cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Androgen receptor-driven chromatin looping in prostate cancer

The androgen receptor (AR) is important for prostate cancer development and progression. Genome-wide mapping of AR binding sites in prostate cancer has found that the majority of AR binding sites are located within non-promoter regions. These distal AR binding regions regulate AR target genes (e.g. UBE2C ) involved in prostate cancer growth through chromatin looping. In addition to long-distance gene regulation, looping has been shown to induce spatial proximity of two genes otherwise located far away along the genomic sequence and the formation of double-strand DNA breaks, resulting in aberrant gene fusions (e.g. TMPRSS2–ERG ) that also contribute to prostate tumorigenesis. Elucidating the mechanisms of AR-driven chromatin looping will increase our understanding of prostate carcinogenesis and may lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets.
Near-field qualification methodology

A methodology that is a combination of analysis, computer simulation, component certification, self-tests, and comparison tests is presented for the accuracy qualification of near-field antenna measurement ranges. The analysis uses closed-form equations to establish upper-bound far-field determination errors due to near-field measurement errors. Computer simulation is used to model the specific near-field measurement errors associated with the near-field measurement system components. The closed-form equations and computer simulations are used to form a near-field error budget for each of the near-field measurement system components. A near-field system component certification is undertaken to measure the near-field measurement system component error and establish that they are within the error budget. >
Shear failure analysis on ultra-high performance concrete beams reinforced with high strength steel

Abstract A new deck system for moveable bridges was developed that makes use of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) reinforced with high strength steel (HSS) rebar to achieve the light weight and high strength requirements in moveable bridge applications. However, the typical deck strips of this deck system failed predominantly due to shear cracks in simply supported beam proof tests. This paper investigates the mechanism of the deck strip shear failure experimentally and analytically. Experimental studies were performed at several scales, including material characterization, bond strength tests, small-scale prism tests, and full-scale beam tests. Specimens with traditional shear strengthening techniques were also tested. Several existing formulas were utilized to predict the shear strength, and the results were compared to the experimental results. The accuracy and limitations of these formulas are discussed. The shear failure of UHPC–HSS beams is not characterized by brittle response or catastrophic load reduction as with normal reinforced concrete. Therefore, this particular shear failure mode is regarded as acceptable. However, the additional shear resistance caused by the localized deformation of the longitudinal reinforcement is not recommended to be considered for design capacity formulas.
The two-dimensional impact of color on shopping

Prior research has typically grouped color effects into a single class of effects and has ignored situational aspects of consumer responses to color. In the present study, color effects are shown to exhibit different patterns depending on the type of response examined. Further, these effects are described as a function of color wavelength. Evaluative effects are most positive at the short wavelength (blue) end of the visible spectrum, while the activation response engendered by color exhibits a U-shaped pattern across wavelengths. Results of the study support the existence of these two distinct dimensions, and potential applications of the findings are discussed.
Preliminary Reliability and Validity of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for Schizophrenia.

This study provides preliminary psychometric support for a version of the Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Scale (CAPS; D. D. Blake et al., 1990) adapted for use with patients with schizophrenia (CAPS-S; J. S. Gearon. S. Thomas-Lohrman, & A. S. Bellack, 2001). Nineteen women with schizophrenia and co-occurring illicit drug use disorders were administered the CAPS-S, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV diagnoses (SCID). and scales measuring trauma-related psychopathology. The results indicate that the CAPS-S can distinguish between those with and without PTSD and that the symptom clusters measure unified constructs. Interrater and test-retest reliability were high for PTSD diagnosis and symptom clusters. Solid convergent validity was demonstrated between the CAPS-S and SCID-based PTSD diagnoses and the Impact of Event Scale. There is also preliminary evidence of discriminant validity. These results support the use of the CAPS-S in women with schizophrenia.
Dysfunction of cardiac ryanodine receptors in the metabolic syndrome

Abstract This study examined the hypothesis that the prediabetic metabolic syndrome alters expression, phosphorylation state and binding affinity of cardiac RyR 2 . Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis were used to assess mRNA and protein expression in the left ventricle, right ventricle and right atrium from control ( n = 5) and chronically high-fat-fed ( n = 5) dogs with the metabolic syndrome. Functional integrity of RyR 2 was assessed by RyR 2 -Ser 2809 phosphorylation and the receptor's ability to bind [ 3 H]ryanodine. We found that RyR 2 phosphorylation at Ser 2809 was significantly elevated in right and left ventricle from high-fat-fed dogs compared to normal control dogs. This hyperphosphorylation was associated with a decrease in RyR 2 binding affinity in right and left ventricle (high-fat diet = 80.2 and 90.5 fmol/mg protein vs. control = 243.6 and 200.9 fmol/mg protein, respectively) and a decrease in cardiac index in exercising dogs. RyR 2 phosphorylation at Ser 2809 and RyR 2 binding affinity were not altered in the right atria of high-fat-fed dogs. In addition, no significant differences in cardiac RyR 2 mRNA or protein expression were noted between groups. These data suggest that alterations in RyR 2 could be an important mechanism of early cardiac dysfunction in obesity and insulin resistance.
Effect of Heart Rate on T Wave Alternans

Heart Rate and T Wave Alternans. Introduction: T wave alternans (TWA) is a promising technique for detecting arrhythmia vulnerability. Previous studies in animals demonstrated that the magnitude of TWA is dependent on heart rate. However, the effects of heart rate on TWA in humans and the clinical relevance of this effect remain controversial. Methods and Results: This was a prospective evaluation of pacing rate and monitoring lead configuration on TWA in subjects undergoing electrophysiologic study. Measurements of TWA were performed on 45 patients in the absence of antiarrhythmic drugs. Recordings were made in normal sinus rhythm and during atrial pacing at 100 and 120 beats/min. Sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) was induced in 29 patients with programmed stimulation. TWA in the vector magnitude lead increased with heart rate, independent of VT inducibility (0.4 ± 0.7 μ V, 1.6 ± 1.9 μ V, and 2.4 ± 2.1 μ V in sinus rhythm and at 100 and at 120 beats/min, respectively; P < 0.001). In addition, the diagnostic performance of TWA for inducible VT was dependent on heart rate (sensitivity 4%, 42%, and 65%, and specificity 100%, 93%, and 63% at 77, 100, and 120 beats/min, respectively). By analyzing orthogonal leads rather than the vector magnitude lead, the sensitivity is increased from 42% to 59% at 100 beats/min, but the specificity is reduced from 93% to 72%. Conclusion: These results indicate that TWA in humans is strongly dependent on heart rate with regard to both magnitude and diagnostic performance. The optimal heart rate for the measurement of TWA is between 100 and 120 beats/min and multiple leads should be monitored.
On isometric copies of ℓ∞ and James constants in Cesàro–Orlicz sequence spaces

Abstract For a wide class of Orlicz functions not satisfying the growth condition δ 2 we show that the Cesaro–Orlicz sequence spaces ces φ equipped with the Luxemburg norm contain an order linearly isometric copy of l ∞ . We also compute the n-th James constant in these spaces for any Orlicz function φ, under either the Luxemburg or Orlicz norm, showing that they are equal to n for any natural n ≥ 2 . In particular, we prove that the non-trivial spaces ces φ are not B-convex for any Orlicz function φ.
Bacteremia after Implantation of Continuous Flow Devices: Associated Factors and Long-Term Outcomes

Purpose Blood stream infections (BSI) are a well-recognized complication of ventricular assist device (VAD) support. Despite their frequency, characterization of risk factors and ensuing outcomes has not been well reported. Methods and Materials Retrospective review of our IRB-approved mechanical support database was performed. Recipients of continuous flow (CF) devices were selected. Bacteremia was defined as at least one positive blood culture. Baseline characteristics and perioperative variables were reviewed. Univariate analyses were conducted using Chi-Square and Fisher’s exact tests for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables. Survival distributions were examined using the Kaplan-Meier method. Comparison of survival was conducted using the logrank test. Results 105 pts underwent CF-VAD implantation between 6/2006 and 9/2012. Mean age was 56±14 yrs, 18% were female and 51% were ischemic. Indication for support was destination therapy in 45%. Median duration of support was 229 days (1–1536). 30% expired while on support. 27% of recipients had at least one episode of bacteremia, most commonly Staph sp. in 41% of cases. Median time to first episode of bacteremia was 97 days (3-1140). Recipients who developed bacteremia were more likely to have a prolonged index hospitalization (45±32 vs 27±22 days, p Conclusions BSIs, while common, do not appear to influence the long term survival of patients supported with CF-VAD in this analysis. Duration of index hospitalization and discharge location may play a significant role in the development of bacteremia. Even though patients who develop bacteremia may also develop driveline infections, the causative organisms often do not correlate.
Interactive image retrieval by mental matching

In "query-by-visual-example," the standard scenario in image retrieval, the "query image" resides in the database and is matched by the system with other images. Suppose, instead, the query image is "external" and the matching is "mental." For instance, an image resides in the mind of the user or there is an actual object or photograph. The user may seek versions of the same image, e.g., the same face, or images belonging to the same class, e.g., similar landscapes, and responds to a sequence of machine-generated queries designed to accelerate the search. For example, the user declares which of several displayed images is "closest" to his query. These similarity decisions are entirely subjective and user-dependent. I will discuss an interactive search engine which is based on information theory and statistical inference. The display algorithm involves a Bayesian relevance feedback model and an optimality criterion based on conditional entropy. Performance is measured by the expected number of iterations necesary to match the identity (target search) or the class (category search) of the query. Designing metrics and response models which are consistent with human behavior is essential for achieving practical results with large databases, as illustrated with art and faces.
Intramolecular Trapping of an Intermediate in the Reduction of Imines by a Hydroxycyclopentadienyl Ruthenium Hydride: Support for a Concerted Outer Sphere Mechanism

Reduction of imines by [2,5-Ph2-3,4-Tol2(η5-C4COH)]Ru(CO)2H (1) produces kinetically stable ruthenium amine complexes. Reduction of an imine possessing an intramolecular amine was studied to distinguish between inner sphere and outer sphere mechanisms. 1,4-Bn15NH(c-C6H10)NBn (12) was reduced by 1 in toluene-d8 to give 85% of [2,5-Ph2-3,4-Tol2(η4-C4CO)](CO)2RuNHBn(c-C6H10)15NHBn (16-RuN,15N), resulting from coordination of the newly formed amine to the ruthenium center, and 15% of trapping product [2,5-Ph2-3,4-Tol2(η4-C4CO)](CO)2Ru15NHBn(c-C6H10)NHBn (16-Ru15N,N), resulting from coordination of the intramolecular trapping amine. These results provide support for an outer sphere transfer of hydrogen to the imine to generate a coordinatively unsaturated intermediate, which can be trapped by the intramolecular amine. An opposing mechanism, requiring coordination of the imine nitrogen to ruthenium prior to hydrogen transfer, cannot readily explain the observation of the trapping product 16-Ru15N,N.
Influence on pO2 on the motility of the rat female reproductive tract, in vitro, and its response to oxytocin

The spontaneous motility of the rat uterus and horns in a constant perfusion system was studied in vitro. The irregular spontaneous motility noted during the estrous cycle, which has been described in the literature, has been shown to be due to insufficient pO2 in the Locke's glucose perfusion solution. A pO2 of 550–650 mm is recommended during the course of the experiment to achieve consistent motility of the rat uterus and horns. This range can be maintained by pregassing the Marriott bottle for 40 min with 100% O2 and by balancing a fast gas bubbling rate of a gas mixture of 95% O2–5% CO2 against a rapid perfusion of the preoxygenated salt solution which contains bicarbonate. A series of right and left uterine horns taken from rats pretreated with estrogen were also set up to test the effects of pO2 on the response of the tissue to oxytocin. The results show that pO2 has a marked effect on the force and frequency of contraction and on the response to oxytocin.
Interaction of air pollutants and pulmonary allergic responses in experimental animals

Asthma, which is primarily an allergic type of respiratory disease, has increased in the U.S and Europe by 30% over the last decade. Air pollution may play a role in this rise, since during episodes of smog, hospital admissions due to asthma increase. Ambient air quality has generally improved since the Clean Air Act was implemented in 1971 however, and has led some investigators to suggest that the increased risk of asthma is associated with a deterioration of indoor air quality through the introduction of closed ventilation systems and constant climate control. Thus, although the direct health effects of acute and chronic air pollutant exposure are not in dispute, emphasis on the sources and location of exposure is changing from outdoors to the home environment and workplace. The few experimental studies which have investigated the interaction of air pollutants with allergic disease have shown that exposure to O 3 or NO 2 can increase levels of allergen-specific antibody and may augment allergic symptoms. These experiments are reviewed along with a study conducted in our laboratory which demonstrated the enhancing effect of NO 2 exposure on immune responses and pulmonary inflammation following sensitization and pulmonary challenge with house dust mite allergen (HDM). In this study, rats exposed to 5 ppm NO 2 for 3 h after each immunization had significantly higher levels of serum IgE and local IgA, IgG and IgE antibody than air controls. Lymphocyte activity in the spleen and local lymph nodes, and pulmonary inflammatory cells were also increased in NO 2 -exposed rats. The results show that exposure to NO 2 enhances immune responsiveness and the severity of pulmonary inflammation following antigen challenge. Since allergic individuals and most asthmatics also have increased immunity to these proteins, the possibility that air pollutant exposure enhances immune responses to allergens and thus exacerbates immune-mediated lung disease exists.
Dissemination challenges associated with mental health first aid in New Mexico: Insights from instructors.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) has the potential to addresses health disparities, especially within rural communities that are underserved with respect to behavioral health services, through increasing mental health literacy among key community members. Because MHFA instructors play a key role in the dissemination of MHFA, their views on the challenges in delivering the MHFA course are important. The purpose of this study was to identify the type and extent of challenges that MHFA instructors have experienced, or expect to experience, when disseminating MHFA in New Mexico. An online survey on challenges encountered, or expected to be encountered, in the dissemination of MHFA was completed by 31 MHFA instructors. Challenges were classified into costs associated with the training, MHFA-specific issues, community-related issues, and implementation issues. Among 22 potential challenges, those related to costs were the challenges most likely to be identified by instructors. These costs include MHFA books for those being trained, snacks for the training, and instructor-related travel expenses. An understanding of the challenges will help increase the dissemination of MHFA in New Mexico as well as in other states. Further exploration of the value of instructor support (e.g., administrative, organizational, and financial) and importance of prerequisite skills (e.g., mental health expertise and training experience) in the dissemination process is warranted.
Introduction to special section on Mitigation of Radio Frequency Interference in Radio Astronomy

[1] The papers contained in this special section are extended versions of some of the papers presented at the Workshop on the Mitigation of Radio Frequency Interference in Radio Astronomy (RFI2004), held in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada, in July 2004.
Towards trojan-free trusted ICs: problem analysis and detection scheme

There have been serious concerns recently about the security of microchips from hardware trojan horse insertion during manufacturing. This issue has been raised recently due to outsourcing of the chip manufacturing processes to reduce cost. This is an important consideration especially in critical applications such as avionics, communications, military, industrial and so on. A trojan is inserted into a main circuit at manufacturing and is mostly inactive unless it is triggered by a rare value or time event; then it produces a payload error in the circuit, potentially catastrophic. Because of its nature, a trojan may not be easily detected by functional or ATPG testing. The problem of trojan detection has been addressed only recently in very few works. Our work analyzes and formulates the trojan detection problem based on a frequency analysis under rare trigger values and provides procedures to generate input trigger vectors and trojan test vectors to detect trojan effects. We also provide experimental results.
Treatment Outcomes After 3 Years in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using a Treat-and-Extend Regimen

Purpose To determine 3-year treatment outcomes after 1 to 3 years of ranibizumab or bevacizumab therapy using a treat-and-extend regimen in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Retrospective, interventional, consecutive case series. Methods We treated 212 eyes from 196 patients diagnosed with treatment-naive neovascular AMD between January 2009 and March 2013; they were treated with either ranibizumab or bevacizumab for a minimum of 1 year, using a treat-and-extend regimen. The main outcome measures were change from baseline best-corrected Snellen visual acuity (BCVA), proportion of eyes losing Results The mean follow-up period was 1.88 years (median, 2 years). At baseline, mean BCVA was 20/139; it improved to 20/79 ( P P P Conclusions The treat-and-extend regimen is effective in achieving and maintaining visual and anatomic improvements in patients with neovascular AMD for up to 3 years of treatment.
The pediatric heart transplant patient: Immunosuppressive drugs and organ rejection

Abstract The new immunosuppressant drug, cyclosporine, has made heart transplant surgery a viable reality. As immunosuppressive drug therapy is perfected, there will be more heart transplant patients, many of them children. The nurse clinician in the ambulatory care arena needs to know how the immune system works, what effect these drugs have on the immune system, side effects of immunosuppressive therapy, and signs of organ rejection. This article gives a basic overview of these aspects of immunosuppressive therapy with explanations that will be helpful to the pediatric nurse clinician.
Image-based objects

We present a compact, image-based representation for threedimensional objects with complex shapes that can be rendered with correct perspective from arbitrary viewpoints using a listpriority algorithm. Objects are represented by six layered depth images sharing a single center of projection. They can be scaled, and freely translated and rotated, being used as primitives to construct more complex scenes. We also present a new listpriority algorithm for rendering such scenes and a back face culling strategy for a class of image-based objects. We demonstrate these concepts by constructing image-based representations from both synthetic and real objects, and rendering them at interactive rates on a PC. Due to their minimum storage requirements and rendering simplicity, image-based objects can find potential uses in games, virtual museum applications, and web catalogs. CR
Social Interactional and Sociolinguistic Rules

All social interaction involves communication; it is difficult to make an explicit differentiation between sociolinguistic and social interaction rules. For heuristic purposes, I propose a tentative distinction between: (1) social interactional rules as those governing social behavior within social structural contexts having such features as, for example, role, hierarchy, exchange requirements, etc.; and (2) sociolinguistic rules governing the use of resources of spoken and written language within sets of social structural constraints. I propose a further distinction between system-specific rules and rules which may be common to all societies (or sociolinguistic systems) and provide illustrations for each type of rule at each level of possible generality. All students of human social behavior (and probably most, if not all students of other animal social behavior) see that behavior as persistent, pattemed, non-random, rule-govemed. (Even so-called "free variation" is probably non-random-the rules which govern it are simply not very interesting.)' This fact lies at the roots of scholarly work in a number of disciplines in the natural and social sciences and in the humanities, whose practitioners involve themselves in research directed to the specification of the rules themselves; to a search for their sources; to understanding their acquisition by members of social groups; to a comprehension of the relations of rules across levels (viz., physiological psychological, social); to answers to questions about their stability and change. Men and women everywhere attain
Attitudes toward Including Students with Intellectual Disabilities at College.

Although inclusive postsecondary education programs are increasingly available, little is known about the attitudes of matriculating college students toward the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in their classes. To assess these attitudes, the authors surveyed 256 college students about their attitudes toward students with intellectual disabilities and their inclusion in college classes. Overall, the college students reported positive attitudes. They noted that female students and those with higher comfort levels perceived the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities as higher, thought more benefits were associated with their inclusion, and were more willing to interact with them on campus. The authors concluded that these findings offer evidence of the social acceptability of inclusive postsecondary education programs among the general population of college students and the viability of such programs as an inclusive transition option for students with intellectual disabilities.
Monocyte 15-Lipoxygenase Expression Is Regulated by a Novel Cytosolic Signaling Complex with Protein Kinase C δ and Tyrosine-Phosphorylated Stat3

Our previous studies demonstrated that the IL-13-induced 15-lipoxygenase expression in primary human monocytes is regulated by the activation of both Stat1 and Stat3 and by protein kinase C (PKC)delta. IL-13 stimulated the phosphorylation of Stat3 on both Tyr705 and Ser727. In this study we show that IL-13 induces the association of PKCdelta with Stat3, not with Stat1, and is required for Stat3 Ser727 phosphorylation. We found a novel IL-13-dependent cytosolic signaling complex of PKCdelta and tyrosine-phosphorylated Stat3. A tyrosine kinase inhibitor blocked PKCdelta association with Stat3 as well as Stat3 Ser727 phosphorylation. We therefore hypothesized that tyrosine phosphorylation was required for Stat3 interaction with PKCdelta and subsequent PKCdelta-dependent phosphorylation of Stat3 Ser727. We developed an efficient transfection protocol for human monocytes. Expression of Stat3 containing a mutation in Tyr705 inhibited the association of PKCdelta with Stat3 and blocked Stat3 Ser727 phosphorylation, whereas transfection with wild-type Stat3 did not. Furthermore, by transfecting monocytes with Stat3 containing mutations in Tyr705 or Ser727 or with wild-type Stat3, we demonstrated that both Stat3 tyrosine and serine phosphorylations are required for optimal binding of Stat3 with DNA and maximal expression of 15-lipoxygenase, an important regulator of inflammation and apoptosis.
Ranking Crop Yield Models: A Comment

This comment discusses key specification issues that may have affected the performance and, therefore, the ranking of parametric models that were compared in a recent AJAE article. A procedure to obtain the most flexible parametric model specification possible, given the particular probability distribution function on which the model is based is presented. These specifications also allow for standardized and, therefore, more valid comparisons across parametric models that are based on different probability distributions. Finally, the comment cautions against generalization of the rankings in that AJAE article and recommends that these more flexible specifications be adopted in future comparisons and applications.
SELF-DUAL SOLUTIONS TO EUCLIDEAN GRAVITY

Recent work on Euclidean self-dual gravitational fields is reviewed. We discuss various solutions to the Einstein equations and treat asymptotically locally Euclidean self-dual metrics in detail. These latter solutions have vanishing classical action and nontrivial topological invariants, and so may play a role in quantum gravity resembling that of the Yang-Mills instantons.
A modular system for robust positioning using feedback from stereo vision

This paper introduces a modular framework for robot motion control using stereo vision. The approach is based on a small number of generic motion control operations referred to as primitive skills. Each primitive skill uses visual feedback to enforce a specific task-space kinematic constraint between a robot end-effector and a set of target features. By observing both the end-effector and target features, primitive skills are able to position with an accuracy that is independent of errors in hand-eye calibration. Furthermore, primitive skills are easily combined to form more complex kinematic constraints as required by different applications. These control laws have been integrated into a system that performs tracking and control on a single processor at real-time rates. Experiments with this system have shown that it is extremely accurate, and that it is insensitive to camera calibration error. The system has been applied to a number of example problems, showing that modular, high precision, vision-based motion control is easily achieved with off-the-shelf hardware.
Technology Is Not Enough Climate Change, Population, Affluence, and Consumption

Reducing human emissions of carbon dioxide by 80% by 2100 requires more than technological innovation. Historical rates of emissions decline due to such innovation of about 0.7% are insufficient to...
Quantitative method to determine software maintenance life cycle

The planning of software maintenance is a major problem that information systems managers are facing in many organizations. The problem stems from two basic root causes: the competing demands (services, repairs, improvements, etc.) for the same limited maintenance resources and the uncertainty associated with these demands. Managers lack reliable tools that could enable them to handle the uncertainty and thereby proactively plan the maintenance to better respond to user requests. This study provides a quantitative method to estimate the uncertainty and to help managers forecast the demands of maintenance. Since the accuracy of maintenance request forecast depends on predictable regimes of demands, the method first hypothesizes a non-stationary, life-cycle model for the basic regimes of different types of maintenance requests. Each regime features a probabilistic dominance of certain types of requests in the overall distribution of demands. The method then includes ways to characterize the distributions of different types of requests, monitor their evolution, and determine the shifting of regimes on which the managers base their planning decisions. This study performs a laboratory experiment to validate the quantitative method that determines the software maintenance life cycle. The findings confirm the hypothesis and substantiate the appropriateness of the quantitative method proposed.
Last Frontier and Back to the Drawing Board: Protein–Water Interfacial Tension in Drug Design

As we have advocated throughout this book, the protein–water interface is at the crux of the drug design problem. Understanding this interface is essential when addressing the frontier problem of disrupting a protein–protein interaction with a competing ligand (that is, as man tries to beat nature at its own recognition game). One lesson to be drawn from the preceding pages is that it is quite unproductive to think of a drug and a target in a context where the solvent is merely regarded as background or as a statistical bath. Yet, little has been said about the thermodynamic nature of the protein–water interface and about the future exploitation of this knowledge to the advantage of molecular targeted design. This chapter squarely addresses this problem, dealing with questions like What is the nature of the interfacial tension between protein and water?
Accurate structure and motion computation in the presence of range image distortions due to sequential acquisition

An innovative technique for rigid body motion estimation for use with sequential, time-of-flight laser radar scanners is presented. The method is an iterative, linear, feature-based approach which uses the non-zero image acquisition time constraint to accurately recover the motion parameters from the distorted structure of the 3-D range maps. The performance of the technique is experimentally verified using computer simulations. >
Wheat Flour Compound that Produces Sticky Dough: Isolation and Identification

Some wheats have a 1B/1R translocation and may produce flours that give sticky doughs, even with optimum mixing time and water absorption. Studies showed that the water-soluble fraction caused sticky dough. Dialysis experiments indicated that the responsible substance had low molecular weight. Ionic exchange showed it to be either neutral or negatively charged. Gel filtration chromatography indicated it was both carbohydrate and UV-absorbing. Saponification caused it to lose ability to cause sticky dough. The UV-absorbing material and the carbohydrate had to be linked for the compound to be active. HPLC mass spectrometry indicated the UV-absorbing fraction was ferulic acid and the carbohydrate was a hexose.
Origin and Examination of a Leafhopper Facultative Endosymbiont

Eukaryotes engage in intimate interactions with microbes that range in age and type of association. Although many conspicuous examples of ancient insect associates are studied (e.g., Buchnera aphidicola), fewer examples of younger associations are known. Here, we further characterize a recently evolved bacterial endosymbiont of the leafhopper Euscelidius variegatus (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), called BEV. We found that BEV, continuously maintained in E. variegatus hosts at UC Berkeley since 1984, is vertically transmitted with high fidelity. Unlike many vertically transmitted, ancient endosymbioses, the BEV-E. variegatus association is not obligate for either partner, and BEV can be cultivated axenically. Sufficient BEV colonies were grown and harvested to estimate its genome size and provide a partial survey of the genome sequence. The BEV chromosome is about 3.8 Mbp, and there is evidence for an extrachromosomal element roughly 53 kb in size (e.g., prophage or plasmid). We sequenced 438 kb of unique short-insert clones, representing about 12% of the BEV genome. Nearly half of the gene fragments were similar to mobile DNA, including 15 distinct types of insertion sequences (IS). Analyses revealed that BEV not only shares virulence genes with plant pathogens, but also is closely related to the plant pathogenic genera Dickeya, Pectobacterium, and Brenneria. However, the slightly reduced genome size, abundance of mobile DNA, fastidious growth in culture, and efficient vertical transmission suggest that symbiosis with E. variegatus has had a significant impact on genome evolution in BEV.
Interannual and Decadal Variability in an Intermediate Coupled Model of the Pacific Region

Processes that cause decadal variability in an intermediate coupled ocean‐atmosphere model of the Pacific basin, both at northern midlatitudes and in the Tropics, are studied. The model’s ocean component is a variabletemperature 3‰-layer system. Its atmospheric component consists of two basic parts: an empirical model, constructed from patterns obtained by the singular value decomposition (SVD) statistical technique that determines wind stress anomalies from model sea surface temperature (SST), and a simple representation of the planetary boundary layer to calculate the surface heat flux anomalies. A third part specifies stochastic wind stress forcing from observed variability. In addition, the model is specifically designed to separate tropical and extratropical interactions, such that the Tropics can force the extratropics through the atmosphere but the extratropics can only feed back to the Tropics through the ocean. Solutions develop two types of oscillations: an ENSO-like interannual mode and a decadal mode. As in many models of ENSO, the interannual mode is driven by positive, ocean‐atmosphere feedbacks near the equator, and time-delayed negative feedback is provided by off-equatorial Rossby waves. For parameter choices that amplify midlatitude coupling by 30% (fo 5 1.3), a self-sustained decadal oscillation develops in the North Pacific without any tropical interactions. Diagnostic analyses show that it is maintained by ocean-to-atmosphere feedbacks in the northwest and subtropical northeast Pacific, and by atmospheric teleconnections from those regions to the northeast ocean. For weaker coupling (fo 5 1.2), the decadal mode is damped. In this case, the mode can be sustained by atmospheric teleconnections from the Tropics associated with the interannual mode, but not by extratropical stochastic forcing. Although including stochastic forcing does generate variability at decadal timescales, a distinct decadal spectral peak only exists when the decadal mode is active. Decadal variability is carried to the equator by variations in the transport, rather than temperature, of the North Pacific subtropical cell. These variations modulate near-equatorial SST by altering the amount of cool, thermocline water that upwells in the eastern equatorial Pacific, which in turn feeds back to the interannual mode.
Collaborative Marketing for Electronic Resources: A Project Report and Discussion

This article reports on the design and findings of a project concerning the feasibility of a collaborative model to benchmark the marketing of electronic resources in institutions of higher education. This inter-national project gathered 100 libraries to move in lockstep through the process of a typical marketing cycle that included running a brief marketing campaign and reporting findings to each other. The findings show good reasons and strong support for this kind of model.
THE USE OF THE FLASH ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT TOOL IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

Natural disasters have the potential to trigger technological accidents with the accompanying release of contaminating substances in the environment. Such incidents are expected to increase as the effects of climate change become more pronounced in an increasingly urbanized landscape. The Flash Environmental Assessment Tool (FEAT) has been developed at the request of the Joint Environment Unit (JEU) of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in order to allow disaster responders, including assessment and coordination teams, to identify and prioritize locations with an evident risk of technological accidents and corresponding chemical releases. The evaluations from use of FEAT in disaster response, simulations, trainings and for hazard mapping provide evidence that the tool is considered useful, easy to use, and widely applicable both in disaster preparedness and response in developing countries, As such, FEAT can be first step in embarking on an inclusive disaster risk reduction programme, and should be followed by identified priority actions such as conduction of detailed risk assessments at the local level, creation of industrial hazard maps, regulation and enforcement of land-use in the vicinity of industrial facilities, and training disaster managers and adjacent communities on chemical accident response.
Recessions, Budget Deficits, And Austerity: A Comment On The U.S. And European Economies

We have seen that both the U.S. and the European Union have experienced a serious recession in recent years. Some of the results of these economic difficulties include a rise in unemployment and an increase in budget deficits and national debts. This paper discusses the likely outcome of policies instituted by U.S. and European leaders to this economic situation.
PERSPECTIVES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL READING: IMPLICATIONS FOR INSTRUCTION

We examine secondary school reading instruction from the information‐processing and sociocultural perspectives. After reviewing the research on cognitive strategy instruction and its effectiveness with students experiencing reading difficulties, we describe how societal expectations and culturally derived norms mediate such instruction. Finally, drawing from both perspectives, we present a set of integrated instructional implications that include using text structure, summarizing complex information, performing self‐questioning, activating prior knowledge, and elaborating through guided imagery.
Cellular mechanisms of activity-dependent BDNF expression in primary sensory neurons

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is abundantly expressed by both developing and adult rat visceral sensory neurons from the nodose ganglion (NG) in vivo and in vitro. We have previously shown that BDNF is released from neonatal NG neurons by activity and regulates dendritic development in their postsynaptic targets in the brainstem. The current study was carried out to examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms of activity-dependent BDNF expression in neonatal rat NG neurons, using our established in vitro model of neuronal activation by electrical field stimulation with patterns that mimic neuronal activity in vivo. We show that BDNF mRNA (transcript 4) increases over threefold in response to a 4-h tonic or bursting pattern delivered at the frequency of 6 Hz, which corresponds to the normal heart rate of a newborn rat. No significant increase in BDNF expression was observed following stimulation at 1 Hz. The latter effect suggests a frequency-dependent mechanism of regulated BDNF expression. In addition to BDNF transcript 4, which is known to be regulated by activity, transcript 1 also showed significant upregulation. The increases in BDNF mRNA were followed by BDNF protein upregulation of a similar magnitude after 24h of stimulation at 6 Hz. Electrical stimulation-evoked BDNF expression was inhibited by pretreating neurons with the blocker of voltage-gated sodium channels tetrodotoxin and by removing extracellular calcium. Moreover, our data show that repetitive stimulation-evoked BDNF expression requires calcium influx through N-, but not L-type, channels. Together, our study reveals novel mechanisms through which electrical activity stimulates de novo synthesis of BDNF in sensory neurons, and points to the role of N-type calcium channels in regulating BDNF expression in sensory neurons in response to repetitive stimulation.
The Normalized Toxic Body: a Site for Theorizing an Environmental Politics

Once identified with the deviant, the venomous, the profane -- we are all toxic now. Published in 2009 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Fourth Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals tracks human exposure in the United States to 212 environmental chemicals, 75 of which were measured for the first time. The study shows widespread exposure, over 90% of the samples taken, to Bisphenol A (BPA) and other perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) - the safety of which is currently a matter of growing controversy. In other recent research, newborn babies in the United States were found to have absorbed, on average, 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants into their bodies through their mother's wombs (Sze 2006). Many of the chemicals that now "accumulate in our fat, bones, blood and organs, or pass through us in breast milk, urine, feces, sweat, semen, hair and nails" are woven into our daily practices and the intimate spaces of our homes; they are present in our clothes, dishware, toys, and televisions (Baker 2008, 14). Further, many of these chemicals have been identified as endocrine-disruptors carrying profound effects for human and animal reproduction, fetal development, and cancer risks in later life. The normalized toxic body obscures the inside from outside, the subject from environment, the private from public, the natural from artificial; it bends gender and equalizes while still distinguishing the more vulnerable.
"Spinal injury" and sudden infant death. A second look.

A study of 19 consecutive sudden and unexpected infant deaths (“crib deaths”) revealed no mechanical injury to the cervicothoracic vertebral column in any child. Spinal epidural venous congestion, frequently accompanied by foci of epidural hemorrhage, was present in nearly every child. Such findings were observed in infants dying of acute inflammatory disease as well as in children who were victims of the classic “sudden death syndrome.” We conclude that physical trauma docs not play a significant role in the pathogenesis of the “sudden death syndrome.”
Ventilatory and blood gas changes during laparoscopy with local anesthesia.

A study was performed on a series of healthy patients undergoing laparoscopy for tubal ligation with local anesthesia in a non-operating room setting. Ventilatory parameters, blood gas, pH, blood pressure, and pulse were monitored. The results revealed that no adverse effect on hemoglobin saturation or carbon dioxide exchange were found when fentanyl ahne was used as a supplementary analgesic. An occasional vagal reflex was observed, and it is recommended that an intravenous line be established in the event that pharmacologic intervention should become necessary. Nitrous oxide produced less discomfort than carbon dioxide as the inflation gas with this minimal analgesia.
A Mostly Digital PWM-Based $\Delta\Sigma$ ADC With an Inherently Matched Multibit Quantizer/DAC

A mostly digital pulsewidth-modulator-based delta-sigma $(\Delta\Sigma)$ analog-to-digital converter is proposed. This system takes advantage of the duration of pulses, rather than voltage or current, as the analog operand used in its closed-loop operation. Therefore, circuits that process the pulses are digital in nature and improve with scaling. Furthermore, the architecture allows inherently matched multibit quantizer/digital-to-analog converter (DAC) blocks by taking advantage of delay lines reusable in both quantization and DAC operation. A second novelty of this architecture is the modulator's adaptive excess delay, which synchronizes the asynchronous loop with an external reference clock. This mitigates the problems associated with nonuniform sampling. A first-order 3-b prototype of this architecture is presented. The core occupies an area of 0.0275 mm2 in a 0.18- $\mu\text{m}$ CMOS process, consumes 2.7 mW, and measures a 45.1-dB SNR over a 2-MHz bandwidth.
Israel, the Arab Spring, and the unfolding regional order in the Middle East: a strategic assessment

AbstractSince 2011, geo-strategic interactions have exerted pressure on various political communities. In particular, uncertainty over the foreign policy intentions of new leadership elites and the nature of the unfolding regional security system in the Middle East have impacted the strategic questions Israel must answer: how can Israel rationally assess the new environment? What foreign policy approach would best serve Israel’s distinct national interests? Using insights from the levels-of-analysis framework and from the realist theory of International Relations, this article aims to explore Israel’s reading of recent regional developments and its attitudes and behaviours towards the attendant and emerging strategic challenges. The analysis reveals that the Arab Spring uprisings exacerbated the already anarchic Middle East environment, aggravating mistrust and antagonism in Israel. The urgency of the attraction of protectionism and militarism in Israel was an expression of the realist approach to Israel’...
The Price Revolution and Primitive Accumulation

Immanuel Wallerstein’s The Modern World-System is a massive and magnificent work of historical scholarship and deserves the highest praise for combining breadth of vision with attention to scholarly detail. Yet like all attempts to synthesize many different kinds of studies, carried out from many different points of view, it runs into the problem that the underlying theoretical ideas may not always be consistent with each other. I shall concentrate on one such problem which emerges largely in the second chapter. This is the question of the initial emergence of capital, the first concentrations of control over the means of production, held in money form, which Marx called ‘primitive accumulation.’ Wallerstein surveys the debate over the ‘price revolution,’ which provided one explanation of the emergence of capital, and he goes over the demographic evidence, which provides a different explanation for the same series of price and wage movements. His own view is clearly that what really matters is the emerging world division of labor, including the patterns of labor control, which result from specialization in supplying the world market, but in arguing for this, he overlooks important developments in the re-organization of the guilds, and he appears to accept some arguments, both from the monetarists and from the demographers, that no serious scholar should countenance.