cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3D angle‐domain common‐image gathers for migration velocity analysis

Angle-domain common-image gathers (ADCIGs) are an essential tool for migration velocity analysis (MVA). We present a method for computing ADCIGs in 3D from the results of wavefield-continuation migration. The proposed methodology can be applied before or after the imaging step in a migration procedure. When computed before imaging, 3D ADCIGs are functions of the offset ray parameters ; we derive the geometric relationship that links the offset ray parameters to the aperture angle γ and the reflection azimuth φ. When computed after imaging, 3D ADCIGs are directly produced as functions of γ and φ. The mapping of the offset ray parameters into the angles (γ, φ) depends on both the local dips and the local interval velocity; therefore, the transformation of ADCIGs computed before imaging into ADCIGs that are functions of the actual angles is difficult in complex structure. By contrast, the computation of ADCIGs after imaging is efficient and accurate even in the presence of complex structure and a heterogeneous velocity function. On the other hand, the estimation of the offset ray parameters is less sensitive to velocity errors than the estimation of the angles (γ, φ). When ADCIGs that are functions of the offset ray parameters are adequate for the application of interest (e.g. ray-based tomography), the computation of ADCIGs before imaging might be preferable. Errors in the migration velocity cause the image point in the angle domain to shift along the normal to the apparent geological dip. By assuming stationary rays (i.e. small velocity errors), we derive a quantitative relationship between this normal shift and the traveltime perturbation caused by velocity errors. This relationship can be directly used in an MVA procedure to invert depth errors measured from ADCIGs into migration velocity updates. In this paper, we use it to derive an approximate 3D residual moveout (RMO) function for measuring inconsistencies between the migrated images at different γ and φ. We tested the accuracy of our kinematic analysis on a 3D synthetic data set with steeply dipping reflectors and a vertically varying propagation velocity. The tests confirm the accuracy of our analysis and illustrate the limitations of the straight-ray approximation underlying our derivation of the 3D RMO function.
GPRC6A Mediates the Effects of l-Arginine on Insulin Secretion in Mouse Pancreatic Islets

L-arginine (l-Arg) is an insulin secretagogue, but the molecular mechanism whereby it stimulates insulin secretion from β-cells is not known. The possibility that l-Arg regulates insulin secretion through a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-mediated mechanism is suggested by the high expression of the nutrient receptor GPCR family C group 6 member A (GPRC6A) in the pancreas and TC-6 β-cells and the finding that Gprc6a(-/]minus]) mice have abnormalities in glucose homeostasis. To test the direct role of GPRC6A in regulating insulin secretion, we evaluated the response of pancreatic islets derived from Gprc6a(-/]minus]) mice to L-Arg. We found that the islet size and insulin content were decreased in pancreatic islets from Gprac6a(-/]minus]) mice. These alterations were selective for β-cells, because there were no abnormalities in serum glucagon levels or glucagon content of islets derived from Gprac6a(-/]minus]) mice. Significant reduction was observed in both the pancreatic ERK response to L-Arg administration to Gprc6a(-/]minus]) mice in vivo and L-Arg-induced insulin secretion and production ex vivo in islets isolated from Gprc6a(-/]minus]) mice. L-Arg stimulation of cAMP accumulation in isolated islets isolated from Gprc6a(-/]minus]) mice was also diminished. These findings suggest that l-Arg stimulation of insulin secretion in β-cells is mediated, at least in part, through GPRC6A activation of cAMP pathways.
Quark model for forward and central hadron-nucleus collisions

Leading constituents which escape collisions hadronize to form forward moving particles in hadron-nucleus interactions. The remaining quarks should then produce hadrons in the central region. In this model I derive simple predictions and sum rules for multiplicity ratios, and compare them with experiment.
QE nil-2 groups of exponent 4

The notion of a QE (quantifier-eliminable) group comes from logic: a group G is QE if every formula of the first-order language of group theory is equivalent in G to a formula without quantifiers. In the context of uniformly locally finite (ULF) groups, this logical property has an interesting algebraic equivalent: a ULF group G is QE if and only if every isomorphism between finite subgroups of G is induced by an automorphism of G. In this paper we show that there exist 2No countable ULF QE groups. It is well-known, and easy to verify, that every ULF QE group is Nocategorical. The existence of 2Ko countable &categorical groups is a recent result of Berline and Cherlin [ 11. Actually, Berline and Cherlin construct, for any prime p, 2No countable QE nilrings of characteristic p (necessarily Nocategorical). Using the Mal’cev correspondence [5] they then obtain, for every odd p, 2”” countable &-categorical nonabelian nil-2 groups of exponent p. However, it is easy to see that these groups are not QE, and in fact it can be shown [2] that every QE nonabelian nilpotent p-group must have exponent 4. The result we prove here is:
The role of fundamental frequency in signaling linguistic stress and affect: Evidence for a dissociation

The fundamental frequency (F0) of the voice is used to convey information about both linguistic and affective distinctions. However, no research has directly investigated how these two types of distinctions are simultaneously encoded in speech production. This study provides evidence thatF0 prominences intended to convey linguistic or affective distinctions can be differentiated by their influence on the amount of final-syllableF0 rise used to signal a question. Specifically, a trading relation obtains when theF0 prominence is used to convey emphatic stress. That is, the amount of finalsyllableF0 rise decreases as theF0 prominence increases. When theF0 prominence is used to convey affect, no trading relation is observed.
Approximate relations among compliance functions of linear viscoelasticity for amorphous polymers

In the glass–rubber transition region of viscoelastic behavior of amorphous polymers, it is found that is a good first approximation. Here J(t) is the value of the shear creep compliance at time t and J″(1/t) is the value of the shear loss compliance at an angular frequency of 1/t. Previous approximations related the creep compliance to the storage compliance. When J(t) is proportional to tm, where m is a positive constant, J″(1/t) is within 30% of J(t) for m > 0.6. Over the entire range, is a better approximation than either of the other two. The relaxation modulus G(t) is hardly ever a good approximation for the loss modulus G″(1/t).
Yersinia enterocolitica en région bordelaise

Resume Le bilan d'une annee de recherche systematique de Yersinia enterocolitica apres enrichissement, dans les selles d'enfants atteints d'une symptomatologie abdominale, est rapporte. Sur les 18 souches isolees 10 etaient des serotypes adaptes. La frequence d'isolement (0,4 %) est comparable a celle d'autres pays. L'action d'antibiotiques tels que les nouvelles Cephalosporines est a considerer.
Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging for Cell Biology: Direct Measurement of the Evanescent Wave Penetration Depth

Surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRI) is a powerful label-free technique that has been known to provide sensitive biochemical surface measurements, but has only recently been applied to the field of cell biology. High resolution label-free imaging of cell-substrate contacts can be performed using a high numerical aperture objective lens. The SPRI signal is a result of the mass of material within the evanescent field, the refractive index of the material, and the distance between the material and the substrate. Cell focal contacts and cellular organelles can contribute to the SPRI signal. Unambiguous interpretation of the SPRI data is therefore complicated by uncertainties regarding the penetration depth of the plasmon wave. To gain a better theoretical understanding of the signal present in the image we used micron scale beads of polymers with a refractive index similar to cells as reference materials to calibrate SPRI reflectivity as a function of distance-to-substrate. Multi-wavelength measurements of these beads show that it is possible to tailor the effective depth of penetration of the evanescent wave into the cellular environment. The application of multiple wavelengths will assist the interpretation of the SPRI image.
Interest in Celebrities’ Post-baby Bodies and Korean Women’s Body Image Disturbance After Childbirth

Based on social comparison theory, this study explores how interest in celebrities’ post-baby bodies relates to body image disturbance after childbirth in South Korean women. Previous studies have shown that the media have glamorized celebrities who quickly lose their baby weight. Given the established relationship between thin media images and body image disturbance, the present study investigates whether this relationship, which has been studied mainly in female undergraduates and adolescents in Western countries, might apply to postpartum Korean women. An online survey questionnaire was completed by 345 women, recruited from across the country, who had given birth to a child within one year of the survey date. The results shows that interest in celebrities’ post-pregnancy bodies is positively associated with social comparison behavior (i.e., comparison of their bodies to those of others), which is in turn positively linked to body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. These two otherwise simple mediation models were differently moderated by public self-consciousness (i.e., the tendency to compare oneself to others). In predicting body dissatisfaction, public self-consciousness moderated the relationship between social comparison behavior and body dissatisfaction. In predicting drive for thinness, public self-consciousness moderated the association between interest in celebrities’ post-baby bodies and social comparison behavior. The findings confirm the effect of media representations of postpartum celebrities as a beauty standard for non-celebrities, and the role played in this process by both actual comparison behavior and the tendency for comparison.
Inherited effects from irradiated mouse immature oocytes detected in aggregation embryo chimeras

Abstract Data obtained using the mouse-preimplantation-embryo-chimera assay are presented that show a transmitted effect following low-dose irradiation of imature oocytes in vivo. Six-week-old female mice were irradiated using 137Cs-γ-rays (0.05 Gy, 0.15 Gy, and unexposed controls). At 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 weeks post exposure, the mice were mated and aggregation chimeras made from the 4-cell embryos. Three independent experiments have now been carried out, all showing a significant embryonic cell-proliferation disadvantage of the embryos obtained from the females treated 7 weeks previously, i.e., embryos from oocytes that were immature at the time of radiation exposure. No effect was detected at 1–6 weeks when embryos were obtained from maturing oocytes. Also, the effect was not seen at 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 weeks post exposure. The implications of these results are discussed in the light of previous studies on mouse oocytes.
Receding horizon power management for electrical vehicle charging

This paper considers receding horizon optimization strategies of power management for a large scale network of EV charging loads. The problem formulation is unique in that charging requests are classified into a relative small number of load types. Two receding horizon schemes are proposed in the paper to deal with possible dynamic changes in the network: complete receding horizon optimization which produces better performance with more computation involved, and partial receding horizon optimization which trades performance with very light computation effort.
Manycast: exploring the space between anycast and multicast in ad hoc networks

The characteristics of ad hoc networks naturally encourage the deployment of distributed services. Although current networks implement group communication methods, they do not support the needs of a mobile node that must locate one or more distributed servers. A node should not need detailed knowledge of network topology to choose servers with which it can communicate efficiently.To this end, manycast is a group communication scheme that enables communication with an arbitrary (user specified) number of group members. Anycast and multicast communication are special cases of manycast in which the target number of group members is one and infinity, respectively. We present manycast and discuss its use as a communication primitive, with specific attention to ad hoc networks. We advocate manycast support at the network layer. A manycast routing protocol enables an application to contact several nearby network nodes that implement a distributed service.We analyze some approaches to manycast, including some application layer implementations. This evaluation supports our claim that manycast must be implemented in the network layer for effective operation in ad hoc networks. We present several extensions to ad hoc routing protocols that can provide manycast support with minimal implementation effort. Through analysis and extensive simulation, we explore the behavior of these approaches to manycast, finally providing recommendations to implementors.
Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursement Rates for Nursing Homes Motivate Select Culture Change Practices But Not Comprehensive Culture Change.

Components of nursing home (NH) culture change include resident-centeredness, empowerment, and home likeness, but practices reflective of these components may be found in both traditional and “culture change” NHs. We use mixed methods to examine the presence of culture change practices in the context of an NH’s payer sources. Qualitative data show how higher pay from Medicare versus Medicaid influences implementation of select culture change practices, and quantitative data show NHs with higher proportions of Medicare residents have significantly higher (measured) environmental culture change implementation. Findings indicate that heightened coordination of Medicare and Medicaid could influence NH implementation of reform practices.
Deciduous dentition of Didymictis (Carnivoramorpha: Viverravidae): implications for the first appearance of “Creodonta”

Deciduous teeth of Carnivoramorpha can differ substantially from their permanent structural and functional counterparts, particularly dP4. As a consequence, isolated carnivoramorphan deciduous teeth have repeatedly been misidentified as permanent teeth of different, often unrelated taxa. Due in part to this potential for misidentification, the deciduous dentitions of basal carnivoramorphans remain poorly documented. This study describes and illustrates the 1st known deciduous premolars of a member of the basal carnivoramorphan family Viverravidae, with dP3–4 and dp3–4 of the early Eocene Didymictis protenus (Cope, 1874) documented by specimens associated with permanent teeth. The morphology of these specimens permits a reconsideration of the affinities of 2 mid-Paleocene taxa, Deltatherium durini Van Valen, 1978 and Prolimnocyon macfaddeni Rigby, 1980, that have been proposed to represent the earliest known members of the family Hyaenodontidae and the order “Creodonta.” Both species are founded on viverravid deciduous premolars. Reidentification of these taxa eliminates the Paleocene record of hyaenodontids from North America.
Florida Motor Carrier Deregulation: Perspectives of Urban and Rural Shipper/Receivers

It is commonly asserted that with release from economic regulations, motor carriers will eliminate or sharply reducew services to small and inconveniently located shipper/receivers. In this study the experiences of shipper/receivers under Florida deregulation are examined. Shipper/receiver experiences are compared according to firm size, community size, and proximity to major metropolitan areas or highways. The results indicate that while firm size has little bearing on service, locational factors are important. For all shipper/receiver subgroups, however, those indicating improvements greatly outnumber those reporting erosions in service. (Author)
Orthogonal Negation in Vector Spaces for Modelling Word-Meanings and Document Retrieval

Standard IR systems can process queries such as "web NOT internet", enabling users who are interested in arachnids to avoid documents about computing. The documents retrieved for such a query should be irrelevant to the negated query term. Most systems implement this by reprocessing results after retrieval to remove documents containing the unwanted string of letters.This paper describes and evaluates a theoretically motivated method for removing unwanted meanings directly from the original query in vector models, with the same vector negation operator as used in quantum logic. Irrelevance in vector spaces is modelled using orthogonality, so query vectors are made orthogonal to the negated term or terms.As well as removing unwanted terms, this form of vector negation reduces the occurrence of synonyms and neighbours of the negated terms by as much as 76% compared with standard Boolean methods. By altering the query vector itself, vector negation removes not only unwanted strings but unwanted meanings.
Inhibition of allergic airway responses by heparin derived oligosaccharides: identification of a tetrasaccharide sequence

Previous studies showed that heparin's anti-allergic activity is molecular weight dependent and resides in oligosaccharide fractions of <2500 daltons. To investigate the structural sequence of heparin's anti-allergic domain, we used nitrous acid depolymerization of porcine heparin to prepare an oligosaccharide, and then fractionated it into disaccharide, tetrasaccharide, hexasaccharide, and octasaccharide fractions. The anti-allergic activity of each oligosaccharide fraction was tested in allergic sheep. Allergic sheep without (acute responder) and with late airway responses (LAR; dual responder) were challenged with Ascaris suum antigen with and without inhaled oligosaccharide pretreatment and the effects on specific lung resistance and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to carbachol determined. Additional inflammatory cell recruitment studies were performed in immunized ovalbumin-challenged BALB/C mice with and without treatment. The inhaled tetrasaccharide fraction was the minimal effective chain length to show anti-allergic activity. This fraction showed activity in both groups of sheep; it was also effective in inhibiting LAR and AHR, when administered after the antigen challenge. Tetrasaccharide failed to modify the bronchoconstrictor responses to airway smooth muscle agonists (histamine, carbachol and LTD4), and had no effect on antigen-induced histamine release in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in sheep. In mice, inhaled tetrasaccharide also attenuated the ovalbumin-induced peribronchial inflammatory response and eosinophil influx in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Chemical analysis identified the active structure to be a pentasulfated tetrasaccharide ([IdoU2S (1→4)GlcNS6S (1→4) IdoU2S (1→4) AMan-6S]) which lacked anti-coagulant activity. These results demonstrate that heparin tetrasaccharide possesses potent anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties, and that the domains responsible for anti-allergic and anti-coagulant activity are distinctly different.
Hierarchical belief propagation to reduce search space using CUDA for stereo and motion estimation

This paper describes a hierarchical belief propagation implementation in which a ‘rough’ disparity map calculation or motion estimation in higher levels is used to limit the search space and enable the calculation of the desired disparity map/set of motion vectors using a smaller search space than traditional belief propagation. We implement our algorithm on the GPU using the CUDA architecture and explore a number of implementation details with promising results; it is clear that the storage requirements of belief propagation can be significantly reduced using our method without too large of a sacrifice in the accuracy of the results. In addition, we take advantage of the interpolation capabilities built into the GPU in order to retrieve the computed disparities/motion vectors at sub-pixel accuracy without making any change in implementation.
Expansion of Pdx1-expressing pancreatic epithelium and islet neogenesis in transgenic mice overexpressing transforming growth factor α

Abstract Background & Aims: The progenitor cells responsible for transforming growth factor (TGF)-α–induced pancreatic ductal metaplasia and neoplasia remain uncharacterized. During pancreatic development, differentiated cell types arise from ductal progenitor cells expressing the Pdx1 homeodomain transcription factor. The aims of this study were, first, to evaluate the role of Pdx1-expressing stem cells in MT-TGFα transgenic mice, and second, to further characterize cell proliferation and differentiation in this model. Methods: To assess Pdx1 gene expression in normal and metaplastic epithelium, we performed in vivo reporter gene analysis using heterozygous Pdx1 lacZ/+ and bigenic Pdx1 lacZ/+ /MT-TGFα mice. Results: Pdx1 lacZ/+ /MT-TGFα bigenics showed up-regulated Pdx1 expression in premalignant metaplastic ductal epithelium. In addition to Pdx1 gene activation, TGF-α–induced metaplastic epithelium demonstrated a pluripotent differentiation capacity, as evidenced by focal expression of Pax6 and initiation of islet cell neogenesis. The majority of Pdx1-positive epithelial cells showed no expression of insulin, similar to the pattern observed during embryonic development. Conclusions: Overexpression of TGF-α induces expansion of a Pdx1-expressing epithelium characterized by focal expression of Pax6 and initiation of islet neogenesis. These findings suggest that premalignant events induced by TGF-α in mouse pancreas may recapitulate a developmental program active during embryogenesis. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1999;117:1416-1426
Classification of rhythmic locomotor patterns in electromyographic signals using fuzzy sets

Background Locomotor control is accomplished by a complex integration of neural mechanisms including a central pattern generator, spinal reflexes and supraspinal control centres. Patterns of muscle activation during walking exhibit an underlying structure in which groups of muscles seem to activate in united bursts. Presented here is a statistical approach for analyzing Surface Electromyography (SEMG) data with the goal of classifying rhythmic "burst" patterns that are consistent with a central pattern generator model of locomotor control.
Evaluation of Warm-Mix and Rubber-Modified Open-Graded Friction Course Test Sections Made Without Fibers in South Carolina

This paper summarizes the performance of open-graded friction course (OGFC) mixtures used to construct two experimental pavement test sections in South Carolina. The study's main objective was to evaluate OGFC mixtures made without fibers. One test section consisted of three OGFC mixtures [control with cellulose fibers, ground tire rubber modified without fibers, and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) without fibers], and the second consisted of two OGFC mixtures (control with cellulose fibers and WMA without fibers). Material was sampled from the asphalt plant during production. Tests were conducted on the fresh mix as well as specimens compacted at the plant and after reheating in the research lab. Results showed that the removal of fibers from the OGFC mixtures in both projects did not have any detrimental effects on the mix performance (drain down, permeability, abrasion resistance, indirect tensile strength, and fatigue resistance). The WMA mixture made with Evotherm exhibited increased fatigue resistance compar...
Technology is available: the challenge is to apply it (military communications)

It is argued that the biggest impact of new technology on future military communications cannot be achieved by making incremental improvements in existing communication systems. The revolutionary capabilities that current technology could make available will require an adjustment on the part of the users, acquirers, and developers alike. The need for a method to develop operational prototypes that users can fully assess prior to acquisition is seen as critical to the timely insertion of technology. An example of how available technology could revolutionize a venerable method of communications is outlined to illustrate the benefits to be gained. Specifically, the example of wide bandwidth HF spread spectrum has been explicitly outlined to illustrate the role technology is ready to play in the future of military communications. >
Cytopenia and leukocyte recovery shape cytokine fluctuations after myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Background Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is associated with profound changes in levels of various cytokines. Emphasis has been placed on conditioning-associated mucosal damage and neutropenia and associated bacterial translocation as the initiating conditions predisposing to acute graft-versus-host disease. The post-transplant period is, however, also associated with increases in certain homeostatic cytokines. It is unclear how much the homeostatic drive to lymphocyte recovery and the production of cytokines from the engrafting donor immune system determine cytokine fluctuations in the peri- and immediate post-transplant period. The aim of this study was to examine the contributions of the conditioning regimen, donor engraftment, infections, and graft-versus-host disease to fluctuations in cytokines involved in homeostasis and inflammation.Design and Methods We examined the levels of 33 cytokines in relation to peri- and post-transplant events such as conditioning regimen, chimerism, and acute graft-versus-host disease in myeloablative, non-T cell-replete HLA-identical sibling donor stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies.Results We identified two cytokine storms. The first occurred following conditioning and reached peak levels when all the leukocytes were at their lowest concentrations. The second cytokine storm occurred concurrently with hematopoietic reconstitution and subsided with the achievement of full donor lymphocyte chimerism.Conclusions Our results indicate that both recipient-related and donor-related factors contribute to the changes in cytokine levels in the recipient following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The study reported here was performed using plasma samples drawn from patients enrolled in the ClinicalTrials.gov-registered trials NCT00467961 and NCT00378534
A synchronizing scheme for an impulse network

We define a synchronous impulse network (SIN) to be a network of distributed wireless nodes employing UWB impulse transceivers whose local oscillators are 'ticking' at the same time/phase. In this paper, a synchronizing scheme employing time-of-arrival (ToA) measurements to transfer time among nodes in order to build a SIN is proposed. Three major sources of impairments to the measurement of the ToA are considered. They are additive noise, multipath self-interference and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) measurements. The effect of multipath self-interference on a correlative timing detector, which is an important component of the proposed synchronization system, has been addressed (Chui et al. (2003)). This paper is devoted to the proposed master-slave time division multiple access (TDMA) synchronization scheme and analyzes the accumulated timing jitter as a result of additive noise, oscillator phase noise and multipath propagation, and places a bound on the number of synchronous nodes possible in the network. We conclude this paper by introducing the concept of a 'roving' master which transforms the master-slave TDMA scheme to a mutual synchronous network. The other objectives of the 'roving' master are to extend the geographical coverage of the synchronous network and overcome blockages of signal propagation paths.
Impairment of Immunological Synapse Formation in Adaptively Tolerant T Cells

Adaptive tolerance is a hyporesponsive state in which lymphocyte Ag receptor signaling becomes desensitized after prolonged in vivo encounter with Ag. The molecular mechanisms underlying this hyporesponsive state in T cells are not fully understood, although a major signaling block has been shown to be present at the level of ZAP70 phosphorylation of linker for activation of T cells (LAT). In this study, we investigated the ability of adaptively tolerant mouse T cells to form conjugates with Ag-bearing APCs and to translocate signaling molecules into the interface between the T cells and APCs. Compared with naive or preactivated T cells, adaptively tolerant T cells showed no dramatic impairment in their formation of conjugates with APCs. In contrast, there was a large impairment in immunological synapse formation. Adaptively tolerant T cells were defective in their translocation of signaling molecules, such as ZAP70, LAT, and phospholipase C γ1, into the T cell–APC contact sites. Although Ag-induced activation of VAV1 was normal, VAV’s recruitment into the synapse was also impaired. Interestingly, expressions of both IL-2–inducible T cell kinase and growth factor receptor-bound protein 2-related adaptor downstream of SHC were decreased by 60–80% in adaptively tolerant T cells. These decreases, in addition to the impairment in LAT phosphorylation by ZAP70, appear to be the major impediments to the phosphorylation of SLP76 (SRC homology 2 domain-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa) and the recruitment of VAV1, which are important for stable immunological synapse formation.
Generalized valence bond molecular dynamics at constant temperature

The Nose–Hoover chain thermostat of Martyna, Klein and Tuckerman has been adapted to work with our generalized valence bond ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) method, allowing us to perform AIMD in the canonical ensemble (constant number of particles temperature and volume). The canonical ensemble is ideal for simulated annealing which can be used to find global potential energy minima. The efficacy of constant-temperature-based AIMD simulated annealing is demonstrated for a Si6 cluster and is compared with that of a non-constant-temperature-based method. It is found that in comparison with the velocity-scaling approach to annealing, constant-temperature based annealing gives better control over the annealing process and, at least in the case under study, results in attainment of the preferred geometry of the system more efficiently.
The Machines that Divide and Fuse Mitochondria

Mitochondria are derived from eubacteria; however, in most eukaryotes, novel mechanisms for the propagation of this organelle and its genome have evolved. This review focuses on what is currently known about the novel molecular machines that divide and fuse mitochondria.
On the effect of receiver estimation error upon channel mutual information

Our goal in this paper is to study the effect of the receiver structure upon the achievable data rates. We consider transmission of linearly precoded data symbols over a frequency selective block fading multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless channel. To encompass a number of transmission schemes, we study this problem utilizing affine precoding, which is a unified model of linearly precoded data symbols with superimposed training. We focus on Bayesian receivers that estimate both the unknown fading coefficients and the data symbols. The receiver may adopt either of the following strategies to retrieve the data symbols: strategy (i) the receiver obtains joint Bayesian channel and symbol estimates, strategy, (ii) the receiver obtains a Bayesian channel estimate initially and the channel measurement is utilized to estimate the data symbols. For both strategies, we provide lower bounds on the mutual information between the data symbols and their corresponding estimates, and we relate these bounds to the symbol Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) matrices. In contrast to strategy (ii), for strategy (i) the lower bound does not depend on either the channel estimate or the covariance of the channel estimation error. For strategy (ii) we show that asymptotically (as the size of the transmission block grows) there is no loss of information after the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate of Gaussian symbols. We also provide guidelines to design affine precoders that maximize the derived lower bounds under the total average transmit power constraint.
Extraction of the surplus in standard auctions

Cremer and McLean [1] and McAfee and Reny [3] showed that, in “nearly all auctions”, the seller can offer a mechanism that obtains full rent extraction. The mechanism designed by Cremer and McLean differs from standard procedures in several respects. Notably, (a) bidders are required to buy “lotteries” in order to partecipate at the auction; (b) bidders are treated non-anonymously, in the sense that different bidders are given different strategic options; (c) the bidders’ payments to the seller depend not only on the bids but also on some other “actions” taken by the bidders. In this paper, I keep (a) and (b), and impose that — like in the “standard model of auctions” — the bidders’ payments to the seller depend on the bids alone. I find that the full-surplus extraction result no longer holds: There are “open sets” of auctions where the full extraction is not possible.
Anti-VEGF agents in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC): are they all alike?

Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds and neutralizes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, a key player in the angiogenesis pathway. Despite benefits of bevacizumab in cancer therapy, it is clear that the VEGF pathway is complex, involving multiple isoforms, receptors, and alternative ligands such as VEGF-B, and placental growth factor, which could enable escape from VEGF-A-targeted angiogenesis inhibition. Recently developed therapies have targeted other ligands in the VEGF pathway (eg, aflibercept, known as ziv-aflibercept in the United States), VEGF receptors (eg, ramucirumab), and their tyrosine kinase signaling (ie, tyrosine kinase inhibitors). The goal of the current review was to identify comparative preclinical data for the currently available VEGF-targeted therapies. Sources were compiled using PubMed searches (2007 to 2012), using search terms including, but not limited to: “bevacizumab,” “aflibercept,” “ramucirumab,” and “IMC-18F1.” Two preclinical studies were identified that compared bevacizumab and the newer agent, aflibercept. These studies identified some important differences in binding and pharmacodynamic activity, although the potential clinical relevance of these findings is not known. Newer antiangiogenesis therapies should help further expand treatment options for colorectal and other cancers. Comparative preclinical data on these agents is currently lacking.
Use Of Humor In The Workplace

Humor is an organizational tool which, when used appropriately, can be effective in facilitating a better work environment. Organizational benefits include increased group cohesion, reduced conflict (through reduced stress), increased leadership effectiveness, and improved communication. There are implications that humor in diverse groups, which relate to gender or ethnicity, must be used with caution.
Refugia preferences by the spiders Loxosceles reclusa and Loxosceles laeta (Araneae: Sicariidae).

A variety of refugia were offered to different instars of brown recluse spiders, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik, and a South American recluse spider, L. laeta (Nicolet), to determine whether they preferred certain types of refugia spaces. Variables included (1) crevice widths ranging from 3.2 to 21 mm, (2) horizontal and vertical orientations, and (3) new refugia or refugia that had silk deposited by a previous conspecific resident. An additional 30-d assay with similar-sized refugia studied each species’ propensity for site fidelity or movement among refugia. L. reclusa preferred crevice widths ≥9 mm with no correlation of body size to crevice width, whereas L. laeta preferred crevice sizes ≥6.4 mm with a marginally significant correlation between crevice width and body size. Both species preferred (1) vertical instead of horizontal-oriented refugia and (2) refugia with conspecific silk compared with previously uninhabited refugia. There was no significant difference between the species in their propensity to move among refugia in the 30-d trial; however, both species had individuals that were always found in the same refugium for the entire assay and individuals changing refugia every 2–3 d. The propensity to switch refugia was not affected by the degree of starvation for the period tested as was initially hypothesized. The possible implications of this research toward developing novel control measures for Loxosceles spiders are discussed.
Triangulated research designs - A justification?

The use of triangulated research designs is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in applied sociology and evaluation research. There is a substantial amount of literature on triangulated res...
Host-Plant Phenology and Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Population Trends in Eastern Washington

Developmental phenology of host plants and population trends for Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), were studied in eastern Washington in 1993 and 1994. Volunteer potato emerged earlier than cultivated potato and served as the earliest food source for the beetle. Hairy nightshade, Solanum sarrachoides Sendtner, first appeared in mid-June, and continued to germinate throughout the season. Overwintered adult beetles moved >300 m to colonize cultivated potato in early spring before germination of nightshade. The number of 1st-generation eggs were highly correlated with the number of adults colonizing potato, indicating that population size of the 1st generation was determined largely by the density of colonizing beetles. Many 1st-generation adults moved off of potato and onto nightshade. These adults hardly moved >100 m if nightshade plants were available on the perimeter of or in the potato fields. Population densities of 2nd-generation beetles were higher on nightshade than on potato. Our results indicate that management strategies should focus on controlling populations of the 1st generation by reducing densities of beetles colonizing potato.
Flash-induced stabilized images

Six Ss observed the afterimages of 11 flash-produced stimulus targets; they reported fading, regeneration, and image breakdown similar to results reported for stabilization studies employing contact lenses and afterimage techniques.
Effect of Sodium Salicylate on Magnesium Metabolism in the Rabbit.

SummaryIntravenous administration of sodium salicylate, 150 mg/kg twice within 2 hours to normal rabbits, resulted in a significant decrease in the tissue magnesium content of bone cortex, brain, appendix, heart, kidney, liver, and lung. The turnover of magnesium, as measured by Mg28, was increased in the bone marrow, kidney, and liver.In animals given sodium salicylate in daily doses of 40 mg/kg for 6 days, tissue magnesium content was significantly decreased in bone cortex, brain, appendix, adrenal, heart, kidney, liver, lung, muscle, skin, stomach, and testis. The relative specific activity was increased in the brain, appendix, heart, kidney, lung, and stomach. In rabbits, sodium salicylate depletes the tissues of magnesium and increases the turnover of this element in the body.
Womanism and Black Feminism in the Work of Carrie Mae Weems

This article examines the liberatory aspects of Womanisn and Black Feminism in the work of artist Carrie Mae Weems. Weems, artist and anthropologist creates artwork that highlights the issues of oppression and giving voice to worldwide issues. Under the theoretical lens of Womanism, the article utilizes Arts- Based -Educational Research (ABER), a non traidtional methodology, which aligns with Womanism to provide into past and present issues of liberation and equity. Womanism, Black women’s feminism, and ABER have the potential to bring issues of equity and social justice out of the academies and into the everyday world for those most in need of liberation.
Analysis of Raft Affinity of Membrane Proteins by Detergent-Insolubility

Isolation of detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs; also known as detergent-insoluble glycolipid-enriched membranes [DIGs] or glycolipid-enriched membranes [GEMs]) that are enriched in proteins and lipids with a high affinity for rafts is one of the simplest and most widely used methods for studying rafts. However, it is essential to understand the limitations as well as the advantages of this method. DRMs do not correspond precisely to rafts in living cells. For this reason, finding a protein enriched in DRMs does not prove that it was in rafts in the living cell. Furthermore, the fraction of a protein found in DRMs provides no quantitative information about the fraction of the protein originally in rafts. In fact, DRMs may be isolated from membranes that did not even contain rafts before detergent extraction. DRM-association is useful because it reflects a high-inherent affinity of a protein for the ordered membrane state found in rafts. Treatments that affect the DRM-association of a protein can thus be inferred to affect its raft affinity. Current models suggest that rafts may form in a regulated manner, often associated with clustering of membrane proteins or lipids, during processes such as signal transduction. DRM-association is a read-out of whether a protein is likely to associate with rafts that form under these conditions.
Abstract B03: HURP and ZEB1: Novel prognostic biomarkers in colorectal carcinomas

The current clinicopathologic diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is based on tumor-node-metastasis staging. This classification system has weaknesses due to the different genetic and epigenetic backgrounds not currently incorporated into CRC staging which can ultimately lead to treatment failure. Biological markers would improve early detection and guide clinicians in subsequent treatment decisions. Recently, we and others have identified “stem-like” molecules with the potential to identify patients at high risk of developing aggressive carcinomas. Herein, Hepatoma Up-Regulate Protein (HURP) and Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) are assessed as potential prognostic biomarkers in CRC. Tumors (N=21) obtained from colectomies and 5 µm formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks were sectioned and immunostained for HURP and ZEB1. For certain cases (N=8), flash frozen tissues from tumor and adjacent normal colonic tissue were used to extract total RNA, synthesize cDNA, and perform RT-PCR. Presence of tumor cells in analyzed tissue sections was assessed by a pathologist. HURP mRNA expression was 4-fold higher ( p =0.0005) in tumor tissue relative to adjacent normal tissue. Furthermore, an increase in HURP expression was evident in all tumor samples relative to their respective normal tissue control with an average 3-fold increase ( p =0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis (IHC) of HURP revealed expression in all analyzed specimens. Although the stroma was weakly stained for HURP in some cases, all tumors were immunostained for this protein (average intensity score = ++, p p value = 0.387. Any conclusions about population-based distribution of poor prognosis with regards to ZEB1 positive CRC will require an adequately powered sample size. Overall, we have identified two stem cell-like molecules, HURP and ZEB1, with potential as markers of aggressiveness in CRC. Our findings also provide evidence of a possible biological basis for ethnicity-related differences with regards to stemness and regulatory factors of CRC aggressiveness. Citation Format: Logan Fair, Ingrid Espinoza, Xu Zhang, Abdelouahid Elkhattouti, Tangeng Ma, Joy King, Elizabeth Tarsi, Richard Whitlock, Vijay Kannuthurai, Ryan Jimenez, Tara Craft, Mary Graichen, Sharon Lobert, Roy Duhe, Charulochana Subramony, Christian R. Gomez, Christopher Lahr. HURP and ZEB1: Novel prognostic biomarkers in colorectal carcinomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research; 2015 Oct 23-26; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B03.
The Third Circuit Lays Another Trap for Unsuspecting Employers: Lupyan v. Corinthian Colleges Inc.

In _Lupyan v. Corinthian Colleges Inc._, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, in a matter of first impression, decided to effectively shift the focus of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to strict procedural compliance, as opposed to substantive rights. Practically speaking, _Lupyan_ compels employers and/or their insurance carriers to settle cases simply on procedural deficiencies, where the plaintiff was otherwise fully appraised of and given his or her full FMLA leave entitlement.
Measurement of β-guanidinopropionate and phosphorylated β-guanidinopropionate in tissues

Abstract The Sakaguchi color reaction for monosubstituted guanidino compounds was applied to the measurement of β-guanidinopropionate and phosphorylated β-guanidinopropionate. The phosphorylated derivative was measured as an increase in β-guanidinopropionate following incubation with 0.1 n HCl in a boiling-water bath for 10 min. After feeding rats 1% of β-guanidinopropionic acid in their diet for 69 days, skeletal muscle, heart, liver, kidney, and spleen contained 5–10 μmoles of a monosubstituted guanidino compound per gram wet weight of tissue. No β-guanidinopropionate was detected in brain or testes. Phosphorylated β-guanidinopropionate was found only in skeletal muscle (27 μmoles/g) and in heart (7 μmoles/g). Creatine hydrate (2%) added to the diet containing β-guanidinopropionic acid inhibited the accumulation of phosphorylated β-guanidinopropionate in the heart and partially inhibited its accumulation in skeletal muscle.
PCA and kernel PCA

Introduction Two primary techniques for dimension-reducing feature extraction are subspace projection and feature selection . This chapter will explore the key subspace projection approaches, i.e. PCA and KPCA. (i) Section 3.2 provides motivations for dimension reduction by pointing out (1) the potential adverse effect of large feature dimensions and (2) the potential advantage of focusing on a good set of highly selective representations. (ii) Section 3.3 introduces subspace projection approaches to feature-dimension reduction. It shows that the well-known PCA offers the optimal solution under two information-preserving criteria: least-squares error and maximum entropy. (iii) Section 3.4 discusses several numerical methods commonly adopted for computation of PCA, including singular value decomposition (on the data matrix), spectral decomposition (on the scatter matrix), and spectral decomposition (on the kernel matrix). (iv) Section 3.5 shows that spectral factorization of the kernel matrix leads to both kernel-based spectral space and kernel PCA (KPCA) [238]. In fact, KPCA is synonymous with the kernel-induced spectral feature vector. We shall show that nonlinear KPCA offers an enhanced capability in handling complex data analysis. By use of examples, it will be demonstrated that nonlinear kernels offer greater visualization flexibility in unsupervised learning and higher discriminating power in supervised learning. Why dimension reduction? In many real-world applications, the feature dimension (i.e. the number of features or attributes in an input vector) could easily be as high as tens of thousands. Such an extreme dimensionality could be very detrimental to data analysis and processing.