cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic time warping and sparse representation classification for birdsong phrase classification using limited training dataa)

Annotation of phrases in birdsongs can be helpful to behavioral and population studies. To reduce the need for manual annotation, an automated birdsong phrase classification algorithm for limited data is developed. Limited data occur because of limited recordings or the existence of rare phrases. In this paper, classification of up to 81 phrase classes of Cassin's Vireo is performed using one to five training samples per class. The algorithm involves dynamic time warping (DTW) and two passes of sparse representation (SR) classification. DTW improves the similarity between training and test phrases from the same class in the presence of individual bird differences and phrase segmentation inconsistencies. The SR classifier works by finding a sparse linear combination of training feature vectors from all classes that best approximates the test feature vector. When the class decisions from DTW and the first pass SR classification are different, SR classification is repeated using training samples from these two conflicting classes. Compared to DTW, support vector machines, and an SR classifier without DTW, the proposed classifier achieves the highest classification accuracies of 94% and 89% on manually segmented and automatically segmented phrases, respectively, from unseen Cassin's Vireo individuals, using five training samples per class.
Predicting Leader Role Occupancy: A Functional Leadership Approach

Research on leader emergence has primarily focused on leadership as a unidimensional construct. Using a functional leadership perspective, this study explores the multi-dimensionality of leadership...
Weave Room of the Future: Part II: Monitored Data for Real-Time Resource Allocation

We have examined the technological feasibility and economic viability of using monitored information for real-time operator assignment in a weave room. adopting the team weaving approach. We consider the benefits of using operator headsets for transmitting assignment information from the computer to the operator, including protection of the operator from the noise in the weave room. We also consider inte grating information on raw material costs and other processing costs with weaving costs, so that the fabric is produced in the weave room with the real-time evaluation of manufacturing costs. Based on a cost-benefit analysis, the investment in additional hardware and software required for realizing these several features of the weave room of the future is justified.
Why Are Public Values Toward Wildlife Changing

While there is an assumption that values toward wildlife have changed in the United States over the last half of the twentieth century, few studies have addressed this topic. This article overviews a research program designed to examine wildlife value orientation shift in the U.S. Theory and empirical research suggest that increasing affluence, education, and urbanization, and declining residential stability drive value shift. We tested whether these factors are associated with the proportion of individuals with traditional "Materialist" values and a utilitarian orientation toward wildlife across six western states (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota). We conducted state-level analysis and found that the proportion of "traditionalists" within a state is strongly and inversely related to level of income, urbanization, and education, and positively related to residential stability. Results provide support for explanation that if current economic and social trends continue, a su...
Weather and Solar Radiation Reception in the Equatorial Trough.

Abstract Canton Island (2°49′S, 171°41′W) was selected to study equatorial trough weather conditions and their effects on incoming solar radiation. The chosen study period, July 1957–June 1958, was quite appropriate since the mean position of the trough for this year was about 4° south of its mean annual position and it frequently affected Canton. Cloud distribution, moist layer thickness, precipitable water content and weather conditions in the equatorial trough zone (out to 10° on either side of the trough axis) are discussed. Incoming solar radiation is considered in relation to opaque sky cover since the total sky cover often included an excessively large thin cirriform contribution which did not significantly reduce incoming solar radiation. In the vicinity (within 3°) of the trough axis only one out of five days was affected by disturbance type weather (extensive cloud cover and precipitation). In these disturbance cases, for an overall average, 34.6% of the solar radiation on a horizontal surface a...
Intravitreal colchicine causes decreased RNFL birefringence without altering RNFL thickness.

PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that longitudinal differences between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) birefringence, measured by scanning laser polarimetry (SLP), and RNFL thickness, measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT), are informative about the state of axonal degeneration. METHODS Colchicine was injected into the vitreous cavity of one eye in each of six vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus; estimated vitreal concentration: 1 mM, n = 3; 2 mM, n = 1; 10 mM, n = 2); an equivalent volume (approximately 0.1 mL) of sterile saline was injected into fellow control eyes. RNFL birefringence was measured by SLP before injection and every 10 minutes after injection for 2 hours. RNFL thickness was measured by OCT before injection and 2 hours later. After isolating each retina, biopsy specimens were obtained from the inferotemporal arcade region, approximately 2 mm from the center of the optic disc, using a 2-mm trephine and were processed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Retinas were then flat-mounted and stained with an antibody against polymerized beta-III-tubulin. RESULTS RNFL birefringence measured by SLP decreased over time in all six colchicine-injected eyes, appearing to reach a plateau of -20% +/- 7% (P < 0.0001) approximately 100 minutes after injection. There were no significant differences between quadrants (P = 0.44) and no apparent dose effect (P = 0.87). The change in vehicle-injected control eyes was -3% +/- 3% (P = 0.06; NS). The change in RNFL thickness measured by OCT was +1% +/- 4% (P = 0.81; NS) in colchicine-injected eyes and +6% +/- 6% (P = 0.13; NS) in control eyes. There was no evidence of macular edema by fundus biomicroscopy, stereo fundus photography, or OCT. TEM revealed disorganization of microtubules, swelling of mitochondria, and blurred axonal membrane borders in colchicine-injected eyes. Flat-mounted retinas stained with an antibody against polymerized beta-III-tubulin showed only a mild reduction of peripapillary stain intensity in the colchicine-injected eyes compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS Intravitreal injection of colchicine caused microtubule disruption within the axons of the RNFL in nonhuman primate eyes. This was manifest as a reduction of RNFL birefringence, without alteration of RNFL thickness, suggesting that such discrepancies can be informative about the status of axonal degeneration.
Patterns of fructose feeding by Culex tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae).

Culex tarsalis collected in Kern County, California, USA, were tested for the presence of fructose from July 1984 through February 1985 using the cold anthrone reaction. Overall, 75% of 350 females and 68% of 251 males collected during summer (July–September) were fructose positive. Host-seeking females ingested fructose during the 2nd half of the night. Fructose was ingested repeatedly throughout life, since empty, blood-fed, gravid, and parous females exhibited comparable percentages of fructose positivity. Males ingested fructose at night after swarming at dusk. Females ingested fructose when entering diapause (62% of 69 females in October–November), diapausing (42% of 175 females in December–January), and terminating diapause (78% of 75 females in February). Overwintering female populations consisted of mobile and sedentary components. The mobile component, which rested in more exposed microhabitats such as privies, bridges, and red boxes, frequently ingested fructose and included some females that were not diapausing. The sedentary component, which generally rested in more protected hibernacula such as rodent burrows, brush piles, and Neotoma nests, infrequently ingested fructose and consisted mostly of diapausing females. During diapause termination, the sedentary component initiated ovarian development, egressed from hibernacula, ingested fructose, and rested in more exposed microhabitats, thereby increasing female abundance at exposed resting sites.
A high resolution diagnosis technique for open and short defects in FPGA interconnects

A two-step diagnosis flow, coarse-grain and fine-grain, is presented in order to identify a faulty element in the FPGA interconnects. The fault models used for interconnect are open, resistive-open, and bridging fault. The coarse-grain phase identifies the faulty net, the routing between two consecutive sequential elements in the FPGA. This phase is performed by just post-processing tester results for the test configurations used for interconnect testing. During the fine-grain step, the faulty net is rerouted without using some of the resources used in the original routing. The faulty element, programmable switch or wire segment, is uniquely identified based on the tester output for the rerouted configurations. Effective search methods are exploited in order to minimize the number of test configurations and the total diagnosis time. This method is implemented on real FPGA chips and verified using hardware fault emulation.
Classroom walkthroughs to improve teaching and learning

by Donald S. Kachur, Judith A. Stout, and Claudia L. Edwards, Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education, Inc., 2010, 169 pp., $33.95 (paperback), ISBN 978‐1‐59667‐133‐1 Classroom walkthroughs to improve teac...
Reflections on a problem solving study

The paper is written as a commentary on the role of problem solving in the classroom. Although a research project is noted, and used in support of several recommendations for classroom teachers, the description of the project is not the main concern of this paper. Recommendations for problem solving by leading mathematics educators are contrasted with actual classroom practice, and a possible rationale for this divergence is suggested. Questions regarding the type of teacher input and its effect on immediate and delayed performance are examined in the research project. Specific guidelines for the classroom teacher are then suggested.
Temperature dependence of multiphonon absorption in ionic insulators

Abstract We present a calculation for a simple model of the temperature dependence of the absorption in the high frequency wing of the reststrahlen absorption band in NaCl and NaF. The theoretical results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results.
Hydrogen production via the direct cracking of methane over Ni/SiO2: catalyst deactivation and regeneration

Abstract The catalytic cracking of methane over supported nickel catalysts is a potential route to the production of CO-free hydrogen and filamentous carbon. Eventually, however, the catalyst deactivates due to the spatial limitations imposed on the filamentous carbon growth by the reactor. In this study we show that a 15 wt.% Ni/SiO 2 catalyst can be fully regenerated at 923 K with steam for up to 10 successive cracking/regeneration cycles without any significant loss of catalytic activity. XRD analyses indicate no increase in the amount of carbon remaining on the catalyst after successive regenerations and no structural changes in the nickel particles as the catalyst is cycled between cracking and steam regeneration. SEM micrographs are in agreement with the XRD results and show that most of the filamentous carbon is removed during steam regeneration, leaving only small pockets of this material which resist this treatment.
The life history of Petrocelis franciscana

Tetraspores from Petrocelis franciscana Setch. et Gardn. collected at Rockaway Beach, San Mateo County, California, 11 January 1971 were isolated into unialgal culture with Provasoli's enriched seawater medium at 10° and 15° C, 16:8 daily photoregime, 2000–2500 lx cool white fluorescent lighting. The germlings developed as crustose discs with marginal meristems until about 300–500 µm in diameter when erect multiaxial blades were established. The erect plants grew to reproductive maturity in 15° C but not in 10° C. By the fifth month of growth the erect axes flattened and branched dichotomously. At the end of 7 months the plants were reproductively mature. These cultured plants were morphologically similar to Gigartina agardhii Setch. et Gardn. (subgenus Mastocarpus) which occurs abundantly at Rockaway Beach. Male plants were non-papillate with spermatangia forming on the entire blade surface except at the growing tip and near the stipe. The female plants developed papillae which bore many procarps. Many o...
The Facilitation of the Transfer of Credit between Early Childhood Education/Child Development Departments in 2-and 4-Year Institutions of Higher Education in North Carolina

(2001). The Facilitation of the Transfer of Credit between Early Childhood Education/Child Development Departments in 2-and 4-Year Institutions of Higher Education in North Carolina. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 29-38.
Kinetic and mechanistic characterization of a mammalian protein- tyrosine phosphatase, PTP1

The kinetic mechanism of the hydrolysis of phosphate monoesters catalyzed by a soluble form of rat protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase), PTP1, was probed with a variety of steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetic techniques. Product inhibition and 18O exchange experiments are consistent with the enzymatic reaction proceeding through two chemical steps, i.e. formation and breakdown of a covalent phosphoenzyme intermediate. The variation of kcat/Km with pH indicates that three ionizable groups are involved in enzyme substrate binding and catalysis. The first group must be deprotonated and is attributed to the second ionization of the substrate. The other two groups with pKα values of 5.1 and 5.5 correspond to two enzyme active site residues. The kcat-pH profiles for both p-nitrophenyl phosphate and β-naphthyl phosphate are bell-shaped and are superimposable, with the apparent pKα values derived from the acidic limb and the basic limb of the profile being 4.4 and 6.8, respectively. This suggests that the rate-limiting step corresponds to the decomposition of the phosphoenzyme intermediate at all pH values. Results from leaving group dependence of kcat at two different pH values support the above conclusion. Furthermore, burst kinetics have been demonstrated with PTP1 using p-nitrophenyl phosphate as a substrate. The rate constants for the formation and the breakdown of the intermediate are 241 and 12 s–1 respectively, at pH 6.0 and 3.5 °C. A normal D2O solvent isotope effect (kcatH/kcatD = 1.5) is associated with the breakdown of the phosphoenzyme intermediate, indicating a solvent-derived proton in the transition state. The leaving group dependence of kcat/Km suggests that there is a strong electrophilic interaction between the enzyme and the leaving group oxygen in the transition state of the phosphorylation event. These results are compared with those of the Yersinia PTPase and suggest that the mechanism for PTPase-catalyzed phosphate monoester hydrolysis is conserved from bacterial to mammals.
Should we routinely treat patients with autoimmune/rheumatic diseases and chronic hepatitis B virus infection starting biologic therapies with antiviral agents? Yes

It is well established that hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is common among patients with various hematological or neoplastic diseases who receive chemotherapeutic agents without appropriate antiviral prophylaxis and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. A number of recent studies have indicated that treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents in patients with autoimmune/rheumatic diseases carries a similar risk. Furthermore, appropriate pre-emptive treatment with oral antivirals appears to significantly reduce that risk and should be routinely implemented in clinical practice. Similar data are available for B-cell depleting agents like rituximab from the hematology literature, indicating the need for a similar approach in patients with autoimmune diseases receiving such agents.
Spares Provisioning for Repairable Items: Cyclic Queues in Light Traffic.

Abstract The classic machine repair problem is extended and modeled as a cyclic queue for the purpose of determining the number of spares and repair channels for a population of items subject to stochastic failure. In this system the operating units, removal of failed units, transportation to repair depot, and the repair itself are treated as four multi-server stations, each with exponential holding times. An exact model is developed from the literature on networks and cyclic queues and compared with a series approximation. Under a constraint requiring a high availability of spares which insures “light traffic queues,” the approximate model is found to be very accurate and computationally more efficient.
Naturally decorated dislocations in olivine from peridotite xenoliths

Dislocations decorated by hematite and magnetite have been observed optically in the olivine grains of undeformed or highly annealed peridotite xenoliths from Hawaii and Baja California (ϱ ≃ 5 × 105 cm−2). The observed structures include loops, low-angle boundaries, and structures produced by multiple cross-glide of [100] screws. Loops are almost invariably parallel to (001). Simple arrays of parallel dislocations lie predominantly in (100), (010) and (001) with dislocation lines subparallel to low-index directions. [100] screws pinned to (100) boundaries are frequently seen to bow out on (001). Preliminary electron petrography has confirmed that all dislocations are decorated.
Methods for Synthesis of Hydrogel Networks: A Review

Abstract Hydrogels are macromolecular networks that swell, but do not dissolve, in water. The ability of hydrogels to absorb water arises from hydrophilic functional groups attached to the polymeric backbone, while their resistance to dissolution arises from crosslinks between network chains. Many materials, both naturally occurring and synthetic, fit the definition of hydrogels. Crosslinked dextrans and collagens are examples of natural polymers that are modified to produce hydrogels. Classes of synthetic hydrogels include poly(hydroxyalkyl methacrylates), poly(acrylamide), poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone), poly(acry1ic acid), and poly(vinyl alcohol).
Fertilization-induced modification of chorion N-acetylglucosamine groups blocks polyspermy in ascidian eggs

Sperm bind to the chorion (vitelline envelope) of Ascidia nigra, which has many exposed N-acetylglucosamine (Glc Nac) groups. The Glc Nac-binding lectin wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and p-nitrophenyl N-acetylglucosaminide block sperm binding as does N-acetylglucosaminidase digestion. Thus chorionic Glc Nac is an important component of the sperm receptor. Sperm bind to the chorion in increasing numbers during the first minute after fertilization, then bound sperm fall off to reach a low level by 2 min. Sperm unbinding is blocked by Glc Nac but not other sugars. Chorion binding of fluorescent WGA is also depressed after fertilization. Supernumerary sperm which have unbound from chorions gain a WGA binding site at the tip of the head, demonstrating the transfer of a Glc Nac group from chorion to sperm upon release. Glycerol-extracted eggs bind sperm during the first minute but fail to show the decline seen with living eggs. Supernatant obtained after fertilization of a dense egg suspension contains a trypsin-sensitive factor which modifies glycerinated eggs so that sperm binding is greatly inhibited. The block to polyspermy forms with the same kinetics as sperm unbinding, and is also sensitive to Glc Nac. This suggests that release of a chorion modifying factor removes Glc Nac residues from the chorion, releasing extra sperm and preventing polyspermy.
Null matrices and the analysis of species co-occurrences

Patterns in species occurrences on islands have been analyzed by several authors. At issue is the number of non-occurring pairs of species (also known as checkerboards). Previous authors have suggested that if the number of checkerboards differs from what is expected by chance, then island communities might have been structured by competition. Investigators have pursued this problem by first generating random (or null) matrices and then testing a metric derived from the collection of null matrices against the metric calculated from the actual species co-occurrence matrix. The random matrices were constrained by requiring the number of species on each island, and the number of islands on which each species occurred to be equal to their observed values. We show that results from previous studies are generally flawed. We present a fast, efficient algorithm to generate null matrices for any set of fixed row and column sums, and propose a modification of a previously proposed metric as a test statistic. We evaluated the efficacy of our construction method for null creation and our metric using incidence matrices from the avifauna of Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides).
Spectral Boundary Element Method for Liquid Bridge Dynamics Between Capillary and Substrate

Micro/Nanolithography is an emerging technique to create micro/nano features on substrate. New capillary based lithography method has been developed to overcome the limitations (e.g. directly contact of the substrate) of existing lithography techniques including dip-pen nanolithography nano-imprint lithography and electron-beam lithography. The understanding of the behavior of the liquid bridge formed between a capillary tube and a substrate is essential for the recently developed capillary based lithography method that is non-invasive to the substrate. A three-dimensional spectral boundary element method has been employed to describe the dynamics of liquid bridge. Starting with a steady-state liquid bridge shape, the transient bridge deformation is computed as the capillary tube is retracting away from the substrate. Several relations between the dynamic contact angle and contact line speed have been employed and discussed. The computational results are compared with experimental findings. The influences of liquid properties and retracting speed on the bridge dynamics are investigated.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
A molecular site-site integral equation that yields the dielectric constant

Our recent derivation [K. M. Dyer et al., J. Chem. Phys. 127, 194506 (2007)] of a diagrammatically proper, site-site, integral equation theory using molecular angular expansions is extended to polar fluids. With the addition of atomic site charges we take advantage of the formal long-ranged potential field cancellations before renormalization to generate a set of numerically stable equations. Results for calculations in a minimal (spherical) angular basis set are presented for the radial distribution function, the first dipolar (110) projection, and the dielectric constant for two model diatomic systems. All results, when compared to experiment and simulation, are a significant quantitative and qualitative improvement over previous site-site theories. More importantly, the dielectric constant is not trivial and close to simulation and experiment.
Land surface phenology of North American mountain environments using moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer data

Abstract Monitoring and understanding plant phenology is becoming an increasingly important way to identify and model global changes in vegetation life cycle events. High elevation biomes cover twenty percent of the Earth's land surface and provide essential natural resources. These areas experience limited resource availability for plant growth, development, and reproduction, and are one of the first ecosystems to reflect the harmful impact of climate change. Despite this, the phenology of mountain ecosystems has historically been understudied due to the rough and variable terrain and inaccessibility of the area. In addition, although numerous studies have used synoptically sensed data to study phenological patterns at the continental and global scales, relatively few have focused on characterizing the land surface phenology in mountainous areas. Here we use the MODIS/Terra + Aqua satellite 8-day 500 m Nadir BRDF Adjusted Reflectance product to quantify the land surface phenology. We relate independent data for elevation, slope, aspect, solar radiation, and temperature as well as longitude and latitude with the derived phenology estimates. We present that satellite derived SOS can be predicted based on topographic and weather variables with a significant R²adj between 0.56 and 0.62 for the entire western mountain range. Elevation and latitude exhibit the most significant influences on the timing of SOS throughout our study area. When examined at both the local and regional scales, as well as when accounting for aspect and temperature, SOS follows closely with Hopkins' Bioclimatic Law with respect to elevation and latitude.
2012 William Allan Award: Adventures in cytogenetics.

The URL for data presented herein is as follows:American Society of Human Genetics, www.ashg.org
Pore morphology in cryochemically prepared alumina powders and their sulphate precursors

Cryochemically prepared alumina and yttria-doped alumina powders and their sulphate precursors were examined in the SEM and TEM. The TEM examination revealed a typical chained agglomerate structure with subnamometre-sized porosity within the agglomerates and micrometre-sized porosity between the agglomerates. The SEM examination showed that the sulphate solutions had separated into water channels and immiscible hydrates upon freezing. The water channels had ovulated and spheroidized as they were freezing. This morphology was maintained through vacuum drying and calcining.
THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES OF INTERSTELLAR GRAINS

The maximum temperature a typical interstellar grain will attain upon absorption of a photon or chemical band formation of molecules on its surface is calculated by considering the exact Debye theory of dielectrics. Other contributions to the specific heats of solids are discussed. It is shown that the use of the approximate Debye theory whereC v is proportional toT will lead to serious errors in the calculation of velocities of desorption of molecules from grain surfaces.
The Density of Milk at Low Temperatures

Summary The densities of a variety of herd milks from representative sources in the Washington, D. C., area were determined at low temperatures, to establish volume-weight relationships more accurately than was possible from existing data. Density measurements were made in duplicate over a range of 1 to 10°C. on 101 samples of milk. Specially designed pycnometers, having a capacity of about 46 ml., were used in refrigerated water baths controlled to within ± 0.02° C. The percentage of milk fat in most of the samples was determined by the Babcock method, and in the remainder by the Mojonnier method. The percentage of total solids in 85 samples was determined gravimetrically. The percentages of fat, total solids, and nonfat solids covered the following ranges, respectively: 3.1 to 6.4; 11.6 to 16.1; and 8.2 to 10.2. The range of densities at 0.95, 4.95, and 9.85°C. were, respectively: 1.0312 to 1.0386; 1.0322 to 1.0373; and 1.0298 to 1.0368. Formulas for calculating the density of milk were derived from the data by the method of least squares. The results emphasize that density is more closely correlated with the percentage of nonfat solids than with the percentage of fat in milk.
Patterned PLG substrates for localized DNA delivery and directed neurite extension.

Tissue engineering strategies that enable nerve regeneration will require methods that can promote and direct neurite extension across the lesion. In this report, we investigate an in vitro combinatorial approach to directed neurite outgrowth using gene delivery from topographically patterned substrates, which can induce expression of neurotrophic factors to promote neurite extension and direct the extending neurites. Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG), which has been used to fabricate conduits or bridges for regeneration, was compression molded to create channels with 100, 150, and 250 μm widths. DNA complexes were immobilized to the PLG, and cells cultured on the substrate were transfected with efficiencies dependent on channel width and DNA amount. A co-culture model consisting of primary neurons and accessory cells was employed to investigate neurite outgrowth within the channels. Localized secretion of nerve growth factor (NGF) by the accessory cells promoted neuron survival and neurite extension. Neurons cultured in channels with NGF expression exhibited longer primary neurites than in the absence of channels. Neurons cultured in smaller width PLG microchannels exhibited a greater degree of directionality and less secondary sprouting than larger channels. Finally, surface immobilization allowed for the delivery of distinct plasmids from each channel, which may enable channels to be tailored for specific nerve tracts. This approach demonstrates the ability to combine gene delivery with physical guidance, and can be tailored to target specific axonal populations with varying neurotrophic factor requirements.
Where cultures meet: Ritual code and organizational boundary management

(1989). Where cultures meet: Ritual code and organizational boundary management. Research on Language and Social Interaction: Vol. 23, No. 1-4, pp. 109-138.
Circadian rhythm of firing rate recorded from single cells in the rat suprachiasmatic brain slice

Abstract Brain slices, containing the suprachiasmatic nuclei, of rats were removed at various times of the fay and the firing rates of single cells were recorded. The firing rates were found to maintain a circadian rhythm in temporal accord with the light/dark cycle of the donor animal, and were highest during the lights on phase.
MSCTrees : a mean-shift based toolkit for cluster analysis of phylogenetic trees

Background Mean shift, an iterative technique for identifying the local maxima of a probability density function, has been successfully used as a clustering method in computer vision and image processing. We apply the mean shift technique to the high dimensional space of phylogeny trees. The basic idea behind this technique is to, given a set of sample points, shift each point in the direction of the gradient of the underlying density function in an iterative manner until the points concentrate at the local maxima of the density function and form natural clusters [1]. We have developed software named MSCTrees based on a variant of the mean shift method, called the adaptive mean shift [2], to perform cluster analysis on a set of multidimensional data points corresponding to phylogenetic trees.
The vertebrate segmentation clock and its role in skeletal birth defects

The segmental structure of the vertebrate body plan is most evident in the axial skeleton. The regulated generation of somites, a process called somitogenesis, underlies the vertebrate body plan and is crucial for proper skeletal development. A genetic clock regulates this process, controlling the timing of somite development. Molecular evidence for the existence of the segmentation clock was first described in the expression of Notch signaling pathway members, several of which are expressed in a cyclic fashion in the presomitic mesoderm (PSM). The Wnt and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) pathways have also recently been linked to the segmentation clock, suggesting that a complex, interconnected network of three signaling pathways regulates the timing of somitogenesis. Mutations in genes that have been linked to the clock frequently cause abnormal segmentation in model organisms. Additionally, at least two human disorders, spondylocostal dysostosis (SCDO) and Alagille syndrome (AGS), are caused by mutations in Notch pathway genes and exhibit vertebral column defects, suggesting that mutations that disrupt segmentation clock function in humans can cause congenital skeletal defects. Thus, it is clear that the correct, cyclic function of the Notch pathway within the vertebrate segmentation clock is essential for proper somitogenesis. In the future, with a large number of additional cyclic genes recently identified, the complex interactions between the various signaling pathways making up the segmentation clock will be elucidated and refined.
Model reduction and eigenvalue sensitivity for controlled structures

Abstract The equations of motion of actively controlled structures are usually reduced to first order form, a procedure which obscures symmetries that are present in the second order form of these equations. The loss of symmetry requires the calculation of both left and right eigenvectors for obtaining derivatives of the stability eigenvalues of the system. This paper shows that, for some control laws, only right eigenvectors are required if derivatives are obtained from the second order form of the equations of motion. This paper also examines reduced basis approximations for the eigenvalues and their derivatives. It is shown that including Ritz vectors representing the effect of local actuation forces in the reduced basis improves the accuracy of the eigenvalues and eigenvalue derivatives. Two active truss examples are used for demonstrating the improved accuracy.
Gallium arsenide and (alga)as devices prepared by Liquid-Phase epitaxy (Review Article)

Gallium arsenide and (AlGa)As devices and their preparative techniques based on liquid-phase epitaxy are reviewed. Included are discussions of dopants, growth apparatus and structures used in light emission, electron emission, photodetection, and microwave systems.
Multimodality surgical and hyperbaric management of mandibular osteoradionecrosis.

Purpose To elucidate long-term outcomes in 65 consecutive patients meeting a uniform definition of mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN) treated with multimodality therapy including hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). Methods and Materials Pretreatment, post-treatment and long-term follow-up of mandibular lesions with exposed bone were ranked by a systematic review of medical records and patient telephone calls. The ranking system was based on lesion diameter and number plus disease progression. Changes from pretreatment to post-treatment and follow-up were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Improved wound survival, measured by time to relapse, defined as any less favorable rank after HBO treatment, was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results In all, 57 cases (88%) resolved or improved by lesion grade or progression and evolution criteria after HBO ( p n = 20) vs. 15.8 months (95% CI, 8.4–23.2) in smokers ( n = 14) versus 24.2 months (95% CI, 15.2–33.2) in patients with recurrent cancer ( n = 9) ( p = 0.002 by the log-rank method). Conclusions Multimodality therapy using HBO is effective for ORN when less intensive therapies have failed. Although the healing rate in similarly affected patients not treated with HBO is unknown, the improvements seen with peri-operative HBO were durable provided that the patients remained cancer free and abstained from smoking.
Programmable Transdermal Delivery of Nicotine in Hairless Guinea Pigs Using Carbon Nanotube Membrane Pumps

A compact switchable transdermal nicotine patch device was demonstrated to be effective in vivo in a hairless guinea pig animal model. This required the development and validation of a quantitative method for the simultaneous determination of cotinine and nicotine in hairless guinea pig plasma by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Nicotine metabolism in hairless guinea pigs is rapid and cotinine was found to be the viable nicotine marker. The portable carbon nanotube membrane device, powered by a 1.5 V watch battery, was demonstrated to be a power efficient method to pump nicotine at levels six to eight times that of passive diffusion. Cotinine blood plasma levels in hairless guinea pigs were seen to increase from 6 to 12 ng/mL when the patch was turned from passive diffusion to an active pumping state. These nicotine patch devices are highly promising for potential clinical applications, with programmed delivery based on remote counseling, in order to improve smoking cessation treatments. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 101:3823–3832, 2012
The diffusion of urea through porous glass

Work on the rates of diffusion of urea through two different types of porous glass is reported and compared with data obtained using a commercial cellophane membrane from an artificial kidney. The results show that the rate of urea diffusion per unit area through the larger pored glass can be 3–4 times higher than through the cellophane membrane.
Reactions of Organic Fluorine Compounds

The factual material to be discussed in this chapter on the reactions of organic fluorine compounds is so abundant that it is out of the question to mention all reactions. The selection will therefore be limited to the most important types, and special attention will be drawn to reactions which are used for synthetic purposes and to reactions in which fluorine is eliminated from fluorinated compounds. After factoring out some common features, individual reactions will be dealt with in sequence. In order to facilitate orientation and prevent excessive overlapping, the system used here is a combination of the classical system of synthetic methods used previously in Groggin’s Unit Processes with a somewhat more modern concept of mechanistic classification of reactions. There are, necessarily, flaws in this kind of arrangement, and the subject index should be used to locate the desired reaction when its position in the present system is ambiguous.
Identification of Stage‐Specific Genes Associated With Lupus Nephritis and Response to Remission Induction in (NZB × NZW)F1 and NZM2410 Mice

Lupus nephritis affects 30-70% of SLE patients and its treatment remains insufficiently effective and excessively toxic (1-4). Although biomarkers for nephritis are being identified (5-6) there is still no reliable way of predicting an impending renal flare or determining which patients will respond to therapy. Because human renal tissue cannot be obtained sequentially during remission and relapse, animal models are often used to study progression of lupus nephritis. Complete histologic remission of proliferative glomerulonephritis is induced in 80-90% of NZB/W F1 mice (7-8) by a combination of cyclophosphamide and the costimulatory antagonists CTLA4Ig and anti-CD40L (triple therapy) (9), or a combination of CTLA4Ig with a BAFF antagonist ((10) and Davidson, unpublished). Similarly, BAFF-R-Ig induces long-lasting remission of nephritis in NZM2410 mice that ordinarily develop glomerulosclerosis with rapid progression to renal failure (11). The induced remission does not abrogate renal immune complex deposition but is associated with decreased renal inflammation and preservation of the glomerular filtration barrier (11-12). Evidence from multiple murine models confirms that there is a checkpoint in disease progression between immune complex deposition and the development of renal impairment (13-15). In this study, we profiled NZB/W kidneys to define the molecular characteristics of nephritis onset and progression, complete remission and progression towards relapse. Surprisingly, only few changes in the renal gene expression profile were detected after immune complex deposition but a major shift in transcripts occurred at proteinuria onset, reflecting rapid onset of inflammation. Subsequent changes in gene expression reflected mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic stress. Remission induction reversed much of the inflammatory gene expression pattern but during late remission mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic stress signatures recurred before proteinuria onset. In NZM2410 mice, a limited inflammatory signature arose during remission but was not associated with renal decline. In both strains, the presence of proteinuria was closely associated with renal tubular dysfunction. Our findings suggest that optimal therapy of SLE nephritis may need to target both immune and non-immune disease mechanisms.
Containing Pandemic Influenza with Antiviral Agents

For the first wave of pandemic influenza or a bioterrorist influenza attack, antiviral agents would be one of the few options to contain the epidemic in the United States until adequate supplies of vaccine were available. The authors use stochastic epidemic simulations to investigate the effectiveness of targeted antiviral prophylaxis to contain influenza. In this strategy, close contacts of suspected index influenza cases take antiviral agents prophylactically. The authors compare targeted antiviral prophylaxis with vaccination strategies. They model an influenza pandemic or bioterrorist attack for an agent similar to influenza A virus (H2N2) that caused the Asian influenza pandemic of 1957-1958. In the absence of intervention, the model predicts an influenza illness attack rate of 33% of the population (95% confidence interval (CI): 30, 37) and an influenza death rate of 0.58 deaths/1,000 persons (95% Cl: 0.4, 0.8). With the use of targeted antiviral prophylaxis, if 80% of the exposed persons maintained prophylaxis for up to 8 weeks, the epidemic would be contained, and the model predicts a reduction to an illness attack rate of 2% (95% Cl: 0.2, 16) and a death rate of 0.04 deaths/1,000 persons (95% CI: 0.0003, 0.25). Such antiviral prophylaxis is nearly as effective as vaccinating 80% of the population. Vaccinating 80% of the children aged less than 19 years is almost as effective as vaccinating 80% of the population. Targeted antiviral prophylaxis has potential as an effective measure for containing influenza until adequate quantities of vaccine are available.
Metabolic, Genomic, and Biochemical Analyses of Glandular Trichomes from the Wild Tomato Species Lycopersicon hirsutum Identify a Key Enzyme in the Biosynthesis of Methylketones

Medium-length methylketones (C7-C15) are highly effective in protecting plants from numerous pests. We used a biochemical genomics approach to elucidate the pathway leading to synthesis of methylketones in the glandular trichomes of the wild tomato Lycopersicon hirsutum f glabratum (accession PI126449). A comparison of gland EST databases from accession PI126449 and a second L. hirsutum accession, LA1777, whose glands do not contain methylketones, showed that the expression of genes for fatty acid biosynthesis is elevated in PI126449 glands, suggesting de novo biosynthesis of methylketones. A cDNA abundant in the PI126449 gland EST database but rare in the LA1777 database was similar in sequence to plant esterases. This cDNA, designated Methylketone Synthase 1 (MKS1), was expressed in Escherichia coli and the purified protein used to catalyze in vitro reactions in which C12, C14, and C16 β-ketoacyl–acyl-carrier-proteins (intermediates in fatty acid biosynthesis) were hydrolyzed and decarboxylated to give C11, C13, and C15 methylketones, respectively. Although MKS1 does not contain a classical transit peptide, in vitro import assays showed that it was targeted to the stroma of plastids, where fatty acid biosynthesis occurs. Levels of MKS1 transcript, protein, and enzymatic activity were correlated with levels of methylketones and gland density in a variety of tomato accessions and in different plant organs.
Depressive Symptoms and Adherence to Asthma Therapy After Hospital Discharge

Study objectives To evaluate the effect of depressive symptoms on adherence to therapy after discharge in patients hospitalized for asthma exacerbations. Design Prospective cohort study in which depressive symptoms were assessed during hospitalization and use of asthma medications was electronically monitored for 2 weeks after discharge. Setting Inner-city academic hospital in Baltimore, MD. Patients Patients were 59 adults with a mean age of 43.2 ± 10.9 years (± SD), who were mostly female (64%), African American (80%), and were hospitalized for an asthma exacerbation. Measurement and results Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale. Electronic monitors were used to evaluate inhaled corticosteroid and oral corticosteroid use for up to 2 weeks after discharge. Forty-one percent of patients had high levels of depressive symptoms. Mean adherence to therapy was significantly lower in patients with (vs without) high levels of depressive symptoms (60 ± 26% vs 74 ± 21%, p + 0.02). Even after controlling for age, gender, and education, depressive symptoms were a significant and independent predictor of poorer adherence. High levels of depressive symptoms were associated with a 11.4-fold increase (95% confidence interval, 2.2 to 58.2) in the odds of poor adherence to therapy after adjustment for potential confounders. Conclusions Depressive symptoms are common in inner-city adults hospitalized for asthma exacerbations and identify a subset of patients at high risk for poor adherence to asthma therapy after discharge. Further research is needed to determine if screening for and treating depression improves adherence and asthma outcomes in this population.
Comparison of Motion Encoding Waveforms for Magnetic Resonance Elastography at 3T

Magnetic resonance (MR) elastography has the ability to combine the inherent soft-tissue contrast of traditional MR imaging with quantitative maps of tissue stiffness. Mechanical properties of tissues can vary greatly with disease and degeneration, and can illuminate structure-function understanding of tissues. Dynamic MR elastography is a phase contrast-based method for imaging the transmission of strain waves in an object. The present study evaluates the theoretical and empirical results of using trapezoidal and sinusoidal motion encoding gradients (MEGs) for the purposes of elastography at 3T. The study evaluated the phase-to-noise ratio for the methods, and found excellent agreement between the theoretical predictions and experimental results. The sinusoidal MEGs were predicted to have a relative PNR decrease of 21.5%, which compares very well with the experimental PNR decrease of 19.1% (95% CI = 17.1% to 21.0%). These results show the trapezoidal MEGs provide more sensitivity to strain wave transmission for the purposes of MR elastography
The Role of Ethics in Individual Decision-Making

This article integrates principles from decision theory and the behavioral sciences to explain the role of ethics in individual decision-making. The article formally defines critical concepts–the ethical dilemma, temptation, and the ethical threshold–and describes the decision conditions and behavioral factors that determine whether a decision-maker chooses an ethical or unethical alternative when faced with an ethical dilemma. The theory is predictive and empirically falsifiable, providing an agenda for theory-based empirical research into the role of ethics in individual decision-making.
The Race Relations Competence Workshop: Theory and Results

This paper presents the theoretical basis and the associated perceptions of race relations that characterized a race relations competence workshop which served as the educational component of an overall program to improve race relations among managers within the fictitiously named XYZ Corporation. Workshop activities combined didactic and experiential methods and focused on group and individual levels of learning based on embedded intergroup relations theory. An assessment of the race relations competence workshop was carried out as part of an overall effort to evaluate the race relations improvement program in the company. Employing measures of both global evaluation and perceptions of race relations among managers, the study showed that Blacks evaluated the workshop more favorably than Whites, that reports of having information about the workshop were positively associated with favorable evaluations of the workshop, that workshop participants more than nonparticipants were likely to perceive Whites as h...