cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Islamist Rationality: An Assessment of the Rational Choice Approach

A growing body of literature criticizes the notion that Islamism is sui generis and argues that it could be explained by existing conceptions about human behavior. This approach relies on rational choice theory and its derivatives, characterizing Islamists as rational political actors that engage in cost-benefit analysis and strategic calculation. This article evaluates the explanatory power of this characterization through three case studies, namely the Turkish Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi), the Jordanian Islamic Action Front (Jabhat al-Amal al-Islami), and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan al-Muslimun). It argues that although the approach offers explanations for Islamist pragmatism, this characterization has three major limitations: lack of room for ideological change, extreme voluntarism between violence and non-violence, and lack of insight for intra-group gender relations.
Consumer (Mis)Perceptions and usage of Third Party Certification Marks, 1972 and 1980: Did Public Policy have an Impact?:

This article reviews the provision of information on third party certification marks to consumers, focusing on the potential for misperceptions. Two consumer studies are employed to examine the cha...
Molecular diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections: a diverse and dynamic landscape.

1. Chris L. McGowin, PhD[⇑][1] 1. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, New Orleans, LA 2. Rodney E. Rohde, PhD, MS, SV, SM(ASCP)CM, MBCM 1. Clinical Laboratory Science Program, College of Health Professions, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 3. Gerald Redwine, MEd, MT(ASCP) 1. Clinical Laboratory Science Program, College of Health Professions, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 1. Address for Correspondence: Chris L. McGowin, PhD, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, 1901 Perdido St.; MEB 6214, New Orleans, LA 70112-2822, 504 568-7281, cmcgow{at}lsuhsc.edu More than 300 million curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are acquired each year worldwide1 making these infections a significant public health and economic concern. At least 25 urogenital and reproductive tract diseases have infectious etiologies that are transmitted through sexual contact and the CDC conservatively estimates approximately 110 million STIs exist among American men and women.2 The roughly 20 million incident cases in the USA alone have direct costs for treatment that top more than $15 billion.2,3 Sexually transmitted pathogens are extraordinarily adapted to life in the urogenital tract. This is exemplified by the fact that all STIs can persist long-term in the face of extensive and complex host innate and adaptive immune responses. This is particularly true in females who disproportionately bear the prevalence and pathological sequelae of STIs with inflammatory syndromes like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), tubal infertility and several pregnancy-related complications such as preterm birth and spontaneous abortion. Polymicrobial syndromes like bacterial vaginosis and some cases of PID are now recognized as significant medical concerns and have also contributed directly to our understanding of the microbiome and its impact on reproductive health. This FOCUS series of articles has been dedicated to three organisms that creatively illustrate the spectrum and importance of molecular diagnostics (MDx) for STIs: Mycoplasma genitalium , Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and Trichomonas vaginalis . The last twenty years have been dynamic and exciting for the field of molecular diagnostics. Since the introduction of the first FDA-approved nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for C. trachomatis and N. … ABBREVIATIONS: CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CT/NG - C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae, FDA - Food and Drug Administration, HPV - Human Papilloma Virus, LDT - laboratory-developed test; MDx - molecular diagnostics, NAAT - nucleic acid amplification test, NGU - non-gonococcal urethritis, PCR - polymerase chain reaction, PID - pelvic inflammatory disease, POC - point of care, STD - sexually transmitted disease, STI - sexually transmitted infection, TMA - transcription mediated amplification [1]: #corresp-1
Boosting the Power of the Sequence Kernel Association Test by Properly Estimating Its Null Distribution

The sequence kernel association test (SKAT) is probably the most popular statistical test used in rare-variant association studies. Its null distribution involves unknown parameters that need to be estimated. The current estimation method has a valid type I error rate, but the power is compromised given that all subjects are used for estimation. I have developed an estimation method that uses only control subjects. Named SKAT+, this method uses the same test statistic as SKAT but differs in the way the null distribution is estimated. Extensive simulation studies and applications to data from the Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 and the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study demonstrated that SKAT+ has superior power over SKAT while maintaining control over the type I error rate. This method is applicable to extensions of SKAT in the literature.
The function of the superior oblique muscle in man. A correlation of clinical observation with experimental findings.

(1974). The Function of the Superior Oblique Muscle in Man. American Orthoptic Journal: Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 6-12.
A Laser Flash Photolysis Study of Azo-Compound Formation from Aryl Nitrenes at Room Temperature

The species 4-nitrenopyridine 1-oxide is known to exhibit triplet nitrene dominated chemistry to yield azo-dimer products exclusively, even at room temperature. As such, this species, and its analogue 4-nitrenoquinoline 1-oxide, are useful models to probe the mechanism of formation of azo-dimers, which is postulated to proceed by self-reaction of the nitrene or reaction of nitrene with the parent azide. A laser flash photolysis study is described where the kinetics of formation of azo-dimer were found to be most adequately modeled by competition between both mechanisms, and rate coefficients for the competing reactions were determined.
“Shaping” the Future of Molecular Weight Distributions in Anionic Polymerization

Varying molecular weight distributions (MWDs) have the potential to precisely tune polymer properties, but this approach remains relatively unexplored owing to a lack of synthetic methods that provide control over the exact makeup of a distribution. Herein, we report a simple and highly efficient strategy for addressing this challenge through temporal regulation of initiation in the anionic polymerization of styrene. This method yields unprecedented control over the shape of the polymer MWD and facilitates the synthesis of diblock copolymers with controlled MWD compositions. Importantly, we show that the MWD symmetry has a marked influence on the stiffness of poly(styrene-block-isoprene) copolymers, which demonstrates that varying MWD shape is an effective method for altering polymer properties.
A dynamic programming approach for nonholonomic vehicle maneuvering in tight environments

State-of-the-art autonomous cars use various algorithms for path planning in different environments. The design of these algorithms is difficult when the nonlinear and the nonholonomic aspect of the vehicle dynamics are dominant. These aspects are small at high speeds and for simple maneuvers at low speeds, so effective algorithms exist. However, path planning for more complex maneuvers at low speeds, especially in tight and cluttered environments, remains a difficult challenge. This paper proposes a new approach to this problem. The presented algorithm performs a tree-search on a discretized state space using dynamic programming. It is shown in simulation and experiments that even complicated paths can be computed very efficiently. Since a path is composed of a sequence of simple arcs, it is easy to track by a linear controller.
The Unit Hydrograph Principle Applied to Small Water-sheds

The unit hydrograph principle was first presented in 1932 by LeRoy K. Sherman,2 M. Am. Soc. C. E. Since then it has been developed into a usable method for surface run-off analysis. The most notabl...
Water vapor transport in carbon nanotube membranes and application in breathable and protective fabrics

Membranes that selectively block or permeate water vapor find application in dehydration of gaseous streams, pervaporation, humidity control in buildings, protection of moisture sensitive electronics, and in breathable fabrics for environmental protective clothing. Many of these application areas could benefit from the incorporation of carbon nanotubes into membrane materials. Recent studies have demonstrated the ability of carbon nanotubes to enable ultrafast water vapor diffusion through their inner volume, as well as to promote dehumidification of gas streams flowing through their interstitial spaces. Membranes with porosity solely made of the inner channels of carbon nanotubes are especially promising for the development of next generation protective garments because enable a long-sought-after combination of outstanding breathability with protection.
Polling and Prediction in the 2016 Presidential Election

In the wake of experts' failure to predict the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, a rigorous analysis of what went right and wrong is needed to improve future polling. Despite claims that "data is dead," low-tech factors such as sampling errors and inaccurate likely-voter models were probably most responsible.
Sex-Specific Gene Expression and Life Span Regulation

Aging-related diseases show a marked sex bias. For example, women live longer than men yet have more Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis, whereas men have more cancer and Parkinson's disease. Understanding the role of sex will be important in designing interventions and in understanding basic aging mechanisms. Aging also shows sex differences in model organisms. Dietary restriction (DR), reduced insulin/IGF1-like signaling (IIS), and reduced TOR signaling each increase life span preferentially in females in both flies and mice. Maternal transmission of mitochondria to offspring may lead to greater control over mitochondrial functions in females, including greater life span and a larger response to diet. Consistent with this idea, males show greater loss of mitochondrial gene expression with age.
On Analytics of File Transfer Rates over Dedicated Wide-Area Connections

File transfers between the decentralized storage sites over dedicated wide-area connections are becoming increasingly important in high-performance computing and big data scenarios. Designing such scientific workflows for large file transfers is extremely challenging as they depend on the file, I/O, host, and local- and wide-area network subsystems, and their interactions. To gain insights into file-transfer rate profiles, we develop polynomial, bagging, and boosting regression models for Lustre and XFS file transfer measurements, which are collected using XDD over a suite of 10 Gbps connections with 0-366 ms round trip times (RTTs). In addition to overall trends and analytics, these regressions also provide file-transfer rate estimates for RTTs and number of parallel flows at which measurements might not have been collected. They show that bagging and boosting techniques provide closer data fits than the polynomial regression. We develop probabilistic bounds on the generalization error of these methods, which combined with the cross-validation error establish that former two are more accurate estimators than the polynomial regression. In addition, we present a method to efficiently determine the number of parallel flows to achieve a peak file-transfer rate using fewer than full sweep measurements; in our measurements, the peak is achieved in 96% of cases with 15-25% of measurements of a full sweep.
Intercultural translation and indigenous articulation in higher education

Intercultural translation is a salient feature of communicative interactions in multilingual institutional spaces. This article draws on a concept of intercultural translation that functions as a linguistically radical strategy through which other ways of knowing and being are introduced, with particular emphasis on institutions, multilingualism, and less-translated languages. It describes the modes in which indigenous actors used intercultural translation to modify Mexico’s institutional tutoring program in higher education. It focuses on the selective appropriation of words and meanings, the standardization of concepts, and the configuring of an intercultural frame of reference, whereby members of an intercultural Mexican university introduced the Yucatec Maya word iknal as a hybrid educational system. In sum, the article posits intercultural translation as a critical communicative practice ubiquitous to the dynamics of language in socio-cultural spaces.
Germline VHL gene variant in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease does not predict renal tumor growth.

To determine whether the type of VHL gene pathogenic variant influences the growth rate or CT enhancement values of renal lesions in VHL patients. Thirty-two VHL patients (19 male) were selected from a prospectively maintained imaging database for patients that underwent surgical tumor resection between 2014 and 2016. One hundred and eleven VHL lesions were marked for resection and pathology analysis. Whole lesion volumetric segmentation was performed on nephrographic phase of the two most recent contrast-enhanced CT scans before surgery. Intensity distribution curves were obtained from segmentations. A linear mixed model, accounting for within-patient correlations, was used to compare the growth and enhancement differences between different germline pathogenic variant types. There was no significant difference for the lesions’ total growth between different germline pathogenic variants (P value = 0.78). The median growth rate for all lesions was 1.7 cc/year (IQR 0.5, 3.9) with a baseline median size of 4.1 cm3 (IQR 1.7, 11.7). In complex lesions, the solid portion of the tumor demonstrated a higher growth rate (1.6 cc/year) than cystic portions (0.02 cc/year) which stayed relatively unchanged. Only one pathogenic variant (Splice donor) showed some levels of difference in its relative enhancement from other subtypes. The type of germline pathogenic variant on the VHL gene does not affect the growth rate or CT enhancement values of renal lesions in patients with VHL. The absolute growth rate of these tumors may be used in the scheduling of follow-up studies.
Compensated-DNN: energy efficient low-precision deep neural networks by compensating quantization errors

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) represent the state-of-the-art in many Artificial Intelligence (AI) tasks involving images, videos, text, and natural language. Their ubiquitous adoption is limited by the high computation and storage requirements of DNNs, especially for energy-constrained inference tasks at the edge using wearable and IoT devices. One promising approach to alleviate the computational challenges is implementing DNNs using low-precision fixed point (<16 bits) representation. However, the quantization error inherent in any Fixed Point (FxP) implementation limits the choice of bit-widths to maintain application-level accuracy. Prior efforts recommend increasing the network size and/or re-training the DNN to minimize loss due to quantization, albeit with limited success.Complementary to the above approaches, we present Compensated-DNN, wherein we propose to dynamically compensate the error introduced due to quantization during execution. To this end, we introduce a new fixed-point representation viz. Fixed Point with Error Compensation (FPEC). The bits in FPEC are split between computation bits vs. compensation bits. The computation bits use conventional FxP notation to represent the number at low-precision. On the other hand, the compensation bits (1 or 2 bits at most) explicitly capture an estimate (direction and magnitude) of the quantization error in the representation. For a given word length, since FPEC uses fewer computation bits compared to FxP representation, we achieve a near-quadratic improvement in energy in the multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) operations. The compensation bits are simultaneously used by a low-overhead sparse compensation scheme to estimate the error accrued during MAC operations, which is then added to the MAC output to minimize the impact of quantization. We build compensated-DNNs for 7 popular image recognition benchmarks with 0.05–20.5 million neurons and 0.01–15.5 billion connections. Based on gate-level analysis at 14nm technology, we achieve 2.65 × –4.88 × and 1.13 × –1.7 × improvement in energy compared to 16-bit and 8-bit FxP implementations respectively, while maintaining <0.5% loss in classification accuracy.
Mach bands measured by a compensation method.

Abstract A luminance pattern is, in general, quite different from the brightness pattern we perceive. The reason for this is the lateral inhibition in the retina and the nervous system. Usually the brightness pattern is measured and then compared with the luminance pattern to see to what degree lateral inhibition modified the luminance pattern. In this paper an attempt was made to develop a compensation method of measurement in which the distortions produced by the lateral inhibition were compensated by an adequate distortion of the stimulus pattern. Comparing the original stimulus pattern with the distorted one, we have a measure of how lateral inhibition modified the physical stimulus in vision. It is possible with this method to compensate and eliminate the famous Mach bands seen on a rotating Mach disc. It is surprising to discover how large the modifications are. The method was further used to determine the shape of the Mach bands for a step function with different slopes.
Getting it Right or Playing it Safe? Correct Voting, Confusion and the Status Quo Bias in Direct Democracy

Vote choice in initiative races is typically discussed in terms of "yes" and "no" votes, and confusion is widely regarded as contributing to an increase in "no" votes. Using data from two San Diego, California exit polls in 2008 and the Washington Poll in 2007, I present an analysis that provides no consistent support for the claim that confusion leads to more "no" votes. Another method of exploring vote choice investigates correct voting, defined as voting in line with one's preferences. Though confusion does not consistently lead to "no" votes, confusion does lead to more incorrect votes and inhibits the ability of citizens to match their votes with their preferences. On a positive note, endorsements are shown to enable voters to better align their preferences with the choices they face on the ballot.
The Art of Innovation: Polymaths and Universality of the Creative Process

Abstract: Many people view arts and sciences as being different because sciences yield objective answers to problems whereas arts produce subjective experiences I argue that art and science are on a continuum in which artists work with possible worlds whereas scientists are constrained to working in this world. But sometimes perceiving this world differently is the key to making discoveries. Thus, arts and sciences are on a continuum in which artistic thinking produces possibilities that scientists can evaluate for efficacy here and now. Not surprisingly, then, many of the most innovative scientists have had avocations in the arts, and some of the most innovative artists have had avocations in the sciences. These polymaths have often written or spoken about how their arts involvments have benefitted their scientific creativity and may provide a model for fostering a more innovative education.
Downfall: Iran’s Non-State Foreign Policy in 1973–77

In this period, Iran entirely transformed its non-state foreign policy in both Iraqi Kurdistan and Lebanon. As the war changed at the expense of the Iraqi Kurds and the possibility of direct war with Baghdad increased, the Shah bypassed his American and Israeli allies and terminated his support for Barzani. In the Algiers Agreement of 1975, Iraq accepted territorial concession to Iran in Arvand Rud, while Iran cut off backing to the Iraqi Kurds. The resistance of the Kurdish Peshmerga, who had increasingly depended on the Iranian Army, soon collapsed.
Discussion Following Talks on Microvascular Complications of Diabetes Mellitus

To open this discussion period, we have asked Dr. John Town-send, who is in the Department of Pathology here at the University of Missouri, to make a few comments regarding the colony of genetically diabetic animals that they have been following here in regard to vascular disease in these animals.
Network Analysis of Anti-Muslim Groups on Facebook

Islamophobic attitudes and overt acts of hostility toward Muslims in the United States are increasingly commonplace. The goal of this research is to begin to understand how anti-Muslim political groups use the Facebook social network to build their own online communities, and to investigate crossover with other far-right political ideologies, such as anti-immigrant or white nationalist groups. We used the public Facebook Graph API to create a large dataset of 700,204 members of 1,870 Facebook groups spanning 10 different far-right ideologies during the time period June 2017–March 2018. We then applied social network analysis techniques to discover which groups and ideologies shared members with anti-Muslim groups during this period. Our results show that anti-Muslim groups serve as an “ideological center” for several other categories of far-right extremism.
Zero-Copy Receive for Virtualized Network Devices

When receiving network traffic on guest VMs (virtual machines) running on the KVM hypervisor, data is copied from hypervisor buffers to guest buffers. This copy incurs CPU and latency overhead. It seems desirable to avoid this copy, if possible, and to use guest buffers directly to receive network data. A number of challenges must be overcome in order to accomplish this zero-copy receive, and some additional overhead is incurred in setting it up. We present the technical details on a zero-copy receive design and implementation and discuss the resulting performance degradation. In our implementation, the savings in CPU from avoiding the copy is overshadowed by the extra handling required for the smaller and often underutilized buffers .
Data Science and Digital Business

This book chapter applies data science methods to analyze storm surge induced flood risks along the Mississippi Gulf Coast by presenting the spatial risk distribution of the study area using the Geographic Information System (GIS) based visualization and quantifying the flood risk in statistical relationships with the risk related factors using multiple linear regression analysis models. The data are retrieved and visualized for the residential blocks. The maximum surge elevation data are collected and validated against representative historical hurricane wind and storm surge data recorded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Hurricane Center (NHC). The maximum surge height above the land surface is calculated based on the elevations and tide level in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Basin. The statistics models using the multiple regression analysis method characterize the significant relationships among these risk related variables. The direct loss coverage can be estimated using the models.
A Place of Darkness: The Rhetoric of Horror in Early American Cinema

For two decades Kendal R. Phillips has carefully crafted an oeuvre of cinematic study that situates spectatorship at the intersection of culturally specific rhetorical frames and what he describes ...
Comparative Computational Study of Electronic Excitations of Neutral and Charged Small Oligothiophenes and Their Extrapolations Based on Simple Models.

This work reports electronic excitation energies of neutral and charged oligothiophenes (OT n ) with repeat unit n = 2-6 computed by routinely used semiempirical and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) methods. More specifically, for OT n , OTn+, and OTn-, we calculated vertical transition energies for electronic absorption spectroscopy employing the Zerner's version of intermediate neglect differential overlap method for structures optimized by the PM6 semiempirical method and the TD-DFT method with three different functionals, B3LYP, BVP86, and M06-2X, for structures optimized by the ground-state DFT method employing the same functionals. We also calculated vertical transition energies for the emission spectroscopy from the lowest singlet excited states by employing the TD-DFT method for the structures optimized for the lowest singlet excited states. In addition to computational results in vacuum, solution phase data calculated at the level of polarizable continuum model are reported and compared with available experimental data. Most of the data are fitted reasonably well by two simple model functions, one based on a Frenkel exciton theory and the other based on the model of independent electrons in a box with sinusoidal modulation of potential. Despite similar levels of fitting performance, the two models produce distinctively different asymptotic values of excitation energies. Comparison of these with available experimental and computational data suggests that the values based on the exciton model, while seemingly overestimating, are closer to true values than those based on the other model. This assessment is confirmed by additional calculations for a larger oligomer. The fitting parameters offer new means to understand the relationship between electronic excitations of OTs and their sizes and suggest the feasibility of constructing simple coarse-grained exciton-bath models applicable for aggregates of OTs.
Association of a Home Monitoring Program With Interstage and Stage 2 Outcomes.

Background In shunt‐dependent, single‐ventricle patients, mortality remains high in the interstage period between discharge after neonatal surgery and stage 2 operation. We sought to evaluate the i...
Temporal Trends in the Prevalence of Nonsuicidal Self-injury Among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Youth From 2005 Through 2017.

This study examines Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data to determine the rate of nonsuicidal self-injury in heterosexual and sexual minority youth from 2005 to 2017.
‘Me gustan las cosas que son cosas’: la representación de la violencia a través de los objetos en Cosas que brillan cuando están rotas de Nuria Labari

La primera novela de Nuria Labari, Cosas que brillan cuando estan rotas (2016), gira en torno a los avatares y reflexiones de Eva, periodista que, durante los dias posteriores a los atentados del 11-M, recorre hospitales y morgues de Madrid mientras se enfrenta a su propia crisis matrimonial. En medio de la tragedia, la novela presenta la violencia a modo de telon de fondo, colocando en primer plano los objetos que rodean a Eva, a su familia y a las victimas. A traves de los estudios de la cultura material y apoyandose en las teorias de Bruno Latour, Jane Bennett y otros teoricos, este articulo examina la importancia de estos objetos, asi como su rol dentro de esta inusual propuesta literaria. El marco teorico de la cultura material permite a este estudio, por una parte, elaborar una minuciosa clasificacion de los objetos sobre los que reflexionan las protagonistas y, por otra, exponer los entresijos de la significativa relacion entre sujetos y objetos que define el mundo contemporaneo. El objetivo del articulo es, en ultima instancia, proponer una interpretacion sobre el papel que juegan las cosas en relacion con la violencia en la que se enmarca la historia de la novela.
Light availability and rhizobium variation interactively mediate the outcomes of legume-rhizobium symbiosis.

Premise Nutrients, light, water, and temperature are key factors limiting the growth of individual plants in nature. Mutualistic interactions between plants and microbes often mediate resource limitation for both partners. In the mutualism between legumes and rhizobia, plants provide rhizobia with carbon in exchange for fixed nitrogen. Because partner quality in mutualisms is genotype-dependent, within-species genetic variation is expected to alter the responses of mutualists to changes in the resource environment. Here we ask whether partner quality variation in rhizobia mediates the response of host plants to changing light availability, and conversely, whether light alters the expression of partner quality variation. Methods We inoculated clover hosts with 11 strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum that differed in partner quality, grew plants under either ambient or low light conditions in the greenhouse, and measured plant growth, nodule traits, and foliar nutrient composition. Results Light availability and rhizobium inoculum interactively determined plant growth, and variation in rhizobium partner quality was more apparent in ambient light. Conclusions Our results suggest that variation in the costs and benefits of rhizobium symbionts mediate host responses to light availability and that rhizobium strain variation might more important in higher-light environments. Our work adds to a growing appreciation for the role of microbial intraspecific and interspecific diversity in mediating extended phenotypes in their hosts and suggests an important role for light availability in the ecology and evolution of legume-rhizobium symbiosis.
Redirecting discourse in music therapy

As I was preparing the current issue, I was reminded of a well-known quote by Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, a Hungarian biochemist: “Research is to see what everybody else has seen and to think what nobody...
Fibromyalgia in Women across the Lifespan: A Family Feminist Therapy Approach

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that largely impacts females of all ages, yet there is limited treatment and research available, particularly related to family therapy. Fibromyalgia impacts family funct...
The fly-net in Judith: Anglo-Saxon perceptions of an ancient Assyrian ruler

This article examines the fly-net around Holofernes’ bed in Judith to argue that the Old English poet refashions his source material to imagine the atmosphere of political intrigue at the centre of...
MicroRNA156-mediated changes in leaf composition lead to altered photosynthetic traits during vegetative phase change.

Plant morphology and physiology change with growth and development. Some of these changes are due to change in plant size and some are the result of genetically programmed developmental transitions. In this study we investigate the role of the developmental transition, vegetative phase change (VPC), on morphological and photosynthetic changes. We used overexpression of microRNA156, the master regulator of VPC, to modulate the timing of VPC in Populus tremula × alba, Zea mays, and Arabidopsis thaliana to determine its role in trait variation independent of changes in size and overall age. Here, we find that juvenile and adult leaves in all three species photosynthesize at different rates and that these differences are due to phase-dependent changes in specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf N but not photosynthetic biochemistry. Further, we found juvenile leaves with high SLA were associated with better photosynthetic performance at low light levels. This study establishes a role for VPC in leaf composition and photosynthetic performance across diverse species and environments. Variation in leaf traits due to VPC are likely to provide distinct benefits under specific environments; as a result, selection on the timing of this transition could be a mechanism for environmental adaptation.
MorphSensor: A 3D Electronic Design Tool for Reforming Sensor Modules

MorphSensor is a 3D electronic design tool that enables designers to morph existing sensor modules of pre-defined two-dimensional shape into free-form electronic component arrangements that better integrate with the three-dimensional shape of a physical prototype. MorphSensor builds onto existing sensor module schematics that already define the electronic components and the wiring required to build the sensor. Since MorphSensor maintains the wire connections throughout the editing process, the sensor remains fully functional even when designers change the electronic component layout on the prototype geometry. We detail the MorphSensor editor that supports designers in re-arranging the electronic components, and discuss a fabrication pipeline based on customized PCB footprints for making the resulting freeform sensor. We then demonstrate the capabilities of our system by morphing a range of sensor modules of different complexity and provide a technical evaluation of the quality of the resulting free-form sensors.
Current Reference Circuits: A Tutorial

This tutorial introduces and compares current reference circuits. To give meaningful insights to readers, we categorize current reference circuits into five types: a) $\Delta {V}_{\mathrm{ BE}}$ -based current references; b) beta-multiplier-based current references; c) smart-bias-based current references; d) division-based current references; e) calibration-based current references. For each type of current reference, limitations and research progress are summarized. Finally, this tutorial compares the five types of current references and concludes which types are more suitable depending on the need of applications.
Towards Fast Quantitative Wide-Field Lifetime Imaging in 2D and 3D

Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLI) has become an increasingly popular method in molecular imaging as it provides unique insights into the biological processes. However, despite its popularity and profound impact, FLI is not a direct imaging modality and datasets need to be postprocessed to quantify fluorescence lifetime or lifetime-based parameters. Such technical implementations can be complex, computationally expensive, require high level of expertise as well as user inputs. Herein, we will report on the development and validation of DL models as fast and user-friendly image formation tools for FLI, including outputting the quantitative lifetime image from raw FLI measurements without iterative solvers and user input, performing FLI topography corrected by the tissue optical properties and performing end-to-end 3D optical reconstructions.
Surprises among quinoproteins

Abstract Until recently, pyrroloquinoline quinone had been attributed the role of redox cofactor for a wide range of prokaryotic and eukaryotic enzymes. A well delineated function for pyrroloquinoline quinone now appears to be limited to prokaryotes, where it acts as a dissociable redox cofactor. Advances during the past 18 months include the identification of two new covalently bound quinone cofactors: topa quinone and tryptophan tryptophylquinone. These structures are generated in mammals and bacteria, respectively, via the post-translational processing of existing protein side chains.
Prediction of Subsonic Separation Bubbles on Airfoils by Viscous-Inviscid Interaction

The prediction and control of turbulent flow separation and reattachment continue to be important in many engineering applications. Although progress is being made in the understanding and prediction of these flows, the accurate and economical calculation of turbulent flows containing regions of recirculation still remains one of the major challenges in the field of computational fluid dynamics.
An Overview of the COBE Infrared Datasets

Characteristics of the DIRBE and FIRA S instruments on NASA’s Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) are summarized. Data products likely to be useful in studies of star formation and the interstellar medium are described. The DIRBE sky survey is compared with the IRAS survey, which has been used in many such studies over the past decade.
Energy expenditure and subsequent nutrient intakes in overfed young men.

We investigated the mechanisms of body weight regulation in young men of normal body weight leading unrestricted lives. Changes in total and resting energy expenditure, body composition, and subseq...
Shame in the Clinical Process with LGBTQ Clients

This commentary integrates the literature on the social and psychological dynamics of shame and discusses its relevance to the clinical process, especially with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and queer clients. It is argued that engagements with shame, especially where sexual desire, sexual orientation, or gender identity is a foremost consideration or conflict, may be the most important factor in producing and maintaining the therapeutic alliance. Shame, a social emotion, is considered in the light of work done in sociology, psychology, neuroscience, and psychoanalysis. Future directions for clinical research are suggested.
Detection of dioxinlike activity in fish, sediment, and surface wipes using an in vitro bioassay

Abstract Fish, sediment and surface wipes collected from various sites in New York State were tested for dioxinlike activity using an in vitro bioassay (Flat-Cell Assay). The assay is based on 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) -induced alterations of post-confluent XBF mouse epithelial cell proliferation and morphology. This may be related to TCDD induction of epithelial differentiation, the cause of chloracne in humans. The bioassay results show qualitative and general quantitative agreement with those generated by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis demonstrating the usefulness of the Flat-Cell Assay as a supplement to instrumental analysis.
Sufficient statistics for multi-agent decision problems

Motivated by recent work showing the existence of a separation structure for certain classes of decentralized control problems, we define sufficient statistics for multi-agent team decision problems. We show that these statistics are sufficient for optimality for these problems, and reduce in the single-player case to the well-known construction based on the posterior distribution. We develop results which allow the explicit construction and updating of team-sufficient statistics, and give examples.
Losses of chromosomes 1p and 19q are rare in pediatric oligodendrogliomas

Pediatric oligodendrogliomas are rare neoplasms and have not been characterized extensively either pathologically or genetically. Given the recent interest in the significance of chromosomal losses in predicting the clinical course and in establishing uniform diagnoses of adult oligodendrogliomas, we reviewed the pathological and clinical features of a series of pediatric oligodendrogliomas and determined their 1p and 19q status using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Of 19 tumors originally diagnosed as oligodendroglioma, 7 were oligodendroglioma, 3 were anaplastic oligodendroglioma, 3 were oligoastrocytoma, and 6 were reclassified. Only one tumor, an anaplastic oligodendroglioma, had 1p loss; none had 19q loss. The single patient whose tumor had 1p loss did not have a particularly favorable clinical course. These results suggest that pediatric oligodendrogliomas arise by molecular alterations distinct from adult oligodendrogliomas, and such molecular alterations do not hold immediate promise as an adjunct to the diagnosis of pediatric oligodendrogliomas.
A STUDY OF COOPERATIVE ADULT EDUCATION

This brief article describes an 18‐month study of programs jointly sponsored by industry and education agencies for adults with less than a high school education. An extensive search throughout the United States and Trust Territories yielded 108 programs that met the criteria of sponsorship and target‐audience characteristics. From this group, several programs were interviewed by phone and visited on‐site. A “blue ribbon” panel assisted the project staff in developing criteria for identifying and studying cooperative programs. Project outcomes include five reports: a listing of programs, abstracts of selected programs, case studies of selected programs, guidelines for developing or evaluating programs, and a publication discussing issues related to cooperative adult education programs.
Probing the structure of the cold dark matter halo using ancient mica

Mica can store (for $g1\mathrm{Gyr}$) etchable tracks caused by atoms recoiling from WIMPs. Ancient mica is a directional detector despite the complex motions it makes with respect to the WIMP ``wind.'' We can exploit the properties of directionality and long integration time to probe for structure in the dark matter halo of our galaxy. We compute a sample of possible signals in mica for a plausible model of halo structure.
Participation of substance P in the control of renin release.

Abstract The effect of the hypothalamic undecapeptide substance P on renin secretion rate was studied in the denervated dog kidney. Intrarenal infusion of substance P at a rate of 0.2 ng/kg/min suppressed renin secretion rates from 258.5 ± 28.5 ng/min to 133.1 ± 23.2 ng/min (p
The short-term influence of herbivory near patch reefs varies between seagrass species

The coexistence of multiple species within a trophic level can be regulated by consumer preferences and nutrient supply, but the influence of these factors on the co-occurrence of seagrass species is not well understood. We examined the biomass and density responses of two seagrass species in the Florida Keys Reef Tract to grazing pressure near patch reefs, and evaluated how nutrient enrichment impacted herbivory dynamics. We transplanted Halodule wrightii (shoalgrass) sprigs into caged and uncaged plots in a Thalassia testudinum (turtlegrass) bed near a patch reef. Nutrients (N and P) were added to half of the experimental plots. We recorded changes in seagrass shoot density, and after three months, we measured above- and belowground biomass and tissue nutrient content of both species. Herbivory immediately and strongly impacted H. wrightii. Within six days of transplantation, herbivory reduced the density of uncaged H. wrightii by over 80%, resulting in a decrease in above- and belowground biomass of nearly an order of magnitude. T. testudinum shoot density and belowground biomass were not affected by herbivory, but aboveground biomass and leaf surface area were higher within cages, suggesting that although herbivory influenced both seagrass species, T. testudinum was more resistant to herbivory pressure than H. wrightii. Nutrient addition did not alter herbivory rates or the biomass of either species over the short-term duration of this study. In both species, nutrient addition had little effect on the tissue nutrient content of seagrass leaves, and N:P was near the 30:1 threshold that suggested a balance between N and P. The different impacts of grazing on these two seagrass species suggest that herbivory may be an important regulator of the distribution of multiple seagrass species near herbivore refuges like patch reefs in the Caribbean.
Dichotic auditory fusion levels in children with learning disabilities

Abstract Groups of 7–9-yr-old learning-disabled and normal comparison children were tested for: dichotic auditory fusion levels; lateral preferences for hand, eye, and foot; and language functions. Reliable auditory fusion levels were obtained for all of the comparison children and 75% of the learning-disabled children. The groups did not differ in the incidence of consistent right vs mixed lateral preferences. Auditory fusion levels were significantly higher for the learning-disabled than the comparison group, and for the mixed than the right lateral preference subgroups. The mixed learning-disabled subgroup also had the greatest deficits on language tests, especially consonant discriminations. The severe disorders in this subgroup may indicate imbalances in developmental processes or temporal-lobe dysfunctions.
A MAJOR GENETIC LOCUS AFFECTING RESISTANCE TO INFECTION WITH MURINE LEUKEMIA VIRUSES III. ASSIGNMENT OF THE Fv-1 LOCUS TO LINKAGE GROUP VIII OF THE MOUSE

The Fv-1 gene, which regulates sensitivity of mouse cells to infection by naturally occurring host-range types of murine leukemia virus, was shown to be located on linkage group VIII (chromosome 4), 39 map units from b.
Pattern Analysis of Mobile Traffic Information User Service

This paper presents research on a wireless Internet portal in South Korea serviced by SK Telecom. Data utilized for this research included a service log for the entire year of 2004. Frequency analysis of requested information showed that 'Section Speed' was the most requested data by drivers, followed by 'Traffic Status'. Monthly analysis showed that people most often requested information in January, August, and September. This result was likely due to increased traffic volume and corresponding congestion while people make more trips for holidays in those months. More information requests occurred on weekends versus weekdays, and during evening hours rather than other times of the day. In comparison with Automatic Response Service, a similar pattern was observed for the monthly and daily service request rate, though NATE had more service requests than ARS. Analysis of section speed request showed that people used the service more as traffic congestion increased.
Comparison of EM-based and level set partial volume segmentations of MR brain images

EM and level set algorithms are competing methods for segmenting MRI brain images. This paper presents a fair comparison of the two techniques using the Montreal Neurological Institute's software phantom. There are many flavors of level set algorithms for segmentation into multiple regions (multi-phase algorithms, multi-layer algorithms). The specific algorithm evaluated by us is a variant of the multi-layer level set algorithm. It uses a single level set function for segmenting the image into multiple classes and can be run to completion without restarting. The EM-based algorithm is standard. Both algorithms have the capacity to model a variable number of partial volume classes as well as image inhomogeneity (bias field). Our evaluation consists of systematically changing the number of partial volume classes, additive image noise, and regularization parameters. The results suggest that the performances of both algorithms are comparable across noise, number of partial volume classes, and regularization. The segmentation errors of both algorithms are around 5 - 10% for cerebrospinal fluid, gray and white matter. The level set algorithm appears to have a slight advantage for gray matter segmentation. This may be beneficial in studying certain brain diseases (Multiple Sclerosis or Alzheimer's disease) where small changes in gray matter volume are significant.