cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Dwell-Based Gaze Typing with Dynamic, Cascading Dwell Times

We present cascading dwell gaze typing, a novel approach to dwell-based eye typing that dynamically adjusts the dwell time of keys in an on-screen keyboard based on the likelihood that a key will be selected next, and the location of the key on the keyboard. Our approach makes unlikely keys more difficult to select and likely keys easier to select by increasing and decreasing their required dwell times, respectively. To maintain a smooth typing rhythm for the user, we cascade the dwell time of likely keys, slowly decreasing the minimum allowable dwell time as a user enters text. Cascading the dwell time affords users the benefits of faster dwell times while causing little disruption to users' typing cadence. Results from a longitudinal study with 17 non-disabled participants show that our dynamic cascading dwell technique was significantly faster than a static dwell approach. Participants were able to achieve typing speeds of 12.39 WPM on average with our cascading technique, whereas participants were able to achieve typing speeds of 10.62 WPM on average with a static dwell time approach. In a small evaluation conducted with five people with ALS, participants achieved average typing speeds of 9.51 WPM with our cascading dwell approach. These results show that our dynamic cascading dwell technique has the potential to improve gaze typing for users with and without disabilities.
Discovery of Subtype-Specific Mirnas and New MiR-Genes In Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract 3232 MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate the activity of protein-coding genes and some miRNAs have been shown to be dysregulated in cancer. The function of miRNAs differs per cell type and prominent miRNAs in e.g. B-cell lymphoma may not be important in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). To identify which miRNAs may be relevant in pediatric ALL the expression level of 397 different miRNAs was measured in leukemic cells (>90% purity) of 81 pediatric ALL and 17 normal hematopoietic control samples by stem-loop reverse-transcriptase (RT) quantitative real-time PCR. Except for BCRABL1- positive and B-other ALL, all major subtypes including T-ALL, MLL -rearranged, TELAML1- positive, E2APBX1- positive and hyperdiploid (>50 chromosomes) ALL presented with unique miRNA signatures that differ from each other and from those in healthy hematopoietic cells. The expression levels highly varied amongst subtypes and, for example, differed by 4000-fold for miR-708 in T-ALL (P TELAML1 -positive ALL (P MLL -rearranged and 14/22 T-ALL patients. In particular, all T-ALL cases carrying CALM-AF10 , MLL-AF6 , SET-NUP214 or an inversion of chromosome 7 expressed high levels of miR-196b similar to MLL -rearranged ALL. These genetic subtypes have all been functionally linked to upregulation of HOXA cluster genes. In correspondence, miR-196b expression levels were also highly correlated with HOXA (Rs>0.7, p HOXB and HOXC cluster genes. High levels of miR-196b coincide with reduced methylation of the DNA at CpG islands directly upstream of miR-196b in MLL -rearranged cases compared to non- MLL precursor B-ALL and normal bone marrow cases, suggesting an epigenetic origin for miR-196b overexpression in these patients. High-throughput sequencing (Solexa technology) of small RNA libraries representing 7 subtypes of ALL and 3 normal hematopoietic tissue types followed by application of stringent computational miRNA precursor prediction algorithms resulted into the identification of 28 novel and 431 candidate novel miR-genes (besides 554 known miR-genes) for which the expression levels differed between genetic subtypes of pediatric ALL and normal hematopoietic cells. Stem-loop RT-quantitative real-time PCR confirmed aberrant expression levels of newly discovered miR-genes in a different set of patients. These data may point to leukemia-associated miRNAs for which the (aberrant) expression level and activity may be cell type (e.g. MLL -subtype) specific. These subtype-specific (known and novel) miRNAs may have stayed unrecognized when analyzed in a set of genetically unspecified ALL cases. In conclusion, genetic subtypes of ALL display unique miRNA expression signatures. Functional studies are in progress for these discriminative miRNAs since this may provide new insights into the biology of ALL subtypes. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The Uses and Misuses of “Fascism”

The abuse of the term “fascism” has become so widespread that it may be impossible to arrest. The best that a scholar can do in addressing this problem (and in this task the author has not been alone) is calling attention as often as possible in as many venues as possible to the extent of the abuse. It may also be helpful to continue to explain why this semantic and rhetorical practice has become so deeply ingrained in Western societies.
Water Adsorption Isotherms on Fly Ash from Several Sources.

In this study, horizontal attenuated total reflection (HATR) Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was combined with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) gravimetry to investigate the adsorption isotherms of water on fly ash, a byproduct of coal combustion in power plants. Because of composition variability with the source region, water uptake was studied at room temperature as a function of relative humidity (RH) on fly ash from several regions: United States, India, The Netherlands, and Germany. The FT-IR spectra show water features growth as a function of RH, with water absorbing on the particle surface in both an ordered (ice-like) and a disordered (liquid-like) structure. The QCM data was modeled using the Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) adsorption isotherm model. The BET model was found to describe the data well over the entire range of RH, showing that water uptake on fly ash takes place mostly on the surface of the particle, even for poorly combusted samples. In addition, the source regi...
The American Journalist in the Digital Age

This paper reports findings from a 2013 survey of 1080 US journalists and a 2014 survey of 1230 US citizens, focusing on their views of traditional journalism roles and the performance of journalism in the United States. The study finds significant differences in how journalists and the public evaluate news media performance and journalistic roles. It also finds that news consumption and social media use predict stronger support for traditional journalistic roles among journalists and citizens.
073_16815-K2 Serial Assessment of Peak Oxygen Consumption in Patients With Heart Failure Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Predicting and Tracking Level of Echocardiographic Improvement

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a valuable approach to improving clinical status in patients with heart failure (HF). Given the changes in cardiac function and geometry, parallel improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can also be expected. The current analysis assesses: 1)
Measuring in-vivo and in-situ ex-vivo the 3D deformation of the lamina cribrosa microstructure under elevated intraocular pressure

Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) deforms the lamina cribrosa (LC), a structure within the optic nerve head (ONH) in the back of the eye. Evidence suggests that these deformations trigger events that eventually cause irreversible blindness, and have therefore been studied in-vivo using optical coherence tomography (OCT), and ex-vivo using OCT and a diversity of techniques. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no in-situ ex-vivo studies of LC mechanics. Our goal was two-fold: to introduce a technique for measuring 3D LC deformations from OCT, and to determine whether deformations of the LC induced by elevated IOP differ between in-vivo and in-situ ex-vivo conditions. A healthy adult rhesus macaque monkey was anesthetized and IOP was controlled by inserting a 27- gauge needle into the anterior chamber of the eye. Spectral domain OCT was used to obtain volumetric scans of the ONH at normal and elevated IOPs. To improve the visibility of the LC microstructure the scans were first processed using a novel denoising technique. Zero-normalized cross-correlation was used to find paired corresponding locations between images. For each location pair, the components of the 3D strain tensor were determined using non-rigid image registration. A mild IOP elevation from 10 to 15mmHg caused LC effective strains as large as 3%, and about 50% larger in-vivo than in-situ ex-vivo. The deformations were highly heterogeneous, with substantial 3D components, suggesting that accurate measurement of LC microstructure deformation requires high-resolution volumes. This technique will help improve understanding of LC biomechanics and how IOP contributes to glaucoma.
The archiving of space astronomy data

When considering the archiving of space astronomy data, one has only to look at the current and projected astrophysics missions to be aware of the enormity of the archival requirements and the urgent need for careful planning in order to properly manage all the data which is and will be acquired. The current list of astrophysics missions for which NASA supports observing/archival phases during the next ten years numbers 23! Even when a mission’s observing period was less than a year, as for the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS), or only a week, as for Astro-1, the archival phases last for many years, especially if the archives are user-friendly and easily accessible.
Ф-Variation of the Local Times of Symmetric Lévy Processes and Stationary Gaussian Processes

Let \( X = \left\{ {X(t),t \in {R^ + }} \right\} \) be a symmetric real-valued Levy process with characteristic function $$ E{e^{i\lambda X(t)}} = {e^{ - t\psi (\lambda )}} $$ (1.1) and Levy exponent $$ \psi (\lambda ) = 2\int_0^\infty {(1 - \cos {\text{ }}u\lambda )} {\text{ }}dv(u) $$ (1.2) for v a Levy measure, i.e. \( \int_0^\infty {(1 \wedge {u^2})} {\text{ }}dv(u){\text{ < }}\infty \) We also include the case \( \psi (\lambda ) = {\lambda ^2}/2 \) which gives us standard Brownian motion.
Broadband Internet and Crisis Economy in China

This paper, in contrast, seeks to contextualize the conditions, motivations, processes, and dilemmas of building a broadband-based information economy, underscoring the collusion between the state and capital and their limitations. How does the state concerned with domestic interests articulate with a global political economy of information in terms of broadband development? How does the broadband Internet fit within and modify power dynamics in the telecom market? And what measures have been taken to make broadband commercially viable and socially responsible, with what limitations?
Imaging CWR22 prostate tumors in mice with MORF-B72.3 antibody and Tc99m-cMORF (MORF pretargeting)

1482 Objectives: We are developing tumor pretargeting using MORF oligomers. We have now applied this technology to the pretargeting of prostate xenografts in mice because of the need for improved prostate cancer detection and because imaging of prostate tumors is particularly challenging. Methods: The B72.3 anti-TAG-72 antibody was conjugated with our standard 18 mer MORF while the complementary cMORF was radiolabeled with Tc99m. The specific binding of the B72.3 antibody to CWR22 prostate tumor fragments was first confirmed by placing the In111 labeled antibody in competition with increasing concentrations of the native antibody. The antibody biodistribution when administered IV at 30 ug was then determined at 3 days in nude mice bearing CWR22 tumors. Thereafter, tumored mice received IV the unlabeled MORF-B72.3 at the same 30 ug dosage and, 3 days later, received IV the Tc99m-cMORF at a dosage selected from earlier experience in the pretargeting of LS174T tumor bearing mice. At 3 h post radioactivity administration, the animals were sacrificed for biodistribution. As controls, an identical group of tumored mice received the radiolabeled cMORF but not the antibody. To obtain both SPECT (HiSPECT, Bioscan) and planar images, one animal received a higher radioactivity dosage. Results: The B72.3 antibody bound specifically to the CWR22 tumor to confirm the presence of TAG-72 expression. The pharmacokinetics of the antibody provided a tumor accumulation of 4.28 %ID/g at 3 days. The tumor accumulation at 3 h of Tc99m-cMORF in the study animals averaged 1.81 %ID/g compared to only 0.12 %ID/g in the control animals, confirming that the MORF-B72.3 in tumor was accessible to the radiolabeled cMORF. Both the SPECT and planar images showed activity only in tumor and kidneys apart from bladder. The tumor/normal tissue ratios obtained by pretargeting at 3 h were comparable or superior in most tissues to those obtained at 3 d in the In111 labeled antibody study. Conclusions: Prostate cancer xenograft in mice was imaged successfully by MORF pretargeting.
Diaphragm Ultrasound in the Intensive Care Unit

Diaphragm dysfunction is an increasingly recognized consequence of critical illness and mechanical ventilation. Ultrasound of the diaphragm is a convenient, noninvasive modality for assessing diaphragm function at the bedside in the intensive care unit and can be used to determine the presence of diaphragm paralysis, dysfunction, and atrophy. Ultrasound can be used to visualize either the dome of the diaphragm or the diaphragm muscle where it abuts the rib cage (zone of apposition of the diaphragm to the rib cage (ZAP)). Either the M- or B-mode can be used to image the diaphragm dome or diaphragm muscle in the ZAP. The motion of the dome during the breathing cycle is best appreciated using the M-mode, whereas the thickening of the diaphragm muscle during inspiration is best appreciated using the B-mode in the ZAP. The advantages of visualizing the diaphragm in the ZAP include measuring the degree to which it contracts during inspiration and its thickness prior to inspiration. These measures have been used to determine whether a diaphragm is paralyzed, if atrophy is present, and suitability of a patient to wean from mechanical ventilation. This chapter will review technical features of imaging the diaphragm dome and the diaphragm in the ZAP and discuss functional correlates of these measures. The capability of ultrasound to specifically evaluate diaphragm function provides the clinician with valuable and immediate information on a traditionally inaccessible organ system which may be used on daily rounds.
Thickness dependence of Al0.88Sc0.12N thin films grown on silicon

Abstract The thickening behavior of aluminum scandium nitride (Al0.88Sc0.12N) films grown on Si(111) substrates has been investigated experimentally using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy, and residual stress measurement. Al0.88Sc0.12N films were grown with thicknesses spanning 14 nm to 1.1 μm. TEM analysis shows that the argon sputter etch used to remove the native oxide prior to deposition produced an amorphous, oxygen-rich surface, preventing epitaxial growth. XRD analysis of the films show that the AlScN(002) orientation improves as the films thicken and the XRD AlScN(002) rocking curve full width half maximum decreases to 1.34° for the 1.1 μm thick film. XRD analysis shows that the unit cell is expanded in both the a- and c-axes by Sc doping; the a-axis lattice parameter was measured to be 3.172 ± 0.007 A and the c-axis lattice parameter was measured to be 5.000 ± 0.001 A, representing 1.96% and 0.44% expansions over aluminum nitride lattice parameters, respectively. The grain size and roughness increase as the film thickness increases. A stress gradient forms through the film; the residual stress grows more tensile as the film thickens, from −1.24 GPa to +8.5 MPa.
Effects of Aggregation Lure and Tree Species on Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Seasonal Oviposition.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal), is a polyphagous pest that feeds on a wide variety of agricultural commodities including tree fruits, berries, vegetables, field crops, and ornamental trees and shrubs. Accurate knowledge of where H. halys lays eggs is critical to optimize the potential release of Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead), a scelionid egg parasitoid native to the same host region as H. halys. Ideally, parasitoids should be released in and around areas with high host density. In southwestern Virginia in 2017 and 2018, we searched trees for egg masses in an urban environment and nonmanaged wooded border environment. We also evaluated the effects of a commercial aggregation lure on the number of eggs being deposited. This aggregation lure, when combined with methyl (E,E,Z)-2,4,6-decatrienoate (MDT), has been shown to attract both adult and nymph H. halys and its effects on egg laying were not known. Results of this study showed no difference between the number of eggs laid on trees with and without lures. Catalpa trees, Catalpa bignonioides Walter, had the most egg masses throughout the course of the study; however, the redbud, Cercis canadensis L., had similar numbers in the late July and August. There was an overall trend with more eggs masses found on trees with fruiting structures present.This information can provide insight on where and when to make augmentative releases of egg parasitoids for H. halys.
Arctic Beringia and Native American Origins

The central lowland of Beringia (aka the Bering land bridge) has been viewed alternately as a barrier or a refugium to the Native American founder population during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). ...
Who Creates a Google Scholar Profile

This article uses data collected from Google Scholar to identify characteristics of scholars who have chosen to create a Google Scholar profile. Among tenured and tenure-track faculty with full-time appointments in PhD-granting political science departments, we find that only 43.7% have created a profile. However, among R1 faculty, young and early-career faculty are more likely to have Google Scholar profiles than those in older cohorts. Although subfield differences are largely nonexistent, there is a notably low proportion of theory faculty with profiles and a slightly higher proportion with profiles among methodologists. Moreover, within cohorts, those who are highly cited are more likely to have profiles than those who have low citation counts. We conclude by discussing implications of our findings, the increasing usage of Google Scholar and profiles, and the increasing importance of an online presence in the academy.
Dual GIP and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Tirzepatide Improves Beta-cell Function and Insulin Sensitivity in Type 2 Diabetes.

CONTEXT Novel dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA) tirzepatide demonstrated substantially greater glucose control and weight loss (WL) compared with selective GLP-1RA dulaglutide. OBJECTIVE Explore mechanisms of glucose control by tirzepatide. DESIGN Post hoc analyses of fasting biomarkers and multiple linear regression analysis. SETTING Forty-seven sites in 4 countries. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Three hundred and sixteen subjects with type 2 diabetes. INTERVENTIONS Tirzepatide (1, 5, 10, 15 mg), dulaglutide (1.5 mg), placebo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Analyze biomarkers of beta-cell function and insulin resistance (IR) and evaluate WL contributions to IR improvements at 26 weeks. RESULTS Homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) 2-B significantly increased with dulaglutide and tirzepatide 5, 10, and 15 mg compared with placebo (P ≤ .02). Proinsulin/insulin and proinsulin/C-peptide ratios significantly decreased with tirzepatide 10 and 15 mg compared with placebo and dulaglutide (P ≤ .007). Tirzepatide 10 and 15 mg significantly decreased fasting insulin (P ≤ .033) and tirzepatide 10 mg significantly decreased HOMA2-IR (P = .004) compared with placebo and dulaglutide. Markers of improved insulin sensitivity (IS) adiponectin, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-2 significantly increased by 1 or more doses of tirzepatide (P < .05). To determine whether improvements in IR were directly attributable to WL, multiple linear regression analysis with potential confounding variables age, sex, metformin, triglycerides, and glycated hemoglobin A1c was conducted. WL significantly (P ≤ .028) explained only 13% and 21% of improvement in HOMA2-IR with tirzepatide 10 and 15 mg, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Tirzepatide improved markers of IS and beta-cell function to a greater extent than dulaglutide. IS effects of tirzepatide were only partly attributable to WL, suggesting dual receptor agonism confers distinct mechanisms of glycemic control.
Mechanotransduction in gastrointestinal smooth muscle cells: Role of mechanosensitive ion channels.

Mechanosensation, the ability to properly sense mechanical stimuli and transduce them into physiologic responses, is an essential determinant of gastrointestinal (GI) function. Abnormalities in thi...
Cardioprotective effect of nicorandil on isoproterenol induced cardiomyopathy in the Mdx mouse model.

Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) associated cardiomyopathy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In an in vitro DMD cardiomyocyte model, nicorandil reversed stress-induced cell injury through multiple pathways implicated in DMD. We aimed to test the efficacy of nicorandil on the progression of cardiomyopathy in mdx mice following a 10-day treatment protocol. Methods A subset of mdx mice was subjected to low-dose isoproterenol injections over 5 days to induce a cardiac phenotype and treated with vehicle or nicorandil for 10 days. Baseline and day 10 echocardiograms were obtained to assess cardiac function. At 10 days, cardiac tissue was harvested for further analysis, which included histologic analysis and assessment of oxidative stress. Paired student's t test was used for in group comparison, and ANOVA was used for multiple group comparisons. Results Compared to vehicle treated mice, isoproterenol decreased ejection fraction and fractional shortening on echocardiogram. Nicorandil prevented isoproterenol induced cardiac dysfunction. Isoproterenol increased cardiac fibrosis, which nicorandil prevented. Isoproterenol increased gene expression of NADPH oxidase, which decreased to baseline with nicorandil treatment. Superoxide dismutase 2 protein expression increased in those treated with nicorandil, and xanthine oxidase activity decreased in mice treated with nicorandil during isoproterenol stress compared to all other groups. Conclusions In conclusion, nicorandil is cardioprotective in mdx mice and warrants continued investigation as a therapy for DMD associated cardiomyopathy.
Vitamin D modulates cortical transcriptome and behavioral phenotypes in an Mecp2 heterozygous Rett syndrome mouse model

Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked neurological disorder caused by mutations in the transcriptional regulator MECP2. Mecp2 loss-of-function leads to the disruption of many cellular pathways, including aberrant activation of the NF-{kappa}B pathway. Genetically attenuating the NF-{kappa}B pathway in Mecp2-null mice ameliorates hallmark phenotypes of RTT, including reduced dendritic complexity, raising the question of whether NF-{kappa}B pathway inhibitors could provide a therapeutic avenue for RTT. Vitamin D is a known inhibitor of NF-{kappa}B signaling; further, vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in RTT patients and male Mecp2-null mice. We previously demonstrated that vitamin D rescues the aberrant NF-{kappa}B activity and reduced neurite outgrowth of Mecp2-knockdown cortical neurons in vitro, and that dietary vitamin D supplementation rescues decreased dendritic complexity and soma size of neocortical projection neurons in both male hemizygous Mecp2-null and female heterozygous mice in vivo. Here, we have identified over 200 genes whose dysregulated expression in the Mecp2+/- cortex is modulated by dietary vitamin D. Genes normalized with vitamin D supplementation are involved in dendritic complexity, synapses, and neuronal projections, suggesting that the rescue of their expression could underpin the rescue of neuronal morphology. Further, motor and anxiety-like behavioral phenotypes in Mecp2+/- mice correlate with circulating vitamin D levels, and there is a disruption in the homeostasis of the vitamin D synthesis pathway in Mecp2+/- mice. Thus, our data indicate that vitamin D modulates RTT pathology and its supplementation could provide a simple and cost-effective partial therapeutic for RTT.
Sponsorship Disclosure and Third-Party Revelation of Instagram Influencer Advertising: Impact on The Brand and The Influencer

Despite the regulations requiring disclosure of a paid partnership between a brand and an influencer, some influencers fail to follow them. This study examined consumer perception consequences of the interplay between Instagram influencers’ brand sponsorship disclosure and a third-party revelation of the brand sponsorship. Data were collected via an online experiment with a convenience sample of 319 college students. The results indicate that Instagram influencers’ brand sponsorship disclosure negatively impacts consumers’ perceived credibility of the influencer in two dimensions: trustworthiness and expertise. However, the influencer’s credibility in attractiveness and the brand’s perceived sincerity, both of which were significant predictors of brand attitude, were not impacted by the influencer’s disclosure of the brand sponsorship information. Further, the third-party revelation of the brand sponsorship information does not have an influence on consumers’ perceptions about the influencer or the brand. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Ocean connectivity drives trophic support for consumers in an intermittently closed coastal lagoon

Abstract Estuarine food webs are complex, as marine, freshwater, and terrestrial inputs combine and contribute variable amounts of organic material. Seasonal fluctuations in precipitation amplify the dynamism inherent to estuarine food webs, particularly in lagoonal estuaries, which can be seasonally closed and disconnected from the ocean in low-runoff periods (bar-built lagoons). Despite their abundance along coastlines in Mediterranean climates, the organic matter sources fueling bar-built lagoon food webs are poorly understood, particularly with respect to seasonal hydrologic variability, episodic marine connections, and internal nutrient cycling. In this study, we evaluate the food web of a bar-built lagoon with respect to seasonal differences in lagoon water quality, the sources of organic matter which support consumers, and the trophic ecology of resident fishes. Observed water quality conditions reflected biogeochemical processes associated with salinity-driven stratification and high lagoon residence times and were associated with strong seasonal differences in the contribution of different organic matter sources to lagoon consumers. A variety of organic matter sources supported consumers; marine inputs were important to lagoon food webs in spring when the lagoon was open, while summer food webs were largely driven by phytoplankton which was likely fueled by internal nutrient cycling. Fish diets were largely comprised of crustaceans and fish eggs, with clearly defined trophic niches in spring but high overlap in summer. This study demonstrates that the seasonal changes in bar-built lagoon food webs are largely dependent on ocean connectivity and internal cycling within the lagoon, rather than watershed processes as is typical for many estuaries.
Dynamic Virtual Machine Placement for Cloud Computing Environments

With the increasing application of large scale cloud computing platforms, how to place virtual machine (VM) requests into available computing servers to reduce energy consumption has become a hot research subject. However, the current VM placement approaches are still not effective for live migrations with dynamic characters. In this paper, we proposed a dynamic VM placement scheme for energy efficient resource allocation in a cloud platform. Our dynamic VM placement scheme supports VM requests scheduling and live migration to minimize the number of active nodes in order to save the overall energy in a virtualized data center. Specifically, the proposed VM placement scheme is built on a statistical mathematic framework, and it incorporates all the virtualization overheads in the dynamic migration process. In addition, our scheme considers other important factors in related to power consumption, and it is ready to be extended with more considerations on users demand. We conduct extensive evaluations based on HPC jobs in a simulated environment. The results prove the effectiveness of our scheme.
From Seligman to Shoup: The Early Columbia School of Taxation and Development

In 1949, the Columbia University economist Carl Sumner Shoup helped lead a post-World War II tax mission to Japan. One of the principal goals of the mission was to assist in the reconstruction of the Japanese fiscal system. As part of this mission, Shoup brought with him not only his experience as an academic economist and longtime advisor to the U.S. Treasury Department, but also his deep intellectual commitment to fundamental tax reform. Throughout his career Shoup applied economic ideas about public finance to the practical issues of improving fiscal, political, and administrative institutions in redeveloping and lesser-developed nation-states. In many ways, though, Shoup was the culmination of a multi-generational tradition of research, scholarship, and policy guidance that can be described loosely as the Columbia school of taxation and development. This essay, which is a chapter in a forthcoming edited volume on the Shoup mission to Japan, provides a brief intellectual history of the Columbia school. More specifically, this chapter traces the genealogical connection between the type of economic institutionalism that was prominent at Columbia in the early twentieth century and Shoup’s specific ideas about taxation and development. The aim is to provide some historical perspective on the principles and proposals that were central to the many Shoup tax missions and to his overall vision of a “prescriptive” or “political economy” branch of public finance.
The disulfide structure of mouse lysosome-associated membrane protein 1

The disulfide structure of mouse lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 has been determined by reverse-phase isolation and sequence analysis of the cysteine-containing tryptic fragments of the reduced and non-reduced deglycosylated protein. Half-cystines were distinguished (a) by their localization within tryptic or chymotryptic peptides that formed reverse-phase peaks unique to the reduced digests and (b) by their 3H-carboxymethylation only after reduction of the protein. The disulfide arrangement of the cysteines was assigned after isolation of disulfide-linked peptide pairs. Each pair chromatographed as a peak present in the nonreduced (but not the corresponding reduced) tryptic digest. NH2-terminal sequencing as well as reduction, alkylation, and rechromatography of the disulfide-linked fragments led to the following assignment of disulfide bonds: Cys11 and Cys50, Cys125 and Cys161, Cys198 and Cys235, and Cys303 and Cys340. This structure creates four 36-38-residue loops that are symmetrically placed within the two halves of the protein's intraluminal domain. The loops formed by the Cys11-Cys50 and Cys198-Cys235 bridges are homologous, and the Cys125-Cys161 and Cys303-cys340 loops form a second set of homologous domains. The conservation of cysteine residues among lysosome-associated membrane proteins 1 and 2 suggests that this disulfide arrangement is common to both members of this family of lysosomal membrane glycoproteins.
A comparative study of GaAs MESFET backgating

A comparison is made of backgating characteristics between fabricators to illustrate the value of such a comparison and the difficulties encountered in making such a comparison. In this study, a common set of backgating tests is used to correlate results from structures fabricated at different facilities and fabricated using different processes. Wafers from three facilities are compared. A description is presented of the test structure geometry and major process characteristics of the wafers included in this comparison. A comparison is made of backgating between wafers with respect to the major backgating parameters of time response, voltage response, and test structure geometry. The sources of backgating in light of the comparison data are discussed along with the applicability of the jazz standard for backgating measurement. >
Management team politics and strategic alliances in biotechnology

Summary form only given, as follows. The author presents the initial findings of research analyzing the increasing number of strategic alliances between start-up firms and large diversified corporations in the field of biotechnology. In contrast to previous research on interorganizational relations, the focus is on the political dynamics within organizations in the strategic decision process regarding the establishment of ties to other organizations. Specifically, occupational differences are examined as a potential source of conflict among functional representatives in the management teams of new biotech firms as decisions are made concerning strategic alliances with established market leaders. These decisions often present choices which potentially contradict the common goal of the founders of new biotech firms to remain independent and become fully integrated producers. Support for the arguments presented is drawn from journalistic accounts as well as interviews with informants in the biotech industry. In the process of conducting the research, a general theoretical perspective on occupational politics in strategic decision making is being developed. >
The National Undergraduate Research Observatory

The National Undergraduate Research Observatory (NURO) serves as a workable model for the cooperative use of a small telescope by a relatively large number of institutions at a relatively small cost per institution.
Seasonal variations of precipitation δ18O in eastern Asia

[1] Climate change often occurs through changes in seasonal influences, but paleoclimate records rarely have intra-annual resolution. The precipitation δ18O, either directly measured or indirectly inferred from other datable materials, is one of the most widely used proxies for paleoclimate studies. It is important, therefore, that we understand the seasonal distribution of meteoric δ18O in relation to climate dynamics. In most midlatitude and high-latitude land areas, the precipitation is 18O enriched in the summer and depleted in the winter. However, this isotopic seasonality is reversed in the coastal regions of east Asia, while farther inland it returns to a summer-enriched/winter-depleted seasonal distribution. This spatial distribution of the isotopic seasonality in east Asia has been previously observed, but the mechanisms causing it have not been adequately explained. In this paper, we discuss nine climatic factors that influence isotopic seasonality, either summer-enriched or the reverse. Using a simple two-dimensional δ18O model, we show that one of the important mechanisms for the observed isotopic pattern in Asia may be interseasonal variations in vertical atmospheric stability. These variations are reflected in the large-scale vertical advection of the Walker circulation and in small-scale diffusional mixing, both of which are modulated by the greater stability of air above land relative to that above the ocean in the winter and the opposite in the summer. Our results indicate that the complex causes of interseasonal, interannual, and interepochal variations of meteoric δ18O require considerable caution in the attribution of records of past δ18O variations to changes in specific climate variables.
Hedonic hunger and binge eating among women with eating disorders.

Background Hedonic hunger, the appetitive drive to eat to obtain pleasure in the absence of an energy deficit, is associated with overeating and with loss of control over eating, but has not been investigated among individuals with eating disorders. Objective (1) to compare participants with anorexia nervosa, restricting type (AN-R), anorexia nervosa, binge-purge type (AN-B/P), and bulimia nervosa (BN) on scores on the Power of Food Scale (PFS), a self-report measure of hedonic hunger; (2) to examine the relation between PFS scores and frequency of binge eating; and (3) to examine whether pre-treatment PFS scores predict weight change during treatment. Method The PFS and measures of eating disorder symptomatology were administered to female patients with AN (N = 119) and BN (N = 144) at admission to residential treatment. Results Participants with BN scored higher on the PFS compared to participants with AN-R or AN-B/P; there was a trend for those with AN-B/P to score higher than those with AN-R. PFS scores were positively associated with binge eating frequency among participants with BN; these associations remained significant when controlling for restraint and weight suppression. A similar pattern was found among participants with AN. PFS scores predicted weight change in AN but not BN. Discussion Results suggest that hedonic processes may be important in stimulating binge eating. Furthermore, hedonic appetite may facilitate weight restoration in AN. Further research should investigate whether pre-treatment PFS scores have prognostic significance with respect to eating disorder symptoms. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2014; 47:273–280)
Decentralised topology control algorithms for connectivity of distributed wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we study the problem of maintaining the connectivity of a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) using decentralised topology control protocols. Previous algorithms on topology control require the knowledge of the density of nodes (λ) in the sensing region. However, if λ varies continuously over time, updating this information, at all nodes is impractical. Therefore, in addition to efficient maintenance of connectivity, we also wish to reduce the control overhead of the topology control algorithm. In the absence of information regarding λ we study the connectivity properties of WSNs by means of giant components. We show that by maintaining the out-degree at each node as five will give rise to a giant connected component in the network. We also show that this is the smallest value that can maintain a giant connected component irrespective of how often or by how much λ changes.
Investigation utilizing the 18O isotope shift in 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. 3. Observation of a solvent dependence for tert-butyl alcohol1

Solvent effects on the magnitude of the 18O isotope shift in 13C NMR for the carbon bonded to the hydroxyl group in tert-butyl alcohol were investigated using an array of deuterated solvents and a more accurate measurement of the isotope shift at natural abundance 13C. For the first time, a solvent effect on the magnitude of the isotope shift was detected, which was smallest in pyridine, and increased in the following order: pyridine < acetone/p-dioxane < nitromethane < benzene < water. These results indicate that assignments of carbon signals based on the magnitude of isotope shifts must take into account the possibility of a solvent effect.
Methemoglobin reductase activity in fish erythrocytes.

Abstract 1. 1. NADH-methemoglobin reductase activity of erythrocytes from the coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch , sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka , and the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri exhibited a major band of activity that resembled the human enzyme in electrophoretic mobility. 2. 2. No polymorphism was found in 35 samples from rainbow trout, 4 samples from Dolly Varden, 29 samples from sockeye salmon, and 24 samples from coho salmon. 3. 3. All samples differed from the human enzyme in that they appeared to be membrane-bound and required the presence of a detergent, Triton X-100, for solubilization. 4. 4. Rainbow trout and coho salmon enzymatic activity is greater than the human enzyme activity at 15°C.
Chlordiazepoxide alters intravenous cocaine self-administration in rats.

Abstract This investigation was designed to examine the effects of benzodiazepines on intravenous cocaine self-administration in rats. Pretreatment with low doses of the benzodiazepine receptor agonist, chlordiazepoxide (0.3 to 1.0 mg/kg, IP), resulted in small but nonsignificant increases in drug intake with 0.5 mg/kg cocaine, while higher doses (10 mg/kg, IP) significantly decreased drug intake in all rats tested. The effects of chlordiazepoxide on self-administration were attenuated when the concentration of cocaine was increased to 1.0 mg/kg, suggesting that chlordiazepoxide was opposing rather than augmenting the pharmacological actions of cocaine. Pretreatment with the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, Ro 15-1788 (1.0 to 10 mg/kg, IP), had no effect on self-administration, suggesting that the reinforcing properties of cocaine do not result from direct interactions with benzodiazepine receptors. The results of this investigation demonstrate that chlordiazepoxide alters intravenous cocaine self-administration in rats. Although additional research will be necessary to confirm these data, the results of this investigation suggest that chlordiazepoxide may decrease the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine through indirect actions on dopaminergic neuronal activity potentially mediated through GABAergic mechanisms via benzodiazepine receptor activation.
Large T and small T antigens of Merkel cell polyomavirus

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) is the etiological agent of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a rare and highly lethal human skin cancer. A natural component of skin flora, MCV becomes tumorigenic only after integration into the host DNA together with specific mutations to the viral genome. Research on MCV large T (LT) and small T (sT) antigens, the only viral products expressed in MCC, shows that these major oncoproteins not only possess biochemical functions found in common with other polyomavirus T antigens, but also demonstrate new cellular targets not described in previous polyomavirus models. This review provides a map of the relevant functional motifs and domains in MCV T antigens that have been identified, highlighting their roles in tumorigenesis.
Physiochemical and pharmacological characterization of a Δ9-THC aerosol generated by a metered dose inhaler

The goal of the present study was to formulate a Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) metered-dose inhaler (MDI) that can be used to provide a systemic dose of Delta(9)-THC via inhalation. Following physiochemical characterization and accelerated stability testing of the aerosol, mice were exposed to the aerosol and evaluated for pharmacological effects indicative of cannabinoid activity, including hypomotility, antinociception, catalepsy, and hypothermia. The fine particle dose of Delta(9)-THC was 0.22 +/- 0.03 mg (mean +/- S.D.) or 25% of the emitted dose and was not affected by accelerated stability testing. A 10-min exposure to aerosolized Delta(9)-THC elicited hypomotility, antinociception, catalepsy, and hypothermia. Additionally, Delta(9)-THC concentrations in blood and brain at the antinociceptive ED(50) dose were similar for both inhalation and intravenous routes of administration. Finally, pretreatment with the CB(1) receptor antagonist SR 141716A (10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly antagonized all of the Delta(9)-THC-induced effects. These results indicate that an MDI is a viable method to deliver a systemic dose of Delta(9)-THC that elicits a full spectrum of cannabinoid pharmacological effects in mice that is mediated via a CB(1) receptor mechanism of action. Further development of a Delta(9)-THC MDI could provide an appropriate delivery device for the therapeutic use of cannabinoids, thereby reducing the need for medicinal marijuana.
Additions to the copepod parasites of South Indian fishes

A collection of copepods from marine fishes, mainly elasmobranchs from South India was examined. Nine species are described of which six are new, one belonging to a new genus. The species described are Caligus dasyaticus Rangnekar, C. lepeophtheropsis sp.nov. Pseudopetalus dussumieri (Rangnekar), Dissonus sp., Nesippus vespa Kirtisinghe, Kroyeria minuta sp.nov., Eudactylina lancifera sp. nov., E. alata sp.nov., and Eudactylinopsis curvatus gen.nov., sp.nov.
Critically pressured free-gas reservoirs below gas-hydrate provinces

Palaeoceanographic data have been used to suggest that methane hydrates play a significant role in global climate change. The mechanism by which methane is released during periods of global warming is, however, poorly understood1. In particular, the size and role of the free-gas zone below gas-hydrate provinces remain relatively unconstrained, largely because the base of the free-gas zone is not a phase boundary and has thus defied systematic description. Here we evaluate the possibility that the maximum thickness of an interconnected free-gas zone is mechanically regulated by valving caused by fault slip in overlying sediments2. Our results suggest that a critical gas column exists below most hydrate provinces in basin settings, implying that these provinces are poised for mechanical failure and are therefore highly sensitive to changes in ambient conditions3. We estimate that the global free-gas reservoir may contain from one-sixth to two-thirds of the total methane trapped in hydrate4. If gas accumulations are critically thick along passive continental slopes, we calculate that a 5 °C temperature increase at the sea floor could result in a release of ∼2,000 Gt of methane from the free-gas zone, offering a mechanism for rapid methane release during global warming events.
In situ grown YBa2Cu3O7−δ thin films by sequential ion beam sputtering

Abstract We have studied the in situ growth of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ thin films by sequential ion beam sputtering. Films were grown following the stacking sequence of the “1–2–3” compound, with deposited layer thicknesses nominally equal to one monolayer. Epitaxial, c axis oriented YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ films were obtained both on (100) SrTiO 3 and on (100) MgO. The best film, grown on SrTiO 3 , had a T c ( R = 0) = 79 K .
Fly Six‐type homeodomain proteins Sine oculis and Optix partner with different cofactors during eye development

Two members from the Six class of homeobox transcription factors, Sine oculis (SO) and Optix, function during development of the fly visual system. Differences in gain-of-function phenotypes and gene expression suggest that these related factors play distinct roles in the formation of the fly eye. However, the molecular nature of their functional differences remains unclear. In this study, we report the identification of two novel factors that participate in specific partnerships with Sine oculis and Optix during photoreceptor neurons formation and in eye progenitor cells. This work shows that different cofactors likely mediate unique functions of Sine oculis and Optix during the development of the fly eye and that the repeated requirement for SO function at multiple stages of eye development reflects the activity of different SO-cofactor complexes.
Model- and Information Theory-Based Diagnostic Method for Induction Motors

Introduced is a model-based diagnostic system for motors, that also employs concepts of information theory as a health metric. From an existing bond graph of a squirrel cage induction motor, state equations were extracted and simulations performed. Simulated were various cases, including the response of an ideal motor, which functions perfectly to designer's specifications, and motors with shorted stator coils, a bad phase capacitor, and broken rotor bars. By constructing an analogy between the motor and a communication channel, Shannon's theorems of information theory were applied to assess functional health. The principal health metric is the channel capacity, which is based on integrals of signal-to-noise ratios. The channel capacity monotonically reduces with degradation of the system, and appears to be an effective discriminator of motor health and sickness. The method was tested via simulations of a three-phase motor; and for experimental verification, a two-phase induction motor was modeled and tested. The method was able to predict impending functional failure, significantly in advance.