cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Literature for young people: Nonfiction books about death

Abstract Recently there has been a breakthrough in literature for young people that allows issues related to death and suicide to be addressed openly. Interest on the part of publishers, authors, and the public has not abated on these issues. This article presents an overview of the literature available. Authors who have attempted to present nonfiction material about death to children have come to the task from various vantage points: anthropology, biology, ecology, theology, thanatology, and more. Within the past several years, numerous specialized books have been published, such as books that deal with suicide exclusively or concentrate on the death of a parent. Nonfiction books about death have been in the vanguard in the creation and promotion of new forms of writing for young people. Examples are the use of a dialogue approach as well as the use of journalism techniques and case histories. Exploration of grief and mourning are accomplished in a manner that is both scholarly and compassionate in most ...
Hydrogen Sulfide and Oxygen Sensing in the Cardiovascular System

Vertebrate cardiorespiratory homeostasis is inextricably dependent upon specialized cells that provide feedback on oxygen status in the tissues, blood, and on occasion, environment. These "oxygen sensing" cells include chemoreceptors and oxygen-sensitive chromaffin cells that initiate cardiorespiratory reflexes, vascular smooth muscle cells that adjust perfusion to metabolism or ventilation, and other cells that condition themselves in response to episodic hypoxia. Identification of how these cells sense oxygen and transduce this into the appropriate physiological response has enormous clinical applicability, but despite intense research there is no consensus regarding the initial hypoxia-effector coupling mechanism. This review examines an alternative mechanism of oxygen sensing using oxidation of endogenously produced hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) as the O(2)-sensitive couple. Support for this hypothesis includes the similarity of effects of hypoxia and H(2)S on a variety of tissues, augmentation of hypoxic responses by precursors of H(2)S production and their inhibition by inhibitors of H(2)S synthesis, and the rapid consumption of H(2)S by O(2) in the range of intracellular/mitochondrial Po(2). These studies also indicate that, under normoxic conditions, it is doubtful that free H(2)S has longer than a transient existence in tissue or extracellular fluid.
Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney with emphasis on ultrastructural studies

Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) is a malignant childhood tumor distinguished from Wilms' tumor by its gross, microscopic, and ultrastructural morphologic features and its propensity to metastasize to bone. Some clinical features of 75 cases of CCSK registered in the National Wilms' Tumor Studies I-III are presented along with the results of electron microscopic study of 12 tumors. Ultrastructural features of the tumor are compared to those of tumors of pericytes, Schwann's cells, renomedullary interstitial cells, fibroblasts, other renal tumors, and other clear cell tumors. Fine structural properties of primitive cells with variable numbers of organelles do not strongly suggest a histogenetic origin. The effect of formalin fixation on perinuclear cytoplasmic filaments and the tendency of tumor cell extensions to enfold the pale extracellular matrix explain the vacuolated appearance of some tumor cells.
Purification of the FLP site-specific recombinase by affinity chromatography and re-examination of basic properties of the system

Abstract The FLP protein, a site-specific recombinase encoded by the 2 micron plasmid of yeast, has been purified to near homogeneity from extracts of E. coli cells in which the protein has been expressed. The purification is a three column procedure, the final step employing affinity chromatography. The affinity ligand consists of a DNA polymer with multiple FLP protein binding sites arranged in tandem repeats. This protocol yields 2 mg of FLP protein which is 85% pure. The purified protein is highly active, stable for several months at -70 degrees C and free of detectable nucleases. The molecular weight and N-terminal sequence are identical to that predicted for the FLP protein by the DNA sequence of the gene. Purified FLP protein primarily, but not exclusively, promotes intramolecular recombination. Intermolecular recombination becomes the dominant reaction when E. coli extracts containing no FLP protein are added to the reaction mixture. These extracts are not specifically required for recombination, but demonstrate that some properties previously attributed to FLP protein can be assigned to contaminating proteins present in E. coli.
ESTIMATING MOTORIST DELAY AT TWO-LANE HIGHWAY WORK ZONES

Abstract Maintenance or construction activity on a two-lane highway often requires a lane closure. As these conditions dictate that vehicles in both directions of travel utilize the highway's single remaining lane, significant motorist delay typically results. This paper presents a queueing-based approach for estimating the average delay imposed on vehicles in each operating cycle. To accommodate the stochastic nature of work zone operations, the research has exploited standard methods such as Monte-Carlo simulation and approximate analysis techniques to formulate models for predicting percentile values of average cyclic delay. Comparison of average delay values estimated using the formulated “approximate techniques” with those generated through Monte-Carlo and microscopic simulation suggests that the proposed method is a reasonable means for estimating work zone impacts.
Various Quantum Mechanical Aspects of Quadratic Forms

Two of the oldest known classical integrable systems are: (i) n-decoupled harmonic oscillators, constrained to the surface of the n-sphere (i.e., the classical C. Neumann system), and (ii) geodesic flow on an n-axial ellipsoid. We integrate both these systems at the quantum level. That is, in both cases we construct n−1 pairwise-commuting partial differential operators which, in turn, commute with the respective quantum Hamiltonians. Moreover, the joint eigenvalues of the commuting partial differential operators appear to be encoded linearly as parameters in an n-parameter eigenvalue equation given by a second-order complex ordinary differential equation with automorphic boundary conditions. We then focus on the particular case of two degrees of freedom (i.e., R3). Via the microlocal wave-averaging ansatz combined with explicit WKB constructions, we give a spectral analysis (both classical and semiclassical) of the above systems, and subsequently exhibit connections between the various spectral asymptotics. In the course of this analysis, we show that the above two systems are intimately related to yet another quantum integrable system, the reduced quantum asymmetric rigid body in a vacuum.
Acquired Craniofacial Features Associated with Chronic Phenytoin Therapy

Although the teratogenic effect of phenytoin on the fetus has been well-documented, the effect on postnatal facial structure has not been emphasized. The evolution of such changes is illustrated with serial photographs and case histories of five mentally retarded individuals not known to have diagnoses that could account for these dysmorphic features. The intent of this report is to increase awareness of this serious consequence of phenytoin therapy and to stimulate interest in further studies of the phenomenon. The incidence and prevalence, mechanism of production, genetic predisposition, and critical age for development of this effect in patients treated with phenytoin needs to be determined.
Change in knee contact force with simulated change in body weight

The relationship between obesity, weight gain and progression of knee osteoarthritis is well supported, suggesting that excessive joint loading may be a mechanism responsible for cartilage deterioration. Examining the influence of weight gain on joint compressive forces is difficult, as both muscles and ground reaction forces can have a significant impact on the forces experienced during gait. While previous studies have examined the relationship between body weight and knee forces, these studies have used models that were not validated using experimental data. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between changes in body weight and changes in knee joint contact forces for an individual's gait pattern using musculoskeletal modeling that is validated against known internal compressive forces. Optimal weighting constants were determined for three subjects to generate valid predictions of knee contact forces (KCFs) using in vivo data collection with instrumented total knee arthroplasty. A total of five simulations per walking trial were generated for each subject, from 80% to 120% body weight in 10% increments, resulting in 50 total simulations. The change in peak KCF with respect to body weight was found to be constant and subject-specific, predominantly determined by the peak force during the baseline condition at 100% body weight. This relationship may be further altered by any change in kinematics or body mass distribution that may occur as a result of a change in body weight or exercise program.
A nitric oxide signaling pathway controls CREB-mediated gene expression in neurons

Prevailing views of neurotrophin action hold that the transcription factor CREB is constitutively bound to target genes with transcriptional activation occurring via CREB phosphorylation. However, we report that within several CRE-containing genes, CREB is not constitutively bound. Upon exposure of neurons to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), CREB becomes rapidly bound to DNA coincident with phosphorylation at its transcriptional regulatory site, Ser133. This inducible CREB-DNA binding is independent of CREB Ser133 phosphorylation and is not affected by inhibition of the ERK or PI3K signaling pathways. Instead, BDNF regulates CREB binding by initiating a nitric oxide-dependent signaling pathway that leads to S-nitrosylation of nuclear proteins that associate with CREB target genes. Pharmacological manipulation of neurons in vitro and analysis of mice lacking neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) suggest that NO mediates BDNF and activity-dependent expression of CREB target genes. Thus, in conjunction with CREB phosphorylation, the NO pathway controls CREB-DNA binding and CRE-mediated gene expression.
The role of faulting on surface deformation patterns from pumping-induced groundwater flow (Las Vegas Valley, USA)

Land subsidence and earth fissuring can cause damage in semiarid urbanized valleys where pumping exceeds natural recharge. In places such as Las Vegas Valley (USA), Quaternary faults play an important role in the surface deformation patterns by constraining the migration of land subsidence and creating complex relationships with surface fissures. These fissures typically result from horizontal displacements that occur in zones where extensional stress derived from groundwater flow exceeds the tensile strength of the near-surface sediments. A series of hypothetical numerical models, using the finite-element code ABAQUS and based on the observed conditions of the Eglington Fault zone, were developed. The models reproduced the (1) long-term natural recharge and discharge, (2) heavy pumping and (3) incorporation of artificial recharge that reflects the conditions of Las Vegas Valley. The simulated hydrostratigraphy consists of three aquifers, two aquitards and a relatively dry vadose zone, plus a normal fault zone that reflects the Quaternary Eglington fault. Numerical results suggest that a 100-m-wide fault zone composed of sand-like material produces: (1) conditions most similar to those observed in Las Vegas Valley and (2) the most favorable conditions for the development of fissures to form on the surface adjacent to the fault zone.
Cardioversion of atrial fibrillation with ibutilide: when is it most effective?

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is found in 1% of persons above the age of 60 years. More than 5% of the population older than 69 years and about 14% of octogenarians are at risk for this arrhythmia. It is estimated that 1.5 to 3 million persons in the United States alone suffer from AF. The public health implications and attendant morbidity are a significant drain on our health care system. Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical and echocardiographic predictors of success in converting AF of ≥ 24 h duration. Methods: Demographic and clinical and echocardiographic parameters of 101 patients with recent onset AF (> 24 h) who received ibutilide were studied. Results: Of 101 patients, 56 (55%) converted to sinus rhythm. Age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, left ventricular ejection fraction (≤ 35%), congestive heart failure, and previous medication for rate control had no significant effect on the conversion rate. Conversion rate was only 30% (9/30 patients) in the presence of an enlarged left atrium (LA > 5 cm) and 37.7% (23/61 patients) in the presence of mitral valve disease (MVD), whereas the conversion rate was 82.5% (33/40 patients) in the absence of MVD and 85% (29/34 patients) in the absence of both enlarged LA and MVD (p =< 0.001). Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) also exhibited a significantly greater response to ibutilide than patients without CAD (77 vs. 46%, p-value 0.005). Conclusion: As a therapy for cardioversion of AF, ibutilide is most effective in a selected subgroup patients, such as in patients with CAD and in patients without MVD and/ormarkedly enlarged left atrium.
Housing Insecurity among Urban Fathers

This article examines housing insecurity among an understudied population: urban fathers of young children. Housing security is of particular importance for vulnerable populations, and urban fathers, many of whom face unemployment and monitoring from the child support and criminal justice systems, often rely on this security to mitigate the socioeconomic challenges they face. By assessing the extent and type of housing insecurity affecting urban fathers, we identify a potentially serious source of disadvantage facing families more broadly. A year after the birth of a new child, fully a quarter of fathers reported significant housing insecurities with 3% experiencing homelessness. Results suggest that from 9 to 12% of fathers are doubling up, relying on others for living expenses, and moving more than once every year. Finally, only half of fathers had been able to maintain housing security over the three to four years since the focal child?s birth.
Some factors of the hydrology of the Sierra Nevada foothills

The purpose of this paper is to discuss briefly some factors of the hydrology in the Sierra Nevada foothills of the San Joaquin Basin. The data presented are primarily concerned with the hydrologic phases of a study started by the Forest Service at North Fork, California, in 1929 to determine the influence of the woodland-chaparral vegetation on water-yield, surface-runoff, and erosion. [A complete discussion of the experimental results of the North Fork study is contained in a manuscript by P. B. Rowe, “influence of woodland-chaparral vegetation on soil-water relations,” submitted March 1940 for publication as a U.S. Dept. Agric Tech. Bull.]
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Contributes to the Peripheral Inflammatory Response in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Peripheral corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is thought to have proinflammatory effects. We used the model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) to study the role of CRH in an immune-mediated disease. We showed that CRH-deficient mice are resistant to EAE, with a decrease in clinical score as well as decreased cellular infiltration in the CNS. Furthermore, Ag-specific responses of primed T cells as well as anti-CD3/anti-CD28 TCR costimulation were decreased in crh(-/-) mice with decreased production of Th1 cytokines and increased production of Th2 cytokines. Wild-type mice treated in vivo with a CRH antagonist showed a decrease in IFN-gamma production by primed T cells in vitro. This effect of CRH is independent of its ability to increase corticosterone production, because adrenalectomized wild-type mice had similar disease course and severity as control mice. We found that IkappaBalpha phosphorylation induced by TCR cross-linking was decreased in crh(-/-) T cells. We conclude that peripheral CRH exerts a proinflammatory effect in EAE with a selective increase in Th1-type responses. These findings have implications for the treatment of Th1-mediated diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Free-electron lasers

In a free-electron laser an electron beam interacts with a periodic electromagnetic structure to amplify electromagnetic waves. A short history of the device, a summary of major accomplishments, and a tutorial single particle free-electron laser physics analysis are presented.
Resilient Practices in Maintaining Safety of Health Information Technologies

Electronic health record systems (EHRs) can improve safety and reliability of health care, but they can also introduce new vulnerabilities by failing to accommodate changes within a dynamic EHR-enabled health care system. Continuous assessment and improvement is thus essential for achieving resilience in EHR-enabled health care systems. Given the rapid adoption of EHRs by many organizations that are still early in their experiences with EHR safety, it is important to understand practices for maintaining resilience used by organizations with a track record of success in EHR use. We conducted interviews about safety practices with 56 key informants (including information technology managers, chief medical information officers, physicians, and patient safety officers) at two large health care systems recognized as leaders in EHR use. We identified 156 references to resilience-related practices from 41 informants. Framework analysis generated five categories of resilient practices: (a) sensitivity to dynamics and interdependencies affecting risks, (b) basic monitoring and responding practices, (c) management of practices and resources for monitoring and responding, (d) sensitivity to risks beyond the horizon, and (e) reflecting on risks with the safety and quality control process itself. The categories reflect three functions that facilitate resilience: reflection, transcending boundaries, and involving sharp-end practitioners in safety management.
An integrated reconfigurable switched-capacitor DC-DC converter with a dual-loop adaptive gain-pulse control

This paper presents a new integrated reconfigurable switched-capacitor dc-dc converter with a dual-loop adaptive gain-pulse control. The converter employs interleaving dual cell power stage for low ripple voltage and fast load transient. It effectively exploits a reconfigurable power stage structure to achieve for fast gain control and adaptive pulse control. The converter was designed with TSMC 0.35-mum CMOS N-well process. With an input voltage ranging from 2.1 to 3.3 V, the converter achieves variable step-down voltage conversion with an output from 0.9 to 1.8 V and a maximum efficiency of 76%. The measured line regulation is 6 mV/V. The system has continuous dynamic voltage scaling capability with the tracking speeds of 7.1 mus/V and 23.3 mus/V for step-up and step-down voltage changes, respectively. The research provides an effective solution to fast-transient low-ripple integrated power converters.
Reversible Dermal Atrophy in a Cat Treated with Phenytoin

Phenytoin, given to a cat in proportions therapeutic for man (5 to 8 mg/kg), induced severe dermal atrophy with excessive fragility of the skin following daily oral administration for 3 weeks. Dermal collagen was depleted, but remaining collagen seemed structurally normal. Upon cessation of phenytoin treatment, the cat recovered. In an effort to establish an association between phenytoin treatment and a dermal collagen disorder, phenytoin treatment was repeated and the dermal lesion confirmed.
Effect of longitudinal space-charge waves of a helical relativistic electron beam on the cyclotron maser instability

The influence of the longitudinal space-charge waves of a coherently gyrophased helical relativistic electron beam on the cyclotron maser instability is investigated in a cylindrical waveguide configuration using a three-dimensional kinetic theory. A dispersion relation that includes waveguide effects is derived. The stability properties of the cyclotron maser interaction are examined in detail. It is shown that, in general, the effects of space-charge waves on a coherently gyrophased beam are suppressed in a waveguide geometry, in comparison with an ideal one-dimensional cyclotron maser with similar beam parameters. >
Modelling physical objects for simulation

The authors present a framework for modeling and simulating objects with physical attributes. Rather than attaching physical properties to geometric shapes, one directly designs and manipulates objects with intrinsic dynamic properties such as stiffness, mass, and angular momentum. Flexible and rigid bodies can interact in the same simulated physical environment, responding to collisions, fluid velocity fields, friction, and gravity. A modeler and simulator organized along these principles has been implemented and used in computer animation. The results obtained with these systems are presented. >
Application of a seasonal climate model to Cenozoic glaciation

Mathematical modelling of climate has matured as a discipline to the point that it can be useful in palaeoclimatology. As an example a new two-dimensional energy balance model is described and applied to several problems of current interest. The model includes the seasonal cycle and the detailed land-sea geographical distribution. By examining the changes in the seasonal cycle when external perturbations are forced upon the climate system, it is possible to construct hypotheses about the origin of mid-latitude ice sheets and polar ice caps. In particular, the model predicts a rather sudden potential for glaciation over large areas when the earth’s orbital elements are only slightly altered. Similarly, the drift of continents or the change of atmospheric carbon dioxide over geological time can induce radical changes in continental ice cover. With the advance of computer technology and our improved understanding of the individual components of the climate system, it should be possible to test these ideas in far more realistic models in the near future:
Abnormal mitochondrial transport and morphology are common pathological denominators in SOD1 and TDP43 ALS mouse models

Neuronal mitochondrial morphology abnormalities occur in models of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) associated with SOD1 and TDP43 mutations. These abnormalities have been linked to mitochondrial axonal transport defects, but the temporal and spatial relationship between mitochondrial morphology and transport alterations in these two distinct genetic forms of ALS has not been investigated in vivo. To address this question, we crossed SOD1 (wild-type SOD1(WT) and mutant SOD1(G93A)) or TDP43 (mutant TDP43(A315T)) transgenic mice with mice expressing the fluorescent protein Dendra targeted to mitochondria in neurons (mitoDendra). At different time points during the disease course, we studied mitochondrial transport in the intact sciatic nerve of living mice and analyzed axonal mitochondrial morphology at multiple sites, spanning from the spinal cord to the motor terminals. Defects of retrograde mitochondrial transport were detected at 45 days of age, before the onset of symptoms, in SOD1(G93A) and TDP43(A315T) mice, but not in SOD1(WT). At later disease stages, also anterograde mitochondrial transport was affected in both mutant mouse lines. In SOD1(G93A) mice, mitochondrial morphological abnormalities were apparent at 15 days of age, thus preceding transport abnormalities. Conversely, in TDP43(A315T) mice, morphological abnormalities appeared after the onset of transport defects. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that neuronal mitochondrial transport and morphology abnormalities occur in vivo and that they are common denominators of different genetic forms of the ALS. At the same time, differences in the temporal and spatial manifestation of mitochondrial abnormalities between the two mouse models of familial ALS imply that different molecular mechanisms may be involved.
Anionic syntheses of terminally functionalized ethylene oligomers

Synthetic procedures for preparation of terminally functionalized linear ethylene oligomers are described. The preferred synthetic method is anionic oligomerization of ethylene with n-butyllithium–tetramethylethylenediamine and electrophilic substitution of the living oligomer so-formed. Conditions and procedures for subsequent chemistry to elaborate the end groups of these oligomers are described. These procedures afford strictly linear ethylene oligomers which contain a wide variety of end groups and which range in molecular weight from 1000 to 4500 (Mn). The product oligomers were characterized spectroscopically as toluene-d8 solutions at 110°C using multinuclear NMR, FT-IR, fluorescence, and UV-visible spectroscopies as appropriate. Alternative stepwise approaches to such oligomers are also discussed.
Debt relief and institutional reform: a focus on Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Abstract This paper presents a model that links debt relief to the quality of institutions in a country. An important result is that a country needs to achieve some minimum threshold of institutional quality in order to benefit from debt relief. For the empirical analysis, I employ 12 measures of institutional quality to study the institutional environment in Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs). The results indicate that HIPCs have weak institutions—much weaker than other developing countries. This suggests that in order for the HIPC debt-relief program to be successful, institutional reform should form an integral part of the program.
Past, Present and Future Trends of TV Tuner Design in Europe

The european tuner development, is characterized by rapid tuner technology and device evolution during the years from 1962 to 1966. Some of the devices which have been introduced, are transistor RF amplifiers and mixers, bandswitching and varactor diodes, as well as mechanical memories in conjunction with push-button systems for convenient station selection.
The Face of Strigorhysis: Implications of Another Tarsier-Like, Large-Eyed Eocene North American Tarsiiform Primate

The hypothesis that hypertrophic eyeballs were widespread among Eocene tarsiiform primates can be tested by qualitatively examining an integrated set of anatomical features involving the middle face, palate, and orbital floor that are also manifest in Tarsius. The North American anaptomorphine Strigorhysis, restudied via micro-CT, is presented as an example, one of about nine fossil tarsiiforms (FTs) with moderately to enormously enlarged eyes—some possibly tarsier-sized. The eyeballs of Strigorhysis likely were ectopic and comparable in relative size to the smallest-bodied living tarsier, T. pumulis. These fossils, constituting approximately one-third of the Eocene tarsiiform adaptive radiation and possibly others still known essentially from dental remains, appear to form a monophyletic group that includes Tarsius. Small-eyed genera usually classified as omomyids, such as Teilhardina and Rooneyia, are not part of this clade. Although the precise affinities of Tarsius cannot yet be established, the widespread presence of meticulously similar orbital and facial morphology among the fossils suggest it is an ancestral condition— derived for haplorhines—shared by them and not multiply evolved via parallelism or convergence. Consequently, the rarer, tarsier-like postcranial characters found only among European microchoerines, which all exhibit degrees of orbital hypertrophy, should be revisited as potential Tarsius synapomorphies. The overwhelming evidence from the skull and from phylogenetics makes it a vanishingly small possibility that Tarsius is more closely related to anthropoids than to a subset of FTs. Anat Rec, 294:797–812, 2011. V C 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Image analysis for cystic fibrosis: Automatic lung airway wall and vessel measurement on CT images

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal genetic disorder in the Caucasian population, affecting about 30,000 people in the United States. It results in inflammation, hence thickening of airway (AW) walls. It has been demonstrated that AW inflammation begins early in life producing structural AW damage. Because this damage can be present in patients who are relatively asymptomatic, lung disease can progress insidiously. High-resolution computed tomographic imaging has also shown that the AWs of infants and young children with CF have thicker walls and are more dilated than those of normal children. The purpose of this study was to develop computerized methods which allow rapid, efficient and accurate assessment of computed tomographic AW and vessel (V) dimensions from axial CT lung images. For this purpose, a full-width-half-max based automatic AW and V size measurement method was developed. The only user input required is approximate center marking of AW and V by an expert. The method was evaluated on a patient population of 4 infants and 4 children with different stages of mild CF related lung disease. This new automated method for assessing early AW disease in infants and children with CF represents a potentially useful outcome measure for future intervention trials.
Different DNA repair pathways are required following excision and integration of the DNA cut & paste transposon piggyBat in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The movement of transposable elements from place to place in a genome requires both element-encoded and host-encoded factors. In DNA cut & paste transposition, the element-encoded transposase performs the DNA breakage and joining reactions that excise the element from the donor site and integrate it into the new insertion site. Host factors can influence many aspects of transposition. Notably, host DNA repair factors mediate the regeneration of intact duplex DNA necessary after transposase action by repairing the double strand break in the broken donor backbone, from which the transposon has excised, and repairing the single strand gaps that flank the newly inserted transposon. We have exploited the ability of the mammalian transposon piggyBat, a member of the piggyBac superfamily, to transpose in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and used the yeast single gene deletion collection to screen for genes encoding host factors involved in piggyBat transposition. piggyBac transposition is distinguished by the fact that piggyBac elements insert into TTAA target sites and also that the donor backbone is restored to its pre-transposon sequence after transposon excision, that is, excision is precise. We have found that repair of the broken donor backbone requires the non-homologous end-joining repair pathway (NHEJ). By contrast, NHEJ is not required for DNA repair at the new insertion site. Thus multiple DNA repair pathways are required for piggyBac transposition.
Numerical sensitivity experiments of varying model physics on the structure, evolution and dynamics of two mesoscale convective systems

Abstract The effects of different model physics and different convective and boundary layer parameterization schemes are investigated using an 18-h nested-grid numerical simulation of the mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) that were responsible for the 19-20 July 1977 Johnstown flood. It is found that convective and resolable-scale diabatic process play crucial yet very different roles in the development and evolution of the MCSs. In particular, latent heat release resulted in development of strong vertical circulations, generation of an upper-level jet streak, formation of pronounced mesoβ-scale surface pressure perturbations, and rapid amplification of the traveling mesoα-scale wave that helped initiate the condensation processes. Resolvable-scale condensations appear to be directly responsible for the generation of a warm-core mesovortex and indirectly for a mesoscale convective complex (MCC). Without resolvable-scale heating, the model only reproduces the propagation of a squall line. Incorporation o...
Who Governs the Family? Marriage as a New Test Case of Overlapping Jurisdictions

In many areas of law and society, religion and law exercise “overlapping jurisdictions.” Often such overlapping claims concern institutions that have both religious and political dimensions, such as education and schooling; charity and social welfare; and marriage and family life. It is the third of these mixed institutions – marriage and the family – that is the focus of this Essay. The headline battles today are over what forms of marriage should be recognized by the state: straight versus same sex marriage, contract versus covenant marriage, monogamous versus polygamous marriage, and more. But an emerging battle concerns not the forms of marriage, but the forums in which marriage and family cases are adjudicated. Specifically, the new battle is looming over the place of faith-based family laws and religious tribunals.Such jurisdictional conflicts have recently resulted in a growing set of “anti-Shari’a law” statutes, first in Oklahoma and now in Kansas, South Dakota, and elsewhere. Such statutes are based on rather slender, if not specious, rationales – and on a purported study that has not been sufficiently assessed. We argue, contrary to this study, that the very few cases cited by proponents of anti-Shari’a statutes say far more about the use of ordinary principles of comity regarding the law of foreign nations, respect for the voluntary choices of individuals, and a sense of growing multiculturalism in general than they do about any sort of fanciful imposition of Shari'a law on unwitting parties. We oppose such anti-Shari'a laws for their targeted discrimination, their duplication of other laws and decisional norms, their potential conflict with the Federal Arbitration Act, and more.But hard questions persist that cannot be easily swept away with a mere assertion that religious groups should enjoy autonomy over the marriage and family affairs of their voluntary faithful. Those are the questions that we have been probing and encouraging others to probe in this and prior writings: What are the appropriate lines between the civil state and religions with respect to marriage? Civil marriage and divorce are perhaps a least common denominator for all citizens, but can there be variations if accompanied by base level protections for women and children? And how can the state best protect vulnerable members and also advance its liberal ends? Such hard questions need not lead to a jurisdictional stand-off between law and religion, however, nor to a universal and over-reaching claim by the state. Instead, negotiation, compromise, and mutual respect may lead to more nuanced and achievable results – especially if we are careful not to be so distracted by conversations about the propriety of Shari'a that we miss the actual complications of the growing marital and legal pluralism in the United States.
Wholesale Late Merger in Ā-Movement: Evidence from Preposition Stranding

To account for several asymmetries between A- and Ā-movement, Takahashi and Hulsey (2009) generalize the late merger option (Lebeaux 1988, Chomsky 1995) as wholesale late merger (WLM). In particular, allowing an NP to merge with a head D as late as (but no later than) its Case position explains why Ā but not A-movement displays Principle C reconstruction effects. In this article, I claim that WLM is also responsible for pervasive asymmetries within the class of Ā-extractions. The evidence comes from restrictions on English preposition stranding. I document a correlation between a preposition’s complementation properties and its ability to be stranded: prepositions that disallow pronominal complements can only be stranded by a subset of Ā-extractions. I argue that the extractions allowing pronoun-rejecting prepositions to be stranded disallow WLM, while those that disallow the stranding allow (and require) WLM.
Central post-stroke pain: theories, diagnosis and treatment

SUNY Downstate Medical Center & Stroke Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, MSC 1213, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2012, USA *Author for correspondence: Tel.: +1 718 270 7687; jonathan.singer@downstate.edu
Timing of the definitive prebasic molt in Yellow Warblers at James Bay, Ontario

The relationship between breeding, molt, and migration of Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia) was studied on the southwest coast of James Bay, Ontario from 1982 to 1984. Breeding chronology was similar in each year, with a mean fledging date of 11 to 12 July. Color-banded individuals regularly overlapped molt and care of fledglings. Knownbreeding males began remigial molt 8.1 days after young fledged (range = 1-19 days), females 12.3 days (range = 9-15 days). The population mean date of molt onset was 17 July for males, and 22 July for females. Females molted significantly more rapidly than males, and both sexes completed molt on the mean date of 28 August. There were marked behavioral differences between the sexes during molt. Males typically remained on territories, advertising their presence with song. Females showed little site attachment, wandering over the study area or dispersing. Both sexes gained weight during the early and middle periods of molt, but lost weight prior to migration. Most birds began migrating during the final stages of remigial molt. Depletion of insect food and deteriorating weather in late summer appear to have selected for a rapid, intense molt of 35 to 45 days, during which some birds may become virtually flightless. The importance of maintaining thermoregulatory abilities and high rates of feeding may constrain further reduction in molt duration. The need for maintaining peak flight efficiency during fledgling care and migration may have partially determined the scheduling of molt in this population.
Chronic Pain, Chronic Demoralization, and the Role of Psychotherapy

This article discusses demoralization in patients with chronic pain and the role of psychotherapy at combating chronic demoralization associated with chronic pain. The advantages of the biopsychosocial conceptual framework for the understanding of chronic pain are highlighted. Demoralization may be viewed as a combination of distress and subjective incompetence. While the distress experienced by the patient may be understandable and commensurate to the predicament, the co-occurrence of subjective incompetence (the polar opposite of resilience) and its escalation to helplessness, and hopelessness may result in suicidal attempts, demands for euthanasia, or death by suicide. The complexity of chronic pain and its relationship to demoralization may be examined from multiple perspectives. Biological, psychological, social and cultural variables play varying roles depending on the observer’s perspective and the context of the observation. The role of psychotherapy in chronic pain may be viewed in terms of multiple pathways through which language, cognitive style, behavior, relationships, attitude towards pain, and awareness of the body modify the relative influences of top-down and bottom-up processing of information within the pain neuromatrix. Various psychotherapeutic interventions developed for patients with chronic pain are reviewed and recommendations are made for future research.
Biology-inspired approach for communal behavior in massively deployed sensor networks

Research in wireless sensor networks has accelerated rapidly in recent years. The promise of ubiquitous control of the physical environment opens the way for new applications that will redefine the way we live and work. Due to the small size and low cost of sensor devices, visionaries promise smart systems enabled by deployment of massive numbers of sensors working in concert. To date, most of the research effort has concentrated on forming ad hoc networks under centralized control, which is not scalable to massive deployments. This thesis proposes an alternative approach based on models inspired by biological systems and reports significant results based on this new approach. This perspective views sensor devices as autonomous organisms in a community interacting as part of an ecosystem rather than as nodes in a computing network. The networks that result from this design make local decisions based on local information in order for the network to achieve global goals, thus we must engineer for emergent behavior in wireless sensor networks. First we implemented a simulator based on cellular automata to be used in algorithm development and assessment. Then we developed efficient algorithms to exploit emergent behavior for finding the average of distributed values, synchronizing distributed clocks, and conducting distributed binary voting. These algorithms are shown to be convergent and efficient by analysis and simulation. Finally, an extension of this perspective is used and demonstrated to provide significant progress on the noise abatement problem for jet aircraft. Using local information and actions, optimal impedance values for an acoustic liner are determined in situ providing the basis for an adaptive noise abatement system that provides superior noise reduction compared with current technology and previous research efforts.
Awareness of transmission,prevention and control of Hepatitis C among community residents in Putuo District,Shanghai

Objective To examine awareness of hepatitis C transmission,prevention and control among community residents in Putuo District,Shanghai. Methods Community residents were selected by a two-staged sampling method and were recruited to participate in a face-to-face questionnaire interview. Results A total of 597 community residents participated in the survey. Only 1. 5% of them correctly answered all questions whereas 25. 8% provided wrong answers to all questions. Only 13. 4% of them answered correctly to all nine questions about transmission route of hepatitis C. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that participants who were non-Shanghai permanent residents were less knowledgeable than Shanghai permanent residents about hepatitis C,while participants who received college education were more knowledgeable than those receiving maximally middle school education,OR values were 0. 36(95% CI: 0. 17-0. 76) and 2. 74(95% CI: 1. 56-4. 82). Conclusion Community residents particularly non-Shanghai permanent residents and those with low education level in Putuo District of Shanghai had very low knowledge of hepatitis C. More efforts for hepatitis C education were warranted.
Study on the Coordination of Load Shedding and Under-Frequency Load Shedding in Isolated Power System with Wind Power Penetration

Frequency influencing factors in isolated power grid with wind power penetration during the disturbance of power shortage are analyzed in this paper,such as wind power penetration level,wind turbine types,inertia control loop and wind power fluctuation.The qualitatively theoretical derivation is presented,which is demonstrated to be correct by simulation.Based on the above-mentioned influencing factors,in the light of the phenomenon of large dive depth and long duration of the frequency fast swing after fault,load shedding time and load shedding ratio coordination scheme is proposed.Simulation results verify the correctness of the rationality and feasibility of the proposed coordination scheme.
Orthogonal Methods for Characterizing the Unfolding of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies: Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Isothermal Chemical Denaturation, and Intrinsic Fluorescence with Concomitant Static Light Scattering

Evaluating prospective protein pharmaceutical stability from accelerated screening is a critical challenge in biotherapeutic discovery and development. Measurements of protein unfolding transitions are widely employed for comparing candidate molecules and formulations; however, the interrelationships between intrinsic protein conformational stability and pharmaceutical robustness are complex and thermal unfolding measurements can be misleading. Beyond the discovery phase of drug development, astute formulation design is one of the most crucial factors enabling the protein to resist damage to its higher order structure-initially from bioprocessing stresses, then from stresses encountered during its journey from the product manufacturing site to the bloodstream of the patient. Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are multidomain proteins that represent a large and growing segment of the biotechnology pipeline. In this chapter, we describe how differential scanning calorimetry may be leveraged synergistically with isothermal chemical denaturation and intrinsic fluorescence with concomitant static light scattering to elucidate characteristics of mAb unfolding and aggregation that are helpful toward understanding and designing optimal pharmaceutical compositions for these molecules.
Ultrafast magnetization reversal by picosecond electrical pulses

The field of spintronics involves the study of both spin and charge transport in solid-state devices. Ultrafast magnetism involves the use of femtosecond laser pulses to manipulate magnetic order on subpicosecond time scales. We unite these phenomena by using picosecond charge current pulses to rapidly excite conduction electrons in magnetic metals. We observe deterministic, repeatable ultrafast reversal of the magnetization of a GdFeCo thin film with a single sub–10-ps electrical pulse. The magnetization reverses in ~10 ps, which is more than one order of magnitude faster than any other electrically controlled magnetic switching, and demonstrates a fundamentally new electrical switching mechanism that does not require spin-polarized currents or spin-transfer/orbit torques. The energy density required for switching is low, projecting to only 4 fJ needed to switch a (20 nm) 3 cell. This discovery introduces a new field of research into ultrafast charge current–driven spintronic phenomena and devices.
Diagnosing urethral duplication including a novel radiological diagnostic algorithm.

Until this 24 -year -old male was sexually active, the small dimple on his penile glans had never required any consideration. However, persistent focal irritation during sexual intercourse compelled him to pursue medical attention. Following urological consultation he was referred for imaging evaluation that demonstrated urethral duplication. After determining the subtype classification, urologic repair was successfully completed without complication. Urethral duplication is an exceedingly rare genitourinary anatomic anomaly with a variety of presentations and symptomatology. The vast majority of urethral duplications are diagnosed within the paediatric and adolescent populations. Although urethral duplication is managed by urologists, imaging identification of the particular subtype is critical for proper management planning. A thorough review of existing literature on the classification strategies and diagnostic criteria is discussed. Owing to the scarcity of clinical experience, a wide variety of diagn...