cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time to branch out? Application of hierarchical survival models in plant phenology

Abstract The sensitivity of phenology to environmental drivers can vary across geography and species. As such, models developed to predict phenology are typically site- or taxon-specific. Generation of site- and taxon-specific models is limited by the intensive in-situ phenological monitoring effort required to generate sufficient data to parameterize each model. Where in-situ phenological observations exist, the data are often subject to analytical issues due to the limited duration of any individual monitoring program, spotty site- and species- level coverage, lack of standardized methodology, and infrequent or variable census intervals. Together, these characteristics constrain our ability to make phenological inferences outside of select sites and taxa where long-duration, intensive monitoring has occurred. In this study, we leveraged two national, standardized phenology datasets to develop a multi-species and multi-site state-space survival model of the onset of deciduous tree and shrub spring (leaf out) and fall (leaf-color) events across temperate ecoregions of the United States. We used data from two national-scale phenological databases, a 9-year, broadly distributed dataset from the USA National Phenology Network and a 4-year dataset from the National Ecological Observatory Network, to quantify regional and interspecific variation in sensitivity to environmental drivers for both spring and fall leaf phenophases. Spring leaf out was generally promoted by longer days, spring growing degree day accumulation, overwinter chilling, and was suppressed by frost events, whereas fall leaf color was promoted by shorter days and cold accumulation. The sensitivity to most environmental drivers tended to be more variable among species than among the regions as defined here (EPA ecoregions of North America, excluding desert and tropical areas). The results of this study lay the groundwork for incorporating the growing collection of phenological observations into a generalized framework for predicting the transition states for any species, in any location.
2'-C-methylated nucleotides terminate virus RNA synthesis by preventing active site closure of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

The 2′-C-methyl ribonucleosides are nucleoside analogs representing an important class of antiviral agents, especially against positive-strand RNA viruses. Their value is highlighted by the highly successful anti-hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir. When appropriately phosphorylated, these nucleotides are successfully incorporated into RNA by the virally encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). This activity prevents further RNA extension, but the mechanism is poorly characterized. Previously, we had identified NMR signatures characteristic of formation of RdRp–RNA binary and RdRp–RNA–NTP ternary complexes for the poliovirus RdRp, including an open-to-closed conformational change necessary to prepare the active site for catalysis of phosphoryl transfer. Here we used these observations as a framework for interpreting the effects of 2′-C-methyl adenosine analogs on RNA chain extension in solution-state NMR spectroscopy experiments, enabling us to gain additional mechanistic insights into 2′-C-methyl ribonucleoside-mediated RNA chain termination. Contrary to what has been proposed previously, poliovirus RdRp that was bound to RNA with an incorporated 2′-C-methyl nucleotide could still bind to the next incoming NTP. Our results also indicated that incorporation of the 2′-C-methyl nucleotide does not disrupt RdRp–RNA interactions and does not prevent translocation. Instead, incorporation of the 2′-C-methyl nucleotide blocked closure of the RdRp active site upon binding of the next correct incoming NTP, which prevented further nucleotide addition. We propose that other nucleotide analogs that act as nonobligate chain terminators may operate through a similar mechanism.
Behavioural mechanisms underlying parasite-mediated competition for refuges in a coral reef fish

Parasites have been increasingly recognized as participants in indirect ecological interactions, including those mediated by parasite-induced changes to host behaviour (trait-mediated indirect interactions or TMIIs). In most documented examples, host behaviours altered by parasites increase susceptibility to predation because the predator is also a host (host-manipulation). Here, we test for a TMII in which a parasitic copepod modifies the predator-prey interaction between a small goby host and several larger predatory fish. Gobies compete for crevices in the reef to avoid predation and goby mortality increases more rapidly with increasing refuge shortage for parasitized gobies than for those free of parasites. We found interactive effects of refuge shortage and parasitism on two behaviours we predicted might be associated with parasite-mediated competition for refuges. First, as refuge-shortage increases, the rate of aggression among gobies increases and parasitism intensifies this interaction. Second, goby proximity to refuges increases as refuges become scarce, but parasitism nullifies this increase. In combination, these parasite-induced changes in behaviour may explain why parasitized gobies are poor competitors for refuges. Because the parasite is not trophically transmitted via host manipulation, these altered behaviours in parasitized gobies are likely coincidental to infection.
Finite element simulation of bond-zone behavior of pullout test of reinforcement embedded in concrete using concrete damage-plasticity model 2 (CDPM2)

Abstract A finite element (FE) model is used to simulate bond-zone behavior in a pullout test of a single bar embedded in concrete. The proposed FE model treats both the concrete and reinforcing bar in the bond-zone with refined solid elements to explicitly represent the deformations of rebar and the surrounding concrete and employs the surface-to-surface contact model on the concrete-rebar interface to simulate proper load transfer. In modeling of pullout tests, the significance of using a concrete model that can accurately simulate nonlinear response under high confining pressures is emphasized. Two concrete models are discussed and compared from a constitutive modeling perspective: (1) concrete damaged-plasticity (CDP) model and (2) concrete damage plasticity model 2 (CDPM2). Three pullout tests are simulated via the proposed modeling approach each with two concrete models. It is shown that the FE model with CDPM2 produced bond stress and slip responses comparable to test data, while the FE model with CDP model overpredicted bond stress due to concrete response overestimated under high confining stress states. The FE models with CDPM2 can capture different failure modes for different types of specimens: splitting failure for the specimen without confinement and pullout failure for the specimen with confinement.
Practical and cost-effective model to build and sustain a cardio-oncology program

Cardio-Oncology (CO) is a new subspecialty that thrives mostly in large academic quaternary centers. This study describes how to establish a successful cardio-oncology program, with limited resources, in order to effectively manage the unique care required by this patient population. Clinical data was collected from 25 consecutive months. There were four foundational elements to establish a CO program: 1. Clinical program: integrating staff and resources from the Heart and Vascular, and Cancer Centers; 2. Education Program: establishing a platform to educate/advocate with respect to CO; 3. Engagement with professional societies: active engagement allowed for the successful establishment of the proposed CO program; and 4. Research program: establishing data collection modalities/cooperation with other institutions. 474 consecutive patients were treated by our CO program during the first 25 months of operation. Clinical data, information about cancer treatment, cardiovascular co morbidities, cardiac testing and impact of CO management are reported. A successful CO program can be established utilizing existing resources without the need for significant additional assets. Integration with professional societies, advocacy, education and research, provide a platform for learning and growth. This model improves access to care and can be reproduced in a variety of settings.
Probabilities towards death: bugsplat, algorithmic assassinations, and ethical due care

This article explores the principle of due care in war and the myth that improved battlefield technology makes Western warfare inherently more ethical. The discursive construction – which I term vi...
Research-to-Resource: Instructional Strategies for Teaching Culturally Diverse Musics in Ensembles:

The inclusion of musics from varied cultural traditions in school music curricula has become increasingly important. Research findings indicate that providing students with opportunities to learn m...
A Pose Proposal and Refinement Network for Better 6D Object Pose Estimation

In this paper, we present a novel, end-to-end 6D object pose estimation method that operates on RGB inputs. Our approach is composed of 2 main components: the first component classifies the objects in the input image and proposes an initial 6D pose estimate through a multi-task, CNN-based encoder/multi-decoder module. The second component, a refinement module, includes a renderer and a multi-attentional pose refinement network, which iteratively refines the estimated poses by utilizing both appearance features and flow vectors. Our refiner takes advantage of the hybrid representation of the initial pose estimates to predict the relative errors with respect to the target poses. It is further augmented by a spatial multi-attention block that emphasizes objects’ discriminative feature parts. Experiments on three benchmarks for 6D pose estimation show that our proposed pipeline outperforms state-of-the-art RGB-based methods with competitive runtime performance.
Sulfur Tetrahydride and Allied Superhydride Clusters: When Resonance Takes Precedence

Sulfur offers a variety of bonding surprises compared to the parent oxygen atom of the chalcogen family. In the present work, we employ standard quantum chemistry methods to characterize formation of previously unrecognized sulfur tetra hydride ( C 4v -symmetric SH 4 ) from hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) and molecular hydrogen (H 2 ) on the ground state potential energy surface. The unusual intramolecular interactions of SH 4 defy Lewis-like bonding conceptions, exhibiting the dominance of resonance-type donor-acceptor delocalizations well beyond those of SF 4 ( C 2v sawhorse geometry) and other known tetrahalides. The distressed character of SH 4 bonding also leads to exotic intermolecular structural motifs in clusters of pure (SH 4 ) n and mixed (SH 4 ···H 2 S) n composition. We evaluate structural, spectroscopic, and electronic properties for various 2D/3D coordination patterns and discuss how (SH 4 ···H 2 S) n -type building blocks may relate to recent experimental studies of superconductivity in high-pressure materials of "SH 3 " stoichiometry.
Kato smoothing properties of a class of nonlinear dispersive wave equations on a periodic domain

The solutions of the Cauchy problem of the KdV equation on a periodic domain 𝕋, ut+uux+uxxx=0,u(x,0)=ϕ(x),x∈,t∈, possess neither the sharp Kato smoothing property, ϕ∈Hs()⇒∂ xs+1u∈L x∞(,L2(0,T)), nor the Kato smoothing property, ϕ∈Hs()⇒u∈L2(0,T;Hs+1()). Considered in this article is the Cauchy problem of the following dispersive equations posed on the periodic domain 𝕋, (See Eq. (1) below) ut+uux+uxxx-g(x)(g(x)u)xx=0,u(x,0)=ϕ(x),x∈,t>0, where g ∈ C ∞ (𝕋) is a real value function with the support ω={x∈,g(x)≠0}. It is shown that(1) if ω ≠ ∅, then the solutions of the Cauchy problem (1) possess the Kato smoothing property;(2) if g is a nonzero constant function, then the solutions of the Cauchy problem (1) possess the sharp Kato smoothing property.
Pelvine Lymphadenektomie

Die ausgedehnte pelvine Lymphadenektomie liefert exakte Angaben zum Lymphknotenstatus und verbessert daruber hinaus moglicherweise den Krankheitsverlauf. Diesen Vorteilen stehen mogliche peri- und postoperative Komplikationen gegenuber. Bei intraoperativer Lasion des N. obturatorius sollte eine mikrochirurgische epineurale Nervennaht erfolgen. Postoperativ sollte der Patient aufgeklart, neurologisch vorgestellt und krankengymnastisch behandelt werden.
Learning Finite Linear Temporal Logic Specifications with a Specialized Neural Operator.

Finite linear temporal logic ($\mathsf{LTL}_f$) is a powerful formal representation for modeling temporal sequences. We address the problem of learning a compact $\mathsf{LTL}_f$ formula from labeled traces of system behavior. We propose a novel neural network operator and evaluate the resulting architecture, Neural$\mathsf{LTL}_f$. Our approach includes a specialized recurrent filter, designed to subsume $\mathsf{LTL}_f$ temporal operators, to learn a highly accurate classifier for traces. Then, it discretizes the activations and extracts the truth table represented by the learned weights. This truth table is converted to symbolic form and returned as the learned formula. Experiments on randomly generated $\mathsf{LTL}_f$ formulas show Neural$\mathsf{LTL}_f$ scales to larger formula sizes than existing approaches and maintains high accuracy even in the presence of noise.
Backtrack-Based and Window-Oriented Optimistic Failure Recovery in Distributed Stream Processing

Support transaction property and fault-tolerance is the key to applying stream processing to industry-scale applications; however the corresponding latency overhead must be minimized for accommodating real-time analytics. This issue has been studied in various contexts. In this work we develop the backtrack failure recovery mechanism to allow a task to roll forward without waiting for acknowledgement from its downstream target tasks in the failure-free case, but to request its upstream source tasks to resend the missing tuples only during failure recovery which is the rare case thus has limited impact on the overall performance. For further reduced latency we extend our solution in another dimension by applying the notion of optimistic checkpointing to stream processing, and propose the Continued stream processing with Window - based Checkpoint and Recovery (CWCR) approach, allowing a task to emit results tuple by tuple continuously but checkpoint in batch, and acknowledge, only once per window (e.g. time window). We also tackle the hard problems found in implementing a transactional layer on-top of an existing stream processing platform. We have implemented the proposed mechanisms on Fontainebleau, the distributed stream analytics infrastructure we built on top of the open-sourced Storm platform. Our experiment results reveal the novelty of the proposed technologies and the feasibility to support fault-tolerance with minimal latency overhead for real-time stream processing.
FORMATE-PYRUVATE EXCHANGE REACTION IN STREPTOCOCCUS FAECALIS I. Factor Requirement for Intact Cells

Wood, N. P. (A. & M. College of Texas, College Station), and D. J. O'Kane. Formate-pyruvate exchange reaction in Streptococcus faecalis. I. Factor requirement for whole cells. J. Bacteriol. 87:97-103. 1964.-A factor present in plant and animal sources was found necessary for the incorporation of formate-C(14) into pyruvate by Streptococcus faecalis 10Cl. Yeast extract produced a response linear in the range between 10 and 30 mg/ml of reaction mixture. Soy peptone, beef peptone, and Brain Heart Infusion replaced yeast extract, but various intermediates, cofactors, amino acids, purines, pyrimidines, and peptides did not stimulate the reaction. A lag occurred in the rate of formate incorporation that was not influenced by anaerobic conditions or growth of cells in a medium containing pyruvate and formate. Phosphate or maleate buffer permitted rapid exchange velocities but tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane or collidine buffer was inhibitory. Heating yeast extract at 121 C for 15 min in 3 n H(2)SO(4) produced 66% inactivation of the factor(s), whereas treatment with 3 n KOH produced 97% inactivation. The factor(s) was insoluble in butanol, benzene, ethyl acetate, or chloroform. The material adsorbed on Dowex-1 (OH(-)) and Amberlite IR-120 (H(+)) but not on Amberlite IR-4B (OH(-)). The active component(s) was highly polar, nonvolatile, dialyzable, and had amphoteric properties.
Measurement of Peroxiredoxin Activity

Peroxiredoxins are cysteine-dependent peroxidases that react with hydrogen peroxide, larger hydroperoxide substrates, and peroxynitrite. Protocols are provided to measure Prx activity with peroxide by 1) a coupled reaction with NADPH, thioredoxin reductase, and thioredoxin, 2) the direct monitoring of thioredoxin oxidation, 3) competition with horseradish peroxidase, and 4) peroxide consumption using the FOX assay.
Mutation 2000: uniting the orthogonal

Mutation testing is a powerful, but computationally expensive, technique for unit testing software. This expense has prevented mutation form becoming widely used in practical situations, but recent engineering advances have given us techniques and algorithms for significantly reducing the cost of mutation testing. These technique include a new algorithmic execution technique include a new algorithmic execution technique called schema-based mutation, a reduction technique called selective mutation, heuristics for detecting equivalent mutants, and algorithms for automatic test data generation. This paper reviews experimentation with these advances and outlines a design for a system that will approximate mutation, but in a way that will be accessible to every day programmers. We envision a system to which a programmer can submit a program unit and get back a set of input/output pairs that are guaranteed to form an effective test of the unit by being close to mutation adequate. We believe this system could be efficient enough to be adopted by leading-edge software developers. Full automation in unit testing has the potential to dramatically change the economic balance between testing and development, by reducing the cost of testing from the major part of the total development cost to a small fraction.
Cognitive Psychology: An Overview for Cognitive Scientists

This text presents the basic concepts of modern cognitive psychology in a succinct and accessible manner. Empirical results, theoretical developments, and current issues are woven around basic concepts to produce coherent accounts of research areas. Barsalou's primary goal is to equip readers with a conceptual vocabulary that acquaints them with the general approach of cognitive psychology and allows them to follow more technical discussions elsewhere. In meeting this goal, he discusses the traditional work central to modern thinking and reviews current work relevant to cognitive science. Besides focusing on research and theory in cognitive psychology, Barsalou also addresses its fundamental assumptions. Because the cognitive approach to psychology is somewhat subtle, often misunderstood, and sometimes controversial, it is essential for a text on cognitive psychology to address the assumptions that underlie it. Therefore, three of the eleven chapters address the "meta- assumptions" that govern research and theory in cognitive psychology. These meta-chapters provide a deeper understanding of the content areas and a clearer vision of what cognitive psychologists are trying to accomplish. The remaining eight "content" chapters cover the central topics in cognitive psychology. This book will be of value to a variety of audiences. Ideal for researchers in computer science, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, and neuroscience who wish to acquaint themselves with cognitive psychology, it may also be used as a text for courses in cognitive science and cognitive psychology. Lay readers who wish to learn about the cognitive approach to scientific psychology will also find the volume useful.
Grammatical noun cases for non-linguists : Bibliometrics applied to a subset of the literature on Finnish linguistics

Abstract Bibliometric techniques applied to a narrow topic of linguistics show that a synthesis of specific and general levels of analysis might be appropriate for a non-specialist investigating applied language problems. Citation frequency, ages and half-lives of cited works, co-citation analysis, and source impact were applied to literature on the topic “Finnish grammatical noun case distribution.” The analyses were applied to works from a bibliography, which were chosen on the basis of their usefulness to help the foreign-language learner regarding this specific problem of Finnish. The citation-frequency counts reflect Lotka's Law. Many frequently cited authors were not predicted to be highly relevant, based on selection procedures for the bibliography. The PI reflects a soft science. High co-citation counts predicted high citation frequency, but the inverse was not true. Highly cited authors were mapped and clustered using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering in SPSS. The x-axis and so...
Cerebrospinal Fluid Aβ42, Tau, and F2-Isoprostane Concentrations in Patients With Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and in Age-Matched Controls

Abstract Objective.—To test the hypothesis that quantification of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), in vivo biomarkers of free radical damage, along with CSF Aβ42 and tau levels improves laboratory diagnostic accuracy for Alzheimer disease (AD). Participants.—Patients with probable AD (n = 19), dementias other than AD (n = 8), and age-matched controls (n = 10). Main Outcome Measures.—Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of Aβ42 and tau were determined by a commercially available test (Athena Diagnostics, Worcester, Mass). Cerebrospinal fluid F2-IsoP levels were quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results.—Individuals were classified as AD or non-AD by a published method using CSF Aβ42 and tau levels (95% sensitivity, 50% specificity), by CSF F2-IsoP levels greater than 25 pg/mL and Aβ42 concentrations less than 1125 pg/mL (90% sensitivity, 83% specificity), and by combined analysis using CSF F2-IsoP, Aβ42, and tau levels (84% sensitivity, 89% specificity). Conclusion.—Cer...
Exchange Traded Fund Flows

I investigate the flow-return relationship in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). A variable for fund flows is defined using the change in shares outstanding, and the correlation and causality between ETF fund flows and returns is investigated at individual and aggregate levels. Significant negative correlation is documented between ETF flows and market returns, in monthly frequency. Investigating the nature of the association, I fail to reject the hypothesis of no-price-pressure on market returns originating from ETF flows. Higher frequency investigation of the relation indicates return chasing behavior in some ETFs, and is inconclusive in others.
The impact of standards-based reform on special education and the creation of the ‘dividual

An urban Pre-K through 5th grade school referred to as Westvale Elementary School was the focal point for this research study. Westvale was located within an urban district in New York State that was host to approximately 20,000 students. Both the school and the district were labeled as failing under the No Child Left Behind Act. Foucauldian conception of biopolitics and Deleuzian notion of the ‘dividual are the theoretical frameworks used to make meaning of qualitative data collected for this study. Interview, observation, and document data revealed how the structures of a biopolitical society hierarchized, segregated, and geographically shifted certain demographic groups of students throughout the school district based on their potential to succeed on high stakes examinations. Teachers and administrators were also linked to the demographics of the students they taught and mandates of standards-based reform (SBR) often required the turnover of school personnel, causing frustration and stigma for educator...
Intracellular free Ca and Mg of human red blood cell ghosts measured with entrapped arsenazo III

Abstract Arsenazo III in human red cell ghosts is calibrated to measure intracellular concentrations of free Ca and free Mg. This calibration was established by comparing the absorbance of arsenazo III in ghosts to its absorption in solution at 600, 630, and 655 nm as a function of buffered free Ca (0.4 μ m to 70 μ m ), free Mg (0.05 to 5 m m ), and free Ca (4 to 50 μ m ) at constant free Mg (1.2 m m ) at three concentrations of total dye (10.9, 10.9, and 109 μ m ). In both ghosts and in solution the absorbance of the dye at all three wavelengths could be predicted from dissociation constants and molar extinction coefficients determined for a 1:1 complex with the dye and Mg, another with Ca, and a third complex consisting of two molecules of Ca and two of dye. The absorbance of the dye in ghosts at the same concentrations of free Ca, free Mg, and total dye is equal to that in solution multiplied by the percentage hematocrit and divided by 100, which demonstrates that arsenazo III responds the same inside ghosts as it does free in solution. The results of this paper show that arsenazo III can be used to measure quantitatively and to monitor continuously the concentration of intracellular Ca and Mg in red cell ghosts. Use of this method should facilitate the study of Ca-dependent mechanisms of red blood cells.
Sulfur Fertilization of Canola (Brassica napus) with Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum: An Assessment Study

Flue gas desulfurization gypsum, a coal combustion byproduct, may be a viable sulfur source for dryland canola. The objectives of the authors in this research were to evaluate the potential of using flue gas desulfurization gypsum as a sulfur fertilizer source, and also to determine the environmental impact of adding flue gas desulfurization gypsum to soil. Flue gas desulfurization gypsum and ammonium sulfate were applied at comparable rates to canola to two soils in 2008 and one soil in 2009. In 2008 both flue gas desulfurization gypsum and ammonium sulfate supplied adequate amounts of sulfur to the plants and in 2009, canola yields were more variable and depended significantly on sulfur rate, but not on sulfur source. Overall, soil quality was not negatively impacted by the addition of flue gas desulfurization gypsum and although none of the power plants in the northern Great Plains currently produces flue gas desulfurization gypsum, finding agricultural uses for this byproduct is an important step in d...
Slant perception and binocular brightness differences: Some aftereffects of viewing apparent and objective surface slants

Placing a neutral-density filter in front of one eye produces two kinds of distortion in the perceived slant of a binocularly viewed rotating disk: (1) the top or the bottom of a disk rotating in a frontoparallel plane appears displaced toward or away from the observer, depending on the direction of rotation and whether the left or right eye is filtered; and (2) the left or right side of such disk—rotating or stationary—appears closer, depending on whether the left or right eye is filtered. The Pulfrich phenomenon accounts for the first variety of apparent slant, and the Venetian blind effect accounts for the second. Viewing the apparent slant of the rotating disk produces an aftereffect of slant in the third dimension which is greater than the aftereffect of viewing an objective slant of the same direction and magnitude.
Systemic Diseases Associated with Nasal Symptoms

Many systemic diseases are associated with nasal symptoms, Rhinitis associated with asthma is probably the most common with leprosy and fungal infections being the rarest.A careful history and nasa...
Ecosystem service provision by stormwater wetlands and ponds – A means for evaluation?

Stormwater control measures (SCMs) such as constructed stormwater ponds and constructed stormwater wetlands (CSWs) are designed to regulate runoff hydrology and quality. However, these created ecosystems also provide a range of other benefits, or ecosystem services, which are often acknowledged but rarely quantified. In this study, additional ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and cultural services, were assessed and compared between 20 ponds and 20 CSWs in North Carolina, USA. Carbon sequestration was estimated through the carbon content of pond and wetland sediments across a gradient of system age. Biodiversity was quantified in terms of the richness and Shannon diversity index of vegetative and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. Cultural services were qualitatively assessed based on the potential for recreational and educational opportunities at each site. Ponds and wetlands were found to support similar levels of macroinvertebrate diversity, though differences community composition arose between the two habitat types. CSWs demonstrated greater potential to provide carbon sequestration, vegetative diversity, and cultural ecosystem services. This assessment provides an initial framework upon which future assessments of ecosystem service provision by SCMs can build.
Mechanisms of lysolipid phosphate effects on cellular survival and proliferation.

: The specificity of cellular effects of lysolipid phosphate (LLP) growth factors is determined by binding to endothelial differentiation gene-encoded G protein-coupled receptors (EDG Rs), which transduce diverse proliferative and effector signals. The primary determinants of cellular responses to LLPs are the generative and biodegradative events, which establish steady-state concentrations of each LLP at cell surfaces, and the relative frequency of expression of each EDG R. There are major differences among types of cells in the net effective generation of the LLPs, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), and in their profile of expression of EDG Rs. The less well characterized secondary determinants of cellular specificity of LLPs are high-affinity binding proteins with carrier and cell-presentation functions, cell-selective regulators of expression of EDG Rs, and cellular factors that govern coupling of EDG Rs to G protein transductional pathways. The roles of components of the LLP-EDG R system in normal physiology and disease processes will be definitively elucidated only after development of animal models with biologically meaningful alterations in genes encoding EDG Rs and the discovery of potent and selective pharmacological probes.
Alteration of glucose and insulin metabolism in congenital heart disease.

Children with left-to-right shunt, with and without congestive heart failure, were found to have impaired glucose tolerance tests (GTT). In cyanotic children normal levels of glucose were found in association with abnormally high levels of insulin following oral GTT. Several possible mechanisms are proposed to explain the different glucose tolerance alterations: (1) Suppression of insulin release appeared to partially explain the low levels of insulin in congestive heart failure. This suppression may be related to the high levels of circulating norepinephrine found in these patients. (2) Excessive clearance of insulin by the lung may also be responsible for the reduced arterial insulin levels in patients with left-to-right shunt, and underclearance of insulin for the abnormally higher arterial insulin levels in patients with right-to-left shunts in whom a significant amount of venous blood has bypassed the lung. (3) Hypoxia of the pancreas and the liver in cyanotic patients and those with congestive heart failure may explain the reduction of insulin levels in the hepatic vein following i.v. glucose tolerance tests. An excess production of a glucagonlike gastrointestinal factor in cyanotic children may partially explain the abnormally high levels of insulin following oral GTT.
Soldiers and development aid Military intervention and foreign aid flows

This article argues that military intervention by traditional members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) has a significant impact on the development aid given to target states. Th...
Toward improved heuristic evaluation of EHRs

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) can improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care. Migration to EHRs is progressing, but has been slowed by concerns related to interoperability, security, cost, patient safety, and usability. This paper focuses on EHR usability, specifically heuristic evaluation, or utilizing accepted guidelines for assessing EHR interface design. Health-care researchers initially applied industry-standard heuristics to EHRs, but subsequently health-care-specific groups have adapted and expanded these standard heuristics, calling for development and use of heuristics specific to EHRs. This paper first summarizes the evolution of heuristic evaluation of EHRs, then discusses the similarities and differences between these various approaches. This is an important step in developing community consensus on integrated heuristics, the basis of successful heuristic evaluation of EHRs. We then discuss the ‘Theory of Fit’ as a means of explaining the existence of these somewhat different heuristics, and close with suggestions for further research.
Stimulus Generalization of Conditioned Suppression

A tone ending in unavoidable electric shock was periodically presented to pigeons while they pecked a key for food. When pecking was completely disrupted by tone, shock was disconnected, and the training tone and tones having new frequencies were presented. Initially the gradient of generalization was broad; as testing proceeded, however, the gradient narrowed severely.
Oxygen-18 study of high-temperature air oxidation of SO2☆

Abstract The oxygen-18 enrichment in sulfates formed at high temperatures (475–500°C) by platinum-catalyzed air oxidation of SO2 to SO3 in humidified air, was found to be several parts per thousand higher than in the air oxygen, SO2, or water vapor from which the sulfates were formed. Variation of the δ18O in the sulfates showed little dependence on variation of the δ18O in the water vapor. The mechanism of sulfate formation involved isotopic exchange between the air oxygen and water vapor, isotopic exchange between the water vapor and SO2, and formation of the hydrate, H2SO4· 3H2O. When Fe2O3 or V2O5 was heated in mixtures of air, water vapor, and SO2, some of the SO2 was analytically oxidized (via SO3 formation) to sulfate of relatively high δ18O and the remainder to chemisorbed sulfate of relatively low δ18O. Charcoal and fly ash (containing unburned carbon and basic oxides) reacted with the SO2 to yield chemisorbed sulfates of relatively low δ18O.
DNA uptake during electroporation of germinating pollen grains

Abstract Electroporation of germinating pollen grains of Nicotiana gossei (L.) Domin under a variety of conditions showed that DNA was taken up by the pollen without detrimental effects on the viability of the pollen. By optimizing both the field strength of the electroporation pulse and the DNA concentration in the electroporation medium up to 6% of the donor DNA can be taken up by the germinating pollen while maintaining a pollen viability of 90%. Field strengths as high as 9 kV/cm could be applied to germinating pollen grains without detrimental effects on viability. Southern hybridizations demonstrated that DNA encoding the marker enzyme β-glucuronidase (GUS) was incorporated into electroporated pollen. Germinating pollen, treated in this manner, is capable of producing 300–400 seeds per capsule of viable seed when applied to the stigmas of compatible flowers of N. gossei which has been emasculated 4 days earlier.
Perceived changes in well-being : The role of chronological age, target age, and type of measure

The goal of this study is to investigate whether perceived changes in one's well-being from the present to the future are related to chronological age, target age, and type of measure (psychological well-being versus life satisfaction). Young adults (N = 114) rated their current well-being and their future well-being at one of three target ages (30, 50, or 70 years old) and middle-aged adults (N = 51) rated their current well-being and future well-being at the target age of 70 years old. Future self-enhancement effects were observed on both measures of well-being for young adults and on life satisfaction for middle-aged adults. Future self-enhancement effects were greater for life satisfaction than for psychological well-being. One-way MANOVAs showed that there were chronological age differences but not target age differences in the magnitude of future self-enhancement effects for well-being. Future self-enhancement effects were larger for young adults than for middle-aged adults.
Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase-C of platelets: Association with 1,2-diacylglycerol-kinase and inhibition by cyclic-AMP

Abstract Horse platelets prelabeled with [ 14 C]arachidonate (AA) rapidly degrade [ 14 C]phosphatidylinositol (PI) to [ 14 C]1,2-diacylglycerol (DG) upon treatment with deoxycholate (DOC). This phospholipase-C (PLC) activity is specific for PI since other phospholipids or neutral lipids are not affected. Although exogenous Ca 2+ is not required for activity, EGTA or EDTA abolishes PI degradation. Addition of Mg 2+ (1 mM) and ATP (1 mM) results in phosphorylation of the DG and production of phosphatidic acid (PA). Higher concentrations of DOC inhibit DG-kinase. These observations, together with the fact that different platelet agonists induce a rapid degradation of PI and production of PA, indicate that PLC and DG-kinase activities are intimately linked. Incubation of platelets with dibutyryl cyclic-AMP, cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase inhibitors and pyridoxal-5′-phosphate, which prevent platelet aggregation, inhibits the DOC-dependent conversion of PI to DG. The activity of PLC may play a central role in mediating platelet function and aggregation.
South-south technology transfer: The case of China's Kpatawee rice project in Liberia

Abstract Despite the call for more technical cooperation between developing countries (TCDC) as spearheaded by the United Nations Development Program, the literature contains few examples of actual cases of TCDC. Kpatawee Farm was developed during 1978–1989 by the People's Republic of China as a state-owned rice seed plantation in rural Liberia. The article analyzes this experience of TCDC. It concludes that technical cooperation between developing countries may offer unexpected problems. In this case, operating Kpatawee as a state farm effectively transferred China's own difficulties with state-controlled, overmechanized, and uneconomic production. Privatizing Kpatawee is unlikely to improve its performance. Even China's small-scale irrigation techniques, when considered separately from the rainfed area of the state farm, appear at best only marginally competitive with imports, and offer limited promise as a viable farming system for rural Liberia.
Some properties of the (ψψ)2 model in two dimensions

Abstract We show that the two-dimensional ( ψ ψ) 2 model is, for N = 3, equivalent to the supersymmetric sine-Gordon equation, and for N = 4, equivalent to two decoupled sine-Gordon systems. In addition, we argue that the kinks of this model are isospinors, and we construct some of the higher conservation laws that are responsible for the exact solubility of this system.
Detection Theory in Identification of RNA-DNA Sequence Differences Using RNA-Sequencing

Advances in sequencing technology have allowed for detailed analyses of the transcriptome at single-nucleotide resolution, facilitating the study of RNA editing or sequence differences between RNA and DNA genome-wide. In humans, two types of post-transcriptional RNA editing processes are known to occur: A-to-I deamination by ADAR and C-to-U deamination by APOBEC1. In addition to these sequence differences, researchers have reported the existence of all 12 types of RNA-DNA sequence differences (RDDs); however, the validity of these claims is debated, as many studies claim that technical artifacts account for the majority of these non-canonical sequence differences. In this study, we used a detection theory approach to evaluate the performance of RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) and associated aligners in accurately identifying RNA-DNA sequence differences. By generating simulated RNA-Seq datasets containing RDDs, we assessed the effect of alignment artifacts and sequencing error on the sensitivity and false discovery rate of RDD detection. Overall, we found that even in the presence of sequencing errors, false negative and false discovery rates of RDD detection can be contained below 10% with relatively lenient thresholds. We also assessed the ability of various filters to target false positive RDDs and found them to be effective in discriminating between true and false positives. Lastly, we used the optimal thresholds we identified from our simulated analyses to identify RDDs in a human lymphoblastoid cell line. We found approximately 6,000 RDDs, the majority of which are A-to-G edits and likely to be mediated by ADAR. Moreover, we found the majority of non A-to-G RDDs to be associated with poorer alignments and conclude from these results that the evidence for widespread non-canonical RDDs in humans is weak. Overall, we found RNA-Seq to be a powerful technique for surveying RDDs genome-wide when coupled with the appropriate thresholds and filters.
Just-in-Time Teaching Exercises to Engage Students in an Introductory-Level Dinosaur Course

The Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) technique allows students to be engaged in course material outside of the classroom by answering web-based questions. The responses are summarized and presented to students in class with a follow-up active learning exercise. College students enrolled in an introductory-level general education geoscience course were surveyed over a two-semester period on their engagement level during lecture and per- ceived learning of course content. Data show that students are able to reflect on their prior knowledge and construct new knowledge with weekly graded JiTT exercises. Despite increasing and competing pressures outside of the classroom, students reported increased learning and engagement in a course with required weekly assignments.
Skeletal muscle fiber area alterations in two opposing modes of resistance-exercise training in the same individual.

The purpose of this study was to observe fiber area changes that might occur in the same subject from two opposing resistance-exercise training regimes isolating the quadriceps muscle group. Twelve college-age men divided into two groups participated in each of two 7.5-week regimens; one performed a muscular strength program (high-resistance, low-repetition) 4 days a week on a resistance-exercise apparatus, while the other performed a muscular endurance (low-resistance, high-repetition) program. After a 5.5-week hiatus, the groups changed regimens for the second 7.5 weeks. Closed-needle biopsies of the dominant vastus lateralis and isokinetic dynamometer evaluations were made before and at the end of each training period. The muscle samples were analyzed for area changes. In both groups the initial exercise stimulus, whether for strength or endurance, increased the area of fibers of all three major types (I, IIA, and IIB). Subjects doing strength exercises as their second treatment showed a further increase in the area of type I and IIB fibers, whereas those doing endurance exercises showed a decrease in all fiber types. From the first to the last biopsy all fiber areas were decreased (P<0.05) in the control-strength-endurance group and increased (P<0.05) in the control-endurance-strength group. These results suggested that endurance exercise preceding strength exercise in an isolated muscle group maximized fiber area adaptations to exercise stress. Consideration should thus be given in exercise and rehabilitation programs to the muscle cellular adaptations evidenced in different orders of training, particularly if muscular strength is considered important.
A STEP-Based Approach Toward Cooperative Product Design for Sustainability

Industries often employ heterogeneous computer aided tools (CAD/CAE/CAM) to carry out complex product designs and simulations resulting in a need for data sharing, data exchange, and computational activities. Nowadays the concept of “Design for Sustainability (DfS)” heightens this challenge, as most DfS approaches especially the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) involve large amounts of data collection, sharing and computation tasks throughout the product life cycle. ISO 10303, also known as STEP (STandard for the Exchange of Product model data), has evolved for several decades and provides a set of standards for industrial automation systems and integration. In this paper, we propose a STEP-based collaborative framework to integrate heterogeneous CAD tools, LCA tools and other necessary computational tools to support cooperative product design for sustainability. The geometric information from CAD tools and the material/process information from material/process databases are formally represented in suitable STEP application protocols (APs). An agent is implemented to parse the geometric and non-geometric information encoded in STEP data format, and compose them into a complete product tree represented with a NIST CPM (Core Product Model) based information model. The information in the product tree is then evaluated by a LCA tool to obtain environmental impact score. The feasibility and benefits of the proposed methodology have been illustrated with a typical stapler product.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Origin of the Angiosperms

THE cyto-genetic work of the past decade has built up an increasingly impressive body of data demonstrating the evolutionary importance of fertile, true-breeding hybrids originating through doubling of the chromosome number. A considerable number of such hybrids (variously termed amphidiploids, summation hybrids, allopolyploids) have originated under observation. Particularly interesting from the evolutionary point of view are Muntzing's synthetic Galeopsis Tetrahit, produced from G. pubescens and G. speciosa1, and Karpechenko's Raphano-Brassica, an intergeneric hybrid which, were it found in Nature, would be considered a new genus2.