cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vagrants as the Expanding Fringe of a Growing Population

Models of invasions have revealed the importance of rare, long-distance movement to the rate of population spread (Kot et al. 1996, Veit and Lewis 1996, Lewis 1997). For example, the rate at which House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) spread throughout eastern North America beginning in the 1950s was driven by the small proportion of the population (ca.10%) that moved farther than 500 km, or about 10 times the average distance (Veit and Lewis 1996). The evidence from House Finches suggests that vagrants are simply the individuals that make up the long tails of leptokurtic frequency distributions typical of data on distances moved by animals (Hengeveld 1989). Vagrants can contribute disproportionately to the genetic makeup of populations that they join by virtue of their distant origin and consequent genetic dissimilarity (Wright 1943). It is difficult to quantify long-distance movement of birds because of the large distances involved. Even nationally coordinated banding studies have been hampered by small samples and biased recapture distributions. But a vast and largely untapped body of information is available in the form of records of vagrant birds (DeSante 1983, Patten and Marantz 1996, Veit 1997). Vagrants are individuals that disperse far (farther than 90% of the population; Veit and Lewis 1996). Thus, they are linked to population growth in the way specified by the integro-difference equations of Kot et al. (1996), Veit and Lewis (1996), and Lewis (1997). Large numbers of vagrants in any given year result from the production of large numbers of young. If a link between vagrancy and reproduction can be supported, then records of vagrant birds will prove to be an especially useful tool in the modeling of avian population dynamics (Johnson 1994). Estimates of persistence time of threatened populations are contingent upon accurate estimates of dispersal distances. In theory, the probability that an individual will disperse, and the distance traveled by dispersers, can have profound effects upon population trajectories (Bascompte and Sole 1994, Hassell et al. 1995, Ruxton 1996, Ruxton et al. 1997). For example, estimates of population persistence in Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis) depend critically upon estimates of the likelihood that a young owl disperses and the distance that dispersing individuals move (Lamberson et al. 1993).
COMPARISON OF SEROLOGICAL METHODS AND BLOOD CULTURE FOR DETECTION OF TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI INFECTION IN RACCOONS (PROCYON LOTOR)

The indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were compared with blood culture for the detection of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in 83 raccoons (Procyon lotor) trapped in 4 counties of southeast Georgia. Both IFAT and ELISA detected 24 of 25 culture-positive samples (96% sensitivity). Cultures from 25 raccoons (30%) were positive for epimastigotes, whereas a total of 50 raccoons (60%) was seropositive by either the IFAT or ELISA. Forty-five of 83 serum samples (54%) were positive for anti-T. cruzi antibodies with the ELISA, and 47 were IFAT positive (57%). Forty-two of the 50 seropositive raccoons (84%) were seropositive by both tests. Endpoint titers of IFAT-positive samples were determined by testing doubling dilutions from 1:40 to 1:1280. High titers of 640 and 320 were observed for 4 raccoons trapped in 1 county (St. Catherines Island, Liberty County) and titers of 160 for 1–2 raccoons from each of the 4 counties sampled. IFAT titers and ELISA optical...
Use of biotin-labeled probes to map specific DNA sequences on wheat chromosomes

A biotin-labeling technique was used to map a 120 bp rye DNA probe by in situ hybridization to somatic metaphase chromosomes of common wheat. Twenty-four hybrid- Ization sites were revealed on 11 chromosomes including 4A, 2D, 3D, 5D, and the seven B-genome chromosomes. The observed results were similar to those of previous studies that used isotope labeling. Biotin labeling was found to be a rapid, consistent, and reliable technique to detect repeated DNA sequences by in situ hybridization in wheat and should be a useful technique for the physical mapping of DNA sequences on plant chromo- somes.
SIFT: An Algorithm for Extracting Structural Information From Taxonomies

In this work we present SIFT, a 3-step algorithm for the analysis of the structural information represented by means of a taxonomy. The major advantage of this algorithm is the capability to leverage the information inherent to the hierarchical structures of taxonomies to infer correspondences which can allow to merge them in a later step. This method is particular relevant in scenarios where taxonomy alignment techniques exploiting textual information from taxonomy nodes cannot operate successfully.
Mapping War Crimes in Syria

This paper maps the range of war crimes being committed in Syria with reference to the applicable treaty and customary international law and prospects for prosecution. It begins by presenting the international legal framework employed to determine when an armed conflict began in Syria, how this conflict is classified under international law, and which multilateral treaties and customary rules are operative. This framework underlies the determination of which war crimes can be prosecuted, which tribunals might have jurisdiction, and which perpetrators may be made subject to indictment. The paper next focuses on some open legal and factual issues around certain war crimes that are particularly salient in the Syrian conflict but that have been under-theorized and rarely prosecuted. Along the way, it demonstrates that many of these war crimes could not be easily prosecuted before the ICC or under any domestic war crimes statutes that hew closely to the law-of-war treaties given the stark divergence between treaty law and customary international law when it comes to non-international armed conflicts in general and to the prosecutability of war crimes in such conflicts in particular. These observations offer support for proposals to develop an ad hoc tribunal dedicated to the Syrian conflict, as sketched out in the final section. All told, the paper demonstrates the continued utility of customary international law to ensure that courts can enforce evolutions in the law notwithstanding the tendency of treaties toward normative ossification.
Medicare Advocacy for the Counselor Advocate

Medicare reimbursement for counselors would expand older adults' access to mental health services and increase counselors' professional opportunities. To enhance advocacy efforts, the author reviews Medicare's current role in meeting older adults' mental health needs, examines the program's unique political development, and identifies contemporary values that may influence Medicare's future. Implications for counselor advocacy efforts are discussed.
Optimized expression and purification of biophysical quantities of Lac repressor and Lac repressor regulatory domain

The recombinant production of Lac repressor (LacI) in Escherichia coli is complicated by its ubiquitous use as a regulatory element in commercially-available expression vectors and host strains. While LacI-regulated expression systems are often used to produce recombinant LacI, the product can be heterogeneous and unsuitable for some studies. Alternative approaches include using unregulated vectors which typically suffer from low yield or vectors with promoters induced by metabolically active sugars which can dilute isotope labels necessary for certain biophysical studies. Here, an optimized expression system and isolation protocol for producing various constructs of LacI is introduced which eliminates these complications. The expression vector is an adaptation of the pASK backbone wherein expression of the lacI gene is regulated by an anhydrotetracyline inducible tetA promoter and the host strain lacks the lacI gene. Typical yields in highly deuterated minimal medium are nearly 2-fold greater than those previously reported. Notably, the new expression system is also able to produce the isolated regulatory domain of LacI without co-expression of the full-length protein and without any defects in cell viability, eliminating the inconvenient requirement for strict monitoring of cell densities during pre-culturing. Typical yields in highly deuterated minimal medium are significantly greater than those previously reported. Characterization by solution NMR shows that LacI constructs produced using this expression system are highly homogenous and functionally active.
Hydraulic Wind Power Plants: A Nonlinear Model of Low Wind Speed Operation

The structure of hydraulic wind power plants involves one or several high-pressure hydraulic pumps and a central power generation unit to combine the energy from wind turbines. As the wind speed drops, the energy generation may not be significant enough to run the main generator. Therefore, an auxiliary generator generates power for the storage devices. The system operation at low wind speed is highly nonlinear, as the power generation is not significant. This paper introduces a nonlinear model of hydraulic elements and offers the nonlinear dynamics of system operation at low speed. Nonlinear state-space representation of the hydraulic wind energy transfer is presented and validated by experimental implementations.
On Teaching Pattern in English Listening and Speaking Class

Students are passive under the traditional,inefficient teaching methods in English listening and speaking class in which teachers often ask a few questions after they play the recording for several times.This paper discusses a new way of teaching in terms of gathering,packing,processing and transferring information.
Small interfering RNA targeting decoy receptor 3 sensitizes colon cancer cells (SW480) to radiation treatment

AIM:To investigate whether small interfering RNA(siRNA)targeting decoy receptor 3(DcR3) can sensitize colon cancer cells(SW480)to radiation treatment and analyze the significance of DcR3 expression in the prediction of radiation resistance in colon cancer before radiotherapy. METHODS:After SW480 cells were irradiated with different doses of 137 Cs gamma rays for different durations,the expression levels of DcR3 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).An expression vector expressing siRNA targeting DcR3 was then constructed.After the expression vector was trans-fected into irradiated and unirradiated SW480 cells,the colony formation ability of these cells was determined by colony formation assay,and cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS:Compared with unirradiated SW480 cells,the expression level of DcR3 increased in SW480 cells irradiated with different doses of 137 Cs gamma rays for different durations,especially remarkable in cells irradiated with 10 Gy 137 Cs gamma rays(P0.05).Compared with irradiated untransfected SW480 cells and unirradiated transfected SW480 cells,the colony formation was enhanced,the M1 peak in cell cycle was elevated and the number of apoptotic bodies increased in irradiated transfected SW480 cells. CONCLUSION:siRNA targeting DcR3 can sensitize colon cancer cells(SW480)to radiation treatment.High DcR3 expression may predict the development of radiation resistance in colon cancer.
Use of Pheromones in Insect Pest Management, with Special Attention to Weevil Pheromones

Insect pheromones are essential components of monitoring and management tools targeting pests of agricultural crops. Mating disruption, mass trapping, attract-and-kill, and push-pull are some of the direct pest control strategies that depend on the use of pheromones. In the case of weevil pests, pheromones are produced by males to attract both males and females and are thus referred to as aggregation pheromones. The composition of these pheromones is summarized here for several species of weevil. Weevil aggregation pheromones often have multiple components and their effect can be synergized by the presence of host-plant volatiles. In this chapter, the uses of insect pheromones in integrated pest management are discussed. In particular, we discuss research on the use of pheromones for the monitoring and management of weevil pests. A review of four case studies (boll weevil, plum curculio, cranberry weevil, and pepper weevil) is also provided.
Avoiding Unnecessary Preoperative Testing

Given the low-risk nature of cataract surgery, no preoperative testing is indicated unless the patient needs it for another reason. Although electrocardiograms may have a role in preoperative testing in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease, or if the procedure carries with it significant operative risks, they are often unnecessary. Urinalysis and coagulation studies not should be routine because they have not shown any value in predicting complications. Although these tests are not individually expensive, the aggregate cost is substantial. As good stewards of the medical system, physicians need to use these tests more judiciously.
Clinical Performance Assessments

Evaluation of clinical performance for physicians in training is central to assuring qualified practitioners. The time-honored method of oral examination after a single patient suffers from several measurement shortcomings. Too little sampling, low reliability, partial validity and potential for evaluator bias undermine the oral examination. Since 1975, standardized clinical examinations have developed to provide broader sampling, more objective evaluation criteria and more efficient administration. Research supports reliability of portrayal and data capture by standardized patients as well as the predictability of future trainee performance. Methods for setting pass marks for cases and the whole test have evolved from those for written examinations. Pass marks from all methods continue to fail an unacceptably high number of learners without additional adjustments. Studies show a positive impact of these examinations on learner study behaviors and on the number of direct observations of learners’ patient encounters. Standardized clinical performance examinations are sensitive and specific for benefits of a structured clinical curriculum. Improvements must include better alignment of a test’s purpose, measurement framework and scoring. Data capture methods for clinical performance at advanced levels need development. Checklists completed by standardized patients do not capture the organization or approach a learner takes in the encounter. Global ratings completed by faculty hold promise but more work is needed. Future studies should investigate the validity of case and test-wise pass marks. Finally research on the development of expertise should guide the next generation of assessment tasks, encounters and scoring in standardized clinical examinations.
Verifying pipelined microprocessors

Recently there has been much research in verifying pipelined microprocessors. Even so, there has been little consensus on what form the correctness statement should take. Put another way, what should we be verifying about pipelined microprocessors? We believe that the correctness statement should show that the parallel machine represented by the pipeline behaves in the same manner as the sequential machine represented by the instruction set semantics. In this paper, we present such a model and examine four pipeline verifications to see how they compare.
A high resolution PET insert system for clinical PET/CT scanners

We have developed a PET insert system that can be integrated into a clinical PET-CT scanner to improve its image resolution when imaging a patient for head and neck cancer. The system consists of 28 detector modules arranged into two half rings (24.6 cm in diameter). Each detector consists of an array of 13×13 LSO crystals each measuring 2 × 2 × 5 mm3, a 2.8 mm thick light-guide, and a R8900-M16 PMT (Hamamatsu, Japan). The 16 anode outputs of a PMT are multiplexed to produce 4 position-encoded signals that resemble the output of a typical block detector in the PET scanner. An active switch board was designed to select signals from either the insert detectors or scanner detectors and feed the output signals to system electronics for event processing, allowing the scanner to switch between its normal operation and the insert mode without shutting down the system. A 3-D translation stage supports and positions the insert concentrically inside the scanner. The axial extend of the insert detectors is 54 mm, centered within the first 3 detector block rings of the scanner. Initial setup of the PET insert system requires the identification of crystal lookup table and photopeak locations, timing alignment of the insert detectors with the scanner. Once completed, the scanner can be switched between the insert and normal modes within a few minutes. Coincidences are sorted into insert-insert (II), insert-scanner (IS) and scanner-scanner (SS) types of events using a custom sorting code. We have developed 2D FBP and 2D ML-EM algorithms to reconstruct single-slice rebinned sinograms, and a 3D OS-EM algorithm to jointly estimate the images using all 3 types of events. Initial tests show a mean, max and min energy resolution of 12.36%, 18.57% and 9.45% FWHM at 511 keV, respectively. Image resolution measured by 22Na point sources is ∼2–3 mm FWHM and improved from 4–5mm FWHM for scanner system. Full system performance is currently being evaluated.
Educating the Smart Grid

The smart grid is entering the era of practical pilot projects and readiness to scale. This has been the result of a movement in technology, regulation, and a learning process for all involved. This paper discusses several areas of experience with the "intelligent utility network", IBM"s nomenclature for its smart grid concept. Topics addressed are the grid wise demonstration with the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest Lab and other research work related to the IUN, projects in progress with customers to create the foundations of a smart grid, technology and architecture, and aspects for the enablement of alternative and distributed energy and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. From a business perspective, the IBM IUN utility coalition and the IUN maturity model will be discussed.
Effects of mixing speed of a composite on its friction coefficient and wear resistance

Abstract In this work, we investigated the effects of mixing speed on the tribological performance of a composite prepared with potassium titanate whiskers, palygorskites, and aramid fibers during the mixing process. The results showed that for the aramid fibers with a uniformity of 5–6 mm, 500 rad min−1 was the best speed compared with 800 rad min−1 and 1 000 rad min−1, whereas for the uniformity of aramid pulp, 800 rad min−1 was the best speed. Furthermore, based on scanning electron microscopy analysis, it was demonstrated that the tribological performance of the composite, in particular, the friction coefficient with the aramid pulp exhibited a good stability, and its wear resistance was increased by 12%.
Vasopressin/Oxytocin and Receptors

Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) were the first neuropeptides to be discovered and fully characterized. AVP is known for its antidiuretic function, and OXT is known as the milk let-down hormone, but these peptides are now known to have many central nervous system and behavioral functions, such as the regulation of stress, maternal behavior, pair bonding, and aggression. There are several AVP receptors, designated AVPR1a, AVPR1b, and AVPR2, the last serving the antidiuretic function and the former two having the various behavioral functions. There is one OXT receptor, which is responsible for the milk ejection reflex and various aspects of maternal behavior.
Contingent valuation of sports: temporal embedding and ordering effects.

Past research measures the nonmarket benefits of sports stadiums and arenas but does not address the issues of temporal embedding or ordering effects. Temporal embedding exists if survey respondents do not differentiate between payment-period lengths and leads to unrealistic implicit discount rates. Multiple scenarios with alternative sports teams can lead to ordering effects that influence the nonmarket value of teams. This study elicits annual payments over different fixed time horizons (e.g., 5 or 10 years) for two teams in a city with a single professional sports team. We find that willingness to pay is sensitive to the length of the payment period. In one of two cases the ordering of the scenario weakly affects willingness to pay.
Effects of Genetic Differences among Crop Species and Cultivars Upon the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis

Crop species and cultivars within species can differ markedly in their ability to respond to colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The variation in response to mycorrhizas has largely been overlooked by plant breeders, even when germplasm is screened for efficiency of nutrient uptake and efficiency of nutrient use, processes influenced greatly by mycorrhizal fungi. Host germplasm is frequently selected under conditions that would not favor, and indeed might prevent, a response to mycorrhizal fungi, i.e. high nutrient availability. Continued breeding of crop plants without regard to mycorrhiza responsiveness is irresponsible, as it could result not only in increased requirement for nutrient inputs in the short term, but also the inadvertent, permanent loss of these genes in crop germplasm. Loss of colonization by AM fungi could also result in the loss of other important benefits provided by mycorrhizal fungi (drought tolerance, resistance to disease, uptake of other nutrients, maintaining soil structure) and reduce the population of AM fungi able to colonize other hosts in the cropping system. Plant breeders should determine the contribution of mycorrhizal fungi to nutrient uptake by evaluating plant growth with and without mycorrhizas over a full range of nutrient levels; i. e. develop response curves for the variable of interest. Ultimately the goal should be to map genes responsible for mycorrhizal colonization and responsiveness, and to utilize them in developing cultivars which can more effectively acquire nutrients from input low input agricultural systems and take advantage of the other benefits provided by the mycorrhizal symbiosis.
The Influence of Financial Self-Efficacy and Financial Socialization on Student's Financial Stress and Coping Choices

College is the overwhelming choice for high school graduates in the United States with over 2.2 million 2016 high school graduates enrolled in college (BLS, 2016). Those 2.2 million students represent about 70% of 2016 high school graduates (BLS, 2016). These new undergraduate college students face considerable opportunities and challenges. The many changes facing college students have been termed ecological transitions (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). The ecological transitions facing college students include less parental supervision, more autonomy and new interpersonal relationships (Holinka, 2015). Increased academic expectations, both real and perceived, influence feelings of stress (Holinka, 2015). The rate of increase in college student stress has been described as “alarming” (King, Vidourek, Merianous, & Singh, 2014, p. 133). The initiators of this stress, stressors, take many forms including academic pressures and lifestyle changes (Friedlander, Reid, Shupak, & Cribbie, 2007). It is well documented these academic and lifestyle changes do indeed create a feeling of stress in many college students (King, Vidourek, Merianous, & Singh, 2014). The negative impact of stress on health includes decreased mental acuity, depression, suicide and many physical ailments including musculoskeletal disorders (Bauer, Chesin, & Jeglic, 2014; Ekpenyong, Daniel, & Aribo, 2013; Lester, 2014; Pedersen, 2012; Pelletier, Lytle, & Laska, 2016). Students often choose to cope with their stress with risky lifestyle choices such as binge drinking, drug use and promiscuity (Lester, 2014; Pedersen, 2012; Pelletier, Lytle, & Laska, 2016). Feelings of stress have been shown to be mitigated by high levels of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is the belief that a person can accomplish what they set out to do (Bandura, 1997). Similarly, feelings of stress can be mitigated by positive socialization by parents, other family members, teachers and social networks. The impact of stress is considerable and well documented. This research seeks to further understand how a student’s financial self-efficacy and financial socialization may impact those feelings of financial stress and their coping choices. This deeper understanding may provide insight into the steps parents, educators, counselors and others may take to mitigate a college student’s sense of financial stress thus limited their feeling of need to choose adverse coping options.
Introduction: Particles and Fields

A Conference on Measurement Techniques for Solar and Space Physics was held April 20-24, 2015, in Boulder Colorado at the NCAR Center Green Campus. The present volume collects together the papers from this conference in the categories of Particles and Fields. This also includes neutral gas techniques as well as low energy ionospheric plasmas and their interactions with spacecrafts.
Social Work and Alcoholism Counseling

In recent years, alcoholism-counseling centers have proliferated throughout the United States. The social work profession has the opportunity to expand its expertise into this field. Many counselor...
Enhanced stochastic averaging of non-integrable nonlinear systems subjected to stochastic excitations

Abstract Stochastic averaging method based on energy envelope for a non-integrable system reduces the dimension of dynamic systems, while preserving the nonlinearity in system behavior and its stochasticity arising from input excitations. However, this approach for a general system neglects effects of off-diagonal damping components, considers a lumped effect of diagonal damping entries, and assumes independent stochastic excitations for involved degrees of freedom. These constraints may limit the application of stochastic averaging as nonlinear systems often do not satisfy these conditions. This paper addresses these shortcomings and proposes a new strategy to derive an equivalent nonlinear stochastic system. For this purpose, an equivalent excitation intensity and modified damping parameters are derived by equating drift and diffusion components of the modified and the original system through the method of weighted residuals using high order moments of system velocities. The proposed approach, called enhanced stochastic averaging, is demonstrated for a one-story building on a raft foundation in loose sand subjected to lateral stochastic excitations. Results, such as probability density function at different intensity levels, indicate that the enhanced stochastic averaging method significantly improves the analytical predictions of the probabilistic properties of system responses compared to the conventional stochastic averaging method.
Language Preservation Begets Language Documentation

Language preservation is the recording in various media of a language that is losing its speakers. A language is “reduced” to writing, a grammar is written, and a dictionary compiled. A set of texts (usually myths and oral history) is gathered. Such are the efforts of language preservation. Language documentation, in the current sense of the term, goes beyond language preservation to include sociolinguistic data, sound and video recording of texts (illustration sentences, dictionary entries), as well as a variety of genres (conversation, myth, oral history, biography, ethnography, folklore). Language preservation of Native American languages is not enough; we must demand language documentation if there are still speakers willing to cooperate with the effort. Language documentation is needed before actual language revitalization can proceed.
The Extraction Socket Management Continuum: A Hierarchical Approach to Dental Implant Site Development

Focused clinical question How should clinicians manage dental extraction sockets when immediate implant placement is contraindicated, and alveolar ridge preservation is expected to result in inadequate bone volume for implant placement? Summary Three fundamental options for extraction socket management form a hierarchical continuum in sites where dental implant placement is planned: place an immediate implant, perform ridge preservation, or perform ridge augmentation. The available volume and quality of bone and keratinized mucosa are the primary considerations driving the decision, and each tier in the continuum encompasses a variety of techniques with attendant advantages and disadvantages. Conclusions Some immediate implant protocols require no mucoperiosteal flap and possibly produce the most favorable clinical and patient-centered outcomes compared with other extraction socket management approaches. Conversely, guided bone regeneration at dental extraction sites can result in substantial gains in alveolar ridge dimensions, although this treatment may adversely influence mucosal architecture and carry increased risk of postoperative morbidity. When favorable bone and mucosa are present at a dental extraction site, immediate implant placement may be the treatment of choice, barring unusual circumstances. Ridge preservation, typically associated with minimal postoperative morbidity, is a rational second choice when acceptable ridge dimensions are anticipated after healing.
Low Energy Conformations for S100 Binding Peptide from the Negative Regulatory Domain of p53.

We have computed the low energy conformations of the negative regulatory domain of p53, residues 374–388 using Empirical Conformational Energies of Peptides Program including solvation and computed the statistical weights of distinct conformational states. We find that there are two high probability conformations, one an α-helix from Lys 374–Lys 381, followed by another helical structure involving Lys 382–Glu 388 (statistical weight of 0.48) and an all-α-helix for the entire sequence (statistical weight of 0.23). Both structure are superimposable on the NMR structure of this sequence bound to the S100 protein. The global minimum structure (statistical weight of 0.014) is a beta structure from Gly 374–Arg 379 followed by an α-helix from His 380–Glu 388. Based on these results, we propose a possible strategy for enhancement of p53 anti-tumor activity in cancer cells. Since the structure of this sequence bound to the sirtuin protein, Sir2, is a β-sheet, we further propose that the global minimum may be an intermediate on the α-β structure transition.
Full-shell x-ray optics development at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) maintains an active research program toward the development of high-resolution, lightweight, grazing-incidence x-ray optics to serve the needs of future x-ray astronomy missions such as Lynx. MSFC development efforts include both direct fabrication (diamond turning and deterministic computer-controlled polishing) of mirror shells and replication of mirror shells (from figured, polished mandrels). Both techniques produce full-circumference monolithic (primary + secondary) shells that share the advantages of inherent stability, ease of assembly, and low production cost. However, to achieve high-angular resolution, MSFC is exploring significant technology advances needed to control sources of figure error including fabrication- and coating-induced stresses and mounting-induced distortions.
Geomarketing and situated consumers: opportunities and challenges

With the increasing abundance of accessible location data, marketers have been targeting consumers with proximity filters to generate campaigns that are more effective. However, the ubiquitous availability of internet-connected devices have not only presented more consumption opportunities, they have also initiated more response variations to marketing surveillance. In this talk, I summarize some of the marketing practices that are executed with location data, insights derived from location data and behavioral transformations in consumers in the context of Geo-surveillance. More specifically, I discuss the role of physical, social and temporal contexts on promotion effectiveness, utility of location tools in determining advertising transparency, consumer segmentation and the personalization-driven elicitation of location privacy concerns.
Understanding the Impact of Quantization, Accuracy, and Radiation on the Reliability of Convolutional Neural Networks on FPGAs

Convolutional neural networks are quickly becoming viable solutions for self-driving vehicles, military, and aerospace applications. At the same time, due to their high level of design flexibility, reprogrammable capability, low power consumption, and relatively low cost, the field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are very good candidates to implement the neural networks. Unfortunately, the radiation-induced errors are known to be an issue in static random-access memory (SRAM)-based FPGAs. More specifically, we have seen that particles can change the content of the FPGA’s configuration memory, consequently corrupting the implemented circuit and generating the observable errors at the output. Through extensive fault injection, we determine the reliability impact of applying binary quantization to the convolutional layers of neural networks on FPGAs, by analyzing the relationships between model accuracy, resource utilization, performance, error criticality, and radiation cross section. We were able to find that a design with quantized convolutional layers can be 39% less sensitive to radiation, whereas the portion of errors that are considered critical (misclassifications) in the network is increased by 12%. Moreover, we also derive generic equations that consider both accuracy and radiation in order to model the overall failure rate of neural networks.
Chapter 4 – Photosynthesis and Respiration

Leaves capture sunlight using chlorophyll pigments to generate chemical energy that powers transformation of inorganic carbon dioxide and water into sugar during photosynthesis. Two chlorophyll-rich photosystems work in series to intercept and convert light energy into the chemical energy of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate), capturing electrons from water and releasing oxygen as a waste product. Carbon dioxide diffuses into the leaves through stomatal pores, permitting copious amounts of water vapor to escape. Incorporation of CO2 into carbohydrates occurs via the ATP- and NADPH-powered Calvin cycle whose three-carbon product is used to make sugars and starch. Starch can be stored for nighttime consumption, and sucrose is exported via the phloem throughout the vine. Because the first Calvin cycle enzyme, rubisco, can work in opposing directions, it converts a portion of the carbohydrate back to CO2 during photorespiration, thus reducing the efficiency of photosynthesis. Some sucrose is burnt to CO2 in a series of reactions during respiration to fuel ATP generation. By-products of this reaction sequence give rise to most of a vine’s diverse organic compounds. Respiration is the vine’s powerplant, supplying energy for metabolism, nutrient uptake, transport, growth, and cell maintenance.
Why Is It Difficult for Social Network Members to Support People Living with Mental Illnesses?: Linking Mental Illness Uncertainty to Support Provision.

For people living with mental illness, support from social network members, including family, romantic partners, and friends, is critical but often inadequate. However, robust theoretical explanati...
Gospodarka wyzysku: „warunki życia” w gettach na kresach wschodnich

The author discusses three issues: ghetto formation, Jewish workers and the living conditions, mainly based on examples from small ghettoes. from the very beginning, ghettoisation involved loss of property, privacy and autonomy. The author's analysis of the organisation of Jewish forced labour reveals a significant stratification among Jewish forced labourers. The economic aspects of the relations between the Jews and the local non-Jewish population was often omitted by Holocaust researchers, who focused primarily on the formation of German policy and its destructive consequences
Low Breastfeeding Rates and Complex Barriers to Breastfeeding and Breast Milk Utilization in Hepatitis C Perinatally Exposed Infants

Background: Rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have increased in recent years in the state of Kentucky (KY) parallel to the epidemic of opioid drug use. Pregnant women and women of childbearing age are disproportionately affected. HCV is present in breast milk, but maternal HCV infection is not a contraindication to breastfeed or breast milk utilization. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding, unless bleeding or cracked nipples are present. Despite these recommendations, there are misconceptions …
Functionalized Biomimetic Hydrogels Enhance Salivary Stem/Progenitor Cell Organization

Abstract Complex branched salivary structures remain challenging to replicate within implant ready hydrogels. We showed previously that hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogels enable growth and organization of primary salivary-derived human stem/progenitor cells (hS/PCs) into multicellular spheroids. Here, we systematically functionalized three components of migration-permissive hydrogels to foster salivary tissue morphogenesis. We separately analyzed contributions of an enzymatically degradable crosslinker, a pendant integrin-binding site, and hydrogel porosity to best support high viability, integrin-dependent cell adhesion and migration. Structure size, frequency, and morphology were all affected by hydrogel crosslink density and integration of biofunctional peptides. Viability and proliferation data suggested that integration of integrin binding sites had the greatest effect on hS/PCs behavior. A larger internal matrix space, created by increasing both crosslinker length and PEG content, was needed to form large multicellular hS/PC structures. Peptide-modified hydrogels with more internal space shifted hS/PC organization from spheroidal, surrounded by thick basement membrane, to an asymmetric arrangement with punctate matrix proteins defining a “wrinkled” perimeter. Integrin-binding peptides activated integrin β1, with highest activation observed in hydrogels having both cleavable peptide and integrin ligand. The design parameters we prescribe allowed us to encapsulate hS/PCs in a humanized biomimetic hydrogel matrix able to support morphogenesis needed for salivary restoration.
The Crusade Years, 1933–1955: Herbert Hoover’s Lost Memoir of the New Deal and Its Aftermath

Review of: "The Crusade Years, 1933–1955: Herbert Hoover’s Lost Memoir of the New Deal and Its Aftermath," by Herbert Hoover, edited by George H. Nash.
Kynurenate and 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate interact with multiple binding sites of the N-methyl-D-aspartate-sensitive glutamate receptor domain.

Abstract By studying the binding of [ 3 H]glycine and [ 3 H]glutamate to rat synaptic membranes in the presence of 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV) and kynurenate (KYN) we have demonstrated that KYN is more potent than APV in displacing [ 3 H]glycine, while an opposite order of potency was seen in displacing [ 3 H]glutamate. Moreover, 2-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP) inhibited only [ 3 H]glutamate binding. The [ 3 H]MK-801 specific binding was inhibited by all of the above antagonists; this action was abolished by glutamate, while glycine partially reversed only the action of KYN. Hence, KYN inhibits glutamate receptors by preferentially interfering with glycine recognition sites, while APV preferentially interacts with N- methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) recognition sites.
Responses of Plants to Submicron Acid Aerosols

A continuous flow system for exposing vegetation to submicron sulfuric acid aerosols was developed. The aerosols were mechanically produced using a nebulization-impaction-neutralization process. Typical aerosol distributions had a mass mean diameter of about 0.5 μm and a standard geometric deviation near 1.7. Plants were injured during acute exposures to sulfuric acid aerosols. However, the aerosol concentrations required to produce visible injury were significantly higher than the measured ambient concentrations. All species exposed to the acid aerosols exhibited marginal and tip necrosis or interveinal necrosis. However, plant responses to sulfuric acid aerosol did not follow proportional relations to pollutant dose (concentration X time). Lack of proportional dosage relations suggested that active rather than passive mechanisms may be controlling the response. In the exposed tissue no increase in the leaf surface sulfur concentrations could be detected. On the contrary, there was an increase in the internal tissue sulfur levels.
Natively Disordered Proteins

Proteins can exist in at least three forms: the ordered form (solid-like), the partially folded form (collapsed, molten globule-like or liquid-like) and the extended form (extended, random coil-like or gas-like). The protein trinity hypothesis has two components: (i) a given native protein can be in any one of the three forms, depending on the sequence and the environment; and (ii) function can arise from any one of the three forms or from transitions between them. In this study, bioinformatics and data mining were used to investigate intrinsic disorder in proteins and develop neural network-based predictors of natural disordered regions (PONDR) that can discriminate between ordered and disordered residues with up to 84% accuracy. Predictions of intrinsic disorder indicate that the three kingdoms follow the disorder ranking eubacteria < archaebacteria ≪ eukaryotes, with approximately half of eukaryotic proteins predicted to contain substantial regions of intrinsic disorder. Many of the known disordered regions are involved in signalling, regulation or control. Involvement of highly flexible or disordered regions in signalling is logical: a flexible sensor more readily undergoes conformational change in response to environmental perturbations than does a rigid one. Thus, the increased disorder in the eukaryotes is likely the direct result of an increased need for signalling and regulation in nucleated organisms. PONDR can also be used to detect molecular recognition elements that are disordered in the unbound state and become structured when bound to a biologically meaningful partner. Application of disorder predictions to cell-signalling, cancer-associated and control protein databases supports the widespread occurrence of protein disorder in these processes.
ES3: A Demonstration of Transparent Provenance for Scientific Computation

The Earth System Science Server (ES3) is a software environment for data-intensive Earth science, with unique capabilities for automatically and transparently capturing and managing the provenance of arbitrary computations. Transparent acquisition avoids the scientist having to express their computations in specific languages or schemas for provenance to be available. ES3 models provenance as relationships between processes and their input and output files. These relationships are captured by monitoring read and write accesses at various levels in the science software and asynchronously converting them to time-ordered streams of provenance events which are stored in an XML database. An ES3 provenance query returns an XML serialization of a provenance graph, forward or backwards from a specified process or file. We demonstrate ES3 provenance by generating complex data products from Earth satellite imagery.
The multiple LIM domain-containing adaptor protein Hic-5 synaptically colocalizes and interacts with the dopamine transporter.

The Na+/Cl−-dependent dopamine transporter (DAT) is critical in terminating dopaminergic transmission by removing the transmitter away from the synapse. Several lines of evidence suggest that transporter-interacting proteins may play a role in DAT function and regulation. In this report, using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have identified a novel interaction between DAT and the multiple Lin-11, Isl-1, and Mec-3 (LIM) domain-containing adaptor protein Hic-5. This association involves the N-terminal portion of the intracellular tail of DAT and the LIM region of Hic-5. In human embryonic kidney 293 cells, Hic-5 colocalizes with DAT at polarized sites and reduces DAT uptake activity through a mechanism involving a decrease in the cell-surface levels of the transporter. A fragment of Hic-5 containing the LIM domains is sufficient to bind DAT but lacks the ability to inhibit transporter activity. In addition, the LIM fragment prevents the effect of the full-length Hic-5 on DAT localization and function. In the brain, Hic-5 protein is expressed in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, and striatum, suggesting a role for this protein in the nervous system. The association of the endogenous Hic-5 and DAT proteins was confirmed biochemically by coimmunoprecipitation from brain striatal extracts. Moreover, immunostaining of rat midbrain neurons in culture revealed a presynaptic colocalization of Hic-5 and DAT. Because Hic-5 has been shown to interact with several signaling molecules, including the nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinases focal adhesion kinase and Fyn, this raises the possibility that this adaptor protein may link DAT to intracellular signaling pathways.
Absence of Crabtree effect in human melanoma cells adapted to growth at low pH: reversal by respiratory inhibitors.

Because many tumors are acidic and hypoxic relative to normal tissues, glycolysis and oxygen consumption were investigated in early-passage human melanoma cells adapted to growth at pH 6.7. In the absence of glucose, the basal rate of oxygen consumption in low pH-adapted cells was 75% of that in cells grown at pH 7.3. The rate of lactic acid production in low pH-adapted cells was increased 4-fold by exposure to 16.7 mm glucose compared with a 10-fold increase in cells grown at pH 7.3. Furthermore, in low pH-adapted cells the rate of oxygen consumption was stimulated by the addition of glucose in contrast to the inhibition of oxygen consumption by elevated glucose in cells grown at pH 7.3 (i.e., the Crabtree effect). Both low pH-adapted cells and cells grown at pH 7.3 exposed to glucose plus 0.35 mmmeta-iodo-benzylguanidine (MIBG), an inhibitor of mitochondrial respiration, had oxygen consumption reduced by ∼60% and lactic acid production increased by ∼65% relative to glucose alone. Although adaptation to growth at low pH was associated with a loss of the Crabtree effect and a higher ratio of oxygen consumption to lactic acid production, the rate of glycolysis was the same in both growth conditions in the presence of 0.1 mm dinitrophenol, an uncoupler of ATP synthesis. This indicates that the glycolytic capacity of low pH-adapted cells remains unchanged. Therefore, tumor acute acidification and oxygenation can be achieved by exposure to hyperglycemia combined with MIBG to improve therapeutic response.
Influence of nitridation and temperature cycling on oxidation of Ti-0.96 wt % Si alloy

The oxidation kinetics of prenitrided, and subsequently oxidized in either air or oxygen, Ti-0-96 wt % Si alloy have been investigated in the temperature range of 900–1100°C. The activation energies for various gas-alloy reactions are reported. Comparative kinetics data are given for oxidation of the alloy in oxygen or air without prenitridation. The oxidation resistance of nitrogen pretreated alloy is about the same as its resistance to oxidation in air. Temperature cycling during oxidation does not exert a beneficial effect on the oxidation characteristics of the alloy. X-ray and electron microprobe analyses reveal the presence of TiO2, Ti2O, δ-TiN, and e-TiN in the scale and the concentration profiles of Ti, Si, O, and N in the alloy.