cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dorsal-Ventral Gene Expression in the Drosophila Embryo Reflects the Dynamics and Precision of the Dorsal Nuclear Gradient

Patterning of the dorsal-ventral axis in the early Drosophila embryo depends on the nuclear distribution of the Dorsal transcription factor. Using live two-photon light-sheet microscopy, we quantified the nuclear Dorsal gradient in space and time and found that its amplitude and basal levels display oscillations throughout early embryonic development. These dynamics raise questions regarding how cells can reproducibly establish patterns of gene expression from a rapidly varying signal. We therefore quantified domains of Dorsal target genes, discovering their expression patterns are also dynamic. Computational modeling of this system reveals a correlation between Dorsal gradient dynamics and changes in target gene expression and suggests that these dynamics, together with time averaging of noise, results in the formation of graded gene expression borders in regions where the gradient is nearly flat. We propose that mRNA levels remain plastic during transient signaling events, allowing tissues to refine patterns in the face of genetic or environmental variation.
Building a Better Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean

From the beginning, a key element of the Internet's success has been collaboration between its engineers, researchers, network operators, vendors, and service providers. Although the region of Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the fastest growing and most dynamic Internet markets in the world, with roughly a tenth of the Internet's current users, until recently, it didn't have an established event or community around which its broad Internet operations community gathered. This article details a major collaborative stride - the first Latin American and Caribbean Network Operators' Group (LACNOG) meeting.
Differential effects of a soluble or immobilized VEGFR-binding peptide

Regulating endothelial cell behavior is a key step in understanding and controlling neovascularization for both pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic therapeutic strategies. Here, we characterized the effects of a covalently immobilized peptide mimic of vascular endothelial growth factor, herein referred to as VEGF receptor-binding peptide (VR-BP), on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) behavior. Self-assembled monolayer arrays presenting varied densities of covalently immobilized VR-BP and varied densities of the fibronectin-derived cell adhesion peptide Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Pro (GRGDSP) were used to probe for changes in HUVEC attachment, proliferation and tubulogenesis. In a soluble form, VR-BP exhibited pro-angiogenic effects in agreement with previous studies, indicated by increases in HUVEC proliferation. However, when presented to cells in an insoluble context, covalently immobilized VR-BP inhibited several pro-angiogenic HUVEC behaviors, including attachment and proliferation, and also inhibited HUVEC response to soluble recombinant VEGF protein. Furthermore, substrates with covalently immobilized VR-BP also modulated HUVEC tubulogenesis when a matrigel overlay assay was used to provide cells with a pseudo-three dimensional environment. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the context in which ligands are presented to cell surface receptors strongly influences their effects, and that the same ligand can be an agonist or an antagonist depending on the manner of presentation to the cell.
Appraisal and coping as predictors of psychological distress and self-reported physical disability before lung transplantation.

Context—Certain appraisals and coping strategies have been associated with increased levels of psychological distress and disability in other medical populations, but no study has examined this relationship with patients who are awaiting lung transplantation.Objective—To describe the cognitive appraisal and coping strategies used by patients who are pursuing lung transplantation and to evaluate the extent to which these processes are associated with depression, anxiety, and disability. Methods—This is a cross-sectional design with 160 participants (42.5% men) who have end-stage lung disease and were evaluated for lung transplantation at a large medical center.Measures—The outcome variables of depression, anxiety, and physical disability were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Sickness Impact Profile, respectively. The predictor variables, coping and appraisal styles, were measured using the COPE and the Stress Threat Questionnaire, respectively. Demo...
Delayed perforation of the defunctionalized stomach after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

The surgical treatment of morbid obesity using the Rouxen-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) technique is being performed at an increasing rate, with more than 100,000 operations being performed each year in the United States alone. Although the RYGBP is effective in long-term weight reduction and prevention of obesity-related complications, the short- and long-term complications are now appearing in the general surgical practice. In fact, many of the general surgeons dealing with these complications have never performed or seen either the open or laparoscopic bariatric procedure. High volume bariatric surgeons practicing in specialized obesity centers may not have the infrastructure to accept and deal with these delayed complications. With time, the surgeons covering emergency room call will ultimately become adept at dealing with this new set of surgically created complications. Early recognition, prompt evaluation, and proper surgical and nonsurgical management are critical to good outcome. This article describes an uncommon complication of the RYGBP in an attempt to educate, disseminate, and describe our management strategy. We treated 2 patients with delayed gastric perforation/ necrosis of the defunctionalized limb that required emergent total excision of the bypassed stomach and, in 1 case, combined pancreas-sparing duodenectomy. Emergent gastrectomy with or without resection of the necrotic biliopancreatic limb has not been well described in the literature. Understanding the anatomy, radiographic signs, and operative management of complications arising from the defunctionalized gastric and biliopancreatic limb is critical in this population.
Effect of long-term ethanol feeding on brainstem α2-receptor binding in Wistar–Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats

Our previous studies have shown that ethanol attenuates baroreflex function in Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) but not in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The present study determined the effects of chronic ethanol administration on α2-binding sites in brainstem areas that modulate baroreflexes. In vitro autoradiography was utilized to evaluate the effect of a 3-month ethanol feeding on the density (Bmax) and affinity (KD) of α2-adrenoceptors in the middle (mNTS) and rostral (rNTS) portions of the nucleus tractus solitarius of SHRs and WKY rats. Autoradiographic examination of brainstem sections preincubated with [125I]p-iodoclonidine revealed no inter-strain differences in α2-binding in control rats. Ethanol feeding caused strain-dependent changes in α2-binding activity, which comprised significant (P<0.05) decreases in the density of α2-binding sites in both areas of the NTS in SHRs versus no effect in WKY rats. These findings do not favor a role for brainstem α2-adrenoceptors in ethanol-induced attenuation of baroreflexes. Interestingly, the ethanol-evoked reduction in the NTS α2-receptor density in SHRs may explain reported findings that ethanol abolishes the hypotensive effect of the α2-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine in this rat model.
The molecular structure and some transport properties of valinomycin

Abstract The antibiotic valinomycin is well known to affect the ion transport behavior of mitochondrial systems. We have determined the molecular structure by X-ray crystallography of this cyclododecadepsipeptide as the potassium aurichloride complex, and find it to be wrapped around the potassium ion coordinated to the oxygen atoms of alternate carbonyl groups, held together by hydrogen bonding, and holding the anion less specifically. We have constructed a diffusion apparatus with which the anion-cation transporting properties of valinomycin can be demonstrated. An equation is given for the equilibrium situation.
Anatomizing application performance differences on smartphones

The use of cellular data networks is increasingly popular due to the widespread deployment of 3G technologies and the rapid adoption of smartphones, such as iPhone and GPhone. Besides email and web browsing, a variety of network applications are now available, rendering smartphones potentially useful substitutes for their desktop counterparts. Nevertheless, the performance of smartphone applications in the wild is still poorly understood due to a lack of systematic measurement methodology.We identify and study important factors that impact user-perceived performance of network applications on smartphones. We develop a systematic methodology for comparing this performance along several key dimensions such as carrier networks, device capabilities, and server configurations. To ensure a fair and representative comparison, we conduct controlled experiments, informed by data collected through 3GTest, a cross-platform measurement tool we designed, executed by more than 30,000 users from all over the world. Our work is an essential step towards understanding the performance of smartphone applications from the perspective of users, application developers, cellular network operators, and smartphone vendors. Our analysis culminates with a set of recommendations that can lead to better application design and infrastructure support for smartphone users.
Effectiveness of the DISTAR Reading I Program in Developing First Graders' Language Skills.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine if the DISTAR Reading I program was more effective than a basal reading program in increasing school-based language ability. Additionally, I examined the hypothesis that DISTAR develops language more effectively for children who enter school with lower initial language ability than for children with higher language ability, as measured by the Metropolitan Readiness Test. Subjects were 80 Black 1st-grade learners randomly selected from two urban elementary schools. I assessed initial language with the language subtest of the Metropolitan Readiness Test. The adjusted mean score of the DISTAR classes on the posttest of the Slosson Intelligence Test was approximately 9 points higher than the adjusted mean of the basal reader group. Contrary to the second hypothesis, the DISTAR program was equally as effective for students with average or high initial language ability as for students with low initial language ability. The results are discussed as support for t...
Prioritization or Summation of Events? Cardiovascular Physiology of Postprandial Dungeness Crabs in Low Salinity

Abstract Decapod crustaceans commonly forage in estuarine environments. The osmoregulatory mechanisms that allow them to cope with periodic episodes of low salinity have been well documented. There is less information on how ventilatory and cardiovascular mechanisms aid survival in low salinity. Prior experiments have shown that most species exhibit a tachycardia coupled with an increase in ventilation rate and oxygen uptake. However, these previous experiments were conducted on animals that were starved before experimentation in order to avoid increases in metabolism associated with digestive processes. This study investigated how the Dungeness crab Cancer magister balances the demands of physiological systems during feeding and digestion in low salinity. Cardiac and ventilatory parameters increased during feeding. When the crabs were subjected to low salinity after feeding, heart rate increased in 25% seawater (SW) but decreased in 50% SW. Instead of an expected increase in ventilation rate during low‐s...
Differential Regulation of Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) Receptor Gene Expression by IGF-I and Basic Fibroblastic Growth Factor

Insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) gene expression is regulated by various stimuli, including hormones, growth factors, and nutritional status. We have investigated the molecular mechanism by which two growth factors, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) regulate IGF-IR gene expression. bFGF increases the endogenous IGF-IR mRNA levels and IGF-IR promoter activity. This effect is mediated by a region of the IGF-IR promoter located between nucleotides −476 and −188 in the 5′-flanking region. In contrast, IGF-I decreases the IGF-IR mRNA levels. IGF-I down-regulates IGF-IR transcriptional activity as deduced from experiments in which the levels of pre-mRNA and mRNA were measured. IGF-I reduced pre-mRNA and mRNA levels in parallel, while the mRNA stability was found to be unchanged by IGF-I treatment. While these results strongly suggest an effect of IGF-I on IGF-IR transcriptional activity, no specific IGF-I response element was demonstrated in the 5′-untranslated region or 5′-flanking region studied. Thus, bFGF and IGF-I have differential effects on IGF-IR gene transcription, with the IGF-I response region as yet unidentified.
Electroconvulsive Therapy for Major Depression in the Oldest Old: Effects of Medical Comorbidity on Post-Treatment Survival

This is a longitudinal study of 65 patients who were 80 years old or older at the time they were hospitalized for depression. Thirty-seven were treated with ECT and 28 with medication. Survival after 1, 2, and 3 years in the ECT group was 73.0%, 54.1%, and 51.4%, respectively. Survival after 1, 2, and 3 years in the non-ECT group was 96.4%, 90.5%, and 75.0%, respectively. The relatively high mortality rate in the ECT group in this study suggests that patients over 80 who undergo ECT have more severe physical illness than those who can be treated successfully with medication. Medical comorbidity is a major determinant of long-term outcome of depression in the oldest old.
Glavlit, censorship and the problem of party policy in cultural affairs, 1922–28

CENSORSHIP IN SOVIET RUSSIA as it was reorganised after the end of the civil war was not a simple process of striking out words or banning books. In the course of the 1920s it became an increasingly complex system of pre-publication control and post-publication evaluation, involving myriad party and state agencies, of which the Main Directorate on Literature and Presses (Glavnoe upravlenie po delam literatury i izdatel'stv, or Glavlit), was only the most directly involved. The censorship process, in this broad sense, was one of the most widespread and certainly the most institutionalised form of party-state involvement in cultural and intellectual affairs during the New Economic Policy (NEP). An evaluation of the extent and organisation of censorship therefore cuts to the heart of party policy in cultural affairs; and like the peasantry's tax in kind or industry's khozraschet, a relatively non-interventionist or 'liberal' cultural policy has long been considered one of the cornerstones of NEP.' Censorship, as an inherently controversial act, put Glavlit at the centre of a political process in which party leaders and agencies clashed, intervened in Glavlit's affairs or attempted to impose their own version of proper party policy. Examining the politics of censorship in its everyday practice, as a result, illustrates differences of opinion in the party on censorship and the regulation of culture. Party policy was, needless to say, not simply shaped by the results of the heated Bolshevik debate in the 1920s; it was the product of the concrete actions taken by those institutions created to oversee cultural production, of which Glavlit was the most important. Issues connected to censorship and many other sensitive topics were rarely discussed in public or in print in the 1920s. The debate about policy that survived in published sources-mostly centred around the important but limited literary dispute between 'proletarian' writers and 'fellow-travellers'therefore became one of the major issues commanding scholarly attention. As a result, the complex issue of party policy has frequently been reduced to references to the celebrated 1925 Central Committee resolution on literature, itself often simplified to the statement that the party would not support any one group or faction but encourage diversity.2 The widespread notion that NEP was a time of liberal cultural policies, mild censorship and party neutrality in cultural politics persisted both because NEP was undeniably an intellectually dynamic period and because the comparison with what occurred next was so favourable. For those examining primarily the cultural achievements of the period, it became
TGF-β signaling is essential for joint morphogenesis

Despite its clinical significance, joint morphogenesis is still an obscure process. In this study, we determine the role of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling in mice lacking the TGF-β type II receptor gene (Tgfbr2) in their limbs (Tgfbr2PRX-1KO). In Tgfbr2PRX-1KO mice, the loss of TGF-β responsiveness resulted in the absence of interphalangeal joints. The Tgfbr2Prx1KO joint phenotype is similar to that in patients with symphalangism (SYM1-OMIM185800). By generating a Tgfbr2–green fluorescent protein–β–GEO–bacterial artificial chromosome β-galactosidase reporter transgenic mouse and by in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence, we determined that Tgfbr2 is highly and specifically expressed in developing joints. We demonstrated that in Tgfbr2PRX-1KO mice, the failure of joint interzone development resulted from an aberrant persistence of differentiated chondrocytes and failure of Jagged-1 expression. We found that TGF-β receptor II signaling regulates Noggin, Wnt9a, and growth and differentiation factor-5 joint morphogenic gene expressions. In Tgfbr2PRX-1KO growth plates adjacent to interphalangeal joints, Indian hedgehog expression is increased, whereas Collagen 10 expression decreased. We propose a model for joint development in which TGF-β signaling represents a means of entry to initiate the process.
Some Things That Have Happened to The Sun After September 1965 : Politics and the Interpretation of an Indonesian Painting

As most tell the story, the mysterious and fearful twilight of Sukarno's Indonesia began in Jakarta sometime after sundown on the last day of September 1965. That night and in the early hours of October 1, a group led by leftist, middle-ranking military officers calling themselves the September Thirtieth Movement kidnapped and killed six generals in an attempted putsch. In its radio broadcasts the following morning, the movement announced its loyalty to President Sukarno and claimed that it had acted in order to thwart a coup planned by a ‘Council of Generals.’ In the year leading up to the putsch, the president's hold on power had been strained by the increasing polarization between the army and disaffected Muslims on the one hand, and Sukarno and the PKI—the Indonesian Communist Party (Partai Kommunis Indonesia)— on the other. Sukarno's ill health, factionalism within military ranks, and the shadow of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) only added to the anxiety and uncertainty. It is unclear whether this Council of Generals had anything more than a phantom existence. What is clear is that the head of the strategic reserve command in Jakarta, Major General Soeharto, was quick to manipulate the situation and bring the movement to a halt within hours. In an evening radio broadcast on October 1, Soeharto described the putsch as a counter-revolutionary movement and told listeners that the army and police under his leadership had regained control.
Characterization of PD-L1 Expression and Associated T-cell Infiltrates in Metastatic Melanoma Samples from Variable Anatomic Sites

Purpose: Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor expression represents a mechanism of immune escape for melanoma cells. Drugs blocking PD-L1 or its receptor have shown unprecedented activity in melanoma, and our purpose was to characterize tumor PD-L1 expression and associated T-cell infiltration in metastatic melanomas. Experimental Design: We used a tissue microarray (TMA) consisting of two cores from 95 metastatic melanomas characterized for clinical stage, outcome, and anatomic site of disease. We assessed PD-L1 expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) content (total T cells and CD4/CD8 subsets) by quantitative immunofluorescence. Results: High PD-L1 expression was associated with improved survival ( P = 0.02) and higher T-cell content ( P = 0.0005). Higher T-cell content (total and CD8 cells) was independently associated with improved overall survival; PD-L1 expression was not independently prognostic. High TIL content in extracerebral metastases was associated with increased time to developing brain metastases ( P = 0.03). Cerebral and dermal metastases had slightly lower PD-L1 expression than other sites, not statistically significant. Cerebral metastases had less T cells ( P = 0.01). Conclusions: T-cell–infiltrated melanomas, particularly those with high CD8 T-cell content, are more likely to be associated with PD-L1 expression in tumor cells, an improved prognosis, and increased time to development of brain metastases. Studies of T-cell content and subsets should be incorporated into trials of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors to determine their predictive value. Furthermore, additional studies of anatomic sites with less PD-L1 expression and T-cell infiltrate are needed to determine if discordant responses to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are seen at those sites. Clin Cancer Res; 21(13); 3052–60. ©2015 AACR .
Gauge invariance and renormalization

Abstract The renormalization of Abelian and non-Abelian local gauge theories is discussed. It is recalled that whereas Abelian gauge theories are invariant to local c-number gauge transformations δAμ(x) = ∂μ,…, with □Λ = 0, and to the operator gauge transformation δAμ(x) = ∂μφ(x), …, δφ(x) = α−1∂·A(x), with □φ = 0, non-Abelian gauge theories are invariant only to the operator gauge transformations δA μ (x) ∼ μ C(x) , …, introduced by Becchi, Rouet and Stora, where μ is the covariant derivative matrix and C is the vector of ghost fields. The renormalization of these gauge transformation is discussed in a formal way, assuming that a gauge-invariant regularization is present. The naive renormalized local non-Abelian c-number gauge transformation δA μ (x) = (Z 1 /Z 3 )gA μ (x) × Λ (x)+∂ μ Λ (x) , …, is never a symmetry transformation and is never finite in perturbation theory. Only for Λ (x) = (Z 3 /Z 1 )L with L finite constants or for Λ (x) = Ω z 3 C(x) with Ω a finite constant does it become a finite symmetry transformation, where z 3 is the ghost field renormalization constant. The renormalized non-Abelian Ward-Takahashi (Slavnov-Taylor) identities are consequences of the invariance of the renormalized gauge theory to this formation. It is also shown how the symmetry generators are renormalized, how photons appear as Goldstone bosons, how the (non-multiplicatively renormalizable) composite operator Aμ × C is renormalized, and how an Abelian c-number gauge symmetry may be reinstated in the exact solution of many asymptotically fr ee non-Abelian gauge theories.
Design Specifications for Wet-Bulb Aspirator Apparatus

Aspirated psychrometers are commonly used for the measurement of the wet-bulb temperature of a moist air stream. By knowing the wet-bulb temperature, dry-bulb temperature, and pressure, it is possible to determine the thermodynamic state of a moist air stream. ASHRAE Standards 41.6-1994 (ANSI/ASHRAE 2006) and 41.1 (ANSI/ASHRAE 1991) provide detailed design guidelines and considerations required to construct an aspirated psychrometer capable of measuring the wet-bulb temperature to within ±0.10°C (±0.18°F). This article documents the results of ASHRAE research project RP-1460 (2010), which had the objective of establishing design guidelines and considerations required to construct an aspirated psychrometer capable of measuring the wet-bulb temperature to within ±0.05°C (±0.09°F). First, an analytical model is presented and used to optimize an aspirated psychrometer and to predict the error in the measurement of the wet-bulb temperature over a range of conditions. Next, the details of an experimental appara...
Functionalization of rhenium aryl bonds by O-atom transfer

Aryltrioxorhenium (ArReO3) has been demonstrated to show rapid oxy-functionalization upon reaction with O-atom donors, YO, to selectively generate the corresponding phenols in near quantitative yields. 18O-Labeling experiments show that the oxygen in the products is exclusively from YO. DFT studies reveal a 10.7 kcal/mol barrier (Ar = Ph) for oxy-functionalization with H2O2 via a Baeyer−Villiger type mechanism involving nucleophilic attack of the aryl group on an electrophilic oxygen of YO coordinated to rhenium.
Electron Cryomicroscopy and Three-dimensional Computer Reconstruction of Biological Molecules

Electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) single-particle analysis is a technique for imaging individual molecules or macromolecules under native-like conditions. When combined with complex computer algorithms, the resulting images can produce a three-dimensional (3D) structure at resolutions now beyond 4 A. At these resolutions, the protein backbone can be traced, and in many cases sufficient side chains identified to build a full atomistic model akin to that produced by X-ray crystallography. Cryo-EM can also approach problems, which are difficult or impossible for X-ray diffraction or NMR. For example, cryo-EM can be used to characterise the structural flexibility/dynamics of large macromolecules, which is not possible via any other current method. Cryo-EM is also often the method of choice for studying large membrane proteins, which are generally difficult to crystallise. Additional specialised methods exist for 2D crystals or extended structures with helical symmetry. Key Concepts: Owing to the short wavelength of high voltage electrons, it is possible to resolve features at resolutions ∼1000× higher than light microscopes. Liquid specimens cannot be used under the high vacuum of the microscope and must be either frozen in vitreous ice or chemically fixed before imaging. Tens of thousands of randomly oriented 2D images are combined to produce a high-resolution 3D volumetric structure. Keywords: electron microscopy; 3D reconstruction; single particle; macromolecule; crystal
Sonographic evaluation of venous obstruction in liver transplants.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our study was to identify specific Doppler criteria for portal vein and outflow vein (hepatic veins and inferior vena cava) obstruction in liver transplants.MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective review was performed of Doppler sonographic studies and angiograms in 94 liver transplant cases (72 whole liver, 22 lobar) with suspected vascular obstruction. The angiograms were classified as normal, occluded, or stenosed on the basis of appearance and elevated pressure gradient. Sonography was correlated with angiography. The following Doppler parameters were evaluated: for the portal vein, peak anastomotic velocity and anastomotic-to-preanastomotic velocity ratio; and for the outflow veins, venous pulsatility index. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed and optimum thresholds for stenosis were defined.RESULTS. There were 16 cases of portal vein obstruction (11 stenosis, five occlusion) and 35 cases of outflow vein obstruction (34 stenoses, one occlusion). Mean pea...
Western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) feeding on corn and soybean leaves affected by corn phenology

The failure of crop rotation to protect corn from larval western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, injury has become common in regions of Illinois and Indiana, and is apparently spreading east into Ohio and Michigan. The extensive use of a corn-soybean rotation is considered to have selected a variant of the western corn rootworm that has expanded its ovipositional range to include soybean fields. Laboratory and field observations suggest that suspected variant western corn rootworm adults have a greater acceptance for soybean foliage as an adult feeding site than that of wild type adults. We attempted to identify variant western corn rootworm populations based on their propensity to feed on soybean foliage and what factors influence the consumption of soybean foliage. Feeding on soybean and corn leaves was quantified in laboratory feeding assays. There was no significant difference in amount of soybean leaf area eaten by western corn rootworm from Illinois versus those from Nebraska or Michigan, both regions were rotation failures have not been reported. To identify what factors influence western corn rootworm feeding on soybean, we first demonstrated that western corn rootworm feeding on corn foliage was influenced by corn phenology. Corn phenology also influenced the consumption of soybean leaves; more soybean leaf area was consumed in the presence reproductive stage corn leaves than younger, vegetative stage corn leaves. A phenology effect was observed also with corn silks; soybean consumption was reduced in the presence of corn silks compared with leaves. Given that western corn rootworm acceptance for soybean increases in the presence of older corn, we propose an explanation for western corn rootworm oviposition in soybeans based on corn phenology.
Simulation Testing of Unbiasedness of Variance Estimators

Abstract In this article I address the evaluation of estimators of variance for parameter estimates. Given an unbiased estimator X of a parameter θ, and an estimator V of the variance of X, how does one test (via simulation) whether V is an unbiased estimator of the variance of X? The derivation of the test statistic illustrates the need for care in substituting consistent estimators for unknown parameters.
Vernacular Discourse and the Epistemic Dimension of Public Opinion

Habermas argues that the epistemic dimension of a democracy resides in public opinion. This paper argues that a deliberative model of public opinion needs to take into account exchanges among ordinary citizens that underwrite public opinion and are a major source of the political public sphere’s unruliness. Second, it argues that when we examine how ordinary citizens make arguments about public problems that intersect their lives, there is evidence that their norms of reasoning, standards of evidence, and modes of argumentation challenge the presuppositions and rationality of authority. Finally, it argues that although the power of media moguls is not to be discounted, the clock is ticking. Internet communication has opened new avenues for information and participation that can elude corporate power’s capacity to control the game.
Effects of Gypsy Moth Outbreaks on North American Woodpeckers

Abstract. We examined the effects of the introduced gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) on seven species of North American woodpeckers by matching spatially explicit data on gypsy moth outbreaks with data on breeding and wintering populations. In general, we detected modest effects during outbreaks: during the breeding season one species, the Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), increased over pre-outbreak levels, while during the winter one species, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), increased and one, the Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), decreased from pre-outbreak levels. Responses following outbreaks were similarly variable, and in general we were unsuccessful at predicting population responses to outbreaks from a priori knowledge of woodpecker ecology and behavior. We did, however, find evidence that the response of at least half of the species changed over the 34-year period covered by the study: except for the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus), whose response to out...
SHOCK AND TRAUMA ANESTHESIA

Shock is a pathophysiologic state triggered by failure to adequately deliver oxygen to the cellular level and perpetuated by the cellular response to ischemia. Shock can be caused by a wide variety of conditions and, once initiated, can become a rapidly fatal downward spiral. Shock is a leading cause of both early and late mortality following traumatic injury. Although shock is easily diagnosed in the clinical setting, effective treatment is complex and dynamic and may require the utmost resources of the hospital and its personnel. Clinical indicators of shock include: Low blood pressure Tachycardia Decreased mentation Cyanosis, pallor, or peripheral hypothermia Delayed capillary refill Diminished urine output Acidosis Low or absent pulse oximeter signal The term shock was first used to describe the pathophysiology occurring after injury by the English surgeon Guthrie in 1815, in On Gunshot Wounds of the Extremities. 28 In a description in 1872, Gross 14 described shock as "a rude unhinging of the machinery of life." Early speculation on the cause of shock included theories of systemic toxins released by injured muscle tissue and vagal hyperactivity producing loss of vasomotor tone and cardiac exhaustion. In the late 1900s, Crile and then Blalock in the 1930s demonstrated definitively that hypovolemia was the leading contributor to shock after injury. The concept of an irreversible deficit at the cellular level was first proposed in the early 1940s by Wiggers. Modern research has focused on the role of shock in producing organ system dysfunction and, once again, on circulating systemic toxins, now referred to as inflammatory mediators. 2
Difference between a photon's momentum and an atom's recoil.

When an atom absorbs a photon from a laser beam that is not an infinite plane wave, the atom's recoil is less than $\ensuremath{\hbar}k$ in the propagation direction. We show that the recoils in the transverse directions produce a lensing of the atomic wave functions, which leads to a frequency shift that is not discrete but varies linearly with the field amplitude and strongly depends on the atomic state detection. The same lensing effect is also important for microwave atomic clocks. The frequency shifts are of the order of the naive recoil shift for the transverse wave vector of the photons.
Status, Endorsement and the Legitimacy of Deviance

This research investigates one process through which deviance becomes legitimate and therefore expected of individuals within a group. On the one hand, the status of an individual initially suggesting deviance affects others' personal beliefs that deviance is proper, and in turn the likelihood that they will enact and transmit deviance to new group members. On the other hand, endorsement of deviance by peers is sufficient to legitimate the behavior. As a result, individuals are more likely to enact and transmit endorsed deviance regardless of propriety. Results of a laboratory experiment, in which a confederate suggests that participants should cheat on a task, indicate that endorsement and status independently affect the likelihood participants cheated and suggested cheating to a new group, but that they do not interact.
Ovine Arthrogryposis and Central Nervous System Malformations Associated with in utero Cache Valley Virus Infection: Spontaneous Disease

Gross appearance and histologic lesions seen in 15 newborn lambs in an outbreak of congenital arthrogryposis with hydrocephalus or hydranencephaly (CAH) in Texas are described. Severe arthrogryposis with skeletal muscle hypoplasia was seen in limbs of affected lambs. Spinal column deformities were also present. Multiple central nervous system (CNS) malformations were present in CAH lambs including micrencephaly, cerebellar hypoplasia, micromelia, hydrocephalus, hydranencephaly, and porencephaly. Histologic lesions consisted primarily of areas of necrosis and loss of the paraventricular neuropil and motor neurons in the CNS and a resolving myositis with poorly developed myotubular myocytes in skeletal muscle. Seroepidemiologic studies on the flock and serologic data from heart blood taken from the stillborn affected lambs indicated that the outbreak was due to in utero infection with Cache Valley Virus.
Imidazole- and imidazolium-containing polymers for biology and material science applications

Abstract The imidazole ring is ubiquitous in nature and imidazole functionality plays a critical role in many structures within the human body, notably as histamine and histadine. Imidazoles offer many biophysical interactions including their ability to hydrogen bond with drugs and proteins. In contrast, imidazolium salts have lost their strong hydrogen-bonding ability through alkylation of both nitrogens, but they are able to aggregate electrostatically. Imidazolium salts are used to extract metal ions from aqueous solutions, dissolve carbohydrates, create polyelectrolyte brushes on surfaces, coat metal nanoparticles, provide antimicrobial action, and create oriented liquid crystals. Bioactive applications include imidazolium hydrogels, antiarrhythmics, and anti-metastic agents. This review will describe the synthesis and design of imidazole derivatives and imidazolium-containing polymers as bioactive materials. Imidazole-based polymers readily associate with biological molecules through hydrogen-bonding, and imidazolium analogs offer electrostatic interactions, aggregation, and self-assembly. Design of novel imidazole- and imidazolium-based macromolecules remains as an exciting and emerging field.
NeRoSim: A System for Measuring and Interpreting Semantic Textual Similarity

We present in this paper our system developed for SemEval 2015 Shared Task 2 (2a - English Semantic Textual Similarity, STS, and 2c - Interpretable Similarity) and the results of the submitted runs. For the English STS subtask, we used regression models combining a wide array of features including semantic similarity scores obtained from various methods. One of our runs achieved weighted mean correlation score of 0.784 for sentence similarity subtask (i.e., English STS) and was ranked tenth among 74 runs submitted by 29 teams. For the interpretable similarity pilot task, we employed a rule-based approach blended with chunk alignment labeling and scoring based on semantic similarity features. Our system for interpretable text similarity was among the top three best performing systems.
Encounters With Objective Coherence and the Experience of Meaning in Life

The experience of meaning is often conceptualized as involving reliable pattern or coherence. However, research has not addressed whether exposure to pattern or coherence influences the phenomenological experience of meaning in life. Four studies tested the prediction that exposure to objective coherence (vs. incoherence) would lead to higher reports of meaning in life. In Studies 1 and 2 (combined N = 214), adults rated photographs of trees presented in patterns (organized around their seasonal content) or randomly. Participants in the pattern conditions reported higher meaning in life than those in the random conditions. Studies 3 and 4 (combined N = 229) yielded similar results when participants read coherent, as opposed to incoherent, linguistic triads. The manipulations did not influence explicit or implicit affect. Implications for understanding the human experience of meaning, the processes that support that experience, and its potential role in adaptation are discussed.
Presence of leucine-enkephalin in organotypic explants of fetal mouse spinal cord

Spinal cord explants with attached dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), from 14-day fetal mice were fixed at 1-3 weeks in vitro and incubated for leucine-enkephalin (LE) immunoreactivity by the peroxidase-anti-peroxidase (PAP) immunohistochemical method. Results show long processes with labeled varicosities seen more often in dorsal regions of the cord explants. Stained punctate bodies and varicosities were often seen close to large cells in these cultures, whereas no label was detected in neuronal perikarya. A prominent laminar array of stained punctate bodies was noted in one cord explant, concentric with the perimeter of the explant. No LE label was detected in the neuritic outgrowths from the cord-DRG explants, whereas high levels of opiate receptors develop in these outgrowths, primarily on the DRG neurites, by 1-2 weeks in culture. The results indicate the presence of LE in explants of fetal mouse spinal cord with attached DRGs and offer an in vitro model system in which the onset and development of peptidergic neurons can be studied as they form functional cellular interrelationships with neurons bearing opioid and monoaminergic receptors in these organotypic cultures.
Verilog simulation of Xilinx designs

Details design flows to capture Xilinx designs and translate them into Verilog behavioral models. Part of this material focuses on back annotation of Xilinx routed timing information into a Verilog simulation. The author also describes modified design flows to take advantage of third-party FPGA design tools and mixing of Xilinx design methodologies. >
Masterless soft lithography: patterning UV/ozone-induced adhesion on poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces.

A novel microreactor-based photomask capable of effecting high resolution, large area patterning of UV/ozone (UVO) treatments of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces is described. This tool forms the basis of two new soft lithographic patterning techniques that significantly extend the design rules of decal transfer lithography (DTL). The first technique, photodefined cohesive mechanical failure, fuses the design rules of photolithography with the contact-based adhesive transfer of PDMS in DTL. In a second powerful variation, the UVO masks described in this work enable a masterless soft lithographic patterning process. This latter method, UVO-patterned adhesive transfer, allows the direct transfer of PDMS-based polymer microstructures from a slab of polymer to silicon and other material surfaces. Both methods exploit the improved process qualities that result from the use of a deuterium discharge lamp to affect the UVO treatment to pattern complex, large area PDMS patterns with limiting feature sizes ex...
Incremental Battery Model Using Wavelet-Based Neural Networks

This paper presents a multi-resolution modeling approach using wavelet neural networks. A lithium battery model, which has three resolutions, is developed to depict the modeling approach. By combining the advantages of dyadic activation functions and the orthonormal property of wavelet functions, the developed battery model possesses two salient features. First, the model is built from a coarser approximation to a finer representation by adding more details incrementally. Second, the model at a low resolution is compatible with the model at a high resolution, which means that the parameters used in a low resolution can be directly incorporated into a high resolution without any modification. This paper's results show that this battery modeling provides great flexibility for users to choose a suitable resolution to meet their requirements for model accuracy and model execution speed.
On the scaling limit of the Ising model

We verify explicitly the positive-definiteness property of the two-point correlations of the bidimensional Ising model in the scaling limit atT≠Tc. In the scaling limit atT=Tc we give a representation of the aligned correlations in terms of Gaussian expectation values of exponentials of free fields.
Human keratinocyte cultures in the investigation of early steps of human papillomavirus infection.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are non-enveloped DNA viruses that are highly tropic for mucosal and cutaneous epithelia. The HPV life cycle is tightly linked to epithelial cell differentiation, where HPVs only infect the basal proliferating keratinocytes, and progeny virus assembly and release only occurs in differentiated upper-layer keratinocytes. Therefore, human keratinocyte monolayer cultures provide a useful model to study the early stages of HPV infection. However, previous reports have shown some conflicting results of virus-host interactions during HPV entry, which may be partly attributable to the different cell culture models used to examine these steps of HPV infection. Thus, there is a need to have a standardized in vitro model system to study virus-host interactions during HPV entry. Here, we describe the 3 most widely accepted keratinocyte models for studying HPV infection: primary human foreskin keratinocytes (HFK), normal immortalized keratinocytes (NIKS), and transformed HaCaT keratinocytes. We also describe methods to genetically manipulate these cells, enabling the study of candidate host genes that may be important during HPV infection. Lastly, we will outline simple and robust methods to assay HPV infectivity, which can be used to determine whether knockdown or overexpression of a particular gene affects HPV entry.
Lessons learned from field monitoring of two radiant slab office buildings in California

Abstract In this paper we present the results from field studies of two low-energy office buildings in California, both using radiant slab ceiling systems (thermally activated building systems, TABS) for primary cooling and heating in the buildings. Both buildings are certified LEED Platinum and incorporate a wide range of energy efficient technologies and design strategies, including TABS, advanced shading systems, underfloor air distribution, chilled beams, ceiling fans, natural ventilation, and photovoltaic panels. Findings and analysis from the following building performance assessment techniques will be discussed. • Occupant satisfaction survey. Occupant surveys are an invaluable source of information for describing how well the building is providing a high quality indoor environment for the occupants. In addition, the survey results are also compared against a large benchmark survey database of over 50,000 occupants. • Wireless measurement system. A network of wireless sensors was installed in selected zones of the buildings to provide additional more detailed information about the operation and control of the radiant slab system. This data was combined with trend data from the building management system (BMS) to examine the performance of the buildings during both winter and summer conditions. Some control issues were identified and corrected based on these measurements. • Energy performance analysis. We collected utility data for 2014 in one of the buildings and used this information to determine the building's Energy Star rating.
Distal Femoral Subchondral Metastasis Mistaken for an Insufficiency Fracture and Treated with Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report.

Case: A seventy-three-year-old woman who had been given the tentative diagnosis of spontaneous osteonecrosis presented to our clinic for a second opinion. Additional imaging and evaluation revealed the lesion to be a subchondral metastasis consistent with breast cancer. She received proper oncologic treatment and subsequent total knee arthroplasty. Conclusion: Orthopaedic surgeons should be aware of the possibility of metastatic disease manifesting itself in the form of an isolated subchondral lesion about the knee. For patients with such lesions, treatment in the form of total knee arthroplasty is a viable option that can provide excellent pain relief and function.
Ranking Energy-Aware Services

Green computing has the ultimate goal of eliminating technological waste. In the last decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the interest in green computing. One aspect of technological waste is energy consumption. In computing, this includes the energy consumed by both hardware and software. A service-oriented system, consist of distributed services. The energy consumed by a service request is proportional to the distance between the service provider and requester. This paper is interested in enabling SOA to be energy-aware. The service publication, discovery, selection and ranking, should consider energy consumption. This is achieved by introducing an extended service-oriented architecture, a new service definition model and a novel ranking algorithm that consider energy-consumption in the ranking process.