cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Financing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is estimated to cost close to 5 billion US dollars, about 7% of the of the 2016 Ethiopian gross national product. The lack of international finance for projects on the Blue Nile River have had long been alleged to Egypt’s persistent campaign to maintain presumed hegemony on the Nile water share. Ethiopia is forced to finance the GERD with crowd funding through internal fund raising in the form of selling bond and persuading employees to contribute a portion of their incomes. Despite the domestic success in fund raising, the contribution of Ethiopians and Ethiopian descent living abroad was met with scepticism due to the political environment in Ethiopia. The Chinese government is providing significant amount of international finance to the hydropower infrastructure. Gulf States were also claimed to contribute to the construction of the Dam along the Middle East political line with respect to their relationship with Egypt. Opposition to the government is intertwined with opposition to the fund raising for the dam. The dam is completed over 70% by the end of 2017 and strain of cash is being reported. The successful completion of GERD without explicit support from western financial institutions will have a significant impact on the perception and awareness of Nile water development. The parallels between the planning, construction and financing of High Aswan dam and GERD are stark reminders of critical role of international community to promote co-operation and avoid unintended and lasting ripples on the socio-economic and political landscape of the region.
Searching for Steve Jobs: Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes, and the Dangers of the Origin Story

The short-lived success of $9 billion fraudulent biotechnology startup Theranos is often blamed on little more than technological hype surrounding the company’s finger prick blood tests. But such a limited accusation fails to account for the influence of the cult of personality created by Theranos’ CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, and the comparisons she drew to the late Steve Jobs, in both style and personality. This paper argues that the Theranos fraud was ultimately enabled, not by hype, but by the public’s trust in Holmes’ self-constructed image as Steve Jobs’ successor. The source of this trust is described with the proposed new model of ‘protective ignorance,’ an application of rational ignorance in the defense of the cultural capital associated with Jobs’ image. The power of protective ignorance is explored in the context of the Theranos case, and suggestions are provided to limit its negative impact in the future without restricting its more positive applications.
Stalis: A Computational Method for Template‐Based Ab Initio Ligand Design

Proteins interact with small molecules through specific molecular recognition, which is central to essential biological functions in living systems. Therefore, understanding such interactions is crucial for basic sciences and drug discovery. Here, we present Structure template-based ab initio ligand design solution (Stalis), a knowledge-based approach that uses structure templates from the Protein Data Bank libraries of whole ligands and their fragments and generates a set of molecules (virtual ligands) whose structures represent the pocket shape and chemical features of a given target binding site. Our benchmark performance evaluation shows that ligand structure-based virtual screening using virtual ligands from Stalis outperforms a receptor structure-based virtual screening using AutoDock Vina, demonstrating reliable overall screening performance applicable to computational high-throughput screening. However, virtual ligands from Stalis are worse in recognizing active compounds at the small fraction of a rank-ordered list of screened library compounds than crystal ligands, due to the low resolution of the virtual ligand structures. In conclusion, Stalis can facilitate drug discovery research by designing virtual ligands that can be used for fast ligand structure-based virtual screening. Moreover, Stalis provides actual three-dimensional ligand structures that likely bind to a target protein, enabling to gain structural insight into potential ligands. Stalis can be an efficient computational platform for high-throughput ligand design for fundamental biological study and drug discovery research at the proteomic level. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Studying medicine in China

British medical student Huza Zhang discovered some surprising similarities on a recent visit
C-suite perspectives on corporate diplomacy as a component of public diplomacy

This study explored the concept and practice of corporate diplomacy from the perspective of multinational corporate communication executives. It sought to assess corporate views on, and motivations for, engaging in diplomatic activities abroad and to gauge levels of interest among corporate leaders in participating in government-sponsored public diplomacy activities aimed at advancing national goals and interests. Semi-structured interviews with corporate communication executives revealed a lack of familiarity with the concept of corporate diplomacy and the types of activities corporate diplomacy might entail. While recognizing reciprocal impacts of company and country of origin images and reputations, communication officers, especially those representing corporations with the United States as the home country, expressed little interest in engaging in efforts to promote national culture and values among foreign publics, and they did not perceive an obligation to actively support government efforts in public diplomacy. Rather, corporate communication activities abroad are motivated primarily by economic self-interest perceived to be advanced through the creation of global—rather than national—corporate identities and brands and the development of supportive host-country operating environments. However, the interviews identified the potential for state and non-state corporate actors to work together through collaborations on issue-oriented diplomatic initiatives that serve common goals.
Catalytic synthesis of distillate-range ethers and olefins from ethanol through Guerbet coupling and etherification

Synthesis of distillate-range fuels from biomass-derived alcohols has recently received considerable attention due to projected increases in the demands of these fuels and the extensive commercialization of alcohol production. Here we present a two-stage process by which an alcohol such as ethanol or 1-butanol can be converted with high yields into distillate-range ethers and olefins by combining Guerbet coupling and intermolecular dehydration. The ethers can be used as cetane-improvers in diesel fuel, while the olefins can be hydrogenated and blended with gasoline or oligomerized and hydrogenated to jet-range paraffins. The first stage was executed using calcium hydroxyapatite to produce higher linear and branched alcohols at above 80% selectivity at up to 40% conversion with high stability for over 400 h time-on-stream operation. Increasing conversion decreases selectivity, producing predominantly mono-ene and diene byproducts. Etherification was performed using the acidic resin Amberlyst™ 70 at around 65% conversion. Linear alcohols were converted at above 90% selectivity while branched alcohols were far more selective to olefins (65–75%). Etherification occurs via two mechanisms: a direct mechanism involving the reaction of two alcohols and an indirect mechanism between an alcohol and equilibrated pool of olefins. Cross-etherification was observed between linear and branched alcohols, improving the selectivity to ethers in conversion of the latter. A mixture of C4+ alcohols produced from ethanol condensation at 40% conversion was effectively utilized in etherification at selectivities comparable to the model mixtures. An overall process is presented for the conversion of ethanol to diesel-range ethers and olefins with yields of approximately 80%.
The Hörmander multiplier theorem, III: the complete bilinear case via interpolation

We develop a special multilinear complex interpolation theorem that allows us to prove an optimal version of the bilinear Hormander multiplier theorem concerning symbols that lie in the Sobolev space $$L^r_s({\mathbb {R}}^{2n})$$ , $$2\le r<\infty $$ , $$rs>2n$$ , uniformly over all annuli. More precisely, given such a symbol with smoothness index s, we find the largest open set of indices $$(1/p_1,1/p_2 )$$ for which we have boundedness for the associated bilinear multiplier operator from $$L^{p_1}({\mathbb {R}}^{ n})\times L^{p_2} ({\mathbb {R}}^{ n})$$ to $$ L^p({\mathbb {R}}^{ n})$$ when $$1/p=1/p_1+1/p_2$$ , $$1<p_1,p_2<\infty $$ .
Distributed Neural Networks using TensorFlow over Multicore and Many-Core Systems

This paper focuses on distributed deep learning models that simulate the HAR (Human Activity Recognition) data set from the UCI machine learning Repository. The proposed deep learning LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) model works with the TensorFlow framework using the Python 3 programming language which supports the distributed architecture. In order to simulate the distributed deep learning models over different multicore and many-core systems, two hardware platforms are built; the first one is equipped with a Raspberry Pi cluster with 16 Pi 3 model B+ boards which each having 1 GB of RAM and 32 GB flash storage. The second platform is houses an Octa-core Intel Xeon CPU system with a 16MB Cache, 32 GB RAM and 2 TB SSD primary storage with 10 TB HDD secondary storage. In this paper, the performance of the distributed LSTM model over multicore and many-core systems is presented in terms of execution speed and efficiency of prediction accuracy upon varying number of deep layers with corresponding hidden nodes. In this experiment, a 3 x 3 distributed LSTM model has been used, which furnishes higher prediction accuracy with faster computation time than the models that different number of layers provide.
A Review of Prostanoid Receptors: Expression, Characterization, Regulation, and Mechanism of Action

Prostaglandin signaling controls a wide range of biological processes from blood pressure homeostasis to inflammation and resolution thereof to the perception of pain to cell survival. Disruption of normal prostanoid signaling is implicated in numerous disease states. Prostaglandin signaling is facilitated by G-protein-coupled, prostanoid-specific receptors and the array of associated G-proteins. This review focuses on the expression, characterization, regulation, and mechanism of action of prostanoid receptors with particular emphasis on human isoforms.
Computational model for temperature in tree trunk for energy harvesting

The temperature difference in the cross section of a tree trunk, measured radially, generates voltage. This is leveraged to power thermoelectric devices for the purpose of environmental monitoring. The authors present a numerical model for the temperature differential within a tree stem. This model contributes to a proof of concept for the feasibility of using trees as an ambient power source for wireless devices.The University of Washington Tacoma is in ongoing research cooperation with the University of Paraiba, Brazil and the University of the Azores, Portugal in the areas of Wireless Sensor Networks, Energy Harvesting, and Environmental Monitoring. This paper is part of these collaborative efforts and is related to the specific goal of deploying a network of wireless environmental sensors in the Island of Sao Miguel, Archipelago of the Azores, to monitor both the natural (volcanic) and industrial pollution, as well as monitoring the traffic of tourists on the island.
Rethinking Moral Motivation: How Neuroscience Supports an Alternative to Motivation Internalism

In this chapter, I draw on neuroscientific work to provide support for an alternative account of the relation between moral judgment and motivation. Much recent discussion focuses on the dispute between motivation internalists, who hold that there is a necessary connection between moral judgment and motivation, and motivation externalists, who deny this. In contrast, I argue that this relation is best seen as a normative one: moral judgment ought to be accompanied by the appropriate motivation. I support this view by developing a descriptive account of moral psychology informed by research in neuroscience and psychopathology, which I call affective engine theory. According to affective engine theory, moral judgment is influenced by two distinct representational systems: affective mechanisms and general representational mechanisms. This descriptive account supports a disjunctive conception of moral judgment, which distinguishes between different kinds of moral judgments on the basis of the influence of different representational systems in their etiologies. I argue that such a conception of moral judgment is both descriptively and normatively adequate. Such considerations provide reasons to reject motivation internalism. However, rather than simply adopt externalism, I argue that the relation between moral judgment and motivation is governed by a normative ideal of moral agency. Such an ideal is required precisely because, as the empirically-informed account of moral psychology defended here makes clear, humans are prone to certain kinds of practical failures that result from a disconnect between distinct representational systems. Together, these arguments demonstrate how research in neuroscience can contribute to normative theorizing: attention to the neuroscientific details highlights the complexity and heterogeneity of moral thought and can therefore guide the construction of normative accounts that are descriptively adequate.
A decision aid for additional findings in genomic sequencing: Development and pilot testing.

Abstract Objective To describe the development of a web-based, patient-facing decision aid to support patients and research participants to make an informed, values-based decision about whether to receive additional results from genomic sequencing. Methods We developed the decision aid following the multi-step process described in the International Patient Decision Aids Standards. This utilized literature review, focus groups, and alpha testing with research participants undergoing clinical genomic sequencing. Results The decision aid, the Optional Results Choice Aid (ORCA), includes a seven-question “values clarification exercise,” illustrative patient quotes, and summative guidance for the user. The decision aid was found to be highly readable, acceptable and relevant in alpha testing. Conclusion We developed a decision aid to support informed, values-based decision making for patients and research participants considering whether to receive additional results from genomic sequencing. ORCA is being implemented in the NHGRI-funded Cancer Health Assessment Reaching Many (CHARM) study, where we are measuring informed values-choice congruence. Practice implications ORCA was designed to support patients and research participants to make an informed, values-based decision about whether to receive additional results from genomic sequencing.
Olive inflorescence, flower, fruit and leaf abscission with chemicals used for mechanical harvest

All crops are harvested when judged horticulturally mature, a stage of development that meets an agreed-upon standard established in the market place. For the California olive fruit, horticultural maturity occurs about four months prior to physiological maturity. By harvesting early, olive fruit can be processed by the California black-ripe or green-ripe procedures to achieve the defined industry standard. Recent olive harvest timing research shows that there is a 14-day period in October for harvest when maximum crop value can be obtained (Sibbett et al., 1986).
Cortical Neurophysiologic Correlates of Auditory Threshold in Adults and Children With Normal Hearing and Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder

Purpose Auditory threshold estimation using the auditory brainstem response or auditory steady state response is limited in some populations (e.g., individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder [ANSD] or those who have difficulty remaining still during testing and cannot tolerate general anesthetic). However, cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) can be recorded in many such patients and have been employed in threshold approximation. Thus, we studied CAEP estimates of auditory thresholds in participants with normal hearing, sensorineural hearing loss, and ANSD. Method We recorded CAEPs at varying intensity levels to speech (i.e., /ba/) and tones (i.e., 1 kHz) to estimate auditory thresholds in normal-hearing adults (n = 10) and children (n = 10) and case studies of children with sensorineural hearing loss and ANSD. Results Results showed a pattern of CAEP amplitude decrease and latency increase as stimulus intensities declined until waveform components disappeared near auditory threshold levels. Overall, CAEP thresholds were within 10 dB HL of behavioral thresholds for both stimuli. Conclusions The above findings suggest that CAEPs may be clinically useful in estimating auditory threshold in populations for whom such a method does not currently exist. Physiologic threshold estimation in difficult-to-test clinical populations could lead to earlier intervention and improved outcomes.
What Makes Government Work Great: The Characteristics of Positive Public Service:

Optimal work experiences in the public sector do not receive the attention they deserve. And, though positive psychology research has shown that flourishing in the workplace is connected to healthi...
Association between daily and non-daily cannabis use and depression among United States adult cancer survivors

Abstract Background Cancer survivors are vulnerable to Cannabis Use (CU) and at increased risk for depression. Yet, the relationship between CU and depression among cancer survivors is unknown. Purpose The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of daily/non-daily CU, investigate the association between CU and depression and evaluate CU reasons and methods of administration among cancer survivors. Method Population-based, nationally representative sample of cancer survivors aged ≥18 (n = 10,799) from 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey was used. Weighted descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were conducted. Findings Overall, 4.2% reported daily and 4.1% non-daily CU. Those who self-reported depression had higher prevalence of daily and non-daily CU than those not reporting depression. Daily CU was associated with 120% increased odds of depression (odds ratio = 2.2, 95% confidence interval [1.3, 3.7]) compared with none-users. Discussion Efforts to improve open communications and evidence-informed discussions regarding benefits and risks of CU and reasons for using cannabis between clinicians and cancer survivors are imperative.
The Penetration of Renewable and Sustainable Energy in Asia: A State-of-the-Art Review on Net-Metering

Conventional fossil-fuel energy resources are being drastically depleted; thus, the current shift towards renewable energy (RE) resources has become imperative. However, there are many impediments to the adoption of renewable power generation. These impediments can be overcome by enacting policies to encourage the acceptance of sustainable energy resources. For instance, the net-metering policy can provide the necessary incentives to promote the development of local distributed energy sources, primarily solar photovoltaic and wind generators. While there has been significant advancement and development in net-metering in Asia with the increased penetration of RE, at present there is a lack of systematic review in this area. This paper aims to present an in-depth review on net-metering advances and challenges, current RE shares, and future RE targets in the Asian region. Additionally, a case study is performed and an economic analysis of net-metering regulations in an Asian country is carried out. In this study, the monetary benefits of net-metering policies for residential consumers are proved. It is envisaged that the information gathered in this paper will be a valuable one-stop source of information for Asian researchers working on this topic. INDEX TERMS Renewable energy shares, renewable energy targets, net-metering policy, net-metering in Asia.
Family, Law, and Inheritance in America: A Social and Legal History of Nineteenth-Century Kentucky

Introduction 1. 'Parental justice': inheritance and obligation in families 2. 'My black family': manumissions and freedom in inheritance disputes 3. The arbiters of sanity: medical experts and jurists 4. Physical impairments and degenerate minds: the body as evidence 5. A special power: women's testamentary capacity Epilogue.
Cultural Capital, Language and National Identity in Imperial Spain

This innovative study examines the cultural mechanisms in early modern Spain that led to the translation, imitation and selective adoption of the values embodied by the Italian Renaissance. These mechanisms served to delineate a national tradition that addressed the needs of a changing society and gave a "Spanish" physiognomy to the Italian experience, which ultimately led to the Golden Age. By examining such important texts as the sentimental fictions of Diego de San Pedro and Juan de Flores, the Spanish translation of Orlando Furioso, Don Quixote, and the Polifemo, Binotti first describes the conditions imposed on book production by both the expectations of an elite audience and the limitations of the printing market while outlining the process of the creation of an expressive poetic language and the quest for literary models. She then looks at Ambrosio de Morales' chronicles and Bernardo de Aldrete's Del Origen, showing how a cultural discourse founded on foreign scholarship paved the way for the establishment of innovative-and autochtonous-methods of historical and scientific analysis in the early seventeenth-century. LUCIA BINOTTI is an associate professor in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Interactions between dissociated rat sympathetic neurons and skeletal muscle cells developing in cell culture. II. Synaptic mechanisms.

Abstract Dissociated rat sympathetic neurons and skeletal myotubes were grown in mass cultures and microcultures as described in the accompanying paper ( C. A. Nurse, 1981 , Develop. Biol. 88, 55–70). Excitatory synaptic interactions developed between neuron and neuron and between neuron and myotube. Electrical coupling occurred rarely. More often, the interaction was chemical and as shown in the accompanying paper, cholinergic. At the chemical neuronmyotube junctions, spontaneous miniature potentials (mejp's), sensitive to d-tubocurarine, occurred infrequently (1–20/min) and their discharge appeared random; their amplitude distribution was skew at all ages (up to ca. 4 weeks) even when the myotube was innervated by a single neuron in microculture. The evoked postsynaptic potentials (ejp's) in the myotubes were sensitive in conventional ways to the extracellular calcium (Cao) and magnesium (Mgo) concentrations, and several tests suggested that transmission was quantal. In a few cases where a single neuron innervated a myotube in microculture, the estimated mean quantal unit size (assuming “Poisson” release) was similar to the mode of the spontaneous mejp amplitude histogram, suggesting that many of the spontaneous units were similar to the evoked units. At several junctions the quantal content mo, estimated by the “failure” method, varied nonlinearly with Cao over the range 0.2–1.2 mM; data could be fitted by a power relation where the power ranged from 2.6 to 5.2.
Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills through WebQuests.

In this study, 32 teachers participated in a year-long professional development project related to technology integration in which they designed and implemented a WebQuest. This paper describes the extent to which higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) and levels of technology implementation (LoTI) occur in the WebQuests that participants designed. WebQuests provided teachers an opportunity to integrate technology into their teaching. However, most of the tasks in the WebQuests included lower-level thinking skills and low levels on the LoTI scale. The authors also discuss implications related to the findings and ways to support teachers’ integration of technology.
Immortal Brands? A Temporal Critique of Promotional Culture

This article contributes to the theoretical analysis of branding and promotional culture by exploring how professional practice, legal systems, and applied academic research have championed a notion of the brand that is powerful, durable, and everlasting—in a word, “immortal.” We argue that this immortalized brand challenges emerging critical scholarship through its ignorance of the brand’s weaknesses and limitations, especially as they pertain to time and history. To counter that challenge, we argue for a heightened awareness of the brand’s temporality. In the service of this goal, this article explores several cases of aging brands, retro brands, and abandoned trademarks to showcase how consideration of brands in time reveals their contingent and historical nature.
Elevated serum lactate correlates with intracranial hemorrhage in neonates treated with extracorporeal life support.

Objectives. To correlate the initial and maximal lactate levels with the occurrence of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and survival in patients treated with extracorporeal life support (ECLS). Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. Pediatric intensive care unit. Patients. Eighty-two neonatal patients placed on ECLS for respiratory failure due to sepsis, meconium aspiration, or persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. Measurements. The initial lactate level measured within 6 hours of initiating ECLS and the maximal lactate level measured throughout the ECLS course were collected. Lactate levels were described as mean lactate ± SE (mM). Head ultrasound reports and survival were reviewed. Platelet counts and activated clotting times (ACTs) were examined. Results. The mean initial and maximal lactate levels were higher in ECLS patients who developed ICH (initial: 10 ± 1.7 mM vs 6.4 ± 0.8 mM, p = .05 and maximal: 12.4 ± 2.5 mM vs 7.9 ± 0.8 mM, p = .04). Initial and maximal lactate levels were also elevated in nonsurvivors (initial: 11.7 ± 3 mM vs 6.4 ± 0.7 mM, p = .01 and maximal: 14.8 ± 3.3 mM vs 7.8 ± 0.8 mM, P Conclusions. Lactate is a useful marker for the development of ICH in ECLS patients. In addition, elevated lactates during ECLS identify a subgroup of patients with poor outcome. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether the incorporation of this information into pre-ECLS and ECLS management will decrease the occurrence of ICH and improve survival.
Nonexistence of voting rules that are usually hard to manipulate

Aggregating the preferences of self-interested agents is a key problem for multiagent systems, and one general method for doing so is to vote over the alternatives (candidates). Unfortunately, the Gibbard-Satterthwaite theorem shows that when there are three or more candidates, all reasonable voting rules are manipulable (in the sense that there exist situations in which a voter would benefit from reporting its preferences insincerely). To circumvent this impossibility result, recent research has investigated whether it is possible to make finding a beneficial manipulation computationally hard. This approach has had some limited success, exhibiting rules under which the problem of finding a beneficial manipulation is NP-hard, #P-hard, or even PSPACE-hard. Thus, under these rules, it is unlikely that a computationally efficient algorithm can be constructed that always finds a beneficial manipulation (when it exists). However, this still does not preclude the existence of an efficient algorithm that often finds a successful manipulation (when it exists). There have been attempts to design a rule under which finding a beneficial manipulation is usually hard, but they have failed. To explain this failure, in this paper, we show that it is in fact impossible to design such a rule, if the rule is also required to satisfy another property: a large fraction of the manipulable instances are both weakly monotone, and allow the manipulators to make either of exactly two candidates win. We argue why one should expect voting rules to have this property, and show experimentally that common voting rules clearly satisfy it. We also discuss approaches for potentially circumventing this impossibility result.
Few modifiable factors predict readmission following radical cystectomy

Introduction: We sought to determine the patient and providerrelated factors associated with readmission after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer. In this era of healthcare reform, hospital performance measures, such as readmission, are beginning to affect provider reimbursement. Given its high readmission rate, RC could be a target for quality improvement. Methods: We reviewed bladder cancer patients who underwent RC in California’s State Inpatient Database (2005–2009) of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. We examined patient- (e.g., race, discharge disposition) and provider-related factors (e.g., volume) and evaluated their association with 30-day readmission. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations of interest. Results: Overall, 22.8% (n = 833) of the 3649 patients who underwent RC were readmitted within 30 days. Regarding disposition, 34.8%, 50.8%, and 12.2% were discharged home, home with home healthcare, and to a post-acute care facility (PACF), respectively. Within 30 days, 20.3%, 20.9%, and 42.3% discharged home, home with home healthcare, and to a PACF were readmitted, respectively. African Americans (odds ratio [OR] 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–2.50), having ≥2 comorbidities (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.06–1.91), receiving a neobladder (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.09–1.93), and discharge to a PACF (OR 3.79, 95% CI 2.88–4.98) were independent factors associated with readmission. Hospital stays ≥15 days were associated with less readmission (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.27–0.67, p = 0.0002). Procedure volume was not associated with complication, in-hospital mortality, or readmission. Conclusions: About one-fifth of patients undergoing RC are readmitted. Patients who are discharged to a PACF, African American, and who have more extensive comorbidities tend to experience more readmissions. Increased efforts with care coordination among these patients may help reduce readmissions.
CONSERVATION OF THE GROUP PIPERIA (ORCHIDACEAE) AND ASSOCIATED PLANT COMMUNITIES

The conservation and protection of California native orchids has not been a large focus recently. All California native orchids are terrestrial and many are associated with forest and woodland plant com- munities. However, a number are associated with the Mediterranean Climate plant community known as Chaparral; this includes at least three Piperia Rydb. species. Many Piperia populations and associated Chaparral plant communities have been impacted by human activity over the past several decades, howev- er, there is very little documentation regarding the size, and overall impact to the populations.
Polymerase errors accumulating during natural evolution of the glycoprotein gene of vesicular stomatitis virus Indiana serotype isolates.

Abstract We report the entire glycoprotein (G) gene nucleotide sequences of 26 vesicular stomatitis virus Indiana serotype (VSV IND) type 1 isolates from North and Central America. These sequences are also compared with partial G gene sequences of VSV IND type 2 (Cocal) and type 3 (Alagoas) viruses and the complete G gene sequences of the more distantly related VSV New Jersey (NJ) and Chandipura viruses. Phylogenetic analysis of the G gene sequences by maximum parsimony revealed four major lineages or subtypes within the classical VSV IND (type 1) viruses, each with a distinct geographic distribution. A high degree of VSV genetic diversity was found in Central America, with several virus subtypes of both VSV IND and NJ serotypes existing in this mainly enzootic disease region. Nineteen percent sequence variation but no deletions or insertions were evident within the 5' noncoding and the coding regions of the VSV IND type 1 G genes. In addition to numerous base substitutions, the 3' noncoding regions of these viruses also contained numerous base insertions and deletions. This resulted in striking variation in G gene sizes, with gene lengths ranging from 1,652 to 1,868 nucleotides. As the VSV IND type 1 subtypes have diverged from the common ancestor with the NJ subtypes, their G mRNAs have accumulated more 3' noncoding sequence inserts, ranging up to 303 nucleotides in length. These primarily consist of an imprecise reiteration of the sequence UUUUUAA, apparently generated by a unique polymerase stuttering error. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence differences among VSV IND type 1 viruses revealed numerous substitutions within defined antigenic epitopes, suggesting that immune selection may play a role in the evolution of these viruses.
The pathogenesis of drug-induced renal cystic disease

The pathogenesis of drug-induced renal cystic disease. Oral administration of 2-amino-4,5-diphenyl thiazole HCl to rats over a period of 11 weeks produced marked, diffuse, progressive renal cystic disease without significant tubular obstruction or interstitial fibrosis. Light and electron microscopic and microdissection studies demonstrated that cystic changes began in collecting ducts in the medulla and extended to cortical collecting and distal tubules and loops of Henle. Micropuncture studies on pair-fed control animals treated with the drug for five weeks and on pair-fed controls revealed that glomerular function was unaltered and that intratubular pressure and reabsorption of solute and water along proximal convoluted and distal tubules were normal in cystic kidneys. These data indicate that nephrons with cystic change are capable of normal function. In the absence of tubular obstruction, it is proposed that cystic disease was due to a drug-induced structural defect of the tubular basement membrane which in the presence of a normal transtubular pressure gradient results in progressive tubular dilatation. Pathogenie de la maladie renale kystique induite par une drogue. L'administration orale de 2-amino-4,5-diphenyl thiazole HCl a des rats pendant une periode de 11 semaines produit une maladie kystique intense, diffuse et progressive sans obstruction tubulaire ou fibrose interstitielle significatives. La microscopie optique et electronique et la microdissection montrent que les modifications kystiques atteignent d'abord les canaux collecteurs dans la medullaire et s'etendent ensuite aux canaux collecteurs corticaux, aux tubes distaux et aux anses de Henle. L'etude par microponctions d'animaux traites pendant cinq semaines et de controles nourris de la meme facon montre que la fonction glomerulaire n'est pas alteree, que la pression intratubulaire et la reabsorption d'eau et de substances dissoutes le long des tubes contournes proximaux et des tubes distaux sont normales dans les reins kystiques. Les observations indiquent que les nephrons atteints de modifications kystiques sont susceptibles d'un fonction normale. En l'absence d'obstruction tubulaire il est propose que la maladie kystique soit due a un defaut structural induit par la drogue, de la membrane basale tubulaire qui, en presence d'un gradient de pression transtubulaire normal, a pour consequence une dilatation tubulaire progressive.
Flight Simulation of a Hybrid Projectile to Estimate the Impact of Launch Angle on Range Extension

A Hybrid Projectile (HP) currently under design at West Virginia University was simulated to estimate the effects of barrel launch angle and flight position of wing deployment. The projectile is similar to a standard 60mm mortar, except that is has been equipped to achieve extended range. A Simulink model was developed based upon external ballistics. The flight performance of the WVU-HP-60 was compared to a standard M720 60mm mortar. The developed HP was considered to be a tube-launched UAV, that transforms, not directly after launch but sometime after for optimal gliding, and must be modeled with different flight profiles because after transformation the aerodynamics drastically change. Two models of the UAV were created to allow for design of controllers. They were the launch model and the projectile flight model. It was found that the projectile may exit the barrel with a two degree variation of launch angle. The simulations show that range extension is still viable, with this barrel exit variation, to within 10% of the maximum achievable range. A confidence area was also developed to determine how far the launch angle and wing deployment position could stray and still maintain a significant amount of range extension.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
N-Terminal homology in three cysteinyl proteases from Papaya latex.

Abstract Sequences to residue 17 have been determined for the three Papaya cysteinyl proteases, chymopapain and papaya peptidases A and B. Extensive homologies were found for these three enzymes and with papain and bromelain. These results suggest that the five sulphydryl enzymes discussed derive from a common ancestral gene.
Fast top-down intact protein characterization with capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE)–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) was applied for rapid top-down intact protein characterization. A mixture containing four model proteins (cytochrome c, myoglobin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and β-casein) was used as the sample. The CZE–ESI-MS system was first evaluated with the mixture. The four model proteins and five impurities were baseline-separated within 12 min. The limits of detection [signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) = 3] of the four model proteins ranged from 20 (cytochrome c) to 800 amol (BSA). The relative standard deviations of migration time and intensity for the four model proteins were less than 3% and 30%, respectively, in quintuplicate runs. CZE–ESI-MS/MS was then applied for top-down characterization of the mixture. Three of the model proteins (all except BSA) and an impurity (bovine transthyretin) were confidently identified by database searching of the acquired tandem spectra from protein fragmentation. Modifications includi...
Active vision system for depth extraction using multiprimitive hierarchical stereo analysis and multiple depth cues

Binocular stereo, vergence stereo, and depth from focus have been extensively studied in isolation in the past for extraction of depth. These passive approaches have their own strengths and limitations. All these cues differ in their input image requirements, computational requirements, and the quality and nature of results they provide. None of them by themselves is sufficient to reliably extract depth information from a wide variety of scenes. It is evident an integrated system which employs multiple cues and exploits their strengths would be most critical for developing a robust depth extraction system. Active vision paradigm allows us to develop such a system where various depth cues cooperate to derive the 3-D structure of the scene. In this, the integration would be accomplished by active intelligent control of the acquisition processes tightly coupled to the analysis of image data.
Elevated maternal serum α-fetoprotein levels: What is the risk of fetal ancuploidy?☆

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to present the findings of a project to determine the efficacy of including routine fetal karyotyping in the investigation of an elevated maternal serum α-fetoprotein concentration. Study design: Targeted ultrasonographic examinations were performed in 658 patients with elevated maternal serum α-fetoprotein levels. The scans were normal normal in 557 women, of whom 427 consented to amniocentesis; 435 fetuses were karyotyped. In the 101 patients with abnormal ultrasonographic examinations 75 had fetal karyotyping. Results: In the 435 fetuses with normal scans, two had karyotypic anomalies, a 47,XYY and an inherited balanced transiocation. Three fetuses with normal karyotypes and high amniotic fluid α-fetoprotein levels had congenital nephrosis. In the 101 patients with abnormal scans, 75 features were karyotyped. There were four aneuploidies. Among the 26 patients with abnormal scans who declined amniocentesis one fetus with multiple anomalies was karyotyped after delivery and triploidy was discovered. Conclusions: These results provide little justification for including fetal karyotyping in the investigation of elevated maternal serum α-fetoprotein when the targeted ultrasonographic examination is normal. When it is abnormal, selective rather than routine karyotyping is more appropriate.
The organization of the prosystemin gene

The organization of the gene encoding tomato prosystemin, a 200 amino acid protein precursor of the 18 amino acid polypeptide inducer of proteinase inhibitor synthesis in tomato and potato plants, is reported. The prosystemin sequence reveals that the gene, which is composed of five homologous pairs of exons plus a non-homologous exon at the C-terminus containing the systemin sequence, has evolved by several gene duplication-elongation events from a much smaller ancestral gene. The nucleotide and amino acid sequence homologies among the exons suggest that a small ancestral gene was duplicated to form at least two tandem repeats, followed by subsequent duplication-elongation events that resulted in five tandemly repeated nucleotide sequences and three duplicated amino acid sequence elements. Since the systemin nucleotide or amino acid sequence was not duplicated, it was either not part of the gene duplication-elongation events or its coding region evolved separately and may even have been added to the tandemly repeated part of the gene at a later time.
The world has changed: can planning change?

Abstract We are living in the midst of a fundamental process of historical change that is affecting the intellectual and social foundations of planning and its practice. The main elements of this multidimensional change are identified. The chances of the planning field responding to this historical mutation are evaluated and suggestions are offered about possible intellectual orientations.
Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of sural nerves in peripheral neuropathies.

Abstract Sural nerves obtained at autopsy and biopsy were examined histologically and subjected to gas-liquid chromatography. There was no correlation between the clinical severity or type of neuropathy and the histological appearance or the fiber numbers and diameter spectra of the nerves. Gas-liquid chromatography distinguished sural nerves obtained from patients with neuropathy occurring in association with diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and alcoholism from controls. It is suggested that this method of analysis of sural nerves may prove useful in diagnosis and in the understanding of the pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathies.
On What Basis Do You Vote? Developmental Perspectives for a Pluralistic Democracy

We face daunting national and global problems. But our political, economic, and social systems are functioning, intellectually and emotionally, at the most base levels articulated by various seminal human development theorists. Our two and four year colleges and universities must help all our citizens reach the level of complex development required to meet these challenges.
A comparison of terrestrial snail faunas between strip-mined land and relatively undisturbed land in Ohio, USA : an evaluation of recovery potential and changing faunal assemblages

Abstract Terrestrial snail surveys were conducted at 1693 ha of reclaimed strip-mined land at The Wilds and at 3344 ha of woodland at the Shawnee Wilderness Area, both in Ohio, USA. These areas shared the same original physiography, vegetative cover, and soils prior to mining and are believed to have had the same land snail assemblages. The Wilds consisted of 37% woods and 63% open fields, both the result of reclamation activities. The Shawnee site was 3% fields and 97% woods. Fifty species were recorded from Shawnee and 60 from The Wilds. The older areas of woodlands and marginal new growth stands in The Wilds had recovered up to 55% of the presumed original woodland fauna based on shared assemblages with Shawnee. The fields at The Wilds were dominated by species that were rare at Shawnee. We hypothesize that these species were adapted to specialized but sparse microhabitats at Shawnee and were able to successfully colonize the disturbed areas (fields) at The Wilds when given the opportunity. As the fields at The Wilds yield to new growth woods these “field” species should return to their lower densities in the woodlands. The ranges of the original woodland species at The Wilds, now confined to the older growth woods, will expand as succession continues. If the woodlands are left to expand, then we expect the majority of the original land snail fauna will eventually return to The Wilds. However, the conversion of original woodlands at The Wilds to open fields during reclamation has complicated and slowed this recovery process. Fifty years after restoration began, The Wilds has not regained its original snail fauna.
Lycopene attenuates arachidonic acid toxicity in HepG2 cells overexpressing CYP2E1

Arachidonic acid (AA) was shown to be toxic to HepG2 cells expressing cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) because of oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate whether lycopene, a carotenoid with high anti-oxidant capacity, protects HepG2 cells expressing CYP2E1 against AA toxicity. In preliminary experiments, lycopene as well as placebo (vehicle) were not toxic in the three types of cells tested: HepG2 cells, HepG2 cells transfected with pCI-neo (Neo) or pCI-neo/2E1 (2E1). AA produced toxic effects, especially in the 2E1 cells, and caused a remarkable increase in hydrogen peroxide production and lipid peroxidation compared to the Neo and HepG2 cells. Lycopene had a protective effect whereas the placebo did not. This was due, at least in part, to inhibition of hydrogen peroxide production and of the resulting lipid peroxidation, confirming the potent anti-oxidant properties of lycopene and its suitability for clinical studies.