cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bringing Politics To Life: Dōbutsu and Other Creatures of the Japanese Enlightenment

This essay shows how a new understanding of the animal – and thus the human – developed in Japan over the course of the nineteenth century. Inspired by Linnaean nomenclature, the delineation of a new ‘animal kingdom’ (dōbutsukai) in Japan led to a radical rethinking of the human place in the natural world. Given early form by the natural historian Udagawa Yōan (1798–1846) in his 1822 Botany Sutra (Botanika kyō), that vision – in which people became ‘animals who can reason’ – carried ramifications for the emergence of the modern sciences in Japan, most notably biology and zoology (dōbutsugaku). By the close of the century, the once-foreign kingdoms of Animalia and Plantae were fully naturalized, and they were quickly put to political use. Fueled by the emerging debate over social evolution, the new natural history gathered a diverse assemblage of living creatures together into a single classificatory kingdom, elevating nomenclature to the level of a natural order that seemed to transcend concerns of indivi...
The Moral and Conceptual Universe of Cockfighters: Symbolism and Rationalization

Cockfighting is an ancient sport that has deep roots in rural parts of the world and in certain areas of the United States. It also has great symbolic significance to its practitioners and aficionados as an affirmation of masculine identity in a increasingly complex and diverse era. Although the activity is illegal in most jurisdictions, it continues, generally in a covert setting. Because cockfighting is subject to criminal sanction and informal social disapproval, cockfighters have developed rationalizations which they use among themselves and offer to outsiders. These rationalizations are complex; some are overtly religious in nature. Cockfighters do more than merely talk about their pastime - they actively engage in formal and informal lobbying to keep criminal penalties for their activity at a low level of severity. As the nation continues to urbanize, these lobbying efforts, while effective in the past, are gradually losing legislative support. For a number of reasons, the pastime is losing respectability and adherents and will probably be criminalized nationwide before the end of the century.
Iron Methionine and Iron Sulfate as Sources of Dietary Iron for Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus

The dietary iron requirement for normal growth and optimum hematological values and bioavailability was determined for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus fingerlings using egg-white based diets supplemented with 0,5,10,20,60, and 180-mg iron/kg from iron methionine or 20, 60, and 180-mg iron/kg from iron sulfate. The basal diet which contained 9.2-mg iron/kg, 34% crude protein and 3.1 kcal of digestible energy/g was fed to channel catfish fingerlings (8.5 g) in triplicate flow-through aquariums to satiation twice daily for 8 wk. Fish fed the basal diet without iron supplementation exhibited poor growth throughout the 8-wk period. Fish fed iron-supplemented diets did not differ with regard to final weight gain. Survival, feed conversion, total blood cell count, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, serum iron, total iron binding capacity, and transferrin saturation were not significantly affected by dietary iron level. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular volume were significantly lower in fish fed the basal diet. These values were also consistently lower for fish fed diets with 5 and 10-mg iron/kg from iron methionine. However, differences were not always significant. Results of this study indicate that supplementation of 5-mg iron from iron methionine was sufficient for growth. However, a supplemental iron level of 20-mg/kg diet or a total iron level of 30-mg/kg of diet appeared to be needed for optimum hematological values. Iron methionine and iron sulfate were equally effective in preventing anemia in channel catfish.
Evaluation of cAMP involvement in cannabinoid-induced antinociception

Abstract It has been proposed that cannabinoids act at a Gi protein-coupled receptor to produce antinociception. One action of Gi-proteins is to decrease intracellular cAMP via inhibition of adenylyl cyclase activity. Although cannabinoid inhibition of forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase is used as a confirmation of functional cannabinoid receptors, it is unknown whether this second messenger system specifically mediates cannabinoid-induced antinociception. This in vivo study was conducted using enantiomeric cAMP analogs, Rp-cAMPS (an antagonist) and Sp-cAMPS (an agonist), and the cAMP agonist Cl-cAMP to test the hypothesis that cannabinoid-induced antinociception is due to decreased adenylyl cyclase activity. None of the cAMP analogs, forskolin, or 1,9-dideoxy-forskolin affected Δ 9 -THC or CP-55,940-induced antinociception produced by intrathecal (i.t.) or intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections in mice. Experiments were also conducted to investigate whether i.c.v. administration of Sp-cAMPS would block i.c.v. cannabinoid-induced antinociception in rats. Sp-cAMPS failed to block CP-55, 940-induced antinociception. However, Sp-cAMPS produced hyper-excitability and reactive behavior indicating that it did elicit a pharmacological effect. Although, adenylyl cyclase may mediate other cannabinoid-induced actions, these results do not support the hypothesis that it is involved in cannabinoid-induced antinociception. Alternatively, other effector systems such as calcium or potassium channels coupled to cannabinoid receptors may mediate cannabinoid-induced antinociception.
Stochastic scalar conservation laws

We introduce a notion of stochastic entropic solution a la Kruzkov, but with Ito's calculus replacing deterministic calculus. This results in a rich family of stochastic inequalities defining what we mean by a solution. A uniqueness theory is then developed following a stochastic generalization of L1 contraction estimate. An existence theory is also developed by adapting compensated compactness arguments to stochastic setting. We use approximating models of vanishing viscosity solution type for the construction. While the uniqueness result applies to any spatial dimensions, the existence result, in the absence of special structural assumptions, is restricted to one spatial dimension only.
Collective modes in fluids and neutron scattering

On the basis of a kinetic equation extensions have been obtained for the first time of the five hydrodynamic modes of a dense fluid from the hydrodynamic to the kinetic regime, until they cease to exist. An appreciable softening of the heat mode is found before it becomes a diffusionlike mode. These modes dominate the neutron scattering of fluids.
Thermal equilibration rates in relation to heartbeat and ventilatory frequencies in largemouth blackbass, Micropterus salmoides.

Abstract Relative heating and cooling rates were determined simultaneously with heart and opercular beat rates in bass subjected to sudden increases or decreases of 10–20°C in ambient water temperature. 1. 2. Cooling rates exceeded heating rates up to 90% of the equilibrium temperature, but equilibrium was usually reached sooner during heating. 2. 3. Heart and opercular beat rates were closely synchronized (1:1) during heating and cooling. 3. 4. Heart and opercular beat rates were greater for a given temperature during heating than during cooling; however, the initially greater rates during cooling may contribute to initially faster cooling.
Using an eTextbook and iPad: Results of a Pilot Program:

An eTextbook and iPad were used in a pilot program, and the impact on the course was assessed to guide the development of a college policy. Students in the course completed three questionnaires to provide feedback about their perceptions of the eTextbook and iPad. During the pilot program, students' perceptions of the usefulness, ease of use, and extent to which they enjoyed using the eTextbook increased. Students reported that the eTextbook made it easier for them to learn, and they preferred the eTextbook to a printed textbook. Students were neutral about the iPad's usefulness, but found it easy and enjoyable to use. Based on the students' feedback, it is recommended that an interactive eTextbook be used; that a course be redesigned to take advantage of eReader technology, especially if a tablet computer (iPad) is used; and that students be allowed to choose between an eTextbook and a printed textbook.
Characteristic two-dimensional patterns of enzymatic digests of oncorna and other viral RNAs.

TECHNIQUES developed in recent years by Sanger and his collaborators make possible the determination of the nucleotide sequence of large nucleic acid molecules such as ribosomal and polycistronic viral RNAs, so long as a sufficient degree of radioactive labelling can be achieved. This is not, however, always possible and the study of the RNAs of plant and animal viruses has therefore been confined largely to terminal oligonucleotide sequences1,2.
Thermal analysis of thermoplastic polymers

Abstract For the technologically important thermoplastic polymers, the basic transition analyses are those transitions with entropy and enthalpy change (first-order transitions) and of transitions with abrupt change only in heat capacity (glass transitions). A collection of critically reviewed thermodynamic properties for the thermoplastic polymers are now available. Those transitions do not only permit a quantitative assessment of mobility and order through their thermodynainic functions, they can also be characterized by their time-dependent, nonequlllbrium behavior. For example, through its broadening over a large temperature range the glass transition gives phase-structure Information, and through its hysteresis behavior, activation energy parameters. Kinetics and melting as well as crystallization can reveal special characterization of the materials. Combining both types of Information on glass and melting transitions, a new characterization of the Interface structure In the thermoplastic polymers has been studied: “rigid amorphous” fraction.
Grouping Lakes for Water Quality Assessment and Monitoring: The Roles of Regionalization and Spatial Scale

Regionalization frameworks cluster geographic data to create contiguous regions of similar climate, geology and hydrology by delineating land into discrete regions, such as ecoregions or watersheds, often at several spatial scales. Although most regionalization schemes were not originally designed for aquatic ecosystem classification or management, they are often used for such purposes, with surprisingly few explicit tests of the relative ability of different regionalization frameworks to group lakes for water quality monitoring and assessment. We examined which of 11 different lake grouping schemes at two spatial scales best captures the maximum amount of variation in water quality among regions for total nutrients, water clarity, chlorophyll, overall trophic state, and alkalinity in 479 lakes in Michigan (USA). We conducted analyses on two data sets: one that included all lakes and one that included only minimally disturbed lakes. Using hierarchical linear models that partitioned total variance into within-region and among-region components, we found that ecological drainage units and 8-digit hydrologic units most consistently captured among-region heterogeneity at their respective spatial scales using all lakes (variation among lake groups = 3% to 50% and 12% to 52%, respectively). However, regionalization schemes capture less among-region variance for minimally disturbed lakes. Diagnostics of spatial autocorrelation provided insight into the relative performance of regionalization frameworks but also demonstrated that region size is only partly responsible for capturing variation among lakes. These results suggest that regionalization schemes can provide useful frameworks for lake water quality assessment and monitoring but that we must identify the appropriate spatial scale for the questions being asked, the type of management applied, and the metrics being assessed.
What Kind of Burden is the Burden of History? How Young Adults in Serbia and Kosovo Use History to Understand and Experience Nationalism

AbstractThe role of history in popular understandings and experiences of nationalism remains a puzzle of nationalism scholarship. Existing approaches are polarized between constructivist and elite-driven explanations that neglect nuanced instrumentalizations of history. This study investigates uses of history vis-a-vis nationalism by Serbian and Kosovo Albanian students. The author argues that historical themes are evoked in two distinct ways: lived history and abstract history. The former embraces official nationalist narrative, ignores the ethnic out-group, and deduces historical lessons for individuals. The latter rejects official nationalist narrative, makes clear connections with the out-group (favorable and unfavorable), and deduces historical lessons for collectivities.
Transitions in mobility, ADLs, and IADLs among working-age Medicare beneficiaries.

Background Disability is a dynamic process where functional status may change over time. Examination of the Medicare population suggests that, for those over age 65, disability status will fluctuate in 30% of beneficiaries each year. Less is known about those under age 65. The dynamic nature of disability is of relevance since it has important implications for social policies related to disability.
Quark-mass generation by pseudoparticles

The pseudoparticle-induced multiquark interaction is shown to produce a spontaneously generated quark mass as calculated by a Hartree-Fock treatment. Hence pseudoparticles lead to a dynamical mechanism for spontaneous breaking of chiral $\mathrm{SU}(N)\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\mathrm{SU}(N)$ for $N$ flavors.
Uptake and antioxidant effects of ergothioneine in human erythrocytes

Ergothioneine is a fungal metabolite that may have antioxidant functions in mammalian cells. Although it accumulates to low millimolar concentrations in liver and other tissues, it is not thought to be taken up by mature erythrocytes. During a study of the function of ergothioneine as an antioxidant in human erythrocytes, we found that these cells do take up ergothioneine from the surrounding medium. Ergothioneine concentrations in freshly prepared erythrocytes were 2-9-fold higher than in plasma from the same donor. Slow but progressive accumulation of ergothioneine to about 125% of basal levels was observed in erythrocytes over a 4 h incubation. After a 2 h incubation, intracellular ergothioneine concentrations rose on addition of increasing amounts of ergothioneine to the incubation medium, although saturation was not evident in cells from all donors. Both initial levels and rates of ergothioneine uptake varied in erythrocytes from different donors. Intracellular ergothioneine was stable to depletion of GSH by N-ethylmaleimide and to a more severe oxidant stress induced by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of catalase. These results show that human erythrocytes do take up ergothioneine; however, the GSH results do not support an antioxidant role for ergothioneine in erythrocytes.
Dynamics of solitons in plasmas for the complex KdV equation with power law nonlinearity

Abstract This paper obtains the 1-soliton solution of the complex KdV equation with power law nonlinearity. The solitary wave ansatz is used to carry out the integration. The soliton perturbation theory for this equation is developed and the soliton cooling is observed for bright solitons. Finally, the dark soliton solution is also obtained for this equation.
Increasing Irritability With Sudden Onset of Flaccid Weakness

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH), is a rare and potentially fatal condition that responds favorably to early surgical intervention and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal cord compression. There are few reported cases in children. We present a case of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma in an 18-month-old child and review the literature.
Expected Maneuver and Maneuver Covariance Models

W HEN performing a spacecraft maneuver, the actual force imparted by the propulsion subsystem is inevitably different from the force called for by the guidance and navigation software. Magnitude errors can be introduced by variability in thruster efficiency and the resolution of the timing in starting and stopping the thruster. Pointing errors can be introduced by misalignment of thrusters and spacecraft attitude errors. In turn, maneuver errors introduce error into the subsequent trajectory of the spacecraft. An accurate statisticalmodel for themaneuver uncertainties can improve efficiency and help meet mission goals. Discussion of the error statistics of spacecraftmaneuvers is limited in the literature, but one relevant work is presented by Gates [1]. In that report, the author models burn errors from four sources. First, he establishes that errors occur in two directions: one in the direction of the intended burn vector and the other in a direction normal to the burn vector. In each of these directions, the errors are then divided into a portion that is proportional to the burnmagnitude and a portion independent of the burn magnitude. He develops expressions for the second moment of the total error vector and concludes that in the absence of a priori information about the system, a spherical distribution for the error vector is appropriate. This Note models the error as a magnitude error and an angular pointing error and then develops expressions for the expected value and covariance of the error vector associated with a planned spacecraft maneuver of imperfect magnitude and direction. It is shown that unbiased and independent magnitude and angle errors do not produce a burn with an expected value equal to the commanded burn, as intuition might suggest. Although the difference is small, precise maneuver planning for some applications may benefit from considering the effects of this bias.
PM-04DECODING THE CELLULAR HETEROGENEITY OF PEDIATRIC HIGH GRADE GLIOMA

Cancer of the brain and central nervous system (CNS) remains one of the most prevalent forms of primary cancer affecting children and adolescents. Among these, Pediatric High Grade Glioma (PHGG), remains one of the deadliest of CNS malignancies, associated with a survival rate of less than 20% two years after diagnosis. One characteristic of PHGG as well as hindrance in the development of effective treatment is their cellular heterogeneity. Primarily constituted by malignant astro-glial cells, evidence supports the notion that PHGG are compartmentalized into different subpopulations with different tumorigenic properties, which contribute to different aspect of disease pathogenesis. In an effort to identify and elucidate the contributions of novel subpopulations to this malignancy, we have combined multiple, novel mouse models for PHGG with flow cytometry and FACS to identify, isolate, and directly characterize these subpopulations. While traditional mouse models for GBM have contributed significantly to understanding this disease, they suffer as they are not tractable, time efficient, or cost effective, and they do not properly recapitulate the human biology of the tumor. In an effort to overcome some of these obstacles, we have developed a novel, tractable model that combine in utero electroporation (IUE) with the piggyBac transposase genetic system which is capable of generating histologically verified PHGG in less than 3 weeks. Utilizing this high throughput approach, 5 novel candidate subpopulations have been identified, which have demonstrated functional differences towards tumor pathogenesis. In addition, we have developed a second model which combines IUE with the CRISPR genome editing system and have found that the same subpopulations are present in this model. Finally, analysis of primary human samples suggests that these subpopulations are present in the human disease. Together, this multi-modal approach demonstrates the presence of novel, functionally defined subpopulations, whose presence is conserved across models and species.
Effect of search method and age class on mark-recapture parameter estimation in a population of red-backed salamanders

Mark-recapture methods are generally considered to more accurately reflect population trends than count data, which is especially important for indicator species. Terrestrial salamanders are often used as indicators of forest ecosystem health and may be monitored through diurnal cover object searches or nocturnal activity searches. Our goal was to determine whether search method affected encounter probabilities, whether these probabilities differed between age classes, and whether the inclusion of search method in mark-recapture models affected abundance estimates. We used program MARK to analyze 3 years of red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) mark-recapture data using Pollock’s robust design taken from a 144 m2 plot. Initial encounter probabilities during night searches were consistently greater than during diurnal cover object searches. As a result, inclusion of search method in models sometimes affected abundance estimates. There was no difference between adult and juvenile encounter probabilities nor were abundance estimates affected by inclusion of age class, but there was yearly variation in the juvenile abundance estimates. For these reasons, we recommend that sampling of terrestrial salamanders include nocturnal activity searches and be conducted over multiple years. Monitoring programs of other species should take into account whether the selected search method(s) may be more likely to sample different subsets of the population of interest and how this may restrict their inferences.
A classic debate revisited: The policy/administration dichotomy in tax polittcs

One of the oldest debates in political science is over the separation of policymaking from administration. The primary purpose of this paper is to resurrect the distinction as both a guide to empirical theory describing the political process and as an element in the normative debate over how that political process should ideally work. I first discuss the classic dichotomy and arguments for and against it. I then argue that tax politics can best be described as a trichotomy, in which there resides a “middle” set of actors, labelled professional policy managers, who have very important policymaking roles, but who also have many characteristics of administrators. In making these distinctions, I also outline a distinctive form of accountability that resides with each set of actors. Based on these forms of accountability, I reiterate the importance of separating and distancing “pure” administration from policymaking and political pressures. I also argue that effective policy is best insured by balancing the ro...
Rho family GTPases: key players in neuronal development, neuronal survival, and neurodegeneration

The Rho family of GTPases belongs to the Ras superfamily of low molecular weight (~21 kDa) guanine nucleotide binding proteins. The most extensively studied members are RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42. In the last few decades, studies have demonstrated that Rho family GTPases are important regulatory molecules that link surface receptors to the organization of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. Indeed, Rho GTPases mediate many diverse critical cellular processes, such as gene transcription, cell-cell adhesion, and cell cycle progression. However, Rho GTPases also play an essential role in regulating neuronal morphology. In particular, Rho GTPases regulate dendritic arborization, spine morphogenesis, growth cone development, and axon guidance. In addition, more recent efforts have underscored an important function for Rho GTPases in regulating neuronal survival and death. Interestingly, Rho GTPases can exert either a pro-survival or pro-death signal in neurons depending upon both the cell type and neurotoxic insult involved. This review summarizes key findings delineating the involvement of Rho GTPases and their effectors in the regulation of neuronal survival and death. Collectively, these results suggest that dysregulation of Rho family GTPases may potentially underscore the etiology of some forms of neurodegenerative disease such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
A micromechanical model for dual-phase superplastic materials

Abstract A micromechanics based polycrystalline model was previously developed from the grain level to describe the flow behavior of pseudo-single phase superplastic materials. In this work the previous model is extended to characterize the superplastic behavior of two-phase materials. This is achieved by incorporating the elastic and inelastic properties of the individual phases at the level of slip systems, and invoking self consistent relation to account for stress redistribution. The model is applied to two conventional dual-phase superplastic materials: Ti–6Al–4V and Zn–22Al. The material constants, including the threshold stresses ( σ * ) used in the model are evaluated from one set of experimental stress–strain rate data. The model is then used to predict the flow stress as a function of temperature and grain size and strain rate sensitivity ( m ) for a wide range of strain rates. The micro level threshold stress ( σ * ) introduced at the level of slip planes in the diffusional equations manifests itself as the experimentally observed threshold stress at the macro level, and was found to be a strong function of temperature. The contribution of diffusion and dislocation in the accommodation process is computed. Diffusion dominates at lower strain-rate region while dislocation plays a more significant role at higher strain-rate ranges.
Orthogonal-polynomial programs: Good vs. better

generate. If one underestimates the number, then, there is nothing to do but start from scratch with a larger estimate. Here, the argument M is used for stepping. The value of M must start at 0 for the constant (degree-O) polynomial, and it will proceed to 1 for the linear, 2 for the quadratic, and so on. The subroutine increments the value of M before returning to the calling program, each time it is called. Thus, the calling program should set M =0 before the first call and then simply make repeated calls to the subroutine, storing the results and perhaps performing other computations between calls. The calling program should not modify the values of M, N, X, W, P, or C once the stepwise procedure has been started, unless it is to be started anew with M =O. Online uses of this stepwise scheme are easily envisioned. Before the first call, N should be set equal to the number of data points; the X array should be filled with the N values of the independent variable, and the W 130 C(1)=1 140 DI 1) =0 GOTO 450 150 B=O DO 20Q I=I,N RIIl=Q(ll Q(ll=P(ll 200 B=B+XIIl*TIIl 205 CIMl=O 215 DIM)=O 220 DO 250 I=I,M 230 EIIl=OII) 250 DIIl=CIIl B=B/5 DO 350 l=l,N 350 PIIl=(XIIl-Sl*QIIl-A*Rlll 360 Clll=-B*Olll-A*E(ll 370 00 400 I=2,M 400 C(Il=DII-ll-S*D(ll-AtE(Il 450 5=0 00 500 I=I,N T(Il=W(Il*P(Il*P(Il 500 S=S+T(Il A=SQRTISl DO 550 I=I,N 550 P(I)=P(ll/A 570 DO 600 I=I,M 600 C(I)=C(Il/A
Evidence of a climatic niche shift following North American introductions of two crane flies (Diptera; genus Tipula )

Ecological niche models assume a species niche should be conserved over space and time. Increasingly, studies have determined that niche shifts may occur during biological invasion events. The aim of this study is to examine niche conservation for two invasive crane flies, Tipula oleracea Linnaeus and Tipula paludosa Meigen, after introductions into North America. These species have broadly sympatric invasive distributions but differ in time since introduction and dispersal abilities. As these factors may impact the area accessible to dispersal, I examined the impact of background area delineation on conclusions of niche conservation. Results indicated that alternative delineations of accessible area (i.e., background area) had no affect on measures of niche equivalence. Neither Tipula species was found to be occupying invasive niche space equivalent to that of their native ranges. Niche dissimilarity was found for both species, with results strongly impacted by the choice of background area. T.paludosa introductions displayed a niche shift across both invasive introductions when the model area drew climatic information from an area that buffered occurrences by 40 km. The eastern T.oleracea introduction displayed a niche shift when background information was drawn from within a 400 km buffered area. This study suggests that invasive populations may be displaying a niche shift when evaluated against one scale of background but conserved when evaluated against another scale. Dispersal limitations for T. oleracea in its eastern introduction and anthropogenic habitat associations for T. paludosa across both invasive introductions are indicated as causes for the observed niche shifts. The results of this study highlight the importance of carefully delineating the area accessible to invasive species in studies of niche conservation. Furthermore, it indicates that examining several spatial extents of background areas can be beneficial when examining niche conservation for species in non-equilibrium states.
Didymus the blind: an unknown precursor of Louis Braille and Helen Keller

The present study presents the case of Didymus the Blind, worthy author, philosopher and theologian of the 4th century AD. Blinded by ophthalmia at the age of four years, Didymus succeeded in achieving great learning in the philosophical and natural sciences. He began his education by using a system which was remarkably like Braille, that is reading letters engraved into the surface of wood by touch and subsequently furthering his knowledge by listening. This learning process of Didymus the Blind appears as the precursor of Louis Braille who invented the educational system of reading embossed dots by touch. Like Didymus, Braille lost his vision in infancy (at three years of age). Another parallel of Didymus' career and written works is found in the example and achievements of Helen Keller.
BowStrap v1.0: Assigning statistical significance to expressed genes using short-read transcriptome data

Background: Deep RNA sequencing, the application of Next Generation sequencing technology to generate a comprehensive profile of the message RNA present in a set of biological samples, provides unprecedented resolution into the molecular foundations of biological processes. By aligning short read RNA sequence data to a set of gene models, expression patterns for all of the genes and gene variants in a biological sample can be calculated. However, accurate determination of gene model expression from deep RNA sequencing is hindered by the presence of ambiguously aligning short read sequences. BowStrap, a program for implementing the sequence alignment tool ‘Bowtie’ in a bootstrap-style approach, accommodates multiply-aligning short read sequences and reports gene model expression as an averaged aligned reads per Kb of gene model sequence per million aligned deep RNA sequence reads with a confidence interval, suitable for calculating statistical significance of presence/absence of detected gene model expression. BowStrap v1.0 was validated against a simulated metatranscriptome. Results were compared with two alternate ‘Bowtie’-based calculations of gene model expression. BowStrap is better at accurately identifying expressed gene models in a dataset and provides a more accurate estimate of gene model expression level than methods that do not incorporate a boot-strap style approach. BowStrap v1.0 is superior in ability to detect significant gene model expression and calculate accurate determination of gene model expression levels compared to other alignment-based methods of determining patterns of gene expression. BowStrap v1.0 also can utilize multiple processors as has decreased run time compared to the previous version, BowStrap 0.5. We anticipate that BowStrap will be a highly useful addition to the available set of Next Generation RNA sequence analysis tools.
Correction of particle and energy losses in a thick target for charged particle spectra

Abstract Extensions and tests of a method are presented which allow charged particle spectra from thick targets to be corrected for energy and particle losses incurred as the particle escapes the target. Earlier results are reproduced by application of the method to the 12 C(n,α x ) reaction and to alpha decay of uranium-234. Limitations of the method are explored by application to Monte Carlo simulations of alpha decay and spectra. The method is applied to recent results of the 28 Si(n,α x ) reaction at 50 MeV.
The fundamental neutron physics facilities at NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) is a national center that provides thermal and cold neutrons beams for activities such as condensed matter physics, materials science, nuclear chemistry, and biological science. Four beams are currently in use for fundamental physics experiments. These include a high-intensity polychromatic beam, a 0.496 nm monochromatic beam, a 0.89 nm monochromatic beam, and a neutron interferometer and optics facility. Experiments focus primarily on studies of the weak interaction using neutrons. This paper provides a general overview of the facilities and highlights some current experiments.
Solid tumor models for the assessment of different treatment modalities. XXI. Comparison of different radiation dose schedules alone or in combination with cyclophosphamide.

Total radiation (4500 rad) and cyclophosphamide doses (450 mg/kg or 2.7 g/m2) were held constant over a 24-day period in rat hepatoma 3924A using radiation schedules in which 1500 rad were given over a 1- to 2-day period in 1-8 fractions, repeated at 11-day intervals, with or without cyclophosphamide. Reducing the rad per fraction resulted in a reduced incidence of complete tumor response and tumor cures, and a reduction in the magnitude of skin response. Cure rates were 40, 10, 0, and 0%, respectively, for the 1500, 750, 500, and 250 rad per fraction groups without cyclophosphamide. When the 1500, 750, 500, 375, 250, and 188 rad per fraction groups were given 150 mg/kg cyclophosphamide day 1 after radiation, major increases occurred in tumor cures, with the cure rates being 80, 80, 80, 70, 60, and 50%, respectively. The addition of cyclophosphamide did not significantly alter skin reaction to radiation. The higher rad per fraction schedules were more effective in controlling metastatic dissemination when radiation was used alone. The addition of cyclophosphamide markedly reduced metastatic dissemination in both high and low-dose per fraction schedules. Optimal treatment levels were estimated from analysis of fitted response surfaces, and the quantitative interrelationship betweenmore » normal tissue reaction, probability of tumor cure, and associated relative hazard to the host estimated from the results of these analytical methods. Hyperfractionated radiation dose schedules with dose/fraction in the clinical range combined with cyclophosphamide can significantly increase the therapeutic ratio and prevent metastatic dissemination compared with radiation alone as a result of the increased effectiveness of combined modality therapy on the tumor, without a concomitant increase in normal tissue reaction.« less
Detection of Cryptosporidium parvum in buffer and in complex matrix using PEMC sensors at 5 oocysts mL(-1).

Abstract We show for the first time that a piezoelectric-excited millimeter-sized cantilever (PEMC) sensor can detect five Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in 25% milk in PBS background in a flow format (1 mL min −1 ). To improve sensitivity, a secondary antibody (murine IgM) was used to confirm the attachment of oocysts to the sensor. PEMC sensor is a resonant-mode cantilever sensor whose resonant frequency decreases when target analyte binds to its surface. The sensor was functionalized with Protein G, and then immobilized with goat polyclonal IgG anti- C. parvum for oocysts detection. In the dynamic range of 50–10,000 oocysts mL −1 the sensor response is characterized by a semi-log relationship between resonant frequency response and C. parvum oocysts concentration. In 25% milk background, binding kinetics was slower and total sensor response was lower (∼45%) than in water-like buffer.
Requirement of low density lipoproteins for the lysolecithin acyl transferase activity in human plasma: assay of enzyme activity in abetalipoproteinemic patients.

Abstract Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that the lecithin:cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT) of normal human plasma can convert lysolecithin to lecithin in the presence of low density lipoproteins (LDL). In order to study the importance of LDL for the lysolecithin acyl transferase (LAT) activity, the LCAT and LAT activities were assayed in two patients with abetalipoproteinemia. The plasma from both patients had only 5%–6% of the LAT activity present in normal plasma. This activity was stimulated up to 22-fold by the addition of normal LDL but not very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) or high density lipoproteins. The LAT activity of normal plasma was only stimulated by two-threefold by LDL. The LCAT activity in both patients was reduced to 42%–46% of the control values. This activity was stimulated up to fourfold by the addition of LDL as well as VLDL which is comparable to the activation obtained with control plasma. These results therefore suggest that LDL is physiological activator of LAT reaction in normal human plasma.
The retrieval power of NFQL

Forms are common and well understood in our modern society, especially in the office. They organize and structure communication according to well established and long standing convention. The Natural Forms Query Language (NFQL) takes advantage of these features to provide a “natural” communication language between computers and humans. Various facets of NFQL have been discussed elsewhere. In this paper we explore the retrieval power of NFQL. We explain why basic NFQL forms (which are essentially ordinary business forms) do not by themselves have enough retrieval power to be relationally complete. We then explain how to augment the notation to increase the retrieval power, and we provide an inductive proof to show that NFQL, as augmented, is relationally complete. Because additional notation may negatively effect usability, we discuss the pragmatics of adding new features. We explain how these features can be improved notationally, and argue that, with the improvements, we maintain the objective of being able to interpret standard forms, while increasing their retrieval power.
Animal Biotechnology and Modeling

Transgenic animals and our ability to manipulate the genome of whole animals in vivo have influenced the life sciences in dramatic fashion. In less than 15 years, practical aspects of germ line manipulation of the genetic composition of animals have allowed researchers to address fundamental questions in fields ranging from medicine and biology to biotechnology and production agriculture. Studies emanating from basic efforts in gene regulation have led the way to in vivo gene-transfer studies focused on the expression of foreign genes and the ablation of endogenous genes. Our appreciation of basic biological development in animals and the potential ramifications of novel phenotypes resulting from genetic engineering efforts have been markedly influenced by pioneering efforts in transgenic animal technology. Keywords: DNA Microinjection; Embryonic Stem (ES) Cell Transfer; Gene Transfer; Nuclear Transfer (Cloning); Transgenic Animal; Transgenic Founder; Transgenic Line
Use of common random numbers in comparing alternatives

A fundamental use for system simulation is to compare a number of different approaches to achieve a stated objective. The author presents methods for making comparisons by either ranking alternatives or selecting the best alternative with respect to a single output performance measure. To increase the effectiveness of the comparisons, these methods are able to use the variance reduction technique of common random numbers. It is assumed that the simulation output is stochastic and has a distribution that is unknown to the analyst. The finite horizon simulation case is considered, and examples are given to illustrate the application and utility of the methods. >
Acceptability and intended usage preferences for six HIV testing options among internet-using men who have sex with men

Background Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be disproportionately impacted by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in the United States (US). Testing for HIV is the cornerstone of comprehensive prevention efforts and the gateway to early engagement of infected individuals in medical care. We sought to determine attitudes towards six different HIV testing modalities presented collectively to internet-using MSM and identify which options rank higher than others in terms of intended usage preference.
Use of an Anaerobic Culture Jar in Processing Pediatric Throat Cultures

Two hundred consecutive throat cultures from a Pediatric Walk-in Clinic were processed, using both aerobic and anaerobic culture techniques. The 35 aerobic isolates of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) were all confirmed anaerobically as well, and there were two additional isolates detected only by the anaerobic technique. Of these 37 bacitracin-sensitive isolates, only 24 (65%) could be identified at 24 hours using the aerobic technique, compared to 29 (78%) using the anaerobic technique.In contrast to this relatively small effect upon the isolation of group A BHS, the yield of BHS from groups B, C, F, and G was more than doubled by the anaerobic technique. The confusion engendered by the improved detection of these bacitracin-resistant BHS using the anaerobic tech nique offset the small advantage in thoroughness and speed of detection of group A organisms. On this account, until more is known about the possible signaficance of isolating nongroup A BHS in the pharynx, the advisability of using an...
Scintillation mechanisms in rare earth orthophosphates

Abstract Although conversion efficiency of orthophosphate materials is limited by the high frequency vibrations of the PO4 group, some of them show remarkably promising scintillation properties. In order to understand that behavior, we have studied the orthophosphates of Lu and Yb in various combinations both with and without Ce as an activator. We conclude that, although both Ce and Yb ions scintillate, they also show strong tendency toward mutual quenching. The mechanisms and consequences of this quenching are discussed.
Design and evaluation of a controller for the process of microwave joining of ceramics

A temperature control system is designed and simulated for the process of microwave joining of ceramics. The overall goal is to develop a control system that allows reliable, high-quality joints to be produced on a variety of ceramics. The described procedure permits the derivation of a closed-loop configuration for controlling temperature. The ceramics (alumina) heating model equation is linearized around an operating point and represented as a transfer function. A compensator is designed based on the 'worst case' for the value of the gain. Conditions for closed-loop stability with any linearized plant model are presented and mathematically proven. Expressions for the time response parameters of the compensated system are derived. A simulation is implemented in MATLAB for the closed-loop control, and a numerical integration method is used for solving the nonlinear heating equations. The results obtained for the simulation are excellent and show that the temperature can be regulated to a set point value and the thermal runaway problem in the ceramics can be prevented. >
The Great Recession, Liberalism, and the Meaning of the New Deal

During the Great Recession, debates concerning Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal have focused on stimulus packages: were the New Deal packages effective and by corollary, given the current economic crisis, what can we learn from the past? While the stimulus programs of the New Deal Era were an important element, more significant were the set of political commitments that forged the basis for a new and more democratic political economy as well as a transformation in the meaning of liberalism. The New Deal regime of political economic commitments, lasting from roughly 1932 until the late 1970s was a democratic interlude compared with the laissez-faire and managerial liberal regimes that prevailed for most of the fifty years before the New Deal and the neoliberal regime of the past thirty years since. Under the New Deal regime there were more labor rights, less Supreme Court intervention in the economy, more public accountability in the structure of financial institutions driving the political economy, and a ...
Finite elements in fluids: Special methods and enhanced solution techniques

Abstract As a sequel to “Finite elements in fluids: stabilized formulations and moving boundaries and interfaces” [Tezduyar TE. Finite elements in fluids: stabilized formulations and moving boundaries and interfaces. Comput Fluids, in press, doi:10.1016/j.compfluid.2005.02.011 .], in this article we provide an overview of the special methods and enhanced solution techniques we developed in conjunction with the methods described in the accompanying paper. The methods and ideas highlighted here were introduced to increase the scope and accuracy of the stabilized formulations and interface-tracking and interface-capturing techniques highlighted in the accompanying paper. They include special methods for fluid–object interactions, for flows involving objects in fast, linear or rotational relative motion, and for two-fluid flows. They also include enhanced solutions techniques, where we have enhancement in spatial discretization, enhancement in time discretization, and enhancement in iterative solution of non-linear and linear equation systems.
Lapped transform via time-domain pre- and post-filtering

This paper presents a general framework of constructing a large family of lapped transforms with symmetric basis functions by adding simple time-domain pre- and post-processing modules onto existing block discrete cosine transform (DCT)-based infrastructures. A subset of the resulting solutions is closed-form, fast computable, modular, near optimal in the energy compaction sense and leads to an elegant boundary handling of finite-length data. Starting from these solutions, a general framework for block-based signal decomposition with a high degree of flexibility and adaptivity is developed. Several simplified models are also introduced to approximate the optimal solutions. These models are based on cascades of plane rotation operators and lifting steps, respectively. Despite tremendous savings in computational complexity, the optimized results of these simplified models are virtually identical to that of the complete solution. The multiplierless versions of these pre- and post-filters when combined with an appropriate multiplierless block transform, such as the binDCT, which is described in an earlier paper by Liang and Tran (see IEEE Trans. Signal Processing, vol.49, p.3032-44, Dec. 2001), generate a family of very large scale integration (VLSI)-friendly fast lapped transforms with reversible integer-to-integer mapping. Numerous design examples with arbitrary number of channels and arbitrary number of borrowed samples are presented.
Two-photon induced photodecarbonylation reaction of cyclopropenones.

Irradiation of cyclopropenones (1a–c) with 800 nm pulses of ultrafast laser results in a photodecarbonylation reaction via nonresonant two-photon absorption of light.