cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reliability-Based Dynamic Amplification Factor on Stress Ranges for Fatigue Design of Existing Bridges

AbstractA dynamic amplification factor (DAF) or a dynamic load allowance (IM) is typically used in bridge design specifications to include dynamic effects from vehicles on bridges. The calculated live-load stress ranges may not be correct because of varied dynamic amplification effects in different regions along the bridge, different road roughness conditions, and multiple stress-range cycles generated for one vehicle passage on the bridge. In this study, a reliability-based dynamic amplification factor on stress ranges (DAFS) for fatigue design is proposed to include the fatigue damage from multiple stress-range cycles resulting from each vehicle passage at varied speeds under various road conditions on the bridge’s life cycle. A numerical simulation toward solving a coupled vehicle-bridge system, including a three-dimensional (3D) suspension-vehicle model and a 3D dynamic bridge model, is used to obtain the revised equivalent stress range. The revised equivalent stress range is defined on an equivalent ...
Stimulation of carotene synthesis in submerged cultures of Neurospora crassa by surface-active agents and ammonium nitrate.

Abstract A submerged “shake-type” procedure was developed for the culture of Neurospora crassa (cross of wild types E 5297a and E 5256A) and has given higher carotene production than methods which have been previously described. The submerged cultures, grown in the presence of Tween 40 on a platform shaker, gave maximal pigmentation of conidia-free mycelia in approximately 5 1 2 days. Stimulation of carotene synthesis was maximal at 0.8% with Tween 40. Some other surface agents were tried, and only the Tweens gave good submersion and dispersion of the mycelium. In a 2% sucrose medium, addition of ammonium nitrate produced the highest carotene yield at a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 4.
Interstellar magnetic fields

Abstract For three decades, magnetic fields have been known to permeate interstellar space. Each decade focussed attention on a different problem concerning the role of magnetic fields in star formation, and developed distinct techniques for the solution of the respective problem. A historical perspective of this period is given first. Then theoretical studies of the role of magnetic fields in star formation are reviewed critically, with emphasis on the dynamical processes occuring in collapsing interstellar clouds and on the interplay between theory and observation. A synthesis in the form of a scenario, albeit incomplete, for star formation in magnetic clouds is given. Prospects for the solution, during the 1980's, for remaining fundamental problems are discussed, and the need for certain kinds of observations is emphasized.
The cloned 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase gene from Sinorhizobium sp. strain BL3 in Rhizobium sp. strain TAL1145 promotes nodulation and growth of Leucaena leucocephala.

The objective of this study was to determine the role of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase of symbionts in nodulation and growth of Leucaena leucocephala. The acdS genes encoding ACC deaminase were cloned from Rhizobium sp. strain TAL1145 and Sinorhizobium sp. BL3 in multicopy plasmids, and transferred to TAL1145. The BL3-acdS gene greatly enhanced ACC deaminase activity in TAL1145 compared to the native acdS gene. The transconjugants of TAL1145 containing the native or BL3 acdS gene could grow in minimal media containing 1.5 mM ACC, whereas BL3 could tolerate up to 3 mM ACC. The TAL1145 acdS gene was inducible by mimosine and not by ACC, while the BL3 acdS gene was highly inducible by ACC and not by mimosine. The transconjugants of TAL1145 containing the native- and BL3-acdS genes formed nodules with greater number and sizes, and produced higher root mass on L. leucocephala than by TAL1145. This study shows that the introduction of multiple copies of the acdS gene increased ACC deaminase activities of TAL1145 and enhanced its symbiotic efficiency on L. leucocephala.
Extending some results and proofs for the singular linear model

Abstract This note gives some new forms and shortened proofs for results on the linear model with singular dispersion matrix.
Thermal Energy in Almost Normal Modes

A mode of motion that consists of a standing wave is usually assigned the thermal energy of a Planck oscillator in thermal equilibrium at the temperature of the medium carrying the standing wave. For a real standing wave which will be damped in time if it is excited beyond the thermal level, the energy of a Planck oscillator ${E}_{p0}$ is not necessarily the correct energy to assign this mode at thermal equilibrium.For a one-dimensional standing wave where a characteristic impedance for the medium ${Z}_{0}={R}_{0}+i{X}_{0}$ exists, the correct thermal energy (average stored thermal energy) to assign a standing wave ${E}_{\mathrm{sw}}$ is related to the energy of a Planck oscillator by $\frac{{E}_{p0}}{{E}_{\mathrm{sw}}}=1+\frac{{{X}_{0}}^{2}}{{{R}_{0}}^{2}}.$
Comparison of Site-Specific Management Zones: Soil-Color-Based and Yield-Based

Numerous techniques of management zone delineation have been studied; however, few comparisons between techniques exist in the literature. The objectives of this study were: (i) to determine how consistently two management zone delineation techniques (a soilcolor-based management zone [SCMZ] technique and a yield-based management zone [YBMZ] technique) characterize regions of high, medium,andlowgrainyield;and(ii)tocomparetherelativeaccuracies with which the two management zone delineation techniques characterize the grain yield within low, medium, and high productivity potential management zones. This study was conducted for three site years in northeastern Colorado. Management zones were delineated before planting. The SCMZ technique used: (i) bare-soil imagery, (ii) topography, and (iii) farmer’s experience. The YBMZ relied on: (i) bare-soilimagery,(ii) soilorganicmatter,(iii) cationexchangecapacity, (iv) soil texture, and (v) the previous season’s yield map. Grain yields ranged from 6.9 to 15.5 Mg ha 21 across all site years. Grain yields were significantly different between SCMZ zones for all site years. Grain yield in the SCMZ high zones were up to 1.88 Mg ha 21 higher than YBMZhighzones.ArealagreementsfortheSCMZtechniquewere37, 41, and 45% for Site Years I, II, and III. Based on the approaches used in this study to classify grain yield patterns, the SCMZ technique was found to be relatively better than the YBMZ technique.
Ordinary Cokriging Revisited

This paper sets up the relations between simple cokriging and ordinary cokriging with one or several unbiasedness constraints. Differences between cokriging variants are related to differences between models adopted for the means of primary and secondary variables. Because it is not necessary for the secondary data weights to sum to zero, ordinary cokriging with a single unbiasedness constraint gives a larger weight to the secondary information while reducing the occurrence of negative weights. Also the weights provided by such cokriging systems written in terms of covariances or correlograms are not related linearly, hence the estimates are different. The prediction performances of cokriging estimators are assessed using an environmental dataset that includes concentrations of five heavy metals at 359 locations. Analysis of reestimation scores at 100 test locations shows that kriging and cokriging perform equally when the primary and secondary variables are sampled at the same locations. When the secondary information is available at the estimated location, one gains little by retaining other distant secondary data in the estimation.
Factors modifying susceptibility to bacterial endotoxin: the effect of lead and cadmium.

AbstractThe current interest in the biologic activity of endotoxins and the factors modifying host response to bacterial endotoxins stem, in part, from the fact that endotoxemia is of increasing clinical concern.1 It has been estimated that as many as 300, 000 patients are hospitalized each year due to Gram-negative bacteremia, and that the fatality rate of these patients may run as high as 30 to 50%.1 Experimental models in which there is an induction of endotoxin hypersensitivity have been employed to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms essential for survival in endotoxemia. Factors modifying host response to endotoxin are also of interest from a toxicological point of view, since such studies may delineate potential, detrimental interaction of toxic environmental or clinically employed agents with endotoxins. Some of the diverse factors employed to induce sensitization of animals to endotoxins include carbon tetrachloride,2 an attenuated strain ofMycobacterium, Bade Calmette Guerin,3 actinomycin D4: g...
Nonlinear beamforming of aperture domain signals

Image quality continues to be a challenge for medical ultrasound. Recent evidence implicates wavefront distortion from sound speed inhomogeneity and reverberation. To target the reverberation problem, we developed an algorithm called Aperture Domain Model Image REconstruction (ADMIRE). ADMIRE explicitly models, identifies and suppresses acoustic clutter resulting from multipath or off-axis scattering. Also because multipath scattering can be hard to study, we introduce a new method for obtaining pulse-echo measures of reverberation from ex vivo tissue samples. We demonstrate that ADMIRE improves contrast and CNR by 7.1±2.5 dB and 0.86±0.92 dB, respectively. We also apply ADMIRE to multipath scattering from a porcine abdominal wall layer and show that we can reduce the relative clutter level by 13 dB compared to standard beamforming.
PF15p is the chlamydomonas homologue of the Katanin p80 subunit and is required for assembly of flagellar central microtubules

Numerous studies have indicated that the central apparatus plays a significant role in regulating flagellar motility, yet little is known about how the central pair of microtubules or their associated projections assemble. Several Chlamydomonas mutants are defective in central apparatus assembly. For example, mutant pf15 cells have paralyzed flagella that completely lack the central pair of microtubules. We have cloned the wild-type PF15 gene and confirmed its identity by rescuing the motility and ultrastructural defects in two pf15 alleles, the original pf15a mutant and a mutant generated by insertional mutagenesis. Database searches using the 798-amino-acid polypeptide predicted from the complete coding sequence indicate that the PF15 gene encodes the Chlamydomonas homologue of the katanin p80 subunit. Katanin was originally identified as a heterodimeric protein with a microtubule-severing activity. These results reveal a novel role for the katanin p80 subunit in the assembly and/or stability of the central pair of flagellar microtubules.
BÉZIER SUBDIVISION FOR INVERSE MOLECULAR KINEMATICS

Conformational searching is a core task in inverse molecular kinematics. Algorithmic improvements affecting either the speed or quality of conformational searching will have a profound impact on applications including ligand-receptor docking, ab initio prediction of protein structure, and protein folding. In this paper, we investigate a specific geometry-constrained conformational searching problem, where some feature atoms have pre-specified target positions. Using Bezier subdivision, we present a method to locate and approximate the solutions of the equations derived from constraints on the feature atoms. The conformations corresponding to these solutions are all the conformations satisfying the target constraints. Three implementations of the subdivision method taking advantage of the sparsity of the coefficients of the polynomial equations are presented and the results are compared and contrasted.
Assessing the feasibility of new diffused configuration for broadband wireless infrared links

Traditionally, diffused infrared configuration has been studied with the assumption that the illuminated region is placed at room ceiling. This is done to ensure minimum path loss to a maximum number of receiver locations. In many practical situations, this arrangement might be difficult to implement, either due to the ceiling structure or the difficulty in illuminating the entire ceiling uniformly without introducing an intrusive transmitter. In this paper, we propose a new configuration, in which the upper regions of the walls are illuminated. Path loss and delay spread are used as performance measures to assess the feasibility of the proposed configuration.
Surgical Management for Peyronie's Disease

Peyronie's disease is a common debilitating condition for both men and their partners that results in penile deformity and compromises sexual functioning. While there are a myriad of medical therapeutic options, these have not been demonstrated to correct the deformity and restore sexual function definitively. As such, surgery is the mainstay of treatment for this disease, and multiple surgical approaches may be considered depending on disease characteristics, patient co-morbidity, and findings on preoperative diagnostic testing. The purpose of this review is to highlight the different surgical approaches and different procedures within each approach, and to examine important issues for surgeons to consider for administering the best treatment that restores function while reconciling patient expectations.
Genetics of Systemic Autoimmunity in Mouse Models of Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is inherited as a complex polygenic trait, involving genetic, environmental and stochastic factors. Although definition of these etiologic processes has been elusive, solid progress has been made toward elucidating the genetic basis for susceptibility. Herein, we summarize our genome wide mapping effort that has defined loci for component phenotypes for lupus-prone NZB, NZW, MRL-Fas(lpr) and BXSB strains. With this framework in place, identification of the specific genetic alterations and mechanisms is now proceeding through the generation of interval congenic lines, precise mapping and screening of candidate genes. In addition to this approach, transgenic and gene knockout studies have begun to identify genes that can induce or modify autoimmunity in nonautoimmune and lupus-prone background mice, including studies by us and others on Th1 and Th2 cytokine genes in lupus. It is apparent that a diversity of genes and mechanisms can independently or in combination promote systemic autoimmunity in mice. This complexity, which is also observed in human lupus, emphasizes the importance of using experimental and less complex mouse models to define these processes, a tactic that has already yielded new insights. With current technologies and the anticipated definition of mammalian genomes, identification of genes predisposing to lupus and elucidation of processes critical for disease pathogenesis appear within grasp.
Triboelectrification between Smooth Metal Surfaces Coated with Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAMs)†

Using a modified surface forces apparatus, we have simultaneously measured the friction and triboelectrification between both similar and dissimilar molecularly smooth hexadecanethiol-coated metal surfaces on mica substrates. On shearing dissimilar surfaces, the tribocurrent increases dramatically as the load or pressure is increased, with large fluctuations about the mean. Neither charge transfer nor fluctuations are observed when the symmetric surfaces are sheared against each other. We also find that the type of friction, i.e., stick-slip or smooth sliding, the load and friction force, the sliding distance, and recent previous history have additional fine influences on the triboelectrification. Our results suggest that frictional dissipation induces electron-hole formation and charge transfer between two shearing surfaces due to molecular-level roughness and defects and local dielectric constant changes, giving rise to the observed tribocurrents.
Physics-based classification of targets in SAR imagery using subaperture sequences

It is well known that radar scattering from an illuminated object is often highly aspect dependent. We have developed a multiaspect target classification technique for SAR imagery that incorporates matching-pursuits feature extraction from each of a sequence of subaperture images, in conjunction with a hidden Markov model that explicitly incorporates the target-sensor motion represented by the image sequence. This approach exploits the aspect dependence of the signal features to facilitate maximum-likelihood identification. We consider SAR imagery containing targets concealed by foliage.
Patterns of global gene expression in rat skeletal muscle during unloading and low-intensity ambulatory activity

Physical inactivity and unloading lead to diverse skeletal muscle alterations. Our goal was to identify the genes in skeletal muscle whose expression is most sensitive to periods of unloading/reduced physical activity and that may be involved in triggering initial responses before phenotypic changes are evident. The ability of short periods of physical activity/loading as an effective countermeasure against changes in gene expression mediated by inactivity was also tested. Affymetrix microarrays were used to compare mRNA levels in the soleus muscle under three experimental treatments (n = 20-29 rats each): 12-h hindlimb unloading (HU), 12-h HU followed by 4 h of intermittent low-intensity ambulatory and postural activity (4-h reloading), and control (with ambulatory and postural activity). Using a combination of criteria, we identified a small set of genes (approximately 1% of 8,738 genes on the array or 4% of significant expressed genes) with the most reproducible and largest responses to altered activity. Analysis revealed a coordinated regulation of transcription for a large number of key signaling proteins and transcription factors involved in protein synthesis/degradation and energy metabolism. Most (21 of 25) of the gene expression changes that were downregulated during HU returned at least to control levels during the reloading. In surprising contrast, 27 of 38 of the genes upregulated during HU remained significantly above control, but most showed trends toward reversal. This introduces a new concept that, in general, genes that are upregulated during unloading/inactivity will be more resistant to periodic reloading than those genes that are downregulated. This study reveals genes that are the most sensitive to loading/activity in rat skeletal muscle and indicates new targets that may initiate muscle alterations during inactivity.
Desensitizing Herbert Blumer's Work on Race Relations: Recent Applications of His Group Position Theory to the Study of Contemporary Race Prejudice

Recent applications of Herbert Blumer's group position model to the study of contemporary race prejudice have misrepresented the ongoing process of definition and accommodation that, according to B...
Growth and shape: measurements and metrics.

Magwene (2001) presented an interesting analysis of growth in turtles, making the case that information about process should be incorporated in ontogenetic studies. More specifically, descriptions of shape and size are insufficient for understanding process and, one must dig deeper and consider explicitly the mechanisms and processes responsible for the patterns detected in size and shape data. In criticizing Magwene's arguments, we do not intend to defend a purely pattern-oriented approach; we agree that information about process should be incorporated into shape analyses whenever such information is available. However, Magwene seemed to imply that his mathematical approaches are superior to those used by others who work exclusively with size and shape data (e.g., Zelditch et al., 1992, 2000; Walker, 1993) and that those methods, rather than the special characteristics of his data, offer insight into process. One important question raised by Magwene's argument is whether conventional shape analysis, in the absence of growth markers, is actually misleading when it comes to inferring processes. The second is whether his mathematical approach to landmark data offers any advantages over those approaches in more general use. The methods suggested by Magwene offer no more insights into process than those typically applied to geometric size and shape data, the now standard use of Procrustes superimpostion, projection into Kendall's tangent space for statistical analyses, and the visualization of results (Bookstein, 1991, 1996; Rohlf, 1999). To discuss the merits of Magwene's analytic methods separately from those of his data, we clarified the distinctive feature of his data and then reexamined his claims regarding the limits of shape analysis, showing that they depend on an assumption that might not generally hold. We also focused on the pecific mathematical issues as they pertain to analyses of landmark data, demonstrating their limitations for such purposes in light of ontogenetic data from piranhas (for full details on sampling, phylogenetic relationships among taxa, and methods of analysis, see Zelditch et al., 2001).
Comment on “Usury in Medieval India”

While Professor Habib's main concern is to indicate the extent to which the monetization of the Mughal Empire was accompanied by the development of large-scale money-lending and credit, his discussion suggests three propositions which might be subjected to comparative analysis. These propositions are: (1) A demand for credit tends to emerge as a society's economy becomes at all differentiated, be it literate or not. (2) Demand almost invariably generates supply in the sense that necessity generates invention. (3) How this demand is met is conditioned by the extent to which a population is nonhomogeneous and differentially subject to credit-restricting constraints.
A reinforcement learning‐based scheme for direct adaptive optimal control of linear stochastic systems

Reinforcement learning where decision-making agents learn optimal policies through environmental interactions is an attractive paradigm for model-free, adaptive controller design. However, results for systems with continuous state and action variables are rare. In this paper, we present convergence results for optimal linear quadratic control of discrete-time linear stochastic systems. This work can be viewed as a generalization of a previous work on deterministic linear systems. Key differences between the algorithms for deterministic and stochastic systems are highlighted through examples. The usefulness of the algorithm is demonstrated through a nonlinear chemostat bioreactor case study. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Did Corliss Steam Engines Fuel Urban Growth in the Late Nineteenth Century? Less Sanguine Results

There is general agreement that the steam engine's rise in importance occurred at the same time as growing urbanization, but considerable disagreement concerning the steam engine's role as an independent force fueling urban growth. In particular, Nathan Rosenberg and Manuel Trajtenberg (hereafter, RT) hypothesize that the Corliss steam engine, "served as a catalyst for the industry's massive relocation into large urban centers, thus fueling agglomeration economies and further population growth."1 Based on results using a more complete version of their data set, we find little support for this hypothesis. RT hypothesized that the number of buyers of the Corliss steam engine played a significant role in subsequent county growth.2 To control for the endogeneity of the Corliss variable, RT use a two-stage model. The first stage predicts the number of Corliss buyers. Due to skewness in the Corliss variable, a nonlinear estimation in the first stage is appropriate. For comparison purposes, we will be presenting results for both linear and nonlinear estimations. In the second stage, the predicted values for Corliss buyers are used to explain population growth between 1870 and 1900. Their
A comparison of amniotic fluid fetal pulmonary phospholipids in normal and diabetic pregnancy.

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether there are differences in the timing of the appearance of various amniotic fluid fetal pulmonary phospholipids in normal and diabetic pregnancy. Study design: A case-control study of 295 subjects with diabetes and 590 control subjects was performed by use of gestational age-matched amniocentesis specimens analyzed for lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio, phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) composition. Diabetic subjects were stratified according to type of diabetes, degree of blood glucose control, and birth percentile of the neonate. Results: There was no difference in L/S ratios over gestational age by type of diabetes or quality of glycemic control. Women with preexisting diabetes had significantly higher PI levels at 33 to 35 weeks' gestation, which became similar to levels of control subjects after 36 weeks, whereas patients with gestational diabetes mellitus and control subjects had similar PI levels throughout. In diabetic subjects, the onset of production of PG was delayed from 35.9 ± 1.1 weeks (controls) to 38.7 ± 0.9 weeks (overt diabetics) and 37.3 ± 1.0 weeks for gestational diabetes mellitus ( P Conclusions: Fetal pulmonary maturation, as evidenced by the onset of PG production in the amniotic fluid, is delayed in diabetic pregnancy by 1 to 1.5 weeks. This delay appears to be associated with an early and sustained elevation in amniotic fluid PI levels at 32 to 34 weeks. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:641-50.)
Nano-structured self-assembled LaCrO3 thin film deposited by RF-magnetron sputtering on a stainless steel interconnect material

Abstract The deposition of an amorphous La–Cr–O thin film on a stainless steel was done by radio frequency magnetron sputtering to obtain a protective coating on the metallic interconnect for solid oxide fuel cells. The deposited film was amorphous, but underwent two-phase transformations to the perovskite structure as a result of annealing at 700 °C for 1 h. The first transformation was from amorphous to the monoclinic LaCrO4 monazite type compound. The second transformation was from LaCrO4 to orthorhombic LaCrO3 perovskite. As a result of the phase transformation nano-structured self-assembled dendritic structure was formed with the desired perovskite phase. The structural characterization of the film was done by X-ray diffraction, phase shift microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and micro-Raman spectroscopy.
Electronic Health Records in Dentistry: Clinical Challenges and Ethical Issues

Today Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have enjoyed wide spread adoption as the optimal choice for the management of patient health information (PHI). EHRs provide several distinct advantages over the use of paper records or a combination of electronic and hard copy options. The ability to interconnect the convenience of computer and software functionality with large amounts of PHI which must be managed for all patients who are being treated by a myriad of health care professionals, including dentists, makes the marriage of electronic data management with the patient record a logical choice. However, the use of EHRs in hospitals, institutions, clinics and private practices also presents many clinical challenges, as well as the potential for a breach in ethical patient care. This chapter discusses the impact of bringing the computer into the patient treatment arena and its effect on the doctor patient relationship, the privacy and security of PHI, ethical issues and clinical challenges, the use of EHRs for research and development of cloud-based EHRs, as well as the future of this technology.
Target Canada: Lesson from Failure of International Entry

Target Corporation, the second largest retailing company in the United States, is well known for their value to guests (customers), continuous innovation, and exceptional guest experience. With a desire of international expansion, Target announced their Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) plans for Target Canada in January 2011. In August 2012, headquarters opened in Mississauga with 124 store openings following throughout 2013. Two years later an unsuccessful attempt at entering the Canadian retail market resulted in a loss of over $5.4B. Target Canada rushed into its expansion into the Canadian foreign market and corporation was unable to repeat the successful US concept in Canada for several factors. Target’s scale was too large, the timeline was too aggressive, and the entrance method was attractive from a price perspective. As a consequence, Target was unable to efficiently manage the whole supply-chain, resulting in an unpleasant shopping experience for the customers. Finally, the incapability to differentiate itself from other retailers led to an unsuccessful attempt at gaining greater market share from the competition. Despite the fact that Target does not have a plan to enter back into Canada, this case offers suggestions for Target’s location strategy and plausible alternatives when revisiting potential re-entry into the international retail market. Recommendations are given based on what they learned from their first attempt at failed expansion.
Issues in Distance Education: A Primer for Higher Education Decision Makers.

This chapter presents an overview of current issues related to distance learning in higher education. It identifies central questions, issues, challenges, and opportunities that must be addressed by decision makers, as well as key attributes of effective leaders.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE FLIGHT OF A SPHERE IN WEAKLY IONIZED AIR

This paper reviews the author's research into the significant consequences of the discovery of anomalous shock wave parameters in weakly ionized gases (air, N2, CO2, Ar, Xe). These anomalous properties manifest themselves in a much greater sonic velocity in such media than in un-ionized gases at the same temperature. The degree of ionization is small (1(F5 to 10~ 6), and the "lifetime" of the unusual properties is sufficiently long (—20 ms), that the phenomenon has important practical applications in gas dynamics. With the aim both of estimating the efficiency of air ionization in influencing the aerodynamic characteristics of the flow around a flying body and of determining the resulting aerodynamic forces from flight in such a medium, free flight experiments were carried out in a ballistics range using spherical models with supersonic preionized air. Experiments
The Effects of Affinity Mediated Clonal Expansion of Premigrant Thymocytes on the Periphery T-Cell Repertoire

The immune system maintains a highly diverse T-cell repertoire, which is shaped by active interactions between developing thymocytes and endogenous peptide/MHC molecules through the principle of positive and negative selections. Detours et al. developed a quantitative model addressing key immunologic notions such as selection, alloreactivity, and self-restriction. The model was based on the assumption that the clone size is uniformly distributed in the naive T-cell repertoire. However, recent biological findings have indicated that the naive T-cell repertoire is highly skewed, due to the uneven proliferation of premigrant single-positive thymocytes. In this paper, the model is revised to include these new findings. The effects of the uneven clonal expansion are investigated in detail and their biological significance is discussed. It is found that the uneven clonal expansion can significantly enhance the self-MHC restriction, while avoiding decreasing the alloreactivity. The clonal expansion therefore appears to be an additional selection event, resulting in fine tuning of the repertoire. In this way, T-cells reaching the periphery pool can fulfill maximum competence: both high self-restriction and high alloreactivity.
Forty-six cases of curing scapulohumeral periarthritis by using the acupuncture of "Three Acupoints on Shoulder" assisted by TDP irradiation therapy

This paper observes the clinical curative effect on curing scapulohumeral periarthritis by using the acupuncture of "Three Acupoints on Shoulder"assisted by TDP irradiation therapy,and assess the curative effect after two periods of this treatment(ten times for one period,once per day) for 46 cases of patients,and the total cure rate is 91.3%.
Architecture of Integrative Effectiveness Evaluation of Equipments in Net War Environment

By contraposing the characteristic of equipments in Net War environment,the conceptions of their direct warring effect and indirect impact effect etc are given,and the architecture of integrative effectiveness evaluation of the equipments is proposed.The architecture consists of technique hiberarchy,tactic hiberarchy,campaign hiberarchy and stratagem hiberarchy.Based on the above conceptions and architecture,the integrated environment of integrative effectiveness evaluation of equipments in Net War environment is constructed,and the architecture,basic components and function of the integrated environment are confirmed.
On critical faith and metacritical agnosticism: Nietzsche, Socrates, and the searches for knowledge

ABSTRACTThis article articulates a case for methodological pluralism while addressing points of contention between Michael Warren Tumolo’s “A Sublimed Experience of the Rhetoric of Plato’s Republic” and John Peterman’s “Sublimation Therapy: Helping Reason Get Back to a Solid Footing.” This discussion addresses explicit and implicit differences regarding the meaning of knowledge, authorship, advice, texts, method, and discipline. Embedded in this larger framework is a discussion of Nietzschean and Socratic understandings of self-knowledge. This essay resists hierarchical approaches to discipline and method, instead arguing for methodological pluralism in which one aims to be critically faithful and metacritically agnostic. This approach is offered as a way to demonstrate a commitment to disciplinary knowledge and to better know oneself.
A smart segmentation technique towards improved infrequent non-speech gestural activity recognition model

Infrequent Non-Speech Gestural Activities (IGAs) such as coughing, deglutition and yawning help identify fine-grained physiological symptoms and chronic psychological conditions which are not directly observable from traditional daily activities. We propose a new wearable smart earring which is capable of differentiating IGAs in daily environment with single integrated accelerometer sensor signal processing. Our prior framework, GeSmart, shows significant improvement in IGAs recognition based on smart earring which necessitates users to replace the earring batteries frequently due to its energy hungry requirement (high sampling frequency) towards fine-grained IGAs recognition. In this improved work, we propose a new segmentation technique along with GeSmart which takes the advantages of change-point detection algorithm to segment sensor data streams, feature extraction and classification thus any machine learning technique can perform significantly well in low sampling rate. We also implement a baseline traditional graphical model based gesture recognition techniques and compare their performances with our model in terms of accuracy, energy consumption and degradation of sampling rate scenarios. Experimental results based on real data traces demonstrate that our approach improves the performances significantly compared to previously proposed solutions. We also apply our segmentation technique on two benchmark datasets to prove the superiority of our technique in low sampling rate scenario.
Semiautomated determination of tridihexethyl chloride in meprobamate tablets

A semiautomated method has been developed for the analysis of tablets containing tridihexethyl chloride in combination with meprobamate. The method is based on the USP assay for tridihexethyl chloride in tablets. The active ingredient is dissolved in water, the aqueous solution is mixed with buffer and dye solution, and the dye complex is extracted into chloroform. The absorbance of the chloroform solution is monitored at 408 nm. Results from the semiautomated method agree with results for the USP method. Recoveries from authentic formulations show no interference from the excipients tested.
The Pivotal Role of the Social Sciences in Environmental Health Sciences Research.

Environmental health sciences research seeks to elucidate environmental factors that put human health at risk. A primary aim is to develop strategies to prevent or reduce exposures and disease occurrence. Given this primary focus on prevention, environmental health sciences research focuses on the populations most at risk such as communities of color and/or low socioeconomic status. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences research programs incorporate the principles of Community-Based Participatory Research to study health disparities. These programs promote community engagement, culturally appropriate communications with a variety of stakeholders, and consideration of the social determinants of health that interact with environmental factors to increase risk. Multidisciplinary research teams that include social and behavioral scientists are essential to conduct this type of research. This article outlines the history of social and behavioral research funding at National Institute of Envir...
Functional Architectures of Local and Distal Regulation of Gene Expression in Multiple Human Tissues

Genetic variants that modulate gene expression levels play an important role in the etiology of human diseases and complex traits. Although large-scale eQTL mapping studies routinely identify many local eQTLs, the molecular mechanisms by which genetic variants regulate expression remain unclear, particularly for distal eQTLs, which these studies are not well powered to detect. Here, we leveraged all variants (not just those that pass stringent significance thresholds) to analyze the functional architecture of local and distal regulation of gene expression in 15 human tissues by employing an extension of stratified LD-score regression that produces robust results in simulations. The top enriched functional categories in local regulation of peripheral-blood gene expression included coding regions (11.41×), conserved regions (4.67×), and four histone marks (p −5 for all enrichments); local enrichments were similar across the 15 tissues. We also observed substantial enrichments for distal regulation of peripheral-blood gene expression: coding regions (4.47×), conserved regions (4.51×), and two histone marks (p −7 for all enrichments). Analyses of the genetic correlation of gene expression across tissues confirmed that local regulation of gene expression is largely shared across tissues but that distal regulation is highly tissue specific. Our results elucidate the functional components of the genetic architecture of local and distal regulation of gene expression.
A Newborn with a Facial Lesion

A newborn presents with a raised plaque on the left side of the face involving the scalp, forehead, and eye. ### Prenatal and Birth Histories ### Presentation Immediately after birth, this 715-g female infant was noted to have a red macule on the left side of the face involving the scalp, forehead, and region around the left eye. ### Physical Examination The facial macule became more prominent during the first month after birth. By 2 months of age, the macule was …
Decoupling inter- and intra-dimer singlet fission

The rate of singlet fission in a dimer is known to be dependent on the coupling between the two chromophores that make up the dimer. A series of ethynyltetraceme dimers have been synthesized with the chromophore units at ortho-, meta- and para- configurations. Broadband femtosecond time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopy and time-correlated single photon counting has been used to observe the singlet state, the multiexciton state and the separated triplet states in these dimers in both solution and neat film phases. In solution, only the para-dimer forms separated triplets while the meta-dimer does not undergo singlet fission at all. In neat films, inter-dimer chromophore interactions lead to singlet fission in both the meta-dimer and the para-dimer. Target analysis using compartmental kinetic models allows for the spectral features of the different excited states in singlet fission to be resolved, along with the rate constants of the excited state processes involved.
Where Have All the Native Fish Gone? The Fate of Fish that Lewis and Clark Encountered on the Lower Columbia River

Fish have been part of the fabric of Northwest peoples' lives for thousands of years. History, archaeology, and oral tradi tions of living peoples make this long-term connection clear. A nineteenth-century engraving by John Mix Stanley shows a group of Indians camped on a large sandbar near The Dalles, Oregon Terri tory, in 1853. One individual is in a canoe, others are moving gear, and strips of what appear to be fish are drying over a simple frame. About a hundred years after the engraving was made, University of Oregon archaeologists digging just a few hundred meters to the left of the tents seen in the image recovered thousands offish bones, mainly from salmon, that date to 7,000 bce.1 The juxtaposition of the ancient archaeological fishing site and the historic image illustrates the connections among people, place, and fish across a vastness of time that is almost unimaginable. Yet, hundreds of archaeological sites dating to the past ten thousand years found through out the Pacific Northwest contain fish bones from salmon, sturgeon, and countless other varieties of fish, establishing their importance to Native peoples' lifeways for this lengthy period of time. The two-hundred-year anniversary of the expedition of Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery provides an opportunity to reflect on the history and current status of our region s fish populations. The journals the explorers kept on the lower Columbia River ? from what they called the Cascades of the Columbia, near present-day Bonneville Dam, to the
Trading Zones and Moral Imagination as Ways of Preventing Normalized Deviance

Normalized deviance occurs when a dysfunctional pattern of behavior becomes normal practice in an organization. Examples in this chapter include NASA’s space shuttle program, the collapse of Enron and the bursting of the housing bubble in Ireland. Moral imagination involves getting participants in these situations to see that their practices are based on mental models that can be changed. One of the sparks for change is encountering an alternative mental model. A trading zone among business decision-makers, customers, stakeholders and possibly even an ethicist could make differences among mental models clear and lead to new possibilities for action.
Strand Displacement Probes Combined with Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification for Instrument-Free Detection from Complex Samples

Sensitive and specific detection of pathogens via nucleic acid amplification is currently constrained to laboratory settings and portable equipment with costly fluorescent detectors. Nucleic acid-detecting lateral flow immunoassay strips (LFIAs) offer a low-cost visual transduction strategy at points of need. Unfortunately, these LFIAs frequently detect amplification byproducts that can yield spurious results which can only be deciphered through statistical analysis. We integrated customizable strand displacement probes into standard loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays to prevent byproduct capture on commercial LFIAs. We find that combining strand displacement with LAMP (SD-LAMP) yields LFIA test band intensities that can be unequivocally interpreted by human subjects without additional instrumentation, thereby alleviating the need for a portable reader’s analysis. Using SD-LAMP, we capture target amplicons on commercially available LFIAs from as few as 3.5 Vibrio cholerae and 2 750 Esche...
Role of apoptosis of renal tubular cells in acute renal failure: therapeutic implications.

Acute renal failure (ARF) can be defined as a sudden loss of renal function and is a common and serious clinical problem. There are many causes of ARF but the most common cause results from injury to the renal tubular epi-thelial cells (RTECs). RTECs can be injured by schemia or by cytotoxic agents and, once injured, can die by necrosis or apotosis. In general, necrosis occurs in response to any severe injury, which leads to the biochemical collapse of the cell. Milder forms of the same types of injury cause apoptosis. At the cellular level there are fundamental differences between necrosis and apoptosis. Necrosis results from the additive effect of a number of independent biochemical events that are activated by severe depletion of cell energy stores. By contrast, apoptosis occurs via a coordinated, predictable and pre-determined pathway. These biochemical differences between apoptosis and necrosis have important therapeutic implications. Once a cell has been severely injured, necrosis is difficult to prevent. By contrast, the apoptotic pathway can potentially be modulated to maintain cell viability. The components of the apoptotic pathway that are potentially amenable to therapeutic modulation are discussed in detail in this review.
Where have all the behaviorists gone

Many of the world’s current problems are the result of behavior, and traditional appeals to mental determinants are again proving inadequate. The time for a behavioristic alternative appears ripe, yet many behaviorists seem to be becoming less behavioristic and more mentalistic. When confronted with the complexity of human behavior many are resorting to the intellectual comfort and safety of mentalism. A recent example of this tendency (Schwartz et al, 1978) is presented and discussed. Additionally, speculations regarding the origins of the resurgence of mentalism are presented, and it is proposed that arranging histories which provide for more rigorous and lasting control of verbal behavior about behavior may serve to improve the situation.
How Much Can Brands Deviate from their Brand Aesthetic? The Moderating Role of Brand’s Luxury Statu

Brand aesthetics is fundamental to maintaining a competitive advantage, especially within the luxury sector. Brand design consistency (BDC) plays a pivotal role in building a successful luxury brand through the formation of strong brand associations. However, creating new and distinct product designs that deviate from a brand's aesthetic may have the potential to increase the brand's interest. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of BDC on aesthetic judgment and purchase intention and to investigate the moderating effect of brand's luxury status in the above relationship. The concepts of halo effect and biased assimilation relating to luxury brands form the conceptual basis of our study. Findings of this study exhibit that high BDC (vs. low BDC) evoked the most positive consumer response for luxury and non-luxury brands. The overall BDC effect however, was more salient for non-luxury brands which indicates that they have less latitude to deviate from their brand aesthetic than luxury fashion brands.