cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capabilities and performance of dual-wavelength Echidna ® lidar

We describe the capabilities and performance of a terrestrial laser scanning instrument built for the purpose of recording and retrieving the three-dimensional structure of forest vegetation. The dual-wavelength Echidna® lidar characterizes the forest structure at an angular resolution as fine as 1 mrad while distinguishing between leaves and trunks by exploiting their differential reflectances at two wavelengths: 1 and 1.5 μm. The instrument records the full waveforms of return signals from 5 ns laser pulses at half-nanosecond time resolution; obtains ±117 deg zenith and 360 deg azimuth coverage out to a radius of more than 70 m; provides single-target range resolution of 4.8 and 2.3 cm for the 1 and 1.5 μm channels, respectively (1σ); and separates adjacent pulse returns in the same waveform at a distance of 52.0 and 63.8 cm apart for the 1 and 1.5 μm channels, respectively. The angular resolution is in part controlled by user-selectable divergence optics and is shown to be <2 mrad for the instrument’s standard resolution mode, while the signal-to-noise ratio is 10 at 70 m range for targets with leaf-like reflectance for both channels. The portability and target differentiation make the instrument an ideal ground-based lidar suited for vegetation sensing.
Micro RNA in Exosomes from HIV-Infected Macrophages

Exosomes are small membrane-bound vesicles secreted by cells that function to shuttle RNA and proteins between cells. To examine the role of exosomal micro RNA (miRNA) during the early stage of HIV-1 infection we characterized miRNA in exosomes from HIV-infected macrophages, compared with exosomes from non-infected macrophages. Primary human monocytes from uninfected donors were differentiated to macrophages (MDM) which were either mock-infected or infected with the macrophage-tropic HIV-1 BaL strain. Exosomes were recovered from culture media and separated from virus particles by centrifugation on iodixanol density gradients. The low molecular weight RNA fraction was prepared from purified exosomes. After pre-amplification, RNA was hybridized to microarrays containing probes for 1200 miRNA species of known and unknown function. We observed 48 miRNA species in both infected and uninfected MDM exosomes. Additionally, 38 miRNAs were present in infected-cell exosomes but not uninfected-cell exosomes. Of these, 13 miRNAs were upregulated in exosomes from HIV-infected cells, including 4 miRNA species that were increased by more than 10-fold. Though numerous miRNA species have been identified in HIV-infected cells, relatively little is known about miRNA content in exosomes from these cells. In the future, we plan to investigate whether the upregulated miRNA species we identified are increased in exosomes from HIV-1-positive patients.
Ethical Challenges in Client Counseling & Decision Making in Multidisciplinary Practices Serving Elders

As the American population ages and the difficult economy requires cost-effective legal and medical services, medical-legal partnerships are becoming valuable resources for elderly individuals. These multidisciplinary practices can more effectively meet the varied and complex needs of the elderly, but they present a number of ethical challenges for the professions involved. This paper explores the particular ethical challenges in client counseling and decision making that lawyers and medical professionals face, highlighting the differences in ethical standards across professions. In exploring these differing obligations, this paper paves a path toward effective multidisciplinary practices that can provide the serves elderly individuals need while ensuring that the professionals involved maintain the ethical standards advanced by their industries.
Photoinduced Reversible Conductivity and Photoconductivity Changes in Transparent Amorphous and Micro-Crystalline In2O3-x FILMS

The dark conductivity σ of poorly conducting In2O3-x films can be enhanced by orders of magnitude by blue or UV light exposure at any temperature between 4.2K and 300K. The resulting high σ state of amorphous films reverts back to its original low σ state upon heating to 400K in an inert gas and can be repeated many times. In crystalline films the high σ state is stable to higher temperatures where annealing leads to some outdiffusion of oxygen and hence to a conductivity increase which can only be reversed by external re-oxidation. The photoinduced increase in dark conductivity is accompanied by an increase in photoconductivity at hv = 0.6 or 2eV by a factor of 107 at 4.2K.
High Resolution Gas Chromatographic Analysis of Nonpolar Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Human Milk

A gas chromatographic method is described for the analysis of human milk to determine polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as 72 congeners plus p,p'-DDE, mirex, hexachlorobenzene, and octachlorostyrene. The detection limit for individual compounds is about 0.05 ng/g when 30 g milk is analyzed. Total PCBs can be estimated with a detection limit of 1-5 ng/mL milk. Analytical precision is better than +/- 10% for all compounds at 20-50 ng/mL whole milk.
A Degenerate Napoleon as son of Degenerate Jacobins

While assuming that the rule of the Russian Jacobins would be brief and the Russian Napoleon would emerge in the near future, most observers matched the great French predecessor with his military glory. Although Bonaparte had inherited the bellicose elan of the Convention, the Russian Jacobins were notorious for their military weakness. In the very beginning of the Bolsheviks’ rule, the majority of their opponents scarcely imagined that even if the Bolsheviks survived, that they would be able to accomplish the feat of raising an army, much less a powerful one. And a powerful army was important not only to conquer foreign territory but to preserve the unity of the country.
Mass Entertainment and Community: Toward a Culture-Centered Paradigm for Mass Communication Research

In this essay, we begin with a review of the arguments in the debate over media and then seek to move beyond the narrow issues raised by previous media criticism. We argue that a culture-centered paradigm for media scholarship is emerging that explicitly abandons many of the assumptions about media and audiences that were central to the old debate. This paradigm offers the possibility of integrating a broad range of current research in our field and could provide a means of stemming conflict between qualitative and quantitative scholars. After outlining this paradigm we discuss current scholarship and present an agenda for future research.
REVIEW - In the Name of the Innovator of the Times and the Places. Dir. Mahmoud Rahmani. 25 mns. 2006. Recognition (Sheasayi). Dir. Ephraim Asgharzadeh. 3 mns. 2001. In the Name of God. The Independent Group of Ahwaz Filmmakers. 19 mns. 2006.

REVIEW - In the Name of the Innovator of the Times and the Places. Dir. Mahmoud Rahmani. 25 mns. 2006. Recognition (Sheasayi). Dir. Ephraim Asgharzadeh. 3 mns. 2001. In the Name of God. The Independent Group of Ahwaz Filmmakers. 19 mns. 2006.
Generating Selves: Issues of Self-Representation

(2004). Generating Selves: Issues of Self-Representation. a/b: Auto/Biography Studies: Vol. 19, Life Writing and the Generations, pp. 59-70.
The Role of Older Persons' Environment in Aging Well: Quality of Life, Illness, and Community Context in South Africa.

Purpose of the study This article evaluates the influence of local district conditions on subjective quality of life of older South African adults. Policymakers increasingly recognize that "successful" aging policies must not only address physical health needs but also factors that influence subjective well-being. Design and methods To investigate the influence of area-level distribution of "public goods" on well-being in a low- and middle-income setting, nationally representative WHO-Study of Global AGEing and Adult Health (WHO-SAGE) survey data is combined with district-level data that captures built resources and health system distribution. Multilevel regression modeling is utilized to explore how community context, including built resources and health infrastructure quality, influence older persons' quality of life and how chronic health conditions may moderate this relationship while controlling for important individual characteristics. Results While controlling for individual and district level factors, it is found community level provision of built resources of basic services (i.e., water, sanitation, electricity, housing) has a modest but significant impact on older persons' subjective well-being. Further, this effect on older persons' perceptions of quality of life is moderated by individual chronic health status; individuals with a chronic health condition do not receive an equivalent benefit from district built condition like those without an illness do. Implications This work adds to the literature concerning the effect of environments in low- and middle-income countries on older adults' subjective well-being. It also adds to the growing literature on the complex relationship between subjective well-being and health in diverse contexts.
Time lapse microscopy of temperature control during self-assembly of 3D DNA crystals

Abstract DNA nanostructures are created by exploiting the high fidelity base-pairing interactions of double-stranded branched DNA molecules. These structures present a convenient medium for the self-assembly of macroscopic 3D crystals. In some self-assemblies in this system, crystals can be formed by lowering the temperature, and they can be dissolved by raising it. The ability to monitor the formation and melting of these crystals yields information that can be used to monitor crystal formation and growth. Here, we describe the development of an inexpensive tool that enables direct observation of the crystal growth process as a function of both time and temperature. Using the hanging-drop crystallization of the well-characterized 2-turn DNA tensegrity triangle motif for our model system, its response to temperature has been characterized visually.
Changes in the Use of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive Methods Among U.S. Nulliparous Women: Results from the 2006-2010, 2011-2013, and 2013-2015 National Survey of Family Growth.

Abstract Objective: Nulliparous women in the United States have high rates of unintended pregnancy comparable with parous women. Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) are recommended as first-line contraceptive choices to reduce unintended pregnancy. However, use of LARCs among nulliparous women has been low. This study aims to examine changes in the prevalence of current LARC use among sexually experienced U.S. nulliparous women across the time period of 2006–2010, 2011–2013, and 2013–2015, and examine correlates of use. Materials and Methods: Sexually experienced nulliparous women (15–44 years) from the 2006–2010, 2011–2013, and 2013–2015 rounds of the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 7463) were examined. Changes in the prevalence of current use of LARCs were examined and correlates of current LARC use were evaluated using multiple logistic regression. Results: Increases in the prevalence of current LARC use from 2008 to 2012 (0.8% vs. 3.8%, p < 0.0001) and from 2012 to 2014 (3.8% vs. 5.7%,...
Content Analysis in Entrepreneurship Research: The Case of Initial Public Offerings:

This paper focuses on the use of content analysis, which is a potentially valuable yet infrequently used research method, in the study of management and entrepreneurial endeavors. Specifically, att...
Geospatial Data Discovery, Management, and Analysis at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Abstract The 21st century is experiencing simultaneous changes in global population, urbanization, and climate. These changes, along with the rapid growth of geospatial data and increasing popularity of data discovery, access, and analytics techniques, lead to the promising future of innovation and achievements in geospatial and spatiotemporal thinking, computing, and application. However, big geospatial data bring forth challenges that require the cutting-edge science and technology to address. In this chapter, we highlight some of the characteristics and challenges in geospatial and spatiotemporal data discovery, management, processing, and analytics, and provide solutions based on recent research achievements as case studies. These study cases provide concrete examples of challenges faced when handling geospatial and spatiotemporal big data and the potential solutions in high level of accuracy, interoperability, and scalability.
Tuning the structural and spectroscopic properties of donor–acceptor–donor oligomers via mutual X-bonding, H-bonding, and π–π interactions

Presented are design strategies towards hierarchically assembling a C2-symmetric π-conjugated oligomer (DAD-XB-Boc) based on a donor–acceptor–donor motif through hydrogen bonding (HB), halogen bonding (XB), and π-stacking interactions. Upon co-crystallization with tetrafluoro-1,4-diiodobenzene (TFDIB), single crystal X-ray analysis reveals highly directional XB induced 2D assemblies which further organize via π–π interactions. Crystal photoluminescence (PL) analysis indicates that the co-crystal exhibits a red shift in its PL spectrum with enhanced intensity compared to the mono-crystal. Pyrolytic cleavage and removal of the t-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) groups of DAD-XB-Boc exposes complementary hydrogen bonding sites; the H-bonding capability of DAD-XB-NH is evident from thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Overall, the data show that both halogen and hydrogen bonding can be used together with π-stacking interactions to enhance the solid-state properties of DAD oligomers essential for optoelectronic device applications. Ongoing work seeks to use such supramolecular approaches to control the nanoscale to microscale arrangement of molecules in thin films and increase device efficiency (i.e., charge mobility).
Focused Volumetric Visual Hull with Color Extraction

This paper introduces a new approach for volumetric visual hull reconstruction, using a voxel grid that focuses on the moving target object. This grid is continuously updated as a function of object location, orientation, and size. The benefit is a reduced amount of voxels that have to be evaluated or allocated towards capturing the target at higher resolution. This technique particularly improves reconstructions where the total reconstruction space is larger than the moving reconstruction target. The higher resolution of the voxel grid also reduces the computational cost per voxel reprojection since a one voxel to one input pixel reprojection ratio is approximated. In addition, the appropriate view independent color of the surface voxels is computed allowing for realistic visual hull texturing. All color calculations are performed locally, based on approximated surface voxel normals and the input images. A color outlier detection approach is introduced, which reduces the influence of occlusions in the color evaluation. The parallel nature of the presented focused visual hull reconstruction technique, lends itself to hardware acceleration, allowing interactive rates to be achieved by performing most computations on the GPU. A set of case studies is provided for well-defined static and dynamic data sets.
In Search of Hypnosis

Starting out as de Puysegur’s “magnetic somnambulism,” hypnosis has gone through a number of transformations over the last 140 years, culminating in today’s “Ericksonian hypnosis.” Factors leading to the changes are discussed. There have been many, clinicians rather than researchers having the main influence upon this transformation. In contrast to earlier research, carried out prior to 1920, modern research has contributed very little new to our understanding or utilization of hypnosis. Some of the reasons for this are also examined.
Inference via Fuzzy Belief Networks.

The power of belief networks lies in its connective edges where the influences are bidirectional. While Bayesian methods capture bidirectional influences, we propose a simpler and faster method o f inferencing from nodal observations that uses bidirectional fuzzy influences that are propagated via fuzzy set membership functions. We need neither the conditional probability tables nor constraining mathematical structure that make inferencing NP-hard.
Beyond Testing and Grading: Using Assessment To Improve Student Learning

Changes in educational assessment are currently being called for, both within the fields of measurement and evaluation as well as in disciplines such as statistics. Traditional forms of assessment ...
GRK2 mediates TCR-induced transactivation of CXCR4 and TCR-CXCR4 complex formation that drives PI3Kγ/PREX1 signaling and T cell cytokine secretion.

The immune system includes abundant examples of biologically-relevant cross-regulation of signaling pathways by the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) and the G protein–coupled chemokine receptor, CXCR4. TCR ligation induces transactivation of CXCR4 and TCR–CXCR4 complex formation, permitting the TCR to signal via CXCR4 to activate a phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate–dependent Rac exchanger 1 protein (PREX1)–dependent signaling pathway that drives robust cytokine secretion by T cells. To understand this receptor heterodimer and its regulation, we characterized the molecular mechanisms required for TCR-mediated TCR–CXCR4 complex formation. We found that the cytoplasmic C-terminal domain of CXCR4 and specifically phosphorylation of Ser-339 within this region were required for TCR–CXCR4 complex formation. Interestingly, siRNA-mediated depletion of G protein–coupled receptor kinase-2 (GRK2) or inhibition by the GRK2-specific inhibitor, paroxetine, inhibited TCR-induced phosphorylation of CXCR4–Ser-339 and TCR–CXCR4 complex formation. Either GRK2 siRNA or paroxetine treatment of human T cells significantly reduced T cell cytokine production. Upstream, TCR-activated tyrosine kinases caused inducible tyrosine phosphorylation of GRK2 and were required for the GRK2-dependent events of CXCR4–Ser-339 phosphorylation and TCR–CXCR4 complex formation. Downstream of TCR–CXCR4 complex formation, we found that GRK2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) were required for TCR-stimulated membrane recruitment of PREX1 and for stabilization of cytokine mRNAs and robust cytokine secretion. Together, our results identify a novel role for GRK2 as a target of TCR signaling that is responsible for TCR-induced transactivation of CXCR4 and TCR–CXCR4 complex formation that signals via PI3Kγ/PREX1 to mediate cytokine production. Therapeutic regulation of GRK2 or PI3Kγ may therefore be useful for limiting cytokines produced by T cell malignancies or autoimmune diseases.
Experimental investigation of two-phase gas-oil stratified flow wax deposition in pipeline

Abstract Wax deposition in the onshore and offshore pipelines is a common occurrence and typically disturbs the transportation of oil and gas. Accurate prediction of wax deposition in multiphase flow is of great importance to develop economical prevention and remediation strategies. However, reliable experimental data is lacking to understand the deposition process and validate the existing prediction models. In this work, two-phase gas-oil stratified flow wax deposition data at various liquid and gas flow rates have been obtained using Garden Banks condensate and natural gas in a 52.5-mm I.D. multiphase flow loop under the pressure of 2.41 MPa. It is evident that both deposit mass and wax content increase as superficial gas and liquid velocities increase. In addition, the deposit mass per unit area and wax content have a strong correlation with the actual liquid velocity deduced from superficial velocities. The local deposits are observed to be thinner but harder at the sides compared to the bottom of the pipe. The local deposit composition is also analyzed using high temperature gas chromatography (HTGC), revealing that the effect of vSG and vSL on the side deposits is more predominant than the bottom. It can be seen that the fraction of the high carbon number components increases as the superficial velocities increases. However, the increase due to the increase of vSG is more distinct compared to the vSL effect. Moreover, it has been observed that the local wax mass flux increases along the circumferential direction, namely, from the bottom towards the gas-liquid interface. Local deposit analysis in the circumferential direction provided insights to enhance our understanding on the deposition behavior and aid to improve or develop appropriate models.
Implantable Materials Update

There are a variety of materials available for surgical reconstruction of the foot and ankle. The material that provides the best physical properties to match the mechanical stress should be chosen. Ideal implant material should be biocompatible, nontoxic, noncarcinogenic, nonpyrogenic, and nonallergenic. Key properties include strength, durability, and resistance to fatigue. The material should have ductility to provide continued strength once it has been adapted to the bone surface. The material should be readily available, affordable, and reproducible. Materials that are available for use are stainless steel, cobalt chrome alloys, titanium and titanium alloys, pyrolytic carbon, thermoplastics, and bioceramics.
Orientation-Based Food Image Capture for Head Mounted Egocentric Camera

Current head-mounted wearable sensors for monitoring of food intake operates by fusing multiple modalities such as inertial and image sensing. The image capture may be performed periodically, capturing a large number of irrelevant images, increasing power consumption and reducing the battery life. In this manuscript, we propose an efficient approach for food image capture, that captures the images only when the head tilt angle estimated from the accelerometer data matches that during ingestion of food. The method was developed and validated using data from 15 volunteers consuming unrestricted meals in a free-living environment between 12.5 to 18.5 hours. The tilt angle of the head was computed using 3D accelerometer data. A classifier for image capture was developed using a curve fitting approach on the tilt angles of the head. The proposed method achieved a sensitivity of 0.97 and specificity of 0.47 in predicting capture of food images, thus potentially improving the battery life of the wearable device.
Smaller-scale land grabs and accumulation from below: Violence, coercion and consent in spatially uneven agrarian change in Shan State, Myanmar

Abstract This article presents field research data on a smallholder maize crop boom in Shan State, northern Myanmar, and its spatially uneven dispossessory effects. Local research teams studied eight villages, four in the north and an equal number in the south of Shan State, using focus group discussions and randomized household interviews, supplemented with key informant interviews. This study deepens the global land grab debate by highlighting the role of smallholder cash crop booms in “smaller-scale” land grabs that have been shown to be significant drivers of agrarian transformation, especially in Southeast Asia. The article builds on the conceptualization of “accumulation from below” by accounting for the geographically differentiated processes of dispossession from smallholder contract farming arrangements, its variant forms of coercion and consent, and the political contingencies that give rise to and help explain uneven agrarian change. The study’s findings demonstrate how political contingency shapes spatial patterns of accumulation and dispossession through regional and local variations in the politics of ethnic identity, migration, insurgency and an illicit drugs economy. These political dynamics inform the hierarchy of power and cultural familiarity between smallholders and local state-supported “silent strongmen”, in this case town moneylenders and village elites, which—together with several other identified factors, especially the poppy economy—influence the spatial distribution of dispossession. Neither extra-economic coercion within orbits of state power nor simply accumulation from below by market opportunities adequately explains uneven agrarian transformation. Instead, the analytical frame on forms of violence in capital accumulation should be expanded and deepened in order to better capture the complex coming together of violence, coercion and consent that is geographically specific, and taken together is more than the sum of their parts.
Osseous Integration After Exenteration

Osseointegration was first described by Branemark in 1977. It is defined as a direct structural and functional connection between ordered living bone and the surface of a load-carrying implant and involves different physiological processes. Titanium implants with treated surface and specific designs are usually used to stimulate osteoblasts to form bonds with the surface of the implant. A multidisciplinary team is usually required for a careful preoperative evaluation, intraoperative placement, and postoperative care. Different techniques, implants, and attachments can be used for optimal results. The osseointegration has many advantages with few disadvantages compared to the traditional reconstruction techniques. Complications such as skin irritation or implant failure can occur, but are avoided with careful selection of the patients, preoperative evaluation and planning, and a proper implant placement technique.
Impact of sex, androgens, and prostate size on C57BL/6J mouse urinary physiology: urethral histology.

The National Institutes of Health leveled new focus on sex as a biological variable with the goal of understanding sex-specific differences in health and physiology. We previously published a funct...
The role of natural killer cells in Parkinson's disease.

Numerous lines of evidence indicate an association between sustained inflammation and Parkinson’s disease, but whether increased inflammation is a cause or consequence of Parkinson’s disease remains highly contested. Extensive efforts have been made to characterize microglial function in Parkinson’s disease, but the role of peripheral immune cells is less understood. Natural killer cells are innate effector lymphocytes that primarily target and kill malignant cells. Recent scientific discoveries have unveiled numerous novel functions of natural killer cells, such as resolving inflammation, forming immunological memory, and modulating antigen-presenting cell function. Furthermore, natural killer cells are capable of homing to the central nervous system in neurological disorders that exhibit exacerbated inflammation and inhibit hyperactivated microglia. Recently, a study demonstrated that natural killer cells scavenge alpha-synuclein aggregates, the primary component of Lewy bodies, and systemic depletion of natural killer cells results in exacerbated neuropathology in a mouse model of alpha-synucleinopathy, making them a highly relevant cell type in Parkinson’s disease. However, the exact role of natural killer cells in Parkinson’s disease remains elusive. In this review, we introduce the systemic inflammatory process seen in Parkinson’s disease, with a particular focus on the direct and indirect modulatory capacity of natural killer cells in the context of Parkinson’s disease. Understanding the roles that inflammation and immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells play in Parkinson’s disease (PD) may help in finding new treatments. In PD, a neurodegenerative disease, the protein α-synuclein is misshapen and accumulates in brain cells, causing inflammation. NK cells, which mostly target cancer cells, have recently been shown to resolve inflammation. Jae-Kyung Lee and Rachael H. Earls of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, USA, reviewed the role of NK cells in PD. They report that NK cells can degrade α-synuclein aggregates. Further, NK cells are recruited to areas of inflammation where they then decrease the α-synuclein burden and reduce inflammation. Although further research is needed to understand how age and PD affect NK cell number and functions, these results may illuminate pathways to better treatments for PD.
Lessons We've Learned - Covid-19 and the Undocumented Latinx Community

Lessons We’ve Learned In Baltimore, Covid-19 spread rapidly in the immigrant Latinx community. Transmission was fueled by poverty and economic necessity, and precarious housing arrangements and fea...
Mechanical Characterization of Ring Pessary Folding

Understanding the mechanical properties of current pessaries is important to improve on existing designs and innovate on novel solutions. Our objective was to mechanically characterize the force required to compress ring pessaries into a folded shape. We hypothesized that the force required to fold ring pessaries would scale inversely with the diameter squared. We conducted a compression test on ring pessaries to analyze their folding behavior using a mechanical universal testing system. Ring pessaries size #1 through #7 (diameters 50.1–86.7 mm) were placed in the testing platform in a vertical orientation with the bending axis in the horizontal plane. An axial load was applied to induce deformation. With application of an axial force, all pessaries first showed in-plane deformation followed by out-of-plane buckling. Increasing force resulted in a transition between in-plane deformation and out-of-plane buckling, during which the pessary began to fold, analogous to classic Euler buckling of columns. This transition was reflected in the loading curve as a sharp change in slope between the initial strain-softening region and a subsequent nearly horizontal plateau region. The force at the transition point ranged from 4.4 N for a size #7 pessary to 23.5 N for a size #1 pessary. The relationship between force and diameter at the transition point appeared to approximate a 1/L2 dependence, where L is the pessary diameter. Pessary mechanics show buckling and folding behavior with a dependence on pessary architecture. The force required to fold ring pessaries scales inversely with the pessary diameter squared.
Optical Parametric Amplification with a Spatially-Homogenized Pump Laser

We demonstrate optical parametric amplification using a spatially-homogenized pump beam for the first time and investigate the impact of pump beam angular content on OPA efficiency and bandwidth.
Negative body size-dependent resource allocation underlies conspicuous sexual ornaments in a territorial damselfly

Sexual ornaments, signalling individual quality to choosy females or rival males, often show steeper body size scaling compared with non-sexually selected traits. Theory posits such steeper body size scaling is the result of differential resource allocation, reflecting trade-offs between different components of fitness. Yet, the process of resource allocation towards body size-dependent sexual ornaments has been rarely understood empirically. Using the Neotropical territorial damselfly Megaloprepus caerulatus, whose males and females carry wax-based, sex-specific white wing bands and white wing tips respectively, we investigated nutrition sensitivity and body size scaling of both traits by manipulating larval food availability and directly quantified both the fat allocated to wing ornaments and the fat reserve from which allocations are made. Both colour traits exhibited sensitivity to food availability during larval development and steeper body size scaling compared with control traits. Although the absolute amount of fat invested in developing the colour ornaments increased with body size, the proportion of total fat allocated to the ornaments decreased with body size, making exaggerated ornaments less affordable for smaller individuals. Our data demonstrate that measuring the proportion of resource pool from which an individual's ornaments are derived (i.e. its affordability) is essential for understanding the maintenance of honesty of sexual signals.
T.H. Ravenhill and his contributions to mountain sickness.

Thomas Holmes Ravenhill (1881-1952) was an important pioneer in high-altitude medicine but almost nothing has been published about him. He wrote a landmark paper in 1913 that included the classification of high-altitude sickness that is still in use, and it also contained the first accurate descriptions of high-altitude pulmonary edema and high-altitude cerebral edema, although he used different terms. The work was done while he was medical officer at the Collahuasi and Poderosa mines in northern Chile at altitudes he gave as 4,690-4,940 m. Remarkably, the paper was then forgotten until it was rediscovered over 50 yr later, but it is now cited in any comprehensive study of high-altitude illness. Ravenhill graduated in medicine from the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, in 1905 and 4 yr later went to the mines where he spent 2 yr. Subsequently, he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps in the 1914-1918 war and was awarded the Military Cross. He returned to general practice but after a few years gave up medicine altogether. He then made important contributions to archeology and spent the last third of his life in London as a painter, mainly in watercolors. It is unclear to what extent his war experiences brought about his dramatic career change.
Evaluating eukaryotic secreted protein prediction

Background Improvements in protein sequence annotation and an increase in the number of annotated protein databases has fueled development of an increasing number of software tools to predict secreted proteins. Six software programs capable of high throughput and employing a wide range of prediction methods, SignalP 3.0, SignalP 2.0, TargetP 1.01, PrediSi, Phobius, and ProtComp 6.0, are evaluated.
Combined Experimental and Computational Approach to Predict the Glass-Water Reaction

The use of mineral and glass dissolution rates measured in laboratory experiments to predict the weathering of primary minerals and volcanic and nuclear waste glasses in field studies requires the construction of rate models that accurately describe the weathering process over geologic timescales. Additionally, the need to model the long-term behavior of nuclear waste glass for the purpose of estimating radionuclide release rates requires that rate models be validated with long-term experiments. Several long-term test methods have been developed to accelerate the glass-water reaction [drip test, vapor hydration test, product consistency test B, and pressurized unsaturated flow (PUF)], thereby reducing the duration required to evaluate long-term performance. Currently, the PUF test is the only method that mimics the unsaturated hydraulic properties expected in a subsurface disposal facility and simultaneously monitors the glass-water reaction. PUF tests are being conducted to accelerate the weathering of glass and validate the model parameters being used to predict long-term glass behavior. A one-dimensional reactive chemical transport simulation of glass dissolution and secondary phase formation during a 1.5-year-long PUF experiment was conducted with the Subsurface Transport Over Reactive Multiphases (STORM) code. Results show that parameterization of the computer model by combining direct bench scale laboratory measurementsmore » and thermodynamic data provides an integrated approach to predicting glass behavior over the length of the experiment. Over the 1.5-year-long test duration, the rate decreased from 0.2 to 0.01 g/(m2 day) based on B release for low-activity waste glass LAWA44. The observed decrease is approximately two orders of magnitude higher than the decrease observed under static conditions with the SON68 glass (estimated to be a decrease by four orders of magnitude) and suggests that the gel-layer properties are less protective under these dynamic conditions.« less
Cicadas (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Mindanao, Philippines, with the description of a new genus and a new species

This paper provides the first faunal checklist for the family Cicadidae (Insecta: Hemiptera) from Mindanao, Philippines, comprising 17 species belonging to 13 genera. A new species, Chremistica kyoungheeae sp. nov., is described. Platypleura elizabethae Lee and Nelcyndana tener (Stal) are newly added to the cicada fauna of Mindanao. Dokuma Distant syn. nov. is treated as a junior synonym of Oncotympana Stal, which is redefined to include four species: O. pallidiventris Stal, O. viridicincta Stal, O. nigristigma (Walker) comb. nov., and an undescribed Oncotympana sp., all from the Philippines. Dokuma consobrina Distant syn. nov. is synonymized with O. viridicincta. A new genus, Sonata gen. nov., is described to include the following species previously placed in Oncotympana: Sonata fuscata (Distant), Sonata maculaticollis (De Motschulsky), Sonata ella (Lei & Chou), Sonata expansa (Walker), Sonata mahoni (Distant), Sonata melanoptera (Distant), Sonata obnubila (Distant), Sonata stratoria (Distant), and Sonata virescens (Distant) (nine species comb. nov.). The genus Champaka Distant stat. rev. is resurrected from junior synonymy with Platylomia Stal to include the following species previously placed in the Platylomia spinosa group: Champaka spinosa (Fabricius), Champaka abdulla (Distant), Champaka viridimaculata (Distant), Champaka nigra (Distant), Champaka virescens (Distant), Champaka meyeri (Distant), Champaka wallacei (Beuk), Champaka celebensis Distant, Champaka aerata (Distant), Champaka constanti (Lee), and Champaka maxima (Lee) (eleven species comb. nov.). The genus Nelcyndana Distant, 1906 is transferred to Cicadettini from Taphurini. A key to the species of Oncotympana and information on geographic distributions of the 17 Mindanao species are provided.
Factors That Contribute to the Botulinal Safety of Reduced-Fat and Fat-Free Process Cheese Products

The effects of fat, type of natural cheese, and adjunct process cheese ingredients were evaluated to determine factors that contribute to the botulinal safety of reduced-fat (RF) process cheese products stored at 30 degrees C. In the first set of experiments, pasteurized process cheese products (PPCPs) were formulated using full-fat (FF) Cheddar, 30% RF Cheddar, or skim milk (SM) cheese as cheese-base types and were standardized to 59% moisture, pH 5.75, 2.8 or 3.2% total salts, and 15 to 19% fat. Subsequent trials evaluated the effect of fat levels and adjunct ingredients in PPCPs made with SM, RF, and FF cheese (final fat levels, less than 1, 13, and 24%, respectively). When fat levels of PPCPs were comparable (15.1, 19.1, and 16.2 for product manufactured with SC, RE and FF cheese, respectively), botulinal toxin production was delayed for up to 2 days in PPCPs formulated with SM compared with RF or FF cheese; however, the effect was not statistically significant. When fat levels were reduced to less than 1% in SM PPCPs, toxin production was delayed 2 weeks in products made with SM compared with RF or FF cheese manufactured with 13 or 24% fat, respectively. The antibotulinal effect of adjunct ingredients varied among the products manufactured with different fat levels. Sodium lactate significantly delayed toxin production (P < 0.05) for all fat levels tested, whereas beta-glucan fat replacer did not delay toxin production. An enzyme-modified cheese used as a flavor enhancer significantly delayed toxin production (P < 0.05) in SM (less than 1% fat) products but had little to no inhibitory effect in RF (13% fat) and FF (24% fat) cheese products. Similarly, monolaurin increased the time to detectable toxin in SM products but was ineffective in RF or FF cheese products. These results verify that RF PPCPs exhibit greater safety than FF products and that safety may be enhanced by using certain adjunct ingredients as antimicrobials.
Active Ordering of Interactive Prediction Tasks.

Many applications involve a set of prediction tasks that must be accomplished sequentially through user interaction. If the tasks are interdependent, the order in which they are posed may have a significant impact on the effective utilization of user feedback by the prediction systems, affecting their overall performance. This paper presents a novel approach for dynamically ordering a series of prediction tasks by taking into account the effect of user feedback on the performance of multiple prediction systems. The proposed approach represents a general strategy for learning incrementally during test phase when the system interacts with the end-user, who expects good performance instead of merely providing correct labels to the system. Therefore, the system must balance system benefit against user benefit when selecting items for user’s attention. We apply the proposed approach to two practical applications that involve interactive trouble report generation and document annotation, respectively. Our experiments show significant improvements in prediction performance (in terms of Mean Average Precision) using the proposed active ordering approach, as compared to baseline approaches that either determine a task order offline and hold it fixed during test phase, or do not optimize the order at all.
Sliding mode thermal control system for Space Station Furnace Facility

The Space Station Furnace Facility (SSFF) provides the necessary core systems to operate various material processing furnaces. The Thermal Control System (TCS) is defined as one of the core systems and its function is to collect excess heat from furnaces and to provide precise cold temperature control of components and of certain furnace zones. Physical interconnection of parallel thermal control subsystems through a common pump implies the description of the whole TCS by coupled nonlinear differential equations in flow and pressure. The paper formulates the system equations and develops the sliding mode controllers that cause the interconnected subsystems to operate in the local sliding modes, resulting In control system invariance to interaction disturbances. The desired decoupled flow rate profile tracking is achieved by optimization of the focal linear sliding mode equations. Extensive digital simulation results are presented to show the flow rate tracking robustness and invariance to plant nonlinearities and variations of the pump pressure supplied to the controlled subsystems. >
The Marketing of Rebellion: INSURGENT GROUPS AND THE QUEST FOR OVERSEAS SUPPORT

For decades, Tibet's quest for self-determination has roused people around the world. Inspired by appeals to human rights, cultural preservation, and spiritual awakening, thousands of individuals and organizations lend moral, material, and financial support to the Tibetan cause. As a result, greater autonomy for Tibet's five million inhabitants remains a popular international campaign despite the Chinese government's 50-year effort to suppress it. But although Tibet's light shines brightly abroad, few outsiders know that China's borders hold other restive minorities: Mongols, Zhuang, Yi, and Hui, to name only a few. Notable are the Uyghurs, a group of more than seven million people located northwest of Tibet. Like the Tibetans, the Uyghurs fought Chinese domination for centuries, enjoying brief periods of independence twice during the twentieth century. Like the Tibetans, the Uyghurs today face threats from Han Chinese in-migration, centrally planned development policies, and newly strengthened antiterror measures. If, as the Dalai Lama has warned, Tibetan ethnicity, culture, and environment face “extinction,” the Uyghurs' surely do, too. And, like the Tibetans, the Uyghurs resist Chinese domination with domestic and international protest that, in Beijing's eyes, makes them dangerous separatists. Yet the Uyghurs have failed to inspire the broad-based foreign networks that generously bankroll the Tibetans. No bumper stickers plead for East Turkestan's liberation. No Hollywood stars or corporate moguls write fat checks for the Uyghurs. No Uyghur leader has visited with a U.S. president or won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Digital controller design for analog MIMO systems with multiple I/O delays

This paper proposes a discretization scheme and an optimal digital cascaded plus state-feedback controller for Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) continuous-time systems with multiple time delays in both inputs and outputs. Firstly, an equivalent discrete-time model is obtained from the MIMO analog time-delayed system. The equivalent discrete-time model and a partially predetermined digital cascaded controller are formulated as an augmented discrete-time state-space system for state-feed forward and state-feedback Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) design. As a result, the parameters of the cascaded controller and its associated state-feedback controller can be determined by tuning the weighting matrices in the LQR optimal design. Then a discrete-time optimal observer for the MIMO analog time-delayed system is constructed for the implementation of the designed state-feedback digital controller. The proposed methodology has been verified through both simulation and experiment on the induction motor drive system.
Statistics of the fine structure of turbulent velocity and temperature fields measured at high Reynolds number

Derivatives of velocity and temperature in the wind over the ocean were found to be quite variable. Probability distribution functions of squared derivatives were consistent with lognormality predictions by Kolmogoroff, Obukhoff and Yaglom. Kurtosis values for velocity derivatives ranged from 13 to 26 and from 26 to 43 for temperature derivatives. Universal inertial subrange constants were evaluated from dissipation spectra and were found to be 40 to 300% larger than most values reported previously. Evidence for local anisotropy of the temperature field is provided by non-zero values of the measured derivative skewness.
A new bound for the quadratic assignment problem based on convex quadratic programming

We describe a new convex quadratic programming bound for the quadratic assignment problem (QAP). The construction of the bound uses a semidefinite programming representation of a basic eigenvalue bound for QAP. The new bound dominates the well-known projected eigenvalue bound, and appears to be competitive with existing bounds in the trade-off between bound quality and computational effort.
Reissert compound studies. XXX. Synthesis and alkylation of some new reissert compounds

The synthesis of several new isoquinoline Reissert compounds is described. Alkylation reactions of the anions of these new Reissert compounds and a rearrangement reaction are reported.
Omentoplasty for gastrotomy closure after natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery procedures (with video).

Introduction The utility of the greater omentum has not been assessed in transluminal access closure after natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures. Objective Our purpose was to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of omentoplasty for gastrotomy closure. Methods and Procedures Survival experiments in 9 female 40-kg pigs were randomly assigned to 3 groups: group A, endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) for transgastric access and peritoneoscopy without closure; group B, ETFR and peritoneoscopy with omentoplasty (flap of omentum is pulled into the stomach and attached to the gastric mucosa with clips but no clips are used for gastrotomy closure itself); group C, balloon dilation for opening and peritoneoscopy followed by omentoplasty for closure. The animals were observed for 2 weeks and then underwent endoscopy and necropsy with histologic evaluation. Results Transgastric opening and peritoneoscopy were achieved in all pigs. In groups B and C, a flap of omentum was easily placed to seal the gastrotomy and then attached to the gastric mucosa with 2 to 5 clips (median 4) in 7 to 20 minutes (median 15 minutes). In group A, peritonitis developed in all animals. In both groups B and C, all animals survived 15 days with no peritonitis and minimal adhesions outside the gastrotomy site. In addition, all achieved complete healing (transmural, n=4; mucosal ulceration, n=2) of the gastrotomy site. One animal in group B had an 18-mm abscess in the omental flap. Limitations Animal model, small sample size, lack of appropriate controls for group C. Conclusions Omentoplasty of the gastrotomy site is a technically feasible method to seal balloon-created transgastric access to the peritoneal cavity after NOTES procedures.