cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response of a Multiple-Resistant Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) Population to Four HPPD-Inhibiting Herbicides Applied Alone and with Atrazine

Control of multiple-resistant Palmer amaranth populations in corn will rely heavily on the use of POST 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD)-inhibiting herbicides. Therefore, field and greenhouse experiments were conducted to: (1) evaluate Palmer amaranth control with four HPPD inhibitors alone and in combination with atrazine at two application timings and (2) investigate the joint activity of HPPD-inhibiting herbicides and atrazine in atrazine-resistant (AR) and atrazine-susceptible (AS) Palmer amaranth populations. Control of the AR Palmer amaranth population varied among the HPPD-inhibiting herbicides with tolpyralate > tembotrione = topramezone > mesotrione based on GR50 values in the greenhouse. In the field, Palmer amaranth control was lower when the HPPD-inhibiting herbicides, with the exception of tolpyralate, were applied to 15- vs. 8-cm-tall Palmer amaranth. Tolpyralate controlled Palmer amaranth ≥95% at both application timings. The addition of atrazine (560 g ai ha-1) improved Palmer amaranth control with mesotrione and topramezone at the 8-cm application timing and with mesotrione and tembotrione at the 15-cm application timing. In the greenhouse, joint activity of mesotrione and atrazine and tembotrione and atrazine was synergistic with both the AR and AS Palmer amaranth populations. In the AR population, an additional 980 g ai ha-1 of atrazine (8X) was needed to cause a synergistic response compared with the AS population. Synergistic responses with mesotrione were detected with all atrazine rates for the AS population and for atrazine rates ranging from 280 to 2,240 g ai ha-1 for the AR population. Only additive responses were observed when atrazine was applied with tolpyralate and topramezone, indicating that joint activity in the form of synergism occurs more readily with the triketones compared with the benzopyrazoles. When faced with an AR Palmer amaranth population, the addition of atrazine to HPPD inhibitors may increase the overall success of weed management due to joint activity.Nomenclature: Atrazine; mesotrione; tembotrione; tolpyralate; topramezone; Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.; corn, Zea mays L.
Faster than real-time dynamic simulation for large-size power system with detailed dynamic models using high-performance computing platform

This paper presents a faster-than-real-time dynamic simulation software package that is designed for large-size power system dynamic simulation. It was developed on the GridPACK™ high-performance computing (HPC) framework. The key features of the developed software package include (1) faster-than-real-time dynamic simulation for a WECC system (17,000 buses) with different types of detailed generator, controller, and relay dynamic models, (2) a decoupled parallel dynamic simulation algorithm with optimized computation architecture to better leverage HPC resources and technologies, (3) options for HPC-based linear and iterative solvers, (4) hidden HPC details, such as data communication and distribution, to enable development centered on mathematical models and algorithms rather than on computational details for power system researchers, and (5) easy integration of new dynamic models and related algorithms into the software package.
Cumulant Approach for Inelastic Losses in X-ray Spectra

The theory of inelastic losses in x-ray spectra has long been of interest. These losses include plasmons, particle-hole pairs, Debye–Waller factors, and other many-body effects that damp and shift the spectra. The losses give rise to additional features known as satellites that are not present in independent electron or quasi-particle (QP) approaches.
PHUI-kit: A Tool for Physical User Interface Layout

PHUIs are interfaces built from tangible widgets arranged on the surfaces of physical objects. PHUI-kit is tool for making physical user interface (PHUI) design more like graphical user interface (GUI) design in the context of 3D printed object housings. The tool includes a drag-and drop interface to place, reposition and delete physical widgets on a curved housing in a 3D modeling tool. Automatic cable routing simplifies assembly planning and execution. The objects are printed, the widgets snapped onto a cable and snapped into the housing to create an interactive object. A cable guide printed on paper guides the maker while snapping widgets onto the cable.
Metabolic and Cardiac Responses To Robotic–Assisted Locomotion In Motor–Complete Tetraplegia: A Case Report

Background/objective To examine acute metabolic responses to treadmill locomotion in a participant with motor-complete tetraplegia. Methods The participant--a woman with a chronic ASIA B C3-C4 spinal cord injury--walked on a treadmill with 40% body weight support (BWS) and robotic assistance. Oxygen consumption (VO2), minute ventilation (VE), and heart rate (HR) were measured during seated resting, supported standing, and 40 minutes of walking with stepping assistance from a Lokomat-driven gait orthosis. Results A resting VO2 equal to 50 milliliters per minute was predictably low, and did not change after the participant assumed an upright posture. Both VO2 and VE increased immediately upon onset of locomotion, suggesting a neurogenic rather than a humoral regulatory response to movement. VO2 averaged 2.4 metabolic units (METS) during locomotion at an average expenditure of 2.98 kilocalories per minute. HR was unaltered by standing, but during locomotion averaged 1 7 beats higher than during resting. Increases in VE but not VO2 upon standing, and decreases in VO2 but not VE immediately after walking, rule out changes in VE alone as the source for increased VO2 during walking. Conclusion The data collected on this single participant show that treadmill locomotion with BWS and robotic assistance elicits a metabolic response to treadmill gaiting characterized by increased VO2, VE, HR, and caloric expenditure.
Point-in-Time Copy : Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Making copies of large sets of data is a common activity. These copies can provide a consistent image for a backup, a checkpoint for restoring the state of an application, a source for data mining, real data to test a new version of an application, and so on. One characteristic all of these uses have in common is that it is important that the copy appear to occur atomically, i.e., any updates to the data source being copied either occur before or after the copy. In this work, we examine the history, the state-of-the art, and possible future of mechanisms for copying large quantities of data via storage subsystem facilities for providing point-in-time (PiT) copies.
Gas Impact, Field Etching, and Field Deformation

The rate of arrival of gas molecules at a specimen tip is enhanced by polarization effects at moderate field strengths, but at high field strengths field ionization of the gas in space drastically reduces the net arrival rate. The gas kinetic arrival rate per unit area, n 0, is given by $$ {n_{0}} = p{\left( {2\pi MkT} \right)^{{ - \frac{1}{2}}}} $$ (4.1) where p is the gas pressure; M, the molecular weight of the gas; and T, the gas temperature in °K. If p is measured in µtorr equation (4.1) becomes $$ {n_{0}} = 3.54 \times {10^{{16}}}p{\left( {MT} \right)^{{ - \frac{1}{2}}}} $$ (4.2)
Drafting Chapter 2 of the ALI's Employment Law Restatement in the Shadow of Contract Law: An Assessment of the Challenges and Results

The American Law Institute (ALI) has just completed the Restatement of the Law Third, Employment Law. Chapter 2 is entitled "Employment Contracts: Termination." As the name suggests, the Chapter focuses on the law's difficult challenge of applying contract law to distinguish lawful terminations of employees from wrongful ones. The question is especially problematic because, on the one hand, employment law's long-existing default rule allows employers to terminate employees "at will" and without cause. Advocates of the at-will doctrine present several policies to support it, including freedom of contract and efficiency. On the other hand, employers seek to attract talented employees and, once employed, establish an "orderly, cooperative and loyal work force." Toward that end, numerous judicial decisions and scholarly research reveal unsurprisingly that employers design their communications to attract employees and create loyal workers. It is no wonder, then, that contract law's approach to indefinite-duration employment issues includes decisions policing employer overreaching and thereby creating rules that limit employment at will. Given this clash of policies, the primary challenge for the reporters of the new employment restatement in Chapter 2 was to search the cases and identify the circumstances in which terminated employees should be entitled to legal protection, no easy task given the multitudinous and amorphous case law on employment discharge, the dynamic labor market atmosphere and, perhaps most important, contract law's lack of a unifying theory of its own. Related to this challenge, the ALI's conception of a restatement seemingly allows reporters to venture beyond describing the law (but cautiously). The reporters therefore had to decide what constitutes the appropriate mix of description and prescription in their efforts to assess the contradiction in employment policies. This essay focuses on Chapter 2's treatment of employment at will, on the one hand, and promissory estoppel and good faith, on the other, as examples of how Chapter 2 meets these challenges. The essay concludes that Chapter 2 establishes a useful framework and helpfully identifies the issues for the courts. Because promissory estoppel and good faith (and other contract doctrines) are themselves indistinct, however, Chapter 2 often cannot resolve the principle and counter-principle dilemma in particular cases and therefore cannot fully satisfy ALI's goal of clarifying and modernizing the law through restatements. For the same reason, I doubt that a project in the form of a restatement will be particularly helpful in enhancing employee protection if the playing field is uneven.
Bringing the Evidence to the Table: Librarians Partner With Performance Improvement for High-Quality, Safe, and Cost-Effective Patient Care

Abstract Patient care quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness must be blended in today's health care. Health systems nationwide have launched Care Redesign initiatives in response to new financial pressures, including health-care reform, unexpanded Medicaid, and market competition. At Duke Health, librarians are embedded in multidisciplinary Care Redesign teams to ensure the integration of the best available evidence throughout the process. Librarians provide high-level evidence and answer research questions on clinical, financial, operational, and market topics. Librarians select supporting literature based on the highest level of evidence available; for some questions, no evidence exists. Because of this work, the Library has a higher profile in hospital management and is a partner in administrative quality improvement. This chapter will provide an overview of Care Redesign generally, explain how the librarians at this institution work with teams, and offer ideas for how librarians at other institutions can get involved with their own institutional efforts.
Reproducing Whiteness: How White Students Justify the Campus Racial Status Quo.

The purpose of this article was to examine how Whiteness functions to underwrite and maintain racially hostile campus climates. Utilizing narrative inquiry, results illuminate two rhetorical device...
Rethinking Home Networks in the Ultrabroadband Era

The advent of ultrabroadband Internet connectivity brings a 2-3 orders of magnitude jump in the capacity of access networks (a.k.a. the "last mile"). Beyond mere capacity increase, this leap represents a qualitative shift in the overall Internet environment. Therefore, we argue that only by seizing the opportunity to re-think the way we structure network applications and services can we realize the full potential ultrabroadband provides. Specifically, with ultrabroadband residential networks, we have the opportunity to re-center our digital lives around our residence, similar to how our physical lives generally center around our homes. To this end, we introduce a new appliance in home networks-a "home point of presence"-that provides a variety of services to the users in the house regardless of where they are physically located and connected to the network. We illustrate the utility of this appliance by discussing a range of new services that both bring new functionality to the users and improve performance of existing applications.
The AutGO Initiative: A Conceptual Framework for Developing Genetics‐Outcomes Research Hypotheses

The increasing emphasis on translational approaches to complex neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions research requires scientists from a broad range of disciplines to build dynamic collaborations when formulating hypotheses and framing study designs. The need to integrate the knowledge and perspectives not only from multiple scientific silos but also from the populations impacted by these conditions presents a significant challenge to researchers, particularly for a heterogeneous condition like autism. As one path toward addressing these challenges, we have previously introduced Autism Genetics Outcomes (AutGO), an initiative to support broad stakeholder partnerships and promote a new integrated concept called GO (i.e., research approaches that draw on both genetics and clinical outcomes perspectives). Herein, we developed a workflow for collecting stakeholders' feedback toward the development of a GO hypothesis. AutGO is an evolving initiative, and here we describe how its three essential components (conceptual framework, applicability, and implementation) have been developed. As a proof-of-concept, the AutGO team sought to demonstrate how a GO hypothesis could be developed using a semi-structured literature review workflow. We also developed a prototype from published reports and formulated a GO hypothesis for autism. Rather than seeking community stakeholder input after a research project is conceptualized and designed, the developed conceptual framework demonstrates the feasibility of formulating scientific hypotheses by engaging stakeholders in retrospective semi-structured literature reviews. The presented workflow, prototype, and discussed recommendations will bring awareness in the autism research community about the benefits of applying the GO approach in order to promote translational aspects in genetics research. LAY SUMMARY: We used a community-based engagement approach to develop AutGO (Autism Genetics Outcomes), an initiative to establish stakeholder partnerships and to promote research approaches (we refer to as GO) that draw on both genetics and clinical outcomes perspectives. Specifically, we developed a conceptual framework that includes a literature review process for developing GO hypotheses and stakeholder feedback collection protocol. Our work will bring awareness in the autism research community about the benefits of integrating patient perspectives in genetics research. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1286-1299. © 2020 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Neuronal activity modulates alpha-synuclein aggregation and spreading in organotypic brain slice cultures and in vivo

Alpha-synuclein (αSyn) preformed fibrils (PFF) induce endogenous αSyn aggregation leading to reduced synaptic transmission. Neuronal activity modulates release of αSyn; however, whether neuronal activity regulates the spreading of αSyn pathology remains elusive. Here, we established a hippocampal slice culture system from wild-type (WT) mice and found that both Ca2+ influx and the uptake of αSyn PFF were higher in the CA3 than in the CA1 sub-region. Pharmacologically enhancing neuronal activity substantially increased αSyn pathology in αSyn PFF-treated hippocampal or midbrain slice cultures and accelerated dopaminergic neuron degeneration. Consistently, neuronal hyperactivity promoted PFF trafficking along axons/dendrites within microfluidic chambers. Unexpectedly, enhancing neuronal activity in LRRK2 G2019S mutant slice cultures further increased αSyn pathology, especially with more Lewy body (LB) forming than in WT slice cultures. Finally, following injection of αSyn PFF and chemogenetic modulators into the dorsal striatum of WT mice, both motor behavior and αSyn pathology were exacerbated likely by enhancing neuronal activity, since they were ameliorated by reducing neuronal activity. Thus, a greater understanding of the impact of neuronal activity on αSyn aggregation and spreading, as well as dopaminergic neuronal vulnerability, may provide new therapeutic strategies for patients with LB disease (LBD).
Racial Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms among Latina/o College Students: The Role of Racism-Related Vigilance and Sleep

Latinx college students are at high risk of suffering from depressive symptoms. A factor posited to influence depressive symptoms among Latinx college students is racial/ethnic discrimination. However, the mechanisms which link racial/ethnic discrimination to depressive symptoms are not well understood. This study examined the mediating role of racism-related vigilance and sleep-related factors (i.e., sleep quality, sleep efficiency) on the relationship between perceived intergroup racial/ethnic discrimination and depressive symptoms. Participants were 194 Latina/o college students enrolled at a Midwestern university designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Path analysis was conducted to investigate whether racism-related vigilance and sleep-related factors (i.e., sleep quality, sleep efficiency) are potential pathways in the relationship between intergroup racial/ethnic discrimination and depressive symptoms. Path analysis revealed that racism-related vigilance and sleep quality sequentially mediated the effect of perceived intergroup racial/ethnic discrimination on depressive symptoms. Sleep efficiency did not mediate the relationship between racial/ethnic discrimination and depressive symptoms. This study is among the first to document that intergroup racial/ethnic discrimination is negatively related to mental health through both cognitive and behavioral mechanisms. This research has important implications for understanding how discrimination may influence mental health outcomes among Latinx college students.
Efficient Model Learning from Joint-Action Demonstrations for Human-Robot Collaborative Tasks

We present a framework for automatically learning human user models from joint-action demonstrations that enables a robot to compute a robust policy for a collaborative task with a human. First, the demonstrated action sequences are clustered into different human types using an unsupervised learning algorithm. A reward function is then learned for each type through the employment of an inverse reinforcement learning algorithm. The learned model is then incorporated into a mixed-observability Markov decision process (MOMDP) formulation, wherein the human type is a partially observable variable. With this framework, we can infer online the human type of a new user that was not included in the training set, and can compute a policy for the robot that will be aligned to the preference of this user. In a human subject experiment (n=30), participants agreed more strongly that the robot anticipated their actions when working with a robot incorporating the proposed framework (p<0.01), compared to manually annotating robot actions. In trials where participants faced difficulty annotating the robot actions to complete the task, the proposed framework significantly improved team efficiency (p <0.01). The robot incorporating the framework was also found to be more responsive to human actions compared to policies computed using a hand-coded reward function by a domain expert (p<0.01). These results indicate that learning human user models from joint-action demonstrations and encoding them in a MOMDP formalism can support effective teaming in human-robot collaborative tasks.
An Embodied Artistic Inquiry into Attachment-Oriented Therapeutic Relationships

In this study, I utilized an embodied artistic inquiry self-study to explore my experience of attachment in the therapeutic movement relationships (TMR) created as a dance/movement therapy intern at a psychiatric residential treatment center for children. The research was guided by three questions: How do I experience the TMR with children in a psychiatric residential treatment setting using attachment theory? How is my personal attachment style influencing and guiding the therapeutic relationship? How does my identification of salient moments relate to my own attachment style and aesthetic preference? Data were collected using journal entries that reflected on the researcher’s experience of attachment, saliency, and Tortora’s D.A.N.C.E. qualities of attachment (Clin Soc Work J 38(1):37–50, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-009-0254-9 , 2010). I analyzed the data using discussion and Authentic Movement with a research consultant in order to synthesize and describe the experience of each salient moment. Repeated movements included grounded and unstable walking, changing of levels, core-distal movements, circling and carving arms, and recuperation. The themes that resulted from repeated movements and discussion with the research consultant include foundational movements, holding discomfort, connection to a specific client, and playfulness. These results reinforced the importance of stability and self-awareness for a therapist especially in relationship to how their movement and nonverbal preferences may have been learned from attachment relationships. Furthermore, results show the impact of saliency and the clinician’s aesthetic preference. In addition, the results reflected the strong relationship among nonverbal qualities of attachment and the TMR. These results suggested that qualities of attachment underlie the effectiveness of the TMR. Although limitations of the study prevented me from drawing correlative conclusions, the therapist may be able to strengthen the therapeutic relationship by targeting primary attachment models, and suggestions for further research are included.
Conclusion: The Question of the Roman Middle Class

This chapter redresses one set of evidence in its entirety as a way to demonstrate the impact of the new perspectives presented in the book. That evidence consists of the funerary monuments of eight bakers, who range from wealthy businessmen from major urban centers to modest bakers from small towns.
Communication around palliative care principles and advance care planning between oncologists, children with advancing cancer and families.

In medical oncology, palliative care principles and advance care planning are often discussed later in illness, limiting time for conversations to guide goal-concordant care. In pediatric oncology, the frequency, timing and content of communication about palliative care principles and advance care planning remains understudied. We audio-recorded serial disease re-evaluation conversations between oncologists, children with advancing cancer and their families across the illness trajectory until death or 24 months from last disease progression. Content analysis was conducted to determine topic frequencies, timing and communication approaches. One hundred forty one disease re-evaluation discussions were audio-recorded for 17 patient–parent dyads with advancing cancer. From 2400 min of recorded dialogue, 119 min (4.8%) included discussion about palliative care principles or advance care planning. Most of this dialogue occurred after frank disease progression. Content analysis revealed distinct communication approaches for navigating discussions around goals of care, quality of life, comfort and consideration of limiting invasive interventions. Palliative care principles are discussed infrequently across evolving illness for children with progressive cancer. Communication strategies for navigating these conversations can inform development of educational and clinical interventions to encourage earlier dialogue about palliative care principles and advance care planning for children with high-risk cancer and their families.
Predicting substance use treatment completion & reunification among family treatment court-involved parent–child dyads

Through intensive, treatment-focused interdisciplinary practice, family treatment courts (FTC) offer a speedier pathway to reunification for families with substance use disorder in the foster care ...
Editorial overview: mentoring for targeted growth in professional practice

This issue of Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnership in Learning Journal includes research from scholars representing the USA (seven states), Korea, and England. The authors critically examine the dev...
Canopy health, but not Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus Ct values, are correlated with fruit yield in Huanglongbing affected sweet orange trees.

In Florida, almost all citrus trees are infected with Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by the gram-negative, intracellular phloem limited bacteria Candidatus liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). Distinguishing between the severely and mildly sick trees is important for managing the groves and testing new HLB therapies. A mildly sick tree is one that produces higher fruit yield, compared to a severely sick tree, but measuring yields is laborious and time consuming. Here we characterized HLB affected sweet orange trees in the field in order to identify the specific traits that are correlated with the yields. We found that canopy volume, fruit detachment force (FDF) and the percentage of photosynthetically active radiation interception in the canopy (%INT) were positively correlated with fruit yields. Specifically, %INT measurements accurately distinguished between mild and severe trees in independent field trials. We could not find a difference in the Ct value between high and low producing HLB trees. Moreover, Ct values did not always agree with the number of CLas in the phloem that were visualized by transmission electron microscopy. Overall, our work identified an efficient way to distinguish between severe and mild HLB trees in Florida by measuring %INT and suggests that health of the canopy is more important for yields than the Ct value.
Systematic review of interventions to reduce problematic alcohol use in men who have sex with men

Issues Rates of heavy drinking, alcohol problems and alcohol-related disorders are high among men who have sex with men (MSM) and are an important public health issue. Associations between heavy drinking and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition among MSM also suggest that drinking may have more severe and chronic consequences for this population relative to others. Consequently, effective interventions to reduce heavy drinking and alcohol-related risk factors among MSM are needed. Approach We conducted a systematic review of randomised controlled trials of interventions to reduce heavy drinking and/or alcohol-related problems among MSM. We searched five electronic databases, screened 3722 records and identified 5 studies involving 1022 participants that satisfied inclusion criteria, which included having (i) incorporated a comparison condition; (ii) randomised participants to groups; and (iii) reported quantitative outcomes. Key Findings The methodological quality of studies varied, and meta-analysis was not conducted because of heterogeneity in intervention approaches and outcomes. Studies provided preliminary support for the use of motivational interviewing/motivational enhancement-based interventions (MIs) and hybrid MI and cognitive behavioural therapy treatments for heavy drinking among MSM over no treatment. Perhaps the most important conclusion of this review, however, is that well-designed, theoretically informed research focused on establishing the efficacy of interventions for hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorders among MSM is alarmingly scarce. Conclusions Effective interventions to reduce hazardous drinking among MSM and prevent key alcohol-related outcomes, including risk for HIV transmission and health problems among HIV-positive MSM, are needed to mitigate health disparities in this population. [Wray TB, Grin B, Dorfman L, Glynn TR, Kahler CW, Marshall BDL, van den Berg JJ, Zaller ND, Bryant KJ, Operario D. Systematic review of interventions to reduce problematic alcohol use in men who have sex with men. Drug Alcohol Rev 2015]
M-ary frequency shift keying signal classification based-on discrete Fourier transform

The existing decision-theory based classifiers for M-ary frequency shift keying (MFSK) signals have assumed that there is some prior knowledge of the transmitted MFSK signal parameters; while the feature-based classifiers have some limitations such as that their thresholds are signal-to-noise-ratio-dependent (SNR-dependent). In this paper, we investigate some useful properties of the amplitude spectrum of MFSK signals. Using these properties as classification criteria, a fast Fourier transform based classifier (FFTC) of MFSK signals has been developed. The FFTC algorithm is practical since it only requires some reasonable knowledge of a received signal. It is found that the FFTC algorithm works well in classifying 2-FSK, 4-FSK, 8-FSK, 16-FSK, and 32-FSK signals when SNR>0dB. The FFTC algorithm also gives good estimation of the frequency deviation of the received MFSK signal.
On the Typicality of the Linear Code Among the LDPC Coset Code Ensemble

Density evolution (DE) is one of the most powerful analytical tools for low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes on memoryless binary- input/symmetric-output channels. The case of non- symmetric channels is tackled either by the LDPC coset code ensemble (a channel symmetrizing argu- ment) or by the generalized DE for linear codes on non-symmetric channels. Existing simulations show that the bit error rate performances of these two dif- ferent approaches are nearly identical. This paper explains this phenomenon by proving that as the min- imum check node degree dc becomes sufficiently large, the performance discrepancy of the linear and the coset LDPC codes is theoretically indistinguishable. This typicality of linear codes among the LDPC coset code ensemble provides insight into the concentration theorem of LDPC coset codes.
microRNA reprogramming by oncogenes and tumor suppressors

ED02-01 Dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) expression is a ubiquitous feature of cancer cells and select miRNAs have been demonstrated to possess oncogenic and tumor suppressing activity. Yet the mechanisms that lead to altered miRNA expression in tumors are poorly understood. One possibility is that miRNAs are under direct control of oncogenes and tumor suppressors whose gain- or loss-of-function directly contributes to abnormal miRNA expression patterns. In order to investigate this question, we have studied the miRNA components of classic oncogenic and tumor suppressor signaling pathways, such as those controlled by c-Myc and p53. Expression profiling studies in human and mouse models of B cell lymphoma have revealed that a major consequence of c-Myc activation is extensive reprogramming of the miRNA transcriptome, including the direct upregulation of oncogenic miRNAs and the direct downregulation of tumor suppressing miRNAs. We have also identified miRNAs regulated by p53 that appear to participate in the anti-proliferative and proapoptotic functions of this tumor suppressor. Together, these studies demonstrate that abnormal miRNA expression in cancer cells cannot be explained solely as an indirect consequence of the loss of cellular identity that accompanies malignant transformation. Rather, oncogenic events directly reprogram the miRNA transcriptome to favor tumorigenesis. Moreover, miRNAs appear to function as critical downstream effectors of multiple oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways.
Communication modeling of heterogeneous networks of workstations for performance characterization of collective operations

Networks of workstations (NOW) have become an attractive alternative platform for high performance computing. Due to the commodity nature of workstations and interconnects and due to the multiplicity of vendors and platforms, the NOW environments are being gradually redefined as heterogeneous networks of workstations (HNOW). Having an accurate model for the communication in HNOW systems is crucial for design and evaluation of efficient communication layers for such systems. In this paper we present a model for point-to-point communication in HNOW systems and show how it can be used for characterizing the performance of different collective communication operations. In particular, we show how the performance of broadcast, scatter, and gather operations can be modeled and analyzed. We also verify the accuracy of our proposed model by using an experimental HNOW testbed. Furthermore, it is shown how this model can be used for comparing the performance of different collective communication algorithms. We also show how the effect of heterogeneity on the performance of collective communication operations can be predicted.
Groundwater availability in the United States: the value of quantitative regional assessments

The sustainability of water resources is under continued threat from the challenges associated with a growing population, competing demands, and a changing climate. Freshwater scarcity has become a fact inmany areas.Much of the United States surface-water supplies are fully apportioned for use; thus, in some areas the only potential alternative freshwater source that can provide needed quantities is groundwater. Although frequently overlooked, groundwater serves as the principal reserve of freshwater in the US and represents much of the potential supply during periods of drought. Some nations have requirements to monitor and characterize the availability of groundwater such as the European Union’s Water Framework Directive (EPCEU 2000). In the US there is no such national requirement. Quantitative regional groundwater availability assessments, however, are essential to document the status and trends of groundwater availability for the US and make informed water-resource decisions possible now and in the future. Barthel (2014) highlighted that the value of regional groundwater assessments goes well beyond just quantifying the resource so that it can be better managed. The tools and techniques required to evaluate these unique regional systems advance the science of hydrogeology and provide enhanced methods that can benefit local-scale groundwater investigations. In addition, a significant, yet under-utilized benefit is the digital spatial and temporal data sets routinely generated as part of these studies. Even though there is no legal or regulatory requirement for regional groundwater assessments in the US, there is a logical basis for their implementation. The purpose of this essay is to articulate the rationale for and reaffirm the value of regional groundwater assessments primarily in the US; however, the arguments hold for all nations. The importance of the data sets and the methods and model development that occur as part of these assessments is stressed. These high-value data sets and models should be available in readily accessible formats for use today and in the future. Examples of advances in and accomplishments of two regional groundwater assessments are presented to demonstrate their function, relevance, and value for determining the sustainability of the groundwater resources of the US.
The role of grain boundary structure in stress-induced phase transformation in UO2

Recently, we reported on a phase transformation in UO2 aided by the presence of high-energy amorphous grain boundaries (Desai and Uberuaga 2009 Scr. Mater. 60 878). Here, we examine the role that the structure of the grain boundary plays in aiding this phase transformation. By examining three bicrystalline systems with different types of grain boundaries (amorphous, Σ5 tilt and Σ5 twist), we study the influence on the phase transformation behavior by the critical applied stress to induce the phase transformation, the effects of grain size and the grain boundary type. We find that there is a critical applied stress below which the phase transformation does not occur, and that the phase transformation occurs more readily in systems with smaller grain sizes. Finally, we observe a weak dependence on the applied stress to cause the phase transformation with the grain boundary energy.
CLAY MINERALOGY OF ANDESITE SAPROLITE

Clay mineral associations in saprolite of two andesites from the Cascade Range of northeastern California were determined. Sesquioxidic allophane with a high CEC delta value dominates the clay fraction of the least weathered saprolite in each series (47% and 37% in hypersthene andesite and olivine andesite saprolites, respectively). With further weathering, the content of amorphous clay remains high (over 30% in all cases) but the CEC delta value of the clay drops markedly. The amorphous material in the more weathered saprolite has the properties of halloysitic allophane. Halloysite, present in all saprolites, is highest in concentration (over 30%) in the more strongly weathered members of each of the saprolite series. Formation of sesquioxidic allophane during early stages of weathering and its transformation to halloysitic allophane and halloysite during later stages of weathering are supported by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopic, DTA, elemental analysis, and CEC delta value data.
MoClo planner: supporting innovation in bio-design through multi-touch interaction

Synthetic biology is an emerging field that promises to revolutionize biotechnology through the design and construction of new biological constructs useful for medicine, agriculture, and industry. Software tools for this field are currently immature. Our research investi-gates how interactive tabletops and surfaces could be utilized to enhance innovation in biological design. Here, we present the MoClo Planner, a multi-touch interface, which supports the design and construction of complex biological constructs. MoClo planner was developed in close collaboration with domain scientists to simplify the design stage of a cutting-edge laboratory method.
A Positive-Strand RNA Virus Replication Complex Parallels Form and Function of Retrovirus Capsids

We show that brome mosaic virus (BMV) RNA replication protein 1a, 2a polymerase, and a cis-acting replication signal recapitulate the functions of Gag, Pol, and RNA packaging signals in conventional retrovirus and foamy virus cores. Prior to RNA replication, 1a forms spherules budding into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, sequestering viral positive-strand RNA templates in a nuclease-resistant, detergent-susceptible state. When expressed, 2a polymerase colocalizes in these spherules, which become the sites of viral RNA synthesis and retain negative-strand templates for positive-strand RNA synthesis. These results explain many features of replication by numerous positive strand RNA viruses and reveal that these viruses, reverse transcribing viruses, and dsRNA viruses share fundamental similarities in replication and may have common evolutionary origins.
High-Temperature Stability of Passivated Silver Nanocrystal Superlattices

Ordered arrays of ∼4.5 nm diameter silver nanocrystals passivated with dodecanethiol show remarkable thermal stability at temperatures up to 975 K. Defects in the ordered-assembly were the first areas to show signs of melting while much of the structure remained intact. The mechanism for their stability is attributed to the unusually strong inter-nanocrystal bond formed by the interpenetration of thiol chains between neighboring nanocrystals within the nanocrystal superlattice. Individually dispersed nanocrystals show stability up to 800 K while some persist until 975 K.
The Role of Family Functioning in Bipolar Disorder in Families

Investigated the association between family functioning and conflict and their links with mood disorder in parents and with children’s risk for bipolar disorder. Participants were 272 families with a child between the ages of 5–17 years. Parents’ history of psychiatric diagnoses and children’s current diagnoses were obtained via semi-structured interviews. Parent report on the Family Assessment Device and the Conflict Behavior Questionnaire measured family functioning and conflict, respectively. Results revealed a small but significant indirect pathway from parental diagnosis of mood disorder to child bipolar disorder through impaired family functioning, via increased family conflict. Parental mood disorders were also significantly related to other negative outcomes in children, including unipolar depression and oppositional defiant disorder. Associations between parent diagnoses and family functioning changed depending on youth age, but not youth sex.
A current comparator bridge for power measurement

A current comparator technique for the measurement of sinusoidal ac power at 60 Hz is described. The reference power is that generated by applying the voltage across a 10-kΩ resistor. The voltage itself is measured by comparing it directly to a dc reference with an ac/dc rms voltage comparator. The current is compared with the current comparator to the current in the resistor for the in-phase or active power component, and to the current in a capacitor for the quadrature or reactive power component. Six-digit resolution is provided for both components. The bridge can be operated over a voltage range from 50 to 150 V and a current range from 0.01 to 1 A at any power factor. An auxiliary current transformer provides extension of the current range to 10 A. Comparison measurements with a Drysdale wattmeter used as an ac/dc power transfer standard indicates agreement at unity power factor to within 25 ppm.
Scalable algorithms for joint beam and null-forming using distributed antenna arrays

We consider the problem of multicasting a common message signal to a set of designated receivers from a distributed antenna array, while simultaneously forming nulls to another set of null targets. We propose an algorithm under which each transmitter in the distributed array iteratively makes an incremental adjustment to its complex gain (which controls the amplitude and phase of its transmitted RF signal). The cumulative effect of these incremental adjustments is that the individual transmitted RF signals from the transmitters add up at the intended receivers to a desired SNR level, while simultaneously canceling each other perfectly at the null targets. A crucial feature of this algorithm is that it can be implemented in a purely distributed fashion at each transmitter using only an estimate of its own channel gain to each receiver, and an aggregate feedback signal from each of the receivers that is broadcast to all the transmitters. This is an important advantage of our approach and assures its scalability; in contrast any non-iterative approach to the beam/nullforming problem requires knowledge of all channel gains — from all transmitters to all receivers — to be available at every transmitter.
Synthesis and Explosive Properties of 5,5′-Dinitro-3,3′-azo-1 H -1,2,4-triazole (DNAT)

The synthesis of 5,5'-dinitro-3,3'-azo-1H-1,2,4-triazole (DNAT) by the oxidative coupling of 5-amino-3-nitro-1H-1,2,4-triazole is described. The thermal properties of DNAT were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The sensitivity and explosive properties are also reported.
Leaf anatomical responses to light in five tropical moraceae of different successional status

We characterized the leaf anatomical characteristics and maximum assimilation rates of five neotropical Moraceae of different genera and successional positions. Plants were grown under different light levels and transferred to high light, simulating canopy openings. Total blade thickness increased with irradiance among all species, and thicker blades were developed when plants were switched. However, blade thickness, and the extent to which it was modified, was independent of the species' successional position and did not predict photosynthetic performance. Palisade thickness was a good predictor of maximum photosynthetic rate, but only on a species-specific basis. Overall, leaf thickening with increasing irradiance was associated more with structural than with photosynthetic changes. The early successionals Cecropia obtusifolia and Ficus insipida exhibited similarly high photosynthetic plasticity and acclimation values, but differed in their leaf anatomical traits. The late successional Poulsenia armata produced the most anatomically plastic leaves, but failed to acclimate either anatomically or photosynthetically when transferred to higher light levels.
Intermediate filament proteins define different glial subpopulations.

In certain species, specialized glial cells delineate cell domains in the central nervous system and assist in the elongation of axons by providing mechanical and chemical barriers. We showed previously, that the glial intermediate filament proteins vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein are extensively coexpressed in radial glia in the developing hindbrain, and that subsequently, the two proteins define distinct rhombomere domains: vimentin is localized in radial glia at the rhombomere boundaries and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression is restricted to the rhombomere centers (Yoshida and Colman [2000] J. Comp. Neurol. 424:47-57). The present study reveals that vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein continue to display distinct expression domains throughout the developing Xenopus central nervous system. Although the precise function of the two intermediate filaments in glial cells has yet to be revealed, the observations presented here suggests that glial intermediate filament proteins demarcate different populations of glial cells during nervous system development and that the existence of different glial populations may define glial boundaries.
Some theoretical and observed relationships of fixed and portable spacing behavior of animals

Abstract Some effects of enclosure-shape on positioning of animals with respect to enclosure and to penmates were determined using computer simulations and actual animal observations. The probability distributions for distance to the nearest neighbor were generated for two, three, four and five randomly spaced points within triangular, square and circular configurations. Sets of simulations were conducted holding constant maximum distance within enclosures, where maximum distance equalled the side, diagonal or diameter of the triangle, square or circle, respectively. Pen-shape affected mean distance between nearest neighbors even when features of the enclosures were constant. When maximum distance was held constant, the circle resulted in greater mean distance to nearest neighbor than did the triangle or square, which were nearly equal in mean value. When area was held constant, the triangle had the greatest mean distance to nearest neighbor, and the circle had the least. However, the differences in means among simulations with constant area were not as great as when maximum distance was constant. In actual observations, small numbers of crowded beef steers tended to position their heads around the enclosure perimeters. Thus, in some pen designs, the ratio of perimeter to area should be maximized to increase the efficiency of area usage. Triangular enclosures minimized this ratio compared to square or circular configurations. To double the maximum distance two individuals could space apart, one must increase enclosure area four times when all sides are increased proportionately. Pen-shape may be of prime importance in efficient space utilization by animals.
Na channels in the rat connecting tubule.

Epithelial Na channels were investigated using patch-clamp techniques in connecting tubule (CNT) segments isolated from rat kidney. Cell-attached patches with Li+ in the patch pipette contained cha...