cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety Analysis of Interchanges

As the U.S. freeway system ages and becomes more congested, many parts of the system, particularly interchanges, need reconstruction or rehabilitation. In addition, new development and expanding urbanization often require new interchanges to be constructed along existing freeways. Because interchange projects are typically among highway agencies' highest-cost projects, it is important that they be planned wisely. Improved safety should be a key justification for interchange improvement projects, but engineers lack a suitable tool for examining the safety performance of existing interchanges and anticipating the safety performance of new or rebuilt interchanges. The objectives of this research are to synthesize the current state of knowledge concerning the safety assessment of interchanges, develop a spreadsheet-based computational tool for performing safety assessments of interchanges, and identify gaps in knowledge concerning interchange safety assessment and future research needed to fill those gaps. This paper summarizes safety data related to interchanges, discusses the use of safety performance functions within the Interchange Safety Analysis Tool (ISAT) (the spreadsheet-based tool developed in this research), describes the scope and capabilities of ISAT, and identifies substantive gaps in the current state of knowledge that limit the ability of ISAT to provide all of the capabilities desired by potential users.
Satellite altimetry: Its applications and accuracy assessment

Abstract The recently launched TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter mission is expected to achieve an unprecedented accuracy in the measurement of the absolute sea level, demonstrating that satellite radar altimetry has evolved into one of the fundamental instruments for providing synoptic observations of the global oceans with a temporal sampling of a few days to a month. This paper assesses the current estimated accuracy of the available satellite radar altimeter measurement systems in observing the absolute sea level. The accuracy of absolute sea level measurements depends on the ability to compute accurate orbits of the altimetric satellites, the fidelity of the terrestrial reference system, and the knowledge of instrument biases of the altimeter instruments. Some applications of satellite altimetry to contemporary problems in marine geodesy, oceanography, and global change studies are discussed. Major advances for many of these problems are feasible with the abundance of satellite altimetry missions within this decade. The launch of ERS-1 and TOPEX/POSEIDON has initiated a decade of high accuracy measurements of the absolute sea level from satellite altimetry which holds potential for enhancing our knowledge of the global ocean, and its influence on the global climate changes.
Sexual jealousy in the relationships of homosexual and heterosexual men: 1980 and 1992

Relationship characteristics, levels of anticipated sexual jealousy, and correlates of anticipated sexual jealousy were compared for heterosexual and homosexual men sampled from 1980 and 1992. Homosexual and heterosexual relationships were similar on relationship involvement, but homosexual (vs. heterosexual) respondents indicated lower levels of experiencing and expressing sexual jealousy, less exclusive relationships, higher levels of extradyadic sexual relations by their partners, larger number of relationships, and relationships of shorter duration. Cohort comparisons indicated that both groups of men in 1992 (vs. 1980) had higher levels of experiencing and expressing jealousy caused by the partner's extradyadic sexual behavior, more exclusive romantic relationships, fewer relationships, and relationships of longer duration. These changes suggest a transition in men's relationships that may be related to the increase in sexually transmitted diseases in general and AIDS in particular.
Avidin traps biotin diffusing out of chicken egg yolk

Abstract 1. 1. The unequal distribution of biotin and biotin-binding proteins between the yolk and albumen of freshly laid chicken eggs provides the potential for time-dependent redistribution of biotin that could affect egg quality, biotin availbaility, and hatchability. 2. 2. Avidin-bound biotin was measured in albumen next to the shell and next to the yolk in eggs stored up to 23 days. 3. 3. Biotin bound to biotin-binding proteins (BBP-I and BBP-II) was measured at the center and periphery of yolk from the same eggs. 4. 4. After 11 days of storage, significant amounts of biotin from the yolk began to accumulate in the albumen adjacent to the yolk. 5. 5. This transfer is attributed to a change in the vitelline membrane that permits diffusion of biotin, not BBP-I or BBP-II, out of yolk. 6. 6. The dynamics of this phenomenon suggest that in addition to its antimicrobial role, avidin may be involved in the utilization of biotin by the chick embryo.
A better fluorescent protein for whole-body imaging.

Whole-body imaging with fluorescent proteins is a powerful technology with many applications in small animals. Brighter, red-shifted proteins can make whole-body imaging more sensitive owing to reduced absorption by tissues and less scatter. A new protein called Katushka has been isolated. It is the brightest known protein with emission at wavelengths longer than 620nm. This new protein offers the potential for noninvasive whole-body imaging of numerous cellular and molecular processes in live animals.
Vaccination of Chickens Through the Drinking Water with a Live, Pasteurella multocida, Vaccine

Broiler-type chickens were vaccinated orally at several ages with various dilutions of the Clemson University (CU) strain of Pasteurella multocida vaccine and then challenged orally with virulent strain P-1059 or strain X-73 of P. multocida to determine the degree of protection produced by vaccination. When vaccinated at 8 and 12 weeks of age for 2 consecutive days with a 1:133 dilution of the vaccine and then challenged at 17 and 19 weeks of age with strain X-73 and P-1059 P. multocida, respectively, no significant levels of protection were elicited in the vaccinates. Significant levels of protection were elicited in the vaccinates for 2 consecutive days at 9 weeks and at 13 weeks with 1:133 and 1:50 dilutions of the vaccine respectively, and then challenged at 16 weeks with strain X-73 and at 20 weeks with strain P-1059. Broilers vaccinated at 12 and 16 weeks for 3 consecutive days and then challenged at 20 weeks with strain X-73 showed a highly significant level of protection upon challenge when compared to the controls.
BRCA1 is a negative modulator of the PRC2 complex

The Polycomb-repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is important for maintenance of stem cell pluripotency and suppression of cell differentiation by promoting histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) and transcriptional repression of differentiation genes. Here we show that the tumour-suppressor protein BRCA1 interacts with the Polycomb protein EZH2 in mouse embryonic stem (ES) and human breast cancer cells. The BRCA1-binding region in EZH2 overlaps with the noncoding RNA (ncRNA)-binding domain, and BRCA1 expression inhibits the binding of EZH2 to the HOTAIR ncRNA. Decreased expression of BRCA1 causes genome-wide EZH2 re-targeting and elevates H3K27me3 levels at PRC2 target loci in both mouse ES and human breast cancer cells. BRCA1 deficiency blocks ES cell differentiation and enhances breast cancer migration and invasion in an EZH2-dependent manner. These results reveal that BRCA1 is a key negative modulator of PRC2 and that loss of BRCA1 inhibits ES cell differentiation and enhances an aggressive breast cancer phenotype by affecting PRC2 function.
Video-Rate Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography enabling 3D Reconstruction of the Retina

An ultra-high SD-OCT system continuously obtained in vivo images of a human retina at a speed of 29.3 kHz. A 3-D volume of the optic nerve head was constructed from the data acquired.
Addressing services’ intangibility through integrated marketing communication: an exploratory study

In this study, we examined the degree to which integrated marketing communication (IMC) might be manifested in services advertising. Using one of Lovelock’s typologies of services as a framework for classifying different services with respect to their tangibility, we examined ads in each of four service product categories to assess advertisers’ efforts to address the tangibility of service offerings via IMC. We found few differences with regard to incorporation of IMC across four service types, with the exception that services advertisements that reflected tangible acts (lawn care, hairstyling) were more highly integrated than services ads for intangible acts (education, retailing, banking). Results are discussed in terms of the implications for developing better services advertising.
The response of a glassy polymer in a loading/unloading deformation: The stress memory experiment

Abstract A ‘stress memory’ experiment was designed to expose the nonlinear viscoelastic relaxation processes in a glassy epoxy polymer. The stress memory experiment consists of (i) constant strain rate uniaxial loading to a pre-yield, yield or post-yield condition, (ii) unloading at the same strain rate to zero stress, (iii) holding the strain constant and (iv) monitoring the subsequent stress memory response, where the stress first increases to a maximum and then relaxes to an equilibrium value for that strain. This is an analog to the classic volume memory experiment by Kovacs (Fortschr Hochpolym Forsch, 3, 394, 1964). The stress memory response showed a strong dependence on the loading/unloading strain rate which cannot be predicted by linear viscoelasticity and also provides a significant challenge to a current nonlinear constitutive models. A recently developed Stochastic Constitutive Model (J Rheol, 57(3), 949, 2013) qualitatively predicts the effect of strain rate on the stress memory response.
Where's the Faith in Faith-based Organizations? Measures and Correlates of Religiosity in Faith-based Social Service Coalitions

Organizational religiosity is analyzed with data from a national survey of faith-based social service coalitions (N = 656). Twenty-one items related to religious practices within these organizations result in three distinct factors: service religiosity, staff religiosity and organizational religiosity scales. Self-defined faith-based coalitions vary widely on all three. OLS analysis regressing 12 coalition attributes on the three scales demonstrates that the religiosity measures often relate to the predictor variables in different ways, although in two cases there is consistency. Government funding is inversely related to all three religiosity measures, and evangelism as a coalition goal is positively related to all three.
Provocative endocrine testing in recovered depressives.

Abstract Twenty-eight patients underwent a series of provocative endocrine tests an average of one year after their last admission for depression. Hypersecretion of cortisol, early escape of cortisol from dexamethasone suppression, diminished growth hormone response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia and altered thyrotropin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone reported in acute primary depression were not observed after recovery. There were no differences in these measures after recovery between previous suppressors and nonsuppressors to dexamethasone. The cortisol response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia was less than expected in 6 of 16 recovered patients tested. There were significant differences in post-dexamethasone urinary free cortisol and in basal and early post-insulin serum cortisol levels between patients who had been suppressors and those who had been nonsuppressors to dexamethasone during acute depression. Further studies need to be done to substantiate these findings. These data indicate that hormone responses in recovered depressives are largely normal, suggesting that abnormalities during depression are “state” related phenomena.
Comparison of Experimental and Numerical Two-Phase Flows in a Porous Micro-Model

Characterizing two-phase flow in porous media is important to provide estimates of sweep efficiency in enhanced oil recovery and storage estimates in potential geological CO2 sequestration repositories. To further the current understanding of two-phase flow in porous media a micro-model of interconnected channels was designed and fabricated using stereolithography to experimentally study gas-liquid flows. This flowcell was created with a wide variability of throat dimensions to represent naturally occurring porous media. Low flow rate experiments of immiscible two-phase drainage were performed within this cell. Additionally, a computational model for analyzing two-phase flows in the same flowcell was developed and used to simulate conditions not possible with our laboratory settings. The computational model was first tested for the identical conditions used in the experimental studies, and was shown to be in good agreement with the experimentally determined fractal dimension of the invading gas structure,...
Initial Interaction of American Blacks and Whites in Interracial and Intraracial Dyads

Summary The study explores racial differences in initial interaction by focusing on the first four minutes of conversation in interracial and intraracial interactions. A repeated measures design was used, with black male, black female, white male, and white female American Ss interacting with four stimulus persons orthogonally varied by race and sex. The Ss’ conversations were unobtrusively recorded and the content analyzed to determine the number and types of questions asked and the length of Ss speaking time. The results indicate that blacks and whites significantly change initial interaction depending on the composition of the dyad. In addition, males and females varied question patterns depending on the partner's race. The results suggest that initial interaction for blacks and whites may be governed by different conversational rules.
Does Culture Interact with Media Richness? The Effects of Audio vs. Video Conferencing on Chinese and American Dyads

Eastern and Western cultures differ along several dimensions affecting computer-supported collaborative work. We consider one such dimension, low context (requiring little situational information) or high context (requiring substantial situational information) communication style. Specifically, we report on a laboratory study comparing communication and performance of low-context American dyads, high-context Chinese dyads, and mixed American-Chinese dyads on a negotiation task under two possible media conditions: audio conferencing or video conferencing. Although theoretical cultural work and some prior research suggest that high-context Chinese dyads can benefit from the visual cues available in video-enabled systems, we found little support for this hypothesis. There were no effects of culture or medium on conversational efficiency. We did find differences in word usage and quality of interaction between the groups, suggesting potential impact on long term collaborations. We discuss some of the implications of these findings for a theoretical understanding of culture and collaborative work
Defining biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy: a proposal for a standardized definition

Purpose Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) defined biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer is widely used for reporting the outcome of radical prostatectomy (RP). A standardized BCR definition is lacking, and overall progression-free probability and risk of subsequent metastatic disease progression may vary greatly depending on the PSA criterion used. Ten definitions of BCR were evaluated to identify the one that best explains metastatic progression. Methods
Perturbation and Lethality as Precursors of Suicide in a Gifted Group

ABSTRACT: Thirty cases, for whom longitudinal personality data were available from 1921 to 1960, were analyzed. All the cases were Caucasian males with high I.Q.'s. Five individuals had committed suicide (all by gunshot), 10 (matched) individuals had died natural deaths from cancer or heart disease, and 15 were still living. A blind clinical analysis was conducted primarily in terms of two guiding concepts, perturbation and lethality, by means of a Meyerian “life chart” and a “psychological autopsy,” respectively. The results indicated that four of the five cases deemed to be most suicidal had, in fact, committed suicide—a chance probability of 1 out of 1,131. The prodromal clues—instability, trauma, and personality controls—are discussed. The role of the “significant other” and the “burning-out” of affect seem to be paramount. Suicide is seen as a discernible part of a life style and as a predictable outcome, in a person of 50, by the time that individual is 30 years old.
Phytochrome gene expression and phylogenetic analysis in the short‐day plant Pharbitis nil (Convolvulaceae): Differential regulation by light and an endogenous clock

To investigate the role of distinct phytochrome pools in photoperiodic timekeeping, we characterized four phytochrome genes in the short-day plant Pharbitis nil. Each PHY gene had different photosensory properties and sensitivity to night break that inhibits flowering. During extended dark periods, PHYE, PHYB, and PHYC mRNA accumulation exhibited a circadian rhythmicity indicative of control by an endogenous clock. Phylogenetic analysis recovered four clades of angiosperm phytochrome genes, phyA, phyB, phyC, and phyE. All except the phyE clade included sequences from both monocots and eudicots. In addition, phyA is sister to phyC and phyE sister to phyB, with gymnosperm sequences sister to either the phyA-phyC clade or to the phyB-phyE clade. These results suggest that a single duplication occurred in an ancestral seed plant before the divergence of extant gymnosperms from angiosperms and that two subsequent duplications occurred in an ancestral angiosperm before the divergence of monocots from eudicots. Thus in P. nil, a multigene family with different patterns of mRNA abundance in light and darkness contributes to the total phytochrome pool: one pool is light labile (phyA), whereas the other is light stable (phyB and phyE). In addition, PHYC mRNA represents a third phytochrome pool with intermediate photosensory properties.
Diagnostic considerations for monoarticular arthritis of the hand and wrist.

m i a i p a p t m t ACUTE ONSET OF monoarticular pain and inflammation in the hand and wrist can be a perplexing and frustrating problem for both the cliniian and the patient. Barring a definitive history of rauma, the workup often presents a diagnostic chalenge. Although emphasis should be placed on ruling ut conditions such as sepsis and inflammatory arthropthies that might lead to further tissue destruction, virually any disease associated with arthritic symptoms an begin as a monoarthritis. Workup of these patients hould proceed systematically and efficiently to achieve timely diagnosis, keeping in mind that most diagnoses re made by a combination of findings as opposed to ne pathognomonic element. Key points elicited from the patient history and physcal examination should direct the workup. In particular, lues that might point toward an infectious etiology nclude antecedent sexual risk factors, intravenous drug se, tick bites, immunosuppression (eg, human immuodeficiency virus, diabetes, chemotherapy or radiation, tc) or exotic travel history. Conversely, constitutional igns or symptoms such as stiffness after inactivity, also nown as the gelling phenomenon, urethritis, uveitis, nd skin plaques would point more toward a systemic nflammatory condition. Although many physical ndings are nonspecific, attempts should be made to ifferentiate between articular and nonarticular pain enerators. Findings of tenderness radiating away from joint line, for example, might indicate the presence of oft tissue pathology, such as flexor tenosynovitis. Rouinely, laboratory work should include white cell count WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-
Pannenberg on the Resurrection and Historical Method

Even the most casual observer of the contemporary theological scene knows that Wolfhart Pannenberg's theology relies heavily on the resurrection of Jesus as a genuinely historical event. The peculiarity of this is that a theologian who has accurately been called a ‘rationalist’ should so forthrightly embrace a claim that the entire thrust of post-Enlightenment theology has seemingly undermined. But Pannenberg himself contends that his reliance on the resurrection is not legitimated by the subterfuge of an existential ‘moment’ or ‘leap of faith’; instead, he argues for the acceptance of the resurrection on purely historical grounds. This argument implicitly rests on Pannenberg's conviction that ‘the truth is one’ and that the theologian's worst mistake is to cut the ties between theology and secular disciplines and modes of inquiry, a conviction that has recently received its most forceful statement in Pannenberg's Theology and the Philosophy of Science. This means that, insofar as belief in the resurrection of Jesus entails a claim about a past event, the standard methods by which we normally adjudicate claims about the past must be brought into play. Accordingly, the resurrection of Jesus is for Pannenberg not a ‘faith claim’, for ‘faith cannot ascertain anything certain about events of the past that would perhaps be inaccessible to the historian’. Instead, the resurrection of Jesus must be understood as the best historical explanation accounting for the New Testament witness and the rise of Christianity.
Feature Fusion of Face and Gait for Human Recognition at a Distance in Video

A new video based recognition method is presented to recognize non-cooperating individuals at a distance in video, who expose side views to the camera. Information from two biometric sources, side face and gait, is utilized and integrated at feature level. For face, a high-resolution side face image is constructed from multiple video frames. For gait, Gait Energy Image (GEI), a spatio-temporal compact representation of gait in video, is used to characterize human walking properties. Face features and gait features are obtained separately using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Discriminant Analysis (MDA) combined method from the high-resolution side face image and Gait Energy Image (GEI), respectively. The system is tested on a database of video sequences corresponding to 46 people. The results showed that the integrated face and gait features carry the most discriminating power compared to any individual biometric.
Quantifying the potential benefit of overlapping communication and computation in large-scale scientific applications

The design and implementation of a high performance communication network are critical factors in determining the performance and cost-effectiveness of a largescale computing system. The major issues center on the trade-off between the network cost and the impact of latency and bandwidth on application performance. One promising technique for extracting maximum application performance given limited network resources is based on overlapping computation with communication, which partially or entirely hides communication delays. While this approach is not new, there are few studies that quantify the potential benefit of such overlapping for large-scale production scientific codes. We address this with an empirical method combined with a network model to quantify the potential overlap in several codes and examine the possible performance benefit. Our results demonstrate, for the codes examined, that a high potential tolerance to network latency and bandwidth exists because of a high degree of potential overlap. Moreover, our results indicate that there is often no need to use fine-grained communication mechanisms to achieve this benefit, since the major source of potential overlap is found in independent work?computation on which pending messages does not depend. This allows for a potentially significant relaxation of network requirements without a consequent degradation of application performance.
Normalization and extraction of interpretable metrics from raw accelerometry data

We introduce an explicit set of metrics for human activity based on high-density acceleration recordings from a hip-worn tri-axial accelerometer. These metrics are based on two concepts: (i) Time Active, a measure of the length of time when activity is distinguishable from rest and (ii) AI, a measure of the relative amplitude of activity relative to rest. All measurements are normalized (have the same interpretation across subjects and days), easy to explain and implement, and reproducible across platforms and software implementations. Metrics were validated by visual inspection of results and quantitative in-lab replication studies, and by an association study with health outcomes
An algorithm for optimal winner determination in combinatorial auctions

Combinatorial auctions, i.e. auctions where bidders can bid on combinations of items, tend to lead to more efficient allocations than traditional auctions in multi-item auctions where the agents' valuations of the items are not additive. However, determining the winners so as to maximize revenue is NP complete. We present a search algorithm for optimal winner determination. Experiments are shown on several bid distributions. The algorithm allows combinatorial auctions to scale up to significantly larger numbers of items and bids than prior approaches to optimal winner determination by capitalizing on the fact that the space of bids is necessarily sparsely populated in practice. We do this via provably sufficient selective generation of children in the search and by using a method for fast child generation, heuristics that are accurate and optimized for speed, and four methods for preprocessing the search space.
Very High Speed SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Reliability Overview

We discuss the major reliability mechanisms and the implications arising from the structural changes required for the implementation of state of the art SiGe HBT's. The current gain shift under forward and reverse device operating conditions has been characterized for 120, 200 and 350 GHz transistors. The effects of electromigration and self-heating versus fT have also been studied. In general, it should be possible to continue scaling beyond today's 350 GHz devices, with straightforward extension of the mechanisms and concerns outlined in this paper.
Quality assurance and school‐based mental health services

Clinicians affiliated with expanded school mental health (ESMH) programs provide a range of mental health services for youth in schools. ESMH services offer unique opportunities for collaboration between school psychologists and mental health clinicians from the community to increase the quality of care for youth receiving mental health services. The number of ESMH programs is increasing; therefore, developing quality assurance (QA) activities for these programs is important to document accountability and provide evidence for effectiveness. In this paper, suggestions for phases and objectives for QA programs in ESMH programs and examples of suggested activities are presented. Assessment of the program structure as well as treatment process and outcome are critical phases. Important QA activities include examining staff training activities, assessment of stakeholder perceptions of services, conducting satisfaction surveys, examining therapy process, and investigating treatment outcomes. Results of QA evaluations should inform policy.QA programs need to be developed and the impact of QA activities in enhancing the quality of care provided by clinicians in schools should be evaluated. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Efficacy of class III antiarrhythmics and magnesium combination therapy for atrial fibrillation

Conclusion: Magnesium may be used as adjunct for dofetilide and ibutilide due to potential improved efficacy and minimal toxicity. Dose ranging studies should be conducted in the future to establish the optimal dose and duration of therapy as well as the optimal serum magnesium concentration in order for the clinician to manage and monitor patients appropriately.
Racial Formation in Perspective: Connecting Individuals, Institutions, and Power Relations

Over the past 25 years, since the publication of Omi & Winant's Racial Formation in the United States, the statement that race is socially constructed has become a truism in sociological circles. Yet many struggle to describe exactly what the claim means. This review brings together empirical literature on the social construction of race from different levels of analysis to highlight the variety of approaches to studying racial formation processes. For example, macro-level scholarship often focuses on the creation of racial categories, micro-level studies examine who comes to occupy these categories, and meso-level research captures the effects of institutional and social context. Each of these levels of analysis has yielded important contributions to our understanding of the social construction of race, yet there is little conversation across boundaries. Scholarship that bridges methodological and disciplinary divides is needed to continue to advance the racial formation perspective and demonstrate its broader relevance.
Single-Threshold Processing for Orthogonal Likelihood-Ratio Detection with Application to FSK Fiber-Optic Communications

The conditions under which processing reduces to a single threshold comparison is derived for the binary orthogonal likelihoodratio, detection of a signal embedded in additive, independent noise. The range of the signal and noise is assumed to be discrete. Optimal processing of the observation vector, as Well as two commonly used ad hoc processing schemes, are discussed. It is shown, in all three cases, that single-threshold processing is optimal, provided a weak condition on the noise is satisfied, independent of the signal. The results are presented in the context of a PCM/FSK photocounting fiber-optic communication system in which the noise is considered to be of the Poisson or avalanche types. Although single-threshold processing is shown to be optimal in most cases, examples are presented where single-threshold processing is not optimal.
MOCVD growth and optical characterization of strain-induced quantum dots with InP island stressors

Coherent InP islands, grown by low pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), were used to produce quantum dots by strain confinement. Lateral confinement of carriers in a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well located near the surface was obtained from the inhomogeneous strain produced by the InP islands. The evolution of the InP islands on Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As surfaces with increasing InP coverage at different growth temperatures and substrate orientations was studied using atomic force microscopy. Under certain growth conditions, a fairly uniform distribution of coherent InP islands was obtained which had an average apparent diameter of 140 nm with a standard deviation of 12.2 nm and height of 19.5 ± 1.1 nm. Lateral confinement depths up to 100 meV were obtained when using the islands as stressors. Photoluminescence from ensembles of the strain-induced dots exhibit multiple peaks, narrow line widths (16 meV) and high efficiency up to room temperature.
Decadal changes of water properties in the Aral Sea observed by MODIS‐Aqua

Twelve-year satellite observations between 2002 and 2013 from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the satellite Aqua are used to quantitatively assess the water property changes in the Aral Sea. The shortwave infrared (SWIR) atmospheric correction algorithm is required and used to derive normalized water-leaving radiance spectra nLw(λ) in the Aral Sea. We used radiance ratio nLw(555)/nLw(443) as a surrogate to characterize the spatial and temporal variations of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in the Aral Sea. Both seasonal variability and significant interannual changes were observed when the Aral Sea desiccated between 2002 and 2013. All three separated regions of the Aral Sea show increased nLw(555)/nLw(443) ratio (a surrogate for Chl-a) and the diffuse attenuation coefficient at the wavelength of 490 nm (Kd(490)) during the fall season. Of the three regions, the North Aral Sea has had the least interannual variability, while South-East (SE) Aral Sea experienced drastic changes. Waters in the SE Aral Sea are the most turbid with significantly higher Kd(490) than those in the other two subregions. Kd(490) gradually increased from ∼2 m−1 in 2002 to ∼3.5 m−1 after 2008 in the SE Aral Sea. In comparison, both radiance ratio nLw(555)/nLw(443) and Kd(490) were relatively stable for the North Aral Sea. In the South-West (SW) Aral Sea, however, nLw(555)/nLw(443) values reached peaks in the fall of 2007 and 2010. A possible link between the Aral Sea water property change and the regional climate variation is also discussed.
CD4+CD25+ T Cells Prevent the Development of Organ-Specific Autoimmune Disease by Inhibiting the Differentiation of Autoreactive Effector T Cells

Thymic-derived, naturally occurring, CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (nTreg) are potent suppressors of immune responses. A detailed understanding of which components of the development and activation of pathogenic effector T cells are inhibited by nTreg during the course of T cell-mediated, organ-specific autoimmunity is as yet unknown. We have analyzed the effects of polyclonal nTreg on the development of autoimmune gastritis. The nTreg inhibited the development of disease, but failed to inhibit the migration of effector cells into the gastric lymph node or stomach. Notably, nTreg did not inhibit the expansion of autoreactive T cells in the gastric lymph node. The primary effect of nTreg appeared to be inhibition of differentiation of autoantigen-specific T cells to Th1 effector cells, as reflected by a decrease in Ag-stimulated IFN-gamma production and a reduction in T-bet expression.
A concentration of fucosylated glycoconjugates at the base of cone outer segments: quantitative electron microscope autoradiography.

Abstract Rod photoreceptors show a discrete band of labeled molecules at the outer segment base shortly after the administration of radioactive protein precursors (Young, 1967) . The band signifies the insertion of radiolabeled protein, primarily opsin, into rod disc membrane (Basinger, Bok and Hall, 1976) . In contrast, the autoradiographic labeling pattern in cones is characteristically diffuse (Young, 1971) , although cones as well as rods are now thought to replace their disc membranes continually (Anderson, Fisher, and Steinberg, 1978) . Using grain count analysis in conjunction with electron microscope autoradiography, we demonstrate for the first time that the initial cone outer segment (COS) labeling pattern in the retinas of cone-dominant rodents is not random or diffuse after intraocular injection of [ 3 H]-fucose — a specific glycoprotein precursor. Thirty minutes after [ 3 H]-fucose injection, the Golgi complex is heavily labeled in both rods and cones. At 1·5 hr, labeling first appears in the periciliary region and in the basal portion of the COS. We detected a basal concentration of fucosylated molecules up to 12 hr after injection; thereafter, we found no differential distribution of labeled product molecules in COS. In rods, we observed no band of labeled protein at any of the time points sampled. The low level of labeling in rods is uniformly distributed between the basal and apical portion of the outer segments. Although the identity of the fucosylated material remains unknown, the early labeling of the Golgi complex — followed by labeling over the periciliary region and the basal portion of the outer segment — suggests that newly synthesized membrane protein is transported from sites of synthesis in the inner segment and inserted into disc membrane at the COS base. However, in contrast to rods, the protein is apparently capable of diffusing longitudinally throughout the interconnected membrane network.
Reproduction of northern spotted owls: The role of local weather and regional climate

We examined associations between annual reproduction and climate for 6 populations of individually marked northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in Washington and Oregon. We used an information-theoretical approach and mixed models to evaluate statistical models representing a priori hypotheses about the effects of weather and climate on reproduction. Reproduction was higher for adult than subadult owls and declined as the proportion of spotted owl territories with barred owl (Strix varia) detections increased. Similar to other spotted owl studies, we found that reproduction was negatively associated with cold, wet winters and nesting seasons at 3 of 6 study areas. In addition, we identified new relationships between reproduction, annual precipitation, storms, and regional climate cycles. For 3 of 6 areas, we found a quadratic relation between precipitation (rain and snow) and reproduction, with the number of young fledged per pair per year declining as precipitation in the previous year deviated from average levels. A meta-analysis conducted across all 6 areas indicated that reproduction at the regional level had a quadratic association with total winter snowfall in the preceding winter and was positively related to temperatures during the previous summer and fall. The amount of annual variation in reproduction accounted for by weather and climate varied widely across the 6 areas (4-79%), whereas variation in weather and climate across owl territories accounted for little of the spatial variation in reproduction (0-4%). Our results suggest that across the range of the species climate factors affecting prey abundance may have a greater effect on reproduction than direct effects of weather on nestlings. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Carbon Dioxide During Storage of Chicken and Turkey Hatching Eggs

Abstract WHEN chicken and turkey hatching eggs are stored in plastic bags for long periods, their hatchability is higher than eggs not packaged (Becker, 1964; Becker et al., 1964; Proudfoot, 1964a). Comparisons of plastic bags with different permeabilities provided information that the exchange of gases with the ambient atmosphere was influencing hatchability, the higher the permeability, the lower the hatchability (Becker, 1964; Becker et al., 1964; Proudfoot, 1965). Krueger et al. (1965) found that the advantage of storing hatching eggs in plastic bags was reduced when control eggs were held in egg cases rather than in open filler flats, an indication that air circulation around the eggs can be a possible factor. Such a factor offers a possible explanation for the smaller positive results obtained by Warren et al. (1965) when they held control eggs in closed egg cases. Storing eggs in high concentrations of carbon dioxide and oxygen was detrimental . . .
Prioritizing the Application of DFM Guidelines Based on the Detectability of Systematic Defects

A methodology using design-for-manufacturability (DFM) layout guidelines as a basis for modeling and detecting systematic defects was proposed earlier. In this paper, we show that this methodology can be extended to prioritize layout locations according to the importance of applying DFM guidelines to them. Prioritization is done based on test considerations including coverage and test set size. In particular, this methodology can identify layout locations where failure to follow a DFM guideline may result in test holes due to hard-to-detect defects. The prioritized list can be used by layout tools to create circuits that are easier to test.
The New Cholesterol Guidelines: Finally More Light Than Heat∗

I cannot remember practice guidelines more delayed, groundbreaking, and controversial than the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association cholesterol guidelines [(1)][1]. They are groundbreaking for using a new race-specific estimator to generate both 10-year and lifetime
The extended modular group and sums of squares

Number theoretic criteria are given for (i) when a (hyperbolic) line in the Poincare half plane represents symmetric tori and (ii) when a hyperbolic transformation has a glide reflection as a square root. We also give simple constructive proofs of some classical results on the representation of a number by quadratic forms.
Experimental Ultraviolet Carcinogenesis

Much of our information on UV carcinogenesis has come from investigations carried out in animal models. Skin cancers have been induced experimentally with UV radiation in a variety of laboratory animals, including mice, rats, guinea pigs, and opossums. The types of tumors vary depending on the species, but in mice they are usually squamous cell carcinomas and an undifferentiated type of tumor usually classified as a spindle cell tumor or fibrosarcoma. Many factors influence the induction of tumors by UV radiation; among different mouse strains, the same conditions of UV irradiation can produce tumors of. different histologic types (squamous cell carcinomas versus spindle cell tumors), different body sites (ears versus dorsal skin), and different latent periods (Kripke 1977). Other factors affecting UV carcinogenesis include the age at first irradiation, skin thickness and pigmentation, UV dose and regimen, and, of course, the wavelength distribution of the UV light source (Blum 1959). Recent studies in inbred mouse strains have demonstrated, in addition, that there is an important immunological component to UV carcinogenesis (Kripke 1981).
Raman Spectra and Cross Sections of Ammonia, Chlorine, Hydrogen Sulfide, Phosgene, and Sulfur Dioxide Toxic Gases in the Fingerprint Region 400-1400 cm-1

Raman spectra of ammonia (NH3), chlorine (Cl2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), phosgene (COCl2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) toxic gases have been measured in the fingerprint region 400-1400 cm−1. A relatively compact (<2′x2′x2′), sensitive, 532 nm 10 W CW Raman system with double-pass laser and double-sided collection was used for these measurements. Two Raman modes are observed at 934 and 967 cm−1 in NH3. Three Raman modes are observed in Cl2 at 554, 547, and 539 cm−1, which are due to the 35/35 35/37, and 37/37 Cl isotopes, respectively. Raman modes are observed at 870, 570, and 1151 cm−1 in H2S, COCl2, and SO2, respectively. Values of 3.68 ± 0.26x10−32 cm2/sr (3.68 ± 0.26x10−36 m2/sr), 1.37 ± 0.10x10−30 cm2/sr (1.37 ± 0.10x10−34 m2/sr), 3.25 ± 0.23x10−31 cm2/sr (3.25 ± 0.23x10−35 m2/sr), 1.63 ± 0.14x10−30 cm2/sr (1.63 ± 0.14x10−34 m2/sr), and 3.08 ± 0.22x10−30 cm2/sr (and 3.08 ± 0.22x10−34 m2/sr) were determined for the differential Raman cross section of the 967 cm−1 mode of NH3, sum of the 554, 547, and 539 cm−1 modes of Cl2, 870 cm−1 mode of H2S, 570 cm−1 mode of COCl2, and 1151 cm-1 mode of SO2, respectively, using the differential Raman cross section of 3.56 ± 0.14x10−31 cm2/sr (3.56 ± 0.14x10−35 m2/sr) for the 1285 cm−1 mode of CO2 as the reference.
Corrigendum: Unexpected Variation in Neuroanatomy among Diverse Nematode Species

The complete number of ventral nerve cord (VNC) neurons for Ascaris suum should be given as 72 in the introduction and Table 1. The 55 VNC neurons listed in our publication refers only to the five repeating segments of 11 neurons as discussed in Stretton et al. (1978). An additional 17 neurons are found outside of these repeating segments within the A. suum VNC (see Stretton and Maule, 2013 for review). This correction does not impact the results or the conclusions reached in our study.
Development of Nb Microalloyed Low Carbon Steel Plate with Ultra-fine Grains in Surface Layer

A 10 mm thick Nb microalloyed high strength steel with ultra-fine grains(1～5 μm) in surface layer is obtained by applying the accelerated cooling intermediate slab-rolling-post rolling accelerated cooling process,the thickness of ultra-fine grains layer lies between 0.5 and 2.0 mm.It has 640 MPa yield strength,740 MPa tensile strength,27% elongation and more than 130 J impact absorbing energy at –40 ℃.Microstructure investigation is done by using optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.The results show the mechanism of ultra-fined ferrite is deformation induced undercooling austenite to ferrite transformation(DIT),and conjunction with dynamic recrystallization(DRX) of proeutectoid ferrite and DIF ferrite.The strengthening mechanism is fine grain strengthening,Nb precipitation strengthening,dislocation and substructure strengthening.Before accelerated cooling of intermediate slab,to obtain refined austenite grains through recrystallization region rolling or deformed ones through non-recrystallization region rolling,or to increase the rolling compression ratio after accelerated cooling of intermediate slab,and to decrease the final cooling temperature of post-rolling accelerated cooling,all help obtain ultra-fine grains in surface and increase the proportion of ultra-fine grains over the whole plate thickness.
Nutritional Geometric Profiles of Insulin/IGF Expression in Drosophila melanogaster

Insulin/IGF signaling (IIS) in Drosophila melanogaster is propagated by eight Drosophila insulin-like peptides (dilps) and is regulated by nutrition. To understand how dietary protein and sugar affect dilp expression, we followed the analytical concepts of the Nutritional Geometric Framework, feeding Drosophila adults media comprised of seven protein-to-carbohydrate ratios at four caloric concentrations. Transcript levels of all dilps and three IIS-regulated genes were measured. Each dilp presented a unique pattern upon a bivariate plot of sugar and protein. Dilp2 expression was greatest upon diets with low protein-to-carbohydrate ratio regardless of total caloric value. Dilp5 expression was highly expressed at approximately a 1:2 protein-to-carbohydrate ratio and its level increased with diet caloric content. Regression analysis revealed that protein-to-carbohydrate ratio and the interaction between this ratio and caloric content significantly affects dilp expression. The IIS-regulated transcripts 4eBP and InR showed strikingly different responses to diet composition: 4eBP was minimally expressed except when elevated at low caloric diets. InR expression increased with protein level, independent of caloric content. Values of published life history traits measured on similar diets revealed correlations between egg production and the expression of dilp8 4eBP, while low protein-to-carbohydrate ratio diets associated with long lifespan correlated with elevated dilp2. Analyzing how nutient composition associates with dilp expression and IIS reveals that nutritional status is modulated by different combinations of insulin-like peptides, and these features variously correlate to IIS-regulated life history traits.
Stochastic models for study of electromechanical transient process in power systems

A simplified stochastic model considering stochastic excitation was developed for the study of the electromechanical transient process in power systems. First,stochastic models considering stochastic excitation were built for electromechanical transient processes in the one-machine infinite bus( OMIB) system and the two-machine power system. Then,based on the EEAC theory,the stochastic models considering stochastic excitation for the multi-machine power system were deduced. The results show that under approximate conditions,the stochastic model of the multi-machine power system can be simplified as the model of the OMIB system,and the model parameters may be constant or time-varying according to different assumptions. The stochastic excitation may be considered the superposition of stochastic excitations that have different frequencies. Finally,simulations were performed. The simulation results show that,when affected by the stochastic excitation,the rotor angle curve exhibited regular oscillations with frequencies that were almost the same.
Narcissism: its normal evolution and development and the treatment of its disorders.

Narcissism has become a construct attracting increasing attention in mental health. Its precise definition, its normal and abnormal developmental features, its assessment, the pathogenesis of its a...