cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of mechanical heart valves

Abstract The need for prosthetic heart valves was long recognized but seemed an impossible dream before 1952 when Dr Charles Hufnagel [1] clinically introduced a ball valve that he placed into the descending thoracic aorta for treatment of aortic valvular insufficiency. Fulfillment of that dream became a reality with the advent of extracorporeal circulation in the early 1950s. Development of prosthetic heart valves involved the search for biologically compatible materials and hemologically tolerant designs. Success could not be achieved without the union of these two factors. As there was no satisfactory mechanism to scientifically achieve this goal, trial and error was the method of choice. The development of prosthetic heart valves became the purview of the cardiovascular surgeon who often collaborated with engineers. To distinguish one valve from another each prosthesis often became identified with the surgeon developer. The development of bioprostheses occurred later in the development of artificial heart valves and constitutes a separate subject not covered in this presentation.
Ecological implications of climate change will include surprises

In addition to assessing the impacts of CO2 doubling on environment and society, more consideration is needed to estimate extreme events or ‘surprises’. This is particularly important at the intersection of disciplines like climate and ecology because the potential for large discontinuities is high given all the possible climate/biota interactions. The vast disparities in scales encountered by those working in traditional ecology (typically 20 m) and climatology (typically 200 km) make diagnoses of such interactions difficult, but these can be addressed by an emerging research paradigm we call strategic cyclical scaling (SCS). The need to anticipate outlier events and assign them subjective probabilities suggests emphasis on interdisciplinary research associations. The desire to reduce societal vulnerability to such events suggests the need to build adaptive management and diverse economic activities into social organizations. The effectiveness of adaptation responses to anticipated climatic changes is complicated when consideration of transient changes, regional disturbances, large unforseeable natural fluctuations and surprises are considered. Slowing down the rate of disturbances and decreasing vulnerability are advocated as the most prudent responses to the prospect of human-induced climatic changes.
Three novel T-box genes in Caenorhabditis elegans

The 7'-box gene family consists of members that share a unique DNA binding domain. The best characterized 7'-box gene, Brachyury or T, encodes a transcription factor that plays an important role in early vertebrate development. Seven other recently described mouse 7'-box genes are also expressed during development. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, four 7'-box genes have been characterized to date. In this study, we describe three new C. elegans 7'-box genes, named Ce-tbx-11, Ce-tbx-12, and Ce-tbx-17. Ce-tbx-11 and Ce-tbx-17 were uncovered through the sequencing efforts of the C. elegans Genome Project. Ce-tbx-12 was uncovered through degenerate PCR analysis of C. elegans genomic DNA. Ce-tbx-11 and Ce-tbx-17 are located in close proximity to the four other previously described Tbox genes in the central region of chromosome 111. In contrast, Ce-tbx- 12 maps alone to chromosome 11. Phylogenetic analysis of all known 7'-box domain sequences provides evidence of an ancient origin for this gene family.
Cutaneous infection at dog bite wounds associated with fulminant df-2 septicemia

Severe DF-2 sepsis with disseminated intravascular coagulopathy developed following dog bites in two patients who had undergone prior splenectomy. Eschariform lesions developed at the site of the animal bite in both patients. DF-2 is an unusual animal-borne slow-growing gram-negative rod that can cause fulminant sepsis in splenectomized patients. Splenectomized patients should be aware of the hazards from a dog bite. The presence of eschariform lesions in such patients should provide a clinical clue to the presence of DF-2 infection.
Optimal material layout for 3D elastic structures

The problem of optimal layout in three-dimensional elasticity is solved using a moment formulation to characterize the optimal orthotropy of the material at each point of the domain. Design for minimum compliance under a single constraint on the amount of material is considered.
Identification of the Substrate Interaction Site in the N-terminal Membrane Anchor Segment of Thromboxane A2Synthase by Determination of Its Substrate Analog Conformational Changes Using High Resolution NMR Technique

The present studies describe an investigation for the interaction of N-terminal membrane anchor domain of thromboxane A(2) synthase (TXAS) with its substrate analog in a membrane-bound environment using the two-dimensional NMR technique. TXAS and prostaglandin I(2) synthase (PGIS), respectively, convert the same substrate, prostaglandin H(2) (PGH(2)), to thromboxane A(2) and prostaglandin I(2), which have opposite biological functions. Our topology studies have indicated that the N-terminal region of TXAS has a longer N-terminal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane anchor region compared with the same segment proposed for PGIS. The differences in their interaction with the ER membrane may have an important impact to facilitate their common substrate, PGH(2), across the membrane into their active sites from the luminal to the cytoplasmic side of the ER. To test this hypothesis, we first investigated the interaction of the TXAS N-terminal membrane anchor domain with its substrate analog. A synthetic peptide corresponding to the N-terminal membrane anchor domain (residues 1-35) of TXAS, which adopted a stable helical structure and exhibited a membrane anchor function in the membrane-bound environment, was used to interact with a stable PGH(2) analog,. High resolution two-dimensional NMR experiments, NOESY and TOCSY, were performed to solve the solution structures of in a membrane-mimicking environment using dodecylphosphocholine micelles. Different conformations were clearly observed in the presence and absence of the TXAS N-terminal membrane anchor domain. Through combination of the two-dimensional NMR experiments, completed (1)H NMR assignments of were obtained, and the data were used to construct three-dimensional structures of in H(2)O and dodecylphosphocholine micelles, showing the detailed conformation change upon the interaction with the membrane anchor domain. The observation supported the presence of a substrate interaction site in the N-terminal region. The combination of the structural information of and was able to simulate a solution structure of the unstable TXAS and PGIS substrate, PGH(2).
The cell lineage of a polyclad turbellarian embryo reveals close similarity to coelomate spiralians.

Recent molecular evidence suggests the turbellarian Platyhelminthes may represent the extant basal members of the Spiralia and therefore probably exhibit ancient features of the spiralian developmental program. The stereotypic quartet spiral cleavage pattern of the polyclad turbellarian embryo, among other features, indicates that this group may be closely related to the ancestral flatworm; however, polyclad embryos have been the subject of few experimental studies. Here we report the results of a cell lineage analysis of the embryo of the polyclad Hoploplana inquilina based on microinjection of DiI into cleavage-stage blastomeres following formation of each of the four quartets of micromeres. The first quartet gives rise to most of the lateral and anterior ectoderm of the Muller's larva; the second quartet forms largely dorsal and ventral ectoderm as well as the circular muscles; the third quartet forms only small clones of ectoderm; and only the 4d cell of the fourth quartet contributes to larval structure, forming the longitudinal muscles, mesenchyme, and probably endoderm. Our results demonstrate a striking similarity between the cell lineages of polyclad and higher spiralian embryos, in which the four quadrants also bear the same relationships to the larval axes and give rise to comparable larval structures, including derivation of mesoderm from both ectodermal (2b) and endodermal precursors (4d).
Self-Triggered Best-Response Dynamics for Continuous Games

Motivated by the development of novel and practically implementable coordination algorithms for multi-agent systems, here we investigate the adaptation of classical best-response dynamics by means of self-triggered communications. First, we show that, if the best response dynamics is defined for a continuous-action-space potential game, convergence towards the Nash Equilibria set is guaranteed under continuity on utilities and component-wise pseudo-concavity of the potential function. Then, we modify the best-response dynamics to account for more economic self-triggered communication strategies while ensuring convergence to the equilibrium set. The proposed algorithm is then analyzed in the framework of hybrid systems theory.
Impact of Nicotine Replacement Therapy on Postoperative Mortality Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

BACKGROUND: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has recently been associated with increased mortality in patients in medical intensive care units (ICUs). Although NRT is frequently used in cardiothoracic surgery patients, no safety data exist for use in this population. OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the impact of NRT on in-hospital mortality following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. METHODS: This was a retrospective matched cohort pilot study in a 22-bed cardiothoracic surgery ICU. Patients prescribed transdermal NRT after CABG were randomly selected and matched to current smokers not prescribed NRT according to Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores (N = 134). Data on comorbid conditions and pack-year history were also obtained. To compare these patients with nonsmoking patients, a larger unmatched population was also evaluated. The total number of patients prescribed NRT, current smokers not prescribed NRT, and nonsmokers who were evaluated in our study was 2057. RESULTS: Sixty-seven NRT patients were well matched with 67 current smokers in terms of baseline demographics and procedures. Mortality was nonsignificantly higher in the NRT group versus the non-NRT smoker group (4.5% vs 0.0%; p = 0.080). In an evaluation of a larger population controlled for differences in baseline characteristics, an increase in mortality due to NRT was found (OR 6.06; 95% CI 1.65 to 22.21). In an a priori subgroup of the overall population, mortality was significantly higher in patients receiving NRT after off-pump CABG versus smokers not receiving NRT (OR 6.49; 95% CI 1.29 to 32.56). CONCLUSIONS: The use of NRT in a postoperative CABG surgery population resulted in a significant increase in mortality when adjusted for baseline characteristics. Patients receiving NRT after off-pump cardiac surgery may be particularly susceptible. Additional evaluation in large patient cohorts with prospective controls is warranted.
Fast Auroral Snapshot observations of perpendicular DC electric field structures in downward current regions: Implications

[1] FAST electric field data and ion drift moments are combined to allow full DC E⊥ (electric field perpendicular to the geomagnetic field) studies of auroral return current regions. Statistical comparison of 71 return current potential structures showed several differences between sheetlike structured perpendicular E⊥ field events, where the ratio of the two E⊥ components remains constant during the spacecraft crossing, and curved structures where the ratio varies. Sheetlike structures can be interpreted as straight arcs, but curved structures require gradients in another dimension. We define a parameter η, which is a proxy for the ratio of the potential at the spacecraft and the upgoing electron characteristic energy. Thus η is a measure of the extent to which the potential contours are closed below the spacecraft. Statistical comparison shows that U-shaped closed-potential models are mostly consistent with curved events and ionospheric effects are dominant in sheetlike structures. This result implies that the spatial structure of the events, as indicated by the ratio of the E⊥ components, allows us to distinguish ionospheric fields and U-shaped potentials. Statistical studies of scale sizes, magnitudes of electric fields and magnetic perturbations, and downward current density, sorted by the parameter η, reveal various interesting features. We attempt to explain these properties on the basis of different potential closure models for sheetlike and curved structures, which have important implications for models of the formation and evolution of potential structures for downward current regions.
The Future of Bibliographic Records

Bill Walker, Metadata and Imaging Specialist at Amigos Library Services did a presentation on the possible future of bibliographic records at the 2014 Missouri Library Association Annual Conference...
Reevaluating the Relationship Between Prenatal Employment and Birth Outcomes: A Policy-Relevant Application of Propensity Score Matching

Abstract Background Prior research shows an association between prenatal employment characteristics and adverse birth outcomes, but suffers methodological challenges in disentangling women's employment choices from birth outcomes, and little U.S.-based prior research compares outcomes for employed women with those not employed. This study assessed the effect of prenatal employment status on birth outcomes. Methods With data from the Listening to Mothers II survey, conducted among a nationally representative sample of women who delivered a singleton baby in a U.S. hospital in 2005 ( n = 1,573), we used propensity score matching to reduce potential selection bias. Primary outcomes were low birth weight ( Findings Comparing full-time employees with women who were not employed, full-time employment was not causally associated with preterm birth (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.37; p = .47) or low birth weight (AOR, 0.73; p = .41). Results were similar comparing full- and part-time workers. Consistent with prior research, Black women, regardless of employment status, had increased odds of low birth weight compared with White women (AOR, 5.07; p = .002). Conclusions Prenatal employment does not independently contribute to preterm births or low birth weight after accounting for characteristics of women with different employment statuses. Efforts to improve birth outcomes should focus on the characteristics of pregnant women (employed or not) that render them vulnerable.
An account of the initial integration of photoemission and synchrotron radiation

Abstract The first energy-resolved photoemission experiments which used synchrotron radiation were performed on the Tantalus Storage Ring at the University of Wisconsin. The Ring was the first dedicated light source and during the winter of 1970–1971 D.E. Eastman and the author's groups carried out the initial experiments. Previously UV solid state experiments used the retarding-potential method developed by W.E. [Bill] Spicer at RCA and Stanford Univ. Laboratories. New instrumentation was needed. End stations were designed that utilized the double-pass cylindrical mirror electron energy analyzer [CMA]. A summary discussion of the history of the events that led to the first experiments are presented.
Standards and principles

The American Evaluation Association Guiding Principles and the Joint Committee Program Evaluation Standards have stated intentions that sound alike, but are they? This analysis leads to the conclusion that they are different in important ways.
Prevalence and treatment of spasticity reported by multiple sclerosis patients

The objective of this study was to characterize the population of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients suffering from spasticity and to evaluate treatment patterns, including intrathecal baclofen (ITB) delivery, related to patient quality of life (QOL). We conducted a cross-sectional, two-level study using data from the Patient Registry of the North American Research Committee on MS (NARCOMS). In addition, we surveyed a subgroup of 198 preselected patients who are using ITB (ITBG) and a random sample of 315 oral drug users (ORALG). Among the registrants, 16% reported no spasticity, 31% minimal, 19% mild, 17% moderate (frequently affects activities), 13% severe (daily forced to modify activities) and 4% total (prevents daily activities). Patients experiencing greater severity included by proportion males, and those older and with longer duration of MS. QOL scores decreased inversely with severity. In the focused survey, ITBG reported lower levels of spasticity than ORALG, less stiffness in the legs, less pain and fewer spasms at any time. They scored significantly lower in the SF-36 physical component, yet reported less fatigue on the MFIS scale. Prevalence data reveal that one third of MS patients modify or eliminate daily activities as a result of spasticity. Treatment of spasticity can significantly impact QOL parameters by reducing spasms, pain and fatigue.
Modeling Network Changes: Systemic Centrality in Foreign Policy Interaction Analysis

The complex network of relationships between countries provides an abundance of data from which intelligence analysts must synthesize useful interpretations that effectively inform foreign policy and security decision making. In this work, a network of foreign policy event interactions is developed and then used to describe the state of the international system by estimating the behavioral distances from all relevant actors to the US. Using a graph theoretic approach, we develop a tool for estimating behavioral distances through direct network links when behavior is present, and indirect network paths when direct behavior is unobserved. The international system is examined in temporal aggregations of 60 and 30 days prior to and following the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Both periods see distancing from the US as the wars approach, and a partial return to the prior state by 60 days after the initiation of conflict. The overall position of the US and the response of other nations towards the US indicates that the systemic leadership role of the US is diminished in behavioral relationships with a moderate number of actors.
Effective Dynamic Iso-Sphere Inopin Holographic Rings: Inquiry and Hypothesis

In this preliminary work, we focus on a particular iso-geometrical, iso-topological facet of iso-mathematics by suggesting a developing, generalized approach for encoding the states and transitions of spherically-symmetric structures that vary in size. In particular, we introduce the notion of "effective iso-radius" to facilitate a heightened characterization of dynamic iso-sphere Inopin holographic rings (IHR) as they undergo "iso-transitions" between "iso-states". In essence, we propose the existence of "effective dynamic iso-sphere IHRs". In turn, this emergence drives the construction of a new "effective iso-state" platform to encode the generalized dynamics of such iso-complex, non-linear systems in a relatively straightforward approach of spherical-based iso-topic liftings. The initial results of this analysis are significant because they lead to alternative modes of research and application, and thereby pose the question: do these effective dynamic iso-sphere IHRs have application in physics and chemistry? Our hypothesis is: yes. To answer this inquiry and assess this conjecture, this developing work should be subjected to further scrutiny, collaboration, improvement, and hard work via the scientific method in order to advance it as such.
Experimental behavior of steel fixed bearings and implications for seismic bridge response

Steel fixed bearings are commonplace structural elements for transmitting loads from superstructures to substructures, and they have typically occupied a role of elastic force transfer elements within the overall scheme of an earthquake resisting system (ERS). Recent revisions to design and guide specifications have acknowledged the possibility of bearings acting as fuses, but there is little research available to characterize bearing behavior for such design roles or the associated bridge response to be expected when bearings have fused. One design approach, adopted by the Illinois DOT (IDOT), applies capacity design principles and permits the bearings and superstructure to slide on the substructure. The intent of this design approach is to capture some of the beneficial aspects of conventional isolated systems, such as period elongation, reduction of force demands, and protection of substructures from large inelastic displacement demands, without incurring the additional design provisions and fabrication costs to satisfy the requirements for seismic isolation systems. To achieve this quasi-isolated bridge response, steel fixed bearings are used as fusing elements, where the steel pintles or anchor rods rupture, and the fixed bearing plates become free to slide on the supporting pier cap. A properly proportioned bearing will fuse prior to superstructure/substructure elements experiencing inelastic demands. The University of Illinois has been collaborating with IDOT to investigate the behavior of quasi-isolated bridge systems and to calibrate and refine IDOT’s ERS design and construction methodology. The research is composed of experimental testing to characterize fundamental bearing behavior, coupled with nonlinear global bridge modeling to evaluate limit state progression and estimate maximum displacement demands of the superstructure relative to the substructure. The cyclic response of full-scale steel low-profile fixed bearings demonstrates predictable sliding behavior, but based on current design procedures, these bearings are often overdesigned for use as fuses in quasi-isolated bridges. Consequently, a bridge, which in other respects may exhibit satisfactory quasi-isolated response, might also incur significant damage to the substructure unit where fixed bearings are provided. A parametric study of global bridge response demonstrates that the anchorage of fixed bearings to substructures could be reduced to limit the damage to the supporting substructure unit while incurring only a nominal increase in superstructure displacement demands.
A novel rat contact lens model for Fusarium keratitis.

Purpose The aim of this study was to develop and characterize a new contact lens-associated fungal keratitis rat model and to assess the ability of non-invasive spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to detect pathological changes in vivo in fungal keratitis. Methods We used SD-OCT to image and measure the cornea of Sprague Dawley rats. Fusarium infection was initiated in the rat eye by fitting Fusarium solani-soaked contact lenses on the experimental eye, while the control animals received contact lenses soaked in sterile saline. The fungal infection was monitored with periodic slit-lamp examination and in vivo SD-OCT imaging of the rat eye, and confirmed by histology, counting of viable fungi in the infected rat cornea, and PCR with specific primers for Fusarium sp. Results We imaged and measured the rat cornea with SD-OCT. Custom-made contact lenses were developed based on the OCT measurements. Incubation of contact lenses in a F. solani suspension resulted in biofilm formation. We induced contact lens-associated Fusarium keratitis by fitting the rat eyes for 4 h with the Fusarium-contaminated contact lenses. The SD-OCT images of the cornea correlated well with the slit-lamp and histopathological results and clearly defined clinical signs of infection, namely, increased corneal thickening, loss of epithelial continuity, hyper-reflective areas representing infiltrates, and endothelial plaques characteristic of fungal infection. Moreover, in three cases, SD-OCT detected the infection without any clear findings on slit-lamp examination. Infection was confirmed with histological fungal staining, PCR, and microbiological culture positivity. Conclusions We developed a highly reproducible rat contact lens model and successfully induced contact lens-associated Fusarium keratitis in this model. The clinical presentation of contact lens-associated Fusarium keratitis in the rat model is similar to the human condition. SD-OCT is a valuable tool that non-invasively revealed characteristic signs of the fungal infection and could provide sensitive, objective monitoring in fungal keratitis.
Finding Things: Image Parsing with Regions and Per-Exemplar Detectors

This paper presents a system for image parsing, or labeling each pixel in an image with its semantic category, aimed at achieving broad coverage across hundreds of object categories, many of them sparsely sampled. The system combines region-level features with per-exemplar sliding window detectors. Per-exemplar detectors are better suited for our parsing task than traditional bounding box detectors: they perform well on classes with little training data and high intra-class variation, and they allow object masks to be transferred into the test image for pixel-level segmentation. The proposed system achieves state-of-the-art accuracy on three challenging datasets, the largest of which contains 45,676 images and 232 labels.
A simple derivation of Glassman's general N fast fourier transform

Abstract : A simple derivation of Glassman's general N fast Fourier transform, and corresponding FORTRAN program, is presented. This fast Fourier transform is based upon a representation of the discrete Fourier transform matrix as a product of sparse matrices. (Author)
Modest enhancement of nitrogen conservation via retranslocation in response to gradients in N supply and leaf N status

Plant nutrient resorption, a ubiquitous mechanism of nutrient conservation, has often been proposed to be more pronounced in infertile than fertile habitats, and in species common to infertile compared to fertile habitats, because of the presumed advantage when nutrients are scarce. However, previous studies provide weak and inconsistent empirical support for these hypotheses, although few have examined intraspecific variation across well-quantified resource gradients. This study addresses intraspecific patterns of nutrient resorption for eight species across two N availability gradients on similar soils in an N-limited oak savanna ecosystem: a long-term fire frequency gradient with a negatively correlated N fertility gradient and a long-term N fertilization gradient. We hypothesized that both resorption proficiency (the minimum nutrient level retained in a senesced leaf) and efficiency (the proportional change in leaf nutrient concentration) would decrease with increasing soil N availability and plant N status. For the seven non-N fixers, either resorption proficiency or efficiency decreased modestly in treatments with higher N availability. In contrast, the legume Amorpha canescens Pursh had higher N levels in green and senesced leaves, and resorbed N much more weakly than the non-fixers, and did not respond in terms of proficiency or efficiency to soil N availability. Across all species and sites in each N fertility gradient, a scaling analysis showed greater resorption efficiency in plants with lower N concentrations. Our data suggest that species can have modest resorption responses reflective of soil nutrient availability and differences in resorption related to their N economy that represent mechanisms of nutrient conservation in nutrient-limited soils.
Nanostructured Ceramic Film Formation on Self-Assembled Monolayers via a Biomimetic Approach

A biomimetic approach is employed to deposit ceramic films on organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) coated substrates. Specifically, zirconia (ZrO{sub 2}) films are grown in a zirconium sulfate precursor solution at near room temperatures ({approx}70 C). This process, directed by the nanoscale organic template, mimics the controlled nucleation and growth of the biominerals such as bones and teeth. The resultant zirconia films consist of nanosized particles (5-10 nm) that are precipitated out in a supersaturated precursor solution. Cross-sectional TEM and STEM works were performed to quantitatively analyze the film structure and chemistry, as well as interfacial region of the ceramic-SAM films. A stepwise deposition process was developed to avoid excessive formation of aggregation. Further, the dynamic nanoindentation testing was employed to assess the thickness and film-only intrinsic mechanical properties for direct comparison among the films processed with different processing parameters and microstructures. The films with finer particulate structure displayed higher intrinsic modulus than did those with coarser structure.
The effects of police satisfaction on fear of crime in a semirural setting

This study examines the relationship between citizen’s police satisfaction and fear of crime. Fear of crime and police satisfaction are often studied in major cities and in separate analyses. Our study contributes to and adds updated context to the existing literature by examining the impact of these variables in a small semirural city. Multivariate analyses revealed that police satisfaction and fear of crime were related and that lower levels of police satisfaction were associated with higher levels of fear. Results also indicated that women, older individuals, and those who perceive greater levels of physical disorder had greater levels of fear. The data used for this project were collected via telephone survey. The implications of these methods and findings are also discussed.
Ultra-High Strength Concrete Mixtures Using Local Materials

This paper presents the development of ultra high strength concrete (UHSC) using local materials. UHSC mixture proportions were developed using local materials so that UHSC may be made more affordable to a wider variety of applications. Specifically, local sand with a top size of 0.0236 in. (600 μm), and locally available Type I/II cement and silica fume were used in this research. Each of these material selections is seen as an improvement in sustainability for UHSC. Two mixtures (one with and one without fibers) were recommended as the UHSC mixtures. The greatest compressive strengths obtained in this study were 24,010 psi (165.6 MPa) for UHSC with steel fibers and 23,480 psi (161.9 MPa) for UHSC without fibers. The compressive and flexural strengths obtained from the UHSC mixtures developed in this work are comparable to UHSC strengths presented in the literature. Producing this innovative material with local materials reduces the cost of the material, improves sustainability, and produces mechanical performance similar to prepackaged, commercially available products.
Complex regulatory region mediating tailless expression in early embryonic patterning and brain development

tailless encodes a transcription factor expressed in multiple domains in the developing embryo. Early and transient expression at the posterior pole is required to establish a domain from which the eighth abdominal segment, telson and posterior gut arise. Just a few nuclear cycles later, a brain-specific domain is initiated at the anterior; expression in this domain is maintained with complex modulations throughout embryogenesis. Expression of tailless in this domain is required to establish the most anterior region of the brain. To understand the function and regulation of these different domains of expression, we provide a detailed description of tailless expression in brain neuroblasts and show that this expression is not detectably regulated by the head gap genes buttonhead or orthodenticle, by the proneural gene lethal of scute or by tailless itself. We show that approximately 6 kb of sequenced upstream regulatory DNA can drive lacZ expression in a pattern that mimics the full tailless embryonic expression pattern. Within this sequence we identify multiple modules responsible for different aspects of the tailless pattern. In addition to identifying additional torso response elements that mediate early blastoderm polar expression, we show that the complex brain expression pattern is driven by a combination of modules; thus expression at a low level throughout the brain and at a high level in the dorsal medial portion of the brain and in the optic lobe, as well as neuroblast-specific repression are mediated by different DNA regions.
Effects of Manipulation on Attributions of Causation, Free Will, and Moral Responsibility.

If someone brings about an outcome without intending to, is she causally and morally responsible for it? What if she acts intentionally, but as the result of manipulation by another agent? Previous research has shown that an agent's mental states can affect attributions of causal and moral responsibility to that agent, but little is known about what effect one agent's mental states can have on attributions to another agent. In Experiment 1, we replicate findings that manipulation lowers attributions of responsibility to manipulated agents. Experiments 2-7 isolate which features of manipulation drive this effect, a crucial issue for both philosophical debates about free will and attributions of responsibility in situations involving social influence more generally. Our results suggest that "bypassing" a manipulated agent's mental states generates the greatest reduction in responsibility, and we explain our results in terms of the effects that one agent's mental states can have on the counterfactual relations between another agent and an outcome.
Web-Scale Discovery Service: Is It Right for Your Library? Mayo Clinic Libraries Experience

ABSTRACTWeb-scale discovery (WSD) tools or services promise to deliver a quick, efficient, and comprehensive search experience through a single-entry point. This article will provide an overview of the analysis conducted by Mayo Clinic Libraries to identify, investigate, and test multiple Web-scale discovery services to determine if one would enhance their library users’ searching experience. As an increasing number of health sciences and medical libraries become interested in implementing discovery tools, the resources available through these tools should be carefully evaluated in the context of user needs.
"GRANDFATHER EFFECTS": THE GENETICS OF INTERPOPULATION DIFFERENCES IN OFFSPRING SIZE IN THE MOSQUITO FISH.

The variety of life history patterns exhibited by animals and plants has become a major focus of interest in evolutionary biology because the traits involved are so clearly related to fitness. To interpret life history patterns as adaptations, one must assume that differences between populations derive at least in part from genetic differences. Few studies have been concerned with determining whether such genetic differences exist. Most of these studies confound maternally mediated environmental influences with genetically determined interpopulation differences (e.g., Ramakrishnan, 1960; Law et al., 1977; Naevdal et al., 1978; Berven et al., 1979; exceptions include Alm, 1949; Birch et al., 1963). Offspring size is a critical life history parameter because it limits the number of offspring a female can produce without increasing reproductive effort (Svardson, 1949; Salthe, 1969; Salthe and Duellman, 1973; Smith and Fretwell, 1974; Wilbur, 1977; Kaplan and Salthe, 1979), and because it is associated with intraspecific competitive ability of the offspring (Harper, 1977), growth and development rates (Gall, 1974; Kaplan, 1980), duration of survival in the absence of food (Blaxter and Hempel, 1963; Hirshfield, 1977), and the probability of survival through early stages of development (Bagenal, 1969). These qualities influence the fitness of offspring and hence the parent; they should therefore be subject to natural selection. Before considering the evolutionary causes of changes or interpopulation differ-
The Invention of “Welfare” in America

In the early 1970s, President Richard Nixon referred to Aid to Families with Dependent Children as “the program we all normally think of when we think of ‘welfare.’” When President Bill Clinton promised to “end welfare as we know it” in the early 1990s, everyone knew that he meant AFDC. “Welfare” had become a code word for public assistance given mainly to unmarried mothers, mostly young women of color. Few terms evoked as much hostility among Americans as “welfare.” No other public benefits carried its stigma. The political left, right, and center all attacked it.
Online Assessment of Landing Sites

Assessing a landing zone (LZ) reliably is essential for safe operation of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicles that land at unimproved locations. Currently an operator has to rely on visual assessment to make an approach decision; however. visual information from afar is insufficient to judge slope and detect small obstacles. Prior work has modeled LZ quality based on plane fitting, which only partly represents the interaction between vehicle and ground. Our approach consists of a coarse evaluation based on slope and roughness criteria, a fine evaluation for skid contact, and body clearance of a location. We investigated whether the evaluation is correct for using terrain maps collected from a helicopter. This paper defines the problem of evaluation, describes our incremental real-time algorithm, and discusses the effectiveness of our approach. In results from urban and natural environments, we were able to successfully classify LZs from point cloud maps collected on a helicopter. The presented method enables detailed assessment of LZs without an landing approach, thereby improving safety. Still, the method assumes low-noise point cloud data. We intend to increase robustness to outliers while still detecting small obstacles in future work.
TEM Characterization of Solid-Phase Epitaxy in Amorphized Polysilicon

Solid Phase Epitaxy (SPE) of amorphous silicon thin films can be employed to build novel device structures for VLSI applications. One way of achieving SPE is to use a room temperature silicon implant to amorphize a polysilicon layer followed by a thermal treatment to promote epitaxial growth. Both vertical SPE, in which the epitaxial film is grown directly on silicon substrate, and lateral SPE, in which the epitaxial growth is extended over a thin layer of oxide using the vertical SPE region as a seed, have been realized using this approach. This paper presents results obtained by cross-sectional TEM analysis of the epitaxial films, with particular emphasis on the effects of implant schedule and annealing conditions on the epitaxial regrowth.
Altered bacteriophage lambda expression in cell division mutants capR(lon) of Escherichia coli K-12.

Lambda phage containing double amber mutations in the N gene (λc1857N7N53) can replicate and produce progeny phage in capR(lon) bacteria, but not in isogenic capR+ (lon+) bacteria, when two additional mutations conferring weak suppression (supE44 and str-109) are present. Since weak suppression was necessary, the capR mutation does not provide a bacterial substitute for the N gene. In an attempt to explain and to relate the phenomenon with the finding that λ+ forms clear plaques on capR lawns and lysogenizes capR strains poorly N gene-dependent transcription, translation and functional mRNA decay was measured using a λlac phage in which β-galactosidase (β gal) synthesis is dependent on the N+ gene of the phage (λplacW205). No measurable difference in initiation of λ leftward N-dependent transcription or translation was observed in a capR strain compared to an isogenic capR+ strain. A differencewas found in the rate of synthesis of N-dependent β-gal however, between λ-infected capR and capR+ bacteria. λplacW205-infected capR9 strains exhibited a 2 to 4 fold lower rate of β-gal synthesis. This decreased rate of β-gal synthesis was the result of the size heterogeneity of the capR cells when grown in complex medium. That is, complex medium-induced capR filaments synthesized lower amounts of N-dependent β-gal. The results are discussed in relation to the findings in other laboratories.
Anisotropic effective diffusion of torqued swimmers

External torques affect the trajectories of swimming microorganisms. We calculate analytically the effective three-dimensional diffusivity of a spherical active particle subject to both a constant external torque and thermal noise. We find that the presence of a torque renders the effective diffusive behavior anisotropic. The analytical results are compared with Brownian dynamics simulations and we obtain excellent agreement. For steady swimmers an external torque always decreases the effective swimmer diffusivity whereas it may be enhanced for time-reversible swimmers.
Structure-Rheology Relationship in Nanosheet-Forming Peptoid Monolayers.

Peptoid nanosheets are novel protein-mimetic materials that form from the supramolecular assembly of sequence-defined peptoid polymers. The component polymer chains organize themselves via a unique mechanism at the air–water interface, in which the collapse of a compressed peptoid monolayer results in free-floating, bilayer nanosheets. To impart functionality into these bilayer materials, structural engineering of the nanosheet-forming peptoid strand is necessary. We previously synthesized a series of peptoid analogues with modifications to the hydrophobic core in order to probe the nanosheet tolerance to different packing interactions. Although many substitutions were well-tolerated, routine surface pressure measurements and monolayer collapse isotherms were insufficient to explain which molecular processes contributed to the ability or inability of these peptoid analogues to form nanosheets. Here, we show that surface dilational rheology measurements of assembled peptoid monolayers at the air–water inte...
Ties That Bind, Ties That Divide: Second World Cultural Exchange at the Grassroots

This chapter examines the patterns and practices of cultural exchange in the Second World from the perspective of two major cities: Cracow in Poland and Leipzig in East Germany. It focuses on both cities’ Culture Departments, which were responsible for sending local artists abroad as well as organizing foreign performances at home. As “sister cities,” Cracow and Leipzig regularly exchanged delegations of writers, painters, actors, and amateur performers. They also hosted visiting artists from across the Soviet Bloc, the Soviet Union, and other Allied states. This chapter investigates the mechanisms behind such exchanges, exploring how they were arranged, funded, and realized. It considers which artists were selected to travel abroad and what artworks were chosen for foreign consumption. It also assesses the impact of international performers on the cultural landscape of two East European cities—and on two national cultures. Intended to promote contact and cooperation among communist countries, artistic exchanges often did just the opposite. They showcased differences in style, revealed dissonances in state policy, and strengthened nationalist sentiment. Even as they crisscrossed the Second World, therefore, exchange networks also laid bare its divisions. This chapter uses government records, artist memoirs, and audience responses to reconstruct patterns of cultural exchange at the city level. By tracing these patterns from the 1940s to the 1980s, it seeks to map the topography—and the boundaries—of communism’s cultural space.
What does student writing tell us about their thinking on social justice

In this work we investigate the use of deep learning for text analysis to measure elements of student thinking related to issues of privilege, oppression, diversity and social justice. We leverage historical expert annotations as well as a large lexical model to create a more generalizable vocabulary for identifying these characteristics in short student writing. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, and identify further areas for research.
Validation of Static and Dynamic Balance Assessment Using Microsoft Kinect for Young and Elderly Populations

Reduction in balance is an indicator of fall risk, and therefore, an accurate and cost-effective balance assessment tool is essential for prescribing effective postural control strategies. This study established the validity of the Kinect v2 sensor in assessing center of mass (CoM) excursion and velocity during single-leg balance and voluntary ankle sway tasks among young and elderly subjects. We compared balance outcome measures (anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) CoM excursion and velocity and average sway length) to a traditional three-dimensional motion analysis system. Twenty subjects (10 young: age = $20.5\pm 2.3$ y, height $= \,{\text{171.8}}\,\pm\, {\text{7.2}}$ cm, weight $= \,{\text{70.7}}\,\pm\, {\text{11.6}}$ kg; 10 elderly: age $= \,{\text{70.6}}\,\pm\, {\text{9.5}}$ y, height $= \,{\text{169.1}}\,\pm\, {\text{8.7}}$ cm, weight $= \,{\text{74.0}}\,\pm\, {\text{17.8}}$ kg), with no history of lower extremity injury, participated in this study. Subjects performed six randomized trials; four single-leg stand (SLS) and two ankle sway trials. SLS and voluntary ankle sway trials showed that consistency (ICC(2, k)) and agreement (ICC(3, k)) for all variables when all subjects were considered, as well as when the elderly and young groups were analyzed separately. Concordance between systems ranged from poor to nearly perfect depending on the group, task, and variable assessed.
Numerical quantification of the impact of microstructure on the mechanical behavior of particulate Al/SiC composites in 2D

Abstract The objectives of the current manuscript are twofold: (i) Introducing an automated computational framework for creating realistic finite element models of metal matrix composites (MMCs) microstructures; (ii) Implementing this technique to investigate the effect of microstructure on the mechanical behavior of an Al/SiC particulate MMC. A microstructure reconstruction algorithm is proposed, which relies on the Centroidal Voronoi tessellation, together with the erosion, random movement, and iterative elimination of the resulting Voronoi cells to create an initial periodic virtual microstructure. Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines are also employed to capture the realistic shapes of embedded particles. High fidelity finite element models of the composite microstructure are then created using a non-iterative Conforming to Interface Structured Adaptive Mesh Refinement (CISAMR) technique. This integrated numerical framework is employed to analyze the effect of an Al/SiC MMC microstructure on its mechanical behavior, considering the plastic deformation of the Al matrix and damage in the SiC particles.