cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disproportionate Clan Growth in Crow-Omaha Societies: A Kinship-Demographic Model for Explaining Settlement Hierarchies and Fissioning in the Prehistoric U.S. Southeast:

Ethnohistoric data on the Omaha tribe of Nebraska indicate that marriage practices favored the disproportionate demographic growth of ceremonially prominent clans while other clans remained small or decreased in population. Ultimately, this process may lead to a “crisis in exogamy” for the larger, more ceremonially active clans, which can lead to fissioning or social transformations. As a model, the disproportionate demographic growth among ceremonially prominent clans is suggested to account for the formation of large multi-mound sites and ranked settlement hierarchies in the prehistoric U.S. Southeast. The model may also explain subsequent fissioning to establish new settlements and the formation of large sites comprised of multiple kin groups.
Students’ experience of synchronous learning in distributed environments

This article reports on a two-year ethnographic study of learners participating in multi-site, graduate-level education classes. Classes sometimes met face-to-face in the same physical location; at other times part of the class met physically elsewhere. Yet all were linked through the virtual space. Ethnographic analysis of four data types explored how the instructor and students were able to interact through videoconferencing technologies. Most of the interaction occurred between the local and distance learners by way of cultural guides, local students assigned to host a distance learner through Google Video chat. The distance learners were able to receive real-time attention from the instructor and were able to share differing perspectives that contributed to increased satisfaction in the course. These interactions allowed for a dynamic collaborative effort among a diverse set of actors in the field of education.
ATTEMPTED PASSIVE IMMUNIZATION OF YOUNG CALVES AGAINST EIMERIA BOVIS.

SYNOPSIS. Two experiments attempted to produce passive immunity against Eimeria bovis coccidiosis in Holstein-Friesian calves. Immune serum concentrated by a freezing technique, or serum globulin obtained by a precipitating technique from immune calves, was injected intravenously or intraperitoneally into young calves. Four calves received concentrated immune serum injected intravenously on the day of oral inoculation with sporulated oocysts and again 7 and 14 days later. Four calves were given intravenous injections with some of the same serum on the 7th and 14th days after inoculation and 4 others were given a single similar injection with the same serum 14 days after inoculation. Three calves in a second experiment received intraperitoneal injections of serum globulins in increasing amounts every 3 days for 2 weeks. The calves were then orally inoculated with sporulated oocysts one week after the last globulin injection. Some calves receiving immune serum had an anaphylactoid reaction characterized by increased respiration rate, dyspnea, coughing, and salivation; however, all affected calves recovered spontaneously within 2 hours. Calves receiving serum globulin had no reactions. Coccidiosis developed in all of the calves in spite of the injection of immune serum or globulin presumed to carry the immune factor. There was no detectable difference in the rate of oocyst discharge or in clinical symptoms between treated and control calves; therefore, no evidence of passive immunity was observed.
An Investigation of the Conditioned Iridic Reflex

Resume On a repete les experience de Hudgins sur le conditionnement et le controle volontaire du reflexe pupillaire de lumiere (ce Journal, 1933, 8, 3–51), en employant 8 sujets, le meme type d'appareil et le procede identique. Une modification legere de l'appareil nous a permis d'observer et de mesurer le rayon pupillaire dans les intervalles entre les tests. La facilite du conditionnement, la precision et la regularite des reponses, et dans le stage “volontaire” l'absence de l'extinction rapportees par Hudgins n'ont pas ete confirmees. L'un de nos huit sujets a montre un conditionnement apparent dans tous les trois stages de Hudgins, trois sujets a la fin du stage II et sept a la fin du stage III. L'evidence n'indique pas que le pupillaire, au moyen du conditionnement, peut devenir sujet a un controle volontaire qui dure. On critique le concept du reflexe iridien conditionnel.
Programming the Linpack benchmark for the IBM PowerXCell 8i processor

In this paper we present the design and implementation of the Linpack benchmark for the IBM BladeCenter QS22, which incorporates two IBM PowerXCell 8i 1 processors. The PowerXCell 8i is a new implementation of the Cell Broadband Engine™ 2 architecture and contains a set of special-purpose processing cores known as Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs). The SPEs can be used as computational accelerators to augment the main PowerPC processor. The added computational capability of the SPEs results in a peak double precision floating point capability of 108.8 GFLOPS. We explain how we modified the standard open source implementation of Linpack to accelerate key computational kernels using the SPEs of the PowerXCell 8i processors. We describe in detail the implementation and performance of the computational kernels and also explain how we employed the SPEs for high-speed data movement and reformatting. The result of these modifications is a Linpack benchmark optimized for the IBM PowerXCell 8i processor that achieves 170.7 GFLOPS on a BladeCenter QS22 with 32 GB of DDR2 SDRAM memory. Our implementation of Linpack also supports clusters of QS22s, and was used to achieve a result of 11.1 TFLOPS on a cluster of 84 QS22 blades. We compare our results on a single BladeCenter QS22 with the base Linpack implementation without SPE acceleration to illustrate the benefits of our optimizations.
The syntheses and X-ray crystal structures of novel transition metal cluster arrays containing 2–5 coordinated [(CO)9Co3(μ3-CCOO)]− ligands in a variety of geometries

Abstract Reaction of (CO)9Co3(μ3-CCOOH) with metal trifluoroacetates leads to the isolation of Cr2{μ-OOC-CCo3(CO)9}2{μ-OOCCF3}2(THF)2, 1, and Sm2{μ-OOCCCo3(CO)9}2{μ-OOCCF3}4{(CO)9Co3CCOOH}2(THF)2·2THF, 2, which are cluster substituted analogs of known organic carboxylates. Reaction of Pt(II) acetate, prepared in situ, with (CO)9Co3(μ3-CCOOH) leads to PtCo{μ-OOCCCo3(CO)9}3(μ-OOCCH3){(CO)9Co3CCOOH}, 3, which contains an unusual Pt(II)Co(II) dimeric core. Reaction of Zn(OH)2 with (CO)9Co3(μ3-CCOOH) in THF leads to Zn4(μ4-O){μ-OOC-CCo3(CO)9}6 but in 2-MeTHF the reaction leads to ZnCo{μ-OOCCCo3(CO)9}3{Co(CO)4}{2-(CH3)C4H7O}, 4. This compound features the presence of a [Co(CO)4]− moiety coordinated to a Co(II) center. Reaction of Cr(II) acetate with (CO)9Co3(μ3-CCOOH) in noncoordinating solvents results in CoCr2(μ3-O){μ-OOCCCo3(CO)9}4(μ-OOCCH3)2{(CO)9Co3CCOOH}2(H2O)·C7H8, 5a, and Cr3(μ3-O){μ-OOCCCo3(CO)9}4(μ-OOCCH3)2{(CO)9Co3CCOOH}(CH3OOH)2·C7H8, 5b, which are cluster ligand analogs of known organic carboxylate oxo metal trimers. Finally, deprotonation of (CO)9Co3(μ3-CCOOH) with a bulky base inhibits the base degradation of the tricobalt cluster sufficiently such that [C10H6(N(CH3)2)2H][Co2{μ-OOCCCo3(CO)9}3{OOCCCo3(CO)9}2], 6, can be isolated. All compounds are structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography and selected spectroscopic techniques.
Automated imaging infrared seeker performance evaluation system

The test hardware of the Automated Imaging Infrared Seeker Performance Evaluation System (AIISPES), a facility being established to support the next generation of Army seekers, is described. The test enclosure, blackbody collimator, target wheel, seeker test fixtures, optical alignment bench, space frame optics, and computer system are examined. The future capabilities of the AIISPES facility to conduct static dynamic, and field test are addressed.
Structural and serological relationships among different antibodies from the same rabbit antiserum. I. Isolation, chemical and allotypic characterization of ten antibody components from one anti‐streptococcal serum

The relationships among antibodies produced by an individual rabbit were examined using multiple antibodies elicited by hyperimmunization with Group C streptococcal vaccine. Immunoadsorbent chromatography followed by agarose block electrophoresis yielded nine different antibody fractions, all directed against Group C carbohydrate, from the immune plasma of rabbit 4295 (allotype a1/b5). Electrophoresis of the antibody light chains gave single bands for most of the antibodies. Amino acid sequence analyses carried out on several of the antibody L-chains revealed that five of these had aspartic acid at the amino terminus. By quantitative allotypic analyses all antibodies were allotype a1/b5. One antibody fraction, homogeneous by all other criteria, contained antibodies with two distinct group a allotypic subspecificities. The two antibodies in this fraction could be separated on an anti-a1 column. The ten antibodies were placed into a minimum of three groups based on differences in a1 allotype subspecificity.
The Paranoid Style in French Prose: Lacan with Léon Bloy

For some time now I have had on my desk three brief passages which might serve as epigraphs for these pages, but which I am inclined to think of as pieces in an elaborate jigsaw puzzle or mosaic that remains to be assembled. The first is Drieu la Rochelle's epitomization of Celine: “Celine, c'est Leon Bloy moins Dieu.” The second is a rather pregnant allusion to Leon Bloy's Le salut par les juifs in Lacan's Seminar : Freud as the prototypal Jew in Bloy's sense of the term. The third is from the first volume of Foucault's history of sexuality. It concerns what he calls the “political honor of psychoanalysis,” its “theoretical and practical opposition to fascism,” which lay in reintroducing an archaic political dimension – of the law, of sovereignty, and of the symbolic order – into the newly emergent and tendentially totalitarian realm (or “analytic”) of sexuality. It is, then, the politics of a certain archaic strand in Lacan's prose and its affinities with the figure of the Sovereign – be he God or Father – in Bloy which form the horizon against which these remarks are offered. That the absence – or elimination – of such a strand in the case of psychoanalysis would modulate toward fascism (according to Foucault) and in that of Bloy toward Celine (according to Drieu) provides both an implicit confirmation of the homology herein constructed and an indication of the political perils it skirts. Let me begin with one of Bloy's Histoires desobligeantes . It is called “Propos digestifs,” “Table Talk,” and is at once a superb introduction to Bloy and to his affinities with Lacan.
The structure of the human peripherin gene (PRPH) and identification of potential regulatory elements.

Abstract We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the coding region of the human peripherin gene (PRPH), as well as 742 bp 5′ to the cap site and 584 bp 3′ to the stop codon, and compared its structure and sequence to the rat and mouse genes. The overall structure of 9 exons separated by 8 introns in conserved among these three mammalian species. The nucleotide sequences of the human peripherin gene expons were 90% identical to the rat gene sequences, and the predicted human peripherin protein differed from rat peripherin at only 18 of 475 amino acid residues. Comparison of the 5′ flanking regions of the human peripherin gene and rodent genes revealed extensive areas of high homology. Additional conserved segments were found in introns 1 and 2. Within the 5′ region, potential regulatory sequences, including a nerve growth factor negative regulatory element, a Hox protein binding site, and a beat shock element, were identified in all peripherin genes. The positional conservation of each element suggests that they may be important in the tissue-specific, development-specific, and injury-specific expression of the peripherin gene.
Image segmentation via convolution of a level-set function with a Rigaut Kernel

Image segmentation is a fundamental task in Computer Vision and there are numerous algorithms that have been successfully applied in various domains. There are still plenty of challenges to be met with. In this paper, we consider one such challenge, that of achieving segmentation while preserving complicated and detailed features present in the image, be it a gray level or a textured image. We present a novel approach that does not make use of any prior information about the objects in the image being segmented. Segmentation is achieved using local orientation information, which is obtained via the application of a steerable Gabor filter bank, in a statistical framework. This information is used to construct a spatially varying kernel called the Rigaut Kernel, which is then convolved with the signed distance function of an evolving contour (placed in the image) to achieve segmentation. We present numerous experimental results on real images, including a quantitative evaluation. Superior performance of our technique is depicted via comparison to the state-of-the-art algorithms in literature.
Lipids, lipoproteins, and sexual maturation during adolescence: The princeton maturation study

Abstract This study encompassed a cross-sectional and longitudinal examination of schoolchildren as they entered into and passed through puberty, examining interrelationships between lipids, lipoproteins, and sexual maturation. In the first year of the study (1976), 529 schoolchildren in grades 5–12 participated; 203 were restudied in 1977, and 141 in 1978. At each yearly visit, the children's stage of sexual maturation was assessed using the Tanner scale. Plasma cholesterol and triglyceride were quantitated each year; high, low, and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (C-HDL, C-LDL, C-VLDL) levels were measured in the second and third years of the study. In males, cross-sectional decrements in plasma cholesterol were observed with increasing sexual maturation (Tanner stages 1–4), with an increment at Tanner 5 (sexual maturity); plasma triglyceride levels rose at all stages save Tanner 4. The mid-Tanner fall in plasma cholesterol appears (longitudinally) to be accounted for by reduction in C-HDL, while the rise in plasma cholesterol at Tanner 5 may be produced by an increase in C-LDL. Changes in age and Quetelet indices did not appear to relate closely to changes in C-VLDL in 12- and 13-yr-old males, but increasing age and Quetelet indices in 14–15-yr old males accompanied increasing C-VLDL. Cross-sectional studies in females revealed that plasma cholesterol fell at Tanner stages 3 and 4 and rose at stage 5; plasma triglyceride rose during all stages except Tanner 4. Longitudinal studies suggested that the decrements in plasma cholesterol in females may be partially accounted for by reductions in C-HDL; the increase in plasma cholesterol in late sexual development may be accounted for by an increase in C-LDL. In male children, we speculate that the fall in C-HDL and late rise in C-LDL as sexual maturation progresses is associated with increased testosterone production.
Dynamic coordination of dual-arm robotic systems with joint flexibility

To understand the dual-arm coordination process and expose some engineering issues, a simple model of the dual-arm part handling process is presented. In this model, it is assumed that each manipulator has joint flexibility. The manipulators may be holding the same rigid object. Based on this mode, the issue of robustness, stability and interaction force accommodation are considered. A dual-arm coordination scheme is also proposed and simulation results are presented. >
Decomposition of Magnetoencephalographic Data Into Components Corresponding to Deep and Superficial Sources

We extend the signal space separation (SSS) method to decompose multichannel magnetoencephalographic (MEG) data into regions of interest inside the head. It has been shown that the SSS method can transform MEG data into a signal component generated by neurobiological sources and a noise component generated by external sources outside the head. In this paper, we show that the signal component obtained by the SSS method can be further decomposed by a simple operation into signals originating from deep and superficial sources within the brain. This is achieved by using a scheme that exploits the beamspace methodology that relies on a linear transformation that maximizes the power of the source space of interest. The efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm are demonstrated by experiments utilizing both simulated and real MEG data.
X-Ray-Induced Thinning of 3He and 3He/4He Mixture Films

Films of isotopic mixtures of helium have been studied using x-ray specular reflectivity techniques. In contrast with superfluid ${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ films, x-ray exposure causes a reduction in the thickness of ${}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ films above the superfluid transition as well as films of pure ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ and ${}^{3}{\mathrm{H}\mathrm{e}/}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ mixtures. One proposed model that could account for this effect is a charging model, in which thinning is caused by electrostatic pressure of free charges that accumulate on the helium surface. Unfortunately, this model is not fully consistent with all of the experimental observations. A localized heating model, in which indirect heating of the film causes it to thin would explain the data if there were dissipative film flow in the ${}^{3}{\mathrm{H}\mathrm{e}/}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ mixtures at temperatures where the bulk is superfluid. We argue that various published experimental results suggest such an effect. In this model, film thinning data for dilute ${}^{3}{\mathrm{H}\mathrm{e}/}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ films indicates dissipation that is linear in ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ content of the film over two orders of magnitude.
The Effect of Polydioxanone Absorbable Plates in Septorhinoplasty for Stabilizing Caudal Septal Extension Grafts

ImportanceCaudal septal extension grafts (CSEGs) can be used to alter and secure nasal projection and length. Graft position and thickness play an important role in terms of both function and aesth...
Photoionization via transient states. A coherent probe of molecular eigenstates

Abstract A new technique is presented to probe the composition of molecular eigenstates underlying transitions to high-lying electronic states. In a first application we measured the photoelectron spectrum of azulene obtained upon ionizing the molecule via the S3 electronic state using transform-limited picosecond laser pulses. It is found that the molecular eigenstates are predominantly of S2 character. Results with the S4 transition are similar, but less conclusive.
Subcellular Localization and Ubiquitin-conjugating Enzyme (E2) Interactions of Mammalian HECT Family Ubiquitin Protein Ligases

In most instances, the transfer of ubiquitin to target proteins is catalyzed by the action of ubiquitin protein ligases (E3s). Full-length cDNAs encoding murine E6-associated protein (mE6-AP) as well as Nedd-4, a protein that is homologous to E6-AP in its C terminus, were cloned. Nedd-4 and mouse E6-AP are both enzymatically active E3s and function with members of the UbcH5 family of E2s. Mouse E6-AP, like its human counterpart, ubiquitinates p53 in the presence of human papilloma virus E6 protein, while Nedd-4 does not. Consistent with its role in p53 ubiquitination, mE6-AP was found both in the nucleus and cytosol, while Nedd-4 was found only in the cytosol. Binding studies implicate a 150-amino acid region that is 40% identical between mE6-AP and Nedd-4 as a binding site for the C-terminal portion of an E2 enzyme (UbcH5B). Nedd-4 was determined to have a second nonoverlapping E2 binding site that recognizes the first 67 amino acids of UbcH5B but not the more C-terminal portion of this E2. These findings provide the first demonstration of physical interactions between mammalian E2s and E3s and establish that these interactions occur independently of ubiquitin and an intact E3 catalytic domain. Furthermore, the presence of two E2 binding sites within Nedd-4 suggests models for ubiquitination involving multiple E2 enzymes associated with E3s.
Inventory of telomerase components in human cells reveals multiple subpopulations of hTR and hTERT

Telomerase is the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) enzyme that elongates telomeric DNA to compensate for the attrition occurring during each cycle of DNA replication. Knowing the levels of telomerase in continuously dividing cells is important for understanding how much telomerase is required for cell immortality. In this study, we measured the endogenous levels of the human telomerase RNP and its two key components, human telomerase RNA (hTR) and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). We estimate ∼ 240 telomerase monomers per cell for HEK 293T and HeLa, a number similar to that of telomeres in late S phase. The subunits were in excess of RNPs (e.g. ∼ 1150 hTR and ∼ 500 hTERT molecules per HeLa cell), suggesting the existence of unassembled components. This hypothesis was tested by overexpressing individual subunits, which increased total telomerase activity as measured by the direct enzyme assay. Thus, there are subpopulations of both hTR and hTERT not assembled into telomerase but capable of being recruited. We also determined the specific activity of endogenous telomerase and of overexpressed super-telomerase both to be ∼ 60 nt incorporated per telomerase per minute, with Km(dGTP) ∼ 17 μM, indicating super-telomerase is as catalytically active as endogenous telomerase and is thus a good model for biochemical studies.
Numerical Simulation of Ablation for Reentry Vehicles

A computer program is developed for numerical simulation of ablation problems, taking into account in-depth pyrolysis; surface recession; nonequilibrium chemistry in the flow of pyrolysis gases through a variable porosity char; and thermal non-equilibrium between the char and the pyrolysis gases. The program provides a general and easy to use interface for coupling with a reacting flow solver and a radiation solver. The program is verified using available analytical solutions for heat conduction in non-receding and receding solids; the program will then be validated using available experimental data.
An Andean Avatar: Post-Neoliberal and Neoliberal Strategies for Securing the Unobtainable

Recent years have seen increasingly aggressive expansion of extractive industry in the Andean-Amazonian region. Reminiscent of the film Avatar, this expansion drives conflicts over land, territory and political control of space. This expansion is occurring in both overtly neoliberal regimes and in self-consciously post-neoliberal ones. This essay documents the convergence among the different regimes' ways of governing extraction and socio-environmental conflicts. We draw on Executive level statements and policy positions as well as on statements by indigenous peoples' organisations. Among the reasons for this apparent convergence are: long-standing resource curse effects; the need to generate resources to finance social policy instruments that are integral to the governments' overall political strategies; power and information asymmetries among companies and governments; and international relations. The convergences among Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru regarding the governance of extraction and the conflicts t...
Electrical and optical properties of carbon-doped GaN grown by MBE on MOCVD GaN templates using a CCl4 dopant source

Carbon-doped GaN was grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy using carbon tetrachloride vapor as the dopant source. For moderate doping mainly acceptors were formed, yielding semi-insulating GaN. However at higher concentrations p-type conductivity was not observed, and heavily doped films (>5 x 10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}) were actually n-type rather than semi-insulating. Photoluminescence measurements showed two broad luminescence bands centered at 2.2 and 2.9 eV. The intensity of both bands increased with carbon content, but the 2.2 eV band dominated in n-type samples. Intense, narrow ({approx}6 meV) donor-bound exciton peaks were observed in the semi-insulating samples.
The Center For Medicare And Medicaid Innovation’s Blueprint For Rapid-Cycle Evaluation Of New Care And Payment Models

The Affordable Care Act established the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test innovative payment and service delivery models. The goal is to reduce program expenditures while preserving or improving the quality of care provided to beneficiaries of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Central to the success of the Innovation Center is a new, rapid-cycle approach to evaluation. This article describes that approach—setting forth how the Rapid Cycle Evaluation Group aims to deliver frequent feedback to providers in support of continuous quality improvement, while rigorously evaluating the outcomes of each model tested. This article also describes the relationship between the group’s work and that of the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which plays a central role in the assessment of new models.
The composition of Titans atmosphere : a meteorological perspective

Abstract One of the most important and intriguing issues concerning Titans atmosphere is the methane cycle. Although the broad outline of the breakup of methane by photolytic and catalytic dissociation to produce a suite of more complex hydrocarbons and nitriles (additionally requiring the dissociation of N2) is understood, several fundamental questions exist, and many details remain obscure. The spatial distribution of stratospheric hydrocarbons and nitriles has been inferred from Voyager thermal infrared spectra, but only at northern spring equinox. The photochemical, radiative, and dynamical processes underlying this distribution are not well understood. Additionally, methane itself is important both radiatively and (possibly) dynamically in the troposphere. Voyager infrared and radio-occultation measurements place some constraints on the vertical and horizontal distribution of methane, and suggest that it may be supersaturated in the upper troposphere. The presence of convective activity associated with methane condensation is unknown, but recent work indicates that a meager amount of convection (compared to Earth) could be sufficient to transport heat and methane vertically and account in part for the vertical thermal structure of Titans troposphere and provide a major source of methane for the stratosphere. The additional measurements provided by Cassini over a four-year period will greatly improve our understanding of these issues. Emphasis in this paper is on the combination of radio occultation measurements and thermal infrared spectra, with their different sensitivities to atmospheric constituents.
Un análisis con perspectiva de género de la reforma del sector salud mexicano

os fuertes vinculos entre la salud y el desarrollohan sido articulados de manera creciente por loslideres en politica de la salud y en desarrollo economi-co: las inversiones en sistemas de salud ayudan a re-ducir la pobreza y promueven un desarrollo sostenido,mientras que el desarrollo nacional contribuye a me-jorar la salud publica.
The Analytic Continuation of the Lippmann-Schwinger Eigenfunctions, and Antiunitary Symmetries ?

We review the way to analytically continue the Lippmann-Schwinger bras and kets into the complex plane. We will see that a naive analytic continuation leads to non- sensical results in resonance theory, and we will explain how the non-obvious but correct analytical continuation is done. We will see that the physical basis for the non-obvious but correct analytic continuation lies in the invariance of the Hamiltonian under anti-unitary symmetries such as time reversal or PT .
Nanoparticle Coagulation in a Temporal Mixing Layer Mean and Size-selected Images

Direct numerical simulation of nanoparticle coagulation in a two-dimensional mixing layer is performed. A sectional model is used to discretize the particulate field resulting in a set of coupled non-linear partial differential equations each representing the concentration of particles of a particular size. The advantage of this approach is that it provides a robust mathematical framework for considering the particulate field as a function of space, time, and size with no a priori assumptions. The spatio-temporal evolution of the particulate field is visualized via the mean particle diameter and also in a size-specific manner.
Transcranial direct current stimulation reduces food-craving and measures of hyperphagia behavior in participants with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder characterized by intellectual disabilities and insatiable appetite with compulsive eating leading to severe obesity with detrimental health consequences. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to modulate decision-making and cue-induced food craving in healthy adults. We conducted a pilot double blind, sham-controlled, multicenter study of tDCS modulation of food drive and craving in 10 adult PWS participants, 11 adult obese (OB) and 11 adult healthy-weight control (HWC) subjects. PWS and OB subjects received five consecutive daily sessions of active or sham tDCS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), while HWC received a single sham and active tDCS in a crossover design. Standardized psychometric instruments assessed food craving, drive and hyperphagia by self-report and caregiver assessment over 30 days. Robust baseline differences were observed in severity scores for the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) and Dykens Hyperphagia Questionnaire (DHQ) for PWS compared to HWC while obese participants were more similar to HWC. Active tDCS stimulation in PWS was associated with a significant change from baseline in TFEQ Disinhibition (Factor II) (Ƶ = 1.9, P < 0.05, 30 days) and Total Scores (Ƶ = 2.3, P < 0.02, 30 days), and participant ratings of the DHQ Severity (Ƶ = 1.8, P < 0.06, 5 days) and Total Scores (Ƶ = 1.9, P < 0.05, 15 days). These findings support sustained neuromodulatory effects and efficacy of tDCS to reduce food drive and behaviors impacting hyperphagia in PWS. Transcranial direct current stimulation may represent a straight-forward, low risk and low cost method to improve care, management and quality of life in PWS.
Spatio-Temporal Correlations of Hydrodynamic Forces on Particles in an Oscillatory Wall-Bounded Flow Environment

Particle-resolved direct numerical simulations are performed using fictitious domain approach [1] to investigate the effect of an oscillatory flow field over a rough wall made up of a regular hexagonal pack of fixed spherical particles, in a setup similar to the experimental configuration of [2]. Turbulent flows at Reynolds numbers, Reδ = 200 and 400 (based on the Stokes-layer thickness δ) are studied. The unsteady nature of hydrodynamic forces on particles and their cross-correlations with measurable flow variables are investigated. Temporal correlations showed drag and lift to be positively correlated with a phase difference, which is approximately equal to the Taylor micro-scale related to drag/lift correlations. Spatio-temporal correlations between the flow field and particle-related quantities showed that the lift force is well correlated with the streamwise velocity fluctuations up to distances of the same order as the particle diameter, beyond which the cross correlation decays considerably. On the other hand, the pressure fluctuations are correlated and anti-correlated with the lift force in the front and aft regions of the particle, respectively, as a result of wake effects. Further statistical analyses showed that the near-bed velocity and pressure fluctuations fit poorly with Gaussian distributions. Instead, a fourth order Gram-Charlier distribution model is proposed that may have consequences on the Gaussian descriptions of sediment pick-up functions typically used in quantification of turbulent transport of sediment particles.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
California Water Enters an Era of Limits

The state of California uses more groundwater and more surface water than any other state (Maupin et al. 2014) but an era of limits is now arriving with dramatic consequences. Despite warning signs over the last decades and multiple legislative and management efforts, California’s water supply is now in a crisis stage. With snowpack at 5% of normal in the Sierras, the lowest snowpack in recorded history, Governor Jerry Brown imposed mandatory water use restrictions on cities and towns across California on April 1, 2015. The Governor required an average 25% cut in water use as part of a sweeping set of drought responses. In 2013, Brown requested voluntary cuts in water use, but most parts of the state have failed to attain them (Megerian, Stevens and Boxall 2013). Of note is the fact that these new restrictions focus on urban use, not agriculture, even though agriculture uses about three-quarters of the water in California. Agricultural water users have already been hit very hard by the California drought, however, with many junior water rights holders receiving no water deliveries at all. Last year farmers left about 500,000 acres unplanted for lack of water, and this year the California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates that more than 560,000 acres were fallowed, with direct economic losses of over a billion dollars (CDFA, 2015). One of the most frightening aspects of this situation is the pace at which the water supply situation has deteriorated. Droughts in the early 1990s led to multiple management responses, including significant municipal conservation programs, reallocation of water from agriculture to the environment through the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, establishment of a state water bank, expansion of the use of municipal effluent, and a series of water transfers between agricultural J Extreme Events, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2015) 1502003 (3 pages) © World Scientific Publishing Company DOI: 10.1142/S2345737615020030
Use of Molecular Tools for Research and Improvement of Aquaculture Stocks

Development of molecular genetic markers provides aquaculture with tools for a number of research and practical applications. Genetic marking of experimental groups allows their evaluation in the same rearing units, increasing statistical power within limited research infrastructure. Parentage can be inferred for individuals in mixed-progeny groups, quantifying the contributions of individual parents and supporting the estimation of sire and dam effects. Building upon parentage assignment, walk-back selection entails retention of the best members of each family as broodstock for the next generation. Molecular markers can be used to detect the segregation of quantitative trait loci (QTL) and knowledge of such linkages can be used for marker-assisted selection. Gene expression profiling can identify genes affecting traits of interest, providing candidates for QTL or functional analysis. Purposeful genetic marking can be used to identify proprietary stocks, marketed products, and fish out-planted or escaping into natural ecosystems. Although each application has been demonstrated, genetic markers are not routinely used in commercial aquaculture. The limited practical application can be explained by the limited development of broodstocks for most aquaculture species, the small size and limited scope of most aquaculture operations, and the costs of genetic screening.
The Longevity of the Magnet Effect: Fire-Herbivory Interactions in Central Kenya

The coexistence of grass and trees that typifies savanna ecosystems is maintained in part by top-down forces including herbivory and fire. Understanding fire-herbivore interactions is an integral step in determining the effect of these forces individually and informs decisions about the use of fire as a livestock management technique. The magnet effect, in which grazers are drawn to an area after it is burned, is one such interaction between fire and herbivores. While the process of the magnet effect has been described, neither its longevity nor the manner through which fire intensity affects its strength is understood. In this study, we explored whether the increase in herbivory pressure predicted by the magnet effect is maintained over long periods after a fire, how fire intensity influences the strength of the magnet effect, and which feeder types are most influenced by the magnet effect. We established five field sites at the Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia, Kenya that ranged in fire intensity and elapsed time since last the burn. We found that the magnet effect is transient on a seven-year scale and affects grazers more than browsers or mixed feeders, though herbivory and grass biomass responses to fire intensity were conflicting. This research clarifies the role of the magnet effect in maintaining savanna ecosystems and can aid agriculturalists seeking to use fire as a management technique by indicating how long after a burn increased palatability of grass can be expected. Author’s Note The authors completed this research while studying in Columbia and Princeton’s joint program in Tropical Biology and Sustainability in Kenya. We would like to thank Dr. Carla Staver for her helpful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. We would also like to thank Josphat Mwangi, Agnes Wachu, and the rest of the staff at the Mpala Research Centre, all of whom were so kind to us during our stay with them.
Bounded Loss Functions and the Characteristic Function Inversion Method for Computing Expected Loss

AbstractIn robust parameter design, the quadratic loss function is commonly used. However, this loss function is not always realistic and the expected loss may not exist in some cases. This paper proposes the use of a general class of bounded loss functions that are cumulative distribution functions and probability density functions. New loss functions are investigated and the loss functions are shown to yield optimal settings different from those obtained with the quadratic loss. For the class of models that are linear in the noise factors, we give a numerical method based on characteristic function inversion for computing expected loss. The method is quick and accurate; thus, it eases computation of the expected loss and comparison of alternative control factor settings. This method is applicable as long as the distributions chosen to represent the loss function and noise factors have tractable characteristic functions.
A trial of the latex fixation test for rheumatoid arthritis.

Since the introduction of the differential sheep cell agglutination test by Rose and his associates in 1948, there has been increasing interest in serologic reactions in rheumatoid arthritis. The latex fixation test described by Singer and Plotz' has been applied by Thomas and his associates and modified by Rheins and his associates. The results reported suggested that further evaluation of the reaction was warranted.
Role of bile salts in activity of cholesterol esterase.

ConclusionsThe data on the different bile salts suggest that several aspects of the structure of the bile salt molecule are involved in their effects on cholesterol esterase activity. Firstly, taurocholic acid has a distinctly greater effect than either glycocholic or the unconjugated cholic acid (the latter in the esterifying system only). Secondly, conjugation with glycine inhibits the effect of cholic acid. Thirdly, free taurine and glycine have no influence on the effect of cholic acid, i.e. the effects of taurocholic and glycocholic acids are due to the intact molecules. Fourthly, in the series of unconjugated acids the degree of effect was greatest with cholic acid which has 3 hydroxyl groups in the molecule and the effect decreased with the decreasing number of hydroxyl groups until with dehydrocholic, which has no hydroxyl groups, there was no effect. The results clearly demonstrate that both the hydroxyl groups and the carboxyl group, free or conjugated, are involved in the effect of bile salts o...
Analysis on Mortality Rate and Years of Life Lost of Cancer in Taizhou in 2010

[Purpose] To describe the mortality of cancer in residents of Taizhou and its influence. [Methods] Death cases of local residents were collected from death surveillance system in Taizhou. Mortality rate,age-standardized mortality rate,potential years of life lost (PYLL),PYLL rate and the average years of life lost (AYLL) were calculated. [Results] The mortality and age-standardized mortality of cancer in Taizhou were 245.56 per 100 000 and 154.05 per 100 000 ,respectively,accounting for 38.10% of total deaths in 2010. It was found that mortality increased with the growth of age. The ratio of mortality for male and female was 1.77∶1. The top five leading causes of death were cancers of esophageal,stomach,liver,lung and colorectum. The PYLL of cancer was 57 989 person years,PYLL rate was 11.74‰,and AYLL was 5.47 years. Liver cancer had the highest PYLL. [Conclusions] The mortality of cancer is high in Taizhou. The cancers of esophageal,stomach,liver are the most common malignant neoplasms severely impairing local resident health and the key point of tumor on the comprehensive prevention.
System Stability Analysis for Photovoltaic Power Station's Integration into Qinghai Power Grid

According to the planning report of "10 GW Photovoltaic Power Generation Base in Qinghai Qaidam Basin",the total planned photovoltaic power generation capacity in Qinghai province is 200 MW in 2010.Based on that,a simulation analysis is conducted on the impacts of photovoltaic power station's integration into Qinghai power grid in 2010 on the power system by using a simulation software called DIgSILENT/PowerFactory,and corresponding conclusion is obtained.
Charting the Impact of Subnational Actors in China’s Foreign Relations

This article discusses the efforts of a Chinese subnational government, Guangxi Province’s Shanglin County, to support local residents as they participated in galamsey, a local reference for unregistered artisanal gold mining in Ghana. This resulted in a diplomatic crisis that complicated Sino–Ghanaian relations and threatened Beijing’s efforts to access Ghana’s energy resources.
Quality of End-of-Life Care Provided to Patients With Different Serious Illnesses

Importance Efforts to improve end-of-life care have focused primarily on patients with cancer. High-quality end-of-life care is also critical for patients with other illnesses. Objective To compare patterns of end-of-life care and family-rated quality of care for patients dying with different serious illnesses. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in all 146 inpatient facilities within the Veteran Affairs health system among patients who died in inpatient facilities between October 1, 2009, and September 30, 2012, with clinical diagnoses categorized as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), cancer, cardiopulmonary failure (congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), dementia, frailty, or other conditions. Data analysis was conducted from April 1, 2014, to February 10, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Palliative care consultations, do-not-resuscitate orders, death in inpatient hospices, death in the intensive care unit, and family-reported quality of end-of-life care. Results Among 57 753 decedents, approximately half of the patients with ESRD, cardiopulmonary failure, or frailty received palliative care consultations (adjusted proportions, 50.4%, 46.7%, and 43.7%, respectively) vs 73.5% of patients with cancer and 61.4% of patients with dementia ( P P P = .61), but lower for patients with ESRD, cardiopulmonary failure, or frailty (54.8%, 54.8%, and 53.7%, respectively; all P ≤ .02 vs patients with cancer). This quality advantage was mediated by palliative care consultation, setting of death, and a code status of do-not-resuscitate; adjustment for these variables rendered the association between diagnosis and overall end-of-life care quality nonsignificant. Conclusions and Relevance Family-reported quality of end-of-life care was significantly better for patients with cancer and those with dementia than for patients with ESRD, cardiopulmonary failure, or frailty, largely owing to higher rates of palliative care consultation and do-not-resuscitate orders and fewer deaths in the intensive care unit among patients with cancer and those with dementia. Increasing access to palliative care and goals of care discussions that address code status and preferred setting of death, particularly for patients with end-organ failure and frailty, may improve the overall quality of end-of-life care for Americans dying of these illnesses.
The influence of state maternity leave policies on US mothers’ employment

ABSTRACTThis study examines the influence of variation in state maternity leave policies on mothers’ employment. Data come from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) [U.S. Census Bureau. (2010). America’s families and living arrangements: 2010 (Data file). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hhfam/cps2010/tabAVG1.xls] (n = 1380) paired with an assessment of state provisions of expanded family leave. Results from a negative binomial regression show that job-protected leave greater than the 12 weeks provided under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a marginally significant predictor of women spending fewer years out of the workforce following childbirth. Results from a logistic regression reveal that mothers in states with expanded access to job-protected leave are less likely to resign from their jobs within 12 weeks of their first childbirth than are mothers in states with non-expanded FMLA eligibility. These findings decrease the uncertainty about the effects ...
Data Types: Representation, Abstraction, Limitations

After completing this module, a student should be able to: Define the different basic data types (i.e. integer, floating point, and character) and the implications and possible errors of each. Define different sources of error (i.e. measurement, representation, round off, overflow, underflow, and interpretation). Appreciate the issues associated with data storage (i.e. including space requirements, magnitude of size, compression). Apply abstraction to data in the areas of trees, arrays, linked lists, and graphs.
A Quantitative Evaluation of Video-based 3D Person Tracking

The Bayesian estimation of 3D human motion from video sequences is quantitatively evaluated using synchronized, multi-camera, calibrated video and 3D ground truth poses acquired with a commercial motion capture system. While many methods for human pose estimation and tracking have been proposed, to date there has been no quantitative comparison. Our goal is to evaluate how different design choices influence tracking performance. Toward that end, we independently implemented two fairly standard Bayesian person trackers using two variants of particle filtering and propose an evaluation measure appropriate for assessing the quality of probabilistic tracking methods. In the Bayesian framework we compare various image likelihood functions and prior models of human motion that have been proposed in the literature. Our results suggest that in constrained laboratory environments, current methods perform quite well. Multiple cameras and background subtraction, however, are required to achieve reliable tracking suggesting that many current methods may be inappropriate in more natural settings. We discuss the implications of the study and the directions for future research that it entails