cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Community Partnerships to Better Understand the Barriers to Using an Evidence‐Based, Parent‐Mediated Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Medicaid System

Service use disparities have been noted to impede under-resourced families' ability to access high-quality services for their child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These disparities are particularly relevant for parent-mediated interventions and may suggest a lack of fit between these interventions and the needs of under-resourced community settings. This study used Roger's Diffusion of Innovations theory to guide community partnerships aimed at understanding the perceived compatibility, complexity, and relative advantage of using an evidence-based, parent-mediated intervention (Project ImPACT) within a Medicaid system. Three focus groups were conducted with 16 Medicaid-eligible parents, and three focus groups were conducted with 16 ASD providers operating within a Medicaid system. Across all groups, parents and providers reported general interest in using Project ImPACT. However, primary themes emerged regarding the need to (a) reduce the complexity of written materials; (b) allow for a more flexible program delivery; (c) ensure a strong parent-therapist alliance; (d) involve the extended family; and (e) help families practice the intervention within their preexisting routines. Results are discussed as they relate to the design and fit of evidence-based, parent-mediated interventions for under-resourced community settings.
Immunoassay of dithymidine cyclobutane dimers in nanogram quantities of DNA.

Immunological assays for DNA photoproducts, which have been in use for a number of years, provide a rapid means for quantifying photodamage in DNA. Radioimmunoassays (RIA) are capable of measuring photoproducts in microgram quantities (1-10 micrograms) of DNA extracted from biological samples, e.g., animal skin or cultured cells. We have refined an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the analysis of cyclobutadithymidine (T-T) photoproducts in nanogram quantities (3-100 ng) of DNA. T-T photoproducts were detectable in 30 ng DNA irradiated with a minimum of 10 J/m2 of 254 nm ultraviolet light (UV). The efficiency of T-T induction in DNA was approximately 4000-fold lower per unit dose using a solar-simulating UV radiation source (290-400 nm) than with 254 nm radiation. The assay was used to measure T-T photoproducts induced by solar-simulated UV radiation in hamster skin and human skin and should be useful for the routine analysis of photoproducts in small amounts of DNA (500-1000 ng) available from human skin biopsies.
The characterization of decellularized human skeletal muscle as a blueprint for mimetic scaffolds

The use of decellularized skeletal muscle (DSM) as a cell substrate and scaffold for the repair of volumetric muscle loss injuries has shown therapeutic promise. The performance of DSM materials motivated our interest in exploring the chemical and physical properties of this promising material. We suggest that these properties could serve as a blueprint for the development of next generation engineered materials with DSM mimetic properties. In this study, whole human lower limb rectus femoris (n = 10) and upper limb supraspinatus muscle samples (n = 10) were collected from both male and female tissue donors. Skeletal muscle samples were decellularized and nine property values, capturing key compositional, architectural, and mechanical properties, were measured and statistically analyzed. Mean values for each property were determined across muscle types and sexes. Additionally, the influence of muscle type (upper vs lower limb) and donor sex (male vs female) on each of the DSM material properties was examined. The data suggests that DSM materials prepared from lower limb rectus femoris samples have an increased modulus and contain a higher collagen content then upper limb supraspinatus muscles. Specifically, lower limb rectus femoris DSM material modulus and collagen content was approximately twice that of lower limb supraspinatus DSM samples. While muscle type did show some influence on material properties, we did not find significant trends related to sex. The material properties reported herein may be used as a blueprint for the data-driven design of next generation engineered scaffolds with muscle mimetic properties, as well as inputs for computational and physical models of skeletal muscle.
Understanding Talent Development and Implications for Human Resource Development: An Integrative Literature Review

As the topic of talent development (TD) gets more popularity in practice of organizations and among human resource development (HRD) professionals, the need for understanding the nature and the sco...
High Performance Computing Architectures and Techniques

Since the dawn of the computing era in the mid to late 1940’s, users have continuously demanded the availability of bigger, in terms of primary and secondary storage, and faster, in terms of computational power, computers. In spite of the great advances in digital electronics, the commercial and scientific communities consistently face problems and opportunities whose solutions involve the use of ever-more-powerful computational engines. Biological sequence analysis is one such application domain.
Chemical carcinogen enhancement of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced transformation: association with EBV genome amplification

Epidemiological studies on the incidence of Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in relation to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection suggest that environmental cofactors in addition to EBV play a role. Chronic immune stimulation due to malaria has been implicated in BL development but lacks the support of experimental evidence. The presence of tumor promoters in indigenous foods has been implicated in NPC and there is experimental evidence showing that tumor promoters enhance EBV-induced transformation. The role chemical and possibly physical carcinogens play in EBV-associated tumors has been overlooked despite ample evidence that physiochemical carcinogen synergism readily occurs in other DNA tumor virus model systems. Our current interest in carcinogen-EBV interactions stems from the discovery that N-methyl-N’-nitroso-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), a powerful alkylating agent, could increase the frequency of lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) establishment from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) isolated from EBV-seropositive adults (1).
Lymphoproliferative disease of granular T lymphocytes presenting as aplastic anemia

Lymphoproliferative disease of granular T lymphocyte (T-LDGL), also known as T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia, is a clonal disorder of cytotoxic T lymphocytes that is clinically manifested as chronic neutropenia and anemia. Association with autoimmune disorders is common. In 9 patients, T-LDGL is reported as presenting as aplastic anemia. The clinical characteristics were similar to acquired aplastic anemia. Morphologic evidence of increased granular lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and an excess of CD3(+)/CD8(+)/CD57(+) cells in the bone marrow were found in most cases. Cyclophosphamide was ineffective, but noncytotoxic immunosuppressive agents generally produced a good response. After a median follow-up of 49 months, 5 patients had died from the disease or related complications. Median survival was 40 months. Aplastic anemia can be a presenting manifestation of T-LDGL, and T-LDGL should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acquired aplastic anemia.
A Phase 1/2 Trial of Ruxolitinib and Erlotinib in Patients with EGFR-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinomas with Acquired Resistance to Erlotinib

Abstract Introduction Resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors develops in patients with EGFR- mutant lung cancers. New treatments are needed to address resistance not mediated by EGFR T790M; preclinical evidence suggests that the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription signaling pathway is important in acquired resistance to EGFR-directed therapy. Methods We evaluated the toxicity and efficacy of erlotinib and ruxolitinib in patients with EGFR -mutant lung cancers with acquired resistance to erlotinib. Exosomes were analyzed to assess changes in relevant protein expression during treatment. Results We enrolled 22 patients: 12 patients in the phase 1 portion of the study and 10 patients in the phase 2 portion. We did not observe any dose-limiting toxicities. The maximum tolerated dose of erlotinib was 150 mg daily and that of ruxolitinib was 20 mg twice daily. The most frequent toxicities (any grade) were anemia, diarrhea, and elevation of liver function test results. One partial response was observed (5% [95% confidence interval: 0–13]). The median progression-free survival was 2.2 months (95% confidence interval: 1.4–4.1). Conclusion This is the first study assessing the combination of EGFR and Janus kinase inhibition in patients with EGFR -mutant lung cancers. The combination was well tolerated but ineffective. Exosomal EGFR levels may reflect changes in tumor EGFR expression in response to therapy.
An examination of the Mossbauer effect as the basis of a time/frequency standard

A variety of resonance phenomena are used as the basis for time and frequency standards. These include mechanical resonances in piezoelectric resonators, electromagnetic resonances in microwave cavities, and level transitions in atomic standards. Each type of resonance has its own set of advantages and disadvantages with respect to ultimate stability, sensitivity to environmental effects, and practical considerations in size, weight, power, cost, and complexity of the physical implementation. We are examining the potential for using the Mossbauer effect as the basis for a time and frequency standard. Whereas atomic standards are based on transitions between atomic (electron orbital) levels, the Mossbauer effect arises from transitions between nuclear (atomic nucleus) energy-levels. Our initial analysis of candidate resonances has identified four promising Mossbauer isotopes with relative linewidths on the order of 10/sup -14/ to 10/sup -16/: /sup 57/Fe, /sup 73/Ge, /sup 181/Ta, and /sup 157/Gd. Other relevant characteristics, including state lifetimes, natural abundance, and environmental sensitivities, have also been determined. We discuss the basic form of a proposed Mossbauer effect time and frequency standard, the resonance parameters being examined, and the results of our analysis of some of the best candidate nuclear systems.
Exploring the Ambiguity of Operation Sophia Between Military and Search and Rescue Activities

Over the past decade, for the purpose of managing the phenomenon of migration by sea, a wide number of different measures have been adopted by the European Union and its Member States. Notwithstanding the persistent need and the legal obligation to save people’s lives at sea, Europe remains stocked on the protection of the security of its internal and external borders and goes ahead with the launch of Eunavfor Med—Operation Sophia, the first naval mission aimed to disrupt the business model of migrant smuggling and human trafficking in the Mediterranean. The following chapter examines the factual and legal background behind the establishment of this military mission and focuses on two sensitive and interrelated aspects: the use of enforcement powers against alleged smugglers and traffickers on the one hand and the rescue of irregular migrants at sea on the other hand. While various challenges prevent the activation of the crucial military phase of Operation Sophia, the operational and legal framework applicable to incidental search and rescue interventions carried out by its naval forces appears rather unclear and problematic under different perspectives of international law, especially if the Operation will continue into Libyan territorial waters in cooperation with its unstable authorities.
Radiographic features of importance in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-administered Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program: characterising the use of the 'other symbols'.

Objective The National Institute for Occupation Safety and Health-administered Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP) provides radiographic pneumoconiosis screening for US coal miners. Radiographs are classified by readers according to International Labour Office criteria. In addition to pneumoconiotic parenchymal and pleural lung abnormalities, readers document radiographic features of importance (other symbols). Other symbols are not meant to imply a diagnosis or interpretation but are relevant as they provide information beyond a pneumoconiosis classification for features related to dust exposure and other aetiologies. Our objective was to summarise other symbol data from 48 years of CWHSP participants. Methods Chest radiograph classifications obtained from CWHSP participants between July 1968 and July 2016 were analysed. Any ‘other symbol’ indication from any of the readings were counted. Frequencies were tabulated by individual reader and those identified by any reader. Results Of the 469 922 radiographs included in this study, nearly 15% had at least one reader identify a radiographic feature of importance. The most commonly identified other symbol was cancer (excluding mesothelioma) (6.83%), followed by emphysema (1.68%). Some features were rarely identified over the 48 years of data collection such as rheumatoid pneumoconiosis (n=46), pneumothorax (n=32), mesothelioma (n=12) and rounded atelectasis (n=4). Conclusions This is the largest study to date describing radiographic features of importance as part of routine chest radiographic surveillance. While these symbols are not diagnostic they can be used to describe features associated with dust exposure. One of the most commonly identified radiographic features in our population is emphysema which is associated with respirable dust exposure. These results can be compared with other dust exposed populations.
Chronic ethanol ingestion impairs Drosophila melanogaster health in a microbiome-dependent manner

Ethanol is one of the worlds most abused drugs yet the impacts of chronic ethanol consumption are debated. Ethanol is a prevalent component in the diets of diverse animals and can act as a nutritional source, behavior modulator, and a toxin. The source of ethanol is microbes, which can both produce and degrade ethanol, and the gut microbiome has been associated with differential health outcomes in chronic alcoholism. To disentangle the various and potentially interacting roles of bacteria and ethanol on host health, we developed a model for chronic ethanol ingestion in the adult fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, which naturally consumes a diet between 0 and 5% ethanol. We took advantage of the tractability of the fly microbiome, which can be experimentally removed to separate the direct and indirect effects of commensal microbes. We found that moderate to heavy ethanol ingestion decreased lifespan and reproduction, without causing inebriation. These effects were more pronounced in flies lacking a microbiome, but could not be explained by simple bacterial degradation of ethanol. However, moderate ethanol ingestion increased reproduction in bacterially-colonized flies, relative to bacteria-free flies. Ethanol decreased intestinal stem cell turnover in bacterially-colonized flies and decreased intestinal barrier failure and increased fat content in all flies, regardless of microbiome status. Analysis of host gene expression finds that ethanol triggers the innate immune response, but only in flies colonized with bacteria. Taken together we show that, chronic ethanol ingestion negatively impacts fly health in a microbiome-dependent manner.
Fast and accurate volume data curvature determination using GPGPU computation

A methodology for fast determination of a key shape feature in volume datasets using a GPU is described. The shape feature, surface curvature, which is a valuable descriptor for structure classification and dataset registration applications, can be time-consuming to determine reliably by conventional serial computing. The techniques here use parallel processing on a commodity GPU to achieve 100-fold (and above) improvements (for moderate-sized datasets) over conventional serial processing for curvature determination. Techniques for one class of curvature determination methods are detailed, including methods well-suited to datasets acquired by medical scanners.
Sex differences in psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder. A review and integration.

Although the correlates and causes of psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) have been the subject of extensive investigation, researchers in this area have until recently focused almost exclusively on males. As a consequence, relatively little is known about psychopathy and ASPD in females. In this paper, we review the empirical literature on sex differences in the base rates, mean symptom levels, correlates, and factor structure of psychopathy and ASPD. In addition, we discuss the potential sex-differentiated phenotypic expressions of psychopathy and ASPD (e.g., somatization disorder [SD]) as well as sex differences in the developmental trajectories of these conditions. There is suggestive evidence that these conditions may be differentially expressed across biological sex, although further investigation of this issue is warranted. We conclude with recommendations for future research in this area, including suggestions for embedding the study of sex differences in psychopathy and ASPD within a construct validational framework.
Introduction: Why Evaluate Public Institutions

Why should public institutions be evaluated? To answer such a basic question one should consider the broader issue of accountability, namely, should public institutions be accountable for their actions? If the answer is in the affirmative, and we believe that it is, then the question of how to evaluate a public institution— technology-based or otherwise—becomes relevant. This book focuses on the evaluation process in one public institution, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Protocols to study the physiology of oral biofilms

The oral cavity harbors several hundred different bacterial species that colonize both hard (teeth) and soft tissues, forming complex populations known as microbial biofilms. It is widely accepted that the phenotypic characteristics of bacteria grown in biofilms are substantially different from those grown in suspensions. Because biofilms are the natural habitat for the great majority of oral bacteria, including those contributing to oral diseases, a better understanding of the physiology of adherent populations is clearly needed to control oral microbes in health and disease. In this chapter, we use oral streptococci as examples for studying the physiology of oral biofilms.
Eliminating bradyarrhythmias after orthotopic heart transplantation.

Background Bradycardia and sinus node dysfunction are common causes of early postoperative morbidity in orthotopic heart transplant recipients and frequently require the use of chronotropic drugs or permanent pacemakers. Several causes have been postulated, including surgical trauma to the sinus node and its blood supply. We sought to eliminate sinus node dysfunction and postoperative bradyarrhythmias by altering the orthotopic heart transplantation technique. Methods and Results Seventy orthotopic heart transplant recipients underwent electrophysiological testing of sinus node function a mean of 9±3 days after surgery. Standard (atrial anastomosis) orthotopic heart transplantation was performed in 33 patients ; total (bicaval anastomosis) heart transplantation was performed in 37 patients. Abnormalities of sinus node function were present in 14 of 33 patients (42%) undergoing standard orthotopic heart transplantation compared with 2 of 37 patients arrhythmia (5%) in whom total heart transplantation was performed (P<.005). The resting sinus heart rate of patients with a normal sinus rhythm was also significantly higher in the total heart transplantation group (90±12 versus 83±14 bpm, P<.05). Coronary angiography was performed before discharge in 63 patients. Eleven were found to have an abnormal sinoatrial nodal artery, and 7 of these patients also had evidence of sinus node dysfunction (P<.005). Conclusions Surgical trauma to the donor sinus node and/or its blood supply is a significant cause of sinus node dysfunction in the orthotopic heart transplant recipient. By use of a bicaval anastomotic technique, the incidence of and need for treatment of postoperative bradyarrhythmias can be significantly reduced.
Low-Frequency Motions of Water Molecules in Hydrated Salts of Transition Metals

The motions of water molecules in a number of salts, including Co(NO3)2 • 2H2O, Co(NO3)2 • 6H2O, Cu(NO3)2 • 3H2O, CuSO4 • H2O, CuSO4 • 5H2O, and UO2(NO3)2 • 6H2O, have been investigated by the inelastic scattering of cold neutrons. For each salt, one or more bands are observed in the region of neutron energy gain from 400 to 800 cm−1 and are assigned to the librational modes of the water molecules. Low-energy peaks in the region near 200 cm−1 are also obtained in each case and attributed to “optical” translations of the water molecules in the lattice. In general, split librational bands are observed for the lower hydrates, with the higher-energy component assigned to wagging and rocking modes of the water molecules, and that at lower energies to the torsional modes. The librational bands are broadened in the higher hydrates with some indication of splitting. This is to be expected, because of the increase in different “types” of water molecules, as well as coupling effects. The data are compared with recent infrared results.
UH-60A Rotor Structural Loads Analysis with Fixed System Structural Dynamics Modeling

NASA/Army UH-60A Airloads Program flight test and full-scale UH-60A Airloads wind-tunnel test data are investigated to better understand and predict the chord bending moments, one of the unresolved...
Obsessions and Compulsions: The Developmental and Familial Context

In this chapter, we describe developmental and clinical characteristics of obsessive and compulsive behaviors, highlighting both pathological and non-pathological expressions in childhood and adolescence. To provide context, we define and discuss obsessional thoughts and compulsions, ritualistic behaviors, and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Next, to present a more comprehensive picture of the clinical presentation of OCD, we briefly review empirical and theoretical literature that addresses clinical characteristics and phenomenology, epidemiological studies, neurobiology, and issues of comorbidity. However, our primary focus is to propose a developmental, family-based model of OCD that may begin as early as in the preschool years with emergence of early compulsive and ritualistic behaviors and to suggest pathways to both normative and maladaptive obsessional and compulsive outcomes. This model addresses the contribution of familial attitudes and behaviors towards the development, strengthening, and maintenance of OCD symptoms, as well as the impact of symptoms and behaviors of OCD on family relationships. In light of the emerging research on family accommodation and the impact of OCD on family life, current family-based treatment practices will also be reviewed.
Single cell analysis reveals modified hematopoietic cell composition affecting inflammatory and immunopathological responses in Astyanax mexicanus

Reduction of parasite diversity in modern human populations is suspected to be a primary cause for the increase of autoimmune disorders. However, the long-term evolutionary consequences of decreased parasite diversity on the host immune system are not well understood. We used the cavefish Astyanax mexicanus to understand how loss of biodiversity, a hallmark of cave adaptation, influences the evolutionary trajectory of the vertebrate host immune system by comparing river with cave morphotypes. We show that cavefish display a more sensitive proinflammatory immune response towards bacterial endotoxins, which is characteristic in other vertebrate species inhabiting environments with decreased biodiversity. Surprisingly, cellular immune responses, such as phagocytosis, are drastically decreased in cavefish. Using an image-based immune cell phenotyping approach and single-cell RNA sequencing, we identified a shift in the overall immune cell composition in cavefish as the underlying cellular mechanism associated with altered immune responses. The shift results in an overall decrease of immune cells mediating inflammation in -vivo and cellular immune responses such as phagocytosis (i.e. neutrophils and monocytes). Moreover, we find that immunopathological phenotypes in visceral adipose tissue are drastically reduced in cavefish. Our data indicate that a more sensitive immune system in cavefish is compensated by a reduction of the immune cells that play a role in mediating the proinflammatory response. These findings reveal that cavefish are an effective model system to study the evolution of auto-inflammatory processes.
Ubiquitin Substrates Dramatically Increase Ataxin3 Deubiquitinating Activity: Allosteric crosstalk connects three distinct sites

Abstract Ataxin3 is the founding member of the MJD family of deubiquitinating enzymes, and plays important roles in maintaining protein homeostasis and promoting DNA repair. The enzyme also contains a polyglutamine tract of variable length, and in its expanded form the protein becomes the causative agent of a neurodegenerative disorder known as Machado-Joseph disease. In vitro, ataxin3 displays low catalytic activity, prompting questions about how the enzyme is regulated and what signals might lead to its activation. Recently, it has been demonstrated that ataxin3 activity can be stimulated by either mono-ubiquitination or high concentrations of free ubiquitin. Here, we show that ubiquitin conjugates with cleavable bonds can stimulate ataxin3 activity much more strongly than free ubiquitin, with physiological levels of these conjugates increasing activity up to 60-fold over basal levels. Our data are consistent with a model in which ubiquitin conjugates activate the enzyme allosterically by binding in a site adjacent to the catalytic center, known as Site 1. We further show that two additional ubiquitin-binding sites in the enzyme work in concert to modulate enzyme activation, and we propose a model in which ubiquitin conjugates bridge these two sites to drive the enzyme into a high-activity conformation. Significance Ubiquitin signaling networks modulate almost all aspects of eukaryotic biology, and their outputs reflect the dynamic balance between ubiquitin attachment and removal. The latter process is catalyzed by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), which must be carefully regulated to ensure that their activities are applied appropriately. Ataxin3 is a DUB that participates in quality-control pathways that support cellular health; however, the regulation of its activity has remained poorly understood. Here, we show that ataxin3 can be dramatically activated by naturally occurring ubiquitin species, and that this activation involves a previously uncharacterized interplay between three distinct sites on the enzyme. Our improved understanding of ataxin3 regulation provides insights into allosteric mechanisms that may prove applicable to other enzymes in the ubiquitin universe.
Staging American girlhood the pleasant way: Centering girls in history and performance with the American Girl Theater kits

In this article, we consider the performance of girlhood represented in the American Girls Pastime Theater Kits from the 1990s. The kits included scripts, cast lists, programs and tickets, and a di...
Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty Using Injectable Fillers: A Safety Review of 2488 Procedures

Background: Injectable fillers are used worldwide to improve the appearance of the nose by nonsurgical methods. The procedure is not without risks, as blindness and skin necrosis have been reported...
International Trade v. Intellectual Property Lawyers: Globalization and the Brazilian Legal Profession

This work analyzes a distinctive characteristic of the globalizing Brazilian legal profession. Namely, intellectual property (IP) lawyers who once were leaders in opening the Brazilian economy and were key players in cross- border transactions are now losing ground to their peers with an expertise in international trade. The thesis of this article is that the manner in which Brazilian lawyers are being educated is in shambles. Generally speaking, Brazilian legal education has, overall, become provincial. Yet, Brazilian international trade lawyers, unlike Brazilian IP-lawyers, have overcome their deficient legal training by seeking legal education abroad. By traveling overseas, especially to the United States, international trade lawyers are exposed to an education and a set of best practices that stress not just domestic, Brazilian law, but laws from different jurisdictions. That international trade lawyers in Brazil are now ‘global lawyers,’ enables them to deal more effectively with their country’s expanding economy, and it supports the argument that globalization matters for both today’s law students and the legal profession.
Personalized Ranking at a Mobile App Distribution Platform

We develop a comprehensive framework for a personalized ranking of impressions by a mobile app distribution platform. The framework leverages revealed preferences embedded in consumer clickstream data and incorporates the tradeoff between consumer utilities and cost per action (CPA) margins. We study this tradeoff in an analytical model of quality- and margin-differentiated apps to derive optimal personalized ranking strategies. The model informs a structural empirical model of click and installation consumer utilities, jointly estimated as a function of a comprehensive set of quantitative (screen rank, quality, and popularity) and qualitative (textual data of app titles, descriptions, and reviews) covariates. Our novel data set is at the granular user-impression level and uniquely includes actual app CPA margins paid to the platform. We conduct policy experiments to compare a variety of non-personalized and personalized screen rankings. We find that a personalized ranking scheme informed by our analytical model—a hybrid margin and utility-margin ranking method—outperforms other methods, including schemes based on margins or utility alone, average utilities, and a “Google-like” scheme that accounts for click-through rate and margin. Overall, our analyses demonstrate how platforms can leverage routine consumer clickstream data to more effectively monetize mobile app distribution.
Productivity change and fleet restructuring after transition to individual transferable quota management

Abstract Productivity change after transition to an individual transferable quota (ITQ) management system is driven by exit of some vessels, entry of other vessels, and changes in productivity of existing vessels. Generally, it is thought that an ITQ system boosts productivity due to the exit of less productive vessels. However, ITQ management systems also create an additional barrier to entry, and more productive vessels may not be able to enter the fishery. This study constructs the Fare–Primont index to measure productivity change for the Mid-Atlantic surf clam and ocean quahog fishery over a 32 year time period, which includes both pre and post-ITQ time periods. The index is then combined with a biomass change index to arrive at a measure of biomass adjusted productivity change. Results show that when biomass changes are considered, positive productivity gains occurred throughout the time period. Further examination of contributions from entering and survivor vessels show that entering vessels had little impact on aggregate productivity, but on an individual basis, they eventually were equal in productivity to survivor vessels.
Electric signals: Predation, sex, and environmental constraints

Summary Animals that depend on electric signals for navigation and communication have to balance (1) physical constraints on electrostatic conduction and detection, (2) physiological constraints on sensation and signal production, and (3) selective pressures of predation and communication. Electric fish have evolved two broad signal strategies, each with its inherent advantages and constraints with respect to these conflicting environmental demands. Discontinuous “pulse” signals are more flexible in that their waveforms and discharge rates can be varied to suit the energetic and communication needs of the signaler. But pulse signals are also more prone to electric interference from environmental noise and other electric fish and they may be more detectable by electrosensory predators eavesdropping on the low-frequency spectrum. Continuous “wave” signals are less prone to electric interference and are probably much less conspicuous to electroreceptive predators. But the tight match between the narrow spectrum of the wave signal and the narrow-band electroreceptors also constrains wave signalers to a narrow range of environmental conditions (high oxygen and constant temperature) that can sustain their continuous and unvarying electric output. Pulse and wave signalers have evolved various techniques for suppressing low-frequency energy in their electrolocation signals and for adding it back into their courtship signals, probably in response to mating preferences of females, but also at the peril of increased predation. Both pulse and wave strategies evolved independently in gymnotiform electric fish of the neotropics and the mormyroid electric fish of Africa. Although wave fish are abundant in the New World, they are represented by only a single species in Africa; the reason for the disparity is as yet undetermined.
Shame and Moral Formation

From both the Left and the Right there come strong complaints about the moral state of society. The right laments the loss of “family values” that were instantiated in a consensus on social norms that was at least partly mythical; the Left laments the loss of social commitments that made the Great Society reforms possible. Whether decrying the divorce and illegitimacy rates or the rapidly accelerating abandonment of the poor, social critics want to tell us that we should be ashamed of ourselves, as prophetic voices in societies have done for all of recorded history.
Malignant Lesions of the Central and Posterior Skull Base

Imaging interpretation of skull base lesions can be challenging because of their infrequent occurrence, the complex nature of the skull base and the ability of normal anatomical variations to mimic pathology. Since the majority of skull base lesions are accidentally detected and inaccessible for biopsy, the clinicians heavily rely upon the accurate image interpretation by the radiologist. The main goals of the image analysis are to distinguish normal anatomical variations form true pathology, recognize medically treatable conditions and to differentiate benign “do-not-touch” lesions from malignant processes that might require aggressive treatment. The imaging features and preferential location of the different malignant skull base lesions and their benign counterparts will be discussed in this chapter. After the diagnosis of a malignancy is established, the radiologist’s main role is the delineation of the extent of the suspected malignant skull base lesion for treatment planning.
Low-cost embedded wireless aggregation manager for telehealth and telecare solutions

A low-cost embedded wireless aggregation manager for telehealth and telecare solutions is presented. The aggregation manager (AM) acts as a single platform and gateway for simultaneous telehealth and telecare data. AM device acquires telehealth data from medical devices using Bluetooth Health Device Profile. Telecare data from social alarm systems is obtained by means of dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tone signals using British BS 8521:2009 and Tunstall communication protocol. Telehealth and telecare data is forwarded by aggregation manager to remote care-center and family members both by Ethernet and cellular packet network GPRS / SMS.
Clearance Pricing in Retail Chains

Clearance pricing and end of season inventory management are challenging and important problems in retailing. Sales rates depend upon price, seasonal effects and the remaining assortment of items available to customers. There is little time to react to observed sales, and pricing errors result in either loss of potential revenue or excess inventory to be liquidated. This chapter develops optimal clearance prices and inventory management policies that take into account the impact of reduced assortment and seasonal changes on sales rates. Versions of these policies have been implemented and tested at a number of major retail chains and these results are summarized and discussed.
Predicted And Measured Temperatures, Displacements And Stresses From The Stripa Heater Experiments

A summary of the results of heater experiments conducted at the Stripa Mine in Sweden is given. These results for the induced temperature, displacement and stress fields, are compared with the original predictions for these parameters which were made using both analytical and finite-element calculations assuming that the material properties of the rock remained temperature independent. Discrepancies between the measured and the predicted results are discussed. Additional calculations, based on a limited amount of laboratory data for the temperature dependence of these material properties, are described. These new predictions are found to agree better with the measured field data.
Control of forelimb muscle activity by populations of corticomotoneuronal and rubromotoneuronal cells.

We review and synthesize evidence on the activity of corticomotoneuronal (CM) and rubromotoneuronal (RM) cells and single motor units in forearm muscles in monkeys performing alternating wrist movements. The CM and RM cells were identified by post-spike facilitation of rectified forelimb EMG activity. RM cells facilitated more muscles per cell (mean: 3.0 of 6 synergist muscles) than CM cells (2.4/6). Both groups had "reciprocal" cells which also suppressed antagonists of their facilitated target muscles. Unlike CM cells, some RM cells cofacilitated flexor and extensor muscles (5.8 or 12 muscles). During performance of a standard ramp-and-hold force tracking task the firing patterns of CM and RM cells, as well as single motor units, fell into distinct response types. Each population had phasic-tonic and tonic cells. Unique to the CM population were cells whose discharge increased during the static hold period; unique to RM cells were bidirectionally responsive and unmodulated neurons. Many motor units showed decrementing discharge. To estimate the ensemble activities of these populations the response histograms of different cells were summed (with force ramps aligned) in proportion to the relative frequency of each cell type. The population response histogram of CM cells was phasic-tonic, consistent with the predominant response type. The population response of RM cells was also phasic-tonic, but showed a shallower phasic modulation relative to discharge that was sustained during both directions of movement. The population histogram of motor units of a muscle was proportional to the average of rectified multiunit EMG, and typically exhibited decrementing activity during the static hold. The effects of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) on firing probability of motoneurons previously documented in intracellular studies are combined with the mean firing rates in the population histograms and the known amplitudes of CM-EPSPs and RM-EPSPs to infer the relative contributions of the supraspinal cells to tonic discharge of active motoneurons. This analysis suggests that for intermediate levels of force, the CM cells would increment motoneuron discharge by about 9 impulses/second (i.p.s.) and RM cells by about 2.4 i.p.s. The analysis also reveals differences in the population activity of CM and RM cells compared to their target motoneurons, which may be due to other input cells and to recruitment properties of motoneurons.
Complete transposition of the great vessels in total situs inversus: Anatomic, electrocardiographic and radiologic observations

Abstract A rare instance of complete transposition of the great vessels occurring in a 31 month old child with total situs inversus is reported as a basis for demonstrating the pathologic, electrocardiographic, vectorcardiographic and radiologic aspects of this rare condition. In the usual instance of total situs inversus with cyanotic congenital cardiac disease, transposition of the “corrected” type is commonly present and associated with inversion of the ventricles and atrioventricular valves.
Fostering synergy between cell biology and systems biology

In the shared pursuit of elucidating detailed mechanisms of cell function, systems biology presents a natural complement to ongoing efforts in cell biology. Systems biology aims to characterize biological systems through integrated and quantitative modeling of cellular information. The process of model building and analysis provides value through synthesizing and cataloging information about cells and molecules, predicting mechanisms and identifying generalizable themes, generating hypotheses and guiding experimental design, and highlighting knowledge gaps and refining understanding. In turn, incorporating domain expertise and experimental data is crucial for building towards whole cell models. An iterative cycle of interaction between cell and systems biologists advances the goals of both fields and establishes a framework for mechanistic understanding of the genome-to-phenome relationship.
Characterization of in vitro inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus by purified recombinant CD4.

Abstract The first step in infection of human T cells with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is binding of viral envelope glycoprotein gp120 to its cellular receptor, CD4. The specificity of this interaction has led to the development of soluble recombinant CD4 (rCD4) as a potential antiviral and therapeutic agent. We have previously shown that crude preparations of rCD4 can indeed block infection of T cells by HIV type 1 (HIV-1). Here we present a more detailed analysis of this antiviral activity, using HIV-1 infection of the T lymphoblastoid cell line H9 as a model. Purified preparations of rCD4 blocked infection in this system at nanomolar concentrations; combined with the known affinity of the CD4-gp120 interaction, this finding suggests that the inhibition is simply due to competition for gp120 binding. As predicted, rCD4 had comparable activity against all strains of HIV-1 tested and significant activity against HIV-2. Higher concentrations of rCD4 blocked infection even after the virus had been adsorbed to the cells. These findings imply that the processes of viral adsorption and penetration require different numbers of gp120-CD4 interactions. Recombinant CD4 was able to prevent the spread of HIV infection in mixtures of uninfected and previously infected cells. Our studies support the notion that rCD4 is a potent antiviral agent, effective against a broad range of HIV-1 isolates, and demonstrate the value of purified rCD4 as an experimental tool for studying the mechanism of virus entry into cells.
Ultra-wide baseline facade matching for geo-localization

Matching street-level images to a database of airborne images is hard because of extreme viewpoint and illumination differences. Color/gradient distributions or local descriptors fail to match forcing us to rely on the structure of self-similarity of patterns on facades. We propose to capture this structure with a novel "scale-selective self-similarity" (S4) descriptor which is computed at each point on the facade at its inherent scale. To achieve this, we introduce a new method for scale selection which enables the extraction and segmentation of facades as well. Matching is done with a Bayesian classification of the street-view query S4 descriptors given all labeled descriptors in the bird's-eye-view database. We show experimental results on retrieval accuracy on a challenging set of publicly available imagery and compare with standard SIFT-based techniques.
Ferric chloride spray detector for cholesterol and cholesteryl esters on thin-layer chromatograms

levels reagent. ANTIMONY TRICHLORIDE IS USED EXTENSIVELY in thin- Cholesterol and cholesteryl palmitate standards of layer chromatography as a detection agent for cholesterol >9974 purity were obtained from The Hormel Institute, and sterols in general. For example, Bobbitt (1) lists Austin, Minn. The limits of detection for these comsome 16 references under sterols where the Carr-Price pounds were 1.09 f 0.06 pg/cm2 (n = 8) and 1.21 reagent, or a modification of it, was used for detection =k 0.14 pg/cm2 (n = 7), respectively, as viewed in visible purposes. Its major disadvantages are its toxicity (as well light. Under UV light, which increases the sensitivity as that of the solvent usually used with it, carbon tetra- of detection, as shown by Nelson and Booth (4), the chloride) and its reactivity with water to form insoluble levels of detection were increased by a factor of apprecipitates. The latter property is particularly annoy- proximately 10. The samples were applied to Silica Gel ing when a spraying device is used in which tnoisture G microplates of IOOp thickness as supplied by Schaar can condense in the capillary passages. Scientific Co., Chicago, Ill., and detected without For several years in our laboratory we have used the Chromatography. colorilnetric ‘’lethod Of ‘latkis, Zak, and Boy1e (2) as modified by Chiamori and Henry (3) to determine cholesterol. Their method niakes use, in part, of the property of ferric chloride to intensify the color obtained in the reaction of sterols with sulfuric acid. This method, if adapted for thin-layer chromatography, should give a procedure that would be reasonably specific for cholesterol and its esters and also eliminate the hazards and difficulties associated with the Carr-Price reagent.
Modeling of Thermal Cracking of Heavy Liquid Hydrocarbon: Application of Kinetic Modeling, Artificial Neural Network, and Neuro-Fuzzy Models

To predict the main product yields of thermal cracking of heavy liquid hydrocarbon, four models, kinetic, artificial neural networks (ANN), neuro-fuzzy (NF), and polynomial, were developed. The models investigated the influence of COT, steam ratio, and feed flow rate on product yields at the reactor tube outlet. A semimechanistic kinetic model based on free radical chain reactions was developed using experimental results. This semimechanistic kinetic model contains 148 reactions for 43 species. An objective function was defined to optimize the kinetic parameters. For the artificial intelligence systems, a three-layer perceptron neural network with back-propagation (BP) training algorithm and Sugeno inference system were used. To compare the accuracy of artificial intelligence method, another empirical method based on response surface methodology was also developed. Finally, the models were compared to experimental data, and a comparison between the results of kinetic model, designed ANN, and NF was also c...
Redox regulation of a novel L1Md-A2 retrotransposon in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Activation and reintegration of retrotransposons into the genome is linked to several diseases in human and rodents, but mechanisms of gene activation remain largely unknown. Here we identify a novel gene of L1Md-A2 lineage in vascular smooth muscle cells and show that environmental hydrocarbons enhance gene expression and activate monomer-driven transcription via a redox-sensitive mechanism. Site-directed mutagenesis and progressive deletion analyses identified two antioxidant/electrophile response-like elements (5′-GTGACTCGAGC-3′) within the A2/3 and A3 region. These elements mediated activation, with the A3 monomer playing an essential role in transactivation. This signaling pathway may contribute to gene instability during the course of atherogenesis.