cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caucasian genes in American blacks: new data.

Data on 15 polymorphic protein-coding loci are used to estimate the proportion of Caucasian genes in U.S. blacks from the greater-metropolitan area of Pittsburgh. Allele frequencies from U.S. whites of the same region and from a sample of Nigerians are used as representatives of the genetic contributions of the source populations between which admixture has occurred. These materials provide 18 unique variants that occur exclusively in the blacks and 5 variants that are restricted to the Caucasians only. As a result, when all segregating alleles (52) at these 15 loci are considered, the proportion (mean +/- SE) of Caucasian genes in U.S. blacks (25.2% +/- 2.7%) is estimated with a precision much better than that of all other previous estimates. The estimate based on the frequencies of these 18 unique variants of African origin (24.8% +/- 6.2%) is also consistent with the pooled estimate obtained from the 15 loci by the weighted least-square method. The homogeneity of locus-specific estimates of admixture indicates that these loci are appropriate for studying the proportion of black genes in any admixed population involving African admixture. The advantages of employing such loci for genetic-epidemiologic studies in U.S. blacks is discussed in the context of the availability of these large number of unique African variants at these protein loci.
Racing to market leadership: Product launch and upgrade decisions

Abstract Firms might not launch a next generation product as soon as a more efficient technology or a better product design is ready. We use a stylized model to analyze firms’ product launch and upgrade decisions in an incumbent-vs-entrant setting. We find that large profit margins from the next generation product alone do not provide the entrant sufficient incentives to launch the next generation product, although small profit margins will deter the entrant from joining the competition. If the entrant intends to enter the market at an earlier time, it should consider process improvements that lower the firm's launch costs of the current generation product. In addition, the incumbent must respond strategically to the entrant's arrival. In particular, when anticipating a late arrival of the entrant, the incumbent should upgrade to the next generation earlier. The incumbent also has a cost advantage in the race to launch the next generation product.
Cognitive Status After Hip Replacement

Rehabilitation following hip replacement and hip fracture is influenced by cognitive status of the person. Because clinical experience and the literature suggests this, the purpose of this literatu...
Aggression: Functions and control in social systems

This paper summarizes major research achievements concerning the understanding and control of aggression and destructive violence, seen in the contexts of evolution (both biological and cultural) and systems theory. Agonistic behavior, defined as behavior functional in situations of conflict between species mates, most probably evolved out of the function of defensive behavior but has since acquired a variety of other adaptive functions as well as the potential for destructive dysfunction. Recent research demonstrates the importance of culture in regulating human agonistic behavior, directing it toward either useful functions or destructive violence. Among advanced industrial nations, the United States has the most severe problems with violence as measured by homicide and murder rates. Similar but more extreme variation can be found among tribal societies. It is through cultural change that the available scientific information concerning improved methods for directing agonistic behavior into positive and beneficial channels must be achieved. Therefore, major emphasis should be placed on research dealing with human cultural evolution. The science of bringing about desirable social change is still in its infancy.
A new Rac/PAK/GC/cGMP signaling pathway

Guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) and small GTPase Rac are critical regulators of cell functions. Recently, Rac has been shown to use its downstream effector p21-activated kinase (PAK) to directly activate transmembrane guanylyl cyclases (GCs). This novel Rac/PAK/GC/cGMP signaling pathway bridges Rac and cGMP, and provides a general molecular mechanism for diverse receptors to regulate physiological functions such as cell migration through elevating the cellular cGMP level.
Community Economic Development

Community economic development is a branch of local economic development. Community economic development is based on two essential notions. First, the community or neighborhood should be the focal point for developing human, social, and physical resources. Second, the indigenous resources, particularly human and organizational, must be the base for any development activity. In the community, economic development the idea is to build new wealth from the basic local resources by repositioning these assets as attractors of capital. This can be accomplished by re-using local building to incubate local artists and entrepreneurs and other related strategies that restore pride and give local people more economic power to control their own economic destiny.
The Sonographic Diagnosis of Ovarian Torsion: Pearls and Pitfalls

Adnexal torsion is the fifth most common gynecologic emergency, but the diagnosis remains a clinical and imaging enigma. Although the most consistent presenting symptom is abdominal and pelvic pain, the diagnosis of torsion is complicated by its vague clinical presentation. The use of pelvic sonography has enhanced our ability to accurately evaluate patients at risk for ovarian torsion. The sonographic appearance of an enlarged ovary or ovarian complex without accompanying arterial or venous Doppler signal is usually diagnostic. Then again, the grayscale appearance in postpubertal patients is nonspecific, and the presence of Doppler signal cannot eliminate the diagnosis. This article endeavors to provide the reader with an approach to this often difficult diagnosis.
Non-interpenetrated IRMOF-8: synthesis, activation, and gas sorption.

The synthesis and successful activation of IRMOF-8 (Zn4O(ndc)3, ndc = naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylate) is presented. Room temperature synthesis effectively suppresses interpenetration. Although conventional activation under reduced pressure leads to structural collapse, activation by flowing supercritical CO2 yields a guest-free material with a BET surface area of 4461 m2 g−1.
Biomass availability for biopower applications

The majority of biomass used today is a residue produced either in the primary or secondary processing industries, or as post consumer residues. Many of the industries that process wood or sugar cane are themselves significant consumers of energy in the form of process heat and electricity so that this is a sector with a considerable amount of rankine cycle combined heat and power (CHP) installations. However, many of them underutilize their residues. The advent of export markets for their electricity, due to liberalization and deregulation of electricity supplies, will lead to more efficient CHP installations; the significant energy efficiency measures in the plant operations will result in greater export of electricity. Post consumer residues, as urban wood and landfill gas, already make a significant power contribution in the United States, Europe and Japan. Large scale expansion will require increased harvest residue collection and use in the form of forest thinnings, wood slash, straws and stalks from cereal crops, as well as the development of energy crops. A U.S. supply curve for 2020 will be discussed with its approximately 450 million tonne (Mt) potential, as well as a U.S.A. stretch potential for the middle of the Century of a Gigatonne.
The New Moses and the Wisdom of God: A Convergence of Themes in Matthew 11:25–30

This article focuses on the confluence of Wisdom and Mosaic themes in Matthew 11:25–30, asserting that the convergence of these two themes points to an association between wisdom traditions and salvation history that is often overlooked. The two traditions evolved as Israel, trying to live life in obedience to Torah, encountered sin, suffering, trial, mystery, and an often turbulent history. As Israel encountered new and often painful life experiences, they remembered and appealed to tensive metaphors and traditions in order to understand the new experience and to provide stability in the midst of changing history. Recognizing that God's revelation in Jesus is a mystery both transcending and occurring within human experience, Matthew uses traditional tensive metaphors in order to emphasize that while the revelation of God's salvation in Jesus Christ is new, it is grounded in and continuous with salvation history. At the same time, this mystery transcends former expression. By describing Jesus as both a new Moses and personified Wisdom, Matthew imaginatively combines the symbolic worlds evoked by these two metaphors. The convergence of these symbolic worlds assures that Christological reflection moves beyond the familiar and is open to the mystery of God's revelation in Christ.
Glycemic control in young children with diabetes: the role of parental health literacy.

Objective This cross sectional study examined the relationship between parental health literacy (HL), diabetes related numeracy, and parental perceived diabetes self-efficacy on glycemic control in a sample of young children with Type 1 DM.
Superresolution techniques in time of arrival estimation for precise geolocation

There is an increasing need for methods to precisely localize fixed emitters in a complex multipath environment. We consider a ground-based distributed network of nodes, each having a sensor array, and focus on the problem of emitter geolocation when array calibration is either unreliable or unavailable. We first develop a technique applicable when array calibration information is available and analyze its sensitivity to calibration errors. We then present a new superresolution array-based time-of-arrival technique applicable when calibration information is unavailable, and develop the associated Cramer-Rao bounds. Performance results are shown with computer-simulated data and real data from the DARPA-sponsored novel antenna program (NAP).
Teaching the Conceptual Structure of Mathematics.

Many students graduate from K–12 mathematics programs without flexible, conceptual mathematics knowledge. This article reviews psychological and educational research to propose that refining K–12 classroom instruction such that students draw connections through relational comparisons may enhance their long-term ability to transfer and engage with mathematics as a meaningful system. We begin by examining the mathematical knowledge of students in one community college, reviewing results that show even after completing a K–12 required mathematics sequence, these students were unlikely to flexibly reason about mathematics. Rather than drawing relationships between presented problems or inferences about the representations, students preferred to attempt previously memorized (often incorrect) procedures (Givvin, Stigler, & Thompson, 2011; Stigler, Givvin, & Thompson, 2010). We next describe the relations between the cognition of flexible, comparative reasoning and experimentally derived strategies for supportin...
OPC segmentation: dilemma between degree-of-freedom and stability with some relieves

It is believed that smaller correction segments could achieve better pattern fidelity, however, some unstable OPC results which are beyond the capability of common OPC correction schemes were found once the segment length is less than a certain threshold. The dilemma between offering more degree-of-freedom by decreasing the correction segment length at the cost of longer correction time and the instability induced by the reduced segment length challenges every OPC engineer. In this paper, 2 indices are introduced; the segmentation index is proposed to determine a reasonable minimum segment length while the stability index can be used to examine whether the correction system is a stiff convergence problem. A compromised correction algorithm is also proposed to consider the OPC accuracy, stability and runtime simultaneously. The correction results and the runtime are analyzed.
Performance Measures and Its Pitfalls: An Exploratory Study

Outcome-based management is not new in the public sector, having been developed by US states and cities over the past three decades. Publicizing the outcome of governmental programs on specific priority indicators has the proven potential to enhance external accountability and improve the overall performance of public agencies. Reporting performance measures become the presentational strategy of pundits who believe that "what gets measured is what gets valued." Some of the questions raised in this study are: do the performance measures used for management of public organizations reflect only the external concerns of federal and state officials or do they evaluate the internal concerns of the organization as well? Are the external stakehold- ers dictating the performance indicators thereby creating intergovernmental ties or design of performance measures, an organic extension of organizational management efforts? This study examines the different policy types, values, models, and internal/external concerns implemented by a large municipal government agency in the US and what the indicators represent in a collabo- rative network of actors. The findings suggest that type of initiation method reflects the type of indicators that are being used for measuring performance of public organizations.
Doppler echocardiography-right heart catheterization relationships in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and suspected pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND Pulmonary hypertension occurs commonly in patients with interstitial lung disease but is frequently not diagnosed or, if diagnosed, not further evaluated. In this study, we wanted to determine the accuracy of right ventricular systolic pressure measured by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography compared with hemodynamic measurements taken at right heart catheterization in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who had suspected pulmonary hypertension. MATERIAL/METHODS Right heart catheterization was conducted if pulmonary hypertension was suggested by echocardiography-right ventricular systolic pressure >40 mm Hg. Pulmonary hypertension was defined by right heart catheterization as mean pulmonary artery pressure > or =25 mm Hg and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure < or =15 mm Hg. RESULTS Right heart catheterization demonstrated pulmonary hypertension in 75% while no pulmonary hypertension was confirmed in 12%. Correlations existed between right ventricular systolic pressure with pulmonary artery systolic pressure (r=0.66; p<0.0001) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (r=0.69; p<0.0001). Bland-Altman analysis illustrated the mean difference between the two methods was 7.75 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS Pulmonary hypertension occurs commonly in IPF. Accurate classification of pulmonary hemodynamics and degree of pulmonary hypertension severity require right heart catheterization. Prospective screening Doppler echocardiography and pulmonary hypertension therapeutic interventions warrant further prospective study in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Molecular Eigenstate Spectra at the Threshold for Chemical Bond Breaking: Formaldehyde and Formyl Fluoride

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the molecular eigenstate spectra at the threshold for chemical bond breaking. It illustrates and presents the analysis of fully resolved spectra of the vibrational states of formaldehyde and formyl fluoride at the threshold for dissociation. The spectra of D2CO show a complete randomization of vibrational energy. The vibrational levels of the ground electronic state (S0) of formaldehyde are investigated by Stark level-crossing spectroscopy. A frequency-doubled pulse-amplified cw dye laser provides transform limited pulses to excite the single rovibronic levels of the first excited singlet state (S1) of D2CO in a cooled pulsed molecular beam. The statistical distributions of spectral intensities and dissociation rate constants provide information on the mechanism and dynamics of nonradiative decay. The preliminary spectra of HFCO exhibit considerable local mode character in eigenstates even for energies well above the dissociation threshold. The potential surfaces of HFCO are similar to those of formaldehyde except that the S1 state is hjgher in energy and the barrier is a factor of two lower dissociation energies. Studies near the dissociation threshold show that there is a strong systematic dependence of dissociation rate on both rotational and vibrational quantum number. The substantial vibrational mode dependence of intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution and dissociation rates can be anticipated when stimulated emission pumping spectra and dissociation product state dynamics are fully explored.
Formation of H* Phase in Chiral Block Copolymers: Effects of Solvents and Solution-Cast Conditions

We investigated the formation of the helical phase (H*) of chiral block copolymers polystyrene-b-poly(l-lactide) (PS-b-PLLA) using transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, an...
Methods For A Systematic, Comprehensive Search for Fast, Heavy Scintillator Materials

Over the years a number of scintillator materials have been developed for a wide variety of nuclear detection applications in industry, high energy physics, and medical instrumentation. To expand the list of useful scintillators, we are pursuing the following systematic, comprehensive search: (1) select materials with good gamma-ray interaction properties from the 200,000 data set NIST crystal diffraction file, (2) synthesize samples (doped and undoped) in powdered or single crystal form, (3) test the samples using sub-nanosecond pulsed x-rays to measure important scintillation properties such as rise times, decay times, emission wavelengths, and light output, (4) prepare large, high quality crystals of the most promising candidates, and (5) test the crystals as gamma-ray detectors in representative configurations. An important parallel effort is the computation of electronic energy levels of activators and the band structure of intrinsic and host crystals to aid in the materials selection process.
Photodissociation Dynamics of Alkyltellurides

The UV photodissociations of dimethyltelluride (CH3)2Te and diethyltelluride (C2Hs)2Te have been investigated by state-selective detection. Nascent populations of Te(5p Pjw) atoms produced by the photodissociation process were monitored using laser-induced fluorescence following excimer laser (248 nm and 193 nm) photolysis. Experimental results for both molecules indicate that the photolysis at 248 nm produces Te atoms via a single photon process and that the liberated Te atoms populate only the 5p3P2 state. The photolysis of diethyltelluride at 193 nm has also been found to be a single photon process producing Te atoms distributed over the3P2,3P1, and Po states in a ratio of 13:2:1, respectively.
Transition of epidemiological features of dysentery in Guangxi from 1950 to 2009

Objective To analyze the changes of epidemiological features of dysentery in Guangxi from 1950 to 2009,and to provide the scientific evidences for effective prevention and control of the disease. Methods Histological plague and demographic data were collected and sorted out,and the descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze epidemic intensity,and spatial,temporal and population distribution of dysentery in Guangxi from 1950 to 2009. Results It was indicated that 1950 s to 1970 s were the highly prevalent period of dysentery,but its annual reported incidence and mortality both appeared an apparent decline of descent since 1980s; It was prevalent and spread from the midland and northwest to the east and south; Its annual prevalence peak was during March to September,but with the decrease of the incidence,this seasonal prevalence feature attenuated; Children,farmer,and student were among the majority of the reported list of the disease,while the group of 0 to 4 years old age topped the incidence list,and the incidence was higher in male than in female in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Conclusion Prevalence intensity of dysentery in Guangxi is now in a relatively low level,with its regional and seasonal distribution blurred,but occupation population like children,farmer and student,and underage group are still among the highest risked population,which should be the object of intensified prevention and control,and resort to comprehensive prevention and control measures to further decrease the endangerment of dysentery to the population health.
Electrical and mechanical responses of rat saphenous vein to short-term pressure load

The magnitude and mechanism of myogenic response of vascular smooth muscle (SM) in rat distal saphenous vein was assessed from SM membrane potential (Em) measured in situ and in vitro with glass microelectrodes and from active and passive stress and strain calculated from changes in vessel diameter measured in vitro via videomicroscopy. Elevation of intraluminal pressure from 2.2 +/- 0.2 (SE) mmHg (control) to 15 +/- 0.8 mmHg for 1 h in a series of in vitro vessel segments perfused with physiological salt solution at 0.2 ml/min induced a maintained and reversible depolarization of 18 +/- 0.9 mV. A 7.6 +/- 0.4-mmHg pressure increase induced a 12.9 +/- 1.2-mV depolarization in a second series. In a third series, 5-mmHg pressure increments induced significant increments in active isometric stress and isobaric strain. Opening an acute, reversible in situ femoral artery to saphenous vein shunt caused a 4- to 5-mmHg venous pressure elevation, a 10-fold increase in venous blood flow, and a 12.1 +/- 0.9-mV venous SM depolarization. Thus a short-term pressure load causes sustained, reversible venous SM cell depolarization both in vitro and in situ, coupled with active strain and stress generation in the vein wall. These results support our hypothesis that SM of peripheral veins can contribute to an intrinsic capacity autoregulation.
Augusten Burroughs and serial culture

At the turn of the twenty-first century, Augusten Burroughs published his first book, a novel entitled Sellevision (2000), which takes a behind-the-scenes look at the eponymous fictional home shopping network. This novel centers on the significance of celebrity and the power of television as it engages the permeable boundary between public and private, particularly in terms of public performances of self-creation. Burroughs continues to negotiate these themes of postmodern American existence in his creative nonfiction, illustrating the possibilities for self-fashioning within the paradigms of celebrity and performance. Since the publication of Sellevision, Burroughs has crafted a unique series of memoirs which present the influences of contemporary American media and celebrity cultures as central to our self-construction and self-representation. Burroughs’ best-selling series of memoirs, Running with Scissors: A Memoir (2002), Dry: A Memoir (2003), Magical Thinking: True Stories (2004), Possible Side Effects (2006), A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father (2008), Y o u Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas (2009), and This is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike (2012) weave his life narrative through the hyper-mediated landscapes of postindustrial American culture as they emphasize contemporary culture’s fascination with celebrity and serial cultural production.
A note on fractional Duhamel’s principle and its application to a class of fractional partial differential equations

Abstract The aim of this study is to develop a fractional version of Duhamel’s principle for a class of fractional partial differential equations. Also we establish the existence of unique solution.
Institutions, Ideological Uncertainty, and the Role of Polarization

Standard models of political institutions often conceptualize decisions in terms of the constraints imposed by key decisionmakers. However, these models, and the empirical analyses they inspire, often implicitly assume that decisionmakers can infer the ideological locations and personal identities of these individuals without error. Here, we reveal the substantive importance of this assumption, showing via simulation that polarization due to partisan sorting reduces uncertainty about the ideological locations and identities of key individuals. Moreover, when we incorporate estimates of uncertainty into empirical models of veto overrides and executive order issuance, we find that lower levels of uncertainty (about both ideology and identity) are associated with higher rates of veto overrides and policy-relevant executive order issuance, though results are strongest when focusing on uncertainty over the identities of key individuals. These results have implications for the study of polarization and the use of models of institutions in political science.
The histone demethylase KDM4B regulates peritoneal seeding of ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has poor prognosis and rapid recurrence because of widespread dissemination of peritoneal metastases at diagnosis. Multiple pathways contribute to the aggressiveness of ovarian cancer, including hypoxic signaling mechanisms. In this study, we have determined that the hypoxia-inducible histone demethylase KDM4B is expressed in ∼60% of EOC tumors assayed, including primary and matched metastatic tumors. Expression of KDM4B in tumors is positively correlated with expression of the tumor hypoxia marker CA-IX, and is robustly induced in EOC cell lines exposed to hypoxia. KDM4B regulates expression of metastatic genes and pathways, and loss of KDM4B increases H3K9 trimethylation at the promoters of target genes like LOXL2, LCN2 and PDGFB. Suppressing KDM4B inhibits ovarian cancer cell invasion, migration and spheroid formation in vitro. KDM4B also regulates seeding and growth of peritoneal tumors in vivo, where its expression corresponds to hypoxic regions. This is the first demonstration that a Jumonji-domain histone demethylase regulates cellular processes required for peritoneal dissemination of cancer cells, one of the predominant factors affecting prognosis of EOC. The pathways regulated by KDM4B may present novel opportunities to develop combinatorial therapies to improve existing therapies for EOC patients.
Formal Elements of Contract and Fiduciary Law

Contract law, with its history in the dual systems of law and equity, has resources that allow courts to announce determinate, seemingly absolute, rules but make exceptions at the enforcement stage when the outcome of the rules seems particularly harsh. For better or worse, fiduciary law does not support a comparable type of compromise between determinate rules and equitable exceptions.
The Effects of Spatial Scale and Aggregation on Food Access Assessment: A Case Study of Tucson, Arizona

Adequate access to healthy food has become a social issue due to the recent Great Recession and heightened levels of unemployment. Geographers have focused their attention on how to accurately evaluate food access and how to identify and delineate food deserts; that is, low-income neighborhoods where affordable and healthy food is lacking or limited. Findings of recent food access studies are, however, dramatically inconsistent. We argue that spatial scale and the level of aggregation used in constructing food access measures could account for a major portion of the varying results. We draw on an empirical study in the Tucson, Arizona, metropolitan area, to examine how varying geographic scales and aggregation methods affect food access assessment. We also provide an analysis to show how spatial scale and aggregation practices lead to inconsistent conclusions about food access and designation of food deserts.
Health Benefits and Cost-Effectiveness of Brief Clinician Tobacco Counseling for Youth and Adults

PURPOSE To help clinicians and care systems determine the priority for tobacco counseling in busy clinic schedules, we assessed the lifetime health and economic value of annually counseling youth to discourage smoking initiation and of annually counseling adults to encourage cessation. METHODS We conducted a microsimulation analysis to estimate the health impact and cost effectiveness of both types of tobacco counseling in a US birth cohort of 4,000,000. The model used for the analysis was constructed from nationally representative data sets and structured literature reviews. RESULTS Compared with no tobacco counseling, the model predicts that annual counseling for youth would reduce the average prevalence of smoking cigarettes during adult years by 2.0 percentage points, whereas annual counseling for adults will reduce prevalence by 3.8 percentage points. Youth counseling would prevent 42,686 smoking-attributable fatalities and increase quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) by 756,601 over the lifetime of the cohort. Adult counseling would prevent 69,901 smoking-attributable fatalities and increase QALYs by 1,044,392. Youth and adult counseling would yield net savings of $225 and $580 per person, respectively. If annual tobacco counseling was provided to the cohort during both youth and adult years, then adult smoking prevalence would be 5.5 percentage points lower compared with no counseling, and there would be 105,917 fewer smoking-attributable fatalities over their lifetimes. Only one-third of the potential health and economic benefits of counseling are being realized at current counseling rates. CONCLUSIONS Brief tobacco counseling provides substantial health benefits while producing cost savings. Both youth and adult intervention are high-priority uses of limited clinician time.
Abstract 529: A Chloride Intracellular Channel-4 (Clic4) and VEGF-A Signaling Pathway Regulates Maturation of the Collateral Circulation

The density of native (pre-existing) cerebral collaterals in healthy tissues varies widely and is a major determinant of the wide variation in infarct volume in ischemic stroke. Collateral number in adults has been shown to be dependent on 3 processes: formation in the embryo, maturation in the perinate (i.e. slight pruning, increase in diameterand muralization) and maintenance thereafter. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes are not well understood. We previously found that collaterogenesis is led by a unique “arteriolar” angiogenic sprouting-like mechanism involving the VEGF-Notch signaling pathway. We also observed that mice lacking chloride intracellular protein 4 (Clic4), a protein which appears to reside upstream of VEGF-A in hypoxia-induced signaling, had fewer pial collaterals on postnatal day (P)1 that underwent greater pruning by P21, to yield lower collateral number and more severe stroke in adults. Therefore, herein we hypothesized that Clic4 is required for both formation and maturation of the collateral circulation. Wildtype and Clic4 -/- mice formed similar numbers of collaterals through embryonic day (E)18.5. Thus, collaterogenesis does not require Clic4. However, perinatal pruning was strongly augmented in Clic4 -/- mice, resulting in reduced collateral number and larger infarct volume in adults after MCA occlusion. Pial diameter was also reduced, consistent with our previous findings. Overexpression of VEGF-A in Clic4 -/- mice by crossing them to Vegf hi/+ mice did not affect collaterogenesis but inhibited the excessive perinatal pruning, resulting in adults with the abundant collaterals and small infarct volume seen in wildtype mice. We conclude that Clic4 is not required for embryonic collaterogenesis but is essential for perinatal stabilization of nascent collaterals through a mechanism involving VEGF signaling.
Efflux Pumps Might Not Be the Major Drivers of QAC Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are commonly used antiseptics that are now known to be subject to bacterial resistance. The prevalence and mechanisms of such resistance, however, remain underexplored. We investigated a variety of QACs, including those with multicationic structures (multiQACs), and the resistance displayed by a variety of Staphylococcus aureus strains with and without genes encoding efflux pumps, the purported main driver of bacterial resistance in MRSA. Through minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)-, kinetic-, and efflux-based assays, we found that neither the qacR/qacA system present in S. aureus nor another efflux pump system is the main reason for bacterial resistance to QACs. Our findings suggest that membrane composition could be the predominant driver that allows CA-MRSA to withstand the assault of conventional QAC antiseptics.
Method to characterize overlay tool misalignments and distortions

A new optical alignment artifact under development at NIST is described. This artifact, referred to as a stepped microcone, is designed to assist users and manufacturers of overlay metrology tools in the reduction of tool-induced measurement errors. We outline the design criteria and diamond turning lathe techniques used for manufacturing this structure. The alignment methods using this artifact allow the separation of error components associated with the optical system or the mechanical positioning systems as encountered when performing measurements in different focal planes.Although some difficulties have been encountered when performing measurements in different focal planes. Although some difficulties have been encountered in the actual diamond turning process,the data presented show some improvements with the more recent prototypes which indicate that this method of fabrication will be useful. Photometer scan data and CCD image acquisition hardware show a significant optical response at the step edges from these structures. Initial analysis of the optical response of these edges shows sensitivity to the material used and the details of the manufacturing processes.
The impact of histology on recurrence patterns in esophageal cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

Abstract Background To assess the impact of histology on recurrence patterns and survival outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer (EC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Methods We analyzed 590 consecutive EC patients who received definitive CRT from 1998 to 2014, including 182 patients (30.8%) with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 408 (69.2%) with adenocarcinoma. Recurrence pattern and timing, survival, and potential prognostic factors were compared. Results After a median follow-up time of 58.0 months, the SCC group demonstrated a comparable locoregional recurrence rate (42.9% vs. 38.0%, P = 0.264) but a significantly lower distant failure rate (27.5% vs. 48.0%, P P = 0.009) and distant metastasis-free survival ( P P = 0.12). Conclusions The patterns and sites of recurrence, survival outcomes, and prognostic factors were significantly different between esophageal SCC and adenocarcinoma.
Reduction of organelle motility by removal of potassium and other solutes

There are surprisingly few studies that describe how the composition of cell culture medium may affect the trafficking of organelles. Here we utilize time lapse multi-channel fluorescent imaging to show that short term exposure of Huh-7 cells to medium lacking potassium, sodium, or chloride strongly reduces but does not eliminate the characteristic back and forth and cell-traversing movement of fluorescent EGF (FL-EGF) containing organelles. We focused on potassium because of its relatively low abundance in media and serum and its energy requiring accumulation into cells. Upon exposure to potassium free medium, organelle motility declined steadily through 90 min and then persisted at a low level. Reduced motility was confirmed in 5 independent cell lines and for organelles of the endocytic pathway (FL-EGF and Lysotracker), autophagosomes (LC3-GFP), and mitochondria (TMRE). As has been previously established, potassium free medium also inhibited endocytosis. We expected that diminished cellular metabolism would precede loss of organelle motility. However, extracellular flux analysis showed near normal mitochondrial oxygen consumption and only a small decrease in extracellular acidification, the latter suggesting decreased glycolysis or proton efflux. Other energy dependent activities such as the accumulation of Lysotracker, TMRE, DiBAC4(3), and the exclusion of propidium iodide remained intact, as did the microtubule cytoskeleton. We took advantage of cell free in vitro motility assays and found that removal of potassium or sodium from the reconstituted cytosolic medium decreased the movement of endosomes on purified microtubules. The results indicate that although changes in proton homeostasis and cell energetics under solute depletion are not fully understood, potassium as well as sodium appear to be directly required by the motile machinery of organelles for optimal trafficking.
An Analysis of Approaches to Goal Setting in Middle Grades Personalized Learning Environments

This study investigated the goal-setting approaches of 11 middle grades teachers during the first year of their implementation of a statewide, personalized learning initiative. As an increasing num...
A Public Database of Immersive VR Videos with Corresponding Ratings of Arousal, Valence, and Correlations between Head Movements and Self Report Measures

Virtual reality (VR) has been proposed as a methodological tool to study the basic science of psychology and other fields. One key advantage of VR is that sharing of virtual content can lead to more robust replication and representative sampling. A database of standardized content will help fulfil this vision. There are two objectives to this study. First, we seek to establish and allow public access to a database of immersive VR video clips that can act as a potential resource for studies on emotion induction using virtual reality. Second, given the large sample size of participants needed to get reliable valence and arousal ratings for our video, we were able to explore the possible links between the head movements of the observer and the emotions he or she feels while viewing immersive VR. To accomplish our goals, we sourced for and tested 73 immersive VR clips which participants rated on valence and arousal dimensions using self-assessment manikins. We also tracked participants’ rotational head movements as they watched the clips, allowing us to correlate head movements and affect. Based on past research, we predicted relationships between the standard deviation of head yaw and valence and arousal ratings. Results showed that the stimuli varied reasonably well along the dimensions of valence and arousal, with a slight underrepresentation of clips that are of negative valence and highly arousing. The standard deviation of yaw positively correlated with valence, while a significant positive relationship was found between head pitch and arousal. The immersive VR clips tested are available online as supplemental material.
La intensidad tecnológica de exportaciones bienes creativos: una comparación entre Brasil y Argentina entre 2003 y 2012

Trade between nations has been differentiated as the growing global flow added creative goods and services. Exports stemmed these industries are not necessarily imbued with technological intensity. In this sense, the purpose of this article is to present a classification of evidence analysis of exports of different creative sectors and technology intensity, making use of the data published by UNCTAD, between Brazil and Argentina. The research methodology is characterized as applied quantitative and qualitative nature. The results show the need to enhance the inclusion of the most dynamic sectors in the export list with creative goods with higher added value, contributing to greater income generation, strengthening local capacity.
From on Body to Out of Body User Experience

Today's most common user interfaces represent an incremental change from the GUI popularized by the Apple Macintosh in 1984. Over the last 30 years the dominant hardware has changed drastically while the user interface has barely moved: from one hand on a mouse to two fingers on a panel of glass. I will illustrate how we are building on-body interfaces of the future that further engage our bodies by using muscle sensing for input and vibrotactile output, offering discrete and natural interaction on the go. I will also show how other interfaces we are designing take an even more radical approach, moving the interface off the human body altogether and onto drones that project into the space around them. Finally, I will introduce a new project where we envision buildings as hybrid physical-digital spaces that both sense and actuate to improve human wellbeing.
Familial intellectual disability as a result of a derivative chromosome 22 originating from a balanced translocation (3;22) in a four generation family

Balanced reciprocal translocation is usually an exchange of two terminal segments from different chromosomes without phenotypic effect on the carrier while leading to increased risk of generating unbalanced gametes. Here we describe a four-generation family in Shandong province of China with at least three patients sharing severe intellectual disability and developmental delay resulting from a derivative chromosome 22 originating from a balanced translocation (3;22) involving chromosomes 3q28q29 and 22q13.3. The proband and his relatives were detected by using karyotyping, chromosome microarray analysis, fluorescent in situ hybridization and real-time qPCR. The proband, a 17 month-old boy, presented with severe intellectual disability, developmental delay, specific facial features and special posture of hands. Pedigree analysis showed that there were at least three affected patients. The proband and other two living patients manifested similar phenotypes and were identified to have identically abnormal cytogenetic result with an unbalanced translocation of 9.0 Mb duplication at 3q28q29 and a 1.7Mb microdeletion at 22q13.3 by karyotyping and chromosome microarray analysis. His father and other five relatives had a balanced translocation of 3q and 22q. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and real-time qPCR definitely validated the results. The abnormal phenotypes of the proband and his two living members in four generations of the family confirmed the 3q duplication and 22q13.3 deletion inherited from familial balanced translocation. This is the first report of familial balanced reciprocal translocation involving chromosomes 3q28q29 and 22q13.3 segregating through four generations.
Interdisciplinary Teaching Strategies for Designing and Building Effective Smartphone Applications

Working together, we've created an interdisciplinary project that teaches both designers and developers the life cycle and project management of mobile application development. Working with professional clients, visual arts and computer science students, we used teamwork to tackle real-world projects with deadlines, milestones, and budget constraints. Throughout the semester, students from the Advanced Interface Design and Mobile Programming classes collaborated to apply their design and programming experience to develop smartphone applications for clients. This paper presents the insights gathered from teaching this interdisciplinary course.
A model of agricultural origins.

Agriculture is one of the key innovations of human societies, yet the nature of and reasons for its emergence are debated. A new model that hindcasts past global population suggests that an improving climate increased plant productivity and human population density, facilitating domestication.
Versicherungsmathematische Grundlagen und rückversicherungstechnische Aspekte von „Preferred Lives“-Tarifen

Anhand eines „Preferred Lives“ Beispieltarifs und verschiedener Sensitivitatsanalysen zeigen wir die Moglichkeiten der individuellen Pramiengestaltung von Risikolebensversicherungen bei einer weitergehenden Differenzierung des Portfolios eines Lebensversicherungsunternehmens nach gesundheitlichen, wirtschaftlichen und soziookonomischen Gesichtspunkten auf. Zusatzlich werden die versicherungsmathematischen Grundlagen zur Kalkulation von „Preferred Lives“ Produkten sowie eine Beispielsterbetafel „Preferred/Standard“ angegeben. Abschliesend erfolgt eine detaillierte Darstellung zur Rolle des Ruckversicherers bei der Einfuhrung von Tarifen mit einer weitergehenden Differenzierung des Bestands.
Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralization During Co-Utilization of Biosolids and Composts

Increasing the consumer value of organic wastes through co-utilization or mixing is directly related to organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization when the mixture is used as a soil amendment. The objective of this study was to put forward a protocol that can be used to estimate the behavior of a mixture of biosolids and composts in a co-utilization program from the perspective of decomposability and release of plant available nitrogen (PAN) over time. Published literature suggested that the components of such mixtures would decompose in similar manner whether alone or in combination, and that net N immobilization characteristics of components with high C:N ratios could be overcome. Using the proper ratio of the components was essential to the development of a soil amendment which was more valuable than its components. Three mixtures for co-utilization of organic wastes were assessed using the computer simulation model, DECOMPOSITION. Municipal biosolids was mixed with paper mill sludge, leaf litter, and municipal solid waste (MSW) compost. Weather at Baltimore, MD, was selected for these simulations, with mixtures being applied in April. In each case a ratio was found to make a product with good N availability, but each mixture was sufficiently decomposable to limit its ability to increase soil organic matter (OM). The organic wastes most resistant to decomposition, very stable composts, were evaluated for potential to increase soil organic matter. Simulation of very stable compost decomposition showed that they would increase soil organic matter if applied annually for an extended period. These composts were also a good source of PAN after several years of application to soil.
Looters or political protesters? Attributions for civil unrest in American cities.

Abstract Civil unrest and riots in the U.S. engender considerable attention. Much of the civil unrest from the 1960s, and recent incidents, likely result from many factors, including poverty, police practices, and negative motivations of some unrest participants. However, not all observers view these events from the same perspective. We contend that individuals often interpret events through social identities, such as race and partisanship, and thus causal attributions for unrest differ widely. We employ data from three recent national surveys and examine individual interpretations of the causal forces leading to these events. Our analyses suggest that racial and political identities provide a powerful lens through which individuals come to attribute causes for civil unrest. Conflicting narratives over causes likely hinders attempts to provide solutions and reduces the likelihood of future unrest that can lead to violence.