cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural organization and chromosomal localization of the human ribosomal protein L9 gene

The intron-containing gene for the human ribosomal protein L9 has been cloned, sequenced and localized. The gene is approximately 5.5 kb in length and contains 8 exons. Splice sites follow the AG/GT consensus rule. The message for human rpL9 is 712 nt in length and is detected in all tissues examined. In the adult, expression is highest in retina and liver while brain shows highest expression among the fetal tissues tested. The transcription start site contains an oligopyrimidine tract, TTCTTTCTT, similar to those found in other ribosomal protein genes. As in other previously characterized ribosomal protein genes, a TATA box is absent from the 5' flanking region but a number of elements recognized by common transcription factors are present including Sp1 sites, CACCC boxes, inverted CCAAT boxes, and GATA elements. Another possible element of interest in the rpL9 5' flanking region is RFX1 also found in the well characterized rat rpL30 promoter. The gene was mapped by fluorescent in situ hybridization to band 13p of chromosome 4. At least 8 possible pseudogenes are present in the human genome, one of which is on Xp. As assessed by Southern 'Zoo-blot' analysis and direct cDNA sequence comparison, the human ribosomal protein L9 gene, like other ribosomal protein genes, is highly conserved among mammals.
Feynman’s electromagnetic fields induced by moving charges and the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the n -body problem of electrodynamics

Abstract Given n charges interacting with each other according to Feynman's law. Let (r j (t), v j (t)) denote the position and velocity of the charge q j . The list y(t) of all such vectors is called a trajectory. A Lipschitzian trajectory x(t), (t ≤ 0), with continuous derivative, on which the velocities do not exceed some limiting velocity v < c, where c denotes the speed of light, is called an initial trajectory. A locally Lipschitzian trajectory y(t) is called relativistically admissible if the velocities on it stay below the speed of light c. The author constructs operators Φ j on the trajectory whose values Φ j (y)(t) are linear transformations of R 3 into R 3. A point t = t 1 on a trajectory y is called singular if either some of the charges collide at the time t 1 or the determinant is zero for at least one of the transformations Φ j (y)(t 1). The main result is the following: If x(t) (t ≤ 0) is an initial trajectory with nonsingular point t = 0, then there exists a unique relativistically admiss...
Rates of solute absorption from tissue depots: theoretical considerations.

Equations are derived for describing rates of solute absorption from tissue depots by capillary blood. One form of the generalized equation is: $$\frac{{\dot M}}{M} = - \frac{n}{\lambda }\left[ {1 - \exp ( - \frac{{fb k a}}{b}} \right]$$
Heterogeneous interactions of calcite aerosol with sulfur dioxide and sulfur dioxide nitric acid mixtures

The heterogeneous chemistry of sulfur dioxide with CaCO3 (calcite) aerosol as a function of relative humidity (RH) has been studied under isolated particle conditions in an atmospheric reaction chamber using infrared absorption spectroscopy. The reaction of SO2 with calcite produced gas phase CO2 as a product in addition to the conversion of the particulate carbonate to sulfite. The reaction extent was found to increase with elevated RH, as has been observed for the similar reaction with HNO3, but much higher relative humidities were needed to significantly enhance the reaction. Mixed experiments in which calcite aerosol was exposed to both HNO3 and SO2 were also performed. The overall reaction extent at a given relative humidity did not appear to be increased by having both reactant gases present. The role of carbonate aerosol as an atmospheric sink for sulfur dioxide and particulate nitrogen and sulfur correlations are discussed.
Quantitation of endogenous peptides using mass spectrometry based methods.

The mass spectrometry-based ‘omics’ sub-discipline that focuses on comprehensive, often exploratory, analyses of endogenous peptides involved in cell-to-cell communication is oftentimes referred to as peptidomics. Although the progress in bioanalytical technology development for peptide discovery has been tremendous, perhaps the largest advances have involved robust quantitative mass spectrometric approaches and data mining algorithms. These efforts have accelerated the discovery and validation of biomarkers, functionally important posttranslational modifications, and unexpected molecular interactions, information that aids drug development. In this article we outline the current approaches used in quantitative peptidomics and the technical challenges that stimulate new advances in the field, while also reviewing the newest literature on functional characterizations of endogenous peptides using quantitative mass spectrometry.
Optical noise figure: fundamental basis and measurement principles

Fiberoptic transmission systems are based on the transmission and reception of intensity-modulated optical signals. Within these networks, optical amplifiers are deployed to compensate for fiber propagation and optical splitting losses1. Both high-speed digital and CATV transmission are used placing significant demands on the fidelity of the transmission network. Optical amplification of intensity-modulated signals also imparts intensity noise which degrades the signal-to-noise ratio at the amplifier output terminals. The importance of intensity noise is illustrated in Figure 1 by the figures of merit describing signal or transmission quality that are based on intensity measurements. Figure 1 shows how Q, bit-error rate (BER), relative intensity noise (kIN), and received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) all depend on measurable intensity noise. In this paper we will discuss how the SNR degradation after passage through an optical device such as an amplifier is quantified in terms of its noise figure17. In particular, we will focus on the direct-detection noise figure that is applicable to the direct-detection optical communications systems in place or being contemplated for deployment. The noise figure is used to compare the noise-generating nature of amplifiers allowing (along with data on gain, bandwidth, power etc.) a basis for selection of an amplifier for a particular application. We will also discuss some of the noise mechanisms contributing to the intensity noise along 'with a review of measurement methods used for the characterization of amplifier noise figure. The theory presented here applies to both active and passive optical components.
A new scale of partisanship

The 1980 and 1982 American national election studies include a new series of questions about individual partisanship. It is possible to create a 5-point scale of party support/closeness from these questions. The new measure performs reasonably as regards its relationship to other measures of partisanship, to its own continuity over time, and to dependent behavior. There is also a new question on independence, but this is best treated as a separate item rather than being incorporated in the party support/closeness scale. The new measure also performs well in measuring strength of partisanship.
Effects of gamma radiation on the dielectric and electro-optical properties of a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal

We have investigated the effects of electric field and gamma radiation on the permittivity of a liquid crystal (E8), polymer-matrix (C135) and their composite polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC). The permittivity data are analyzed in terms of the Debye model, which provides insight into the effects of radiation-induced charges on the relaxation time constants. The effect of gamma-ray dose on the electro-optical response of the PDLC is studied by modeling PDLC as a composite material consisting of either isolated or interconnected liquid-crystal droplets embedded in a polymer matrix.
A theory on the natural history of colloid cysts of the third ventricle.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with third ventricular colloid cysts typically are diagnosed when they develop symptoms related to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obstruction at the foramen of Monro. However, the clinical and neuroimaging characteristics related to symptom development are poorly understood. METHODS: From January 1974 to June 1998, 155 patients with newly diagnosed colloid cysts were managed at our center. Eighty-seven patients (56%) were thought to have tumor-related symptoms, and they underwent surgery (resection, n = 74; ventriculoperitoneal shunting, n = 11; stereotactic aspiration, n = 2). Sixty-eight patients (44%) had colloid cysts thought to be asymptomatic, and observation with serial neuroimaging was recommended. Recursive partitioning was used to examine the association of patient and tumor characteristics with the development of cyst-related symptoms. RESULTS: Univariate analysis comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic patients revealed four factors associated with cyst-related symptoms: 1) younger patient age (44 yr versus 57 yr; P 10 mm). For patients with enlarged ventricles (n = 93), patient age (≤50 yr versus >50 yr) was the most important variable. Patients older than 50 years also were split with respect to cyst size; patients aged 50 years or younger with enlarged ventricles were not affected by cyst size. The percentage of patients with cyst-related symptoms was 12, 50, and 85% in the three final patient classes, respectively. Multivariate analysis including the patient classes resulted in removal of the other significant variables from the model, whereas the patient classes remained significant (P < 0.0001; odds ratio, 6.3) for predicting patients with cyst-related symptoms. CONCLUSION: The patient and neuroimaging characteristics of the different patient classes support a theory on the natural history of colloid cysts. Patients with third ventricular colloid cysts become symptomatic when the tumor enlarges rapidly, causing CSF obstruction, ventriculomegaly, and increased intracranial pressure. Some cysts enlarge more gradually, however, allowing the patient to accommodate the enlarging mass without disruption of CSF flow, and the patient remains asymptomatic. In these cases, if the cyst stops growing, the patient can maintain a steady state between CSF production and absorption and may not require neurosurgical intervention.
Demographic framework for parasitoid mass rearing: Case study of Biosteres tryoni, a larval parasitoid of tephritid fruit flies

Abstract Mass production of most parasitoid species requires host rearing. Therefore one of the broad objectives for production is to optimally balance the number of hosts available for parasitization with the number of adult parasitoid females held for renewal. Demographic methods for determining this balance in host/parasitoid rearing systems are presented as well as formulae for finding optimal harvest rates and ages at which renewal stocks should be discarded. We use the braconid parasitoid Biosteres tryoni reared on the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata , as an example. The broad framework represents a simplified host/parasitoid system in which many ecological parameters need not be considered (e.g., search rate, density dependence). The basic and practical implications of this aspect are briefly discussed.
The mechanism of stimulation of interferon production by a complexed polyribonucleotide.

Abstract Slices from thymus, spleen, lung, and brain were the most efficient producers of Interferon if stimulated by complexed polyriboinosinic and polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C) in a reaction flask and incubated in a Dubnoff shaking incubator. If 100 μg of poly I:C were first injected intravenously in a rabbit, and tissue slices obtained after 5 min were similarly incubated, lung, liver, and spleen were found to be the main Interferon producers. Interferon production from liver slices was facilitated at 37 ° by aeration, and inhibited at 4 °. Cortisol, arsenite, iodoacetate, fluoride, cyanide, puromycin, actinomycin, and cycloheximide all inhibited interferon production. Inhibition by puromycin was dose dependent and correlated with inhibition of protein synthesis as measured by incorporation of leucine- 14 C into protein. On the basis of these experiments and data from the literature, it is proposed that the mechanism by which poly I:C stimulates interferon is a metabolic process requiring protein synthesis, and not merely release of stored, preformed material.
On the fracture toughness of ferroelectric ceramics with electric field applied parallel to the crack front

Mode I steady crack growth is analyzed to determine the toughening due to domain switching in ferroelectric ceramics with electric field applied parallel to the crack front. A multi-axial, electromechanically coupled, incremental constitutive theory is applied to model the material behavior of the ferroelectric ceramic. The constitutive law is then implemented within the finite element method to study steady crack growth. The effects of electric field on the fracture toughness of both initially unpoled and poled materials are investigated. Results for the predicted fracture toughness, remanent strain and remanent polarization distributions, and domain switching zone shapes and sizes are presented. The effects of the plane-strain constraint and transverse stress are also established. Finally, the model predictions are discussed in comparison to recent experimental observations.
P0-6 Kelvin-Voigt Fractional Derivative Approach Reduces Parameter Space for Elasticity Imaging

The poro-viscoelastic (PVE) response of tissues or hydropolymers may be accurately modeled with as few as three parameters using the Kelvin-Voigt fractional derivative approach. We propose to image these parameters for simulated and experimental imaging phantoms and to analyze their values in different media. We show that each parameter can be explained in terms of stiffness and fluidity of the material and use the parameter images to differentiate two simulated imaging phantoms with apparently similar PVE properties.
The Relationship Between School‐Based Health Centers and the Learning Environment

BACKGROUND: School-based health centers (SBHCs) have improved access to primary and preventive health care for underserved children and youth by bringing comprehensive health services into the schools while addressing critical health problems that make it difficult for students to learn. Despite the findings on the positive effects of SBHCs on health outcomes, the literature investigating the relationship between SBHCs and the learning environment is scant. This purpose of this study is to add to the literature by investigating the correlation between SBHCs and perceptions of the overall school learning environment. METHODS: This study investigates the relationship between SBHCs and the learning environment utilizing a retrospective quasi-experimental design. Researchers used secondary data from the 2007 Board of Education Learning Environment Survey (LES) of a large northeastern city to compare schools with SBHCs and schools without SBHCs. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate that the presence of a SBHC is associated with greater satisfaction in 3 out of 4 learning environment domains. CONCLUSIONS: Perhaps by helping to eliminate the barriers that affect lower-performing students’ readiness to learn, while improving student and parent engagement, SBHCs can partner with schools to reach their performance and accountability goals.
Female sexual behavior: Fluctuations during the menstrual cycle

This longitudinal prospective study was designed to examine the influence of menstrual cycle phase on female sexuality. Sixty-nine normally cycling women monitored their sexual behavior including both heterosexual and autosexual activities and their basal body temperature daily over two or three consecutive menstrual cycles. Temperature charts were used to ascertain five cycle phases (menstrual, postmenstrual, ovulatory, luteal and premenstrual) and data were analyzed using analyses of variance with repeated measures. The results supported a significant cyclic fluctuation in sexual behavior with both female-initiated and male-initiated sexual activities peaking in the ovulatory phase. Moreover, the findings indicated that women experienced increased sexual arousal and sexual pleasure as they progressed from the menses to the premenstruum. These data suggest that human sexual behavior may be influenced by hormonal fluctuations and cognitive factors associated with the menstrual cycle.
Possible second harmonic gyroemission at Uranus

During the inbound trajectory toward Uranus, the Planetary Radio Astronomy Instrument on board the Voyager 2 spacecraft observed narrow-band smooth (n-smooth) emission at frequencies centered near 60 kHz. By assuming models of the plasma density for the dayside magnetosphere of Uranus and by using cold plasma theory together with stringent observational constraints, ray-tracing calculations were performed to determine the source location and mode of the n-smooth emission. Ray-tracing calculations suggest that the n-smooth emission with sources near the magnetic equator may be fundamental X mode for certain conditions or second harmonic gyroemission. If the emission is second harmonic gyroemission, the fundamental emission at 30 kHz is expected but apparently not observed. These findings are discussed in the context of the most recent developments in the theory of the cyclotron maser instability.
Cyberchondria: Studies of the escalation of medical concerns in Web search

The World Wide Web provides an abundant source of medical information. This information can assist people who are not healthcare professionals to better understand health and illness, and to provide them with feasible explanations for symptoms. However, the Web has the potential to increase the anxieties of people who have little or no medical training, especially when Web search is employed as a diagnostic procedure. We use the term cyberchondria to refer to the unfounded escalation of concerns about common symptomatology, based on the review of search results and literature on the Web. We performed a large-scale, longitudinal, log-based study of how people search for medical information online, supported by a survey of 515 individuals' health-related search experiences. We focused on the extent to which common, likely innocuous symptoms can escalate into the review of content on serious, rare conditions that are linked to the common symptoms. Our results show that Web search engines have the potential to escalate medical concerns. We show that escalation is associated with the amount and distribution of medical content viewed by users, the presence of escalatory terminology in pages visited, and a user's predisposition to escalate versus to seek more reasonable explanations for ailments. We also demonstrate the persistence of postsession anxiety following escalations and the effect that such anxieties can have on interrupting user's activities across multiple sessions. Our findings underscore the potential costs and challenges of cyberchondria and suggest actionable design implications that hold opportunity for improving the search and navigation experience for people turning to the Web to interpret common symptoms.
Stationarity of surface ECG atrial fibrillatory wave characteristics in the time and frequency domains in clinically stable patients

Stationarity of surface ECG fibrillatory (f) wave characteristics over 24 hours in clinically stable patients was studied. Inter- and intrapatient differences of f wave characteristics (after QRS-T cancellation) in the time and frequency domains were evaluated by ANOVA. Short-term peak frequencies of all the patients ranged from 4.6 to 8.0 Hz, while one SD for each patient ranged from 0.2-0.5 Hz. The f wave amplitude of all the patients ranged from 0.02 to 0.12 mV, while one SD of the amplitude for each patient ranged from 0.001 to 0.01 mV. For these and all other parameters tested inter-patient differences were significantly greater compared to intra-patient differences (p < 0.0001). This demonstration of stationarity provides a foundation for further study of the relationship of f wave characteristics to pathophysiology and management decisions.
Optimal control with limited control actions and lossy transmissions

We consider a class of non-standard networked control problems where (i) there is a limit on the number of times control signals can be transmitted to the plant, and (ii) the links over which the transmission takes place are lossy in the sense that there is a nonzero probability with which packets carrying control signals are dropped. The framework is that of discrete-time LQG optimal control where the control has access to noisy state measurements, and the objective is minimization of the expected value of a quadratic performance index under the nontraditional constraints introduced above. When there is a limitation on the number of control actions, we show that the optimal policy involves thresholding the optimal estimate of the state. When there is also a lossy link, and the control is allowed to receive acknowledgements from the plant as to whether the transmitted packets were received or not, we show that the optimal policy is again of the threshold type, involving off-line computation.
Employer Attitudes and Satisfaction with Supported Employment.

The attitudes of employers toward workers with severe mental and physical disabilities and supported employment programs were examined through structured interviews with 47 employers who had hired or supervised workers participating in supported employment programs in Tennessee. Results indicated that employers generally hold favorable attitudes regarding the employment potential of workers with disabilities and the quality of services provided through supported employment programs. The physical presence of employment specialists at the job site was viewed by employers as a strength of the supported employment program. However, some employers indicated that few opportunities exist for career advancement within their businesses for the supported employment participants. Finally, employers identified a number of strategies that could be used to market supported employment services to other businesses in their local communities.
Steam injection into a slow water flow through porous media

Steam injection into a slow water flow (Darcy flow) was studied analytically for steady-state conditions. The continuity, momentum, and energy equations for both water flow and steam flow were solved subject to interface conditions. The governing equations were transformed using stream function and velocity potential coordinates to simplify the calculation domain. The resulting energy equation was converted to a simultaneous ordinary differential equation by an integral method. The unknown steam-water interface shape and location were determined through an optimization process. Temperature distribution on the water side, local condensation rate along the interface, water and steam flow fields and pressure distribution were found numerically
"To such as these, the kingdom of heaven belongs": Religious faith as a foundation for children's rights.

When the topic of religion enters discourse on children’s rights, all too often it is to lament the influence of certain religions on the status and well-being of children. At worst, there is concern that participation in religious life may directly place children at risk of harm. As is well known to the general public, some religious denominations have accrued huge liabilities as a result of sexual abuse of children by clergy and others in religious occupations (Associated Press, 2005). At the time of the symposium from which this book developed, cable news cameras were focused nearly around the clock on the compound of a polygamist sect in Texas from which hundreds of children were placed in emergency custody of the state. The Texas case was a variation on long-standing concerns about religious communities with unconventional sexual mores and child-rearing practices (Lilliston, 1997) or even satanic rituals (Goodman et al., 1997).
Posterior Tibial Artery Access Using Transradial Techniques: Retrograde Approach to Inaccessible Lower Extremity Lesions

Percutaneous intervention of chronic limb ischemia is often limited by vascular access especially in patients with previous surgical interventions. This warrants development of alternative endovascular techniques, particularly for patients in whom traditional ipsilateral antegrade or contralateral retrograde access has failed or is not possible. We describe a novel approach to the posterior tibial artery using retrograde access with transradial techniques including closure devices in two patients with inaccessible antegrade access.
Application of the Wei–Lachin multivariate one-directional test to multiple event-time outcomes

Background/aims:Cardiovascular outcome trials, among others, aim to assess the beneficial effects of a treatment on multiple event-time outcomes, such as the time to a myocardial infarction and the time to a stroke. The traditional approach is to conduct a simple analysis of a composite outcome defined as the time to the first component event using a logrank test or the Cox Proportional Hazards regression model. This ignores information from other component events after the first. The composite outcome analysis also treats all initial outcome events as equally important, for example, non-fatal myocardial infarction is as important as cardiovascular death.Methods:Herein, we describe the application of the Wei–Lachin multivariate one-sided (or one-directional) test to the analysis of multiple event-time outcomes. The test is based on the unweighted mean of the treatment group coefficients from individual Cox proportional hazards models fit to the outcomes, where the covariance of the set of coefficients is ...
System Identification via the Cumulative Spectrum: An Exploration

The use of the cumulative spectrum is explored in this paper. One advantage of using the cumulative spectrum, rather than the directly measured spectrum, is that noise in the measurements is suppressed in a natural way. The examples shown produced stable models for stable systems in a very natural way..
An Automated Cleaning, Pod Sizing, Shelling, and Kernel Sizing System for Grading Farmers Stock Peanuts1

Abstract In response to peanut industry requests to improve the farmers stock grading system, an automated grading system was developed that reduced the variability in measuring most grade factors up to 50%. The automated system reduced sampling error by grading a larger sample while maintaining approximately the same sample processing speed. The system reduced inspector error by simplifying the grading process and eliminating opportunities for mistakes to occur. The system reduced equipment error by replacing outdated equipment with more efficient and effective equipment. Implementing the system could result in a return of about $10,350 annually per buying point and save the entire U.S. peanut industry up to $6 million each year. In addition, reducing errors in measuring grade factors should improve the quality of peanuts reaching consumers.
Proximity of the Start Codon to a Leaderless mRNA's 5′ Terminus Is a Strong Positive Determinant of Ribosome Binding and Expression in Escherichia coli

An AUG start codon is an important determinant of ribosome binding and expression of leaderless mRNAs in Escherichia coli. Using reporter constructs encoding mRNAs where the AUG start codon is preceded by untranslated leaders of various length and sequence, we find that close proximity of the start codon to the 5' terminus and the leader sequence are strong determinants of both ribosome binding and expression.
Blend Chemistry and Field Attraction of Commercial Sex Pheromone Lures to Grape Berry Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and a Nontarget Tortricid in Vineyards

Anecdotal reports by scientists and growers suggested commercial sex pheromone lures were ineffective with monitoring field populations of grape berry moth, Paralobesia viteana (Clemens), in vineyards. This study addressed the need to evaluate commercial sex pheromone lures for chemical purity and efficacy of attracting grape berry moth and a nontarget tortricid, the sumac moth, Episumus argutanus (Clemens). The percentage of chemical components from a set of eight lures from each manufacturer was found using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and confirmed by chemical standards. No lures adhered to the 9:1 blend of (Z)-9-dodecenyl acetate (Z9-12:Ac) to (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (Z11-14:Ac), though Suterra (9.1:1), ISCA (5.7:1), and Trece (5.4:1) lures were closest. The Trece lures contained ≍98 μg Z9-12:Ac, which is 3-51 times more than the other lures. The Suterra and ISCA lures were loaded with ≍29 and 33 μg Z9-12:Ac, and the Alpha Scents lures only contained ≍2 μg Z9-12:Ac. An antagonistic impurity, (E)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (E9-12:Ac), was found in all manufacturer lures at concentrations from 3.2 to 4.8%. Field attraction studies were done in summer 2010, and again in 2011, to evaluate commercial lures for their potential to attract P. viteana and E. argutanus in the presence of lures from other manufacturers. Separate experiments were established in two vineyards in Augusta County, VA, one with open and the other with wooded surroundings. In field experiments, Suterra lures detected P. viteana most often, Trece lures detected more E. argutanus, and ISCA lures detected P. viteana in the open vineyard the least, while Alpha Scents lures were least attractive to E. argutanus in both environments. Fewer P. viteana were captured in the wooded versus open vineyard, which may limit the potential for sex pheromone monitoring of P. viteana in wooded vineyards.
Revisiting Unwanted Sexual Experiences on Campus: A 12-Year Follow-Up

The current study examines patterns of stability and change in reports of unwanted sexual experiences in one campus community in two similar cohorts of undergraduates studied 12 years apart. A sample of 417 women completed a questionnaire in 2000, and this sample is compared to a sample of 524 women who completed the same questionnaire in 1988. Results indicate a reported decrease in unwanted sexual contact but indicate stability in reported rates of unwanted intercourse. Across forms of unwanted sexual experiences, more patterns of similarity than difference in abuse characteristics, such as relationship to perpetrator and location of the experience, are noted.
Image Representations for Facial Expression Analysis: Comparative Study II

The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) (Ekman and Friesen, 1978) is an objective method for quantifying facial movement in terms of component actions. This system is widely used in behavioral investigations of emotion, cognitive processes, and social interaction. The coding is presently performed by highly trained human experts. This chapter explores and compares techniques for automatically recognizing facial actions in sequences of images. These techniques include analysis of facial motion through estimation of optical flow; holistic spatial analysis such as principal component analysis, independent component analysis, local feature analysis, and linear discriminant analysis; and methods based on the outputs of local filters, such as Gabor wavelet representations, and local principal components. Performance of these systems is compared to naive and expert human subjects. Best performances were obtained using the Gabor wavelet representation and the independent component representation, both of which achieved 96% accuracy for classifying twelve facial actions of the upper and lower face. The results provide converging evidence for the importance of local filters, high spatial frequencies, and high-order dependencies for classifying facial actions.
Glucoregulation is more precise in women than in men during postexercise recovery

Background: The regulation of glycemia is challenged in healthy men and women after exercise bouts of substantial energy expenditure. Objective: We determined rates of glucose appearance (Ra), disappearance (Rd), and metabolic clearance (MCR) before, during, and after isoenergetic moderate and hard-intensity exercise. Design: Ten men and 8 women received primed-continuous infusion of [6,6- 2 H2]glucose tracer to measure glucose kinetics. Participants were studied under 3 different conditions with diet unchanged between trials: 1) before, during, and 3 h after 90 min of exercise at
Final Report: Developing National Leadership Collaboration: How Might CCJ, COSCA, NGA and the NCSL Work Together to Forge Better Public Policy?

In July 2013, the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators held their annual meeting on the theme “Collaborative Justice: Interbranch Relations in the New Century.” In the spirit of this theme, organizers created a meeting and panel discussion on the opportunity for the three branches of state government to collaborate through their national associations. The result of this meeting (and the subject of this report) is that there would be great value in building collaborative policy efforts among the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ), Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA), the National Governors Association (NGA) and National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).This report represents an effort to summarize the need for collaboration, the opportunities collaborative efforts create, the challenges of collaboration, and an effort to describe initial steps to get us there. In summary, collaboration provides an enormous opportunity for four leading associations to speak with one voice on some of the most difficult policy problems facing our nation. Leadership, policy expertise, research expertise, and advocacy efforts are all strengths shared by each organization. Overlapping interests and opportunities to work together in each of these four areas should be explored. An important and ancillary effort of collaboration is the opportunity to create communication and build networks that might improve interbranch relations, which have suffered in some states. The effort to collaborate at the national level may have spillover effects that could foster collaborative efforts among the branches inside states. For example, a summit was held in Vermont to create policy change in the foster care system and an emerging example of intrastate collaboration is an effort being built in the State of Tennessee among partnering agencies that serve the justice system.The primary recommendation is for the four associations to meet to explore collaboration and focus on building a meeting structure, identifying stakeholders, exploring policy issues that might attract support of all organizations, and looking at ongoing efforts that the associations might sponsor together.
Unilateral salpingitis due to Enterobius vermicularis

A case of perforated unilateral salpingitis in which Enterobius vermicularis ova were identified in the inflammatory process is reported. Arguments for considering the parasite to be of etiologic significance in the production of the pathologic changes and clinical symptoms are presented. The infrequent occurrence of symptoms associated with ectopic localization of Enterobius vermicularis is emphasized by a review of the literature.
Men Have Bladders, Too

Despite substantial evidence to the contrary, it is still generally assumed that prostatic enlargement, obstruction, and infection are the causes of essentially all lower urinary tract problems in men. In fact, bladder problems of all types are prevalent in men, generally to a similar degree found in women. Yet men continue to be misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed, mistreated, and undertreated. This may be due in part to residual prejudices in the medical community, but it also relates to reluctance of men to discuss these problems. Bladder problems are simply not “manly.”
“We Didn’t Even Think about Adopting Domestically”: The Role of Race and Other Factors in Shaping Parents’ Decisions to Adopt Abroad

As transnational adoption grows, many American children await adoption in the United States. Because many of these children are children of color (and often black), we ask: What role does race play...
Meso-Scale Computation of Uniaxial Waves in Granular Explosives-Analysis of Deformation Induced Ignition

Deformation induced ignition of heterogeneous solid explosives is believed to originate at hot-spots within the material which are local regions of elevated temperature resulting from dissipative mechanisms such as plastic deformation and inter-particle friction. Inert mesoscale modeling of these materials can principally account for hot-spot formation enabling the characterization of hot-spot size and temperature distributions which are important for ignition but are difficult to experimentally resolve. By combining inert heating predictions for uniaxial waves with thermal explosion data and analysis, ignition time distributions and local fractions of ignited mass can be estimated as a function of wave strength for a given initial meso-structure (i.e., particle size and shape distribution, porosity, etc.). This information may then be used with a stochastic theory to establish the early time (or local) ignition kinetics of the material as a function of wave strength. The stochastic theory is an extension of the theory first developed by Terao to estimate the ignition probability of reactive gas mixtures based on measured thermal explosion time data. This study represents a preliminary step in establishing a general framework for characterizing early time shock ignition of energetic solids and its dependence on meso-structure based on inert meso-scale computations.
Mold Compounds: Linking Material Science and IC Package Reliability

Making the transition from mechanical testing of mold compounds to actual Integrated Circuit (IC) plastic package reliability requires an understanding of material behavior under the influences of moisture, temperature, and varying load conditions. This paper will focus on the role of material strengths, strain energy, and nonlinear effects in determining plastic package reliability. Examples of correlation between materials testing and reliability data will be presented.
Calcified Pheochromocytoma in Von Hippel-lindau Syndrome

AbstractUrologic manifestations of the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome include benign and malignant renal tumors and cysts, epididymal cysts and adenomas, adrenal cortical tumors and pheochromocytomas. A rare case of a calcified pheochromocytoma in a patient with the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome is reported.
271. Improved Gene Transfer with a New Class of PEG-Peptide Scavenger Receptor Inhibitors

Scavenger receptors (SR) found on Kupffer and fenestrated endothelial cells of the recticuloendothelial system (RES) in liver are responsible for the capture and degradation of both viral1 and non viral gene delivery systems 2. SR inhibition using polyinosinic acid (Poly-I) has been shown to improve the gene transfer efficiency of AdV, AAV, and measles virus by blocking rapid metabolism in the liver. While Poly-I is reportedly not toxic to mice, co-administration of Poly-I with AdV decreases the lethal threshold for AdV in mice by an unknown mechanism1, making Poly-I inhibition of SR a clinically unacceptable approach to inhibit viral uptake by the RES in the liver. In the present study, we report the discovery of a new class of PEGylated polylysine peptides that are potent and safe SR inhibitors. PEGylated(30kDa)-Cys-Trp-Lys(N) (where N = 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30) were prepared by solid phase peptide synthesis and administered to mice i.v. with 125I-pGL3. Administration of 1 nmol of PEG-peptide with 1 mg of 125I-pGL3 resulted in capture of 60% of the polyplex dose by the liver. However, dose-escalation of the PEG-peptide revealed a dose-dependent decrease in 125I-pGL3 PEG-peptide polyplex capture by the liver, resulting from SR inhibition. A maximum dose of 80 nmols of PEG(30kDa)-Cys-Trp-Lys25 inhibited SR mediated uptake of 125I-pGL3 by the liver to 10%. The potency of PEG-peptide inhibition of SR was also dependent on the length of the Lys repeat, with Lys30kDa=Lys25Lys20Lys15 Lys10. Application of delayed hydrodynamic (HD)-stimulation at 1 hour post-pGL3 polyplex delivery resulted in potent gene expression only when administering a SR inhibitory dose (80 nmol) of PEG-peptide. The reported PEG-peptides are proposed to function by in situ formation of 30 nm albumin nanoparticles in the blood that bind to SRs. This new class of safe and potent SR inhibitors may have broad applications by improving both viral and non-viral delivery systems by blocking SR-mediated uptake in the liver.
BigRoad: Scaling Road Data Acquisition for Dependable Self-Driving

Advanced driver assistance systems and, in particular automated driving offers an unprecedented opportunity to transform the safety, efficiency, and comfort of road travel. Developing such safety technologies requires an understanding of not just common highway and city traffic situations but also a plethora of widely different unusual events (e.g., object on the road way and pedestrian crossing highway, etc.). While each such event may be rare, in aggregate they represent a significant risk that technology must address to develop truly dependable automated driving and traffic safety technologies. By developing technology to scale road data acquisition to a large number of vehicles, this paper introduces a low-cost yet reliable solution, BigRoad, that can derive internal driver inputs (i.e., steering wheel angles, driving speed and acceleration) and external perceptions of road environments (i.e., road conditions and front-view video) using a smartphone and an IMU mounted in a vehicle. We evaluate the accuracy of collected internal and external data using over 140 real-driving trips collected in a 3-month time period. Results show that BigRoad can accurately estimate the steering wheel angle with 0.69 degree median error, and derive the vehicle speed with 0.65 km/h deviation. The system is also able to determine binary road conditions with 95% accuracy by capturing a small number of brakes. We further validate the usability of BigRoad by pushing the collected video feed and steering wheel angle to a deep neural network steering wheel angle predictor, showing the potential of massive data acquisition for training self-driving system using BigRoad.
Single-crystal-to-single-crystal intercalation of a low-bandgap superatomic crystal

The controlled introduction of impurities into the crystal lattice of solid-state compounds is a cornerstone of materials science. Intercalation, the insertion of guest atoms, ions or molecules between the atomic layers of a host structure, can produce novel electronic, magnetic and optical properties in many materials. Here we describe an intercalation compound in which the host [Co6Te8(PnPr3)6][C60]3, formed from the binary assembly of atomically precise molecular clusters, is a superatomic analogue of traditional layered atomic compounds. We find that tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) can be inserted into the superstructure through a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation. Using electronic absorption spectroscopy, electrical transport measurements and electronic structure calculations, we demonstrate that the intercalation is driven by the exchange of charge between the host [Co6Te8(PnPr3)6][C60]3 and the intercalant TCNE. These results show that intercalation is a powerful approach to manipulate the material properties of superatomic crystals. Intercalation — a cornerstone of materials science with wide-ranging applications — has now been demonstrated in a superatomic crystal. A redox-active tetracyanoethylene guest was inserted into the lattice of a material consisting of alternate layers of {Co6Te8} clusters and C60 fullerenes, leading to a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation that significantly modulates the material's optical and electrical transport properties.
Genetic control of the immune response to hemoglobin and its subunits.

Human adult hemoglobin (Hb) was selected as a model oligomeric protein for investigations into Ir gene function. Separate genetic control of the α- and β-subunits of Hb was demonstrated. The relevant Ir genes were mapped to the I-A subregion and in particular to the Aβ gene for the α-chain of Hb. H-2b and H-2d mice are responders to the α-subunit and H-2d, H-2f and H-2s mice are responsive to the β-subunit. The subunits are not cross-reactive in T-cell assays. Non-H-2 linked genes are also important in Hb-specific immunity. There is a requirement for Ly-1+ T-cells for optimal responses in vitro.
Pagevault: securing off-chip memory using page-based authentication

Security remains an essential requirement for computing systems today. With the advent of Cloud Computing, new online services have emerged that deal with sensitive content, e.g. stock trading, banking, medical, legals etc.., making security a crucial necessity. The unique threat model of cloud computing comes from the realization that consumers do not have direct access to the computing resources, placing their data in an untrusted environment. Hardware security protects computing resources by providing data confidentiality and data integrity. Memory attacks represent the most common hardware attacks and as a result, have been studied extensively during the past decade. All current state-of-the-art memory protection schemes encrypt user data blocks on the host processor before sending them to off-chip memory. The integrity test is done using a message authentication code, stored in memory as meta-data to save space on the host processor. This meta-data not only increases the memory traffic but also occupy a significant portion of the memory space that could have been used by the application. We present a new memory protection scheme, a page-based authentication algorithm which is based on Aggregate Message Authentication Code (AMAC [10]). Our scheme uses AMAC to compress the MAC of multiple memory blocks, reducing the meta-data overhead and saving a significant amount of memory space. Our analysis targets high capacity memory systems where the meta-data overhead is significant. With the same amount of on-chip cache, protecting 8 GB of memory using our scheme only necessitates 8% of off-chip meta-data, compared to 23% in prior work, and this saving comes with up to 12% improvement in IPC performance.
Back to Nature: The Alternative Paradigm for Drug Development

Nature has traditionally been a fruitful harbinger of new medicines. However, despite the history of past successes, interest in natural products as a source of new drugs has withered over the past two decades. The trend in drug research has been towards combinatorial chemistry and high throughput screens, relying on receptor mechanisms to identify leads for further development. Following passage of Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) legislation in 1994 and the resurgence of interest in herbals and the dietary supplements market, natural products are again attracting attention as a potential source of new medicines. These developments are triggering powerful changes on how botanical mixtures are developed and regulated.