cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in plants

Plants produce thousands of secondary metabolites (a.k.a. specialized metabolites) of diverse chemical nature. These compounds play important roles in protecting plants under adverse conditions. Many secondary metabolites are valued for their pharmaceutical properties. Because of their beneficial effects to health, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites has been a prime focus of research. Many transcription factors have been characterized for their roles in regulating biosynthetic pathways at the transcriptional level. The emerging picture of transcriptional regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis suggests that the expression of activators and repressors, in response to phytohormones and different environmental signals, forms a dynamic regulatory network that fine-tune the timing, amplitude and tissue specific expression of pathway genes and the subsequent accumulation of these compounds. Recent research has revealed that some metabolic pathways are also controlled by posttranscriptional and posttranslational mechanisms. This review will use recent developments in the biosynthesis of flavonoids, alkaloids and terpenoids to highlight the complexity of transcriptional regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis.
Unifying behavioral synthesis and physical design

Our methodology unifies behavioral synthesis and physical design, allowing scheduling, allocation, binding, and placement to occur simultaneously. This is accomplished via set of defined transformation from both domains acting as forces in a single behavioral/physical system. Experiments show results with 50% less area and 10% lower critical path delay than the best results from a commercial behavioral synthesis tool. Our behavioral level area, delay, and individual component location estimates closely match results produced by physical design tools given only pin locations as a starting point.
Performance evaluation of MPTCP over optical burst switching in data centers

Data centers have become the heart of the computational world over the past few years. The emergence of cloud computing and the growth of data-intensive applications have driven the need for finding alternative ways to improve communication efficiency in data center networks. In this paper, we combine the advantages of Multipath-TCP with optical networking to maximize bandwidth in datacenters and present an evaluation of MPTCP over optical burst switching (OBS) for data center network. We compare the performance of standard TCP with MPTCP under different network loads and topologies using realistic data center traffic models. Our simulation tests have established that Multipath-TCP over OBS provides significant performance advantage in terms of improving throughput, reliability and fairness for data center networks.
Strategies for success: Preparing for the certification examination

Abstract Preparing for one of the certification examinations in perianesthesia nursing can be as challenging as taking them. For many, a certification examination will be the first test taken since graduation from a nursing education program. Identifying and practicing successful testing behaviors will assist the candidate in organizing an approach to learning and reviewing for examination. Developing a realistic time frame for a study strategy, along with objectives and completed goals, is imperative. Test anxiety often is a major obstacle to effective test performance. Strategies to deal with anxiely can be learned and used to successfully prepare for and take the examination. A confident approach to the certification examination is the candidate's greatest asset.
Intermittent behavior of nuclear multifragments.

The observed intermittent behavior in nuclear fragment distributions for [sup 238]U at 0.96[ital A] GeV, [sup 84]Kr at 1.52[ital A] GeV, and [sup 131]Xe at 1.22[ital A] GeV may be due to the mixing of fragments produced under different initial conditions. Intermittent effects are significantly reduced by selecting a sample under the same initial conditions. Except the cumulants of order two, all other moments are consistent with zero within their statistical errors.
3.5.4 A COTS-Aware Requirements Engineering Process: a Goal- and Agent-oriented Approach

The goals of developing systems better, faster, and cheaper continue to drive software engineering practitioners and researchers to investigate software engineering methodologies. In requirements engineering, the focus has been on modeling the software engineering process and products for systems that are being built from scratch. As the size and complexity of systems continues to grow the use of commercial off the shelf (COTS) components is being viewed as a solution. Effective use of COTS components, however, requires a systematic approach that provides both a set of concepts for modeling the subject matter and a set of guidelines for using such concepts. In particular, the process needs to recognize and address the people oriented problems including the identification and resolution of conflicting goals, bridging the gaps between stated requirements and ‘approximately fitting’ components while still satisfying the customer. In this paper, we present a goal and agent oriented requirements engineering process model that explicitly addresses the use of COTS components. More specifically, we present (part of) our model for a COTS-Aware Requirements Engineering (CARE) process and illustrate it using a Digital Library System.
Parametric Myocardial Perfusion PET Imaging using Physiological Clustering

We propose a novel framework of robust kinetic parameter estimation applied to absolute flow quantification in dynamic PET imaging. Kinetic parameter estimation is formulated as a nonlinear least squares with spatial constraints problem (NLLS-SC) where the spatial constraints are computed from a physiologically driven clustering of dynamic images, and used to reduce noise contamination. An ideal clustering of dynamic images depends on the underlying physiology of functional regions, and in turn, physiological processes are quantified by kinetic parameter estimation. Physiologically driven clustering of dynamic images is performed using a clustering algorithm (e.g. K-means, Spectral Clustering etc) with Kinetic modeling in an iterative handshaking fashion. This gives a map of labels where each functionally homogenous cluster is represented by mean kinetics (cluster centroid). Parametric images are acquired by solving the NLLS-SC problem for each voxel which penalizes spatial variations from its mean kinetics. This substantially reduces noise in the estimation process for each voxel by utilizing kinetic information from physiologically similar voxels (cluster members). Resolution degradation is also substantially minimized as no spatial smoothing between heterogeneous functional regions is performed. The proposed framework is shown to improve the quantitative accuracy of Myocardial Perfusion (MP) PET imaging, and in turn, has the long-term potential to enhance capabilities of MP PET in the detection, staging and management of coronary artery disease.
Noninvasive delivery of inhaled nitric oxide therapy for late pulmonary hypertension in newborn infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Abstract Objective To determine the incidence of late pulmonary hypertension (late PH) in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and whether prolonged treatment with noninvasive inhaled NO therapy delivered through a nasal cannula (NC) would sustain pulmonary vasodilation during a period of transition from mechanical ventilation to spontaneous breathing. Study design We collected data on all patients with a diagnosis of CDH admitted to the Children's Hospital, Denver, from January 1996 through December 2001. Patients who had suprasystemic pulmonary hypertension when inhaled NO was discontinued before extubation were treated with inhaled NO delivered with the nasal cannula. Results Newborn infants (n = 47) with CDH were treated during this time period. Short-term ( 1 year) survival was 85% and 75%, respectively; 30 newborn infants were treated with inhaled NO (64%). Inhaled NO was successfully discontinued in 16 patients before extubation, and 10 (21%) were treated with inhaled NO through NC after extubation because of pulmonary hypertension and marked hypoxemia when trials off inhaled NO were performed. Nasopharyngeal NO concentrations were 5.4 ± 0.5 ppm and 2.4 ± 0.4 ppm with inhaled NO measured proximally in the delivery device at 10 and 5 ppm, respectively. Conclusions Late PH occurs in a significant subset of newborn infants with CDH. Noninvasive inhaled NO treatment may reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation while safely treating late PH. (J Pediatr 2003;142:397-401)
A comparison of the psychological resources of adolescents at low and high risk of mistreating their children.

Abstract Objective: Our objective was to compare the psychological resources of pregnant teenagers who are at low and high risk for mistreating their children. Method: We studied 71 participants in a comprehensive, adolescent-oriented maternity program. During the prenatal period, the Family Stress Checklist was used to quantify child abuse potential, with scores ≥25 defining high risk. Information about the social context of the pregnancy and maternal psychological resources was obtained with self-administered questionnaires. A composite psychological resource variable was computed by summing the z scores for intelligence, mental health, and mastery, with scores ≤0 defining the low-resource group. Results: Of the 71 teenagers, 26 (36.6%) were classified as high risk for child abuse and neglect. Compared with low-risk teens, high-risk teens had more behavioral problems, lower psychological resource scores (mean ± SD of z score: −0.98 ± 2.02 compared with 0.39 ± 1.79; P =.004), and were more likely to have low psychological resources (69.2% compared with 44.4%; P =.04). Conclusions: Pregnant teenagers who are at risk for child abuse and neglect exhibit fewer psychological resources than their low-risk peers do, and may therefore benefit preferentially from intensive, in-home intervention. J Pediatr Health Care. (2001). 15, 299-303.
Structuring design computations

Process design computations are represented by directed graphs whose edges correspond to streams of information flow between computational units. Algorithm I-R extends existing algorithms for finding the minimal sized blocks of units between which no recycle exists. Algorithm II-R orders the sequence of unit computations within a block to minimize the number of recycle parameters. Algorithm III-R uses the concept of indexing to order computations which evade algorithm II-R. This work is directed toward the evolution of efficient programs for computer-aided process design.
Development of a high spectral resolution lidar based on confocal Fabry–Perot spectral filters

The high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) instrument described in this paper utilizes the fundamental and second-harmonic output from an injection seeded Nd:YAG laser as the laser transmitter. The light scattered in the atmosphere is collected using a commercial Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with the optical receiver train first splitting the fundamental and second-harmonic return signal with the fundament light monitored using an avalanche photodiode. The second-harmonic return signal is mode matched into a tunable confocal Fabry–Perot (CFP) interferometer with a free spectral range of 7.5 GHz and a finesse of 50.7 (312) at 532 nm (1064 nm) placed in the optical receiver for spectrally filtering the molecular and aerosol return signals. The light transmitted through the CFP is used to monitor the aerosol return signal while the light reflected from the CFP is used to monitor the molecular return signal. Data collected with the HSRL are presented and inversion results are compared to a co-located solar radiometer, demonstrating the successful operation of the instrument. The CFP-based filtering technique successfully employed by this HSRL instrument is easily portable to other arbitrary wavelengths, thus allowing for the future development of multiwavelength HSRL instruments.
Survival of Channel Catfish Virus in Chilled, Frozen, and Decomposing Channel Catfish

(1973). Survival of Channel Catfish Virus in Chilled, Frozen, and Decomposing Channel Catfish. The Progressive Fish-Culturist: Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 170-172.
Review of the Literature on Catalytic Biomass Tar Destruction: Milestone Completion Report

A summary of literature pertaining to catalytic biomass gasification''tar'' destruction, an overview of catalysts studied, and an evaluation of the future potential for this gas cleaning technology.
CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF APOLIPOPROTEIN E EPSILON 4 IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Inheritance of the apolipoprotein E (apoE) epsilon 4 allele is associated with a high likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). The pathophysiologic basis of this genetic influence is unknown. We reasoned that understanding the influence of apoE epsilon 4 on the clinical course and neuropathological features of AD may provide tests of potential mechanisms. We carried out a prospective longitudinal study to compare the age of onset, duration, and rate of progression of 359 AD patients to apoE genotype. Thirty-one of the individuals who died during the study were available for quantitative neuropathological evaluation. Statistically unbiased stereological counts of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and A beta deposits were assessed in a high-order association cortex, the superior temporal sulcus. Analysis of clinical parameters compared with apoE genotype showed that the epsilon 4 allele is associated with an earlier age of onset but no change in rate of progression of dementia. Quantitative neuropathological assessment revealed that NFTs were strongly associated with clinical measures of dementia duration and severity but not with apoE genotype. A beta deposition, by contrast, was not related to clinical features but was elevated in association with apoE epsilon 4. These results indicate that apoE epsilon 4 is associated with selective clinical and neuropathological features of AD and support hypotheses that focus on an influence of apoE epsilon 4 on amyloid deposition.
Revision Knee Arthroplasty for Bone Loss: Choosing the Right Degree of Constraint

Revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the setting of bone deficiency requires varied levels of constraint to restore knee stability. However, the outcomes between different levels remain controversial. Clinical outcomes for 183 AORI Type I knees, 168 Type II knees and 124 Type III knees utilizing posterior stabilized (PS), unlinked constrained (UC) or hinged prostheses were evaluated with standardized clinical assessment tools and radiographic results over an average of 7.4 years. PS yielded superior knee scores in AORI Type I patients (P<0.05), UC in Type II and III aseptic patients (P<0.05), and a hinge was preferred in septic Type II or III knees (P<0.05). Revision TKA conducted with increased constraint appears effective in the setting of increased bone deficiency.
Immunoreactivity of anti-gelsolin antibodies: implications for biomarker validation

Proteomic-based discovery of biomarkers for disease has recently come under scrutiny for a variety of issues; one prominent issue is the lack of orthogonal validation for biomarkers following discovery. Validation by ELISA or Western blot requires the use of antibodies, which for many potential biomarkers are under-characterized and may lead to misleading or inconclusive results. Gelsolin is one such biomarker candidate in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Samples from human (plasma and CSF), monkey (plasma), monocyte-derived macrophage (supernatants), and commercial gelsolin (recombinant and purified) were quantitated using Western blot assay and a variety of anti-gelsolin antibodies. Plasma and CSF was used for immunoaffinity purification of gelsolin which was identified in eight bands by tandem mass spectrometry. Immunoreactivity of gelsolin within samples and between antibodies varied greatly. In several instances, multiple bands were identified (corresponding to different gelsolin forms) by one antibody, but not identified by another. Moreover, in some instances immunoreactivity depended on the source of gelsolin, e.g. plasma or CSF. Additionally, some smaller forms of gelsolin were identified by mass spectrometry but not by any antibody. Recombinant gelsolin was used as reference sample. Orthogonal validation using specific monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies may reject biomarker candidates from further studies based on misleading or even false quantitation of those proteins, which circulate in various forms in body fluids.
Properties of Cr:LiSrAlF 6 crystals for laser operation

We have performed several physical and optical measurements on the Cr:LiSAF (LiSrAlF6) laser material that are relevant to its laser performance, including thermal and mechanical properties, water durabilities, and Auger upconversion constants. The expansion coefficient, Young’s modulus, fracture toughness, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity are all used to determine an overall thermomechanical figure of merit for the crystal. An investigation of the water durability suggests that the cooling solution should be maintained at pH = 7 to ameliorate problems associated with water dissolution. The Auger constant was found to become much more significant at higher Cr doping, in which excited-state migration leads to a substantial increase in the upconversion rate. We propose a design for a 50-W Cr:LiSAF laser system that is based on a detailed knowledge of all the relevant material parameters.
Policy-Based Malicious Peer Detection in Ad Hoc Networks

Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) are susceptible to various node misbehaviors due to their unique features, such as highly dynamic network topology, rigorous power constraints and error-prone transmission media. Significant research efforts have been made to address the problem of misbehavior detection. However, little research work has been done to distinguish truly malicious behaviors from the faulty behaviors. Both the malicious behaviors and the faulty behaviors are generally equally treated as misbehaviors without any further investigation by most of the traditional misbehavior detection mechanisms. In this paper, we propose and develop a policy-based malicious peer detection mechanism, in which context information, such as communication channel status, buffer status, and transmission power level, is collected and then used to determine whether the misbehavior is likely a result of malicious activity or not. Simulation results il-lustrate that the policy-based malicious peer detection mechanism is able to distinguish malicious peers from faulty peers with high confidence. Moreover, the mechanism converges to a consistent view of malicious nodes amongst all the nodes with a limited communication overhead.
Call and Responsibility: Critical Questions for Youth Spoken Word Poetry

In this article, Susan Weinstein and Anna West embark on a critical analysis of the maturing field of youth spoken word poetry (YSW). Through a blend of firsthand experience, analysis of YSW-related films and television, and interview data from six years of research, the authors identify specific dynamics that challenge young poets as they participate in YSW-related activities. Participants discuss the risks of being overly identified with the subject matter of the poems they perform, the tendency of some YSW communities to create a “star” system among youth poets, and the implications of the intensified public gaze trained on youth poets by growing media attention to YSW. Weinstein and West argue that risks and tensions are intrinsic to the nature of a deeply social youth arts context but that the field's long-term sustenance depends on all participants' willingness to have honest, ongoing discussions about such challenges.
Blanche-an experiment in guidance and navigation of an autonomous robot vehicle

The principal components and capabilities of Blanche, an autonomous robot vehicle, are described. Blanche is designed for use in structured office or factory environments rather than unstructured natural environments, and it is assumed that an offline path planner provides the vehicle with a series of collision-free maneuvers, consisting of line and arc segments, to move the vehicle to a desired position. These segments are sent to a low-level trajectory generator and closed-loop motion control. The controller assumes accurate knowledge of the vehicle's position. Blanche's position estimation system consists of a priori map of its environment and a robust matching algorithm. The matching algorithm also estimates the precision of the corresponding match/correction that is then optimally (in a maximum-likelihood sense) combined with the current odometric position to provide an improved estimate of the vehicle's position. The system does not use passive or active beacons. Experimental results are reported. >
Uptake Carriers and Oncology Drug Safety

Members of the solute carrier (SLC) family of transporters are responsible for the cellular influx of a broad range of endogenous compounds and xenobiotics in multiple tissues. Many of these transporters are highly expressed in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and kidney and are considered to be of particular importance in governing drug absorption, elimination, and cellular sensitivity of specific organs to a wide variety of oncology drugs. Although the majority of studies on the interaction of oncology drugs with SLC have been restricted to the use of exploratory in vitro model systems, emerging evidence suggests that several SLCs, including OCT2 and OATP1B1, contribute to clinically important phenotypes associated with those agents. Recent literature has indicated that modulation of SLC activity may result in drug-drug interactions, and genetic polymorphisms in SLC genes have been described that can affect the handling of substrates. Alteration of SLC function by either of these mechanisms has been demonstrated to contribute to interindividual variability in the pharmacokinetics and toxicity associated with several oncology drugs. In this report, we provide an update on this rapidly emerging field.
Simbody: multibody dynamics for biomedical research

Multibody software designed for mechanical engineering has been successfully employed in biomedical research for many years. For real time operation some biomedical researchers have also adapted game physics engines. However, these tools were built for other purposes and do not fully address the needs of biomedical researchers using them to analyze the dynamics of biological structures and make clinically meaningful recommendations. We are addressing this problem through the development of an open source, extensible, high performance toolkit including a multibody mechanics library aimed at the needs of biomedical researchers. The resulting code, Simbody, supports research in a variety of fields including neuromuscular, prosthetic, and biomolecular simulation, and related research such as biologically-inspired design and control of humanoid robots and avatars. Simbody is the dynamics engine behind OpenSim, a widely used biomechanics simulation application. This article reviews issues that arise uniquely in biomedical research, and reports on the architecture, theory, and computational methods Simbody uses to address them. By addressing these needs explicitly Simbody provides a better match to the needs of researchers than can be obtained by adaptation of mechanical engineering or gaming codes. Simbody is a community resource, free for any purpose. We encourage wide adoption and invite contributions to the code base at https://simtk.org/home/simbody.
Connectionist Learning of Expert Preferences by Comparison Training

A new training paradigm, called the "comparison paradigm," is introduced for tasks in which a network must learn to choose a preferred pattern from a set of n alternatives, based on examples of human expert preferences. In this paradigm, the input to the network consists of two of the n alternatives, and the trained output is the expert's judgement of which pattern is better. This paradigm is applied to the learning of backgammon, a difficult board game in which the expert selects a move from a set of legal moves. With comparison training, much higher levels of performance can be achieved, with networks that are much smaller, and with coding schemes that are much simpler and easier to understand. Furthermore, it is possible to set up the network so that it always produces consistent rank-orderings.
A programmable oversampling sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter

In this paper, an oversampling sigma-delta analog-to-digital converter (ADC) has been designed and implemented in 1.5 mum n-well CMOS process using a 1st order modulator and a 2nd order cascaded integrator comb (CIC) decimation filter. The modulator, which is the analog part of the ADC, has been designed using floating gate MOSFETs, which offers a higher common mode range for analog signals. The decimation filter is a digital low pass filter and can be programmed to give 7-bit and 10-bit digital outputs depending upon the oversampling ratio of 16 and 64, respectively. The ADC can be operated up to a clock sampling frequency of 8 MHz
Antispiral waves cannot occur in the heart: implications for the leading-circle theory of reentry

Recently it was suggested that inwardly propagating antispiral waves may occur in cardiac tissue. To investigate this, we studied antispiral behavior in 2D simulations using a modified FitzHugh-Nagumo model. We showed that antispirals can only occur in a parameter regime in which the system is characterized by oscillatory [as opposed to excitable (action potential)] dynamics. Although such oscillatory behavior can occur in chemical reactions, it is fundamentally different from the excitable behavior of cardiac myocytes. Thus, we conclude that antispirals cannot occur in excitable systems spontaneously, including cardiac tissue. This suggests that leading-circle reentry, a theoretical type of cardiac arrhythmia in which centripetal waves must propagate inwardly, may not be possible in real excitable cardiac tissue.
Neurophysiological correlates of comprehending emotional meaning in context

Although the neurocognitive mechanisms of nonaffective language comprehension have been studied extensively, relatively less is known about how the emotional meaning of language is processed. In this study, electrophysiological responses to affectively positive, negative, and neutral words, presented within nonconstraining, neutral contexts, were evaluated under conditions of explicit evaluation of emotional content (Experiment 1) and passive reading (Experiment 2). In both experiments, a widely distributed Late Positivity was found to be larger to negative than to positive words (a "negativity bias"). In addition, in Experiment 2, a small, posterior N400 effect to negative and positive (relative to neutral) words was detected, with no differences found between N400 magnitudes to negative and positive words. Taken together, these results suggest that comprehending the emotional meaning of words following a neutral context requires an initial semantic analysis that is relatively more engaged for emotional than for nonemotional words, whereas a later, more extended, attention-modulated process distinguishes the specific emotional valence (positive vs. negative) of words. Thus, emotional processing networks within the brain appear to exert a continuous influence, evident at several stages, on the construction of the emotional meaning of language.
Influence of Surface Condition on the Strength of Polycrystalline MgO

The mechanical behavior of high-purity (greater than 99.9%) polycrystalline MgO, with relative density exceeding 9875, is described. By fracto-graphic techniques, it was determined that inter-granular cracks initiate fracture. These cracks originate from the extension of surface flaws into the MgO and are particularly severe in areas of high, localized, intergranular porosity. Ceramic machining techniques, such as diamond sawing and lapping with coarse abrasives, induce these surface flaws and limit the strength of MgO. The effectiveness of lapping, thermal conditioning, and chemical polishing techniques in removing these flaws and producing a substantial increase in mechanical strength is shown to be dependent on grain size and porosity.
Kuhn's Paradigms: Are Those Closest to Treating Bladder Cancer the Last to Appreciate the Paradigm Shift?

paradoxbetweenprogressinbreastcancertherapyandtheincreasing use of a radical and unproven procedure. It is important that future studies of the consequences of bilateral mastectomy (with or without reconstruction) address not only the early complications of the procedure, but also the long-term impact on quality of life, including overall satisfaction, sexuality, and chronic pain, and balance this against the risk of adverse cancer outcomes and the risks of surveillance. It is clear that a new generation of prospective studies is required; ideally, these would enroll patients at the time when CPM is introduced (by patient or practitioner) and observe the patient until a point where quality of life outcomes are stable. To capture cancer-related outcomes efficiently, it would be most efficient to embed such a study into several paralleladjuvanttherapystudies,inwhichlong-termdataonnewcancer events and survival are already being captured. AUTHOR’S DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The author(s) indicated no potential conflicts of interest.
Early-Stage Design for Electric Ship

One of the truisms of ship design is that the decisions of greatest impact are made in the early stages of design when the least information and the greatest uncertainty are present. In response to this, ongoing efforts in developing ship design tools are directed toward making more information available sooner and pushing decision points later. The integrated nature of electric ship in which performance of support systems directly affects performance of primary mission systems compounds this concern; design and simulation of support systems are needed earlier, and collaborative design among multiple engineering disciplines is required in the process. This paper reviews the Navy ship design process and recent developments in ship design tools to illuminate the areas in which further development is necessary.
Optimal Inventory Policies When Ordering Prices are Random

We consider a single-item inventory model with deterministic demands. At the beginning of each period, a random ordering price is received according to a known distribution function. A decision must be made as to how much if any of the item to order in each period so as to minimize total expected costs while satisfying all demands. We show that, in each period, a sequence of critical price levels determines the optimal ordering strategy, so that it is optimal to satisfy the demands of the next n periods if and only if the random price falls between the nth and the n+ 1st levels. We derive recursive expressions that describe the critical price numbers, and demonstrate the relationship of these expressions to minimal expected cost. We study finite horizon as well as infinite horizon models and show that the critical number strategy is also average-cost optimal.
Nonlinear Seismic Response of a Coupled Wall System

Elastic and nonlinear dynamic analyses were performed on a coupled wall model based on the Banco de America building in Managua, Nicaragua. The general seismic behavior of coupled walls is examined, and the factors that must be considered in their design or repair are identified. Results of nonlinear dynamic analyses obtained for several accelerograms are compared with results of comparable static inelastic and dynamic elastic analyses. Three types of nonlinear behavioral characteristics were considered for the coupling girders: (1)Brittle shear failures; (2)ductile bilinear flexural yielding; and (3)ductile flexural yielding with stiffness degradation. Seismic response was very sensitive to the ground motion.Brittle girder failures had a detrimental effect on the lateral deflections. Improved behavior was obtained with ductile girders, but very large numbers of inelastic curvature reversals occurred in the girders due to higher mode effects, and very high girder shears and large fluctuations in the wall axial forces were developed.
Monoclonal Antibodies as Cell Targeted Carriers of Covalently and Non-Covalently Attached Toxins

The strategy of using cell specific monoclonal antibodies to modify the indiscriminate binding characteristics of lethal toxins has stimulated considerable interest because of its therapeutic potential. Intact plant or bacterial toxins linked to antibodies may acquire some cell selectivity but because toxin binding sites are retained, non-specific toxicity can still occur. Since the binding region of such toxins is distinct from the enzymatically active toxic portion, these components can be cleaved and isolated (Olsnes and Pihl, 1973). Thus, purified toxic subunits can be coupled to antibodies to produce highly selective cytotoxic agents which are devoid of residual toxin binding.
A MapReduce framework to improve template matching uncertainty

Normalized cross-correlation template matching is used as a detection method in many scientific domains. To be practical, template matching must scale to large datasets while handling ambiguity, uncertainty, and noisy data. We propose a novel approach based on Dempster-Shafer (DS) Theory and MapReduce parallelism. DS Theory addresses conflicts between data sources, noisy data, and uncertainty, but is traditionally serial. However, we use the commutative and associative nature of Dempster's Combination Rule to perform a parallel computation of DS masses and a logarithmic hierarchical fusion of these DS masses. This parallelism is particularly important because additional data sources allow DS-based template matching to maintain accuracy and refine uncertainty in the face of noisy data. We validate the parallelism, accuracy, and uncertainty of our implementation as a function of the size and noise of the input dataset, finding that it scales linearly and can retain accuracy and improve uncertainty in the face of noise for large datasets.
A conceptual model of the drivers and outcomes of mobile CRM application adoption

Purpose – Many organizations still struggle with sales force technology implementation because of low user adoption rates. The ubiquity of mobile computing devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and the proliferation of mobile customer relationship management (mCRM) applications, may lead to increased CRM adoption and higher returns on CRM technology investments. The purpose of this study is to attempt to extend the current literature by developing a model of mCRM antecedents and outcomes by incorporating the idiosyncratic mCRM characteristics that have not yet been examined in the sales technology literature. Design/methodology/approach – This research utilizes the technology acceptance model and the technology-to-performance chain as the foundation of a conceptual model of the drivers and outcomes of mCRM adoption. Findings – This conceptual study provides several contributions to both the sales technology literature and to practitioners within sales organizations. The proposed conceptual model outli...
Solubility of Barite up to 250 °C and 1500 bar in up to 6 m NaCl Solution

The ultrahigh temperature (150–200 °C), pressure (1000–1500 bar), and TDS (over 300 000 mg/L) encountered in oil and gas production from deepwater pose significant challenges to scaling prediction and control. An apparatus has been built to test scale formation at temperature up to 250 °C and pressure to 1700 bar (24 000 psi). The study expands the current knowledge of Barite (BaSO4) solubility to the condition of high temperature, pressure, and ionic strength. By fitting Pitzer’s model to experimental solubility data, this study also provides a feasible approach to assess the temperature and pressure dependence of virial coefficients in the Pitzer’s equations of ion activity coefficients through measurement of mineral solubility. The prediction of Barite solubility made by the Brine Chemistry Consortium software ScaleSoftPitzer (SSP) that has incorporated the newly developed coefficients is consistent with experimental measurement.
Energy harvesting from pavements via PVDF: hybrid piezo-pyroelectric effects

In the U.S., there are over 4 million miles (6 million km) of roadways and more than 250 million registered vehicles. The energy lost in the pavement system due to traffic-induced vibration and deformation is enormous. If effectively harvested, such energy can serve as an alternative sustainable energy source that can be easily integrated to the transportation system. The potential of PVDF, which is a piezoelectric polymer material, is investigated as a potential energy harvester integrated in pavement systems. The uniqueness of this study lies in that the electrical response of PVDF under coupled mechanical and thermal stimulations are studied. It is well known that most piezoelectric materials are also pyroelectric materials, which convert temperature change into electricity. However, the potential of PVDF as a hybrid piezo-pyroelectric energy harvester has been seldom studied. Through series of well controlled experiments, it is found that there exists interesting coupling phenomenon between piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects of PVDF: the voltage generated by simultaneous mechanical and thermal stimulations is the sum of voltages generated by separate stimulations. In addition, an estimation of power generation through piezoelectric and pyroelectric effect is conducted. Finally, the overall effects of temperature on hybrid piezo-pyroelectric energy harvesting are discussed.
Image intensive soft tissue sarcoma surveillance uncovers pathology earlier than patient complaints but with frequent initially indeterminate lesions

Introduction Post-treatment surveillance follow-up soft-tissue sarcomas is controversial. Protocols are highly variable. This study retrospectively evaluates an image intense protocol to assess benefits of identifying true pathology compared to incidental findings. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted on a single orthopedic oncologist's soft tissue sarcoma patients under a consistent protocol (TAD). Study population included patients who underwent resection of non-metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (AJCC stages I–III) and either died within surveillance period or completed 5 years of follow-up. Results Thirty-nine patients met the strict study criteria. 24/39 (61.5%) patients were identified to have a local recurrence (6), chest metastasis (6), isolated distant recurrence (9), or new primary tumor (3). Of those 24 patients with true pathology, 13 (54%) or 33% (13/39) of all patients potentially benefited from discovery via imaging before patient complaint. Chest CT was the first to reveal all lung metastases. For balance, 32/39 (82%) patients had at least 1 initially “indeterminate” lesion on imaging. Of those, 91% (29/32)—74% of all patients (29/39)—proved to be inconsequential by final follow up. Conclusion Of the true pathology identified, over half were not evident on clinical presentation, emphasizing the importance of a routine surveillance. However, an image intense surveillance program has a high rate of initially indeterminate findings. J. Surg. Oncol. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of Different Density and Ratio of Japonica Hybrid Rice Seed Production

According to the application characteristics of different selection of hybrid rice production on the two hybrid rice combinations,By adjusting the sterile planting density and row ratio,Construction of high yield and high quality seed production group. Through the experiment of 5 density and 5 rows than processing,On seed portfolio than test,Research results show that,on the seed yield of Japonica Hybrid Rice,In the female parent seedling number,ratio between parental lines in certain circumstances,By adjusting the planting density,or planting density,the number of seedling under the condition of constant,Adjust row ratio,can obtain higher seed yield,And both of them reached the highest yield of effective panicle number are maternal 330 million in the 3 000 000 spike / hm2,The closer the interval of the population,the higher the yield,Population structure and production practice of this match. Correlation between each factor and seed yield were effective panicle number outcrossing rate,grain number per panicle.
How Effective is Example Generation for Learning Declarative Concepts

Declarative concepts (i.e., key terms and corresponding definitions for abstract concepts) represent foundational knowledge that students learn in many content domains. Thus, investigating techniques to enhance concept learning is of critical importance. Various theoretical accounts support the expectation that example generation will serve this purpose, but few studies have examined the efficacy of this technique. We conducted three experiments involving 487 undergraduates to investigate the effects of example generation on concept learning and examined factors that may moderate its effectiveness. Students read a short text that introduced eight concepts. Some students were then prompted to generate concrete examples of each concept followed by definition restudy, whereas others only restudied definitions for the same amount of time. Two days later, students completed final tests involving example generation and definition cued recall. Meta-analytic outcomes indicated that example generation yields moderate improvements in learning of declarative concepts, relative to restudy only. Each experiment also included additional groups to investigate potential moderators. Example generation tended to be more effective with spaced versus massed restudy. Despite strong correlations between the quality of examples generated during practice and final test performance, experimental manipulations that improved example quality did not improve learning. In sum, the current work establishes that example generation enhances concept learning and provides an important foundation for further investigating factors that moderate its benefits to learning.
Aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations

Patients with arteriovenous malformation (AVM)-associated aneurysms are a well-recognized subset of the cerebrovascular disease population. The origin of these dual lesions is likely multifactorial, with hemodynamic stresses having a dominant influence. In most patients who present with hemorrhage, the aneurysm is the usual source. Since aneurysm rupture continues to carry a more significant morbidity and mortality when compared to AVM hemorrhage, the authors recommend that the aneurysm be treated first or simultaneously with the AVM in the majority of cases. Treatment of the AVM first is primarily reserved for patients who have suffered bleeds from resectable AVMs.
Christ and the Homosexual: An Early Manifesto for an Affirming Christian Ministry to Homosexuals

Bernard Schlager (‘Christ and the Homosexual: An Early Manifesto for an Affirming Christian Ministry to Homosexuals’) points to the work of a particular individual as having played an important role during this period. Schlager discusses how the American minister, Robert Wood presented his fellow Christians with a view of homosexuality in his book Christ and the Homosexual (1960) that was revolutionary. Wood argued that homosexuals held a rightful place in Church and society and that they should abandon neither Christianity nor the Church. More specifically he called for the advancement of civil rights for homosexuals; the construction of pro-homosexual theologies; the education, ordination, and career placement of ‘out’ homosexuals; and marriage equality for same-sex couples.
Creating mathematicians and scientists: disciplinary literacy in the early childhood classroom

ABSTRACTDisciplinary literacy focuses on the specific ways a content area thinks, uses language, and shares information. While much of the literature on disciplinary literacy suggests it is an advanced language strategy to be taught to secondary students, early childhood classrooms may be the ideal environment in which to introduce this type of field-specific thinking and learning. Early childhood education (ECE) classrooms, through their approach to teaching and learning, classroom environment, curriculum organisation, and assessment practices, lend themselves to having young learners engage with content in discipline-specific ways. ECE teachers may find it easy to incorporate strategies that can lay the foundation for a deeper understanding of math and science.
Using cognitive radar to traverse apertures

In this paper, cognitive radar will be shown capable of providing the guidance and control instructions required to enable a robotic vehicle to successfully traverse an aperture. The cognitive radar proposed relies on a perception-action cycle in which echoic flow is the perception and steering instructions are the actions. A series of experiments using a robot vehicle equipped with an ultrasound radar are used to demonstrate that the resulting guidance and control system is able to traverse apertures in a variety of real situations.
A computationally efficient algorithm for fitting ion channel parameters

Abstract Continuous time Markov models have been widely used to describe ion channel kinetics, providing explicit representation of channel states and transitions. Fitting models to experimental data remains a computationally demanding task largely due to the high cost of model evaluation. Here, we propose a method to efficiently optimize model parameters and structure. Voltage clamp channel protocols can be decomposed into a series of fixed steps of constant voltage resulting in a set of linear systems of differential equations. Given the linear systems, ODE integration can be swapped for the faster matrix exponential routine. With our parallelized implementation, optimized models are able to reproduce a wide range of experimentally collected data within one minute, a 50 times speedup over ODE integration. • The cost of the objective function is reduced by employing the matrix exponential • The likelihood of convergence is improved by applying synchronous start simulated annealing • The approach was tested by optimizing parameters for a model of the cardiac voltage-gated Na+ channel, NaV1.5, and the KCNQ1 K+ channel.
Root endophytic fungal communities associated with pitch pine, switchgrass, and rosette grass in the pine barrens ecosystem.

Almost all plants in nature harbour fungi in their roots but the knowledge on distribution and the underlying principles of assemblage is still poorly developed for the root-associated fungi. In this study we analysed the root endophytic fungal communities associated with switchgrass, rosette grass, and pitch pine in the acidic, oligotrophic pine barrens ecosystem. A total of 434 fungal isolates were obtained from 600 root segments of 60 plant samples. DNA barcoding and morphological analyses identified 92 fungal species, which belong to 39 genera in six classes. Compared to other ecosystems, the pine barrens has a higher proportion of Leotiomycetes. The fungal community associated with pitch pine was significantly different from those associated with the grasses, while less difference was found between those associated with the two grasses. Our results suggest that edaphic factors and host specificity play a role in shaping root endophytic fungal community. This study also corroborates our previous finding that plant roots in the pine barrens are a rich reservoir of novel fungi.
Peer Mentoring as Social Capital for Latina/o College Students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

An evaluation was conducted on a university peer mentoring program for Latina/o college students (mostly freshmen and first generation) at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Data were collected across...