cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complexity of protein folding

It is believed that the native folded three-dimensional conformation of a protein is its lowest free energy state, or one of its lowest. It is shown here that both a two- and three-dimensional mathematical model describing the folding process as a free energy minimization problem is NP-hard. This means that the problem belongs to a large set of computational problems, assumed to be very hard ("conditionally intractable"). Some of the possible ramifications of this result are speculated upon.
Slab Waveguides in Chemistry

Abstract Technological development in the telecommunications and related areas have made available a wide variety of optical structures such as thin silica rods, hollow cylinders, fiber bundles, and many planar geometries such as thin films or channels resting on flat substrates. These devices have become the basis of various chemical sensor studies. The application of cylindrical fiber optics has been leveraged heavily in developing microscopic detectors in which they serve as light pipes to transport spectrometric information between the source, analyte, and photodetector. Slab waveguides, on the other hand, offer many advantages over their cylindrical counterparts. Slab waveguides consist of planar or rectangular structures with a thickness ranging from 0.1 μm to 1 mm. They can also be molded as multilayers or channels on a substrate. Both thin and thick slab waveguides are useful in chemical sensing. In this article, the concept of waveguiding phenomena in thick and thin waveguides is introduced. Emph...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure and wheeze in a cohort of children with asthma in Fresno, CA.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are found widely in the ambient air and result from combustion of various fuels and industrial processes. PAHs have been associated with adverse human health effects such as cognitive development, childhood IQ, and respiratory health. The Fresno Asthmatic Children's Environment Study enrolled 315 children aged 6–11 years with asthma in Fresno, CA and followed the cohort from 2000 to 2008. Subjects were evaluated for asthma symptoms in up to three 14-day panels per year. Detailed ambient pollutant concentrations were collected from a central site and outdoor pollutants were measured at 83 homes for at least one 5-day period. Measurements of particle-bound PAHs were used with land-use regression models to estimate individual exposures to PAHs with 4-, 5-, or 6-member rings (PAH456) and phenanthrene for the cohort (approximately 22,000 individual daily estimates). We used a cross-validation-based algorithm for model fitting and a generalized estimated equation approach to account for repeated measures. Multiple lags and moving averages of PAH exposure were associated with increased wheeze for each of the three types of PAH exposure estimates. The odds ratios for asthmatics exposed to PAHs (ng/m3) ranged from 1.01 (95% CI, 1.00–1.02) to 1.10 (95% CI, 1.04–1.17). This trend for increased wheeze persisted among all PAHs measured. Phenanthrene was found to have a higher relative impact on wheeze. These data provide further evidence that PAHs contribute to asthma morbidity.
Detecting Influential Observations in Data Envelopment Analysis

This paper provides diagnostic tools for examining the role of influential observations in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) applications. Observations may be prioritized for further scrutiny to see if they are contaminated by data errors; this prioritization is important in situations where data-checking is costly and resources are limited. Several empirical examples are provided using data from previously published studies.
Observer Detection Performance in Radiology Using a Retransmission-Free Network Communication Protocol

Rationale and Objectives. We measured the effect of image data loss on diagnostic accuracy to test the possibility of using a retransmission-free network communication protocol for transferring radiologic images. Methods. Mammograms transferred over a simulated network with 0%, 15%, and 25% transmission packet loss were presented randomly to 10 observers who typically read mammograms. Observers reported on the presence or absence of microcalcification clusters and the number of calcifications per cluster. Results. Performance with 15% loss did not differ from performance with 0% loss. The 25% loss condition resulted in a significant decrease in performance. Accuracy of counting individual microcalcifications was high in all three loss conditions. Conclusion. Up to 15% packet loss can be tolerated without affecting diagnostic performance. These data suggest that in some radiologic applications retransmission-free communication protocols may be useful.
Spring ephemeral herbs and nitrogen cycling in a northern hardwood forest: an experimental test of the vernal dam hypothesis

In the late 1970s R.N. Muller and F.H. Bormann posited their ”vernal dam” hypothesis, stating that spring-ephemeral herbs in deciduous forests serve as a temporary sink for N when overstory trees are dormant, and then release this N later, in the summer, when the trees are active. This hypothesis has gained wide acceptance, yet two of its critical assumptions have never been experimentally tested: (1) that N taken up by spring ephemerals would otherwise be lost from the ecosystem, and (2) that N from senesced ephemeral tissues contributes to increased rates of summertime N mineralization. To test these assumptions, I quantified patterns of N cycling and loss from a set of paired plots, half of which served as controls and from half of which all spring-ephemeral plants were removed. There were no significant differences in NO3– leaching between plots with and without spring ephemeral vegetation. These results are consistent with the relatively low rates of N uptake by the dominant spring ephemeral, Allium tricoccum, and its apparent preference for NH4+, which is far less mobile in soil than NO3–. In addition, based on sequential sampling, I found that soil microorganisms took up 8 times as much N during the spring than did spring-ephemeral herbs (microbial uptake=3.19 vs. plant uptake=0.41 g N m–2), suggesting that microbial immobilization of N is the dominant sink for N during this season. Removal of spring ephemeral vegetation also had no effect on summertime rates of net N mineralization. Furthermore, the addition of spring ephemeral litter to soil+forest floor microcosms did not significantly increase rates of N mineralization in a laboratory incubation. Instead, this experiment demonstrated the overwhelming influence of forest floor litter in controlling the release of mineral N from these soils. Overall, neither assumption of the vernal dam hypothesis holds true in this ecosystem, where patterns of N cycling and loss appear to be dominated by microbial decomposition of forest floor material and soil organic matter.
Ovulation in the PMSG-Treated Immature Mouse: Effect of Dose, Age, Weight, Puberty, Season and Strain (BALB/c, 129 and C129F1 Hybrid)

Ovulation occurred in 99% of 22- to 27-day-old (BALB/c x 129) F/sub 1/ hybrid mice (C129F/sub 1/) 3 mornings after a single afternoon injection of pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG; 2.5 IU). By contrast, inbred mice of the 2 parental strains ovulated less regularly and the optimal age for treatment with PMSG was several days later than that for the F/sub 1/ hybrids. The following findings were based on studies using C129F/sub 1/ hybrid mice. The average number of ova ovulated was highest (approximately 40 ova) in females 19 to 23 days old when treated with 2.5 IU PMSG. Doses of 1.25 IU PMSG and lower resulted in numbers of ova equal to, or fewer than, those at spontaneous ovulation. PMSG doses of 0.63 IU and lower, 5 IU and higher, were suboptimal in terms of frequency of mice ovulating. In mice over 4 weeks of age at treatment, the percentage which ovulated was significantly lower in postpubertal than in prepubertal mice. Other factors which were associated with a decreased incidence of PMSG-induced ovulation in immature mice were: loss of body weight and treatment during January (in contrast to February through October). It is proposed that PMSG-induced ovulation in themore » immature mouse (under readily controlled conditions, as described) is a particularly efficient and economical mammalian system either for studies of neurophysiological processes leading to ovulation or for bioassays of the ovulation-inhibitng effects of various pharmacological or environmental agents.« less
Living radical polymerization of vinyl chloride initiated with iodoform and catalyzed by nascent Cu0/tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine or polyethyleneimine in water at 25 °C proceeds by a new competing pathways mechanism

The first example of living radical polymerization of vinyl chloride carried out in water at 25 °C is reported. This polymerization was initiated by iodoform and catalyzed by nascent Cu0 produced by the disproportionation of CuI in the presence of strongly CuII binding ligands such as tris(2-aminoethyl)amine or polyethyleneimine. The resulting poly(vinyl chloride) was free of structural defects, had controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution, contained two ∼CHClI active chain ends, and had a higher syndiotacticity (62%) than the one obtained by conventional free-radical polymerization at the same temperature (56%). This novel polymerization proceeds, most probably, by a combination of competitive pathways that involves activation by single electron transfer mediated by nascent Cu0 and degenerative chain transfer. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3283–3299, 2003
Generation of native-like protein structures from limited NMR data, modern force fields and advanced conformational sampling.

Determining an accurate initial native-like protein fold is one of the most important and time-consuming steps of de novo NMR structure determination. Here we demonstrate that high-quality native-like models can be rapidly generated from initial structures obtained using limited NOE assignments, through replica exchange molecular dynamics refinement with a generalized Born implicit solvent (REX/GB). Conventional structure calculations using an initial sparse NOE set were unable to identify a unique topology for the zinc-bound C-terminal domain of E. coli chaperone Hsp33, due to a lack of unambiguous long range NOEs. An accurate overall topology was eventually obtained through laborious hand identification of long range NOEs. However we were able to obtain high-quality models with backbone RMSD values of about 2 A with respect to the final structures, using REX/GB refinement with the original limited set of initial NOE restraints. These models could then be used to make further assignments of ambiguous NOEs and thereby speed up the structure determination process. The ability to calculate accurate starting structures from the limited unambiguous NOE set available at the beginning of a structure calculation offers the potential of a much more rapid and automated process for NMR structure determination.
Social Support: Assessing Conceptual Coherence

The concept of social support has been used extensively in both the theoretical and research literature, yet it has not been clearly delineated or operationalized. As a result, numerous other concepts have been subsumed under the heading of social support. In this article, the concept of social support will be analyzed for the purpose of concept clarification using the qualitative research approach of critical analysis of the literature. The present conceptualizations and operationalizations of social support are examined, and the incongruities or fit between the concept and its application are presented. Then, the structural features of social support are identified, and a revised definition of the concept is suggested.
Identification of Enteroviruses by Hemagglutination-Inhibition

Kern, Jerome (Pacific Research Section, Honolulu, Hawaii), and Leon Rosen. Identification of enteroviruses by hemagglutination-inhibition. J. Bacteriol. 91:1936-1942. 1966.-Approximately 40% of a group of 906 enterovirus isolates cytopathic for monkey cell cultures were found to possess hemagglutinins for human erythrocytes when tested at temperatures of 4 and 37 C and at pH 5.8 and 7.3. The hemagglutinating isolates could be classified by relatively simple techniques into 18 serotypes. Four of these serotypes, echovirus type 24 and coxsackievirus B types 1, 5, and 6, had not previously been known to include hemagglutinating strains. One serotype, Toluca-3, represented a previously unrecognized enterovirus, and two other serotypes may also represent previously unrecognized enteroviruses.
Predicting and validating microRNA targets

Given that microRNAs select their targets by nucleotide base-pairing, it follows that it should be possible to find microRNA targets computationally. There has been considerable progress, but assessing success and biological significance requires a move into the 'wet' lab.
Will the real social dominance theory please stand up

In our research, we (Schmitt, Branscombe, & Kappen) questioned the assumption that social dominance orientation (SDO) scores ree ect a general orientation toward group-based inequality. After considering the objections raised by Sidanius and Pratto, we conclude that our data pose problems for SDO’s explanatory potential and social dominance theory’ s invariance hypothesis. We concur with Turner and Reynolds’ contentions that social dominance theory is hindered by internal theoretical inconsistencies, and that attitudes toward intergroup inequality are better understood in terms of social identity processes.
Bi-directional DC/DC converters for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) applications

Power electronic DC to DC converters in plug-in hybrid and electric automotive applications demand high power bidirectional power flow capability, with wide input voltage range. Output voltage of energy storage devices like ultra capacitor or battery varies with the change in load. The converter needs to provide a successful voltage regulation on the load side for a wide range of input voltage. An isolated half bridge based converter is proposed in this project, with bidirectional power flow and minimum peak current for wide input voltage range through duty cycle, and phase shift control. The proposed converter has competitive total device rating with the conventional isolated bidirectional power converters. The converter uses the transformer leakage inductance as the primary energy transfer element. Proof of concept is realized through a small prototype.
Quantitative L^{P} stability analysis of a class of linear time-varying feedback systems

The L p stability of linear feedback systems with a single time-varying sector-bounded element is considered. A sufficient condition for L p stability, with 1 p 1 , is obtained by utilizing the well-known small gain theorem. Based on the stability measure provided by this theorem, quantitative results that describe output-to-input relations are obtained. It is proved that if the linear time-invariant part of the system belongs to the class of proper positive real transfer functions with a single pole at the origin, the upper bound on the output-to-input ratio is constant. Thus, an explicit closed-form calculation of this bound for some simple particular case provides a powerful generalization for the more complex cases. The importance of the results is illustrated by an example taken from missile guidance theory.
Uniform norm minimization for two-signed solutions

In an earlier paper (Huestis, 1986), I gave an iterative algorithm for efficient linear programming construction of the minimum uniform‐norm solution of a linear inverse problem. In such a problem, d data values Ei are linear functionals of the unknown solution m(r), usually expressible as integrals over an appropriate domain V:Ei=∫vGi(r)m(r)dr+ei,i=1,…,d. The Gi are known functions, and ei allows for measurement error.
International aid: When giving becomes a vice

Peter Singer and Peter Unger argue that moral decency requires giving away all one's “surplus” for the relief or prevention of “absolute poverty,” because not doing so is analogous to refusing to save a drowning child to avoid making one's clothes muddy.I argue that there is a crucial disanalogy between the two cases and, moreover, that there are four independent moral objections to their thesis: it is monomaniacal in ignoring the variety of morally worthy ideals and elevating self-sacrificial aid to the global poor into the sole ideal; it is misanthropic in its indifference to the happiness of those it adjures to give; it is incompatible with integrity; it would have disastrous effects for the poor if it were generally adopted. I argue that genuine beneficence aims at creating or restoring the conditions that enable its beneficiaries to become self-sufficient creators themselves — creators of wealth and of meaningful and enjoyable lives. Small-scale beneficence is necessary for moral goodness, but large-scale beneficence is optional, so long as its absence is not due to a lack of regard for those in need. The uncharitable person violates the neo-Lockean non-waste proviso that we acquire or keep for ourselves and those we love as much, but only as much, as we can use or invest meaningfully or enjoyably, now or in the long run. But someone who invests all his resources in creating something of worth leads a morally worthy life even if he reserves nothing for large-scale charity. Both our capacity for beneficence, which bids us stretch out a hand to those in need, and our capacity for creation, which bids us reach for the stars, are important aspects of our humanity. The Singer-Unger ideal advocates not genuine beneficence but the profligate giving away of wealth to prolong lives, while failing to appreciate what makes life worth living.I am grateful for helpful comments on this paper from Ellen Frankel Paul, Larry White (who commented on the paper at the 2005 conference of the Association for Private Enterprise Education), David Blumenfeld, and Garrett Cullity (whose comments from Australia were a wonderful example of voluntary international aid to a stranger). I would also like to thank Georgia State University, Bowling Green State University, and the Association for Private Enterprise Education for inviting me to present this paper, and the audiences at these presentations for their helpful discussion. Finally, I would like to thank Harry Dolan for his expert copyediting, which saved me from some embarrassing mistakes and infelicities.
Family Socialization of Adolescent's Self-Reported Cigarette Use: The Role of Parents’ History of Regular Smoking and Parenting Style

Objective To examine the main and interactive effects of parental history of regular cigarette smoking and parenting style on adolescent self-reported cigarette use. Methods Predictors of adolescent self-reported cigarette use, including parents’ history of regular cigarette smoking and two dimensions of parenting behavior, were analyzed in a sample of 934 predominately Caucasian (96.3%) parent–adolescent dyads. Families were drawn from the control group of a randomized control trial aimed at preventing adolescent substance use. Results In addition to the main effects of parents’ history of regular smoking and parental warmth, logistic regression analysis revealed that the interaction of these two variables was associated with adolescent self-reported cigarette use. Parental warmth was associated with a decreased likelihood of the adolescent ever having smoked a cigarette; however, this was true only if neither parent had a history of regular cigarette smoking. Conclusions Findings suggest that adolescent smoking prevention programs may be more efficacious if they address both parental history of regular smoking and parenting behavior.
Theoretical and computational aspects of scattering from periodic surfaces: two-dimensional perfectly reflecting surfaces using the spectral-coordinate method

Abstract We consider the scattering from a two-dimensional periodic surface. From our previous work on scattering from one-dimensional surfaces (1998 Waves Random Media 8 385) we have learned that the spectral-coordinate (SC) method was the fastest method we have available. Most computational studies of scattering from two-dimensional surfaces require a large memory and a long calculation time unless some approximations are used in the theoretical development. By using the SC method here we are able to solve exact theoretical equations with a minimum of calculation time. We first derive in detail (part I) the SC equations for scattering from two-dimensional infinite surfaces. Equations for the boundary unknowns (surface field and/or its normal derivative) result as well as an equation to evaluate the scattered field once we have solved for the boundary unknowns. Special cases for the perfectly reflecting Dirichlet and Neumann boundary value problems are presented as is the flux-conservation relation. The ...
RECOVERY OF PROTEINS AND OTHER BIOLOGICAL COMPOUNDS FROM FOOD PROCESSING WASTEWATERS USING FIBROUS MATERIALS AND POLYELECTROLYTES

Abstract A combined system of cellulose-based fibrous materials and polyelectrolytes has been studied for the recovery of proteins and other biological compounds from wastewaters from a typical food processing plant. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) interacts with biomolecules by electrostatic and polymer bridging, while cellulose triacetate fibrets (CTF) facilitate floc growth by adsorption and bridging of primary particles and by entrapment of small aggregates within their highly fibrillated microstructure. Final slurries have good filtration properties, resulting in a dry and easy to handle filter cake, which could be recovered as animal feed. The final filtrate has high water clarity and low protein concentration. This recovery system exhibits high reductions in total suspended solids (TSS), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ammonia, oils and greases, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total fecal coliforms. The final levels of TSS, oils and greases and ammonia are below regulatory limits. Reduction of BOD reached 90%, although final concentrations are slightly higher than the regulatory levels.
The Ultrastructural Basis for the Electrical Coordination Between Epithelia of Hydra

Previously published electrophysiological and ultrastructural studies suggest that the coordinated behavior of Hydra depends on both nervous and non-nervous conduction (c. f. Josephson and Macklin, 1967; Kass-Simon, 1972; Wood, 1961; Hand and Gobel, 1972). As discussed in another paper in this volume (Kass-Simon, 1976), hydra’s behavioral repertoire seems to require the controlled passage of information between the two muscular cell layers, the ectoderm and the endoderm, which are separated from each other by a thick acellular layer, the mesoglea. To help reveal a morphological basis for this interaction, we undertook a light and electron microscopic study of Hydra, directed exclusively toward defining how the two cell layers interact morphologically. Three separate but related topics were addressed: 1) direct interaction of muscular cells of the two epithelia via gap junctions; 2) bridging of the mesoglea by nerve cell processes, and 3) a third type of cellular process which has been reported to occur within the mesoglea of Hydra, but which is actually a bacterial symbiont.
Factors Associated with Adherence to Routine Screening Mammography in HIV-Infected Women

Abstract Background: Both HIV-infected women and minority women have historically lower rates of screening mammography. The objective of this study was to identify factors related to adherence to routine screening mammography in a diverse inner-city cohort of HIV-infected women, to inform future work on targeted interventions to address disparities. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study reviewed the electronic medical record of HIV-infected women aged 40 and older engaged in care between October 1, 2003 and March 31, 2008 at a large urban safety-net HIV clinic. Analyses included chi square testing and multivariate logistic regression to assess for patient-specific factors associated with adherence to breast cancer screening, defined as obtaining a screening mammogram within 2 years of engaging in care. Results: The 292 women were a racially diverse group, with 70% black, 11% Hispanic, and 42% foreign born. There was suboptimal HIV control, with only 33% having an undetectable viral load (...
Structural and superconducting properties of orthorhombic and tetragonal YBa2Cu

The structural and superconducting properties of orthorhombic and tetragonal $\mathrm{Y}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}x}$ have been determined for a wide range of stoichiometries ($0.3lxl0.7$). In the orthorhombic phase, ${T}_{c}$ decreases smoothly as $x$ increases and reaches zero at the orthorhombic-to-tetragonal transition. Tetragonal $\mathrm{Y}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}x}$ is not superconducting at any stoichiometry. This systematic depression of ${T}_{c}$ is correlated with the decrease in the oxygen content which alters the electronic structure of the Cu-O networks.
A mechanistic study of thioester hydrolysis with heavy atom kinetic isotope effects.

The carbonyl-C, carbonyl-O, and leaving-S kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) were determined for the hydrolysis of formylthiocholine. Under acidic conditions, 13kobs = 1.0312, 18kobs = 0.997, and 34kobs = 0.995; for neutral conditions, 13kobs = 1.022, 18kobs = 1.010, and 34kobs = 0.996; and for alkaline conditions, 13kobs = 1.0263, 18kobs = 0.992, and 34kobs = 1.000. The observed KIEs provided helpful insights into a qualitative description of the bond orders in the transition state structure.
Giant Piezoresistive On/Off Ratios in Rare-Earth Chalcogenide Thin Films Enabling Nanomechanical Switching

Sophisticated microelectromechanical systems for device and sensor applications have flourished in the past decade. These devices exploit piezoelectric, capacitive, and piezoresistive effects, and coupling between them. However, high-performance piezoresistivity (as defined by on/off ratio) has primarily been observed in macroscopic single crystals.1 In this Letter, we show for the first time that rare-earth monochalcogenides in thin film form can modulate a current by more than 1000 times due to a pressure-induced insulator to metal transition. Furthermore, films as thin as 8 nm show a piezoresistive response. The combination of high performance and scalability make these promising candidates for nanoscale applications, such as the recently proposed piezoelectronic transistor (PET).2,3 The PET would mechanically couple a piezoelectric thin film with a piezoresistive switching layer, potentially scaling to higher speeds and lower powers than today’s complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor technology.
Hypertext and deixis

Hypertext linking is akin to deixis in that each points out of the discourse to the context in which the discourse occurs. The context of a hypertext document such as a World Wide Web page is the World Wide Web itself. This study investigates some linguistic aspects of hypertext, using as data Web pages from college students and commercial enterprises. I first look at the syntactic forms of hypertext anchors, finding them mostly noun phrases. Next, noting the intuitive similarities between hypertext and place deictics, I attempt to find a quantitative relationship between the two. I show that certain place deictics do occur more frequently inside of hypertext anchors than in the ordinary text of Web pages, but this is due to the popularity of the deictic here, as in click here . Observing that hypertext style guides prescribe against the usage of click here . I hypothesize that more experienced hypertext authors will disprefer this usage. Using the assumption that college students are less experienced than commercial Web authors, I am unable to confirm this hypothesis statistically. Finally, I examine the various types of deixis Web authors use in hypertext anch ors, finding the majority to be person deictics. I close by noting that the variety and creativity of deixis within hypertext anchors suggests that the relatively new medium of hypertext is a fully productive genre of natural language.
The Book of Allusions: A New Translation of the Title to Ibn Khaldun’s Kitāb al-‘Ibar

This paper provides a new translation and analysis of Ibn Khaldun’s title to his magnum opus kitāb al-‘ibar, wa dīwān al-mubtada’ wa al-khabar, fī ayyām al-‘arab wa al-‘ajam wa al-barbar, wa man ‘āṣarahum min dhawī al-sulṭān al-akbar, known in short as Kitāb al-‘Ibar (or as I translate it, Book of Allusions). This translation and analysis articulates the relationship between Ibn Khaldun’s style of writing and the substance of his teaching. It begins by giving an account of Kitāb al-‘Ibar’s overall structure and teachings and then proceed to demonstrate how these are skillfully captured in the title. As I argue here, paying attention to the style of writing is an important interpretative tool necessary to reveal the depth of Ibn Khaldun’s teachings. This new translation and analysis shows how, despite Kitāb al-‘Ibar apparent concern with history, this book is intended by Ibn Khaldun to be primarily about politics, seeking to challenge well established and honored notions of the origins of political power.
Impact of UV-B Radiation (290-320 nm) upon Estuarine Bacteria

Effects of ultraviolet radiation on the development of metabolism of estuarine bacterial populations in laboratory microecosystems were studied. When compared with bacterial populations developing under an ultraviolet-deficient condition, the heterotrophic populations from microecosystems exposed to an ultraviolet-supplemented sprectrum displayed an overall decrease in total numbers, an increase in the proportion of pigmented cells, a decrease in the number of cellulolytic microorganisms and an increase in heterotrophic respiration. Ultraviolet radiation in the 290–320 nm waveband was the apparent stressful environmental parameter.
Lysosomal storage defects.

There are at least 30, and perhaps as many as 50, lysosomal storage diseases. Taken together their clinical incidence is significant. Although each results from a different enzyme defect, a single receptor and a single “recognition marker” are involved in all. The elucidation of these phenomena has taught a great deal about lysosomal function and promises to facilitate therapeutic intervention.
Semantic segmentation of multispectral overhead imagery

Land cover classification uses multispectral pixel information to separate image regions into categories. Image segmentation seeks to separate image regions into objects and features based on spectral and spatial image properties. However, making sense of complex imagery typically requires identifying image regions that are often a heterogeneous mixture of categories and features that constitute functional semantic units such as industrial, residential, or commercial areas. This requires leveraging both spectral classification and spatial feature extraction synergistically to synthesize such complex but meaningful image units. We present an efficient graphical model for extracting such semantically cohesive regions. We employ an initial hierarchical segmentation of images into features represented as nodes of an attributed graph that represents feature properties as well as their adjacency relations with other features. This provides a framework to group spectrally and structurally diverse features, which are nevertheless semantically cohesive, based on user-driven identifications of features and their contextual relationships in the graph. We propose an efficient method to construct, store, and search an augmented graph that captures nonadjacent vicinity relationships of features. This graph can be used to query for semantic notional units consisting of ontologically diverse features by constraining it to specific query node types and their indicated/desired spatial interaction characteristics. User interaction with, and labeling of, initially segmented and categorized image feature graph can then be used to learn feature (node) and regional (subgraph) ontologies as constraints, and to identify other similar semantic units as connected components of the constraint-pruned augmented graph of a query image.
Bacterial Phagosome Acidification Within IFN-γ-Activated Macrophages: Role of Host p47 Immunity-Related GTPases IRGs)

Interferon-gamma IFN-gamma)-induced remodeling of the bacterial phagosome for pathogen clearance elicits the aid of a new family of GTPases termed the p47 IRGs. Members of this group reside primarily on ER-Golgi membranes before translocating to the nascent phagosome within minutes of bacterial uptake. Recruitment of p47 IRGs coincides with the acquisition of phagosome maturation and autophagy markers as well as enhanced acidification of this organelle. Here we describe a simple spectrofluorometric assay to measure luminal acidification of the bacterial phagosome within intact cells such as macrophages. This method can be applied to study the phagosomal pH pH_pg) of activated cells infected with a variety of infectious microorganisms and the roles played by members of the p47 IRG family in auto)phagolysosome biogenesis.
Percutaneous thoracolumbar decompression combined with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation and fusion: a method for treating spinal degenerative pain in a biplane angiography suite with the avoidance of general anesthesia.

Background: Spondylytic degeneration of the axial lumbar spine is a major cause of pain and disability. Recent advances in spinal surgical instrumentation, including percutaneous access and fusion techniques, have made possible the performance of instrumented fusion through small incisions. By blending strategies of interventional pain management, neuroradiology, and conventional spine surgery, it is now feasible to treat spinal axial pain using permanent fixation techniques and local anesthesia in the setting of a fluoroscopy suite using mild sedation and local anesthesia. Methods: The author presents a series of percutaneous thoracolumbar fusion procedures performed in a biplane neuroangiographic suite and without general anesthesia for the treatment of spondylytic pain. All procedures utilized pedicle screw fixation, harvesting of local bone autograft, and application of bone fusion material. Results: In this series of 13 patients, a statistically significant reduction of pain was seen at both the 2-week post-operative timepoint, as well as at the time of longest follow-up (mean 40 weeks). Discussion: The advanced and rapid imaging capabilities afforded by a neuroangiographic suite can be safely combined with percutaneous fusion techniques so as to allow for fusion therapies to be applied to patients where the avoidance of general anesthesia is desirable.
High-frequency aflibercept injections in persistent neovascular age-related macular degeneration

To report the 1-year outcomes of every-4-weeks (Q4W) as-needed aflibercept treatment in resistant neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) patients who had been treated and failed prior bevacizumab or ranibizumab injections, and who also responded poorly to every-8-weeks (Q8W) aflibercept treatment. Forty-three eyes of 39 patients with persistent nAMD despite monthly bevacizumab and/or ranibizumab injections and who were switched to Q8W 2-mg aflibercept injections, but showed persistence of fluid were included. Patients were treated with as-needed Q4W aflibercept injections with monthly monitoring. Maximum retinal thickness (MRT), central macular thickness (CMT), maximum pigment epithelial detachment height (PED) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were assessed and compared to baseline when high-frequency aflibercept was initiated. A mean of 8 (interquartile range, 4–11) Q4W injections were given during the follow-up. MRT and CMT significantly decreased at all follow-up visits (p 0.05) at any visit. Mean BCVA was 0.38 ± 0.28 (logMAR) (≈20/63, Snellen) at baseline, and 0.4 ± 0.34 (logMAR) (≈20/76, Snellen) at 1 year (p = 0.76). Seventy-two percent of eyes maintained a final BCVA of 20/63 or better. Twelve eyes (28 %) had some subretinal scar tissue formation and 5 eyes (11.6 %) had evidence of atrophy at 1 year. A stepwise algorithm with Q4W as-needed aflibercept treatment led to anatomic improvement in previously treated eyes which failed other therapies, including aflibercept every 8 weeks. Lack of visual improvement may be due to a ceiling effect as our eyes generally had good visual acuity.
Seasonal shifts in ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) species and functional composition maintain prey consumption in Western Oregon agricultural landscapes

Abstract Ground beetles (Carabidae: Coleoptera) are generalist predators that contribute to biological control of agricultural pests. Different ground beetle species vary in terms of size, feeding habits, and season of adult and larval activity. Species with similar biology and feeding habits may form a functional group if they are also similar in their effect on the overall risk to a potential prey item in an area. Farm surveys and laboratory studies were conducted to test whether ground beetle populations on Western Oregon vegetable farms were associated with the predation risk of a sentinel prey item. Pitfall traps were used to measure the activity patterns of adult beetles throughout the year. Along with the monthly pitfall traps, sentinel prey cards were deployed to measure the risk of predation to a potential prey item by a carabid beetle on the landscape. Additionally, beetles were collected after pitfall trapping to measure the amount of the sentinel prey items they would eat. The ground beetle species collected in the sampling were placed into three size based groups. The phenology and feeding habitats of the species within each sized based group tended to be similar. Sentinel prey removal rates in the field were significantly increased in areas with high activity of midsized beetles during the spring, when midsized beetles were the most active on the landscape but the explanatory power was somewhat low. In the summer, when large beetles were active in the landscape, sentinel prey removal rates were similarly associated with large beetle activity densities.
Understanding Environmental Risk Perceptions: A Case of Contested Illness in South Florida

Communities facing environmental health threats can experience contention when residents have conflicting interpretations of risks; yet little is known about the social–psychological processes that contribute to divergent risk perceptions in these cases. Drawing on previous work on environmental contamination, contested illness, and literature on risk perceptions, we offer a framework for analyzing how residents assess potential environmental risks. Using the case of The Acreage, Florida, we examine a community where a cancer cluster has been established, but an environmental cause has not been determined. Specifically, we ask how residents individually assess risks concerning possible environmental contamination in cases of contested illness. Data come from 57 in-depth interviews conducted with current and former residents of The Acreage. We argue that residents utilized particular cognitive heuristics to develop understandings and assessments of the situation. However, when these assessments contradicted those of other residents, community conflict emerged. We conclude by discussing how the framework utilized in our analysis can be applied in future research of contaminated communities.
Fistulous Complications following Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer: Analysis of a Large Modern Cohort

Purpose: Fistula formation is a rare and poorly described complication following radical cystectomy with urinary diversion. We sought to identify patients who experienced any type of fistulous complication and we analyzed risk factors for formation as well as management outcomes.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent radical cystectomy for bladder cancer at our institution. Patients who experienced any fistula were identified. Risk factors, management strategies and outcomes were analyzed. Patients underwent initial conservative treatment and those in whom this treatment failed underwent surgical repair. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify predictors of fistula formation as well as the need for surgical repair.Results: Of the 1,041 patients 31 (3.0%) experienced fistula formation. Median time to fistula presentation was 31 days. Enterodiversion was the most common fistula type, noted in 54.8% of patients, followed by enterocut...
Stalking Homo Faber: A Comparison of Research Strategies for Studying Design Behavior

Publisher Summary This chapter examines four different strategies for studying designs behavior, which are think-aloud protocols, content analysis, process isolation, and situated studies. The four strategies span a range of data collection and analysis methods. Think-aloud protocols assume that design can be described as a search. Content analysis assumes that the structure and content of internal representations is critical to understanding problem solving behavior. Process isolation assumes that design can be cognitively decomposed. Finally, situated studies assume that a better understanding of design involves the study of designers and their environments as integrated systems. Despite their sometimes-competing claims, these four strategies can potentially work together in complementary ways to provide insights into design behavior. Although, the strategies are not presented in any particular order, they naturally cluster into two contrasting pairs. Protocol analysis and content analysis, on the one hand, place-contrasting emphasis on the transformational moves and representations used by designers. Process isolation and situated studies, on the other hand, take contrasting top–down and bottom–up approaches to studying design behavior. Although, they too appear as competing rather than complementary strategies, it is not clear that one outperforms the other.
The observed properties of fast radio bursts

I present an empirical study of the properties of fast radio bursts (FRBs): gigahertz-frequency, dispersed pulses of extragalactic origin. I focus my investigation on a sample of 17 FRBs detected at the Parkes radio telescope with largely self-consistent instrumentation. Of this sample, six are temporally unresolved, eight exhibit evidence for scattering in inhomogeneous plasma, and five display potentially intrinsic temporal structure. The characteristic scattering time-scales at a frequency of 1 GHz range between 0.005 and 32 ms; moderate evidence exists for a relation between FRB scattering time-scales and dispersion measures. Additionally, I present constraints on the fluences of Parkes FRBs, accounting for their uncertain sky positions, and use the multiple-beam detection of FRB 010724 (the Lorimer burst) to measure its fluence to be 800 ± 400 Jy ms. FRBs, including the repeating FRB 121102, appear to manifest with a plethora of characteristics, and it is uncertain at present whether they share a common class of progenitor object, or arise from a selection of independent progenitors.
Geochronology Applied to Glacial Environments

Abstract In this chapter, we summarize the various dating techniques which can be relevant to the samples in a glacial environment. There are many different approaches to estimate the ages of glacial deposits. These can be a variety of methods using either the decay or in-growth of radionuclides, or the build-up of radiation dose measured in different ways. Other methods that can be used include dendrochronology, comparing the growth of annual bands in trees and studying annually layered sediments. Chemical changes such as amino-acid racemization can also be used, with an understanding of the kinetics of the processes involved. There are other more qualitative methods using the correlation of layers of identifiable materials such as volcanic ash layers, palaeomagnetic signals and biostratigraphic changes.
A re-evaluation of subtidal Lithophyllum species (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) from North Carolina, USA, and the proposal of L. searlesii sp. nov.

Abstract The current identification of crustose coralline algae from North Carolina is based on a few morphoanatomical studies from the last century. We reassessed the type specimens of the two Lithophyllum species historically reported from offshore communities in North Carolina, L. intermedium with a Caribbean Sea type locality and L. subtenellum with an Atlantic southern France type locality, using scanning electron microscopy images and diagnostic rbcL sequences. Neither of the sequences generated from the type specimens matched rbcL sequences from contemporary specimens collected from subtidal North Carolina epibenthic communities. On the basis of analyses of rbcL and other loci (psbA, UPA, and COI), we instead found L. atlanticum, recently described from Brazil, and L. searlesii sp. nov. from Onslow Bay, North Carolina. These sequence data show that L. atlanticum is related to northeast Pacific species, whereas L. searlesii is related to Mediterranean species.
Survey Data : Anticipations and Expectations

If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then unto me.
Race and Demographic Factors in Treatment Attendance for Domestically Abusive Men

This study examined the influence of race and other demographic characteristics on session attendance and dropout from a cognitive-behavioral treatment program for male domestic abusers (N = 101). Multiple regression analyses revealed that lower session attendance was significantly predicted by unemployed status and African American (versus Caucasian) race. Other demographic factors could not account for the race differences in session attendance. Race was the strongest predictor of dropout and session attendance in all analyses. Racial composition of treatment groups was not significantly related to number of sessions attended for Caucasian or African American clients. Although the combined (interactive) effect of race and referral source on number of sessions was not statistically significant, the pattern of means suggested that self-referred African Americans were at the greatest risk for dropout. Results suggest that race differences in dropout, and the mechanisms that account for these differences, deserve more clinical and research attention in treatment for domestic abusers.
The Jews of the Medieval Islamic West: Acculturation and its limitations

ABSTRACTJews constituted a significant element in the population of the medieval Muslim West, which in the Middle Ages included much of Spain as well as North Africa. They became linguistically ara...
Avoidance of Time-Varying Radio Frequency Interference With Software-Defined Cognitive Radar

Congestion in the RF spectrum is rapidly increasing, which has motivated the need for efficient spectrum sharing techniques. A cognitive radar system has been developed to implement a perception action cycle, for spectrum sharing, in which the RF spectrum is sensed, other RF signals are identified, and the radar frequency band of operation is adapted to avoid interfering signals in the spectrum. The system operates in real time and is capable of coexisting with common communications signals. A system with this capability requires efficient programming that pushes the limits of the technology available. In order to properly test the performance of a radar system designed for this kind of reactive spectrum sharing, a rigorous set of synthetic interference signals is generated and several informative evaluation metrics are defined. Additionally, the system's performance is evaluated with common communications signals such as LTE and GSM. The performance of the system is found to be adequate for avoiding signals that are either varying in frequency or turning on and off at rates on the order of 10 ms.