cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frequency Domain Characterization Of Synthetic Discriminant Functions

Synthetic Discriminant Functions (SDF's) constitute an approach to distortion-invariant pattern recognition when sufficiently descriptive training images are available. Traditionally, the SDF's have been designed in the image space even though their eventual implementation in optical processors requires the fabrication of Computer Generated Holograms (CGH's) that can be placed in the frequency plane of optical correlators. With this consideration, we formulate the SDF problem in the frequency domain and characterize the set containing all the solutions. This conversion of the SDF problem from space domain to frequency domain requires that we define a "pseudo-DFT" operation. Relevant properties of this new operation are proved. This formal mathematical characterization of the frequency-domain SDF solutions allows us to select solutions with attractive features such as having unit magnitude (phase only) or only two amplitude levels (suitable for ON-OFF devices).
Highly efficient transgenesis in Xenopus tropicalis using I-SceI meganuclease

Abstract In this study, we report a highly efficient transgenesis technique for Xenopus tropicalis based on a method described first for Medaka. This simple procedure entails co-injection of meganuclease I-SceI and a transgene construct flanked by two I-SceI sites into fertilized eggs. Approximately 30% of injected embryos express transgenes in a promoter-dependent manner. About 1/3 of such embryos show incorporation of the transgene at the one-cell stage and the remainder are ‘half-transgenics’ suggesting incorporation at the two-cell stage. Transgenes from both classes of embryos are shown to be transmitted and expressed in offspring. The procedure also works efficiently in Xenopus laevis. Because the needle injection procedure does not significantly damage embryos, a high fraction develop normally and can, as well, be injected with a second reagent, for example an mRNA or antisense morpholino oligonucleotide, thus allowing one to perform several genetic manipulations on embryos at one time. This simple and efficient technique will be a powerful tool for high-throughput transgenesis assays in founder animals, and for facilitating genetic studies in the fast-breeding diploid frog, X. tropicalis.
From the Miracle Baby to Baby Frankenstein—Ambivalence and ARTs: Introduction

This article introduces the issue on assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). It provides a short description of the articles in this issue and how they build upon one another to provide a multidimensional exploration of ARTs.
Numerical Simulations of a Relativistic Inverted Magnetron

A new design for an inverted magnetron is presented and modeled both analytically, using a single particle smooth bore relativistic approach, and numerically, using a massively parallel electromagnetic particle-in-cell code, Improved Concurrent Electromagnetic Particle-In-Cell (ICEPIC) code. Analysis and simulation confirm that the inverted magnetron design presented here is capable of oscillating in the π mode at axial magnetic fields of the order of ~0.1 T. ICEPIC simulations demonstrate that the inverted magnetron is capable of fast start-up, mitigation of mode competition, π-mode dominance, and high output power, of the order of 1 GW in some cases. Moreover, these performance features spanned over a variety of magnetic fields and input voltages. In simulations, the inverted magnetron design presented here demonstrated that end-loss current, a common source of energy leakage in relativistic magnetrons, has been eliminated as a source of energy loss. However, radio frequency output power efficiencies only remained comparable with standard relativistic designs. This was due to poor energy exchange between the particle and field. Thus, a refinement of the slow wave structure may be necessary.
Magnetism of the Tb2Fe14−xCoxB system

Abstract The Tb 2 Fe 14− x Co x B materials were synthesized for the entire composition range ( x = 0–14) and studied by X-ray and magnetometry methods. All materials have a tetragonal crystal structure with decreasing lattice parameters upon Co substitution. The Curie temperature markedly rises for alloys with low Co content. Saturation magnetization at 77 K reaches a slight maximum around x ≈ 1 and gradually decreases for higher Co concentrations. An antiparallel coupling of 3d and Tb magnetic moments is inferred from saturation magnetization data. Anisotropy fields exhibit a maximum at low Co contents, but they decrease rapidly for x > 5. A spin reorientation (axis-to-plane) occurs at high temperature in materials with x ⩾ 12.5 due to competing effects of the terbium sublattice anisotropy and the 3d sublattice anisotropy. The spin-reorientation temperature becomes lower for alloys with higher Co content. The observed magnetic behavior is discussed in terms of preferential Co substitution into 16 k 2 sites and changes in the 3d sublattice due to Co introduction. A magnetic phase diagram is constructed for the Tb 2 Fe 14- x Co x B system and compared with that of Pr 2 Fe 14- x Co x B and Nd 2 Fe 14 - x Co x B systems.
The Two Cultures of Science: Implications for University-Industry Relationships in the U.S. Agriculture Biotechnology

Partnerships between U.S. universities and industries have existed for several decades and in recent years have become generally more varied, wider in scope, more aggressive and experimental and higher in public visibility. In addition, in the last few decades, public and private interests have advocated for government policies and laws to globally promote the commercialization of university science. This paper examines the persistence or convergence of the two cultures of science and the implications of this commercialization for university-industry relationships in agriculture biotechnology. The perceptions and values of over 200 U.S. university and industry scientists, managers and administrators who participate in or oversee research collaborations in agricultural biotechnology were analyzed. The findings revealed that the participants in these research relationships continue to perceive very distinct cultures of science and identify a wide range of concerns and disadvantages of these partnerships. Several actions were discussed to ensure that the two cultures serve complementary roles and that they maximize the public benefits from these increasing collaborations.
Study of ph and substrate effects on room-temperature phosphorimetry of some indolecarboxylic acids.

Abstract Room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of eight indolecarboxylic acids has been investigated under different pH conditions, and on several ion-exchange filter papers. RTP excitation and emission wavelengths do not change significantly with pH. The largest RTP signals are obtained from neutral solutions adsorbed on DE-81 anion-exchange filter paper, while alkaline (pH ~ 13) solutions on S & S 903 filter paper treated with DTPA (diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid) give stronger signals than neutral or acidic (pH ~ 1.6) solutions on the same substrate. The existence of several hydrogen-bonding interactions between the various ionic indolecarboxylic acid species and the substrates is discussed. Heavy-atom enhancement factors ranging between 4 and 550, according to the compound, are obtained with iodide. Absolute limits of detection between 100 and 500 pg demonstrate the usefulness of RTP for determination of indolecarboxylic acids at the trace level.
The MER3 DNA Helicase Catalyzes the Unwinding of Holliday Junctions

The MER3 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for crossover in meiosis and has been suggested to act at the initiation of homologous pairing and the resolution of Holliday junctions. The purified MER3 protein is a DNA helicase that translocates along single-stranded DNA in the 3′ to 5′ direction displacing annealed DNA fragments. Here, MER3 was found to be able to unwind various double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) substrates, including a 30-bp dsDNA with a 20-nucleotide 3′-overhang, a 30-bp dsDNA with a 20-nucleotide 5′-overhang, a 50-bp dsDNA with blunt ends, and a Holliday junction with 25-bp arms, each of which had a blunt end. Efficient unwinding of the 3′-overhang substrate appeared to initiate by the binding of MER3 to the 3′ single-stranded tail in a reaction that required six or more unpaired bases. Unwinding of the blunt end and 5′-overhang substrates appeared to initiate at the blunt ends of these substrates. Unwinding of the Holliday junction was more efficient than the unwinding of the blunt and 5′-overhang substrates and was influenced by Mg2+ concentrations that cause changes in the structure of the junction. Possible roles for Holliday junction unwinding in meiotic crossover are discussed.
The effects of language on judgments of universal facial expressions of emotion

Because of the close connection between culture and language, a number of writers have suggested that bilinguals will differ in their behavior because of differences in the degree of assimilation of different cultures in the same individual. We tested this notion by obtaining data from bilingual (English and Hindi) college students in India using a well-studied cross-cultural research paradigm involving emotional perception. Subjects judged universal facial expressions of emotion in two separate sessions, one conducted entirely in English, the other in Hindi. In each session, they judged which emotion was being portrayed, and how intensely. Subjects recognized anger, fear, and sadness more accurately in English than in Hindi. They also attributed greater intensity to female photos of anger when rating in Hindi, but attributed greater intensity to female photos of sadness when rating in English. These findings were discussed in relation to the theoretical connection between culture and language.
Plant volatiles as insect attractants

One of the most interesting aspects of coevolution deals with the interrelationship between the 250,000 odd species of flowering plants and the perhaps 500,000 species of insects that are associated with them in various ecosystems. These coevolutionary relationships began in the early Carboniferous period when land plants first began to diversify and insects began to diversify into modern orders. Chemical ecology lies at the interface between these two enormous groups of very different life forms. There are perhaps 100,000 different secondary plant compounds: terpenoids, alkaloids, phenyl propanoids, esters, acids, alcohols, ketones, and aldehydes produced in the chemical factories of the plant kingdom, and the great preponderance of these act as allomones, kairomones, and synomones in regulating and controlling ecology at the plant‐insect interface. This review will explore current knowledge in this area, with emphasis on the chemical communications involved between these two great groups of life forms. ...
Reflection of Alfvén waves in the corona and solar wind: An impulse function approach

[1] We consider the reflection of Alfven waves in the corona and solar wind, using variables f and g which follow sunward and antisunward characteristics, respectively. We show that the basic equations for f and g have the same structure as the Klein-Gordon equation. Unlike previous studies which used a harmonic analysis, we emphasize the impulse response of the system. This is equivalent to finding the Green's function, but it may have direct application to situations where Alfven waves are launched impulsively. We provide an approximate analysis which can be used to understand most features that appear in detailed numerical solutions. The analysis reveals the origin of a previous result that f and g each has both sunward and antisunward propagating phase in a harmonic analysis, even though f (g) follows only the sunward (antisunward) characteristic. We numerically study the propagation of an antisunward moving impulse in the corona and solar wind. We find that the sunward moving “wake” tends to become more important at greater distances beyond the Alfven critical point, possibly providing a natural explanation of the observation that outward propagating waves become less dominant at greater distances from the Sun. There is an extended region behind the initial impulse in which magnetic energy dominates kinetic energy; it is not clear, however, whether our result can explain the observed dominance of magnetic energy throughout many decades of frequency in the observed power spectrum. We also find that the outgoing wake has a tendency to “ring,” with periods of the order of 15–30 min. The ringing is associated mainly with propagation through a structured Alfven speed profile rather that with the cutoff in the Klein-Gordon equation. These oscillation periods seem too short to explain why Alfven waves in the solar wind have most power at periods of hours, but other Alfven speed profiles could yield longer periods. We also investigate whether the same approach can be used for acoustic-gravity waves propagating along magnetic flux tubes in the solar atmosphere.
Reducing the fast carrier-envelope phase jitter of amplified femtosecond laser pulses

Stabilizing the interference signal obtained from co-propagating a HeNe beam in the f- to-2f interferometer used for carrier-envelope phase stabilization of a femtosecond laser oscillator reduced the fast phase jitter of the amplified pulses by ~40%.
Neutrinos at 1%: A reactor based measurement of θ13

Past studies of neutrinos and the recent results on neutrino mixing have opened up many new possibilities as well as the understanding that neutrino mixing is very different from the better known quark mixing. The last remaining unmeasured component of the neutrino mixing matrix (Ue3) also provides a window to understanding neutrino matter effects, the mass hierarchy, and the possibility of measuring leptonic CP violation. A discussion of the benefits and difficulties of pursuing such a measurement with reactor neutrinos will be presented. In addition, possible sites for such an experiment will be discussed, including a location in Brazil.
Pregnancy as a cardiac stress model

Cardiac hypertrophy occurs during pregnancy as a consequence of both volume overload and hormonal changes. Both pregnancy- and exercise-induced cardiac hypertrophy are generally thought to be similar and physiological. Despite the fact that there are shared transcriptional responses in both forms of cardiac adaptation, pregnancy results in a distinct signature of gene expression in the heart. In some cases, however, pregnancy can induce adverse cardiac events in previously healthy women without any known cardiovascular disease. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of non-obstetric mortality during pregnancy. To understand how pregnancy can cause heart disease, it is first important to understand cardiac adaptation during normal pregnancy. This review provides an overview of the cardiac consequences of pregnancy, including haemodynamic, functional, structural, and morphological adaptations, as well as molecular phenotypes. In addition, this review describes the signalling pathways responsible for pregnancy-induced cardiac hypertrophy and angiogenesis. We also compare and contrast cardiac adaptation in response to disease, exercise, and pregnancy. The comparisons of these settings of cardiac hypertrophy provide insight into pregnancy-associated cardiac adaptation.
Foreign Media Coverage and Protest Outcomes in China: The case of the 2011 Wukan rebellion*

By looking at the case of the 2011 Wukan rebellion in Guangdong Province, the following article explores the role played by foreign media in influencing the protest's ultimate outcome: an intervention from above by provincial authorities in favour of the villagers. Placing Wukan into a four-level model incorporating local, provincial, national, and international dimensions, this article considers how Wukan might serve as a model for contention that may influence future acts of popular protest in China in the digital age. It suggests that while appealing directly to foreign media can help claimants increase their leverage over local officials and prompt interventions from above, such actions are likely to modify and accelerate, but not fundamentally transform, existing patterns of localized, community-specific acts of contention seen earlier in the Reform Era.
A novel optical CDMA system using PAM-4 signaling with improved chromatic dispersion tolerance and spectral efficiency

In this paper, we propose a novel Optical CDMA system that uses 4-level Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM-4) signaling technique with bi-polar signature code scheme. This technique results in improved spectral efficiency and chromatic dispersion tolerance of the transmitted OCDMA signal over fiber. Moreover, an analog transversal filter-based decoder is proposed. This decoder reduces the power penalty induced by decoding processing and, as a result, larger number of users can be multiplexed with no need of additional Optical Amplifiers (OA). Applying PAM-4 signaling to OCDMA results in halving the original signal bandwidth and the use of lower speed optical components that enables a more cost-effective implementation. In this paper, a thorough analysis of a 20 Gbps throughput data transmission over 40 Km Single Mode Fiber (SMF) using 8 multiplexed channels at OC-48 (2.488 Gbps) data rates is performed and the results show the benefits of the proposed technique.
Increased Activin Bioavailability Enhances Hepatic Insulin Sensitivity While Inducing Hepatic Steatosis in Male Mice

The development of insulin resistance is tightly linked to fatty liver disease and is considered a major health concern worldwide, although their mechanistic relationship remains controversial. Activin has emerging roles in nutrient homeostasis, but its metabolic effects on hepatocytes remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of increased endogenous activin bioactivity on hepatic nutrient homeostasis by creating mice with inactivating mutations that deplete the circulating activin antagonists follistatin-like-3 (FSTL3) or the follistatin 315 isoform (FST315; FST288-only mice). We investigated liver histology and lipid content, hepatic insulin sensitivity, and metabolic gene expression including the HepG2 cell and primary hepatocyte response to activin treatment. Both FSTL3-knockout and FST288-only mice had extensive hepatic steatosis and elevated hepatic triglyceride content. Unexpectedly, insulin signaling, as assessed by phospho-Akt (a.k.a. protein kinase B), was enhanced in both mouse models. Pretreatment of HepG2 cells with activin A increased their response to subsequent insulin challenge. Gene expression analysis suggests that increased lipid uptake, enhanced de novo lipid synthesis, decreased lipolysis, and/or enhanced glucose uptake contribute to increased hepatic triglyceride content in these models. However, activin treatment recapitulated only some of these gene changes, suggesting that increased activin bioactivity may be only partially responsible for this phenotype. Nevertheless, our results indicate that activin enhances hepatocyte insulin response, which ultimately leads to hepatic steatosis despite the increased insulin sensitivity. Thus, regulation of activin bioactivity is critical for maintaining normal liver lipid homeostasis and response to insulin, whereas activin agonists may be useful for increasing liver insulin sensitivity.
Cardiac and skeletal muscle adaptations to voluntary wheel running in the mouse

In this paper, we describe the effects of voluntary cage wheel exercise on mouse cardiac and skeletal muscle. Inbred male C57/Bl6 mice (age 8–10 wk; n = 12) ran an average of 4.3 h/24 h, for an ave...
Opto-plasmonic tweezers for rotation and manipulation of micro/nano objects

We propose a new opto-plasmonic tweezer for trapping and fine orientation control of micro/nano objects. The device utilizes polarized light to excite resonant dipoles on the surface of an Au nanoparticle array. The large dielectrophoresis force is then created by the highly non-uniform optically induced dipole field. The orientation control is realized by adjusting the polarization direction of the incident light. Theoretical modeling, preliminary fabrication and experimental results are reported
N,N-dimethylamino-3-guaiazulenylmethane from a deep sea gorgonian

Abstract A naturally occurring nitrogeneous azulene derivative (4) has been isolated from a deep sea gorgonian collected by minisubmersible at -350 m.
A missense mutation in the 20S proteasome β2 subunit of Great Danes having harlequin coat patterning

Harlequin is a pigmentary trait of the domestic dog that is controlled by two autosomal loci: the melanosomal gene, SILV, and a modifier gene, harlequin (H), previously localized to chromosome 9. Heterozygosity for a retrotransposon insertion in SILV and a mutation in H causes a pattern of black patches on a white background. Homozygosity for H is embryonic lethal. Fine mapping of the harlequin locus revealed a 25 kb interval wherein all harlequin Great Danes are heterozygous for a common haplotype. This region contains one gene, PSMB7, which encodes the β2 catalytic subunit of the proteasome. Sequence analysis identified a coding variant in exon 2 that segregates with harlequin patterning. The substitution predicts the replacement of a highly conserved valine with a glycine. Described herein is the identification of a naturally-occurring mutation of the ubiquitin proteasome system that is associated with a discernable phenotype of dogs.
The effect of leaf geometry on the feeding behaviour of the caterpillar of Manduca sexta (sphingidae)

Abstract The fifth instar larvae of Manduca sexta, while remaining near the petiole, usually bent large ovoid leaves and then ate them fully. Long narrow leaves were not chewed off, but after some initial feeding near the base, were also bent and eaten from the tip to the petiole. The pattern in which variously shaped leaves were eaten was consistent for a given leaf shape and size. However, it could be altered by changing the flexibility and taper of the midrib. Sight appeared to be unimportant for feeding, but ablation of the antennae and maxillae (which normally moved in unison with the mandibles) caused the caterpillars to take less uniformly sized bites from the leaf and to have a slower rate of weight gain. Apparently the seemingly purposive behaviour of leaf bending which results in the economical harvesting of naturally hanging leaves arises from: (1) physical parameters of the leaf which restrict the larvae, (2) preferences of the larvae for immediately available leaf-edge, (3) coordination of the mouth-parts in relation to the leaf-edge, and (4) feeding forward in consecutive strips and sections. The behaviour therefore appeared to be non-specific and equally adapted to all leaf shapes.
The Political Cultures of the American States

rT HE TERM "POLITICAL CULTURE" is not one of unambiguous content. For many social scientists culture remains in the exclusive and esoteric province of anthropology, where internecine warfare continues over its definition.' For others, political culture suggests the more unfortunate qualities of national character analyses.2 Happily, we can extract what is useful for political analysis from both traditions without resolving the well-known definitional and analytical difficulties they present. In somewhat the same vein, certain dangers attend the comparative analysis of state politics when one departs from the usual emphasis upon parties and elections.3 It
Flipped Statistics Class Results: Better Performance than Lecture over One Year Later.

In this paper, we compare an introductory statistics course taught using a flipped classroom approach to the same course taught using a traditional lecture based approach. In the lecture course, students listened to lecture, took notes, and completed homework assignments. In the flipped course, students read relatively simple chapters and answered reading quiz questions prior to class and completed workbook activities in class. The workbook activities consisted of questions (multiple choice, short answer, computation) designed to help students understand more complex material. Over one year after taking the course (median = 20 months), students took a standardized test of their knowledge of statistics as well as nine other content areas in psychology. Students in the flipped course outperformed the students in the lecture course on the statistics portion of the test (d =.43), but not on non-statistics portions of the test.
Effective optical constants n and κ and extinction coefficient of silica aerogel

In this work the normal reflectance, R, at a planar silica aerogel interface and the normal transmittance, T, of a silica aerogel slab were measured using a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer. Two procedures were used to obtain the effective optical constants, i.e., the refractive index n and the absorption index κ, of silica aerogel. One procedure determined κ from the measured transmittance T and then determined n from the results for κ and from the measured reflectance R using the Kramers–Kronig relation; the other procedure determined n and κ of silica aerogel from n and κ of fully dense silica glass by using the Clausius–Mossotti equation, Maxwell Garnett formula, and Bruggeman formula. The first procedure has a relatively large error due to the inaccuracy of the transmission and reflection measurements. The second procedure, especially the Clausius–Mossotti equation, yields values of n that are consistent with experiments and may be used for the calculation of the effective optical constants and the extinction coefficient of silica aerogel.
The Moderating Role of Perceived Social Support on Alcohol Treatment Outcomes

Objective:This study examined the extent to which perceived social support is related to longitudinal treatment outcomes among heavy drinkers randomized to a brief, telephone-based care management intervention versus standard care.Method:This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized trial comparing an enhanced, brief alcohol intervention to standard care. Participants comprised 136 male, heavy drinkers (mean age = 57.3 years) receiving primary care at Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center clinics. Participants in the intervention arm received a telephone-based care management intervention focused on helping patients reduce their alcohol use. Primary measures included the Timeline Followback method for number of heavy drinking days and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support for self-reported baseline social support.Results:Although there was no significant main effect for baseline perceived social support on number of heavy drinking days over time, there was ...
Serial analysis of gene expression of lobular carcinoma in situ identifies down regulation of claudin 4 and overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase 9

Although lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) has traditionally been viewed as a marker of breast cancer risk, recent clinical, pathological and genetic analyses have supported the concept that LCIS is a low risk, direct precursor of invasive lobular carcinoma. Global gene expression profiling of LCIS has not been performed. We analysed the comprehensive gene expression profile of a unique case of mass-forming LCIS using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE). This SAGE library is publicly available online. By comparing the gene expression profile of LCIS to that of benign breast epithelium and stroma, we identified several genes up and down regulated in LCIS. Differential expression of selected genes not previously studied in LCIS was validated at the protein level by immunohistochemistry and at the RNA level by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). We identified down regulation of claudin 4 and overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in LCIS relative to normal breast epithelium and stroma. We validated these findings by immunohistochemistry in a separate series of 11 and 19 LCIS cases, respectively. Overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 was further confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR analysis of the index case. We have created the first global gene expression profile of LCIS, and demonstrated down regulation of cell junction proteins (an expected result) and overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (an unexpected result). Additional analysis of this data made available as an online resource should facilitate further molecular characterisation of LCIS.
How Much Skin in the Game

This article focuses on the evolution of the securitization model. It first illustrates the rise of this practice and the reasons for its success. The discussion then deals with the flaws of the securitization paradigm that emerged during the recent financial crisis. Finally, the article describes how the Dodd–Frank Act and regulators have been tackling the issue.
Nontraditional nursing students: The social influences on retention

Abstract Despite the soaring demand for registered nurses (RNs), recruitment and retention of RN students have declined for decades. To explore this problem in relation to nontraditional associate degree RN (ADRN) students, I addressed the following research question: What are the forces that ultimately affect retention of ADRN students? By using a phenomenological study approach, one overarching pattern, the "social influences on retention," was revealed.
Corporate Welfare, Corporate Citizenship, and the Question of Accountability

Researchers in the business and society area have yet to address corporations that receive special government subsidies (a.k.a. corporate welfare). This article makes the argument that given their subsidized status, the citizenship of those companies warrants scrutiny, tests the common notion that large companies in particular industries derive the greatest benefit from corporate welfare, and determines what, if any, relationship corporate welfare has with corporate citizenship. Results show that large companies in particular industries are the most likely recipients of corporate welfare. In addition, corporations that receive corporate welfare demonstrate levels of corporate citizenship, which, after controlling for size, are not significantly different from companies that receive no such subsidies.
A Frame Analysis Approach To Cross-Cultural Television Advertising

The role of visuals in advertising research is examined. An argument is developed to support a theory of frame analysis for cross-cultural television advertising. Frame analysis is explained and commercials from Japan and the Dominican Republic are used to illustrate application of the theory. It is hoped that frame analysis will supplement content analysis as a methodological approach to cross-cultural television advertising.
A NEW MIDDLE TRIASSIC FLAT CLAM (PTERIOIDA: HALOBIIDAE) FROM THE MIDDLE ANISIAN OF NORTH-CENTRAL NEVADA, USA

In addition to ammonoids and conodonts, the enigmatic and poorly understood “flat clams” belonging to the genera Enteropleura Kittl, 1912, Daonella Mojsisovics, 1874, Halobia Bronn, 1830, and Monotis Bronn, 1830 have proven to be of biochronologic value through the Middle and Upper Triassic (e.g., Silberling and Nichols, 1982; Brack and Rieber, 1993; Campbell, 1994; McRoberts, 1997). These “flat clams,” many belonging to the family Halobiidae, can be extremely abundant in the marine Triassic rocks of the former Panthalassic Ocean and especially the Tethyan Seaway, where many of these species were first described. Their widespread nature and high speciation rates make these bivalves exceptional biochronologic indicators, especially when integrated with the temporal distribution of other, more conventional indices such as ammonoids and/or conodonts. We describe and name a poorly documented halobiid species, Enteropleura jenksi n. sp., from the latest middle Anisian and therefore provide a robust correlation datum for the Shoshonensis Zone. #### Geologic and stratigraphic setting The fossils described herein occur near McCoy Mine located in the Wild Horse Mining District, on the northeast side of the New Pass Range of north-central Nevada (Fig. 1). These fossils occur in two closely spaced stratigraphic horizons within the Middle Triassic Fossil Hill Member of the Favret Formation. Both at McCoy Mine and at its type locality in the Prida Formation at Fossil Hill on the east flank of the Humboldt Range (e.g., Muller et al., 1951; Nichols and Silberling, 1977; Silberling and Nichols, 1982), the Fossil Hill Member is composed of dark-grey to black, thin-bedded limestone, cherty limestone, and calcareous shale. At the McCoy mine locality, these strata were mapped as an informal unit of calcareous shale and thin-bedded limestone by Dane and Ross (1942). Neither the upper nor lower contact of the Fossil Hill Member is exposed …
Oligonucleotide aptamers: A next-generation technology for the capture and detection of circulating tumor cells

A critical challenge for treating cancer is the early identification of those patients who are at greatest risk of developing metastatic disease. The number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in cancer patients has recently been shown to be a valuable (and non-invasively accessible) diagnostic indicator of the state of metastatic disease. CTCs are rare cancer cells found in the blood circulation of cancer patients believed to provide a means of diagnosing the likelihood for metastatic spread and assessing response to therapy in advanced, as well as early stage disease settings. Numerous technical efforts have been made to reliably detect and quantify CTCs, but the development of a universal assay has proven quite difficult. Notable challenges for developing a broadly useful CTC-based diagnostic assay are the development of easy-to-operate methods that (1) are sufficiently sensitive to reliably detect the small number of CTCs that are present in the circulation and (2) can capture the molecular heterogeneity of tumor cells. In this review, we describe recent progress towards the application of synthetic oligonucleotide aptamers as promising, novel, robust tools for the isolation and detection of CTCs. Advantages and challenges of the aptamer approach are also discussed.
Web-style ranking and SLU combination for dialog state tracking

In spoken dialog systems, statistical state tracking aims to improve robustness to speech recognition errors by tracking a posterior distribution over hidden dialog states. This paper introduces two novel methods for this task. First, we explain how state tracking is structurally similar to web-style ranking, enabling mature, powerful ranking algorithms to be applied. Second, we show how to use multiple spoken language understanding engines (SLUs) in state tracking — multiple SLUs can expand the set of dialog states being tracked, and give more information about each, thereby increasing both recall and precision of state tracking. We evaluate on the second Dialog State Tracking Challenge; together these two techniques yield highest accuracy in 2 of 3 tasks, including the most difficult and general task.
Inhibition of HIF Reduces Bladder Hypertrophy and Improves Bladder Function in Murine Model of Partial Bladder Outlet Obstruction.

Purpose: Posterior urethral valves are the most common cause of partial bladder outlet obstruction in the pediatric population. However, to our knowledge the etiology and the detailed mechanisms underlying pathological changes in the bladder following partial bladder outlet obstruction remain to be elucidated. Recent findings suggest that hypoxia and associated up-regulation of HIFs (hypoxia-inducible factors) have a key role in partial bladder outlet obstruction induced pathology in the bladder. We examined the effects of pharmacological inhibition of HIF pathways by 17-DMAG (17-(dimethylaminoethylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin) in pathophysiological phenotypes after partial bladder outlet obstruction.Materials and Methods: Partial bladder outlet obstruction was surgically created in male C57BL/6J mice. The animals received oral administration of 17-DMAG or vehicle daily starting from the initiation of obstruction up to 5 days. Sham operated mice served as controls. Bladders were harvested from each gro...
Stories as Artworks: Giving Form to Felt Dignity in Connections at Work

This paper is a conceptual essay rooted in two basic observations. First, felt dignity—the subjective sense people have of their own autonomy and self-worth—ultimately emerges from, and is thus most evident in the connective space between people. Second, stories are everyday works of art that afford unique insight into the subtle complexities of the socio-emotional realities of work. Building on these observations, we describe how personal stories about episodes of interpersonal connections and disconnections at work—moments in which we feel mutual appreciation and empowerment or a sense of separation and distancing from another—can help us better understand the felt experience of dignity at work. In attending to such personal stories as art, we become more attuned to their felt, aesthetic qualities, which then helps us develop a more holistic and visceral appreciation of how actors experience, make sense of, and (re-)claim felt dignity. In support of our ideas, we present a few illustrative story excerpts and briefly consider how a select few aesthetic qualities—the way the stories’ elements are configured, the stories’ acuity or sharpness, and their rawness—enhance the felt impact of the stories and help to remind us of their and the storytellers’ intrinsic value.
Understanding the Nature of a Person, and Leadership

Our human nature as rational beings with animal instincts, oftentimes, defines the type of persons we are as leaders in our family, community, and in the workplace. In this perspective, this reflection focuses to open a reflective internal and external discussion of my own personal leadership style; and to clearly articulate my own leadership stance based on my human nature of being able to love, and desire power to empower the others based on the dictates of my conscience. As a human being, it is in my nature: 1) to have a conscience and make decisions based on the dictates of my conscience; 2) to love the other and be loved by the other; and 3) a strong desire to acquire power and share to empower the other. To highlight these natural characteristics, this reflective paper 1) defines conscience, and explains decision-making based on my conscience; 2) defines love, and explains what is to love the other and be loved by the other; and 3) defines power, and explains how to empower the other. In addition, this paper defines servant leadership and explains the connectedness of these three characteristics of human nature to my own leadership stance as a servant leader to my family and the community.
An Overview of the CareDB Context and Preference-Aware Database System.

This article provides an overview of the CareDB context and preference-aware database system. CareDB provides efficient and scalable personalized query answers to users based on their preferences and current surrounding context. CareDB moves beyond the rigid query processing semantics of traditional relational database systems, which employ a boolean “all or nothing” query model, and addresses support for ”preference-aware” query processing methods. Specifically, CareDB supports a plethora of multi-objective preference methods capable of finding the “best alternatives” according to users’ given preference objectives. This article describes the architecture of the CareDB system and describes the details for three of its novel query processing characteristics: (1) a generic and extensible preferenceaware query processing engine, (2) a framework to gracefully handle contextual attributes that are expensive to retrieve, and (3) a framework to efficiently process queries over uncertain contextual data.
Management Scheme for Adrenal Incidentalomas: Who Gets What?

Purpose of Review To address the common questions in the evaluation and management of the patient with an adrenal incidentaloma.
Part E – Rotavirus

Publisher Summary Rotavirus diarrhea represents a large disease burden in all areas of the world. Rotavirus infections cause a syndrome of acute diarrhea and vomiting often associated with fever. The primary complication of rotavirus gastroenteritis is dehydration, requiring oral or intravenous fluid replacement. Rotaviruses are transmitted by the fecal-oral route, often by person to person spreading through close contact. Once ingested, rotavirus infects the epithelial cells in the small intestine, particularly the mature cells on the villus tips, and infection probably begins in the proximal small intestine, and proceeds distally. The onset of symptoms occurs 1-3 days following ingestion of the virus. Rotavirus gastroenteritis occurs most commonly among children between 6 and 24 months of age. A number of challenges lie ahead for rotavirus vaccines. Some of these challenges are generic obstacles in getting new vaccines incorporated into a country's immunization program.
Crystal Structure of the Nephila clavipes Major Ampullate Spidroin 1A N-terminal Domain Reveals Plasticity at the Dimer Interface

Spider dragline silk is a natural polymer harboring unique physical and biochemical properties that make it an ideal biomaterial. Artificial silk production requires an understanding of the in vivo mechanisms spiders use to convert soluble proteins, called spidroins, into insoluble fibers. Controlled dimerization of the spidroin N-terminal domain (NTD) is crucial to this process. Here, we report the crystal structure of the Nephila clavipes major ampullate spidroin NTD dimer. Comparison of our N. clavipes NTD structure with previously determined Euprosthenops australis NTD structures reveals subtle conformational alterations that lead to differences in how the subunits are arranged at the dimer interface. We observe a subset of contacts that are specific to each ortholog, as well as a substantial increase in asymmetry in the interactions observed at the N. clavipes NTD dimer interface. These asymmetric interactions include novel intermolecular salt bridges that provide new insights into the mechanism of NTD dimerization. We also observe a unique intramolecular "handshake" interaction between two conserved acidic residues that our data suggest adds an additional layer of complexity to the pH-sensitive relay mechanism for NTD dimerization. The results of a panel of tryptophan fluorescence dimerization assays probing the importance of these interactions support our structural observations. Based on our findings, we propose that conformational selectivity and plasticity at the NTD dimer interface play a role in the pH-dependent transition of the NTD from monomer to stably associated dimer as the spidroin progresses through the silk extrusion duct.
Composing an Autoethnographic Cartography of Blue: Becoming a Pharologist in and of the Academy:

In this autoethnographic cartography, I argue for the need for alternative embodied maps for academic life. Using my experiences as a budding pharologist (someone who studies lighthouses), I bear witness to my cultural experience of academia through a collaged autoethnography of mapping and composing space. I bring together autoethnography, theories of cartography, as well as my experiences researching lighthouses as sites of public memory performance, to demonstrate that there is a need in the culture of academia for real discussions about anxiety and similar issues—among faculty and students—and that autoethnography, cartography, and pharology provide an entry into such a discussion. In fragmented sections designed to highlight the ways experiences intertwine, I move through four phases of feeling “blue”: the deep blue of confusing academic anxiety and depression; the search for a methodology to lead me to a brighter, more pleasant kind of blue; the research journey that moved me forward; and the “blue ...
Arguing in Internet Chat Rooms: Argumentative Adaptations to Chat Room Design and Some Consequences for Public Deliberation at a Distance

This essay examines argumentation practices as they occur in politically oriented chat rooms to explore deliberation at a distance in the public sphere. There is a discrepancy between argumentation...
Parent-adolescent relationships in Hispanic versus Caucasian families: Associations with alcohol and marijuana use onset

Parent-adolescent relationship (PAR) factors such as social support and negative interactions are associated with initiation of alcohol and marijuana use during adolescence. However, few studies have examined whether the relationship between PAR, especially the paternal role, and substance use onset varies by ethnicity. This is important given that ethnic group differences have been related to alcohol and marijuana use, cultural values and parenting. This study examines whether ethnicity moderates the prospective prediction of substance use onset by PAR factors. The sample comprised 124 adolescents who self-identified as Hispanic and 795 adolescents who self-identified as non-Hispanic Whites, and was drawn from an ongoing longitudinal survey on adolescent substance use. Discrete-time survival modeling was used to prospectively predict age at onset of substance use among participants who were substance-naive at baseline. Interactions between ethnicity and PAR factors indicated that PAR factors had a larger influence on age of alcohol and marijuana onset for Hispanics than for Caucasians. Among Hispanics, greater social support from and greater negative interactions with the father-figure were more predictive of earlier onset of alcohol, and greater social support from the mother-figure was more predictive of later alcohol onset, compared to Caucasians. Similarly, greater negative interactions with the father-figure were more predictive of earlier onset of marijuana use among Hispanics than among Caucasians. These findings suggest the influence of PAR on alcohol and marijuana use onset may be larger for Hispanics than for Caucasians. Incorporating these parenting factors in substance use prevention programs advances public health in a culturally sensitive manner that is relevant to at-risk Hispanic adolescents.
Typical Werner states satisfying all linear Bell inequalities with dichotomic measurements

Quantum entanglement as a special resource inspires various distinct applications in quantum information processing. Unfortunately, it is NP-hard to detect general quantum entanglement using Bell testing. Our goal is to investigate quantum entanglement with white noises that appear frequently in experiment and quantum simulations. Surprisingly, for almost all multipartite generalized Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states there are entangled noisy states that satisfy all linear Bell inequalities consisting of full correlations with dichotomic inputs and outputs of each local observer. This result shows generic undetectability of mixed entangled states in contrast to Gisin's theorem of pure bipartite entangled states in terms of Bell nonlocality. We further provide an accessible method to show a nontrivial set of noisy entanglement with small number of parties satisfying all general linear Bell inequalities. These results imply typical incompleteness of special Bell theory in explaining entanglement.
Synthesis of [15N]‐cholamine bromide hydrobromide

[15 N]-Cholamine is an isotope tag for metabolomics research, because it possesses 2 important properties: an NMR active isotope and a permanent charge for MS sensitivity. Here, we present a scalable synthesis of [15 N]-cholamine.