cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multifocal Independent Spike Syndrome: Relationship to Hypsarrhythmia and the Slow Spike-Wave (Lennox-Gastaut) Syndrome:

During a 3 year period EEGs were performed in 64 children with multifocal independent spikes (MIS), 17 with slow spike-wave complexes (SSWC), 22 with MIS and SSWC and 15 with hypsarrhythmia. Only EEG records containing adequate wakefulness and sleep were analyzed in 40 children with two or more serial EEGs at least 5 months apart. Transitions from one pattern to another occurred in 25/40 patients, consistent in all cases with the following sequence : Hypsarrythmia → MIS → MIS and generalized discharges → SSWC. Patients with and without transitions did not differ in their age at presentation or duration of follow-up. Eleven of 12 patients whose initial EEG showed hypsarrhythmia or multifocal independent spikes underwent transitions, compared to 0/8 patients with SSWC (p < 0.001), indicating that SSWC is a stable pattern in children. Over a 6 month period, we also prospectively analyzed EEGs of 20 patients with multifocal spikes, hypsarrhythmia, and slow spike-wave complexes. Sleep activated additional spike foci, increased the frequency of generalized spike discharges and produced synchronization of bitemporal and bifrontal spike-wave discharges at 1.5-2.5 Hz the same as SSWC.
Amount of training and cue-evoked taste-reactivity responding in reinforcer devaluation.

In two experiments, rats received minimal (16) pairings of one auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) cue with a sucrose reinforcer, and extensive (112) pairings of another auditory CS with that reinforcer. After sucrose was devalued by pairing it with lithium chloride in some rats (Devalue groups) but not others (Maintain groups), taste reactivity (TR) and other responses to unflavored water were assessed in the presence of the auditory CSs alone. The minimally-trained CS controlled substantially more evaluative TR responses than the extensively-trained CS. Those TR responses were hedonic (positive) in the Maintain groups, but aversive (negative) in the Devalue groups. By contrast, food cup entry and other responses thought not to reflect evaluative taste processing were controlled more by the extensively-trained cue. These responses were reduced by sucrose devaluation to a similar extent regardless of the amount of training. The results suggest rapid changes in the content of learning as conditioning proceeds. Early in training, CSs may be capable of activating pre-evaluative processing of an absent food reinforcer that includes information about its palatability, but that capability is lost as training proceeds.
Information and entropy in the baker's map.

We analyze a random perturbation applied to the baker's map, a prototype for chaotic Hamiltonian evolution. We compare two strategies for following the perturbed evolution: (i) tracking the perturbed pattern in fine-grained detail; (ii) coarse graining by averaging over the perturbation. We find that the Landauer erasure cost associated wtih the information needed to implement the first strategy is overwhelmingly larger than the standard free-energy reduction associated with the second strategy. This finding provides a quantitative justification for coarse graining and thus an explanation of the second law of thermodynamics.
Rhythmic contractions of the blastoderm of the medaka Oryzias latipes, a teleost

The blastoderm of the medaka embryo contracts rhythmically during epiboly; the time for a contractile wave to move over the entire blastoderm is about one minute at 25°C. The primary objective of this study was to determine which layer(s) of the blastoderm participate in these contractions. We watched changes in the shape of wounds in the enveloping layer (a simple epithelium that covers the blastoderm), contractions of embryos in which the segmentation cavity had been inflated with saline media, and the movement of embryos from which the enveloping layer had been surgically removed. We conclude that both the enveloping layer and the underlying yolk syncytial layer participate in the contractions. The contractions were inhibited by cytochalasin B (5 or 10 μg/ml), by introducing 100 mM K+ into the segmentation cavity, and by bubbling carbon dioxide through the bathing medium. Elevating the [K+] in the external medium had no apparent effect on the contraction nor did adding the cholinergic antagonists, atropine and d-tubocurarine, to either the bathing medium or the segmentation cavity. We conclude that microfilaments are involved in the contractions, and we discuss the possibilities that changes in the membrane potential of the cells may precede or accompany the contractions and that the contractile waves may be preceded by signals propagated through gap junctions. We conclude, furthermore, that acetylcholine has no role in either the initiation or the propagation of the contractile waves. An improved method for dechorionating medaka embryos, based on previously published protocols, is described. With this method, embryos can be dechorionated in 3 hours and can be obtained as young as blastulae.
Microglial regulation of cholinergic differentiation in the basal forebrain

Because inflammation during pregnancy can lead to neurodevelopmental anomalies, we investigated the role of inflamed microglia on cholinergic precursors in the rat embryonic basal forebrain (BF) cultured on embryonic day 15. Conditioned medium (CM) taken from microglia stimulated variously (microglial CM; MCM) increased activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the enzyme responsible for acetylcholine biosynthesis and a phenotypic hallmark of the cholinergic neuron. There was a concomitant decline in glutamic acid decarboxylase expression. Of stimulators tested, only β-amyloid failed to produce effective MCM. Infection with a Lac-Z-containing retrovirus revealed that MCM promoted cholinergic differentiation from undifferentiated precursors in the population. Several candidates were tested for their ability to mimic MCM. Mature nerve growth factor (NGF) did not mimic MCM, but acted synergistically with it to promote enormous increases in ChAT activity. However, a microglial cell line produced high-molecular weight forms of NGF (pro-NGF) that were lethal to mature cholinergic neurons. Although bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) 2, 4, and 9 increased ChAT activity dose-dependently, noggin did not inhibit the effects of the MCM, suggesting that BMPs were not the only active factor(s) in the MCM. Embryonic microglia isolated following maternal inflammation produced a variety of immune system cytokines and chemokines. One of these, interleukin-6 (IL-6), was tested for its ability to promote cholinergic differentiation. Although IL-6 alone did not mimic the action of MCM, neutralization of it inhibited MCM effectiveness. Thus, following maternal inflammation, a complex microglial-derived cocktail of factors can promote excess cholinergic differentiation in the embryonic BF.
Ab initio analysis of Guinier–Preston–Bagaryatsky zone nucleation in Al–Cu–Mg alloys

Abstract Due to the inherit difficulties associated with microstructure characterization in the early stages of aging, the origin of rapid hardening in Al–Cu–Mg alloys remains a poorly understood and controversial issue. This work addresses the precipitation processes in the early stages by ab initio modeling of Guinier–Preston–Bagaryatsky (GPB) zone nucleation. We derive the structural nature of GPB zone nuclei and establish that the nucleation starts with 1D-GPB1 crystals, which represent thermodynamically stable configurations at the size scale previously associated only with solute clusters. It is also established that the 1D-GPB1 can form very rapidly due a simple structural transition from face-centered-cubic-based configurations (clusters). The formation of GPB zones in the early stages of aging is validated by comparison with previous experimental measurements. Based on previous experimental evidence, it is postulated that GPB zones rather than solute clusters may be able to rationalize the rapid hardening in the Al–Cu–Mg alloys.
Molecular typing and fluconazole susceptibility of urinary Candida glabrata isolates from hospitalized patients

Abstract At our community teaching hospital between August 1994 and August 1995, Candida glabrata accounted for 14% of all Candida isolates and for 31% of urinary Candida isolates. The culture site was urine for 68% of C. glabrata isolates compared to 30% of all Candida isolates ( p χ 2 ). To study the association between C. glabrata and isolation from the urine, we analyzed all available C. glabrata urinary isolates over a 3-month period (23 isolates from 20 patients) using electrophoretic karyotyping, random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, and fluconazole susceptibility testing. Random amplified polymorphic DNA generated eight types, although electrophoretic karyotyping generated 17 types. Combining the two methods resulted in 19 types indicating that urinary C. glabrata strains at our hospital are genetically diverse and the association between C. glabrata and urinary tract isolation does not appear to be due to horizontal transmission of a single or small number of strains. In vitro susceptibility tests showed that C. glabrata isolates from patients receiving fluconazole had significantly higher minimum inhibitory concentrations to fluconazole than those not receiving fluconazole ( p ). Despite a limited number of patients and isolates, our data suggest that selection of less susceptible organisms by the presence of antifungal agents may be an important contributor to increased urinary isolation of C. glabrata from patients in our hospital.
Does Nonsurgical Treatment of Exodeviations Work

There are proven successful nonsurgical treatments for exodeviations, and, very specifically, convergence insufficiency. Clinicians have sought nonsurgical treatments for a variety of reasons both ...
Surface interactions in the Pt/-AlO system

Using temperature-programmed reduction, Pt oxide deposited on γ -Al 2 O 3 was found to be present in two phases: a particulate phase in which the Pt oxide is aggregated and has little interaction with the support, and a dispersed phase in which Pt oxide has a larger interaction with the support. The lower the concentration of Pt oxide in the dispersed phase, the stronger is the Pt oxide-support interaction. Using selective chemisorption of H 2 and CO on Pt/ γ -Al 2 O 3 samples, the Pt oxide concentration in the dispersed phase was found to increase proportionally with Pt loading until a saturation concentration of 2.2 μ mol Pt/m 2 (BET) is reached. Beyond this concentration, the excess Pt oxide aggregates to form a particulate phase. At 500°C in O 2 a quasi-equilibrium between Pt oxide in the dispersed phase and that in the particulate phase is reached. The behavior of Pt oxide on γ -Al 2 O 3 during other various heat treatments was found, using transmission electron microscopy, to depend on Pt loading as well as temperature and chemical atmosphere.
Protective effect of N-acetylcysteine against fetal death and preterm labor induced by maternal inflammation

Abstract Objective: Intrauterine and maternal systemic infections are proposed causes of preterm labor. The resulting prematurity is associated with 75% of infant mortality and 50% of long-term neurologic handicaps. We hypothesize that free radicals generated in large quantities during an inflammatory response shift the fetomaternal redox balance to an oxidative state, compromising the fetus. Thus, if our working hypothesis is correct, selective inactivation of free radicals with N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant and glutathione (GSH) precursor, would improve the outcome of preterm deliveries associated with inflammation. We tested aspects of this hypothesis in an animal model of preterm labor and fetal damage (death). Study Design: NAC (1 g/kg) was administered orally to C57Bl/6 mice injected intraperitoneally with either 10 μg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline solution (CRL) on day 16 of gestation. The latency period (time from injection to delivery of the first pup) and fetal viability were recorded. To discriminate between an effect of prematurity from an effect of inflammation, and to document any improvement in survival, mice were killed at 3, 6, and 16 hours after injection. Maternal and fetal redox states were approximated by measuring hepatic GSH. Results: Each C57Bl/6 LPS-treated mouse delivered prematurely after a significantly shorter latency period (LPS: 16.8 hours [95% CI 15.9-17.6] vs CRL: 54.7 hours [95% CI 43.8-65.5]). NAC doubled the latency interval of LPS-treated animals to 35.2 hours (95% CI 21.0-49.2). LPS alone resulted in a 100% rate of stillbirth. Fifty-eight percent of fetuses were already dead 16 hours after LPS. In contrast, only 33% of fetuses were dead 16 hours after LPS ( P = .001) when NAC was given. LPS was followed by a reduction in maternal (LPS: 26.3 nmol/mg [95% CI 19.9-32.8] vs CRL: 41.3 nmol/mg [95% CI 34.7-47.9, P P Conclusion: Maternal inflammation in C57Bl/6 mice results in oxidative stress associated with maternal and fetal GSH depletion. Oxidative stress damages the fetus independent of prematurity. Restoration of maternal and fetal oxidative balance by NAC protects the fetus and reduces the rate of preterm birth. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:·203-8.)
Microtubule assembly: Switched on with magnets.

Magnetic nanoparticles coated with proteins can be used to control the assembly of complex cytoskeletal structures.
Pax Transactivation-Domain Interacting Protein Is Required for Urine Concentration and Osmotolerance in Collecting Duct Epithelia

Pax transactivation-domain interacting protein (PTIP) is a widely expressed nuclear protein that is essential for early embryonic development. PTIP was first identified on the basis of its interactions with the developmental regulator Pax2 but can also bind to other nuclear transcription factors. The Pax2 protein is essential for development of the renal epithelia and for regulating the response of mature collecting ducts to hyperosmotic stress. For determination of whether PTIP also functions in more differentiated cell types, the Cre-LoxP system was used to delete the ptip gene in the renal collecting ducts using Ksp-Cre driver mice. Collecting duct-specific ptip knockout mice were viable with little discernible phenotype under normal physiologic conditions. However, collecting duct-specific ptip mutants were unable to concentrate urine after the treatment of desamino-cis, D-arginine vasopressin, an antidiuretic hormone. Furthermore, aquaporin-2 (AQP2) expression in the inner medulla of the ptip knockout mice was decreased approximately 10-fold compared with that of wild-type littermates. Expression level of tonicity responsive enhancer binding protein, a transcription factor of AQP2, is not altered in the mutant mice, but its nuclear localization in the inner medulla is unresponsive after treatment with vasopressin agonists. This was due, at least in part, to decreased expression of the arginine vasopressin receptor 2 in ptip mutants. Furthermore, ptip null inner medullary collecting duct cells were sensitive to hyperosmolality in vitro. Thus, ptip is required for the urine concentration mechanism by modulating arginine vasopressin receptor 2 and AQP2 expression in the inner medulla. The data suggest an essential role for ptip in regulating urine concentration and in controlling survival of collecting duct epithelial cells in high osmolality.
Integration or segregation of deviants? The physically handicapped child.

The idea of integrating the deviant or “different” person into the normal group is becoming almost an unquestioned goal in social, educational, work or recreational areas. Yet segregating the “different” on a voluntary or planned basis is still promoted, usually for reasons of protection from social slight. This is a report of an ongoing study of physically handicapped children either integrated in normal summer camps or segregated in specialized camps. It offers some findings and hypotheses on the effects of segregation and integration on social behavior and adjustment.
Reorganization of Striatal Inhibitory Microcircuits Leads to Pathological Synchrony in the Basal Ganglia

Neural synchronization plays an important role in information flow in the nervous system under healthy and pathological conditions. In this issue of Neuron, Gittis et al. show that reorganization of striatal microcircuits promotes synchronous activity and may underlie the pathological network oscillations at the root of motor symptoms described in Parkinson's disease.
Neuroprotection in ischemic stroke: AhR we making progress?

Cerebrovascular accidents, more commonly referred to as strokes, remain the second most common cause of mortality and the third most common cause of disability worldwide.1 It has been estimated that more than three quarters of all strokes in the United States are attributable to ischemia, with the remainder principally related to intracranial hemorrhage.2,3 Although our attempts to address modifiable risk factors for stroke have decreased the incidence of stroke, stroke-related death and disability are increasing at concerning rates.4,5 These observations lie in stark contrast to contemporary metrics for acute myocardial infarction, for which both short-term mortality and long-term mortality have been decreasing over the past 30 years,6,7 concomitant with the increasing use of prompt reperfusion strategies, including primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The cell types affected in the context of stroke and myocardial infarction (neurons and cardiomyocytes, respectively) are similar in that both are terminally differentiated cells that are exquisitely sensitive to ischemic insults. Following the adage that “time is brain” in the setting of acute ischemic stroke, the benefit of restoring blood flow with thrombolytic therapy decreases in a continuous fashion over time, with studies demonstrating that each 15-minute delay in the time to initiation of therapy is associated with reduced odds of independent ambulation and survival.8,9 However, compared with coronary revascularization, the temporal window for safe and effective cerebral reperfusion therapy is exceedingly narrow and complicated by the challenges associated with identifying stroke symptoms and obtaining rapid …
Development of a high-throughput yeast two-hybrid screening system to study protein-protein interactions in plants.

We have developed a high-throughput yeast two-hybrid screening system (HTP-YTH) that incorporates yeast gap-repair cloning, multiple positive (ADE2, HIS3, lacZ) and negative (URA3-based) selection schemes to reduce the incidence of negative and false positive clones, and automation of laboratory procedures to increase throughput. This HTP-YTH system has been applied to the study of protein-protein interactions that are involved in rice defense signal transduction pathways. More than 100 genes involved in plant defense responses were selected from DuPont's rice expressed sequence tag (EST) databases as baits for HTP-YTH screening. Results from YTH screening of eight of these rice genes are presented in this paper. Not only have we identified known protein-protein interactions, but we have also discovered novel interactions, which may ultimately reveal the regulatory network of host defense signal transduction pathways. We have demonstrated that our HTP-YTH method can be used to map protein-protein interaction networks and signal transduction pathways in any system. In combination with other approaches, such efficient YTH screens can help us systemically to study the functions of known and unknown genes in the genomics era.
Reductionism Redux: The Continuity Between Humans and Other Animals

In an impressive variety of ways, posthumanists are demonstrating that the lines separating humans from animals and machines are not very clear-cut or stable. Since the human has produced its own s...
Immunocytochemical Localization of Fos in Perfused Nonhuman Primate Brain Tissue: Fixation and Antisera Selection

Immunocytochemical localization of immediate early gene proteins, such as Fos, provides a powerful tool with which to demonstrate activated neuronal populations in response to specific stimuli. In contrast to studies using rat brain tissue that consistently show good Fos detection with a variety of antisera, studies using brain tissue from other species yield variable Fos detection. This may be partly due to differences in Fos protein sequences among species or to perfusion and fixation methods. To determine the ability of various Fos antisera to detect neuronal activation in nonhuman primate tissue, we tested nine Fos antisera and compared these antibodies under conditions of intense or physiological stimulation. Monkey brain tissue was either perfused and postfixed with 4% paraformaldehyde or perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde and postfixed with 2.5% acrolein in 4% paraformaldehyde. In rat tissue, stained for comparison, several antisera resulted in good to excellent Fos detection. However, few antisera tested in monkey tissue resulted in excellent Fos staining. We demonstrate that detection of Fos in monkey brain tissue perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde can be improved by postfixation in a dilute acrolein solution. Our findings emphasize the importance of choosing appropriate antisera and perfusion-fixation procedures to optimize Fos detection in nonhuman primate tissue.
Logistic ensembles of Random Spherical Linear Oracles for microarray classification

Random Spherical Linear Oracles (RSLO) for DNA microarray gene expression data are proposed for classifier fusion. RSLO employs random hyperplane splits of samples in the principal component score space based on the first three principal components (X, Y,Z) of the input feature set. Hyperplane splits are used to assign training(testing) samples to separate logistic regression mini-classifiers, which increases the diversity of voting results since errors are not shared across mini-classifiers. We recommend use of RSLO with 3-4 10-fold CV and re-partitioning samples randomly every ten iterations prior to each 10-fold CV. This equates to a total of 30-40 iterations.
Propagating wave and irregular dynamics: spatiotemporal patterns of cholinergic theta oscillations in neocortex in vitro.

Neocortical “theta” oscillation (5–12 Hz) has been observed in animals and human subjects but little is known about how the oscillation is organized in the cortical intrinsic networks. Here we use ...
Dual-V_DD Clock Distribution for Low Power and Minimum Temperature Fluctuations Induced Skew

A methodology based on supply voltage scaling for lowering the power consumption and temperature fluctuations induced skew of clock distribution networks is proposed in this paper. The clock signal is distributed globally at a lower optimum supply voltage. To maintain the speed of the system, a dual supply voltage (dual-VDD) clock distribution network is presented. Level converters are utilized to restore the standard full swing clock signal at the leaves of the low voltage clock distribution network. A novel level converter with low skew, propagation delay, and power consumption characteristics is presented. The optimum supply voltage that minimizes clock skew is 44% lower than the nominal supply voltage in a 0.18mum CMOS technology. The temperature fluctuations induced skew and power consumption of the proposed dualdual-VDD clock distribution network are 74% and 50.8% lower, respectively, as compared to a standard clock distribution network operating at the nominal supply voltage
Distribution of Interdivisional Times In Proliferating and Differentiating Friend Murine Erythroleukaemia Cells

The interdivisional times of Friend murine erythroleukaemia cells which are growing continuously, or during terminal erythroid differentiation after exposure to dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), were determined by time lapse video photography. The median interdivisional times were found to increase from 11.75 hr before exposure to DMSO, to 24.0 hr at 72 hr after exposure. This increase in median interdivisional time was accompanied by an increase in heterogeneity of interdivisional times (%CV = 8.5----40.8), by an increase in the similarity of sister interdivisional times (ryy = 0.622----0.925), and by a decrease in the fraction of cells observed to divide (F = 1.0----0.807). Cells exposed to DMSO for 72 hr can be induced to divide at least once with nearly normal interdivisional times, if they are resuspended at a tenfold higher cell concentration. Computer simulations of cell cycle regulation, based on the opposing reactions model of Murphy, generate interdivisional time distributions which resemble the experimental data better than the single transition probability model of Smith and Martin.
Neurocognitive Allied Phenotypes for Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Psychiatric disorders are genetically complex and represent the end product of multiple biological and social factors. Links between genes and disorder-related abnormalities can be effectively captured via assessment of phenotypes that are both associated with genetic effects and potentially contributory to behavioral abnormalities. Identifying intermediate or allied phenotypes as a strategy for clarifying genetic contributions to disorders has been successful in other areas of medicine and is a promising strategy for identifying susceptibility genes in complex psychiatric disorders. There is growing evidence that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, rather than being wholly distinct disorders, share genetic risk at several loci. Further, there is growing evidence of similarity in the pattern of cognitive and neurobiological deficits in these groups, which may be the result of the effects of these common genetic factors. This review was undertaken to identify patterns of performance on neurocognitive and affective tasks across probands with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as well as unaffected family members, which warrant further investigation as potential intermediate trait markers. Available evidence indicates that measures of attention regulation, working memory, episodic memory, and emotion processing offer potential for identifying shared and illness-specific allied neurocognitive phenotypes for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, very few studies have evaluated neurocognitive dimensions in bipolar probands or their unaffected relatives, and much work in this area is needed.
Child–therapist and parent–therapist alliance and therapeutic change in the treatment of children referred for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior

Background: We examined the therapeutic alliance in evidence-based treatment for children (N = 77, 19 girls, 58 boys, ages 6–14) referred clinically for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior. Method: Different alliances (child–therapist, parent–therapist) were assessed from each participant's perspective at two points over the course of treatment. Both the quality of the child–therapist and the parent–therapist alliance predicted therapeutic changes in the children; the parent–therapist alliance also predicted improvements in parenting practices in the home. Results: The findings could not easily be attributed to the influence of other domains (socioeconomic disadvantage, parent psychopathology and stress, and severity of child dysfunction) known to predict therapeutic change or to rater effects (common rater variance) in the predictors and criteria. Conclusion: The therapeutic alliance warrants increased attention to understand the precise role in treatment and whether or how the alliance can be mobilized to enhance change.
Ultrafast electron localization dynamics following photo-induced charge transfer

Molecular dynamics occurring in the earliest stages following photo-induced charge transfer were investigated. Femtosecond time-resolved absorption anisotropy measurements on [Ru(bpy) 3 ] 2+ , where bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine, reveal a time dependence in nitrile solutions attributed to initial delocalization of the excited state over all three ligands followed by charge localization onto a single ligand. The localization process is proposed to be coupled to nondiffusive solvation dynamics. In contrast, measurements sampling population dynamics show spectral evolution associated with wave packet motion on the excited state surface that is independent of solvent. The results therefore reveal two important contributions to the evolution of charge transfer states in condensed phase, one that is strongly coupled to the surrounding environment and another that follows a potential internal to the molecule.
Lighting Up the Brain With Songs and Stories

Songs and stories have a strong relationship to each other and have the capacity to boost brain development, increase vocabulary, and promote future academic success. The sounds and foundational structures of reading and singing provide young children with successful pathways for advancing language skills, increasing memory, and promoting emerging literacy.They both provide multiple opportunities for engaging in reciprocal vocalizations while simultaneously immersing children in the structure, rhythms, rhymes, and melodic patterns of language. Brain imaging provides researchers and teachers with evidence the songs and stories can “light up the brain.”
Sepsis-induced muscle growth hormone resistance occurs independently of STAT5 phosphorylation.

Growth hormone (GH) stimulates insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) synthesis in both liver and muscle. During sepsis, proinflammatory cytokines inhibit GH action in liver, but it is unknown whethe...
A DOM Tree Alignment Model for Mining Parallel Data from the Web

This paper presents a new web mining scheme for parallel data acquisition. Based on the Document Object Model (DOM), a web page is represented as a DOM tree. Then a DOM tree alignment model is proposed to identify the translationally equivalent texts and hyperlinks between two parallel DOM trees. By tracing the identified parallel hyperlinks, parallel web documents are recursively mined. Compared with previous mining schemes, the benchmarks show that this new mining scheme improves the mining coverage, reduces mining bandwidth, and enhances the quality of mined parallel sentences.
Unraveling architecture of the pluripotent genome

Genomes are folded into sophisticated configurations that both shape, and are shaped by, a diverse range of nuclear functions. High-throughput variations of Chromosome-Conformation-Capture-based technologies now enable analysis of architecture at unprecedented resolution and scale. Here I discuss the complex structure-function relationship of the mammalian genome using the model system of embryonic stem cells, and the progression from pluripotency to terminal differentiation and back again.
Adaptive Topologic Optimization for Large-Scale Stream Mining

Real-time classification and identification of specific features in high-volume data streams are critical for a plethora of applications, including large-scale multimedia analysis, processing, and retrieval. Content of interest is filtered using a collection of binary classifiers that are deployed on distributed resource-constrained infrastructure. In this paper, we focus on selecting the optimal topology (chain) of classifiers, and present algorithms for classifier ordering and configuration, to tradeoff accuracy of feature identification with filtering delay. The order selection is dependent on the data characteristics, system resource constraints as well as the performance and complexity characteristics of each classifier. We first develop centralized algorithms for joint ordering and individual classifier operating point selection. We then propose a decentralized approach and use reinforcement learning methods to design a dynamic routing based order selection strategy. We investigate different learning strategies that lead to rapid convergence, while requiring minimum coordination and message exchange.
The Social Life of Scientific Theories: A Case Study from Behavioral Sciences

This article reports on the third phase of a comparative epistemological, ontological, and social analysis of a variety of approaches to investigating human behavior. In focusing on the fate of scientific ideas once they leave the context in which they were developed, I hope not only to show that their communication for a broader audience imposes a shape on their interrelations different than they seem to have in the research context, but also to suggest that a study comparing different approaches to the same phenomenon is more illuminating than one that focuses on a single approach.
The rate of fluvial gravel dispersion

[1] Sediment dispersion is a fundamental process embedded in the bedload of rivers but the rate at which it occurs is poorly known. This study quantifies the streamwise and vertical dispersion rates of gravels over a long flood sequence by using magnetically tagged clasts. Both grain virtual velocity and grain burial rate decline rapidly as a function of expended flow energy and attain limiting values that are a small proportion of initial rates. Differences between grain sizes lessen over time as equilibrium rates of dispersion are achieved. Relative rates demonstrate that streamwise dispersion dominates over vertical dispersion, although the latter persists as an essential part of the dispersion process.
Women and Men Policymakers: Does the Judge's Gender Affect the Sentencing of Criminal Defendants?

In this study we compare the sentencing decisions of women and men judges to assess whether they impose similar sentences on criminal defendants and whether they use the same criteria and give the same weight to characteristics of a case when arriving at a decision. The data include detailed information on case andjudge characteristics, cover a large number of cases, and involve a fairly sizable number offemale and malejudges. Besides their relevancefor understandingjudicial decision making and women in politics, the data are exceptionally well suitedfor addressing the recurrent social science inquiry into whether a policymaker's individual characteristics or organizational role has a greater influence on decision making as well as the current debate between "minimalist" and "maximalist" views ofgender differences. Our results -based on additive and interactive models - indicate many similarities but some differences between women and men judges in their sentencing practices. Women judges are somewhat harsher (i.e., more likely to incarcerate and impose longer sentences), and they slant toward a more contextualized style in weighing the effects of defendant characteristics and prior record on sentencing outcomes. Notably, they are particularly harsh toward repeat black offenders.
Proposal of Afipia gen. nov., with Afipia felis sp. nov. (formerly the cat scratch disease bacillus), Afipia clevelandensis sp. nov. (formerly the Cleveland Clinic Foundation strain), Afipia broomeae sp. nov., and three unnamed genospecies.

On the basis of phenotypic characterization and DNA relatedness determinations, the genus Afipia gen. nov., which contains six species, is described. The type species is Afipia felis sp. nov. (the cat scratch disease bacillus). Afipia clevelandensis sp. nov., Afipia broomeae sp. nov., and three unnamed not associated with cat-borne disease. All but one strain (Afipia genospecies 3) were isolated from human wound and respiratory sources. All Afipia species are gram-negative, oxidase-positive, nonfermentative rods in the alpha-2 subgroup of the class Proteobacteria. They are motile by means of a single flagellum. They grow on buffered charcoal-yeast extract agar and nutrient broth, but rarely on MacConkey agar, at 25 and 30 degrees C. They are urease positive; but they are negative in reactions for hemolysis, indole production, H2S production (triple sugar iron agar), gelatin hydrolysis, esculin hydrolysis, and peptonization of litmus milk. They do not produce acid oxidatively from D-glucose, lactose, maltose, or sucrose. The major cell wall fatty acids are 11-methyloctadec-12-enoic (CBr19:1), cis-octadec-11-enoic (C18:1omega7c), and generally, 9,10-methylenehexadecanote and 11,12-methyleneoctadecanoate; and there are only trace amounts of hydroxy acids. The guanineplus-cytosine content is 61.5 to 69 mol%. A. felis is positive for nitrate reduction and is delayed positive for acid production from D-xylose, but it is catalase negative. A. clevelandensis is negative in all of these tests. A. broomeae is weakly positive for catalase production and acid production from D-xylose, but it is negative for nitrate reduction. Images
Spatially-explicit sensitivity analysis of an agent-based model of land use change

The complexity of land use and land cover LULC change models is often attributed to spatial heterogeneity of the phenomena they try to emulate. The associated outcome uncertainty stems from a combination of model unknowns. Contrarily to the widely shared consensus on the importance of evaluating outcome uncertainty, little attention has been given to the role a well-structured spatially explicit sensitivity analysis SSA of LULC models can play in corroborating model results. In this article, I propose a methodology for SSA that employs sensitivity indices SIs, which decompose outcome uncertainty and allocate it to various combinations of inputs. Using an agent-based model of residential development, I explore the utility of the methodology in explaining the uncertainty of simulated land use change. Model sensitivity is analyzed using two approaches. The first is spatially inexplicit in that it applies SI to scalar outputs, where outcome land use maps are lumped into spatial statistics. The second approach, which is spatially explicit, employs the maps directly in SI calculations. It generates sensitivity maps that allow for identifying regions of factor influence, that is, areas where a particular input contributes most to the clusters of residential development uncertainty. I demonstrate that these two approaches are complementary, but at the same time can lead to different decisions regarding input factor prioritization.
Metal Enhancement of Near-IR Fluorescence for Molecular Biotechnology Applications

Metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) can increase the overall emissions of a multitude of fluorophores by positioning the fluorophore in close proximity to an appropriate metal-coated surface. Near-infrared (near-IR) fluorophores placed near these metal surfaces combine the increased emissions of MEF with the low background characteristics of near-IR fluorescence. Together, this combination of high emission, low background detection may provide a powerful tool in the analysis of biological samples. In this brief review, we will outline the feasibility of using near-IR MEF in biotechnology research, will cover the types of experiments required to bring this technology from the feasibility stage to a commercial product, usable by molecular biologists, and will investigate the sources of background emissions that may be further reduced in the future.
Natureworks: Green Chemistry's Contribution to Biotechnology, Innovation, Commercialization, and Strategic Positioning

In 2002, NatureWorks LLC, a small subsidiary of U.S. agricultural giant Cargill Inc., was recognized for its development of the first synthetic polymer class to be produced from renewable resources, specifically from corn grown in the American midwest. The product held the potential to substitute a renewable feedstock for petroleum-based polymers. With this enormous vote of confidence, the company was poised to move forward from a niche market in which it was selling tens of thousands of tons polylactic acid to a mainstream one with possibly hundreds of thousands of tons in sales. But how could it position itself to do so profitably?
Assessing the Reliability and Validity of the Survey Measures of Guan, Jiao, and Xiao: Beyond Wang and Supple (2010)

Wang and Supple (2010) developed measurement scales for the indigenous Chinese constructs of guan and jiao. Guan referred to parents’ active monitoring, and jiao referred to parental advice and expectations. It was found that parental jiao impacted adolescent outcomes most effectively when it was successful in eliciting adolescent xiao, the respectful attitudes toward parental socialization. The present study was intended to replicate and expand Wang and Supple's study with a larger sample of Chinese adolescents, as well as a wider range of adolescent outcomes, in an attempt to provide stronger evidence for the concurrent and criterion validity of the guan, jiao, and xiao scales. Positive associations were demonstrated among guan, jiao, parental knowledge, and parental authority. Further, results of path analysis suggested that guan, jiao, and xiao appeared to be important factors in parent–adolescent relationships, but the specific socialization processes depended on the outcome of interest. Also, mother...
Effects of increasing tip velocity on wind turbine rotor design.

A reduction in cost of energy from wind is anticipated when maximum allowable tip velocity is allowed to increase. Rotor torque decreases as tip velocity increases and rotor size and power rating are held constant. Reduction in rotor torque yields a lighter weight gearbox, a decrease in the turbine cost, and an increase in the capacity for the turbine to deliver cost competitive electricity. The high speed rotor incurs costs attributable to rotor aero-acoustics and system loads. The increased loads of high speed rotors drive the sizing and cost of other components in the system. Rotor, drivetrain, and tower designs at 80 m/s maximum tip velocity and 100 m/s maximum tip velocity are created to quantify these effects. Component costs, annualized energy production, and cost of energy are computed for each design to quantify the change in overall cost of energy resulting from the increase in turbine tip velocity. High fidelity physics based models rather than cost and scaling models are used to perform the work. Results provide a quantitative assessment of anticipated costs and benefits for high speed rotors. Finally, important lessons regarding full system optimization of wind turbines are documented.
Similarities and differences in alcohol trajectories: Testing the catch-up effect among biracial black subgroups

Using National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health (Add Health) data, we examine the alcohol-use trajectories of monoracial Black youth and biracial Black-White, Black-Hispanic, and Black-American Indian youth to assess how their trajectories differ from the alcohol-use trajectories of White youth over time. The sample consists of 9421 adolescents and young adults who self-identified as White, Black, Black-American Indian, Black-Hispanic, or Black-White. Study hypotheses are tested using latent growth curve modeling. Results indicate that a catch-up effect exists, but only for Black-American Indians whose alcohol-use rates approach the higher rates of Whites at age 29. Black-American Indians face particularly high risk of problematic drinking over the life course. Additional research is needed to understand causal factors of alcohol-use among biracial individuals particularly Black-American Indians who may be at higher risk for alcohol misuse.
Some Notes on the Mexican Bean Beetle Problem

The Mexican bean beetle spread widely in 1927, and reached the province of Ontario, Canada, as well as the great bean producing states of Michigan and New York. It spread further eastward in the Atlantic seaboard states from South Carolina to Pennsylvania. The damage done in 1927 in areas previously infested, establishes this pest as an important one which will require continued effort on the part of the extension and the research entomologist. Magnesium arsenate or calcium arsenate and lime have proved to be superior to sodium fluosilicate in combating this insect. Analyses of sprayed beans indicate that there is no danger from the use of these poisons when applied as recommended. Native parasites have not aided materially in suppressing this pest in the United States.
Variable isochromatic/isopachic-fringe visibility in photoholoelasticity

This paper presents a new “hybrid” method whereby the ratio of the isochromatic-fringe visibility/isopachic-fringe visibility may be easily and continuously varied. This simple procedure merely combines a conventional polariscope with a holographic system. A variable beam splitter permits an incoherent superposition of the reconstruction of a doubly exposed hologram with real-time isochromatics, either dark or light field. By varying the ratios of the above two, in the image plane, numerous interesting results may be obtained including: (1) Isochromatics only, without errors in position (2) Isochromatics-isopachic fringes identical to those obtained through classical interferometry (3) Isochromatic-isopachic fringes whereby the amplitude modulation between the two may be minimized (4) Continuously variable isopachic/isochromatic-fringe visibility.
Regionalism as Illustrated by the Western Hemisphere: Solidarity of the Americas

membership in an interregional or superregional universal organization. It is preferable that the framework of the regional systems be established in a cool, unemotional atmosphere. Leaders of governments sharing common fate in exile are expected to reach wider agreements than would be otherwise possible. Hastily concocted unions, such as the plan of French-British federation offered by Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Prime Minister Paul Reynaud during the final hours of the Third Republic in 1940, could be of only doubtful duration. Reconciliation under momentary pressure is not the foundation on which a reconstructed world can prosper. During the First World War the German army "united" Europe from the Scheldt to Venice, from Lithuania to the Black Sea. During the Second World War Germany has given birth to a fam of European regionalism, ranging from the Spitzbergens to the Pyrenees, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the banks of the Volga. The Germans have shown that Europe can be united. The United Nations are expected to prove that there can be European unity without imperialistic domination by a self-styled master race. The issue is no longer whether Europe should remain united, but under what form, with what governmental machinery, under the aegis of what ideology, and under whose leadership.
Retroperitoneal hemorrhage from a ruptured renal artery aneurysm with spontaneous resolution

Rupture of a renal artery aneurysm is an acute surgical event with a high associated mortality rate. We report an unusual case of acute retroperitoneal hemorrhage from a ruptured renal artery aneurysm that resolved spontaneously with resultant pseudoaneurysm formation. Elective surgical management was performed with a simplified technique involving ligation of the neck of the renal artery aneurysm.
Intelligence and Air Strategies in the Arctic, 1954–60

Between 1954 and 1960 Norwegian territory afforded a unique location from which to collect strategic and tactical intelligence on the Soviet Union.3 There were several reasons for this.