cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regeneration of Ornamental Cherry (Prunus) Taxa from Mature Stored Seed

Callus formation and adventitious shoot regeneration in vitro from mature stored seed were evaluated in eight ornamental cherry (Prunus) taxa: P. campanulata Maxim, P. maackii Rupr., P. sargentii Rehd., P. serrula Franch., P. serrulata Lindl., P. subhirtella Miq., P. virginiana L., and P. yedoensis Matsum Several portions of the embryo (cotyledons and hypocotyl sections) and nine combinations of growth regulators (BA, 2,4-D, IBA, NAA, and TDZ) were compared. Effects of embryo portions and growth regulator treatments were generally small within taxa, but shoot formation differed among taxa. About 20% to 50% of the embryos from P. virginiana and P. serrula and 5% to 30% of those from P. maackii produced shoots. The other taxa generally did not produce shoots. Regeneration from mature stored seed in the responsive taxa represents a potential system for genetic transformation. Chemical names used: 6-benzyladenine (BA); 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D); indole-3-butyric acid (IBA); α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA); thidiazuron (TDZ).
Introducing the Co-teaching Model in Teacher Education Clinical Practice

With national and state regulatory changes related to clinical practice within teacher education programs a reality, one university examined the outcomes of co-teaching model trainings required for stakeholders, both higher education faculty and P-12 educators. The training participants indicated the co-teaching model could increase student teacher preparedness while also positively impacting P-12 student learning. Nearly a year after the co-teaching training, one university surveyed student teachers on their co-teaching experience prior to and during student teaching. While there were increase mean scores of all the co-teaching models, results pointed to questions of whether teacher candidates were engaged in lower-level impact co-teaching models, which involved teacher candidates observing and assisting.
Am I My Brother's Keeper? The Role of the Blameless Medical Excuse in Living Donor Organ Transplantation

Most living donors come from the same family or social unit with emotional or biologic ties to the intended recipient. Their motivation to donate may include a sense of duty, obligation, or love for the intended recipient and may be exaggerated by the plight of a deteriorating ill relative or friend. These factors and relationships could affect the extent to which potential donors feel free to express a desire not to donate. Organ transplant centers have employed the medical excuse as a way to provide a seemingly blame-free reason potential donors can use to opt-out of the donation process. Although originally intended as an immediate shield from pressures to donate, transplant teams now invoke the medical excuse in a variety of situations. The medical excuse is used routinely by transplant programs, nationally and internationally to help potential donors who are either hesitant or unwilling to proceed with living donation. However, the ethical issues engendered by the blameless excuse have received little critical attention. The objectives of this report are 1) to define the blameless excuse and illustrate its use in a series of cases, and 2) to highlight some of the ethical issues that arise from its use. We propose that the routine use of the blameless excuse has ramifications that are poorly characterized and that deserve further empirical and analytic attention. We propose further that the transplant community should consider abandoning the routine use of the medical excuse in the context of living donor transplantation.
Further Studies on the Transmission of the Filaree Red-leaf Virus by the Aphid Acyrthosiphon pelargonii zerozalphum

Transmission of filaree red-leaf virus (FRLV) by Acyrthosiphon pelargonii zerozalphum (Knowlton) was further characterized. Acquisition and inoculation efficiencies were similar at 20 and 25°C, but young larvae were more efficient than apterae. The proportion of aphids transmitting virus/hour of inoculation access time tended to decrease exponentially with time. The median latent period in larvae that were born on and that acquired virus from FRLV-infected white-stem filaree, Erodium moschatum L'Her., was ca. 48 h at both 20° and 25°C. The average retention period was 9.5 days at 20° and 7 days at 25°C. Infective aphids lived as long and produced as many larvae as did noninfective ones. Twelve-day old aphids that had acquired virus as 1st instar jarvae, and whose rate of transmission had declined increased their rate of transmission after being fed on a virus source. Another latent period followed the 2nd acquisition access period. The maximum rate of transmission following reacquisition of virus was less than that attained after the initial larvae acquisition feeding, but it was comparable to that found with aphids that first acquired virus when they were 12 days old.
Age Dependence of Immunity Induced by a Candidate Universal Influenza Vaccine in Mice

Influenza has a major impact on the elderly due to increased susceptibility to infection with age and poor response to current vaccines. We have studied universal influenza vaccine candidates based on influenza A nucleoprotein and matrix 2 (A/NP+M2). Long-lasting protection against influenza virus strains of divergent subtypes is induced, especially with mucosal immunization. Here, we tested universal vaccination in BALB/c mice of different ages. Vaccination used intramuscular DNA priming to A/NP+M2 followed by intranasal (i.n.) boosting with recombinant adenoviruses (rAd) expressing the same antigens, or only A/NP+M2-rAd given i.n. Antigen-specific systemic antibody responses were induced in young, middle-aged, and elderly mice (2, 11-17, and 20 months old, respectively), but decreased with age. Antibody responses in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were detected only in young mice. Antigen-specific T cell responses were seen in young and middle-aged but not elderly mice. A/NP+M2 vaccination by the two regimens above protected against stringent challenge in young and middle-aged mice, but not in elderly mice. However, mice vaccinated with A/NP-rAd or A/M2-rAd during their youth were partially protected against challenge 16 months later when they were elderly. In addition, a regimen of two doses of A/NP+M2-rAd given i.n. one month apart beginning in old age protected elderly mice against stringent challenge. This study highlights the potential benefit of cross-protective vaccines through middle age, and suggests that their performance might be enhanced in elderly individuals who had been exposed to influenza antigens early in life, as most humans have been, or by a two-dose rAd regimen given later in life.
Reaction mechanism of monoethanolamine with CO2 in aqueous solution from molecular modeling

We present a theoretical study of the reaction mechanism of monoethanolamine (MEA) with CO2 in an aqueous solution. We have used molecular orbital reaction pathway calculations to compute reaction free energy landscapes for the reaction steps involved in the formation of carbamic acids and carbamates. We have used the conductor-like polarizable continuum model to calculate reactant, product, and transition state geometries and vibrational frequencies within density functional theory (DFT). We have also computed single point energies for all stationary structures using a coupled cluster approach with singles, doubles, and perturbational triple excitations using the DFT geometries. Our calculations indicate that a two-step reaction mechanism that proceeds via a zwitterion intermediate to form carbamate is the most favorable reaction channel. The first step, leading to formation of the zwitterion, is found to be rate-determining, and the activation free energies are 12.0 (10.2) and 11.3 (9.6) kcal/mol using ...
Comparative Study on Regional Difference Characteristic at Different Stages of Economic Development

The article introduces different theories and division ways of development phases of regional economy.Taking Chongzuo City in Guangxi,Chuzhou City in Anhui,Nantong City in Jiangsu for instances,the author analyzes the characteristic of the development phases of the contemporary region from industry structure,space structure and developing standard of economy from 1985 to 2004.The study area's industrial structure evolution is also quantificationally estimated.The author studies the level of regional economic development by using Shift-Share Method. It shows that the economic structure is not reasonable,the contribution of the structure to economic growth is small and the competitiveness is weak in Chongzuo City.In Chuzhou City,the industrial sector in fast growth accounts for a large proportion,general economic structure is good and there are some contributions of the structure to economic growth;in addition,the economic competitiveness is strong.In Nantong City,industrial sector in fast growth accounts for a very large proportion,general economic structure is better and there are lots of contributions of the structure to economic growth;in addition,economy will develop well and economic competitiveness are stronger.According to the above analysis,there are some suggestions.1) Chongzuo City should get involved in China-Asian Free Trade Area and the economic belt of "Two Corridors and One Ring" between China and Vietnam,absorb the industrial transfer from Pan-Pearl River Delta Economic Zone,and accelerate the development of international trade.2) Chuzhou City should try to get invloved into the Nanjing Metropolitan Area,attract and undertake the industrial transfer from the eastern China,pay attention to the construction of eco-city,develop recycling economy,and achieve the comprehensive and harmonious development between economy and ecological environment.3) As for Nantong City,a resource-saving growth mode and consumption pattern should be the core of economic increase,yet to improve industrial comprehensive competitiveness,and finally to realize a harmonious development of economy and society.
Detection of differential DNA methylation in repetitive DNA of mice and humans perinatally exposed to bisphenol A.

ABSTRACTDevelopmental exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) has been shown to induce changes in DNA methylation in both mouse and human genic regions; however, the response in repetitive elements and transposons has not been explored. Here we present novel methodology to combine genomic DNA enrichment with RepeatMasker analysis on next-generation sequencing data to determine the effect of perinatal BPA exposure on repetitive DNA at the class, family, subfamily, and individual insertion level in both mouse and human samples. Mice were treated during gestation and lactation to BPA in chow at 0, 50, or 50,000 ng/g levels and total BPA was measured in stratified human fetal liver tissue samples as low (non-detect to 0.83 ng/g), medium (3.5 to 5.79 ng/g), or high (35.44 to 96.76 ng/g). Transposon methylation changes were evident in human classes, families, and subfamilies, with the medium group exhibiting hypomethylation compared to both high and low BPA groups. Mouse repeat classes, families, and subfamilies did not ...
Planar Magnetic Devices for Signal Processing in the Microwave and Millimeter Wave Frequency Range

Abstract We present a review of theoretical and experimental results for tunable microwave devices using a variety of magnetic thin films and layered structures. These devices are compatible in size and growth process with on-chip high-frequency electronics. For devices based on metallic ferromagnetic films of Fe and Permalloy, the operational frequency ranges from 5 to 35 GHz for external fields below 5 kOe. Hexagonal ferrites can lead to devices operating in the 35–70 GHz range. We explore a variety of devices including band-stop filters, phase shifters, nonlinear devices, nonreciprocal devices, and electrically tuned devices.
Photoassisted Catalysis used Platinized Titaniaa)

Experiments are reported which demonstrate that, at 23°C, the water-gas shift reaction and the reaction of solid carbon with water to form CO 2 and H 2 can be photoassisted at the gas solid interface when platinized titania is illuminated with band gap radiation.
Profibrotic up-regulation of glucose transporter 1 by TGF-β involves activation of MEK and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 pathways

TGF-β plays a central role in the pathogenesis of fibroproliferative disorders. Defining the exact underlying molecular basis is therefore critical for the development of viable therapeutic strateg...
Further Computer Purchase Tips

With current technology, the distinction between microcomputer and minicomputer, personal computer and business computer becomes clouded. Microcomputers in use today have as much memory as did minicomputers only o few years ago and they are also able to have larger disk storage devices attached. As a result, this question is not micro versus mini, but two main issues: single-user versus multi-user and the ability to interface with large storage devices (10 megabytes or more). As you can see from having filled out the logistics of medical flow data sheets, many different people in the office require access to the patient’s record. One office assistant might be updating the patient’s financial ledger while another is using the record to make an appointment. With most single-user, microcomputer systems, patient records cannot easily be shared. You would have to carry around a floppy disk from station to station so that each processor had the most current contents of the record with which to transmit his or her transactions. The solution to this is a multi-user system in which each terminal or work station uses the same software and accesses a common pool of data records. This also ties in closely to the second requirement, that of a large storage capacity device. The size of patient records soon exceeds the ability to fit the entire file on one or two floppy disks.
A transformer-based inverted complementary cross-coupled VCO with a 193.3dBc/Hz FoM and 13kHz 1/f3 noise corner

This paper presents a transformer-based inverted complementary cross-coupled voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) topology. Without compromising the start-up condition, it isolates the source nodes for the cross-coupled devices, suppresses the flicker noise up-conversion, and thus results in a superior phase noise performance. A prototype is implemented in a standard 130nm bulk CMOS process with a core area of 0.34mm2. At 1.86GHz, the measured FoM is 190.3/192.2/193.3dBc/Hz at 10k/100k/1MHz offsets with a 1/f3 phase noise corner of only 13kHz. The VCO consumes 1.1mA from a 1.5V supply. High FoM and low 1/f3 phase noise corners are consistently achieved over 20.8% frequency tuning range (1.68–2.07GHz).
Admiralty: Maritime or Local Jurisdiction for a Pier Injury by Pier Based Equipment

To ameliorate the harshness of admiralty and maritime case decisions Congress passed The Admiralty Jurisdiction Extension Act (hereafter referred to as the Act). The Act provides that "the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States extend to and include all cases of damage or injury to person or property caused by a vessel on navigable water, notwithstanding that such damage is done on land." The Act did not change the rule that piers were extensions of land but merely provided a remedy for ship-caused injuries culminating on a pier. The critical issue at hand involves the extension of maritime jurisdiction to an injury of a longshoreman on the pier by pier-based equipment. Two tests have been devised to resolve the issue. As presented in this article, the district court, court of appeals, and the Supreme Court minority maintained that the test for determining maritime jurisdiction was the function the longshoreman was performing at the time of the injury – otherwise known as the function test. If the longshoreman was in the service of the ship, to-wit, loading or unloading, then maritime jurisdiction applied. The majority of the following Courts, however, have held that the proper test for maritime jurisdiction was the locality of the injury; making exception under the Act where the injury was "ship-caused." The majority reached the proper decision in rejecting the function test and applying the locality test. In applying the Admiralty Jurisdiction Extension Act, there is an exception when an injury that occurs on the pier is "ship-caused." The term "ship-caused" should be interpreted by the language found in Gutierrez, that "things about the ship" must be "seaworthy" or the ship may be held to have caused an actionable injury even though that injury occurs on shore. It is submitted that the Court properly held that a forklift owned by the stevedore used on the pier to transport cargo is not a "thing about the ship" that comes under the ship-owner's duty of seaworthiness; rather it is a "thing about the pier" and should come under local law.
Between-group variation in Enchenopa treehopper juvenile signaling (Hemiptera Membracidae)

Social plasticity may be an important originator of divergence in mating signals and other sexual traits. Understanding the evolutionary causes and consequences of social plasticity requires analyzing how different features of the social environment influence the expression of signals and preferences. Here we focus on experience of signaling environments. We adopt the vantage point of a hypothetical focal juvenile individual, and ask whether its experience of the interactions between other individuals in the group would vary across groups of different size and species composition. We worked with Enchenopa treehoppers, group-living herbivorous insects that communicate with plant-borne vibrational signals as juveniles and adults. We manipulated group composition and size experimentally and monitored the behavior of the juvenile treehoppers. We found that the treehoppers’ signaling rates varied with group type, size, and disturbance. Although our results likely underestimate the range of variation in behavio...
Algorithms for Power Grid State Estimation after Cyber-Physical Attacks

We present methods for estimating the state of the power grid following a cyber-physical attack. We assume that an adversary attacks an area by: (i) disconnecting some lines within that area (failed lines), and (ii) obstructing the information from within the area to reach the control center. Given the phase angles of the nodes outside the attacked area under either the DC or AC power flow models (before and after the attack), the provided methods can estimate the phase angles of the nodes and detect the failed lines inside the attacked area. The novelty of our approach is the transformation of the line failures detection problem, which is combinatorial in nature, to a convex optimization problem. As a result, our methods can detect any number of line failures in a running time that is independent of the number of failures and is solely dependent on the size of the attacked area.
This ICE/SCRM Melts in the Dark: Light-Dependent COP1-Mediated Protein Degradation in Stomatal Formation.

Following land colonization by plants, water became a precious resource. To balance water conservation with the need to access atmospheric carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, evolution came up with stomata, pores in the plant epidermis that allow gas exchange between leaves and the atmosphere, while
The myofibroblast as an inflammatory cell in pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis is commonly characterized by some degree of inflammation and abnormal tissue repair, resulting in the replacement of normal functional tissue with scar or connective tissue. Current understanding of the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis revolves around the complex interaction of inflammatory and lung structural cells, as mediated by their products, including cytokines, as well as by intimate cell-to-cell interactions that, in turn, are mediated by adhesion molecules and other receptors. As originally envisioned, the inflammatory and, in certain cases, the immune cells are thought to be the source of mediators that are targeted at structural cells (which respond by proliferating and producing extra-cellular matrix). Progress during the past decade, however, has made untenable this view that structural cells are passive targets. There is now mounting evidence of a more active role for these cells, including that of regulating the inflammatory and immune responses themselves. This paper will review and discuss some of this evidence, in the context of the role of the myofibroblast in pulmonary fibrosis.
Concern But No Action: Consumers' Reactions to the Equifax Data Breach

Following the 2017 Equifax data breach, we conducted four preliminary interviews to investigate how consumers view credit bureaus and the information flows around these agencies, what they perceive as risks of the Equifax breach, and how they reacted in practice. We found that although participants could properly articulate the purpose of credit bureaus, their understanding of credit bureaus' data collection practices was divided and incomplete. Although most of them conceptualized identity theft as the primary risk of data breaches disclosing credit information, and noted a lack of trust/self-efficacy in controlling their data collected by credit bureaus, they did not take sufficient protective actions to deal with the perceived risks. Our findings provide implications for the design of future security-enhancing tools regarding credit data, education and public policy, with the aim to empower consumers to better manage their sensitive data and protect themselves from future data breaches.
THE SUBMODULE STRUCTURE OF WEYL MODULES FOR GROUPS OF TYPE A1

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the submodule structure of Weyl modules, Vλ,K, when G(K) = G = SL2 (K) has type A1. For each integer m > 0, the Weyl module V is the rational G-module of dimension m with high weight (m – 1)λ1. The composition factors of Vm are characterized by the theorem that says if z be a positive integer. The weight (z – 1)λ1 is the high weight of a composition factor of Vm if and only if z ∈ ν(m;p). The chapter presents several graphs; the end product gives information about the submodule structure of Vm. If G is a graph, then ν/(G) and E(G) denote the vertices and edges of G respectively.
Social Epistemology, Holocaust Denial, and the Post-Millian Calculus

Current proposals, debates, and laws regarding prohibitions on Holocaust denial can be understand as a hate-speech focused instance of the pervasive question of the role of freedom of expression in increasing belief in truth and decreasing belief in falsity. John Stuart Mill’s well-known analysis in On Liberty is the starting point, but it should not be the ending point. Mill assumes a rational population that can identify truth when they see it, but these rationalist assumptions may not survive modern social insights to the contrary. More importantly, a more complete and post-Millian decision-theoretic analysis would consider not only the social harms that ensue from non-identification of truth, but also the countervailing harms that come from belief in falsity. As the example of Holocaust denial illustrates, allowing the propagation of what appears to be a false belief may produce benefits when what appears to be false turns out to be true, but may produce harms when what appears to be false genuinely is false. The varying approaches to Holocaust denial throughout the world expose different beliefs in different regimes about how these tradeoffs should be resolved.
Parametric Cost Analysis of a HYLIFE-II Power Plant

The SAFIRE (Systems Analysis for ICF Reactor Economics) code was adapted to model a power plant using a HYLIFE-II reactor chamber. The code was then used to examine the dependence of the plant capital costs and busbar cost of electricity (COE) on a variety of design parameters (type of driver, chamber repetition rate, and net electric power). The results show the most attractive operating space for each set of driver/target assumptions and quantify the benefits of improvements in key design parameters. The base case plant was a 1,000 MWe plant containing a reactor vessel driven by an induction linac heavy ion accelerator run at 7.3 Hz with a driver energy of 5 MJ and a target yield of 370 MJ. The total direct cost for this plant was 2,800 M$ (where all $ in this paper are 1988$s), and the COE was 9 {cents}/KW*hour. The COE and total capital costs for the base plant assumptions for a 1,000 MWe plant are approximately independent of chosen repetition rate for all repetition rates between 4 and 10 Hz. For comparison, the COE for a coal or future fission plant would be 4.5--5.5 {cents}/KW*hour. The COE for a 1,000 MWe plant could be more » reduced to 7.6 {cents}/KW*hour by using advanced targets and could be cut to 6.8 {cents}/KW*hour with conventional targets if the driver cost could be cut in half. There is a large economy of scale with heavy ion driven ICF plants; a 5,000 MWe plant with one heavy ion driver and either one or two HYLIFE-II chambers would have a COE of only 4.4 {cents}/KW*hour. « less
Accessing the Exceptional Points in Coupled Fabry–Perot Resonators through Hybrid Integration

Parity-time (PT) symmetric coupled microresonators with judiciously modulated loss and gain have been widely studied to reveal many non-Hermitian features in optical systems. The phase transition a...
Forecasting Future Student Mastery.

ABSTRACTConsiderable attention has been given to methods for knowledge estimation, a category of methods for automatic assessment of a student’s degree of skill mastery or knowledge at a specific t...
Helping Patients Cope with Grief.

The loss of a loved one, especially a spouse or a child, is perhaps one of the most difficult events a person will experience in a lifetime. The resulting grief can be overwhelming and incapacitating for a time. Family physicians can be sources of comfort to those who grieve the loss of someone close to them.
Corona, Community of Global Convergence

Corona in Queens, New York City, has a longstanding reputation as a location for people to establish a new home amid people with similar backgrounds and also connect with new people and cultures; it has a history of cultural exchange and active engagement of residents. Predominantly a Black neighborhood through the twentieth century, it is now home to a growing immigrant population from Latin and South America. Legacies of the past imprint patterns in the community as it adapts to new challenges. An abbreviated history of Corona is followed by a relevant history of art museums, and discussion of socially engaged art, cooperation, and community art. Museums today are challenged to be not just repositories of knowledge but become agents of cooperation with local communities.
Change in the organization socialization of a basic law enforcement academy: how supervisors cope

This study examines the impact of a changed organizational socialization process on how supervisors cope and adapt in their occupational role. The research study is motivated by the central questio...
Operating Room Guide for Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19 Pregnant Patients Requiring Cesarean Delivery.

We sought to provide a clinical practice protocol for our labor and delivery (LD therefore, we recommend continuing to update the protocol as needed. KEY POINTS: · Cesarean delivery for confirmed or suspected novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. · Team-based approach for streamline care. · Labor and delivery protocols for COVID-19 positive patients.
The People’s Living Guanyin Bodhisattva: Superstition, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare, Rural Economic Control, and Huidaomen in the Early PRC

During the Republican era and the PRC, both regimes labeled religious practices outside official institutionalized religions as “superstition” (mixin). In the early PRC, the CCP labeled superstitio...
Presence of t(11;14) in AL amyloidosis as a marker of response when treated with a bortezomib-based regimen.

The proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib, has become a backbone for the first line treatment of patients with AL amyloidosis who are not eligible for high dose melphalan and stem cell transplantation. ...
Population III Star Formation in a ΛCDM Universe. I. The Effect of Formation Redshift and Environment on Protostellar Accretion Rate

We perform 12 extremely high resolution adaptive mesh refinement cosmological simulations of Population III star formation in a ΛCDM universe, varying the box size and large-scale structure, to understand systematic effects in the formation of primordial protostellar cores. We find results that are qualitatively similar to those of previous groups. We observe that in the absence of a photodissociating ultraviolet background, the threshold halo mass for formation of a Population III protostar does not evolve significantly with time in the redshift range studied (33 > z > 19) but exhibits substantial scatter (1.5 < Mvir/105 M☉ < 7) due to different halo assembly histories: halos that assembled more slowly develop cooling cores at lower mass than those that assemble more rapidly, in agreement with previous work. We do, however, observe significant evolution in the accretion rates of Population III protostars with redshift, with objects that form later having higher maximum accretion rates ( 10-4 M☉ yr-1 at z = 33 and 10-2 M☉ yr-1 at z = 20). This can be explained by considering the evolving virial properties of the halos with redshift and the physics of molecular hydrogen formation at low densities. Our result implies that the inferred mass distribution of Population III stars is broader than previously thought and may evolve with redshift. Finally, we observe that our collapsing protostellar cloud cores do not fragment, consistent with previous results, which suggests that Population III stars that form in halos of mass 105-106 M☉ always form in isolation.
Utilizing Radio Frequency Plasma Treatment to Modify Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

Studies that utilize radio frequency plasma modification as a strategy to tune the surface properties of polymeric constructs with the goal of enhancing their use as biomedical devices have grown considerably in number over the past decade. In this Review, we present the importance of plasma surface treatment to biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and wound healing. First, we introduce several key polymeric materials of interest for use as biomaterials, including those that are naturally derived and synthetic. We, then, provide an overview of possible outcomes of plasma modification, such as surface activation, etching, and deposition of a thin film, all of which can be used to alter the surface properties of a given polymer. Following this discussion, we review the methods used to characterize plasma-treated polymer surface properties, as well as the techniques used to evaluate their interactions with biological species of interest such as mammalian cells, bacteria, and blood components. To close, we provide a perspective on future outlooks of this exciting and rapidly evolving field.
When Do Americans “See Something, Say Something”? Experimental Evidence on the Willingness to Report Terrorist Activity

Public reporting programs such as the “See Something, Say Something” campaign are important counterterrorism measures. Yet public knowledge about terrorism is low, and Americans tend to associate t...
Allometry of tree biomass and carbon partitioning in ponderosa pine plantations grown under diverse conditions

Abstract Forests not only provide forest products to meet people’s demands, but also sequester enough carbon to offset more than 11% of anthropogenic CO2 release in the United States. An accurate estimate of forest carbon sequestration over different forest and forest product combinations requires the species-specific and site-specific allometric biomass equations for trees and understory vegetation at particular forest developmental stages. Here, we constructed the above- and below-ground allometric equations by harvesting 108 20-year-old ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) trees grown under four different silvicultural treatments (four combinations of with and without competing vegetation control (H) and fertilization (F): C = control with no vegetation control and no fertilization, H, F, and HF) at three diverse site conditions in northern California. We found that the logarithmic regressions provided superior estimations of biomass for total, aboveground, bole, coarse roots, branches, and foliage compared to simple or scaled power-law fits. Treatment effect in allometric equations was generally lacking but site effect was significant, suggesting site specific allometric relations exist. With the best allometric equations, we estimated the biomass and carbon for each plot among treatments and sites. In addition, understory woody plant biomass was also measured with fixed area subplots. Results show significantly more total carbon sequestration at the high-quality sites with 113.1–162.5 Mg ha−1 than the lower ones with 85.8–105.9 Mg ha−1 at the intermediate site and 29.3–70.4 Mg ha−1 at the poorest site, respectively. The range of carbon stocks indicates the treatment differences at each site, with the largest effect (240%) at the poorest site and similar at other two sites (~130%). If planted trees only were considered, a trend among sites exists with 93.4 – 149.3 Mg ha−1 at the richest site, 26.2–88.1 Mg ha−1 at the intermediate site, and 17.1–64.2 Mg ha−1 at the poorest site, respectively. Therefore, if we manage forests for carbon or forest products, intensive management practices will substantially enhance plantation productivity and stand development while site quality cannot be changed.
Estrogen and antiestrogen resistance in human breast cancer cell lines.

Despite nearly a century of awareness of the efficacy of various kinds of endocrine therapies in the management of patients with metastatic breast cancer, many facets of the mechanisms whereby hormones influence the growth of neoplastic tissue remain incompletely understood. Since the initial discovery in 1971 by Jensen et al1 that some breast cancers contain estrogen receptors, substantial progress has been made in understanding the critical role of these hormone binding sites in metabolism and neoplastic growth and in characterizing how these receptors are capable of interacting with nuclear material and activating transcription of specific genes.2,3 Many studies have shown that there is an excellent correlation between the presence of estrogen receptor activity and hormone triggered growth responses in breast tumors.4 Anti-estrogen or high dose estrogen mediated cytotoxicity of breast cancer also requires the presence of an estrogen receptor. Specifically, if the tumor lacks estrogen receptor the chance of seeing an objective response to endocrine therapy is only 5 percent or less. On the other hand, if the tumor contains receptor then the likelihood of a response to endocrine therapy is approximately 50 to 60 percent. Thus, there is a subset of patients who, despite the presence of estrogen binding activity, fail to show a response to endocrine therapy. The present article summarizes current information on cell culture models for this disease entity.
Understanding Computer Programming as a Literacy

Since the 1960s, computer scientists and enthusiasts have paralleled computer programming to literacy, arguing it is a generalizable skill that should be more widely taught and held. Launching from that premise, this article leverages historical and social findings from literacy studies to frame computer programming as “computational literacy.” I argue that programming and writing have followed similar historical trajectories as material technologies and explain how they are intertwined in contemporary composition environments. A concept of “computational literacy” helps us to better understand the social, technical and cultural dynamics of programming, but it also enriches our vision of twenty-first century composition.
Modulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release by glycolysis in cat atrial myocytes

In cardiac myocytes, glycolysis and excitation–contraction (E–C) coupling are functionally coupled. We studied the effects of inhibitors (2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG), iodoacetate (IAA)), intermediates (glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), fructose-6-phosphate (F6P), fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)) and products (pyruvate, l-lactate) of glycolysis on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release and uptake in intact and permeabilized cat atrial myocytes. In field-stimulated (0.5–0.7 Hz) intact myocytes, 2-DG (10 mm) and IAA (1 mm) caused elevation of diastolic [Ca2+]i and [Ca2+]i transient alternans (Ca2+ alternans) followed by a decrease of the amplitude of the [Ca2+]i transient. Focal application of 2-DG resulted in local Ca2+ alternans that was confined to the region of exposure. 2-DG and IAA slowed the decay kinetics of the [Ca2+]i transient and delayed its recovery (positive staircase) after complete SR depletion, suggesting impaired activity of the SR Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA). 2-DG and IAA reduced the rate of reuptake of Ca2+ into the SR which was accompanied by a 15–20% decrease of SR Ca2+ load. Major changes of mitochondrial redox state (measured as FAD autofluorescence) were not observed after inhibition of glycolysis. Pyruvate (10 mm) and l-lactate (10 mm) elicited similar changes of the [Ca2+]i transient. Pyruvate, l-lactate and IAA – but not 2-DG – induced intracellular acidosis. Recording of single channel activity of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) incorporated into lipid bilayers revealed complex modulation by glycolytic intermediates and products (1 mm each): some were without effect (G6P, PEP, l-lactate) while others either increased (F6P, +40%; FBP, +265%) or decreased (pyruvate, −58%) the open probability of the RyR. Consistent with these findings, spontaneous SR Ca2+ release (Ca2+ sparks) in permeabilized myocytes was facilitated by FBP and inhibited by pyruvate. The results indicate that in atrial myocytes glycolysis regulates Ca2+ release from the SR by multiple mechanisms including direct modulation of RyR activity by intermediates and products of glycolysis and modulation of SERCA activity through local changes of glycolytically derived ATP.
Of vulcan ears, human ears and 'earprints'.

Our outer ears are critical for localizing sound elevation. Van Opstal and colleagues show that humans adapt to new ear shapes. This process resembles learning a second language because after adaptation people can localize equally well with their own or modified ears.
Characterization of heterojunction laser diodes by near field optical scanning microscopy: layer composition and mode structure analysis

We report mode structure and semiconductor layer composition analysis of strained (In,Ga)As quantum well lasers using the super-resolution capabilities of near field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). Submicron collection mode imaging of the emission mode structure easily identifies high order transverse modes as well as mode leakage into the substrate. Using the tip as a localized, tunable source of photons, near field optical beam induced current (NOBIC) measurements reveals the compositional profile of the layer structure. The active region is very sensitive to the excitation wavelength due to the effect of a changing optical absorption in near field coupling to a thin layer.
Conditional Press Influence in Politics, by Adam J. Schiffer

For decades, scholars of political communication have grappled with the notion that the press has such influence in American politics that it can conceivably be viewed as a powerful political insti...
Chapter 13 Color vision deficiencies

Publisher Summary The importance of color vision is cogently expressed by the statement of James Clark Maxwell: “All vision is color vision for it is only by observing differences of color that we distinguish the forms of objects.” Color perception begins at the retina receptor levels, and is processed within the retina and then transmitted to the lateral geniculate body and the visual cortices. This chapter discusses the principle of color vision, and then describes the disorders affecting the retina and optic nerve that will induce impairment of color perception. There are two major theories to explain color vision: the Young–Helmotz theory and the Hering theory. The apparent contrast between these two theories is reconciled by experimental studies showing that the signals from the cones are processed and transformed in the retinal neural network. The signals generated by the three classes of cones are changed into coloropponent signals by the bipolar cells. The coloropponent signals for color are transmitted by a set of specific ganglion cell, the P (parvo) cells that also carry information about the spatial structure of the object. The P (parvo) channel remains segregated from the retina, to the lateral geniculate body, and the primary visual cortex.
SNAPR: A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Efficient and Accurate RNA-Seq Alignment and Analysis

The process of converting raw RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data to interpretable results can be circuitous and time-consuming, requiring multiple steps. We present an RNA-seq mapping algorithm that streamlines this process. Our algorithm utilizes a hash table approach to leverage the availability and the power of high memory machines. SNAPR, which can be run on a single library or thousands of libraries, can take compressed or uncompressed FASTQ and BAM files, and output a sorted BAM file, individual read counts, and gene fusions, and can identify exogenous RNA species in a single step. SNAPR also does native Phred score filtering of reads. SNAPR is also well suited for future sequencing platforms that generate longer reads. We show how we can analyze data from hundreds of TCGA samples in a matter of hours while identifying gene fusions and viral events at the same time. With the reference genome and transcriptome undergoing periodic updates and the need for uniform parameters when integrating multiple data sets, there is great need for a streamlined process for RNA-seq analysis. We demonstrate how SNAPR does this efficiently and accurately.
Surface polarimetry of the Milky Way

Two methods of determining the state of polarization of the integrated light from the Milky Way are discussed. In the symmetry method it is assumed that the polarized foreground zodiacal light possesses north/south symmetry relative to the ecliptic: an average polarized intensity of at least 10 S 10(R) is derived for the Milky Way at l ≃ 90° and 270°, which is consistent with the result of Sparrow and Ney (1972) who obtained 18 S10 (R) at l = 35° and 210°. In the method of two epochs the above assumption is not needed but instead time variations of the zodiacal light are assumed to be insignificant: the results obtained by this method (in S 10 (V) units), although compatible with the values found by the symmetry method, do however show that time variations may have influenced this result. Although the evidence for a definite polarization of the Milky Way is persuasive it cannot yet be considered conclusive.
The Distorting Slant of Quantitative Studies of Judging

One of the hottest areas of legal scholarship today involves quantitative studies of judging. This article will attempt to shift the current orientation of this work by making two basic points. The first point is that the field was born in a collection of false beliefs and misunderstandings about the formalists and the realists which has distorted how political scientists have modeled judging and how they have designed and interpreted their studies. Rather than conduct an open inquiry into the nature of judging, political scientists set out to debunk formalism by proving that judging is infused with politics, a mission that warped the development of the field. The second point is that the results of their studies below the Supreme Court strongly confirm what judges have been saying for many decades - that their judicial decisions are substantially determined by the law. Political scientists have tended to repress this finding, however, by focusing on the wrong point: repeating time and again that their studies show that politics matters without also emphasizing that it matters very little. A balanced realism about judging accepts that - owing to the uncertainty of law and the inherent limitations of human decision makers - it is inevitable that there will be a certain (minimal) degree of political influence in judicial decision making, but this does not detract from the broader claim that judges can and usually do rule in accordance with the law. Recognition of these points will help nudge quantitative studies in a direction that promises to produce more accurate and valuable information about judicial decision making.
A general analysis and control framework for process systems with inventory recycling

SUMMARY In this work, we generalize our previous results concerning the impact of material recycling and energy recovery on plant dynamics and control. We define a generic class of integrated process systems, in which an extensive quantity that obeys conservation laws is recovered from the process output and recycled to the process feed; the operation of the system is assumed to be subject to time-varying, measurable disturbances. We establish, in this general case, that integration is conducive to the emergence of a two-time-scale dynamic behavior and derive reduced-order models for the dynamics in each time scale. Subsequently, we postulate a hierarchical control framework that exploits these dynamics results in the design of coordinated fast and slow feedback/feedforward controllers and formulate a stability result for the closed-loop system. We demonstrate these concepts on a case study concerning an energy-integrated process. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A frequency domain noise cancelling preprocessor for narrowband speech communications systems

Performance of narrowband speech communications systems, such as Linear Predictive Coding (LPC), is often severely degraded by the presence of ambient acoustic noise in the input speech signal. Spectral subtraction techniques show promise in improving the overall performance of LPC in acoustic noise environments, but typically present annoying musical tones at the output. A spectral subtraction technique is described, which includes a biased estimate of the noise, that does not present musical tones at the output. In addition, an automatic speech activity detector is described and used to adapt the noise estimate to changing noise environments.
A PILOT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG ASIAN-AMERICAN IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS: A COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY APPROACH

A mixed-methods study evaluated the perceived effectiveness of a brief, community-based parenting intervention for Asian immigrant families in the United States . A community sample of twelve parent-child dyads (consisting of both foreign-born and U.S.-born children) participated in four-week long psychoeducational workshops on the mental health issues facing Asian-American immigrant families, and effective parent-child communication. The effectiveness of group assertiveness training on the child participants’ social competence was also evaluated. Participants reported improved psychosocial functioning upon the conclusion of the workshop. Qualitative feedback from the parents highlighted the efficacy of an integrated approach, predicated on group psychoeducation and in-session interventions designed to improve parent-child communication. Clinical implications and directions for future research are provided.