cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Select Septate Junction Proteins Direct ROS-Mediated Paracrine Regulation of Drosophila Cardiac Function

Septate junction (SJ) complex proteins act in unison to provide a paracellular barrier and maintain structural integrity. Here, we identify a non-barrier role of two individual SJ proteins, Coracle (Cora) and Kune-kune (Kune). Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-p38 MAPK signaling in non-myocytic pericardial cells (PCs) is important for maintaining normal cardiac physiology in Drosophila. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We find that in PCs, Cora and Kune are altered in abundance in response to manipulations of ROS-p38 signaling. Genetic analyses establish Cora and Kune as key effectors of ROS-p38 signaling in PCs on proper heart function. We further determine that Cora regulates normal Kune levels in PCs, which in turn modulates normal Kune levels in the cardiomyocytes essential for proper heart function. Our results thereby reveal select SJ proteins Cora and Kune as signaling mediators of the PC-derived ROS regulation of cardiac physiology.
MyA+ Math: Teaching Math to Students with Vision Impairment

The study of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a study of how users interact with the application. The goal of HCI research is to make systems versatile, easy to use, and accessible for the majority of people. With the accelerating growth of the Internet in the last decade, e-learning has become an effective learning mechanism for students around the globe. While computer technologies have successfully remodeled and improved the learning process, the potential promised by these technologies has not become the reality for visually impaired students. Also, the knowledge of math is crucial in any Science, Technology, Engineering and, Math (STEM) career. Due to the lack of interactive e-learning platforms for students with disabilities and the inability to process complex mathematical formulas and visual cues, students with vision-impairment are at a disadvantage. The motivation of this paper is to introduce a prototype of the web application, MyA+ Math that will help students with vision-impairment learn and understand math concepts. We hope that the use and further development of our prototype shall open doors towards universal education.
Percutaneous Thermal Ablation for Treatment of T1a Renal Cell Carcinomas

Based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results studies, most renal cancers are low grade and slow growing. Long-term, single-center studies show excellent outcomes for T1a renal cell carcinoma (RCC), comparable to partial nephrectomy without affecting renal function and with much lower rates of complications. However, there are no multicenter randomized controlled trials of multiple ablative modalities or comparison with partial nephrectomy, and most studies are single-arm observational studies with short-term and intermediate follow-up. For treatment of stage T1a RCC, percutaneous TA is an effective alternative to surgery with preservation of renal function, low risk, and comparable overall and disease-specific survival.
Childhood Adversity, Impulsivity, and HIV Knowledge as Predictors of Sexual Risk Outcomes in At-Risk Female Youth.

Sexual risk behavior in adolescence can lead to adverse health consequences, particularly for female youth. Most interventions focus on imparting knowledge about the consequences of such behaviors, even though little research has examined whether increasing such knowledge results in desired behavioral changes. Further, individual factors such as impulsivity and childhood adversity might moderate this relationship. We examined associations between HIV knowledge and sexual risk behavior and condom use efficacy in a sample of 122 at-risk females, aged 13–18. HIV knowledge was unrelated to sexual risk behavior, but positively related to condom use efficacy. Impulsivity and childhood adversity had direct effects, with no interaction effects. Increasing HIV knowledge may play an important role in promoting proximal predictors of safer sex practices.
A Rare Cause of Apparent Anuria After Caesarean Section: A Case Report

Development of anuria in the setting of post-caesarean section is a cause of concern for surgeons, and it requires rapid evaluation for detecting its possible etiology and the initiation of appropriate treatment. When the cause of anuria is not immediately apparent in a hemodynamically stable patient, one must rule out other possible differentials as part of the diagnostic process. In this report, we present a rare case of a patient undergoing a trial of labour after a caesarean section, who had a Foley catheter accidentally placed and inflated in the right ureter, instead of the bladder. This led to apparent anuria, which was not identified until the patient's caesarean section had been completed. We also seek to shed light on a method for safely removing a ureteral Foley with a blocked inflation channel.
A COMPARISON OF THE ADSORPTION OF CESIUM ON ZEOLITE MINERALS VS VERMICULITE

Radiocesium was deposited on the soils of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan after the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. The radiocesium bound to 2:1 clay minerals, such as vermiculite, common in the soil of that region and became non-exchangeable due to the strong affinity of these clay minerals for the Cs+ adsorbed. The current study generated adsorption envelopes for Cs+ on three zeolite minerals: zeolite Y, ZSM-5, and ferrierite. Two of these (ZSM-5 and ferrierite) caused monovalent cations to adsorb via a strong inner-sphere mechanism. A comparison of Cs+ adsorption on these zeolites to Na+ adsorption on the same zeolites showed that Cs+ adsorbs much more strongly than Na+, which is explained by its atomic properties. Despite the inner-sphere adsorption of Cs+ on ZSM-5 and ferrierite, the affinity of vermiculite for Cs+ is even stronger. An adsorption envelope for Cs+ on vermiculite failed to show a low-pH adsorption edge even at a pH of 1.01, with adsorption remaining at ~65% of the maximum even at this low pH. The adsorption envelopes for Cs+ on ZSM-5 and ferrierite minerals did show low-pH adsorption edges centered at pH 3.5 and 3.0, respectively, where Cs+ adsorption dropped to zero. The greater affinity of vermiculite for Cs+, even when compared with that for two zeolite minerals known to have significant affinities for monovalent ions, highlights the difficulty in removing Cs+ from contaminated Fukushima soils.
Ventenata (Ventenata dubia) Response to Grazing and Prescribed Fire on the Pacific Northwest Bunchgrass Prairie

Abstract The exotic annual grass ventenata (Ventenata dubia L.) is raising concern as it rapidly invades multiple ecosystem types within the United States, including sagebrush steppe, ponderosa pine forests, woodlands, and much of the Palouse and Pacific Northwest Bunchgrass Prairie (PNB). Despite increasing attention, little is known about the invasion dynamics of ventenata, especially its response to disturbances such as grazing and fire. In this study, we examined how cattle grazing and prescribed fire affect the abundance (standing crop, cover, frequency, and density) of ventenata and other plant groups on the PNB over time using two separate long-term studies established in 2004. The first study (Cattle Grazing) looked at the 14-yr effect of cattle grazing exclusion on ventenata aboveground biomass and cover. Our second study (Grazing and Prescribed Fire) examined main and interactive effects of cattle exclusion and prescribed fire on ventenata over three sampling periods (2008, 2016, and 2018). We documented a 30% increase in ventenata cover and 55% increase in frequency on the PNB over the past 15 yr, including areas that were not disturbed by fire or cattle grazing. We found only weak evidence that cattle grazing increased ventenata standing crop when compared with cattle-excluded paddocks, something that could be related to timing of use. There was no evidence that prescribed burning impacted the response of ventenata on its own. However, we found some evidence of interactions between cattle grazing and prescribed fire that suggests prescribed burning could help reduce the abundance of ventenata in areas grazed by livestock. These studies reinforce the important differences between ventenata and other invasive winter annuals in grasslands and clarify a need for research that focuses primarily on the dynamics between this relatively new exotic species in grasslands and the many ecosystems it now inhabits.
Short Palate, Lung, and Nasal Epithelial Clone1 (SPLUNC1) level determines steroid-resistant airway inflammation in aging.

Asthma and its heterogeneity changes with age. Increased airspace neutrophil numbers contribute to severe steroid-resistant asthma exacerbation in the elderly, which correlates with the changes seen in adult asthmatics. However, whether that resembles the same disease mechanism and pathophysiology in aged and adults is poorly understood. Here, we sought to address the underlying molecular mechanism of steroid-resistant airway inflammation development and response to corticosteroid (Dex) therapy in aged mice. To study the changes in inflammatory mechanism, we employed a clinically relevant treatment model of house-dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic asthma and investigated lung adaptive immune response in adults (20-22 weeks) and aged (80-82 weeks) mice. Our result indicates an age-dependent increase in AHR, mixed granulomatous airway inflammation comprising eosinophils and neutrophils, and Th1/Th17 immune response with progressive decrease in frequencies and numbers of HDM-bearing dendritic cells (DC) accumulation in the draining lymph node (DLn) of aged mice as compared with adult mice. RNAseq experiments of the aged lung revealed SPLUNC1 (Short Palate, Lung, and Nasal Epithelial Clone 1) as one of the steroid-responsive genes, which progressively declined with age and further by HDM-induced inflammation. Moreover, we found increased glycolytic reprogramming, maturation/activation of DCs, the proliferation of OT-II cells, and Th2 cytokine secretion with recombinant SPLUNC1 (rSPLUNC1) treatment. Our results indicate a novel immunomodulatory role of SPLUNC1 regulating metabolic adaptation/maturation of DC. An age-dependent decline in the SPLUNC1 level may be involved in developing steroid-resistant airway inflammation and asthma heterogeneity.
"Liberat[ing] mankind from such an odious scourge":the genocide convention and the continued failure to prevent or halt genocide in the twenty-first century

Since it came into force in 1951, the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, a document created with the explicit purpose of "liberat[ing] mankind from such an odious scourge," has largely failed to deliver on the promises it enshrined. The twentieth century bore witness to an increasing frequency of genocides, a pattern which is continuing into the twenty-first century with the outbreak of arguably genocidal violence in Darfur in 2003, and more recently, the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2014. This article analyses the failure of the Genocide Convention by exploring its deficiencies alongside issues of state sovereignty and levels of political interest, and particularly, the relationship between these issues, in the context of the specific cases of Cambodia, Rwanda, and Darfur. Understanding the lessons of these past failures is crucial as the UN attempts to address genocidal violence in the CAR today.
Characteristics of thymidine monophosphate kinase and its role in the cellular metabolism of anticancer and antiviral thymidine analogs.

2026 Human thymidylate kinase (TMP kinase) phosphorylates thymidine monophosphate (TMP) to thymidine diphosphate (TDP), which is essential in both the de novo and salvage pathways of DNA synthesis of the thymidine triphosphate (TTP). The DNA fragment encoding the TMP kinase from Hela cells was cloned, expressed and purified. No difference was observed in the enzymatic characteristics with regard to natural substrate between the recombinant TMP kinase and TMP kinase purified from CEM cells. The Km values of TMP, FdUMP, AZTMP, d4TMP, L-FMAUMP, D-FMAUMP for recombinant TMP kinase were in the following order of AZTMP D-FMAUMP > FdUMP > d4TMP > L-FMAUMP > AZTMP. These TMP analogs were competitive inhibitors with respect to TMP in the order of D-FMAUMP >> AZTMP > L-FMAUMP > d4TMP. L-BrOddUMP and L-IOddUMP were not measurable substrates and inhibitors of the recombinant TMP kinase. The plasmid harboring the DNA fragment of TMP kinase was transfected into human colorectal carcinoma (RKO) cells, which permitted the expression of the TMP kinase to be closely regulated in response to varying concentrations of doxycyclin (Dox). The level of the TMP kinase activity directly depended on the protein amount of the enzyme. The TMP kinase was found to be predominantly localized in the cytoplasm of the transfected cells harboring the DNA fragment of TMP kinase, with less TMP kinase detected in the Golgi, mitochondria and nuclei. When the cells were treated with AZT, d4T and L-FMAU, the diphosphate and triphosphate metabolites of these analogs were increased in accordance with the increase of the TMP kinase in cells. The cytotoxicity of AZT increased directly with the activity of the induced TMP kinase. The IC 50 values of AZT were decreased from 26μM to 1.25μM in cells when the TMP kinase was increased 10-fold. As for FUdR and D-FMAU, the cytotoxicities were increased only when the TMP kinase was induced to 10-fold. The cytotoxicity of d4T did not significantly vary with the increase of the TMP kinase activity. No L-FMAU cytotoxicity was found at a concentration up to 200μM in induced cells. In summary, this study indicated the importance of the TMP kinase in the metabolism of these thymidine analogs and proved that TMP kinase was one of the limiting factors for the cytotoxicity of AZT, but not for that of d4T or L-FMAU. (This study was supported by NIH grant AI 38204 and CA63477)
Impact of Statin Use on Lipid Levels in Statin‐Naive Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Versus Non–Rheumatoid Arthritis Subjects: Results From a Population‐Based Study

Objective To examine lipid profiles among statin-naive patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and those without RA before and after the initiation of statins. Methods Information regarding lipid measures and statin use was gathered in a population-based incident cohort of patients with RA (1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria first met between January 1, 1988 and January 1, 2008) and in a cohort of non-RA subjects from the same underlying population. Only patients with no prior history of statin use were included. Results The study included 161 patients with RA (mean age 56.3 years, 57% female) and 221 non-RA subjects (mean age 56.0 years, 66% female). Prior to the start of statins, the levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were lower in the RA versus the non-RA cohort (P < 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). The absolute and percentage change in LDL cholesterol after at least 90 days of statin use tended to be smaller in the RA versus the non-RA cohort (P = 0.03 and P = 0.09, respectively). After at least 90 days of statin use, patients with RA were less likely to achieve therapeutic goals for LDL cholesterol than the non-RA subjects (P = 0.046). Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) at baseline (odds ratio 0.47, 95% confidence interval 0.26–0.85) was associated with lower likelihood of achieving therapeutic LDL goals. Conclusion Patients with RA had lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels before statin initiation and lower likelihood of achieving therapeutic LDL goals following statin use than the non-RA subjects. Some RA disease characteristics, in particular ESR at baseline, may have an adverse impact on achieving therapeutic LDL goals.
A convergent expansion about mean field theory: II. Convergence of the expansion

Abstract We prove convergence of the mean field cluster expansion defined in the preceding paper and establish exponential clustering in a pure phase selected by suitable boundary conditions.
Nitrogen Fixation by Azolla in Rice Fields

Azolla is a floating aquatic fern widely distributed throughout temperate and tropical fresh waters. There are two indigenous species in the Sacramento Valley of central California: A. filiculoides and A. mexicana (Mason, 1957). Their natural habitats include agricultural drainage waters, ponds, and calm waters of rivers. Azolla like many species of legumes, harbors a symbiotic microorganism capable of reducing atmospheric nitrogen and supplying this fixed nitrogen to the higher plant. The prokaryote associated with Azolla is a blue-green alga (Anabaena azollae) which is able to photosynthesize independently. Unlike legumes, however, the Azolla-Anabaena pair apparently continues to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the presence of significant quantities of combined nitrogen (Becking, 1976; Peters et al., 1976). This property and high rates of acetylene reduction demonstrated for Azolla (Becking, 1976) suggest a potential agronomic role for temperate Azolla species in photosynthetic production of fertilizer nitrogen.
Introduction to "Comparison between the efficiencies of columns packed with fully and partially porous C18-bonded silica materials" by F. Gritti, A. Cavazzini, N. Marchetti, G. Guiochon [J. Chromatogr. A 1157 (2007) 289-303].

• The first column packed with sub-3 μm core–shell particles was prepared by Kirkland in 2006.
Immigrants, Industrial Unions, and Social Reconstruction in the United States, 1916-1923

BETWEEN I916 AND 1922 WORKERS in the United States participated in the longest and most intensive strike wave in the country's history. Four characteristics of the epoch's strikes help us understand the interaction between an emerging collectivist style of capitalism and workers' use of the strike weapon. First, individual strikes frequently closed an industry across the nation, or else precipitated city-wide sympathetic strikes. Second, an aspiration for industrial unionism was evident in both official collaboration among craft unions and all-grades action by workers undertaken in defiance of their unions. Third, much of the strike activity was informed by a One Big Union myth, despite the lack of influence of either the IWW or the OBU. Fourth, immigrants were especially prominent among the strikers. The attraction of notions of "workers' control" to older immigrants and the power of nationalism among all immigrants shaped the goals and structures of unions and of strikers. Although no united working-class movement could congeal, let alone prevail, under these circumstances, a significant minority of highly politicized workers remained to make its presence felt in urban life after the strike wave had subsided. DE 1916 A 1922, LES TRAVAILLEURS americains participent a la plus longue et la plus intense vague de greves de l'histoire des Etats-Unis. Ces greves comportent quatre caracteristiques qui nous eclairent sur les rapports entre l'emergence d'un style communautaire de capitalisme et le recours par les travailleurs a l'arme de la greve. Premierement, des greves localisees entrainent frequemment la fermeture d'industries dans tout le pays, ou encore elles debouchent sur des greves de sympathie dans des villes entieres. En second lieu, le syndicalisme industriel suscite de l'interet, ce qui se traduit par la tendence des syndicats de metier a collaborer entre eux et par toutes sortes d'actions entreprises par des travailleurs a rencontre de leurs syndicats. Troisiemement, le mythe de la "One Big Union" fascine beaucoup de grevistes malgre le peu d'influence de l'IWW et de l'OBU. Quatriemement, des immigrants jouent un role majeur parmi les grevistes. Les plus vieux d'entre eux sont fascines par l'idee de controle ouvrier alors que tous subissent l'influence du nationalisme qui moule les objectifs et les structures des syndicats et des grevistes. Quoique ces greves ne peuvent deboucher sur l'unification de la classe ouvriere, un minorite significatif de travailleurs hautement politises font sentir leur presence dans les villes memes apres que la vague de greves se soit terminee.
Aristotle on the Nature of Truth: The Truth of Nature and the Nature of Truth in Aristotle

But truth is not ‘that which works’ but something in Nature that is worked with. Frederick James Eugene Woodbridge, An Essay on Nature In Aristotle, truth, like being, is said in many ways. A person is said to be “able to be true in life as well as in speech”; an inquiry is said to be oriented toward the “truth and nature of things”; and the mark of good action is said to be the truth that “stands in agreement with right desire.” Truth is also, of course, articulated in the things said themselves: it belongs to those declarative sayings that attempt to give voice to the truth by saying something of something, by combining and separating, affirming and denying; and truth is said not to be missed by those who “say something concerning nature,” for it is “as though they were compelled by the truth itself.” Truth is compelling and pervasive. The power of perceiving, when directed at what is proper to it, “is always true”; and while being appeared to and thinking things through can be true or false, for a certain thinking, “the true is to touch and to express” and there is no falsity, “but only ignorance and not touching.” The pervasive plurivocity of truth in Aristotle testifies to the manner in which the nature of truth grows in and through encounters with the nature of things. Aristotle articulates the nature of truth by attending to the truth of nature.
Life-Cycle Methods for Comparing Primary and Rechargeable Batteries

Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) can be used to improve the environmental performance of products throughout their life cycle. With ongoing discussions about system boundaries, appropriate data, and model limitations, LCA methods are in a constant state of evolution. This paper presents the use of a hybrid LCA approach to product environmental assessment in which two methods of analysis are combined to present the total environmental impact for two battery systems. A quantitative model for product assessment has been developed at Carnegie Mellon. The model is based on economic input−output life-cycle analysis (EIO-LCA) and has been explained in previous works. The EIO-LCA tool allows a user to quantify the direct and indirect relationships among industry sectors and the associated environmental burdens through the materials extraction and manufacturing phases. However, to study environmental effects over a product's entire life, use and end-of-life impacts must also be quantified. This is accomplished using th...
Evaluation of down syndrome screening strategies

Women contemplating pregnancy today have many different Down syndrome screening protocols from which to choose. Sensitive and specific first and second trimester screening protocols are now widely available, and strategies that combine first and second trimester markers are moving from investigational use into the clinical arena. Modeling indicates that a high detection rate (85%) associated with a very low screen positive rate (1.3%) can be achieved with contingent screening, in which all women undergo first trimester screening and only a portion (25%) go on to second trimester screening.
Highly Sensitive Compact On-chip Micro-interferometers

Photonic crystals (PCs) are used in a two-wave interference architecture to enhance the spectral sensitivity of on-chip optical interferometers. The proposed interferometers are shown to have applications in sensing and spectroscopy.
Variations in the strontium isotopic composition of seawater during the Neogene

The authors report 261 strontium isotopic analyses of well-preserved planktonic foraminifers from three Deep Sea Drilling Project Sites (519, 588, and 607). These samples cover the period from 24 Ma to present with an average of approximately one sample per 100 ka. The combination of high sample density and uniformity of analytical procedures has produced a well-defined record of changes in the {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr of seawater during the Neogene. The record can be viewed as a series of essentially linear segments with slopes ranging from as high as 6{times}10{sup {minus}5}/m.y. to as low as 0/m.y. The times associated with major inflections in the curve do not appear to correspond to simple geologic phenomena such as eustatic cycles, but are probably controlled by a combination of tectonic and climatic factors that influenced the abundance and isotopic composition of terrestrial strontium input to the oceans. The strontium isotopic data are consistent with a progressive increase in the chemical weathering rates of the continents during the Neogene, probably related to repeated glaciations, increased exposure of continents by lowered sea level, and increased continental relief resulting from high rates of tectonic uplift.
OXYGEN pzπ VERSUS px,y FERMI-LIQUID STATES IN HIGH-Tc OXIDES AND VALENCE PHOTOEMISSION SPECTRA OF Bi2(Ca,Sr,La)3Cu2O8

Recent angle-resolved photoemission studies of the valence-band states of the high-Tc superconductor, Bi2(Ca,Sr,La)3Cu2O8, have led workers to conclude that the electronic states at the Fermi energy (EF) have mainly O 2px and 2py symmetry, while O 2pz-like states are not allowed by the C4υ(∆5) symmetry of these states. Nevertheless, a complete projection of the basis functions for the C4υ symmetry group ∆5 (or "E") representation indicates both O 2px, 2py and O 2pz orbital contributions at EF. The O 2px and 2py components are nonbonding, whereas the O 2pz orbitals overlap under the influence of significant Cu(dxz,yzπ*)−O(pzπ) antibonding hybridization to form spatially delocalized O(pzπ)−O(pzπ) bonding molecular orbitals parallel to the Cu–O x − y (a − b) planes. The doubly-degenerate O(pzπ)−O(pzπ) "bonds" and their associated shallow "double-well" potentials are the basis for Fermi-liquid character and a dynamic Jahn-Teller mechanism for Cooper pairing first proposed in 1983 and first applied to high-Tc oxides in 1987.
Identification of genes that were differentially expressed and associated with fiber yield and quality using cDNA-AFLP and a backcross inbred line population

Numerous quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been identified from segregating hybrid populations between Upland (Gossypium hirsutum) and Pima (G. barbadense) cotton. However, the genetic basis of these QTLs is currently unknown. In the present study, an interspecific backcross inbred line (BIL) population was tested at two locations in 2005 and 2006, and used to identify and isolate polymorphic transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) based on complementary DNA (cDNA)-amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. The BILs were developed from a cross between Upland SG 747 as the recurrent parent and Pima S-7, followed by two generations of backcrossing and three generations of selfing. Of a total of 675 cDNA-AFLP fragments amplified from 15 primer combinations, 143 loci showed qualitative differences (TDFs) among BILs, and 44 TDF loci were significantly correlated with fiber yield and quality traits. Of the more than half of the TDFs cloned and sequenced, 47.4% had unknown function and many were converted to sequence tagged site (STS) markers. The identification of indels was informative in resolving homologous sequences when comparing cDNA-AFLP libraries from the same primer combination among Upland SG 747, Acala 1517-99, and Pima Phy 76. Differential expression of selected subset of TDFs associated with fiber traits was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using ovaries of eight selected BILs at 10 days post anthesis (DPA), and SG 747 and Pima 76 at 0, 4, 8, and 13 days. Quantitative RT-PCR was further used for validation on five TDFs using ovaries of Acala 1517-99 and Pima Phy 76 from the four early boll developmental stages. The present study has identified a number of genes whose expression was associated with fiber yield and quality traits.
Doping dependence of the magnetic resonance peak in YBa2Cu3O6+x

Abstract We report inelastic neutron scattering experiments on the doping dependence of the energy and spectral weight of the sharp magnetic resonance peak in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x . These measurements also shed light on the relationship between the magnetic excitations in the normal and superconducting states.
Reviving the Sonnet: Women romantic poets and the sonnet claim

(1995). Reviving the Sonnet: Women romantic poets and the sonnet claim. European Romantic Review: Vol. 6, John Keats 1795–1995, pp. 98-127.
Positional and confidence voting-based consensus functions for fuzzy cluster ensembles

Consensus clustering, i.e. the task of combining the outcomes of several clustering systems into a single partition, has lately attracted the attention of researchers in the unsupervised classification field, as it allows the creation of clustering committees that can be applied with multiple interesting purposes, such as knowledge reuse or distributed clustering. However, little attention has been paid to the development of algorithms, known as consensus functions, especially designed for consolidating the outcomes of multiple fuzzy (or soft) clustering systems into a single fuzzy partition-despite the fact that fuzzy clustering is far more informative than its crisp counterpart, as it provides information regarding the degree of association between objects and clusters that can be helpful for deriving richer descriptive data models. For this reason, this paper presents a set of fuzzy consensus functions capable of creating soft consensus partitions by fusing a collection of fuzzy clusterings. Our proposals base clustering combination on a cluster disambiguation process followed by the application of positional and confidence voting techniques. The modular design of these algorithms makes it possible to sequence their constituting steps in different manners, which allows to derive versions of the proposed consensus functions optimized from a computational standpoint. The proposed consensus functions have been evaluated in terms of the quality of the consensus partitions they deliver and in terms of their running time on multiple benchmark data sets. A comparison against several representative state-of-the-art consensus functions reveals that our proposals constitute an appealing alternative for conducting fuzzy consensus clustering, as they are capable of yielding high quality consensus partitions at a low computational cost.
A selective preference by least weasels for oestrous versus dioestrous urine of prairie deer mice

Mustela nivalis est capable de differencier les odeurs de Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi en œstrus de celle des P.m.b. en diœstrus et prefere les premieres
Steele, Lowell, “Managers' misconceptions about technology”,Harvard Business Review, November–December 1983, p. 133

As organizations move to consider, select and apply technological changes or innovations, questions continually arise as to what factors should one consider to insure success. Mr. Lowell Steele, who for 29 years with General Electric, spent many years working to improve the coupling of technology with other elements of the business, outlined various factors one should consider. Specifically, he outlines seven misconceptions which managers should be aware of when considering technology transfer. These seven misconceptions are summarized in this article as an in depth review of Mr. Steele's article.
A STRATEGY FOR SOLVING STATIC MULTIPLE-OPTIMAL-PATH TRANSIT NETWORK PROBLEMS

The trip making process using transit versus private automobile differs in the use of time schedules, walking paths, transfer stops, plus issues such as fare and safety. Due to these factors, many of the standard shortest path algorithms do not apply. The purpose of this study is to develop an algorithm and strategy for transit providers to find best alternatives for the user, and to demonstrate how a geographic information system can be used in the development of transit advanced traveler information system (TATIS) to meet these needs. This paper presents a short introduction to TATIS systems, some commonly used algorithms in determining the shortest and multiple paths, and a new strategy that was developed in this study which differs from standard network algorithms. The major features of this proposed algorithm are: (1) Capability of handling multiple modes of transit; (2) providing paths that include walking distances from and to the transit path as well as between transfer points; and (3) provision of multiple optimal paths to allow the user flexibility in choosing a path.
Inducible polymorphous ventricular tachycardia following Mustard operation for transposition of the great arteries

A 22-year-old woman with chronic atrial tachycardia following Mustard's operation for transposition of the great arteries presented with dizziness and ventricular tachycardia documented with dynamic 24-h electrocardiogram. During intracardiac electrophysiology study, programmed ventricular extrastimulation induced polymorphous ventricular tachycardia (torsades de pointes). This was prevented by intravenous administration of procainamide. We postulate that polymorphous ventricular tachycardia is a possible cause of death in patients with Mustard's operation. Postoperative electrophysiologic study may define those patients at risk to develop this potentially fatal arrhythmia.
Using Treatment Integrity Methods to Study the Implementation Process.

The last decade has witnessed increased interest in the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for youth. Nakamura et al. (this issue) detail lessons learned over the past decade from the large-scale implementation of EBTS for children in Hawaii. This commentary discusses how lessons from Hawaii’s initiative can help inform the next generation of implementation research. Specifically, we focus on how treatment integrity models and methods designed to characterize core aspects of treatment delivery can be used to study the implementation process. Using the new interactive online reporting systems developed by this research group to collect treatment integrity data offers researchers a way to determine how best to implement EBTs in community based service settings with integrity and skill.
Anionic Cyclopolymerization of Linked Bis(vinylsilyl) Monomers: Substituent Control over Polymer Structure

The n-BuLi-initiated polymerization of (CH2CHMe2Si)2NR (R = Me, 1; R = SiMe3, 2) gave highly regular polymers 3 and 4 which consisted entirely of linked cyclic units with no detectable cross-links or linear segments. The substituent R profoundly affected the ring size found in the resulting cyclopolymer: monomer 2 gave only five-membered rings in the polymer backbone, while 1 formed both five- and six-membered rings. The stereochemistry of polymerization of 2 was found to be solvent-dependent: the ratio of cis to trans five-membered rings in 4 increased when the reaction was conducted in the presence of coordinating cosolvents (e.g., Et3N). Polymers 3 and 4 could be cleanly ring opened with HF(aq) to give poly(vinyldimethylfluorosilanes) 7 and 8. The synthetic utility of polymer 8 was demonstrated by its reaction with a variety of nucleophilic reagents to give highly regular, highly functionalized polymers of the type (CH2CHSi(CH3)2R‘)n.
Transient Dynamics of Airflow near a Local Heat Source.

Abstract The response of a stratified atmosphere to local heating is a common element in several problems in mesoscale dynamics. To investigate this response, a time-dependent linearized problem is solved analytically for an elevated, local heat source turned on as a pulse in a stratified, moving fluid. The thermally induced circulation in the vicinity of the drifting disturbance is qualitatively similar to that of a cumulus cloud in mean wind. The updraft at the center of this cloud is surrounded by the compensating downdrafts at early times even if that air has also been heated. Once the updraft at the drifting center weakens, upward motion begins in the adjacent regions. An integration of the pulse solution yields the response to steady heating, turned on at t = 0. As steady state is approached, this solution exhibits a region of positive displacement moving downstream while negative displacement develop near the stationary heat source. The solution offers an explanation to a curious negative phase rel...
Mineral Resources of the Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone

Potential mineral resources of the Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone (including the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Caribbean areas) include petroleum, sand and gravel, phosphorite, placer deposits of heavy mineral sands, ferromanganese nodules, and fresh water. Although major efforts have been made to search for petroleum, the oil and gas resources of the region are well known only in the western Gulf Shelf and more exploration is underway. Heavy-mineral placer deposits, which may be sources of titanium, gold, rare earths, etc., have been sampled, but the extent and, therefore, economic value of the deposits has not been identified. Sand and gravel, phosphorite, and ferromanganese nodules all are represented by fairly well established deposits and only modified market conditions would be necessary to cause detailed exploration and mining.
Effects of nonlinear piezoelectric coupling on energy harvesters under direct excitation

A nonlinear analysis of an energy harvester consisting of a multilayered cantilever beam with a tip mass is performed. The model takes into account geometric, inertia, and piezoelectric nonlinearities. A combination of the Galerkin technique, the extended Hamilton principle, and the Gauss law is used to derive a reduced-order model of the harvester. The method of multiple scales is used to determine analytical expressions for the tip deflection, output voltage, and harvested power near the first global natural frequency. The results show that one- or two-mode approximations are not sufficient to produce accurate estimates of the voltage and harvested power. A parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of the nonlinear piezoelectric coefficients and the excitation amplitude on the system response. The effective nonlinearity may be of the hardening or softening type, depending on the relative magnitudes of the different nonlinearities.
Mode shape distortions due to piezoceramic actuators and implications for control

ABSTRACTWhile the phenomenon of shifts in the poles of flexible structures caused by local stiffening due to bonded piezoceramic actuators is well documented, shifts in the zeros associated with the distorted mode shapes due to localized stiffening has yet to be investigated. The finite element method in conjunction with state space models s used to derive transfer functions for both collocated and non-collocated sensor/actuator pairs. Models that considered the mode shape distortions comparedfavorably with experimental measurements. With the numerical models validated by experiments, state variable feedback control gains were determined using linear quadratic regulator design for non-collocated and collocated sensor/actuatorpairs for the cases of classical mode shapes and distorted mode shapes. It is demonstrated that lack of consideration of distorted mode shapes can lead to a loss of performance of the control system. 1. INTRODUCTIONIt is anticipated that the next generation of smart material systems will incorporate high density arrays of sensors andactuators. The coupling between the actuator, sensor and material subsystem plays an important role in the dynamiccharacteristics of the system and control design. The local stiffening and additional mass of surface bonded piezoceramicactuators change both the resonant frequencies of the structure as evident by pole shifting from "exact" frequencies andmode shape distortions near the actuator. It is common practice to assume classical mode shapes for traditional beam andplate structures. However, just as the increase in mass arid stiffness due to the actuator can cause the poles to shift, the
Ab initio fragment orbital theory (AFOT): application to some two-photon-absorbing (TPA) molecules

The recently developed AFOT code is applied to investigate the two-photon-absorbing (TPA) properties of some of the bis(styryl) benzene derivatives (BSBD) demonstrated recently to possess large TPA cross sections. The results are compared both with the earlier semi-empirical as well as the more recent density functional calculations.
The effect of repeated electroconvulsive shock on avoidance conditioning and brain monoamine oxidase activity

Abstract The primary purpose of these experiments was to examine the effect of repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS) on avoidance conditioning in male Fischer rats. ECS-treated rats generally made more conditioned avoidance responses (CARs) than controls after 7, 14, or 42 treatments during acquisition to either tone or light and during subsequent transfer of the CAR to the other modality. This occurred despite the fact that the pretrained escape response was partially lost by the ECS-treated rats as a function of the number of treatments. Intertrial response rates were also increased by repeated ECS when tone, but not light, was the initial conditioned stimulus and during cross-modal transfer to both tone and light. The results are interpreted as reflecting an increased sensitivity and/or responsivity to aversive stimulation caused by repeated ECS. A second purpose was to verify the persisting increase in brain monoamine oxidase activity observed earlier [15] to follow repeated ECS. The activity of this enzyme was elevated throughout the brain after 42 daily ECS and remained so up to 19 days after the last treatment without any accompanying changes in protein concentration or the activities of succinate dehydrogenase or catechol O-methyl transferase.
How We Learn to Talk About Events: Linguistic and Conceptual Constraints on Verb Learning

To learn the meaning of a word, a language learner must map a linguistic unit onto a representation of the world provided by her conceptual system. A classic puzzle in the study of language acquisi...
Molecular Replacement Using DNA Helical Symmetry

The efficiency of molecular-replacement methods in the structure analysis of B-DNA is markedly increased if a knowledge of the structural properties and helical symmetry of B-DNA is incorporated into molecular-replacement procedures. The separation of the most significant or most robust parameters, such as the location of helices in the unit cell, from the less well defined parameters, such as rotation around the helix axis, further improves the reliability of molecular replacement and avoids frameshift errors in the positioning of the model. This approach has been applied successfully to solve novel structures of four B-DNA decamers in various space groups.
Progress toward Positive Allosteric Modulators of the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 5 (mGlu5)

This Review describes recent trends in the development of small molecule mGlu5 positive allosteric modulators (PAMs). A large body of pharmacological, genetic, electrophysiological, and in vivo behavioral evidence has accumulated over the past decade which continues to support the hypothesis and rationale for the activation of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5) as a viable and promising target for the development of novel antipsychotics. Until recently, functionally efficacious and potent mGlu5 PAMs have been somewhat structurally limited in scope and slow to emerge. This Review will discuss efforts since late 2008 which have provided novel mGlu5 PAM chemotypes, offering ligands with a diverse range of pharmacological, physicochemical, and DMPK properties that were previously unavailable. In addition, significant biological studies of importance in the past few years using the well established PAMs known as DFB, CPPHA, CDPPB, and ADX-47273 will be discussed.
Design of a Universal Laparoscopic Suturing Device

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) or laparoscopic surgery has changed the focus of surgery and has become an alternative to open surgical procedures. Operations are performed through small incisions in the abdomen thus avoiding the need for large incisions. This results in less tissue trauma, less scarring, and faster post-operative recovery time. However, the inherent challenges of laparoscopic procedures include limited visibility, constrained working space and the need for advanced surgical tools to safely and efficiently perform the surgical procedure. It is also necessary for surgeons to obtain advanced surgical training to perform these procedures.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Dynamic dimensionality reduction for hyperspectral imagery

Data dimensionality (DR) is generally performed by first fixing size of DR at a certain number, say p and then finding a technique to reduce an original data space to a low dimensional data space with dimensionality specified by p . This paper introduces a new concept of dynamic dimensionality reduction (DDR) which considers the parameter p as a variable by varying the value of p to make p adaptive compared to the commonly used DR, referred to as static dimensionality reduction (SDR) with the parameter p fixed at a constant value. In order to materialize the DDR another new concept, referred to as progressive DR (PDR) is also developed so that the DR can be performed progressively to adapt the variable size of data dimensionality determined by varying the value of p . The advantages of the DDR over SDR are demonstrated through experiments conducted for hyperspectral image classification.
Applicability of the Gail model for breast cancer risk assessment in Turkish female population and evaluation of breastfeeding as a risk factor

This commentary discusses the breast cancer risk of women and the Gail Model which computes a single value for an individual woman to quantify the likelihood that she will develop breast cancer over some finite interval of time. It comments on a study that was completed with Turkish women where the Gail model performed poorly in assessing the breast cancer risk. It states that breast cancer risk assessment is an art as well as a science and the appreciation of its value requires a full understanding of the setting in which it is exhibited.
Paleomagnetic databases updated to 1996

The IAGA paleomagnetic databases now include all data available through the end of 1996. Four databases soon will be available as a package (Version 3.2 of the databases) either for use with Access 2 on Windows 3.1 or Access 97 on Windows 95. Users who have Access 7 should now update to Access 97. A description of the Access versions of the databases is given by McElhinny and Lock [ 1996]. The new package is available from World Data Center A in Boulder, Colo., from mid-June. To obtain it, contact Susan McLean on email at smclean@ngdc.noaa.gov and indicate whether the Access 2 or Access 97 version is required. The four-database package includes the following:
The effect of serotonin depletion on the discriminability of LSD

Nine groups of rats were trained to discriminate LSD (0.12 mg/kg) from saline in a two-lever, water-reinforced, drug discrimination procedure. After stable discriminative performance was obtained (>95% correct), groups were administered one of several treatments which lower the concentration of serotonin (5-HT) in brain: (1) 12.5, 25, 50, 100 or 200 microgram of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) intraventricularly (IVT); (2) 3 X 100 mg/kg of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) intraperitoneally (IP); or (3) 20 mg/kg of p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) IP. Control rats received either IVT injections of 5,7-DHT vehicle or IP injections of PCA or PCPA vehicles. Beginning 12 days after treatment, lever preference following various doses of LSD was determined. The results indicated that only the 200 microgram dose of 5,7-DHT and PCPA caused a significant potentiation of LSD-lever responding at the 0.03 mg/kg dose of LSD while all treatments except 12.5 and 25 microgram of 5,7-DHT resulted in significant depletion of 5-HT. Moreover, amount of 5-HT and percent LSD responding following 0.03 mg/kg LSD were not significantly correlated. It was concluded that 5-HT depletion, per se, cannot account for supersensitivity to the behavioral effects of LSD.