cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Market-to-market day-ahead scheduling considering information privacy

In the operation of electricity markets, market-to-market (M2M) coordination is used to increase the reliability of the interconnected power grid and maintain the consistency of the price across the integrated markets. However, the implementation of M2M coordination is facing challenges due to increasing size and complexity of the modern electricity markets, the information privacy and communication issues among them. To address these concerns, this paper presents a decentralized decision-making approach for the day-ahead scheduling of multi-interconnected markets while respecting the information privacy between markets and requiring minimum data exchange among them. In the proposed approach, each market solves its own day-ahead scheduling problem, and sends its equivalent (or processed) boundary information to the neighboring markets. The modified IEEE 14-bus and IEEE 118-bus testing systems are used in this paper to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Mechanisms for altered carnitine content in hypertrophied rat hearts

Carnitine levels are reduced in hypertrophied hearts of rats subjected to aortic constriction (banding) and elevated in hypertrophied hearts of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In an attempt to determine the mechanisms for these alterations, L-[14C]carnitine transport was examined in isolated perfused hearts. Total carnitine uptake was significantly reduced by approximately 20% in hypertrophied hearts of banded rats at all perfusate carnitine concentrations employed. The reduction in total uptake was due to a 40% reduction in carrier-mediated carnitine uptake with no difference in uptake by diffusion. In contrast, carnitine uptake was not altered in isolated hypertrophied hearts of SHR. However, serum carnitine levels were elevated in SHR, which could result in increased myocardial carnitine uptake in vivo. The data suggest that altered carnitine content in hypertrophied hearts of aortic-banded rats is due to an alteration in the carrier-mediated carnitine transport system in the myocardium. However, altered carnitine content in hypertrophied hearts of SHR is not due to a change in the carnitine transport system per se but may rather be due to a change in serum carnitine levels.
A New Phenomenology: A-T. Tymieniecka’s Departure from Husserl and Ingarden

Though it is well known that Roman Ingarden did not establish a school of followers among his students at Cracow, however, one of these students, Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, devoted much of her scholarly effort to the studies of her master. She has also succeeded in introducing Ingarden to the Western world.1 Nevertheless, she did not remain an orthodox disciple of Roman Ingarden; rather, her profound probing into his philosophical assumptions led her eventually into her own philosophy. Consequently, it is not only her critique of Ingarden but also her own phenomenological position which ultimately best explicates Ingarden’s works.
Costimulation Induces CD4 T Cell Antitumor Immunity via an Innate-like Mechanism

Summary Chronic exposure to tumor-associated antigens inactivates cognate T cells, restricting the repertoire of tumor-specific effector T cells. This problem was studied here by transferring TCR transgenic CD4 T cells into recipient mice that constitutively express a cognate self-antigen linked to MHC II on CD11c-bearing cells. Immunotherapeutic agonists to CD134 plus CD137, “dual costimulation,” induces specific CD4 T cell expansion and expression of the receptor for the Th2-associated IL-1 family cytokine IL-33. Rather than producing IL-4, however, they express the tumoricidal Th1 cytokine IFNγ when stimulated with IL-33 or IL-36 (a related IL-1 family member) plus IL-12 or IL-2. IL-36, which is induced within B16-F10 melanomas by dual costimulation, reduces tumor growth when injected intratumorally as a monotherapy and boosts the efficacy of tumor-nonspecific dual costimulated CD4 T cells. Dual costimulation thus enables chronic antigen-exposed CD4 T cells, regardless of tumor specificity, to elaborate tumoricidal function in response to tumor-associated cytokines.
Hedging Against Inflation Risk with Real Annuities

The only retirement contract that both insures against longevity risk and hedges against inflation is a life annuity that is linked to the consumer price index (CPI). It is denominated in the same units of account as Social Security benefits. We call it a “real annuity,” although it is also referred to as an inflation-indexed single-premium immediate annuity (SPIA). In computing a person’s replacement ratio of preretirement income, we can add Social Security benefits and the income produced by a real annuity to arrive at a meaningful number. An annuity that is not linked to the CPI we call a “nominal annuity.” It is measured in units that are different from Social Security, so it would be a mistake to add the two in computing a replacement ratio. Despite those obvious facts, real annuities are largely ignored in practice and they comprise a tiny portion of the annuities market. The vast majority of income annuities sold are fixed in nominal dollars. From the perspective of rational economic decision-making, this is a puzzle. Let’s call it the “nominal annuity puzzle.” The purpose of this article is to explore the reasons behind this puzzle and to suggest ways to solve it. The lack of interest in real annuities can be explained by a lack of recognition that the purchase of a nominal annuity constitutes a speculative bet on future inflation rates and that the real annuity is the risk-free asset.
Poverty and Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract Once considered diseases of affluence, many chronic conditions—including chronic kidney disease (CKD)—are now recognized as diseases of social disadvantage. Risk for CKD and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increased among individuals of low socioeconomic status. This increased risk is mediated by negative social determinants of health—such as poor access to healthy foods, unsafe communities, poor health literacy and numeracy, limited access to transportation, lack of paid sick leave, lack of health insurance, poor housing quality and stability and limited social support, among others. These negative social determinants create barriers to health-promoting lifestyles and behaviors, reduce access to healthcare, increase risk for environmental exposures, elevate stress and allostatic load, and contribute to harmful developmental programming and epigenetic changes. These mechanisms contribute to poor kidney outcomes directly and indirectly, through increased risk of causal (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, HIV) and complicating (e.g. depression) diseases.
Moving to Less Contaminated Audit Offices and the Likelihood of Misstatements

This study investigates whether companies improve their financial reporting quality after changing to a less contaminated audit office using the contamination score from Swanquist and Whited 2015. We use the likelihood of misstatement as our proxy for financial reporting quality and find a significantly lower likelihood of misstatements after a company moves to a less contaminated audit office. We find that this effect exists in both the short-term and long-term and is influenced by the magnitude of the contamination score difference between the predecessor audit office and the successor audit office. Additional analyses indicate that both, a lower likelihood of missed internal control weaknesses and reduced income-increasing discretionary accruals, are possible explanations for the lower likelihood of misstatements. The results suggest that companies successfully improve their financial reporting quality after moving to less contaminated audit offices even in the presence of issues related to short-term auditor tenure.
The Impact of Real-Time Feedback and Video Analysis on Early Childhood Teachers’ Practice:

We used a multiple-probe single-case research design to examine the effect of a professional development package that included real-time technology-enhanced performance-based feedback and video ana...
Increasing parental knowledge through workshops on early childhood programs, home literacy, and technology use

This experimental study explores the effects of workshops designed to increase directly the knowledge of Latinx parents, and indirectly, their children’s vocabulary knowledge. Thirty-two Latinx mot...
Breaking the centrifugal barrier to giant planet contraction by magnetic disc braking

During the runaway phase of their formation, gas giants fill their gravitational spheres of influence out to Bondi or Hill radii. When runaway ends, planets shrink several orders of magnitude in radius until they are comparable in size to present-day Jupiter; in 1D models, the contraction occurs on the Kelvin-Helmholtz time-scale $t_{\rm KH}$, which is initially a few thousand years. However, if angular momentum is conserved, contraction cannot complete, as planets are inevitably spun up to their breakup periods $P_{\rm break}$. We consider how a circumplanetary disc (CPD) can de-spin a primordially magnetized gas giant and remove the centrifugal barrier, provided the disc is hot enough to couple to the magnetic field, a condition that is easier to satisfy at later times. By inferring the planet's magnetic field from its convective cooling luminosity, we show that magnetic spin-down times are shorter than contraction times throughout post-runaway contraction: $t_{\rm mag}/t_{\rm KH}\sim(P_{\rm break}/t_{\rm KH})^{1/21}\lesssim 1$. Planets can spin down until they corotate with the CPD's magnetospheric truncation radius, at a period $P_{\rm max}/P_{\rm break} \sim (t_{\rm KH}/P_{\rm break})^{1/7}$. By the time the disc disperses, $P_{\rm max}/P_{\rm break}\sim 20-30$; further contraction at fixed angular momentum can spin planets back up to $\sim$$10 P_{\rm break}$, potentially explaining observed rotation periods of giant planets and brown dwarfs.
Application of Nano-indentation method to characterize adhesion strength of polyimide film

Thick polyimide layer has been used as buffer layer to absorb stress imposed by molding compounds for many years. This paper studied the adhesion strength of the thick polyimide layer under different process conditions. The stress was induced by indentation, and delamination was confirmed by FIB and SEM imaging. The calculated adhesion energy for polyimide film was highest, around 30 J/m2, for the wafer processed with an extra pad protection layer Nblok (Nitrogen-doped barrier on top of copper, SiCN) plasma clean before the spin coating of polyimide film.
Experimental design and sample size considerations in longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging-based biomarker detection for multiple sclerosis:

Several modeling approaches have been developed to quantify differences in multiple sclerosis lesion evolution on magnetic resonance imaging to identify the effect of treatment on disease progression. These studies have limited clinical applicability due to onerous scan frequency and lengthy study duration. Efficient methods are needed to reduce the required sample size, study duration, and sampling frequency in longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging studies. We develop a data-driven approach to identify parameters of study design for evaluation of longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers of multiple sclerosis lesion evolution. Our design strategies are considerably shorter than those described in previous studies, thus having the potential to lower costs of clinical trials. From a dataset of 36 multiple sclerosis patients with at least six monthly magnetic resonance imagings, we extracted new lesions and performed principal component analysis to estimate a biomarker that recapitulated lesion recovery. We tested the effect of multiple sclerosis disease modifying therapy on the lesion evolution index in three experimental designs and calculated sample sizes needed to appropriately power studies. Our proposed methods can be used to calculate required sample size and scan frequency in observational studies of multiple sclerosis disease progression as well as in designing clinical trials to find effects of treatment on multiple sclerosis lesion evolution.
E-ABS: Extending the Analysis-By-Synthesis Robust Classification Model to More Complex Image Domains

Conditional generative models, such as Schott et al.'s Analysis-by-Synthesis (ABS), have state-of-the-art robustness on MNIST, but fail in more challenging datasets. In this paper, we present E-ABS, an improvement on ABS that achieves state-of-the-art robustness on SVHN. E-ABS gives more reliable class-conditional likelihood estimations on both in-distribution and out-of-distribution samples than ABS. Theoretically, E-ABS preserves ABS's key features for robustness; thus, we show that E-ABS has similar certified robustness as ABS. Empirically, E-ABS outperforms both ABS and adversarial training on SVHN and a traffic sign dataset, achieving state-of-the-art robustness on these two real-world tasks. Our work shows a connection between ABS-like models and some recent advances on generative models, suggesting that ABS-like models are a promising direction for defending adversarial examples.
Absence of Cytochrome P450-1b1 Increases Susceptibility of Pressure-Induced Axonopathy in the Murine Retinal Projection

Mutations in the cytochrome P450-1B1 (Cyp1b1) gene is a common genetic predisposition associated with various human glaucomas, most prominently in primary congenital glaucoma (PCG). The role of Cyp1b1 in the eye is largely unknown, however, its absence appears to drive the maldevelopment of anterior eye structures responsible for aqueous fluid drainage in murine models. Nevertheless, vision loss in glaucoma ultimately results from the structural and functional loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Cyp1b1's influence in the development and support of retinal ganglion cell structure and function under normal conditions or during stress, such as elevated ocular pressure; the most common risk factor in glaucoma, remains grossly unknown. Thus, to determine the role of Cyp1b1 in normal retinal projection development we first assessed the strucutrual integrity of RGCs in the retina, optic nerve, and superior colliculus in un-manipulated (naive) Cyp1b1-knockout (Cyp1b1-/-) mice. In addition, in a separate cohort of Cyp1b1-/- and wildtype mice, we elevated and maintained intraocular pressure (IOP) at glaucomatous levels for 5-weeks, after which we compared RGC density, node of Ranvier morphology, and axonal transport between the genotypes. Our results demonstrate that naive Cyp1b1-/- mice develop an anatomically intact retinal projection absent of overt glaucomatous pathology. Following pressure elevation, Cyp1b1-/- accelerated degradation of axonal transport from the retina to the superior colliculus and altered morphology of the nodes of Ranvier and adjacent paranodes in the optic nerves. Together this data suggests the absence Cyp1b1 expression alone is insufficient to drive murine glaucomatous pathology, however, may increase the vulnerability of retinal axons to disease relevant elevations in IOP.
Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in international travelers.

Purpose of review Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria poses a major risk to global public health, with many factors contributing to the observed increase in AMR. International travel is one recognized contributor. The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge regarding the acquisition, carriage and spread of AMR bacteria by international travelers. Recent findings Recent studies have highlighted that travel is an important risk factor for the acquisition of AMR bacteria, with approximately 30% of studied travelers returning with an acquired AMR bacterium. Epidemiological studies have shown there are three major risk factors for acquisition: travel destination, antimicrobial usage and travelers' diarrhea (TD). Analyses have begun to illustrate the AMR genes that are acquired and spread by travelers, risk factors for acquisition and carriage of AMR bacteria, and local transmission of imported AMR organisms. Summary International travel is a contributor to the acquisition and dissemination of AMR organisms globally. Efforts to reduce the burden of AMR organisms should include a focus on international travelers. Routine genomic surveillance would further elucidate the role of international travel in the global spread of AMR bacteria.
Impacts of Chromatin States and Long-Range Genomic Segments on Aging and DNA Methylation.

Understanding the fundamental dynamics of epigenome variation during normal aging is critical for elucidating key epigenetic alterations that affect development, cell differentiation and diseases. Advances in the field of aging and DNA methylation strongly support the aging epigenetic drift model. Although this model aligns with previous studies, the role of other epigenetic marks, such as histone modification, as well as the impact of sampling specific CpGs, must be evaluated. Ultimately, it is crucial to investigate how all CpGs in the human genome change their methylation with aging in their specific genomic and epigenomic contexts. Here, we analyze whole genome bisulfite sequencing DNA methylation maps of brain frontal cortex from individuals of diverse ages. Comparisons with blood data reveal tissue-specific patterns of epigenetic drift. By integrating chromatin state information, divergent degrees and directions of aging-associated methylation in different genomic regions are revealed. Whole genome bisulfite sequencing data also open a new door to investigate whether adjacent CpG sites exhibit coordinated DNA methylation changes with aging. We identified significant ‘aging-segments’, which are clusters of nearby CpGs that respond to aging by similar DNA methylation changes. These segments not only capture previously identified aging-CpGs but also include specific functional categories of genes with implications on epigenetic regulation of aging. For example, genes associated with development are highly enriched in positive aging segments, which are gradually hyper-methylated with aging. On the other hand, regions that are gradually hypo-methylated with aging (‘negative aging segments’) in the brain harbor genes involved in metabolism and protein ubiquitination. Given the importance of protein ubiquitination in proteome homeostasis of aging brains and neurodegenerative disorders, our finding suggests the significance of epigenetic regulation of this posttranslational modification pathway in the aging brain. Utilizing aging segments rather than individual CpGs will provide more comprehensive genomic and epigenomic contexts to understand the intricate associations between genomic neighborhoods and developmental and aging processes. These results complement the aging epigenetic drift model and provide new insights.
Constitutive Relations and Solution Schemes in Plastic Analysis

Several methods based on a finite element stiffness formulation developed in the last few years to obtain solutions to elastic-plastic problems involving small deformations are reviewed in this paper. Various yield conditions, i.e., von Mises, Tresca, and Approximate Tresca, that have frequently been employed in the development of the plastic stress-strain relations in the incremental form, are presented. Specific attention is drawn to the successful use of the Tresca yield condition. Two solution techniques, i.e., direct stiffness method and quadratic programming technique, are compared in terms of their computational efficiency. Iterative and interpolative schemes that are utilized in an incremental plastic analysis to satisfy the yield condition are given. Comparisons of solutions using constant strain and linear strain triangular elements are presented indicating the advantages of one over the other. A joint application of the substructuring and mesh-refinement schemes in elastic-plastic finite element analysis is demonstrated.
A Self-stabilizing Algorithm for Maximum Popular Matching of Strictly Ordered Preference Lists

In this paper, we consider the problem of Popular Matching of strictly ordered preference lists. A Popular Matching is not guaranteed to exist in any network. We propose an IDbased, constant space, self-stabilizing algorithm that converges to a Maximum Popular Matching—an optimum solution, if one exist. We show that the algorithm stabilizes in moves under any scheduler (daemon). Keywords—self-stabilization, popular matching, algorithm, distributed computing, fault tolerance
Sympathy and Scapegoating in J.M. Coetzee

J.M. Coetzee’s book, 'Elizabeth Costello' is one of the stranger works to appear in recent years. Yet if we focus our attention on the book’s two chapters dealing with animals, two preoccupations emerge. The first sees Coetzee use animals to evoke a particular conception of ethics, one similar to that of the philosopher Mary Midgley. Coetzee’s second theme connects animals to the phenomena of scapegoating, as it has been characterized by the philosophical anthropologist Rene Girard. While both themes involve human interactions with animals, each transcends application to that particular issue and raises deeper questions, respectively concerning the foundations of morality and the therapeutic allure of political violence. Making explicit these two preoccupations enhances our understanding of Coetzee’s fiction, particularly Disgrace. However, when Coetzee’s two philosophical strands are analyzed in their own terms, the ethics of sympathy is shown to be a more coherent notion than the understanding of politics he takes over from Girard.
Muscarinic Sites in the Amphibian Central Nervous System: Characterization and Temperature Studies

Associations of the muscarinic cholinergic antagonist [ 3 H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ( 3 H-QNB) with neural membranes from the frog ( Rana pipiens pipiens ) are described. This ligand interacts with a single set of identical independent sites on these membranes. The set of sites has characteristics suggesting that it represents a population of muscarinic receptor structures. The first thermodynamic association constant of 3 H-QNB with the set of sites is 1.7 ± 0.53 x 10 9 M -1 . The pseudo-first-order rate constant of association is 2.74 ± 0.42 x 10 6 M -1 sec -1 . Temperature studies demonstrate several transitions in both the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of association. Finally, when membrane composition is modified by temperature acclimation of the animals, significant changes are observed in both antagonist and agonist interactions with the receptor structure.
R-buffer: a pointerless A-buffer hardware architecture

We present a graphics hardware architecture that implements Carpenter's A-buffer. The A-buffer is a software renderer that uses pointer based linked lists. Our pointerless approach computes order independent transparency for any number of layers with minimal hardware complexity. Statistics are shown for a variety of different scenes using a trace based methodology, with an instrumented Mesa OpenGL implementation. The architecture is shown to require from 2.1 to 3.6 times more memory than traditional Z-buffering. A detailed hardware design is provided. Order independent transparency is computed without application sorting and without artifacts. The architecture can also be used for antialiasing, and an example of Carpenter's classical A-buffer antialiasing is shown.
Low doses of apomorphine transiently reduce locomotor activity in MPTP-treated mice.

Abstract Parkinson's disease patients sometimes experience deterioration of motor function to below their baseline “off” state, termed the “super-off” state. We used low subthreshold (0.05 mg/kg) to threshold (0.10 and 0.20 mg/kg) doses of apomorphine to demonstrate the “super-off” state in MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine)-lesioned mice. Twenty-four mice were randomized to receive apomorphine or vehicle. Within 20 min of administration, 0.10 and 0.20 mg/kg apomorphine-treated mice had less locomotion than controls. At the 100 min time point, 0.10 mg/kg apomorphine-treated mice had greater locomotion than controls. One week of suprathreshold levodopa pretreatment did not alter the response to these low apomorphine doses. Our results suggest that low doses of apomorphine can initially depress locomotion and subsequently stimulate locomotion, in a manner similar to what is seen in Parkinson's disease patients.
UAV flight path planning in time varying complex wind-fields

This paper addresses the problem of path planning for a small UAV operating in a complex four dimensional (time and spatially varying) environment. A kinematic tree path planner that explicitly accounts for time is presented. This kinematic planner is shown to be resolution complete through comparison with the RC-RRT, and simulation results demonstrating planning in a complex time- and spatially-varying wind field are presented. The simulation considers an unpowered (i.e. gliding) aircraft, hence exploitation of vertical components of wind is critical for feasibility of flights to the goal.
Plasma protein recovery from spent tissue culture fluid

Plasma protein fraction from spent effluent in downstream processing was precipitated by zinc chloride. The protein was formulated and reused as a supplement in tissue culture medium. Cell growth and effective product expression were demonstrated in a continuous culture system.
Medium-resolution studies of extreme ultraviolet emission from N2 by electron impact - Vibrational perturbations and cross sections of the c4-prime 1Sigma(+)u and b-prime 1Sigma(+)u states

In a crossed-beam experiment the electron-impact-induced fluorescence spectrum of N2 in the extreme ultraviolet is studied at a spectral resolution of up to 0.03 nm. The optically thin experiment obtained the highest-resolution electron-impact emission spectrum of the Rydberg and valence states of N2. The spectral measurements provide the emission cross sections of each of the vibrational transitions of the Carroll-Yoshino and the Birge-Hopfield-II band systems. Laboratory vibrational-excitation cross sections arising from the mutual perturbation of the c4-prime 1Sigma(+)u and b-prime 1Sigma(+)u states by homogeneous configuration interactions are measured from 10 to 400 eV, and a modified Born approximation analytic model is given for them. The analysis leads to accurate band-system oscillator strengths. The relative emission and excitation cross sections each of the vibrational levels are compared. In addition, low-resolution measurements of the cross section of the atomic dissociation fragments (NI, NII, NIII) from 40 to 102 nm are made, and medium-resolution measurements are made of the emission cross section of the c4 1Pi(u), c5-prime 1Sigma(+)u, c5 1Pi(u), and c6-prime 1Sigma(+)u to X 1Sigma(+)g (0,0) transitions.
'Richly complex' but needs an emotion theory.

AT A TIME when health maintenance organizations of all kinds are paying little or nothing for psychotherapy of Axis I, much less Axis II, disorders, many, if not most, psychiatry departments seem to be cooperating by emphasizing DSM-IV 1 diagnoses and drug treatment. In my own department, 11 of 25 psychiatric grand rounds in the past academic year were sponsored by drug companies. Guess what diagnoses they are interested in? Therefore, it is refreshing to read the focus by Horowitz et al 2 on avowed personality problems. For the last 10 years, with MacArthur Foundation support, Horowitz and colleagues have pursued "configurational analysis," by which they mean a case formulation method that is also, to some extent, an explanatory model of the patient's pathological, maladaptive interactions with other people. The role-relationship model (RRM) configurations, as they call them, are designed "to inform us about how and why an individual repeats
Trafficking of Mutant Carboxypeptidase E to Secretory Granules in a β-Cell Line Derived from Cpefat/Cpefat Mice

We have reinvestigated the stability and intracellular routing of mutant carboxypeptidase E in NIT3 cells, a pancreatic beta-cell line derived from the Cpe(fat)/Cpe(fat) mouse. Pulse-chase experiments demonstrated that this protein has a half-life of approximately 3 h in these cells and that up to 45% of the proCPE(202) can escape degradation by the proteosome. In double-label immunofluorescence microscopy, a portion of the mutant CPE did not colocalize with calnexin, an endoplasmic reticulum marker, but was found in prohormone convertase 2-containing secretory granules, demonstrating that it had escaped degradation and arrived at a post-Golgi compartment. The mutant CPE as well as prohormone convertase 2 were secreted into the medium in a stimulated manner by treatment with the physiological secretagogue, glucagon-like peptide-1, consistent with its presence in granules of the regulated secretory pathway. The presence of mutant carboxypeptidase E in granules supports a potential role for its involvement as a sorting/retention receptor in the trafficking of proinsulin to the regulated secretory pathway.
Obesity and insulin resistance increases sensitivity to sepsis-induced hepatotoxicity

Introduction. Sepsis in the setting of obesity and insulin resistance is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The liver is a key intermediary in sepsis through production of cytokines and the up regulation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Based on the significant fatty changes that occur in obesity, we hypothesized that the liver would exhibit an altered response to endotoxin injection. Methods. The obese Zucker rat was utilized as an accepted model of obesity and insulin-resistance. Obese rats were injected intraperitoneally with 1 mg/kg LPS. Lean controls received either 1 (low dose) or 2 mg/kg (high dose). Serum and tissue samples were obtained at baseline, 4h, and 24 h following LPS administration to measure liver enzyme levels, histopathology, and inflammatory mediators. Results. Obese Zucker rats demonstrated exquisite sensitivity to LPS injection with 100% mortality at doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg at 24 h compared to 0% in lean controls. AST and ALT were significantly elevated at 4 h in the obese animals (1687 ± 541 IU/L and 713 ± 170 IU/L, respectively, n ≥ 4/group) compared to the low-dose (796 ± 733 and 265 ± 150) and high-dose controls (571 ± 349 and 272 ± 134; P < 0.05). Serum TNFα levels at 4 h were similarly elevated to 587 pg/mL versus 271 and 211 in the low and high dose controls (P < 0.05). LPS administration in obese rats also increased iNOS protein expression at 4 h (see Figure) Download full-size image and circulating NO levels compared to lean controls. Conclusions. These findings demonstrate an exaggerated innate immune response in obese rats and suggest that the fatty liver displays an exaggerated susceptibility to injury during endotoxemia.
Mapping of sensory-responsive cells in the septal area of the rat

A study of sensory-responsive characteristics of single cells of the septal area of male rats was undertaken to determine the distribution of stimulation-induced changes in septal activity. Single cells were systematically sampled in six planes transecting the rostral-caudal axis of the septal area and were tested for responsiveness to visual, auditory, tactual, gustatory and olfactory stimuli. Approximately 50% of the sampled population of septal cells was responsive to at least one stimulus. Most of the responses of septal cells to stimulation were excitatory and occurred at the onset of stimulation. Regions of concentration of sensory-responsiveness cells in the system were found to lie in medial areas of the septum consisting of the dorsomedial portion of the lateral septal nucleus, the medial septal nucleus and the ventral portions of the medial and lateral nuclei. Visual, auditory and tactual stimuli were most effective in producing changes in spontaneous activity of units in these regions. On the basis of relationships of the medial septal region to other limbic areas having sensory-responsive properties, it is concluded that the medial septal area is one component of a limbic sensory system.
Inhibitory interactions among rodent taste axons.

The left side of the tongue of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, was experimentally innervated with both chorda tympani nerves. While this dual innervation did not increase the number or volume of fun#form taste buds on the left side, at least half of the taste buds were dually innervated since they could be neurotrophically maintained by either chorda tympani nerve. Impulse discharges occurred simultaneously in the native (left) and foreign (right) chorda tympani nerves when the taste stimulus was restricted to the left side of the tongue. The marked attenuation of the phasic or tonic portions of some taste responses suggested that dual innervation had enhanced inhibition, especially of foreign chorda tympani responses. This was confirmed when electrical stimulation of the native chorda tympani reduced the peak summated action potential discharges of the foreign chorda tympani to NaCI or sucrose by an average of 52 and 41%, respectively. Inhibition began within seconds and continued with an ll.5-min half-life. The inhibition was unaffected by acutely disconnecting either chorda tympani nerve from the brain. We propose that dual chorda tympani innervation accentuated lateral inhibitory connections that may function normally to reduce spurious sensory signals in taste axons.
An effective model of magnetoelectricity in multiferroics RMn2O5

An effective model is developed to explain the phase diagram and the mechanism of magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroics, RMn2O5. We show that the nature of magnetoelectric coupling in RMn2O5 is a coupling between two Ising-type orders, namely, the ferroelectric order in the b-axis, and the.coupled magnetic order between two frustrated antiferromagnetic chains. The frustrated magnetic structure drives the system to a commensurate-incommensurate phase transition, which can be understood as a competition between a collinear order stemming from the "order by disorder" mechanism and a chiral symmetry order. The low-energy excitation is calculated and it quantitatively matches experimental results. Distinct features and the effects of external magnetic field in the electromagnon spectra in the incommensurate phase are predicted.
EFFECT OF CALCIUM ON INTRACELLULAR SODIUM AND POTASSIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS.

Effect of Calcium on Intracellular Sodium and Potassium Concentrations in Plant and Animal Cells
Neural Mechanisms of Selective Auditory Attention in Rats (Dissertation)

How does attention modulate sensory representations? In order to probe the underlying neural mechanisms, we established a simple rodent model of modality-specific attention. Rats were trained to perform distinct auditory two-tone discrimination and olfactory odor discrimination in a two alternative choice (2AC) paradigm. To determine auditory cortex’s role in this frequency discrimination task, we used GABA-A receptor agonist muscimol to transiently and reversibly inactivate auditory cortexes bilaterally in rats performing simple interleaved auditory and olfactory discrimination. With olfactory discrimination performance serving as internal control for motivation and decision making capability, we found only auditory two-tone discrimination was selectively impaired in these rats. This shows the auditory cortex is involved in this two-tone discrimination task.To investigate the neural correlate of modality-specific attention in the auditory cortex, we trained rats to perform interleaved auditory and olfactory blocks (of 50~70 trials each) in a single session. In auditory blocks, pure tones were either presented with or without a neutral odor (caproic acid, n=2 and 3 respectively), and subjects were rewarded for discriminating auditory stimuli. In olfactory blocks, both task odors and pure tones were presented simultaneously, and subjects were rewarded for discriminating olfactory stimuli. We recorded neural responses in primary auditory cortex (area A1) in freely moving rats while subjects performed this behavior. Single unit responses to tones were heterogeneous, and included transient, sustained, and suppressed. We found 205 of 802 units recorded responsive to the stimuli we used. Of these 205 units, 18.5% showed modality-specific attentional modulation of the anticipatory activity before tone onset. In addition, we also observed in smaller proportion of units (11.2%) modality-specific attentional modulation of the tone-evoked responses; in most cases, the responses to a particular auditory stimulus was enhanced in the auditory block (or, equivalently, suppressed in the olfactory block). Attention increased choice probability of the population in the auditory block. We have also observed significant behavior choice probability in small proportions of units. Our results suggest that shifting attention between audition to olfaction tasks can modulate the activity of single neurons in primary auditory cortex.
Neighborhood predictors of plant performance.

We developed models of inter-individual interference to predict the fecundity of individuals in populations of the annual plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana. An individual plant is modeled as having a neighborhood which is a circular area of fixed radius with the plant at its center. Other plants which share the circle with the focal plant are termed neighbors of the focal plant. We developed an index of neighborhood interference which is the independent variable in a non-linear regression model that predicts individual plant fecundity. We present methods of exploratory data analysis that are useful in determining a best neighborhood radius, defined as that radius which minimizes residual sum of squares, and in deciding on the functional form of the interference index. In developing the interference index for Arabidopsis, we focus on aspects of the spatial distribution of neighbors: their number, distance and angular dispersion. We found that a best (or optimal) neighborhood radius can be resolved, which provides the best predictor of plant performance. Fecundity predictors based on adult neighbors were noticeably better than those based on neighbors at the seedling stage. Rosettes of Arabidopsis may change location during development (they fall over) and the new “fallen” positions do provide some improvement in the predictor. Taking into account distance to neighbors within the neighborhood provided only negligible improvement in the model. Finally, the incorporation of angular dispersion in the crowding index produced a considerably better fit. The fecundity predictor that included number of neighbors and angular dispersion in the crowding index explained about 70% of the variation in individual seed set.
Evidence-Based Pharmacotherapy for CRPS and Related Conditions

ABSTRACTEvidence-based pharmacotherapy for CRPS, as well as assorted symptoms faced in chronic CRPS are discussed.
Legal and Policy Issues Regarding Niche Charter Schools: Race, Religion, Culture, and the Law

A growing number of ethnocentric or culturally oriented niche charter schools have opened around the country. These ethnic or culture-oriented models raise legal and policy concerns about church/state entanglement as well as concerns about diversity. Indeed, there has already been litigation focused on racial and ethnic aspects of charter schools as well as religious influences. Despite the litigation in these areas, the constitutional tensions to which ethnocentric charter schools give rise have not been fully explored in the literature. Using legal research methods, this article examines the existing litigation involving culture-oriented charter schools and discusses the policy and legal tensions involved.
High Resolution Acquisition, Learning and Transfer of Dynamic 3‐D Facial Expressions

Synthesis and re-targeting of facial expressions is central to facial animation and often involves significant manual work in order to achieve realistic expressions, due to the difficulty of capturing high quality dynamic expression data. In this paper we address fundamental issues regarding the use of high quality dense 3-D data samples undergoing motions at video speeds, e.g. human facial expressions. In order to utilize such data for motion analysis and re-targeting, correspondences must be established between data in different frames of the same faces as well as between different faces. We present a data driven approach that consists of four parts: 1) High speed, high accuracy capture of moving faces without the use of markers, 2) Very precise tracking of facial motion using a multi-resolution deformable mesh, 3) A unified low dimensional mapping of dynamic facial motion that can separate expression style, and 4) Synthesis of novel expressions as a combination of expression styles. The accuracy and resolution of our method allows us to capture and track subtle expression details. The low dimensional representation of motion data in a unified embedding for all the subjects in the database allows for learning the most discriminating characteristics of each individual's expressions as that person's “expression style”. Thus new expressions can be synthesized, either as dynamic morphing between individuals, or as expression transfer from a source face to a target face, as demonstrated in a series of experiments. Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Animation; I.3.5 [Computer Graphics]: Curve, surface, solid, and object representations; I.3.3 [Computer Graphics]: Digitizing and scanning; I.2.10 [Artificial intelligence]: Motion ; I.2.10 [Artificial intelligence]: Representations, data structures, and transforms; I.2.10 [Artificial intelligence]: Shape; I.2.6 [Artificial intelligence]: Concept learning
Role of Echocardiography to Guide New Transcatheter Interventions for Valvular Heart Disease

New devices for transcatheter aortic valve implantation, mitral repair, and closure of prosthetic paravalvular leaks have expanded the options for catheter-based approaches to patients with regurgitant as well as stenotic valvular disease. Echocardiography (2-dimensional and 3-dimensional) plays an important role in identifying patients suitable for these interventions, helps provide peri-procedural monitoring, and is essential for post-procedure follow-up. The optimal use of echocardiography requires an understanding of the structure and method of implantation of available devices, the anatomic and functional patient selection criteria, and imaging characteristics of implanted devices, particularly those that differ from devices used in traditional surgical interventions. This document describes the role of echocardiography in the most commonly performed transcatheter interventions for valvular heart disease: transcatheter aortic valve implantation, MitraClip mitral valve repair, and transcatheter perivalvular leak closure.
Noise-robust open-set speaker recognition using noise-dependent Gaussian mixture classifier

Speaker recognition makes a decision to either accept or reject a recognized speaker candidate, based on some score (e.g. likelihood) associated to the item. Model-based classification can be used to make the decision. In mobile device applications, the background noise level may affect the score distributions and cause a decision failure. We describe a new decision procedure, which treats the scores as the outcome of Gaussian mixture distributions, where mean and covariance parameters are modeled as polynomial functions of noise level. We evaluate the procedure on a speaker recognition task in a mobile and noisy environment, using a hands-free microphone. Experiments show that the system delivers an equal error rate of 0.30%, 0.80% and 3.53% for parked, stop-and-go and highway driving conditions. The method maintains a balance between false acceptance and false rejection under all driving conditions, making any empirical threshold adjustment unnecessary.
Size and Foreign Policy Behavior: A Test of Two Models

The categorization of states according to size has long been a part of world politics. Rothstein notes, for example, that the formalization of the categories of great and small powers occurred as a result of the signing of the Treaty of Chaumont in 1817. Recently, the concept of size has received an increasing amount of attention as a factor affecting foreign policy. One manifestation of this is the renewed interest in die foreign policy behavior of small states. In his pre-theory of foreign policy, Rosenau includes size as one of three “genotypic” variables assumed to exert a major influence on foreign policy. In addition, empirical studies have shown size to be an important factor underlying variations in the international behavior of nation-states.
Assembly of the T = 4 Nudaurelia capensis ω Virus Capsid Protein, Post-Translational Cleavage, and Specific Encapsidation of Its mRNA in a Baculovirus Expression System

Abstract We have expressed the gene encoding the coat protein (CP) of Nudaurelia capensis virus in insect cells with a baculovirus vector. Expression of CP resulted in formation of virus-like particles (VLPs) having a size consistent with the T = 4 quasi-symmetry observed for native virions. This is the first demonstration of assembly for a T = 4 particle, with chemically identical subunits present in four distinct environments, by heterologous expression. Initial yields of VLPs were low, and an efficient one step nondenaturing procedure involving separation on discontinuous glycerol gradients was developed. Using this method, VLPs were obtained in quantities sufficient for further characterization. Electron microscopic observation revealed 40-nm particles that were morphologically similar to native virus. SDS-PAGE revealed that these particles were composed of a 62-kDa major protein and a minor 70-kDa protein. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that the larger species was processed into the smaller one very slowly over the course of an infection. It was also determined that this cleavage was apparently dependent on release of these particles from the cell. Furthermore, these particles were found to encapsidate the polyhedrin promoter-directed CP mRNA with an apparently striking degree of specificity and selectivity. This investigation establishes that a specific encapsidation signal exists within the CP coding sequences and that the components required for reconstructing most, if not all, steps in the morphogenesis of this virus can be accomplished in baculovirus-infected cells. The results presented here are consistent with the belief that similar biological strategies are utilized by T = 3 nodaviruses and T = 4 tetraviruses in particle assembly.
A New Parameterization for Shallow Cumulus Convection and Its Application to Marine Subtropical Cloud-Topped Boundary Layers. Part II: Regional Simulations of Marine Boundary Layer Clouds

Abstract The impact of physical parameterizations on simulations of cloud-topped marine boundary layers is investigated using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5). Three-month MM5 simulations of the northeast and southeast Pacific during June–August 1987 are boundary forced with time- varying ECMWF analyses. Runs with four planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations already implemented in MM5 are compared with runs using new parameterizations of boundary layer turbulence and shallow cumulus convection (ShCu) described in a companion paper. Numerous modifications to the MM5 that allow it to be used as a regional climate model are described. The simulated 3-month mean shortwave cloud radiative forcing (SWCF) and vertical structure of cloud-topped boundary layers in the northeast Pacific are sensitive to the PBL/shallow convection schemes. All four current MM5 PBL schemes [the Blackadar, Medium-Range Forecast (MRF), Burk–Thompson, and Gayno–Seaman schemes] produc...