cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of the Gene Encoding Bursicon, an Insect Neuropeptide Responsible for Cuticle Sclerotization and Wing Spreading

To accommodate growth, insects must periodically replace their exoskeletons. After shedding the old cuticle, the new soft cuticle must sclerotize. Sclerotization has long been known to be controlled by the neuropeptide hormone bursicon [1, 2], but its large size of 30 kDa has frustrated attempts to determine its sequence and structure. Using partial sequences obtained from purified cockroach bursicon [3], we identified the Drosophila melanogaster gene CG13419 as a candidate bursicon gene. CG13419 encodes a peptide with a predicted final molecular weight of 15 kDa, which likely functions as a dimer. This predicted bursicon protein belongs to the cystine knot family, which includes vertebrate transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and glycoprotein hormones [4]. Point mutations in the bursicon gene cause defects in cuticle sclerotization and wing expansion behavior. Bioassays show that these mutants have decreased bursicon bioactivity. In situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry revealed that bursicon is co-expressed with crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP). Transgenic flies that lack CCAP neurons [5] also lacked bursicon bioactivity. Our results indicate that CG13419 encodes bursicon, the last of the classic set of insect developmental hormones. It is the first member of the cystine knot family to have a defined function in invertebrates. Mutants show that the spectrum of bursicon actions is broader than formerly demonstrated.
Changes During Ripening of Unsalted Cheddar Cheese

Abstract Studies were of unsalted Cheddar cheese during ripening. Flavor score averaged 36.4 to 37.2 after 3 mo and body and texture, 26.9 to 27.3. Unsalted Cheddar had a lower pH and more fat hydrolysis than controls. Average soluble nitrogen increased from 7 to 39% of the total nitrogen and volatile fatty acids from 22.9 to 28.9 ml of N/10 acid per 100 g during 12 wk. Controls ranged from 5.9 to 25.5% and 16.7 to 22.6 ml, respectively. Acetic acid increased from 427.8 to 521 mg/kg at 14 wk and from 285.7 to 382.8 in the controls. Gas liquid chromatography analysis of free fatty acids showed no qualitative difference in the even-numbered carbon chain fatty acids liberated during ripening in unsalted and salted cheese.
Molecular dynamics simulation of diffusion in supercooled Cu–Zr alloys

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of diffusion in Cu–Zr alloys in their liquid and supercooled liquid states were performed using a recently developed Finnis–Sinclair many-body interatomic potential. To help assess how well the interatomic potential describes the energetics of the Cu–Zr system, the liquid structure determined by MD simulations was compared with wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements of the liquid structure for a Cu64.5Zr35.5 alloy. Diffusion was examined as a function of composition, pressure and temperature. The simulations reveal that the diffusion exhibits strong compositional dependence, with both species exhibiting minimum diffusivities at ∼70% Cu. Moreover, the MD simulations show that the activation volumes for Zr and Cu atoms exhibit a maximum near 70% Cu. Evidence is obtained that the glass transition temperature also changes strongly with composition, thereby contributing to the diffusion behaviour. The relationship between this minimum in diffusion and the apparent best gla...
A Multispecialty Approach to the Excision and Reconstruction of Eyelid Tumors

An ongoing study indicates that the Mohs' fresh tissue technique of tumor removal followed by eyelid reconstruction may be the most efficacious management of eyelid malignancies. Fortyseven recurrent, invasive or large eyelid and canthal tumors were excised by this method followed by eyelid reconstruction. The advantages of this approach are (1) a high cure rate, (2) conservation of tissue, (3) reduced operating room time, and (4) maximum utilization of specialty training.
Evolution of the variability of surface temperature and vegetation density in the great plains

This study focuses on how the variability of land surface temperature and vegetation density at the SGP ARM-CART site changes over episodic (day to day) and seasonal time scales using AVHRR satellite data. Four drying periods throughout the year are analyzed. Land surface temperature had an erratic relationship with time exhibiting no deterministic pattern from day-to-day or season-to-season. Furthermore, it did not exhibit spatial pattern persistence. On the other hand, vegetation density had a consistent spatial pattern and temporal decay during average length drying periods (less than 7 days) as well as within a season. However, there were distinct differences in the seasonal pattern of variation between winter and growing seasons. In addition, the paper highlights a methodology to quantify the relationships that exist at the land surface between the primary parameter of interest and the controlling variables.
Drag Reduction Methodology for Adaptive Tailless Aircraft

An approach is presented for determining optimum lift distributions for adaptive tailless aircraft. In this study, wing adaptation is achieved using multiple trailing-edge flaps that are used to optimally distribute the lift of the wing such that drag is minimized. For tailless aircraft that are stable in pitch, the lack of a secondary lifting surface makes it necessary that the lift distribution on the wing also satisfies a pitching-moment constraint to ensure trim. The current work implements a numerical approach that solves for the optimal scheduling of multiple trailing-edge flaps on the wing of a tailless aircraft for various flight conditions with a pitching-moment constraint to reduce both induced and profile drag. The approach uses superposition to construct the spanwise lift distribution from basic and additional loadings, and decomposes the flap-angle distribution into mean and variation distributions. Together, these elements enable the solution of the problem using semi-analytical methods that also provide insight. The results are presented for a planar, swept, tapered wing with two airfoil-section choices to verify the theory and provide insight for trade studies.
Somatosensory properties of globus pallidus neurons in awake cats.

The somatosensory properties of globus pallidus (GP) neurons were assessed in awake restrained cats. Forty-two percent of GP units responded to stimulation of the face. Receptive fields were typically bilateral (49%) or contralateral and 75% included perioral tissue.
The Proton Pump Inhibitor Lansoprazole Improves the Skeletal Phenotype in Dystrophin Deficient mdx Mice

Background In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), loss of the membrane stabilizing protein dystrophin results in myofiber damage. Microinjury to dystrophic myofibers also causes secondary imbalances in sarcolemmic ion permeability and resting membrane potential, which modifies excitation-contraction coupling and increases proinflammatory/apoptotic signaling cascades. Although glucocorticoids remain the standard of care for the treatment of DMD, there is a need to investigate the efficacy of other pharmacological agents targeting the involvement of imbalances in ion flux on dystrophic pathology.
Haptic and AR interface for paratrooper coordination

Applications that use geolocation data are becoming a common addition to GPS-enabled devices. In terms of mobile computing, there is extensive research in progress to create human-computer interfaces that integrate seamlessly with the user's tasks. When viewing location-based data in a real-world environment, a natural interaction would be to allow the user to see relevant information based on his or her location within an environment. In this paper, we discuss the use of a multi-modal interface that uses haptic feedback and augmented reality to deliver navigation information to paratroopers in the field. This interface was developed for GeoTrooper, a location-based tracking system that visualizes GPS data broadcast by mobile beacons.
Reward power and bilateral communication in conflict resolution

Eighty female Ss served as targets of contingent promise messages sent intermittently during the course of a prisoner’s dilemma game. Ss were either provided with or lacked intentional reply messages to respond to the source and faced an influencer who rewarded target compliance to her promises 0%, 10%, 90%, or 100% of the time. Ss with reply capability were more cooperative on nonpromise occasions than were no-reply Ss, but neither reply availability nor probability of reward mediation affected behavioral compliance. Postgame ratings indicated that Ss in the high probability of reward conditions evaluated the source as more attractive, but less potent, than the source who seldom or never kept her promises.
Teaching The death of Ivan Ilyich: a guide to introducing Tolstoy's classic.

Abstract Masterpieces of literature can bring us deeply into our experiences as patients and physicians, revealing otherwise obscure or hidden truths. Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich is such a work of art. This article presents an approach to teaching this novella in a seminar format.
The failure of stimulus control after presence-absence discrimination of click-rate

Pigeons were trained to discriminate a slow click-rate from its absence, or to discriminate it from a faster click-rate. Subsequent click-rate generalization tests produced the usual steepened gradients after the intradimensional discrimination but produced flat gradients after presence/absence discrimination. The occurrence of stimulus control only after intradimensional discrimination, combined with previous results showing stimulus control sometimes after nondifferential reinforcement and sometimes after presence/absence discrimination, argues for a reformulation of the problem of stimulus control. A theoretical framework, relying upon blocking effects inherent in the different discrimination procedures, was presented to account for the diversity of results.
Penetration Testing for Spam Filters

Despite all the advances on techniques to block spam e-mail messages we still receive them on a frequent basis. This is due mainly to the ability of the spammers to modify the message and pass the filters. Therefore a testing technique that could resemble the behavior of spammers would improve the number of scenarios tested and allow filters to be developed based on the potential changes made by the spammers. An approach based on Natural Language Processing (NLP) for the penetration of spam filters is proposed here. Preliminary results using SpamAssassin are provided indicating the feasibility of the proposed approach.
Reduced Oxygenation in Human Obese Adipose Tissue Is Associated with Impaired Insulin Suppression of Lipolysis

Context: Adipose tissue in obese individuals is characterized by reduced capillary density and reduced oxygenation. Objective: Our objective was to test whether hypoxia is associated with reduced antilipolytic effect of insulin. Participants, Design, and Setting: Twenty-one lean and obese individuals participated in this cross-sectional study at a university-based clinical research center. Intervention: In all subjects, in situ adipose tissue (AT) oxygenation [AT oxygen partial pressure (ATpO2)] was measured with a Clark electrode, insulin sensitivity as well as basal and insulin-suppressed lipolysis (continuous infusion of (2H5)glycerol) were measured during a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp, and abdominal sc AT biopsies were collected to assess fat cell size (Coulter counting of osmium-fixed cells), capillary density (by staining of histological sections), and gene expression (by quantitative RT-PCR). Main Outcome Measure: In situ ATpO2 was evaluated. Results: The ability of insulin to suppress lipolysis (percent) was positively correlated with insulin sensitivity (r = 0.43; P < 0.05), ATpO2 (r = 0.44; P < 0.05), vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA (r = 0.73; P < 0.01), and capillary density (r = 0.75; P < 0.01). Conclusion: These results indicate that low capillary density and ATpO2 in AT are potentially upstream causes of AT dysfunction.
DEVELOPMENT OF PROCEDURE FOR AUTOMATED SEGMENTATION OF PAVEMENT RUT DATA

To effectively manage pavements, it is necessary to know the current pavement condition. The Florida Department of Transportation uses an automated road profiler system to survey pavement condition. This system uses ultrasonic technology and is able to collect rut data at a high speed with tolerable accuracy. The system software processes the raw data into a density of 62 data points per kilometer. For pavement management applications, a summary of the rut data would be more useful than simply a list of them along the road. Thus, the objective of this study was to find a better way to reduce the amount of data and maintain the attributes as much as possible. To achieve the goal, an SAS (Statistical Analysis Software) segmentation program based on the cumulative difference approach (CDA) was developed to process the rut data. With this program a road may be divided into a number of segments within which the rut depth is relatively uniform. The average of the rut depths within this segment may represent the rut depth value of the whole segment. The data reduction rate and the sum of squared errors (SSE) were used in a case study as the indicators to compare the results from different user-specified constraints and to illustrate the usefulness of the CDA in rut data reduction. It may be concluded that the CDA is an effective method for rut data reduction in pavement management applications.
Barriers to adoption of sustainable agriculture practices: Change agent perspectives

Conventional agriculture systems of production often lead to environmental degradation, economic problems and even social conflict. The efficacy of agriculture systems conducive to the economic, environmental and social sustainability of farming operations has been demonstrated, yet the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is not widespread. This qualitative study is based on a web-based survey instrument designed to elicit the barriers to adoption of sustainable agriculture practices (SAP) perceived by a positional and network sample of 269 change agents working with farmers in the US South. The analysis examines the general proposition that reluctance to change to SAP is an overused rationale of change agents that tends to mask real barriers that we endeavor to elicit in the survey. It was found that despite having support from technical assistance providers, farmers are rarely adopting SAP. Change agents often are not well prepared to attend to farmers' needs regarding SAP, particularly the needs of specific farming situations. Thus, farmers often struggle to obtain accurate information about the benefits of SAP. Government support programs often fail to encourage adoption due to lack of funding, inappropriate design and ineffective targeting of incentives. Reluctance to change is frequently mentioned by change agents, but more as a way of blaming farmers for nonadoption than explaining the often tangible reasons for their behaviors. Social barriers, land tenure, infrastructure and incompatibility are other significant impediments to adoption. Strategies such as improved management of the existing information, careful design of economic support programs and extension efforts addressed to change agents themselves could help overcome some of the barriers identified by change agents.
Best practices for improved governance of coral reef marine protected areas

Coral reef marine protected areas (MPA) are widely distributed around the globe for social and ecologi- cal reasons. Relatively few of these MPAs are well man- aged. This review examines the governance of coral reef MPAs and the means to improve coral reef MPA manage- ment. It highlights common governance challenges, such as confused goals, conXict, and unrealistic attempts to scale up beyond institutional capacity. Recommendations, based on Weld experience and empirical evidence from around the world, are made for best practices at various stages of MPA implementation.
On the Role of Patient

Modern, highly technical health care systems increasingly remove patients from active participation in managing their own medical treatment. This is particularly true when serious or life-challenging illness occurs. Health psychology has much to contribute in the debate over the degree of patient self-determination necessary to achieve optimal treatment outcomes. Psychologists may directly influence this process through their professional contact with medical patients and their families. Through researching the behavioral skills of medical consumership, identifying the elements of effective patient-physician interaction, and encouraging physicians-in-training to adopt a propatient partnership attitude, psychology adds new dimensions to the provision of health care. This paper reviews some of the issues faced by patients with life-challenging illnesses through the writer's personal experience, and seeks to identify the requisite actions for informed, participatory involvement on the part of patients.
Measures of the usefulness of written technical information to chemical researchers

The effective transfer of technology involves more than just distributing paper; it demands that useful documents be disseminated with a minimum of useless ones. For 1 month, 10 researchers recorded a sample of the written technical information items that they received; 4 months later they were interviewed to determine which of these items had proved useful, and in what ways. The results indicate that (1) a researcher will call an item “useful” even if it does not cause him to take some action, but only has some significance for him; (2) the more the source of an item knows about the needs of the researcher or the more the researcher knows about an item he seeks, the more likely it is that the researcher will find the item useful; (3) no strong relationships were found between certain readily observable, physical arrangements and information behavior; and (4) an item may prove useful, not because of the information objectively contained in that item, but because the item causes a cognitive restructuring of the researcher's mind or a “free association.” Other studies that restrict their measures of information usefulness to externally observable behavior or that do not carefully define usefulness may not be validly representing usefulness to the researcher.
The classical nova outburst

The astrophysics of outbursts in classical and recurrent novae is explored, summarizing and analyzing the results of ground-based and space observations obtained in different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The stages of fast and slow outbursts are reviewed; the thermonuclear processes involved are described; and some observations of recent novae are listed and briefly characterized. Particular attention is then given to the specific contributions of optical, UV, IR, radio, and X-ray studies of nova outbursts.
Dynamic coordination of cytoskeletal and cell wall systems during plant cell morphogenesis

Underlying the architectural complexity of plants are diverse cell types that, under the microscope, easily reveal relationships between cell structure and specialized functions. Much less obvious are the mechanisms by which the cellular growth machinery and mechanical properties of the cell interact to dictate cell shape. The recent combined use of mutants, genomic analyses, sophisticated spectroscopies, and live cell imaging is providing new insight into how cytoskeletal systems and cell wall biosynthetic activities are integrated during morphogenesis. The purpose of this review is to discuss the unique geometric properties and physical processes that regulate plant cell expansion, then to overlay on this mechanical system some of the recent discoveries about the protein machines and cellular polymers that regulate cell shape. In the end, we hope to make clear that there are many interesting opportunities to develop testable mathematical models that improve our understanding of how subcellular structures, protein motors, and extracellular polymers can exert effects at spatial scales that span cells, tissues, and organs.
Revival on the Right: Making Sense of the Conservative Moment in Post-World War II American History

Since 1990 historians have made a concerted effort to utilize new methodologies and highlight different themes and dimensions of political history in a quest to understand better the post-World War II American Right. The result of this shift in American historiography has been a more intense, creative, and fruitful discussion about the origins and development of modern conservatism. As this article demonstrates, among the many historians now concerned with this subject are those who seek to employ a socio-cultural approach in order to uncover conservative political activism at the grassroots level. Their scholarship has led to a heightened appreciation of how longstanding local and regional political battles over issues of race, space, and place galvanized a national movement which, by the early 1970s, identified itself as the New Right and aligned itself with the Republican Party.
Mechanism for Salt Scaling

Over the past 60 years, concrete infrastructure in cold climates has deteriorated by “salt scaling,” which is superficial damage that occurs during freezing in the presence of saline water. It reduces mechanical integrity and necessitates expensive repair or replacement. The phenomenon can be demonstrated by pooling a solution on a block of concrete and subjecting it to freeze/thaw cycles. The most remarkable feature of salt scaling is that the damage is absent if the pool contains pure water, it becomes serious at concentrations of a few weight percent, and then stops at concentrations above about 6 wt%. In spite of a wealth of research, the mechanism responsible for this damage has only recently been identified. In this article, we show that salt scaling is a consequence of the fracture behavior of ice. The stress arises from thermal expansion mismatch between ice and concrete, which puts the ice in tension as the temperature drops. Considering the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of ice, it is shown that this mismatch will not cause pure ice to crack, but moderately concentrated solutions are expected to crack. Cracks in the brine ice penetrate into the substrate, resulting in superficial damage. At high concentrations, the ice does not form a rigid enough structure to result in significant stress, so no damage occurs. The morphology of cracking is predicted by fracture mechanics.
Self-Monitoring and Self-Recruited Praise Effects on Problem Behavior, Academic Engagement, and Work Completion in a Typical Classroom

This study examines the relationship between self-monitoring plus self-recruited attention and problem behaviors, on-task behavior, overall teacher perception of student performance, task completio...
Distributed topology control in ad-hoc networks: a game theoretic perspective

This paper examines the problem of topology con- trol in wireless ad-hoc networks. The purpose of topology control is to assign per-node optimal transmission power such that the resulting topology satisfies certain global properties such as connectivity. Due to the multi-hop nature of ad-hoc networks, establishing network connectivity may require nodes to use their power resources to service other nodes. Since nodes have limited power they may act selfishly in order to minimize their power (energy) consumption. Game theory is a suitable tool to analyze the conflicting objectives of nodes seeking to achieve an energy- efficient and connected network in the presence of selfish nodes. We present example topology control games and a distributed best response algorithm that together can guarantee convergence to steady state networks satisfying the dual topology control objectives. As a precursor, we analyze formation of a topology that results when nodes interact with each other. In particular, we provide a game theoretic framework for the topology control problem.
Demonstration of down-chirped and chirp-free pulses from high-repetition-rate passively mode-locked lasers

Knowledge and control of the chirp parameters of semiconductor lasers is a prerequisite to obtaining transform-limited pulses and/or to compensate for group velocity dispersion in fiber. Here, we report measurements of the sign and magnitude of chirp in high-repetition-rate mode-locked semiconductor lasers. The chirp of these monolithic lasers is measured in the frequency domain, using filtering and cross-correlation techniques. For different injection currents, a range of different chirp values is measured, including strongly down-chirped pulses at higher injection currents and transform-limited pulses to slightly up-chirped pulses at lower injection currents. The pulse chirp and the resulting broadening are due to the algebraic addition of opposite-signed chirps due to saturation of the absorption section and the gain section. These may cancel each other under some conditions, leading to a soliton-like transform-limited pulse. >
THE INFLUENCE of EXTRUSION PROCESSING ON IRON DIALYZABILITY, PHYTATES and TANNINS IN LEGUMES

Iron dialyzability, chemical forms of iron, tannin content, and phytic acid degradation in boiled, low impact and high impact extruded navy beans, chickpeas, cowpeas and lentils were determined. In boiled legumes, the dialyzable iron was 1.2-2.7% of total iron. Dialyzable, soluble and ionic iron were highest in low impact, extruded legume flours. Lower forms of inositol phosphates (inositol tri-, tetra- and penta-phosphates) increased to 51–71% of total phytate in legumes processed by boiling or extrusion compared to 21–33% in raw legumes. Tannin content was lower in extruded products compared to boiled or raw legumes. the influence of extrusion processing on iron dialyzability varied with processing conditions. Results suggest that the degradation of phytate and changes in tannin content may not be responsible for the increase in iron dialyzability and solubility associated with low impact extrusion processing.
Integration of Aging and Cancer Research in Geriatric Medicine

r T n HERE is an urgent need for information on cancer in A the elderly population. The paucity of data on agerelated issues and problems at the aging/cancer research interface (i.e., the normal processes of aging and the pathophysiological processes of aging in combination with cancer) make it difficult to provide definitive answers to many questions that arise about cancer in older persons. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Geriatrics Program has recently formed a new research area in accordance with its program mission to support research and research training directed at the pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of age-related diseases, degenerative conditions, and disabilities. The fundamental question is, How can the knowledge and techniques developed for cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment be translated into action on behalf of older persons? Americans in the age group 65 years and older are particularly vulnerable to cancer. The greatest single risk factor for the development of cancer is aging. Data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program for 1990-94 clearly show that cancer incidence and mortality rates increase as a function of age for most major tumors. The age-specific cancer incidence rate is 2265.2 per 100,000 for persons aged 65 and over as compared to 205.6 per 100,000 for those younger than 65 years, an 11-fold difference (1). Mortality rates between these two age groups are 1083.9 (65+) and 72.4 (< 65) per 100,000 population, a 15-fold difference (1). The SEER data show that 60% of all malignancies and 69% of all cancer deaths are in the 65+ segment of the U.S. population (2). Using the median age at initial diagnosis for 12 major tumors, the cancer burden for older persons is aptly illustrated in Table 1. Only three tumor sites have a median age at diagnosis lower than 65 years — female breast cancer (64 years); non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for males (61 years); and ovarian cancer (63 years). These 12 malignancies, selected from the comprehensive list of 66 malignant disease categories registered by the SEER Program for 1989-93, account for over 75% (405,492) of the incident cases (2). The vulnerability of older persons to cancer is evident. Along with the anticipated expansion of the older-aged population in the 21st century comes the implication that there will be even a greater number of older persons afflicted with cancer. MUTUAL CONCERNS
Transcriptional, translational, and physiological signatures of undernourished honey bees (Apis mellifera) suggest a role for hormonal factors in hypopharyngeal gland degradation

Honey bee colonies function as a superorganism, where facultatively sterile female workers perform various tasks that support the hive. Nurse workers undergo numerous anatomical and physiological changes in preparation for brood rearing, including the growth of hypopharyngeal glands (HGs). These glands produce the major protein fraction of a protein- and lipid-rich jelly used to sustain developing larvae. Pollen intake is positively correlated with HG growth, but growth in the first three days is similar regardless of diet, suggesting that initial growth is a pre-determined process while later HG development depends on nutrient availability during a critical window in early adulthood (>3 d). It is unclear whether the resultant size differences in nurse HG are simply due to growth arrest or active degradation of the tissue. To determine what processes cause such differences in HG size, we catalogued the differential expression of both gene transcripts and proteins in the HGs of 8 d old bees that were fed diets containing pollen or no pollen. 3438 genes and 367 proteins were differentially regulated due to nutrition. Of the genes and proteins differentially expressed, undernourished bees exhibited more gene and protein up-regulation compared to well-nourished bees, with the affected processes including salivary gland apoptosis, oogenesis, and hormone signaling. Protein secretion was virtually the only process up-regulated in well-nourished bees. Further assays demonstrated that inhibition of ultraspiracle, one component of the ecdysteroid receptor, in the fat body caused larger HGs. Undernourished bees also had higher acid phosphatase activity, a physiological marker of cell death, compared to well-nourished bees. These results support a connection between poor nutrition, hormonal signaling, and HG degradation.
Multiterminal video coding: from theory to application

Multiterminal (MT) video coding is a practical application of the MT source coding theory. For MT source coding theory, two problems associated with achievable rate regions are well investigated into in this thesis: a new sufficient condition for BT sum-rate tightness, and the sum-rate loss for quadratic Gaussian MT source coding. Practical code design for ideal Gaussian sources with quadratic distortion measure is also achieved for cases more than two sources with minor rate loss compared to theoretical limits. However, when the theory is applied to practical applications, the performance of MT video coding has been unsatisfactory due to the difficulty to explore the correlation between different camera views. In this dissertation, we present an MT video coding scheme under the H.264/AVC framework. In this scheme, depth camera information can be optionally sent to the decoder separately as another source sequence. With the help of depth information at the decoder end, inter-view correlation can be largely improved and thus so is the compression performance. With the depth information, joint estimation from decoded frames and side information at the decoder also becomes available to improve the quality of reconstructed video frames. Experimental result shows that compared to separate encoding, up to 9.53% of the bit rate can be saved by the proposed MT scheme using decoder depth information, while up to 5.65% can be saved by the scheme without depth camera information. Comparisons to joint video coding schemes are also provided.
The Effects of Vasectomy on Spermatogenesis in the Dog, Canis Familiaris: A Meiotic Analysis

It was observed (1) that reversible meiotic changes did in fact take place following vasectomy, as evidenced by the changing profile of the various stages of meiosis, resulting in a spermatogenic arrest accompanied by a drop in the frequency of mature spermatids and depletion of spermiocytes. (2) By 15 weeks postvasectomy, repair had progressed from the earlier meiotic stages, with a return to the normal, control, meiotic distribution. (3) The time from the observation of degenerative changes to the restoration of control values, according to our data, was approximately 100 days.
Germline Mutation of the CCK Receptor: A Novel Biomarker for Pancreas Cancer

Objectives Today, genetic biomarkers have been demonstrated to play an important role in identifying at-risk subjects for familial or inherited cancers. We have identified a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that results in missplicing of the cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor gene and expressing a larger mutated receptor in pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance and specificity of this SNP as a potential biomarker in patients with pancreatic cancer compared with other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers that also have CCK receptors. Methods DNA was isolated and genotyped for the CCK receptor SNP from frozen tumor tissue from banked specimens of patients with pancreas, gastric, or colon cancer and from human cancer cell lines. Genotype and allelic frequencies were compared between the cancer cohort and two normal control databases using Fisher's exact test and odds ratio (OR). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival for patients with the CCK-B receptor SNP compared with those with the wild-type genotype. Immunohistochemical staining of cancer cells was done to detect the mutated receptor. Results Colon and gastric cancer patients had similar genotype frequencies for the CCK receptor SNP as that reported in the normal population. In contrast, the prevalence of the SNP in subjects with pancreatic cancer was twice that of controls and other GI cancers. Survival was adversely affected by the presence of the SNP only in those with pancreatic cancer. Immunoreactivity for the mutated receptor was positive in pancreatic cancer tissues with the SNP but absent in other GI cancers. Conclusions A SNP of the CCK receptor is significantly increased in patients with pancreatic cancer but not in those with other GI malignancies. Therefore, this SNP may be a potential biomarker for pancreatic cancer.
Phonon anharmonicity of rutile SnO 2 studied by Raman spectrometry and first principles calculations of the kinematics of phonon-phonon interactions

Raman spectra of rutile tin dioxide (SnO_2) were measured at temperatures from 83 to 873 K. The pure anharmonicity from phonon-phonon interactions was found to be large and comparable to the quasiharmonicity. First-principles calculations of phonon dispersions were used to assess the kinematics of three-phonon and four-phonon processes. These kinematics were used to generate Raman peak widths and shifts, which were fit to measured data to obtain the cubic and quartic components of the anharmonicity for each Raman mode. The B_(2g) mode had a large quartic component, consistent with the symmetry of its atom displacements. The broadening of the B_(2g) mode with temperature showed an unusual concave-downwards curvature. This curvature is caused by a change with temperature in the number of down-conversion decay channels, originating with the wide band gap in the phonon dispersions.
Tracking Career Outcomes for Postdoctoral Scholars: A Call to Action

The oversupply of postdoctoral scholars relative to available faculty positions has led to calls for better assessment of career outcomes. Here, we report the results of a study of postdoctoral outcomes at the University of California, San Francisco, and suggest that institutions have an obligation to determine where their postdoc alumni are employed and to share this information with current and future trainees. Further, we contend that local efforts will be more meaningful than a national survey, because of the great variability in training environment and the classification of postdoctoral scholars among institutions. We provide a framework and methodology that can be adopted by others, with the goal of developing a finely grained portrait of postdoctoral career outcomes across the United States.
The Aesthetical Contrast of Two Kinds of Pop Novels in 1940s

There is a sharp difference between the two kinds of pop novels: one is about farmers in rural areas, the other is about citizens in urban areas. The former represents the unity of farmer's interest and their pursuit of revolution and the latter represents the unity of citizen's interest and their pursuit of modernization.
Interactions of catecholamines with adenosine triphosphate in solutions and adrenal medullary granules.

In potassium bromide pellets, 1 Eq of Mg ++ shifted all four infrared phosphate bands of adenosine triphosphate to higher frequencies, whereas in aqueous solution (Irtran cuvette) only the P=O peak was displaced (from 1225 to 1240 cm -1 ). These effects can be interpreted by hydratioin of the P=O moiety and chelation of the metal by the β- and γ-phosphate groups. At both pH 3 and 7, 4 Eq of norepinephrine shifted the P=O and P + —O - peaks in KBr pellets to lower frequencies. The displacement of the P + —O - band can be attributed to association of the amine cation with the ATP anion. Since this process would be expected to cause P=O absorption at a higher frequency, it appears probable that the hydroxyl groups of the ethanolamine moieties form hydrogen bonds with the P=O groups. This formulation is attractive on stereochemical grounds. Mixtures of ATP, norepinephrine, and Mg ++ yielded spectra similar to those from the nucleotide and the metal alone. Thus, in solution, Mg ++ has a greater affinity than norepinephrine for ATP. Nevertheless, the spectra of the soluble contents of bovine adrenal medullary granules as well as intact granules resembled those of mixtures of catecholamines and ATP devoid of metals. These observations provide the first direct evidence for catecholamine. ATP complexes in granules. However, they leave undetermined the possibility that alkaline earth metals may play a role in the storage of catecholamines.
Interactions Between the Immune and the Renin–Angiotensin Systems in Hypertension

The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) is an essential regulator of blood pressure homeostasis. The primary effector molecule of the RAS is angiotensin (Ang) II, an 8-amino acid peptide that initiates tissue-specific processes via binding to the type 1 or 2 angiotensin II receptors (AT1 or AT2). The AT1 receptor is a G-protein–coupled receptor expressed in most tissues throughout the body. Although the rodent expresses 2 AT1 receptor isoforms, AT1A and AT1B, the closest functional homolog to the human AT1 receptor in most rodent tissues is AT1A. The most widely appreciated functions of Ang II signaling via the AT1 receptor are to augment global vascular tone and to promote sodium retention in the kidney, thus playing a crucial role in acute and long-term maintenance of blood pressure.1,2 Ang II elicits these effects by increasing the contractility of vascular smooth muscle, promoting the release of aldosterone from the adrenal cortex, and directly increasing the expression or activity of solute transporters in the renal tubules that promote sodium reabsorption. As such, blockade of the RAS has been a mainstay in the treatment for hypertension and its complications, including cardiovascular and kidney disease.2,3 Although the cause of essential hypertension is unclear, inhibition of the RAS is effective in reducing blood pressure in a wide variety of patients, which suggests that inappropriate RAS activation is common in the pathogenesis of this idiopathic condition. Global RAS inhibitors ameliorate hypertension by blocking the production of Ang II or by preventing activation of the AT1 receptor. These medications are global inhibitors in the sense that they disrupt AT1 receptor signaling concomitantly in all tissues. The ongoing effort to uncover novel pathogenic mechanisms of hypertension has revealed a significant role for …
Functional analysis results across a known and unknown assessor

ABSTRACTFunctional analyses determine behavior function by examining response patterns across various contingency conditions. Typically, functional analyses are conducted by a trained clinician with whom the participant is often unfamiliar. This unfamiliarity might influence the outcome of the analysis, potentially leading to misidentification of function. This study examined the responding of two participants during functional analyses conducted by a known and unknown assessor. The influence of familiarity was initially observed across both participants; however, with extended exposure to the functional analysis responding became similar across assessors for both participants. Importantly, different conclusions regarding function may be drawn at various points during the analysis. These findings are discussed with regard to the influence of participant–assessor history and recommendations are provided regarding conducting a functional analysis.
Performance Review: Two Beijing Spoken Drama Comedies Featuring Social Critique Seen in the Summer of 2014

In the summer of 2014 I had the chance to see performances of two spoken drama (huaju 話劇) comedies in Beijing: Zhao ge laopo xian yaohao 找個老婆先搖號 (To find a wife, first draw lots), staged by Leizile...
Is There Such a Thing as Reverse Psychology

As little children, we were frequently admonished by our parents to “eat our vegetables.” After the broccoli sits on our plate for a half hour, our exasperated parents decide to take control of the situation. “Fine,” they say. “Don’t eat your vegetables. I bet you can’t finish your plate anyway.” Defiantly, we shove all the vegetables in our mouths, chew, and swallow. It is not that we’re happy we ate the vegetables—more so that we’ve emerged victorious over what we’ve been told not to do. Meanwhile, our parents have actually claimed victory over us using the tactic commonly known as reverse psychology.
A Cautionary Tale: How Children’s Books (Mis)Teach Shapes

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Children’s conceptions of shapes, including misconceptions, are quite robust by 6 years old and persist into adulthood, so it is important to inspect early sources of these conceptions. This study aimed to uncover whether children’s books about shapes could be a source of inaccurate initial learning that remains with many adults in spite of school instruction. Thus, the study investigated the content of trade books to identify (a) 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes portrayed, (b) reasoning level used, (c) explicitly accurate and inaccurate information conveyed, and (d) implicit inaccuracies conveyed. This content analysis of 66 shape books found that books portrayed a limited range of shapes in ways that encouraged low-level reasoning. A total of 76% of books had at least 1 explicit inaccuracy of 2-dimensional shapes. Explicit and implicit inaccuracies throughout the sample were consistent with common child and adult difficulties with 2-dimensional shapes. Practice or Policy...
Endogenously Subsisting Return Structures, Fund Alphas, and Ability of Funds Managers

Suppose funds managers are differentiated by intrinsic or innate ability at some origin point in time. Using formal theoretical propositions, and with risk continuously increasing, the continuum of assets available to funds managers is endogenously segmented into continuums of `safe', and `innovative' assets. This endogenous rigid segmentation is formally shown to induce a U-shaped return generator, equivalently return generating function for either of native or expected returns, with outcome universe of fund returns is characterized by a U-shaped return distribution. In presence of the U-shaped return distribution, positive alpha performance on right arm of the U-shaped distribution can be superseded by zero alpha performance on left arm of the distribution, and vice versa. Totality of the theoretical evidence and supporting distributional evidence from historical stock returns validates presence of U-shaped return distributions within stock markets. Suppose all index funds are ranked from best to worst performers, and domiciled on left arm of the `U', and all actively managed funds are similarly ranked and domiciled on right arm of the `U'. The stylized finding in the literature that index funds (safe assets), perform as well as almost all of actively managed funds (innovative assets) is stylized evidence for existence of a U-shaped return distribution within markets for equity mutual funds. Evidence for a U-shaped return generating function, and resulting U-shaped return distribution are clear evidence for dichotomy of ability from risk tolerance.
SH3 dependent cell death signaling of the avian chB6 alloantigen

In chickens, B cells develop in the bursa of Fabricius, a unique organ for B cell development. Most B cells will die within the bursa, mirroring cell losses seen in mammalian bone marrow as central tolerance is enforced at the transition to mature cells. B cell responses are shaped by a complex interplay of signals. Signals in addition to BCR that impact central tolerance have recently been described. We have been interested in chB6, a novel alloantigen on B cells in the chicken. chB6 is found in close proximity to the BCR and can trigger apoptosis after cross-linking by antibody. chB6 has two Ig domains, placing it within the CD2/SLAM family of molecules, but its cytoplasmic domain is unique. We have used a site-specific mutagenesis approach to show that an SH3 binding site in chB6 is required for the induction of apoptosis, suggesting parallels to CD2 signaling.
Interacting effects of identity, size, and winter severity determine temporal consistency of offspring phenotype

Offspring size can strongly influence offspring fitness; however, the importance of female identity to offspring size determination is poorly understood, despite the potential for identity effects to drive offspring size adaptation and population dynamics. We tracked reproductive investment (skein mass) and mean egg diameter, mass, and density produced by individual female yellow perch (Perca flavescens) over four spawning years to determine the influences of maternal identity, size, and winter severity to reproductive trait variation. Individual identity significantly influenced egg diameter and mass, but did not affect egg density or skein mass. All egg traits were negatively influenced by winter severity prior to spawning, and egg mass and diameter were also negatively related to maternal size. Our results suggest that individual effects can comprise a large amount of the intrapopulation variation in reproductive traits in populations, which may be unaccounted for in studies examining only environmenta...