cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scaling Phenocam GCC, NDVI, and EVI2 with Harmonized Landsat-Sentinel using Gaussian Processes

Abstract The use of near-surface remote sensing for monitoring vegetation phenology has advanced greatly over the past decade. The Phenocam Network has deployed more than 500 web-enabled cameras across the globe that use digital repeat photography to capture color information and measure changes in vegetation phenology across diverse ecosystems. Vegetation indices (VIs) such as the Green Chromatic Coordinate (GCC), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and two-band Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI2) have been derived from phenocam imagery. However, it is often necessary to scale these metrics to align them with satellite imagery since phenocam data are not standardised to surface reflectance. We developed a method to convert phenocam digital numbers (DNs) to align with Harmonized Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 surface (HLS) reflectance products using a Gaussian process. We applied our method across six grassland phenocam sites. The Gaussian Process regression was on average able to account for 77.4 percent of the variation in the HLS surface reflectance, and our resulting phenocam VIs had a high level of agreement with the modeled HLS VIs with an R2 of 0.811. This technique provides a novel method for standardising phenocam imagery, easing comparison between multiple phenocam locations and satellite or other sensors that have a standardised surface reflectance product.
Impact of dietary phytase on tilapia performance and biofloc water quality

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that the fate of dietary phosphorus will not differ among a dicalcium phosphate-free practical diet treated with 6-phytase (3000 FTU/kg; Quantum Blue™; P-F + Phy), and positive (C) and negative (P-F) control practical diets when fed to hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis aureus x O. niloticus; 29.8 g initial weight) stocked at 29 fish/m3 and grown for 5 months to market size (454 g/fish) in outdoor biofloc production system tanks (16.6 m3). The ideal protein diets were formulated to contain 27.7% digestible protein and 4% lipid from practical ingredients and were extruded commercially. Final weights (467–494 g), weight gains (1636-1723%), and average daily intake (2.10–2.18%) did not differ for fish fed the P-F + Phy or C diets; however, these metrics were significantly lower in the P-F diet treatment. There were fewer market size fish (46.8–54.7%), feed conversion ratios were poorer (1.59–1.61), and intraperitoneal fat contents (6.96–7.40%) were higher for fish fed the phosphorus-free diets compared to the C diet (65.3%, 1.46, 5.90%). Geosmin, as compared to 2-methylisoborneol, was considered the more relevant off-flavor compound and fillet concentrations were higher than those for 2-methylisoborneol, but concentrations present of each compound were unlikely to cause “earthy” or “musty” off-flavors. Accumulation rates of soluble reactive phosphorus, organic phosphorus, and total phosphorus in tanks fed the phosphorus-free were diets nearly half those observed for the C diet while phosphorus loading from feed was 37.7% lower.
Phase behavior of colloid-polymer mixtures in planar, spherical, and cylindrical confinement: A density functional theory study.

The Asakura–Oosawa (AO) model of colloid–polymer mixtures has been extensively studied over the past several decades both via computer simulations and Density Functional Theory (DFT). At this point, its structural and thermodynamic properties both in the bulk and in contact with flat structureless walls are well understood. At the same time, the phase behavior of AO mixtures in spherical cavities and cylindrical pores, while thoroughly investigated by simulations, has not received a comparably detailed DFT treatment. In this paper, we use the DFT results for the AO model in the bulk and under planar confinement as a point of reference for studying its thermodynamic and structural properties in cavities and pores. The accuracy of the DFT approach is assessed by comparing its predictions with the available extensive simulation data; good overall agreement is generally found with some notable exceptions in the vicinity of wetting and drying transitions. The deviations of the phase behavior in confinement from the bulk phase diagram are analyzed using the Kelvin equation, which is seen to work reasonably well under moderate confinement, i.e., for sufficiently large radii of confining cavities and pores.
Solving combinatorial optimisation problems using oscillator based Ising machines

We present OIM (Oscillator Ising Machines), a new way to make Ising machines using networks of coupled self-sustaining nonlinear oscillators. OIM is theoretically rooted in a novel result that establishes that the phase dynamics of coupled oscillator systems, under the influence of subharmonic injection locking, are governed by a Lyapunov function that is closely related to the Ising Hamiltonian of the coupling graph. As a result, the dynamics of such oscillator networks evolve naturally to local minima of the Lyapunov function. Two simple additional steps (i.e., turning subharmonic locking on and off smoothly, and adding noise) enable the network to find excellent solutions of Ising problems. We demonstrate our method on Ising versions of the MAX-CUT and graph colouring problems, showing that it improves on previously published results on several problems in the G benchmark set. Using synthetic problems with known global minima, we also present initial scaling results. Our scheme, which is amenable to realisation using many kinds of oscillators from different physical domains, is particularly well suited for CMOS IC implementation, offering significant practical advantages over previous techniques for making Ising machines. We report working hardware prototypes using CMOS electronic oscillators.
Patient engagement in system redesign teams: a process of social identity.

PURPOSE Studies demonstrate how patient roles in system redesign teams reflect a continuum of involvement and influence. This research shows the process by which patients move through this continuum and effectively engage within redesign projects. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The authors studied members of redesign teams, consisting of 5-10 members: clinicians, systems engineers, health system staff and patient(s), from three health systems working on separate projects in a patient safety learning lab. Weekly team meetings were observed, January 2016-April 2018, 17 semi-structured interviews were conducted and findings through a patient focus group were refined. Grounded theory was used to analyze field notes and transcripts. FINDINGS Results show how the social identity process enables patients to move through stages in a patient engagement continuum (informant, partner and active change agent). Initially, patient and team member perceptions of the patient's role influence their respective behaviors (activating, directing, framing and sharing). Subsequently, patient and team member behaviors influence patient contributions on the team, which can redefine patient and team member perceptions of the patient's role. ORIGINALITY/VALUE As health systems grow increasingly complex and become more interested in responding to patient expectations, understanding how to effectively engage patients on redesign teams gains importance. This research investigates how and why patient engagement on redesign teams changes over time and what makes different types of patient roles valuable for team objectives. Findings have implications for how redesign teams can better prepare, anticipate and support the changing role of engaged patients.
Pathophysiology of the Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome.

The antiphospholipid syndrome is characterized by antibodies directed against phospholipid-binding proteins and phospholipids attached to cell membrane receptors, mitochondria, oxidized lipoproteins, and activated complement components. When antibodies bind to these complex antigens, cells are activated and the coagulation and complement cascades are triggered, culminating in thrombotic events and pregnancy morbidity that further define the syndrome. The phospholipid-binding proteins most often involved are annexins II and V, β2-glycoprotein I, prothrombin, and cardiolipin. A distinguishing feature of the antiphospholipid syndrome is the "lupus anticoagulant". This is not a single entity but rather a family of antibodies directed against complex antigens consisting of β2-glycoprotein I and/or prothrombin bound to an anionic phospholipid. Although these antibodies prolong in vitro clotting times by competing with clotting factors for phospholipid binding sites, they are not associated with clinical bleeding. Rather, they are thrombogenic because they augment thrombin production in vivo by concentrating prothrombin on phospholipid surfaces. Other antiphospholipid antibodies decrease the clot-inhibitory properties of the endothelium and enhance platelet adherence and aggregation. Some are atherogenic because they increase lipid peroxidation by reducing paraoxonase activity, and others impair fetal nutrition by diminishing placental antithrombotic and fibrinolytic activity. This plethora of destructive autoantibodies is currently managed with immunomodulatory agents, but new approaches to treatment might include vaccines against specific autoantigens, blocking the antibodies generated by exposure to cytoplasmic DNA, and selective targeting of aberrant B-cells to reduce or eliminate autoantibody production.
Is Dual Agency in Real Estate Transactions a Cause for Concern

We study dual agency in residential real estate, where the same agent/agency represents both the buyer and seller. We assess the extent to which dual agency suffers from an inherent conflict of interest, where the dual agent furthers the interest of one client at the expense of the other client’s, as well as principal-agent incentive misalignment where the agent furthers her own interest at the expense of one or both clients. And, we examine how these incentive conflicts affect agent behavior and transaction outcomes. To do so, we analyze 10,891 residential real estate transactions in Long Island, NY, from 2004- 2007. Specifically, we (i) identify how dual agency is correlated with house prices and time-to-sale, (ii) describe and assess agent behaviors that could generate these correlations, and (iii) provide some intuition as to the economic effects of prohibiting dual agency in real estate transactions. We find that the incidence of dual agency is uncorrelated with sale price and negatively correlated with time-to-sale. However, on very fast deals, list prices and sale prices are significantly higher on houses sold via dual agency. These findings are consistent with first-resort selling (agents first showing houses to in-house buyer clients) and strategic pricing (agents inducing their seller clients to set a higher list price in anticipation of an internal client agreeing to it) on some deals, in conjunction with agents leaning on sellers to accept a lower sale price on other deals. First-resort selling is indicative of incentive misalignment, while the latter two behaviors reflect a conflict of interest: strategic pricing transfers surplus from the buyer to the seller, and leaning on the seller transfers surplus from the seller to the buyer. Further, our results indicate little difference between dual-agent (same agent) and within-agency (same agency, but different agent) deals. Our findings provide some evidence of distorted outcomes associated with dual agency, mainly on fast deals, but the evidence indicates mild overall effects, suggesting that prohibiting the practice is not likely to substantially increase welfare.
The Mutator Transposable Element Family of Maize

It has been nearly 15 years since the first report about the Mutator phenomenon in maize (1). The utility of Mutator plants for efficiently generating tagged mutable alleles is probably the primary reason so many maize geneticists have worked with this transposable element family. On the other hand, the elusive nature of the transposase-encoding element for this family and the complexities of the Mu elements themselves and their regulation have become research topics in their own right. The purpose of this review is to summarize the major findings about Mu elements and to highlight the similarity and differences between Mutator and the “classical” transposable elements of maize, Ac and Spm. The structural features of the diverse Mu elements, the assays employed to measure Mutator activity, the role of methylation in element regulation, the timing of Mutator events during the life of the plant, the impact of stress on Mutator activity, and the molecular analysis of Mu-induced mutants will be discussed. In addition, the unresolved problems and implications of recent findings will be presented.
Auditory Weighting Functions and Frequency-Dependent Effects of Sound in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Abstract : The long term goal of this effort is to develop meaningful auditory weighting functions for marine mammals. These weighting functions would improve assessments of the effects of anthropogenic sound by emphasizing frequencies to which animals are most sensitive and de-emphasizing those to which they are not. The objective of this effort is to develop auditory weighting functions for bottlenose dolphins with normal hearing and high-frequency hearing loss. The weighting functions would be defined by measuring subjective loudness and temporary threshold shift (TTS) as functions of the sound frequency. The specific objectives for FY08 were to (1) define TTS onset/growth at 3 kHz in a bottlenose dolphin with good high-frequency hearing, (2) train the same dolphin to participate in equal loudness tests, and (3) define TTS-onset at 20 kHz in a second bottlenose dolphin. TTS is defined as the difference between hearing thresholds measured before and after an intense (fatiguing) sound exposure. Hearing thresholds are estimated using either a behavioral response paradigm, where the subject is trained to perform a specific action when it hears a test tone, or an electrophysiological method, where auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) are measured in response to test tones. Behavioral methods developed at the Navy Marine Mammal Program (MMP) allow thresholds to be obtained within four minutes of intense sound exposures. This is accomplished using computer-controlled stimulus presentations, recording acoustic responses emitted by the subject in response to those stimuli, and presenting multiple trials before subject reinforcement. Dolphins typically produce an acoustic response (a whistle) within a few hundred milliseconds of tone onset, allowing a rapid pace of stimulus presentation and fast threshold estimates. A modified up/down descending staircase technique is used to adjust the stimulus level in an adaptive fashion from one trial to the next and bracket the threshold.
Observations on the Structure of Diphtheria Toxin

Diphtheria toxin is synthesized as a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of about 62,000. After being secreted it may be partially digested by proteolytic enzymes released from the bacterial cells into the culture medium and purified preparations of toxin usually contain some of the proteolytic breakdown products. In particular most toxin preparations contain a species ("nicked toxin") in which two fragments of molecular weights 24,000 (A) and 38,000 (B) are linked by a single disulfide bond. Fragment B contains an internal disulfide bond. Fragment A is stable to denaturing agents, acid, alkali, and heat, whereas Fragment B forms aggregates in neutral buffers. Fragments similar to A and B are the first tryptic digestion products of reduced toxin but in the absence of thiol-reducing agents trypsin also rapidly hydrolyses a second peptide bond.
Restrained expression, a method to overproduce toxic membrane proteins by exploiting operator–repressor interactions

A major rate-limiting step in determining structures of membrane proteins is heterologous protein production. Toxicity often associated with rapid overexpression results in reduced biomass along with low yields of target protein. Mitigation of toxic effects was achieved using a method we call “restrained expression,” a controlled reduction in the frequency of transcription initiation by exploiting the infrequent transitions of Lac repressor to a free state from its complex with the lac-operator site within a T7lac promoter that occur in the absence of the inducer isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside. In addition, production of the T7 RNA polymerase that drives transcription of the target is limited using the tightly regulated arabinose promoter in Escherichia coli strain BL21-AI. Using this approach, we can achieve a 200-fold range of green fluorescent protein expression levels. Application to members of a family of ion pumps results in 5- to 25-fold increases in expression over the benchmark BL21(DE3) host strain. A viral ion channel highly toxic to E. coli can also be overexpressed. In comparative analyses, restrained expression outperforms commonly used E. coli expression strategies. The mechanism underlying improved target protein yield arises from minimization of protein aggregation and proteolysis that reduce membrane integrity and cell viability. This study establishes a method to overexpress toxic proteins.
Cognitive strategies for controlling emotional contagion

This study examined strategies for limiting susceptibility to “catching” negative emotions from others. Participants watched 3 videos of happy or sad individuals, as though they were therapists interacting with clients. The entire process was videotaped. Emotional contagion was measured by facial affect and self-reports. Prior to viewing the videos, participants were assigned one of 4 cognitive strategies: (a) empathic imagery; (b) dissociation; (c) reflection; or (d) no instruction (control). Empathic imagery was expected to increase contagion vs. the control, while dissociation and reflection were expected to decrease contagion. Results indicated that only dissociation decreased contagion on both measures.
Comparison of Microwave Assisted Solvothermal and Hydrothermal Syntheses of LiFePO4/C Nanocomposite Cathodes for Lithium Ion Batteries

Highly crystalline LiFePO4 nanorods have been synthesized within a short reaction time of 5−15 min at <300 °C by a novel microwave-solvothermal (MW-ST) process and a microwave-hydrothermal (MS-HT) process. In order to improve the electrical conductivity, both an ex situ carbon coating by heating at 700 °C with sucrose the LiFePO4 obtained by the MW-ST method and an in situ carbon coating by carrying out the MW-HT process in presence of glucose (MW-HT carbonization) followed by heating at 700 °C have been pursued. The products have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and charge−discharge measurements in lithium cells. The MW-ST method offers smaller size nanorods (25 ± 6 nm width and up to 100 nm length) compared to the MW-HT method (225 ± 6 nm width and up to 300 nm length). Annealing at 700 °C improves the rate capability and cyclability significantly without much particle growth due to an improvement in ...
Towards the Backbone Structure Determination of the Membrane Protein, LspA, from Mycobacterium Tuberculosis using Solid State NMR

Lipoprotein Signal Peptidase A (LspA) is an essential enzyme in one of the three distinct steps in lipoprotein maturation. After targeting, the signal peptide of a prolipoprotein, the peptide is cleaved by LspA to result in the mature lipoprotein.In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), LspA is encoded by the gene RV1539 resulting in a 202 amino acid residue peptide with a molecular weight is 21 kDa that is predicted to possess four transmembrane helices. It has been recognized in vivo that LspA is an essential protein for Mtb virulence and that it may also contribute to antibiotic resistance, as a result LspA has been identified as a potential drug target for the treatment of tuberculosis. Globomycin, a cyclic-peptide is known to inhibit LspA in a non-competitive manner.Solid-state NMR uniformly aligned samples is being used to determine the structure of the protein backbone. Anisotropic 15N-1H dipolar couplings and 15N chemical shifts are obtained from separated local field NMR spectra of the protein in aligned bilayer preparations. The resulting orientational restraints can be used to generate a high resolution structure as well as a determination of how the helices are oriented with respect to their environment.In this study, LspA is reconstituted into synthetic lipids (DMPC/DMPG and POPC/POPG) to mimic the membrane environment and it is aligned uniaxially either mechanically (using glass slides) or magnetically (using bicelles).
Low Thermal Conductivity Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Thermal Barrier Coatings Using the Solution Precursor Plasma Spray Process

The primary function of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is to insulate the underlying metal from high temperature gases in gas turbine engines. As a consequence, low thermal conductivity and high durability are the primary properties of interest. In this work, the solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) process was used to create layered porosity, called inter-pass boundaries, in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) TBCs. IPBs have been shown to be effective in reducing thermal conductivity. Optimization of the IPB microstructure by the SPPS process produced YSZ TBCs with a thermal conductivity of 0.6 W/mK, an approximately 50% reduction compared to standard air plasma sprayed (APS) coatings. In preliminary tests, SPPS YSZ with IPBs exhibited equal or greater furnace thermal cycles and erosion resistance compared to regular SPPS and commercially made APS YSZ TBCs.
Numerical computation of three dimensional low frequency electromagnetic scattering in a conductive medium via the unimoment method

This paper reports numerical solutions to three dimensional electromagnetic scattering problems. In particular low frequency scattering in a conductive medium is addressed. Numerical solutions of two simple problems are reported and compared with analytical results to evaluate the performance of the technique presented. The solution is carried out in the frequency domain by coupling a multipole expansion with a finite element solution. Numerical results are validated against analytical solutions. Excellent results are obtained for the test cases reported with numerical and analytical solutions agreeing to within 5%.
NEUMANN ET AL. RESPOND

We appreciate Holtgrave's letter and agree with him that the disconnect between health economists and public health practitioners is a longstanding one. We also agree that the field lacks conceptual frameworks that can help articulate how quantitative policy analysis can foster linkages between researchers and public health practitioners. Indeed, in follow-up work to our recent article, we are developing a framework that practitioners can use to measure the value of public health services. The framework highlights key internal actions that local health departments can take, such as data collection and analysis. It also suggests quantitative measures (i.e., cost–utility analyses alongside other value-related inputs) that they can use; and the need for public health practitioners to communicate value to elected officials and the public. As mentioned in our article, several interview respondents suggest the need for academic partnerships to provide the analytical capability to conduct these analyses. Given resource and capacity constraints, only a few local health departments are currently able to collect and analyze the data to provide estimates of value. Thus, we strongly support collaborations between academicians and practitioners for providing added analytical capacity. An immediate next step is to begin testing our proposed framework (along with other existing strategies) to determine whether it is a viable option for measuring the value of population-based public health services (especially prevention). What are the barriers to implementing the framework, such as data availability and staff resources to analyze the data? How can the results be communicated effectively to policy makers and the public? Actions like these, along with other steps Holtgrave outlined, should be undertaken expeditiously. We hope that doing so will obviate the need for another “disconnect” paper in 2018.
Ro-07-0582 as a radiosensitizer and cytotoxic agent

Abstract The electron affinic drugs, including the nitrofmidazoles and the nitrofurans, were initially identified on the basis of their ability to mimic oxygen and differentially sensitize hypoxic cells. More recently, these drugs have been found to exhibit selective toxicity toward hypoxic cells., The radiosensitizing effect of the 2-nitroimidazole Ro-07-0582 is greatly enhanced if cells are pre-incubated in the presence of the drug for a period of hours prior to irradiation. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the drug is greatly increased at elevated temperatures. Both of these effects may be related to the metabolism of the drug, and it is clear that there is considerable room for maneuver in the time sequence of administering the drug and delivering the radiation dose as these potent and useful sensitizers begin to be used in the human.
Threaded Code for Laboratory Computers.

An extension of the threaded code technique has been developed. This new development has been used to convert a typical minicomputer into a threaded code machine by the addition of a simple, fast interpreter implemented in microcode. When made directly available to the programmer, the threaded code programming technique is a very convenient and efficient means of structuring programs, particularly in systems where programs are continually being modified.
Breakdown of Douglas-fir phloem by a lignocellulose-degrading Streptomyces

An actinomycete,Streptomyces flavovirens, was shown to decay the intact cell walls of Douglas-fir phloem. Disks that had been cut from the inner bark were autoclaved, leached with sterile water, and inoculated withS. flavovirens. Decay produced by the actinomycete was observed by scanning electron microscopy, and the residual phloem was analyzed for weight loss and changes in carbohydrate and lignin content. After growth ofS. flavovirens for 12 weeks, inoculated disks had lost 47% of the leached dry weight, whereas sterile control disks had lost only 12%. The bulk of the material degraded by the actinomycete was carbohydrate. Scanning electron micrographs of decayed phloem disks showed irregular cavities in the cell walls of parenchyma and sclereids, with actinomycete hyphae penetrating these cavities.
Limited therapeutic benefits of intra-articular cortisone injection for patients with femoro-acetabular impingement and labral tear

Intra-articular (IA) hip cortisone injection is commonly performed as a therapeutic modality in patients with femoral acetabular impingement (FAI). To our knowledge, there is no published data evaluating the clinical benefit of these injections. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of therapeutic IA cortisone injection in these patients. At our institution, patients with FAI and labral tear prospectively recorded their numerical rating scale (NRS) pain scores pre-injection, during post-injection anaesthetic phase, and at 14 days post-injection. From this cohort, all patients treated with guided IA cortisone injection, no radiographic evidence of arthritis (Tonnis grade 0 or 1) and pain relief during the anaesthetic phase of the IA injection were included. An absolute change of two points on the NRS score was considered the minimal amount of clinically significant pain relief. Pain scores were compared between the different types of steroid injected. Fifty-four patients (35 females, 19 males) with a mean age of 32 ± 12 years were included. Average median pre-injection NRS score was 7.0 (range 2.5–10.0), post-injection anaesthetic phase was 1.0 (range 0.0–5.0), and 14 day post-injection was 5.0 (range 0.0–10.0). As a group, NRS scores significantly diminished from post-injection anaesthetic phase to 14 days post-injection (p < 0.001). At 14 days post-injection, only 20 patients (37 %) and at 6 weeks, only 3 patients (6 %) reported a clinically significant decrease in pain. Average duration of pain relief was 9.8 days. There was no difference in pain reduction between steroid preparations. In patients with symptomatic FAI and labral tear, intra-articular cortisone injection has limited clinical benefit as a therapeutic modality. However, anaesthetic-only IA injections for patients who may be candidates for hip arthroscopy can be a useful diagnostic tool. Therapeutic case series, Level IV.
Molecular phylogeny of the Drosophila melanogaster species subgroup.

Although molecular and phenotypic evolution have been studied extensively in Drosophila melanogaster and its close relatives, phylogenetic relationships within the D. melanogaster species subgroup remain unresolved. In particular, recent molecular studies have not converged on the branching orders of the D. yakuba–D. teissieri and D. erecta–D. orena species pairs relative to the D. melanogaster–D. simulans–D. mauritiana–D. sechellia species complex. Here, we reconstruct the phylogeny of the melanogaster species subgroup using DNA sequence data from four nuclear genes. We have employed “vectorette PCR” to obtain sequence data for orthologous regions of the Alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh), Alcohol dehydrogenase related (Adhr), Glucose dehydrogenase (Gld), and rosy (ry) genes (totaling 7164 bp) from six melanogaster subgroup species (D. melanogaster, D. simulans, D. teissieri, D. yakuba, D. erecta, and D. orena) and three species from subgroups outside the melanogaster species subgroup [D. eugracilis (eugracilis subgroup), D. mimetica (suzukii subgroup), and D. lutescens (takahashii subgroup)]. Relationships within the D. simulans complex are not addressed. Phylogenetic analyses employing maximum parsimony, neighbor-joining, and maximum likelihood methods strongly support a D. yakuba–D. teissieri and D. erecta–D. orena clade within the melanogaster species subgroup. D. eugracilis is grouped closer to the melanogaster subgroup than a D. mimetica–D. lutescens clade. This tree topology is supported by reconstructions employing simple (single parameter) and more complex (nonreversible) substitution models.
Yeast as a model system for studying endocytosis.

Endocytosis is the membrane trafficking process by which plasma membrane components and extracellular material are internalized into cytoplasmic vesicles and delivered to early and late endosomes, eventually either recycling back to the plasma membrane or arriving at the lysosome/vacuole. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has proven to be an invaluable system for identifying proteins involved in endocytosis and elucidating the mechanisms underlying internalization and postinternalization events. Through genetic studies in yeast and biochemical studies in mammalian cells, it has become apparent that multiple cellular processes are linked to endocytosis, including actin cytoskeletal dynamics, ubiquitylation, lipid modification, and signal transduction. In this review, we will highlight the most exciting recent findings in the field of yeast endocytosis. Specifically, we will address the involvement of the actin cytoskeleton in internalization, the role of ubiquitylation as a regulator of multiple steps of endocytosis in yeast, and the sorting of endocytosed proteins into the recycling and vacuolar pathways.
Video event recognition using concept attributes

We propose to use action, scene and object concepts as semantic attributes for classification of video events in InTheWild content, such as YouTube videos. We model events using a variety of complementary semantic attribute features developed in a semantic concept space. Our contribution is to systematically demonstrate the advantages of this concept-based event representation (CBER) in applications of video event classification and understanding. Specifically, CBER has better generalization capability, which enables to recognize events with a few training examples. In addition, CBER makes it possible to recognize a novel event without training examples (i.e., zero-shot learning). We further show our proposed enhanced event model can further improve the zero-shot learning. Furthermore, CBER provides a straightforward way for event recounting/understanding. We use the TRECVID Multimedia Event Detection (MED11) open source event definitions and datasets as our test bed and show results on over 1400 hours of videos.
The 1954-55 Improvement in Japan's Balance of Payments

ESPITE THE WEAKNESS caused by structural and other reasons, Japan had a surplus in its over-all balance of payments' in every year from 1947 through 1952. The year 1953, however, was conspicuously different and attracted special attention. The exceptional nature of this year was heightened by the fact that special government receipts, which had enabled Japan to accumulate reserves since 1950,2 despite large deficits in other balance of payments items, were then at a peak. In 1951 and 1952, when special government receipts averaged $706 million a year, Japan had an average annual payments surplus of about $281 million. During 1953, on the other hand, when such receipts totaled $803 million, there was a payments deficit of $227 million. The payments difficulties in 1953 were dramatized by the fact that they were in the form of a sterling crisis. The decrease in exchange assets was all in sterling assets, which reached critically low levels by the middle of 1953. An increased use of import usance (i.e., time) bills facilities made available by London banks helped Japan husband its meager sterling resources. Japan also entered into swap arrangements with these banks, buying sterling for dollars and undertaking to resell it, after a specified period, for dollars. Furthermore, in a total of four transactions between September 8 and December 21, 1953, Japan purchased the sterling equivalent of $124 million from the International Monetary Fund.3 However, this symptom of the problem-the sterling crisis-will not be emphasized in this paper, since, basically, the disequilibrium enveloped the whole range of Japanese payments. It showed up specifically as a sterling problem because Japanese efforts to conserve dollars by buying more from the sterling (and other non-
Comparison of the average percentage of thyroid colloid and selected serum thyroid analyses in healthy euthyroid and severely ill dogs

The diagnosis of canine hypothyroidism is not straightforward because the results of thyroid tests can be influenced by severe illness and medications. The need to find diagnostic tests that are not affected by these factors is urgent. The objectives of this investigation can be summarized as follows: (1) to establish a reference range for percentage colloid from healthy euthyroid dogs; (2) to compare the mean percentage colloid of the healthy dogs with that of severely ill dogs; (3) to define a group of ill-euthyroid dogs based on the percentage colloid and evaluate their serum concentrations of total thyroxine (TT4), free thyroxine by equilibrium dialyses (fT4d) and endogenous TSH (eTSH); and (4) to determine if the mean percentage colloid correlates with the serum concentrations of TT4, fT4d and eTSH. Sixty-one healthy-euthyroid dogs and 66 severely ill dogs were included on the study. Thyroid glands were removed immediately after death. Morphometric analyses were performed on each thyroid lobe to determine the percentage colloid. Serum hormone concentrations were analyzed using commercially available tests validated at our laboratory. Descriptive statistics were used to report the results of the average percentage colloid and hormone concentrations. Unpaired Student’s t-test was applied to compare the percentage colloid between the group of healthy-euthyroid dogs and the groups of sick dogs. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient method was used to determine the correlation between each of the measured thyroid hormone values and the percentage colloid. The statistical analyses were carried out using Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. No statistically significant difference was observed in mean percentage colloid between the groups of severely ill and healthy-euthyroid dogs. Serum TT4 and fT4d concentrations were below the reference range in 57.6 and 31.8% of severely ill dogs, respectively. Only 6.1% of severely ill dogs had increased eTSH concentrations. No clinically significant correlation was found between serum thyroid hormones and percentage colloid. In conclusion, serum TT4 and fT4d concentrations were more frequently altered by severe illness than eTSH in dogs with percentage thyroid colloid equivalent to normal dogs. Serum thyroid hormones did not have a direct correlation with percentage colloid.
Multiple measurement of serum lipids in the elderly.

Background: Although there is considerable interest in underutilization of lipid testing, little is known about the prevalence and factors associated with overtesting of serum lipids. Methods: We assessed the number of different days in which outpatient lipid testing was performed in a 5% national sample of patients with parts A and B Medicare in 2006. Covariates included patient characteristics (age, race, prior diagnosis of lipid disorder, and other indications for lipid testing), number of usual care physicians (UCP), type of UCP, total outpatient physician encounters, and health referral region (HRR) characteristics (average per-patient Medicare expenditures and percent of patients seeing multiple UCPs). Results: Among the 1,151,891 patients, 11.9% underwent 3 or more outpatient measurements of serum lipids. In multivariable analyses, the total number of UCPs providing care for the patient was associated with multiple lipid testing, independent of patient characteristics, indications for lipid testing, and total outpatient encounters. There was a strong association among HRRs between the rate of multiple lipid testing and average Medicare expenditures (r 0.56). This was reduced after including the percentage of patients with more than 2 medical subspecialist UCPs in the HRR in a partial correlation (r 0.31). Conclusions: Multiple lipid testing is associated with the presence of multiple providers, independent of indications for testing, comorbidity, and total physician visits. Much of the association of multiple lipid testing with medical expenditures at the level of HRR appears to be explained by differences in exposure to multiple providers.
Injuries in women's gymnastics: A 5-year study

In this 5-year study of women gymnasts, 70 participants (i.e., one woman for one season) sustained 66 major injuries (i.e., brought to the attention of a physician and produced disability). Forty-seven of the 70 athletes sustained injuries. The trunk had the lowest incidence of injuries (11), the upper extremity had 20, and the lower extremity had the highest incidence (35 injuries). Two categories, stress or trauma, segregated the injuries and provided rationale for the high incidence of injuries on this team. These athletes were of national caliber. They were constantly trying to improve performance. They engaged in intensive practice and difficult maneuvers. The self-motivation of these women increased the number of injuries caused by stress (a total of 21); the combination of intensive practice and the maneuvers is responsible for the traumatic injuries (45). From this evidence, women's gymnastics should be recognized as a hazardous sport for the competitor. Risk factors should be evaluated constantly by her, the coach, and the team physician.
Distributed Bayesian parameter estimation

This paper considers the problem of distributed Bayesian parameter estimation. Three commonly used cost criteria namely mean square error, absolute error and uniform cost are employed. Optimum estimation rules at the individual sensors and optimum combining rule are obtained. Suboptimum solutions when the combining rule is restricted to be a linear one are also derived. A simple example is presented for illustration.
A psychometric evaluation of behavioral inhibition and approach self-report measures

Despite the putative applicability and unquestioned heuristic value of capturing individual variation in behavioral inhibition (BIS) and approach system (BAS) sensitivities, the field has yet to achieve widespread agreement regarding a self-report instrument of choice. The current study evaluates perhaps the two strongest candidates, the BIS/BAS scales (Carver & White, 1994) and the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ; Torrubia, Avila, Molto, & Caseras, 2001). Using both confirmatory and exploratory factor analytic techniques in two university samples, we determined that neither measure achieved adequate fit to our data set, and both contain multiple items we deemed to be problematic. Models trimmed of the poor items achieved better fit than the full models. However, even after trimming the data, model fit was marginal at best. Caution is urged in the continued use of both measures on conceptual and psychometric grounds.
Sensitivity of plant-pollinator-herbivore communities to changes in phenology.

For many species in seasonal environments, warmer springs associated with anthropogenic climate change are causing phenological changes. Within ecological communities, the timing of interactions among species may be altered if the species experience asymmetrical phenological shifts. We present a model that examines the consequences of changes in the relative timing of herbivory and pollination in a community of herbivores and pollinators that share a host plant. Our model suggests that phenological shifts can alter the abundances of these species and, in some cases, their population dynamics. If historical patterns of interactions in a community change and herbivores become active before pollinators, the community could see a reduction in pollinators and an increase in herbivores, while if pollinators become active before herbivores, there could be a loss of stable coexistence. Previous studies have warned of the potential for climate change to cause large phenological mismatches whereby species that depend on one another become so separated in time that they can no longer interact. Our results suggest that climate change-induced phenological shifts can have a major impact on communities even in cases where complete phenological mismatches do not occur.
LD Teachers' Perceptions of Severely Learning Disabled Students

Questionnaires completed by 223 elementary and secondary learning disability teachers were analyzed for information about teachers' perceptions of the incidence and characteristics of severely learning disabled (SLD) and mild-to-moderately learning disabled (MLD) students. Incidence figures for other handicapping conditions represented in learning disability classrooms were also determined. Findings showed that the SLD and MLD groups differed significantly on 40 of the original 44 questionnaire items. Items were clustered into 12 factors. Results of a discriminant analysis showed that three of the twelve factors correctly classified 82.7% of the SLD and 84.1% of the MLD elementary-aged students. At the secondary level, the final stepwise function contained only one factor. This factor correctly classified 89.2% of the SLD and 86.5% of the MLD students. Overall, the most significant factor for both elementary- and secondary-aged SLD students dealt with the need for one-to-one instruction and alternative cu...
Non-contact displacement estimation using Doppler radar

Non-contact Doppler radar has been used extensively for detection of physiological motion. Most of the results published to date have been focused on estimation of the physiological rates, such as respiratory rate and heart rate, with CW and modulated waveforms in various settings. Accurate assessment of chest displacement may take this type of monitoring to the new level, by enabling the estimation of associated cardiopulmonary volumes, and possibly pulse pressure. To obtain absolute chest displacement with highest precision, full nonlinear phase demodulation of the quadrature radar outputs must be performed. The accuracy of this type of demodulation is limited by the drifting received RF power, varying dc offset, and channel quadrature imbalance. In this paper we demonstrate that if relatively large motion is used to calibrate the system, smaller motion displacement may be acquired with the accuracy on the order of 30 µm.
Trial of a granular etridiazole and thiophanate-methyl mixture to control Fusarium root disease of container-grown Douglas-fir seedlings.

Fusarium root disease is a common and often serious problem in the production of container-grown seedlings. Fungicide treatments applied late in the growing season, i.e. during bud initiation stress, are relatively ineffective against the disease. Incorporating a granular mixture of etridiazole and thiophanate-methyl fungicide (Barrot®) into the medium prior to sowing was tested for its efficacy of control against the disease. The fungicide was unable to sufficiently reduce Fusarium infection and infection intensity enough to warrant its use in root rot management. Some phytotoxic effects were observed.
Two color light scattering indentifies physical differences between lymphocyte subpopulations

Forward angle light scattering of two different wavelengths by cells in a flow cytometer was used to investigate physical differences between lymphocytes of different lineage, functional subclass and developmental stage. Correlation of the ultraviolet (UV: 351 nm and 364 nm) and 488 nm light scattering signals produced by lymphoid cells demonstrated that the two signals were not equivalent and that they placed different emphasis on the physical parameters characterizing lymphocytes. Both small T and B lymphocytes from peripheral lymphoid tissues and mitogenically activated large T and B lymphocyte blasts were discriminated by both wavelengths. Differences between the Lyt-2 negative and Lyt-2 positive T lymphocyte subsets were also apparent. Two color light scattering could also discriminate between immature thymocytes and mature peripheral T cells and between small bone marrow cells and mature peripheral B cells. In bone marrow an increase in UV light scattering coincided with the appearance of cell surface immunoglobulin on small cells. These data establish that two color light scattering is a sensitive probe for distinguishing cells of apparently similar morphology and that it can be used to study the physical changes that occur during lymphoid cell differentiation.
Calcineurin initiates skeletal muscle differentiation by activating MEF2 and MyoD

Skeletal muscle differentiation is characterized by withdrawal from the cell cycle, expression of muscle specific genes, fusion into multinucleated cells, and assembly of the contractile apparatus. Although many of the key regulatory elements have been identified, the factors that initiate the differentiation process are not well understood. The calcium-dependent phosphatase calcineurin plays an important regulatory role early in myogenesis, but the downstream effectors of calcineurin in differentiation are not known. Here, we show that calcium and calcineurin regulate expression of the myogenin gene at the level of transcription. The myogenin promoter contains two essential elements; an E-box and an A/T rich element that bind MRF and MEF2 transcription factors, respectively. Both of these elements are responsive to calcium and calcineurin. In differentiating myoblasts, MyoD is the major MRF protein that binds to the myogenin promoter E-box. Calcineurin activates MyoD indirectly by decreasing the expression of the Id inhibitory proteins, probably by down-regulating Egr-1 expression, an upstream activator of Id transcription. These results demonstrate that calcineurin regulates skeletal muscle differentiation by activating MEF2 and MyoD transcription factors leading to the induction of myogenin expression.