cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Empire or cosmopolis? Civilization at the crossroads

Abstract The paper raises the question where contemporary civilization is heading: toward imperial domination or cosmopolis? The process of globalization has brought into view the contours of a global empire of unprecedented dimensions (often labeled ‘pax Americana’). The paper traces the formation of this new imperial structure, accentuating its conflictual relations both with domestic democracy and the prospect of a broader ‘cosmopolitan’ democracy. The chief focus of the paper is normative: it seeks to sort out the arguments typically advanced in support of empire or else in opposition to it. To profile contemporary arguments more sharply, the paper presents a comparison with the argumentative strategies surrounding the early-modern Spanish Empire. As the comparison shows, the most prominent justification used by defenders of empire is the claim of civilizational benevolence (‘white man's burden’) backed up by the asserted need to control backward peoples, if necessary by military means. What different...
Chronic hypoxia inhibits Kv channel gene expression in rat distal pulmonary artery

In pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels play an important role in regulating membrane potential, cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration, and pulmonary vasomo...
Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) knockout mice have hepatic steatosis and abnormal hepatic choline metabolite concentrations despite ingesting a recommended dietary intake of choline.

Choline is an essential nutrient for humans and is derived from the diet as well as from de novo synthesis involving methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine catalysed by the enzyme phosphatidylethanolamine N -methyltransferase (PEMT). This is the only known pathway that produces new choline molecules. We used mice with a disrupted Pemt-2 gene (which encodes PEMT; Pemt -/- ) that have previously been shown to possess no hepatic PEMT enzyme. Male, female and pregnant Pemt -/- and wild-type mice ( n = 5—6 per diet group) were fed diets of different choline content (deficient, control, and supplemented). Livers were collected and analysed for choline metabolites, steatosis, and apoptotic [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP—biotin nick end-labelling (TUNEL)] positive cells. We found that, in livers of Pemt -/- mice fed any of the diets, there was hepatic steatosis and significantly higher occurrence of TUNEL positive cells compared with wild-type controls. In male, female and pregnant mice, liver phosphatidylcholine concentrations were significantly decreased in Pemt -/- choline deficient and in Pemt -/- choline control groups but returned to normal in Pemt -/- choline supplemented groups. Phosphocholine concentrations in liver were significantly diminished in knockout mice even when choline was supplemented to above dietary requirements. These results show that PEMT normally supplies a significant portion of the daily choline requirement in the mouse and, when this pathway is knocked out, mice are unable to attain normal concentrations of all choline metabolites even with a supplemental source of dietary choline.
The distribution of intraplate volcanism in the Pacific Ocean basin: a spectral approach

Summary. Although the major linear island chains in the Pacific Ocean basin have been extensively studied, relatively little attention has been given to the origin of the numerous seamounts and oceanic islands that are concentrated in the western Pacific. Spectral analysis of shipboard gravity and bathymetry data provides a means for statistically estimating the distribution of this volcanism in space and time. Estimates of the power spectrum of the bathymetry FB and the average gravitational admittance z" (cross-spectrum correlation of gravity and bathymetry) were obtained as functions of age of the oceanic lithosphere by dividing the Pacific plate into eight age regions A-H. The power spectrum of the bathymetry is indicative of the overall bathymetric roughness (primarily volcanic) in each region. This roughness shows three gradations: regions A-D ( 140Myr), with many large volcanic features, are very rough. The average gravitational admittance is indicative of the degree of isostatic compensation of bathymetric features in each region and can be used to estimate the proportionh of total bathymetric power that was emplaced on relatively old lithosphere and the proportion that formed on young lithosphere at or near a mid-ocean ridge crest. The highest proportion of bathymetry that formed on old lithosphere occurs in region H (fI- 0.90) and the lowest proportion occurs in regions G and E (fI - 0.40-0.60). The power spectrum of the bathymetry and the gravitational admittance allow an estimate of the total bathymetric power PI = ~IPB accounted for by intraplate volcanism ('intraplate power') and the power PR = (1 - fI)PB which is of on-ridge origin ('ridge power'). At long wavelengths in regions E-G, the amount of on-ridge volcanism exceeds the amount of intraplate volcanism (PR > PI), indicating the presence of several large plateaus and rises which formed at ridge crests. This suggests the
Enhanced hepatic chemiluminescence following carbon tetrachloride or hydrazine administration

Abstract Lipid peroxidation has been implicated as a mechanism of cellular injury due to a variety of hepatotoxic agents. In this study a scintillation spectrophotometer was employed to measure photon emission as an index of lipid peroxidation. Chemiluminescence (CL) from rat liver homogenates was significantly enhanced when animals were pretreated with hepatotoxic agents such as hydrazine or CCl 4 . The enhanced CL was markedly reduced by the addition of antioxidants in vitro or incubation with 100% nitrogen, events which have been demonstrated to decrease lipid peroxidation. Compared to results obtained employing the thiobarbituric acid assay, the CL procedure appears to be a more sensitive index of lipid peroxidation. The chemiluminescence procedure appears to merit further evaluation in the assessment of the role of lipid peroxidation in the pathogenesis of cell injury.
An acoustic metric for assessing change in vowel production by profoundly hearing-impaired children

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of developing an acoustic metric to assess vowel production in profoundly hearing‐impaired children. The approach taken was to develop a metric from acoustic analysis of vowel productions and then compare it with the perceptual ratings of the same productions by listeners. Speech samples were collected from three profoundly hearing‐impaired children participating in a longitudinal study that investigated the effectiveness of assistive listening devices upon speech development. The metric used the extracted fundamental and first, second, and third formant frequencies to represent the tokens as points in a three‐dimensional auditory‐perceptual space modeled after earlier work by Miller [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 85, 2114–2134 (1989)]. Euclidean distances were determined between each point and the intended vowel, which was represented by coordinates taken from the Peterson and Barney [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 24, 175–184 (1952)] data for children. The data su...
NMR isotope shifts as a probe of a rapid nondegenerate equilibrium in 2-aryl-3-methyl-2-butyl cations

Abstract Equilibrium NMR isotope shifts can be detected for nondegenerate equilibria by comparison with intrinsic shifts in static model compounds. Such equilibrium shifts are smaller than in similar nondegenerate equilibria.
Prototype Geographic Information System for Agricultural Water Quality Management Using CropSyst

A prototype raster geographic information system (GIS) coupled with a decision support submodel for agricultural nitrogen nonpoint source pollution analysis is presented herein. This analysis is an extension of the one-dimensional approach used to simulate and analyze farm production systems and their impact on the environment. The farm system was rasterized into an aggregation of spatial units with homogeneous physical and management characteristics. A crop model to simulate the farm and the environmental response to management alternatives was integrated with this prototype GIS. The system coordinates the running of the crop model on each homogeneous unit and results are passed to a maximum expected utility decision analysis submodel. Only the crop yield and chemical leaching are considered in the decision model. Based on the utility of these two parameters and the probability of realization, the management alternative that potentially leads to the highest yield and lowest nitrogen leaching will be reco...
The Good, the Bad, and the Neither Good Nor Bad in Plato's Lysis

Examinant la conception du bien, du mal, et du ni bien ni mal developpee dans le «Gorgias» et dans l'«Euthydeme» de Platon, l'A. montre que Socrate commet dans le «Lysis» une confusion de niveaux lorqu'il analyse la relation entre les trois termes du point de vue de l'attitude generale du desir pour le bien. A travers l'exemple du corps malade comme analogie entre la medecine et la philosophie, l'A. indique chez Socrate un deplacement dans la hierarchie du desir.
Abnormal biomechanics of feet and their cause of hyperkeratoses

A brief review of pedal anatomy and the mechanisms enabling feet to function as organs of locomotion is presented. The importance of the subtalar joint is emphasized. Four major abnormalities disturbing normal foot function are noted, and the most commonly encountered of these alterations, rearfoot varus, is discussed in some detail. A series of pedal abnormalities in rearfoot varus occurs because in the foot's attempt to overcome its imbalance, it pronates excessively and causes development of callus, corn, hallux valgus, and even ingrown toenail. Haglund's deformity, soft corn, and tailor's bunion are also secondary to the abnormality. Attempts to restrict the germinal compensatory pronation by various forms of padding of the medial aspect of the foot are frequently rewarded by restoration of asymptomatic feet. Surgical means of restoring normal function are briefly discussed.
Analysis of sulfur-induced selectivity changes for anhydrous methanol dehydrogenation on Ni(100) surfaces

Abstract The absorption of sulfur on the Ni(100) surface has been reported to influence its product selectivity for methanol dehydrogenation. While dehydrogenation on the clean Ni(100) surface primarily produces a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, preadsorption of 0.25–0.33 monolayers of sulfur shifts the selectivity to mainly formaldehyde and hydrogen. Density functional theory calculations of clean and sulfur-modified Ni(100) surfaces demonstrate that sulfur destabilizes methanol dehydrogenation reaction intermediates in a manner consistent with this shift in selectivity. Microkinetic modeling of the reaction system further indicates that these changes alter the reaction selectivities from CO to CH 2 O production in the steady state. The reaction selectivities of metal alloy surfaces, which also have heterogeneous surface morphologies, are hypothesized to be influenced in a similar manner as these S/Ni(100) surfaces.
An evolutionary programming-based solution methodology for power generation and transmission maintenance scheduling

Abstract This paper presents an evolutionary programming (EP)-based technique to the unified model of the maintenance scheduling (MS) problem of power generation and transmission systems. In this paper, the Hill-Climbing technique (HCT) is used in conjunction with the EP to find a feasible solution in the neighborhood of the new infeasible solutions during the solution process. The EP search ability and the feasibility watch of the HCT motivate the sequential solution of the two interrelated subproblems of the MS problem. The paper reports test results of the proposed algorithm on the IEEE 30-bus system with six generating units and 41 transmission lines.
Algorithms for Shape Analysis of Contours and Waveforms

Algorithms for shape analysis are reviewed and classified under various criteria, whether they examine the boundary only or the whole area and whether they describe the original picture in terms of scalar measurements or through structural descriptions. The emphasis is on methodologies which have been popular during the last five years and among them, those which are information preserving.
Oral Sex: Varied Behaviors and Perceptions in a College Population

Views and behaviors pertaining to oral sex have changed in recent years. This anonymous, online survey posed both old and new questions pertaining to oral sex among a college population. This study confirmed previous findings about virgins engaging in oral sex, but also found that women reported giving oral sex more often than receiving it from men. Oral sex was not only perceived as less intimate than intercourse, but more likely to be perceived as less intimate by women than men. Participants most frequently endorsed a committed relationship, but not a married relationship, for comfort in engaging in oral sex. Lastly, college students were more knowledgeable of the sexually transmitted infection risks of oral sex than how to actually protect themselves during oral sex. Additional analyses by gender and virginity were also performed to further understanding of the nuances amongst virgins and women and men.
Towards an Understanding of Accounting Information Systems as a Discipline: A Comparative Analysis of Topical Coverage in AIS and MIS Courses

The accounting information systems (AIS) discipline lacks a sense of identity relative to the closely related field of management information systems (MIS). By identifying how AIS is evolving and what makes AIS unique from MIS, the field can gain a better understanding of its importance. We analyze a sample of syllabi for the introductory AIS and MIS courses, focusing on similarities and differences between the AIS and MIS fields as reflected in the topical coverage choices made by AIS and MIS educators. We also investigate the effects of the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on topical coverage in the introductory AIS course. The findings reveal that while AIS courses have a unique focus on transaction processing and internal controls relative to MIS courses, more technical topics such as hardware and software issues and IS solutions are covered more commonly in MIS courses rather than AIS courses. We also find that AIS topical coverage has changed since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, with a more pronounced focus on internal control and security compared to the preSarbanes Oxley era. The key contribution of this paper is in providing empirical evidence in support of the “intersection view” of AIS, which asserts that while AIS and MIS have some topics in common there are also many issues unique to each field.
The Inner Shelf Response to Wind-Driven Upwelling and Downwelling*

Abstract A two-dimensional numerical model is used to study the response to upwelling- and downwelling-favorable winds on a shelf with a strong pycnocline. During upwelling or downwelling, the pycnocline intersects the surface or bottom, forming a front that moves offshore. The characteristics of the front and of the inner shelf inshore of the front are quite different for upwelling and downwelling. For a constant wind stress the upwelling front moves offshore at roughly a constant rate, while the offshore displacement of the downwelling front scales as t because the thickness of the bottom layer increases as the front moves offshore. The geostrophic alongshelf transport in the front is larger during downwelling than upwelling for the same wind stress magnitude because the geostrophic shear is near the bottom in downwelling as opposed to near the surface in upwelling. During upwelling, weak stratification is maintained over the inner shelf by the onshore flux of denser near-bottom water. This weak stratif...
Overexpression of human copper/zinc superoxide dismutase in transgenic mice attenuates oxidative stress caused by methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy).

Administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (4 £ 20 mg/kg) to non-transgenic CD-1 mice caused marked depletion in dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and 5-hydroxytrypta- mine in the caudate-putamen. There were no significant changes in serotonergic markers in the hippo- campus and frontal cortex. Homozygous and heterozygous copper/zinc superoxide dismutase transgenic mice show partial protection against the toxic effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine on striatal dopaminergic markers. In addition, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine injections caused marked decreases in copper/zinc superoxide dismutase activity in the frontal cortex, caudate-putamen and hippo- campus of wild-type mice. Moreover, there were concomitant 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine- induced decreases in catalase activity in the caudate-putamen and hippocampus, decreases in glutathione peroxidase activity in the frontal cortex as well as increases in lipid peroxidation in the frontal cortex, caudate-putamen, and hippocampus of wild-type mice. In contrast, administration of 3,4-methylenedioxy- methamphetamine to homozygous superoxide dismutase transgenic mice caused no significant changes in antioxidant enzyme activities nor in lipid peroxidation. These results provide further substantiation of a role for oxygen-based radicals in 3,4-methylenedioxy- methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity. The present data also suggest that free radicals generated during 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine administration may perturb antioxidant enzymes. Consequently. there might be further overproduction of free radicals with associated peroxidative damage to cell membranes and associated terminal degeneration.
Time-dependent HMMs for visual intrusion detection

We propose a new Hidden Markov Model with time-dependent states. Estimation of this model is shown to be as fast and easy as the estimation of regular HMMs. We demonstrate the usefulness and feasibility of such time-dependent HMMs with an application in which illegitimate access to personnel-only rooms in airports etc. can be distinguished from access by legitimate personnel, based on differences in the time of access or differences in the motion trajectories.
Free peritoneal grafts for patch urethroplasty in male rabbits.

Purpose: We evaluated the feasibility of urethroplasty using a free peritoneal graft in a rabbit model.Materials and Methods: In 12 male rabbits a urethral defect was created by excising a 3 × 5 mm. portion of the ventral urethral surface. The defect was immediately repaired with a free peritoneal graft harvested via a left flank incision.Results: There were 2 intraoperative deaths and 1 death on day 8 postoperatively. These animals were excluded from study. The remaining 1, 4 and 4 rabbits were sacrificed 3, 5 and 9 weeks after surgery, respectively. Macroscopic examination of the urethra revealed no stenosis or diverticula, while a fistula was present in 3 of the 9 animals. Histological study of the fistulous tracts showed chronic granulomatous inflammation. In the remaining 6 rabbits there was graft adherence. The inner surface of the graft was uniformly lined with normal urothelium, while in some cases acute inflammatory cells were present in the subepithelial layer.Conclusions: Our experience indicat...
Citizenship and Impression Management: Good Soldiers or Good Actors?

Previous research on organizational citizenship behavior suggests that employees who engage in such behavior are "good soldiers," acting selflessly on behalf of their organizations. However, such behaviors also may be impression enhancing and self-serving. In this article I provide a framework showing how impressionmanagement concerns may motivate citizenship behavior and address the consequences of citizenship in this context, as well as the interaction of impressionmanagement motives with motives identified in previous research on citizenship. Finally, I discuss the methodological issues associated with isolating self-serving from other-serving motivation and implications for future theory development.
Microwave assisted reconstruction of optical interferograms for distributed fiber optic sensing

This paper reports a distributed fiber optic sensing technique through microwave assisted separation and reconstruction of optical interferograms in spectrum domain. The approach involves sending a microwave-modulated optical signal through cascaded fiber optic interferometers. The microwave signal was used to resolve the position and reflectivity of each sensor along the optical fiber. By sweeping the optical wavelength and detecting the modulation signal, the optical spectrum of each sensor can be reconstructed. Three cascaded fiber optic extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors were used to prove the concept. Their microwave-reconstructed interferogram matched well with those recorded individually using an optical spectrum analyzer. The application in distributed strain measurement has also been demonstrated.
Incrementally lossless, broad-bandwidth analog fiber-optic link

Operation of a broadband, incrementally lossless, fiber-optic link is reported. By using a solid-state laser as the CW source, a dynamic range for this externally modulated link was measured and shown to exceed that of a directly modulated link. The modulator was a conventional Mach-Zehnder design. The average optical power on the detector was 20 mW. The modulator input and detector output are resistively terminated with 50 Omega , and the link RF-to-RF insertion loss vs. frequency is measured using an RF network analyzer. The maximum intermodulation-free (IM-free) dynamic range occurs at the optical modulation depth (OMD) for which the output intermodulation power equals the link output noise power. Consequently, the maximum IM-free dynamic range depends not only on the linearity of the modulating device, but also on the sources of noise in the link. >
Nonequilibrium Plasma‐Activated Antimicrobial Solutions are Broad‐Spectrum and Retain their Efficacies for Extended Period of Time

Hospital-acquired infection is a major challenge forclinicians and other health care providers and has assumedincreasing importance for overall public health. It is one ofthe most common causes of health care complications anddeath in the United States. According to the Center forDiseaseControlandPrevention,about1.7millioninfectionsoccur annually, of which about 100 000 deaths areassociated with hospital-acquired infection, whichincreases rates of mortality and morbidity and medicalcosts.
The Internet as a Micro Marketing Tool: Targeting Consumers through Preferences Revealed in Music Newsgroup Usage

Abstract Recent developments in information technology have created new opportunities for marketers to target consumers more precisely. The advent of the information superhighway, for example, has begotten the intriguing possibility of identifying and serving very narrow segments of consumers (“micro marketing”) on the basis of interests and preferences reflected in their Internet usage. In this article, the authors develop and test propositions concerning the predictive value of Usenet newsgroup usage. Results of an electronic survey show that readers of music-related newsgroups (product category) tend to be highly involved in the topic of their specific newsgroup (brand) and avid consumers of related goods/services. Moreover, for newsgroup-related products, newsgroup readership is shown to be a better predictor of purchasing patterns than standard demographic variables.
Communicating Bursty and Delay-sensitive Information over Outage-Limited Channels

This work analyzes the high-SNR asymptotic error performance when the number of bits that arrive at the transmitter during any time slot is random, the channel experiences outage, and the delivery of bits at the receiver must adhere to a strict delay limitation. It is shown that for a class of arrival processes whose burstiness scales down linearly with 1radic(logSNR) the occurrences of channel errors and delay-violation errors can be asymptotically balanced.
A model describing the evolution of West Nile-like encephalitis in New York City

Encephalitis is a virus that is carried by mosquitoes and transmitted to humans and birds. Mosquitoes and birds do not show any signs of the virus and the main life cycle is carried between the two. Humans contract the virus from infected mosquitoes and the results can be deadly. In the Summer of 1999, New York City and the surrounding area were struck with a West Nile strain of encephalitis. We develop a difference equation model describing the evolution of the virus. The model incorporates a control variable that accounts for pesticide sprayed to influence mosquito populations in New York City. Using the theory of asymptotically autonomous difference equations, we arrive at parameter calculations that will eradicate the disease.
Convergence analysis of consensus belief functions within asynchronous ad-hoc fusion networks

In a multi-agent data fusion scenario, agents may iteratively exchange their states to arrive at a consensus state which signifies `general agreement' among the agents. Agent states that are being exchanged may have been generated from hard (i.e., physics based) or soft (i.e., human based evidence. such as opinions or beliefs regarding an event) sensors. Convergence analysis becomes an extremely challenging problem in such complex fusion environments, which may involve communication delays, ad-hoc paths, etc. In this paper, we analyze consensus of a Dempster-Shafer theoretic (DST) fusion operator by formulating the consensus problem as finding common fixed points of a pool of paracontracting operators. Due to its DST basis, this consensus protocol can deal with a wider variety of data imperfections characteristic of hard+soft data fusion environments. It also easily adapts itself to networks where agent states are captured with probability mass functions because they can be considered a special case of DST models.
Real-time control experiments for instruction and research at Caltech

This paper gives a brief introduction to some of the experimental facilities at Caltech being used for instruction and research. Two experiments are described: a flight control experiment using a vector thrust engine, and a low-speed, axial flow compressor rig. A common hardware and software infrastructure is used to control these experiments, allowing easy transition from instructional to research use.
A large-sample QTL study in mice: III. Reproduction

Using lines of mice having undergone long-term selection for high and low growth, a large-sample (n ≈ 1000 F2) experiment was conducted to gain further understanding of the genetic architecture of complex polygenic traits. Composite interval mapping on data from 10-week-old F2 females (n = 439) detected 15 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on 5 chromosomes that influence reproduction traits characterized at day 16 of gestation. These QTL are broadly categorized into two groups: those where effects on the number of live fetuses (LF) were accompanied by parallel effects on the number of dead fetuses (DF), and those free of such undesirable effects. QTL for ovulation rate (OR) did not overlap with QTL for litter size, potentially indicating the importance of uterine capacity. Large dominance effects were identified for most QTL detected, and overdominance was also present. The QTL of largest effects were detected in regions of Chromosome 2, where large QTL effects for growth and fatness have also been found and where corroborating evidence from other studies exists. Considerable overlap between locations of QTL for reproductive traits and for growth traits corresponds well with the positive correlations usually observed among these sets of phenotypes. Some support for the relevance of QTL × genetic background interactions in reproduction was detected. Traits with low heritability demand considerably larger sample sizes to achieve effective power of QTL detection. This is unfortunate as traits with low heritability are among those that could most benefit from QTL-complemented breeding and selection strategies in food animal production.
La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3 cathodes incorporated with Sm 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 2 by three different methods for solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract The incorporation of Sm0.2Ce0.8O2 (SDC) into La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSCF) is carried out by three methods: mechanical mixing, infiltration, and dip coating. The effects of SDC on the electrochemical performance of the LSCF cathodes are studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at 800 °C for 100 h. LSCF mechanically mixed with SDC as the cathode decreases the electrochemical performance of the half-cell; the LSCF cathode infiltrated with SDC offers faster activation and decreased resistance with thermal treatment time; and the LSCF cathode dip coated with SDC has the smallest polarization resistance. These cathodes also show clear microstructure differences at the cathode/interconnect interface after 100 h of thermal treatment. SrCrO4 phase forms on all the cathodes near the interconnect. Reactions between the mechanically mixed cathode and the YSZ electrolyte destroy the electrolyte. The influence of SDC catalyst on oxygen adsorption, dissociation, and incorporation is explained for each type of cathodes. Overall, dip coating method is recommended for incorporation of SDC into the LSCF cathode.
Appendix IV: Physical Constants and Other Data

This appendix contains sections titled: Physical Constants Conductivities of Materials Dielectric Constants of Materials Skin Depth in Copper
Deformation invariant image matching by spectrally controlled diffeomorphic alignment

We present a new approach to deformation invariant image matching. Our matcher (a) aligns templates to targets over a broad range of nonlinear deformations, (b) factors the total deformation into spectral categories, where low wavenumber deformations are smooth and global and high wavenumbers are turbulent and local, and (c) weighs the reduction in template-target misfit within each category to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant deformations. It accomplishes this by aligning images in a scale-cascaded fashion, with more complex, local deformations following simpler, more global ones. Each step of the cascade involves finding an iterative solution to a nonlinear optimization problem using a Gabor deformation basis. Cascaded alignment makes deformation invariant matching feasible and efficient. Our approach is applied to recognize the flexible bodies of salamanders from a large database; results indicate that the method is very promising.
Structural adaptations of proteins to different biological membranes

To gain insight into adaptations of proteins to their membranes, intrinsic hydrophobic thicknesses, distributions of different chemical groups and profiles of hydrogen-bonding capacities (α and β) and the dipolarity/polarizability parameter (π*) were calculated for lipid-facing surfaces of 460 integral α-helical, β-barrel and peripheral proteins from eight types of biomembranes. For comparison, polarity profiles were also calculated for ten artificial lipid bilayers that have been previously studied by neutron and X-ray scattering. Estimated hydrophobic thicknesses are 30-31A for proteins from endoplasmic reticulum, thylakoid, and various bacterial plasma membranes, but differ for proteins from outer bacterial, inner mitochondrial and eukaryotic plasma membranes (23.9, 28.6 and 33.5A, respectively). Protein and lipid polarity parameters abruptly change in the lipid carbonyl zone that matches the calculated hydrophobic boundaries. Maxima of positively charged protein groups correspond to the location of lipid phosphates at 20-22A distances from the membrane center. Locations of Tyr atoms coincide with hydrophobic boundaries, while distributions maxima of Trp rings are shifted by 3-4A toward the membrane center. Distributions of Trp atoms indicate the presence of two 5-8A-wide midpolar regions with intermediate π* values within the hydrocarbon core, whose size and symmetry depend on the lipid composition of membrane leaflets. Midpolar regions are especially asymmetric in outer bacterial membranes and cell membranes of mesophilic but not hyperthermophilic archaebacteria, indicating the larger width of the central nonpolar region in the later case. In artificial lipid bilayers, midpolar regions are observed up to the level of acyl chain double bonds.
Healing a Heart Through Genetic Intervention

A mouse model for adult cardiac-specific gene deletion with CRISPR/Cas9 Carroll et al PNAS . 2016;113(2):338–343. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1523918113. A recent article from Eric Olson’s group outlines the development of an important new tool that should catalyze the cardiovascular community’s ability to create new animal models containing genetically engineered genes and proteins specifically in the cardiomyocyte population with cardiomyocyte. Olson and colleagues used a cardiomyocyte-specific promoter to express a critical component of the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)–associated (Cas)9 genomic editing system. The α-myosin heavy chain gene ( myh6 ) promoter was used to drive high levels of cardiomyocyte-specific Cas9 expression. Subsequently, adeno-associated virus (AAV) was used to deliver single-guide RNA (sgRNA) against the myh6 locus, and they were able to show efficient gene editing at the locus, establishing proof of principle for what the authors term “cardioediting,” a strategy for revising a specific locus in the cardiomyocytes at any time post birth . CRISPR and Cas genes are essential for adaptive immunity in certain bacteria and archaea, enabling these primitive cells to eliminate invading genetic material. The system was originally described in bacteria almost 30 years ago,1 and its function confirmed <10 years ago.2 Although there are at least 3 different CRISPR systems, it is the type II CRISPR system that has, in <5 years, revolutionized our ability to make targeted insertions, deletions, and modification in a large variety of organismal genomes, including the human’s.3 Although targeted mutation of mammalian genomes and the creation of stable mouse models has been feasible since targeted homologous recombination (HR) was reported by the Bronson and Smithies4 and Thomas and Capecchi5 groups, and has grown more precise in that we are now able to make precise mutations in selected cell types at directed times during development, gene targeting via …
Quantum Size Effects in the Optical Properties of Ligand Stabilized Aluminum Nanoclusters

Here we describe an approach to the synthesis of small ligand stabilized Al nanoclusters by catalytic decomposition of alane using Ti(OiPr)4 as catalyst. The selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and elemental analysis are consistent with the presence of Al in the clusters. The cluster sizes are measured by the small-angle X-ray scattering method in air-free conditions. The absorption maximum exhibits red shifts when cluster sizes decrease from 4 to 1.5 nm. A two-layer Mie theory model indicates that the electron conductivity in the Al core is reduced due to a combination of quantum size effects and chemical interaction with the ligand shell resulting in the observed red shift with decreasing size. The red shift is shown to scale with the inverse radius in good agreement with a spill-out model. Furthermore, the results are consistent with time-dependent density functional simulations for a small ligand stabilized Al cluster. Remarkably, we find that the absorption maximum is significantly red-shifted ...
Asthma in pregnancy: management strategies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic medical conditions to complicate pregnancy. With approximately one-third of women experiencing a worsening of control during the course of their pregnancy, identifying those at greatest risk has the potential to improve maternal and fetal outcomes for a large number of pregnancies. Similarly, active management strategies that prioritize asthma control in this vulnerable population can have a far-reaching impact. RECENT FINDINGS Demographic characteristics and patient noncompliance place certain populations of pregnant women at increased risk of poor asthma control during pregnancy. In addition, undertreatment and disparities in care of acute exacerbations during pregnancy likely contribute. Targeted educational interventions and treatment algorithms using objective markers of disease activity have shown improved outcomes in asthma control. SUMMARY Active management strategies which focus on identifying patient-specific risk factors, patient and provider education, and targeted treatment interventions can improve asthma care for women during pregnancy.
Measurement of Intrinsic Stress in a-Si:H thin films Deposited in a Remote Hydrogen Plasma Reactor

The effects of deposition conditions on the intrinsic stress in a-Si:H films deposited in a remote hydrogen plasma reactor are reported. The intrinsic stress is calculated from the change in substrate curvature induced by the a-Si:H film, as measured by the optical lever technique, and the results are compared with those for rf glow discharge deposited a-Si:H films.
Strength Variations during Mechanical Alloying Through the Nanostructural Range

During processes of mechanical alloying the characteristic structural length scales of an alloy, including the phase domain size and the crystallite grain size, decrease gradually to a nanocrystalline or even amorphous final state. This method therefore allows a unique avenue to explore the structure-property relationship over several orders of magnitude in length scale. In this work we have considered an ideal equiatomic Ti-Zr system deformed through multiple coldrolling passes to refine the structural length scales into the nanometer range. The variation of the hardness of the system with decreasing length scale is discussed in terms of traditional Hall-Petch scaling, chemical mixing and the phase evolution of the system, as well as other possible contributions to the hardness variations during processing.
Current status of overweight and obesity among elderly population in Beidaihe District of Qinhuangdao City

[Objective]To investigate the status of overweight and obesity among elderly population in Beidaihe District of Qinhuangdao City,and provide evidence for reducing the incidence of overweight and obesity,and chronic disease risk factors. [Methods]Based on the "Screening standards for overweight and obesity among Chinese adults",the overweight and obesity rates of the elderly with different gender and age groups were compared and then tested by χ2.The t test was used for the comparison of different morphological indicators. [Results]The overall overweight rate of the elderly was 43.52%,the obesity rate was 15.41%.Height,weight,waist circumference,hip circumference were significantly different between genders(all P0.01).Overweight and obesity between genders and age groups were not significant. [Conclusion]Overweight and obesity of the elderly in Beidaihe District has become common and serious public health problem
Death Anxiety in Hospice Employees

To measure hospice employees’ perceptions of their own death, the Revised Death Anxiety Scale (RDAS) was implemented among 128 employees at a Midwest hospice facility. Participants were asked to in...
The UGEMA generation of Algeria’s civilian leadership

ABSTRACTBased on the published interviews of a sample of 33 former student leaders and members of the Union Generale des Etudiants Musulmans Algeriens (UGEMA, 1955–1963), along with private interviews or other data collected about an additional 30, this article traces the brief history of the Algerian Revolution’s only autonomous NGO and the consequent patterns of cooperation and competition over subsequent years. The sample represents a broad political spectrum of Algeria’s recently retired civilian elite. It is biased towards students who eventually achieved high office. Elected leadership positions in UGEMA seem to have anticipated subsequent promotions and co-optation by Boumedienne’s regime (1965–1978) more than by Ben Bella’s (1962–1965). But unwilling or unable in the course of their careers to act in concert, this French-educated elite never acquired real authority. Its representative organ, UGEMA, was effectively ‘suicided’ in 1961, the summer before external military forces outgunned those of Al...
BIG DATA SOURCES AND DATA MINING

Data mining is vial in every way in every industry starting from small vendors to the large MNCs. Big data is comprises large-volume, complex, growing data sets with multiple, heterogeneous, autonomous sources. The growth of networking, data storage and data collection capacity are growing in leaps and bounds, this necessitates the need of Big data in all domains. Big data is expanding in all engineering and science domains, including physical, biological and biomedical sciences. This paper presents a HACK theorem that proposes a Big data processing model from the data mining perspective. Also it characterizes the features of Big data revolution. This model is based on data-driven character of information which also involves a demand-driven aggregation of information sources, mining and analysis, user interest modeling, and security and privacy considerations. Throughout this paper we focus on analyzing the challenging issues in the data-driven model and also in the revolution phase of Big data.
YAP-dependent mechanotransduction is required for proliferation and migration on native-like substrate topography

Native vascular extracellular matrices (vECM) consist of elastic fibers that impart varied topographical properties, yet most in vitro models designed to study the effects of topography on cell behavior are not representative of native architecture. Here, we engineer an electrospun elastin-like protein (ELP) system with independently tunable, vECM-mimetic topography and demonstrate that increasing topographical variation causes loss of endothelial cell-cell junction organization. This loss of VE-cadherin signaling and increased cytoskeletal contractility on more topographically varied ELP substrates in turn promote YAP activation and nuclear translocation, resulting in significantly increased endothelial cell migration and proliferation. Our findings identify YAP as a required signaling factor through which fibrous substrate topography influences cell behavior and highlights topography as a key design parameter for engineered biomaterials.
Fast demand response with datacenter loads

This paper shows how datacenters can provide value to the electric grid by functioning as fast and precisely-controllable loads. We discuss the substantial grid-side benefits available from high-penetration, finely-controllable, and fast controllable loads like datacenters. We then measure the power ramp rate and power control precision of an example compute cluster, and last experimentally demonstrate realtime power setpoint tracking with a simple distributed algorithm. These results are an important step toward implementing datacenter demand response at a sub-minute timescale.
"These Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty": Older Children and Adults Struggle With Induced-State Episodic Foresight.

We explored children's and adults’ ability to disengage from current physiological states when forecasting future desires. In Study 1, 8- to 13-year-olds and adults (N = 104) ate pretzels (to induce thirst) and then predicted and explained what they would want tomorrow, pretzels or water. Demonstrating life-span continuity, approximately 70% of participants, regardless of age, chose water and referenced current thirst as their rationale. Individual differences in working memory and undergraduate grade point average were positively related to performance on the pretzel task. In Study 2, we obtained baseline preferences from adults (N = 35) and confirmed that, prior to consuming pretzels, people do not anticipate wanting water more than pretzels the next day. Together, these findings indicate that both children and adults are tethered to the present when forecasting their future desires.
Model Study for Optimization of Cleanroom Airflows

A menu-driven numerical simulation was developed to model the airflow in a typical industrial process cleanroom. The effects of changing entry velocity, isolating curtain height, and return airflow are evaluated. Theoretical guidelines for minimizing the strength of recirculation zones and optimizing the airflows in the cleanroom are discussed. These simulations help identify cleanroom designs that minimize the transport of particle contamination.
Perspectives in psychology

It has been asserted that science can deal successfully with values in something more than a simple descriptive way, that is, that science should be able to tell us what is desirable even though it cannot prescribe with finality or beyond the context of a given human situation. Many scientists have misconstrued their task and have attempted to avoid all reference to value. When science is properly taught the interrelationships of fact and value in science will be emphasized. One result of such a modified procedure in the teaching of science should be a greater sensitivity on the part of students to the importance of science for an understanding of values and of the significance of a sound value structure for the continued development of science.
Paths to Engagement: Provoking Intellectual Ferment through Pedagogies of Social Participation

Between 2013 and 2016, the Teagle Foundation underwrote an extraordinary project of research and development called “A Larger Vision for Student Learning: Education for Civic and Moral Responsibili...
Abstract 2662: Statins modulate MMP-9 and beta catenin in epithelial cells

The effect of statins (Simvastatins) mediated mechanisms that affect inflammatory or non-inflammatory pathways causing formation and progression of cancer need to be investigated. Currently, sufficient data are lacking to support the use of statins for the prevention of cancer and further research is clearly warranted. We studied these antineoplastic mechanisms in rodent inflammatory model, which might be instrumental in drug discovery research for the development of future cancer therapeutics. MMP9 is a member of the family of zinc-containing endopeptidases, which degrade various components of the extracellular matrix, thereby regulating matrix remodeling. Since matrix remodeling plays an important role during growth and progression of cancer and considering the fact that, tumor cells switch to aerobic glycolysis as its major energy source, this study was designed to analyze the effect of Statins on MMP9 and epithelial cell integrity at gastrointestinal gut barrier. We used an established model of thermal injury (TI) to study the effects of simvastatins. We found that the percentage of stained MMP-9 in the control tissue and TI+SMV tissue was lower than the percentage in thermal injury tissue (P Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Nadeem Fazal, Walid Al-Ghoul. Statins modulate MMP-9 and beta catenin in epithelial cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2662. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2662