cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phytoalexins and the Specificity of Plant-Parasite Interaction

Phytoalexins are compounds which accumulate in plants following infection and various forms of stress. The term stress metabolites more accurately describes this diverse group of compounds since their accumulation after infection appears to be primarily a function of stress rather than of infection. Their relationship to stress, however, does not preclude their participation in mechanisms for disease resistance. Phytoalexins are produced by non-hosts as well as by resistant and susceptible cultivars of species. They accumulate in plants to concentrations that are inhibitory to the growth of infectious agents when tested in vitro. Phytoalexins have been characterized in the Leguminosae, Solanaceae, Malvaceae, Rosa-ceae, Convolvulaceae, Umbelliferae and Compositae. They have not been characterized in other families of major agronomic importance, e.g., Granrineae and Cucurbitacaceae. Since phytoalexins accumulate at and around sites of infection to levels inhibitory to the growth of infectious agents, their relationship to the containment of microbial development in plants cannot be ignored. Opinions differ as to the extent of their contribution in determining susceptibility or resistance.
Issues Related to Professional Involvement with Families of Individuals with Autism and other Severe Handicaps

The combination of social, cognitive and communicative deficits associated with autism has contributed to a unique and complex relationship between parents and professionals who serve these individuals. This relationship has changed over time from one in which parents were blamed for their children's autism to the present situation in which the emphasis is on a parent-professional partnership. This paper addresses some of the roots of non-productive parent-professional interactions related to individuals with autism and suggests some standards which might lead to more fruitful and positive relationships.
The Xerox Alto Publishing Platform

Starting in 1973, researchers at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) built the first networked workstation platform (Alto and Ethernet) and a suite of applications and services to explore office automation. Separate interactive tools allowed people to create and edit different sorts of document content, which were then merged onto pages using Press files, a page description file format.
Reimagining the colonial wilderness: ‘Africa’, imperialism and the geographical legerdemain of the Vorrh:

Novelists and other cultural producers have long employed the African continent as a palimpsest to construct fantastical tales. From Sir John Mandeville to Joseph Conrad, Africa’s blank spaces on t...
Nonparametric Approach to Weak Signal Detection in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI)

It might be easier for intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations to be found when they mark their position with a bright laser beacon. Given the possible distances involved, however, it is likely that weak signal detection techniques would still be required to identify even the brightest SETI Beacon. The Bootstrap Error-adjusted Single-sample Technique (BEST) is such a detection method. The BEST has been shown to outperform the more traditional Mahalanobis metric in analysis of SETI data from a Project Argus near infrared telescope. The BEST algorithm is used to identify unusual signals and returns a distance in asymmetric nonparametric multidimensional central 68% confidence intervals (equivalent to standard deviations for 1-D data that are normally distributed, or Mahalanobis distance units for normally distributed data of d dimensions). Calculation of the Mahalanobis metric requires matrix factorization and is order of d3. Furthermore, the accuracy and precision of the BEST metric are greater than the Mahalanobis metric in realistic data collection scenarios (many more wavelengths available then observations at those wavelengths). An extension of the BEST to examine multiple samples (subclusters of data) simultaneously is explored in this paper.
Making sense of subclinical cardiac alterations in patients with diabetes

Patients with diabetes are prone to develop a distinct primary myocardial condition, diabetic cardiomyopathy, placing them at an increased risk for heart failure [1-3]. This occurs independently of hypertension, coronary artery disease, and other established causes of heart failure. Pertinent findings include increased mass, concentric changes, and diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle [4,5]. Such adverse remodeling is common among patients with diabetes and appears to be strongly associated with its duration, suggesting a role for persistent metabolic stress [6-8]. However, which exact components of the diabetic syndrome determine these cardiac alterations is not clear. Moreover, most studies have investigated patients with type 2 diabetes, and it is uncertain whether patients with type 1 diabetes experience similar myocardial changes. Continue reading the full text in the PDF version.
A length penalized probabilistic principal curve algorithm with applications to handwritten digits and pharmacologic colon imaging

The classical Principal Curve algorithm was developed as a nonlinear version of principal component analysis to model curves. However, existing principal curve algorithms with classical penalties, such as smoothness or ridge penalties, lack the ability to deal with complex curve shapes. In this manuscript, we introduce a robust and stable length penalty which solves issues of unnecessary curve complexity, such as the self-looping, that arise widely in principal curve algorithms. A novel probabilistic mixture regression model is formulated. A modified penalized EM(Expectation Maximization) Algorithm was applied to the model to obtain the penalized MLE. Two applications of the algorithm were performed. In the first, the algorithm was applied to the MNIST dataset of handwritten digits to find the centerline, not unlike defining a TrueType font. We demonstrate that the centerline can be recovered with this algorithm. In the second application, the algorithm was applied to construct a three dimensional centerline through single photon emission computed tomography images of the colon arising from the study of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. The centerline in this application is crucial for understanding the distribution of the antiviral agents in the colon for HIV prevention. The new algorithms improves on previous applications of principal curves to this data.
A Study of Uranyl (VI) Chloride Complexes in Aqueous Solutions under Hydrothermal Conditions using Raman Spectroscopy

The transport and deposition of uranium under hydrothermal conditions in the Earth’s crust has been a subject of ongoing study but is yet to be completely understood. In addition, there is little known about the fate of nuclear waste, consisting of uranium from spent fuel and other radioactive materials, upon storage in repositories or in nuclear reactor facilities. Because the nuclear waste often comes in contact with aqueous fluids in storage environments, studies of uranyl complexation with chloride and other ligands in aqueous media, to high temperature and pressure conditions, are needed. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the speciation of aqueous uranyl (VI) chloride complexes, in solutions having a 0.05 M uranyl concentration and [Cl] concentrations ranging from 0.2 M to 6 M, under hydrothermal conditions. The aqueous uranyl chloride complexes in the samples were studied using Raman spectroscopy and the hydrothermal diamond anvil cell (HDAC), at temperatures up to 500 °C and pressures up to ~ 0.5 GPa. The uranyl bond stretching band feature occurring in the ~810 to 870 cm-1 region was fitted using the Voigt peak shape to determine the speciation of the equilibrium uranyl chloride complexes present in the samples. As expected, the n integer value of the UO2Cln+2-n complex species increases with the increase in temperature and chloride concentration, generally trending toward charge neutrality at high temperatures.
Trial-by-Trial Fluctuations in Brain Responses to Stress Predict Subsequent Smoking Decisions That Occur Several Seconds Later.

Abstract Background To investigate the neurobiological mechanisms that determine self-regulation of smoking urges when a person encounters stress, we investigated brain network interactions of smoking self-regulation by employing a real-time smoking (nicotine delivery) decision paradigm and a brain-as-predictor neuroimaging approach. Methods While in the functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner, 25 cigarette smokers who abstained from smoking overnight made 200 real smoking decisions regarding whether or not to take a puff of an electronic cigarette during 3 different stress conditions (cognitive stress, emotional stress, and no stress). Cognitive stress was induced by a concurrent working memory load, and emotional stress was induced by manipulating a chance of aversive electric shock. Results Behaviorally, both cognitive and emotional stress manipulations increased the probability of making a decision to smoke (i.e., taking a puff). In magnetic resonance imaging trial-by-trial analyses, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity measured at the time of the stress cue significantly predicted future smoking decisions that occurred several seconds later. Furthermore, the influence of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity on smoking decisions was mediated by the ventral striatum activity at the time of smoking decisions. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that brain responses at the time of a stressful moment determine subsequent trial-by-trial smoking decisions by systematically altering brain executive (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) and reward (ventral striatum) system network activities. Our results further suggest potential translational importance of neuroscientific approaches to predicting self-regulation failures at critical stressful moments.
Improving affect detection in game-based learning with multimodal data fusion

Accurately recognizing learner affect is critically important for enabling affect-responsive learning environments to support student learning and engagement. Multimodal affect detection combining sensor-based and sensor-free approaches has shown significant promise in both laboratory and classroom settings. However, important questions remain regarding which data channels are most predictive and how they should be combined. In this paper, we investigate a multimodal affect detection framework that integrates motion tracking-based posture data and interaction-based trace data to recognize the affective states of students engaged with a game-based learning environment for emergency medical training. We compare several machine learning-based affective models using competing feature-level and decision-level multimodal data fusion approaches. Results indicate that multimodal affect detectors induced using joint feature representations from posture-based and interaction-based data channels yield improved accuracy relative to unimodal models across several learner-centered affective states. These findings point toward implications for the design of multimodal affect-responsive learning environments that support learning and engagement.
Immediate histologic correlation in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance cytology and positive high-risk HPV: A retrospective review of 6000 cases in a large academic women's hospital.

BACKGROUND Previous studies of the histologic correlation in women who have atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance cytology (ASC-US) and are positive for high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV+) have predominantly utilized the Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) test, whereas the use of other US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved methods is relatively limited. METHODS Cases of ASC-US/hrHPV+ that were tested using HC2, Cervista, or Aptima were retrieved, and the immediate histologic correlations were analyzed. RESULTS Overall, 53.9% (n = 3238) of women with ASC-US/hrHPV+ had immediate histologic correlation. The detection rates for grade 1 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN1) were similar among the 3 methods (37.1%-41.8%), while the overall detection rates for grade 2 CIN or higher (CIN2+) were much lower (5.1%-9.0%). CIN2+ detection rates were similar among different age groups for HC2 testing, whereas for Cervista and Aptima testing, detection rates were highest in the youngest group (age <25 years) and decreased with age. Statistical analyses revealed that the CIN2+ detection rate was significantly higher in younger women who were tested with Cervista. CONCLUSION These hrHPV testing methods revealed low CIN2+ detection rates in women with ASC-US/hrHPV+ but demonstrated different patterns when using age-stratified analyses. The high rate of CIN2+ detection in women aged <25 years by the Cervista and Aptima testing platforms, but not the HC2 platform, suggest that continual investigation of FDA-approved clinical hrHPV testing-especially large-scale, long-term, prospective studies-is needed to evaluate the best options for management of ASC-US/hrHPV+ in this age group.
Surface Imaging Via Wave Equation Inversion

This paper examines the consequences of the inversion of refelcted waves from an object based on the Helmholtz wave equation model; the primary wave is a multi-frequency source and the object/transmitter/receiver geometry is fixed. We show that a parametric reconstruction in this inverse problem is not possible; this is true for both the Born and Rytov inversions. However, the available reflected data can be used to accurately reconstruct the surface (shape) of objects. Reconstruction results for penetrable and non-penetrable objects are presented.
Principles of Procedurally Just Policing

We believe that procedural justice can and should be integrated throughout the policies of a police department. In this document, we identify three key areas of department policymaking in which procedural justice principles should be incorporated: Addressing transparency and public engagement. If police departments are only able to make one change to their current operating procedures, it should be this: departments should move toward a process for publishing and revising their general and special orders that incorporates procedural justice principles. Procedural justice is not a project or program to be completed, nor a goal to be achieved; it is a comprehensive change to the ways in which police departments do business and a constant work in progress.Departments that are committed to procedurally just policing should thus incorporate procedural justice principles into their decision-making processes on an ongoing basis. Departments should also commit themselves to an ethic of transparency in their interactions with their communities. Addressing “internal” procedural justice in police departments. Research has found that the existence of procedural justice within police departments is central to implementing procedural justice externally. In short, officers who feel they are treated fairly by their departments are better able to implement policies that promote justice, and more readily communicate respect for members of the community. Thus, if departments wish to implement a procedural justice-based approach to policing their communities, it is essential for those departments to ensure that their internal policies treat officers with fairness and respect. Procedural justice principles should also be included in a department’s code of conduct or ethics policy. Addressing “external” procedural justice in the community. In addition, procedural justice principles can be incorporated directly into policies governing how officers treat members of the community. This may include general interactions with community members as well as more particularized circumstances, such as investigatory stops.
Optimal transport couplings of Gibbs samplers on partitions for unbiased estimation

Computational couplings of Markov chains provide a practical route to unbiased Monte Carlo estimation that can utilize parallel computation. However, these approaches depend crucially on chains meeting after a small number of transitions. For models that assign data into groups, e.g. mixture models, the obvious approaches to couple Gibbs samplers fail to meet quickly. This failure owes to the so-called "label-switching" problem; semantically equivalent relabelings of the groups contribute well-separated posterior modes that impede fast mixing and cause large meeting times. We here demonstrate how to avoid label switching by considering chains as exploring the space of partitions rather than labelings. Using a metric on this space, we employ an optimal transport coupling of the Gibbs conditionals. This coupling outperforms alternative couplings that rely on labelings and, on a real dataset, provides estimates more precise than usual ergodic averages in the limited time regime. Code is available at this http URL.
Latency Period after Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes: Singletons versus Twins.

OBJECTIVE Several studies have evaluated the differences in duration of latency and clinical outcomes between singleton and twin pregnancies after preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM); however, these data are limited to single-institution analyses and based on small sample sizes. The aim of this study was to assess differences in latency and clinical outcomes in singletons versus twin gestations affected by PPROM in a large, diverse cohort of women. STUDY DESIGN This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter trial of magnesium for neuroprotection in women at high risk of preterm birth. Our study included women with PPROM ≥ 24 weeks with singleton and twin gestations. We compared singleton versus twin gestation and our primary outcome was duration of latency after PPROM. Secondary outcomes included selected perinatal and neonatal outcomes including long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. We fit a linear regression model to assess independent risk factors for latency duration. RESULTS Our study included 1,753 women, 1,602 singleton gestations (91%) and 151 twin gestations (9%). The median latency period was significantly shorter in twins (4 [interquartile range, IQR: 1-10] vs. 7 [IQR: 3-16] days, p < 0.001) and gestational age at delivery was significantly earlier (29.3 vs. 30.1 weeks, p = 0.001). Twins were more likely to develop neonatal sepsis (20.1 vs. 13.4%, p = 0.004), but rates of chorioamnionitis and abruption did not differ. Twins were more likely to suffer from adverse short-term neonatal outcomes, had higher rates of neonatal demise (7.9 vs. 3.8%, p = 0.002), and had higher rates of cerebral palsy (7.3 vs. 3.7, p = 0.005). When adjusting for confounders, twin gestation remained an independent risk factor for shorter latency (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Twin gestations affected by PPROM had shorter latency, earlier delivery, and higher rates of short- and long-term morbidity. Despite having longer latency, singleton gestations did not have higher rates of complications associated with expectant management. KEY POINTS · Twins affected by PPROM had shorter latency duration and earlier gestational at delivery.. · Twins with PPROM had higher rates of both short- and long-term perinatal morbidity.. · Rates of chorioamnionitis and abruption did not differ between twins and singletons with PPROM..
Transitional flaw size sensitivity of amorphous silica nanostructures analyzed by ReaxFF/SiO based molecular dynamics

This paper presents an investigation aimed at understanding the flaw size sensitivity in amorphous silica nanostructures. The investigation is carried out in LAMMPS via reactive molecular dynamics analyses by employing ReaxFF–SiO, a bond order-based force field. First, a validated procedure is developed to build the amorphous silica nanostructures via a melt, quench, and equilibration process. This procedure is seen to correctly reproduce the molecular structure as well as mechanical properties of silica. The best agreement to experimental data is obtained by using non-periodic boundary conditions with the isothermal–isobaric ensemble. The validated model is then used to analyze crack propagation in amorphous silica samples with varying flaw sizes subjected to mode I tensile fracture. The analyses reveal a marked transition from flaw sensitive to insensitive behavior with decreasing flaw size. The transition flaw size is found to be 20–25 A. Fracture propagation is found to be accompanied by the formation of several single atom thick strands near the crack tip, previously reported as “stress fibers.” This is proposed as a viable mechanism causing blunting of an initially sharp crack, analogous to blunting of a macroscale crack by an inelastic damage zone. The nanoscale fracture process zone estimated by probing near crack tip stresses is found to nearly equal the transition flaw size, providing an explanation for the transitional behavior. A semi-empirical, transitional flaw size effect law rooted in quasibrittle fracture mechanics is derived based on asymptotic matching and is found to capture well the nanoscale transitional behavior.
ICANN, 'Internet Stability,' and New Top Level Domains

This paper tells the story of ICANN’s groundbreaking authorization of seven new Internet top-level domains in 2000 – the first addition of non-country-code domains to the root zone since the Internet’s early days, and foreshadowing ICANN’s addition of more than a thousand new domains beginning in 2013. ICANN’s selection process in 2000 was badly dysfunctional, and its statements appeared to treat subjectivity and arbitrariness as desirable (or, in any event, appropriate) features of its process. The paper marvels at that spectacle, and tries to put it in larger context.
Chains of Control in Agile Software Development

Although extant literature on control in software development provides interesting and rich insights, it also indicates existing constructs are, in some ways, inadequate as intellectual means to support investigation of control practices. Most importantly, current theorizing distinguishes between two types of formal controls (outcome and behavior) and two types of informal controls (clan and self), making it impossible to investigate informal outcome and behavior controls and formal clan and selfcontrols. We therefore introduce a deconstructed framework for describing management controls and apply it to a holistic examination of controls in a case study of a multi-site agile software development organization. The empirical examination revealed consequent controls across a process and multiple representations of control across hierarchical levels of analysis. As a result, we offer a refined, deconstructed framework for investigating control practices, and the concept of chains of control as a useful tool for examining control practices in software development.
Focusing on prevention: the social and economic rights of children vulnerable to sex trafficking

The commercial sexual exploitation of children ("CSEC") is an egregious human rights and public health violation that occurs every day across the US. Although there has been positive change in the US to bring attention to CSEC and to reform laws and policies to assist CSEC victims, scant attention and resources have been dedicated to prevention efforts. This paper critiques current US strategies to address CSEC and highlights the limitations of an interventionist framework that narrows its focus to anti-trafficking efforts. As an alternative, the paper proposes a human rights-based approach focusing on the fulfillment of economic and social rights of children as a prevention strategy in the U.S. Language: en
Electrical Remodeling of the Human Atrium: Similar Effects in Patients With Chronic Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter

Abstract Objectives. This study sought to determine whether chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter in patients lead to electrical remodeling of the human atrial myocardium, manifested by an abnormal relation between atrial cycle length and action potential duration (APD). Background. Experimental studies in goats and isolated human atrial tissue have shown that prolonged AF leads to persistent shortening of atrial refractoriness, a phenomenon referred to as electrical remodeling and which helps to explain why AF begets AF. Direct data on human in situ myocardium are still lacking. Methods. Using monophasic action potential recordings at two right atrial sites simultaneously, we determined in 7 patients with chronic AF and 13 with chronic atrial flutter (3 weeks to 3 years in duration) the relation between paced cycle length and APD at 90% repolarization (APD90) 15 to 30 min after conversion to sinus rhythm. APD90 was measured during regularly paced cycle lengths (250 to 800 ms) to determine the steady state cycle length relation and during extrastimulus intervals (from 800 ms to refractoriness) at a basic cycle length of 600 ms to determine electrical restitution curves. The same pacing protocols and measurements were performed in nine control patients with sinus rhythm and no overt atrial disease. Results. In control patients, steady state APD90 increased steadily with increases in cycle length from 250 to 800 ms, reaching a maximal value of 325 ± 41 ms (mean ± SD) at a cycle length of 800 ms. In patients with cardioversion from atrial flutter or AF, the steady state cycle length–APD90 relation was shifted downward and flattened at cycle lengths >400 ms, reaching only 219 ± 44 and 245 ± 39 ms, respectively, at the 800-ms cycle length (p 350 ms, APD90 was shorter in both the AF and atrial flutter groups than in the control group (p Conclusions. AF and atrial flutter lead to marked, quantitatively similar decreases in the right atrial APD during steady state pacing and extrastimulation a considerable time after cardioversion. These data confirm that both AF and atrial flutter lead to electrical remodeling in the human atrium, with a preponderance at longer cycle lengths. It may be prudent to abort both types of arrhythmias early to prevent electrical remodeling.
Mass spectrometry in structural and stereochemical problems—CCXLIV : The influence of substituents and stereochemistry on the mass spectral fragmentation of progesterone

Abstract The complete high resolution mass spectra of progesterone (Δ 4 -pregnene-3,20-dione) and twenty-nine stereoisomers and alkyl substituted analogs have been analyzed with the aid of the recently developed computer program INTSUM. Progesterone analogs with “normal” configuration at the six chiral skeletal carbon atoms give rise to abundant ions corresponding to cleavage of the 1–2 and 3–4 bonds (ketene elimination), to cleavage of the 6–7 and 9–10 bonds (ring B cleavage), and to cleavage of the 13–17 and 15–16 bonds (partial ring D cleavage); these reactions are frequently followed by elimination of alkyl radicals. Alkyl groups at C-6 and C-10 exert a pronounced influence on the formation and fragmentation of the [M-ketene] ions. Reversal of configuration at C-10 increases the importance of ring B cleavage, whereas reversal at C-17 favors the partial cleavage of ring D. The fragmentation of 17-alkylprogesterones differs significantly from the general pattern, with acetyl loss (cleavage of the 17–20 bond) and partial ring D cleavage as the predominating reactions. Loss of ring D by cleavage of the 13–17 and 14–15 bonds is not an important reaction of progesterones. Direct interaction of the two ketonic functions was not observed.
High Molecular Weight Phosphorus Compound in Nucleic Acid Extracts of the Slime Mold Physarum polycephalum

Orthophosphate labeled with 32P was added to the growth medium of the plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum. The nucleic acid extracts of such plasmodia contained 32P that was not removed by nuclease, protease, or amylase. This labeled material was shown to be separable from nucleic acids, could be eluted from a methylated albumin-kieselguhr column at 0.5 m NaCl, was of high molecular weight, and had several characteristics in common with polyphosphate. A fraction of this polyphosphate-like material was also found in extracts of isolated nuclei.
Regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate metabolism in mitochondria from guinea pig liver.

Abstract Previous studies by us have shown that respiring guinea pig liver mitochondria can synthesize P-enolpyruvate from a variety of ordinarily available carbon intermediates. In this study, dinitrophenol was found to reduce substantially P-enolpyruvate formation owing to a deficiency of intramitochondrial ATP, and this reduction could not be relieved by stimultaneous substrate level phosphorylation of GDP. Ketone bodies were utilized to alter the oxidation-reduction state of the intramitochondrial pyridine nucleotides. These variations produced large changes in the rates of P-enolpyruvate formation, citrate synthesis, and malate formation. It is concluded that the ultimate source of high energy phosphate for P-enolpyruvate synthesis is the intramitochondrial pool of ATP rather than the substrate level phosphorylation of GDP. In addition, the ratio of ATP to ADP and the kinetic behavior of nucleoside diphosphokinase are found to control the rate and direction of P-enolpyruvate metabolism. A second control factor for P-enolpyruvate synthesis is the oxidation-reduction state of the pyridine nucleotides acting upon the equilibrium between malate and oxalacetate.
T Cell Studies in a Peptide-Induced Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

We have previously reported that immunization with a peptide mimetope of dsDNA on a branched polylysine backbone (DWEYSVWLSN-MAP) induces a systemic lupus erythematosus-like syndrome in the nonautoimmune BALB/c mouse strain. To understand the mechanism underlying this breakdown in self tolerance, we examined the role of T cells in the response. Our results show that the anti-foreign and anti-self response induced by immunization is T cell dependent and is mediated by I-E(d)-restricted CD4(+) T cells of the Th1 subset. In addition, generation of the critical T cell epitope requires processing by APCs and depends on the presence of both DWEYSVWLSN and the MAP backbone. The breakdown in self tolerance does not occur through cross-reactivity between the T cell epitope of DWEYSVWLSN-MAP and epitopes derived from nuclear Ags. In this induced-model of SLE, therefore, autoreactivity results from the activation of T cells specific for foreign Ag and of cross-reactive anti-foreign, anti-self B cells. Despite the fact that tissue injury is mediated by Ab, the critical initiating T cell response is Th1.
Nerve entrapment syndromes in musicians.

Nerve entrapment syndromes are common in instrumental musicians. Carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, and thoracic outlet syndrome appear to be the most common. While electrodiagnostic studies may confirm the diagnosis of nerve entrapment, they may be falsely normal in musicians. Non-operative treatment with instrument and technique modification may help. Involvement with the musician's teacher to implement appropriate treatment is recommended. Outcomes for both non-operative and operative treatment for various nerve entrapment syndromes have yielded mostly good to excellent results, similar to the general population. Clin. Anat. 27:861–865, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae Auxotyping: Differentiation of Clinical Isolates Based on Growth Responses on Chemically Defined Media

A system is described for differentiating clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae based on their growth or absence of growth on a set of 11 chemically defined agar media. The complete medium, NEDA, contains all of the compounds required for gonococcal growth; but isolates differ in their ability to grow on NEDA from which selected compounds are individually omitted. The differential compounds include L-proline, L-arginine, L-ornithine, L-methionine, hypoxanthine, uracil, thiamine, and thiamine pyrophosphate. A distinctive pattern of growth responses on the standard media defines an auxotype. Twenty auxotypes were found among a group of 251 gonococci which were isolated from patients examined in the clinics of one city during a 3-month span of time. Another collection of 74 strains from several different countries yielded two additional auxotypes. The stability of the nutritional requirements on which the auxotyping depends was verified in two ways. Cultures isolated from different anatomic sites of a patient or from sexual partners represented the same auxotype, as did cultures which were repeatedly isolated from cases of presumptive treatment failures. Also, the auxotypes of gonococci remained the same after numerous subcultures. The reproducibility of results and the variety and number of auxotypes indicate the potential value of the auxotyping system as an epidemiological tool.
NICOTINATE ADENINE DINUCLEOTIDE PHOSPHATE (NAADP) TRIGGERS A SPECIFIC CALCIUM RELEASE SYSTEM IN SEA URCHIN EGGS

Transient fluxes of intracellular ionized calcium (Ca2+) from intracellular stores are integral components of regulatory signaling pathways operating in numerous biological regulations, including in early stages of egg fertilization. Therefore, we explored whether NADP, which is rapidly generated by phosphorylation of NAD upon fertilization may, directly or indirectly, exert a regulatory role as a trigger of Ca2+ release from intracellular stores in sea urchin eggs. NADP had no effect, but we found that the deamidated derivative of NADP, nicotinate adenine dinucleotide phosphate (β-NAADP), is a potent and specific stimulus (ED50 16 nM) for Ca2+ release in sea urchin egg homogenates. NAADP triggers the Ca2+ release via a mechanism which is distinct from the well-known Ca2+ release systems triggered either by inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) or by cyclic adenosine diphospho-ribose (cADPR). The NAADP-induced release of Ca2+ is not blocked by heparin, an antagonist of IP3, or by procaine or ruthenium red, antagonists of cADPR. However, it is selectively blocked by thionicotinamide-NADP which does not inhibit the actions of IP3 or cADPR. NAADP produced by heating of NADP in alkaline (pH = 12) medium or synthetized enzymatically by nicotinic acid-NADP reaction catalyzed by NAD glycohydrolase have identical properties. The results presented herein thus describe a novel endocellular Ca2+-releasing system controlled by NAADP as a specific stimulus. The NAADP-controlled Ca2+ release system may be an integral component of multiple intracellular regulations occurring in fertilized sea urchin eggs, which are mediated by intracellular Ca2+ release, and may also have similar role(s) in other tissues.
Moon Illusion and Emmert's Law

The perceived size of an afterimage varies with the part of the sky to which it is projected in a manner predictable from Emmert's Law and the appearance of the sky as a flattened dome. This effect is directly analogous to the moon illusion.
Hydrodynamic boundary conditions from kinetic theory

Abstract A simple tagged particle kinetic equation is studied in the presence of a wall, where the boundary conditions may be reflecting, absorbing, or a mixture thereof. A diffusion equation is derived from the kinetic equation via the scaling, t→ t ϵ 2 , x→ x ϵ , ϵ→0. To O(ϵ 0 ), the boundary conditions on the diffusion equation are found to be Neumann for pure reflection and Dirichlet if any absorption is present. To O(ϵ), a mixed or “radiative” boundary condition is obtained, which may be interpreted in terms of a Dirichlet condition at an extrapolated length, O(ϵ), inside the wall.
On improving eye feature extraction using deformable templates

Abstract An improved method of extracting eye features from facial images using eye templates is described. It retains all advantages of the deformable template method originally proposed by A. L. Yuille, P. W. Hallinan and D. S. Cohen (Int. J. Comput. Vision 99–111 (1989)) and rectifies some of its weaknesses. This is achieved by the following modifications. First, the original eye template and the overall energy function to represent the most salient features of the eye are modified. Secondly, in order to simplify the issue of selecting weights for the energy terms, the value of each energy term is normalized in the range 0–1 and only two different weights are assigned. This weighting schedule does not require expert knowledge therefore it is more user friendly. Thirdly, all parameters of the template are changed simultaneously during the minimization process rather than using a sequential procedure. This scheme prevents some parameters of the eye template from being overly changed, helps the algorithm to converge to the global minimum, and reduces the processing time. The selection of initial parameters of the eye template is based on an eye window obtained in preprocessing. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the algorithm. A comparison study of various processing schemes is also given.
Promoting Human Subjects Training for Place-Based Communities and Cultural Groups in Environmental Research: Curriculum Approaches for Graduate Student/Faculty Training

A collaborative team of environmental sociologists, community psychologists, religious studies scholars, environmental studies/science researchers and engineers has been working together to design and implement new training in research ethics, culture and community-based approaches for place-based communities and cultural groups. The training is designed for short and semester-long graduate courses at several universities in the northeastern US. The team received a 3 year grant from the US National Science Foundation’s Ethics Education in Science and Engineering in 2010. This manuscript details the curriculum topics developed that incorporate ethical principles, particularly for group protections/benefits within the field practices of environmental/engineering researchers.
Metagenomic Exploration of Viruses throughout the Indian Ocean

The characterization of global marine microbial taxonomic and functional diversity is a primary goal of the Global Ocean Sampling Expedition. As part of this study, 19 water samples were collected aboard the Sorcerer II sailing vessel from the southern Indian Ocean in an effort to more thoroughly understand the lifestyle strategies of the microbial inhabitants of this ultra-oligotrophic region. No investigations of whole virioplankton assemblages have been conducted on waters collected from the Indian Ocean or across multiple size fractions thus far. Therefore, the goals of this study were to examine the effect of size fractionation on viral consortia structure and function and understand the diversity and functional potential of the Indian Ocean virome. Five samples were selected for comprehensive metagenomic exploration; and sequencing was performed on the microbes captured on 3.0-, 0.8- and 0.1 µm membrane filters as well as the viral fraction (<0.1 µm). Phylogenetic approaches were also used to identify predicted proteins of viral origin in the larger fractions of data from all Indian Ocean samples, which were included in subsequent metagenomic analyses. Taxonomic profiling of viral sequences suggested that size fractionation of marine microbial communities enriches for specific groups of viruses within the different size classes and functional characterization further substantiated this observation. Functional analyses also revealed a relative enrichment for metabolic proteins of viral origin that potentially reflect the physiological condition of host cells in the Indian Ocean including those involved in nitrogen metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. A novel classification method, MGTAXA, was used to assess virus-host relationships in the Indian Ocean by predicting the taxonomy of putative host genera, with Prochlorococcus, Acanthochlois and members of the SAR86 cluster comprising the most abundant predictions. This is the first study to holistically explore virioplankton dynamics across multiple size classes and provides unprecedented insight into virus diversity, metabolic potential and virus-host interactions.
Comparison of the effectiveness of different cervical immobilization collars

Immobilization of the cervical spine is a common prehospital and emergency department maneuver. The ability of four different cervical collars to immobilize the cervical spine was studied using radiographic measurement in seven normal volunteers. Restriction of motion during flexion, extension, and lateral bending was studied. Differences between collars exist and require further study to identify the optimum device for immobilization of the cervical spine.
The challenge of comparative case studies

Loic Wacquant has written a passionate tour de force comparison between the ‘Black Belt’ of Chicago and the ‘Red Belt’ of Paris in the post‐Fordist period of deindustrialization, 1 globalization an...
Cuticular hydrocarbons of four species of colorado hymenoptera

The cuticular hydrocarbons of three species of bees (Bombus appositus, B. occidentalis, Nomia bakeri) and a digger wasp (Bembix pruinosa) were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and combined GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Hydrocarbons accounted for between 32 and 78% of the total surface waxes of these species. n-Alkanes, branched alkanes and alkenes were present in B. occidentalis (females) and B. pruinosa, whereas only n-Alkanes and alkenes were extracted from B. appositus (mexed sex) and B. occidentalis (males). N. bakeri hydrocarbons were composed almost entirely of n-alkanes (96.1%); alkenes were absent. The double bonds in B. appositus alkenes were all located in the 7 position. All double bonds in the alkenes of B. occidentalis (males) and B. pruinosa were in the 9 position. The surface hydrocarbons of N. bakeri and B. pruinosa, two species inhabiting hot xerophytic environments, exhibited several features that have been correlated with low cuticular permeability.
Trace fossil zonation in Cretaceous turbidite facies, northern California

The differences between trace fossil assemblages of “proximal”; and “distal”; turbidites (terms used here in the broadest senses) are often attributed to varied preservation processes, although some workers have suspected that trace fossil distribution also represents regional deployment of benthic organisms. Thick‐bedded, thin‐bedded, and muddy turbidites (representing a proximal‐to‐distal environmental gradient) were studied at Point Saint George, northern coastal California, to determine which aspects of trace fossil zonation result from trace preservation and which aspects reflect the distribution of benthic tracemakers. Thin‐bedded turbidites contained nearly all of the trace fossils found in the sequence: predepositional traces (totalling 17 ichnotaxa and other distinctive biogenic structures) were preserved as casts on the soles of sandstone layers; postdepositional traces (9 forms) were preserved in full relief throughout beds. In contrast, muddy turbidites had only three ichnotaxa preserved in fl...
Kinetic Mechanism of RGS9-1 Potentiation by R9AP†

The duration of the photoreceptor's response to a light stimulus determines the speed at which an animal adjusts to ever-changing conditions of the visual environment. One critical component which regulates the photoresponse duration on the molecular level is the complex between the ninth member of the regulators of G protein signaling family (RGS9-1) and its partner, type 5 G protein β-subunit (Gβ5L). RGS9-1·Gβ5L is responsible for the activation of the GTPase activity of the photoreceptor-specific G protein, transducin. Importantly, this function of RGS9-1·Gβ5L is regulated by its membrane anchor, R9AP, which drastically potentiates the ability of RGS9-1·Gβ5L to activate transducin GTPase. In this study, we address the kinetic mechanism of R9AP action and find that it consists primarily of a direct increase in the RGS9-1·Gβ5L activity. We further showed that the binding site for RGS9-1·Gβ5L is located within the N-terminal putative trihelical domain of R9AP, and even though this domain is sufficient for...
Vibrotactile Glove guidance for semi-autonomous wheelchair operations

This paper presents the design of a novel tactile display, the Vibrotactile Glove, which provides a wheelchair user who has severe visual impairment with vibration (vibrotactile) signals to operate a powered wheelchair. The vibrotactile signals are conducted to the user's skin through a 3-by-3 array of vibrating elements (also known as vibrotactor). The vibrotactor array is placed on the back side of the Vibrotactile Glove. We designed a motor array controller which generates sequences of aligned stimuli indicating directional guidance (vertical, horizontal, and diagonal) and points of stimuli indicating the orientation and distance of obstacles. The haptic sensitivity of stimuli localization is reinforced by signal repetition with short inter-stimuli period. The preliminary results reveal the positive potential of the Vibrotactile Glove as an effective and robust tactile display that can convey essential information of wheelchair operation to a user with severe visual impairment.
PEAR model and sleep outcomes in dementia caregivers: influence of activity restriction and pleasant events on sleep disturbances

BACKGROUND Sleep disturbance is a common consequence of providing care to a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). We explored the usefulness of the Pleasant Events and Activity Restriction (PEAR) model for predicting multiple domains of sleep disturbance.
Finite Heisenberg groups in quiver gauge theories

Abstract We show by direct construction that a large class of quiver gauge theories admits actions of finite Heisenberg groups. We consider various quiver gauge theories that arise as AdS/CFT duals of orbifolds of C 3 , the conifold and its orbifolds and some orbifolds of the cone over Y p , q . Matching the gauge theory analysis with string theory on the corresponding spaces implies that the operators counting wrapped branes do not commute in the presence of flux.
Ab initio and direct dynamics study of the reaction of Cl atoms with HOCO

The reaction of Cl with HOCO has been examined using the coupled-cluster method to locate and optimize the critical points on the ground-state potential energy surface. The results show that the reaction produces the HCl and CO2 products as experimentally observed. The reaction occurs via a HOC(O)Cl intermediate with an estimated heat of formation of −97.8±2.0 kcal/mol. A direct ab initio dynamics method has been used to provide insight into the reaction mechanisms and to determine the thermal rate coefficients in the temperature range of 200–600 K. At room temperature, the thermal rate coefficient is predicted to be 3.0×10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 with an activation energy of −0.2 kcal/mol. Two kinds of reactive trajectories are found. One kind proceeds through short-lived HOC(O)Cl complexes with a lifetime of 310 fs while the other kind occurs via longer-lived intermediates with a lifetime of 1.9 ps.
Postganglionic stimulation activates synaptic potentials in cat bladder parasympathetic neurons

Abstract Responses elicited by stimulating the pre-versus postganglionic nerves were compared in cat bladder parasympathetic neurons. We observed that synaptic potentials recorded on stimulating the postganglionic nerve trunk were different from those elicited with preganglionic nerve stimulation. These findings suggest that local neuronal interactions occur within bladder parasympatheticganglia and may play a physiological role in the neuronal integration in bladder ganglia.
The Conceptual Basis for Thematic Teacher Education Programs

The case for thematic teacher education programs rests on the assumption that learning to teach requires building elaborate and well-organized schemata that serve to direct teacher action. Barnes discusses the relationship of a theme to program characteristics that are critical to the development of profes sional knowledge schemata.
Concept of system similarity in chemical engineering

Fuzzy set theory is used to describe similarity of chemical engineering systems. The development of system similarity is given, and methods of determining a similarity relation are discussed. The system similarity relation is applied to the problems of measuring correlation confidence and quantifying modeling error. Sample problems are examined.