cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The occurrence of G-bands in the mitotic chromosomes of the amphibian Xenopus muelleri

The mitotic chromosomes from cultured cells of Xenopus muelleri were G-banded with trypsin and/or with trypsin/urea. These amphibian chromosomes were not found to be more highly contracted at metaphase than those of mammals or reptiles and trypsin G-banding was more easily induced than in the case of most reptilian chromosomes. The organization of vertebrate chromosomes into distinct early replicating (R-bands) and late replicating (G-bands) replicon clusters may be characteristic of eucaryotes in general.
S phase progression is required for transcriptional activation of the β-phaseolin promoter

Elucidating the mechanisms by which the transcription machinery accesses promoters in their chromatin environment is a fundamental aspect of understanding gene regulation. The phas promoter is normally constrained by a rotationally and translationally positioned nucleosome over its TATA region except during embryogenesis when it is potentiated by the presence of Phaseolus vulgaris ABI3-like factor (PvALF), a plant-specific transcription factor, and activated by an abscisic acid (ABA)-induced signal transduction cascade. Ectopic expression of PvALF and the supply of ABA in transgenic tobacco or Arabidopsis leaves can activate expression from phas. We confirmed by [3H]thymidine incorporation that active DNA replication occurred concomitant with the presence of PvALF and ABA. Arrest of DNA synthesis or S phase progression by infiltration of the leaves with replication inhibitors (hydroxyurea, roscovitine, mimosine) strongly inhibited transcriptional activation, especially the ABA-mediated activation step. Similarly, activation of endogenous Arabidopsis MAT and LEA genes in leaf tissue by the presence of ABA and ectopically expressed PvALF was inhibited by DNA replication arrest. No change in transcript levels on the arrest of replication was detected for abi1, abi2, and era1, negative regulators of the ABA signal transduction cascade or for cell cycle components ick1 and aip3. However, a reduction in transcript accumulation for the crucial ABA signaling effector, abi5, occurred upon DNA replication arrest (probably reflected in the decrease in MAT and LEA gene expression). Contrary to the conventional view that ABA inhibits DNA replication, our findings show that ABA acts in concert with S phase progression to activate gene expression.
Successful use of electroejaculation in two multiple sclerosis patients including report of a pregnancy utilizing intrauterine insemination

We report two males with multiple sclerosis who were infertile as a result of failure to ejaculate. Electroejaculation was successfully used to recover semen with motile sperm from both men, and the sperm was used for artificial insemination. One pregnancy was achieved by intrauterine insemination, and a healthy male baby was born.
Monitoring and fault diagnosis of hybrid systems

Many networked embedded sensing and control systems can be modeled as hybrid systems with interacting continuous and discrete dynamics. These systems present significant challenges for monitoring and diagnosis. Many existing model-based approaches focus on diagnostic reasoning assuming appropriate fault signatures have been generated. However, an important missing piece is the integration of model-based techniques with the acquisition and processing of sensor signals and the modeling of faults to support diagnostic reasoning. This paper addresses key modeling and computational problems at the interface between model-based diagnosis techniques and signature analysis to enable the efficient detection and isolation of incipient and abrupt faults in hybrid systems. A hybrid automata model that parameterizes abrupt and incipient faults is introduced. Based on this model, an approach for diagnoser design is presented. The paper also develops a novel mode estimation algorithm that uses model-based prediction to focus distributed processing signal algorithms. Finally, the paper describes a diagnostic system architecture that integrates the modeling, prediction, and diagnosis components. The implemented architecture is applied to fault diagnosis of a complex electro-mechanical machine, the Xerox DC265 printer, and the experimental results presented validate the approach. A number of design trade-offs that were made to support implementation of the algorithms for online applications are also described.
Determining Pair-Merge

Chomsky (2001) proposes that the distinction between adjuncts and phrases in other grammatical relations follows from the way in which they are each introduced into structures. In particular, he distinguishes between the basic mechanisms of set-Merge and pair-Merge. A fundamental question left unanswered in his work is how the Narrow Syntax component of the derivational system can determine that pair-Merge is required in the integration of adjuncts into structures, rather than the default set-Merge. This squib proposes that the answer to this question derives from the (obligatory) existence of a functional category, Mod, in the structure of adjuncts ([Mod [ YP Adjunct]]) that is parallel in nature to the (obligatory) functional categories in nominals and clauses
Boundary conditions in quantum cosmology

The problem of boundary conditions for the cosmological wave function \ensuremath{\psi} is analyzed using a simple model as an example. The model has two degrees of freedom: the scale factor and a homogeneous scalar field. A tunneling wave function is found for this model which describes an ensemble of universes tunneling from ``nothing'' to a de Sitter space, then evolving along the lines of an inflationary scenario and eventually collapsing to a singularity. A boundary condition in superspace is proposed which selects the tunneling solution for \ensuremath{\psi}. This boundary condition can be thought of as a quantum version of the Penrose condition in classical general relativity. The probability current, the concept of time, and the possibility of an experimental test of quantum cosmology are also discussed.
Evidence from Individual Inference for High-Dimensional Coexistence: Long-Term Experiments on Recruitment Response

Background For competing species to coexist, individuals must compete more with others of the same species than with those of other species. Ecologists search for tradeoffs in how species might partition the environment. The negative correlations among competing species that would be indicative of tradeoffs are rarely observed. A recent analysis showed that evidence for partitioning the environment is available when responses are disaggregated to the individual scale, in terms of the covariance structure of responses to environmental variation. That study did not relate that variation to the variables to which individuals were responding. To understand how this pattern of variation is related to niche variables, we analyzed responses to canopy gaps, long viewed as a key variable responsible for species coexistence.
Strategic Planning and Forecasting Fundamentals

Individuals and organizations have operated for hundreds of years by planning and forecasting in an intuitive manner. It was not until the 1950s that formal approaches became popular. Since then, such approaches have been used by business, government, and nonprofit organizations. Advocates of formal approaches (for example, Steiner, 1979) claim that an organization can improve its effectiveness if it can forecast its environment, anticipate problems, and develop plans to respond to those problems. However, informal planning and forecasting are expensive activities; this raises questions about their superiority over informal planning and forecasting. Furthermore, critics of the formal approach claim that it introduces rigidity and hampers creativity. These critics include many observers with practical experience (for example, Wrapp, 1967). This chapter presents a framework for formal planning and forecasting which shows how they interact with one another. Suggestions are presented on how to use formal planning for strategic decision making. (For simplicity, references to planning and forecasting in this chapter will mean formal strategic planning and forecasting.) Planning is not expected to be useful in all situations, so recommendations are made on when planning is most useful. Descriptions of forecasting methods are then provided. Finally, suggestions are made on which forecasting methods to use when developing plans for a company.
Extending the Carbon Chain: Hydrocarbon Formation Catalyzed by Vanadium/Molybdenum Nitrogenases

In a small-scale reaction, vanadium-dependent nitrogenase has previously been shown to catalyze reductive catenation of carbon monoxide (CO) to ethylene, ethane, propylene, and propane. Here, we report the identification of additional hydrocarbon products [α-butylene, n-butane, and methane (CH(4))] in a scaled-up reaction featuring 20 milligrams of vanadium-iron protein, the catalytic component of vanadium nitrogenase. Additionally, we show that the more common molybdenum-dependent nitrogenase can generate the same hydrocarbons from CO, although CH(4) was not detected. The identification of CO as a substrate for both molybdenum- and vanadium-nitrogenases strengthens the hypothesis that CO reduction is an evolutionary relic of the function of the nitrogenase family. Moreover, the comparison between the CO-reducing capacities of the two nitrogenases suggests that the identity of heterometal at the active cofactor site affects the efficiency and product distribution of this reaction.
Interference alignment and cancellation

The throughput of existing MIMO LANs is limited by the number of antennas on the AP. This paper shows how to overcome this limit. It presents interference alignment and cancellation (IAC), a new approach for decoding concurrent sender-receiver pairs in MIMO networks. IAC synthesizes two signal processing techniques, interference alignment and interference cancellation, showing that the combination applies to scenarios where neither interference alignment nor cancellation applies alone. We show analytically that IAC almost doubles the throughput of MIMO LANs. We also implement IAC in GNU-Radio, and experimentally demonstrate that for 2x2 MIMO LANs, IAC increases the average throughput by 1.5x on the downlink and 2x on the uplink.
Improving Pain Relief in a Rural Cancer Center

purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe barriers to cancer pain management and strategies for making improvements in an academic rural cancer center. overview: Rural communities pose unique challenges to cancer pain management because of their unique strengths and burdens. Successful strategies used by a comprehensive cancer center to improve pain management in rural New England are summarized. clinical implications Improving cancer pain management in a rural setting required a recognition of the contrasting characteristics between a sophisticated academic medical center and a rural community. The successful implementation of quality improvement strategies required a combination of leadership support, internal and external funding, and professional and federal recognition of the problem. Using a quality improvement approach rather than a traditional didactic approach, and fostering communication, trust, and collegiality at our outreach sites were pivotal to our success.
Stability of slowly varying spatiotemporal systems

A characterization of stability for slowly varying spatiotemporal systems based on input-output description of the plant and controller is presented. This approach generalizes the results developed for the standard case for slowly time-varying systems. The controller design is based on frozen spatially and temporally invariant descriptions of the plant. In particular, we consider the case where the controllers are not necessarily adjusted for every instance in space and time, and hence are used for some fixed window in time and space before new controllers are implemented. It is shown that the actual spatiotemporally varying system can be stabilized using frozen in space and time controllers, provided the variations in the spatiotemporal dynamics are sufficiently small.
Hypersecretion of Growth Hormone and Prolactin in McCune-Albright Syndrome

Acromegaly and hyperprolactinemia have been reported in association with the McCune-Albright syndrome, but the pathophysiology of the GH and PRL hypersecretion that occurs in patients with this disorder has not been defined. We studied GH and PRL secretory dynamics in three patients with McCune-Albright syndrome and hypersecretion of these hormones. Each patient had excessive linear growth, glucose-non-suppressible plasma GH concentration, and GH responsiveness to TRH and GHRH. In response to exogenous GHRH, plasma GH concentrations rose approximately 2-fold in all three patients. Plasma GHRH levels were 20-40 ng/L (normal, less than 30). Study of the spontaneous GH secretory pattern in two patients indicated nocturnal augmentation of GH release. Bromocriptine therapy failed to reduce plasma GH in all patients; in one patient treatment with octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analog, partially suppressed plasma GH and insulin-like growth factor I levels. These results suggest that hypersecretion of GH in the McCune-Albright syndrome is not due to ectopic GHRH production or autonomous somatotroph function. The results are similar to those described in classic acromegaly due to GH-secreting pituitary tumors. However, the lack of radiographic pituitary enlargement, the variable pituitary pathology reported in similar patients, and frequent concordance of GH and PRL excess suggest that the pathogenesis of this disorder may differ fundamentally from other forms of acromegaly or gigantism. The pathophysiology may reflect abnormal hypothalamic regulation and/or an embryological defect in pituitary cellular differentiation and function.
On the capacity of secondary users in a cognitive radio network

Cognitive radio networks deal with opportunistic spectrum access leading to greater utilization of the spectrum. The extent of utilization depends on the primary user's traffic and also on the way the spectrum is accessed by the primary and secondary users. In this paper Continuous-time Markov chains are used to model the spectrum access. The proposed three-dimensional model represents a more accurate cognitive system than the existing models with increased spectrum utilization and than the random and reservation based spectrum access. A non-random access method is proposed to remove the forced termination states. In addition, call dropping and blocking probabilities are reduced. It is further shown that channel utilization is higher than random access and reservation based access.
Robust vascular protective effect of hydroxamic acid derivatives in a sickle mouse model of inflammation.

Objective: Clinically, the vascular pathobiology of human sickle cell disease includes an abnormal state of chronic inflammation and activation of the coagulation system. Since these biologies likely underlie development of vascular disease in sickle subjects, they offer attractive targets for novel therapeutics. Similar findings characterize the sickle transgenic mouse, which therefore provides a clinically relevant inflammation model.Method: The authors tested two polyhydroxyphenyl hydroxamic acid derivatives, didox and trimidox, in sickle transgenic mice. Animals were examined by intravital microscopy (cremaster muscle and dorsal skin fold preparations) and by histochemistry before and after transient exposure to hypoxia, with versus without preadministration of study drug. Previous studies have validated the application of hypoxia/reoxygenation to sickle transgenic mice as a disease-relevant model.Results: Animals pretreated with these agents exhibited marked improvements in leukocyte/ endothelial int...
The Value of Rational Nature

Kant tells us in the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals that rational nature is an end in itself; that it is the only thing which is unconditionally valuable; and that it is the ultimate condition of all value. A striking trend in recent Kant scholarship is to regard these value claims, rather than the formalism of universalizability, as the ultimate foundation of Kant’s theory. But does rational nature as Kant conceives it deserve such veneration? Can it really carry the world of value on its shoulders? I think not. As will become clear, I do not doubt the value of rational nature. My claim is rather that we cannot account for the value of rational nature if we conceive it as Kant does. Rational nature cannot be valuable in a Kantian world, where there are no self-subsistent principles about what are good states of affairs, or activities, or whatever, of the sort that a Moorean or a Platonist or a perfectionist believes in. My own views are generally Moorean, and I shall occasionally offer a Moorean perspective on the value of rational nature for comparative purposes, but my criticisms of the Kantian view could be made from an Aristotelian perspective as well, in which the agent pursues not the Good, but a good human life. My main object is not to develop any particular alternative to the Kantian view, but merely to show how unsatisfactory the Kantian view is when we look at it closely.
Effect of meal-feeding on insulin sensitivity and incorporation of [U-14C] glucose into lipids in rat aorta.

In vitro aortic lipogenesis from o-(U-14C)glucose was sig nificantly greater in meal-fed rats than in ad libitum fed controls. In addi tion, aortic tissue from meal-fed rats showed a sensitivity to insulin which was absent in the same preparations from nibbling rats. Two preparations of aortic tissue were used in this study. "Intima-media" contained intima and approximately the inner two-third of the media. "Adventitia" contained the remainder of the media and the inner, fat-free adventitia. This latter preparation was more sensitive to the change from a nibbling to a meal- eating regime, although the effects were clearly evident in the intima- media, suggesting that both adventitial and medial cells were susceptible to the metabolic changes associated with the adaptation to meal-eating. Of the two major aortic lipid components synthesized from glucose in vitro, phospholipids and triglycA©rides,the former were essentially unaltered in meal fed rats. However, in comparison with nibbling rats, 14C-incorporation into aortic triglycA©rideswas increased two-fold in the intima-media and three-fold in the media-adventitia, and was almost doubled again in both preparations in the presence of insulin. The development of adaptive hyper- lipogenesis and insulin sensitivity in these preparations is discussed in terms of possible variations in insulin receptor number in target tissues of meal- fed rats. J. Nutr. 107: 1896-1901, 1977.
Face Masks for Noninvasive Ventilation: Fit, Excess Skin Hydration, and Pressure Ulcers.

BACKGROUND: Pressure ulcers (stages III and IV) are serious safety events (ie, never events). Healthcare institutions are no longer reimbursed for costs to care for affected patients. Medical devices are the leading cause of pediatric pressure ulcers. Face masks for noninvasive ventilation were associated with a high percentage of pressure ulcers at our institution. METHODS: A prospective cohort study investigated factors contributing to pressure ulcer development in 50 subjects using face masks for noninvasive ventilation. Color imaging, 3-dimensional surface imaging, and skin hydration measurements were used to identify early skin compromise and evaluate 3 interventions to reduce trauma: (1) a silicone foam dressing, (2) a water/polyethylene oxide hydrogel dressing, and (3) a flexible cloth mask. A novel mask fit technique was used to examine the impact of fit on the potential for skin compromise. RESULTS: Fifty subjects age 10.4 ± 9.1 y participated with color images for 22, hydration for 34, and mask fit analysis for 16. Of these, 69% had diagnoses associated with craniofacial anomalies. Stage I pressure ulcers were the most common injury. Skin hydration difference was 317 ± 29 for sites with erythema versus 75 ± 28 for sites without erythema ( P < .05) and smallest for the cloth mask ( P < .05). Fit distance metrics differed for the nasal, oronasal, and face shield interfaces, with threshold distances being higher for the oronasal mask than the others ( P < .05). Areas of high contact were associated with skin erythema and pressure ulcers. CONCLUSIONS: This fit method is currently being utilized to select best-fit masks from available options, to identify the potential areas of increased tissue pressure, and to prevent skin injuries and their complications. Improvement of mask fit is an important priority for improving respiratory outcomes. Strategies to maintain normal skin hydration are important for protecting tissue integrity.
Biomass Burning Emissions and the Atmosphere

Smoke produced by vegetation fires consists of a complex mixture of gaseous, liquid, and solid phases. Many particulates are generated during vegetation fires. Crutzen and Andreae (1990) have estimated that global emissions of pyrogenic smoke particles (50–150 Tg yr-l) may currently exceed global sulfate aerosol produced from fossil fuel burning. These pyrogenic particulates are largely composed of carbonaceous materials (Crutzen and Andreae 1990, Cachier et al.,1991). It is clear that particulate organic carbon is the dominant (~2/3) aerosol product of biomass fires (Andreae et al. 1988). Carbonaceous smoke particles are usually divided into organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) aerosols (Mazurek et al. 1991, Ward et al. 1991). The OC aerosol fraction usually predominates in the smoke plumes resulting from vegetation fires, and consists of almost anything, ranging from organic acids and aldehydes to waxes and tars. Results from biomass fires in the Canadian boreal system indicate average ratios of OC/EC of about 16:1 (Mazurek et al. 1991), from Africa of about 10:1 (Cachier et al. 1991), and from Brazil about 12:1 (Ward et al. 1992). Vegetation fires also produce charcoal carbon (Seiler and Crutzen 1980). Both EC and charcoal carbon show a relative lack of reactivity (both chemically and biochemically), and thereby, strongly resist decomposition. Thus, estimates of vegetation burning over geological times often have been based on deposits of charcoal and elemental carbon in marine, lacustrine, and terrestrial sediments (Herring 1985, Clark 1988, Anders et al. 1991). There are fundamental differences between charcoal particles and elemental carbon particles. Charcoal is formed during vegetation fires by means of low-temperature (relative to EC) pyrolysis. Charcoal carbon is produced from charring larger woody fragments under reducing conditions. This tends to produce large particles that are irregular in shape. While charcoal carbon fragments can be found at almost any size, they are usually large (>100 µm).
Information-theoretic Bounds on Matrix Completion under Union of Subspaces Model.

In this short note we extend some of the recent results on matrix completion under the assumption that the columns of the matrix can be grouped (clustered) into subspaces (not necessarily disjoint or independent). This model deviates from the typical assumption prevalent in the literature dealing with compression and recovery for big-data applications. The results have a direct bearing on the problem of subspace clustering under missing or incomplete information.
Dynamic Contact Characteristics During Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP)

In chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), it is critical to understand dynamic contact at the pad-particles-wafer interface for desired CMP performance. The dynamic contact is dependent on process variables (platen velocity and down pressure) and particle characteristics (size and concentration), which in turn affect friction force. In this study, we have characterized the dynamic contact at the pad-particles-wafer interface as a function of platen velocity and down pressure. In situ lateral friction force measurements were carried out for silica slurry / sapphire wafer system in order to investigate the dynamic contact during polishing. As solids loading increases, the slope in the friction force vs. platen velocity curve changes from a negative to a positive value. Friction force increases with down pressure for different solids loading conditions. Consequently, friction force is determined as a function of down pressure and platen velocity, validating a dynamic contact mechanism during CMP.
Isolation of temperature-sensitive yeast GPI-anchoring mutants.

We are using a genetic approach to explore the synthesis and function of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). We have developed a novel strategy to isolate Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants blocked in GPI anchoring by screening colonies of mutagenized yeast cells for those that fail to incorporate [ 3 H]inositol into protein. Among our isolates are strains blocked in mannosylation of the GPI-anchor precursor, and strains defective in the synthesis of N-acetylglucosaminyl phosphatidylinositol (GlcNAc-PI). We have characterized one mutant, gpi1, further. This strain is defective in GlcNAc-PI synthesis and is temperature-sensitive for growth. Completion of the first step in GPI assembly is therefore required for the growth of the unicellular eukaryote S. cerevisiae
On Dividing Coconuts: A Linear Diophantine Problem

(1997). On Dividing Coconuts: A Linear Diophantine Problem. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 203-204.
2-Aminobenzaldehyde: The Source of the “Sweet Odor” of Hebeloma Sacchariolens

(1992). 2-Aminobenzaldehyde: The Source of the “Sweet Odor” of Hebeloma Sacchariolens. Mycologia: Vol. 84, No. 6, pp. 935-936.
Neutron temporal diagnostic for high-yield deuterium–tritium cryogenic implosions on OMEGA

A next-generation neutron temporal diagnostic (NTD) capable of recording high-quality data for the highest anticipated yield cryogenic deuterium–tritium (DT) implosion experiments was recently installed at the Omega Laser Facility. A high-quality measurement of the neutron production width is required to determine the hot-spot pressure achieved in inertial confinement fusion experiments—a key metric in assessing the quality of these implosions. The design of this NTD is based on a fast-rise-time plastic scintillator, which converts the neutron kinetic energy to 350- to 450-nm-wavelength light. The light from the scintillator inside the nose-cone assembly is relayed ∼16 m to a streak camera in a well-shielded location. An ∼200× reduction in neutron background was observed during the first high-yield DT cryogenic implosions compared to the current NTD installation on OMEGA. An impulse response of ∼40 ± 10 ps was measured in a dedicated experiment using hard x-rays from a planar target irradiated with a 10-ps short pulse from the OMEGA EP laser. The measured instrument response includes contributions from the scintillator rise time, optical relay, and streak camera.
Practicing Behavioral Strengthening: Improving Your Communication Skills (Session 5 of the Treatment Manual)

This chapter focuses on improving communication skills, which is an important aspect of behavioral strengthening. Communication skills training is another area in which cultural adaptations can be effectively implemented. In fact, understanding how diverse cultures express and communicate their distress in different ways, as well as understanding how communication styles, patterns, norms (eg, differences in direct vs indirect, and verbal vs nonverbal) can vary across cultures is an important aspect of becoming a culturally competent and effective therapist. This cultural adaptation is included under the fifth domain of the Psychotherapy Adaptation and Modification Framework (ie, understanding cultural differences in the expression of distress and communication). Improving communication skills is an essential part of problem-solving and healthy relationships. This session provides psychoeducation and opportunities to practice and acquire skills. It also gives the therapists the opportunity to model good communication skills. Moreover, clients learn about “wise” and effective communication, and how to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing various communication strategies.
A methodology for application-specific NoC architecture generation in a dynamic task structure environment

To avoid bandwidth violations, the NoC architecture generation phase must consider the bandwidth variation along various links. In this paper, we analyze the impact of the dynamic nature of task graphs on bandwidth requirements and present an algorithm to find the Minimum BandWidth Guarantee along the various links of the NoC architecture.
Mary’s Magnificat: The Anawim and Church on the Margins

The Magnificat is Mary’s song proclaimed to her cousin Elizabeth and, through the Gospel of Luke, to the world. Mary’s Magnificat proclaims what God is doing among us: bringing the poor to their just reward and demanding the narcissistic rich to look to God, not their wealth for fullness of life. The song speaks of God’s justice through the great reversal, casting down the mighty and lifting up the lowly. The author asks whether the mainline Christian churches find their identity with the rich or the poor; their past or their present. With deep concern she calls religious institutions to take their place with the ‘anawim’ on the margins, and affirm the prophecy of the Magnificat of a future that returns them to their beginnings.
A Consilium of Torello Di Niccolò Torelli of Prato on Dos Aestimata

The chapter considers one of Torello’s many unpublished consilia. Torello di Niccolo Torelli of Prato was a jurist who migrated from Prato to Florence, where he became a citizen, member of the Arte dei Giudici e Notai, professor at the Studio, and served the city as a communal lawyer and diplomat. Between the 1390s and 1420s he penned hundreds of consilia on local disputes. The consilium on dowry law (numerous consilia were written on this complex topic), discussed in the following pages, and edited below, is an autograph; it addresses a dispute over the restitution of a modest dowry and suggests that the litigants belonged to families of middling social rank, that the wife was the commissioning party, and that Torello submitted his opinion in her defense. Alternatively, Torello’s rejection of her final claim suggests that his opinion may have been requested by the presiding judge in the court of the podesta. After the description of the case (punctus, or prefatory summation of the dispute), Torello examines all the main dubia, the remaining contentions and resolves all of them: in Torello’s eyes the resolution of the case is so clear-cut that he does not feel compelled to support his arguments with heaps of authorities.
A Novel Synthesis of Aminomethylphosphonic Acid

Abstract Aminomethylphosphonic acid, H2NCH2P(O) (OH)2, was prepared in high yield from t-butylaminomethylphosphonic acid, t-C4H9NHCH2P(O) (OH)2, by iso-buty-lene elimination in concentrated aqueous hydrobromic or hydrochloric acid at 175° in a sealed tube. The corresponding ester, t-C4H9NHCH2P(O) (OC2H5)2, the precursor of the acid, which is easily obtained from N-methylene-t-butyl-amine and diethyl phosphonate, may also serve as starting material for this preparation.
In situ X-ray diffraction of lead zirconate titanate piezoMEMS cantilever during actuation

Abstract Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to probe the electric-field-induced response of a 500 nm lead zirconate titanate (52/48, Zr/Ti) (PZT) based piezoelectric microelectromechanical system (piezoMEMS) device. 90° ferroelectric/ferroelastic domain reorientation was observed in a cantilever comprised of a 500 nm thick PZT film on a 3 μm thick elastic layer composite of SiO2 and Si3N4. Diffraction data from sectors both parallel- and perpendicular-to-field showed the presence of ferroelastic texture, which is typically seen in in situ electric field diffraction studies of bulk tetragonal perovskite ferroelectrics. The fraction of domains reoriented into the field direction was quantified through the intensity changes of the 002 and 200 diffraction profiles. The maximum induced volume fraction calculated from the results was 20%, which is comparable to values seen in previous bulk and thin film ferroelectric diffraction studies. The novelty of the present work is that a fully released ferroelectric thin film device of micron scale dimensions (down to 60,000 μm3) was interrogated in situ with an applied electric field using synchrotron XRD. Furthermore, the experiment demonstrates that 90° ferroelectric/ferroelastic domain reorientation can be characterized in samples of such small dimensions.
Isolation of High-density Lipoproteins for Non-coding Small RNA Quantification

The diversity of small non-coding RNAs (sRNA) is rapidly expanding and their roles in biological processes, including gene regulation, are emerging. Most interestingly, sRNAs are also found outside of cells and are stably present in all biological fluids. As such, extracellular sRNAs represent a novel class of disease biomarkers and are likely involved in cell signaling and intercellular communication networks. To assess their potential as biomarkers, sRNAs can be quantified in plasma, urine, and other fluids. Nevertheless, to fully understand the impact of extracellular sRNAs as endocrine signals, it is important to determine which carriers are transporting and protecting them in biological fluids (e.g., plasma), which cells and tissues contribute to extracellular sRNA pools, and cells and tissues capable of accepting and utilizing extracellular sRNA. To accomplish these goals, it is critical to isolate highly pure populations of extracellular carriers for sRNA profiling and quantification. We have previously demonstrated that lipoproteins, particularly high-density lipoproteins (HDL), transport functional microRNAs (miRNA) between cells and HDL-miRNAs are significantly altered in disease. Here, we detail a new protocol that utilizes tandem HDL isolation with density-gradient ultracentrifugation (DGUC) and fast-protein-liquid chromatography (FPLC) to obtain highly pure HDL for downstream profiling and quantification of all sRNAs, including miRNAs, using both high-throughput sequencing and real-time PCR approaches. This protocol will be a valuable resource for the investigation of sRNAs on HDL.
Plant and Soil Water Storage in Arctic And Boreal Forest Ecosystems

The amount of water stored in plants and soil in Arctic and boreal forest was calculated from recent estimates of the amounts of carbon stored in organic matter above and below ground. The total water content of the biomass and seasonally-thawed layer of the Arctic and boreal forest was estimated to be 5700 Gt, most of which is stored in trees, peatlands, and that uppermost layer of the soil subject to seasonal thawing. The water held in the organic layer of the soil in northern ecosystems should increase by about 1.6 Gt yr−1 from the expected increase in organic matter due to CO2-induced climatic change. Measured evapotranspiration rates range from less than 0.5 mm per day on the driest sites to 4.5 mm per day on sites with standing or flowing water, indicating an evaporation rate of 3400 Gt yr−1 from the total Arctic and boreal forest region. The overall effect of climatic warming on the water balance of northern ecosystems is complex and difficult to predict because of the interactions of physical and biological processes which affect and are affected by local water balance.
Statistical-Based Image Tagging

The automation of image tagging is extremely important research topic in recent years due to its importance in building large image databases. The optimal goal of recent research is to automatically annotate images and overcome the semantic gap between the image content and the associated text representation. Image retrieval from large databases is one of the important domains that can benefit from automatic tagging. The automatic tagging task is currently associated with many challenges ranging from inaccuracy of retrieval technique to the efficiency and speed of the tagging approaches. In this paper we propose a statistical based tagging approach that uses normalized multidimensional color histograms as a global descriptor of low level features of images. Our results demonstrate that our proposed approach can outperform the Learning based methods in terms of accuracy and speed.
Genome Sequence of the First Coleopteran Iflavirus Isolated from Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte.

ABSTRACT The genome sequence of a novel iflavirus was identified from the transcriptome of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera. The RNA sequence consists of 9,823 nucleotides (nt) with a 3′ polyadenylated tail, containing a single open reading frame that encodes a 3,028-amino-acid polyprotein.
Enhancing the Interactive Services of a Telepresence Robot for AAL: Developments and a Psycho-physiological Assessment

This paper describes the work done on a telepresence robot named GIRAFF and part of a telecare AAL system derived from the GIRAFFPLUS project for supporting and monitoring elderly people at home. Specifically, from the long term trials in real houses, a number of user requirements have emerged that inspired changes and improvements on the robotic platform. The implementation of both multimodal communication capabilities and enhanced information services introduced new interesting questions related to human-robot interaction and specifically to usability, valence of interaction, and cognitive load required to interact with and through the robot. An experimental session based on a combination of physiological and psychological methods showed that the enhanced platform is usable, the interaction pleasant and the required workload limited. The analysis of psychophysiological correlates supported the findings from self-report measures and provides further information. It has been possible to discriminate physiological responses between multimodal interaction and the use of new services. Specifically, while usability can be specifically related to the usage of multichannel commands, positive emotions elicited by the interaction with GIRAFF seems to be mostly ascribable to the usage of services provided for the communication with another person.
Meta-Analysis Comparing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting to Drug-Eluting Stents and to Medical Therapy Alone for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease.

Historically, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been the standard revascularization method for unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. Over the last decade, several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown favorable results for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES) compared with CABG; however, no RCT has been conducted directly comparing DESs with medical therapy alone (MTA). Furthermore, the 2 most recently reported larger RCTs, using new-generation DESs reached somewhat conflicting conclusions comparing the 2 revascularization strategies. Therefore, we performed a traditional pairwise meta-analysis and Bayesian network meta-analysis to compare the efficacies of the 3 currently available treatment strategies (MTA, CABG, and DES) for unprotected LMCA disease. Scientific databases and websites were searched to find RCTs. Data from 8 trials including 4,850 patients were analyzed. Overall PCI increased the risk of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) driven by increased rate of revascularization compared with CABG, but no differences in all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, and recurrent myocardial infarction were found. However, early (i.e., within 30 days) PCI decreased the risk of MACCEs and stroke compared with CABG. In the mixed-treatment comparison models, both CABG and DESs were associated with better survival compared with MTA, but no difference was found between them. In conclusion, in patients with unprotected LMCA disease, PCI with DESs yields similar all-cause and cardiac mortalities compared with CABG. Furthermore, CABG increases early (i.e., within 30 days) MACCE rates, driven by an increased risk of stroke. Over longer durations, PCI increases MACCE rates because of increased recurrent revascularization.
Critical Care in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

The management concepts for the pediatric postoperative cardiac surgery patient now require an interdisciplinary approach including pediatric and adult congenital cardiac surgery, cardiac anesthesia, and neonatal, pediatric, and also adult cardiac intensive care. New management strategies have been developed for postoperative complications. Hybrid techniques for primary treatment and various postoperative cardiac catheterization techniques are becoming more important.
Modeling resonant converters in a rotating, polar coordinate

The average concept, which extracts low frequency components of a signal, is widely adopted to model switching power converters. For resonant converters, the average concept fails due to the existence of a band-pass filter. The first small-signal equivalent circuit model for resonant converters, proposed by E. Yang, is based on fundamental approximation and harmonic balance theory. Although the model is accurate, the complex derivation and the mutual coupling in the equivalent circuit make the model lack of physical intuition. Recently, Y. Hsieh identified the rotating behavior of a resonant converter by studying the state plane and the property on a dq-plane was studied for the first time. A resonant converter on a dq-coordinate was shown to have high similarity to a conventional pulse-width-modulation (PWM) converter. Therefore, the simple average concept can be used for modeling. Nonetheless, the physical meaning of the mutual coupling between d and q axes is still unclear. This paper proposed a rotating, polar coordinate modeling for resonant converters. Compared to the dq-transformation based on the Cartesian coordinate, the radius in a polar coordinate represents the total energy of the resonant tank while the phase angle represents the leading or lagging information of the resonant tank current. Therefore, the proposed model is easy to derive and is rich in physical insight. The beat-frequency double pole and the resonance between the resonant tank and the output filter can be well explained with the proposed model.
Optimizing Natural Light Distribution for Indoor Plant Growth Using PMMA Optical Fiber: Simulation and Empirical Study

Daylighting methods have evolved along with the impetus to reduce the total nonrenewable utility energy consumed by lighting. In general, daylighting systems are an efficient method of delivering light for indoor applications. However, there is little research looking specifically at indoor agriculture applications. Today, optical fibers are commonly used in various applications including imaging, lighting, and sensing. Our study simulated and tested the efficiency of an optical fiber daylighting system in an indoor environment. We tested the illumination performance of optical fibers and specifically looked at light intensity, light uniformity, and the spectrum of 20 mm and 3 mm optical fibers at five distances by offsetting a spectrometer. The scenarios were first modeled and tested using lighting simulation software. Similar settings were then empirically implemented and measured. The results showed that a difference in diameter had an effect on light intensity and light uniformity; the larger the diameter the better the light uniformity and light intensity. Further, the distance at which the spectrometer was placed in reference to the light source showed a relationship between both light intensity and light uniformity; the smaller the distance the more the intensity and the less the uniformity. Additionally, the experiments showed that sunlight intensity was 30 times and 140 times greater than optical fiber output intensity in the absence of any UV filter and presence of UV light, respectively.
5.8 – The Cardiac Function Curve

Stroke volume is defined as end-diastolic volume minus end-systolic volume; cardiac output is the stroke volume times the heart rate. The left ventricular pressure–volume loop is drawn and the work of the heart is considered as the area within the loop. Total cardiac work, however, includes the kinetic work, PV work, and gravitational work. The stretch of the heart caused by the preload determines the stroke volume. This becomes the Frank–Starling Law of the Heart. The plot of cardiac output against right atrial pressure is considered to be the cardiac function curve. The effect of afterload and preload on the PV loop is considered. The effect of sympathetic stimulation on the left ventricular pressures and the PV loop is shown. Experimental determination of cardiac output by Fick’s principle and the indicator dilution method are discussed.
Does Counter-Attitudinal Information Cause Backlash? Results from Three Large Survey Experiments

Several theoretical perspectives suggest that when individuals are exposed to counter-attitudinal evidence or arguments, their pre-existing opinions and beliefs are reinforced, resulting in a phenomenon sometimes known as ‘backlash’. This article formalizes the concept of backlash and specifies how it can be measured. It then presents the results from three survey experiments – two on Mechanical Turk and one on a nationally representative sample – that find no evidence of backlash, even under theoretically favorable conditions. While a casual reading of the literature on information processing suggests that backlash is rampant, these results indicate that it is much rarer than commonly supposed.
Garbage citizenship: vital infrastructures of labor in Dakar, Senegal

Garbage Citizenship is an important addition to the growing literature on global south urban infrastructures. As is true for the field more widely, the book is primarily about the people and politi...
Neurogranin regulates sensorimotor gating through cortico-striatal circuitry.

Abstract Glutamate dysregulation is known to contribute to many psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. Aberrant cortico-striatal activity and therefore glutamate levels might be relevant to this disease characterized by reduced prepulse inhibition (PPI), however, the molecular and behavioral mechanism of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia remains unclear. The focus of this study was to contribute to the current understanding of the glutamate and neurogranin (Ng) pathway, in relation to the cortico-striatal pathology of schizophrenia using a mouse model. A variant of the Ng gene has been detected in people with schizophrenia, implicating maladaptation of cortical glutamate signaling and sensorimotor gating. To test Ng-mediated PPI regulation in the mouse model, we utilized Ng null mice, viral-mediated Ng expression, and genetics approaches. Our results demonstrate that lack of Ng in mice decreases PPI. Ng over-expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) increases PPI, while Ng expression in either the nucleus accumbens (NAc) or hippocampus induces no change in PPI. Using optogenetics and chemogenetics, we identified that cortico-striatal activation is involved in PPI regulation. Finally, pharmacological regulation of Ng using glutamate receptor inhibitors demonstrated altered PPI between genotypes. In this study, we have investigated the impact of Ng expression on sensorimotor gating. This study contributes to a better understanding of the glutamatergic theory of schizophrenia, opening novel therapeutic avenues that may lead to glutamatergic treatments to ameliorate the symptoms of schizophrenia.
The single‐crystal nmr experiment: An experimentalist's guide: Part I: Experimental aspects and symmetry considerations

Crystallographic alignment of both orthogonal and oblique crystal systems via standard camera methods (Weissenberg and Laue methods) is explained. A method to determine whether or not nuclei at symmetry-related crystal lattice sites are distinguishable by NMR is presented. The constraints of crystallographic symmetry on the symmetry and orientation of the shielding tensor are discussed.