cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retinal bipolar cells: contrast encoding for sinusoidal modulation and steps of luminance contrast

Contrast encoding for sinusoidal modulations of luminance contrast was investigated by intracellular recording in the intact salamander retina. In what appears to be the first study of this kind for vertebrate bipolar cells, responses of the central receptive-field mechanism of cone-driven cells to modulation of 3 Hz were analyzed quantitatively via both signal averaging and a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) while the retina was light adapted to 20 cd/m2. Depolarizing and hyperpolarizing bipolar cells showed very similar encoding. Both responded with sinusoidal waveforms whose amplitude varied linearly with modulation depths ranging up to 7-8%. The slope of the modulation/response curve was very steep in this range. Thus, the contrast gain was high, reaching values of 6-7, and the half-maximal response was achieved at modulations of 9% or less. At modulations above approximately 15%, the responses typically showed strong compressive nonlinearity and the waveform was increasingly distorted. At maximum modulation, the higher harmonics of the FFT constituted about 30% of the amplitude of the fundamental. Measurements were also made for cones and horizontal cells. Both cell types showed predominantly linear responses and low contrast gain, in marked contrast to bipolar cells. These results suggest that the high contrast gain and strong nonlinearity of bipolar cells largely arise postsynaptic to cone transmitter release. Further experiments were performed to compare responses to contrast steps versus those to sinusoidal modulation. In the linear range, we show that the contrast gains of cones and horizontal cells are low and virtually identical for both steps and sinusoidal modulations. In bipolar cells, on the other hand, the contrast gain is about two times greater for steps than that for the 3-Hz sine waves. These results suggest that mechanisms intrinsic to bipolar cells act like a high-pass filter with a short time constant to selectively emphasize contrast transients over slower changes in contrast.
Volatile Leaf Oil of Plecostachys serpyllifolia (Berg.) Hilliard & Burtt

ABSTRACT The essential oil of flowering Plecostachys serpyllifolia (Berg.) Hilliard & Burtt, examined by GC/MS, is dominated by β-caryophyllene (21.29±110.90%), β-pinene (14.99±18.40%) and sabinene (10.73±4.98%).
Historians' Crafts: Common Interests in a Diverse Profession

The results of the JAH survey bring to mind E. H. Carr's What Is History? Were Carr to revisit the question in the title of his George Macaulay Trevelyan lectures today, a third of a century after their publication, he might add a word and change the punctuation: What Is History, Anyway! So heterogeneous has our profession become, so diverse are our interests, so multifaceted our pursuits, that there are no simple answers to the seemingly simple question, "What is history?" Individuals in the profession, too, have so many callings and commitments and are so multifaceted and often paradoxical that we defy easy characterization. What to make of us? Carr offers an apt metaphor. Historians, he says, are individual human beings who, as they approach the facts of the past, are social phenomena, "both the product and the conscious or unconscious spokesmen of the society" to which they belong. "We sometimes speak of the course of history," Carr says, "as a 'moving procession."' The metaphor, he continues, is fair enough, provided it does not tempt each historian
Responses of riparian trees to interannual variation in ground water depth in a semi‐arid river basin

We investigated the physiological and growth responses of native (Populus fremontii S. Wats. and Salix gooddingii Ball) and exotic (Tamarix chinensis Lour.) riparian trees to ground water availability at the free-flowing Hassayampa River, Arizona, during dry (1997) and wet (1998) years. In the drier year, all species experienced considerable water stress, as evidenced by low shoot water potentials, low leaf gas exchange rates and large amounts of canopy dieback. These parameters were significantly related to depth of ground water (DGW) in the native species, but not in T. chinensis, in 1997. Canopy dieback was greater in the native species than in T. chinensis when ground water was deep in 1997, and dieback increased rapidly at DGW > 2.5-3.0 m for the native species. Analysis of combined data from wet and dry years for T. chinensis tentatively suggests a similar physiological sensitivity to water availability and a similar DGW threshold for canopy dieback. In 1998, shoot water potential and leaf gas exchange rates were higher and canopy dieback was lower for all species because of increased water availability. However, T. chinensis showed a much larger increase in leaf gas exchange rates in the wet year than the native species. High leaf gas exchange rates, growth when water is abundant, drought tolerance and the maintenance of a viable canopy under dry conditions are characteristics that help explain the ability of T. chinensis to thrive in riparian ecosystems in the south-western United States.
A hierarchical approach for evaluating fluvial systems: Architectural analysis and sequential evolution of the high net-sand content, middle Wasatch Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah

Well-exposed three-dimensional fluvial outcrops of the high net-sand content middle Wasatch Formation in Three Canyon, Uinta Basin, Utah, were used to create and develop a new methodology for describing the architecture of fluvial systems. The methodology builds on the works of Campbell, Jackson, Allen, and Miall, and addresses sedimentary processes, scale, and temporal context for reservoir and non-reservoir bodies. The methodology developed herein is a three-level hierarchical framework that classifies meso- and macroscale architecture of fluvial systems. The three-level hierarchy contains, from smallest to largest: stories, elements, and archetypes. Eight story types provide the foundational building blocks of this framework and account for sedimentation in both channel-belt and floodplain-belt elements, including (1) downstream accreting; (2) laterally accreting; (3) erosionally-based fine-grained fill; (4) fine-grained fill associated with laterally accreting; (5) levee; (6) splay; (7) crevasse or overbank channels; and (8) floodplain fines. Two types of elements are recognized: (1) channel belt and (2) floodplain belt. An archetype consists of a channel-belt element and its genetically related floodplain-belt elements. Two distinct upward-stacking patterns differentiate braided and meandering archetypes. In deconstructing the evolution of archetypes, three distinct associations between channel-belt elements and their adjacent splays are documented: (1) unassociated splays; (2) associated coeval splays; and (3) associated non-coeval splays.Width and thickness for stories, channel-belt elements, and archetypes are documented providing dimensional constraints for analog high-net-sand-content fluvial systems. Additionally, this methodology provides object-based models with shape-defined reservoir and nonreservoir geobodies that realistically compare to fluvial systems.
HIV testing among heterosexual young adults: the influence of partners' risk behaviors and relationship dynamics.

Using relational theory and survey data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (n = 665), this article examined whether individuals were tested for HIV while intimately involved in a current or recent heterosexual relationship. The analyses included the respondent's and partner's sexual risk factors (non-exclusivity and lifetime number of partners), relational variables, prior testing, and demographic characteristics. It was found that 39% of respondents had an HIV test while involved in their current or most recent sexual relationship, and women (47%), compared with men (29%), were significantly more likely to have been tested. Whereas some predictors operated similarly (number of sex partners and pressured to have sex), others displayed significant gender differences (partner's sexual exclusivity, sexual communication difficulties, and pregnancy), particularly related to women's testing behaviors. Excerpts from qualitative interviews with male respondents suggested that some relational dynamics,...
Cerulein-Induced Chronic Pancreatitis Does Not Require Intra-Acinar Activation of Trypsinogen in Mice

Background & Aims Premature activation of trypsinogen activation can cause pancreatic injury and has been associated with chronic pancreatitis (CP). Mice that lack intra-acinar activation of trypsinogen, such as trypsinogen-7−null ( T -/- ) and cathepsin B–null ( CB -/- ) mice, have been used to study trypsin-independent processes of CP development. We compared histologic features and inflammatory responses of pancreatic tissues from these mice with those from wild-type mice after the development of CP. Methods CP was induced in wild-type, T -/- , and CB -/- mice by twice-weekly induction of acute pancreatitis for 10 weeks; acute pancreatitis was induced by hourly intraperitoneal injections of cerulein (50 μg/kg × 6). Pancreatic samples were collected and evaluated by histologic and immunohistochemical analyses. Normal human pancreas samples, obtained from the islet transplant program at the University of Minnesota, were used as controls and CP samples were obtained from surgical resections. Results Compared with pancreatic tissues from wild-type mice, those from T -/- and CB -/- mice had similar levels of atrophy, histomorphologic features of CP, and chronic inflammation. All samples had comparable intra-acinar activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, a transcription factor that regulates the inflammatory response, immediately after injection of cerulein. Pancreatic tissue samples from patients with CP had increased activation of NF-κB (based on nuclear translocation of p65 in acinar cells) compared with controls. Conclusions Induction of CP in mice by cerulein injection does not require intra-acinar activation of trypsinogen. Pancreatic acinar cells of patients with CP have increased levels of NF-κB activation compared with controls; regulation of the inflammatory response by this transcription factor might be involved in the pathogenesis of CP.
Computational efficiency and interactive MOLP algorithms: an implementation of the SIMOLP procedure

Abstract This paper presents an investigation of computational considerations that are relevant to implementing interactive procedures for solving large scale multiobjective linear programming (MOLP) problems. Four approaches to implementing the simplified interactive multiple objective linear programming (SIMOLP) procedure of Reeves and Franz [4. Computers Opns Res . 12 , 589–601 (1985)] are compared. Statistics on the number of simplex iterations and CPU time required for each approach arc presented for a set of 75 randomly generated problems. The results suggest several techniques that may be applicable to interactive algorithms in general. Significant, systematic reductions in the computational requirements are obtained for a wide variety of test problems.
THE GRONBECH-OLSEN PHOTOMETRY: TRANSFORMATIONS TO A HYADES-COMA SYSTEM

In this paper, we consider the zero points of six sets of Stromgren-beta photometry. The color-index system to which our results are referred is a "Hyades-Coma" system composed of photometry by Crawford and Perry (1966, AJ, 71, 206) and Barnes (1960, AJ, 74, 407). For V magnitudes, we use measurements by Taylor and Joner (1992, PASP, 104, 911). Our results are as follows: (1) The zero points of photometry by Gronbech and Olsen (1976, AA 1977, AA they appear for V and all color indices except beta, and depend on right ascension and (usually) declination. (2) These offsets can be applied to photometry by Stetson (1991, AJ, 102, 589), who reduced his results to the Gronbech-Olsen system. After correction, Stetson's results for a set of "transfer stars" differ from comparable data published by Crawford and Barnes (1970, AJ, 75, 978). (3) A direct comparison of the transfer stars to the Hyades yields consistency between the Hyades-Coma and Crawford-Barnes zero points (for the transfer stars specifically). This result supports a conclusion drawn by Taylor and Joner, and suggests that there is some problem with the zero points of Stetson's transfer-star data. (4) From Stetson's corrected data, one finds that the Crawford-Perry zero points for the Hyades are consistent with the Crawford-Barnes zero points for Coma. This result agrees with a conclusion drawn by Taylor and Joner from their own data, and suggests that the problem postulated for Stetson's transfer-star data does not extend to his results for the Hyades and Coma.
cMsg — A publish/subscribe interprocess communication package and framework

Asynchronous publish/subscribe messaging is a simple but powerful interprocess communication technique that is widely used in industry. It is less widely used in the academic/research world, partly because commercial implementations are fairly expensive. cMsg is both a full-featured publish/subscribe package and a framework within which one can deploy multiply underlying communication packages. The underlying packages need not implement asynchronous publish/subscribe messaging. This framework feature allows one to unify all communications under a single, flexible API, and allows for integration of legacy communication packages. Performance is excellent, making cMsg suitable for use in controls applications as well as in high-speed data transfer applications. cMsg will be used extensively by the next generation of experiments at JLab.
Measuring the Cell-Induced Deformation of Collagen Matrix Detected With Digital Holographic Microscopy

A modified Mach-Zender set-up in reflection is applied to record and reconstruct holographic amplitude and phase images. A charged couple device (CCD) is used to record a hologram and numerical reconstruction algorithms are then applied to rebuild the hologram for obtaining both phase and amplitude information. One could also focus on multiple focal planes from a single hologram, similar to the focusing control of a conventional microscope. The morphology and behavior of mammalian cells is determined by an interaction between signals from the intracellular matrix and the cellular responses. It is important to note that the physical aspect of the extracellular matrix is as significant as the chemical nature of it. Specifically the stresses, mechanical forces, and the profile of the external environment have major effects on cell behavior. The mechanical and physical characteristics of a tissue are greatly dependent on a hierarchical spatial arrangement of its extra-cellular matrix components. A key player in the ECM is collagen which exhibits significant tensile strength on the cellular scale. Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is applied to study the deformation of collage matrix in response to cell migration. Copyright © 2007 by ASME.
Superhydrophobic Silicon Surfaces with Low Light Reflectivity

Creation of superhydrophobic self-cleaning surfaces is an important objective for a variety of applications. Indeed, numerous routes to generate superhydrophobic surfaces have been proposed. In this paper, a facile way of forming superhydrophobic surfaces is reported that uses Au assisted HF/H2O2 etching of silicon wafers. The Au layer was deposited onto a silicon wafer via e-beam evaporation. By controlling the evaporation and etching times, the surface roughness can be manipulated and superhydrophobic surfaces with reduced light reflection can be generated. Contact angles were measured with a CCD camera equipped goniometer; these values determined the water repellency. Light reflection on the as prepared black surfaces was measured to assess the efficiency for low cost solar cell applications. This approach offers a new way both to theoretically study the surface roughness effect and to investigate engineering applications of self-cleaning surfaces in solar cells, MEMS, anti-bacteria coating, and microfluidic devices.
Functional Analysis of Prognostic Gene Expression Network Genes in Metastatic Breast Cancer Models

Identification of conserved co-expression networks is a useful tool for clustering groups of genes enriched for common molecular or cellular functions [1]. The relative importance of genes within networks can frequently be inferred by the degree of connectivity, with those displaying high connectivity being significantly more likely to be associated with specific molecular functions [2]. Previously we utilized cross-species network analysis to identify two network modules that were significantly associated with distant metastasis free survival in breast cancer. Here, we validate one of the highly connected genes as a metastasis associated gene. Tpx2, the most highly connected gene within a proliferation network specifically prognostic for estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancers, enhances metastatic disease, but in a tumor autonomous, proliferation-independent manner. Histologic analysis suggests instead that variation of TPX2 levels within disseminated tumor cells may influence the transition between dormant to actively proliferating cells in the secondary site. These results support the co-expression network approach for identification of new metastasis-associated genes to provide new information regarding the etiology of breast cancer progression and metastatic disease.
Techniques for successful field seeding of true potato seed

Crops of potatoes were successfully grown during each of 7 yrs from botanical seed planted directly into fields. During this period a total of 8 ha of direct-seeded potatoes was grown in 27 trials involving several soil types and several planting, cultural, and irrigation methods. Methods of seed production, extraction, treatment, and planting were developed along with methods of weed and insect control and methods of caring for growing seedlings so they would produce good yields of tubers, many of which were of commercial size and quality and very useful in a breeding program.
A Current Snapshot of Institutional Repositories: Growth Rate, Disciplinary Content and Faculty Contributions

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to examine current institutional repository (IR) content in order to assess the growth and breadth of content as it reflects faculty participation, and to identify successful strategies for increasing that participation. Previous studies have shown that faculty-initiated submissions to IRs, no matter the platform, are uncommon. Repository managers employ a variety of methods to solicit and facilitate faculty participation, including a variety of print marketing tools, presentations, and one-on-one consultations. METHODS This mixed method study examined faculty content in IRs through both a quantitative analysis of repository content and growth rate and a qualitative survey of repository administrators. Repositories using the Digital Commons repository platform, hosted by Berkeley Electronic Press, were examined in the fall and winter of 2013-2014 to assess the disciplinary scope of faculty content (n=107) and to measure the growth rate of IR content (n=203). Repository administrators at 205 institutions were surveyed to investigate what methods they used to facilitate faculty participation and their perceptions about the effectiveness of these methods. RESULTS Mean and median growth rates of IRs have increased since measured in 2007, with variance depending upon size and type of academic institution and age of the IR. Disciplinary content in IRs is unevenly distributed, with the Sciences predominantly represented. IR administrators remain actively involved in the submission process and in the promotion of their IRs. Personal contact with individuals or groups of faculty is the most used and successful interaction method. CONCLUSION Though IR growth rate has increased, the growth is not consistent across all IRs and does not yet pose a challenge to traditional models of scholarly publication. The rising amount of faculty content in IRs indicates faculty are increasingly willing to participate in the IR movement. However, faculty involvement may be more passive than active.
The metabolic fate of a new cardiac regulator compound (amotriphene) in rats, dogs, and monkeys☆

Abstract An analytical procedure for amotriphene, based on its conversion to an intensely fluorescent compound by means of ultraviolet irradiation, is presented. The method will readily detect and determine concentrations of 0.01 μg/ml. Rats have received 100 mg/kg orally, or 25 mg/kg intravenously, and the tissue distributions have been studied. Absorption from the digestive tract appears to be slow, but eventually is almost complete. The drug becomes very widely distributed in the tissues, in concentrations considerably exceeding those existing concomitantly in the plasma. The order of decreasing tissue concentrations in rats is lung, spleen, liver, kidney, heart, muscle. Urinary and fecal excretion are negligible. In dogs receiving 10.9 mg/kg daily there is no apparent irreversible tendency toward drug accumulation; urinary excretion is very small, about 2% of the dose, and the order of decreasing tissue concentrations is fat, lung, pancreas, liver, spleen, kidney, heart, brain, and muscle. In a monkey which received 27.2 mg/kg per day for one year, the only significant tissue concentrations observed were in fat, lung, spleen, and kidney. Amotriphene is excreted as such in the bile of both dog and monkey. The nature of the end products of metabolism is unknown: however, the biological half-life in the rat is 5–6 hours, indicating very rapid degradation.
Recognizing patterns of visual field loss using unsupervised machine learning

Glaucoma is a potentially blinding optic neuropathy that results in a decrease in visual sensitivity. Visual field abnormalities (decreased visual sensitivity on psychophysical tests) are the primary means of glaucoma diagnosis. One form of visual field testing is Frequency Doubling Technology (FDT) that tests sensitivity at 52 points within the visual field. Like other psychophysical tests used in clinical practice, FDT results yield specific patterns of defect indicative of the disease. We used Gaussian Mixture Model with Expectation Maximization (GEM), (EM is used to estimate the model parameters) to automatically separate FDT data into clusters of normal and abnormal eyes. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to decompose each cluster into different axes (patterns). FDT measurements were obtained from 1,190 eyes with normal FDT results and 786 eyes with abnormal (i.e., glaucomatous) FDT results, recruited from a university-based, longitudinal, multi-center, clinical study on glaucoma. The GEM input was the 52-point FDT threshold sensitivities for all eyes. The optimal GEM model separated the FDT fields into 3 clusters. Cluster 1 contained 94% normal fields (94% specificity) and clusters 2 and 3 combined, contained 77% abnormal fields (77% sensitivity). For clusters 1, 2 and 3 the optimal number of PCA-identified axes were 2, 2 and 5, respectively. GEM with PCA successfully separated FDT fields from healthy and glaucoma eyes and identified familiar glaucomatous patterns of loss.
Size dependent horizontal migration of Mysis relicta

Quantitative seasonal population estimates ofMysis relicta at shallow and deep stations in Emerald Bay, an isolated (forMysis) embayment of Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada, Donner Lake and Fallen Leaf Lake show thatM. relicta exhibits size dependent horizontal migrations. Adults inhabit deep water where they release young in early spring. The newly released juveniles migrate to shallow water where they remain until late summer when they return to deep water. Adults stay in deep water throughout the year.
Recreating Blackness-as-Failure Through Educational Reform? A Case Study of a California Partnership Academy

Vocational educational has long struggled with a reputation as a lower track and dead end for socially disadvantaged populations. Since the alarm call in the 1980s about the “forgotten half,” significant efforts have been expended to develop reform programs that provide disadvantaged populations viable options that would enhance their academic and economic prospects. However, considering the fact that such reform programs consist of a disproportionate numbers of Latinos and African Americans, how do we know that such reforms are not reproducing structures of racial domination? This article, an ethnographic study of a promising vocational education reform, examines race-making in the institutional organization, the representational practices, and the perspectives of students and teachers inside and outside this reform program. I argue that although the academy was a success story to some extent, it encountered negative stereotypes from its host school, while indirectly producing conditions that racially st...
Multimodal data analysis and visualization to study the usage of electronic health records

Understanding interaction with Electronic Health Records (EHR), often means to understand the multi modal nature of the physician-patient interaction, as well as the interaction with other materials (e.g. paper charts), in addition to analyze the tasks fulfilled by the doctor on his computerized system. Recent approaches started to analyze and quantify speech, gaze, body movements, etc. and represent a very promising way to complement classic software usability. However, it is hard to characterize multimodal activity, since often it requires manual coding of hours of video data. We present our approach to use automatic tracking of body, audio signals and gaze in the medical office to achieve multimodal analysis of EHR.
POLYMORPHISM OF SERUM ACID PHOSPHATASE IN THE RAT

SUMMARY Polymorphism of serum acid phosphatase was detected by electrofocusing in acrylamide gel. The locus has two alleles Apsa and Apsb that segregated in the backcross progeny (A x B) Fl x B in a 1:1 ratio. The phenotype APS-A is dominant in the F1 generation. The gene for serum acid phosphatase segregated independently of the major histocompatibility complex and of the sex of the rats.
Comparing cDNA and oligonucleotide array data: concordance of gene expression across platforms for the NCI-60 cancer cells

Microarray gene-expression profiles are generally validated one gene at a time by real-time RT-PCR. We describe here a different approach based on simultaneous mutual validation of large numbers of genes using two different expression-profiling platforms. The result described here for the NCI-60 cancer cell lines is a consensus set of genes that give similar profiles on spotted cDNA arrays and Affymetrix oligonucleotide chips. Global concordance is parameterized by a 'correlation of correlations' coefficient.
Analysis of jitter in clock distribution networks

A technique for the simulation of jitter in clock distribution networks will be demonstrated. Noise is injected as a time domain signal into each driver stage in the clock distribution network and large signal non-linear transient simulations are performed to obtain the distribution of clock periods and the subsequent jitter in the clock signal. In the simplest case the noise is the thermal channel noise of the CMOS driver transistors, and the results can be compared to the simple analytical estimate given by Gray et al.[1994]. It will be shown that there is a good agreement between the simulation results and analytical estimates if a modified analytical formula is used where the simple estimate for delay by Gray et al. is replaced by the observed delay from simulations. The technique can be extended and is directly applicable to other types of noise such as power supply noise.
A method for correcting the functionality of a wire-pipelined circuit

As across-chip interconnect delays can exceed a clock cycle, wire pipelining becomes essential in high performance designs. Although it allows higher clock frequencies, it may change the microarchitecture altogether because of the arbitrary increase in the latencies of the paths and cycles of the circuit. This paper proposes a method to regain the functionality of a wire-pipelined circuit. In this approach, increased cycle latencies are compensated by slowing down the issue rate of the inputs. Our method finds the optimal value of the slowdown required for a circuit as it directly affects the throughput of the circuit. We also incorporate area minimization in our formulation to minimize the number of extra flip-flops added to the circuit. The formulation is tested on circuits derived from ISCAS benchmarks and the results suggest that wire pipelining increases the overall throughput in most of the cases.
Stable on-line creation of sines or cosines of successive angles

Two tables of length log 2 N suffice for the on-line creation of sines or cosines of N successive angles, With only one addition and one multiplication per step.
Neoproterozoic sand wedges: crack formation in frozen soils under diurnal forcing during a snowball Earth

Thermal contraction cracking of permafrost produced sand-wedge polygons at sea level on the paleo-equator during late Neoproterozoic glacial episodes. These sand wedges have been used as evidence for high (v 54‡) paleoobliquity of the Earth’s ecliptic, because cracks that form wedges are hypothesized to require deep seasonal cooling so the depth of the stressed layer in the ground reaches v 1 m, similar to the measured depths of cracks that form wedges. To test the counter hypothesis that equatorial cracks opened under a climate characterized by a strong diurnal cycle and low mean annual temperature (snowball Earth conditions), we examine crack formation in frozen ground subject to periodic temperature variations. We derive analytical expressions relating the Newtonian viscosity to the potential crack depth, concluding that cracks will form only in frozen soils with viscosities greater than V10 14 Pa s. We also show numerical calculations of crack growth in frozen soils with stress- and temperature-dependent rheologies and find that fractures may propagate to depths 3^25 times the depth of the thermally stressed layer in equatorial permafrost during a snowball Earth because the mean annual temperature is low enough to keep the ground cold and brittle to relatively great depths. 9 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Aspects of the adaptive morphology and evolution of the Trigoniidae

During the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, the Trigoniidae were the dominant family of shallow-burrowing bivalves of warm, shallow seas. Neotrigonia is the only genus that survives today. Judging from the biology of Neotrigonia and the functional morphology and occurrence of extinct genera, the Trigoniidae represent an advanced family of burrowing Bivalvia. The family has been characterized by efficient locomotion, owing in large part to the presence of an unusually muscular foot, resembling that of the living Cardiidae. Other unusual features of the Trigoniidae relate to the presence of the foot. Complex hinge teeth with secondary dentition evolved to maintain valve alignment at the wide angles of gape required for extrusion of the foot. Myophorous buttresses evolved to support the large anterior hinge teeth. These anterior features seem to have obstructed the evolution of a prosogyrous shape of the kind that facilitates burrowing within many other bivalve taxa. Alternatively, there evolved in the Trigoniidae various kinds of external shell ornamentation that aided in burrowing. Thus, the many unusual morphological features of the Trigoniidae have been strongly coadaptive. The Mesozoic Trigoniidae seem to have been more advanced animals than any shallow-burrowing, suspension-feeding bivalves of the Palaeozoic and also than certain successful living groups with similar modes of life. Though slightly less advanced than the Cardiidae, they can be regarded as the cockles of the Mesozoic. Had the group not suddenly been decimated by environmental deterioration at the end of the Mesozoic, it would undoubtedly flourish today. Neotrigonia has, in fact, speciated at a high rate in comparison with other living genera of bivalves. A relatively recent origin and lack of primitive features disqualify Neotrigonia from status as a living fossil genus. It is the sole survivor of its family, but an advanced and modern animal nonetheless.
Fine-grained record integration and linkage tool.

BACKGROUND: As part of the surveillance program to monitor the occurrence of birth defects in the metropolitan Atlanta area, we developed a record linkage software tool that provides latitude in the choice of linkage parameters, allows for efficient and accurate linkages, and enables objective assessments of the quality of the linked data. METHODS: We developed and implemented a Java-based fine-grained probabilistic record integration and linkage tool (FRIL) that incorporates a rich collection of record distance metrics, search methods, and analysis tools. Along its workflow, FRIL provides a rich set of user-tunable parameters augmented with graphic visualization tools to assist users in understanding the effects of parameter choices. We used this software tool to link data from vital records (n 5 1.25 million) with birth defects surveillance records (n 5 12,700) from the metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP) for the birth years 1967–2006. RESULTS: Compared with the data linkage performed by conventional algorithms, the data linkage of birth certificates with birth defect records in MACDP using FRIL was more efficient. The linkage based on FRIL was also accurate, showing 99% precision and 95% recall. Based on positive user feedback, new features continue to be developed, and the tool is being adopted in several other data linkage projects in MACDP. CONCLUSIONS: A software tool that allows significant user interaction and control, such as FRIL, can provide accurate data linkages for birth defect surveillance programs and allows an objective assessment of the quality of linked data. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 82:822–829, 2008. 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Splenic state in surviving patients with visceral heterotaxy.

Aim: To identify patients with visceral heterotaxy who are at risk from fulminant sepsis. Methods: We studied 38 patients, 37 having undergone abdominal ultrasound, all 38 having examination of blood films to establish presence of Howell-Jolly bodies, and all 38 documented to have had pneumococcal vaccination and prophylaxis with penicillin. We checked whether the parents were aware of the splenic state of their child, and when possible, we compared current results of blood films with those obtained postnatally. Results: Two of the 17 patients with multiple spleens, all 11 without a detectable spleen, and 1 of 9 patients with a normal spleen, showed Howell-Jolly bodies in their blood films. In 5 of 23 patients with serial blood films, Howell-Jolly bodies had not been seen postnatally, but could now be detected in current blood films. Of these patients, 2 had multiple spleens, 1 did not have a spleen, and 1 had a solitary spleen of normal size. In the other patient, ultrasound could not be performed. Only one of these patients was receiving penicillin prophylactically, and had received pneumococcal vaccination. Of the 15 patients in whom Howell-Jolly bodies were present in the blood, only 8 parents knew about the potential risk for infection. Another 7 parents were sure that their child was taking penicillin regularly, and had received pneumococcal vaccination. Conclusions: Howell-Jolly bodies can be found in the blood of patients with visceral heterotaxy independent of the anatomical state of the spleen. As Howell-Jolly bodies can be encountered in the blood of such patients with increasing age, those with multiple and solitary spleens should be monitored regularly to identify those at risk. Parental knowledge of the splenic state, and compliance for prophylaxis using penicillin, and pneumococcal vaccination, were unsatisfactory in our cohort.
Rural Work, Household Subsistence, and the North American Working Class: A View from the Midwest

This essay examines seasonal rural work as part of the survival strategies of rural and urban households and individuals in the Midwestern United States. Using workers' memoirs and data from government investigations, the lives of so-called “hobo” workers are examined in relation to communities, labor markets, gender and sexuality, and class formation. “Hobo” was a colloquial term for seasonal migrant workers; most were young, immigrant and US-born men of European ancestry employed in crop harvesting, logging, mining, railroad construction, and other short-term jobs. The seasonal labor market drew together a heterogeneous workforce including farm owners, farm laborers, displaced industrial workers, and young men seeking adventure, as well as criminals, marginally employable drunkards, and disabled men. The essay traces the lives of individual workers, explains labor market structures, and places the mostly-male seasonal workforce in the context of families and communities. The history of rural work in the Midwestern US confounds notions of class formation that posit a one-way trip from peasant to worker, and suggests the ways in which theories of class formation have leaned too heavily on an unexamined image of rural life.
Cluster-based back-pressure routing algorithm

The back-pressure algorithm introduced in 1992 by Tassiulas and Ephremides is a well-known distributed and adaptive routing/scheduling algorithm where nodes only need the queue-length information of neighboring nodes to make routing decisions. Packets are adaptively routed in the network according to congestion information, which makes the algorithm resilient to traffic and topology changes. However, the back-pressure algorithm requires routers to maintain a separate queue for each destination, which precludes its implementation in large-scale networks. In this paper, we propose a distributed cluster-based back-pressure routing algorithm that retains the adaptability of back-pressure routing while significantly reducing the number of queues that have to be maintained at each node.
Statistical correlations between two-dimensional images and three-dimensional structures in natural scenes

In spite of the recent surge in the popularity of statistical approaches to vision, the joint statistics of coregistered range and light-intensity images have gone relatively unexplored. We investigate statistical correlations between images and the surface shapes that produced them. We determine which linear properties of range images can be best predicted from simple computations on intensity information, and we determine those properties of intensity images that best predict range information. We find that significant (up to ρ=0.45) and potentially exploitable correlations exist between linear properties of range and intensity images, and we explore the structure of these correlations.
ON RECONSTRUCTING POLYHEDRA FROM PARALLEL SLICES

The problem of reconstructing a three-dimensional object from parallel slices has application in computer vision and medicine. Here we explore a specific existence question: given two polygons in parallel planes, is it always possible to find a polyhedron that has those polygons as faces, and whose vertices are precisely the vertices of the two polygons? We answer this question in the negative by providing an example of two polygons that cannot be connected to form a simple polyhedron. One polygon is a triangle, the other a somewhat complicated shape with spiraling pockets.
New Evidence Connecting Exchange Rates to Business Cycles

Economic theory predicts connections between fluctuations in a country's exchange rate and its real GDP relative to other countries. Past evidence of such connections has been very weak. An examination of periods of large or sustained changes in GDP (rather than small, temporary changes), however, reveals new evidence of these connections. Focusing on Japanese yen exchange rates, such examination shows that the yen tends to depreciate when Japanese real GDP, relative to a comparison country, rises above its trend for several consecutive quarters.
The estimate of the effect of z-pins on the strain release rate, fracture and fatigue in a composite co-cured z-pinned double cantilever beam

The paper illustrates the effect of z-pins on the strain energy release rate in composite co-cured double cantilever beams (DCB) subject to a standard fracture toughness test. The conclusions obtained as a result of the solution illustrate that z-pins can provide drastic enhancement in fatigue and fracture properties of a co-cured z-pinned composite joint, even if their volume fraction is low. The strain energy release rate for loading and geometry combinations that do not result in immediate fracture was significantly reduced as a result of using z-pins. This slows the rate of the crack propagation if it is governed by the Paris law. Moreover, z-pins can completely arrest the crack. Although the analysis was performed for DCB specimens, the conclusions can be extrapolated to a general case of co-cured z-pinned joints.
Eigenvalues and troposcatter multipath analysis

Performance predictions for troposcatter channels with multipath are developed using the eigenvalues in the Karhunen-Loeve representation of the tropo signal. Flat Rayleigh fading predictions, in the presence of jamming, are easily extended to multipath channels with this technique. >
A multicentre study on the clinical utility of posttraumatic amnesia duration in predicting global outcome after moderate-severe traumatic brain injury

Background: Past research shows that post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) duration is a particularly robust traumatic brain injury (TBI) outcome predictor, but low specificity limits its clinical utility. Objectives: The current study assessed the relationship between PTA duration and probability thresholds for Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) levels. Methods: Data were prospectively collected in this multicentre observational study. The cohort was a consecutive sample of rehabilitation patients enrolled in the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research funded TBI Model Systems (n = 1332) that had documented finite PTA duration greater than 24 h, and 1-year and 2-year GOS. Results: The cohort had proportionally more Good Recovery (44% vs 39%) and less Severe Disability (19% vs 23%) at year 2 than at year 1. Longer PTA resulted in an incremental decline in probability of Good Recovery and a corresponding increase in probability of Severe Disability. When PTA ended within 4 weeks, Severe Disability was unlikely ( Conclusions: Two PTA durations, 4 weeks and 8 weeks, emerged as particularly salient GOS probability thresholds that may aid prognostication after TBI.
Proteolytic activity during growth of hypertrophic and atrophic muscles of genetically dystrophic chickens.

SummaryThe activities of cathepsins A, B, C, and D were assayed during growth of pectoralis muscles from normal chicks and from two lines of chicks with genetic muscular dystrophy. One dystrophic line was characterized by persistent hypertrophy of the pectoralis and the other by early atrophy of this muscle. At 1 day of age activities of all cathepsins were high in both normal and dystrophic muscle. They declined rapidly in normal muscle but remained elevated in both types of dystrophic muscles. Cathepsin D activity was significantly higher in atrophic muscle compared to hypertrophic muscle at all ages studied. Cathepsins A, B and C were not greatly different in activity between the muscles of the two dystrophic lines. These data suggest that relative level of cathepsin D activity is related to retarded growth and degeneration of the atrophic muscle.
Simulation modeling, experimenting, analysis, and implementation

Textbooks sometimes describe building models, running experiments, analyzing outputs, and implementing results as distinct activities in a simulation project. This paper demonstrates advantages of combining these activities in the context of system performance optimization. Simulation optimization algorithms can be improved by exploiting the ability to observe and change literally anything at any time while a simulation is running. It is also not necessary to stop simulating candidates for the optimal system before starting to simulate others. The ability to observe and change many concurrently running simulated systems considerably expands the possibilities for designing simulation experiments. Examples are presented for a range of simulation optimization algorithms including randomized search, directional search, pattern search, and agent-based particle swarm optimization.
Organizational Permeability in U.S. Social Service Agencies

The concept of organizational permeability is operationalized and examined in relation to environmental contingency and organizational design characteristics. This study indicates that environmental contingency and boundary permeability have differential and selective impact on characteristics of organizational design. The results suggest that there is a dynamic relationship between organizational design and interorganizational linkages as two alternative forms of adaption to environmental contingencies needing further research and theoretical elaboration.
It Takes More Than a Mandate: Factors that Contribute to Increased Rates of Article Deposit to an Institutional Repository

INTRODUCTION Many institutions have open access (OA) policies that require faculty members to deposit their articles in an institutional repository (IR). A clear motivation is that a policy will result in increased self-archiving. The purpose of this longitudinal study is to compare the impact of a campus-wide OA policy and mediated solicitation of author manuscripts, using quantitative analysis to determine the rate of article deposits over time. METHODS Metadata for faculty articles published by authors at Oregon State University between 2011 and 2014 was produced by integrating citation metadata from a bibliographic database and the IR. Author names, affiliations, and other metadata were parsed and matched to compare rates of deposit for three separate time periods relating to different OA promotional strategies. RESULTS Direct solicitation of author manuscripts is more successful in facilitating OA than an OA policy—by number of articles deposited as well as the number of unique authors participating. Author affiliation and research areas also have an impact on faculty participation in OA. DISCUSSION Outreach to colleges and departments has had a positive effect on rate of deposit for those communities of scholars. Additionally, disciplinary practice may have more influence on its members’ participation in OA. CONCLUSION Until more federal policies require open access to articles funded by grants, or institutional policies are in place that require article deposit for promotion and tenure, policies will only be as effective as the library mediated processes that are put in place to identify and solicit articles from faculty.
Assessing analytical methods to monitor isoAsp formation in monoclonal antibodies

A ubiquitous post-translational modification observed in proteins is isomerization of aspartic acid to isoaspartic acid (isoAsp). This nonenzymatic post-translational modification occurs spontaneously in proteins and plays a role in aging, autoimmune response, cancer, neurodegeneration and other diseases. Formation of isoAsp is also a significant issue for recombinant monoclonal antibody based protein therapeutics particularly when isomerization occurs in a complementarity-determining region (CDR) due to potential impact to the clinical efficacy. Here, we present and compare three analytical methods to monitor and/or quantify isoAsp formation in a monoclonal antibody. The methods include two peptide map based technologies with quantitation from either UV integration or total ion peak areas, as well as an alternative approach using IdeS digestion to generate Fc/2 and Fab’2 regions, followed by HIC to separate the population of Fab’2 containing an isoAsp. The level of isoAsp detected by the peptide map and the digested-HIC methods presented here show similar trends although sample throughput varies by method.