cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reinterpreting the CLEAN algorithm as an optimum detector

This paper gives a short review of the CLEAN algorithm and shows how it can be implemented as a deconvolver in place of a correlator. The paper then derives an optimum detector (with appropriate assumptions) that provides detection of closely spaced Rayleigh distributed objects in the presence of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). These two processors are shown to both be deconvolvers for infinite signal to noise ratio. The range-time cut of the ambiguity diagram indicates that both algorithms have outstanding range-time sidelobes (under the condition of infinite signal to noise ratio). The optimum detector is not a uniformly most powerful test because it incorporates target amplitude into the detector. However, in many practical situations estimates of this parameter may be available.
Social Monogamy in Kit Foxes: Formation, Association, Duration, and Dissolution of Mated Pairs

Social monogamy is characterized by long-term pair-bonds, but there is extensive variation among socially monogamous species in the timing of pair formation, the extent to which pair-mates associate throughout the year, the duration of pair-bonds, and the frequency with which pair-bonds are dissolved while both partners are living. We studied these aspects of social monogamy in kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) at 1 urban and 2 nonurban sites. Behavior was similar across sites despite differences in ecological conditions. Pair formation occurred throughout the year, often within a month after the loss of a mate. Pair-mates associated throughout the year. Some pairs remained associated for more than 1 breeding season. Death of a pair-mate was the most common reason for the dissolution of a pair (14 of 16 cases). Two pairs dissolved while both partners were still living: 1 due to abandonment by a male of his pair-mate and territory and 1 due to displacement of a male by another male. These characteristics of social monogamy in kit foxes may be related to year-round territoriality, and may optimize individual fitness by enhancing survival and ultimately reproductive success.
Teaching Community Networks: A Case Study of Informal Social Support and Information Sharing among Sociology Graduate Students.

Despite the prominence of teaching in academia, we know little about how graduate students learn to teach. We propose the concept of a teaching community network (TCN), an informal social network that facilitates the exchange of teaching-specific resources. We explore the role of TCNs through a case study of a sociology doctoral program at a large state university. Results reveal that students rely heavily on informal ties within the graduate student community and existing formal programs to share teachingrelated resources (e.g., information and social support) and develop their identities as instructors. We suggest that graduate programs facilitate TCNs through formal teacher-training programs and structural conditions that encourage informal, one-on-one interactions (e.g., shared offices). By cultivating TCNs, graduate programs can assist students in developing their teaching skills and identities as instructors, thus training students to balance the demands of research and teaching within an academic culture.
Laboratory Performance and Pharmacokinetics of the Benzoylphenylurea Noviflumuron in Eastern Subterranean Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

A benzoylphenylurea insect growth regulator with the common name noviflumuron was evaluated for use as a baiting toxicant against the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). Noviflumuron demonstrated significantly greater potency and faster speed of action compared with the commercial standard hexaflumuron. In addition, noviflumuron was not a feeding deterrent on filter paper at concentrations of up to 10,000 ppm. The rates of uptake, clearance, and insect-to-insect transfer of [14C]noviflumuron were measured in R. flavipes in laboratory assays and compared with those previously reported for [14C]hexaflumuron. Under a continuous exposure regime, the uptake profile for noviflumuron was similar to that for hexaflumuron, although the time period of maximal uptake was shorter for noviflumuron. Noviflumuron was cleared from termites in a first order process with a half-life of ≈29 d, whereas the half-life of hexaflumuron was much shorter (8–9 d). Noviflumuron was efficiently transferred from treated to untreated termites by trophallaxis via kinetics similar to those reported for hexaflumuron; however, the systemic dose of noviflumuron required to result in toxicity of R. flavipes was found to be at least two- to three-fold less than that of hexaflumuron. The faster activity of noviflumuron compared with hexaflumuron in R. flavipes can be at least partially explained by the combination of slower clearance and greater intrinsic activity.
Sincerity, "Modernity," and the Protestants

The project of religious conversion commonly proposes a more or less dramatic transformation of the person. To the extent that this project succeeds or fails, it may offer more general insights into the practices by which human subjects are constituted. This article looks at the subject proposed by religious conversion in the context of certain common ideas about "modernity." Drawing on the 20th-century Dutch Calvinist missionization of Sumba in eastern Indonesia, it concerns Protestant efforts to define the subject, especially as it is supposed to transcend this world, and thus to distinguish it from that which might threaten its relative autonomy. My focus is on changes in signifying practices and ideologies within what can be called a representational economy.' The article begins with a brief discussion of the effort to reform the subject by redefining its distinction from objects such as material goods. It then turns at greater length to the normative ideal of sincerity in speech as another component of this reform. The concept of sincerity is of particular interest here because of the links it forges among language, social interaction, personal character, freedom, regimes of truth, and some narratives of modernity. I would suggest, though I cannot argue it here, that these links are part of the taken-for-granted background for the liberal tradition out of which have emerged many of the questions, methods, politics, and worries of anthropology and related disciplines at both the epistemic and ethical levels. I draw on the ethnographic example of Sumbanese Calvinists as one illustration of some general problems faced by the effort to produce and sustain a relatively autonomous subject. The trouble is partly due, I argue, to the inescapably social and material character of the representational practices by which that ideal autonomy is meant to be inhabited. As a form of self-understanding, the subject is likely to require some contrastive terms-those objects against which its distinctiveness can be defined. Such "objects" may comprise not only material things, but also institutions, rituals, social others, and the language one shares with those others. For instance, we need look no farther than familiar, sometimes trivial anxieties about plagiarism, quotation, clichd and originality, truth telling, keeping one's word,
Design of high-efficiency wide-bandwidth coupled-cavity traveling-wave tube phase velocity tapers with simulated annealing algorithms

The output circuit section of a traveling-wave tube (TWT) routinely contains an RF phase velocity taper for the purpose of increasing RF output power and efficiency. By slowing the RF phase velocity in approximate synchronism with the decelerating electron beam bunches, the taper increases power transfer from the beam to the RF wave. Recently, the computational optimization technique of simulated annealing was shown to be very effective in the design of an RF phase velocity taper that significantly increased computed RF power and efficiency of a coupled-cavity TWT. In this paper, two new broadband simulated annealing algorithms are presented that optimize (1) minimum saturated efficiency over a frequency bandwidth and (2) simultaneous bandwidth and minimum efficiency over the frequency band with constant input power. The algorithms were incorporated into the NASA 2.5-dimensional (2.5-D) coupled-cavity TWT computer model and used to design optimal phase velocity tapers using a 59-64 GHz coupled-cavity TWT as a baseline model. Compared to the baseline taper design, the computational results of the first broadband algorithm showed an improvement of 73.9% in minimum saturated efficiency. The second broadband algorithm indicates an improvement of 272.7% in minimum RF efficiency with constant input power drive and an increase in simultaneous bandwidth of 0.5 GHz over that calculated for the baseline TWT.
Defects and Pd growth on the reduced SnO2(100) surface

Abstract Scanning tunneling microscopy experiments on a clean, reduced SnO 2 (1 0 0)-(1 × 1) surface reveal surface defects with zero-, one-, and two-dimensions. Point defects consist of missing SnO/SnO 2 units. Line defects are probably crystallographic shear planes that extend to the surface and manifest themselves as rows of atoms, shifted half a unit cell along the [0 1 0] direction. Their ends act as preferential nucleation sites for the formation of Pd clusters upon vapor deposition. Areas of a more reduced surface phase, still with a (1 × 1) structure and a half-unit cell deep, form at [0 0 1]-oriented step edges.
Ambiguous beliefs and mechanism design

Abstract This paper develops a payoff equivalence theorem for mechanisms with ambiguity averse participants with preferences of the Maxmin Expected Utility (MEU) form (Gilboa and Schmeidler, 1989 ). We use our payoff equivalence result to explicitly characterize the revenue maximizing private value auction mechanism for agents with arbitrary forms of ambiguous beliefs. We also show that the revenue ranking between first and second price auctions is sensitive to the form of ambiguity aversion. Our payoff equivalence techniques allow us to study the constrained efficient, budget balanced bilateral trade mechanism and show that increased ambiguity improves the efficiency of the mechanism. In addition, we characterize the revenue maximizing, efficient bilateral trade mechanism and show that heightened ambiguity lowers ex ante budget deficits.
Optimization of Chemical Vapor Deposition Parameters for Fabrication of Oxidation‐Resistant Mullite Coatings on Silicon Nitride

Fabrication of mullite (3Al2O3·2SiO2) coatings by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using AlCl3–SiCl4–H2–CO2 gas mixtures was studied. The resultant CVD mullite coating microstructures were sensitive to gas-phase composition and deposition temperature. Chemical thermodynamic calculations performed on the AlCl3–SiCl4–H2–CO2 system were used to predict an equilibrium CVD phase diagram. Results from the thermodynamic analysis, process optimization, and effects of various process parameters on coating morphology are discussed. Dense, adherent crystalline CVD mullite coatings ∼2 μm thick were successfully grown on Si3N4 substrates at 1000°C and 10.7 kPa total pressure. The resultant coatings were 001 textured and contained well-faceted grains ∼0.3–0.5 μm in size.
Pathogenesis of NIDDM: A balanced overview

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) results from an imbalance between insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. Both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that the earliest detectable abnormality in NIDDM is an impairment in the body's ability to respond to insulin. Because the pancreas is able to appropriately augment its secretion of insulin to offset the insulin resistance, glucose tolerance remains normal. With time, however, the beta-cell fails to maintain its high rate of insulin secretion and the relative insulinopenia (i.e., relative to the degree of insulin resistance) leads to the development of impaired glucose tolerance and eventually overt diabetes mellitus. The cause of pancreatic "exhaustion" remains unknown but may be related to the effect of glucose toxicity in a genetically predisposed beta-cell. Information concerning the loss of first-phase insulin secretion, altered pulsatility of insulin release, and enhanced proinsulin-insulin secretory ratio is discussed as it pertains to altered beta-cell function in NIDDM. Insulin resistance in NIDDM involves both hepatic and peripheral, muscle, tissues. In the postabsorptive state hepatic glucose output is normal or increased, despite the presence of fasting hyperinsulinemia, whereas the efficiency of tissue glucose uptake is reduced. In response to both endogenously secreted or exogenously administered insulin, hepatic glucose production fails to suppress normally and muscle glucose uptake is diminished. The accelerated rate of hepatic glucose output is due entirely to augmented gluconeogenesis. In muscle many cellular defects in insulin action have been described including impaired insulin-receptor tyrosine kinase activity, diminished glucose transport, and reduced glycogen synthase and pyruvate dehydrogenase. The abnormalities account for disturbances in the two major intracellular pathways of glucose disposal, glycogen synthesis, and glucose oxidation. In the earliest stages of NIDDM, the major defect involves the inability of insulin to promote glucose uptake and storage as glycogen. Other potential mechanisms that have been put forward to explain the insulin resistance, include increased lipid oxidation, altered skeletal muscle capillary density/fiber type/blood flow, impaired insulin transport across the vascular endothelium, increased amylin, calcitonin gene-related peptide levels, and glucose toxicity.
Preventing the Influx of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci into Health Care Institutions, by Use of a Simple Validated Prediction Rule

Background. The goal of this study was to develop a validated prediction rule for identification of patients harboring vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) at hospital admission. Methods. A model for the prediction of patients harboring VRE at admission was created and validated by assigning weighted point values to independent risk factors associated with harboring VRE at admission, in 2 different cohorts of patients from 2 tertiary care hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts. Patients with VRE isolated from clinical culture samples collected within 48 h of hospital admission were compared with patients not harboring VRE. To assess the diagnostic accuracy of the prediction rule, the main outcome measures were patient demographic characteristics, comorbid illnesses, hospitalizations, and antibiotic exposure. Results. A total of 412 patients were enrolled. A risk index score was derived by using the following 6 independent risk factors associated with VRE recovery within 48 h of hospital admission: previous isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), whether the patient was receiving long-term hemodialysis, transfer from a long-term care facility, antibiotic exposure, prior hospitalization, and age >60 years. On the basis of a point score ≥10, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of this prediction rule were 44%, 98%, 81%, and 90%, respectively. Conclusions. This validated clinical prediction rule provides a novel strategy for the identification of patients at high risk of harboring VRE at hospital admission. Implementation of this rule may reduce the influx of VRE into health care institutions and the overall prevalence of VRE, by targeting VRE-screening measures and contact isolation precautions for these high-risk patients.
Noise-induced hearing loss in marine mammals: A review of temporary threshold shift studies from 1996 to 2015

One of the most widely recognized effects of intense noise exposure is a noise-induced threshold shift—an elevation of hearing thresholds following cessation of the noise. Over the past twenty years, as concerns over the potential effects of human-generated noise on marine mammals have increased, a number of studies have been conducted to investigate noise-induced threshold shift phenomena in marine mammals. The experiments have focused on measuring temporary threshold shift (TTS)—a noise-induced threshold shift that fully recovers over time—in marine mammals exposed to intense tones, band-limited noise, and underwater impulses with various sound pressure levels, frequencies, durations, and temporal patterns. In this review, the methods employed by the groups conducting marine mammal TTS experiments are described and the relationships between the experimental conditions, the noise exposure parameters, and the observed TTS are summarized. An attempt has been made to synthesize the major findings across experiments to provide the current state of knowledge for the effects of noise on marine mammal hearing.
A decentralized motion coordination strategy for dynamic target tracking

This paper presents a decentralized motion planning algorithm for the distributed sensing of a noisy dynamical process by multiple cooperating mobile sensor agents. This problem is motivated by localization and tracking tasks of dynamic targets. Our gradient-descent method is based on a cost function that measures the overall quality of sensing. We also investigate the role of imperfect communication between sensor agents in this framework, and examine the trade-offs in performance between sensing and communication. Simulations illustrate the basic characteristics of the algorithms
Genetic architecture and phenotypic plasticity of thermally-regulated traits in an eruptive species, Dendroctonus ponderosae

Phenotypic plasticity in thermally-regulated traits enables close tracking of changing environmental conditions, and can thereby enhance the potential for rapid population increase, a hallmark of outbreak insect species. In a changing climate, exposure to conditions that exceed the capacity of existing phenotypic plasticity may occur. Combining information on genetic architecture and trait plasticity among populations that are distributed along a latitudinal cline can provide insight into how thermally-regulated traits evolve in divergent environments and the potential for adaptation. Dendroctonus ponderosae feed on Pinus species in diverse climatic regimes throughout western North America, and show eruptive population dynamics. We describe geographical patterns of plasticity in D. ponderosae development time and adult size by examining reaction norms of populations from multiple latitudes. The relative influence of additive and non-additive genetic effects on population differences in the two phenotypic traits at a single temperature is quantified using line-cross experiments and joint-scaling tests. We found significant genetic and phenotypic variation among D. ponderosae populations. Simple additive genetic variance was not the primary source of the observed variation, and dominance and epistasis contributed greatly to the genetic divergence of the two thermally-regulated traits. Hybrid breakdown was also observed in F2 hybrid crosses between northern and southern populations, further indication of substantial genetic differences among clinal populations and potential reproductive isolation within D. ponderosae. Although it is unclear what maintains variation in the life-history traits, observed plasticity in thermally-regulated traits that are directly linked to rapid numerical change may contribute to the outbreak nature of D. ponderosae, particularly in a changing climate.
MR imaging and HMPAO scintigraphy in conjunction with balloon test occlusion: value in predicting sequelae after permanent carotid occlusion.

Permanent occlusion of the internal carotid artery may be required for en bloc resection of a neck tumor or to treat certain aneurysms. The risk of ischemic infarct is usually assessed with carotid balloon test occlusion and concurrent distal arterial pressure measurement. However, up to 20% of patients who tolerate the test occlusion have delayed neurologic sequelae. We propose enhanced MR imaging and hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) scintigraphy to detect subclinical signs of ischemia and hypoperfusion as adjuncts to the balloon test occlusion to identify patients at risk for delayed sequelae.We prospectively examined 12 patients referred for balloon test occlusion of the carotid artery. Serial measurements of distal occluded internal carotid pressure were recorded. 99mTc-HMPAO was injected IV after 2 min of asymptomatic test occlusion, and single-photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) data acquisition was done 1-6 hr later. Contrast-enhanced MR imaging was performed 1-8 hr after completion ...
When Legal Representation is Deficient: The Challenge of Immigration Cases for the Courts

When the quality of lawyering is inadequate, courts are frustrated in their adjudicative role. Nowhere is this more apparent than in cases involving immigrants hoping to fend off deportation. As an...
Low smooth muscle cell densities characterize sites with isolated interstitial lipid in coronary artery intima

Abstract Context.—The initial step in the development of atherosclerotic lesions is suggested to be the retention of low-density lipoprotein. This suggestion would seem to imply that some interval ...
Are Anglo-American-Style Normative Planning Theories Applicable in South Asian Cities? An Exploratory Study

Three types of normative planning theories have been popular among planners in the United State and Western Europe in recent years, with a fourth knocking at the door. In contrast, rational planners in South Asian cities, realizing that their resources are limited, have traditionally practised a synoptic approach to planning. Unfortunately, most of their planning initiatives have been futile, owing to the poverty of this region. This has led planners and policy makers to search for appropriate and innovative alternatives for planning in this region. This paper analyzes and explores the applicability of Anglo-American-style normative planning theories in the cities of South Asia. The author concludes that implementing Western-style planning theories in general, and normative planning theories in particular, is premature, because an appropriate milieu does not yet exist in South Asian cities at their present stage of development. Ces dernieres annees, trois types de theories normatives d’amenagement du territoire ont rencontre du succes aupres des amenageurs, tant aux Etats-Unis qu’en Europe occidentale ; une quatrieme est annoncee. Malgre ce fait, les amenageurs dans les villes de l’Asie du Sud, comprenant que leurs ressources etaient limitees, ont plutot pratique une approche synoptique de l’amenagement. Malheureusement, la plupart de leurs initiatives n’ont mene a rien, par suite de la pauvrete de cette region ; ce fait les a amenes a chercher des solutions innovantes et mieux adaptees. Cet article examine la pertinence des theories normatives d’amenagement d’inspiration anglo-americaine dans les villes de l’Asie du Sud. L’auteur conclut que la mise en oeuvre de theories d'amenagement de type occidental, et plus specialement de les theories normatives d’amenagement, serait prematuree, car l’environnement approprie pour les appliquer n’est pas encore en place dans les villes de l’Asie du Sud dans leur etat actuel de developpement. Mots cles : theorie normative d’amenagement du territoire, villes d’Asie du Sud, societe civile, gouvernance urbaine
Double-shift schooling and student success: Quasi-experimental evidence from Europe

School scheduling systems are frequently at the forefront of policy discussions around the world. This paper provides the first causal evidence of student performance during double-shift schooling systems. We exploit a six-year quasi-experiment from a country in Eastern Europe where students alternated between morning and afternoon school blocks every month. We estimate models with student–class and month fixed effects using data on over 260,000 assignment-level grades. We find a small, precisely estimated drop in student performance during afternoon blocks.
Local winds inside and outside a city

Temperature and wind observations in Greeley, Colorado were analysed. The differences between the rural and urban stations are discussed for selected days with clear skies and weak winds.
Extraterrestrial Outpost (ExO): Design and Implementation of a Long-Term Sustainable Lunar Habitat

The Extraterrestrial Outpost (ExO) project presents a strategy to transition from a small, preliminary lunar outpost to a sustainable 30-person habitat. The outpost was designed around three main objectives that supported lunar geology, future space technology development, and commercial ventures on the Moon. A logistics and build-up plan are presented that detail when each of the habitat modules and support equipment will arrive at the Moon as well as the number of launches required to get the outpost equipment there. In Situ Resource Utilization was investigated in order to use the available lunar resources to provide consumable water for the habitat and fuel for the ascent vehicle. In support of the ExO project, the ExO team built an interactive lunar habitat exhibit and a number of interactive activities for young children. The outreach event was held in conjunction with a solar eclipse watch party at the Folsom Field football stadium at the University of Colorado Boulder which broke a Guinness world record for highest attended eclipse viewing event.
HgCdTe— an Unexpectedly Good Choice for (Near) Room Temperature Focal Plane Arrays

Fueled by a broad range of government needs and funding, HgCdTe materials and device technology has matured significantly over the last two decades. Also in this same time period, we have come to understand better the phenomenology which limits imager performance. As a result of these developments, it appears that HgCdTe arrays may be tailored in wavelength to outperform GaAs-based image intensifier devices in sensitivity and to compete with bolometric and pyroelectric imaging arrays in NEDT at temperatures at or near room temperature (250K-295K). These benefits can be fully realized, however, only if HgCdTe can be brought to a level of maturity where the material and detectors made from it are limited by fundamental mechanisms. We will discuss the state of HgCdTe near room temperature performance and the practical and theoretical limits which constrain it.
The universe of arachidonic acid metabolites in inflammatory bowel disease: can we tell the good from the bad?

Purpose of reviewThis review summarizes recent developments in the role of soluble mediators of inflammation, particularly arachidonic acid metabolites, in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Recent findingsThe role of prostaglandin E2 in immune regulation has been better defined. Prostaglandin E2 prom
Accurate Computation of Variance

(1985). Accurate Computation of Variance. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 149-150.
Analysis of EEG Abnormalities in 392 Welding Workers

Objective To analyze the EEG abnormalities of welding operators,so as to put forward reasonable preventive measures. Methods A total of 392 welding workers were enrolled in this study.228 workers without professional contacts were served as control group.The EEG data of the two groups were compared.A comprehensive evaluation was conducted through occupational hygiene survey,field test of occupational hazard factors in the workplace and occupational health screening. Results The highest content of manganese and manganese compounds in the air of welding working environment was up to 6.5 mg/m3,but the minimum was 0.63 mg/m3 and the average content was 3.16 mg/m3.The rate of EEG abnormalities in welding workers was 25.0%(P0.01),which increased with the increase of job seniority(P0.01).The abnormal rate of EEG was correlated with operation technique (P0.01).The abnormal rate of EEG was lower among the workers in with well-ventilated working environment(P0.05). Conclusions The abnormal EEG is related to length of employment,technique and working environment.It is necessary to strengthen the labor protection.
Clinical and Operative Factors Related to Successful Revision Arthrodesis in the Foot and Ankle

Background:Arthrodesis is a common operative procedure used to manage arthritis and deformity in the foot and ankle. Nonunion is a possible and undesirable outcome in any arthrodesis surgery. Rates of nonunion in the foot and ankle literature range from 0% to 47% depending on the patient population and joint involved. Multiple factors can contribute to developing a nonunion including location, fixation method, tobacco use, diabetes, infection, and others.Methods:The case logs of 3 foot and ankle surgeons were reviewed from January 2007 to September 2014 to identify nonunion arthrodesis revision cases. The patient factors reviewed included diabetes, inflammatory arthropathy, tobacco use, history of infection, nonunion elsewhere, neuropathy, Charcot arthropathy, posttraumatic arthritis, and prior attempt at revision arthrodesis at the same site. Operative records were reviewed to identify location of the nonunion, instrumention, use of allograft or autograft bone, use of iliac crest bone marrow aspirate (IC...
Solution structure of the microtubule-targeting COS domain of MID1.

UNLABELLED The human MID1 protein is required for the proper development during embryogenesis. Mutations of MID1 are associated with X-linked Opitz G syndrome, characterized by midline anomalies. MID1 associates with the microtubules and functions as an ubiquitin E3 ligase, targeting protein phosphatase 2A for ubiquitin-mediated regulation. The mechanism of microtubule association is not known. Recently, a 60-amino acid region termed the C-terminal subgroup One Signature (COS) box/domain was identified at the C-terminal end of the coiled-coil (CC) domain that facilitates microtubule localization. Insertion of the MID1 COS domain at the C-terminal end of the CC domain of a nonmicrotubule-associated TRIM protein confers microtubule localization. Here, we report the solution structure of the COS domain of MID1. The domain adopts a helix-loop-helix structure in which the N- and C-terminal ends are in close proximity. Hydrophobic residues stabilizing the interaction of the two α-helices form a central hydrophobic core. The loop separating the α-helices is structured, with two of its hydrophobic residues making contact with the central core. On the outer surface, positively charged residues form a distinct basic patch near the termini that we postulate is important for microtubule binding. A model of the structure of the preceding coiled-coil and COS domains (CC-COS) show that the COS domain forms a helical bundle at the C-terminal end of the CC domain similar to the spectrin-like fold observed with some known microtubule-binding proteins. Interestingly, the CC-COS domains bind to microtubules, demonstrating for the first time that MID1 can directly associate with the microtubules. DATABASE Structural data are available in PDB database under the accession number 5IM8.
Evaluation of CD9 as a Candidate Leukemia Stem Cell Marker In Childhood Precursor B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract 3241 Leukemia cells are believed to arise from leukemia stem cells (LSC). It is also known that LSC are responsible for relapse in certain types of leukemia, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the existence and role of LSC in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is unclear. CD9 was reported to be a marker for LSC in B-ALL using cell lines (Nishida H. et al., 2009). CD9 is a tetraspanin and is believed to be involved in cell adhesion, motility, and signaling events. It is also involved in metastasis; however, the mechanisms are unknown. Since childhood ALL is a heterogeneous group of diseases and cell lines can be different from primary leukemia cells, we tested the role of CD9 as a candidate LSC marker using primary precursor B (preB) ALL cells from pediatric patients. Two methods, Raman spectroscopy and serial transplantation of sorted leukemia cells in NOD/SCID/IL2R g null (NSG) mice, were used to confirm LSC. Raman spectroscopy is a laser-based technique for the single cell analysis of intrinsic molecular vibrations reflecting cellular biochemical information. It can provide a quantitative assessment of the levels of DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates in the cell, as well as molecular-level conformational changes. Previous studies by our group showed that unique Raman fingerprints were identified in normal blood cells, ALL cells, and stem cells, including hematopoietic stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Four preB ALL samples were stained for CD9 and sorted by flow cytometry. ALL samples were obtained from patients at diagnosis or freshly harvested from NSG mice engrafted with primary leukemia samples. All samples showed heterogeneous expression of CD9. CD9 high-positive cells and negative cells were flow sorted. Raman spectra of freshly sorted CD9 high-positive and negative cells were obtained. 10 to 20 cells were analyzed in each sample. CD34 positive cells, which were isolated from normal donors, were also analyzed by Raman spectroscopy as a control. No unique Raman fingerprints were identified to separate CD9 high-positive cells from negative cells using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Furthermore, CD9 high-positive and negative cells from three preB ALL samples were transplanted into NSG mice via intra-bone marrow injection. Equal cell numbers (5×105 to 1.5×106 cells) were used for positive and negative samples in each injection. The majority of the mice from both groups (transplanted with CD9 high-positive or negative cells) developed leukemia 3 to 4 months after injection. Leukemia phenotype was confirmed to be the same as the original leukemia. In conclusion, although CD9 was shown to be a marker for LSC in B-ALL cell lines, it does not appear to be an LSC marker in primary preB ALL. Since childhood preB ALL is a heterogeneous group of diseases, larger cohorts are necessary to confirm our findings. Raman spectroscopy may be a useful screening tool for analysis of cellular intrinsic markers. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America

(1999). Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 201-203.
Strengthening Oral Language Skills in Mathematics for English Language Learners Through Desmos® Technology

A major focus of teaching English Language Learners (ELL) in mathematics classrooms is to provide multiple opportunities for students to use authentic language. Barrier games offer ELLs a balance between productive (speaking, writing) and receptive (listening, reading) language. In a barrier game, students work in pairs to complete an information gap activity where learners are missing the information they need to complete a task and need to talk to each other to find it. With Desmos®’ Polygraph program, students are provided online tools for transforming informal language into formal language similar to a Barrier Game. Following a background of barrier games in mathematics, this article will provide a detailed description of Polygraph and its potential for all students to learn and apply authentic mathematical language.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Structure of Some 1,4-Disubstituted Cyclopenta[d][1,2]oxazines

Oxazine-based chemistry offers an alternative to thiophene and pyrrole semiconductors and has been largely unexplored for electronics applications. Discrete monomers or oxazine polymers could serve as an efficient hole carrier for novel devices. A series of 1,4-disubstituted cyclopenta[d][1,2]oxazines (R = tolyl, p-nitrophenyl, t-buytl, furyl, and 5-methylthienyl) were isolated via ring closure with hydroxylamine from a 1,2-acylcyclopentadiene precursor. The target oxazines were characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy and direct analysis in real time (DART) MS. Single-crystal x-ray structure determination confirmed the identity of the tolyl oxazine, which shows a face-to-face stacking pattern of the heterocyclic rings.
A model of basin evolution in the Qa’ Al-Azraq, Jordan using sulfur isotope analysis to distinguish sources of sulfur and gypsum

The closed basin of the Qa’ Al-Azraq, Jordan records gypsum and sulfur depositions. Analysis of the cored sediments used smear slides, isotope geochemistry of gypsum and sulfur, XRD, and SEM. This study distinguishes the sources of gypsum and sulfur in the basin from four different processes. Algae production was responsible for the presence of laminated sulfur at a depth of 48 m where paleolake levels were at a high stand. Primary gypsum, represented by laminated, thick massive beds, records sulfur isotope values of +15.7‰. This period of the paleolake indicates evaporation processes exceeded precipitation, leading to the deposition of thick, massive bed of gypsum. Other sources of gypsum originate from pyrite oxidation, indicated by the overlapping of sulfur isotope values of gypsum and pyrite at −0.7‰. Bassanite and anhydrite identified in this section resulted from dissolution and recrystallization processes. The application of sulfur isotopic analyses identifies environmental distinct formation processes of sulfate minerals in the Al-Azraq basin. This provides the basis for a model of basin evolution and associated changing climates. Finally, this research considers the effect of sulfate minerals on Al-Azraq basin groundwater.
Predicting User Activity Level In Point Processes With Mass Transport Equation

Point processes are powerful tools to model user activities and have a plethora of applications in social sciences. Predicting user activities based on point processes is a central problem. However, existing works are mostly problem specific, use heuristics, or simplify the stochastic nature of point processes. In this paper, we propose a framework that provides an unbiased estimator of the probability mass function of point processes. In particular, we design a key reformulation of the prediction problem, and further derive a differential-difference equation to compute a conditional probability mass function. Our framework is applicable to general point processes and prediction tasks, and achieves superb predictive and efficiency performance in diverse real-world applications compared to state-of-arts.
Variability in Cross‐Domain Risk Perception among Smallholder Farmers in Mali by Gender and Other Demographic and Attitudinal Characteristics

Previous research has shown that men and women, on average, have different risk attitudes and may therefore see different value propositions in response to new opportunities. We use data from smallholder farm households in Mali to test whether risk perceptions differ by gender and across domains. We model this potential association across six risks (work injury, extreme weather, community relationships, debt, lack of buyers, and conflict) while controlling for demographic and attitudinal characteristics. Factor analysis highlights extreme weather and conflict as eliciting the most distinct patterns of participant response. Regression analysis for Mali as a whole reveals an association between gender and risk perception, with women expressing more concern except in the extreme weather domain; however, the association with gender is largely absent when models control for geographic region. We also find lower risk perception associated with an individualistic and/or fatalistic worldview, a risk-tolerant outlook, and optimism about the future, while education, better health, a social orientation, self-efficacy, and access to information are generally associated with more frequent worry-with some inconsistency. Income, wealth, and time poverty exhibit complex associations with perception of risk. Understanding whether and how men's and women's risk preferences differ, and identifying other dominant predictors such as geographic region and worldview, could help development organizations to shape risk mitigation interventions to increase the likelihood of adoption, and to avoid inadvertently making certain subpopulations worse off by increasing the potential for negative outcomes.
Mortality estimates among adult patients with severe acute respiratory infections from two sentinel hospitals in southern Arizona, United States, 2010-2014.

From October 2010 through February 2016, Arizona conducted surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) among adults hospitalized in the Arizona-Mexico border region. There are few accurate mortality estimates in SARI patients, particularly in adults ≥ 65 years old. The purpose of this study was to generate mortality estimates among SARI patients that include deaths occurring shortly after hospital discharge and identify risk factors for mortality. Patients admitted to two sentinel hospitals between 2010 and 2014 who met the SARI case definition were enrolled. Demographic data were used to link SARI patients to Arizona death certificates. Mortality within 30 days after the date of admission was calculated and risk factors were identified using logistic regression models. Among 258 SARI patients, 47% were females, 51% were white, non-Hispanic and 39% were Hispanic. The median age was 63 years (range, 19 to 97 years) and 80% had one or more pre-existing health condition; 9% died in hospital. Mortality increased to 12% (30/258, 30% increase) when electronic vital records and a 30-day post-hospitalization time frame were used. Being age ≥ 65 years (OR = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.6–9.9) and having an intensive care unit admission (OR = 7.4; 95% CI: 3.0–17.9) were independently associated with mortality. The use of electronic vital records increased SARI-associated mortality estimates by 30%. These findings may help guide prevention and treatment measures, particularly in high-risk persons in this highly fluid border population.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with elevated alanine aminotransferase levels is negatively associated with bone mineral density: Cross-sectional study in U.S. adults.

Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been reported to have a negative effect on bone mineral density (BMD) in Asian populations. Whether such an association exists in Western populations is less clear. Methods This cross-sectional analysis of data from NHANES III, a United States national health survey conducted from 1988 to 1994, included 6089 participants aged 40-75 years, selected after excluding people with hepatitis virus serology, elevated alcohol consumption, decreased renal function, or steroid use, and pregnant females. The main outcome, BMD at the femoral neck, was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The primary exposure, NAFLD, was defined as moderate or severe hepatic steatosis diagnosed using abdominal ultrasonography. Result After controlling for gender and menopausal status, race/ethnicity, age and body mass index, NAFLD was not significantly associated with BMD (beta coefficient: -0.006, 95%CI: -0.016, 0.003). A secondary analysis categorized participants with NAFLD according to their serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels into high and normal ALT NAFLD groups, and compared these with the non-NAFLD group. NAFLD with higher levels of ALT was associated with lower levels of BMD (beta coefficient: -0.023, 95% CI: -0.044, -0.002). Conclusion This study showed a relationship between NAFLD with high ALT and lower BMD in the general U.S. population.
Institutional dimensions of the future of philosophy of religion

If there is going to be a future for the philosophy of religion, it is going to have to emerge out of and speak into a set of contested disciplinary, institutional, and ideological spaces as their boundaries are in the process of being renegotiated. In the first instance, philosophy of religion has traditionally been located somewhere among the disciplines of philosophy, theology, and religion, but each of these fields is undergoing transformation to which philosophy of religion must respond. At the same time, accreditation standards are requiring humanities disciplines to shift their pedagogical practices even as the commodification of higher education culturally and institutionally calls into question the value of humanistic formation. This paper outlines the points of tension that put pressure on philosophy of religion and suggests ways in which the subdiscipline might understand and locate itself at the heart of liberal and general education in the future.
Preparing to Write

NIH provides a wealth of information concerning all aspects of grant applications, including the different types of grants available, research priorities for funding, the mechanics of writing an application, deadlines, contact information for advice and guidance, and explanation of the review process and funding decision. A great place to start is the Internet, where application forms, instructions, deadlines, study section listings, and other aspects of the application process are available (see Appendix).
Report of Special Committee on Flood‐Waves, 1937–38

The Special Committee on Flood-Waves was established by the Executive Committee of the Section of Hydrology at a meeting held June 23, 1937, at Denver, Colorado. The setting up of this Committee was a culmination of previous informal conferences in Washington of persons concerned with hydrologic investigations for the Federal Government. It seemed to be the concensus of opinion of these meetings that, in view of the large number of governmental agencies interested in the genesis, propagation, and dispersion of flood-waves and hydrodynamics related thereto, a correlated research program of the various agencies might be carried on under some central research organization such as the National Hydraulic Laboratory of the Bureau of Standards. Although the procedure never had been definitely crystallized, it was suggested at these preliminary meetings that funds from various governmental agencies concerned with flood-wave phenomena might well be combined to foster a research-program.
Epidemiology and management of HIV-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in the United States (US): Analysis of the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB).

1521 Background: Antiviral therapy has altered the incidence and prognosis of NHL associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV+NHL). We analyzed recent trends in HIV+NHL presentation...
Preparation of Rhythmically-active In Vitro Neonatal Rodent Brainstem-spinal Cord and Thin Slice.

Mammalian inspiratory rhythm is generated from a neuronal network in a region of the medulla called the preBotzinger complex (pBC), which produces a signal driving the rhythmic contraction of inspiratory muscles. Rhythmic neural activity generated in the pBC and carried to other neuronal pools to drive the musculature of breathing may be studied using various approaches, including en bloc nerve recordings and transverse slice recordings. However, previously published methods have not extensively described the brainstem-spinal cord dissection process in a transparent and reproducible manner for future studies. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of a method used to reproducibly cut rhythmically-active brainstem slices containing the necessary and sufficient neuronal circuitry for generating and transmitting inspiratory drive. This work builds upon previous brainstem-spinal cord electrophysiology protocols to enhance the likelihood of reliably obtaining viable and rhythmically-active slices for recording neuronal output from the pBC, hypoglossal premotor neurons (XII pMN), and hypoglossal motor neurons (XII MN). The work presented expands upon previous published methods by providing detailed, step-by-step illustrations of the dissection, from whole rat pup, to in vitro slice containing the XII rootlets.
Notes on Interval Estimation Under the AB/BA Design in Multicenter Trials With Binary Responses

AbstractA multicenter trial is often applied to facilitate recruiting patients into a trial and enhance the generalizability of results to a population. Under a distribution-free random effects log...