cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Noncalorimetric Method for Heat-Transfer Coefficient Measurement of Building Thermal Envelopes

A noncalorimetric method for measuring the heat-transfer coefficient (UA) of building thermal envelopes is proposed and applied in an indoor test cell. The UA value measured by this method agrees closely with that measured by a calorimetric method. This method creates a Single input and a Single output data Pair (SSP) from the measured data sets by using digital filters. The filter output and physical criteria are used to determine the correct transfer function, which yields the measured UA value. This method seems to have the following advantages over calorimetric methods : it uses shorter measurement times, uses simpler test equipment, and has minimum thermal intrusion on normal operating conditions.
Crystal growth of tetragonal germanium dioxide

Abstract Single crystals of tetragonal GeO 2 have been grown by the Czochralski method from a GeO 2 melt containing about 10 mole% Na 2 O Crystals up to 5 × 5 × 8 mm of good optical quality have been obtained.
Dyslexia A Validation of the Concept at Two Age Levels

The 144 participants were administered tasks with a demonstrated relationship to reading. Both older students (8 to 10 years old) and younger students (6 to 7 years old) included three groups of poor readers (matched on word reading but differing in the discrepancy from expected reading level) and age-matched average readers. Older poor readers also had a control group of reading-matched younger subjects. The study provided no support for the concept of dyslexia at age 6 to 7 years. Among older participants there was support for the concept of dyslexia as a phonological deficit and of nondiscrepant garden-variety poor reading as a developmental lag. More discrepant participants with dyslexia exhibited orthographic and serial naming-speed deficits, as well as phonological deficits, and were a distinctive dyslexic group. Less discrepant participants with dyslexia were more similar to garden-variety poor readers than to the more discrepant participants with dyslexia.
The effects of grafting during various stages of the hair growth cycle

Gross and microscopic observations of graft and surrounding area were made after grafting during various stages of the hair growth cycle. All grafts were successful although temporary disturbance was observed when grafting was done during late anagen. Biopsies showed epidermal breakdown, even in telogen grafts, with repair being accomplished primarily by diversion of hair follicles to epidermal production. The later in anagen a graft was done, the less likely the follicles were to return to hair production later. Permanent loss of pigment was seen in some grafts, particularly those done in late anagen. Loss of pigment cells or their attachments from scraping the graft undersurface is a possible explanation, as is loss or damage to melanocytes while the follicles are producing epidermis. Delays and irregularities in hair growth cycles were also observed in host skin surrounding grafts. An explanation involving loss of inhibitor during grafting is proposed. The authors feel that hair growth activity in either donor or host is not an adequate explanation for graft rejection. It is also emphasized that hair growth is a poor criterion for graft survival.
Low-Cost Experimentation for the Study of Droplet Microfluidics

The continued growth of microfluidics into industry settings in areas such as point-of-care diagnostics and targeted therapeutics necessitates a workforce trained in microfluidic technologies and experimental methods. Laboratory courses for students at the university and high school levels will require cost-effective in-class demonstrations that instruct in chip design, fabrication, and experimentation at the microscale. We present a hand-operated pressure pumping system to form monodisperse picoliter to nanoliter droplet streams at low cost, and a series of exercises aimed at instructing in the specific art of droplet formation. Using this setup, the student is able to generate and observe the modes of droplet formation in flow-focusing devices, and the effect of device dimensions on the characteristics of formed droplets. Lastly, at ultra-low cost we demonstrate large plug formation in a T-junction using coffee stirrers as a master mold substitute. Our method reduces the cost of experimentation to enable intuitive instruction in droplet formation, with additional implications for creating droplets in the field or at point-of-care.
The Natural and Perturbed Troposphere

It is now generally accepted that the troposphere is a region of great chemical complexity and that many human activities may alter the chemical structure of the region. A prerequisite to any realistic assessment of human impacts on pollution and climate is an understanding of the natural budgets of atmospheric gases. This requires a detailed knowledge of physical, chemical, and biological processes within the various reservoirs which are involved in the cycles of these gases. This paper first reviews the processes important in establishing the concentrations of a number of tropospheric species and discusses gaps in our current understanding of these processes. We identify the points at which man may intervene in the major cycles of atmospheric gases and describe the possible consequences of such interventions. Pollutants released into the troposphere may adversely affect the environment by virtue of their chemical interactions with other atmospheric species, their radiative properties, or both. Problems discussed in this review include the growth of atmospheric CO2 resulting from the burning of fossil fuels and its possible climatic effects, the consequences of increased levels of CO emission on the self-cleansing ability of the troposphere and on the radiation budget, and possible changes in the stratospheric odd nitrogen and ozone amounts due to increased use of fertilizers in agriculture. The magnitude of the perturbations predicted by various model studies are reviewed with particular attention to uncertainties which may affect the results.
Dual Probes for the Dopamine Transporter and σ1 Receptors: Novel Piperazinyl Alkyl-bis(4‘-fluorophenyl)amine Analogues as Potential Cocaine-Abuse Therapeutic Agents

Both dopamine uptake inhibitors and σ1 receptor antagonists have been implicated as potential pharmacotherapeutics for the treatment of cocaine abuse. While the dopamine uptake inhibitors may share with cocaine neurochemical mechanisms underlying reinforcing properties, σ1 antagonists have been shown to attenuate some behavioral actions and toxic side effects associated with cocaine overdose. Rimcazole, a σ1 receptor antagonist that binds to the DAT (Ki = 224 nM), is not behaviorally cocaine-like and attenuates some of the behavioral actions of cocaine. To determine the roles of both DAT and σ1 receptors in the behavioral actions of rimcazole, a series of analogues was synthesized. Initial studies identified two analogues (1 and 4) that showed high to moderate affinities for both DAT and σ1 receptors and failed to show cocaine-like discriminative stimulus (DS) effects. A second series of bis(4‘-fluorophenyl)amine analogues have now been prepared in which the most potent DAT compound, 19 (Ki = 8.5 nM), was...
The Riemann Mapping Theorem and Simple Connectedness in the Plane

In this chapter, we shall prove that any simply connected open set in ℂ, which is not all of ℂ, is analytically isomorphic to the unit disc D= {z∊ℂ∣∣z∣<1}. The proof will also enable us to characterize simple connectedness in several ways.
Physicochemical action of potassium-magnesium citrate in nephrolithiasis

Effect of potassium-magnesium citrate on urinary biochemistry and crystallization of stone-forming salts was compared with that of potassium citrate at same dose of potassium in five normal subjects and five patients with calcium nephrolithiasis. Compared to the placebo phase, urinary pH rose significantly from 6.06 +/- 0.27 to 6.48 +/- 0.36 (mean +/- SD, p less than 0.0167) during treatment with potassium citrate (50 mEq/day for 7 days) and to 6.68 +/- 0.31 during therapy with potassium-magnesium citrate (containing 49 mEq K, 24.5 mEq Mg, and 73.5 mEq citrate per day). Urinary pH was significantly higher during potassium-magnesium citrate than during potassium citrate therapy. Thus, the amount of undissociated uric acid declined from 118 +/- 61 mg/day during the placebo phase to 68 +/- 54 mg/day during potassium citrate treatment and, more prominently, to 41 +/- 46 mg/day during potassium-magnesium citrate therapy. Urinary magnesium rose significantly from 102 +/- 25 to 146 +/- 37 mg/day during potassium-magnesium citrate therapy but not during potassium citrate therapy. Urinary citrate rose more prominently during potassium-magnesium citrate therapy (to 1027 +/- 478 mg/day from 638 +/- 252 mg/day) than during potassium citrate treatment (to 932 +/- 297 mg/day). Consequently, urinary saturation (activity product) of calcium oxalate declined significantly (from 1.49 x 10(-8) to 1.03 x 10(-8) M2) during potassium-magnesium citrate therapy and marginally (to 1.14 x 10(-8) M2) during potassium citrate therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS).
Epidermal growth factor receptor activation in glioblastoma through novel missense mutations in the extracellular domain.

BACKGROUND: Protein tyrosine kinases are important regulators of cellular homeostasis with tightly controlled catalytic activity. Mutations in kinase-encoding genes can relieve the autoinhibitory constraints on kinase activity, can promote malignant transformation, and appear to be a major determinant of response to kinase inhibitor therapy. Missense mutations in the EGFR kinase domain, for example, have recently been identified in patients who showed clinical responses to EGFR kinase inhibitor therapy. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Encouraged by the promising clinical activity of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase inhibitors in treating glioblastoma in humans, we have sequenced the complete EGFR coding sequence in glioma tumor samples and cell lines. We identified novel missense mutations in the extracellular domain of EGFR in 13.6% (18/132) of glioblastomas and 12.5% (1/8) of glioblastoma cell lines. These EGFR mutations were associated with increased EGFR gene dosage and conferred anchorage-independent growth and tumorigenicity to NIH-3T3 cells. Cells transformed by expression of these EGFR mutants were sensitive to small-molecule EGFR kinase inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest extracellular missense mutations as a novel mechanism for oncogenic EGFR activation and may help identify patients who can benefit from EGFR kinase inhibitors for treatment of glioblastoma.
Increased Nucleotide Diversity with Transient Y Linkage in Drosophila americana

Recombination shapes nucleotide variation within genomes. Patterns are thought to arise from the local recombination landscape, influencing the degree to which neutral variation experiences hitchhiking with selected variation. This study examines DNA polymorphism along Chromosome 4 (element B) of Drosophila americana to identify effects of hitchhiking arising as a consequence of Y-linked transmission. A centromeric fusion between the X and 4th chromosomes segregates in natural populations of D. americana. Frequency of the X-4 fusion exhibits a strong positive correlation with latitude, which has explicit consequences for unfused 4th chromosomes. Unfused Chromosome 4 exists as a non-recombining Y chromosome or as an autosome proportional to the frequency of the X-4 fusion. Furthermore, Y linkage along the unfused 4 is disrupted as a function of the rate of recombination with the centromere. Inter-population and intra-chromosomal patterns of nucleotide diversity were assayed using six regions distributed along unfused 4th chromosomes derived from populations with different frequencies of the X-4 fusion. No difference in overall level of nucleotide diversity was detected among populations, yet variation along the chromosome exhibits a distinct pattern in relation to the X-4 fusion. Sequence diversity is inflated at loci experiencing the strongest Y linkage. These findings are inconsistent with the expected reduction in nucleotide diversity resulting from hitchhiking due to background selection or selective sweeps. In contrast, excessive polymorphism is accruing in association with transient Y linkage, and furthermore, hitchhiking with sexually antagonistic alleles is potentially responsible.
Use of a thermomechanical analyzer to estimate the tensile compliance for polymeric materials

Values of the tensile compliance D for polymers ranging from hard plastics to rubbers have been estimated using a commercial thermomechanical analyzer in a novel manner. By slight modification of the standard instrumentation together with careful attention to experimental procedure, sample geometry, and data analysis, the values of D obtained for a wide variety of materials are shown to correlate well with values of the tensile modulus E obtained using more conventional techniques. The method appears to be capable of quickly and easily estimating values of D/sup -1/ ranging from 10/sup +6/ to 5 x 10/sup 9/ pascals. 3 tables, 4 figures, 26 references.
Light-Dependent Tyrosine Phosphorylation in the Cyanobacterium Prochlorothrix hollandica

A light-dependent tyrosine kinase activity is present in soluble extracts from the cyanobacterium Prochlorothrix hollandica. The substrate of this tyrosine kinase activity is a soluble 88-kD protein that is phosphorylated when cultures of P. hollandica are adapted to high-light conditions. This phosphoprotein was identified by probing western blots of 32P-labeled soluble proteins from P. hollandica with an antibody specific for phosphotyrosine. This specificity was confirmed by competition experiments in which the antibody binding was abolished completely in the presence of excess phosphotyrosine but not phosphoserine and phosphothreonine. The kinetics of phosphorylation in vivo were determined by probing western blots with this antibody. Within 1 h following a switch from extended darkness to high light (200 [mu]mol photons m-2 s-1), the 88-kD protein was detectable upon India ink staining of western blots. After 3 h, the antibody recognized the phosphorylated form of this polypeptide. Within 6 h of a downshift from high to low light, the 88-kD protein was dephosphorylated. In vitro phosphorylation studies also showed that cell extracts can phosphorylate a tyrosine-containing artificial substrate; acid hydrolysis of both the artificial substrate and the 88-kD protein showed that phosphorylation occurred exclusively on tyrosine residues. Finally, experiments with high-light-adapted Synechococcus sp. PCC7942 suggest that a similar tyrosine phosphorylation event occurs in a phycobilisome-containing cyanobacterium.
Synthesis of Catalytically Active Form III Ribulose 1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase in Archaea

Ribulose 1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) catalyzes the biological reduction and assimilation of carbon dioxide gas to organic carbon; it is the key enzyme responsible for the bulk of organic matter found on earth. Until recently it was believed that there are only two forms of RubisCO, form I and form II. However, the recent completion of several genome-sequencing projects uncovered open reading frames resembling RubisCO in the third domain of life, the archaea. Previous work and homology comparisons suggest that these enzymes represent a third form of RubisCO, form III. While earlier work indicated that two structurally distinct recombinant archaeal RubisCO proteins catalyzed bona fide RubisCO reactions, it was not established that the rbcL genes of anaerobic archaea can be transcribed and translated to an active enzyme in the native organisms. In this report, it is shown not only that Methanococcus jannaschii, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, Methanosarcina acetivorans, and Methanosarcina barkeri possess open reading frames with the residues required for catalysis but also that the RubisCO protein from these archaea accumulates in an active form under normal growth conditions. In addition, the form III RubisCO gene (rbcL) from M. acetivorans was shown to complement RubisCO deletion strains of Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides under both photoheterotrophic and photoautotrophic growth conditions. These studies thus indicate for the first time that archaeal form III RubisCO functions in a physiologically significant fashion to fix CO2. Furthermore, recombinant M. jannaschii, M. acetivorans, and A. fulgidus RubisCO possess unique properties with respect to quaternary structure, temperature optima, and activity in the presence of molecular oxygen compared to the previously described Thermococcus kodakaraensis and halophile proteins.
Navigational mechanisms of migrating monarch butterflies

Recent studies of the iconic fall migration of monarch butterflies have illuminated the mechanisms behind their southward navigation while using a time-compensated sun compass. Skylight cues, such as the sun itself and polarized light, are processed through both eyes and are probably integrated in the brain's central complex, the presumed site of the sun compass. Time compensation is provided by circadian clocks that have a distinctive molecular mechanism and that reside in the antennae. Monarchs might also use a magnetic compass because they possess two cryptochromes that have the molecular capability for light-dependent magnetoreception. Multiple genomic approaches are now being used with the aim of identifying navigation genes. Monarch butterflies are thus emerging as an excellent model organism in which to study the molecular and neural basis of long-distance migration.
Convergence in morphology and masticatory function between the pharyngeal jaws of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, and oral jaws of amniote herbivores

The cellulose-rich walls that protect plant cells are difficult to digest, and therefore mechanical food processing is a key aspect of herbivory across vertebrates. Cell walls are typically broken down by translation of flattened teeth in the occlusal plane (i.e. grinding) as part of a complex, rhythmic chewing stroke. The grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, is a voracious, invasive herbivorous fish that relies solely on its pharyngeal teeth, located in the back of the throat, for mechanical processing of plant material. Here, we describe the musculoskeletal anatomy of the pharyngeal jaws of grass carp and use XROMM to quantify chewing kinematics and muscle strain. The pharyngeal jaws are suspended in a sling of 11 muscles and maintain no bony articulation with any other skeletal elements in the head. The jaws bear long, serrated teeth that are worn during use into flattened tooth cusps. Our kinematic data show that this wear is the result of the teeth being elevated into occlusion against the basioccipital process and keratinous chewing pad, not tooth-on-tooth occlusion. Pharyngeal jaw elevation results from large strains in the jaw elevator muscle, the levator arcus branchialis V, to drive a pulley-like mechanism that rotates the jaws about a pivot point at the symphysis between the left and right pharyngeal jaws. These complex, rhythmic jaw rotations translate the teeth laterally across the chewing surface throughout the occlusion phase. The grass carp chewing system is strikingly similar in gross morphology and masticatory function to herbivorous chewing strategies in other vertebrates.
Vector evaluated particle swarm optimization (VEPSO): optimization of a radiometer array antenna

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) has been receiving increasing interest from the engineering design community in the last couple of years. The successful application of genetic algorithms (GA) to a wide-range of engineering design problems has provided the impetus to investigate new and potentially better optimization techniques. At the time PSO was developed, significant research effort was focused on extending the evolutionary algorithm (EA) paradigms to multi-objective optimization problems. Many of the concepts developed for GAs have been modified to enable multi-objective optimization using PSO. The paper presents a study of the vector evaluated PSO (VEPSO), a multi-objective PSO paradigm, by applying it to a complex multi-objective electromagnetic design problem. We optimize the beam efficiency and half-power beamwidth (HPBW) of a 16-element array to be used to study soil moisture content from an airplane. This is accomplished by varying the element spacing and excitation amplitude of each element.
A Non-Gendered Lens? Media, Voters, and Female Candidates in Contemporary Congressional Elections

Much research in the study of U.S. politics has argued that female candidates for elected office are treated differently—and often worse—than male candidates in the press and by the public. Although these patterns do not doom women to electoral failure, they raise a formidable series of obstacles that often complicate women’s path to elective office, slowing the move toward gender parity in representation. Broad changes to the American political landscape, as well as methodological limitations of previous work, however, suggest the need for an updated assessment. We rely on a detailed content analysis of local newspaper coverage from nearly 350 U.S. House districts and nationally representative survey data from the 2010 midterms to provide a comprehensive evaluation of whether women experience a more hostile campaign environment than do men. We find that candidate sex does not affect journalists’ coverage of, or voters’ attitudes toward, the women and men running for office in their districts. Rather, reporters’ portrayals and citizens’ assessments of candidates stem primarily from partisanship, ideology, and incumbency, not the sex of the candidate. Although our results differ from much of the existing literature, we regard them as a valuable point of departure for answering pressing questions about gender and representation in contemporary politics, both in an American and comparative context.
Comparison of analysis techniques for information requirement determination

A comparison of systems analysis techniques, the Data Flow Diagram (DFD) and part of the Integrated Definition Method (IDEFo), is done using a new developmental framework.
Analysis of p53 Inactivation in a Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Tax Transgenic Mouse Model

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). The HTLV-1 Tax protein has been strongly linked to oncogenesis and is considered to be the transforming protein of this virus. A Tax transgenic mouse model was utilized to study the contribution of p53 inactivation to Tax-mediated tumorigenesis. These mice develop primary, peripheral tumors consisting of large granular lymphocytic (LGL) cells, which also infiltrate the lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, liver, and lungs. Primary Tax-induced tumors and tumor-derived cell lines exhibited functional inactivation of the p53 apoptotic pathway; such tumors and tumor cell lines were resistant to an apoptosis-inducing stimulus. In contrast, p53 mutations in tumors were found to be associated with secondary organ infiltration. Three of four identified mutations inhibited transactivation and apoptosis induction activities in vitro. Furthermore, experiments which involved mating Tax transgenic mice with p53-deficient mice demonstrated minimal acceleration in initial tumor formation, but significantly accelerated disease progression and death in mice heterozygous for p53. These studies suggest that functional inactivation of p53 by HTLV-1 Tax, whether by mutation or another mechanism, is not critical for initial tumor formation, but contributes to late-stage tumor progression.
Effect of autoimmune thyroid disease in older euthyroid infertile woman during the first 35 days of an IVF cycle

In this case-control study of euthyroid first-cycle IVF patients ≥38 years old with singleton baby, miscarriage, biochemical pregnancy, and no pregnancy outcomes from 2005–2008, we assayed frozen serum for autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and thyroid function at cycle start, trigger, and 4 and 5 weeks' gestation. AITD prevalence in older infertile women was similar across clinical outcomes, and although AITD was associated with a higher baseline TSH, TSH remained within acceptable ranges, suggesting that T 4 supplementation may not affect maternal outcomes in older euthyroid AITD patients through 5 weeks gestation.
The Senior Internet User: Lessons From The Cybernun Study

How do senior citizens view computers? What can help or hinder their use of today’s digital technologies? “The Cybernun Study: Religious Sisters, Life Satisfaction and Computer Use” examined computer use and life satisfaction of senior religious sisters; also addressing computer usability concerns of senior citizens. A sample was obtained of 103 nuns in Upstate New York.; self-identified as computer users (CU) or non-users (NU). Nuns completed demographic information, two structured surveys and responded to additional semi-structured questions in selected interviews. Analysis of the open-ended responses found interesting differences in sister’s perceptions of computer use.
Dendrochronological dating of historic log cabins on the Belle Meade Plantation, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA

The Harding Cabin is a one and one half story, double pen log cabin located on the Belle Meade Plantation in Davidson County, Tennessee, USA. Historical accounts attribute the eastern cabin to Daniel Dunham who originally settled in the area ca. 1780 and the western cabin to John Harding who purchased the land from the Dunham family in February 1807. We used dendrochronological dating techniques to determine the years of harvest for trees cut and used to build both cabins. We found that both cabins were predominantly made from two genera not commonly used to build log cabins in the southeastern U.S., Fraxinus (ash) and Ulmus (elm). We obtained ring width measurements from 30 cores from all walls on both cabins and used graphical and statistical techniques to crossdate the tree-ring series and create floating chronologies for both species. We crossdated these with reference chronologies from the ITRDB. The Fraxinus chronology was dated from 1657 to 1805 while the Ulmus chronology was dated from 1583 to 1805. Cutting dates indicated that most if not all trees used to build both cabins were cut in late winter/early spring of 1807 before the trees had broken dormancy. We propose that both cabins were built the same year but by different families. We propose that the Harding family built the eastern cabin while Harding’s slaves built the western cabin, originally at a different location on the property. Once the mansion was completed by 1820, the slave cabin was relocated beside the Harding cabin.
A phase I and pharmacokinetic study of CR011-vcMMAE, an antibody toxin conjugate drug, in patients with unresectable stage III /IV melanoma

B47 Background: Glycoprotein NMB (GPNMB) expression on the cell surface of melanoma cells is substantially greater than most normal tissues. CR011-vcMMAE is a fully human monoclonal antibody against GPNMB conjugated to the cytotoxic monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). The toxin is released upon internalization and proteolytic cleavage within antigen-expressing cells. CR011-vcMMAE shows anti-tumor activity in vitro and in melanoma xenograft mouse models, therefore, we conducted a phase I multi-center study to evaluate its safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and pharmacokinetics (PK) in advanced melanoma patients with gr 2 toxicity was reported up to the 0.48 mg/kg dose. At doses of 0.96 and 1.34 mg/kg, 4 of 6 patients developed gr1 or 2 transient diarrhea. At 1.34 mg/kg, 2 of 3 patients developed gr1 rash and 1 patient developed gr3 and 4 neutropenia in cycles 1 and 2 approximately 20 days after dosing. Of the 18 assessable patients, 3 (16.7%) had stable disease for > 12 weeks. One patient who received 8 treatments of 0.24 mg/kg CR011-vcMMAE exhibited a 20% reduction of the target lesions at 18 weeks. PK analysis confirmed dose dependent exposure. Concentration-time profiles were similar between cycles 1 and 2. Terminal phase T1/2 ranged from 16.7 hrs at 0.03 mg/kg to 37.9 hrs at 0.96 mg/kg. The increase in T1/2 with dose suggested target-mediated disposition. Levels of free MMAE were approximately 1.4% of total CR011 at later collection points in all cohorts (mole percentage) and remained measurable at 2 weeks after dosing suggesting low spontaneous dissociation of MMAE. Preliminary staining of biopsy samples from 2 patients showed that GPNMB was present in both samples. Conclusions: CR011-vcMMAE up to 1.34 mg/kg dose was well tolerated and dose escalation continues. Preliminary IHC and PK results confirmed the presence of target antigen and drug exposure. Once a MTD is established, a phase II component of the study will evaluate activity.
Developing population models with data from marked individuals

Abstract Population viability analysis (PVA) is a powerful tool for biodiversity assessments, but its use has been limited because of the requirements for fully specified population models such as demographic structure, density-dependence, environmental stochasticity, and specification of uncertainties. Developing a fully specified population model from commonly available data sources – notably, mark–recapture studies – remains complicated due to lack of practical methods for estimating fecundity, true survival (as opposed to apparent survival), natural temporal variability in both survival and fecundity, density-dependence in the demographic parameters, and uncertainty in model parameters. We present a general method that estimates all the key parameters required to specify a stochastic, matrix-based population model, constructed using a long-term mark–recapture dataset. Unlike standard mark–recapture analyses, our approach provides estimates of true survival rates and fecundities, their respective natural temporal variabilities, and density-dependence functions, making it possible to construct a population model for long-term projection of population dynamics. Furthermore, our method includes a formal quantification of parameter uncertainty for global (multivariate) sensitivity analysis. We apply this approach to 9 bird species and demonstrate the feasibility of using data from the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program. Bias-correction factors for raw estimates of survival and fecundity derived from mark–recapture data (apparent survival and juvenile:adult ratio, respectively) were non-negligible, and corrected parameters were generally more biologically reasonable than their uncorrected counterparts. Our method allows the development of fully specified stochastic population models using a single, widely available data source, substantially reducing the barriers that have until now limited the widespread application of PVA. This method is expected to greatly enhance our understanding of the processes underlying population dynamics and our ability to analyze viability and project trends for species of conservation concern.
Collateral Damage Control in Cancer Therapy: Defining the Stem Identity in Gliomas

The discovery of discrete functional components in cancer systems advocates a paradigm shift in therapeutic design towards the targeted destruction of critical cellular constituents that fuel tumorigenic potential. In astrocytomas, malignant growth can be propagated and sustained by glioma stem cells (GSCs) endowed with highly efficient clonogenic and tumor initiation capacities. Given their disproportionate oncogenic contribution, GSCs are often considered the optimal targets for curative treatment because their eradication may subvert the refractory nature of GBMs. However, the close affinity of GSCs and normal neural stem cells (NSCs) is a cautionary note for off-target effects of GSC-based therapies. In fact, many parallels can be drawn between GSC and NSC functions, which ostensibly rely on a communal collection of stem cell-promoting transcription factors (TFs). Only through rigorous scrutiny of nuances in the stemness program of GSCs and NSCs may we clarify the pathogenic mechanisms of stemness factors and reveal processes exploited by cancer cells to co-opt stem cell traits. Importantly, discerning the specific requirements for GSC and NSC maintenance may be an essential requisite when assessing molecular targets for discriminatory targeting of GSCs with minimal sequelae.
Patterns of nest usurpation : When should species converge on nest niches ?

The acceptability of a nest to more than one species and the convergence of species on a nest niche is demonstrated through nest usurpation. I compiled examples of nest usurpation from the literature to examine patterns regarding the species and nest sites that tend to be usurped, those species likely to be usurpers, and the habitats in which usurpation occurs. Cavities and enclosed nests are more likely to be usurped than cup nests. Species that excavate or build these types of nests, like the Picidae and the Furnariidae, are likely to be the hosts of usurpers. Particular groups are prone to usurping nests, including introduced species like the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Cavity usurpations were more likely to be observed in temperate than tropical/subtropical zones, and about equally likely to be observed in closed and open habitats, while enclosed nest usurpations were observed more frequently in open than closed habitats, and more often in tropical/subtropical than temperate zones. Usurpation of all nest types is more likely to occur in tropical/subtropical zones than expected, based on the number of studies in the literature conducted in these zones. Usurpation of all nest types is less likely to occur in open, and more likely to occur in moderately open habitats than expected, based on the number of studies in the literature conducted in these habitats. Instances of cavity usurpation, recorded primarily in temperate zones, across a variety of habitats, do not contribute to these general patterns. Nest-site convergence through nest usurpation may be more likely to occur in moderately open tropical habitats because of : 1) the availability of enclosed nests, 2) the limited structural heterogeneity of the vegetation, which limits the possibility of nest-niche partitioning, and 3) the high diversity of potential nest competitors and predators. In such environments, interspecific nesting associations may be a more effective generalized nest defense strategy than using a nest site that is difficult to find.
Pink Bollworm (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): Selecting for Antibiosis in Artificially and Naturally Infested Cotton Plants

Artificial and natural infestation methods were used to separate internal-boll antibiosis from other types of resistance in cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., to the pink boll worm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders). Nine cottons, which included seven Texas race stocks (T-) and a susceptible and resistant check, were planted in field plots at Phoenix, Ariz., in 1979. Green bolls, 14 to 21 days old, in one row of each plot were infested weekly with PBW eggs on 1-cm2 slips of paper. Green bolls were harvested from half of the row and seed cotton was harvested from the other half. One race stock, T-53, had significantly fewer entrance holes per boll than the susceptible check, ‘Deltapine 61’ (DPL-61), while T-39, T-40, T-53, and T-167 had significantly fewer insects per boll. T-39 and T-705 caused lower insect survival in the boll—i.e., lower ratios of insects per boll to entrance holes per boll—than did the susceptible check. Seed that was X-rayed showed that T-39, T-167, and T-705 had significantly lower percentages of seed damage than DPL-61. In naturally infested plots, only T-39 and the resistant check, AET-5, had less seed damage than the susceptible check. Subsequent tests suggested that T-39 contained both PBW-resistant and PBW-susceptible component lines. In 1982, in plots infested artificially via a repeating pipette method, only 1 of 10 progenies of selected T-39 sublines had significantly less seed damage, but seven sublines had significantly more, than DPL-61. In 1983, two T-39 sublines, selected for low damage in 1982, had significantly less damage than DPL-61. The one T-39 subline selected for high damage in 1982 did not differ significantly in damage from DPL-61 in 1983. T-167, the other race stock selected from the 1979 test, failed to show resistance in the 1983 test. Five (AET-5 × T-167)F4 hybrids had significantly less seed damage than T-167 but did not differ from AET-5 in the 1983 test.
Try-It-On: Experiential Learning of Holistic Stress Management in a Graduate Nursing Curriculum.

The aim of this article is to relate how nursing students in a graduate curriculum can learn, personally practice, and prepare to disseminate stress management strategies to patients. Advanced practice nurses often provide care for patients experiencing stress-related disorders while concurrently trying to manage their own high levels of stress. Through the innovative Try-It-On teaching–learning strategy, graduate students experimented with holistic stress management approaches, with the intention of sharing with patients what worked effectively. Student comments on course evaluations were positive regarding Try-It-On. In the pilot trial of a quantitative survey to expand the evaluation of the strategy, students who trialed holistic stress management techniques reported satisfaction, engagement, perceived relevance, and intention to trial techniques with patients in future clinical courses. Modeling role modeling theory and the Kirkpatrick evaluation model guided the project, which filled gaps in current ...
Transform Execl Sheet Data to Oracle

This paper discuss a method which load external data into Oracle9i database. The paper display how to load Microsoft Excel data sheets to Oracle database.
Adaptations to photoautotrophy associated with seasonal ice cover in a large lake revealed by metatranscriptome analysis of a winter diatom bloom

Abstract There is growing recognition that winter is an important season for growth of photoautotrophs in ice-covered freshwater environments. Exemplifying this are expansive under-ice blooms of filamentous diatoms in Lake Erie. Here we describe a metatranscriptome constructed from a phytoplankton community dominated by filamentous diatoms. As expected, a high percentage (> 73%) of the sequences with BLAST hits to nucleotides or proteins in National Center for Biotechnology Information databases were associated with photosynthetic algae of which the majority were diatoms, mainly Aulacoseira spp. and Stephanodiscus spp. which was confirmed by analysis of 18S rRNA gene transcripts and microscopy. Consistent with the winter growth environment, psychrophilic and low-light adaptations were observed. Prominent among adaptations to cold were transcripts for genes involved in biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, which were consistent with expected increased membrane fluidity at low temperatures. Reflecting the combined effect of low winter insolation and high light attenuation were an abundant complement of reads for light-harvesting antennae, mainly genes encoding fucoxanthin chlorophyll a / c proteins. The presence of virulence factors originating from oomycetes offers support for new hypotheses into the eventual decline of Lake Erie's winter diatom bloom. Whereas fungi were identified both through the metatranscriptome and by microscopy, dsRNA viruses of fungi were detected that may indirectly counter against fungal infection. This study demonstrates the utility of an environmental omics approach to yield insights underlying phototrophic life as well as the interactions of the entire microbial community in an extreme environment.
Galois theory applied to prime decomposition

Up to now the Galois-theoretic aspects of number fields have not figured prominently in our theory. Essentially all we did was to determine the Galois group of the mth cyclotomic field (it was the multiplicative group of integers mod m) and to show that, in the case of a normal extension, the Galois group permutes the primes over a given prime transitively (Theorem 23). Galois groups also turned up in the proof of Theorem 26 on splitting in cyclotomic fields. In this chapter we apply Galois theory to the general problem of determining how a prime ideal of a number ring splits in an extension field.
Linac-based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the treatment of refractory trigeminal neuralgia: Detailed description of SRS procedure and reported clinical outcomes.

Purpose/Objectives To present our linac-based SRS procedural technique for medically and/or surgically refractory trigeminal neuralgia (TN) treatment and simultaneously report our clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods Twenty-seven refractory TN patients who were treated with a single fraction of 80 Gy to TN. Treatment delivery was performed with a 4 mm cone size using 7-arc arrangement with differential-weighting for Novalis-TX with six MV-SRS (1000 MU/min) beam and minimized dose to the brainstem. Before each treatment, Winston–Lutz quality assurance (QA) with submillimeter accuracy was performed. Clinical treatment response was evaluated using Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain intensity score, rated from I to V. Results Out of 27 patients, 22 (81%) and 5 (19%) suffered from typical and atypical TN, respectively, and had median follow-up interval of 12.5 months (ranged: 1–53 months). For 80 Gy prescriptions, delivered total average MU was 19440 ± 611. Average beam-on-time was 19.4 ± 0.6 min. Maximum dose and dose to 0.5 cc of brainstem were 13.4 ± 2.1 Gy (ranged: 8.4–15.9 Gy) and 3.6 ± 0.4 Gy (ranged: 3.0–4.9 Gy), respectively. With a median follow-up of 12.5 months (ranged: 1–45 months) in typical TN patients, the proportion of patients achieving overall pain relief was 82%, of which half achieved a complete pain relief with BNI score of I-II and half demonstrated partial pain reduction with BNI score of IIIA-IIIB. Four typical TN patients (18%) had no response to radiosurgery treatment. Of the patients who responded to treatment, actuarial pain recurrence free survival rates were approximately 100%, 75%, and 50% at 12 months, 15 months, and 24 months, respectively. Five atypical TN patients were included, who did not respond to treatment (BNI score: IV–V). However, no radiation-induced cranial-toxicity was observed in all patients treated. Conclusion Linac-based SRS for medically and/or surgically refractory TN is a fast, effective, and safe treatment option for patients with typical TN who had excellent response rates. Patients, who achieve response to treatment, often have durable response rates with moderate actuarial pain recurrence free survival. Longer follow-up interval is anticipated to confirm our clinical observations.
But what will it cost me? How do private costs of participation affect open source software projects?

Abstract We explore how the adoption of a decentralized version control system (DVCS) affects the number of participants and the level of contribution in open source software (OSS) projects. Based on a monthly panel data of 10,381 OSS projects between 2007 and 2011, we find that DVCS reduces the private costs for participants in an OSS project and thus increases the number of participants, but decreases the average level of contribution by individual participants. Our findings provide a complementary view based on the cost side of participants’ decision and have implications to other contexts where the project development is contingent on voluntary individual participation.
“This was nature”: Growing Death and the Necrophilous Character in T. C. Boyle's GREASY LAKE

In “Boyle's ‘Greasy Lake’ and the Moral Failure of Postmodernism,” Michael Walker's sociological criticism, of Boyle's eponymous short story from his 1985 collection, fails to address the author's ...
Self-indicating, fully active pharmaceutical ingredients nanoparticles (FAPIN) for multimodal imaging guided trimodality cancer therapy.

Abstract Conventional drug delivery systems contain substantial amounts of excipients such as polymers and lipids, typically with low drug loading capacity and lack of intrinsic traceability and multifunctionality . Here, we report fully active pharmaceutical ingredient nanoparticles (FAPIN) which were self-assembled by minimal materials, but seamlessly orchestrated versatile theranostic functionalities including: i) self-delivery: no additional carriers were required, all components in the formulation are active pharmaceutical ingredients; ii) self-indicating: no additional imaging tags were needed. The nanoparticle itself was composed of 100% imaging agents , so that the stability, drug release, subcellular dispositions, biodistribution and therapeutic efficacy of FAPINs can be readily visualized by ample imaging capacities, including energy transfer relay dominated, dual-color fluorogenic property, near-infrared fluorescence imaging and magnetic resonance imaging; and iii) highly effective trimodality cancer therapy, encompassing photodynamic-, photothermal- and chemo-therapies . FAPINs were fabricated with very simple material (a photosensitizer-drug conjugate), unusually achieved ∼10 times better in vitro antitumor activity than their free counterparts, and were remarkably efficacious in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) glioblastoma multiforme animal models. Only two doses of FAPINs enabled complete ablation of highly-malignant PDX tumors in 50% of the mice.
Cycles of Accumulation, Cycles of Struggle: The Zapatista Revolt in World-Systemic Perspective:

The 1994 Zapatista uprising was not the first indigenous revolt in the territory known today as Chiapas, Mexico. Adopting insights from Cox and Nilsen and examining the history of three indigenous ...
Decoration, Panels, and Packaging

Sand-coated surfaces are a type of decoration applied to face bricks, and they can be provided in nearly every color imaginable. The soft-mud process requires a coating of sand for forming, but this necessity is exploited to produce bricks of a variety of colors—very often copying the appearance of antique, hand-molded products. Sanded surfaces are also widely used on stiff-mud bricks, simulating the appearance of soft-mud bricks. This type of decoration, as well as all other types, can be produced in such a wide range of colors that chromatology will not be discussed extensively in this chapter. The colors produced by the control of the oxidation state of iron was discussed at length in Chapt. 6. Other transition-element oxides and previously prepared pigments are subject to the same basic principles. Our considerations of the decoration of structural clay products will be involved largely with textural appearances.
Vietnamese Women’s Responses to Domestic Violence in South Korea

The purpose of this study is to explore Vietnamese women’s responses to domestic violence in South Korea. Based on in-depth interviews with 22 Vietnamese women who marry Korean men, six strategies to cope with domestic violence are identified: enduring, escaping, confronting, negotiating, getting help from informal networks, and seeking assistance from formal sources. This study presents that informal social networks are critical in the process of help seeking for abused Vietnamese women.
Efficacy of control measures in the control of Ebola, Liberia 2014-2015.

The largest outbreak of Ebola to date is the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, with more than 10,000 cases and over 4000 deaths reported in Liberia alone. To control the spread of the outbreak, mult...