cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regression quantiles for time series

In this paper we study nonparametric estimation of regression quantiles for time series data by inverting a weighted Nadaraya–Watson (WNW) estimator of conditional distribution function, which was first used by Hall, Wolff, and Yao (1999, Journal of the American Statistical Association 94, 154–163). First, under some regularity conditions, we establish the asymptotic normality and weak consistency of the WNW conditional distribution estimator for α-mixing time series at both boundary and interior points, and we show that the WNW conditional distribution estimator not only preserves the bias, variance, and, more important, automatic good boundary behavior properties of local linear “double-kernel” estimators introduced by Yu and Jones (1998, Journal of the American Statistical Association 93, 228–237), but also has the additional advantage of always being a distribution itself. Second, it is shown that under some regularity conditions, the WNW conditional quantile estimator is weakly consistent and normally distributed and that it inherits all good properties from the WNW conditional distribution estimator. A small simulation study is carried out to illustrate the performance of the estimates, and a real example is also used to demonstrate the methodology.
Calculation of the effective moment of a localized spin

Abstract The effective moment of a localized spin impurity in a metal is calculated to second order in perturbation theory for general values of the magnetic field.
Some mathematical challenges in materials science

Four challenges to mathematics research posed by the field of materials science are given, plus an additional challenge purely from the field of geometric measure theory. The problems all concern the effects of surface and grain boundary free energy: motion by weighted mean curvature and/or surface diffusion and/or other kinetics, proofs of minimality of soap bubble clusters and their anisotropic analogs, shapes of crystals in a gravitational or other field, incorporating data from simulations into mathematics, and understanding flat chains modulo ν. The figures are selected copies of transparencies presented at the lecture on which this paper is based. Materials science is both much older and much younger than mathematics. Ancient humans discovered various elemental metals, like gold and copper. At some point, they discovered that if you mix a little tin into copper, you get something quite different from either, namely bronze. There is a period of human history labeled the Bronze Age; I don’t think there is any labeled the Arithmetic Age. On the other hand, the term “materials science” only came into general use within the last 30 years or so, as the subjects of metallurgy, ceramics, and polymers were collected into one discipline. The Materials Research Society was founded in 1973, and the International Congress of Materials Research Societies in 1991. And along with the old problems of making better structural materials such as steel came new issues unimaginable a century ago. Some of these include the ability to see and manipulate individual atoms with an atomic force microscope, the study of carbon nanotubes, the fabrication of electronic chips, and the making of thin films for CD’s and other storage media. What are mathematicians doing in such a field? First of all, as Rodney Nichols said at the New York Academy of Sciences on June 5, 2000, “Much more than a few decades ago, there are mathematicians everywhere – and that is for the good.” Secondly, there has been an effort by the National Science Foundation to encourage this interdisciplinary research. A search of the NSF database under the Division of Mathematical Sciences, performed in the year 2000, revealed 85 grants since January 1, 1997 with the words “materials science” in their abstracts. There have been several multi-million-dollar awards, co-sponsored by DARPA, for such cooperative efforts targeted at specific problems. Part of the result is that the collection of mathematicians working on problems from materials science has grown from isolated individuals prior to the mid-1980’s, to a small community, and now Received by the editors November 6, 2000, and, in revised form, February 21, 2002. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 74N20; Secondary 49Q20, 49Q15, 35R99,
Platelets join the world of "Omics".

In this issue of Blood , Simon and colleagues describe the human platelet RNA profile in 154 unrelated individuals and present the transcriptome variability related to their age and gender.[1][1] ![Figure][2] Networks of microRNA and mRNA differentially expressed by age (A) and gender (B).
Befriending the faculty

Having a good image is important for a computing center. Unfortunately we often restrict ourselves to parochial methods, such as newsletters and online help systems, to promote our services to the faculty. By doing so we communicate well with those who already use our facilities and poorly, if at all, with those who are unaware of what we offer. These methods are also inconvenient for faculty because they have to make the effort to come to us: to read our newsletter, to call our help line, to check our online schedule, etc. By placing the burden for communication on the faculty we effectively discourage them from interacting with us.
The influence of higher order cognitive capacities on leader organizational continuance and retention: The mediating role of developmental experiences

Abstract The relationship between cognitive capacities and retention or turnover has received scant attention in the extant literature. The few findings that have been reported show mixed to no linear effects of general mental ability on organizational continuance. In this study, we examined the association of more specific higher order cognitive capacities including complex problem solving skills and divergent thinking with officer continuance in the U.S. Army. We also tested the role of developmental experiences as a partial mediator of this relationship. Our sample included 640 officers who completed measures of these skills and of their career experiences in 1992–1993. To this sample, we added years of service from date of commissioning to 2008, as well as data on whether officers experienced particular assignments considered to be challenging and developmental. Our findings support the association of complex problem solving and divergent thinking skills with leader continuance. We also found that this effect is partially mediated by challenging developmental experiences. Thus, we provide stronger evidence than in prior studies for a linear relationship between cognitive abilities and continuance in an organization.
Weak-localization correction to the number density of superconducting electrons.

Anticipating that the backscattering processes that lead to weak localization in normal metals will occur also in dirty superconductors, we have evaluated the effect of these processes on the number density of superconducting electrons. We find a reduction in this density similar in form to the reduction in conductivity for the normal metal, except that the superconducting gap now provides the lower energy cutoff instead of the inelastic scattering rate. This result can be derived heuristically from the conductivity sum rule, and also from the use of an exact-eigenstates method. The localization effect leads to a weakening of the superconducting state to a point at which order-parameter amplitude fluctuations become important.
Gamma globulin contamination of commercial bovine albumin.

While investigating what appeared to be an albumin-agglutinating antibody, it was discovered that two commercial albumins were heavily contaminated with gamma globulin.
Male mate preference is influenced by both female behaviour and morphology

Males of many species prefer females that are more fecund, novel and/or sexually receptive. Males assess the desirability of potential mates using female morphological traits, including size and sexual coloration, or olfactory cues. However, few studies have directly examined how female behaviour influences male mate choice, which is surprising because males often respond strongly to female behaviours. We examined factors influencing male preference using the eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus, a species with a large repertoire of behavioural displays. Males were presented with two tethered females in a paired choice test, and we measured the time that males spent associating with and courting (shuddering to) each female. We recorded female behaviour, including approach to and retreat from the male, sidlehopping (a rejection behaviour) and pushups. Males associated more with females that (1) approached and retreated from them, (2) did not sidlehop and (3) had relatively higher body condition. Likewise, males shuddered more to females that approached and retreated from them. Approach and retreat behaviours may advertise a female's readiness to mate, as these behaviours can heighten male interest, suggesting that males may be most likely to invest in courtship once females indicate their willingness to mate. Neither the female's pushup behaviour nor her snout–vent length influenced a male's tendency to associate with or court her. These results provide evidence that female behaviour has an important influence on male courtship behaviour. Incorporating measures of female behaviour into future studies on male mate choice may be illuminating and provide a greater ability to predict male preference.
Antioxidant enzyme activities in strawberry fruit exposed to high carbon dioxide atmospheres during cold storage

Abstract The effects of storage, in air or a 20% CO 2 in air (16.8% O 2 ) atmosphere for 12 d at 2 °C, on antioxidant enzymes of strawberry fruit ( Fragaria x ananassa Duch. cv. ‘Jewel’) were investigated. The concentrations of acetaldehyde, ethanol and ethyl acetate associated with fermentation were measured, and the activities of peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assayed. Ethanol, acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate concentrations increased in CO 2 -treated fruit within a day of treatment, but more extensively after four days, while concentrations remained low in air-stored fruit. The total protein content extracted was not affected by CO 2 or storage time. Activities of POX were similar in air- and CO 2 -treated fruit, with an increase occurring only in air-treated fruit on day-12. Neither CAT nor SOD activities were affected by CO 2 treatment. In summary, a 20% CO 2 storage treatment induced fermentation but did not significantly affect total antioxidant enzyme activities.
Extended analogy: an alternative lecture method

In computer science education one should employ creative teaching methods, especially for non-majors or beginning students. Students who are new to computer science typically find the field full of theoretical, technical, or even tedious concepts. Lack of interest, motivation, or understanding creates a difficult mix of students. This paper describes a technique which combines analogy and simple memory techniques to aid in the teaching of technical concepts.
Comparison of satellite ion drift velocities with AMIE deduced convection patterns

Abstract The Assimilative Mapping of Ionospheric Electrodynamics (AMIE) model has been used in a wide range of studies pertaining to the magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere. In these studies historical data from several different data sources (electric fields from radars and satellites, electric currents from satellites, magnetic perturbations from satellites and ground-based magnetometers) have been assimilated. In its real-time mode (rt-AMIE), only data from an array of ground-based magnetometers are assimilated and convection patterns are produced in 1-min increments. However, the reliability of these real-time patterns for applications involving ionosphere–thermosphere specifications and forecasts has never been systematically tested. To address this issue, a comparison of a 1-year dataset of DMSP F13 cross-track ion drift velocities with AMIE convection patterns, based on data from 80 ground-based magnetometers, has been conducted. First, for each high-latitude DMSP velocity observation, the corresponding AMIE value was calculated. Then, the measured and calculated cross-track ion drift velocities along the high-latitude pass were compared and criteria were established to determine whether or not the AMIE patterns adequately fit the measurements. The comparisons were done for a full year (1998) of satellite crossings of the northern polar region (4300 consecutive satellite crossings). The comparisons indicate that the AMIE patterns adequately represented the DMSP observations about 32% of the time, which is a significant improvement over statistical convection patterns (6% of the time). This is particularly impressive in view of the fact that only a limited number of ground-based magnetometers were included in the AMIE patterns used in this study.
The low‐frequency cutoff of ELf emissions

Ionospheric LF radio noise cut-off near proton gyrofrequency, discussing satellite ELF and VLF observations
Parametric excitation of beams moving over supports

Studied in this work are the formulation of equations of motion and the response to parametric excitation of a uniform cantilever beam moving longitudinally over a single bilateral support. The equations of motion are generated by using assumed modes to discretize the beam, by regarding the support as a kinematic constraint, and by employing an alternate form of Kane's method that is particularly well suited to systems subject to constraints. Instability information is developed using the results of perturbation analysis for harmonic longitudinal motions of small amplitude and with Floquet theory for general periodic motions of any amplitude. Results demonstrate that definitive instability information can be obtained for a beam moving longitudinally over supports based on the frequencies of free transverse vibration of a beam that is longitudinally fixed.
The advantages of a salt/bentonite backfill for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal rooms

This paper concludes that a 70/30 wt % salt/bentonite mixture is preferable to pure crushed salt as backfill for disposal rooms in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, near Carlsbad, NM, is designed to be the first mined geologic repository for the safe disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste generated by DOE defense programs since 1970. The repository is located about 655 m below the land surface in an extensive bedded salt formation. This report examines the performance of two backfill materials with regard to various selection criteria, such as the need for low permeability after closure, chemical stability, strength, ease of emplacement, and sorption potential for brine and radionuclides. Both salt and salt/bentonite are expected to consolidate to a state of permeability {le} 10{sup {minus}18} m{sup 2} that is adequate for satisfying regulations for nuclear repositories. The results of finite-element calculations that were used to arrive at this conclusion will be described. The real advantage of the salt/bentonite. backfill depends, therefore, on bentonite`s potential for sorbing brine and radionuclides. Estimates of the impact of these properties on backfill performance are presented.
Expression of the Pseudorabies Virus Latency-Associated Transcript Gene during Productive Infection of Cultured Cells

Like other alphaherpesviruses, pseudorabies virus (PrV) exhibits restricted gene expression during latency. These latency-associated transcripts (LATs) are derived from the region located within 0.69 to 0.77 map units of the viral genome. However, the presence of such viral RNAs during a productive infection has not been described. Although several transcripts originating between 0.706 to 0.737 map units have been detected in PrV-infected cultured cells, their relationship to the LATs has not been examined. Therefore, to determine if any correlation exists between PrV LAT gene expression in the natural and laboratory systems, transcription from the LAT gene region during lytic infection of cultured neuronal and nonneuronal cells was evaluated. A Northern blot assay using single-stranded RNA probes complementary to the spliced in vivo 8.4-kb largest latency transcript (LLT) detected 1.0-, 2.0-, and 8.0-kb poly(A) RNAs in all PrV-infected cells lines. The 1.0- and 8.0-kb transcripts partially overlapped the first and second exons of the LLT, respectively. In contrast, portions of both LLT exons comprised the 2.0-kb RNA sequence, which lacked the same intron as the LLT. Generation of this transcript began about 243 bp downstream of the LLT initiation site and terminated near the junction of BamHI fragments 8′ and 8. Its synthesis was inhibited by cycloheximide but not by cytosine β-d-arabinofuranoside, which suggests that the 2.0-kb RNA is not an immediate-early gene product. Thus, although the PrV LAT gene is transcriptionally active during a productive infection of cultured cells, the resulting RNAs are distinctive from the LLT.
Measurements of the Effect of Angular Lattice Mismatch on the Adhesion Energy Between two Mica Surfaces in Water

Results are presented of direct measurements of the adhesion between two molecularly smooth mica surfaces in water. The results show that the adhesion forces and surface energies strongly depend upon the angle between the two surface lattices (angle of crystallographic misorientation). Apart from a relatively angle-independent “baseline” adhesion, sharp adhesion maxima (corresponding to minimum energy “cusps”) were observed at θ = 0°, ±60°, ±120°, and 180°. These discrete angles coincide with interplanar orientations of maximum crystallographic alignment or dense CSL structure. As little as ±1° away from the energy maxima, the energy decreases by 50%. This is much more dramatic than has previously been obtained with high energy metallic solids and suggest that the peak shapes are determined by the interplay of interlayer (adhesion) forces and intralayer (lattice) forces. For the mica system, the lattice forces are much stronger than the van der Waals adhesion forces, and thus the peaks are very sharp. Adsorption of ions onto the mica surfaces decreases the adhesion as well as the whole longer-range force-law which is also angledependent but to a smaller degree as the distance between the surfaces increases beyond a few molecular layers. The consequence of these findings is that the adhesion of grain boundaries and the equilibrium thicknesses of thin interfacial films and intergranular spaces are determined not only by the properties of the surfaces and the molecular structure of the intervening film but also on the relative crystallographic orientation of the two surfaces.
Asymptomatic Red Lesion in Anterior Floor of Mouth: Diagnosis and Management

We have presented a case illustrating that an asymptomatic, red lesion in the oral mucosa should be considered a malignant neoplasm, until proved otherwise. A biopsy and microscopic examination of such lesions are necessary to establish a definitive diagnosis. An appropriate method of obtaining a tissue specimen from the floor of the mouth has been described, and the importance of taking a comprehensive clinical history has been reviewed. The value of transmitting this information to the pathologist, who examines the removed tissue, has been stressed. Small, asymptomatic erythroplastic lesions of the oral mucosa that have not resolved or responded to treatment with two weeks should have a biopsy examination.
Group communication in real-time computing systems: issues and directions

Group communication in real-time computing systems has been a subject of research for almost two decades but it is not yet a mature technological field. The purpose of this paper is to review the main goals of developing group communication protocols and establish a practical framework of protocols toward meeting the goals. As a part of this, an attempt is made to clarify the relationship between group communication protocols and fault tolerance. Remaining major research issues and promising directions for solution search are also discussed.
A reconfigurable CMOS analog baseband for compact TDD wireless radio transceivers

In this paper, we propose a novel compact wireless radio transceiver architecture reusing a baseband chain so as to significantly reduce the die area. The proposed architecture employs a direct conversion architecture with a shared baseband chain and is suitable for wireless standards based on time-division duplexing (TDD) air interface. In direct conversion architectures, baseband filters and variable gain amplifiers (VGAs) are placed in the receive path as well as in the transmit path. Here, we propose to use the same baseband filters and VGAs in both the receive path and the transmit path to reduce the die area. To implement a baseband filter, we design a sixth-order Sallen-Key low-pass filter which can be shared for both the transmit path and the receive path. For VGAs, attenuators are designed for gain control with the gain range of -16 dB to 38 dB in this paper. In addition, DC feedback loops are added to cancel the DC offset. The analog baseband circuits proposed are designed using a standard 0.5 /spl mu/m CMOS process and verified through simulations.
Transport of ionizable drugs and proteins in crosslinked poly(acrylic acid) and poly(acrylic acid-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogels. II. Diffusion and release studies

Abstract The goal of this research was to define the controlling parameters affecting transport of drugs and proteins through poly(acrylic acid), PAA, and poly(acrylic acid-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), P(AA-co-HEMA). The hydrogel formulation variables investigated included the amount of crosslinking agent and non-ionizable comonomer (i.e. HEMA), which ultimately defined the mesh size available for solute diffusion. The solutes selected for this study represent a broad range in molecular size and included theophylline, oxprenolol HCl, insulin, lysozyme, albumin, and fibrinogen. These hydrogels ranged from non-porous to microporous based on the characteristic mesh sizes of 13–140 A for P(AA-co-HEMA) and 100–400 A for PAA, respectively. Accordingly, solute diffusion and release studies were performed and analyzed using the commonly applied (free volume and hydrodynamic) theories for each gel porosity regime. The observed deviations from theory were attributed to hindered diffusion of oxprenolol and insulin caused by solute/polymer interactions. The results demonstrated that at the lowest ratio of solute radius to polymer mesh size, solute/polymer interactions were a dominant factor in hindering the diffusion process.
Polymorphic nuclear gene sequences indicate a novel genome donor in the polyploid genus Thinopyrum

For decades, the wheatgrass genus Thinopyrum has been of interest to plant breeders as a source of genes that confer competitive traits. This genus has been a considerable challenge to plant systematists because of the impacts of polyploidization on the evolution of this group. This study was aimed to augment existing cytogenetic data with a sequence-based investigation of the genomes of these species. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), introns 9 through 11 of the granule-bound starch synthase (GBSSI) gene and intron III of the beta-amylase gene (Bmy1) were isolated from the genomes of polyploid Thinopyrum species by PCR, cloning and sequencing and the evolutionary distances between these species and putative diploid ancestors were estimated with Kimura's two-parameter method. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences largely agrees with what has been established through cytogenetic means for the Th. caespitosum (Koch) Liu & Wang and Ps geniculata (Trin.) A. Love, and suggests a contribution of the St genome of Ps. spicata (Pursh) A. Love to the tetraploids Th. scirpeum (Presl) Dewey and Th. junceiforme (A. Love & D. Love) A. Love. A unique Bmy1 allele, divergent from other Triticeae but shared between Th. caespitosum, Th. intermedium (Host) Barkworth & Dewey, Th. junceum (L.) A. Love and Th. ponticum Barkworth & Dewey, implies a connection between these species. Distinct oligonucleotide polymorphisms and distance calculations based on the three loci implicate Crithopsis delileana (Schult.) Roshev. and Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski in the evolution of the hexaploid Th. intermedium and the decaploid Th. ponticum and also suggest a potential connection of these polyploids with Elytrigia repens (L.) Desv. ex Nevski. None of these species have been previously associated with the Thinopyrum genus. Allele-specific PCR was employed to detect the putative Crithopsis allele of ITS1 in a number of accessions. Real-time PCR indicates that two of six genomes of the hexaploid Th. intermedium have the Crithopsis-type ITS1 allele and that all ITS1 loci in the decaploid Th. ponticum are of this type. These results are supportive of the hypothesis that concerted evolution has homogenized the rDNA of Th. ponticum to the allele derived from the Crithopsis or Taeniatherum ancestor. Discovery of these novel alleles, with close homology to Ta. caput-medusae, may represent a fundamental change in the view of the evolution of Th. intermedium and Th. ponticum.
The effect of amniotic sheet orientation on subsequent maternal and fetal complications

The purpose of this investigation was two-fold, first, to determine the incidence of amniotic sheets in our obstetric population; and, second, to elucidate the maternal and fetal complications associated with this particular finding. In this retrospective study, we searched the computerized records of the ultrasound department for the presence of amniotic sheets in singleton pregnancies from 1 March 1991 to 17 September 1993. Sonographic criteria for an amniotic sheet included the findings that (1) a reflective membrane attached to the placenta at one end or the other, with measurable thickness, was identified traversing the amniotic fluid; and (2) the fetus was not attached to the membrane, and fetal ability to move without restriction was ascertained. An amniotic sheet was identified in 79 of 17,553 examinations (0.45%) performed between 12 and 28 weeks' gestation. Two subsets of amniotic sheets were identified: perpendicular and not perpendicular. The sheets in the first subset were orientated perpendicular to the placental surface and were more likely to be associated with an abnormal presentation at delivery (p < 0.001) and a history of pelvic inflammatory disease, but not with a history of prior Cesarean section, or previous dilatation and curettage. The second subset of amniotic sheets were non-perpendicular, either oblique or parallel, in orientation to the placental surface and were associated with fewer maternal complications. Of the study group, 40.7% had a history of vaginal bleeding. The incidence of vaginal bleeding was not significantly different between those patients with perpendicular or those with non-perpendicular amniotic sheets. We conclude that perpendicular, in contrast to non-perpendicular, amniotic sheets are more commonly associated with breech presentation at term and a past history of pelvic inflammatory disease.
Supporting quick and dirty CORBA introspection and manipulation

Run-time monitoring (and perhaps manipulation)tools, essential for reverse engineering of dynamic behavior, are often difficult to build fromscratch. This presentsa barrier for prototyping new analyses, and for building customized tools specific for single projects. Toalleviate this problem, we present an architecture for easing the effort needed to build new monitoring tools thatis based on the use of scripting languages for prototype monitors.This architecture is presented in a prototype designand implementation of introspection and manipulationof CORBA-based applications. Our framework implementation is being accomplished by tying a new CORBAdynamic access feature known as Portable Interceptorswith an existing very high level programming language,Tcl/Tk.
Curious Atmospheric Refraction Effects

WHILE in a rowing-boat on the ocean during a sultry afternoon this summer I observed a very peculiar series of refraction phenomena that seem worth describing. A thunderstorm was brewing in the north-east far enough away so that the thunder was just audible. There was no sunshine. The wind had dropped and the sea was gently undulating. A small steamer was passing westward some three miles distant. When I first saw her she was almost hull down (apparently). In a few minutes she loomed up so that the forecastle was high, although the midship section was normal. A little later the cabins disappeared entirely and all one could see was an unbroken line of black hull, the funnel and the masts. Next she again appeared hull down, only to emerge with complete hull and upperworks. Then once more she seemed to sink so that her deck was awash. These changes took place as one gazed at the boat and were most startling. The hull seemed slightly longer at the time when only the deck showed but this may have been imagination on the part of the observer.
Recessively Inherited Forms of Osteogenesis Imperfecta

More than 90% of people who have osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) have heterozygous mutations in one of the two type I collagen genes, COL1A1 and COL1A2. The effects of these changes range from death in the perinatal period to barely increased fracture frequency and reflect different types of mutations. Introduction of bisphosphonates during the past 20 years has targeted bone fragility by decreased resorption. The recent recognition of biallelic mutations in genes that affect either collagen assembly and processing or the regulation of osteoblast development has raised hopes for therapies that would be specific for single-gene disorders and identify cellular targets in individuals with the dominant forms of OI. These hopes are yet to be met, but the study of the recessively inherited forms of OI has illuminated the details of the collagen processing pathways.
Kinetics of gas diffusion in mammalian cell culture systems. II. Theory

Mathematical models have been constructed which relate the depth of the culture fluid overlay to the oxygen available to mammalian cells cultured under static conditions. These models suggest that the maintenance of a given rate of oxygen utilization by some culture systems may be critically depended on this fluid depth and on the solubility and rate of diffusion of oxygen in the culture fluid. The importance of these concepts as applied to the isolation and growth of differentiated cells representative of the tissue of origin are noted.
The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase GCKR positively regulates canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling in B lymphocytes.

Wnt ligands bind receptors of the Frizzled (Fz) family to control cell fate, proliferation, and polarity. Canonical Wnt/Fz signaling stabilizes β-catenin by inactivating GSK3β, leading to the translocation of β-catenin to the nucleus and the activation of Wnt target genes. Noncanonical Wnt/Fz signaling activates RhoA and Rac, and the latter triggers the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Here, we show that exposure of B-lymphocytes to Wnt3a-conditioned media activates JNK and raises cytosolic β-catenin levels. Both the Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factor Asef and the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase germinal center kinase-related enzyme (GCKR) are required for Wnt-mediated JNK activation in B cells. In addition, we show that GCKR positively affects the β-catenin pathway in B cells. Reduction of GCKR expression inhibits Wnt3a-induced phosphorylation of GSK3β at serine 9 and decreases the accumulation of cytosolic β-catenin. Furthermore, Wnt signaling induces an interaction between GCKR and GSK3β. Our findings demonstrate that GCKR facilitates both canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling in B lymphocytes.
Is there linguistic life after high school? Longitudinal changes in the bilingual repertoire in metropolitan Barcelona

Do linguistic identities formed in high school endure after adolescence? Do age-related linguistic differences represent community trends over historical time, or are they age-graded practices that change over biographical time? Catalan advocates worry that perceived Castilian dominance in adolescents' peer relations and media consumption forecasts the community's sociolinguistic future. To investigate the possibility of change in bilingual repertoires after adolescence, participants in a 1987 ethnographic study of high school students in metropolitan Barcelona were reinterviewed after twenty years. The reinterviews of L1 Castilian-speakers showed increased mastery and use of Catalan even among those who had been functionally monolingual and most resistant to Catalan in high school. Higher education, the workplace, romance, cosmopolitan travel, and parenthood were triggers of such postadolescent change in the linguistic repertoire. Informants produce a common narrative attributing linguistic transformations to maturational processes that reduce the shame and intolerance of difference that inhibit adolescent second language use. (Bilingualism, second language acquisition, longitudinal research, language and identity, adolescence, Catalan, Catalonia)*
Advances in Hirschsprung Disease Genetics and Treatment Strategies: An Update for the Primary Care Pediatrician

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a multigenic condition with variable presentation. Most commonly, it presents in the neonatal period as a functional intestinal obstruction secondary to failure of caudal migration of the enteric nervous system. Classically, this manifests as dilated proximal bowel and constricted distal bowel with absent ganglia and hypertrophic nerve trunks. When recognized early, medical and surgical therapies can be instituted to minimize associated morbidity and mortality. This article reviews current understanding of the etiology of HSCR, its multigenic associations, the historical evolution of HSCR diagnosis and treatment, and current HSCR therapies.
ARFI imaging for noninvasive material characterization of atherosclerosis

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, with 70% of CVD mortalities the result of sequelae of atherosclerosis. An urgent need for enhanced delineation of vulnerable plaques has catalyzed the development of novel atherosclerosis imaging strategies that use X-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance and ultrasound modalities. As suggested by the pathophysiology of plaque development and progression to vulnerability, insight to the focal material, i.e., mechanical, properties of arterial walls and plaques may enhance atherosclerosis characterization. We present acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) ultrasound in application to mechanically characterizing a raised focal atherosclerotic plaque in an iliac artery extracted from a relevant pig model. ARFI results are correlated to matched immunohistochemistry, indicating elastin and collagen composition. In regions of degraded elastin, slower recovery rates from peak ARFI-induced displacements were observed. In regions of collagen deposition, lower ARFI-induced displacements were achieved. This work demonstrates ARFI for characterizing the material nature of an atherosclerotic plaque.
Suggestions for Documenting SOA-Based Systems

Abstract : This report provides suggestions for documenting service-oriented architecture-based systems based on the Views & Beyond (V&B) software documentation approach. The V&B documentation approach is a lightweight and flexible approach to documenting software architecture developed by Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute. This report also includes an overview of several well-known service-oriented architecture (SOA) documentation challenges and suggestions for tailoring and augmenting the V&B approach to address those challenges. The author hopes that the suggestions presented in this report will help SOA developers to avoid some of the common documentation pitfalls and produce higher quality SOA documentation.
Using multiple methods to assess detection probabilities of riparian-zone anurans: implications for monitoring

Context. Both manual call surveys (MCS) and visual encounter surveys (VES) are popular methods used to monitor anuranpopulations.Recentstatisticaldevelopments,specificallythedevelopmentofoccupancymodelsthatpermittheuseof data from various survey methods to assess method-specific detection probabilities, provide a rigorous framework for evaluating the effectiveness of field methods. Aim.Tocomparespecies-specificdetectionprobabilitiesgeneratedbyMCSandVESandtoevaluatetheeffectivenessof these methods throughout the activity season of several riparian-zone anuran species. Methods.During2010and2011,wesampled21sitesalongtheBroadandPacoletRivers,inSouthCarolina,USA,using MCS and VES. Anuran species were surveyed across three seasons (fall, spring and summer) each year. Key results. For six species, MCS resulted in a higher mean probability of detection, whereas VES resulted in a higher meanprobabilityofdetectionforfourspecies.Inaddition,surveydatewasanimportantinfluenceondetectionprobabilityof most anurans when using MCS, but largely unimportant when employing VES. Conclusions. Our findings indicated that VES are as effective as MCS for detecting some species of anurans, and for others, VES represent a more effective method. Furthermore, when using VES outside the breeding window, some anurans can be reliably detected, and in some cases, detected more easily than by using MCS. Implications.WesuggestthatVESisacomplimentarytechniquetoMCSandapotentiallyimportanttoolforpopulation monitoring of anurans. VES can provide more flexibility for anuran researchers, as robust estimates of detection and occupancy can be obtained outside a narrow breeding window.
Query-driven visualization of large data sets

We present a practical and general-purpose approach to large and complex visual data analysis where visualization processing, rendering and subsequent human interpretation is constrained to the subset of data deemed interesting by the user. In many scientific data analysis applications, "interesting" data can be defined by compound Boolean range queries of the form (temperature>1000) AND (70<pressure<90). As data sizes grow larger, a central challenge is to answer such queries as efficiently as possible. Prior work in the visualization community has focused on answering range queries for scalar fields within the context of accelerating the search phase of isosurface algorithms. In contrast, our work describes an approach that leverages state-of-the-art indexing technology from the scientific data management community called "bitmap indexing". Our implementation, which we call "DEX" (short for dextrous data explorer), uses bitmap indexing to efficiently answer multivariate, multidimensional data queries to provide input to a visualization pipeline. We present an analysis overview and benchmark results that show bitmap indexing offers significant storage and performance improvements when compared to previous approaches for accelerating the search phase of isosurface algorithms. More importantly, since bitmap indexing supports complex multidimensional, multivariate range queries, it is more generally applicable to scientific data visualization and analysis problems. In addition to benchmark performance and analysis, we apply DEX to a typical scientific visualization problem encountered in combustion simulation data analysis.
Solution of Systems of Linear Delay Differential Equations via Laplace Transformation

An approach using the Lambert W function for the analytical solution, free and forced, to systems of delay differential equations with a single delay has been developed by Asl And Ulsoy (2003) and Yi and Ulso (2006). The solution is expressed in the form of an infinite series of modes written in terms of the matrix Lambert W function. In this paper, we utilize the analytical solution to present a solution in the Laplace domain, present validation examples, and emphasize the analogy of the solution method to systems of ordinary differential equations
Replication of Herpesvirus of Turkeys in Chick Fibroblasts

Abstract An ultrastructural study of chick embryo fibroblasts infected with herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) revealed that infection produced degenerative effects in the cells ranging from alteration of cellular structures to complete lysis of the cells. Infection was indicated by margination of the nuclear chromatin, the presence of nuclear and cytoplasmic virions, destruction of mitochondria, loss of rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and polykaryocytosis. Viruses entered the cell by penetrating the cytoplasmic membrane, and replication took place within the nucleus. Small nuclear particles observed as aggregates in the presence of few herpesvirions appeared to be a part of the replication of the virus. Viruses were released from the cell nucleus either naked or enveloped. Where karyolysis occurred, naked viruses were released as the karyoplasm diffused into the cytoplasm. Enveloped viruses were not observed leaving the nucleus, but it appeared that departure could have occurred by the budding of the viruses through the nuclear membrane. Where complete lysis of the cells occurred, the naked viruses were released into the extracellular fluid. Enveloped viruses were observed only in intact cells. Viruses which were observed extracellularly were naked viruses, and those that were observed entering the cell by penetrating the cytoplasmic membrane were also naked. This evidence suggests that in vitro HVT does not require the envelope to be infective.
Industry Viewpoint on Thresholds for Genotoxic Carcinogens

Modern chemical control of pests has contributed to a dramatic improvement in public welfare since its introduction 50 years ago. Millions of lives have been saved through the control of disease vectors, and millions more have been improved by the use of chemicals to produce an inexpensive and abundant food supply. Hundreds of pesticidally active ingredients are in commercial use today, and among these are found genotoxic and nongenotoxic carcinogens. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency regulates carcinogens using threshold and nonthreshold approaches depending upon the outcome of a weight-of-evidence determination. More than one-half of all pesticides with some evidence of carcinogenic potential are regulated by the nonthreshold approach. The limitations on product use imposed by this approach have restricted the number of products available to growers and to the public. This restriction has had a direct impact on industry with respect to commercial success and financial returns on investment as well as an indirect impact on the industry's ability to fund the discovery and development of new compounds. This paper explores the question of how well regulation by the nonthreshold approach has achieved the goal of protecting public health, whether it does this better than the alternative use of the threshold approach, and whether the incremental protection it affords is a meaningful public benefit that justifies the aforementioned impacts on industry.
Expanding the input expressivity of smartwatches with mechanical pan, twist, tilt and click

Smartwatches promise to bring enhanced convenience to common communication, creation and information retrieval tasks. Due to their prominent placement on the wrist, they must be small and otherwise unobtrusive, which limits the sophistication of interactions we can perform. This problem is particularly acute if the smartwatch relies on a touchscreen for input, as the display is small and our fingers are relatively large. In this work, we propose a complementary input approach: using the watch face as a multi-degree-of-freedom, mechanical interface. We developed a proof of concept smartwatch that supports continuous 2D panning and twist, as well as binary tilt and click. To illustrate the potential of our approach, we developed a series of example applications, many of which are cumbersome -- or even impossible -- on today's smartwatch devices.
Rhodamine-RCA in vivo labeling guided laser capture microdissection of cancer functional angiogenic vessels in a murine squamous cell carcinoma mouse model.

Cancer growth, invasion and metastasis are highly related to tumor-associated neovasculature. The presence and progression of endothelial cells in cancer is chaotic, unorganized, and angiogenic vessels are less functional. Therefore, not all markers appearing on the chaotic endothelial cells are accessible if a drug is given through the vascular route. Identifying endothelial cell markers from functional cancer angiogenic vessels will indicate the accessibility and potential efficacy of vascular targeted therapies. In order to quickly and effectively identify endothelial cell markers on the functional and accessible tumor vessels, we developed a novel technique by which tumor angiogenic vessels are labeled in vivo followed by Laser Capture Microdissection of microscopically isolated endothelial cells for genomic screening. Female C3H mice (N = 5) with established SCCVII tumors were treated with Rhodamine-RCA lectin by tail vein injection, and after fluorescence microscopy showed a successful vasculature staining, LCM was then performed on frozen section tissue using the PixCell II instrument with CapSure HS caps under the Rhodamine filter. By this approach, the fluorescent angiogenic endothelial cells were successfully picked up. As a result, the total RNA concentration increased from an average of 33.4 ng/ul +/- 24.3 (mean +/- S.D.) to 1913.4 ng/ul +/- 164. Relatively pure RNA was retrieved from both endothelial and epithelial cells as indicated by the 260/280 ratios (range 2.22–2.47). RT-PCR and gene electrophoresis successfully detected CD31 and Beta-Actin molecules with minimal Keratin 19 expression, which served as the negative control. Our present study demonstrates that in vivo Rhodamine RCA angiogenic vessel labeling provided a practical approach to effectively guide functional endothelial cell isolation by laser capture microdissection with fluorescent microscopy, resulting in high quality RNA and pure samples of endothelial cells pooled for detecting genomic expression.
The Statistical Aspects of Nuclear Reactor Fuel Element Temperature

In designing a heterogeneous reactor it is not enough to be able to calculate the nominal temperature of the fuel elements; one must be able to calculate the probability that the surface temperatur...
Teacher self-assessment of evidence-based classroom practices: preliminary findings across primary, intermediate and secondary level teachers

The limited implementation of evidence-based classroom practices and ways to provide effective professional development to address this challenge remain enduring concerns in education. Despite these concerns, there exists a well-established research literature on evidence-based practices for effective classroom management and instructional practices. One identified area of need is research investigating the extent that different classroom practices are more or less important across school and grade levels. The current study examined results from 612 general education teachers across school levels (323 primary, 208 intermediate, 81 secondary) who completed an on-line self-assessment of their use of evidence-based classroom practices. Statistical analysis found significant differences in teachers’ self-reported use of several evidence-based classroom practices across school levels (primary, intermediate, secondary). Implications are presented for using teacher self-assessment to inform professional developm...