cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LOCAL, SEGMENTAL AND SUPRASPINAL INTERACTION WITH A DORSOLATERAL SPINAL CUTANEOUS AFFERENT SYSTEM.

Abstract The mutability of the receptive field characteristics of single units in the spinocervical tract of the cat through local, segmental, and supraspinal mechanisms is demonstrated in decerebrate and spinal preparations. Locally, a discrete, nonconcentric, easily fatiguable afferent inhibition, produced by light brushing and cold, is described. Segmentally, strong stimulation of the distal extremities is found to inhibit spontaneous or evoked activity in the spinocervical tract in a variety of patterns which are suggested to be related to reflex progression. Electrical stimulation of the mesencephalic tegmentum, cerebellar nuclei, and a central pontobulbar core is shown to produce a 35% constriction of receptive field area and a generalized decrease in receptive field responsiveness, with the preservation of a small, sensitive, “central” region. The production, by stimulation of the mesencephalic tegmentum, of a negative slow wave occluding a lumbosacral dorsal root potential suggests a presynaptic mechanism for inhibition of activity in the spinocervical tract. The significance of the spinocervical tract in the mechanisms underlying reactivity to “painful” stimulation is discussed.
Estrogen Signals to the Preservation of Endothelial Cell Form and Function

Estrogen is important for the primary prevention of vascular disease in young women, but the mechanisms of protection at the vascular cell are still largely unknown. Although traditionally thought of as a nuclear transcription factor, the estrogen receptor has also been identified in the cell plasma membrane to signal but serve largely undefined roles. Here we show that estradiol (E2) rapidly activates p38beta mitogen-activated protein kinase in endothelial cells (EC), which activates the mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase-2 and the phosphorylation of heat shock protein 27. The sex steroid preserves the EC stress fiber formation and actin and membrane integrity in the setting of metabolic insult. E2 also prevents hypoxia-induced apoptosis and induces both the migration of EC and the formation of primitive capillary tubes. These effects are reversed by the inhibition of p38beta, by the expression of a dominant-negative mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase-2 protein, or by the expression of a phosphorylation site mutant heat shock protein 27. E2 signaling from the membrane helps preserve the EC structure and function, defining potentially important vascular-protective effects of this sex steroid.
Personal computer usage in community college accounting courses

Abstract Since the advent of the IBM personal computer in August 1981, business usage of personal computers (PCs) has dramatically increased. Annual shipments of PCs costing less than $10,000 increased from 1,000,000 units in 1981 to an estimated 7,000,000 by the end of 1986 [Business Week]. This rapidly increasing use of PCs by business organizations is providing academia with a stimulus to incorporate micro applications into accounting classes. In fact, a recent survey of microcomputer usage in accounting curriculums of 4-year academic institutions projected a significant increase in PC usage by 1986. On average, the responding accounting departments were planning to increase their hardware by more than 55% and their libraries of software packages by more than 64% by 1986. While the greatest use of PCs presently is in accounting systems courses, a significant increase in micro usage by 1986 was indicated for the principles, cost, auditing, and tax areas. The purpose of this paper is to parallel the study mentioned above for 2-year community colleges. In Fall 1985, questionnaires were sent to a statistical sample of 294 of the members listed in the Two-year College Accounting Faculty Directory 1985–1986. One hundred and seventy-five (175) questionnaires were returned (a response rate of 59%). Of the returns, 60 (34%) offered an accounting systems course and the remaining 115 (66%) did not. The 115 not offering a systems course returned the questionnaires unanswered. However, many of these respondents, in addition to indicating that no accounting systems course was offered, had no microcomputers for use by their accounting students. Others did not indicate whether PCs were available for use by accounting students. Since these questionnaires were returned unanswered, perhaps we can infer that all 115 (or most) have no school, departmental, or other access to PCs. Thus, only the 60 respondents completing the questionnaires were included in the results to be examined in this paper. The remainder of this paper first discusses the current and projected availability of PCs in accounting courses, based on our survey results. Then our survey results are compared with those of an earlier one in order to obtain a sense of the rate with which 2-year institutions are adapting to using microcomputers in their accounting courses.
The association between borderline personality disorder and chronic medical illnesses, poor health-related lifestyle choices, and costly forms of health care utilization.

OBJECTIVE The physical health of patients with borderline personality disorder has not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to compare the physical health, lifestyle choices affecting physical health, and health care utilization of patients with remitted and nonremitted borderline personality disorder. METHOD 200 patients who no longer met the Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R) and DSM-III-R criteria for borderline personality disorder and 64 patients who still met study criteria for borderline personality disorder were interviewed from June 1992 through December 2001 concerning their physical health, lifestyle choices, and use of medical care 6 years after their initial participation in a larger study of the longitudinal course of borderline personality disorder. RESULTS Remitted borderline patients were found to be significantly less likely than non-remitted borderline patients to have a history of a "syndrome-like" condition (i.e., chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, or temporomandibular joint syndrome) (p = .049) or to have a history of obesity (p = .026), osteoarthritis (p = .025), diabetes (p = .001), hypertension (p = .028), back pain (p < .001), or urinary incontinence (p < .001). They were also found to be significantly less likely to report pack per day smoking (p = .002), daily consumption of alcohol (p = .003), lack of regular exercise (p = .006), daily use of sleep medications (p < .001), and sustained use of pain medications (p = .026). In addition, remitted borderline patients were significantly less likely than nonremitted borderline patients to have had at least 1 medically related emergency room visit (p < .001), 1 medical hospitalization (p = .003), or 1 of each (p< .001). CONCLUSIONS The failure to remit from borderline personality disorder seems to be associated with a heightened risk of suffering from chronic physical conditions, making poor health-related lifestyle choices, and using costly forms of medical services.
Opening the Black Box of Solar Energy Technologies: Exploring Tensions Between Innovation and Environmental Justice

The past decade has seen a renewed focus on innovations in solar energy research, development, and deployment. Solar energy offers the promise of transitioning away from carboniferous stocks of ene...
Rural Microfinance Service Delivery: Gaps, Inefficiencies and Emerging Solutions

Microfinance, the provision of financial services to poor and under-served communities, has emerged as one of the most promising avenues for stimulating rural economic development through local enterprise. In this paper we will discuss some of the major technology gaps faced by rural microfinance institutions, focusing on areas that are most important for the future growth of the industry. This work builds upon six months of field research, including field studies with eight different microfinance organizations located across Latin America and Asia, and discussions with many other organizations worldwide. Historically it has proved difficult to provide sustainable micro-financial services to remote rural clients. As formal financial institutions begin to look seriously at this market, the microfinance industry faces significant challenges in maturing and scaling to sustainability. We will look at three of the major tasks faced by rural microfinance service providers today - 1) the exchange of information with remote clients, 2) management and processing of data at the institutional level and 3) the collection and delivery of money to remote rural areas. Each of these has been a difficult problem to solve for microfinance institutions worldwide, and may offer opportunities for information technology-based solutions. For each of these "gaps" we will look at current best practices, examine the role information technology has (or has not) played in overcoming these obstacles, and discuss promising future directions. In this context, we will discuss the use of handheld technologies for rural data collection, experiences in the implementation of MIS systems at the institutional level and current strategies for introducing electronic banking to remote rural areas. For each of these, we will look at the results obtained thus far and the potential ramifications for the long-term growth and sustainability of the sector
CHEMOSENSORY RESPONSE TO PREY IN PHIDIPPUS AUDAX (ARANEAE, SALTICIDAE) AND PARDOSA MILVINA (ARANEAE, LYCOSIDAE)

Abstract Many predators exploit the chemical signatures of prey when foraging. We present a comparative study designed to test if the foraging behavior of Phidippus audax (Hentz 1845) is manipulated by substrate-borne chemicals left by prey. Our findings suggest that foraging P. audax do not use chemical cues left by prey, while the wolf spider Pardosa milvina (Hentz 1844) in the same experimental setup does respond to chemical cues. However, further examination into the role of chemical cues on prey detection in salticids is required.
Zwischen Freund und Feind – Deutsche Besatzung in Rumänien 1916–1918

Lisa Mayerhofer, Martin Meidenbauer, Munchen, 2010, 378 pp., + sources, appendices, maps. Lisa Mayerhofer's original study of the occupation of Romania during the First World War makes an important...
Acute monocular blindness associated with spontaneous common carotid artery dissection

The evaluation of patients with loss of vision is common in the emergency department. Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a potentially reversible cause of acute monocular blindness. When evaluating a patient with CRAO, the potential underlying causes should be considered while simultaneously initiating treatment. We present a case of spontaneous common carotid artery dissection manifesting as CRAO and propose that spontaneous carotid artery dissection be included in the differential diagnosis of CRAO.
Hepatitis C and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: The clinical perspective

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a commonly transmitted infection that has both hepatic and extrahepatic repercussions. These range from the inflammatory to the oncologic with an undisputed link to hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Its role in the development of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) is becoming better understood, leading to opportunities for research, therapy, and even prevention. Research in the field has progressed significantly over the last decade, with the number of patients diagnosed with HCV and B-NHL rising incrementally. It is therefore becoming crucial to fully understand the pathobiologic link of HCV in B cell lymphomagenesis and its optimal management in the oncologic setting.
On stability of probability laws with univariate stable marginals

Examples of D. Marcus in ℝ2 dispel the belief that a probability measure on ℝd is stable if and only if all its univariate marginals are stable. However, in ℝd (in fact, in fairly general linear spaces), a probability measure whose two-dimensional marginals are all infinitely divisible is stable if and only if all its univariate marginals are stable.
Integrated assessment modeling of climate change adaptation in forestry and pasture land use: A review

Abstract Climate change is likely to affect commercial forest and pasture land use and production activities. As such, behavioral responses that adapt to the new and evolving climatic conditions are also likely. Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) have an important role to play. IAMs are a unique class of models that integrate global biophysical and economic systems in order to explore issues with potentially significant interactions and feedbacks between the two systems, such as potential future impacts from climate change. Climate risks to forestry, pasture, and livestock are potential risks that need to be understood and weighed. Those risks are defined by both the nature of climate change as well as society's adaptive capacity. This paper reviews and characterizes climate change adaptation modeling of forestry and pasture land use by IAMs, as well as economic modeling. The paper discusses what needs to be modeled or considered, what we have learned from the literature available, and issues and opportunities for future research. The literature is sparse, and in an early stage, but has already yielded insights regarding adaptation's potential for reducing risks, and possibly generating societal benefits. Empirical modeling will be important going forward to identify adaptation options and provide an observation based grounding for IAM modeling. Relevant empirical modeling to date is limited but highlights that there are many potential facets to adaptation related to these sectors that need to be considered by IAMs in some form. Data deficiencies will also need to be overcome and IAM model development advanced. This paper is part of a research initiative, and special issue of this journal, to improve adaptation modeling in climate impacts research.
WHY DO ENERGY PRICES MATTER? THE ROLE OF INTERINDUSTRY LINKAGES IN U.S. MANUFACTURING

There is considerable empirical evidence that energy prices had a large effect on the U.S. economy between World War II and the 1980s. This paper argues that linkages between manufacturing industries amplify the effect of an energy price shock and help explain the large effect. In particular, energy-intensive industries are important input suppliers to other industries. When the price of energy increases, energy-intensive industries contract, raising materials prices for other industries. Because of the reduction in materials supply, the downstream industries also contract, which I refer to as the supply effect. Using data from the Census of Manufactures, I find that the supply effect accounted for about one half of the sensitivity of value added to the price of energy. I use plant-level census data to show that the supply effect caused similar changes in value added per plant as in value added per industry. A price increase caused a small, although statistically significant, decrease in entry and had no effect on exit. Finally, the supply effect reduced plant-level labor demand. (JEL E32, Q43)
Increased production of tumor necrosis factor-α by bone marrow leukocytes following benzene treatment of mice

Hematopoiesis is regulated by cytokines released from bone marrow stromal cells and mature leukocytes. Recent studies have identified these cells as targets for benzene-induced hematotoxicity. In the present studies we analyzed the effects of benzene treatment of mice on the production of interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by bone marrow leukocytes. Bone marrow cells isolated from control or benzene-treated mice (660 mg/kg, once/day, 3 days) were purified on lymphocyte separation medium. Cells were then cultured in the presence of varying concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (0.1–10 μg/ml) for 0.5–48 hr. IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α activity in culture supernatants was then quantified. We found a significant (p ≤ 0.02) increase in TNF-α production by bone marrow leukocytes from benzene-treated mice when compared to cells from control animals. Furthermore, this increase was dependent on the macrophage-specific growth factor, colony stimulating factor-1. Benzene treatment was also found to induce a small but significant (p ≤ 0.02) increase in the production of IL-1 by bone marrow leukocytes. This increase was rapid and transient, occurring in supernatants collected 2 hr after inoculation of bone marrow cells into culture. In contrast, benzene treatment had no effect on the production of IL-6 by bone marrow leukocytes. These results demonstrate that benzene treatment of mice stimulates mature bone marrow leukocytes to produce elevated levels of growth regulatory cytokines.
Normed Linear Spaces

Each of the function spaces mentioned in the introduction of th preceding chapter has (with one exception, A(D)) a norm ∥ ∥ [Definition I, 3, 1] which defines the topology of major interest in the space; a neighborhood basis of a point x is the family of sets {y: ∥ x - y ∥ ≦ e} where e > 0.
Production of E1 Radiation in the 2H(d, Υ)4He Reaction at Very Low Energies

An argument is given that the mechanism of charge polarization cannot give rise to E1 radiation in the 2H(d, Υ)4He reaction. It then follows that E1 radiation produced in this reaction probably arises from the spin-dependent part of the E1 operator, although small E1 admixtures have been shown to arise in coupled-channels calculations as a result of Coulomb-induced isospin mixing in 3H and 3He. A proper calculation of this reaction should consider mesonexchange currents and remains to be performed.
Development and application of a heuristic to assess trends in API documentation

Computer technology has made amazing advances in the past few decades; however, the software documentation of today still looks strikingly similar to the software documentation used 30 years ago. If this continues into the 21st century, more and more software developers could be using 20th-century-style documentation to solve 21st-century problems with 21st-century technologies. Is 20th-century-style documentation up to the challenge? How can that be measured? This paper seeks to answer those questions by developing a heuristic to identify whether the documentation set for an application programming interface (API) contains the key elements of API reference documentation that help software developers learn an API. The resulting heuristic was tested on a collection of software documentation that was chosen to provide a diverse set of examples with which to validate the heuristic. In the course of testing the heuristic, interesting patterns in the API documentation were observed. For example, twenty-five percent of the documentation sets studied did not have any overview information, which, according to studies, is one of the most basic elements an API documentation set needs to help software developers learn to use the API. The heuristic produced by this research can be used to evaluate large sets of API documentation, track trends in API documentation, and facilitate additional research.
Finite element, nodal and response matrix methods: A variational synthesis for neutron transport

Abstract The variational principle used to derive finite element approximations to the even-parity neutron transport equation is modified to include the odd parity flux as a Lagrange multiplier along the interelement boundaries. The result is a functional that guarantees nodal balance over each element or node, regardless of the form of the space-angle trial functions that are used. Ritz procedures are employed to yield nodal methods that are analogous to those used extensively in diffusion theory, but without the need for ad-hoc node-to-node interpolation of transverse leakage terms. With spherical harmonics, nodal transport methods are obtained with consistent angular approximations within the nodes and across the node interfaces. The resulting equations are in response matrix form, and from their solution the detailed flux distribution as well as the node-averaged values can be obtained. Diffusion theory comparisons of benchmark eigenvalue problems in two-dimensions demonstrated the efficacy of the new approach relative to response matrix methods in which nodal balance is not satisfied. A two-dimensional spherical harmonics implementation of the method also allows coarse spatial grids to be employed in transport calculations. This, combined with the high degree of vectorization inherent in the red-black solution algorithms, results in order of magnitude decreases in computing times from those of spherical harmonics methods in which low-order spatial finite elements are employed.
An inert liquid marker for density gradient ultracentrifugation in CsCl

Abstract An inert perfluorodated liquid (FC-78) has been found that may be used as a density marker during density gradient centrifugation of DNA in CsCl. The isothermal compressibility of FC-78 at 25°C has been measured at pressures up to 280 atm.
Micro-mechanical aspects of asperity-controlled friction in fiber-toughened ceramic composites

The role of friction as an energy dissipation mechanism is an important aspect of fiber toughening of ceramic materials. The toughening contribution from the work done during fiber/matrix debonding is usually much smaller than that dissipated during frictional sliding of the fiber. The longer the total sliding distance, the more significant the frictional contribution. Friction in most theoretical treatments of composite toughening is characterized by Coulombic friction between the sliding fiber and matrix without regard to the microstructural aspects of interface. Recent microscopical observations indicate the importance of roughness on frictional behavior of the interfaces. In this paper, the authors confirm the empirical observations and address a few fundamental aspects of the role of asperities of developing a micro-mechanical model for interfacial friction.
Determination of the kinetics of TiAl3 formation from fine Ti and Al particles using differential scanning calorimetry

Abstract Differential scanning calorimetry was applied to the study of high temperature kinetics of TiAl 3 formation from the constituent metal powders. The reaction proceeds at a measurable rate above the melting point of aluminum. The effects of various experimental parameters on the reaction kinetics were determined. The heating rate affects the exothermic reaction temperature. In the temperature range 690–740°C, the rate equation obeys the Prout-Tompkins equation and the activation energy and pre-exponential factor are 149 kJ mol −1 and 1.2×10 6 s −1 respectively. In the temperature range 750–900°C, the rate equation obeys a second-order rate equation with an activation energy of 517 kJ mol −1 and a pre-exponential factor of 1.9×10 23 s −1 . These kinetics parameters represent true intrinsic values because they are directly determined by eliminating any heat transfer effects.
Understanding ammonia selective catalytic reduction kinetics over Cu/SSZ-13 from motion of the Cu ions

Abstract Cu/SSZ-13 catalysts with Si/Al = 6 and various Cu/Al ratios are synthesized with solution ion exchange. Catalysts are characterized with surface area/pore volume measurements, Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR), and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Catalytic properties are examined using NO oxidation, ammonia oxidation, and standard ammonia selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) reactions. Prior to full dehydration of the zeolite catalysts, hydrated Cu2+ ions are found to be very mobile as judged from EPR. NO oxidation is catalyzed by O-bridged Cu-dimer species that form at relatively high Cu loadings and in the presence of O2. For NH3 oxidation on samples with low to intermediate Cu loadings, transient Cu-dimers are the low-temperature (⩽300 °C) active centers, while these dissociate to monomers at 350 °C and above and become active centers. For the much more complex standard SCR reaction, transient Cu-dimers are the active sites for reaction temperatures
Mechanisms of plant species impacts on ecosystem nitrogen cycling

Plant species are hypothesized to impact ecosystem nitrogen cycling in two distinctly different ways. First, differences in nitrogen use efficiency can lead to positive feedbacks on the rate of nitrogen cycling. Alternatively, plant species can also control the inputs and losses of nitrogen from ecosystems. Our current understanding of litter decomposition shows that most nitrogen present within litter is not released during decomposition but incorporated into soil organic matter. This nitrogen retention is caused by an increase in the relative nitrogen content in decomposing litter and a much lower carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of soil organic matter. The long time lag between plant litter formation and the actual release of nitrogen from the litter results in a bottleneck, which prevents feedbacks of plant quality differences on nitrogen cycling. Instead, rates of gross nitrogen mineralization, which are often an order of magnitude higher than net mineralization, indicate that nitrogen cycling within ecosystems is dominated by a microbial nitrogen loop. Nitrogen is released from the soil organic matter and incorporated into microbial biomass. Upon their death, the nitrogen is again incorporated into the soil organic matter. However, this microbial nitrogen loop is driven by plant-supplied carbon and provides a strong negative feedback through nitrogen cycling on plant productivity. Evidence supporting this hypothesis is strong for temperate grassland ecosystems. For other terrestrial ecosystems, such as forests, tropical and boreal regions, the data are much more limited. Thus, current evidence does not support the view that differences in the efficiency of plant nitrogen use lead to positive feedbacks. In contrast, soil microbes are the dominant factor structuring ecosystem nitrogen cycling. Soil microbes derive nitrogen from the decomposition of soil organic matter, but this microbial activity is driven by recent plant carbon inputs. Changes in plant carbon inputs, resulting from plant species shifts, lead to a negative feedback through microbial nitrogen immobilization. In contrast, there is abundant evidence that plant species impact nitrogen inputs and losses, such as: atmospheric deposition, fire-induced losses, nitrogen leaching, and nitrogen fixation, which is driven by carbon supply from plants to nitrogen fixers. Additionally, plants can influence the activity and composition of soil microbial communities, which has the potential to lead to differences in nitrification, denitrification and trace nitrogen gas losses. Plant species also impact herbivore behaviour and thereby have the potential to lead to animal-facilitated movement of nitrogen between ecosystems. Thus, current evidence supports the view that plant species can have large impacts on ecosystem nitrogen cycling. However, species impacts are not caused by differences in plant quantity and quality, but by plant species impacts on nitrogen inputs and losses.
Multigenerational Households and the School Readiness of Children Born to Unmarried Mothers

Following the ongoing increase in nonmarital fertility, policy makers have looked for ways to limit the disadvantages faced by children of unmarried mothers. Recent initiatives included marriage promotion and welfare-to-work programs. Yet policy might also consider the promotion of three generational households. We know little about whether multigenerational households benefit children of unwed mothers, although they are mandated for unmarried teen mothers applying for welfare benefits. Multigenerational households are also becoming increasingly common. Thus, using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (N = 217), this study examines whether grandparent-headed coresidential households benefit preschool-aged children’s school readiness, employing propensity score techniques to account for selection into these households. Findings reveal living with a grandparent is not associated with child outcomes for families that select into such arrangements but is positively associated with reading scores and b...
A Conserved Glutamate Is Responsible for Ion Selectivity and pH Dependence of the Mammalian Anion Exchangers AE1 and AE2

The erythrocyte anion exchanger AE1 (band 3) serves as an important model for the study of the mechanism of ion transport. Chemical modification of human erythrocyte AE1 has previously suggested that glutamic acid residue 681 lies within the transport pathway and can cross the permeability barrier. This glutamate is conserved in all anion exchangers sequenced to date. We examined the effect on divalent (sulfate) and monovalent (chloride and bicarbonate) anion transport of mutating the corresponding glutamates in mouse AE1 and the closely related anion exchanger, AE2. Substitution of this conserved glutamate with uncharged or basic amino acids had a negligible effect on the maximal rate of sulfate-sulfate exchange in AE-reconstituted proteoliposomes, but largely abolished the steep pH dependence of sulfate transport observed in wild-type AE1 and AE2. In contrast, exchange of monovalent anions was undetectable in cells expressing these mutants. Replacement of the conserved glutamate with aspartate abolished both monovalent and divalent anion transport. These data suggest that the conserved glutamate residue plays a dual role in determining anion selectivity and in proton coupling to sulfate transport. A model explaining the role of the conserved glutamate in promoting ion selectivity and pH regulation is discussed.
Toward a more complete understanding of the reciprocity of liking effect

It is proposed that the reciprocation of interpersonal attraction is a multifaceted process involving affective, cognitive, and behavioral elements, and that reciprocation can be interpreted using interdependence theory. Two studies investigated whether expressed attraction implies benevolent intentions and whether such intentions are differentially critical to reciprocated affective and behavioral attraction. Study 1 (N = 52) demonstrated that (a) an admirer's expressed attraction suggests an admirer's benevolent intentions toward the target, and (b) that benevolent intentions mediate reciprocated affective and behavioral attraction. Study 2 (N = 173) found a difference between affective and behavioral attraction: affective attraction was reciprocated in all cases; but behavioral attraction was not reciprocated when stated behavioral intentions were not consistent with intentions implied by the expressed attraction. Results support an interdependence theory perspective as particularly important for understanding why and what type of reciprocated attraction will occur. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Constructing and Fitting Active Appearance Models With Occlusion

Active Appearance Models (AAMs) are generative parametric models that have been successfully used in the past to track faces in video. A variety of video applications are possible, including dynamic pose estimation for real-time user interfaces, lip-reading, and expression recognition. To construct an AAM, a number of training images of faces with a mesh of canonical feature points (usually hand-marked) are needed. All feature points have to be visible in all training images. However, in many scenarios parts of the face may be occluded. Perhaps the most common cause of occlusion is 3D pose variation, which can cause self-occlusion of the face. Furthermore, tracking using standard AAM fitting algorithms often fails in the presence of even small occlusions. In this paper we propose algorithms to construct AAMs from occluded training images and to efficiently track faces in videos containing occlusion. We evaluate our algorithms both quantitatively and qualitatively and show successful real-time face tracking on a number of image sequences containing varying degrees of occlusions.
Nested and dynamic contract boundaries

Previous work on software contracts assumes fixed and statically known boundaries between the parties to a contract. Implementations of contract monitoring systems rely on this assumption to explain the nature of contract violations and to assign blame to violators. In this paper, we explain how to implement arbitrary, nested, and dynamic contract boundaries with two examples. First, we add nestable contract regions to a static, first-order module system. Second, we show that even a dynamic, higher-order, and hierarchical module system can be equipped with software contracts that support precise blame assignment.
CARDIAC OVEREXPRESSION OF METALLOTHIONEIN RESCUES CHRONIC ALCOHOL INTAKE-INDUCED CARDIOMYOCYTE DYSFUNCTION: ROLE OF AKT, MAMMALIAN TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN AND RIBOSOMAL P70S6 KINASE

Aims: Reduced insulin sensitivity following alcohol intake plays a role in alcohol-induced organ damage although its precise mechanism is undefined. This study was designed to examine the effect of cardiac overexpression of the antioxidant metalloth- ionein on alcohol-induced cardiac contractile dysfunction and post-receptor insulin signaling. Methods: FVB and metallothionein mice were fed a 4% alcohol diet for 16 weeks. Cardiomyocyte contractile function was evaluated including peak shortening (PS), time-to-PS (TPS), and time-to-relengthening (TR90). Post-insulin receptor signaling molecules Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and ribosomal p70s6 kinase (p70s6k) were evaluated using western blot analysis. Akt1 kinase activity was assayed with a phosphotrans- ferase kit. Results: Alcohol intake dampened whole body glucose tolerance, depressed PS, shortened TPS, and prolonged TR90, which were abrogated by metallothionein with the exception of glucose intolerance. Our results revealed reduced expression of total Akt, phosphorylated mTOR, and phosphorylated p70s6k-to-p70s6k ratio as well as Akt1 kinase activity in alcohol consuming FVB mice. Phosphorylated Akt, total mTOR, and phosphorylated p70s6k were unaffected by alcohol. Metallothionein ablated reduced Akt protein and kinase activity without affecting any other proteins or their phosphorylation. Conclusion: In summary, our data suggest that chronic alcohol intake interrupted cardiac contractile function and Akt/mTOR/p70s6k signaling. Akt but unlikely mTOR and p70s6k may contribute to metallothionein-elicited cardiac protective response.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy for congestive heart failure

Cardiac resynchronization represents a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of congestive heart failure due to systolic dysfunction. Since its modest beginnings in the 1990s, cardiac resynchronization therapy has gained widespread acceptance as a useful adjunct to pharmacologic therapy for congestive heart failure. Randomized trials have consistently shown functional improvement in patients with congestive heart failure due to systolic dysfunction, a wide QRS complex on electrocardiogram and sinus rhythm, that are treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy. This review article will address the rationale, mechanisms of action, limitations and appropriate selection of patients for cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Multicenter experience using simeprevir and sofosbuvir with or without ribavirin to treat hepatitis C genotype 1 in patients with cirrhosis

Interferon (IFN)-free regimens are needed to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Combined simeprevir (SMV) and sofosbuvir (SOF) with or without ribavirin (RBV) results in high sustained virological response (SVR) rates along with minimal adverse events (AEs) in patients with hepatitis C genotype 1 (HCV GT1). The aim of this study was to report on the virological response, safety, and tolerability of SOF and SMV with or without RBV in compensated and decompensated patients with cirrhosis with HCV GT1 infection. Patients treated with standardized clinical protocol utilizing SMV+SOF with or without RBV at three transplant centers were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 119 patients (61% male, 87% white, 69% subtype 1a, 30% Child-Pugh-Turcott [CPT]-B liver cirrhosis [LC], and 82% were treatment experienced) received treatment and were followed for a median of 38 weeks (range, 12-58). Sustained virological response (SVR) at week 12 (SVR12) was achieved in 78% (92 of 118) of patients (95% confidence interval: 69-85). Lower pretreatment Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was a predictor of SVR12 (P = 0.018). Baseline viral load, previous treatment status, RBV use, or GT1 subtype did not impact SVR 12. The majority of patients with SVR12 showed stability or improvement in MELD score. Treatment was very well tolerated with mild degrees of AEs. Conclusions: The regimen of SMV+SOF with or without RBV for 12 weeks was very well tolerated and resulted in high SVR12 rates (78%) in HCV GT1 patients with LC. SVR12 was inversely related to pretreatment MELD. SVR12 had favorable short-term impact on MELD score. Long-term impact on disease stability is yet to be determined. Longer treatment duration or the use of different regimen may still be needed in this population. (Hepatology 2015;62:1004-1012)
Tissue engineering of intact arterial segments by directed remodeling

Traditional approaches of generating tissue-engineered arteries in vitro rely on expansion of cells in culture to seed onto appropriate scaffolds. We propose that small autologous arteries, not the cells derived from them, may be an attractive starting point for engineered arteries. This approach capitalizes on the ability of intact arteries to grow and remodel in response to chronic changes in their mechanical environment. Carotid arteries from juvenile (/spl sim/30-kg) pigs were stretched longitudinally in an ex vivo perfusion system over 9 days. This resulted in a /spl sim/40% increase in artery length at physiological longitudinal stress and a 20 /spl plusmn/ 3% increase when unstressed. In contrast, control arteries perfused for 9 days at their physiological loaded length saw no unstressed length increase. Control and elongated arteries displayed native appearance (macroscopic and histological), excellent viability (cellularity and mitochondrial activity), normal vasoactivity, and similar mechanical properties (ultimate stress and ultimate strain) as compared to freshly harvested arteries. Growth, as opposed to just redistribution of existing mass, contributed to elongation as evidenced by an increase in artery weight. Elongated arteries also maintained similar wall thickness as fresh arteries, whereas control arteries decreased significantly.
Retention of mineral colloids in unsaturated porous media as related to their surface properties

Abstract We investigated the transport of mineral colloids through variably saturated Hanford sediments. Column experiments were conducted under steady-state water flow conditions with effective water saturations ranging from 0.56 to 1.0. Four types of colloidal particles were used: native Hanford colloids, Hanford colloids reacted with waste tank solutions, pure kaolinite, and pure Na-montmorillonite. Colloid transport was described by the mobile–immobile region model accounting for first-order colloid removal from the mobile region. Under saturated conditions, no colloids were removed from the liquid phase during transport, while under unsaturated conditions colloids were removed from the mobile water region. Colloid removal increased with decreasing system saturation. Under constant chemical conditions, colloids captured within the column could quantitatively be recovered in the column outflow by re-saturating the column after each unsaturated-flow breakthrough. Through microscopic observations in a glass micromodel containing suspended air bubbles, we found that colloids did not adhere to the liquid–gas interface. Using the extended DLVO theory, free energies of Lifshitz–van der Waals, electrostatic and Lewis acid/base interactions between colloids, sediments and the liquid–gas interface were calculated based on their independently determined surface thermodynamic properties. Experimental results and surface thermodynamic calculations support the hypothesis that colloids were retained near thin water films of thickness comparable to the colloid diameters.
Estimating a survival distribution with current status data and high-dimensional covariates

We consider the inverse problem of estimating a survival distribution when the survival times are only observed to be in one of the intervals of a random bisection of the time axis. We are particularly interested in the case that high-dimensional and/or time-dependent covariates are available, and/or the survival events and censoring times are only conditionally independent given the covariate process. The method of estimation consists of regularizing the survival distribution by taking the primitive function or smoothing, estimating the regularized parameter by using estimating equations, and finally recovering an estimator for the parameter of interest.
The Role of Community in Disaster Response: Conceptual Models

We focus on the role that community plays in the continuum of disaster preparedness, response and recovery, and we explore where community fits in conceptual frameworks concerning disaster decision-making. We offer an overview of models developed in the literature as well as insights drawn from research related to Hurricane Katrina. Each model illustrates some aspect of the spectrum of disaster preparedness and recovery, beginning with risk perception and vulnerability assessments, and proceeding to notions of resiliency and capacity building. Concepts like social resilience are related to theories of “social capital,” which stress the importance of social networks, reciprocity, and interpersonal trust. These allow individuals and groups to accomplish greater things than they could by their isolated efforts. We trace two contrasting notions of community to Tocqueville. On the one hand, community is simply an aggregation of individual persons, that is, a population. As individuals, they have only limited capacity to act effectively or make decisions for themselves, and they are strongly subject to administrative decisions that authorities impose on them. On the other hand, community is an autonomous actor, with its own interests, preferences, resources, and capabilities. This definition of community has also been embraced by community-based participatory researchers and has been thought to offer an approach that is more active and advocacy oriented. We conclude with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of community in disaster response and in disaster research.
Improving the near-metal performance of UHF RFID tags

It is well-known that UHF RFID tag performance degrades when placed near metal. While the mechanisms for how dipole performance degrades near metal is known, it is generally not known how the parameters of the T-match change in the presence of metal, and what, if anything, can be done to improve near-metal performance. In this paper, we develop a set of expressions that describe the affect of antenna parameters on the input reactance of the antenna near metal, and a set of design principles that can be used to minimize the near-metal impedance mismatch. We conclude by demonstrating these principles with a simple antenna model yields a 12.7 meter free-space read distance, and a read distance of 7 meters when separated by a 3.2 mm HDPE foam dielectric spacer from a large ground plane.
Using a new technique to obtain generating function for convolutional codes

For a large constraint length convolutional code or a typical convolutional projection code, which has a constraint length of 56, Viterbi's state-diagram technique cannot be used to obtain the generating function because of the extremely large number of computations involved. A new technique based on direct computation of the distance, the number of information bits, and the branch length of a path called the state equation calculation is developed to handle such large constraint length codes. A convolutional P3 rate 1/2 code's generating function was calculated by a computer program devised specially for the P3 convolutional projection code utilizing the new technique. The bit error probability upper and lower bounds are compared with the probability of error obtained by simulation. >
Evidence for Cell-Specific Regulation of Transcription of the Rat α2A-Adrenergic Receptor Gene

We investigated the transcriptional activity of the -131 to -92 region of the rat alpha2A-adrenergic receptor gene. In HT29 cells, this region has a positive effect on transcription, whereas in RINm5F cells, this region has a negative effect on transcription. The -131 to -92 region has a GC box (GGGGCGG) surrounded by overlapping GGAGG repeats. To analyze nuclear factor binding to this region, we made a series of sequence substitutions in the GGAGG repeats, the GC box, or both regions. Gel mobility shift assays indicated that most of the nuclear factor complexes formed between the wild-type -131/-92 sequence and either HT29 or RINm5F extracts were specific for SP1 or related proteins that recognize a GC box. Mutation of either the GGAGG repeats or the GC box did not eliminate the binding of Sp1 or related nuclear factors, suggesting that both the GGAGG repeats and the GC box could bind Sp1-related factors. Mutation of both these sites eliminated the binding of Sp1-related factors. In the absence of SP1 binding sites, this region had a negative effect on transcription in HT29 and a positive effect on transcription in RINm5F cells. These data support the notion that Sp1 and/or a related factor may control both positive and negative gene expression and suggest that the -131/-92 region may be involved in regulating tissue-specific levels of alpha2A-adrenergic receptor gene expression.
MODELING IN-PACK CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS

Processes of chemical changes in snow at the earth’s surface are important to understanding both atmosphere-snowpack interactions and the effect of snowmelt on the biogeochemistry of snow-covered areas. Models of in-pack chemical transformations have application to processes in seasonal snowpacks, temperate-region glaciers and polar snow/ice. For example, seasonal snowpacks accumulate “wet” and “dry” deposited material for several months each year, then release much of the chemical load during the first portion of snowmelt. Good physically based models of these processes are important tools for assessing the combined effects of acidic deposition and global change on seasonally snow-covered regions of the earth. Also, good models of gas and solute redistribution in snow/ice over a variety of time scales (years to centuries) are needed to help interpret both temperate-region and polar ice cores.