cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ANALYSIS OF SHELL-LIKE STRUCTURES BY THE BOUNDARY ELEMENT METHOD BASED ON 3-D ELASTICITY: FORMULATION AND VERIFICATION

In this paper, the Boundary Element Method (BEM) for 3-D elastostatic problems is studied for the analysis of shell or shell-like structures. It is shown that the conventional boundary integral equation (CBIE) for 3-D elasticity does not degenerate when applied to shell-like structures, contrary to the case when it is applied to crack-like problems where it does degenerate due to the closeness of the two crack surfaces. The treatment of the nearly singular integrals, which is a crucial step in the applications of BIEs to thin shapes, is presented in detail. To verify the theory, numerical examples of spherical and ellipsoidal vessels are presented using the BEM approach developed in this paper. It is found that the system of equations using the CBIE is well conditioned for all the thickness studied for the vessels. The advantages, disadvantages and potential applications of the proposed BEM approach to shell-like structures, as compared with the FEM regarding modelling and accuracy, are discussed in the last section. Applications of this BEM approach to shell-like structures with non-uniform thickness, stiffeners and layers will be reported in a subsequent paper. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Dynamics of DNA Methylation in Schizophrenia and Related Psychiatric Disorders

Major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) with psychosis (BP+) express a complex symptomatology characterized by positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive impairment. Postmortem studies of human SZ and BP+ brains show considerable alterations in the transcriptome of a variety of cortical structures, including multiple mRNAs that are downregulated in both inhibitory GABAergic and excitatory pyramidal neurons compared with non-psychiatric subjects (NPS). Several reports show increased expression of DNA methyltransferases in telencephalic GABAergic neurons. Accumulating evidence suggests a critical role for altered DNA methylation processes in the pathogenesis of SZ and related psychiatric disorders. The establishment and maintenance of CpG site methylation is essential during central nervous system differentiation and this methylation has been implicated in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. Atypical hypermethylation of candidate gene promoters expressed in GABAergic neurons is associated with transcriptional downregulation of the corresponding mRNAs, including glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) and reelin (RELN). Recent reports indicate that the methylation status of promoter proximal CpG dinucleotides is in a dynamic balance between DNA methylation and DNA hydroxymethylation. Hydroxymethylation and subsequent DNA demethylation is more complex and involves additional proteins downstream of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, including members of the base excision repair (BER) pathway. Recent advances in our understanding of altered CpG methylation, hydroxymethylation, and active DNA demethylation provide a framework for the identification of new targets, which may be exploited for the pharmacological intervention of the psychosis associated with SZ and possibly BP+.
The utility of routine tuberculosis screening in county hospital patients with uveitis.

Background/aim To evaluate the utility of tuberculosis (TB) screening in diagnosing ocular TB in uveitis patients in a government-funded hospital. Methods The charts of 142 consecutive patients seen during August 2011–July 2012 at the Los Angeles County Hospital uveitis clinic were reviewed for manifestation/laterality of uveitis, purified protein derivative (PPD) test results, interferon γ release assay, chest x-ray, birthplace, treatment history and diagnosis. ‘Presumed TB-uveitis’ was diagnosed when patients had positive TB screening and favourable response to anti-TB therapy, and definite ocular TB when Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ presence was demonstrated. Post-test probabilities were determined. Results TB screening was positive in 21.1%. Six patients were diagnosed with TB-related uveitis: one definite, four presumed and one systemic TB with uveitis. With regard to PPD positivity, being foreign-born was the only statistically significant factor with OR of 2.26 (95% CI 1.01 to 5.13; p Conclusions PPD skin test plays an important role in the diagnosis of TB-associated uveitis in high-risk groups, such as immigrants from TB endemic regions.
Radiative lifetimes of Tb ii

Radiative lifetimes measured by time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence are reported for 40 odd-parity levels and 36 even-parity levels of singly ionized terbium. The odd-parity levels range in energy from 29 000 to 40 000 cm-1 and those of even-parity from 21 000 to 37 000 cm-1. These lifetimes, with one exception, are accurate to ±5%. They will provide an absolute scale for accurate atomic-transition probabilities in Tb ii (the second spectrum of terbium).
Novel MIC bipolar frequency doublers having high gain, wide bandwidth and good spectral performance

High-efficiency bipolar microwave frequency multipliers with wideband performance, high conversion gain, and good spectral properties have been developed. Experimental conversion gains of up to 7 dB have been attained for narrowband designs ( approximately=12% BW) and greater than 0 dB for wideband designs (>or=40%) at C-band. Corresponding fundamental and third-harmonic rejections are greater than 45 dBc and 30 dBc, respectively. Extensive modeling and computer-oriented design utilizing harmonic balance have been employed. >
The location and tentative identification of steroids on paper chromatograms by means of a system of color tests.

Abstract Four color tests were studied in detail to determine their utility as “general” tests for locating microgram quantities of steroids on paper chromatograms. The Carr-Price reagent and a system consisting of p -anisaldehyde, sulfuric acid, antimony trichloride, and chloroform were found to be the most promising on the basis of sensitivity and wide range of reactivity. The presence of certain structural groups in the steroid molecule can be predicted from their unique chromogenic response with some of these reagents. Preliminary evidence indicates that certain categories of conformational isomers can be distinguished from each other on the basis of their characteristic reaction with these reagents. A scheme for the tentative identification of steroids which requires only 50–100 μg. of sample is based on “profiles” constructed from chromatographic data and the results of these color tests.
A Two Product Dynamic Economic Lot Size Production Model with Either-Or Production Constraints.

Abstract : The paper considers the production of two products with known demands over a finite set of periods. The production and inventory carrying costs for each product are assumed to be concave. The authors seek the minimum cost production schedule meeting all demands, without backlogging, assuming that at most one of the two products can be produced in any period. The optimization problem is first stated as a non-linear programming problem, which allows the proof of a result permitting the search for the optimal policy to be restricted to those which produce a product only when its inventory level is zero. A dynamic programming formulation is given and the model is then formulated as a shortest route problem in a specially constructed network.
Winter stemflow nutrient inputs into a southern New England broadleaved deciduous forest

Stemflow leaching from the above-ground vegetative surfaces of broadleaved deciduous canopy trees has been well documented during the growing season. Winter stemflow leaching from the leafless crowns of deciduous trees is less well understood, especially in the context of global climate change. Boreal and northern temperate forests are forecast to have a lower incidence of snow events and an increased frequency of rain and mixed precipitation events. A change in the seasonal precipitation regime may be significant due to linkages among global change, stemflow leaching, and biogeochemical processes. The aim of this paper is to (I) demonstrate the extent of winter stemflow nutrient leaching from deciduous trees; (2) explore how winter stemflow leachate quantity may vary as a function of the type of precipitation event; and (3) quantify the extent to which an increase in the incidence of snow-to-rain events would enhance stemflow leaching. Measuring meteorological conditions, stemflow volumes, and stemflow chemistry over two successive winter seasons in New England demonstrated that winter stemflow drainage was significantly enriched compared to the incident bulk precipitation: 162 times greater for K + , 44 times greater for Ca 2+ , and 29 times greater for Mg 2+ . Snow-to-rain events leached considerably greater quantities of base cations from the deciduous trees than all other types of precipitation events. An increased frequency of snow-to-rain events from 13.8% to 25% of winter precipitation events would substantially increase mean stemflow nutrient inputs to the bases of forest trees during winter. Implications for significantly increased winter stemflow leachate inputs, corresponding to an increased incidence of snow-to-rain events, include a shift in the biogeographic range of species, delayed leaf emergence, and increased soil respiration.
Genetic Defects in Surfactant Protein A2 Are Associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis and Lung Cancer

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal scarring lung disease that affects older adults. Heterozygous rare mutations in the genes encoding telomerase are found in ∼15% of familial cases. We have used linkage to map another disease-causing gene in a large family with IPF and adenocarcinoma of the lung to a 15.7 Mb region on chromosome 10. We identified a rare missense mutation in a candidate gene, SFTPA2, within the interval encoding surfactant protein A2 (SP-A2). Another rare mutation in SFTPA2 was identified in another family with IPF and lung cancer. Both mutations involve invariant residues in the highly conserved carbohydrate-recognition domain of the protein and are predicted to disrupt protein structure. Recombinant proteins carrying these mutations are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and are not secreted. These data are consistent with SFTPA2 germline mutations that interfere with protein trafficking and cause familial IPF and lung cancer.
Two promoters direct expression of the murine Spi-B gene, an Ets family transcription factor

Spi-B and PU.1 (Spi-1) comprise the most divergent subfamily of the Ets transcription factor family. Spi-B and PU.1 bind to similar DNA sequences, and can activate the same B-cell and myeloid promoters in vitro. However, PU.1 knockout mice demonstrate defective hematopoietic development of multiple hematopoietic lineages, indicating that Spi-B was not able to compensate for loss of PU.1. One explanation for these results is that, in contrast to PU.1, which is expressed in myeloid and B-cell lines, Spi-B expression is restricted to B-cells. In order to begin to understand the control of regulation of the Spi-B gene, murine Spi-B cDNA and genomic clones were isolated. The exon/intron organization and transcriptional start sites were determined; two major transcriptional start sites were detected. The two Spi-B promoters were isolated and characterized, and displayed differential activity in B-cell lines matching that of the endogenous gene. Further study of the two Spi-B promoters will provide insight into the molecular events regulating the tissue-specific and developmental stage-specific expression of Spi-B in B-cells.
Rheological Characterization of Topical Carbomer Gels Neutralized to Different pH

Purpose. The primary objective of this study is to perform detailed and extensive rheological characterization of rheology of carbomer (Carbopol) microgels formulated using a solvent system typically used in topical gel formulations. Solvents like glycerin and propylene glycol can alter rheology and drug delivery characteristics of topical gels owing to their different viscosities and due to the change in solvent-polymer and solvent-solvent interactions. Methods. Aqueous gels with different pH were prepared by dissolving cross-linked Carbopol polymers in a co-solvent system comprising water, propylene glycol, and glycerol and subsequently neutralizing the carboxylic groups of the polymers with triethanolamine (TEA). Oscillatory, steady, and transient shear measurements were performed to measure viscoelastic properties, temperature dependency, yield strength, and thixotropy of carbomer pharmaceutical gels. Results. The topical pharmaceutical gels exhibit remarkable temperature stability. Flow curves obtained at different temperatures indicate Carbopol microgels show much more pseudoplastic behavior (lower power law index) compared to Carbopol gels dissolved only in water. Substantial yield strength is required to break the microgel network of the topical gels. The gel samples exhibit modest thixotropy at higher deformation rates. Conclusions. The rheological behavior of the Carbopol microgels do not change appreciably in the pH range 5.0-8.0, and the gels can be used as effective dermatological base for topical applications.
Abdominal obesity and hyperglycemia mask the effect of a common APOC3 haplotype on the risk of myocardial infarction

Background: Plasma apolipoprotein (apo) C-III strongly predicts myocardialinfarction(MI)anddirectlyactivatesatherogenicprocesses invascularcells.Geneticvariationintheinsulinresponseelementofthe APOC3 promoter is associated with an increased risk of MI. Objective: The objective was to determine whether the APOC3 promoter variation affects plasma apo C-III concentrations and MI only when insulin sensitivity is normal. Design:TheAPOC3*222haplotype,definedbytheminorallelesofthe single nucleotide polymorphisms 3238C3G, 455T3C, and 482C3T, was studied in 1703 matched nonfatal case-control pairs with MI in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. We used fasting hyperglycemia and abdominal obesity as surrogates for insulin sensitivity. Results:TheAPOC3*222haplotypewasassociatedwithhigherapo C-III concentrations only in those with the lowest waist circumference or fasting glucose concentration. The association between the APOC3*222 haplotype and nonfatal MI, previously reported in this population, was strongly influenced by fasting hyperglycemia and abdominal obesity. The odds ratios for MI for the APOC3*222 haplotype were 1.72 (95% CI: 1.16, 2.54) and 1.84 (1.31, 2.59) in subjects in the lowest quintiles of abdominal obesity and fasting hyperglycemia, respectively, and were 0.75 (0.54, 1.05) and 1.16 (0.85, 1.59) in subjects in the highest quintiles, respectively (P for interaction 0.05). Conclusion: The results support the concept that mutations in the APOC3promoterinhibitthedown-regulationofAPOC3expression by insulin. This cardioprotective system becomes dysfunctional in abdominal obesity and hyperglycemia. Am J Clin Nutr 2008; 87:000–000.
The History of Progress Functions as a Managerial Technology

In this article, Professors Dutton, Thomas, and Butler trace the sixty-year history of a major managerial technology—the progress function—from its discovery in post-World War I airplane manufacture to its post-World War II popularity among management consultants. By statistically analyzing the large number of progress function studies, they demonstrate that its investigation has become balkanized by academic discipline, and that applied researchers have frequently ignored the contingencies stressed in the leading theoretical studies. Their article is thus a revealing example of how social scientific concepts get translated into business practice.
Does race influence outcomes after primary liver transplantation? A 23-year experience with 2,700 patients

Background Data about the influence of race on survival after liver transplantation (LT) are limited and conflicting. This study was undertaken to evaluate longterm outcomes for LT in African-American (AA) recipients compared with recipients of other races and to determine factors responsible for any observed differences. Study Design This was a retrospective case series. Among 2,728 adult patients who underwent primary LT from 1984 to 2007, 1,566 (57%) were Caucasian, 761 (28%) were Hispanic, 290 (11%) were Asian, and 111 (4%) were AA. The primary immunosuppressive agent was cyclosporine from 1984 to 1993 (Era I, n=817) and tacrolimus from 1994 to 2007 (Era II, n=1922). Results In Era I, the 1-, 5- and 10-year patient and graft survival figures for AA and Asian recipients were considerably lower compared with Caucasian and Hispanic recipients. In Era II, patient and graft survival figures were comparable for all groups. Statistically significant independent predictors of diminished patient survival included LT in Era I; recipient or donor age greater than 55 years; and liver failure secondary to cryptogenic cirrhosis, malignancy, or hepatitis C. Predictors of graft failure included LT in Era I; recipient or donor age greater than 55 years; prolonged cold ischemia time; liver failure secondary to hepatitis C, cryptogenic cirrhosis, or malignancy; and acute rejection. Patient and graft survival were independent of race in both eras. Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate equivalent longterm results after LT for AA and other races. Modern immunosuppression with tacrolimus substantially lowered rejection rates and improved graft and patient survival after LT.
Hypervolemia and blood pressure: powerful indicators of increased mortality among hemodialysis patients.

Volume expansion is one of the most important factors that results in higher levels of blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease. This has been known for many years, and led to the original description of the concept of dry weight in 1967.1 This is especially important in patients with end-stage renal disease who require dialysis for volume control. Inadequate control of volume or inability to establish and maintain an appropriate dry weight for a dialysis patient may be an important factor in contributing to excess mortality. In this issue of Hypertension , Agarwal2 has importantly demonstrated the value of relative plasma volume slope monitoring in predicting overall mortality among >300 patients on long-term hemodialysis. A simple cross-sectional analysis of relative plasma volume slope during dialysis was predictive of mortality independent of conventional and unconventional cardiovascular risk factors, independent of ultrafiltration volume, ultrafiltration rate, ultrafiltration volume per kilogram, ultrafiltration rate index per postdialysis weight, and interdialytic ambulatory blood pressure. Why is the relative plasma volume slope such a powerful predictor for mortality? Is it simply that steeper slopes of relative plasma volume monitoring are associated with greater likelihood of the attainment of a more euvolemic state and, thus, may put less stretch and strain on the myocardium? Probing for dry weight in clinical practice can be complicated.3 It is an inexact clinical science. The clinical examination is not always helpful to assess volume. Changes in body mass because of alterations in nutrition and dietary electrolyte and volume consumptions may complicate the process of dry weight assessment and achievement. Inadequate achievement of dry weight results in …
Using perfectly matched layers for elastodynamics

The simulation of elastic waves in inhomogeneous media is important in many applications such as seismic survey, acoustic well logging, and other nondestructive evaluation applications. The perfectly matched layers (PML) has been introduced by Berenger (see Computational Physics, vol.114, p.185-200, 1994) as a material absorbing boundary condition (ABC) for electromagnetic waves. We prove that a fictitious elastodynamic material half-space exists that will absorb an incident wave for all angles and all frequencies. We show two and three dimensional computer simulations of the PML for the linearised equations of elastodynamics. A comparison with Liao's (1984) ABC is also given.
Use of Adaptive Behavior and Discrepancy Criteria to Determine Learning Disabilities Severity Subtypes

This paper investigated the hypothesis that when scores from intelligence, achievement, language, and process assessment measures are used in conjunction with adaptive behavior severity groupings, a more accurate description of learning disabilities subtypes and severity can be obtained than that provided by ability/performance discrepancy alone. Three severity subtypes were identified. The results suggested that severity is more appropriately determined by adaptive behavior assessment than by discrepancy between ability and academic or processing performance.
Is age at toilet training associated with the presence of vesicoureteral reflux or the occurrence of urinary tract infection

Purpose: We sought to determine whether age at toilet training is influenced by a history of vesicoureteral reflux or urinary tract infection.Materials and Methods: We reviewed records on 1,184 patients treated at a pediatric urology practice. All patients had information available regarding age at toilet training, renal sonography and voiding cystourethrography, and presence or absence of urinary tract infection. We evaluated possible associations between vesicoureteral reflux and urinary tract infection, and age at toilet training.Results: Of 1,184 patients 280 had unilateral reflux, 339 had bilateral reflux and 565 had normal anatomy. Also, 926 patients had urinary tract infections. Girls tended to be toilet trained 3 months earlier than boys (p <0.001) in all subgroups (normal anatomy, unilateral reflux, bilateral reflux). Children with and without urinary tract infections were toilet trained at similar ages. However, timing of the first urinary tract infection seemed to be associated with age at toil...
Immune response of balb/c mice to phthalate: characterization of a new and useful model for studying immune regulation.

The humoral immune response to a unique haptenic determinant has been characterized at the single cell level. We report here that the hapten, phthalate, when conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (4-azophthalate-KLH) is highly immunogenic in adult BALB/c mice, and that the immunogenicity of the hapten is largely restricted to the two charged carboxylate groups on phthalate. Based upon plaque-forming cell (PFC) inhibition with increasing concentrations of free phthalate, relative affinity distribution profiles of antibody-forming cells have been established for individual mice. The antibody-forming cells in the spleens of these mice consist of five or six individual relative affinity sets. PFC inhibition studies with hybridomas secreting phthalate specific monoclonal antibodies reveal, as expected, a more restricted inhibition profile. The majority of PFC produced by the hybridomas could be assigned to one of the relative affinity sets. PFC inhibition studies employing a panel of cross-reactive phthalate...
Estradiol attenuates the antidiuretic action of vasopressin in ovariectomized rats

To determine which ovarian hormone is involved in the sexually dimorphic antidiuretic action of vasopressin, the antidiuretic response to vasopressin was examined in sham-operated nonestrous female rats chronically treated with vehicle and in ovariectomized rats treated with vehicle, progesterone, estradiol, or the combination of estradiol and progesterone, respectively. Three-week-old female rats were sham operated or ovariectomized, and a slow-release hormone pellet was implanted at the 6th wk. The experiment was performed at the 10th to 12th wk in conscious, chronically instrumented rats hydrated with tap water (2% body wt). Infusion of vasopressin at rates of 10-1,000 pg.min-1.kg body wt-1 resulted in a dose-dependent antidiuretic response that was significantly enhanced in ovariectomized rats compared with the intact nonestrous females. Progesterone had no effect, whereas estradiol attenuated and restored the antidiuretic response to vasopressin to a level similar to that in intact nonestrous female rats. These results suggest that it is estrogen, but not progesterone, that reduces the antidiuretic response to vasopressin in the female rat.
Photorefractive GaAs as an optical processing medium

GaAs is a technologically important material for high-speed electronics, laser, and sensor applications. It also could play an important role in optical processing as a photorefractive medium. GaAs has several potential advantages over conventional photorefractive materials, such as barium titanate, barium strontium niobate, and bismuth silicon oxide. For a given beam intensity, the response time of GaAs is ~2 orders of magnitude taster than those of conventional photorefractive materials.1
The degree of aluminum avoidance in aluminosilicate glasses

For two series of aluminosilicate glasses on the SiO 2 -NaAlO 2 and SiO 2 -CaAl 2 O 4 joins, 29 Si magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR spectra were measured. Systematic variations in peak positions and widths with composition are closely related to the extent of ordering of Si and Al cations. A statistical thermodynamic model based on the quasi-chemical approximation was formulated to calculate the proportions of SiO 4 groups with varying numbers of Al neighbors and thus to quantify the extent of ordering. Multiple spectra in each compositional series were fitted simultaneously with several peaks representing each of these structural species and with area constraints generated by the model. The extent of aluminum avoidance (Q), which was defined using the relative lattice energy differences among the linkages Si-O-Si, Si-O-Al, and Al-O-Al, was optimized for each series. For the calcium aluminosilicates, the best fit is with 0.8< or =Q< or =0.875, where Q = 1 represents perfect Al-avoidance. For the sodium series, Q was found to be larger (0.93< or =Q< or =0.99), as expected from energetic considerations and from known variations in ordering in minerals. The contributions to the overall configurational entropy and heat capacity from Si-Al disorder can be calculated, and are significant fractions of experimentally estimated values. However, major contributions must also come from other sources of disorder, such as "topological" disorder of bond angles and length.
Abstract ED04-02: The role of genes in protecting against age-related disease in cancer

ED04-02 Despite evidence for a substantial genetic component, the inherited biological factors that promote extended life span (longevity) in humans remain unknown. We have comprehensively characterized over 450 Ashkenazi Jewish families with exceptional longevity (survival in good health to at least age 95) and have identified several biological markers that may be causative in their longevity. These subjects and their offspring have 2-3 fold increases in rates of polymorphism in 3 genes all validated by other in other studies. Two genes are regulating lipoprotein--cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) and apolipoprotein C-3 (APOC-3)--and decrease in plasma levels CETP and APOC-3. Another gene is Adiponectin (ADIPOQ) regulating insulin action and inflammation. We have also demonstrated that these genotypes and phenotypes are associated with less hypertension (HTN), cardiovascular disease (CVD) and metabolic syndrome (MS), and improved cognitive function. However, these genes have not been shown yet to protect against cancer. Modulation of GH/IGF-1 axis is conferring longevity in mamalians and low IGF-1 levels is associated with decreased rates of cancers in humans. We demonstrated a gender-specific increase in serum IGFI associated with a smaller stature in female offspring of centenarians. Sequence analysis of the IGF1 and IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) genes of female centenarians showed overrepresentation of heterozygous mutations in the IGF1R gene among centenarians relative to controls that are associated with high serum IGFI levels and reduced activity of the IGFIR as measured in transformed lymphocytes. Thus, genetic alterations in the human IGF1R that result in altered IGF signaling pathway confer an increase in susceptibility to human longevity, suggesting a role of this pathway in modulation of human lifespan, possibly by protecting against cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):ED04-02.
EXCEPTIONAL CASE OF UNDIFFERENTIATED SARCOMA OF THE HUMERUS

The outstanding features of this case are as follows: 1. Onset of the tumor at the age of fifty-eight. 2. Trauma antecedent to the onset of the tumor. 3. Presence of pathological fracture, symptomatic of weak periosteal reaction. 4. Intactness of the articular surfaces, characteristic of osteogenic tumor. 5. Typical destruction of cortex in one portion of the bone. 6. Histological examination of the involved bone showing irregular decalcification, break in cortex, invasion, and condensation. 7. Postoperative survival of nine years (January 25, 1935) and no noticeable signs of metastases.
Cardiovascular Response to Blood Withdrawal in the Chicken: A “Reactive “Error” in the Determination of Cardiac Output

SUMMARY The withdrawal of blood in the chicken for measurement of cardiac output by the dye-dilution technique causes changes in blood pressure and heart rate which might themselves result in a change in cardiac output. The direct Fick procedure also occasions “reactive errors”. The thermal dilution method appears to be the most promising method for measuring cardiac output in chickens.
The Role of Orthophosphate in the Regulation of Photosynthesis in vivo

The view that orthophosphate (Pi) is an important regulator of the rate of photosynthesis, and of the partitioning of triose phosphates between starch and sucrose biosyntheses, is to a large extent based on research carried out with in vitro systems (1,2). Recently, attempts to confirm the role of Pi in the regulation of photosynthesis in vivo have been made using whole plant systems in which leaf Pi was varied nutritionally (3–5). Using a nutritional approach to perturb leaf Pi concentration, we determined how changes in leaf phosphate status affect the rate of photosynthesis, levels of adenylates and Calvin cycle intermediates, and the activities of certain enzymes involved in photosynthetic carbon metabolism.
Modeling in Ecotoxicology

Modeling is increasingly becoming a useful tool in ecotoxicology, particularly risk assessment. It is not possible for risk managers to understand completely the complex relationships between organisms, populations or communities to multiple stressors, some of which are contaminants. Therefore, managers are turning to models such as quantitative structure–activity relationship and physiologically based toxicokinetics to develop a fuller understanding of risk. In addition, researchers have long relied on mathematical and statistical models to analyzed the entanglements of their studies.
Promotion of copper excretion from the isolated rat heart attenuates postischemic cardiac oxidative injury

This study examined the role of Cu as a mediator of cardiac postischemic oxidative injury. Isolated rat hearts were subjected to 20 min of normothermic global ischemia, followed by 30 min of reperf...
Estimating Ancestry of Fragmentary Remains Via Multiple Classifier Systems: A Study of the Mississippi State Asylum Skeletal Assemblage

Abstract The estimation of ancestry in historic skeletal samples and forensic cases from the United States is complicated by diverse population histories of communities. Reference datasets are often temporally varied and geographically limited. Researchers have recognized these limitations and have focused on expanding reference databases to improve assessments for modern forensic casework and historical bioarchaeology. Using dental metrics, dental morphological traits, cranial morphoscopic traits, and recently developed analytical methods, we assess ancestry for a series of 57 individuals from the Mississippi State Asylum Cemetery. Posterior probabilities are generally consistent across the available indicators for American Black and White reference samples and support overall classifications based on average posterior probabilities. However, indicators from several individuals result in disparate posteriors probabilities. These issues are explored through the use of multiple reference samples for assessments including Harris' dental metrics from 20th century Memphis patients and Hanihara's worldwide dental metrics database.
Introduction to the Special Issue: Best Papers Presented at the OLC 21st International Conference on Online Learning and Innovate 2016

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) traces its roots to the Alfred P. Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) that emerged in the 1990s when a cadre of early adapters of online learning began to coalesce into a professional community. Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, this community embarked on a number of activities designed to promote quality in the design and implementation of online and blended learning applications. In 1995, a one-day meeting of grantees of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Anytime, Anyplace Learning Program met in Philadelphia to discuss their work and share their experiences. Ninety individuals attended this first event. This meeting grew into an annual event for the next five years. In 2001, it was decided that the event be expanded into a full conference with paper submissions and reviews, workshops, and exhibit areas. The University of Central Florida agreed to host the conference in Orlando in November. That was a fateful decision as the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11 followed by the anthrax scare in Florida in October of that year severely limited the number of people willing to fly to Orlando to attend the conference. Still, three hundred and sixty participants attended to share and discuss research, effective practices, student services, and administrative support for online learning. Since 2001, the conference has grown and has evolved into the premiere event for presenting current ideas, research, and best practices in online learning. In 2015, the Online Learning Consortium celebrated the 21st anniversary of the International Conference on Online Learning. The theme of the conference, Shaping the Future of Online Learning, focused on the latest developments in online and blended learning. Almost 3,000 individuals attended this conference either in person or virtually. Six hundred and sixty-eight proposals were submitted for presentation. In April, 2016, the Online Learning Consortium initiated a new conference, OLC Innovate: Innovations in Blended and Online Learning. Almost 2,000 individuals attended this conference and 506 individuals submitted presentation proposals. Of the 1,172 proposals submitted for both conferences, the nine articles selected for this special edition represent the best presentations as determined by the conference track chairs and editorial staff of the Online Learning Journal.
The Administrator-in-Chief

This Article provides a framework for understanding the role of the President as administrator-in-chief of the executive branch. President Obama, in the face of heated controversy around immigration, relied on executive action in his agencies to advance policy. Which of these policies is legitimate, and which are vulnerable to challenge, will determine the legacy of these policies. This Article posits that the extent to which the president takes steps to enhance the procedural legitimacy of agency actions strengthens the legacy of the policies when confronted with controversy over their substance. This emphasis on shoring up administrative procedure is a form of expertise that should be counted alongside traditional normative criteria such as political accountability, democratic participation, and efficiency. Institutional analysis of three immigration policies elucidates President Obama’s attempt to strengthen the procedural legitimacy of substantively contentious policies: deferred action for long-term undocumented immigrants, immigration detention for immigrants with criminal histories, and priority docketing of recently-arrived immigrants seeking asylum. Interviews with DHS officials and other policymakers shed light on the internal dynamics of agency policies. The Article concludes with prescriptions for safeguarding the conditions under which executive action in immigration can be defended and rethinking the conditions under which it cannot.
Preliminary results for an adaptive pattern recognition system for novel users using a powered lower limb prosthesis

Powered prosthetic legs are capable of improving the gait of lower limb amputees. Pattern recognition systems for these devices allow amputees to transition between different locomotion modes in a way that is seamless and transparent to the user. However, the potential of these systems is diminished because they require large amounts of training data that is burdensome to collect. To reduce the effort required to acquire these data, we developed an adaptive pattern recognition system that automatically learns from subject-specific data as the user is ambulating. We tested our proposed system with two able-bodied subjects ambulating with a powered knee and ankle prosthesis. Each subject initially ambulated with a pattern recognition system that was not trained with any data from that subject (making each subject a novel user). Initially, the pattern recognition system made frequent errors. With the adaptive algorithm, the error rate decreased over time as more subject-specific data were incorporated. When compared to a non-adaptive system, the adaptive system reduced the number of errors by 32.9% [8.6%], mean [standard deviation]. This study demonstrates the potential improvements of an adaptive pattern recognition system over non-adaptive systems presented in prior research.
Religious Devotion and Extrinsic Religiosity Affect In-group Altruism and Out-group Hostility Oppositely in Rural Jamaica

It has been suggested that intergroup conflict has played an important role in the evolution of human cooperation—aggression against out-groups and cooperation with in-groups may be linked in humans. Previous research suggests that religion may help to facilitate this effect, such that those who view religion as a way to achieve non-religious goals (e.g., raise their status) and regularly attend religious services are more likely to hold hostile attitudes towards out-groups, but that measures of religious devotion (e.g., belief in God) are either unrelated or negatively associated with measures of prejudice. Using questionnaires of key variables on a well-studied rural Jamaican population, we analyzed how different aspects of religious belief predict hostility towards other religions and loyalty to one’s own. In support of previous research, our results indicate that hostility towards other religions is positively predicted by extrinsic religiosity (i.e., using religion to achieve non-religious goals: Allport 1954) and attendance at religious services but is negatively predicted by devotion to religious principles. Meanwhile, willingness to sacrifice for one’s own beliefs is positively predicted by religious devotion. These results support the hypothesis that while devotion to religious principles can increase in-group cooperation, the social aspects of religion can generate hostile attitudes towards out-groups.
ON THE PRODUCTION OF THE SIX QUARK H DIBARYON IN THE (K-, K+) REACTION

We investigate several ways of producing the stable doubly strange six-quark dibaryon $H$ predicted by the MIT bag model. Various kinematical and dynamical arguments indicate that the (${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}, {K}^{+}$) double-strangeness-exchange reaction on nuclear targets affords the best chance for observing the $H$. Cross sections for the prototype reaction $^{3}\mathrm{He}({K}^{\ensuremath{-}}, {K}^{+}n)H$ are calculated, using empirical data on the reaction ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}{\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ as input, as well as an oscillator model for the quark-fusion process ${\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}H$. The spectrum for the quasielastic process $^{3}\mathrm{He}({K}^{\ensuremath{-}}, {K}^{+})n{\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p$ is also calculated. For coincidence experiments involving both ${K}^{+}$ and neutron detection at forward angles, the cross section for $H$ production ranges from 10-30 nb/${\mathrm{sr}}^{2}$ for ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ beam momenta between 1.4 and 2.2 GeV/c. If the $H$ lies below the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ threshold, it can be nicely separated from the ${K}^{+}$ quasielastic background, although ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}'\mathrm{s}$ misidentified as ${K}^{+}'\mathrm{s}$ can be a problem for certain $H$ masses. If only the ${K}^{+}$ is detected, the separation of the $H$ signal (\ensuremath{\approx} 0.5 \ensuremath{\mu}b/sr) from the quasielastic background can be achieved through a careful measurement of the ${K}^{+}$ momentum spectrum. We assess the effects on our results of the rapid momentum dependence in the ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}{\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ reaction, as well as short-range correlations in the $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ wave function.
Electrically gated nanoporous membranes

We propose a novel nanoporous membrane platform which allows for low-power electrical control of diffusion of charged molecules through field-effect gating for smart drug delivery systems. An applied gate voltage controls the electrical potential in the nanochannel resulting in either enrichment or exclusion of charged molecules. Molecules with the same polarity as the channel potential are excluded from the nanochannel due to electrostatic repulsion, whereas molecules with opposite charge are enriched due to electrostatic attraction. Therefore, the diffusive flow of the charged molecules can be controlled by a single gate voltage without the need for any other driving mechanism provided the molecule of interest is charged. An anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane with 40 nm pore diameter was functionalized by sputtering an electrically conductive chromium (Cr) layer which acts as the gate electrode. The resulting pore diameter was decreased to 25 nm after the deposition, which is expected to balance the tradeoff between electrical gate control and diffusion rate.
DiCE: Discovery of conserved noncoding sequences efficiently

Identification of the conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs) for plants is a challenging problem because the plants have small CNSs compared to animals. The existing alignment based methods are neither efficient nor sensitive to smaller CNSs when the number of species is large. In this paper, we propose an alignment-free approach that can process any number sequences simultaneously. Our approach uses maximal repeats extracted from generalized suffix tree of the sequences and discovers both exactly matched CNSs as well as CNSs with a given mismatch rate. The experimental results with 17, 996 syntenic genes of six grass species shows that our approach is more efficient than existing approaches.
Spinal Cord Disorders: Myelopathy

Myelopathy is a clinical diagnosis based on symptoms and physical examination findings. Laboratories and imaging, particularly with magnetic resonance imaging, can suggest a cause. Compressive myelopathy from degenerative disease of the vertebral column is the most common cause of myelopathy in older adults and should be screened for first in most cases. There are many other causes of myelopathy, including infectious, immune-mediated, nutritional, vascular, and neoplastic etiologies.
Traumatic hyperextension-distraction injuries of the thoracolumbar spine: a technical note on surgical positioning

Hyperextension-distraction type injury of the thoracolumbar spine is an unstable fracture pattern that generally necessitates surgical stabilization by posterior instrumentation. Care must be taken when positioning these patients from supine to prone due to the unstable nature of their injury. The study objectives were (1) to describe a novel modification of the Jackson table turn technique, which may be safer and more effective than the conventional log-roll method and traditional Jackson table technique for positioning patients with hyperextension-distraction injuries of the thoracolumbar spine from supine to prone in the operating room and (2) to present two cases in which this technique was successfully performed. Two patients were carefully positioned from supine to prone by our modification of the Jackson table turn technique, which utilizes a Wilson frame sandwiched between two flat-top Jackson frames. Case 1: a 65-year-old female presented status-post motor vehicle collision with a T9–T10 extension-distraction injury, requiring T7–T12 posterior spinal instrumented fusion (PSIF). Case 2: a 72-year-old female presented status-post motor vehicle collision with a T9–T10 extension-distraction injury and an unstable L1 burst fracture, requiring T7–L2 PSIF. Both patients remained hemodynamically stable and neurologically intact throughout positioning and postoperatively. This technique is safe and effective for positioning patients with hyperextension-distraction type injuries of the thoracolumbar spine from supine to prone in the operating room and may be superior to conventional methods. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
Multilingual Mexican-Origin Students' Perspectives on Their Indigenous Heritage Language

This article focuses on the reported experiences of three focal students who participated in a Spanish/English dual language program in their southern California school district throughout their elementary and middle school years. All three students identify as Mexican-origin and speak Spanish, English, and the Indigenous language of Zapoteco and have different relationships with their languages. The framework of Critical Latinx Indigeneities (Blackwell, Boj Lopez & Urrieta, 2017) is used to explore the practices engaged in by the students, including language use and transnationalism (Sanchez, 2007), as well as the investment to learn and use a language as part of their identity (Norton Peirce, 1995; Norton, 2000). Even though dual language programs provide much needed linguistic supports for language maintenance, perhaps more importantly, they provide support for ideological shifts towards language maintenance rather than transition to English-only instruction. However, the three students experienced a segmented and limited focus on Spanish language development in middle school compared to their elementary school experience. The authors discuss implications for outside school spaces that can support authentic language use, in addition to school-sanctioned language programs promoting multilingualism.
Diastereo- and Enantioselective CuH-Catalyzed Hydroamination of Strained Trisubstituted Alkenes

Amine-substituted cyclobutanes and cyclopropanes are important substructures in biologically active compounds. Moreover, many of the cycloalkane units bear multiple substituents and stereocenters. ...
Motion Words for Videos

In the task of activity recognition in videos, computing the video representation often involves pooling feature vectors over spatially local neighborhoods. The pooling is done over the entire video, over coarse spatio-temporal pyramids, or over pre-determined rigid cuboids. Similarly to pooling image features over superpixels in images, it is natural to consider pooling spatio-temporal features over video segments, e.g., supervoxels. However, since the number of segments is variable, this produces a video representation of variable size. We propose Motion Words - a new, fixed size video representation, where we pool features over supervoxels. To segment the video into supervoxels, we explore two recent video segmentation algorithms. The proposed representation enables localization of common regions across videos in both space and time. Importantly, since the video segments are meaningful regions, we can interpret the proposed features and obtain a better understanding of why two videos are similar. Evaluation on classification and retrieval tasks on two datasets further shows that Motion Words achieves state-of-the-art performance.