cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A numerical model for the formation of fossil assemblages: estimating the amount of post-mortem transport along environmental gradients

The primary objective of the basic model is to provide a realistic framework for species distributions, through several generations of accumulation, on the sea floor. The model establishes two communities, each containing 25 species and 10,000 individuals per generation, along an environmental gradient. Species are assigned randomly to one of five ecologic tiers, and relative abundances are determined using MacArthur's random niche-boundary distribution. With respect to the gradient, geographic centers of abundance and ranges of distribution are also preassigned; they vary from species to species, within limits, to reflect the intergradational nature of the communities. Using these guidelines, individuals belonging to each species are placed randomly or contagiously on a two-dimensional, 50 by 800 coordinate grid; the model is run through 50 generations to develop a time-averaged accumulation that can be sampled for numerical analyses. The power of the basic model is that it can be manipulated to simulate a variety of taphonomic processes, and the results can be compared directly to patterns that would have resulted without the taphonomic processes, and the results can be compared directly to patterns that would have resulted without the taphonomic overprints. In this initial use, the authors analyze the effects of limited amountsmore » of post-mortem transport on faunal distributional patterns. Comparisons of transported and untransported accumulations permit the testing of a procedure for detecting the amount of post-mortem skeletal transport along environmental gradients. To demonstrate its utility, this procedure is applied to a data set of subfossil molluscan remains from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.« less
Rare earth element variations resulting from inversion of pigeonite and subsolidus reequilibration in lunar ferroan anorthosites

We present results of a secondary ion mass spectrometry study of the rare earth elements (REEs) in the minerals of two samples of lunar ferroan anorthosite, and the results are applicable to studies of REEs in all igneous rocks, no matter what their planet of origin. Our pyroxene analyses are used to determine solid-solid REE distribution coefficients (D = CREE in low-Ca pyroxene/CREE in augite) in orthopyroxene-augite pairs derived by inversion of pigeonite. Our data and predictions from crystal-chemical considerations indicate that as primary pigeonite inverts to orthopyroxene plus augite and subsolidus reequilibration proceeds, the solid-solid Ds for orthopyroxene-augite pairs progressively decrease for all REEs; the decrease is greatest for the LREEs. The REE pattern of solid-solid Ds for inversion-derived pyroxene pairs is close to a straight line for Sm-Lu and turns upward for REEs lighter than Sm; the shape of this pattern is predicted by the shapes of the REE patterns for the individual minerals. Equilibrium liquids calculated for one sample from the compositions of primary phases, using measured or experimentally determined solid-liquid Ds, have chondrite-normalized REE patterns that are very slightly enriched in LREEs. The plagioclase equilibrium liquid is overall less rich in REEs than pyroxene equilibrium liquids, and the discrepancy probably arises because the calculated plagioclase equilibrium liquid represents a liquid earlier in the fractionation sequence than the pyroxene equilibrium liquids. “Equilibrium” liquids calculated from the compositions of inversion-derived pyroxenes or orthopyroxene derived by reaction of olivine are LREE depleted (in some cases substantially) in comparison with equilibrium liquids calculated from the compositions of primary phases. These discrepancies arise because the inversion-derived and reaction-derived pyroxenes did not crystallize directly from liquid, and the use of solid-liquid Ds is inappropriate. The LREE depletion of the calculated liquids is a relic of formation of these phases from primary LREE-depleted minerals. Thus, if one attempts to calculate the compositions of equilibrium liquids from pyroxene compositions, it is important to establish that the pyroxenes are primary. In addition, our data suggest that experimental studies have underestimated solid-liquid Ds for REEs in pigeonite and that REE contents of liquids calculated using these Ds are overestimates. Our results have implications for Sm-Nd age studies. Our work shows that if pigeonite inversion and/or subsolidus reequilibration between augite and orthopyroxene occurred significantly after crystallization, and if pyroxene separates isolated for Sm-Nd studies do not have the bulk composition of the primary pyroxenes, then the Sm-Nd isochron age and eNd will be in error.
A Social Neuroscience Perspective on Adolescent Risk-Taking.

This article proposes a framework for theory and research on risk-taking that is informed by developmental neuroscience. Two fundamental questions motivate this review. First, why does risk-taking increase between childhood and adolescence? Second, why does risk-taking decline between adolescence and adulthood? Risk-taking increases between childhood and adolescence as a result of changes around the time of puberty in the brain’s socio-emotional system leading to increased reward-seeking, especially in the presence of peers, fueled mainly by a dramatic remodeling of the brain’s dopaminergic system. Risk-taking declines between adolescence and adulthood because of changes in the brain’s cognitive control system—changes which improve individuals’ capacity for self-regulation. These changes occur across adolescence and young adulthood and are seen in structural and functional changes within the prefrontal cortex and its connections to other brain regions. The differing timetables of these changes make mid-adolescence a time of heightened vulnerability to risky and reckless behavior.
Improvements in solubility and stability of thalidomide upon complexation with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin

Abstract Thalidomide is in clinical use for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease in leukemia patients after bone marrow transplant. Low levels of the drug in plasma after oral administration have made an intravenous thalidomide formulation desirable. Thalidomide, however, is sparingly soluble in aqueous solution (50 μg/mL) and unstable. Complexation with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin has significantly improved the aqueous solubility and stability of thalidomide. Results obtained with HPLC and 1 H NMR spectrometry have demonstrated that the solubility is increased to 1.7 mg/mL and the half-life of a diluted solution is extended from 2.1 to 4.1 h. Hence, an intravenous thalidomide-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin solution has the potential to significantly improve current therapy for graft-versus-host disease by providing sustained high levels of drug in the plasma.
The structuring of Hispanic ethnicity: Historical and contemporary perspectives*

(1985). The structuring of Hispanic ethnicity: Historical and contemporary perspectives. Ethnic and Racial Studies: Vol. 8, Ethnicity and Race in the U.S.A: Toward the Twenty-First Century, pp. 49-74.
ON THE STRONG INTERACTIONS OF THE STRANGE PARTICLES

The theory appropriate to the definition and application of the reaction matrix is reviewed. The analysis of the low-energy K--proton data is reviewed in terms of this formalism, and the K -nucleon virtual bound state interpretation of the pi - LAMBDA resonance is compared with experimental data. The use of this formalism and its relationship with the reaction-matrix formalism are discussed, with special reference to the description of resonant states. The present evidence bearing on the validity of the global symmetry hypothesis is reviewed, and the interpretations of the pi - LAMBDA resonance as an analog of the (3,3) isobar state in the pi -N system are discussed and compared with data. (L.T.W.)
Control of microbial contamination with commercially available cleaning solutions

Abstract The elimination of cross-contamination from operatory to laboratory is required for effective infection control. This study determined whether microbial crosscontamination occurs during cleaning of dental prostheses with an ultrasonicator and examined ways to reduce or eliminate the contamination that might occur. The antimicrobial activities of a temporary cement remover and tartar and stain remover were compared with deionized water and a known strong antimicrobial agent. All solutions were assessed without and with ultrasonication. The microbicidal strains were cultured in brain-heart infusion broth, with and without acrylic resin slabs, and the organisms were killed either without or with sonication and without or with acrylic resin slabs. Further testing with natural plaque-contaminated denture materials is warranted.
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors Mitigate Collagen Synthesis Induced by a Single Dose of Radiation to the Whole Thorax

Our long-term goal is to use angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to mitigate the increase in lung collagen synthesis that is induced by irradiation to the lung, which could result from accidental exposure or radiological terrorism. Rats (WAG/RijCmcr) were given a single dose of 13 Gy (dose rate of 1.43 Gy/min) of X-irradiation to the thorax. Three structurally-different ACE inhibitors, captopril, enalapril and fosinopril were provided in drinking water beginning 1 week after irradiation. Rats that survived acute pneumonitis (at 6-12 weeks) were evaluated monthly for synthesis of lung collagen. Other endpoints included breathing rate, wet to dry lung weight ratio, and analysis of lung structure. Treatment with captopril (145-207 mg/m(2)/day) or enalapril (19-28 mg/m(2)/day), but not fosinopril (19-28 mg/m(2)/day), decreased morbidity from acute pneumonitis. Lung collagen in the surviving irradiated rats was increased over that of controls by 7 months after irradiation. This increase in collagen synthesis was not observed in rats treated with any of the three ACE inhibitors. Analysis of the lung morphology at 7 months supports the efficacy of ACE inhibitors against radiation-induced fibrosis. The effectiveness of fosinopril against fibrosis, but not against acute pneumonitis, suggests that pulmonary fibrosis may not be a simple consequence of injury during acute pneumonitis. In summary, three structurally-different ACE inhibitors mitigate the increase in collagen synthesis 7 months following irradiation of the whole thorax and do so, even when therapy is started one week after irradiation.
THE PURIFICATION OF THE ANTERIOR PITUITARY GROWTH HORMONE BY FRACTIONATION WITH AMMONIUM SULFATE1

Since the discovery in 1921 of a growth-promoting principle in the anterior pituitary by Evans and Long (1), several attempts have been made to purify it. The hormone has always been found associated with proteins and, due to the difficulties inherent in separation of proteins, little progress has been reported in purification. A brief resume of the chief methods for preparation of growth-promoting extracts is given below. Evans and Long first used a simple saline extract of the anterior lobes of cattle. Later, Evans and Simpson (2, 3) prepared sodium hydroxide extracts and precipitated some of the contaminating protein by adjustment of the hydrogen ion concentration. Later Evans and co-workers (4, 5) substituted barium hydroxide extraction for sodium hydroxide extraction, and a substantial part of the contaminating proteins was removed by high speed centrifugation. In 1929, Teel (6) fractionated growth-promoting extracts with sodium sulfate, and found the hormone in the globulin fraction. Later van Dyke ...
Measurement of weak magnetic fields using zero-field parametric resonance in optically pumped He 4

A vector magnetometer has been built utilizing the n = 0, p = 1 parametric resonance associated with zero-field level crossings in the optically pumped 23S 1 level of He4. The principles of operation are discussed and performance is described. The parametric resonance signal-to-noise ratio is 3.5 × 104in a 0.5 Hz noise bandwidth. The linewidth is 9.7 × 10-4G. Techniques for optimizing the sensitivity are discussed, and the sensitivity of the instrument is demonstrated by placing the sensor inside a superconducting magnetic shield and applying calibration signals, The peak-to-peak noise level is 1 × 10-8G. The use of parametric resonance instruments to measure interplanetary and geomagnetic fields is discussed.
Acoustic monitoring – super sonics?

Vesicular breath sounds, wheezes, rhonchi, and crackles possess acoustic 'signatures' amenable to detection, quantification, and moment-by-moment visual display. Despite technical hurdles, new methods for sonic evaluation, once perfected, should offer innovative diagnostic and monitoring tools that add clinical value. These emerging options complement current 'static/global' monitoring of mechanics and gas exchange with dynamic regional information long missing from the optimal care of the ventilated patient with critical illness.
Exploiting marine actinomycete biosynthetic pathways for drug discovery.

Drug discovery relies on the generation of large numbers of structurally diverse compounds from which a potential candidate can be identified. To this end, actinomycetes have often been exploited because of their ability to biosynthesize an impressive array of novel metabolites particularly polyketides. The genetic organization of polyketide synthases (PKSs) makes them readily amenable to manipulation, and thus re-engineering artificial or hybrid PKSs to produce unnatural natural products is a reality. This review highlights two approaches we have used to generate novel polyketides by manipulating genes responsible for starter unit biosynthesis in the ‘Streptomyces maritimus’ enterocin type II PKS. Our preliminary investigation into the biosynthesis of neomarinone, a rare marine actinomycete-derived meroterpenoid, is also presented.
Intersection of a Sure Ellipsoid and a Random Ellipsoid

An Expression for the expected value of the intersection of a sure sphere and a random sphere has been derived by Laurent (1974). In the present paper we derive the expression for the expected intersection volume of a sure ellipsoid and a random ellipsoid
Acoustic detection of Korotkoff sounds using non-linear analysis

Coronary artery disease (CAD), a leading cause of death in the United States, has few early diagnostic mechanisms. Acoustic detection of sound associated with turbulent blood flow in coronary arteries has been shown to discriminate normal and abnormal subjects; however, improved performance is required for clinical use. Nonlinear analysis methods sensitive to turbulence could improve acoustic detection of CAD. To assess the ability of these methods to detect turbulent flow, Korotkoff sounds generated by turbulent flow through the brachial artery were used. The nonlinear methods studied include largest Lyapunov and Hurst exponents and Shannon entropy. Data were taken on 3 subjects using hardware developed by SonoMedica (McLean, Virginia). All methods were sensitive to changes in pressure applied to the brachial artery. The Lyapunov exponents decreased with increasing pressure. Entropy and Hurst exponent methods showed the opposite trend. In particular, the entropy measurements showed a 50% decrease from high to low pressure. All Lyapunov exponents were positive, indicating the presence of chaotic components in the signal. Hurst exponents near 1.0 are indicative of long term persistence in measured high pressure signals. These results indicate that nonlinear methods may be suitable for detecting CAD using heart sound recordings from diseased subjects.
Integrated microfluidic cooling for GaN devices on multilayer organic LCP substrate

This paper presents, for the first time, an integrated microfluidic cooling scheme on multilayer organic liquid crystal polymer (LCP) substrate for high power X-band gallium nitride (GaN) devices and amplifiers. The channel is micromachined on LCP and a mixture of water and ethylene glycol is used as a coolant. A 3D electro-thermal model of the microfluidic channel has been created, which illustrates the advantage of having a micro-channel beneath LCP in the case of a static and moving fluid. Measurements were done at 10.5 GHz on a GaN power amplifier (PDC = 1.68 W, PAE = 15 %) that was placed both on LCP and on a microfluidic channel with a static fluid.
Bloodstream Infections and Central Line–Associated Bloodstream Infections

It is estimated that more than 575,000 individuals develop bloodstream infections (BSI) annually in North America, accounting for nearly 80,000 deaths. Central line-associated BSI (CLABSI) is a major contributor to the cost of health care. Although primary BSI may be seen by the surgeon, a secondary BSI is more likely to be encountered, especially CLABSI. Prompt identification of the source of infection in patients with secondary BSI is paramount. This practice allows early source control and initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy, with subsequent improvement in outcomes. An understanding of evidence-based preventative measures and bundles is important.
A general planar circuit simulator based on two-dimensional TLM method

A very user-friendly two-dimensional circuit simulator based on the TLM (transmission-line matrix) method (2D-TLM) has been developed. It can analyze two-dimensional circuits of arbitrary geometry containing both linear and nonlinear media. The circuit geometry is input graphically. Both time-domain and frequency-domain responses can be computed and visualized. As examples, a microstrip lowpass filter, a microstrip varactor multiplier, and a waveguide post-coupled filter have been analyzed and compared with other methods. >
Phytophthora borealis and Phytophthora riparia, new species in Phytophthora ITS Clade 6.

Phytophthora borealis andPhytophthora riparia, identified in recent Phytophthora surveys of forest streams in Oregon, California and Alaska, are described as new species in Phytophthora ITS Clade 6. They are similar in growth form and morphology to P. gonapodyides and are predominately sterile. They present unique DNA se- quences, however, and differ in temperature/growth relations and geographic distribution.
Induced overexpression of OCT4A in human embryonic stem cells increases cloning efficiency.

Our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying human embryonic stem cell (hESC) self-renewal and differentiation is incomplete. The level of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), a c...
THE STRUCTURE OF THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM. VI. NEW Mg II, Fe II, AND Mn II OBSERVATIONS TOWARD STARS WITHIN 100 pc

We analyze high-resolution spectra obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope toward 34 nearby stars (≤100 pc) to record Mg II, Fe II, and Mn II absorption due to the local interstellar medium (LISM). Observations span the entire sky, probing previously unobserved regions of the LISM. The heavy ions studied in this survey produce narrow absorption features that facilitate the identification of multiple interstellar components. We detected one to six individual absorption components along any given sight line, and the number of absorbers roughly correlates with the pathlength. This high-resolution near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectroscopic survey was specifically designed for sight lines with existing far-UV (FUV) observations. The FUV spectra include many intrinsically broad absorption lines (i.e., of low atomic mass ions) and are often observed at medium resolution. The LISM NUV narrow-line absorption component structure presented here can be used to more accurately interpret the archival FUV observations. As an example of this synergy, we present a new analysis of the temperature and turbulence along the line of sight toward Ind. The new observations of LISM velocity structure are also critical in the interpretation of astrospheric absorption derived from fitting the saturated H I Lyα profile. As an example, we reanalyze the spectrum of λ And and find that this star likely does have an astrosphere. Two stars in the sample that have circumstellar disks (49 Cet and HD141569) show evidence for absorption due to disk gas. Finally, the substantially increased number of sight lines is used to test and refine the three-dimensional kinematic model of the LISM and search for previously unidentified clouds within the Local Bubble. We find that every prediction made by the Redfield & Linsky kinematic model of the LISM is confirmed by an observed component in the new lines of sight.
Nucleotide-dependent conformational changes in the DnaA-like core of the origin recognition complex

Structural details of initiator proteins for DNA replication have provided clues to the molecular events in this process. EM reconstructions of the Drosophila melanogaster origin recognition complex (ORC) reveal nucleotide-dependent conformational changes in the core of the complex. All five AAA+ domains in ORC contain a conserved structural element that, in DnaA, promotes formation of a right-handed helix, indicating that helical AAA+ substructures may be a feature of all initiators. A DnaA helical pentamer can be docked into ORC, and the location of Orc5 uniquely positions this core. The results suggest that ATP-dependent conformational changes observed in ORC derive from reorientation of the AAA+ domains. By analogy to the DNA-wrapping activity of DnaA, we posit that ORC together with Cdc6 prepares origin DNA for helicase loading through mechanisms related to the established pathway of prokaryotes.
Molecular actions of steroid hormones.

Over the past decade, work from many laboratories has led to a generally accepted hypothesis for the primary synthetic events involved in steroid hormone action. Although no universal agreement exists for the specific molecular details, the overall steps in the pathway have been elucidated.
A delay-efficient rerouting scheme for VoIP traffic

Routing the packet flows through the network is a very important function and if done efficiently, it can contribute appreciably towards ensuring the desired levels of voice over IP (VoIP) quality. Current limitations do not attempt to reconfigure the path of the flows in the case of loss of quality. We propose a dynamic rerouting scheme called BPAR scheme for voice traffic, in which the paths of packet voice flows are dynamically reconfigured, based on network probing and rerouting. We performed a series of emulations to evaluate the performance of the BPAR scheme. For GSM-compressed traffic, the dynamic reconfiguration proposed in this study shows an improvement of 12% reduction in average delay, and also a better connection acceptance (16% high) than other static methods under conditions of network congestion.
The Combined Effect of Political Skill and Political Decision Making on Job Satisfaction1

The current study examined the interactive effects of an environment high in political decision making and political skill on job satisfaction. We predicted that as perceptions of political decision making increase, the satisfaction of individuals low in political skill would decrease. Conversely, the negative effects of political decision making on job satisfaction would be minimized among individuals high in political skill. Data were gathered from 105 managerial employees of a financial-services organization. Results provided strong support for the hypothesized political decision-making/political-skill relationship. Implications, strengths and limitations, and avenues for future research are discussed.
Atypical branching of foxtail (Setaria spp.) panicles in west-central Kansas.

Abstract Taxonomists describe panicles of green and yellow foxtail (Setaria viridis (L.) and S. glauca (L.) Beauv., respectively) as dense, contracted, narrow and cylindrical. However, a 6-y survey near Hays, Kansas documented inflorescences of green and yellow foxtail that were divided into two to four or more elongated segments. Those panicles were forked or digitate rather than a single compact cylinder. Anomalous panicles were always found on plants having several normal heads. Branched morphology was infrequent (<1 head in 10,000), but was observed in 1993 and 1995–1998. Before 1998 Kansas collections of foxtail specimens with abnormal panicles were limited to a 1600 × 3200 m area in central Ellis County. Observations during 1998 increased the known geographic distribution in Kansas to a 3200 × 3600 m area. Seed collected from branched panicles of both species and grown in greenhouse conditions did not produce plants with any aberrant inflorescences. Occurrence of deviant green or yellow foxtail pani...
MATERNITY ROOST SITE SELECTION OF LONG-EARED MYOTIS, MYOTIS EVOTIS

Bat conservation is hindered by a lack of geographic-specific knowledge of characteristics of roost sites used by reproductive females. We examined roost selection by reproductive female Myotis evotis (long-eared myotis) in the Channeled Scablands of northeastern Washington. We used radiotelemetry to locate 35 roosts of reproductive female Myotis evotis. Habitat variables were measured for each roost itself and at a 0.1-ha microplot and 78-ha macroplot surrounding each roost. We measured habitat variables at random 0.1-ha microplots in the vicinity of each roost and at general random 0.1-ha microplots and 78-ha macroplots. Thirty-four roosts were found in crevices in small basalt rock formations. All radiomarked bats switched roosts at least once and roost switching apparently involved the entire colony. The average number of switches was 3.3 with an average of 2 days between roost switches. The distance traveled between day roosts averaged 148.9 m. Compared to random plots, roosts were in more open, rocky habitats, closer to edge of forest stands, and relatively distant from sources of permanent water.
Anisotropic Smoothing Improves DT-MRI-Based Muscle Fiber Tractography.

Purpose To assess the effect of anisotropic smoothing on fiber tracking measures, including pennation angle, fiber tract length, and fiber tract number in the medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle in healthy subjects using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI). Materials and Methods 3T DW-MRI data were used for muscle fiber tractography in the MG of healthy subjects. Anisotropic smoothing was applied at three levels (5%, 10%, 15%), and pennation angle, tract length, fiber tract number, fractional anisotropy, and principal eigenvector orientation were quantified for each smoothing level. Results Fiber tract length increased with pre-fiber tracking smoothing, and local heterogeneities in fiber direction were reduced. However, pennation angle was not affected by smoothing. Conclusion Modest anisotropic smoothing (10%) improved fiber-tracking results, while preserving structural features.
Gnomon Measurements and the Obliquity of the Ecliptic

This study was originally motivated from the discussion of the obliquity of the ecliptic, ∈, in the work of Needham (1959) and his collaborators, and the article, “An 8-th Century Meridian Line,” by Beer et al. (1961). A search in the historical records yields values, published and unpublished, of ∈.
The Sest Algorithm

In this chapter, we describe the SEST automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) algorithm, which applies the justification equivalence theorems discussed in Chapters 2 and 3. It is important to note that the application of the justification equivalence concept is not limited to test generation. However, applications in different areas may require separate formulations. Readers who are new to sequential circuit ATPG are advised to examine Chapter 4.
How to discover and assess opportunities for business model innovation

Purpose – The author explains that changing both the company’s offerings and its organization exponentially increases the complexity and uncertainty of any new undertaking, which is why business model innovation is both so difficult and, when successful, so hard for competitors to respond to. Design/methodology/approach – The example of how SolarCity introduced a new business model in 2008 designed around third-party ownership illustrates many of the steps Solar-City took to redesign their offering as well as the capabilities to deliver it. Findings – Design teams often build prototypes of new products and test their performance or test their appeal to users. It is much more difficult to design and test a novel financial model and more difficult still to sell that design to a company’s leadership and its investors or lenders. Practical implications – Rather than dive into details of the product development, organizational design or financials, the innovation team should rank order the largest sources of t...
Towards Robot Systems Architecture

Just as special purpose computers and mainframes grew into the generalpurpose personal computers we use everyday, special purpose industrialrobots are evolving into more general purpose personal robots. Asrobots become more capable and universal, their applications are lesswell-defined or even unknown at design time. We will have to designrobots for classes of tasks rather than specific applications. Havingguidelines for how to best organize, interface, and implement robotsystems and reason about trade-offs, as we do in computerarchitecture, will become crucial for success. In this paper weintroduce and adapt some useful notions and principles from computerarchitecture to robot systems architecture. We argue that notions suchas locality of reference, balanced architectures, and boundedness (interms of IO, memory, and CPU) can be leveraged in robot systemsdesign, and in particular, in the design of distributed robot systems.
Faded shaker, a lethal pigment and neurological mutation in the chicken

Faded shaker (fs) is a lethal condition in chickens resulting in a congenital tremor and a dilution of down and feather melanin. It is inherited as an autosomal recessive gene with the homozygote showing incomplete penetrance, the apparent result of a single dominant gene masking the effects of the fs/fs genotype. Mortality of the mutants occurred between 18 days of incubation and three months of age; most died before one week of age with half of the mutants dying before hatching. No specific cause of death was observed. The tremor had a frequency of 6 to 10 vibrations per second, was more pronounced in the posterior end of the bird and was constant over time within an individual. Weight of the faded shaker cerebellum was reduced by 7.6%, presumably due to an observed deficiency of myelin. The down and feather color of faded shakers ranged from almost normal to near white, but was constant over several feather generations within an individual. Faded shaker melanosomes were both deficient in number and incompletely melanized. Melanocyte dendrition and melanosome distribution were both normal. Skin transplants showed that the dilution was a result of a defect located in the fs/fs skin. Pigmentation of the retinal pigment epithelium also was abnormal.
Abstract 3829: Extraluminal Protruding Plaques in Intracranial Arteries. An angiographic and pathological analysis of Circle of Willis specimens from the Nun Study

BACKGROUND There is little data about extraluminal protruding plaques in intracranial arteries. Such plaques may not cause luminal stenosis and may be undetectable by standard angiographic modalities. It is important to identify the prevalence of such plaques because these plaques may be a cause of thrombosis and ischemic events in patients with cryptogenic strokes. OBJECTIVE To identify the prevalence of extraluminal protruding plaques in intracranial arteries from autopsy specimens of Nun Study. METHODS A random sample of 54 specimens was selected from Nun Study repository of post-mortem intracranial arteries (Circle of Willis). The Nun Study is a longitudinal study of aging and Alzheimer9s disease funded by the National Institute on Aging including 678 participants who are 75 to 106 years of age. Basilar artery and proximal middle cerebral arteries were inspected and arteries with plaques were identified. The specimens were placed in a liquid container and an angiographic catheter was placed in vessel of interest. Using iodinated contrast media and Ziehm Vista C-arm, angiography was obtained in multiple planes. Percentage luminal stenosis was measured using normal proximal or distal segment of the vessel as reference. Using microscopic images, extraluminal protruding plaques was then sequentially measured. Percentage increase in extraluminal wall diameter was calculated as (extraluminal diameter at plaque site - normal diameter)/normal diameter x100. RESULTS Out of 162 samples, plaques were identified in 126 samples. The characteristics of the plaques are tabulated. The percentage increase in extraluminal wall diameter was 10.33 ± 8.13. For vessel with angiographically occult plaques, the percentage increase in extraluminal wall diameter was 9.2±3.2. In extraluminal protruding plaques, the median protrusion was 0.3 mm and maximum protrusion was 0.9 mm. There was no difference between the percentage extraluminal protrusion between the middle cerebral (0.3±0.1) and basilar artery plaques (0.36±0.2), p=0.8. The frequency of extraluminal plaques without angiographic stenosis of any severity was higher than extraluminal plaques with angiographic stenosis (52% and 56% for middle cerebral artery and basilar artery, respectively). CONCLUSIONS There appears to be a high prevalence of extraluminal protruding plaques among elderly persons and most of these plaques are not detected by angiography. Newer, imaging modalities like vessel wall high resolution visusalization by magnetic resonance imaging may help identify the prevalencc and ischemic event risk associated with such plaques.
Specification and analysis of human-intensive system resource-utilization policies

Complex, human-intensive systems, such as those used in hospital Emergency Departments, typically require the effective support of many types of resources, each governed by potentially complex utilization policies. Resource utilization policies range from simple, e.g., sickest patient first, to extremely complex, responding to changes in system environment, state, and stimuli. Further, policies may at times conflict with each other, requiring conflict resolution strategies that further increase the complexity. Sound policies for the management of these resources are crucial in assuring that these systems achieve their key goals. To help system developers make sound resource management decisions, this paper presents a resource utilization policy specification and analysis framework for complex human-intensive systems. We provide (1) a precise specification language to describe very diverse and potentially complex resource utilization policies, (2) a process- and resource-aware discrete-event simulation engine that executes simulations to dynamically evaluate the policies’ effects on the outcomes achieved by systems that use the resources, and (3) a process- and resource-aware finite state verification framework that supports formal verification that resource management policies are correctly implemented by these simulations.
Lipidomic analysis of epidermal lipids: a tool to predict progression of inflammatory skin disease in humans

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Lipidomics is the large-scale profiling and characterization of lipid species in a biological system using mass spectrometry. The skin barrier is mainly comprised of corneocytes and a lipid-enriched extracellular matrix. The major skin lipids are ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids (FFA). Lipid compositions are altered in inflammatory skin disorders with disrupted skin barrier such as atopic dermatitis (AD).Areas covered: Here we discuss some of the recent applications of lipidomics in human skin biology and in inflammatory skin diseases such as AD, psoriasis and Netherton syndrome. We also review applications of lipidomics in human skin equivalent and in pre-clinical animal models of skin diseases to gain insight into the pathogenesis of the skin disease.Expert commentary: Skin lipidomics analysis could be a fast, reliable and noninvasive tool to characterize the skin lipid profile and to monitor the progression of inflammatory skin diseases such as AD.
Entangled in a Membranous Web: ER and Lipid Droplet Reorganization during Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. To establish and maintain chronic infection, HCV extensively rearranges cellular organelles to generate distinct compartments for viral RNA replication and virion assembly. Here, we review our current knowledge of how HCV proliferates and remodels ER-derived membranes while preserving and expanding associated lipid droplets during viral infection. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms responsible for HCV-induced membrane reorganization will enhance our understanding of the HCV life-cycle, the associated liver pathology, and the biology of the ER:lipid droplet interface in general.
Hardening Access Control and Data Protection in GFS-like File Systems

The Google File System (GFS) is a highly distributed, faulttolerant file system designed for large files and high throughput batch processing. We consider the first complete security analysis of GFS systems. We formalize desirable security properties with respect to the successful enforcement of access control mechanisms and data confidentiality by considering a threat model that is much stronger then in previous works. We propose extensions to the GFS protocols that satisfy these properties, and provide a comprehensive analysis of the extensions, both analytically and experimentally. In a proof-of-concept implementation, we demonstrate the practicality of the extensions by showing that they incur only a 12% slowdown while offering higher-assurance guarantees.
Role of Corruption and Entrepreneurship in Reducing Income Inequality

Income distribution varies widely across countries, the exact reason of which remains unclear and remains under investigation. This study fills an important gap in the study of income distribution ...
The Species Problem: The species problem

THE SPECIES IDEA Species are kinds of living things. This way of thinking about life seems to go back at least to Plato and Aristotle, who used the term eidos that meant in one sense, the appearance or form of a thing. For the naturalists who came after, species were also the relatively distinct groupings of individual organisms that were more or less similar in appearance and behavior, and that sometimes interbred. Since the development of a hierarchical taxonomy by Linnaeus in the eighteenth century, those organisms that had been grouped into species taxa were then grouped into more inclusive categories – genera, orders, classes, and ultimately kingdoms. Because species are the most basic groupings of organisms in this hierarchy, they are now usually regarded as the fundamental units of biodiversity. But for contemporary biologists steeped in evolutionary theory, species are much more. Darwinian evolution tells us that species are the things that are “born” in speciation from other species, change over time, produce new species, and ultimately “die” in extinction. Species are therefore also the fundamental units of evolution. The idea of species has played a similarly significant role in philosophy. Philosophers have followed the tradition of Plato and Aristotle, as they understand it, and have treated those groups of organisms we identify as species as natural kinds with essences .
The Prominence of Affect in Creativity: Expanding the Conception of Creativity in Mathematical Problem Solving

Constructs such as fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration have been accepted as integral components of creativity. In this chapter, the authors discuss affect (Leder GC, Pehkonen E, Torner G (eds), Beliefs: a hidden variable in mathematics education? Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 2002; McLeod DB, J Res Math Educ 25:637–647, 1994; McLeod DB, Adams VM, Affect and mathematical problem solving: a new perspective. Springer, New York, 1989) as it relates to the production of creative outcomes in mathematical problem solving episodes. The saliency of affect in creativity cannot be underestimated, as problem solvers require an appropriate state of mind in order to be maximally productive in creative endeavors. Attention is invested in commonly accepted sub-constructs of affect such as anxiety, aspiration(s), attitude, interest, and locus of control, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and value (Anderson LW, Bourke SF, Assessing affective characteristics in the schools. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, 2000). A new sub-construct of creativity that is germane and instrumental to the production of creative outcomes is called iconoclasm and it is discussed in the context of mathematical problem solving episodes.
Development of a Multi-Attribute Scale for Assessing Marketing Effectiveness

In the Miles and Snow typology (1978), three successful strategic orientations, the Prospector, Defender, and Analyzer are hypothesized to outperform firms without a strategic orientation (the Reactor). Adoption of a strategic orientation sets the overall direction for determining how a business will compete. Functional units respond to the direction set in the business strategy. For the marketing organization, this set of responses focuses on developing the product-market domain (Miles and Snow 1978). To successfully develop selected product markets, the development of distinctive competencies in areas such as product development, pricing, service, distribution, and promotion are needed to achieve the strategic goals of the organization (Walker and Ruekert 1987).
Ignoring rights is wrong: re-politicizing gender equality and development with the rights-based approach

ABSTRACTCorporate sponsors and humanitarian organizations have joined popular authors and international institutions in bringing attention to gender inequality though “smart economics” and “investing in women.” These social marketing messages and donor strategies mimic arguments for gender equality from the 1970s and 1980s. Rather than building on the rights-based development and best practices of the 1990s, they ignore the critical roles of political capacity and participation that the past forty years and feminist analysis of development achievements and failures have taught us are essential to taking on gender and economic inequality. Certain trends in foreign aid accountability share this silence on the importance of political capacity. In contrast, the rights-based approach to gender equality and development (RBA) is a political approach to development. We reconcile the need for aid accountability with the need for a focus on politics by outlining key political processes of the rights-based approach....
Democracy in Reverse: The 2016 General Election in Zambia

On 11 August 2016, Zambia held elections for the presidency, National Assembly, local councillors, and mayors. Concurrently, a referendum was held on whether to enhance the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of Zambia. The elections were significant for several reasons: It was the first contest under a newly amended Constitution, which introduced important changes to the electoral framework. It also marked a break with Zambia’s positive historical record of arranging generally peaceful elections. Moreover, the election featured an electoral playing field that was notably tilted in favour of the incumbent party. Ultimately, the incumbent president, Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front, edged out opposition challenger Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development. The election was controversial and the opposition mounted an unsuccessful legal challenge to the final results. The 2016 elections represent a reversal in the quality of Zambian democracy and raise questions about the country’s prospects for democratic consolidation.
A predictive model of gene expression using a deep learning framework

With an unprecedented amount of data available, it is important to explore new methods for developing predictive models to mine this data for scientific discoveries. In this study, we propose a deep learning regression model based on MultiLayer Perceptron and Stacked Denoising Auto-encoder (MLP-SAE) to predict gene expression from genotypes of genetic variation. Specifically, we use a stacked denoising auto-encoder to train our regression model in order to extract useful features, and utilize the multilayer perceptron for backpropagation. We further improve our model by adding a dropout technique to prevent overfitting. Our results on a real genomic dataset show that our MLP-SAE model with dropout outperform Lasso, Random Forests, and MLP-SAE without dropout. Our study provides a new application of deep learning in mining genomics data, and demonstrates that deep learning has great potentials in building predictive models to help understand biological systems.
Narrating risk: The financial thriller film during the U.S. recession

ABSTRACTThe following article examines contemporary cinema’s narrative responses to the 2007 credit crisis and subsequent recession in the United States. The analysis focuses upon Margin Call (2011) and Cosmopolis (2012), two films that draw from the genre commonly referred to as ‘the thriller’. Both films are fictional and exhibit the interplay between systemic risk, the revision of historical conventions of the thriller, and financial crisis. Specifically, the narratives build their central dramatic tensions around representations of the persistent challenge to locate, quarantine, and coordinate networked responses against systemic risk, a challenge which comes to symbolise the fundamental struggle of a global financial culture. Within these films, systemic risk is represented through a new set of semiotic codes involving technology and mathematics, which work to join near-automated financial industries of late-stage capitalism with an appearance of human relevancy. When positioned against the rhetorica...
Toward a Model of Learning and Transfer: A Review of Instructional Methods and Learning Outcomes in Special Education Teacher Preparation:

In the past decade and a half, measurable outcomes of teacher performance and student achievement have moved to the forefront of education policy. Researchers have identified a gap in special educa...
Integrated watershed management in Michigan: Challenges and proposed solutions

Michigan's current water management system is highly decentralized and based more on jurisdictional than watershed boundaries. There is both environmental and economic justification to examine alternate water resource management approaches given the current system's potential for inefficiency and redundancy. Our research addresses a central question: How might an integrated watershed governance system be applied in Michigan, where jurisdictional authority and political will are fragmented both horizontally across agencies and vertically across scales? We identify the key challenges facing Michigan's current approach to managing water resources and then describe two alternatives, referred to as Integrated Watershed Commissions (IWCs), which would coordinate water resource management and decision making on a watershed basis. The first alternative represents a relatively radical departure from the state's current structure, an “unconstrained” vision for comprehensive watershed management, which is not bound by the state's present political and management limitations. The second alternative, a more conservative or “constrained” vision for watershed coordination, operates primarily within Michigan's existing governance structures, and therefore includes mostly incremental change. For each alternative, we propose watershed boundaries and management structures, and discuss possible benefits and caveats. We also identify plausible next steps that can be taken in the near future, short of IWC implementation, that may catalyze water management reform and enhance coordination and collaboration in managing water resources in Michigan.