cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differing concentrations of corticotropin-releasing factor and oxytocin in the cerebrospinal fluid of bonnet and pigtail macaques.

Abstract The two neuropeptides corticotropin-releasing-factor (CRF) and oxytocin (OT) may produce opposing behavioral effects — elevations of the former have been associated with anxiety and social vigilance and reductions of the latter with reduced social affiliation. We sought to test the hypothesis that, within the primate macaque genus, the more gregarious, affiliative, and affectively stable bonnet species ( Macaca radiata ) would exhibit lower cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) CRF and higher CSF OT concentrations in comparison to its close relative, the temperamentally volatile and socially distant pigtail ( Macaca nemestrina ). Cisternal CSF samples were obtained from young adult male and female pigtail and bonnet macaques, and CRF and OT concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Pigtail macaques exhibited significantly higher concentrations of CSF CRF and significant lower concentrations of CSF OT than bonnet macaques. Results were not attributable to age or sex differences in group composition. When included together in a multiple regression, CRF and OT showed a multiple R of 0.76, accounting for more than half of the species variance. Although species differences in the bioeffectiveness of these peptides may possibly confound the observed biobehavioral relationships, in the absence of any existing data to that effect, the current findings appear in accordance with the hypothesis and consistent with previously reported species–typical behaviors observed in these macaques.
Constitutional Law in 1923–1924: The Constitutional Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States in the October Term, 1923.

No one who has followed the steady expansion of federal authority over the business of interstate carriers sanctioned by the Supreme Court in the Shreveport Case, Illinois Central R. Co. v. Public Utilities Commission, and Railroad Commission v. Chicago, B. & Q. R. Co., will view with surprise the unanimous decision of that tribunal in Dayton-Goose Creek R. Co. v. United States, sustaining the validity of the “recapture” clause of the Transportation Act of 1920. This clause provided in substance that since it is impossible to establish uniform rates upon competitive traffic which will adequately sustain all the carriers needed to do the business, without giving some of them a net income in excess of a fair return, any carrier receiving such excess shall place one-half of it in a reserve fund to be maintained by the carrier for certain specified purposes, and shall pay the other half into a general railroad revolving fund to be maintained in the interstate commerce commission. This fund is to be used by the commission to make loans to carriers to meet expenditures for capital account, and so forth.
Multi-criteria decision-making process for buildings

The paper focuses on a process designed to facilitate two key decision points early in the building design process that are critical to a building's ultimate sustainability. As vital decisions are made during the building's design, the process and accompanying tools assist the design team in prioritizing their goals, setting performance targets, and evaluating design options to ensure that the most important issues affecting building sustainability are considered. Both the methods used and the tools required to carry out the methods are described. The process has been conceived to make the most efficient use of both the time and resources of the design team, suggesting that it will actually receive widespread use. The process is being tested within the context of the International Energy Agency Task 23, Optimization of Solar Energy Use in Large Buildings and has also been comprehensively tested by the United States Federal Energy Management Program.
Business Capability Architecture Is the Tie that Binds All

Uncertainty or unpredictable change affecting the enterprise is inevitable. Business executives struggle to respond to change and at the same time maintain alignment between strategy and organizational structure for firm performance. A business capability architecture (BCA) is an overarching enterprise pattern that delivers business outcomes by binding every enterprise change to a business strategy. The model is the "tie that binds all," encapsulating the business strategy, contribution to business value, and operational complexity. A BCA exemplifies the notion of enterprise architecture (EA) as transformation, where EA "delivers architectural change aligned to strategic objectives (and where) significant and measurable value can be demonstrated."
Constrained Consensus and Optimization in Multi-Agent Networks

We present distributed algorithms that can be used by multiple agents to align their estimates with a particular value over a network with time-varying connectivity. Our framework is general in that this value can represent a consensus value among multiple agents or an optimal solution of an optimization problem, where the global objective function is a combination of local agent objective functions. Our main focus is on constrained problems where the estimates of each agent are restricted to lie in different convex sets. To highlight the effects of constraints, we first consider a constrained consensus problem and present a distributed "projected consensus algorithm" in which agents combine their local averaging operation with projection on their individual constraint sets. This algorithm can be viewed as a version of an alternating projection method with weights that are varying over time and across agents. We establish convergence and convergence rate results for the projected consensus algorithm. We next study a constrained optimization problem for optimizing the sum of local objective functions of the agents subject to the intersection of their local constraint sets. We present a distributed "projected subgradient algorithm" which involves each agent performing a local averaging operation, taking a subgradient step to minimize its own objective function, and projecting on its constraint set. We show that, with an appropriately selected stepsize rule, the agent estimates generated by this algorithm converge to the same optimal solution for the cases when the weights are constant and equal, and when the weights are time-varying but all agents have the same constraint set.
The generalized cross product and the volume of a simplex

Abstract Generalized forms of the Pythagorean Theorem for n -simplex are proved using the generalized cross product in R n .
Portrayals of engineers in "Science Times"

Engineering plays a crucial role in the creation of technologies and infrastructure that make vital contributions to the U.S. economy and security, to U.S. prestige in the international arena, and to individual well-being through the provision of jobs, services, and products. Despite this, a large proportion of the U.S. public undervalues the role played by engineers in a wide variety of technologically-based activities, holds engineering as a less prestigious occupation than science, and regards engineers as less socially responsible than scientists. In addition, declining levels of enrollment by Americans in engineering programs, together with under-representation of women and minorities in the profession, are also seen as causes for concern. The reasons for these low levels of public understanding about what engineers do are most likely complex. However, since Americans obtain much of their information about science and technology through the mass media, it seems likely that media coverage of engineering plays at least some role in the formation of public ideas about engineers and engineering.
What a Girl Wants, What a Girl Needs Findings From a Gender-Specific Focus Group Study

Most arrests among girls are attributable to status offenses and property crimes; however, the number of girls arrested for assault and other violent crimes is increasing. Although arrest patterns among girls may be changing, the way the system responds has not. Correctional programs have almost always been designed with the male offender in mind—ignoring the needs of at-risk and delinquent girls. The paucity of gender-specific programming might have seemed acceptable in the past; however, academics and practitioners now agree that girls’ needs can no longer be ignored. The purpose of this article is to (a) report on findings from a focus group study that examines what at-risk and delinquent girls claim they want and need from the system, (b) determine whether what the girls say they want is similar to what the literature says they need, and (c) provide practical recommendations that practitioners can use to improve the status of girls in their care.
Combining X-Ray Crystallography and Electron Microscopy

The combination of cryo-electron microscopy to study large biological assemblies at low resolution with crystallography to determine near atomic structures of assembly fragments is quickly expanding the horizon of structural biology. This technique can be used to advantage in the study of large structures that cannot be crystallized, to follow dynamic processes, and to "purify" samples by visual selection of particles. Factors affecting the quality of cryo-electron microscopy maps and limits of accuracy in fitting known structural fragments are discussed.
Analytical Solution of a Model of Contaminant Transport in the Advective Zone of a River

AbstractAn analytical solution of a model of contaminant transport in the advective zone of rivers is presented and evaluated. An existing model that accounts for transport in the advective zone by dividing the channel into flowing and stagnant zones is solved with Laplace transforms for the case of a Gaussian pulse injected into the center of the channel. The effects of the two main parameters of the model, the fraction of the channel occupied by the stagnant zone and a transfer coefficient, are consistent with expectations from the theory of shear dispersion. Another parameter, which is related to the streamwise width of the initial pulse, determines whether a separate pulse appears in the tracer-response curves. A procedure for determining the parameters from temporal moments of measured concentration curves is described and applied to measurements in the advective zone of a mountain stream. Predictions from the model of Reichert and Wanner fit the measurements—especially the peak concentration—better ...
Partial Analysis of Olfactory Receptor Subgenome in the Arabian Camel

Abstract Many animals have evolved mechanisms to withstand the harsh desert environment, characterized by extreme high temperatures and scarce water supplies. The Arabian Camel, and the Arabian Oryx are valued economically and culturally. These animals can survive for several days without food or water. As the Arabian peninsula undergoes rapid and vast industrial changes, it is increasingly important to understand the biological aspects of these animals. From the unicellular microbes to the sophisticated multi-cellular animals, sensing the chemical composition of the surrounding environment is essential for survival. The vertebrate chemosensory receptors genes, which are members of the seven transmembrane -helical G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), are encoded by six different multigene families. Four of these genes encode receptor proteins for sensing odors. The olfactory (odorant) receptors (ORs) are predominately expressed in the sensory neurons of the main olfactory epithelium, and can sense either water-soluble (class I) or volatile (class II) molecules. Furthermore, certain OR genes are expressed in non-olfactory tissues, such as brain, kidney, testis, and placenta. Being adapted to very harsh conditions with elevated temperature, scarce water supply and limited vegetation, we hypothesize that desert animals have evolved the ability to detect water either from volatiles liberated by water in the environment or through the blooming of short-lived vegetation, via their olfactory systems. To explore this possibility we have undertaken the study of the Camel OR genes. We identified approximately one hundred candidate OR genes, all of which are ortholgos to OR genes in other mammals and most closely related to those of the Equus caballus. Preliminary analysis revealed an enrichment in OR gene family 2/13, found in the highest proportion in aquatic animals, as compared to other mammals. This finding provides the intriguing suggestion that desert animals have evolved specific OR genes to adapt to the desert ecosystem. We are currently working to identify the complete OR gene repertoire in the Camel, and to identify and characterize the OR subgenome in other desert animals such as the Arabian Oryx.
Development of a direct detection method for Alexandrium spp. Using surface plasmon resonance and peptide nucleic acid probes.

Marine dinoflagellates of the genus Alexandrium can produce dangerous amounts of paralytic shellfish toxins at such low cell densities that water discoloration often associated with harmful algal blooms is not always evident, making detection of blooms during early stages extremely important. Our research focuses on developing a new method of molecular detection for multiple species of Alexandrium using peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes and surface plasmon resonance. Results thus far indicate that this method yields reliable detection of perfectly complimentary oligonucleotide sequences specific to A. fundyense, A. tamarense, A. catenella, and A. ostenfeldii with no detection of non-complimentary sequences, as well as very good discrimination between negative control PNA probes and Alexandrium-specific PNA probes. We have also been able to regenerate the probe layer on the sensor surface for use in multiple assays by removing the target DNA, making this method economical in the long run.
Use of silica-encapsulated Pseudomonas sp. strain NCIB 9816-4 in biodegradation of novel hydrocarbon ring structures found in hydraulic fracturing waters.

ABSTRACT The most problematic hydrocarbons in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) wastewaters consist of fused, isolated, bridged, and spiro ring systems, and ring systems have been poorly studied with respect to biodegradation, prompting the testing here of six major ring structural subclasses using a well-characterized bacterium and a silica encapsulation system previously shown to enhance biodegradation. The direct biological oxygenation of spiro ring compounds was demonstrated here. These and other hydrocarbon ring compounds have previously been shown to be present in flow-back waters and waters produced from hydraulic fracturing operations. Pseudomonas sp. strain NCIB 9816-4, containing naphthalene dioxygenase, was selected for its broad substrate specificity, and it was demonstrated here to oxidize fundamental ring structures that are common in shale-derived waters but not previously investigated with this or related enzymes. Pseudomonas sp. NCIB 9816-4 was tested here in the presence of a silica encasement, a protocol that has previously been shown to protect bacteria against the extremes of salinity present in fracking wastewaters. These studies demonstrate the degradation of highly hydrophobic compounds by a silica-encapsulated model bacterium, demonstrate what it may not degrade, and contribute to knowledge of the full range of hydrocarbon ring compounds that can be oxidized using Pseudomonas sp. NCIB 9816-4.
Collection of scintillation light from small BGO crystals

We propose to develop a high resolution positron emission tomography (PET) detector designed for animal imaging. The detector consists of a 2-D array of small bismuth germanate (BGO) crystals coupled via optical fibers to a multi-channel photomultiplier tube (MC-PMT). Though this approach offers several advantages over the conventional BGO block design, it does require that a sufficient number of scintillation photons be transported from the crystal, down the fiber and into the PMT. In this study we use simulations and experimental data to determine how to maximize the signal reaching the PMT. This involves investigating factors such as crystal geometry, crystal surface treatment, the use of reflectors, choice of optical fiber, coupling of crystal to the optical fiber and optical fiber properties. Our results indicate that using 2/spl times/2/spl times/10 mm BGO crystals coupled to 30 cm of clad optical fiber, roughly 50 photoelectrons are produced at the PMT photocathode for a 511 keV interaction. This is sufficient to clearly visualize the photopeak and provide adequate timing resolution for PET. Based on these encouraging results, a prototype detector will now be constructed. >
A Novel Conserved Isoform of the Ubiquitin Ligase UFD2a/UBE4B Is Expressed Exclusively in Mature Striated Muscle Cells

Yeast Ufd2p was the first identified E4 multiubiquitin chain assembly factor. Its vertebrate homologues later referred to as UFD2a, UBE4B or E4B were also shown to have E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. UFD2a function in the brain has been well established in vivo, and in vitro studies have shown that its activity is essential for proper condensation and segregation of chromosomes during mitosis. Here we show that 2 alternative splice forms of UFD2a, UFD2a-7 and -7/7a, are expressed sequentially during myoblast differentiation of C2C12 cell cultures and during cardiotoxin-induced regeneration of skeletal muscle in mice. UFD2a-7 contains an alternate exon 7, and UFD2a-7/7a, the larger of the 2 isoforms, contains an additional novel exon 7a. Analysis of protein or mRNA expression in mice and zebrafish revealed that a similar pattern of isoform switching occurs during developmental myogenesis of cardiac and skeletal muscle. In vertebrates (humans, rodents, zebrafish), UFD2a-7/7a is expressed only in mature striated muscle. This unique tissue specificity is further validated by the conserved presence of 2 muscle-specific splicing regulatory motifs located in the 3′ introns of exons 7 and 7a. UFD2a interacts with VCP/p97, an AAA-type ATPase implicated in processes whose functions appear to be regulated, in part, through their interaction with one or more of 15 previously identified cofactors. UFD2a-7/7a did not interact with VCP/p97 in yeast 2-hybrid experiments, which may allow the ATPase to bind cofactors that facilitate its muscle-specific functions. We conclude that the regulated expression of these UFD2a isoforms most likely imparts divergent functions that are important for myogenisis.
Calcitonin for phantom limb pain in a pregnant woman.

Purpose The use of calcitonin to relieve severe, treatment-refractory phantom limb pain (PLP) is reported. Summary After an above-knee leg amputation, a 29-year-old pregnant woman (at eight weeks gestation) reported severe PLP (consistent scores of 9 or 10 on a 10-point pain severity scale). The pain persisted for more than two weeks and was not relieved by multiple regimens of opioid and nonopioid medications, including extremely high doses of i.v. fentanyl. On postamputation day 16, a 30-minute i.v. infusion of 200 IU of calcitonin (salmon) was administered; the woman reported transient excruciating pain during the final 5 minutes of the infusion. There was little overall change in her pain status over the next three days. On postinfusion day 4, the patient reported reductions in the frequency and severity of PLP episodes, and a trend of improved PLP symptom control was noted over the next 48 hours, allowing the pain management team to begin tapering some medication dosages and thus reduce the woman's overall narcotic exposure. The patient was discharged to a nursing facility several weeks later with relatively stable pain (scores of <7) on a regimen of carbamazepine, gabapentin, and oxycodone. She eventually delivered a healthy full-term baby. Conclusion A reduction in the frequency of PLP attacks and a lessening of pain intensity were observed after administration of calcitonin (salmon) by i.v. infusion in a pregnant patient. Calcitonin therapy was not associated with any apparent long-term adverse effects to the patient or infant.
Face recognition technology: security versus privacy

Video surveillance and face recognition systems have become the subject of increased interest and controversy after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. In favor of face recognition technology, there is the lure of a powerful tool to aid national security. On the negative side, there are fears of an Orwellian invasion of privacy. Given the ongoing nature of the controversy, and the fact that face recognition systems represent leading edge and rapidly changing technology, face recognition technology is currently a major issue in the area of social impact of technology. We analyze the interplay of technical and social issues involved in the widespread application of video surveillance for person identification.
Power Boat Operators' Visual Behavior Patterns

Power boat operators' visual characteristics were recorded with a corneal reflection eye movement system in order to determine their foveal fixations. Data were collected while three (3) subjects p...
Anthropogenic pollutants may increase the incidence of neurodegenerative disease in an aging population

The current world population contains an ever-increasing increased proportion of the elderly. This is due to global improvements in medical care and access to such care. Thus, a growing incidence of age-related neurodegenerative disorders is to be expected. Increased longevity also allows more time for interaction with adverse environmental factors that have the potential exert a gradual pressure, facilitating the onset of organismic aging. Nearly all neurodegenerative disorders have a relatively minor genetic element and a larger idiopathic component. It is likely that some of the unknown factors promoting neurological disease involve the appearance of some deleterious aspects of senescence, elicited prematurely by low but pervasive levels of toxic materials present in the environment. This review considers the nature of such possible toxicants and how they may hasten neurosenescence. An enhanced rate of emergence of normal age-related changes in the brain can lead to increased incidence of those specific neurological disorders where aging is an essential requirement. In addition, some xenobiotic agents appear to have the capability of engendering specific neurodegenerative disorders and some of these are also considered.
Assessment of DFT for Computing Sum Frequency Generation Spectra of an Epoxydiol and a Deuterated Isotopologue at Fused Silica/Vapor Interfaces.

We assess the capabilities of eight popular density functional theory (DFT) functionals, in combination with several basis sets, as applied to calculations of vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectra of the atmospherically relevant isoprene oxidation product trans-β-isoprene epoxydiol (IEPOX) and one of its deuterated isotopologues at the fused silica/vapor interface. We use sum of squared differences (SSD) and total absolute error (TAE) calculations to estimate the performance of each functional/basis set combination in producing SFG spectra that match experimentally obtained spectra from trans-β-IEPOX and one of its isotopologues. Our joined SSD/TAE analysis shows that while the twist angle of the methyl C3v symmetry axis of trans-β-IEPOX relative to the surface is sensitive to the choice of DFT functional, the calculated tilt angle relative to the surface normal is largely independent of the functional and basis set. Moreover, we report that hybrid functionals such as B3LYP, ωB97X-D, PBE0, an...
Computerized flow and vessel wall analyses of coronary arteries for detection of non-calcified plaques in coronary CT angiography

The buildup of non-calcified plaques (NCP) that are vulnerable to rupture in coronary arteries is a risk for myocardial infarction. We are developing a computer-aided detection (CADe) system to assist radiologists in detecting NCPs in cCTA. A major challenge of NCP detection is the large number of false positives (FPs) caused by the small sized coronary arteries, image noise and artifacts. In this study, our purpose is to design new image features to reduce FPs. A data set of 98 cCTA scans was retrospectively collected from patient files. We first used vessel wall analysis, in which topological features were extracted from vessel wall and fused with a support-vector machine, to identify the NCP candidates from the segmented coronary tree. Computerized flow dynamic (CFD) features that characterize the change in blood flow due to the presence of plaques and a vascular cross-sectional (VCS) feature that quantifies the presence of low attenuation region at the vessel wall were designed for FP reduction. Using a leave-one-out resampling method, a support vector machine classifier was trained to merge the features into a NCP likelihood score using the vessel wall features alone or in combination with the new CDF and VCS features. The performance of the new features in classification of true NCPs and FPs was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Without the new CFD and VCS features, the test AUC was 0.84±0.01. The AUC was improved to 0.88±0.01 with the addition of the new features. The improvement was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The study indicated that the new flow dynamic and vascular cross-sectional features were useful for differentiation of NCPs from FPs in cCTA.
The Research Model that Revolutionized the Dutch Construction Industry

The Dutch construction industry is making a change from an owner controlled to a contractor-controlled environment. It is a movement from a top down culture (management, direction and control) to a bottom up culture (alignment and use of expertise). Owner decision making, management, direction and control are being replaced with a leadership model, which aligns and utilizes the expertise of the contractors. The changes in the Dutch construction industry validate a non-traditional research model, which used deductive logic and case studies involving dominant information and visionary industry participants, non-traditional concepts of Information Measurement Theory (IMT), the Construction Industry Structure (CIS) model and the best value Performance Information Procurement System (PIPS).
An Experimental Investigation of Combustion Induced Vortex Breakdown Flashback in a Swirl Stabilized Burner

This paper presents an experimental investigation of combustion induced vortex breakdown (CIVB) flashback propensity for flames yielded from Hydrogen (H2) - Carbon Monoxide (CO) fuel blends and actual synthesized gas (syngas) mixtures. A two-fold experimental approach, consisting of a high definition digital imaging system and a high speed PIV system, is employed. The main emphasis was on the effect of concentration of different constituents in fuel mixtures on flashback limit. In addition, the effect of Swirl Number on flashback propensity was discussed. The percentage of H2 in fuel mixtures played the leading role to cause CIVB flashback. For a given air mass flow rate, the mixture containing higher percentage of H2 underwent flashback at much leaner condition than that containing less H2. Flashback map for actual syngas fuel compositions showed distinct behavior due to the presence of various diluents in the mixture. CO had significant dominance over H2 that helped retarding flashback propensity. Of the two major diluents carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), CO2 was more dominant. It appeared that the flashback propensity decreased with an increase in Swirl Number. The analysis of flow field of reacting flames revealed the complex vortex-chemistry interaction leading to vortex breakdown and flashback. Based on the experiential results a parametric model similar to Peclet Number approach was developed employing flame quenching concept. A value of the quench parameter, Cquench was obtained from the correlation of flow Peclet Number and flame Peclet Number, which was observed to be dominated by the fuel composition rather than Swirl Number.
Vapor Pressures and Vaporization, Sublimation, and Fusion Enthalpies of Some Fatty Acids

Sublimation enthalpies are calculated at T/K = 298.15 by combining both literature and measured vaporization enthalpies with available fusion enthalpies of a series of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The results are used to predict vapor pressures of both the subcooled liquid and solid state for those materials that are solids at T/K = 298.15. Equations for the prediction of vapor pressure from T/K = 298.15 to the boiling temperature are provided for all liquid materials studied. The results are compared to vapor pressures in the literature measured by other methods. Vaporization enthalpies were measured for the following compounds by correlation gas chromatography (ΔHvap(298.15 K), kJ·mol–1): α-linolenic acid, (136.9 ± 10.4); γ-linolenic acid, (135.9 ± 6.8); linoleic acid, (134.1 ± 10.3); elaidic acid, (133.0 ± 10.3); heneicosanoic acid, (149.2 ± 7.1); erucic acid, (149.2 ± 7.1); and docosanoic acid (154.7 ± 7.3). A solid–solid transition enthalpy and fusion enthalpy, respectively, for docosanoic ...
Quantum theory of multiwave mixing. V. Two-photon two-level model

We extend our theoretical formalism describing how one strong classical wave and one or two weak quantum-mechanical waves interact in a nonlinear medium to the ``two-photon two-level'' model. In this model, field transitions between two levels not connected by an electric dipole occur by means of a two-photon transition using off-resonant intermediate levels. This model has many similarities with, as well as significant differences from, the corresponding one-photon two-level model that has been treated in the previous papers in this series. The theory yields the first detailed calculation of the two-photon resonance fluorescence spectrum, as well as the complete set of four coefficients that describe the quantum theory of two-, three-, and four-wave mixing.
Depression and Grief—Overlapping Phenomena or Lack of Individuation?

Depression and death-related grief are often treated as the same phenomenon or, in the case of grief, ignored all together. The result of this is that individuals experiencing grief may be treated for depression, if treated at all. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether these two phenomena can be distinguished in persons diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). The Beck Inventory II and the Revised Grief Experience Inventory (RGEI) measured depression and grief respectively. The scores from the four RGEI subscales were correlated with the scores from the three BDI subscales, creating a 4 × 3 matrix. Results suggest that only one of the RGEI subscales (Depression) achieved moderate correlations with two of the BDI subscales, Somatic Elements (r = .33) and Negative Attitudes (r = .32). These results provide strong evidence that the RGEI and the BDI produce scores with discriminant validity.
Variations in Chorionic Sculpturing of Eggs of Aedes sollicitans (Walker)

Whole eggs and the chorionic sculpture of the lateroanterior third of eggs from 4 geographically different Texas populations of Aedes sollicitans are depicted in scanning electron micrographs. While the general shape and pattern of endochorionic reticulation are basically the same for eggs from each population of mosquitoes, there is considerable variation in the ultrastructure of the chorionic pattern.
The Use of Active Human Serum in the Serum Diagnosis of Syphilis

Since Wassermann's original communication in 1906 of a method for the diagnosis of syphilis by means of the identification of specific bodies present in the serum of luetic individuals, many unnecessary changes and several important and valuable improvements in the methods of technic have been brought forward. Of the modifications suggested and proven valuable that of the more precise determination of the active principle of the antigen has been universally recognized. Soon after the original communications it was shown both by Wassermann himself and by others (Levaditi and Landsteiner) that extracts of the spirochete as prepared from syphilitic livers were not essential constituents, but that lipoid bodies capable of extraction, both from the liver and from other organs, preferably the human heart, were more potent. To Noguchi,1 in particular, recognition is due for the demonstration of the role played by the phosphated group of lipoids in the binding of complement in the presence of the so-called syphilitic antibodies. In addition to this standardization, as it were, of the antigenic properties of the tissue extracts, several real and important modifications of the Bordet reaction as utilized by Wassermann have been published. There is no necessity to describe, in extenso, the details of all the various reactions, but a review of the more important, and criticisms based on personal observation of those which appear to deserve such criticism, will be made. Excluding the use of antigens prepared in different ways, and here it may be insisted that the chief reliability of the reaction no matter how carried out depends on the specificity of the antigen, there remain two essential manners in which the performance of the reaction may differ, one of these being of the greatest possible moment, the
The treatment of tetanus

HE successful management of two eases of tetanus with the use of tetanus antitoxin, eurare~ penicillin, snlfadiazine, traeheotomy, and sedation was reported by Harris and associates ~ in 1948. In 1950 Tucker and Lasater 2 indicated that their mortality rate was reduced when they added the use of penieil]in, curare, and traeheotomy to their management which had formerly ,consisted of tetanus antitoxin, sedation, and excision of the local wound.
Decarceration and justice disinvestment: Evidence from New York State:

After 30 years of relentless expansion, the United States’ prison system faces the prospect of considerable contraction. This was certainly not expected and continues to be refuted by policy makers...
Assessing the limits of program-specific garbage collection performance

We consider the ultimate limits of program-specific garbage collector performance for real programs. We first characterize the GC schedule optimization problem using Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). Based on this characterization, we develop a method of determining, for a given program run and heap size, an optimal schedule of collections for a non-generational collector. We further explore the limits of performance of a generational collector, where it is not feasible to search the space of schedules to prove optimality. Still, we show significant improvements with Least Squares Policy Iteration, a reinforcement learning technique for solving MDPs. We demonstrate that there is considerable promise to reduce garbage collection costs by developing program-specific collection policies.
Critical points at infinity in Yamabe changing-sign equations

In the well-known paper [A. Bahri and J.M. Coron, Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 41 (1988) 253–294], Bahri and Coron develop the theory of critical points at innity and find the solutions of Yamabe problem via Morse theory. This is a very delicate problem because of the lack of compactness caused by the invariance under the conformal group. To obtain the desired results, one needs a careful analysis on the change of the topology of the level sets. In this work, the author continues to use these ideas and give a preliminary study of the topological features for the Yamabe sign-changing variational problem on domains of R 3 or on spheres S 3 . One of key points consists to understand the Morse relations at innity based on the expansion of the energy functional in a neighborhood of innity. In particular, one study weather the relation ∂ ∞ ° ∂ ∞ = 0 holds where ∂ ∞ is the intersection operator at innity. Although I could not understand completely the details, I believe such study is very delicate and the ideas and techniques developed could be also useful in the others context, in particular, some conformal invariant problems like Yang-Mills equations and harmonic maps. I recommend strongly the publication of the paper.
Flipping a large CS0 course: an experience report about exploring the use of video, clickers and active learning

A challenge many professors experience is balancing classroom activities to cover the subject matter in sufficient depth and breadth, yet provide enough active-learning activities to reinforce the subject matter. There often does not seem to be enough time in the finite number of classroom hours to do both adequately, let alone superbly. One possible solution is to adopt flipped classroom pedagogy. This paper describes the author's experiences flipping a course titled "Introduction to Computer Science" by utilizing self-recorded video, a student response system, and in-class active learning activities. Student attitudinal data collected at the end of the semester is presented.
Choices and Voluntary Conduct

In Chapter 4 we observed that, if we actually do, and accomplish, much of what we think we do, we exercise power to choose in the following sense: We engage in conduct knowingly when aware of being able to behave in alternative ways on that occasion (see Section 4.4). We saw that much of the conduct we think we engage in is chosen. At the same time, much of this conduct is voluntary.
Scrotal Reconstruction Using Thigh Pedicle Flaps

AbstractA technique is described for reconstructing the scrotum in patients who have sustained massive loss of the skin overlying the scrotum and perineum. Scrotal reconstruction with superior and laterally based thigh flaps was done in 3 patients and all 3 had an acceptable cosmetic result. The procedure has the advantage of simplicity, early closure of the wound, excellent cosmetic appearance and maintenance of testicular function.
Optimal design of two layered n base in a gate turn-off thyristor

An analysis of a high-voltage GTO (gate turn-off) thyristor structure with a double-layered n base is presented. From integration of Poisson's equation, an expression for the forward blocking voltage at the onset of avalanche breakdown is obtained. Simple design criteria are developed to calculate the optimal thickness and doping density of the n base of a conventional p-n-p-n structure designed for a specific voltage blocking capability. The same principle is applied to design for the doping densities and thicknesses of the high-resistivity region and the buffer layer of the p-i-n GTO structure. The forward blocking voltage as well as the on state voltage (at a current density of 300 A-cm/sup -2/) is predicted for a wide range of base layer thicknesses and doping densities to illustrate the available tradeoff options. >
Renewable energy and low-carbon policy spillover effects on natural gas demand

ABSTRACTRecent legislation intended to increase the use of renewable energy sources and lower the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from energy has changed the structure of energy markets. The effect of these policies on carbon-intensive fuel sources is rather obvious. For natural gas, though, the effect is not immediately clear. This letter uses a structural model of natural gas demand to uncover whether these policies have led to increased demand because natural gas is a relatively clean source of energy that couples well with renewables or if these policies have crowded out natural gas on net.
Abstract 4936: The interaction and effects of hypoxia, surrounding fibroblasts and p16 expression on breast cancer cell migration and invasion

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Cell migration and invasion play essential roles in the metastatic cascade of tumor cells. Accumulated evidences suggest that intratumoral hypoxia, a characteristic of fast-growing solid tumors, promotes cancer cell motile and invasive abilities. In this study, we investigated the effects and interaction of hypoxia, surrounding fibroblasts, and p16 expression on the migration and invasion of breast cancer (BCa) cells MDA-MB-231, JygMC(A) and LM2. We found that hypoxia promoted BCa cell migration and invasion, and cocultured MEF fibroblasts stimulated invasiveness of BCa cells. Moreover, by using a Tet-on inducible system, we found that p16 is capable of inhibiting hypoxia-induced BCa cell migration and invasion (e.g., 36.0% and 85.8% inhibition on migration and invasion, respectively, in MDA-MB-231 cells), and suppressing cocultured fibroblast-stimulated invasiveness of BCa cells. These results suggest that p16, in addition to its well-known anti-tumor proliferation function, has novel anti-cancer properties capable of suppressing hypoxia-mediated cancer cell migration and invasion. This study may provide important validation for p16-mediated cancer therapy either by gene therapy or pharmacological activation of internal p16 gene that is usually inactive due to hypermethylation in the tumor cells. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Yi Lu, Jun Zhang. The interaction and effects of hypoxia, surrounding fibroblasts and p16 expression on breast cancer cell migration and invasion. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4936. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4936
Predicting drug-target interactions by dual-network integrated logistic matrix factorization

In this work, we propose a dual-network integrated logistic matrix factorization (DNILMF) algorithm to predict potential drug-target interactions (DTI). The prediction procedure consists of four steps: (1) inferring new drug/target profiles and constructing profile kernel matrix; (2) diffusing drug profile kernel matrix with drug structure kernel matrix; (3) diffusing target profile kernel matrix with target sequence kernel matrix; and (4) building DNILMF model and smoothing new drug/target predictions based on their neighbors. We compare our algorithm with the state-of-the-art method based on the benchmark dataset. Results indicate that the DNILMF algorithm outperforms the previously reported approaches in terms of AUPR (area under precision-recall curve) and AUC (area under curve of receiver operating characteristic) based on the 5 trials of 10-fold cross-validation. We conclude that the performance improvement depends on not only the proposed objective function, but also the used nonlinear diffusion technique which is important but under studied in the DTI prediction field. In addition, we also compile a new DTI dataset for increasing the diversity of currently available benchmark datasets. The top prediction results for the new dataset are confirmed by experimental studies or supported by other computational research.
Possible Mechanisms of Immunotoxicity Following in vivo Exposure to the Inhalant, Isobutyl Nitrite

Amyl nitrite has been used since 1867 for relief from angina pectoris. Starting in the 1960s, inhalation of volatile nitrites became a common form of drug abuse, particularly among male homosexuals, but also among adolescents. Reports have appeared suggesting that the abuse of nitrite inhalants may be a co-factor in HIV seropositivity (1) or in Kaposi’s sarcoma in AIDS patients (2). One way in which nitrite abuse could act as a co-factor would be by reducing resistance to infectious agents through immunotoxicity. Immunotoxicity can involve cell killing or immune dysregulation through the modulation of regulatory mediators and cytokines.
The Politics of Labeling in International Politics: The Case of the So-Called 'Coup d'Etat of March 2009' in Madagascar

The consecutive and unconstitutional transfers of power which occurred in Madagascar on March 17, 2009, between, on the one hand, President Marc Ravalomanana and the Military Directorate, and on the other hand, the Military Directorate and Andry Rajoelina, have been labeled and condemned as a “coup d’etat” by the great majority of the members of the international community. However, despite this quasi-unanimity, the different members of the international community adopted different responses in dealing with this so-called coup d’etat. Using the labeling approach, this study analyzes the rules and procedures of the relevant members of the international community in dealing with a coup d’etat in general and their actual responses in the particular case of Madagascar. This study finds, on the one hand, that the rules and procedures of the relevant members of the international community in dealing with a coup d’etat were completely different, on the other hand, that their actual responses were usually inconsistent with their own rules and procedures.
Structural State Dependence and Consumers' Unobserved Heterogeneity: A Case Study of the U.S. Coffee Market

In many markets of differentiated products, consumers show persistence in their consumption choices. Understanding how past consumption affects consumers' current choices and distinguishing different explanations are beneficial for price setting. In this paper, a discrete choice model is used to investigate the state dependence effect on the U.S. coffee market. Using a disaggregate data set that captures a detailed purchase history and demographic information for a massive number of consumers, I first estimate the spurious state dependence effect without assuming consumer heterogeneity. I then consider both structural state dependence and consumers' unobserved heterogeneity and distinguish those two effects by applying the discrete mass point algorithm semiparametrically. I further explore the potential correlated errors and endogeneity problem and compare the various methods to solve them. My findings show that structural state dependence and consumers' unobserved heterogeneity are the main explanations for the observed consumption persistence in the U.S. coffee market. My findings also suggest that there exist two types of consumers in the U.S. coffee market: one type treats ground coffee as normal goods and the other treats ground coffee as inferior goods. The structural state dependence is positive and significant for one type of consumers and negative for the other type of consumers.
Creating the City: An Interview with Antonia Darder and Pepón Osorio.

Today there is a lot of discussion about creative economies and how cities are the engines driving growth in a variety of industries. But cities are not merely rows of buildings, or sets of laws, such as zoning ordinances or parking regulations. A city is, rather, a set of dynamic experiences that we all participate in as co(labor)ators. As a way to explore issues of urban spaces and art, the authors organized a public dialogue on issues pertaining to arts, community, identity, education, and policy with two leading artists/educators/activists: Pepon Osorio and Antonia Darder. The interview is wide ranging and brings into focus voices and perspectives often left out of policy debates concerning the politics of art, art education, and activism in urban environments. The authors of this article then propose four core principles drawn from the dialogue that can guide policy reforms for the arts in urban schools. Such principles argue that policy must be made from within the creative commonwealth of cities ra...