cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Localization and Cellular Amounts of the WalRKJ (VicRKX) Two-Component Regulatory System Proteins in Serotype 2 Streptococcus pneumoniae

The WalRK two-component regulatory system coordinates gene expression that maintains cell wall homeostasis and responds to antibiotic stress in low-GC Gram-positive bacteria. Phosphorylated WalR (VicR) of the major human respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (WalRSpn) positively regulates transcription of several surface virulence genes and, most critically, pcsB, which encodes an essential cell division protein. Despite numerous studies of several species, little is known about the signals sensed by the WalK histidine kinase or the function of the WalJ ancillary protein encoded in the walRKSpn operon. To better understand the functions of the WalRKJSpn proteins in S. pneumoniae, we performed experiments to determine their cellular localization and amounts. In contrast to WalK from Bacillus subtilis (WalKBsu), which is localized at division septa, immunofluorescence microscopy showed that WalKSpn is distributed throughout the cell periphery. WalJSpn is also localized to the cell surface periphery, whereas WalRSpn was found to be localized in the cytoplasm around the nucleoid. In fractionation experiments, WalRSpn was recovered from the cytoplasmic fraction, while WalKSpn and the majority of WalJSpn were recovered from the cell membrane fraction. This fractionation is consistent with the localization patterns observed. Lastly, we determined the cellular amounts of WalRKJSpn by quantitative Western blotting. The WalRSpn response regulator is relatively abundant and present at levels of ≈6,200 monomers per cell, which are ≈14-fold greater than the amount of the WalKSpn histidine kinase, which is present at ≈460 dimers (920 monomers) per cell. We detected ≈1,200 monomers per cell of WalJSpn ancillary protein, similar to the amount of WalKSpn.
Osteopenia due to chronic alcohol consumption by young actively growing rats is not completely reversible.

Our project was conducted to determine if the deleterious effects of chronic alcohol consumption on growing bone are reversible if the adolescent stops drinking. Four-week old, female, Sprague-Dawley rats were housed and maintained in an AAALAC-accredited facility. Six animals each were placed on alcohol-fed (35% ethanol-derived calories), pair-fed or chow-fed diets for 2 or 4 weeks. A recovery group of six animals was alcohol-fed for 2 weeks followed by an additional 2 weeks of chow feeding. This group was pair-fed to an additional group of six animals that received liquid diet, pair fed to the recovery group for 2 weeks followed by 2 weeks on a pair-fed chow diet. Blood alcohol concentrations averaged 309 ± 9 mg/dl. Morphological parameters of the femur, such as length, diameter, and volume were smaller in alcohol treated animals at both 2 and 4 weeks of feeding. Femur length and volume of recovery alcohol-fed animals were more than either 2- or 4-week alcohol-fed animals, but they were not as great as the same-age 4-week pair-fed or chow-fed animals. Diameter was similar to the 4-week alcohol-fed, but less than the chow-fed. Femur density was reduced at all time periods in the alcohol-fed animals. The recovery alcohol-fed animals had greater density than the 2-week alcohol, but not the 4-week alcohol-fed animals. They did not, however, reach 4-week chow- or pair-fed levels. Tibia BV/TV was reduced in the 2- and 4-week alcohol- and pair-fed animals. BV/TV was greater in the recovery animals than either 2- or 4-week alcohols, but not as great as the chow-fed animals. At 2 weeks, calorie deprivation caused a reduction in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) that was reduced even more by alcohol. By 4 weeks, the calorie deprivation was no longer seen, but alcohol continued to reduce the values. Two weeks of alcohol followed by 2 weeks of chow diet returned the IGF-1 values to almost normal, but significantly different levels. The apparent improvement was probably due to continued growth of the young bones and not a regaining of bone lost during alcohol consumption.
Public Parks and Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls

OBJECTIVES.Physical activity may be constrained or facilitated by local environments. The availability of neighborhood facilities for physical activity may be particularly relevant for youth, who are unable to drive and whose activity is often limited to the immediate distance they are able to walk or bicycle. Several studies have shown that proximity to recreational facilities and parks is one of the most important predictors of physical activity. Because the United States already has an extensive infrastructure of parks, with 70% of adults indicating that they live within walking distance of a park or playground, parks may be a potential venue for increasing physical activity. This might be particularly important for adolescent girls, whose physical activity levels decline substantially as they go through puberty. The goal of this study was to examine the association between park proximity, park type, and park features and physical activity in adolescent girls. PATIENTS AND METHODS.This was a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls. It included 1556 grade 6 girls who were randomly selected from 6 middle schools in each of the following 6 field site areas: Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Maryland; Columbia, South Carolina; Minneapolis, Minnesota; New Orleans, Louisiana; Tucson, Arizona; and San Diego, California. Girls wore accelerometers for 6 days to measure metabolic equivalent‐ weighted moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, a measure accounting for the volume and intensity of activity. Metabolic equivalent‐weighted moderate-tovigorous physical activity was calculated for the hours outside of school time using 2 different cutpoints, activity levels 3.0 metabolic equivalents and 4.6 metabolic equivalents, the latter indicating activity at the intensity of a brisk walk or higher. We mapped all of the parks within 1 mile of each girl’s home. Trained staff used a checklist to document the presence of facilities and amenities at each park, including passive amenities, such as drinking fountains, restrooms, and areas with shade, as well as active amenities like basketball courts, multipurpose fields, playgrounds, and tennis courts.
Power analysis for semi-custom design

We present a power analysis system for semi-custom hardware design that operates on a cell level making it a faster alternative to the currently available transistor level systems. Our system allows for the calculation of static and dynamic power consumption of a circuit. Measuring the power consumption is critical for low power design as it enables the designer to meet power specifications, drive power optimization tools, distribute power effectively through a design and choose appropriate packages. Implementation results show that the power analysis system is 4 orders of magnitude faster than circuit-level simulation, with accuracy within 10%. >
A 0.13µm CMOS ΔΣ fractional-N synthesizer for WiMAX application

This paper presents a fully integrated WiMAX frequency synthesizer. This synthesizer operation frequency is from 4.4GHz to 5.5GHz. It is a ΔΣ fractional-N synthesizer. It consist of an on-chip low drop out (LDO) regulated LC-VCO, a sigma delta noise shaper, a divider, and a high linearity charge pump. This synthesizer has been implemented in 0.13µm CMOS technology and occupied 1.2mm2 area. It draws 32mA and consumes 38.4mW from a 1.2V supply. The measured out-band phase noise at 1MHz offset is −117dBc/Hz. The integrated phase noise is less than 1.25°.
Mobilizing Group Membership: The Impact of Personalization and Social Pressure e-Mails

A randomized experiment was conducted to assess the effectiveness of three forms of e-mail appeals to prospective members of a newly formed professional group. The baseline condition consisted of an impersonal appeal; prospective members were sent a mass e-mail encouraging them to join. Participants in the personal condition received an e-mail with the same content, prefaced by a personal note from the group president. Participants in the social pressure condition received a personal note that called attention to the fact that they had previously signed a petition to form the professional group and urged them to make good on their earlier pledge (i.e., signing of the petition). Personalization is found to generate strong and statistically significant treatment effects. Even stronger are the effects of social pressure.
Lessons from the Development and Deployment of Dante II

Dante II is a unique walking robot that provides important insight into high-mobility robotic locomotion and remote robotic exploration. In 1994 it was deployed and successfully tested in a remote Alaskan volcano. For more than five days the robot explored alone in the volcano crater using a combination of supervised autonomous control and teleoperated control. The robot and field experiment are first overviewed to provide context for the focus of the paper—lessons learned. It is the degree by which we can learn from the Dante project that will determine its lasting significance.
Modeling and rendering of realistic feathers

We present techniques for realistic modeling and rendering of feathers and birds. Our approach is motivated by the observation that a feather is a branching structure that can be described by an L-system. The parametric L-system we derived allows the user to easily create feathers of different types and shapes by changing a few parameters. The randomness in feather geometry is also incorporated into this L-system. To render a feather realistically, we have derived an efficient form of the bidirectional texture function (BTF), which describes the small but visible geometry details on the feather blade. A rendering algorithm combining the L-system and the BTF displays feathers photorealistically while capitalizing on graphics hardware for efficiency. Based on this framework of feather modeling and rendering, we developed a system that can automatically generate appropriate feathers to cover different parts of a bird's body from a few "key feathers" supplied by the user, and produce realistic renderings of the bird.
Sarcoplasmic reticulum-related changes in cytosolic calcium in pressure-overload-induced feline LV hypertrophy

Alterations in Ca2+ homeostasis that involve the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) were studied in feline left ventricular (LV) myocytes isolated from hearts with LV hypertrophy induced by slow, progressive pressure overload. At death, severe hypertrophy was evidenced by increased heart weight-to-body weight ratio (8.4 +/- 0.6 vs. 4.2 +/- 0.2 g/kg in controls). Steady-state Ca2+ transients (measured as. indo 1 fluorescence at 410 nm/480 nm; I410/I480) in LV hypertrophy (LVH) myocytes had diminished peak amplitudes (I410/I480 2.28 +/- 0.07 vs. 2.53 +/- 0.07 in controls) and prolonged durations (0.75 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.59 +/- 0.02 s in controls). The magnitude of shortening was reduced and the contractile duration was prolonged in LVH myocytes. The idea that changes in SR function are responsible for these alterations in the Ca2+ transient was tested by studying two aspects of SR-related Ca2+ homeostasis. Restitution of releasable SR Ca2+ was studied by measuring indo 1 transients and contractions during premature beats. The time course of restitution of both the indo 1 transient and contraction of hypertrophy myocytes was significantly slower than in controls. These data suggest that restitution of releasable SR Ca2+ is slowed in hypertrophy myocytes. The reduction of the indo 1 transient and contraction in beats following long rest periods (rest decay) was measured to determine the rate of Ca2+ loss from the SR. Rest decay was significantly (P < 0.05) more pronounced in hypertrophy myocytes, suggesting that Ca2+ loss from the SR is accelerated in these myocytes. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
EDCI 557: Integrating Technology in the Elementary Curriculum

EDCI 557: Integrating Technology in the Elementary Curriculum is taught within the Elementary Education Program in the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University (GMU). The course is designed to enable students (or "interns") to develop connections between various content areas and to create and teach interdisciplinary units. A major assignment for this course is the development and teaching of a week- long interdisciplinary unit that integrates technology. This assignment allows the interns to take abstract, theoretical ideas presented in the course and apply them in teaching K-6 students. Since the interns are required to teach the unit plan they designed, they go beyond learning technology skills and demonstrate the ability to plan and teach with technology. As part of this assignment, interns are required to administer pre- and posttests and to analy ze the results. They then describe the learning outcomes and implications for future planning. As a result of this assignment and this course, interns are graduating from GMU's program with the knowledge and skills needed to use technology, confident in their ability to integrate technology, and better able to teach with technology.
Energy aspects of microalgal biodiesel production

Algal biodiesel production will play a significant role in sustaining future transportation fuel supplies. A large number of researchers around the world are investigating into making this process sustainable by increasing the energy gains and by optimizing resource-utilization efficiencies. Although, research is being pursued aggressively in all aspects of algal biodiesel production from microalgal cell cultivation, cell harvesting, and extraction and transesterification steps to the final product separation and purification, there is a large disparity in the data presented in recent reports making it difficult to assess the real potential of microalgae as a future energy source. This article discusses some of the key issues in energy consumption in the process of algal biodiesel production and identifies the areas for improvement to make this process energy-positive and sustainable.
σ-Silane, disilanyl, and [W(μ-H)Si(μ-H)W] bridging silylene complexes via the reactions of W(PMe3)4(η2-CH2PMe2)H with phenylsilanes.

W(PMe3)4(η2-CH2PMe2)H reacts with PhSiH3 to give the first examples of diphenyldisilanyl compounds, W(PMe3)4(SiH2SiHPh2)H3 and W(PMe3)3(SiH2Ph)(SiH2SiHPh2)H4, via a mechanism that is proposed to involve migration of a SiHPh2 group to a silylene ligand. In addition to the formation of the aforementioned mononuclear compounds, the reaction of W(PMe3)4(η2-CH2PMe2)H with PhSiH3 also yields a novel dinuclear compound, [W(PMe3)2(SiHPh2)H2](μ-Si,P-SiHPhCH2PMe2)(μ-SiH2)[W(PMe3)3H2], which features a bridging silylene ligand that participates in 3-center-2-electron interactions with both tungsten centers. The bonding within the [W(μ-H)Si(μ-H)W] core can be described by a variety of resonance structures, some of which possess multiple bond character between tungsten and silicon. In this regard, [W(PMe3)2(SiHPh2)H2](μ-Si,P-SiHPhCH2PMe2)(μ-SiH2)[W(PMe3)3H2] possesses the shortest W–Si bond length reported. The corresponding reaction of W(PMe3)4(η2-CH2PMe2)H with Ph2SiH2 yields the σ-silane compound, W(PMe3)3(σ-HSiHPh...
Simulating Quadcopter Dynamics using Imported CAD Data

Quadrotors have grown in popularity with the increased availability of low-cost hardware. Low-cost platforms enable students, hobbyists and research engineers to design and fly custom software on a limited budget. As part of this design process, modeling and simulation can be used to improve the flight characteristics of the vehicle and enable more complex control designs. Common design patterns in aerospace system design can be applied to the quadrotor design to improve the development process. This paper describes the start of the design and development process — the transition from CAD data to a full dynamic model.
Theoretical Determination of High-Temperature Absorption Spectra for C3 in the Near-UV and VUV

C3 is an important boundary layer constituent formed during the return to Earth of a spacecraft with a carbonaceous ablating heat shield. It has two prominent spectral features in absorption, in the UV and VUV wavelength ranges, that could absorb shock-layer radiation impinging on the bow heat shield of the spacecraft. The ground and relevant excited electronic state potential energy surfaces have been determined from accurate quantum mechanical calculations. Using the results of these calculations, the wavelengths and intensities of the C3 absorption bands in the wavelength range 160-4500 nm can be determined for temperatures of 3000-5000 K. This paper contains a description of these potential energy surfaces.
Immigration Metro Way of the protection of farmland in Wanzhou

protection of farmland is the use of legal,administrative,economic,technological and other means and measures,on the quantity and quality of arable land protection.The aura of Wanzhou in carrying immigrants rapid development,farmland protection is a difficult and enduring task.Development is the last word,to protect arable land is the last word,both to protect the development of agricultural land protection,only out of a savings,intensive,high efficiency,high-yield Wanzhou new development.
Na Li and Matthew Stephens on Modeling Linkage Disequilibrium

Probabilistic models have played an indispensable role in population genetics for close to a century. They provide a powerful lens through which one can investigate how various evolutionary forces interact and produce the intricate patterns of genetic variation in a population. Furthermore, through
The tangled web we weave: Deceptive consumption behaviors as a means to cope with identity threat

Consumers have been observed to engage in deceptive consumption behaviors, including hiding their brand consumption and pretending to consume brands that they actually do not. This article defines deceptive consumption behaviors as the deliberate falsification or concealment of an individual’s consumption behaviors pertaining to a brand. The present work recognizes deceptive consumption behaviors as a relatively unexplored construct in the consumer behavior literature. Therefore, this article sets out not only to define and delineate the various types of deceptive consumption behaviors but also to explore the underlying motivations that would result in consumers engaging in this practice. We propose that these behaviors are a response to an identity threat that occurs due to goal conflict between personal and social identities. We further propose a typology to illustrate the various behaviors that consumers may employ when engaging in deceptive consumption. We explore the consequences of engaging in decep...
Atomic intercalation to measure adhesion of graphene on graphite

The interest in mechanical properties of two-dimensional materials has emerged in light of new device concepts taking advantage of flexing, adhesion and friction. Here we demonstrate an effective method to measure adhesion of graphene atop highly ordered pyrolytic graphite, utilizing atomic-scale ‘blisters’ created in the top layer by neon atom intercalates. Detailed analysis of scanning tunnelling microscopy images is used to reconstruct atomic positions and the strain map within the deformed graphene layer, and demonstrate the tip-induced subsurface translation of neon atoms. We invoke an analytical model, originally devised for graphene macroscopic deformations, to determine the graphite adhesion energy of 0.221±0.011 J m−2. This value is in excellent agreement with reported macroscopic values and our atomistic simulations. This implies mechanical properties of graphene scale down to a few-nanometre length. The simplicity of our method provides a unique opportunity to investigate the local variability of nanomechanical properties in layered materials. Analysis of the mechanical properties of two-dimensional materials is important for device development. Here, the authors report a microscopic method for measuring the adhesion of graphene on top of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite, which exploits atomic-scale blisters formed upon neon atom intercalation.
Chapter 4 – Digital Filtering

Publisher Summary One of the fundamental concepts in digital signal processing is the filtering of digital signals. This chapter highlights the structure of digital filters. It also discusses the LabVIEW Digital Filter Design (DFD) toolkit. A finite impulse response (FIR) filter essentially operates on current input to generate a current output. The equi-ripple method, which is commonly known as Remez algorithm, is generally used to produce an optimal FIR filter. This method generates a response whose deviation from the desired response is evenly distributed across the passband and stopband. Other design methods include Kaiser window and Dolph-Chebyshev window. However, an infinite impulse response (IIR) filter uses a number of previous outputs as well as a current and a number of previous inputs to generate a current output. Several methods, which are widely used to design IIR filters, include Butterworth, Chebyshev, Inverse Chebyshev, and elliptic methods. FIR filters require less precision and are computationally more stable than IIR filters. In context to design toolkit, LabVIEW DFD toolkit provides various tools for the design, analysis and simulation of digital filters.
A self-powered surface sensing approach for detection of bottom-up cracking in asphalt concrete pavements: Theoretical/numerical modeling

Abstract This study presents a surface sensing approach for detection of bottom-up cracking in asphalt concrete (AC) pavements. The proposed method was based on the interpretation of compressed data stored in memory cells of a self-powered wireless sensor (SWS) with non-constant injection rates. Different 3D finite element (FE) models of an AC pavement were developed using ABAQUS to generate the sensor output data. A realistic dynamic moving load was applied to the surface of the pavement via DLOAD subroutines developed by FORTRAN. A network of sensing nodes was placed at the top of the AC layer to assess their sensitivity to the progression of bottom-up cracks. Several damage states were defined using Element Weakening Method (EWM). A linear-viscoelastic behavior was considered for the AC layer. In order to detect the damage progression, several damage indicator features were extracted from the data acquisition nodes. The damage detection accuracy was improved through a data fusion model that included the effect of group of sensors. The proposed fusion model was based on the integration of a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) for defining descriptive features, different feature selection algorithms, and a robust computational intelligence approach for multi-class damage classification. Furthermore, an uncertainty analysis was carried out to verify the reliability of the proposed damage detection approach. The results indicate that the progression of the bottom-up cracks can be accurately detected using the developed intelligent self-powered surface sensing system.
Genotype-phenotype association study via new multi-task learning model.

Research on the associations between genetic variations and imaging phenotypes is developing with the advance in high-throughput genotype and brain image techniques. Regression analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and imaging measures as quantitative traits (QTs) has been proposed to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTL) via multi-task learning models. Recent studies consider the interlinked structures within SNPs and imaging QTs through group lasso, e.g. l2, 1-norm, leading to better predictive results and insights of SNPs. However, group sparsity is not enough for representing the correlation between multiple tasks and l2, 1-norm regularization is not robust either. In this paper, we propose a new multi-task learning model to analyze the associations between SNPs and QTs. We suppose that low-rank structure is also beneficial to uncover the correlation between genetic variations and imaging phenotypes. Finally, we conduct regression analysis of SNPs and QTs. Experimental results show that our model is more accurate in prediction than compared methods and presents new insights of SNPs.
Deconvolution of conformational equilibria in methimazolium-based ionic liquid ion pair: Infrared spectroscopic and computational study

Abstract Deconvolution of conformational equilibria in ionic liquids is a challenging task. Infrared spectroscopy coupled with computational simulations is a powerful tool to characterize the interactions and conformational equilibria in ionic liquids. Herein, this approach is employed to study methimazolium-based ionic liquids. Electronic, structural and vibrational properties of the ion pair consisting of a methimazolium cation and a bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Tf2N) anion are analyzed via the density functional theory (DFT) method using the hybrid B3LYP functional, while experimental IR study is performed for the corresponding bulk ionic liquid. DFT predicts that two lowest energy conformers are nearly degenerate in energy, suggesting that both structures are present in the bulk phase. Two intense peaks at 2848 cm−1 and 2915 cm−1 in the IR spectrum—which are assigned to the cation NH stretching vibrations of the two lowest-energy conformers—lend experimental support to this interpretation. Natural bond analysis and molecular electron density topography are used to understand the frequency shifts of the normal vibrations, especially those of the anion.
Posttranscriptional recoding by RNA editing

The posttranscriptional recoding of nuclear RNA transcripts has emerged as an important regulatory mechanism during eukaryotic gene expression. In particular the deamination of adenosine to inosine (interpreted by the translational machinery as a guanosine) is a frequent event that can recode the meaning of amino acid codons in translated exons, lead to structural changes in the RNA fold, or may affect splice consensus or regulatory sequence sites in noncoding exons or introns and modulate the biogenesis of small RNAs. The molecular mechanism of how the RNA editing machinery and its substrates recognize and interact with each other is not understood well enough to allow for the ab initio delineation of bona fide RNA editing sites. However, progress in the identification of various physiological modification sites and their characterization has given important insights regarding molecular features and events critical for productive RNA editing reactions. In addition, structural studies using components of the RNA editing machinery and together with editing competent substrate molecules have provided information on the chemical mechanism of adenosine deamination within the context of RNA molecules. Here, I give an overview of the process of adenosine deamination RNA editing and describe its relationship to other RNA processing events and its currently established roles in gene regulation.
Introduction to Non-Portland Cement Binders and Concrete

This chapter discusses that non-portland cement-based systems have fast hardening and strength development characteristics, are well suited for special applications, many of these related to the repair of concrete structures. The performance of many non-portland cement-based repair materials is dependent on the chemistry and physics of the system, the properties of the existing concrete, and the environment. Thermal analysis techniques are increasingly being used to investigate the physico-chemical behavior of non-portland cement binders exposed to aggressive environments. This chapter provides a description of the hydration and engineering behavior of special cements, including magnesium oxychloride and oxysulfate cement; calcium aluminate cement; portland-calcium aluminate blended cement; phosphate cement; regulated set cement; and gypsum.
Pathophysiology of Acquired Coagulopathy

The purpose of this article is to give guidance for students and researchers who are interested in the area of acquired thrombotic states. The article especially focuses on graduate students and basic science researchers. The article tries to address the major acquired hypercoagulable states. The article divides hypercoagulable states into subchapter category. These categories include clinical conditions like disseminated intravascular coagulation, pregnancy, and malignancies. It can also be a specific disease like essential thrombosis and polycythemia vera or nonspecific states like nephrotic syndrome and antiphospholipid syndrome. Each subchapter looks at a specific hypercoagulable states and addresses the specific aspect of the particular hypercoagulable state. These include the mechanism of the disease pathophysiology, diagnosis methods, and complication associated with it. It also looks at the current and future research challenges of the specific state. Since the primary intended audiences of this article are graduate student and basic science researchers, a detailed clinical impact of the states was not discussed in this article. Nevertheless, the article covers limited clinical impact of the hypercoagulable states.
Unraveling the Dark Septate Endophyte Functions: Insights from the Arabidopsis Model

The global occurrence of plant root-associated fungal endophytes and their great abundance in many habitats necessitate studies to decipher their potential functions. Improved understanding of the basic endophyte ecology including host range, host preference, and host responses to endophyte colonization has been made possible through populations of endophytes (e.g., Periconia macrospinosa and Microdochium sp.) isolated from North American native tallgrass prairie. The recent demonstration of the endophyte symbiosis of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has provided additional tools to further elucidate the ecology of these endophytes. The availability of a large number of Arabidopsis ecotypes and mutants, microarrays, and databases allows the molecular dissection of endophyte symbiosis to better understand the importance of fungal endophytes in host nutrient uptake, defenses, and/or responses to pathogens and stress. In this chapter, we discuss the ecology and functions of endophytic fungi through experiments utilizing the Arabidopsis model system. We draw parallels with another deeply dissected Piriformospora indica root endophyte symbiosis, which has been demonstrated to promote growth of model and non-model plants.
AASTeX and the challenges of publishing in an increasingly interactive environment

In 2016 the American Astronomical Society (AAS) released two new versions of its LaTeX classfile, AASTeX. These were the first changes in over 11 years and included many new features to enhance an author’s ability to present their science in a format conducive to publishing in the AAS environment. While LaTeX is an excellent way to convey the written word, it lacks robust support for many desirable features including collaborative editing, large table support and figure interactivity. Bridging the gap between the old methods of writing and reviewing a printed manuscript and the new features the AAS has available and is working on implementing in a published HTML article is an ongoing challenge. This talk will highlight the new features of AASTeX and discuss how AAS publishing will move forward.
Efficient On-Line Traffic Policing in Software Defined Network

On-line traffic such as conversational call and live video on the Internet are not pre-recorded and has no exact information about each session before the traffic happens. S-BIND (Confidence-level-based Statistical Bounding Interval-length Dependent) traffic model characterizes such traffic for QoS admission (GammaH-BIND) and policing purpose. A state-dependent token bucket based statistical regulator was proposed to police the traffic using S-BIND parameters. Recently, Software Defined Network (SDN) is proposed to decouple the control plane from the data plane, which enables low cost commodity design in switches and flexible network feature deployments through software implementation in centralized controllers. To deploy the state-dependent token bucket statistical regulator in SDN, extensions to the current SDN are needed. In this paper, design options for S-BIND traffic regulator in SDN switches are presented and analyzed. Among these options, a single meter design is chosen based on the cost and efficiency comparison between them. The needed switch implementation and OpenFlow protocol’s extensions to realize the regulator in SDN is given at the end of the paper.
Robust Pose-Graph SLAM Using Absolute Orientation Sensing

It is known that in the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) problem when a robot's orientation is known, an estimation of the history of its poses can be formulated as a standard linear least squares problem. In this letter, we exploit this property of SLAM to develop a robust pose-graph SLAM framework that uses absolute orientation sensing. Our contribution are as follows: 1) we show that absolute orientation can be estimated using local structural cues; and 2) we develop a method to incorporate absolute orientation measurements in both the front and back-end of pose-graph SLAM. We also demonstrate our approach through extensive simulations and a physical real-world demonstration along with comparisons against existing state-of-the-art solvers that do not use absolute orientation.
Seedling salt tolerance for above ground-related traits in cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp)

With poor quality of irrigation water, salt concentrations in cultivated areas keep increasing, hence preventing cowpea from being cultivated for optimal growth and development. Effects of salinity on crops are severe in semi-arid and arid regions where low rainfall does not allow salt compounds to be leached from soils. Seedling stage is one the most vulnerable stages in plant growth and development. However, to date, few if any salt-tolerant cowpea cultivars have been reported worldwide. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate cowpea genotypes for salt tolerance based on the reduction of above ground-related traits. A total of 155 cowpea genotypes was phenotyped for salt tolerance at seedling stage. Salt treatments were 0 mM and 200 mM NaCl. The experiment design was completely randomized (CRD) with three replications per genotype and salt treatment combination, and organized in a split-plot manner. Salt stress was imposed for 2 weeks and a total of 19 parameters were used for salt tolerance evaluation. Results revealed that: (1) a large variation in salt tolerance was found among the 155 cowpea genotypes; (2) salt stress significantly reduced plant height and fresh shoot biomass, but slightly increased chlorophyll content; (3) a relatively high correlation was found between plant height and fresh biomass-related parameters; (4) chlorophyll content had low correlation with plant height and fresh shoot biomass reductions, respectively; and (5) PI354686, PI353270, PI354666, and PI354842 were salt-tolerant based on the decrease in plant height and fresh shoot biomass, and PI548785, PI582466, PI339599, and 09-697 were the top performers based on chlorophyll content. These results can be used for advancing breeding programs for salt tolerance in cowpea.
The COO Construct: Methodological and Related Issues in a Globalized World

AbstractThis article is the first to empirically assess two known measures of country of origin (COO) constructs to determine their relative effectiveness. Two empirical studies employing real bran...
Economic and environmental benefits of market-based power-system reform in China: A case study of the Southern grid system

Author(s): Abhyankar, N; Lin, J; Liu, X; Sifuentes, F | Abstract: China, whose power system accounts for about 13% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, has begun implementing market-based power-sector reforms. This paper simulates power system dispatch in China's Southern Grid region and examines the economic and environmental impacts of market-based operations. We find that market-based operation can increase efficiency and reduce costs in all Southern Grid provinces—reducing wholesale electricity costs by up to 35% for the entire region relative to the 2016 baseline. About 60% of the potential cost reduction can be realized by creating independent provincial markets within the region, and the rest by creating a regional market without transmission expansion. The wholesale market revenue is adequate to recover generator fixed costs; however, financial restructuring of current payment mechanisms may be necessary. Electricity markets could also reduce the Southern Grid's CO2 emissions by up to 10% owing to more efficient thermal dispatch and avoided hydro/renewable curtailment. The benefits of regional electricity markets with expanded transmission likely will increase as China's renewable generation increases.
Comparison Of Methods To Estimate Disease-Related Cost And Healthcare Resource Utilization For Autoimmune Diseases In Administrative Claims Databases.

Background Establishing disease-related cost and/or healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) is an important aspect of health outcomes research, particularly when considering the cost offset of novel treatments. However, few studies have compared methodologies used to assess disease-related cost/HCRU. Methods Data from the United States IBM® MarketScan® Research Databases were used to compare four different methods of calculating disease-related cost and HCRU in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The analysis was repeated, in part, for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) to explore the generalizability of findings to a second autoimmune disease. Four methods of disease-related cost/HCRU attribution were selected following a literature search for potential methods: Method 1, claim-wide cost/HCRU attribution based on claim-listed diagnosis codes and a predetermined disease-related medication list (pharmacy claims only); Method 2, line-item cost/HCRU attribution based on procedures/medications more likely to occur in disease cases than in matched controls at two likelihood ratio cutoffs (1.5× and 3.5×); Method 3, disease-related cost/HCRU calculated as the difference in total average cost/HCRU between cases and matched controls; Method 4, line-item cost/HCRU attribution based on clinician manual determination of procedures/medications related to the disease. Results and conclusion Overall, 24,373 patients with RA and 9665 with UC were included. Average total cost during 2015 was $US28,750 per patient with RA and $US20,480 per patient with UC. Disease-related cost and HCRU for RA calculated using Method 4 were most closely approximated by Methods 1 and 2 (3.5×), with Method 2 (3.5×) the closest approximation. However, in certain research scenarios, the simplest method compared in this analysis, Method 1, may provide an adequate approximation of disease-related cost and HCRU. Although Method 4 was not executed in the UC analysis because of its labor-intensive nature, similar patterns of disease-related cost and HCRU were observed for Methods 1-3 in patients with UC and RA.
Bilateral papillary thyroid cancer in children: Risk factors and frequency of postoperative diagnosis.

Abstract Background The recommendation for children with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is total thyroidectomy (TT) based on the incidence of bilateral disease. Evaluating this assumption, we reviewed the characteristics of bilateral PTC in a large cohort of children. Methods A retrospective chart review for patients surgically treated for PTC from 2009 to 2018 analyzing preoperative risk factors, ultrasound findings, and pathology results was performed. Bilateral disease was defined as pathologic PTC in the contralateral lobe, including microscopic disease. Results Of the 172 patients included, 38.4% had bilateral disease with 23% diagnosed postoperatively. Multifocal disease on ultrasound was associated with bilateral disease (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.5–5.9, p = 0.002). Nodule dimension > 2 cm was associated with increased risk for postoperative bilateral disease (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.6–7.4, p = 0.001). Patients with bilateral disease were more likely to have extrathyroidal extension, lymphovascular invasion, positive central lymph nodes, and extranodal extension (p Conclusion Thirty-eight percent of children were diagnosed with PTC demonstrate bilateral disease. Nearly one in four have occult bilateral disease. The features that predicted bilateral disease were multifocality, widely invasive PTC on ultrasound, and the presence of lymphadenopathy. Thus, TT is the appropriate surgical approach for pediatric patients with PTC. Type of Study Clinical Research, Retrospective Review. Level of Evidence Level IV.
Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) in the pediatric population: A systematic review of the literature.

Background Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a drug-induced hypersensitivity reaction that can have fatal complications. Although substantial data exist regarding DRESS in adults, to our knowledge, a systematic review of available literature has not been performed in children. Objective To review available data on DRESS in the pediatric population. Methods A systematic literature review was performed for pediatric (aged Results We included 82 articles with 148 patients; of these, 97.9% experienced a skin rash, and the liver was the second most common organ involved (84.5%). Among 143 patients for which a treatment regimen was reported, 85.3% were treated with systemic steroids. Intravenous immunoglobulin alone failed to improve symptoms in 5 patients who were initially misdiagnosed, whereas those treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and steroids (2.7%) showed rapid clinical improvement. The mortality rate was low (3.0%). Complications included multiorgan failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Limitations Limitations included limited availability of data for statistical analysis. Conclusion Pediatric DRESS commonly involves the liver. With treatment, the prognosis is commonly good, but serious complications may occur. Corticosteroids, possibly in conjunction with intravenous immunoglobulin in severe cases, may serve as an effective, valuable treatment of pediatric DRESS.
Rumination, anger, and aggression

Abstract This chapter reviews the literature on angry rumination, or repetitive thinking about angering events. After describing the original development of the construct, I review the evidence linking rumination with anger. I then explore how rumination can be incorporated into relevant theories of aggression, as well as the sizable literature on rumination and various types of aggression. The chapter also addresses various mechanisms of angry rumination, such as increased desire for revenge and physiological activation, as well as decreased interest in forgiveness and moral prohibitions. After an examination of potential moderators of the effect of angry rumination, I conclude by reviewing an evolutionary hypothesis about possible societal functions—both negative and positive—of angry rumination.
Horizontal gene transfer barrier shapes the evolution of prokaryotic pangenomes

The genomes of bacteria and archaea evolve by extensive loss and gain of genes which, for any group of related prokaryotic genomes, result in the formation of a pangenome with the universal, asymmetrical U-shaped distribution of gene commonality. To elucidate the evolutionary factors that define the specific shape of this distribution, we investigate the fit of simple models of genome evolution to the empirically observed gene commonality distributions and genomes intersections for 33 groups of closely related bacterial genomes. The combined analysis of genome intersections and gene commonality shows that at least one of the two simplifying assumptions that are usually adopted for modeling the evolution of the U-shaped distribution, those of infinitely many genes and constant genome size, is invalid. The violation of both these assumptions stems from the horizontal gene transfer barrier, i.e. the cost of accommodation of foreign genes by prokaryotes.
The Return of the Gap

This chapter analyzes the ideational and political framework of the early 1980s, characterized by the new problems of European economies, the accelerating technological change spearheaded by the IT-revolution, and the supposed lead of Europe’s two main economic competitors, the United States and Japan, which resurfaced the old worries about a “technology gap.” In this context, the framing of research policy narrowed down to even more exclusively focus on competitiveness, while developing innovation policies and national systems of innovation, became a major political concern. All these trends were reflected in the EC’s proposals and debates on research put forward at the beginning of the decade.
Integrating the Classroom with the Community: Collaboration with the Hewitt Mansion in Buffalo, New York

Built at the turn of the twentieth century, the Hewitt Mansion (Figure 1) was the former estate of Herbert H. Hewitt, an industrialist and significant contributor to the railroad. The mansion was d...
Missed diagnoses: Clinically relevant lessons learned through medical mysteries solved by the Undiagnosed Diseases Network

Background Resources within the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN), such as genome sequencing (GS) and model organisms aid in diagnosis and identification of new disease genes, but are currently difficult to access by clinical providers. While these resources do contribute to diagnoses in many cases, they are not always necessary to reach diagnostic resolution. The UDN experience has been that participants can also receive diagnoses through the thoughtful and customized application of approaches and resources that are readily available in clinical settings. Methods The UDN Genetic Counseling and Testing Working Group collected case vignettes that illustrated how clinically available methods resulted in diagnoses. The case vignettes were classified into three themes; phenotypic considerations, selection of genetic testing, and evaluating exome/GS variants and data. Results We present 12 participants that illustrate how clinical practices such as phenotype-driven genomic investigations, consideration of variable expressivity, selecting the relevant tissue of interest for testing, utilizing updated testing platforms, and recognition of alternate transcript nomenclature resulted in diagnoses. Conclusion These examples demonstrate that when a diagnosis is elusive, an iterative patient-specific approach utilizing assessment options available to clinical providers may solve a portion of cases. However, this does require increased provider time commitment, a particular challenge in the current practice of genomics.
Intracranial Capillary Hemangiomas: A Peripartum Presentation and Review of the Literature

Background Intracranial capillary hemangiomas (ICHs) are rare vascular tumors composed of a bed of many narrow thin-walled vessels. Within the confines of the skull, these tumors can lead to serious neurologic deficits including cranial nerve dysfunction, mood/personality disturbances, and signs of intracranial mass effect. Methods We report the case of a 23-year-old, 5-week postpartum woman with a history of progressive painful ophthalmalgia of the right eye presenting with rapid onset of ptosis, diplopia, and right-sided facial pain and hypesthesia. Imaging demonstrated a small extraaxial mass within the right cavernous sinus. She underwent 2 operations via an endoscopic endonasal approach for biopsy followed by complete resection. Histology showed a highly mitotic capillary hemangioma, which was negative for both estrogen and progesterone receptors. Results We review cases of ICH reported in the literature and provide an updated summary of the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of ICH. We then present a brief analysis of the reported cases with respect to age and sex. Conclusions We conclude that, in experienced hands, the endoscopic endonasal approach can be used to access the cavernous sinus for complete resection of ICHs of the cavernous sinus. We also suggest that further attention be paid to such cases in pregnant and peripartum women as these tumors may progress more quickly in this subpopulation.