cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transthoracic echocardiography in mice.

In recent years, murine models have become the primary avenue for studying the molecular mechanisms of cardiac dysfunction resulting from changes in gene expression. Transgenic and gene targeting methods can be used to generate mice with altered cardiac size and function,1-3 and as a result, in vivo techniques are needed to evaluate their cardiac phenotype. Transthoracic echocardiography, pulse wave Doppler (PWD), and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) can be used to provide dimensional measurements of the mouse heart and to quantify the degree of cardiac systolic and diastolic performance. Two-dimensional imaging is used to detect abnormal anatomy or movements of the left ventricle, whereas M-mode echo is used for quantification of cardiac dimensions and contractility.4,5 In addition, PWD is used to quantify localized velocity of turbulent flow,6 whereas TDI is used to measure the velocity of myocardial motion.7 Thus, transthoracic echocardiography offers a comprehensive method for the noninvasive evaluation of cardiac function in mice.
Valuing executive stock options with endogenous departure

Abstract Executive stock options differ from exchange-traded options because of vesting and portability restrictions. Executive departure from the firm forces early exercise, reducing the value of executive options. Current methodology calculates the option value by multiplying the Black-Scholes option price by the departure probability. This ignores the possibility that executive departure is less likely when stock price is high, and thus is correlated with the stock price. We show that this correlation implies a substantial increase in option values. A similar situation occurs in performance-based option packages, where the actual number of options granted depends on stock performance.
When is temporal planning really temporal

While even STRIPS planners must search for plans of unbounded length, temporal planners must also cope with the fact that actions may start at any point in time. Most temporal planners cope with this challenge by restricting action start times to a small set of decision epochs, because this enables search to be carried out in state-space and leverages powerful state-based reachability heuristics, originally developed for classical planning. Indeed, decision-epoch planners won the International Planning Competition's Temporal Planning Track in 2002, 2004 and 2006. However, decision-epoch planners have a largely unrecognized weakness: they are incomplete. In order to characterize the cause of incompleteness, we identify the notion of required concurrency, which separates expressive temporal action languages from simple ones. We show that decisionepoch planners are only complete for languages in the simpler class, and we prove that the simple class is 'equivalent' to STRIPS! Surprisingly, no problems with required concurrency have been included in the planning competitions. We conclude by designing a complete state-space temporal planning algorithm, which we hope will be able to achieve high performance by leveraging the heuristics that power decision epoch planners.
Self-report measures of patient utility: should we trust them?

Abstract As self-reports, measures of patient utility are susceptible to the effects of cognitive biases in patients. This article presents often overlooked problems in these measures by outlining cognitive processes involved in patient self-report. It is argued that these measures: 1) require overly complex mental operations; 2) fail to elicit thoughtful response by default; 3) may be biased by patients' mood; 4) are affected by both researchers' choice of measurement instruments and patients' choice of judgment strategies; 5) tend to reflect the disproportionate influence of patients' values that happen to be recallable at the time of measurement; and 6) are affected by patients' fear of regret. It is suggested that solutions for these problems should involve: a) improving the methods of administration; b) developing measures that are less taxing to patients; and c) redefining the concept of patient utility as judged, as opposed to retrieved, evaluation. Published by 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
Neocortical Death and Human Death

Proposals to make neocortical death, sometimes called cerebral death, a medical and legal indication of human death are becoming more common. Increased sensitivity to the futility and costs of providing life support for patients long after they could be considered dead guarantees that interest in the proposals will continue for some time. Neocortical death would be an acceptable indication of human death if 1) it is consistent with our concepts of human death, 2) it can be diagnosed with certainty and 3) it is sufficiently understood by the general public to be accepted as public policy. In this paper the phrase “neocortical death” will refer to permanent loss of consciousness due to the irreversible cessation of whatever chemical and biological functions of the brain are needed to support consciousness. By consciousness is meant “the state of awareness of the self and the environment.”
Evaluating a communication-intensive core course in the CS curriculum

This is an experience paper that describes the strategies for creating a communication intensive core course within the CS curriculum. The paper covers the evolution of such a course since its inception in 2007 where both oral and written communication skills were included as requirements. The paper explains the methods used and represents the evaluation of various methods on a four-point scale. Scoring focused on grading complexity, written skills, and research skills. In addition to demonstrating the various methods for implementing communication-intensive assignments into the CS curriculum, five key areas of success are introduced. They are (1) Communication skills need to be integrated within the CS curriculum, (2) Communication skills should begin to be developed early in the student's academic career, (3) Communication skills include a broad range of categories, (4) Communication skills need to be supported by feedback, and (5) Communication skills can be taught in the CS curriculum without sacrificing CS content. This comprehensive evaluation aims to assist in determining which methods are best suited for implementing a core communication that stresses continuous improvement in communication skills in a CS curriculum.
AMP kinase regulation of sugar transport in brain capillary endothelial cells during acute metabolic stress

AMP-dependent kinase (AMPK) and GLUT1-mediated sugar transport in blood-brain barrier endothelial cells are activated during acute cellular metabolic stress. Using murine brain microvasculature end...
Minimizing Potential Resistance: A Population Dynamics View

I examine the results of studies that used mathematical models of the epidemiology and population genetics of antibiotic treatment and resistance in open communities and in hospitals to explore the following issues: the relationship between antibiotic consumption and the frequency of antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations in communities and in hospitals; methods of controlling the growth, dissemination, and persistence of antibiotic resistance in these settings; the extent to which resistance can be controlled; and the speed with which the effects of control measures will be realized. In open communities, it will take years or even decades to see substantial reductions in the frequency of antibiotic resistance solely as a result of more prudent (reduced) use of antibiotics. However, if we can restrict the input of resistant bacteria into hospitals, through the application of infection control and other measures, it should be possible to reduce the frequency of resistance and even eliminate resistant bacteria from these institutions in short order.
The effect of channel hot carrier stressing on gate oxide integrity in MOSFET

The correlation between channel hot carrier stressing and gate oxide integrity is studied. It is found that channel hot carriers have no detectable effect on gate oxide integrity even when other parameters (e.g., Delta V/sub T/ and Delta VI/sub D/) have become intolerably degraded. In the extreme cases of stressing at V/sub G/ approximately=V/sub T/ with measurable hole injection current, however, the oxide charge-to-breakdown decreases linearly with the amount of hole fluence injected during the channel hot hole stressing. This may limit the endurance of a nonvolatile memory using hot holes for erasing. This can also explain the gate-to-drain breakdown of a device biased in the snap-back region, since snap-back at low gate voltage is favorable for hole injection. Snap-back-induced oxide breakdown could be an electrostatic-discharge failure mechanism. >
Compact tunable FIR dispersion compensator in SiON technology

We present a tunable dispersion compensator, based on a sixth-order finite impulse response lattice filter. The filter has a free spectral range of 100 GHz and can be tuned for linear group delay slopes between -100 and 100 ps/nm with less than 1-ps ripple over a usable bandwidth of more than 60 GHz. Within this usable bandwidth, the average polarization-mode dispersion is low, reaching 2.4 ps only for extreme group delay slopes. The filter can also generate higher order group delay curves, for example for dispersion slope compensation.
Fgd5 identifies hematopoietic stem cells in the murine bone marrow

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the best-characterized tissue-specific stem cells, yet experimental study of HSCs remains challenging, as they are exceedingly rare and methods to purify them are cumbersome. Moreover, genetic tools for specifically investigating HSC biology are lacking. To address this we sought to identify genes uniquely expressed in HSCs within the hematopoietic system and to develop a reporter strain that specifically labels them. Using microarray profiling we identified several genes with HSC-restricted expression. Generation of mice with targeted reporter knock-in/knock-out alleles of one such gene, Fgd5, revealed that though Fgd5 was required for embryonic development, it was not required for definitive hematopoiesis or HSC function. Fgd5 reporter expression near exclusively labeled cells that expressed markers consistent with HSCs. Bone marrow cells isolated based solely on Fgd5 reporter signal showed potent HSC activity that was comparable to stringently purified HSCs. The labeled fraction of the Fgd5 reporter mice contained all HSC activity, and HSC-specific labeling was retained after transplantation. Derivation of next generation mice bearing an Fgd5-CreERT2 allele allowed tamoxifen-inducible deletion of a conditional allele specifically in HSCs. In summary, reporter expression from the Fgd5 locus permits identification and purification of HSCs based on single-color fluorescence.
Parsing spoken phrases despite missing words

The authors compare the recognition accuracy obtained in forming sentence hypotheses using island-driven sentence parsers with parsers that hypothesize sentences in left-to-right fashion. Island-driven parsing algorithms are especially valuable in speech recognition systems because they can function more gracefully when not all of the correct words of an utterance were produced by the word hypothesizer. The inputs to both types of parsers consist of a lattice of candidate words, which are identified by their begin and end times, and the quality of the acoustic-phonetic match. Grammatical constraints are expressed by trigram models of sequences of lexical and semantic labels. The authors found that the island-driven parser produces parses with a higher percentage of correct words than the left-to-right parser is all cases considered. When the quality of the input lattices is extremely high, differences in parsing accuracy can be directly attributed to the superior ability of the island-driven parser to handle lattices with missing words. With lower-quality input, the accuracy of both types of parsers degrades, which is due to the creation of garden-path hypotheses and a lack of good words to serve as seeds for island formation. >
Chromatin architecture defines the glucocorticoid response

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) functions to regulate a wide group of physiological processes through hormone inducible interaction with genomic loci and subsequent manipulation of the transcriptional output of target genes. Despite expression in a wide variety of tissues, the GR has diverse roles that are regulated tightly in a cell type specific manner. With the advent of whole genome approaches, the details of that diversity and the mechanisms regulating them are beginning to be elucidated. This review aims describe the recent advances detailing the role chromatin structure plays in dictating GR specificity.
Cenozoic history of the Himalayan-Bengal system: Sand composition in the Bengal basin, Bangladesh

Stratigraphic sequences preserved in the Bengal basin provide detrital information that documents a significantly older history of the eastern Himalaya than that available from Ocean Drilling Program and Deep Sea Drilling Project cores recovered from the Bengal fan. The Bengal basin, formed as a result of the Himalayan collision, is located at the juncture of the Indian craton to the west, the Shillong massif and the Himalayan belt to the north, and the Indo-Burman ranges to the east. Modal analyses of Eocene and Oligocene sandstones of the Cherra, Kopili, and Barail Formations document compositions that are dominated by subangular monocrystalline quartz grains with scarce to no feldspar grains, and few lithic fragments (Cherra and Kopili: Qt 99 F 1 L 0 ; Barail: Qt 90 F 3 L 7 ; Qt—total quartz, F—feldspar, L—lithic fragments). These compositions are similar to sands derived from the Indian craton, suggesting that they underwent intense chemical weathering, likely in a source with low relief and considerable transport. Himalayan tectonism during this time was probably significantly more distant from the Bengal basin than at present. Sandstones of the Miocene Surma Group (Bhuban and Boka Bil Formations) are rich in feldspar grains, argillite, and very low-grade metamorphic lithic fragments (Bhuban: Qt 66 F 15 L 19 ; Boka Bil: Qt 57 F 23 L 20 ) relative to older sandstones, suggesting onset of uplift and erosional unroofing in the eastern Himalaya, and initiation of stream systems supplying orogenic detritus to the Bengal basin. Sands of the upper Miocene to Pliocene Tipam Group and the Pliocene–Pleistocene Dupi Tila Sandstone contain abundant argillitic and low- to medium-grade metamorphic lithic fragments and feldspar grains (Tipam: Qt 61 F 19 L 19 ; Dupi Tila: Qt 70 F 13 L 17 ), suggesting continued orogenic unroofing. These younger sands are rich in potassium feldspar (P/F=0.30, 0.20) relative to plagioclase (P)-rich Bhuban and Boka Bil sandstones (P/F=0.66 and 0.48), suggesting a granitic source, probably the Miocene leucogranites of the High Himalayan Crystalline terrane. These results document for the first time contrasts in orogenic history recorded in the Bengal system vs. western Himalayan foreland basins. Sands deposited in the Bengal basin are generally more quartzose and less lithic than those from the western Himalayan foreland basins, and pre-Miocene strata in the Bengal system show little to no evidence of orogenic activity. In part, this probably reflects west to east progression of the Himalayan collision, but it probably also results from sedimentary systems propagating southward, ahead of the advancing mountain belt as it has been consuming the remnant ocean basin trapped between the Indian craton and the Burmese block.
Separability of black holes in string theory

We analyze the origin of separability for rotating black holes in string theory, considering both massless and massive geodesic equations as well as the corresponding wave equations. We construct a conformal Killing-Stackel tensor for a general class of black holes with four independent charges, then identify two-charge configurations where enhancement to an exact Killing-Stackel tensor is possible. We show that further enhancement to a conserved Killing-Yano tensor is possible only for the special case of Kerr-Newman black holes. We construct natural null congruences for all these black holes and use the results to show that only the Kerr-Newman black holes are algebraically special in the sense of Petrov. Modifying the asymptotic behavior by the subtraction procedure that induces an exact SL(2)2 also preserves only the conformal Killing-Stackel tensor. Similarly, we find that a rotating Kaluza-Klein black hole possesses a conformal Killing-Stackel tensor but has no further enhancements.
Fall detection devices and their use with older adults: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND:: Falls represent a significant threat to the health and independence of adults aged 65 years and older. As a wide variety and large number of passive monitoring systems are currently and increasingly available to detect when individuals have fallen, there is a need to analyze and synthesize the evidence regarding their ability to accurately detect falls to determine which systems are most effective. OBJECTIVES:: The purpose of this literature review is to systematically assess the current state of design and implementation of fall-detection devices. This review also examines to what extent these devices have been tested in the real world as well as the acceptability of these devices to older adults. DATA SOURCES:: A systematic literature review was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsycINFO from their respective inception dates to June 25, 2013. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND INTERVENTIONS:: Articles were included if they discussed a project or multiple projects involving a system with the purpose of detecting a fall in adults. It was not a requirement for inclusion in this review that the system targets persons older than 65 years. Articles were excluded if they were not written in English or if they looked at fall risk, fall detection in children, fall prevention, or a personal emergency response device. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS:: Studies were initially divided into those using sensitivity, specificity, or accuracy in their evaluation methods and those using other methods to evaluate their devices. Studies were further classified into wearable devices and nonwearable devices. Studies were appraised for inclusion of older adults in sample and if evaluation included real-world settings. RESULTS:: This review identified 57 projects that used wearable systems and 35 projects using nonwearable systems, regardless of evaluation technique. Nonwearable systems included cameras, motion sensors, microphones, and floor sensors. Of the projects examining wearable systems, only 7.1% reported monitoring older adults in a real-world setting. There were no studies of nonwearable devices that used older adults as subjects in either a laboratory or a real-world setting. In general, older adults appear to be interested in using such devices although they express concerns over privacy and understanding exactly what the device is doing at specific times. LIMITATIONS:: This systematic review was limited to articles written in English and did not include gray literature. Manual paper screening and review processes may have been subject to interpretive bias. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS:: There exists a large body of work describing various fall-detection devices. The challenge in this area is to create highly accurate unobtrusive devices. From this review it appears that the technology is becoming more able to accomplish such a task. There is a need now for more real-world tests as well as standardization of the evaluation of these devices. Language: en
Implementation and validation of a power-efficient, high-speed modulation design for wireless oxygen saturation measurement systems

This paper describes the implementation and initial validation results of a novel power-efficient, high-speed modulation design for wearable oxygen saturation sensor systems. The research presented is in conjunction with the development of continuous photo plethysmographic health monitoring device known as the Ring Sensor. It is demonstrated that a high LED modulation rate coupled with a low duty cycle significantly reduce LED power consumption. Additionally, initial benchmarking results using a Nellcor N-395 pulse oximeter indicate good agreement with the new design for both heart rate and oxygen saturation measurements.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES FOR HISTORICAL ANALYSES

One of the most obvious deficiencies in the literature on the criminal justice system is reflected in the lack of research on the historical development of the police, courts, and corrections. Even more evident is the paucity of research which is theoretically or methodologically grounded. As a result of the failure of historians to specify their a priori assumptions, methodology, and theoretical perspective, it is difficult for consumers of the literature to appreciate how researchers have selectively sampled and interpreted historical events and arrived at their conclusions. This article addresses this problem by adapting and applying to historical research on the juvenile justice system some of the theoretical and methodological insights presented by Thomas S. Kuhn (1962) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions and George Ritzer (1975) Sociology: A Multiple Paradigm Science. The study focuses upon outlining the assumptions and methodology underlying three theoretical perspectives which have been consciously or unconsciously adopted by a majority of historical researchers: the march of progress, social context, and conflict perspectives. After outlining these perspectives, a selective review of the juvenile justice literature is offered in order to demonstrate how these orientations have been applied in interpreting the origin, development, operation, and impact of the juvenile court and juvenile reformatory. Finally, suggestions are offered which provide general guidelines for applying these perspectives to any aspect of the criminal justice system within an historical context.
TGF-β–dependent pathogenesis of mitral valve prolapse in a mouse model of Marfan syndrome

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common human phenotype, yet little is known about the pathogenesis of this condition. MVP can occur in the context of genetic syndromes, including Marfan syndrome (MFS), an autosomal-dominant connective tissue disorder caused by mutations in fibrillin-1. Fibrillin-1 contributes to the regulated activation of the cytokine TGF-beta, and enhanced signaling is a consequence of fibrillin-1 deficiency. We thus hypothesized that increased TGF-beta signaling may contribute to the multisystem pathogenesis of MFS, including the development of myxomatous changes of the atrioventricular valves. Mitral valves from fibrillin-1-deficient mice exhibited postnatally acquired alterations in architecture that correlated both temporally and spatially with increased cell proliferation, decreased apoptosis, and excess TGF-beta activation and signaling. In addition, TGF-beta antagonism in vivo rescued the valve phenotype, suggesting a cause and effect relationship. Expression analyses identified increased expression of numerous TGF-beta-related genes that regulate cell proliferation and survival and plausibly contribute to myxomatous valve disease. These studies validate a novel, genetically engineered murine model of myxomatous changes of the mitral valve and provide critical insight into the pathogenetic mechanism of such changes in MFS and perhaps more common nonsyndromic variants of mitral valve disease.
A simplified physics-based model for nickel hydrogen battery

This paper presents a simplified model of a nickel hydrogen battery based on a first approximation. The battery is assumed uniform throughout. The reversible potential is considered primarily due to one-electron transfer redox reaction of nickel hydroxide and nickel oxyhydroxide. The non-ideality due to phase reactions is characterized by the two-parameter activity coefficients. The overcharge process is characterized by the oxygen reaction. The overpotentials are lumped to a tunable resistive drop to fit particular battery designs. The model is implemented in the Virtual Test Bed environment, and the characteristics of the battery are simulated and in good agreement with the experimental data within the normal operating regime. The model can be used for battery dynamic simulation and design in a satellite power system, an example of which is given.
Biotherapeutic first-in-human dose selection: making use of preclinical markers.

First-in-human dose-selection criteria for biotherapeutics are changing, primarily based on severe adverse events in a single monoclonal antibody trial in healthy volunteers. Spurred by new EMA guidance, the minimum anticipated biological-effect level (MABEL) for estimating a starting human dose from exposure–response preclinical data have been introduced and should help to create long overdue target mechanism-based models focused on exposure–response relationships. Even though clarity of its application is still developing, this has the potential to become the model for most biotherapeutics in the future. However, maximizing benefit from MABEL will require increased efforts to define and create assays for relevant biomarkers of biological activity and safety as pharmacodynamic end points. Currently, this has not been realized sufficiently to make the model applicable to a majority of biotherapeutics; however, this review suggests how it can be applied universally with monoclonal antibodies.
GenDeR: A Generic Diversified Ranking Algorithm

Diversified ranking is a fundamental task in machine learning. It is broadly applicable in many real world problems, e.g., information retrieval, team assembling, product search, etc. In this paper, we consider a generic setting where we aim to diversify the top-k ranking list based on an arbitrary relevance function and an arbitrary similarity function among all the examples. We formulate it as an optimization problem and show that in general it is NP-hard. Then, we show that for a large volume of the parameter space, the proposed objective function enjoys the diminishing returns property, which enables us to design a scalable, greedy algorithm to find the (1 - 1/e) near-optimal solution. Experimental results on real data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
An L-band microwave radiometer for subsurface temperature measurement

In this paper, an L-band (1–2 GHz) microwave radiometer system prototype for subsurface temperature measurement is developed and evaluated. In combination with a microwave heating source, this system will be used for the evaluation of blood perfusion, where the temperature of the tissue is raised by the source, and the temperature decay read by this radiometer is used for evaluating the perfusion. Besides the intended application, the main novelty of this system is using two low noise amplifiers in front of the radiometer's so-called Dicke switch in both the receiver and reference temperature input paths to improve the radiometer sensitivity. Some preliminary results of the developed system are presented. This system can potentially lead to the development of a handheld radiometric system for utilization in industry and healthcare.
Aggregating evidence in pavement management decision-making using belief functions and qualitative Markov tree

This paper applies the combined use of qualitative Markov trees and belief functions (otherwise known as Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence), to pavement management decision-making. The basic concepts of the belief function approach-basic probability assignments, belief functions and plausibility functions-are discussed. This paper also discusses the construction of the qualitative Markov tree (join tree). The combined use of the two methods provides a framework for dealing with uncertainty, incomplete data, and imprecise information in the presence of multiple evidences on decision variables. The approach is very appropriate, since it presents more improved methodology and analysis than traditional probability methods applied in pavement management decision-making. Traditional probability theory as a mathematical framework for conceptualizing uncertainty, incomplete data and imprecise information has several shortcomings that have been augmented by several alternative theories. An example is presented to illustrate the construction of qualitative Markov trees, from the evidential network and the solution algorithm. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate how the evidential network and the qualitative Markov tree can be constructed, and how the propagation of m-values can be handled in the network.
RI(GH)TES OF INTIMACY AT DOCAPESCA: Race versus Racism at a Fish Market in Portugal

This essay observes how race adds value to market exchanges at a fisheries facility in Lisbon, Portugal. I examine scenarios that primarily involved interactions between Portuguese men who sold fish and Cape Verdean immigrant women who purchased it. The scenarios show how race is crystallized in interaction and how differently raced actors co-utilize race to accomplish different ends. When vendors initiated difference recognition for the purpose of promoting a sale, the value of race in that moment was not independent of how Cape Verdean women chose to ratify it. I show how racial knowledge could be mediated through its commodity status, as Cape Verdean women's responses codetermined the political contents of Portuguese men's racial ascriptions. Importantly, the argument is not that subjects independently engaged in the reproduction of their privileged or marginal social status. Rather, the dialectic condition of interaction involved paired forms of engagement that produced difference. An examination of this context helps illuminate when and how race recognition, in public, is identified as neutral or politically charged.
Hybrid Utrasound and MRI Acquisitions for High-Speed Imaging of Respiratory Organ Motion

Magnetic Resonance MR imaging provides excellent image quality at a high cost and low frame rate. Ultrasound US provides poor image quality at a low cost and high frame rate. We propose an instance-based learning system to obtain the best of both worlds: high quality MR images at high frame rates from a low cost single-element US sensor. Concurrent US and MRI pairs are acquired during a relatively brief offline learning phase involving the US transducer and MR scanner. High frame rate, high quality MR imaging of respiratory organ motion is then predicted from US measurements, even after stopping MRI acquisition, using a probabilistic kernel regression framework. Experimental results show predicted MR images to be highly representative of actual MR images.
Gravity Effects on Catastrophic Yaw

A quantitative model of the non-linear motion leading to catastrophic yaw of finned missiles, including gravity effects and large angle formulation, is presented. The long-term behavior of slowly spinning missiles is controlled by the forcing function represented by the trim angle of attack due to slight configurational asymmetries. This angle can take on large values when the roll rate is near the pitch frequency, occasionally exhibiting the large amplitude oscillations characteristic of “catastrophic yaw”. The non-linear formulation of the problem presented in this paper shows that gravity prevents the attainment of a real constant longterm behavior but quasi-steady-state calculations are appropriate. The solutions are evaluated by comparison with numerical integration of the equations of motion.
Host Plant Growth Temperatures and Insect Rearing Temperatures Influence Reproduction and Longevity in the Grasshopper, Aulocara elliotti (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Adult rangeland grasshoppers, Aulocara elliotti (Thomas), from 2 geographically isolated wild populations were maintained at warm (24° night and 30°C day) or cool (18° night and 24°C day) temperatures and fed Western wheatgrass ( Agropyron smithii Rydb.) grown in a greenhouse insectary at the same warm or cool temperatures or collected from the field where diurnal temperatures fluctuated widely during the rearing season (0°–34°C). Not only were fecundity, egg viability, and female longevity significantly affected by insect rearing temperatures, but the growth temperatures of the host plant also caused significant variation in these characteristics. Grass grown at cool temperatures increased the rate of egg production and decreased the avg female longevity. Females fed field grass had the lowest rates of egg production and lived the longest, while those fed grass grown at warm temperatures had intermediate rates of egg production and avg longevities. The effect of the host plant on reproduction was modified, however, by the temperature at which the insect was reared and by other factors within the populations. These results may provide a basis for evaluating the fluctuations in natural populations of grasshoppers.
Creativity at Large: Functions and Controversies

Defining creativity has been a daunting challenge for psychology. The concept originates in culture, and it brings to research the breadth of meaning that it occupies in larger cultural discourses. Social scientists must operationalize a definition in order to use their empirical methodologies, which is a reductive process. Even as the researchers work to define their topic, however, the everyday use of the term can expand, making it a moving target. Creativity has been addressed as a component of philosophy (for example, Bergson, 1907/1998; Nietzsche, 1882/1910), economics (for example, Christensen, 1997/2003; Schumpeter, 2008), psychology (see Chapters 2, 4, 6 and 7), business management (for example, Osborn, 1948; Wright, Woock & Lichtenberg, 2008), education (for example, Beghetto & Kaufman, 2010), urban planning (Florida, 2005), artistic development, self-help (for example, Booth, 2001; Tharp & Reiter, 2003/2006) and spiritual practice (for example, Cameron, 2007). Furthermore, the social scientists’ research and theories contribute to the expansion of the idea, producing a complex set of looping effects (Hacking, 1995). Psychologists offer a particular operationalization, and their colleagues respond positively and negatively, expanding the idea. People then take on and apply the expanded set of ideas, integrating them into their current uses of the concept in ways that the social scientists may not have considered. Even among psychological constructs, which are often subject to this kind of looping effect, creativity stands out as particularly challenging.
Friedrich Naumann’s Mitteleuropa

The impact of Naumann’s ideas on German thought and emotions during the war derived from his steady intellectual growth and political maturation in the pre-war decades. A theologian in the 1890’s, social thinker and reform advocate in the 1890’s, he became fascinated at the turn of the century by the dynamics and techniques of modern capitalism. Naumann studied and tried to comprehend these phenomena in relation to his social idealism and patriotism. The result was an unusual book, his Neudeutsche Wirtschaftspolitik of 1906. In this work he attempted to sense the changes which industrial imperialism were imposing upon the nation and the individual. Germans must look to the future, he urged, must anticipate the dimensions of the emerging industrial Leviathan and, by a combination of state and group action, give it a maximum opportunity for productivity, consistent with a just social order. These views Naumann brought into harmony with the German nationality and its cultural principles. In a sense he was following in the footsteps of Friedrich List, postulating a national system of social economy, in which economic instruments were to serve a high moral and national objective.1
ASTER GLOBAL DEM VERSION 3, AND NEW ASTER WATER BODY DATASET

Abstract. In 2016, the US/Japan ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) project released Version 3 of the Global DEM (GDEM). This 30 m DEM covers the earth’s surface from 82N to 82S, and improves on two earlier versions by correcting some artefacts and filling in areas of missing DEMs by the acquisition of additional data. The GDEM was produced by stereocorrelation of 2 million ASTER scenes and operation on a pixel-by-pixel basis: cloud screening; stacking data from overlapping scenes; removing outlier values, and averaging elevation values. As previously, the GDEM is packaged in ~ 23,000 1 x 1 degree tiles. Each tile has a DEM file, and a NUM file reporting the number of scenes used for each pixel, and identifying the source for fill-in data (where persistent clouds prevented computation of an elevation value). An additional data set was concurrently produced and released: the ASTER Water Body Dataset (AWBD). This is a 30 m raster product, which encodes every pixel as either lake, river, or ocean; thus providing a global inland and shore-line water body mask. Water was identified through spectral analysis algorithms and manual editing. This product was evaluated against the Shuttle Water Body Dataset (SWBD), and the Landsat-based Global Inland Water (GIW) product. The SWBD only covers the earth between about 60 degrees north and south, so it is not a global product. The GIW only delineates inland water bodies, and does not deal with ocean coastlines. All products are at 30 m postings.
Stability of sublines in the R3327-H rat prostatic tumor.

Abstract Over several years of in vivo maintenance passage the R3327-H rat prostatic tumor has given rise to nine unique sublines in our laboratory. Some have emerged under selective treatment pressure while others apparently represent spontaneous or random modulation. Each new subline embodied an altered histology, growth rate, metastatic pattern or treatment sensitivity in comparison to its parent subline. However, each has been subsequently passaged enough times to provide evidence of considerable phenotypic stability, a notable point in view of the R3327 tumor’s well known potential for modulation.
The Redemptive Role of Labour

A striking feature of both Zionist and Indian nationalist thought is the refurbishing of the concept of work or labour that some leaders offered. The cultural contexts and conceptual heritages converge and diverge in intriguing ways. European culture included in its history an association of work with slavery dating from the civilisations of the ancient world. The privileged on occasion drew on this heritage when the ownership of property conveniently provided exemption from manual labour. Christendom, moreover, tended to regard work as punishment even though proverbial wisdom cannily pointed out that there was a time when all delved and gentlemen were conspicuously absent. As far as Jewry was concerned, European culture could not be dissociated from conditions of life in the Galut, life in exile. Restrictions on livelihood, the closed-in character of shtetl life, the condition of landlessness, provided one side of the story. On the other hand, while the tradition of book learning of the talmudic schools no doubt ensured literacy, it set a value on a kind of scholarship which presented itself as an alternative to non-intellectual work and which, to the outside eye at least, had little relation to the modern world. At the same time, the fact that rabbis usually had a trade or craft legitimated work in a way only possible among a people whose religious leadership was not vested in a professional priesthood. That avodah means both work and prayer is also significant. Words at the other end of the scale, so to say, are also worth taking note of. Yiddish is rich in words for the ne’er-do-well, the lazy, those who hang about and avoid work. Adding to this the consideration that the halakhic stress on the mitzvot orients Jewry in an activist direction, it might be fair to say that in virtue of both theory and practice Jewry had ample resources for a richness of approaches to work and that the barrier which stood in the way was none other than the Galut. This was the conclusion arrived at by a generation of Zionist thinkers.
Blade Element Momentum Modeling of Low-Re Small UAS Electric Propulsion Systems

A model for the propulsion system of a small-scale electric Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is presented. This model is based on a Blade Element Momentum (BEM) model of the propeller, with corrections for tip losses, Mach effects, three-dimensional flow components, and Reynolds scaling. Particular focus is placed on the estimation of scale effects not commonly encountered in the full-scale application of the BEM modeling method. Performance predictions are presented for geometries representative of several commercially available propellers. These predictions are then compared to experimental wind tunnel measurements of the propellers’ performance. The experimental data supports the predictions of the proposed BEM model and points to the importance of scale effects on prediction of the overall system performance.
Digests: Plasticity responses help in coping with predation in nature.

Phenotypic plasticity is a widespread phenomenon in which one genotype produces different phenotypes under different environmental conditions. Whether plasticity is adaptive or not depends on the optimal phenotypic value in each environment (Via 1993). Adaptive plasticity is expected to align with the direction of selective gradients, moving traits closer to the optima (Fig. 1A). Likewise, if the optimal values are similar in both environments, plasticity may be non-adaptive, opposing the directions of selective gradients (Fig. 1B). Plasticity as a trait is also subject to selective pressures and can itself evolve. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Fish, Benthic-Macroinvertebrate, and Stream-Habitat Data From Two Estuaries Near Galveston Bay, Texas, 2000-2001

Abstract : This report presents data on the status of fish macroinvertebrates and stream habitat collected from 10 sites in the lower (estuarine) parts of Armand and Dickinson Bayous near Galveston Bay Texas during summer 2000 and winter 2001. The total number of individual fish caught at the five Armand Bayou sites (2,O9l) was greater than at the five Dickinson Bayou sites (1,055) but the total number of fish species caught at Dickinson Bayou sites (37) was greater than at Armand Bayou sites (30). The total number of invertebrates (26,64l) and the total number of invertebrate taxa (141) were both greater at Armand Bayou sites than at Dickinson Bayou sites (10,467) and 131 respectively). Armand habitat data the average sinuosity of Armand Bayou sites (1.31) was greater than that of Dickinson Bayou sites (1. 14). Mean left-bank and right-bank slopes were greater at Armand Bayou sites than at Dickinson Bayou sites although the Armand Bayou banks were lower and narrower than the Dickinson Bayou banks. The Dickinson Bayou channel was deeper at the sampling sites than the Armand Bayou chennel.
Cellular Changes of Stem Cells in 3-Dimensional Culture

Purpose During various operations and procedures, such as distraction osteogenesis and orthodontics, skeletal tissues use mechanotransduction. Mechanotransduction is important for maintaining bone health and converting mechanical forces into biochemical signals. We hypothesized that cells put under mechanical stress would adapt and change morphologically and respond with a decrease in cellular proliferation to accommodate the stress differences. These differences will be measured at the molecular and genetic level. We also wanted to test the practicality of an in vitro 3-dimensional gel model system. Materials and Methods We implemented a 3-dimensional cell culture model. The sample was composed of isolated mouse mesenchymal prefibroblast bone marrow cells from the femurs and tibias of 6- to 8-week-old wild-type C57BL6 mice. The cells were seeded on fibronectin-coated hydrogels along with fibrin and nodulin growth factors. The variables tested were a no-force model (control) and a force model. The force model required two 0.1-mm suture pins put through one 0.25-cm length of cell-gel matrix. After the experiments were run to completion, the samples were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and embedded in paraffin. Serial sections were cut at a thickness of 5 μm along the long axis for the force construct and encompassing the entire circular area of the control construct. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed, and the P value was set at 5%. Results There was a statistically significant difference between the 2 models. The force model had longer and straighter primary cilia, less apoptosis, and an increase in cell proliferation. In addition, the shape of the cells was markedly different after the experiment. Conclusions The results of the study suggest cells put under tensile stress have the ability to mechanically sense the environment to provide improved adaptation. Our work also confirms the usefulness of the in vitro 3-dimensional gel model system to mimic in vivo applications.
CKD stage V in AL amyloidosis: is it too late to treat? Maybe not

Ig light chain amyloidosis is a protein misfolding disease capable of causing multiorgan failure. Organ failure can be stopped by reducing the production of Ig light chain. The current study by Rezk et al. found that even patients with advanced chronic kidney disease can benefit if the serum free light chain can be substantially reduced within the first 3 months. This, if confirmed, can have a huge impact in the management of these patients.
CRT-600.13 Off- vs. On-hours Outcomes in Patients Receiving Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support

Acute mechanical circulatory support (AMCS) implantation is often performed urgently off scheduled operating hours. There is no available analysis comparing outcomes between off- vs. on-hours implantation of AMCS. We retrospectively analyzed all patients (n=254) between 2016-2017 receiving VA-ECMO
Ethics and budget allocation decisions of municipal budget officers

The purpose of this study is to extend research which has looked at moral judgment. Specifically, the study examines the impact of moral judgment on the budget allocations made by government budget officers. Additionally, and as a result of previous research findings, the study looks at the relationship between political ideology, gender, age, profession and moral judgment.
Protozoal Causes of Reproductive Failure in Domestic Ruminants

Reproductive failure caused by protozoan parasites is a significant cause of abortion and infertility in domestic ruminants. In the absence of effective methods for vaccination or treatment, control of these parasites is based on management procedures to reduce infection and transmission.