cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunization with a Borrelia burgdorferi BB0172-derived peptide protects mice against lyme disease.

Lyme disease is the most prevalent arthropod borne disease in the US and it is caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), which is acquired through the bite of an infected Ixodes tick. Vaccine development efforts focused on the von Willebrand factor A domain of the borrelial protein BB0172 from which four peptides (A, B, C and D) were synthesized and conjugated to Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin, formulated in Titer Max® adjuvant and used to immunize C3H/HeN mice subcutaneously at days 0, 14 and 21. Sera were collected to evaluate antibody responses and some mice were sacrificed for histopathology to evaluate vaccine safety. Twenty-eight days post-priming, protection was evaluated by needle inoculation of half the mice in each group with 103 Bb/mouse, whereas the rest were challenged with 105Bb/mouse. Eight weeks post-priming, another four groups of similarly immunized mice were challenged using infected ticks. In both experiments, twenty-one days post-challenge, the mice were sacrificed to determine antibody responses, bacterial burdens and conduct histopathology. Results showed that only mice immunized with peptide B were protected against challenge with Bb. In addition, compared to the other the treatment groups, peptide B-immunized mice showed very limited inflammation in the heart and joint tissues. Peptide B-specific antibody titers peaked at 8 weeks post-priming and surprisingly, the anti-peptide B antibodies did not cross-react with Bb lysates. These findings strongly suggest that peptide B is a promising candidate for the development of a new DIVA vaccine (Differentiate between Infected and Vaccinated Animals) for protection against Lyme disease.
TH‐E‐230A‐04: Total and Partial‐Body Zebrafish Irradiation

Purpose: The zebrafish, Danio rerio has in recent years become a preferred model to study human disease. Our aim was to test the new micro‐irradiator for its capability to perform basic radiobiology experiments, in particular to investigate relationship between radiation, apoptosis and inflammatory response. Materials and Methods: A novel micro‐irradiator, which enables high dose radiation of biological samples below 1 mm, was used to irradiate zebrafish embryos at different age postfertilization. Two experiments were performed — total body irradiation and partial body irradiation. In total body irradiation, the embryos were irradiated up to 40 Gy and the amount of surviving neutrophils as a function of time was analyzed. In partial‐body irradiation, only zebrafish embryo tails were irradiated to 20 Gy and time‐dependent apoptotic and inflammatory response was assessed. FITS‐labeled neutrophil‐specific antibody protein myeloperoxidase was used for neutrophil labeling and TUNEL assays were used for apoptosis labeling. Results: In total body irradiation experiments, little effect was observed at earlier time points post irradiation, but a sharp decrease in the number of neutrophils was observed at 72 hours post irradiation (hpi) suggesting that inflammatory cells can be completely ablated. In partial body irradiation experiments the inflammatory response seems to follow apoptotic response. Significant apoptotic and inflammatory activity was observed at few hours after irradiation, which slowly decreased to almost no activity as early as 24 hpi. Conclusions: Our new micro‐irradiator can perform unique radiobiological experiments. Preliminary results investigating relation between irradiation, apoptosis and inflammation indicated severe posttreatment cell ablation effects for total body irradiation and early apoptotic and inflammatory response within 24 hours post irradiation.
Query privacy in wireless sensor networks

Existing mechanisms for querying wireless sensor networks leak client interests to the servers performing the queries. The leaks are not only in terms of specific regions of interest but also of client access patterns. In this article we introduce the problem of preserving the privacy of clients querying a wireless sensor network owned by untrusted organizations. We first propose an efficient protocol, SPYC, that ensures full client privacy in settings where the servers providing access to the network are honest-but-curious and whose collaboration does not extend beyond well-defined administrative purposes. Furthermore, we study the same query privacy problem in a setting where servers exhibit malicious behavior or where powerful external attackers have access to sensor network traffic information. In this setting we propose two metrics for quantifying the privacy achieved by a client's query sequence. We then extend SPYC with a suite of practical algorithms, then analyze the privacy and efficiency levels they provide. Our TOSSIM simulations show that the proposed extensions are communication efficient while significantly improving client privacy levels.
Responses to incidental stimuli as a function of feedback contingency

The effects of incidental stimuli, defined as visual stimuli not under verbal control, upon a selection task were observed as a function of feedback contingency. Ss judged letter pairs to be valid or invalid completions of preceding letter parts. During the presentation of the letter parts, the response pair or an alternative pair of letters was intermittently presented at a threshold value individually determined for each S. One group of Ss received a light feedback of performance contingent upon responding to the incidental stimuli; whereas a second group received a random noncontingent feedback. The results indicated: (a) both groups responded to the incidental stimuli; (b) feedback contingency had no effect on frequency of responding to the incidental stimuli; (c) frequency of responding to the incidental stimuli remained constant over 32 trials.
Enteric bacteria promote human and mouse norovirus infection of B cells.

The cell tropism of human noroviruses and the development of an in vitro infection model remain elusive. Although susceptibility to individual human norovirus strains correlates with an individual’s histo-blood group antigen (HBGA) profile, the biological basis of this restriction is unknown. We demonstrate that human and mouse noroviruses infected B cells in vitro and likely in vivo. Human norovirus infection of B cells required the presence of HBGA-expressing enteric bacteria. Furthermore, mouse norovirus replication was reduced in vivo when the intestinal microbiota was depleted by means of oral antibiotic administration. Thus, we have identified B cells as a cellular target of noroviruses and enteric bacteria as a stimulatory factor for norovirus infection, leading to the development of an in vitro infection model for human noroviruses.
Quantitative characterization of subcomponents in rat hemoglobin.

Relative existence ratios of the five hemoglobin subcomponents were determined by combined use of column chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques in five rats of a Sprague-Dawley strain.1. The values for each subcomponent were not only constant in the same individuals with the lapse of five months, but also show little individual variation except one rat. The values were scarcely altered by artificial induction of severe anemic state.2. In one rat the anodal third subcomponent was in a significantly depressed level as compared with those in other four rats.3. All the five subcomponents were shown not to be the secondary products of aggregation or disaggregation from normal tetrameric hemoglobin molecule (s).4. The above results suggest that the five subcomponents may represent five inherent molecular forms of hemoglobin.
Online real-time job scheduling with rate of progress guarantees

Investigates the job scheduling problem within the context of reservation-based real-time systems that provide quality of service (QoS) guarantees. In such a system, each incoming job specifies a rate of progress requirement on the job execution that must be met by the system in order for computation to be deemed usable. A new metric, called granularity, is introduced that quantifies both the maximum slowdown and the variance in execution rate that the job allows. This metric generalizes the stretch metric used in recent research on job scheduling. An online pre-emptive scheduling algorithm is presented that is shown achieve a competitive ratio of g(1-r) for every set of jobs with maximum rate r and granularity g. This result generalizes a previous result based on the stretch metric that showed that a competitive ratio of 1-r is achievable for the case when g=1.
Organizational Divisions in BIM-Enabled Commercial Construction

Proponents claim that the adoption of building information modeling BIM will lead to greater efficiencies through increased collaboration. In this paper, we present research that examines the use of BIM technologies for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire life safety systems often referred to as MEP coordination and how the introduction of BIM influences collaboration and communication. Using data from over 12 months of ethnographic observations of the MEP coordination process for two commercial construction projects and interviews with 65 industry leaders across the United States, we find that BIM-enabled projects are often tightly coupled technologi- cally, but divided organizationally. This means that while BIM makes visible the connections among project members, it is not fostering closer collaboration across different companies. We outline the competing obligations to scope, project, and company as one cause for this division. Obligations to an individual scope of work or to a particular company can conflict with project goals. Individual leadership, especially that of the MEP coordinator in the teams we studied, often substitutes for stronger project cohesion and organization. Organi- zational forces and structures must be accounted for in order for BIM to be implemented successfully.
Rate-Limited Stabilization for Network Control Systems

In this paper, we extend results from packet-based control theory, and present sufficient conditions on the rate of a packet network to guarantee asymptotic stability of unstable discrete LTI system, with less inputs than states. Two types of network control systems are considered in the absence of communication delays, then for one of the two types, the case of a constant time delay is discussed. Examples and simulations are provided to demonstrate the results.
Evidence of Surface Paramagnetism in Niobium and Consequences for the Superconducting Cavity Surface Impedance

The presence of magnetic impurities in native niobium oxides have been confirmed by Point contact spectroscopy (PCT), SQUID magnetometry and Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). All niobium (Nb) samples displayed a small impurity contribution to the magnetic susceptibility at low temperatures which exhibited Curie-Weiss behavior, indicative of weakly coupled localized paramagnetic moments. By examining Nb samples with widely varying surface-to-volume ratios (rods, foils, wires, powders) it was found that the impurity contribution is correlated with surface area. Tunneling measurements which use the native oxide layers as barriers exhibit a zero-bias conductance peak which splits in a magnetic field >; 4T, consistent with the Appelbaum-Anderson model for spin flip tunneling. Viewed together the experiments strongly suggest that the native oxides of Nb are intrinsically defective, and consistently exhibit localized paramagnetic moments caused by oxygen vacancies in Nb2O5. The computation of the surface impedance (Rs) in presence of magnetic impurities in the Shiba approximation reveals the saturation at low temperature of Rs, suggesting that magnetic impurities are responsible for the so-called residual resistance. These properties may have an impact on Nb based superconducting devices and shine a new light on the origin of the paramagnetic Meissner effect (PME).
Feature mixing rather than feature replacement during perceptual filling-in

'Filling-in' occurs when a retinally stabilized object subjectively appears to vanish following perceptual fading of its boundaries. The term 'filling-in' literally means that information about the apparently vanished object is lost and replaced solely by information arising from the surrounding background. However, we find evidence that the mechanism of 'filling-in' can actually involve a process of 'feature mixing' rather than 'feature replacement,' whereby features on either side of a perceptually faded boundary merge. Here we investigate the properties of feature mixing and specify certain conditions under which such mixing occurs. Our results show that, when using visual stimuli composed of spatially alternating stripes containing different luminances or motion signals, and when using the neon-color-spreading paradigm, the filled-in luminance, motion, or color is approximately the area and magnitude weighted average of the background and the foreground luminance, motion, or color, respectively. Together, these results demonstrate that, under at least certain conditions, 'filling-in' may involve a process of feature mixing or feature averaging rather than one of feature replacement.
Epstein-Barr Virus Protein Can Upregulate Cyclo-Oxygenase-2 Expression through Association with the Suppressor of Metastasis Nm23-H1

Previous studies have demonstrated the interaction between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 3C (EBNA3C) and the metastatic suppressor Nm23-H1 both in vitro and in vivo (C. Subramanian, M. A. Cotter II, and E. S. Robertson, Nat. Med. 7:350-355, 2001). EBNA3C can reverse the ability of Nm23-H1 to suppress migration of Burkitt's lymphoma and breast carcinoma cell lines in vitro. EBNA3C contributes to EBV-associated human cancers by regulating transcription of a number of cellular and viral promoters and by targeting and altering the transcription activities of the metastasis suppressor Nm23-H1. Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), an inducible enzyme important in inflammation, is overexpressed in a variety of cancers and can influence cell migration. In this report we show that Nm23-H1 and EBNA3C can modulate expression of COX-2 in the context of EBV infection and transformation. The levels of COX-2 were consistently higher in EBV-positive cells than in EBV-negative cells. Additionally, we show that Nm23-H1 can upregulate the COX-2 promoter element in luciferase reporter assays, whereas EBNA3C alone did not affect the level of response but clearly contributed to an additive increase when coexpressed with Nm23-H1. The downstream effect of COX-2 expression was also evaluated and showed that prostaglandin E(2) levels increased with Nm23-H1 and that there was some level of cooperativity in the presence of EBNA3C. The majority of this response was mediated through the cyclic AMP response element and NF-kappaB sites. These studies suggest a potential role for COX-2 in EBV-associated human cancers.
Parametric Analysis for Modeling and Simulation of Stochastic Behavior in the Predator—Prey Pursuit Domain

Modeling and simulation are very useful tools when analyzing complex systems. Multipredator, multi-prey pursuit-evasion games, with stochastic vision, constitute an example of such a complex system. We present a careful parametric analysis for the multipredator—multiprey domain. Previous work on the predator—prey domain has mainly been focused on the strategies to intercept all prey, leaving out the analysis about how their parameters, which describe the capabilities of the predator—prey pursuit, would affect the time to intercept all prey. In this paper we use a fixed strategy proven to be effective in previous studies. In most predator—prey studies, most of the capabilities and parameters that describe the pursuit have been fixed (e.g. the number of predators and prey in the arena, their velocities and detection zones, among others). Assuming that some of the capabilities and parameters describing the prey are given, and that the parameters and capabilities of the predators could be designed, many questions arise. How would the different capabilities of the mobile robotic predator affect the probability to intercept all prey? How many mobile robotic predators would be required to guarantee a probability of intercept within a finite, and perhaps tactically useful, time period within a given region? It is proposed that stochastic modeling of predator—prey scenarios lend insight into such problems. A probabilistic approach to the predator—prey domain is thus shown. Parametric analysis for the pursuit-evasion game, Monte Carlo simulations and a significance test are presented. In the following simulations, the prey and predators have only local information provided by their detection and observance zones. These zones are modeled mathematically via a probabilistic model, and each predator and prey in the scenario has a probability of being detected based on distance. As a prey is geometrically closer to a predator, its probability of intercept increases.
School buses, diesel emissions, and respiratory health

School buses contribute disproportionately to ambient air quality, pollute near schools and residential areas, and their emissions collect within passenger cabins. This paper examines the impact of school bus emissions reductions programs on health outcomes. A key contribution relative to the broader literature is that we examine localized pollution reduction programs at a fine level of aggregation. We find that school bus retrofits induced reductions in bronchitis, asthma, and pneumonia incidence for at-risk populations. Back of the envelope calculations suggest conservative benefit-cost ratios between 7:1 and 16:1.
Lifestyles and Goals of Homeless Male Shelter Users

The purpose of this study was to assess the health, lifestyles, and goals of homeless male shelter users. The mixed-methods descriptive non-experimental study was conducted at a homeless shelter cot program. The Dykeman biopsychosocial interventional model was used as a framework for this study. Thirty men utilizing the program were interviewed using the Chapin Lifestyle Assessment Survey. In addition, the men were asked about their social support system and goals. The results demonstrated that the group had a strong sense of responsibility for their own actions, a desire to learn, and were motivated to make a meaningful contribution. Goals focused on obtaining employment and securing housing. Shelter staff was reported as a source of social support.
Comparison of Age, Gender, Number of Aortic Valve Cusps, Concomitant Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, and Magnitude of Left Ventricular-Systemic Arterial Peak Systolic Gradient in Adults Having Aortic Valve Replacement for Isolated Aortic Valve Stenosis

Correlation of the structure of the operatively excised aortic valve with various clinical variables has received relatively little attention. This report describes certain observations in 115 patients aged >30 years (mean age 70) who had aortic valve replacement for aortic valve stenosis unassociated with mitral valve dysfunction. The operatively excised aortic valve was congenitally unicuspid in 3 patients (3%), congenitally bicuspid in 54 patients (47%), tricuspid in 57 patients (50%), and of uncertain structure in 1. Of the 87 patients (76%) aged ≥65 years (Medicare population), 36 (41%) had congenitally malformed valves (bicuspid in each), and of the 28 patients (24%) aged 50 mm Hg than did patients with tricuspid valves (57% vs 43%). Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was performed in 52 patients (45%) (34 men and 18 women), and they had average peak systolic pressure gradients across the valve significantly lower than patients without coronary bypass (46 vs 64 mm Hg): 39% of the 57 patients with congenitally malformed valves and 53% of the 57 patients with tricuspid valves had concomitant coronary bypass (insignificant difference). Thus, in a relatively older population of 115 patients having aortic valve replacement for isolated aortic valve stenosis, with or without associated aortic regurgitation, one half had congenitally malformed valves (either unicuspid or bicuspid valves) and one half had tricuspid valves. Patients having concomitant CABG had significantly smaller gradients across the stenotic valves than those who had no CABG.
Differential effects of acute and chronic treatment with the α2-adrenergic agonist, lofexidine, on cocaine self-administration in rhesus monkeys

Background Lofexidine, an α2-adrenergic agonist, is being investigated as a treatment for reducing opioid withdrawal symptoms and blocking stress-induced relapse to cocaine taking. Opioid abusers are often polydrug abusers and cocaine is one frequent drug of choice. However, relatively little is known about lofexidine interactions with cocaine. The present study investigated the effects of acute and chronic treatment with lofexidine in a pre-clinical model of cocaine self-administration.
Postural behaviors to combined disturbances of the visual field and base of support

This study examines whether combining a sustained mechanical and visual disturbance will modify the automatic postural responses and alter subsequent recovery to vertical orientation in healthy young and older adults and in patients who are post-stroke. Subjects stood on a platform that tilted 3 deg at 30 deg/sec into dorsiflexion while in the dark, with visual motion matched to motion of the head, or with pitch up visual field motion at 30, 45, and 60 deg/sec. The platform was held stable for 30 sec and then returned to neutral at 0.1 deg/sec for 30 sec. EMG responses of lower limb and neck muscles and angular displacement of body segments were recorded. Latencies of the EMG response and magnitudes of muscle and center of mass (COM) motion were calculated. In older adults, EMG response latencies were delayed compared to young adults. In both young and older adults, muscle RMS values were greater with visual field motion than in the dark. The slope and speed of return to a vertical orientation when the base of support was tilted was affected by the presence of visual field motion in all populations. Older subjects demonstrated more sensitivity to the visual inputs and young adults were more sensitive to motion of the base of support. Increased instability in the patients, particularly while the platform returned to neutral, indicates that they were very sensitive to the visual motion when the base of support motion was not reliable. Our data suggest that alterations in the ability to recover an upright position in the presence of visual field motion might underlie the decreased postural stability observed in patients post-stroke and in elderly individuals that exhibit visual sensitivity.
Flying in formation using a pursuit guidance algorithm

This paper describes a simple, straightforward algorithm for flying in formation of multiple unmanned air vehicles (UAV's). In particular, we are interested in a formation with no communication between the vehicles. It is assumed that relative kinematics parameters are available to each UAV from an on-board passive sensor followed by estimation processes and a controller which may use visual information. The paper introduces a guidance algorithm, which is based on the theory of pursuit curves in conjunction with a velocity controller.
Imaging mass spectrometry using peptide isoelectric focusing

Imaging Mass Spectrometry (IMS) has emerged as a powerful technique in the field of proteomics. The use of Immobilized pH Gradient-IsoElectric Focusing (IPG-IEF) is also a new trend, as the first dimension of separation, in shotgun proteomics. We report a combination of these two outstanding technologies. This approach is based on the separation of shotgun-produced peptides by IPG-IEF. The peptides are then transferred by capillarity to a capture membrane, which is then scanned by the mass spectrometer to generate MS images. This high-throughput methodology allows a preview of the sample to be obtained in a single day. We report the application of this new pipeline for differential comparison of the membrane proteome of two different strains of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in a proof-of-principle experiment.
Optimal Management of Flow in Groundwater Systems

Groundwater simulation models are physically based mathematical models derived from Darcy's law and the law of conservation of mass. Various established solution techniques utilizing either the finite difference or the finite element method, or a combination of both, are available for solving the governing equation of the model, provided that model parameters and initial and boundary conditions are properly specified. With the advancement of numerical computing and various user-friendly interface software, groundwater simulation models are now commonly used by groundwater planners to assist in the decision making in a variety of water resources management problems. In simulation,groundwater models are used to predict (1) the hydraulic or water quality response of the aquifer system to a set of pumping and recharge schedules and (2) the probable hydrologic and environmental impacts associated with groundwater development. Because it can only consider a limited number of management alternatives, the simulation approach generally does not identify the optimal pumping/recharge schedules in the context of all the objectives and constraints. A recent advancement in groundwater modeling has been the development of management models that combine optimization and simulation. In contrast to simulation, optimization models identify optimal planning, design,and operational policies for the groundwater system. And because the simulation model is incorporated in a constraint set of the management model, the optimal decisions not only define the optimal pumping/recharge schedules, but also predict the time and spatial variation in the hydraulic head.
Message-in-a-bottle: user-friendly and secure key deployment for sensor nodes

Existing protocols for secure key establishment all rely on an unspecified mechanism for initially deploying secrets to sensor nodes. However, no commercially viable and secure mechanism exists for initial setup. Without a guarantee of secure key deployment, the traffic over a sensor network cannot be presumed secure.To address this problem, we present a user-friendly protocol for the secure deployment of cryptographic keys in sensor networks. We propose a collection of five techniques to prevent an attacker from eavesdropping on key deployment. To demonstrate feasibility for real-world use, we implement our protocol on Telos motes and conduct a user study.
Matching identifiers in electronic health records: implications for duplicate records and patient safety

Objective To quantify the percentage of records with matching identifiers as an indicator for duplicate or potentially duplicate patient records in electronic health records in five different healthcare organisations, describe the patient safety issues that may arise, and present solutions for managing duplicate records or records with matching identifiers. Methods For each institution, we retrieved deidentified counts of records with an exact match of patient first and last names and dates of birth and determined the number of patient records existing for the top 250 most frequently occurring first and last name pairs. We also identified methods for managing duplicate records or records with matching identifiers, reporting the adoption rate of each across institutions. Results The occurrence of matching first and last name in two or more individuals ranged from 16.49% to 40.66% of records; inclusion of date of birth reduced the rates to range from 0.16% to 15.47%. The number of records existing for the most frequently occurring name at each site ranged from 41 to 2552. Institutions varied widely in the methods they implemented for preventing, detecting and removing duplicate records, and mitigating resulting errors. Conclusions The percentage of records having matching patient identifiers is high in several organisations, indicating that the rate of duplicate records or records may also be high. Further efforts are necessary to improve management of duplicate records or records with matching identifiers and minimise the risk for patient harm.
Petrology and geochemistry of the Paliza Canyon Formation and the Bearhead Rhyolite, Keres Group, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico

Basaltic andesite, andesite, dacite, and rhyodacite of the Paliza Canyon Formation (9.1 to 8.5 m.y.) and the Bearhead Rhyolite (7.1 to 6.5 m.y.) belong to a high-K, calc-alkaline association in the southern Jemez Mountains, New Mexico. The majority of the rocks of the Paliza Canyon Formation contain augite, hypersthene, and plagioclase phenocrysts. Olivine is an important phenocryst in the basaltic andesite, but it is absent in the other rock types. In the rhyodacite, hornblende is a major phenocryst at the expense of the pyroxenes. Characteristically, a very restricted range in the Fe/Mg composition is found for the pyroxenes (augite from 0.33–0.29) and hornblende (0.41–0.47) throughout the whole range of rock types, from basaltic andesite (∼56% SiO 2 ) to rhyodacite (67% SiO 2 ). On the other hand, the Bearhead Rhyolite lacks pyroxene, and it has two feldspars (sanidine and plagioclase) and bipyramidal quartz and biotite. Its SiO 2 content ranges between 76.5% and 77.3%. The Bearhead Rhyolite lies on the two-feldspar surface, or below it, in the sanidine field; the Paliza Canyon rocks plot within the plagioclase volume of the granite system. Both major- and trace-element trends in the Paliza Canyon Formation do not project to the Bearhead Rhyolite composition. Major- and trace-element modeling suggests that the sequence from basaltic andesite to rhyodacite in the Paliza Canyon Formation can be formed by simple fractional crystallization. The Bearhead Rhyolite cannot be formed from the Paliza Canyon rhyodacite by this process, however. Removal of the observed phenocrysts found in the rhyodacite would form a rhyolite enriched in Ba, Hf, Th, U, and light rare earth elements (LREE) and depleted in V and Sc; the Bearhead Rhyolite, however, is depleted in the former group and enriched in the latter. These conclusions are supported by initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios: three samples of Bearhead Rhyolite have initial ratios of 0.7056, 0.7073, and 0.7076; two samples of Paliza Canyon basaltic andesite, on the other hand, have ratios of 0.7041 and 0.7044. The most likely source for the Bearhead Rhyolite is lower crustal material which may have been fused partially from the heat provided by the andesitic magmas of the Paliza Canyon Formation.
The ontogeny of Pteranodon and other pterosaurs

Immature specimens of the Late Cretaceous pterosaur Pteranodon were identified using three size-independent criteria: (1) fusion of various cranial and postcranial elements; (2) degree of epiphyseal ossification; and (3) bone grain or degree of ossification of limb-bone shafts. Immature individuals make up 15% of available specimens of Pteranodon and do not differ significantly in size from mature individuals. This and the extensive fusion of the mature skeleton suggest that Pteranodon had determinate growth. The bone of limb-bone shafts of immature individuals is fibro-lamellar bone, which suggests that they grew rapidly to adult size. The size-independent criteria can also be used to identify immature and mature individuals of other pterosaur taxa, and other large pterodactyloids also probably exhibited rapid determinate growth.
Diffraction Far From The Image Center

A versatile program has been developed for determining the diffracted intensity distribution far from the image center for a wide variety of obscured apertures. The total obscuration is constructed from "building blocks" consisting of triangles, rectangles, bars, and annular rings. Closed formed solutions of the Fraunhofer diffraction integrals for the building blocks are combined by means of Babinet's principle to obtain the point spread function. An example is given demonstrating the influence of fine mechanical structure in the obscuration on the image structure far from the image center.
Review of 'A Neofederalist Vision of TRIPS: The Resilience of the International Intellectual Property Regime,' by Graeme B. Dinwoodie & Rochelle C. Dreyfuss

This review of “A Neofederalist Vision of TRIPS,” by Graeme Dinwoodie and Rochelle Dreyfuss, engages the book's central argument that TRIPS is not a code but a “neofederalist” regime that imposes basic substantive expectations in order to promote coordination but which nonetheless preserves considerable member state autonomy. The review discusses the book’s primary contributions to scholarship about TRIPS, including its refutation of the “code” vision of the TRIPS agreement and its overview of arguments that could be marshalled to defend local innovations in intellectual property policy making. The review also locates the book and its consideration of the TRIPS regime within larger conversations about the fragmentation of norms and law and the challenges of treaty interpretation. Finally, the review notes a few areas for further research, including with respect to the interpretive authority delegated to panels and the political context in which they operate.
Optimization and Application of a Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay to Detect Diaporthe Species in Soybean Plant Tissue

Diaporthe caulivora and D. longicolla are the causal agents of stem canker of soybean (Glycine max L.). Accurate identification of stem canker pathogens upon isolation from infected soybean plants is difficult and unreliable based on morphology. In this study, two TaqMan probe-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays were optimized for detection of D. caulivora and D. longicolla in soybean plants. The assays used previously reported D. caulivora-specific (DPC-3) and D. longicolla-specific (PL-3) probe/primer sets. The sensitivity limit of the two assays was determined to be over a range of 100 pg to 10 fg of pure D. caulivora and D. longicolla genomic DNA. The qPCR assays were validated with plant samples collected from commercial soybean fields. The PL-3 set detected D. longicolla in soybean plants collected from the fields (quantification cycle value <35), which was confirmed by isolation on potato dextrose agar (PDA). D. caulivora was detected only in low levels (quantification cycle value <40) by DPC-3 set in a few of the symptomatic field samples, although the pathogen was not isolated on PDA. The qPCR assays were also useful in quantitatively phenotyping soybean plants for resistance to D. caulivora and D. longicolla under greenhouse conditions.
Completion of Advance Directives Among Low-Income Older Adults Does Race/Ethnicity Matter?

This study examined the prevalence of completion of advance directives (ADs) and the effects of race/ethnicity on AD completion using a cross-sectional design. Low-income older adults (n = 256) who were residents of supportive housing facilities or members of a senior center were interviewed in person. About 20% of the participants had completed ADs. Knowledge and attitudes toward ADs, income, and previous experience in an intensive care unit significantly predicted the completion of ADs after controlling for other factors. Those with higher levels of knowledge, positive attitudes, or those with higher incomes were more likely to complete ADs than their counterparts. Findings suggest that as a proxy for multiple socioeconomic, social and cultural factors, race, and ethnicity need to be considered in planning end-of-life care.
Interests and Institutional Dysfunction in Uruguay

Small in size but great in influence on Latin American intellectuals, Uruguay has been regarded as the most progressive of the twenty countries of its heterogeneous area. The "western" nature of its political system invites the application of recently devised analytical concepts, and preliminary analysis suggests that many of these concepts can be exemplified in its highly developed political institutions. The titles of books devoted to Uruguay seem to suggest an approach to the millenium there: Uruguay, South America's first Welfare State; Uruguay, Portrait of a Democracy; and Utopia in Uruguay, among others.' They imply that despite the feudal obscurantism of the colonial era, and the incapacity and abuses of the nineteenth century, that country has achieved redemption of a sort. Yet the idealist who seeks his goal there may be disappointed. Despite all the hopeful arguments that a stable middle sector based on professionalism and technical proficiency may prove the strongest ally for democratic practice and progress (and hence for the Alliance for Progress), an examination of this particular specimen may suggest the opposite. Or worse, Uruguay may actually offer an example which is simply irrelevant.2 Current conditions in Uruguay suggest many problematical questions. All must be considered within the context of a democratic, social welfare-oriented system which has produced the highest average level of living in Latin America commensurate with national resources. Has emphasis on political and personal freedom created conditions in which political institutions perform functions quite different from those normally allotted them in traditional institutional analyses? If this is so, are these in-
Transplacental passage of methylmercury and its uptake by primate fetal tissues (38576).

SummaryRadioactive methylmercury given to rhesus monkeys in late pregnancy crossed the placenta slowly from mother to fetus. The maternal-fetal ratio in both plasma and erythrocytes was as low as 10:1 several hours after maternal administration. Transfer from fetus to mother was even slower with the concentration gradient remaining above 25:1. Organic mercury was generally distributed throughout fetal tissues in a similar manner regardless of the routine of administration. The placenta and blood-brain barrier each appear to represent partial impediments to acute transfer of organic mercury, probably because of extensive erythrocyte binding.While the hemochorial placenta, by virtue of its limited permeability to organic mercury, appears to afford the fetus some degree of protection from acute mercury poisoning, the fact that mercury moves out of the fetal circulation even more slowly than into it probably accounts for the fetal hazard with chronic exposure.
Distributed Control of Formation Flying Spacecraft Built on OA

This paper describes several tools and technologies that have been developed for future spacecraft formation ying missions. This includes algorithms to perform autonomous navigation and control, with new results presented for trajectory planning in highly elliptic orbits and fault detection for a distributed spacecraft system. The overall approach is embedded in the OA middleware developed by Princeton Satellite Systems, which provides a seamless integration of networking and process control with C/C++ software development. New results in this paper also demonstrate OA integrated with software that is running in hard real-time. A new multi-computer spacecraft formation ying testbed was created to simulate the performance of the full system. In particular, simulation results of an optimally initialized \recurring tetrahedron formation" on a highly elliptical orbit are shown to demonstrate both the functionality of the new testbed and the potential for creating fuel-ecien t formation congurations relevant to future magnetospheric space science.
Entrepreneurship, innovation and regional development

Jay Mitra’s (2012) book, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Regional Development, is part upperclassman/graduate textbook, part integration of theory across multiple scholarly fields, and part deep-d...
Indirect Phase Transformation of CuO to Cu2O on a Nanowire Surface.

The reduction of CuO nanowires (NWs) to Cu2O NWs undergoes an indirect phase transformation on the surface: from single crystalline CuO, to a disordered Cu2−δO phase, and then to crystalline Cu2O. A 9–12 nm disordered Cu2−δO is formed on the NW surface by exposing CuO NWs to CO at 1 Torr, 300 °C for 30 min. After 60 min, this layer decreases to 2–3 nm and is eliminated after 180 min. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy using a scanning tunneling electron microscope and across a single NW reveals the disordered layer to be O-rich with respect to Cu2O with a maximum at. % Cu:O = 1.8. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows adsorbed CO on the surface as evidence of the reduction reaction. Micro-Raman spectroscopy tracks the transformation in NWs as a function of reduction time. A CO enabled surface reduction reaction coupled to diffusion-limited transport of “nonlattice” O to the surface is proposed as a mechanism for Cu2−δO formation. The initial buildup of out-diffusing O to the surface appears to aid the ...
An introduction to open source software and communities: tutorial presentation

This tutorial is intended to provide instructors with working knoowledge of open source software concepts and communities. In this brief introduction, we will: • talk about what open source is and why it is gaining traction in the business world; • explore how instgructors (and their students) can benefit by incorporating open source into the curriculum; • review what differentiates open source from proprietzry software; and • discuss how teaching open source in an open way aligns with many current pedagogical practices, such as continuous assessment and cooperative learning.
PTH-sensitive K(+)- and voltage-dependent Pi transport by chick renal brush-border membranes.

Brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) from chick (Gallus gallus) kidneys were used to examine possible pathways of Pi transport associated with Pi secretion. Preloading with 6 mM Pi trans-stimulated 32Pi uptake in the absence of Na+, indicating facilitation. Inside-positive voltage (100 mM K+, out > in, +valinomycin) increased Pi uptake from 161 +/- 4.4 to 241 +/- 16.1 pmol.mg protein-1.5s-1 at pH 7.5 (in = out). Gradients characterized by extravesicular pH (pHo) of 5.5 vs. intravesicular pH (pHi) of 7.5, 100 mM K+ (out > in), without and with valinomycin, further increased uptake to 664 +/- 148.5 and 946 +/- 90.8 pmol.mg protein-1.5s-1, respectively. Carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) had no effect on the latter response, but with 100 mM K+ (in = out), valinomycin decreased the response more than one-half, implicating a H+ diffusion potential. Generation of this potential with pHo 5.5 vs. pHi 7.5 and CCCP did not drive concentrative Pi uptake in absence of K+. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) treatment significantly increased this BBMV K(+)- and voltage-dependent Pi up-take compared with the parathyroidectomized (PTX) condition. The values of maximal uptake rate (Vmax) in PTH vs. PTX BBMV were 5,330 and 1,976 pmol.mg protein-1.5s-1, respectively. K(+)-dependent transport was inhibited by arsenate, phosphonoacetic acid, and vanadate. Together, the data indicate that this PTH-sensitive, voltage- and K(+)-dependent monovalent Pi transporter could be the mechanism by which Pi exits, cell-to-lumen, during renal tubular Pi secretion.
A Long-Term Study of Collection Use Based on Detailed Library of Congress Classification, a Statistical Tool for Collection Management Decisions

ABSTRACTThis article presents the results of a long-term study of the use of print monographs in a non-circulating fine arts library spanning a period of seven academic years, from September 2008 through June 2015. The data were collected daily across the entire collection and are analyzed using Library of Congress Classification subclasses. Changes in subject areas of use over time are highlighted. The usefulness of this type of collection analysis to collection managers is discussed, and examples of how the findings are being used at the author's library are presented.
Modular Verification for Computer Security

For many software components, it is useful and important to verify their security. This can be done by an analysis of the software itself, or by isolating the software behind a protection mechanism such as an operating system kernel (virtual-memory protection) or cryptographic authentication (don't accepted untrusted inputs). But the protection mechanisms themselves must then be verified not just for safety but for functional correctness. Several recent projects have demonstrated that formal, deductive functional-correctness verification is now possible for kernels, crypto, and compilers. Here I explain some of the modularity principles that make these verifications possible.
Effects of irradiance on growth, pigment content and photosynthetic efficiency on three peridinin-containing dinoflagellates

Abstract The effects of two irradiance levels on growth, cell volume, pigment content and photosynthetic efficiency were analysed in cultures of the peridinin-containing dinoflagellates Akashiwo sanguinea , Prorocentrum micans and Scrippsiella trochoidea . Strains were isolated from coastal waters in southern Brazil, and cells were grown at low (LL, 87–90 μmol photons m − 2 s − 1 ) and high (HL, 450–490 μmol photons m − 2 s − 1 ) light intensities. The composition of photosynthetic pigments was analysed by high-performance-liquid-chromatography (HPLC) in samples collected at days 2, 7 and 14 of growth, and the photosynthetic efficiency (F v /F m ) was determined by pulse-amplitude-modulated fluorometry. On day 14, cells were stained with Nile Red and observed under the fluorescence microscope for lipid content determination. Similar growth rates were observed for A. sanguinea (μ = 0,26–0,33 d − 1 ) and P. micans (μ = 0,25–0,31 d − 1 ) under HL and LL, whereas S. trochoidea presented significantly higher values under HL (0,29 ± 0.02; p − 1 ). Increase in the cell volume was observed for P. micans along the growth curve in both irradiances while for A . sanguinea at LL only. The three species presented low concentration of photoprotective pigments under both HL and LL, whereas S. trochoidea and P. micans showed higher photosynthetic efficiency (average: F v /F m > 0.5) compared to A. sanguinea (F v /F m ~ 0.2). Microscope observation revealed that intracellular lipid concentration increased at HL in the three species, in all growth stages. In short, the three dinoflagellates are adapted to HL intensity and increased lipids might serve as a protective mechanism for the cells.
Plasmids of the Gonococcus

There are at least four naturally-occurring plasmids in the gonococcus (Table 1). This paper will review the structure, origins and functions of these plasmids, insofar as known or can be reasonably inferred. Certain hybrid plasmids which have been of particular interest in delineating early steps in entry of DNA into competent gonococci are also discussed.
SOME EXAMPLES OF SURFACES

This chapter discusses coordinates on a sphere and a torus, which are the two of the simplest examples of surfaces in three-dimensional Euclidean space. A sphere is a surface of a solid ball, and the torus is a surface of a doughnut. The chapter also discusses the notion of homeomorphism and the properties common to all the particular spheres or tori that satisfy the topological definitions. It presents topological definitions of sphere and torus and explains about cylinders and Mobius band . A cube is an example of an extensive class of surfaces that are topologically spheres. If the latitude and longitude on the deformed surface are defined as the latitude and longitude before the deformation, the continuity of the permitted operations ensures that this definition of coordinates on the deformed surfaces establishes that the deformed surface is topologically a sphere. The cube may be formed by compressing the circumscribing Euclidean sphere. A. F. Mobius, a German mathematician, was a pioneer topologist. The chapter illustrates maps of the Mobius bands. Visual comparison of paper models of a cylinder and a Mobius band is instructive. A cylinder may be made by bending a strip of paper around and pasting the ends together. A Mobius band may be made the same way except that a twist by π radians should be made in the strip before its ends are joined.