cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reactive power compensation of grid-connected inverter in vehicle-to-grid application to mitigate balanced grid voltage sag

Modernized grid needs ancillary service as a variety of distributed energy resources are connected. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) application is one of promising distributed energy resources, which enables to transfer bidirectional power between batteries of plug-in electric vehicle and the grid as well as offer ancillary service to the grid. Benefits of V2G application are voltage and frequency regulation, and spinning reserves. To achieve benefits of V2G application, grid-connected inverter (GCI) and its control method are significant. This paper presents control methods of GCI in V2G application to mitigate balanced voltage sag. Voltage sag detector and reactive power compensation are implemented. A 10 kW GCI with output LCL filter and closed-loop control is simulated for V2G application.
Controlling proximity-malware infection in diverse tactical mobile networks using K-distance pruning

Proximity-based malware, such as cyber cellphone worms and trojans, has been identified to be one of the serious open threats to wireless networks operating at the tactical edge. The ability of malware to exploit the vulnerabilities of a wireless mobile platform is often a function of the mix of software and hardware which define its platform. In this paper, we utilize a proactive strategy which takes advantage of platform diversity metrics to defend against cyber worm attacks in tactical networks. This strategy uses dynamic K-Distance pruning to minimize the total number of shared edges between nodes with similar platforms while retaining access to mission-critical services. To achieve this we introduce a new neighborhood diversity metric and show how it can be used to limit the spread of malware in a multi-platform mobile network by reducing contact between machines with similar vulnerabilities. We test our assumptions via an agent-based simulation of epidemic malware in a synthetic tactical network.
P126 Spatiotemporal and task dependence of broadband aftereffects observed following parietal 10-Hz tACS: A MEG study

Introduction Rhythmic tACS is known to entrain brain oscillations. Less well characterized are aftereffects of tACS that may result from stimulation-driven entrainment and/or cross-frequency coupling or more generally from broadband responses determined by intrinsic and/or task-dependent local and brain network properties ( Veniero2015 ). Objective To characterize aftereffects of 10-Hz tACS within multiple cortical and subcortical brain regions. Materials & methods 10-Hz active (1 mA, 20 min) and sham (1 mA, 30 s) tACS was applied in separate experimental sessions over bilateral parietal cortex (P3/P4) during performance of a visual global/local attention task. Structural MRI/MEG data were obtained from 8 healthy adult participants. Images presented were “global” letters (H or S) composed of smaller, “local” letters (H or S). A visual cue switched motor responses between global and local features. MEG data were cleaned with Elekta Neuromag MaxFilterTM. Brainstorm was used to remove eyeblink and cardiac artifacts and to extract Morlet time–frequency (TF) waveforms for brain regions in the Desikan-Killany atlas. Power TF plots were averaged across participants and compared (active vs. sham, t-test p 0.05) for a subset of 1612 sham/active global/local trials recorded ∼5 and ∼10 min post stimulation. Results Significant increases in alpha and beta were seen in bilateral inferior parietal cortex, with increased left hemisphere gamma for “local” but not “global” trials. Task-related decreased activation at alpha, beta, ∼30 Hz and gamma was observed in left hippocampus for both “local” and “global” trials. Aftereffects were also observed in bilateral superior parietal, superior frontal and lateral occipital cortex as well as medial orbitofrontal cortex, precuneus and cerebellum. Conclusion We found complex frequency- and task-dependence of oscillatory activity following 10-Hz tACS, supporting the notion that aftereffects are modulated by intrinsic and/or task-dependent local and network properties. Download : Download high-res image (210KB) Download : Download full-size image Download : Download high-res image (227KB) Download : Download full-size image
What’s Hot and What’s Not? - Exploring Trends in Bioinformatics Literature Using Topic Modeling and Keyword Analysis

Scientists exploring a new area of research are interested to know the “hot” topics in that area in order to make informed choices. With exponential growth in scientific literature, identifying such trends manually is not easy. Topic modeling has emerged as an effective approach to analyze large volumes of text. While this approach has been applied on literature in other scientific areas, there has been no formal analysis of bioinformatics literature.
Development of TiO2 containing hardmasks through plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition

With the increasing prevalence of complex device integration schemes, trilayer patterning with a solvent strippable hardmask can have a variety of applications. Spin-on metal hardmasks have been the key enabler for selective removal through wet strip when active areas need to be protected from dry etch damage. As spin-on metal hardmasks require a dedicated track to prevent metal contamination and are limited in their ability to scale down thickness without compromising on defectivity, there has been a need for a deposited hardmask solution. Modulation of film composition through deposition conditions enables a method to create TiO2 films with wet etch tunability. This paper presents a systematic study on development and characterization of plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposited (PEALD) TiO2-based hardmasks for patterning applications. We demonstrate lithographic process window, pattern profile, and defectivity evaluation for a trilayer scheme patterned with PEALD-based TiO2 hardmask and its performance under dry and wet strip conditions. Comparable structural and electrical performance is shown for a deposited versus a spin-on metal hardmask.
Topology, geometry and quantum interference in condensed matter physics

The methods of quantum field theory are widely used in condensed matter physics. In particular, the concept of an effective action was proven useful when studying low temperature and long distance behavior of condensed matter systems. Often the degrees of freedom which appear due to spontaneous symmetry breaking or an emergent gauge symmetry, have non-trivial topology. In those cases, the terms in the effective action describing low energy degrees of freedom can be metric independent (topological). We consider a few examples of topological terms of different types and discuss some of their consequences. We will also discuss the origin of these terms and calculate effective actions for several fermionic models. In this approach, topological terms appear as phases of fermionic determinants and represent quantum anomalies of fermionic models. In addition to the wide use of topological terms in high energy physics, they appeared to be useful in studies of charge and spin density waves, Quantum Hall Effect, spin chains, frustrated magnets, topological insulators and superconductors, and some models of high-temperature superconductivity.
Received Support from Friends about Sex-Related Concerns: A Multiple Goals Perspective

Informed by research on friends’ sex-related talk, received support, and the multiple goals perspective, this study examined how college students’ interaction goals explained the support received from friends when talking about sex-related concerns. An online survey of 139 college students indicated instrumental, identity, and relational goals helped and hindered receiving nurturant, informational, and tangible support from friends, suggesting goals should not be studied in isolation. Results also evidenced the importance of having a combination of goal types to maximize received support from friends when talking about sex-related concerns.
Development of the Interpretation Bias Index for PTSD

Cognitive models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) implicate interpretation biases as a maintaining factor of symptoms. Existing measures index symptoms and negative beliefs in PTSD patients, but not threatening interpretation of socially-ambiguous information, which would further inform cognitive models of PTSD. Here we describe the development of a measure of interpretation bias specific to individuals with PTSD. Studies 1 and 2 utilized analog samples to identify the smallest set of items capable of differentiating PTSD-specific interpretation biases. Study 3 utilized a clinical sample to examine the factor structure of the 9-item Interpretation Bias Index for PTSD (IBIP). A bifactor model fit the IBIP best, comprising a general PTSD factor and two subfactors. The IBIP was most strongly related to PTSD symptoms and demonstrated sensitivity and specificity to detecting true PTSD cases. The IBIP has potential clinical utility for tracking interpretation bias in PTSD, or even screening for PTSD diagnoses.
Pathophysiology of the Muscle Phase

Since Paget (1866) discovered Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae during a human autopsy, numerous studies have focused on myopathophysiology in trichinosis. From these studies, it soon became apparent that some of the more outstanding clinical manifestations and the primary causes of mortality in this disease were related to parasitism of striated skeletal muscle and invasion of the myocardium (see Chapter 11). Evidence was also provided establishing the intracellular existence of the muscle larva and revealing that the parasite induced many dramatic alterations in the chemical and physical nature of the host cell. Many of the myopath- ophysiological changes in trichinosis result from the process by which the parasite establishes with the host striated myofiber one of the most intimate and complex host-helminth relationships in nature. This chapter addresses pathophysiology of the muscle phase with emphasis on the roles played by these lesions in the evolution of the aforementioned relationship.
An Unconstrained View of the Employment and Exploitation of Defence Data Fusion Technologies for Harbour Protection

This chapter provides a view of the implications of apparent requirements for Harbour Protection (as seen through the eyes of a novice in the field of Maritime Security) on the design of a Data Fusion process that would aid harbour security staff in an improved understanding of the harbour-related “maritime picture”. To examine the implications of other related Maritime Security problems to the design of Data Fusion processes, the paper also examines process design implications of the broad problem of Maritime Domain Awareness and the narrower problem of Container Shipping security. A summary opinion is offered that: (1) these problems have much in common in terms of system-level design issues but that (2) the solution of specific sub-problems in each domain could benefit significantly from leveraging existing Defence Data Fusion knowledge and capabilities.
Large Phaeodaria in the twilight zone: Their role in the carbon cycle

Author(s): Stukel, MR; Biard, T; Krause, J; Ohman, MD | Abstract: Advances in in situ imaging allow enumeration of abundant populations of large Rhizarians that compose a substantial proportion of total mesozooplankton biovolume. Using a quasi-Lagrangian sampling scheme, we quantified the abundance, vertical distributions, and sinking-related mortality of Aulosphaeridae, an abundant family of Phaeodaria in the California Current Ecosystem. Inter-cruise variability was high, with average concentrations at the depth of maximum abundance ranging from l 10 to g 300 cells m−3, with seasonal and interannual variability associated with temperature-preferences and regional shoaling of the 10°C isotherm. Vertical profiles showed that these organisms were consistently most abundant at 100–150 m depth. Average turnover times with respect to sinking were 4.7–10.9 d, equating to minimum in situ population growth rates of ~ 0.1–0.2 d−1. Using simultaneous measurements of sinking organic carbon, we find that these organisms could only meet their carbon demand if their carbon : volume ratio were ~ 1 μg C mm−3. This value is substantially lower than previously used in global estimates of rhizarian biomass, but is reasonable for organisms that use large siliceous tests to inflate their cross-sectional area without a concomitant increase in biomass. We found that Aulosphaeridae alone can intercept g 20% of sinking particles produced in the euphotic zone before these particles reach a depth of 300 m. Our results suggest that the local (and likely global) carbon biomass of Aulosphaeridae, and probably the large Rhizaria overall, needs to be revised downwards, but that these organisms nevertheless play a major role in carbon flux attenuation in the twilight zone.
Adult and Community Influence on Sexual Experience Among First-, Second-, and Third-Generation Immigrant Youth:

Adult and community support may protect against sexual experience among immigrant youth, but it remains unknown whether this support confers protection equally across immigrant generations. Drawing...
Liberal Pluralism and Common Decency

An interpretation of Isaiah Berlin’s liberal pluralism is presented in which his tragic value pluralism is embedded within, and constrained by the other ingredients of, a common moral horizon that gives priority to the value of human survival, to social rules (which may be called natural laws) of decency or justice that are deemed essential to survival, to a minimum core of human rights distributed and sanctioned by such rules, and to a minimum sphere of negative liberty carved out by such basic moral rights. A serious objection is that this interpretation assumes that human survival and human rights are far more important than (and thus rationally comparable with) any conflicting incommensurable values, contrary to the view associated with Berlin’s pluralism that incommensurable values are necessarily incomparable so that any conflict between them cannot be rationally resolved. But the objection is unpersuasive because, whatever Berlin’s idea of incommensurable values is (and his idea remains ambiguous), incommensurability cannot properly be reduced to incomparability: reasonable comparisons of incommensurable values are possible under plausible forms of incommensurability whereas incomparability is arguably an extreme form that tends to disappear with increasing information about competing values. It needs emphasis, however, that Berlin’s writings are marked by various ambiguities and inconsistencies, which require further critical discussion on another occasion.
Deleterious alterations in DNA-damage repair (daDDR) genes as a predictive biomarker for platinum-based chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC).

266Background: Germline genetic testing and somatic genomic profiling using commercial multigene panels are now routine in mPDAC. A subset of these patients have deleterious alterations in genes in...
Wide-Area Situational Awareness based Power System Stabilizer Tuning with Utility Scale PV Integration

Historically, poorly damped electromechanical oscillations exhibited by synchronous generators have caused power system blackouts. With variable generation sources such as PV power integrated in power systems, the high variability and lack of sufficiently accurate forecasts, triggers electromechanical oscillations. Optimally tuned power system stabilizers (PSSs) are expected to provide effective damping to these electromechanical oscillations. The effects of the variations of the PV power and system disturbances on the speed deviations of the generators are captured and used in the formulation of the cost function to be optimized. The IEEE 68 bus 16 generator benchmark New England–New York power system integrated with utility scale PV generation sources is studied.
Visual Road: A Video Data Management Benchmark

Recently, video database management systems (VDBMSs) have re-emerged as an active area of research and development. To accelerate innovation in this area, we present Visual Road, a benchmark that evaluates the performance of these systems. Visual Road comes with a data generator and a suite of queries over cameras positioned within a simulated metropolitan environment. Visual Road's video data is automatically generated with a high degree of realism, and annotated using a modern simulation and visualization engine. This allows for VDBMS performance evaluation while scaling up the size of the input data. Visual Road is designed to evaluate a broad variety of VDBMSs: real-time systems, systems for longitudinal analytical queries, systems processing traditional videos, and systems designed for 360 videos. We use the benchmark to evaluate three recent VDBMSs both in capabilities and performance.
Getting back to fire suméŝ: exploring a multi-disciplinary approach to incorporating traditional knowledge into fuels treatments

Evaluating fuel treatment effectiveness is challenging when managing a landscape for diverse ecological, social, and economic values. We used a Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) to understand Confederated Colville Tribal (CCT) member views regarding the location and effectiveness of fuel treatments within their ancestral territory within the Colville National Forest (CNF) boundary. The 2015 North Star Fire burned 88 221 ha (218 000 acres) of the CCT ancestral territory. We sampled thirty plot pairs that were treated or untreated prior to being burned by the North Star Fire and again one growing season post fire. Species diversity was significantly increased by wildfire in both treated and untreated plots. Species richness was significantly increased in the plots that were treated, and there was no significant change in species richness from wildfire within the untreated plots. The percent canopy cover of two of the six culturally important plants (Fragaria spp. L. and Arnica cordifolia Hook.) significantly increased one growing season post wildfire within treated plots and one (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi [L.] Spreng.) significantly decreased in the treated plots post wildfire. These post-fire monitoring results were consistent with CCT member management recommendations and desired outcomes of understory thinning, prescribed fire, and natural ignition found using PGIS. Together, the results suggest that prior thinning and prescribed burning can foster vegetation response to subsequent wildfires, including culturally important plants. Further, integrating Traditional Knowledge (TK) into fuels treatments can improve ongoing adaptive management of national forests that include tribal ancestral lands.
Synergistic Coding of Visual Information in Columnar Networks

Incoming stimuli are encoded collectively by populations of cortical neurons, which transmit information by using a neural code thought to be predominantly redundant. Redundant coding is widely believed to reflect a design choice whereby neurons with overlapping receptive fields sample environmental stimuli to convey similar information. Here, we performed multi-electrode laminar recordings in awake monkey V1 to report significant synergistic interactions between nearby neurons within a cortical column. These interactions are clustered non-randomly across cortical layers to form synergy and redundancy hubs. Homogeneous sub-populations comprising synergy hubs decode stimulus information significantly better compared to redundancy hubs or heterogeneous sub-populations. Mechanistically, synergistic interactions emerge from the stimulus dependence of correlated activity between neurons. Our findings suggest a refinement of the prevailing ideas regarding coding schemes in sensory cortex: columnar populations can efficiently encode information due to synergistic interactions even when receptive fields overlap and shared noise between cells is high.
A TAZ-AXL-ABL2 Feed-Forward Signaling Axis Promotes Lung Adenocarcinoma Brain Metastasis.

Summary Brain metastases are a common consequence of advanced lung cancer, resulting in cranial neuropathies and increased mortality. Currently, there are no effective therapies to treat brain metastases due to a lack of actionable targets and a failure of systemic therapies to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Here we identify an autocrine signaling axis required for lung adenocarcinoma brain metastasis, whereby nuclear accumulation of the TAZ transcriptional co-activator drives expression of a panel of transcripts enriched in brain metastases, including ABL2 and AXL, encoding for protein tyrosine kinases that engage in bidirectional signaling. Activation of ABL2 in turn promotes TAZ tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear localization, establishing an autocrine AXL-ABL2-TAZ feed-forward signaling loop required for brain metastasis colonization. Notably, treatment with a BBB-penetrant ABL allosteric inhibitor or knockdown of ABL2, AXL, or TAZ markedly decreases brain metastases. These findings suggest that ABL and AXL inhibitors might be effective against brain metastases.
Associations between solitary drinking and increased alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, and drinking to cope motives in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background and aims Emerging evidence suggests that solitary drinking may be an important early risk marker for alcohol use disorder. The current paper is the first meta-analysis and systematic review on adolescent and young adult solitary drinking to examine associations between solitary drinking and increased alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, and drinking to cope motives. Methods PsychINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology and a pre-registered International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) protocol (no. CRD42020143449). Data from self-report questionnaires regarding negative correlates of solitary drinking (e.g. alcohol problems) and solitary drinking motives (e.g. drinking to cope) were pooled across studies using random-effects models. Studies included adolescents (aged 12-18 years) and young adults (mean age between 18 and 30 years or samples with the majority of participants aged 30 years or younger). Results Meta-analytical results from 21 unique samples including 28,372 participants showed significant effects for the associations between solitary drinking and the following factors: increased alcohol consumption, r = 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.12, 0.33; drinking problems, r = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.13, 0.32; negative affect, r = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.16, 0.26; social discomfort, r = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.06, 0.27; negative reinforcement, r = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.24, 0.31; and positive reinforcement, r = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.17. These associations were not moderated by age group (i.e. adolescent versus young adult), study quality, or differing solitary drinking definitions. Accounting for publication bias increased the effect sizes from r = 0.23 to 0.34 for alcohol consumption and from r = 0.23 to 0.30 for drinking problems, and lowered it from r = 0.10 to 0.06 and r = 0.17 to 0.11 for positive reinforcement and social discomfort, respectively. Conclusions Solitary drinking among adolescents and young adults appears to be associated with psychosocial/alcohol problems and drinking to cope motives.
Chapter 12 – Glacial Geomorphology

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses glacial geomorphology. Geomorphology is the study of the Earth's surficial landforms both on land and on the seafloor. Glacial deposits underlie many notable landforms, of which drumlins and eskers are among the most distinctive. Drumlins are streamlined hills ideally having the shape of a teardrop or inverted spoon. They occur in fields containing dozens or hundreds to thousands of individual drumlins. They are arranged in echelon in broad belts or arcs behind conspicuous ice-margin positions, and the pattern of drumlins is thought to indicate ice flow direction. The combined pressure of glacier loading and forward movement of ice deformed soft sedimentary substrata in many locations, which resulted in conspicuous ice-shoved hills that may rise 100–200 m above surrounding terrain. Glacial valleys are typically found in mountains or rugged upland areas that were invaded by ice sheets or subjected to local valley glaciation and are especially common where mountain glaciers descended into the sea or large lakes.
Thioredoxin Interacting Protein Is Required for a Chronic Energy-Rich Diet to Promote Intestinal Fructose Absorption

Increased consumption of fats and added sugars has been associated with an increase in metabolic syndromes. Here we show that mice chronically fed an energy-rich diet (ERD) with high fat and moderate sucrose have enhanced the absorption of a gastrointestinal fructose load, and this required expression of the arrestin domain protein Txnip in the intestinal epithelial cells. ERD feeding induced gene and protein expression of Glut5, and this required the expression of Txnip. Furthermore, Txnip interacted with Rab11a, a small GTPase that facilitates the apical localization of Glut5. We also demonstrate that ERD promoted Txnip/Glut5 complexes in the apical intestinal epithelial cell. Our findings demonstrate that ERD facilitates fructose absorption through a Txnip-dependent mechanism in the intestinal epithelial cell, suggesting that increased fructose absorption could potentially provide a mechanism for worsening of metabolic syndromes in the setting of a chronic ERD.
Introduction to the COVID-19 Second Special Issue

This introduction describes an original collection of articles that advance Existential-Humanistic (EH) psychology in a project of collective meaning-making during the COVID-19 pandemic. From contr...
MPEC Methods for Bilevel Optimization Problems

We study optimistic bilevel optimization problems, where we assume the lower-level problem is convex with a nonempty, compact feasible region and satisfies a constraint qualification for all possible upper-level decisions. Replacing the lower-level optimization problem by its first-order conditions results in a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) that needs to be solved. We review the relationship between the MPEC and bilevel optimization problem and then survey the theory, algorithms, and software environments for solving the MPEC formulations.
Development of the Psychological Insight Questionnaire among a sample of people who have consumed psilocybin or LSD.

Background:Several measures have been developed to examine acute psychedelic effects (e.g. mystical-type and challenging experiences), but no measure assesses acute psychologically insightful exper...
CAR/Nr1i3 directs T cell adaptation to bile acids in the small intestine

Bile acids (BAs) are lipid emulsifying metabolites synthesized in hepatocytes and maintained in vivo through enterohepatic circulation between the liver and small intestine1. As detergents, BAs can cause toxicity and inflammation in enterohepatic tissues2. Nuclear receptors maintain BA homeostasis in hepatocytes and enterocytes3, but it is unclear how mucosal immune cells tolerate high BA concentrations in the small intestine lamina propria (siLP). We previously reported that CD4+ T effector (Teff) cells upregulate expression of the xenobiotic transporter MDR1/ABCB1 in the siLP to prevent BA toxicity and suppress Crohn’s disease-like small bowel inflammation4. Here, we identify the nuclear xenobiotic receptor, constitutive androstane receptor (CAR/NR1I3), as a regulator of MDR1 expression in T cells, and safeguard against BA toxicity and inflammation in the small intestine. CAR was activated and induced large-scale transcriptional reprograming in Teff cells infiltrating the siLP, but not the colon. CAR induced expression of detoxifying enzymes and transporters in siLP Teff cells, as in hepatocytes, but also the key anti-inflammatory cytokine, Il10. Accordingly, CAR-deficiency in T cells exacerbated, whereas pharmacologic CAR activation suppressed, BA-driven ileitis in T cell-reconstituted Rag−/− mice. These data suggest that CAR acts locally in small intestinal T cells to detoxify BAs and resolve inflammation. Activation of this program offers an unexpected strategy to treat small bowel Crohn’s disease, and provides evidence of lymphocyte sub-specialization within the small intestine.
Compressive failure due to kink band formation in the presence of transverse loading, and accounting for mesoscale and microscale misalignment

Abstract Compressive strength of fiber reinforced laminates is limited by kink banding failure of the axial ( 0 ∘ ) plies. Motivated by observations of compressive failure in laminated composite bolted joints , the kink banding failure in axial plies is analyzed in the presence of transverse compressive loading , a condition that is found in a laminated composite bolted joint. A micromechanics model is utilized to understand the influence of microscale and mesoscale fiber misalignment and their influence on compressive stiffness, strength and post-kinked response. The results of this study show the myriad of parameters that can influence compressive strength in fiber reinforced composites, therefore providing insight to the scatter that is to be expected in assessing compressive strength of fiber reinforced composites.
The impact of nursing assessment on cardiovascular health behaviour: a scoping review.

Assessment represents a critical first opportunity for nurses to influence individual changes in health behaviour. As the global prevalence of cardiovascular disorders rises, so does the role of nu...
Seasonal Activity and Diets of Bats at Uranium Mines and Adjacent Areas near the Grand Canyon

Little information exists on the habitat use and feeding ecology of insectivorous bats in arid ecosystems, especially at and near uranium mines in northern Arizona, within the Grand Canyon watershed. In 2015–2016, we conducted mist-netting, nightly acoustic monitoring (>1 year), and diet analyses of bats, as well as insect sampling, at 2 uranium mines (Pinenut and Arizona 1) with water containment ponds. Because of physical barriers and limited general access to areas within the mine yard, mist-netting was limited to outside of the perimeter fence and away from the containment ponds. Mist-netting also occurred at 2 nearby sites that served as proxies to the mines. Bats captured directly at the mines included one pregnant Antrozous pallidus and 3 adult male Parastrellus hesperus. At the proxy sites, we captured 45 individuals identified as A. pallidus, Corynorhinus townsendii, Eptesicus fuscus, Euderma maculatum, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Myotis californicus, Myotis ciliolabrum, P. hesperus, and Tadarida brasiliensis. The nightly and seasonal presence of bats, as shown through acoustic recordings at each mine, coincided with the seasonal migratory and hibernation behaviors of the bat species. Statistical comparisons of acoustic recordings with precipitation data collected over one year show that seasonal monsoon rains generally had a negative effect on the nightly activity and presence of bats. Diets of P. hesperus from both mines were comprised mostly of coleopterans but also included smaller volumes of Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Neuroptera. The diet of A. pallidus was comprised solely of Coleoptera. Diets of bat species from the proxy sites were characteristic of their known feeding ecology, which ranged from the consumption of soft-bodied insects (e.g., moths) by C. townsendii to the consumption of hard-bodied insects (e.g., beetles) by E. fuscus. Ultimately, the increased knowledge of the natural history of bats through multiple methods of data collection allows for a better understanding of complex arid ecosystems. It also provides resources needed for the management of habitat associated with alternative energy, such as uranium mining.
Individual effectiveness in outsourcing

Outsourcing has grown enormously over the past few years, however, most of the attention so far has focused on the economics of the transaction, and much less on the human element involved in the transaction. In this paper I focus on call agents and my observations are based upon existing literature and my personal interviews. I suggest that it is challenging for them to identify with client organizations because of cultural differences, tacit contexts and lean communication media used to connect across vast geographical distances. The weak client identification may result in poor performance, inability to build trust with customers and long-term customer satisfaction. However, there are differences across individuals in their ability to deal with these challenges. Those who have a higher self-efficacy, higher pro-activeness and higher cultural intelligence may be more capable than others in their effectiveness. Likewise, organization initiated practices such as careful employee selection, intensive training and use of visible markers of identity may heighten client identification. © 2006 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.
Relative QoS: A New Concept for Cloud Service Quality

In a Cloud Computing scenario, cloud services are accessed via Internet and typically there is a communication latency between the service provider and its clients. As a consequence, QoS parameters noticed by the clients (such as service response time) have different values depending on their location. In this paper, we propose the relative QoS (RQoS) concept, which defines that the quality of a service is relative to its geographical location. We also introduce a monitoring mechanism that provides RQoS parameters of cloud services in the SaaS (Software as a Service) layer, so that clients can choose the services that better suit their needs. In order to validate this new concept and the monitoring mechanism, we present a proof of concept and some computational experiments to show that there are variations in the values of QoS depending on the geographic location where services are monitored. The performed experiments also aimed to evaluate the performance of the monitoring mechanism in terms of the assessment of RQoS parameters.
Sinusoidal fetal heart rate

Sixteen cases of SHR are analyzed with respect to perinatal outcome, fetal scalp and umbilical arterial pH, and characteristics of the FHR pattern. There were no perinatal deaths in this series. The SHR is defined and a plan for management of the patient with SHR is proposed. A theoretical explanation of the pathophysiology of SHR is presented in terms of a fetal compensatory mechanism for hypoxia, based on these observations as well as a review of the literature. Biochemical data may provide valuable information permitting optimal management of patients with SHR patterns.
A novel 110-kDa maternal CAAX box-containing protein from Xenopus is palmitoylated and isoprenylated when expressed in baculovirus

We describe a unique 110-kDa protein, xlcaax-1, that is a member of a group of membrane-associated proteins such as the ras and ras-related proteins and nuclear lamins. Many of these proteins are involved in signal transduction or cell signaling, possess a C-terminal CAAX box, and undergo fatty acid acylation (Glomset, J. A., Gelb, M. H., and Farnsworth, C. C. (1990) Trends Biochem. Sci. 15, 139-142). The ras and ras-related proteins bind GTP and in most cases are both isoprenylated and palmitoylated. The xlcaax-1 protein possesses a C-terminal CAAX sequence that is identical to the N-ras protein. In addition to the CAAX box, xlcaax-1 contains a series of basic amino acids upstream of the CAAX sequence similar to several nonpalmitoylated forms of the ras-related proteins. When the xlcaax-1 cDNA is expressed in a baculovirus expression system, the product undergoes isoprenylation and palmitoylation utilizing a mechanism similar to that of the ras proteins. In addition, the xlcaax-1 protein is isoprenylated, and a minor fraction is palmitoylated in Xenopus XTC tissue culture cells. We have also demonstrated that the protein is associated with membrane fractions in full-grown Xenopus oocytes and in Xenopus XTC tissue culture cells and that membrane association is isoprenylation-dependent. The presence of maternal molecules possessing signal transduction potential is an attractive mechanism for modulating the effects of growth factors and other signal molecules during development.
The Food Stays in the Kitchen: Everything I Needed to Know About Statutory Interpretation I Learned by the Time I was Nine

What happens when kids and their parents interpret laws like lawyers and judges? Where and why does interpretation go off the rails? Based on a true story, this piece starts with a proclamation by Mother, the Supreme Lawmaker, that "no food may be eaten outside the kitchen." What follows is a series of rulings by Judges - father, babysitter, grandma (a liberal jurist, of course), etc. - who, using traditional tools of interpretation, eventually declare it to mean that all food may be eaten outside of the kitchen. Ultimately, the supreme lawmaker reacts and clarifies. The piece is meant to demonstrate the following: * We all regularly use the basic tools and modes of statutory interpretation; * When we interpret pronouncements in real life, we resort to a mix of textualist, literalist, purposivist, legal process, precedent, and other techniques and sources; * Although the various tools seem perfectly reasonable individually, in the aggregate, they can lead to ridiculous results; * Even when we agree that the ultimate results are ridiculous, it is sometimes hard to pinpoint exactly where the error occurred; * The legislature can sometimes clean up after bad judicial opinions, but it often takes a long time.
Influence of season, ethnicity, and chronicity on vitamin D deficiency in traumatic spinal cord injury.

Background: Inadequate levels of vitamin D increase the risk of osteoporosis, a highly prevalent condition in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Reduced sunlight and dark skin further contribute to low vitamin D levels.
African Families and the Crisis of Social Change

African Families and the Crisis of Social Change. Thomas S. Weisner. Candice Bradley. and Philip L. Kilbride. eds. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey, 1997.370 pp.
Transnationalism and the History of Historiography: A Transatlantic Perspective

This essay discusses recent research in the history of historiography. Much of this scholarship has been written from a comparative perspective. Even more recently, historiographical studies have turned to transnational approaches. The essay surveys the field and discusses the chances as well as the limitations of this “transnational turn.” While transnational approaches can contribute new insights into historiographical developments, one should see them as complementary rather than as a replacement for microhistorical, national, or comparative foci.
Lipoproteins and their receptors in the central nervous system. Characterization of the lipoproteins in cerebrospinal fluid and identification of apolipoprotein B,E(LDL) receptors in the brain.

This study was undertaken to determine if apolipoprotein (apo) E-containing lipoproteins and their receptors could provide a system for lipid transport and cholesterol homeostasis in the brain, as they do in other tissues. To accomplish this goal, the lipoproteins in human and canine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were characterized, and rat brain and monkey brain were examined for the presence of apoB,E(LDL) receptors. Apolipoprotein E and apoA-I were present in human and canine CSF, but apoB could not be detected. Apo-lipoprotein E and apoA-I were both present on lipoproteins with a density of approximately 1.09 to 1.15 g/ml. In human CSF, the lipoproteins were primarily spherical (approximately 140 A), whereas in canine CSF the lipoproteins were a mixture of discs (200 × 65 A) and spheres (approximately 130 A). Apolipoproteins E and A-I were contained primarily in separate populations of lipoproteins. Although the apoE of CSF was more highly sialylated than plasma apoE, the apoE-containing lipoproteins in canine CSF competed as effectively as canine plasma apoE HDLc for binding of 125I-LDL to the apoB,E(LDL) receptors on human fibroblasts. The presence of apoB,E(LDL) receptors in both rat and monkey brain was demonstrated by immunocytochemistry. Astrocytes abutting on the arachnoid space and pial cells of the arachnoid itself, both of which contact CSF, expressed apoB,E(LDL) receptors. Relatively few receptors were present in the cells of the gray matter of the cortex. Receptors were more prominent on the astrocytes of white matter and in the cells of the brain stem. The expression of apoB,E(LDL) receptors by brain cells and the presence of apoE- and apoA-I-containing lipoproteins in CSF suggest that the central nervous system has a mechanism for lipid transport and cholesterol homeostasis similar to that of other tissues.
Thorium dioxide thin films in the extreme ultraviolet

We have measured the reflectance and transmittance of thorium dioxide thin films from 50-280 eV. We have developed several methods for fitting this data that gives the most reliable values for the complex index of refraction, n = 1 - δ + iβ. These fitting methods included fitting film thickness using interference fringes in highly transmissive areas of the spectrum and fitting reflectance and transmittance data simultaneously. These techniques give more consistent optical constants than solitary unconstrained fitting of reflectance as a function of angle. Using these techniques, we have found approximate optical constants for thorium dioxide in this energy range. We found that the absorption edges of thoria were shifted 4 eV and 2 eV to lower energies from those of thorium. We also found that the peak in δ was shifted by 3 eV to lower energy from that of thorium.
Regulation of early Xenopus development by the PIAS genes.

Originally identified as cytokine inhibitors, protein inhibitors of activated STAT (PIAS) are shown to regulate activities of a plethora of proteins and influence diverse processes such as immune response, cancer formation, and cell cycle progression. However, the roles of PIAS during vertebrate embryogenesis are less understood. In this study, we report isolation and initial characterization of all four PIAS genes from Xenopus laevis. The Xenopus PIAS genes are expressed throughout early development and have overlapping and distinct expression patterns, with for example high levels of PIAS2 in the notochord and strong expression of PIAS4 in the neural and neural crest derivatives. Overexpression of PIAS disrupts mesoderm induction and impairs body axis formation. PIAS proteins have differential ability to regulate signals from the growth factors activin, bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), and Wnt8. Our data suggest that Xenopus PIAS play important roles in mesodermal induction and patterning during early frog development.
Autonomous rule generation and assessment for complex spatial modeling

Abstract Traditional geographic information systems (GISs) have provided a mechanismto allocate the individual weightings of physical variables for single spatial modeling applications. However, as the complexity of the decision-making process increases, as in conflicting resource allocation modeling, examination of many more complex resource and non-resource relationships becomes tedious and extremely difficult. What is needed is a technique to assist the modeler in effectively, and correctly, defining and evaluating large rule sets for complex spatial analysis. In this paper we will briefly review traditional techniques for defining rules used in combining large variable sets, outline a approach using genetic algorithms and neural network techniques for automated rule generation, and discuss the implementation of this approach in Hoosier National Forest. Results of this study clearly demonstrate the potential use of this approach for modeling complex resource problems.
Rationale and design of a randomized trial comparing initial stress echocardiography versus coronary CT angiography in low-to-intermediate risk emergency department patients with chest pain.

Background Comparative effectiveness research (CER) has become a major focus of cardiovascular disease investigation to optimize diagnosis and treatment paradigms and decrease healthcare expenditures. Acute chest pain is a highly prevalent reason for evaluation in the Emergency Department (ED) that results in hospital admission for many patients and excess expense. Improvement in noninvasive diagnostic algorithms can potentially reduce unnecessary admissions. Objective To compare the performance of treadmill stress echocardiography (SE) and coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) in ED chest pain patients with low-to-intermediate risk of significant coronary artery disease. Design This is a single-center, randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing SE and CTA head-to-head as the initial noninvasive imaging modality. The primary outcome measured is the incidence of hospitalization. The study is powered to detect a reduction in admissions from 28% to 15% with a sample size of 400. Secondary outcomes include length of stay in the ED/hospital and estimated cost of care. Safety outcomes include subsequent visits to the ED and hospitalizations, as well as major adverse cardiovascular events at 30 days and 1 year. Patients who do not meet study criteria or do not consent for randomization are offered entry into an observational registry. Conclusions This RCT will add to our understanding of the roles of different imaging modalities in triaging patients with suspected angina. It will increase the CER evidence base comparing SE and CTA and provide insight into potential benefits and limitations of appropriate use of treadmill SE in the ED.
Brain volume changes on longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging in normal older people.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to investigate the longitudinal age-related changes in human brain volume using stereological methods. METHODS Sixty-six older participants (34 men, 32 women, age [mean +/- SD] 78.9 +/- 3.3 years, range 74-87 years) with normal baseline and follow-up examinations underwent 2 MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain on average 4.4 years apart. The volumes of the cerebrum (defined as cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, and white matter), lateral ventricles, and cerebellum were estimated on the 2 MRIs using an unbiased stereological method (Cavalieri principle). RESULTS The annual decrease (mean +/- SD) of the cerebral volume was 2.1% +/- 1.6% (P < .001). The average volume of the lateral ventricles on the second MRI was increased by 5.6% +/- 3.6% per year (P < .001). The average volume of the cerebellum on the second MRI was decreased by 1.2% +/- 2.2% per year (P < .001). Even though the average cerebral volume was significantly different between men and women on initial MRI and second MRI, the percentage change of the age-related cerebral volume decrease in male and female brains between initial MRI and second MRI were identical. CONCLUSIONS The findings showed that there was age-related atrophy of cerebrum and cerebellum and age-related disproportional enlargement of lateral ventricles in normal older men and women.