cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acidic glycosaminoglycans in human skin during fetal development and adult life

Abstract 1. 1. There is little information on the acidic glycosaminoglycans in human skin during fetal development. The present study was undertaken to compare the concentration and composition of skin acidic glycosaminoglycans in the developing human fetus with the adult. 2. 2. Hyaluronic acid, dermatan sulfate and chondroitin 4 (6)-sulfate were found in adult skin and in fetal skin from 5.5 months to term. Skin from a 3-month-old fetus contained only hyaluronic acid and chondroitin 4(6)-sulfate. 3. 3. The concentration of the acidic glycosaminoglycans in fetal skin at 3, 5.5 and 9 months gestation was twenty times, five times, and twice the adult levels respectively; the negative correlation was highly significant. The decrease in skin acidic glycosaminoglycans during this developmental period was due to primarily to the fall in hyaluronic acid. 4. 4. There was a highly significant positive correlation of the galactosamine: hexosamine mole ratio of skin acidic glycosaminoglycans with fetal age, indicating a relative increase in the sulfated skin acidic glycosaminoglycans as the fetus developed. 5. 5. Back and abdominal skin from the same fetal subject had the same acidic glycosaminoglycans concentration and composition; no significant difference was observed between adult abdominal and adult collar-line (exposed part of the back of neck) skin. 6. 6. The changes in the composition and concentration of skin acidic glycosaminoglycans occur primarily during fetal development and childhood growth. Very little change occurs during adult life.
Hydrostatic stabilization of solvent-free lipid bimolecular membranes

Abstract The technique of obtaining hydrostatically stabilized solvent-free lipid bimolecular membranes is described. The technique involves the preparation of a solvent-containing or an essentially solvent-free membrane upon an aperture of a hydrostatically closed chamber combined with a system for automatic digital control of the transmembrane pressure difference. The electrochemical behavior of the resultant systems is investigated and the advantages of the hydrostatically stabilized membrane are analyzed.
Diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis by Passive Hemagglutination Assay of Antibody

Sheep red cells treated with concanavalin A and sensitized with a partially purified aspergillus antigen were used to detect antibody to Aspergillus by passive hemagglutination (PHA). Sera from eight patients with aspergillomas or allergic aspergillosis had PHA titers of > 1:800 and antibody detectable by immunodiffusion (ID). Of 122 hospitalized cancer patients without invasive aspergillosis, 118 had titers of <1:80, 86 of <1:10, two of 1:160, and two of 1:320. None had antibody by ID. Antibody was detectable by PHA in sera from 12 of 14 healthy microbiology laboratory workers. Of 55 cancer patients who had sera available for testing within two weeks before diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis, 18 patients seroconverted: 13 by both PHA and ID, two by PHA alone, and three by ID alone. PHA titers rose from <1:10 to between 1:40 and 1:1,280. In immunosuppressed patients who were at risk of developing invasive aspergillosis, the appearance of antibody correlated with the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis. Lethal infection with species of Aspergillus is common in immunosuppressed patients with neoplastic diseases. At Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, N.Y., between 10 and 25 cases are seen each year at autopsy, primarily among patients with leukemias and lymphomas. The diagnosis of aspergillus infection is difficult to make because there is poor correlation between culture results and the presence of invasive disease. Fewer than one-third [1]' of patients at MSKCC with aspergillosis have positive cultures from any site. The organism is frequently isolated
Milling and Bread Baking Traits Associated with Puroindoline Sequence Type in Hard Red Spring Wheat

classes coincide with differences in milling and end-use properties (reviewed in Pomeranz and Williams, 1990; Recent results have shown that mutations in genes coding for Morris and Rose, 1996). The distinction between soft puroindoline a and b (PinA and PinB ) are associated with the expresand hard classes of wheat is governed by the Hardness
Dialkylene carbonate-bridged polysilsesquioxanes. Hybrid organic-inorganic sol-gels with a thermally labile bridging group

In this paper, we introduce a new approach for altering the properties of bridged polysilsesquioxane xerogels using postprocessing modification of the polymeric network. The bridging organic group ...
Barium Hydride Spectra in the Infrared

Quantum analyses of the (1,0), (1,1) and (2,1) bands of the infrared $^{2}\ensuremath{\Sigma}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{2}\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ system of BaH and some details of the $^{2}\ensuremath{\Pi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{2}\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ band at 10,300A are presented. The spin doubling constant $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ of the upper $^{2}\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ state is very large (-4.88) and decreases with increasing molecular rotation, $A\ensuremath{\cong}625$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for the $^{2}\ensuremath{\Pi}$ state, and a perturbation occurs in the $^{2}\ensuremath{\Pi}_{\frac{1}{2}d}$ levels at $J=11\frac{1}{2}$.
Evaluation: What did it tell us? A review of the evaluation process of a new curriculum

The Computer Science Department of the University of Virginia (USA) implemented a new undergraduate curriculum in Fall, 1992. The first group of students to complete the new curriculum graduated in May, 1996. As part of the development plan, the authors instituted a comprehensive curriculum evaluation plan which included course/laboratory content evaluations, student satisfaction surveys, longitudinal course content exam as well as an exit survey and satisfaction surveys one-year after graduation and four years after graduation. This paper presents the details of this evaluation plan and some of the results of the surveys and interviews with respect to the experiences of the Class of 1996. The authors have continued to use this evaluation process and current results have been similar.
Histone H1 compacts DNA under force and during chromatin assembly

Histone H1 binds to linker DNA between nucleosomes, but the dynamics and biological ramifications of this interaction remain poorly understood. We performed single-molecule experiments using magnetic tweezers to determine the effects of H1 on naked DNA in buffer or during chromatin assembly in Xenopus egg extracts. In buffer, nanomolar concentrations of H1 induce bending and looping of naked DNA at stretching forces below 0.6 pN, effects that can be reversed with 2.7-pN force or in 200 mM monovalent salt concentrations. Consecutive tens-of-nanometer bending events suggest that H1 binds to naked DNA in buffer at high stoichiometries. In egg extracts, single DNA molecules assemble into nucleosomes and undergo rapid compaction. Histone H1 at endogenous physiological concentrations increases the DNA compaction rate during chromatin assembly under 2-pN force and decreases it during disassembly under 5-pN force. In egg cytoplasm, histone H1 protects sperm nuclei undergoing genome-wide decondensation and chromatin assembly from becoming abnormally stretched or fragmented due to astral microtubule pulling forces. These results reveal functional ramifications of H1 binding to DNA at the single-molecule level and suggest an important physiological role for H1 in compacting DNA under force and during chromatin assembly.
An Overview of Biological Applications of NMR

Since its discovery in 1946, NMR has developed to one of the most widely used tools in chemistry and is rapidly becoming an essential technique in biology and medicine. In this introductory chapter the use of NMR in biology and biochemistry is traced from early studies of small molecules of biological interest, through the study in vitro of biopolymers and cell constituents, to the current applications of in vivo spectroscopy and imaging. The development of improved instruments and introduction of new methods that are essential to current uses are emphasized.
Undermatching is an emergent property of selection by consequences.

Abstract A computational theory of selection by consequences [McDowell, J.J, 2004. A computational model of selection by consequences. J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 81, 297–317] was tested by studying the responding of virtual organisms that were animated by the theory on random interval schedules of reinforcement. The theory generated responding by applying principles of selection, reproduction, and mutation to a population of potential behaviors that evolved in response to the selection pressure exerted by reinforcement. The organisms’ equilibrium response rates were well described by the modern version of the Herrnstein hyperbola, which includes an exponent on reinforcement rate. Under strong selection pressure this exponent decreased with increasing mutation rate from a value near 1.0 at 1% mutation to an asymptotic value of 0.83 at mutation rates of 10% and greater. This asymptotic value is consistent with values obtained by fitting the equation to data from live organisms responding on single schedules, and with the value of about 0.80 that is expected on the basis of extensive research with live organisms responding on concurrent schedules. These results show that the computational theory is consistent with the modern theory of matching [McDowell, J.J, 2005. On the classic and modern theories of matching. J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 84, 111–127], and that it is a viable candidate for a mathematical dynamics of behavior.
Clinical Tracking of Severely Obese Children: A New Growth Chart

The 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts are unable to accurately define and display BMI percentiles beyond the 97th percentile. At Children’s Hospital Colorado, we created new growth charts that allow clinicians to track and visualize BMI values in severely obese children. This growth chart defines a child’s BMI as a “percentage of the 95th percentile.” It has the potential to allow clinicians to define subgroups of severe obesity, monitor trends in obese children, and measure treatment success or failure.
Value that industrial collaborations bring to research and education efforts in universities: perspective of a professor working in the field of development of therapeutic proteins

The development (D in RD freeze drying to create more stable product), product degradation pathways and rational means to improve protein stability, new analytical methods, drug delivery methods and investigation of key product parameters affecting product safety and efficacy. Research in these areas occurs in pharmaceutical companies and in universities. Often in companies, the focus is on doing the work that is needed to get a given product into clinical trials and on the market. Whereas, in universities the focus in usually on more fundamental, mechanistic understanding of key issues such as factors causing protein aggregation and how to characterize and minimize this type of degradation. Therefore, there are numerous natural, synergistic collaborations between pharmaceutical companies and academic researchers, which provide for more rapid advancement of the field and relevant education of students, than if the two groups worked independently. There is a long tradition of such productive and valuable collaborations between industry scientists and professors in pharmaceutical sciences departments. For this commentary, based on my two decades of experience with such collaborations, I will describe my views on the advantages of such partnerships and some of the pitfalls.
Inducible Cyclic AMP Early Repressor Produces Reactivation of Latent Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 in Neurons In Vitro

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) establishes a latent infection in neurons of the peripheral nervous system. During latent HSV-1 infection, viral gene expression is limited to latency-associated transcripts (LAT). HSV-1 remains latent until an unknown mechanism induces reactivation. The ability of the latent virus to periodically reactivate and be shed is essential to the transmission of disease. In vivo, the stimuli that induce reactivation of latent HSV-1 include stress, fever, and UV damage to the skin at the site of initial infection. In vitro, in primary neurons harboring latent HSV-1, nerve growth factor (NGF) deprivation or forskolin treatment induces reactivation. However, the mechanism involved in the induction of reactivation remains poorly understood. An in vitro neuronal model of HSV-1 latency was used to investigate potential mechanisms involved in the induction of reactivation of latent HSV-1. In situ hybridization analysis of neuronal cultures harboring latent HSV-1 showed a marked, rapid decrease in the percentage of LAT-positive neurons following induction of reactivation by NGF deprivation or forskolin treatment. Western blot analysis showed a corresponding increase in expression of the cellular transcription factor inducible cyclic AMP early repressor (ICER) during reactivation. In transient-transfection assays, ICER downregulated LAT promoter activity. Expression of ICER from a recombinant adenoviral vector induced reactivation and decreased the percentage of LAT-positive neurons in neuronal cultures harboring latent HSV-1. These results indicate that ICER represses LAT expression and induces reactivation of latent HSV-1.
Scoring-and-unfolding trimmed tree assembler

Motivation: Mired by its connection to a well-known NP-complete combinatorial optimization problem—namely, the Shortest Common Superstring Problem (SCSP)—historically, the whole-genome sequence assembly (WGSA) problem has been assumed to be amenable only to greedy and heuristic methods. By placing efficiency as their first priority, these methods opted to rely only on local searches, and are thus inherently approximate, ambiguous or error prone, especially, for genomes with complex structures. Furthermore, since choice of the best heuristics depended critically on the properties of (e.g. errors in) the input data and the available long range information, these approaches hindered designing an error free WGSA pipeline. Results: We dispense with the idea of limiting the solutions to just the approximated ones, and instead favor an approach that could potentially lead to an exhaustive (exponential-time) search of all possible layouts. Its computational complexity thus must be tamed through a constrained search (Branch-and-Bound) and quick identification and pruning of implausible overlays. For his purpose, such a method necessarily relies on a set of score functions (oracles) that can combine different structural properties (e.g. transitivity, coverage, physical maps, etc.). We give a detailed description of this novel assembly framework, referred to as Scoring-and-Unfolding Trimmed Tree Assembler (SUTTA), and present experimental results on several bacterial genomes using next-generation sequencing technology data. We also report experimental evidence that the assembly quality strongly depends on the choice of the minimum overlap parameter k. Availability and Implementation: SUTTA's binaries are freely available to non-profit institutions for research and educational purposes at http://www.bioinformatics.nyu.edu. Contact: narzisi@nyu.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Preparation of V(h5−C5H5)2(SC6H5)2 and stereochemical characterization of M(h5−C5H5)2(SC6H2)2 (M = Ti, V): the geometrical effect of an unpaired electron on a M(h5−C5H5)2L2 complex

The synthesis of the d 1 vanadium(IV) compound V( h 5 −C 5 H 5 ) 2 (SC 6 H 5 ) 2 from the reaction of V( h 5 −C 5 H 5 ) 2 with (C 6 H 5 ) 2 S 2 and its stereochemical characterization from X-ray diffraction data (as well as from infrared, solution EPR, and temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility, data were performed in conjunction with a previous structural determination by X-ray diffraction of the corresponding d ° titanium(IV) compound Ti( h 5 −C 5 H 5 ) 2 (SC 6 H 5 ) 2 in order to provide an operational test of the qualitative bonding model proposed by Ballhausen and Dahl and widely utilized by others for d 1 and d 2 metal(IV) complexes (M( h 5 −C 5 H 5 ) 2 L 2 ). The isomorphous Ti( h 5 −C 5 H 5 ) 2 (SC 6 H 5 ) 2 and V( h 5 −C 5 H 5 ) 2 (SC 6 H 5 ) 2 compounds crystallize with eight molecules in a monoclinic unit cell of symmetry C 2/c and of dimensions a 31.76(10), b 7.97(2), c 15.45(5) A, β 104.87(17)° for the titanium compound and a 31.454(5), b 7.835(1), c 15.545(2) A, β 104.35(1)° for the vanadium compound. The molecular configuration, comprised of a distorted tetrahedral array of the two cyclopentadienyl rings and two phenylmercapto sulfur atoms about the central metal atom, conforms closely to C 2 −2 symmetry. The crystallographic results, which show the SVS bond angle of 94.1(1)° to be 5° less than the STiS bond angle of 99.3(3)°, are taken as Strong evidence for the nonvalidity of the Ballhausen—Dahl model applied to M( h 5 −C 5 H 5 ) 2 L 2 systems. The structural determination and rigid-body least-squares refinement of the titanium compound were based on 1048 observed maxima collected by photographic methods, while the corresponding refinement of the vanadium compound utilized 1793 reflections above background obtained with a four-circle diffractometer. Efforts to obtain V( h 5 −C 5 H 5 ) 2 (SC 6 H 5 ) 2 from the reaction of V( h 5 −C 5 H 5 ) 2 CI 2 with thiophenol led instead to the V 2 ( h 5 −dC 5 H 5 ) 2 (μ 2 −SC 6 H 5 ) 4 dimer, which is presumed on the basis of its determined magnetic moment of μ eff 300 1.15 BM to be structurally similar to the previously reported methylmercapto homolog.
Divergent roles of SHP-2 in ERK activation by leptin receptors.

The protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 has been proposed to serve as a regulator of leptin signaling, but its specific roles are not fully examined. To directly investigate the role of SHP-2, we employed dominant negative strategies in transfected cells. We show that a catalytically inactive mutant of SHP-2 blocks leptin-stimulated ERK phosphorylation by the long leptin receptor, ObRb. SHP-2, lacking two C-terminal tyrosine residues, partially inhibits ERK phosphorylation. We find similar effects of the SHP-2 mutants after examining stimulation of an ERK-dependentegr-1 promoter-construct by leptin. We also demonstrate ERK phosphorylation and egr-1 mRNA expression in the hypothalamus by leptin. Analysis of signaling by ObRb lacking intracellular tyrosine residues or by the short leptin receptor, ObRa, enabled us to conclude that two pathways are critical for ERK activation. One pathway does not require the intracellular domain of ObRb, whereas the other pathway requires tyrosine residue 985 of ObRb. The phosphatase activity of SHP-2 is required for both pathways, whereas activation of ERK via Tyr-985 of ObRb also requires tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP-2. SHP-2 is thus a positive regulator of ERK by leptin receptors, and both the adaptor function and the phosphatase activity of SHP-2 are critical for this regulation.
On The Structure Of Optimal Ordering Policies For Stochastic Inventory Systems With Minimum Order Quantity

We study a single-product periodic-review inventory model in which the ordering quantity is either zero or at least a minimum order size. The ordering cost is a linear function of the ordering quantity, and the demand in different time periods are independent random variables. The objective is to characterize the inventory policies that minimize the total discounted ordering, holding, and backorder penalty costs over a finite time horizon. We introduce the concept of an M-increasing function. These functions allow us to characterize the optimal inventory policies everywhere in the state space outside of an interval for each time period. Furthermore, we identify easily computable upper bounds and asymptotic lower bounds for these intervals. Finally, examples are given to demonstrate the complex structure of the optimal inventory policies.
A risk minimization framework for information retrieval

This paper presents a probabilistic information retrieval framework in which the retrieval problem is formally treated as a statistical decision problem. In this framework, queries and documents are modeled using statistical language models, user preferences are modeled through loss functions, and retrieval is cast as a risk minimization problem. We discuss how this framework can unify existing retrieval models and accommodate systematic development of new retrieval models. As an example of using the framework to model non-traditional retrieval problems, we derive retrieval models for subtopic retrieval, which is concerned with retrieving documents to cover many different subtopics of a general query topic. These new models differ from traditional retrieval models in that they relax the traditional assumption of independent relevance of documents.
Human papillomavirus–related oropharyngeal cancer: HPV and p16 status in the recurrent versus parent tumor

Background Although typically associated with a favorable prognosis, a minority of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related (+) oropharyngeal cancers recur after chemoradiation. We postulated that a minor HPV-negative tumor subfraction may be responsible for recurrences of HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer. Methods Paired untreated primary and recurrent tumor specimens were identified for 37 patients with oropharyngeal cancer who received definitive chemoradiotherapy at our institution. Concordance in HPV/p16 expression between primary and recurrent tumors was assessed. Results Among 31 patients with HPV+/p16+ primary tumors, 30 (97%) retained evidence of both HPV and p16 expression at recurrence (27 HPV+/p16+; 3 HPV+/p16-partial). One (3%) initially HPV+/p16+ patient developed an HPV-negative/p16-negative lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), representing either a discordant oropharyngeal cancer metastasis or second primary tumor. Conclusion HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers retain HPV+/p16+ expression at recurrence. Our results fail to provide evidence that a minor HPV-negative tumor subfraction is responsible for biologically aggressive behavior of HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer that recurs after chemoradiation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: 8–11, 2015
Regulation of cGMP by phosphodiesterases (PDEs) in the central nervous system

It is becoming well established that metabolic inactivation of the cyclic nucleotides cAMP and cGMP is intimately involved in the regulation of cyclic nucleotidemediated signaling cascades. There are four families of PDEs that metabolize cGMP, PDE1, PDE2, PDE9, and PDE10, that are prominently and differentially expressed in the central nervous system. We have begun to characterize the role of these enzymes on cGMP metabolism in vivo using pharmacological and genetic approaches in mice. The effects of manipulating enzyme activity differ for each enzyme in different brain regions, corresponding to differential localization. However, the involvement of each enzyme also appears dependent on the level of activation of cGMP formation. These findings begin to define and differentiate the functions for the different PDEs in regulating cGMP signaling in the central nervous system. from 3rd International Conference on cGMP Generators, Effectors and Therapeutic Implications Dresden, Germany. 15–17 June 2007
Justification and Eschatology in Luther's Thought

The juxtaposition of “justification” and “eschatology” in Luther's thought seems at first strikingly inappropriate. Justification is undoubtedly the central concern in Luther's theological effort. It was to Luther “the master and prince, the lord, the ruler and the judge over all kinds of doctrines; it preserves and governs all church doctrine and raises up our conscience before God. Without this article the world is utter death and darkness. No error is so insignificant, so clumsy, so outworn as not to be supremely pleasing to human reason and to seduce us if we are without the knowledge and the contemplation of this article.” Earlier he had written, “This article is the head and the cornerstone, which alone begets, nourishes, builds, serves and defends the church of God.
Bayesian neural networks for detecting epistasis in genetic association studies

Background: Discovering causal genetic variants from large genetic association studies poses many difficult challenges. Assessing which genetic markers are involved in determining trait status is a computationally demanding task, especially in the presence of gene-gene interactions. Results: A non-parametric Bayesian approach in the form of a Bayesian neural network is proposed for use in analyzing genetic association studies. Demonstrations on synthetic and real data reveal they are able to efficiently and accurately determine which variants are involved in determining case-control status. By using graphics processing units (GPUs) the time needed to build these models is decreased by several orders of magnitude. In comparison with commonly used approaches for detecting interactions, Bayesian neural networks perform very well across a broad spectrum of possible genetic relationships. Conclusions: The proposed framework is shown to be a powerful method for detecting causal SNPs while being computationally efficient enough to handle large datasets.
Temperature Behavior of Pt/Au Ohmic Contacts to p-GaN

Ohmic contacts to Mg-doped p-GaN grown by MOCVD {xc[1]} are studied using a circular transmission line model (TLM) to avoid the need for isolation. For samples which use a p-dopant activation anneal before metallization, no appreciable difference in the specific contact resistance, rc, as a function of different capping options is observed. However, a lower rc is obtained when no pre-metallization anneal is employed, and the post-metallization anneal simultaneously activates the p-dopant and anneals the contact. This trend is shown for Pt/Au, Pt, Pd/Pt/Au, and Ni/Au contacts to p-GaN. The rc ‘s for these metal contacts are in the range of 1.4‐7.6 x 10-3 ohm-cm2 at room temperature at a bias of 10mA. No particular metallization formula clearly yields a consistently superior contact. Instead, the temperature of the contact has the strongest influence. Detailed studies of the electrical properties of the Pt/Au contacts reveal that the I-V linearity improves significantly with increasing temperature. At room temperature, a slightly rectified I-V characteristic curve is obtained, while at 200°C and above, the I-V curve is linear. For all the p-GaN samples, it is also found that the sheet resistance decreases by an order of magnitude with increasing temperature from 25°C to 350°C. The specific contact resistance is also found to decrease by nearly an order of magnitude for a temperature increase of the same range. A minimum rc of 4.2 x 10-4 ohm-cm2 was obtained at a temperature of 350°C for a Pt/Au contact. This result is the lowest reported rc for ohmic contacts to p-GaN.
Towards capturing fine phonetic location in speech using recurrence dynamic feature

The ultimate goal of our research is to develop a new speech dynamic feature that is able to capture the effects of fine-grained acoustic location on speech recognition behavior. As part of this work we are investigating recurrence quality analysis (RQA) and cross recurrence plot (CRP) approach. In the experiments reported here, we analyzed the Chinese vowel and vocabulary using CRP. Experimental results demonstrate that this method is effective in location; it could be beneficial to develop speech recognition.
Rb-Sr isochron age of the Precambrian basement complex, Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

Rb-Sr analyses of 13 whole-rock samples of gneiss, quartz monzonite, and quartz diorite from the Precambrian basement complex in the Bighorn Mountains provide an isochron age of 2,849 ± 60 m.y. and an initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of 0.7016 ± 0.0005. This age is interpreted as the time of regional metamorphism and metasomatism which produced the gneiss and the granitic rocks; independent isochron ages for both groups of rocks are not significantly different. The 2,850-m.y. age for the metamorphic event is consistent with other radiometric ages from the Bighorns and can be correlated with ages reported from several other mountain ranges in Wyoming.
Forecasting Volatility Using Historical Data

Applying modern option valuation theory requires the user to forecast the volatility of the underlying asset over the remaining life of the option, a formidable estimation problem for long maturity instruments. The standard statistical procedures using historical data are based on assumptions of stability, either constant variance, or constant parameters of the variance process, that are unlikely to hold over long periods. This paper examines the empirical performance of different historical variance estimators and of the GARCH (1,1) model for forecasting volatility in important financial markets over horizons up to five years. We find several surprising results: In general, historical volatility computed over many past periods provides the most accurate forecasts for both long and short horizons; root mean squared forecast errors are substantially lower for long term than for short term volatility forecasts; it is typically better to compute volatility around an assumed mean of zero than around the realized mean in the data sample, and the GARCH model tends to be less accurate and much harder to use than the simple historical volatility estimator for this application.
AN ECONOMETRIC MODEL OF PRAWN POND PRODUCTION1

Data on the production of prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) from ponds are not suitable for traditional analysis of variance models because the determining variables or treatments are at widely varying levels. However, the data are amenable to analysis within a simple two-equation econometric model which is recursive in structure. The first equation has survival rate as a function of dissolved oxygen levels, pH measurements, stocking density, and length of grow-out period. The second equation has kilograms harvested per hectare as a function of survival rate, stocking size, stocking density, length of grow-out period and kilograms of feed. The explanatory power of both equations was very promising: R2, the square of the multiple correlation coefficient, was 0.99 for the first equation and 0.97 for the second equation.
The undergraduate premedical experience in the United States: a critical review.

Objectives: To better understand the consequences of the premedical years for the character of (future) physicians by critically reviewing the empirical research done on the undergraduate premedical experience in the United States. Methods: We searched ERIC, JSTOR, PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and PsycINFO from the earliest available date for empirical, peer-reviewed studies of premedical students in the United States. We then used qualitative methods to uncover overall themes present in this literature. Results: The initial literature search identified 1,168 articles, 19 of which were included for review. Reviewed articles were published between 1976 and 2010 with the majority published prior to 1990. Articles covered two broad topics: explaining attrition from the premedical track, and investigating the personality traits and stereotypes of premedical students. Self-selection bias and high attrition rates were among the limitations of the reviewed articles. Conclusions: There is very little current research on the premedical experience. Given the importance of the pre
Expression of Drosophila glass protein and evidence for negative regulation of its activity in non-neuronal cells by another DNA-binding protein

The glass gene encodes a DNA-binding zinc-finger protein required for the development of Drosophila photoreceptor cells and which appears to regulate a number of genes specifically expressed in photoreceptors. We have generated monoclonal antibodies to Glass and used them to examine Glass distribution during development. Glass is expressed in all cell types of the developing eye and in all other organs that contain photoreceptor cells in Drosophila, including a small number of cells in the brain. We altered the normal pattern of glass expression by placing the gene under the control of the hsp70 promoter. Our results suggest that nonphotoreceptor cells are restricted in their response to Glass expression. In an effort to discover the mechanism of this restriction, we examined the expression of a number of reporter gene constructs. Our results suggest that nonsensory cells are unable to express certain reporter constructs in response to Glass expression because another DNA-binding factor represses Glass activity in nonsensory cells.
On Being Categorized in the Speech of Others

Some psychologists argue that in general we self-ascribe characteristics according to others' perceived reactions to us. In illustration michael argyle cites a case involving the self-Ascription of popularity. But popularity is what I here call a 'reaction-Determined characteristic, That is, A characteristic such that certain others' reacting to someone in a certain way is logically sufficient for his having it. The general import of cases involving such characteristics needs careful examination and I argue that in fact argyle's case does not support the general thesis in question. I conclude that 'ordinary language' analysis is important for the evaluation of psychological data.
A van der Pol Based Reduced-Order Model for Non-Synchronous Vibration (NSV) in Turbomachinery

This paper demonstrates the potential of using a multi-degree-of-freedom, traditional van der Pol oscillator to model non-synchronous vibration (NSV) in turbomachinery. It is shown that the two main characteristics of NSV are captured by the reduced-order, van der Pol model. First, a stable limit cycle oscillation (LCO) is maintained for various conditions. Second, the lock-in phenomenon typical of NSV is captured for various fluid-structure frequency ratios. This research identifies values and significance of the coupling parameters used in the van der Pol model. These coefficients are chosen to model confirmed instances of experimental NSV, and to develop a preliminary design tool that engineers can use to better design turbomachinery for NSV. Specifically, coefficient tuning from experimental instances of NSV are considered to identify the unknown coupling coefficients in the van der Pol model.The goal of future research will be to identify values and significance of the coupling parameters used in the van der Pol model, to match these coefficients with confirmed instances of experimental NSV, and to develop a preliminary design tool that engineers can use to better design turbomachinery for NSV. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) CFD techniques and coefficient tuning from experimental instances of NSV have been considered to identify the unknown coupling coefficients in the van der Pol model. The finalization of this preliminary-design research will be completed in future research.© 2013 ASME
Implementation of Flexible Matrix Composite Actuators into the eSPAARO Unmanned Air Vehicle

Morphing wings are of great interest in the aerospace community. Control surfaces with continuously variable geometry increases the efficiency of aircraft aerodynamics. In order to prove efficacy and feasibility, this project focused on replacing a small chord-wise section of the trailing edge in a pre-existing wing for a small unmanned air vehicle (UAV). The flaps use flexible matrix composite (FMC) actuators, rather than hinged control surfaces, to create a local aerodynamic control force whose effect can be measured using the UAV’s onboard flight control system. After multiple design iterations, in which the FMC actuator material and structure were varied, the final design incorporates a carbon fiber frame with an actuator system embedded in a foam matrix. Two actuators are currently being integrated into Virginia Tech’s eSPAARO UAV in preparation for flight tests in Spring 2015.
Design of an All-Terrain Reconfigurable Modular Robot

The purpose of this study is to develop a robotic platform which can be used in many dangerous or inconvenient tasks such as search and rescue operations, space exploration, hazardous material cleanup or as a simple service robot capable of navigating through houses and cities. In order to reduce the cost and development time of an all-terrain autonomous robot, a modular approach is used. The robot is designed as simple as possible by using one-degree-of-freedom modules that will allow the platform to reconfigure itself to use two different locomotion methods inspired by biological systems: Quadruped and caterpillar locomotion. This paper describes the development of modules that form the reconfigurable robot, and then focuses on the gait definitions of the crawling and quadruped modes of locomotion. A prototype of this robot has been built and the described gaits are tested at FIU’s Robotics & Automation Laboratory. Test results are also presented in this work.© 2005 ASME
The German Historical World of Herbert Baxter Adams: 1874-1876

Writing some months after the death of his former mentor in 1901, Prof. Woodrow Wilson of Princeton remarked: "If I were to sum up my impression of Dr. [Herbert Baxter] Adams, I should call him a great Captain of Industry, a captain in the field of systematic and organized scholarship.... The thesis work done under him may fairly be said to have set the pace for university work in history throughout the United States." Similar testimonials from colleagues and former students, occasioned by Adams's surprise resignation from his Johns Hopkins professorship and premature decease soon afterward, could be easily multiplied.' Subsequent historiographers have been in substantial agreement with one another and with Adams's contemporaries as to the nature of his role during the formative period of the American historical profession. "He owes his fame among American historians," wrote Bert J. Loewenberg in 1972, "to his talent as a teacher and his genius as an organizer. 1"2
Monitoring and Modeling of Urban Trail Traffic: Validation of Direct Demand Models in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Columbus, Ohio:

Transportation planners and engineers need estimates of nonmotorized traffic volumes and analytical tools to plan and manage infrastructure for bicycling and walking. Direct demand models are useful, comparatively simple tools for the estimation of volumes from nonmotorized traffic counts and do not require detailed information from travel behavior inventories. However, few demand models for bicycling and walking have been validated. This paper extends the practice of nonmotorized traffic monitoring and modeling in three ways. First, procedures recommended in the FHWA Traffic Monitoring Guide are followed to present estimates of annual average daily traffic (AADT) for each segment of the urban trail networks in two major U.S. cities: Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Columbus, Ohio. Second, independent variables constructed from nationally available data sets and the local characteristics of each trail system are used to estimate and validate direct demand models for AADT. Third, to assess the potential for the...
Determination of Phenobarbital in Serum by Improve Differential Spectrophotometer

Objective:To improve differential spectrophotometry for the determination of phenobarbital in serum. Method:Phenobarbital in serum was twice extracted with trichoromethane under acidic conditions. The standard curve of phenobarbital in serum was established according to the absorbance deviations of phenobarbital in base and acidic media, and the phenobarbital in serum was determined by differential spectrophotometry. Results:The linear range of phenobarbital in serum was 2～80 μg·mL -1 , the average recovery was (100.66±0.36)% with RSD (2.17±0.08)% and (2.59+0.24)% for intraday and interday respectively. The phenobarbital in serum was stable in 25 min under base conditions of pH=10.00 Conclusion:The method now used is quick, simple, of high sensitivity and of good repeat. It is cheap and easy to obtain the instrument and reagent and suitable for clinical drug monitoring in small and medium-sized hospitals.
Abstract B58: Functional analysis of the cell adhesion molecule Nectin-4 in the unique tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer.

A unique aspect of ovarian cancer progression is the collection of ascites fluid in the abdominal cavity, which contains free-floating tumor cells in the form of single cells and multicellular aggregates (spheroids). In previous studies, we showed that the cell adhesion molecule Nectin-4 is overexpressed in ovarian cancer tumors and that the soluble fragment of Nectin-4 (sN4) is detected in the ascites fluid and sera of ovarian cancer patients. The objectives of this study were to determine how Nectin-4 is cleaved from the surface of ovarian cancer cells and the functional role that Nectin-4 plays in the aggregation, invasion, and proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. Functional assays were conducted using human ovarian cancer cell lines that differed in their levels of expression of Nectin-4. First, NIH:OVCAR5 cells, which express moderate levels of Nectin-4, were either: (a) transfected with shRNA targeting Nectin-4 (resulting in almost complete knockdown of Nectin-4 expression) or (b) transfected with full length Nectin-4 to overexpress Nectin-4. Second, MA148 cells, which do not endogenously express Nectin-4 were transfected with a full length Nectin-4 cDNA. Cells that expressed high levels of Nectin-4 formed multicellular aggregates and proliferated more rapidly than cells in which Nectin-4 levels had been knocked down by shRNA. Nectin-4 knock down cells also migrated more slowly in a wound healing assay than cells transfected with a control shRNA. Cells that overexpressed Nectin-4 took a longer time to disaggregate and invade monolayers of mesothelial cells. In addition, cells that overexpressed Nectin-4 shed sN4 following 3 hours of stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate. A broad spectrum inhibitor of matrix metalloproteases and A Disintegrin And Metalloproteases (ADAMs) completely inhibited Nectin-4 shedding. Our results suggest that Nectin-4 promotes cell-cell adhesion (important in the formation of multicellular aggregates), yet it can be cleaved from the surface of cells to allow cells to disaggregate (important in invasion). Understanding the role of Nectin-4 in the multifaceted ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment is critical in order to facilitate its development as a novel therapeutic target for ovarian cancer. Citation Format: Kristin L.M. Boylan, Petra C. Buchanan, Dip Shukla, Melissa DeRycke, Bruce Walcheck, Amy P.N. Skubitz. Functional analysis of the cell adhesion molecule Nectin-4 in the unique tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research: Exploiting Vulnerabilities; Oct 17-20, 2015; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2016;22(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B58.
Economic and Social Conditions Controlling the Supply and Utilization of Food

Economics, sociological factors, and cultural attitudes of large populations, ethnic or religious groups, and even individuals often greatly affect food supplies and general nutrition and health of people. This is understandable because man is a social animal and lives in a social setting. Societies of men are characterized by division of labor and responsibility, and survival of individuals and of societies as a whole depends on this fact. The more highly developed social and economic systems become, the more interdependent individuals become. The industrial revolution of the past two centuries has led to urbanized societies in which fewer people produce food and more people do other tasks necessary to maintain the population as a whole.
Improved Peptide and Protein Torsional Energetics with the OPLS-AA Force Field

The development and validation of new peptide dihedral parameters are reported for the OPLS-AA force field. High accuracy quantum chemical methods were used to scan φ, ψ, χ1, and χ2 potential energy surfaces for blocked dipeptides. New Fourier coefficients for the dihedral angle terms of the OPLS-AA force field were fit to these surfaces, utilizing a Boltzmann-weighted error function and systematically examining the effects of weighting temperature. To prevent overfitting to the available data, a minimal number of new residue-specific and peptide-specific torsion terms were developed. Extensive experimental solution-phase and quantum chemical gas-phase benchmarks were used to assess the quality of the new parameters, named OPLS-AA/M, demonstrating significant improvement over previous OPLS-AA force fields. A Boltzmann weighting temperature of 2000 K was determined to be optimal for fitting the new Fourier coefficients for dihedral angle parameters. Conclusions are drawn from the results for best practices...
Mitochondrial and plastid genome analysis of the marine red alga Coeloseira compressa (Champiaceae, Rhodophyta).

The classification of species originally assigned to the marine red algal genus Coeloseira G.J. Hollenberg remains univestigated using molecular data. Paired-end 36 bp Illumina sequences (Illumina Inc, San Diego, CA) were generated from a specimen of Coeloseira compressa G. J. Hollenberg and used to assemble the partial mitochondrial and complete plastid genomes. The mitogenome is 25,391 bp in length and contains 46 genes, and the plastome is 176,291 bp with 233 genes. Both organellar genomes show high gene synteny with previously published Florideophyceae. Comparison of organellar and nuclear phylogenetic markers (rbcL, CO1, LSU) of C. compressa to other genera in the Champiaceae supports its removal from Gastroclonium Kutzing and the reinstatement of the name Coeloseira compressa.
Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Knee: Analysis of Failures at 5 Years.

Background:Osteochondral allograft transplantation (OAT) is being performed with increasing frequency, and the need for reoperations is not uncommon.Purpose:To quantify survival for OAT and report findings at reoperations.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:A review of prospectively collected data of 224 consecutive patients who underwent OAT by a single surgeon with a minimum follow-up of 2 years was conducted. The reoperation rate, timing of reoperation, procedure performed, and findings at surgery were reviewed. Failure was defined by revision OAT, conversion to knee arthroplasty, or gross appearance of graft failure at second-look arthroscopic surgery.Results:A total of 180 patients (mean [±SD] age, 32.7 ± 10.4 years; 52% male) who underwent OAT with a mean follow-up of 5.0 ± 2.7 years met the inclusion criteria (80% follow-up). Of these, 172 patients (96%) underwent a mean of 2.5 ± 1.7 prior surgical procedures on the ipsilateral knee before OAT. Forty-eight percent of OAT procedur...
Post-racial public relations on primetime television: How Scandal represents Olivia Pope

Abstract Scandal follows the fast-paced fictional world of Olivia Pope, an attorney, crisis management expert, and former White House communications director who owns and manages her own public relations agency. As the first U.S. network television drama with an African American woman in the lead role since 1965, Scandal represents a step forward for televisual portrayals of African-American women. Nevertheless, this program recirculates common constructions of race and gender. I use a cultural studies framework to interrogate representations in the post-racial world Olivia Pope navigates, through the lens of intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989). Findings reveal that the representational reality of Scandal is decidedly different from the lived reality of public relations professionals.