cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Prognostic Factors and Outcome among a Cohort of Patients with Monoclonal B-Cell Lymphocytosis (MBL).

Background: Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is characterized by the presence of a circulating population of clonal B-cells where the total B-cell count is Methods: After IRB review and approval, we reviewed the hematopathology records of 2292 patients seen at Mayo Clinic between August 1998 and May 2006 who had a clonal B-cell population on flow cytometry phenotypically consistent with CLL and fewer than Results: A total of 118 patients meeting the criteria for MBL were identified. Median age at the time of MBL diagnosis was 69.4 years (range 39.0 – 91.4). A slight male preponderance was observed (54% male). CD38 status was available for 106 (90%) patients of whom 20% were CD38 positive using the 30% threshold to classify CD38. Cytogenetic analysis by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was available in 58 (49%) patients. Using the hierarchical classification system of Dohner and colleagues, 26 (44.8%) were 13q-, 10 (17.2%) were trisomy 12, 2 (3.4%) were 11q-, 1 (1.7%) was 17p-, and 19 were (32.8%) no defect was detected. ZAP-70 status was available for 32 patients of whom 22% were ZAP-70+ positive. IgVH gene mutation status was only available for 15 (12.7%) patients of whom 40% were unmutated. Time from MBL diagnosis to treatment is shown in Figure 1. Survival free of treatment was 92.7% (95%CI: 86.8–99.1%) at 1 year, 90.9% (95%CI: 84.2–98.2%) at 2 years, and 87.5% (95% CI: 78.7–97.4%) at 5 years. While age (p=0.68) and gender (p=0.14) were not found to be associated with time to treatment (TTT), CD38 status showed a strong relationship with TTT (p Conclusion: The distribution of prognostic parameters (e.g. CD38, FISH) in patients with MBL appears similar to that of patients with early stage CLL. We observed a low rate of progression, with 5 year survival free of treatment greater than 87%. TTT among newly diagnosed MBL patients was associated with the CD38 status of clonal B-cells.
Randomized controlled trial of a pictorial aid intervention for medication adherence among HIV-positive patients with comorbid diabetes or hypertension.

ABSTRACTAs the HIV-infected population ages and the burden of chronic comorbidities increases, adherence to medications for HIV and diabetes and hypertension is crucial to improve outcomes. We pilot-tested a pictorial aid intervention to improve medication adherence for both HIV and common chronic conditions. Adult patients with HIV and diabetes (DM) and/or hypertension (HTN) attending a clinic for underserved patients and at risk for poor health outcomes were enrolled. Patients were randomized to receive either a pictorial aid intervention (a photographic representation of their medications, the indications, and the dosing schedule) or a standard clinic visit discharge medication list. Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV and therapy for DM or HTN was compared. Predictors of ART adherence at baseline were determined using logistic regression. Medication adherence was assessed using medication possession ratio (MPR) for the 6-month interval before and after the intervention. Change in adheren...
Monstrous daisies: reenacting Auschwitz in Wanda Jakubowska’s Ostatni Etap

ABSTRACTReturning to Auschwitz in 1946, Wanda Jakubowska–a Polish filmmaker arrested and sent there in 1943–was shocked to find it covered with ‘monstrous daisies.’ At the time she was already working on a fictional film about the camp that was based on eyewitness accounts. To lend further evidential authenticity to the film, Jakubowska shot it in 1947 on location, using many survivors as participants. In making her work only two years after liberation and on the very site of Auschwitz, this essay investigates how the film symptomatically traces the persistence of trauma through repetition and reenactment.
Passivity-based conditional servo-mechanism design for a nonlinear benchmark system

This paper studies servo-mechanism problem for the nonlinear benchmark system known as Translating Oscillator with Rotating Actuator (TORA). Specifically, it deals with the output of TORA to track a family of reference signals and/or reject a family of disturbance signals both of which are produced by some external autonomous system known as exosystem. First, the original dynamical equations representing the non-minimum phase TORA model are realized as minimum phase and are represented in a cascade connection through suitable coordinate transformations. Once, the model is transformed into a minimum phase form realization, the classical control design approach of combining stabilizing compensator and a servo-compensator can be used to achieve the desired regulation task. Here, the stabilizing compensator is designed through passivity-based control technique that brings the system's trajectories to a vicinity of the zero-error manifold. It is then integrated with a conditional servo-compensator to maintain the trajectory on zero-error manifold. The conditional servo-compensator is employed due to its established superiority over the conventional one, in that it provides twofold advantage. First, it achieves zero steady-state regulation error without any degradation in the transient performance and secondly, it exterminates the saturation effects by simple tuning and recovers the performance of a saturated system that would have been achieved by neglecting the saturation nonlinearities. The state feedback design is extended to output feedback by incorporating a full order Extended High Gain Observer (EHGO). It is shown that through appropriate selection of parameters, the output feedback design recovers the performance of state feedback design. The efficacy of the proposed control scheme is illustrated through simulation
Teaching Leadership: Using Wonder Woman to Highlight the Importance of Gender Diversity:

We review the film Wonder Woman as a teaching tool for leadership. The film illustrates transformational leadership, bases of power, and servant leadership while considering how gender plays into l...
cDNA cloning and expression analysis of NeuroD mRNA in human retina

Abstract We have shown that bHLH proteins are involved in mammalian retinal development. Here we report the identification and analysis of the expression of a neurogenic differentiation gene, NeuroD, in human retina. In situ hybridization and immunocytochemical analyses of adult retina showed that NeuroD transcripts and NeuroD immunoreactivity are predominantly localized to the outer nuclear layer which contains the photoreceptors. Southern analysis of PCR-amplified cDNA revealed that NeuroD mRNA is also expressed in fetal human retina. Fetal monkey retina was used to analyse the spatial distribution of NeuroD in the developing retina. Both NeuroD transcripts and immunoreactivity are largely detected in the outer neuroblastic layer. Therefore, NeuroD may be involved in the differentiation as well as maintenance of the differentiated properties of photoreceptors.
Direct calculation of likelihood-based benchmark dose levels for quantitative responses

A benchmark dose (BMD) for quantitative responses is a lower confidence limit (LCL) on the effective dose corresponding to a specified risk level r. A commonly adopted method for calculating the BMD is to obtain a pointwise upper confidence curve U(d) on the risk function and then invert this relationship by solving the equation U(d)=r. The solution d is taken to be the BMD. Sciullo et al. (2000) have shown that the coverage achieved by this inversion method is at least as great as the coverage achieved by U (·) but that there is otherwise no general relationship between the two coverage probabilities. The present paper develops a method for direct calculation of the BMD based on the asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic. It is further shown that the direct method and the inversion method are equivalent when U (·) is also based on the likelihood ratio. Since the direct method is known to be asymptotically correct, it follows that the LR-based inversion method is also asymptotically correct. However, the direct method is computationally faster and easier to program. Finally, some simulation studies are conducted to assess the small sample coverage probabilities of the direct method when responses follow either a normal or a gamma distribution.
Incorporating the concept of internal rate of return in linear and integer programming models

The use of an internal rate of return (IRR) measure is cammon in financial problems. Over the past decade the measure has been enjoying an increased usage in the new municipal debt issue market. Nauss (Management Science, July 1986) developed a procedure to minimize the IRR for competitive bids for new issues of municipal debt. While this problem was generally viewed as being a nonlinear integer program, it was shown that the problem could be linearized so that an integer linear program resulted. The linearization is possible because there is only one change in the sign of the cash flows over time. This assures that only one real root for the IRR exists. A special purpose branch and bound algorithm was developed to solve the problem in a matter of seconds so that it could be used in actual applications.
Radiotherapy of lung cancers: FFF beams improve dose coverage at tumor periphery compromised by electronic disequilibrium.

The purpose of this work was to investigate radiotherapy underdosing at the periphery of lung tumors, and differences in dose for treatments delivered with flattening filter-free (FFF) beams and with conventional flattened (FF) beams. The true differences between these delivery approaches, as assessed with Monte Carlo simulations, were compared to the apparent differences seen with clinical treatment planning algorithms AAA and Acuros XB. Dose was calculated in a phantom comprised of a chest wall, lung parenchyma, and a spherical tumor (tested diameters: 1, 3, and 5 cm). Three lung densities were considered: 0.26, 0.2, and 0.1 g cm-3, representing normal lung, lung at full inspiration, and emphysematous lung, respectively. The dose was normalized to 50 Gy to the tumor center and delivered with 7 coplanar, unmodulated 6 MV FFF or FF beams. Monte Carlo calculations used EGSnrc and phase space files for the TrueBeam accelerator provided by Varian Medical Systems. Voxel sizes were 0.5 mm for the 1 cm tumor and 1 mm for the larger tumors. AAA and Acuros XB dose calculations were performed in Eclipse™ with a 2.5 mm dose grid, the resolution normally used clinically. Monte Carlo dose distributions showed that traditional FF beams underdosed the periphery of the tumor by up to ~2 Gy as compared to FFF beams; the latter provided a more uniform dose throughout the tumor. In all cases, the underdosed region was a spherical shell about 5 mm thick around the tumor and extending into the tumor by 2-3 mm. The effect was most pronounced for smaller tumors and lower lung densities. The underdosing observed with conventional FF beams was not captured by the clinical treatment planning systems. We concluded that FFF beams mitigate dose loss at tumor periphery and current clinical practice fails to capture tumor periphery underdosing and possible ways to mitigate it.
First Approval of a Drug Derived from Marijuana

Two rare, severe seizure disorders, Lennox–Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, can now be treated with cannabidiol (Epidiolex), the first approved drug derived from marijuana.Cannabidiol does not contain the psychoactive component of marijuana and does not lead to physical dependence.Common advers
Bystander T Cells: A Balancing Act of Friends and Foes

T cell responses are essential for appropriate protection against pathogens. T cell immunity is achieved through the ability to discriminate between foreign and self-molecules, and this relies heavily on stringent T cell receptor (TCR) specificity. Recently, bystander activated T lymphocytes, that are specific for unrelated epitopes during an antigen-specific response, have been implicated in diverse diseases. Numerous infection models have challenged the classic dogma of T cell activation as being solely dependent on TCR and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) interactions, indicating an unappreciated role for pathogen-associated receptors on T cells. We discuss here the specific roles of bystander activated T cells in pathogenesis, shedding light on the ability of these cells to modulate disease severity independently from TCR recognition.
Detecting backdoors

Backdoors are often installed by attackers who have compromised a system to ease their subsequent return to the system. We consider the problem of identifying a large class of backdoors, namely those providing interactive access on non-standard ports, by passively monitoring a site's Internet access link. We develop a general algorithm for detecting interactive traffic based on packet size and timing characteristics, and a set of protocol-specific algorithms that look for signatures distinctive to particular protocols. We evaluate the algorithms on large Internet access traces and find that they perform quite well. In addition, some of the algorithms are amenable to prefiltering using a stateless packet filter, which yields a major performance increase at little or no loss of accuracy. However, the success of the algorithms is tempered by the discovery that large sites have many users who routinely access what are in fact benign backdoors, such as servers running on non-standard ports not to hide, but for mundane administrative reasons. Hence, backdoor detection also requires a significant policy component for separating allowable backdoor access from surreptitious access.
The effects of imagery content, choice of imagery content, and self-verbalization on the self-control of pain

Ninety female students in a general psychology class at the University of Missouri-Columbia volunteered to be exposed to pre- and posttests of ice water tolerance. They were divided into eight experimental groups in a 2 × 2 × 2 design and one attention-placebo control group. The main independent variables were imagery content (pleasant versus neutral scenes), choice of imagery content (choice versus yoked), and self-verbalization (SV) (preplanned explicit SV versus no SV). The two main dependent variables were changes from pre- to posttests in actual tolerance and in self-reported pain. After both pre- and posttests, subjects rated their involvement in imagery (percent of time spent in imagery and vividness of imagery). A three-way ANOVA revealed that for increases in tolerance, significant main effects were found for choice of content (choice greater than yoked) and for SV (SV greater than no SV). Imagery content (pleasant versus neutral) was not significant. No ANOVA interactions were significant. For decreases in selfreported pain the only significant effect was choice (choice greater than yoked). Only two experimental groups had greater changes in tolerance than the attention-placebo group; no group had greater changes in selfreported pain than the control group. For vividness of posttest imagery, pleasant imagery was greater than neutral imagery, choice was greater than yoked, and SV was greater than no SV. A measure of vividness of visual imagery, completed by subjects prior to their exposure to ice water, was a weak predictor of changes in tolerance and self-reported pain from pre- to posttests.
Fathers and Their Role in Family-School Partnerships

Fathers contribute to many aspects of positive child development including making unique contributions to the development of academic, peer relationship, and social skills. Father-school partnerships are an area that needs increased fostering and research. Key issues to address in father-school partnerships include the support of improved parenting skills and the development of father-focused strategies to improve academic and social skills for the child. Strategies to include, engage, and retain fathers in effective school-based partnerships are discussed, with an emphasis on developing approaches that meet the specific needs of fathers and their families. The Coaching Our Acting-Out Children: Heightening Essential Skills (COACHES) program is used as an innovative approach to engaging and retaining fathers in effective treatment. Finally, a research agenda for the next steps in the development and evaluation of father-focused interventions that promote effective parenting and the development of academic and social skills for the child are discussed.
Outlier exposure with confidence control for out-of-distribution detection

Abstract Deep neural networks have achieved great success in classification tasks during the last years. However, one major problem to the path towards artificial intelligence is the inability of neural networks to accurately detect samples from novel class distributions and therefore, most of the existent classification algorithms assume that all classes are known prior to the training stage. In this work, we propose a methodology for training a neural network that allows it to efficiently detect out-of-distribution (OOD) examples without compromising much of its classification accuracy on the test examples from known classes. We propose a novel loss function that gives rise to a novel method, Outlier Exposure with Confidence Control (OECC), which achieves superior results in OOD detection with OE both on image and text classification tasks without requiring access to OOD samples. Additionally, we experimentally show that the combination of OECC with state-of-the-art post-training OOD detection methods, like the Mahalanobis Detector (MD) and the Gramian Matrices (GM) methods, further improves their performance in the OOD detection task, demonstrating the potential of combining training and post-training methods for OOD detection.
Sono-optogenetics facilitated by a circulation-delivered rechargeable light source for minimally invasive optogenetics

Optogenetics, which uses visible light to control the cells genetically modified with light-gated ion channels, is a powerful tool for precise deconstruction of neural circuitry with neuron-subtype specificity. However, due to limited tissue penetration of visible light, invasive craniotomy and intracranial implantation of tethered optical fibers are usually required for in vivo optogenetic modulation. Here we report mechanoluminescent nanoparticles that can act as local light sources in the brain when triggered by brain-penetrant focused ultrasound (FUS) through intact scalp and skull. Mechanoluminescent nanoparticles can be delivered into the blood circulation via i.v. injection, recharged by 400-nm photoexcitation light in superficial blood vessels during circulation, and turned on by FUS to emit 470-nm light repetitively in the intact brain for optogenetic stimulation. Unlike the conventional "outside-in" approaches of optogenetics with fiber implantation, our method provides an "inside-out" approach to deliver nanoscopic light emitters via the intrinsic circulatory system and switch them on and off at any time and location of interest in the brain without extravasation through a minimally invasive ultrasound interface.
High Frequency Isolated Dual Active Three-Phase Modular Multilevel Converter

In this paper, two bidirectional three-phase dual active modular multilevel dc-dc converters are proposed for naval applications. In the first topology, two active modular multilevel converter are connected with a high frequency transformer. In the second structure, the front end is replaced with full-bridge modules involving modular multilevel converters and a three-leg inverter. Medium-voltage silicon carbide MOSFETs are used due to their high operating frequency leading to lower passive component size and weight. A commercially available 1.7kV SiC MOSFET is selected for this application. In the three-leg inverter stage, silicon IGBTs are used. A comparison is carried out between two proposed structures in terms of number of components, converter rating and efficiency using simulations in PLECS.
Profiling of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in an Acute Care Hospital Setting.

Purpose:To identify the main complaints, diagnostic tools, as well as the treatment plan in patients presenting with oropharyngeal dysphagia in the acute care settings.Methods:The electronic medica...
Survival outcomes of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients with pancreatic metastases (PM): Pooled analysis from a large clinical trials database.

e17072Background: Pancreatic metastases are a rare site of metastasis for RCC. It has been suggested that patients with metastases to the pancreas have a more indolent disease course, however long ...
Time dependent degradation of vitreous gel under enzymatic reaction: Polymeric network role in fluid properties

The viscoelastic behavior of vitreous gel is due to the presence of biopolymers in its structure. Fluid properties of the vitreous is mainly the result of interactions between the characteristics of collagen type II and Hyaluronic Acid networks. Having a better understanding of the structure of each component and their changes during aging and various diseases such as diabetes can lead to better monitoring and treatment options. We study the effects of collagenase type II on 44 samples of porcine vitreous using an in situ rheological experiment in comparison with 18 eyes in a control group injected with Phosphate Buffered Saline Solution. We analyze the behavior of each component over time in both groups. We focus on the changes of viscosity and elasticity of the collagen network within the vitreous. The results of the analysis in this study show that the changes in the fluid properties of the vitreous after collagenase injection is driven by the structural alterations of the collagen network. Creep compliance values of the collagen network are significantly higher in the first group compared to the control group one hour and twenty-four hours after the injection. In contrast, creep compliance of the HA network shows no statistically significant change one hour after the injection in both groups. The results of the reported analysis of individual components in this study support the previous findings on the alterations within the vitreous structure in its entirety.
Interleukin-6 Receptor Inhibitor Therapy Is Associated with Improved Outcomes in Patients with Severe COVID-19 Disease

Background: The impact of interleukin-6 receptor inhibitors (IL6ri) on Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outcomes remains uncertain. Methods: Patients with severe and critical Covid-19 were given an IL6ri (sarilumab or tocilizumab) based on pragmatic and iteratively reviewed guidelines at a safety net hospital with a diverse population. IL6ri were initially reserved for critically ill patients, but after review, treatment was liberalized to patients requiring >4 liters/minute of oxygen or having an alveolar-arterial gradient >50 mmHg and elevated inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein >100 mg/L or lactate dehydrogenase >450 units/L). Patients were divided into 2 groups, those requiring ≤ 45% fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) (termed stage IIB) and those requiring >45% FiO2 (termed stage III) at the time of IL6ri administration. Main outcomes were all-cause mortality, discharge alive from hospital, and extubation. Findings: Prior to treatment, 255 consecutive Covid-19 patients treated with IL6ri (149 stage IIB and 106 stage III) had hypoxemia requiring supplemental oxygen and had elevated inflammatory markers. Patients treated in stage IIB had lower mortality than the stage III group (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.07-0.60). Overall, 218 (85.5%) patients were discharged alive. Patients treated in stage IIB were more likely to be discharged (aHR: 2.04; 95% CI 1.53 – 2.73) and to have intubation-free survival (HR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.20-0.74). Interpretation: Our finding that early IL6ri were associated with reduced mortality from severe Covid-19 can guide current clinical management while we await definitive results from randomized controlled trials. Funding Statement: This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants K24-AI145661 and 5T32AI052074-13. Declaration of Interests: None to declare Ethics Approval Statement: All activities associated with this project were approved by the Boston University Medical Center Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Camera-Based Edge Analytics for Drilling Optimization

Hydrocarbon exploration and production involve drilling through rock formations to reach and access target hydrocarbon reservoirs deep below the ground in the safest and most efficient manner. However, drilling operations represent a challenging environment due to downhole natural uncertainties, machinery, and human factors. This study describes the development and field implementation of an intelligent monitoring and performance optimization system of drilling rig components and their associated processes. The deployed system combines smart cameras, artificial intelligence algorithms, and edge computing to pave the way for drilling automation, digitalization, and standardization. Moreover, the system is minimally invasive/non-invasive to current established drilling operations, critical for enabling a seamless integration without incurring additional operation costs.
How do friendship and advice ties emerge?: a case study of graduate student social networks

In this paper, we analyze the factors that are most likely to explain the formation of friendship and advice ties among 44 students from a professional STEM graduate program. To answer our research questions, we investigate how students' characteristics influence the formation of their friendship and advice networks using descriptive network analysis, community detection, and Exponential Random Graph Models. The results show that the formation of friendship and advice ties is mostly driven by demographic homophily and prior group activities. Our findings also suggest that female students were more constrained in their friendship and advice networks than male students. We discuss the implications of these results for how graduate students' social networks form at the beginning of their program.
Growth of the harmful alga, Prymnesium parvum (Prymnesiophyceae), after gradual and abrupt increases in salinity.

Prymnesium parvum is a euryhaline, toxin-producing microalga. Although its abundance in inland waters and growth potential in the laboratory is reduced at high salinity (>20), the ability of inland strains to adjust their growth after long-term residence in high salinity is uncertain. An inland strain of P. parvum maintained at salinity of 5 in modified artificial seawater medium (ASM-5) was subjected to the following treatments over five sequential batch culture rounds: ASM-5 (control); modified ASM at salinity of 30, raised with NaCl; modified ASM at salinity incrementally increased to 30 with NaCl; and Instant Ocean® at salinity of 30 (IO-30). Exponential growth rate (r) was reduced when salinity was increased from 5 to 30 in ASM but returned to control values during the second round. When salinity was incrementally increased, a reduction in r still occurred when salinity reached 25-30. Maximum density was reduced at salinity of 30 in ASM upon abrupt transfer or incremental increase, and compensation did not occur. Growth performance in IO-30 was comparable to control values. In conclusion, (i) long-term compensation for acute inhibitory effects of high salinity occurred for r but not maximum density, (ii) incremental increases in salinity did not prevent growth inhibition, suggesting the existence of a salinity threshold of 25-30 for onset of salinity stress, and (iii) the presence of a seawater-like salt mixture prevented growth inhibition by high salinity. These findings provide new insights on P. parvum's long-term ability to adjust its growth in environments of different salinity and ionic composition.
Trifluoperazine attenuation of PTH-induced vasodilation in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Transmembrane Ca2+ fluxes and the Ca2+-calmodulin binding have been implicated in PTH’s acute vascular effects in experimental animals. To evaluate that postulate, we determined the influence of the calmodulin inhibitor, trifluoperazine (TFP), on the acute BP response to human PTH 1-34 of 18-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Human PTH 1-34 was administered intravenously at doses of either 5 or 10 pg/kg. TFP 0.1 mg/kg was then given following recovery to baseline BP. Then hPTH 1-34 (5 μg/kg or 10 μg/kg) was again administered at both land 30-minute intervals after TFP.
Dichlorido(4,7-diaza-1-azoniacyclo­nonane-κ2N4,N7)palladium(II) p-toluene­sulfonate

The title compound, [PdCl2(C6H16N3)](C7H7SO3), consists of a PdII atom bonded to two N atoms of the 1,4,7-triaza­cyclo­nonane (TACN) ligand and two chloride ions, which define a distorted square-planar geometry. The third N atom of the TACN ligand is protonated and hydrogen bonds to the p-toluene­sulfonate anion. The Cl—Pd—Cl angle is larger than the N—Pd—N angle. The packing is dominated by layers, which are formed by the criss-crossing of two different hydrogen-bonded chains. One chain is composed of hydrogen-bonded Pd(TACNH)Cl2+ cations, while the second is formed through hydrogen bonding between the p-toluene­sulfonate anion and the Pd(TACNH)Cl2+ cation.
Post-transcriptional regulation of the str operon in Escherichia coli : structural and mutational analysis of the target site for translational repressor S7

In the Escherichia coli str operon, translation of the S12 and S7 genes is largely coupled, and the translational repressor S7 inhibits S7 translation, which is coupled to that of S12, but does not inhibit independent translation of S7 by free ribosomes in the intracellular pool. We have studied the S12-S7 intercistronic region of mRNA by analyzing RNA synthesized in vitro using structure-specific nucleases and a chemical probe, dimethyl sulfate. Based on the results obtained, we have deduced a secondary structure model of the S12-S7 intercistronic region and identified nucleotide residues "protected" by S7. We then carried out site-directed mutagenesis to identify nucleotide residues important for S7 translation as well as for repression by S7. The results showed that two distinct regions are important for S7-mediated repression; one is the S7 binding region identified by the protection analysis and the second is the stem structure that sequesters the Shine-Dalgarno sequence for the S7 gene. Some of the base alterations in the first region abolished S7 binding and, as a consequence, abolished S7-mediated repression, without affecting the efficiency of S7 translation. Other mutations disrupting the stem structure in the second region abolished S7-mediated repression without significantly affecting the S7-mRNA interaction. We also found that certain mutations drastically decrease S7 translation achieved by translational coupling without affecting S7 translation achieved by independent initiation. These mutations are in base-paired regions and evidence was obtained to suggest that these base-paired structures are important for translational coupling. We suggest that some specific RNA structures in the intercistronic region play an active role in achieving translational coupling in this system, and that repression of S7 translation by S7 protein is due to disruption of such structures induced by binding of S7 protein to the target site, rendering translational coupling very inefficient, but leaving independent translation initiation unaffected.
Absence of species discrimination inDrosophila pseudoobscuraandD. persimilismales

Abstract Despite frequent assumptions in both the theoretical and empirical literature that males are indiscriminate in their courtship, species mating discrimination by males and females are approximately equally frequent in Drosophila . This study looked for evidence of male species discrimination in D. pseudoobscura and D. persimilis through both choice and no-choice experiments. The results indicate that males of these species court females indiscriminately. Thus, although male mate choice sexually isolates many other Drosophila species, it does not appear to serve as an isolating mechanism in these sibling species. The implications of the lack of species discrimination by males to speciation and the respective roles of choice and no-choice experiments are discussed.
Professional Dialog and Best Practices

The CITE Journal is published by the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) and is one of the more tangible products of a consortium referred to as the National Technology Leadership Coalition (NTLC). This consortium was established to provide a forum for collaboration across teacher educator associations. Its membership includes SITE and the following charter organizations:
Phase Transitions in Phase Retrieval

Consider a scenario in which an unknown signal is transformed by a known linear operator, and then the pointwise absolute value of the unknown output function is reported. This scenario appears in several applications, and the goal is to recover the unknown signal – this is called phase retrieval. Phase retrieval has been a popular subject of research in the last few years, both in determining whether complete information is available with a given linear operator and in finding efficient and stable phase retrieval algorithms in the cases where complete information is available. Interestingly, there are a few ways to measure information completeness, and each way appears to be governed by a phase transition of sorts. This chapter will survey the state of the art with some of these phase transitions, and identify a few open problems for further research.
Air and Spray Mixture Temperature Effects on Atomization of Agricultural Sprays

Spray drift associated with agrochemical operations is highly dependent upon the physical properties of the spray solution with respect to how they influence atomization. This study examined two spray solutions across a wide range of solution temperatures for two nozzles spraying into two high speed airstreams. The dynamic surface tension and viscosity of the spray solutions were also measured across the range of temperatures. Generally as the solution temperature increased, the dynamic surface tension and viscosity both decreased. This decrease in physical properties was directly related to the decrease in spray droplet size for all nozzles and airspeeds tested. Monitoring of spray solution temperature throughout the spray system of a typical agricultural aircraft demonstrated that while changes in the spray solutions temperature do occur, the range is much less than the ranges across which this atomization study covered. During a typical aerial application scenario, the temperature of a spray solution and the associated physical properties and atomization characteristics would not be expected to see significant variation.
A comparative investigation of the RePART neural network in pattern recognition tasks

This work presents a comparative investigation of the performance of the RePART model with the ARTMAP-IC model, when applied to two tasks of pattern recognition. Such investigation has as its main objective to verify whether the RePART model presents higher recognition rate than the performance presented by the other model. Also, a statistical method is applied to the results of the neural networks in order to analyse the significance from a statistical point of view of the neural network performances.
The significance of residual disease after radiotherapy in endometrial carcinoma: clinicopathologic correlation.

Abstract The extent and location of residual disease after radiotherapy in 91 patients with early invasive endometrial carcinoma was related to tumor grade, clinical stage, and outcome. In 20% the grade (according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) differed in curettage and hysterectomy specimens. In at least 12% the clinical stage was unreliable. Death from endometrial carcinoma was significantly more frequent in patients with residual disease after radiotherapy than in those without residual disease. The poorest prognostic features were blood vessel invasion in the myometrium, irrespective of depth of invasion, and residual disease outside the uterus. Treatment of endometrial carcinoma should be based on accurate knowledge of prognostic features determined by initial surgery.
Hierarchical Sparse and Collaborative Low-Rank representation for emotion recognition

In this paper, we design a Collaborative-Hierarchical Sparse and Low-Rank (C-HiSLR) model that is natural for recognizing human emotion in visual data. Previous attempts require explicit expression components, which are often unavailable and difficult to recover. Instead, our model exploits the low-rank property to subtract neutral faces from expressive facial frames as well as performs sparse representation on the expression components with group sparsity enforced. For the CK+ dataset, C-HiSLR on raw expressive faces performs as competitive as the Sparse Representation based Classification (SRC) applied on manually prepared emotions. Our C-HiSLR performs even better than SRC in terms of true positive rate.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae BUF protein binds to sequences participating in DNA replication in addition to those mediating transcriptional repression (URS1) and activation.

Abstract The heteromeric BUF protein was originally shown to bind to URS1 elements which are situated upstream of many genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mediate negative control of their transcription. Among the genes regulated through the URS1 site and the proteins interacting with it are those participating in carbon, nitrogen, and inositol metabolism; electron transport; meiosis; sporulation; and mating-type switching. We show here that pure BUF protein, in addition to binding to the negatively acting URS1 site, also binds to CAR1 sequences supporting transcriptional activation (upstream activation sequences). To determine the BUF protein structure, we cloned and sequenced the BUF1 and BUF2 genes and found them to be identical to the RF-A (RP-A) gene whose products participate in yeast DNA replication as single-stranded DNA binding proteins. These data argue that BUF protein-binding sites serve multiple roles in transcription and replication.
The Study of Membrane Electrofusion and Electroporation Mechanisms

Electrofusion, the induction of membrane fusion with an electric field pulse, was reported independently in four laboratories (Neumann et al., 1980; Senda et al., 1979; Teissie et al., 1982; Zimmermann et al., 1981). Although most papers which report on the use of electrofusion have genetic manipulation purposes, electrofusion has been shown to have special advantages for producing monoclonal antibody-secreting hybridomas (Karsten et al., 1988; Lo and Tsong, 1989; Glassy and Pratt, 1989). Also, as will be explained below, electrofusion is a promising new way to study membrane fusion mechanisms.
The -ills of Educational Reform

Many instructors have sincerely accepted problem solving and critical thinking as instructional objectives. This kind of language, especially notions of the liberal-arts values of taking college classes, is used in compelling ‘first day of class’ pep talks. Increasing the scientific literacy of an educated voting citizenry has also been persistent ‘Day 1’ rhetoric, beginning with preparing students in the post-War Atomic Age and continuing through today’s concern for environmental and biotechnological issues. Unfortunately, too often little happens on days 2 through 40 (a typical number of class meetings in a semester) to fulfill the expectations and promises laid out on the first day. Why is this connection so difficult to achieve? Part of the answer can be found in the difference between the intellectual change that characterizes Day 1 when an instructor may possess the knowledge (skill) for what needs to be done and the behavioral changes (will) that are needed on Days 2-to-40. A brief historical application of these ideas as they pertain to the current cycle of chemical education reform is provided.
Possible age of crystallization of pyrope from the Stockdale kimberlite, Kansas, U. S. A.

A possible age of 745 ± 100m.y. (using 50b.y. = half life of 87Rb) has been determined for pyrope from the Stockdale kimberlite assuming an upper mantle initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.702 ± 0.001. Despite the large error associated with this age it clearly demonstrates that the pyrope crystallized long before its final emplacement which is set at ≤ 100 m.y. Allowance for crustal and mantle contamination and other sources of error have been carefully considered in this determination.
Validation of the early open infarct vessel hypothesis

Abstract The insights from the Global Utilization of Streptokinase and t-PA for Occluded Arteries (GUSTO) trial have paved the way for further refinement in myocardial reperfusion strategies. For the moment, there is a better pharmacologie approach for achieving rapid and complete coronary thrombolysis. However, for the future, the legacy from this project is much more meaningful, providing clear-cut validation of the “early open vessel hypothesis” while at the same time exemplifying how deficient our strategies for reperfusion are today. There are explicit signals for persistent, meaningful improvement in the years ahead.
Infinitesimal perturbation analysis and the regenerative structure of the GI/G/1 queue

The strong consistency of infinitesimal perturbation analysis estimates for the mean system time is shown using the regenerative structure of the GI/G/1 queue. The analysis throws some light on the conditions which are required for the consistency of infinitesimal perturbation analysis in more general systems with regenerative structure.
Arrests for Major Crimes: Trends and Patterns for Elderly Offenders.

(1989). Arrests for Major Crimes. Journal of Offender Counseling Services Rehabilitation: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 19-44.
The Politics of Redistribution in the Local Governments: The Effect of Gender Representation on Welfare Spending in California Counties

This research explores the impact of gender representation in the state and local level on social welfare services provided by the local governments in California. Hypotheses are tested across 58 counties in California over 10 years between 2001 and 2010. According to the fixed effect models, women in state legislature leadership positions had a positive effect on local welfare spending with statistical significance, while women on county boards had no significant effect. In the model with an interaction term, however, the moderating effect of the county leadership role during the economic hardship was found. Three categories of control variables include institutional factors as the introduction of Proposition 1A, chartered or general law counties; political factors as political preference of each county’s residents and strength of nonprofit organizations; socioeconomic factors such as intergovernmental revenues, unemployment rate and demographics. Counties with more intergovernmental revenues and supporters of Democratic presidents are likely to spend more on welfare services.
Comparative Growth and Yield of Cotton Planted at Various Densities and Configurations

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lint yield stability across a range of plant populations, coupled with expensive transgenic cotton seed, makes reduced seeding rates an attractive cost-saving option. Studies evaluated plant populations and seeding configurations in an effort to: (i) isolate a specific combination that minimizes seed use without sacrificing yield, and (ii) identify potential growth and development changes associated with cotton grown at these densities. Cotton planted in studies conducted during 2003 and 2004 on a Norwood silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, calcareous, thermic Typic Udifluvent) were hand thinned to densities ranging from 33 978 to 152 833 plants ha -1 in both hill-drop and drill-seeded configurations (96.5-cm row widths). Plant height, main-stem nodes per plant, maturity, boll retention by position, lint yield, and fiber quality were all evaluated. No seeding configuration X plant population interaction occurred for variables other than yield. A positive relationship existed between plant population and plant height; however, main-stem nodes per plant, days after planting to peak bloom, and boll retention were inversely related to plant density. Lint yield was highest for 152 883 plants ha -1 (1465 kg ha ') planted in a hill-drop configuration with three plants per 20-cm hill spacing, and was not reduced until population was lowered to 33975 (30.5-cm plant spacing, 1263 kg ha -1 ) and 50 958 (three plants per hill, 60-cm hill spacing, 1177 kg ha -1 ) plants ha -1 . Treatments did not influence fiber properties. Reduced seeding rates appear to be a viable cost-saving option, given that a uniform stand is achieved and appropriate management practices employed.
On using moving windows in finite element time domain simulation for long accelerator structures

A finite element moving window technique is developed to simulate the propagation of electromagnetic waves induced by the transit of a charged particle beam inside large and long structures. The window moving along with the beam in the computational domain adopts high-order finite element basis functions through p refinement and/or a high-resolution mesh through h refinement so that a sufficient accuracy is attained with substantially reduced computational costs. Algorithms to transfer discretized fields from one mesh to another, which are the keys to implementing a moving window in a finite element unstructured mesh, are presented. Numerical experiments are carried out using the moving window technique to compute short-range wakefields in long accelerator structures. The results are compared with those obtained from the normal finite element time domain (FETD) method and the advantages of using the moving window technique are discussed.
Quantal noise from human red cone pigment.

The rod pigment, rhodopsin, shows spontaneous isomerization activity. This quantal noise produces a dark light of ∼0.01 photons s−1 rod−1 in human, setting the threshold for rod vision. The spontaneous isomerization activity of human cone pigments has long remained a mystery because the effect of a single isomerized pigment molecule in cones, unlike that in rods, is small and beyond measurement. We have now overcome this problem by expressing human red cone pigment transgenically in mouse rods in order to exploit their large single-photon response, especially after genetic removal of a key negative-feedback regulation. Extrapolating the measured quantal noise of transgenic cone pigment to native human red cones, we obtained a dark rate of ∼10 false events s−1 cone−1, almost 103-fold lower than the overall dark transduction noise previously reported in primate cones. Our measurements provide a rationale for why mammalian red, green and blue cones have comparable sensitivities, unlike their amphibian counterparts.
Solution of simultaneous equations by block elimination

THIS paper presents an exact method for solving simultaneous linear algebraic equations which the author believes has many advantages over other procedures. It extends the familiar method of eliminating a single unknown at a time to that of eliminating large groups in a single process. A close relationship to the reduction or ?partitioning? of matrices1,2 is also seen to exist. The process is applicable to small sets of equations to be solved by hand or keyboard as well as to larger sets to be solved by digital computers. The method provides an engineer who needs a quick hand solution to a set, for example, of eight equations in eight unknowns, with a simple procedure which involves only elementary algebra and no complicated rules. There are other methods requiring about the same total amount of work3?6 and some which break up, as does this method, a large set of equations into several smaller sets,7,8 but it is felt that the procedure herein presented is more easily learned and more readily applied by a practical engineer. The method is also presented in matrix form in the Appendix.