cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The antiglucocorticoid, cortexolone, fails to promote in vitro activation of cytoplasmic glucocorticoid receptors from the human leukemic cell line CEM-C7

Cortexolone functions as an antiglucocorticoid in the human leukemic cell line CEM-C7, since it blocks the growth inhibition and cell lysis mediated by the potent agonist triamcinolone acetonide (TA). At high concentrations (10(-5) M) cortexolone alone is inactive. The ability of cortexolone to block the TA-mediated biological effects is reflected in its ability (1000-fold molar excess) to effectively block the binding of [3H]TA to the cytoplasmic unactivated form of the receptors eluted from DEAE-cellulose at approx. 180 mM potassium phosphate (KP). Likewise a 1000-fold molar excess of TA inhibits the specific binding of [3H]cortexolone to the unactivated receptors and to a peak which elutes at low salt concentration (35 mM KP) but does not appear to represent activated [3H]cortexolone-receptor complexes. Thermal activation/transformation (25 degrees C for 30 min +/- 10 mM ATP) of the [3H]TA-receptor complexes significantly enhances the subsequent DNA-cellulose binding capacity of these complexes and also results in their elution from DEAE-cellulose at the low salt (50 mM KP) activated position. In contrast, exposure of the cytoplasmic [3H]cortexolone-receptor complexes to identical in vitro activating (transforming) conditions fails to enhance subsequent DNA-cellulose binding capacity or to result in the appropriate shift in DEAE-cellulose elution profile. This inability of [3H]cortexolone to facilitate activation/transformation of receptors was also verified using cytosol prepared from the glucocorticoid-resistant 'activation-labile' mutant, 3R7. Taken collectively the data suggest that cortexolone, unlike an agonist such as TA, fails to promote in vitro activation/transformation, a conformational change which also occurs in vivo under physiological conditions and is a prerequisite for nuclear binding.
Revisioning Darwin, with sympathy

L'A. presente deux versions de l'ethique, elaborees par deux femmes, partisanes du darwinisme, a la fin du XIXe siecle, et qui ont influence la science de leur temps
A quality control procedure for GPS radio occultation data

[1] A quality control (QC) procedure is applied to the Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) level-2 Global Position System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) data provided by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) Data Analysis and Archival Center (CDAAC). It consists of a range check removing negative values, a biweight check removing data which deviate from the biweight mean by more than four times the biweight standard deviation, another biweight check removing data with large deviations to the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) analysis, and finally a symmetric check removing the negative bias of GPS observations in the low troposphere below 4 km. These four QC checks are applied sequentially to identify outliers in GPS bending angle and refractivity data at each vertical level using data primarily in the month of March 2004. Having removed 5.5% outlier data, the GPS RO observations compared much more favorably with the NCEP analyses than the original data without QC, resulting in an improved spatial consistency, a more symmetric probability distribution, significantly reduced error variances, and a nearly diagonal vertical error correlation matrix. The effectiveness of the proposed QC procedure is further confirmed by showing that most RO profiles removed by the QC procedure proposed in this study have those characteristic physical parameter values indicating poor quality of RO data. Similar results are obtained when the same QC procedure is applied to CHAMP data in July 2002, which shows the robustness of the proposed GPS QC procedure.
Some Reliability Models for Safety Assessment

This paper discusses probabilistic models of safety assessment, as applied to nuclear reactors. It compares the "per demand failure rate" method for calculating the annual probability of a reactor accident with an equally reasonable event sequencing model. One aspect of safety analysis is formulated as a maximum mark problem in a marked point process. We also introduce a concept of rare events that yields special computing formulas similar to those employed by practicing engineers. Implications for quantifying the safety of nuclear reactors are discussed.
A new electrostatic model for molecular mechanics force fields

Abstract A new electrostatic model, designed for use in molecular mechanics force fields, is presented. In addition to atomic charges the model consists of atomic dipoles and is further enhanced by the possibility of explicitly accounting for polarizability in the form of induced charges and anisotropically induced atomic dipoles. The parameters of the model are determined in a consistent way from isolated molecules by fitting to ab initio electric potentials. The polarizability in different directions is probed by subjecting the molecules to various external electric fields. As an illustration of the model, parameters have been obtained for isolated water and formaldehyde molecules, and applied to a few hydrogen-bonded water dimers and water–formaldehyde complexes. The parameters transferred from the isolated molecules successfully reproduce the ab initio (MP2/6-31++G(d,p)) electric potentials, molecular dipole moments, and molecular polarizabilities of all the studied dimers and complexes. The performance of nonpolarizable models for these systems is also evaluated, and, for fixed hydrogen-bond distances, is found to be acceptable in most cases.
Lens rim artifact in automated threshold perimetry.

Abstract In central static threshold visual fields (Humphrey 30-2 Program) performed with a corrective lens, lens rim artifact (LRA) was present in 10.4% of 704 fields examined retrospectively and 6.2% of 276 fields evaluated prospectively. Lens rim artifact most commonly presented as a combination of absolute and relative defects involving the temporal quadrant either alone or in combination with another quadrant. Lens rim artifact was related to seven different types of interpretational errors, five of which led to an overdiagnosis and two to an underdiagnosis. Risk factors for the occurrence of LRA include older age, high hyperopic correction, and location specific involvement probably due to a limitation in perimeter design. Field defects involving only the four targets at 27° eccentricity in the temporal quadrant were due only to LRA in this series and may be disregarded when interpreting the Humphrey 30-2 Program. Recommendations are made toward minimizing the occurrence of LRA and avoiding interpretationaf errors associated with LRA.
Using the Census Bureau’s surname list to improve estimates of race/ethnicity and associated disparities

Commercial health plans need member racial/ethnic information to address disparities, but often lack it. We incorporate the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest surname list into a previous Bayesian method that integrates surname and geocoded information to better impute self-reported race/ethnicity. We validate this approach with data from 1,921,133 enrollees of a national health plan. Overall, the new approach correlated highly with self-reported race-ethnicity (0.76), which is 19% more efficient than its predecessor (and 41% and 108% more efficient than single-source surname and address methods, respectively, P < 0.05 for all). The new approach has an overall concordance statistic (area under the Receiver Operating Curve or ROC) of 0.93. The largest improvements were in areas where prior performance was weakest (for Blacks and Asians). The new Census surname list accounts for about three-fourths of the variance explained in the new estimates. Imputing Native American and multiracial identities from surname and residence remains challenging.
Joint Carrier Phase Estimation and Data Detection Algorithms for Multi-h CPM Data Transmission

A dynamic programming algorithm, developed in [1]-[4] for obtaining the joint estimate of carrier phase and data, is applied to multi h continuous phase modulation. A MAP estimator detects data and jointly tracks carrier phase consisting of a normal random walk phase jitter process. Monte Carlo computer simulations are used to evaluate the probability of error performance for two receivers employed in demodulation of multi- h CPM signals. A simplified algorithm is proposed which yields up to a tenfold reduction in computation time at the expense of less than 1 dB in signal-to-noise ratio at the error rates computed, and for suitable ranges of phase jitter increments variance.
Cancer among Hispanic women in South Florida: an 18-year assessment: a report from the Florida Cancer Data System.

BACKGROUND The Hispanic population now represents the majority of residents in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The authors present cancer incidence and mortality data for South Florida's Hispanic women for the period 1990–1998 and compare these data to previously reported data from 1981–1989. Cancer incidence, risk, and mortality data should reflect current population distribution, lifestyle, and environmental risk factors so that cancer prevention and control activities are informed optimally. METHODS The study population consisted of all women with malignant disease during 1981–1998 from Miami-Dade County found in the Florida Cancer Data System data base; patients were divided into 2 9-year periods for analysis. Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were computed for common disease sites; rates for Hispanic women were compared with the rates for non-Hispanic white (NHW) women as standardized rate ratios (SRR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). Incidence and mortality trends were analyzed using linear regression. RESULTS Over 70,000 cancer incidents were analyzed. The overall decreased cancer risk for Hispanic women (SRR, 0.65; 95%CI, 0.64–0.67), compared with NHW women, remained essentially constant over the two study periods. Cancer incidence increased similarly for the two racial-ethnic groups. The incidence of lung carcinoma increased in both groups, becoming the second most common disease site for NHW women and the third most common disease site for Hispanic women. CONCLUSIONS The decreased relative cancer risk for Hispanic women in South Florida has remained stable over the past 18 years. Lung carcinoma is increasing among women in both racial-ethnic groups. Cancer 2002;95:1752–8. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10834
What Happened to the Soviet Superpower’s Nuclear Arsenal? Clues for the Nuclear Security Summit

Twenty years ago Russia and fourteen other newly-independent states emerged from the ruins of the Soviet empire, many as nations for the first time in history. As is typical in the aftermath of the collapse of an empire, this was followed by a period of chaos, confusion, and corruption. As the saying went at the time, “everything is for sale.” At that same moment, as the Soviet state imploded, 35,000 nuclear weapons remained at thousands of sites across a vast Eurasian landmass that stretched across eleven time zones. Today, fourteen of the fifteen successor states to the Soviet Union are nuclear weapons-free. When the U.S.S.R. disappeared, 3,200 strategic nuclear warheads remained in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, most of them atop intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that stood on alert, ready to be fired at targets in the U.S. Today, every one of the nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus has been deactivated and returned to Russia, where they were dismantled and the nuclear material in the warheads blended down to produce fuel for civilian reactors. Strategic nuclear weapons are nuclear warheads aimed at an adversary’s nuclear weapons, cities and military infrastructure. Typically, they are large in yield and heavy. Of greater interest to terrorists, however, were the former U.S.S.R’s 22,000 tactical nuclear weapons with smaller yields and shorter ranges. These were designed primarily for battlefield use, with some small enough to fit into a duffel bag. Today, all of these have also been returned to Russia, leaving zero nuclear weapons in any other state of the former Soviet Union. Former Czech president Vaclav Havel observed about the rush of events in the 1990s: “things have changed so fast we have not yet taken time to be astonished.” Perhaps the most astonishing fact about the past twenty years is something that did not happen. Despite the risk realistically estimated by former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney in 3 What Happened to the Soviet Superpower's Nuclear Arsenal? Clues for the Nuclear Security Summit December 1991, two decades have passed without the discovery of a single nuclear weapon outside Russia. This paper will address the question: how did this happen? Looking ahead, it will consider what clues we can extract from the success in denuclearizing fourteen post-Soviet states that can inform our non-proliferation and nuclear security efforts in the future. These clues may inform leaders of the U.S., Russia, and other responsible nations attending the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit on March 26-27, 2012. The paper will conclude with specific recommendations, some exceedingly ambitious that world leaders could follow to build on the Seoul summit’s achievements against nuclear terrorism in the period before the next summit in 2014. One of these would be to establish a Global Alliance Against Nuclear Terrorism.
Sorting Out Bioactivity in Flavonoid Mixtures

Natural polyphenolic compounds, including flavonoids, which are synthesized by plants, have repeatedly been linked to multiple health benefits, but specific bioactive compounds or individualized roles have been difficult to interpret or to assign. This limitation has prevented the development of robust dietary recommendations. This paper describes a plant-cell-culture production approach that provides uniform yields of abundant natural mixtures of flavonoids from small molecules to high molecular weight oligomers and polymers. The flavonoids correspond to compounds produced in nature by the same plant genotypes; but, through elicitation tactics, the levels and the profiles of the flavonoid yield can be enhanced, and isolation from cell cultures is more rapid and streamlined than isolation from in vivo plant tissues. Introduction of 14 C sucrose to the cell-culture medium enabled the recovery and the identification of biolabeled flavonoid mixtures, which could be easily tracked in serum of rats after gavage. The biolabeled materials are now being investigated to determine tissue localization, structures of bioactive components, and the interactions between flavonoid components that contribute to bioactive potential.
Optimization-Based Regional Hurricane Mitigation Planning

AbstractThis paper introduces a constrained linear optimization model to help guide expenditure of government funds for regional hurricane risk management and to provide insight into some of the complexities involved in designing and prioritizing regional mitigation policies and programs. Specifically, it aims to help answer questions about (1) how much should be spent on mitigation (specifically, retrofitting or acquiring/demolishing buildings); (2) what the return on that investment will be; and (3) how mitigation funds should be spent (i.e., which buildings should be mitigated, how, and when). A full-scale case study for residential woodframe buildings in eastern North Carolina is presented to show how a model application can consider the important features of hurricane loss and mitigation while remaining computationally tractable for real, regional applications and to illustrate the type of results the model provides and how they can be interpreted. The case study considers damage from both high winds...
Fourier transform spectroscopies derived from amplitude or phase shaping of broadband laser pulses with applications to adaptive control

Laser pulse shapers parameterized with frequency-domain functions lead to simple single-parameter manipulations of spectral amplitude and spectral phase that can encode Fourier-transformable information in molecular signals. The first method introduced modulates the intensity within an excitation spectrum, while the second and third methods manipulate only the spectral phase. Each method operating on an input transform limited laser pulse reveals a second-harmonic spectrum in qualitative agreement with that obtainable with a Michelson interferometer. Operating on an adaptively discovered laser pulse with a complex spectral phase, all three methods reveal a second-harmonic spectrum that captures the essential control mechanism. Finally, a recently developed visualization tool is used to give insight into how these techniques affect an oscillatory and Fourier-transformable second order signal in molecules following non-resonant two-photon absorption.
A non-linear tunable PI block for improvement of closed-loop control response

Fuzzy logic has been used to create nonlinear transfer functions for one or more input variables. For example, an input variable e and its derivative delta e may be used in conjunction with rules and membership functions to create a non-linear PD controller. Integrating the result yields a non-linear fuzzy PI controller. Under the assumption that monotonic behavior is needed for a stable control, the nonlinear PI may be implemented much simpler and more predictable with algebraic equations. This technique allows to adjust the gain of the P and the I portions separately while maintaining conventional stable conditions.
Pre-spawning migration of adult Pacific lamprey, Entosphenus tridentatus , in the Willamette River, Oregon, U.S.A.

We describe the migration distances and timing of the adult Pacific lamprey, Entosphenus tridentatus, in the Willamette River Basin (Oregon, U.S.A.). We conducted aerial surveys to track radio-tagged fish upstream of a major waterfall and hydropower complex en route to spawning areas. We detected 24 out of the 43 fish that passed the waterfall-hydropower complex. Of the detected fish, 17 were detected multiple times. Their maximum migration distance upstream in the mainstem Willamette approximated a normal distribution. The maximum distance migrated upstream did not significantly correlate with total body length (r = −0.186, P = 0.385) or date that the fish passed Willamette Falls (r = −0.118, P = 0.582). Fish migrated primarily during the spring to early summer period before stopping during the summer, when peak river temperatures (≥20°C). However, at least three fish continued to migrate upstream after September. Behavior ranged from relatively slow migration, followed by holding; to rapid migration, followed by slow migration further up in the basin. This study provides a basis for informing more detailed research on Pacific lamprey in the future.
Confirming Gender Stereotypes: A Social Role Perspective

In this research we examined whether emotional vulnerability leads women and men to confirm gender stereotypes. Emotional vulnerability is a state where one is open to having one's feelings hurt or to experiencing rejection. Drawing on the tenets of social role theory and research related to normative expectations, we propose that emotional vulnerability leads to stereotype confirmation, as normative expectations are less risky and easier to enact than nonnormative behavior. Fifty-nine dating couples were randomly assigned to a high emotional vulnerability or low emotional vulnerability discussion with their partners. When the degree of emotional vulnerability was high men confirmed gender-stereotypes. Women's behavior, on the other hand, was not significantly affected by condition. We discuss these findings in terms of the domain in which gender-typed behaviors occur and the social pressures to act in accordance with gender norms.
A pipelined A/D conversion technique with near-inherent monotonicity

A simple pipelined A/D conversion technique, which provides superior monotonicity to that of conventional pipelined converters is presented. The technique involves simple re-arrangement of the feedback capacitor. Unlike existing techniques, it does not add circuit complexity, increase power consumption, or sacrifice conversion speed. On the contrary, the technique allows the use of smaller capacitors for a given differential linearity target, thereby reducing the power consumption while maintaining the speed. The technique is applicable to pipelined architectures with a wide range of bits per stage including 1-b/stage. Monte Carlo simulation indicates that at 3-/spl sigma/ levels, 0.781% capacitor mismatch combined with 1.56%-of-full-scale comparator errors provides over 95.2% 12-b yield in a 2-b/stage architecture. >
Analytical linkage between theoretically-optimum and adhoc step-size establishment for nonstationary LMS filtering

For nonstationary LMS adaptive filtering, results are presented which help bridge the gap between ideal theoretical, optimal step-sizes and practical, ad hoc, automatically established step-sizes. An analytical derivation is presented which demonstrates that for the nonstationary system identification paradigm a novel automatic step-size establishment technique estimates the theoretically optimum step-size. This technique sets the step size using the gradient's signal-to-noise ratio. >
A statistical analysis of the TRANSFAC database

Transcription factors are key regulatory elements that control gene expression. The TRANSFAC database represents the largest repository for experimentally derived transcription factor binding sites (TFBS). Understanding TFBS, which are typically conserved during evolution, helps us identify genomic regions related to human health and disease, and regions that might be predictive of patient outcomes. Here we present a statistical analysis of all TFBS in the TRANSFAC database. Our analysis suggests that current definition of TFBS core regions in TRANSFAC should be re-examined so as to capture a more precise notion of "cores." We offer insight into more appropriate definitions of TFBS consensus sequences and core regions. These revised definitions provide a better understanding of the nature of transcription factor-DNA binding and assist with developing algorithms for de novo TFBS discovery as well as finding novel variants of known TFBS.
Epstein-Barr Virus BART MicroRNAs Are Produced from a Large Intron prior to Splicing

Latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with several lymphoproliferative disorders, including posttransplant lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and Burkitt's lymphoma, as well as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Twenty-nine microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified that are transcribed during latent infection from three clusters in the EBV genome. Two of the three clusters of miRNAs are made from the BamHI A rightward transcripts (BARTs), a set of alternatively spliced transcripts that are highly abundant in NPC but have not been shown to produce a detectable protein. This study indicates that while the BART miRNAs are located in the first four introns of the transcripts, processing of the pre-miRNAs from the primary transcript occurs prior to completion of the splicing reaction. Additionally, production of the BART miRNAs correlates with accumulation of a spliced mRNA in which exon 1 is joined directly to exon 3, suggesting that this form of the transcript may favor production of miRNAs. Sequence variations and processing of pre-miRNAs to the mature form also may account for various differences in miRNA abundance. Importantly, residual intronic pieces that result from processing of the pre-miRNAs were detected in the nucleus. The predicted structures of these pieces suggest there is a bias or temporal pattern to the production of the individual pre-miRNAs. These findings indicate that multiple factors contribute to the production of the BART miRNAs and to the apparent differences in abundance between the individual miRNAs of the cluster.
Fusion in agent-based uncertainty theory and neural image of uncertainty

In neural network modeling, the goal often is to get a most specific crisp output (e.g., binary classification of objects) from neuron inputs that have multiple possible values. In this paper, we change the viewpoint and assume that the neuron is an operator that transforms binary classical logic input to the many valued logic output, e.g., changes crisp sets into fuzzy sets. In this interpretation, the neural network is composed of agents or neurons, which work to implement uncertainty calculus and many valued logics from crisp perceptual input. This idea is closely related to the dynamic logic approach and recent cognitive science experimental discoveries. According to this model having crisp perceptual input, brain (1) produces a less certain representation, (2) processes input at this uncertainty level of representation, (3) converts results to the next more certain level of information representation, (4) processes this information and (5) repeats these steps several times until the acceptable level of certainty is reached. To build such model we rely not on the binary logic but on the logic of the uncertainty to obtain the high flexibility and logic adaptation of the described process. This paper presents a concept of the agent-based uncertainty theory (AUT) based on complex fusion of crisp conflicting judgments of agents Communication among agents is modeled by the fusion process in the neural elaboration.
Art World Culture and Institutional Choices: The Case of Experimental Film

This article is based on an ethnographic study of the North American experimental film art world, which established an affiliation with academic institutions in the 1970s. Participant interviews, f...
A note on the semiconductor current flow equations

The current flow equations for nondegenerate and degenerate semiconductors at low temperature are discussed in terms of the Boltzmann transport equation. It is shown that the diffusion current in an inhomogeneous but isotropic semiconductor must be expressed as q.D(r). ∇n(r) where n(r) is the carrier (electron) concentration and D(r) is a spatially varying diffusion "constant." Some formulas which have been given for semiconductor device parameters, i.e., the emitter efficiency for heavily doped transistors when expressed as a ratio of resistivities, could be rigorously developed if the diffusion current were expressible as q.∇[D(r)n(r)]. However, this form is not consistent with the transport equation from which D(r) can be defined and evaluated.
Studies on Hemoflagellates. III. The Specificity of Serological Reactions of Leishmania donovani, L. brasiliensis, L. trópica and Trypanosoma cruzi.

In a review of the literature, it was revealed that while there has been accumulated an impressive amount of work on the serology of hemoflagellates, no general agreement has been reached on the specificity of the serological reactions of these organisms. The conclusions arrived at by various investigators seem to place them into three main groups. One group1'2'3'4'5'6 claims that the serological reactions of hemoflagellates are highly specific. The second group, on the other hand, stresses the fact that a common antigen or antigens exist among hemoflagellates of a wide range of animal hosts.7,8'9 A third group, consisting chiefly of more recent investigators, report that both specific and common antigens exist among the hemoflagellates, but the serological reactions are always stronger and show much higher titres with homologous than with heterologousantigens.910'11'12'13
How and Why Does the 5‐HTTLPR Gene Moderate Associations Between Maternal Unresponsiveness and Children's Disruptive Problems?

This study tested the 5-HTTLPR gene as a moderator in the relation between maternal unresponsiveness and child externalizing symptoms in a disadvantaged, predominantly Black sample of two hundred and one 2-year-old children and their mothers. Using a multimethod, prospective design, structural equation model analyses indicated that maternal unresponsiveness significantly predicted increases in externalizing symptoms 2 years later only for children possessing the LL genotype. Moderation was expressed in a “for better” or “for worse” form hypothesized in differential susceptibility theory. In examining why the risk posed by maternal unresponsiveness differed across the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, mediated moderation analyses showed that children's angry reactivity to maternal negativity partly accounted for the greater susceptibility of homozygous L carriers to variations in maternal unresponsiveness.
Making it Facebook official: The warranting value of online relationship status disclosures on relational characteristics

Abstract This study utilizes Walther and Parks' (2002) warranting theory to explore the relationship between online system- and co-generated relational cues and the strength of offline romantic relational characteristics. Differences in respondents' (N = 170) relational characteristics were predicted based on their relationship statuses articulated on Facebook. Results indicate individuals who display their relationship status on Facebook are more dependent in their relationship (i.e., more satisfied, committed, invested, and with lower perceived relational alternatives) and used Facebook more. In other words, individuals in relationships that are ‘Facebook official’ report being in more committed, stronger relationships than non-Facebook official counterparts. Findings are discussed with respect to the relationships among social media, relational attributes, and warranting theory.
Oscillatory Spatiotemporal Signal Detection in Climate Studies: A Multiple-Taper Spectral Domain Approach

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces a methodology for signal detection and reconstruction of irregular spatiotemporal oscillatory signals—the multiple-taper spectrum estimation method (MTM)–singular-value decomposition (SVD) methodology. This methodology is offered as an alternative technique which avoids most of the problems encountered in traditional techniques and provides an efficient exploratory method for climate signal detection. The associated signal-detection parameter—the local fractional variance spectrum (LFV) spectrum—yields the correct null distribution for a very general class of spatiotemporal climate noise processes and the correct inferences when signals are present. The methodology allows for a faithful reconstruction of the arbitrary spatiotemporal patterns of narrowband signals immersed in spatially correlated noise. The results of the MTM–SVD approach are robust to the temporal and spatial sampling inhomogeneities that are common in actual climate data. Applied to observational climate data, the MTM–SVD analysis yields insight into secular trends, low-frequency, and high-frequency quasi-oscillatory variations in the climate system. The dominant mode of secular variation has been a long-term global warming trend associated with some anomalous atmospheric circulation patterns that show similarity to the modeled response of the climate to increased greenhouse gases.
Older Parents Who Care for Adult Children with Serious Mental Illness

Abstract This paper discusses the results of an exploratory study of a sample of 20 older parents who lived with and provided care to adult children with serious mental illness. A majority of the parents reported high levels of social support from relatives and friends, and appeared to be coping adequately with the stress associated with their caregiving activities. Scores on two social support measures were inversely related to three measures of caregiving distress. Most of the parents had made no concrete plans or arrangements for the future care of their seriously mentally ill children.
Taking Wealth Taxes More Seriously

This paper is a preliminary exploration of a wealth tax. The initial question that is posed is whether it is conceivable that the United States could impose a broad- based, flat wealth tax as a substitute for all current Federal income taxes (individual and corporate) as well as the estate and gift taxes. If we look only at assets listed by the Federal Reserve in its national Balance Sheets, we find that tax rates would have to be too high to replace Federal taxes with a wealth tax - under many assumptions, the tax rate would be in excess of the riskless rate of return on assets, probably too high a rate for a politically viable tax structure. However, if human capital is included in the calculation under reasonable assumptions, the tax rate needed for the wealth tax drops below 2%, perhaps as low as 1.5%. This seems like a politically viable level for a wealth tax. In the future, I hope to do further work to show the distributional effects of such a tax, and its potential economic consequences. In the light of the findings on those issues, I also hope to discuss the consequences of such a fundamental shift in our tax system on the system's equitable foundations.
Integrative Analysis of Multi-omics Data for Discovery and Functional Studies of Complex Human Diseases

Complex and dynamic networks of molecules are involved in human diseases. High-throughput technologies enable omics studies interrogating thousands to millions of makers with similar biochemical properties (eg, transcriptomics for RNA transcripts). However, a single layer of "omics" can only provide limited insights into the biological mechanisms of a disease. In the case of genome-wide association studies, although thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms have been identified for complex diseases and traits, the functional implications and mechanisms of the associated loci are largely unknown. Additionally, the genomic variants alone are not able to explain the changing disease risk across the life span. DNA, RNA, protein, and metabolite often have complementary roles to jointly perform a certain biological function. Such complementary effects and synergistic interactions between omic layers in the life course can only be captured by integrative study of multiple molecular layers. Building upon the success in single-omics discovery research, population studies started adopting the multi-omics approach to better understanding the molecular function and disease etiology. Multi-omics approaches integrate data obtained from different omic levels to understand their interrelation and combined influence on the disease processes. Here, we summarize major omics approaches available in population research, and review integrative approaches and methodologies interrogating multiple omic layers, which enhance the gene discovery and functional analysis of human diseases. We seek to provide analytical recommendations for different types of multi-omics data and study designs to guide the emerging multi-omic research, and to suggest improvement of the existing analytical methods.
Forgone, but not Forgotten: Toward a Theory of Forgone Professional Identities

Through an inductive, qualitative study, I developed a process model of how people deal with professional identities they have forgone by choice or constraint. I show that, when forgone professiona...
Phosphorylase kinase deficiency and decreased fat accumulation in hybrid male mice (I X C3H).

AbstractI strain mice have a deficiency of muscle phosphorylase b kinase. Their skeletal muscle shows a three- to fivefold elevation in glycogen concentration and a decreased rate of glycogen breakdown. In addition, I strain mice accumulate less fat with age or high fat diets than control mice. The purpose of this study was to determine whether phosphorylase b kinase deficiency and decreased fat accumulation of I strain mice are related. Body weight, epididymal fat pad size, adipose cell number, and size were determined in male I, C3H, and hybrid (IxC3H) mice. Since the phosphorylase kinase deficiency is sex-linked, the male offspring of the I♂ xC3H♀ cross were used. As expected, phosphorylase b kinase activity and glycogen content in I and IxC3H skeletal muscle are similar. Body weight at 16 weeks of age in IxC3H mice resembles the body weight of I mice rather than C3H mice. Epididymal fat pad weight is not significantly different in IxC3H and I mice. Epididymal fat pad weight is significantly lower in I...
Sliding Mode Minimum-Energy Control for a Mechatronic Motor-Table System

In this paper, the proposed sliding mode minimum-energy control (SMMEC) consists of sliding mode control (SMC) and minimum-energy control (MEC), and is proposed for a mechatronic motor-table system. First, the complete mathematical model containing the mechanical and electrical equations is successfully formulated, and the energy balance equation is found. Second, the MEC based on Hamiltonian function is exactly obtained from the linear motor-table system. The SMC is added to have the good robustness control performance for the nonlinear motor-table system with external loading, forces and frictions. Our main contribution in this paper is to integrate the MEC's minimum energy and SMC's robustness control performances, and the SMMEC is proposed to perform the robust MEC for the nonlinear mechatronic motor-table system. Finally, the proposed SMMEC is realized by experiments to validate its performance of robustness and saving energy, and comparisons between numerical simulations and experimental results are made for the nonlinear mechatronic motor-table system.
Longitudinal melanonychia of the toenails with presence of Medlar bodies on biopsy

A 9- year-old girl presented with a 2- year history of pigmented streaks on her second right toenail as well as on her fourth and fifth left toenails. The patient was otherwise asymptomatic with no other physical findings. Owing to parental concern, a biopsy was performed, which revealed numerous bacteria as well as Medlar bodies overlying the nail bed with no evidence of a nevomelanocytic lesion. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Medlar bodies causing pigmented streaks in the toenails.
A method of frequency domain identification for control system based on process response in LCR diverging oscillation

High signal-noise ratio and weak anti-jamming characteristics are consistent in control practice for obtaining systems' mathematic models. The method of LCR diverging oscillation with double step excitation signal was proposed. It was concluded that the method has well resistibility to noise interference though the analysis in the aspects of frequency domain and time domain. And then,the method was utilized in the analyzing the characteristics of control system. The simulation results indicated that the more exact characteristics could be achieved once the method proposed was utilized. Finally,the method was applied in the course of analyzing the characteristics of furnace pressure in some a power plant boiler.The characteristics more closed to the engineering practice were obtained than that is by the method of point-frequency filter. Simulations and practical application well present that the proposed method is proper and effective.
Macrosonics in industry

Abstract Ultrasonics has been used in cutting processes for many years. Slurry drilling is one area, for example, that has attained an accepted, though limited, status in manufacturing technology. Ultrasonic twist drilling is a more recent process aimed at achieving faster cutting speeds. Numerous other metal cutting configurations have been studied with varying success. Certain non-manufacturing applications, such as rock cutting and surgical and dental cutting tasks have emerged. This paper reviews these various areas, including the degree of commercial usage.
Setting Up Version Control

You will learn what version control is and the two different flavors that Visual Studio Team Services offers: Team Foundation Version Control and Git. You will also learn some best practices for structuring your code through branches and how to take things a step further with feature toggles.
Coupling of soil regeneration, food security, and nutrition outcomes in Andean subsistence agroecosystems

To sustain the livelihoods of smallholder farmers globally, improved human nutrition must not sacrifice future agroecosystem productivity. We gathered environmental, agricultural management, food security (FS), and normalized child height for age (HAZ; children age < 2y) data from 297 farming households to test whether enhanced FS and nutrition goals can be aligned with agroecosystem maintenance in Andean farming systems that rely heavily on the local environment. Our results demonstrate many expected relationships between environment, agriculture, and nutrition in these communities’ households, for example between ecosystem biomass production and manuring rates, between total household crop production and FS, and between HAZ and child diet diversity. However, increased FS status evaluated by households was unrelated to HAZ as an indicator of nutrition status. By contrast, better child nutrition and feeding practices in some households were associated not with total production but with farming practices that sustain soils and secure higher per-hectare crop yields: longer fallows, greater crop diversity, and smaller cropped areas. These results may be explained by the tendency for agricultural practices correlated with household food insecurity (e.g. reduced manure inputs, greater cropped area) to increase labor and impede appropriate feeding and child nutrition while they accelerate environmental degradation. Crop production imperatives for food supply can thus degrade soils without delivering improved nutrition. Meanwhile, more sustainable practices in households with better child nutrition (e.g. smaller, better-manured crop areas) may address time barriers to effective care and feeding. We discuss challenges and opportunities based on these results for meeting both nutrition and environmental goals.
An Individual in Company: Quatre quatuors pour un week-end

Following a similar structure as Chapter 4, the chapter begins with a textual consideration of how Gao complicates subjective identity in a seemingly more traditionally structured play. The chapter goes on to consider the political ramifications of Gao writing and producing his work at the Comedie Francaise, asking how a playwright who is so committedly against political identification works within such a structure. The chapter, again, looks at how Gao’s play creates a different aesthetic structure that demands a careful approach in production.
Analysis and synthesis of body movements utilizing the simple n-link system

Analysis procedures and computer programs have been developed for certain mechanical systems to determine the forces responsible for recorded motions, e.g., by Plagenhoef (1966, 1968). However, the investigation of variations of an action essential in optimization calculations would be difficult to carry out using this approach. A mathematical model based on the equations of motion containing complete information regarding the dynamics of movements allows mathematical procedures for movement synthesis as well as analysis. It also presents other useful possibilities.
On the Iconization of Simplified Chinese

Although iconization is widely recognized as a crucial process through which linguistic differences are accorded social significance, we know little about how iconic linkages travel across time and space. This article highlights the processual nature of iconization and reveals recontextualization as an important mechanism for the transformation of indexical signs into icons. Focusing on a well-known poem that purportedly encapsulates the defects of the simplified Chinese script used in mainland China, this study shows how its recontextualization in Hong Kong's print and social media between 2000 and 2015 helped construct simplified Chinese as defective and map its “defects” onto mainlanders.
Biblical Food Processing1

Processing of milk into dry milk, cheese, and butter was an important part of Biblical man's survival in the desert wasteland. Meat processing was limited, and little of it was likely consumed during the 40 years of wandering of the Israelites. The Bible does mention processing of quail which were salted and dried. Locusts were a common food item for traveling Israelites and were prepared and consumed whenever found. This was done by boiling them in salt water, then baking, drying, or smoking before consuming. Cereal grain formed an important part of the Hebrews' diet. It was threshed and ground with a hand mill and then made into bread. Another method of processing was by using the mortar and pestle to make flour for bread. Manna seems to have been processed in a manner similar to that used for cereal grains. It was the sole source of food for many years while the Israelites traveled in the desert. Vegetables were not processed and are only briefly mentioned, whereas spices are referred to throughout the...
A novel approach towards energy storage system sizing considering battery degradation

Energy Storage System (ESS), with its fast ramping and bi-direction power flow capabilities, is playing a more vital role in the electric market. However, it still stands on the farther end of economic viability. As a result, a good estimate of battery service life, and therefore revenue, is necessary before the investment is made in any given application. In this paper, a set of improved degradation models are propose to estimate the useful life of an ESS when subjected to daily duty cycles (4-sec resolution). The models are validated and tuned for the target Li-Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA) batteries. Time to End of Life (EOL) is estimated for batteries of different sizes to provide ancillary services and/or energy services in electric market, given different end-of-cycle state of charge. Finally, the strategies which can be used to size the battery for maximizing time to EOL are discussed.
Elastophagocytosis: A Clue to the Diagnosis of GM-CSF-Induced Dermatosis:

Background:Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a cytokine used to stimulate the production of leukocytes and monocytes in neutropenic patients. Cutaneous reactions to GM-CS...
Understanding How Individual Differences Are Related to Community Sentiment Toward Safe Haven Laws Using a Student Sample

In this chapter, an in-depth overview of two common approaches to community sentiment is provided: assessing variances in sentiment based on individual differences (e.g., gender) and using a student sample. Generally, past research indicates that there are sometimes differences in sentiment and behavior (e.g., juror verdicts) between student and nonstudent samples, but this depends on the topic being addressed. Additionally, common individual differences examined in sentiment research include: religion, gender, political affiliation, and race. A study was conducted to illustrate how individual differences in a student sample are related to support for Safe Haven laws (i.e., laws providing parents the option of anonymously relinquishing their children to authorities). Results indicate that religious organizational practice was positively related to support for Safe Haven laws. Three variables approached traditional levels of significance: political affiliation, fundamentalism, and evangelism. Through much future study, community sentiment researchers can understand which individual differences measures to include—and what kind of sample is needed—to fully understand sentiment about any particular topic.