cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Origin of orientation tuning in the visual cortex

The results of recent experiments have thrown new light on the neuronal connections underlying orientation-selective responses in the primary visual cortex of adult animals. The pattern of afferent input from the lateral geniculate nucleus to the cortex appears to be specific for orientation, while intracortical inhibitory connections appear to be non-specific in this respect. Experimental and theoretical studies have suggested that the development of cortical cell orientation tuning is an activity-dependent process.
Building commitment through reflective practice: an inside‐out approach

– The purpose of this paper is to (re)introduce the concept of Community of Commitment and Practice (CoCP) and to discuss the types of learning that occur in the process. It describes the differences between CoCP and the commonly‐known Community of Practice (CoP), emphasizing the power of commitment as crucial for organizational development., – A Singapore case study was used as a basis for identifying the conceptual and practical relevance of CoCP to organizational practice. A literature review based on relevant concepts provides the theoretical perspective for understanding the occurrence of learning in organizational contexts., – CoCP promotes reflective action learning and reflective action taking driven by an inside‐out approach. Intrinsic learning is largely influenced by the intent and motivation of individuals rather than a top‐down (outside‐in) approach., – The reflective inquiry and collaborative learning process of CoCP help build individuals as agents of change as they not only seek to do things differently but also influence others to make the organization a better workplace. In turn, they become reflective practitioners as they view constraints as opportunities for further learning to achieve specific outcomes., – The usefulness of CoCP is supported by relevant research and its impact on organizations is wide ranging. The paper elucidates an integrative perspective of the CoCP processes, providing a roadmap for developing the learning organization.
Minimum MSE LPT Estimation with an Application to Images

A comprehensive approach to estimation is presented that integrates Kalman estimation and minimum mean square error (MSE) linear predictive transform (LPT) signal source modeling. The approach is strictly optimum when the signal source is a linear recursive system of the Kalman type and the channel contributes additive white noise. The technique is an improvement over classical Kalman estimation for two fundamental reasons. First, it directly addresses the signal source modeling problem of Kalman estimation and, secondly, it provides an inherent transformation mechanism that allows for simplifications in the design and implementation of the estimator. These ideas are illustrated with noisy monochrome images, where it is found that simple and robust LPT estimators ( filters or smoothers) with significant signal to noise ratio (SNR) enhancement can be obtained. In particular, it is shown that when applied to images, LPT estimators are easier to design and implement, without any SNR degradation, than classical Kalman estimators by a factor that approaches four in the smoothing case. Further simplifications can be achieved with a negligible loss in SNR performance by using approximations which are suggested by inherent transformation and robustness properties of the LPT estimators. Numerous areas for further investigation are also discussed. In particular, a comprehensive approach to control is developed which integrates minimum MSE LPT signal source modeling and linear quadratic white (LQW) control, of which linear quadratic gaussian (LQG) control is a special case. The control approach is strictly optimum when the signal source is a linear recursive system of the LQW control type and the channel contributes additive white noise.
Estimating the completeness of death registration

Summary Death registration statistics, even when incomplete, can provide valuable information about mortality. In particular, the age structure of deaths can be used to estimate the completeness of registration, provided that this completeness does not vary substantially with age. Two methods of estimating the completeness of death registration from the distribution of deaths by age are described. The first is derived from stable population theory and requires an estimate of the rate of natural increase of the population, as well as assuming stability. However, the technique can also be used to generate simultaneously estimates of the rate of natural increase and of death registration completeness. The second method which requires two census age distributions and intercensal deaths by age, estimates the relative enumeration completeness of the two censuses as well as the completeness of death registration and requires only that the population be closed. Results are sensitive to overstatement of age. The m...
Accelerated aging and nucleolar fragmentation in yeast sgs1 mutants

The SGS1 gene of yeast encodes a DNA helicase with homology to the human WRN gene. Mutations in WRN result in Werner's syndrome, a disease with symptoms resembling premature aging. Mutation of SGS1 is shown to cause premature aging in yeast mother cells on the basis of a shortened life-span and the aging-induced phenotypes of sterility and redistribution of the Sir3 silencing protein from telomeres to the nucleolus. Further, in old sgs1 cells the nucleolus is enlarged and fragmented-changes that also occur in old wild-type cells. These findings suggest a conserved mechanism of cellular aging that may be related to nucleolar structure.
Estimation of flood damage functions for river basin planning: a case study in Bangladesh

Located at the low-lying deltaic floodplain of Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna river basin, Bangladesh suffers damages from flooding with regularity. From the perspective of long-term planning and management, a reliable flood damage function is a critical component in the estimation of flood-induced economic loss. Such functions are, however, notoriously difficult to develop. This study utilizes in-stream water level and flood-affected area (FAA) data from Flood Forecasting and Warning Center and Bangladesh Water Development Board to evaluate the best form and data input characteristics of flood damage functions for Bangladesh. The performance of various function configurations (geographic data, water level data, and function form) was tested. The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and residual error analysis results suggest that, in general, the logistic function performs better than the other two function forms, and the maximum of daily-maximal water level is the best suited to estimate (FAA). As expected, when information is available from all basins (the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and the Meghna), the resulting flood damage functions provide the most accurate estimations of FAA. Furthermore, the comparison between single- and multivariable flood damage functions does not demonstrate a clear advantage of using multivariate function in our study area. When flood damage functions with finer spatial and temporal resolution can be constructed using remote sensing technology or hydrodynamic modeling, the intra-year and district-level changes to FAA can be evaluated. These findings provide a better flood management plan for Bangladesh and have potential to be generalized to other similarly flood-affected nations.
Implementation of New Turbulence Spectra in the Lighthill Analogy Source Terms

The industry-standard MGB approach to predicting the noise generated by a given aerodynamic flow field requires that the turbulence velocity correlation be specified so that the source terms in the Lighthill acoustic analogy may be computed. The velocity correlation traditionally used in MGB computations is inconsistent with a number of basic qualitative properties of turbulent flows. In the present investigation, the effect on noise prediction of using two alternative velocity correlations is examined.
Optimization and Design of Zone Heating Systems, Energy Conservation, and Passive Solar

This paper addresses the problem of determining the optimal mix of energy conservation, passive solar, and zone heating systems in residential buildings. Analytic solutions to constrained and global optimization problems are presented. This work draws upon the Lagrangian multiplier technique used in related studies of energy conservation and passive solar design. Graphs are presented showing the optimal cost fractions for energy conservation, passive solar, and a zone heater as a function of the initial cost constraint, for a reference building in Dodge City, Kansas. The use of a zone heater is shown to reduce the annual energy requirements for space heating, and increase the life cycle savings. Also presented are design curves for the required zone heater capacity as a function of the thermal time constant for a given zone, heater response time, and interzonal heat transfer. Finally, design curves for the zone mean radiant temperature as a function of zone size, zone heater temperature, zone heater area, and interzonal heat transfer are presented.
Settling Accounts with Russia's Silver Age: Nabokov Writes Akhmatova

Vladimir Nabokov's poems contain references to several prominent poets of Russia's Silver Age, among them Bunin, Blok, Gumilev, and Pasternak.1 Anna Akhmatova, in contrast, does not figure directly in any of his independent poems, but instead is the apparent target of some Russian verse lines (presented via Nabokov's sometimes idiosyncratic transliteration) that appear in his English-language novel Pnin. These brief passages turn out to signal more than a casual parody. Nabokov's mocking attitude toward Akhmatova, and in all likelihood toward some of the women poets who imitated either her manner or her lifestyle, hints at a broader rejection of figures from the early decades of the twentieth century. While he continued to admire some of the poets to whom he had felt close from the start of his career, he turned away from others, including writers who had at one time strongly influenced him. In some instances they represented aspects of his youthful writing that he wanted to leave behind; in others, he found distasteful their inability to separate their daily lives from their literary endeavors. Thus Pnin, while primarily dealing with other topics, provides a window into Nabokov's ultimate assessment of both the poetics and the poets of the Silver Age. Nabokov began writing Pnin in 1953 and published the completed novel in 1957, just two years after the initial appearance of Lolita. By this time his renown as a prose writer far surpassed that which he had enjoyed as a poet. Nabokov's first forays into literature, however, had been through verse: from the late 1910s through the mid-1920s he had written hundreds of poems. After 1925, the year in which he wrote his first novel, Mary (Mashen'ka), he composed far fewer poems. The ensuing poetry, however, was
Atlantic salmon resources in the northeastern United States and the potential effects of acidification from atmospheric deposition

The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was formerly abundant in northeast coastal rivers in the United States from the Canadian border to the Connecticut River, and possibly as far south as the Delaware River. It was eliminated from most of its former range by a combination of overfishing, construction of dams impassable to migrating fish, and municipal and industrial pollution. Reproducing populations are now limited to a few rivers in Maine, but attempts are under way to reintroduce the species to some rivers where populations formerly existed. Most of the native Atlantic salmon rivers are low in acid neutralizing capacity and receive acidic precipitation. The third order streams are not now acidic; however, in some first and second order streams in Maine, pH episodically declines to 4.7 and Al increases to 350 μg g−1. These conditions could be toxic to sensitive early life history stages of Atlantic salmon. Comparison of chemical conditions in two Maine rivers in 1980–1982 with those in 1969–1970 indicated that the streams have not become more acidic during this interval. Data on the sport catch of Atlantic salmon indicated that populations have generally remained stable or recently increased in the Maine rivers having naturally reproducing populations. The recent increase probably resulted from introductions of hatchery smolts to supplement natural reproduction, and the occurrence of strong year classes in 1978 and 1980. The population in one stream has declined significantly in recent years, but the cause of the decline is probably not related to acidic precipitation. Atlantic salmon resources in the U.S. have apparently not been adversely affected by atmospheric deposition at the present time.
A comparison of ventilatory prostate movement in four treatment positions.

Abstract Purpose: To ensure target coverage during radiotherapy, all sources of geometric uncertainty in target position must be considered. Movement of the prostate due to breathing has not traditionally been considered in prostate radiotherapy. The purpose of this study is to report the influence of patient orientation and immobilization on prostate movement due to breathing. Methods and Materials: Four patients had radiopaque markers implanted in the prostate. Fluoroscopy was performed in four different positions: prone in alpha cradle, prone with an aquaplast mold, supine on a flat table, and supine with a false table under the buttocks. Fluoroscopic movies were videotaped and digitized. Frames were analyzed using 2D-alignment software to determine the extent of movement of the prostate markers and the skeleton for each position during normal and deep breathing. Results: During normal breathing, maximal movement of the prostate markers was seen in the prone position (cranial–caudal [CC] range: 0.9–5.1 mm; anterior–posterior [AP] range: up to 3.5 mm). In the supine position, prostate movement during normal breathing was less than 1 mm in all directions. Deep breathing resulted in CC movements of 3.8–10.5 mm in the prone position (with and without an aquaplast mold). This range was reduced to 2.0–7.3 mm in the supine position and 0.5–2.1 mm with the use of the false table top. Deep breathing resulted in AP skeletal movements of 2.7–13.1 mm in the prone position, whereas AP skeletal movements in the supine position were negligible. Conclusion: Ventilatory movement of the prostate is substantial in the prone position and is reduced in the supine position. The potential for breathing to influence prostate movement, and thus the dose delivered to the prostate and normal tissues, should be considered when positioning and planning patients for conformal irradiation.
Analysis of sliding frame R-ALOHA protocol for real-time distributed wireless networks

In this article, performance of sliding frame (SF) R-ALOHA protocols for real-time distributed wireless networks is investigated analytically and by simulation. First, a discrete Markov chain and Monte Carlo modeling are constructed to evaluate dynamic behavior of the protocol in transient state including distribution of the system stabilization time (SST) and the average number of successful terminals. Furthermore, a hierarchical decomposition is conducted to simplify steady state analysis, thus generating two one-dimensional Markov chains for closed-form performance of SF R-ALOHA under local wireless environment. Terminals with Poisson message arrivals and Poisson message length are analyzed. Consequently, performance indices, such as throughput, the average message delay, and packet dropping probability, are derived from the proposed analytic models. Capture effects on the SF R-ALOHA system in the presence of multipath and shadowing are also obtained by the Markov chain analysis. The numerical results from the analytic models are compared with that from simulation and equilibrium point analysis, proving correctness, accuracy, and scalability of the decomposition. The results also reveal performance characteristics of the SF R-ALOHA system.
Effect of extrusion temperature on elongational flow behavior of PVC melt

The effect of the sample extrusion temperature between 160° and 180°C on the elongational flow properties of a low molecular weight suspension PVC (unplasticized) has been studied with the Rheometrics Extensional Rheometer. The results of both the tensile creep measurements at a constant stress of 24 KPa and the stretching experiment at a constant strain rate of 0.01 sec−1 indicated the existence of a rheological transition at 185°C marked by the dual valued flow activation energy and also by the temperature dependence of the tensile stress-strain curves. Increasing extrusion temperature increased both the flow activation energy and the extensional viscosity below the transition temperature.
Longitudinal associations between children's dental caries and risk factors

Dental caries is a common disease in children of all ages. It is desirable to know whether children with primary, mixed, and permanent dentitions share risk factors for cavitated and non-cavitated caries. Objective: To assess the longitudinal associations between caries outcomes and modifiable risk factors. Methods: One hundred and fifty-six children in the Iowa Fluoride Study met inclusion criteria of three dental examinations and caries-related risk factor assessments preceding each examination. Surface-specific counts of new non-cavitated caries and cavitated caries at the primary (Exam 1: age 5), mixed (Exam 2: age 9) and permanent (Exam 3: age 13) dentition examinations were outcome variables. Explanatory variables were caries-related factors, including averaged beverage exposure frequencies, tooth brushing frequencies, and composite water fluoride levels collected from 3-5, 6-8, and 11-13 years, dentition category, socioeconomic status, and gender. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were used to explore the relationships between new non-cavitated or cavitated caries and caries-related variables. Results: Greater frequency of 100 percent juice exposure was significantly associated with fewer non-cavitated and cavitated caries surfaces. Greater tooth brushing frequency and high socioeconomic status (SES) were significantly associated with fewer new non-cavitated caries. Children had significantly more new cavitated caries surfaces at the mixed dentition examination than at the primary and permanent dentition examinations. Conclusions: There were common caries-related factors for more new non-cavitated caries across the three exams, including less frequent 100 percent juice exposure, lower tooth brushing frequency and lower SES. Less frequent 100 percent juice exposures might be associated with higher exposures to several other cariogenic beverages.
Moderated group authoring among weakly connected workgroups

Our goal is to develop a practical groupware system that allows any group member to modify a shared file. Each user can modify any part of the document; the documents cannot be easily decomposed into sections that can be independently modified. Updates from different users will conflict and the goal is to resolve these conflicts and eventually produce a consistent document. Consider a group of users: Alice, Bob and Tom who are modifying a single document (illustrated in Figure 1). Each user creates updates on a shared document: Alice creates updates a 1 , a 2 , and a 3 , Bob creates b 1 and b 2 and Tom creates updates t 1 , t 2 and t 3 . Traditionally, groupware systems ordered these updates using their causality relationships [1] in order to achieve consistency. The updates are then applied in this particular order. However, the system performance and the duration for all the updates to be applied to produce a consistent version depends on the availability patterns of the group members.
Using default ARTMAP for cancer classification with MicroRNA expression signatures

High-throughput messenger RNA (mRNA) expression profiling with microarray has been demonstrated as a more effective method of cancer diagnosis and treatment than the traditional morphology or clinical parameter-based methods. Recently, the discovery of a class of small non-coding RNAs, named microRNAs (miRNAs), provides another promising method of cancer classification. MIRNAs play a critical role in the tumorigenic process by functioning either as oncogenes or as tumor suppressors. Here, we apply a neural-based classifier, default ARTMAP, to classify different types of cancers based on their miRNA expression fingerprints. Experimental results on the multiple human cancers show that default ARTMAP performs consistently well on all the data, and the classification accuracy is better than or comparable to that of the other popular classifiers.
Dynamic Actuation and Quadratic Magnetoelastic Coupling of Thin Magnetostrictive Shells

Smart adaptive structures and structronic systems have been increasingly investigated and developed in the last two decades. Although smart structures made of piezoelectrics, shape-memory materials, electrostrictive materials, and electro-/magnetorheological fluids have been evaluated extensively, studies of magnetostrictive continua, especially generic mathematical model(s), are still relatively scarce. This study is to develop a generic mathematical model for adaptive and controllable magnetostrictive thin shells. Starting with fundamental constitutive magnetostrictive relations, both elastic and magnetostrictive stresses, forces, and moments of a generic double-curvature magnetostrictive shell continuum subject to small and moderate magnetic fields are defined. Dynamic magnetomechanical system equations and permissible boundary conditions are defined using Hamilton's principle, elasticity theory, Kirchhoff-Love thin shell theory and the Gibb's free energy function. Magnetomechanical behavior and dynamic characteristics of magnetostrictive shells are evaluated. Simplifications of magnetostrictive shell theory to other common geometries are demonstrated and magnetostrictive/dynamic coupling and actuation characteristics are discussed.
Substrates and Intermediates in the Enzymatic Reduction of Metmyoglobin in Ground Beef

SUMMARY– Various substrates were tested for their ability to increase the reduction of metmyoglobin by donating electrons to NAD. Intermediates of the glycolytic pathway which proved to be effective were glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and fructose-1, 6-diphosphate. Other substrates, oxidized by NAD-linked dehydrogenases known to be present in meat are a-glycerophosphate, malate and glutamate. These also increased metmyoglobin reduction when added to meat. The pathway of electron transport from NADH to metmyoglobin is believed to be mainly by way of DT diaphorase (menadione reductase) and quinones, since dicumarol, a specific inhibitor of this enzyme, partially blocked the reaction in meat. Higher levels of quinones did not accelerate the reaction.
What has Globalization to do with Wildlife Use in the Remote Amazon? Exploring the Links between Macroeconomic Changes, Markets and Community Entitlements:

This article explores to what extent poverty, markets and entitlements act as incentives or deterrents for more intensive use of wildlife. Taking into consideration neoliberal ‘Fuji-shock’ of 1990 ...
Surface Modifications of Li-Ion Battery Electrodes with Ultrathin Amphoteric Oxide Coatings for Enhanced Elevated-Temperature Cycleability

To enhance cycleability of LiMn2O4 at elevated-temperature we use atomic layer deposition (ALD) method to deposit a variety of ultrathin and highly conformal amphoteric oxide (ZnO, ZrO2, Al2O3) coatings for surface modification of LiMn2O4 electrodes. High-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) images of ZnO, ZrO2 and Al2O3 ALD coated LiMn2O4 particles demonstrate the high qualities of ALD coatings with respect to remarkable conformity, homogeneity and uniformity. Two types of ALD-modified LiMn2O4 electrodes are fabricated: one is ALD-coated LiMn2O4 composite electrode, the other is electrode composed of ALD-coated LiMn2O4 particles and uncoated carbon/poly-vinylidenefluoride (PVDF) network. All LiMn2O4 electrodes modified with 6 oxide ALD layers (as thin as ∼1 nm) reveal significantly enhanced electrochemical performances than bare electrodes at both 25°C and 55°C. After 100 electrochemical cycles at 1 C at 55°C, the electrode consisting of LiMn2O4 particles coated with 6 ZnO ALD layers remains the highest capacity of 56.1 mAh/g, higher than 51.1 mAh/g of ZrO2 coated LiMn2O4 particles, 45.8 mAh/g of Al2O3 coated LiMn2O4 particles and 27.0 mAh/g of the bare composite electrode as well as 44.5 mAh/g of the composite electrode coated with 6 ZnO ALD layers. These results indicate that ZnO ALD coating is the most effective protective film for improved cycling stability, followed by ZrO2 and Al2O3. It is also found that amphoteric oxide coating on LiMn2O4 particles is more effective to enhance the cycleability of LiMn2O4 than coating on composite electrode. Furthermore, for coating either on composite electrode or on LiMn2O4 particles, the effect of ALD coating on improving capacity retention and increasing specific capacity of LiMn2O4 is more phenomenal at elevated temperature than at room temperature.
COMT GENOTYPE INFLUENCES THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON BLOOD PRESSURE: RESULTS FROM THE COMBINE STUDY

Background Heavy drinking can cause chronic hypertension, possibly due to effects on the autonomic nervous system. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inactivates catecholamines, and a G to A substitution in codon 108 in the soluble COMT mRNA (or codon 158 in the membrane bound form) substitutes methionine for valine and alters enzyme activity.
Simultaneous fetal and maternal cotinine levels in pregnant women smokers

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine the simultaneous concentrations of serum cotinine in both fetal and maternal blood. STUDY DESIGN: Serum cotinine levels were measured in 11 maternal-fetal pairs at percutaneous umbilical blood sampling. Statistical analysis was performed by means of a one-group t test to determine whether the ratio of fetal-to-maternal cotinine was significantly different from 1. RESULTS: Fetal cotinine levels ranged from 75% to 110% of maternal values (mean ratio 0.90, 95% confidence interval 0.83 to 0.97). Fetal levels were significantly lower than maternal concentrations ( p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine used to quantify exposure to tobacco smoke, readily gains access to the fetal circulation. Fetal cotinine concentrations in pregnant women smokers are, on average, 90% of maternal values throughout gestation.
The Interplay of News Frames on Cognitive Complexity

This research considers how distinct news frames work in combination to influence information processing. It extends framing research grounded in prospect theory (Tversky & Kahneman, 1981) and attribution theory (Iyengar, 1991) to study conditional framing effects on associative memory. Using a 2 × 3 experimental design embedded within a probability survey (N= 379), tests examined the effects of two different frame dimensions—loss-gain and individual-societal—on the complexity of individuals' thoughts concerning the issue of urban growth. Findings indicate that news frames interact to generate more or less complex cognitive responses, with societal-gain frame combinations generating the most detailed cognitions about the causes, components, and consequences of urban growth. Directions for research on media framing are discussed.
Toward Understanding Work Motivation: Worker Attitudes and the Perception of Effective Public Service

Government reformers in the United States have recently focused on running public agencies more like private firms by emphasizing economic rewards, such as merit pay. Meanwhile, a body of literature has grown that indicates that public servants respond to factors that financially based reward initiatives tend to ignore. We introduce a new explanatory variable, perceived public service efficacy (PPSE), which quantifies public servants' perception about the benefit their employing agencies provide the public. We present empirical evidence demonstrating that as PPSE rises�that is, as public servants more strongly perceive their agencies to be benefiting the public�reported levels of role ambiguity decrease, whereas job satisfaction and organizational commitment responses increase.
Raltegravir: The evidence of its therapeutic value in HIV-1 infection.

Introduction: The antiretroviral treatment paradigm for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection has undergone a significant change with the addition of a new class of therapeutic agents targeting HIV-1 integrase (IN). IN inhibitors prevent the integration of viral DNA into the human genome and terminate the viral life cycle. As the first member of this new class of anti-HIV drugs, raltegravir has shown promising results in the clinic.
Predicted tear layer oxygen tensions under two designs of silicone hydrogel toric lenses.

Abstract Introduction The goal of this study was to apply a theoretical analysis of the relationship between contact lens oxygen transmissibility and tear layer oxygen tension to silicone hydrogel toric lenses and thereby model the success of such lenses in decreasing corneal hypoxia. Method Lens thickness was measured at different points along the vertical meridian of one prism-ballasted, one dynamic-stabilized silicone hydrogel toric lens design, and one control “traditional” hydrogel toric lens design. Using lens thickness measurements and the nominal oxygen permeability values of these three lens designs, the subsequent oxygen tension in the tear layer trapped between the contact lens and the anterior cornea (P2) were calculated for both open- and closed-eye conditions using a single corneal chamber model with a personal computer program. Results We found that cylindrical powers, regardless of lens materials, did not have a statistically significant effect on lens thickness (F = 0.30, p = 0.5834) to the limitation of our measurements, while contact lens type, spherical power, location on lens, and axis of cylindrical power were all found to do so. When multi-factor ANOVA was applied to the lens thickness and P2 data, contact lens location had a statistically significant effect on P2 values for both prism-ballasted (F = 640.16, p Conclusion Assuming that the critical P2 was 100 mmHg, we predicted that silicone hydrogel toric soft lenses would provide reasonable anterior corneal oxygenation, certainly much enhanced over the environment predicted under traditional hydrogel designs, especially during daily (e.g. open eye) wear. Substantial corneal hypoxia continued to be predicted during extended wear of all lenses, but especially so with the use of traditional hydrogels.
HLA class II DPB1 and DRB1 polymorphisms associated with genetic susceptibility to beryllium toxicity

Objectives Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) is a hypersensitivity granulomatous pulmonary disease caused by exposure to the metal beryllium (Be 2+ ). Our objective was to extend current knowledge of the genetics of beryllium disease by examining all HLA-DPB1 and HLA-DPR1 gene polymorphisms and the interactions between them. Methods DNA-based typing of HLA-DPB1 and HLA-DRB1 loci at the allele level was performed on 65 CBD, 44 beryllium sensitised (BeS) but without CBD and 288 non-affected, beryllium exposed controls. Results The DPβE69 residue regardless of zygosity, but particularly if present on non-*0201 alleles, was of primary importance for the development of CBD and BeS, while other negatively charged residues DPβDE55, 56 and DPβDE84, 85 incrementally increased, although not independently, the risk. The DPβE69 positive alleles with charge −7 or −9 were associated with both CBD and BeS. The polymorphic residues DPβE69, DPβDE55, 56 and DPβDE84, 85 were responsible for the −9 charge and the first two residues for the −7 charge. Conclusions In the absence of DPβE69, DRβE71 is a risk factor for CBD and BeS. DPβE69 and DRβE71 are adjacent to other amino acids that are also negatively charged, suggesting that the positively charged Be 2+ modifies the local environment of the epitopes in a way that promotes interactions between peptides and T cells and results in CBD. Finally, the protective effect of the DPB1*0201 positive haplotype may involve particular polymorphisms outside of the DPB1 gene.
Experimental, detailed, and global kinetic reaction model for NO oxidation over platinum/alumina catalysts

The oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) is a critical step when promoting lean NOx trap and selective catalytic reduction conversion effectiveness; hence, it is important to understand the fundamental reaction mechanism. This awareness of the detailed reaction mechanism allows for the determination of an appropriate global reaction rate expression for numerical simulation efforts in the automotive field. This work succinctly reviews the literature in this area and derives a global expression for NO oxidation from stoichiometry using the detailed reactions steps. In this version, the parameters used to simulate the global expression are derived from the kinetic theory of gases and the detailed study of each NO reaction step; ensuring the correct functional dependency of each reaction parameter. Moreover, the global model is adapted to simulate different surface morphologies. The effect of temperature and surface changes (dispersion, particle size) are included while determining the parameters, so that the same variables can be used over wide range of catalysts effectively. This work summarizes the literature of experimentally observed NO oxidation in terms of surface coverage, species concentration dependency, and temperature variation. Finally, the authors verify the global model by simulating experimental data obtained for catalysts with varying noble metal particle size. As a result, the adaptive global model predicts NO oxidation conversion with changes in surface morphologies at greater than 93 % accuracy for the experimental data taken.
A therapeutic cancer vaccine against GL261 murine glioma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the deadliest of brain tumors. Standard treatment for GBM is surgery, followed by combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Current therapy prolongs survival but does not offer a cure. We report on a novel immunotherapy against GBM, tested in an animal model of C57BL/6 mice injected intra-cranially with a lethal dose of murine GL261 glioma cells. Ten week-old C57BL/6 mice were anesthetized before injection of 2 × 104 GL261 cells in the right cerebral hemisphere and after 3 days half of the mice were administered a single subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of irradiated semi-allogeneic vaccine, while mock-vaccinated mice received a s.c. injection of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Tumor engraftment was monitored through bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Length of animal survival was measured by Kaplan–Meier graphs and statistics. At time of sacrifice brain tissue was processed for estimation of tumor size and immunohistochemical studies. Overall survival of vaccinated mice was significantly longer compared to mock-vaccinated mice. Five to ten percent of vaccinated mice survived more than 90 days following the engraftment of GL261 cells in the brain and appeared to be free of disease by BLI. Tumor volume in the brain of vaccinated mice was on average five to ten-fold smaller compared to mock-vaccinated mice. In vaccinated mice, conspicuous microglia infiltrates were observed in tumor tissue sections and activated microglia appeared to form a fence along the perimeter of the tumor cells. The results of these animal studies persuaded the Office of Orphan Products Development of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant Orphan Drug Designation for treatment of GBM with irradiated, semi-allogeneic vaccines. Our preclinical observations suggest that semi-allogeneic vaccines could be tested clinically on subjects with GBM, as an adjuvant to standard treatment.
Class politics in red and blue: explaining differences (and similarities) in what rich and poor want from government

Much research suggests that the political views of wealthy people tend to be better represented in policy than those of the poor. But the degree to which this unequal representation is a normative problem for democracy remains the subject of some debate, simply because on many policy issues, the preferences of rich and poor are essentially indistinguishable from one another. Though rich and poor might have different material interests, in other words, they often share very similar views regarding what they want governments to do or not do. These high levels of policy agreement across class lines are puzzling, and beg the question of when and why self-interest matters to views on salient policy issues. This paper explores the contextual nature of income-based differences in public opinion, using contextual differences across US Congressional districts to understand why in some contexts rich and poor tend to want dramatically different things from government, while in other contexts they seem to be asking f...
Ecological Networks over the Edge: Hypergraph Trait-Mediated Indirect Interaction (TMII) Structure

Analyses of ecological network structure have yielded important insights into the functioning of complex ecological systems. However, such analyses almost universally omit non-pairwise interactions, many classes of which are crucial for system structure, function, and resilience. Hypergraphs are mathematical constructs capable of considering such interactions: we discuss their utility for studying ecological networks containing diverse interaction types, and associated challenges and strategies. We demonstrate the approach using a real-world coffee agroecosystem in which resistance to agricultural pests depends upon a large number of TMIIs. A hypergraph representation successfully reflects both the importance of species imposing such effects and the context-dependency of that importance in terms of how it is affected by removal of other species from the system.
Reply to Weight and Keefe

While the careful attention paid to our article “Relatedness, Co-residence, and Shared Fatherhood among Ache Foragers of Paraguay” (Ellsworth et al. 2014) by Weight and Keefe (2016) is appreciated, their commentary is somewhat puzzling. The authors are not in disagreement with the findings on patterns of co-residence and relatedness among Ache co-fathers, nor are they in disagreement with any interpretations thereof explicitly made in the article. The sole concern of Weight and Keefe’s commentary appears to be an out-of-hand dismissal of any consideration of fitness benefits to women in formulating tentative explanations of the origin and maintenance of co-father investment. This is made clear by their statement that “fitness consequences to mothers from co-paternal care should not be used to inform the evolution of co-paternal care.” Rather, they choose to focus attention only on fitness benefits to men of providing such care. Likening co-father care of and affiliation with a woman and her offspring to male-female “friendships” as observed in some nonhuman primates, such as baboons, Weight and Keefe argue that investment in mothers and their offspring by secondary fathers is best conceptualized as mating effort, and they suggest that “Ache co-fathers develop relationships with mothers to increase their mating opportunities.” But secondary fathers are secondary fathers precisely because they had prior sexual relations with a child’s mother. In contrast to the young male baboons that the authors describe, who affiliate with a female and her infant to increase their opportunity to
Counterpublic Originalism and the Exclusionary Critique

This Article proposes a new form of originalism — Counterpublic Originalism — as a method to better incorporate excluded communities into the narratives of constitutional history. Looking at a broad range of originalists, from conservative (McGinnis & Rappaport, Calabresi & Rickerts) to progressive (Amar, Balkin), I find that each wrongly assumes some version of a single “public” at the time of ratification, a “public” comprised of the very elites who were benefiting from the exclusionary practices. Focusing on the Reconstruction period, I argue that there was no definitive “public” but instead a series of partial publics, some (white men) who were legally and socially privileged and dominant, and others (feminists, African-Americans) who operated as dissenting communities that developed their own normative discourse and challenged dominant views and interests. I then argue that these dissenting communities, or counterpublics, provide important sources of public discourse and activity that spoke to precisely the questions and ideas raised in constitutional amendments, and particularly in the Reconstruction Amendments. In the process I also challenge the Supreme Court’s and scholarly treatment of African-American materials on the meaning of the Second Amendment during Reconstruction.
The Alighting Response of Aphids to Yellow-Pan Water Traps at Different Elevations

From May to mid-September most winged green peach aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), were collected in water-filled yellow-pan traps placed on the ground. However, in late summer and autumn, coincident with the return of the aphid to peach trees, greater numbers were collected in traps placed at elevations of 5, 10, and 15 feet. Also, the response of some species of aphids that infest low-growing host plants was greatest to traps placed on the ground or at 5 ft above ground, but that of species that normally infest tall trees was frequently greatest to traps at elevations of 10 ft or more above ground.
Observation on the disinfection effect and toxicity of a traditional Chinese medicine disinfectant compound

Objective To study the germicidal efficacy and safety of a Chinese herbal disinfectant compound. Methods Field disinfection trial and animal test were used to observe the germicidal effects and toxicity of the new Chinese herbal disinfectant compound. Results The average killing log value on hand,skin and object surface natural bacteria was 1. 42,1. 37 and 1. 78 respectively after 1 min exposure. The oral acute toxicity on mouse was LD 5 000 mg / Kg. The rabbit eye irritation test was of light stimulation,and the skin irritation test was of no stimulation. The disinfectant solution had almost no corrosion on stainless steel,copper,and was only slightly corrosive to carbon steel and aluminum. Conclusion The disinfectant could be effective in a short time,and the effect was good and safe.
Efficient terrestrial laser scan segmentation exploiting data structure

Abstract New technologies such as lidar enable the rapid collection of massive datasets to model a 3D scene as a point cloud. However, while hardware technology continues to advance, processing 3D point clouds into informative models remains complex and time consuming. A common approach to increase processing efficiently is to segment the point cloud into smaller sections. This paper proposes a novel approach for point cloud segmentation using computer vision algorithms to analyze panoramic representations of individual laser scans. These panoramas can be quickly created using an inherent neighborhood structure that is established during the scanning process, which scans at fixed angular increments in a cylindrical or spherical coordinate system. In the proposed approach, a selected image segmentation algorithm is applied on several input layers exploiting this angular structure including laser intensity, range, normal vectors, and color information. These segments are then mapped back to the 3D point cloud so that modeling can be completed more efficiently. This approach does not depend on pre-defined mathematical models and consequently setting parameters for them. Unlike common geometrical point cloud segmentation methods, the proposed method employs the colorimetric and intensity data as another source of information. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated on several datasets encompassing variety of scenes and objects. Results show a very high perceptual (visual) level of segmentation and thereby the feasibility of the proposed algorithm. The proposed method is also more efficient compared to Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC), which is a common approach for point cloud segmentation.
Tissue changes in rabbits with ablation of marrow of long bones.

SummaryFrom 11.5 to 41 ± 5% of the total bone marrow was extirpated in 30 rabbits and the bone cavities were filled with inert material. The animals were allowed to survive for periods of 10 days to 14 months. Tissue changes were correlated with the quantity of marrow removed and the duration of survival of the animal. In some of the organs there appeared a cell infiltration of mature and immature granulocytes similar to that seen in human aleukemic leukemia. The marrow of the radius and ulna, normally aplastic for an adult rabbit, and the rib marrow showed marked cellularity in most animals. There was a considerable number of immature granulocytes in the marrow of some rabbits. The adrenal glands were increased in weight due to hyperplasia of the zona fasciculata.
Genomic insights into hybridization in a localized region of sympatry between pewee sister species (Contopus sordidulus × C. virens) and their chromosomal patterns of differentiation

The Great Plains of the United States includes a large number of hybrid and contact zones between bird species. The amount of gene flow between sister species in these zones ranges from very rare hybridization events to widespread and prevalent introgression. Some of these avian systems have been studied extensively, while others have been indeterminate of whether hybridization exists in areas of sympatry. Using genomic-level approaches allows investigation of genomic patterns of hybridization and gene flow between species—or lack thereof. We investigated a narrow zone of sympatry in Nebraska, USA between pewee species (Contopus sordidulus and C. virens), for which no hybridization has been confirmed. We used thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms to identify potential hybridization and investigate genomic patterns of differentiation between these two species. We found evidence of multiple hybrid individuals in the contact zone. Little genomic variation was fixed between species, but a large proportion had differentiated allele frequencies between species. There was a positive relationship between genetic differentiation and chromosome size. We provided the first conclusive evidence of hybridization between C. sordidulus and C. virens, in a region where secondary contact likely occurred due to human disturbance and habitat modification. The genomic patterns of differentiation affirm that these species split in the relatively recent past. Finally, the relationship of chromosome size and genetic differentiation may have resulted from differential rates of chromosomal recombination in songbirds and genetic differentiation between species largely due to genetic drift (possibly in concert with selection).
Raising the Bar: Increased Hydraulic Pressure Allows Unprecedented High Power Densities in Pressure-Retarded Osmosis

Pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) has the potential to generate sustainable energy from salinity gradients. PRO is typically considered for operation with river water and seawater, but a far greater energy of mixing can be harnessed from hypersaline solutions. This study investigates the power density that can be obtained in PRO from such concentrated solutions. Thin-film composite membranes with an embedded woven mesh were supported by tricot fabric feed spacers in a specially designed crossflow cell to maximize the operating pressure of the system, reaching a stable applied hydraulic pressure of 48 bar (700 psi) for more than 10 h. Operation at this increased hydraulic pressure allowed unprecedented power densities, up to 60 W/m2 with a 3 M (180 g/L) NaCl draw solution. Experimental power densities demonstrate reasonable agreement with power densities modeled using measured membrane properties, indicating high-pressure operation does not drastically alter membrane performance. Our findings exhibit the pro...