cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving plants for tolerance to iron deficiency and other mineral nutrition problems: Breeding and genetic points of view

Abstract From the breeding and genetic points of view, improving plants for mineral metabolism, such as reducing iron‐deficient chlorosis, differs little in principle from improving them for agronomic and quality traits or pest resistance. As with these latter categories, mineral‐nutrition traits may range from simple to complex in their inheritance. Moreover, a given trait, such as iron‐deficient chlorosis, may be relatively simply inherited in one crop, e.g., in dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), or more complexly inherited in another, e.g., in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. The complexity of inheritance and the mode of reproduction of the plant determine the breeding methodologies to employ. In some instances, pedigree breeding, including backcrossing, is adequate. In other instances, population improvement may be necessary before extracting lines or cultivars. When quantitative genetic approaches are used, consideration must be given to experimental designs and biometrical procedures so that reliabl...
Dynamic peripheral traction forces balance stable neurite tension in regenerating Aplysia bag cell neurons

Growth cones of elongating neurites exert force against the external environment, but little is known about the role of force in outgrowth or its relationship to the mechanical organization of neurons. We used traction force microscopy to examine patterns of force in growth cones of regenerating Aplysia bag cell neurons. We find that traction is highest in the peripheral actin-rich domain and internal stress reaches a plateau near the transition between peripheral and central microtubule-rich domains. Integrating stress over the area of the growth cone reveals that total scalar force increases with area but net tension on the neurite does not. Tensions fall within a limited range while a substantial fraction of the total force can be balanced locally within the growth cone. Although traction continuously redistributes during extension and retraction of the peripheral domain, tension is stable over time, suggesting that tension is a tightly regulated property of the neurite independent of growth cone dynamics. We observe that redistribution of traction in the peripheral domain can reorient the end of the neurite shaft. This suggests a role for off-axis force in growth cone turning and neuronal guidance.
A Dynamic Model of a Contacting Mechanical Seal for Down-Hole Tools

A dynamic model of a contacting mechanical seal for down-hole tools, operating in the mixed lubrication regime, has been constructed. Two dynamic cases are examined: the behavior of the seal after it is subjected to a non-equilibrium initial condition and the behavior of the seal as it tracks axial runout of the rotating face. In both cases the seal experiences much larger leakage and inflow (incursion) rates than under steady-state conditions, although in the former case the duration of the increased rates is very short.
Segmenting consumers using multiple-category purchase data

Abstract There is increasing interest in understanding and characterizing the behavior of consumers across multiple categories. In this research we examine insights from segmentation derived from considering consumer behavior in multiple categories jointly. To derive the segmentation we develop a logit-mixture model of brand choice that considers the behavior of customers in multiple categories jointly. When a brand competes in multiple categories we generalize the effect of purchase feedback to include the effect of purchases of the brand in multiple categories. An application using data on purchases made by a panel of consumers in three baby products categories, two of which contain some common brands, is presented. We discuss the insights from deriving segmentation in which multiple categories are considered jointly and the implications of our results for a manager whose brand competes in more than one category. Our results should also be of interest to a manager of a brand that is marketed only in a single category yet competes against multiple-category competitors.
Design-for-reliability: A soft error case study

The purpose of this lecture is to illustrate a design-for-reliability (DFR) strategy via a soft error case study. We review relevant methodologies that target different levels and stages of a multi-core design: soft error modeling, robust circuit design, microarchitecture, and chip architecture. Finally we discuss several emerging DFR challenges and possible mitigation solutions.
Adaptive approach for texture segmentation by multichannel wavelet frames

We introduce an adaptive approach for texture feature extraction based on multi-channel wavelet frames and 2D envelope detection. Representations obtained from both standard wavelets and wavelet packets are evaluated for reliable texture segmentation. Algorithms for envelope detection based on edge detection and the Hilbert transform are presented. Analytic filters are selected for each technique based on performance evaluation. A K-means clustering algorithm was used to test the performance of each representation feature set. Experimental results for both natural textures and synthetic textures are shown.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
High-throughput screening of historic collections : Observations on file size, biological targets, and file diversity

At Pfizer Central Research, high-throughput screening has been an important source of new leads for drug discovery for a decade. Our experience with over 150 high-throughput screens can address questions about necessary file size, how well particular biological targets fare (with particular reference to protein-protein interactions), and what file diversity means in practice.
Serotonin2C Receptors and Serotonin2C Receptor‐Mediated Phosphoinositide Hydrolysis in the Brain of Alcohol‐Preferring and Alcohol‐Nonpreferring Rats

To examine the role of serotonin2C (5HT2C) receptors in alcohol drinking behavior, the binding indices of 5HT2C receptors were determined in various brain regions of alcohol-preferring (P) and alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) rats. 5HT2C receptor-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in the choroid plexus of P and NP rats was also determined. It was observed that the densities of 5HT2C receptors are significantly higher in the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the choroid plexus, but not in the cortex of P rats compared with NP rats. The Kd values of [3H]mesulergine binding to 5HT2C receptors were not different in these brain regions of P rats compared with NP rats. It was also observed that 5HT-stimulated [3H]inositol 1-phosphate formation was significantly higher in the choroid plexus of P rats compared with NP rats. The results of this study indicate that the numbers of 5HT2C receptors are higher in the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the choroid plexus, and that 5HT2C receptor-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis is more elevated in the choroid plexus of P rats compared with NP rats. Thus, it seems from these results that increased 5HT2C receptors may be involved in the genetic vulnerability to alcohol drinking behavior.
Shocks in the Quiet Solar Photosphere: A Rather Common Occurrence

We present observations of the quiet solar photosphere in the Fe I lines at 6302 A where at least four different spatial locations exhibit upward-directed supersonic flows. These upflows can only be detected in the circular polarization profiles as a double-peaked structure in the blue lobe of both Fe I lines. We have detected cases of either magnetic polarity in the data. The polarization signals associated with the upflows are very weak, which is probably why they had not been seen before in this type of observation. We propose that the observed flows are the signature of aborted convective collapse, similar to the case reported by Bellot Rubio et al. Our data indicate that this phenomenon occurs frequently in the quiet Sun, which means that many magnetic elements (although the fraction is still unknown) are destroyed even before they are formed completely. The spectral signatures of supersonic upflows reported here are probably present in most spectropolarimetric observations of sufficient signal-to-noise ratio and spatial resolution.
The determination of interfacial properties from fiber sliding experiments: The roles of misfit anistropy and interfacial roughness

Abstract Models of fiber sliding in composite materials are assessed to determine the requirements for unambiguous evaluation of interfacial properties from fiber pulling experiments. If independent measurements of residual axial and radial strains are available, then curve fitting of calculated stress—displacement relations to fiber sliding data can provide unique values for the friction coefficient, the interfacial debond energy, and a parameter characterizing interfacial roughness. However, in the absence of residual strain measurements, unique determination of these parameters is not possible, because interfacial roughness and anistropy in residual misfit strain between fibers and matrix have very similar influences on the stress—displacement relation. The analysis is applied to fiber pulling data from a Ti3Al matrix composite to evaluate changes in interfacial properties after cyclic loading at both room temperature and 650°C.
Coupling of dihydroriboflavin oxidation to the formation of the higher valence states of hemeproteins.

Summary The reactions between hydrogen peroxide and hemeproteins have been coupled to the oxidation of dihydroriboflavin so as to provide a simple method for measuring the rate constant of hemeprotein peroxidation. Dihydroriboflavin rapidly reduces the higher oxidation states of iron and the hydroxy radicals which are the products of the hemeprotein / hydrogen peroxide reaction. The rapid reduction of these highly reactive compounds prevents the hemeproteins from undergoing irreversible chemical modifications and thus allows the kinetics of peroxidation to be studied. The rate constants at pH 7.2 and 23°C for the peroxidation of horseradish peroxidase, myoglobin, and ferrocytochrome c are found to be 6.2 × 10 6 , 7.5 × 10 4 , and 8 × 10 3 M −1 s −1 , respectively. These studies suggest that reduced riboflavin might efficiently protect cells from oxidative damage such as that occurring in inflammation and reperfusion injury.
What's in a barcode? informed consent and machine scannable driver licenses

Drawing on theory and methods of Value Sensitive Design [2] we investigated the social and value implications of the addition of barcodes to machine scannable driver licenses. In particular, we focused on the value of informed consent, user knowledge, and understanding. Twelve Washington state driver license holders were interviewed. Results indicate that participants in this study were largely unaware of the nature of the information in the barcode, and the potential uses of such information. Moreover, with increasing knowledge, participants developed a sense of concern regarding the potential misuse of information. In our discussion, we focus on the importance of informed consent and design suggestions for machine scannable driver licenses.
Stability of Solutions to Evolution Problems

Large time behavior of solutions to abstract differential equations is studied. The results give sufficient condition for the global existence of a solution to an abstract dynamical system (evolution problem), for this solution to be bounded, and for this solution to have a finite limit as t → ∞ , in particular, sufficient conditions for this limit to be zero. The evolution problem is: u ˙ = A(t)u + F(t, u) + b(t), t ≥ 0; u(0) = u 0 . (*) Here u ˙ := du dt , u = u(t) ∈ H, H is a Hilbert space, t ∈ R + := [0,∞), A(t) is a linear dissipative operator: Re(A(t)u,u) ≤−γ(t)(u, u) where F(t, u) is a nonlinear operator, ‖ F(t, u) ‖ ≤ c 0 ‖ u ‖ p , p > 1, c 0 and p are positive constants, ‖ b(t) ‖ ≤ β(t) , and β(t)≥0 is a continuous function. The basic technical tool in this work are nonlinear differential inequalities. The non-classical case γ(t) ≤ 0 is also treated.
Neural evidence of statistical learning: Efficient detection of visual regularities without awareness

Our environment contains regularities distributed in space and time that can be detected by way of statistical learning. This unsupervised learning occurs without intent or awareness, but little is known about how it relates to other types of learning, how it affects perceptual processing, and how quickly it can occur. Here we use fMRI during statistical learning to explore these questions. Participants viewed statistically structured versus unstructured sequences of shapes while performing a task unrelated to the structure. Robust neural responses to statistical structure were observed, and these responses were notable in four ways: First, responses to structure were observed in the striatum and medial temporal lobe, suggesting that statistical learning may be related to other forms of associative learning and relational memory. Second, statistical regularities yielded greater activation in category-specific visual regions (object-selective lateral occipital cortex and word-selective ventral occipito-temporal cortex), demonstrating that these regions are sensitive to information distributed in time. Third, evidence of learning emerged early during familiarization, showing that statistical learning can operate very quickly and with little exposure. Finally, neural signatures of learning were dissociable from subsequent explicit familiarity, suggesting that learning can occur in the absence of awareness. Overall, our findings help elucidate the underlying nature of statistical learning.
On the canonical grid method for two-dimensional scattering problems

The banded matrix iterative approach with a canonical grid expansion (BMIA/CAG) has been shown by Tsang et al. (see ibid., vol.43, p.851-9, 1995) to be an efficient method for the calculation of scattering for near planar two-dimensional (2-D) geometries such as one-dimensional rough surfaces. However, in the article of Tsang et. al, only the first three terms in the canonical grid series for TE polarization above a perfectly conducting surface were discussed and methods for implementing only a portion of these terms were presented. In this paper, a general form for all terms in the canonical grid series is provided for both TE and TM polarizations above an impedance surface and an efficient algorithm for calculating their contributions is described. The relationship between the canonical grid and operator expansion methods is also discussed. A sample surface scattering problem is shown to illustrate the utility of higher order terms in the canonical grid method.
Coping and social problem solving correlates of asthma control and quality of life

In a sample of adults with asthma receiving care and medication in an outpatient pulmonary clinic, this study tested for statistical associations between social problem-solving styles, asthma contr...
Two-sided coded-aperture imaging without a detector plane

We introduce a novel design for a two-sided, coded-aperture, gamma-ray imager suitable for use in stand off detection of orphan radioactive sources. The design is an extension of an active-mask imager that would have three active planes of detector material, a central plane acting as the detector for two (active) coded-aperture mask planes, one on either side of the detector plane. In the new design the central plane is removed and the mask on the left (right) serves as the detector plane for the mask on the right (left). This design reduces the size, mass, complexity, and cost of the overall instrument. In addition, if one has fully position-sensitive detectors, then one can use the two planes as a classic Compton camera. This enhances the instrument’s sensitivity at higher energies where the coded-aperture efficiency is decreased by mask penetration. A plausible design for the system is found and explored with Monte Carlo simulations.
Integrating infra-red detector with electronically modulated response

A new integrating IR detector exhibits equivalent dark currents as low as 1.2 × 10−15 A/cm2. Signal integration takes place in the bulk of a semiconductor photosensitive element. The ultralow dark current permits very long integration and storage times. Integration times longer than 12 h are reported. IR response beyond the usual low field cutoff is observed and shown to depend strongly on the applied electric field. This allows voltage-controlled starting and stopping of in situ signal integration beyond the low field cutoff wavelength.
Symptom outcomes following endoscopic sinus surgery.

Purpose of reviewTo summarize recent studies exploring the response of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) symptoms to endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).Recent findingsESS symptom outcomes were reported using various symptom scoring systems and more than 18 survey instruments. When individual symptom scores w
Outcome of repair of myocardial bridging at the time of septal myectomy.

Background Myocardial bridging describes systolic compression of the muscular investment of a portion of an epicardial coronary artery. We evaluated the outcome of muscular bridge unroofing of the left anterior descending artery at the time of septal myectomy in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Methods We conducted a case-controlled study of 36 patients (23 men; median age, 42 years) with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and myocardial bridging. Group 1 patients had septal myectomy and concomitant unroofing (n = 13), group 2 patients underwent myectomy alone (n = 10), and group 3 patients were treated medically (n = 13). Results Angina was more prevalent preoperatively in group 1, 46% compared with 20% in group 2. Preoperative left ventricular outflow tract gradients of 67.8 ± 58.2 mm Hg and 74.1 ± 19.7 mm Hg were reduced to 1.9 ± 2.9 mm Hg in group 1 ( p p p = 0.297), 100.0% in group 2, and 67.9% in group 3; there were no late sudden deaths. At follow-up, 77% in group 1 were asymptomatic compared with 70% of patients in group 2 ( p = 0.19). There was no recurrent angina in group 1. Conclusions Myocardial unroofing can be performed safely at the time of septal myectomy for left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Angina was improved, but we found no difference in late survival compared with patients who had myocardial bridging and myectomy alone. Unroofing should be considered in patients with angina who have significant left anterior descending artery bridging and require myectomy.
Optically Clear Endometrial Nuclei

The infrastructure of optically clear endometrial nuclei is presented. These nuclear alterations have been found in spontaneous abortion, term pregnancy, endometriosis, and uterine choriocarcinoma.
Allergic sensitization is a key risk factor for but not synonymous with allergic disease

The impressive team of investigators involved in the detailed analysis of the National Health andNutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006 data are to be highly commended for their careful analyses and meticulous dissection of IgE antibody data, as they have chronicled in the report by Salo et al and a previous 2011 report using a similar data set. With support from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the authors of the current report have analyzed trends in IgE antibody positivity in sera from 856 children 1 to 5 years old for 9 allergen specificities and 7268 subjects greater than 6 years of age for 19 allergen specificities using 0.35 kUA/L as the positive ImmunoCAP threshold criterion. While reviewing this excellent article for sociodemographic and US regional patterns, the reader is encouraged to remember the golden rule of allergic disease diagnosis. The authors nicely placed this rule in evidence in the second-to-last paragraph of their article. The golden rule, as stated in the current American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology/American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology diagnostic practice parameter, is that IgE antibody positivity strictly indicates allergic sensitization. Although it is a key risk factor for allergic disease, allergic sensitization is not synonymous with allergic disease without the presence of a positive clinical history. Although a questionnairebased history was collected from subjects participating in the NHANES 2005-2006 study, no clinical history data were considered in the current report. Thus the authors correctly make no attempt to translate their reported ‘‘IgE sensitization prevalence rates’’ into regional trends of ‘‘allergic disease’’ among the American population. The reader is encouraged do the same and not make this leap between IgE sensitization and allergic disease. Thus the 36.2% of 1to 5-year-olds and 44.6% of subjects greater than 6 years of agewho are identified as sensitized by having circulating IgE antibodies to at least 1 allergen specificity will most certainly be an overestimate of the actual prevalence of actual
The recurrent mossy fiber pathway of the epileptic brain.

The dentate gyrus is believed to play a key role in the pathogenesis of temporal lobe epilepsy. In normal brain the dentate granule cells serve as a high-resistance gate or filter, inhibiting the propagation of seizures from the entorhinal cortex to the hippocampus. The filtering function of the dentate gyrus depends in part on the near absence of monosynaptic connections among granule cells. In humans with temporal lobe epilepsy and in animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy, dentate granule cells form an interconnected synaptic network associated with loss of hilar interneurons. This recurrent mossy fiber pathway mediates reverberating excitation that can reduce the threshold for granule cell synchronization. Factors that augment activity in this pathway include modest increases in [K+]o; loss of GABA inhibition; short-term, frequency-dependent facilitation (frequencies of 1–2 Hz); feedback activation of kainate autoreceptors; and release of zinc from recurrent mossy fiber boutons. Factors that diminish activity include short-term, frequency-dependent depression (frequencies <1 Hz); feedback activation of type II metabotropic glutamate receptors; and the potential release of GABA, neuropeptide Y, adenosine, and dynorphin from recurrent mossy fiber boutons. The axon sprouting and reactive synaptogenesis that follow seizure-related brain damage can also create or strengthen recurrent excitation in other brain regions. These changes are expected to facilitate participation of these regions in seizures. Thus, reactive processes that are often considered important for recovery of function after most brain injuries probably contribute to neurological dysfunction in epilepsy.
Service and public systems: opportunities for systems engineering

Summary form only given. In considering the impact of technology on society and productivity, most of the attention has been focused on production and manufacturing. However, in most technologically-advanced countries, the service sector is larger than its manufacturing base. Yet, the service sector is one of the least researched - and lowest in productivity - areas of the economy. Financial, health, transportation and food services are all a part of the services sector, as is public services (including police, fire, sanitation, education, etc.). A large number of issues deserve to be addressed, including: How do organizations develop and deliver new services and why? Can the same approaches be applied to services as to products? How can service quality be measured and improved? What role can technology in particular, information systems play in enhancing service productivity? There are many opportunities to apply systems engineering approaches to issues arising in the services area. >
ON A RESTRICTED CLASS OF COUPLED HILL'S EQUATIONS AND SOME APPLICATIONS

Abstract : A class of systems of coupled Hill's equations is studied. It is shown that for systems of equations in this class, completely decoupled Hill's equations may be obtained and the stability of the solutions may be studied in a very much simpler manner. Several physically significant problems are treated to demonstrate the nature of the method; included is a study of a simplified system representing nonlinearly coupled heave-pitch motion of a ship. (Author)
Effect of Scattered and Discrete Hydramethylnon Bait Placement on the Asian Needle Ant

The Asian needle ant (Pachycondyla chinensis Emery) is invading natural and disturbed habitats across the eastern United States. While recent studies document the impact of P. chinensis on native ecosystems and human health, effective control measures remain unknown. Thus, we evaluated the field performance of a hydramethylnon granular bait, Maxforce Complete Granular Insect Bait, dispersed in clumps or scattered against P. chinensis. We also measured the effect of this bait on P. chinensis outside of the treatment zone. Surprisingly, unlike reports for other ant species, we achieved nearly complete P. chinensis population reductions 1 d after treatments were applied. Significant ant reductions were achieved until the end of our study at 28 d. No difference was recorded between clumped and scattered application methods. We found no overall difference in ant reductions from the edge out to 5 m beyond the treatment zone. Other local ant species appeared to be unaffected by the bait and foraging activity increased slightly after P. chinensis removal from treated areas. We suggest that Maxforce Complete Granular Insect Bait can be effective in an Asian needle ant treatment program.
Mycobacterial RNA polymerase forms unstable open promoter complexes that are stabilized by CarD

Escherichia coli has served as the archetypal organism on which the overwhelming majority of biochemical characterizations of bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) have been focused; the properties of E. coli RNAP have been accepted as generally representative for all bacterial RNAPs. Here, we directly compare the initiation properties of a mycobacterial transcription system with E. coli RNAP on two different promoters. The detailed characterizations include abortive transcription assays, RNAP/promoter complex stability assays and DNAse I and KMnO4 footprinting. Based on footprinting, we find that promoter complexes formed by E. coli and mycobacterial RNAPs use very similar protein/DNA interactions and generate the same transcription bubbles. However, we find that the open promoter complexes formed by E. coli RNAP on the two promoters tested are highly stable and essentially irreversible (with lifetimes much greater than 1 h), while the open promoter complexes on the same two promoters formed by mycobacterial RNAP are very unstable (lifetimes of about 2 min or less) and readily reversible. We show here that CarD, an essential mycobacterial transcription activator that is not found in E. coli, stabilizes the mycobacterial RNAP/open promoter complexes considerably by preventing transcription bubble collapse.
Substance P: mechanism of action and receptor distribution at the feline ileocecal sphincter region

The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism of action of substance P at the distal ileum, ileocecal sphincter (ICS), and proximal colon in the cat and to determine the localization of substance P receptors at these sites by autoradiography. Intraluminal pressures and myoelectric activity were recorded at the feline distal ileum, ICS, and colon. Substance P caused a tonic and phasic spike-dependent contractile response at all three sites. The antagonists propranolol, phentolamine, and naloxone did not affect the contractile response to substance P at the ileum, ICS, or colon. The ganglionic blocker trimethaphan camsylate potentiated the response to substance P at all three sites, P less than 0.05. Both atropine and tetrodotoxin reduced the response of substance P at the ileal site. At the ICS, atropine or tetrodotoxin reduced, but did not obliterate, the effect of substance P. Neither atropine nor tetrodotoxin reduced substance P-induced colonic contractions. By use of autoradiography, specific binding for substance P was determined to be present at all three sites with the greatest concentration of substance P receptors in the circular muscle layer. In conclusion, these studies suggest multiple sites of action of substance P. At the ileum, substance P causes contraction via a cholinergic pathway. At the ICS, substance P has an excitatory action through a cholinergic pathway and also at smooth muscle receptors. In the proximal colon, the excitatory action of substance P is via smooth muscle receptors. An inhibitory ganglionic pathway also exists at all three sites. Substance P receptors exist predominantly in the circular muscle region of the ileum, ICS, and the proximal colon.
Studies on the Origin and Generation of Sympathetic Nerve Activity

This paper summarizes the efforts of our laboratory to define the substrates and mechanisms for generation of one of the primary components in sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) of the cat, the 2- to 6-Hz rhythm. Using spike-triggered averaging, we have identified single brain stem neurons with naturally occurring activity correlated to the 2- to 6-Hz rhythm in SND. Such neurons were found in three regions--the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), medullary raphe (R) and medullary lateral tegmental field (LTF). RVLM neurons were inhibited in parallel to SND when carotid sinus pressure was raised while R neurons were excited. These observations suggest that RVLM neurons exert sympathoexcitatory (SE) actions while R neurons mediate sympathoinhibitory (SI) effects. Both SE and SI neurons were found in the LTF. Antidromic mapping revealed that the axons of RVLM-SE and R-SI neurons innervate the thoracic spinal intermediolateral nucleus. In contrast, LTF neurons do not project to the spinal cord. Rather, the axons of LTF-SE neurons project to the RVLM while those of LTF-SI neurons project to R. We hypothesize that the aforementioned cell groups comprise a network oscillator responsible for the 2- to 6-Hz rhythm in SND.
Which do you want first: The good news or the good news?

From the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY. Disclosures: Author has nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Received for publication Aug 3, 2015; accepted for publication Aug 5, 2015; available ahead of print Aug 28, 2015. Address for reprints: Leonard N. Girardi, MD, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021 (E-mail: lngirard@med.cornell.edu). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2015;150:1148-9 0022-5223/$36.00 Copyright 2015 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2015.08.011
The Name Game: Cybersquatting and Trademark Infringement on Social Media Websites

Over the past decade, Internet use has grown astronomically, allowing Internet users to have increased control over web page creation, and permitting Internet users to create unique profiles for social networking. With such growth and evolution, the Internet has also become a dangerous venue where individuals hijack domain names and profit off the damage caused to a brand name. For example, were an Internet user to accidentally type “Citybank.org,” instead of “Citibank.org,” into his browser to perform online banking activities, he would stumble upon a website with misleading Citibank advertisements that would
Double-heterostructure photonic crystal lasers with lower thresholds and higher slope efficiencies obtained by quantum well intermixing

In order to reduce the optical absorption loss, an array of double-heterostructure photonic crystal microcavity lasers was fabricated in which much of the photonic crystal mirror region was disordered by quantum well intermixing. In characterizing these devices, we obtained more than a factor of two increase in slope efficiencies and more than 20% reduction in threshold pump powers compared to devices that were not intermixed.
Between Markets and Institutions: Multinational Enterprises as Actors, and an Organizational Approach to Foreign Direct Investment

Since the end of the Cold War, there has been an extraordinary increase in the share of foreign direct investment (FDI) going to developing countries, and political scientists have taken notice. Research has focused on institutional factors, in particular their importance in establishing credible commitments. However, in focusing on institutions, the investors themselves – the multinational enterprises (MNEs) – are largely ignored. This is because the literature models and measures FDI as bilateral economic flows between countries, rather than conceptualizing it as networks of actors, with strategies, goals and the capacity to organize international production. We are missing half the story. This paper focuses on China, the most successful, large developing country FDI host in absolute terms and relative to its large economy. In the general and China-specific FDI literatures alike, China presents a string of anomalies in both aggregate inward FDI and when it is decomposed, including unusual allocations across industries, MNE modes of entry and by country of origin. Almost without exception, China’s domestic institutions serve as the principal explanations, including ones based on credible commitments. This paper reconsiders these anomalies through the lens of MNE organization – specifically, their fragmentation of global production through vertically specialized production networks. Using disaggregated and nested data of industries, sub-industries, firms and a unique database of millions of individual trade transactions, the paper inductively re-constructs Chinese statistical data to uncover very consistent patterns of inward FDI that reveals an underlying MNE organizational logic in the restructuring of East Asian production, for which institutional arguments and market forces are unable to account. More importantly, in contrast to institutional accounts which offer diverse explanations for the anomalies, a MNE organizational approach parsimoniously offers leverage across them. By examining the international economy through the reconstruction of disaggregated national data, we can learn something about China, East Asia and the organization of the international economy.
Rounding Radiologists: Clinical Collaboration Between Radiology Residents and Internal Medicine Teams.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM In the era of PACS, imaging has become more efficient and accessible. However, direct consultation and verbal communication between referring physicians and radiologists has dramatically decreased by as much as 82% [1]. As a result, opportunities to develop professional relationships with referring physicians have declined. Radiologists are in a unique position to assume a central role in the inpatient care setting by consulting with medical colleagues, discussing the meaning of imaging reports, and designing approaches to further guide diagnosis and management. Consulting services are gaining attention as an avenue to increase the value of radiologic services [2,3]. To this end, the ACR Imaging 3.0 initiative promotes establishing radiologists as valuable consultants in patient care [4]. Existing studies demonstrate the benefit of clinical-radiologic meetings by highlighting the clinical value of consultations [5-7]. However, no prior study has evaluated the effects on relationships between referring clinicians and radiologists by incorporating a radiologist into clinical rounds. Incorporation of radiology residents into clinical
Using Randomized Algorithms to Quantify Uncertainty in the Optimal Design of Cable-Driven Manipulators

Cable-driven robots are often considered an attractive solution for applications which require a low-inertia actuator capable of high accelerations, despite the added complexity of the system and increased challenges of the design. Previous research has developed various techniques for analyzing the workspace of a cable-driven robot and several methods of designing a cable routing have been demonstrated which enable a robot to perform a given task. In general, there are many choices of cable routing which satisfy the particular design requirements, and the problem is focused on how to select the best design from among the available choices.Using techniques developed from statistical learning theory, the field of Randomized Algorithms offers explicit bounds on the estimation errors of an optimal solution, provided certain explicitly defined sample complexity requirements are satisfied. The main advantage of this approach is a quantitative understanding of the uncertainty of the result and the accuracy with respect to the true optimum to enable an informed decision regarding the sufficiency of the solution. The desired accuracy and confidence parameters for the optimal solution are tailored for the specific problem, allowing for balance between computational limitations and desire for solution quality. In this work, a summary of the randomized algorithm approach is presented, and an optimized solution to the design of a cable-driven manipulator is developed using a randomized algorithm according to specified accuracy, level and confidence parameters.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Measurement and Control of pH in the Aqueous Interior of Reverse Micelles

The encapsulation of proteins and nucleic acids within the nanoscale water core of reverse micelles has been used for over 3 decades as a vehicle for a wide range of investigations including enzymology, the physical chemistry of confined spaces, protein and nucleic acid structural biology, and drug development and delivery. Unfortunately, the static and dynamical aspects of the distribution of water in solutions of reverse micelles complicate the measurement and interpretation of fundamental parameters such as pH. This is a severe disadvantage in the context of (bio)chemical reactions and protein structure and function, which are generally highly sensitive to pH. There is a need to more fully characterize and control the effective pH of the reverse micelle water core. The buffering effect of titratable head groups of the reverse micelle surfactants is found to often be the dominant variable defining the pH of the water core. Methods for measuring the pH of the reverse micelle aqueous interior using one-di...
Pheromone Studies of the Two spotted Spider Mite. 2. Behavioral Response of Males to Quiescent Deutonymphs

Adult male Tetranychus urticae Koch were attracted to quiescent female deutonymphs with the onset of quiescence. The consistency of male attraction varied from 40–85% during the early part of the period and gradually increased to 80–100% prior to adult emergence. Average duration of the quiescent period was 40.4 hours at 24°C and 23.4 hours at 30°C. Occasional males were found that did not respond consistently to quiescent deutonymphs. The cause was not determined. Male attraction was greater at 30°C and 20–30% relative humidity than at 30°C and 90–95% relative humidity. Trials at 24°C and 20–30% relative humidity were intermediate. It was concluded that tests for bioassay of T. urlicae female sex pheromone could be conducted at 30°C and 20–30% relative humidity but should include sufficient replications to measure erratic male behavior.
MECHANICS OF THE SYRINX IN GALLUS GALLUS. I. A COMPARISON OF PRESSURE EVENTS IN CHICKENS TO THOSE IN OSCINES

Oscines generally (always?) have an EL, while non-passerines generally lack it. It is certainly absent from chickens, and the labia associated with the bullae of some male anatids show a quite different structure. The syrinx of chickens also differs from that of ostines in the nature and position of the vibrating membranes. A chicken’s syrinx is tracheobronchial (fig. 1). Just anterior to the syrinx the final four rings of the trachea are fused into a “drum.” The pessulus is a dorsoventrally-oriented, cartilaginous bar in the medial plane marking the divergence of the brouchi from the trachea. The ends of this bar are expanded into triangular plates at the dorsal and ventral surfaces, giving it a dumbbell-like appearance. Between the posterior end of the drum and the pessulus, the trachea is strongly laterally compressed. Its walls are essentially membranous, comprising the external tympaniform membranes, the anterior portions of which are invested by cartilaginous partial rings. Hence, the external tympaniform membranes are directly opposed to each other in this region. They continue posteriad onto the bronchi where they are also opposed by the internal tympaniform membranes. Experiments by Gross (196413) indicated that the external tympaniform membranes are the major source of sound production in chickens. In contrast, the sound-producing mem
Replication of the Multidimensionality of Activities of Daily Living

We attempted to replicate the three-dimensional factor structure of a previously proposed ADL scale and demonstrate an association between the advanced ADL dimension and cognitive function. Data used in these analyses were baseline assessments of health and functional status of hospitalized patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of case managers as a means of reducing health care utilization. We submitted 14 items from the OARS to a two-stage process of principal components factor analysis. Four significant dimensions emerged that were remarkably similar to the advanced, basic, and household ADL dimensions reported by Wolinsky and Johnson (1991). In this sample of hospitalized patients, however, incontinence emerged as a weak fourth dimension. Multiple regression of SPMSQ mental status examination scores on these ADL dimensions demonstrates the association between cognitive function and the advanced ADL dimension. These data confirm that the underlying structure of ADLs consists of at least three separate dimensions, one of which is aligned with cognitive capacity.
Innovations in nutrition education.

The Multi-Mode Instructional Strategy may prove useful both in nutrition courses and in other science courses at the university level.
Providing Behavioral Feedback to Students in an Alternative High School Setting.

This column provides an example method for improving the consistency and quality of daily behavioral feedback provided to students in an alternative high school setting. Often, homeroom or advisory periods are prime points in the day for students to review their behavior from the previous day and set goals for a successful day to come. The method described outlines a planning process and strategy for building teams and teachers to use to establish a behavioral feedback routine, and a case example of the implementation of the routine.
Involvement of the Putative Hematopoietic Transcription Factor SCL in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The SCL gene, initially discovered at the site of a translocation breakpoint associated with the development of a stem cell leukemia, encodes a protein that contains the highly conserved basic helix-loop- helix (bHLH) motif found in a large array of eukaryotic transcription factors. Recently, we have described a nonrandom, site-specific SCL rearrangement in several T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines that juxtaposes SCL with a distinct transcribed locus, SIL. The SIL/SCL rearrangement was found in leukemic blasts from 11 of 70 (16%) newly diagnosed T-cell ALL patients, a prevalence substantially higher than that of the t(11;14) translocation, which has previously been reported as the most frequent nonrandom chromosomal abnormality in T- cell ALL. We did not detect the SIL/SCL rearrangement in the leukemic blasts from 30 patients with B-cell precursor ALL, indicating that the rearrangement was specific for T-cell ALL. Analysis of RNA from these patients indicated that an SIL/SCL fusion mRNA was formed, joining SIL and SCL in a head-to-tail fashion. The fusion occurs in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of both genes, preserving the SCL coding region. The net result of this rearrangement is that SCL mRNA expression becomes regulated by the SIL promoter, leading to inappropriate SCL expression. The resultant inappropriate expression of this putative transcription factor may then contribute to leukemic transformation in T-cell ALL.
Should Inmates Be Running the Jailhouse: Affirming the Constitutionality of Enhanced Archivist Involvement in White House Record-Keeping Policymaking

This Comment argues that tasking the Archivist of the United States with promulgating electronic recordkeeping guidelines and certifying presidential compliance is constitutional because the President’s ability to perform his or her constitutional functions will not be impaired and, additionally, because Congress has constitutional authority to promote the important objective of retaining presidential records.11 Part I examines the laws and jurisprudence that have culminated in public ownership of presidential records. Part II discusses the Bush Administration’s record-keeping problems, the indirect way the United States Congress learned of the problems, and the subsequent legislative response—the Electronic Message Preservation Act (EMPA). Finally, Part III argues that the Bush Administration’s constitutional argument against the EMPA was specious.
A Web of Imperial Connections: Surveyors and Planters in Eighteenth-Century Dominica

This article undertakes a description and analysis of several kinds of cadastral maps held at the Library of Congress and other institutions that were generated shortly after the British takeover of the Ceded Islands (1763), with a focus on the island of Dominica. This little-studied subject will provide information on not only the resources and maps for this geographic area, but also biographical information relating to the principal surveyors and planters of Dominica, who contributed to some of the earliest maps of that island.
Reflex triode vircator design for extended frequency tuning capabilities

A stand-alone vircator based high power microwave system has been designed as an effects test source [1-2]. The goal of this system is to cover the frequencies from 4.0 GHz to 6.0 GHz. To date a working prototype has been manufactured and field tested. The current system is capable of producing microwaves at frequencies of 4.06, 4.27, 4.45, 5.83, 5.95 and 6.06 GHz at field levels in excess of 100 kV/m, measured at 3 meters. Additionally, the source and all subsystems are capable of burst mode operation for a duration of 2 s at 500 Hz pulse repetition frequency (PRF). The wide range of tunability was achieved by varying the A-K gap as well as the location of the A-K gap inside the cavity. The A-K gap is varied by a bellows sealed linear actuator which is attached to the cathode. The position of the A-K gap within the cavity is altered by moving a liner and microwave reflector (which form a cavity) within the main vacuum tube. However, the experimentally observed frequencies obtained with the current system leaves a gap from 4.45 to 5.6 GHz. In order for the test system to produce microwaves within this frequency range, a new tube is under development. The cavity of the new tube has a smaller cavity which should push the resonant frequencies into the desired range (from 4.45 GHz to 5.6 GHz). This presentation discusses the experimental results obtained with the new tube and compares that with the previously built and tested source.