cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of the rotating cylinder electrode in molten LiCl-KCl eutectic containing uranium(III)- and magnesium(II)-chloride

Abstract The application of the rotating cylinder electrode (RCE) to molten LiCl-KCl eutectic mixtures for electroanalytical measurements is presented. This enabled the measurement of the limiting current which was observed to follow a linear trend with the rotational rate raised to 0.64–0.65 power on average, which closely agrees with existing RCE mass-transfer correlations. This is the first publication of electroanalytical RCE measurements in LiCl-KCl eutectic based molten salt mixtures, to our knowledge. These measurements were made in mixtures of molten LiCl-KCl eutectic containing UCl3 and MgCl2. Kinetic parameters were calculated for Mg2+ in LiCl-KCl eutectic. The exchange current density (io) of Mg2+ deposition varied with mole fraction (x) according to io(A cm−2) = 1.64x0.689. The parameters from RCE measurements were also applied in an electrochemical co-deposition model entitled DREP to detect and predict the deposition rate of U and Mg. DREP succeeded in detecting the co-deposition of U and Mg, even when Mg constituted less than 0.5 wt% of the deposit.
Trends in Visits to Specialist Physicians Involving Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants, 2001 to 2013

This study describes the roles of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in providing care to specialist physicians’ patients.
Specialized Ribosomes: A New Frontier in Gene Regulation, Organismal Biology, & Evolution

Abstract The central dogma of molecular biology has for decades served as an explanation for the flow of genetic information within a biological system. In so far as the normal flow of biological information from mRNA to protein, the ribosome has been perceived to decode the genome with essentially machine-like precision; serving as an integral but largely passive participant in the synthesis of all effector proteins across all kingdoms of life. Importantly, a large class of human diseases collectively known as 'ribosomopathies' are characterized by mutations in ribosome components that lead to devastating human conditions including bone marrow failure for which the underlying molecular basis remains poorly understood. In this respect, our research has changed the view that ribosomes carry out largely rote-like functions by demonstrating that not all of the millions of ribosomes within each cell are the same and that ribosome heterogeneity provides a novel means for diversity of the proteins that can be produced in specific cells, tissues, and organisms. I will present our work centered on providing a roadmap for the characterization of ribosome composition at a single cell level and during cellular differentiation. We employed a highly quantitative mass spectrometry-based approach to precisely quantify the abundance of each ribosomal protein (RP) as well as a large cohort of auxiliary ribosome associating factors belonging to actively translating ribosomes within embryonic stem cells. This led to the identification of a subset of ribosomes that are heterogeneous for RP composition. To further address the functional role of ribosome heterogeneity in translational control of the mammalian genome, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 to endogenously tag and purify heterogeneous ribosome populations. We then developed an adapted ribosome profiling method to precisely quantify and characterize the nature of mRNAs translated by distinct heterogenous ribosomes genome-wide. This led to the identification of subpools of transcripts, critical for key cellular processes including cell signaling, metabolism, growth, proliferation and survival, which are selectively translated by specific types of ribosomes. Most remarkably, there are specific metabolic pathways where almost every single component is selectively translated by specialized ribosomes demarcated by a single RP. I will further present recent findings on the mechanisms by which ribosome-mediated control of gene expression is encoded by structured RNA regulons within 5'UTRs. Together, these studies reveal a critical link between ribosome heterogeneity and specialized translational control of the mammalian genome, which adds an important layer of control to the post-transcriptional circuitry of gene regulation and may be critically perturbed in human diseases. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The Complexity and Hybridity of Social Identity

This chapter illustrates how bilingual preservice teachers’ multiple and hybrid identities are brought into the conversation through class discussions, both online and face-to-face. It primarily focuses on bilingual teacher identity and heritage language identity as socially and culturally constitutive practices. In classrooms where English was the one and only language of communication, both oral and written, their first language competence was not usually recognized or acknowledged. Instead, they were merely viewed as limited, deficient second language learner who was supposed to be socialized into the dominant academic discourse community. The participants challenged the undesirable imposed identities and reconfigured what was valued and legitimate. An emergence of the varying degrees of bi- or multicultural identities associated with the heritage language should be further examined to move beyond essentialist discourses surrounding heritage language identity. I argue that heritage language identity and bilingual teacher identity should not be simply dismissed as a relic of the past nor be undoubtedly valorizing constructs of social identities. Rather I suggest the multiplicity and the hybridity of identities that we negotiate and carry with us to understand the issues of bilingual preservice teachers in teacher education.
The Nature of the Singularity at pH

The arguments of Sykes and Essam (1964) which led them (not quite rigorously) to values for pH(G) for certain graphs were based on “the average number of clusters per site”.
Redundant Manipulators and Kinematic Singularities The Operational Space Approach

The operational space formulation has provided a fundamental tool for the description of the dynamic behavior and control of manipulator end-effectors. In this paper, we present the extension of this formulation to redundant manipulator systems. The end-effector equations of motion in operational space of a redundant manipulator are established, and its behavior with respect to generalized joint forces is described. The end-effector is controlled by an operational space control system based on these equations of motion. Asymptotic stabilization of the mechanism is achieved by the use of dissipative joint forces selected from the null space of the Jacobian transpose matrix, consistent with the manipulator dynamics. This allows the elimination of any effects of these additional forces on the end-effector behavior and maintains its dynamic decoupling. We also present a new and systematic approach for dealing with the problems araising at kinematic singularities. The basic philosophy behind this approach is the treatment of the manipulator, at singular configuration, as a mechanism that is redundant with respect to the motion of the end-effector in the subspace of operational space orthogonal to the singular direction.
IN-VIVO SCREENING FOR BREAST CANCER WITH NMR

Publisher Summary One of the most often mentioned areas for potential application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is cancer diagnosis; another is heart attack detection even if one is not imminent; a third is the diagnosis of brain abnormalities. It is possible to make an NMR instrument much smaller in size, complexity and cost when it is dedicated to performing measurements on a specific part of the body such as the female breast. This chapter discusses such an instrument that is used to give three types of data: (1) the free induction decay (FID) signals following a single 90o pulse, (2) the echo amplitude following a 90°-τ-18o dual-pulse sequence as a function of the pulse spacing τ from which the graph giving T 2 can be obtained, and (3) the FID amplitude following the second 90° pulse in a dual-pulse sequence as the pulse spacing is varied to permit graphing the amplitude as a function of pulse spacing so that T 1 can be calculated. The results of these measurements are recorded and computer analyzed. The analysis gives the density of the hydrogen nuclei in the water in the breast, the number of binding levels for water, and the relaxation times T 1 and T 2 for each binding level for water in the sensitive area which is a slice through the breast perpendicular to the length axis.
The Genetics of Brassica oleracea

Brassica oleracea is one of the most important species of the Brassicaceae family because the species includes some of the most economically important vegetables in the world. Common heading cabbage and cauliflower are the most widely grown crops of this species, but broccoli is also now emerging rapidly as a world vegetable. The wide center of origin for this species is the Mediterranean Basin, and primitive forebears of our modern B. oleracea crop forms have been cultivated and selected for several millennia. Undoubtedly, the diverse array of wild forms found in this species and other very closely related species played very important roles in stimulating the occurrence of morphological variation within and among the B. oleracea crops as they underwent development. In the years following the rediscovery of Mendel’s work, many scientists studied the underlying genetic factors controlling the divergent morphologies within the species. This was of interest not only from a basic scientific standpoint, but also due to the practical necessity of understanding the complex sets of genes that combine and give rise to a specific crop form like heading cabbage or cauliflower. This knowledge is crucial in moving genes between crops in the process of breeding improved varieties. Secondary plant metabolites have emerged as key components of crops within this species because they appear to contribute added-value to the various crops by conferring intrinsic healthful effects on populations that consume these vegetables. Among the various components believed to confer a chemoprotective effect in B. oleracea, glucosinolates, and isothiocyanates have received the most attention in recent years and are considered in detail herein. The study of B. oleracea genetics has been greatly advanced during the modern era of gene study at the molecular level. Although the species has presented challenges, scientists focused on these crops are now mapping genes to specific chromosomes and the genome is well on its way to being sequenced. As knowledge advances at the molecular level, a fuller understanding of gene sequences and there relations to morphology, disease resistance, phytochemical make-up, and other important traits are being realized in B. oleracea.
Aided Inertial Navigation with Geometric Features: Observability Analysis

In this paper, we perform observability analysis for inertial navigation systems (INS) aided by generic exteroceptive range and/or bearing sensors with different geometric features including points, lines and planes. While the observability of vision-aided INS (VINS, which uses camera as a bearing sensor) with point features has been extensively studied in the literature, we analytically show that the same observability property remains if using generic range and/or bearing measurements, and if global measurements are also available, as expected, some unobservable directions dismiss. We study in-depth the effects of four degenerate motions on the system observability. In particular, building upon the observability analysis of the aided INS with point features, we perform observability analysis for the same system but with line and plane features, respectively, and show that there exist 5 (and 6) unobservable directions for a single line (and plane) feature. Moreover, we, for the first time, analytically derive the unobservable directions for the cases of multiple lines/planes. We validate our analysis through Monte Carlo simulations.
The Relevance of Nineteenth-Century Religion to the Archaeological Record: An Example from the Home of Ellen White, Prophetess of Seventh-Day Adventism

Religion is one of the least tangible aspects of the past, yet it was very real and very important in the lives of past people. Understanding the impact nineteenth-century evangelical Christianity had on the archaeological record will add substantially to studies of historic households in the United States and around the world. One of the most aggressive of these denominations was Seventh-day Adventism, which grew out of the Millerite movement under Ellen White. A brief case study based on a home occupied by her family is used as a way to explore some of these themes.
Extrusion-based additive manufacturing of yttria-partially-stabilized zirconia ceramics

Abstract Zirconia-based ceramics have many applications in manufacturing, energy, and biomedical industries due to their excellent properties such as high thermal and oxidation resistance, excellent chemical stability and mechanical strength. Traditional manufacturing processes such as cold pressing, hot pressing, and injection molding have limitations in the fabrication of high-quality zirconia-based ceramics with complex geometries. Additive manufacturing (AM) processes such as binder jetting, photopolymerization, and material extrusion have been recently developed to fabricate complex ceramic parts. However, additive manufacturing of defect-free ceramic parts with superior mechanical properties remains a challenge. To address this issue, a novel extrusion-based AM process was introduced to fabricate yttria-partially-stabilized zirconia ceramics. The mechanical properties such as flexural strength, fracture toughness, compressive strength, hardness, and porosity of the additively manufactured yttria-partially-stabilized zirconia ceramics were characterized. The surface quality and shrinkage of the zirconia parts were also measured. The experimental results have shown that the yttria-partially-stabilized zirconia parts fabricated by the proposed extrusion-based AM process exhibit superior mechanical properties than that of the zirconia parts fabricated by other AM processes.
My Experience in Teaching Programmatic Advertising

This article describes how a programmatic advertising course was developed and taught for undergraduate students. Depending on the resources available when the course was offered each time, differe...
Holocene faunal procurement and species response to climate change in the Ohio River valley

This paper examines the temporal distribution of 163 distinct species recovered from 21 well-dated Holocene age archaeological sites in the Ohio River valley to determine patterns of faunal resourc...
Geographic and sociodemographic differences in cervical cancer screening modalities.

Abstract Cervical cancer screening recommendations for women aged 30–65 years include co-testing (high-risk human papillomavirus [hrHPV] with Pap testing) every five years or Pap testing alone every three years. Geographic variations of these different screening modalities across the United States have not been examined. We selected 82,426 non-pregnant women aged 30–65 years from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System with data on sociodemographics, hysterectomy, and cervical cancer screening, representing 42 states and the District of Columbia. Logistic regression models with predicted marginal probabilities were used to calculate state-level prevalence estimates of recent cervical cancer screening and uptake of co-testing, Pap testing, and hrHPV testing among those who were recently screened. Analysis was conducted in 2018–2019. Recent screening prevalence ranged from 80.0% (Idaho) to 92.2% (Massachusetts), with more state-level geographic variability in co-testing than Pap testing alone. Uptake of co-testing ranged from 27.5% (Utah) to 49.9% (District of Columbia); compared to the national estimate, co-testing was lower in 12 states and higher in six states. Overall, Midwestern and Southern states had the lowest uptake of co-testing whereas Northeastern states had the highest. Sociodemographic, healthcare, and behavioral factors accounted for some but not all state-level variation in co-testing. There was substantial state-level variability in co-testing prevalence, which was lowest in Midwestern and Southern states; the variation was not entirely explained by individual sociodemographic, healthcare, and behavioral factors. Future studies should monitor the impact of geographic variations in screening modalities on state-level differences in cervical cancer incidence, survival, and mortality.
Dopamine Signals Learn New Tricks.

In this issue of Neuron, Morrens et al. (2020) show that stimulus-evoked dopamine responses are enhanced by novelty and increase the rate at which animals acquire conditioned responses. These results provide a candidate neural mechanism for latent inhibition and illustrate a new role of dopamine signals in learning.
Comparative study of therapy-related (tALL) and de novo adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (dnALL): Contemporary Mayo Clinic ALL cohort.

7523Background: tALL is a recently appreciated but poorly defined clinical entity. We define tALL as any prior exposure to cytotoxic chemotherapy and/or radiation for another malignancy, and we rep...
Trends of Racial/Ethnic Differences in Emergency Department Care Outcomes Among Adults in the United States From 2005 to 2016

Importance: While the literature documenting health disparities has advanced in recent decades, less is known about the pattern of racial/ethnic disparities in emergency care in the United States. Objective: To describe the trends and differences of health outcomes and resource utilization among racial/ethnic groups in US emergency care for adult patients over a 12-year period. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study of emergency department (ED) data from the nationally representative National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Survey (NHAMCS) examined multiple dimensions of ED care and treatment from 2005 to 2016 among adults in the US. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes include ED care outcomes (hospital admission, ICU admission, and death in the ED/hospital), resource utilization outcomes (medical imaging use, blood test, and procedure use), and patients' waiting time in the ED. The main exposure variable is race/ethnicity including white patients (non-Hispanic), black patients (non-Hispanic), Hispanic patients, Asian patients, and Other. Results: During the 12-year study period, NHAMCS collected data on 247,989 adult (> 18 years old) ED encounters, providing a weighted sample of 1,065,936,835 ED visits for analysis. Asian patients were 1.21 times more likely than white patients to be admitted to the hospital following an ED visit (aOR 1.21, 95% CI 1.12-1.31). Hispanic patients presented no significant difference in hospital admission following an ED visit (aOR 1.01, 95% CI 0.97-1.06) with white patients. Black patients were 7% less likely to receive an urgent ESI score than white patients less likely to receive immediate or emergent scores, as opposed to semi- or non-urgent scores. Black patients were also 10% less likely than white patients to be admitted to the hospital and were 1.26 times more likely than white patients to die in the ED or hospital. Conclusions and Relevance: Race is associated with significant differences in ED treatment and admission rates, which may represent disparities in emergency care. Hispanic and Asian Americans were equal or more likely to be admitted to the hospital compared to white patients. Black patients received lower triage scores and higher mortality rates. Further research is needed to understand the underlying causes and long-term health consequences of these disparities.
Sectarian Triangles: Salafis, the Shi‘a, and the Politics of Religious Affiliations in Northern Nigeria

“Sectarianization”—the political instrumentalization of sectarian identities—is a profitable strategy for many state and non-state actors. This paper presents a theory of sectarianization, as well as an accompanying typology. The paper does not seek to explain the causes of sectarian conflict; rather, the paper examines how third parties respond to exogenous instances of such conflict. The paper argues that third parties face incentives to cultivate strategic ambiguity about their own stances, especially amid significant religious and political competition. In such competitive environments, third parties appear to take stances based on the interaction among three factors: first, a short-term cost-benefit analysis of whether to take sides and if so, how far to align with either of the main two sectarian actors; second, pre-existing relationships between the third party and the two main sectarian actors; and third, a desire to maintain long-term credibility with the broadest audience possible.
GENERATING ON-THE-FLY LARGE SAMPLES OF THEORETICAL SPECTRA THROUGH AN N-DIMENSIONAL GRID

Many analyses and parameter estimations undertaken in astronomy require a large set (105) of non-analytical, theoretical spectra, each of these defined by multiple parameters. We describe the construction of an N-dimensional grid which is suitable for generating such spectra. The theoretical spectra are designed to correspond to a targeted parameter grid but otherwise to random positions in the parameter space, and they are interpolated on the fly through a pre-calculated grid of spectra. The initial grid is designed to be relatively low in parameter resolution and small in occupied hard disk space and therefore can be updated efficiently when a new model is desired. In a pilot study of stellar population synthesis of galaxies, the mean square errors on the estimated parameters are found to decrease with the targeted grid resolution. This scheme of generating a large model grid is general for other areas of studies, particularly if they are based on multi-dimensional parameter space and are focused on contrasting model differences.
The Degradation Analysis of PVC Insulation Tape in 220kV Oil-filled Cable Terminal

Recent oil leakage failure cases in Guangdong Power Grid suggested possible chemical interaction between PVC insulation spiral tape and silicone oil. More attentions had been aroused to analyze the operating and aging performance. In this paper, degradation analysis were performed on PVC samples after 2 years operation in 220kV cable terminal or accelerated thermal aging in silicone oil. Two aging temperatures were set up for aging contrast. Compatibility, IR, TGA and stretching tests were operated to determine the degradation of molecular, thermal and mechanical behavior. After aging, the results showed different degrees of degradation of PVC. The weight of PVC reduced 2%~4%, additives and oil composition were observed, the decomposition temperature decreased over 10%, the tensile strength decreased over 11%, and the elongation at break reduced over 300%. Results showed that PVC reacted with the insulating silicone oil in the long run, causing aging, additives precipitation, changing composition, increasing molecular chain mobility, reducing thermal stability and mechanical strength. The degradation became more severe and faster under higher temperature or in longer aging time. The results could be used to reveal the cause of defects and propose solution for materials matching and failure preventing in high voltage transmission lines.
Optimal Auction Design for Wi-Fi Procurement

The unprecedented growth of cellular traffic driven by the use of smartphones for web surfing, video streaming, and cloud-based services poses bandwidth challenges for cellular service providers. T...
U.S. Corporate Pension Expense and the 2007-2009 Financial Crisis: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

This research presents a model for predicting corporate pension expenses. By considering changes in financial statement variables that included operating profit margin, working capital levels, and cash levels the model explored directional impact on the dependent variable, pension expenses. Change was measured between 2004 and 2013 using the Kellough interrupted time series analysis to capture the effect of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The analysis found that operating profit margin has a positive impact on pension expense levels, while higher levels of net working capital and cash have an inverse association. In finding the change variable of the interrupted time series event to have a positive sign, the analysis expands prior research in offering evidence that firms might not use pension expenses as a tool for earnings manipulation. Rather, firms appear to increase pension expense funding as a financial shock occurs but reduce during improving financial and economic conditions.
Comparison of methods to assess cerebrovascular reactivity using diffuse correlation spectroscopy

Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) refers to the ability of cerebral vasculature to dilate or constrict during vasoactive stimuli. CVR has been shown to be a biomarker for vascular health in a range of disease states. Herein, we use Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy to quantify cerebrovascular reactivity in 10 healthy adults using 3 different experimental paradigms for CVR assessment: hypercapnia, breath holding, and resting-state. We compare CVR estimations across these 3 paradigms, and we find poor agreement between the methods, underscoring the need for improved understanding of the different mechanisms of action of each intervention on the vasculature.
Classification of drug prescribing information using long short-term memory networks

Information about drug's safety and efficacy is publicly available to healthcare providers and consumers in the United States. Yet, it remains challenging to find this information for special populations of patients. These populations include pregnant, lactating, nursing women, elderly, and pediatric patients. Motivated by the unmet need for the accurate and efficient extraction of information, we trained a multi-class Long Short-Term Memory classifier with over 90,000 semi-structured labeled texts. The classifier achieved excellent performance when tested on an unseen dataset of 20,000 texts, reaching between 95% to 99% accuracy for the five classes. The classifier significantly outperformed the baseline model trained using Naive Bayes algorithm, especially in the classification of texts containing information relevant to nursing mothers.
Pituitary macroadenoma: A case of balanced deficiencies

Abstract Introduction We present a patient with a non-functional pituitary macroadenoma who developed diabetes insipidus after initiation of thyroid hormone and cortisol replacement for central hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency. Case description A 61-year-old man with a history of a 1.7cm non-functional pituitary macroadenoma that was stable over a five-year period was found to have an interval growth of 2.1cm on annual follow-up. He was in a good state of health, but laboratory findings revealed central hypothyroidism and central adrenal insufficiency. He was started on glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone replacement with subsequent development of diabetes insipidus. A follow-up MRI demonstrated apoplexy with decrease in tumor size. Pituitary surgery was cancelled. Conclusion Subclinical apoplexy may occur in a pituitary macroadenoma with pituitary hormone deficiency as the only indication of an occult process. Treating underlying glucocorticoid or thyroid deficiency may unmask diabetes insipidus. Alternative diagnosis should be investigated in a patient with a pituitary macroadenoma who suddenly develops diabetes insipidus.
Odds and Ends

This chapter is concerned with four overlapping topics. The first is to discuss the solution of differential equations using series. This method is quite powerful and is very useful on new equations for which the solutions are unknown. The second topic is to discuss orthogonal functions such as Laguerre polynomials and Hermite polynomials. The third topic is the Sturm-Liouville theory, that generalizes the properties of orthogonal polynomials. The final topic is singular integral equations.
Seven Processes That Enable NASA Software Engineering Technologies

This slide presentation reviews seven processes that NASA uses to ensure that software is developed, acquired and maintained as specified in the NPR 7150.2A requirement. The requirement is to ensure that all software be appraised for the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). The enumerated processes are: (7) Product Integration, (6) Configuration Management, (5) Verification, (4) Software Assurance, (3) Measurement and Analysis, (2) Requirements Management and (1) Planning & Monitoring. Each of these is described and the group(s) that are responsible is described.
Increasing Reliability of Direct Observation Measurement Approaches in Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders Research Using Generalizability Theory.

Reliability of direct observation outcomes ensures the results are consistent, dependable, and trustworthy. Typically, reliability of direct observation measurement approaches is assessed using int...
Profiling the O-GlcNAcylation of the kinome using kinase microarrary (739.8)

Mutations and dysregulation of kinases play causal roles in human disease development, signaling, and metabolism. Understanding the function of kinases is of an outstanding interest for biomarker discovery and also necessary for the development of agonists and antagonists for the use in disease therapy. O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAcylation) is a post-translational modification known to regulate different aspects of a proteins function including localization, activity, and stability. Like phosphorylation, O-GlcNAcylation, which modifies serine and threonine residues on nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins, is a ubiquitous, reversible process that regulates numerous cellular processes. Recent evidence indicates that site-specific crosstalk between O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation and the O-GlcNAcylation of kinases play an important role in regulating cell signaling. Hence, it is very important to investigate the O-GlcNAcylation of the kinome. Previously, we identified 42 kinases that are substr...
A Review of “The Accountable Leader: Developing Effective Leadership Through Managerial Accountablility”

Author Brian Dive brings his four decades of experience in working with organizations of every stripe—international and domestic, public and private, and in a variety of industries—in this pragmati...
Uniqueness of volume-minimizing submanifolds calibrated by the first Pontryagin form

One way to understand the geometry of the real Grassmann manifold Gk(R k+n) parameterizing oriented k-dimensional subspaces of Rk+n is to understand the volume-minimizing subvarieties in each homology class. Some of these subvarieties can be determined by using a calibration. In previous work, one of the authors calculated the set of 4-planes calibrated by the first Pontryagin form p1 on Gk(R k+n) for all k,n ≥ 4, and identified a family of mutually congruent round 4-spheres which are consequently homologically volume-minimizing. In the present work, we associate to the family of calibrated planes a Pfaffian system on the symmetry group SO(k + n,R), an analysis of which yields a uniqueness result; namely, that any connected submanifold of Gk(R k+n) calibrated by p1 is contained in one of these 4-spheres. A similar result holds for p1-calibrated submanifolds of the quotient Grassmannian G\k(R k+n) of non-oriented k-planes.
Transcription factor Fli-1 directly regulates the expression of IL-6 (BA2P.114)

Fli-1, a member of the Ets family of transcription factors, is highly expressed in immune cells and endothelial cells and is implicated in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in both human patients and mouse models. Increased expression of IL-6 is also involved in the SLE and other autoimmune disease development. We examined the role of Fli-1 on production of IL-6 in this study. We found expression of IL-6 was significantly reduced in sera from Fli-1 heterozygous knockout MRL/lpr mice (Fli1+/-; Fli-1 homozygous knockout is embryonic lethal), a murine model of lupus, compared to wild-type littermates. The production of IL-6 were significantly decreased in endothelial cells transfected with specific Fli-1 siRNA compared to cells transfected with negative control siRNA after LPS stimulation. We demonstrated that Fli-1 directly binds to the IL-6 promoter by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and transient transfection assays show that Fli-1 drives transcription from the IL-6 promoter in a dose-dependent manner. Our data indicate that transcription factor Fli-1 binds to the promoter of IL-6 and directly regulates the expression of IL-6.
Exospheric perturbations by radiation pressure: II. Solution for orbits in the ecliptic plane

The instantaneous rates of change for the orbital elements eccentricity, longitude of perigee from the Sun, and longitude from the Sun of the ascending node are integrated simultaneously for the case of the inclination i = 0. The results confirm the validity of using mean rates when the orbits are tightly bound to the planet and serve as examples to be reproduced by the complicated numerical solutions required for arbitrary inclination. Strongly bound hydrogen atoms escaping from Earth due to radiation pressure do not seem a likely cause of the geotail extending in the anti-sun direction. Instead, radiation pressure will cause those particles' orbits to deteriorate into the Earth's atmosphere.
A highly divergent simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVstm) recovered from stored stump-tailed macaque tissues.

Abstract We report here the results of molecular analysis of a simian immunodeficiency virus (designated SIVstm) which was isolated from a rhesus monkey inoculated with stored lymph node tissue of an Asian stump-tailed macaque. The latter monkey had died in 1977 during an epidemic of acquired immunodeficiency and lymphoma at the California Regional Primate Research Center (L. J. Lowenstine, N. W. Lerche, P. A. Marx, M. B. Gardner, and N. C. Pedersen, p. 174-176, in M. Girard and L. Valette, ed., Retroviruses of Human AIDS and Related Animal Viruses, 1988). Nucleotide sequence analysis of the gag and env regions indicates that SIVstm is an ancient member of the SIV/human immunodeficiency virus type 2 group; it is quite divergent from known SIVs isolated from African sooty mangabeys as well as from Asian macaques. Furthermore, of all SIV strains described to date, SIVstm is the most closely related to human immunodeficiency virus type 2.
Bayesian Life Test Planning for Log-Location-Scale Family of Distributions

This paper describes Bayesian methods for life test planning with censored data from a log-location-scale distribution when prior information of the distribution parameters is available. We use a B...
Current concepts on Escherichia coli K1 translocation of the blood–brain barrier

The mortality and morbidity associated with neonatal gram-negative meningitis have remained significant despite advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy. Escherichia coli K1 is the most common gram-negative organism causing neonatal meningitis. Our incomplete knowledge of the pathogenesis of this disease is one of the main reasons for this high mortality and morbidity. We have previously established both in vitro and in vivo models of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) and hematogenous meningitis in neonatal rats, respectively. With these in vitro and in vivo models, we have shown that successful crossing of the BBB by circulating E. coli requires a high-degree of bacteremia, E. coli binding to and invasion of HBMEC, and E. coli traversal of the BBB as live bacteria. Our previous studies using TnphoA, signature-tagged mutagenesis and differential fluorescence induction identified several E. coli K1 determinants such as OmpA, Ibe proteins, AslA, TraJ and CNF1 contributing to invasion of HBMEC in vitro and traversal of the blood-brain barrier in vivo. We have shown that some of these determinants interact with specific receptors on HBMEC, suggesting E. coli translocation of the BBB is the result of specific pathogen-host cell interactions. Recent studies using functional genomics techniques have identified additional E. coli K1 factors that contribute to the high degree of bacteremia and HBMEC binding/invasion/transcytosis. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the successful E. coli translocation of the BBB.
issues in Utility Measurement

Abstract Descriptive theories of decision making are constrained by the need to explain the following behavioral phenomena: risk aversion, gambling, purchases of insurance, investment, the paradoxes of Allais and Ellsberg, intransitivity of preference, irregularities of choice, preference reversals, risk judgments, violations of branch independence, the difference between buying and selling prices, violations of monotonicity, and the relationships between risky and riskless situations. The papers in this special issue on utility theory address these empirical phenomena and explore theories proposed to explain them.
CHAOSarc: kernel support for multiweight objects, invocations, and atomicity in real-time multiprocessor applications

CHAOSarc is an object-based multiprocessor operating system kernel that provides primitives with which programmers may easily construct objects of differing types and object invocations of differing semantics, targeting multiprocessor systems, and real-time applications. The CHAOSarc can guarantee desired performance and functionality levels of selected computations in real-time applications. Such guarantees can be made despite possible uncertainty in execution environments by allowing programs to adapt in performance and functionality to varying operating conditions. This paper reviews the primitives offered by CHAOSarc and demonstrates how the required elements of the CHAOSarc real-time kernel are constructed with those primitives.
New stable isotope-mass spectrometric techniques for measuring fluxes through intact metabolic pathways in mammalian systems: introduction of moving pictures into functional genomics and biochemical phenotyping.

Abstract The thesis of this review is that fully assembled metabolic pathways in living systems, rather than genes or proteins, are the true units of function in biology and biochemistry. A corollary is that measurement of metabolic fluxes (biochemical kinetics) is thereby required to understand biochemical control and gene function. Recent methodologic advances for improving observability of metabolic pathway fluxes in vivo are reviewed. Stable isotope–mass spectrometric techniques discussed here include mass isotopomer distribution analysis (combinatorial analysis), for measurement of polymerization biosynthesis; 2 H 2 O administration, for measuring synthesis of DNA (i.e., cell proliferation), RNA, proteins, lipids, glycolipids and other classes of molecules; non-invasive probes of intracellular metabolism, by sampling secreted metabolites in accessible body fluids, after isotopic labeling of the intracellular pathway; and measurement of multiple molecular fluxes concurrently, particularly through use of 2 H 2 O. Examples are given of pathway fluxes measured by each of these techniques, noting the often-surprising results. It is concluded that the introduction of “moving pictures” as tools for biochemical phenotyping could radically alter many signature areas of contemporary biology, including functional genomics, drug discovery and development, and disease research.
Mouthparts of females of four Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Mouthparts of females of four species of Culicoides were studied by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Sixteen characteristics, including overall size of all components; number, size, and shape of teeth of armed stylets; and total body length were compared. Species rank, from largest to smallest, in total body length and overall length of mouthpart components is C. variipennis, C. hollensis, C. furens, and C. melleus . Differences among species are statistically significant ( P ≤ 0.05) except for body length of C. furens and C. melleus , and for length of labrum of C. variipennis and C. hollensis . Differences among species of other characteristics are discussed. Interlocking processes and depressions on the mandibles serve as a pivot point. Abduction of the mandibular bases causes divergence and retraction of their tips. As a result, mandibles cut on the side opposite their point of origin. Possible functional relationships of the other structures are discussed. Light and SEM photomicrographs of the various components are presented.
Relation between the Parisi-Sourlas and “quarlet” mechanism in the bosonic string

Abstract The light-cone gauge path integral is obtained from the conformal gauge fixed expression of Polyakov's theory for the bosonic string by integrating out the unphysical degrees of freedom. A generalized Parisi-Sourlas mechanism is shown to be responsible for the factorization of the integrations over the unphysical modes (and hence the dimensional reduction of the bosonic string) in the functional formulation of the theory. The corresponding decoupling mechanism in the canonical formulation of the theory is demonstrated to be the Kugo-Ojima “quartet” mechanism. The equivalence of the Parisi-Sourlas mechanism in the functional approach with the Kugo-Ojima “quartet” mechanism in the operator language is emphasized.
Analysis of barriers to development in landfill communities using interpretive structural modeling

Abstract Landfill sites in the developing nations are endowed with waste resources which could be utilized as a potential revenue stream for the community that inhabit such sites. Many international aid agencies have started focusing on development of such landfill sites and also on improvements to the associated scavenger community. The paper analyses the barriers to such an intervention by aid agencies using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). ISM employs a systems approach to the decision making process and is used traditionally in management studies. The paper highlights the potential of using such techniques to understand and analyze urban planning issues. The case study of a US based organization’s proposed intervention in a Karachi landfill community is used to formulate a general model of the barriers and their interactions.
Mental models and probabilistic thinking

This paper outlines the theory of reasoning based on mental models, and then shows how this theory might be extended to deal with probabilistic thinking. The same explanatory framework accommodates deduction and induction: there are both deductive and inductive inferences that yield probabilistic conclusions. The framework yields a theoretical conception of strength of inference, that is, a theory of what the strength of an inference is objectively: it equals the proportion of possible states of affairs consistent with the premises in which the conclusion is true, that is, the probability that the conclusion is true given that the premises are true. Since there are infinitely many possible states of affairs consistent with any set of premises, the paper then characterizes how individuals estimate the strength of an argument. They construct mental models, which each correspond to an infinite set of possibilities (or, in some cases, a finite set of infinite sets of possibilities). The construction of models is guided by knowledge and beliefs, including lay conceptions of such matters as the “law of large numbers”. The paper illustrates how this theory can account for phenomena of probabilistic reasoning.
Reassessing the Value of U.S. Coast Guard At-Sea Fishery Enforcement

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is responsible for enforcing federal fisheries laws at sea. The USCG routinely reports high compliance rates and uses them as evidence that its program is successful at deterring fisheries violations. Research presented in this article indicates that high USCG-reported compliance rates vastly overestimate the actual rates and enforcement success because USCG at-sea inspections fail to detect many actual violations. Using high USCG-observed compliance rates as an indicator of successful enforcement is misleading, adversely influencing voluntary compliance with fishing regulations, and prevents fishery managers from recognizing illegal fishing as a significant problem and creating strategies for addressing it.
Effect of drug-paired exteroceptive stimulus presentations on methamphetamine reinstatement in rats.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of drug-paired cues on methamphetamine reinstatement. Three groups of rats were trained to self-administer 0.1 mg/kg/infusion methamphetamine. Each methamphetamine infusion was accompanied by a 6 s flashing light + tone stimulus (cues). After training, the groups were then given 12, daily extinction sessions either with or without response-contingent drug-paired cues and then tested for 1 mg/kg i.p. methamphetamine priming-induced reinstatement either with or without cues. Methamphetamine priming significantly reinstated drug-appropriate responding regardless of whether response-contingent cues were omitted during both extinction and testing, presented during both extinction and testing, or omitted during extinction but presented during reinstatement testing. The group in which cues were omitted during extinction and presented during reinstatement exhibited significantly greater reinstatement than did the other two groups. A separate group of rats was also tested demonstrating that response-contingent presentation of previously methamphetamine-paired cues alone, without methamphetamine priming, significantly reinstated drug-appropriate responding. These data show that methamphetamine priming produces a robust reinstatement effect which can be influenced by drug-paired cues.
Ixodes signatus (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae) parasitizing Pigeon Guillemots on the Channel islands, California.

Ixodes signatus was collected from 2 nestling Pigeon Guillemots ( Cepphus columba ) on Prince Island, Channel Islands, California, representing a southern range extension of 315 km. Additional new records for California and Oregon are also presented and aspects of this tick's biology are discussed.
Channel assignment in cognitive wireless sensor networks

Cognitive radios allow secondary users to communicate using the underutilized spectrum. However, in the presence of a primary user, the unlicensed users must vacate the spectrum, leading to a decrease in network performance or even network partition. In this paper we address the problem of robust topology control in wireless sensor networks with the objective of assigning a channel to each radio such that the resulting topology is robust to the presence of a primary user. The robustness constraint requires that if a channel is reclaimed by a primary user, then the resulting secondary user topology still preserves the connectivity between any two nodes. In this paper we propose a distributed algorithm for channel assignment which has low overhead and is scalable with the number of sensor nodes. We analyze the performance of our algorithm using ns-3 network simulator.