cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of pH on biological activity of chorionic gonadotropin.

Increasing the p H from 3.0 to 10.8 increased the uterine weight three-fold and the number of positive vaginal smears from 0 to 78 percent in immature rats injected with chorionic gonadotropin in aqueous solution. Activity of a solution held at p H 2.6 and 5°C for 24 hours was restored by neutralization.
A new route to the benzazepines and a general synthesis of rhoeadanes

Abstract Treatment of immonium salt 4 under Schotten-Baumann conditions yielded aldehydo amide 5 which was cyclized in base to benzazepine 6. In an extension of this new benzazepine synthesis, immonium salt 7 was converted to the aldehydo amide 8 which was cyclized in base to the B/D-trans rhoedane 9. Red-al reduction of 9 yielded hemiacetal 12, and further Red-al reduction of methyl acetal 13 followed by HCOH-NaBH4 N-methylation afforded the B/D-trans rhoeadane 16.
Consistent individual differences in paternal behavior: a field study of three-spined stickleback

Consistent individual differences in parenting are widespread; however, we know little about why there is variation in parenting behavior among individuals within species. One possible explanation for consistent individual differences in parenting is that individuals invest in different aspects of parental care, such as provisioning or defense. In this field study, we measured consistent individual differences in parenting behavior and evaluated correlations between parenting and other behaviors in three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We repeatedly measured male parenting behavior and male behavior in the presence of three different types of live intruders: a female, a conspecific male, and a predator, meant to provoke courtship, aggressive, and antipredator behavior, respectively. While males plastically adjusted their reactions to different types of intruders, we found consistent individual differences in behavior (behavioral types) both within and across contexts, even after accounting for variation in body size and nest characteristics. Males that performed more parenting behavior responded faster to all types of intruders. These results suggest that in nature, individual male sticklebacks exhibit robust parental behavioral types, and highly parental males are more attentive to their surroundings. Future studies are needed to examine the potential causes of individual variation in parental behavior in the field.
A short proof that compact 2-manifolds can be triangulated

The result mentioned in the title of this paper was first proved by RADO [1]; a proof can also be found in [2]. The idea for the present proof is that of the first-named author, who discovered it while investigating the possibilities of engulfing in low dimensions. It is shorter than previous proofs, and is presented in the interests of economy. We commence by listing a few familiar facts from geometric topology:
Management of Multifocal and Multicentric Gliomas

The diffuse nature of gliomas has long confounded attempts at achieving a definitive cure. The advent of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging made it increasingly apparent that gliomas could have a multifocal or multicentric appearance. Treating these tumors is the summit of an already daunting challenge, because the obstacles that must be surmounted to treat gliomas in general, namely, their heterogeneity, diffuse nature, and ability to insidiously invade normal brain, are more conspicuous in this subset of tumors.
PAPER--accelerating parallel evaluations of ROCS.

Modern graphics processing units (GPUs) are flexibly programmable and have peak computational through- put significantly faster than conventional CPUs. Herein, we describe the design and implementation of PAPER, an open-source implementation of Gaussian molecular shape overlay for NVIDIA GPUs. We demonstrate one to two order-of-magnitude speedups on high-end commodity GPU hardware relative to a reference CPU implementation of the shape overlay algorithm and speedups of over one order of magnitude relative to the commercial OpenEye ROCS package. In addition, we describe errors incurred by approximations used in common implementations of the algorithm.
A resistive-gate Al/sub 0.3/Ga/sub 0.7/As/GaAs 2DEG CCD with high charge-transfer efficiency at 1 GHz

The fabrication and performance of an Al/sub 0.3/Ga/sub 0.7/As/GaAs modulation-doped resistive-gate charge-coupled device (CCD) are reported. The two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) CCD, implemented as a 32-stage four-phase delay line, was tested at both low (1-13-MHz) and high (0.6-1.0-GHz) frequency. It exhibits a room-temperature charge-transfer efficiency (CTE) of better than 0.999 at clock frequencies from 10 MHz up to 1 GHz without a fat-zero signal and is limited by dark current below 10 MHz. The high-frequency test showed no CTE degradation up to 1-GHz operation. The CTE degraded at frequencies lower than approximately 5 MHz due to dark current. The charge-handling capability and minimum clock swing of the resistive-gate 2DEG CCD are calculated. >
Recruitment Failure of Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdi in Calumet Harbor, Southern Lake Michigan, Induced by the Newly Introduced Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus

This study documents a local extinction of mottled sculpins, apparently due to round gobies, and presents data pertinent to the mechanism of extinction. Mottled sculpins, Cottus bairdi, were assessed using SCUBA standardized diving transects during the invasion of the round goby, Neogobius melanostomus, into Calumet Harbor, southern Lake Michigan. Laboratory stream studies were conducted in which gravid male and female mottled sculpins were allowed to nest, then were exposed to one male round goby. Diet studies were conducted to assess the potential for competition for food at small sizes of both species. The SCUBA surveys showed that mottled sculpin populations rapidly declined, after the first round gobies were found in the area in 1994, despite the presence of a well established population prior to the round goby arrival. Mottled sculpins have been almost totally extirpated from the area in 1998 due to three proposed mechanisms: competition for food resources at small sizes, for space at intermediate sizes, and for spawning space at large sizes. The laboratory stream study confirmed that round gobies interfered with nest-guarding male mottled sculpins, seized their spawning shelters, changed to spawning coloration in preparation for spawning, and caused near loss of all the mottled sculpin eggs. It is concluded that recruitment failure and subsequent demise of mottled sculpins was most likely caused by spawning interference by round gobies.
Instabilities in Eye Movement Control: A Model of Periodic Alternating Nystagmus

Nystagmus is a pattern of eye movement characterized by smooth rotations of the eye in one direction and rapid rotations in the opposite direction that reset eye position. Periodic alternating nystagmus (PAN) is a form of uncontrollable nystagmus that has been described as an unstable but amplitude-limited oscillation. PAN has been observed previously only in subjects with vestibulo-cerebellar damage. We describe results in which PAN can be produced in normal subjects by prolonged rotation in darkness. We propose a new model in which the neural circuits that control eye movement are inherently unstable, but this instability is kept in check under normal circumstances by the cerebellum. Circumstances which alter this cerebellar restraint, such as vestibulocerebellar damage or plasticity due to rotation in darkness, can lead to PAN.
Substrate flexibility regulates growth and apoptosis of normal but not transformed cells

One of the hallmarks of oncogenic transformation is anchorage-independent growth (27). Here we demonstrate that responses to substrate rigidity play a major role in distinguishing the growth behavior of normal cells from that of transformed cells. We cultured normal or H-ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells on flexible collagen-coated polyacrylamide substrates with similar chemical properties but different rigidity. Compared with cells cultured on stiff substrates, nontransformed cells on flexible substrates showed a decrease in the rate of DNA synthesis and an increase in the rate of apoptosis. These responses on flexible substrates are coupled to decreases in cell spreading area and traction forces. In contrast, transformed cells maintained their growth and apoptotic characteristics regardless of substrate flexibility. The responses in cell spreading area and traction forces to substrate flexibility were similarly diminished. Our results suggest that normal cells are capable of probing substrate rigidity and that proper mechanical feedback is required for regulating cell shape, cell growth, and survival. The loss of this response can explain the unregulated growth of transformed cells.
NON-ABSOLUTE RIGHTS AND LIBERTARIAN TAXATION

Rights-oriented libertarian theory asserts the existence of robust individual rights - including robust rights of property. If these property rights are absolute, then it seems that all taxation is theft. However, it also seems that, if an individual is (faultlessly) in dire straits, it is permissible for him to seize or trespass in order to escape from those straits. It does seem that in this sense property rights are non-absolute. This essay examines what contribution this non-absoluteness of rights makes to the justification of taxation for the sake of rescuing individuals from their dire straits. The essay investigates how dire an individual's circumstances have to be for him to have a dispensation from the normal obligation to respect property. It distinguishes among different dispensations that individuals in dire enough circumstances may have. And it emphasizes how precarious is the path from the premise that sometimes individuals possess one or another of these dispensations to the conclusion that taxation to rescue people from dire straits is justified.
Determination of absolute interferometric phase using the beam-amplitude ratio technique

Determination of the absolute phase difference (i.e., not module 2/spl pi/) is a key problem in interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR) for topographic mapping. One way of solving this problem requires use of a technique different from the basic interferometry to resolve a "coarse" angle measurement that lies within the IFSAR ambiguity angle. The method investigated in this paper involves taking advantage of the difference in the amplitude ratio versus elevation angle that occurs when the elevation beams of the two IFSAR antennas are pointed in slightly different directions. The performance of the technique is a function of the angular separation of the two beams, the elevation beamwidth, and the symmetry of the two beam-amplitude patterns. The performance required of the technique is set by the ambiguity angle of the interferometer. This paper presents an analysis of the beam-amplitude ratio technique and shows experimental results.
Crustal compositions exposed by impact craters in the Tyrrhena Terra region of Mars: Considerations for Noachian environments

Abstract Crater ejecta blankets distinguished by differences in thermophysical properties from the target material were investigated in Tyrrhena Terra, Mars. Approximately one third of craters exhibit spectral differences from target material in Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data. Craters that exhibit these spectral differences from the target material do not strongly correlate with phyllosilicate exposures detected in near infrared data from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). Shock processes cannot fully explain the observed spectral trends. Rather, the subtle spectral differences observed in TES data are likely due to differences in plagioclase and/or high-silica phase abundance relative to pyroxene abundance, with the crater ejecta exhibiting lower pyroxene abundance than target materials. These mineralogic trends are consistent with several scenarios, none of which can be ruled out from existing observations: 1) vertical variations in primary lithology (considered least likely), 2) subsurface alteration exposed by impact, 3) syn- or post-impact alteration associated with the impact process, such as devitrification of melt glass materials or alteration of highly shocked materials, and 4) light surface alteration that preferentially altered/removed plagioclase and/or high-silica glass relative to pyroxene and subsequent exposure of less-altered materials from the subsurface by impact. Scenario 2 is consistent with phyllosilicate detections; Scenarios 1, 3 and 4 are consistent with CRISM phyllosilicate detections in some impact craters if phyllosilicate mineral abundance is volumetrically small. Results from this work suggest that some signatures of alteration may be escaping detection by near infrared measurements; alteration environments would be best interpreted through a combination of near infrared and thermal infrared data sets, rather than near infrared detections alone.
Imaging Techniques: Magnetic Resonance Imaging

• MR imaging is a powerful tool in the detection, diagnosis, staging, and follow-up of bone tumors.
‘Caring/Sharing’: Gender and Horizontal Co‐ordination in the Workplace

Classical organizational theory assumes a hierarchical structure and the vertical co-ordination of work. Horizontal co-ordination between organizational participants is currently recognized only at upper and middle organizational levels. This qualitative study of workers at the lowest rungs of the organizational hierarchy finds that they do engage in horizontal co-ordination by working together in ways that are invisible. This study also finds differences between same-sex work groups in how they perceive working together. The caring/sharing phenomenon describes the sharing of work, and the implementation of horizontal co-ordination, undertaken in the context of caring relationships among work colleagues, all of whom were women. Women and men working in same-sex work groups differ in their conceptions of how those work groups form and how they function. The findings from this study indicate that common conceptions of teams and teamwork may in fact be male norms of horizontal co-ordination.
Does Exposure to Online Media Matter? The Knowledge Gap and the Mediating Role of News Use

This study utilized a PEW media consumption survey to gauge specific links between socioeconomic status, online news use, traditional news use, and knowledge of public affairs. The analysis examined whether technological change could add to knowledge differences between social segments. A SEM procedure was conducted to test the assumptions of the knowledge-gap hypothesis. According to the findings, disparities exist between social classes in knowledge of public affairs. Socioeconomic standing strongly influences the choice that different segments of the population make in using traditional and online sources for information. Traditional news consumption mediates the gap-widening effect. Meanwhile, the findings indicated that online news use does not seem to contribute to political knowledge.
Simple Methodology for Deriving Continuous Shorelines from Imagery: Application to Rivers

AbstractA methodology is developed to extract and process shoreline data, the interface between land and water, identified from imagery. Initially, image pixels containing water (water points) and pixel locations of the land/water interface (edge points) are extracted from an image using either a supervised, threshold approach or a newly developed, automated texture-based analysis. Both are described and demonstrated. Subsequently applied is a procedure for processing these edge and water point locations to obtain oriented and ordered shoreline coordinates. The described methodology has several advantages: (1) shoreline processing is independent of imagery source and resolution, that is, specification of search directions based on image resolution or desired shoreline resolution is unnecessary and (2) a need for additional postprocessing of remote-sensed data or extracted-edge data are obviated, that is, edge data need not be of high quality or vectorized. Details of the entire methodology, including algo...
Acoustic Indicators for Targeted Detection of Stored Product and Urban Insect Pests by Inexpensive Infrared, Acoustic, and Vibrational Detection of Movement

Crawling and scraping activity of three stored-product pests, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), and Stegobium paniceum (L.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), and two urban pests, Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattodea: Blattellidae) and Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), were monitored individually by infrared sensors, microphones, and a piezoelectric sensor in a small arena to evaluate effects of insect locomotory behavior and size on the ability of an inexpensively constructed instrument to detect insects and distinguish among different species. Adults of all species could be detected when crawling or scraping. The smallest insects in the study, first-fourth-instar C. lectularius nymphs, could not be detected easily when crawling, but could be detected when scraping. Sound and vibration sensors detected brief, 3-10-ms impulses from all tested species, often grouped in distinctive trains (bursts), typical of impulses in previous acoustic detection experiments. To consider the potential for targeting or focusing detection on particular species of interest, indicators were developed to assess the likelihood of detection of C. lectularius. Statistically significant differences were found between C. lectularius and other species in distributions of three measured variables: infrared signal durations, sound impulse-burst durations, and sound pressure levels (energy) of impulses that best matched an averaged spectrum (profile) of scraping behavior. Thus, there is potential that signals collected by an inexpensive, polymodal-sensor instrument could be used in automated trapping systems to detect a targeted species, 0.1 mg or larger, in environments where servicing of traps is difficult or when timeliness of trapping information is important.
The WD40 Repeat Protein NEDD1 Functions in Microtubule Organization during Cell Division in Arabidopsis thaliana

Although cells of flowering plants lack a structurally defined microtubule-organizing center like the centrosome, organization of the spindles and phragmoplasts in mitosis is known to involve the evolutionarily conserved γ-tubulin complex. We have investigated the function of Arabidopsis thaliana NEDD1, a WD40 repeat protein related to the animal NEDD1/GCP-WD protein, which interacts with the γ-tubulin complex. The NEDD1 protein decorates spindle microtubules (MTs) preferentially toward spindle poles and phragmoplast MTs toward their minus ends. A T-DNA insertional allele of the single NEDD1 gene was isolated and maintained in heterozygous sporophytes, and NEDD1's function in cell division was analyzed in haploid microspores produced by the heterozygote. In approximately half of the dividing microspores exhibiting aberrant MT organization, spindles were no longer restricted to the cell periphery and became abnormally elongated. After mitosis, MTs aggregated between reforming nuclei but failed to appear in a bipolar configuration. Consequently, defective microspores did not form a continuous cell plate, and two identical nuclei were produced with no differentiation into generative and vegetative cells. Our results support the notion that the plant NEDD1 homolog plays a critical role in MT organization during mitosis, and its function is likely linked to that of the γ-tubulin complex.
No Evidence for Intercohort Cannibalism in Mixed-Size Cultures of Food-Size and Fingerling Channel Catfish × Blue Catfish Hybrids Grown in Ponds

AbstractFemale Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus × male Blue Catfish I. furcatus hybrids are normally harvested by seining single-batch pond or split-pond production systems in fall or winter. Ponds are typically restocked with fingerlings without draining. There is concern that without completely draining the pond after harvest, food-size hybrids that escape seining may cannibalize restocked fingerlings. The purpose of this study was to determine if such hybrid fingerlings stocked after the fall harvest would be cannibalized by the larger carryover fish during winter or the following growing season. Three 0.04-ha ponds were each stocked on November 25, 2013, with 100 food-size hybrid catfish averaging 1.07 kg. Those three ponds and an additional three ponds were then stocked on November 27, 2013, with 300 hybrid catfish fingerlings averaging 14.8 g. The fish were not fed over winter. Mean survival of the fingerlings after 4 months at 91.9% and 92.9% was not significantly different between treatments. S...
Global Change and Assessment of the Onset of Spring

Atmosphere-biosphere interactions are a key component of the earth’s physical systems. Living organisms, especially plants, are active agents in the production and transfer of important atmospheric gases, as well as regulators of the surface energy balance and solar-energy absorption. Understanding these interactions is crucial to accurate prediction and tracking of global climate-change impacts on the biosphere (Schwartz 1999), which may eventually include stress to world agricultural systems, and disruption to natural ecosystems.
The guts of obesity: progress and challenges in linking gut microbes to obesity.

Abstract The sharp rise in prevalence of obesity in recent decades has been suggestively labeled as an "epidemic," and the lack of fully explanatory causal factors has challenged existing understandings of obesity's etiology from a purely energetic standpoint. Much recent attention has been focused on the microbial members of the human gut for insights into their role in potentially causing or promoting obesity. The human gut is home to trillions of microbes, among which hundreds of distinct species of bacteria interact to form the human gut microbiome, and numerous studies in humans and animal models have linked shifts in the gut microbiome to obesity. In this review we explore contemporary understandings of the relationship between obesity and the microbiome from a high-level ecological and functional perspective, along with a survey of recently proposed interventions. We highlight areas of consensus and areas for further study in the field.
An Architecture for General Spatial Reasoning

Competence in interacting with the spatial world, the ability to move around an obstacle, or reach for a desired object, is one of the most immediate needs of any agent existing in such a world. For my thesis work, I am extending a largely-symbolic AI system, the Soar cognitive architecture (Laird, 2008), to better handle spatial problems. A key aspect in the design of Soar is a commitment to generality: the goal of the architecture is to be able to solve the same breadth problems humans are able to solve. In addition, Soar is a psychologically-inspired architecture: a second goal is to solve problems in a manner similar to humans. These goals are reflected in the design of the existing architecture, and must be reflected in the design of any extension to it. Systems for spatial reasoning exist, but they are typically defined for limited domains, and in isolation from a comprehensive intelligent system. My approach to the problem derives from work in diagrammatic reasoning and systems exploring mental imagery. The system augments symbolic working memory in Soar with short-term and long-term memories specialized for spatial information. Reasoning is then a process of manipulating both symbolic and lower-level perceptual data.
Measured compositions and laser emission wavelengths of Ga X In 1−X As y P 1−y lpe layers lattice-matched TO InP Substrates

The alloy compositions of GaXIn1−XAsyP1−y LPE layers lattice-matched to InP substrates have been determined by electron microprobe analysis. The composition data are well repre-sented by x = 0.40y + 0.067y2. The emission wavelengths of lattice-matched GaXIn1−XAsyP1−y/InP double-heterostructure diode lasers have been measured at 300 and 80 K. The photon energies for laser emission at 300 K are given by hΝ(eV) = 1.307 − 0. 60y + 0.03y2. The emission energies at 80 K are 57 meV higher.
False Start but High Hopes Lessons Learned From a Community College to 4-Year University Degree “Network”

This article explains how a good idea to provide bachelor’s degree completion with great convenience to community college students needed much more planning and discussion among all stakeholders, before final implementation. It discusses the creation of a “network initiative” between a 4-year private, medium-sized urban research university in the northeastern United States and a suburban community college to offer several bachelor’s degree completions. More specifically, the article explains the process to articulate an associate degree in health services administration to the Bachelor of Science degree. While this network had a “false start,” there is hope that involving community colleges in the pipeline to prepare more health services managers is a prudent effort, given the rise in need for almost all health services occupations.
Transport of Critically Ill Patients in need of Extracorporeal Life Support

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and other techniques for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary support are available at several medical centers for selected critically ill infants, children, and adults. This article provides a brief history of extracorporeal life support techniques and a list of member centers of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. Commonly utilized indications and contraindications for ECMO are discussed. General and specific guidelines are provided for referring and transporting ECMO patients, in particular, the neonate with respiratory failure. The process of interhospital transfer of patients during cardiopulmonary bypass is described.
N-Cadherin Loss in POMC-Expressing Cells Leads to Pituitary Disorganization

Pituitary tumors are the third most common intracranial tumor in humans and can cause altered hormone secretions leading to hypercortisolism, acromegaly, and infertility. Reduced expression of the cell adhesion molecule N-cadherin has been linked with the formation of pituitary tumors, but its role in normal pituitary gland physiology or tumor initiation is unknown. In the murine pituitary, N-cadherin expression is detected in virtually all cells of the posterior, intermediate, and anterior lobes. N-cadherin may function to initiate important cues such as controlling proliferation, directing cell placement, and promoting formation of cell networks that coordinately release hormones into the bloodstream. To address this, we generated mice lacking N-cadherin in proopiomelanocortin-expressing melanotrope and corticotrope cells of the intermediate and anterior lobes of the pituitary. We observed that intermediate lobe cells can aberrantly displace SOX2-containing progenitor cells in the N-cadherin conditional knockout mice at postnatal d 1. By postnatal d 30, although a reduction in α- and β-catenin membrane staining occurs, there is little effect on intermediate lobe architecture with N-cadherin loss. Also, despite these changes in adherens junction molecules, no alterations in cell proliferation occur. In contrast, loss of N-cadherin in the corticotropes leads to aberrant cell clustering and a reduction in Pomc mRNA. Taken together, our data reveal important roles of N-cadherin in pituitary cell placement and that loss of N-cadherin alone does not lead to pituitary tumor formation.
Cognitive flexibility impairment and reduced frontal cortex BDNF expression in the ouabain model of mania

Central infusion of the Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor, ouabain in rats serves as an animal model of mania because it leads to hyperactivity, as well as reproduces ion dysregulation and reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels similar to that observed in bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is also associated with cognitive inflexibility and working memory deficits. It is unknown whether ouabain treatment in rats leads to similar cognitive flexibility and working memory deficits. The present study examined the effects of an intracerebral ventricular infusion of ouabain in rats on spontaneous alternation, probabilistic reversal learning and BDNF expression levels in the frontal cortex. Ouabain treatment significantly increased locomotor activity, but did not affect alternation performance in a Y-maze. Ouabain treatment selectively impaired reversal learning in a spatial discrimination task using an 80/20 probabilistic reinforcement procedure. The reversal learning deficit in ouabain-treated rats resulted from an impaired ability to maintain a new choice pattern (increased regressive errors). Ouabain treatment also decreased sensitivity to negative feedback during the initial phase of reversal learning. Expression of BDNF mRNA and protein levels was downregulated in the frontal cortex which also negatively correlated with regressive errors. These findings suggest that the ouabain model of mania may be useful in understanding the neuropathophysiology that contributes to cognitive flexibility deficits and test potential treatments to alleviate cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder.
Probing the minimal determinants of zinc binding with computational protein design

Structure-based protein design tests our understanding of the minimal determinants of protein structure and function. Previous studies have demonstrated that placing zinc binding amino acids (His, Glu, Asp or Cys) near each other in a folded protein in an arrangement predicted to be tetrahedral is often sufficient to achieve binding to zinc. However, few designs have been characterized with high-resolution structures. Here, we use X-ray crystallography, binding studies and mutation analysis to evaluate three alternative strategies for designing zinc binding sites with the molecular modeling program Rosetta. While several of the designs were observed to bind zinc, crystal structures of two designs reveal binding configurations that differ from the design model. In both cases, the modeling did not accurately capture the presence or absence of second-shell hydrogen bonds critical in determining binding-site structure. Efforts to more explicitly design second-shell hydrogen bonds were largely unsuccessful as evidenced by mutation analysis and low expression of proteins engineered with extensive primary and secondary networks. Our results suggest that improved methods for designing interaction networks will be needed for creating metal binding sites with high accuracy.
Switched-Capacitor Circuits

The elusive goal of the lossless charge transfer from one circuit node to another has been the main focus of analog sampled-data processing starting from the bucket brigade and CCD to switched-capacitor circuits. Opamp with capacitive feedback is the most accurate analog component that can sample and amplify signal with highest accuracy. Their voltage transfer accuracy is solely dependent upon the DC gain and nonlinearity of the opamp. The lossless voltage transfer regardless of the opamp gain and nonlinearity error is achievable by eliminating it right from its source in the analog domain. When applied to the pipelined ADC, the linearity performance can be enhanced by adaptively cancelling them based on the global zero-forcing LMS feedback. Two featured circuit concepts can be incorporated to implement error-free switched-capacitor amplifiers. An all-analog feedback self-trimming mechanism is shown to solve the classic opamp gain and nonlinearity problem by employing a single-parameter adaptation scheme.
Chapter 12 – Iron Phosphate Ceramics

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with iron phosphate ceramics. Iron oxide is the most abundant mineral on the earth's crust. It is found in three main forms: wustite (FeO), hematite (Fe2O3), and magnetite (Fe3O4). Among these oxides, hematite is the most common and the most stable. It is a bright red mineral. Magnetite, on the other hand, is generally black and exhibits magnetic properties. Because of the abundance of iron oxides, it is attractive to explore methods of forming their CBPCs. Hematite is an intimate component in lateritic soils, which are very common building materials in the tropics, and this mineral makes the soil red. Large-scale industrial use of iron and steel also has produced a significant amount of machining waste streams. Iron phosphate CBPCs may provide inexpensive means to recycle these waste streams. Iron mine tailings and red mud may be recycled in building components by fabricating ceramics from them at ambient temperature. This chapter concludes that iron oxide is a component of lateritic soils and red mud, high-volume iron mine tailings, and machining swarfs. Thus, useful products of several mineral waste streams can be formed.
Seasons and Neighborhoods of High Lead Toxicity in New York City: The Feral Pigeon as a Bioindicator

Human-induced rapid environmental change has created a global pandemic of neurobehavioral disorders in which industrial compounds like lead are the root cause. We assessed the feral pigeon (Columba livia) as a lead bioindicator in New York City. We collected blood lead level records from 825 visibly ill or abnormally behaving pigeons from various NYC neighborhoods between 2010 and 2015. We found that blood lead levels were significantly higher during the summer, an effect reported in children. Pigeon blood lead levels were not significantly different between years or among neighborhoods. However, blood lead levels per neighborhood in Manhattan were positively correlated with mean rates of lead in children identified by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as having elevated blood lead levels (>10 μg/dl). We provide support for the use of the feral pigeon as a bioindicator of environmental lead contamination for the first time in the U.S. and for the first time anywhere in association with rates of elevated blood lead levels in children. This information has the potential to enable measures to assess, strategize, and potentially circumvent the negative impacts of lead and other environmental contaminants on human and wildlife communities.
Compact Fizeau wavemeters

As tunable lasers have become more widespread in use, so too have devices to measure the wavelength of these lasers. A bewildering array of wavemeter styles has arisen as a result. Due to commercial production, the most familiar of these are the traveling Michelson wavemeter and the Fizeau wavemeter, although several other interesting designs exist. Examples of such are the sigmameter and multiple Fabry-Perot wavemeters.
Evidence-Based Optimal Fixation During Laparoscopic Hernia Repair: Sutures, Tacks, and Glues

Background Mesh fixation during ventral and inguinal hernia repair is a critical step which should aim to secure the mesh in place to prevent recurrence of hernia while promoting rapid ingrowth and reducing associated complications, pain, formation of adhesions, and mesh shrinkage. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an up-to-date and evidence-supported review of fixation products and techniques in laparoscopic ventral and inguinal hernia repair.
Long-term consequences of vocal fold hemorrhage.

Objectives/Hypothesis To assess the long-term impact of vocal fold hemorrhage (VFH) on vocal function and health, and compare these parameters to those in similar patients who have not had VFH. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Patients with a history of VFH (N = 41) were characterized through a review of records and assessed by means of a survey for vocal health and professional functioning as well as the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and, if appropriate (n = 30, 73.2%), the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI-10). They were compared to a group of demographically and occupationally similar patients without VFH (N = 25, 60.9%). Patients with multiple episodes of VFH (n = 9, 22.0%) were compared to patients with a single event. Results After a median of 41 months follow-up, patients with VFH had favorable vocal function assessment and low median VHI-10 and SVHI-10 scores (4 and 6, respectively), substantially similar to patients without VFH (VHI-10, P = .905 and SVHI 10, P =.991). The two groups showed similarly low rates of change in occupation (7.3%vs. 8.0%, P =.999). Patients with VFH were more likely to have missed days of work due to a voice problem. Analysis of patients with one versus multiple VFH episodes showed no differences, except patients with multiple episodes had significantly greater confidence in their ability to address future VFH. Conclusions Contrary to commonly held belief, VFH appears to have no significant long-term impact on vocational stability, subjective voice quality, or perceptions of vocal function. Moreover, among those with VFH, recurrence seems only to diminish anxiety over this transient injury. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 2016
A review of kinase fusions in melanocytic tumors

Translocations resulting in a kinase fusion are well reported in many tumor types and indeed can be defining, particularly in the case of hematopoietic malignancies. The recent reports of multiple protein kinase fusions within melanocytic neoplasms, particularly in those with spitzoid morphology, have heralded a new era of classification of these melanocytic tumors. Seen within approximately half of all spitzoid neoplasms and present within the full spectrum of benign, atypical, and malignant lesions, kinase fusions likely represent an early oncogenic event contributing to cell proliferation and growth. Although the presence of a kinase fusion does not seem to correlate with the biologic potential of a given lesion, documentation of a kinase fusion will likely be important, particularly in the case of spitzoid melanoma, as numerous specific kinase receptor inhibitors have shown promise as therapeutic agents in a subset of cases with kinase fusions. Interrogation of non-spitzoid melanomas for similar kinase fusions as a potential driving oncogenic mechanism has revealed some similarities and some differences. This review will focus on the kinase fusions described to date in spitzoid neoplasms and how subsequent studies have informed current melanoma research.
Distinct Epigenetic Effects of Tobacco Smoking in Whole Blood and among Leukocyte Subtypes

Tobacco smoke exposure dramatically alters DNA methylation in blood cells and may mediate smoking-associated complex diseases through effects on immune cell function. However, knowledge of smoking effects in specific leukocyte subtypes is limited. To better characterize smoking-associated methylation changes in whole blood and leukocyte subtypes, we used Illumina 450K arrays and Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS) to assess genome-wide DNA methylation. Differential methylation analysis in whole blood DNA from 172 smokers and 81 nonsmokers revealed 738 CpGs, including 616 previously unreported CpGs, genome-wide significantly associated with current smoking (p 22 cigarettes/day, n = 86) which might relate to long-term heavy-smoking pathology. In purified leukocyte subtypes from an independent group of 20 smokers and 14 nonsmokers we further examined methylation and gene expression for selected genes among CD14+ monocytes, CD15+ granulocytes, CD19+ B cells, and CD2+ T cells. In 10 smokers and 10 nonsmokers we used RRBS to fine map differential methylation in CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD14+, CD15+, CD19+, and CD56+ natural killer cells. Distinct cell-type differences in smoking-associated methylation and gene expression were identified. AHRR (cg05575921), ALPPL2 (cg21566642), GFI1 (cg09935388), IER3 (cg06126421) and F2RL3 (cg03636183) showed a distinct pattern of significant smoking-associated methylation differences across cell types: granulocytes> monocytes>> B cells. In contrast GPR15 (cg19859270) was highly significant in T and B cells and ITGAL (cg09099830) significant only in T cells. Numerous other CpGs displayed distinctive cell-type responses to tobacco smoke exposure that were not apparent in whole blood DNA. Assessing the overlap between these CpG sites and differential methylated regions (DMRs) with RRBS in 6 cell types, we confirmed cell-type specificity in the context of DMRs. We identified new CpGs associated with current smoking, pack-years, duration, and revealed unique profiles of smoking-associated DNA methylation and gene expression among immune cell types, providing potential clues to hematopoietic lineage-specific effects in disease etiology.
The Role of C-Terminus Cytosolic Domain in the Mechanism of ORAI1 Trafficking and Internalization During Oocyte Maturation

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is a ubiquitous Ca2+ influx pathway essential for many physiological functions and failure to maintain normal calcium homeostasis is one of the leading causes of cellular dysfunction in a wide variety of pathological conditions. Orai1, a key regulator of SOCE, constitutively recycles at steady state in the frog oocyte and internalizes into intracellular vesicular compartments during meiosis, leading to inactivation of SOCE. Such mechanism provides proper regulation of Ca2+ signaling in preparation for fertilization and embryonic development. Previous data showed a role for Orai1 C-terminus in its internalization during meiosis. However, the minimal region required for Orai1 internalization at steady state and during meiosis is not known. We began the study of the molecular determinants of Orai1 trafficking in Xenopus oocytes by comparing the localization of multiple GFP-Orai1 C-terminal mutants 1-266, 1-275, and 1-285 intracellularly. Orai1 mutants 1-275 and 1-285 were both internalized during meiosis behaving similarly to WT, however, Orai1 1-266 was significantly enriched at the plasma membrane and did not internalize during oocyte maturation. To further map the region required for Orai1 internalization, we will generate specific mutants in the region 267-275 and evaluate the contribution of these signals in Orai1 internalization during meiosis. Mutants showing defect in internalization will be tested for phenotype rescue by co-injecting Orai1 with different potential candidates. These proteins include: 1) Rab5, a member of Rab family of GTPases has been shown to play a role as a regulator of intracellular trafficking during endocytosis. Previous data from our group has shown that Rab5 colocalizes with Orai1 in both oocytes and eggs. 2) Caveolin-1, a coat protein mediating caveolin-dependent endocytosis. 3) Flotilin-1, a membrane-associated protein involved in flotilin-dependent endocytosis. As a second step in exploring the molecular and biochemical mechanisms underlying Orai1 internalization during meiosis, we will identify Orai1 associated proteins by co-immunoprecipitation of Orai1 complexes followed by quantitative proteomic analysis using dimethyl labeling coupled with tandem liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Candidates that are enriched in wild-type Orai1 immunoprecipitation but missing in internalization-deficient Orai1 mutants are suggested to play role in Orai1 endocytosis. In conclusion, our results here suggest that residues 266–275 at C-terminus of Orai1 are essential for its internalization during meiosis. Using specific mutant(s) within this region, we will test the rescue of mutant(s) phenotype with potential candidates, and by quantitative proteomic analysis identify proteins associated with Orai1 and potentially important in its internalization.
Inference of soil hydrologic parameters from electronic soil moisture records

Soil moisture is an important control on hydrologic function, as it governs vertical fluxes from and to the atmosphere, groundwater recharge and lateral fluxes through the soil. Historically, the traditional model parameters of saturation, field capacity and permanent wilting point have been determined by laboratory methods. This approach is challenged by issues of scale, boundary conditions and soil disturbance. We develop and compare four methods to determine values of field saturation, field capacity, plant extraction limit and initiation of plant water stress from long term in-situ monitoring records of TDR-measured volumetric water content (. The monitoring sites represent a range of soil textures, soil depths, effective precipitation and plant cover types in a semi-arid climate. The  records exhibit attractors (high frequency values) that correspond to field capacity and the plant extraction limit at both annual and longer time scales, but the field saturation values vary by year depending on seasonal wetness in the semi-arid setting. The analysis for five sites in two watersheds is supported by comparison to values determined by a common pedotransfer function and measured soil characteristic curves. Frozen soil is identified as a complicating factor for the analysis and users are cautioned to filter data by temperature, especially for near surface soils.
Herders »Briefe zur Beförderung der Humanität«

Die im neunten Stuck der Zeitschrift Deutschland und damit parallel zu den Schiller-Rezensionen erschienene Besprechung von Johann Gottfried Herders Briefen zur Beforderung der Humanitat (1793–1797) ist nicht namentlich gekennzeichnet und wird erst seit Haym und Minor Friedrich Schlegel zugeschrieben (vgl. 2, CVII–CX).
Robust Control of Systems Modeled as Markov Chains

Abstract Actual performance of real system may be far worse then expected due to inaccuracies of the model on which its control design is based. A control strategy is considered robust for a set of modeling inaccurancies if the performance of the system is acceptable for any member of the set. In this paper we consider the problem of finding a robust control poblicy for a system modeled as a conrtolled Markov chain. We assume that the probability of making a tansition from state i to state j depends on the control action u(i) and modeling uncertainty v(i). The performance of the system is qualified by a long run average criterion. We develop two algorithms for two different solution cocepts. The first design concept guarantees that the average cost will not exceed a constant upper bound which holds for any modeling inaccuracy the given uncertainty set. The second design concept minimizes a bound for the deviation of the average cost from the minimum possible one, for any particular point in the uncertainty set. Converagence of the two algorithms is proven under fairly reasonable assumption.
Orthotopic liver transplantation for Sensenbrenner syndrome

Sensenbrenner syndrome, or cranioectodermal dysplasia, is a rare heterogeneic autosomal recessive disorder, affecting ~1 of 1 000 000 live births. The syndrome usually manifests within the first year of life and can present with progressive liver and renal involvement. For all Sensenbrenner patients, renal and liver diseases are the main contributors of morbidity and mortality. In this report, we present the case of a 7-year-old boy with congenital liver disease progressing to liver failure secondary to Sensenbrenner syndrome. For this patient, evidence of liver dysfunction was evident from 2 months of age and progressed to frank cirrhosis and severe portal hypertension with multiple episodes of life-threatening variceal bleeding by age 6. This report illustrates the capability of orthotopic liver transplantation as a viable therapy for those pediatric patients suffering from severe liver failure secondary to a congenital ciliopathy, such as Sensenbrenner syndrome. In fact, early emphasis should be placed on the renal and liver involvement associated with Sensenbrenner syndrome with particular consideration for early referral for transplantation in cases with severe disease. Although the condition is rare, clinicians should be aware of it and its association with fatal liver disease to facilitate appropriate evaluation and referral.