cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discrete-level envelope tracking for broadband noise-like signals

In this paper we study discrete level supply modulation of an X-band MMIC GaN PA for high-bandwidth signals which statistically resemble band-limited Gaussian noise. 4- and 8-level tracking is compared for various slew rates and the non-linearized NPR is monitored. Two signal bandwidths, 100 and 250 MHz are examined with PAPR of 11 dB and an average PA output power of around 35 dBm. For the 250 MHz signal with 8-level tracking at a slew rate of 1 V/ns a PAE of 40.1 % is measured at 9.8 GHz, compared to 26.2 %, for a fixed 20 V drain voItage.
A History of Pain Relief During Childbirth

Women’s quest to relieve the pain of childbirth is timeless. A few religious leaders opposed the relief of childbirth pain, but most clergy did not, nor did lay people. In 1847, Fanny Longfellow, the poet’s wife, received ether to aid in delivery. In 1853, Queen Victoria chose chloroform to relieve labor pain during the birth of Prince Leopold, ending any moral opposition to pain relief during childbirth. In 1956, Pope Pius XII approved pain relief during childbirth. US and British movements advanced obstetric anesthesia from the early 1900s to the present. Women lobbied to assure pain relief during labor and sought greater control over delivery. The medical establishment haltingly increased anesthetic availability. In 1914, some US women organized the National Twilight Sleep Association, bringing this popular European technique to the US. But when one of its prominent advocates died during childbirth in 1915 while using twilight sleep, the Association came to an end. Some use of twilight sleep persisted in the US until the 1960s. In the 1920s, one in two hundred British women died during childbirth. In 1928, British women formed the National Birthday Trust Fund to decrease mortality, and make modern pain relief during childbirth available.
Planning for a Designed Experiment

This chapter presents methods for the first three steps in Exhibit 1-1: defining experiment goals, identifying and classifying variables, and building a statistical model of the system under study. These steps are critical to gaining the resources required for the experiment, and using the resources in an efficient way. Goal hierarchy plots can be used to elicit and present goals in a framework that can be understood by managers, technicians, and statistical workers. In this framework, the importance of statistical models becomes apparent. IDEFO diagrams and cause-effect diagrams can be used to identify the factors or variables in such models, and a priori main effect and interaction plots can be used to identify the particular terms involving these variables.
Synthesis of a Gln-Phe Hydroxy-ethylene Dipeptide Isostere

The protected Gln-Phe hydroxyethylene dipeptide isostere 1 was synthesized as a precursor for preparation of potential inhibitors of Botulinum neurotoxin B metalloprotease. The method allows for the synthesis of additional hydroxyethylene dipeptide isosteres such as 2 with functionalized P1 side chains. The isosteres prepared were coupled with a dipeptide to produce protected pseudotetrapeptide derivatives.
Socio-cultural evolution of opinion dynamics in networked societies

This paper introduces a modeling paradigm based on a language theoretic framework for stochastic simulation of decision-making in a social setting, where choices and decisions by individuals are increasingly being influenced by a person's online social interactions. In this paper, the dynamics of opinion formation in a networked society have been studied with a joint model that bridges micro-level decisions based on reward maximization and the corresponding social influences which alter the estimate of these reward values. The effect of long term government policies on the stability and dynamics of the population opinion and the effect of including an influencing agent group has been studied. Simulated results on a sample society demonstrate the major impact of a relatively small but sharply opinionated influencing group toward pushing the society toward a desired outcome.
Detection of Cucurbit Yellow Stunting Disorder Virus Infecting Watermelon in South Carolina

Watermelon is an important cucurbit crop grown in 44 states in the United States of America (USA). South Carolina (SC) had the seventh largest watermelon production area in USA with 4,500 acres in ...
Thermal and exported vibration characterization of RICOR K508N cryocooler

The RICOR K508N is an upgraded version of the K508 that has extensive flight heritage. This paper reports on the thermal performance and exported force results for a COTS K508N for the ATACOI project as well as two K508N coolers filled to a higher fill pressure and with a high frequency motor for the CIRAS mission. The thermal performance of the coolers was measured in vacuum for -40°C, 20°C and 57°C heat reject temperatures. The coolers were operated in open-loop and in closed-loop mode during thermal performance testing. The K508N for ATACOI was put through Protoflight/Qualification thermal vacuum testing in order to satisfy JPL environment requirements for flight. Exported vibration results for the ATACOI, CIRAS and MASPEX coolers are presented and compared. Finally, the ATACOI K508N was tested with and without wire rope vibration isolators to validate the results presented in Ref. [11]. As a result of increased fill pressure and a high frequency motor, the CIRAS coolers showed a 22% performance improvement at 90 K compared to the ATACOI cooler.
Timing Is Everything: Misincorporation of 8oxodG during Mitosis Is Lethal

Exploiting universal cancer vulnerabilities has been used as an approach for developing targeted therapies. In this issue of Cancer Research, Rudd and colleagues show that the dual-functioning inhibitor TH588 potentiates the accumulation of reactive oxygen species during mitosis in cancer by disturbing mitotic progression and simultaneously inhibiting the hydrolysis of 8oxodGTP. This leads to increased incorporation of 8oxodG into the DNA during mitotic replication and increased toxicity. Understanding the mechanism of this inhibitor lays the groundwork for identifying cancer targets. See related article by Rudd et al., p. 3530
You’re Not From Here!: The Consequences of Urban and Rural Identities

As the American political landscape becomes increasingly divided along urban–rural lines, it raises the prospect of deepening social identities that are tied to one’s community-type. As community-type becomes an important social identity, it can lead to favoritism of one’s community in-group, or denigration of one’s community out-group. We explore the extent to which urban and rural identities exist above and beyond other factors like party and race, and whether they are consequential for the ways in which people evaluate the political and non-political world. Using national survey data, we demonstrate that people in both urban and rural locations hold beliefs that are consistent with a community-type social identity that is independent of other factors which are correlated with the urban–rural divide. We use two different experiments to assess the consequences of this identity, finding that there are distinct effects in the political arena when allocating government resources, and in the non-political world when judging hypothetical job applications. These effects are generally smaller in magnitude than other factors, such as partisanship, but suggest that community-type identities are important in politics.
Effect of induced subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) on dry matter intake, energy status, and immune-cell function in dairy cows

Objectives were to create a model to induce subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) (blood ionized calcium [Ca2+] < 1.0 mM), and to study the effects of induced SCH on clinical parameters and function of innate and adaptive immune cells in dairy cows.
Expanding the Patent Office’s Regulatory Footprint: A Proposal for Reimbursing Invalidity Challenges

The patent system’s apparent resilience to changes in the law, and the persistent complaints about abusive patent assertions, might reflect the futility of patent reform efforts over the past several decades. But there may be another factor contributing to the patent system’s resistance to change: The regulatory coverage provided by the two primary regulatory entities in the patent system—the federal courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO)—may be inadequate. Because the regulatory footprint of the federal courts is limited by Article III considerations, the possibilities for expanding the PTO’s regulatory footprint warrant greater attention. Given its limited mandate of examining applications and granting patents, the PTO has taken a hands-off approach to patents once they are issued. The PTO’s post-issuance passivity has left the job of policing abusive assertions—and by extension, patent quality—predominantly to accused infringers, for whom the high cost of validity challenges often encourages the payment of nuisance fees, which makes abusive assertions profitable and promotes the further procurement and assertion of patents in problematic ways. To enable and induce the PTO to take a more active role in policing abusive assertions, this Article draws from the lessons of the auto insurance industry to propose that Congress should require the PTO to collect an annual, individualized fee on each patent-in-force—which would be set according to the risk of invalidation of that patent—to fund a program to reimburse the expenses incurred by accused infringers who prevail in challenging a patent at the PTO’s administrative tribunal, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. This arrangement would help create a regulatory feedback loop that could expand the PTO’s regulatory footprint in the patent system, with several potential benefits: (1) it may further encourage challenges to weak patents as an alternative to paying nuisance fees to avoid or settle litigation; (2) it may allow the PTO to indirectly regulate or influence the behavior of patentees with respect to post-issuance activities such as assertion; (3) it may provide a mechanism for the PTO to incentivize patentees to adopt quality-enhancing prosecution habits; and (4) it may create a source of fiscal pressure for the PTO that may prompt it to make operational changes to improve patent quality in the face of possible opposition from its patentee “customers.”
Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Cost-Benefit Analysis for Hospital Capacity Planning

The stochastic nature of hospital bed demands and population growth rate in high migration areas poses significant challenges for the authorities to devise an appropriate hospital augmentation scheme. In this study, we propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) based model that can identify an appropriate hospital expansion plan for a particular geographical region of interest. Our proposed model analyzes the cost-benefit over a range of geographic regions and recommends the best capacity expansion area. We consider hospital bed numbers as a capacity determiner and population demographics for analyzing future demands economics in our approach. We divide a concerned geographic region into several sub-regions based on the local administrative body to recommend a sub-region where augmentation is necessary. The RL agent then works based on the age group, population growth, and current bed capacity utilizing the Advantage Actor-Critic (A2C) algorithm to minimize the cumulative cost. We also implemented our proposed approach for a case study in the Tampa Bay region, Florida, USA, to identify a hospital augmentation plan. The results from the case study verify this approach's superiority over traditional per capita-based and complaint-based policies.
Interiorized Imperialism in Native American and Japanese American World War II Narratives

N. Scott Momaday’s House Made of Dawn (1966) and Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony (1977) feature protagonists who have recently returned to the reservation after serving in the U.S. military during World War II. Their experiences strikingly align with those of the internee-turned-veteran characters in two influential narratives authored by Japanese Americans: Jeanne Wakatsuki’s memoir Farewell to Manzanar (1973) and John Okada’s No-No Boy (1957). This chapter explores the construction of spaces of interiorized imperialism and their transformative effects upon the postwar identities of Japanese Americans and Native Americans. An analysis of these texts invites a consideration of comparative multicultural American literature as a genre that can transcend the constructed and divisive boundaries of ethnic grouping to facilitate a more holistic understanding of often-overlooked moments in America’s imperialist history.
Incidence and seasonal variation of Listeria species in bulk tank goat's milk.

Four hundred and fifty raw goat's milk samples obtained from the bulk tanks of 39 goat farms were analyzed for Listeria spp. over a 1-year period. Modified versions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protocols were used for recovery of Listeria. Overall, 35 (7.8%) samples yielded Listeria spp. with Listeria monocytogenes identified in 17 of the 35 (3.8%) Listeria-positive samples. Listeria innocua was detected in 26 (5.8%) samples. Eight milk samples contained both L. monocytogenes and L. innocua. Milk samples from 18 of the 39 (46.2%) farms were positive for Listeria at least once during this 1-year study. The modified USDA-FSIS method, which used Listeria repair broth rather than University of Vermont (UVM) broth for primary enrichment followed by a 4-h nonselective incubation period, yielded more Listeria-positive samples (77.1%) than the FDA method (51.4%). All L. monocytogenes isolates belonged to serotypes 1 (62.6%) or 4 (37.4%). Moreover, five different Listeria ribotypes were identified from 34 selected L. monocytogenes isolates, 2 of which were deemed to be of clinical importance. Listeria isolation rates were markedly higher during winter (14.3%) and spring (10.4%) as compared to autumn (5.3%) and summer (0.9%) with these trends similar to those previously reported for cow's milk.
ACM SIGGRAPH 2006 Research posters

Interpersonal encounters with incremental, preliminary, partial, and innovative insights that are important but don't comprise a full paper by themselves. Posters are displayed throughout the conference week. In scheduled sessions, poster presenters discuss their work and answer questions.
Acid Protease Production by Fungi Used in Soybean Food Fermentation

Growth conditions for maximum protease production by Rhizopus oligosporus, Mucor dispersus, and Actinomucor elegans, used in Oriental food fermentations, were investigated. Enzyme yields by all three fungi were higher in solid substrate fermentations than in submerged culture. The level of moisture in solid substrate must be at about 50 to 60%. Very little growth of these fungi was noted when the moisture of substrate was below 35%, whereas many fungi including most storage fungi generally grow well on solid substrate with that level of moisture. Among the three substrates tested-wheat bran, wheat, and soybeans-wheat bran was the most satisfactory one for enzyme production. The optimal conditions for maximum enzyme production of the three fungi grown on wheat bran were: R. oligosporus, 50% moisture at 25 C for 3 to 4 days; M. dispersus, 50 to 63% moisture at 25 C for 3 to 4 days; A. elegans, 50 to 63% moisture at 20 C for 3 days. Because these fungi are fast growing and require high moisture for growth and for enzyme synthesis, the danger of contamination by toxin-producing fungi would be minimal.
Tax Evasion and Equity Theory: An Experimental Investigation

Traditional economic theory assumes rational individuals with stable preferences who, given an array of options and probabilities, maximize their expected utility. However, experimental research finds that individuals make systematic “mistakes” when attempting to maximize their expected utility. The economic psychology approach includes aspects of the traditional economic approach and the psychological approach that emphasizes values, attitudes, norms, conformity and morals.
Getting to Impasse: Negotiations Under the National Labor Relations Act and the Employment Contracts Act

This paper employs a comparative method to illustrate how the subject of impasses in collective bargaining negotiations offers sub* Associate Professor of Law, California Western School of Law. BA. University of Michigan; J.D. University of Michigan. The research for this paper was pardally supported by a grant from the Fund for Labor Relations Studies. ** Chair and Professor, School of Management Studies, Waikato University, New Zealand. B.B.A. Middlesex University, Ph.D. University of Warwick. 1. This article is an expanded version of a paper originally presented at the 10th World Congress, International Industrial Relations Association, Washington, D.C., May 31 June 4, 1995. It is part of a series of articles examining novel legal issues created by New Zealand's Employment Contracts Act. See Ellen Dannin, Solidarity Forever? Unions and Bargaining Representation Under New Zealand's Employment Contracts Act, 18 LoY. LA. INT'L & COMP. LJ. 1 (1995) (discussing the impact of the Employment Contracts Act on unions in New Zealand) [hereinafter Dannin, Solidarity]; Ellen Dannin, Bargaining Under New Zealand's Employment Contracts Act: The Problem of Coercion, 17 COMp. LAB. LJ. 455 (1996) (discussing the Employment Court's interpretation of coercion under the ECA) [hereinafter Dannin, Bargaining]; Ellen Dannin, Brother, Can You Spare a No-Wage Job: Labour Law Reform in New Zealand Brother, in LABOUR GAINS, LABOUR PAINS-SOCALIST STuDIms/ETUDEs SocuALSms, VoLUm 10 (Cy Gonick, et al., eds. 1995) (presenting an overview of the ECA). For information about the passage of the ECA and guidance to related sources individuals: see Ellen Dannin, We Can't Overcome? A Case Study of Freedom of Contract and Labor Lmv Reform, 15 BERKELEY J. EMP. & LAB. L. 1 (1995) (giving the history of the ECA's passage) (hereinafter Dannin, Overcome]. This paper was supported in part by a grant from the Fund for Labor Relations Studies and by California Western School of Law. The Dan Long Library and Brian Easton assisted by providing source materials. The authors wish to thank Brian Easton, Ali Hebshi and William Mitchell for providing helpful insights and suggestions on issues taken up in this paper. AM. U. J. INT'L L. & POL'Y stantial insights into the nature of statutory and common law. Specifically, it illuminates how judicial laws. The systems examined are those of the United States (the National Labor Relations Act) and New Zealand (the Employment Contracts Act). The National Labor Relations Act provides a widely followed framework for supporting collective bargaining. The Employment Contracts Act, in contrast, embodies principles of freedom of contract and market as understood by its drafters. This article examines how judges apply these two statutes to the problem of managing impasses. It then explores how the interaction of law and society provides insights which help to address current issues in collective bargaining law reform.
The Emerging Study of Positive Empathy

Lay intuitions suggest that the ability toshare, celebrate,and enjoy others’positiveemotions– a phenomenon we term positive empathy – bolsters individual well-being and relationship strength. However, it is unclear from the current literature whether (i) positive empathy is distinct from highly related constructs and(ii)whetherpositiveempathyisassociatedwithsalutarysocialandpersonaloutcomes.Here,webegin by examining basic evidence suggesting that positive empathy is related to, but independent from, constructs such as general positivity and empathy for others’ distress. We then review evidence that positive empathy correlates with increased prosocial behavior, social closeness, and well-being. Lastly, we discuss open directions for the study of positive empathy, such as investigating the potential role of positive empathy (or its disruption) in psychiatric disorders.
STATEWIDE SPECIAL EDUCATION SURROGATE PARENT PROGRAMS: ENSURING QUALITY ADVOCACY TO ALL FOSTER CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) protects foster children's rights to have a special education decision maker. For foster children who do not have a natural or adoptive parent or a responsible adult in their life to take on this role, IDEIA requires that a special education surrogate parent be appointed by appropriate procedures. Under IDEIA, these procedures are delegated to the states. Each state must ensure that local education agencies (LEAs) delineate methods for recruiting and maintaining a pool of available special education surrogate parents. Due to differing state laws and LEA procedures, there are many discrepancies in the quality and availability of special education surrogate parents. To combat these problems, this Note proposes principles for administrative regulations establishing statewide special education surrogate parent programs by examining existing statewide programs. Administered through a state's Department of Education in collaboration with child welfare agencies, statewide special education surrogate parent programs guarantee well-qualified decision makers who will advocate for all children eligible for special education services.
Functional outcomes of standard dysphagia treatment in first time documented stroke patients.

Purpose. This retrospective study investigated whether there were statistically and/or clinically significant changes in functional status for patients between admission and discharge as measured by (1) the assistive/independence levels on the swallowing portion of the functional assessment measure (SFAM), and (2) the food and liquid dietary ratings. Also investigated was the relationship between the assistive/independence levels of the SFAM and the specific dietary ratings.Method. Treatment was given at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Centre in Downey, California. Subjects for this study consisted of 100 first-time documented acute stroke patients with swallowing disorders. Descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon signed ranks test and Spearman rho were used to investigate the proposed questions in this study.Results. There were statistically significant differences in both the dietary ratings and SFAM levels between admission and discharge and a high percentage of these differences were also deter...
“… And a suitable living environment”: The failure of housing programs to deliver on neighborhood quality

Abstract This article evaluates the relative performance of housing programs in terms of neighborhood quality. We profile neighborhood characteristics surrounding assisted housing units and assess the direction of assisted housing policy in light of this information. The analysis relies on a housing census database we developed that identifies the type and census tract location of assisted housing units—that is, public housing, developments assisted under the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Section 515 Rural Rental Housing Direct Loan Program, the low‐income housing tax credit, certificates and vouchers, and state rental assistance programs. We conclude that project‐based assistance programs do little to improve the quality of recipients’ neighborhoods relative to those of welfare households and, in the case of public housing, appear to make things significantly worse. The certificate and voucher programs, however, appear to reduce the probability that families will live in the most econo...
Angular Dependence of Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Spectra. Part II: Effect of Polarization

The magnitude of specular and diffuse Fresnel reflectance from powdered samples was investigated with the use of an FT-IR spectrogoniophotometer with wire-grid polarizers mounted in front of and behind the sample. Specular Fresnel reflectance maintains the polarization of the incoming infrared beam and can therefore be eliminated by crossing the orientation of the second polarizer relative to the first. For neat samples, diffuse Fresnel reflectance was found to be only slightly affected by the presence of the two polarizers. While specular Fresnel reflectance is affected by the optical geometry used in making the reflectance measurement, diffuse Fresnel reflectance is unaffected by optical geometry and can only be eliminated by dilution of the neat sample. For dilute samples, the optical geometry and the orientation of the two polarizers slightly affect the absolute intensity of absorption bands, but do not change relative band intensities or band positions.
Information-theoretic gene-gene and gene-environment interaction analysis of quantitative traits

The purpose of this research was to develop a novel information theoretic method and an efficient algorithm for analyzing the gene-gene (GGI) and gene-environmental interactions (GEI) associated with quantitative traits (QT). The method is built on two information-theoretic metrics, the k-way interaction information (KWII) and phenotype-associated information (PAI). The PAI is a novel information theoretic metric that is obtained from the total information correlation (TCI) information theoretic metric by removing the contributions for inter-variable dependencies (resulting from factors such as linkage disequilibrium and common sources of environmental pollutants). The KWII and the PAI were critically evaluated and incorporated within an algorithm called CHORUS for analyzing QT. The combinations with the highest values of KWII and PAI identified each known GEI associated with the QT in the simulated data sets. The CHORUS algorithm was tested using the simulated GAW15 data set and two real GGI data sets from QTL mapping studies of high-density lipoprotein levels/atherosclerotic lesion size and ultra-violet light-induced immunosuppression. The KWII and PAI were found to have excellent sensitivity for identifying the key GEI simulated to affect the two quantitative trait variables in the GAW15 data set. In addition, both metrics showed strong concordance with the results of the two different QTL mapping data sets. The KWII and PAI are promising metrics for analyzing the GEI of QT.
Comment on "Density calculations for silicate liquids. I. Revised method for aluminosilicate compositions" by Bottinga, Weill and Richet

Abstract Using density measurements on liquids in the systems Al2O3-SiO2, Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2, MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 and CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 the compositional dependence of the apparent partial molar volume of alumina ( V ° A ) in multicomponent silicate liquids is critically examined. These data do not support the recent suggestion of Bottinga et al. (1982) that V ° A should be expressed as a linear function of composition. Thermodynamic analysis of the derivation of Bottinga el al. 's (1982) model for molar volumes in aluminumbearing multicomponent silicate liquids reveals that their comprehensive equation (no. 21) has been improperly formulated, and statistical considerations indicate that bias was introduced in calibrating the model parameters which appear in this equation. Our analysis suggests that a much simpler formulation, which does not incorporate non-zero volume of mixing terms, adequately reproduces the available data on the densities of multicomponent silicate liquids (including magmas) to within the limits of measurement.
Prenatal alcohol education for low-income women with interactive multimedia.

Prenatal alcohol use is a major cause of birth defects and other adverse outcomes of pregnancy. Educating expectant mothers concerning the need to limit alcohol consumption has been advocated as a method to decrease alcohol-related birth problems, however providing this service for lowincome women is increasingly difficult due to ongoing changes in obstetrical practice patterns. The purpose of this work was to develop and test a computer-based multimedia prenatal alcohol education program which would be appropriate for use in a poor rural patient population. We first review the effect of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and previously employed intervention strategies. Then the design, development, and evaluation of the program is described. The content of the program reflects user beliefs and attitudes and takes advantage of a computer-based multimedia approach. This format provides numerous opportunities for user interaction, requires little reading ability and offers the potential to increase levels of health education efforts with no increase in staff. The program was found to be well accepted, to provide new information and to demonstrate potential for effecting change in behavioral intention. Possible uses of this technology for educating similar populations and the use of computers for health screening are discussed.
Crime Creep: Urban and Suburban Crime on Local TV News

: Crime has fallen in the United States in the past eight years, yet public opinion polls indicate that crime and public safety are overriding concerns of citizens in communities. Polls also tell us that a significant majority of our citizens get most of their information from local television news and, in general, they believe what they are being shown and told. In short, these newscasts play a pre-eminent role in the social construction of reality and, by extension, in forming the cognitive maps that citizens use to understand their communities. This article examines how the press, particularly local television news, portrays the urban/suburban dimensions of crime in 20 television markets across the US. It is a major extension of an earlier study of two markets. Findings show that local newscasts in the markets consistently focused on suburban crime in spite of the fact that the suburban crime rate was about one-half of the crime rate of urban areas. The newscasts also regularly conveyed the message that the city was a dangerous place.
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Activity Is Required at a Postendocytic Step in Platelet-derived Growth Factor Receptor Trafficking

Abstract We have previously reported that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor mutants that lack high affinity binding sites for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) fail to concentrate in juxtanuclear vesicular structures after activation with PDGF. We have now identified the point in the endocytic pathway at which PI 3-kinase binding sites are required. Receptor internalization from the plasma membrane, measured as the acquisition of acid resistance of prebound I-PDGF, was only slightly decreased in cells expressing a PDGF receptor mutant (F5) lacking PI 3-kinase, GTPase-activating protein (GAP), phospholipase C, and Syp binding sites but not expressing mutants where any of these individual sites were restored nor expressing a mutant lacking exclusively PI 3-kinase binding sites. In contrast, the extent of down-regulation of PDGF binding sites from the cell surface after prolonged incubation with PDGF as well as the degradation of [S]methionine-labeled receptor were markedly reduced in cells expressing the F5 mutant, mutants restored in GAP, phospholipase C, or Syp binding sites or expressing the mutant exclusively lacking PI 3-kinase binding sites but not in cells expressing the mutant where PI 3-kinase binding sites were restored. Inhibition of PI 3-kinase activity with wortmannin caused a dramatic decrease in the rates of down-regulation and degradation of wild-type receptors. These results suggest that PI 3-kinase binding sites are not required for internalization of PDGF receptor but are required to divert the PDGF receptor to a degradative pathway. Furthermore, the requirement for PI 3-kinase binding sites on the receptor appears to be due to a requirement for PI 3-kinase catalytic activity.
Plasticity of Horizontal Connections at a Functional Border in Adult Rat Somatosensory Cortex

Horizontal connections in superficial cortical layers integrate information across sensory maps by connecting related functional columns. It has been hypothesized that these connections mediate cortical reorganization via synaptic plasticity. However, it is not known if the horizontal connections from discontinuous cortical regions can undergo plasticity in the adult. Here we located the border between two discontinuous cortical representations in vivo and used either pairing or low-frequency stimulation to induce synaptic plasticity in the horizontal connections surrounding this border in vitro. Individual neurons revealed significant and diverse forms of synaptic plasticity for horizontal connections within a continuous representation and discontinuous representations. Interestingly, both enhancement and depression were observed following both plasticity paradigms. Furthermore, plasticity was not restricted by the border's presence. Depolarization in the absence of synaptic stimulation also produced synaptic plasticity, but with different characteristics. These experiments suggest that plasticity of horizontal connections may mediate functional reorganization.
Myelin-specific tolerance attenuates the progression of a virus-induced demyelinating disease: implications for the treatment of MS.

Abstract Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced demyelinating disease (TMEV-IDD), a multiple sclerosis (MS) model, is a central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disease characterized by early peripheral T cell responses to virus epitopes which spreads to myelin epitopes during chronic disease. We show that CD4 + T cells isolated from the spinal cords of chronically infected SJL mice proliferate and secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines upon in vitro challenge with both TMEV epitopes and proteolipid protein (PLP 139–151 ). Importantly, myelin-specific tolerance induced by intravenous administration of MP4, a fusion of the myelin proteins myelin basic protein (MBP) and PLP, to SJL mice with ongoing TMEV-IDD attenuated disease progression and resulted in significantly less demyelination and decreased inflammatory cell infiltration in the CNS. Paradoxically, peptide-specific splenic T cell proliferative and IFN-γ responses were enhanced in the tolerized mice. Collectively, these results indicate that myelin-specific T cell responses contribute to chronic disease progression in this virus-induced model of MS, and suggest caution in the use of antigen-specific tolerance for treatment of ongoing autoimmune disease.
Type II restriction—modification systems

Abstract The genes for increasing numbers of type II restriction and modification enzymes are being cloned and characterized. The gene arrangements and enzyme sequences are quite diverse in spite of the biochemical similarities of the enzymes.
Transactional distance revisited: Bridging face and empirical validity

Implementation of e-learning, whether in academic institutions or in the corporate world, is fast growing. While there has been a plethora of research in the field of e-learning, most empirical results remain inconsistent. One problem with such inconsistencies is the lack of clear takeaways that can guide practitioners on the best practices of e-learning. In this paper, we propose an overarching theoretical framework based on Moore's transactional distance theory to examine e-learning. While this theory has existed for some time and has face validity, it has not received empirical support. We re-examine the core tenets of the theory, and test them in a manner that is ontologically consistent with the focus of the theory on learners' perceptions, thereby bridging the gap between the theory's face and empirical validity. We find strong support for the influence of transactional distance factors on our outcome of interest, i.e. individuals' intentions to return for another e-learning experience. Our results help us arrive at contributions to research and practice, which include suggestions to enhance the success of e-learning initiatives.
Radioisotopic method of evaluating dispersed systems II. Suspensions

A new method of determining the settling rates of suspensions has been studied using a specially constructed absorptiometer and a sealed source of β-excited characteristic X-radiation. The X-radiation source was immersed in the suspension, and the attenuation of the radiation beam, which passed vertically through a portion of the suspension column, was used to measure the suspensoid concentration in that portion of the column which was between the source and the bottom of the suspension-containing cell. The method described is suggested as a non-destructive means of determining the sedimentation rates of pharmaceutical suspensions which contain elements with a high atomic number.
Deligne's topological central extension is universal

Abstract We give a purely “local” proof of the fact that the topological central extension of G(k), G an absolutely almost simple algebraic group defined and isotropic over a nonarchimedean local field k, by the finite group μ(k) of roots of unity in k, constructed by Pierre Deligne, is a universal topological central extension of G(k).
Increase in anthropogenic CO2 in the Atlantic Ocean in the last two decades

Abstract Data from the first systematic survey of inorganic carbon parameters on a global scale, the GEOSECS program, are compared with those collected during WOCE/JGOFS to study the changes in carbon and other geochemical properties, and anthropogenic CO 2 increase in the Atlantic Ocean from the 1970s to the early 1990s. This first data-based estimate of CO 2 increase over this period was accomplished by adjusting the GEOSECS data set to be consistent with recent high-quality carbon data. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and extended Multiple Linear Regression (eMLR) analyses to these carbon data are applied by regressing DIC with potential temperature, salinity, AOU, silica, and PO 4 in three latitudinal regions for the western and eastern basins in the Atlantic Ocean. The results from MLR (and eMLR provided in parentheses) indicate that the mean anthropogenic CO 2 uptake rate in the western basin is 0.70 (0.53) mol m −2 yr −1 for the region north of 15°N; 0.53 (0.36) mol m −2 yr −1 for the equatorial region between 15°N and 15°S; and 0.83 (0.35) mol m −2 yr −1 in the South Atlantic south of 15°S. For the eastern basin an estimate of 0.57 (0.45) mol m −2 yr −1 is obtained for the equatorial region, and 0.28 (0.34) mol m −2 yr −1 for the South Atlantic south of 15°S. The results of using eMLR are systematically lower than those from MLR method in the western basin. The anthropogenic CO 2 increase is also estimated in the upper thermocline from salinity normalized DIC after correction for AOU along the isopycnal surfaces. For these depths the results are consistent with the CO 2 uptake rates derived from both MLR and eMLR methods.
Reducing Feedback Delay of Software Development Tools via Continuous Analysis

During software development, the sooner a developer learns how code changes affect program analysis results, the more helpful that analysis is. Manually invoking an analysis may interrupt the developer’s workflow or cause a delay before the developer learns the implications of the change. A better approach is continuous analysis tools that always provide up-to-date results. We present Codebase Replication, a technique that eases the implementation of continuous analysis tools by converting an existing offline analysis into an IDE-integrated, continuous tool with two desirable properties: isolation and currency. Codebase Replication creates and keeps in sync a copy of the developer’s codebase. The analysis runs on the copy codebase without disturbing the developer and without being disturbed by the developer’s changes. We developed Solstice, an open-source, publicly-available Eclipse plug-in that implements Codebase Replication. Solstice has less than 2.5 milliseconds overhead for most common developer actions. We used Solstice to implement four Eclipse-integrated continuous analysis tools based on the offline versions of FindBugs, PMD, data race detection, and unit testing. Each conversion required on average 710 LoC and 20 hours of implementation effort. Case studies indicate that Solstice-based continuous analysis tools are intuitive and easy-to-use.
Binding of O2, NO, and CO to model active sites in ferrous heme proteins: Ligand geometry, electronic structure, and quadrupole splittings

The electronic structures of model oxy-, nitrosyl-, and carbon monoxy ferroporphyrin compounds with N-methylimidazole as an axial ligand are calculated for a number of different conformations of the O2, NO, and CO ligands using the iterative extended Huckel method. For the dioxygen ligand a bent end-on (Pauling) geometry with a low-energy off-axis displacement is favored. The “anomalously large” electric field gradient at the iron nucleus can be accounted for by a paired iron(II)-dioxygen configuration. The carbon monoxide ligand is linear in model compounds but bent or tilted in protein. The reduced affinity observed for the intact protein is explained by these results. The nitrosyl ligand is bent both in model compounds and in the protein. The calculated electronic structure is consistent with the spin density observed in hyperfine splitting in electron spin resonance spectra and gives a quadrupole splitting in excellent agreement with experiment.
In Vivo Bone Formation by Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells: Reconstruction of the Mouse Calvarium and Mandible

Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) contain a subset of multipotent cells with the potential to repair hard-tissue defects. Mouse BMSCs, combined with a collagen carrier, can close critical-sized homologous mouse calvarial defects, but this new bone has a poor union with the adjacent calvarium. When human BMSCs are transplanted for the purpose of engineering new bone, best results can be achieved if the cells are combined with hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) particles. Here, we demonstrate that transplantation of cultured human BMSCs in conjunction with HA/TCP particles can be used successfully to close mouse craniofacial bone defects and that removal of the periosteum from the calvarium significantly enhances union with the transplant. Transplants were followed for up to 96 weeks and were found to change in morphology but not bone content after 8 weeks; this constitutes the first description of human BMSCs placed long-term to heal bone defects. New bone formation continued to occur in the oldest transplants, confirmed by tetracycline labeling. Additionally, the elastic modulus of this engineered bone resembled that of the normal mouse calvarium, and our use of atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based nanoindentation offered us the first opportunity to compare these small transplants against equally minute mouse bones. Our results provide insights into the long-term behavior of newly engineered orthotopic bone from human cells and have powerful implications for therapeutic human BMSC transplantation.
Experiments on heat transfer and pressure drop in a horizontal tube with internal solidification

Abstract The results of a series of experiments on liquid solidification in the thermal entrance region of a horizontal tube are presented. All involved steady, hydrodynamically developed laminar flow with a steady-state frozen deposit at the inside wall, a constant and uniform wall temperature, and a Graetz number in a range of significant natural convection. Heat transfer and pressure drop data is presented to further define the influence of free convection on solidification. It is shown that Oliver's correlation of combined forced and free convection is applicable when the L D is significantly greater than 50, and that the correlation is more accurate when corrected for the presence of a solid phase thickness. It is also shown that a parabolic velocity profile should not be used in the analytical prediction of pressure drop when natural convection effects are included. The results of these experiments confirm and strengthen previously reported data and conclusions.
Influence of Formononetin and NaCl on Mycorrhizal Colonization and Fusarium Crown and Root Rot of Asparagus

Replanted asparagus fields commonly fail to produce a profitable stand due to alleopathic residues left behind from the previous asparagus crop, elevated densities of pathogenic Fusarium spp., and low densities of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM). Formononetin, a plant isoflavone that stimulates VAM spores to germinate, and sodium chloride (NaCl), a disease-suppressing amendment, were evaluated alone and in combination for their effect on reestablishing asparagus at two locations in abandoned asparagus fields. Greenhouse studies also were conducted with naturally and artificially infested soils. Formononetin was applied as a crown soak or soil drench, and NaCl was applied as a granular treatment. Feeder roots from soil cores sampled from field plots and from greenhouse transplants were assayed for colonization by VAM and for lesions caused by Fusarium oxysporum and F. proliferatum. Formononetin increased the number of VAM vesicles in roots from the field and greenhouse studies and reduced the percent root lesions caused by Fusarium spp. when compared with the nontreated controls. NaCl was more effective than formononetin in reducing the percentage of root lesions in both field and greenhouse experiment when compared with untreated plants but had no effect on VAM colonization. However, there was evidence that NaCl negated the effect of formononentin on VAM colonization. The NaCl treatment increased the May 2001 spear number by 15% and marketable spear weight by 23%. At one site, treatment with formononetin increased mean number of stalks per plant by 29% in 2000 and 14% in 2001. Both formononetin and NaCl improve growth and reduce disease of asparagus in replanted asparagus and may be useful in reestablishing asparagus in abandoned asparagus field.
Contexts of mentoring and opportunities for learning to teach: a comparative study of mentoring practice

Abstract Drawing on data from twenty-three US, UK, and Chinese mentor teachers, this study explores the relationship between contexts of mentoring and mentoring practice. It discusses learning opportunities created by mentoring in different contexts for novices to learn to teach. Through comparative analysis, it finds that mentoring practices show greater differences across programs and countries than within. This is the case even when mentors are practicing or moving toward practicing a kind of teaching as expected by education reformers. These differences are reflected in mentors’ beliefs about what novices need to learn, their interaction patterns and foci with novices. Three instructional contexts in each setting shape such differences: structure of school curriculum and assessment, organization of teaching and mentoring, and student population. These findings suggest that the reform-minded teaching practice that mentors developed does not necessarily guarantee the effective mentoring that supports teacher learning and teaching reform. Teacher educators should pay attention to the influences of instructional contexts on mentoring and the kinds of learning opportunities that mentoring creates for novice teachers in different contexts. When designing mentoring programs and arranging mentoring relationships, teacher educators need to consider how to restructure school contexts and help mentors learn how to mentor.
Experimental induction of periodontal disease with Arthus-type reactions.

Abstract Arthus reactions were induced in the gingivae of monkeys sensitized to bovine serum albumin or ovalbumin. Challenge by placing antigen-soaked threads into the gingival sulcus or by gingival injection of the sensitizing antigen elicited inflammatory infiltrates composed largely of mononuclear cells. Increased deposits of IgG and C4 were also observed particularly in perivascular locations. Injections with 100 or 10 μg yielded not only increased inflammation which extended deeper into the bone of the alveolar crest, but also osteoclastic activity similar to that observed in human periodontitis. Injections of heterologous antigens and other control injections failed to induce such changes. Similar arthus reactions to oral bacterial antigens may contribute to the pathogenesis of human periodontal disease.