cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
eLearning assessment through textual analysis of class discussions

Most of the elearning classes use discussion forums to support class interaction. This paper presents a novel approach that automatically assesses student class performance by analyzing knowledge density in online class messages. Class performance of students is evaluated from three perspectives: the quality of their course work, the quantity of their efforts, and the activeness of their participation; three measures - knowledge density, message length, and message count, are derived from class messages respectively. Together, they are used to calculate a performance indicator score. The experiment shows that there is a high correlation between the performance indicator scores and the actual grades assigned by instructors. The rank orders of students by the performance indicator score are highly correlated with those by the actual grades as well.
Knowledge Level of Library Deans and Directors in Copyright Law

INTRODUCTION Copyright law is an increasingly important aspect of managing an academic library. This study investigated the copyright knowledge level of academic library deans and directors and their perceptions of how it affects their abilities to oversee the development and enforcement of copyright-related library policies. The perceived adequacy of the copyright training currently available in library schools was also examined. METHODS A random sample of academic library deans and directors was asked to complete a web-based survey articulating their level of copyright knowledge and perceptions associated with how they are able to apply it toward their work with policies. RESULTS Respondents scored a mean of 77.49% on ten questions of basic copyright law concepts. A majority of deans and directors indicated they believe their knowledge, as well as that of those working under their supervision, is adequate to make informed decisions. However, almost 90% of the respondents were either neutral or disagreed that library school programs are providing adequate training in copyright law to academic librarians. DISCUSSION The evidence from this study reveals that library deans and directors have a basic knowledge of copyright law concepts; however, it is unclear as to whether their understanding is sufficient to provide a sound basis for developing and sustaining operational policies and strategic directions for their libraries. It is clear that participants acknowledged the need for more training in copyright law as part of basic preparation for librarianship. CONCLUSION Deans and directors of academic libraries have a working knowledge of copyright law but more training is needed to provide library professionals with the tools necessary to carry out the work of effectively managing collections and services, especially in this new and emerging digital environment.
Imaging Findings in Auto-Atticotomy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: An acquired attic cholesteatoma may spontaneously drain externally into the external auditory canal, leaving a cavity in the attic with the shape of the original cholesteatoma but now filled with air, a phenomenon referred to as “nature9s atticotomy” or auto-atticotomy. We describe and quantify the CT appearance of the auto-atticotomy cavity as it pertains to the appearance of the scutum and the lateral attic wall. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with erosion of the scutum and loss of the lower attic wall on MDCT were identified during a 5-year span. Images were assessed for measureable widening of the space between the ossicles and the lower lateral attic wall in the axial and coronal planes. Three measurements of the lateral attic were made on the axial images. Findings were compared with the same measurements in 20 control subjects. RESULTS: The 21 patients had a characteristic blunting of the scutum with loss of the lower lateral attic wall and widening of the lateral attic, consistent with an auto-atticotomy. There was a statistically significant (P CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneously evacuated cholesteatoma may mimic a surgical atticotomy on MDCT. Scutal erosion and attic enlargement with a smoothly contoured bony remodeling of the lower lateral attic wall in a patient with no history of surgery suggest that a cholesteatoma was previously present and spontaneously drained.
Gracilis urethral myoplasty: preliminary experience using an autologous urinary sphincter for post-prostatectomy incontinence

ABSTRACTPurpose: We investigated the effect of a neurovascular intact gracilis muscle urethral wrap to restore urinary continence in men with severe stress urinary incontinence after radical retropubic prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: Three men with stress incontinence after radical retropubic prostatectomy and external beam radiation therapy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate underwent gracilis urethral myoplasty. Video urodynamic evaluation and cystourethroscopy revealed Valsalva leak point pressure of less than 40 cm. water and a damaged urinary sphincter mechanism in all 3 patients. One man underwent concomitant ileocystoplasty.Results: At 6 to 24-month followup all patients reported improved continence. Mean Valsalva leak point pressure increased from 26.3 +/− 3.2 cm. water before to 83.0 +/− 32.1 cm. water after surgery. The gracilis muscle urethral wrap did not have a deleterious effect on erectile function or ambulation. Complications included 1 wound infection.Conclusions: An autologous graci...
Clinical Science Plaque pH Measurements by Different Methods on the Buccal and Approximal Surfaces of Human Teeth after a Sucrose Rinse

Changes in plaque pH after a sucrose rinse were simultaneously monitored by plaque sampling, touching of the plaque with antimony and glass electrodes, and telemetry. The minimum pH at approximal sites was approximately 0. 7 pH units lower than that on buccal surfaces. The pH at the approximal site remained below resting levels after 120 min, and the area under the pH response curves from this site was five times greater than that from the buccal surfaces.
In situ effective diffusion coefficient profiles in live biofilms using pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance

Diffusive mass transfer in biofilms is characterized by the effective diffusion coefficient. It is well-documented that the effective diffusion coefficient can vary by location in a biofilm. The current literature is dominated by effective diffusion coefficient measurements for distinct cell clusters and stratified biofilms showing this spatial variation. Regardless of whether distinct cell clusters or surface-averaging methods are used, position-dependent measurements of the effective diffusion coefficient are currently: 1) invasive to the biofilm, 2) performed under unnatural conditions, 3) lethal to cells, and/or 4) spatially restricted to only certain regions of the biofilm. Invasive measurements can lead to inaccurate results and prohibit further (time dependent) measurements which are important for the mathematical modeling of biofilms. In this study our goals were to: 1) measure the effective diffusion coefficient for water in live biofilms, 2) monitor how the effective diffusion coefficient changes over time under growth conditions, and 3) correlate the effective diffusion coefficient with depth in the biofilm. We measured in situ two-dimensional effective diffusion coefficient maps within Shewanella oneidensis MR-1biofilms using pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance methods, and used them to calculate surface-averaged relative effective diffusion coefficient (Drs) profiles. We found that 1) Drs decreased from the top ofmore » the biofilm to the bottom, 2) Drs profiles differed for biofilms of different ages, 3) Drs profiles changed over time and generally decreased with time, 4) all the biofilms showed very similar Drs profiles near the top of the biofilm, and 5) the Drs profile near the bottom of the biofilm was different for each biofilm. Practically, our results demonstrate that advanced biofilm models should use a variable effective diffusivity which changes with time and location in the biofilm.« less
Design Considerations for Content and Personality of a Multi-lingual Cross-Cultural Robot

Our aim is to develop a culturally aware robot capable of communicating with people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds and performing competently in a multi-lingual, cross-cultural context. Our test bed is a female robot receptionist, named Hala, deployed at the reception area in Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. Hala answers questions in Arabic and English about people, locations of offices, classrooms and other rooms in the building. She also provides information about the weather, Education City, and her personal life. Our first model, Hala 1.0, was a bilingual robot extending an American model whose personality and utterances conform to the American culture. Three years of interaction logs have shown that 89% of Hala 1.0's interactions were in English. We conjecture that this is due to the robot's poor ability to equally portray both Arabic and American cultures and to its limited Arabic content. In order for us to investigate cultural factors that bear on communication significantly, w...
Momentum and heat transfer on a continuous moving surface in a power law fluid

This analysis examines the momentum and heat transfer occurring in the laminar boundary layer on a continuously moving and stretching two-dimensional surface in a non-Newtonian power law fluid. The Merk-Chao series expansion is used to generate ordinary differential equations from the partial differential momentum equation in order to obtain universal velocity functions. For the problem of combined momentum and heat transfer in the boundary layer of the moving sheet, a general power series is used to describe the fluid's velocity and temperature. Examples for a non-linear surface velocity and a linearly stretching surface velocity are provided.
The Impact of Net Migration on Neighbourhood Racial Composition

While it has been commonly assumed that racially mixed neighbourhoods in US cities will become increasingly black, the results of this study question the validity of this assumption. In a series of simulations it is shown that in urban areas with no black inmigration the proportion of the black population does not increase in racially mixed neighbourhoods, unlike the case where there is black in migration to the urban area. With reductions in the rate of black inmigration to US cities, this study suggests policy implications which could help reduce the level of racial segregation in residential areas.
Sensing macromolecular rearrangements in polymer networks by stimuli-responsive crosslinkers

A new family of azobenzene crosslinked brominated vinyl ester (DABA–BrVE) polymer networks was developed that exhibits reversible photochromic and fluorescence properties in which azobenzene serves as a crosslinker as well as a molecular sensor of structural and conformational changes of the surrounding macromolecular segments. The covalently “build-in” azobenzene crosslinker functions as a light emitting group capable of sensing stresses or damages, thereby altering photochromic and fluorescence properties. These reversible processes induced by structural network rearrangements may offer numerous application possibilities ranging from molecular stress sensors or nano-crack detectors in composites and other materials.
Listening Comprehension and Anxiety in the Arabic Language Classroom

Anxiety plays an important role in foreign language (FL) students' classroom performance. This study presents the results of the first empirical examination of the effect of general FL learning anxiety on students' achievement in an Arabic course and of listening anxiety on students' listening comprehension. The data came from 2 measures of anxiety and a background questionnaire administered to 233 postsecondary students of Arabic as a FL. Anxiety scores were correlated with final grades and listening comprehension scores. The results indicated that FL learning anxiety and listening anxiety are separate but related phenomena that both correlate negatively with achievement. The study also revealed significant negative correlations among FL learning anxiety, listening anxiety, and selected demographic variables. These results suggest that reducing student anxiety and providing a less stressful classroom environment might enable teachers and Arabic programs to help students improve both their listening comprehension proficiency as well as their overall course performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
E-cadherin and β-catenin expression in early stage cervical carcinoma: a tissue microarray study of 147 cases

The disruption of intercellular adhesions is an important component of the acquisition of invasive properties in epithelial malignancies. Alterations in the cell-cell adhesion complex, E-Cadherin/β-Catenin, have been implicated in the oncogenesis of carcinomas arising from various anatomic sites and have been correlated with adverse clinico-pathologic parameters. In this study, the authors investigated the immunohistochemical expression of E-Cadherin and β-Catenin in a cohort of early stage cervical cancers to determine its prognostic significance and to investigate differences between the three major histological subtypes. A tissue microarray of 147 cases of FIGO stage 1A and 1B cervical carcinomas [96 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), 35 adenocarcinomas (AC), 12 adenosquamous carcinomas (ASQ), 4 miscellaneous types] was constructed from our archived surgical pathology files and stained with monoclonal antibodies to E-Cadherin and β-Catenin. Cases were scored by multiplying the intensity of staining (1 to 3 scale) by the percentage of cells stained (0–100%) for a potential maximum score of 300. For both markers, "preserved" expression was defined as bright membranous staining with a score of 200 or above. "Impaired" expression included any of the following: negative staining, a score less than 200, or exclusively cytoplasmic or nuclear delocalization. Impaired expression of β-Catenin was found in 85.7%, 66.7%, & 58.3% of AC, SCC & ASQ respectively. Impaired expression of E-Cadherin was found in 94.3%, 86.5% & 100% of cases of AC, SCC, & ASQ respectively. The differences between the histologic subtypes were not significant. For the whole cohort, a comparsion of cases showing impaired versus preserved of E-Cadherin and β-Catenin expression showed no significant differences with respect to recurrence free survival, overall survival, patient age, histologic grade, and frequency of lymphovascular invasion or lymph node involvement. There was no correlation between the status of both markers for all three histological subtypes (overall spearman correlation co-efficient r = 0.12, p = 0.14) Impairment of E-Cadherin and β-Catenin expression is very frequent in early stage cervical cancers, and alterations in the E-Cadherin/β-Catenin cell adhesion complex are therefore likely involved in the pathogenesis of cervical carcinomas even at their earliest stages. None of the three major histological subtypes of cervical carcinoma (SCC, ADCA, ADSQ) is significantly more likely than the others to show impairment in E-Cadherin and β-Catenin expression. Overall, the expression of both markers does not significantly correlate with clinico-pathological parameters of prognostic significance.
The growth of the body and organs of the albino rat as affected by feeding various ductless glands (thyroid, thymus, hypophysis, and pineal)

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. October 1916. Major: Anatomy. 1 computer file (PDF); 51 pages. [296-346]. Published in The Journal of Experimental Zoology.
Age-related neural changes during memory conjunction errors

Human behavioral studies demonstrate that healthy aging is often accompanied by increases in memory distortions or errors. Here we used event-related fMRI to examine the neural basis of age-related memory distortions. We used the memory conjunction error paradigm, a laboratory procedure known to elicit high levels of memory errors. For older adults, right parahippocampal gyrus showed significantly greater activity during false than during accurate retrieval. We observed no regions in which activity was greater during false than during accurate retrieval for young adults. Young adults, however, showed significantly greater activity than old adults during accurate retrieval in right hippocampus. By contrast, older adults demonstrated greater activity than young adults during accurate retrieval in right inferior and middle prefrontal cortex. These data are consistent with the notion that age-related memory conjunction errors arise from dysfunction of hippocampal system mechanisms, rather than impairments in frontally mediated monitoring processes.
Acute periscleritis – a variant of idiopathic orbital inflammation

We examined seven patients who had eyelid swelling, proptosis, conjunctival injection, mild orbital pain and visual loss. Although several patients had mild limitation of eye movement, none experienced diplopia. Simultaneous bilateral involvement occurred in two patients. All patients were treated with oral corticosteroids and promptly improved, although recurrences in several required repeat courses of therapy. We identified inflammatory thickening of the posterior ocular wall and Tenon's capsule in some patients by means of B-scan ultrasonography and computerized tomography. We call this variety of anterior orbital inflammation without significant extraocular muscle involvement acute periscleritis, which is distinguished from other forms of idiopathic orbital inflammation and scleritis.
FREE-FORM SURFACE PARTITION IN 3-D

We present a theoretical study of a problem related to optimal free-form surface partitioning, which arises in surface machining in manufacturing. In particular, we consider partitioning a free-form surface in 3-D into two subsurfaces subject to a global objective function. As a key subroutine, we develop new algorithms for the geometric problem of processing an off-line sequence of insertions and deletions of convex polygons alternated with point membership/proximity queries on the common intersection of the polygons. We show how this subroutine can be used to solve surface 2-partitioning. Our algorithm for the 2-partitioning problem takes time, where m is the number of polygons of size O(n) each. This improves the asymptotic time complexity of the previous best-known O(m2n2)-time algorithm. Our algorithms may be applicable to other accessibility and partition problems involving free-form surfaces in computer graphics and manufacturing. From the computational geometry point of view, our method combines nontrivial data structures, geometric observations, and algorithmic techniques that may be used to solve other geometric problems. For example, our algorithm can process O(n) insertions and deletions of convex polygons (of size O(n) each) and queries on their intersections in O(n2log log n) time, improving the "standard" O(n2log n) time solution.
Evolutionary Neural Network parallelization with multicore systems on chip

Evolutionary Neural Network (ENN) has attracted great attention among the researchers in recent years because of its effectiveness at function optimization and, its efficiency in searching large and complex spaces to find nearly global optima. In this work, Parallel Evolutionary Neural Network algorithm is proposed and implemented on Multi-core system on chip. The algorithm is parallelized, partitioned, mapped, and scheduled on multicore. The algorithm is also implemented on single core for comparison. The parallel ENN is developed in C# using .Net framework 4.0. The .Net framework offers comprehensive and flexible threads APIs that allow the efficient implementation of multithreaded applications.
A Dual-Career Couple's Experience with Adoption: The Dramatic Impact of Moving from Couple to Instant Parenthood

Couples who adopt children undergo unique transitions to parent hood. Each adoption is different, and each comes with the full spectrum of emotions from elation to grief. This article presents one couple's experience with transitioning from couple to parenthood and their struggle with mental health support.
Advanced predoctoral implant program at UIC: description and qualitative analysis.

Dental implant education has increasingly become an integral part of predoctoral dental curricula. However, the majority of implant education emphasizes the restorative aspect as opposed to the surgical. The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry has developed an Advanced Predoctoral Implant Program (APIP) that provides a select group of students the opportunity to place implants for single-tooth restorations and mandibular overdentures. This article describes the rationale, logistics, experiences, and perspectives of an innovative approach to provide additional learning experiences in the care of patients with partial and complete edentulism using implant-supported therapies. Student and faculty perspectives on the APIP were ascertained via focus group discussions and a student survey. The qualitative analysis of this study suggests that the select predoctoral dental students highly benefited from this experience and intend to increase their knowledge and skills in implant dentistry through formal education following graduation. Furthermore, the survey indicates that the APIP has had a positive influence on the students’ interest in surgically placing implants in their future dental practice and their confidence level in restoring and surgically placing implants.
Organ weights in sudden infant death syndrome.

This comprehensive study of organ weights in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) should be of use to those studying postmortem data in SIDS and may have application to issues of growth and development. Analysis of data from 500 autopsies, performed over 15 years by one individual, revealed mean body weights generally below the 50th percentile for living infants. The weights of the thymus, lungs, liver, and brain were significantly greater than published norms. Thymic weights in SIDS probably represent the normal state more closely than those reported in several other series; elevated lung weights are presumably due to the intense pulmonary congestion and edema commonly encountered in SIDS; the liver edge routinely extends below the costal margins at SIDS autopsies, but the reason for increased weight is unknown, although a hemodynamic alteration seems likely; elevated brain weight has been described previously in SIDS. Other organs showed trends differing from "normal"--heart weights showed a marginally significant increase above published norms; for the adrenal glands, a uniform decrease was apparent, but slopes of linear regressions were low, hampering statistical analysis. Organ weights correlated more closely with body weight than with age. When victims were classified as "possible SIDS," "probable SIDS," or "classic SIDS," differences in organ weights were rarely significant. Analysis of organ weights using Z scores and their standard deviations (sigma-Z, or "pattern variability index") revealed increased variability in SIDS victims. Explanations for these findings include the possibility that some weights previously published as normal are low due to confounding variables. Changes could also be genuine, resulting from disturbances in growth or physiology, or artifactual, possibly the result of agonal or postmortem changes. A database on carefully selected, previously healthy infants who died suddenly and unexpectedly of known causes (i.e., trauma) is much needed.
HPV Vaccine Awareness and Knowledge Among Women Living with HIV

Cervical cancer risk is increased among women living with HIV (WLH). Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has been shown to be safe and immunogenic among WLH. We examined HPV vaccine awareness and HPV knowledge among WLH. This cross-sectional study collected data from 145 WLH between March 2011 and April 2012. An interviewer-administered survey assessed HPV vaccine awareness and knowledge. Stata/IC 13 was used to perform chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Our sample was 90 % non-Hispanic black and 64 % earned <$10,000/year. Few (38 %) had heard of the HPV vaccine. Half (50 %) knew that HPV caused cervical cancer. HPV vaccine awareness was ten times higher among WLH who knew HPV caused cervical cancer (OR = 10.17; 95 % CI 3.82-27.06). HPV vaccine awareness is low among WLH. Cancer prevention efforts aimed at raising awareness about the HPV vaccine and increasing knowledge about HPV are necessary first steps in reducing cervical cancer disparities among WLH.
Dispersed Macroeconomic Information: Announcements, Revisions & Stock Returns

I analyze the link between macroeconomic announcement surprises, intradaily returns on the S&P500 Index, and the subsequent revisions to the announced data. I show that announcement-day returns contain information about the future revisions of the released figures. This information is unrelated to the initial announcement surprises and predicts the future revisions: Prices increase when the subsequent revisions will be positive. This observation is strongest for real activity and investment variables such as Nonfarm Payroll, Industrial Production, and Factory Orders. I develop a rational expectations trading model where the final payoff is the sum of non-overlapping fractions of the economy that were previously observed as private signals. A preliminary public announcement does not convey new information to the market per se, but rather allows investors to deduce other investors' information. In turn, this allows them to assess the inaccuracy of the public signal and therefore estimate its future revision. In equilibrium, the risky asset's price changes in anticipation of the public signal's revision, even though the initial surprise may be in the opposite direction.
Lung extracellular matrix and redox regulation

Pulmonary fibrosis affects millions worldwide and, even though there has been a significant investment in understanding the processes involved in wound healing and maladaptive repair, a complete understanding of the mechanisms responsible for lung fibrogenesis eludes us, and interventions capable of reversing or halting disease progression are not available. Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by the excessive expression and uncontrolled deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins resulting in erosion of the tissue structure. Initially considered an 'end-stage' process elicited after injury, these events are now considered pathogenic and are believed to contribute to the course of the disease. By interacting with integrins capable of signal transduction and by influencing tissue mechanics, ECM proteins modulate processes ranging from cell adhesion and migration to differentiation and growth factor expression. In doing so, ECM proteins help orchestrate complex developmental processes and maintain tissue homeostasis. However, poorly controlled deposition of ECM proteins promotes inflammation, fibroproliferation, and aberrant differentiation of cells, and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, atherosclerosis and cancer. Considering their vital functions, ECM proteins are the target of investigation, and oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions have emerged as important regulators of the ECM. Oxidative stress invariably accompanies lung disease and promotes ECM expression directly or through the overproduction of pro-fibrotic growth factors, while affecting integrin binding and activation. In vitro and in vivo investigations point to redox reactions as targets for intervention in pulmonary fibrosis and related disorders, but studies in humans have been disappointing probably due to the narrow impact of the interventions tested, and our poor understanding of the factors that regulate these complex reactions. This review is not meant to provide a comprehensive review of this field, but rather to highlight what has been learned and to raise interest in this area in need of much attention.
European Union Law in U.S. Legal Academia

The history of EU law in the J.D. curriculum is a classical tale of rise and fall. An avant-garde, boutique offering in the 1970s, and a fairly popular course in the 1990s, today EU law is slowly losing prominence in U.S. law schools, while remaining of interest in political science departments. Tracking this parabolic trajectory, this paper argues that the discipline rose thanks to a number of favorable circumstances (including the federalism revolution of the Rehnquist Court, the 1990s convergence of transatlantic politics, and the charisma of key academic players), and that it fell for reasons wholly unrelated to its pedagogical and analytical significance. The paper then provides a critical appraisal of what EU law is still uniquely poised to offer, both in the classroom and as a subject for legal scholarship. An illustration based on French experiences of Europeanization supports the claim that EU law as an autonomous subject can still make an original and non-fungible contribution to U.S. legal academia.
Changes in Lipid Biosynthesis During Development of the House Cricket, Acheta domesticus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

The incorporation of [I-14·e] acetate into lipid was monitored during the final three stadia of male and female house crickets, Acheta domesticus (L.). Large fluctuations in lipid bio-synthesis –total lipid synthesis and the synthesis of various classes of lipid were observed for males and females during development. All three stadia showed low levels of radiolabel incorporation near ecdysis. Peak incorporation occurred at midstadium. All lipid classes examined (triacylglycerol [TG], phospholipid [PL], hydrocarbon [HC], diacylglycerol, alcohol, and free fatty acid) showed similar patterns. No differences in lipid biosynthesis were observed between male and female nymphs. However, adult females showed a distinct peak of [1·14. C] acetate incorporation into total lipid and into the TG fraction 2–3 d after ecdysis. This peak corresponded to the initiation of vitellogenesis. Males showed a more gradual increase in lipid biosynthesis through day 7. Near ecdysis, the relative distribution of radioactivity showed that the radio labeled acetate was incorporated into HC and PL in a higher proportion than it was into TG. By day 2, about 70% of the lipid synthesized was incorporated into TG by males and females. In general, the large changes in lipid synthesis correlate closely with the physiological needs of the insect associated with its development.
Multiple factors govern the association between pharmacology and toxicity in a class of drugs: toward a unification of class effect terminology.

The term class effect has gained in use to describe a side effect including toxicity common to a series of drugs. There is no definition of what constitutes a class effect, and it is not applied against a rigid set of criteria.Thus, the finding of toxicity in one of a series of drugs can raise the concern of a class effect, especially if one or more of the others shows findings even slightly related or at very much lower incidence. This is particularly problematic when the term is used loosely or speculatively on initial events that are themselves of low incidence and serious. This speculation exaggerates and distorts the scientific process in establishing the true benefit risk of the individual drugs and can lead to lengthy development times, or highly restrictive labeling, to the detriment of patient welfare. To provide better definition and application of the term, we suggest that the term class effect toxicity is only used when a clear mechanistic link has been established between a safety concern and...
Cladosporium trichoides var. chlamydosporum: an invalidly published name

(1987). Cladosporium Trichoides Var. Chlamydosporum: An Invalidly Published Name. Mycologia: Vol. 79, No. 5, pp. 803-805.
NATURAL HYBRIDIZATION AND GENETIC DIVERGENCE BETWEEN THE TOADS BUFO BOREAS AND BUFO PUNCTATUS.

Species of the toad genus Bufo are well known for their ability to produce viable hybrids under laboratory conditions (Blair, 1972). Additionally, many workers have documented natural hybridization in that genus (Blair, 1941, 1955; Volpe, 1952, 1960; Cory and Manion, 1955; Thornton, 1955; Fox et al., 1961; Guttman, 1967; McCoy et al., 1967; Zweifel, 1968; Brown and Guttman, 1970; Jones, 1973). A basic problem in field studies of hybridization is initial recognition of hybrid individuals. Often, intraspecific variation in morphology makes identification of hybrids difficult; that is, a hybrid may resemble an extreme morphological variant of one of the parental species. Electrophoretic techniques permit more direct analysis of an organism's genome than any known morphological approach and make possible demonstration of the genetic intermediacy of hybrids. This study describes natural hybridization between two species of toads, Bufo boreas and B. punctatus, in a desert region of southwestern California. Morphologically these toads are strikingly distinct, being placed in different species groups by Tihen (1962) and Blair (1972). Bufo boreas (Fig. lc) is a large toad with elongate parotoid glands, a conspicuous light dorsal stripe and frequently, with extensive black dorsal spotting. Bufo punctatus (Fig. la) is smaller than B. boreas, has nearly spherical parotoid glands, lacks a
Hacking the Electorate: The Perceived Partisan

The purpose of the Perceived Voter Model is to predict campaign strategies and their subsequent effects on voters by paying attention to the perceptions that political campaigns have of their electorates. In Chapters 2 and 3, I explained why public records of personal information, such as those that originate in the voter registration system, contribute to campaign perceptions. I offered specific hypotheses that explain how the provision of data about voters' racial identities or party affiliations, and the lack of data predictive of persuadability, will affect campaign strategies. In Chapter 4, I reviewed the data sources that will allow me to examine these hypotheses. In this chapter, I begin to test hypotheses by focusing on the provision of public data about voters' partisanship. States differ in their public collection of personal data about partisanship. Some states collect data from voters that, when transmitted to campaigns, provide campaigns with effective tools for predicting which voters are going to support Democratic or Republican candidates in upcoming elections. Other states do not collect these data. In all states, voters cast secret ballots, but in some states, a campaign can use public records to predict a person's choices in the voting booth with a high level of accuracy. In this chapter, I examine how the availability of public records relevant to predictions of partisanship affect how campaigns perceive the electorate, how they strategize given those perceptions, and how their strategic choices affect voters. PUBLIC RECORDS OF PARTISAN SUPPORT There are two forms of party information that are available to campaigns on voter files in different states. The first form is party registration, whereby voters have the option of registering as a member of a political party and this designation becomes public information. The second form is party primary data. For each primary in which a voter chooses to participate, the party's ballot that the voter selected is noted on the public record. In 2010, in seventeen states, both forms of partisan information were available.
Synchronization Algorithm of Color Image Denoising and Enhancement

In the process of color image acquisition,due to the objective factors of the environment and equipment etc,the image w hich contains noise or poor contrast is often obtained. These have a greater impact for the subsequent image segmentation and registration accuracy. For this reason,the paper proposes a synchronization model of color image denoising and enhancement. Firstly, RGB and Ycbcr is introduced to construct adaptive histogram equalization partial differential equations by transform and inverse transform. Secondly,the rate of changing gradient is unified by the calculation of the eigenvectors w ith the x axis to improve color PM model. Finally,the purpose of denoising and enhancement is achieved by combining the tw o items and increasing the coefficient of adjustment parameters. The results of experiment show that algorithm has validity and practicality.
Molecular Dynamics Study of Crack Extension of Metal Film

The microscopic mechanism of metal film crack extension under impact loading was investigated.Molecular dynamics method w as adopted to simulate Cu metal film,and the system kinetic energy,stress,strain and microstructure charts w ere obtained w ith surface cracks under impact loading.When the system stress shifted from compressive stress to tensile stress,the atoms on the crack got large kinetic energy,and atoms on crack tips began to sputter,then vacancies appeared in the crystal lattice.When tensile stress reached 3 643.85 MPa,lattice vacancies extended to blunt cuts,and the crack grew.The results show that the change of the system energy and stress causes blunt-cut damage to the micro-crack tips,w hich is the main reason of metal film crack extension under high speed impact loading.
Molecular dynamics study of interfacial mechanical behavior between asphalt binder and mineral aggregate

Abstract This study aims to study the deformation and failure behavior of the asphalt-aggregate interface using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The 12-component asphalt molecular models and the hydrated silica substrate were employed to form a bi-material interface system. Physical properties of asphalt binder were predicted from MD simulations including density and glass transition temperature for model validation with experimental data. Tensile simulations were performed and the stress-separation responses were obtained to analyze the interfacial mechanical behavior. It was found that the interface failure was mainly adhesive failure although large air voids were formed in the bulk asphalt as the loading rate decreases to a certain level. The interface failure strength and post-peak deformation are affected by loading rate and temperature that is consistent the viscoelastic behavior of asphalt binder. The stress-separation responses match the cohesive zone model (CZM) model that is usually observed in the pull-off strength test at the macroscopic scale. The relationship between chemical compositions of asphalt binder and the interface failure parameters was investigated. The MD simulation shows promising results to understand mechanical failure of asphalt-aggregate interface at the atomistic scale.
Assessment of pollution levels and human health risk of heavy metals in dust deposited on Yerevan’s tree leaves (Armenia)

The total concentrations of Cd, As, Pb, Cr, Ni, Co, Zn, Cu, Ag, Hg, and Mo were determined in the atmospheric dust of the city of Yerevan by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAnalyst PE 800). Heavy metal pollution levels were evaluated by calculating geo-accumulation (I geo ) and summary pollution (Zc) indices. Potential human health risk was assessed using the United States Environmental Protection agency’s human health risk assessment model. The results show that mean contents of all elements tested except Ni and Cr were substantially higher than local geochemical background values. According to the I geo , Yerevan territory is strongly-to-extremely polluted by As, Ag, Hg, Mo, and Cd. The Zc assessment indicated that very high pollution was detected in 36 % of samples, high in 32 %, average in 12 %, and low in 20 %. The health risk assessment revealed a non-carcinogenic risk (HI >1) for children at 13 samplings sites and for adults at one sampling site. For children the risk was due to elevated levels of Mo, Cd, Co, and As, while for adults, only Mo. Carcinogenic risk (>1:1,000,000) of As and Cr via ingestion pathway was observed in 25 and 14 samples, respectively. This study, therefore, is the base for further detailed investigations to organize problematic site remediation and risk reduction measures.
Oncogenic NRAS, KRAS, and HRAS Induce Distinct Hematological Diseases in Mice.

Abstract RAS family proteins (NRAS, HRAS and KRAS 4B/4A) are small GTPases that play a central role in transducing signals that regulate cell proliferation, survival and differentiation. The RAS proteins interact with a common set of activators and effectors and, therefore, share many biochemical and biological functions. However, the RAS proteins associate with different microdomains of the plasma membrane as well as other internal cell membranes and are capable of generating distinct signal outputs. Mutations that result in constitutive activation of RAS proteins are associated with approximately 30% of all human cancers, including 20–30% acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 50–70% chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Different RAS oncogenes are preferentially associated with different types of human cancer. In myeloid malignancies, NRAS mutations occur (in approximately 70% of cases), more frequently than KRAS mutations, while HRAS mutations are rare. The mechanism underlying the different frequencies of RAS isoforms mutated in myeloid leukemia is not known. One possibility is that oncogenic RAS proteins have different leukemogenic potentials. To test this possibility, we compared the ability of the three oncogenic RAS proteins to induce leukemias using the same animal model. We have shown previously that oncogenic NRAS rapidly and efficiently induces CMML- or AML-like disease in an improved mouse bone marrow transduction and transplantation model. We found here that in the same model system, oncogenic KRAS invariably induces a CMML-like disease that is similar to what has been shown in a mouse conditional knock in model for oncogenic KRAS. Surprisingly, all mice receiving oncogenic HRAS infected bone marrow cells develop an AML-like disease. The HRAS mice have the shortest disease latency, followed by NRAS and then KRAS. HRAS induced disease also appears to be more aggressive than N or KRAS and is usually accompanied by massive pulmonary infiltration and hemorrhages. These studies demonstrate that all three RAS oncogenes have the potential to induce myeloid leukemias, yet have distinct leukemogenic potentials. The underlying mechanism of the discrepancy between the frequency of HRAS mutation in human myeloid leukemia and its leukemogenic potential in mice is not clear, but the models established here provide a system for further studying the molecular mechanisms in the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies and for testing targeted therapies.
Bi-2212/1T-TaS 2 Van der Waals junctions: Interplay of proximity induced high- T c superconductivity and CDW order

Understanding the coexistence, competition and/or cooperation between superconductivity and charge density waves (CDWs) in the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is an elusive goal which, when realized, promises to reveal fundamental information on this important class of materials. Here, we use four-terminal current-voltage measurements to study the Van der Waals interface between freshly exfoliated flakes of the high-T c superconductor, Bi-2212, and the CDW-dominated TMD layered material, 1T-TaS2. For highly transparent barriers, there is a pronounced Andreev reflection feature providing evidence for proximity-induced high-T c superconductivity in 1T-TaS2 with a surprisingly large energy gap (~20 meV) equal to half that of intrinsic Bi-2212 (~40 meV). Our systematic study using conductance spectroscopy of junctions with different transparencies also reveals the presence of two separate boson modes, each associated with a “dip-hump” structure. We infer that the proximity-induced high-T c superconductivity in the 1T-TaS2 is driven by coupling to the metastable metallic phase coexisting within the Mott commensurate CDW (CCDW) phase and associated with a concomitant change of the CCDW order parameter in the interfacial region.
Congenital Cataracts and Genetic Anomalies of the Lens

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by Yaron S Rabinowitz, Edward Cotlier and Katherine L Bergwerk, volume 3, pp 3175–3196, © 2007, Elsevier Ltd.
Tunable Constant-Bandwidth Substrate-Integrated Bandstop Filters

A new method for designing tunable bandstop filters with constant fractional and absolute bandwidths (ABWs) is presented. The constant bandwidth is achieved through a new coupling structure, which is passive and consists only of coupling elements and transmission lines. Its theory of operation is presented, and design principles and tradeoffs are examined in detail. Several prototype filters are fabricated and measured to demonstrate the performance and versatility of this method. An octave-tunable filter with less than 12% fractional bandwidth variation is demonstrated, along with an octave-tunable filter with 12.3% variation in ABW variation, a filter with a 50% tuning range and less than 4% variation in ABW, and a four-pole octave-tunable filter with less than 4% variation in its 10-dB ABW. These results represent state-of-the-art performance when compared to other constant-bandwidth bandstop filters at frequencies higher than those compatible with lumped-element filters.
MERTK inhibition in the leukemia microenvironment promotes a therapeutic immune response to acute lymphoblastic leukemia

T cell immunotherapy is effective in some, but not all cancers, and targeting the immunosuppressive, innate immune tumor microenvironment is one key to further advancement. During efferocytosis, activation of MERTK tyrosine kinase receptor in innate immune cells suppresses proinflammatory cytokines, stimulates immunosuppressive cytokines and upregulates co-inhibitory ligands. MERTK has also been validated as a therapeutic target in the tumor microenvironment in solid tumor models. To investigate immunoregulatory roles for MERTK in leukemia, we utilized pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of MERTK in a MERTK-negative syngeneic murine model of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Treatment with MRX-2843, a potent, orally bioavailable, small molecule MERTK inhibitor, significantly reduced leukemic burden and prolonged median survival in wildtype mice (38 days post-treatment vs. 24 days in vehicle-treated mice, p>0.01). Similarly, overall survival was increased more than four-fold in Mertk −/− mice transplanted with leukemia (>80 days vs. 21 days in wild-type mice, p>0.0001), suggesting that the observed therapeutic activity is immune-mediated. Indeed, treatment with MRX-2843 abrogated expression of the immune co-inhibitory ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2 on CD11b + monocytes/macrophages in the ALL microenvironment. Although T cells do not express MERTK, expression of the cognate PD-1 receptor was also reduced on CD8+ T cells and the frequency of FOXP3 + CD4 + regulatory T cells was decreased in the leukemia microenvironment following MRX-2843 treatment. These data demonstrate several mechanisms by which MERTK can suppress anti-leukemia immunity and validate MERTK as a novel immunotherapeutic target in ALL.