cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strong epigenetic similarity between maize centromeric and pericentromeric regions at the level of small RNAs, DNA methylation and H3 chromatin modifications

Both kinetochore function and sister chromatid cohesion can depend upon pericentromere chromatin structure, and factors associated with heterochromatin have been proposed to have general, conserved roles in distinguishing centromeres and pericentromeres and in conferring pericentromere-intrinsic functions. We applied genome-wide sequencing approaches to quantify RNA expression, DNA methylation and histone modification distributions in maize (Zea mays), focusing on two maize chromosomes with nearly fully sequenced centromeres and pericentromeres. Aside from the presence of the Histone H3 variant common to all centromeres, Centromeric Histone H3 (CENH3), we found no RNA expression or chromatin modifications that clearly differentiate pericentromeres from either centromeres or from chromosome arms, nor did we identify an epigenetic signature that accurately predicts CENH3 location. RNA expression and chromatin modification frequencies were broadly associated with distance from centromeres, gradually peaking or dipping toward arms. When interpreted in the context of experimental data from other systems, our results suggest that centromeres may confer essential functions (such as cohesion retention) to flanking sequence regardless of the local heterochromatin profile.
In situ Raman and fluorescence monitoring of optically trapped single-walled carbon nanotubes

In-situ Raman and fluorescence measurements were used to detect optically trapped single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The in-situ fluorescence technique provides strong indirect visual evidence of optical trapping of SWNTs by monitoring the fluorescence quenching from a solution containing a mixture of carbon nanotubes and a fluorescent dye. The second monitoring technique uses in-situ Raman spectroscopy to show that in the presence of the optical trap, both the profile and the intensity of the nanotube Raman spectrum changes compared to when the optical trap is off. The Raman monitoring setup consists of two lasers which independently create the optical trapping path and Raman probing path. In this technique the Raman probe is capable of detecting structural information of the carbon nanotubes in the optical trap; therefore providing direct evidence of the local SWNTs concentration variation and chirality distribution. Both methods were used to verify optical trapping of SWNT and to determine the trapping threshold, trapping volume profile, and information on tube concentration change during optical trapping.
Copyright, Community Radio, and Change: How the U.S. Community Radio Sector is Negotiating Changing Copyright Rules and the Rollout of Digital Distribution

Radio has been regulated in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission, and previously the Federal Radio Commission, since the 1920s. Now, community radio operators and producers find themselves operating within a range of regulatory frameworks, depending on the platforms (over-the-air or online) on which they place their content. This article reviews how the impact of copyright regulation on community radio is changing as that sector expands into internet distribution. The article draws on a number of case studies of U.S.-based community radio stations, and forms part of a larger study of the changing structure of that sector. A significant lesson from this case study is a better understanding of the manner in which community stations are not only negotiating the platforms on which they distribute their content, based in large part on regulatory constraints on different platforms, but also are often fringe actors in policy debates dominated by larger economic groupings, such as corporate ...
Frances Beardsley Clark's Diary: The Record of a Ninetheenth-Century American Women

I N E T E E N T H C E N T U R Y woman's fiction in America insistently urges the softening of God's rigidly patriarchal features. One thinks of the corpus of Elizabeth Stuart Phelps' works, particularly The Gates Ajar, in which she attempts to purge Christianity of the oppressive Calvinism that dominates it.1 Phelps presents us with deeply spiritual and heroic women through whom she expresses a vitally feminine view of God. Phelps' two great themes are i ) God is not an ogre whose sole function is to pronounce cruel judgements; he is possessed of the specifically feminine traits of mercy and tenderness toward his children; and 2) it is dangerous for women to marry: it always means their oppression, compromise, and downfall.2 Harriet Beecher Stowe precedes Phelps in presenting the reader with her feminine figures of salvation, little Eva and Simon Legree's mother.3 Jane Tompkins in her article, "Sentimental Power: Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Politics of Literary History," describes Uncle Tom's Cabin as "the summa theologica of nineteenth-century America's religion of domesticity, a brilliant redaction of the culture's
Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy Detected Long-Lived Spin Magnetization

Magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM), which combines magnetic resonance imaging with scanning probe microscopy together, is capable of performing ultra-sensitive detection of spin magnetization. In an attempt to observe dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) in an MRFM experiment, which could possibly further improve its sensitivity towards a single proton spin, a film of perdeuterated polystyrene doped with a nitroxide electron-spin probe was prepared. A high-compliance cantilever with a 4-μm-diameter magnetic tip was brought near the film at a temperature of 7.3 K and in a background magnetic field of ~0.6 T. The film was irradiated with 16.7-GHz microwaves while the resulting transient change in cantilever frequency was recorded in real time. In addition to observing the expected prompt change in cantilever frequency due to saturation of the nitroxide's electron-spin magnetization, we observed a persistent cantilever frequency change. Based on its magnitude, lifetime, and field dependence, we tentatively attribute the persistent signal to polarized deuteron magnetization created via transfer of magnetization from electron spins. Further measurements of the persistent signal's dependence on the cantilever amplitude and tip-sample separation are presented and explained by the cross-effect DNP mechanism in high magnetic field gradients.
Development of a software-based rollover warning device

This paper documents the research and development of a software-based rollover-warning device (RWD) to be used for road vehicles, with plans for hardware implementation. Although the RWD development concept is fairly general, the design described in this paper was geared towards heavy vehicles with high center-of-gravity height to track-width ratios. The RWD uses artificial neural networks to learn the dynamic input/output response of a road vehicle and estimate the instantaneous roll stability using inputs that are relatively easy to measure. The state of roll stability is quantified using a convenient measure called the load-transfer ratio (LTR) and used in conjunction with the rate of change of LTR as inputs to the RWD based upon a fuzzy logic rule-base for determination of an output warning level. Although the current RWD is based purely on computer simulation, experimental validation was performed and will be published at a later date.
Quadrupole Shielding and Antishielding Factors for Atomic States

The atomic shielding (or antishielding) factor $R$ for the quadrupole hyperfine structure has been evaluated for several excited atomic states. The values of $R$ were determined by means of the perturbed wave functions $v_{1}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{'}}(nl\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{l}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ as obtained by solving the inhomogeneous Schr\"odinger equation for each type of excitation of the core electrons by the nuclear quadrupole moment $Q$. For the case of copper, the calculations provide a quantitative explanation of the fact that the values of $Q({\mathrm{Cu}}^{65})$ obtained from two different excited configurations ($3{d}^{9}4{s}^{2}$ and $3{d}^{10}4p$) differ considerably from each other (by \ensuremath{\gtrsim}40%), when the correction factor $\frac{1}{(1\ensuremath{-}R)}$ is not applied. The calculated values of $R$, namely ${R}_{3d}=+0.178$ (shielding) and ${R}_{4p}=\ensuremath{-}0.175$ (antishielding), bring the two corrected values of $Q$ into very good agreement. We thus obtain $Q({\mathrm{Cu}}^{65})=(\ensuremath{-}0.195\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.004)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}24}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. Besides the work on Cu $3d$ and $4p$, the following calculations have also been carried out: (1) ${R}_{5d}$ for the $5d$ states of Pr and Tm; (2) ${R}_{2p}$ and ${R}_{3p}$ for the $2p$ and $3p$ states of Li; (3) ${R}_{2p}$ for the $2s2p^{3}P$ excited state of beryllium.
Activation of p115-RhoGEF Requires Direct Association of Gα13 and the Dbl Homology Domain

Background: p115-RhoGEF can be regulated by activated Gα13. Results: Both RGS and DH domains of p115-RhoGEF interact with Gα13. Conclusion: The binding of RGS to Gα13 facilitates direct association of Gα13 to DH to regulate its exchange activity. Significance: RGS domains can act cooperatively with other domains to mediate effector regulation by G proteins.
Alterations in skeletal muscle related to short‐term impaired physical mobility

The purpose of this investigation was to describe and compare two methods of recovery of atrophied skeletal muscle following short-term impaired physical mobility. An animal model was used to study morphologic adaptations of atrophied soleus and plantaris muscles to the effects of 7 days of hind-limb suspension (HS) followed by either sedentary recovery or run training during a 28-day recovery period. Significant atrophy, demonstrated by decreased mean fiber area (MFA, in square micrometers), occurred during the 7-day period of HS. During recovery, MFA returned to control values 14 days earlier in the sedentary compared with the trained groups. Run training following short-term atrophy induced by HS did not result in the high levels of frank muscle damage and type IIC fibers previously reported following long-term (28-day) atrophy. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Prebiotic synthesis and reactions of nucleosides and nucleotides.

The potential of diiminosuccinonitrile (DISN) as a prebiotic phosphorylating agent is studied. This compound is formed readily by the oxidation of diaminomaleonitrile, a tetramer of HCN. DISN is shown to produce the cyclization of 3'-adenosine monophosphate to adenosine 2',3'-cyclic phosphate in up to 40 percent yield. The DISN-mediated phosphorylation of uridine to uridine monophosphate is determined not to proceed efficiently in aqueous solution. The reaction of DISN and BrCN with uridine-5'-phosphate and uridine is found to result in the formation of 2,2'-anhydronucleotides and 2,2'-anhydronucleosides, respectively, and other reaction products resulting from an initial reaction at the 2' and 3'-hydroxyl groups. Homoionic montmorillonites were employed to study the clay mineral catalysis of the cyclization of adenosine-3'-phosphate.
Apoe ε4, alzheimer's disease pathology, cerebrovascular disease, and cognitive change over the years prior to death

The goal of this study was to examine the association of the APOE e4 allele with the late-life cognitive trajectory and test the hypothesis that the association of e4 with cognitive decline is explained by Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology. Participants (N = 581) came from 2 longitudinal clinical-pathologic studies of aging and dementia, the Religious Orders Study (ROS) and the Memory and Aging Project (MAP). Longitudinal measures of cognition were derived from detailed annual neuropsychological testing. Uniform neuropathologic evaluations provided quantitative measures of AD pathology, chronic cerebral infarctions, and Lewy bodies. Participants with 1 or more copies of the e4 allele (e2/4 excluded) were considered e4 carriers. Random change point models were applied to examine the association of the e4 allele with onset of terminal decline as well as preterminal and terminal slopes. On average, the onset of terminal decline occurred around 3 years before death, and the rate of terminal decline was eightfold faster than the preterminal decline. The presence of the e4 allele was associated with an earlier onset of terminal decline and faster rates of decline before and after its onset. After adjusting for AD pathology, the e4 allele was no longer associated with onset of terminal decline or preterminal slope, and the association with terminal slope became marginal. The APOE e4 allele is an important determinant of late-life change in cognition, including terminal decline, and works primarily through AD pathology.
Medicare prescription drug plan coverage of pharmacotherapies for opioid and alcohol dependence in WA.

ABSTRACT Objectives Pharmacotherapeutic treatments for drug addiction offer new options, but only if they are affordable for patients. The objective of this study is to assess the current availability and cost of five common antiaddiction medications in the largest federal medication insurance program in the US, Medicare Part D. Methods In early 2010, we collected coverage and cost data from 41 Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) and 45 Medicare Advantage Plans (MAPs) in Washington State. Results The great majority of Medicare plans (82–100%) covered common pharmacotherapeutic treatments for drug addiction. These Medicare plans typically placed patent protected medications on their highest formulary tiers, leading to relatively high patient co-payments during the initial Part D coverage period. For example, median monthly co-payments for buprenorphine (Suboxone®) were about $46 for PDPs, and about $56 for MAPs. Conclusion While Medicare prescription plans usually cover pharmacotherapeutic treatments for drug addiction, high co-payments can limit access. For example, beneficiaries without supplemental coverage who use Vivitrol® would exceed their initial coverage cap in 7–8 months, reaching the “doughnut hole” in their Part D coverage and becoming responsible for the full cost of the medication (over $900 per month). The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will gradually eliminate this coverage gap, and loss of patent protection for other antiaddiction medications (Suboxone® and Campral®) should also drive down patient costs, improving access and compliance.
Chronic stress and natural killer cell activity after exposure to traumatic death

OBJECTIVE The present study examined the effects of working at the crash site of USAir Flight 427 on psychological, cardiovascular, and immunological sequelae of stress within 2 months of the recovery work and again 6 months after the crash. METHOD A total of 159 workers at the crash site and 41 controls were examined within 2 months of the crash and again 6 months after the crash. Subjects were initially grouped according to whether they had contact with human remains. For a finer-grained analysis of exposure to bodies, subjects were also grouped by degree of exposure, determined by the area in which the workers were stationed. Dependent measures included intrusive thoughts, coping styles, and symptom reporting, as well as heart rate and blood pressure, and NK cell number and activity. RESULTS Workers exposed to body parts at the actual crash site, and those who were exposed to remains without expecting to be, exhibited more symptoms of stress than workers who saw bodies and body parts at the morgue and those who did not see human remains. Non-morgue workers who were exposed to bodies or body parts had the highest levels of intrusive thoughts at both time points, and the highest NK cell activity at Time 1. NK activity in this group decreased to levels comparable with other groups at Time 2. CONCLUSIONS Increased NK activity is unusual in chronic stress situations, and may be because of acute stress experienced as a result of being asked to talk and think about the crash. The finding that the more one was exposed to human remains the less distress he or she reported is discussed in terms of adaptation, expectancy, and control.
Steroids completely reverse albuterol-induced β2-adrenergic receptor tolerance in human small airways

Background Evidence suggests that chronic stimulation of β 2 -adrenergic receptors (β 2 -ARs) induces receptor tolerance that limits the efficacy of β-agonists in the treatment of asthma. The precise mechanisms that induce β 2 -AR tolerance remain unclear. Objective We sought to determine whether steroids modulate albuterol-induced β 2 -AR tolerance in human small airways. Methods β 2 -AR responsiveness to isoproterenol was characterized in human precision-cut lung slices (PCLSs) precontracted to carbachol after pretreatment with albuterol. Results Incubation of PCLSs with albuterol for 3, 6, or 12 hours attenuated subsequent isoproterenol-induced relaxation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. A 40% decrease ( P P = .0011) in airway sensitivity from control values occurred after the maximum time and concentration of albuterol incubation. Desensitization was not evident when airways were relaxed to forskolin. Dexamethasone pretreatment of PCLSs (1 hour) prevented albuterol-induced β 2 -AR desensitization by increasing the maximum drug effect ( P = .0023) and decreasing the log half-maximum effective concentration values ( P 2 -AR cell-surface number ( P = .013), which was not significantly reversed by 1 hour of preincubation with dexamethasone. Conclusion These data suggest that β 2 -AR desensitization occurs with prolonged treatment of human small airways with albuterol through mechanisms upstream of protein kinase A and that steroids prevent or reverse this desensitization. Clarifying the precise molecular mechanisms by which β 2 -AR tolerance occurs might offer new therapeutic approaches to improve the efficacy of bronchodilators in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Flexible low-voltage polymer thin-film transistors using supercritical CO2-deposited ZrO2 dielectrics.

The fabrication of low-voltage flexible organic thin film transistors using zirconia (ZrO2) dielectric layers prepared via supercritical fluid deposition was studied. Continuous, single-phase films of approximately 30 nm thick ZrO2 were grown on polyimide (PI)/aluminum (Al) substrates at 250 °C via hydrolysis of tetrakis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptane-dionato) zirconium in supercritical carbon dioxide. This dielectric layer showed a high areal capacitance of 317 nF cm–2 at 1 kHz and a low leakage current of 1.8 × 10–6 A cm–2 at an applied voltage of −3 V. By using poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as a semiconductor, we have fabricated flexible thin film transistors operating at VDS = −0.5 V and VG in a range from 0.5 V to −4 V, with on/off ratios on the order of 1 × 103 and mobility values higher than 0.1 cm2/(V s).
Negation in the Context of Gaggle Theory

We study an application of gaggle theory to unary negative modal operators. First we treat negation as impossibility and get a minimal logic system Ki that has a perp semantics. Dunn's kite of different negations can be dealt with in the extensions of this basic logic Ki. Next we treat negation as “unnecessity” and use a characteristic semantics for different negations in a kite which is dual to Dunn's original one. Ku is the minimal logic that has a characteristic semantics. We also show that Shramko's falsification logic FL can be incorporated into some extension of this basic logic Ku. Finally, we unite the two basic logics Ki and Ku together to get a negative modal logic K-, which is dual to the positive modal logic K+ in [7]. Shramko has suggested an extension of Dunn's kite and also a dual version in [12]. He also suggested combining them into a “united” kite. We give a united semantics for this united kite of negations.
Evidence on the pernicious effect of financial report environmental disclosure

Abstract Unlike previous US environmental regulations, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), passed into law in 1986, focused on using information as a tool for reducing pollution. As noted by Konar and Cohen [Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 32 (1997) 109], if investors cared enough about the pollution performance information required under the enactment to punish bad performers, firms would have a market-based incentive to reduce toxic emissions. However, legitimacy theorists suggest that corporations may use largely voluntary financial report environmental disclosures to offset or mitigate the negative aspects of other information or actions. Accordingly, these disclosures could reduce the market effect of the TRI program. This study examines the market reaction to the unexpected proposal by President George Bush in June of 1989 for revisions in the Clean Air Act to identify whether TRI information and 10-K report environmental disclosures had an impact. Based on a sample of 112 firms, we find that companies with worse pollution performance (higher levels of size-adjusted toxic releases into the air) suffered more negative market reactions than companies with better performance. However, companies with less extensive environmental disclosures in their 10-K reports suffered more negative market reactions than companies with more extensive disclosure. These results suggest that, while the TRI information may be inducing market effects that could in turn work as a quasi-regulatory device, financial report environmental disclosure reduces its impact. If concern about the environment is important, therefore, it appears that environmental disclosure under a largely voluntary regime is inadequate.
Topical vaccination: the skin as a unique portal to adaptive immune responses

Skin is an ideal tissue for vaccine administration, as it is comprised of immunocompetent cells such as keratinocytes and Langerhans cells and elicits both innate and adaptive immune responses. In this paper, we summarize the immune responses induced by topical vaccination of the skin and review the effects of adjuvants on skin vaccination. We also summarize the existing techniques for skin vaccination. New techniques such as the use of lasers to enhance skin permeability are also discussed, as well as the role of the stratum corneum in skin vaccination. A recent study demonstrating enhanced skin vaccination by using surfactants to extract partial lamellar lipids of the stratum corneum will also be introduced in this review.
The normal mammary microenvironment suppresses the tumorigenic phenotype of mouse mammary tumor virus-neu-transformed mammary tumor cells

The microenvironment of the mammary gland has been shown to exert a deterministic control over cells from different normal organs during murine mammary gland regeneration in transplantation studies. When mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-neu-induced tumor cells were mixed with normal mammary epithelial cells (MECs) in a dilution series and inoculated into epithelium-free mammary fat pads, they were redirected to non-carcinogenic cell fates by interaction with untransformed MECs during regenerative growth. In the presence of non-transformed MECs (50:1), tumor cells interacted with MECs to generate functional chimeric outgrowths. When injected alone, tumor cells invariably produced tumors. Here, the normal microenvironment redirects MMTV-neu-transformed tumorigenic cells to participate in the regeneration of a normal, functional mammary gland. In addition, the redirected tumor cells show the capacity to differentiate into normal mammary cell types, including luminal, myoepithelial and secretory. The results indicate that signals emanating from a normal mammary microenvironment, comprised of stromal, epithelial and host-mediated signals, combine to suppress the cancer phenotype during glandular regeneration. Clarification of these signals offers improved therapeutic possibilities for the control of mammary cancer growth.
Transcriptome of the Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), the brown marmorated stink bug, is an invasive agricultural and nuisance pest rapidly expanding its incidence in North America. This voracious pest poses a significant threat to rural and urban agriculture, especially to specialty crops such as apples, grapes and ornamentals, as well as staple crops including soybean and corn. The object of this study was to generate transcript sequence resources for H. halys. RNA-seq libraries derived from distinct developmental stages and sexes were sequenced and assembled into 248,569 putatively unique transcripts (PUTs). PUTs were segmented into three disjoint tiers of varying reliability, with 4,794 classified as gold tier (highest quality), 16,878 as silver, and 14,357 as bronze. The gold-tier PUTs associated with 2,580 distinct non-redundant protein sequences from the NCBI NR database—1,785 of these (69%) mapped to annotated UniProtKB database proteins, from which 1,273 unique Pfam families and 459 unique Molecular Function GO terms were encountered. Of the silver tier's 6,527 PUTs associated with unique proteins, 4,193 mapped to UniProtKB (64%), from which 1,941 and 640 unique Pfam and Molecular Function GO terms were extracted. H. halys PUTs related to important life processes like immunity, endocrinology, reproduction, development, behavior, neurotransmission, neurotoxicity, olfaction, and small RNA pathways were validated through quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) for differential expression during distinct life stages (eggs, 2nd instar nymphs, 4th instar nymphs, female adults, male adults). PUTs similar to hypothetical proteins identified in symbiont microbes, including Pantoea and Nosema species, were more abundantly expressed in adults versus nymphs. These comprehensive H. halys transcriptomic resources can be utilized to aid development of novel control methodologies to disrupt life processes; to conduct reverse genetic screens to determine host gene function; and to design environmentally unobtrusive means to control host populations or target specific H. halys life stages, such as molecular biopesticides.
Transgenic targeting of neuroendocrine peptide genes in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis

A large number of neuroendocrine peptide genes have been tested for their ability to target expression to the hypothalamus and pituitary in transgenic mice. This has resulted in a number of powerful applications, for example, ablation or immortalization of specific cell types, and analysis of transcription regulatory sequences. The greatest amount of success in targeting cells of the neuroendocrine axis has been in the pituitary and has utilized regulatory sequences of genes that are normally expressed in pituitary. Greater difficulties have been encountered in directing expression to specific neurons in the hypothalamus. A primary goal of this review is to consider collectively the data obtained by a number of laboratories in order to draw conclusions about the general sequence requirements for achieving cell-specific expression. The data suggest that the mechanisms controlling cell-specific expression of neuropeptide genes in the hypothalamus are complex and involve multiple regulatory elements that may reside within the gene or many kilobases away from the promoter. These elements act positively and negatively in different cells to enhance or restrict expression, and may include sequences that shield a transgene from regulatory influences of other genes near the point of chromosomal insertion.
Attitudes toward Parents: A Direct Replication

A different sample of 84 college students'relationships with their parents were surveyed in a replication one year after the original study. While sign rests showed significantly higher over-all ratings for relationships with mothers (good) than with fathers (average to good), daughters rated their relationships with their mothers (good) as significantly higher than those with their fathers (average to good), yet sons rated mothers and fathers about equally (average to good). These data are interpreted in terms of conditioning and social learning theory
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Gill Development of Larval Walleyes

Abstract We describe the development of gill filaments and secondary lamellae of larval walleyes Stizostedion vitreum from hatching to 21 d posthatch. The number of gill filaments was counted on the second gill arch of 20 fish at 7, 14, and 21 d posthatch and on the gill arch of 5 fish on all other days. The length of gill filaments and number of secondary lamellae per gill filament were determined for the first, third, fifth, and seventh gill filaments on the most ventral part of the gill arch. Gill filaments were first observed at 3 d posthatch (47 temperature units, TU, °C), and the first secondary lamellae were observed at 10 d posthatch (163 TU). Results indicated strong positive relationships between cumulative temperature units posthatch and number of gill filaments, length of gill filaments, and number of secondary lamellae per gill filament. There were strong positive relationships between total length of the fish and number of gill filaments, between total length of the fish and length of gill f...
Regulating Crisis: A Retrospective Ethnography of the 1982 Latin American Debt Crisis at the New York Federal Reserve Bank

Since the !nancial crisis of 2008, the term “crisis” has proliferated as a folk concept, and yet remained largely unexamined as an analytic concept. In this essay, I draw on my experience as a research assistant and research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, during what would come to be called the Latin American debt crisis, to contribute to rethinking of !nancial crisis. Putting aside the assumption that we know a priori the meaning of crisis, I bring into view the material devices, temporalities and, in the words of Bronislaw Malinowski, the “imponderabilia of daily life” entailed by perceiving and regulating crisis. Rather than high-level of!cials of the Federal Reserve Bank, the essay focuses on research assistants, junior economists, midlevel of!cials, and also mainframe computers with their glitches and bugs. The essay shows how local, historically speci!c processes of generating knowledge in a 1980s of!ce of the Federal Reserve Bank were part of grand projects of social reinvention, in which even the lowliest research assistant helped shape a narrative of crisis.
Balanced distributed-element phase shifter

We present a balanced distributed-element phase shifter based on a nonlinear transmission line (NLTL) structure. Results show the second harmonic is more than 13dB lower at 0-V bias than a conventional single-ended NLTL phase shifter. We fabricated both balanced and conventional NLTL phase shifters with the same coplanar waveguide (CPW) design and diodes, and observed that phase shifting and insertion loss for both structures were quite similar, yet harmonic distortion was greatly improved in the balanced structure.
Problem Situations Experienced By Urban Middle School Students With High Incidence Disabilities That Impact Emotional and Behavioral Adjustment

A mixed methods approach was used to identify problem situations in peer and school contexts experienced by urban middle school students with high incidence disabilities that may impact their emotional and behavioral adjustment. A survey and semi-structured interview were conducted with a predominantly African American sample (95%) of 74 adolescents (61% boys) with high incidence disabilities (71% with learning disabilities, 15% with intellectual disabilities, and 14% with emotional or behavioral disorders). Focus groups were conducted with 35 school staff members. Based on the survey data, 14 peer and school problem situations were rated as frequently occurring and difficult to cope with. Data from the student interviews and focus groups revealed five themes of problem situations, including three in peer (i.e., peer influence, provocation, and teasing) and two in school (i.e., academic challenges and student–teacher relationships) contexts. These findings have important implications for school-based inte...
"Now This Is What I Call Learning!" A Case Study of Museum-Initiated Professional Development for Teachers.

This case study sought to understand why educators participate in museum summer institutes and how participation transferred to personal development and professional practice. The study found parti...
Visualization of Knowledge Structures

In this article, visual concept explorer (VCE), a concept mapping tool, is introduced and its design principles are described. VCE creates dynamic concept maps for the user and facilitates user's visual interaction to concepts and documents. Its central idea is to make implicit knowledge structures explicit. As an example of practical knowledge mapping application, VCE has characteristics of both information visualization and knowledge visualization.
Review of anatomy, evaluation, and treatment of musculoskeletal pelvic floor pain in women.

Objective The purpose of this review is 2-fold. The first is to provide a review for physiatrists already providing care for women with musculoskeletal pelvic floor pain and a resource for physiatrists who are interested in expanding their practice to include this patient population. The second is to describe how musculoskeletal dysfunctions involving the pelvic floor can be approached by the physiatrist using the same principles used to evaluate and treat others dysfunctions in the musculoskeletal system. This discussion clarifies that evaluation and treatment of pelvic floor pain of musculoskeletal origin is within the scope of practice for physiatrists. The authors review the anatomy of the pelvic floor, including the bony pelvis and joints, muscle and fascia, and the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems. Pertinent history and physical examination findings are described. The review concludes with a discussion of differential diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal pelvic floor pain in women. Improved recognition of pelvic floor dysfunction by healthcare providers will reduce impairment and disability for women with pelvic floor pain. A physiatrist is in the unique position to treat the musculoskeletal causes of this condition because it requires an expert grasp of anatomy, function, and the linked relationship between the spine and pelvis. Further research regarding musculoskeletal causes and treatment of pelvic floor pain will help validate these concepts and improve awareness and care for women limited by this condition.
A Better Index of Body Adiposity

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States and throughout the world. It is a risk factor for many chronic diseases. The BMI has been used to assess body fat for almost 200 years. BMI is known to be of limited accuracy, and is different for males and females with similar %body adiposity. Here, we define an alternative parameter, the body adiposity index (BAI = ((hip circumference)/((height)1.5) − 18)). The BAI can be used to reflect %body fat for adult men and women of differing ethnicities without numerical correction. We used a population study, the “BetaGene” study, to develop the new index of body adiposity. %Body fat, as measured by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), was used as a “gold standard” for validation. Hip circumference (R = 0.602) and height (R = −0.524) are strongly correlated with %body fat and therefore chosen as principal anthropometric measures on which we base BAI. The BAI measure was validated in the “Triglyceride and Cardiovascular Risk in African-Americans (TARA)” study of African Americans. Correlation between DXA-derived %adiposity and the BAI was R = 0.85 for TARA with a concordance of C_b = 0.95. BAI can be measured without weighing, which may render it useful in settings where measuring accurate body weight is problematic. In summary, we have defined a new parameter, the BAI, which can be calculated from hip circumference and height only. It can be used in the clinical setting even in remote locations with very limited access to reliable scales. The BAI estimates %adiposity directly.
One Degree of Freedom Systems

This chapter discusses one degree of freedom systems. I discuss free motion, forced motion, and damping, introducing the ideas of natural frequency, damped natural frequency, damping ratio, and critically damped, underdamped, and overdamped systems. I illustrate these ideas with simple models of several practical examples: accelerometers, seismometers, air bag sensors, and rotational imbalance. I give a quick preview of block diagrams, state space, and simulation.
Immobilization of Radioactive Strontium in Contaminated Soils by Phosphate Treatment

The feasibility of in situ phosphate- and metal- (calcium, aluminum, and iron) solution treatment for {sup 90}Sr immobilization was investigated. Batch and column experiments were performed to find optimum conditions for coprecipitation of {sup 90}Sr with Ca-, Al-, and Fe-phosphate compounds in contaminated soils. Separate columns were packed with artificially {sup 85}Sr-contaminated acid soil as well as {sup 90}Sr-contaminated soil from the Oak Ridge Reservation. After metal-phosphate treatment, the columns were then leached successively with either tapwater or 0.001 M CaCl{sub 2} solution. Most of the {sup 85}Sr coprecipitated with the metal phosphate compounds. Immobilization of {sup 85}Sr and {sup 90}Sr was affected by such factors as solution pH, metal and phosphate concentration, metal-to-phosphate ratio, and soil characteristics. Equilibration time after treatments also affected {sup 85}Sr immobilization. Many technology aspects still need to be investigated before field applications are feasible, but these experiments indicate that phosphate-based in situ immobilization should prevent groundwater contamination and will be useful as a treatment technology for {sup 90}Sr-contaminated sites. 15 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.
An economical construction for sorting networks

An N-input sorting network, or an N-sorter, is a switching circuit with N outputs that satisfy the following: for any combination of inputs I = {ia, i1, ..., iN-1}, the resulting outputs 0 = {o0, o1, ..., oN-1} are a permutation of I, and o0≤o1≤...;≤oN-1. Batcher shows that a basic 2-sorter, or comparator cell, can be used to construct N-sorters for arbitrary N. For example, the circuit in Figure 1 is a 4-sorter, since comparators A through D move the smallest input to o0 and the largest input to o3, and then comparator E orders the remaining two inputs.
Study suggests varenicline safe and effective among adults with stable depression

Commentary on: Anthenelli RM, Morris C, Ramey TS, et al. Effects of varenicline on smoking cessation in adults with stably treated current or past major depression: a randomised trial. Ann Intern Med 2013;159:390–400.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Varenicline is one of our most effective smoking cessation pharmacotherapies.1 However, postmarketing reports of neuropsychiatric adverse events led the US Food and Drug Administration to issue a warning of potential increased risk of depression, suicidality, agitation and hostility (http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm170100.htm). These reports usually lack the medical history and circumstantial details required for proper adjudication. Moreover, because patients with psychiatric disorders were excluded from pivotal varenicline trials and because changes in negative affect are expected during nicotine withdrawal it was difficult to gauge the risk in this potentially vulnerable group. In total, 525 smokers with stably treated current or past major depression … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAnn%2BIntern%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D159%26rft.spage%253D390%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.7326%252F0003-4819-159-6-201309170-00005%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24042367%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.7326/0003-4819-159-6-201309170-00005&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24042367&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F3%2F92.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000325625900015&link_type=ISI
Failure to Target RANKL Signaling Through p38-MAPK Results in Defective Osteoclastogenesis in the Microphthalmia Cloudy-Eyed Mutant

The Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper family factor that is essential for terminal osteoclast differentiation. Previous work demonstrates that phosphorylation of MITF by p38 MAPK downstream of Receptor Activator of NFkB Ligand (RANKL) signaling is necessary for MITF activation in osteoclasts. The spontaneous Mitf cloudy eyed (ce) allele results in production of a truncated MITF protein that lacks the leucine zipper and C-terminal end. Here we show that the Mitf(ce) allele leads to a dense bone phenotype in neonatal mice due to defective osteoclast differentiation. In response to RANKL stimulation, in vitro osteoclast differentiation was impaired in myeloid precursors derived from neonatal or adult Mitf(ce/ce) mice. The loss of the leucine zipper domain in Mitf(ce/ce) mice does not interfere with the recruitment of MITF/PU.1 complexes to target promoters. Further, we have mapped the p38 MAPK docking site within the region deleted in Mitf(ce). This interaction is necessary for the phosphorylation of MITF by p38 MAPK. Site-directed mutations in the docking site interfered with the interaction between MITF and its co-factors FUS and BRG1. MITF-ce fails to recruit FUS and BRG1 to target genes, resulting in decreased expression of target genes and impaired osteoclast function. These results highlight the crucial role of signaling dependent MITF/p38 MAPK interactions in osteoclast differentiation.
Fabrication and Applications of Three Dimensional Porous Microwells

In many biological applications, such as cell therapy and drug delivery, there is a need to enhance diffusion by enabling chemical transport in all three dimensions. We highlight this need by comparing diffusion in a conventional two-dimensional (2D) microwell with diffusion in a three-dimensional (3D) cubic microwell using numerical simulations. We also describe the fabrication of hollow polymeric (and biocompatible) cubic microwells and microwell arrays. We emphasize that since the assembly process is compatible with 2D lithographic patterning, porosity can be precisely patterned in all three dimensions. Hence, this platform provides considerable versatility for a variety of applications.
Content-Adaptive Macroblock Partitioning scheme for error concealment of H.264/AVC coded video

In this paper, we propose a new temporal error concealment method for H.264/AVC coded video using the existing information of neighboring macroblock modes from the coded bit-stream. The lost macroblock is partitioned into eight possible types, and each partition is concealed with an estimated motion vector giving a smoother concealment. An overlapped block motion compensation technique is further used to avoid spatial discontinuities in the concealed regions. This helps to minimize the structural degradations and the blocking artifacts. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme achieves higher video quality values than the existing schemes.
Reframing practices in moral conflict: interaction problems in the negotiation standoff at Waco

This study is an analysis of several telephone conversations between FBI negotiators and David Koresh during the 51-day FBI—Branch Davidian standoff outside Waco, Texas, in 1993. The analysis shows how different reframing practices reveal interactional troubles the negotiators faced in dealing with the incompatibility of their legal frame for the situation and the Davidians' religious one. These practices shed new light on reframing in crisis negotiation steeped in moral conflict, describing it as a problematic conversational practice rather than a prescribed path to resolution.
An integrated systems genetics screen reveals the transcriptional structure of inherited predisposition to metastatic disease

Metastasis is the result of stochastic genomic and epigenetic events leading to gene expression profiles that drive tumor dissemination. Here we exploit the principle that metastatic propensity is modified by the genetic background to generate prognostic gene expression signatures that illuminate regulators of metastasis. We also identify multiple microRNAs whose germline variation is causally linked to tumor progression and metastasis. We employ network analysis of global gene expression profiles in tumors derived from a panel of recombinant inbred mice to identify a network of co-expressed genes centered on Cnot2 that predicts metastasis-free survival. Modulating Cnot2 expression changes tumor cell metastatic potential in vivo, supporting a functional role for Cnot2 in metastasis. Small RNA sequencing of the same tumor set revealed a negative correlation between expression of the Mir216/217 cluster and tumor progression. Expression quantitative trait locus analysis (eQTL) identified cis-eQTLs at the Mir216/217 locus, indicating that differences in expression may be inherited. Ectopic expression of Mir216/217 in tumor cells suppressed metastasis in vivo. Finally, small RNA sequencing and mRNA expression profiling data were integrated to reveal that miR-3470a/b target a high proportion of network transcripts. In vivo analysis of Mir3470a/b demonstrated that both promote metastasis. Moreover, Mir3470b is a likely regulator of the Cnot2 network as its overexpression down-regulated expression of network hub genes and enhanced metastasis in vivo, phenocopying Cnot2 knockdown. The resulting data from this strategy identify Cnot2 as a novel regulator of metastasis and demonstrate the power of our systems-level approach in identifying modifiers of metastasis.
A simulation of power-aware scheduling of task graphs to multiple processors

Power-aware scheduling has been of great interest for systems whose energy consumption needs to be minimized. In this paper, we improve a voltage-scaling-based power-aware scheduling algorithm to reduce the task's energy consumption at the cost of a slower execution rate. The improved algorithm allows multiple scaling voltage levels of individual tasks in a task precedence graph and attempts to maximize the amount of energy saved while still meeting a deadline constraint. Five bounded number of processor scheduling algorithms are used as the basis for this improved power-aware scheduling. Other sophisticated scheduling algorithms can be easily embedded in our improved power-aware scheduling algorithm to reduce the energy consumption. We use the simulation program AnyLogicTM to implement an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface for building large-scale task graphs and running various simulations. The simulation results demonstrate that our proposed scheduling can reduce the energy consumption and achieve more energy savings than the static voltage scaling step alone. In addition, our simulation tool also provides an efficient and effective means for building task graphs and viewing the scheduling results in the form of the Gantt chart. This simulation quickly facilitates the testing of the validity of a problem and its outcomes and greatly fosters learning.