cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of grape cell culture extracts on human topoisomerase II catalytic activity and characterization of Active fractions

Grape and its cell culture extracts are rich in flavonoids and stilbenes that are biologically active. The objective of this study was to evaluate possible inhibitory effects of grape (a Vitis hybrid Bailey Alicant A) cell culture extract and subfractions on human DNA topoisomerase II catalytic activity and to characterize constituents in the most potent fractions. At 5 microg/mL, grape cell crude extract and Toyopearl (TP) fractions 2-6 provided significantly greater inhibition of topoisomerase II catalytic activity than quercetin, a chemopreventive agent previously known as a topoisomerase catalytic inhibitor. The most potent topoisomerase II catalytic inhibitors from grape cell culture extracts in descending order of potency were TP fractions 4 and 6 (IC(50) = 0.28-0.29 microg/mL), TP-3 (IC(50) = 0.74 microg/mL), and crude extract (IC(50) = 1.02 microg/mL); each was significantly more potent than resveratrol (IC(50) = 18.0 microg/mL), another well-known chemopreventive topoisomerase II catalytic inhibitor. Using both high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, constituents in TP-4 and TP-6 were characterized. These constituents included cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, malvidin-3-acetylglucoside, peonidin-3-coumaryl-5-diglucoside, procyanidin B(1), procyanidin B(2), procyanidin B(5), procyanidin dimer digallate, procyanidin C(1), myricetin, and rutin, none of which have been previously characterized from grape cell cultures. The significant potency especially of TP-4 and TP-6 from grape cell cultures suggests that these fractions may have potential as chemopreventive agents.
The relationship between preschoolers’ selective attention and memory for location strategies

Abstract Late and early preschoolers’ attention and spatial strategies were examined in response to instructions to recall relevant objects [Blumberg, F. C. & Torenberg, M. (2003). The impact of spatial cues on preschoolers’ selective attention. Journal of Genetic Psychology , 164 , 42–53] and irrelevant objects [Blumberg, F. C. & Torenberg, M. (in press). The effects of spatial configuration on preschoolers’ selective attention and incidental learning. Infant & Child Development ], and to spatial placement of objects within a multi-colored box. Sets of toy chairs or animals were designated as relevant or irrelevant and placed in each of the box's corners (corners condition), in the middle of its walls (walls condition), or in two corners and in the middle of two walls (control condition). Selective attention and spatial strategies were assessed via the removal sequence of items. Recall was assessed via correct relocations of relevant items. Older children and corners condition children showed significantly better recall than children in other conditions. Overall, most children used selective strategies, indicating that relevance of items, rather than their spatial categorization as corners or walls influenced strategy choice.
Aluminum Maltolate-Induced Toxicity in NT2 Cells Occurs Through Apoptosis and Includes Cytochrome c Release

Aluminum (Al) compounds are neurotoxic and have been shown to induce experimental neurodegeneration although the mechanism of this effect is unclear. In order to study this neurotoxic effect of Al, we have developed an in vitro model system using Al maltolate and human NT2 cells. Al maltolate at 500 μM caused significant cell death with a 24-h incubation and this toxicity was even more evident after 48 h. Lower doses of Al maltolate were also effective, but required a longer incubation for cell death. Nuclear fragmentation suggestive of apoptosis was observed as early as three hours and increased substantially through 24 h. Chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation were confirmed by electron microscopy. In addition, TUNEL positive nuclei were also observed. The release of cytochrome c was demonstrated with Western blot analysis. This in vitro model using human cells adds to our understanding of Al neurotoxicity and could provide insight into the neurodegenerative processes in human disease.
Breast milk protects against the development of necrotizing enterocolitis through inhibition of Toll Like Receptor 4 in the intestinal epithelium via activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor

Breast milk is the most effective strategy to protect infants against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a devastating disease that is characterized by severe intestinal necrosis. Previous studies have demonstrated that the lipopolysaccharide receptor Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays a critical role in NEC development via deleterious effects on mucosal injury and repair. We now hypothesize that breast milk protects against NEC by inhibiting TLR4 within the intestinal epithelium, and sought to determine the mechanisms involved. Breast milk protected against NEC and reduced TLR4 signaling in wild-type neonatal mice, but not in mice lacking the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), whereas selective removal of EGF from breast milk reduced its protective properties, indicating that breast milk inhibits NEC and attenuates TLR4 signaling via EGF/EGFR activation. Overexpression of TLR4 in the intestinal epithelium reversed the protective effects of breast milk. The protective effects of breast milk occurred via inhibition of enterocyte apoptosis and restoration of enterocyte proliferation. Importantly, in IEC-6 enterocytes, breast milk inhibited TLR4 signaling via inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β). Taken together, these findings offer mechanistic insights into the protective role for breast milk in NEC, and support a link between growth factor and innate immune receptors in NEC pathogenesis.
Examples of Smooth Non-General Type Surfaces in P4

Smooth projective varieties with small invariants have received renewed interest in recent years, primarily due to the fine study of the adjunction mapping. Now, through the effort of several mathematicians, a complete classification of smooth surfaces in ${\Bbb P}^4$ has been worked out up to degree $10$, and a partial one is available in degree $11$. On the other side, recently Ellingsrud and Peskine have proved Hartshorne's conjecture that there are only finitely many families of smooth surfaces in ${\Bbb P}^4$, not of general type. It is believed that the degree of the smooth, non-general type surfaces in ${\Bbb P}^4$ should be less than or equal to $15$. The aim of this paper is to provide a series of examples of smooth surfaces in ${\Bbb P}^4$, not of general type, in degrees varying from $12$ up to $14$, and to describe their geometry. By using mainly syzygies and liaison techniques, we construct the following families of surfaces: \begin{enumerate} \item[] minimal proper elliptic surfaces of degree $12$ and sectional genus $\pi=13$; \item[] two types of non-minimal proper elliptic surfaces of degree $12$ and sectional genus $\pi=14$; \item[] non-minimal $K3$ surfaces of degree $13$ and sectional genus $16$; and \item[] non-minimal $K3$ surfaces of degree $14$ and sectional genus $19$. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 14M07, 14J25, 14J26, 14J28, 14C05.
Domain Wall Magnets for Embedded Memory and Hardware Security

Domain wall memory (DWM) is one possible candidate for embedded cache application due to its multi-level cell capability, low standby power, fast access time, good endurance, and good retention. In this paper, we utilize a physics-based model of domain wall to comprehend the process variations and Joule heating that can lead to functional issues in the memory. We propose techniques to mitigate the impact of variability and Joule heating while enabling low-power and high-frequency operation. We show that the process variations in the nanowire (NW) is not good towards robustness, but it can be very useful for device authentication. We propose physically unclonable functions (PUFs) that exploit the nonlinear DW-dynamics for secure key generation. Two flavors of PUF designs are described namely relay-PUF and memory-PUF with lower overhead and power as compared to a traditional CMOS-PUFs and offer a higher degree of resilience against cloning.
Using laser‐light scattering to measure impurities, bubbles, and imperfections in ice cores

[1] Laser-light scattering (LLS) on polar ice, or on polar ice meltwater, is an accepted method for measuring the concentration of water-insoluble aerosol deposits (dust) in the ice. LLS on polar ice can also be used to measure water-soluble aerosols, as well as imperfections (air bubbles and cavities) in the ice. LLS was originally used for measuring the dust concentration in polar ice meltwater, but was later also applied to solid ice for measuring the dust concentration profile along the deep, bubble-free sections of the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) ice core from central Greenland. In this paper, we extend the usability of LLS on ice into the realm of the nontransparent, bubbly polar ice, and put previous empirical findings on a theoretical footing. For LLS on clear, bubble-free polar ice, we studied numerically the scattering of light by soluble and insoluble aerosol particles embedded in the ice to complement previous experimental studies. For air bubbles in polar ice, we calculated the effects of multiple light scattering using Mie theory and Monte Carlo simulations, and found a method for determining the bubble size and number concentration using LLS on bubbly ice. We also demonstrated that LLS can be used on bubbly ice to rapidly measure annual layers.
Three mechanisms of Red Queen dynamics

Models describing systems of coevolving populations often have asymptotically non–equilibrium dynamics (Red Queen dynamics (RQD)). We claim that if evolution is much slower than ecological changes, RQD arises due to either fast ecological processes, slow genetical processes, or to their interaction. The three corresponding generic types of RQD can be studied using singular perturbation theory and have very different properties and biological implications. We present simple examples of ecological, genetical, and ecogenetical RQD and describe how they may be recognized in natural populations. In particular, ecogenetical RQD often involve alternations of long epochs with radically different dynamics.
Endmember extraction using the physics-based multi-mixture pixel model

A method of incorporating the multi-mixture pixel model into hyperspectral endmember extraction is presented and discussed. A vast majority of hyperspectral endmember extraction methods rely on the linear mixture model to describe pixel spectra resulting from mixtures of endmembers. Methods exist to unmix hyperspectral pixels using nonlinear models, but rely on severely limiting assumptions or estimations of the nonlinearity. This paper will present a hyperspectral pixel endmember extraction method that utilizes the bidirectional reflectance distribution function to model microscopic mixtures. Using this model, along with the linear mixture model to incorporate macroscopic mixtures, this method is able to accurately unmix hyperspectral images composed of both macroscopic and microscopic mixtures. The mixtures are estimated directly from the hyperspectral data without the need for a priori knowledge of the mixture types. Results are presented using synthetic datasets, of multi-mixture pixels, to demonstrate the increased accuracy in unmixing using this new physics-based method over linear methods. In addition, results are presented using a well-known laboratory dataset.
A Comprehensive Sub-Grid Air Entrainment Model for RaNS Modeling of Free-Surface Bubbly Flows

The simulation of free surface bubbly flows using a two-fluid model remains a challenging problem in part due to the lack of a comprehensive air entrainment model that can predict the rate and location of air entrainment for a wide range of flows. In this study we derive a sub-grid model and implement it in a computational multiphase fluid dynamics (CMFD) framework to solve the Reynolds-averaged two-fluid equations. We assess the performance of our model in simulating bubbly flows underneath a plunging liquid jet and a hydraulic jump while varying the characteristic velocity. We compare the void fraction predictions with their experimental counterparts and conclude that the air entrainment model and the two-fluid modeling approach yield accurate results everywhere for the plunging jet and in the turbulent shear layer for the hydraulic jump. The inability of the proposed approach to recover the high void fraction in the roller region of the hydraulic jump is attributed to the failure of RaNS model to resol...
Spinor Yang-Mills superfields

Following the example provided by the ordinary derivative and vector Yang-Mills fields, we give an argument which demonstrates that spinor superfields may be combined with the fermionic components of the invariant superspace gradient in order to define a fermionic, supersymmetric Yang-Mills covariant derivative. Additionally, it is shown that this fermionic, covariant gradient is the ''square root'' of a bosonic covariant gradient. Thus, it is possible to define a ''supercovariant derivative'' is superspace. We also discuss some general aspects of supersymmetric, Yang-Mills theories.
Investigating the Not Invented Here (NIH) syndrome: A look at the performance, tenure, and communication patterns of 50 R & D Project Groups

The Not-Invented-Here (NIH) syn- drome is defined as the tendency of a project group of stable composition to believe it pos- sess~~ a monopoly of knowledge of its field, which leads it to reject new ideas from outsiders to the likely detriment of its performance. The authors have carried out an empirical test of the extent to which the rate of communica- tion between a project group and the outside world decreases with mean project tenure and how far performance decreases with project tenure. The study, carried out in a large laboratory, shows that performance increases up to 1.5 years tenure, stays steady for a time but by five years has declined noticeably. This tendency is best accounted for by the marked decline in communication rate among group members and between them and critical external sources of information. The authors analyse the significance of this finding and suggest means of maintaining the vitality of long-standing project teams.
Popper’s Improbability Criterion for the Choice of Scientific Hypotheses

The publication in English of Karl R. Popper’s The Logic of Scientific Discovery (London, Hutchinson, 1959) twenty-five years after the appearance of the German original, is an important event. At the time when many philosophers questioned the cognitive value of scientific hypotheses (and even of the most down-to-earth empirical generalizations), Popper has shown how to reconcile the free use of bold explanatory hypotheses with an insistence on empirical testing. Many of Popper’s views have now been accepted even by most of his earlier opponents, which is no small tribute to a philosopher who had challenged an important current of opinion. But, though the basic aspects of Popper’s theory have attracted considerable attention in recent years, some of his finer points have received insufficient discussion. It is hoped that the publication of this important book in English translation will now help to remedy this situation.
Impact of Nanoscale Confinement on Crystal Orientation of Poly(ethylene oxide).

Using a layer-multiplying coextrusion process to fabricate films with thousands of alternating polymer nanolayers, we report here a new crystalline morphology in confined polymer nanolayers and an abrupt transition in the crystallization habit. At higher temperatures, poly(ethylene oxide) crystallizes as large, in-plane lamellae. A 58C change in the crystallization temperature produces an on-edge lamellar orientation. The results point to a transition from heterogeneous nucleation to substrate-assisted nucleation. This may be a general phenomenon that accounts for previously unexplained differences in the preferred chain alignment of confined polymer crystals.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes Part 1, Mechanisms and Risk Factors

The mechanism underlying gender disparity in anterior cruciate ligament injury risk is likely multifactorial in nature. Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanisms underlying the gender difference in anterior cruciate ligament injury rates. These theories include the intrinsic variables of anatomical, hormonal, neuromuscular, and biomechanical differences between genders and extrinsic variables. Identification of both extrinsic and intrinsic risk factors associated with the anterior cruciate ligament injury mechanism may provide direction for targeted prophylactic treatment to high-risk individuals.
Orthogonal Wavelength-Division Multiplexing Using Coherent Detection

Optical wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) with channel spacing equal to the symbol rate is demonstrated. Coherent detection with subsequent digital signal processing is used for demultiplexing and demodulation. Experimental results for a 6-Gbaud binary phase-shift keying WDM transmission with a 6-GHz channel spacing achieve a Q-factor penalty of 2.8 dB compared to a single-channel transmission.
Diagnosis and Management of Acute Pain in the Hospitalized Patient

1. Acute pain is defined as the neurophysiologic response to a noxious stimulus and is a common cause of patient hospitalization and readmission after surgery. 2. A careful patient history is the cornerstone of the evaluation of acute pain and should include the severity, duration, location, timing, and alleviating/exacerbating factors. Further diagnostic testing should be tailored to the location, pattern, and type of pain described. 3. Treatment of acute pain should be tailored to the severity of the pain as well as the comorbidities of the patient and can include a. Opioids b. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs c. Acetaminophen d. Nonpharmacologic interventions 4. Inadequate pain control is closely correlated to hospital readmission and patient satisfaction and can contribute to in-hospital morbidity.
Insights into function of the immunological synapse from studies with supported planar bilayers.

Innate and adaptive immunity is dependent upon reliable cell–cell communication mediated by direct interactions of cell surface receptors with ligands integrated into the surface of apposing cells or bound directly to the surface as in complement deposition or antibody mediated recognition through Fc receptors. Supported lipid bilayers formed on glass surfaces offer a useful model system in which to explore some basic features of molecular interactions in immunological relevant contacts, which include signal integration and effector functions through immunological synapses and kinapses. We have exploited that lateral mobility of molecules in the supported planar bilayers and fluorescence microscopy to develop a system for measurement of two-dimensional affinities and kinetic rates in the contact area, which is of immunological interest. Affinity measurements are based on a modified Scatchard analysis. Measurements of kinetic rates are based on fluorescence photo bleaching after recovery at the level of the entire contact area. This has been coupled to a reaction–diffusion equation that allows calculation of on- and off-rates. We have found that mixtures of ligands in supported planar bilayers can effectively activate T lymphocytes and simultaneously allow monitoring of the immunological synapse. Recent studies in planar bilayers have provided additional insights into organization principles of cell–cell interfaces. Perennial problems in understanding cell–cell communication are yielding quantitative measurements based on planar bilayers in areas of ligand-driven receptor clustering and the role of the actin cytoskeleton in immune cell activation. A major goal for the field is determining quantitative rules involved in signaling complex formation by innate and adaptive receptor systems.
The Evolution Of A Balanced Scorecard

Both professionals and academics have long criticized the use of traditional financial performance measures and called for balance in performance measurement systems. In 1992, Kaplan and Norton introduced the Balanced Scorecard and it has been adopted widely around the world and offered as a superior combination of nonfinancial and financial measures of performance. This paper is the result of a 15-year field study of a Fortune 500 company’s Balanced Scorecard. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected to address the following research questions with respect to the Balanced Scorecard: 1) What has changed over time? 2) What has not changed over time? 3) Why has it endured? Changes highlighted are that the Balanced Scorecard was unaffected by a major change in organizational structure, a narrowing of focus and reduction in the scope over time, processes for changing the design were formalized, and that it has become engrained in the compensation system. Factors that have remained constant over time are the purpose of the Balanced Scorecard, its use for relative performance evaluation, and its use as a tool for best practice sharing. Two factors that appear to explain why it has endured are its use as a learning and communication tool and its ability to influence behavior. The paper concludes with a list of key success factors for building and sustaining a successful scorecard. This list might also be helpful to researchers seeking to investigate the design, use or impact of a Balanced Scorecard.
Approximate Analysis of Re-Entrant Lines with Bernoulli Reliability Models

Re-entrant lines are widely used in many manufacturing systems, such as semiconductor, electronics, etc. However, the performance analysis of re-entrant lines is largely unexplored due to its complexity. In this paper, we present iterative procedures to approximate the production rate of re-entrant lines with Bernoulli reliability of machines. The convergence of the algorithms, uniqueness of the solution, and monotonic properties, have been proved analytically. The accuracy of the procedures is investigated numerically. Finally, a case study of automotive ignition component line with reentrant washing operations is introduced to illustrate the applicability of the method. The results of this study suggest a possible route for modeling and analysis of reentrant systems.
Response to the comments on "Fundamental limits of reconstruction-based superresolution algorithms under local translation"

Wang and Feng (IEEE Trans. Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, vol. 28, no. 5, p 846, May 2006) pointed out that the deduction in (Z. Lin and H. Y. Shum, IEEE Trans. Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 83-97, Jan. 2004) overlooked the validity of the perturbation theorem used in (Z. Lin and H. Y. Shum, IEEE Trans. Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 83-97, Jan. 2004). In this paper, we show that, when the perturbation theorem is invalid, the probability of successful superresolution is very low. Therefore, we only have to derive the limits under the condition that validates the perturbation theorem, as done in (Z. Lin and H. Y. Shum, IEEE Trans. Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 83-97, Jan. 2004).
Lessons Learned from Teaching Teachers how to Teach About World Religions

Thepurpose of this study was to compare how 22 elementary pre-service teachers(PSTs) from one cohort taught lessons on world religions to 7th-gradestudents with 26 PSTs from another cohort. The PSTs from Cohort 1 received noinstruction or course readings related to teaching about world religions;whereas, the PSTs from Cohort 2 were assigned six articles to read and spentone hour of in-class time learning about teaching world religions. Lessonplans, teaching observations, focus group interviews, and reflection journalsserved as data sources. PSTs from Cohort 1 exhibited greater lack of knowledgeand awareness of world religious revealed in several ways from biased language,lack of solemnity and sensitivity, assumption-making and generalizing, and evensome instances of overt promotion of Christianity. This study suggests that elementary socialstudies teacher educators, by spending only an hour of methods class time onthe topic, can help their PSTs to avoid common missteps in their teaching aboutworld religions.
Response of the Chicken Pancreas to Raw Soybeans Morphologic Responses, Gross and Microscopic, of the Pancreases of Chickens on Raw and Heated Soybean Diets

Abstract INTRODUCTION CHERNICK et al. (1948) showed that the prolonged feeding of raw soybean (RS) diets to one-week-old chicks caused an enlargement of the pancreases with an increased proteolytic activity as compared with chicks fed heated soybean diets (HS). Methionine increased the growth of the chicks fed the raw soybean diets but did not counteract the hypertrophy of the pancreas nor the increase in proteolytic activity. Subsequently it has been shown that chickens fed RS diet without prior adaptation to the RS diet showed greatly decreased proteases in the intestinal contents due to the action of the soybean trypsin inhibitor (Furuta and Lepkovsky, unpublished data). After adaptation to the RS for six weeks, the intestinal contents of these chickens contained as much proteases as that of those fed the HS diets. Presumably, the pancreases of the chickens adapted to the RS released enough proteases to maintain normal levels of proteases in…
The timelessness of nations

Abstract. Anthony Smith has criticized my conclusion that most of the peoples currently recognized as constituting nations acquired national consciousness only in the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries. He traces our disagreement to fundamental differences concerning the essence of the nation. A comparison of our definitions confirms profound differences, and it is contended that Smith's definitions, by joining two quite dissimilar and often conflictual identities (civic and ethnic) preclude a dialogue concerning the nature and the history of ‘the nation’. A rejoinder to Smith's specific criticisms is followed by a restatement of the factors that make calculating when a given nation emerged so difficult. Finally, it is noted that the issue of when a nation came into being is not of key significance: while in factual/chronological history a nation may be of recent vintage, in the popular perception of its members, it is ‘eternal’, ‘beyond time’, ‘timeless’. And it is not facts but perceptions of facts that shape attitudes and behavior.
Experimental Treatments for Cocaine Toxicity: A Difficult Transition to the Bedside

Cocaine is a commonly abused illicit drug that causes significant morbidity and mortality. Although there is no true antidote to cocaine toxicity, current management strategies address the life-threatening systemic effects, namely hyperthermia, vasospasm, and severe hypertension. Clinicians rely on rapid cooling, benzodiazepines, and α -adrenergic antagonists for management, with years of proven benefit. Experimental agents have been developed to more effectively treat acute toxicity. Pharmacodynamic approaches include antipsychotics that are thought to interfere with cocaine’s actions at several neurotransmitter receptors. However, these medications may worsen the consequences of cocaine toxicity as they can interfere with heat dissipation, cause arrhythmias, and lower the seizure threshold. Pharmacokinetic approaches use cocaine-metabolizing enzymes, such as butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), cocaine hydrolase (CocH), and bacterial cocaine esterase (CocE). Experimental models with these therapies improve survival, primarily when administered before cocaine, although newer evidence demonstrates beneficial effects shortly after cocaine toxicity has manifested. CocE, a foreign protein, can induce an immune response with antibody formation. When enzyme administration was combined with vaccination against the cocaine molecule, improvement in cocaine-induced locomotor activity was observed. Finally, lipid emulsion rescue has been described in human case reports as an effective treatment in patients with hemodynamic compromise because of cocaine, which correlates well with its documented benefit in toxicity due to other local anesthetics. A pharmaceutical developed from these concepts will need to be expedient in onset and effective with minimal adverse effects while at the same time being economical.
Estimating root zone soil moisture using near-surface observations from SMOS

Abstract. Satellite-derived soil moisture provides more spatially and temporally extensive data than in situ observations. However, satellites can only measure water in the top few centimeters of the soil. Root zone soil moisture is more important, particularly in vegetated regions. Therefore estimates of root zone soil moisture must be inferred from near-surface soil moisture retrievals. The accuracy of this inference is contingent on the relationship between soil moisture in the near-surface and the soil moisture at greater depths. This study uses cross correlation analysis to quantify the association between near-surface and root zone soil moisture using in situ data from the United States Great Plains. Our analysis demonstrates that there is generally a strong relationship between near-surface (5–10 cm) and root zone (25–60 cm) soil moisture. An exponential decay filter is used to estimate root zone soil moisture using near-surface soil moisture derived from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite. Root zone soil moisture derived from SMOS surface retrievals is compared to in situ soil moisture observations in the United States Great Plains. The SMOS-based root zone soil moisture had a mean R2 of 0.57 and a mean Nash–Sutcliffe score of 0.61 based on 33 stations in Oklahoma. In Nebraska, the SMOS-based root zone soil moisture had a mean R2 of 0.24 and a mean Nash–Sutcliffe score of 0.22 based on 22 stations. Although the performance of the exponential filter method varies over space and time, we conclude that it is a useful approach for estimating root zone soil moisture from SMOS surface retrievals.
Open educational resources in the United States: Insights from university foreign language directors

This study reports the results of a survey completed by 155 university foreign language (FL) directors in the United States (US) during Fall 2012. Survey respondents come from a variety of institutions and direct a range of FL programs. The objectives of the study are to (a) determine what FL directors know about open educational resources (OER), (b) understand respondents' perceived benefits and challenges of using OER, and (c) determine what resources and support are critical to establish or expand the use of OER in FL courses in the US. Results indicate that while 66% of FL directors do not recognize the term OER, many are in fact utilizing them. Those who incorporate OER in their FL courses state they do so to go beyond what is offered in traditional, print-based textbooks suggesting that OER represent more authentic and relevant content. While few (26%) respondents indicate intellectual property concerns, many note challenges such as finding OER at the appropriate level for students, time involved in creating and using OER, and training others (e.g., teaching assistants) how to use technology-oriented OER. The paper concludes by highlighting additional training and resources to more completely and successfully incorporate OER into FL curricula.
Are the Bearers of the Pan-Grave Archaeological Culture Identical to the Madjay-People in the Egyptian Textual Record?

Since 1907, scholars have suggested that the Medjay of the Egyptian textual and artistic record may be equated with the Pan-Grave archaeological culture. There are various circumstantial reasons for this connection, but typically it has been argued that they were either both mercenaries during the wars of the Second Intermediate Period, or that they originated in the same area in the Eastern Desert. This article argues against the connection between the Medjay and the Pan-Grave primarily because there is no way to equate these two groups as mercenaries, nor is there reason to believe that the Pan-Grave had any presence in the Eastern Desert. The author asks scholars to reconsider the archaeological evidence behind these received ideas that were established by ethnic categories in Egyptian texts. DOI:10.2458/azu_jaei_v07i2_liszka
Frequency- and density-dependent selection on a quantitative character.

The equilibrium distribution of a quantitative character subject to frequency- and density-dependent selection is found under different assumptions about the genetical basis of the character that lead to a normal distribution in a population. Three types of models are considered: (1) one-locus models, in which a single locus has an additive effect on the character, (2) continuous genotype models, in which one locus or several loci contribute additively to a character, and there is an effectively infinite range of values of the genotypic contributions from each locus, and (3) correlation models, in which the mean and variance of the character can change only through selection at modifier loci. It is shown that the second and third models lead to the same equilibrium values of the total population size and the mean and variance of the character. One-locus models lead to different equilibrium values because of constraints on the relationship between the mean and variance imposed by the assumptions of those models.——The main conclusion is that, at the equilibrium reached under frequency- and density-dependent selection, the distribution of a normally distributed quantitative character does not depend on the underlying genetic model as long as the model imposes no constraints on the mean and variance.
Grouped through silicon vias for lower Ldi/dt drop in three-dimensional integrated circuit

The reliability of three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) is dependent on the yield of through silicon vias (TSVs). Moreover, the highly inductive nature of TSV lead to significant Ldi/dt drop especially in the power distribution network, therefore reduction in loop inductance is sought for curtailing Ldi/dt drop. In this study, the authors explore the grouping of thinner TSVs to replace a thick TSV (with identical current carrying capability) to reduce the loop inductance of TSVs and provide added redundancy. Closed-form mathematical equations are derived to calculate resistance inductance capacitance (RLC) parasitic of grouped TSVs. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first work towards investigating the grouping of thin TSVs to quantitatively analyse the exploits of their lower inductance and inherent redundancy. Their simulation results for power distribution network of 3D IC using conventional TSV and proposed grouped TSV showed that Ldi/dt drop improves from minimum of 9% in conventional design to up to 0.08% in the proposed design.
Robotic Primary RPLND for Stage I Testicular Cancer: a Review of Indications and Outcomes

Patients diagnosed with stage I non-seminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT) face the task of selecting a management strategy. Whereas these options all offer excellent survival, unfortunately, each has drawbacks. Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) is a major operation with low, but significant risks of bleeding, chylous ascites, and retrograde ejaculation. Platinum-based chemotherapy is associated with a number of long-term side effects, not all of which are quantified, but include secondary malignancy and early cardiovascular disease. While surveillance minimizes the chances of exposure to unnecessary treatment, it is not infrequently salvaged with chemotherapy and requires a compliant patient willing to undergo serial imaging often with ionizing radiation. Although fewer than one-third of patients will relapse without intervention, the current guidelines propose treatment for stage I patients with high-risk features. New developments in minimally invasive techniques may mitigate the harms of RPLND and avoid the side effects of chemotherapy, making it an ideal option for this cohort of patients. Unlike laparoscopic RPLND, which was introduced as a staging procedure and heavily criticized for the advanced skill set required to achieve oncologic equivalence, robotic RPLND may offer the benefits of a minimally invasive technique without a steep learning curve and a true therapeutic operation in experienced hands.
Group theory of phase transitions in A − 15 O h 3 − Pm 3 n ) structure

The results of a group-theory analysis of possible lower-symmetry phases arising from the $A\ensuremath{-}15$ structure are reported. The criteria which were employed are those of Landau and Lifschitz, and the chain subduction criterion. Potential order-parameter symmetries belonging to the ray representations at $^{*}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{X}}$ and $^{*}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{R}}$ were examined; cell doubling in one or two directions at $^{*}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{X}}$ and in three directions at $^{*}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{R}}$ were considered. The resulting space groups are tabulated, and comparisons with the few experimental results available are given.
The Fate of Two Systemic Insecticides and Their Impact on Two Phytophagous and a Beneficial Arthropod in a Citrus Agroecosystem

[Demean and aldoxycarb were applied to mature lemon trees by drip irrigation. Chemical analyses of leaf tissue of three different ages show that both materials were rapidly trans located into the leaves. Aldoxycarb residues initially were much higher than demean residues. Analyses for 120 d post treatment showed that demean residues were more persistent in the leaf tissues than aldoxycarb residues. Leaves from neither treatment caused any appreciable mortality to two phytophagous species, citrus drips ( Scirtothrips cirri (Mouton)), and citrus red mite ( Panonychus cirri Gregor), nor to the arenaceous mite, Eugenius tularemia Condone, over the course of the study.
Motor learning and synaptic plasticity in the cerebellum

For reasons I have never understood, some students of the cerebellum have been unwilling to accept the now overwhelming evidence that the cerebellum exhibits lasting synaptic plasticity and plays an essential role in some forms of learning and memory. With a few exceptions (e.g., target article by SIMPSON et al.) this is no longer the case, as is clear in the excellent target articles on cerebellar LTD and the excellent target review by HOUK et al. [CREPEL et al.; HOUR et al.; KANO; LINDEN; SIMPSON et al.; SMITH; VINCENT]
Noncovalent interactions in microsolvated networks of trimethylamine N-oxide.

The effects of the formation of hydrogen-bonded networks on the important osmolyte trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are explored in a joint Raman spectroscopic and electronic structure theory study. Spectral shifts in the experimental Raman spectra of TMAO and deuterated TMAO microsolvated with water, methanol, ethanol, and ethylene glycol are compared with the results of electronic structure calculations on explicit hydrogen-bonded molecular clusters. Very good agreement between experiment and theory suggests that it is the local hydrogen-bonded geometry at TMAO’s oxygen atom that dominates the structure of the extended hydrogen-bonded networks and that TMAO’s unique stabilizing abilities are a result of the “indirect effect” model. Natural bonding orbital (NBO) calculations further reveal that hyperconjugation results in vibrational blue shifts in TMAO’s C–H stretching region when solvated and a red shift in methanol’s C–H stretching region when hydrogen bonding with TMAO.
Edward N Lorenz’s 1963 paper, “Deterministic nonperiodic flow”, in Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol 20, pages 130–141: Its history and relevance to physical geography:

Lorenz (1963) provided the foundation of chaos theory and inspired a fundamental reappraisal of systems’ nonlinearity in many disciplines, including physical geography. I will provide a brief overview of chaos in nonlinear systems as documented in Lorenz (1963), including the major tenants of chaos theory, followed by a discussion of the effects of chaos theory within meteorology and climate sciences, geomorphology, and ecology and biogeography. In general, Lorenz (1963) provided the intellectual framework for reconsidering the predictability of many physical systems.
An assessment of fatigue in patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

Individuals with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome share many symptoms with those who have chronic fatigue syndrome; one of which is severe fatigue. Previous literature found that those with chronic fatigue syndrome experience many forms of fatigue. The goal of this study was to investigate whether individuals with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome also experience multidimensional fatigue and whether these individuals can be clustered into subgroups based on the types of fatigue they endorse. A convenience sample of 138 participants (aged 14-29) with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome completed questionnaires that assessed fatigue, brain fog symptom severity, activities that improve brain fog, and brain fog-related disability. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the Fatigue Types Questionnaire, and a three-factor solution was produced. Factor scores were then used to cluster the patients into groups using a TwoStep cluster analysis. This resulted in two clusters, a high severity group and a low severity group. The clusters were then compared on a number of items related to symptom expression. Individuals within the more severe cluster had significantly more brain fog at the beginning and end of the survey when compared to cluster two. Those in the more severe cluster also described more activity impairment as well as more frequent, more severe, and more debilitation from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and brain fog. The findings of the factor analysis suggest that patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome experience fatigue as a multidimensional construct and they also can be subgrouped based on symptom severity.
Patterns of Palliative Care Consultation Among Elderly Patients With Cancer.

Background The role of palliative care has expanded over the past several decades, although the oncology-specific regional evolution of this specialty has not been characterized at the population-based level. Methods This study defined the patterns of palliative care delivery using a retrospective cohort of patients with advanced cancer within the SEER-Medicare linked database. We identified 83,022 patients with metastatic breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers. We studied trends between 2000 through 2009, and determined patient-level and regional-level predictors of palliative care delivery. Results Palliative care consultation rates increased from 3.0% in 2000 to 12.9% in 2009, with most consultations occurring in the last 4 weeks of life (77%) in the inpatient hospital setting. The rates of palliative care delivery were highest in the West (7.6%) and lowest in the South (3.2%). The likelihood of palliative care consultation increased with decreasing numbers of regional acute care hospital beds per capita. The use of palliative care consultation increased with increasing numbers of regional physicians. The use of palliative care decreased with increasing regional Medicare expenditure with a $1,387 difference per beneficiary between the first and fourth quartiles of palliative care use. Conclusions Geographic location influences a patient's options for palliative care in the United States. Although the overall rates of palliative care are increasing, future effort should focus on improving palliative care services in regions with the least access.
Convenient (1 + 1) probe of S(1D2) and application to photodissociation of carbonyl sulfide at 216.9 nm

Abstract We introduce a 1 + 1 probe of S(1D) at 216.9 nm through the (4s 3So) state, and demonstrate it in one-color experiments to examine the photodissociation of OCS using DC slice imaging. As seen in previous work, the S(1D) image shows a bimodal distribution corresponding to two dissociation pathways of the parent molecule. The slice images are rotationally resolved across the entire product velocity profile. Separate two-color experiments allow us to determine that the probe is insensitive to orbital polarization in the sulfur atom under the conditions studied.
EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS OF GSM SIGNALS IN WARRI

This paper is aimed at comparing the signal path-loss as predicted by the Free-space model and the Okumura-Hata model with that obtained through practical measurements in the City of Warri and its environs in Delta State, Nigeria. Selected transmitting antennas mounted on base stations located at Refinery road, Enerhen junction and Okuokorkor areas were employed as the transmitters and a Lenovo A859 with received signal strength monitoring software called Net Monitor was used to measure the received signal strength at every 100 meters to a maximum distance of 1500 meters. Various path-loss models were analyzed and Free-space and the Okumura-Hata models employed in predicting the signal path-losses. The results obtained shows that the Okumura-Hata model performed well in predicting signal path-losses in Warri and its environs. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v35i1.15
meteR: an r package for testing the maximum entropy theory of ecology

Summary Macroecological patterns appear to follow consistent forms across a range of natural systems; however, the origin of their regularity remains obscured. The maximum entropy theory of ecology (METE) predicts macroecological patterns of abundance, metabolic rates and their distribution within communities and across space using an information theoretic approach. METE's success in predicting empirical patterns demands that we further press the theory's predictions to determine how (or whether) predictability depends on attributes of the system and the temporal, spatial and biological scales at which we study it. Maximum entropy theory of ecology predicts multiple macroecological metrics using statistical idealizations from information theory; thus, confronting METE with data represents a strong test of the underlying biological mechanisms that could drive real communities away from statistical idealizations. METE has remained somewhat inaccessible due to its highly mathematical nature and a lack of software for model construction/evaluation. To remedy this, we have developed an r package implementation of METE. Our open-source (GNU General Public License v2) r package, meteR (version 1.2; https://cran.r-project.org/package=meteR), (i) directly calculates all of METE's predictions from a variety of data formats; (ii) automatically handles approximations and other technical details; and (iii) provides high-level plotting and model comparison functions to explore and interrogate models. With these tools in hand, ecologists can more readily test the predictions of METE for their data sets. By facilitating tests of METE, we expect that a better understanding of its strengths and limitations will emerge. A better understanding of the strengths and limitations of METE will offer insight into how biological mechanisms and statistical constraints combine to drive macroecological patterns.
3.28 Fluorescence Based Intracellular Probes

One intriguing challenge in modern biology is to characterize and understand the spatial and temporal underpinnings of life inside cells. Deciphering this complex system of interacting molecules inside and among cells is one of the long term goals of biology. In this chapter we described some unique optical techniques for intracellular sensing. We reviewed fluorescence based intracellular probes with a brief description of fluorescence phenomena and measurement techniques, and we have described the use of conventional fluorescent dye molecules for intracellular imaging. Considering enormous influence of nanomaterials in this field, we gave a particular attention to the nanoplatform based fluorescent probes. At the end we also reviewed optical label-free nanoprobes which can be detected by conventional optical instruments.