cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IOOS wave observations, a national perspective

The 2009 National Operational Wave Observation Plan is being updated in 2012 to reflect the present state of the wave observation network and revised to better define priority placements and upgrades, and to identify the stations with the longest data records. The revised plan, which is based on the existing 200 locations, defines a perimeter Backbone network of observing sites and proposes adding 47 new locations and upgrading the directional wave measurement of 87 stations. 10 Rover Buoys are recommended to be used with one year deployments to evaluate regional wave models so that they can be used as virtual wave gauges. The plan also identifies 60 of the existing US backbone locations with record lengths of 20 years or longer (the longest record is 38 years). These Sentinel Stations are critical to understanding climatic changes to the Nation's wave conditions. In this paper, we review the status of the nation's wave observation network, present a number of proposed changes and describe a process using wave models and short-term wave sensor deployments to optimize the wave observations in a particular region.
Ostracod reactions to non-toxic and toxic algae.

When fed algae continuously, laboratory ostracods had a life span of 21–28 days; without food, they were able to survive about 7 days. When exposed to thick suspensions of gas-vacuolate blue-green algae, survival rates were generally low. Twenty five % of our euplanktonic strains killed entire ostracod populations within 24–48 hrs; about 30% of other waterbloom strains were dangerous to ostracods causing either death or coordination loss. Some amphibious non-gas-vacuolated strains were also toxic to ostracods. Toxins from broken cells were not persistent in effect; ostracods surviving the initial shock often appeared recovered within 2–4 days. In di-algal systems, ostracods generally fed on a single species and did not always choose green algae over blue-green. Unicellular green algal strains (Ankistrodesmus, Scenedesmus, Kirchneriella) were generally preferred. Some chlorophycean forms (Zygnema, Hormidium, Trentepholia) were shunned in favor of bluegreens such as Tolypothrix and Westiella. Erect and branched strains (Fischerella, Westiella, Tolypothrix) were eaten before Anabaena and Nostoc with the latter genus being least preferred. Intact Nostoc colonies were usually not ingested, but some loosely growing, non-toxic strains of both Nostoc and Anabaena provided adequate food for ostracod populations indefinitely.
Athena, Hercules and Nausica : Three dimensions of chemical engineering in the twenty-first century

Abstract For the material and economic needs of mankind, the task of chemical engineers is not only to advance knowledge (Athena) for new or better chemical technology, but also to apply that knowledge to new or better products and processes (Hercules). Toward those ends, some useful tools are provided by classical and statistical thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, molecular simulations and, perhaps most important, by utilizing suitable physico-chemical properties revealed by chemistry. However, in the postmodern world, Athena and Hercules are not sufficient. Social and political trends clearly indicate that chemical engineers must also give increasing attention to cultural needs, not only to such well-known requirements as safety, sustainability and environmental protection, but also to sensitive awareness of a variety of human factors such as cultural heritage, diversity in the workforce, special needs of women and families, and continuity between what we do at work and what we do at leisure (Nausica). In the 21st century, the public we serve demands integration of chemical technology with those humanities that promote a more just society and a more meaningful life.
The Life Cycle of Life Styles: Projecting the Course of Local Evolutionary Sequences

With few exceptions, researchers in culture evolutionary theory have given short shrift to the data and issues of specific, as opposed to general, evolution (i.e. to process and sequences that are bound to specific spatial contexts vs. those that are, or are presumed to be, hologeistic). In this paper, data from two disparate and well-delimited sequences, Pre-Norman England and Lowland Classic Maya (data assembled respectively by Rob ert Carneiro and S. G. Morley), are fitted to the same math ematical model, the hyperbolic tangent variant of the "lazy-S" curve. It is demonstrated that growth and development in these two sequences, though clearly in different phases, is adequately epitomized by that function, when suitable parameters are es timated empirically.This paper is programmatic, in the sense that it provides an example of how one might do systematic statistical comparisons of growth processes between specific evolutionary sequences, and how these might contribute to general evolutionary theory. In...
A New Paradigm for Valuing Non-market Goods Using Referendum Data: Maximum Likelihood Estimation by Censored Logistic Regression'

Abstract This paper challenges the W. M. Hanemann [ Amer. J. Agr. Econom. 66 , 332–341 (1984)] and C. Sellar, J. P. Chavas, and J. R. Stoll [ J. Environ. Econom. Management 13 , 382–390 (1986)] utilizations of logit models to estimate the value of non-market resources from “referendum” survey data. These data are more informative than conventional choice data. The “random utility” interpretation of logit models is therefore too restrictive. Bypassing the utility function entirely, it will be shown that parameters and standard errors for utility-theoretic inverse Hicksian demand functions can be extracted directly and much more simply. Estimated demand functions need not be limited to those corresponding to the linear-in-parameters utility difference specifications which can be handled by packaged logit programs.
Coded statutory data sets for evaluation of public health law.

Background and objectives:The evaluation of public health law requires reliable accounts of underlying statutes and regulations. States often enact public health-related statutes with nonuniform provisions, and variation in the structure of state legal codes can foster inaccuracy in evaluating the impact of specific categories of law. The optimal format for empirical analysis is a machine-readable 50-state coded data set. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of these resources and related materials with a focus on statutory data sets.Research design:An exhaustive literature search was followed by a “pearling” or “snowball” approach to assure the most complete inventory of this very diverse and diffuse information. We also interviewed three leading investigators to identify barriers to wider use and availability of coded legal data sets.Results:We identified relatively few accessible coded statutory data sets, and others that are not available for use outside the group or individual that compiled...
Photochromic waveguides and fibres

We have fabricated and tested channel guides and fibres made from photochromic glasses. The temporal response and the spectral response to UV radiation suggest that the fibres may be useful for monitoring processes involving UV irradiation.
Immobility reactions (fear) of domestic fowl as a function of age and prior experience

Abstract Two experiments were performed to investigate the effects of age and prior testing on immobility reactions of chickens from two through 66 days of age. In each experiment, one group was tested repeatedly while different subgroups were tested only once at the ages of the repeated test group and then discarded. Tests were conducted by turning each of the 305 birds on its side and holding it down for 15 seconds after which the immobility reactions were observed and timed. The immobility reaction was found to be virtually absent until seven to ten days of age, after which the response reached and maintained the arbitrary maximum duration of twelve minutes until birds were 59 days of age. Prior testing and the handling associated with it significantly reduced duration and incidence of immobility at all ages after nine days. The results are interpreted in terms of immobility as part of a fear reaction.
When does evidence of eyewitness confidence inflation affect judgments in a criminal trial

Two studies investigated perceptions of eyewitness confidence inflation: increases in a witness's confidence between the time of the identification and the trial. Experiment 1 ( N = 90) demonstrated that, for White participants, assessments of the strength of the defense case, the eyewitness's view, and participants' confidence in the eyewitness's accuracy were more favorable to the defense when there was evidence that the eyewitness's confidence increased over time (mere inflation condition), compared with a control condition. In addition, assessments of the defendant's guilt and the eyewitness's accuracy were more favorable to the defense when the eyewitness was aggressively challenged about the change in her confidence report (inflation + challenge). Experiment 2 ( N = 360) demonstrated that, for Hispanic participants, sensitivity to confidence inflation did not interact with manipulations of the eyewitness's or defendant's race (White vs. Hispanic). In addition, the confidence inflation effect did not replicate with the Hispanic participants. Results are interpreted in terms of the ingroup bias in legal judgments and directions for future research.
Dose-Dependent Leucovorin Efficacy with an Intermittent High-Dose 5-Fluorouracil Schedule

Sixteen patients with metastatic carcinoma of the colon were treated with a regimen of leucovorin 200 mg/m2, given as a 10-min infusion followed by a median dose of 833 mg/m2 (range 500-1000 mg/m2) 5-fluorouracil every two weeks. For the 16 patients with proven metastatic disease, two-year survival exceeds 50%. Responses were: 2 complete; 4 partial; 4 minor; 3 progression; and 3 not evaluable but without progression to date. Toxicities include: 8 (50%) leukopenia; 9 (56%), 1 severe thrombocytopenia; 9 (56%), 2 severe, diarrhea; 9 (56%), 3 severe, nausea/vomiting; 8 (50%), 1 severe, stomatitis; 7 (44%) conjunctivitis; 6 (38%) alopecia; and 13 (81%), 3 severe, neurotoxicity. Leucovorin appears to exert a dose-dependent beneficial effect on both the response and survival produced by the intermittent high-dose 5-fluorouracil schedule. This benefit first appears to increase substantially when the leucovorin dose is increased from 120 to 200 mg/m2. Findings identify a testable candidate regimen for selected good risk patients. Full selection criteria remain to be identified.
The role of immunosuppression in the efficacy of cancer gene therapy using adenovirus transfer of the herpes simplex thymidine kinase gene.

Objective To determine whether the immune system limits or improves the therapeutic efficacy of an adenovirus vector expressing the herpes simplex thymidine kinase (HSVtk) gene in a subcutaneous tumor model. Background Data Enhanced immune reactions against tumors may be therapeutically useful. However, recent studies with adenoviral vectors show that immune responses limit the efficacy and persistence of gene expression. The effect of the immune response on cancer gene therapy with HSVtk gene delivery by an adenovirus vector followed by treatment with ganciclovir is unclear. Methods After adenoviral transduction of a Fischer rat syngeneic mesothelioma cell line with the HSVtk gene in vitro, subcutaneous flank tumors were established. The ability of the HSVtk/ganciclovir system to inhibit tumor growth was compared among normal Fischer rats, immunodeficient nude rats, and Fischer rats immunosuppressed with cyclosporin. Results HSVtk/ganciclovir therapy was more effective in nude rats and immunosuppressed Fischer rats than in immunocompetent Fischer rats. Conclusion These results indicate that the immune response against adenovirally transduced cells limits the efficacy of the HSVtk/ganciclovir system and that immunosuppression appears to be a useful adjunct. These findings have important implications for clinical trials using currently available adenovirus vectors as well as for future vector design.
Folding by cataclastic flow at shallow crustal levels in the Canyon Range, Sevier orogenic belt, west-central Utah

Abstract Folds form by ductile deformation typically involving continuous flow. In the elastico-frictional regime, such deformation may be accomplished by cataclastic flow involving collective movement on a population of fractures and zones. The Canyon Range (CR) syncline, part of the CR thrust sheet in west-central Utah, developed in this regime. The CR syncline is composed of thick-bedded quartzite units with a small material contrast between layers, limiting limb rotation by flexural slip alone. Thus, fracture populations developed to accommodate fold tightening by limb rotation and thinning, and the formation of transverse zones across the fold. Several generations of fracture and deformation zone (DZ) networks are recognized from mesoscopic and microscopic evidence, and can be related to stages of folding. The net result of the large number of distributed fractures and deformation zones is a continuous deformation that is homogeneous at the scale of the outcrop. All these lines of evidence suggest that large-scale cataclastic flow accommodated folding by allowing rigid mesoscopic blocks to slide along bounding DZs. Along its length, the CR syncline consists of several segments bounded by transverse zones with different mechanisms accommodating fold tightening in adjacent segments. In one segment, fold tightening progressed by limb rotation, and then out-of-the-core thrusting. In contrast, fold tightening in the adjoining segments occurred by rotation and thinning of one limb and possible hinge migration, with the steeply dipping to overturned limb showing progressive thinning of units on a megascopic scale and progressive increase in the thickness and density of deformation zones at all scales.
Responding to symptoms and signs of acute myocardial infarction—How do you educate the public?: A social-psychologic approach to intervention

Abstract In an era of highly time-dependent therapies for acute myocardial infarction—namely thrombolytic therapy and cardiopulmonary resuscitation—it is imperative that public education programs facilitate expeditious care-seeking. However, community intervention studies to reduce the interval of time—from the onset of an acute myocardial infarction to arrival at a hospital emergency department—have shown ambiguous results. To understand and reduce this time interval, a theoretic model is proposed that draws from self-regulation theory. The combined model focuses on three issues: first, information for systematic sign-and-symptom recognition and labeling; second, behavioral information as to what to do in the event of an acute myocardial infarction; and third, information on how to control affective and emotional responses that may interfere with effective coping. Seven recommendations are made for guiding community intervention with use of the proposed model. (Heart Lung ® 1997;26:263-72)
Participative Appraisal of Student Performance + Effective Communication Skills = Long-Run Success:

People need clear, direct feedback about their performance if they are to improve their communication skills. This need is as true for students as it is for employees. Unfortunately, many evaluator...
COMPLEXITY MEASURES FOR ASSEMBLY SEQUENCES

Our work focuses on various complexity measures for two-handed assembly sequences. For many products, there exist an exponentially large set of valid sequences, and a natural goal is to use automated systems to select wisely from the choices. Although there has been a great deal of algorithmic success for finding feasible assembly sequences, there has been very little success towards optimizing the costs of sequences. We attempt to explain this lack of progress, by proving the inherent difficulty in finding optimal, or even near-optimal, assembly sequences. To begin, we define, "virtual assembly sequencing," a graph-theoretic problem that is a generalization of assembly sequencing, focusing on the combinatorial aspect of the family of feasible assembly sequences while temporarily separating out the specific geometric assumptions inherent to assembly sequencing. We formally prove the hardness of finding even near-optimal sequences for most cost measures ion our generalized framework. As a special case, we prove equally strong inapproximability results for the problem of scheduling with AND/OR precedence constraints. Finally, we re-introduce the geometry, and continue by realizing several of these hardness results in rather simple geometric settings. We are able to show strong inapproximability results, for example using an assembly consisting solely of unit disks in the plane.
Retroviral vector-mediated γ-interferon gene transfer into tumor cells generates potent and long lasting antitumor immunity

Retroviral vectors were used to introduce the γ-interferon (IFN-γ) gene into CMS-5 cells, a weakly immunogenic tumor of BALB/c origin. After selection in G418-containing medium, colonies were isolated, cloned, and expanded to cell lines. IFN-γ secretion was assessed using a bioassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and high (25 units/ml) and low (5 units/ml) IFN-γ producers were isolated. Tumor growth was followed after intradermal injection, and spleen cells were isolated at different time points. IFN-γ secretion by tumor cells abrogated their tumorigenicity and induced a persistent and specific antitumor immunity. In contrast to the normally observed cellular immunosuppression in unmodified CMS-5 tumor-bearing mice, IFN-γ-producing tumors induced a long lasting state of T-cell immunity, as judged by rejection of a CMS-5 tumor challenge and persistence of specific cytotoxic activity in the spleen cell population. High levels of tumor-specific cytotoxic activity could also be detected if IFN-γ-secreting tumor cells, but not unmodified CMS-5 cells, were used as targets at a time point when immunosuppression was usually seen. These studies highlight the potential advantages of localized IFN-γ secretion to induce potent antitumor immune responses.
Beyond IC50s: Towards Robust Statistical Methods for in vitro Association Studies

Cell line cytotoxicity assays have become increasingly popular approaches for genetic and genomic studies of differential cytotoxic response. There are an increasing number of success stories, but relatively little evaluation of the statistical approaches used in such studies. In the vast majority of these studies, concentration response is summarized using curve-fitting approaches, and then summary measure(s) are used as the phenotype in subsequent genetic association studies. The curve is usually summarized by a single parameter such as the curve’s inflection point (e.g. the EC/IC50). Such modeling makes major assumptions and has statistical limitations that should be considered. In the current review, we discuss the limitations of the EC/IC50 as a phenotype in association studies, and highlight some potential limitations with a simulation experiment. Finally, we discuss some alternative analysis approaches that have been shown to be more robust.
ENDOPYELOTOMY FOR HORSESHOE AND ECTOPIC KIDNEYS

AbstractPurpose: We report our experience with endopyelotomy for horseshoe and ectopic kidneys in the largest series to date to our knowledge, and discuss the technical modifications adopted to perform successfully percutaneous antegrade endopyelotomy.Materials and Methods: From September 1987 to April 1996, 4 patients with horseshoe and 5 with ectopic kidney underwent percutaneous antegrade endopyelotomy for symptomatic ureteropelvic junction obstruction. The percutaneous puncture was made more posteromedial and the ureteropelvic junction was incised lateral. A retrograde percutaneous access tract was created under laparoscopic guidance in pelvic kidneys.Results: The operative procedure was performed uneventfully in all patients with no major bleeding, pleural effusion or visceral perforation. The stents were removed at 6 weeks, and an excretory urogram was performed at 2 weeks, 6 months and yearly thereafter. In 2 patients (22%) with severe hydronephrosis, poor renal function and a long ureteral strictu...
Endogenous FGF-2 Is Important for Cholinergic Sprouting in the Denervated Hippocampus

To investigate the molecular mechanisms of cholinergic sprouting in the hippocampus after removal of entorhinal cortical inputs, we evaluated trophic factor gene expression in the denervated hippocampus. Despite the proposed role for nerve growth factor (NGF) in this sprouting, we observed no change in NGF mRNA or protein at several postlesion time points. In contrast, FGF-2 mRNA was increased within 16 hr. FGF-2 immunoreactivity was localized within GFAP-positive hypertrophic astrocytes distributed specifically within the denervated outer molecular layer after the lesion. To address the functional significance of this increase in FGF-2, we assessed the magnitude of cholinergic sprouting in animals receiving chronic intracerebroventricular infusions of neutralizing antibodies specific for FGF-2 and compared it with that observed in lesioned animals receiving infusate controls. Animals given FGF-2 antibodies displayed a marked reduction in cholinergic sprouting as compared with controls. In fact, many of these animals exhibited virtually no sprouting at all despite histological verification of complete lesions. These results suggest that endogenous FGF-2 promotes cholinergic axonal sprouting in the injured adult brain. Furthermore, immunocytochemical localization of receptors for FGF-2 (i.e., FGFR1) on projecting basal forebrain cholinergic neurons suggests that FGF-2 acts directly on these neurons to induce the lesion-induced sprouting response.
Tracking the Rapid Pace of GIS-Related Capabilities and Their Accessibility

With the rapid expansion of geographic information systems (GIS) technology and its integration into the wildlife biology field, it is becoming increasingly clear that having access to the full scope of its analytical tools will greatly improve our ability to study, understand, and manage wildlife populations. We use our long-term, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) research project as a case study to highlight the significant advances in GIS that have been benefiting investigations of wildlife. From initiation of our research, we included early GIS capabilities and we attempted to take advantage of advances as they occurred. Herein, we document changes that occurred in “wildlife GIS” over the last 15 years and how we applied them in our work. We identify a list of sources of GIS tools and data that are currently available and discuss their potential value to wildlife researchers and managers.
Regional trace element and sulfate transport

The goal of this paper was to investigate the transport of atmospheric sulfate and trace elements across the northeastern U.S.A. Data from a number of sites-Underhill (VT), Whiteface Mountain (NY), Mayville (NY), Laurel Hill and Allegheny Mountain (PA) and Deep Creek Lake (MD)-in August 1983 were considered. Sulfate was found to be regional in nature, displaying temporal variations which were similar at sites separated by large distances (several hundred kilometers) under certain meteorological conditions. Selenium was the only trace species investigated which displayed a regional character, though it too was influenced by local sources. Other elements, such as As and V displayed a somewhat regional nature but less than that observed for sulfate and selenium. The 5-day period 16-20 August, a period of elevated sulfate at all sites, was investigated as to the generality of regional signatures, utilizing trace element ratios. The inter-site variabilities in elemental ratios among the Allegheny, Laurel, Deep Creek and Mayville sites were generally small (a factor of 2 or less) and well within the variabilities at a given site from one day to another. But there were exceptions, probably reflecting influences of local sources. Comparison with earlier trace-element data from the same region suggests that temporal variations may be less than spatial ones. Together the data indicate that it is important to obtain data from multiple sites and periods within a region in any effort to construct a regional signature. An unusually clean period, 13-15 August, with steady air mass advection from the northeast to all sites, was investigated to evaluate the conservation of regional signatures into downwind regions. The inter- regional differences in trace element ratios proved to be far larger than the intra-regional ones-an order of magnitude in some cases, attributable mostly to addition of trace elements in the downwind region. The ability to identify in one region the signature from another region appears to be problematic. However, aerosol trace element ratios are found to be a powerful tool for investigating regional source influences when used in concert with meteorological information.
Impact of vitamin D supplementation on adiposity in African-Americans.

African-Americans have higher rates of obesity-associated chronic diseases. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) shows an inverse association with obesity status. We investigated whether vitamin D supplementation changes body mass index (BMI). In total, 328 overweight African-Americans were enrolled over three consecutive winter periods (2007–2010) into a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to receive cholecalciferol supplementation (0, 1000 international units (IU), 2000 IU or 4000 IU per day) for 3 months. Plasma concentrations of 25(OH)D and anthropometric measurements were done at baseline, 3 and 6 months. At 3 months, vitamin D supplementation in three dose groups (1000 IU, 2000 IU or 4000 IU per day) did not cause any significant changes in BMI as compared with placebo group 3-month change in BMI per 1000 IU per day estimate (SE): 0.01 (0.039); P=0.78. In overweight African-Americans, short-term high-dose vitamin D supplementation did not alter BMI.
Synthesis and estimation of memory interfaces for FPGA-based reconfigurable computing engines

As the densities of current FPGA continue to grow it is now possible to generate System-On-a-Chip (SoC) designs where multiple computing cores are connected to various memory modules with customized topology with application specific memory access patterns. For example, Xilinx has recently introduced devices to which a paired down version of a PowerPC core can be mapped and connected to a set of internal memories. In this paper we address the problem of synthesizing and estimating the area and speed of memory interfacing for Static RAM (SRAM) and Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM) with various latency parameters and access modes. We describe a set of synthesizable and programmable memory interfaces a compiler can use to automatically generate the appropriate designs for mapping computations to FPGA-based architectures. Our preliminary results reveal that it is possible to accurately model the area and timing requirements using a linear estimation function. We have successfully integrated the proposed memory interface designs with simple image processing kernels generated using commercially available behavioral synthesis tools.
Clinical and economic impact of a specialty care management program among patients with multiple sclerosis: a cohort study.

Background: To evaluate the clinical and economic impact of a specialty care management program among patients with multiple sclerosis.Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis included patients ...
Visualization of electron correlation in autoionizing states above the 3p threshold in magnesium

The conditional probability density has been calculated for a number of autoionizing states (AIS) in Mg above the 3p threshold. The correlation in such high energy AIS has not been extensively studied and provides insight into the rovibrator behavior of two-electron atoms. The calculations have been done by configuration interaction (CI) with a B-spline basis. This allows for the simultaneous study of the effects of electron correlation and the widths and angular distribution of photoelectrons in multiphoton ionization. The states have been assigned approximate vibrational quantum numbers, and a correlation between the approximate quantum numbers and the photoelectron distribution is observed. Probability distribution for one electron when the other, represented by the small spike, is at its most probable distance from the nucleus. This is a distribution for the doubly-excited 1Se state commonly labeled as the 4s2 state.
Military Spending and Economic Well-Being in the American States: The Post-Vietnam War Era

Using growth curve modeling techniques, this research investigates whether military spending improved or worsened the economic well-being of citizens within the American states during the post-Vietnam War period. We empirically test the military Keynesianism claim that military spending improves the economic conditions of citizens through its use by politicians as a countercyclical tool to reduce the negative effects of economic downturns. However, due to deindustrialization and the emergence of the "new military," there are reasons to believe that military spending will not effectively improve economic well-being during the post-Vietnam War era. Using longitudinal data we find that states with high levels of military spending are better equipped to stave off the deleterious effects of economic recession than are states with lower levels of military spending.
The ecology of assessment

Assessment has long been beset by a dichotomy between what Lynch (2003: 4) termed the positivist and interpretivist orientations. The former views assessment as a technical exercise involving the quantification of learners' knowledge or cognitive abilities; the latter considers assessment as the humanistic endeavor of portraying learners' qualitative development and subjective experiences. This presentation argues that, although these distinctions may be useful heuristics, differing types of assessments are more profitably viewed as filling particular niches within an ecosystem. The speech also reports on technical developments that place control over assessment results in the hands of learners, which allows them to assemble evidence from a variety of sources to substantiate proficiency claims. These developments should help promote the paradigm of assessment as ecology and help the field move beyond the uneasy dichotomy that now predominates.
Association of HLA—B8, DRw3, and Anti‐Acetylcholine Receptor Antibodies in Myasthenia Gravis

Twenty-eight patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), five with and 23 without thymoma, and 47 normal controls were typed for serologically defined HLA—A, B, C, and DRw antigens. Sera from all patients were titered for antibodies to acetylcholine receptors (AChR). The frequency of HLA—B8 and DRw3 in the non-thymoma MG patients was significantly higher than in the normal population. Most of the non-thymoma patients with AChR titers higher than the average level were positive for HLA—B8 and/or DRw3, while the majority of the HLA—B8 (—) and/or DRw3 (—) non-thymoma patients demonstrated AChR titers below average. These findings support the possibility of the existence of immune response genes in the HLA—B, DRw segment of the major histocompatibility complex which are concerned in the response to or recognition of autoantigens.
Provision of Care to Old Parents Division of Responsibility among Adult Children

Unlike research on parent care in which a primary caregiver is the focus, this research begins with the assumption that filial responsibility is shared in older families that comprise more than one child. Results of the analysis indicate that structural variables are significant. More important, they support the argument that conceptualizing filial responsibility as shared is important for future research.
Evaluating and Optimizing Indexing Schemes for a Cloud-Based Elastic Key-Value Store

Cloud computing has emerged to provide virtual, pay-as-you-go computing and storage services over the Internet, where the usage cost directly depends on consumption. One compelling feature in Clouds is elasticity, where a user can demand, and be immediately given access to, more (or less) resources based on requirements. However, this feature introduces new challenges in developing application and services. In this paper, we focus on the challenges in data management in Cloud environments, in view of elasticity. Particularly, we consider an elastic key-value store, which is used to cache intermediate results in a service-oriented system, and accelerate future queries by reusing the stored values. Such a key-value store can clearly benefit from the elasticity offered by Clouds, by expanding the cache during query-intensive periods. However, supporting an elastic key-value store involves many challenges, including selecting an appropriate indexing scheme, data migration upon elastic resource provisioning, and optimizations to remove certain overheads in the Cloud. This paper focuses on the design of an elastic key-value store. We consider three ubiquitous methods for indexing: B+-Trees, Extendible Hashing, and Bloom Filters, and we show how these schemes can be modified to exploit elasticity in Clouds. We also evaluate various performance aspects associated with the use of these indexing schemes. Furthermore, we have developed a heuristic to request elastic compute resources for expanding the cache such that instance startup overheads are minimized in our scheme. Our evaluation studies show that the index selection depends on various application and system level parameters that we have identified. And while we confirm that B+-Trees, which pervade many of today's key-value systems, would scale well, we showcases when Extendible Hashing would outperform B+-Trees.
Digital Technology, Price Discrimination, and Copyright Duration Extension

Many countries have yet to decide whether extend copyright duration. Technological changes were cited by a U.S. Senate report to support duration extension. This study adds to the assessment of the validity of the technological argument by simulating the effect on optimal copyright duration of increased price discrimination caused by digital technology. Simulation of a model of information product market indicates that increase of price discrimination on high-end market calls for shorter copyright duration; that on low-end market may support extension, if the discrimination benefits consumers, and otherwise work against it. It further suggests price discrimination on low-end market increases welfare and supply of original information products but that on the high-end market may either increase or decrease them.
Effect of the Major Repeat Sequence on Mitotic Recombination in Candida albicans

The major repeat sequence (MRS) is known to play a role in karyotypic variation in Candida albicans. The MRS affects karyotypic variation by expanding and contracting internal repeats, by altering the frequency of chromosome loss, and by serving as a hotspot for chromosome translocation. We proposed that the effects of the MRS on translocation could be better understood by examination of the effect of the MRS on a similar event, mitotic recombination between two chromosome homologs. We examined the frequency of mitotic recombination across an MRS of average size (∼50 kb) as well as the rate of recombination in a 325-kb stretch of DNA adjacent to the MRS. Our results indicate that mitotic recombination frequencies across the MRS were not enhanced compared to the frequencies measured across the 325-kb region adjacent to the MRS. Mitotic recombination events were found to occur throughout the 325-kb region analyzed as well as within the MRS itself. This analysis of mitotic recombination frequencies across a large portion of chromosome 5 is the first large-scale analysis of mitotic recombination done in C. albicans and indicates that mitotic recombination frequencies are similar to the rates found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Radiocarbon Analysis of Individual Amino Acids: Carbon Blank Quantification for a Small-Sample High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography Purification Method.

Compound-specific radiocarbon analysis (CSRA) of amino acids (AAs) is of great interest as a proxy for organic nitrogen (N) cycling rates, dating archeological bone collagen, and investigating processes shaping the biogeochemistry of global N reservoirs. However, recoverable quantities of individual compounds from natural samples are often insufficient for radiocarbon (14C) analyses (<50 μg C). Constraining procedural carbon (C) blanks and their isotopic contributions is critical for reporting of accurate CSRA measurements. Here, we report the first detailed quantification of C blanks (including sources, magnitudes, and variability) for a high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method designed to purify individual AAs from natural samples. We used pairs of AA standards with either modern (M) or dead (D) fraction modern (Fm) values to quantify MC and DC blanks within several chromatographic regions. Blanks were determined for both individual and mixed AA standard injections with peak loadings ranging fr...
Learning to locate from demonstrated searches

We consider the problem of learning to locate targets from demonstrated searches. In this concept, a human demonstrates tours of environments that are assumed to minimize the human’s expected time to locate the target, given the person’s latent prior over potential target locations. The latent prior is then learned as a function of environmental features, enabling a robot to search novel environments in a way that would be deemed efficient by the teacher. We present novel approaches to solve both the inference problem of planning an expected-timeoptimal tour given a prior and the learning problem of deducing the prior from observed tours. Our learning algorithm is inspired by and similar to maximum margin planning (MMP), although it differs in key ways. On the inference side, we advance the stateof-the-art by proposing novel relaxations that are integrated into a heuristic-driven search algorithm. An application to a home assistant scenario is discussed, and experimental results are given validating our methods in this domain.
Intraoperative monitoring using somatosensory evoked potentials. A position statement by the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring.

Objective: To provide an educational service to the intraoperative neurophysiologist community by publishing a position statement by the American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring on the recommended appropriate and correct use of somatosensory evoked potentials as an intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring tool to protect patient well-being during surgery. This position statement presents the somatosensory evoked potential utilization basis, relevant anatomy, patient preparation, important systemic factors, anesthesia considerations, safety and technical considerations, documentation requirements, neurophysiologist credentials and staffing practice patterns, and monitoring applications for protecting brain, spinal nerve root, peripheral nerve, plexus and spinal cord function. In conclusion, a summary of major recommendations regarding the use of somatosensory evoked potentials in intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring is presented.
Dynamics of a Plasma Panel Discharge: Current Waveform and Optical Emission

We have studied the current waveform as well as the time- and spectrally-resolved optical emission from a monochrome ac plasma display panel as a function of driving voltage. The voltage driver provided a 18 ns risetime pulse which allowed for a clean separation between the displacement current pulse, ∼25 ns wide, and the discharge pulse. The commercial panel was specially filled with pure He to facilitate comparisons with numerical modeling of the discharge based on relatively new computational procedures which are applied to a local-field approximation for the plasma. The delay in the discharge pulse and the light emission at 668 nm (3d 1 D→2p 1 P), ranges from ∼100 ns just above the sustain threshold (± 110V) to ∼30 ns at higher voltage (±150 V).
The Future of the Past: History, Memory and the Ethical Imperatives of Writing History

The article examines revisions to theories of “linguistic turn” historiography in order to show the ways in which those revisions have created a path for a return of the analysis of individual agency and experience in history, changes that, it is argued, constitute a form of neo-phenomenology as the governing philosophical orientation in historiography. To the extent that this is correct, it establishes a philosophical and theoretical basis for the integration of memory and memorial testimony into the study of the past.The article proceeds to investigate the methodological, historiographical and ethical implications of the rise of memory studies in contemporary history. Memorial literature, as Berber Bevernage has so compellingly demonstrated, relies on a certain haunting of the present by the past. It thus deploys a conception of historical temporality significantly different from the modernist assumption of the death of the past as the basis of historical understanding. In that sense, as Michael Roth has argued, the “acknowledgement of the past in the present is a necessary ingredient of modern historical consciousness.” Yet, to incorporate “memory” and trauma into historical representation will mean acknowledging and accepting as historiographically viable the differing status of analytically recuperated “facts” and victim testimony. This will require, in turn, that we find a way to theorize, as has yet to be done, the materiality and reality of “voices” from the past, without assuming the necessary truth of what they convey, at least in terms of the factuality of its content. In the end, however, what is at stake in not the epistemological question of “truth” but an ethical response to the catastrophes of the last century.At the same time, it is clear that memory is no longer the sole vehicle for the promotion of a new ethical orientation in history, as recent work by Hayden White, Keith Jenkins and Frank Ankersmit, among others, suggest. Precisely how these different approaches to history, memory and ethics can be combined to constitute a viable and coherent mode of historiography remains an open, and debated, question.
Extraction and PCR amplification of DNA from minute ectoparasitic fungi

Laboulbeniales is a large order of asco- mycete fungi characterized by microscopic size, de- terminate growth patterns, thalloid morphology, and
Design and realization of a power grid diagram editor based on Web

A diagram editor based on Rich Internet Applications( R IA)is designed and realized in this paper.The back end of the browser is based on E language file and provides data service conforming to the IEC 61970 standards.The graphics delegate may fetch data and create multiple views including power grid layer view,diagram view and report view on Internet Web as needs.The diagram includes schematic diagram,single line detailed view and etc.
Fitting Models to Data

This chapter is focused on fitting models to data. Least square fit is explained and least square error is defined. Fitting models to data is illustrated on examples and MATLAB code for the fitting is given. This chapter also gives a point-by-point list of steps that should be followed when fitting is performed. The concepts of model selection and the Akaike Information Criterion are introduced and illustrated on examples. Computing elasticities and sensitivities is explained.
Factor Substitutability and Entry

Firm-level rigidity has long interested strategy researchers. We propose an as-yet-unexplored role of firm rigidity: entry deterrence. Prospective entrants face tremendous uncertainty, so scholars suggest they “experiment”, enter “lean”, then adapt to new information. Rigidity limits firms’ ability to do that. We predict that in rigid settings, (a) entry will be lower, (b) entrants’ early performance will be higher as they are less likely to enter speculatively, (c) and entrants’ performance and factor mix are less likely to converge to that of incumbents. We expect these effects to be mitigated when, despite low rigidity, firms cannot adjust due to frictions in factor markets. We operationalize rigidity as factor-rigidity and find support for our predictions using data from Western Europe from 2001-2014.
Suppression of Triiodothyronine-Induced Growth Hormone Gene Expression by Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I in Thyroidectomized Rat Pituitary Cells

The secretion of GH from the anterior pituitary is under hypothalamic control and also under complex multihormonal regulation. Thyroid hormone plays a major role in stimulating GH gene expression. Somatomedin C has been shown to inhibit GH secretion in vivo and in vitro. We have previously shown that physiologic levels of insulin inhibit basal and T3-stimulated GH secretion and mRNA levels by GH3 pituitary tumor cells (1,2) and by normal rat pituitary cells (3,4). The recent availability of a recombinant human IGF-I analogue (5) has allowed us to examine the effects of the peptide on T3-induced GH in vitro secretion by thyroidectomized rat pituitary cells. The aim of this study was to characterize the effect of IGF-I on GH gene expression induced by physiologic levels of T3.
Hydroxyurea Induces Cytokinesis Arrest in Cells Expressing a Mutated Sterol-14α-Demethylase in the Ergosterol Biosynthesis Pathway

Hydroxyurea (HU) has been used for the treatment of multiple diseases, such as cancer. The therapeutic effect is generally believed to be due to the suppression of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), which slows DNA polymerase movement at replication forks and induces an S phase cell cycle arrest in proliferating cells. Although aberrant mitosis and DNA damage generated at collapsed forks are the likely causes of cell death in the mutants with defects in replication stress response, the mechanism underlying the cytotoxicity of HU in wild-type cells remains poorly understood. While screening for new fission yeast mutants that are sensitive to replication stress, we identified a novel mutation in the erg11 gene encoding the enzyme sterol-14α-demethylase in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway that dramatically sensitizes the cells to chronic HU treatment. Surprisingly, HU mainly arrests the erg11 mutant cells in cytokinesis, not in S phase. Unlike the reversible S phase arrest in wild-type cells, the cytokinesis arrest induced by HU is relatively stable and occurs at low doses of the drug, which likely explains the remarkable sensitivity of the mutant to HU. We also show that the mutation causes sterol deficiency, which may predispose the cells to the cytokinesis arrest and lead to cell death. We hypothesize that in addition to the RNR, HU may have a secondary unknown target(s) inside cells. Identification of such a target(s) may greatly improve the chemotherapies that employ HU or help to expand the clinical usage of this drug for additional pathological conditions.