cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Object transformation estimation with reduced searching complexity

Conventional motion estimation algorithms rely on translational motion vectors and thus have limitations in capturing transformations of objects in video scenes such as scaling, rotations and deformations. It has been shown that transformation estimation based on Lie operators on objects can provide more accurate motion estimation, albeit at the expense of remarkably increased computational complexity due to the search of the best transformation parameters for the object. In this paper, we aim to lower the complexity of the transformation estimation so that it can become more suitable for real time video coding systems where low complexity motion estimation is desirable. Our study on the probabilistic distributions of the transformation parameters shows that it is feasible to significantly reduce the total number of candidate parameters to search by considering only those possible transformations with smaller degrees. The resulting loss in the estimation accuracy due to searching only a subset of the candidate parameters that describes the degree of object transformations can be negligible. We propose three methods to reduce the searching complexity and present experimental results quantifying the tradeoffs between the estimation accuracy and the searching complexity for several video sequences.
Window layer properties of GaP films grown on Si by liquid phase epitaxy

Good surface passivation is necessary to achieve high efficiencies in silicon solar cells. One method is to epitaxially grow wide bandgap semiconductor materials on the silicon to act as a window layer that provides surface passivation and a minority carrier reflector. GaP and Si have a low lattice mismatch of 0.37% which is favorable for epitaxial growth while the growth of GaP on Si has the effect of doping the underlying Si n-type via phosphorus diffusion. Thin films of GaP have been grown on single crystalline ptype Si by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) to investigate the silicon passivation and doping properties of GaP. The resulting GaP films were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Lifetime measurements were made to investigate the surface passivation properties.
Adaptive Style and Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress in Children with Cancer and Their Parents

Objective To examine symptom levels of posttraumatic stress (PTS) in children with cancer and their parents as a function of patient and parent adaptive style. Method Participants included 162 pediatric cancer patients and their parents. Patients completed self-report measures of PTS and adaptive style. Parents reported on their own adaptive style and PTS, as well as levels of PTS in their child. Results Adaptive style was a significant correlate of PTS. Children identified as low anxious (LA) or repressors (REP) obtained lower levels of PTS than did high anxious (HA) children, both by self-report and parent report. Parents identified as LA or REP self-reported lower levels of PTS than HA and also reported lower levels of PTS in their children. Conclusions Patient and parent adaptive style are significant determinants of PTS in the pediatric oncology setting. These findings, in combination with the generally low levels of PTS in the pediatric oncology population, raise questions about the utility of the posttraumatic stress model for understanding the experiences of children with cancer, although such a model may be more applicable to parental response.
Beyond the Boundaries—Endometriosis: Typical and Atypical Locations

Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma in an ectopic location outside the endometrial cavity. This condition affects women during their reproductive years. Ovaries are by far the commonest location of endometriosis and have peculiar imaging features. However, the imaging diagnosis of extraovarian endometriosis is difficult to make both clinically and radiologically. The purpose of this article is to review the imaging features of endometriosis at typical and atypical sites on different modalities and to describe the commonly encountered complications. Atypical sites for endometriosis include the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, soft tissues, and chest. Depending on the site, they can present with varied symptoms, including bowel obstruction, melena, hematuria, dysuria, dyspnea, and swelling in the soft tissues, respectively. The endometriotic implant in the extraovarian location is a challenging diagnosis. It is important to be aware of the sites, radiologic appearances, and complications of ovarian and extraovarian endometriosis while evaluating a woman in the reproductive age group with appropriate symptomatology. Endometriosis at extraovarian locations is a challenging diagnosis clinically and radiologically. Clinical symptomatology with characteristic imaging features in the appropriate patient population is helpful in reaching the diagnosis. Precise diagnosis regarding presence, location, and extent of endometriosis is useful for preoperative evaluation and surgical planning of endometriosis.
On the numerical approximations for linear functional differential equations with input and output delays

In this paper we state some new results on the approximations for linear retarded functional differential equations with delays in control and observation. We consider the finite difference (i.e., averaging) approximation scheme for such systems treated as evolution equations in the state space setup, and we establish several basic properties of the approximation scheme. These results are extensions of recent results of Lasiecka and ManitiusL1 to the case of systems with input and output delays.
Valproic acid does not affect markers of human immunodeficiency virus disease progression

Valproic acid (VPA) reduces latent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoirs by activating resting CD4+ cells. This retrospective case-control study (n = 30) examined effects of VPA on markers of HIV progression. VPA was not associated with changes in cerebrospinal fluid viral loads (VL), plasma VL, or neuropsychological performance. VPA patients had a trend towards lower CD4+ cells (P = .08) at follow-up. Concurrent antiretrovirals did not alter these relationships. VPA does not induce viremia or promote disease progression and may be safe for clinical intervention.
Do XBRL Reports Have Incremental Information Content? – An Empirical Analysis

This study investigates whether XBRL filings of 10Ks and 10Qs possess incremental information content beyond current EDGAR filings in HTML format. The sample comprises of 342 voluntary XBRL filings from the period of 2005 to June 30, 2008. We document a significant market reaction on the day when XBRL reports are filed. The market response is stronger for larger firms, more recent filings and more timely filings. Furthermore, it is more pronounced in instances where multiple reports are filed. Using the R2 in a regression of fiscal quarter abnormal returns on XBRL filing abnormal returns, we find that approximately 1.2% to 8.0% out of total information content in earnings disclosures is associated with these XBRL filings.
Invasive pathogen threatens bird-pine mutualism: implications for sustaining a high-elevation ecosystem.

Human-caused disruptions to seed-dispersal mutualisms increase the extinction risk for both plant and animal species. Large-seeded plants can be particularly vulnerable due to highly specialized dispersal systems and no compensatory regeneration mechanisms. Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), a keystone subalpine species, obligately depends upon the Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) for dispersal of its large, wingless seeds. Clark's Nutcracker, a facultative mutualist with whitebark pine, is sensitive to rates of energy gain, and emigrates from subalpine forests during periods of cone shortages. The invasive fungal pathogen Cronartium ribicola, which causes white pine blister rust, reduces whitebark pine cone production by killing cone-bearing branches and trees. Mortality from blister rust reaches 90% or higher in some whitebark pine forests in the Northern Rocky Mountains, USA, and the rust now occurs nearly rangewide in whitebark pine. Our objectives were to identify the minimum level of cone production necessary to elicit seed dispersal by nutcrackers and to determine how cone production is influenced by forest structure and health. We quantified forest conditions and ecological interactions between nutcrackers and whitebark pine in three Rocky Mountain ecosystems that differ in levels of rust infection and mortality. Both the frequency of nutcracker occurrence and probability of seed dispersal were strongly related to annual whitebark pine cone production, which had a positive linear association with live whitebark pine basal area, and negative linear association with whitebark pine tree mortality and rust infection. From our data, we estimated that a threshold level of ;1000 cones/ha is needed for a high likelihood of seed dispersal by nutcrackers (probability � 0.7), and that this level of cone production can be met by forests with live whitebark pine basal area .5.0 m 2 /ha. The risk of mutualism disruption is greatest in northernmost Montana (USA), where three-year mean cone production and live basal area fell below predicted threshold levels. There, nutcracker occurrence, seed dispersal, and whitebark pine regeneration were the lowest of the three ecosystems. Managers can use these threshold values to differentiate between restoration sites requiring planting of rust-resistant seedlings and sites where nutcracker seed dispersal can be expected.
CEE in defence–related industries: the Connecticut experience

Continuing engineering education (CEE) in defence plants is generally performed at site locations, often some distance from a college's main campus. Difficulties created by this environment are discussed in the context of the University of New Haven's experience in Connecticut. Faculty and student support must come in unique ways, and be delivered within an institutional mission which specifically includes continuing education. The University's programs have succeeded, and provide a model for such operations.
Treatment of ostial lesions using the Szabo technique: A case series†

We present a series of 13 cases of stent treatment of a variety of ostial lesions including aortoostial, subclavian-internal mammary artery, and coronary artery bifurcation disease using the double-wire Szabo technique. We discuss relevant technical issues using this technique as well as potential advantages and disadvantages. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Reformation from a New Perspective

All too frequently writers have been tempted to over-simplify the German Reformation. The literature in the field is enormous, contradictory, kaleidoscopic, and infinitely complex, requiring decades to master the more important sources and standard works. Such labels as “Reformation,” the “Protestant Revolt,” and the “Protestant Revolution” are, in a large measure, propaganda terms presupposing fundamental assumptions and lines of reasoning not entirely supported in fact. Often the casual reader in this field receives the impression that Reformers like Wyclif, Hus, Savonarola, Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin were merely out of step with the accepted, centuries-old teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. He is not aware of the fact that he is reading history in reverse.
Rural Banks and Farm Loan Participation

Banking theory is used to develop a static, certainty model for evaluating profitability of farm loan participations for rural banks. Techniques are developed and applied to measure empirically the effects of participations on rural bank earnings attributed to farmer customer relationships and costs associated with demand balances required by correspondent banks. Model results show a decline in optimal levels and profits of loan participations for rural banks as correspondent balance requirements increase and as other parameters adjust to levels reflecting tighter monetary conditions. Participation strategies that may enhance the flow of funds into rural areas are also considered.
Differential effects of Latrunculin-A on myofibrils in cultures of skeletal muscle cells: insights into mechanisms of myofibrillogenesis.

To test different models of myofibrillogenesis, we followed live cells expressing Green Fluorescent Proteins ligated to either actin or alpha-actinin and analyzed stress fibers, premyofibrils, and myofibrils in quail myotube cultures. Actin filaments in the three types of fibers were compared by analyzing the effects of Latrunculin-A (LatA), a monomeric actin binding macrolide drug (M.W. ¼ 422 Daltons), on stress fibers in fibroblasts and on myofibrils in skeletal myotubes in the same culture. LatA, at low concentrations (0.2 mM), induced the loss of stress fibers in fibroblasts within a few hours and within 10 min when Lat-A was increased to 1.0 mM. The effect was reversible with reformation of the stress fibers when the drug was removed. In contrast to the Lat-A induced disassembly of stress fibers in fibroblasts, assembling myofibrils in the skeletal muscle cells were not affected by 1.0-mM concentrations of Lat-A. With increasing concentrations of Lat-A (up to 5 mM), and increasing incubation times, however, the drug induced premyofibrils, the precursors of mature myofibrils, to disassemble and the accumulation of mature myofibrils to be halted. Removal of the drug led to the reformation of premyofibrils and the resumption of myofibrillogenesis in the spreading edges of the myotubes. In contrast, the mature myofibrils in the central shaft of the myotubes were stable in doses of Lat-A as high as 50 mM. The newly assembled mature myofibrils located adjacent to the premyofibrils at the ends and sides of the myotube were intermediate in sensitivity to Lat-A, disassembling when exposed to 10 mM Lat-A for one hour. To determine how a change in the actin filaments during myofibrillogenesis might confer greater resistance to depolymerization by Lat-A, we stained the myotubes with an antibody directed against CapZ, a protein that blocks the release of monomer actin from the barbed ends of actin filaments. CapZ was absent from premyofibrils. It was distributed uniformly along nascent myofibrils where F-actin was unstriated, and was localized in a clearly striated Z-band pattern in the mature myofibrils where F-actin patterns were fully striated. These Lat-A and CapZ results are discussed in the context of various models of myofibrillogenesis. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 62:35–47, 2005. ' 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
African Rhythm: A Northern Ewe Perspective

African Rhythm:. Northern Ewe Perspective. Kofi Agawu. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 217 pp.
Comparative clinical evaluation of the IsoAmp® HSV Assay with ELVIS® HSV culture/ID/typing test system for the detection of herpes simplex virus in genital and oral lesions

a b s t r a c t Background: The novel IsoAmp® HSV Assay employs isothermal helicase-dependent nucleic acid ampli- fication and a user-friendly disposable test device to achieve rapid (<1.5 h), on-demand qualitative detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 in oral and genital lesions. Objectives: To compare performance of the IsoAmp® HSV Assay with the ELVIS® HSV ID/typing (shell-vial culture and DFA) test system for clinical specimens collected from oral and genital lesions in symptomatic patients. Study design: A total of 994 specimens from male and female genital and oral lesions were obtained and evaluated at five study sites in the United States. Results from the IsoAmp® HSV Assay were compared to
Systematics and distribution of the squid genus Pterygioteuthis (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida) in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean

Understanding speciation in pelagic marine organisms is difficult due to poor knowledge of their systematics and distribution. This paper examines the systematics of the squid genus Pterygioteuthis and its distribution and speciation in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. A morphology-based phylogenetic analysis identifies two clades: the P. giardi group (P. giardi giardi and P. giardi hoylei) and the P. gemmata group (P. gemmata and P. microlampas). Based on its morphological and biogeographic differences from P. giardi giardi, the subspecies P. giardi hoylei (fide Nesis, 1987) is elevated to species status and a neotype designated. Also, to clarify taxonomic issues in the P. gemmata group, a neotype is designated for P. microlampas Berry, 1913. These strictly pelagic taxa have distinct distributions; P. hoylei is the only pyroteuthid to occur in the relatively isolated eastern tropical Pacific (ETP), while P. giardi inhabits the temperate north and south Pacific (excluding the ETP) and the Atlantic. Pterygioteuthis microlampas is known only from off the Hawaiian Islands and New Zealand, while P. gemmata extends throughout the temperate Pacific (excluding the ETP) and Atlantic. This study represents the first detailed cladistic analysis of Pyroteuthidae and generates new hypotheses regarding speciation in the open ocean.
Can Local Incentives Alter a Metropolitan City's Economic Development?:

Cities in the US and Europe have chosen increasingly to offer incentives designed to attract and retain local economic development. The increased use of local incentives has occurred with little or...
Coupling and scattering of a cylinder with four short dipoles in a four parallel wire system

An important anechoic chamber problem is to design a four-parallel-wire anechoic chamber at VHF frequencies which produces transverse electric and magnetic (TEM) waves which are close to plane waves of free space. An important associated problem is the problem of determining the electromagnetic scattering and coupling that occur between the four-wire system and a scattering object which is located in the four-wire anechoic chamber. A cylinder with four short attached dipoles is used as a scattering object. The coupling that occurs between the four parallel wires from which the antenna system is constructed, the short dipoles which are attached on the cylinder, and the cylinder which is used as a scatterer is analyzed through the use of a method-of-moments computer program called the numerical electromagnetics code (NEC). The variations of the induced currents on the four short dipoles are obtained when the cylinder with these short dipoles has different angles of orientation with respect to the incident direction of the four-parallel-wire TEM wave. >
Car today, gone tomorrow: The ephemeral car in low-income, immigrant and minority families

Most transportation research in the United States uses cross-sectional, “snapshot” data to understand levels of car access. Might this cross-sectional approach mask considerable variation over time and within households? We use a panel dataset, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), for the years 1999–2011 to test this question. We find that for most families, being “carless” is a temporary condition. While 13 % of families in the US are carless in any given year, only 5 % of families are carless for all seven waves of data we examine in the PSID. We also find that poor families, immigrants, and people of color (particularly, blacks) are considerably more likely to transition into and out car ownership frequently and are less likely to have a car in any survey year than are non-poor families, the US-born, and whites.
SPATIALLY REGULATED SPETS4 TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR ACTIVITY ALONG THE SEA URCHIN EMBRYO ANIMAL-VEGETAL AXIS

Because the transcription of the SpHE gene is regulated cell-autonomously and asymmetrically along the maternally determined animal-vegetal axis of the very early sea urchin embryo, its regulators provide an excellent entry point for investigating the mechanism(s) that establishes this initial polarity. Previous studies support a model in which spatial regulation of SpHE transcription relies on multiple nonvegetal positive transcription factor activities (Wei, Z., Angerer, L. M. and Angerer, R. C. (1997) Dev. Biol. 187, 71–78) and a yeast one-hybrid screen has identified one, SpEts4, which binds with high specificity to a cis element in the SpHE regulatory region and confers positive activation of SpHE promoter transgenes (Wei, Z., Angerer, R. C. and Angerer, L. M. (1999) Mol. Cell. Biol. 19, 1271–1278). Here we demonstrate that SpEts4 can bind to the regulatory region of the endogenous SpHE gene because a dominant repressor, created by fusing SpEts4 DNA binding and Drosophila engrailed repression domains, suppresses its transcription. The pattern of expression of the SpEts4 gene is consistent with a role in regulating SpHE transcription in the nonvegetal region of the embryo during late cleavage/early blastula stages. Although maternal transcripts are uniformly distributed in the egg and early cleaving embryo, they rapidly turn over and are replaced by zygotic transcripts that accumulate in a pattern congruent with SpHE transcription. In addition, in vivo functional tests show that the SpEts4 cis element confers nonvegetal transcription of a beta-galactosidase reporter gene containing the SpHE basal promoter, and provide strong evidence that the activity of this transcription factor is an integral component of the nonvegetal transcriptional regulatory apparatus, which is proximal to, or part of, the mechanism that establishes the animal-vegetal axis of the sea urchin embryo.
Cosmid packaging and infection of E. coli.

Cosmids are cloning vectors that were developed to enable large fragments of DNA to be cloned and maintained (1–3). Cosmid vectors allow the cloning of fragments up to 45 kilobases (kb) and are commonly used in genomic library construction. The distinguishing feature of a cosmid is the presence of bacteriophage cos sites, which enable the vector, and cloned genomic DNA, to be packaged into bacteriophage heads (1,4). Cosmids also contain several other components, including a drug-resistance marker that is necessary for the selection of cosmid-containing bacteria, a plasmid origin of replication, usually ColE1, which regulates cosmid replication and copy number within the Escherichia coli host (1,5), and restriction sites that facilitate cloning of the desired DNA fragments and insert verification by restriction digestion (see Fig. 1).
Prevalence and growth of Listeria on naturally contaminated smoked salmon over 28 days of storage at 4°C

Only limited data are available on the growth characteristics of Listeria in naturally contaminated ready-to-eat foods. To evaluate Listeria contamination patterns and growth in smoked salmon, 72 smoked salmon product samples from two processing plants were tested for Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes. Samples were divided into four approximately equal portions: one portion was tested on receipt, and the other three were vacuum sealed and stored at 4° C for 7, 14, and 28 days. Listeria testing was performed using both an enrichment procedure and direct plating to enumerate Listeria in samples that contained >2 to 10 CFU/g. Five samples were positive for Listeria spp., including one sample that was positive for L. monocytogenes. Most samples yielded only sporadic positive results among the portions tested on days 0, 7, 14, and 28. Only one sample contained Listeria spp. in numbers above the detection limit for enumeration. For this sample, the portions tested on days 7 and 28 contained 46 and 52 CFU/g, re...
Management of Primary Gastrointestinal Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas: a Population-Based Survival Analysis.

Primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin lymphomas (PGINHL) are a heterogeneous group of rare GI malignancies with limited data to guide management. This study describes management of PGINHL in a population-based registry and aims to determine the association between receipt of surgery and long-term survival. All adults diagnosed with PGINHL over 27 years in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results were identified (excluding mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas). Demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed. Survival was compared using the log-rank method. Cox hazard modeling was used to determine independent prognostic factors. We identified 16,129 patients. The majority were of gastric origin and had diffuse large B cell histology. Surgery was performed in 46.9 % of patients, not recommended in 41.8 % and recommended but not performed in 10.1 %. Overall 1-year and 5-year survival rates were 65.6 and 35.6 %, respectively. Patients undergoing surgery had a 5-year survival of 43.6 % compared to 34.8 % for whom surgery was recommended but not performed (p < .0001), (receipt of chemotherapy not available). Female gender, gastric location, follicular or mantle cell histology, and radiation therapy were associated with improved survival. Nearly 50 % of PGINHL patients underwent surgery. Surgery was not associated with improved survival. More prospective, case-matched studies are needed to guide management.
The thiamine pyrophosphatase technique as an indicator of the morphology of the Golgi apparatus in the neurons. IV. Studies on the cerebellum of rat and squirrel monkey.

Detailed studies have been made on the morphology of the TPPase-positive material in various components of the cerebellum. The various types of nerve fibers in various layers of the cerebellum and the glomeruli are free of any TPPase-positive Golgi material. The stellate and basket cells have a thick plate-like Golgi complex. The Purkinje cells showed either a Golgi network or discrete masses of TPPase-positive material of various sizes and shapes. The Bergman glial cells showed a delicate Golgi network. The Golgi type II cells showed a thick or thin TPPase-positive network. The granule cells showed only discrete vesicles, granules, and comma-shaped masses found at any one pole of each cell. The cells of the deep cerebellar nuclei also showed a network. The results of this study are compared with similar studies made on the spinal cord, olfactory bulb, Ammon's horn, fascia dentata, cerebral cortex, and ganglion cells.
Hyperbolic Tamm Plasmons

Prediction of a novel photonic mode at a boundary between a hyperbolic metal-dielectric layer and a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) is reported. The mode exhibits anisotropic dispersion and strong coupling of transverse-magnetic and transverse-electric oscillations.
Probability-based reversible image authentication scheme for image demosaicking

In this paper, we propose a novel image authentication scheme to detect the tampered areas for image demosaicking with the reversibility preserving property. Image demosaicking is the process of reconstructing an RGB color image from the sampled data acquired by the digital camera that applies a color filter array to a single sensor. In the proposed scheme, the authentication data is embedded into the rebuilt components of the demosaicked pixels.From the results, it is shown that good image qualities of the embedded images are obtained by using the proposed scheme. When the illegal users modified the contents of the embedded images, the tampered areas in the modified images can be clearly detected by using the proposed scheme. The demosaicked images can be losslessly recovered if no modifications are done on the embedded images. The proposed authentication codes embedding process can be implemented by hardware in single sensor digital camera. Furthermore, the proposed scheme can be extended to protect the image integrity for cloud computing environments. A reversible tamper detection scheme for demosaicked images is proposed.The authentication data is embedded the un-sampled components of the demosaicked pixels.The tampered areas in the modified images can be clearly detected by using the proposed scheme.The proposed scheme can be applied to any image demosaicking technique subject to image integrity protection.
Historical Note on the Newton-Raphson Method of Approximation

(1911). Historical Note on the Newton-Raphson Method of Approximation. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 29-32.
Identification of an Inherited Form of Peyronie’s Disease with Autosomal Dominant Inheritance and Association with Dupuytren’s Contracture and Histocompatibility B7 Cross-Reacting Antigens

AbstractPeyronie’s disease is an inflammatory disorder with no confirmed etiology. We have documented the familial transmission of the disease as an autosomal dominant trait in 3 pedigrees. The occurrence of Dupuytren’s contracture in 7 of 9 (78 per cent) affected individuals, which is a significant increase over the average 10 per cent reported in sporadic cases, suggests that both of these fibrosing disorders are pleiotropic effects of the same gene in these families. Similarly, the histocompatibility B7 cross-reacting antigens were present in 90 per cent of the patients with Peyronie’s disease. Additional studies, including careful family histories and histocompatibility antigen typing, are necessary to elucidate the role of histocompatibility antigens as a relative risk factor.
ACTIVITY-DEPENDENT REGULATION OF CA2+I IN AVIAN COCHLEAR NUCLEUS NEURONS :ROLES OF PROTEIN KINASES A AND C AND RELATION TO CELL DEATH

Zirpel, Lance, William R. Lippe, and Edwin W Rubel. Activity-dependent regulation of [Ca2+]i in avian cochlear nucleus neurons: roles of protein kinases A and C and relation to cell death. J. Neuro...
Yuming He. Home and the World: Editing the “Glorious Ming” in Woodblock-Printed Books of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries . Cambridge, Mass.; London: Harvard University Asia Center, 2013. xi, 343 p. ISBN 978-0674066809. $35.96

Home and the World: Editing the “Glorious Ming” in Woodblock-Printed Books of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries is both a history of Ming book culture and a thoughtful meditation on the practice of book history. Its prose style is scholarly, but enjoying Home and the World does not require prior knowledge of a specialized discipline. Yuming He offers an engaging introduction to the book as an artifact of culture and reveals the reception and use of texts given different social and personal contexts. The late Ming was a fascinating period in the growth of book consumption. Expanded population, urbanity, and . . .
Primary renal carcinoid. Case report and literature review

We report a case of primary renal carcinoid, which is a very rare neoplasm: to our knowledge, only 19 cases have been previously reported. The tumor displayed histologic features typical of carcinoid tumors from other sites, including growth in nests and ribbons, uniform cells with finely granular, eosinophilic cytoplasm, and stippled chromatin. Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of membrane-bound dense-core granules. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed staining for chromogranin A, neuron-specific enolase, Leu-7, and synaptophysin, as well as pancreatic polypeptide. An interesting finding was the positive staining for prostatic acid phosphatase, while staining for prostate-specific antigen was negative. Although prostatic acid phosphatase is commonly seen in primary gastrointestinal hindgut carcinoids, in this case a primary hindgut carcinoid was ruled out by clinical examination and endoscopy. The patient developed metastases to the liver, but was well and without symptoms 15 months after diagnosis.
The impact of anhydrobiosis on the persistence of Scottnema lindsayae (Nematoda): a modeling analysis of population stability thresholds

The nematode (Scottnema lindsayae) is one of the most common soil invertebrates in the soils of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. A stage-structured population model developed for S. lindsayae was modified to include the effects of anhydrobiosis resulting from soil moisture limitations. Model results indicated that anhydrobiosis lowered temperature requirements needed to establish stable populations by buffering mortality at low temperatures. Moisture conditions producing anyhdrobiosis in about 5% of the population had the lowest temperature requirements; fully active populations required 50% more cumulative annual degree-days to persist. Hence, transfer between active and anhydrobiotic states enhanced the persistence of S. lindsayae in these extreme cold desert soils.
Wolbachia endosymbionts modify Drosophila ovary protein levels in a context-dependent manner.

ABSTRACT Endosymbiosis is a unique form of interaction between organisms, with one organism dwelling inside the other. One of the most widespread endosymbionts is Wolbachia pipientis, a maternally transmitted bacterium carried by insects, crustaceans, mites, and filarial nematodes. Although candidate proteins that contribute to maternal transmission have been identified, the molecular basis for maternal Wolbachia transmission remains largely unknown. To investigate transmission-related processes in response to Wolbachia infection, ovarian proteomes were analyzed from Wolbachia-infected Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans. Endogenous and variant host-strain combinations were investigated. Significant and differentially abundant ovarian proteins were detected, indicating substantial regulatory changes in response to Wolbachia. Variant Wolbachia strains were associated with a broader impact on the ovary proteome than endogenous Wolbachia strains. The D. melanogaster ovarian environment also exhibited a higher level of diversity of proteomic responses to Wolbachia than D. simulans. Overall, many Wolbachia-responsive ovarian proteins detected in this study were consistent with expectations from the experimental literature. This suggests that context-specific changes in protein abundance contribute to Wolbachia manipulation of transmission-related mechanisms in oogenesis. IMPORTANCE Millions of insect species naturally carry bacterial endosymbionts called Wolbachia. Wolbachia bacteria are transmitted by females to their offspring through a robust egg-loading mechanism. The molecular basis for Wolbachia transmission remains poorly understood at this time, however. This proteomic study identified specific fruit fly ovarian proteins as being upregulated or downregulated in response to Wolbachia infection. The majority of these protein responses correlated specifically with the type of host and Wolbachia strain involved. This work corroborates previously identified factors and mechanisms while also framing the broader context of ovarian manipulation by Wolbachia.
Three-Channel Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Endogenous Fluorophores

Autofluorescence of endogeneous fluorophores, such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and tryptophan can provide valuable information about metabolic processes and states of cells and tissues. When combined with time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), the amount of bound and free NADH and relative amount of NADPH can be readily extracted from the fluorescence decay data. These three FLIM detectors allow us to monitor the three endogenous molecules simultaneously in living cells.One of the challenges in analyzing endogenous fluorescence is the spectral overlap of generally broad emission spectra of the fluorophores. To separate individual components of multi-photon excited autofluorescence (three-photon excited tryptophan and two-photon excited NADH and FAD) we have employed three independent FLIM channels with spectral ranges centered around 360 nm, 480 nm and 540 nm.The calculation of lifetimes of individual components is complicated due to the inevitable emission spectral overlap between NADH and FAD and the inherent instability of multiple-exponential fitting problem. Because TCSPC decay curves can be easily transformed into phasor plots at various harmonic frequencies, we attempt to solve this problem using global analysis methods based both on exponential fitting with global parameters and phasor plot analyses. This work summarizes the main properties and the performance of both methods, and suggests optimal parameters (such as excitation wavelengths and collection times) during image acquisition.
BASIC: backbone-assisted successive interference cancellation

To meet the growing demand for wireless data, it is time to move away from the age-old paradigm of prohibiting interfering nodes from transmissions. Instead, through proactive management of interference among multiple colliding packets, we can design high throughput wireless systems. This is well explored in the Information Theory community and there are also a few implementational efforts that have been recently reported. The existing solutions are nontrivial to use in real systems as they require either tight time/frequency synchronization or exchange of data between transmitters prior to the transmissions. These requirements are hard to meet in practice especially for uplink transmissions. This paper proposes BASIC, a lightweight multi-user uplink transmission strategy that does not require tight synchronization or exchange of samples among nodes, which makes it an attractive alternative compared to its counterparts. BASIC exploits receiver diversity by controlling the data rates of the clients. A novel greedy algorithm is proposed for data rate selection. We implement BASIC on a software-defined radio platform. Our experiments on a real testbed show that BASIC outperforms TDMA by 48% in terms of overall throughput. Our trace-driven simulations show up to 4.8x gain in throughput with similar flow fairness.
The Role of Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Activation in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Article, see p 1738 The classic definition of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) as originally described by Teare1 is deceptively simple: “left ventricular hypertrophy in the absence of any identifiable cause.” This definition fits the majority of referral patients who are identified by either their symptoms or incidental findings on noninvasive testing. Longitudinal studies, however, including a seminal study performed by Frank and Braunwald2 in 1964, clearly described the disorder much as we know it today: a complex, progressive, and highly variable cardiomyopathy. Subsequent linkage studies in the early 1990s established mutations in the components of the cardiac sarcomere as the molecular cause of the familial form of HCM. Since then, the growing accessibility of genetic screening and advent of specialized centers of care have greatly expanded our understanding of what is now considered to be a genetic cardiomyopathy until proven otherwise.3 Even with this sophisticated understanding of the genetic etiology of the disorder, many clinically relevant questions remain regarding the basic mechanisms whereby mutations in sarcomeric proteins lead to the variable degrees of myocardial remodeling that define HCM. In other words, how does disrupted myofilament function trigger a myocellular response that alters the geometry of the heart leading to arrhythmias, impaired relaxation, hyperdynamics, and, in some cases, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction? Recent longitudinal studies and a pilot clinical trial of genotyped HCM cohorts have helped to refine and integrate these important questions.4,5 In particular, the observation that patients carrying sarcomeric mutations (sarc-positive HCM) have worse outcomes that may not necessarily be defined by the degree of hypertophy has refocused research efforts on both the preclinical state and temporal development of the disorder.6 Thus, we now know that sarc-positive patients may exhibit impaired relaxation before the onset of symptoms or overt left ventricular hypertrophy, …
Stover harvest impacts soil and hydrologic properties on three minnesota farms

Stover is the material remaining after harvesting corn (Zea Mays L.) grain, which may be removed for a variety of purposes, but these material are also crucial for protecting and enriching soil properties. This research was conducted on-farm in collaboration to assess the impact of harvesting cobs (Grain+Cob), and/or all stover (Grain+Stover) in addition to grain (Grain) on several soil properties related to soil health: soil organic carbon (SOC), particulate organic matter – carbon (POM-C), dry aggregate size distribution (DASD), fraction of aggregate class remaining stable in water (ASW) and unconfined field soil hydraulic properties including infiltration rate (i), sorptivity (S) and characteristic mean pore size (lm). The farms had different crop rotation, tillage practices and soil textures. The Donnelly farm, on a Hamerly clay loam, was managed in corn/soybean (Glycine Max L. [Merr.]) rotation with minimal tillage. The Clontarf farm, on a Malachy sandy loam, was managed in corn/edible bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) rotation with aggressive tillage. The Chokio farm, on Hamerly clay loam, was managed in corn/soybean/wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation and aggressive tillage. The fields managed with aggressive tillage displayed evidence of degrading SOC, DASD and hydraulic properties. The field managed with minimal disturbance, the Grain treatment maintained SOC throughout the profile, and had favorable DASD and hydrologic properties, but harvesting residues undermined these positive attributes. Based on farms in order to sustain measure soil properties, it was necessary to return >9 Mg stover ha-1 stover when aggressively tilling and >5.6 Mg stover ha-1 with reduced tillage.
Prediction intervals for the original response when using Manly’s exponential transformations

Motivated by A-10 single engine aircraft climb experiments, in this article we consider prediction interval estimation in the original units of observation after fitting a linear model using Manly’...
PACBB: A Projected Adaptive Cyclic Barzilai-Borwein Method for Box Constrained Optimization

The adaptive cyclic Barzilai-Borwein (BB) method [DZ05] for unconstrained optimization is extended to bound constrained optimization. Using test problems from the CUTE library [BCGT95], performance is compared with SPG2 (a BB method), GENCAN (a BB/conjugate gradient scheme), and L-BFGS-B (limited BFGS for bound constrained problems).
On the Mechanics of Interfacial Zones in Bonded Materials

The interfacial zones play an important role in determining the strength and the toughness of multiphase materials. In studying the failure processes initiating from flaws near and at the interfaces, a realistic modelling of interfacial regions is, therefore, highly desirable. In this paper the existing interface models are briefly described and the problem of a crack lying parallel to the interface is examined in some detail. Some results obtained from a new model for an interfacial region with very steep material property gradients are then presented.
After the Awakening

After the awakening, after the lovers supposedly have ‘gone off into the sunset,’ a crucial new question arises: Toward what is the process of eros ‘transforming’ the consciousness of the lovers? If eros is to heighten consciousness by pulling it out of a plodding sameness and complacence, it cannot do so if the awakening phenomenon itself is allowed to continue long enough to become its own stasis and lethargy. The motivation for eros derives from the fact that consciousness seeks not only happiness, contentment and the reduction of drives, but also complexity, value-expressive activity, symbolization of these values through effective work, life-affirming adventure, and existentially meaningful transformation. It is not enough to be transformed into a permanent state of hypnotic pining and daydreaming.
Wal-Mart v. Dukes Rewritten

This is a rewritten opinion of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. v. Dukes et al., 564 U.S. 338 (2011), published as part of the edited volume Feminist Judgments: Employment Discrimination Opinions Rewritten (Ann C. McGinley & Nicole B. Porter, eds.) (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2019). In Wal-Mart v. Dukes, the United States Supreme Court de-certified a nationwide class of women seeking to sue Wal-Mart for sex-based discrimination in pay and promotions. The rewritten opinion addresses and clarifies multiple issues raised in the case, including the contours of the substantive law of discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, whether the proposed class met the commonality requirement of Rule 23(a), and whether certification was proper under Rule 23(b)(2). The author takes a feminist perspective by drawing from research in the social sciences on how discrimination operates and by re-establishing systemic disparate treatment theory and private class actions as critical tools for triggering organizational change and reducing employment discrimination.
A Question of Costliness: Time Horizons and Interstate Signaling:

This article examines how interstate signaling processes operate under multiple dimensions of uncertainty. The existing signaling literature largely assumes that states communicate and infer one an...
Safety and Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation of the Medial Branch Nerves with Preexisting Spinal Hardware. A Case Series and Review of Literature.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To explore the efficacy of radio frequency ablation in treating pain in patients with hardware at site of the procedure. RECENT FINDINGS There is very limited data in literature about this topic. One study performed in 2016 indicated no complications when performing RFA close to hardware in patients with chronic pain conditions. Radiofrequency ablation can be safely and effectively performed close to hardware. While heating of the hardware can happen which can theoretically lead to tissue injury or decreased heat going to target nerve, this does not seem to be of clinical significance. More studies are needed to confirm this finding.
Development of microparticles for controlled release of resveratrol to adipose tissue and the impact of drug loading on particle morphology and drug release.

Abstract Resveratrol is a small molecule produced by various plants with a remarkable range of beneficial functions in animals. One of these is stimulating signaling pathways in adipose tissue that protect against obesity. Unfortunately, resveratrol suffers from poor bioavailability that inhibits its accumulation in target tissues, including fat, thus hindering the realization of its therapeutic potential. To address this, we are developing biodegradable microparticles as drug depots for controlled release of resveratrol within fat. In this study, resveratrol was encapsulated into poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles using an oil-in-water emulsion/solvent evaporation technique. The oil phase consisted of resveratrol and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) dissolved in a mixture of dichloromethane and ethanol; meanwhile, the aqueous phase contained poly(vinyl alcohol) as the emulsifier. Increasing ethanol’s volume ratio increased resveratrol’s solubility in the oil phase and particle drug loading. The maximal loading achieved was 65 µg/mg (6.5%) and occurred when the ethanol to dichloromethane ratio was 1:3. Under these conditions, particles exhibited ruffled surfaces, which resulted in variable drug release over the first three days of a six-week release assay. By decreasing resveratrol and ethanol in the oil phase and increasing poly(vinyl alcohol) in the aqueous phase, smooth particles were achieved, but they suffered a 15–25-fold decrease in drug loading depending on size. Small particles exhibited higher drug loading and burst drug release compared to larger particles because of their higher specific surface area. Utilizing mild chemistry, we functionalized poly(vinyl alcohol) with fluorescein isothiocyanate and demonstrated that encapsulation of resveratrol in the particle decreases the amount of fluorescent polymer on the particle surface, suggesting resveratrol displaces the emulsifier during particle formation. Taken together, resveratrol can be encapsulated into poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles, but it accumulates at the particle surface impacting drug loading, surface roughness, and drug release.