cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epigenetics and the developmental origins of disease: the key to unlocking the door of personalized medicine

Epigenetics represents the key to unlocking the door of ‘personalized’ medicine, and we are excited about the potential. The concept of per­ sonalized medicine is particularly important to the field of pediatrics and the ‘developmental origins of disease’ hypothesis. Multiple environ­ mental exposures within the perinatal period predispose infants towards adult diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cardio­ vascular disease. These exposures span the continuum of the human experience in both developing and developed countries. Relevant exposures include toxins, maternal smoking, placental dysfunction and malnutrition of either the mother or infant. As a pediatrician, a struggle exists because exposure does not guarantee development of adult disease. The urgency of this struggle lies within the biological truism that all inter­ ventions contain inherent risks themselves; the more extreme the intervention, the higher the price. As biomedical and pediatric communities increase their understanding of the ‘meaning’ of perinatal epigenetic responses to environmental exposures, we hope to identify those individuals most predisposed towards adult diseases. This predisposition makes subsequent interventions probabilistically worthwhile. The field is now focused on stratifying infants at risk and developing targeted interventions as a result. An important concept is that under nor­ mal circumstances, the epigenetic profile (or pattern of epigenetic modifications) of genes is dynamic and evolves with development. Put another way, the epigenetic profile present at a given time point, for example birth, forms the platform upon which future epigenetic changes take place. When this platform is altered by a perinatal environmental exposure, the new profile deflects the expected developmentally programmed changes away from the norm. Environmentally induced epigenetic modifica­ tions to DNA subsequently represent a person­ alized history of environmental exposures. The fidelity of these environmentally induced epi­ genetic changes, when considered in the context of the developmental origins of disease, present unique opportunities as we pursue the vision of personalized medicine.
The evolutionary history of the seed plant male gametophyte.

The role of the male gametophyte in the early history of seed plants remains an underappreciated but critical part of the evolution of a suite of characters that ultimately came to define seed plants. Recent paleobotanical discoveries and studies of extant primitive seed plant male gametophytes, when coupled with phylogenetic analyses of seed plants, provide insight into many hey events that occurred during the early evolution of seed plants. These discoveries are changing our ideas concerning the multiple origins of the sulcus (pollen grain germinal aperture) and pollen tube, the structural and physiological relationships of the male gametophyte with the host sporophyte tissues in primitive seed plants, and the evolution of siphonogamy (conduction of non-motile sperm via a pollen tube) from a zooidogamous (swimming sperm) condition.
Members of the Nuclear Factor κB Family Transactivate the Murine c-myb Gene

Abstract Expression of the c-myb proto-oncogene is primarily detected in normal tissue and tumor cell lines of immature hematopoietic origin, and the down-regulation of c-myb expression is associated with hematopoietic maturation. Cell lines that represent mature, differentiated hematopoietic cell types contain 10-100-fold less c-myb mRNA than immature hematopoietic cell types. Differences in steady-state c-myb mRNA levels appear to be primarily maintained by a conditional block to transcription elongation that occurs in the first intron of the gene. The block to transcription elongation has been mapped, using nuclear run-on analysis, to a region of DNA sequence that is highly conserved between mouse and man. Two sets of DNA-protein interactions, flanking the site of the block to transcription elongation, were detected that exhibited DNA-binding activities that strongly correlated with low steady-state c-myb mRNA levels. Several criteria demonstrated that members of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) family of transcription factors were involved in the DNA-protein interactions identified in these two sets. Surprisingly, cotransfection experiments demonstrated that coexpression of members of the NF-κB family, specifically p50 with p65 and p65 with c-Rel, transactivated a c-myb/chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter construct that contained 5′-flanking sequences, exon I, intron I, and exon II of the c-myb gene. Transactivation by these heterodimer combinations was dependent on regions of the c-myb first intron containing the NF-κB-binding sites. These findings suggest that NF-κB family members may be involved in either modifying the efficiency of transcription attenuation or acting as an enhancer-like activity to increase transcription initiation. Thus, the regulation of c-myb transcription may be quite complex, and members of the NF-κB family likely play an important role in this regulation.
A cortical scaffold in the ciliate Tetrahymena.

Detergent lysis of isolated pellicles of Tetrahymena yields an intact cortical scaffold composed of arrays of basal bodies in a meshwork of material presumably derived from the epiplasmic layer. Kinetodesmal fibers are associated with the proximal end of the basal body, while the distal end is bound to the pellicular (circumciliary) ring by nine distal fibers arising from a central annulus. Parasomal ring structures are found adjacent to the pellicular ring. Systems of transverse and posterior microtubules usually found at the proximal end of the basal body are not well preserved, although kinetodesmal fibers occasionally extend between basal bodies. The absence of intact microtubular systems and the striking association between basal bodies, pellicular ring structures, and presumed epiplasmic layer suggest that these distal interactions play an important role in the maintenance of ciliate form.
IL-10 counteracts IL-1-induced surfactant protein A (SP-A) expression in rabbit lung explants. † 1472

The production of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1 is increased in the fetal compartment in cases of preterm labor associated with intrauterine infection. The production of EGF, on the other hand, increases with advancing gestation. Both IL-1 and EGF upregulate the expression of SP-A. However, IL-1 may also have deleterious effects on the developing lung, since an elevated IL-1 concentration in lung effluent is associated with the development of chronic lung disease in the newborn. IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that inhibits the production of IL-1 and of other proinflammatory cytokines.Aim. We investigated 1) whether IL-10 affects SP-A expression in lung explants and 2) whether IL-10 modulates SP-A expression in explants treated with IL-1 or EGF. Methods. Fetal rabbit lung explants(gestational age 22 days) were treated with IL-1 (570 ng/ml), EGF (50 ng/ml) or IL-10 (5 ng/ml) for 24 or 72 hours. Expression of SP-A mRNA was quantitated by Northern blotting. Results. SP-A expression at 24 and 72 h as percent of the respective controls (±SE) was:Table Thus, IL-1 and EGF enhanced SP-A expression, but did not potentiate each other's effects. IL-10 alone had no effect on SP-A expression. IL-10 suppressed the stimulatory effect of IL-1 in explants treated for 72 h, but not in those treated for 24 h. IL-10 did not suppress SP-A expression in EGF-treated explants. Conclusion. IL-10 selectively counteracts the effect of IL-1 but not that of EGF on SP-A expression. IL-10 may be of value in inhibiting lung inflammation caused by proinflammatory cytokines. The potential of IL-10 in preventing inflammation in the lungs without affecting maturational events unrelated to inflammation, should be further investigated.
Role of Physical Forces in Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography

Abstract Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) is a new non-biospecific liquid chromatography method for the separation of proteins, and other biological macromolecules; the mobile phases are aqueous and the adsorbents are agarose beads coated with ionogenic, or non-ionogenic, hydrocarbonaceous ligands. A non-traditional interpretation is given here for the mechanisms of retention and elution in HIC in terms of the several physical forces between the protein and the adsorbent, chiefly the van der Waals attraction (comprising dispersion, orientation and induction) and the electrostatic double layer interaction. From a qualitative analysis of the hydrogen-bond and the structural features of water, it is shown here that the role of the alkyl ligands on the adsorbent, the lyotropic salt effects and the effect of additives to the mobile phase such as ethylene glycol can all be unifyingly represented in the Hamaker coefficient of the van der Waals attraction between protein and adsorbent in water. An inc...
IR transmission and corrosion of lead-bismuth gallate glasses☆

Fibers with an average diameter of 27 μm were successfully drawn from a heavy metal oxide (HMO) melt and investigated for use in the mid-IR. The 69PbO-13Bi2O3-18Ga2O3 (wt%) glass fibers were relatively easy to prepare and had an average tensile strength of 472 MPa and a Weibull modulus of 7.6. The cut-off in the visible and infrared was 0.48 and 7 μm, respectively. The surface morphology of the corroded glass fiber varied with the pH of the corrosion solution. The dissolution rate of this glass decreased from 4.9×10−6 to 9.6×10−7 to 1.3×10−7 g cm−2 min−1 for basic (pH = 10), acidic (pH = 4) and neutral (pH = 7) solutions, respectively. The techniques for preparing the fiber of this glass are also reported.
A CMOS oversampled closed-loop DAC with embedded filtering

A closed-loop oversampled DAC with embedded reconstruction filtering has been integrated in 0.18-μm CMOS. The architecture provides multi-bit conversion without DEM and 3rd-order filtering of out-of-band noise. At a sampling rate of 10MHz with an OSR of 16, the DAC achieves 61-dB SNDR, 63-dB DR, and 50-dB out-of-band noise suppression, while dissipating 22mW from a 1.2-V supply.
Mathematical Modeling of the Electromagnetic Stirring of Molten Metal-Solid Suspensions

A mathematical formulation is developed to represent surface deformation and fluid flow phenomena in an electromagnetically-stirred suspension. The constitutive relationships for representing non-Newtonian behavior at high solid loading are deduced from established experimental data. The results show that significant deformation of the surface occurs at high coil current. There is a marked decrease in the fluid velocity once the solid fraction exceeds about 10%. In addition, the velocity varies non-linearly with the current, showing a rapid increase once a certain shear threshold is exceeded.
Drawbacks of the Dissolution Method for Measurement of the Liquid−Solid Mass-Transfer Coefficients in Two-Phase Flow Packed-Bed Reactors Operated at Low and High Pressures

The dissolution method was used predominantly at atmospheric conditions to measure the liquid−solid mass-transfer coefficient in two-phase flow packed-bed reactors. In an attempt to investigate the effect of reactor pressure and gas flow rate on the liquid−solid mass-transfer coefficient in a trickle-bed reactor using the dissolution method, difficulties were encountered in implementing this method at low- to high-pressure operation. Noticeable losses in the dissolved material were observed as a result of flashing/stripping from the liquid phase to the atmosphere and the effluent gas stream. This leads to misinterpretation of the effect of reactor pressure and to improper conclusions. In this note, we intend to alert researchers about such drawbacks, which would be encountered at atmospheric to low pressures and to provide suggestions to overcome such problems.
Approaches to normalization of spinal cord volume: application to multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To determine the proper method for the normalization of spinal cord volume. MATERIALS AND METHODS A group of 34 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (28 relapsing and 6 progressive) and 15 healthy controls had whole spinal cord 3-mm thick T2-weighted axial fast spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images obtained at 3T. For each participant, four volumes were measured (C2-3 volume, cervical cord volume, thoracic cord volume, and whole cord volume). The volumes were normalized by the number of slices and three potential measures of body size (intracranial volume [ICV], body mass index, and body surface area) using the proportional method. RESULTS All raw volumes and volumes normalized by number of slices or ICV were significantly lower in progressive MS patients compared to relapsing MS patients/healthy controls (P < .05). In addition, C2-3 volume and cervical cord volume were significantly correlated with Expanded Disability Status Scale score (P < .05). All regional volumes showed high intercorrelation, and normalization by the number of slices significantly increased some correlations. Regarding reliability, whole cord volume regardless of normalization technique had lower coefficient of variation than C2-3 volume. CONCLUSIONS Since normalization factor had limited impact on reliability and the ability to detect differences, normalization by the number of slices is recommended.
Shift and spin vector: New topological quantum numbers for the Hall fluids

We discuss some new quantum numbers (spin vector) for the Hall fluid, representing orbital spin degrees of freedom. We show that the spin vectors are quantized. In the absence of impurites, two Hall fluids with different spin vectors cannot change into each other without a phase transition and closing of the energy gap. In principle the spin vector can be measured through its coupling to the curvature of space. Our formalism may be described picturesquely as a unification of electromagnetism and ``gravity'' in condensed-matter physics.
From STEM to STEAM: toward a human-centred education, creativity & learning thinking

The 20th century was based on local linear engineering of complicated systems. We made cars, airplanes and chemical plants for example. The 21st century has opened a new basis for holistic non-linear design of complex systems, such as the Internet and air traffic management. Interconnectivity, communication and interaction are major attributes of our evolving society. But, more interestingly, we have started to understand that chaos theory may be more important than reductionism, to better understand and thrive on Earth. Systems need to be investigated and tested as wholes, which requires a cross-disciplinary approach and new conceptual principles and tools. Consequently, schools cannot continue to only teach isolated disciplines based on simple reductionism. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) should also be integrated together with the Arts to promote creativity together with rationalization, and move (back) to STEAM (with an "A" for Arts). This concept shift emphasizes the possibility of longer-term socio-technical futures instead of short-term financial predictions that currently lead to uncontrolled economies. Human-centred design (HCD) can contribute to not only improving education technologies, systems and practices, but also as a discipline offering an integrated approach to learning by doing, expressing and critiquing, exploring possible futures, and understanding complex systems: HCD supports learning thinking.
The influence of metolachlor and trifluralin on kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) yield components

Abstract The establishment of kenaf ( Hibiscus cannabinus L.) as an alternative fiber source for United States requires that an effective weed control strategy be developed. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of metolachlor and trifluralin treatments on kenaf plant development and stalk yields. A two-year field study was conducted at Lane, Oklahoma on a Bernow fine sandy loam, 0–3% slope, (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic Glossic Paleudalf). Trifluralin or metolachlor were applied at rates of 0.56, 1.12 and 2.24 kg ai/ha using fan nozzles at 187 l/ha. The experiments also included a weed-free and a weedy check treatments. Kenaf cultivar ‘Tainung #1’ was planted during June of 1989 and 1990. In each year the experiments were arranged in randomized complete block designs with four replications. There were no visual phytotoxicity symptoms observed for any herbicides. Both herbicides adversely affected plant populations when applied at the 2.24 kg/ha. Trifluralin at 1.12 and 2.24 kg/ha had reduced plant heights compared to plants receiving metolachlor at 2.24 kg/ha. Stalk yields were not significantly reduced as a result of any of the weed control treatments.
β-Blocker Therapy Failures in Symptomatic Probands with Genotyped Long-QT Syndrome

β-Blocker therapy is one of the principal therapies for congenital long-QT syndrome (LQTS). However, breakthrough cardiac events occur while being treated with β-blockers. We sought to determine the frequency of and clinical correlates underlying β-blocker therapy failures in genotyped, symptomatic LQTS probands. The medical records were analyzed only for genotyped LQTS probands who presented with a LQTS-attributable clinical event and were receiving β-blocker therapy. The study cohort comprised 28 such patients: 18 KCNQ1/KVLQT1(LQT1), 7 KCNH2/HERG (LQT2), and 3 SCN5A (LQT3). The prescribed β-blocker was atenolol (12), propranolol (10), metoprolol (4), and nadolol (2). β-Blocker therapy failure was defined as breakthrough cardiac events including syncope, aborted cardiac arrest (ACA), appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy, or sudden death occurring while on β-blocker therapy. During a median follow-up of 46 months, 7/28 (25%) LQTS probands experienced a total of 15 breakthrough cardiac events. Their initial presentation was ACA (3), bradycardia during infancy (2), and syncope (2). The underlying genotype was KVLQT1 (6) and HERG (1). Two breakthroughs were attributed to noncompliance. Of the 13 breakthroughs occurring while compliant, 10 occurred with atenolol and 3 with propranolol (p = 0.03). In this study cohort, one-fourth of genotyped LQTS probands failed β-blocker therapy. Treatment with atenolol, young age at diagnosis, initial presentation with ACA, KVLQT1 genotype, and noncompliance may be important factors underlying β-blocker therapy failures.
On-Chip Nonlinear Injection Locking for Stable Frequency Comb Generation

On-chip stabilization of a novel orthogonally coupled monolithic CPM semiconductor laser is presented with more than 14-times reduction in the RF linewidth and almost 5-times reduction in the optical linewidth of the CPM slave laser.
Synthetic activation of caspases: Artificial death switches

The development of safe vectors for gene therapy requires fail-safe mechanisms to terminate therapy or remove genetically altered cells. The ideal “suicide switch” would be nonimmunogenic and nontoxic when uninduced and able to trigger cell death independent of tissue type or cell cycle stage. By using chemically induced dimerization, we have developed powerful death switches based on the cysteine proteases, caspase-1 ICE (interleukin-1β converting enzyme) and caspase-3 YAMA. In both cases, aggregation of the target protein is achieved by a nontoxic lipid-permeable dimeric FK506 analog that binds to the attached FK506-binding proteins, FKBPs. We find that intracellular cross-linking of caspase-1 or caspase-3 is sufficient to trigger rapid apoptosis in a Bcl-xL-independent manner, suggesting that these conditional proapoptotic molecules can bypass intracellular checkpoint genes, such as Bcl-xL, that limit apoptosis. Because these chimeric molecules are derived from autologous proteins, they should be nonimmunogenic and thus ideal for long-lived gene therapy vectors. These properties should also make chemically induced apoptosis useful for developmental studies, for treating hyperproliferative disorders, and for developing animal models to a wide variety of diseases.
Increased consumer sales response though use of 99-ending prices

Abstract Through the cooperation of a direct-mail women's clothing retailer, we were able to conduct a well-controlled experiment testing the sales effect of using retail prices that end in the digits 99 rather than 00 (e.g., $29.99 rather than $30.00). The results indicated that the use of 99 endings led to increased consumer purchasing. This finding demonstrates the importance of the manager's decision concerning a price 's rightmost digits.
Policing: A Sociologist's Response to an Anthropological Account

If I were watching the Cubs on TV, the answer might be “clutch hitting” and a look that pleaded for him to leave me be. But if I wanted to really get my father’s goat, I would say something like, “macro economic theory and regression analysis.” Oh, he hated that one. But at least it started debate. The only answer that wouldn’t satisfy him was the facile, “What’s the question?” Questions are easy and plentiful, he would say, “Who needs questions when you have good answers!?” Answers are interesting. Answers describe and explain. It’s like what’s been said of country music: a good answer, like good writing, tells a story.
Modeling Assumptions for Railguns

Insights from recovered armatures suggest re-examining historical modeling assumptions for railguns. The finite-element codes EMAP3D and DYNA3D were linked to explore the effects of temperature-dependent material properties, thermal diffusion, armature wear, inertial loading, thermal stresses, and 2-D model approximations. Temperatures and principal stresses for each of these cases were compared. Thermal diffusion and thermal stresses in armatures cannot be ignored past the first millisecond of launch; material properties under pulsed heating can significantly differ from equilibrium and room-temperature values. Armature wear and inertial loading can be ignored at low speeds, but not at high speeds (>1 km/s). Models in 2-D can approximate 3-D models with appropriate boundary conditions, but only for the first few milliseconds of launch. With a detailed EMAP3D model and minimal assumptions, simulations that agree within a few percentage points of microstructural measurements from recovered armatures are possible
Enhancing patient safety through clinical communication knowledge representation

Clinical communication is considered the leading cause to medical errors [1]. In order to improve communication, a comprehensive understanding of the overall communication process in health care is required. In an attempt to further understand clinical communication, we conducted a thorough methodology literature review to identify strengths and limitations of previously utilized approaches. This research work proposes a new data collection plan that will study the clinical communication activities among the ICU clinical team. Along with refining the clinical communication model we previously proposed [2], this is a step towards building an exhaustive representation of the clinical communication framework to be implemented in medical error reporting systems through an ontological approach. The aim behind further understanding clinical communication is to develop an educational tool that can educate clinicians about communication habits, trends, and risks. The ultimate goal of our research is to improve clinical communication knowledge, reduce medical errors and hence, enhance patient safety.
The influence of model age on children's reactions to advertising stimuli

Two studies are reported that explore the role of age of model as a nonverbal cue in advertising directed to children. Conventional advertising wisdom holds “older is better” when casting for commercials directed to children. The purpose of the current work is to focus on the merits of this wisdom. Three different age ranges of models were paired with either toys (Study 1) or foods (Study 2). Preschoolers' attitudinal (affective, evaluative, and behavioral intent) responses to the products were measured. Study 1 (n = 36) with toys suggested support for the conventional wisdom. Study 2 (n = 36) was a replication of procedures from the first study with substitution of food items for toys. Study 2 resulted in no statistical differences at the traditional .05 level, but a trend appeared on behalf of the older- and younger-age models outperforming the same-age ones. The second study's results suggested that the nature of the product may moderate the effects of the adage, “older is better.”
Salinity Affects the Timing of Phasic Development in Spring Wheat

Understanding effects of environmental factors on crop phenological development is useful for predicting crop growth stages and scheduling management practices. We evaluated the effect of salinity on the rate of leaf appearance and the duration of critical stages of growth in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in terms of both thermal unit (TU; “C day) and phyllochron intervals. Two hard red spring wheat cultivars, Yecora Rojo and Anza, were grown two cropping years in greenhouse sand cultures and outdoor field lysimeters. In each case, two saline treatments were compared with a nonsaline control. The sand cultures were irrigated with complete nutrient solutions to which NaCl and CaCb were added. The electrical conductivities, to,,, were 2.0, 14.3, and 18.1 dS m-’ in 1989 and 1.7, 12.2, and 15.1 dS m-r in 1990. The ~4~ for the field lysimeters were 0.9, 10.7, and 17.2 dS m-r in 1989 and 0.8, 11.4, and 17.1 dS m-’ in 1990. Leaf appearance rate was determined by regressing the number of mainstem leaves against cumulative TU. In all treatments, the cultivars differed in both rate and duration of leaf appearance. The phyllochron increased with salinity. Leaves emerged more slowly in the greenhouse than in the field. Durations of the vegetative stages (“C day) from sowing to the initiation of the flag leaf and its subsequent appearance were relatively insensitive to salinity inasmuch as increases in leaf plastochron (TU between the initiation of successive leaves on a culm) and leaf phyllochron were balanced by decreases in leaf number. However, for both cultivars, salinity significantly reduced the thermal time between sowing and the reproductive phenological stages.
An 18 GHz low noise high linearity active mixer in SiGe

In this paper, the design and measured results of an active double-balanced direct down-conversion mixer at 18 GHz is presented. The mixer, which is fabricated in IBM's 45-GHz f/sub t/ SiGe BiCMOS process achieves a 4.5 dB conversion gain, a 7.1 dB double sideband noise figure, an IIP/sub 3/ of -1 dBm, an IIP/sub 2/ of 20.3 dBm, and a l-dB compression point at 12.2 dBm output power. The mixer DC power consumption is 16.5 mW with a 3.3 V supply. To the authors' knowledge, the design achieves the highest figure of merit among published direct down-conversion mixers operating at similar frequencies in comparable Si-based process.
Strength-duration relationship for extracellular neural stimulation

Understanding the mechanisms and dynamics of extracellular neural stimulation is very important for the development of electro-neural interfaces in general, and for the design of stimulation waveforms and electrode configurations for neural prosthetic implants, in particular. The most common type of neural stimulation is extracellular, and yet its mechanisms and dynamics have scarcely been explored and described. Its strength-duration relationship is often assumed to be similar to the classical intracellular dependence, with a slope asymptotically approaching 1/τ at pulse durations τ shorter than chronaxy. The current study explores the basic mechanisms of extracellular stimulation and derives its strength-duration curve in a wide range of stimulus durations for various waveforms and cell shapes. We used two different models of active membrane properties: the Hodgkin-Huxley model of the squid giant axon [1], and a six-channel salamander retinal ganglion cell model [2]. Three cell geometries were analyzed: an idealized planar cell with two uniformly polarized flat surfaces, and more realistic spherical and cylindrical shapes corresponding to the soma and unmyelinated axon or axon hillock. The strength-duration relationship was found to differ significantly from classical intracellular models. For the Hodgkin-Huxley model at pulse durations between 4 μs and 5 ms stimulation is dominated by sodium channels, and has a slope of approximately –0.72 in log-log coordinates. At shorter durations it is dominated by the potassium channels, and has a much lower slope of about –0.13. With pulses shorter than cell polarization time (typically about 0.1-1 μs), it is dominated by polarization dynamics, and asymptotically approaches the classical –1 slope. For retinal ganglion cells we demonstrate that extracellular stimulation can have not only lower but also upper thresholds, and may be impossible below certain pulse durations. For both cell models we have found that in some stimulation regimes the stimulus can hyperpolarize cells, suppressing rather than stimulating spiking behavior. Thresholds for burst stimuli can be either higher or lower than that of a single pulse, depending on pulse duration. The modeled thresholds were found to be comparable to published experimental data obtained with rabbit retinal ganglion cells. These results provide a biophysical basis for understanding stimulation dynamics, and guidance for optimizing the efficacy and safety of extracellular neural stimulation.
The Scholastics, Usury, and Foreign Exchange

Did the doctrine of usury hamper businessmen and retard economic growth during the Middle Ages? Professor de Roover suggests an answer through examination of the conceptual modification of the doctrine in relation to banking and foreign exchange.
Anomaly of the Vena Cava Caudalis in a Dog

Summary Anomalous vena cava caudalis of a dog has been reported in which this vein was continued as the right azygos vein. The literature concerning this anomaly was reviewed and its explanation based on the normal embryonic development of the postcava was discussed. Zusammenfassung Eine Anomalie der V. cava caud. Die anomale V. cava caud. eines Hundes wird beschrieben. Sie setzte sich als rechte V. azygos fort. Die Literatur dieser Anomalie wird gesichtet, ihre Ableitung aus der Normalentwicklung der hinteren Hohlvene wird diskutiert. Resume Une anomalie de la veine cave caudale Description d'un cas d'anomalie de la veine cave caudale chez un chien, ou ce vaisseau se continuait par la veine azygos droite. La bibliographic relative a cette anomalie est analysee et une explication basee sur le developpement embryonnaire normal de la veine cave caudale est discutee. Resumen Una anomalia de la vena cava caudalis Se describe la vena cava caudal anomala de un perro: Se continua como vena azygos derecha. Se revisa la bibliografia sobre esta anomalia y se discute su origen, partiendo del desarrollo normal de la vena cava inferior.
Effect of Cleavage Mutants on Syncytium Formation Directed by the Wild-Type Fusion Protein of Newcastle Disease Virus

The effects of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) fusion (F) glycoprotein cleavage mutants on the cleavage and syncytium-forming activity of the wild-type F protein were examined. F protein cleavage mutants were made by altering amino acids in the furin recognition region (amino acids 112 to 116) in the F protein of a virulent strain of NDV. Four mutants were made: Q114P replaced the glutamine residue with proline; K115G replaced lysine with glycine; double mutant K115G, R113G replaced both a lysine and an arginine with glycine residues; and a triple mutant, R112G, K115G, F117L, replaced three amino acids to mimic the sequence found in avirulent strains of NDV. All mutants except Q114P were cleavage negative and fusion negative. However, addition of exogenous trypsin cleaved all mutant F proteins and activated fusion. As expected for an oligomeric protein, the fusion-negative mutants had a dominant negative phenotype: cotransfection of wild-type and mutant F protein cDNAs resulted in an inhibition of syncytium formation. The presence of the mutant F protein did not inhibit cleavage of the wild-type protein. Furthermore, evidence is presented that suggests that the mutant protein and the wild-type protein formed heterooligomers. By measuring the syncytium-forming activity of the wild-type protein at various ratios of expression of mutant and wild-type protein, results were obtained that are most consistent with the notion that the size of the functionally active NDV F protein in these assays is a single oligomer, likely a trimer. That a larger oligomer, containing a mix of both wild-type and mutant F proteins, has partial activity cannot, however, be ruled out.
Performance and area estimation based on VHDL descriptions and functional unit database

A new performance and area estimation approach is developed and presented in this paper. The method adopts a bottom-up strategy, where smaller constructs in a behavioral description are analyzed first, and larger constructs will be analyzed based on the results of smaller ones. The algorithms are developed to be applied directly, on VHDL behavioral descriptions. A functional unit database is built to supply the performance and area information on the components at the register-transfer level. This approach makes system level partitioning more practical by providing efficient and useful estimation. >
Multichip module technologies, a win-win strategy based on technology leverage and convergence for IC supplies and workstation customers

Trends in packaging technologies are reviewed. It is suggested that advanced packaging solutions such as multichip modules (MCMs) will make possible future high-performance workstations. High I/O count, signal frequency, integrity, and power and low cost will drive the packaging solutions for WS. Single-chip packages will become better and may postpone use of bare chip MCMs: bare chip MCMs will be essential for top performance. Cu/PI-type substrates are still too expensive; AlN, glass ceramic, and advanced printed circuit boards will be attractive options; multilevel thick-film finelines can bridge the substrate interconnect cost/performance gap. >
National High School Graduation Rate: Are Recent Birth Cohorts Taking More Time to Graduate?

Debates about the national high school graduation rate have heated up as various national high school graduation estimates based on the Common Core of Data (CCD) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) do not coincide with one another partially due to different assumptions about graduation age. This study found that (a) while graduation rate by age 18 declined, the rate by age 24 remained relatively constant, creating larger differences between the CCD- and CPS-based rates and that (b) males and minorities particularly take more time to obtain a high school degree among the recent birth cohorts.
Codium apiculatum (Codiaceae, Chlorophyta), a New Species from Southern and Southwestern Australia

Abstract A new species of Codium, C. apiculatum P.C. Silva, M.E. Chacana et H.B.S. Womersley, is described on the basis of several subtidal collections from southern and southwestern Australia. It is characterized by its utricles, which are stout, subcylindical to slightly clavate, bearing several hairs (or hair scars) very close to the apex, and by the branch tips, which are apiculate.
Racism and Capitalist Accumulation: An Overdetermined Nexus:

This paper explores the nexus connecting the social construction of racialized consciousness to capitalist exploitation and the related process of capitalist accumulation. Racism partly constitutes and ceaselessly alters capitalist exploitation and accumulation and vice versa. Struggles to end racism are argued to be distinct from struggle to end capitalist exploitation. Depending on their social conditions, the two kinds of struggles may support or conflict with one another. The paper concludes that racism and capitalist exploitation must be understood as distinct social processes, shaping each other in complex and contradictory ways.
Robot geometry calibration

Autonomous robot task execution requires that the end effector of the robot be positioned accurately relative to a reference world-coordinate frame. The authors present a complete formulation to identify the actual robot geometric parameters. The method applies to any serial link manipulator with arbitrary order and combination of revolute and prismatic joints. A method is also presented to solve the inverse kinematic of the actual robot model which usually is not a so-called simple robot. Experimental results performed by utilizing a PUMA 560 with simple measurement hardware are presented. As a result of this calibration a precision move command is designed and integrated into a robot language, RCCL, and used in the NASA Telerobot Testbed. >
Online detection of faulty battery cells in energy storage systems via impulse response method

Just-in-time detection of anomalies in automotive batteries can proibit a viral propagation of the problem within the energy storage system. Given the cost associated with replacement of energy storage system in electric and hybrid electric vehicles, an effective condition monitoring can translate to substantial savings and reduced downtime. In this paper a condition monitoring technique based on the impulse response of the electrochemical batteries has been proposed. This method is capable of detection of abnormal operating characteristics in battery cells within an energry storage system while the unit is performing its intended function. Simulation and experimental results are provided to illustrate the practicality of the proposed method.
Low-cost 3D rangefinder system

Nowadays, 3D data are popularly performed in computer, and 3D browsers manipulate 3D model in the virtual world. Yet, till now, 3D digitizer is still a high-cost product and not a familiar equipment. In order to meet the requirement of 3D fancy world, in this paper, the concept of a low-cost 3D digitizer system is proposed to catch 3D range data from objects. The specified optical design of the 3D extraction is effective to depress the size, and the processing software of the system is compatible with PC to promote its portable capability. Both features contribute a low-cost system in PC environment in contrast to a large system bundled in an expensive workstation platform. In the structure of 3D extraction, laser beam and CCD camera are adopted to construct a 3D sensor. Instead of 2 CCD cameras for capturing laser lines twice before, a 2-in-1 system is proposed to merge 2 images in one CCD which still retains the information of two fields of views to inhibit occlusion problems. Besides, optical paths of two camera views are reflected by mirror in order that the volume of the system can be minified with one rotary axis only. It makes a portable system be more possible to work. Combined with the processing software executable in PC windows system, the proposed system not only saves hardware cost but also processing time of software. The system performance achieves 0.05 mm accuracy. It shows that a low- cost system is more possible to be high-performance.
ACTIVATED CARBON ADSORPTION AND DESORPTION OF TOLUENE IN THE AQUEOUS PHASE

The equilibrium and dynamics of toluene adsorption and desorption in singlecomponent aqueous solutions were investigated. Adsorption rates in a batch reactor under a variety of operating conditions were fitted successfully with the homogeneous surface diffusion model and a surface diffusion coefficient that increases exponentially with surface concentration. The dependence of the external mass-transfer coefficient on the hydrodynamic conditions in the liquid phase was taken into account. Desorption studies in the aqueous phase and solvent regeneration of tolueneloaded activated carbon suggest that only a small fraction of toluene adsorbs irreversibly. Moreover, irreversible adsorption occurs only on virgin activated carbon, while adsorption on solvent-regenerated activated carbon is fully reversible. After accounting for irreversible adsorption, the model successfully predicted toluene desorption rates in the aqueous phase under various operating conditions using toluene transport parameters determined from the adsorption studies.
Vibrations of Fractal Structures: On the Nonlinearities of Damping by Branching

To study the effect of damping due to branching in trees and fractal structures, a harmonic analysis was performed on a finite element model using commercially available software. The model represented a three-dimensional (3D) fractal treelike structure, with properties based on oak wood and with several branch configurations. As branches were added to the model using a recursive algorithm, the effects of damping due to branching became apparent: the first natural frequency amplitude decreased, the first peak widened, and the natural frequency decreased, whereas higher frequency oscillations remained mostly unaltered. To explain this nonlinear effect observable in the spectra of branched structures, an analytical interpretation of the damping was proposed. The analytical model pointed out the dependency of Cartesian damping from the Coriolis forces and their derivative with respect to the angular velocity of each branch. The results provide some insight on the control of chaotic systems. Adding branches can be an effective way to dampen slender structures but is most effective for large deformation of the structure.
Staphylococcus aureus and its Bearing on Ophthalmic Disease.

ABSTRACTPurpose: To review antibiotic resistance associated with S. aureus endophthalmitis and the virulence of S. aureus.Methods: Review of the current and prospective approaches for treating S. aureus endophthalmitis.Results: Bacterial endophthalmitis remains to be a major threat for vision. S. aureus endophthalmitis specifically, carries a poor visual prognosis making early diagnosis and treatment crucial. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) endophthalmitis represents a significant number of S. aureus endophthalmitis cases. MRSA with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptide antibiotics such as vancomycin (vancomycin intermediate S. aureus, VISA) have also emerged in the ocular infections, and there has been a rise in S. aureus resistance to new and old generation fluoroquinolones that are commonly used for prophylaxis after intravitreal injections and intraocular surgeries.Conclusions: With the rise in the number of penetrating procedures in the ophthalmology practice and the parallel rise...
Seasonal phenology, management, and host preferences of potato leafhopper on nursery-grown maples.

Abstract Seasonal phenology and control of the potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae (Harris)) on red maples (Acer rubrum L.) were studied for three years in nurseries in central Kentucky. Migratory ad...
Not by words alone: Comments on a proposal for the control of access to bilingual language representations

Green makes the critical observation that models of lexical and semantic representation in bilingual memory fail to specify a mechanism that would enable the bilingual speaker to act. Under the conditions typical of most experimental research, bilinguals are asked to perform a well-defined task, such as word or picture naming, lexical decision, or translation. The question Green raises is how is it that the bilingual effectively performs one of these tasks rather than another? And within a given task such as word translation, how does the individual manage to produce words in one language and suppress the other? The goal of Green's proposal is to provide a preliminary account of the control apparatus that a bilingual would need to possess in order to perform effectively in this environment. An adequate model of these control mechanisms will presumably allow us to understand not only how bilinguals perform simple laboratory tasks, but also how they manage to engage the appropriate language during normal discourse, including code-switching with other bilingual speakers.
Staphylococcus aureus Clumping Factor A Remains a Viable Vaccine Target for Prevention of S. aureus Infection

In a recent article, X. Li et al. [mBio 7(1):e02232-15, 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02232-15] investigate the utility of a vaccine composed of the Staphylococcus aureus protein clumping factor A (ClfA) in protecting mice from S. aureus infection. ClfA, one of the first proteins to be identified as a potential vaccine antigen for S. aureus prophylaxis, is currently a component of several investigational vaccines. The authors conclude that ClfA may not be effective for S. aureus prophylaxis. In contrast, previously published papers reporting positive data suggested that ClfA was potentially an important vaccine target to prevent invasive S. aureus disease. This commentary addresses the observed differences between the findings of Li et al. and those from other publications, highlighting the importance for preclinical vaccine antigen assessments to reflect the biological role of said antigen in virulence and, consequently, the importance of choosing appropriate preclinical disease models to test such antigens.
Manganese-Based Molecular Electrocatalysts for Oxidation of Hydrogen

Oxidation of H2 (1 atm) is catalyzed by the manganese electrocatalysts [(P2N2)MnI(CO)(bppm)]+ and [(PNP)MnI(CO)(bppm)]+ (P2N2 = 1,5-dibenzyl-3,7-diphenyl-1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane; PNP = (Ph2PCH2)2NMe); bppm = (PArF2)2CH2; ArF = 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3). In fluorobenzene solvent using 2,6-lutidine as the exogeneous base, the turnover frequency for [(P2N2)MnI(CO)(bppm)]+ is 3.5 s–1, with an estimated overpotential of 700 mV. For [(PNP)MnI(CO)(bppm)]+ in fluorobenzene solvent using N-methylpyrrolidine as the exogeneous base, the turnover frequency is 1.4 s–1, with an estimated overpotential of 880 mV. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the slow step in the catalytic cycle is proton transfer from the oxidized 17-electron manganese hydride [(P2N2)MnIIH(CO)(bppm)]+ to the pendant amine. The computed activation barrier for intramolecular proton transfer from the metal to the pendant amine is 20.4 kcal/mol for [(P2N2)MnIIH(CO)(bppm)]+ and 21.3 kcal/mol for [(PNP)MnIIH(CO)(bppm)]+. The high barri...
MALADAPTATION IN A MARGINAL POPULATION OF THE MOSQUITO FISH, GAMBUSIA AFFINIS.

Field biologists commonly assume that the organisms with which they deal are well adapted-even optimally adaptedto local circumstances. Both Ehrlich and Raven (1969) and Endler (1977) have de-emphasized the role of gene flow in preventing large scale geographic differentiation and local adaptation. This paper documents a case in which gene flow may have prevented small scale local adaptation in one population of mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis. It carries two messages: field-workers should check the assumption that their study organisms are adapted to the local environment because that assumption does not always hold, and there are limiting cases involving high dispersal rates over short distances in which gene flow can overwhelm local selection pressures. Evidence that local populations are being maintained away from the locally optimum phenotype is rare. Camin and Ehrlich (1958) analyzed the banding patterns of water snakes (Natrix sipedon) on islands in Lake Erie. They showed that on the islands, where snakes were probably confined to a band of sandy substrate near shore by lack of water inland, patternless, light-colored snakes were most common. In contrast, on the mainland where water snakes inhabit wooded streams with darker, more complex substrates, richly patterned, dark-colored snakes predominated. However, a small proportion of the island snakes were patterned, and therefore maladapted to the local environment, an observation that