cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic variants associated with myocardial infarction in the PSMA6 gene and Chr9p21 are also associated with ischaemic stroke.

Background Ischaemic stroke shares common traditional risk factors with coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI). This study evaluated whether genetic risk factors for CAD and MI also affect susceptibility to ischaemic stroke in Caucasians and African Americans. Methods Included in the study were a Caucasian series (713 ischaemic stroke patients, 708 controls) and a small African American series (166 ischaemic stroke patients, 117 controls). Twenty single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously shown to be associated with CAD or MI were genotyped and assessed for association with ischaemic stroke and ischaemic stroke subtypes using odds ratios (ORs) from multivariable logistic regression models. Results In Caucasians, four SNPs on chromosome 9p21 were significantly associated with risk of cardioembolic stroke, the strongest of which was rs1333040 (OR 1.55, P = 0.0007); similar but weaker trends were observed for small vessel stroke, with no associations observed regarding large vessel stroke. Chromosome 9p21 SNPs were also associated with risk of ischaemic stroke in African Americans (rs1333040, OR 0.65, P = 0.023; rs1333042, OR 0.55, P = 0.070; rs2383207, OR 0.55, P = 0.070). The PSMA6 SNP rs1048990 on chromosome 14q13 was associated with overall ischaemic stroke in both Caucasians (OR 0.80, P = 0.036) and African Americans (OR 0.31, P = 0.020). Conclusions Our results provide evidence that chromosome 9p21 variants are associated with cardioembolic ischaemic stroke in Caucasians and with overall ischaemic stroke in African Americans. The PSMA6 variant rs1048990 also appears to affect susceptibility to ischaemic stroke in both populations. These findings require validation, particularly the preliminary findings regarding African Americans given the small size of that series.
Factors influencing the reproductive success of Ipomoea pes-caprae (Convolvulaceae) around the Gulf of Mexico

The reproductive biology of Ipomoea pes-caprae, a pantropical beach morning glory, was studied at five sites around the Gulf of Mexico. The primary pollinators were Xylocopa species (carpenter bees) which dispersed pollen up to 90 m. Exclusion experiments demonstrated that ants feeding on extrafloral nectaries increased seed set but did not protect seeds from predation by the bruchid beetle Megacerus. The water-dispersed seed and long-range dispersal of pollen may function to counter the sporophytic incompatability mechanism of the plant; populations exhibit a large neighborhood size. Key reproductive factors in the life cycle of L pes-caprae are the long-range pollen flow and mass germination of water-dispersed seeds. IPOMOEA PES-CAPRAE (L.) R. Br. (Convolvulaceae), a pantropical, perennial, trailing vine, often forms large mats just above the high tide line on coastal beaches and dunes throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world (Fig. 1). It occurs on five continents and on most tropical islands (St. John, 1970). The species produces showy, bisexual, funnelshaped flowers with copious nectar from a large circular nectary at the base of the flower and smaller amounts from glands on the sepals. Insect visitors are attracted to the flowers by the color and ultraviolet light patterns of the corolla; there is no notable floral odor. The plants are self-incompatible (Martin, 1970), producing water-dispersed seeds that remain viable for up to six months in sea water (Guppy, 1917). The plant's notched leaves (thus the common name-goat's foot) produce nectar from a pair of glands on each petiole near the point of blade attachment (Keeler and Kaul,
Internetworking circuit and connectionless networks

A new type of gateway, called a ConnectionLess Circuit (CLC) gateway is proposed to internetwork connectionless (CL) networks with dynamically shared circuit/virtual networks. In contrast with IP routers, CLC gateways implement (a) a signaling function to receive circuit setup/release requests triggered by end hosts and initiate dynamic circuit setup/release through their attached circuit subnetworks, (b) transport-layer functionality to terminate TCP connections across CL subnetworks and Circuit-TCP (CTCP) connections across circuits, and (c) disk buffering to decouple transfers across CL subnetworks from transfers across high-speed circuit subnetworks. Specifically, this internetworking architecture is proposed for large files transfers with a goal of increasing end-to-end transfer rates. A path for introducing this architecture and services into the current Internet, involving programmable patch panels in addition to CLC gateways and circuit subnetworks, is presented. A CLC gateway using web proxy Squid software is implemented. Experiments with this gateway demonstrate the need for decoupling through disk buffering and TCP/CTCP terminations. Measurements on a rate-mismatched path, with a 155Mbps circuit between CLC gateways, and a 1Mbps bottleneck link rate on a CL subnetwork, show that a 100MB file transfer without disk buffering resulted in a 0.6% circuit utilization, tying up the circuit for 843.8sec, while with disk buffering, utilization improves to 90.8% while holding the circuit for only 5.96sec.
Biofuel production system analysis

The United States has become increasingly dependent on foreign sources of energy [1]. The objective of this project is to evaluate plans to reduce this dependency by utilizing corn ethanol and soybean biodiesel in the transportation sector to replace the largest feasible quantity of petroleum fuel while remaining cost-effective and environmentally sound. Simulations covering the production of these fuels and their impacts on external systems are utilized to determine effective feasible production plans. Feasibility is determined by considering carbon dioxide emissions, strain on the food market for said crops, and the amount of biofuels produced. The feasible alternatives are compared using a multi-attribute utility function. The scope of this project is limited to the next 10 years when the technologies for more viable options are expected to mature.
Transoral Robotic Surgery: Supraglottic Laryngectomy in a Canine Model

Objectives/Hypothesis: To develop a technique for computer enhanced robotic transoral supraglottic partial laryngectomy in the canine model. Study Design: Surgical procedure on the larynx in a canine model with a commercially available surgical robot. Methods: With use of the da Vinci Surgical Robot (Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA), the supraglottic partial laryngectomy was performed on a mongrel dog that had been orotracheally intubated using general anesthesia. The videoscope and the 8 mm end-effectors of the robotic system were introduced through three ports, transorally. The surgical procedure was performed remotely from the robotic system console. The procedure was documented with still and video photography. Results: Supraglottic partial laryngectomy was successfully performed using the da Vinci Surgical Robot, with 8 mm instrumentation. The robotic system allowed for celerity and accuracy secondary to findings specific to the surgical approach, including excellent hemostasis, superb visualization of the operative field with expeditious identification of laryngeal submucosal soft tissue and skeletal landmarks, and multiplanar transection of tissues. In addition, the use of the robotic system also was found to have technical advantages inherent in robotic surgery, including the use of “wristed” instrumentation, tremor abolition, motion scaling, and three-dimensional vision. Conclusions: The da Vinci Surgical Robot allowed for successful robotic transoral supraglottic partial laryngectomy in the canine model.
High‐resolution H NMR spectral signature from human atheroma

Coronary artery disease due to atherosclerosis takes the lives of approximately 550,000 Americans each year-an enormous toll. Put in economic terms, the cost to the United States alone has been estimated to exceed 60 billion dollars annually. We have found that well-resolved proton ('H) NMR spectra can be obtained from human atheroma (fatty plaque), despite its macroscopic solid appearance. The fmction of the total spectral intensity corresponding to the sharp 'H NMR signals is temperature dependent and approaches unity at body temperature (37°C). Studies of the total lipids extracted from atheroma and cholesteryl esters were conducted to identify the chemical and physical origin of the spectral signature. The samples were characterized through assignment of their chemical shifts and by measurement oftheir TI and Tr relaxation times as a function of magnetic field strength. The results suggest that the relatively sharp 'H NMR signals from human atheroma (excluding water) are due to a mixture of cholesteryl esters, whose liquidcrystalline to isotropic fluid phase transition is near body temperature. Preliminary applications to NMR imaging of human atheroma are reported, which demonstrate early fatty plaque formation within the wall of the aorta. These findings offer a basis for noninvasive imaging by NMR to monitor early and potentially reversible stages of human atherogenesis. 8 I988 Academic Ress, Inc.
Hibiscus Sabdariffa L. Tea (Tisane) Lowers Blood Pressure in Prehypertensive and Mildly Hypertensive Adults

In vitro studies show Hibiscus sabdariffa L., an ingredient found in many herbal tea blends and other beverages, has antioxidant properties, and, in animal models, extracts of its calyces have demonstrated hypocholesterolemic and antihypertensive properties. Our objective in this study was to examine the antihypertensive effects of H. sabdariffatisane (hibiscus tea) consumption in humans. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in 65 pre- and mildly hypertensive adults, age 30–70 y, not taking blood pressure (BP)-lowering medications, with either 3 240mL servings/d of brewed hibiscus tea or placebo beverage for 6 wk. A standardized method was used to measure BP at baseline and weekly intervals. At 6 wk, hibiscus tea lowered systolic BP (SBP) compared with placebo (27.2 6 11.4 vs. 21.3 6 10.0 mm Hg; P = 0.030). Diastolic BP was also lower, although this change did not differ from placebo (23.1 6 7.0 vs. 20.5 6 7.5 mm Hg; P = 0.160). The change in mean arterial pressure was of borderline significance compared with placebo (24.5 6 7.7 vs. 20.8 6 7.4 mm Hg; P = 0.054). Participants with higher SBP at baseline showed a greater response to hibiscus treatment (r = 20.421 for SBP change; P = 0.010). No effects were observed with regard to age, gender, or dietary supplement use. These results suggest daily consumption of hibiscus tea, in an amount readily incorporated into the diet, lowers BP in pre- and mildly hypertensive adults and may prove an effective component of the dietary changes recommended for people with these conditions. J. Nutr. doi: 10.3945/jn.109.115097.
Gender differences in adjustment to acute myocardial infarction

Objective: To compare psychosocial adjustment, functional class, and return to work in a matched sample of women and men experiencing a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Design: Longitudinal survey. Setting: Subjects were identified from six hospitals in the Southern California area. Data were collected in the home setting 1 and 4 months after hospital discharge. Subjects: Data on 32 women experiencing a first AMI were matched on neuroticism and cardiac dysfunction with 32 men from the same sample. Measures: The following instruments were administered 1 and 4 months after hospital discharge: Self-Perception Inventory (self-esteem); Profile of Mood States (emotional distress); General Health Perceptions Questionnaire (health perceptions); Interpersonal Dependency Inventory (dependency); and the UCLA Social Support Inventory (social support). The Eysenck Personality Inventory (neuroticism) was administered at 1 month. Cardiac dysfunction was measured with data available from the hospital record. Functional class was measured at 1 month with the Specific Activity Scale. Self-report of demographics and return to work were obtained at 1 and 4 months, respectively. Results: Women experienced improved perceptions of current health whereas their ratings of prior health decreased. Overall emotional distress, anxiety, and depression decreased significantly over time in women. Women reported wanting, receiving, and giving more support than men did at 1 month and receiving and giving more support than men did at 4 months, although stress in support relationships rose over time. In men anxiety, depression, and health concern all decreased significantly over time whereas their ratings of prior health rose. The match between social support wanted and received decreased over time in males as did their satisfaction with the support received. Men reported a higher functional class than women at 1 month, but return to work at 4 months did not differ. Conclusions: Both women and men experienced improved psychologic adjustment within 4 months after AMI, although the specific areas of improvement differed. Return to work was comparable in spite of differences in functional class. The women appeared to activate their social support system more effectively that the men after AMI. Further research is needed to determine whether differences in social support contribute to adjustment that is better than what normative data predict for women.
Thermal Conductivity of Freeze-dried Model Food Gels

SUMMARY The thermal conductivities of freeze-dried slabs of starch, gelatin, pectin, cellulose gum, and egg albumen gels were determined under a variety of conditions, using a guarded hotplate apparatus. The effects of temperature, gas pressure, and gas composition on a starch gel were studied in detail. The thermal conductivities of dry materials at atmospheric pressure varied from 0.921 × 10-4 cal cm-1°C-1 sec-1 (gelatin) to 1.337 × 10-4 (cellulose gum). In vacuum this variation was from 0.218 × 10-4 (starch) to 0.467 × 10-4 (cellulose gum). The difference between atmospheric pressure and vacuum was equal to the thermal conductivity of air for all the materials except cellulose gum, which gave a greater difference. The thermal conductivity of starch gel increased linearly with increasing temperature from 0 to 70°C, and decreased with decreasing pressure, as porous materials normally do, to a constant value below 0.1 mm Hg. A helium atmosphere gave a higher thermal conductivity than air or nitrogen. The thermal conductivity was higher in all freeze-dried gels containing adsorbed water than after the removal of all the water. The thermal conductivity of pectin gels increased with the density. Thermal conductivity was affected by the type and size of pores of the dried materials. In general, changes in thermal conductivity were significant with pressure, type of gas, and nature of the material, particularly the fibrous structure, but less important with temperature and amount of adsorbed water.
Characterization of two Drosophila POU domain genes, related to oct-1 and oct-2, and the regulation of their expression patterns

We have characterized two genes from Drosophila melanogaster that encode proteins with POU domains showing a high degree of identity with the human Oct-1 and Oct-2 transcription factors. These POU domain genes, pdm-1 and pdm-2, are expressed at high levels during early embryogenesis and at lower levels throughout the rest of development. Both genes are expressed as two stripes in the presumptive abdominal region during the blastoderm stage, followed by thirteen stripes in the germ band extended stage. This pattern of expression is altered in mutants for a gap gene (hunchback) and a pair-rule gene (fushi tarazu). In later stage embryos, both pdm-1 and pdm-2 are expressed in selected neuroblasts in the ventral nervous system, with higher levels in the three thoracic segments and lower levels in the abdominal segments. The low level of expression in the abdominal segments is maintained by the genes within the bithorax complex (BX-C). We have also identified the cells in the dorsal and lateral clusters of the peripheral nervous system that express pdm-1 and pdm-2, and show that some of these cells derive from lineages that require BX-C functions. Together, these results suggest that previously characterized members of the embryonic regulatory hierarchy specify the patterns of the POU domain gene expression, which, in turn, function during neurogenesis and perhaps in earlier stages.
The No Child Left Behind Act and English Language Learners: Assessment and Accountability Issues

There are major issues involved with the disaggregated No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in terms of its adequate yearly progress reporting for students with limited English proficiency (LEP). Inconsistent LEP classification, as well as the sparse population of LEP students in many states, threatens the validity of adequate yearly progress reporting. The LEP subgroup’s lack of stability also threatens accountability, since students attaining English proficiency move out of the subgroup. The linguistic complexity of assessment tools may lower LEP student performance in areas with greater language demand. Finally, schools with larger numbers of LEP students with lower baselines may require greater gains. Thus, NCLB’s mandates may unintentionally place undue pressure on schools with high numbers of LEP students. Continuing efforts to remedy these issues should bring more fair assessment and accountability
Long QT syndrome in children: the value of rate corrected QT interval and DNA analysis as screening tests in the general population:

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate two hypothetical screening strategies for identifying children with long QT syndrome (LQTS), a cause of sudden death in childhood. METHODS:Families with KVLQT1, HERG, or SCN5A genotypes provided electrocardiographic (ECG) data for this analysis. This is the first time such genotype-phenotype information has been available. Using the LQTS genotype, the distributions of QTc in affected and unaffected children were established and screening performance for various QTc cut off points were modelled. The detection rate for DNA mutation analysis was determined from published experience. RESULTS:The mean QTc (SD) was 0.484 seconds (0.031) in 117 affected children and 0.420 seconds (0.021) in 133 unaffected children. A QTc cut off of 0.50 seconds in a population of 1 million children would identify 61 of the 200 affected children, and 100 unaffected children. Estimates of testing costs for a screening programme in the newborn period would be $327 869/case detected and $2 222 000/death avoided...
Interactive Problem Solving: Changing Political Culture in the Pursuit of Conflict Resolution

Interactive problem solving is an unofficial, third-party approach to the resolution of international and intercommunal conflicts, derived from the work of John Burton and anchored in social-psychological principles. The article presents the approach as a specially constructed microprocess, best exemplified by problem-solving workshops with unofficial representatives of the conflicting parties, designed to produce changes in the macroprocess of conflict resolution through the joint development of new ideas and insights that can be fed into the political cultures of the two societies. The article describes the dual purpose of problem-solving workshops, their relationship to official negotiations, their typical participants, the role of the third party, the ground rules governing workshop interactions, and the broad agenda they are designed to cover. The work of the author and his collaborators on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict over the past four decades is briefly reviewed and its possible contributions ...
Comparison of Oral and Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test Derived Sensitivity and Secretory Indices in Obese Adolescents

Background. Insulin resistance increases type 2 diabetes risk in obese adolescents. Thus, quantitative tools measuring insulin sensitivity and secretion are important for risk assessment. Methods. Forty-four obese pubertal adolescents underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT). We correlated OGTT-derived whole body sensitivity index (WBISI) with FSIGT-derived insulin sensitivity index (Si). Insulinogenic index (IGI) from OGTT was compared with acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg) from FSIGT. Results. Fasting insulin (r = −.64, P < .0005) and glucose (r = −.39 P ≤ .0005) predicted Si. The OGTT-derived index WBISI correlated with the FSIGT-derived Si (r = .608, P < .0005). IGI correlated with AIRg from FSIGT (r = .704, P < .0005). Conclusions. OGTT-based measures correlated with FSIGT-derived measures of insulin sensitivity and secretion. In particular, we demonstrated that WBISI can be a reliable alternative to FSIGT-derived Si in clin...
Clinical use of CCR5 inhibitors in HIV and beyond

Since the discovery of CCR5 as a coreceptor for HIV entry, there has been interest in blockade of the receptor for treatment and prevention of HIV infection. Although several CCR5 antagonists have been evaluated in clinical trials, only maraviroc has been approved for clinical use in the treatment of HIV-infected patients. The efficacy, safety and resistance profile of CCR5 antagonists with a focus on maraviroc are reviewed here along with their usage in special and emerging clinical situations. Despite being approved for use since 2007, the optimal use of maraviroc has yet to be well-defined in HIV and potentially in other diseases. Maraviroc and other CCR5 antagonists have the potential for use in a variety of other clinical situations such as the prevention of HIV transmission, intensification of HIV treatment and prevention of rejection in organ transplantation. The use of CCR5 antagonists may be potentiated by other agents such as rapamycin which downregulate CCR5 receptors thus decreasing CCR5 density. There may even be a role for their use in combination with other entry inhibitors. However, clinical use of CCR5 antagonists may have negative consequences in diseases such as West Nile and Tick-borne encephalitis virus infections. In summary, CCR5 antagonists have great therapeutic potential in the treatment and prevention of HIV as well as future use in novel situations such as organ transplantation. Their optimal use either alone or in combination with other agents will be defined by further investigation.
Modular reduction by multi-level table lookup

Common designs for reducing the lookup table size in modular reduction (computing of residues) all require peripheral logic in the form of multiplexers and/or (multi-operand) adders. We derive optimal two-level modular reduction circuits that are synthesized from lookup tables and pipeline latches only. We compare three such purely tabular realizations in terms of total table size. Extensions to more than two lookup levels, for gaining higher throughput, are also briefly discussed.
Seizures and Epilepsy, Second Edition (Book)

edited by Jerome Engel Jr. , 736 pp., Oxford University Press, 2012, $198.50 The first surprise is the title page. It contains only one name. Single authorships of comprehensive textbooks on large subjects are increasingly rare. Successful ones seem unlikely, but Dr. Engel has succeeded spectacularly. He is, in fact, one of only a handful of people in the world with the perspective and depth of knowledge to perform this feat. The first edition, in 1989, was a landmark in the epilepsy world, but the past 25 years have seen an explosion of knowledge in both basic and clinical aspects of epilepsy. Thus this second edition was both badly needed and daunting to construct. The author has made excellent decisions on what to include and what to omit. The result is a thorough but concise—even at 662 pages—survey. The author acknowledges that textbooks can only be a snapshot in time of a rapidly expanding field, but they continue to serve an important purpose as a handy benchmark for what we know now.
Searching for Rare Objects Using Index Replication

Searching for objects is a fundamental problem for popular peer-to-peer file-sharing networks that contribute to much of the traffic on today's Internet. While existing protocols can effectively locate highly popular files, studies show that they fail to locate a significant portion of existing files in the network. High recall for these "rare" objects would drastically improve the user experience, and make these networks the ideal distribution infrastructure for user-generated content such as home videos and photo albums. In this paper, we examine simple techniques that can improve search recall for rare objects while minimizing the overhead incurred by participating peers. We propose several strategies for multi-hop index replication, and demonstrate their effectiveness and efficiency through both analysis and simulation. We further evaluate our simple techniques using detailed traces from a real Gnutella network, and show that they improve the performance of these overlays by orders of magnitude in both lookup success and overhead.
Assimilation of Simulated Polarimetric Radar Data for a Convective Storm Using the Ensemble Kalman Filter. Part I: Observation Operators for Reflectivity and Polarimetric Variables

Abstract A radar simulator for polarimetric radar variables, including reflectivities at horizontal and vertical polarizations, the differential reflectivity, and the specific differential phase, has been developed. This simulator serves as a test bed for developing and testing forward observation operators of polarimetric radar variables that are needed when directly assimilating these variables into storm-scale numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, using either variational or ensemble-based assimilation methods. The simulator takes as input the results of high-resolution NWP model simulations with ice microphysics and produces simulated polarimetric radar data that may also contain simulated errors. It is developed based on calculations of electromagnetic wave propagation and scattering at the S band of wavelength 10.7 cm in a hydrometeor-containing atmosphere. The T-matrix method is used for the scattering calculation of raindrops and the Rayleigh scattering approximation is applied to snow and ha...
Delayed-state sigma point Kalman filters for underwater navigation

Measurement delays are inheient in position feedback methods used fot undeiwatei navigation. Even foi small delays, ptopei treatment of these measurements will provide mote lobnst performance and reduce uncertainties, improving overall precision. The Kalman filter (KF) can be adapted to treat delayed measurements in an efficient and mathematically rigorous way. We present a delayed state sigma point Kalman filter (SPKF) implementation for underwater navigation using delayed position measurements. The implementation includes a novel model-based approach to fusing the delayed measurements, with the ability to handle varying delays. We provide an example mission scenario where a surface tender with an ultra-short baseline (USBL) system tracks a submerged vehicle. We use this example to renavigate field data from recent deployments of the National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF) autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry, and compare estimates from a delay-compensated filter to those from a filter that ignores the delay.
Differences in hydropathic properties of ligand binding at four independent sites in wheat germ agglutinin-oligosaccharide crystal complexes

The binding interactions of N-acetyl-D-neuraminic acid and N,N' diacetyl-chitobiose (GlcNAc-beta-1,4-GlcNAc), observed in crystal complexes of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) at four independent sites/monomer, were analyzed and compared with the modeling program HINT (Hydropathic INTeractions). This empirical method allows assessment of relative ligand binding strength and is particularly applicable to cases of weak binding where experimental data is absent. Although the four WGA binding sites are interrelated by a fourfold sequence repeat (eight sites/dimer), similarity extends only to the presence of an aromatic amino acid-rich pocket and a conserved serine. Strong binding requires additional interactions from a contacting domain in the second subunit. Ligand positions were either derived from crystal structures and further optimized by modeling and molecular mechanics, or from comparative modeling. Analysis of the overall HINT binding scores for the two types of ligands are consistent with the presence of two high-affinity and two low-affinity sites per monomer. Identity of these sites correlates well with crystal structure occupancies. The high-affinity sites are roughly equivalent, as predicted from solution binding studies. Binding scores for the low-affinity sites are weaker by at least a factor of two. Quantitative estimates for polar, nonpolar, and ionic interactions revealed that H-bonding makes the largest contribution to complex stabilization in the seven bound configurations, consistent with published thermodynamic data. Although the observed nonpolar interactions are small, they may play a critical role in orienting the ligand optimally.
Di-jet shape modification in heavy ion collisions

We present preliminary results from intermediate pT(1–5 GeV/c) di-hadron azimuthal correlations induced by hadronic di-jets produced in AuAu collisions at √sNN=200 GeV. The near-side (Δϕ∼0) has a typical singlepeaked structure which broadens with the centrality of the collision. A qualitatively new phenomenon shows up in the shape of the away-side (Δϕ∼π): it has a symmetric, double-peaked structure in central and mid-central collisions.
CONCEPTS, THEORY, AND TECHNIQUES

The beta distribution is becoming more widely used in business applications and in economic model-building. A simple way to estimate the parameters of the univariate distribution and the general multivariate distribution would be useful but there appears to be no simple way of accomplishing this task. For example, the method of maximum likelihood does not yield tractable results. The method of moments presented in this paper is a practical way to obtain parameter estimates for the beta distribution. Explicit estimators are derived for the univariate and bivariate case and estimators are then inferred for the n-variate case. Empirical tests suggest that the method of moments may be used to establish useful estimates for these parameters. Also, estimates obtained by the method of moments may be used to develop bounds on the parameters so that computational techniques can be utilized with other estimation methods possessing more desirable properties.
Reversibility of the Reinforcement Relation

Parameters were identified for the rat which both made drinking more probable than running and running more probable than drinking. In the same subjects, depending upon which parameters were used, running reinforced drinking and drinking reinforced running. This relationship suggests that a "reward" is simply any response that is independently more probable than another response.
Regulation of glomerulotubular balance. I. Impact of dopamine on flow-dependent transport

In response to volume expansion, locally generated dopamine decreases proximal tubule reabsorption by reducing both Na/H-exchanger 3 (NHE3) and Na-K-ATPase activity. We have previously demonstrated...
Seeing unique hues

Hue can be described by four separate sensations of red (R), green (G), yellow (Y), and blue (B). These are combined in the spectrally opponent RG and YB mechanisms, whose null points correspond to the unique sensations of Y, G, B. Participants used a form of magnitude estimation to describe color appearance of light flashes that were systematically varied in size, luminance, duration, purity, and retinal eccentricity. Wavelengths of the unique hues were derived from the hue and saturation scaling functions. Only unique Y remained invariant across all the viewing conditions. The shifts in unique hues with test conditions place strong restrictions on models of how the RG and YB mechanisms are assembled. Despite polymorphism of L and M cones and variation of their ratios across participants and across the retina, the frequency distribution of unique Y was very narrow, implying some reweighting of cone inputs to individuals’ RG mechanisms.
Studies of Nonthermal Effects During Intense Microwave Heating of Crystalline Solids

Reports of enhanced sintering rates associated with microwave heating may be due to nonthermal lattice fluctuation statistics. Recent theoretical analyses reviewed in this paper confirm the feasibility of this phenomenon for a wide variety of situations involving very different microwave absorption mechanisms. For materials with weak microwave absorption coefficients, the effect is expected to be uniformly distributed throughout the volume. For strongly absorbing materials, however, the effect is expected to be concentrated near the material surface, with a characteristic exponential penetration depth of Lnt ∼ 10 − 100 μm. An “observable” nonthermal effect depends on the relative magnitude of the microwave electric field strength ¦E¦ and the lattice ion energy relaxation rate γ with the most pronounced effects occurring for larger values of ¦E¦ and smaller values of γ.
Consolidation in the Medical Care Marketplace: A Case Study from Masschusetts

This paper examines consolidation in the Massachusetts hospital market. We find that consolidation is driven primarily by a large decline in the demand for hospital beds, resulting from increased enrollment in managed care and technological changes. The drive to consolidate appears through three primary forces: consolidation for closure; consolidation for economies of scale; and consolidation for network creation.
Autosomal Dominant Growth Hormone (GH) Deficiency Type II: The Del32–71-GH Deletion Mutant Suppresses Secretion of Wild-Type GH

Familial isolated GH deficiency type II is an autosomal dominant form of short stature, associated in some families with mutations that result in missplicing to produce del32–71-GH, a protein that cannot fold normally. The mechanism by which this mutant suppresses the secretion of wild-type GH encoded by the normal allele is not known. Coexpression of del32–71-GH with wild-type human GH in transient transfections of the neuroendocrine cell lines GH4C1 and AtT20 suppressed accumulation of wild-type GH. The suppression of wild-type GH accumulation by del32–71-GH was a posttranslational effect on wild-type GH caused by decreased stability, rather than decreased synthesis, of wild-type GH. Coexpression of del32–71-GH with human PRL did not suppress accumulation of PRL, indicating that there was not a general suppression of secretory pathway function. Accumulation of del32–71-GH protein was not necessary for the suppression of wild-type GH, because del32–71-GH did not accumulate in the neuroendocrine cell line...
Defining the Metabolic Functions and Roles in Virulence of the rpoN1 and rpoN2 Genes in Ralstonia solanacearum GMI1000

The alternative sigma factor RpoN is a unique regulator found among bacteria. It controls numerous processes that range from basic metabolism to more complex functions such as motility and nitrogen fixation. Our current understanding of RpoN function is largely derived from studies on prototypical bacteria such as Escherichia coli. Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas putida. Although the extent and necessity of RpoN-dependent functions differ radically between these model organisms, each bacterium depends on a single chromosomal rpoN gene to meet the cellular demands of RpoN regulation. The bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum is often recognized for being the causative agent of wilt disease in crops, including banana, peanut and potato. However, this plant pathogen is also one of the few bacterial species whose genome possesses dual rpoN genes. To determine if the rpoN genes in this bacterium are genetically redundant and interchangeable, we constructed and characterized ΔrpoN1, ΔrpoN2 and ΔrpoN1 ΔrpoN2 mutants of R. solanacearum GMI1000. It was found that growth on a small range of metabolites, including dicarboxylates, ethanol, nitrate, ornithine, proline and xanthine, were dependent on only the rpoN1 gene. Furthermore, the rpoN1 gene was required for wilt disease on tomato whereas rpoN2 had no observable role in virulence or metabolism in R. solanacearum GMI1000. Interestingly, plasmid-based expression of rpoN2 did not fully rescue the metabolic deficiencies of the ΔrpoN1 mutants; full recovery was specific to rpoN1. In comparison, only rpoN2 was able to genetically complement a ΔrpoN E. coli mutant. These results demonstrate that the RpoN1 and RpoN2 proteins are not functionally equivalent or interchangeable in R. solanacearum GMI1000.
Observable consequences of event-by-event fluctuations of HBT radii

Abstract We explore the effects of event-by-event fluctuations of Hanbury Brown–Twiss (HBT) radii and show how they can be observed experimentally. The relation of measured HBT radii extracted from ensemble-averaged correlation functions to the mean of their event-by-event probability distribution is clarified. We propose a method to experimentally determine the mean and variance of this distribution and test it on an ensemble of fluctuating events generated with the viscous hydrodynamic code VISH2+1. Using the same code, the sensitivity of the mean and variance of the HBT radii to the specific QGP shear viscosity η / s is studied. We report sensitivity of the mean pion HBT radii and their variances to the temperature dependence of η / s near the quark-hadron transition at a level similar (10–20%) to that which was previously observed for elliptic and quadrangular flow of charged hadrons [1].
Electronic Surveillance and the Right to Be Secure

In Katz v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Fourth Amendment limits the government's use of electronic surveillance. The Katz decision reoriented Fourth Amendment analysis in two important respects: the majority opinion of Justice Potter Stewart proclaimed that the Fourth Amendment "protects people not places," and the concurring opinion of Justice John Marshall Harlan posited a "reasonable expectation of privacy" test to determine whether a given action of the state violated the Fourth Amendment. In the ensuing forty years, the Katz test has become the touchstone of Fourth Amendment analysis. The application of the Katz standard, however, has generated anomalous results, and the deficiencies of the Katz test are particularly apparent in the context of the government's use of new technologies to conduct electronic surveillance. Recent cases and decisions highlight both the advances in surveillance technologies and the inherent flaws in the reasonable expectation of privacy test. This article suggests a return to the original language of the Fourth Amendment in order to preserve the right of the People to be secure.
EMISSION FROM LASER PRODUCED PLASMA OF ALUMINUM ALLOY IN THE PRESENCE OF MAGNETIC FIELD

The laser produced plasma generated from an aluminium alloy and expanding across an external steady magnetic field has been studied using atomic emission spectroscopy. Various line emission obtained from different constituents of the aluminium alloy shows an enhancement in its intensity in the presence of ~5 KG magnetic field. Enhancement in the signal was found nearly two times. The maximum enhancement in the emission intensity was noticed between 3-10 μs time delay after the plasma formation in the laser energy ranging from 15-50 my. This enhancement in the emission intensity seems to be due to magnetic confinement of the plasma, when it cools down after expansion. This indicates a type of correlation between the emission intensity and the deceleration in the plasma expansion in the magnetic field.
Scalable Production of Human Erythrocytes from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

In vitro production of erythrocytes in physiologic numbers from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) holds great promise for improved transfusion medicine and novel cell therapies. We report here, for the first time, a strategy for scalable and xeno-free differentiation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells from hiPSCs and subsequent erythrocytes specification, by using stepwise cell culture conditions and by integrating spinner flasks and rocker. This system supported robust and reproducible definitive hematopoietic differentiation of multiple hiPSC lines. We demonstrated an ultra-high yield of up to 4 billion CD235a+ erythrocytes at >98% purity when using a 1-litre spinner flask for suspension culture. Erythrocytes generated from our system can reach a mature stage with red blood cell (RBC) characteristics of enucleation, beta-globin protein expression and oxygen-binding ability. The entire process is xeno-free and clinically compliant, allowing future mass production of hiPSC-derived RBCs for transfusion medicine purposes.
Dyslipidemia Induces Endothelial Cell Stiffening and Alterations in Angiogenic Potential

Dyslipidemia is a modification in lipid composition that potentially causes adverse cardiovascular outcomes. An increase in oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL), a common dyslipidemic condition, is considered to be detrimental. We show here that pathological levels of oxLDL induces endothelial cell (EC) stiffening and this stiffening is RhoA dependent. Furthermore, we tested the immediate downstream effector of RhoA, Rho kinase (ROCK). ROCK inhibition caused a complete abrogation of oxLDL induced EC stiffening. 7-ketocholesterol (7KC), an important oxysterol component of oxLDL, has previously been shown to induce EC stiffening. We now extend our study to the inhibition of RhoA, which abolished the stiffening effect of 7KC. Previous studies have observed that oxLDL increases network formation in vitro. Here we now demonstrate that oxLDL increases migration and proliferation in vitro, and capillary formation in vivo. Similarly to oxLDL induced EC stiffening, the effects of oxLDL on angiogenesis were als...
A Remote Backup Power Automatic Throw-in Device for Serial Power Grid Connection

There are six normal operation modes of serial power grid connection and each operation mode has different remote backup power automatic throw-in(BPAT) logic requirement.At present,BPAT device is effective only in the case of one operation mode or one terminal being backup,which results in many limitations.A novel remote BPAT device has been developed with basic principle of BPAT.Its logic realization relies mainly on local information supplemented by necessary remote information.In the meantime,all the remote information is combined and converted into several switch information,which is transferred with relays communication interface device.The experiments and operation results in two 110 kV substations prove that the device can adapt to different logic requirements of different operating modes with serial power grid connection.
Surviving Wounded Knee: The Lakotas and the Politics of Memory. By David Grua

Surviving Wounded Knee: The Lakotas and the Politics of Memory . By David Grua. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2016. xi + 276 pp. Illustrations, map, notes, bibliography, index. $34.95.) David Grua sets out to demonstrate the significance of the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre in American collective memory. He examines the tension between experience, official memory, and countermemory associated with the tragedy, when soldiers of the United States Seventh Cavalry killed over one hundred and fifty Lakota people. Scholars have long relied on the military records, transcripts of oral testimonies, eyewitness accounts, and contemporary newspaper articles connected with this confrontation to inform their work. Using the same material, Grua reveals the almost-unknown story of how the Lakota survivors campaigned for … jawinchester{at}fhsu.edu
Dilated Cardiomyopathy Mutation (R134W) in Mouse Cardiac Troponin T Induces Greater Contractile Deficits against α-Myosin Heavy Chain than against β-Myosin Heavy Chain

Many studies have demonstrated that depressed myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity is common to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in humans. However, it remains unclear whether a single determinant — such as myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity — is sufficient to characterize all cases of DCM because the severity of disease varies widely with a given mutation. Because dynamic features dominate in the heart muscle, alterations in dynamic contractile parameters may offer better insight on the molecular mechanisms that underlie disparate effects of DCM mutations on cardiac phenotypes. Dynamic features are dominated by myofilament cooperativity that stem from different sources. One such source is the strong tropomyosin binding region in troponin T (TnT), which is known to modulate crossbridge (XB) recruitment dynamics in a myosin heavy chain (MHC)-dependent manner. Therefore, we hypothesized that the effects of DCM-linked mutations in TnT on contractile dynamics would be differently modulated by α- and β-MHC. After reconstitution with the mouse TnT equivalent (TnTR134W) of the human DCM mutation (R131W), we measured dynamic contractile parameters in detergent-skinned cardiac muscle fiber bundles from normal (α-MHC) and transgenic mice (β-MHC). TnTR134W significantly attenuated the rate constants of tension redevelopment, XB recruitment dynamics, XB distortion dynamics, and the magnitude of length-mediated XB recruitment only in α-MHC fiber bundles. TnTR134W decreased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity to a greater extent in α-MHC (0.14 pCa units) than in β-MHC fiber bundles (0.08 pCa units). Thus, our data demonstrate that TnTR134W induces a more severe DCM-like contractile phenotype against α-MHC than against β-MHC background.
The Poor Man and the Buzzard

This text narrated by Octaviano Ruiz is in the dialect of Mixteco spoken in Santa Maria Penoles, Etla, Oaxaca. The text was recorded on magnetic tape in 1960 and was transcribed in its present form with some minor revisions suggested by Vicente Lopez, another Mixteco informant.
Police Consent Decrees and Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation

Research Summary Section 14141 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 granted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) the authority to investigate, intervene into, and force reforms within any police department deemed to exhibit a pattern or practice of police misconduct. The DOJ's primary enforcement mechanism is to sue the offending jurisdiction. Such lawsuits are typically settled with “consent decrees” or court-ordered legal agreements to implement specified reforms. We assembled a panel data set to explore the relationship between consent decrees and civil rights litigation in 23 targeted jurisdictions. The results suggest that DOJ intervention may be associated with modest reductions in the risk of civil rights filings. Policy Implications Federal consent decrees are pursued under the assumption that they reduce civil rights violations, yet this assumption has remained largely untested. Such oversight is unfortunate, as it is important to gauge the effectiveness of time-consuming and expensive federal intervention into local law enforcement affairs. Our study offers preliminary evidence that consent decrees may reduce civil rights violations, as operationalized by Section 1983 litigation, an indicator of police misconduct. Reductions in such filings may signal increased satisfaction with police agencies and a move toward reduced systemic police misconduct. As such, consent decrees should continue to be considered as a possible tool for correcting problematic police departments, but additional research in this area is critical.