cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differences in Zebra Chip Severity between ‘ Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum’ Haplotypes in Texas

‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ (Lso) is a phloem-restricted plant pathogen that is vectored between host plants by the potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli. Lso infects solanaceous crops whithin North America and New Zealand and is responsible for causing zebra chip (ZC) in potato. Two Lso haplotypes (A and B) have been identified infecting potato (Solanum tuberosum). Previously, we identified differences in disease severity associated with each Lso haplotype in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). In this study, the severity of ZC symptoms was evaluated for Lso haplotypes A and B independently or in co-infection in Atlantic variety potato tubers grown in Texas fields. Discolorations in tuber vascular tissues were measured in potato chips using a published 6-point visual scale and compared among plants submitted to five treatments: no psyllids (control), psyllids not infected with Lso (LsoFree), psyllids infected with Lso haplotype A (LsoA), psyllids infected with Lso haplotype B (LsoB), and psyllids infected with both haplotypes (LsoAB). These experiments were performed a total of three times, twice in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (Weslaco, TX) during the winters 2014 and 2018 and once during the spring 2015 in the Texas Panhandle (Springlake, TX). This study showed that significantly lower ZC symptom severity was associated with plants treated with LsoA-infected psyllids compared to plants treated with either LsoB- or LsoAB-infected psyllids; however, this difference was marginal. This difference might be relevant for the disease biology; it has no impact on the tuber suitability for the market. This study also showed that average tuber mass was significantly lower in plants infected with Lso compared with uninfected plants and that this reduction in mass was similar among Lso haplotype treatments. Overall, this study demonstrates that Lso haplotypes A and B cause slightly different ZC symptom severity and that ZC symptom severity in plants treated with psyllids co-infected with both haplotypes is similar to the symptoms associated with Lso haplotype B.
Filter media performance under the oscillating flow condition

Abstract This work investigated the performance of two mechanical glass-fiber and one electret filter media under the oscillating flow conditions (i.e., cyclic flows in this study). DMA-classified particles of 30, 50, 100 and 150 nm, and oscillating flow conditions with the Average Suction Flow Rates (ASFRs) of 6.4, 25.6 L/min and oscillating frequency of 6, 24, 40 min−1 were chosen for the experiments. It is found in general the particle penetration of test media increases with the increase of oscillating frequency. The above-observed penetration enhancement is found to be more pronounced for small particles (i.e., 30 and 50 nm) as compared to that for large particles (i.e., 100 and 150 nm). At the flow oscillating frequency of 24 and 40 min−1, the particle penetration through filter media is also higher than it under the corresponding constant flow conditions. The increase of ASFR increases the particle penetration of filter media for all the selected particle sizes. The apparent single fiber efficiency for media A and B under cyclic flow conditions was lastly found. The obtained efficiency enables the single fiber theory to calculate the average penetration of diffusive particles through mechanical filter media under the cyclic flow conditions.
An Ecological Framework for Modeling the Geography of Disease Transmission

Ecological niche modeling (ENM) is widely employed in ecology to predict species' potential geographic distributions in relation to their environmental constraints and is rapidly becoming the gold-standard method for disease risk mapping. However, given the biological complexity of disease systems, the traditional ENM framework requires reevaluation. We provide an overview of the application of ENM to disease systems and propose a theoretical framework based on the biological properties of both hosts and parasites to produce reliable outputs resembling disease system distributions. Additionally, we discuss the differences between biological considerations when implementing ENM for distributional ecology and epidemiology. This new framework will help the field of disease ecology and applications of biogeography in the epidemiology of infectious diseases.
Aims, claims, and the bargaining model of war

Although in principle states can bargain over the entire extent of their combined territory, we observe historically that states bargain within far more limited confines defined by well-bounded claims. We argue that this observation stems from the fact that states generally have limited territorial aims due either to limited benefits of obtaining additional territory and/or the costs of absorbing and controlling new territories and their inhabitants. Using a formal model, we show that introducing states with limited aims over territory has strategic implications for bargaining that have not been appreciated in canonical models that do not consider heterogeneity in state preferences. Whereas traditional models generally imply that small demands undermine the credibility of a challenger's threat, the existence of states with limited territorial aims makes limited demands credible, effective, and stable in the face of shocks to relative power. We then employ geospatial data on the geographic extent of territorial disputes in the period 1947–2000 to establish two results: the size of claims is weakly related to the relative power of disputants and unaffected by dramatic changes in power, and smaller claims are associated with a higher probability that the challenger will receive any concession.
An improved lower bound on the size of Kakeya sets over finite fields

In a recent breakthrough, Dvir showed that every Kakeya set in F must be of cardinality at least cn|F| where cn ≈ 1/n!. We improve this lower bound to β|F| for a constant β > 0. This pins down the growth of the leading constant to the right form as a function of n. Let F be a finite field of q elements. Definition 1 (Kakeya Set) A set K ⊆ F is said to be a Kakeya set in F, if for every b ∈ F, there exists a point a ∈ F such that for every t ∈ F, the point a+ t · b ∈ K. In other words, K contains a “line” in every “direction”. The question of establishing lower bounds on the size of Kakeya sets was posed in Wolff [7]. Till recently, the best known lower bound on the size of Kakeya sets was of the form q for some α < 1. In a recent breakthrough Dvir [1] showed that every Kakeya set must have cardinality at least cnq for cn = (n!)−1. (Dvir’s original bound achieved a weaker lower bound of cn · qn−1, but [1] includes the stronger bound of cn · q, with the improvements being attributed to Alon and Tao.)
REGULATION OF DNA REPLICATION AND VARIEGATION-TYPE POSITION EFFECTS1

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the regulation of DNA replication and variegation-type position effects. An investigation of the replication patterns among chromosomes of Chinese hamster cells in culture indicated that the late replicating DNA was not a special class of chromosomal DNA. The evolution of special organelles for the control of replication is indicated by the currently known replication patterns, by condensation patterns, and by the spreading effects or gradients of inactivation in V-type position effects. The gradient in replication from the ends of the chromosome arms toward the centromeres, which was observed in Crepis, would be consistent with such a model with special organelles adjacent to centromeres or telomeres. Gradients in replication also occur in other chromosomes. The gradients in condensation observed in some prophase chromosomes may be another visible manifestation of the phenomenon.
Part II: Comparison of Crossfit-Related Injury Presenting to Sports Medicine Clinic by Sex and Age.

Objective To examine CrossFit-related injuries based on sex and age. Design Retrospective case series. Setting A tertiary-level pediatric sports medicine clinic. Participants CrossFit athletes. Main outcome measures CrossFit-related injuries by sex (males vs females) and age groups (≤19 years vs >19 years) using a χ analysis with P = 0.05, odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results Among injured CrossFit athletes, female athletes sustained lower extremity injuries more frequently than male athletes (P = 0.011; OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.25-5.65). In observed CrossFit injuries, shoulder injuries were more frequently observed in male athletes compared with female athletes (P = 0.049; OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 0.98-7.95). Additionally, a greater proportion of CrossFit athletes aged 19 years and younger suffered trunk/spine injuries than those older than 19 years (P = 0.027; OR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.10-6.21) in injured CrossFit athletes. Conclusions The current results indicated sex- and age-specific susceptibility to CrossFit-related injuries based on body parts and diagnoses. The presented information may be useful to develop a safer exercise program, especially for pediatric and adolescent CrossFit participants.
Detection of the Lychee Erinose Mite, Aceria litchii (Keifer) (Acari: Eriophyidae) in Florida, USA: A Comparison with Other Alien Populations

The lychee erinose mite (LEM), Aceria litchii (Keifer) is a serious pest of lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.). LEM causes a type of gall called 'erineum' (abnormal felty growth of trichomes from the epidermis), where it feeds, reproduces and protects itself from biotic and abiotic adversities. In February of 2018, LEM was found in a commercial lychee orchard on Pine Island, Florida. Infestations were recorded on young leaves, stems, and inflorescences of approximately 30 young trees (1.5-3.0 yrs.) of three lychee varieties presenting abundant new growth. Although LEM is present in Hawaii, this mite is a prioritized quarantine pest in the continental USA and its territories. Florida LEM specimens showed small morphological differences from the original taxonomic descriptions of Keifer (1943) and Huang (2008). The observed differences are probably an artifact of the drawings in the original descriptions. Molecular comparisons were conducted on the DNA of LEM specimens from India, Hawaii, Brazil, Taiwan, Australia and Florida. The amplified COI fragment showed very low nucleotide variation among the locations and thus, could be used for accurate LEM identification. The ITS1 sequences and partial 5.8S fragments displayed no nucleotide differences for specimens from any of the locations except Australia. Consistent differences were observed in the ITS2 and 28S fragments. The ITS1-ITS2 concatenated phylogeny yielded two lineages, with Australia in one group and Hawaii, India, Brazil, Florida and Taiwan in another. Specimens from Taiwan and Florida present identical ITS and rDNA segments, suggesting a common origin; however, analysis of additional sequences is needed to confirm the origin of the Florida population.
Rotate-and-Press: A Non-visual Alternative to Point-and-Click?

Most computer applications manifest visually rich and dense graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that are primarily tailored for an easy-and-efficient sighted interaction using a combination of two default input modalities, namely the keyboard and the mouse/touchpad. However, blind screen-reader users predominantly rely only on keyboard, and therefore struggle to interact with these applications, since it is both arduous and tedious to perform the visual ‘point-and-click’ tasks such as accessing the various application commands/features using just keyboard shortcuts supported by screen readers.
Derivation of Isogenic Mesodermal and Ectomesodermal Chondrocytes from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Articular Cartilage Regeneration

Abstract Generating phenotypic chondrocytes from human pluripotent stem cells through driving developmental lineage-specific differentiation remains to be of great interest in the field of cartilage regeneration. In this study, we derived chondrocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) along the mesodermal or ectomesodermal lineages to prepare isogenic mesodermal cell-derived chondrocytes (MC-Chs) or neural crest cell-derived chondrocytes (NCC-Chs), respectively, and further evaluated differences in their cellular and molecular characteristics and cartilage repair capabilities. Our results showed that both lineage-derived chondrocytes expressed hyaline cartilage-associated markers and were capable of forming hyaline cartilage-like tissue ectopically and at joint defects. Moreover, NCC-Chs showed the absence of markers of hypertrophic chondrocytes and revealed a closer morphological resemblance to articular chondrocytes and a greater capability of producing glycosaminoglycans and collagen type 2 at cartilage defects compared to MC-Chs. It was found that the profile of global transcript expression of NCC-Chs more closely resembled that of native chondrocytes (NCs) than that of MC-Chs. Induced by additional growth factors identified through the analysis of transcriptome comparison to NCs, both MC-Chs and NCC-Chs showed a further increase in the phenotype of hyaline cartilage chondrocytes. Results of this study reveal differences in cellular and molecular characteristics and cartilage repair capabilities between isogenic hiPSC-derived MC-Chs and NCC-Chs and demonstrate that chondrocytes derived from hiPSCs along the ectomesodermal lineage are a potential cell source for articular cartilage regeneration.
Assembly development for the Simons Observatory focal plane readout module

The Simons Observatory is a suite of instruments sensitive to temperature and polarization of the cosmic microwave background. Five telescopes will host over 60,000 highly multiplexed transition edge sensor (TES) detectors. The universal focal plane modules (UFMs) package multichroic TES detectors with microwave multiplexing electronics compatible with all five receivers. The low-frequency arrays are lenslet-coupled sinuous antennas sensitive to 30 and 40 GHz. The mid-frequency and ultra-high-frequency UFMs are horn-coupled orthomode transducer arrays sensitive to 90/150 GHz and 225/280 GHz, respectively. Here we present the design, assembly details, and initial results of the first UFM.
Research on conflict resolution of collaborative design with fuzzy case-based reasoning method

Collaborative design is a new style for modern mechanical design to meet the requirement of increasing competition. Designers of different places complete the same work, but the conflict appears in the process of design which may interface the design. Case-based reasoning (CBR) method is applied to the problem of conflict resolution, which is in the artificial intelligence field. However, due to the uncertainties in knowledge representation, attribute description, and similarity measures of CBR, it is very difficult to find the similar cases from case database. A fuzzy CBR method was proposed to solve the problem of conflict resolution in collaborative design. The process of fuzzy CBR was introduced. Based on the feature attributes and their relative weights determined by a fuzzy technique, a fuzzy CBR retrieving mechanism was developed to retrieve conflict resolution cases that tend to enhance the functions of the database. By indexing, calculating the weight and defuzzicating of the cases, the case similarity can be obtained. Then the case consistency was measured to keep the right result. Finally, the fuzzy CBR method for conflict resolution was demonstrated by means of a case study. The prototype system based on web is developed to illustrate the methodology.
Pseudo Almost Automorphy

Let \(AA_0(\mathbb X)\), \(\phi \in BC(\mathbb R,\mathbb X)\) such that $$\displaystyle \displaystyle \lim _{T\to \infty }\frac {1}{2T}\int _{-T}^{T}\|\phi (t)\|dt=0, $$ (resp. \(AA_0(\mathbb R\times \mathbb X)\) the set of all functions \(\phi \in BC(\mathbb R\times \mathbb X,\mathbb X)\) such that $$\displaystyle \displaystyle \lim _{T\to \infty }\frac {1}{2T}\int _{-T}^{T}\|\phi (t,x)\|dt=0 $$ uniformly for x in any bounded set of \(\mathbb X\).)
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess pain in neonatal circumcisions.

Background Pain assessment is challenging in neonates. Behavioral and physiological pain scales do not assess neocortical nociception, essential to pain encoding and central pain pathway development. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can assess neocortical activation to noxious stimuli from changes in oxy-(HbO) and total-hemoglobin concentrations (HbT). Aims The primary aim is to assess fNIRS nociceptive functional activation in the prefrontal cortex of neonates undergoing circumcision through changes in HbO and HbT. The secondary aim is to assess the correlation between changes in fNIRS and Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), a behavioral pain assessment scale. Methods In healthy term neonates HbO, HbT, and NIPS were recorded during sequential circumcision events 1-Prep before local anesthetic injection; 2-Local anesthetic injection; 3-Prep before incision; 4-Oral sucrose; 5-Incision; 6-Gomco (hemostatic device) attached; 7-Gomco twisted on; and 8-Gomco removed. fNIRS and NIPS changes after each event were assessed with Wilcoxon signed rank test and summarized as median and interquartile range (IQR). Changes in fNIRS vs NIPS were correlated with Spearman coefficient. Results In 31 neonates fNIRS increased (median [IQR] µmol/L) with noxious events: Local injection (HbO: 1.1 [0.5, 3.1], p Conclusions During neonatal circumcision, changes in fNIRS differed between different types of painful stimuli, which was not the case for NIPS, suggesting that fNIRS may complement NIPS to assess the quality of pain.
Critical Incidents in the Behavior of Secondary School Physical Education Instructors

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify and classify incidents judged to be characteristic of effective and ineffective teaching in secondary school physical education. The method known as the critical incident technique was employed. Several samples of pupils and educators were asked to describe specific incidents illustrating particularly effective or ineffective behavior on the part of instructors recently observed. The major areas into which critical behaviors were grouped are administrative, instructional, social, and personal. While the characteristics of effective and ineffective teaching as reported by the various student groups were found to coincide consistently, there was a significant difference between behaviors furnished in the student and educator samples.
The handbook of computers and computing

The Handbook of computers and computing , The Handbook of computers and computing , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی
85.9 - Software for Joint Hypocentral Determination Using Local Events

This chapter focuses on the software for Joint Hypocentral Determination Using Local Events. The introduction of the joint epicentral determination (JED) technique was a major step toward the improvement of earthquake locations when using velocity models that did not account for the presence of lateral velocity variations. When the variations are significant, the locations may be in error by a few to tens of kilometers, depending on the type of data used (local, regional, teleseismic) and the number and distribution of stations. The JED technique was extended to include the computation of event depths by Dewey (1972) and is known as the “joint hypocentral determination” (JHD) technique. The basic feature of both techniques is the joint location of a number of events and the simultaneous determination of a correction term for each of the stations. The software is intended for use with data recorded by networks having apertures of a few hundred kilometers at most. This restriction is because of the use of a raytracing subroutine that assumes flat horizontal layering. The software can compute both P- and S-wave corrections. This is done by generating a new station list with two different fictitious stations (one for P and one for S arrivals) with the same actual location. The main conclusion of careful analyses of several data sets is that for relatively clustered events the JHD technique generally produces a considerable improvement over the locations obtained using single-event location techniques.
Expression of a crown gall biological control phenotype in an avirulent strain of Agrobacterium vitis by addition of the trifolitoxin production and resistance genes

Agrobacterium vitis is a causal agent of crown-gall disease. Trifolitoxin (TFX) is a peptide antibiotic active only against members of a specific group of α-proteobacteria that includes Agrobacterium and its close relatives. The ability of TFX production by an avirulent strain of Agrobacterium to reduce crown gall disease is examined here. TFX was shown to be inhibitory in vitro against several A. vitis strains. TFX production, expressed from the stable plasmid pT2TFXK, conferred biological control activity to an avirulent strain of A. vitis. F2/5, against three virulent, TFX-sensitive strains of A. vitis tested on Nicotiana glauca. F2/5(pT2TFXK) is significantly reduces number and size of galls when co-inoculated with tumorigenic strain CG78 at a 10:1 ratio, but is ineffective at 1:1 or 1:10 ratios. F2/5(pT2TFXK) is effective when co-inoculated with tumorigenic strain CG435 at 10:1 and 1:1 ratios, but not at a 1:10 ratio. When F2/5(pT2TFXK) is co-inoculated with CG49 at a 10:1 ratio, the incidence of gall formation does not decline but gall size decreases by more than 70%. A 24 h pre-inoculation with F2/5(pT2TFXK) does not improve biological control at the 1:10 ratio. TFX production by an avirulent strain of Agrobacterium does confer in that strain the ability to control crown gall disease on Nicotiana glauca. This is the first demonstration that the production of a ribosomally synthesized, post-translationally modified peptide antibiotic can confer reduction in plant disease incidence from a bacterial pathogen.
Improved Progression Free Survival In 1p/19q Co-Deleted Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma Treated With Both Chemotherapy And Radiation Therapy At Diagnosis (S22.006)

OBJECTIVE: To determine if treating 1p/19q co-deleted anaplastic oligodendroglioma (AO) with both chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) at diagnosis is beneficial compared to receiving chemotherapy or RT alone upfront and the other treatment at recurrence. BACKGROUND: In 2012, updated analyses of two randomized phase III studies (RTOG 9402 and EORTC 26951) demonstrated improved survival in patients with 1p/19q co-deleted AO tumors treated with procarbazine, CCNU and vincristine (PCV) chemotherapy and RT compared to radiation therapy alone. However, it remains unclear if there is any advantage to receiving both treatments upfront compared to receiving one treatment upfront and the other at recurrence. DESIGN/METHODS: Retrospective chart review was performed on patients with a diagnosis of primary AO treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1992-2012. 47 patients were found to have 1p/19q co-deletion and received both chemotherapy(temozolomide and/or PCV) and RT. 25 patients received both chemotherapy and RT at diagnosis and 22 patients (11 with chemotherapy alone and 11 with RT alone) received chemotherapy or RT alone at the time of diagnosis and the other treatment at the time of tumor recurrence. RESULTS: Median progression free survival (PFS) was 3.1 years for patients who received chemotherapy alone, 4.8 years for RT alone, and 7.1 years for patients treated with both chemotherapy and radiation at diagnosis (p= 0.0156). Median Overall survival (OS) was 7.8 years for patients who received chemotherapy alone, 11.3 years for RT alone, and undefined for those that received both chemotherapy and radiation at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Treating 1p/19q co-deleted AO at diagnosis with both chemotherapy and RT improves PFS. Impact on OS remains unclear and further follow up in this study is necessary as median overall survival was not yet reached in the chemotherapy and RT upfront cohort. Study Supported by: No support was obtained. Disclosure: Dr. Mandel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Webre has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shonka has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yung has received personal compensation for activities with Actelion, Novartis, and DNAtrix as a member of advisory boards. Dr. Yung has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Neuro-Oncology. Dr. Yung has received research support from Daiichi Pharmaceutical Corp. Dr. De Groot has received personal compensation for activities with Genentech Inc., VBL Therapeutics, and Merck & Co., Inc. Dr. De Groot has received research support from Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, and EMD Serono.
Activated Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Ovarian Cancer

Growth factor receptors direct numerous cellular functions and behavior including cell proliferation and survival, apoptosis, differentiation, and migration. The receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family of growth factor receptors includes the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor subfamily (also known as the ErbB or type I RTKs). The ErbB family includes four ErbB proteins: ErbB-1 (EGF receptor), ErbB2, ErbB3, and ErbB4. These structurally related, single membrane spanning receptors consist of an extracellular ligand-binding domain, a transmembrane domain, a juxtamembrane domain, the catalytic tyrosine kinase domain, and a C-terminal tail containing multiple tyrosine residues (Fig. 10.1). Ligand binding promotes EGF receptor homoand heterodimerization with ErbB family members, activation of the intracellular tyrosine kinase domain, and phosphorylation of specific tyrosine residues of the receptor cytoplasmic domain. This leads to assembly of signaling complexes and stimulation of numerous downstream signaling cascades associated with cell growth and survival, increased angiogenesis, and metastasis in tumors. Numerous ligands interact with the ErbB receptor family. EGF, transforming growth factor-a (TGF-a), and amphiregulin only bind to the EGF receptor. The ligands heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HBEGF), betacellulin, epiregulin, and epigen bind both the EGF receptor and ErbB4. These EGF receptor ligands are synthesized as membrane-bound precursors then cleaved to release the mature form of the ligand. EGF receptor ligands can activate receptors on the cell of origin, on nearby cells, or on cells at more distant sites after systemic distribution. In some instances, receptor activation by the precursor (membrane-bound ligand) may occur as a consequence
U.S. federal government CIOs: information technology's new managers--preliminary findings

Abstract The Clinger-Cohen Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (Clinger-Cohen Act) had the potential to change the dynamics of how U.S. federal government agencies view and manage their information technology. The mandated provision for chief information officers (CIOs) was intended to provide agencies with information change agents and technology “watchdogs.” To observe how agencies are reacting to employing CIOs, the author conducted field studies via e-mail with eight agencies to discover the successes and the challenges of this new information initiative. The Clinger-Cohen Act mandated four of the agencies contacted and four were non-mandated. The results of this study depict varying levels of agency compliance and commitment to the Clinger-Cohen Act as it relates to the agency CIO position.
Dworkin: A New Link in the Chain

This book brings together nineteen of the articles published by Professor Dworkin over the last eight years, mostly in the New York Review of Books, but also in learned journals and collections. Three articles, none of them of major importance, have not been published before: Can a Liberal State Support Art? (pp. 221-36),1 On Interpretation and Objectivity (pp. 167-80),2 and Civil Disobedience and Nuclear Protest (pp. 10418).3 Several pieces published during the last few years are not included, of which the most important is an article on equality.4 The book lacks thematic unity, but it will be welcome as not only does it bring together many of Dworkin's influential articles, but it makes available to a wider audience several articles not widely known before. Of these, two are of particular importance. Principle, Policy, Procedure (pp. 72-103) applies Dworkin's general theory of adjudication, with its emphasis on individual rights, to issues of evidence and procedure whose sensitivity to the public costs of the judicial process seems to undermine Dworkin's apparent view that in adjudication, rights should take precedence over issues of public policy, such as administrative expedience. The second, Do We Have a Right to Pornography? (pp. 335-72) is not
Tetra Detector Analysis of Membrane Proteins

Well-characterized membrane protein detergent complexes (PDC) that are pure, homogenous, and stable, with minimized excess detergent micelles, are essential for functional assays and crystallization studies. Procedural steps to measure the mass, size, shape, homogeneity, and molecular composition of PDCs and their host detergent micelles using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) with a Viscotek Tetra Detector Array (TDA; absorbance, refractive index, light scattering, and viscosity detectors) are presented in this unit. The value of starting with a quality PDC sample, the precision and accuracy of the results, and the use of a digital benchtop refractometer are emphasized. An alternate and simplified purification and characterization approach using SEC with dual absorbance and refractive index detectors to optimize detergent and lipid concentration while measuring the PDC homogeneity is also described. Applications relative to purification and characterization goals are illustrated as well.
A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Inter-County Migration Patterns in the United States

The dynamic nature of internal migration flows has altered population redistribution and changed composition in the United States for more than a century. Socioeconomic push and pull factors have influenced people’s migration decisions during various internal migration waves in the United States. The main objective of this paper is to identify how effective internal migration flows have been in transforming the population distribution of the United States since the mid-1990s. We also examine the characteristics of the counties that gained or lost population during the last two decades. We analyze migration data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from 1994–95 to 2006–07 to achieve these objectives. The results show that migration was very effective in redistributing population from rural to urban areas. Although suburbanization was a major characteristic of urban growth, our study indicates that suburbanization was not as effective as rural-to-urban migration. The South continued to be the major population magnet in the United States. Counties with large black and Hispanic populations had a negative migration effect. During the last two decades, increase in the Hispanic population and economic inequality in American neighborhoods have also influenced migration patterns in the United States.
Lymphocyte-Mediated Cytotoxicity And Blocking Serum Activity To Tumor Antigens

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the evidence for cell-mediated immune reactions against tumors in animals and man, particularly, the reactions that can lead to destruction of neoplastic cells cultivated in vitro. Various mechanisms by which tumor cells can escape from immunological destruction have been discussed, most notably one involving blocking factors, present in the serum. Findings analogous to those obtained when studying tumor immunity (coexistence of cell-mediated reactivity and blocking serum activity) have been summarized from three other areas (pregnancy, allografting, and chimeras). The studies reviewed in the chapter have given a relatively large amount of evidence for various cell-mediated and humoral immunological reactions against growing tumors, and at least some of the reactions observed in vitro appear to be able to influence tumor growth in vivo .
Sawdust for Brains: Definition and Disconfirmation after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Abstract Mild brain injury, despite its name, has lasting effects for many of its sufferers. This article is a firsthand account of one person's struggle with its onset and effects. Mot least of the symptoms is the sense of disconfirmalion and confusion that ensues because sufferers usually look “normal.” However, inside, their cognitive functioning and sense of self have changed markedly. Moreover, the effects often last longer than seem likely to medical professionals and laypeople alike, leading to evaluations of malingering or prior emotional distress. This first-person account is framed within the context of current literature on mild head injury.
Fee or free: Public interest and the freedom of information act

Abstract This article examines Executive agency fee waiver guidelines for public interest requesters, including scholars, the media, and public interest groups, within the larger context of F.O.I.A.'s costs and benefits to the public. Information transmitted to the public by these requesters enhances citizen oversight of government activities and assists Congress in formulating public policy. However, arbitrary interpretation of the statute's fee waiver provision and the lack of standard and consistent fee waiver guidelines clearly inhibit use of the Act by public interest requesters. Continuing efforts by some Members of Congress and Executive agency personnel to further limit certain types of information available under the F.O.I. A. prompted renewed consideration of the economic aspects of Federal information policy in general and, in particular, the Freedom of Information Act.
A mapping method for numerical evaluation of two-dimensional integrals with 1/r singularity

Singular integrals occur commonly in applications of the boundary element method (BEM). A simple mapping method is presented here for the numerical evaluation of two-dimensional integrals in which the integrands, at worst, are O(1/r) (r being the distance from a source to a field point). This mapping transforms such integrals over general curved triangles into regular 2-D integrals. Over flat and curved quadratic triangles, regular line integrals are obtained, and these can be easily evaluated by standard Gaussian quadrature. Numerical tests on some typical singular integrals, encountered in BEM applications, demonstrate the accuracy and efficacy of the method.
The Socially Responsible Engineer: Assessing Student Attitudes of Roles and Responsibilities

Background A state university's Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) programs initiated curricular reform efforts that incorporated systems thinking and service learning as part of a National Science Foundation Department Level Reform (DLR) grant. Purpose(Hypothesis) The purpose of this study was to examine changes in students' perceptions of engineers' social responsibilities and technical knowledge that were influenced by the programs' DLR curricula reforms. A secondary goal was to test the validity and reliability of a student attitude survey. Design/Method A longitudinal, concurrent, mixed method study was implemented over a four-year period. A survey was developed and administered to 125 graduating CEE seniors. Qualitative analyses included open-ended survey responses and interviews with faculty, students, and focus groups. Results Student attitudes declined during the first two years of implementation with students citing dissatisfaction with course changes. Yet, no statistically significant difference was found for students' self-reported technical knowledge and social responsibilities by graduating class or major. Female students, however, showed a positive statistically significant difference in their self-perceptions of increased technical knowledge and engineers' social responsibilities. Adoption of new language was noticeable for students in the Class of 2009, indicating that concepts of systems thinking and service learning were beginning to be assimilated. The student attitude survey was determined to be a valid and reliable instrument. Conclusion Students caught in the middle of program reform are likely to resist change and express dissatisfaction. Assessments of student attitudes allowed implementers to evaluate their reform efforts' successes and shortcomings and enabled them to adapt and modify their strategies accordingly.
Cre/loxP-mediated inactivation of the murine Pten tumor suppressor gene.

Suppressor Gene Ralf Lesche, Matthias Groszer, Jing Gao, Ying Wang, Albee Messing, Hong Sun, Xin Liu, and Hong Wu* Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Waisman Center and School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
Rule-based and lightly supervised methods to predict emotions in suicide notes.

This paper describes the Duluth systems that participated in the Sentiment Analysis track of the i2b2/VA/Cincinnati Children’s 2011 Challenge. The top Duluth system was a rule-based approach derived through manual corpus analysis and the use of measures of association to identify significant ngrams. This performed in the median range of systems, attaining an F-measure of 0.45. The second system was automatically derived from the most frequent bigrams unique to one or two emotions. It achieved an F-measure of 0.36. The third system was the union of the first two, and reached an F-measure of 0.44.
Changes in composition of spider orb web sticky droplets with starvation and web removal, and synthesis of sticky droplet compounds

The sticky spiral of araneoid spider orb webs consists of silk fibers coated with adhesive droplets. The droplets contain a variety of low-molecular-mass compounds (LMM). Within a species, a fairly consistent ratio of LMM is often observed, but substantial variability can exist. To gain insight into factors influencing LMM composition, spiders of three araneid species were starved and LMM from their webs were analyzed for changes in composition. To determine if these changes were consistent with the spider's ability to synthesize the different organic LMM, synthetic capacities were estimated following the feeding of radiolabeled metabolites. Some changes in droplet composition were broadly consistent with differing synthetic capacities: molar percentages of less readily synthesized compounds (e.g. choline, isethionate, N-acetyltaurine) typically declined with starvation, at least during a portion of the imposed fast, while more readily synthesized compounds (e.g. GABamide, glycine) tended to increase. Most striking was the apparent partial substitution of N-acetylputrescine by the more readily synthesized GABamide in fasting Argiope trifasciata. However, departures from expected compositional shifts demonstrated that synthetic capacity alone does not adequately predict sticky droplet compositional shifts with starvation. Moreover, feeding controls exhibited some changes in composition similar to starving spiders. As the webs of both feeding and starving spiders were removed for chemical analysis and could not be recycled, the loss of LMM contained in these webs likely contributed to similarities between treatments. In addition, feeding spiders molted, oviposited and/or built heavier webs. The added metabolic demands of these activities may have contributed to changes in composition similar to those resulting from starvation.
Defending Evo‐Devo: A Response to Hoekstra and Coyne*

The study of evolutionary developmental biology (“evo‐devo”) has recently experienced a dramatic surge in popularity among researchers and theorists concerned with evolution. However, some biologists and philosophers remain skeptical of the claims of evo‐devo. This paper discusses and responds to the recent high profile criticisms of evo‐devo presented by biologists Hopi E. Hoekstra and Jerry A. Coyne. I argue that their objections are unconvincing. Indeed, empirical research supports the main tenets of evo‐devo, including the claim that morphological evolution is the result of cis‐regulatory change and the distinction that evo‐devo draws between morphological and physiological traits.
Perceived learning needs of patients with coronary artery disease using a questionnaire assessment tool

OBJECTIVE: To determine the perceived learning needs and their level of importance in patients with angina pectoris or myocardial infarction at hospitalization and follow-up clinic visit and to assess the reliability of a self-administered questionnaire. DESIGN: Longitudinal, exploratory. SETTING: West Coast university-affiliated medical center and clinics that serve primarily a veteran population. PATIENTS: Twenty-eight adults who were admitted with a diagnosis of angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. Age range was 31 to 80 years (mean 61 years). OUTCOME MEASURES: Learning needs, questionnaire. INTERVENTION: Data collection was initiated at hospitalization and continued at the first clinic visit after discharge. A self-administered questionnaire and personal data sheet were completed by the patients. RESULTS: Matched-pair t-tests and Pearson's correlation were used for data analysis. No statistical differences were demonstrated between learning needs at hospitalization and clinic visit. Three content areas including symptom recognition, cardiac anatomy and physiology, and medications were ranked as the most important learning needs of patients at hospitalization and follow-up clinic visit. The least important learning needs at both times were content areas of smoking, work, and sex. No correlation was found between the importance of perceived learning needs and age, occupation, smoking, and marital status. The questionnaire contains 38 items and is self-administered. It was developed on the basis of a previous tool and preliminary study results. Content and validity were supported by clinical experts. The internal consistency reliability alpha coefficients of the questionnaire were 0.96 at hospitalization and 0.93 at the clinic visit. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that the most important perceived learning needs of patients at hospitalization and follow-up clinic visit are those that affect survival. A self-administered questionnaire can be used as a practical and reliable tool to determine the perceived learning needs of patients with coronary artery disease during the recovery phase of illness. Cardiac educational programs for patients with coronary artery disease can focus on the content areas that patients consider most important.
How can technology help? Interviews with library directors

Technology plays an ever‐increasing role in all organizations today, and libraries are no exception. But who knows best what technology can do to assist libraries? This series of “IT I‐V” columns will attempt to find out what needs to be done, from those who develop, fund, sell, purchase, implement, manage, and use information technology for libraries. We will interview various constituencies to find out what challenges they are experiencing that could be assisted by technology, or what technologies they are developing to assist different professional challenges.
Effects of tobacco smoke constituents on MPTP-induced toxicity and monoamine oxidase activity in the mouse brain.

Abstract Exposure to cigarette smoke has been found to attenuate the reduction in striatal dopamine levels caused by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in mice and to inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in brain tissue. To confirm whether specific smoke constituents which have been reported to protect against MPTP toxicity were responsible for these effects, mice were treated chronically with nicotine, 4-phenylpyridine and hydrazine. Although all three compounds prevented the decrease in dopamine metabolite levels induced by MPTP, there was no significant effect on dopamine levels. None of the three compounds inhibited MAO activity in cerebral tissue following treatment in vivo . However, an extract of tobacco smoke particulate matter caused a marked inhibition of MAO A and MAO B activity when added in vivo . The results suggest that one or more unidentified substances in tobacco smoke are capable of inhibiting brain MAO and perhaps altering the formation of the active metabolite of MPTP.
Adapting Dynamic Braking of AC Motors to Varying Wheel/Rail Adhesion Condition

Model reference adaptive control (MRAC) is developed to control the electrical excitation frequency of AC traction motors under various wheel/rail adhesion conditions during dynamic braking. More accurate estimation and control of train braking distance can allow more efficient braking of rolling stock, as well as spacing trains closer together for Positive Train Control (PTC). In order to minimize the braking distance of a train, dynamic braking forces need to be maximized for varying wheel/rail adhesion. The wheel/rail adhesion coefficient plays an important role in safe train braking. Excessively large dynamic braking can cause wheel lockup that can damage the wheels and rail, or may lead to large coupler forces, possibly causing derailment or broken components. In this study, a multibody formulation of a locomotive and three railcars is used to develop a model reference adaptive controller for adjusting the voltage excitation frequency of an AC motor such that the maximum dynamic braking is achieved, without locking up the wheels. A relationship between creep forces, creepages, and motor braking torque is established. This relationship is used to control the motor excitation frequency in order to closely follow the reference model that aims at achieving maximum allowable adhesion during dynamic braking. The results indicate that MRAC significantly improves braking distance while maintaining better wheel/rail adhesion and coupler dynamics during dynamic braking.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
A clockwork Bulla: cellular study of a model circadian system

Abstract The retina of the cloudy bubble snail, Bulla gouldiana, expresses a circadian rhythm in spontaneous optic nerve impulses. The rhythm is generated by a group of approximately 100 electrically coupled neurons at the base of the retina, each of which is competent to generate a circadian periodicity in complete cellular isolation. While the precise processes responsible for rhythm generation remain unclear, molecular transcription and translation appear to be critical elements in the ‘timing loop’. Plasma membrane ionic fluxes, while not critical for rhythmogenesis, play a critical role in pacemaker synchronization and expression by way of Ca 2+ and K + currents respectively.
Managing the risks of smarter planet solutions

We live in a world in which powerful computers and network connectivity have become pervasive. Our systems and solutions can interact globally in ways that would have seemed impossible a few years ago. This combination of pervasive computing and high-speed global networking creates the environment known as Smarter Planeti. Smarter Planet solutions involve an interconnection of systems and data that present an entirely new set of security and risk management challenges. The intention of this paper is to discuss the emerging threats and risks by considering examples from diverse Smarter Planet solutions. Root causes are identified by drawing on lessons from operational security, mathematics, economics, and social science. Finally, we highlight some measures that are being implemented to mitigate these threats and risks for the future.