cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of chemical-induced changes in proliferation and apoptosis in human and mouse neuroprogenitor cells ☆

There is a need to develop rapid and efficient models to screen chemicals for their potential to cause developmental neurotoxicity. Use of in vitro neuronal models, including human cells, is one approach that allows for timely, cost-effective toxicity screening. The present study compares the sensitivity of human (ReN CX) and mouse (mCNS) neuroprogenitor cell lines to chemicals using a multiplex assay for proliferation and apoptosis, endpoints that are critical for neural development. Cells were exposed to 0.001-100 μM concentrations of 11 chemicals (cadmium, chlorpyrifos oxon, dexamethasone, dieldrin, ketamine, lead, maneb, methylmercury, nicotine, trans-retinoic acid, and trimethyltin) reported in the literature to affect proliferation and/or apoptosis, and 5 chemicals (dimethyl pthalate, glyphosate, omeprazole, saccharin, and d-sorbitol) with no reports of effects on either endpoint. High-content screening of markers for proliferation (BrdU incorporation) and apoptosis (activated caspase 3 and p53) was used to assess the effect of chemicals in both cell lines. Of the chemicals tested, methylmercury, cadmium, dieldrin, chlorpyrifos oxon, trans-retinoic acid, and trimethyltin decreased proliferation by at least 50% of control in either the ReN CX or mCNS cells. None of the chemicals tested activated caspase 3 or p53 in the ReN CX cells, while methylmercury, cadmium, dieldrin, chlorpyrifos oxon, trimethyltin, and glyphosate all induced at least a doubling in these apoptotic markers in the mCNS cells. Compared to control, cadmium, trans-retinoic acid, and trimethyltin decreased cell viability (ATP levels) by at least 50% in the ReN CX cells, while cadmium, dieldrin, and methylmercury decreased viability by at least 50% in the mCNS cells. Based on these results, BrdU is an appropriate marker for assessing chemical effects on proliferation, and human cells are more sensitive than mouse cells for this endpoint. By contrast, caspase 3 and p53 were altered by environmental chemicals in mouse, but not in human cells. Therefore, these markers are not appropriate to assess the ability of environmental chemicals to induce apoptosis in the ReN CX cells.
Rank disagreement: A comparison of multi‐criteria methodologies

A number of multi-criteria decision support techniques have emerged in recent years that use varying computational approaches to arrive at the most desirable solution and thereby ‘recommend’ a course of action. Decision makers who use the results of this analytic work should be assured that the computational schemes used by their supporting analysts or decision support software produce the appropriate solutions. We conducted a series of simulation experiments that compared the top-ranked options resulting from the computational algorithms that support Multi-Attribute Value Theory (MAVT) and three methods that are reported in the literature that allow rank reversals, the change in rank order of two options when an unrelated option is added or deleted from the analysis: the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Percentaging and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). We also included a Fuzzy algorithm proposed by Yager to gauge its consistency with the other algorithms, even though it is not subject to rank reversals. These experiments demonstrated that the MAVT and AHP techniques, when provided with the same decision outcome data, very often identify the same alternative as ‘best’. The other techniques are noticeably less consistent with MAVT, the Fuzzy algorithm being the least consistent. The situations under which the most frequent and significant differences occurred were dependent upon the method. The results of our experiments indicate that other issues (e.g. the processes used for problem structuring and the elicitation of value weights) are likely to be of greater significance to problem outcome (based on our experience) than the choice between the computational algorithms of MAVT and AHP. The results cause us to be concerned about the use of the other methods.
Type A behavior as a general risk factor for physical disorder.

A behavior pattern characterized by excessive competitiveness, impatience, hostility, and time urgency, known as Type A, has typically been investigated as a risk factor for coronary heart disease. The present paper evaluates the Type A pattern as a general risk factorfor a wide variety of physical disorders. Research on Type A as a moderator of the effects of life stress on health is also reviewed. When Type A or physical health is measured with objective indicators, Type A does not emerge as a general risk factor for illness, with the following exceptions: Type A's are more likely to have accidents, to die from accidents or violence, and to incur cerebrovascular and peripheral atherosclerosis. In contrast, research relying on self-report measures of Type A and symptomatology find a consistent link between Type A behavior and a variety of minor illness and symptoms. There is little support for the notion that Type A is a potentiator of the effects of life events stress.
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF STROKE

Diagnostic testing in patients with ischemic stroke serves many purposes, including confirmation of the diagnosis and providing clues as to possible causes. Evaluation of the cerebral vasculature, the heart, the blood coagulation system, and selected other diagnostic tests may point to a mechanism of stroke which helps determine treatment and prognosis. With the recent advent of acute interventions for ischemic stroke, diagnostic testing is now an important component in the emergency management of stroke. In this article, the authors will review the standard approach to diagnostic testing for patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack, and new developments in neuro-imaging and their use in acute stroke assessment.
Process Behavior Analysis: Mechanism to Enable Superior Customer Experience

Customer contact centers have to regularly and proactively evaluate and adapt their customer handling processes to support the business vision of their clients and to maintain a competitive differentiating edge. This work presents the contact collector tool developed at IBM that allows the contact center supervisors to record and analyze the behavior of various agent customer handling processes. The contact collector tool generates quantifiable insights to improve operational strengths and productivity as well as to enhance the quality of the overall interaction. The present work also discusses the advantages of automating the contact collector tool, technical challenges encountered in the automation process so far and performance of the automated components of the tool.
Homeownership Cost Trends

House price trends for San Francisco Bay area neighborhoods are only partially explained by the set of variables commonly used to assess house price levels. It is likely that such nonmarket factors as local building restrictions, differential mortgage financing policies, and real-estate agent behavior contribute to the relative inability of the cross-sectional model to predict change. In addition, the relationship of independent variables to price change shows great variation among different housing submarkets, casting doubt on the assumption that elasticities derived by a hedonic study for the metropolitan area as a whole represent the utility functions of buyers within more limited housing submarkets.
Work In progress - How elementary programming impacts student’s attitude in computer science

This paper describes the impact of a new course in elementary programming on retention and recruitment of technology majors. This new course, elementary programming (EP), was added as a precursor to a computer science course, object oriented programming (OOP), in order to recruit and retain technology majors. This study evaluates the course's effectiveness of its mission by analyzing student's success rates in both courses and examining factors known to contribute to declining enrollment. The cause of recruitment and retention issues are examined using computer attitude and computer experience surveys that are made available to all students enrolled in the EP course and the OOP course. The results from the fall 2006 surveys and enrollment results for the past five years support the need for the EP course and continued evaluation.
Georg Brandes between politics and the political

While conventional politics played a part in Georg Brandes's critical practice that has received ample scholarly attention, his appropriation of the political as an ontological concern with ‘‘the very way society is instituted’’ (to cite Chantal Mouffe) has gone quite unheeded in studies of his writings. Yet I consider this dimension to be indispensable for Brandes's ability to articulate his most antagonistic leanings within democratic forms of discourse. Thus he reconciled an acceptance of concensus with the need for dissent. My essay interrogates three areas that were strongly on Brandes's mind during successive phases of his mature life: the Danish constitutional struggle of the 1880s, the so-called Dreyfus affair around 1900, and later the repression of minorities, foreign lands, and anti-war movements in Europe. In each area he makes an uncompromising stand within the boundary of civil, intellectual discourse. Such antagonism channeled into democratic expresssion is what Mouffe calls agonism, and as Brandes expresses antagonism at its most agonizing, I argue that he displays the political in a nutshell for a post-political era to behold.
The Massachusetts Journey to Expand Health Insurance Coverage

In July 2006, Massachusetts launched an ambitious state plan to achieve near-universal insurance coverage. This plan took shape amid inaction by the federal government and most states that were failing to address the adverse financial and health consequences faced by uninsured Americans. With strong support from leaders in health care and faith-based organizations in Massachusetts, the Democratic legislature and Republican governor agreed on a hybrid reform plan with three major components.1 First, additional federal funding has been used to provide Medicaid or fully subsidized private coverage for those with incomes below 150% of the federal poverty level. Second, a new insurance exchange, the Health Connector (www.mahealthconnector.org), has been created as an independent state agency to enroll residents with incomes between 150% and 300% of the federal poverty level in partially subsidized private insurance plans.2 Third, for residents with higher incomes, the Health Connector has worked with insurers to facilitate enrollment in unsubsidized private plans.
Assembly of the Yeast Vacuolar H+-ATPase Occurs in the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Requires a Vma12p/Vma22p Assembly Complex

Three previously identified genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae , VMA12 , VMA21 , and VMA22 , encode proteins localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These three proteins are required for the biogenesis of a functional vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase), but are not part of the final enzyme complex. Subcellular fractionation and chemical cross-linking studies have revealed that Vma12p and Vma22p form a stable membrane associated complex. Cross-linking analysis also revealed a direct physical interaction between the Vma12p/Vma22p assembly complex and Vph1p, the 100-kD integral membrane subunit of the V-ATPase. The interaction of the Vma12p/Vma22p complex with Vph1p was transient (half-life of ∼5 min), reflecting trafficking of this V-ATPase subunit through the ER en route to the vacuolar membrane. Analysis of these protein–protein interactions in ER-blocked sec12 mutant cells indicated that the Vph1p-Vma12p/Vma22p interactions are quite stable when transport of the V-ATPase out of the ER is blocked. Fractionation of solubilized membrane proteins on a density gradient revealed comigration of Vma22p and Vma12p, indicating that they form a complex even in the absence of cross-linker. Vma12p and Vma22p migrated to fractions separate from Vma21p. Loss of Vph1p caused the Vma12p/Vma22p complex to sediment to less dense fractions, consistent with association of Vma12p/ Vma22p with nascent Vph1p in ER membranes. This is the first evidence for a dedicated assembly complex in the ER required for the assembly of an integral membrane protein complex (V-ATPase) as it is transported through the secretory pathway.
Physical activity and body weight: associations over ten years in the CARDIA study

BACKGROUND: Hypothesis 1—sustained changes in physical activity are inversely related to changes in body weight. Hypothesis 2—those who attenuate weight gain because of a temporary increase in physical activity (PA) may maintain a lower body weight over time. METHODS: Data were from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, a cohort of black and white men and women, aged 18–30 y at baseline, who attended up to five examinations over a 10 y period (n=5115 at baseline). Longitudinal associations between physical activity and body weight changes were assessed, adjusting for secular trend, age, clinic site, education, smoking, alcohol intake, parity, percentage energy intake from fat, and changes in these variables over time. For hypothesis 1, concurrent associations of physical activity and body weight changes were examined. For hypothesis 2, we explored whether weight gain attenuation associated with increased PA during the initial 2–3 y of follow-up was sustained over 5 y. The study 2 analyses were conducted with three separate 5 y intervals: baseline to year 5 (n=3641), years 2–7 (n=3160), and years 5–10 (n=2617). RESULTS: Hypothesis 1—change in physical activity was inversely associated with change in body weight within all four race and sex sub-groups (P<0.005). The predicted weight change associated with change in physical activity was four to five times larger in participants who were overweight compared with those who were not were overweight at baseline. Hypothesis 2—an increase in physical activity during 2–3 y of follow-up was associated with an attenuation of weight gain that was sustained through 5 y of follow-up whether or not the physical activity increase was maintained during the later years. This finding persisted whether the starting point for the 5 y follow-up was year 2, year 5 or baseline (women only). Comparing participants who increased physical activity with those who decreased physical activity in the first 2–3 y of follow-up (eg by at least 2 h per week of stationary cycling for at least 6 months per year), the mean 5 y weight gain attenuation ranged from 0.8 to 2.8 kg. CONCLUSIONS: The results of these analyses support the need for public health messages for promoting increased physical activity for weight maintenance and attenuation of age-related weight gain, especially for higher weight sub-populations.
Importance of Methodology on 99mTechnetium Dimercapto-Succinic Acid Scintigraphic Image Quality: Imaging Pilot Study for RIVUR (Randomized Intervention for Children With Vesicoureteral Reflux) Multicenter Investigation

Purpose: We reviewed our experience with 99mtechnetium dimercapto-succinic acid scintigraphy obtained during an imaging pilot study for a multicenter investigation (Randomized Intervention for Children With Vesicoureteral Reflux) of the effectiveness of daily antimicrobial prophylaxis for preventing recurrent urinary tract infection and renal scarring. We analyzed imaging methodology and its relation to diagnostic image quality.Materials and Methods: 99mTechnetium dimercapto-succinic acid imaging guidelines were provided to participating sites. High-resolution planar imaging with parallel hole or pinhole collimation was required. Two core reviewers evaluated all submitted images. Analysis included appropriate views, presence or lack of patient motion, adequate magnification, sufficient counts and diagnostic image quality. Inter-reader agreement was evaluated.Results: We evaluated 70, 99mtechnetium dimercapto-succinic acid studies from 14 institutions. Variability was noted in methodology and image quality...
Program Performance and Multiple Constituency Theory

This article seeks to deepen our understanding of performance measurement in the nonprofit human services sector by investigating issues related to funder and provider motivations for collecting an...
A multi-cell array decomposition approach to composite finite array analysis

In this paper, we introduce a multi-cell array decomposition method applicable to complex structures with repeating features. With this method, we demonstrate that some common real-world structures can be decomposed into repeating cells for significant storage reduction, enabling us to analyze the coupling between several configurations of dual-polarized tapered-slot antenna arrays supported by a ground-plane. Measurement comparisons are presented. For brevity, we refer to this analysis technique as the multi-cell array decomposition method (multi-cell ADM).
Security and quality provisioning in wireless networks

The ubiquitous presence and ease of connectivity for mobile devices are the driving force for the popularity of wireless networks. With the widespread usage, provisioning quality and securing wireless communication has become crucial necessities. However, the inherent characteristic of wireless networks, namely, unguided medium, variable link qualities, and interferences, create impositions to the quality and security concerns. In this talk, we will overview two of our recent efforts: quality provisioning for video services over wireless networks, and techniques for securing wireless communications by exploiting wireless physical layer characteristics. We will discuss quality metrics for video over wireless and recent works on bootstrapping secure association between nearby devices, generating shared secret-key from wireless channels, and detecting identity based attacks in wireless networks. Experimental implementations and evaluations will be presented to validate the proposed schemes. We will conclude the talk with an overview of our wireless experimental test-bed: QuRiNet.
A lower antral follicle count is associated with infertility

Objective To determine whether infertile women have lower antral follicle counts (AFC) than age-matched normal women. Design Case-control. Setting Academic center. Patient(s) A total of 881 infertile women and 771 women from the community. Intervention(s) Antral follicle count and basal hormone measurements. Main Outcome Measure(s) Median AFCs and FSH levels were compared between the two groups within 5-year age strata by using the median test. A subanalysis was performed by identifying women in the control group with a history of attempting conception without success (subfertile group) and with a spontaneous conception in fewer than 12 months resulting in a live birth (fertile group). Age-specific AFC percentiles were calculated and compared within strata determined by age at the time of attempted conception. Result(s) AFCs were significantly lower in infertile women than in control women across age groups up to 40 years of age. Average FSH levels were significantly higher in the younger-age infertile group versus the community. AFC percentiles differ significantly between fertile and subfertile women within the community up to 40 years of age. Conclusion(s) Decreased AFC in infertile women suggests that factors affecting the size of the remaining follicle pool in younger women also affect oocyte quality and the likelihood of conception.
Motion of dinoflagellates in a simple shear flow

Turbulence can be highly significant to dinoflagellates by affecting their swimming motion. We examined the effects of simple shear flow on swimming trajectories and orientations of two species of dinoflagellates Glenodinium foliaceum and Alexandrium catenella. In the absence of either shear or a cue that can cause directional motion, swimming orientations of both species were insignificantly different from random. Although cells of G. foliaceum maintained their random swimming orientations upon exposure to shear, swimming orientations of both single cells and chains of A. catenella were affected by shear. Magnitude of the effect increased with shear rate. Changes in decorrelation times, as a result of exposure to shear, were observed for both species, providing another indication that shear affects swimming behavior. Decorrelation times for the swimming directions of both species were of the same order as the characteristic time scale of turbulence that would produce shear rates comparable to those examined in this study. Theoretical models that assess the effects of turbulence on vertical migration of dinoflagellates and predator-prey interactions commonly assume that swimming motion of dinoflagellates in the presence of shear flow can be described by simple superposition of the flow on the swimming motion in the absence of flow. Our results suggest that this assumption is not universally true.
MIMO Narrowband Disturbance Rejection using Frequency Shaping of Cost Functionals

The linear quadratic regulator control design methodology using frequency shaping of cost functionals (FSCF) is used to address narrowband, linear time invariant disturbance rejection problems. Frequency dependent state weighting matrices are incorporated into an augmented linear quadratic cost functional and result in a dynamic control law with high gain only near the disturbance frequency. For SISO systems the choice of weighting matrices is relatively straightforward, but in MIMO systems the additional latitude in the choice of parameters may be used to increase the performance and stability of the compensator design. A method is presented which extends the FSCF design approach by matching the convergence time constants of each of the closed loop compensator poles. The improved performance and stability properties of the compensator discussed in terms of realistic narrow band disturbances, which in general will have a finite disturbance bandwidth and may be time varying. The resulting compensator design is compared to a classical output feedback design.
Status report on carbapenemases: challenges and prospects

Antimicrobial resistance in hospital and community-onset bacterial infections is a significant source of patient morbidity and mortality. In the past decade, we have witnessed the increasing recovery of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. For many isolates, carbapenem resistance is due to the production of carbapenemases, β-lactamases that can inactivate carbapenems and frequently other β-lactam antibiotics. Currently, these enzymes are mainly found in three different β-lactamase classes (class A, B and D). Regardless of the molecular classification, there are few antimicrobials available to treat infections with these organisms and data regarding agents in development are limited to in vitro studies. This article focuses on the epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria. We also review available agents and those in development with potential activity against this evolving threat.
Ptosis Repair by Single Suture Aponeurotic Tuck: Surgical Technique and Long-term Results

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness and long-term results of a simplified aponeurotic tuck technique for ptosis repair. Methods: The author simplified the aponeurotic approach for ptosis repair by minimizing the dissection and using a single 6-0 nylon stitch to control the lid height and curvature. Prospectively, 169 ptotic lids were repaired by this technique over a 7-year period. All consecutive patients with ptosis ranging from 1 to 5 mm, levator function greater than 8 mm, and with no history of previous eyelid surgery were included. Patients with measurements and levator function outside of this range or who had ptosis secondary to eyelid or orbital mass, as a complication of eyelid surgery, or associated with systemic disease were excluded. The follow-up period ranged from 18 to 96 months, with an average of 60 months. Results: Of the 169 eyelids, 162 (95%) were corrected to 1 mm. There were 12 reoperations, including 4 on patients who had initial correction to within 1 mm. Complications included overcorrection in three patients and undercorrection in six, peaking in five, and two immediate recurrences and three late recurrences. Long-term results were excellent, as no change in the lid height was observed. Conclusion: The single-stitch aponeurotic tuck is simple, effective, and versatile. It can be used in the correction of involutional, postcataract, traumatic, and congenital types of ptosis. Although local anesthesia is preferred, consistent results also can be obtained in those cases where general anesthesia is indicated. The complications that occurred were minimal and easily corrected.
Cell Growth Characteristics and Differentiation Frequency of Adherent Equine Bone Marrow–Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Adipogenic and Osteogenic Capacity

Objectives— To characterize equine bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) growth characteristics and frequency as well as their adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential. Study Design— In vitro experimental study. Animals— Foals (n=3, age range, 17–51 days) and young horses (n=5, age range, 9 months to 5 years). Methods— Equine MSCs were harvested and isolated from sternal BM aspirates and grown up to passage 10 to determine cell-doubling (CD) characteristics. Limit dilution assays were performed on primary and passaged MSCs to determine the frequency of colony-forming units with a fibroblastic phenotype (CFU-F), and the frequency of MSC differentiation into adipocytes (CFU-Ad) and osteoblasts (CFU-Ob). Results— Initial MSC isolates had a lag phase with a significantly longer CD time (DT=4.9±1.6 days) compared with the average DT (1.4±0.22 days) of subsequent MSC passages. Approximately 1 in 4224±3265 of the total nucleated BM cells displayed fibroblast colony-forming activity. Primary MSCs differentiated in response to adipogenic and osteogenic inductive conditions and maintained their differentiation potential during subsequent passages. Conclusions— The frequency, in vitro growth rate, and adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential of foals and young adult horses are similar to those documented for BM MSCs of other mammalian species. Clinical Relevance— The results have direct relevance to the use of BM as a potential source of adult stem cells for tissue engineering applications in equine veterinary medicine.
Does ultraviolet-evoked prostaglandin formation protect skin from actinic cancer?

Abstract The role of increased prostaglandin activity which results from exposure of human skin to ultraviolet light is uncertain. Evidence from the effects of prostaglandins on epithelial cells in vitro suggests that prostaglandin E reduces proliferative activity in the epidermis, probably through a cyclic- A.M.P.-dependent mechanism, thus reducing the vulnerability of epidermis to the mutagenic effects of ultraviolet exposure.
Urologists on a tightrope--do we have a net?

ABSTRACTPurpose: The purpose of this review is to analyze the current health care environment and its impact on urological practice.Materials and Methods: The medical and lay literature as it pertains to the socioeconomics of health care was reviewed.Results: Analysis of the political and economic factors that influence the delivery of health care today reveals alarming realities. More than 40 million Americans remain uninsured, and with a retrenched economy that number is likely to increase. Neither government nor the private sector has been either willing or able to address the health care problem in a coherent or comprehensive way. As the population ages, the Medicare and Medicaid programs will become further stressed. Employers are increasingly unwilling to finance the health care expenses of their employees. Academic medical centers are facing unique exigencies that, if left uncorrected, will jeopardize the future training of physicians.Conclusions: In the current environment of a depressed economy, ...
Finite-length unequal error protection rateless codes: design and analysis

A generalization of rateless codes (LT and Raptor codes) to provide unequal error protection (UEP) property is proposed in this paper. The proposed codes (UEP-LT and UEP-Raptor codes) are analyzed for the best possible performance over the binary erasure channel (BEC) in finite-length cases. We derive upper and lower bounds on the bit error probabilities under the maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding. We further verify our work with simulations. Simulation results indicate that the bounds are tight for small error rates, and the proposed codes have strong UEP property.
Silicification of Evaporites in Permian (Guadalupian) Back-Reef Carbonates of the Delaware Basin, West Texas and New Mexico

ABSTRACT Outcrops of the Seven Rivers, Yates, and Tansill Formations contain widespread evaporites replaced by quartz and calcite. The original evaporites consisted of discrete horizons, scattered nodules, enterolithic layers, and individual crystals or crystal fragments of gypsum and/or anhydrite within a finely crystalline dolomite matrix. Based on field and petrographic observations, silicification of evaporites proceeded from the exterior to the interior of the nodules. The earliest replacement was by euhedral, black megaquartz that contains abundant fluid inclusions (water and hydrocarbons) and solid inclusions (mainly anhydrite and dolomite). The siliceous replacements were followed by precipitation of equant, blocky calcite spar, which filled pores left by latestage dissolution of evaporites. The fluid inclusions in the replacive megaquartz are primary, and many contain both hydrocarbons and water. Daughter minerals of halite, gypsum, or possibly antarcticite (CaCl2·6H2O) are also found within the aqueous inclusions. Homogenization-temperature data for hydrocarbon and aqueous fluid inclusions average 67.7°C and 67.1°C, respectively. Hydrocarbonbearing and aqueous inclusions are thus interpreted to have formed simultaneously from the same fluids. Eutectic melting and final melting temperatures for aqueous inclusions indicate that the fluids were concentrated brines consisting of CaCl2 and NaCl. Oxygen-isotope values for the megaquartz replacements averaged 28.4 (SMOW), indica ing precipitation from evaporative waters with an isotopic composition of +2.9 (SMOW). Evaporite silicification was coeval with or slightly postdated hydrocarbon migration. The fluid-inclusion data provide a record of the fluid temperatures and compositions that prevailed during silica precipitation. These data, coupled with regional stratigraphy and published geothermal gradients, suggest a burial depth of approximately 1.3 km during silicification. The source of the silica for evaporite replacement is problematic. We postulate, however, that silica may have been derived from dissolution of siliciclastics in back-reef units. Organic acids that form from breakdown of hydrocarbons increase the solubility of quartz by bonding with silicic acid. As these products (and associated brines) moved into cooler oxidizing zones, the organic acids broke down, releasing silica into solution. This organically mobilized silica eventually precipitated as megaquartz replacements of preexisting evaporites.
Image‐guided spinal surgery

Background The purpose of this review is to present a comprehensive summary of commonly used methods of spinal image guidance, including the benefits and limitations of this novel technology. Methods The relevant medical literature was examined, supplemented by the author's laboratory and clinical experience with image-guided spinal surgery. Results Spinal image guidance has undergone significant evolution and rapid technological advancement in recent years. Image guidance provides three-dimensional visualization of the spine that can be used for preoperative planning and intraoperative navigation. There are three commonly used methods of spinal image guidance: preoperative CT-based, fluoroscopy-based, and 3D fluoroscopy. Each of these methods demonstrates lower rates of spinal implant misplacement than non-image-guided techniques. Conclusions Image guidance provides highly accurate intraoperative navigation and the medical literature suggests that this technology increases the safety of a variety of routine and complex spinal procedures. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Multi-Agent Systems Approach to Autonomic Computing

The goal of autonomic computing is to create computing systems capable of managing themselves to a far greater extent than they do today. This paper presents Unity, a decentralized architecture for autonomic computing based on multiple interacting agents called autonomic elements. We illustrate how the Unity architecture realizes a number of desired autonomic system behaviors including goal-driven self-assembly, self-healing, and real-time self-optimization. We then present a realistic prototype implementation, showing how a collection of Unity elements self-assembles, recovers from certain classes of faults, and manages the use of computational resources (e.g. servers) in a dynamic multi-application environment. In Unity, an autonomic element within each application environment computes a resource-level utility function based on information specified in that applicationýs service-level utility function. Resource-level utility functions from multiple application environments are sent to a Resource Arbiter element, which computes a globally optimal allocation of servers across the applications. We present illustrative empirical data showing the behavior of our implemented system in handling realistic Web-based transactional workloads running on a Linux cluster.
Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti in the continental United States: a vector at the cool margin of its geographic range.

ABSTRACT After more than a half century without recognized local dengue outbreaks in the continental United States, there were recent outbreaks of autochthonous dengue in the southern parts of Texas (2004–2005) and Florida (2009–2011). This dengue reemergence has provoked interest in the extent of the future threat posed by the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (L.), the primary vector of dengue and yellow fever viruses in urban settings, to human health in the continental United States. Ae. aegypti is an intriguing example of a vector species that not only occurs in the southernmost portions of the eastern United States today but also is incriminated as the likely primary vector in historical outbreaks of yellow fever as far north as New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, from the 1690s to the 1820s. For vector species with geographic ranges limited, in part, by low temperature and cool range margins occurring in the southern part of the continental United States, as is currently the case for...
GASTROPOD PHYLOGENETICS: PROGRESS, PROBLEMS, AND IMPLICATIONS

Abstract Twentieth century fossil gastropod systematics relied extensively on neontological paradigms. However, recent appreciation of the extant gastropod diversity suggests that those early paradigms provided very unsound models. This likely is a greater problem for Paleozoic taxa than for Meso-Cenozoic gastropods because Meso-Cenozoic taxa frequently have easily recognized extant relatives whereas Paleozoic taxa frequently do not. Also, many of the taxa that apparently diverged in the Paleozoic now are limpets and retain little information about the morphologies of their coiled ancestors. Snails could be a model taxon for investigating macroevolutionary patterns because of the clade's dense fossil record. However, paleontologists usually study only adult shells (teleoconchs), and many malacologists maintain that teleoconch characters reflect phylogeny poorly if at all. This is important because many macroevolutionary hypotheses make their most specific predictions given phylogeny. Studies evaluating sp...
PAN GU: a protein kinase that inhibits S phase and promotes mitosis in early Drosophila development

Following completion of meiosis, DNA replication must be repressed until fertilization. In Drosophila, this replication block requires the products of the pan gu (png), plutonium (plu) and giant nuclei (gnu) genes. These genes also ensure that S phase oscillates with mitosis in the early division cycles of the embryo. We have identified the png gene and shown that it encodes a Ser/Thr protein kinase expressed only in ovaries and early embryos, and that the predicted extent of kinase activity in png mutants inversely correlates with the severity of the mutant phenotypes. The PLU and PNG proteins form a complex that has PNG-dependent kinase activity, and this activity is necessary for normal levels of mitotic cyclins. Our results reveal a novel protein kinase complex that controls S phase at the onset of development apparently by stabilizing mitotic cyclins.
(Post)Feminist Methodology: Getting Lost OR a Scientificity We Can Bear to Learn From

Abstract This paper puts the nature of scientificity on the feminist agenda. Sedgwick9s reparative reading, Spivak9s dislocating negotiation, Wilson9s analytics of breaching and Lather9s getting lost are unpacked via exemplars from recent feminist re-inscriptions of empirical work in order to begin to grasp what is on the horizon in terms of new analytics and practices of inquiry.
Territory, Environment, and Global Distributive Justice

To marry the theories of territorial rights and global justice would seem to require squaring a circle: ensuring that states can fend off efforts to commodify their land or just reappropriate it outright, while at the same time preventing states from grasping more than their fair share of natural resources. Such a unified theory must be in some sense universalistic, bringing every land-claim under the aegis of global justice, but it must also be in some sense claimant-relative, carving out space for territorial right-holders to use and understand their territory as they see fit. The current paper proposes a new theory of resources and of resource justice that respects these diverse commitments. The strategy is to develop a three-level theory of resources, where each level is subject to different justice criteria – the first level roughly cosmopolitan, the second level roughly nationalist, and the highest level given by a theory of territorial rights. By prioritizing territorial rights the theory emphasizes environmental considerations as well as the interests of those who are marginalized by the global economy.
Abstract T P84: Beneficial Stroke Outcomes Following Epicatechin Consumption in Young and Older Mice

Background: The consumption of flavanol containing foods, including (-)-epicatechin, has been linked to lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and stroke. We have previously demonstrated that epicatechin prophylaxis reduces stroke-induced anatomical and functional deficits in young, healthy mice; yet clinical stroke is primarily a disease of the elderly. Since neuroinflammation and vascular dysfunction are associated with aging, we aimed to test whether epicatechin is also protective in aging mice subjected to experimental stroke, and if so, whether this results from reduced glial cell activation and blood brain barrier permeability. Methods: Twelve-month-old wildtype and C57BL/6 Nrf2 knockout mice were administered 15mg/kg epicatechin, the minimum effective dose in young, healthy mice, prior to permanent distal middle cerebral artery occlusion. Mice were evaluated for functional recovery at one day post-stroke using the Adhesive Removal Test. Infarct volume, gliosis, and blood brain barrier permeabili...
Effects of anticonvulsants on learning: performance of pigeons under a repeated acquisition procedure when exposed to phenobarbital, clonazepam, valproic acid, ethosuximide and phenytoin.

The effects of phenobarbital, clonazepam, valproic acid, ethosuximide and phenytoin were examined in pigeons performing under a repeated acquisition procedure. Clonazepam (0.06-0.75 mg/kg), valproic acid (40-120 mg/kg), ethosuximide (40-160 mg/kg) and phenytoin (2.5-15 mg/kg) produced generally dose-dependent decreases in rate of responding, whereas phenobarbital (5-50 mg/kg) had little consistent effect on response rate across the dose range studied. Phenobarbital and clonazepam produced dose-dependent increases in error rates. Although valproic acid and phenytoin generally increased errors relative to control values, this effect was not directly dose-dependent or consistent across subjects. A within-session analysis of the distribution of drug-induced increases in errors revealed that the main effect of phenobarbital, clonazepam, valproic acid and phenytoin was to increase errors during early acquisition (i.e., before the procurement of 15 or fewer reinforcers). Later in the session, a similar number of errors per reinforcer was made during drug and control sessions. In contrast to the other anticonvulsants examined, ethosuximide had little effect on error rates. These results suggest that there are qualitative as well as quantitative differences in the effects of anticonvulsant drugs under the repeated acquisition procedure.
Contact Resistivity and Dopant Activation in Pulsedlaser-Annealed Au-Ge/GaAs Contacts

The electrical activation of dopants in the heavily doped GaAs layers of pulsed-laser-annealed Au–Ge/GaAs contacts were deduced and shown to be higher than that in bulk GaAs. The electrical activation is shown to decrease towards the GaAs surface and is used to explain the previously observed minimum in contact resistivity profiles in terms of arsenic loss during the laser annealing. These results will be shown to be consistent with observations of concentration-dependent activation in bulk GaAs.
Minute Concentration Measurements of Simple Hydrocarbon Species Using Supercontinuum Laser Absorption Spectroscopy.

Minute concentration measurements of simple hydrocarbon gases are demonstrated using near-infrared supercontinuum laser absorption spectroscopy. Absorption-based gas sensors, particularly when combined with optical fiber components, can significantly enhance diagnostic capabilities to unprecedented levels. However, these diagnostic techniques are subject to limitations under certain gas sensing applications where interference and harsh conditions dominate. Supercontinuum laser absorption spectroscopy is a novel laser-based diagnostic technique that can exceed the above-mentioned limitations and provide accurate and quantitative concentration measurement of simple hydrocarbon species while maintaining compatibility with telecommunications-grade optical fiber components. Supercontinuum radiation generated using a highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber is used to probe rovibrational absorption bands of four hydrocarbon species using full-spectral absorption diagnostics. Absorption spectra of methane (CH4), acetylene (C2H2), and ethylene (C2H4) were measured in the near-infrared spectrum at various pressures and concentrations to determine the accuracy and feasibility of the diagnostic strategy. Absorption spectra of propane (C3H8) were subsequently probed between 1650 nm and 1700 nm, to demonstrate the applicability of the strategy. Measurements agreed very well with simulated spectra generated using the HITRAN database as well as with previous experimental results. Absorption spectra of CH4, C2H2, and C2H4 were then analyzed to determine their respective measurement accuracy and detection limit. Concentration measurements integrated from experimental results were in very good agreement with independent concentration measurements. Calculated detection limits of CH4, C2H2, and C2H4 at room temperature and atmospheric pressure are 0.1%, 0.09%, and 0.17%, respectively.
Transient voltage stability of offshore wind farms following faults on the collector system

This work focuses on the analysis of the transient voltage stability at the point of interconnection (POI) of offshore wind farms following faults on the collector system. In particular, this study studies offshore wind farms that use an AC export system to transfer generated power onshore and investigates transient voltage stability under the influence of operating reactive power support equipment such as static VAR compensators (SVC) and active power support units such as battery storage or generation units at the POI. Operation of SVC and active power support such are widely believed to improve the stability and dynamic operation of offshore wind farms. This study, using the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Study models, determines the precise conditions under which SVC and active power support can improve the transient stability of the system following faults on the collector system.
Hillslope-derived blocks retard river incision

The most common detachment-limited river incision models ignore the effects of sediment on fluvial erosion, yet steep reaches of mountain rivers often host clusters of large (>1 m) blocks. We argue that this distribution of blocks is a manifestation of an autogenic negative feedback in which fast vertical river incision steepens adjacent hillslopes, which deliver blocks to the channel. Blocks inhibit incision by shielding the bed and enhancing form drag. We explore this feedback with a 1-D channel-reach model in which block delivery by hillslopes depends on the river incision rate. Results indicate that incision-dependent block delivery can explain the block distribution in Boulder Creek, Colorado. The proposed negative feedback may significantly slow knickpoint retreat, channel adjustment, and landscape response compared to rates predicted by current theory. The influence of hillslope-derived blocks may complicate efforts to extract base level histories from river profiles.
An Effective Genetic Algorithm for VLSI Standard Cell Array Placement

This paper presents a genetic algorithm for solving the problem of VLSI standard cell array placement with up to tens of thousands to millions of cells,and for obtaining high quality placement results in a reasonable running time.For producing high quality placement results,a new kind of crossover operator on nets and a new type of local search method for the 2-D placement problem are designed,and an innovative algorithm framework with three phases is proposed to coordinate the global search and the local search of this algorithm.For the purpose of enabling the algorithm to hundle large-scale problem,the ideas of crossover localization,and small size population are adopted to reduce time and space complexities of the genetic algorithm.Meanwhile,various strategies for maintaining population diversity are used to improve the evolution performance of a small size population.Experimental results on Peko suite3 and suite4benchmark circuits verify that the genetic algorithm with these strategies is efficient.
Continuous Body and Hand Gesture Recognition for Natural Human-Computer Interaction: Extended Abstract.

We present a new approach to gesture recognition that tracks body and hands simultaneously and recognizes gestures continuously from an unsegmented and unbounded input stream. Our system estimates 3D coordinates of upper body joints and classifies the appearance of hands into a set of canonical shapes. A novel multi-layered filtering technique with a temporal sliding window is developed to enable online sequence labeling and segmentation. Experimental results on the NATOPS dataset show the effectiveness of the approach. We also report on our recent work on multimodal gesture recognition and deep-hierarchical sequence representation learning that achieve the state-ofthe-art performances on several real-world datasets.