cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disease

The article in this issue by Gussekloo et al,1 “C-reactive protein is a strong but nonspecific risk factor of fatal stroke in elderly persons,” demonstrates 2 important points. First, for maximum predictive value, a variable such as C-reactive protein (CRP) should preferably be a risk factor for a specific outcome rather than for a broad range of unrelated outcomes such as stroke, coronary heart disease, cancer, and total mortality. There are some risk factors such as cigarette smoking and radiation exposure that are associated with many different outcomes, and future work may show that CRP falls into this important category. However, in general, the specificity of an association is an important component, often reflecting a causal relationship. These investigators determined that elevated CRP is …
Lack of association between uncoupling protein-2 Ala55Val polymorphism and incident diabetes in the atherosclerosis risk in communities study.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by impaired insulin secretion, peripheral insulin resistance, and increased hepatic glucose production. Genes that contribute to genetic susceptibility to T2DM function in numerous biochemical pathways. Uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) functions as a negative regulator of insulin secretion. Animal studies show induction of UCP2 plays a pathogenic role in the progression of obesity-induced T2DM and some human studies have shown an association between a common UCP2 polymorphism, Ala55Val (rs660339), and T2DM, obesity, and resting metabolic rate with the Val/Val genotype conferring increased risk. We investigated the relationship between the Ala55Val variant and incidence of T2DM among 12,056 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study aged 45–64 years at baseline. Incident T2DM (n = 1,406) cases were identified over 9 years of follow-up. The Val55 allele frequency was 44% in blacks and 41% in whites. The rate of T2DM per 1,000 person was 15.0, 15.6, and 15.6 yearsfor Ala/Ala, Ala/Val, and Val/Val genotypes, respectively. We found no significant association between UCP2 genotypes and incident T2DM in the whole cohort, in race-gender subgroups, or in categories of body mass index (normal, overweight and obese). The Ala55Val polymorphism of UCP2 was not associated with incident T2DM in the ARIC cohort.
Toward a general psychobiological theory of emotions

Emotions seem to arise ultimately from hard-wired neural circuits in the visceral-limbic brain that facilitate diverse and adaptive behavioral and physiological responses to major classes of environmental challenges. Presumably these circuits developed early in mammalian brain evolution, and the underlying control mechanisms remain similar in humans and “lower” mammals. This would suggest that theoretically guided studies of the animal brain can reveal how primitive emotions are organized in the human brain. Conversely, granted this cross-species heritage, it is arguable that human introspective access to emotional states may provide direct information concerning operations of emotive circuits and thus be a primary source of hypotheses for animal brain research. In this article the possibility that emotions are elaborated by transhypothalamic executive (command) circuits that concurrently activate related behavior patterns is assessed. Current neurobehavioral evidence indicates that there are at least four executive circuits of this type – those which elaborate central states of expectancy, rage, fear, and panic. The manner in which learning and psychiatric disorders may arise from activities of such circuits is also discussed.
A new single phase to three phase converter with active input current shaping for low cost AC motor drives

A single-phase-to-three-phase converter for a low-cost AC motor drive is proposed. The converter employs only six switches and incorporates a front-end half-bridge active rectifier structure that provides the DC link with an active input current shaping feature, which results in sinusoidal input current at close to unity power factor. The front-end rectifier in the converter permits bidirectional power flow and provides for excellent regulation against fluctuations in source voltage, facilitating regenerative braking of the AC motor drive. A control strategy that maintains a near-unity power factor over the full operating range and is easy to implement is described. Suitable design guides for the selection of filter components are presented. Simulation and experimental results that verify the developed theoretical models are also presented. >
The Money Doctor in the Andes: The Kemmerer Missions, 1923‐1933

The Money Doctor in the Andes: The Kemmerer Missions, 1923-1933. Paul W. Drake. Durham: Duke University Press, 1989. 335 pp. $50.00 (cloth). ISBN 0-8223-0880-0.
Evolution of H3K27me3-marked chromatin is linked to gene expression evolution and to patterns of gene duplication and diversification

Histone modifications are critical for the regulation of gene expression, cell type specification, and differentiation. However, evolutionary patterns of key modifications that regulate gene expression in differentiating organisms have not been examined. Here we mapped the genomic locations of the repressive mark histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) in four species of Drosophila, and compared these patterns to those in C. elegans. We found that patterns of H3K27me3 are highly conserved across species, but conservation is substantially weaker among duplicated genes. We further discovered that retropositions are associated with greater evolutionary changes in H3K27me3 and gene expression than tandem duplications, indicating that local chromatin constraints influence duplicated gene evolution. These changes are also associated with concomitant evolution of gene expression. Our findings reveal the strong conservation of genomic architecture governed by an epigenetic mark across distantly related species and the importance of gene duplication in generating novel H3K27me3 profiles.
An ROV Stereovision System for Ship-Hull Inspection

Ship hulls, as well as bridges, port dock pilings, dams, and various underwater structures need to be inspected for periodic maintenance. Additionally, there is a critical need to provide protection against sabotage activities, and to establish effective countermeasures against illegal smuggling activities. Unmanned underwater vehicles are suitable platforms for the development of automated inspection systems, but require integration with appropriate sensor technologies. This paper describes a vision system for automated ship-hull inspection, based on computing the necessary information for positioning, navigation, and mapping of the hull from stereo images. Binocular cues are critical in resolving a number of complex visual artifacts that hamper monocular vision in shallow-water conditions. Furthermore, they simplify the estimation of vehicle pose and motion, which is fundamental for successful automatic operation. The system has been implemented on a commercial remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and tested in pool and dock tests. Results from various trials are presented to demonstrate the system capabilities
Laminar differences in receptive field properties of cells in cat primary visual cortex

1. Cells in area 17 of the cat visual cortex were studied with a view towards correlating receptive field properties with layering. A number of receptive field parameters were measured for all units, and nearly every unit was marked with a microlesion to determine accurately the layer in which it was found. 2. Cells were defined as simple or complex by mapping with stationary stimuli, using the criteria of Hubel & Wiesel (1962). Complex cells fell into two groups: those that showed summation for increased slit length (standard complex) and those that did not (special complex). 3. The simple cells were located in the deep part of layer 3, in layer 4, and in layer 6. This corresponds to the distribution of afferents from the dorsal layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus. In these cortical layers the simple cells differed primarily with respect to their receptive field size, cells in layer 4 having the smallest, layer 3 intermediate, and layer 6 the largest fields. Layer 4 was the only layer in which simple cells showed end-inhibition (a reduction in response to slits extending beyond the excitatory portion of the receptive field). 4. The standard complex cells were found in all layers, but were quite scarce in layer 4. As with the simple cells, field size varied with layer: in layer 2+3 they had small to intermediate field sizes, in layer 5 intermediate, and in layer 6 very large. Layer 6 cells showed summation for slits of increased length up to very large values, and responded best when the slits were centred in the receptive field. The only standard complex cells that showed end-inhibition were those in layer 2+3, and these were similar to the layer 4 simple cells in terms of proportion of end-inhibited units and degree of end-inhibition. 5. The special complex cells, originally described by Palmer & Rosenquist (1974), were found in two tiers: the upper one at the layer 3/layer 4 border and the lower one in layer 5. They were different from the standard complex cells in having a high spontaneous activity, high velocity preference, and large fields which were similar in size (at a given eccentricity) from one cell to the next. Many showed reduced response to slits of increasing length, even for slits that did not extend beyond the borders of the responsive region. 6. Cells in layer 6 (the origin of the corticogeniculate projection) were antidromically activated from the lateral geniculate nucleus. The antidromically activated units included both simple and complex cells, and they had the long receptive fields characteristic of the overall population of cells in layer 6. 7. The results showed that there are different types of simple and complex cells, and that cells in different layers have different properties. Taken together with their differences in site of projection, this demonstrates that the anatomical lamination pattern is reflected in functional differences between cells in different layers.
Research Note A Model of Conflict, Leadership, and Performance in Virtual Teams

Organizations in many different industries employ virtual teams in a variety of contexts, including research and development, customer support, software development, and product design. Many virtual teams are geographically and culturally dispersed in order to facilitate around-the-clock work and to allow the most qualified individuals to be assigned to a project team. As such dispersion increases, virtual teams tend to experience greater and more diverse conflict compared to co-located teams. Since the dynamics of virtual team leadership are not yet well understood, research that examines how team leaders alleviate threats to team cohesion and provide strategies for conflict resolution makes significant contributions to the literature. Our study uses a survey-based methodology to examine the perceptions of 159 virtual team members employed by a large U.S. telecommunications corporation and five Korean firms involved in construction, finance, business consulting, sales, and distribution. The study integra...
Temporal connectionist expert systems using a temporal backpropagation algorithm

Representing time has been considered a general problem for artificial intelligence research for many years. More recently, the question of representing time has become increasingly important in representing human decision making process through connectionist expert systems. Because most human behaviors unfold over time, any attempt to represent expert performance, without considering its temporal nature, can often lead to incorrect results. A temporal feedforward neural network model that can be applied to a number of neural network application areas, including connectionist expert systems, has been introduced. The neural network model has a multi-layer structure, i.e. the number of layers is not limited. Also, the model has the flexibility of defining output nodes in any layer. This is especially important for connectionist expert system applications. A temporal backpropagation algorithm which supports the model has been developed. The model along with the temporal backpropagation algorithm makes it extremely practical to define any artificial neural network application. Also, an approach that can be followed to decrease the memory space used by weight matrix has been introduced. The algorithm was tested using a medical connectionist expert system to show how best we describe not only the disease but also the entire course of the disease. The system, first, was trained using a pattern that was encoded from the expert system knowledge base rules. Following then, series of experiments were carried out using the temporal model and the temporal backpropagation algorithm. The first series of experiments was done to determine if the training process worked as predicted. In the second series of experiments, the weight matrix in the trained system was defined as a function of time intervals before presenting the system with the learned patterns. The result of the two experiments indicate that both approaches produce correct results. The only difference between the two results was that compressing the weight matrix required more training epochs to produce correct results. To get a measure of the correctness of the results, an error measure which is the value of the error squared was summed over all patterns to get a total sum of squares.
A Firm¡¯s R&D Mode Choice between In-house and Licensing and Optimal Entry Strategies

This paper investigates optimal entry strategies of firms in new product development. Time-to-market and product innovativeness are critical product-market entry strategies for the success of new product introduction. Based on Grossman and Helpmani¯s (1991) quality ladder models, I build an i®innovativenessi¯ ladder model to show optimal product market strategies for both in-house and licensing R&D mode choices. Based on mathematical proofs and simulation, I find that speedy time-to-market is optimal for firms using a licensing mode but is not necessarily for firms using an in-house mode. In-house firms capable of improving product innovativeness at a faster rate than licensing firms can be better off by lengthening time-to-market. I also find no performance differentials between in-house firms and licensing firms if they implement entry strategies suitable for their chosen R&D modes. The implication of the paper is significantly different from the traditional transaction cost economics theory which empha...
Effect of ACTH on protein synthesis in isolated perfused beef adrenal gland.

SummaryIsolated beef adrenal glands were perfused with homologous blood containing radioactive lysine and amino acids. One preparation of ACTH added to the perfusate was consistent in promoting gland protein synthesis in addition to an elevated corticosteroid output as compared to levels before ACTH addition. These effects were not observed with a different preparation of ACTH.
Effect of Sublethal Dosages of Carbofuran and Carbaryl on Fecundity and Longevity of the Female Western Corn Rootworm

The effects of topically-applied sublethal doses of carbofuran and carbaryl on oviposition and longevity of Diabrotica virgifera LeConte females were studied. At application rates representing very small percentages of their respective LD50 values, females treated with either insecticide oviposited significantly more and lived significantly longer than did control females. Carbofuran enhanced these phenomena more consistently than did carbaryl. No explanations are suggested as to why the carbamate insecticides tested stimulated oviposition and extended longevity.
Microbial iron-redox cycling in subsurface environments.

In addition to its central role in mediating electron-transfer reactions within all living cells, iron undergoes extracellular redox transformations linked to microbial energy generation through utilization of Fe(II) as a source of chemical energy or Fe(III) as an electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration. These processes permit microbial populations and communities to engage in cyclic coupled iron oxidation and reduction within redox transition zones in subsurface environments. In the present paper, I review and synthesize a few case studies of iron-redox cycling in subsurface environments, highlighting key biochemical aspects of the extracellular iron-redox metabolisms involved. Of specific interest are the coupling of iron oxidation and reduction in field and experimental systems that model redox gradients and fluctuations in the subsurface, and novel pathways and organisms involved in the redox cycling of insoluble iron-bearing minerals. These findings set the stage for rapid expansion in our knowledge of the range of extracellular electron-transfer mechanisms utilized by subsurface micro-organisms. The observation that closely coupled oxidation and reduction of iron can take place under conditions common to the subsurface motivates this expansion in pursuit of molecular tools for studying iron-redox cycling communities in situ .
PURIFICATION OF THYROID HORMONE-TRANSAMINASE FROM RAT KIDNEY MITOCHONDRIA.

SummaryCrude transaminase from extracts of rat kidney mitochondria which catalyze the deamination of thyroxine, triiodothyronine and diiodotyrosine was purified by means of a DEAE cellulose column. The elution pattern suggests that the deamination of these three iodinated compounds is effected by one transaminase. Column treatment produced a 3-fold increase in the enzyme.
Demographic constraints on population growth of early humans : Emphasis on the probable role of females in overcoming such constraints.

The human population grew at very low average rates for most of its existence. Mortality was reasonably severe and expectation of life at birth was low. The level of fertility necessary to achieve even inifinitesimal population growth under such mortality implies birth intervals sufficiently short to conflict with the ability to care for and carry children in a mobile foraging economy. Techniques for the control of mortality, especially of children before puberty and of women in childbirth, and of child care exchange, probably developed by females, may have been essential in permitting population growth under conditions of mobile foraging.
Azinphosmethyl Resistance in the Tufted Apple Bud Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): Reversion, Diagnostic Concentrations, Associated Esterases, and Glutathione Transferases

In 1989 sticky-card bioassays performed on adult males collected in pheromone traps showed 41-fold resistance to azinphosmethyl in a field population of tufted apple bud moth, Platynota idaeusalis (Walker). After 17 generations under laboratory rearing conditions without azinphosmethyl selection, azinphosmethyl resistance in neonates and male adults reverted to a level approaching that of a susceptible strain. Estimated LC95s and LC99s (340 and 760 µg [AI]/g adhesive, respectively) of susceptible moth populations were selected as diagnostic concentrations of azinphosmethyl and used to assay three field populations of adult males for azinphosmethyl resistance in 1990 and 1991. Glutathione-transferase activities were not associated with azinphosmethyl resistance in laboratory strains. Elevated nonspecific-esterase activities were found in resistant laboratory strains and a field population with a high level of resistance. Among the nonspecific esterases, the presence of one esterase (E6) was closely associated with azinphosmethyl resistance in field populations. In this study, nonspecific-esterase assays gave an accurate assessment of azinphosmethyl resistance in this tortricid species, but a specific assay that detects the E6 will provide the sensitivity necessary to detect moderate to low levels of resistance in field populations.
Therapeutical Effects of Dan Shao Tang on Nephrogenic Anemia Rats

Objective:To investigate the therapeutical effects of Dan Shao Tang on nephrogenic anemia rats.Methods Eighty SD male rats were randomly divided into control groups which received routine feedstuff and model groups which received 0.75% adenine feedstuff.Model groups were randomly divided into Dan Shao Tang groups and 0.9% NaCl groups.Blood samples were collected at the 6wk after making model and at the 4wk after treating with Dan Shao Tang,respectively.The structure of kidney were observed by microscope.Results:①After making model for 6wk,the levels of Hb and RBC of peripheral blood were significantly lower than that of control groups(95.1±8.5 vs 161.2±10.3;5.2±0.5 vs 7.8±0.4,P0.05).After treating with Dan Shao Tang for 4wk,the levels of Hb and RBC were significantly higher than that of 0.9% NaCl groups(158.6±14.6 vs 101.3±8.6;7.9±0.4 vs 5.1±0.3,P0.05).②After making model for 6wk,the levels of BUN and Cr of serum were significantly higher than that of control groups(240.5±10.2 vs 4.2±0.3;435.0±16.2 vs 56.1±6.8,P0.05).After treating with Dan Shao Tang for 4wk,the levels of BUN andCr were significantly lower than that of 0.9% NaCl groups (6.2±0.4 vs 232.1±12.6;68.8±6.2 vs 423.2±18.0,P0.05).③After treating with Dan Shao Tang for 4wk,the structure of kidney in model groups resumed normal under the microscope.Conclusion:Dan Shao Tang is contributed to resume of nephrogenic anemia rats.
Clinical Significance of Changes of Serum Interleukin-17 and Soluble Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-κB Ligand Levels in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Objective To explore the clinical significance of changes of serum interleukin-17(IL-17) and soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor(NF)-κB ligand(sRANKL) levels in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis(JIA). Methods Blood samples from 62 active JIA children(systemic 24 cases,polyarticular 20 cases,and oligoarticular 18 cases)and 26 age-and sex-matched normal controls were all assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) before antirheumatic therapy.After 4-8 weeks antirheumatic therapy,the blood samples of these children were assayed again by using the same method. Results Serum IL-17 level in active JIA children was significantly higher than that in normal controls(P0.05),and serum IL-17 level in systemic subtype was slightly higher than that in normal controls without statistical difference(P0.05);but the elevated serum IL-17 level in either polyarticular or oligoarticular group was statistically higher than that in controls(Pa0.05).The serum sRANKL level in active JIA children was statistically higher than that in normal controls(P0.05),and the serum sRANKL level in subtype of systemic,polyarticular or oligoarticular groups were statistically higher than in the normal controls(Pa0.05).There was positive correlation between serum IL-17 level and serum sRANKL level(r=0.347,0.228,Pa0.05)in both polyarticular and oligoarticular groups.After antirheumatic agent therapy for 4-8 weeks,the elevated serum IL-17 level and sRANKL level all dropped down statistically from those assayed before therapy(P0.01,0.05),with obvious improvement of disease in relieving swelling of joint,tenderness and movement limitation. Conclusions IL-17 and the cytokines induced by it are potent to cause inflammation and production of matrix metalloproteinase and the increase in sRANKL resulted in promotion of osteoblast production so that serum IL-17 and sRANKL may be useful biomarkers for following up JIA patients concomitantly.
A Mixed-Method Assessment of a New Supermarket in a Food Desert: Contributions to Everyday Life and Health

Initiatives to build supermarkets in low-income areas with relatively poor access to large food retailers ("food deserts") have been implemented at all levels of government, although evaluative studies have not found these projects to improve diet or weight status for shoppers. Though known to be influential, existing evaluations have neglected in-store social dynamics and shopper behaviors. Surveys and walking interviews were used with shoppers (n = 32) at a supermarket developed through the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative in Philadelphia, PA. Key informant interviews with stakeholders in the supermarket's development and operations provided additional context to these shopper experiences. Data were collected in July and September 2014 and qualitatively analyzed in NVivo 10.0. Participants described how the retailer helped them adapt or cope with difficult shopping routines and how it presented a reliable high-quality option (in terms of cleanliness, orderliness, and social atmosphere) in contrast to other neighborhood retailers. Health concerns were also identified, especially among those managing chronic disease for themselves or a family member. These issues underscored multiple points of challenge required to adjust shopping and eating behavior. In-store supports that reflect these challenges are warranted to more fully address food deserts and reduce health disparities.
Presence and secretion of atrial natriuretic peptide from cultured human aortic endothelial cells

The endothelium is the production site of several potent vasoactive substances that modulate vascular tone and growth. The present study was undertaken to investigate the presence and secretion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) immunoreactivity from vascular endothelial cells. ANP immunoreactivity was present in cultured human aortic endothelial cells by both immunohistochemical staining and radioimmunoassay. ANP immunoreactivity was also detectable in culture medium from human aortic endothelial cells in low picogram concentrations. These findings suggest that vascular endothelium is a site of ANP production and secretion of ANP. There was a differential distribution of ANP and endothelin-1 (ET-1), with a higher ANP concentration in cell extracts and a higher ET-1 concentration in cell culture media. Although ANP has been conceived as a circulating endocrine hormone, these findings are consistent with ANP functioning also as an autocrine and paracrine modulator in the regulation of vascular tone and growth.
The Future of Biological Control

Biological control, as measured by the permanent suppression of pest species, ranks as one of the most effective pest (insects, vertebrates, weeds, etc.) control tactics. No one really knows how much benefit has been derived from pest control effected by natural enemies. DeBach (1964) estimated that between 1923 and 1959 classical biological control introductions costing about $4.3 million benefited the California agroeconomy alone in the amount of about $115 million. Unquestionably, many more millions of dollars in direct benefits have accrued in the ensuing years. If we then add the benefits from programs carried out in California before 1923 and those from the many successful programs conducted elsewhere in the world, it is apparent that savings amounting to several hundreds of millions of dollars have been realized from classical biological control. And then, too, we must consider the contribution of biological control to human health and environmental quality in general.
Light Sheet Microscopy for Functional Imaging of Brain Activity Evoked by Natural Sensory Stimuli

Light sheet microscopy and the zebrafish emerged recently as exciting tools for studying brain activity with cellular resolution in a vertebrate model system. High temporal and spatial resolution can be achieved in 3D with light sheet microscopy using either single-photon (1p) or 2-photon (2p) excitation. However, effects of the imaging itself on the observed neural activity are rarely addressed, which is of particular concern when the excitation laser power is high, as is needed for fast imaging. Here, we use the brain response evoked by natural sensory stimuli to assess how imaging conditions, such as excitation modality and laser power, affect the observed brain activity in unanesthetized zebrafish larvae. We show that red (630 nm) light flash-induced response is diminished when imaging with 1p-excitation of blue (488 nm) light, a wavelength that is visible to the fish larvae. This effect cannot be explained by saturation of blue-photoreceptors by excitation light, and points to an interference mechanism occurring further downstream of the visual processing. We also assess the effect of the high power of 2p-excitation, required for high speed imaging, to the observed brain activity, and establish a threshold power level above which the neural response starts to be affected, possibly due to the interference between the visual and heat/pain responses. Importantly, the interference effects described above occur at power levels that are not very high (∼ 10 uW and ∼ 100 mW, for 1p and 2p-excitation, respectively), where gross photo-damage effects (e.g. tissue ablation) are not visible. Staying below the perturbation thresholds of laser powers, we proceed to map the brain-wide activity due to evoked responses, providing the necessary groundwork for studies to understand the zebrafish brain function during learning and homeostatic processes.
Book Review: Medicine and Society in Late Imperial China

Suzhou and the lower Yangzi River region, central to the material and intellectual life of the Chinese empire in the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, have proved almost as fertile for toda...
Texting Under the Influence: Emotional Regulation as a Moderator of the Association Between Binge Drinking and Drunk Texting

Abstract Texting and alcohol have each been noted to increase perceptions of control, decrease behavioral inhibition, and modulate unpleasant emotions. While drunk texting is a well-known cultural phenomenon, it has received almost no attention in research. In a sample of 211 young adult women, and using a new measure to operationalize drunk texting, difficulty accessing strategies during moments of distress moderated the relationship between binge drinking and drunk texting. Difficulties accessing emotion regulation strategies were associated with drunk texting among those who reported binge drinking. Among nonbinge drinkers, deficits in emotion regulation strategies were not associated with drunk texting. In addition, drunk texting was associated with sex in bivariate correlations. Given the lack of research on the antecedents and consequences of drunk texting, this study suggests that drunk texting may be used as a strategy for emotional regulation and may be predictive of sexual behavior. Results info...
Nonverbal Communication in Organizations

Nonverbal communication, generally defined as the process of sending and receiving messages without the use of words, is a form of communication that lacks the properties of language. As the oldest and most essential form of communication, it serves the primary and universal functions of identification, relationship building, emotional expression, and delivering verbal messages. In the context of organizational life, applied research represents this functional approach to the study of nonverbal communication and supports the idea that nonverbal cues play a crucial role in the well-being of any organization. Along these lines, it is important in any organization for persons in leadership positions to plan ways of managing bias and discrimination over the expression of identity, displays of status, emotional exchange, and the delivery of verbal messages. Keywords: applied communication; body language; diversity; emotional contagion; emotional intelligence; emotional labor; expectancy effects; intercultural communication; nonverbal communication; nonverbal immediacy; nonverbal involvement behavior; organizational communication; visual and nonverbal communication
Neurological Complications of Nutritional Disease

Vitamins and minerals have essential functions in the body, from signal transduction to acting as cofactors for numerous enzymatic processes. Nutritional deficiencies and excess of certain vitamins and minerals can have profound effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems from early development into adulthood. This article summarizes the role of various nutritional factors in the nervous system and the neurological symptoms that can arise from deficiency or excess.
Household water treatment and safe storage

Using theory for research and design of HWTS interventions Beyond childhood mortality, the negative impact of exposure of children to fecal bacteria includes long-term consequences on children’s physical and mental development, as indicated by undernutrition, poor weight-height ratios, stunting and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) (Guerrant et al., 2002). In addition, recent studies on environmental enteropathy show that chronic exposure to fecal contamination negatively affects the intestinal absorptive and immunologic functions that limit the impact of nutritional interventions and oral vaccines in the developing world (Korpe and Petri, 2012).
Redox Regulation of Ischemic Heart Disease

In this review, attempts are made to establish the role of reactive oxygen species as signaling molecules which regulate cellular and molecular basis of ischemic heart disease. Ischemia/reperrusion is a classical example for free radical signaling, because partial or mild ischemia can lead to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which simultaneously perform execution and repair of the cardiomyocytes. Execution occurs with the death signaling in which ROS play a crucial role while repair process is mediated by adaptive response in which oxygen free radicals function as typical signaling molecules through the activation of receptor tyrosine kinases, protein kinase C and MAP kinases as well as induction of redox-sensitive transcription factors and genes.
MILDEW RESISTANCE LOCUS O Function in Pollen Tube Reception Is Linked to Its Oligomerization and Subcellular Distribution

Sexual reproduction in flowering plants requires communication between synergid cells and a tip-elongating pollen tube (PT) for the successful delivery of sperm cells to the embryo sac. The reception of the PT relies on signaling within the synergid cell that ultimately leads to the degeneration of the receptive synergid and PT rupture, releasing the sperm cells for double fertilization. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), NORTIA, a member of the MILDEW RESISTANCE LOCUS O (MLO) family of proteins, plays a critical role in the communication processes regulating PT reception. In this study, we determined that MLO function in PT reception is dependent on MLO protein localization into a Golgi-associated compartment before PT arrival, indicating that PT-triggered regulation of the synergid secretory system is important for synergid function during pollination. Additionally, a structure-function analysis revealed that MLO homooligomerization, mediated by the amino-terminal region of the protein, and carboxyl-terminal tail identity both contribute to MLO activity during PT reception.
STABILITY AND OUTCOME TRADEOFFS IN ASYMMETRIC DILEMMAS: CONDITIONS PROMOTING THE DISCOVERY OF ALTERNATING SOLUTIONS

This paper addresses the difficulties of cooperation in asymmetric dilemmas, interactions where two or more parties have mixed motives and receive different known outcomes if they mutually cooperate or mutually noncooperate. This context thus addresses dilemmas in general rather than the unlikely but more often studied symmetric dilemma. Observations from a series of studies indicate that, in dilemmas that provide one party with leverage and the other with potential regret, and which reduce the potential benefits of mutual cooperation for the party with leverage, the parties alternate asymmetrically in receiving valued outcomes. These observations provide the basis for a set of propositions that predict when alternation is most likely and when it is an equilibrium strategy.
A machine learning method to identify and remove reflection artifacts in photoacoustic channel data

Photoacoustic imaging is often used to visualize point-like targets, including circular cross sections of small cylindrical implants like brachytherapy seeds as well as circular cross sections of metal needles. When imaging these pointlike targets in the presence of highly echogenic structures, the resulting image will suffer due to reflection artifacts which appear as true signals in the traditional beamformed image. We propose to use machine learning methods to identify these types of noise artifacts for removal. A deep convolutional neural network was trained to locate and classify source and reflection artifacts in photoacoustic channel data simulated in k-Wave. Simulated channel data contained one source and one artifact with varying target locations, medium sound speeds, and −3dB channel noise. In testing 3,998 simulated images, we achieved a 99.1% and 98.8% success rate in classifying sources and artifacts, respectively, while obtaining a misclassification rate below 3.1%, where a misclassification was defined as a source or artifact detected as an artifact or source, respectively. The network, which was only trained on simulated data, was then transferred to experimental data with 100% source classification accuracy and 0.40 mm mean source location accuracy. These results are promising as they show that a network trained with only simulated data can distinguish experimental sources and artifacts in photoacoustic channel data and display this information in a novel artifact-free image format.
CASSCF Calculations Reveal Competitive Chair (Pericyclic) and Boat (Pseudopericyclic) Transition States for the [3,3] Sigmatropic Rearrangement of Allyl Esters

(10,8)CASPT2/6-31G**//(10,8)CASSCF/6-31G** and CCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ//(10,8)-CASSCF/6-31G** calculations have been performed on the potential surface for the [3,3] sigmatropic allyl ester rearrangements of cis-3-penten-2-yl acetate (16) to trans-3-penten-2-yl acetate (17) and 3-buten-2-yl acetate (21) to trans-2-buten-1-yl acetate (22). The results are compared to DFT (B3LYP/6-31G**) calculations on the known 16 → 17 rearrangement that reported it to be concerted and pseudopericyclic through a boat-shaped transition structure (Birney, D. M. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 528−537). The CASSCF calculations, on the other hand, uncovered competitive concerted pathways for both the 16 → 17 and 21 → 22 rearrangements, though it was necessary to apply certain approximations in the former case. While one CASSCF pathway in each case involves a boat-shaped transition structure, similar to the one located through DFT calculations, the other pathway involves a chair-shaped transition structure. Preference for chair or...
Java unit annotations for units-of-measurement error prevention

The common practice of representing quantities (values with units, such as 10 kg) in program variables that store only the values, with units implicit or separate, is a significant contributor to serious errors. This practice is often forced upon a programmer by the lack of convenient methods for managing units. To address this problem, this paper presents a Java library that allows programmers to store unit information alongside the values for quantities used in variables, literals, parameters, methods, and other programming constructs. The design is based on annotations that specify unit-based constraints on the constructs they adorn. The implementation is based on detecting these annotations in a custom Java class loader, performing static (compile-time) checks for consistency, and injecting bytecode for dynamic (run-time) checks and unit conversions.
Uses of Elliptic Approximations in Computer Vision

One of the problems in Computer Vision is recovery of object shapes from noisy images. Associated with this problem is the question of what is a shape and how is it to be represented. Since answers to these questions have to be ultimately tailored to the uses one has in mind, one has to bring into consideration potential applications and with it, the question of practical algorithms for implementation of the theory. Here we are concerned with mainly two-dimensional shapes. Mathematically, an object is simply an open subset in the image domain, characterized in some way. In the real world, what is an object and what is just noise or clutter depends of course on what one is looking for. For example, Figure la shows a noiseless synthetic image. It may be reasonable to assume that the objects in the figure are the four squares in the four corners and the two ellipses in the middle. Figure lb shows a noisy version obtained from the image in Figure la by adding Gaussian noise. The signal-to-noise ratio (i.e. the ratio between the standard deviation of the image with noise removed and the standard deviation of the noise) is 1: 4. The problem is to recover the original objects.
Thoughts on Koch's Postulates

A journal author defends his research methodology on quality-adjusted life years, arguing that the measurement is imprecise but necessary in order to determine the impact of clinical interventions and cost-effectiveness of new health care technologies. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
“Never Waste a Good Crisis”: An Interview with Mary Mellor

Dr. Mary Mellor, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Northumbria in the United Kingdom, has published numerous articles and books on feminism, politics, sustainability, and economi...
Die Beziehungen der Schilddrüse zur Fortpflanzung.

1. Kastration noch nicht geschlechtsreifer Meerschweinchen fuhrt zu vermehrter Kolloidspeicherung in der Schilddruse. Kryptorchidkastrierte Tiere zeigten diese Erscheinung nicht. 2. Kastration von Ratten bewirkt geringfugige Schilddrusenatrophie, und zwar beim MAnnchen stArker als beim Weibchen, bei beiden unabhAngig vom Alter. 3. Schilddrusenexstirpation ruft bei ausgewachsenen mAnnlichen Ratten keine histologische Anderung in Hoden, Samenblase und Prostata hervor, wohl aber geringen Gewichtsverlust der Samenblasen und hAufig Verlust sexuellen Interesses. 4. Bei noch nicht geschlechtsreifen mAnnlichen Ratten verlangsamt Schilddrusenentfernung die Entwicklung der Fortpflanzungsorgane, verbunden mit einer Hemmung des Gesamtkorperwachstums. 5. Schilddrusenexstirpation verringert bei ausgewachsenen weiblichen Ratten die Zahl der Corpora lutea und verkleinert den Uterus bei verlAngertem Dioestrusintervall des ovariellen Zyklus. Wohl kam es bei drei Viertel der thyreoidektomierten Weibchen zur Befruchtung und einer normalen Anzahl von Embryonen, aber durch Resorption und GebArunfAhigkeit nur bei einem Drittel der Tiere zu lebendigen Wurfen. 6. Bei noch nicht geschlechtsreifen weiblichen Tieren tritt nach Schilddrusenentfernung Wachstumshemmung und damit parallellaufend Verzogerung im Eintritt der Geschlechtsreife auf. 7. Die Schilddruse beeinflust das Fortpflanzungssystem, vermutlich hauptsAchlich indirekt uber den Grundumsatz.
Land Allocation under Uncertainty for Alternative Specifications of Return Distributions: Reply

The relevance and usefulness of mean-variance portfolio analysis is not a point we wish to question. For roughly thirty years, this analysis has been a cornerstone of financial and production analysis under risk. Our goal is to delimit circumstances in which it can be straightforwardly applied and those where some modification may be necessary. Before addressing Tew and Reid (TR) regarding the empirical illustration in Collender and Zilberman (CZ), we review the CZ contribution. CZ is concerned with resource allocation under uncertainty in the context of nonnormal returns. Much empirical evidence is available to suggest that agricultural decision makers frequently make decisions under such circumstances.' Literature supporting this view is cited in CZ. Since CZ was published, Buccola has concluded that the chance of encountering approximately Gaussian returns in reasonable agricultural situations is small. Having established the relevance of the problem, our contributions a~e twofold. First, we develop a decision-making technique that does not impose counterfactual assumptions. Second, we develop a test for the statistical significance of losses in expected utility resulting from the counterfactual imposition of the mean-variance framework. The first contribution is accomplished through the development of the EUMGF approach. The approach facilitates decision making consistent with expected utility maximization without imposing normality of returns. The relaxation of this assumption is consistent with empirical evidence. The second contribution is accomplished by developing a test statistic for differences in expected utility. CZ and the subsequent article by Collender and Chalfant illustrate that one can use the EUMGF approach to determine if departures from normality are relevant in the decision-making process, given the risk preferences of the decision maker. CZ do not contend that departures from normality are always important, just that they may be. This is more likely true as partial risk aversion increases and/or distributions depart further from normality.
Testing for monotonic trend in time series based on resampling methods

In this paper, we propose several tests for monotonic trend based on the Brillinger's test statistic (1989, Biometrika, 76, 23–30). When there are highly correlated residuals or short record length...
Enhancement of Consonant Recognition in Bimodal and Normal Hearing Listeners

Objectives:The present study investigated the effects of 3-dimensional deep search (3DDS) signal processing on the enhancement of consonant perception in bimodal and normal hearing listeners.Method...
Development of a 'fake news' machine learning classifier and a dataset for its testing

Fabricated news stories that contain false information but are presented as factually accurate (commonly known as ‘fake news’) have generated substantial interest and media attention following the 2016 U.S. presidential election. While the full details of what transpired during the election are still not known, it appears that multiple groups used social media to spread false information packaged in fabricated news articles that were presented as truthful. Some have argued that this campaign had a material impact on the election. Moreover, the 2016 U.S. presidential election is far from the only campaign where fake news had an apparent role. In this paper, work on a counter-fake-news research effort is presented. In the long term, this project is focused on building an indications and warnings systems for potentially deceptive false content. As part of this project, a dataset of manually classified legitimate and deceptive news articles was curated. The key criteria for classifying legitimate and deceptive articles, identified by the manual classification project, are identified and discussed. The identified criteria can be embodied in a natural language processing system to perform illegitimate content detection. The criteria include the document’s source and origin, title, political perspective, and several key content characteristics. This paper presents and evaluates the efficacy of each of these characteristics and their suitability for legitimate versus illegitimate classification. The paper concludes by discussing the use of these characteristics as input to a customized naive Bayesian probability classifier, the results of the use of this classifier and future work on its development.