cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surface versus Edge-Based Determinants of Visual Recognition.

Abstract Two roles hypothesized for surface characteristics, such as color, brightness, and texture, in object recognition are that such information can (a) define the gradients needed for a 2 1 2 -D sketch so that a 3-D representation can be derived (e.g., Marr & Nishihara, 1978 ) and (b) provide additional distinctive features for accessing memory. In a series of five experiments, subjects either named or verified (against a target name) brief (50–100 ms) presentations of slides of common objects. Each object was shown in two versions: professionally photographed in full color or as a simplified line drawing showing only the object's major components (which typically corresponded to its parts). Although one or the other type of picture would be slightly favored in a particular condition of exposure (duration or masking), overall mean reaction times and error rates were virtually identical for the two types of stimuli. These results support a view that edge-based representations mediate real-time object recognition in contrast to surface gradient or multiple cue representations. A previously unexplored distinction of color diagnosticity allowed us to determine whether color (and brightness) was employed as an additional feature in accessing memory for those objects or conditions where there might have been an advantage for the color slides. For some objects, e.g., banana, fork, fish, and camera, color is diagnostic as to the object's classification. For other objects, e.g., chair, pen, mitten, and bicycle pump, color is not diagnostic, as such objects can be of any color. If color was employed in accessing memory, color-diagnostic objects should have shown a relative advantage when presented as color slides compared to the line drawing versions of the same objects. Also, this advantage would be magnified when subjects could anticipate the color of an object in the verification task, particularly on NO trials when the foil was of a different color. Neither an overall advantage for color-diagnostic objects when presented in color nor a magnification of a relative advantage on the NO trials in the verification task was obtained. Although differences in surface characteristics such as color, brightness, and texture can be instrumental in defining edges and can provide cues for visual search, they play only a secondary role in the real-time recognition of an intact object when its edges can be readily extracted.
Ammonites from the Pawpaw Shale (Upper Albian) in northeast Texas

Abstract The lower part of the Pawpaw Shale in northeast Texas yields an abundance of diminutive limonitic ammonites, the assemblage being: Tetragonites sp. juv., Engonoceras serpentinum (Cragin, 1900), Conlinites wrighti gen. et sp. nov., Cantabrigites wenoensis (Adkins, 1920), Neophlycticeras ( Neophlycticeras ) sp., Neophlycticeras ( Paradolphia ) occidentalis sp. nov., Stoliczkaia ( Stoliczkaia ) clavigera Neumayr, 1875, Stoliczkaia ( Lamnayella ) worthense (Adkins, 1920), Stoliczkaia ( Shumarinaia ) asiatica Matsumoto and Inoma, 1975, Enigmaticeras riceae gen. et sp. nov., Flickia simplex Pervinquiere, 1907, Ficheuria pernoni Dubourdieu, 1953, Ficheuria americana sp. nov., Anisoceras armatum (J. Sowerby, 1817), Hamites venetzianus Pictet, 1847, Mariella ( Mariella ) worthensis (Adkins and Winton, 1920), Mariella ( Mariella ) asper sp. nov., Lechites ( Lechites ) comanchensis (Adkins, 1920), Worthoceras worthense (Adkins, 1920), and Scaphites hilli Adkins and Winton, 1920. This assemblage is correlated with the Mortoniceras ( Subschloenbachia ) rostratum Subzone of the European sequence on the basis of the occurrence of that species in the underlying Weno Limestone, in the passage beds between the Pawpaw Shale and the succeeding Main Street Limestone, and the lower part of the Main Street. Some previous authors have interpreted the diminutive limonitic ammonites of the Pawpaw as being “dwarf” or “stunted”. The overwhelming majority of individuals are nuclei of much larger ammonites, with smaller numbers of adults of small species that occur in other facies and geographic locations, together with a smaller number still of paedomorphic dwarfs. The fauna is interpreted as a preservational one, where diagenetic pyrite formed in relatively small voids, either the early phragmocone chambers of larger ammonites, or the phragmocone and body chambers of genuinely diminutive species which oxidised to limonite during the weathering process.
Prelude to corneal tissue engineering – Gaining control of collagen organization

By most standard engineering practice principles, it is premature to credibly discuss the "engineering" of a human cornea. A professional design engineer would assert that we still do not know what a cornea is (and correctly so), therefore we cannot possibly build one. The proof resides in the fact that there are no clinically viable corneas based on classical tissue engineering methods available. This is possibly because tissue engineering in the classical sense (seeding a degradable scaffolding with a population synthetically active cells) does not produce conditions which support the generation of organized tissue. Alternative approaches to the problem are in their infancy and include the methods which attempt to recapitulate development or to produce corneal stromal analogs de novo which require minimal remodeling. Nonetheless, tissue engineering efforts, which have been focused on producing the fundamental functional component of a cornea (organized alternating arrays of collagen or "lamellae"), may have already provided valuable new insights and tools relevant to development, growth, remodeling and pathologies associated with connective tissue in general. This is because engineers ask a fundamentally different question (How can that be done?) than do biological scientists (How is that done?). The difference in inquiry has prompted us to closely examine (and to mimic) development as well as investigate collagen physicochemical behavior so that we may exert control over organization both in cell culture (in vitro) and on the benchtop (de novo). Our initial results indicate that reproducing corneal stroma-like local and long-range organization of collagen may be simpler than we anticipated while controlling spacing and fibril morphology remains difficult, but perhaps not impossible in the (reasonably) near term.
Nucleation behavior of sheared poly(ethylene oxide) melts

The nucleation behavior of a poly(ethylene oxide) melt is measured as the material crystallizes under defined conditions of shear and temperature. Polarized light microscopy is used as the measuring technique. A strong dependence of nucleation rate on supercooling and imposed stress was found. This behavior is explained in terms of stress-induced supercooling of melts. A correlation between the nucleation behavior and morphology of the sheared material is attempted.
Purification of lipases, phospholipases and kinases by heparin-Sepharose chromatography

Heparin interacts with lipases, phospholipases and kinases. Immobilized heparin can be used for the purification of diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol lipases, phospholipases A2 and C and protein and lipid kinases. The use of heparin-Sepharose is an important development in analytical and preparative techniques for the separation and isolation of lipases, phospholipases and kinases.
The effect of varying levels of vagotomy on postprandial lower esophageal sphincter pressure and pancreatic polypeptide.

Feeding produces a sustained increase in lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) that is impeded by vagolytic blockade with atropine. This study determines the effect of varying levels of vagotomy on postprandial LESP and hormones known to stimulate LESP. Six dogs had measurement of fasting and postprandial LESP at 15-min intervals after a 60 g beef meal. Blood was drawn for gastrin and pancreatic polypeptide (PP). The animals then had proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV) and subsequently, truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty (TVP). The studies were repeated after recovery. Feeding produced a marked increase in LESP during the control period (p 0.6). In contrast, TVP completely abolished the LES response to feeding (difference from controls and PGV significant atp 0.6), but were completely abolished by TVP (difference:p < 0.001). Truncal vagotomy abolishes the postprandial rise in both LESP and pancreatic polypeptide. This suggests that vagal influences may play a role in the normal postprandial rise in LESP, possibly by release of pancreatic polypeptide, a hormone known to increase LESP.
Aquatic Hemiptera community structure in stormwater retention ponds: a watershed land cover approach

Stormwater ponds are increasingly common aquatic habitats whose biotic communities are largely unexplored. As anthropogenic development continues to alter the landscape, watershed land use is gaining recognition for its potential to predict species compositions in aquatic systems. This study reports species composition of five aquatic hemipteran families (Notonectidae, Corixidae, Belostomatidae, Nepidae, Pleidae) in 28 permanent, artificial stormwater ponds in watersheds with different land covers and associated contaminant input. We hypothesized that land cover variables would be significant drivers of aquatic hemipteran community structure in ponds, and that ponds with a high percentage of agricultural and lawn cover in the watershed would be characterized by the absence of species intolerant of the chemical, physical, and ultimately biotic changes associated with these watersheds. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMS) was used to identify dominant gradients of species composition and environmental variables. Pond morphology variables, watershed lawn, watershed agriculture, and predatory fish abundance were each found to have statistically significant correlations with hemipteran community structure. The abundance of Notonecta undulata, the species responsible for creating the largest (ranked) distance in species structure among ponds, was positively correlated with shallow, fishless ponds and independent of land use variables. The abundances of four species of corixids were negatively correlated with watershed agriculture, and hemipteran richness was positively correlated with watershed lawn and negatively correlated with pond surface area. Heirarchical cluster analysis revealed non-random hemipteran species assemblages in which congeneric corixid species tended to co-occur, contradicting traditional niche theory. Since artificial stormwater ponds are chemically different from natural-pond habitat and rapidly increasing in number, knowledge of which insect species are capable of thriving in this environment and their relationship to land use in the watershed is of both environmental and evolutionary interest.
On architectures for video compositing

Video compositing, the editing and integrating of many video sequences into a single presentation, is an integral part of advanced multimedia services. Single-user compositing systems have been suggested in the past, but when they are extended to accommodate many users, the amount of memory required quickly grows out of hand. We propose two new architectures for digital video compositing in a multiuser environment that are memory-efficient and can operate in real time. Both architectures decouple the task of memory management from compositing processing. We show that under hard throughput and bandwidth constraints, a memory less solution for transferring data from many video sources to many users does not exist. We overcome this using (i) a dynamic memory buffering architecture and (ii) a constant memory bandwidth solution that transforms the sources-to-users transfer schedule into two schedules, then pipelines the computation. The architectures support opaque overlapping of images, arbitrarily shaped images, and images whose shapes dynamically change from frame to frame.
Group Identity and Conflicting Expectations of the Future in Northern Ireland

Much of the conflict in Northern Ireland is based on investments in one of three opposing political futures possible for the region: remaining part of Britain, joining Ireland, or becoming independent. Speculative scenarios describing each of these futures were randomly assigned to equal numbers of Protestant and Catholic undergraduates in Northern Ireland, and their expectations regarding material and civic improvement for their ingroup and peace and reconciliation between the groups were assessed. Two dimensions of religious identity, measured by the Identity and Public subscales of Luhtanen and Crocker's (1992) Collective Self-Esteem Scale (CSES), moderated the differences between groups, but only for their expectations of peace and reconciliation. Stronger expectations of improvement for the ingroup were related to higher scores on the Public subscale, regardless of religion or the political future presented. Thus, group identity had a complex, context-dependent relationship to intergroup conflict. Language: en
Diffusion, Biological Determinism, and Biocultural Adaptation in the Nubian Corridor

Nubia's position both geographically and historically made it a natural laboratory for application of a historical diffusionist paradigm. That approach, which dominated research on Nubia before 1960, led to a view of Nubian culture history as a series of disconnected episodes, each characterized by the migration, displacement, or hybridization of differing racial stocks. The International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia, begun in 1960, provided a new view of Nubian history, emphasizing both cultural and biological continuity since earliest times. From that perspective, it has become possible to reconsider the forces of biological and cultural change in the Nubian corridor over the past 12,000 years, and to propose that the most reasonable explanation for biocultural change in the Nubia is in situ evolution. [Nubia, biological determinism, biocultural adaptation, diffusionism]
The Revised Model Tax Curriculum

ABSTRACT: The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) first developed the Model Tax Curriculum (MTC) in 1996 and modified it in 1999. Subsequent changes in the accounting profession and education caused a reexamination of the MTC resulting in a complete revision in 2007. The revised MTC is learning outcome‐based and views the accounting curriculum in its entirety. The revised MTC includes a detailed matrix relating its proposed learning outcomes to the AICPA core competencies and tax technical topics commonly included in tax curricula. The matrix offers accounting faculty one example of an approach to be used in achieving the MTC learning outcomes. This approach can serve as a useful starting point to faculty in formulating and documenting their own approaches to developing student competencies that achieve the revised MTC learning objectives. This paper details the development of the MTC and provides an overview of the revised MTC. It also offers pedagogical suggestions helpful for imp...
Prophecy and Anti-Popery in Victorian London: John Cumming Reconsidered

I. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to understand Victorian culture without understanding the role of religion in shaping, consolidating, and challenging that culture. In countless ways, religion was integral to Victorian culture: Britain and Ireland had established churches; political and religious questions were often intertwined, as with the Maynooth Controversy and the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland; religious questions were regularly enacted in public, as when the reestablishment of the Roman Catholic hierarchy (1850) inspired riots and the hangings in effigy of the pope and the newly-created Cardinal, Nicholas Wiseman. Victorians regularly sought religious meanings in cataclysmic events; the response to the Sepoy Rebellion (1857) was framed in religious terms, as Britons from the queen on down sought a divine explanation for the uprising. As that response shows, religion ‐ specifically, Protestant Christianity ‐ was an important component of national identity, as Linda Colley has argued in Britons: Forging the Nation. Thus clergymen were exceptionally influential, both as individuals and as a group, in the
O -GlcNAc profiling: from proteins to proteomes

O-linked β-D-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification (O-GlcNAcylation) onto serine and threonine residues of proteins is an important post-translational modification (PTM), which is involved in many crucial biological processes including transcription, translation, proteasomal degradation, and signal transduction. Aberrant protein O-GlcNAcylation is directly linked to the pathological progression of chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. Identification, site mapping, and quantification of O-GlcNAc proteins are a prerequisite to decipher their functions. In this review, we mainly focus on technological developments regarding O-GlcNAc protein profiling. Specifically, on one hand, we show how these techniques are being used for the comprehensive characterization of certain targeted proteins in which biologists are most interested. On the other hand, we present several newly developed approaches for O-GlcNAcomic profiling as well as how they provide us with a systems perspective to crosstalk amongst different PTMs and complicated biological events. Promising technical trends are also highlighted to evoke more efforts by diverse laboratories, which would further expand our understanding of the physiological and pathological roles of protein O-GlcNAcylation in chronic diseases.
Involvement of Endogenous Proteolytic Activity in Thiol-Induced Release of DNA Template Restrictions in Rabbit Sperm Nuclei

Treatment of rabbit spermatozoa with Triton X-100 and dithiothreitol for increasing periods of time results in progressive increases in both the percentages of spermatozoa with swollen nuclei and in the ability of the swollen nuclei to serve as template for DNA synthesis. The inwilvement of endogenous proteolytic activity in this thiol-induced swelling and release of template restrictions is suggested by the fact that when spermatozoa are incubated in solutions containing various inhibitors of proteolysis (soybean trypsin inhibitor, lima bean trypsin inhibitor, or p-arninobenzamidine) in addition to Triton X-100 and dithiothreitol, inhibition of nuclear swelling and DNA template activity occur. The degree of inhibition is dependent upon the concentration of inhibitor employed. These results demonstrate a direct relationship between release of DNA template restrictions and nudear swelling, and suggest that both processes depend upon some degree of endogenous proteolytic activity as well as upon disulfide reduction.
Slow manifold matching in linear singularly perturbed systems with application to conservative networks

The preservation of the conservative property of power system models without transfer conductance is investigated. It is shown that for linearized models, the approximate slow subsystems obtained from truncated asymptotic expansions can be regarded as the exact slow manifolds of a sequence of auxiliary singularly perturbed systems which converge to the original model. Based on this idea, it is proved that approximate slow subsystems of conservative two-time-scale power systems are conservative. >
Latent Growth Curve Modeling By Kristopher J. Preacher, Aaron L. Wichman, Robert C. MacCallum, and Nancy E. Briggs

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2008, 96 pages, $18.95 (softcover). In this book, the authors aim to provide an introduction to latent growth curve modeling (LGM) to readers who have some background in st...
Tile Test: A Hands-On Approach for Assessing Phonics in the Early Grades.

An instrument for assessing young students' understanding of the English orthographic system is presented. The Tile Test measures understanding of phoneme awareness, letter-sound correspondences, decoding and spelling of words, sight-word reading, and the application of decoding and spelling in sentences. Metalinguistic questions embedded within hands-on interactive activities reveal the nature of children's problem-solving strategies for decoding and spelling words. The instrument is efficient and flexible, and offers feedback to guide instruction. The authors describe the instrument, its administration, and scoring, as well as offer evidence of its validity and reliability. Examples of students' responses are provided to illustrate how analysis and interpretation of results are used to make instructional decisions. The authors discuss ways for teachers to adapt the individually administered test to match their curriculum and to accommodate small-group settings.
Co-contraction of lumbar muscles during the development of time-varying triaxial moments.

The recruitment and co-contraction of lumbar muscles were investigated during the voluntary development of slowly and rapidly varying trunk flexion and extension, lateral bending, and axial twisting moments. Myoelectric signals were recorded from 14 lumbar muscles in nine young men during maximum voluntary exertions and cyclic isometric exertions. System identification techniques were used to calibrate dynamic models of the relationship between myoelectric signals and force. To assess co-contraction, the predicted muscle forces were subdivided into a task-moment set of muscle forces that minimally satisfied moment equilibrium and a co-contraction set of muscle forces that produced zero net moment. The sum of co-contraction muscle forces was used to quantify the degree of co-contraction present. Co-contraction was largely dependent on the direction of exertion and relatively less dependent on the subject or the rate of exertion. Co-contractions were estimated to contribute approximately 16–19% to the sum of muscle forces at a lumbar cross section during attempted extension of the trunk. Estimated co-contractions during attempted lateral bending and axial twisting were two to three times greater, which demonstrates that co-contraction is a major determinant of spinal loading in these tasks. This analysis suggests that substantial contractions of lumbar muscles, especially during asymmetric exertions, are used for reasons other than equilibrating moments at the L3-L4 level.
EVALUATION OF THE RE-EMERGENCE PROCESS OF PARENT ADULT DENDROCTONUS FRONTALIS (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE)

The process of re-emergence of Dendroctonus frontalis parent adults was investigated using emergence traps placed systematically along the bole of infested loblolly pine, Pinus taeda . Daily collections of the traps showed the re-emergence pattern by height through time. Re-emergence/100 cm 2 (Y) was described as a function of time (X) by the model Y = C(18X) B−1 exp (−A(18X) B ) + ɛe for intervals along the infested bole. Peak re-emergence occurred shortly after peak attack density and continued 16–20 days. Highest re-emergence density occurred at the midportion of the infested bole and tapered to the ends. The same model was used to describe re-emergence as an average process for the entire tree. For convenience in evaluating expected re-emergence totals over a time span, the cumulative form of the model was fit to the data. The proportion of re-emergence was studied using bark samples taken at the beginning and end of the process and was found to be 97% of the attacking adult population. An empirical distribution function was developed and the probability of re-emergence described using the function Y = ABCX B−1 exp (−AX B ) + ɛe, where Y = the probability of re-emergence at a time X in days given that a beetle was present on day 1 of the process. The cumulative form of this model was also provided. Using laboratory bioassays parent adults were tested and found to respond to the attractant mixture of frontalin, trans -verbenol, and loblolly pine turpentine. Re-emergence may play several functions in the population dynamics of D . frontalis : conditioning host trees through mass colonization; establishing brood populations through multiple re-emergence, thereby efficiently allocating egg populations; identifying new hosts and aggregating populations through pheromone production; and maintenance of continuity in pheromone production at the active portion of the infestation, thereby identifying the location of trees under colonization. The prolonged re-emergence period was suggested to be of survival value to the insect in that local short term disasters would affect only a small proportion of the re-emerging population. The number of re-emergences and proportions of re-emergence were suggested to be related to oviposition per parent adult and hence attack density.
The Straight Talk Manual. A Self Esteem and Life Skills Workbook for Young People 5th Edition

(2003). The Straight Talk Manual. A Self Esteem and Life Skills Workbook for Young People 5th Edition. Australian Social Work: Vol. 56, No. 3, pp. 276-277.
Homocysteine in Health and Disease. Ralph Carmel and Donald W. Jacobsen, eds. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001, 510 pp., $150.00. ISBN 0-521653-19-3.

Hyperhomocysteinemia promotes hypercoagulation and, as a vasculotoxin and neurotoxin, is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, peripheral vascular, neuropsychiatric, and fetal morbidity and mortality. These conditions are usually preventable and treatable, according to cause, by vitamin B12, B6, and/or folate. The chapters in this excellent, comprehensive book are authored …
The Erosion Properties of Polyanhydrides

Bioerodible polymers play an important role in parenteral drug delivery. They combine the advantage of controlling drug release and being absorbed by the body after fulfilling their task. The mechanism which controls drug release is the erosion of polymer bulk. In order to understand and control the release it is, therefore, essential to know the erosion mechanism of a biodegradable polymer. We found that the polyanhydrides obey a distinct erosion pattern. An erosion zone (the region where material loss occurs) moves from the surface to the center of the discs. The monomers of which these copolymers are composed also seem to play an important role in degradation and erosion.
The instability of omnivorous cultural taste over time

Abstract The omnivore is a form of cultural consumer characterized by conspicuous diversity rather than refinement and exclusion. This study updates previous research comparing breadth of musical taste in 1982–1992 and finds that, contrary to expectations, the high levels of omnivorousness seen in 1992 had declined by 2002 and 2008. We find that this reversion cannot be explained by demographic trends like cohort replacement. Rather it is either the case that omnivorousness was a fad peaking some time around 1992 or we simply cannot know the changing popularity of omnivorousness over time as changes in survey methodology render direct comparisons unreliable.
short-term administration of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) does not induce myocardial IGF-1 resistance

The advent of recombinant technology has revealed attractive therapeutic profile of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) in the treatment of chronic cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes and heart failure. However, the safety and potential adverse effect of IGF-1 have not been well defined. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of short-term IGF-1 administration on myocardial contractile function. Adult rats were given recombinant human IGF-1 (3mg/kg/d, s.c.) for 8 weeks. Mechanical properties were evaluated in left-ventricular papillary muscles using a force-transducer. Myocardial contractile properties analyzed included peak tension development (PTD), time-to-peak tension (TPT), time-to-90% relaxation (RT(90)), and maximal velocity of tension development/decline (+/-VT). Short-term IGF-1 treatment enhanced the plasma IGF-1 level but had no effect on body and organ weights. The myocardium from IGF-1-treated rats exhibited enhanced PTD associated with similar TPT, RT(90), and +/-VT compared to the control group. IGF-1-treated myocardium exhibits an enhanced PTD-Ca(2+) response and a better intracellular Ca(2+) replenishing ability at the low stimulus frequencies. Acute application of IGF-1 (1-500 ng/ml) elicited a comparable concentration-dependent increase in PTD in myocardium from both control and the IGF-1-treated groups. Acute IGF-1 application had no effect on +/-VT, TPT, and RT(90) in either group tested. Pretreatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester blunted the IGF-1-induced positive response in myocardium from both control and IGF-1-treated groups. These results suggest that short-term IGF-1 treatment is unlikely to induce IGF-1 resistance in myocardial contractile function.
Enigmas of mammalian gamete form and function.

The gametes of man and some other Eutheria have been manipulated successfully for practical reasons, but many gaps remain in our basic understanding of the way that they function. This situation stems not least from a failure to recognize the extent to which eutherian spermatozoa and eggs, and elements related to their operation, have come to differ from those of other groups. Novel features in the male that reflect this include a radical design of the sperm head with the acrosome seeming to function primarily in egg-coat binding rather than its lysis, a multifaceted post-testicular sperm maturation and an androgen/low-temperature-regulated system of sperm storage – both tied to the epididymis, a variable male accessory sex gland complex, and descent of the testis and epididymis to a scrotum. In the female, such novelties are represented in a need for sperm capacitation, in an unusual regulation of sperm transport within the oviduct, in the cumulus oophorus and character of the zona pellucida around the small egg, and in a unique configuration of gamete fusion. The collective evidence now suggests that many of these features reflect a new fertilisation strategy or its consequences, with most being causally linked. One initial ‘domino’ in this regard appears to be the small yolkless state of the egg and its intolerance for polyspermy, as determinants of the unusual mode of oviductal sperm transport and possibly the existence and form of the cumulus oophorus. However, a particularly influential first ‘domino’ appears to be the physical character of the eutherian zona pellucida. This differs from the egg coats of other animal groups by virtue of a resilient elasticity and thickness. These qualities allow this primary and often only coat to stretch and so persist during later expansion of the blastocyst, usually until close to implantation. At the same time, the dimensions, physical character, and particularly the relative protease-insensitivity of the zona appear to have had profound effects on sperm form and function and, more indirectly, on sperm-related events in the male and the female tract. Marsupials display some similarities and also some strikingly different features, against which the enigmas of the eutherian situation can be evaluated.
Physics in motion: an interdisciplinary project

Students in computer science and information technology should be engaged in solving real-world problems received from government and industry as well as those that expose them to various areas of application. This paper summarizes the results of an undergraduate research project between students in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) and the Department of Physics. Students were provided with a copy of Satellite Tool Kit®, a commercial software product, and asked to complete research and development tasks based on the concepts learned in a distributed computing course. This interdisciplinary and collaborative effort provided challenges, lessons learned and positive experiences for future development.
Personalizing mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory distress syndrome

Lung-protective ventilation with low tidal volumes remains the cornerstone for treating patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Personalizing such an approach to each patient's unique physiology may improve outcomes further. Many factors should be considered when mechanically ventilating a critically ill patient with ARDS. Estimations of transpulmonary pressures as well as individual's hemodynamics and respiratory mechanics should influence PEEP decisions as well as response to therapy (recruitability). This summary will emphasize the potential role of personalized therapy in mechanical ventilation.
A probabilistic approach to quantifying uncertainties in the progression of severe accidents

A probabilistic approach to quantifying uncertainties in the progression of severe reactor accidents is formulated and applied to the Source Term Code Package. It is shown that quantification of un...
Kinetics of the multichannel reaction of methanethiyl radical (CH3S*) with 3O2.

The CH3S• + O2 reaction system is considered an important process in atmospheric chemistry and in combustion as a pathway for the exothermic conversion of methane-thiyl radical, CH3S•. Several density functional and ab initio computational methods are used in this study to determine thermochemical parameters, reaction paths, and kinetic barriers in the CH3S• + O2 reaction system. The data are also used to evaluate feasibility of the DFT methods for higher molecular weight oxy−sulfur hydrocarbons, where sulfur presents added complexity from its many valence states. The methods include: B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p), B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,2p), CCSD(T)/6-311G(d,p)//MP2/6-31G(d,p), B3P86/6-311G(2d,2p)//B3P86/6-31G(d), B3PW91/6-311++G(3df,2p), G3MP2, and CBS-QB3. The well depth for the CH3S• + 3O2 reaction to the syn-CH3SOO• adduct is found to be 9.7 kcal/mol. Low barrier exit channels from the syn-CH3SOO• adduct include: CH2S + HO2, (TS6, Ea is 12.5 kcal/mol), CH3 + SO2 via CH3SO2 (TS2‘, Ea is 17.8) and CH3SO + O (TS17,...
Outcome of Hemispherectomy for Epilepsy

The clinical course and outcomes of 33 children with refractory epilepsy and hemiplegia are evaluated following hemispherectomy at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, between 1991 and 1997, with particular reference to the underlying pathology, freedom from seizures, change in hemiplegia, cognitive function, and behavior.
Ewald summation approach to potential models of aqueous electrolytes involving gaussian charges and induced dipoles: formal and simulation results.

We present a detailed derivation of the complete set of expressions required for the implementation of an Ewald summation approach to handle the long-range electrostatic interactions of polar and ionic model systems involving Gaussian charges and induced dipole moments with a particular application to the isobaric–isothermal molecular dynamics (NPT-MD) simulation of our Gaussian charge polarizable (GCP) water model and its extension to aqueous electrolyte solutions. The set is comprised of the individual components of the potential energy, electrostatic potential, electrostatic field and gradient, electrostatic force, and corresponding virial. Moreover, we show how the derived expressions converge to known point-based electrostatic counterparts when the parameters, defining the Gaussian charge and induced dipole distributions, are extrapolated to their limiting point values. Finally, we test the simulation outcomes from the Ewald implementation against the corresponding reaction-field (RF) approach at thr...
Notes on the Deer Keds Neolipoptena Ferrisi and Lipoptena Depressa (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) from Colorado, USA

Two species of deer keds, Neolipoptena ferrisi and Lipoptena depressa , are reported from Mule Deer in Colorado, USA, and briefly discussed.
Research of fire flame detection method in video image based on multi-features matching

Compared the traditional method of fire detection in video image,a method based on the multi-features match for fire flame detection was presented.Firstly,this method employ improved Gaussian mixture block model to divide the dynamic area in the monitor screen;secondly,method employ color probability statistical model to extract the color feature of dynamic area and segment the suspected fire area;Finally,calculating the zone circularity characteristics of suspected fire area can judge the existence or not existence of fire.The experimental results show that this method can recognize the fire flame area accurately and has real-time monitoring ability and anti-interference.
Investigation on motor vehicles fire

In recent years,the motor vehicles scattered all the big cities in the whole country,and became the moving building.The following problems were the fire accidents of motor vehicles occurred frequently,the passenger vehicle accident caused massive casualties due to the high density crowd,the freight vehicle accident caused major loss due to the goods concentration of hazardous material transportation,and it might result in secondary disasters like traffic jam or environmental pollution.In this paper,the on-spot inspection and investigation of motor vehicle fire were introduced.The motor vehicle fire was studied in various aspects,such as fire origin determination by scene inspection,evidence collection and detection by investigation and inquiry,and the principle and characteristics of fire cause could be found.So the pertinent measures could be applied to effectively contain and reduce the occurrence of this kind of fire and achieve the object of preventing motor vehicle fire.
Psychopathy and Low Communion: An Overlooked and Underappreciated Core Feature.

Psychopathy is a personality disorder that is robustly linked to interpersonal difficulties, delinquency, aggression, and general antisocial conduct. Previous research has explored a number of potential deficits underlying these behaviors including reduced fear, impaired emotional responding, and poor response modulation. Drawing from extant personality work that has demonstrated the importance of interpersonal antagonism as a core feature of psychopathy, the present project examines low communion as a potential core feature of the disorder in a novel manner-using a social discounting lab task. This possibility was examined in 195 undergraduate students (49% male) via a multimethod approach. In addition to a measure of psychopathy, participants completed a novel social discounting laboratory task designed to measure communion. Participants also completed self-report measures of communion and related constructs including the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised, Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, and Interpersonal Adjective Scales. Results indicate that psychopathic individuals are lower in their level of communion and value social relationships less. Dysfunctions in communion should be studied more specifically in psychopathy as it may be a core feature of the disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record
Estimating time to event characteristics via longitudinal threshold regression models - an application to cervical dilation progression.

In longitudinal studies, it is sometimes of interest to estimate the distribution of the time a longitudinal process takes to traverse from one threshold to another. For example, the distribution of the time it takes a woman's cervical dilation to progress from 3 to 4 cm can aid the decision-making of obstetricians as to whether a stalled labor should be allowed to proceed or stopped in favor of other options. Often researchers treat this type of data structure as interval censored and employ traditional survival analysis methods. However, the traditional interval censoring approaches are inefficient in that they do not use all of the available data. In this paper, we propose utilizing a longitudinal threshold model to estimate the distribution of the elapsed time between two thresholds of the longitudinal process from repeated measurements. We extend this modeling framework to be used with multiple thresholds. A Wiener process under the first hitting time framework is used to represent survival distribution. We demonstrate our model through simulation studies and an analysis of data from the Consortium on Safe Labor study. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Radiation leakage dose from Elekta electron collimation system

This study provided baseline data required for a greater project, whose objective was to design a new Elekta electron collimation system having significantly lighter electron applicators with equally low out-of field leakage dose. Specifically, off-axis dose profiles for the electron collimation system of our uniquely configured Elekta Infinity accelerator with the MLCi2 treatment head were measured and calculated for two primary purposes: 1) to evaluate and document the out-of-field leakage dose in the patient plane and 2) to validate the dose distributions calculated using a BEAMnrc Monte Carlo (MC) model for out-of-field dose profiles. Off-axis dose profiles were measured in a water phantom at 100 cm SSD for 1 and 2 cm depths along the in-plane, cross-plane, and both diagonal axes using a cylindrical ionization chamber with the 10 × 10 and 20 × 20 cm2 applicators and 7, 13, and 20 MeV beams. Dose distributions were calculated using a previously developed BEAMnrc MC model of the Elekta Infinity accelerator for the same beam energies and applicator sizes and compared with measurements. Measured results showed that the in-field beam flatness met our acceptance criteria (± 3% on major and ±4% on diagonal axes) and that out-of-field mean and maximum percent leakage doses in the patient plane met acceptance criteria as specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Cross-plane out-of-field dose profiles showed greater leakage dose than in-plane profiles, attributed to the curved edges of the upper X-ray jaws and multileaf collimator. Mean leakage doses increased with beam energy, being 0.93% and 0.85% of maximum central axis dose for the 10 × 10 and 20 × 20 cm2 applicators, respectively, at 20 MeV. MC calculations predicted the measured dose to within 0.1% in most profiles outside the radiation field; however, excluding model-ing of nontrimmer applicator components led to calculations exceeding measured data by as much as 0.2% for some regions along the in-plane axis. Using EGSnrc LATCH bit filtering to separately calculate out-of-field leakage dose components (photon dose, primary electron dose, and electron dose arising from interactions in various collimating components), MC calculations revealed that the primary electron dose in the out-of-field leakage region was small and decreased as beam energy increased. Also, both the photon dose component and electron dose com-ponent resulting from collimator scatter dominated the leakage dose, increasing with increasing beam energy. We concluded that our custom Elekta Infinity with the MLCi2 treatment head met IEC leakage dose criteria in the patient plane. Also, accuracy of our MC model should be sufficient for our use in the design of a new, improved electron collimation system.
Measuring Cross-Country Differences in Misallocation

In this paper, we discuss the role that data processing and collection have for the measurement of misallocation. First, we turn to the raw self-reported data for the US, reflecting what can be found in most developing countries. In the raw data, measured misallocation (following Hsieh and Klenow 2009) is substantially higher than for any other country for which we have census data. For instance, if Indian firms had the same dispersion of distortions as measured in the reported US data, TFP in the Indian manufacturing sector would decrease by around 2/3. Second, we follow a different strategy for editing and imputing missing data than what is used by the US Census Bureau, by using a method that seeks to replicate the true variance in the underlying data generating process known as Classification and Regression Trees (CART). This change raises the potential gains from removing misallocation in the United States manufacturing sector by around 10%.
39. FACS-Based Enrichment of a Highly Purified HBB-Targeted Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Population Using rAAV6 and CRISPR/Cas9

Precise engineered nuclease-mediated gene correction via homologous recombination (HR) in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) has the power to transform curative therapies for monogenic diseases of the immune system. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common monogenic diseases, affecting millions of people worldwide. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is the only curative treatment for patients with SCD; however, immunocompatibility issues, graft-versus-host disease, and graft rejection are major roadblocks for efficacious therapy. In theory, the ideal curative strategy for SCD and most monogenic immune diseases is ex vivo gene correction of patient-derived HSPCs followed by autologous HSCT of a highly purified targeted population to avoid possible complications of competition between unedited and gene-targeted HSPCs in vivo. By supplying a homologous GFP-expressing HBB donor via recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 6 (rAAV6) in combination with a double strand break created by the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we achieved HR frequencies of 15-49% of HSPCs, and more importantly, identified a population of HBB-targeted HSPCs (HSPCHBB) through a log-fold MFI increase in chromosomal transgene expression. Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) of this population revealed consistent GFP expression in >95% of cells over two weeks in vitro in multiple CD34+ donors isolated from either bone marrow, cord blood or peripheral blood. Single-cell FACS of HSPCHBB into methylcellulose led to both myeloid and lymphoid colony formation, and on-target PCR analysis revealed >95% of these HSPCHBB clones had either a mono or biallelic-targeting event. Notably, a fraction of HSPCHBB displayed the CD34+/CD38-/CD90+/CD45RA-immunophenotype, suggesting successful targeting of long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs). Furthermore, HSPCHBB displayed long-term engraftment in the bone marrow of immunodeficient NSG mice at 12 weeks post-transplant, where we identified that ~70% of human cells were GFP+ and also produced both myeloid (CD33+) and lymphoid (CD19+) cell types, implying that the HSPCHBB population contains true LT-HSCs that can repopulate a functional immune system. Altogether, these proof-of-concept studies showed that by combining a homologous rAAV6 donor, the CRISPR/Cas9 system, and FACS, it is feasible to generate and enrich a highly purified population of gene-corrected HSPCs that include LT-HSC potentials.
Stress Adaptation Through Exercise

Abstract This article presents research studies concerning the effects of exercise upon the adrenal glands and the autonomic nervous system. The evidence supports the theory that repeated exercise “conditions” the stress adaptation mechanism. The ability to adjust to stress is helped through an increased sensitivity of the adrenal glands and less adjustment necessary because of a more efficient mechanism resulting from an exercise program.
Solving Societal Problems

The chapter is for solving different societal problems in distributed systems, naming typical ones and introducing a new trend in the field called Human Terrain which stems from military but may have important applications in civil areas too. Many problems can be investigated using social networks effectively represented and processed in SGL. The shown cases are influenced by theoretical tasks from the previous chapter; they also consider finding topological center of a community and regular checking physical distance between such centers of different communities, alarming if a certain threshold reached. Tracing movement of elderly people in large urban environments with emergency medical support, also distributed relief solutions after crises or disasters, including guided collective evacuation from a disaster zone, are exhibited too.