cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Force and tactile feedback in preloaded cantilever snap-fits under manual assembly

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the tactile feedback of snap-fit fasteners when used in manual assembly. An important aspect of this assembly process is the assembler’s ability to perceive the snap-fit’s engagement. This sensing of engagement yields a high level of confidence that assembly is both complete and secure. Force and tactile feedback are critical elements in this process. Many snap-fits are used in conjunction with sealing elements that produce a constant force that remains in effect after snap-fit assembly is completed. The effect of sealing element preload magnitude and stiffness was studied using a test station, force deflection measurements, and jury pool data. A low value of preload with low stiffness was determined to be most favorable in terms of force and tactile feedback, with no preload only slightly less favorable. In order to sense the engagement signal of the catch, some resistance to assembly was found to be beneficial. A dimensionless term called “engagement signal-to-hold-force ratio” is proposed as an additional way of rating the effect of assembly forces for snap-fits. It was found that higher signal-to-hold-force ratio, as well as higher values of engagement signal, corresponded to higher confidence of assembly among experimental subjects. Relevance to Industry In the automotive industry, force and tactile feedback are essential for sensing the full engagement of snap-fit parts during the assembly of critical components, such as electrical and fuel system interconnects. Both the design of the snap-fit and the presence or absence of preload will affect force and tactile feedback. Many of these applications require the compression of an elastic gasket with a preload needed for air, fuel, or electrical isolation. Preload and preload stiffness factors are examined in this paper with the aim of achieving a better understanding of these effects so that snap-fit confidence of assembly and assembly robustness can be enhanced in industrial settings.
Constant-time multidimensional electrophoretic NMR.

Abstract Multidimensional electrophoretic NMR (ENMR) has been introduced to determine structures of coexisting proteins and protein conformations in solution. Signals of different proteins are separated in a new dimension of electrophoretic flow according to their characteristic electrophoretic mobilities. The electrophoretic interferograms have been generated in the flow dimension in two approaches by incrementing either the amplitude or the duration of the electric field. The ENMR method of incrementing the duration of the electric field, however, introduces severe signal decays due to molecular diffusion and spin relaxation, limiting the effectiveness of the method. In this study, an improved method of constant-time multidimensional ENMR (CT-ENMR) has been proposed and successfully tested. The time delays between the magnetic field gradients and the RF pulses are kept constant in this new method so that the molecular diffusion and spin relaxation processes contribute to only a constant factor of signal amplitude. As an alternative approach of incrementing the amplitude of the electric field, this novel method significantly enhances our capability and potential in characterizing structural changes of interacting proteins during biological signaling processes. The CT-ENMR method is particularly useful in studies where the amplitude-incrementing of the electric field is not optimal. For example, the CT-ENMR method is superior when the electric field is applied in the direction not parallel to the static magnetic field B 0 to the xy -magnetization. The new method was successfully demonstrated with a sample solution containing 100 mM 4,9-dioxa-1,12-dodecanediamine and 100 mM L -aspartic acid in D 2 O.
Trends in the utilization of outpatient advanced imaging after the deficit reduction act.

Purpose After the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) took effect in 2007, there was concern that private office-based imaging facilities would close, that advanced imaging would shift to less convenient hospital-based facilities, and that access to advanced imaging might be restricted. The aim of this study was to see if these developments occurred during the years after the DRA. Methods Using Medicare data, outpatient CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine trends before and after the DRA were studied. Procedure volumes performed in private offices and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) were tabulated separately. Volumes were tracked from 2000 to 2006 (before the DRA) and from 2007 to 2009 (after the DRA), and compound annual growth rates were calculated for the two periods. Results In all 3 modalities, growth before the DRA was far more rapid than afterward. Compound annual growth rates from 2007 to 2009 in offices and HOPDs were, respectively, +2.1% and +0.5% for CT, −1.1% and +1.0% for MRI, and −1.7% and −2.5% for nuclear medicine. Growth trends in all 3 modalities showed distinct flattening beginning around 2005 to 2006. Conclusions From 2007 to 2009 (after the DRA), there was more rapid CT volume growth in offices than in HOPDs. Concurrently, there was some loss of nuclear medicine volume in both settings, but the loss was less in offices. Thus, in CT and nuclear medicine, offices actually fared better after the DRA than HOPDs. In MRI, HOPDs fared slightly better than offices. It thus seems that there has been no shift away from offices and as yet no loss of access to CT or MRI after the DRA. However, some loss of access to nuclear medicine does seem to have occurred.
Multi-level coherency management for high-performance shared virtual memory multicomputers

A multicomputer with a thousand nodes is likely to include tens of giga-bytes of physical memory and an even larger virtual address space. The total number of blocks in such a system will be very large, potentially leading to unacceptably high storage overhead for the required mapping tables. The authors propose a solution to this problem, based on the assumption, which is validated by trace-driven simulations, that at any one time only a small percentage of the address space of every process is actually shared. Hence, the mapping tables are partitioned into tables for strictly local, non-shared pages and special tables for shared pages, where it is possible to specify different locations for different blocks in the page. During normal execution, pages are dynamically moved between the different mapping tables, as the need arises. The proposed coherency algorithm introduces the use of ownership (see R.H. Katz et al., 1985) at both the page level and the block level in order to provide block-level sharing and also support dynamic page migration to reduce message traffic and the size of mapping tables. >
Spontaneous Ca2+ sparks and Ca2+ homeostasis in a minimal model of permeabilized ventricular myocytes.

Many issues remain unresolved concerning how local, subcellular Ca2+ signals interact with bulk cellular concentrations to maintain homeostasis in health and disease. To aid in the interpretation o...
Ecological morphology of lacustrine threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus L. (Gasterosteidae) body shape

Abstract Threespine sticklebacks, small fish with a circumglobal distribution in coastal marine and freshwater of the northern hemisphere, present a remarkable scope of variation in body and fin shape among populations. The repeated evolution of divergent body shapes in a radiation of stickleback from Cook Inlet, Alaska suggests that diversification has proceeded by extensive parallel selection. To explore this hypothesis, hydromechanical equations of fish propulsion and descriptions of stickleback foraging and anti-predator behaviours were used to develop a series of hypotheses that predicted the evolutionary effects of native predatory fishes (NPF) and relative littoral area (RLA) on body shape. Body shape was measured using Cartesian coordinates of anatomical landmarks transformed by the generalized resistant fit superimposition. In general, the results were consistent with the hypotheses that (1) RLA has a direct effect on selection for foraging behaviour and morphology, (2) RLA has an indirect effect on selection for morphology employed in predator evasion, (3) presence of NPF has a direct effect on selection for evasive morphology, and (4) presence of NPF has an indirect effect on selection for foraging behaviour and morphology. The magnitude of the divergence of body shapes present in the Cook Inlet system suggests that extreme phenotypes have evolved by opportunistic expansion into new habitat relatively free of interspecific competition.
Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Human paired-like Homeodomain-Containing Transcription Factor Gene, VSX1, Expressed in Ocular Tissues

Homeodomain transcription factors control cell fates during the development of all animals. The paired-like subfamily of homeodomain proteins has been particularly implicated in ocular development in different species. In this paper we report the cDNA sequence, genomic structure, localization, and expression data of a novel paired-like homeobox-containing gene, VSX1, isolated from a human embryonic craniofacial cDNA library using the degenerate-PCR approach. The composed VSX1 cDNA sequence of 1433 bp was predicted to encode a protein of 365 amino acid residues. Maximal homology at the protein level was identified with the paired-like homeoproteins of the CVC-domain family: 92-97% identity was seen in the homeodomain region with 55% overall identity to zebrafish and goldfish Vsx1 and 35% overall identity to goldfish Vsx2 and murine Chx10. The gene was found to consist of five exons that are distributed over 6.2 kb of genomic sequence. VSX1 was localized to the 20p11-q11 region, which is homologous with the distal part of mouse chromosome 2. Expression of VSX1 was detected in embryonic craniofacial and adult ocular tissues. Several ocular phenotypes have been mapped to the VSX1 region in both human and mouse genomes, and its candidacy for these disorders is discussed.
Presence of a single fetal major anomaly in a twin pregnancy does not increase the preterm rate.

Objective: To evaluate whether the presence of one major anomaly in a twin pregnancy would affect the perinatal outcome of the unaffected co-twin. Materials and methods: From 1992 May to July 2003, a total of 1400 twin pregnancies were included in the present study and there were 35 pairs of twins with one major anomaly. Major anomaly was defined as the anomaly that had a significant impact on neonatal morbidity and mortality. The perinatal outcomes of the affected and unaffected co-twins, the gestational age of diagnosis of the anomaly and the gestational age of delivery were the parameters for evaluation. Result: The incidence of a twin with one major anomaly was 2.5%. Nineteen of 35 (54.3%) affected twins and five of the 35 (14.3%) unaffected co-twins suffered a perinatal death. In the five cases of unaffected co-twins suffering a perinatal death, four were intrauterine fetal deaths and one was a neonatal death. Three of the perinatal deaths of the unaffected co-twins could be attributed to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. The gestational age at delivery, the perinatal mortality rate, and the incidence of low 5 min Apgar scores of the unaffected co-twins were not different from those in twin pregnancies without a major anomaly. Conclusion: The perinatal outcomes of the unaffected co-twin were not affected by the fact that its counterpart had one major anomaly, nor were these twin pregnancies at increased risk of preterm labour.
Function of the ubiquitin-proteosome pathway in auxin response.

Abstract Proteolysis of important regulatory proteins by the ubiquitin–proteosome pathway is a key aspect of cellular regulation in eukaryotes. Genetic studies in Arabidopsis indicate that response to auxin depends on the function of proteins in this pathway. The auxin transport inhibitor resistant 1 (TIR1) protein is part of a ubiquitin–protein–ligase complex (E3), known as SKP1 CDC53 F-box TIR1 (SCF TIR1 ), that possibly directs ubiquitin-modification of protein regulators of the auxin response. In yeast, a similar E3 complex, SCF CDC4 , is regulated by conjugation of the ubiquitin-related protein Rub1 to the Cdc53 protein. In Arabidopsis, the auxin-resistant1 (AXR1) gene encodes a subunit of the RUB1-activating enzyme, the first enzyme in the RUB-conjugation pathway. Loss of AXR1 results in loss of auxin response. These results suggest a model in which RUB1 modification regulates the activity of SCF TIR1 , thereby directing the degradation of the repressors of the auxin response.
A parallel exchange sort algorithm

A parallel sorting algorithm is introduced which is based on the odd-even transposition (or exchange) sorting scheme. Compared to the parallel sorters of its class, the proposed algorithm requires about the same time complexity but reduces the number of processing elements in half. Using the VLSI measure of area*time/sup 2/, it is shown that this algorithm can outperform comparable parallel exchange sort algorithms. Due to its simple cell design and regular interconnections, the proposed sorter is highly suitable for VLSI implementation. >
The human arm kinematics and dynamics during daily activities - toward a 7 DOF upper limb powered exoskeleton

Integrating human and robot into a single system offers remarkable opportunities for creating a new generation of assistive technology. Having obvious applications in rehabilitation medicine and virtual reality simulation, such a device would benefit both the healthy and disabled population. The aim of the research is to study the kinematics and the dynamics of the human arm during daily activities in a free and unconstrained environment as part of an on-going research involved in the design of a 7 degree of freedom (DOF) powered exoskeleton for the upper limb. The kinematics of the upper limb was acquired with a motion capture system while performing a wide verity of daily activities. Utilizing a model of the human as a 7 DOF system, the equations of motion were used to calculate joint torques given the arm kinematics. During positioning tasks, higher angular velocities were observed in the gross manipulation joints (the shoulder and elbow) as compared to the fine manipulation joints (the wrist). An inverted phenomenon was observed during fine manipulation in which the angular velocities of the wrist joint exceeded the angular velocities of the shoulder and elbow joints. Analyzing the contribution of individual terms of the arm's equations of motion indicate that the gravitational term is the most dominant term in these equations. The magnitudes of this term across the joints and the various actions is higher than the inertial, centrifugal, and Coriolis terms combined. Variation in object grasping (e.g. power grasp of a spoon) alters the overall arm kinematics in which other joints, such as the shoulder joint, compensate for lost dexterity of the wrist. The collected database along with the kinematics and dynamic analysis may provide the fundamental understanding for designing powered exoskeleton for the human arm
Normal mode spectrum of the parallel‐chain β‐sheet

Normal mode calculations have been carried out for parallel-chain β-sheet structures. These include the parallel-chain pleated sheet of poly(L-alanine) and the parallel-chain rippled sheet of polyglycine. Dipole derivative coupling has been included for amide I and II modes, and the effects of parallel-sheet and antiparallel-sheet arrangements of varying separation have been examined for the poly(L-alanine) case. Some amide and nonamide modes are distinctly different from their antiparallel-chain counterparts, thus providing a basis for distinguishing between such structures from their ir and Raman spectra. As in our previous studies, these results emphasize the need for both kinds of spectral data in order to draw definitive conclusions about conformation.
A simple distributed method for relay selection in cooperative diversity wireless networks, based on reciprocity and channel measurements

We propose a simple distributed method to find out the "best" end-to-end path between source and destination, among M possible relays. The method requires no explicit communication among the relays, assumes no prior knowledge of network geometry and is based on instantaneous wireless channel measurements and reciprocity. The success (or failure) to select the "best" available path, depends on the statistics of the wireless channel, and a methodology to evaluate performance for any kind of wireless channel statistics, is provided. Benefits of cooperative diversity are increased with increased number of cooperating relays, even though a single relay transmits. The method simplifies required space-time coding and coordination among the cooperating terminals.
Buying Up Nature Economic and Social Impacts of Costa Rica's Ecotourism Boom

From a range of diverse political perspectives, proponents have presented ecotourism as a market-based activity that will provide income and empowerment to local communities while promoting environmental conservation. The experiences of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, where relative isolation has limited the presence of transnational corporate capital, suggest that the impacts of community-based ecotourism expansion are far from certain and are the outcomes of struggles over access to land and natural resources, economic benefits, and representations of the environment. Ecotourism, while potentially offering new economic opportunities to Latin America's poor majority, may also reproduce preexisting patterns of stratification, particularly where state policies have favored larger and foreign ecotourism enterprises. Ecotourism may also engender processes of ideological resistance and reconfiguration that transform existing relationships of nationality, class, and gender.
Typical versions of learned swamp sparrow song types are more effective signals than are less typical versions

The learned songs of songbirds often cluster into population-wide types. Here, we test the hypothesis that male and female receivers respond differently to songs depending on how typical of those types they are. We used computational methods to cluster a large sample of swamp sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) songs into types and to estimate the degree to which individual song exemplars are typical of these types. We then played exemplars to male and female receivers. Territorial males responded more aggressively and captive females performed more sexual displays in response to songs that are highly typical than to songs that are less typical. Previous studies have demonstrated that songbirds distinguish song types that are typical for their species, or for their population, from those that are not. Our results show that swamp sparrows also discriminate typical from less typical exemplars within learned song-type categories. In addition, our results suggest that more typical versions of song types function better, at least in male–female communication. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that syllable type typicality serves as a proxy for the assessment of song learning accuracy.
The “conscious pilot”—dendritic synchrony moves through the brain to mediate consciousness

Cognitive brain functions including sensory processing and control of behavior are understood as “neurocomputation” in axonal–dendritic synaptic networks of “integrate-and-fire” neurons. Cognitive neurocomputation with consciousness is accompanied by 30- to 90-Hz gamma synchrony electroencephalography (EEG), and non-conscious neurocomputation is not. Gamma synchrony EEG derives largely from neuronal groups linked by dendritic–dendritic gap junctions, forming transient syncytia (“dendritic webs”) in input/integration layers oriented sideways to axonal–dendritic neurocomputational flow. As gap junctions open and close, a gamma-synchronized dendritic web can rapidly change topology and move through the brain as a spatiotemporal envelope performing collective integration and volitional choices correlating with consciousness. The “conscious pilot” is a metaphorical description for a mobile gamma-synchronized dendritic web as vehicle for a conscious agent/pilot which experiences and assumes control of otherwise non-conscious auto-pilot neurocomputation.
Thermodynamic restrictions on constitutive equations for second-deformation-gradient inelastic behavior

Abstract The aim of this paper is to examine the possibility of a model of non-local inelasticity on thermodynamic grounds in the absence of higher-order stresses or additional kinematic entities. On considering a material that cannot support higher-order stresses, it is found that thermodynamics does not allow an explicit non-local dependence in the free-energy and hence the stress and entropy response, but allows it in the strength and internal variable rate response. Rate-independent plasticity presents its own peculiarities in the proof of this result, which are also inherent in deriving the constitutive restrictions for the local material. An account of the basic thermodynamic framework and the reasoning used in these proofs is provided in listing the result for the conventional rate-independent solid. This procedure represents the building blocks for the derivation of the constitutive restrictions of the non-local theory in which second-deformation-gradient-dependent constitutive postulates for inelastic materials are introduced. Such postulates involve a material length scale due to the gradient dependence and achieve uniqueness in constitutive response trivially. The constitutive restrictions are shown not to preclude the existence of a class of second-deformation-gradient-dependent inelastic constitutive postulates for which the corresponding bvp of incremental equilibrium requires no extra boundary conditions above the conventional specification. The general considerations mentioned above are utilized to illustrate the constitutive structure of a rate-independent metal single crystal deforming by multiple slip, whereby contact with earlier work in this area is established. The thermodynamic results are also used to derive conditions for the existence of a gradient-dependent potential for the inelastic strain rate for inelastic rate-dependent materials.
Re-Engineering the Post-Discharge Appointment Process for General Medicine Patients

Background: Patients are vulnerable to issues that emerge after discharge from the hospital, and this susceptibility is compounded as patients attempt to navigate complex healthcare organizations. Post-discharge clinic appointments may provide the opportunity to mitigate risks posed to patients during this vulnerable time. Objective: Our aim was to determine whether actively engaging patients in scheduling post-discharge appointments before leaving the hospital affects the rate of patients seeing an ambulatory care physician. Methods: This was a prospective cohort pilot study from May to July 2007 with a historical convenience control from 2003. The setting was an inpatient academic tertiary care referral center in the US. Study participants had been discharged from a general medicine hospitalist service during the study time period. Patients, or their designated caregivers, were contacted in hospital rooms to schedule a post-discharge appointment before discharge. The primary outcome was rate of attendance at post-discharge appointments, determined a priori. Results: Eighty-three patients with 115 scheduled appointments in the intervention group were compared with 306 patients with 398 appointments in the historical control group. The attendance rate was 59.5% in the control group versus 78.3% in the study group (p<0.0001). Patients received 1.3 discharge appointments per discharge in both the historical and study group. In a limited evaluation, the study group had a trend towards a lower return rate to the emergency department within 3 days of discharge (1.2% vs 3.8%, nonsignificant), and a lower readmission rate within 14 days of discharge (10.8% vs 11.8%, nonsignificant). Conclusion: Our patient-centered process for helping patients arrange their post-discharge appointments before discharge improved the attendance rate at those appointments.
Methods of Provenance Determination Tested with Discriminant Function Analysis

ABSTRACT Currently popular approaches to provenance identification commonly use mineralogic and chemical compositions of siliciclastic sediments or of detrital clastic grains for graphical solutions. We have statistically tested three deterministic models using the raw data that were originally used to construct classifications for determining the provenance of sands and sandstones. These models are based on 1) detrital modes of sandstones (Dickinson et al. 1983), 2) undulosity and polycrystallinity of detrital quartz (Basu et al. 1975), and 3) chemical compositions of muddy sediments and rocks (van de Kamp and Leake 1985). Our results show that these models can successfully classify no more than 85% of their own data. We suggest that additional variables (such as heavy minerals), the combinat on of different methods, and statistical analysis of data are necessary to improve the reliability of provenance interpretation.
Direct deconvolution density estimation of a mixture distribution motivated by mutation effects distribution

The mutation effect distribution is essential for understanding evolutionary dynamics. However, the existing studies on this problem have had limited resolution. So far, the most widely used method is to fit some parametric distribution, such as an exponential distribution whose validity has not been checked. In this paper, we propose a nonparametric density estimator for the mutation effect distribution, based on a deconvolution approach. Consistency of the estimator is also established. Unlike the existing deconvolution estimators, we cover the case that the target variable has a mixture structure with a pointmass and a continuous component. To study the property of the proposed estimator, several simulation studies are performed. In addition, an application for modelling virus mutation effects is provided.
A unified microwave radiative transfer model with Jacobian for general planar stratified media

Currently, a major challenge in passive microwave remote sensing is the accurate and fast forward numerical modeling of the electromagnetic scattering and emission properties of any geophysical media consisting of soil, water, snow, ice, rain, cloud, fog, etc. Of importance in any such numerical model is accuracy, numerical stability, computational speed, applicability to both dense and tenuous scattering media, and the capability to produce a Jacobian for radiance assimilation purposes. To achieve these purposes Voronovich et al., [1] developed the discrete ordinate tangent linear radiative transfer (DOTLRT) model based on the analytical diagonalization and factorization of symmetric and positive definite transition matrices to provide inherent computational stability and high computational efficiency for all matrix operations required by discrete ordinate eigenanalysis method. By applying eigenvalue perturbation theory DOTLRT can rapidly compute the Jacobian for the observed antenna temperature with respect to any arbitrary scattering and absorbing layer parameter.
The fickle finger of fate

In this issue of the JCI, Niedermaier and colleagues demonstrate that a chromosomal inversion in mice results in dysregulation of Sonic hedgehog (Shh), such that Shh is ectopically expressed in a skeletogenic domain typically occupied by Indian hedgehog (Ihh). This molecular reversal eliminates phalangeal joint spaces, and consequently, Short digits (Dsh) heterozygotes (Dsh/+) have brachydactyly (shortened digits). Ihh is normally downregulated in regions that will become the joint space, but in Dsh/+ mice, Shh bypasses this regulatory control and persists; accordingly, cells maintain their chondrogenic fate and the developed digits are shorter than normal. The significance of these data extends far beyond the field of skeletal biology: they hint at the very real possibility that the endogenous Shh regulatory region contains a repressor designed to segregate the activity of Shh from Ihh. The existence of such a repressor provides a window into the distant past, revealing that Shh and Ihh must once have shared responsibilities in establishing tissue boundaries and orchestrating vertebrate tissue morphogenesis.
The status of the Red Hills salamander Phaeognathus hubrichti, Alabama, USA, 1976–1988

Abstract A total of 144 sites in the Red Hills Physiographic Province in south-central Alabama, USA, were surveyed in 1988 for burrows of the Red Hills salamander Phaeognathus hubrichti. Of 92 sites surveyed in 1976, no change occurred in the habitat at 54 sites, conditions improved at 19 sites and deteriorated at 18 sites following selective or clear cutting. An additional 14 of 52 sites not surveyed in 1976 were adversely affected by logging. Burrows were most often found on high ( x = 17 m ), steep ( x = 50° ), uncut slopes containing a high soil moisture content ( x = 57% ) and full tree canopy. Slope angle and soil pH did not affect burrow abundance. Burrow openings averaged 10·9 mm high × 15·3 mm wide. Burrow angle was negatively correlated with burrow width and slope angle but low r2 values indicate that little of the variation was explained by these variables. Burrows were most often found on the upper two-thirds of slopes; burrows on slopes affected by cutting were found in the middle of the slope where they were less prone to disturbance and desiccation. Although most timber companies claim to no longer cut steep slopes in order to protect salamanders, detrimental forestry practices are still occuring. In some instances, Red Hills salamanders survive selective and clear cutting, but the persistence and viability of affected populations remain unknown. Suggestions are made to reduce impacts from forestry operations. Acquisition of 25 sites containing viable salamander populations and retention as a threatened species under United States federal law are recommended.
MEIOTIC X-Y EXCHANGE AND NONDISJUNCTION INDUCED BY IRRADIATION IN THE DROSOPHILA MALE.

BSERVATIONS on X-irradiation induced X-Y nondisjunction and exchange in spermatocytes of Drosophila have been made by STRANGIO (1961, 1962) and by ZIMMERING and Wu ( 1963,1964), both using the doubly marked Y chromosome, BS Y y+ (BROSSEAU, NICOLETTI, GRELL, and LINDSLEY 1961), and by SAVHAGEN (1961) who employed the singly marked Y chromosome, y+ Y (= scs. Y of MULLER 1948). The criterion for nondisjunction was the recovery of F, females carrying, in addition to the X from the parental female, an X and Y derived from the irradiated male; that for exchange was the recovery of F, females possessing, in addition to the X derived from the parental female, an X chromosome bearing a Y-derived marker beyond its centromere which came from the X-rayed male. While STRANGIO reported a higher frequency of nondisjunction than exchange, the more critical genetic tests of ZIMMERING and Wu showed that the reverse situation actually obtains. SAVHAGEN reported results similar to those of STRANGIO. However, as suggested by ZIMMERING and Wu (1964), SAVHAGEN’S genetic test for distinguishing nondisjunction and exchange may have been inadequate, leading to misclassification of cases of exchange as nondisjunction but not the reverse. It was with this possibility in mind that the present experiment with the y+Y was carried out. The results are clearly in accord with the previous findings of ZIMMERING and Wu in demonstrating a considerable excess of X-ray induced exchange over nondisjunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Organization of Inhibitory Frequency Receptive Fields in Cat Primary Auditory Cortex

Based on properties of excitatory frequency (spectral) receptive fields (esRFs), previous studies have indicated that cat primary auditory cortex (A1) is composed of functionally distinct dorsal an...
Host derived biomarkers of inflammation, apoptosis, and endothelial activation are associated with clinical outcomes in patients with bacteremia and sepsis regardless of microbial etiology.

Sepsis, defined as the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in the setting of suspected infection, is directly responsible for at least 200,000 deaths per year in the United States,1 acco...
Hannah Arendt: Why Now?

This essay–in–brief comes from a wish to understand Hannah Arendt as a film, as a biography of Arendt herself, and as a message to a 21st century audience. It looks at four main issues: Arendt’s own Jewish practice, the place of Arab and non–German Jews (both in Arendt’s life and work and in the film itself), the function (and problems) of the bureaucrat, and the funding for the film itself. Ultimately, it seeks to ask questions regarding the film itself, and why it was made [now].
An Effective Approach for Robust Lung Cancer Cell Detection

As lung cancer is one of the most frequent and serious disease causing death for both men and women, early diagnosis and differentiation of lung cancers is clinically important. Lung cancer cell detection is the most basic step among the Computer-aided histopathology lung image analysis applications. We proposed an automatic lung cancer cell detection method based on deep convolutional neural network. In this method, we need only the weakly annotated images to achieve the image patches as the training set. The detection problem is formulated into a deep learning framework using these patches efficiently. Then, the feature extraction is made through the training of the deep convolutional neural networks. A challenging clinical use case including hundreds of patients’ lung cancer histopathological images is used in our experiment. Our method has achieved promising performance on the lung cancer cell detection in terms of accuracy and efficiency.
The death of Thomas Wolfe: a 60-year retrospective.

It seems likely that an old tubercular lesion of the lung had been activated during Wolfe's acute pneumonia and that the disease had spread to the brain. The chest x-ray with the right upper lobe infiltrate was certainly typical of pulmonary tuberculosis, and the spinal fluid findings were characteristic of tuberculous meningitis with 230 cells, 75% of which were mononuclear, which Dandy felt "practically made the diagnosis." Tuberculosis was so prevalent worldwide in the early 20th Century, around the time of Wolfe's birth, but began to decline dramatically in the early 1950s with the introduction of modern chemotherapy and isoniazid (INH). In the U.S. the number of reported cases of TB decreased from 84,304 to in 1953 to 22,201 in 1985. Unfortunately, however, the number of cases has been increasing since 1985, due to a variety of factors including decline in public funding for TB control, HIV infection, immigration, homelessness, substance abuse, and incomplete therapy. Today, Wolfe would have been easily treated and probably cured. Would earlier diagnosis of his condition have made any difference in the outcome? The answer is uncertain, since sanatorium therapy (rest and environment) and surgery were the only available treatments at the time of his illness. Had he lived in a later generation, he might not have met his death at the age of 37.
Identification and Optimization of HIV-Specific CTL Antigens for Vaccine Design

Despite the great advances in antiviral therapy for HIV-1 infection, a successful global intervention for prevention and treatment of HIV-1 infection will require an effective vaccine. Since the induction of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses is believed to be an important factor in an effective HIV-1 vaccine [1], our approach toward the development of an HIV vaccine is based on the identification of T-cell ligands that will stimulate CD8+ CTL response more efficiently than the natural infection. Thus, we used positional scanning synthetic combinatorial libraries (PS-SCLs [2]) to identify and optimize peptide ligands to be used as immunogens in stimulating T-cell mediated immune responses against HIV-1.
Wavelength Locking to CO2 Absorption Line-Center for 2-Micron Pulsed IPDA Lidar Application

An airborne 2-micron triple-pulse integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar is currently under development at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). This IPDA lidar system targets both atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) column measurements. Independent wavelength control of each of the transmitted laser pulses is a key feature for the success of this instrument. The wavelength control unit provides switching, tuning and locking for each pulse in reference to a 2-micron CW (Continuous Wave) laser source locked to CO2 line-center. Targeting the CO2 R30 line center, at 2050.967 nanometers, a wavelength locking unit has been integrated using semiconductor laser diode. The CO2 center-line locking unit includes a laser diode current driver, temperature controller, center-line locking controller and CO2 absorption cell. This paper presents the CO2 center-line locking unit architecture, characterization procedure and results. Assessment of wavelength jitter on the IPDA measurement error will also be addressed by comparison to the system design.
Maternal Mediation of the Effects of Malnutrition

Early malnutrition may be considered a maternal manipulation: the mother is directly affected by the malnutrition, whereas the offspring are affected by the maternal response to malnutrition. In spite of an extensive literature in the area of early malnutrition, particularly its implications for neural and behavioral development (e.g., Dobbing, 1984; Leathwood, 1978; Zamenhoff & Van Marthens, 1978), few have attempted to address the basic question of what nutrients get through to the fetus and the neonate. In rats, we know what we feed to the dams, either pregnant or lactating. Do we know what nutrients the pups get? The answer to this question is largely negative. Ignorance of the actual proximal effects of malnutrition can lead us astray, for example, when we compare postnatal to prenatal malnutrition. In such comparisons, both the nutrients available to the offspring and their developmental stage differ.
Anti-proliferative effect of metformin on a feline injection site sarcoma cell line independent of Mtor inhibition

Metformin is an oral hypoglycemic drug that has been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation via up-regulation of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), and possibly inhibition of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of metformin on a feline injection site sarcoma cell line. Cells from a feline injection site sarcoma cell line were treated with metformin at varied concentrations. A dose-dependent decrease in cell viability following metformin treatment was observed, with an IC50 of 8.0mM. Using flow cytometry, the mechanism of cell death was determined to be apoptosis or necrosis. To evaluate the role of mTOR inhibition in metformin-induced cell death, Western blot was performed. No inhibition of mTOR or phosphorylated mTOR was found. Although metformin treatment leads to apoptotic or necrotic cell death in feline injection site sarcoma cells, the mechanism does not appear to be mediated by mTOR inhibition.
Examining the radiation drive asymmetries present in the high foot series of implosion experiments at the National Ignition Facility

This paper details and examines the origins of radiation drive asymmetries present during the initial High Foot implosion experiments. Such asymmetries are expected to reduce the stagnation pressure and the resulting yield of these experiments by several times. Analysis of reemission and dual axis shock timing experiments indicates that a flux asymmetry, with a P2/P0 amplitude that varies from −10% to −5%, is present during the first shock of the implosion. This first shock asymmetry can be corrected through adjustments to the laser cone fraction. A thin shell model and more detailed radiation hydrodynamic calculations indicate that an additional negative P2/P0 asymmetry during the second or portions of the third shock is required to reach the observed amount of asymmetry in the shape of the ablator at peak implosion velocity. In conjunction with symmetry data from the x-ray self emission produced at stagnation, these models also indicate that after the initially negative P2/P0 flux asymmetry, the capsule...
Prey-baiting as a conservation tool: selective control of invasive ants with minimal non-target effects

Invasive ants are considered a significant threat to urban, agricultural, and natural habitats worldwide and the control of invasions is often a priority for conservation management. The spread and impact of invasive ants is often controlled using chemical management tools, predominantly toxic baits. The preferred outcome of such interventions is the recovery of indigenous species following the removal of the alien invader. Nonetheless, management actions may have unintended consequences such as non-target impacts. Non-target impacts are often a significant concern in areawide eradication programs because toxic baits are typically attractive to a wide range of animals and may kill non-target fauna, especially other invertebrates. Development of effective techniques to control populations of invasive ants while protecting the non-target fauna is important for conservation of native biodiversity. This study utilised laboratory and field experiments to evaluate a novel approach for managing invasive Asian needle ants (Brachyponera chinensis) utilising live, insecticide-treated termite prey. The goal was to examine the potential ecological impact of toxic prey-baiting on native ant fauna and to determine if toxic prey-baiting is adequately selective to be used as a tool for eradicating Asian needle ants while preserving native ant communities. Protein marking was used to track the consumption of termite prey by target and non-target ant species. Results demonstrate that prey-baiting using live, fipronil-treated termites is highly effective against Asian needle ants. Furthermore, prey-baiting is highly specific with detrimental effects against the target species and negligible effects on native ants. Results demonstrate a novel management tool for conservation agencies working to eradicate invasive ants globally. While traditional bait treatments are typically non-selective and eradicate a wide range of non-targets, prey-baiting is highly effective and target specific and may offer an effective alternative to traditional bait treatments. Additionally, prey-baiting may provide environmental benefits with regard to pesticide residues in ecologically sensitive environments and other protected landscapes where invasive ants pose a threat to native organisms and must be carefully managed to avoid non-target effects.
Broker-based Orchestration for Service Provisioning in Multi-domain Networks

This paper discuss a new networking paradigm introducing the broker-plane above the management planes of Autonomous Systems. The brokers communicate with the network manager of each AS to assist coordinate end-to-end resource management and multi-AS path provisioning.
The impact of acknowledgement and denial of responsibility for harm on victim groups' perceptions of justice, power, and intergroup attitudes

Acknowledgement of responsibility for in-group harmdoing is considered a precondition for reconciliation. However, we know little about its impact on victim groups. Using a mixed methods approach, in two studies in Bangladesh we examine the role of acknowledgment and denial of responsibility on intergroup outcomes. Study 1 used an open-ended survey to assess Bangladeshis’ perceptions about acknowledgement and denial of responsibility for the mass violence committed by the Pakistani army on Bangladeshis during the 1971 war. Study 2 experimentally examined the effects and the potential mechanisms (emotional reactions, perceived injustice, and relative power) through which acknowledgment and denial of responsibility impact two intergroup outcomes: out-group animosity and willingness for contact. Both studies demonstrated the importance of anger and perceived injustice as mediators of the effects of acknowledgment and denial of responsibility on intergroup outcomes. We draw implications for theory and for strategies to address past victimization across different contexts of conflict.
Self-Forgiveness and Religious/Spiritual Struggles

Although religion and spirituality often bring comfort and hope, people can also experience religious/spiritual (r/s) struggles in multiple domains: divine, demonic, moral, interpersonal, doubt-related, and ultimate meaning. This chapter explores how these types of r/s struggles could relate to challenges and opportunities associated with various aspects of the self-forgiveness process. Our primary aim is to provide a conceptual overview and to generate testable hypotheses, with the broader aim of providing a foundation for more systematic empirical work in the future. We will focus on three aspects of the self-forgiveness process: acknowledging one’s perceived wrongdoing and accepting responsibility, apology/repentance and making amends, and releasing unhelpful negative thoughts and emotions. Although there are many possible ways that challenges with self-forgiveness might lead to r/s struggles and vice versa, successful attempts to work through these challenges could promote relational healing and personal growth.
WIRED: The impact of media and technology use on stress (cortisol) and inflammation (interleukin IL-6) in fast paced families

Abstract This study examined how technology and media use affect stress (cortisol) and inflammation (interleukin IL-6) in dual earning parents and their adolescents. Sixty-two families reflected on their technology use the past week and collected saliva on two consecutive days that week. Technology use had the greatest effect on adolescents. Adolescents with greater phone use, general media exposure, and larger social networks via Facebook had a greater rise in their cortisol awakening response (CAR) and higher IL-6. Fathers' phone use and email were also associated with an increase in their CAR and IL-6. When bedtime technology use was high, greater general media use was associated with an increase in CAR for adolescents, but a decrease for fathers. Technology use did not significantly affect cortisol diurnal rhythm or mothers’ biosocial markers. This study contributes empirical evidence of the physiological consequences of technology use among family members and provides potential theoretical explanations for future research.
Asymmetric synthesis of gonytolide A: strategic use of an aryl halide blocking group for oxidative coupling

The first synthesis of the chromanone lactone dimer gonytolide A has been achieved employing vanadium(V)-mediated oxidative coupling of the monomer gonytolide C. An o-bromine blocking group strategy was employed to favor para–para coupling and to enable kinetic resolution of (±)-gonytolide C. Asymmetric conjugate reduction enabled practical kinetic resolution of a chiral, racemic precursor and the asymmetric synthesis of (+)-gonytolide A and its atropisomer.
Secret Key Extraction from Level Crossings over Unauthenticated Wireless Channels

Many of the risks associated with securing wireless systems stem from challenges associated with operating in a mobile environment, such as the lack of a guaranteed infrastructure or the ease with which entities can eavesdrop on communications. Traditional network security mechanisms rely upon cryptographic keys to support confidentiality and authentication services. However, in a dynamic mobile wireless environment, with peer-to-peer associations being formed on-the-fly between mobile entities, it is difficult to ensure availability of a certificate authority or a key management center. Since such scenarios are likely to become more prevalent, it is necessary to have alternatives for establishing keys between wireless peers without resorting to a fixed infrastructure.