cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The tale of autologous iPSCs: A monkey perspective.

The breakthrough invention of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) ignited huge excitement with the promise of unlimited autologous cell sources for future regenerative medicine.1, 2 However, before this expectation turns into reality the safety and efficacy of these autologous cell products have to be meticulously evaluated and validated. Towards this end much research effort has been concentrated on three clinically relevant aspects: tumorigenesis, immunogenesis, and efficacy. So far almost all of the in vivo studies are carried out through syngeneic mouse or human to immunocompromised mouse transplantations. While these small animal models are important in the initial proof-of-concept stages, the phylogenetic difference prevents a reliable extrapolation of the findings to the human species. On the other hand the ethical consideration renders it impossible to test iPSC products directly in human body, especially in early pre-clinical stage. The only ideal alternative model comes down to nonhuman primate due to its closeness to the human in terms of phylogenetics, physiology, and immune functions. One recent report published in the journal of Cell Reports described in detail the autologous transplantation studies using rhesus monkey iPSCs and their differentiated mesenchymal stromal cells. 3 The major findings from this study are: 1) undifferentiated rhesus iPSCs formed teratomas in the recipient animals as predicted, but with a higher input cell threshold when compared to the test using immunocompromised mouse. The formed teratomas elicited immune response, characterized as infiltrations by lymphocytes. 2) In contrast the differentiated iPSC product in the form of mesodermal stromal-like cells did not form teratomas after transplantation. As expected these cells differentiated further and formed nascent bone tissue in the implants. The differentiated engraftments and thus-derived bone tissues showed minimal signs of lymphocyte infiltrations. The significance of these findings is, for the first time, iPSCs as well as their differentiated derivatives are put to test in an autologous and immunocompetent nonhuman primate model closely related to human biology. Thus generated information will be extremely valuable in optimizing human iPSC culture and differentiation protocols to bring safe and effective cell products to the clinic trial. Disclosure The author declares no conflict of interest.
The Relation of Science to the Feminist Project

Feminists in academics have over the past fifteen years made significant contributions to our understanding of the political role of "science." These critiques of the methods and practices of science are embedded within the larger oppositional struggles of women and other marginalized groups. Sandra Harding's The Science Question in Feminism has become a classic presentation of the literature. However, Harding's continued commitment to "objective' knowledge, which is indicative of her unwillingness to relinquish certain key aspects of the western humanist tradition, serves as the basis of this author's critique of her work.
Zooplankton dynamics in Lake Mendota: short-term versus long-term changes

SUMMARY. 1 A study of zooplankton dynamics was carried out in Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, for the years 1976–80. The data were compared with those of E. A. Birge, obtained in the years 1894–96. 2 The zooplankton annual cycles and sizes of standing crop were similar in both studies. There was more year-to-year variation within each study than there was between the two studies separated by over 80 years. 3 The data are discussed in relation to the prediction of long-term change in lakes. The value of a historical data set for long-term ecological studies is emphasized.
Current social media uses and evaluations in American museums

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate how American museums are currently using social media. We assessed which social media sites are being used, to what purpose, and how this use is being evaluated. To determine which museums are using social media to increase participant engagement toward relationship maintenance, we collected 315 online surveys among American museums, and conducted nine in-depth interviews with professionals currently working with social media. Results indicate that American museum professionals believe becoming involved with social media is important. Museums are still mostly involved with one-way communication strategies using Facebook and Twitter to focus on event listing, reminders, and reaching larger or newer audiences by increasing the number of fans and promotional messaging. There is some evidence to suggest museums are trying to increase their use of social media for multi-way communication strategies.
ALGAL GLYCEROL PRODUCTION: INITIAL GLYCEROL SYNTHESIS KINETICS

A review of previous work has allowed presentation of a unified conceptual model relating the important biochemical mechanisms involved in regulating glycerol production in halophilic algae. Experimental results on the initial rate of glycerol synthesis are reported which are used to indicate sodium transport may be the rate limiting step. These and other related results are discussed in relation to the model, and to algal glycerol process considerations.
Understanding Social Research

The author has been working in the field of Science philosophy and research methology for more that a decade. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text.
Comparison of selected computer attitude scales

Attitude towards computer scales developed by experts in the area were selected for comparison. Each scale was administered to 108 undergraduate students at a major university. Reliability analyses indicated that one scale was the most reliable of the three. Each scale was also analysed with a factor analysis using the Varimax rotation procedure. Although two of the scales measured attitudes toward computers in general, the remaining scale was slightly outdated and did not account for as much of the variance as the others did. One scale accurately measured computer efficacy involving control of computers and intention to use them. Each scale measured a different dimension of attitudes towards computers, therefore selection of a scale should be determined by what type of attitude information is being sought.
A perfusionist's role in lung transplant preservation.

The major obstacles of organ transplantation are the shortage of available organs from donors and the limited time an organ remains viable. The scarcity of organs has increased the importance of ef...
Dialogic civility as pragmatic ethical praxis: an interpersonal metaphor for the public domain

This essay offers dialogic civility as a guiding interpersonal metaphor in a time of narrative disagreement, an era in which ethical standpoints that traditionally have undergirded discourse are in contrast, dispute, and disruption. Dialogic civility is an interpersonal metaphor grounded in the public domain and in a pragmatic commitment to keeping the conversation going in a time of narrative confusion and virtue fragmentation. This essay frames a pragmatic case for dialogic civility as a key interpersonal metaphor for negotiating difference in the public domain of postmodern communicative interaction.
A Novel Chronic and Detachable Indwelling Jugular Catheterization Procedure for Mice

Abstract Kelley, B. M., A. E. Bandy and L. D. Middaugh. A novel chronic and detachable indwelling jugular catheterization procedure for mice. Physiol Behav. 62(1) 163–167, 1997.—The purpose of this study was to describe and demonstrate the usefulness of a chronic, detachable, indwelling jugular catheterization apparatus in mice that can be applied to acute or chronic IV drug administration in freely moving, unrestrained mice. The application of this procedure to the study of abused drugs is particularly advantageous, because the commonly employed intraperitoneal (IP), SC, and per os (PO) routes of administration fail to mimic the near complete and instantaneous bioavailability of drugs abused by IV injection or inhalation (e.g., cocaine). Compared to current IV administration methods, the detachable catheter system presented in this paper is relatively easy to construct, simple to use, and appears to remain patent for an extended period of time. In addition, the utility of this procedure is greatly increased because the subject does not have to remain permanently attached to a complicated tether system. Thus, the test subject can be infused with a drug, detached from the catheter, and then undergo some behavioral test that would otherwise be impossible to undergo with a tethered system. For the purposes of demonstrating catheter patency and the importance of an IV route of administration, a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm was used to evaluate the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine.
Palliative surgery for malignant bowel obstruction from carcinomatosis: a systematic review.

Importance Care of patients with malignant bowel obstruction caused by peritoneal metastases may present an ethical dilemma for surgeons when nonoperative management fails. Objective To characterize outcomes of palliative surgery for malignant bowel obstruction from peritoneal carcinomatosis to guide decision making about surgery and postoperative interventions for patients with terminal illness. Evidence Review We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Knowledge, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus, and Google Scholar and performed manual searches of selected journals from inception to August 30, 2012, with no filters, limits, or language restrictions. We used database-specific combinations of the terms intestinal obstruction , malignant , surgery or surgical , and palliat *. We included studies reporting outcomes after palliative surgery for malignant bowel obstruction from peritoneal carcinomatosis from any primary malignant neoplasm and excluded case studies, curative surgery, isolated percutaneous procedures, stenting for intraluminal lesions, and studies in which benign and malignant obstructions could not be distinguished. We assessed quality with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Findings We screened 2347 unique articles, selected 108 articles for full-text review, and included 17 studies. Surgery was able to palliate obstructive symptoms for 32% to 100% of patients, enable resumption of a diet for 45% to 75% of patients, and facilitate discharge to home in 34% to 87% of patients. Mortality was high (6%-32%), and serious complications were common (7%-44%). Frequent reobstructions (6%-47%), readmissions (38%-74%), and reoperations (2%-15%) occurred. Survival was limited (median, 26-273 days), and hospitalization for surgery consumed a substantial portion of the patient’s remaining life (11%-61%). Conclusions and Relevance Although palliative surgery can benefit patients, it comes at the cost of high mortality and substantial hospitalization relative to the patient’s remaining survival time. Preoperatively, surgeons should present realistic goals and limitations of surgery. For patients choosing surgery, clarifying preferences for aggressive postoperative interventions preoperatively is critical given the high complication rate and limited survival after surgery for malignant bowel obstruction.
Avoidance of Apoptosis in Embryonic Cells of the Annual Killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus Exposed to Anoxia

Embryos of the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus have unequalled ability among vertebrates to survive longterm anoxia. Surprisingly, these embryos can survive for months in anoxia despite a large-scale decrease in ATP levels during the initial hours of anoxic exposure. These conditions are known to trigger apoptotic cell death in mammalian cells as a result of ischemia or anoxia. Anoxia-induced induction of apoptosis was investigated in four developmental stages of A. limnaeus that differ in their tolerance of anoxia, and thus may respond to anoxia uniquely. Exposure to staurosporine was used to determine if A. limnaeus cells were competent to enter apoptosis via cues other than anoxia. Apoptotic cells were identified by TUNEL assays and by measuring caspase 3/7 activity. Exposure to 48 hr of anoxia did not induce an increase in TUNEL-positive cells and generally did not lead to an increase in caspase 3/7 activity. However, treatment of anoxic embryos with 10 μM staurosporine resulted in a significant increase in caspase 3/7 activity in both normoxic and anoxic embryos. These results suggest that apoptosis is avoided in embryos of A. limnaeus following exposure to anoxia at least in part by mechanisms that prevent the activation of caspase 3/7 activity. While this mechanism remains unknown, it may be triggered by a protein kinase that can be experimentally inhibited by staurosporine.
“He” Had Me at Blue: Color Theory and Visual Art

ABSTRACT Schopenhauer and Goethe argued that colors are dangerous: When philosophers speak of colors, they often begin to rant and rave. This essay addresses the confusing and treacherous history of color theory and perception. An overview of philosophers and scientists associated with developing theories leads into a discussion of contemporary perspectives: Taussig’s notion of a “combustible mixture” and “total bodily activity” and Massumi’s idea of an “ingressive activity” are used as turning points in a discussion of Roger Hiorns’s Seizure—an excruciatingly intoxicating installation.
Beyond MIDI: the handbook of musical codes

Introduction: describing musical information. Sound related codes (1) - MIDI: MIDI extensions for musical notation (1) - noTAMIDI meta-events MIDI extensions for musical notation (2) - expressive MIDI MIDI extensions for musical notation (3) - MIDIPlus MIDI extensions for sound control - augmented MIDI. Sound-related codes (2) - other codes for representation and control: Sound music macro language the neXT scorefile the radio baton conductor score file. Musical notation codes (1) - DARMS: its dialects, and its uses the note-processor dialect the A-R dialect extensions for lute tablatures extensions for mensural notation. Musical notation codes (2) - other ASCH representations: common music notation MuTEX, musicTEXT, and musiXTEX Philip's music scribe score. Musical notation codes (3) - graphical-object descriptions: the LIME Tilia representation the nightingale notelist . Musical notation codes (4) - braille: Braille musical notation (1) - an overview Braille musical notation (2) - common signs. Codes for data management and analysis (1) - monophonic representations: the Essen associative code - a code for folksong analysis plain and easy code - a code for music bibliography. Codes for data management and analysis (2) - polyphonic representations: Humdrum and Kern - selective encoding MuseData - multipurpose representation. Representation of musical patterns and processes: encoding of compositional units a score--segmentation approach to representation. Interchange codes: HyTime and standard music description language - a document-description approach the notation interchange file format - a Windows-compliant approach standard music eXpression - interchange of common and Braille notation. Reflections: beyond codes - issues in musical representation afterword - guidelines for new codes.
Boundary‐layer behavior on continuous solid surfaces: III. The boundary layer on a continuous cylindrical surface

The behavior of laminar and turbulent boundary layers on a moving continuous cylindrical surface is investigated by the integral method, based on assumed velocity profiles that satisfy the appropriate boundary conditions. Equations for the characteristic boundary-layer parameters are presented for both the laminar and turbulent boundary layers, and comparison is made with the boundary-layer behavior over a cylindrical surface of finite length. The analysis for the laminar boundary layer with a logarithmic velocity profile leads to satisfactory results. The turbulent boundary-layer behavior on continuous cylindrical surfaces, and cylindrical surfaces of finite length, can best be investigated experimentally.
Building a task language for segmentation and recognition of user input to cooperative manipulation systems

We present the results of using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) for automatic segmentation and recognition of user motions. Previous work on recognition of user intent with man/machine interfaces has used task-level HMMs with a single hidden state for each sub-task. In contrast, many speech recognition systems employ HMMs at the phoneme level, and use a network of HMMs to model words. We analogously make use of multi-state, continuous HMMs to model action at the "gesteme" level, and a network of HMMs to describe a task or activity. As a result, we are able to create a "task language" that is used to model and segment two different tasks performed with a human-machine cooperative manipulation system. Tests were performed using force and position data recorded from an instrument held simultaneously by a robot and human operator. Experimental results show a recognition accuracy exceeding 85%. The resulting information could be used for intelligent command of virtual and teleoperated environments, and implementation of contextually appropriate virtual fixtures for dynamic operator assistance while executing complex tasks.
Effective static deadlock detection

We present an effective static deadlock detection algorithm for Java. Our algorithm uses a novel combination of static analyses each of which approximates a different necessary condition for a deadlock. We have implemented the algorithm and report upon our experience applying it to a suite of multi-threaded Java programs. While neither sound nor complete, our approach is effective in practice, finding all known deadlocks as well as discovering previously unknown ones in our benchmarks with few false alarms.
The pathology informatics curriculum wiki: Harnessing the power of user-generated content.

Background: The need for informatics training as part of pathology training has never been so critical, but pathology informatics is a wide and complex field and very few programs currently have the resources to provide comprehensive educational pathology informatics experiences to their residents. In this article, we present the pathology informatics curriculum wiki, an open, on-line wiki that indexes the pathology informatics content in a larger public wiki, Wikipedia, (and other online content) and organizes it into educational modules based on the 2003 standard curriculum approved by the Association for Pathology Informatics (API). Methods and Results: In addition to implementing the curriculum wiki at http://pathinformatics.wikispaces.com, we have evaluated pathology informatics content in Wikipedia. Of the 199 non-duplicate terms in the API curriculum, 90% have at least one associated Wikipedia article. Furthermore, evaluation of articles on a five-point Likert scale showed high scores for comprehensiveness (4.05), quality (4.08), currency (4.18), and utility for the beginner (3.85) and advanced (3.93) learners. These results are compelling and support the thesis that Wikipedia articles can be used as the foundation for a basic curriculum in pathology informatics. Conclusions: The pathology informatics community now has the infrastructure needed to collaboratively and openly create, maintain and distribute the pathology informatics content worldwide (Wikipedia) and also the environment (the curriculum wiki) to draw upon its own resources to index and organize this content as a sustainable basic pathology informatics educational resource. The remaining challenges are numerous, but largest by far will be to convince the pathologists to take the time and effort required to build pathology informatics content in Wikipedia and to index and organize this content for education in the curriculum wiki.
Repetitive/restricted behaviours and interests in children with cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder.

Objective: To inspect the presence and severity of deficits in restricted and/or repetitive behaviours and interests (RRBIs) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).Methods: Children studied (18–35 months of age) belonged to one of three diagnostic groups: children with CP and autism (n = 11), children with CP and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS; n = 10) and children with a sole diagnosis of CP (n = 15). A one-way, between subjects ANOVA was conducted on the Repetitive Behaviour/Restricted Interests domain of the Baby and Infant Screen for aUtIsm Traits-Part 1 (BISCUIT-Part 1) and followed up with post-hoc tests. Percentage endorsements were also calculated for each item of this domain.Results: Children with CP + autism had significantly greater impairment. No significant differences were found between the CP + PDD-NOS and the CP alone groups.Conclusion: The implications of these findings are discussed.
Measuring the effects of data distribution models on performance evaluation of distributed database systems

The effect of simplistic assumptions about the data distribution and replication in a system on performance measures and the computational complexity and accuracy of evaluations of performance measures is investigated. The size of the participating node set of a transaction is chosen as the desired performance measure. A data distribution and replication model is represented by four key parameters. Probabilistic analysis is used to evaluate six of these models. It is concluded that even though some of the data distribution and replication models appear to be simplistic, the results obtained from them are very close to those from complex models. In addition, the gains due to drastically reduced execution times strongly suggest the use of simple models (at least) in the early stages of the design process. >
Backlash's Travels

Sometimes the public greatly opposes the decisions of the Supreme Court; sometimes the Court seems to anticipate public backlash and even to respond to it when it occurs. Should a social planner want the Court to anticipate or to respond to backlash? No abstract answer is possible; the appropriate conclusion depends on assumptions about the capacities of courts and the capacities of those who engage in backlash. This point is demonstrated through an exploration of four imaginable worlds: Olympus, the Land of the Ancients, Lochnerland, and Athens. The four worlds reflect radically different assumptions about judicial and public capacities. The proper analysis of backlash depends, in large part, on the prevailing theory of constitutional interpretation, and on whether judges have privileged access to constitutional meaning. If judges lack such access, backlash is a healthy part of dialogue between judges and the public, and the judiciary should sometimes yield. If our world is Olympus, the argument for attention to backlash is severely weakened.
Per-stream jitter analysis in CBR ATM multiplexors

Constant bit-rate (CBR) traffic is expected to be a major source of traffic in high-speed networks. Such sources may have stringent delay and loss requirements and, in many cases, they should be delivered exactly as they were generated. A simple delay priority scheme will bound the cell delay and jitter for CBR streams so that in the network switches CBR traffic will only compete with other CBR traffic in the networks, In this paper we consider a multiplexor in such an environment. We provide an exact analysis of the jitter process in the homogeneous case. In this case we obtain the complete characterization of the jitter process showing the inaccuracies of the existing results. Our results indicate that jitter variance is bounded and never exceeds the constant 2/3 slot. It is also shown that the per-stream successive cell interdeparture times are negatively correlated with the lag 1 correlation of -1/2. Higher order correlation coefficients are shown to be zero. Simple asymptotic results on per-stream behavior are also provided when the number of CBR streams is considered large. In the heterogeneous case we bound the jitter distribution and moments. Simple results are provided for the computation of the bound on the jitter variance for any mix of CBR streams in this case. It is shown that streams with a low rate (large period) do experience little jitter variance. However, the jitter variance for the high-rate streams could be quite substantial.
Partial Melting and Melt Segregation in a Convecting Mantle

Various causes for mantle melting (decompression, heating or release of water) combined with current estimates of upper mantle temperatures and the state of stress in the lithosphere suggest that in many regions the asthenosphere might be partially molten, but melts may not always be able to rise to the surface. The governing equations describing melting, melt segregation, compaction and depletion in a deforming medium are discussed with emphasis on the physical processes involved. To combine these processes with a convecting upper mantle flow, a “Compaction Boussinesq Approximation” (CBA) is introduced and tested with known solutions. Driving forces include thermal, melt, depletion and enrichment buoyancy. The bulk viscosity and its dependence on porosity has a significant effect on the melt flow even for distances large compared to the compaction length. 1D and 2D solitary porosity waves are discussed with particular emphasis on a variable bulk viscosity, compaction, and dilatation of the matrix. Melting, segregation and solidification processes are studied in a self-consistent model of a variable viscosity plume head arriving at the base of the lithosphere. It is shown that melt buoyancy dominates segregation velocities. However, a variable bulk viscosity may still have some influence on the segregation velocities, while dynamic pressures may be neglected. In the absence of a mantle plume a partially molten undepleted asthenosphere may develop melting instabilities, driven by thermal, melt and depletion buoyancy. This instability propagates laterally with velocities of the order of several cm/a and has a length scale of about 2 times the thickness of the partially molten asthenosphere. Volcanism associated with this propagating instability might have a similar appearance as hot spot tracks suggesting that this instability might be an alternative mechanism to the plume hypothesis at least for some volcanic chains.
Optimal Conjunctive Use Model for Indus Basin

A mathematical model is presented as a tool in facilitating the analysis and optimization of the conjunctive use of surface and ground water resources of a subsystem of the Indus Basin irrigation system in Pakistan. The objective of the study is to determine the size of the canal system, the surface reservoir, and the ground water pumping facilities, such that when the system is operated optimally, the capital, operation, and maintenance costs of meeting given irrigation water requirements are minimized. A mathematical model of the Marala Ravi link canal subsystem, which is uncoupled from other areas of the large, complex Indus Basin irrigation system, is developed. The mathematical programming problem is large scale and must be decomposed into subproblems. The subproblems are solved by dynamic programming whereas the design or outer problem is solved by an efficient direct search technique.
Achievable Downlink Rates of MRC and ZF Precoders in Massive MIMO With Uplink and Downlink Pilot Contamination

Massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems require channel state information (CSI) at base stations. In multicell environments, adjacent cells using the same spectrum cause a pilot contamination problem and degrade CSI quality. Under such practical environments, it is important to assess achievable rate of the system for a proper system design. There exist achievable rate bounds of uplink (UL) systems in the literature, but general closed-form rate bounds for downlink (DL) systems are not available yet. This paper studies a practical massive MIMO DL system with or without pilot-aided coherent detection under the scenario of pilot contamination, and derives closed-form approximate achievable DL rate expressions for both maximum ratio combining (MRC) and zero forcing (ZF) precoders. For the case with DL pilot, a corresponding DL effective channel estimator is also developed. Numerical simulation results corroborate accuracy of the closed-form rate expressions and they also show performance characteristics of pilot-contaminated massive MIMO DL systems with MRC and ZF precoders.
Mandelpinski spokes in the parameter planes of rational maps

In this paper we describe a new structure that arises in the parameter plane of the family of maps zn+λ/zd where n≥2 is even but d≥3 is odd. We call these structures Mandelbrot–Sierpinski spokes (or, for short, ‘Mandelpinski spokes’). It is known that there are infinitely many baby Mandelbrot sets in these parameter planes that are part of what is called the Mandelpinski maze for these maps. We show here that there are infinitely many ‘spokes’ emanating from each of these Mandelbrot sets. Each spoke consists of infinitely many alternating Mandelbrot sets and Sierpinski holes that lie along a certain arc that tends away from the given Mandelbrot set in a certain direction.
“Your God is a Racist, Sexist, Homophobic, and a Misogynist … Our God is Change”: Ishmael Reed, Octavia Butler and Afrofuturist Critiques of (Black) American Religion

This article explores Afrofuturist critiques of contemporary (Black) American religion and the problematics of difference, dominance and deliverance envisioned by Black literary art in Ishmael Reed's play, The Preacher and the Rapper and Octavia Butler's novels, Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents. Though Ishmael Reed and Octavia Butler deploy similar futuristic narrative strategies, they imagine radically different futures, present distinctive strategies of intervention, and imagine differing roles for Black religion in their respective futures. This article analyzes these futuristic theological themes in light of theorists of Afrofuturism, including Kodwo Eshun, literary critics such as Tuire Valkeakari, and contemporary black religious thinkers such as Monica A. Coleman, drawing out their respective insights and implications. Taken together, Reed's and Butler's Afrofuturistic critiques offer possibilities for imagining alternative, emancipatory forms of Black theological discourse and relig...
Distributed Sampling Using Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Scientific Missions

The current research represents a first step towards developing a flexible, decentralized network of small and inexpensive, battery powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which could be used for a variety of scientific missions where measurements from a distributed network of nodes could significantly improve the assessment (e.g. chemical or dust clouds, mapping particulates, chemical content and physical boundaries of a dispersed volcanic plume or vog). Individual UAVs are equipped with on board sensing equipment as well as autopilot and networking nodes for communication between each UAV and the ground station and between UAVs to relaying the data between individual UAVs when lack of direct line of sight prevents communication. The UAVs are built using off the shelf components, which allows rapid replacement of damaged items and lowers significantly the overall price (less than $500 for each instrumented UAV), resulting in a practically disposable fleet of UAVs. In the current paper we use a pair of UAVs and a hardware in the loop computer simulation to test the feasibility of the proposed concept. Each UAV is instrumented with GPS, humidity, temperature and particle sensors as well as XBee network communication links.
Leptolegnia ornata: a superfluous name for the mosquito pathogen Leptolegnia chapmanii

(1988). Leptolegnia Ornata: A Superfluous Name for the Mosquito Pathogen Leptolegnia Chapmanii. Mycologia: Vol. 80, No. 6, pp. 891-891.
Contamination levels in biomass and spent media from algal cultivation system contaminated with heavy metals

Abstract Sustainability assessments have shown that integrating CO2 from power plants with microalgae production systems can reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions. However, coal fired flue gases contain contaminants (heavy metals) that could have a deleterious effect on products derived from such systems. To address this concern, photobioreactors (PBRs) were designed to test the hypothesis that metals in a microalgae cultivation system at concentrations derived from flue gas will limit end uses of the biomass and spent medium. Scenedesmus obliquus were grown in PBRs spiked with 10 metals found in such flue gases at concentrations representing typical (1X) and high (5X and 10X) metal loading scenarios. Results show that contamination levels can be modulated by managing the harvesting time and by leaching, with EDTA being effective at early growth stage (approximately ≤ day 6) and acidified methanol effective afterwards. Although metals limit biomass and medium uses, some uses fall within regulatory limits (e.g., 1X spent medium is suitable for irrigation, and 1X biomass is suitable for bio-fertilizer and select animal feed uses). Results showed that uses of biomass and medium under higher loading scenarios from such integration will restrict end uses of both biomass and media.
Evaluation of Various Pulse-Decay Laboratory Permeability Measurement Techniques for Highly Stressed Coals

The transient technique for laboratory permeability measurement, proposed by Brace et al. (J Geophys Res 73:2225–2236, 1968) and widely used for conventional gas reservoir rocks, is the preferred method when testing low-permeability rocks in the laboratory. However, Brace et al.’s solution leads to considerable errors since it does not take into account compressive storage and sorption effect when applied to sorptive rocks, such as, coals and shales. To verify the applicability of this solution when used to characterize fluid flow behavior of coal, an in-depth investigation of permeability evolution for flow of helium and methane depletion was conducted for San Juan coals using the pressure pulse-decay method under best replicated in situ conditions. Three permeability solutions, Brace et al.’s (1968), Dicker and Smits’s (International meeting on petroleum engineering, Society of Petroleum Engineers, 1988) and Cui et al.’s (Geofluids 9:208–223, 2009), were utilized to establish the permeability trends. Both helium and methane permeability results exhibited very small difference between the Brace et al.’s solution and Dicker and Smits’s solution, indicating that the effect of compressive storage is negligible. However, methane permeability enhancement at low pressures due to coal matrix shrinkage resulting from gas desorption can be significant and this was observed in pressure response plots and the estimated permeability values using Cui et al.’s solution only. Therefore, it is recommended that Cui et al.’s solution be employed to correctly include the sorption effect when testing coal permeability using the transient technique. A series of experiments were also carried out to establish the stress-dependent permeability trend under constant effective stress condition, and then quantify the sole contribution of the sorption effect on permeability variation. By comparison with the laboratory data obtained under in situ stress/strain condition, it was verified that accelerated CBM production can be achieved by reducing the horizontal stresses.
The role of ultrasound in women who undergo cell-free DNA screening

The introduction of cell-free DNA screening for aneuploidy into obstetric practice in 2011 revolutionized the strategies utilized for prenatal testing. The purpose of this document is to review the current data on the role of ultrasound in women who have undergone or are considering cell-free DNA screening. The following are Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommendations: (1) in women who have already received a negative cell-free DNA screening result, ultrasound at 11–14 weeks of gestation solely for the purpose of nuchal translucency measurement (Current Procedural Terminology code 76813) is not recommended (GRADE 1B); (2) diagnostic testing should not be recommended to patients solely for the indication of an isolated soft marker in the setting of a negative cell-free DNA screen (GRADE 2B); (3) in women with an isolated soft marker that has no other clinical implications (ie, choroid plexus cyst or echogenic intracardiac focus) and a negative cell-free DNA screen, we recommend describing the finding as not clinically significant or as a normal variant (GRADE 2B); (4) in women with an isolated soft marker without other clinical implications (ie, choroid plexus cyst or echogenic intracardiac focus) and a negative first- or second-trimester screening result, we recommend describing the finding as not clinically significant or as a normal variant (GRADE 2B); (5) all women in whom a structural abnormality is identified by ultrasound should be offered diagnostic testing with chromosomal microarray (GRADE 1A); and (6) routine screening for microdeletions with cell-free DNA is not recommended (GRADE 1B).
Cardiac Tissue Organization and Contractility

From the sarcomere to the myocardium, the heart is intricately organized on a wide range of length-scales. Multiple types of heart diseases are associated with remodeling of myofibrils and their sarcomeres - the basic force producing unit of the heart. However, it is not fully understood how organization of cardiac tissues affects the contractility properties. Disorganized tissues were found to be significantly weaker than predicted based on measurements from organized tissues. However, the prediction is based on a simplified net-force model, which has never been proven to accurately represent cardiac tissues because organizational variations are associated with downstream effects such as changes in gene expression levels that can further affect function. We hypothesized that these downstream effects could be muted if the cells were directed to organize locally (∼250 micron scale), while keeping the global organization varied (∼2 mm scale). The relationship between global organization and force production was modeled using a metric describing structure and developed contraction stress, and the locally organized, parquet, tissues were made with a range of global organizations. All of these tissues were then tested using the “heart-on-a-chip” device to measure the global stress production. We have shown that with muted downstream effects, which are normally driven by local tissue organization, the global organization of the myofibrils is related to the net stress developed by a cardiac tissue through a single parameter analytical model. We have also shown that disorganized tissues tend to spontaneously form organized patches that are ∼120 microns in scale, which can now be tested in conjunction with the force-organization model. These results will lead to a better understanding of the normal and pathological hearts.
Chromatin accessibility dynamics of myogenesis at single cell resolution

Over a million DNA regulatory elements have been cataloged in the human genome, but linking these elements to the genes that they regulate remains challenging. We introduce Cicero, a statistical method that connects regulatory elements to target genes using single cell chromatin accessibility data. We apply Cicero to investigate how thousands of dynamically accessible elements orchestrate gene regulation in differentiating myoblasts. Groups of co-accessible regulatory elements linked by Cicero meet criteria of “chromatin hubs”, in that they are physically proximal, interact with a common set of transcription factors, and undergo coordinated changes in histone marks that are predictive of gene expression. Pseudotemporal analysis revealed a subset of elements bound by MYOD in myoblasts that exhibit early opening, potentially serving as the initial sites of recruitment of chromatin remodeling and histone-modifying enzymes. The methodological framework described here constitutes a powerful new approach for elucidating the architecture, grammar and mechanisms of cis-regulation on a genome-wide basis.
Mothers, Workers, Citizens: Teresa Noce and the Parliamentary Politics of Motherhood

This chapter presents the history of the 1950 law for the protection of working mothers. The campaign was led by two MPs—Teresa Noce, a Communist, and Maria Federici, a Christian Democrat. Once passed, the law guaranteed a lengthy paid maternity leave as well as requiring employers to provide child care and nursing facilities for working mothers. It was a victory for a women’s rights movement characterized by cooperation across Cold War ideological lines; yet the chapter also explores the ways that seeking unity around the Italian figure of “la mamma” as a primary identity for women may have limited their citizenship. Tambor provides a dual portrait: of successful uses of maternalist politics for women’s rights, and of the ambivalent consequences of politicizing maternity.
Fluid Teams and Knowledge Retrieval: Scaling Service Operations

To scale service operations requires retrieving knowledge across the organization. However, prior work highlights that individuals on the periphery of organizational knowledge networks may struggle...
TORC2 and Sphingolipid Biosynthesis and Signaling: Lessons from Budding Yeast

I. Abstract Studies in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have established an important role for the target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling network in regulating cell growth and cell architecture through the control of gene expression, protein biosynthesis, protein trafficking, as well as organization of the actin cytoskeleton. The central component of this network is the TOR kinase, which assembles into two distinct membrane associated protein complexes, termed TORC1 and TORC2, where TORC1 is uniquely inhibited by rapamycin. A novel role for this network, in particular involving TORC2, has emerged recently with respect to the regulation of the biosynthesis of sphingolipids. Complex sphingolipids are integral components of cell membranes and their biosynthesis involves the production of important bioactive intermediates, including sphingoid long-chain bases (LCBs) and ceramides, which play distinct signaling roles crucial for cell growth and survival. Here, we review recent results demonstrating a role for TORC2 in the balanced production of these intermediates and discuss how this regulation appears to involve two distinct downstream effector branches of TORC2, namely, the plextrin homology (PH) domain containing proteins SLM1 and SLM2, as well as the AGC kinases YPK1 and YPK2. We describe how these components interact with other effectors of sphingolipid metabolism and impinge on actin cytoskeletal organization, stress response, and cell survival. Finally, we discuss the likely relevance of these findings for mammalian cells.
Using Geostatistical Methods in the Analysis of Public Health Data: The Final Frontier?

Geostatistical methods have been demonstrated to be very powerful analytical tools in a variety of disciplines, most notably in mining, agriculture, meteorology, hydrology, geology and environmental science. Unfortunately, their use in public health, medical geography, and spatial epidemiology has languished in favor of Bayesian methods or the analytical methods developed in geography and promoted via geographic information systems. In this presentation, we provide our views concerning the use of geostatistical methods for analyzing spatial public health data. We revisit the geostatistical paradigm in light of traditional analytical examples from public health. We discuss the challenges that need to be faced in applying geostatistical methods to the analysis of public health data as well as the opportunities for increasing the use of geostatistical methods in public health applications.
Thymic Regeneration after Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation: Mechanisms, Measurements and Implications on Anti-Viral Immunity

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) grafts contain a lower number of nucleated cells and mostly naive T cells, resulting in prolonged time to engraftment and delayed immune reconstitution. Although the first phase of T cell reconstitution after UCB transplantation (UCBT) depends on the peripheral expansion of T cells transferred with the graft, permanent reconstitution of the T cell repertoire is mediated via a central mechanism, which depends on the de novo production of T lymphocytes from donor-derived lymphoid-myeloid progenitors (LMPs). T cell receptor (TCR) excision circles (TRECs) are molecules of episomal circular DNA, produced in thymocytes during the sequential recombination events of the TCR-β and -α chains to form a functional αβ-TCR. TRECs serve as a valuable indicator of thymopoiesis and strongly correlate with the recovery of naive CD4CD45RA + counts, clearance of cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia and overall survival (OS) after UCBT.
Challenges in constructing accurate methods for hydrogen transfer reactions in large biological assemblies: rare events sampling for mechanistic discovery and tensor networks for quantum nuclear effects

We present two methods that address the computational complexities arising in hydrogen transfer reactions in enzyme active sites. To address the challenge of reactive rare events, we begin with an ab initio molecular dynamics adaptation of the Caldeira–Leggett system-bath Hamiltonian and apply this approach to the study of the hydrogen transfer rate-determining step in soybean lipoxygenase-1. Through direct application of this method to compute an ensemble of classical trajectories, we discuss the critical role of isoleucine-839 in modulating the primary hydrogen transfer event in SLO-1. Notably, the formation of the hydrogen bond between isoleucine-839 and the acceptor-OH group regulates the electronegativity of the donor and acceptor groups to affect the hydrogen transfer process. Curtailing the formation of this hydrogen bond adversely affects the probability of hydrogen transfer. The second part of this paper deals with complementing the rare event sampled reaction pathways obtained from the aforementioned development through quantum nuclear wavepacket dynamics. Essentially the idea is to construct quantum nuclear dynamics on the potential surfaces obtained along the biased trajectories created as noted above. Here, while we are able to obtain critical insights on the quantum nuclear effects from wavepacket dynamics, we primarily engage in providing an improved computational approach for efficient representation of quantum dynamics data such as potential surfaces and transmission probabilities using tensor networks. We find that utilizing tensor networks yields an accurate and efficient description of time-dependent wavepackets, reduced dimensional nuclear eigenstates and associated potential energy surfaces at much reduced cost.
Impact of Autocorrelation on Stochastic Circuit Accuracy

Stochastic computing (SC) with pseudo-random numbers offers the prospect of significant chip area and energy savings for large-scale applications such as neural networks. Because of SC's inherent stochasticity, all phenomena affecting accuracy must be carefully analyzed and controlled. This work addresses a fundamental error source, autocorrelation, which although recognized, has largely been neglected in the SC context. We observe that autocorrelation occurs in all types of stochastic circuits and has a major impact on the accuracy of sequential stochastic circuits. We present a methodology for analyzing autocorrelation and apply it to two broad SC circuit types: counter-based and shift-register based. We demonstrate the use of Markov chain theory to estimate autocorrelation errors in stochastic circuits. We also present an algorithm SANG for efficiently generating stochastic numbers that have prescribed autocorrelation and numerical values. SANG greatly aids the simulation of autocorrelation effects in SC.