cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integral: Petri-net approach to distributed software development

Abstract As the architecture of modern software systems continues to evolve in a distributed fashion, the development of such systems becomes increasingly complex, which requires the integration of more sophisticated specification techniques, tools, and procedures into the conventional methodology. An essential capability of an integrated software development environment is a formal specification method to capture effectively the system's functional requirements as well as its performance requirements. A validation and verification (V&V) system based on a formal specification method is of paramount importance to the development and maintenance of distributed systems. There has been recent interest in integrating software techniques and tools at the specification level. It is also noted that an effective way of achieving such integration is by using wide-spectrum specification techniques. In view of these points, an integrated V&V system, called Integral, is presented that provides comprehensive and homogeneous analysis capabilities to both specification and testing phases of the life-cycle of distributed software systems. The underlying software model that supports various V&V activities in Integral is primarily based on Petri nets and is intended to be wide spectrum. The ultimate goal of this research is to demonstrate to the software industry, domestic or foreign, the availability and applicability of a new Petri-net-based software development paradigm. Integral is a prototype V&V system to support such a paradigm.
Nanogratings: breaking up is a grating experience.

Periodic nanostructures can be made over large areas using a simple low-cost method in which a thin polymer film is sandwiched between two flat plates that are then pulled apart.
Gene expression in the rat cerebral cortex: Comparison of recovery sleep and hypnotic-induced sleep

Abstract Most hypnotic medications currently on the market target some aspect of GABAergic neurotransmission. Although all such compounds increase sleep, these drugs differentially affect the activity of the cerebral cortex as measured by the electroencephalogram. Whereas benzodiazepine medications such as triazolam tend to suppress slow wave activity in the cortex, the GABAB ligand gamma-hydroxybutyrate greatly enhances slow wave activity and the non-benzodiazepine, zolpidem, which binds to the ω1 site on the GABAA receptor/Cl− ionophore complex, is intermediate in this regard. Our previous studies have demonstrated that a small number of genes exhibit increased expression in the cerebral cortex of the mouse and rat during recovery sleep after sleep deprivation: egr-3, fra-2, grp78, grp94, ngfi-b, and nr4a3. Using these genes as a panel of biomarkers associated with sleep, we asked whether hypnotic medications induce similar molecular changes in the rat cerebral cortex to those observed when both sleep continuity and slow wave activity are enhanced during recovery sleep. We find that, although each drug increases the expression of a subset of genes in the panel of biomarkers, no drug fully replicates the molecular changes in the cortex associated with recovery sleep. Furthermore, high levels of slow wave activity in the cortex are correlated with increased expression of fra-2 whereas the expression of grp94 is correlated with body temperature. These results demonstrate that sleep-related changes in gene expression may be affected by physiological covariates of sleep and wakefulness rather than by vigilance state per se.
Law & Psychiatry: Has the ADA Been Reborn as a Tool of Broad Community Change for People With Mental Disabilities?

Twenty-five years after enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Justice Department has begun to aggressively use the law to compel states to reform community care of individuals with mental disabilities. In this month’s Law & Psychiatry column, the author highlights settlement agreements between Justice and the states of New York and Rhode Island that will produce sweeping changes in housing and employment for thousands of individuals with mental disabilities. Is the ADA’s original promise finally being realized?
Representing Interwoven Surfaces in 2-1/2D Drawings

Drawing programs must be able to distinguish which surface is on top anywhere that two surfaces overlap. Existing drawing programs do this by assigning surfaces to distinct layers, so they can't represent interwoven sets of surfaces. Druid uses a more general representation by maintaining local depth ordering of segments of a drawing's surface boundaries rather than a global depth relation between entire surfaces.
Modeling a wearable full-body motion capture system

This paper describes a feasibility study for a self-contained, wearable full-body motion capture system based on time-of-flight measurements that provide absolute distances between points on the body. Our motivation for the system is to allow an e-textile garment to sense its own shape using only body-worn sensors, thereby enabling it to dynamically adapt its sensing and processing elements to the user's current pose. Furthermore, a garment that can sense its own shape would enable an untethered and self-contained motion capture system. We explore the potential accuracy of the system via simulation driven by motion data from several users performing various activities, including effects such as the number and placement of sensors on the torso, shadowing of signal transmission by the body, and sensor directionality. We conclude that the system is feasible, albeit with an accuracy that is at least an order of magnitude less than state-of-the-art laboratory systems, and that its accuracy will depend heavily upon the transmission properties of the sensors.
MHC class I antigens regulate CD3-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins in T cells

The MHC class I antigens enhance the T cell response to various mitogenic stimuli. Class I antigens co-cap and associate with the CD3 structure on these cells. The present work shows that co-aggregation of these MHC antigens with CD3 induces a sustained elevated Ca2+ response in T cells. The duration required for a 50% decline in peak response is five to 10 times longer when class I antigens are cross-linked with CD3 as compared to that when cells are stimulated through CD3 alone. Further analysis reveals that class I antigens prolong the duration of CD3-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins. No protein tyrosine kinase activity is found associated with these MHC antigens which could explain their influence on CD3 activation. Similarly, class I antigens do not depend on the membrane-bound protein tyrosine phosphatase CD45, since they elevate the degree of CD3-induced Ca2+ response in a CD45-deficient Jurkat cell line. On the contrary, in a CD45- HPB cell line defective in CD3 signaling, co-aggregation of class I antigens with CD3 does not induce Ca2+ flux. Therefore, the effect of class I antigens on CD3 function depends on the ability of CD3 to transduce a signal. Furthermore, cytofluorometric studies show that cross-linking of class I antigens with CD3 inhibits the internalization of the latter. Thus, class I antigens seem to prolong the duration of signal transduction through CD3 by retarding its down-regulation.
Evaluation of Scheduled Air Passenger Service in Domestic Markets

A nondimensional index to measure the quality of scheduled air passenger service in domestic markets is proposed. This index is a function of frequency (number of daily flights), time-of-day of departures, number of intermediate stops and/or connections, speed of the aircraft, and expected delays due to congestion. The in- termediate steps in the development of this index produce interesting and useful byproducts. A relationship to compute expected block flight times, a methodology for estimating time-of-day demand distributions, and a model for predicting market shares are generated. The application of the index for improving demand models is discussed.
Sexual abuse in children.

1. Charles Felzen Johnson, MD* 1. *Professor of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University School of Medicine and Public Health, Child and Family Advocacy Program, Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. List three reasons why children may not reveal sexual abuse. 2. Be familiar with a normal hymen in a preadolescent and adolescent female. 3. Recognize a laceration of the hymen rim. 4. Describe the immediate and long-term adverse behavioral consequences and the physical consequences of sexual abuse. 5. Discuss why results of the genital examination may be normal after sexual abuse. 6. Appreciate the importance of a properly conducted forensic interview in sexual abuse. From the Editor : This comprehensive review of sexual abuse offers insights into every aspect of management. Some general pediatricians are better equipped than others to deal with sexual abuse, depending on training, experience, and the availability of community resources. Recognizing the value of a multidisciplinary team approach, each pediatrician must decide what his or her role should be and at what point a referral is necessary.—LFN Mary, a normal and healthy 5-year-old, is the only child in a recently divorced family. The mother has custody of Mary, and the father has weekend visitation. The father is remarried to a woman who has two children. Mary has been objecting to her weekend visits with her father. She is masturbating “frequently” according to the mother, who isolates Mary for this behavior. Mary has complained about burning when she urinates. The mother has noted that Mary’s genital area is red. She concluded that this was due to the masturbation. Mary has begun to suck her thumb. The preschool teacher called the mother to report that Mary was inviting boys to touch her genitalia. Mary also is refusing to do her school work. When her mother questioned her, Mary replied that her stepbrother had touched her privates and told her not to tell anyone or he would be in trouble. The mother comes to your …
A publisher plays jazz with the intranet and Adobe Acrobat

An all-electronic workflow containing text and art is an achievable goal for the production of a journal. The author highlights how a paper-intensive process to produce and print a journal was re-engineered to be a mostly electronic process, achieving both modernization and efficiency, while maintaining a backup paper process. Our solution focused on the usefulness of intermediate work products and the separation of the process itself from the supporting software technology. This resulted in a process that uses: (1) an intranet and the Internet to distribute intermediate work products among vendors, authors, reviewers, and the publisher; and (2) the Adobe Acrobat (tm) PDF format and supporting applications to view, annotate, print, and store intermediate work products that represent the text and art at various stages of each journal paper. This new process allows the generation of the many journal products that our customers request, such as paper versions and electronic versions in various formats.
A comparison of primitive variables and streamfunction–vorticity for fem depth‐averaged modelling of steady flow

The governing equations for depth-averaged turbulent flow are presented in both the primitive variable and streamfunction–vorticity forms. Finite element formulations are presented, with special emphasis on the handling of bottom stress terms and spatially varying eddy viscosity. The primitive variable formulation is found to be preferable because of its flexibility in handling spatial variation in viscosity, variability in water surface elevations, and inflow and outflow boundaries. The substantial reduction in computational effort afforded by the streamfunction–vorticity formulation is found not to be sufficient to recommend its use for general depth-averaged flows. For those flows in which the surface can be approximated as a fixed level surface, the streamfunction–vorticity form can produce results equivalent to the primitive variable form as long as turbulent viscosity can be estimated as a constant.
The Problem of Flattery and Hobbes’s Institutional Defense of Monarchy

This paper explores Hobbes’s defense of monarchy in light of the problem of flattery. In doing so, it addresses two central issues in Hobbes scholarship: his relationship to republicanism, and his attitude toward rhetoric. Faced with criticisms of monarchy rooted in the monarch’s susceptibility to flattery, Hobbes defends monarchy by focusing on the benefits of its unitary character. Rather than look to the virtue of monarchs as a bulwark against flattery, Hobbes argues that the singularity of the monarch diminishes the space and scope for flattery. Moreover, the unitary structure of monarchy provides an institutional context more favorable to taking counsel than forms of sovereignty incorporating many individuals. Hobbes’s defense of monarchy counters contemporary republicans, incorporating his suspicion of rhetoric without relying on claims of monarchical virtue.
REALISTIC EXPOSURE SCENARIOS: THE KEY TO SAVING TIME AND MONEY ON RISK‐BASED CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

The primary objective of risk-based corrective action is to establish a direct relationship between the extent of a corrective action and the level of risk (potential harm from contaminant exposure) associated with no corrective action. In reaching this objective, one is attempting to ensure that remediation resources are expended efficiently to reduce contamination that poses the most risk. To determine if corrective action is necessary, a risk assessment is performed. The goal of risk assessment is to calculate (as close to reality as possible) the potential for harm to a given receptor from exposure to contamination. The results of risk assessment are often accompanied by uncertainty in almost every parameter used to produce a risk estimate. This uncertainty varies with exposure scenarios that risk assessors must consider during their work. Controlling uncertainty is critical to establishing the primary objective of risk-based corrective actions, that is, not wasting remediation resources on minor risks. Avoidance of this can only be accomplished by developing realistic exposure scenarios based on established facts or defensible trends supported by accepted evidence. More often than not, exposure scenarios used in risk assessments are “presumed” or prescribed by conservative regulations. The use of presumed or prescribed exposure scenarios defeats the primary objective of risk-based corrective actions by forcing remediation to protect improbable receptors.
Case-based manufacturing process planning with integrated support for knowledge sharing

Computer aided process planning is a key part of bridging the link between design and manufacturing. Case-based reasoning provides an attractive paradigm for process planning as it combines the generative and variant approaches and improves the effectiveness of the planner by applying old experiences to solving new planning problems. We present a new case-based planning methodology that extends the capability and effectiveness of previous approaches by incorporating the ability to learn new domain knowledge from other planners via an integrated knowledge sharing mechanism. In addition, our planner has the capability to use multiple cases in the process of constructing a new plan, providing more effective utilization of the planner's previous experiences. The planning algorithm is based on domain-independent partial-order planning, and provides a formal approach to case-based process planning.
Materials for Non-Viral Gene Delivery

▪ Abstract Novel therapeutic strategies can be envisioned based on altering the expression level of target genes involved in cellular processes and disease progression; however, our ability to efficiently manipulate gene expression is limited. Non-viralbased gene therapy provides a relatively safe approach to increase or decrease the expression of a specific gene using DNA or antisense sequences; however, synthetic systems are required to direct plasmids and oligonucleotides to a specific tissue and to enhance cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking. Numerous materials are being developed that interact with DNA to enhance its properties (e.g. stability, charge density) and thus direct its biodistribution and facilitate cellular interactions. The development of synthetic delivery systems to manipulate gene expression efficiently is a powerful tool that will ultimately lead to novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of numerous disorders.
Estimation of Dynamic Petrophysical Properties of Water-bearing Sands Invaded With Oil-base Mud From Multi-physics Borehole Geophysical Measurements

Summary We develop and successfully test a new method to estimate permeability, capillary pressure, and relative permeability of water-bearing sands invaded with oil-base mud (OBM) from multi-physics borehole geophysical measurements. The inferred petrophysical properties of water-saturated sands are used for calibration of equivalent properties in hydrocarbon-bearing sands within the same sedimentary sequence. Our estimation method simulates the process of invasion between OBM and water. We iteratively adjust porosity, permeability (mobility), capillary pressure, and relative permeability in the simulation of invasion until density, PEF, neutron, and resistivity logs are accurately reproduced with numerical simulations from post-invasion radial distributions of water saturation. Examples of application include the cases of oil- and gasbearing reservoirs that exhibit a complete capillary fluid transition between water at the bottom and hydrocarbon at irreducible water saturation at the top. We show that the estimated dynamic petrophysical properties in the waterbearing portion of the reservoirs are in agreement with the vertical variations of water saturation above the free waterhydrocarbon contact, thereby valid ating our estimation method. Furthermore, we show that the radial distribution of water saturation inferred from resistivity and nuclear logs can be used for fluid-substitution analysis of sonic compressional and shear logs.
Charge transfer processes on liquid/liquid interfaces : the first century

Abstract Electrochemistry dealing with interfaces between two immiscible and ionically conductive solutions (ITIES) has been documented in literature already a hundred years ago. The work has only recently attracted a wider attention, with more modern treatment founded by the late Professor Jiři Koryta. The principle of the work, its past and new trends in experimental electrochemistry, optical studies of the interface and recently emerging theoretical work are reviewed.
Differential induction of gene expression by basic fibroblast growth factor and neuroD in cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Embryonic chick retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells can undergo transdifferentiation upon appropriate stimulation. For example, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) induces intact RPE tissue younger than embryonic day 4.5 (E4.5) to transdifferentiate into a neural retina. NeuroD, a gene encoding a basic helix-loop–helix transcription factor, triggers de novo production of cells that resemble young photoreceptor cells morphologically and express general neuron markers (HNK-1/N-CAM and MAP2) and a photoreceptor-specific marker (visinin) from cell cultures of dissociated E6 RPE (Yan & Wang, 1998). The present study examined whether bFGF will lead to the same transdifferentiation phenomenon as neuroD when applied to dissociated, cultured E6 RPE cells, and whether interplay exists between the two factors under the culture conditions. Dissociated E6 RPE cells were cultured in the presence or absence of bFGF, and with or without the addition of retrovirus expressing neuroD. Gene expression was analyzed with immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization. Unlike neuroD, bFGF did not induce the expression of visinin, or HNK-1/N-CAM and MAP2. However, bFGF elicited the expression of RA4 immunogenicity; yet, many of these RA4-positive cells lacked a neuronal morphology. Addition of bFGF to neuroD-expressing cultures did not alter the number of visinin-expressing cells; misexpression of neuroD in bFGF-treated cultures did not change the number of RA4-positive cells, suggesting the absence of interference or synergistic interaction between the two factors. Our data indicated that bFGF and neuroD induced the expression of different genes in cultured RPE cells.
Context-Based Technique for Biomedical Term Classification

The existing volumes of biomedical texts available online drive the increasing need for automated techniques to analyze and extract knowledge from these information repositories. Recognizing and classifying biomedical terms in these texts is an important step for developing efficient techniques for knowledge discovery and information extraction from the literature. This paper presents a new technique for biomedical term classification in biomedical texts. The method is based on combing successful feature selection techniques (MI, X2) with machine learning (SVM) for biomedical term classification. We utilize the advances in feature selection techniques in IR and use them to select the key features for term identification and classification. We evaluated the method using Genia 3.0 corpus with about 3,000 to more than 34,000 biomedical term instances. The technique is effective, achieving impressive accuracy, precision, and recall; and with F-score approaching ~ 90%, the method is superior or very competitive with the recently published results.
Closing-the-loop: discovery and search in security visualizations

The tasks of security engineers include detecting attacks and responding to them. In order to accomplish this, a security engineer must be able to decide what behavior indicates an attack and then search for this behavior. Current security visualization tools provide rich and concise visualizations of network data that allow security engineers to determine the nature of attacks on the network. However, current security visualizations lack the ability for security engineers to search for these behaviors in the network logs. The process of finding interesting patterns in the data is called discovery, and finding instances of these patterns is called searching. Security engineers must do both discovery and search, but current security visualization tools only help in discovery. In this paper, we describe the modifications we have made to our security visualization tool, NVisionIP, that allow security engineers to not only discover patterns in the data, but also to search for those patterns in other data.
Cropping intensification in dryland systems improves soil physical properties: regression relations

Abstract Great Plains dryland agriculture is a risky venture because of large annual fluctuations in precipitation and high evaporation potentials. Water capture is limited by low water infiltration rates because many of our soils have relatively small aggregate size distributions, which limit infiltration, and are also susceptible to crusting and sealing. No-till management has permitted cropping intensification, which via improved water storage, has increased crop residue returned to the soil, decreased surface bulk density, and increased surface soil porosity. Our objective was to quantify the relationship between crop residue biomass generated by cropping system intensification and the physical properties of the surface soil (0–2.5-cm depth). This study was conducted within an existing long-term dryland experiment consisting of three sites in eastern Colorado that transect an evapotranspiration gradient. Each site transects a soil catena with three distinct soils arranged along a slope gradient. Only soils at the summit and toe slopes were sampled for this study. Soils are Argiustolls and Ustochrepts. Three no-till cropping systems, Wheat–Fallow (WF), Wheat–Corn–Fallow (WCF), and Continuous Cropping (CC), were sampled in the summer of 1998 after the cropping systems had been in place for 12 years. Bulk density, effective porosity, aggregate size distribution, sorptivity, and soil aggregate organic C content were measured at the surface 2.5 cm of the soil in each cropping system at the two soil positions at each site. Bulk density was reduced by 0.01 g cm −3 for each 1000 kg ha −1 of residue addition over the 12-year period. Each 1000 kg ha −1 of residue addition increased effective porosity by 0.3%. Increases in macroaggregation were associated with linear increases in the C content of the aggregates; each g kg −1 of organic C in the macroaggregates increased the proportion of macroaggregates by 4.4%. Implementation of no-till intensive cropping systems under this semiarid environment increased residue biomass, which has ultimately increased effective porosity, and thus water capture potential was increased.
Evidence of Stage- and Age-Related Heterogeneity of Non-HLA SNPs and Risk of Islet Autoimmunity and Type 1 Diabetes: The Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young

Previously, we examined 20 non-HLA SNPs for association with islet autoimmunity (IA) and/or progression to type 1 diabetes (T1D). Our objective was to investigate fourteen additional non-HLA T1D candidate SNPs for stage- and age-related heterogeneity in the etiology of T1D. Of 1634 non-Hispanic white DAISY children genotyped, 132 developed IA (positive for GAD, insulin, or IA-2 autoantibodies at two or more consecutive visits); 50 IA positive children progressed to T1D. Cox regression was used to analyze risk of IA and progression to T1D in IA positive children. Restricted cubic splines were used to model SNPs when there was evidence that risk was not constant with age. C1QTNF6 (rs229541) predicted increased IA risk (HR: 1.57, CI: 1.20–2.05) but not progression to T1D (HR: 1.13, CI: 0.75–1.71). SNP (rs10517086) appears to exhibit an age-related effect on risk of IA, with increased risk before age 2 years (age 2 HR: 1.67, CI: 1.08–2.56) but not older ages (age 4 HR: 0.84, CI: 0.43–1.62). C1QTNF6 (rs229541), SNP (rs10517086), and UBASH3A (rs3788013) were associated with development of T1D. This prospective investigation of non-HLA T1D candidate loci shows that some SNPs may exhibit stage- and age-related heterogeneity in the etiology of T1D.
Simultaneously Improving Code Size, Performance, and Energy in Embedded Processors

Code size and energy consumption are critical design concerns for embedded processors as they determine the cost of the overall system. Techniques such as reduced length instruction sets lead to significant code size savings but also introduce performance and energy consumption impediments such as additional dynamic instructions or de-compression latency. In this paper, we show that a block-aware instruction set (BLISS) which stores basic block descriptors in addition to and separately from the actual instructions in the program allows embedded processors to achieve significant improvements in all three metrics: reduced code size and improved performance and lower en ergy consumption.
Four-plate birefringent filter for high-gain pulsed dye laser tuning

A complete quantitative analysis of a multistage birefringent filter has been used to design a four-plate filter for a high-gain dye laser. It is shown that both S and P polarization modes must be considered at all stages. The four-plate design, with thickness ratios of 1:2:4:8, succeeds where typical commercial designs (1:2:15 and 1:4:16) fail when used in a high-gain cavity. Calculations have been verified by performance measurements for a quartz filter. Design specifications are presented.
Blood-Based Analyses of Cancer: Circulating Tumor Cells and Circulating Tumor DNA

The ability to study nonhematologic cancers through noninvasive sampling of blood is one of the most exciting and rapidly advancing fields in cancer diagnostics. This has been driven both by major technologic advances, including the isolation of intact cancer cells and the analysis of cancer cell–derived DNA from blood samples, and by the increasing application of molecularly driven therapeutics, which rely on such accurate and timely measurements of critical biomarkers. Moreover, the dramatic efficacy of these potent cancer therapies drives the selection for additional genetic changes as tumors acquire drug resistance, necessitating repeated sampling of cancer cells to adjust therapy in response to tumor evolution. Together, these advanced noninvasive diagnostic capabilities and their applications in guiding precision cancer therapies are poised to change the ways in which we select and monitor cancer treatments. Significance: Recent advances in technologies to analyze circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA are setting the stage for real-time, noninvasive monitoring of cancer and providing novel insights into cancer evolution, invasion, and metastasis. Cancer Discov; 4(6); 650–61. ©2014 AACR.
Performance Analysis of a Coherent FH-MA System Based on Latin Squares

Frequency hopping (FH) combined with coding is a popular technique in wireless communication applications. Motivated by the commercial system outlined in [1], this paper investigates the performance of a coherent FH multiple access (FH-MA) cellular system, where hopping patterns are constructed from latin squares. Some of the patterns carry pilot symbols, which the users track to estimate the channel on the data patterns and perform coherent detection. The latin squares construction enables us to analytically evaluate the bit error probability (BEP) over each data pattern, when convolutional codes are employed for error protection. The focus of our work is to precisely determine the effect that frequency and interference diversity, ensuing from FH, have on the coded performance. Regarding frequency diversity, it is shown that the performance can vary widely for different latin squares. Moreover, under pilot-assisted channel estimation, a performance tradeoff is observed, as an increasing frequency selectivity results in more diversity, but also more inaccurate channel state information. With respect to interference diversity, we analyze the performance when the interference power variations are perfectly known or ignored by the receiver. Our results confirm that interference tracking is important in harnessing the error correcting power of convolutional coding.
A new genus and species of Chironominae (Diptera: Chironomidae) with wood-mining larvae.

Xylochironomus kakadu, a new genus and species of wood-mining chironomid, is described from northern Australia. Formerly known by a code 'unknown genus K1', the larvae mine soft immersed timber in tropical Australia. The basal striae on the larval mandible are observed otherwise only in Chironomus Meigen and likely close relatives currently placed in Einfeldia Kieffer. The adult male could key as a tanytarsine, and all stages superficially resemble Polypedilum Kieffer, except for the bare squama and the non-tapered male tergite VIII, and the dorsal larval head sclerites. However, analyses of a morphological data matrix derived from all life history stages support no such relation- ships. Instead, a relationship to Paralauterborniella Lenz and Apedilum Townes, and at one remove, to Fissimentum Cranston & Nolte and Imparipecten Kieffer is postulated. Larval wood-mining among the early branching Chironomini is evidently frequent, but taxa appear not to form a monophyletic clade.
Community and Ecosystem-level Changes in a Species-rich Tallgrass Prairie Restoration

Changes in the plant community and ecosystem properties that follow the conversion of agriculture to restored tallgrass prairies are poorly understood. Beginning in 1995, we established a species-rich, restored prairie chronosequence where ∼3 ha of agricultural land have been converted to tallgrass prairie each year. Our goals were to examine differences in ecosystem properties between these restored prairies and adjacent agricultural fields and to determine changes in, and potential interactions between, the plant community and ecosystem properties that occur over time in the restored prairies. During the summers of 2000–2002, we examined species cover, soil C and N, potential net C and N mineralization, litter mass, soil texture, and bulk density across the 6- to 8-year-old prairie chronosequence and adjacent agricultural fields in southern Minnesota. We also established experimentally fertilized, watered, and control plots in the prairie chronosequence to examine the degree of nitrogen limitation on aboveground and belowground net primary production (ANPP and BNPP). Large shifts in functional diversity occurred within three growing seasons. First-year prairies were dominated by annuals and biennials. By the second growing season, perennial native composites had become dominant, followed by a significant shift to warm-season C4 grasses in prairies ≥3 yr old. Ecosystem properties that changed with the rise of C4 grasses included increased BNPP, litter mass, and C mineralization rates and decreased N mineralization rates. ANPP increased significantly with N fertilization but did not vary between young and old prairies with dramatically different plant community composition. Total soil C and N were not significantly different between prairie and agricultural soils in the depths examined (0–10, 10–20, 20–35, 35–50, 50–65 cm). We compared the results from our species-rich prairie restoration to published data on ecosystem function in other restored grasslands, such as Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and old-field successional sites. Results suggest that rapid changes in functional diversity can have large impacts on ecosystem-level properties, causing community- and system-level dynamics in species-rich prairie restorations to converge with those from low-diversity managed grasslands.
Effects of diet and exercise on common cardiovascular disease risk factors in moderately obese older women

Diet and exercise studies of premenopausal women have shown reductions in obesity and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Forty-one healthy, moderately obese (120-140% of ideal body weight, LBW), postmenopausal women (65.6 +/- 3.3 y) participating in 24-wk diet or diet + exercise programs were studied to determine whether similar CVD risk reduction would occur. Daily energy need (DEN) was estimated from basal energy expenditure and self-reported activity. The diet + exercise group (n = 16) reduced their daily energy intake (DEI) by 2092 kJ from their DEN and expended 837 kJ/d in walking and resistance exercise. The two diet-only groups (n = 13 and n = 12) reduced their DEI by 2092 and 2929 kJ from their DEN, respectively. Body weight, waist-to-hip and subscapula-to-triceps ratios, blood lipids (total, low-density-lipoprotein, and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and triacylglycerols), glucose, and insulin concentrations were measured at baseline and after 12 and 24 wk of diet and diet + exercise. Data were analyzed by using analysis of variance with repeated measures (P < or = 0.05) and Tukey's post hoc test. Loss of body weight was significant for all groups between baseline and 12 and 24 wk (baseline: 79.3 +/- 7.6 kg; 12 wk; 75.1 +/- 7.7 kg; 24 wk; 72.8 +/- 8.0 kg) but did not differ among groups. No significant time or treatment effects were observed between baseline and 24 wk for changes in mean blood lipid, glucose, and fasting insulin concentrations or measures of body fat distribution. Although 24 wk of diet or diet+exercise significantly reduced body weight in this group, this loss in body weight was not accompanied by a reduction of other commonly accepted CVD risks.
Cystine Deficiency and Cholesterol Metabolism in Primates

Cebus and Rhesus monkeys suppress the in vivo production of cholesterol when fed cholesterol. This suppression is less than that observed in rats and it did not occur in Lagothrix monkeys. Cebus monkeys deficient in cystine lose their efficiency in removing cholesterol when the body pool is large. One result is an elevation of the plasma level of cholesterol.
Representing a Planar Straight-Line Graph Using Few Obstacles

An obstacle representation of a planar straight-line graph (PSLG) G consists of the choice and placement of a set of opaque polygonal obstacles in such a way that the visibility graph on V (G) induced by the obstacles equals G (i.e., u and v are visible to one another i ( u;v)2 E(G)). We investigate the problem of computing an obstacle representation of a PSLG, using a minimum number of obstacles. We call this minimum size the obstacle number of the drawing, and the problem of computing it ORPG. First, we show that ORPG is NP-hard by reduction from planar vertex cover, resolving a question posed
Neural Modulation in the Treatment of Obesity

With the obesity epidemic, multiple efforts have been directed at developing and evaluating new, novel, and innovative therapies to induce clinically relevant weight loss. The majority of bariatric procedures involve anatomic changes designed to restrict oral intake mechanically; these procedures are usually in conjunction with some other influences related to the neurohormonal sequelae of a duodenal bypass (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) or the removal of the majority of the ghrelin-secreting tissue (sleeve gastrectomy). These procedures, however, require major surgery, and any less invasive, easily reversible intervention would generate tremendous interest if proven effective.
Preparing Social Work Students for International Interdisciplinary Practice: A Teaching Model and Its Impact on Self-Efficacy

To promote international social work education and prepare MSW graduates for international careers, several teaching models have been developed, including intensive teaching in international settings, hybrid teaching with study abroad components, and applied learning through service learning and international internships. Benefits of international social work education range from increased knowledge and skills in addressing global issues through policy and advocacy, to significant improvements in multi-cultural competence and awareness upon participation in structured cultural immersion programs. Current challenges for social workers in international development careers point to the need for an interdisciplinary approach to best address complex global social issues. This paper proposes an international interdisciplinary teaching model that aims to prepare social work students for international development practice. Based on a pilot study of the proposed model, students showed significant increases in the self-efficacy of interdisciplinary international knowledge and skills.
Personal Health Knowledge of College Students before Instruction

Abstract A standardized personal health knowledge test was given as a pretest to 12,000 freshman and sophomore students in 15 scattered universities, colleges, and junior colleges. A 25 per cent sample was analyzed to determine the health knowledge of students before instruction in college hygiene classes. The results were significant, showing health ignorance, both student-recognized and unrecognized, to be widespread, especially among junior college students, with considerable differences between institutions. Mean test section scores, as well as item scores, showed great variation, demonstrating the need for pretesting as an aid to sound planning of health instruction.
An Ignition Delay Study of Category A and C Aviation Fuel

Ignition delay of category A and C alternative aviation fuels have been investigated using a rapid compression machine (RCM). Newly introduced alternative jet fuels are not yet comprehensively understood in their combustion characteristics. Two of the category C fuels that will be primarily investigated in this study are Amyris Farnesane and Gevo Jet Fuel Blend. Amyris direct sugar to hydrocarbon (DSHC) fuel (POSF 10370) come from direct fermentation of bio feedstock sugar. Amyris DSHC is mainly composed of 2,6,10-trymethly dodecane, or farnesane. Gevo jet blend stock fuel is alcohol to jet (ATJ) fuel (POSF 10262) produced from bio derived butanol. Gevo jet blend stock is composed with iso-dodecane and iso-cetane, and has significantly low derived cetane number of 15. The experimental results are compared to combustion characteristics of conventional jet A fuels, including JP-8. Ignition delay, the important factor of auto ignition characteristic, is evaluated from pressure trace measured from the RCM at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The measurements are made at compressed pressure 20bar, intermediate and low compressed temperature, and equivalence ratio of unity and below. Direct test chamber charge method is used due to its reliable reproducibility of results. Compared to category A fuels, different combustion characteristics has been observed from category C fuels due to their irregular chemical composition.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The transition to end-of-life care in end-stage liver disease

In the United States, end-stage liver disease (ESLD) is the 12th leading cause of death and the 7th leading cause of death in people between the ages of 25 and 64 years. Complications of ESLD such as ascites, variceal hemorrhage, hepatic encephalopathy, and renal impairment primarily account for the
Characterization of Mental Models in a Virtual Reality-Based Multitasking Scenario

This research developed an empirical approach for characterizing user mental models in multitasking scenarios in virtual reality (VR). Participants were required to attend to and detect different types of perceptual events occurring randomly in time in a virtual locomotion environment (VLE) simulation while carrying on physical activity (walking on a treadmill). Three different forms of mental models for performing the perceptual task were hypothesized and expected response patterns for situation awareness (SA), task performance measures and mental workload ratings were compared with observed data. Results demonstrated the SA and task measures to be useful for identifying the occurrence of different mental models and to reveal response patterns in-line with hypotheses. However, in the multitasking scenario, the process of developing SA appeared to be substantially influenced by the physical and cognitive task demands; thus, the progressive development of highly accurate mental models of event distribution...
Poverty, violence, and family disorganization: three "Hydras" and their role in children's street movement in Bangladesh

The increasing number of children running away from home in Bangladesh is a major concern, and in need of critical attention. This yearlong study explores why children leave home with a sample of street children in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Purposive sampling from three locations in Dhaka yielded a sample of 75 homeless children aged 10-17. For each participant, a 60-90min in-depth qualitative interview was conducted multiple times. While the dominant explanations rely on poverty or abuse, the findings of this study reveal that the cause is actually three heads of a Hydra monster: poverty, abuse, and family disorganization and their interactions. It shows that the primary reasons for children breaking from their family are all interrelated. The findings from this study are likely to add knowledge regarding the issues and may lead to preventative interventions for street children and their families.
Medical skills and knowledge. How necessary are they for psychiatric nurses

1. Today's psychiatric population presents with a higher acuity and complexity of problems. Concomitant medical diagnoses may add to the psychiatric nurse's uneasiness with medical-surgical skills and knowledge. 2. A needs assessment survey of nurses' medical-surgical skills and knowledge was conducted at a private psychiatric facility. Of the 163 surveys distributed, 55 were returned (response rate = 33.74%). The greatest number of skill requests (30.56%) were for assessment skills, mainly general physical assessment. 3. To survive as a specialty, psychiatric nursing must include physical as well as psychologic assessments; psychiatric nurses must reintegrate a medical knowledge base while maintaining a balance with the psychodynamic aspects of care.
Abstract 3091: Development and optimization of a fluorescence polarization-based assay for the discovery of inhibitors of the RBBP4/7-Histone H3 interaction

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is a multi-subunit epigenetic complex critical for the maintenance of stem cells. Its dysregulation has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer. There are four core subunits in PRC2: the catalytic SET domain-containing histone methyltransferase EZH2 and three core accessory proteins (SUZ12, EED, and RBBP4 or 7), which together mediate gene repression via trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 27 (H3K27me3). Importantly, overexpression of PRC2 subunits is associated with poor clinical outcome in several cancers. While numerous inhibitors of EZH2 have been developed and showed pre-clinical efficacies in hematological malignancies they have yet to show as much efficacy in solid tumors. One perhaps better alternative for inhibiting PRC2 is to disrupt its scaffolding function, thereby preventing the complex formation. Therefore, the discovery of novel inhibitors of PRC2, outside of the active site, has been a growing interest. Our preliminary observations have suggested that the PRC2 subunits retinoblastoma binding protein 4 and 7 (RBBP4/7) could be a specifically attractive alternative for PRC2 inhibition. Knockdown of RBBP4/7 significantly decreased cell growth, reduced H3K27me3 levels and inhibited mammosphere formation of triple negative breast cancer cell lines. In PRC2, RBBP4 and RBBP7 are responsible for nucleosomal association of the complex by binding to the N-terminal tail of histone H3. Here we describe the development and optimization of a fluorescence polarization (FP) based assay to determine the binding affinities (Kd) of the RBBP4/7-histone H3 interaction and the Ki of potential inhibitors. Using a 384-well format, the assay measures the competitive binding of a fluorescein-labeled H3 peptide (aa 1-21) to RBBP4 (Kd = 400 nM). It exhibits a Z’ of > 0.7 and a dynamic range of 65. It reaches equilibrium after 5 minutes and is stable for over 24 hours. Furthermore, using this assay, we completed a systematic analysis of the RBBP4-H3 interaction by truncation and modification studies and uncovered the smallest H3 peptide required for the interaction (aa 1-9). We have successfully developed an FP assay for the interaction of human RBBP4 protein and an optimized H3 probe. High throughput screening (HTS) is being carried out with this assay using a diverse set of small molecule and natural products obtained from commercial, government and academic collections. This study, along with our biological data, will provide a concrete basis for the development of novel PRC2 inhibitors. Citation Format: Rebecca Reed, Miao-Chia Lo, Chang-Ching Lin, Duxin Sun. Development and optimization of a fluorescence polarization-based assay for the discovery of inhibitors of the RBBP4/7-Histone H3 interaction. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3091.
Money, Credit and the Wage-Price Spiral in Post-World War I Germany

This chapter empirically examines the channels by which conflicting income claims exerted upward pressure on the money supply during the great post-World War I inflation in Germany. Such an investigation seems long overdue for two reasons. First, the nature of the money supply process remains a crucial issue in econometric analyses of the German hyperinflation. Its importance stems not only from the direct link between the money supply and the price level but also from the role of increased inflationary expectations – hence acceleration of velocity – in explaining why inflation exceeded money growth during the hyperinflationary period (Cagan, 1956).