cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Architectural Competitions and Bureaucracy, 1934–1945

The 1930s in the United States marked a turning point in the relationship of the architectural profession to both the government and corporations. The federal government and large corporations, began to hold design competitions to stimulate the building industry during the Depression. This caught the American Institute of Architects unprepared and led to the transformation of the profession from one grounded in the ideal of the architect-artist to one whose survival depends, in part, upon business acumen, technical competence, and public relations skill.
Anterior Segment Imaging in Glaucoma

Anterior segment imaging allows objective assessment of the anterior segment of the eye, particularly the anterior chamber angle. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses are possible and aid in detecting and managing closed-angle and open-angle mechanisms in various forms of glaucoma. This review focuses primarily on anterior segment optical coherence tomography and ultrasound biomicroscopy, with emphasis on principles of technology, commercially available devices, and clinical applications in glaucoma with potential advantages and disadvantages of each technology.
Chemical Kinetics in Use

Many chemical and biological processes have measurable rates that can be studied in experiments and modeled mathematically with the methods of chemical kinetics. The strategy of the modeling, sketched in Sec. 10.1, is conceptually simple, and it has been applied far and wide by practitioners of many kinds. Sec. 10.1 applies the kinetic analysis to reacting systems approaching equilibrium and steady-state conditions (the programs Chemkin and Xss). The kineticist’s view of more complicated reaction schemes is illustrated in Sec. 10.2, with accounts of the kinetics of catalytic cycles, simplified versions of biochemical cycles, and branching reactions (the programs Catcycle, Cycle, Krebs, and Branch). In Sec. 10.3 the kinetic analysis implied by two mechanisms of polymerization reactions is the topic (the programs Chain and Step). Not only chemists, but biologists and biophysicists (among others, including geologists, chemical engineers, and pharmacologists), have found remarkable uses for the concepts and methods of chemical kinetics. We see an example of biological kinetics in Sec. 10.4 (Biokin) and biophysical kinetics in Sec. 10.5 (Hodgkin).
In Memoriam Douglas MacArthur

Amerikas Option fur Deutschland und Japan: Die Position und Rolle Deutschlands und Japans in Regionalen und Internationalen Strukturen [America's Option for Germany and Japan: The Position and Role of Germany and Japan in Regional and International Structures] Edited by Gustav Schmidt and Charles F. Doran
Frequency dependence of scattering and extinction of dense media based on three-dimensional simulations of Maxwell's equations with applications to snow

The frequency dependence of scattering by geophysical media at microwave frequencies is an important topic because multifrequency measurements are used in remote sensing applications. In this paper, we study rigorously the frequency dependence of scattering by dense media using Monte Carlo simulations of the three-dimensional solutions of Maxwell's equations. The particle positions are generated by deposition and bonding techniques. The extinction, scattering, and absorption properties of dense media are calculated for dense media of sticky and nonsticky particles. Numerical solutions of Maxwell's equations indicate that the frequency dependence of densely packed sticky small particles are much weaker than that of independent scattering. Numerical results are illustrated using parameters of snow in microwave remote sensing. Comparisons are made with extinction measurements as a function of frequency.
Subjectivity and Sentiment Analysis of Modern Standard Arabic

Although Subjectivity and Sentiment Analysis (SSA) has been witnessing a flurry of novel research, there are few attempts to build SSA systems for Morphologically-Rich Languages (MRL). In the current study, we report efforts to partially fill this gap. We present a newly developed manually annotated corpus of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) together with a new polarity lexicon. The corpus is a collection of newswire documents annotated on the sentence level. We also describe an automatic SSA tagging system that exploits the annotated data. We investigate the impact of different levels of preprocessing settings on the SSA classification task. We show that by explicitly accounting for the rich morphology the system is able to achieve significantly higher levels of performance.
Printed Patterns for Enhanced Shape Perception of Papercraft Models

Papercraft models can serve as inexpensive prototypes in shape design applications. However, in making the models some geometric detail is necessarily lost, and artificial creases may be visible, thereby limiting the utility of these models. To compensate for these practical limitations, we introduce the use of printed patterns on papercraft models to enhance the perception of the shape they are intended to represent. We propose pattern generation schemes that modulate the sizes, directions, and densities of glyphs of patterns based on geometric attributes. We present a psychophysical experiment designed to explore the effect that printed patterns have on the perception of the papercraft model shapes. We find that models with printed patterns are perceived to represent the intended shape more accurately, and, further, that the type of printed pattern has an impact on the perceived shape.
Three-dimensional image registration for spiral CT angiography

This paper presents a 3D image registration approach to 3D CT angiography (CTA). We extend the interest operator from 2D to 3D in order to extract 3D feature points and develop a 3D image flow algorithm to find matches of feature points between the mask and the contrast data sets. A robust 3D motion estimation algorithm is also developed which handles outliers up to 50% of all computed image flow vectors. The subtracted volume after motion correction is rendered on the display. The proposed algorithm has been successfully applied to a clinical CTA data set and the result is very promising. >
AFLP markers closely linked to a major gene essential for nucellar embryony (apomixis) in Citrus maxima × Poncirus trifoliata

Some citrus varieties express a form of apomixis termed nucellar embryony in which the adventive embryos develop from nucellus tissue surrounding the embryo sac. This trait results in many seeds containing multiple embryos (polyembryony). Inheritance of the frequency of polyembryony was studied in 88 progeny from a cross of Citrus maxima (monoembryonic) × Poncirus trifoliata (polyembryonic). The frequency of polyembryonic seed produced by each progeny was determined by scoring 100–500 seeds for the number of seedlings to emerge from each seed. Two groups of eight individuals from each extreme of the population were chosen for bulked segregant analysis with amplified fragment length polymorphism markers amplified with 256 primer combinations. Candidate markers identified in the bulks as linked to the trait were tested on the 32 individuals used to create the bulks and then on the remaining plants in the population. Five candidate markers tightly linked to polyembryony in P. trifoliata were identified. Specific marker alleles were present in nearly all progeny that produced polyembryonic seed, and alternate alleles were present in nearly all progeny that produced only monoembryonic seed. The region defined by these markers very likely contains a gene that is essential for the production of polyembryonic seeds by apomixis, but also shows segregation distortion. The proportion of polyembryonic seeds varied widely among the hybrid progeny, probably due to other genes. Scoring 119 progeny of a P. trifoliata selfed population for the closely linked markers and the proportion of polyembryonic seeds confirmed close linkage between these markers and polyembryony.
Characterization of Runtime and Jitter on a Laser Triggered Spark Gap Switch

Summary form only given. A 1 MV, SF6 filled, laser triggered gas switch has been installed on the University of Missouri pulsed power test stand to study the factors affecting runtime and jitter. The test stand consists of a 2.8 MV, 450 kJ Marx bank that feeds into a 7 nF intermediate store capacitor before discharging through the gas switch. The test was operated from about 1 MV up to 2.5 MV, at switch pressures from 1 to 4 atm. The gas switch is triggered by a 30 mJ New Wave Tempest 10 Nd:YAG laser to initiate breakdown in the switch. The University of Missouri has examined factors including the applied field, rate of rise and gas pressure of the switch along with the laser power, focused intensity, and Rayleigh range and determined their relation to jitter and runtime. Optical spectroscopy has been used to examine both the laser arc and the resulting switch discharge plasma parameters and composition. The end goal of research is to understand the factors contributing to increased jitter and runtime and thereby provide paths to improved switch performance.
A technique of linear system identification using correlating filters

A technique for measuring the impulse response of linear processes while they are on line is described. Such an identification of process dynamics is necessary in process-adaptive control systems. A testing signal and correlating filter are employed after the manner of Turin. Such a procedure requires no multiplier, and the output of the filter is the impulse response as a continuous function of real time. To reduce accompanying output noise, the method of adding coherently the results of a number of tests made in succession is proposed. This idea is applied to the measurement of a member of an ensemble of slowly varying impulse responses. Optimum design of both the correlating filter and the necessary test signal is determined on the basis of minimum mean-square error of the resulting estimate. The optimization of the number of tests to be included in a measurement is described. The general results are applied to the case of a single, slowly time-varying process. In addition to optimum design, normalized curves showing the optimum number of tests for a particular mode of variation are included. A second application is made to the problem of measuring a member of an ensemble of fixed processes. The results of a digital computer simulation of this case are given.
Interconversion between apolipoprotein A-I-containing lipoproteins of pre-beta and alpha electrophoretic mobilities

Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I-containing lipoproteins can be separated into two subfractions, pre-beta HDL and alpha HDL (high density lipoproteins), based on differences in their electrophoretic mobility. In this report we present results indicating that these two subfractions are metabolically linked. When plasma was incubated for 2 h at 37 degrees C, apoA-I mass with pre-beta electrophoretic mobility disappeared. This shift in apoA-I mass to alpha electrophoretic mobility was blocked by the addition of either 1.4 mM DTNB or 10 mM menthol to the plasma prior to incubation, suggesting that lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was involved. There was no change in the electrophoretic mobility of either pre-beta HDL or alpha HDL when they were incubated with cholesterol-loaded fibroblasts. However, after exposure to the fibroblasts, the cholesterol content of the pre-beta HDL did increase approximately sixfold, suggesting that pre-beta HDL can associate with appreciable amounts of cellular cholesterol. Pre-beta HDL-like particles appear to be generated by the incubation of alpha HDL with cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and either very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) or low density lipoproteins (LDL). This generation of pre-beta HDL-like particles was documented both by immunoelectrophoresis and by molecular sieve chromatography. Based on these findings, we propose a cyclical model in which 1) apoA-I mass moves from pre-beta HDL to alpha HDL in connection with the action of LCAT and the generation of cholesteryl esters within the HDL, and 2) apoA-I moves from alpha HDL to pre-beta HDL in connection with the action of CETP and the movement of cholesteryl esters out of the HDL. Additionally, we propose that the relative plasma concentrations of pre-beta HDL and alpha HDL reflect the movement of cholesteryl esters through the HDL. Conditions that result in the accumulation of HDL cholesteryl esters will be associated with low concentrations of pre-beta HDL, whereas conditions that result in the depletion of HDL cholesteryl esters will be associated with elevated concentrations of pre-beta HDL. This postulate is consistent with published findings in patients with hypertriglyceridemia and LCAT deficiency.
Event-Driven Political Communication and the Preadult Socialization of Partisanship

This study investigates political communication as a mediator of the socializing effects of major political events. We earlier found that presidential campaigns are occasions for increased crystallization of partisan attitudes among adolescents (Sears and Valentino, 1997). But what drives the socialization process during the campaign? Either the campaign saturates the media environment with political information, socializing all adolescents roughly equally, or greater individual exposure to political information is necessary for significant socialization gains during the campaign. The analyses utilize a three-wave panel study of preadults and their parents during and after the 1980 presidential campaign. Here we find that adolescents exposed to higher levels of political communication experience the largest socialization gains, that the socializing effects of political communication are limited to the campaign season, and that communication boosts socialization only in attitude domains most relevant to the campaign. We conclude that both a high salience event at the aggregate level and high individual levels of communication about the event are necessary to maximize socialization gains.
Mission Culture on the Upper Amazon: Native Tradition, Jesuit Enterprise, and Secular Policy in Moxos, 1660-1880

Until recently, historians of the Christian missions in the New World have seen Missionaries either as saints and martyrs or as brutal disrupters and oppressors. Both the apologists and detractors of mission enterprise have concentrated solely on the missionaries, regarding the native populations either as childlike beneficiaries or as mutely suffering victims. With the growth of ethnohistory as a field of research, new research has sought to reconstruct the situations, the reactions, and the strategies of native groups, thereby seeing the native peoples of the Americas as active agents in their own history.In Mission Culture on the Upper Amazon, David Block describes the formation of a new society in the Moxos region of the Amazon Basin, in what is now northern, or lowland, Bolivia. This society began with the arrival of the Jesuits in the region. The mutual synthesis that became Jesuit mission culture followed, with Moxos Indian cultural survival and adaptation continuing after the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767. With the cataclysmic onset of the rubber boom, the entire region was plunged into a period of severe exploitation and conflict that persists to this day. Block's nuanced treatment of the mission encounter--one extending over a large time period--permits a balanced understanding of the mission enterprise, native response, and the cultural synthesis that ensued.
An algorithm for lower reliability bounds of multistate two-terminal networks

Network reliability is extensively used to measure the degree of stability of the quality of infrastructure services. The performance of an infrastructure network and its components degrades over time in real situations. Multi-state reliability modeling that allows a finite number of different states for the performance of the network and its components is more appropriate for the reliability assessment, and provides a more realistic view of the network performance than the traditional binary reliability modeling. Due to the computational complexity of the enumerative methods in evaluating the multi-state reliability, the problem can be reduced to searching lower boundary points, and using them to evaluate reliability. Lower boundary points can be used to compute the exact reliability value and reliability bounds. We present an algorithm to search for lower boundary points. The proposed algorithm has considerable improvement in terms of computational efficiency by significantly reducing the number of iterations to obtain lower reliability bounds.
Fitness, Probability and the Principles of Natural Selection

We argue that a fashionable interpretation of the theory of natural selection as a claim exclusively about populations is mistaken. The interpretation rests on adopting an analysis of fitness as a probabilistic propensity which cannot be substantiated, draws parallels with thermodynamics which are without foundations, and fails to do justice to the fundamental distinction between drift and selection. This distinction requires a notion of fitness as a pairwise comparison between individuals taken two at a time, and so vitiates the interpretation of the theory as one about populations exclusively.
SOME EFFECTS OF RAINFALL ON THE POPULATION DYNAMICS OF THE EUROPEAN CORN BORER, OSTRINIA NUBILALIS (HBN.) (PYRAUSTIDAE: LEPIDOPTERA)1

Results of field and laboratory tests to determine the importance of rainfall in the population dynamics of Ostrinia (Pyrausta) nubilalis (Hbn.) are reported. The influence of amount, frequency, and time of rainfall in relation to emergence of moths was assessed according to their effects on survival, fecundity, and net reproductive rate of experimental populations. This study confirmed quantitatively the potential importance of rainfall in the dynamics of borer populations. Zusammenfassung UBER EINIGE WIRKUNGEN VON REGENFALL AUF DIE POPULATIONSDYNAMIK DES MAISZUNSLERS, OSTRINIA NUBILALIS (HBN.) (PYRAUSTIDAE: LEPIDOPTERA) 1. Labor- und Feldexperimente zur quantitativen Feststellung der Bedeutung von Regenfall fur die Populationsdynamik von Ostrinia nubualis (Hbn.) werden beschrieben. 2. Der Einflus von Menge, Haufigkeit und Zeitpunkt kunstlicher Beregnung in bezug auf das Schlupfen der Falter wurde bestimmt und mit ihren Wirkungen auf Lebensdauer, Fruchtbarkeit und Vermehrung pro Generation der Versuchspopulation verglichen. Beobachtungen uber das Verhalten der Falter in bezug auf Trinkwasser werden dargestellt. 3. Im allgemeinen erwies sich Regen als Quelle von Trinkwasser fur O. nubilalis-Populatkmen. als vorteilhaft, da es Lebensdauer und Reproduktionsrate der Falter begunstigt. Eine von viel Regen vielleicht verursachte schwache Sterblichkeit von Eiern und jungen Larven wurde durch die vorteilhaften Wirkungen des Regenwassers auf die Falter mehr als ausgeglichen. 4. Um ihre maximale Reproduktion zu erreichen, mussen die Falter wahrend ihres Lebens uber eine konstante Trinkwasserquelle verfugen. Sogar eine kurze Zeit ohne Trinkwasser nach dem Schlupfen bewirkte schon eine zwei- bis funffache Abnahme der Lebensdauer und Reproduktionsrate. 5. Ungenugende Trinkwasserversorgung beeinfluste die Reproduktionsrate infolge Abnahme der Lebensdauer der weiblichen Motten, durch Verminderung der Eizabl und vielleicht auch durch eine Schwachung der Mannchen, welche die Befruchtung der Weibchen einschrankte. 6. Untersuchungen im Labor zeigten, das die Falter nicht aktiv nach Wasser suchen, obwohl sie bei Trockenheit unruhig werden und dadurch eine grosere Chance haben, eventuell Wasser zu finden. Offenbar werden sie von verstreuten Wasservorkommen wie von Pflanzen abgegebenen Guttationstropfen oder kleinen isolierten Wasserlachen nicht angezogen. Haufiger Regen erwies sich als die beste Quelle fur Trinkwasser, jedoch kann wahrscheinlich auch Tau zu diesem Zweck dienen. 7. Es wurde geschlossen, das ein Fruhling mit haufigem und reichlichem Regenfall durch Forderung der Lebensdauer und der Fruchtbarkeit der Falter der ersten Generation die Ursache fur relativ grose Populationen von Maiszunslern in der zweiten Generation sein kann, obwohl die optimale Menge und Haufigkeit des Regens von den vorherrschenden Temperatur- und Feuchtigkeitsbedingungen abhangt.
Distribution and fate of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (CARTp)-expressing cells in rat urinary bladder: a developmental study.

This study demonstrates that CARTp-IR intramural ganglia and CARTp-IR paraganglion or SIF cells exist in postnatal and adult rat bladder although the role of these cell types remains to be determined.
Ant predation as a selective agent on overwintering eggs in a field cricket mosaic hybrid zone

Abstract Hybrid zones may serve as arenas for the evolution of barriers to gene exchange while still allowing the exchange of favorable alleles between species. Differential introgression of linkage groups indicate favored, neutral, and disfavored genomic regions with respect to intrinsic (epistatic interactions, linkage to specific genes) and extrinsic (environmental selection, behavior, ecological interactions) environments. Additionally, the ability of alleles to introgress will depend on hybrid zone structure (opportunity for individuals to interact) and maintenance (criteria for favorable traits). Thus, trait differences that influence local distribution within these hybrid zones contribute to species coexistence and persistence in the face of hybridization. The mosaic hybrid zone between two North American field crickets, Gryllus firmus and G. pennsylvanicus, is structured by underlying soil heterogeneity in Connecticut. Despite this, it is not clear what role soil type plays in maintaining this hyb...
Comparison of putative cooperative mechanisms in cardiac muscle: length dependence and dynamic responses.

Length-dependent steady-state and dynamic responses of five models of isometric force generation in cardiac myofilaments were compared with similar experimental data from the literature. The models...
Streptococcus dysgalactiae polyarthritis in dairy goats

Two Saanen does on the same farm developed signs of polyarthritis. Streptococcus dysgalactiae was isolated on microbial culture of samples from multiple joints of both goats. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of the S dysgalactiae revealed resistance to tetracycline, a commonly used antibiotic to treat arthritis in goats. The isolate was susceptible to penicillin. Polyarthritis was clinically diagnosed in 25 Saanen goats on this farm over a 2-year period. Streptococcus dysgalactiae has been reported as a cause of polyarthritis in calves and lambs and should be considered as a cause of polyarthritis in adult goats. Joint fluid samples for Mycoplasma, aerobic bacterial, and Chlamydia culture and serum samples for caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus serologic testing should be obtained from live goats during clinical evaluation of herd outbreaks of polyarthritis.
Do Labmates Matter? The Relative Importance of Workplace Climate and Work-Life Satisfaction in Women Scientists’ Job Satisfaction

Workplace climate and work-life balance are two factors that influence women’s decisions to leave or remain in a science workplace. This study applies structural equation modeling to data from nearly 600 early-career geoscientists to examine relationships among perceptions of workplace climate, work-life satisfaction, job satisfaction and productivity. The results include analytic path models comparing women to men, women professionals to women graduate students, and women professionals with child caregiving responsibilities to those without. For all groups, workplace climate—measured in terms of both collegial interactions in the workplace and influence on decision-making—outweighed satisfaction with work-life balance in shaping job satisfaction, which in turn positively influences perceived productivity. Work-life balance increased in importance and became significantly more influential for women caregivers. The findings suggest that institutional efforts to improve workplace climate benefit all academics, while unmitigated work-life conflict may tip the balance for women’s satisfaction.
Determinants of Per Capita Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT): The Case of California

This study uses multivariate regression to isolate determinants of per capita VMT in California from the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), as well as a Chow Test to identify structural change between the 2001 and 2009 NHTS. Results across the 2001 and 2009 NHTS data sets indicate certain determinant variables have emerged over time and others have changed in strength of impact. Our findings support mixed methods VMT reduction strategies to achieve near- and long- term GHG targets.
The Patient-Centered Medical Home and Associations With Health Care Quality and Utilization: A 5-Year Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Effects of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) are unclear. Previous studies had relatively short follow-up and may not have distinguished effects of the PCMH (which involves electronic health records [EHRs] plus organizational changes) from those of EHRs alone. OBJECTIVE To determine effects of the PCMH on health care quality and utilization compared with paper records alone and EHRs alone, with extended follow-up. DESIGN Prospective cohort study (2008 to 2012), including 3 years after PCMH implementation. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00793065). SETTING The Hudson Valley, a multipayer, multiprovider region in New York. PARTICIPANTS 438 primary care physicians in 226 practices, with 136 480 patients across 5 health plans. INTERVENTION Level III PCMH, as defined by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. MEASUREMENTS Claims-based outcomes included 8 quality and 7 utilization measures. Generalized estimating equations were used to compare adjusted differences in rates of change across study groups. RESULTS Patterns of quality were fairly similar across groups. Utilization patterns were similar across groups from 2008 to 2011 but showed modest differences between the PCMH and control groups on most measures in 2012. For example, hospitalizations were relatively stable from 2008 to 2011 (approximately 3.9 to 5.2 per 100 patients per year) but decreased in the PCMH group in 2012 (incidence rate ratio, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.69 to 0.90] compared with paper records). Emergency department visits were highest for the PCMH group (16.7 per 100 patients at baseline and 15.4 per 100 patients at the end of the study period) and lowest for the paper group (14.3 per 100 patients at baseline and 12.2 per 100 patients at the end of the study period), but the rate of change did not differ across groups. LIMITATION Possible unmeasured confounding. CONCLUSION The PCMH was associated with modest changes in most utilization measures and provided similar quality compared with EHRs and paper records. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE The Commonwealth Fund and the New York State Department of Health.
Causality and Demonstration: An Early Scholastic Posterior Analytics Commentary

Analyse de la notion de causalite demonstrationnelle qui designe le lien de dependance entre les premisses et la conclusion d'une demonstration, dans le commentaire medieval des «Seconds analytiques» d'Aristote du a Richard Rufus de Cornouailles. L'A. distingue la cause demonstrationnelle des conceptions metaphysique (explication), epistemologique (evidence) et logique (validite) de la cause
Device-Based Approaches to Modulate the Autonomic Nervous System and Cardiac Electrophysiology

Alterations in resting autonomic tone can be pathogenic in many cardiovascular disease states, such as heart failure and hypertension. Indeed, autonomic modulation by way of beta-blockade is a standard treatment of these conditions. There is a significant interest in developing non-pharmacological methods of autonomic modulation as well. For instance, clinical trials of vagal stimulation and spinal cord stimulation in the treatment of heart failure are currently underway, and renal denervation has been studied recently in the treatment of resistant hypertension. Notably, autonomic stimulation is also a potent modulator of cardiac electrophysiology. Manipulating the autonomic nervous system in studies designed to treat heart failure and hypertension have revealed that autonomic modulation may have a role in the treatment of common atrial and ventricular arrhythmias as well. Experimental data on vagal nerve and spinal cord stimulation suggest that each technique may reduce ventricular arrhythmias. Similarly, renal denervation may play a role in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, as well as in controlling refractory ventricular arrhythmias. In this review, we present the current experimental and clinical data on the effect of these therapeutic modalities on cardiac electrophysiology and their potential role in arrhythmia management.
Application of molecular markers in the development of peach rootstocks tolerant to ring nematode (mesocriconema xenoplax)

Peach Tree Short Life (PTSL) is a severe disease syndrome in the southeastern United States causing significant damage to peach orchards. Ring nematode is intimately associated with the PTSL syndrome. Recently, a peach rootstock (GuardianTM Brand BY520-9), which is tolerant to ring nematode, was released. The genetic nature of this tolerance, however, is not known. To investigate the genetic relatedness of ring nematode tolerant genotypes and identify possible sources of the tolerance trait, 100 genotypes derived from the BY520-9 pedigree, and others showing different degrees of field resistance or susceptibility to PTSL, were selected for simple sequence repeat analysis. Nineteen of thirty-two microsatellite loci were polymorphic. Allele number averaged 2.7 per locus with heterozygosity levels of 0.07 to 0.60. Cluster analysis of these genotypes produced a dendrogram in agreement with their putative pedigrees. The most likely parents with LOD scores of 2.91 to 7.91 were identified for 10 field resistant genotypes produced from open-pollinated selections of ‘BY520-9’ using the program Cervus 1.0.
Genetic Susceptibility and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract Epidemiological studies have shown that individuals with a family history of pancreatic cancer are themselves at an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. The genetic basis for the majority of familial aggregation of pancreatic cancer has yet to be explained. The search for common and rare germline variants that influence risk of pancreatic cancer through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and high-throughput sequencing–based studies is under way and holds the promise of increasing our knowledge of variants and genes that play a role in inherited susceptibility of this devastating disease. This chapter discusses the progress made in GWAS-related investigations to identify markers for genetic susceptibility in pancreatic cancer.
Functional Assays for the Diagnosis of Chronic Granulomatous Disease

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare genetic disease (~1 in 200,000 in the U.S.) first described in the 1950s (1). It is characterized by a failure of phagocytes (polymorphonuclear neutrophils [PMN], monocytes, macrophages, and eosinophils) to generate superoxide (O2·−) and other related reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to recurrent infections, granulomatous complications, and premature death. Generation of O2·− requires the assembly and activation of a multicomponent enzyme, NADPH oxidase (NOX2) or phagocyte oxidase (phox), a complex consisting of numerous cytosolic proteins, including p47phox (2), p67phox (2), and p40phox (3), and two membrane proteins, p22phox and gp91phox, that constitute cytochrome b 558 (4, 5). NOX2 catalyzes the reduction of molecular O2 to O2·− using NADPH generated by the oxidation of glucose through the pentose-phosphate pathway. O2·− is converted to H2O2 either spontaneously or enzymatically. H2O2 and O2·− can react to form the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, OH•. The molecular defect in CGD results from mutations in any one of 5 protein subunits of NOX2, that include gp91phox (~70% of patients), p47phox (~25%), p22phox (<5%), p67phox (<5%), and p40phox (one case identified). Because the molecular defect in CGD is the inability to generate ROS, most of the assays used in the diagnosis of CGD that are described below are based on assessments of ROS production using different probes and different detection platforms. The last two assays—flow cytometric analysis of NOX2 expression and immunoblot analysis of phox subunits—focus on identifying the specific protein defect and defining the target for genetic sequencing.
Performance Measurement on Scale-Up and Scale-Out Hadoop with Remote and Local File Systems

MapReduce is a popular computing model for parallel data processing on large-scale datasets, which can vary from gigabytes to terabytes and petabytes. Though Hadoop MapReduce normally uses Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) local file system, it can be configured to use a remote file system. Then, an interesting question is raised: for a given application, which is the best running platform among the different combinations of scale-up and scale-out Hadoop with remote and local file systems. However, there has been no previous research on how different types of applications (e.g., CPU-intensive, data-intensive) with different characteristics (e.g., input data size) can benefit from the different platforms. Thus, in this paper, we conduct a comprehensive performance measurement of different applications on scale-up and scaleout clusters configured with HDFS and a remote file system (i.e., OFS), respectively. We identify and study how different job characteristics (e.g., input data size, the number of file reads/writes, and the amount of computations) affect the performance of different applications on the different platforms. This study is expected to provide a guidance for users to choose the best platform to run different applications with different characteristics in the environment that provides both remote and local storage, such as HPC cluster.
Clearinghouse Margin Requirements

We introduce a framework that relates optimal clearinghouse collateral levels to market fundamentals. The profit-maximizing clearinghouse, who provides trade matching and clearing services, chooses the fee and collateral level per traded contract. Collateral is then posted by heterogeneous traders who may default. Increasing collateral levels introduces a trade-off between higher protection from defaults and reduced revenues due to lower trading activity. We show that the equilibrium collateral level and clearing fee both increase with market riskiness; collateral decreases with funding cost, whereas fee increases. In a model extension, we separate matching and clearing services by introducing an exchange, and analyze the implications of the different market structure on the resulting equilibria.
Comparison of Oxygen Consumption Rates of Nondegenerate and Degenerate Human Intervertebral Disc Cells.

Study design In vitro measurements of the oxygen consumption rates (OCR) of human intervertebral disc (IVD) cells. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the differences in the OCR of nondegenerate and degenerate human annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP), and cartilage endplate (CEP) cells at different glucose concentrations. Summary of background data The avascular nature of the IVD creates a delicate balance between rate of nutrient transport through the matrix and rate of disc cell consumption necessary to maintain tissue health. Previous studies have shown a dependence of OCR for animal (e.g., bovine and porcine) IVD cells on oxygen level and glucose concentration. However, the OCR of nondegenerate human IVD cells compared to degenerate human IVD cells at different glucose concentrations has not been investigated. Methods IVD cells were isolated from the AF, NP, and CEP regions of human cadaver spines and surgical samples. The changes in oxygen concentration were recorded when cells were sealed in a metabolic chamber. The OCR of cells was determined by curve fitting using the Michaelis-Menton equation. Results Under identical cell culture conditions, the OCR of degenerate human IVD cells was three to five times greater than that of nondegenerate human IVD cells. The degenerate IVD cells cultured in low-glucose medium (1 mmol/L) exhibited the highest OCR compared to degenerate cells cultured at higher glucose levels (i.e., 5 mmol/L, 25 mmol/L), whereas no significant differences in OCR were found among the nondegenerate IVD cells for all glucose levels. Conclusion Considering the significantly higher OCR and unique response to glucose of degenerate human IVD cells, the degeneration of the IVD is associated with a cell phenotypic change related to OCR. The OCR of IVD cells reported in this study will be valuable for understanding human IVD cellular behavior and tissue nutrition in response to disc degeneration. Level of evidence N/A.
Enhancement effects of clear speech and word-initial position in Korean glides.

The current study investigated the enhancement effect in Korean speakers' clear speech and word-initial position, using acoustic analyses of the Korean glides /w/ and /j/. The results showed that the transitions of glides /w/ and /j/ at onset were enhanced in clear speech with an expanded vowel space. An expanded vowel space was also observed in the word-initial position, but the expansion was not statistically significant. However, the significant interaction between speaking style and word position revealed that the articulatory and global modifications in clear speech were noticeably greater at onset in the word-medial compared to the word-initial position. Also, the mid-front vowel /e/ shifted downward and leftward in clear speech, indicating that mid-front vowels are fronted and lowered in clear speech. As a language-specific issue, no phonetic evidence was found supporting the existence of two Korean glides, /we/ and /we/, even in clear speech and word-initial position, indicating a diachronic sound merger of these two glides. In addition, the glide /je/ after a consonant was neutralized into /e/ in casual speech. These findings suggest a relationship between speaking style effects, word position effects, and changing phonetic targets due to diachronic sound change.
Radioisotope power system-based enceladus smallsat mission concept: Enceladus express

The coming decades of planetary science and deep space exploration will likely have a combination of more ambitious missions and ever more constrained budgets. The outer solar system, in particular, poses a challenge for lower mission cost as the principal need for a robotic craft — a source of energy — is difficult to supply through conventional means (solar energy). Even as far from the Sun as Saturn, the solar energy density is only 1% of that at Earth. Not viewed typically as a power source for low-cost missions, radioisotope power systems (RPS) may well fill that role by providing power to small spacecraft in the outer solar system. And the outer solar system beckons with extremely compelling science. The rich dynamics of the atmospheres of the gas giants are continuously operating laboratories of extreme weather processes, examples of which in miniaturized scale may become more familiar here on Earth. Enceladus, a small moon of Saturn, has been seen by the Cassini mission to be a site of continuous high geologic activity, with plumes of water vapor and particles pumped hundreds of kilometers above the surface, indeed into Saturn orbit. The internal heating mechanisms of this activity beg for explanation, and more importantly, initial measurements by the Cassini spacecraft give tantalizing clues that the geo-thermal source of the heating is, in fact, maintaining a global sub-surface ocean, which in combination could provide a habitat for life. This paper will explore how existing and currently available RPS elements may make mission concepts to explore the intriguing science of Enceladus economically tractable, and at the same time provide a generic platform for other small but highly capable spacecraft to explore the outer solar system.
256 Shades of gray: uncertainty and diagnostic error in radiology.

Radiologists practice in an environment of extraordinarily high uncertainty, which results partly from the high variability of the physical and technical aspects of imaging, partly from the inherent limitations in the diagnostic power of the various imaging modalities, and partly from the complex visual-perceptual and cognitive processes involved in image interpretation. This paper reviews the high level of uncertainty inherent to the process of radiological imaging and image interpretation vis-a-vis the issue of radiological interpretive error, in order to highlight the considerable degree of overlap that exists between these. The scope of radiological error, its many potential causes and various error-reduction strategies in radiology are also reviewed.
Effects of Drought Manipulation on Soil Nitrogen Cycling: A Meta‐Analysis

Author(s): Homyak, PM; Allison, SD; Huxman, TE; Goulden, ML; Treseder, KK | Abstract: Many regions on Earth are expected to become drier with climate change, which may impact nitrogen (N) cycling rates and availability. We used a meta-analytical approach on the results of field experiments that reduced precipitation and measured N supply (i.e., indices of N mineralization), soil microbial biomass, inorganic N pools (ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−)), and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. We hypothesized that N supply and N2O emissions would be relatively insensitive to precipitation reduction and that reducing precipitation would increase extractable NH4+ and NO3− concentrations because microbial processes continue, whereas plant N uptake diminishes with drought. In support of this hypothesis, extractable NH4+ increased by 25% overall with precipitation reduction; NH4+ also increased significantly with increasing magnitude of precipitation reduction. In contrast, N supply and extractable NO3− did not change and N2O emissions decreased with reduced precipitation. Across studies microbial biomass appeared unchanged, yet from the diversity of studies, it was clear that proportionally smaller precipitation reductions increased microbial biomass, whereas larger proportional reductions in rainfall reduced microbial biomass; there was a positive intercept (Pn=n0.005) and a significant negative slope (Pn=n0.0002) for the regression of microbial biomass versus % precipitation reduction (LnRn=n−0.009n×n(% precipitation reduction)n+n0.4021). Our analyses imply that relative to other N variables, N supply is less sensitive to reduced precipitation, whereas processes producing N2O decline. Drought intensity and duration, through sustained N supply, may control how much N becomes vulnerable to loss via hydrologic and gaseous pathways upon rewetting dry soils.
Factors associated with resilience among Black women living with HIV and histories of trauma.

In the United States, Black women living with HIV face various individual (e.g. trauma) and structural (e.g. racism) adversities. However, resilience is understudied among Black women living with H...
Higher clinical suspicion is needed for prompt diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma in young patients

Abstract Background Esophageal cancer is considered a disease of the elderly. Although the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma in young patients is increasing, current guidelines for endoscopic evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus include age as a cutoff. There is a paucity of data on the presentation and treatment of esophageal cancer in young patients. Most studies are limited by small sample sizes, and conflicting findings are reported regarding delayed diagnosis and survival compared with older patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed using the National Cancer Database between 2004 and 2015. Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma were divided into quartiles by age (18-57, 58-65, 66-74, 75+ years) for comparison. Clinicopathologic and treatment factors were compared between groups. Results A total of 101,596 patients were identified with esophageal cancer. The youngest patient group (18-57 years) had the highest rate of metastatic disease (34%). No difference in tumor differentiation was observed between age groups. Younger patient groups were more likely to undergo treatment despite advanced stage at diagnosis. Overall 5-year survival was better for younger patients with local disease, but the difference was less pronounced in locoregional and metastatic cases. Conclusions In this study, young patients were more likely to have metastatic disease at diagnosis. Advanced stage in young patients may reflect the need for more aggressive clinical evaluation in high-risk young patients.
Bayesian Methods for Planning Accelerated Repeated Measures Degradation Tests

Accelerated repeated measures degradation tests are often used to assess product or component reliability when there would be few or even no failures during a traditional life test. Such tests are ...
VALAN: Vision and Language Agent Navigation.

VALAN is a lightweight and scalable software framework for deep reinforcement learning based on the SEED RL architecture. The framework facilitates the development and evaluation of embodied agents for solving grounded language understanding tasks, such as Vision-and-Language Navigation and Vision-and-Dialog Navigation, in photo-realistic environments, such as Matterport3D and Google StreetView. We have added a minimal set of abstractions on top of SEED RL allowing us to generalize the architecture to solve a variety of other RL problems. In this article, we will describe VALAN's software abstraction and architecture, and also present an example of using VALAN to design agents for instruction-conditioned indoor navigation.
Production of acetaldehyde from ethanol in coastal waters.

Interest in understanding the cycling of ethanol in the environment has grown as ethanol use as a gasoline additive has increased. The production of acetaldehyde from ethanol was measured in Southern California coastal seawater. The rate of increase of acetaldehyde was positively correlated with the rate constant for ethanol biodegradation and bacteria count and was consistent with two consecutive first-order reactions where acetaldehyde is first biologically produced from ethanol then consumed. Correlation with bacteria counts suggested that acetaldehyde degradation was also a biological process. The rate constants for acetaldehyde production from ethanol and acetaldehyde loss averaged 3.0 ± 3.4 × 10−3 min−1 and 2.3 ± 4.5 × 10−2 min−1 respectively. The branching ratio for acetaldehyde production from ethanol was 0.46 ± 0.26 and estimated acetaldehyde biological production rates ranged from 0.022 to 0.800 nM min−1. With high bacterial counts, biological production rates from ethanol exceeded photochemical production rates from chromophoric dissolved organic matter. Overall, acetaldehyde production rates were larger than biodegradation rates, suggesting these waters are a source of acetaldehyde to the atmosphere. Extrapolation to higher ethanol concentrations associated with spills suggests that the production rate of acetaldehyde will initially increase and then decrease as ethanol concentrations increase.