cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decoding the Signal Effects of Job Candidate Attraction to Corporate Social Practices

This article seeks to go beyond the implied assumption from previous research that job candidate attraction to corporate social practices is equivalent across individuals. To this end, we propose a framework for categorizing individuals' attraction to different corporate social performance profiles. Our framework is grounded in relational models theory and Mitroff's model of managers' “ideal organizations.” An inductive approach was used to elaborate upon the model and assess the extent to which candidates preferences vary. Data were collected from prospective job seekers regarding their attraction to social practices that benefit or harm various stakeholders, and these responses were used to develop profiles of job candidates' attraction to distinct profiles of organizations' social practices. The results provide a guide for managers who wish to improve the likelihood that an organization's social practices reflect what is best about its culture.
Codec designs for image browsing

We propose codec designs for image browsing. Image/video browsing is an important requirement in many multimedia applications. In image browsing, a lower resolution version of the image is first viewed. Upon request, the resolution is further enhanced until an acceptable fidelity is obtained. Recently, many new codecs have been designed for image/video compression. However these codecs are not directly applicable for image browsing as they cannot interact with the user. In this paper, we propose a codec design based on Gabor decomposition which is well adapted for image browsing applications. However we note that the generic design can be implemented with any compression algorithm. Gabor decomposition is a promising approach for image browsing. The Gabor basis functions match the human visual profiles and hence result in better subjective quality compared to JPEG. For example, Gabor decomposition does not suffer from the blocking artifacts prevalent in JPEG-DCT. The proposed codec can achieve real-time performance, is simple and modular and hence can be implemented in VLSI. >
Technological Preparedness among Entering Freshmen: The Role of Race, Class, and Gender

Increasingly, colleges and universities expect technological proficiency among their incoming students. Using data from a nationwide survey of college freshmen, this study demonstrates that student...
Genetic diversity affects the strength of population regulation in a marine fish

Variation is an essential feature of biological populations, yet much of ecological theory treats individuals as though they are identical. This simplifying assumption is often justified by the perception that variation among individuals does not have significant effects on the dynamics of whole populations. However, this perception may be skewed by a historic focus on studying single populations. A true evaluation of the extent to which among-individual variation affects the dynamics of populations requires the study of multiple populations. In this study, we examined variation in the dynamics of populations of a live-bearing, marine fish (black surfperch; Embiotoca jacksoni). In collaboration with an organization of citizen scientists (Reef Check California), we were able to examine the dynamics of eight populations that were distributed throughout approximately 700 km of coastline, a distance that encompasses much of this species' range. We hypothesized that genetic variation within a local population would be related to the intensity of competition and to the strength of population regulation. To test this hypothesis, we examined whether genetic diversity (measured by the diversity of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes) was related to the strength of population regulation. Low-diversity populations experienced strong density dependence in population growth rates and population sizes were regulated much more tightly than they were in high-diversity populations. Mechanisms that contributed to this pattern include links between genetic diversity, habitat use, and spatial crowding. On average, low-diversity populations used less of the available habitat and exhibited greater spatial clustering (and more intense competition) for a given level of density (measured at the scale of the reef). Although the populations we studied also varied with respect to exogenous characteristics (habitat complexity, densities of predators, and interspecific competitors), none of these characteristics was significantly related to the strength of population regulation. In contrast, an endogenous characteristic of the population (genetic diversity) explained 77% of the variation in the strength of population regulation (95% CI: 27-94%). Our results suggest that the genetic and phenotypic composition of populations can play a major role in their dynamics.
Painterly rendering with curved brush strokes of multiple sizes

We present a new method for creating an image with a handpainted appearance from a photograph, and a new approach to designing styles of illustration. We “paint” an image with a series of spline brush strokes. Brush strokes are chosen to match colors in a source image. A painting is built up in a series of layers, starting with a rough sketch drawn with a large brush. The sketch is painted over with progressively smaller brushes, but only in areas where the sketch differs from the blurred source image. Thus, visual emphasis in the painting corresponds roughly to the spatial energy present in the source image. We demonstrate a technique for painting with long, curved brush strokes, aligned to normals of image gradients. Thus we begin to explore the expressive quality of complex brush strokes. Rather than process images with a single manner of painting, we present a framework for describing a wide range of visual styles. A style is described as an intuitive set of parameters to the painting algorithm that a designer can adjust to vary the style of painting. We show examples of images rendered with different styles, and discuss long-term goals for expressive rendering styles as a general-purpose design tool for artists and animators. CR
Development of the iris in the chicken embryo. II. Differentiation of the irideal muscles in vitro.

The developmental capabilities of the iris rudiment in the chicken embryo, as well as the role of tissue interactions in the differentiation of the iris, were investigated in vitro . Sectors of the intact iris from 7½- through 9-day embryos (stages 32 through 35) lost their morphological organization in vitro , but were capable of normal histodifferentiation. The pigmentation of the epithelium increased, and muscle differentiation occurred. Developing muscle was identified using immunocytochemistry with antiserum against chicken muscle myosin; this procedure permitted positive identification of myoblasts, myotubes, and muscle fibres in cultures in which histological features alone were equivocal. The proportion of irideal explants which developed muscle increased with the age of the embryo, and correlated with the incidence of epithelial buds and epithelial cells in the stroma. Irideal mesenchyme from stage-32 through stage-35 embryos was already populated with stromal epithelial cells when isolated, but growth and muscle differentiation in these cultures compared poorly with that in the intact iris in vitro . Isolated irideal epithelium (stages 32 through 37) demonstrated even more limited muscle differentiation in vitro , suggesting reciprocal interaction between irideal epithelium and mesenchyme during development. Irideal epithelium was also cultured in direct association with non-irideal mesenchyme from various embryonic organ rudiments, but muscle differentiation was not enhanced.
Nitrification in the Ocean

This chapter focuses on very recent developments and their implications for nitrogen cycling in the marine environment. Nitrification does not influence the net N inventory of the ocean directly except by small losses to the gaseous pool of nitrous oxide, but it does determine the distribution of N among important dissolved inorganic nitrogen pools. The ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) oxidize ammonium to nitrite, and nitrite oxidizers, convert the nitrite to nitrate, which can be a very important N source for many kinds of phytoplankton. The only cultivated ammonia oxidizers were bacteria. These cultures have provided the basis of physiological inferences about ecological niches and environmental regulation of nitrification in the ocean. The most important development in the study of nitrification in the ocean in the last decade is the discovery of AOA. The implications of this discovery may not result in big changes in our understanding of the rates and distribution of nitrification in the ocean. Despite their somewhat restricted phylogenetic range, the bacterial nitrifiers are polyphyletic, and the phenotype has apparently arisen independently numerous times. Recent discoveries in the marine nitrogen cycle and in nitrification, in particular, point out the important gaps in our understanding, both at the level of microorganisms and at the ecosystem level.
Packet Fluctuation Approach For Stepping-Stone Detection

To evade detection, network attackers usually launch intrusions through stepping-stones by building a long connection via intermediary hosts. In order to detect long connection chains, we first need to identify whether a host has been used as a stepping-stones. In this paper, we proposed the packet fluctuation approach to detect stepping-stones based on the range of a random walk model. Two algorithms (transformation and packet size) are proposed for this approach to distinguish the stepping-stone connections (ATTACK pairs) from the normal connections (NORMAL pairs). We also show the effectiveness of our algorithms in detecting the chaff perturbation. It is found that both algorithms are able to effectively identify the stepping-stone connections.
Third-Order Optical Susceptibilities of Molecular and Polymeric Materials. Symmetry, Frequency, and Chromophore Structure Dependence as Probed by π-Electron Theory

Third-order optical susceptibilities (γijkl) can be efficiently analyzed for a variety of molecular structures employing perturbation theory and a PPP-SCF-SECI-DECI π-electron model Hamiltonian. The key, frequency tripling second hyperpolarizability γijkl(−3ω;ω,ω,ω) is calculated with full single and double CI. It is found that double excitations play a major role in third-order processes, and that γijkl, like the polarizability αij, is sensitive largely to the overall size (volume) of the π system, although charge transfer excitations may also contribute. The frequency dependence of v and correlations between γijkl and conjugation length are found for a series of trans polyenes.
Wormlike Objects (Nematode Larvae?) on Two Gamasine Mites Taken from Noctuid Moths

Although phoresy upon insects by larval nematodes is well known (Goodey 1951), their occurrence on mites has seldom been reported. Davydova et al. (1967) found numerous examples on gamasines from the burrows of small mammals and the nests of birds in West Siberia. While they could not determine the species of larval worms, they considered that such phoresy favors the distribution and the completion of the life cycle in forms parasitic upon the vertebrates in the nests or burrows of which the mites were found. Dr. E. W. Baker (personal communication) recalls seeing 1 mite bearing a supposed nematode larva, and remembers the report of a similar finding in a Russian paper published prior to 1954, but could give no further details. I have not located the early Russian report, nor have I made an exhaustive search of the literature for other instances.
Abstract 2871: JNK1-phosphorylation of Bcl-2 is essential for adenoviral-induced autophagic cell death in glioma cells

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Purpose: Delta-24-RGD is a highly selective and potent oncolytic adenovirus that is currently being tested in a clinical trial for patients with malignant gliomas. The mechanism of oncolysis for Delta-24-RGD is defined as autophagic cell death, yet the signal transduction and molecular interactions responsible remain uncharacterized. Methods: Utilizing JNK1- and JNK2-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts, we analyzed the involvement of JNK in Bcl-2 phosphorylation and degradation, and adenoviral-induced autophagy. Mutations at the phosphorylation sites of Bcl-2 were employed to determine which are necessary for release of Beclin 1, degradation of Bcl-2, and induction of autophagy by adenovirus. Results: In this report, we reveal that activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) is required to initiate and maintain autophagy induced by wild-type and Delta-24-RGD adenoviruses in the host cell. In addition, JNK1-dependent phosphorylation of Bcl-2 at serine 87 (but not serine 70) and subsequent inhibition of Bcl-2:Beclin 1 heterodimerization is necessary for autophagy to occur in infected cells. Upon phosphorylation and release from Beclin 1, Bcl-2 is degraded by the proteosome. Finally, the activation of JNK leads to its translocation to the nucleus and results in the transcription of autophagy-related (ATG) genes for the maintenance of autophagy, as yet undocumented in mammalian cells. Conclusion: Adenoviruses have thus evolved a highly complex mechanism of regulating autophagy which differs from the typical cellular stress response that may be exploited in the treatment of gliomas. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2871. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2871
Glomeruläre Fermente bei zwei verschiedenartigen Formen von Nephrose

Untersuchungen am isolierten Rattenglomerulum haben eine verminderte alkalische Phosphatase-Aktivitat und eine vermehrte Glucose-6-Phosphat Dehydrogenase-Aktivitat bei der experimentellen Nephrose aufgezeigt. Diese Veranderung ist durch die folgenden Besonderheiten gekennzeichnet: Zur Zeit ist es nicht moglich zu bestimmen, ob das gefundene glomerulare Fermentmuster einer spezifischen Lasion bei der Nephrose entspricht, oder ob es den Auswirkungen des Proteinverlustes im Glomerulum zugeschrieben werden kann.
Selection of human spermatozoa according to their relative motility and their interaction with zona-free hamster eggs.

Human spermatozoa were separated according to their motility by centrifuging semen on discontinuous Percoll gradients. Fractions of the gradients were examined for sperm motility, velocity, viability, morphology, bacteria, and sperm function using the hamster ova sperm penetration assay. The percentage of motile sperm increased from 40% to 60% motile sperm in 60% Percoll to 90% to 100% in 100% Percoll. Sperm velocity increased proportionately. Staining showed that > 90% of sperm in the 100% Percoll were alive and had normal morphology, and that only sperm cells were found in Percoll concentrations > 80%. Sperm isolated in the 80% to 100% Percoll fractions penetrated hamster ova much more frequently than sperm found in the 60% to 70% fractions or than sperm that had not been separated on a Percoll gradient.
Hepatic synthesis of carnitine from protein-bound trimethyl-lysine. Lysosomal digestion of methyl-lysine-labelled asialo-fetuin.

The biosynthesis of carnitine in the rat was studied by following the metabolism of two radioactive derivatives of asialo-fetuin. The first contained 14C-labelled methyl groups covalently bound to the 6-N-amino fraction of its lysine residues as 6-N-monomethyl- and dimethyl-lysine. By treating this protein with iodomethane, a second derivative was produced in which the radioactivity was preferentially incorporated as 6-N-[Me-14C]-trimethyl-lysine. These desialylated glycoproteins, like other asialo-proteins, were immediately cleared from the blood by rat liver. Within hepatocyte lysosomes, the 14C-labelled proteins were rapidly hydrolysed, producing free amino acids containing the various 6-N-[Me-14C]methylated lysine residues. The radioactive amino acids crossed the lysosomal membrane and were further metabolized in the cytosol. Carnitine was the major radioactive metabolite detected in extracts of the rat carcass and liver after intravenous injection of 6-N-[Me-14C]trimethyl-lysine-labelled asialo-fetuin. Within 3h, at least 34.6% of the trimethyl-lysine in the administered protein was converted into carnitine. Similarly, an isolated perfused rat liver converted 30% of the added peptide-bound trimethyl-lysine into carnitine within 90 min. On the other hand, in numerous attempts we failed to detect radioactive carnitine in both rat liver and carcass between 20 min and 22 h after injection of 6-N-[Me-14C]-monomethyl- and -dimethyl-lysine-labelled asialo-fetuin. These data provide evidence for a pathway of carnitine biosynthesis that involves trimethyl-lysine as a peptide-bound precursor as proposed by R.A. Cox & C.L. Hoppel [(1973) Biochem. J. 136, 1083-1090] and V. Tanphaichitr & H.P. Broquist [(1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 2176-2181]. The findings also show that rat liver can synthesize carnitine without the aid of other tissues, but cannot convert free partially methylated lysines into trimethyl-lysine.
Distinct genetic profiles of extracranial and intracranial acral melanoma metastases.

Background There is limited knowledge of the genetic alterations in acral melanoma metastases at different anatomic sites. Here, we characterized the genetic abnormalities of metastases in a 51-year-old man with stage IIIC heel melanoma who developed concomitant brain and cutaneous metastases in spite of multiple treatment modalities. Methods Melanoma cells were isolated following palliative resection of the patient's cortical tumor and biopsy of cutaneous thigh metastasis. Mutational analysis using polymerase chain reaction amplification and BLAST, as well as exome sequencing (160 Mb coverage) was performed on the tumors, cell lines generated thereof and normal lymph nodes. Results All specimens had neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homolog Q61K mutations. There was a 40-fold higher somatic mutation frequency in the brain metastasis compared to the cutaneous metastasis. The former showed truncations of DNA mismatch repair genes (MLH1 and MSH2), and non-canonical BRAF (v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1), PIK3CA and NF-1 mutations not observed in the extracranial lesion. Genomic profiling of each cell line was concordant with the respective original tumor tissue. Conclusions We present the mutational differences between brain and cutaneous acral melanoma metastases in a patient with concomitant lesions. Further genetic and functional studies are needed to understand the biology of metastatic disease appearing at different sites.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Service Utilization among Youth Participating in Negative Externalizing Behaviors.

Purposes : Racial/ethnic differences in mental health service utilization were examined among youth who reported participating in negative externalizing behaviors. Methods: The study utilized merged data from the 2007–2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) to examine differences in utilization of inpatient or outpatient mental health services not related to substance or alcohol use by White, Black and Hispanic youth who reported engaging in negative externalizing behaviors (‘‘acting out’’). Differences in service utilization in these groups were assessed using logistic regression models. Results: Race/ethnicity was a significant predictor of outpatient mental health service use. Black and Hispanic children were less likely to use outpatient services. Inpatient service use decreased with increasing income. Parental presence in the household increased the likelihood of outpatient service use for minorities. Conclusion: Racial/ethnic minority youth in the United States continue to use outpatient mental health services at lower rates. This may lead to high prevalence of untreated negative externalizing behaviors among minority adolescent groups and, in turn, lead to use of inpatient services from systems such as juvenile justice and foster care. Such severe treatment alternatives can be prevented if timely and culturally tailored outpatient intervention is provided. (Ethn Dis. 2015;25[2]:123–129)
Multiple Model Particle Filter for Traffic Estimation and Incident Detection

This paper poses the joint traffic state estimation and incident detection problem as a hybrid state estimation problem, in which a continuous variable denotes the traffic state and a discrete model variable identifies the location and severity of an incident. A multiple model particle smoother is proposed to solve the hybrid estimation problem, in which the multiple model particle filter is used to accommodate the nonlinearity and switching dynamics of the traffic incident model, and the smoothing algorithm is applied to improve the accuracy of the estimate when data are limited. The proposed algorithms are evaluated through numerical experiments using CORSIM as the true model. The proposed algorithm is also compared with a standard macroscopic traffic estimator via particle filtering and the California incident detection algorithm. The results show that jointly estimating the state and incidents in one algorithm is better than two dedicated algorithms working independently.
Minimally Invasive Lumbar Disk Herniation Surgery with Tubular Retractors: Indications and Technical Aspects

Lumbar radiculopathy is one of the most common conditions that a spine surgeon encounters. Very often the source of the patient’s symptoms is herniation of intervertebral disk material and subsequent nerve root compression. These symptoms can be effectively addressed with surgical removal of disk material and decompression of the nerve root. While the goals of lumbar discectomy have remained relatively constant, surgical approach has changed dramatically with greater emphasis on eliminating access-related morbidity. Minimally invasive approaches with tubular retractors have been widely embraced and are now commonly used in the treatment of lumbar disk disease. This technique allows surgeons to directly visualize and alleviate nerve root compression while minimizing damage to overlying soft tissue. In this chapter, we describe the indications and technical nuances of minimally invasive lumbar discectomy through tubular retractors.
Shoreward orientation involving geomagnetic cues in the nudibranch mollusc Tritonia diomedea

The marine nudibranch mollusc Tritonia diotnedea orients to the geomagnetic field in the laboratory, and has identifiable brain cells (Pd5, 6) which respond electrically when the ambient magnetic field is rotated artificially. Field studies reported here seek to determine if and why Tritonia diomedea uses geomagnetic cues to orient in the field. Animals were collected in their natural habitat using SCUBA, and placed on lines with magnetic headings parallel to the shore, at different locations with respect to their site of origin. Observations made at two or more tidal cycles later indicate that most animals move from the line in a direction corresponding to the original shoreward direction, regardless of the actual shoreward direction at the site of release, suggesting guidance by geomagnetic cues. Tritonia diomedea are close to neutrally buoyant, and subject to transport over great distances when dislodged by tidal currents or during escape swimming behavior. Since the natural distribution of food and ma...
Optical characterization of dissolved organic matter in the Amazon River plume and the Adjacent Ocean: Examining the relative role of mixing, photochemistry, and microbial alterations

Abstract The Amazon River is a major source of terrestrially-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) to the Atlantic Ocean. Measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and its optical properties (absorbance and fluorescence) were made in the water within and adjacent to the Amazon River plume during two cruises conducted at periods of low (September–October/2011) and high (July/2012) river discharges. Four fluorescent components were resolved by excitation emission matrix fluoresces combined with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) as two terrestrial humic-like components, one marine humic-like component, and one autochthonous protein-like component. The distribution and dynamics of optically active fraction of DOM were largely controlled by physical mixing along the Amazon River-ocean continuum, with the exception of the protein-like component whose distribution was driven by factors other than dilution. Principal component analysis (PCA) enabled differentiation of water samples following gradient of terrestrial signatures and distinction of source materials associated with different fluorescent components. On board water incubation experiments with photochemical and microbial alterations revealed that photochemistry was primarily responsible for the removal of optically active fraction of DOM whereas the contribution of microbial transformation to this fraction was minor. Results from this work will provide a better understanding of DOM compositions and transformations in a globally significant river plume-ocean continuum.
Substrate-independent system-on-package antenna integration with inkjet printing

This work outlines the design and simulation of a multilayer inkjet-printed mm-wave on-package antenna with a focus on electrical isolation from the packaging substrate. For the first time, a fully-printed SoP solution is outlined for the attach, 3D interconnection, and integration of an IC die with a peripheral 30 GHz microstrip-fed antenna. A CPW to microstrip feed transition is simulated to interface the microstrip-fed antenna with the CPW feed from the IC die. Return loss and radiation patterns are simulated with varying packaging substrate er values in order to demonstrate electrical isolation and independence from the host packaging substrate material.
Reference Materials and Analytical Techniques for Marine Trace Metal Analyses

Abstract Despite significant progress in instrumental analytical techniques, concentration data on many trace heavy metals in environmental and biological materials are unreliable. Valid laboratory analyses and associated quality control procedures pertinent to the monitoring or pollutants depend upon the availability and use of appropriate (certified) reference materials (CRM). CRMs play a vital role in improving the accuracy and precision of data and aid in the establishment of reliable and consistent sets of baseline data in environment samples and monitoring programs. The demand for standards and reference materials in marine chemistry programs is accelerating. In accordance with one of the basic objectives of the Marine Analytical Chemistry Standards Program (MACSP) of the National Research Council of Canada, i.e., to provide analytical reference materials and standards in types and quantities sufficient to serve the needs of the marine science community, our laboratory has, since 1976, issued 8 marine reference materials certified for trace metal concentrations. These include 2 sediments, 3 biological tissues and 3 seawater CRMs. A symbiotic production-certification process has evolved from this program in that the need to provide certified values of trace metal contents in such complex materials has fostered development of new more sensitive, reliable and faster methods of analysis. An overview of MACSP will be given and some analytical techniques in use in our laboratory for ultratrace analysis will be described, including chelationion exchange using immobilized ligands, novel hydride generation-preconcentration methodology and rapid sample dissolution techniques using microwave heating. Emphasis will be placed on use of graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry as the analytical technique of choice.
Designing visualizations to facilitate multisyllabic speech with children with autism and speech delays

The ability of children to combine syllables represents an important developmental milestone. This ability is often delayed or impaired in a variety of clinical groups, including children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and speech delays (SPD). Prior work has demonstrated successful use of computer-based voice visualizations to facilitate speech production and vocalization in children with and without ASD/SPD. While prior work has focused on increasing frequency of speech-like vocalizations or accuracy of speech sound production, we believe that there is a potential new direction of research: exploration of real-time visualizations to shape multisyllabic speech. Over two years we developed VocSyl, a real-time voice visualization system. Rather than building visualizations based on what adult clinicians and software designers may think is needed, we designed VocSyl using the Task Centered User Interface Design (TCUID) methodology throughout the design process. Children with ASD and SPD, targeted users of the software, were directly involved in the development process, allowing us to focus on what these children demonstrate they require. This paper presents the results of our TCUID design cycle of VocSyl, as well as design guidelines for future work with children with ASD and SPD.
24/7 pediatric radiology attending coverage: times are changing

The job of the pediatric radiologist long ago ceased to be an 8-to-5 role. Many practices have adopted evening shifts of in-house attending radiologists to cover the busy evening activity. With the ever-increasing role of imaging in clinical decisions and patient management, there is a need - if not a demand - to further extend attending pediatric radiology coverage. In this article, we discuss the needs and justification for extending pediatric radiology coverage at a tertiary-care children's hospital. We also describe the approach we took toward implementing 24/7 attending in-house coverage of pediatric radiology.
Risk in payoff-equivalent appropriation and provision games

Abstract Probabilistic risk is examined within appropriation and provision games. Using a menu design, subjects make decisions in multiple one-shot situations where the individual return or the group return is a random variable. Adding risk over the benefits of cooperation is found to significantly affect subjects’ decisions only in situations in the provision game type where the individual return is probabilistic. In those decision situations, cooperation increases.
Actinorhizal Plants: Their Use in Forestry and Agriculture:

The increasing cost of synthetic fertilizers has stimulated interest in the nitrogen-fixing property of Rhizobium, particularly as genetic engineering techniques raise the possibility of a symbioti...
TRIPS and Developing Countries: Towards a New IP World Order? by Gustavo Ghidini, Rudolph J.R. Peritz, and Marco Ricolfi: Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 2014, 336 pp., $145.00 (hardback), ISBN: 978-1-84980-485-1

The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is a landmark international agreement that was negotiated in 1994 and administered by the World Trade Organization (WT...
Isolated Handwritten Arabic Character Recognition Using Freeman Chain Code and Tangent Line

Recognition of handwritten Arabic text is a difficult task since there are many challenges and obstacles that face any handwritten Arabic OCR system. Some of them include, but are not limited to: different handwriting styles, different characters that have similar contours, and the same character may have different forms according to its position in a sentence. Several approaches have been attempted to accurately recognize handwritten Arabic characters. However, the issue of the accuracy of Arabic OCR in handwritten text continues to be a dilemma. We will describe the general difficulties in handwritten Arabic language text, and propose a novel approach for identifying isolated handwritten Arabic characters using encoded Freeman chain code. We will also apply a novel approach of using change in tangents to classify characters. Several handwritten Arabic characters were trained and tested with our own dataset. The results showed the efficacy of our approach for recognizing isolated handwritten Arabic characters. The average accuracy rate of our method ranges from 92% to 97%.
Analysis of the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database identifies an inverse relationship between interleukin-13 receptor α1 and α2 gene expression and poor prognosis and drug resistance in subjects with glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults. A variety of targeted agents are being tested in the clinic including cancer vaccines, immunotoxins, antibodies and T cell immunotherapy for GBM. We have previously reported that IL-13 receptor subunits α1 and α2 of IL-13R complex are overexpressed in GBM. We are investigating the significance of IL-13Rα1 and α2 expression in GBM tumors. In order to elucidate a possible relationship between IL-13Rα1 and α2 expression with severity and prognoses of subjects with GBM, we analyzed gene expression (by microarray) and clinical data available at the public The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database (Currently known as Global Data Commons). More than 40% of GBM samples were highly positive for IL-13Rα2 mRNA (Log2 ≥ 2) while only less than 16% samples were highly positive for IL-13Rα1 mRNA. Subjects with high IL-13Rα1 and α2 mRNA expressing tumors were associated with a significantly lower survival rate irrespective of their treatment compared to subjects with IL-13Rα1 and α2 mRNA negative tumors. We further observed that IL-13Rα2 gene expression is associated with GBM resistance to temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy. The expression of IL-13Rα2 gene did not seem to correlate with the expression of genes for other chains involved in the formation of IL-13R complex (IL-13Rα1 or IL-4Rα) in GBM. However, a positive correlation was observed between IL-4Rα and IL-13Rα1 gene expression. The microarray data of IL-13Rα2 gene expression was verified by RNA-Seq data. In depth analysis of TCGA data revealed that immunosuppressive genes (such as FMOD, CCL2, OSM, etc.) were highly expressed in IL-13Rα2 positive tumors, but not in IL-13Rα2 negative tumors. These results indicate a direct correlation between high level of IL-13R mRNA expression and poor patient prognosis and that immunosuppressive genes associated with IL-13Rα2 may play a role in tumor progression. These findings have important implications in understanding the role of IL-13R in the pathogenesis of GBM and potentially other cancers.
Panel LM unit root tests with level and trend shifts

Abstract This paper considers a Lagrange multiplier (LM) based panel unit root test that allows for heterogeneous structural breaks in both the intercepts and slopes of a series. We note that many popular time series variables are likely to exhibit changing means and/or trends over time. Given that the usual tests will depend on the nuisance parameters indicating the locations of the trend breaks, we adopt a transformation procedure that makes our new panel unit root tests invariant to the nuisance parameters. To illustrate the importance of the power gain provided by our test, we examine the convergence hypothesis using relative ratios of per capita health care expenditures in 20 OECD countries. Our results provide evidence that the convergence hypothesis is supported.
Targeting B cell receptor signalling in cancer: preclinical and clinical advances

B cell receptor (BCR) signalling is crucial for normal B cell development and adaptive immunity. BCR signalling also supports the survival and growth of malignant B cells in patients with B cell leukaemias or lymphomas. The mechanism of BCR pathway activation in these diseases includes continuous BCR stimulation by microbial antigens or autoantigens present in the tissue microenvironment, activating mutations within the BCR complex or downstream signalling components and ligand-independent tonic BCR signalling. The most established agents targeting BCR signalling are Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and PI3K isoform-specific inhibitors, and their introduction into the clinic is rapidly changing how B cell malignancies are treated. B cells and BCR-related kinases, such as BTK, also play a role in the microenvironment of solid tumours, such as squamous cell carcinoma and pancreatic cancer, and therefore targeting B cells or BCR-related kinases may have anticancer activity beyond B cell malignancies.
Flares of Disease in Children with Clinically Inactive Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Were Not Correlated with Ultrasound Findings

Objective. The validity of our current definitions for clinically inactive disease (CID) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) based on physical examination is challenged by the development of advanced musculoskeletal imaging tools. We aimed to prospectively determine the prevalence of abnormal ultrasound (US) findings in children with CID in JIA and their clinical significance. Methods. Children aged ≥ 4 years with CID and a history of arthritis from a single tertiary center were approached over 1 year. Standard US of knees, tibiotalar joints, subtalar joints, and wrists were performed at baseline and at a followup visit. US images were scored by 2 pediatric musculoskeletal radiologists. Results. Forty children with CID were enrolled and followed clinically. The median duration of inactive disease was 1 year. The most common International League of Associations for Rheumatology JIA categories were extended oligoarticular JIA (30%) and rheumatoid factor–negative polyarthritis (38%). At baseline, among a total of 289 joints scanned, 24 joints (8%) had at least 1 abnormal finding in 18 (45%) of 40 subjects. When evaluated at the individual joint level against flares identified during followup exams, these baseline US findings had a sensitivity of 15% and a positive predictive value of 12%. The predictive performance of the second US was even less. Conclusion. Our study demonstrates that nearly half of children with CID had abnormal US findings in 1 of 8 commonly affected joints. These findings did not correlate with subsequent clinical flares in up to 2 years of followup.
Convergence and machine learning predictions of Monkhorst-Pack k-points and plane-wave cut-off in high-throughput DFT calculations

In this work, we developed an automatic convergence procedure for k-points and plane wave cut-off in density functional (DFT) calculations and applied it to more than 30000 materials. The computational framework for automatic convergence can take a user-defined input as a convergence criterion. For k-points, we converged energy per cell (EPC) to 0.001 eV/cell tolerance and compared the results with those obtained using an energy per atom (EPA) convergence criteria of 0.001 eV/atom. From the analysis of our results, we could relate k-point density and plane wave cut-off to material parameters such as density, the slope of bands, number of band-crossings, the maximum plane-wave cut-off used in pseudopotential generation, crystal systems, and the number of unique species in materials. We also identified some material species that would require more careful convergence than others. Moreover, we statistically investigated the dependence of k-points and cutoff on exchange-correlation functionals. We utilized all this data to train machine learning models to predict the k-point line density and plane-wave cut-off for generalized materials. This would provide users with a good starting point towards converged DFT calculations. The code used, and the converged data are available on the following websites: https://jarvis.nist.gov/, and https://github.com/usnistgov/jarvis.
Debatable sphere: Major party hegemony, minor party marginalization in the UK leaders’ debate:

The United Kingdom political landscape has historically been dominated by the two main political parties: Labour and the Conservatives. However, by the 2010 General Election, their vote share had d...
Surgeon as Double Agent: Perception of Conflicting Expectations of Patient Care and Stewardship of Resources

ABSTRACT Introduction Physicians must satisfy two competing expectations: advocate for patients and serve as stewards of resources. No guidelines exist for surgeons on resolving this conflict. We surveyed surgeons’ perceptions regarding these dual obligations. Methods We conducted our study at two large university hospitals in three distinct steps, each built on the previous one. First, we surveyed forty surgery residents and medical students using a ten-question assessment tool as the quantitative portion of our analysis. Next, a focus group of attending surgeons was surveyed to identify themes for the qualitative part of our study. Based on these, five attending surgeons from varying specialties were interviewed in a semi-structured format. We used the Wilcoxon signed rank-test for quantitative analysis and content analysis to report our qualitative findings. Results Students and residents did not feel they faced resource allocation decisions; however, they observed attending surgeons face them regularly (p=0.0003). Attending surgeons from various specialties agreed that they felt obligated both to provide excellent care and serve as a steward of resources. All surgeons agreed these obligations may conflict. Individual practices varied with all erring on the side of patient care. Concern about being an outlier in one’s section was a greater motivator to alter practice than was fear of litigation. No surgeon thought that patients had an adequate understanding of surgeons’ dual agency. Conclusion Surgeons balance the responsibilities of patient-care and stewardship of resources with great variability. Diverse practices likely add to inequalities in healthcare delivery and increase mistrust. Surgeons’ social contract with patients call for transparent strategies to address their dual agency.
Control of downy brome (Bromus tectorum) and Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus) using glyphosate and four graminicides: effects of herbicide rate, plant size, species, and accession

Nonnative annual brome invasion is a major problem in many ecosystems throughout the semiarid Intermountain West, decreasing production and biodiversity. Herbicides are the most widely used control technique but can have negative effects on co-occurring species. Graminicides, or grass-specific herbicides, may be able to control annual bromes without harming forbs and shrubs in restoration settings, but limited studies have addressed this potential. This study focused on evaluating the efficacy of glyphosate and four graminicides to control annual bromes, specifically downy brome and Japanese brome. In a greenhouse, glyphosate and four graminicides (clethodim, sethoxydim, fluazifop-P-butyl, and quizalofop-P-ethyl) were applied at two rates to downy brome plants of different heights (Experiment 1) and to three accessions of downy brome and Japanese brome of one height (Experiment 2). All herbicides reduced downy brome biomass, with most effective control on plants of less than 11 cm and with less than 12 leaves. Overall, quizalofop-P-ethyl and fluazifop-P-butyl treatments were most effective, and glyphosate and sethoxydim treatments least effective. Accessions demonstrated variable response to herbicides: the downy brome accession from the undisturbed site was more susceptible to herbicides than downy brome from the disturbed accession and Japanese brome accessions. These results demonstrate the potential for graminicides to target these annual bromes in ecosystems where they are growing intermixed with desired forbs and shrubs. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; quizalofop-P-ethyl; fluazifop-P-butyl; clethodim; sethoxydim; downy brome, Bromus tectorum L.; Japanese brome, Bromus japonicus Houtt
Chloroplast biogenesis 76. Regulation of 4-vinyl reduction during conversion of divinyl Mg-protoporphyrin IX to monovinyl protochlorophyllide a is controlled by plastid membrane and stromal factors

Most of the chlorophyll (Chl) a of green plants is formed via two biosynthetic routes, namely the carboxylic divinyl and monovinyl chlorophyll biosynthetic routes. These two routes are linked by (4-vinyl) reductases that convert divinyl tetrapyrroles to monovinyl tetrapyrroles by reduction of the vinyl group at position four of the macrocycle to ethyl. The activities of these two routes are very sensitive to cell disruption. For example in barley leaves, cell disruption, a mandatory step during plastid isolation, results in partial inactivation of the carboxylic divinyl route. Investigations with subplastidic fractions revealed that the carboxylic divinyl and monovinyl biosynthetic routes were regulated by a delicate interaction that involved plastid membranes, stroma, and reduced pyridine nucleotides. While the monovinyl biosynthetic route was very active in isolated plastid membranes, activation of the divinyl biosynthetic route required the joint presence of plastid membranes and stroma. Contrary to expectation, activity of the carboxylic divinyl biosynthetic route was greatly enhanced by addition of NADPH to the lysing buffer used during plastid membranes and stroma preparation. NADPH in cooperation with the plastid stroma may play an important regulatory role during the biosynthesis of divinyl and monovinyl protochlorophyllide a.
Peptidoglycan Sensing Prevents Quiescence and Promotes Quorum-Independent Colony Growth of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the leading cause of human urinary tract infections (UTIs), and many patients experience recurrent infection after successful antibiotic treatment. The source of recurrent infections may be persistent bacterial reservoirs in vivo that are in a quiescent state and thus are not susceptible to antibiotics. Here, we show that multiple UPEC strains require a quorum to proliferate in vitro with glucose as the carbon source. At low cell density, the bacteria remain viable but enter a quiescent, nonproliferative state. Of the clinical UPEC isolates tested to date, 35% (51/145) enter this quiescent state, including isolates from the recently emerged, multidrug-resistant pandemic lineage ST131 (i.e., strain JJ1886) and isolates from the classic endemic lineage ST73 (i.e., strain CFT073). Moreover, quorum-dependent UPEC quiescence is prevented and reversed by small-molecule proliferants that stimulate colony formation. These proliferation cues include d-amino acid-containing peptidoglycan (PG) tetra- and pentapeptides, as well as high local concentrations of l-lysine and l-methionine. Peptidoglycan fragments originate from the peptidoglycan layer that supports the bacterial cell wall but are released as bacteria grow. These fragments are detected by a variety of organisms, including human cells, other diverse bacteria, and, as we show here for the first time, UPEC. Together, these results show that for UPEC, (i) sensing of PG stem peptide and uptake of l-lysine modulate the quorum-regulated decision to proliferate and (ii) quiescence can be prevented by both intra- and interspecies PG peptide signaling. IMPORTANCE Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the leading cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs). During pathogenesis, UPEC cells adhere to and infiltrate bladder epithelial cells, where they may form intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs) or enter a nongrowing or slowly growing quiescent state. Here, we show in vitro that UPEC strains at low population density enter a reversible, quiescent state by halting division. Quiescent cells resume proliferation in response to sensing a quorum and detecting external signals, or cues, including peptidoglycan tetra- and pentapeptides.