cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Blood-soaked Cellulose Filter Paper for Measuring Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotopes.

Abstract: We explored the use of filter paper soaked in whole blood for measuring carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotopes, often used in feeding ecology or diet studies, to better understand drivers of exposure to contaminants. Our results showed no statistically or biologically relevant differences in C and N stable isotope measures between our gold standard (whole blood with anticoagulant) and eluates from processed, blood-soaked filter paper. Our data supported the effectiveness of using filter paper for assessing C and N stable isotopes in blood to address feeding ecology and other uses. The ease of sampling and processing should allow blood-soaked filter paper to be used in sampling of live (e.g., captured, stranded) and lethally taken (e.g., hunter-killed) wild vertebrates.
Coverage of Epidemics in American Newspapers Through the Lens of the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Framework

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) framework has been used by the organization during recent outbreaks of infectious diseases. However, the dissemination of the organization's crisis messages depends largely on mass media coverage. This study analyzed 5,006 articles from leading American newspapers covering 3 epidemics: H1N1, Ebola, and Zika. Using a mixed method of automated and manual content analysis, it identified 3 distinct themes used to cover the diseases: pandemic, scientific, and social. Analysis of the themes based on CERC guidelines demonstrated substantial discrepancies between what CDC aims to communicate during epidemics and what the media actually disseminated to the public. Implications for public health organizations and communicators are discussed.
The State of Broadband in Africa: What’s Here and What’s Coming?

In order to evaluate the appropriate strategy for next-generation broadband as a video platform in Africa, the current state of broadband and factors affecting its growth and advancement must be examined. In that regard it is notable that, while, in the second decade of the twenty-first century, Africa is emerging as a world leader in narrowband mobile technology, it remains a laggard in broadband Internet, on both fixed and mobile platforms. This chapter reviews why broadband matters for Africa’s future and examines some of the reasons why individual middle-income countries—Botswana, Mauritius, and South Africa in particular—are failing to compete at a level that might be expected. In the second half of the chapter, some developments on the horizon are reviewed, including the impending digital switchover, which could offer a one-time opportunity to expand broadband access in Africa.
Gender and Sex Differences in Adipose Tissue

As the ongoing epidemic of adult and childhood obesity grows, it puts a greater burden on individuals and the healthcare system due to increased prevalence of obesity-associated diseases. An important area that has gained much attention recently is the sex and gender difference related to obesity and associated complications. Basic science and clinical studies have now improved our understanding of obesity and have discovered adipose tissue biology to be key in metabolism. There is evidence related to the sex dichotomy in obesity in a variety of areas including adipocyte function, sex hormone effects, genetics, and metabolic inflammation leading to critical differences in adipose tissue biology. The sex and gender difference in adipose tissue is a factor that should be considered when studying an individuals’ risk for obesity and metabolic dysfunction. This understanding is important for strategizing treatment and prevention measures.
Replace-after-Fixed-or-Random-Time Extensions of the Poisson Process.

We analyze extensions of the Poisson process in which any interarrival time that exceeds a fixed value $r$ is counted as an interarrival of duration $r$. In the engineering application that initiated this work, one part is tested at a time, and $N(t)$ is the number of parts that, by time $t$, have either failed, or if they have reached age $r$ while still functioning, have been replaced. We refer to $\{N(t), t \geq 0\}$ as a replace-after-fixed-time process. We extend this idea to the case where the replacement time for the process is itself random, and refer to the resulting doubly stochastic process as a replace-after-random-time process.
Dialectical behavioral therapy skills group as an adjunct to family-based therapy in adolescents with restrictive eating disorders.

ABSTRACTDialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is commonly used in the treatment of eating disorders (ED), yet few studies have examined the utility of DBT skills groups as an adjunct to evidence-based...
Cerebellar Hemorrhage Following an Uncomplicated Lumbar Spine Surgery: Case Report.

Abstract Remote cerebellar hemorrhage is rare but potentially fatal complication of cranial and spinal surgeries. The pathophysiology of this condition following spinal surgery is thought to be related to venous bleeding from cerebellar sagging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypotension. Most reported cases in the literature following spinal surgery involve intraoperative CSF leakage. We present a case of remote cerebellar hemorrhage following uncomplicated lumbar spinal decompression and fusion without CSF leakage.
Structure of the RNA Specialized Translation Initiation Element that Recruits eIF3 to the 5'-UTR of c-Jun.

Abstract Specialized translation initiation is a novel form of regulation of protein synthesis, whereby RNA structures within the 5′-UTR regulate translation rates of specific mRNAs. Similar to internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs), specialized translation initiation requires the recruitment of eukaryotic initiation factor 3 (eIF3), but also requires cap recognition by eIF3d, a new 5′-m7GTP recognizing protein. How these RNA structures mediate eIF3 recruitment to affect translation of specific mRNAs remains unclear. Here, we report the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure of a stem-loop within the c-JUN 5′ UTR recognized by eIF3 and essential for specialized translation initiation of this well-known oncogene. The structure exhibits similarity to eIF3 recognizing motifs found in hepatitis C virus (HCV)–like IRESs, suggesting mechanistic similarities. This work establishes the RNA structural features involved in c-JUN specialized translation initiation and provides a basis to search for small molecule inhibitors of aberrant expression of the proto-oncogenic c-JUN.
An Integrated Cyber-Physical Fault Management Approach

Fault-tolerance in distributed cyber-physical systems involves a close interplay between the physical system: the ’plant’ to be controlled and the distributed computing layer that controls it. In this paper, a systematic approach for designing resilient decentralized control applications is presented that considers both the cyber and physical faults and how they affect each other (if at all). It establishes a formal methodology for system design and then illustrates its use in an example application related to the power grid.
Comparison of Intercom and Megaphone Hashtags Using Four Years of Tweets From the Top 44 Schools of Nursing: Thematic Analysis

Background: When this study began in 2018, I sought to determine the extent to which the top 50 schools of nursing were using hashtags that could attract attention from journalists on Twitter. In December 2020, the timeframe was expanded to encompass 2 more years of data, and an analysis was conducted of the types of hashtags used. Objective: The study attempted to answer the following question: to what extent are top-ranked schools of nursing using hashtags that could attract attention from journalists, policy makers, and the public on Twitter? Methods: In February 2018, 47 of the top 50 schools of nursing had public Twitter accounts. The most recent 3200 tweets were extracted from each account and analyzed. There were 31,762 tweets in the time period covered (September 29, 2016, through February 22, 2018). After 13,429 retweets were excluded, 18,333 tweets remained. In December 2020, 44 of the original 47 schools of nursing still had public Twitter accounts under the same name used in the first phase of the study. Three accounts that were no longer active were removed from the 2016-2018 data set, resulting in 16,939 tweets from 44 schools of nursing. The Twitter data for the 44 schools of nursing were obtained for the time period covered in the second phase of the study (February 23, 2018, through December 13, 2020), and the most recent 3200 tweets were extracted from each of the accounts. On excluding retweets, there were 40,368 tweets in the 2018-2020 data set. The 2016-2018 data set containing 16,939 tweets was merged with the 2018-2020 data set containing 40,368 tweets, resulting in 57,307 tweets in the 2016-2020 data set. Results: Each hashtag used 100 times or more in the 2016-2020 data set was categorized as one of the following seven types: nursing, school, conference or tweet chat, health, illness/disease/condition, population, and something else. These types were then broken down into the following two categories: intercom hashtags and megaphone hashtags. Approximately 83% of the time, schools of nursing used intercom hashtags (inward-facing hashtags focused on in-group discussion within and about the profession). Schools of nursing rarely used outward-facing megaphone hashtags. There was no discernible shift in the way that schools of nursing used hashtags after the publication of The Woodhull Study Revisited. Conclusions: Top schools of nursing use hashtags more like intercoms to communicate with other nurses rather than megaphones to invite attention from journalists, policy makers, and the public. If schools of nursing want the media to showcase their faculty members as experts, they need to increase their use of megaphone hashtags to connect the work of their faculty with topics of interest to the public.
From data to information: automating data science to explore the U.S. court system

The U.S. court system is the nation's arbiter of justice, tasked with the responsibility of ensuring equal protection under the law. But hurdles to information access obscure the inner workings of the system, preventing stakeholders - from legal scholars to journalists and members of the public - from understanding the state of justice in America at scale. There is an ongoing data access argument here: U.S. court records are public data and should be freely available. But open data arguments represent a half-measure; what we really need is open information. This distinction marks the difference between downloading a zip file containing a quarter-million case dockets and getting the real-time answer to a question like "Are pro se parties more or less likely to receive fee waivers?" To help bridge that gap, we introduce a novel platform and user experience that provides users with the tools necessary to explore data and drive analysis via natural language statements. Our approach leverages an ontology configuration that adds domain-relevant data semantics to database schemas to provide support for user guidance and for search and analysis without user-entered code or SQL. The system is embodied in a "natural-language notebook" user experience, and we apply this approach to the space of case docket data from the U.S. federal court system. Additionally, we provide detail on the collection, ingestion and processing of the dockets themselves, including early experiments in the use of language modeling for docket entry classification with an initial focus on motions.
From the Classroom to the Courtroom: A guide to interpreting in the U.S. justice system

From the Classroom to the Courtroom: A guide to interpreting in the U.S. justice system offers a wealth of information that will assist aspiring court interpreters in providing linguistic minorities with access to fair and expeditious judicial proceedings. The guide will familiarize prospective court interpreters and students interested in court interpreting with the nature, purpose and language of pretrial, trial and post-trial proceedings. Documents, dialogues and monologues illustrate judicial procedures; the description of court hearings with transcripts creates a realistic model of the stages involved in live court proceedings. The innovative organization of this guide mirrors the progression of criminal cases through the courts and provides readers with an accessible, easy-to-follow format. It explains and illustrates court procedure as well as provides interpreting exercises based on authentic materials from each successive stage. This novel organization of materials around the stages of the judicial process also facilitates quick reference without the need to review the entire volume — an additional advantage that makes this guide the ideal interpreters’ reference manual. Supplementary instructional aids include recordings in English and Spanish and a glossary of selected legal terms in context. These additional files can be found here .
Consequentialism and History

John Stuart Mill wrote in the opening chapter of Utilitarianism, ‘A test of right and wrong must be the means, one would think, of ascertaining what is right or wrong,’ thus explaining why he thought the work to follow was practically important. In Chapter 3, ‘On the Ultimate Sanction of the Principle of Utility,’ he answers the question, ‘What are the motives to obey the principle of utility?’ This principle is presented as a morality to be adopted. Yet before the nineteenth century was over Henry Sidgwick was proposing that it may well be best, from a utilitarian view, that the utilitarian doctrine is not too widely adopted. Perhaps it should be an esoteric morality. Moreover, Sidgwick argues, it seems contrary to self interest to adhere to an impartially benevolent morality. Devotion to utilitarian duty seems to require that the agent sacrifice his or her own happiness in a devotion to the relief of others that can only ‘partially mitigate’ their distress (502-3). Such a morality seems impossibly demanding. Sidgwick’s argument challenges Mill's claim that there is an adequate sanction for adoption of utilitarian morality.
Studies of Hydrogen Exchange in Proteins III. THE EFFECTS OF THE CHYMOTRYPSINOGEN—α-CHYMOTRYPSIN CONVERSION ON HYDROGEN EXCHANGE KINETICS

Abstract The hydrogen exchange kinetics of chymotrypsinogen and α-chymotrypsin have been compared under conditions in which the observed exchange rate is known to be a function of thermal unfolding and refolding rates. The results are best explained by a model which (a) does not include any major refolding of the polypeptide chain after the conversion of zymogen to active enzyme and assumes that the dynamic behaviour of the native states is, as far as hydrogen exchange can see, very little influenced by the conversion, (b) includes a difference in the nature of the unfolded states, and (c) is consistent with the fact that the number of hydrogens exchanging through thermal unfolding is 25% larger for chymotrypsin. The last point indicates that the size of the structural unit involved in reversible thermal unfolding is larger for chymotrypsin than for chymotrypsinogen.
Human dipeptidyl peptidase IV gene promoter: tissue-specific regulation from a TATA-less GC-rich sequence characteristic of a housekeeping gene promoter.

Abstract The dipeptidyl peptidase IV gene encodes a plasma-membrane exopeptidase that is highly expressed in small intestine, lung and kidney. In order to better understand the mechanisms responsible for this tissue-specific expression we cloned, sequenced and functionally characterized the 5'-flanking region of the human dipeptidyl peptidase IV gene. The first 500 bases of the 5'-flanking sequence constituted an unmethylated CpG island, contained several Sp1-binding sites and lacked a consensus TATA box, all characteristics of gene promoters lacking tissue-specific expression. RNase-protection analysis using both small intestinal and Caco2 cell RNA indicated that the dipeptidyl peptidase IV transcript was initiated from no fewer than six major and 12 minor start sites. The 5'-flanking sequence also exhibited functional promoter activity in transient transfection experiments. Here, various lengths of the sequence were cloned upstream of a luciferase gene and introduced into cultured cells using lipofectin. A region located between bases -150 and -109 relative to the start of translation was found to be important for high-level promoter activity in both Caco2 and HepG2 cells. Moreover, Caco2 cells and HepG2 cells, which express high levels of dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity, exhibited much higher normalized luciferase activity after transfection than did 3T3, Jurkat or COS-7 cells, which have low enzyme levels. Sodium butyrate was found to increase both enzyme activity and normalized luciferase in HepG2 cells. Thus the dipeptidyl peptidase IV promoter possesses the ability to initiate transcription in a tissue-specific fashion in spite of having the sequence characteristics of a housekeeping gene promoter.
International Factors and Regime Change in Latin America, 1945-2005

What factors explain the third wave of democratization in Latin America? We argue that the normative preferences of political elites, radicalization in the policy process, and the transformations of the international context seem to offer better explanations for Latin American democratization than theories emphasizing structural conditions such as economic modernization, class, and natural resource dependence. Our analysis covers 20 countries between 1945 and 2005. We employ random-effects logistic regression models to assess the risk of democratic transitions and breakdowns in different national contexts. The results indicate that international forces and - to the extent that they can be measured - elite attitudes and policy preferences are better predictors of regime change than structural preconditions. A simulation based on our empirical results shows the dynamic impact of diffusion processes on waves of democratization.
Preclinical evaluation of 4-[3,5-bis(2-chlorobenzylidene)-4-oxo-piperidine-1-yl]-4-oxo-2-butenoic acid, in a mouse model of lung cancer xenograft

Background and Purpose 4-[3,5-Bis(2-chlorobenzylidene)-4-oxo-piperidine-1-yl]-4-oxo-2-butenoic acid CLEFMA is a new anti-cancer molecule. Here, we investigated changes in apoptosis and inflammatory markers during CLEFMA-induced tumour suppression. Experimental Approach Lung adenocarcinoma H441 and A549, and normal lung fibroblast CCL151 cell lines were used, along with a xenograft model of H441 cells implanted in mice. Tumour tissues were analysed by immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry and/or biochemical assays. The ex vivo results were confirmed by performing selected assays in cultured cells. Key Results CLEFMA-induced cell death was associated with cleavage of caspases 3/9 and PARP. In vivo, CLEFMA treatment resulted in a dose-dependent suppression of tumour growth and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in tumours, along with a reduction in the expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67. In tumour tissue homogenates, the anti-apoptotic markers (cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein-1(cIAP1), Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, and survivin) were inhibited and the pro-apoptotic Bax and BID were up-regulated. Further, CLEFMA decreased translocation of phospho-p65–NF-κB into the nucleus. In vitro, it inhibited the DNA-binding and transcriptional activity of NF-κB. It also reduced the expression of COX-2 in tumours and significantly depressed serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels. These effects of CLEFMA were accompanied by a reduced transcription and/or translation of the invasion markers VEGF, MMP9, MMP10, Cyclin D1 and ICAM-1. Conclusions and Implications Overall, CLEFMA inhibited growth of lung cancer xenografts and this tumour suppression was associated with NF-κB-regulated anti-inflammatory and anti-metastatic effects.
Competitive and cooperative conflict communication climates: The influence of ombuds processes on trust and commitment to the organization

Purpose – This paper seeks to explore the role of ombuds processes on commitment and trust to the organization.Design/methodology/approach – This research is framed by and builds on theories about cooperation‐competition, procedural justice, and third party intervention (ombudsman processes) in managing organizational relationships. Data for this study come from semi‐structured longitudinal interviews with 45 participants (138 interviews total) during active pursuit of a grievance through the ombuds process.Findings – Organizational commitment and trust are fluid processes created through symbolic interaction with organizational actors. Interaction with these actors, over time, influences commitment to the organization.Research limitations/implications – This study reports on the perspective of the person pursuing the grievance through one ombuds office. Future research should explore perspectives of both parties and in different organizational contexts.Practical implications – The use of ombuds processes...
A distributed algorithm for waking-up in heterogeneous sensor networks

In this paper we present a distributed, application-morphable, algorithm for waking up appropriate sensor nodes in a heterogeneous sensor network. We assume a sensor field consisting of a large number of low power, limited functionality, tripwire nodes and a smaller number of powerful, energyhungry, tracker nodes. Our problem is that when an event is detected by a set of tripwire nodes a specific number of appropriate tracker nodes needs to be woken up. These tracker nodes will subsequently collaborate to perform the sensing task required by the application. Waking up non-suitable tracker nodes or employing more trackers than necessary for a specific task, can lead to significant waste of network resources (e.g. energy). The application indicates the number of nodes that are needed for a sensing task, as well as an optimization function to be used by the algorithm. Therefore, our algorithm is isolated from most application details and is simple and general enough to accommodate a wide range of sensing applications. We prove that our algorithm converges to a uniform optimal global decision for specific classes of optimization functions. Furthermore, we show that it is fast enough (<100ms) to be practical for most sensing applications and exhibits good performance in terms of total messages exchanged. Finally, we demonstrate that our algorithm is very robust, managing to retain its correct and efficient behavior for a wide range of scenarios, even under hostile environmental conditions (e.g. link loss probabilities up to 35%).
Understanding the Hermit Kingdom As It Is and As It Is Becoming: The Past, Present and Future of North Korea

AbstractNorth Korea, a Cold War remnant in East Asia, has long been treated as an impenetrable mystery and an excruciatingly difficult subject to comprehend given its closed system, under which it has maintained its isolation even from its closest allies and neighbours. The idiosyncrasies that revolve around North Korea do pose challenges for understanding the country through the “conventional wisdom.” Nonetheless, as acknowledged by the scholarly works reviewed in this article, the regime in Pyongyang must be dealt with as it is and as it is becoming so as to better understand both the challenges and opportunities for the country. The difficult task for the United States (US) and its allies in East Asia, however, is to be pragmatic in terms of dealing with the regime in Pyongyang and to project strength in a way that promotes long-term regional and global peace as well as the betterment of people in the country. The books reviewed are Charles Armstrong, Tyranny of the Weak: North Korea and the World, 195...
Reconsidering the Use of Nonlinearities in Intergenerational Earnings Mobility as a Test for Credit Constraints

Intergenerational earnings regression among Canadian men is nonlinear; middle-earning families experience slower regression. This pattern appears to confirm economic models of educational choice with credit constraints. This paper reexamines the economic model and finds no connection between credit markets and earnings regression nonlinearities. In particular, credit constraints need not produce concavity and concavity does not imply credit market failure. Despite the invalidity of the test, data availability will likely lead to continued research along this path. The paper proposes an amended test using quantile regressions. Applied to Canadian data, the simple liquidity constraint conclusion is rejected.
Phosphines Functionalized with Crown Ether Groups: Synthesis and Study of Systems Incorporating 1,3-Xylyl-18-Crown-5 Units

Hybrid phosphine crown ether molecules are obtained from Ph2PCl, PhP(OMe)2, or P(OPh)3 and the carbanions generated by a lithium/bromine exchange reaction between n-butyllithium and 5-bromo-1,3-xylyl-18-crown-5 or 5-bromo-2-methoxy-1,3-xylyl-18-crown-5. With these phosphine systems represented as PhxP(crown)3-x, the x = 0−2 and 1−2 members are reported for the former and latter crown ethers, respectively. The A1 υ(CO) stretching frequencies from the Ni(CO)3L (L = PhxP(crown)3-x) complexes are within 0.4 cm-1 of 2068.9 cm-1, the frequency for Ni(CO)3PPh3. For both series of ligands, H or OMe in the 2-position, the υ(CO) stretching frequencies are found to decrease with increasing substitution by the crown ether groups (deceasing x). The addition of Na+−Cs+ (SCN- salts) to the Ni complexes causes the A1 bands to shift to higher frequencies and to broaden. The largest shifts are observed with phosphines substituted with larger numbers of crown ether groups and added Na+ ions. 31P NMR spectral data for the L2...
Assembly and subunit stoichiometry of the functional helicase-primase (primosome) complex of bacteriophage T4

Physical biochemical techniques are used to establish the structure, subunit stoichiometry, and assembly pathway of the primosome complex of the bacteriophage T4 DNA replication system. Analytical ultracentrifugation and fluorescence anisotropy methods show that the functional T4 primosome consists of six gp41 helicase subunits that assemble into a hexagon, driven by the binding of six NTPs (or six nonhydrolyzable GTPγS analogues) that are located at and stabilize the intersubunit interfaces, together with a single tightly bound gp61 primase subunit. Assembling the components of the primosome onto a model DNA replication fork is a multistep process, but equilibrium cannot be reached along all mixing pathways. Producing a functional complex requires that the helicase hexamer be assembled in the presence of the DNA replication fork construct prior to the addition of the primase to avoid the formation of metastable DNA-protein aggregates. The gp41 helicase hexamer binds weakly to fork DNA in the absence of primase, but forms a much more stable primosome complex that expresses full and functional helicase (and primase) activities when bound to a gp61 primase subunit at a helicase:primase subunit ratio of 6∶1. The presence of additional primase subunits does not change the molecular mass or helicase activity of the primosome, but significantly inhibits its primase activity. We develop both an assembly pathway and a minimal mechanistic model for the structure and function of the T4 primosome that are likely to be relevant to the assembly and function of the replication primosome subassemblies of higher organisms as well.
Electromagnetic Forward Modeling Based On the Integral Equation Method Using Parallel Computers

In this paper we discuss the parallel implementation of the 3-D electromagnetic forward modeling algorithm, based on the contraction integral equation (CIE) method. We use a Linux Beowulf Class Cluster available at the Center for High Performance Computing (CHPC) at the University of Utah. We have developed a working version of the 3-D CIE code based on the Complex Generalized Minimal Residual (CGMRM) method of solving the system of linear equations. This new parallel implementation of the CGMRM algorithm ensures the convergence of the corresponding matrix inversion and allows us to consider large-scale forward modeling problems. We have investigated the solution of a large-scale forward problem with different discretizations on a PC cluster of up to 32 nodes.
Kinetics of the reverse mode of the Na+/glucose cotransporter.

This study investigates the reverse mode of the Na+/glucose cotransporter (SGLT1). In giant excised inside-out membrane patches from Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing rabbit SGLT1, application of α-methyl-D-glucopyranoside (αMDG) to the cytoplasmic solution induced an outward current from cytosolic to external membrane surface. The outward current was Na+- and sugar-dependent, and was blocked by phlorizin, a specific inhibitor of SGLT1. The current-voltage relationship saturated at positive membrane voltages (30–50 mV), and approached zero at −150 mV. The half-maximal concentration for αMDG-evoked outward current (K 0.5 αMDG ) was 35 mM (at 0 mV). In comparison, K 0.5 αMDG for forward sugar transport was 0.15 mM (at 0 mV). K 0.5 Na was similar for forward and reverse transport (≈35 mM at 0 mV). Specificity of SGLT1 for reverse transport was: αMDG (1.0) > D-galactose (0.84) > 3-O-methyl-glucose (0.55) > D-glucose (0.38), whereas for forward transport, specificity was: αMDG ≈ D-glucose ≈ D-galactose > 3-O-methyl-glucose. Thus there is an asymmetry in sugar kinetics and specificity between forward and reverse modes. Computer simulations showed that a 6-state kinetic model for SGLT1 can account for Na+/sugar cotransport and its voltage dependence in both the forward and reverse modes at saturating sodium concentrations. Our data indicate that under physiological conditions, the transporter is poised to accumulate sugar efficiently in the enterocyte.
A New QEM for Parametrization of Raster Images

We present an image processing method that converts a raster image to a simplical two-complex which has only a small number of vertices (base mesh) plus a parametrization that maps each pixel in the original image to a combination of the barycentric coordinates of the triangle it is finally mapped into. Such a conversion of a raster image into a base mesh plus parametrization can be useful for many applications such as segmentation, image retargeting, multi-resolution editing with arbitrary topologies, edge preserving smoothing, compression, etc. The goal of the algorithm is to produce a base mesh such that it has a small colour distortion as well as high shape fairness, and a parametrization that is globally continuous visually and numerically. Inspired by multi-resolution adaptive parametrization of surfaces and quadric error metric, the algorithm converts pixels in the image to a dense triangle mesh and performs error-bounded simplification jointly considering geometry and colour. The eliminated vertices are projected to an existing face. The implementation is iterative and stops when it reaches a prescribed error threshold. The algorithm is feature-sensitive, i.e. salient feature edges in the images are preserved where possible and it takes colour into account thereby producing a better quality triangulation.
A quantitative survey of chalk grassland in England

Abstract Precise quantitative information about habitats is important both in considering their conservation and in laying a foundation for more detailed systematic study. This article records a quantitative survey of chalk grassland in England in 1966, and demonstrates the practicability of effecting rapid national habitat surveys. The survey revealed that, despite progressive ‘reclamation’, there remained in England at that time a minimum of 107,605 acres (43,546 ha) of chalk grassland, of which almost 70 per cent lay in the county of Wiltshire. Observations indicated that most of these areas of chalk grassland were used as sheep and cattle grazing, and were on escarpments too steep to reclaim.
Optical Designs Of Special Interest In The Infrared

Some of the familiar kinds of optical designs for the visual region of the spectrum take on new meaning when applied to infrared problems. The availability of high indexes of refraction, for example, accentuates byways of optical design in the visual into quite unusual results in the infrared. As a first example, the ROsch combination of catadioptric system derived from the Schmidt telescope leads to a kind of wide-field system of low aperture ratio and low obscuration, although at a sacrifice of compactness. In another such instance, it is feasible to design an optical system in the IR that can illuminate some appropriate form of detector from a major fraction of a 4-pi solid angle over a field of view of appreciable size. Similarly, it is possible to design a form of retroreflector for the IR that has a 4-pi field of view, as for the Luneberg sphere. Further examples of special design for the infrared are discussed, including all-refractive, and all-reflective and catadioptric combinations. The author reviews some of these useful facets of optical design where appropriate infrared materials can be employed, and suggests how some of these forms may be applied to infrared problems.
Nonlinear programming and stationary strategies in stochastic games

We show that an undiscounted stochastic game possesses optimal stationary strategies if and only if a global minimum with objective value zero can be found to an appropriate nonlinear program with linear constraints. This nonlinear program arises as a method for solving a certain bilinear system, satisfaction of which is also equivalent to finding a stationary optimal solution for the game. The objective function of the program is a nonnegatively valued quadric polynomial.
Enhanced meta‐analysis of acetylcholine binding protein structures reveals conformational signatures of agonism in nicotinic receptors

The soluble acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) is the default structural proxy for pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs). Unfortunately, it is difficult to recognize conformational signatures of LGIC agonism and antagonism within the large set of AChBP crystal structures in both apo and ligand-bound states, primarily because AChBP conformations in this set are nearly superimposable (root mean square deviation < 1.5 A). We have undertaken a systematic, alignment-free approach to elucidate conformational differences displayed by AChBP that cleanly differentiate apo/antagonist-bound from agonist-bound states. Our approach uses statistical inference based on both crystallographic states and conformations sampled during long molecular dynamics simulations to select important inter-Cα distances and map their collective values onto functional states. We observe that binding of (nAChR) agonists to AChBP elicits clockwise rotation of the inner β-sheet with respect to the outer β-sheet, causing tilting of the cys-loop away from the five-fold axis, in a manner quite similar to that speculated for α-subunits of the heteromeric nAChR structure (Unwin, J Mol Biol 2005;346:967), making this motion potentially important in transmission of the gating signal to the transmembrane domain of a LGIC. The method is also successful at discriminating partial from full agonists and supports the hypothesis that a particularly controversial ligand, lobeline, is in fact an LGIC antagonist.
n → π∗ Transitions in the azines

Abstract Theory and experiment are reviewed and extended for n → π ∗ transitions in monocyclic azines. Intensities: A good description is obtained for the allowed transitions in terms of approximate sp2 lone-pair-orbitals and simple LCAO MO π ∗ - orbitals without invoking charge redistribution effects. Previous estimates of the pyridine oscillator strength are suggested to be too low, arising from the assumption of inadequate band width. Singlet-Triplet Intervals: S-T intervals range from 2,500–6,000 cm−1 and are poorly predicted by sp2 lone-pair-orbitals. It is suggested from the S-T interval evidence that rehybridization takes place upon n-electron promotion, decreasing the s-character to ∼0.1 in all the azines. Band Shapes: The recent conclusions from vibrational analyses that some of the excited states are nonplanar is discussed with respect to absorption and emission features. It is speculated that lack of π ∗ → n fluorescence may result from this non-planarity, and that fluorescence should be observable in the two-planar cases, pyridazine and s-tetrazine. A notable feature in the solution absorption spectra is the very large variation in the strength of the 0-0 band over the six azines discussed in this paper. The most prominent vibrational sequence involves a ring angular distortion mode. Transition Energies: No satisfaetory treatment has been given. Recent calculations are criticized as having physically imprecise empirical parameters.
Piezoluminescence of anthracene single crystals

Abstract The variance of fluorescence with a modulating strain field is obtained for single crystals of anthracene at 298 K. Front surface emission and excitation spectra from the (001) face are reported. The relative piezoemission spectra may be related to the derivative of the emission spectra. The piezoexcitation spectra show structure which may be related to both the anthracene and the defect dimer spectra; crystal splittings along the a and b axes are also observed.
Huang on Wittgenstein on religious epistemology

Yong Huang has recently claimed that after the demise of foundationalism, philosophy and theology can turn to Ludwig Wittgenstein's non-foundationalist or coherentist religious epistemology where, it is said, religious beliefs are justified by a 'reflective equilibrium' with other kinds of beliefs, with action, and with different 'forms of life'. I argue that there are very good reasons to reject this reading of Wittgenstein: not only unsupported, it is seriously mistaken. Once the epistemological terms of the debate are properly understood, the evidence indicates that Wittgenstein's view of religious beliefs is a form offoundationalism, not coherentism.
Interpreting near-side correlations and the RHIC beam energy scan

Recent data from heavy ion collisions at RHIC show strong near-side correlations extending over several units of rapidity. This ridge-like correlation exhibits an abrupt onset with collision centrality. In this talk, I argue that the centrality and beam-energy dependence of these near-angle correlations could provide access to information about the Quark Gluon Plasma phase boundary and the Equation of State of nuclear matter. A beam-energy-scan at RHIC will better reveal the true source of these correlations and should be a high priority at RHIC.
Galanin and Cognition

Since the neuropeptide galanin’s discovery in 1983, information has accumulated that implicates it in a wide range of functions, including pain sensation, stress responses, appetite regulation, and learning and memory. This article reviews the evidence for specific functions of galanin in cognitive processes. Consistencies as well as gaps in the literature are organized around basic questions of methodology and theory. This review shows that although regularities are evident in the observed behavioral effects of galanin across several methods for measuring learning and memory, generalization from these findings is tempered with concerns about confounds and a restricted range of testing conditions. Furthermore, it is revealed that many noncognitive behavioral constructs that are relevant for assessing potential roles for galanin in cognition have not been thoroughly examined. The review concludes by laying out how future theory and experimental work can overcome these concerns and confidently define the na...
Stratification of American hearing aid users by age and audiometric characteristics: a method for representative sampling.

Objectives Stratified sampling plans can increase the accuracy and facilitate the interpretation of a dataset characterizing a large population. However, such sampling plans have found minimal use in hearing aid (HA) research, in part because of a paucity of quantitative data on the characteristics of HA users. The goal of this study was to devise a quantitatively derived stratified sampling plan for HA research, so that such studies will be more representative and generalizable, and the results obtained using this method are more easily reinterpreted as the population changes. Design Pure-tone average (PTA) and age information were collected for 84,200 HAs acquired in 2006 and 2007. The distribution of PTA and age was quantified for each HA type and for a composite of all HA users. Results Based on their respective distributions, PTA and age were each divided into three groups, the combination of which defined the stratification plan. The most populous PTA and age group was also subdivided, allowing greater homogeneity within strata. Finally, the percentage of users in each stratum was calculated. Conclusions This article provides a stratified sampling plan for HA research, based on a quantitative analysis of the distribution of PTA and age for HA users. Adopting such a sampling plan will make HA research results more representative and generalizable. In addition, data acquired using such plans can be reinterpreted as the HA population changes.
Observation of an Underdamped "Soft" Mode in Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate

The pressure dependence of the coupled-mode spectra in potassium dihydrogen phosphase (KDP) was measured at room temperature for hydrostatic pressures from 0 to 9.3 kbar. The soft mode, which is overdamped for all temperatures at atmospheric pressure, becomes underdamped for pressures \ensuremath{\ge} 6 kbar. This is the first observation of an underdamped soft mode for a crystal of the KDP class and resolves the question of whether the excitation should be considered as diffusive or oscillatory in nature.
P02-143 - Cognitive behavior therapy in patients with binge eating disorder

Introduction With the growing epidemic of obesity many treatments are aimed at reducing weight like diets, exercise, pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery. All of these can reduce weight at least for a period; however none of them adequately address the behavior of binge eating/eating disorder. Aim assessed the role of Cognitive Behavior therapy in reducing disordered eating behavior. Method The subjects were enrolled in 12 weeks CBT. They were all obese and had a score of > 20 on the BES. They completed a BDI, MBSRQ, and BES before and after the groups. Their weight was recorded before and after the 12 weeks. 79 patients were enrolled in groups over a period of 3 years. Of those 56 patients completed the groups and questionnaires. Most groups consisted of 6–8 patients. Discussion 70% of patients had psychiatric symptoms psychotropic medications like antidepressants. More than 70% felt their eating habits were more in control and felt more informed about themselves since attending CBT groups. All of the patients who stayed and attended groups felt that the connection helped them sustain better eating habits. 67% of patients had lost 4–30 lbs during the 12 weeks of CBT, none had gained weight. Conclusion CBT helps the patient reduce disordered eating behaviors by understanding the cause of their self sabotage. CBT addresses the core of the problem i.e. disordered behavior as opposed to its consequences (viz. obesity and its multiple medical comorbidities); while affecting weight indirectly.
BACTERIAL AGENTS STIMULATE THE RELEASE OF SECRETORY IGA FROM HUMAN MILK LEUKOCYTES

Recently we reported that the secretion of secretory IgA (SIgA) from human milk leukocytes was stimulated by phagocytosis (J. Infect. Immun. 34: 498, 1981) and certain surface membrane stimuli including N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-phenylalanine (J. Immunol. In Press, 1984). Since that synthetic peptide is similar to ones secreted by certain strains of enteric bacteria, we questioned whether other bacterial products also trigger the release of that immunoglobulin from phagocytes in human milk. Supernatent fluids from cultures of Escherichia coli 07KL or Klebsiella pneumoniae obtained by passage through 0.22μ filters lead to the release of 40-50% of the SIgA found in unfractionated human colostral leukocytes (p<0.01). A similar degree and temporal pattern of SIgA release occurred when those leukocytes were exposed to heat-treated filtrates from those bacterial cultures, purified lipopolysaccharide from E. coli or type 1 pili isolated from K. pneumoniae. Thus, the secretion of SIgA by human milk leukocytes is initiated not only by phagocytosis of intact microorganisms, but also by important components of certain enteric bacterial pathogens. Furthermore, these findings support the hypothesis that SIgA released from those leukocytes plays a role in protecting the breast-fed infant from bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract.
Radiative Heat Transfer in the Lunar and Mercurian Surfaces

Radiative heat transfer in lunar and Mercurian surfaces, discussing radiative heat transfer in powders
Tris(η4-naphthalene)- and tris(1-4-η4-anthracene)tantalate(1-): First homoleptic arene complexes of anionic tantalum

Reduction of tantalum pentachloride by 6 equiv of sodium naphthalene in 1,2-dimethoxyethane provided, after recrystallization from tetrahydrofuran, 50−55% yields of yellow, pyrophoric [Na(THF)][Ta(C10H8)3]. The product was shown by 1H and 13C NMR spectra and an X-ray study (on the corresponding [Na(crypt 2.2.2)]salt) to be tris(η4-naphthalene)tantalate(1−), 1, the first homoleptic naphthalene complex of a third row (5d) transition metal. Salts of 1 react under mild conditions with excess CO (1 atm pressure, −60° to +20 °C) and 3 equiv of anthracene, C14H10 (20 °C), to give 99 and 52% yields of yellow [Ta(CO)6]- and orange [Ta(C14H10)3]-, (2), respectively. The latter is the first homoleptic anthracene complex of a group 5 element and only the third one known, the others being Cr(η6-C14H10)2 and [Co(η4-C14H10)2]-. NMR spectra and X-ray structural characterization, as the [Na(crypt 2.2.2)] salt, established 2 to be [Ta(1-4-η4-C14H10)3]- and is very similar to 1 in solution and in the solid state. Salts of 2...
Direct Visualization of HIV-1 with Correlative Live-Cell Microscopy and Cryo-Electron Tomography

Cryo-electron tomography (cryoET) allows 3D visualization of cellular structures at molecular resolution in a close-to-native state and therefore has the potential to help elucidate early events of HIV-1 infection in host cells. However, structural details of infecting HIV-1 have not been observed, due to technological challenges in working with rare and dynamic HIV-1 particles in human cells. Here, we report structural analysis of HIV-1 and host-cell interactions by means of a correlative high-speed 3D live-cell-imaging and cryoET method. Using this method, we showed under near-native conditions that intact hyperstable mutant HIV-1 cores are released into the cytoplasm of host cells. We further obtained direct evidence to suggest that a hyperstable mutant capsid, E45A, showed delayed capsid disassembly compared to the wild-type capsid. Together, these results demonstrate the advantages of our correlative live-cell and cryoET approach for imaging dynamic processes, such as viral infection.