cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of the Scholar-Practitioner in International Conflict Resolution

Can unofficial, academically based, third-party approaches contribute to the prevention and resolution of international and intercommunal conflicts? The article focuses on one such approach, interactive problem solving, which the author has applied primarily in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After describing the central tool of the approach, the problem-solving workshop, the article goes on to address the role of interactive problem solving and related approaches to the larger process of conflict resolution. In this context, it discusses the relationship of the microprocess of problem-solving workshops to the macroprocess of international conflict resolution; the relationship between official and unofficial diplomacy; the relationship between practice and scholarship in conflict resolution; the role of the university in the process; and the possibilities for institutionalizing this model of conflict resolution.
The Development of Chinese Piano Music

Many Chinese pianists, Lang Lang and Yun-di Li for example, received international recognition in recent years. When study the history of piano study and composing in China, it is not surprising that the history of Chinese piano music has gone through specific periods which strongly influenced compositional activities. This article is aimed to display cultural and political aspects that are behind historical period and analyses representative work in compositional style and characteristics.
Computational choreographies: performance in dance online

AbstractIn the fields of dance and performance studies, screen media are often eyed with suspicion by those who continue to find an ontological distinction between the presumed fixity of media documents and the ephemerality of ‘live’ performance. In this article I argue that some web-based dances re-configure the archive as a producer of performance rather than solely its conservator. They redefine choreography for computational environments, positioning choreography as a script or code that enables performance's temporality and unpredictability to translate into the technologized spaces of digital media. They further align performance with the execution of these scripted or encoded choreographies by computer processors, Internet browsers and computer users. What I call ‘computational choreographies’ thus rework the concepts of archive, choreography and performance for dance on the Internet.
THE SMITH CLOUD : A HIGH-VELOCITY CLOUD COLLIDING WITH THE MILKY WAY

New 21 cm H I observations made with the Green Bank Telescope show that the high-velocity cloud known as the Smith Cloud has a striking cometary appearance and many indications of interaction with the Galactic interstellar medium. The velocities of interaction give a kinematic distance of 12.4 ± 1.3 kpc, consistent with the distance derived from other methods. The Cloud is >3 × 1 kpc in size, and its tip at (l, b) ≈ 39°, –13° is 7.6 kpc from the Galactic center and 2.9 kpc below the Galactic plane. It has >106 M☉ in H I. Its leading section has a total space velocity near 300 km s−1, is moving toward the Galactic plane with a velocity of 73 ± 26 km s−1, and is shedding material to the Galaxy. In the absence of drag, the Cloud will cross the plane in about 27 Myr. The Smith Cloud may be an example of the accretion of gas by the Milky Way that is needed to explain certain persistant anomalies in Galactic chemical evolution.
A role for neural pathways in adenosine-induced bronchoconstriction

adenosine is a widely distributed purine nucleoside that serves many roles in homeostasis and the cellar response to stress. As an extracellular signaling molecule, adenosine engages P1 purinergic receptors, known as the adenosine receptors, to regulate a vast array of cellular responses ([9][1], [
Improving the estimation of relevance models using large external corpora

Information retrieval algorithms leverage various collection statistics to improve performance. Because these statistics are often computed on a relatively small evaluation corpus, we believe using larger, non-evaluation corpora should improve performance. Specifically, we advocate incorporating external corpora based on language modeling. We refer to this process as external expansion. When compared to traditional pseudo-relevance feedback techniques, external expansion is more stable across topics and up to 10% more effective in terms of mean average precision. Our results show that using a high quality corpus that is comparable to the evaluation corpus can be as, if not more, effective than using the web. Our results also show that external expansion outperforms simulated relevance feedback. In addition, we propose a method for predicting the extent to which external expansion will improve retrieval performance. Our new measure demonstrates positive correlation with improvements in mean average precision.
Coalescence constraints for inkjet print mask optimization

A print mask is a unique way of controlling the firing sequence of nozzles in inkjet printing. It is desirable to design a print mask which maximizes throughput while maintaining desired image quality. This can be formulated as an optimization problem where the objective is to maximize throughput by minimizing printing time subject to image quality constraints under uncertainties and variations in the printing process. Coalescence is an important image quality artifact. This paper outlines the development of a coalescence model, which can be used as an image quality constraint in finding an optimal print mask. The proposed coalescence model computes the probability of coalescence as a function of time between two adjacent drops. Monte Carlo simulation is used based on experimentally obtained distributions of model parameters. Given an acceptable coalescence probability the minimum printing time between adjacent drops can be determined, which translates to a minimum distance between pixels in a print mask that can be printed on the same pass.
Seismic attribute driven integrated characterization of the Woodford Shale in west-central Oklahoma

The organic-rich, silty Woodford Shale in west-central Oklahoma is a prolific resource play producing gas and liquid hydrocarbons. We calibrated seismic attributes and prestack inversion using well logs and core information within a seismic geomorphologic framework to define the overall basin architecture, major stratigraphic changes, and related variations in lithologies. Core measurements of elastic moduli and total organic content (TOC) indicated that the Woodford Shale can be broken into three elastic petrotypes important to well completion and hydrocarbon enrichment. Upscaling these measurements facilitates regional mapping of petrotypes from prestack seismic inversion of surface data. Seismic attributes highlight rugged topography of the basin floor of the Paleo Woodford Sea, which controls the lateral and vertical distribution of different lithofacies containing variable quantity of TOC as well as quartz, which controls brittleness. Depressions on the basin floor contain TOC-lean cherty lithofacies alternating with TOC-rich lithofacies, resulting in brittle-ductile rock couplets. In contrast, basin floor highs are characterized by overall TOC-rich ductile lithofacies. Seismic attributes illuminate complex post-Woodford tectonic deformation. The Woodford Shale is known to be naturally fractured on outcrop. Image log analysis in other shale plays showed a good correlation between such tectonic features and natural fractures. These features need to be correlated with well trajectories and production data to determine which hypothesized “fracture sets,” if any, improve well performance.
Update on PET glucose neuroimaging

Summary Positron emission tomography with 18F-deoxyglucose yields high-resolution images of brain activity with accurate quantification of a fundamental property of central nervous system function, cerebral glucose metabolic rate. Alone among brain-imaging modalities, the deoxyglucose method can be applied with microscopic resolution in animal studies, permitting detailed comparison of pharmacological response in both human and non-human experiments. In schizophrenia, metabolic imaging has identified functional changes in components of the fronto-striato-thalamic circuits and the temporal lobe, and visualized changes with neuroleptic, anxiolytic and antidepressant treatment.
Multispectral and hyperspectral image analysis with convex cones

A new approach to multispectral and hyperspectral image analysis is presented. This method, called convex cone analysis (CCA), is based on the bet that some physical quantities such as radiance are nonnegative. The vectors formed by discrete radiance spectra are linear combinations of nonnegative components, and they lie inside a nonnegative, convex region. The object of CCA is to find the boundary points of this region, which can be used as endmember spectra for unmixing or as target vectors for classification. To implement this concept, the authors find the eigenvectors of the sample spectral correlation matrix of the image. Given the number of endmembers or classes, they select as many eigenvectors corresponding to the largest eigenvalues. These eigenvectors are used as a basis to form linear combinations that have only nonnegative elements, and thus they lie inside a convex cone. The vertices of the convex cone will be those points whose spectral vector contains as many zero elements as the number of eigenvectors minus one. Accordingly, a mixed pixel can be decomposed by identifying the vertices that were used to form its spectrum. An algorithm for finding the convex cone boundaries is presented, and applications to unsupervised unmixing and classification are demonstrated with simulated data as well as experimental data from the hyperspectral digital imagery collection experiment (HYDICE).
Edwardsiella ictaluri bacteraemia elicits shedding of Aeromonas hydrophila complex in latently infected channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)

Edwardsiella ictaluri is a primary bacterial pathogen of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, and the causative agent of enteric septicaemia of catfish. Edwardsiella ictaluri is known to gain entry to the host by infection of the nares, gastrointestinal tract, and gills, and to disseminate to organs via an as yet uncharacterized acute bacteraemia. In this study, fluorescent microscopy showed E. ictaluri on the gill within 5 min of immersion challenge and E. ictaluri could also be isolated from the circulation within 5 min. When removed to clean water, catfish cleared circulating bacteria within 15 min and the blood remained free of E. ictaluri until its reappearance at the 12 h post-infection sampling. However, Aeromonas hydrophila, the aetiological agent of motile aeromonad septicaemia, appeared within the circulation 7 h post-challenge with E. ictaluri and was detected in all fish at 12 h post-infection. Only 20% of fish carried A. hydrophila in the trunk kidney that could be detected by plate culture on Rimler–Shotts agar; however, 100% of challenged and stress-control fish were A. hydrophila complex positive at 24 h post-challenge. These results suggest that although the catfish is capable of clearing its circulation of E. ictaluri, superinfection with latent A. hydrophila may enhance clinical signs of edwardsiellosis. This is the first report of a bacterial superinfection appearing in fish.
Dynamically Specialized Datapaths for energy efficient computing

Due to limits in technology scaling, energy efficiency of logic devices is decreasing in successive generations. To provide continued performance improvements without increasing power, regardless of the sequential or parallel nature of the application, microarchitectural energy efficiency must improve. We propose Dynamically Specialized Datapaths to improve the energy efficiency of general purpose programmable processors. The key insights of this work are the following. First, applications execute in phases and these phases can be determined by creating a path-tree of basic-blocks rooted at the inner-most loop. Second, specialized datapaths corresponding to these path-trees, which we refer to as DySER blocks, can be constructed by interconnecting a set of heterogeneous computation units with a circuit-switched network. These blocks can be easily integrated with a processor pipeline. A synthesized RTL implementation using an industry 55nm technology library shows a 64-functional-unit DySER block occupies approximately the same area as a 64 KB single-ported SRAM and can execute at 2 GHz. We extend the GCC compiler to identify path-trees and code-mapping to DySER and evaluate the PAR-SEC, SPEC and Parboil benchmarks suites. Our results show that in most cases two DySER blocks can achieve the same performance (within 5%) as having a specialized hardware module for each path-tree. A 64-FU DySER block can cover 12% to 100% of the dynamically executed instruction stream. When integrated with a dual-issue out-of-order processor, two DySER blocks provide geometric mean speedup of 2.1X (1.15X to 10X), and geometric mean energy reduction of 40% (up to 70%), and 60% energy reduction if no performance improvement is required.
Cluster-Based Distributed Face Tracking in Camera Networks

In this paper, we present a distributed multicamera face tracking system suitable for large wired camera networks. Unlike previous multicamera face tracking systems, our system does not require a central server to coordinate the entire tracking effort. Instead, an efficient camera clustering protocol is used to dynamically form groups of cameras for in-network tracking of individual faces. The clustering protocol includes cluster propagation mechanisms that allow the computational load of face tracking to be transferred to different cameras as the target objects move. Furthermore, the dynamic election of cluster leaders provides robustness against system failures. Our experimental results show that our cluster-based distributed face tracker is capable of accurately tracking multiple faces in real-time. The overall performance of the distributed system is comparable to that of a centralized face tracker, while presenting the advantages of scalability and robustness.
Role of Cellular Phosphatase cdc25C in Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Replication

Earlier studies have shown that in herpes simplex virus 1-infected cells, ICP22 upregulates the accumulation of a subset of gamma(2) proteins exemplified by the products of the U(L)38, U(L)41, and U(S)11 genes. The ICP22-dependent process involves degradation of cyclins A and B1, the stabilization and activation of cdc2, physical interaction of activated cdc2 with the U(L)42 DNA synthesis processivity factor, and recruitment and phosphorylation of topoisomerase IIalpha by the cdc2/U(L)42 complex. Activation of cdc2, the first step in the process, is a key function of the mitotic phosphatase cdc25C. To define the role of cdc25C, we probed some features of the ICP22-dependent pathway of upregulation of gamma(2) genes in cdc25C(-/-) cells and in cdc25C(+/+) cells derived from sibling mice. We report that cyclin B1 turned over in cdc25C(+/+) or cdc25C(-/-) cells at the same rate, that cdc2 increased in amount, and that U(S)11 and U(L)38 proteins and infectious virus accumulated in smaller amounts than in wild-type infected cells. The reduction in U(L)38 protein accumulation and virus was greater in cdc25C(-/-) cells infected with virus lacking ICP22 than in cells infected with wild-type virus. We conclude that cdc25C phosphatase plays a role in viral replication and that this role extends beyond its function of activating cdc2 for initiation of the ICP22-dependent cascade for upregulation of gamma(2) gene expression.
Downlink wireless channel estimation for linear MIMO transmission precoding

Transmission precoding in MIMO wireless systems is an effective technique that can significantly improve system capacity and diversity gain. In general, the effectiveness of MIMO precoding depends critically on the knowledge of channel state information available at the transmitter. In this work we describe a novel method for the downlink channel estimation based on a novel feedback mechanism. To minimize processing need at mobile units, the receiver in this new framework returns a fraction of its received data back for the base-station to extract downlink channel information in the form of a quadratic channel product. The base-station can then utilize the quadratic channel product to design channel-aware downlink precoders. This bandwidth efficient feedback scheme applies to both flat fading and frequency selective MIMO channels.
An analysis of contact instability in terms of passive physical equivalents

The authors explore the sources of and solutions to robot contact instability associated with force feedback. The behavior of several linear robot models is analyzed in terms of the properties of their admittances. Using the novel technique of passive physical equivalents, an explanation for the often-observed instability of a force-controlled robot contacting a stiff surface is offered, and it is shown that a fundamental limit exists to the efficacy of any force feedback controller implemented on a robot with noncolocated actuators and sensors. Suggestions for improved force control involving both mechanical design and compensator design are also presented. >
THE ABILITY OF BACTERIAL LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE TO MODULATE THE INDUCTION OF UNRESPONSIVENESS TO A STATE OF IMMUNITY: CELLULAR PARAMETERS

Studies were performed to define the cellular parameters involved in the interference with the induction of immunologic unresponsiveness to human gamma globulin (HGG) by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Mice which were injected with deaggregated HGG (tolerogen) and with LPS did not become tolerant to that antigen, but rather became primed to a subsequent challenge with immunogen. The ability to prime with tolerogen and LPS was also demonstrated in an adoptive transfer system. The temporal relationship between the injection of tolerogen and that of LPS was critical for priming to occur. The injection of tolerogen and LPS not only primed mice to HGG, but also resulted in a primary antibody response to HGG. The capacity of LPS to interfere with the induction of tolerance was restricted to B cells and did not affect the ability to induce unresponsiveness in T cells. The secondary response to HGG in mice primed by tolerogen and LPS was found to be T-cell independent. These observations are interpreted and discussed from the standpoint of the ability of LPS to circumvent required T-cell cooperation and to modulate to tolerogenic stimulus into an immunogenic signal.
False Memories in Individuals at Risk for Developing an Eating Disorder

In the present study, the authors used the Roediger and McDermott paradigm (H. L. Roediger & K. B. McDermott, 1995) to examine the creation of false memories in individuals at risk for developing an eating disorder. Thirty-three controls and 34 individuals at risk for eating disorders studied 6 word lists taken from the paradigm. Three lists were food related (bread, fruit, sweet), and 3 were not food related (king, doctor, black). Both groups produced false memories (i.e., recalled or recollected words that were not presented in the lists), and controls actually produced more false memories than the at-risk individuals produced in the recall of the food-related items. Groups did not differ in their recall of items not related to food.
Fraternal Resemblance in Educational Attainment and Occupational Status

This article develops simple structural equation models of the regression of occupational status on schooling in a sample of 518 Wisconsin high school graduates and their brothers. The models correct for response variability and incorporate a family variance component structure. Methodological complications follow from the facts that the sample consists of sibling pairs; that members of a cohort of high school graduates, rather than their families, are the sampling units; and that the primary respondents are informants about some of the characteristics of their brothers. The regression of occupational status on educational attainment is relatively insensitive both to response variability and to the specification of common family factors. Family membership accounts for about half the variance in schooling and more than one-third of the variance in occupational standing, but there is little evidence that failure to control family background leads to upward bias in estimates of the effect of schooling on occ...
“Beautiful Minds”: A Seminar Course on the Psychology of Genius

Genius-level achievement is a natural draw for undergraduate students, both as a cultural phenomenon and as a topic domain within the science of psychology. Yet within the teaching of psychology literature, the psychology of genius has been largely ignored. I designed a course that combines primary source material drawn from existing empirical findings in the genius and creativity literature with a novel method of inquiry for undergraduates, psychobiography. As an intellectually provocative area of study, the psychology of genius offers teachers a unique way to teach about theory and research in contemporary psychology through a case-based approach. This article describes course readings and assignments, topical areas of discussion, evidence of student learning, and student perceptions of knowledge gains.
Transverse flame-shock interactions in an explosive gas*

Interaction processes between waves generated by accelerating flames in an explosive gas mixture, contained in a rectangular cross-section duct, and a flame kernel, ignited at one of the side walls, have been observed by means of a stroboscopic laser-schlieren system. The medium was a stoichiometric hydrogen-oxygen mixture initially at a pressure of 720 mmHg (abs.) and room temperature. In a number of experimental records the existence of a stable flame-shock complex was nioted-a remarkable phenomenon that could be easily misconstrued as some kind of a 'lower mode' detonation-and its dynamic characteristics, especially with respect to the transition to detonation, has been taken under consideration. The investigated interactions with the flame kernel included then the effects of a shock-flame complex, as well as of a plane shock. Associated with them was in all cases the generation of a triple wave intersection-a system that is recognized today as the essential element of a self-sustained detonation-and present results are therefore of particular significance to the understanding of the gas-dynamic aspects of the detonation process.
Synthesis and evaluation of novel peripherally restricted κ-opioid receptor agonists

Abstract A series of 3-substituted analogs (3) of the parent κ agonist, 1, were prepared to limit access to the central nervous system. With the exception of compound 3j, all other compounds bound to the human κ opioid receptor with high affinity (Ki = 0.31–9.5 nM) and were selective for κ over μ and δ opioid receptors. Compounds 3c, d, and 3g–i produced potent antinociceptive activity in the rat formalin assay (i.paw) and the mouse acetic acid-induced writhing assay (s.c.), with weak activity in the mouse platform sedation test. The peripheral restriction indices of 3c, d, 3g, and 3i were improved 2- to 7-fold compared to the parent compound 1, and these compounds were approximately 2- to 5-fold more potent than the peripheral κ agonist ICI 204448.
Body mass index and physical attractiveness: Evidence from a combination image-alteration/list experiment

The list experiment is used to detect latent beliefs when researchers suspect a substantial degree of social desirability bias from respondents. This methodology has been used in areas ranging from racial attitudes to political preferences. Meanwhile, social psychologists interested in the salience of physical attributes to social behavior have provided respondents with experimentally altered photographs to test the influence of particular visual cues or traits on social evaluations. This experimental research has examined the effect of skin blemishes, hairlessness, and particular racial attributes on respondents’ evaluation of these photographs. While this approach isolates variation in particular visual characteristics from other visual aspects that tend to covary with the traits in question, it fails to adequately deal with social desirability bias. This shortcoming is particularly important when concerned with potentially charged visual cues, such as body mass index (BMI). The present article describe...
A Characteristic Life Cycle of Upper-Tropospheric Cyclogenetic Precursors during the Experiment on Rapidly Intensifying Cyclones over the Atlantic (ERICA)

Abstract This paper documents a characteristic life cycle of upper-tropospheric precursors to surface cyclogenesis observed during the field phase of the Experiment on Rapidly Intensifying Cyclones over the Atlantic (ERICA, December 1988–February 1989). This life cycle begins with the development of an elongated region of lower dynamic tropopause that forms in association with an intensifying midtropospheric jet/front over central North America. The elongated disturbance subsequently compacts into a more circular configuration prior to crossing the east coast of North America and frequently is associated with rapid surface cyclogenesis offshore. A representative example of the life cycle outlined above is documented through a detailed case study of the upper precursor associated with the second ERICA intensive observation period (IOP 2) cyclone. Emphasis is placed upon (i) description of the tropopause structure and evolution during the upper-precursor life cycle, (ii) diagnosis of mechanisms leading to t...
Retrolabyrinthine Vestibular Nerve Section: A Viable Alternative to the Middle Fossa Approach

Vestibular nerve section, whether by the middle fossa or retrolabyrinthine approach, is effective in relieving intractable vertigo while preserving hearing. However, the potential morbidity and technical difficulty of the middle fossa approach have limited its usefulness. In an attempt to determine if the two approaches produce comparable results, we evaluated 52 patients who underwent retrolabyrinthine vestibular neurectomy between April 1981 and March 1983 at the Otologic Medical Group. We compared their audiometric data and questionnaire responses with published data on patients who had a middle fossa vestibular neurectomy. Although differences between the two procedures do exist, the retrolabyrinthine method, with its 93% success rate in improving or resolving vertigo and its zero incidence of total sensorineural hearing loss, offers the surgeon a strong alternative to the middle fossa approach.
Algebraic Approach to Ultrasonic B-Mode Imaging for Resolution Enhancement

In this paper we investigate an iterative algebraic algorithm for resolution enhancement in ultrasonic B-mode imaging. The algorithm, called iterative back reconstruction (IBR), considers the measured signal as the initial “scattering image”, and in each iteration it forms an updated image by adding a correction term to the old one. The correction term is calculated from a system model, processing operators, and the old image. In addition to fast convergence, IBR can be applied either to the measured rf-signal or to the detected envelope (either logarithmic-compressed or uncompressed) and can also consider the 2-dimensional spatially variant nature of the point spread function. In our preliminary simulations, it is shown that with only three iterations the IBR algorithm effectively enhances the resolution or the dynamic range without boosting image noise.
Demosponges and hexactinellid sponges from the Lower Devonian Ross Formation of west-central Tennessee

A fauna of eight taxa of demosponges and hexactinellid sponges has been collected from the Lower Devonian (Lochkovian) Ross Formation, largely out of the upper Birdsong Shale Member in Benton, Decatur, and Perry Counties in west-central Tennessee. The Upper Birdsong Shale (“bryozoan zone”) in which the sponges are most common appears to have been deposited below normal wave base in a quiet marine environment, and represents a terrigenous clastic sediment influx onto a carbonate shelf that had existed in the area from at least the middle Silurian. Benton Quarry in Benton County was the most productive locality for fossil sponges.The new demosponge genera and species Ginkgospongia foliata and Coniculospongia radiata occur with the new species Haplistion lobatum and skeletal mats of fine spicules, along with moderately rare specimens of Hindia sphaeroidalis Duncan. The new hexactinellid genus and species Stiodermiella amanita and Stiodermiella tetragona are characterized by peculiar ornamented papillose, swollen spicules that produce a massive, armored layer on the upper part of the sponge. The latter are associated with the new hexactinellid species Twenhofelella bulbulus, which has relatively normal-appearing hexactines, and with an indeterminate hexactinellid genus, which has spinose hexactines in irregular orientation in a small, platelike fragment. Root tufts of probable hexactine origin also occur.Swollen spicules in Stiodermiella are reminiscent of swollen spicules in the family Stiodermatidae Finks, largely from the Permian of western Texas, but elements of the family are also known from Lower Carboniferous to Permian rocks in Europe and North America.
Appendix D: Probability Distributions

Consider the random variable where the {X i } are independent Gaussian random variables with means {m i } and common variance σ 2. The random variable Z is said to have a noncentral chi-square (χ2) distribution with N degrees of freedom and a noncentral parameter
Lower crustal and upper mantle xenoliths along the Cheyenne belt and vicinity

Lower-crustal and upper-mantle xenoliths entrained in Phanerozoic igneous rocks in the northern Southern Rocky Mountains provide the only direct means of studying the petrologic and geochemical nature of the deep-continental lithosphere in this region. Petrographic and geochemical features of peridotite xenoliths from the State Line kimberlite district, near the Cheyenne belt, suggest that during Devonian kimberlite emplacement, infertile, cryptically metasomatized, Archean mantle dipped south beneath a distinctly more fertile, and veined, lithospheric mantle associated with the Proterozoic continental crust of the Colorado province. Lower-crustal xenoliths recovered from the State Line kimberlites and late Cenozoic ultrapotassic igneous rocks at Leucite Hills (north of the Cheyenne belt) are dominated by mafic granulites. This indicates that both the Archean and Proterozoic lower-continental crust was, and may remain today, mafic in composition. Existing major-element data support a tholeiitic basalt precursor for the mafic granulites associated with the Colorado province. Unfortunately, despite its importance for constraining models of lithospheric structure in the northern Rocky Mountains, detailed information regarding the age, trace element and isotopic compositions, or physical attributes of the mafic xenoliths is presently not available. In order to evaluate the age and composition of continental lithosphere in this region and to assess the possible role of mafic lower-crustal rock types as sources for Laramide magmatism we outline a plan (as part of the Rocky Mountain Continental Dynamics project) to obtain geochemical and geochronological information from xenoliths recovered at the State Line kimberlite district and Leucite Hills.
Sequential BART for imputation of missing covariates

To conduct comparative effectiveness research using electronic health records (EHR), many covariates are typically needed to adjust for selection and confounding biases. Unfortunately, it is typical to have missingness in these covariates. Just using cases with complete covariates will result in considerable efficiency losses and likely bias. Here, we consider the covariates missing at random with missing data mechanism either depending on the response or not. Standard methods for multiple imputation can either fail to capture nonlinear relationships or suffer from the incompatibility and uncongeniality issues. We explore a flexible Bayesian nonparametric approach to impute the missing covariates, which involves factoring the joint distribution of the covariates with missingness into a set of sequential conditionals and applying Bayesian additive regression trees to model each of these univariate conditionals. Using data augmentation, the posterior for each conditional can be sampled simultaneously. We provide details on the computational algorithm and make comparisons to other methods, including parametric sequential imputation and two versions of multiple imputation by chained equations. We illustrate the proposed approach on EHR data from an affiliated tertiary care institution to examine factors related to hyperglycemia.
Daily Rhythm of Oviposition in the Two-Spotted Spider Mite

Adult females of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, showed a daily rhythm of oviposition when the mites were maintained in an LD 14:10 cycle (14 hr of light alternating with 10 hr of darkness). The frequency of egg laying was observed in two different mite populations; one maintained in normal light-dark conditions (light from 8 AM to 10 PM., EST) and the other kept in a reversed light-dark cycle (light from 6 PM to 8AM, EST). In both populations the oviposition frequency dropped shortly after experimental nightfall, remained at a low level throughout the night period, and increased to the higher daytime levels shortly after dawn.
36Cl fluxes in dispersed rat submandibular acini: Effects of acetylcholine and transport inhibitors

Acini isolated from the rat submandibular gland showed uptake of36Cl in the absence of added test substances. A steady state of36Cl content corresponding to 9.5±0.7 nM/mg protein was attained in 4–5 min and maintained for 25–30 min. This uptake of36Cl was reduced 40–50% by previous exposure to 10−3 M furosemide, 10−3 M ouabain, or K+-free medium. The steady state of36Cl content was reduced 34% by 10−6 M acetylcholine while exposure of the acini to the stilbene sulfonic DIDS (10−3 M) did not modify36Cl uptake either in the absence (basal) or presence of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine caused a rapid reduction of36Cl from tracer-preloaded acini (42% in 1 min), while furosemide induced a slower reduction of tracer content (45% in 9 min). Acetylcholine increased the rate of reduction of tracer content induced by furosemide and the latter caused a further reduction in36Cl content of acini previously exposed to acetylcholine. It is concluded that a furosemide-sensitive Cl uptake is present in rat submandibular acini, which depends on the Na+ gradient generated by the Na, K pump and on external K+. These findings suggest that a Na−K−Cl cotransport system driven by the Na, K pump is present in salivary acinar cells. Acetylcholine induces a rapid net efflux of36Cl, which probably masks any effect that this secretagogue may have on Cl uptake. The lack of effect of DIDS on36Cl uptake suggests that anion exchange transport systems are either not present in rat submandibular acini or can only be ascertained under different incubation conditions.
Carbonaceous Aerosols Emitted from Light-Duty Vehicles Operating on Gasoline and Ethanol Fuel Blends

This study examines the chemical properties of carbonaceous aerosols emitted from three light-duty gasoline vehicles (LDVs) operating on gasoline (e0) and ethanol-gasoline fuel blends (e10 and e85). Vehicle road load simulations were performed on a chassis dynamometer using the three-phase LA-92 unified driving cycle (UDC). Effects of LDV operating conditions and ambient temperature (-7 and 24 °C) on particle-phase semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) emissions were investigated. SVOC concentrations and OC and EC fractions were determined with thermal extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TE-GC-MS) and thermal-optical analysis (TOA), respectively. LDV aerosol emissions were predominantly carbonaceous, and EC/PM (w/w) decreased linearly with increasing fuel ethanol content. TE-GC-MS analysis accounted for up to 4% of the fine particle (PM2.5) mass, showing the UDC phase-integrated sum of identified SVOC emissions ranging from 0.703 μg km(-1) to 18.8 μg km(-1). Generally, higher SVOC emissions were associated with low temperature (-7 °C) and engine ignition; mixed regression models suggest these emissions rate differences are significant. Use of e85 significantly reduced the emissions of lower molecular weight PAH. However, a reduction in higher molecular weight PAH entities in PM was not observed. Individual SVOC emissions from the Tier 2 LDVs and fuel technologies tested are substantially lower and distributed differently than those values populating the United States emissions inventories currently. Hence, this study is likely to influence future apportionment, climate, and air quality model predictions that rely on source combustion measurements of SVOCs in PM.
Intravascular Coagulation Activation in a Murine Model of Thrombomodulin Deficiency: Effects of Lesion Size, Age, and Hypoxia on Fibrin Deposition

We consecutively inactivated both alleles of the thrombomodulin (TM) gene in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells and generated TM-deficient (TM-/-) chimeric mice. Quantitation of an ES-cell marker and protein C cofactor activity indicates that up to 50% of pulmonary endothelial cells are ES-cell derived and therefore TM deficient. Infusions of 125I-fibrinogen into mice show a significant increase (fourfold, P <.005) in radiolabeled cross-linked fibrin in TM-/- chimeric mouse lung as compared with wild-type mice. However, only chimeric mice that exhibit at least a 30% reduction in protein C cofactor activity and are at least 15 months old display this phenotype. Immunocytochemical localization of TM in chimeras shows a mosaic pattern of expression in both large and small blood vessels. Colocalization of cross-linked fibrin and neo (used to replace TM) reveals that fibrin is deposited in TM-/- regions. However, the fibrin deposits were largely restricted to pulmonary vessels with a lumenal area greater than 100 micrometer2. The hypercoagulable phenotype can be induced in younger chimeric mice by exposure to hypoxia, which causes a fivefold increase in beta-fibrin levels in lung. Our findings show that TM chimerism results in spontaneous, intravascular fibrin deposition that is dependent on age and the magnitude of the TM deficiency.
An experimental study of the myogenic components of knee joint contracture

Objective:To differentitate the myogenic from arthrogenic component of knee contracture resulting from being immobilized in extension for 4 weeks.Method:Ten rabbits were used as experimental animals. The right hindlimbs were immobilized with knee in extension for 4 weeks, while the left severed as controls. The range of motion (ROM) of both knees were measured before and after myotomy.Result:In immobilized and control hindlimbs, the mean ROM of the knee were 79.5°and 138.5°, respectively. The gain of ROM after myotomy in immobilized and control hindlimbs were 8.7°±0.45°, 11.6°±0.58°, respectively. Only 14.75% of the limitation of motion in ROM were accounted for by the myotomy component.Conclusion:After immobilizing for 4 weeks, the ROM of knee was significantly limited. However, the myogenic part was small and not different from normals.
Introduction to Cyber-Physical System Security: A Cross-Layer Perspective

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) comprise the backbone of national critical infrastructures such as power grids, transportation systems, home automation systems, etc. Because cyber-physical systems are widely used in these applications, the security considerations of these systems should be of very high importance. Compromise of these systems in critical infrastructure will cause catastrophic consequences. In this paper, we will investigate the security vulnerabilities of currently deployed/implemented cyber-physical systems. Our analysis will be from a cross-layer perspective, ranging from full cyber-physical systems to the underlying hardware platforms. In addition, security solutions are introduced to aid the implementation of security countermeasures into cyber-physical systems by manufacturers. Through these solutions, we hope to alter the mindset of considering security as an afterthought in CPS development procedures.
Emerging medication for the treatment of male hypogonadism

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Male hypogonadism is characterized by inadequate production of Testosterone (T) (hypoandrogenism) and deficiencies in spermatogenesis. The main treatment of male hypogonadism is T replacement therapy (TRT), but for some of the patients, alternative drugs may be more suitable.Areas covered: The available literature of T and alternative treatments for male hypogonadism are discussed.Expert opinion: Transdermal application of T gels are the most commonly used route of T administration. Some oral T formulations are either associated with hepatic toxicity (i.e. methyltestosterone) or short half-lives that require multiple doses per day (i.e. oral testosterone undecanoate). Short acting, injectable T formulations are also available. If the patient prefers not to use daily drugs or short acting injectable formulations, depot formulations such as injectable testosterone undecanoate (TU) may be a good alternative. If the patient has hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and desires fertility or if he...
Introduction: Theory’s Landscapes

Comparative political theory is an increasingly visible development in the field of political theory, garnering much attention for its critical engagement with the substance, scope, and purpose of political theory itself. Fundamentally challenging the hegemony and definition of "Western" political thought by engaging scholars and texts ignored or dismissed by the traditional canon, comparative political theory seeks to integrate perspectives and politics from all regions of the world. In doing so, it seeks to displace the normative and analytic priority of "Western" interpretations and definitions of fundamental political concepts such as freedom, subjectivity, and society. Each of these moves has spurred further debate and discussion of the merits of comparative political theory and its contributions to thinking about political theory.
A Genetic Screen for Zebrafish Mutants Affecting Early Hematopoiesis.

Hematopoiesis, or blood cell formation, starts from hematopoietic stem cells and goes through many rounds of cell proliferation and a number of commitment steps that progressively restrict cells to a particular lineage. The generation and maintenance of stem cell pool and the regulation of lineage commitment are poorly understood. Right now there is only one reported zebrafish mutant, cloche, that has defects in early hematopoiesis. We have undertaken a chemical mutagenesis screen using ENU in the zebrafish to uncover mutants in early hematopoiesis. Haploid embryos from F1 females were screened by RNA in situ hybridization using a stem cell marker, core binding factor ? (cbfb), and a myeloid-specific marker, leukocyte-specific plastin (l-plastin). We have screened 510 F1 females and 47 putative mutants have been identified. Of these, 22 showed decreased expression of l-plastin, 3 for cbfb, 2 for both l-plastin and cbfb and the remainder were mutated for l-plastin and other non-hematopoietic markers. Right now, we have focused our efforts on two mutants. The first mutant line, L32, displayed a blood-less phenotype and showed a significant decrease in the expression of the hemangioblast marker scl. In addition to the marked reduction in the expression of the myeloid specific markers l-plastin, c/ebp1 and mpo, these embryos also showed decreased expression of the erythroid specific marker gata-1. Linkage analysis has placed this mutant to the proximal region of linkage group 12. Currently, we are in the process of testing candidate genes to identify the mutated gene. The second mutant line, L63 also has a blood less phenotype and showed decreased expression of both l-plastin and mpo. Like L32, L63 homozygous embryos have significant developmental defects and die 3 dpf. Low resolution mapping has placed this mutant to LG 8. Through this approach, we hope to identify novel genes that play critical roles in the developmental process regulating early hematopoiesis.
Rapid screening for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in clinical elephant trunk wash samples.

Abstract Mycobacterium tuberculosis can infect and be transmitted between elephants and humans. In elephants, the ‘gold standard’ reference test for detection of tuberculosis is culture, which takes a minimum of eight weeks for results and has limited sensitivity. A screening test that is rapid, easily implemented, and accurate is needed to aid in diagnosis of tuberculosis in elephants. Ninety-nine clinical trunk wash samples obtained from 33 elephants were utilized to validate three molecular extraction techniques followed by a polymerase chain reaction for detection of M. tuberculosis. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were estimated compared to culture. Kappa coefficients were determined between molecular results and various culture categories and serological test results. An internal amplification control was developed and assessed to monitor for PCR inhibition. One molecular test (the Column method) outperformed the other two, with diagnostic sensitivity and kappa agreement estimates of 100% (CI 57–100) and 0.46 (CI 0.2–0.74), respectively, compared to culture alone. The percentage of molecular-positive/culture-negative samples was 8.4% overall. The molecular extraction technique followed by PCR provides a much-needed rapid screening tool for detection of tuberculosis in elephants. Immediate procedures can be implemented to further assess PCR-positive animals and provide personnel biosecurity. While a positive result is not a definitive test for elephant tuberculosis, the molecular test results can be used to support current diagnostic procedures applied by veterinarians for treatment decisions to prevent the spread of tuberculosis in elephants.
Resistance of grapevine varieties of Kvemo (lower) Kartli of Georgia to abiotic factors

Abstract The paper analyzes relative resistance to abiotic factors of Lower (Kvemo) Kartli, Georgia grape varieties such as Rkatsiteli, Saperavi, Asuretuli shavi and Tavkveri ( Vitis vinifera L.) with chlorophyll fluorescence method. It is shown that Rkatsiteli and Asuretuli shavi are distinguished by the highest frost resistance, followed by Saperavi and Tavkveri . However, Asuretuli shavi is more resistant to spring frosts. Rkatsiteli reveals more resistance to high temperatures, followed by Saperavi, Asuretuli shavi and Tavkveri . As for droughts, the most resistant is Asuretuli shavi, followed by Rkatsiteli, Saperavi and Tavkveri .