cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attenuation of two-dimensional plasmons

We calculate the attenuation of gapless plasmons in single- and double-layer electron systems by including higher-order corrections to the electron polarization operator from the Coulomb interaction. Both particle-hole excitations and plasmons in the intermediate states contribute to the relaxation. The obtained results are in good agreement with experimental findings for temperatures above 30 K. We also make predictions for plasmon attenuation at low temperatures where no experimental data are currently available.
The Ultrastructural Spectrum of Astrocytic Neoplasms

(1987). The Ultrastructural Spectrum of Astrocytic Neoplasms. Ultrastructural Pathology: Vol. 11, No. 5-6, pp. 535-581.
Photonic media with whispering-gallery modes

We theoretically show that achieving high Q-factors of small whispering gallery mode resonators, together with significant non-harmonism (non-equidistance) of its modes, allows for extensive analogy between properties of atoms and the resonator modes. The non-harmonism in very high-Q microresonators is caused by the material as well as geometrical dispersion. The established analogy leads to creating of a "photonic" media with properties similar to those of atomic media. For instance, effective "two-level" systems can be formed within the resonator. The "levels" of the systems, i.e. the resonator modes, can be coupled with microwave or optical fields. Strong confinement of the light in the resonator along with high Q-factors results in nonlinear processes at low light levels even with small nonlinearities typical of optically transparent materials.
Racial differences in outcomes of veterans undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions.

Abstract Background In the era of stenting relatively little is known about racial differences in the outcomes of percutaneous interventions (PCI). The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were racial differences with respect to short- and long-term outcomes in veterans undergoing PCI. Methods We used the national Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patient treatment file to identify 24,625 African American and white veterans who had PCI in VA medical centers between October 1, 1994, and September 30, 1999. Baseline demographic characteristics were obtained, as was a measure of comorbidity. Short-term outcomes included hospital mortality and same-admission coronary artery bypass surgery, and long-term outcomes were vital status and rehospitalization. Multivariate statistical methods were used to adjust for patient differences when comparing both short- and long-term outcomes for African American and white veterans. Results African Americans were 11% of veterans, and in comparison with their white counterparts had more hypertension, diabetes, and acute myocardial infarction. African Americans less often underwent stenting (44% vs 49%), although hospital mortality (2.0% vs 1.9%) and same-admission bypass surgery (1.9% vs 2.2%) rates were similar. Two-year survival was 89% in African Americans and 91% in white veterans ( P =.0014), and after adjustment for covariates African Americans had slightly higher mortality rates (hazard ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.17). At 2 years almost 61% of both African American and white veterans were rehospitalized for any reason. Conclusion Short- and long-term outcomes for African American and white veterans undergoing PCI in VA medical centers were similar, although African Americans underwent stenting less often. (Am Heart J 2001;142:309-13.)
Constrained by the bank and the ballot: Unearned revenue, democracy, and state incentives to repress

Why does the discovery of oil lead to increased government repression in some countries and not others? Why is there variance in the extent to which democracy constrains state violations of human rights? We assume that an executive’s propensity to use violence against citizens is a function of the extent to which he is dependent on his citizenry. Executives can be dependent on their citizenry in two ways: (1) at the bank for financial resources, and (2) at the ballot box for political support. We argue that these considerations jointly influence executive decisions to engage in state repression, and consequently, observed human rights abuse. Using a dataset of 146 countries from 1981 to 2011, we find that democratic institutions have a moderating effect on the positive relationship between unearned revenues and human rights violations. Decreased reliance on citizens for revenue does not weaken and may actually strengthen the pacifying effect of democratic institutions on state terror. Our results suggest ...
Ensuring creative approaches in information system design

Improvement in computing capability is one way to aid US companies in recapturing competitive edge. The easy applications have been computerized; the difficult ones lie ahead. Creative approaches are needed to computerize those difficult applications. Yet IS has apparently little interest in the subject of creativity; less than a half-dozen articles on the subject have been published in the 35-year history of the discipline. The author reviewed the literature in other disciplines of art, science, engineering, psychology and education, to determine how creativity techniques had been utilized in those disciplines. The research revealed that many of those techniques are useful for the IS field. Definitions of creativity are provided, then three classifications of creativity research are reviewed: Rothenberg, Ackoff/Vergara, and Rosner/Abt. Creativity techniques are illustrated for general problem solving. The author advocates the use of creativity techniques in the information system development process at four points: near the conclusion of requirements definition, logical design, physical design and program design. Use of creativity techniques at each of these points is illustrated. By delaying convergence on a solution, new approaches and new alternatives can be generated and evaluated. These approaches can produce the systems needed to assist US companies in international competition.
The utility of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, specifically transport theory, for modeling cohort data

This article introduces a new case-based density approach to modeling big data longitudinally, which uses ordinary differential equations and the linear advection partial differential equations PDE to treat macroscopic, dynamical change as a transport issue of aggregate cases across continuous time. The novelty of this approach comes from its unique data-driven treatment of cases: which are K dimensional vectors; where the velocity vector for each case is computed according to its particular measurements on some set of empirically defined social, psychological, or biological variables. The three main strengths of this approach are its ability to: 1 translate the data driven, nonlinear trajectories of microscopic constituents cases into the linear movement of macroscopic trajectories, which take the form of densities; 2 detect the presence of multiple, complex steady state behaviors, including sinks, spiraling sources, saddles, periodic orbits, and attractor points; and 3 predict the motion of novel cases and time instances. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we used it to model a recognized cohort dynamic: the longitudinal relationship between a country's per capita gross domestic product GDP and its longevity rates. Data for the model came from the widely used Gapminder dataset. Empirical results, including the strength of the model's fit and the novelty of its results particularly on a topic of such extensive study support the utility of our new approach. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 20: 45-57, 2015
Internet medicine and the evolving legal status of the physician-patient relationship.

(2003). Internet Medicine and the Evolving Legal Status of the Physician-Patient Relationship. Journal of Legal Medicine: Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 413-455.
Identification of a Rearranged-Substrate, Product Radical Intermediate and the Contribution of a Product Radical Trap in Vitamin B12 Coenzyme-Dependent Ethanolamine Deaminase Catalysis

The radical intermediate present during steady-state turnover of substrate aminoethanol by ethanolamine deaminase from Salmonella typhimurium has been characterized by using X-band electron paramag...
Discovering and Teaching Syntactic Structures in Three Technical Disciplines

To determine whether there are different technical styles, syntactic structures at three audience levels in the published writing of three disciplines were analyzed. Our analysis discloses that different disciplines rely primarily on different types of subordinate clauses, sentence openers, and sentence types. It also discloses that paragraph length varies with audience level, as do the number of subject sentence openers and the kinds of verb constructions. Next, we compare our findings with standard textbook treatments of style and advocate a more flexible approach to the teaching of technical style, one that accounts for variations in subject matter and audience.
Binding sites on the midgut cell membrane for the synergistic factor of a granulosis virus of the armyworm (Pseudaletia unipuncta)

Abstract The midgut membrane fraction from armyworm larvae ( Pseudaletia unipuncta ) has specific binding sites for the synergistic factor (SF), a protein in the capsule matrix of a granulosis virus (GV), that enhances the infection of nuclear polyhedrosis viruses (NPVs). The GVs and NPVs are insect baculoviruses. Optimum binding of the SF was obtained after a 30 min incubation of the membrane fraction at pH 6.0. The number of binding sites is 4.20 × 10 −13 mol/50μg membrane protein and the equilibrium dissociation constant is 1.57 × 10 −9 M. Inactivation of the binding sites by trypsin and heat treatment suggests that some portion of the binding site is proteinaceous. Pre-treatment of the midgut membrane fraction with Concanavalin A and castor bean lectin also inhibits specific binding. These results support the hypothesis that the SF acts as a binding molecule for the attachment of enveloped virions of baculoviruses to the cell plasma membrane.
Use of straw tubes in high-radiation environments

Abstract We have investigated several aspects of straw tubes relating to their viability for use in SSC detectors. Gas temperature changes and the consequent gain changes resulting from the power dissipated in the tube at high rates are found to be relatively minor effects. Conduction through the gas between the wire and the wall is found to be the major mechanism by which heat is removed. Little aging is observed in straw tubes operating with any of several different gas mixtures. The dependence of aging on gas flow rate is found to be small. Water vapor at low concentrations (1000 ppm) is found to prevent breakdowns. Design and construction of straw tubes are discussed.
Adsorbtion of polyelectrolyte multilayers on plasma-modified porous polyethylene

Hydrophilic and chemically reactive porous media was prepared by adsorbing functional polymers at the surface of sintered polyethylene membranes. Modification of the membrane was accomplished by first exposing the membrane to an oxygen glow discharge gas plasma to render electrostatic charge at the membrane surfaces. A cationic polyelectrolyte was adsorbed from solution to the anionically charged surface to form an adsorbed monolayer. The adsorption of a second anionic polyelectrolyte allowed further modification of the membrane surface with a polyelectrolyte bilayer complex. In this paper we probe the effect of polymer structure on the conformation and stability of the adsorbed polyelectrolyte monolayers and bilayers on the modified polyethylene surface. Using the wicking rate of deionized, distilled water through the porous membrane to gauge the interfacial energy of the modified surface, we show that the wicking rate of the multilayer membrane can be controlled by varying the chemistry of the adsorbing polyelectrolytes and their molecular weights.
In vitro renal transport functions of the progeny of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

The effect of streptozotocin-induced gestational diabetes in the rat on the de- velopment of renal tubular functions of progeny was determined using in vitro kidney slice techniques. Accumulation of p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) by renal cortical slices (PAH S/M ratios) from progeny of diabetic mothers (PDMs) was lowest at Day 1 of age and increased from 1 to 28 days of age. For PDMs, PAH S/M ratios were similar to those observed for progeny of control mothers (PCMs) except at 10 days of age when they were significantly lower. Accumulation of a-me thylglucoside (MG) by renal cortical slices from PDMs (MG S/M ratios) was similar to that reported for PCMs, except at 10 days of age when accumulation was significantly depressed in PDMs. Accumulation of N-methylnicotinamide (NMN) by renal cortical slices (NMN S/M ratios) from PDMs was similar to that of PCMs. NMN S/M ratios were lowest at birth and increased with age. Accumulation of a-amino- isobutyric acid (AIB) by renal cortical slices (AIB SN ratios) from PDMs was no different than that from PCMs. AIB S/M ratios were highest at birth and decreased with age. It was concluded that gestational diabetes differentially affected renal tubular transport functions in the progeny.
O-Carboxymethylstarch Amine Polyampholytes as Papermaking Additives

Xanthated starch amine (XSA) polyampholytes, containing cationic amine and anionic xanthate substituents, improve both wet and dry strengths of paper when they are applied before formation of paper web. However, neither cationic starch amines nor starch xanthates, when applied individually, give the wet-strength property. The potential for ampholytic starches, in general, to affect this important property was investigated. Multivalent cations (Fe+3, Al+3) improved the paper wet strength independently of carboxymethylstarch amine derivates. O-Carboxymethylstarkeamin-Polyampholyte als Zusatze bei der Papierherstellung. Xanthogenierte Starkeamin-Polyampholyte, die kationische Amin- und anionische Xanthatsubstituenten enthalten, verbessern sowohl die Nas- als auch die Trockenfestigkeit von Papier, wenn sie vor der Bildung der Papierbahn eingesetzt werden. Dagegen wird durch den jeweils alleinigen Einsatz von kationischen Starkeaminen oder Starkexanthaten keine Nasfestigkeit erzielt. Die Fahigkeit ampholytischer Starken zur Beeinflussung dieser wichtigen Eigenschaft wurde untersucht. Multivalente Kationen (Fe+3, Al+3) verbesserten die Nasfestigkeit unabhangig von Carboxymethylstarkeamin-Derivaten.
The cognitive apprenticeship analogue: a strategy for using ITS technology for the delivery of instruction and as a research tool for the study of teaching and learning

Abstract In this paper, a general overview of the components which have characterized the development of intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) over the past fifteen years is provided. Accompanying the overview of each component is a discussion of limitations which, we feel, restrict the extent to which ITS technology can be useful as an instructional delivery vehicle and as a tool which can be used to learn about the processes which underlie teaching and learning. These limitations, however, can be compensated for by altering how and for what purposes ITSs are developed and implemented. Our goal in writing this paper, in addition to discussing the problems associated with present ITS approaches, is to present a set of suggestions which we feel can guide the development and implementations of ITSs such that their potential for useful instructional tools can be enhanced and extended. We argue for the development of ITSs which: (i) progressively and as much as possible reduce the a priori restrictions that are placed on learners as they learn new content. Technology should empower the learner as a learner, enabling him/her to uncover the “mysteries” of new knowledge. Technology should not rob learners of the joy of discovery the “aha!” experience. It should, however, facilitate the integration of new findings into existing cognitive frameworks, and provide opportunities for learners to examine and expose misunderstandings and misconceptions about how the “universe” operates; (ii) enable educators to reliably determine and report what is being learned and mastered against some set of standards which exist independent of the learning environment; and (iii) provide opportunities for educators to learn about how learning is occurring and intercede (real-time if necessary) in ways that can alter and improve (either temporarily or permanently) the environment within which student interactions are occurring.
Anaerobic/Aerobic Composting of Soil Contaminated with 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene

Abstract A loam soil from Pennsylvania without a history of exposure to explosives was incubated with 5 g kg−1 of 15N-labeled 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 200 μCi kg−1 of 14C-TNT for 3 days and then amended with compost at a 1:2 soil to compost ratio. The compost was prepared by mixing 40% alfalfa hay, 40% grass hay, 10% spent mushroom compost, and 10% municipal biosolids. The mixture of soil and compost was inoculated with methanogens from cattle manure, amended with glucose and starch, and incubated for 37 days under anaerobic conditions. The anaerobic incubation was followed by 26 days of forced aerobic incubation. At the end of the aerobic phase, most of the radioactivity was associated with organic matter; only 8.7% could be extracted with water and methanol, but no TNT was present in the extracts as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The unextractable radioactivity was associated with humic acid (40.0±1.0%), fulvic acid (14.3±1.4%), and humin (28.2±0.5%). Radioactive materials ...
Portal-phase contrast-enhanced helical CT for the detection of malignant hepatic tumors: sensitivity based on comparison with intraoperative and pathologic findings.

The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity of portal-phase IV contrast-enhanced helical CT in detecting malignant hepatic tumors using a lesion-by-lesion comparison with surgical and pathologic findings.Preoperative portal-phase contrast-enhanced helical CT studies in 21 patients (13 men, eight women) with malignant neoplasms of the liver (12 patients with primary hepatic tumors, nine patients with metastases) were reviewed retrospectively by three radiologists with the knowledge that hepatic malignancies were present in each case. Helical CT findings were compared with intraoperative findings by palpation (21 patients), sonography (15 patients), and the results of pathologic examination of resected specimens (10 patients) in a lesion-by-lesion manner. Sixty-four malignant nodules were identified in resected specimens or at surgery by palpation or intraoperative sonography. For each nodule identified by surgical or pathologic means, CT findings were reviewed for the presence of a lesion of...
Person Tracking in Smart Rooms using Dynamic Programming and Adaptive Subspace Learning

We present a robust vision system for single person tracking inside a smart room using multiple synchronized, calibrated, stationary cameras. The system consists of two main components, namely initialization and tracking, assisted by an additional component that detects tracking drift. The main novelty lies in the adaptive tracking mechanism that is based on subspace learning of the tracked person appearance in selected two-dimensional camera views. The sub-space is learned on the fly, during tracking, but in contrast to the traditional literature approach, an additional "forgetting" mechanism is introduced, as a means to reduce drifting. The proposed algorithm replaces mean-shift tracking, previously employed in our work. By combining the proposed technique with a robust initialization component that is based on face detection and spatio-temporal dynamic programming, the resulting vision system significantly outperforms previously reported systems for the task of tracking the seminar presenter in data collected as part of the CHIL project
PLUMAGE EVOLUTION IN THE OROPENDOLAS AND CACIQUES: DIFFERENT DIVERGENCE RATES IN POLYGYNOUS AND MONOGAMOUS TAXA

Avian plumage colors are frequently used in studies of sexual selection, yet surprisingly little is known about how these traits evolve under different mating systems. We compared historical rates of divergence in male color patterns among the oropendolas and caciques (genera Cacicus, Gymnostinops, Ocyalus, and Psarocolius), a group with both polygynous and monogamous representatives. Reconstructing the evolution of individual color patches on a molecular phylogeny showed that overall color patterns have changed much more rapidly in oropendolas, which comprise two groups that evolved polygyny independently, than in caciques, which are predominantly monogamous. None of these taxa are notably sexually dichromatic, however, suggesting that higher rates of plumage evolution occurred in both sexes rather than just males. Despite high rates of change, color patterns show few examples of convergence among taxa, similar to the lack of homoplasy in male song among oropendolas but in a stark contrast to the repeated convergence in both plumage and song patterns found in a closely related, monogamous clade, the New World orioles (Icterus). Our results support previous suggestions that display traits evolve more rapidly and with less homoplasy in polygynous mating systems, and we provide surprising evidence that these patterns may occur in both sexes.
Cost‐constrained G‐efficient Response Surface Designs for Cuboidal Regions

In many industrial experiments there are restrictions on the resource (or cost) required for performing the runs in a response surface design. This will require practitioners to choose some subset of the candidate set of experimental runs. The appropriate selection of design points under resource constraints is an important aspect of multi-factor experimentation. A well-planned experiment should consist of factor-level combinations selected such that the resulting design will have desirable statistical properties but the resource constraints should not be violated or the experimental cost should be minimized. The resulting designs are referred to as cost-efficient designs. We use a genetic algorithm for constructing cost-constrained G-efficient second-order response surface designs over cuboidal regions when an experimental cost at a certain factor level is high and a resource constraint exists. Consideration of practical resource (or cost) restrictions and different cost structures will provide valuable information for planning effective and economical experiments when optimizing statistical design properties. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decline in Phytohemagglutinin Responsiveness of Spleen Cells from Aging Mice

Discussion and SummaryThe present data show a dramatic age-related decrease in cell-mediated immunity as measured by in vitro3H-dThd incorporation by PHA-stimulated mouse spleen cells. Thus, not only is there a marked decline in humoral immune responsiveness during senescence (5), but it now appears that a significant decrease in cell-mediated immunity also occurs. It has been recently reported from this laboratory by Peterson et al. (18), that spleen cells from aged animals are less effective in producing acute mortality in the classical graft-versus-host reaction. Concurrently with these studies, Goodman and Makinodan (19) have observed a marked decrease in cell-mediated immune responsiveness assessed by in vivo allogeneic tumor resistance and in vitro cytolytic activity. Walford and associates (20) have also recently reported a decline in cell-mediated immunity as measured by the in vitro mixed lymphocyte reaction. The present and aforementioned systematic studies were all carried out in inbred mice, w...
Mesenteric Ischemia Affects Young Adults with Predisposition

An 8-year retrospective review of Indiana University Hospital records consisting of any patient age 18 to 40 years old who presented with arterial mesenteric ischemia was performed. Three patients were identified that met our criteria. The first patient was discovered to have a protein C deficiency. The second patient was afflicted with afibrinoginemia, a protein C and an anti-thrombin III deficiency. The third patient had been previously diagnosed with Takayasu's arteritis and had an elevated ESR. Each patient had a protracted course of symptoms before mesenteric disease was considered, confirmed by angiography, and treated by arterial bypass with/without bowel resection. All patients survived and are currently asymptomatic at an average of 2 years postoperatively. Mesenteric ischemia in patients under the age of 40, especially in the absence of cocaine use, is rare and often causes a delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The high incidence of hypercoagulable states in our study cases suggests the need for a search for such disorders and the possible need for long-term anticoagulation therapy as a deterrent to recurrence.
Auxiliary Sensory Cues Improve Automatic Postural Responses in Individuals With Diabetic Neuropathy

Background. A loss of sensation in the lower limbs, observed in individuals with diabetes as well as elderly individuals, contributes to postural instability, altered gait patterns, increased risk ...
Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein 1 Promotes Anti-apoptotic Signaling in Neurons by Activating Akt Survival Pathway

The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) is a multi-ligand receptor abundantly expressed in neurons. Previous work has shown that brain LRP1 levels are decreased during aging and in Alzheimer disease. Although mounting evidence has demonstrated a role for LRP1 in the metabolism of apolipoprotein E/lipoprotein and amyloid-β peptide, whether LRP1 also plays a direct role in neuronal survival is not clear. Here, we show that LRP1 expression is critical for the survival of primary neurons under stress conditions including trophic withdrawal, the presence of apoptosis inducers, or amyloid-β-induced neurotoxicity. Using lentiviral short hairpin RNA to knock down endogenous LRP1 expression, we showed that a depletion of LRP1 leads to an activation of caspase-3 and increased neuronal apoptosis, an effect that was rescued by a caspase-3 inhibitor. A correlation between decreased Akt phosphorylation and the activation of caspase-3 was demonstrated in LRP1 knocked down neurons. Notably, LRP1 knockdown decreased insulin receptor levels in primary neurons, suggesting that decreased neuronal survival might be a consequence of an impaired insulin receptor signaling pathway. Correspondingly, both insulin receptor and phospho-Akt levels were decreased in LRP1 forebrain knock-out mice. These results demonstrate that LRP1 mediates anti-apoptotic function in neurons by regulating insulin receptor and the Akt survival pathway and suggest that restoring LRP1 expression in Alzheimer disease brain might be beneficial to inhibiting neurodegeneration.
Calcimimetics and the Treatment of Primary and Secondary Hyperparathyroidism

OBJECTIVETo review the mechanism of action, development, and clinical application of the calcimimetic compounds being investigated for the treatment of primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT).DATA SOURCESA MEDLINE search (1990–April 2004) was performed to identify all published articles related to calcimimetics. Published abstracts over the previous 5 years from various scientific meetings (American Society of Nephrology, American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, American Society of Bone and Mineral Research) were also searched for reports regarding investigational calcimimetic agents. Data on cinacalcet HCI were provided by Amgen, Inc.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONStudies were selected based on number of patients included, relevance to the approved indications, and inclusion of pharmacokinetic and drug interaction information.DATA SYNTHESISThe investigational calcimimetic compounds directly modulate the calcium-sensing receptor and can produce at least a 30% reduction in p...
The Role Of Context In Work Team Diversity Research: A Meta-Analytic Review

Integrating macro and micro theoretical perspectives, we conducted a meta-analysis examining the role of contextual factors in team diversity research. Using data from 8,757 teams in 39 studies conducted in organizational settings, we examined whether contextual factors at multiple levels, including industry, occupation, and team, influenced the performance outcomes of relations-oriented and task-oriented diversity. The direct effects were very small yet significant, and after we accounted for industry, occupation, and team-level contextual moderators, they doubled or tripled in size. Further, occupation- and industry-level moderators explained significant variance in effect sizes across studies.
Cooperative Groups: Alternative Assessment for Students with Disabilities?

This article describes the results for students with mild disabilities who participated in a state science assessment with cooperative groups. The students with disabilities participated at the grade level of their enrolled or functional educational level. Results for students with disabilities from both the objective and group parts of the assessment were consistent with expectations in relation to results for general education students. However, further studies are needed of the abilities measured by the assessment scores for students with disabilities, especially the relation of individual and group scores from the project. In addition, examination of residuals from regression analyses did not indicate any negative effects on group performance from the participation of students with disabilities in the cooperative groups. The residuals analyses also showed that further investigation is needed into the nature of the participation in cooperative groups for some students with disabilities.
Plasmonic integrated optics: Going the last few microns

Plasmonic integrated optics is an attempt to bridge the length scale gap between optics and nanometer scale electronic devices. Here we present a hybrid optical interconnect scheme which utilizes low loss dielectric waveguides for global interconnection and plasmonic structures for tightly confining light for local routing and mode manipulation.
Exchangeable models of complex inherited diseases.

A model of unlinked diallelic loci affecting the risk of a complex inherited disease is explored. The loci are equivalent in their effect on disease risk and are in Hardy–Weinberg and linkage equilibrium. The goal is to determine what assumptions about dependence of disease risk on genotype are consistent with data for diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, and multiple sclerosis that are relatively common (0.1–2% prevalence) and that have high concordance rates for monozygotic twins (30–50%) and high risks to first-degree relatives of affected individuals (risk ratios exceeding 4). These observations are consistent with a variety of models, including generalized additive, multiplicative, and threshold models, provided that disease risk increases rapidly for a narrow range of numbers of causative alleles. If causative alleles are in relatively high frequency, then the combined effects of numerous causative loci are necessary to substantially elevate disease risk.
Severe Weather in United States Under a Changing Climate

The science has become clear and convincing that the Earth's climate is rapidly changing [e.g., Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2014]. Along with the overall changes in climate, there is strong evidence of an increasing trend over recent decades in the frequency, intensity, and duration of some types of extreme weather events, with resulting effects on U.S. society.
Antlion Strategy for Enzyme Specificity

The role of protein conformational dynamics in enzyme specificity and efficiency has held the fascination of enzymologists since the original debates over “lock and key” versus “induced-fit” mechanisms. Recent data has shown that the large, substrate-induced conformational changes are an important governor of enzyme specificity. Molecular dynamics simulations hold the promise for atomically detailed analysis of induced-fit mechanisms, but the large spatial and temporal scales are a challenge. Therefore, conformational transitions and induced fits on the millisecond scale have been studied infrequently and represent a major frontier in computer simulation. Here we investigated induced-fit mechanisms using Directional Milestoning applied to HIV reverse transcriptase for both correct and mismatched base pairs. The predicted rate and free energy profiles agree with available experimental data, including new single molecule kinetic measurements. The substrate-induced conformational change proceeds through a transition-state with motions of up to 25 A in approximately 250 μs. The induced-fit mechanism affords specificity based upon a kinetic rather than a thermodynamic selection, which we liken to the manner in which an antlion captures its prey by digging a hole in the sand and waiting. Ants fall into the hole and are slow to escape and so they are eaten, whereas larger insects, which might see the antlion as prey, rapidly climb out of the hole. The substrate-induced conformational change is rapid and affords fast sampling of the bound nucleotide. A correct nucleotide leads to tight binding and alignment of catalytic residues to promote catalysis while a mismatched base precludes the formation of the tight binding state and the rapid opening of the specificity loop affords release of the mismatch.
Intervening With Conversation Analysis: The Case of Medicine

In this article, we discuss the notion of a ‘conversation analytic intervention,’ focusing on the role of conversation analysis in the major stages of intervention research, epitomized by the randomized controlled trial, the gold standard for intervention in the medical sciences. These stages embrace development, feasibility and piloting, evaluation, and implementation. We describe how conversation analytic methods are used as part of the first two stages and how a conversation analytic skill base and sensibility must be deployed in managing the last two stages. Through a review of practical requirements for successful, externally-funded intervention research, we provide suggestions for how to maximize the potential for basic, conversation analytic research to eventuate in intervention. Data are in American English.
A Spectral Parameterization of Drag, Eddy Diffusion, and Wave Heating for a Three-Dimensional Flow Induced by Breaking Gravity Waves

Abstract There are three distinct processes by which upward-propagating gravity waves influence the large-scale dynamics and energetics of the middle atmosphere: (i) nonlocalized transport of momentum through wave propagation in three dimensions that remotely redistributes atmospheric momentum in both zonal and meridional directions from wave generation to wave dissipation regions; (ii) localized diffusive transport of momentum, heat, and tracers due to mixing induced by wave breaking; and (iii) localized transport of heat by perturbing wave structures due to dissipation that redistributes the thermal energy within a finite domain. These effects become most significant for breaking waves when momentum drag, eddy diffusion, and wave heating— the “breaking trinity”—are all imposed on the background state. This paper develops a 3D parameterization scheme that self-consistently includes the breaking trinity in large-scale numerical models. The 3D parameterization scheme is developed based on the general relat...
Adaptive Control for Compartmental Dynamical Systems with Disturbance Rejection Guarantees

Compartmental system models involve dynamic states whose values are nonnegative. These models are widespread in biological and physiological sciences and play a key role in understanding these processes. In this paper, we develop a direct adaptive control framework for compartmental dynamical systems with exogenous bounded disturbances. The proposed framework is Lyapunov-based and guarantees partial asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system, that is, asymptotic stability with respect to part of the closed loop system states associated with the plant dynamics. The remainder of the states associated with the adaptive gains are shown to be Lyapunov stable. Finally, in the case of bounded energy L2 disturbances the proposed approach guarantees a non-expansivity constraint on the closed-loop input-output map.
Mechanisms of G protein-coupled receptor-mediated degranulation

Mast cells and neutrophils play a major role in the innate immune response. Following invasion of the host by microorganisms, these immune cells become activated and release anti-microbial cytotoxic granules in an effort to destroy invading microorganisms in a process termed degranulation. By-products from the degradation of microorganisms can also activate G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which can further activate immune cells. While degranulation of basophils has been extensively characterized for IgE receptors, the signaling pathways initiated by GPCRs that lead to degranulation and the regulation of these pathways during the degranulation response are areas of active study. This review summarizes the current understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of degranulation through GPCRs.
Digenetic Trematodes of Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana (Chiroptera: Molossidae) and Myotis californicus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Northern California, U.S.A

Abstract Nine bats, 3 Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana, and 6 Myotis californicus, collected from 2 locations in Northern California between September 1968 and April 1969 were found to harbor 4 species of digeneans: Plagiorchis vespertelionis, Paralecithodendrium carlsbadensis, Paralecithodendrium transversum, and Paralecithodendrium Swansoni. These findings represent new locality records for all and a new host record for P. transversum.
Genetic Evidence Suggests that the Intergenic Region between pstA and pstB Plays a Role in the Regulation of rpoS Translation during Phosphate Limitation

In addition to the Pho regulon, phosphate starvation also stimulates the accumulation of RpoS. Several deletion mutations within the pstSCAB-phoU operon were tested for the accumulation of RpoS during exponential growth. Our data suggest that the processed 3' end of the pstA message stimulates translation of rpoS.
Formal Analysis and Synthesis of Bilateral Switching Networks

Formal procedures for the analysis and synthesis of two-terminal combinational bilateral switching networks are presented. A bilateral switching network is one which contains only elements having the same switching transmission characteristic in both directions. Following the definitions for the terminology and notation, where some new terms are introduced, the definitions for a series-parallel network, a bridge element, and a bridge network are given. A condition, called the bridge condition, to test a given transmission function for possible bridge network realizations is presented. A stepwise decomposition procedure is developed which may be used for the analysis and synthesis of the series and parallel parts of the network. The steps are described both with linear graphs and connection matrices. The bridge condition partially formalizes bridge network synthesis. Redundant variables also are considered as an aid to network synthesis. Under certain conditions, the synthesis yields network realizations with the fewest possible number of elements.
Antibody to Capsular Polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae at the Time of Hospital Admission for Pneumococcal Pneumonia

IgG to capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of Streptococcus pneumoniae is thought to provide the greatest degree of protection against pneumococcal disease. Serum obtained at hospital admission from 14 (27%) of 51 patients with bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia and 11 (37%) of 30 with nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia contained IgG to CPS of the infecting serotype; these percentages are similar to the prevalence of IgG to CPS in a control population. However, when compared with antibody from healthy adults, this IgG had far less capacity to opsonize the infecting pneumococcal serotype for phagocytosis in vitro by normal human polymorphonuclear leukocytes or to protect mice against experimental challenge. Failure to opsonize correlated closely with failure to protect mice, and each of these parameters correlated well with poor avidity for CPS. Future vaccine studies may need to examine the functional capacity of antibodies as a surrogate for infection, in addition to measuring their concentration in serum.
Future foam: Nontrivial topology from bubble collisions in eternal inflation

We study pocket universes which have zero cosmological constant and nontrivial boundary topology. These arise from bubble collisions in eternal inflation. Using a simplified dust model of collisions we find that boundaries of any genus can occur. Using a radiation shell model we perform analytic studies in the thin-wall limit to show the existence of geometries with a single toroidal boundary. We give plausibility arguments that higher genus boundaries can also occur. In geometries with one boundary of any genus a timelike observer can see the entire boundary. Geometries with multiple disconnected boundaries can also occur. In the spherical case with two boundaries the boundaries are separated by a horizon. Our results suggest that the holographic dual description for eternal inflation, proposed by Freivogel, Sekino, Susskind and Yeh, should include summation over the genus of the base space of the dual conformal field theory. We point out peculiarities of this genus expansion compared to the string perturbation series.
Electrooptic Q switching of the Nd:YVO 4 laser without an intracavity polarizer

An explanation of the excellent Q -switched lasing of Nd:YVO 4 at pump levels many times threshold with no intracavity polarizer is presented. A small wedge between the laser rod's end faces, coupled with the material's high birefringence, enables the rod to act as its own intraeavity polarizer. This results in a simplification of the Q -switched optical resonator and can be applied to other birefringent laser materials.
Database decomposition of a knowledge-based CAD system in mammography: an ensemble approach to improve detection

Although ensemble techniques have been investigated in supervised machine learning, their potential with knowledge-based systems is unexplored. The purpose of this study is to investigate the ensemble approach with a knowledge-based (KB) CAD system for the detection of masses in screening mammograms. The system is designed to determine the presence of a mass in a query mammographic region of interest (ROI) based on its similarity with previously acquired examples of mass and normal cases. Similarity between images is assessed using normalized mutual information. Two different approaches of knowledge database decomposition were investigated to create the ensemble. The first approach was random division of the knowledge database into a pre-specified number of equal size, separate groups. The second approach was based on k-means clustering of the knowledge cases according to common texture features extracted from the ROIs. The ensemble components were fused using a linear classifier. Based on a database of 1820 ROIs (901 masses and 919 and the leave-one-out crossvalidation scheme, the ensemble techniques improved the performance of the original KB-CAD system (Az = 0.86±0.01). Specifically, random division resulted in ROC area index of Az = 0.90 ± 0.01 while k-means clustering provided further improvement (Az = 0.91 ± 0.01). Although marginally better, the improvement was statistically significant. The superiority of the k-means clustering scheme was robust regardless of the number of clusters. This study supports the idea of incorporation of ensemble techniques with knowledge-based systems in mammography.
THE DETECTION OF POLIOMYELITIS VIRUS IN FLIES COLLECTED DURING EPIDEMICS OF POLIOMYELITIS II. CLINICAL CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH FLIES WERE COLLECTED

During the summer and fall of 1941, 19 samples of flies were collected in epidemic areas both during and after epidemics of poliomyelitis. Of 8 samples collected for the most part during the latter part of a local epidemic but within 10 days of the onset of a local case of poliomyelitis, 4 yielded the virus; whereas of 8 samples collected more than 10 days from the onset of the last local case, none yielded the virus. In 4 instances there was a potential (though not proven) source of virus (in the form of "exposed" human feces of recent origin) within a few yards or few feet of the site where fly collections were made. Collections of flies from 3 of these sites yielded the virus. No attempt is made in this paper to develop epidemiological implications from this finding.
Aircraft Radio Installations

This paper deals in a general manner with the technical aspects of aircraft radio design and installation, and illustrates the trend of development during recent years. Radio conditions and installations aboard dirigibles (lighter-than-air craft) are described and compared with the more severe conditions and requirements aboard airplanes (heavier-than-air craft). The bearing of these special conditions both on receiver and transmitter design is shown, resulting in highly specialized equipment for aircraft use, with several distinct means of power supply. Described and illustrated are also various expeditionary aircraft radio installations, emergency radio equipment, some special high-frequency aircraft radio apparatus, as well as some standard installations in naval planes. Advantages and disadvantages of various directional radio applications for aircraft navigation are shown. The paper concludes with a brief description of recently developed commercial radio equipment, and an enumeration of ground radio facilities being installed by the government; these are expected to have a far-reaching influence on safety and dependability of our rapidly developing commercial air transportation.
Use of statins and breast carcinoma: A case-control study

592 Background: Statin drugs, which enzymatically inhibit HMG CoA reductase, are used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. In vitro, statins have been shown to induce apoptosis and inhibit gro...
Abstract WP301: Timing of Occurrence of MRI DWI Abnormalities in Patients with Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhages: A Subgroup Analysis from The SHRINC Trial

BACKGROUND MRI DWI abnormalities have been reported in 22-35% of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The mechanism underlying these changes is unknown. The timing of development of DWI ch...
Forecasting at the edge of the niche: Didemnum vexillum in Southeast Alaska

Controlling the spread of marine invasive species is a challenging and costly task. Maps that predict the potential spread of an invader based on known habitat preferences can be extremely valuable for assessing invasion risk and prioritizing management actions for invasion control or prevention. Most maps are developed by using environmental data on the species’ known distribution to map the potential niche of the species in a new location. However, this approach is complicated when a species spreads to an area where environmental conditions are much different than in other places it is known to exist. Didemnum vexillum was discovered in Southeast Alaska in 2010, marking the northernmost known range of this species. A self-organizing map (SOM) was used to assess potential habitat for D. vexillum in other parts of Southeast Alaska using summer and winter temperature and salinity as controlling factors. This research highlights the uncertainty of using the species’ current distribution to evaluate potential spread to an environment at the edge of a species’ environmental tolerances. It also identifies gaps in our knowledge of D. vexillum thermal and salinity tolerances, including potential synergistic and additive effects of both low temperature and low salinity, which limit investigation of mechanistic modeling methods.