cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The forcible discharge distance of ascospores of Gibberella zeae

Ascospores of Gibberella zeae are transported through the atmosphere to the spikes of wheat and barley and the silks of corn ears, where they may cause fusarium head blight and gibberella ear rot on susceptible cultivars. The first process in ascospores becoming airborne is the liberation or forcible discharge from perithecia. We measured the distance that ascospores of G. zeae were forcibly discharged in still air, and related this distance to the conditions necessary for transport into the atmosphere. Ascospores were discharged inside small glass chambers to distances ranging from <1 mm to nearly 10 mm away from culture surfaces. On average, ascospores from 6-day-old perithecia were discharged 4.6 mm, and those from 12-day-old perithecia, 3.9 mm. A large percentage of spores were discharged distances sufficient to surpass the laminar boundary layer of air that exists in the field during daylight hours. Since it takes less than about 3 s for a discharged ascospore of G. zeae to settle to the ground in still air, it is unlikely that a significant fraction of discharged spores surpass the laminar boundary layer and become airborne in conditions typically encountered at night. Quantitative spore-dispersal models pinpointing the timing and magnitude of ascospore release could potentially be used to estimate the relative risk of infection from local and more distant sources of inoculum of G. zeae.
Adaptive control in manufacturing

Increasing requirements for high accuracy and productivity have forced many manufacturing firms to pursue automation. In order to meet the stringent requirements imposed on products, various forms of controllers have been used to regulate manufacturing processes and systems. Due to the extensive research on control theories, a wide variety of control schemes are now available. The controllers being used in practice, however, are mostly the types with fixed parameters designed by an engineer based on the physical system and specific control objective, which can address a single objective. This type of controller is acceptable for many simple mechanical systems. However, many manufacturing systems are inherently complex, non-linear, multivariable and subject to unknown external disturbance. When an autonomous operation of such a system is pursued, controllers must be able to adapt to the dynamic change of the system.
Professionals' perspectives: exploring the occupational and organizational psychology of community–agency interactions in forest fire management

Researchers exploring the challenges of public intolerance for forest fires in the US predominantly focus on nonmanagers. Forest fire managers have unique perspectives on public perceptions and attitudes towards forest firesbecausemanagersfrequentlyinteractdirectlywiththepublicandarethefaceoftheinstitutionsthatprescribe fire management practicestowhich the public reacts. Therefore, managers’ perspectives deserve more empirical attention. Additionally, a recent review of social science research on wildfire management suggested a need for better understanding of the organizational dimensions of forest fire management. For this study, interviews were used to explore how fire management professionals understand and explain public attitudes towards forest fires and smoke. Interviewees suggested that community‐forest dependence and community‐agency interactions shape public perceptions and attitudes. Interviewees elaborated on how professionals’ personality andperceivedorganizationalobstructionunderminecommunity‐agencyinteractions,provokeunfavourableattitudes towards the agency and fire management practices and ultimately, interfere with the accomplishment of fire management objectives. These findings suggest that, to better understand and more effectively manage public attitudes towards forest fires, we need to paydue attention to the occupational and organizational psychologyoffiremanagementprofessionalsandinstitutions.Organizationalambidexterity,theinwardlookingprocess necessary for organizational effectiveness, could enhance community‐agency relations, favourable attitudes towards forest fires and achievement of fire management objectives.
THREE NEW BENTHIC SPECIES OF PROROCENTRUM (DINOPHYCEAE) FROM CARRIE BOW CAY, BELIZE: P. SABULOSUM SP. NOV., P. SCULPTILE SP. NOV., AND P. ARENARIUM SP. NOV.1

Three new benthic, sand-dwelling dinqflagellate species, Prorocentrum sabulosum, Prorocentrum scuptile, and Prorocentrum arenarium, from coral rubble are described from scanning electron micrographs. Species were identified based on shape, size, surface micromorphology, ornamentation of thecal plates, and architecture of the periflagellar area and intercalary band. Cells of P. sabulosum are oval with a cell size of 48–50 μm long and 41–48 μm wide. The areolae are round to oval and numerous (332–450 per valve) and range from 1 to 1.6 μm in size. The periflagellar area of P. sabulosum bears a wide V-shaped depression with a flat ridge and lacks ornamentation; it accommodates six pores: one large flagellar pore, an adjacent smaller auxiliary pore, and four pores of unknown function. The flagellar and auxiliary pores are surrounded by a narrow apical collar. The intercalary band of P. sabulosum is smooth. Prorocentrum sculptile cells are broadly oval, 32–37 nm long, and 30–32 μm wide in valve view with a deep-sculptured apical area. The valves are smooth and are marked with shallow depressions (856–975 per valve). Some of these depressions have a small round opening (0.13 μm in diameter). The periflagellar area is V-shaped with a deeply indented depression; it accommodates the two flagella and a thin angled apical plate. The intercalary band is smooth. Prorocentrum arenarium cells are nearly round in valve view 30–32 μm in diameter. Thecal surface is smooth with scattered kidney-shaped valve poroids (65–73 per valve) and marginal poroids (50–57 per valve). Length and width of poroids are 0.62 μm and 0.36 μm, respectively. The periflagellar area is an unornamented, broad triangle into which a large flagellar pore and a smaller auxiliary pore are fitted. Both flagella, longitudinal and transverse, protrude from the flagellar pore. The intercalary band is smooth. The presence of a peduncle-like structure (2–3 μm long) in P. arenarium was observed situated in the flagellar pore.
Optimal “Off-Aiming”: Stochastic path planning with one-dimensional features

This paper investigates a traditional navigational technique, known as “off-course navigation,” “landfall intercept,” “single line-of-position,” and “aiming off,” which has been extensively used by navigators on foot, ancient ships, pre-GPS aircraft, and modern submarines. Using this technique, the navigator deliberately aims to one side of their objective with the intention of following a line feature (e.g., a road, coastline, celestial bearing, or radio beacon) that is known to intersect the objective. Despite its extensive use, the question of “How much should one aim off?” has never been rigorously addressed. The main difficulty in quantifying the benefit of aiming off is that it entails optimal search as a sub-problem; how does one proceed once the line feature is reached? Recent scholarship has provided a strong heuristic policy for search on the real line. Given this policy, which we use as a black box, we are able pose the problem of “aiming off” as a straightforward optimization problem. This problem is relevant not only to path planning, e.g., in a GPS-denied environment, but also to search problems such as target acquisition.
Perception and misperception of bias in human judgment

Human judgment and decision making is distorted by an array of cognitive, perceptual and motivational biases. Recent evidence suggests that people tend to recognize (and even overestimate) the operation of bias in human judgment - except when that bias is their own. Aside from the general motive to self-enhance, two primary sources of this 'bias blind spot' have been identified. One involves people's heavy weighting of introspective evidence when assessing their own bias, despite the tendency for bias to occur nonconsciously. The other involves people's conviction that their perceptions directly reflect reality, and that those who see things differently are therefore biased. People's tendency to deny their own bias, even while recognizing bias in others, reveals a profound shortcoming in self-awareness, with important consequences for interpersonal and intergroup conflict.
Quantitative analysis of synaptic boutons in Drosophila primary neuronal cultures

Little information is currently available for structural and quantitative aspects of Drosophila central synapses due to difficulties in accessing those synapses in the tiny fly brain. Here, we developed a new approach to quantitatively analyze central synapses using Drosophila primary neuronal cultures. Two different markers were used to identify synaptic boutons: GFP marking with a synaptotagmin (Syt)::eGFP transgene and anti-Syt antibody. These markers clearly recognized puncta-like synaptic boutons and both signals were well overlapped. In addition, these puncta signals were completely absent in neuronal cultures derived from a Syt null mutant Syt(AD4), firmly demonstrating that anti-Syt(+) puncta are presynaptic terminals. Since anti-Syt signals were stronger and extensive, it was chosen to quantify synaptic boutons in the neuronal culture. Using an image analysis software Image J, synaptic boutons were quantified on the basis of the size and intensity of anti-Syt(+) signals. The number of synaptic boutons in wild type neurons increased by 27% between 3 and 9 days in culture. This increase was much greater (142%) in neuronal cultures derived from a FasII(e86) mutant known to show alterations in synapse growth and stabilization. A parallel increase in neurite length was also observed in both wild type and FasII(e86) neurons. Interestingly, the number of GABAergic synaptic boutons did not increase during this time, indicating distinctive mechanisms underlying development and maintenance of specific types of boutons. Our results successfully showed that Drosophila synaptic boutons can be quantified and thus we can examine genes and signaling pathways regulating structural properties of central synapses in Drosophila.
Characterizations of extreme normalized circulations satisfying linear constraints

This paper considers polytopes of circulations (flows) on a graph which satisfy given linear (homogenous) constraints. Algebraic characterizations of the extreme points of such polytopes are obtained. We also characterize subgraphs which support extreme points. Finally, a formula (geometric in nature) is obtained for the dimension of the flow space of a set of cycles.
Real-time video watermarking on programmable graphics hardware

In this paper, we propose a real-time video watermarking system on programmable graphics hardware. Real-time video watermarking is important to the use of digital video in legal proceedings, security surveillance, new reportage and commercial video transactions. The watermarking scheme implemented here is based on Wong's scheme for image watermarking, and is designed to detect and localize any change in the pixels of any frame of the incoming video stream. We implement this scheme for real-time operation on programmable graphics hardware. The graphics processing units (GPUs) found on many modern commodity-level graphics cards have the ability to execute application-defined sequences of instructions on not only geometric primitives, defined by vertices, but also on image or texture fragments mapped to rasterized geometric primitives. These fragment programs, also known as fragment or pixel shaders, execute in hardware and in parallel on the GPU for each fragment, or pixel, that is rendered, making the GPU well suited for image and video processing. We illustrate real-time performance, low perceptibility, and good bit-error rates and localization by way of a general testing framework that allows straightforward testing of any video watermarking system implemented on programmable graphics hardware
How we may have been misled into believing in the interpersonal comparability of utility

LOUIS NARENS* AND R. DUNCAN LUCE** HOW WE MAY HAVE BEEN MISLED INTO BELIEVING IN THE INTERPERSONAL COMPARABILITY OF UTILITY 1 INTRODUCTION The problem ofintercomparability of utilities appears naturally in the develop- ment of welfare economics (Robbins, 1935, 1938; Samuelson, 1963; Plott, 1976). It also arose in the theory of games when von Neumann and Morgen- stern (1947) provided an expected utility interpretation to the payoffs resulting from mixed strategies and, at the same time, incorporated trans- ferability of utility in their coalition theory of n-person games. A recent summary of the literature is provided by Sen (1979). It appears to us that there has been relatively modest progress toward a resolution of this problem. A recent attack on it is given in Nozick (1981), a draft of which stimulated the present work. Many economic theorists have argued that interpersonal comparisons of utilities are impossible. Their arguments are usually based on principles similar to the following by Jevons in his influential The Theory of Political Economy: The reader will find, again, that there is never, in any single instance, an attempt made to compare the amount of feeling in one mind with that in another. I see no means by which such comparison can be accomplished. The susceptibility of one mind may, for what we know, be' a thousand times greater than that of another. But, provided that the suscept~ility was different in a like ratio in all directions, we should never be able to discover the difference. Every mind is thus inscrutable to every other mind, and no common denominator of feeling seems to be possible. But even ff we could compare the feelings of different minds, we should not need to do so; for one mind only affects another indirectly. Every event in the outward world is represented in the mind by a corresponding motive, and it is by the balance of these that the will is swayed. But the motive in one mind is weighed only against the motives in other minds. Each person is to other persons a portion of the outward world - the non.ego as the meta-physicians call it. Thus motives in the mind of A may give rise to phenomena which may be rep- resented by motives in the mind of B; but between A and B there is a gulf. Hence the weighing of motives must always be confined to the bosom of the individual. Jevons, 1957, p. 14; the first edition of Theory of PoliticalEconomy appeared in 1871. Other economic theorists have argued against this view. I. M. D. Little writes, Theory and Decision 15 (1983) 247-260. 0040-5833/83/0153-0247502.10. 9 1983 by D. Reidel Publishing Company.
Nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species exert opposing effects on the stability of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in explants of human pial arteries

Hypoxia induces angiogenesis, partly through stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), leading to transcription of pro-angiogenic factors. Here we examined the regulation of HIF-1alpha by hypoxia and nitric oxide (NO) in explants of human cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells. Cells were treated with NO donors under normoxic or hypoxic (2% O2) conditions, followed by analysis of HIF-1alpha protein levels. Treatment with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside reduced levels of HIF-1alpha, whereas NO donors, NOC-18 and S-nitrosoglutathione, increased HIF-1alpha levels. SIN-1, which releases both NO and superoxide (O2*-), reduced HIF-1alpha levels, suggesting that inhibitory NO donors may elicit effects through peroxynitrite (ONOO*-). O2*- generation by xanthine/xanthine oxidase also reduced HIF-1alpha levels, confirming an inhibitory role for reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, superoxide dismutase increased HIF-1alpha levels, and the NO scavenger carboxy-PTIO reversed HIF-1alpha stabilization by NO donors. Effects on HIF-1alpha levels correlated with vascular endothelial growth factor transcription but did not affect HIF-1alpha transcription, as measured by RT-PCR and luciferase-reporter assays. The results indicate that HIF-1alpha is stabilized by agents that produce NO and reduce ROS but destabilized by agents that increase ROS, including O2*- and ONOO*-. Thus we propose that the effect of NO on HIF-1alpha signaling is critically dependent on the form of NO and the physiological environment of the responding cell.
Application of the Distributed Field Robot Architecture to a Simulated Demining Task

As mobile robot teams become more complex, it is necessary to develop a control architecture to manage the resources present in the team. The Distributed Field Robot Architecture (DFRA) is a distributed, object-oriented implementation of the SFX hybrid robot architecture that allows for dynamic discovery and acquisition of robot resources and the seamless integration of humans and artificial agents in the robot team. This paper introduces the DFRA and details its application to a high-fidelity demining scenario using a heterogeneous team of ground and aerial robots.
GATA family transcriptional factors: emerging suspects in hematologic disorders

GATA transcription factors are zinc finger DNA binding proteins that regulate transcription during development and cell differentiation. The three important GATA transcription factors GATA1, GATA2 and GATA3 play essential roles in the development and maintenance of hematopoietic systems. GATA1 is required for the erythroid and megakaryocytic commitment during hematopoiesis. GATA2 is crucial for the proliferation and survival of early hematopoietic cells, and is also involved in lineage specific transcriptional regulation as the dynamic partner of GATA1. GATA3 plays an essential role in T lymphoid cell development and immune regulation. As a result, mutations in genes encoding the GATA transcription factors or alteration in the protein expression level or their function have been linked to a variety of human hematologic disorders. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge regarding the disrupted biologic function of GATA in various hematologic disorders.
Determinants of city growth in Colombia

I develop a systematic approach to examine the drivers of population growth in Colombian cities between 1993 and 2010. Fertility plays an important role. Much of the higher growth of some Colombian cities can also be associated with higher wages. In turn, this wage advantage of some cities can be, in part, traced back to city education and industry shocks. I also find that roads and connectivity matter but obtained mixed evidence about the role of urban amenities and no evidence regarding measures of urban costs and other drivers of urban growth that have been commonly considered by past literature. I also explore some determinants of long-run city growth going back as far as 1843. 要約 本論文では、1993年から2010年までのコロンビアの都市における人口増加の推進要因を評価するシステマティック・アプローチを考案する。人口増加には出生数が大きく関係している。コロンビアの一部の都市はかなり開発が進んでいるが、そこでは賃金は高い傾向にある。次に、この一部の都市における高い賃金は、部分的には都市型教育や産業ショックに遡ることができる。道路交通と接続性(connectivity)が重要であり、都市部のアメニティの役割に関する複合的なエビデンスは得られたが、都市費用の評価額と過去の研究で考察が重ねられてきた都市の発展の他の推進要因に関するエビデンスは得られなかった。さらに、1843年にまで遡り、都市の長期的な発展の决定要因を探索する。 Resumen Se desarrolla un enfoque sistematico para examinar los factores que impulsaron el crecimiento de la poblacion en ciudades colombianas entre 1993 y 2010. La fertilidad juega un papel importante. Una gran parte del crecimiento de mayor cuantia de algunas ciudades del pais se puede asociar tambien a salarios mayores. A su vez, esta ventaja salarial de algunas ciudades puede deberse, en parte, a la educacion disponible en la ciudad y a perturbaciones en la industria. Tambien se encontro que las carreteras y la conectividad son importantes, pero se obtuvieron pruebas mixtas sobre el papel de los servicios urbanos y no se hallaron pruebas respecto a las medidas de los costos urbanos y otros impulsores del crecimiento urbano considerados habitualmente por la literatura anterior a este trabajo. Tambien se exploran algunos determinantes del crecimiento urbano a largo plazo, que se remontan hasta 1843.
AMS RADIOCARBON DATES FROM THREE SHELLMOUNDS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA, USA

This paper presents a set of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates obtained from various archaeological samples collected from 3 shellmounds--CA-MRN-114, CA-MRN-115, and CA-MRN-328--within China Camp State Park, Marin County, California, USA.
Normal Cardiopulmonary Responses to Acute- and Chronic-Strengthening and Endurance Exercises

The purpose of this article is to provide background information concerning the cardiopulmonary responses to physical exercise. The focus is on acute and chronic responses to both strengthening and endurance exercise. Knowledge of normal exercise physiology provides the frame of reference for comparison with abnormal responses, especially as exercise relates to patients with cardiovascular disease.
Abstract 4542: The design, synthesis andin vitroevaluation of selective FR α and β and PCFT substrates with potent GARFTase inhibitory activity as antitumor agents

Three folate transporters, the reduced folate carrier (RFC), folate receptors (FR) and the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) account for most of the folate influx activity in mammalian cells. Lack of selectivity for folate transporters is one of the major causes of chemotherapy failure with antifolate drugs. We recently reported the potent glycinamideribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFTase) inhibitory activity of a series of classical 2-amino-4-oxo-6-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines with a thienoyl for benzoyl-substituted side chain with FR and PCFT specificity over RFC. In an attempt to optimize for selective transport by FR and PCFT, and GARFTase inhibitory activity, a furan for benzoyl-substituted side chain analog with a 4-carbon bridge was synthesized. The target compound was tested against KB human tumor cells that express FR alpha, human RFC, and human PCFT using a fluorescence-based cytotoxicity screen, and showed remarkably potent subnanomolar inhibitory activity (IC 50 of 0.29 nM). The furan analog was further tested in isogenic Chinese hamster ovary sublines, engineered to express human FR alpha (RT-16), FR beta (D4), hRFC (pC43-10), or hPCFT (R2/hPCFT4). The furan side chain compound again showed a subnanomolar IC 50 s for both FR alpha and FR beta expressing cells (IC 50 of 0.16 nM for RT16, and 0.92 nM for D4). Thus, in comparison with the lead thienoyl side chain compound (IC 50 of 2 nM for RT16, and 0.75 nM for D4), the furan analog exhibited similar activities toward FR beta, but a 12.5-fold increased activity toward FR alpha. For PCFT-expressing R2/hPCFT4 cells, the furan side chain compound (IC 50 of 439 nM) was about 10-fold less potent than the thienoyl analog (IC 50 of 43.4 nM). The furan analog was inactive against human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) or human thymidylate synthase (hTS) (IC 50 >10 −5 M), suggesting that neither hDHFR nor hTS is a principal target. Metabolite protection from in vitro cytotoxicity in KB cells showed that thymidine (10 μM) did not affect the growth inhibitory effects of the furan analog whereas adenosine (60 μM) and 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide (320 μM) were completely protective, identifying GARFTase as the likely intracellular target. Our results indicate that the side chain heterocyclic ring may control the transport selectivity for both FR and PCFT of the pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4542.
Pressure reentrant assembly: direct simulation of volumes of micellization.

Surfactants exhibit maxima in their critical micelle concentrations upon application of hydrostatic pressure, which is attributable to changes in their volumes of micellization from positive to negative values with increasing pressure. We present a direct molecular simulation analysis of the volumes of micellization of an anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactant in aqueous solution at pressures up to 2500 bar. Excellent agreement with experiment is observed. A Kirkwood–Buff theory analysis based on proximal solvent distributions permits the breakdown of the volumes of micellization into constituent surfactant headgroup and tailgroup contributions. Although the micellization volume crossover is analogous to the transfer of an alkane from water to its pure liquid, significant differences are observed, including lower compressibilities of micelle volumes compared to that of the alkane liquid, negative partial compressibilites for anionic sulfated surfactant monomers, and large nonionic ethoxy headgroup con...
Multi-Way Lossless Outphasing System Based on an All-Transmission-Line Combiner

A lossless power-combining network comprising cascaded transmission-line segments in a tree structure is introduced for a multi-way outphasing architecture. This architecture addresses the suboptimal loading conditions in Chireix outphasing transmitters while offering a compact and microwave-friendly implementation compared to previous techniques. In the proposed system, four saturated power amplifiers (PAs) interact through an all-TL power-combining network to produce nearly ideal resistive load modulation of the branch PAs over a 10:1 range of output powers. This work focuses on the operation of the combining network, deriving analytical expressions for input-port admittance characteristics and an outphasing control strategy to modulate output power while minimizing reactive loading of the saturated branch amplifiers. A methodology for combiner design is given, along with a combiner design example for compact layout. An experimental four-way outphasing amplifier system operating at 2.14 GHz demonstrates the technique with greater than 60% drain efficiency for an output power range of 6.2 dB. The system demonstrates a W-CDMA modulated signal with a 9.15-dB peak-to-average power ratio with 54.5% average modulated efficiency at 41.1-dBm average output power.
INTERSPECIFIC SHELTER COMPETITION BETWEEN THE SYMPATRIC CRAYFISH SPECIES PROCAMBARUS CLARKII (GIRARD) AND PROCAMBARUS ZONANGULUS (HOBBS AND HOBBS)

ABSTRACT Aggressive interactions and shelter possession were used to examine interspecific competition between Form I males of the sympatric crayfish species Procambarus clarkii and Procambarus zonangulus. Paired encounters were staged between heterospecifics, using a type of shelter shown to be equally preferred by both species. On Day 1, each heterospecific intruder encountered a resident P. clarkii or P. zonangulus, which had been occupying the shelter for the previous 24 h. Each pair remained in the resident's tank for 48 h after the initial encounter was settled, in order to determine subsequent shelter possession. Results indicated a significant prior residence advantage on Day 1 for resident P. clarkii, but not for resident P. zonangulus. Furthermore, on Days 2 and 3, resident and intruder P. clarkii were in possession of the shelters in a significantly higher proportion of cases than opponent P. zonangulus, reflecting an eventual species dominance advantage by P. clarkii. The influence of this competitive advantage on the differential prevalence of these species in the natural environment remains to be explored.
Ubiquitin-RAS peptide extensions as substrates for farnesyl-protein transferase and carboxymethyltransferase.

Using oligonucleotide-mediated ‘loop-in’ mutagenesis strategies in M13, a heat-inducible ubiquitin (Ub) gene was extended by sequences coding for the C-terminal 11 amino acids of Ha-RAS. The resulting gene was transformed into AR13 and production of the Ub-peptide extension was induced by heat treatment. After one-step purification, the fusion protein (Ub-cRAS) was used as a substrate for farnesyl-protein transferase. Ub-cRAS was farnesylated on incubation in Xenopus egg extract or rabbit reticulocyte lysate. In contrast, when serine was substituted for the last cysteine in the RAS extension, transfer of the [3H]farnesyl group from [3H] farnesyl pyrophosphate to the modified Ub-cRAS was not observed. Farnesylation of Ub-cRAS permitted us to develop an easy membrane-binding assay for farnesyl-protein transferase enzyme activity. Using this assay, we partially purified the enzyme from rabbit reticulocyte lysate. We also detected methylation of the farnesylated Ub-cRAS terminus in Xenopus egg extract.
On Older Listeners' Ability to Perceive Dynamic Pitch

Purpose Natural speech comes with variation in pitch, which serves as an important cue for speech recognition. The present study investigated older listeners' dynamic pitch perception with a focus on interindividual variability. In particular, we asked whether some of the older listeners' inability to perceive dynamic pitch stems from the higher susceptibility to the interference from formant changes. Method A total of 22 older listeners and 21 younger controls with at least near-typical hearing were tested on dynamic pitch identification and discrimination tasks using synthetic monophthong and diphthong vowels. Results The older listeners' ability to detect changes in pitch varied substantially, even when musical and linguistic experiences were controlled. The influence of formant patterns on dynamic pitch perception was evident in both groups of listeners. Overall, strong pitch contours (i.e., more dynamic) were perceived better than weak pitch contours (i.e., more monotonic), particularly with rising p...
Simultaneous feature and sample reduction for image-set classification

Image-set classification is the assignment of a label to a given image set. In real-life scenarios such as surveillance videos, each image set often contains much redundancy in terms of features and samples. This paper introduces a joint learning method for image-set classification that simultaneously learns compact binary codes and removes redundant samples. The joint objective function of our model mainly includes two parts. The first part seeks a hashing function to generate binary codes that have larger inter-class and smaller intra-class distances. The second one reduces redundant samples with discrete constraints in a low-rank way. A kernel method based on anchor points is further used to reduce sample variations. The proposed discrete objective function is simplified to a series of sub-problems that admit an analytical solution, resulting in a high-quality discrete solution with a low computational cost. Experiments on three commonly used image-set datasets show that the proposed method for the tasks of face recognition from image sets is efficient and effective.
Scanning plane comparison of ultrasound-derived morphological characteristics of the vastus lateralis.

Muscle morphological characteristics obtained via ultrasonography have been used to quantify the size, architecture, and quality of skeletal muscle. Previous research has utilized varying ultrasonographic techniques, however there is little information comparing these different techniques. Muscle morphological characteristics, including cross-sectional area (CSA), muscle thickness (MT), echo intensity (EI), and subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness (SubQ) were assessed in 24 males (20.2 ± 1.6 y) via three panoramic-images captured in the transverse plane (PTI) and three still-images captured in the longitudinal plane (SLI). Cross-sectional area of PTI was significantly greater than CSA of SLI (P < 0.001), however positive correlations existed between the two measurements (r = 0.752, P < 0.001). Echo intensity of PTI was significantly lower than EI of SLI (P = 0.002), however, positive correlations existed between the two measurements (r = 0.681, P < 0.001). MT of PTI was significantly greater than MT of SLI (P = 0.003), but positive correlations existed between measurements (r = 0.809, P < 0.001). However, SubQ of PTI was significantly lower than SubQ of SLI (P < 0.001), but positive correlations existed between measurements (r = 0.915, P < 0.001). In conclusions, PTI and SLI yield significantly different CSA, EI, MT, and SubQ measurements but these values are highly correlated. Still longitudinal images require less time, cost, and expertise, and therefore may be preferred over PTI in future studies. Clin. Anat., 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
DDoS cyber-attacks network: Who's attacking whom

Cyber-attacks aimed at breaking into networks and bringing websites down appear to have become an every-day phenomenon, but there is less clarity on where the attacks come from and who are the top targets. We used DDoS attacks data shared by Arbor Networks, from June 2013 to Mar 2016, to understand the cyber-attacks network. We take a high-level view of attacks mostly considering aggregate country-to-country attacks, using which we summarize the major players and trends in DDoS cyber-attacks.
The Case of the Frozen Trucker: A Collage and Homage

Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch has been questioned sharply by certain senators about his reasoning in the now-notorious "case of the frozen trucker". This Essay assimilates that case to Lon Fuller's classic work of Legal Process, the "Case of the Speluncean Explorers." By setting out various opinions on the frozen-trucker case by the fictional Supreme Court of "Newergarth", this Essay explores ongoing jurisprudential debates concerning the proper role of courts in construing statutes and how courts should approach administrative lawmaking. The (fictional) Newergarth Court whose opinions appear herein comprises not only Chief Justice "Truenickel", but also Justices "Moresuch", "Phranken", and "Houghtelier". The Essay may be of particular interest to those teaching legislation, administrative law, or fed courts.
Horror Fusionis Revisited

In the past three years, we have had the opportunity to review and follow four cases of what we feel can be diagnosed as Horror Fusionis.All four patients reported symptoms of diplopia since their ...
Group testing regression models with dilution submodels

Group testing, where specimens are tested initially in pools, is widely used to screen individuals for sexually transmitted diseases. However, a common problem encountered in practice is that group testing can increase the number of false negative test results. This occurs primarily when positive individual specimens within a pool are diluted by negative ones, resulting in positive pools testing negatively. If the goal is to estimate a population-level regression model relating individual disease status to observed covariates, severe bias can result if an adjustment for dilution is not made. Recognizing this as a critical issue, recent binary regression approaches in group testing have utilized continuous biomarker information to acknowledge the effect of dilution. In this paper, we have the same overall goal but take a different approach. We augment existing group testing regression models (that assume no dilution) with a parametric dilution submodel for pool-level sensitivity and estimate all parameters using maximum likelihood. An advantage of our approach is that it does not rely on external biomarker test data, which may not be available in surveillance studies. Furthermore, unlike previous approaches, our framework allows one to formally test whether dilution is present based on the observed group testing data. We use simulation to illustrate the performance of our estimation and inference methods, and we apply these methods to 2 infectious disease data sets.
Development of Novel Patient-Derived Xenografts from Breast Cancer Brain Metastases.

Brain metastases are an increasing burden among breast cancer patients, particularly for those with HER2+ and triple negative (TN) subtypes. Mechanistic insight into the pathophysiology of brain metastases and preclinical validation of therapies has relied almost exclusively on intracardiac injection of brain-homing cells derived from highly aggressive TN MDA-MB-231 and HER2+ BT474 breast cancer cell lines. Yet, these well characterized models are far from representing the tumor heterogeneity observed clinically and, due to their fast progression in vivo, their suitability to validate therapies for established brain metastasis remains limited. The goal of this study was to develop and characterize novel human brain metastasis breast cancer patient-derived xenografts (BM-PDXs) to study the biology of brain metastasis and to serve as tools for testing novel therapeutic approaches. We obtained freshly resected brain metastases from consenting donors with breast cancer. Tissue was immediately implanted in the mammary fat pad of female immunocompromised mice and expanded as BM-PDXs. Brain metastases from 3/4 (75%) TN, 1/1 (100%) estrogen receptor positive (ER+), and 5/9 (55.5%) HER2+ clinical subtypes were established as transplantable BM-PDXs. To facilitate tracking of metastatic dissemination using BM-PDXs, we labeled PDX-dissociated cells with EGFP-luciferase followed by re-implantation in mice, and generated a BM-derived cell line (F2-7). Immunohistologic analyses demonstrated that parental and labeled BM-PDXs retained expression of critical clinical markers such as ER, progesterone receptor (PR), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), HER2 and the basal cell marker cytokeratin 5 (CK5). Similarly, RNA sequencing analysis showed clustering of parental, labeled BM-PDXs and their corresponding cell line derivative. Intracardiac injection of dissociated cells from BM-E22-1, resulted in MRI-detectable macrometastases in 4/8 (50%) and micrometastases (8/8) (100%) mice, suggesting that BM-PDXs remain capable of colonizing the brain at high frequencies. Brain metastases developed 8 to 12 weeks after ic injection, located to the brain parenchyma, grew around blood vessels and elicited astroglia activation characteristic of breast cancer brain metastasis. These novel BM-PDXs represent heterogeneous and clinically relevant models to study mechanisms of brain metastatic colonization, with the added benefit of a slower progression rate that makes them suitable for preclinical testing of drugs in therapeutic settings.
Analysis of an ADS-B in method for calculating the interval management paired approach collision safety limit

Interval Management (IM) Paired Approach (PA) is a proposed NextGen concept to increase arrival capacity at airports with Closely Spaced Parallel Runways during Instrument Meteorological Conditions. To ensure the safety of the IM PA operation, the IM aircraft must be protected from the risk of both collision and wake encounters. This is accomplished through the establishment of collision and wake safety limits that bound the longitudinal position of the IM aircraft relative to the Target aircraft. Traditionally, these safety limits have been developed offline using Monte-Carlo simulation techniques and are based on geographic and procedural characteristics of the IM PA operation for a given runway pair. This paper proposes a new method for calculating a collision safety limit (CSL) for an individual aircraft pair during the IM PA operation using ADS-B Out reports from the Target aircraft. Results for the CSL at San Francisco International Airport are presented and compared with CSLs previously generated using the offline Monte-Carlo simulation method. Additionally, the benefits, drawbacks, and limitations of implementing the new method compared with the offline method are discussed.
A mathematical problem in isomerism and radicality of acyclic conjugated polyenes

The interplay of radicality and resonance structures in conjugated π bonds is explored by graph theory. Radicality dominates substitution effect in polyenes. As a first step, non-radical and radical acyclic polyenes are sorted and enumerated through generating monosubstituted derivatives. The generating function is determined by the growth pattern of trees embedded in hexagonal lattice. Each substitution site of a polyene is characterized as either singly or doubly bonded. Doubly bonded sites are favored energetically. Growth pattern leads to the derivation of recurrence relations. The generating function consists of two parts intertwined, resulting in two coupled equations. Geometric and constitutional isomerisms of polyenes are treated. For the former, equations are solved either analytically or by iteration. For the latter, only numerical solution is obtained.
Synthesis of Diquinane Natural Products

In recent years, the tricyclic cedranoid sesquiterpenes have continued to be the subject of numerous synthetic studies. The novel carbocyclic framework of this group of natural products has resulted in a wide variety of synthetic approaches.
Narrative text summarization

In order to summarize a story it is necessary to access a high level analysis that highlights the story's central concepts. A technique of memory representation based on affect units appears to provide the necessary foundation for such an analysis. Affect units are conceptual structures that overlap with each other when a narrative is cohesive. When overlapping intersections are interpreted as arcs in a graph of affect units, the resulting graph encodes the plot of the story. Structural features of the graph then reveal which concepts are central to the story. Affect unit analysis is currently being investigated as a processing strategy for narrative summarization.
Structural Commonalities between Comprehension and Production Products of Monitoring and Anticipation

Virtually all current theories of language processing include the claim that both comprehension and production are governed by a single body of abstract linguistic knowledge, usually called the “grammar”. This processually neutral component of human knowledge (Straight, 1979a) defines the membership of the set of structural objects that are both recognized during comprehension and emitted during production. The description of linguistic objects that is provided by the grammar includes, on this view, information that identifies the possible inputs to and outputs from the comprehension and production mechanisms in regard to their specifically linguistic aspects of form and meaning. (Opinion differs with regard to the extent to which even an idealized model of language processing must include aspects of non-linguistic information).
Correction to: Carbon pricing and energy efficiency: pathways to deep decarbonization of the US electric sector

The original publication had two errors. The abstract was not included and figure 3b was a repetition of figure 6. The original publication was updated.
Channel Sparsity-Aware Diagonal Structure Volterra Filters for Nonlinear Acoustic Echo Cancellation

In this paper, we propose a channel sparsity-aware recursive least square (RLS) algorithm using sequential update for nonlinear acoustic echo cancellation (NAEC). The acoustic nonlinear echo path is modeled using the diagonal channel structure Volterra filters. The results are compared with the linear and functional-link artificial neural network (FLANN) filters. The improved performance is validated via computer simulations. The nonlinear echo canceller designed using a third-order Volterra filter offers the best echo cancellation performance while the canceller using the sparse third-order Volterra filter provides the compromised performance with a reduced computational load.
Bile acid sequestration reverses liver injury and prevents progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in Western diet–fed mice

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a rapidly rising problem in the 21st century and is a leading cause of chronic liver disease that can lead to end-stage liver diseases, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. Despite this rising epidemic, no pharmacological treatment has yet been established to treat this disease. The rapidly increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its aggressive form, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), requires novel therapeutic approaches to prevent disease progression. Alterations in microbiome dynamics and dysbiosis play an important role in liver disease and may represent targetable pathways to treat liver disorders. Improving microbiome properties or restoring normal bile acid metabolism may prevent or slow the progression of liver diseases such as NASH. Importantly, aberrant systemic circulation of bile acids can greatly disrupt metabolic homeostasis. Bile acid sequestrants are orally administered polymers that bind bile acids in the intestine, forming nonabsorbable complexes. Bile acid sequestrants interrupt intestinal reabsorption of bile acids, decreasing their circulating levels. We determined that treatment with the bile acid sequestrant sevelamer reversed the liver injury and prevented the progression of NASH, including steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in a Western diet–induced NASH mouse model. Metabolomics and microbiome analysis revealed that this beneficial effect is associated with changes in the microbiota population and bile acid composition, including reversing microbiota complexity in cecum by increasing Lactobacillus and decreased Desulfovibrio. The net effect of these changes was improvement in liver function and markers of liver injury and the positive effects of reversal of insulin resistance.
Unintentional Pediatric Poisoning Exposures in an Emergency Department: A Comparison of Poison Control Center Referrals and Caregiver Self-Referred Visits.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to describe the demographics and clinical characteristics of patients referred to a pediatric emergency department (ED) for unintentional poisoning exposures by a poison control center (PCC) compared with patients/caregivers who self-refer. Methods The electronic data warehouse at a pediatric hospital was queried from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015, for unintentional poisoning-related ED visits and subsequent inpatient admissions. Eligible patients aged 18 years and younger were identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes for pharmaceuticals, non-pharmaceuticalchemicals, fumes/vapors, foreign bodies, adverse food reactions, food poisoning, and bites/stings. Referral classification (PCC referral vs self-refer) was determined by PCC and hospital medical records.Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the patient demographics and ED visits by referral classification and age group. Simple and multiple logistic regression models examined the individual and combined impact of demographic and clinical characteristics on self-referral. Results Of the 705 patients identified, 84.4% presented as caregiver/self-referred compared with PCC-referred. As compared with those who self-referred, a higher percentage of patients who contacted the PCC before ED presentation were white (93.9% [89.4-98.2%] vs 83.8% [80.7-86.7%]) and had commercial insurance (62.7% [51.5-69.5%] vs 53.0% [48.9-57.0%]). Pharmaceutical (71.9%) and chemical (14.0%) exposures were the most common exposure types for PCC-referred patients whereas foreign bodies (54.3%) were the most common for self-referred patients. The largest predictors of self-referral were age, insurance, and exposure type. Conclusions Among patients presenting at 1 pediatric ED, disparities with PCC utilization exist among age groups, racial identification, and poison exposure type. Educational outreach interventions are needed to ensure optimal use of the PCC services by patients, caregivers, and health care professionals.