cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The chloroplast import receptor is an integral membrane protein of chloroplast envelope contact sites.

A chloroplast import receptor from pea, previously identified by antiidiotypic antibodies was purified and its primary structure deduced from its cDNA sequence. The protein is a 36-kD integral membrane protein (p36) with eight potential transmembrane segments. Fab prepared from monospecific anti-p36 IgG inhibits the import of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase small subunit precursor (pS) by interfering with pS binding at the chloroplast surface. Anti-p36 IgGs are able to immunoprecipitate a Triton X-100 soluble p36-pS complex, suggesting a direct interaction between p36 and pS. This immunoprecipitation was specific as it was abolished by a pS synthetic transit peptide, consistent with the transit sequence receptor function of p36. Immunoelectron microscopy localized p36 to regions of the outer chloroplast membrane that are in close contact with the inner chloroplast membrane. Comparison of the deduced sequence of pea p36 to that of other known proteins indicates a striking homology to a protein from spinach chloroplasts that was previously suggested to be the triose phosphate-3-phosphoglycerate-phosphate translocator (phosphate translocator) (Flugge, U. I., K. Fischer, A. Gross, W. Sebald, F. Lottspeich, and C. Eckerskorn. 1989. EMBO (Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.) J. 8:39-46). However, incubation of Triton X-100 solubilized chloroplast envelope material with hydroxylapatite indicated that p36 was quantitatively absorbed, whereas previous reports have shown that phosphate translocator activity does not bind to hydroxylapatite (Flugge, U. I., and H. W. Heldt. 1981. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 638:296-304. These data, in addition to the topology and import inhibition data presented in this report support the assignment of p36 as a receptor for chloroplast protein import, and argue against the assignment of the spinach homologue of this protein as the chloroplast phosphate translocator.
Biochemistry Idea Papers: Teaching Proposal Writing

A biochemistry course for upper-division students builds valuable skills for students seeking industrial positions or to continue their education. Some of these skills are the abilities to think critically, read the primary literature, write coherently, and come up with new directions for research. This assignment pushes students to gain mastery on a topic of interest, develop a preliminary idea, and develop scientific writing skills. This paper describes how this complex activity can be incorporated into the undergraduate setting, using finite steps to facilitate student success.
Pulverized rocks in the Mojave section of the San Andreas Fault Zone

We present mapping of pulverized fault zone rocks along a 140 km long section of the San Andreas Fault in the Mojave Desert. The results show that almost every outcrop of crystalline rock within about 100 m wide belt along this fault section is pulverized and lacks significant shear. We find structural similarities between the San Andreas Fault zone and exhumed faults of the San Andreas system, although pulverized rocks are not common in all of them. About 70% of the pulverized fault zone rocks appear on the northeast side of the principal slip zone of the San Andreas Fault, possibly reflecting an asymmetric structure of the damage zone. Detailed mapping at selected sites, as well as previous mapping of rock damage at smaller scales, are consistent with the large-scale asymmetric pattern of the pulverized rocks. A possible pulverization of sedimentary rocks, inferences from regional uplift indicators, and theoretical considerations imply that pulverization along this portion of the fault occurred in the top few km of the crust. The width of the pulverized fault zone rocks and inferred depth extent of pulverization are similar to the dimensions of imaged low velocity fault zone layers that act as waveguides for seismic trapped waves. The side of the fault that appears to sustain more damage is the block with faster seismic velocities at seismogenic depth. This correlation and the inferred shallow depth for pulverization are compatible with predictions for wrinkle-like ruptures along a material interface, with a preferred northwest propagation direction of large earthquakes on the Mojave section of the fault.
Balanced work system and participation in quality management: applications in the community

Selected issues related to Quality Management (QM) are discussed, and applications of QM in 'non-traditional' environments, i.e., public sector and community environments, are presented. Two ergonomic themes are emphasised: balanced work system and participation. The case studies provide examples for how the ergonomic themes of a balanced work system and participation can be used to examine QM applications in public sector organisations and communities. Further theoretical development of the concept of community quality is necessary, as well as more research for developing and adapting QM models and methods for the community setting.
Behavior, neurocognition and quality-of-life in children with sleep-disordered breathing

Summary Objectives To summarize current evidence that sleep-disordered breathing in children is associated with behavioral, neurocognitive and quality-of-life problems and to suggest new lines of investigation for future research on sleep-disordered breathing and behavior. Methods A comprehensive review of the medical literature between January 1990 and December 2004 was performed using the National Library of Medicine's PUBMED database. Results Analysis revealed 33 articles that satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The total study population in these articles was 22,255 children. Sample sizes per study ranged from 12 to 5728 children. The age range was 2–18 years (mean 6.8 ± 2.8). The majority of studies examined behavior, neurocognition or quality-of-life as a single outcome measure. Behavioral problems included reduced attention, hyperactivity, increased aggression, irritability, emotional and peer problems, and somatic complaints. The following neurocognitive skills were affected: memory; immediate recall; visual-spatial functions; attention and vigilance; mental flexibility; and intelligence. The quality-of-life of children with sleep-disordered breathing was similar that of children with asthma or rheumatoid arthritis. Improvements in behavior, neurocognition and quality-of-life scores for children with sleep-disordered breathing were seen after adenotonsillectomy. Conclusions There is compelling evidence that sleep-disordered breathing in children is associated with behavioral and neurocognitive problems and leads to reduced quality-of-life. In addition to improvements in sleep, adenotonsillectomy is associated with improvements in behavior, neurocognition and quality-of-life in these children. However, the lack of uniform criteria for the diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing in children and variation in methods used to assess the outcome of surgical therapy limit our current knowledge and should be addressed by future research. The high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in children should make this research a public health priority.
Some Issues in Molecular Biology and Recent Advances in the Organic Chemistry of Small Peptides

Some Issues in Molecular Biology and Recent Advances in the Organic Chemistry of Small Peptides
Channels: Rotamers affect ion conductance.

A major determinant of the ion flux rate through acetylcholine receptors is a ring of five residues, four glutamates and a glutamine, at the channel's cytoplasmic mouth. The glutamates adopt alternate rotamer conformations so that only two directly affect channel conductance.
Blurring the Boundaries of Vision: Novel Functions of Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells

Mammalian vision consists of the classic image-forming pathway involving rod and cone photoreceptors interacting through a neural network within the retina before sending signals to the brain, and a non image-forming pathway that uses a photosensitive cell employing an alternative and evolutionary ancient phototransduction system and a direct connection to various centers in the brain. Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) contain the photopigment melanopsin, which is independently capable of photon detection while also receiving synaptic input from rod and cone photoreceptors via bipolar cells. These cells are the retinal sentry for subconscious visual processing that controls circadian photoentrainment and the pupillary light reflex. Classified as irradiance detectors, recent investigations have led to expanding roles for this specific cell type and its own neural pathways, some of which are blurring the boundaries between image-forming and non image-forming visual processes.
SIMPLIFYING BOOLEAN NETWORKS

This paper explores the compressibility of complex systems by considering the simplification of Boolean networks. A method, which is similar to that reported by Bastolla and Parisi,4,5 is considered that is based on the removal of frozen nodes, or stable variables, and network "leaves," i.e. those nodes with outdegree = 0. The method uses a random sampling approach to identify the minimum set of frozen nodes. This set contains the nodes that are frozen in all attractor schemes. Although the method can over-estimate the size of the minimum set of frozen nodes, it is found that the chances of finding this minimum set are considerably greater than finding the full attractor set using the same sampling rate. Given that the number of attractors not found for a particular Boolean network increases with the network size, for any given sampling rate, such a method provides an opportunity to either fully enumerate the attractor set for a particular network, or improve the accuracy of the random sampling approach. Indeed, the paper also shows that when it comes to the counting of attractors in an ensemble of Boolean networks, enhancing the random sample method with the simplification method presented results in a significant improvement in accuracy.
Are MFT-B Results Biased Because of Students Who Do Not Take the Test?

The authors study the characteristics of students who take the Major Field Test in Business (MFT-B) versus those who do not. The authors find that students with higher cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) are more likely to take the test. Additionally, students are more likely to take the test if it is offered late in the semester. Further results indicate that students with higher GPAs tend to score better on the MFT-B, and thus the outcomes profile of a school based on MFT-B results may appear stronger than it actually is if taking the test is not a requirement of the business program.
Starvation-induced MTMR13 and RAB21 activity regulates VAMP8 to promote autophagosome- lysosome fusion

Autophagy, the process for recycling cytoplasm in the lysosome, depends on membrane trafficking. We previously identified Drosophila Sbf as a Rab21 guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that acts with Rab21 in endosomal trafficking. Here, we show that Sbf/MTMR13 and Rab21 have conserved functions required for starvation-induced autophagy. Depletion of Sbf/MTMR13 or Rab21 blocked endolysosomal trafficking of VAMP8, a SNARE required for autophagosome–lysosome fusion. We show that starvation induces Sbf/MTMR13 GEF and RAB21 activity, as well as their induced binding to VAMP8 (or closest Drosophila homolog, Vamp7). MTMR13 is required for RAB21 activation, VAMP8 interaction and VAMP8 endolysosomal trafficking, defining a novel GEF-Rab-effector pathway. These results identify starvation-responsive endosomal regulators and trafficking that tunes membrane demands with changing autophagy status.
The contribution of airborne contamination to Campylobacter counts on defeathered broiler carcasses

SUMMARY The enteric pathogen Campylobacter can be carried into poultry processing facilities on and within live birds. Numbers of Campylobacter recovered from carcasses decrease after scalding but increase during feather removal. Mechanical feather picking causes mist as well as particles of dust, feathers, feces, and other matter to become airborne around the machine. This study was conducted to determine if Campylobacter associated with broilers during defeathering can become airborne and contaminate other carcasses in or around a commercial defeathering machine. Carcasses with low numbers of Campylobacter were hung near an operating commercial feather pickerwheretheywereexposedtoairbornecontaminantsfor1min.LownumbersofCampylobacter weredetectedintheairnearthepicker.However,microbiologicalcultureofcarcassesafterexposure to airborne contamination in the picker room revealed that they had no more Campylobacter than unexposed carcasses. These data suggest that airborne contamination does not contribute to the high numbers of Campylobacter routinely found on defeathered carcasses.
HOW OFTEN DO LIZARDS “RUN ON EMPTY”?

Energy balance is relevant to diverse issues in ecology, physiology, and evolution. To determine whether lizards are generally in positive energy balance, we syn- thesized a massive data set on the proportion of individual lizards (N = 18 223) with empty stomachs (127 species), representing nine families distributed on four continents, primarily in temperate zone deserts but also in the neotropics. The average percentage of individuals with empty stomachs is low (13.2%) across all species, even among desert lizards, sug- gesting that most lizards are in positive energy balance. Nevertheless, species vary sub- stantially in this regard (among all species, 0% to 66% of individuals have empty stomachs). Several patterns are detectable among species with unusually high frequencies of empty stomachs. In particular, nocturnal lizards "run on empty" more often on average than do diurnal species (24.1% vs. 10.5%); and this pattern holds even for nocturnal vs. diurnal geckos (21.2% vs. 7.2%, respectively). Several (but not all) top predators have a higher frequency of empty stomachs than do species that feed at lower trophic levels. Diet breadth and body size appear unrelated to frequency of empty stomachs. Widely foraging species sometimes have a high frequency of empty stomachs relative to sit-and-wait species, but patterns vary among continents and appear to be confounded by phylogeny and trophic level. Ant-eating specialists have uniformly low frequencies of empty stomachs. Diurnal termite specialists also have low frequencies of empty stomachs, but nocturnal ones have high frequencies. Lizards from certain families (Gekkonidae (including Pygopodidae), Gym- nophthlamidae, and Varanidae) are more likely to have empty stomachs than are those of other families (Agamidae, Iguanidae, Lacertidae, Scincidae, and Teiidae).
Permitted water pollution discharges and population cancer and non-cancer mortality: toxicity weights and upstream discharge effects in US rural-urban areas

The study conducts statistical and spatial analyses to investigate amounts and types of permitted surface water pollution discharges in relation to population mortality rates for cancer and non-cancer causes nationwide and by urban-rural setting. Data from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) were used to measure the location, type, and quantity of a selected set of 38 discharge chemicals for 10,395 facilities across the contiguous US. Exposures were refined by weighting amounts of chemical discharges by their estimated toxicity to human health, and by estimating the discharges that occur not only in a local county, but area-weighted discharges occurring upstream in the same watershed. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mortality files were used to measure age-adjusted population mortality rates for cancer, kidney disease, and total non-cancer causes. Analysis included multiple linear regressions to adjust for population health risk covariates. Spatial analyses were conducted by applying geographically weighted regression to examine the geographic relationships between releases and mortality. Greater non-carcinogenic chemical discharge quantities were associated with significantly higher non-cancer mortality rates, regardless of toxicity weighting or upstream discharge weighting. Cancer mortality was higher in association with carcinogenic discharges only after applying toxicity weights. Kidney disease mortality was related to higher non-carcinogenic discharges only when both applying toxicity weights and including upstream discharges. Effects for kidney mortality and total non-cancer mortality were stronger in rural areas than urban areas. Spatial results show correlations between non-carcinogenic discharges and cancer mortality for much of the contiguous United States, suggesting that chemicals not currently recognized as carcinogens may contribute to cancer mortality risk. The geographically weighted regression results suggest spatial variability in effects, and also indicate that some rural communities may be impacted by upstream urban discharges. There is evidence that permitted surface water chemical discharges are related to population mortality. Toxicity weights and upstream discharges are important for understanding some mortality effects. Chemicals not currently recognized as carcinogens may nevertheless play a role in contributing to cancer mortality risk. Spatial models allow for the examination of geographic variability not captured through the regression models.
CATHOLIC-PROTESTANT TENSIONS IN POST-WAR AMERICA: PAUL BLANSHARD, JOHN COURTNEY MURRAY, AND THE “RELIGIOUS IMAGINATION”

It is one of the ironies of American religious history that the most thoroughly anti-Catholic work to appear after the Civil War was published in the unlikely decade after the Second World War, when the last good war had been fought and won, and what Gibson Winter termed “the suburban captivity of the churches” was well underway, a “captivity” in which questions of crabgrass ostensibly replaced theology as the major topic of conversation. A series of articles that had begun to appear in the Nation , a staunchly libertarian journal, in November 1947, was published by Beacon Press in 1949 as American Freedom and Catholic Power —a work that would set the stage for increasingly neuralgic exchanges between Catholics and Protestants during a decade in which sociologist Will Herberg announced that the “American Way of Life” was now acceptably packaged in Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish forms. The author of that book, Paul Blanshard, understood himself to be issuing a timely call to protect the First Amendment of the Constitution against the encroachments of a Catholic hierarchy living within the very fortress of the free world, but hostile to American democratic and political values.
Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Acinetobacter Clinical Isolates Obtained from Inmates of California Correctional Facilities

Acinetobacter spp. increasingly have been wreaking havoc in hospitals and communities worldwide. Although much has been reported regarding Acinetobacter isolates responsible for nosocomial infections, little is known about these organisms in correctional facilities. In this study, we performed species identification, examined the antibiotic resistance profiles, and determined the mechanisms of resistance and clonal relationships of 123 Acinetobacter isolates obtained from inmates of 20 California correctional facilities (CCFs). We found that 57.7% of the isolates belong to A. baumannii, followed by isolates of Acinetobacter genomic species 3 (gen. sp. 3; 23.6%) and of Acinetobacter gen. sp. 13TU (10.6%). Multidrug-resistant (MDR) CCF isolates were found in only six CCFs. Additionally, DNA sequences of gyrA and parC genes were consistent with fluoroquinolone (FQ) susceptibility phenotypes. Furthermore, the presence of class 1 integrons was detected in 15 CCF isolates, all of which are MDR. Integron-associated gene cassettes encode several aminoglycoside modification enzymes, which correlate with most of the aminoglycoside-resistant phenotypes. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing in the presence of Phe-Arg-β-naphthylamide dihydrochloride and 1-(1-naphthylmethyl)-piperazine indicated the involvement of efflux pumps in the FQ resistance of only a few CCF isolates. Finally, genetic profiling showed that there was no evidence of A. baumannii outbreaks in CCFs. Instead, our analyses revealed only limited clonal dissemination of mostly non-MDR A. baumannii strains in a few facilities. This study represents the first report to characterize phenotypic and molecular features of Acinetobacter isolates in correctional facilities, which provides a baseline for monitoring the antimicrobial resistance changes and dissemination patterns of these organisms in such specialized institutions.
Metamaterials: transforming theory into reality

Metamaterials constitute a new area of science that is expanding our fundamental understanding of the behavior of the propagation of electromagnetic waves and their interactions, and providing new solutions for a wide range of applications from optical communications and defense to biological imaging. In this brief review, we focus on recent progress in theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies of linear and nonlinear optical properties of negative index materials and in the emerging field of transformation optics.
Detecting Anomalous Insiders in Collaborative Information Systems

Collaborative information systems (CISs) are deployed within a diverse array of environments that manage sensitive information. Current security mechanisms detect insider threats, but they are ill-suited to monitor systems in which users function in dynamic teams. In this paper, we introduce the community anomaly detection system (CADS), an unsupervised learning framework to detect insider threats based on the access logs of collaborative environments. The framework is based on the observation that typical CIS users tend to form community structures based on the subjects accessed (e.g., patients' records viewed by healthcare providers). CADS consists of two components: 1) relational pattern extraction, which derives community structures and 2) anomaly prediction, which leverages a statistical model to determine when users have sufficiently deviated from communities. We further extend CADS into MetaCADS to account for the semantics of subjects (e.g., patients' diagnoses). To empirically evaluate the framework, we perform an assessment with three months of access logs from a real electronic health record (EHR) system in a large medical center. The results illustrate our models exhibit significant performance gains over state-of-the-art competitors. When the number of illicit users is low, MetaCADS is the best model, but as the number grows, commonly accessed semantics lead to hiding in a crowd, such that CADS is more prudent.
Photosynthetic performance and resource utilization of two mangrove species coexisting in a hypersaline scrub forest

In a hypersaline mangrove scrub forest in northern Florida, coexisting trees of Laguncularia racemosa and Avicennia germinans were either fertilized with nitrogen or phosphorus, or not fertilized (controls). We aimed to test whether nutrient additions differentially altered photosynthetic performance and resource utilization in these two species. In control trees, photosynthetic rates were higher in L. racemosa than A. germinans. However, leaf nitrogen concentrations were higher in A. germinans than L. racemosa. Avicennia germinans responded to fertilization with nitrogen by increasing leaf nitrogen concentrations and rates of photosynthesis such that they were equivalent to photosynthesis in L. racemosa. Laguncularia racemosa did not show a response to nitrogen additions. Neither species showed strong responses to phosphorus fertilization. Avicennia germinans had high photosynthetic water-use efficiency (photosynthesis/transpiration), but low photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency (photosynthesis/leaf nitrogen). In contrast, L. racemosa had comparatively low photosynthetic water use efficiency and high photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency. Leaf level characteristics lead us to hypothesize that coexistence of A. germinans and L. racemosa should occur where nitrogen levels are low and salinity is moderate, or at least moderate for some period of the year.
Teacher Effectiveness Examined as a System: Interpretive Structural Modeling and Facilitation Sessions with U.S. and Japanese Students

This study challenges narrow definitions of teacher effectiveness and uses a systems approach to investigate teacher effectiveness as a multi-dimensional, holistic phenomenon. The methods of Nominal Group Technique and Interpretive Structural Modeling were used to assist U.S. and Japanese students separately construct influence structures during facilitation sessions. The influence structures represent maps for understanding teacher effectiveness as a system. The influence maps indicate that there are a number of teacher behaviors and characteristics that promote, support and influence one another within the overall system; however, the plurality of teacher elements, which are structured with priority, concerns teacher knowledge characteristics and verbal teacher immediacy behaviors for both cultural groups. The findings of the study were explored from thematic perspectives in intercultural communication such as power distance, identity and contact orientation. Given the qualitative nature of the study, participants’ own theories-in-use were important in the study. Also, Confucianism principles were significant in the Japanese assessment of teacher effectiveness. The study has implications for professors across fields since the majority of professors are educators who have not been formally trained in the education field. The study points to the importance of ongoing faculty development in teacher effectiveness.
Effects of Indomethacin on the Pulmonary Vascular and Airway Resistance Responses to Pulmonary Microembolization.

Abstract : The effects of indomethacin on the circulatory and respiratory responses to BaSO4-induced pulmonary microembolization were studied in anesthetized dogs. It was found that indomethacin blocks the bronchoconstrictor response but not the circulatory responses to pulmonary embolization. It is suggested that indomethacin blocks the formation and release of prostaglandins due to pulmonary embolization. (Author)
DiffUser: Differentiated user access control on smartphones

Smartphones have been widely used in recent years due to their capabilities of supporting many applications from simple Short Message Service messages to complicated Location-based services. It is challenging for smartphones to enable their end users to manage all applications in all possible use cases to protect privacy or sensitive data. However, the security model for smartphone users is still a two-state model in which they can do anything or absolutely nothing, and it is no longer suitable. In this paper, we propose DiffUser, a differentiated user access control model to enhance smartphone security and user privacy. DiffUser classifies smartphone users based on certain sets of user access privileges. We implement a prototype of DiffUser on real-world T-Mobile G1 smartphones. The evaluation results show that our system is lightweight and flexible.
New Perspectives on Community-level Determinants of Homelessness

Understanding the root causes of homelessness is important for developing effective solutions to the problem. This fact has not gone unnoticed by researchers, who have made numerous attempts to ide...
Parametric versus non-parametric statistics in the analysis of randomized trials with non-normally distributed data

It has generally been argued that parametric statistics should not be applied to data with non-normal distributions. Empirical research has demonstrated that Mann-Whitney generally has greater power than the t-test unless data are sampled from the normal. In the case of randomized trials, we are typically interested in how an endpoint, such as blood pressure or pain, changes following treatment. Such trials should be analyzed using ANCOVA, rather than t-test. The objectives of this study were: a) to compare the relative power of Mann-Whitney and ANCOVA; b) to determine whether ANCOVA provides an unbiased estimate for the difference between groups; c) to investigate the distribution of change scores between repeat assessments of a non-normally distributed variable. Polynomials were developed to simulate five archetypal non-normal distributions for baseline and post-treatment scores in a randomized trial. Simulation studies compared the power of Mann-Whitney and ANCOVA for analyzing each distribution, varying sample size, correlation and type of treatment effect (ratio or shift). Change between skewed baseline and post-treatment data tended towards a normal distribution. ANCOVA was generally superior to Mann-Whitney in most situations, especially where log-transformed data were entered into the model. The estimate of the treatment effect from ANCOVA was not importantly biased. ANCOVA is the preferred method of analyzing randomized trials with baseline and post-treatment measures. In certain extreme cases, ANCOVA is less powerful than Mann-Whitney. Notably, in these cases, the estimate of treatment effect provided by ANCOVA is of questionable interpretability.
A neurocomputational theory of how explicit learning bootstraps early procedural learning

It is widely accepted that human learning and memory is mediated by multiple memory systems that are each best suited to different requirements and demands. Within the domain of categorization, at least two systems are thought to facilitate learning: an explicit (declarative) system depending largely on the prefrontal cortex, and a procedural (non-declarative) system depending on the basal ganglia. Substantial evidence suggests that each system is optimally suited to learn particular categorization tasks. However, it remains unknown precisely how these systems interact to produce optimal learning and behavior. In order to investigate this issue, the present research evaluated the progression of learning through simulation of categorization tasks using COVIS, a well-known model of human category learning that includes both explicit and procedural learning systems. Specifically, the model's parameter space was thoroughly explored in procedurally learned categorization tasks across a variety of conditions and architectures to identify plausible interaction architectures. The simulation results support the hypothesis that one-way interaction between the systems occurs such that the explicit system "bootstraps" learning early on in the procedural system. Thus, the procedural system initially learns a suboptimal strategy employed by the explicit system and later refines its strategy. This bootstrapping could be from cortical-striatal projections that originate in premotor or motor regions of cortex, or possibly by the explicit system’s control of motor responses through basal ganglia-mediated loops.
Fibrosis causes progressive kidney failure

Fibrosis is usually regarded as an uninteresting end-point of injury. However, it influences function in heart, lung, and liver. Kidney fibrosis correlates well with overall renal function, but is only rarely recognized as affecting function itself. There is evidence that organ contraction from fibrotic scarring may affect kidney function, and could contribute to progressive renal failure.
From region based image representation to object discovery and recognition

This paper presents an overview of the work we have done over the last several years on object recognition in images from region-based image representation. The overview focuses on the following related problems: (1) discovery of a single 2D object category frequently occurring in a given image set; (2) learning a model of the discovered category in terms of its photometric, geometric, and structural properties; and (3) detection and segmentation of objects from the category in new images. Images in the given set are segmented, and then each image is represented by a region graph that captures hierarchy and neighbor relations among image regions. The region graphs are matched to extract the maximally matching subgraphs, which are interpreted as instances of the discovered category. A graph-union of the matching subgraphs is taken as a model of the category. Matching the category model to the region graph of a new image yields joint object detection and segmentation. The paper argues that using a hierarchy of image regions and their neighbor relations offers a number of advantages in solving (1)-(3), over the more commonly used point and edge features. Experimental results, also reviewed in this paper, support the above claims. Details of our methods as well of comparisons with other methods are omitted here, and can be found in the indicated references.
Optimal space lower bounds for all frequency moments

We prove that any one-pass streaming algorithm which (e, δ)-approximates the kth frequency moment Fk, for any real k ≠ 1 and any e = Ω(1/√m), must use Ω(1/e²) bits of space, where m is the size of the universe. This is optimal in terms of e, resolves the open questions of Bar-Yossef et al in [3, 4], and extends the Ω(1/e²) lower bound for F0 in [11] to much smaller e by applying novel techniques. Along the way we lower bound the one-way communication complexity of approximating the Hamming distance and the number of bipartite graphs with minimum/maximum degree constraints.
Increase in the plasma levels of the N-terminal and C-terminal portions of the prohormone of atrial natriuretic factor during normal pregnancy.

Abstract The influence of pregnancy on the circulating concentrations of atrial natriuretic factor, the 28 amino acid carboxy (C)-terminal end of the 126 amino acid atrial natriuretic factor prohormone, and the amino (N)-terminus of the prohormone was studied with three specific radioimmunoassays recognizing: (1) atrial natriuretic factor (i.e., amino acids 99 through 126), (2) the 98 amino acid N-terminus, and (3) amino acids 31 through 67 from the midportion of the N-terminus of the prohormone. Plasma atrial natriuretic factor in normal pregnant women gradually increased as pregnancy progressed, with the mean -t SEM being 58 ± 4 pg/ml in the first trimester, 74 ± 5 pg/ml in the second trimester, and 89 ± 7 pg/ml in the third trimester. Likewise, proatrial natriuretic factor 31 through 67 increased from 1421 ± 76 pg/ml (first trimester) to 1509 ± 84 pg/ml (second trimester) to 1758 ± 83 pg/ml in the third trimester, whereas the whole N-terminus of the prohormone increased from 1804 ± 98 pg/ml (first trimester) to 1909 ± 111 pg/ml (second trimester) to 2160 ± 79 pg/ml in the third trimester. These results suggest that release of the N-terminus of the prohormone, as well as atrial natriuretic factor, increases with the rise in blood volume associated with a normal pregnancy. The circulating concentrations of both the C-terminus and N-terminus of the atrial natriuretic factor prohormone increased further in the 48 hours after delivery. Because both the C-terminus and N-terminus of the atria[ natriuretic factor prohormone contain diuresis-producing peptides, these results suggest that postpartum diuresis may be mediated by these peptides.
A method for hybrid lithography

Abstract A mathematical technique is described which allows direct-write electron lithography to be used in conjunction with optical lithography to pattern integrated circuits. The method is sufficiently general to cope with chips which are larger than the scan field of the electron lithography instrument, distorted patterns, and nonplanar substrates. Substantial latitude in the number and placement of the registration marks is permitted, and redundant marks may be used to increase the accuracy of the registration procedure.
Work in progress - the impact of assessment in a freshman course on growing the characteristics of a quality learner

A case study investigating the relationship between (1) student self, peer, and instructor led assessment in an introductory engineering course and (2) movement across levels for characteristics in the profile of a quality learner as adapted from Pacific Crest has been designed. The hypothesis is that students will create significant movement in developing the characteristics of a quality learner when they are exposed to ongoing reflective practice about their learning in the course. Early in the semester an exercise describing the learner profile was introduced. Next, data will be collected about the level to which students satisfy the profile across various characteristics through direct observation, reflective journal entries, instructor assessment feedback, and a student survey. Finally, the data will be analyzed for trends in net movement across the different characteristics described in the profile. This work contributes to the literature on effects of student self-assessment in learning engineering, supplements work on peer and instructor led assessment in achieving course learning outcomes, and will provide a useful, broadly applicable instrument for measuring student performance as learners.
An interactive beam line simulator module for RHIC

This paper describes the interactive simulation engine, BL, designed for the RHIC project. The program tracks as output to shared memory the central orbit, Twiss and dispersion functions, as well as the 6/spl times/6 beam hyperellipsoid. Transfer matrices between elements are available via interactive requests. Using a 6D model, optical elements are modeled with a linear transfer matrix and a vector. The vector allows simulation of misalignments, shifts in field strengths, and beam rigidity. Currently only a linear model is used for elements. In addition to the usual magnets, a foil element is included which can shift the beam's rigidity (resulting from a change of charge and energy loss), as well as increase the momentum spread and emittance. Running as a Glish client, BL can be interfaced to other programs, such as an orbit plotter and a power supply application to give a quick prediction of the beam orbit from actual operating currents in the accelerator. Various strengths and offsets may be changed by sending Glish events to BL.
Optimal design and performance modelling of M/G/1/K queueing systems

Approximating the performance measures of M/G/1/K systems is a difficult, challenging, and important problem for applications in science and engineering. An approach based on a two-moment approximation of the process is presented and is contrasted with an embedded Markov chain approach, Gelenbe's approach, simulation, and finally, the statistics of M/M/1/K systems. The closed form expressions for the different performance measures should be very handy. The use of the approximation in the performance modelling and design of M/G/1/K systems is also explored in order to demonstrate the practical usefulness of the concepts contained within the paper.
Noninvasive probing of citric acid cycle intermediates in primate liver with phenylacetylglutamine.

In human and primate liver, phenylacetate and glutamine form phenylacetylglutamine, which is excreted in urine. Probing noninvasively the labeling pattern of liver citric acid cycle intermediates w...
Fabrication of Al2O3-reinforced Ni3Al composites by a novel in situ route

A novel in situ technique has been used to fabricate an Al2O3-reinforced Ni3Al matrix composite. The composite was prepared by first incorporating a low volume fraction of continuous Al2O3 fibers in a Ni3Al alloy containing 0.34 at. pct Zr. Pressure casting was used to embed the fibers. Casting resulted in partial reduction of the Al2O3 fiber by the Zr present in the matrix and the formation of a layer of ZrO2 on the surface of the fibers. The final composite was then prepared by air annealing the precursor composite at 1100 °C for 10 days. Air annealing led to the formation of networks of Al2O3 around the fibers. The matrix in the immediate vicinity of the networks consisted of Ni3Al particles in a matrix of disordered α-Ni(Al). The Al2O3 networks raised the yield and tensile strength of the material by 35 and 18 pct, respectively. The composite had a tensile ductility of 14 pct.
Estimating gender wage gaps: A data update

ABSTRACTIn the authors’ 2011 JEE article, “Estimating Gender Wage Gaps,” they described an interesting class project that allowed students to estimate the current gender earnings gap for recent college graduates using data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Unfortunately, since 2012, NACE no longer reports starting salaries for college graduates broken down by gender. In this note, the authors describe several alternative data options that instructors can use for the class project using the simulation procedure that was described in the earlier article.
The Acute Flaccid Paralysis Cases Surveillance and the Poliovirus Surveillance to Enviromental Sewage in Fengtai District of Beijing Municipality from 2011 to 2012

Olyective To evaluate the acute flaccid paralysis(AFP)cases surveillance system in Fengtai district of Beijing municipality, and analysis the biological characteristics of the poliovirus(PV)of environmental wastewater.MethodsThe sewage samples were collected monthly from the Wujiacun sewage treatment plant in Fengtai district, from May 2011 to September 2012. Viral isolation was performed for the sewage samples, and VP1 coding region nucleotide sequencing was performed for all the PV isolates.ResultsAFP case surveillance system of Fengtai district keep high sensitivity, the report incidence was 1.62/100,000 during 2011-2012. 107 enteroviruses and 12 adenoviruses were isolated from sewage water samples, including 28 PVs,among them, 5were identified as PV type 1, 7 were identified as PV type 2,and 16 were identified as PV type 3. Compared with Sabin strains, the complete VP1 coding region nucleotide sequences of the PVs isolated from the sewage samples have 0-5 substitutions.ConclusionWild PVs and vaccine-derived PVs were not found based on AFP surveillance and environmental surveillance during 2011-2012 in Fengtai district, Beijing municipality. Environmental surveillance provides important supplementary information to AFP case surveillance, the results show that high quality of oral poliomyelitis attenuated live vaccine vaccination was performed in Fengtai district, and the vaccine-related viruses were not forming a longer cycle in the communities, meanwhile, a lot of none- polio were isolated during the surveillance, which would provide important background information for research of the circulating in environment in Fengtai district, even Beijing city.
Anti-Idiotypes and Autoimmune Disease

The manifestation of autoimmune diseases may be associated with a failure in auto-anti-idiotypic antibodies, which have been suggested as a moderator maintaining overall antibody production equilibrium. Disruption of these moderators may result in production of harmful autoantibodies
The state of the state mental hospital 1996.

OBJECTIVES This analytical review is intended to update the author's earlier writings on the position of the state mental hospital within the spectrum of services for long-term mental patients and to provide perspective for the next generation of service planners. METHODS Findings and commentary are organized around four major questions. First, what is the prevailing view of state mental hospitals today, and how does it compare with the view that existed in the first half of this century? Second, what individuals tend to be served in state mental hospitals today? Third, what has been the fate of mentally ill persons who are no longer served in state mental hospitals? Fourth, what is an appropriate role for the state mental hospital in today's uncertain and rapidly changing systems of care? Source material consists of periodical articles suggested in MEDLINE searches, plus newspaper reports, recent books on mental health service systems, and a variety of writings found in the "fugitive" literature generally not indexed in traditional archives. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Individual state mental hospitals vary in the composition of their resident populations, the content of their services, and the overall quality of their care. Although they have been superseded by community-based service structures in some places, they continue in general, as the result of their multifunctionality, to occupy a critical place in systems of care. Renewed efforts to integrate them as full partners within those systems must be undertaken.
Toward a quantitative theory of Hofmeister phenomena: From quantum effects to thermodynamics

Abstract Several recent developments have enhanced our understanding of specific ion hydration. These advances have included the Law of Matching Water Affinities and the realization that many-body dispersion forces and polarization can play important roles in ion specificity. Efforts have been made to partition the relevant ion free energies into their physically contributing parts in order to gain further insights into the driving forces. Yet a quantitative theory of ion specificity that links the necessary molecular-level treatment of the inner hydration shell with the many-body response of Lifshitz theory at longer range is still lacking. This review summarizes some steps toward quantitative models of specific ion hydration and discusses a possible path looking forward.
The Use of Pesticides Chemicals in Fruits and Paddy Fields Sananrak Sub-District, Thanyaburi District, Pathumthani Province, Thailand

The study intended to analyze and explore the utilization of pesticides and chemicals through qualitative analysis in agricultural profession of Sananrak Sub-District, Thanyaburi District, Pathumthani Province. Local agriculturists’ are subjected to study their usage of pesticide chemicals, procedures and behaviors of Sananrak Sub-District by using qualitative method. A total of 18 farmers were selected to study their farming activities, lesson learnt brainstorming, observation and in-depth interviews.From results of the study it was found that majority of the farmers are males, aged between 40-49 and are graduated from primary education with average family income of more than 10,000 Baht per month. Thus, local farming community prefer to grow tangerines, rice, limes, guavas and papayas respectively. However, most of the farmers has 6-10 years of farming experience in the study area. It was found that abamectin is the most used insecticide amongst the other insecticides, which apply for tangerines, limes, guavas and paddy fields. On the other hand, they will use methamidophos insecticides in papayas field. And for herbicides, they will mostly use glyphosate and paraquat chemicals. (Metro Zone, Gramoxone).Behavior in using chemical, in general agriculturists choose to use chemicals by means of spray by using spray towing machine. Researchers found that when agriculturists apply for insecticides, they will use the spray type of pesticides and if some field areas are furrows, they will use tug boats in spraying insecticides. However, the agricultural farmers themselves choosing their chemical pesticides. This attitudes of farming community in the study area may leads local Thai-people to expose pesticide residues via food chain and consumption of local foods. Hence government of Thailand should promote the use of Bio- pesticides and fertilizers and subsidize the cost of Bio-pesticides to encourage the marginalized agricultural farmers.