cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speciation of Mercury (II) and Methylmercury in Cloud and Fog Water

The fate of oxidized mercury (Hg) in clouds and fogs is affected by the complexation of oxidized Hg(Ⅱ) with other chemical species present in cloud and fog water. Metal complexation often influences the types of reactions available to a metal in an aqueous system. The influence of pH, major inorganic ions, and organic acids on the complexation of Hg(Ⅱ) and methylmercury (MeHg) was examined for a range of cloud and fog water compositions. Fog water was collected in the San Joaquin Valley, CA and rain water was collected at Devil's Lake State Park, WI to provide additional measurements of the chemical conditions of atmospheric media. A thermodynamic model was used to determine the speciation of Hg(Ⅱ) and methylmercury (MeHg) over a range of atmospherically-relevant cloud and fog compositions. The speciation of Hg(Ⅱ) in cloud and fog water was highly dependent on pH. For conditions found in most clouds and fogs, the chloride ion was the most important major ion controlling Hg(Ⅱ) complexation, even under conditions of relatively low chloride content. However, Hg(OH)2(subscript (aq)), and HgClOH(subscript (aq)) were found to dominate over HgCl2 in locations with high pH due emissions of agricultural ammonia; i.e. San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys, CA. At concentrations relevant to typical cloud and fog waters, carboxylic acids (e.g. formate and acetate) did not play a significant role in Hg(Ⅱ) speciation. Methyl mercury was speciated as MeHgCl in most locations, except for the locations with high pH, where MeHgOH dominated. These results provide constraints over potential reaction pathways that may transform oxidized Hg(Ⅱ) in clouds and fogs.
The Electrocardiogram 100 Years Later Electrical Insights Into Molecular Messages

In 1921, Willem Einthoven invited Thomas Lewis to lecture in Leiden. Lewis responded, “The Leiden visit is one to which I am looking forward with great pleasure. It will be most stimulating to come to the Mecca of electrocardiography …”1 It is with much the same feeling that I approach this lectureship, honoring the memory of the man who, in developing the ECG, in effect ushered in the modern era in electrophysiology. In being here, I also pay homage to the Dutch tradition of electrophysiology, which has flourished since Einthoven’s time. In 1930, several years after Einthoven’s passing, the Russian electrophysiologist Samojloff was invited by Paul Dudley White (later the first Einthoven Lecturer) to reminisce about Einthoven’s contributions. Samojloff stated, “… Einthoven worked almost exclusively in the field of electrophysiology. This branch of physiology stood for a long time completely isolated from life, medicine, and even from the general path of development of physiological knowledge; shut off in this way, electrophysiology could not progress and it seemed that it would be difficult to alter this sad situation of the study of animal electricity. [Einthoven’s mind] … worked like an instrument of precision. He worked only on what could be measured and his measurements reached the limit of precision possible under the circumstances.”2 Einthoven’s string galvanometer was remarkable in the fidelity and accuracy of its recordings and in its utility for interpreting the rhythm and state of health of the heart. Moreover, in applying the instrument to diagnosis, Einthoven foresaw events that wouldn’t occur again for 50 years or more. Not only were patients’ ECGs recorded, but the signals were wired the 1-mile distance from hospitalized patient to laboratory for registration and analysis. The off-site diagnostician was often able to identify a patient’s affliction faster than the on-site physician. …
Microbial Factors in the Pathogenesis of IBD

During the last one-half century we have witnessed a continuous evolution of the concept of microbial factors in the pathogenesis of IBD, an evolution that has never relinquished the involvement of such factors in gut inflammation, but has generated rather different views and variable degrees of enthusiasm for the importance of microbes in IBD. The failure to isolate classical or atypical microorganisms in CD or UC tissues made IBD investigators to look for answers in the field of immunology, looking for evidence of specific immune reactivity markers against bacterial antigens. The answers obtained were not satisfactory, and the search moved on to mycobacteria and viral agents with similar results. At the time that our understanding of mucosal immunity has already lead to the creation of the concept of "physiological" and pathological mucosal inflammation, genetic manipulations started to generate animals whose unexpected outcome was the development of colitis which is strictly dependent on the presence of an enteric flora. This fundamental observation was followed by the demonstration that in IBD there is a loss of immunological tolerance against the normal enteric flora and clinical trials showing that antibiotics and probiotics may be therapeutically beneficial in IBD patients, all of which ended up with the creation of the present view that the normal enteric flora is an essential component of IBD pathogenesis. This view still requires solidification through the definition of the relevant cellular and molecular pathways, and at the same time clinical studies must go on and explore how best modulate the gut flora and interfere with its proinflammatory potential in genetically susceptible individuals.
Noradrenaline and serotonin selectively modulate thalamic burst firing by enhancing a hyperpolarization-activated cation current.

NEURONS in many regions of the mammalian nervous system generate action potentials in two distinct modes: rhythmic oscillations in which spikes cluster together in a cyclical manner, and single spike firing in which action potentials occur relatively independently of one another1,2. Which mode of action potential generation a neuron displays often varies with the behavioural state of the animal2,3. For example, the shift from slow-wave sleep to waking and attentiveness is associated with a change in thalamic neurons from rhythmic burst firing to repetitive single spike activity, and a greatly increased responsiveness to excitatory synaptic inputs1-3. This marked change in firing pattern and excitability is controlled in part by ascending noradrenergic and serotonergic inputs from the brainstem4-11, although the cellular mechanisms of this effect have remained largely unknown. Here we report that noradrenaline and serotonin enhance a mixed Na+/K+ current which is activated by hyperpolarization (Ih) and that this enhancement may be mediated by increases in intracellular concentration of cyclic AMP. This novel action of noradrenaline and serotonin reduces the ability of thalamic neurons to generate rhythmic burst firing and promotes a state of excitability that is conducive to the thalamocortical synaptic processing associated with cognition.
Unmyelinated fibers of the anterior ethmoidal nerve in the rat co-localize with neurons in the medullary dorsal horn and ventrolateral medulla activated by nasal stimulation

The anterior ethmoidal nerve (AEN) innervates the nasal passages and external nares, and serves as the afferent limb of the nasopharyngeal and diving responses. However, although 65% of the AEN is composed of unmyelinated fibers, it has not been determined whether this afferent signal is carried by unmyelinated or myelinated fibers. We used the transganglionic tracers WGA-HRP, IB4-HRP, and CTB-HRP to trace the central projections of the AEN of the rat. Interpretation of the labeling patterns suggests that AEN unmyelinated fibers project primarily to the ventral tip of the ipsilateral medullary dorsal horn (MDH) at the level of the area postrema. Other unmyelinated projections were to the ventral paratrigeminal nucleus and ventrolateral medulla, specifically the Botzinger and RVLM/C1 regions. Myelinated AEN fibers projected to the ventral paratrigeminal and mesencephalic trigeminal nuclei. Stimulating the nasal passages of urethane-anesthetized rats with ammonia vapors produced the nasopharyngeal response that included apnea, bradycardia and an increase in arterial blood pressure. Central projections of the AEN co-localized with neurons within both MDH and RVLM/C1 that were activated by nasal stimulation. Within the ventral MDH the density of AEN terminal projections positively correlated with the rostral-caudal location of activated neurons, especially at and just caudal to the obex. We conclude that unmyelinated AEN terminal projections are involved in the activation of neurons in the MDH and ventrolateral medulla that participate in the nasopharyngeal response in the rat. We also found that IB4-HRP was a much less robust tracer than WGA-HRP.
Survey of statewide public perceptions regarding water reuse in Arizona

Increasing demands on water resources have made water reuse an attractive option for extending water supplies in the southwest. However, concerns remain about the potential risks of contact with recycled water. This study focused on perceptions regarding water reuse and how these may affect future utilization of the resource. This study, based on a telephone survey of 400 randomly-selected Arizona residents, was used to assess public opinion of water reuse in the state. Survey results indicated that residents feel it is important for their community to use recycled water. In fact, 76% of those surveyed support using ‘consumer incentives for using recycled water’, and over two-thirds of respondents support ‘increasing water or sewer rates to treat water to higher standards9. Despite this support, the survey revealed that almost two-thirds of the respondents have concerns about recycled water. Those concerns can be alleviated by providing ‘better information about recycled water’. Education level proved to be the most significant demographic affecting perception of terminology and recycled water uses. These results can be used by water agencies – even those outside Arizona – to address community concerns, effectively promote water reuse, and develop more sustainable and accepted alternatives to augment their water portfolios.
Estimating the Frequency Distribution of Crossovers during Meiosis from Recombination Data

Estimation of tetrad crossover frequency distributions from genetic recombination data is a classic problem dating back to Weinstein (1936, Genetics 21, 155-199). But a number of important issues, such as how to specify the maximum number of crossovers, how to construct confidence intervals for crossover probabilities, and how to obtain correct p-values for hypothesis tests, have never been adequately addressed. In this article, we obtain some properties of the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) for crossover probabilities that imply guidelines for choosing the maximum number of crossovers. We give these results for both normal meiosis and meiosis with nondisjunction. We also develop an accelerated EM algorithm to find the MLE more efficiently. We propose bootstrap-based methods to find confidence intervals and p-values and conduct simulation studies to check the validity of the bootstrap approach.
Dynamics of Testicular Germ Cell Proliferation in Normal Mice and Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Rat Androgen-Binding Protein: A Flow Cytometric Evaluation

Transgenic mice carrying rat androgen-binding protein (ABP) genomic DNA express high amounts of testicular ABP and develop a progressive impairment of spermatogenesis. To understand the mechanism of these changes, we have studied the pattern of testicular germ cell proliferation from 7 to 360 days of age in wild-type (WT) control and transgenic homozygous (ABP-TG) mice by flow cytometry after labeling DNA in isolated germ cells with propidium iodide. At all ages studied, the body weight of the ABP-TG mice was lower than that of age-matched WT controls. Significantly reduced testicular weight and total germ cell number in the ABP-TG mice were evident from Day 30 and Day 60, respectively. Flow cytometric analysis of isolated germ cells revealed that the number of germ cells undergoing proliferation (S-phase cells) was identical in WT control and ABP-TG mice up to Day 14. Subsequently, the number of germ cells in S-phase was consistently higher in ABP-TG than in WT mice. The number of primary spermatocytes was significantly increased starting from Day 60, and the numbers of round and elongated spermatids were significantly reduced in the ABP-TG animals from Day 21 and Day 60 onwards, respectively. Immunocytometry for intracellular ABP at 90 days of age revealed that the percentage of ABP-containing germ cells was greater in ABP-TG than in WT mice. The continuous presence of ABP in mouse seminiferous tubules at greater than physiological concentrations facilitates the formation of primary spermatocytes but impairs subsequent transformation to round and elongated spermatids. Based on our observations and the analysis of the available literature, the most likely mechanism for production of these effects is sustained reduction in the bioavailability of androgens.
Antibiotic Resistance in Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum , the Syphilis Agent

Syphilis is a multistage infectious disease that is transmitted sexually by contact with active lesions of a partner or congenitally from an infected pregnant female to her fetus. Despite efforts to eliminate this disease, syphilis has remained endemic in many developing countries and it has recently reemerged in several developed countries, including Russia and China where widespread epidemics have occurred. Due to the absence of a vaccine, syphilis control is mainly dependent on identification and treatment of infected individuals and their contacts. Although penicillin continues to be highly effective, its use can be problematic. This has led to substitution of alternative, second-line drugs, such as macrolides, for syphilis treatment. The emergence of clinically significant macrolide resistance in Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum due to a point mutation in the 23S rRNA gene has resulted in treatment failures, thus expanding the “window of opportunity” for transmission of syphilis. This chapter provides a brief overview of past and present challenges of syphilis chemotherapy, including macrolide resistance, and discusses the potential of T. pallidum to develop additional antibiotic resistance that could compromise syphilis treatment and control.
Lexicographic Fairness in WDM Optical Cross-Connects

We consider fair allocation of sessions at the outputs of optical cross-connects employing wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). Each session consists of traffic on one or more wavelengths (channels). We identify lexicographic fairness as the most appropriate fairness criterion that is relevant to this setting. Achieving a fair lexicographic solution, commonly referred to as lexicographic optimality (LEX), is trivial and polynomial-time computable when any incoming wavelength can be converted to any outgoing wavelength (full conversion). This is not apparent in the practical and realistic case of limited conversion. We prove that LEX is also polynomial-time computable for the limited conversion case by reducing the problem to a min-cost max-flow optimization objective in network flows. We also motivate, formulate and solve a stronger variant of lexicographic optimality that we refer to as worst-case fair lexicographic optimal (W-LEX). Although our effective setting is an optimization problem in bipartite graphs (the request graph is bipartite), the network-flow based algorithms are applicable to unit capacity graphs in general. Further, we provide fast polynomial-time algorithms that furnish solutions for LEX and the W-LEX optimality problems for arbitrary bipartite graphs (i.e. arbitrary wavelength-conversion rules) and are computationally less expensive than network-flow methods. Finally we report simulation results to validate our findings.
Design of broadband controller for residential gateway applications

As Internet technology becomes more pervasive, homes are getting connected to cable or DSL. The increasing user demands for "always on" service along with multiple connectivity for voice and data is gradually making the presence of a residential gateway in every household a reality. A residential gateway should have routing and bridging capabilities along with seamless connectivity to contemporary premise networking technologies. Integration of all these features on a single device essentially requires a rich architecture, smart design techniques and thorough verification. This paper describes the architecture and design of a broadband network controller which is a critical component of TI's voice and data centric residential gateway solution.
A state-based visual language for a demonstrational visual shell

We present a new visual programming language and environment that serves as a form of feedback and representation in a Programming by Demonstration (PBD) system. The language differs from existing visual languages because it explicitly represents data objects and implicitly represents operations by changes in data objects. To improve feedback and provide a closer union between the PBD system and the program representation, the visual language is integrated into other parts of the system, such as the editor. Finally, in order to enable new operations to be added easily to the system, we introduce a declarative language for specifying how an operation's visual representation is generated. >
Motivational dynamics of children's academic help-seeking and concealment

Models of self-regulated learning and of children's coping both consider help-seeking an adaptive response to academic problems, yet students do not always seek help when it is needed, and help-seeking generally declines across early adolescence. A study of 765 children in elementary and middle school (Grades 3-6) during fall and spring of the same school year investigated whether motivational resources predicted help-seeking and whether losses in motivational supports across the middle school transition mirrored age declines. As predicted, 3 motivational self-perceptions were tightly correlated with coping in fall and spring; relatedness was the primary predictor of increases in help-seeking, whereas a sense of incompetence predicted increases in concealment. Teacher reports of motivational support also predicted changes in student coping and were mediated by children's self-perceptions. Analyses of reciprocal effects of students' help-seeking and concealment on changes in teacher support corroborated hypothesized cycles in which motivationally "rich" children, by constructively seeking help, become "richer," whereas motivationally "poor" children, by concealing their difficulties, become "poorer." Age differences in children's motivational resources across the transition to middle school paralleled age differences in help-seeking and concealment.
Staffing for Success Linking Teacher Evaluation and School Personnel Management in Practice

Teacher evaluation is at the center of current education policy reform. Most evaluation systems rely at least in part on principals’ assessments of teachers, and their discretionary judgments carry...
Experiential avoidance and the relationship between child maltreatment and PTSD symptoms: preliminary evidence.

Objective Not every adolescent exposed to child maltreatment develops symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), emphasizing the need to identify variables that explain how some maltreated children come to develop these symptoms. This study tested whether a set of variables, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and cortisol reactivity as well as experiential avoidance, explained the relationship between child maltreatment and PTSD symptoms.
Fatty Acid Inhibition of Sulfation Factor-stimulated 35SO4 Incorporation into Embryonic Chicken Cartilage

Abstract The effect of fatty acids and ketones on 35SO4 incorporation into the chondromucoproteins of embryonic chicken cartilage was studied in vitro. Both the nonstimulated incorporation (that occurring in media without added serum) and sulfation factor stimulated incorporation (that occurring in media with 5.0% rat serum added) were investigated. Butyrate and octanoate, from 0.01 mm to 1.0 mm, had minimal effects on nonstimulated 35SO4 incorporation. At 5.0 mm both caused moderate inhibition of 35SO4 incorporation into the cartilage. In the serum stimulated state, butyrate and octanoate, at 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, and 5.0 mm, resulted in striking dose-related inhibition of 35SO4 incorporation. Palmitate and oleate from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm had no effect on nonstimulated 35SO4 incorporation, but did cause marked inhibition of the serum-stimulated component of 35SO4 incorporation. β-Hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetate, from 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm, had no effect on either nonstimulated or serum-stimulated 35SO4 incorporation. 35SO4 incorporation into cartilage chondromucoproteins was independent of glucose over a concentration range of 2.5 mm to 15.0 mm. In the absence of glucose in the medium, nonstimulated 35SO4 incorporation was markedly inhibited, but the incremental increase stimulated by rat serum was unaffected. The inhibitory effect of butyrate on serum-stimulated 35SO4 incorporation is reversible and this indicates that the fatty acid effect is not a nonspecific toxic action. The data suggest that fatty acids may regulate the synthesis of chondromucoproteins in cartilage and in this way dissociate the lipolytic and glucose mobilizing effects of growth hormone from its stimulation of growth. Though the locus of action of fatty acids on 35SO4 incorporation is unknown, it may be at the site of the action of sulfation factor.
Relative performance of Bayesian clustering software for inferring population substructure and individual assignment at low levels of population differentiation

Traditional methods for characterizing genetic differentiation among populations rely on a priori grouping of individuals. Bayesian clustering methods avoid this limitation by using linkage and Hardy–Weinberg disequilibrium to decompose a sample of individuals into genetically distinct groups. There are several software programs available for Bayesian clustering analyses, all of which describe a decrease in the ability to detect distinct clusters as levels of genetic differentiation among populations decrease. However, no study has yet compared the performance of such methods at low levels of population differentiation, which may be common in species where populations have experienced recent separation or high levels of gene flow. We used simulated data to evaluate the performance of three Bayesian clustering software programs, PARTITION, STRUCTURE, and BAPS, at levels of population differentiation below FST=0.1. PARTITION was unable to correctly identify the number of subpopulations until levels of FST reached around 0.09. Both STRUCTURE and BAPS performed very well at low levels of population differentiation, and were able to correctly identify the number of subpopulations at FST around 0.03. The average proportion of an individual’s genome assigned to its true population of origin increased with increasing FST for both programs, reaching over 92% at an FST of 0.05. The average number of misassignments (assignments to the incorrect subpopulation) continued to decrease as FST increased, and when FST was 0.05, fewer than 3% of individuals were misassigned using either program. Both STRUCTURE and BAPS worked extremely well for inferring the number of clusters when clusters were not well-differentiated (FST=0.02–0.03), but our results suggest that FST must be at least 0.05 to reach an assignment accuracy of greater than 97%.
Modeling and performance evaluation of a cellular mobile network

An analytic model of cellular mobile communications networks with instantaneous movement is investigated in this paper. This cellular mobile network is showed to be equivalent to a queueing network and furthermore the equilibrium distribution of this cellular mobile network is proved to have a product form. The explicit expressions for handoff rates of calls from one cell to another, the blocking probability of new calls and handoff calls are then obtained. Actual call connection time (ACCT) of a call in this cellular mobile network is characterized in detail, which is the total time a mobile user engages in communications over the network during a call connection and can be used to design appropriate charging schemes. The average ACCT for both complete call and incomplete call, as well as the probability for a call to be incomplete or complete, are derived. Our numerical results show how the above measures depend on the new call arrival process for some specific reserved channels numbers in each cell. The results presented in this paper are expected to be useful for the cost analysis for updating location and paging in cellular mobile network.
Raman spectroscopy study of the nanodiamond-to-carbon onion transformation.

Here, we present a comprehensive study analyzing early stages of the transformation of detonation nanodiamond (ND) powder to graphitic carbon onions via thermal annealing in argon atmosphere. Raman spectroscopy was employed to monitor this transformation, starting with the sp3-to-sp2 conversion of the ND surface at the onset of the graphitization process. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to supplement the structural information obtained from Raman spectroscopy and allow for an accurate interpretation of the obtained Raman data. The effect of the annealing time on the transformation process was also studied to determine the kinetics of the conversion at low temperatures. The results presented in this study complement previous work on ND annealing and provide deeper insight into the nanodiamond-to-carbon onion conversion mechanism, in particular the time and size dependence. We present further evidence for the existence of a disordered sp2 phase as an intermediate step in the transformation process.
A local energetics analysis of the life cycle differences between consecutive, explosively deepening, continental cyclones

Local energetics diagnostics of the life cycles of consecutive, explosively deepening, extratropical cyclones that migrated across central North America in April 2001 are presented. Both storms developed rapidly and followed nearly identical tracks through the region. Despite similar mature-stage intensities, the two storms underwent vastly different evolutions during cyclolysis; the first decayed as rapidly as it had developed, and the second decayed very slowly. Examination of the volume-integrated eddy kinetic energy (EKE) budget for each storm reveals that the sea level pressure minimum associated with the first cyclone developed well after its associated EKE center had reached its maximum intensity. In contrast, the second cyclone’s sea level pressure minimum developed much more in concert with the development of its associated EKE center. As a consequence, the first cyclone began losing EKE through downstream energy fluxes even as it was developing at the surface, whereas the second cyclone did not disperse EKE downstream until later in its life cycle. Consideration of the EKE budget results in terms of baroclinic wave packets demonstrates that the first cyclone developed and decayed on the upstream edge of a wave packet, whereas the second cyclone developed in the midst of a wave packet, only decaying once it had reached the upstream edge. Thus, it is suggested that postmature phase decay is dynamically linked to a cyclone’s position in a given wave packet.
Parole Outcome A Multidimensional Contingency Table Analysis

This is a statistical study of the association of parole outcomes with a set of possible predictor variables that is accomplished by multidimen sional contingency table analysis. It is keyed to prior studies conducted by the Parole Decision Making Project of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. These studies, based on data of approximately 2500 prisoners in the federal corrections system, suggest nine variables presently employed by the U. S. Parole Board in parole decisions. The present analysis, employing a different multivariate data technique, indicates only four of the nine variables are required. It also demonstrates that representing the four variables by a sum of scores can hide discrimination power available when each prisoner profile is viewed as a four-dimensional array of data. A Technical Appendix appears at the end of the paper and describes the methodology of con tingency table analysis within the context of prisoner profile data and parole outcome.
Complexity of answering queries using materialized views

We study the complexity of the problem of answering queries using materialized views. This problem has attracted a lot of attention recently because of its relevance in data integration. Previous work considered only conjunctive view definitions. We examine the consequences of allowing more expressive view definition languages. The languages we consider for view definitions and user queries are: conjunctive queries with inequality, positive queries, datalog, and first-order logic. We show that the complexity of the problem depends on whether views are assumed to store all the tuples that satisfy the view definition, or only a subset of it. Finally, we apply the results to the view consistency and view self-maintainability problems which arise in data warehousing.
PEMBERTON SIGN IN A MALE WITH HASHIMOTO'S HYPOTHYROIDISM

ABSTRACT Objective: The Pemberton sign is related to venous obstruction in patients with goiters. It has been mainly reported in patients with euthyroid and hyperthyroid goiters and is rarely seen in hypothyroidism. Methods: We present the case of a 52-year-old male with hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto thyroiditis who developed cervical compression with an impressive Pemberton sign. Results: A 52-year-old male was diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto disease based on positive peroxidase antibodies, high thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and low free thyroxine (T4). His initial complaints were fatigue and neck discomfort. He was initially treated medically with levothyroxine without improvement and referred to endocrinology for further management. Physical examination at the initial endocrine visit was pertinent for an impressive Pemberton sign. Because the patient was interested in medical therapy, levothyroxine was increased and liothyronine was added. He eventually underwent total thyroidectomy due to worsening neck discomfort and breathing difficulties, which alleviated all his symptoms. Conclusions: The Pemberton sign is elicited by a simple maneuver and is very useful for identifying patients who may require thyroidectomy for compressive symptoms. Abbreviation: TSH thyroid-stimulating hormone
How credible are online product reviews? The effects of self-generated and system-generated cues on source credibility evaluation

Online product reviews are important information sources in the consumer decision-making process. Despite the importance of online reviews in product evaluation, there is an emerging need to address the role of self-generated and system-generated information in enhancing the credibility of online reviews. Two experiments were conducted to examine the topic. Study 1 found significant interactions between perceived similarity and source reputation on the evaluation of trustworthiness and expertise. Study 2 extended the findings of study 1 by examining how argument quality influenced credibility perception under different levels of similarity and source reputation. Two experiments were conducted to examine the credibility assessment of online product reviews.Self-generated cues and system-generated cues were found to have different roles in source credibility evaluation.Users' reputation generated by a peer-rating system has positive influences on trustworthiness and expertise.Perceived similarity has a positive effect on trustworthiness and a negative effect on expertise.Argument quality has greater influence on credibility evaluation than heuristic cues.
Abuse of Process and Wrongful Use of Civil Process

A plaintiff, acting through his or her attorney, sues a defendant claiming that the defendant breached a contract or committed medical malpractice. Because the attorney has a lead role in the judicial system and the particular litigation, the defendant justly may develop a healthy dislike for the plaintiff's attorney. For the defendant, the plaintiff's attorney often is the embodiment of what the defendant feels is a bogus lawsuit. In addition, the zeal with which the plaintiff's attorney pursues the claim may cause the defendant to believe that the plaintiff's counsel is particularly evil. If the plaintiff's case ultimately fails, it is at least understandable that the defendant might want to take steps to get even. The torts of wrongful initiation of civil proceedings and abuse of process sit at the ready for such an aggrieved defendant. Lawyers should not live in fear of these torts, however, because they are extremely difficult to establish against anyone and especially against lawyers.
Empathy without a Face: Is Ethnography Effective in the Absence of Participant Photographs?

UX researchers channel the voice of the user. They succeed to the extent that they are able to build bridges, giving designers and stakeholders an authentic sense of user emotions, motivations, challenges, and delights. Good research pushes the design team to feel what the user feels, participating vicariously in the user experience. One of the surest ways to establish empathy is through photography. Images ‘from the field’ bring a participant to life, while implying authenticity and the researcher's authority to tell a user's story. But we aren't taking pictures. As researchers for Google's internal tools and infrastructure, our subjects are our coworkers, and participant faces are conspicuously absent in our deliverables. We asked ourselves why and stumbled into larger issues of truth, exoticism, and representation. We explore what the lack of participant photographs has meant for our work by revisiting image-intensive past projects and addressing three burning questions: (1) Why are we less likely to photograph participants who are ‘closer’ to us? (2) To what extent are images ‘photographic evidence’? Are we using them to assert an unfair aura of objectivity, an undeserved right to speak for the user? and (3) Is ethnography effective in the absence of participant photographs?
S-HIS Dual Regression Retrieval Analysis Relating to the HS3 Field Campaign

Atmospheric state retrievals from S-HIS measurements from NASA's Global Hawk during the HS3 aircraft field campaign during the 2012 through 2014 hurricane seasons. Results will be compared to colocated AVAPS dropsonde and CPL lidar measurements--flown alongside S-HIS on the Globalhawk.
Delay to formalin fixation alters morphology and immunohistochemistry for breast carcinoma.

Background:Delay to formalin fixation (DFF) also known as cold ischemia has been known to have an adverse effect on breast biomarkers. The aim of the study was to further evaluate the effect of DFF on tumor histomorphology and immunohistochemistry.Materials and Methods:Ten palpable invasive breast c
Detrital zircon as a proxy for tracking the magmatic arc system: The California arc example

Coupled age and trace element geochemical analyses of detrital zircons provide criteria that may be applied to describe average melt compositions through virtually the entire history of a long-lived magmatic arc. Detrital zircon data suggest that the California (western United States) Cordilleran arc was characterized by five mean magmatic states. Three geochemically distinct pulses were characterized by high Th/U and progressively heavy rare earth element (HREE)–depleted melts. The first and last pulses were also characterized by higher than average U/Yb, suggesting that progressive crustal thickening coupled with variable fluid inputs from the subducting slab modulated pulse volumes. Lulls between pulses were states generally characterized by low magmatic volumes and low Th/U and U/Yb, suggesting fluid-poor conditions with minimized crustal involvement in magmatism.
The Price System in Socialized Agriculture

PROBABLY since May, I932, and certainly since Spring, 1934, Russian peasants have been allowed to sell their produce directly to consumers, either on the farmers' (kolkhoze) market or at railroad stations, on piers and streets, etc. The market place is owned by the government but trading is free, in the sense that prices are not regulated directly. The government does influence prices indirectly; before World War II about 90 per cent of the total commercial operations in consumer goods in large cities were carried out by state and cooperative stores and shops, under a system of controlled prices. Essentially the same situation exists today. Theoretically, the policy of the authorities as regards foodstuffs is to maintain the price level so that peasants have sufficient incentive to distribute their surpluses to the population. The Soviet Union has a forward pricing system which is supposed to reduce risk in price fluctuations of agricultural commodities. Prior to World War II, prices were announced before or at the same time as the publication of the government's plan for the coming year. Lately price changes have been announced as deemed necessary. These are wholesale prices, to be paid by the state on any amount it buys. Peasants are permitted to sell their produce on the open market only after the required deliveries to the state are completed. In many instances peasants ignore this prerequisite and, according to the Soviet press, produce is often sold on the open market before the fulfillment of state obligations, an act punishable by law. The surplus, after all obligations are met, may be sold to the state for cash, bartered for manufactured goods supplied by the government through the village cooperatives, or sold on the farm rs' market or any other place.
Na(+)-Ca2+ exchangers from rod outer segments and cardiac sarcolemma: comparison of properties.

The properties of the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchangers from cardiac sarcolemma (SL) and rod outer segments (ROS) were studied in parallel by measuring the Na+ gradient-dependent Ca2+ uptake into SL or ROS vesicles. The ROS exchanger, but not the SL exchanger, has a striking specific dependence on K+. The ROS exchanger is stimulated by K+ with an apparent concentration at half-maximum of 1 mM. The addition of valinomycin, to produce an inside-positive membrane potential, stimulates the SL exchanger 1.8-fold and the ROS exchanger 1.2-fold. The Michaelis constant for half-maximal transport rate for Ca2+ and the maximal transport rate for the exchangers, in the absence of valinomycin, are estimated to be 20 microM and 8 nmol.mg-1.2.2 s-1 in SL and 5 microM and 1 nmol.mg-1.2.2 s-1 in ROS. Both exchangers are modulated by the same regulatory influences. For example, both are stimulated by proteases, phospholipase D, and intravesicular Ca2+.
The impact of resident involvement on outcomes in orthopedic trauma: An analysis of 20,090 cases.

Abstract Background Involvement in patient care is critical in training orthopedic surgery residents for independent practice. As the focus on outcomes and quality measures intensifies, the impact of resident intraoperative involvement on patient outcomes will be increasingly scrutinized. We sought to determine the impact of residents’ intraoperative participation on 30-day post-operative outcomes in the orthopedic trauma population. Methods A total of 20,090 patients from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2006 to 2013 were identified. Patient demographics and comorbidities, surgical variables, and 30-day post-operative (wound, minor, and major) complications were collected. Chi-squared and analysis of variance statistical methods were used to compare the 30-day outcomes of patients with and without a resident's intraoperative involvement. Results Resident involvement had no effect in the incidence of wound and minor complications among all three anatomic sites of orthopedic trauma procedures (hip, lower extremity [LE], and upper extremity [UE]). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of major complications in the hip and LE groups. The UE group, however, demonstrated an increase in the rate of major complications (2.60% vs. 1.89%, p = 0.046). There was no difference in mortality or readmission rates. Conclusions Resident involvement in orthopedic trauma cases did not significantly impact the 30-day outcomes in nearly all domains. Our findings support continued resident involvement in the care of the orthopedic trauma patient.
How independent is the self from its body

In the last chapter I developed Kant's general argument against the kind of inferences that lie at the basis of rational psychology. After looking at his general objections to efforts to infer substantive facts about our nature as thinkers from the way we must think of ourselves, on the basis of the way in which we must think of ourselves in order to ascribe thoughts to ourselves I then turned to his arguments against treating us as thinking things, in the sense of bona fide thinking substances or persons that have identity over time. In this chapter, I explore Kant's arguments in the Paralogisms against Cartesian metaphysical and epistemological dualism. I concentrate on the Second and Fourth Paralogisms. THE SECOND PARALOGISM The Second Paralogism attacks what Kant regards as the most illustrious champion to be found among the arguments of rational psychology. The “Achilles” of all rationalist proofs is the argument from the nature of thought to the metaphysical simplicity of the thinker who thinks. Kant's sympathy with the argument from simplicity has to do with his deep commitment to the logical simplicity of the “I.” By this he means that our representation of self does not contain anything per se that would serve to distinguish one self from another self.
How Does Alzheimer’s Begin and Who Gets It?

Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer’s dementia or Alzheimer’s for short, is one of the grimmest diagnoses a physician can deliver to a patient. It conveys not only an unfaltering death sentence but an extended period of suffering, humiliation, and confusion before dying. In the USA, a person is diagnosed with this dementia every 67 s, and by 2050, it will be every 33 s. No one is sure what causes it, and as with any disease, knowing the cause of Alzheimer’s is the key to containing it. This book attempts to shine some light into the possible cause of Alzheimer’s and how this dementia can be prevented.
Creating images by learning image semantics using vector space models

When dealing with images and semantics, most computational systems attempt to automatically extract meaning from images. Here we attempt to go the other direction and autonomously create images that communicate concepts. We present an enhanced semantic model that is used to generate novel images that convey meaning. We employ a vector space model and a large corpus to learn vector representations of words and then train the semantic model to predict word vectors that could describe a given image. Once trained, the model autonomously guides the process of rendering images that convey particular concepts. A significant contribution is that, because of the semantic associations encoded in these word vectors, we can also render images that convey concepts on which the model was not explicitly trained. We evaluate the semantic model with an image clustering technique and demonstrate that the model is successful in creating images that communicate semantic relationships.
Accurate and nearly optimal sublinear approximations to ulam distance

The Ulam distance between two permutations of length n is the minimum number of insertions and deletions needed to transform one sequence into the other. Equivalently, the Ulam distance d is n minus the length of the longest common subsequence (LCS) between the permutations. Our main result is an algorithm, that for any fixed e > 0, provides a (1 + e)-multiplicative approximation for d in [EQUATION] time, which has been shown to be optimal up to polylogarithmic factors. This is the first sublinear time algorithm (provided that d = (log n)ω(1)) that obtains arbitrarily good multiplicative approximations to the Ulam distance. The previous best bound is an O(1)-approximation (with a large constant) by Andoni and Nguyen (2010) with the same running time bound (ignoring polylogarithmic factors).The improvement in the approximation factor from O(1) to (1 + e) allows for significantly more powerful sublinear algorithms. For example, for any fixed δ > 0, we can get additive δn approximations for the LCS between permutations in [EQUATION] time. Previous sublinear algorithms require δ to be at least 1−1/C, where C is the approximation factor, which is close to 1 when C is large.Our algorithm is obtained by abstracting the basic algorithmic framework of Andoni and Nguyen, and combining it with the sublinear approximations for the longest increasing subsequence by Saks and Seshadhri (2010).
Abstract B47: Stabilization of programmed death ligand-1 by epidermal growth factor enhances cancer cell immune escape

Extracellular interaction between programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) leads to tumor-associated immune escape. Despite efforts to limit the interaction between cancer cells and immune cells, the molecular mechanism by which cancer cells initiate immune escape is less understood. Here, we show that the immunosuppression activity of PD-L1 is stringently modulated by the spatial competition between ubiquitination and N-glycosylation. We identified glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) as a novel protein that interacts with PD-L1 and can induce phosphorylation-dependent proteasome degradation by β-TrCP. In depth analysis of PD-L1 N192, N200, and N219 glycosylation suggests glycosylation antagonizes GSK3β binding. In this regard, only non-glycosylated PD-L1 forms a complex with GSK3β and β-TrCP. We also demonstrate that epidermal growth factor (EGF) stabilizes PD-L1 via GSK3β inactivation in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC). Inhibition of EGF signaling by gefitinib destabilizes PD-L1, enhances antitumor T cell immunity, and sensitizes BLBC cells to PD-1 blockade. Together, our results link ubiquitination and glycosylation pathways with stringent regulation of PD-L1, which could open new therapeutic strategies to enhance cancer immune therapy efficacy. Citation Format: Seung-Oe Lim, Chia-Wei Li, Mien-Chie Hung. Stabilization of programmed death ligand-1 by epidermal growth factor enhances cancer cell immune escape. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2016 Oct 20-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2017;5(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B47.
Terahertz, Photon-Assisted Tunneling in Semiconductor Nanostructures

Intense terahertz electric fields, available from the UCSB free-electron lasers, open new channels for resonant tunneling in semiconductor multi quantum well superlattices. Analogous to well established features of quasi-particle tunneling in superconducting-insulator-superconducting junctions, the low voltage conductance is shown to oscillate with the terahertz field strength and new steps appear in the current-voltage characteristic, that are indicative of resonant tunneling into photon side bands. The photon assisted channels are strong enough to overcome electric field domains but photon stimulated emission channels are remarkably silent.
The Impact of Molecular Genetics on Cancer Research

In this review I analyze the role of gene alterations in cancer initiation and progression. The analysis is directed especially at the suppressor genes, because their behaviour gives interesting clues for understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer. This analysis will lead to a general model for the role of genes in cancers.