assent or fraud in the execution - is one that courts can decide. If not, the defense - such as fraudulent inducement or illegality - is for the arbitrator. The defenses of lack of capacity and duress sometimes, but not always, undercut a party's assent to the main contract. (3) Buckeye’s holding that the FAA’s separability doctrine applies in state court not surprisingly has triggered responses from state courts seeking to avoid the decision and by Congress seeking to overrule it. The Supreme Court has already resolved one post-Buckeye case and may well face others. Congress’s attempt in the Arbitration Fairness Act to overrule the separability doctrine should be rejected. (4) Other contract clauses - in particular, forum-selection clauses, choice of-law clauses, and jury-trial waivers - raise separability issues similar to those raised by arbitration clauses. Courts have regularly applied the separability doctrine to those types of contract clauses, supporting the suggestion by some commentators that separability can be derived from the expectations of the parties to the contracts, rather than just from the text of the Federal Arbitration Act.
The Impact of Certified Diabetes Educators on Diabetes Performance and Variation Among Primary Care Sites Within an Integrated Health System

Objectives: Primary care networks within integrated health systems can experience significant variation in diabetes care. We studied an established, 20-site network to determine the impact of a quality improvement intervention to add certified diabetes educators (CDEs). We sought to measure whether sites with CDEs had higher quality and whether care improved over time more in sites with CDEs, beyond the existing differences among sites. Methods: Diabetes quality outcomes were (1) HbA1c ≤8%, (2) low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ≤100 mg/dL, (3) microalbumin checked, (4) blood pressure (BP) ≤130/80 mm Hg (tight control), and (5) BP ≤140/90 mm Hg (lenient control). Baseline differences brought us to divide sites into 3 site types by predominant payer and teaching status (commercial/nonteaching, mixed [mostly government-sponsored]/teaching and mixed/nonteaching). We measured the association between CDEs and each outcome using a 2-level mixed effects logistic regression with site type as a random effect. Results: ...
INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN SEED IMBIBITION OF BLACKBRUSH (COLEOGYNE RAMOSISSIMA: ROSACEAE)

ABSTRACT Intraspecific variation in blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima Torr.) seed imbibition was quantitatively investigated in the Mojave Desert. Blackbrush seeds were collected from six isolated mountain ranges, with each range sampled from one high-elevation (1550 m) and one low-elevation (1200 m) location for a total of 12 populations. Under laboratory experimental conditions, seed dry mass and initial seed moisture content did not differ significantly among the 12 populations. High-elevation source seeds imbibed significantly more water than low-elevation source seeds, and this was likely associated with habitat-specific selection. However, differences in full imbibition among seed collection sites at the identical elevation were not significant. Germination of field-collected seeds was similar, ranging from 87 to 93% among the 12 populations. Results of this study suggest that among six isolated mountain ranges in the Mojave Desert, blackbrush seed imbibition varies with elevation, but not with lati...
Improving testability and soft-error resilience through retiming

State elements are increasingly vulnerable to soft errors due to their decreasing size, and the fact that latched errors cannot be completely eliminated by electrical or timing masking. Most prior methods of reducing the soft-error rate (SER) involve combinational redesign, which tends to add area and decrease testability, the latter a concern due to the prevalence of manufacturing defects. Our work explores the fundamental relations between the SER of sequential circuits and their testability in scan mode, and appears to be the first to improve both through retiming. Our retiming methodology relocates registers so that 1) registers become less observable with respect to primary outputs, thereby decreasing overall SER, and 2) combinational nodes become more observable with respect to registers (but not with respect to primary outputs), thereby increasing scan-testability. We present experimental results which show an average decrease of 42% in the SER of latches, and an average improvement of 31% random-pattern testability.
Effects of waves on the early growth of Vallisneria americana

1. The impacts of 0.15-m waves on the survival and short-term growth and development of young Vallisneria americana plants were studied in experimental raceways. Young plants were planted at three depths within both wave and control raceways Wave events were designed to simulate wave disturbances caused by boat traffic and were generated five or six times each day during the 67-day experimental growth period. The 0.15-m waves generated produced a maximum shear velocity of about 1.4 m s 1 as they swept over the plants. 2. All plants survived at all depths in both treatments. However, plants exposed to the waves accumulated significantly less total mass than controls. The total mass accumulation of wave-exposed plants was only 50% of that of undisturbed plants. In addition, the plants experiencing the waves had significantly shorter leaves and produced significantly fewer daughter plants. 3. While plants under both wave and no wave treatments had a similar relative growth rate and both showed a net positive growth over the experimental period, those exposed to frequent wave energy developed more slowly due to continuous leaf loss caused by the waves. Plants exposed to even modest wave energy may spread more slowly and be less resilient to recovery from other forms of disturbance.
A CMOS microcontroller based PCM encoder for use with a total artificial heart

A multichannel, implantable, microcontroller system has been developed for use with a total artificial heart to provide monitoring of physiological and electrical parameters such as blood flow, pressure, ECG, and battery voltage. Although the system described samples data from eight channels at 200 Hz, various sample rates can be used to sample different channels by simply modifying the software. Data are transmitted to a remote data acquisition system comprising a personal computer or recorders outside the body over a 10 MHz FSK link at 19.2 kbaud. The system is a half duplex, asynchronous system and uses pulse code modulation (PCM) techniques. The use of the CMOS MC68HC11 microcontroller has greatly reduced the size and power requirements of such a system. >
Tribological Behavior of Polymers Simulated by Molecular Dynamics

Using molecular dynamics to simulate behavior of polymer surfaces during scratch testing, we report the first results of computer simulations of scratch behavior of noncrystals. A previously described procedure for creating realistic polymeric materials on the computer [W. Brostow, A.M. Cunha, and R. Simoes, Mater. Res. Innovat. 7, 19 (2003)] and used until now to simulate mechanical behavior of metals [S. Blonski, W. Brostow, and J. Kubat, Phys. Rev. B 49, 6494 (1994)] and one- and two-phase polymers [W. Brostow, A.M. Cunha, J. Quintanilla, and R. Simoes, Macromol. Theory Simul. 11, 308 (2002); W. Brostow, A.M. Cunha, and R. Simoes, Proc. Ann. Tech. Conf. Soc. Plastics Engrs. 60, 3105 (2002)] was applied. While experiments provide only the macroscopic penetration depth and the recovery (healing) depth, the simulations give the behavior of each macromolecular chain segment at each moment in time. We report results for one-phase polymers and also for systems with varying concentrations of a liquid crystalline (LC) second-phase that acts as a reinforcement. We relate the local structure to scratch resistance and recovery. The orientation of the chemical bonds is a major factor. The presence of a LC phase improves the tribological properties; however, the effect is not as significant as might have been expected.
Noise Analysis in Ligand-Binding Reception for Molecular Communication in Nanonetworks

Molecular communication (MC) will enable the exchange of information among nanoscale devices. In this novel bio-inspired communication paradigm, molecules are employed to encode, transmit and receive information. In the most general case, these molecules are propagated in the medium by means of free diffusion. An information theoretical analysis of diffusion-based MC is required to better understand the potential of this novel communication mechanism. The study and the modeling of the noise sources is of utmost importance for this analysis. The objective of this paper is to provide a mathematical study of the noise at the reception of the molecular information in a diffusion-based MC system when the ligand-binding reception is employed. The reference diffusion-based MC system for this analysis is the physical end-to-end model introduced in a previous work by the same authors, where the reception process is realized through ligand-binding chemical receptors. The reception noise is modeled in this paper by following two different approaches, namely, through the ligand-receptor kinetics and through the stochastic chemical kinetics. The ligand-receptor kinetics allows to simulate the random perturbations in the chemical processes of the reception, while the stochastic chemical kinetics provides the tools to derive a closed-form solution to the modeling of the reception noise. The ligand-receptor kinetics model is expressed through a block scheme, while the stochastic chemical kinetics results in the characterization of the reception noise using stochastic differential equations. Numerical results are provided to demonstrate that the analytical formulation of the reception noise in terms of stochastic chemical kinetics is compliant with the reception noise behavior resulting from the ligand-receptor kinetics simulations.
Analysis of MCMC algorithms for Bayesian linear regression with Laplace errors

Let @p denote the intractable posterior density that results when the standard default prior is placed on the parameters in a linear regression model with iid Laplace errors. We analyze the Markov chains underlying two different Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms for exploring @p. In particular, it is shown that the Markov operators associated with the data augmentation (DA) algorithm and a sandwich variant are both trace-class. Consequently, both Markov chains are geometrically ergodic. It is also established that for each [email protected]?{1,2,3,...}, the ith largest eigenvalue of the sandwich operator is less than or equal to the corresponding eigenvalue of the DA operator. It follows that the sandwich algorithm converges at least as fast as the DA algorithm.
An epidemiological case-control study of migraine and its associated comorbid conditions.

BACKGROUND: The economic impact of migraine to society has been well documented. However, few studies have identified the risk of migraine-specific comorbid conditions to explain the higher healthcare resource utilization by migraineurs. Because comorbidity has the potential to increase treatment costs, estimating its risks and its economc impact becomes imperative.OBJECTIVES: To estimate the risk for migraine by presence of a defined set of comorbidities, and to quantify the association of estimated healthcare costs between the case-control groups with and without comorbidity.METHODS: A matched case-control was designed using data from 1998 Idaho Medicaid claims. Cases were identified by physician-diagnoses and migraine-specific medication use. A 1:1 matching was performed on age, race, gender, and residence. Presence of comorbidity was determined by ICD-9 diagnostic categories. Total healthcare resource utilization was estimaed for all physician, hospital (inpatient and outpatient), and emergency services, including prescription medicines paid by Idaho Medicaid. Multivariate logistic regression was used to compute the odds ratio controlling for the matching variables. Multiple-regression models were used to quantify the association of total healthcare costs.RESULTS: Migraine patients were approximately five times more likely (Odds Ratio = 5.34; Confidence Interval(95%)-4.38 to 6.52) than their controls to be diagnosed with comorbid condition(s). A model with variables of age, gender, presence of comorbidity and migraine, explained approximately 21% of the variance in healthcare utilization (p < 0.05).CONCLUSIONS: Migraine patients are at a higher risk for defined comorbid conditions resulting in significantly higher healthcare costs as compared to non-migraine patients.
Social Scientific Approach to the Hebrew Bible

In 1979, Cyril Rodd, biblical scholar, predicted the end of social scientific criticism of the Old Testament because its theories cannot be tested. He was wrong. It is currently thriving. It is interdisciplinary: either a biblical scholar who does research in the social sciences who then applies this to the Bible or a social scientist who does research on a biblical text and then applies it to the Bible. Social scientific approaches help fill in gaps that other ways of interpreting the Bible leave behind. For example, have you ever wondered why Cain was not punished with death for killing his brother? The Old Testament commands the death penalty for any murderer. Traditional interpretation emphasizes God's grace because he repented. But an anthropological perspective explains it as due to the fact that Cain was Abel's brother, his kin, and his death would have ended the family line of Adam and Eve. In less developed countries, kinship is very important, and some form of punishments like the death penalty would do more harm than good. Other forms of punishment might include payment, exile, and substitution.
Sociospatial Relations of Change

When people relocate to a new environment, they invariably must reconceptualize their daily activities; routes from home to schools, shops, work, friends, and family change. Neighbors are more likely to be strangers. The size and layout of rooms in the new home are not identical to those in the old. The greater the conceptual and physical distances between the old and new locales and the more traumatic the move, the greater the need to reconceptualize one’s world becomes, simply to survive. And, perhaps, the harder this transformation is. The distance between a rural Mexican village and an urban Southern California city is immense. Yet, many villagers manage the transition, entwining strands of the familiar with strands of previously unimagined new ways, while letting go of anticipated, but unfulfilled, imaginings of how life would be in the United States.
Desensitization in the treatment of tuberculous guinea-pigs

Summary Four experiments were conducted to determine the effect of desensitizing treatment on tuberculous guinea-pigs. Desensitization was attempted with the following antigens: nitrous acid precipitated tuberculin (SMT); synthetic medium tuberculin (SMT); trichloracetic acid precipitated tuberculin (TPT); and purified protein derivative (PPD). The tuberculins SMT, TPT and PPD are efficient desensitizing antigens; TPT is slightly better than PPD. Daily increasing doses of antigen desensitize more effectually than weekly increasing doses. When the virulent strain H37 is used for infecting the test guinea-pigs, no conclusions can be drawn about the effect of desensitization on the health of the animals, because the infection proceeds too rapidly. A strain (H178) producing a slowly progressing infection allows differences in the extent of disease in treated and untreated animals to be demonstrated. Guinea-pigs infected with this strain and treated with TPT and PPD show fewer lesions and less spreading of the disease than untreated animals.
Subcellular localization and sequence of sea urchin kinesin heavy chain: evidence for its association with membranes in the mitotic apparatus and interphase cytoplasm.

Kinesin was previously immunolocalized to mitotic apparatuses (MAs) of early sea urchin blastomeres (Scholey, J.M., M.E. Porter, P.M. Grissom, and J.R. McIntosh. 1985. Nature [Lond.]. 318:483-486). Here we report evidence that this MA-associated motor protein is a conventional membrane-bound kinesin, rather than a kinesin-like protein. Our evidence includes the observation that the deduced amino acid sequence of this sea urchin kinesin heavy chain is characteristic of a conventional kinesin. In addition, immunolocalizations using antibodies that distinguish kinesin from kinesin-like proteins confirm that conventional kinesin is concentrated in MAs. Finally, our immunocytochemical data further suggest that conventional kinesin is associated with membranes which accumulate in MAs and interphase asters of early sea urchin embryos, and with vesicles that are distributed in the perinuclear region of coelomocytes. Thus kinesin may function as a microtubule-based vesicle motor in some MAs, as well as in the interphase cytoplasm.
Along the Rio Negro: Brazilian children's environmental views and values

Children in urban and rural parts of the Brazilian Amazon were interviewed in Portuguese on how they understand and value their relationship with the natural environment. Forty-four 5th-grade children (mean age = 13 years, 8 months) participated. Children in both locations were aware of environmental problems, believed that throwing garbage in the Rio Negro harmed various parts of the environment (i.e., birds, insects, the view of the river, and people who live along the river), and cared that such harm might occur. Moreover, children believed that throwing garbage in the Rio Negro constituted a violation of a moral obligation. Children supported the conservation of the Amazon rain forest. Additional analyses showed striking similarities between this Brazilian population and a population of African American urban children in the United States
Investigating patterns of symbiotic nitrogen fixation during vegetation change from grassland to woodland using fine scale δ 15 N measurements

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in woody plants is often investigated using foliar measurements of δ 15 N and is of par- 15 Nsoil inorganic Nthat couldbeusedtoinfervariationinBNF;and(3)assesspatterns of δ 15 NwithtreeageasindicatorsofshiftingBNForNcycling. Measurements of woody N-fixing Prosopis glandulosa and paired reference non-fixing Zanthoxylum fagara at three seasonal time points showed that δ 15 Nsoil inorganic N varied tem- 15 N separation varied temporally and increased with Prosopis age, suggesting seasonal variation in N cycling andBNFandpotentiallong-termincreasesinBNFnotappar- ent through foliar sampling alone.
Papa Was a Rolling Stone and I Am Too Paternal Caregiving and Its Influence on the Sexual Behavior of Low-Income African American Men

This study focuses on the relationship between the level of paternal caregiving received as a child and its influence on the development of personal attachment style as adults, and whether or not the affected child experiences monogamy. To test this relationship, a sample of 266 low-income, African American males between the ages of 16 and 78, recruited from an inner-city sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in the Southeast, are analyzed. Multivariate and logistic regression analysis reveals that: (a) paternal care predicts the level of anxious attachment style of the respondent and (b) the level of paternal care, anxious attachment, and presence of the father significantly predicts the experience of monogamous relationships with women.
The Adolescent and Adult Psychoeducational Profile: assessment of adolescents and adults with severe developmental handicaps

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the Adolescent and Adult Psychoeducational Profile (AAPEP), an assessment instrument designed for adolescents and adults with severe developmental handicaps. Subjects were 60 adolescents and adults, 30 with autism and 30 with mental retardation but without autism. The groups were matched on age and IQ. Results suggested high interrater reliability on all function areas of the AAPEP (Vocational Skills, Independent Functioning, Leisure Skills, Vocational Behavior, Functional Communication, Interpersonal Behavior) and on all three scales (Direct Observation, Home, School/Work). Validity measures suggested that the recommendations generated from the AAPEP were viewed by blind experts as more helpful than those already generated for the individual clients and contained in their Individual Education Programs (IEPs) or Individual Habilitation Plans (IHPs). Informal measures indicated that parents and/or group home staff also found AAPEP recommendations helpful. Finally, reliability and validity measures were also encouraging for moderately and severely handicapped adolescents and adults without autism. The AAPEP appears to be an effective new instrument for those working with older handicapped clients.
The Referendum That Didn't Happen: The Forecasts of the 2000 Presidential Election

On August 29, 70 days before the election and more than 100 days before anyone would know who would be the next president, my trial-heat and economy model for forecasting presidential elections predicted that Al Gore would receive 52.8% of the national two-party popular vote. By the actual returns, after all the recounts and court rulings were completed, Gore received 50.3% of the national two-Party popular vote, 2.5 percentage points less than the model predicted. While this error is larger than normal (the mean out-of-sample error from 1948 to 1996 for the model is 1.5 percentage points), three of the last thirteen elections had larger out-of-sample errors. In short, though the performance of the forecasting model this year was well within normal bounds, the model was not quite as accurate as usual.
Intertrade Duration and Information-Based Trading on an Electronic Order-Driven Market

Microstructure theories offered conflicting predictions regarding the relationship between trading intensity and information-based trading. In this paper, I make use of transaction-level data from the Chinese stock market to test the conflicting theories. I develop a high-frequency measure to capture the trading activities of informed traders. I show that trading based on good news is associated with increased trading intensity (or a shorter intertrade duration), whereas that based on bad news is associated with a longer duration. I also find that long durations are associated with declining prices and low volatility in the subsequent period. On balance, the findings are consistent with Diamond and Verrecchia (1987), where short sale constraints reduce the adjustment speed of stock prices to bad news.
Sensor noise model development of a longitudinal positioning system for AVCS

The paper describes the advanced vehicle control systems (AVCS) envisioned by the California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH) program. System simulation is crucial to ensure that every portion of the whole system designed will perform adequately together. For automated highway systems, simulation is essential for the controller design. To create a more realistic simulation environment, we need to model sensor output instead of assuming that we can measure the vehicle states exactly, that is the primary reason for the development of sensor models. Three positioning sensors are investigated in this project. Their models are developed based on real test data. In addition, the sensor models are evaluated by comparing their autocorrelation function estimates and histograms with those of real test data.
Quantitative transcriptomic analysis of abscisic acid-induced and reactive oxygen species-dependent expression changes and proteomic profiling in Arabidopsis suspension cells.

Early rapid changes in response to the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) have been observed at the transcript level, but little is known how these transcript changes translate to changes in protein abundance under the same conditions. Here we have performed a global quantitative analysis of transcript and protein changes in Arabidopsis suspension cells in response to ABA using microarrays and quantitative proteomics. In summary, 3494 transcripts and 50 proteins were significantly regulated by ABA over a treatment period of 20-24 h. Abscisic acid also caused a rapid and strong increase in production of extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) with an average half-rise time of 33 sec. A subset of ABA-regulated transcripts were differentially regulated in the presence of the ROS scavenger dimethylthiourea (DMTU) as compared with ABA alone, suggesting a role for ROS in the regulation of these ABA-induced genes. Transcript changes showed an overall poor correlation to protein changes (r = 0.66). Only a subset of genes was regulated at the transcript and protein level, including known ABA marker genes. We furthermore identified ABA regulation of proteins that function in a branch of glucosinolate catabolism previously not associated with ABA signaling. The discovery of genes that were differentially regulated at the transcript and at the protein level emphasizes the strength of our combined approach. In summary, our dataset not only expands previous studies on gene and protein regulation in response to ABA, but rather uncovers unique aspects of the ABA regulon and gives rise to additional mechanisms regulated by ABA.
Evidence that Familial Hypercholesterolemia Mutations of the LDL Receptor Cause Limited Local Misfolding in an LDL-A Module Pair †

Mutations at conserved sites within the ligand-binding LDL-A modules of the LDL receptor cause the genetic disease familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), and several of these FH mutations in modules five and six prevent the isolated single modules from folding properly to a nativelike three-dimensional structure. Because LDL-A modules occur as a series of contiguous repeats in the LDLR and related proteins, we investigated the impact of two FH mutations in LDL-A module five (D203G and D206E) and two mutations in module six (E219K and D245E) in the context of the covalently connected module five-six pair. HPLC chromatography of the products formed under conditions that efficiently refold the native module five-six pair demonstrate that, for each mutation, a folding defect persists in the module pair. NMR spectroscopy and calcium affinity measurements of the ensemble of misfolded products demonstrate that the unaltered module of each pair can fold to its native structure regardless of the range of misfolded conformations adopted by its mutated neighbor. These findings lend additional support to a model in which individual LDL-A modules of the LDL receptor act as independent structural elements.
Index Models for Portfolio Selection

In this chapter, we discuss both the single-index model and multiple-index portfolio selection model. We use constrained maximization instead of minimization procedure to calculate the portfolio weights. We find that both single-index and multi-index models can be used to simplify the Markowitz model for portfolio section.
Power supply bypass capacitors—Myths and realities

Power supply bypass capacitors are critical to the operation of high-frequency analog and digital circuits, yet are seldom considered in the depth they deserve. This paper investigates their use and the resulting power integrity effects as seen from an RFIC bondpad looking out to a host PCB. We show how designs can be either successful or unsuccessful depending on the capacitor values selected and the frequencies involved. In particular, the common practice of placing two or three graduated-size capacitors in an attempt to create a broadband AC ground may actually be counterproductive and potentially damaging to circuit operation. The associated problem of placing partial bypassing on-chip with larger bypass capacitors off-chip is also studied and guidance for avoiding hidden dangers is given.
The regulation and function of the heat shock response

The heat shock response (HSR) is an essential cellular and organismal protective mechanism against acute forms of physiological and environmental stress. Induction of the HSR by exposure to acute stress conditions such as elevated temperature, oxidants, and heavy metals involves activation of heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) and elevated expression of genes encoding heat shock proteins and molecular chaperones that restore proteostasis and prevent the further accumulation of misfolded and aggregated proteins. Here, we examine the stress-sensing mechanisms that regulate HSFs and the role of post-translational modifications that regulate HSF activity. In addition to its role in acute stress, the expression of molecular chaperones and heat shock genes is important for development and is protective when challenged by chronic proteostasis imbalance during aging and diseases of protein conformation.
Ethics, Integrity and Police Misconduct: Analyzing Ethical Awareness, Standards and Action of Law Enforcement Officers in the United States

Ethics . Integrity And Police Misconduct Analyzing Ethical Awareness Standereds And Action of Law Enfoce Ment Officers in The United States، للحصول على النص الكامل يرجى زيارة مكتبة الحسين بن طلال في جامعة اليرموك او زيارة موقعها الالكتروني
Macroscopic Physicochemical Testing for Screening Urinalysis

Complete urinalysis consists of macroscopic physicochemical testing and sediment microscopy. We performed a complete urinalysis on 1,000 spontaneously voided urine specimens and compared macroscopic data to microscopic data. We contend that for screening purposes, a clear, yellow urine that is negative for blood, leukocyte esterase activity, nitrite, and contains 30 mg/dL or less protein does not require microscopic sediment examination. This kind of specimen represented 46% of all routine urine samples examined, and the false-negative rate for macroscopic physicochemical testing was 1.6%.
Crystalline–Crystalline Phase Transformation in Two-Dimensional In2Se3 Thin Layers

We report, for the first time, the fabrication of single-crystal In2Se3 thin layers using mechanical exfoliation and studies of crystalline-crystalline (α → β) phase transformations as well as the corresponding changes of the electrical properties in these thin layers. Particularly, using electron microscopy and correlative in situ micro-Raman and electrical measurements, we show that, in contrast to bulk single crystals, the β phase can persist in single-crystal thin layers at room temperature (RT). The single-crystal nature of the layers before and after the phase transition allows for unambiguous determination of changes in the electrical resistivity. Specifically, the β phase has an electrical resistivity about 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than the α phase. Furthermore, we find that the temperature of the α → β phase transformation increases by as much as 130 K with the layer thickness decreasing from ~87 nm to ~4 nm. These single-crystal thin layers are ideal for studying the scaling behavior of the phase transformations and associated changes of the electrical properties. For these In2Se3 thin layers, the accessibility of the β phase at RT, with distinct electrical properties than the α phase, provides the basis for multilevel phase-change memories in a single material system.
Influence of Chemical Characteristics of the Secondary Scale Host on Host Selection Behavior of the Hyperparasite Cheiloneurus noxius (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae)

Quantitative measurements were made of ovipositionrelated activities of the soft scale hyperparasite, Cheiloneurus noxius Compere to determine what influence the chemical substances of the secondary (scale) hosts have on the wasp's host selection behavior. Both the integument and the dried internal contents of brown soft scales, Coccus hesperidum L., contained active materials which, at least in the case of the internal contents, were detected only when the hyperparasite contacted them. Water, ethanol-ether, and methanol-chloroform extracts of scales were also prepared. Tests of these extracts showed that the 1st two considerably influenced the hyperparasite's behavior. The aqueous extract remained active after extended heat treatment, and fractionation with a column of Sephadex gel showed that the active principle had a molecular weight heigher than about 150,000. The chemical nature of this substance is unknown, but proteinaceous material was found in the active fraction and nucleic acids probably were present also, although carbohydrates were missing.
Development of damage in some polymeric foam-core sandwich beams under bending loading:

The damage mechanisms in sandwich plates with polymer foam cores are investigated. There has been a long-standing controversy on what is the weakest element of sandwich plates, the skin-core bonding or the foam core. Under four-point bending of a sandwich plate, we found that in all cases cracks are nucleated inside the polymer foam core as monitored by a high-speed camera. Several separated small cracks develop in the core; then the small cracks are connected and form the main crack that propagates through the core. We complemented the optical recording by the acoustic emission study which provides an additional insight in the fracture process. In addition, the influence of sub-zero temperature of the ultimate load of each material is examined at discrete values of sub-zero temperature. The results revealed that both materials become increasingly brittle with decreasing temperature.
Second international symposium on recent advances in environmental health research.

The Second International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research was organized by Jackson State University (JSU) from September 18 – 21, 2005 at the Regency Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. The symposium was built upon the overwhelming success of the 2004 conference that was also organized by JSU and co-sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RCMI-Center for Environmental Health, the U.S. Department of Education Title III Graduate Education Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the JSU office of Research. This international meeting commemorated 20 years of the NIH-NCRR Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program, a congressionally mandated program initiated by the NIH in 1985 with the mission to expand the national capability for research in the health sciences. Over the years, RCMI institutions have played a significant role in addressing important biomedical research questions that are critical in managing the health needs of the nation in a cost-effective manner. At JSU, the RCMI program has served as a catalyst for excellence in biomedical research and education. Research conducted through the RCMI Program is providing a strong scientific basis for understanding the pathogenesis and for discovering innovative therapies for human diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Through the RCMI Program, doctoral students trained at JSU have gone on to obtain competitive post-doctoral positions at prestigious institutions such as Harvard Medical School, John Hopkins Medical Center, Purdue University Medical Center, and the NIH. As echoed by President Ronald A. Mason, Jr., “...JSU is proud to be integral part of the very successful and productive RCMI Program. This symposium highlighted the excellence in biomedical, clinical, and behavioral research conducted by RCMI institutions...” In an attempt to contribute global solutions to these environmental challenges, scientists around the world, have been more and more involved in bioenvironmental research, studying the toxic mechanisms of action of various environmental agents, developing new approaches for detecting or remedying environmental damage, identifying and characterizing genes involved in the manifestation of environmentally-related diseases, and providing the public and policy makers with scientific tools that are critical for environmental health decision-making. Building on the foundation of the first symposium, the Second International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research served as a platform for environmental and biomedical scientists-biologists, chemists, toxicologists, public health scientists, engineers, and policy makers interested in bringing about substantial contributions to addressing global environmental, and sustainable development issues, to communicate the latest advances in scientific research and new developments on critical environmental and human health topics including the following:
Using evaluation functions in Monte-Carlo Tree Search

For decades the game playing algorithms of choice have been based on the mini-max algorithm and have had considerable success in many games, e.g., chess and checkers. Recently a new algorithmic paradigm called Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) has been discovered and has proven to perform well in games where mini-max has failed, most notably in the game of Go. Many view mini-max and MCTS based searches as competing and incompatible approaches. However, a hybrid technique using features of both mini-max and MCTS is possible. We call this algorithm MCTS-EPT (MCTS with early playout termination) and study it from the context of three different games: Amazons, Breakthrough, and Havannah. This paper expands and elaborates on work presented in 1 and 2.
Diels-alder and friedel-crafts reactions in pyridinium-based ionic liquids

Diels-Alder and Friedel-Crafts reactions have been investigated in pyridinium based ionic liquids (ILs). Various factors such as reaction temperature, reaction time, reactant, catalyst-IL composition, catalyst dosage were studied. The reactions were found to proceed under relatively mild conditions with good overall conversion. The ILs are found to be more effective compared to the organic solvents in enhancing the reaction rate and product yield. Also, the ILs could be recycled and reused efficiently.
Minimizing Explanations of Why-Not Questions

The problem of minimizing explanations of why-not questions exists in many scenarios such as query understanding and debugging. Several explaining techniques have been developed to minimize explanations of why-not questions, however, these techniques returned lots of bad explanations, including unreasonable explanations, incorrect explanations. Moreover, some of them returned all the possible explanations which waste time and space. To address this problem better, we propose a novel explaining approach to avoid such unexpected explanations and we guarantee that the generated explanations are correct and minimum. We propose one algorithm to address two situations: one for query statement contains a relation copy, and the other for query statement contains a query cycle. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach can efficiently get minimum explanations of why-not questions.
Design and Evolution of a Macrocyclic Peptide Inhibitor of the Sonic Hedgehog/Patched Interaction.

The hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays a central role during embryonic development, and its aberrant activation has been implicated in the development and progression of several human cancers. Major efforts toward the identification of chemical modulators of the hedgehog pathway have yielded several antagonists of the GPCR-like smoothened receptor. In contrast, potent inhibitors of the sonic hedgehog/patched interaction, the most upstream event in ligand-induced activation of this signaling pathway, have been elusive. To address this gap, a genetically encoded cyclic peptide was designed based on the sonic hedgehog (Shh)-binding loop of hedgehog-interacting protein (HHIP) and subjected to multiple rounds of affinity maturation through the screening of macrocyclic peptide libraries produced in E. coli cells. Using this approach, an optimized macrocyclic peptide inhibitor (HL2-m5) was obtained that binds Shh with a KD of 170 nM, which corresponds to a 120-fold affinity improvement compared to the parent ...
Evacuating a rolled-over school bus: Considerations for young evacuees

Abstract Characterizing the strength capabilities of the intended population is necessary to ensure successful operation of emergency exits during mass transportation vehicle evacuations. School buses are often occupied by very young children, and in emergency circumstances, may need to operate a school bus emergency exit without the aid of an adult. The rear emergency door is usually the largest usable and accessible exit following an accident. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the strength capabilities of children in kindergarten through second grade (K-2), and their ability to operate a school bus rear emergency door. Force exertion capabilities of K-2 children were compared to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 217, which specifies force requirements for school bus exit operation. Force exertions on the rear emergency door handle suggested that K-2 children do not have the strength capabilities to meet the 40 lb maximum permissible operating force specified by FMVSS No. 217. Results also suggested that mean force exertions in the upright orientation are greater than mean force exertions in the rolled-over orientation. Seats obstructing the rear emergency exit were shown to have a statistically significant effect on evacuation time through the rear emergency door of a rolled-over school bus.
Photoemission of quantum materials

The emergent phenomena that characterize quantum materials have received prominent exposure thanks to experimental techniques based on photoemission. In turn, the challenges and opportunities presented by quantum materials have driven improvements in the photoemission technology itself.
Judges, Elections, and the American Mass Public: The Net Effects of Judicial Campaigns on the Legitimacy of Courts

To what degree does the “new-style” of judicial campaigning undermine the legitimacy of state courts of last resort? Despite fears of catastrophic consequences from politicized campaigns, this paper finds that churlish campaign activities do not create a legitimacy deficit. Based on a panel survey of the residents of a state with politicized judicial elections, I find that objectionable campaign activities do diminish institutional legitimacy, but that the size of the negative effect of campaigns is smaller than the magnitude of the positive effect that flows from allowing the people to say who their judges will be. A second important finding of the analysis is that citizens vary in their normative expectations of judicial campaigns, and, consequently, a significant minority does not find politicized campaigning objectionable. Elections teach citizens many lessons; crucial to understanding their influence on legitimacy is calculating the net effect, not just the negative consequences of politicized campaigns.
Riparian and landscape disturbance effects on stream fish community composition in an agriculturally-dominated drainage

We compared historical stream fish community sampling and remote sensing data from 1993–2011 in an agriculturally-dominated drainage basin to determine the effects of varying levels of riparian and landscape disturbances on fish communities. Stream fish guilds were analyzed with National Land Cover Database and aerial imagery products to quantify disturbance levels at a local and watershed scale. Insectivores and benthic insectivores were associated with intact riparian areas, whereas environmentally tolerant and omnivorous species were found in environments with degraded riparian areas. Riparian disturbances had the greatest effect near the stream (0–10 m), and the effects diminished with increasing distance from the stream. This spatial scale corresponds with those reported in the literature whereby allocthonous inputs and riparian filtering influenced stream fish communities and water quality. The landscape disturbance was not a strong predictor for any fish guild, indicating that local riparian condit...