cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonseparable orthogonal linear phase perfect reconstruction filter banks and their application to image compression

We have designed a 4-channel 10/spl times/10 nonseparable orthogonal linear phase perfect reconstruction filter bank (PRFB), hereafter NSEP, and examined its performance in image compression applications. It is shown that, in addition to the orthogonality property, NSEP offers an excellent compression performance. Because of their limited spatial support, the nonseparable filters can be implemented at a reasonable computational cost. The orthogonality property also allows the use of image compression algorithms which exploit orthogonality for bit allocation purposes. We demonstrate that the NSEP filters have superior spatial localization properties when compared to filters arising in a 2-D separable PRFB generated from a l-D Daubechies FB of length 10. This superior spatial localization results in less visible ringing distortion in compressed images. In addition, the linear phase property of NSEP distributes the ripples located at image edges evenly on both sides of each edge, thus reducing further their visibility. Because of these advantages, NSEP is a viable and attractive candidate for high quality, low bit rate image compression applications. >
Growth of Cement Hydration Products on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) were distributed on the surface of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) grains. The OPC/SWCNT composite was then hydrated at a 0.5 w/c ratio. The effects of the SWCNT on the early hydration process were studied using isothermal conduction calorimetry, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The observed behavior of the composite samples was compared with both OPC sonicated without SWCNT and previously published data on as-delivered OPC. The SWCNT were found to accelerate the hydration reaction of the C 3 S in the OPC. The morphology of both the initial C 3 A and the C 3 S hydration products were found to be affected by the presence of the SWCNT. In particular, the nanotubes appeared to act as nucleating sites for the C 3 S hydration products, with the nanotubes becoming rapidly coated with C―S―H. The resulting structures remained on the surface of the cement grains while those in the sonicated and as-delivered OPC samples grew out from the grain surfaces to form typical C-S-H clusters. Classical evidence of reinforcing behavior, in the form of fiber pullout of the SWCNT bundles, was observed by 24 h of hydration.
Cows and kin: innovations and issues in post-Soviet indigenous communities

In the wake of communism's fall, the majority of rural Russia's inhabitants were left without the state farm agricultural infrastructure that fed and employed them. Most adapted by innovating to create new forms that combined pre-Soviet subsistence practices with contemporary modes. This paper explores one group's innovation, 'cows-and-kin'. Viliui Sakha, the highest latitude horse and cattle breeders in contemporary times, inhabit western Sakha, northeastern Siberia, Russia. Their cows-and-kin innovation is based on household-level cow keeping with interdependence of kin households. In addition to describing this post-soviet community-level innovation, this paper also explores relevant issues about the capacity for continued innovation such as: (1) what is the future of the cows-and-kin innovation, considering that many youth are out-migrating from the rural villages? (2) how is the cows-and-kin innovation affected by the forces of globalisation and modernity? and lastly (3) how can the cows-and-kin innovation face the challenges posed by rapid climate change?
Technological development and the business environment in Russia

The great changes taking place in the republics of the former USSR attract increasing attention from western companies. The principal focus of this paper is to examine specific features of the current situation from the point of view of profitable East–West collaborations. Many cases are reviewed, and the author's practical experience in the field of technological forecasting in the USSR supports the conclusions of this paper.
Decorrelation of L-Band and C-Band Interferometry Over Vegetated Areas in California

Temporal decorrelation is one of the main limitations for recovering interseismic deformation along the San Andreas Fault system using interferometric synthetic aperture radar. To assess the improved correlation properties of L-band with respect to C-band, we analyzed L-band Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS) interferograms with a range of temporal and spatial baselines over three vegetated areas in California and compared them with corresponding C-band European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS) interferograms. Over the highly vegetated Northern California forests in the Coast Range area, ALOS remains remarkably well correlated over a 2-year period, whereas an ERS interferogram with a similar temporal and spatial baseline lost correlation. In Central California near Parkfield, we found a similar pattern in decorrelation behavior, which enabled the recovery of a fault creep and a local uplifting signal at L-band that was not apparent at C-band. In the Imperial Valley in Southern California, both ALOS and ERS have low correlation over farmlands. ALOS has lower correlation over some sandy surfaces than ERS, probably due to low signal-to-noise ratio. In general, L-band interferograms with similar seasonal acquisitions have higher correlation than those with dissimilar season. For both L- and C-band, correlation over vegetated areas decreases with time for intervals less than 1 year and then remains relatively constant at longer time intervals. The decorrelation time for L-band is more than 2 years in the forest in California whereas that for C-band is less than 6 months. Overall, these results suggest that L-band interferograms will reveal near-fault interseismic deformation once sufficient data become available.
Gene discovery and differential expression analysis of humoral immune response elements in female Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Background: Female Culicoides sonorensis midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of pathogens that impact livestock and wildlife in the United States. Little is known about their biology on a molecular-genetic level, including components of their immune system. Because the insect immune response is involved with important processes such as gut microbial homeostasis and vector competence, our aims were to identify components of the midge innate immune system and examine their expression profiles in response to diet across time. Methods: In our previous work, we de novo sequenced and analyzed the transcriptional landscape of female midges under several feeding states including teneral (unfed) and early and late time points after blood and sucrose. Here, those transcriptomes were further analyzed to identify insect innate immune orthologs, particularly humoral immune response elements. Additionally, we examined immune gene expression profiles in response to diet over time, on both a transcriptome-wide, whole-midge level and more specifically via qRTPCR analysis of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) expression in the alimentary canal. Results: We identified functional units comprising the immune deficiency (Imd), Toll and JAK/STAT pathways, including humoral factors, transmembrane receptors, signaling components, transcription factors/regulators and effectors such as AMPs. Feeding altered the expression of receptors, regulators, AMPs, prophenoloxidase and thioester-containing proteins, where blood had a greater effect than sucrose on the expression profiles of most innate immune components. qRTPCR of AMP genes showed that all five were significantly upregulated in the alimentary canal after blood feeding, possibly in response to proliferating populations of gut bacteria. Conclusions: Identification and functional insight of humoral/innate immune components in female C. sonorensis updates our knowledge of the molecular biology of this important vector. Because diet alone influenced the expression of immune pathway components, including their effectors, subsequent study of the role of innate immunity in biological processes such as gut homeostasis and life history are being pursued. Furthermore, since the humoral response is a key contributor in gut immunity, manipulating immune gene expression will help in uncovering genetic components of vector competence, including midgut barriers to infection. The results of such studies will serve as a platform for designing novel transmission-blocking strategies.
Impact of tumor size on survival in stage IA non-small cell lung cancer: a case for subdividing stage IA disease.

Purpose: Stage IA (T1N0M0) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) includes all lesions up to 3 cm in diameter. With the use of advanced imaging techniques, smaller pulmonary lesions can be identified. A greater proportion of patients with NSCLC will likely have smaller tumors at presentation in the future. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between tumor size, and survival in patients with pathologic stage IA NSCLC. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 246 consecutive, surgically treated patients with pathologic stage IA NSCLC. Eligible patients were identified from the tumor registries and pathology records. Follow-up was obtained from the surgical database and primary physicians’ records. Results: Eighty six patients had tumors ≤1.5 cm while 160 patients had tumors 1.6–3.0 cm. The median follow-up time is 60 months. The patients with the tumors ≤1.5 cm had an improved outcome when compared with patients with tumors 1.6–3.0 cm. The 5-year disease free survival (DFS) was 81.5 and 70.9%, respectively, (P=0.03) and the 5-year overall survival was 85.5 and 78.6%, respectively (P=0.05). In the multivariate analysis, tumor size was an independent prognostic factor for survival. Conclusions: Tumor size is a prognostic factor in pathologic stage IA NSCLC treated with adequate surgical resection. Such improvement, not observed in some earlier reports, may represent the effect of improved imaging and pre-operative surgical techniques. This finding requires confirmation in prospective series, but is important since it makes a case for further subdividing T1 lesions in resected NSCLC.
Absolute Optical Frequency Measurements with a Fractional Frequency Uncertainty at 1 × 10 -15

We report the technical details specific to our recent measurements of the optical frequency of the mercury single-ion frequency standard in terms of the SI second as realized by the NIST-F1 cesium fountain clock. In these measurements the total fractional uncertainty is ap 10-15, limited by the statistical measurement uncertainty. In this paper we will address the techniques employed for the optical-to-microwave comparison itself, which had an estimated fractional uncertainty of ap 3 times 10-16, limited by the stability of the electronics used for the comparison
Change Management Controls Compliance With The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Of 2002: An Example From Practice

Publicly held firms and the assurance services industry are currently struggling with the implementation of standards set forth in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). How to meet and assess SOX standards is considered by professionals to be uncharted territory. This study reports the details of an actual SOX audit. An international computer component manufacturing corporation engaged information system auditors from a Big 4 firm to determine whether change management procedures in two areas in their Finance Department were compliant with SOX. Audit results indicated internal control deficiencies in the two areas audited. SOX compliance was thus determined to be weak and unreliable. In addition to reporting audit procedures actually used in practice to test SOX compliance, this case study presents key change management control procedures firms must have in place to be SOX compliant. We provide helpful practical guidance for corporations and audit firms involved with SOX compliance audits. In addition, this study has value for corporate internal control training sessions as well as general applicability for accounting information systems (AIS) and management information systems (MIS) courses.
Electronic coupling through natural amino acids

Myriad scientific domains concern themselves with biological electron transfer (ET) events that span across vast scales of rate and efficiency through a remarkably fine-tuned integration of amino acid (AA) sequences, electronic structure, dynamics, and environment interactions. Within this intricate scheme, many questions persist as to how proteins modulate electron-tunneling properties. To help elucidate these principles, we develop a model set of peptides representing the common α-helix and β-strand motifs including all natural AAs within implicit protein-environment solvation. Using an effective Hamiltonian strategy with density functional theory, we characterize the electronic coupling through these peptides, furthermore considering side-chain dynamics. For both motifs, predictions consistently show that backbone-mediated electronic coupling is distinctly sensitive to AA type (aliphatic, polar, aromatic, negatively charged and positively charged), and to side-chain orientation. The unique properties of these residues may be employed to design activated, deactivated, or switch-like superexchange pathways. Electronic structure calculations and Green’s function analyses indicate that localized shifts in the electron density along the peptide play a role in modulating these pathways, and further substantiate the experimentally observed behavior of proline residues as superbridges. The distinct sensitivities of tunneling pathways to sequence and conformation revealed in this electronic coupling database help improve our fundamental understanding of the broad diversity of ET reactivity and provide guiding principles for peptide design.
Behavioral Profiles and Semantic Maps for Being in Russian

Because all shades of meaning are conveyed by the intelligent number.-- Nikolai GumilevThere are many compelling reasons for Cognitive Linguists to turn to more quantitative methods in their research, yet, as Gumilev notes in his poem, one can truly wonder about the limits of the Number amidst the power of the Word and the stretching of linguistics from philological and humanistic origins into a quantitative science. In the introduction to Gries and Stefanowitsch (2006:1-17), Gries outlines numerous studies utilizing quantitative and statistical methods, illustrating how the more intuitive practices of Cognitive Linguistics can be supported by "robust empirical and objective evidence" (8). Divjak and Gries (forthcoming and 2006) and Divjak (2006), as examples among many such studies, present compelling analyzes of near-synonyms in Russian and English using behavioral profiling, ID tags, and cluster analysis. Clancy (2006) and Croft and Poole (forthcoming) make the case for using the Optimal Classification method of Multidimensional Scaling (MDS-OC) as a rigorously defined mathematical method for revealing structure in language in a way that closely matches traditional cognitive linguistic analyzes. Furthermore, these quantitative methods allow one to tackle large-scale problems that would otherwise be insoluble by introspection or empirical observation alone. Conceptual spaces and semantic maps created with MDS-OC provide a means of confirming, refining, or challenging those analyzes, while acknowledging their strengths and fleshing-out their conclusions, giving teeth to the powerful insights of cognitive linguistics.
Correlation of Cocarcinogenic Activity Among n-Alkanes With Their Physical Effects on Phospholipid Micelles

N-alkanes from C12 to C28 were tested for their cocarcinogenic or promoting activities to evaluate a correlation of their biologic activity with their effects on transport properties of phospholipid micelles. On this basis, we had predicted that the C18 and C20 homologues would be more active than the better known dodecane. The C12, C16, C18, and C20 n-alkanes, at various dilutions from 6 to 40% by volume in decahydronaphthalene (Decalin), were tested for their relative activity in a cocarcinogenic relationship to benzo[a]pyrene. At a 20% alkane concentration level, the solutions containing octadecane and eicosane induced tumors most rapidly. A 40% dodecane concentration was required to produce this level of cocarcinogenic activity. The activity of octadecane paralleled its physical effects on transport kinetics closely in the 6-40% (by volume) concentration. The C18, C20, and C28 n-alkanes and the C30 olefin squalene at dilutions from 10 to 40% in Decalin (by volume) were tested for their relative promoting activity after a single application of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in benzene. At comparable mole fractions in Decalin, the three n-alkanes had essentially the same promoting activity; squalene, at 20%, showed only borderline activity. Thus the high biologic activity of the C18, C20, and C28 n-alkanes correlated well with their physical effects on the structure of phospholipid micelles (chain-chain interactions of the alkanes with the acyl chains of the lipid). This correlation was interpreted as a strong indication that the liquid crystalline region of the phospholipid assembly (adjacent to the aqueous interface) in the membranes of latent (initiated) cancer cells was the site of action of hydrocarbon cocarcinogens. Application of a modified physical model to pristane, a branched-chain C19 alkane from coal and Colorado shale, indicated higher cocarcinogenic activity than that of n-C18H38. Applied to purified samples of docosane and tetracosane, activity comparable to that of octadecane was indicated.
Adenomas arising in Barrett's esophagus.

Three cases of the unusual esophageal adenoma are described. The patients included two men and one woman, with a mean age of 61 years, who presented with dysphagia or heartburn. Histologically, the esophageal adenomas were composed of dysplastic epithelium in a polypoid configuration, similar to adenomas elsewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. All three adenomas arose within Barrett’s esophagus (columnar epithelium-lined distal esophagus), and dysplastic Barrett’s mucosa was found in the adjacent mucosa of each case. Critical review of the literature identified three additional cases; similar clinicopathologic features were described. Esophageal adenomas are a complication of Barrett’s esophagus and are best considered as macroscopic variants of epithelial dysplasia rather than as isolated adenomatous polyps. As such, they likely represent premalignant lesions.
Directed acyclic graph-based technology mapping of genetic circuit models.

As engineering foundations such as standards and abstraction begin to mature within synthetic biology, it is vital that genetic design automation (GDA) tools be developed to enable synthetic biologists to automatically select standardized DNA components from a library to meet the behavioral specification for a genetic circuit. To this end, we have developed a genetic technology mapping algorithm that builds on the directed acyclic graph (DAG) based mapping techniques originally used to select parts for digital electronic circuit designs and implemented it in our GDA tool, iBioSim. It is among the first genetic technology mapping algorithms to adapt techniques from electronic circuit design, in particular the use of a cost function to guide the search for an optimal solution, and perhaps that which makes the greatest use of standards for describing genetic function and structure to represent design specifications and component libraries. This paper demonstrates the use of our algorithm to map the specifica...
Attempts to Interrupt Virus Tumorigenesis by Immunization Using Homologous “Bjorklund-Type” Antigen.

SummaryStudies were carried out to determine whether “Bjorklund-type” lipoprotein tumor antigen could interrupt the appearance of tumors in animals infected at birth with oncogenic viruses. The polyoma and SV40 hamster systems were employed. “Bjorklund-type” antigen was prepared from corresponding virus-induced tumor and was made into aqueous and mineral oil adjuvant formulations. These vaccines were given during the time period between virus inoculation and first appearance of tumors. Also, adult animals, not previously exposed to virus, were immunized prior to challenge with homologous tumor transplant. None of the adult hamsters given “Bjorklund-type” antigens developed detectable cytolytic or precipitating antibody against homologous tumor. The vaccine was antigenic, however, as proved by development of such antibody in the heterologous guinea pig and rabbit species. The experiments were designed to determine whether protection would be afforded by the vaccine and such was clearly not obtained. Instea...
Manifestation of Berry’s Phase in Parametric Amplifiers

Parametric amplifiers are of considerable importance in nonlinear quantum optics as they are prototype systems for the generation of quantum states of the electromagnetic field having certain nonclassical properties. We refer to states exhibiting photon-antibunching1 or the property of squeezing2. In this contribution, we wish to discuss another phenomenon that should be realizable with parametric amplifiers — the geometric phase of Berry3. In this work we consider only the degenerate parametric amplifier (DPA) which is known to possess SU(1,1) as a dynamical group4,5. The dynamical group formalism is useful for the calculation of Berry’ss phase, and the details may be found in Ref. 6. We point out that the “compact” analogy of the present calculation is the two-level atom interacting with a resonant electromagnetic field whose phase is adjusted adiabatically7. The dynamical group in that case is obviously SU(2).
Littlewood’s Theorem

We introduce the Hilbert space H2 of analytic functions, discuss its norm, and give Littlewood’s original proof that every composition operator takes H2 boundedly into itself.
Study on Gas Holdup of Carbonation Reactor

As the core link of calcification-carbonation method for processing low-grade bauxite and red mud w hich w as proposed by Northeastern University research group,the carbonization process w as studied. Through the established w ater model experiments w hich w ere based on similar principles,effects of the superficial gas velocity,superficial liquid velocity and liquid-solid ratio on gas holdup w ere investigated using the differential pressure method in the air-w ater-glass bead system. The results show ed that the gas holdup in the derived reactor increased w ith the increase of the superficial gas velocity and liquid-solid ratio, w hile it w as inversely proportional to the superficial liquid velocity. And the effect of the superficial liquid velocity on the gas holdup w as much smaller than the superficial gas velocity.
Impact of Urease Inhibitors on Utilization Efficiency of N-Urea in Rice Paddy

Urea applied to the paddy field rapidly released ammonium (NH4+) through hydrolysis. The released NH+-N was usually at peak two days after the application. The peak was found to be lower and delay one day when a mixture of urea and urease inhibitors was applied. Based on tracing of 15N in the urea used, the two ure-ase inhibitors, phenylphosphordiamidate (PPD) and N- (N-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) , were found to enhance the efficiency of urea utilization by rice plants due to more absorption and also stimulate rice growth. The grain yields in the treatments applied with the mixture containing PPD or NBPT were higher, particularly at high N level,than that in the treatment applied with urea only. However, the urea inhibitor, hydroquinone (HQ), displayed far less effect than PPD and NBPT in the experiment. The application of rice straw was found to decrease the absorption of rice plants to N in urea but increase its residue in the soil.
Distribution and composition of Anopheles Lesteri in Liaoning province

Objective To examine the distribution and composition of Anopheles Lesteri in Liaoning province and to provide evidence for the development of control strategy for the insect vector.Methods Morphological and molecular biological methods were used to identify Anopheles Lesteri among Anopheles samples collected in Shenyang,Dalian,Dandong,Jinzhou,and Tieling city of Liaoning province in 2010.Results The proportions of Anopheles Lesteri in Shenyang,Dalian,Dandong,Jinzhou,and Tieling were 26%,66%,73%,33%,and 83%,respectively,and the proportion was highest in Tieling and lowest in Shenyang.The results of morphological identification showed that the constituent ratio of Reye Anopheles were 30%,74%,80%,33%,and 72% for the samples collected in Shenyang,Dalian,Dandong,Jinzhou,and Tieling city,respctively,and there was no significant difference in the ratios between PCR identification and morphological identification(χ2= 3.090 2,P 0.05).Conclusion Anopheles Lesteri was identified in all cities surveyed and was the dominant Anopheles in Dalian,Dandong and Tieling city.The north border of Anopheles Lesteri's distribution in China has moved to Tieling city,located in the northern latitude of 43°26'.
Addressee detection for dialog systems using temporal and spectral dimensions of speaking style.

As dialog systems evolve to handle unconstrained input and for use in open environments, addressee detection (detecting speech to the system versus to other people) becomes an increasingly important challenge. We study a corpus in which speakers talk both to a system and to each other, and model two dimensions of speaking style that talkers modify when changing addressee: speech rhythm and vocal effort. For each dimension we design features that do not require speech recognition output, session normalization, speaker normalization, or dialog context. Detection experiments show that rhythm and effort features are complementary, outperform lexical models based on recognized words, and reduce error rates even if word recognition is error-free. Simulated online processing experiments show that all features need only the first couple seconds of speech. Finally, we find that temporal and spectral stylistic models can be trained on outside corpora, such as ATIS and ICSI meetings, with reasonable generalization to the target task, thus showing promise for domain-independent computerversus-human addressee detectors.
METHOD OF SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS

The behavior of neutrons within an absorbing rod is determined through an orders of scattering analysis. Application of the results to practical problems of reactor analysis is presented to illustrate the method's utility. Several comparisons between calculated and experimental quantities are included to check the theory's veracity. Tables of calculated results are presented. (auth)
Self-Assembled Pico-Liter Droplet Microarray for Ultrasensitive Nucleic Acid Quantification

Nucleic acid detection and quantification technologies have made remarkable progress in recent years. Among existing platforms, hybridization-based assays have the advantages of being amplification free, low instrument cost, and high throughput, but are generally less sensitive compared to sequencing and PCR assays. To bridge this performance gap, we developed a quantitative physical model for the hybridization-based assay to guide the experimental design, which leads to a pico-liter droplet environment with drastically enhanced performance and detection limit several order above any current microarray platform. The pico-liter droplet hybridization platform is further coupled with the on-chip enrichment technique to yield ultrahigh sensitivity both in terms of target concentration and copy number. Our physical model, taking into account of molecular transport, electrostatic intermolecular interactions, reaction kinetics, suggests that reducing liquid height and optimizing target concentration will maximize the hybridization efficiency, and both conditions can be satisfied in a highly parallel, self-assembled pico-liter droplet microarray that produces a detection limit as low as 570 copies and 50 aM. The pico-liter droplet array device is realized with a micropatterned superhydrophobic black silicon surface that allows enrichment of nucleic acid samples by position-defined evaporation. With on-chip enrichment and oil encapsulated pico-liter droplet arrays, we have demonstrated a record high sensitivity, wide dynamic range (6 orders of magnitude), and marked reduction of hybridization time from >10 h to <5 min in a highly repeatable fashion, benefiting from the physics-driven design and nanofeatures of the device. The design principle and technology can contribute to biomedical sensing and point-of-care clinical applications such as pathogen detection and cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
Searching for photon-sector Lorentz violation using gravitational-wave detectors

Abstract We study the prospects for using interferometers in gravitational-wave detectors as tools to search for photon-sector violations of Lorentz symmetry. Existing interferometers are shown to be exquisitely sensitive to tiny changes in the effective refractive index of light occurring at frequencies around and below the microhertz range, including at the harmonics of the frequencies of the Earth's sidereal rotation and annual revolution relevant for tests of Lorentz symmetry. We use preliminary data obtained by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in 2006–2007 to place constraints on coefficients for Lorentz violation in the photon sector exceeding current limits by about four orders of magnitude.
Age-related differences in trunk muscle reflexive behaviors

Reports of larger passive and similar intrinsic trunk stiffness in older vs. younger populations suggest a diminishing demand for reflexive contributions of trunk muscles to spinal stability with aging. It remains unclear, though, whether such diminishing demands result in deterioration of trunk muscle reflexive behaviors. A cross-sectional study was completed to assess age-related differences in the latency and likelihood of trunk muscle reflexive responses to sudden perturbations. Sixty healthy individuals, aged 20-70 years, were recruited to form five equal-sized and gender-balanced age groups. Using a displacement-control, sudden perturbation paradigm, the latency and likelihood of trunk muscle reflexive responses to sudden perturbations were estimated, and the influences of age, gender, and level of effort (20% versus 30% of maximum voluntary exertion-MVE) were evaluated. There were no consistent age-related differences found in any of the measures of trunk muscle reflexive behavior. However, the latency of muscle response to perturbation was generally higher among older individuals, and this difference was significant in the condition involving 30% MVE effort. With an increase in level of effort (from 20% to 30% of MVE), there was a ~7% increase in the latency of trunk muscle responses to anteriorly-directed perturbations as well as ~ 15% (21%) decrease (increase) in response likelihood during anteriorly (posteriorly) directed perturbations. Furthermore, the reflexive response likelihood of trunk muscles was 28% (58%) larger (smaller) in female vs. male participants during anteriorly (posteriorly) directed perturbations. Our results did not, in general, support the hypothesis of an age-related decay in reflexive trunk muscle behaviors. Larger reflexive responses were associated with lower trunk intrinsic stiffness among females and during a lower level of effort, suggesting a secondary role for reflexive responses in spinal stability. Such secondary compensatory responses appear, however, to be consistent over a wide age range.
Mammary-Stem-Cell-Based Somatic Mouse Models Reveal Breast Cancer Drivers Causing Cell Fate Dysregulation.

Cancer genomics has provided an unprecedented opportunity for understanding genetic causes of human cancer. However, distinguishing which mutations are functionally relevant to cancer pathogenesis remains a major challenge. We describe here a mammary stem cell (MaSC) organoid-based approach for rapid generation of somatic genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs). By using RNAi and CRISPR-mediated genome engineering in MaSC-GEMMs, we have discovered that inactivation of Ptpn22 or Mll3, two genes mutated in human breast cancer, greatly accelerated PI3K-driven mammary tumorigenesis. Using these tumor models, we have also identified genetic alterations promoting tumor metastasis and causing resistance to PI3K-targeted therapy. Both Ptpn22 and Mll3 inactivation resulted in disruption of mammary gland differentiation and an increase in stem cell activity. Mechanistically, Mll3 deletion enhanced stem cell activity through activation of the HIF pathway. Thus, our study has established a robust in vivo platform for functional cancer genomics and has discovered functional breast cancer mutations.
Structural basis for gating the high-conductance Ca 2+ -activated K + channel

The precise control of an ion channel gate by environmental stimuli is crucial for the fulfilment of its biological role. The gate in Slo1 K+ channels is regulated by two separate stimuli, intracellular Ca2+ concentration and membrane voltage. Slo1 is thus central to understanding the relationship between intracellular Ca2+ and membrane excitability. Here we present the Slo1 structure from Aplysia californica in the absence of Ca2+ and compare it with the Ca2+-bound channel. We show that Ca2+ binding at two unique binding sites per subunit stabilizes an expanded conformation of the Ca2+ sensor gating ring. These conformational changes are propagated from the gating ring to the pore through covalent linkers and through protein interfaces formed between the gating ring and the voltage sensors. The gating ring and the voltage sensors are directly connected through these interfaces, which allow membrane voltage to regulate gating of the pore by influencing the Ca2+ sensors.
On the global convergence characteristics of numerically evaluated Jacobian matrices

Since locating all the fixed points of a nonlinear oscillator involves the numerical solution of simultaneous equations, it is useful to observe some of the global convergence characteristics of these techniques. Specifically, the popular Newton or quasi-Newton approaches require numerical evaluation of the Jacobian matrix of the Poincare map. This note focuses attention on the domains of attraction for a number of fixed point techniques applied to a single nonlinear oscillator with a single set of parameters. Clearly, there are many issues here, including proximity to bifurcations, order of the dynamical system, temporal convergence characteristics, i.e. CPU time, and so on, but it is instructive to observe a snapshot of the basins of attraction, the boundaries of which path-following routines seek to avoid when a parameter is changed.
Dorsal Muscle Attenuation May Predict Failure to Respond to Interleukin-2 Therapy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Rationale and Objectives To explore whether the sarcopenia body type can help predict response to interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Materials and Methods Institutional review board approval was obtained for this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant retrospective cohort study of 75 subjects with metastatic RCC who underwent pretreatment contrast-enhanced computed tomography within 1 year of initiating IL-2 therapy. Cross-sectional area and attenuation of normal-density (31–100 Hounsfield units [HU]) and low-density (0–30 HU) dorsal muscles were obtained at the T11 vertebral level. The primary outcome was partial or complete response to IL-2 using RECIST 1.1 criteria at 6 weeks. A conditional inference tree was used to determine an optimal HU cutoff for predicting outcome. Bonferroni-adjusted multivariate logistic regression was conducted to investigate the independent associations between imaging features and response after controlling for demographics, doses of IL-2, and RCC prognostic scales (eg, Heng and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center [MSKCC]). Results Most subjects had intermediate prognosis by Heng (65% [49 of 75]) and the MSKCC (63% [47 of 75]) criteria; 7% had complete response and 12% had partial response. Mean attenuation of low-density dorsal muscles was a significant univariate predictor of IL-2 response after Bonferroni correction (P = 0.03). The odds of responding to treatment were 5.8 times higher for subjects with higher-attenuation low-density dorsal muscles (optimal cutoff: 18.1 HU). This persisted in multivariate analysis (P = 0.02). Body mass index (P = 0.67) and the Heng (P = 0.22) and MSKCC (P = 0.08) clinical prognostic scales were not significant predictors of response. Conclusions Mean cross-sectional attenuation of low-density dorsal muscles (ie, sarcopenia) may predict IL-2 response in metastatic RCC. Clinical variables are poor predictors of response.
The Secrets of the Secret Court

Secrets, along with who collects them and who they are about, have been part of the national discourse on several occasions throughout our history. The most recent flare-up has occurred over the last several months as revelations about various National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance programs have been leaked to media outlets around the world. Headlines have abounded throughout the summer and fall, with most of the focus being on two NSA programs. The first is the collection of telephone data records–although not the content of the telephone calls themselves–from U.S. telephone customers. The second is a program called PRISM, a program to collect data from Internet communications, including in some cases, the contents of the communications themselves. Until the reports were leaked, these programs were kept secret from the public at large as well as the individuals whose data was gathered.
Reading the tree leaves-how to enrich clinical trials of diabetic kidney disease.

Most participants selected for clinical trials of renoprotective drugs do not reach approved endpoints; thus, large trials or prolonged follow-up are needed to achieve adequate statistical power. Yamanouchi et al. used a classification and regression trees analysis to enrich enrollment criterion for patients at the highest risk of reaching these outcomes. Their findings suggest a greater role for newly identified biomarkers of diabetic kidney disease in the selection of participants for clinical trials.
The Cultural Work of Teacher Education

Engaging teacher education as cultural work positions teacher educators and pre-service teachers as cultural workers. Cultural workers foreground the cultural complexities of their situated experiences while aiming to produce cultures that transform prevailing inequalities and injustices in public education. Doctoral students are also cultural workers translating the world of academia and their role in it as they learn to educate teacher candidates. How doctoral candidates engage in this cultural work depends greatly on the degree to which their faculty mentors are able to reveal the contradictions and opportunities for expansive learning that co-exist within schools of education and individual departments such as curriculum and learning. This article looks at this conundrum from the perspectives of a doctoral student and a senior faculty member.
Tongue and Floor of Mouth Defect Reconstruction

The tongue and floor of the mouth represents an anatomically small compartment within the head and neck, but it is a complex collision of tissue types and function. This area is perhaps often overlooked in the hierarchy of importance due to the concealment of the overlying lips and maxillomandibular complexes, but nonetheless demands the utmost attention to the reconstructive surgeon. There are numerous tissues of distinct embryologic origins that interface with one another. Applying a thorough understanding of the relevant surgical anatomy, reconstructive options, and scientific information can lead to individually tailored approaches which optimize surgical outcomes. The focus of this chapter will be on reconstruction of the tongue and floor of the mouth defects that are compositely less than or equal to a hemiglossectomy. There will be a systematic and straightforward approach that both the neophyte and seasoned surgeon alike can glean from.
Smoking cessation treatment by primary care physicians: An update and call for training.

Background Public health and government organizations have invested considerably to increase physician adherence to smoking-cessation practice guidelines. Methods A random sample of 2000 U.S. primary care physicians was ascertained from the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2002. Respondents ( n =1120, 62.3%) provided self-reported data about individual and practice characteristics and smoking-cessation practices. Data were analyzed in 2005. Results Most primary care physicians (75%) advised cessation, 64% recommended nicotine patches, 67% recommended bupropion, 32% recommended nicotine gum, 10% referred to cessation experts, and 26% referred to cessation programs "often or always." Advising cessation was related to being older, having a faculty appointment, having trained staff for smoking counseling, and having confidence to counsel patients about smoking. Physicians who were internists, younger, and those with greater confidence to counsel patients about smoking recommended nicotine replacement more often. Prescribing bupropion was less common among older physicians, in the Northeast, with trained staff available for counseling, and with a greater proportion of minority or Medicaid patients. Prescribing bupropion was more common among AMA-member physicians and physicians with greater confidence to counsel patients about smoking. Providing a referral to an outside expert or program was more common among female physicians, and physicians in the Northeast or West, with larger clinical practices, and with trained staff for cessation counseling. Conclusions Current physician self-reported practices for smoking cessation suggest opportunity for improvement. Targeted efforts to educate and support subsets of primary care physicians may improve physician adherence and smoking outcomes.
Establishing Traceability for Quantities Derived from Multiple Traceable Quantities

Some quantities are traceable to a single quantity with the same unit but a lower uncertainty. For instance, a weight of 50 g ± 1 g might be calibrated with a reference weight of 50 g ± 0.1 g. Mean...
Lipopolysaccharide is transported to the cell surface by a membrane-to-membrane protein bridge

Gram-negative bacteria have an outer membrane that serves as a barrier to noxious agents in the environment. This protective function is dependent on lipopolysaccharide, a large glycolipid located in the outer leaflet of the outer membrane. Lipopolysaccharide is synthesized at the cytoplasmic membrane and must be transported to the cell surface. To understand this transport process, we reconstituted membrane-to-membrane movement of lipopolysaccharide by incorporating purified inner and outer membrane transport complexes into separate proteoliposomes. Transport involved stable association between the inner and outer membrane proteoliposomes. Our results support a model in which lipopolysaccharide molecules are pushed one after the other in a PEZ dispenser–like manner across a protein bridge that connects the inner and outer membranes.
Patient Satisfaction and Treatment Adherence for Urban Adolescents and Young Adults with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.

Objectives Urban adolescents with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) often seek care in emergency departments (ED). This study examines the effect of the ED patient experience - wait time (WT) and length of stay (LOS) - on satisfaction and medication adherence among urban adolescents with PID. Methods Adolescents with PID were enrolled in an urban teaching hospital ED. Chart data were matched with 2-week interview queries about satisfaction and medication adherence. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses evaluated the relationships between WT, LOS, provider type, satisfaction, and medication adherence. Results Of 83 participants, 96% report satisfaction with care, but only 45% report medication adherence. Mean WT was 55 minutes and mean LOS 200 minutes. Patients with higher LOS were less adherent with medication; this relationship became non-significant after adjustments. Patients seen by trainees had much longer LOS, but no differences in satisfaction or medication adherence. Conclusions Urban adolescents with PID report satisfaction with ED care despite prolonged LOS and medication adherence is poor. Optimization of ED workflows may improve outcomes in young women with PID.
Finding the average rates of change in repetitive behavior

The repetitive behavior of a device or system can be described in two ways: a detailed description of one iteration of the behavior, or a summary description of the behavior over many repetitions. This paper describes an implemented program called AIS that transforms the first type of description into the second type. AIS deals only with behavior where each repetition changes parameters by the same amounts. At present, the summary consists of the symbolic average rates of change in parameter values and information on how those rates would be different if various constants and functions had been different. Unlike some other approaches, AIS does not require that a repeating behavior be described in terms of a set of differential equations. Two examples of running AIS are given: one concerns the human heart, the other a steam engine.
When Father (or Mother) Doesn't Know Best: Quasi-Parents and Parental Deference after Troxel V. Granville

This Article examines the effect of Troxel v. Granville on visitation disputes between parents and persons who have played a parental role to children not biologically or legally their own, persons the author refers to as "quasi-parents." Relying on psycho-sociological studies, the author compares the dominant model of a grandparent, the most frequent petitioners in visitation disputes, against the quasi-parental role assumed by grandparents in African-American, Latino, and other minority households to illustrate situations in which a quasi-parent may know as well as a parent what is in a child's best interest. Critiquing courts' deference to parents' decisions denying a quasi-parent visitation, the author develops a framework for resolving visitation disputes that protects parents' liberty interests in the care, custody, and control of their children while simultaneously protecting children's interests in maintaining relationships with quasi-parents. Demonstrating that parental deference is not based solely on biology, but on the emotional bond that the law presumes parents and children share, the author proposes that evidence of a quasi-parental relationship with a child rebut the presumption of validity granted to parents' decisions, thereby allowing a court to award visitation under the pre-Troxel best interests of the child standard.
Water Chemistry in Caves

Caves would not exist in limestone bedrock if it were not for water. The duality of water’s role in bedrock dissolution to form the cave and in mineral precipitation to decorate the cave can be understood through an examination of the chemistry of cave waters. Just as any natural water acquires its chemical composition, cave waters acquire solutes from many different sources, including gases from the atmosphere, weathering and dissolution of the minerals of soils and bedrock, and from human activities.