cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is the ‘Trade‐off Hypothesis’ Worth Trading For?

Abstract: Recently, the experimental philosopher Joshua Knobe has shown that the folk are more inclined to describe side effects as intentional actions when they bring about bad results. Edouard Machery has offered an intriguing new explanation of Knobe’s work—the ‘trade-off hypothesis’—which denies that moral considerations explain folk applications of the concept of intentional action. We critique Machery’s hypothesis and offer empirical evidence against it. We also evaluate the current state of the debate concerning the concept of intentionality, and argue that, given the number of variables at play, any parsimonious account of the relevant data is implausible.
Probabilistic reversal learning is impaired in Parkinson's disease

In many everyday settings, the relationship between our choices and their potentially rewarding outcomes is probabilistic and dynamic. In addition, the difficulty of the choices can vary widely. Although a large body of theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that dopamine mediates rewarded learning, the influence of dopamine in probabilistic and dynamic rewarded learning remains unclear. We adapted a probabilistic rewarded learning task originally used to study firing rates of dopamine cells in primate substantia nigra pars compacta [Morris G, Nevet A, Arkadir D, Vaadia E, Bergman H (2006) Midbrain dopamine neurons encode decisions for future action. Nat Neurosci 9:1057-1063] for use as a reversal learning task with humans. We sought to investigate how the dopamine depletion in Parkinson's disease (PD) affects probabilistic reward learning and adaptation to a reversal in reward contingencies. Over the course of 256 trials subjects learned to choose the more favorable from among pairs of images with small or large differences in reward probabilities. During a subsequent otherwise identical reversal phase, the reward probability contingencies for the stimuli were reversed. Seventeen PD patients of mild to moderate severity were studied off of their dopaminergic medications and compared to 15 age-matched controls. Compared to controls, PD patients had distinct pre- and post-reversal deficiencies depending upon the difficulty of the choices they had to learn. The patients also exhibited compromised adaptability to the reversal. A computational model of the subjects' trial-by-trial choices demonstrated that the adaptability was sensitive to the gain with which patients weighted pre-reversal feedback. Collectively, the results implicate the nigral dopaminergic system in learning to make choices in environments with probabilistic and dynamic reward contingencies.
A comparative ultrastructural analysis of exine pattern development in wild-type Arabidopsis and a mutant defective in pattern formation

In order to identify factors necessary for the establishment of the reticulate pollen wall pattern, we have characterized a T-DNA tagged mutant ofArabidopsis thaliana that is defective in pattern formation. This study reports the results of an ultrastructural comparison of pollen wall formation in the mutant to wall development in wild-type plants. Pollen wall development in the mutant parallels that of wild-type until the early tetrad stage. At this point in wild-type plants, the microspore plasma membrane assumes a regular pattern of ridges and valleys. Initial sporopollenin deposition occurs on the ridges marking the beginning of probacula formation. In contrast, the plasma membrane in the mutant appears irregular with flattened protuberances and rare invaginations. As a result, the wild-type regular pattern of ridges and valleys is not formed. Sporopollenin is randomly deposited on the plasma membrane and aggregates on the locule wall; it is not anchored to the membrane. Our finding that the mutation blocks the normal invagination of the plasma membrane and disrupts the proper deposition of sporopollenin during wall formation suggests that the mutation could be in a gene responsible for pattern formation. These results also provide direct evidence that the plasma membrane plays a critical role in the establishment of the pollen wall pattern.
Rapid GC mol% screening of primary culture lysates using horizontal slab gel electrophoresis

Abstract An electrophoretic technique for the rapid screening of GC mol% of bacterial DNA was modified and evaluated. Modifications of the technique included its adaptation to horizontal slab electrophoresis. Primary culture lysates (one per gel) of bacterial strains with unknown ratios of G+C/A+T+G+C (GC mol%), and reference strains whose GC mol% had been determined by thermal denaturation, were simultaneously electrophoresed for 2 h in polyacrylamide-agarose gels and mobilites of the chromosomal DNA bands were compared with the GC mol% values obtained from thermal denaturation curves. Results indicated a positive correlation (r = 0.80, df = 23) between GC mol% and electrophoretic mobility. The procedure, as modified, requires a minimum of equipment and resources and allows for the determination of GC mol% values with sufficient accuracy to serve as a means for inexpensive and routine screening of bacterial isolates.
Assessing Prejudice toward Negroes at Three Universities Using the Lost-Letter Technique:

The lost-letter technique was used to assess attitudes toward Negroes at Brigham Young University as compared to Arizona State University and the University of Cincinnati. 200 letters were “lost” at each school, half addressed to the “Medical Research Association,” half to the “Negro Equal Rights Movement.” Findings showed that B. Y. U. students acted most responsibly (highest return rate), but such behavior was significantly attenuated by prejudice (fewer Negro than Medical returns). A. S. U. students, contrastingly, were least responsible but were relatively unaffected by prejudice. Cincinnati students were similar to B. Y. U. students in prejudice, but more like Arizona students on level of responsibility. Difficulties in interpretation are partly based on the inadequacies of the lost-letter technique used as a non-reactive measure.
Towards improved collagen assessment: polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography with tailored reference arm polarization

Single channel PS-OCT has advantages for assessing birefringent tissue components in various clinical scenarios, with implications for assessing pathology, ranging from osteoarthritis to myocardial infarction. While the technique has been successfully used both in vitro and in vivo, there have been limited attempts to optimize single channel PS-OCT with respect to performance, particularly paddle rotation. In this study, we developed and tested a new approach for the real-time assessment of birefringence through tailoring of reference arm polarization. Different polarization rotation patterns, as depicted on a Poincare sphere, were assessed with polarization filters and retarders. When further tested in tissue, PS-OCT assessments of bovine cartilage and tendon demonstrated that contrast was sensitive to the pattern selected, indicating that rotation pattern influenced birefringence assessment and providing insights into optimal patterns. We also discuss the difference between diagnostic accuracy and precision with respect to both the construction and application of PS-OCT embodiments.
Vam7p, a SNAP-25-like molecule, and Vam3p, a syntaxin homolog, function together in yeast vacuolar protein trafficking

A genetic screen to isolate gene products required for vacuolar morphogenesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae identified VAM7, a gene which encodes a protein containing a predicted coiled-coil domain homologous to the coiled-coil domain of the neuronal t-SNARE, SNAP-25 (Y. Wada and Y. Anraku, J. Biol. Chem. 267:18671-18675, 1992; T. Weimbs, S. H. Low, S. J. Chapin, K. E. Mostov, P. Bucher, and K. Hofmann, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:3046-3051, 1997). Analysis of a temperature-sensitive-for-function (tsf) allele of VAM7 (vam7(tsf)) demonstrated that the VAM7 gene product directly functions in vacuolar protein transport. vam7(tsf) mutant cells incubated at the nonpermissive temperature displayed rapid defects in the delivery of multiple proteins that traffic to the vacuole via distinct biosynthetic pathways. Examination of vam7(tsf) cells at the nonpermissive temperature by electron microscopy revealed the accumulation of aberrant membranous compartments that may represent unfused transport intermediates. A fraction of Vam7p was localized to vacuolar membranes. Furthermore, VAM7 displayed genetic interactions with the vacuolar syntaxin homolog, VAM3. Consistent with the genetic results, Vam7p physically associated in a complex containing Vam3p, and this interaction was enhanced by inactivation of the yeast NSF (N-ethyl maleimide-sensitive factor) homolog, Sec18p. In addition to the coiled-coil domain, Vam7p also contains a putative NADPH oxidase p40(phox) (PX) domain. Changes in two conserved amino acids within this domain resulted in synthetic phenotypes when combined with the vam3(tsf) mutation, suggesting that the PX domain is required for Vam7p function. This study provides evidence for the functional and physical interaction between Vam7p and Vam3p at the vacuolar membrane, where they function as part of a t-SNARE complex required for the docking and/or fusion of multiple transport intermediates destined for the vacuole.
A Case Study on Semantic Unit Composition

In previous work we have discussed a semantic anchoring framework that enables the semantic specification of Domain-Specific Modeling languages by specifying semantic anchoring rules to predefined semantic units. This framework is further extended to support heterogeneous systems by developing a method for the composition of semantic units. In this paper, we explain the semantic unit composition through a case study.
Specific and common changes in Nicotiana benthamiana gene expression in response to infection by enveloped viruses

Microarrays derived from Solanum tuberosum expressed sequence tags were used to test the hypothesis that genetically distinct enveloped viruses elicit unique changes in Nicotiana benthamiana gene expression. The results of our study, which included Sonchus yellow net virus (SYNV), a plant rhabdovirus that replicates in the nucleus of infected cells, and Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), a plant bunyavirus that replicates in the cytoplasm, were consistent with this hypothesis. Statistically significant changes (P⩽0·01) in the expression of 275, 2646 and 4165 genes were detected in response to INSV at 2, 4 and 5 days post-inoculation (d.p.i.), respectively. In contrast, 35, 665 and 1458 genes were expressed differentially in response to SYNV at 5, 11 and 14 d.p.i., respectively. The microarray results were verified by Northern hybridization using a subset of these genes as probes. Notably, INSV, but not SYNV, induced expression of small heat-shock protein genes to high levels. In contrast to SYNV, infection by INSV resulted in downregulation of all histone genes, of which the downregulation of histone 2b expression to very low levels was confirmed by Northern hybridization. The expression of a putative WRKY transcription factor at 11 d.p.i., but not at 5 or 14 d.p.i., in SYNV-infected tissue suggested that the temporal response to virus infection was identified readily using our experimental design. Overall, infection by INSV resulted in larger fold changes in host gene expression relative to infection by SYNV. Taken together, the present data demonstrate differential responses of a common host to two genetically distinct viruses.
Offenders or opportunities: Approaches to controlling identity theft

Beginning in the early 1990s, a seemingly new form of crime called identity theft emerged to capture public attention and to pose, according to some government officials, a great threat to the U.S. economy (Allison, Schuck, and Lersch, 2005). Despite the hoopla and horror stories pushed by the news media, however, identity theft was not really a new form of crime. In a sense, it was not even a crime, but a new way of using an old technique to commit well-known types of scams and crimes (Pontell, 2009, this issue). Pretending to be someone else or using someone else’s personal information to facilitate illegal activities is a technique that has been around for some time. It was not just recently invented. Yet in the 1990s, this technique became a lot easier and a lot more lucrative to use. The explosion in the popularity of the “unlawful use of another’s identifying information for gain” (White and Fisher, 2008) came about for two main reasons. The first involved the stunningly rapid technological advances surrounding networked computers, electronic databases, and most importantly, the Internet. These developments connected people and concentrated information in new ways. The second change involved the increase in the availability of consumer and mortgage credit, which created powerful lures for theft (Shover and Hochstetler, 2006). Thus, technological advances in information storage and transmission coupled with structural changes in the financial services industry increased the value of “identities” and the ease with which they could be appropriated and used (Pontell, 2009). Devious-minded individuals soon began to exploit both developments, and identity theft became the new crime fad, producing, according to some estimates, 10 million cases per year (White and Fisher, 2008).
Fashion Model's Age as an Influence on Consumers' Attitudes and Purchase Intent

Generally, women's fashion magazines have not featured models over age 40 to communicate fashion messages to the older population. A counter-balanced de sign was used to test whether age similarity between a message source (fashion model) and a message receiver (fashion consumer) would (1) affect consumers' attitudes toward fashion models and (2) influence consumers' purchase intent of fashion apparel. Respondent and model ages were the variables investigated. Respondents 46 and under were defined as younger (n = 48); respondents over 46 were older (n = 48). A pretest ascertained that models were perceived as younger (established at about 25 years) or older (close to 55 years). Using a ran domized plan, subjects completed two identical attitude measures (each with a photograph of either a younger or older model), a purchase intent measure and a demographic measure. The attitude questionnaire measured perceived age simi larity, source credibility and interpersonal attraction. Age similarity between older models and older consumers resulted in significant positive effects for source credibility and interpersonal attraction. Younger consumers evaluated older models higher than younger models on one dimension of credibility, but indi cated no other significant differences in attitudes toward younger or older models. Purchase intent was not affected by age similarity or dissimilarity.
The Art and Mystery of Historical Archaeology. Essays in Honor of James Deetz, edited by Anne Elizabeth Yentsch and Mary C. Beaudry, CRC Press. Boca Raton, 1992.

Master archaeologist James Deetz richly merits this "Deetzschrift" by his students and colleagues. Reared in the hills of western Maryland and West Virginia, he was encouraged by a perceptive high school counselor to try for Harvard - successfully - as, says Deetz, "an early case of affirmatitive action…for hillbillies to Ivy League institutions". Deetz became a fabulously popular university professor at U.C. Santa Barbara and Brown, an author of small but seminal books on historical archaeology all while he and his wife raised a brood of nine children. Jim once told me they lived "on the greatest interior midden in Massachusetts".
Joint attention, developmental level, and symptom presentation in autism

Recent data suggest that a disturbance in the development of joint attention skills is a specific characteristic of young autistic children. This observation may have both theoretical and clinical significance. However, many pertinent issues remain to be addressed with regard to the parameters of joint attention disturbance in children with autism. This study attempted to address several of these issues. The study examines the effects of mental age and IQ on the joint attention skills of children with autism, mental retardation, and normal development. The study also examined the relation of joint attention behaviors to the parent's report of symptoms presented by children with autism. The results suggested that, differences in IQ and mental age may be related to differences in the type of joint attention skill deficits displayed by children with autism. The results also suggested that joint attention disturbance is associated with a circumscribed, but social cluster of symptoms observed among young autistic children by their parents. The implications of these findings for developmental models of autism are discussed.
Essential role of the cancer stem/progenitor cell marker nucleostemin for indole-3-carbinol anti-proliferative responsiveness in human breast cancer cells

Background Nucleostemin is a GTPase residing in the nucleolus that is considered to be an important cancer stem/progenitor cell marker protein due to its high expression levels in breast cancer stem cells and its role in tumor initiation of human mammary tumor cells. It has been proposed that nucleostemin may represent a valuable therapeutic target for breast cancer; however, to date evidence supporting the cellular mechanism has not been elucidated.
Smoke-Induced Germination in Phacelia Strictaflora

Seedlings of Phacelia strictiflora A.L. de Jussieu (Hydrophyllaceae) germinate profusely after major fires in the Cross Timbers forest of Oklahoma and rarely at other times and places. Seed germination was greatly enhanced under laboratory conditions by exposure to a water suspension of smoke chemicals. This is the first report of smoke enhancement of germination in a native Oklahoma plant species. Many plant species grow abundantly after disturbances including fires, but smoke enhancement of germination allows P. strictiflora to grow abundantly after fires and only rarely after other kinds of disturbance.
The pathologic physiology of pulmonary embolism. A physiologic discussion of the vascular reactions following pulmonary arterial obstruction by emboli of varying size

Abstract A review of the responses of the pulmonary vascular bed to embolization has been presented in the light of current concepts of the vascular physiology of the lung. The cardiopulmonary effects produced by various-sized emboli (massive, medium-sized, and minute) via (1) mechanical obstruction alone, (2) the liberation of humoral substances, and (3) neurogenic reflexes are summarized. We have pointed out that if a substance (e.g., serotonin) is liberated by an embolizing thrombus, producing the effects of embolism, it would not be surprising that nonthrombotic matter (e.g., Lycopodium spores, barium sulfate, rubber catheters, and the like) do not produce bonafide pulmonary vasoconstriction in the experimental animal, and that the main effect of these emboli is mechanical blockage of lung vessels. The difficulties attending experimental study of the effects of miliary embolism are predicated upon the largely indistinguishable manifestations of mechanical obstruction or severe vasoconstriction of the lung vasculature resulting from the embolism.
Rapid morphological divergence of a stream fish in response to changes in water flow

Recent evidence indicates that evolution can occur on a contemporary time scale. However, the precise timing and patterns of phenotypic change are not well known. Reservoir construction severely al...
Fracture Induced in Al2O3 Bicrystals by Anisotropic Thermal Expansion

Bicrystals of Al2O3 were fabricated to study the effects of thermal expansion anisotropy on fracture in a model system containing one grain boundary. Fractures occurred perpendicular to the directions of maximum tensile stress in bicrystals with thermal expansion coefficient differences as low as 0.31×10−60C−1 and originated at the boundary, probably in areas of high residual stress associated with pores. Numerical stress analysis of two-dimensional model bicrystal configurations showed that stresses induced by thermal expansion anisotropy are maximal in a region localized along the bicrystal boundary.
Dynamic scheduling in multiclass queueing networks: Stability under discrete-review policies

This paper describes a family of discrete-review policies for scheduling open multiclass queueing networks. Each of the policies in the family is derived from what we call a dynamic reward function: such a function associates with each queue length vector q and each job class k a positive value r_k(q), which is treated as a reward rate for time devoted to processing class k jobs. Assuming that each station has a traffic intensity parameter less than one, all policies in the family considered are shown to be stable. In such a policy, system status is reviewed at discrete points in time, and at each such point the controller formulates a processing plan for the next review period, based on the queue length vector observed. Stability is proved by combining elementary large deviations theory with an analysis of an associated fluid control problem. These results are extended to systems with class dependent setup times as well as systems with alternate routing and admission control capabilities.
AI Technologies to Defeat Identity Theft Vulnerabilities

When a large number of citizens are at risk to identity theft, national security and economic prosperity are threatened. This work shows that thousands of Americans are at such risk, and introduces technology, named “Identity Angel,” to help. Identity Angel’s goal is to crawl through information available on the World Wide Web (“Web”) and notify people for whom information, freely available on the Web, can be combined sufficiently to impersonate them in financial or credentialing transactions. This is an ambitious goal due to the various types of available information and the many inferences that relate disparate pieces of data. Therefore, the work presented herein focuses specifically on acquiring information sufficient to fraudulently acquire a new credit card using on-line resumes. An imposter needs to learn the {name, Social Security Number, address, date of birth} of a subject. Results show how resumes containing needed information can automatically be found and values harvested, and how many subjects removed such information from the Web once notified.
Pulmonary vascular alpha 1-adrenoreceptor activity in conscious dogs after left lung autotransplantation

We investigated the extent to which sympathetic alpha 1-adrenoreceptor activation is involved in chronic pulmonary vascular regulation in conscious dogs after left lung autotransplantation (LLA). Continuous left pulmonary vascular pressure-flow plots were generated in conscious dogs 3–4 wk post-LLA and in identically instrumented conscious dogs not subjected to LLA (sham-operated controls). LLA resulted in a marked upward shift in the baseline left pulmonary vascular pressure-flow relationship compared with the control group (P < 0.01), i.e., LLA caused a chronic increase in pulmonary vascular resistance. The sympathetic alpha 1-adrenoreceptor antagonist prazosin partially reversed (P < 0.01) the LLA-induced increase in pulmonary vascular resistance. Circulating concentrations of norepinephrine and epinephrine at 2 and 4 wk post-LLA were not significantly different from values measured in control dogs. However, the dose-response relationship to the exogenous administration of the sympathetic alpha 1-adrenoreceptor agonist phenylephrine was shifted (P < 0.05) to the left post-LLA compared with control, which indicates an increase in pulmonary vascular reactivity to alpha 1-adrenoreceptor activation. This effect was not due to a generalized increase in pulmonary vascular reactivity to vasoconstrictor stimuli because the dose-response relationship to the thromboxane analogue U-46619 was not significantly altered post-LLA compared with control. Thus LLA results in a chronic increase in pulmonary vascular resistance in conscious dogs. A component of the increase in pulmonary vascular resistance resulting from LLA is mediated by an enhanced reactivity to sympathetic alpha 1-adrenoreceptor activation.
The Zinc Finger Transcription Factor Egr-1 Activates Macrophage Differentiation in M1 Myeloblastic Leukemia Cells

We previously have shown that the zinc finger transcription factor Egr-1 blocked granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells, restricting differentiation along the monocytic lineage. Egr-1 also was observed to block granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-induced differentiation of interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent 32Dcl3 hematopoietic precursor cells, endowing the cells with the ability to be induced by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for terminal differentiation along the macrophage lineage. To better understand the function of Egr-1 as a positive modulator of monocytic differentiation, in this work we have studied the effect of ectopic expression of Egr-1 on the murine myeloblastic leukemic cell line M1, which is induced for differentiation by the physiological inducer IL-6. It is shown that, unlike in HL-60 and 32Dcl3 cells, ectopic expression of Egr-1 in M1 cells resulted in activation of the macrophage differentiation program in the absence of differentiation inducer. This included the appearance of morphologically differentiated cells, decreased growth rate in mass culture, and cloning efficiency in soft agar, and expression of endogenous c-myb and c-myc mRNAs was markedly downregulated. Untreated M1Egr-1 cells also exhibited cell adherence, expression of Fc and C3 receptors, and upregulation of the myeloid differentiation primary response genes c-Jun, junD, and junB and the late genetic markers ferritin light-chain and lysozyme. Ectopic expression of Egr-1 in M1 cells also dramatically increased the sensitivity of the cells for IL-6-induced differentiation, allowed a higher proportion of M1 cells to become terminally differentiated under conditions of optimal stimulation for differentiation, and decreased M1 leukemogenicity in vivo. These findings demonstrate that the functions of Egr-1 as a positive modulator of macrophage differentiation vary, depending on the state of lineage commitment for differentiation of the hematopoietic cell type.
Localized lentivirus delivery via peptide interactions.

Gene delivery from biomaterial scaffolds has been employed to induce the expression of tissue inductive factors for applications in regenerative medicine. The delivery of viral vectors has been described as reflecting a balance between vector retention and release. Herein, we investigated the design of hydrogels in order to retain the vector at the material in order to enhance transgene expression. Poly(ethylene-glycol) (PEG) hydrogels were modified with poly-l-lysine (PLL) to non-covalently bind lentivirus. For cells cultured on the hydrogels, increasing the PLL molecular weight from 1 to 70 kDa led to increased transgene expression. The incubation time of the virus with the hydrogel and the PLL concentration modulated the extent of virus adsorption, and adsorbed virus had a 20% increase in the half-life at 37°C. Alternatives to high molecular weight PLL were identified through phage display technology, with peptide sequences specific for the VSV-G ectodomain, an envelope protein pseudotyped on the virus. These affinity peptides could easily be incorporated into the hydrogel, and expression was increased 20-fold relative to control peptide, and comparable to levels observed with the high molecular weight PLL. The modification of hydrogels with affinity proteins or peptides to bind lentivirus can be a powerful strategy to enhance and localized transgene expression. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2033-2040. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis and Processing of Picornaviral Polyprotein

Under properly defined conditions picornaviruses interrupt host RNA and protein synthesis (1) and subvert the cellular machinery to production of viral protein and RNA. By feeding radiolabeled amino acids to virus-infected cells after cessation of host-protein synthesis, viral protein can be selectively labeled. In a pioneering study, which introduced the now widely used SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis technique, Summers et al. (2) identified some 14 different virus-specified polypeptides in extracts of poliovirus infected HeLa cells. The net mass of these polypeptides exceeded two-fold or more the known coding capacity of the viral genome. The explanation was later traced to cleavages which took pla.ce during and after synthesis of the viral protein.
Mechanical Reinforcement of Proteins with Polymer Conjugation

Conjugating poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to peptides, also known as PEGylation, is proven to increase the thermodynamical stability of peptides, and has been successfully applied to prolong the lifetime of peptide-based vaccines and therapeutic agents. While it is known that protein structure and function can be altered by mechanical stress, whether PEGylation can reinforce proteins against mechanical unfolding remains to be ascertained. Here, we illustrate that PEGylation prolongs the lifetime of α-helices subject to constant stress. PEGylation is found to increase the unfolding time through two mechanisms. We see that (1) the unfolding rate of a helical segment is decreased through prolonged plateau regimes where the peptide helical content remains constant, and (2) the proportion of refolding to unfolding is increased, primarily by shielding water molecules from replacing forcibly exposed backbone hydrogen bonds near the conjugation site. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of improving peptide mec...
What's new about new media? How multi-channel networks work with content creators

Abstract With the rise and rapid proliferation of digital and online marketing, increased cord-cutting by consumers, and new content being created online, Internet-based advertising is the single fastest-growing ad expenditure category, outstripping TV, radio, and other more traditional media formats. With the rise of new media and the increased content creation, the ability of content creators to manage and guide their brand has become more important than ever. This article investigates one such mechanism for managing the new media phenomenon, the Multi-Channel Network (MCN) model. An MCN is any entity or organization which either partners with content creators or directly produces a variety of distinctive content and works to perform business and marketing functions on the platform in which said content is released. This article investigates the MCN phenomena as it specifically addresses the needs of content creators in the new prosumptive consumer culture that helps inform and create new media content. It highlights strategies for managing and navigating the new media and MCN domain.
Therapeutic coronary angiogenesis: a fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi?

after initial euphoria from early reports of successful therapeutic angiogenesis induced by either application of growth factors or laser revascularization in patients with peripheral and coronary disease, recent reports from large well-controlled studies involving vascular endothelial growth factor
Research on the Development of Rural Tourism Spatial Layout in Yunnan Province

Rural Tourism is a new travel pattern which based on the driving effect scenic areas,cities and roads.Using the core-edge theory and the "point-axis" theory,this paper summarized "Circles,Zones and Groups" distribution pattern of rural tourism in spatial layout.And then,this paper applies this discipline to analyze rural tourism spatial layout in Yunnan province.Studies show that rural tourism resources in Yunnan Province correspond with rural tourism "Circles,Zones and Groups" discipline,which appear such distribution characteristics as rounding the city,neighboring the scenery,and following the road.That is,surrounding large and medium-sized cities′ rural tourism circle;those "along the road,along the Yangtze River,edge" rural tourism zone,which followed traffic arteries,golden waterway and border crossings;those rural tourism group which based on the large tourist area with famous scenic spots and the rise.
Hydro-Cognizant Capacity-Building in Afghanistan

Building awareness about water in the government and population of Afghanistan is complex capacity-building to train people so that eventually intelligent negotiations can be practiced with representatives from the neighboring countries. Capacity types include not only knowing about the actions of technical instruments in job functions, but also ideas about ownership, physical characteristics of water resources, adaptation, and maintaining focus. Capacity-building in the ministries involves ten major activities that have led to capacity-building assessments by various agencies of the US government, who have discovered that a number of problems exist with attempts to understand and deal with water issues in Afghanistan that must be addressed. The uses of the many principles of water science specific to the situations that exist in Afghanistan must be used to raise the levels of understanding about water in the country.
Dynamics of crack penetration vs. branching at a weak interface: An experimental study

Abstract In this paper, the dynamic crack-interface interactions and the related mechanics of crack penetration vs. branching at a weak interface are studied experimentally. The interface is oriented perpendicular to the incoming mode-I crack in an otherwise homogeneous bilayer. The focus of this investigation is on the effect of interface location and the associated crack-tip parameters within the bilayer on the mechanics of the ensuing fracture behavior based on the optical methodologies laid down in Ref. Sundaram and Tippur (2016). Time-resolved optical measurement of crack-tip deformations, velocity and stress intensity factor histories in different bilayer configurations is performed using Digital Gradient Sensing (DGS) technique in conjunction with high-speed photography. The results show that the crack path selection at the interface and subsequently the second layer are greatly affected by the location of the interface within the geometry. Using optically measured fracture parameters, the mechanics of crack penetration and branching are explained. Counter to the intuition, a dynamically growing mode-I approaching a weak interface at a lower velocity and stress intensity factor penetrates the interface whereas a higher velocity and stress intensity factor counterpart gets trapped by the interface producing branched daughter cracks until they kink out into the next layer. An interesting empirical observation based on measured crack-tip parameters for crack penetration and branching is also made.
Kidney blood flow occlusion by acoustic droplet vaporization

Acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) has been introduced with the potential application of tumor treatment via occlusion and subsequent necrotic ischemia in the targeted region. In this study an entire organ was the target for occlusion. Lepus kidneys were chosen for bubble production and subsequent vascular occlusion of the organ. The left kidney was externalized and an imaging array plus a single element transducer were positioned with direct access to the kidney's vasculature and renal artery. Filtered droplet emulsions (diameter 95% (91% for total organ) was found for occlusion produced by bubbles from ADV of IA injected droplet emulsions. Hyperechogenicity from ADV of IA injections was monitored for approximately one hour.
Glutamate-mediated bi-directional signaling between neurons and astrocytes

Functional plasticity is an important property of the central nervous system (CNS). A major site for this plasticity is at the chemical synapse. Here, neurons and astrocytes intermingle forming a morphologically intimate relationship (Chapters 3 and 4) where astrocytes are favorably positioned to exchange signals with neurons (Figure 15.1). Ca2+ entry though voltage-gated channels into the presynaptic terminal signals to the secretory machinery, which allows the release of neurotransmitter stored in synaptic vesicles into the synaptic cleft. Released neurotransmitter then signals to the postsynaptic neuron by activating its receptors (Figure 15.1, arrow 1). Under certain circumstances, neurotransmitter can ‘spillover’ from the synaptic cleft and reach neurotransmitter receptors in adjacent astrocytes (Figure 15.1, arrow 2), eliciting astrocytic increases in intracellular Ca2+ ion concentration [Ca2+]i. These evoked and/or spontaneous elevations of [Ca2+]i in astrocytes can cause the release of a neurotransmitter, e.g., glutamate, from astrocytes, which signals to the presynaptic nerve terminal to modulate synaptic neurotransmission and/or released glutamate can affect postsynaptic cells (Figure 15.1, arrows 3 and 4). Additional signaling can occur between astrocytes in the form of intercellular Ca2+ waves (Figure 15.1, arrows 5; Chapters 12-14). In this chapter the focus is on glutamate-mediated bi-directional signaling between neurons and astrocytes.
Infections in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Chemoimmunotherapy.

Abstract Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a clonal B cell malignancy characterized by defects in both cellular and humoral immunity. Each immune defect can be linked to common infectious complications affecting these patients. Predisposition to infections can be compounded by immunosuppression from cytotoxic chemotherapy. The purine analog fludarabine has been associated with a spectrum of infections caused by prolonged T lymphocyte depletion. The combination of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) was developed based on complementary activity of the combination. FCR has significant activity in both chemotherapy-naive (ChN) and previously treated (PrT) patients with CLL. We analyzed risk factors for infection and describe the infections experienced by both ChN and PrT patients during FCR treatment. We performed a retrospective review of medical records of 224 ChN and 177 PrT patients with CLL treated with the FCR regimen at MD Anderson Cancer Center from 7/99-8/02. Review was until relapse, death, or end of treatment. We focused on infectious events that occurred during and within 30 days of the last cycle of FCR treatment. Prophylaxis for herpes virus (valacyclovir) was recommended for all patients. Prophylaxis for P carinii (trimethoprim-sulfa) was recommended for all PrT patients and was done at the discretion of the treating physician for ChN patients. Infectious events were experienced by 96/224 (43.2%) ChN and 99/177 (56.2%) PrT patients. Causative agents were identified in 23% of events for ChN and 17% of events for the PrT patients (Table 1). There was a higher incidence of any event (p=0.012) and major infectious (MI) events (p Among ChN patients, univariate analysis identified low serum IgG ( 2 chemotherapy courses (p=0.044) as risk factors for MI. Multivariate analysis identified low serum IgG (p=0.03) as the only predictor for MI. Among PrT patients, univariate analysis identified female gender (p=0.015) and baseline hemoglobin level (p=0.031) as risk factors for MI. Multivariate analysis identified increased WBC count (p=0.026) and high (>4.0 mg/dL) beta-2 microglobulin (s2M) (p=0.027) as risk factors for MI in PrT patients. Among ChN and PrT patients none of the variables were found to be risk factor for minor infections (mI) in univariate analysis; multivariate analysis identified high s2M (p=0.034) and splenomegaly (p=0.033) as significant predictors for occurrence of mI among PrT patients. For ChN patients, the nadir neutrophil count was not significantly associated with occurrence of mI or MI over the 6 courses of treatment. On the contrary, it was associated with occurrence of minor, major and any infection in the PrT patients. FCR is a higly effective and well-tolerated regimen. IgG 4.0 mg/L were the main predictive variables for MI in PrT patients. Table 1 . Confirmed Infectious agent ChN Events/224 Pts PrT Events/177/Pts Gram+ bacteria 1 4 Gram- bacteria 4 1 Candida species 1 0 Aspergillus species 2 1 Pneumocystis carinii 2 0 VZV 3 6 HSV 6 4 CMV 3 1
Damage Control Orthopedics

Initial management of trauma begins with the primary survey before orthopedic intervention is performed. All trauma patients are assumed to have cervical spine injury until proven otherwise. The decision between early definitive surgical treatment and initial damage control orthopedics hinges on the physiologic state of unstable or polytrauma patients.
Robots in Group Context: Rethinking Design, Development and Deployment

Over the last decade, the idea that robots could participate meaningfully in complex human contexts such as groups and organizations has developed from a promising vision into a reality. Robots now assist human collectives in simple tasks such as delivery through complex high-stakes tasks such as disaster response or surgery. Despite this dramatic increase, not much is known about how these systems affect and interact with the overall task oriented and social functioning of the groups and organizations they are embedded in and how we should design robots to support all aspects of such interactions. This panel brings together experts on design, robotics, organizational behavior, team dynamics and science and technology studies to discuss challenges and opportunities arising from the increased participation of robots in teams groups and organizations.
Evaluation of soil-structure interaction effects on the damping ratios of buildings subjected to earthquakes

Abstract This paper evaluates the effects of soil-structure interaction on damping ratios of buildings subjected to earthquake ground motions. Explicit expressions of transfer functions of absolute horizontal accelerations of multi-story buildings on an elastic half-space subjected to horizontal ground motions are developed. An optimization procedure is then used to obtain the effective modal properties of a replacement or “equivalent” fixed-based multi-story building that minimize the difference in the ordinates of the absolute acceleration transfer functions in the building on flexible-base relative to those in the replacement fixed-base building. A parametric study was conducted to study the variation of effective modal damping ratios of the fundamental mode and of higher modes of vibration with changes on the wave parameter. Results indicate soil-structure interaction effects may either increase or reduce the effective modal damping ratio of the fundamental period. Typically, it reduces the effective damping ratios of slender long period structures such as tall buildings and increases the damping ratio of short and medium period structures. It is shown that the reduction of effective modal damping ratio of the fundamental mode with increasing height computed in this study follows a similar trend to that observed in instrumented buildings, indicating that the reduction in damping ratio observed in buildings as their height increases is primarily due to soil-structure interaction effects. Furthermore, it is shown that soil-structure interaction effects lead to an approximately linear trend in effective modal damping ratios with increasing modal frequency.
Hydrodynamic analog of particle trapping with the Talbot effect

A hydrodynamic analog of the Talbot or self-imaging effect is observed on the surface of a vertically shaken fluid bath when a periodic row of pillars protrudes from the surface. The self-images are used to trap bouncing and walking droplets.
Designing, facilitating, and scaling-up video-based professional development: supporting complex forms of teaching in science and mathematics.

This special issue brings together four effective video-based professional development programs—two in mathematics and two in science—that use classroom videos as the centerpiece of their efforts and have “scaling up” as their goal. In each paper, the authors surface their design considerations for creating scalable and sustainable video-based professional development interventions, including the challenges and successes they have experienced. The papers also emphasize the role of professional development facilitators in the scalability and sustainability of their programs and how best to support this emerging class of education professionals. This introductory paper situates these papers within the current literature on the design and facilitation of video-based professional development programs.
Mechanisms of repetitive retrograde contractions in response to sustained esophageal distension: A study evaluating patients with postfundoplication dysphagia

Repetitive retrograde contractions (RRCs) are a common response to sustained esophageal distension among spastic achalasia patients when evaluated with the functional luminal imaging probe. We eval...
The role of inhaled nitric oxide and heliox in the management of acute respiratory failure

The application of positive-pressure mechanical ventilation is one of the cornerstones of support for patients with acute respiratory failure. Unfortunately, the clinical condition of some patients does not improve, despite escalating ventilatory support. Adjunctive therapies to mechanical ventilation such as nitric oxide and heliox have been explored for the purposes of minimizing injurious settings and supporting adequate gas exchange. As specific therapies continue to evolve, clinicians should have a clear understanding of the physiologic basis and evidence before deciding to use any adjunctive therapy. This article discusses the role of nitric oxide and heliox as adjunct therapies to mechanical ventilation. Many questions remain about the role of these unique gases in the management of pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure. Should nitric oxide be used outside of its approved indication, and should heliox be used at all due to the lack of definitive evidence?