cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spreading Out: A Local Approach to Multi-robot Coverage

The problem of coverage without a priori global information about the environment is a key element of the general exploration problem. Applications vary from exploration of the Mars surface to the urban search and rescue (USAR) domain, where neither a map, nor a Global Positioning System (GPS) are available. We propose two algorithms for solving the 2D coverage problem using multiple mobile robots. The basic premise of both algorithms is that local dispersion is a natural way to achieve global coverage. Thus, both algorithms are based on local, mutually dispersive interaction between robots when they are within sensing range of each other. Simulations show that the proposed algorithms solve the problem to within 5–7% of the (manually generated) optimal solutions. We show that the nature of the interaction needed between robots is very simple; indeed anonymous interaction slightly outperforms a more complicated local technique based on ephemeral identification.
Nucleotide Sequences Derived from Pheasant DNA in the Genome of Recombinant Avian Leukosis Viruses with Subgroup F Specificity

Recombination between viral and cellular genes can give rise to new strains of retroviruses. For example, Rous-associated virus 61 (RAV-61) is a recombinant between the Bryan high-titer strain of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) and normal pheasant DNA. Nucleic acid hybridization techniques were used to study the genome of RAV-61 and another RAV with subgroup F specificity (RAV-F) obtained by passage of RSV-RAV-0 in cells from a ring-necked pheasant embryo. The nucleotide sequences acquired by these two independent isolates of RAV-F that were not shared with the parental virus comprised 20 to 25% of the RAV-F genomes and were indistinguishable by nucleic acid hybridization. (In addition, RAV-F genomes had another set of nucleotide sequences that were homologous to some pheasant nucleotide sequences and also were present in the parental viruses.) A specific complementary DNA, containing only nucleotide sequences complementary to those acquired by RAV-61 through recombination, was prepared. These nucleotide sequences were pheasant derived and were not present in the genomes of reticuloendotheliosis viruses, pheasant viruses, and avian leukosis-sarcoma viruses of subgroups A, B, C, D, and E. They were partially endogenous, however, to avian DNA other than pheasant. The fraction of these nucleotide sequences present in other avian DNAs generally paralleled the genetic relatedness of these avian species to pheasants. However, there was a high degree of homology between these pheasant nucleotide sequences and related nucleotide sequences in the DNA of normal chickens as indicated by the identical melting profiles of the respective hybrids.
An architecture to combine meta-cognitive and cognitive tutoring: Pilot testing the Help Tutor

Given the important role that meta-cognitive processes play in learning, intelligent tutoring systems should not only provide domain-specific assistance, but should also aim to help students in acquiring meta-cognitive skills. As a step toward this goal, we have constructed a Help Tutor, aimed at improving students' help-seeking skill. The Help Tutor is based on a cognitive model of students' desired help-seeking processes, as they work with a Cognitive Tutor (Aleven et al., 2004). To provide meta-cognitive tutoring in conjunction with cognitive tutoring, we designed an architecture in which the Help Tutor and a Cognitive Tutor function as independent agents, to facilitate re-use of the Help Tutor. Pilot tests with four students showed that students improved their help-seeking behavior significantly while working with the Help Tutor. The improvement could not be attributed to their becoming more familiar with the domain-specific skills being taught by the tutor. Although students reported afterwards that they welcomed feedback on their help-seeking behavior, they seemed less fond of it when actually advised to act differently while working. We discuss our plans for an experiment to evaluate the impact of the Help Tutor on students' help-seeking behavior and learning, including future learning, after their work with the Help Tutor.
The Plea Bargain Crisis for Noncitizens in Misdemeanor Court

This Article considers three factors contributing to a plea-bargain crisis for noncitizens charged with misdemeanors: 1) the expansion of deportation laws to include very minor offenses with little opportunity for discretionary relief from removal; 2) the integration of federal immigration enforcement programs with the criminal justice system; and 3) the institutional norms in non-federal lower criminal courts, where little attention is paid to evidence or individual equities and where bail and other process costs generally outweigh perceived incentives to fight charges. The Article contends that these factors increase the likelihood that a noncitizen’s low-level conviction will not reliably indicate guilt or will be the product of unchecked constitutional rights violations. Unwarranted convictions, many of which trigger deportation and other negative immigration consequences, undermine the integrity of both criminal justice and deportation systems. The Article also argues that, contrary to the Supreme Court’s assumption in Padilla v. Kentucky, lawful permanent resident defendants are often unable to effectively negotiate for immigration-safe dispositions in the low-level cases where the rift between the underlying criminal conduct and the deportation outcome is largest. The Article’s analysis suggests that reforms at both federal and state levels remain critical to address the disproportional immigration consequences of minor convictions and the plea-bargain crisis for noncitizens in misdemeanor court.
Studies on the Etiology of Tibial Dyschondroplasia in Chickens

Experiments have been conducted to obtain information on the cause of tibial dyschondroplasia in chickens. All studies were conducted with corn-soybean meal practical-type diets and chicks from 1 day to 3 or 4 weeks of age. A high calcium and low phosphorus content of the diet and a wide calcium:phosphorus ratio in the diet decrease the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia in broiler chickens. Increasing the chloride level of the diet increased the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia. Increasing the magnesium content of the diet decreased tibial dyschondroplasia; however, the effect of magnesium was not as strong as that of calcium. The addition of sodium sulfate to the diet had no effect on the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia. Five broiler strain crosses were all susceptible, although to a variable extent, to the development of tibial dyschondroplasia, whereas Single Comb White Leghorn chickens did not develop the disease. Male chicks developed tibial dyschondroplasia with a higher incidence than did female chicks. Supplementation of the chickens with 20 ng/day of either 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25(OH)2D3] or 24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [24,25(OH)2D3] had no effect on the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia. J. Nutr . 114: 1001-1013, 1984.
Self-adaptive neuro-fuzzy control with fuzzy basis function network for autonomous underwater vehicles

Presents an online self-adaptive neuro-fuzzy control that serves as a better alternative control scheme in controlling autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in an uncertain and unstructured environment. The proposed self-adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller is a five-layer feedforward neural network that implements fuzzy basis function (FBF) expansions and is capable of self-constructing and self-restructuring its internal node connectivity and learning the parameters of each node based on incoming training data. Computer simulations have been conducted to validate the performance of the proposed neuro-fuzzy controller and an experimental verification has been scheduled to verify it on ODIN, an autonomous underwater vehicle developed at the University of Hawaii.
Reasoning on social dilemmas varying in emotional saliency: An adult developmental perspective.

The purpose of this study was to provide age-comparative evidence of social cognitive reasoning in adulthood, as mediated by the emotional saliency of tasks tapping postformal reasoning. Specifically, the tasks focused on the ability to resolve discrepant accounts of the same event sequence. It was assumed that less mature thinking may be more evident in reasoning contexts in which emotional factors play a major role. A postformal coding scheme was used to assess levels of reasoning in an interpersonal context. Tasks were administered to 60 subjects--adolescents and young and middle-aged adults. Measures of formal operations, ego level, and verbal ability were also administered. An interaction was found between age and degree of emotional saliency of the task for reasoning level. Specifically, adolescents performed less well on tasks higher in degree of emotional saliency. In addition, developmental differences in postformal reasoning as a function of age and ego level were found.
Finding your way with the Garmin GPS V

Global positioning system (GPS) technology began with the launch of the first Navstar satellite in 1978. By 1994, a full constellation of 24 satellites was orbiting Earth, providing military personnel with precise positioning data for such tasks as troop movements, artillery targeting, and missile guidance. Many of the most impressive military videos seen over the past 15 years have partially resulted from the Navstar satellite constellation's success.
The effect of electrical and mechanical stimulation on the regenerating rodent facial nerve

Objectives/Hypothesis: Investigators have long sought realistic methods to accelerate regeneration following nerve injury. Herein, we investigated the degree to which manual target muscle manipulation and brief electrical stimulation of the facial nerve, alone or in combination, affects recovery following rat facial nerve injury. Study Design: Prospective, randomized animal study. Methods: Sixty rats were randomized to three groups: brief electrical stimulation (BES), mechanical stimulation of the whisker pad (MEC), or both (COMBO). Animals underwent facial nerve transection and immediate microsurgical repair. In BES and COMBO groups, transection was preceded by 1-hour (3 V, 20 Hz square wave) electrical stimulation. Animals were tested weekly, with 5-minute recording sessions of whisker movement. In the MEC and COMBO groups, animals received 5 minutes of daily massage to the left whisker pad throughout the recovery period. Whisking behavior was analyzed for comparisons. Results: The BES and MEC groups demonstrated improved functional recovery in all whisking parameters compared with the COMBO group or historical controls at most time points between postoperative weeks 1 and 7. After 12 weeks, functional recovery remained superior in the BES and MEC groups compared with the COMBO and control groups, although the effect was no longer statistically significant. Conclusions: We observed an accelerative recovery effect of either electrical nerve stimulation or massage of the whisker pad on whisking behavior. The combination of both interventions had a negating effect on the acceleration of recovery. The potential clinical utility of these modalities bears consideration, and their negating interaction warrants further study. Laryngoscope, 2010
The effect of AMP-activated protein kinase and its activator AICAR on the metabolism of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

In several non-vascular tissues in which it has been studied, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) appears to modulate the cellular response to stresses such as ischemia. In liver and muscle, it phosphorylates and inhibits acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), leading to an increase in fatty acid oxidation; and in muscle, its activation is associated with an increase in glucose transport. Here we report the presence of both AMPK and ACC in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Incubation of HUVEC with 2 mM AICAR, an AMPK activator, caused a 5-fold activation of AMPK, which was accompanied by a 70% decrease in ACC activity and a 2-fold increase in fatty acid oxidation. Surprisingly, glucose uptake and glycolysis, the dominant energy-producing pathway in HUVEC, were diminished by 40-60%. Despite this, cellular ATP levels were increased by 35%. Thus activation of AMPK by AICAR is associated with major alterations in endothelial cell energy balance. Whether these alterations protect the endothelium during ischemia or other stresses remains to be determined.
Software upgrade, consumer behaviour and software vendor's choice

This paper investigates the upgrade behaviour of existing software users and new software users under two market structures. We find that keeping the old version in the market is an effective tool to salvage the ‘disappearance’ demand of software upgrade. The ‘cannibalisation’ effect between the old version and new version, is different for existing users, compared to new users. We explore the possibility of software vendors utilising price discriminations between existing users and new users as a method to reap higher profit. We find that, for the new software version, the software vendor should offer a price discount to existing users and charge a higher price to new users if the users are sufficiently heterogeneous. For the old software version, a price discount should be offered to existing users with a higher price for new users, if the price of the co-existing new version is high.
A phase I dose escalation study of hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy as salvage therapy for persistent or recurrent malignant glioma.

Abstract Purpose: A phase I dose escalation of hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (H-SRT) in recurrent or persistent malignant gliomas as a means of increasing the biologically effective dose and decreasing the high rate of reoperation due to toxicity associated with single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and brachytherapy. Materials and Methods: From November 1994 to September 1996, 25 lesions in 20 patients with clinical and/or imaging evidence of malignant glioma persistence or recurrence received salvage H-SRT. Nineteen patients at the time of initial diagnosis had glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and one patient had an anaplastic astrocytoma. All of these patients with tumor persistence or recurrence had received initial fractionated radiation therapy (RT) with a mean and median dose of 60 Gy (44.0–72.0 Gy). The median time from completion of initial RT to H-SRT was 3.1 months (0.7–45.5 months). Salvage H-SRT was delivered using daily 3.0–3.5 Gy fractions (fxs). Three different total dose levels were sequentially evaluated: 24.0 Gy/3.0 Gy fxs (five lesions), 30.0 Gy/3.0 Gy fxs (10 lesions), and 35.0 Gy/3.5 Gy fxs (nine lesions). Median treated tumor volume measured 12.66 cc (0.89–47.5 cc). The median ratio of prescription volume to tumor volume was 2.8 (1.4–5.0). Toxicity was judged by RTOG criteria. Response was determined by clinical neurologic improvement, a decrease in steroid dose without clinical deterioration, and/or radiologic imaging. Results: No grade 3 toxicities were observed and no reoperation due to toxicity was required. At the time of analysis, 13 of 20 patients had died. The median survival time from the completion of H-SRT is 10.5 months with a 1-year survival rate of 20%. Neurological improvement was found in 45% of patients. Decreased steroid requirements occurred in 60% of patients. Minor imaging response was noted in 22% of patients. Using Fisher's exact test, response of any kind correlated strongly to total dose ( p = 0.0056). None of six lesions treated with 21 Gy or 24 Gy responded, whereas there was a 79% response rate among the 19 lesions treated with 30 or 35 Gy. Tumor volumes ≤20 cc were associated with a higher likelihood of response ( p = 0.053). Conclusions: H-SRT used in this cohort of previously irradiated patients with malignant glioma was not associated with the need for reoperation due to toxicity or grade 3 toxicity. This low toxicity profile and encouraging H-SRT dose-related response outcome justifies further evaluation and dose escalation.
Millimeter resolution distributed dynamic strain measurements using optical frequency domain reflectometry

We describe the use of swept wavelength interferometry for millimeter resolution dynamic fiber optic strain measurements on a cyclically loaded aluminum coupon using single mode fiber. The interrogation method is based on measuring the phase along the optical fiber and correlating the change in the phase derivative to strain via calibration. This technique enabled data acquisition at 150 Hz at a 1mm spatial resolution. A maximum spatial and strain range of 8 ms and ±7,500 μe, respectively, can be obtained. Measurements of the strain profile near a notch on the coupon demonstrate the utility of the high spatial resolution made possible with this technique.
Establishment sociology: The value of being value‐free

This is an excursion into the sociology of American sociology. It is an attempt to present a typology of the relationship between sociological empiricism as an ideology, and the pre‐eminence and power of empiricist sociologists. Toward this end, such concrete factors as recruitment practices, educational orientations, status strivings of the social scientists, forms of financial subsidization, and the profes‐sionalization of the field are taken into account. The article concludes by noting the limited field of investigations open to sociological empiricism, and its general impoverishment as the leading ideology of the science of sociology.
Note-Patience is a Virtue in a Simple Model of Repetitively Joining a Queue

Each of n members of a finite customer population must weigh the rewards of service completion against the cost of waiting in a single exponential server queuing system. After completing service, a customer may re-enter the system. In attempting to maximize average return per unit time over an infinite horizon each customer must make a single decision, a choice of arrival rate which must then be used to determine the time until re-entry whenever the customer finishes being served. Equilibrium behavior in the resulting n person game is investigated. Equilibria exist involving a subset of the players who re-enter instantaneously after service while all others abstain from entry. In instances where all customers re-enter instantaneously, everyone could be made better off if it were possible to impose a non-instantaneous arrival rate.
Time line analysis of dental restorative procedures related to dynamic instrument location

The effect of the location of the dentist’s semimobile instrument cabinet on the time required to perform dental restorative treatment procedures was evaluated. Less time is required to prepare and restore a tooth with the dentist’s semimobile instrument cabinet positioned directly behind the patient rather than to the patient’s right. However, with the cabinet behind the patient, the dentist’s idle time increased because the assistant had more tasks to perform.
Ablation patterns on cones having laminar and turbulent flows.

Ablation patterns on cones having laminar and turbulent flows from ballistic range boundary layer transition studies using ablative models
Transient behavior of time‐between‐failures of complex repairable systems

It is well known for complex repairable systems (with as few as four components), regardless of the time-to-failure (TTF) distribution of each component, that the time-between-failures (TBFs) tends toward the exponential. This is a long-term or ‘steady-state’ property. Aware of this property, many of those modeling such systems tend to base spares provisioning, maintenance personnel availability and other decisions on an exponential TBFs distribution. Such a policy may suffer serious drawbacks. A non-homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) accounts for these intervals for some time prior to ‘steady-state’. Using computer simulation, the nature of transient TBF behavior is examined. The number of system failures until the exponential TBF assumption is valid is of particular interest. We show, using a number of system configurations and failure and repair distributions, that the transient behavior quickly drives the TBF distribution to the exponential. We feel comfortable with achieving exponential results for the TBF with 30 system failures. This number may be smaller for configurations with more components. However, at this point, we recommend 30 as the systems failure threshold for using the exponential assumption. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Generalized Kinematics and Power Flow Analysis Methodology for Automatic Transmission Gear Trains

A generalized formulation for analyzing speeds and forces of the gear components of planetary automatic transmissions is proposed. The formulation is capable of analyzing any typical one-degree-of-freedom automatic transmission gear train containing any number of simple, compound or complex-compound planetary gear sets. It consists of three components: a kinematic analysis formulation, a gear ratio and kinematic configuration search algorithm, and a power flow analysis formulation. The kinematics module computes rotational speeds of gears and carriers. Given the type and number of planetary gear sets, the search module determines all possible kinematic configurations and gear tooth count combinations that result in a required set of gear ratios while eliminating all kinematic redundancies and unfavorable clutching sequences. The third component, the power-flow analysis formulation, performs a complete static force (power flow) analysis to determine all gear and bearing forces, and clutch and connection torque values. A five-speed transmission example is considered to highlight the capabilities of the proposed formulation.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS AND COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE APPROACHES: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

In this article, we delineate the qualitative phase of a mixed-method research study focused on understanding the relationship between Clinical Members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and complementary alternative medicine (CAM). Based on an analysis of the data derived from telephone interviews with 54 respondents, we describe four themes: definitional issues, depth of awareness of CAM, fit with MFT, and ethical considerations. Our discussion focuses on the findings of this phase, considerations from the quantitative phase, and reflections on the research study as a whole. While acknowledging the limitations of the study, we conclude that the growing awareness of and involvement with CAM approaches and practitioners among MFTs suggest a need for further education for both professionals and clients. We also note the importance of additional research support for the use of CAM practices.
Ring-opening reactions of trans-carbonates and thionocarbonates

Abstract The reaction of methyl 4,6- O -benzylidene-α-D-glucopyranoside 2,3-carbonate ( 1 ) and the corresponding 2,3-thionocarbonate ( 2 ) with various nucleophines was investigated. Under proper conditions, 1 and 2 reacted with methanol, benzyl alcohol, α-toluenethiol, ammonia, piperidine, and glycine to give the corresponding 2- O -and 3- O -carbonyl and thiocarbonyl adducts, which were obtained in crystalline form. In each reaction product the 2-isomer was preponderant.
Local control of hepatocellular carcinoma with proton beam therapy followed by curative liver transplantation

Local control of hepatocellular carcinoma with proton beam therapy followed by curative liver transplantation
Acoustical model and theory for predicting effects of environmental noise on people

The Schultz [(1978). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 64, 377–405]; Fidell et al. [(1991). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 89, 221–233] and Finegold et al. [(1994). Noise Control Eng. 42, 25–30] curves present misleading research information regarding DENL/DENL levels of environmental noises from transportation vehicles and the impact of annoyance and associated adverse effects on people living in residential areas. The reasons are shown to be jointly due to (a) interpretations of early research data, (b) plotting of annoyance data for noise exposure from different types of transportation vehicles on a single set of coordinates, and (c) the assumption that the effective, as heard, levels of noise from different sources are proportional to day, night level (DNL)/day, evening night level (DENL) levels measured at a common-point outdoors. The subtraction of on-site attenuations from the measured outdoor levels of environmental noises used in the calculation of DNL/DENL provides new metrics, labeled EDNL/EDENL, for the calculation of...
Cytoplasmic Degradation of Splice-Defective Pre-mRNAs and Intermediates

Abstract Specific systems of nuclear RNA degradation appear to target and degrade aberrant pre-mRNA molecules. In this work we report on a Dbr1p-dependent RNA decay pathway that limits the accumulation of splice-defective lariat intermediates stalled at the second step of splicing. In this pathway, splice-defective lariat intermediates are debranched by Dbr1p and subsequently degraded 5′ to 3′ primarily by the cytoplasmic exonuclease, Xrn1p. When debranching is blocked, these splicing intermediates can be degraded in a 3′ to 5′ direction in a manner dependent on Ski2p, a cofactor for the cytoplasmic exosome. In that Xrn1p and Ski2p are cytoplasmic and Dbr1p localizes to both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, these data suggest that this decay pathway occurs within the cytoplasm. Furthermore, the finding that lariat intermediates accumulate in the dbr1Δ strain suggests that this pathway also functions as an inherent quality control mechanism for the process of pre-mRNA splicing.
Population Pharmacokinetic Methods to Optimise Antibiotic Effects

The concept of accelerating bacterial eradication and accomplishing a more rapid clinical cure by optimising dosing of antimicrobial agents is coming to fruition after many years of research. By integrating the pharmacokinetic parameters of an antibiotic with measures of microorganism susceptibility such as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), it is possible to optimise both clinical and bacteriological cure. Recently, area under the inhibitory curve (AUIC) has been introduced as the 24-hour area under the curve (AUC) divided by the MIC. The AUIC has been shown to be an effective parameter to predict infectious outcome and it has the advantage that it can be easily calculated by estimating the patient’s creatinine clearance and using population clearance of drugs vs creatinine clearance equations. In this review, total clearance vs creatinine clearance equations were derived for 53 antimicrobials, using pharmacokinetic data extracted from the literature. These equations were then validated by calculating half-life and AUC (for specific doses) and comparing the results to published values and ranges. In the validation phases the percentage error for each antibiotic equation was variable, ranging from 0.5 to 61% when estimating half-life, and 0.35 to 51% when estimating AUC. When a subset of antimicrobials was validated against values derived from studies of AUC vs decreasing creatinine clearance, the majority of percentage errors were within 0.35 to 56%, with only a minimal number of outliers over the studied ranges of renal function (0–129 ml/min/70kg). Possible explanations for these outliers include multiple routes of elimination and research based on populations different to those used to derive the original equation. Percentage errors were within acceptable ranges, when considering that most antimicrobials have a large therapeutic/toxic ratio. By targeting an AUIC value of 350, well above the theoretical threshold therapeutic value of 125, doses associated with an accelerated bacterial eradication rate are possible without substantially overdosing the patient. This remains true even if the calculated values from these equations are greater than a 50% overestimation.
High Performance Design and Implementation of Nemesis Communication Layer for Two-Sided and One-Sided MPI Semantics in MVAPICH2

High End Computing (HEC) systems are being deployed with eight to sixteen compute cores, with 64 to 128 cores/node being envisioned for exascale systems. \mbox{MVAPICH2} is a popular implementation of MPI-2 specifically designed and optimized for InfiniBand, iWARP and RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE). MVAPICH2 is based on MPICH2 from ANL. Recently MPICH2 has been redesigned with an effort to optimize intra-node communication for future many-core systems. The new communication layer in MPICH2 is called Nemesis, which is very well optimized for shared memory message passing, with a modular design for various high-performance interconnects. In this paper we explore the challenges involved in designing the next-generation MVAPICH2 stack, leveraging the Nemesis communication layer. We observe that Nemesis does not provide abstractions for one-sided communication. We propose an extended Nemesis interface for optimized one-sided communication and provide design details. Our experimental evaluation shows that our proposed one-sided interface extensions are able to provide significantly better performance than the basic Nemesis interface. For example, inter-node MPI_Put bandwidth increased from 1,800 MB/s to 3,000 MB/s and latency for small messages went down by 13%. Additionally, with our proposed designs, we are able to demonstrate performance gains with small messages, when compared to the existing MVAPICH2 CH3 implementation. The designs proposed in this paper is a superset of currently available options to MVAPICH2 users and provides the best combination of performance and modularity.
Sequential amplitudes in heavy-ion induced two-proton transfer reactions

Angular distributions have been measured for the reactions $^{88}\mathrm{Sr}$($^{16}\mathrm{O}$, $^{14}\mathrm{C}$)$^{90}\mathrm{Zr}$ and $^{90}\mathrm{Zr}$($^{16}\mathrm{O}$, $^{14}\mathrm{C}$)$^{92}\mathrm{Mo}$ at 80 MeV, and $^{88}\mathrm{Sr}$($^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $^{10}\mathrm{Be}$)$^{90}\mathrm{Zr}$ and $^{90}\mathrm{Zr}$($^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $^{10}\mathrm{Be}$)$^{92}\mathrm{Mo}$ at 60 MeV. The data were analyzed with full recoil, coupled-channel Born approximation calculations, in which both direct (one-step) and sequential (two-step) reaction routes were considered. Detailed shell model wave functions were used to construct all form factors. The calculated sequential contributions to the cross sections were found to be significantly larger than those associated with direct transfer, and inclusion of the two-step routes substantially improved agreement with experiment. The calculated angular distribution shapes were found to depend on both the intermediate $Q$ value of the sequential process, and also on the microscopic configurations involved in the transfer. In addition, a previously unreported configuration dependence of the recoil corrections was noted in the calculations.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{88}\mathrm{Sr}$($^{16}\mathrm{O}$, $^{16}\mathrm{O}$), $^{88}\mathrm{Sr}$($^{16}\mathrm{O}$, $^{14}\mathrm{C}$), $^{90}\mathrm{Zr}$($^{16}\mathrm{O}$, $^{16}\mathrm{O}$), $^{90}\mathrm{Zr}$($^{16}\mathrm{O}$, $^{14}\mathrm{C}$), $E=80$ MeV; $^{88}\mathrm{Sr}$($^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $^{12}\mathrm{C}$), $^{88}\mathrm{Sr}$($^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $^{10}\mathrm{Be}$), $^{90}\mathrm{Zr}$($^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $^{12}\mathrm{C}$), $^{90}\mathrm{Zr}$($^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $^{10}\mathrm{Be}$), $E=60$ MeV; enriched targets, measured $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\theta})$. Finite range DWBA and CCBA analyses of direct and sequential transfer, compared with data.
CRISPR-based technologies: prokaryotic defense weapons repurposed

To combat potentially deadly viral infections, prokaryotic microbes enlist small RNA-based adaptive immune systems (CRISPR-Cas systems) that protect through sequence-specific recognition and targeted destruction of viral nucleic acids (either DNA or RNA depending on the system). Here, we summarize rapid progress made in redirecting the nuclease activities of these microbial immune systems to bind and cleave DNA or RNA targets of choice, by reprogramming the small guide RNAs of the various CRISPR-Cas complexes. These studies have demonstrated the potential of Type II CRISPR-Cas systems both as efficient and versatile genome-editing tools and as potent and specific regulators of gene expression in a broad range of cell types (including human) and organisms. Progress is also being made in developing a Type III RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas system as a novel gene knockdown platform to investigate gene function and modulate gene expression for metabolic engineering in microbes.
Cellulose Metabolism by the Flagellate Trichonympha From a Termite Is Independent of Endosymbiotic Bacteria

Continuous axenic cultures were established of Trichonympha sphaerica, a cellulose-digesting symbiotic protozoon in the gut of a termite. The cultured flagellates harbored no endosymbiotic bacteria and metabolized cellulose to acetate, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. Thus, the cellulolytic activity of this flagellate is an inherent property and is not dependent on endosymbiotic bacteria.
Lipid Bilayers with Integrated Microelectronics for High-Resolution Ion Channel Recordings

Applications in drug discovery and nanopore DNA sequencing demand highly integrated and scalable electrophysiology platforms for ion channel recordings. Both the physical size and high-frequency signal-to-noise ratio of such systems are commonly constrained by the interconnects and fluidics accompanying a measurement, rather than by fundamental properties of the channel proteins or electronics involved. Here we present a platform for high-resolution ion channel recordings which physically integrates custom low-noise electronic voltage-clamp preamplifiers with ion channel proteins in reconstituted lipid membranes. We demonstrate scenarios in which single-channel resolution is maintained to very high signal bandwidths, and provide a window into the high data rates and channel densities which can be achieved by leveraging existing complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) microelectronics for advanced electrophysiology platforms.
Phenotypic variation and quantitative trait locus identification for osmotic potential in an interspecific hybrid inbred F2 poplar pedigree grown in contrasting environments.

Elucidation of the mechanisms of dehydration tolerance in poplar (Populus sp.) trees will permit development of biochemical and molecular indicators to identify dehydration-tolerant genotypes during genetic selection. The objectives of this study were to characterize the degree of phenotypic variation in osmotic potential (a determinant of dehydration tolerance), determine the relationship between osmotic potential at full turgor and relative growth rate, and identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for osmotic potential in an advanced-generation, interspecific poplar pedigree established in contrasting environments. A three-generation, sib-mated black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray) and eastern cottonwood (P. deltoides Bartr.) segregating F(2) family (Family 331) was analyzed at a dry site east of the Cascade Mountain Range (Boardman, OR) and at a wet site west of the mountains (Clatskanie, OR). At the Boardman site, 2-year-old trees (59 clones) were either irrigated everyday (wet) or every other day (dry), whereas 3- and 4-year-old trees (58 clones) at the Clatskanie site were unirrigated. At the Boardman site, the typically narrow range of osmotic potentials exhibited by grandparents and parents was greatly expanded in the F(2) population, spanning from -1.38 to -2.35 MPa under wet conditions, with a similar range under dry conditions (-1.40 to -2.15 MPa). Clones that had osmotic potentials 7.5% of the variation in osmotic potential. Given that four clones (7%) had osmotic potentials of -2.00 MPa or less and that QTL for osmotic potential have been identified, we suggest that there are opportunities to extend the limit of dehydration tolerance in Populus.
Moderating effects of challenging behaviors and communication deficits on social skills in children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder

Abstract One-hundred nine children 3–16 years of age diagnosed with Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, or Asperger's Syndrome were studied. Children resided in six states in the United States. Using moderation analysis via multiple regression, verbal communication and challenging behaviors and how they interact with social skills were examined. Children and adolescents exhibiting fewer challenging behaviors and presenting with better verbal communication skills had the greatest strengths in social skills. Furthermore, challenging behaviors adversely affected social skills more than verbal communication skills. Thus, regardless of verbal communication level, children with low levels of challenging behaviors exhibited greater social skills. Clinical implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Effect of antecedent rainfall on runoff during low-intensity rainfall

The objective of this study was to determine the relative significance of several rainfall characteristics to the occurrence and magnitude of runoff from small (< 300 ha) watersheds during very low-intensity rainstorms (maximum rainfall intensities < 15 mm/hr). This was done by making hourly measurements of rainfall and runoff at 1-hr intervals for four years on five watersheds in western Oregon, U.S.A., an area with a modified marine climate. Normal annual precipitation at the site is 1.02m and occurs primarily as rain during the winter months. Rainfall intensities only rarely exceed 15 mm/hr. The watersheds (0.46 to 285 ha in size) were fall-planted (November) to wheat. The soils are predominantly Willakenzie series (Ultic Haploxeralfs, fine-silty, mixed, mesic). Rainfall characteristics were computed for each rainfall event, defined as a period of consecutive rainy hours separated by six or more consecutive dry hours. Included were magnitude, average intensity, maximum intensity and duration of rainfall during rainfall events, magnitude of rain during the 12, 48 and 120 hrs preceding events, the magnitude of rain since October 1 of each year and number of dry hours preceding the event. The amount of runoff was computed for each rainfall event. Stepwise discriminant analysis was used to determine those values and combinations of rainfall-event characteristics that were significant in predicting the occurrence and amount of runoff. Between 44% and 93% of the rainfall events caused no measurable runoff. Discriminant analysis indicated that the magnitude of rainfall during the 12 and 120 hrs preceding the events was more significant in determining the occurrence of runoff than either rainfall magnitude, average intensity or maximum intensity. The majority of rainfall events on all of the watersheds resulted in < 25% runoff. Discriminant analysis indicated that the amount of runoff during events was determined more by the magnitude of rainfall in the 12, 48 and 120 hrs preceding the events than by the other event characteristics. The results suggest that in climates characterized by low-intensity rainfall, antecedent rainfall is more important in controlling the occurrence and amount of runoff than rainfall magnitude or intensity. The results also suggest that more accurate predictions of runoff can be achieved by using values of antecedent-rainfall characteristics.
Cytotoxic antileukemic anthraquinones from Morinda parvifolia

Abstract Bioassay-directed fractionation of an antileukemic extract of Morinda parvifolia (Hong-Zhu-Teng) has led to the isolation and characterization of cytotoxic anthraquinones which include the new morindaparvin-B and the known lucidin-ω-methyl ether, lucidin-ω-methyl ether, digiferruginol, 1-hydroxy-6 or 7-hydroxymethylanthraquinone and 2-hydroxymethylanthraquinone in addition to the previously reported antileukemic morindaparvin-A and alizarin-1-methyl ether. 2-Hydroxymethylanthraquinone demonstrated significant activity (T/C = 150%) in the P-388 lymphocytic leukemia screen at 10 mg/kg/day. The structures of these compounds were determined by physicochemical data and spectral evidence.
Focal endoscopic mucosal resection before radiofrequency ablation is equally effective and safe compared with radiofrequency ablation alone for the eradication of Barrett's esophagus with advanced neoplasia.

Background EMR is commonly performed before radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for nodular dysplastic Barrett's esophagus (BE). Objective To determine the efficacy and safety of EMR before RFA for nodular BE with advanced neoplasia (high-grade dysplasia [HGD] or intramucosal carcinoma [IMC]). Design Retrospective study. Setting University of North Carolina Hospitals, from 2006 to 2011. Patients 169 patients with BE with advanced neoplasia: 65 patients treated with EMR and RFA for nodular disease and 104 patients treated with RFA alone for nonnodular disease. Interventions EMR, RFA. Main Outcome Measurements Efficacy (complete eradication of dysplasia, complete eradication of intestinal metaplasia, total treatment sessions, RFA treatment sessions), safety (stricture formation, bleeding, and hospitalization). Results EMR followed by RFA achieved complete eradication of dysplasia and complete eradication of intestinal metaplasia in 94.0% and 88.0% of patients, respectively, compared with 82.7% and 77.6% of patients, respectively, in the RFA-only group ( P = .06 and P = .13, respectively). The complication rates between the 2 groups were similar (7.7% vs 9.6%, P = .79). Strictures occurred in 4.6% of patients in the EMR-before-RFA group. compared with 7.7% of patients in the RFA-only group ( P = .53). Limitations Retrospective study at a tertiary-care referral center. Conclusion In patients treated with EMR before RFA for nodular BE with HGD or IMC, no differences in efficacy and safety outcomes were observed compared with RFA alone for nonnodular BE with HGD or IMC. EMR followed by RFA is safe and effective for patients with nodular BE and advanced neoplasia.
Randomized trial of oral versus vaginal misoprostol at one day after mifepristone for early medical abortion.

Abstract Mifepristone was recently approved in the United States. Regimens with shorter intervals may be more acceptable. The objective of this study was to determine whether the oral route of misoprostol was as effective as the vaginal route of misoprostol 1 day after mifepristone. A prospective, open-labeled, randomized trial of healthy adult women up to 63 days pregnant and wanting a medical abortion were randomized to use either two doses of oral misoprostol 400 μg taken 2 h apart or misoprostol 800 μg vaginally. Women self-administered misoprostol 1 day after taking one-third of the standard dose of mifepristone (200 mg) orally. Women then returned to the clinic up to 5 days later for a repeat sonogram evaluation. A dose of vaginal misoprostol was administered to women with a continuing pregnancy who then returned 1 day later to Day 15. The primary outcome measures were a complete medical abortion by the first or by the second follow-up visits. Surgical intervention was indicated for continuing pregnancy at the second follow-up visit, excessive bleeding, or persistent products of conception 5 weeks later. One thousand one hundred sixty-eight women were enrolled. Of the 1144 (98%) women who complied with their random assignment, two oral doses of misoprostol (800 μg total) were 90% effective at inducing an abortion by the first follow-up visit, compared with one dose of misoprostol by vagina of 97% (χ2 = 23.95, p = 0.001). By the second follow-up visit, the complete abortion rate was 95% for oral misoprostol and 99% for vaginal misoprostol (χ2 = 21.76, p = 0.001). There were minimal differences in side effects. Women preferred the oral route. The trial demonstrated that although two doses of oral misoprostol were effective, the vaginal misoprostol was more effective at inducing an early medical abortion at 1 day after low-dose mifepristone, and the regimen could be extended to 63 days gestation.
Miscellaneous electricity in US homes: Historical decomposition and future trends

This article assesses the importance of the residential miscellaneous electricity end use. Miscellaneous electricity is one of the largest and fastest growing residential end uses. Consumer electronics and halogen torchiere lamps are primary catalysts of end use growth. Approximately half of all consumer electronics energy is consumed while in standby mode. Policy actions aimed at reducing miscellaneous electricity use include reducing standby losses, replacing halogen torchiere models with an efficient CFL model, and improving the efficiency of fans for fuel-fired furnaces.
An HEVC compressed domain content-based video signature for copy detection and video retrieval

Video sharing platforms and social networks have been growing very rapidly for the past few years. The rapid increase in the amount of video content introduces many challenges in terms of copyright violation detection and video search and retrieval. Generating and matching content-based video signatures, or fingerprints, is an effective method to detect copies or “near-duplicate” videos. Video signatures should be robust to changes in the video features used to characterize the signature caused by common signal processing operations. Recent work has focused on generating video signatures based on the uncompressed domain. However, decompression is a computationally intensive operation. In large video databases, it becomes advantageous to create robust signatures directly from the compressed domain. The High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard has been recently ratified as the latest video coding standard and wide spread adoption is anticipated. We propose a method in which a content-based video signature is generated directly from the HEVC-coded bitstream. Motion vectors from the HEVC-coded bitstream are used as the features. A robust hashing function based on projection on random matrices is used to generate the hashing bits. A sequence of these bits serves as the signature for the video. Our experimental results show that our proposed method generates a signature robust to common signal processing techniques such as resolution scaling, brightness scaling and compression.
Poroelastic Effects on Fracture Characterization

Reverse water-level fluctuations have been widely observed in aquitards or aquifers separated from a pumped confined aquifer (Noordbergum effect) immediately after the initiation of pumping. This same reverse fluctuation has been observed in a fractured crystalline-rock aquifer at the Coles Hill uranium site in Virginia in which the reverse water-level response occurs within a pumped fracture and results from an instantaneous strain response to pumping that precedes the pore-pressure response in observation wells of sufficient distance from the pumped well. This response is referred to as the Mandel-Cryer effect. The unique aspect of this water level rise during a controlled 24 h pumping test was that the reverse water levels lasted for approximately 100 min and reached a magnitude of nearly 1 cm prior to a typical drawdown response. The duration and magnitude of the response reflects the poromechanical properties of the fractured host rock and hydraulic properties of the pumped fracture. An axisymmetric flow and deformation model were developed using Biot2 in an effort to simulate the observed water-level response along an assumed 0.5 to 1.0 cm aperture horizontal fracture 176 m from the pumping well and to identify the importance of the poroelastic effect. Results indicate that traditional aquifer-testing methods that ignore the poromechanical response are not significantly different than results that include the response. However, the poroelastic effect allows for more accurate and efficient parameter calibration.