cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical MPC with Coordinating Terminal Costs

The performance of hierarchical Model Predictive Control (MPC) is highly dependent on the mechanisms used to coordinate the decisions made by controllers at different levels of the hierarchy. Conventionally, reference tracking serves as the primary coordination mechanism, where optimal state and input trajectories determined by upper-level controllers are communicated down the hierarchy to be tracked by lower-level controllers. As such, significant tuning is required for each controller in the hierarchy to achieve the desired closed-loop system performance. This paper presents a novel terminal cost coordination mechanism using constrained zonotopes, designed to improve system performance under hierarchical control. These terminal costs allow lower-level controllers to balance both short- and long-term control performance without the need for controller tuning. Unlike terminal costs widely used to guarantee MPC stability, the proposed terminal costs are time-varying and computed on-line based on the optimal state trajectory of the upper-level controllers. A numerical example demonstrates the provable performance benefits achieved using the proposed terminal cost coordination mechanism.
Stabilized Lithium, Manganese-Rich Layered Cathode Materials Enabled by Integrating Co-Doping and Nanocoating.

While lithium, manganese-rich (LMR) layered oxide cathode materials offer high energy density (>900 Wh kg-1) and low cost, LMR is susceptible to continuous capacity and voltage decay from the oxygen migration and side reaction with aqueous electrolyte at high voltage. Herein, the integration of Na/F co-doping (CD) and AlF3 coating on LMR is achieved without the need of complex atomic layer deposition. Akin to pristine and CD samples, CD with 1 wt % AlF3 (CD-1.0 wt %) shows excellent electrochemical performance with the capacity and voltage retentions of 93 and 91% after 150 cycles at 0.5C, respectively, and increased ionic conductivity. Spectroscopic analysis indicates that the coating mainly influences the Co distribution, where Co is enriched on the surface, and partial diffusion of Al3+ ions toward the bulk, leading to a slight change of transition-metal (TM) valence states at the nanometer scale and the formation of a stable Lix(CoAl)Oy phase. Post-cycling analysis reveals that CD-1.0 wt % can alleviate the formation of rock-salt structure and Mn dissolution. Besides, little to no metal segregation is detected for the cycled CD-1.0 wt % sample. This finding presents the first instance to apply co-doping and AlF3 coating as a new strategy to enhance the structural homogeneity and takes another step toward their commercial viability.
A neuroendocrine perspective on the origin and evolution of cooperative breeding

Cooperative breeding behavior in birds ranges from inducible to obligate strategies and has evolved across diverse taxa, in species that display a wide range of social and reproductive behavior. It is often thought to evolve when independent breeding is constrained, and cooperation increases fitness. Yet many systems show variable, even maladaptive, fitness effects. This observation, together with the wide range in the form and frequency of cooperative breeding, raises the question of how the recurrent appearance of cooperative breeding and its extensive variation across species—from inducible to obligate—can be explained. Here, we take a proximate perspective on the evolution of cooperative breeding to argue that cooperative strategies are delineated by the history of prior adaptations and emerge through the rearrangement of preexisting neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying social, dispersal, and parental behaviors. Natural selection sorts among the resultant variants to alter regulation of cooperation, producing stabilization through either greater developmental entrenchment or greater reliance on environmental cues. Thus, species showing inducible cooperative behavior may be at a transitory stage in this process. To assess this possibility, we first evaluate evidence that the components of cooperative breeding are common across taxa. Then, we review the neuroendocrine mechanisms that regulate the pathways underlying cooperative strategies. Finally, we assess the evidence for neuroendocrine linkages during development that may channel coexpression of some components of cooperative breeding and facilitate its evolution. We conclude that understanding the mechanistic bases of the behaviors comprising cooperative breeding strategies may provide novel insight into the recurrent emergence of this strategy across disparate environments and avian taxa.LAY SUMMARYCooperative breeding behavior involves 3 or more birds working together to raise young.It has evolved across a diversity of avian taxa and there is a wide range in how often it is expressed within species.How can the recurrent appearance of cooperative breeding and its extensive variation across species be explained?Here, we take a proximate perspective to argue that cooperative strategies appear because the behaviors comprising cooperative breeding are common, and the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying these behaviors can be easily linked.Recent discoveries in neuroscience show that connections in the brain between neurons that regulate social behavior, parental care and dispersal are ancestral to birds and so this pre-existing network may facilitate the appearance of cooperative breeding across taxa.Understanding the mechanistic bases of cooperative breeding provides new insight into its evolution and provides a framework to explain the breadth and diversity of cooperative strategies.
INTRAUTERINE DEVICE, SUBDERMAL CONTRACEPTIVE, AND DEPOT MEDROXYPROGESTERONE USE AMONG TRANSMASCULINE AND CISGENDER PATIENTS OVER A 10-YEAR PERIOD.

Abstract Objective : To describe use of three types of longer acting contraception—intrauterine devices, subdermal contraceptives, and depot medroxyprogesterone—among transmasculine and cisgender women patients. Study Design : A repeated cross-sectional study using electronic medical records of patients, age 18 to 45, receiving care within Kaiser Permanente Northern California between 2009 and 2019. Variations in demographics, clinical characteristics and contraception method uptake were assessed using t-tests for continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables for patients enrolled in 2019. A linear trend test for each group was used to assess the age-adjusted uptake of contraception methods by study year. Results : The transmasculine group was younger, with a mean age of 27.3 years (+/-7.2) versus 32.5 years (+/-7.8) years, respectively p Conclusion : Annual uptake of these contraception methods increased significantly for both transmasculine and cisgender groups, and this increase was greater for the transmasculine patients. Uptake of these contraception methods was higher in the cisgender population.
Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Low-Income Families: Correlates and Change in Prevalence Over the First 5 Years of a Child’s Life

Despite evidence that individuals living in low-income and rural communities may be at heightened risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), little is known about the prevalence and nature of IPV occurring in these communities. The goal of the current study, therefore, was to characterize IPV occurring in a population-based sample of families living in communities characterized by rural poverty. Specifically, we examined the prevalence, severity, and chronicity of IPV occurring in this high-risk sample, as well as the demographic correlates thereof. Using data from multiple assessments across the first five years of their child's life, we also examined changes in the prevalence of IPV across this time. Results indicate that IPV was most prevalent around the birth of the target child and that the population-level prevalence of IPV decreased significantly over the subsequent five years. Although previous research suggests that children under the age of five are at heightened risk for IPV relative to older children, this is the first study to our knowledge to demonstrate that there are changes in the prevalence of IPV within this high-risk age period.
Prevalence of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction Among Patients With Chest Pain and Nonobstructive Coronary Artery Disease.

Abstract Objectives This study assessed the prevalence of coronary microvascular abnormalities in patients presenting with chest pain and nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Background Coronary microvascular abnormalities mediate ischemia and can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Methods Using an intracoronary Doppler guidewire, endothelial-dependent microvascular function was examined by evaluating changes in coronary blood flow in response to acetylcholine, whereas endothelial-independent microvascular function was examined by evaluating changes in coronary flow velocity reserve in response to intracoronary adenosine. Patients were divided into 4 groups depending on whether they had a normal (+) or abnormal (−) coronary blood flow (CBF) in response to acetylcholine (Ach) and a normal (+) or abnormal (−) coronary flow velocity reserve (CFR) in response to adenosine (Adn): CBFAch+, CFRAdn+ (n = 520); CBFAch−, CFRAdn+ (n = 478); CBFAch+, CFRAdn− (n = 173); and CBFAch−, CFRAdn− (n = 268). Results Two-thirds of all patients had some sort of microvascular dysfunction. Women were more prevalent in each group (56% to 82%). Diabetes was uncommon in all groups (7% to 12%), whereas hypertension and hyperlipidemia were relatively more prevalent in each group, although rates for most conventional cardiovascular risk factors did not differ significantly between groups. There were no significant differences in the findings of noninvasive functional testing between groups. In a multivariable analysis, age was the only variable that independently predicted abnormal microvascular function. Conclusions Patients with chest pain and nonobstructive CAD have a high prevalence of coronary microvascular abnormalities. These abnormalities correlate poorly with conventional cardiovascular risk factors and are dissociated from the findings of noninvasive functional testing.
Diode-pumping high-power Q-switched fiber laser at 2.8 /spl mu/m

A Q-switched high-power fiber laser at 2.8 /spl mu/m has been developed with a high power pumping laser diode array and an Er-doped double-clad fiber. Peak power over 50 W and pulse energy of 31 /spl mu/J is achieved.
Book Review of Using Social Media in the Classroom: A Best Practice Guide

The submission represents a review of Dr. Megan Poore's book on employing social media in educational environments.
Trapped Photoelectrons During Spacecraft Charging in Sunlight

For a dielectric spacecraft charging in sunlight, the potentials are different on the sunlit and dark sides. Differential charging of spacecraft surfaces can trap low-energy electrons by means of potential wells and barriers. The low-energy electrons are mostly photoelectrons and secondary electrons. Motivated by the recent interest in trapped photoelectrons measured by the Van Allen Probes in the radiation belts, we calculate the extent of the trapped photoelectron area and the potential barrier as a function of the dipole strength and sun angle using the monopole–dipole model. We find that the dipole strength is an important parameter in controlling the behavior of the potential wells and barriers. The usual inequality, $1/2 \le A \le 1$ where $A$ is the dipole strength, used in the monopole–dipole model can be relaxed and amended for finite sun angles. We then use a simple method to estimate the density of the trapped low-energy electrons in these areas. In sunlight charging, the low-energy electron population around the spacecraft is enhanced by the photoelectrons trapped inside the potential barrier.
The Need for New Paradigms in Safety Engineering

The world and technology are changing, but these changes are not reflected in our safety engineering approaches. Many of the underlying assumptions of the traditional techniques no longer hold for the complex, high-tech systems being built today. We need new models of accident causality and engineering techniques built on them that handle these new systems and problems. An example of a new model, based on systems theory rather than reliability theory, is described and some uses of such a model are discussed.
DEMAND FOR OFF-EXCHANGE TRADING SYSTEMS: TRADING PREFERENCES OF INVESTORS ON THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) faces rising pressure in its efforts to maintain its positionas a favored market of institutional fund managers and professional investors. Customers aresatisfied with the current state of the LSE market, but member firms are pricing institutionalbrokerage and market making services below economic cost. The LSE's position will besignificantly damaged when the effective subsidy ends, and commissions and dealing spreadsreflect the costs incurred by members firms. Competition in the supply of trading services hasincreased, and a range of alternative, off-exchange trading systems could draw order flow awayfrom the Exchange market. These trading mechanisms provide order matching, crossing ofbasket and portfolio trades, and reduce investors' commissions and trading spread costs. Fundmanagers in the U.S. are using the systems more actively, and the result has been an erosionof the position of the New York Stock Exchange. The LSE's customers are also using anexpanding range of portfolio management techniques, many of which require low-cost trading,and do not demand immediate order execution, as traditionally provided by London's marketmakers. The Exchange needs to respond to the changes in fund managers' demand for tradingservices, and to the growing competition in the supply of off-exchange trading services.Enhancements to the existing LSE market structure are the best response to these threats.
Wavelets and Solar Magnetic Activity I: Wavelets on the Edge

The traditional continuous wavelet transform is plagued by the cone-of-influence, ie wavelets which extend past either end of a finite timeseries return transform coefficients which tend to decrease as more of the wavelet is truncated. These coefficients may be corrected simply by rescaling the remaining wavelet. The corrected wavelet transform displays no cone-of-influence and maintains reconstruction as either edge is approached. As an application and example, we present the corrected wavelet transform of the (derectified) yearly International Sunspot Number, R_i, as a measure of solar magnetic activity, and compare the yearly solar magnetic power with Oerlemans' glacial global temperature reconstruction.
Dynamic prediction of metastases after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

Study Type – Prognosis (retrospective cohort) Level of Evidence 2a What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? One of two problems plagues virtually are existing post-prostatectomy prediction tools: either (1) they predict PSA recurrences (which are of unclear importance) or (2) the predictions they make are anchored at the date of surgery and are not updated based on how patients evolve over the postoperative years. Our prediction tool is a significant improvement over existing prediction tools in that it predicts the development of metastases which is a very important clinical endpoint that indicates incurable prostate cancer. Additionally, our tool allows for updated predictions at any point following radical prostatectomy by considering commonly available postoperative information (postoperative serum PSA and use of adjuvant therapies) to modify its risk predictions. The net result is a dynamic tool that renders clinically relevant predictions that change as the patient’s clinical status changes throughout the postoperative course. OBJECTIVE • To develop a dynamic algorithm that predicts the risk of metastases from any time point after radical prostatectomy (RP). PATIENTS AND METHODS • The study cohort consisted of 5741 RP patients who were treated from 1990–99. • Patients were grouped into one of four clinical states at follow-up: State1, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) undetectable; State2, PSA 0.15–0.39 ng/mL; State3, PSA ≥0.4 ng/mL; and State4, previous androgen deprivation or radiation therapy. • Follow-up epochs (alive and at risk of systemic progression) at 0, 2, 4 and 6 years post-RP, cumulative incidence curves and multistate Cox models were used to assess the risk of metastases over the ensuing 5-year interval. • Gleason score, seminal vesicle and surgical margin involvement, and PSA variables were evaluated as predictors. RESULTS • Median follow-up was 11.7 years, with 4411, 4256 and 3983 patients followed with PSA at 2, 4 and 6 years, respectively. • In total, 287 metastatic events occurred and the 5-year risk of metastasis was 0.4%, 2.1%, 8.7% and 12.6% for men in States 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. • Independent predictors of metastasis by group included seminal vesicle involvement (all groups), Gleason score (groups 1, 3 and 4), current PSA (groups 3 and 4) and maximum past PSA (group 4). CONCLUSIONS • We present a web-based prognostic tool for patients undergoing RP that is valid at many time points after surgery. • Our tool predicts the development of metastases.
Injury predictors for traumatic axonal injury in a rodent head impact acceleration model

A modified Marmarou impact acceleration injury model was developed to study the kinematics of the rat head to quantify traumatic axonal injury (TAI) in the corpus callosum (CC) and brainstem pyramidal tract (Py), to determine injury predictors and to establish injury thresholds for severe TAI. Thirty-one anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats (392±13 grams) were impacted using a modified impact acceleration injury device from 2.25 m and 1.25 m heights. Beta-amyloid precursor protein (β-APP) immunocytochemistry was used to assess and quantify axonal changes in CC and Py. Over 600 injury maps in CC and Py were constructed in the 31 impacted rats. TAI distribution along the rostro-caudal direction in CC and Py was determined. Linear and angular responses of the rat head were monitored and measured in vivo with an attached accelerometer and angular rate sensor, and were correlated to TAI data. Logistic regression analysis suggested that the occurrence of severe TAI in CC was best predicted by average linear acceleration, followed by power and time to surface righting. The combination of average linear acceleration and time to surface righting showed an improved predictive result. In Py, severe TAI was best predicted by time to surface righting, followed by peak and average angular velocity. When both CC and Py were combined, power was the best predictor, and the combined average linear acceleration and average angular velocity was also found to have good injury predictive ability. Receiver operator characteristic curves were used to assess the predictive power of individual and paired injury predictors. TAI tolerance curves were also proposed in this study.
Comparisons in performance between the Motorola DSP56000 and the Texas Instruments TMS320C25 for audio band, real-time digital signal processing

The Motorola DSP56000 and the Texas Instruments TMS320C25 digital signal processors have been used to implement real-time finite-impulse response (FIR) filters. Calculations were made to predict the number of instruction cycles needed to implement the FIR kernels of the assembly language programs, and the complete programs including input/output routines. Calculations based on the manufacturers' published data on instruction execution speeds showed that the FIR kernel of the DSP56000 assembly language program for an n-tap FIR would execute in (n+3) instruction cycles, whereas that of the TMS320C25 would execute in (n+7) instruction cycles. The calculations also predicted that, at a sampling rate of 48 kHz, the DSP56000 and the TMS320C25 would be able to implement up to 194-tap and 192-tap FIR filters, respectively. At 40 kHz sampling rate, a maximum of 234-tap FIR filter was calculated for the TMS320C25, and an experimental value of 227 was realized. >
Abstract 613: The chromatin remodeling protein BRG1 modulates BRCA1's response to UV irradiation.

The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex plays a role in the repair of UV-induced DNA damage. It was proposed that chromatin remodeling activities are utilized to increase the accessibility of NER machinery and checkpoint factors to the damaged DNA. It was shown recently that BRCA1 contributes to UV damage response by promoting photoproduct excision, triggering post-UV checkpoint activation and post replicative repair. In this study, we show that BRCA1 rapidly binds to UV damage sites when cells are undergoing DNA synthesis. In contrast, two phosphorylated forms of BRCA1 do not accumulate at sites of UV damage. Depletion of BRG1, a core subunit of the human SWI/SNF-BAF complex, impairs the recruitment of BRCA1 to the damage sites and attenuates DNA damage induced BRCA1 phosphorylation. At UV lesions-stalled replication forks, BRG1 promotes RPA phosphorylation in response to UV irradiation, since UV-induced phosphorylation of chromatin bound RPA drops significantly when BRG1 is depleted in human cells. In addition, activation of ATR is attenuated when BRG1 is depleted. We propose that BRG1 functions upstream of BRCA1 and modulates its response to UV irradiation. Citation Format: Ling Zhang, Hua Chen, Feng Gong. The chromatin remodeling protein BRG1 modulates BRCA1’s response to UV irradiation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 613. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-613 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.
Effect of a Combination of Two Cariostatic Agents in Children: Two-Year Clinical Study of Supervised Brushing in Children’s Homes

In a two-year clinical study of dental caries conducted in six institutional homes for children, two experimental dentifrices were used. Slightly different combinations of sodium monofluorophosphate and sodium n -lauroyl sarcosinate effected a statistically lower incidence of dental caries than the control toothpaste. The rates of incidence of dental caries were comparable for the children who used the two experimental dentifrices.
Activating μ-opioid receptors in the lateral parabrachial nucleus increases c-Fos expression in forebrain areas associated with caloric regulation, reward and cognition

The pontine parabrachial nucleus (PBN) has been implicated in the modulation of ingestion and contains high levels of mu-opioid receptors (MOPRs). In previous work, stimulating MOPRs by infusing the highly selective MOPR agonist [d-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, Gly5-ol]enkephalin (DAMGO) into the lateral parabrachial region (LPBN) increased food intake. The highly selective MOPR antagonist d-Phe-Cys-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTAP) prevented the hyperphagic action of DAMGO. The present experiments aimed to analyze both the pattern of neural activation and the underlying cellular processes associated with MOPR activation in the LPBN. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received a unilateral microinfusion of a nearly maximal hyperphagic dose of DAMGO into the LPBN. We then determined the level of c-Fos immunoreactivity in regions throughout the brain. MOPR activation in the LPBN increased c-Fos in the LPBN and in the nucleus accumbens, hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus and hippocampus. Pretreatment with CTAP prevented the increase in c-Fos translation in each of these areas. CTAP also prevented the coupling of MOPRs to their G-proteins which was measured by [(35)S] guanosine 5'-O-[gamma-thio]triphosphate ([(35)S]GTPgammaS) autoradiography. Together, these data strongly suggest that increasing the coupling of MOPRs to their G-proteins in the LPBN disinhibits parabrachial neurons which subsequently leads to excitation of neurons in regions associated with caloric regulation, ingestive reward and cognitive processes in feeding.
A Cysteine Metalloproteinase from Mouse Liver Cytosol

A cysteine metalloproteinase that degrades 125I-insulin B chain at neutral pH values was isolated from C3H mouse liver. The enzyme was partially purified from the 100,000g supernatant fraction by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and fast protein liquid chromatography. The molecular weight of the proteinase was estimated to be 190,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. Degradation of 125I-insulin B chain by the proteinase was inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate (PHMB) and iodoacetate (cysteine proteinase inhibitors) and by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and 1,10-phenanthroline (metalloproteinase inhibitors). The proteinase also degraded 125I-glucagon but did not hydrolyze 125I-insulin, leucine-2-naphthylamide, or several large proteins. Equivalent levels of EDTA- and PHMB-inhibitable 125I-insulin B chain-degrading activity were observed in the 100,000g supernatant fractions of brain, liver, lung, kidney, heart, and spleen from four mouse strains (C3H/HeN, CBA/J, ICR, and C57BL/6). High levels of 125I-insulin B chain-degrading activity were found in the particulate fraction of kidneys and lungs from these four mouse strains; these activities were inhibited by EDTA but not by PHMB. The activity of the soluble liver cysteine metalloproteinase was not altered in C3H mice treated ip with metal chelators, bacterial endotoxin, phenobarbital, dexamethasone, or insulin. Starvation for 24 or 48 hr and alloxan-induced diabetes diminished total activity of this enzyme in liver by about 50 and 30%, respectively. This soluble polypeptide-degrading enzyme appears to be ubiquitous in mice and to be regulated by nutritional conditions.
Theory of light scattering from self-affine surfaces: Relationship between surface morphology and effective medium roughness

Using Rayleigh-Rice scattering theory we have studied the influence of surface morphology on the optical response of self-affine surfaces. We have established a mathematical relationship between the surface roughness ($d$) as determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) using the effective medium approximation (EMA) and the parameters controlling the morphology of the surface: root-mean-square roughness ($w$), correlation length ($\ensuremath{\xi}$), and roughness (Hurst) exponent (\ensuremath{\alpha}). These three parameters affect the roughness value measured by ellipsometry. However, when the correlation length is smaller than the wavelength, the dependence is contained in a single parameter $w\ensuremath{\delta}$ that is proportional to the product of the surface roughness and the local slope $\ensuremath{\delta}=w/\phantom{w{\ensuremath{\xi}}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}\phantom{\rule{0.0pt}{0ex}}{\ensuremath{\xi}}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$. The fact that the local slope of a surface increases only very slowly during growth explains the linear dependence experimentally found between $w$ as measured by scanning-probe microscopy and the vertical roughness determined by the effective medium approach.
Mapping the Phosphoinositide Landscape in Mammalian Cells

Polyphosphoinositides (PPIs) are universal lipid regulators that control a great variety of cellular function serving as docking sites and conformational switches for a large number of signaling proteins associated with cellular membranes. PPIs are produced from phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) that also is a structural lipid of biological membranes. PtdIns synthesis is believed to occur primarily in the ER, although it is debated whether it also happens at the plasma membrane (PM). Considerable progress has been made to determine the localization and dynamic changes in PPIs both in live and fixed cells, yet little has been done to map the distribution and possible functional diversity of the PtdIns pools in mammalian cells. Here we devised a strategy to address this question by using a PtdIns specific PLC enzyme isolated from Listeria monocytogenes together with a highly sensitive diacylglycerol sensor to determine the distribution and also to alter the level of PtdIns in living cells. Our studies reveal that a significant metabolically highly active PtdIns pool exists associated with tiny mobile structures within the cytoplasm in addition to the known ER and PM PtdIns pools. We will show our most recent data on the consequences of PtdIns depletion within the various PtdIns pools and on PPI production and will also discuss principles of PPI modulation of multiple effectors.
Seasonal foreign bodies: the dangers of winter holiday ornamentation

Foreign bodies, whether ingested, aspirated or retained in the soft tissues, are a particular hazard to pediatric patients. Ornamentation associated with the winter holidays is an uncommon source of foreign bodies in children, and many of these foreign bodies have a distinct appearance on imaging. Knowledge of these appearances and the unusual features of winter holiday foreign bodies might facilitate their identification.
NOVEL FLAVONOIDS AND RETICULATE EVOLUTION IN THE PHLOX PILOSA-P. DRUMMONDII COMPLEX'

The nonanthocyanin flavonoids of the diploids Phlox pilosa ssp. pilosa and P. drummondii ssp. mcallisteri and their putative allotetraploid derivatives P. aspera and P. villosissima were characterized by chromatographic and spectrophotometric analyses. Synthetic F1 diploid hybrids were also examined. All but one of the compounds encountered were glycoflavone (Cglycosyl) derivatives of either apigenin or luteolin. Although some compounds were present in all four taxa, most were species-specific. Together, the diploids exhibited 15 different flavonoids. Half of each tetraploid ensemble was composed of novel flavonoids, compounds not manifest in either diploid ancestor. In total, the tetraploids produced seven different novel flavonoids. Five novel compounds differed from particular diploid compounds only in number or kind of oxygen-linked sugar substituents. Ostensibly, these five are either identical to diploid biosynthetic intermediates or share common precursors with related diploid end products. The mode of origin of all novel compounds is discussed.
Behavior of magnetorheological elastomers with coated particles

Iron particle coating can improve the behavior of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) by inhibiting iron particle rusting; however, such a process can change physical properties of MREs such as oxidation resistance, shear modulus, and stiffness change due to an applied magnetic field. In this study, MRE samples are fabricated with regular and polymerized iron particles. To investigate the possibility and extent of these changes, polymerized particle MRE samples are made using a combination of reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer and click chemistry. Shear test sample MREs with pure elastomer and 50 wt% MRE with and without polymerization are fabricated. To observe the effect of oxidation on shear properties of MREs, pure elastomer and 50 wt% coated and non-coated samples are oxidized using accelerated oxidation procedure. Experimental results show that oxidation significantly reduces the shear modulus of the elastomer matrix. The coating process of iron particles does not significantly change the shear modulus of resulting MREs but reduces the loss of shear modulus due to oxidation.
In vivo murine CD23 destabilization enhances CD23 shedding and IgE synthesis.

Abstract To investigate the effects of in vivo CD23 destabilization on CD23 shedding and IgE production, an anti-CD23 stalk monoclonal (19G5), previously shown to enhance proteolysis of CD23 in vitro , was utilized. Compared to isotype control-treated mice, BALB/cJ mice injected with 19G5 displayed significantly enhanced serum soluble CD23 and IgE. Soluble CD23 and IgE levels were also increased in 19G5-treated C57BL/6J mice (intermediate IgE responders); however, the kinetics of the responses differed between the high (BALB/cJ) and intermediate responder mice, suggesting a potential role for CD23 in regulating IgE responder status. The 19G5-induced IgE response was dependent on IL-4 and independent of CD21 as demonstrated through use of IL-4Rα and CD21/35-deficient mice, respectively. Overall, the data provide a direct demonstration for CD23’s role in regulating IgE production in vivo and suggest that therapies aimed at stabilizing cell surface CD23 would be beneficial in controlling allergic disease.
Nucleotide sequence of an ABA-induced tomato gene that is expressed in wilted vegetative organs and developing seeds.

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates many plant responses to the environment and also plays a role in many developmental processes. Several ABAresponsive genes, isolated from both monoand dicotyledonous plants, have been characterized [8]. Similarities among many of these genes at the nucleotide and deduced amino acid levels place them into several homology groups [3, 8]. Here we report the nucleotide sequence of an ABAinduced gene from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Ailsa Craig), le25, that is similar to the cotton late embryogenesis abundant (lea) gene, Dl13 [1]. le25 is expressed in wilted vegetative organs and developing seeds [3]. In detached, drought-stressed leaves, an elevated level of ABA is required for the induction of this gene indicating that endogenous ABA is an important regulator of this gene in response to drought [2]. To study the structure and sequence of le25, tomato DNA was isolated from leaf tissue, digested with Eco RI, size-fractionated on a sucrose gradient, and cloned into 2GEM12 Eco RI arms (Promega). The resulting genomic library was hybridized with 32p-labeled antisense RNA synthesized from the previously isolated cDNA pLE25 [2]. A genomic DNA fragment that hybridized to pLE25 was subcloned into pB S-SK (Stratagene). Regions homologous to the cDNA pLE25 and upstream flanking regions were further subcloned for DNA sequence analysis (LKB r7Sequencing Kit, Pharmacia; [35S]dATP, 45.0TBq/mmol, Amersham) [7]. Four 19 base oligonucleotides were synthesized (Biotechnology Instrumentation Facility, University of California, Riverside) to determine nucleotide sequence unobtainable from the subcloned le25 fragments. This Wisconsin Genetics Computer Group sequence package was used for sequence analysis [4]. Comparison of the pLE25 cDNA sequence [ 3] with that of 1e25 showed that the cDNA and genomic DNA sequences were identical. The gene has two exons of 155 and 372 bp interrupted by one intron of 507 bp. The intron contains the consensus dinucleotides at the 5' (GT) and 3' (AG) borders important for splicing. The transcriptional start site was determined by primer extension [6]. A 25 base oligonucleotide, 5 ' -ATGCTGCGTCCTTTCCTGTCTGCAT-3', was labeled using [7-32p]ATP (185TBq/mmol, Amersham), hybridized with
Incorporating the Rules Committee: An Extension of the Ferejohn/Shipan Model

This article uses a spatial modeling approach to examine congressional over- sight of bureaucratic agencies. The model used here builds on work by John Ferejohn and Charles Shipan. By modifying one of their assumptions and adding a Rules Committee to the model, I find equilibria that differ signifi- cantly from that of the Ferejohn/Shipan model. I find that the existence of an autonomous Rules Committee keeps agency policies from deviating much from the preferences of the House's median member. Somewhat surprisingly, I find that policy outcomes move closer to the House median member's ideal point as the ideal point of the Rules Committee moves away from the House. and the courts on policy-making by administrative agencies. The Fere- john/Shipan model produces significant insights into the effects of institution- al structures on policy outcomes. In this article I suggest that modifying one of the key assumptions of Ferejohn and Shipan's model produces a deeper understanding of congressional influence on the bureaucracy. The model developed by Ferejohn and Shipan assumes that each player's actions are constrained by the anticipated future actions of the other players. All actors are assumed to know the preferences of the other actors, the formal powers of the other players, and the institutional structure that determines the sequence of moves in the game. This approach allows Ferejohn and Shipan to investigate the effects of the institutionalized decision-making process on the relationship between the actors' preferences and the policy outcomes. In the model developed below, I retain these assumptions to analyze the effects of adding another actor to the Ferejohn/Shipan model. Ferejohn and Shipan assert that a model proposed by Weingast and Moran (1983) errs by assuming that Congress considers legislation under a closed rule. They argue that Congress cannot commit itself in advance to adopt any specific type of rule; therefore, the closed-rule assumption is inappropriate. A
Differential gene expression in vertebrate embryos.

The invitation to contribute to the Reflections series in the Journal of Biological Chemistry is an honor that I greatly appreciate. It is humbling to find oneself in such distinguished company and a challenge to the literary limitations reflected all too obviously in the scientific writing I usually engage in. What I would like to do is to describe my own professional path in the context of the evolution of the field. In this I would like to focus on the story of how embryology, after joining forces with biochemistry and molecular biology, became to be usually called developmental biology and how the focus of my work and that of much of the field revolved around differential gene expression in different cell types, tissues, and developmental stages. As always in biology, it is a tale of new questions and concepts and of advancing technology that allowed old questions to be answered and new ones to be posed in a rational and approachable manner.
Protein N-Glycosylation: Molecular Genetics and Functional Significance

Protein N-glycosylation is a metabolic process that has been highly conserved in evolution. In all eukaryotes, N-glycosylation is obligatory for viability. It functions by modifying appropriate asparagine residues of proteins with oligosaccharide structures, thus influencing their properties and bioactivities. N-glycoprotein biosynthesis involves a multitude of enzymes, glycosyltransferases, and glycosidases, encoded by distinct genes. The majority of these enzymes are transmembrane proteins that function in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus in an ordered and well-orchestrated manner. The complexity of N-glycosylation is augmented by the fact that different asparagine residues within the same polypeptide may be modified with different oligosaccharide structures, and various proteins are distinguished from one another by the characteristics of their carbohydrate moieties. Furthermore, biological consequences of derivatization of proteins with N-glycans range from subtle to significant. In the past, all these features of N-glycosylation have posed a formidable challenge to an elucidation of the physiological role for this modification. Recent advances in molecular genetics, combined with the availability of diverse in vivo experimental systems ranging from yeast to transgenic mice, have expedited the identification, isolation, and characterization of N-glycosylation genes. As a result, rather unexpected information regarding relationships between N-glycosylation and other cellular functions--including secretion, cytoskeletal organization, proliferation, and apoptosis--has emerged. Concurrently, increased understanding of molecular details of N-glycosylation has facilitated the alignment between N-glycosylation deficiencies and human diseases, and has highlighted the possibility of using N-glycan expression on cells as potential determinants of disease and its progression. Recent studies suggest correlations between N-glycosylation capacities of cells and drug sensitivities, as well as susceptibility to infection. Therefore, knowledge of the regulatory features of N-glycosylation may prove useful in the design of novel therapeutics. While facing the demanding task of defining properties, functions, and regulation of the numerous, as yet uncharacterized, N-glycosylation genes, glycobiologists of the 21st century offer exciting possibilities for new approaches to disease diagnosis, prevention, and cure.
Anisotropic diffusion techniques on synthetic aperture radar data

Speckle in SAR imagery is a by-product of constructive and destructive interference between scatterers within a resolution cell. This speckle phenomenon gives SAR imagery a "noise-like" appearance and is often exploited in near angle and/or coherent stereo pairs. However, in many cases, this speckle is unwanted and can be considered noise or interference. We use partial differential equation (PDE) methods for speckle mitigation in detected imagery and the collected complex image data. In particular, we study the effects of non-linear anisotropic diffusion filters on collected SAR image data. In the past, anisotropic diffusion (AD) techniques have been successfully used in the analysis of EO data. However, the use of these techniques on SAR image data is recent and much is yet to be done. We expect the application of AD techniques on SAR image data in combination with a fluid dynamic perspective to yield rich dividends in terms of image interpretability. Through our approach we demonstrate that it is possible to spatially maintain areas of high dynamic range (bright scatterers) and smooth areas of low dynamic range in the scene. We also exhibit the role of these non-linear filters in correlation, registration, compression, decompression, and image interpretability for SAR analysts.
"RED WATER" IN LA JOLLA BAY IN 1933.

In the nearly 30 years of my acquaintance with La Jolla Bay, near San Diego, California, I have seen many changes in the colors of its waters Some of those changes have occurred from hour to hour, from day to day and from season to season. Those observed most commonly and frequently have resulted from physical and chemical causes or from various combinations of those categories of causes. For example, a calm sea not only differs in color from a rough sea but the differences change according to the position of the observer, the time of day, and the inclusions in the masses of water. Now and then, but rather rarely, a peculiar coloration (or discoloration) ranging from faint light brown to deep red has been seen. In La Jolla Bay the causes of the conspicuous occurrences of these particular colors have been dinoflagellates, Prorocentrum micans Ehr. if before mid-summer Gonyaulax polyedra Stein if after mid-summer. Both of these kinds of microscopic plants are so small that two or three hundred can be enclosed in a drop of water without crowding, but when their numbers reach millions
Look before you close: atrial septal defect with undiagnosed partial anomalous pulmonary venous return.

The growing and continued success of percutaneous closure of atrial defects is related to its high benefit-to-risk ratio in appropriately selected patients. The following case illustrates a previously undocumented danger, namely, the potential for incomplete correction. A thorough transesophageal examination performed at the time of the planned atrial defect closure suggested the presence of a partial anomalous pulmonary vein insertion, which was then appropriately documented and the incomplete closure was averted. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Teachers Prepare to Integrate Social Justice into the Social Studies Curriculum

Promoting Social Justice through Pre-K—12 Multicultural Literature is a graduate course at Elmhurst College in which social studies teachers learn to take a leadership role in their classrooms and communities by infusing social justice topics into their existing curricula. The study of multiculturalism alongside issues such as environmentalism, war, abuse, immigration, and genocide takes place weekly through the study of short stories, picture books, movies, articles, and journal reflections. The teachers create an annotated bibliography of picture books, related to a multicultural issue they have chosen, which they have analyzed for bias. The class culminates with the infusion of James A. Banks's social action approach into a unit of study designed to help elementary and middle school students disseminate their information to a wider audience and take a step toward the recognition of social injustice.
A Technique of Myocardial Preservation Perfusion

We present a technique for administering cold cardioplegia that permits the pump technician to conveniently give the fluid. The method is comparable to that used in providing coronary perfusion for aortic valve procedures because it allows controlled volume flow and perfusion pressure. In addition, the technique is inherently safe from infusion of air bubbles.
Teaching assistant training in counseling psychology

We surveyed training directors and counseling psychology graduate teaching assistants at Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs to acquire information concerning Teaching Assistant (TA) training, supervision and teaching experiences, and the extent to which TAs believe their training and supervision helped them to feel competent in their teaching duties. TAs were most satisfied with those training methods related directly to the practice of teaching (e.g., role playing and receiving feedback on practice teaching). Implications for training counseling psychologists as educators are discussed.
A semiannual radiocarbon record of a modern coral from the Solomon Islands

Abstract Radiocarbon records from modern corals have long been recognized for their usefulness as a geochemical tracer of surface ocean waters and oceanic upwelling. Pacific corals are especially interesting because of their potential relevance to El Nino – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. At present, the Pacific Ocean is undersampled with respect to radiocarbon time series. This study establishes a 14C time series for a coral from the Solomon Islands, located near the center of the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP). We present radiocarbon results from a Porites colony which grew in Marau Sound, on the east coast of Guadalcanal. A semiannual record of 14C was constructed from measurements of alternating bands which grew continuously from 1944 to 1994. The record reflects the uptake of atmospheric bomb-produced 14C since the late 1950s with superimposed subannual radiocarbon variations, presumably related to changes in ocean circulation. Although the coral radiocarbon is influenced by ENSO events, the record is not closely correlated with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) for the same period.
Thyroid Hormone Regulates Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase Iα Gene Expression through Elements in the Promoter and First Intron

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT-I) catalyzes the transfer of long chain fatty acyl groups from CoA to carnitine for translocation across the mitochondrial inner membrane. CPT-Iα is a key regulatory enzyme in the oxidation of fatty acids in the liver. CPT-Iα is expressed in all tissues except skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, which express CPT-Iβ. Expression of CPT-Iα mRNA and enzyme activity are elevated in the liver in hyperthyroidism, fasting, and diabetes. CPT-Iα mRNA abundance is increased 40-fold in the liver of hyperthyroid compared with hypothyroid rats. Here, we examine the mechanisms by which thyroid hormone (T3) stimulates CPT-Iα gene expression. Four potential T3 response elements (TRE), which contain direct repeats separated by four nucleotides, are located 3000–4000 base pairs 5′ to the start site of transcription in the CPT-Iα gene. However, only one of these elements functions as a TRE. This TRE binds the T3 receptor as well as other nuclear proteins. Surprisingly, the first intron of the CPT-Iα gene is required for the T3 induction of CPT-Iα expression, but this region of the gene does not contain a TRE. In addition, we show that CPT-Iα is induced by T3 in cell lines of hepatic origin but not in nonhepatic cell lines.