cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coalition-Based Resource Negotiation for Multimedia Applications in Informationally Decentralized Networks

Designing efficient and fair solutions for dividing the network resources in a distributed manner among self-interested multimedia users is recently becoming an important research topic because heterogeneous and high bandwidth multimedia applications (users), having different quality-of-service requirements, are sharing the same network. Suitable resource negotiation solutions need to explicitly consider the amount of information exchanged among the users and the computational complexity incurred by the users. In this paper, we propose decentralized solutions for resource negotiation, where multiple autonomous users self-organize into a coalition which shares the same network resources and negotiate the division of these resources by exchanging information about their requirements. We then discuss various resource sharing strategies that the users can deploy based on their exchanged information. Several of these strategies are designed to explicitly consider the utility (i.e., video quality) impact of multimedia applications. In order to quantify the utility benefit derived by exchanging different information, we define a new metric, which we refer to as the value of information. We quantify through simulations the improvements that can be achieved when various information is exchanged between users, and discuss the required complexity at the user side involved in implementing the various resource negotiation strategies.
Two Regions Within the Proximal Steroidogenic Factor 1 Promoter Drive Somatic Cell-Specific Activity in Developing Gonads of the Female Mouse

Targets of steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1; also known as NR5A1 and AD4BP) have been identified within cells at every level of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and -adrenal axes, revealing SF1 to be a master regulator of major endocrine systems. Mouse embryos express SF1 in the genital ridge until Embryonic Day 13.5 (E13.5). Thereafter, expression persists in the male and is substantially lower in the female gonad until birth. We hypothesize that the sexually dimorphic expression of Sf1 during gonadogenesis is mediated by sex-specific regulation of its promoter. To investigate dimorphic regulation within the fetal gonad, we developed an experimental strategy using transient transfection of E13.5 gonad explant cultures and evaluated various Sf1 promoter constructs for sexually dimorphic DNA elements. The proximal Sf1 promoter correctly targeted reporter activity to SF1-expressing cells in both XY and XX gonads. Stepwise deletion of sequences from the Sf1 promoter revealed two regions that affected regulation within female gonads. Mutation of both sequences together did not cause further disruption of reporter activity, suggesting the two sites might work in concert to promote activity in female somatic cells. Results from gel mobility shift assays and fetal gonad-chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that TCFAP2 binds to one of the two female-specific sites within the proximal promoter of Sf1. Together, we show that transient transfection experiments performed within developing testes and ovaries are a powerful tool to uncover elements within the Sf1 promoter that contribute to sex-specific expression.
Organization of Heterogeneous Scientific Data Using the EAV/CR Representation

Entity-attribute-value (EAV) representation is a means of organizing highly heterogeneous data using a relatively simple physical database schema. EAV representation is widely used in the medical domain, most notably in the storage of data related to clinical patient records. Its potential strengths suggest its use in other biomedical areas, in particular research databases whose schemas are complex as well as constantly changing to reflect evolving knowledge in rapidly advancing scientific domains. When deployed for such purposes, the basic EAV representation needs to be augmented significantly to handle the modeling of complex objects (classes) as well as to manage interobject relationships. The authors refer to their modification of the basic EAV paradigm as EAV/CR (EAV with classes and relationships). They describe EAV/CR representation with examples from two biomedical databases that use it.
Measles Virus Ribonucleic Acid and Protein Synthesis: Effects of 6-Azauridine and Cycloheximide on Viral Replication

Cycloheximide and 6-azauridine were employed to study the time course of measles virus protein and nucleic acid syntheses in AV3 cells. Synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA) essential for infectivity was first detected at 6 hr and increased concurrently with the formation of essential protein. Maximum levels of virus-specific RNA and protein were present by 18 hr, a time when only 5% of progeny virus was detected. Essential RNA and protein syntheses preceded the formation of infectious virus by at least 10 to 12 hr. The time course of RNA and protein syntheses essential for the formation of complement-fixing (CF) antigen and salt-dependent agglutinin (SDA) was also determined. RNA synthesis essential for the formation of SDA was first detected at 2 hr and was present maximally by 6 hr, whereas SDA-protein increased concurrently with the protein essential for infectivity. This suggested that the last protein essential for infectivity may be SDA. RNA synthesis essential for the formation of CF antigen was first detected at 4 hr, while CF-protein increased at 5 hr and preceded SDA-protein and protein essential for infectivity by approximately 3 hr. Reversal of inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide indicated that early protein synthesis (1 to 3 hr) was required for the formation of infectious virus. The data suggest that the relatively long eclipse period observed with measles virus is related to a long maturation period rather than to late formation of early proteins, viral RNA, or structural proteins.
Devices for frequency conversion of single and entangled photons

Waveguides in periodically poled lithium niobate can be used for frequency up- and downconversion of quantum states of light.We discuss applications for single-photon detection, quantum communications, and limitations due to parasitic noise processes.
Practical Use of Nitrogen Gas as a Method for Insect Control in Herbaria

Herbaria are libraries of dried mounted plants used for plant identification, research vouchers and teaching. Herbarium specimens are subject to damage from insects, fungi and bac- teria, and must be protected by treatments that kill damaging organisms. Naphthalene, the most common chemical cur- rently used in herbaria, is a class C carcinogen and potential allergen. The aim was to develop an affordable alternative to treatment with persistent hazardous toxins for maintaining dried herbarium specimens. The new method uses ambient temperature nitrogen gas and widely available, valved, ny- lon, oxygen barrier bags. Nitrogen gas treatment has been shown to be less expensive than freezer storage and safer than treatment with naphthalene and other toxins. The lower hazard of nitrogen treatment compared to naphthalene of- fers a practical option for K-12 and institutions of higher education to initiate, reinstate or strengthen herbarium col- lections for teaching and/or research. This is the first report of the use of inexpensive valved oxygen barrier bags for herbarium pest control.
Investigation of forward citation count as a patent analysis method

Patent citation counts have been used extensively as a patent valuation technique because the information necessary for conducting analysis can be easily gathered and applied to mathematical models. Dominant theory asserts that patents with higher forward citation counts have greater economic value relative to other patents. We focus on evaluating the validity of the patent citation count theory. Three hypotheses that examine the relationship of forward citations with other aspects of patents are presented. In these hypothesis, three relationships are examined: the relationship between a patent's forward citation count and the average number of forward citations for patents in its innovation space, the size of the patent's portfolio, and the patent's second generation forward citation counts. While most of the results proved to be inconclusive, we found evidence that use of forward citations may be problematic.
Effect of Geometric Characteristics of Aggregates on the Fatigue Response of Bituminous Paving Mixtures

THREE COARSE AGGREGATES AND TWO FINE AGGREGATES, REPRESENTING BOTH NATURAL AND CRUSHED MATERIALS, WERE TESTED TO MEASURE THE EFFECTS OF THE GEOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF AGGREGATES ON THE FATIGUE RESPONSE OF BITUMINOUS PAVING MIXTURES. RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION SHOW THAT THE FATIGUE LIFE OF THE MIXTURE INCREASED WITH THE VALUE OF THE PARTICLE INDEX OF THE FINE AGGREGATE. THE FATIGUE BEHAVIOR OF THE MIXTURES TESTED WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY THE GEOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COARSE AGGREGATE, NOR WAS IT AFFECTED BY THE GRADATION OF THE AGGREGATES IN THESE MIXTURES. /AUTHOR/
A Framework For Principals: Promoting Student Success Through Leadership And Collaboration

What’s a principal to do? How can a principal stay on top of the demands of the job and be successful? How can the principal construct strategies that will invite solidarity, cooperation, and shared decision-making, and yet, at the same time, focus on student achievement? This article provides a framework in which key concepts are addressed, all geared to reckon with the demands of the principal as instructional leader. To meet these challenges, educational leaders need to address a clear vision for change, an engaging learning environment, a collegial commitment for improvement, the importance of multicultural education, and the inclusion of technology.
3D Printed Block Copolymer Nanostructures

The emergence of 3D printing has dramatically advanced the availability of tangible molecular and extended solid models. Interestingly, there are few nanostructure models available both commercially and through other do-it-yourself approaches such as 3D printing. This is unfortunate given the importance of nanotechnology in science today. In this work, we have filled part of this gap by designing and 3D printing several block copolymer (BCP) nanostructure morphologies. We used a variety of methods including manually drawing the files within 3D computer design software, using equations with mathematical graphing software, and developing a programming script to convert self-consistent field theory (SCFT) structure data into a 3D printable file. Conversion of SCF data into 3D printable structures may find broader applicability beyond creating BCP nanostructures as SCF calculations are used in a variety of geometric computations. All methods reported herein produced tangible 3D prints of approximately equal q...
The pursuit-evasion-defense differential game in dynamic constrained environments

Dynamic multi-player games are powerful abstractions of important real-world problems involving multiple interacting agents in both cooperative and adversarial settings. This paper studies a three-player differential pursuit-evasion game in which a pursuer aims to capture a fleeing evader while a third player, the defender, cooperates with the latter by attempting to intercept or delay the pursuer to avoid capture. Our analysis considers time-varying dynamics and allows the presence of possibly moving obstacles in the domain. We apply a recent theoretical result to express the outcome of the game through the solution of a double-obstacle Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs variational inequality, and propose a novel approach to break down the problem into two simpler two-player games with dynamic targets and constraints, which can be solved at a much lower cost. Although conservative, this method guarantees correctness of the computed winning region and strategy for the evader-defender team when a feasible escape solution is found. We demonstrate both the full solution and the approximation method through a numerical example.
Problems and Renewal in American Philosophy

Time in the Ditch presents evidence that the politics of the McCarthy Era has distorted American philosophy, both institutionally and intellectually, ever since that time. It proposes a new paradigm, “situating reason,” which is free of those distortions. It is neither an account of the new “golden age” of philosophy outside philosophy departments (as Harding wishes) nor a general history of the rise of analytical philosophy (as Hollinger thinks). I defend myself against Cohen's charges of factual error and historical misreading, and explain mycritical views on the way the history of philosophy is generally taught in the U.S.
Promotion of Activity and Selectivity by Alkanethiol Monolayers for Pd-Catalyzed Benzyl Alcohol Hydrodeoxygenation

In reactions of aromatic oxygenates, one promising strategy for improving selectivity toward desirable products is to control the ensembles of available surface sites and thus the adsorbed conformations of reactive intermediates. For this study, alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers with variable surface densities were employed to restrict the conformation of adsorbed benzyl alcohol on Pd for enhancing hydrodeoxygenation selectivity to toluene and reducing decarbonylation selectivity to benzene. Toluene selectivity was dramatically improved on a 1-octadecanethiol-coated catalyst at the cost of a large decrease in reaction rate. On the other hand, deposition of a sparser 1-adamantanethiol (AT) coating improved selectivity to a smaller extent, but resulted in a higher reaction rate than that of the uncoated catalyst. Auger electron spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) were used to further characterize this chemistry on a Pd(111) surface in ultrahigh vacuum. The TPD results match the s...
Regional Variation in the Seasonal Activity of the Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis saevissima richteri

Studies were conducted over a one-year period at 6 locations throughout the range of the imported fire ant, Solenopsis saevissima richteri Forel, to determine regional variations in the seasonal activity of this pest. Threshold levels for various types of activity were found to be uniformly temperature-dependent in all parts of the range. Workers began to forage when soil temperatures exceeded 10°C. Some foraging occurred even in the winter months in the northern part of its range when the daily temperature exceeded this threshold for more than a few hours. Brood production in spring began when the weekly mean soil temperature (at 5 cm) rose above 10°C, worker and sexual pupae appeared at ca. 20°C, and the alates at 22.5°C. In Florida the period of favorable soil temperature for new colony-founding and growth (24°C) lasted ca. 198 days; in northern Mississippi it lasted 83 days. Similarly, the ants in Florida were found to consume twice as much food annually and to produce 1.5 times more brood than the ants in the northern part of the range.
Relativistic Alfvén Waves on the jet of BL Lacertae

The jet of BL Lac displays transverse patterns that propagate downstream superluminally. We suggest that they are transverse Alfven waves propagating on the longitudinal component of a helical magnetic field. The speed of the wave adds relativistically to the speed of the beam, and the apparent speed of the pattern is greater than the beam speed. Models for the jet and the MHD waves give values for the Lorentz factor of the beam of 3–4.4 and pitch angle of the helical magnetic field of 43° - 65°. These are consistent with other estimates, if the beam and pattern speeds are allowed to differ.
Compressive line spectrum estimation with clustering and interpolation

We consider the standard line spectral estimation problem when the number of observed samples is significantly lower than that prescribed by the Nyquist rate. Two families of sparsity-based methods have recently been proposed for this problem. The first one uses an atomic norm minimization algorithm where the atoms correspond to complex exponentials of varying frequencies. The second one defines the sparse coefficient vectors for the signals of interest by designing parametric dictionaries that can be leveraged by sparse approximation algorithms involving clustering and interpolation. This paper compares the performance of these two algorithm families. Experiments show their advantages and disadvantages in terms of precision and complexity.
New Species of Hilara (Diptera:Empididae) from Hubei,China

Four new species of Hilara from Hubei are described: Hilara brevifurcata,sp. nov.,H. brevis,sp. nov.,H. dalongtana,sp. nov.,and H. longa,sp. nov.
Mixed Language Programming with Visual C#.NET and MATLAB

After discussing the applicability, the advantage and disadvantage of MATLAB and Visual C#.NET, in this paper, the design idea and programming characteristic of mixed language programming using MATLAB and Visual C#.NET were introduced. The implemented method of calling MATLAB algorithm in developing windows application program based on Visual C#.NET was given, and the basal steps and proceedings of mixed language programming using COM technique by actual example were also given.
Isolation and culture of human airway smooth muscle cells.

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells may be considered an important modulator of airway inflammatory responses, since they synthesize cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and metalloproteinases as well as support the adhesion of activated T lymphocytes. The study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of inflammatory mediators on airway smooth muscle was initially hampered by the inability to prepare pure populations of cells that retained the phenotypic characteristics of the differentiated cell. The study of smooth muscle cell immunobiology has been facilitated by the development of a technique for isolating and maintaining nontransformed human airway smooth muscle cells (1). These cells retain the physiologic responsiveness to a wide range of stimuli including inflammatory mediators, growth factors, contractile agonists and immune receptor crosslinking. Studies have shown that, although there is some phenotypic modulation, these cultured cells are stable over many population doublings and express smooth muscle cell-specific markers such as myosin heavy chain, myosin light chain kinase, α-actin, caldesmon, and SM22α . In addition, the synthetic function of these cells appears to be comparable to those studied in vivo. Here, we describe in detail our method for the isolation of human airway smooth muscle cells.
Experience, evaluation and faultless disagreement

In the last decade there has been a torrent of work at the intersection of philosophy and linguistics on predicates of personal taste (ppts), subjective expressions like fun and tasty that are (often) used to express opinions rather than matters of fact. In each section of this paper I discuss a phenomenon that has been largely overlooked in the literature on PPTs. In Section 1, I identify a neglected experiential reading of these adjectives (in sentences like ‘That was fun!’). All other theories of expressions like fun take them to express some standing property (like a disposition or preference), but distributional and compositional considerations suggest that the basic meaning of fun adjectives is experiential. In Section 2, I discuss the relation between fun claims relativized to particular experiencers (‘The Texas Giant is fun for me’) and their unrelativized counterparts (‘The Texas Giant is fun’), arguing that previous theories fail to capture the evaluativity unique to the latter. Finally, I argue...
Broadband operation of a two-stage tapered gyro-TWT amplifier

A two-stage Ka-band gyro-TWT amplifier experiment operating in the TE/sub 10/ rectangular tapered waveguide mode at the fundamental cyclotron frequency is underway at the Naval Research Laboratory. The objective of this program is to demonstrate the stable wideband operation of a low voltage tapered gyro-TWT having high gain and good gain uniformity. Initial experiments operating at 33 kV and 1.5 A have demonstrated a linear gain of 30 d8, saturated gain of 26 dB over an 8% 3 dB-bandwidth, and maximum efficiency of 15%. The operation is compared with theory. >
Cross-Bridge Dynamics in the Contracting Heart

The mechanical characteristics of the myosin motor is one of the key determinants of ventricular function. In small mammals there are two myosin isoforms, V1 and V3, with profoundly different performance characteristics. We used myothermal and mechanical analysis of intact papillary muscles from thryoxine (V1) and popylthiouracil (V3) treated rabbit hearts to assess the mechanical attributes of the myosin cross-bridge cycle. The average cross-bridge force time integral for VI papillary muscles is`15 ± 0.02 pNs for the entire isometric twitch and 0.19 ± 0.03 pNs for the portion of the isometric twitch between 0.9 peak isometric force for the rising and declining portions of the twitch. The ratio of V1/V3 for the cross-bridge force time integral for the entire twitch and at the peak of the twitch is 0.5 (p < 0.05) and 0.4 (p < 0.05), respectively. Since the peak of the twitch measurements minimize internal shortening only these will be presented below. The average unitary force and attachment time during the peak of the twitch for V1 hearts was 1.55 ± 0.37 pN and 140 ± 20 msec, respectively. The ratios of V1/V3 for these parameters were 0.6 (p < 0.05) and 0.8 (ns). The cycling rate and duty cycle for V1 were 4.37 ± 0.81 cycles per head-second and 0.66 ± 0.22. The ratios of V1/V3 for cycling rate and duty cycle were 2.8 (p < 0.05) and 2.7 (ns). These measurements are consistent with and help explain the energetic and mechanical function of the intact heart.
Single Crystals: What They Tell About High Temperature Superconductivity

Our current understanding of these interesting, and likely useful, superconducting materials has grown rapidly during the past four-plus years. Much of the progress has been through the use of single-crystalline samples. It is clear to me that continued enhancement of our knowledge will come with better samples and extensions of the work into other, less studied Systems. Certainly, researchers in the field have not shown any desire to slow down their activities as many new measurements are being proposed.
Assessment of lidar remote sensing capability of Raman water temperature from laboratory and field experiments (Conference Presentation)

Lidar remote sensing based on visible wavelength is one of the only way to penetrate the water surface and to obtain range resolved information of the ocean surface mixed layer at the synoptic scale. Accurate measurement of the mixed layer properties is important for ocean weather forecast and to assist the optimal deployment of military assets. Turbulence within the mixed layer also plays an important role in climate variability as it also influences ocean heat storage and algae photosynthesis (Sverdrup 1953, Behrenfeld 2010). As of today, mixed layer depth changes are represented in the models through various parameterizations constrained mostly by surface properties like wind speed, surface salinity and sea surface temperature. However, cooling by wind and rain can create strong gradients (0.5C) of temperature between the submillimeter surface layer and the subsurface layer (Soloviev and Lukas, 1997) which will manifest itself as a low temperature bias in the observations. Temperature and salinity profiles are typically used to characterize the mixed layer variability (de Boyer Montegut et al. 2004) and are both key components of turbulence characterization (Hou 2009). Recently, several research groups have been investigating ocean temperature profiling with laser remote sensing based either on Brillouin (Fry 2012, Rudolf and Walther 2014) or Raman scattering (Artlett and Pask 2015, Lednev et al. 2016). It is the continuity of promising research that started decades ago (Leonard et al. 1979, Guagliardo and Dufilho 1980, Hirschberg et al. 1984) and can benefit from the current state of laser and detector technology. One aspect of this research that has not been overlooked (Artlett and Pask 2012) but has yet to be revisited is the impact of temperature on vibrational Raman polarization (Chang and Young, 1972). The TURBulence Ocean Lidar is an experimental system, aimed at characterizing underwater turbulence by examining various Stokes parameters. Its multispectral capability in both emission (based on an optical parametric oscillator) and detection (optical filters) provide flexibility to measure the polarization signature of both elastic and inelastic scattering. We will present the characteristics of TURBOL and several results from our laboratory and field experiments with an emphasis on temperature profiling capabilities based on vibrational Raman polarization. We will also present other directions of research related to this activity.
Tanning Salon Compliance Rates in States With Legislation to Protect Youth Access to UV Tanning.

Importance The US Food and Drug Administration has classified tanning beds as carcinogenic. Most states have enacted legislation to prevent or create barriers for minors accessing tanning establishments. Determining tanning salon compliance with legislation would provide an indication of the influence of legislation at preventing exposure to the carcinogen in minors. Objectives To investigate compliance rates in the 42 states and the District of Columbia with legislation restricting tanning bed use in minors and to identify differences in compliance based on population, regional location, salon ownership, age group being regulated, and time since the law was enacted. Design, Setting, and Participants This investigation was a cross-sectional telephone survey conducted between February 1, 2015, and April 30, 2016, by callers posing as minors attempting to schedule a tanning appointment. The setting was tanning salons in the 42 states and the District of Columbia that currently have legislation restricting tanning bed use in minors. Included in the study were 427 tanning salons, 10 randomly selected from each state or territory with tanning legislation. Main Outcomes and Measures Overall compliance of tanning salons with state tanning legislation and differences in compliance based on community population, regional location, independent vs chain tanning salon, age group being regulated, and time since the law was enacted. Results Of the 427 tanning salons surveyed, overall noncompliance with state legislation was 37.2% (n = 159). There were more noncompliant tanning salons in rural locations (45.5%; 95% CI, 37.5%-53.7%; P = .009), southern regions of the United States (49.4%; 95% CI, 41.4%-57.4%; P = .001), independently owned salons (43.9%; 95% CI, 37.3%-50.6%; P = .003), states with younger age groups being regulated (53.5%; 95% CI, 45.7%-61.2%; P P Conclusions and Relevance Compliance with state legislation aimed at limiting tanning bed use among US minors is unsatisfactory, indicating that additional efforts to enforce the laws and education of the harmful effects of UV tanning are necessary, especially in rural, independently owned, and tanning salons in southern regions, which have decreased compliance rates.
Abstract TP98: Genetic Deletion of Kruppel-Like Factor 11 Aggravates Ischemic Brain Injury

Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) are members of the zinc finger family of transcription factors and the function of the KLFs in the central nervous system is largely unexplored. KLF11 is a member of the...
Abstract P257: Between-pedigree Genome-wide Linkage Screen Identifies a Locus on Chromosome 9 Influencing Coronary Artery Calcification in the Family Heart Study

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is the buildup of calcium deposits in the arteries leading to the heart, and is an indicator of atherosclerosis. CAC is known to have a genetic component. To identify the genes underlying CAC, a genome-wide linkage screen was performed in the Family Heart Study. There are two established loci influencing CAC identified by genome-wide association scans, at chromosome 9p21 and 6p24. However, there may be rare variants on haplotypes in the population that influence CAC. These would not be able to be identified by genome-wide association scans, but linkage scans could detect them. From the study, 2,687 individuals of European descent from 508 pedigrees with CAC scores were genotyped on the Illumina Human 1M-DuoV3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) array. CAC scores were determined by cardiac CT scan and adjusted for age, sex, and principal components before analysis. Using 484,358 common SNPs (minor allele frequency greater than 5%), common ancestry across the genome was determined for all pairs of individuals in the study. A segment of the genome was considered to be inherited from a common ancestor (identical-by-descent, IBD) if it contained more than 1,000 matching SNP genotypes over a length of at least one megabase. To test the influence of IBD at a locus on CAC, a linear mixed effects model was fit, including random effects to account for covariance due to relatedness and IBD states at each locus. All pedigrees were considered jointly in the model. Statistical significance was determined by comparing this model to one without IBD covariance via the likelihood ratio test. This model was evaluated approximately every megabase across all 22 pairs of autosomes. Since IBD states are determined solely by dense genotype data, IBD can be detected both within and between pedigrees in the study. This allows the inclusion covariance due to IBD in individuals in different pedigrees. If there is a haplotype shared across pedigrees, power to detect linkage is increased. CAC was found to have a narrow-sense heritability of 37.4% in this sample. Significant evidence of linkage was encountered at rs13293430 (chromosome 9, 31,050,747bp, LOD=3.042). When considering IBD between pedigrees, 914 pairs of individuals from different pedigrees were IBD at this position. This locus is near DDX58. Mutations in DDX58 cause Singleton-Merton syndrome, a disease characterized by calcification of blood vessels, making it an intriguing candidate gene for influence on CAC.
Multi-Camera Videography Methods for Aeroecology

The ability to study the behavior of flying animals in their natural environment has been dramatically improved by recent advances in imaging technologies and video analysis tools. Stereo videography, in particular, has taken aeroecology to a new level. We here describe methods for estimating the three-dimensional flight paths of animals from image data recorded simultaneously by multiple visible-light or infrared cameras. We explain how the accuracy of these estimates is influenced by camera properties and placements, as well as calibration procedures. We include a description of potential pitfalls drawn from field experience with various bat and bird species and show some example stereoscopic reconstructions of bat and bird flight.
David Cooper (1949-2018)

David A Cooper, an internationally renowned AIDS researcher, clinician and an Associate Editor of Pathogens and Immunity died in Sydney Australia on Sunday March 18, just a month shy of his 69 th birthday.
Enhancing the Safety and Efficacy of Food Allergy Immunotherapy: a Review of Adjunctive Therapies

Food allergy is a potentially life-threatening condition with no approved curative therapy. A number of food allergen immunotherapies are being investigated in phase II/III trials; however, these are limited in their ability to restore immune tolerance to food allergens and often result in high rates of allergic side effects, sometimes involving anaphylaxis, that may curtail their impact. A variety of adjunctive therapies have been developed in order to enhance the efficacy and/or improve the safety of food allergen immunotherapy through either shifting the immune response from a Th2 polarized response to a Th1 and regulatory T cell dominated response or by blocking downstream effects of the allergic inflammatory response by targeting IgE or mast cell mediators. Upstream therapies that shift towards a Th1/Treg response include toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 agonists (e.g., MPL and GLA), TLR9 agonists (CpG oligonucleotides), nanoparticles encapsulating peanut allergen (with and without adjuvants, such as CpG or rapamycin), Chinese herbal medicine (food allergy herbal formula (FAHF-2)), probiotics, and interferon-gamma. In contrast, anti-IgE therapies such as omalizumab, anti-histamines like ketotifen, and leukotriene receptor antagonists all target the downstream allergic response. Anti-IgE-based therapies appear to be furthest along with probiotics, Chinese herbal medicines, and TLR-4 agonists currently in early phase clinical trials. Meanwhile, nanoparticles represent an innovative delivery vehicle for immunotherapy that could improve both efficacy and decrease allergic side effects. Furthermore, other biologic therapies directed towards the allergic immune response are on the horizon. A number of factors will need to be evaluated in comparing these treatments, including ability to decrease allergic adverse events, safety of the adjunctive therapies themselves, effect on long-term sustained unresponsiveness, and cost. Further phenotyping of food allergy patients may be necessary to determine which ones respond best to each therapy. However, with so many promising adjunctive therapies, it appears likely that clinicians will have a variety of options to optimize the administration of food allergen immunotherapy. We provided a review of these methods, their influence on allergic adverse events, and utility in improving the immunomodulatory effects of food allergen immunotherapy.
Boundary Behavior of Holomorphic Mappings

Suppose that f: D1 → D2 is a proper holomorphic mapping between smooth bounded domains D1 and D2 contained in ℂn. There are two fundamental problems in the theory of functions of several complex variables concerning the boundary behavior of f.
Conceptual models of the playfulness construct: Additive, balanced, or synergistic?

Four conceptual models and measures of adult playfulness were investigated and compared. Each proffers different constitutive dimensions underlying the construct, and argues that the explanation for playfulness lies within the independent or relative contributions of the dimensions, or in their interactive relationship. 646 undergraduate university students with complete data on all four measures, as well as on a self-rated criterion assessment, participated in the study. The findings indicated the extent to which each model was best regarded as an additive, balanced, or synergistic relationship, and further revealed their differential efficacy and predictive power in capturing and elucidating the adult playfulness construct. An alternative model is proposed in which the most powerful predictors are synthesized. Contributions toward an increased understanding of playfulness in young adults were identified from the collation of results and their competing hypotheses, and directions for the trajectory of further research utilizing the conceptual frameworks were presented.
Anonymity, Anxiety, and Abandonment: How Product Packaging and Location Impact the Shopper: An Abstract

In a quest to stand out, have some companies been hurting their own sales? In particular, when considering the packaging or placement of embarrassing products, a highly noticeable or visible product may be a deterrent. This research examines product packaging of embarrassing products and the impact on anonymity, anxiety, and abandonment.
Optimization of Cupric Chloride Subtractive Etching for Cu High Density Interconnects

Abstract The continuously increasing demand for innovation in the miniaturization of microelectronics has driven the need for ever more precise fabrication strategies for device packaging, especially for printed circuit boards (PCBs). Subtractive copper etching is a fundamental step in this processes, requiring very precise control of etch rate and etch profile. Cu etching baths are typically monitored with several parameters including oxidation-reduction potential, conductivity, and specific gravity. However, the etch rate and etch profile can be difficult to control even under strict engineering controls of those monitoring parameters. The mechanism of acidic cupric chloride etching, regeneration and recovery is complex, and the current monitoring strategies can have difficulty controlling the complex interlocking chemical equilibria. We report that thin-film UV-Vis spectroscopy has the capability to effectively monitor the complex changes to the etch bath. UV-Vis also reveals various underlying mechani...
A Genome-wide Framework for Mapping Gene Regulation via Cellular Genetic Screens.

Over one million candidate regulatory elements have been identified across the human genome, but nearly all are unvalidated and their target genes uncertain. Approaches based on human genetics are limited in scope to common variants and in resolution by linkage disequilibrium. We present a multiplex, expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL)-inspired framework for mapping enhancer-gene pairs by introducing random combinations of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated perturbations to each of many cells, followed by single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Across two experiments, we used dCas9-KRAB to perturb 5,920 candidate enhancers with no strong a priori hypothesis as to their target gene(s), measuring effects by profiling 254,974 single-cell transcriptomes. We identified 664 (470 high-confidence) cis enhancer-gene pairs, which were enriched for specific transcription factors, non-housekeeping status, and genomic and 3D conformational proximity to their target genes. This framework will facilitate the large-scale mapping of enhancer-gene regulatory interactions, a critical yet largely uncharted component of the cis-regulatory landscape of the human genome.
Analysis of System and Interoperability Impact from Securing Communications for Distributed Energy Resources

As the power grid incorporates increasing amounts of distributed energy resources (DER) that provide new generation sources, new opportunities are created for improving operation of the grid while large challenges also arise for preserving grid reliability and security. To improve grid performance, DERs can be utilized to provide important support functionality, such as supporting frequency and voltage levels, especially if they are assisted by communication schemes as part of an advanced distribution management system (ADMS). Unfortunately, such connectivity and grid support functionality also creates additional cyber security risk with the potential for degradation of grid services, especially under conditions with high amounts of distributed generation. This paper will first discuss the communications needed by DERs to support system and interoperability objectives, as well as the security requirements and impact of securing these communications. Some common security mechanisms are discussed in relation to DERs, and a simulated 15-bus model of a distribution feeder is used to demonstrate aspects of the DER communications and impact to grid performance. These results help to advance understanding of the benefits, requirements, and mechanisms for securely implementing DER communications while ensuring that grid reliability is maintained.
Impact of SGLT Inhibitors on Multiple Organ Defects in Diabetes.

Introduction Diabetes leads to multiple organ defects and cellular dysfunctions such as increased expression of sodium-glucose like transporters (SGLTs). These transporters contribute to glucose homeostasis through glucose reabsorption in the proximal renal tubule. When inhibited, it results in reduced hyperglycemia, increased glucosuria and decreased HbA1c. Aims This review article summarizes the positive and adverse effects of the three main SGLT inhibitors used in Europe, on different organs with the aim of providing useful information to clinicians in order to select the adapted SGLT inhibitor in regard to patient health problems. Discussion Recently, SGLT pharmacological inhibitors have been developed to manage hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. SGLT inhibitors like canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013 for use in Europe. Beyond their impact on glucose re-uptake by the kidney, these inhibitors exert beneficial pleiotropic effects. Nevertheless, several studies have recently warned the scientific community regarding adverse effects of these agents. Therefore, clinicians should consider these effects to adapt the treatment regarding patients' health. Conclusion The use of SGLT inhibitor in the treatment of type 2 diabetes should be considered with the perspective of general health state of the patient. In fact, SGLT inhibitors promote pleiotropic effects, among which some are beneficial for certain organs while some are deleterious.
“factores que favorecen desarrollo profesional de contadores auditores egresados/titulados, períodos 2009-2012, caso universidad pública”

Currently, Chile has faced diverse changes in the labor scope, originated by the globalization and the advance of information technologies, a very recent case is the adoption of the International Norms of Financial Information (NIIF/IFRS). Because of it, nowadays auditor accountants functions are more and more standardized and demanding at national and international level, such changes demand that these professionals have a suitable professional development to be agreed with the evolution that the organizations have had today. Although the institution in study has made some investigations related to its graduated students´ employability, it is still necessary to deepen more in relation to the professional development and to make sure if the abilities that were reached during their academic trajectory are enough to face the labor field successfully. The intention was to make an analysis of those factors that favor or work against the professional development of the graduated students of the organization in study, once they are inserted in the labor world, specifically during their first three labor years for cohorts 2005-2008, titled since period 2009-2012. The approach of this study was qualitative, with a sintetization reach, semistructured interviews were elaborated in depth for graduated/titled, academic and employers, besides, institutional data bases of the public university were reviewed. The gotten results indicate that the factors that favor the labor performance of the professionals interviewed, at personal level are, the self-esteem, the leadership, the adaptation to changes and motivation, and what it works against this are the insecurity and the lack of character. At labor level they favor the knowledge, incentives, promotions, and others, and those that prevent this are low pays, pressure, inexperience, and others.
Geometric Metrics for Topological Representations

In this chapter, we present an overview of recent techniques from the emerging area of topological data analysis (TDA), with a focus on machine-learning applications. TDA methods are concerned with measuring shape-related properties of point-clouds and functions, in a manner that is invariant to topological transformations. With a careful design of topological descriptors, these methods can result in a variety of limited, yet practically useful, invariant representations. The generality of this approach results in a flexible design choice for practitioners interested in developing invariant representations from diverse data sources such as image, shapes, and time-series data. We present a survey of topological representations and metrics on those representations, discuss their relative pros and cons, and illustrate their impact on a few application areas of recent interest.
Mobile Application Development and Testing for Work Zone Activity Real-Time Data Collection:

Work zones are prevalent in the United States as the infrastructure is increasingly in need of maintenance. Lack of reliable data is one of the main obstacles in work zone research. Reliability suf...
Six Acts of Miscognition: Implications for Art Education.

Employing Lacanian theory as a necessary supplement to contemporary approaches in art education, this article provides a critique and response to art education discourse around “cognition.” This response unfolds in six acts: (1) Unknown knowledge, (2) Unmeant knowledge, (3) Missing metaphors, (4) Stupidity, (5) Symptoms and sinthomes, and (6) Truth untold. These six acts presuppose the given symbolic order of cognitive theories in art education and attempt to disturb the fantasmatic kernel of these theories for the larger field. Together, the six acts articulate the concept that every act of cognition in art education is also an act of “miscognition.”
Existence and Uniqueness of Solutions

Recall the inhomogeneous system (I) of k linear equations in n unknowns, which we studied in Chapter 4.4. We consider the case k = n, where the number of equations to be solved equals the number of unknowns, and we shall use our results about bases in ℝ n in the preceding chapter to study the question of existence and uniqueness of solutions of the system (I).
Student Leadership Development Initiative: Benefits of a Unique Medical Student Organization.

BACKGROUND The Student Leadership Development Initiative was founded at the Medical College of Wisconsin to unite local physician leaders with Medical College of Wisconsin students to develop leadership skills and prepare for careers expanding beyond clinical practice. METHODS An anonymous survey was distributed to 246 current and past Student Leadership Development Initiative participants, probing confidence in leadership skills, professional goals, and the perceived importance of leadership training. Feedback interviews were also conducted. RESULTS Respondents reported improvement in areas such as compassion, leadership, and development of career goals. The perceived benefit for developing professional goals and compassion are positively related (P < 0.01) to the number of sessions attended. DISCUSSION Survey results highlight the importance of leadership training in medical education and suggest an integration strategy for a successful leadership training platform.
Moody news: The impact of collective emotion ratings on online news consumers’ attitudes, memory, and behavioral intentions:

Indicators of collective user behavior and opinion are increasingly common features of online news stories and may include information about how the story made users feel. An experiment (N = 298) examined the effects of the presence and valence of a “mood meter” posted alongside an online human-interest story on memory for, attitude toward, emotional response to, and intentions to share the story. The presence of a mood meter led to lower recall of story content, more negative attitudes toward the story, and less positive emotional responses. The results suggest that participating in a mood meter may attenuate positive responses to human-interest stories.
Purification of a Corn Ribonuclease

Abstract A ribonuclease was purified 4,100 times from corn seed meal. The enzyme was homogeneous on analytical gel filtration and has an estimated molecular weight of 23,000 from the gel filtration data. The RNase from Illinois Low Protein corn gave two bands on disc electrophoresis, while the RNase from two hybrids gave only a single band. The amino acid composition of the RNases from the two sources was essentially the same. The RNase liberates cyclic nucleotides from dinucleotides, and is more active on the purine residues. Only purine cyclic nucleotides are hydrolyzed at an appreciable rate.