cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth of Boron Nitride Thin Films on Silicon Substrates Using New Organoboron Precursors

Thin films of BN have been deposited on silicon substrates in the temperature range of 600 to 900 °C by supersonic molecular jet epitaxy and plasma-assisted MOCVD using new organoboron precursors such as borane-triethylamine complex (BTEA) and tris(sec-butyl)borane (TSBB). Hydrogen was used as carrier gas, and additional nitrogen and ammonia as reactive gases were supplied by either through nozzle or via remoted plasma. Crack-free, polycrystalline hexagonal BN films with nano-size crystals were successfully grown at temperature as low as 750 °C using BTEA. With increasing substrate temperatures to 900 °C, however, the h-BN films chenged polycrystalline with smoother surface and larger crystals. The changes of relative film quality with deposition temperature and reactive gas have been confirmed with FTIR. Nitrogen plasma enhanced the film quality and the stoichiometry, and removed the surface carbon effectively rather than ammonia and hydrogen plasmas molecular beam. Wide band gaps were calculated using optical transmittance measurements.
Oxytocin in the circadian timing of birth.

Background The molecular components determining the timing for birth remain an incompletely characterized aspect of reproduction, with important conceptual and therapeutic ramifications for management of preterm, post-term and arrested labor. Methodology/Principal Findings To test the hypothesis that oxytocin mediates circadian regulation of birth, we evaluated parturition timing following shifts in light cycles in oxytocin (OT)-deficient mice. We find that, in contrast to wild type mice that do not shift the timing of birth following a 6-h advance or delay in the light cycle, OT-deficient mice delivered at random times of day. Moreover, shifts in the light-dark cycle of gravid wild type mice have little impact on the pattern of circadian oxytocin release. Conclusions/Significance Our results demonstrate oxytocin plays a critical role in minimizing labor disruption due to circadian clock resetting.
The role of interventional radiology for complications of cholecystectomy

This report summarizes diagnostic and therapeutic radiologic procedures in 45 patients who suffered major complications from cholecystectomy. Complications were divided into (1) bile duct injury or ligation and (2) a variety of pathologic fluid collections. Specific lesions were bile duct injury (n = 6), accidental bile duct ligation (n = 12), ductal stricture (n = 12), abscess (n = 11), biloma (n = 7), hematoma (n = 5), infected pancreatic pseudocyst (n = 3), and stones (n = 2). Presenting problems were sepsis, jaundice, and intermittent cholangitis. The patients underwent 104 interventional radiologic procedures including 29 percutaneous transhepatic cholangiograms, 21 percutaneous biliary drainages, 12 balloon dilatations of strictures, drainage of 11 abscesses, 8 bilomas, 5 hematomas, and 3 pancreatic pseudocysts. Stones were removed by baskets in 2 patients; 12 pressure and perfusion studies were performed. One hundred of 104 procedures were successful; there was one failed biliary drainage, one unsuccessful stricture dilatation, one unsuccessful hematoma drainage, and one recurrent biloma. Thirty patients were spared another operation. The percutaneous procedures were beneficial although not curative in 14 of 15 patients who underwent reoperation; in those patients the procedures helped to establish a diagnosis, improve the patient's preoperative status, or serve as a landmark for the surgeon to locate and repair the ligated or injured duct. One patient died after reoperation, a 2.2% mortality rate. Sectional imaging studies combined with interventional radiologic procedures help to diagnose promptly and effectively treat major complications of cholecystectomy. These interventional procedures either cure the complication and obviate reoperation or aid the surgeon by relieving sepsis and jaundice before reoperation and providing an intraoperative guide for bile duct reconstruction. (SURGERY 1990;W7:632–8.)
C. elegans dynamin mediates the signaling of phagocytic receptor CED-1 for the engulfment and degradation of apoptotic cells

Dynamins are large GTPases that act in multiple vesicular trafficking events. We identified 14 loss-of-function alleles of the C. elegans dynamin gene, dyn-1, that are defective in the removal of apoptotic cells. dyn-1 functions in engulfing cells to control the internalization and degradation of apoptotic cells. dyn-1 acts in the genetic pathway composed of ced-7 (ABC transporter), ced-1 (phagocytic receptor), and ced-6 (CED-1's adaptor). DYN-1 transiently accumulates to the surface of pseudopods in a manner dependent on ced-1, ced-6, and ced-7, but not on ced-5, ced-10, or ced-12. Abnormal vesicle structures accumulate in engulfing cells upon dyn-1 inactivation. dyn-1 and ced-1 mutations block the recruitment of intracellular vesicles to pseudopods and phagosomes. We propose that DYN-1 mediates the signaling of the CED-1 pathway by organizing an intracellular vesicle pool and promoting vesicle delivery to phagocytic cups and phagosomes to support pseudopod extension and apoptotic cell degradation.
Retrospective Comparison of Landmark Based and Ultrasound Guided Suprascapular Nerve Steroid Injections in a Patient

Background : Suprascapular nerve steroid injections are performed for the relief of chronic shoulder pain. This retrospective comparison between landmark based and ultrasound guidance was undertaken to see the advantages of using ultrasound guidance for the performance of these injections. Methods : After institutional review board approval a chart review of all the suprascapular nerve steroid injections performed between 2005 and 2009 was done. Statistical analysis was performed using T-test and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test and Mann-Whitney test for the confidence interval. Results : There were a total of 12 suprascapular nerve steroid injections performed. The mean decrease in VAS from pre-procedure for the landmark based was -2.67 + 0.577 and for ultrasound guidance was -4.50 + 1.173. There was a statistically significant difference of changes in VAS between the landmark based and ultrasound guidance (P = 0.0409). The median difference in the change in VAS was 2 points, and the 95% median confidence interval was 0.0 and 3.0. In addition, there was a 50% reduction in the volume of injectate and dose of methylprednisolone using the ultrasound guidance technique. Conclusions : This study shows that there is a possibility for using lesser injectate volume and steroid for suprascapular nerve blocks along with a marginal increase in pain relief with ultrasound guidance. Larger prospective studies are needed to further validate the utility of ultrasound guidance in chronic shoulder pain. doi:10.4021/jnr19e
Birth Defects in Offspring of Adult Survivors of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia A Childrens Cancer Group/National Institutes of Health Report

BACKGROUND It is not known if therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during childhood increases the risk of birth defects in the offspring of adult survivors. The Childrens Cancer Group (CCG), in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults successfully treated for childhood ALL to determine if their offspring had an increased incidence of birth defects compared with the offspring of their sibling controls. METHODS Study subjects were patients who had been enrolled on CCG ALL protocols, who were treated for ALL prior to age 20, who survived at least 2 years, and who were at least age 18. Survivors (N = 593) and sibling controls (N = 409) were interviewed by telephone. RESULTS The mean age of survivors was 22.6 years; the mean age of controls was 25.2 years. Among survivors, 93 (15.7%) had given birth to or fathered a total of 140 live-born offspring, (mean age, 3.4 years), and 122 (29.8%) sibling controls had given birth to or fathered a total of 228 live-born offspring (mean age, 5.9 years). There was no difference in the rate of birth defects between offspring of survivors and offspring of controls (3.6% [5 of 140] vs. 3.5% [8 of 228]; relative risk, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.34, 3.05). No specific ALL therapy was associated with an increased rate of birth defects. Only female survivors reported offspring with birth defects (P = 0.0735). CONCLUSIONS Adult survivors of childhood ALL in our study were not at greater risk for having offspring with birth defects compared with sibling controls. Although this is the largest group of ALL survivors studied to date, the number of offspring is still not large enough to detect small but significant differences in rare events such as birth defects. Studies following this cohort into later adulthood and studies of additional ALL survivors are necessary to adequately quantify the risks. Cancer 1996;78:169-76.
Expandable-graphite-derived graphene for next-generation battery chemistries

Abstract Lithium–sulfur and lithium–air batteries offer theoretical energy densities an order of magnitude higher than that of current lithium-ion batteries and are considered as promising candidates as the next-generation battery chemistries. For an efficient use of these new battery chemistries, careful selection of suitable electrode materials/structures is critical. Graphene, a unique two-dimensional nanomaterial, with its superior electronic conductivity, mechanical strength, and flexibility has been successfully applied in battery studies. Graphene, even with imperfect layers, will be of great interest to battery industrial applications if the manufacturing cost is reduced. Herein, we demonstrate the application of low-cost graphene sponge/sheets derived from expandable graphite in both lithium–sulfur and hybrid lithium–air batteries, respectively, as a cathode conductive matrix to accommodate the soluble polysulfides and as a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction. High utilization of active materials and good cycling stability are realized in lithium–sulfur and hybrid lithium–air batteries by employing this low-cost material, demonstrating its promise for use in next-generation battery chemistries.
Discussion of “Refraction of surface waves by currents”

Johnson introduces the subject of refraction of surface waves by currents. This writer has observed these phenomena qualitatively on many occasions and under varying circumstances. The effect of ebb and flood currents in entrance channels to estuaries is marked. During the winter at many harbors on the northern Pacific Coast the entrance channels rarely are passable during the ebb. The bar requently may be negotiated only at the last of the flood, this being the optimum condition of depth and wave refraction by currents. In this connection the following are typical extracts from sailing directions [U.S. Coast And Geodetic Survey, 1942]
Multifunctional MWCNT Reinforced Self-Healing System

Multi-Wall Carbon Nano Tube (MWCNT) reinforced composite structure has been widely researched. However, there are a few studies report the MWCNT as a sensor and an actuator integrated in the same composite structure to form a multifunctional composite. The composite used in this study was based on commercially available thermosetting epoxy polymer, dispersed with thermoplastic particles, and MWCNT. Multifunctional MWCNT reinforced epoxy polymer composite was fabricated and tested. The specimens were damaged by the three point bending load. The sensor and actuator system automatically detected the damage and triggered the out electric power to heal the damages. The healing efficiency was evaluated by measuring resistant of composite.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Prostate-Cancer-Associated I260M Variant of DNA Polymerase β Is a Sequence-Specific Mutator†

Studies show that 30% of 189 tumors sequenced to date express variants of the polymerase β (pol β) protein that are not present in normal tissue. This raises the possibility that variants of pol β might be linked to the etiology of cancer. Here, we characterize the I260M prostate-cancer-associated variant of pol β. Ile260 is a key residue of the hydrophobic hinge that is important for the closing of the polymerase. In this study, we demonstrate that the I260M variant is a sequence context-dependent mutator polymerase. Specifically, I260M is a mutator for misalignment-mediated errors in dipyrimidine sequences. I260M is also a low-fidelity polymerase with regard to the induction of transversions within specific sequence contexts. Our results suggest that the hinge influences the geometry of the DNA within the polymerase active site that is important for accurate DNA synthesis. Importantly, characterization of the I260M variant shows that it has a functional phenotype that could be linked to the etiology or ...
Derivatives Clearing Mandates: Cure or Curse?

The Dodd-Frank Act mandates the widespread adoption of centralized clearing of OTC derivatives and also includes measures designed to move more derivatives trading onto exchanges. But, as the author points out, such a clearing mandate appears to be based on the premise that the recent experience in OTC derivatives represents a major market failure and that participants in what is now the world's largest financial market have been systematically choosing the wrong institutions for risk management and trading. In this article, the author begins by explaining why all derivatives are not cleared or exchange-traded, and why the attempt to mandate such practices (as opposed to encouraging voluntary adoption through differential capital requirements) could have serious unwanted consequences. Among such consequences is a possible increase in the very systemic risk that such mandates are supposed to prevent.
Carbohydrate Restriction has a More Favorable Impact on the Metabolic Syndrome than a Low Fat Diet

We recently proposed that the biological markers improved by carbohydrate restriction were precisely those that define the metabolic syndrome (MetS), and that the common thread was regulation of insulin as a control element. We specifically tested the idea with a 12-week study comparing two hypocaloric diets (~1,500 kcal): a carbohydrate-restricted diet (CRD) (%carbohydrate:fat:protein = 12:59:28) and a low-fat diet (LFD) (56:24:20) in 40 subjects with atherogenic dyslipidemia. Both interventions led to improvements in several metabolic markers, but subjects following the CRD had consistently reduced glucose (−12%) and insulin (−50%) concentrations, insulin sensitivity (−55%), weight loss (−10%), decreased adiposity (−14%), and more favorable triacylglycerol (TAG) (−51%), HDL-C (13%) and total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio (−14%) responses. In addition to these markers for MetS, the CRD subjects showed more favorable responses to alternative indicators of cardiovascular risk: postprandial lipemia (−47%), the Apo B/Apo A-1 ratio (−16%), and LDL particle distribution. Despite a threefold higher intake of dietary saturated fat during the CRD, saturated fatty acids in TAG and cholesteryl ester were significantly decreased, as was palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7), an endogenous marker of lipogenesis, compared to subjects consuming the LFD. Serum retinol binding protein 4 has been linked to insulin-resistant states, and only the CRD decreased this marker (−20%). The findings provide support for unifying the disparate markers of MetS and for the proposed intimate connection with dietary carbohydrate. The results support the use of dietary carbohydrate restriction as an effective approach to improve features of MetS and cardiovascular risk.
Some current directions in nonlinear estimation and filtering theory

Nonlinear estimation and filtering theory began with the pioneering work of Stratonovich and Kushner. After several years of intense activity associated with applying their results (equations) to a great many applied problems of interest via various approximate solution techniques and associated with the development of more rigorous and more general approaches to the problem, several definite and distinct directions in the theory can now be identified. Some of these directions are described and discussed in this paper so as to provide a basis for assessing where the subject stands currently and where it seems to be going.
To Fire the Train: A Second Malignant-Hyperthermia Gene

The further nosology is pursued, the more clearly does it emerge that in every case of every malady there are two sets of factors at work in the formation of the morbid picture, namely the internal or constitutional factors, intransiherent in the sufferer, and usually inherited from his for bears, and external ones which .re the train. (Garrod 1931, pp. 146–147)
Spark-induced consolidation of biological sludge.

Subjecting a suspension of biological sludge to underwater sparks (3 kV, 50 kA) leads to its consolidation, decreases the charge density on the solids, and increases its settling rate. The cake solids increase, but by only one percentage point. High-speed video images show that the spark generates a steam bubble. The dynamics of bubble growth could be estimated through the Rayleigh model. The bubble collapses into an acoustic field, which then agglomerates the particles. Sparking does not affect the settling rate of an aqueous slurry of softwood pulp because the fibrous particles are too large to be aggregated by an acoustic pulse.
Explicit treatment of mutual inductance in eight-column birdcage resonators.

Abstract A formulation has been developed for the determination of self and mutual inductances in unloaded, eight-collumn symmetric birdcage coils using their expected resonant mode current patterns and well-known inductance formulas. The average frequency differences between theory and experiment for mode one resonances for nine low-pass coils were 0.66 (± 0.57) MHz and 2.14 (± 2.08) MHz using effective (self plus mutual) and self inductances, respectively, and similarly, for three high-pass coils, 1.19 (± 0.56) MHz and 2.79 (± 2.20) MHz. These frequency differences were more pronounced for the higher modes; for mode four, the differences neglecting mutual inductance were 14.30 (± 11.10) MHz and 10.42 (± 4.60) MHz for the low- and high-pass coils, respectively. This analysis provides the first explicit evaluation of the total end-ring and column inductances L 1 and L 2 within each birdcage section at resonance with resulting excellent agreement in resonant frequencies between theory and experiment.
Expertise in Teaching from a Developmental Perspective: The Developmental Teacher Education Program at Berkeley

Expertise in teaching is considered from a constructivist developmental perspective that has been applied both to the teaching of elementary school children and to the preparation of teachers in a two-year graduate program at the University of California at Berkeley. The program's goals and practices are discussed with reference to developmental principles which hold that understandings are constructed gradually, through the learner's own activity, within different knowledge domains. Evidence of the program's effectiveness in promoting expertise among student teachers and graduates is summarized in terms of a developmental sequence that teachers appear to go through in attaining constructivist understandings in the domain of pedagogy.
The Production of Acids from Glucose by Oral Microorganisms: Lactic and Pyruvic Acids

IT WAS first shown by Neuwirth and Klosterman1 that there is a rapid production of lactic acid in the oral cavity when certain carbohydrates are allowed to dissolve in the mouth, and that this was probably due to the action of oral microorganisms, since it likewise occurred when saliva was incubated in vitro with carbohydrate, but not if the saliva had first been rendered sterile by passage through a Seitz filter. It was also shown in a few experiments that when saliva was incubated with glucose solutions for one-half hour, only about one-third of the glucose disappearing could be accounted for as lactic acid. These results raised a number of important questions. Did the rate and extent of glucose metabolism in saliva vary from one person to another? Was lactic acid the sole acid formed, or was it one of several acids which made up the total acid production? Was lactic acid an end-product or an intermediate stage in the degradation of glucose by oral microorganisms under aerobic and physiologic conditions? What bearing, if any, did the answers to these questions have on the problem of dental caries? The experiments reported here represent attempts to answer the various questions raised. Briefly, we have investigated the action of saliva, obtained from a variety of subjects, on added glucose under physiologic conditions of temperature, CO2 tension, and pH, in quantitative terms of glucose utilization, total acid production, production and disappearance of specific acids (lactic, pyruvic), as well as certain interrelationships between the metabolism of glucose, lactate, and pyruvate by mixed oral microorganisms.
Fundamentals of Computational Conformal Geometry

Computational conformal geometry is an inter-disciplinary field between mathematics and computer science. This work introduces the fundamentals of computational conformal geometry, including theoretic foundation, computational algorithms, and engineering applications. Two computational methodologies are emphasized, one is the holomorphic differentials based on Riemann surface theory and the other is surface Ricci flow from geometric analysis.
Antipsychotic drug-induced increases in ventral tegmental area dopamine neuron population activity via activation of the nucleus accumbens-ventral pallidum pathway.

Acute administration of antipsychotic drugs increases dopamine (DA) neuron activity and DA release via D2 receptor blockade. However, it is unclear whether the DA neuron activation produced by antipsychotic drugs is due to feedback from postsynaptic blockade or is due to an action on DA neuron autoreceptors. This was evaluated using two drugs: the first-generation antipsychotic drug haloperidol that has potent D2 blocking properties, and the second generation drug sertindole, which is unique in that it is reported to fail to reverse the apomorphine-induced decrease in firing rate typically associated with DA neuron autoreceptor stimulation. Using singleunit extracellular recordings from ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons in anesthetized rats, both drugs were found to significantly increase the number of spontaneously active DA neurons (population activity). Apomorphine administered within 10 minutes either before or after sertindole reversed the sertindole-induced increase in population activity, but had no effect when administered 1 hour after sertindole. Moreover, both sertindole and haloperidol-induced increase in population activity was prevented when accumbens feedback was interrupted by local infusion of the GABAA antagonist bicuculline into the ventral pallidum. Taken together, these data suggest that antipsychotics increase DA neuron population activity via a common action on the accumbens-ventral pallidal-VTA feedback pathway and thus provide a further elucidation on the mechanism by which antipsychotic drugs affect DA neuron activity. This provides an important insight into the relation between altered DA neuron activity and potential antipsychotic efficacy.
Vascular Imaging of the Head and Neck

Pathologies of the cranial and cervical vasculature are often devastating and require rapid and accurate anatomic delineation. The clinical scenario will often dictate the most appropriate imaging modality warranted. In this review, we will discuss the application of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), computed tomographic angiography (CTA), and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the evaluation of cerebrovascular diseases with an emphasis on ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Noninvasive modalities such as MRA and CTA are becoming widely available and increasingly sensitive for most pathologies, but DSA continues to be the gold standard in cases of diagnostic ambiguity and is increasingly utilized with advances in endovascular treatments.
Considering Factors of and Knowledge About Patients in Handover Assessment

The healthcare system is moving from one primary physician who assumes responsibility for each patient to a more team-based approach. Thus, assessing team communication is critical. This study characterizes and assesses the quality of hospitalist handover communications at shift change using the literature recommended content and language form elements. Quality handovers should contain the following content: patient identifiers, active issues, and care plans. Quality handovers also should include utterances in the following language forms: explanations, rationales, and directives. Interviews, observation, recording, and conversation analysis of hospitalist handover communications were used. Hospitalist handover utterances were assigned both content and language form codes. The proportion of quality element verbalization across all patient handovers was calculated. In addition, the impact of patient factors (new admission, new problem, acuity level) and handover receiver knowledge on the inclusion of quality elements was examined. The 106 individual patient handovers across 16 handover sessions were recorded. 39% contained all six quality elements. While the majority of handovers contained five out of six quality elements, only 48% included directives. There was also no difference in the inclusion of quality elements based on patient factors or handover receiver knowledge. Hospitalist handovers are lacking in directives. Efforts to improve handovers through enhanced electronic medical record systems and training may need to expand to hospitalists and other attending level physicians.
Selective inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation by sodium salicylate in cardiac fibroblasts

Abstract The effects of salicylate on the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were studied in rat cardiac fibroblasts as a possible model for the anti-inflammatory effects of salicylate on this signaling pathway. Salicylate inhibited the tyrosine phosphorylation of both STAT1 and STAT3, but had a more pronounced effect on STAT3 activation. Salicylate pretreatment prevented both the nuclear translocation and the DNA-binding activity of STAT1 and STAT3, assessed by immunoblotting and gel shift assays, respectively. In addition to causing phosphorylation at tyrosine residues, IFN-γ also phosphorylated STAT3 and STAT1 at serine 727. Salicylate attenuated both tyrosine and serine phosphorylations of STAT3, and also suppressed extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation, implicating the effect of salicylate on ERK as a possible mechanism for attenuating STAT3 activation. The possibility that salicylate might affect signaling cascades by altering the redox state of the cells was examined, and its effects differed from those of other reducing agents. Salicylate did attenuate the effects of hydrogen peroxide on STAT phosphorylation, consistent with a mechanism involving an interaction between salicylate and reactive oxygen species within the cell.
A Low-Cost Real-Time Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing Approach of Power Electronics Controls

Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing is increasingly recognized as an effective approach in the design of power electronics controls. A high-performance real-time simulation environment is necessary to obtain high-fidelity results in HIL simulations. This paper presents the detailed implementation of a very-low-cost multisolver hard real-time simulation environment, namely the real-time extension of the virtual test bed (VTB-RT). VTB-RT is implemented completely from open-source software and off-the-shelf hardware. Using VTB-RT, this paper proposes an efficient real-time HIL testing approach for control designs in power electronics applications. VTB-RT enables the natural coupling between the simulation environment and the hardware under test and, thus, makes virtual power exchange in HIL simulation possible. For validation purposes, the proposed real-time HIL testing approach is applied in two well-known power electronics application examples, namely a boost converter and an H-bridge inverter with their respective control systems, representing a very-low-cost and a relatively advanced hardware setup, respectively. The consistency of the experimental results with the theoretical results proves the applicability of VTB-RT and the proposed testing approach. Finally, the most recent research progresses in VTB-RT are summarized
Arthroscopically assisted technique for meniscal reconstruction using fresh frozen allograft

Abstract Meniscal transplantation has been developed as a rationale of treatment for knees that have previously undergone a complete meniscectomy. In reconstructing the human meniscus, it is believed that the onset of the progressive degenerative changes that occur in the postmeniscectomy knee may be delayed. This will only occur if the reconstructed meniscus is able to perform all of its functions: increase of contact area, decrease of contact stress, shock absorption, joint lubrication, nutrition of chondrocytes, and stabilization. An arthroscopically assisted technique for meniscal reconstruction using fresh frozen meniscal allograft with attached bone plugs is described. This technique, which avoids disruption of the extensor mechanism or collateral ligaments, emphasizes arthroscopic visualization of specific anatomic landmarks for each meniscal root insertion site, with creation of osseous tunnels at these corresponding sites to allow for anatomic placement of the meniscal implant. Although early clinical results seem promising, this procedure should be limited to a select group of individuals who meet specific inclusion criteria in study groups and investigational protocols until long-term results are determined.
Driver behavior analysis and route recognition by Hidden Markov Models

In this investigation, driver behavior signals are modeled using Hidden Markov Models (HMM) in two different and complementary approaches. The first approach considers isolated maneuver recognition with model concatenation to construct a generic route (bottom-to-top), whereas the second approach models the entire route as a dasiaphrasepsila and refines the HMM to discover maneuvers and parses the route using finer discovered maneuvers (top-to-bottom). By applying these two approaches, a hierarchical framework to model driver behavior signals is proposed. It is believed that using the proposed approach, driver identification and distraction detection problems can be addressed in a more systematic and mathematically sound manner. We believe that this framework and the initial results will encourage more investigations into driver behavior signal analysis and related safety systems employing a partitioned sub-module strategy.
A behavioral study of bargaining in social networks

We report on a series of highly controlled human subject experiments in networked bargaining. The basic interaction between two players is the decision of how to share a mutual payment; we extend this to situate the players in a network. Various theories predict, to different levels of uniqueness, what the shares will be. We analyze our experimental results from three points of view: social efficiency, nodal differences, and human differences; and contrast our behavioral results with the theories.
Electronic Notebook Analysis of Rock Slope Stability at Cedar Bluff, Virginia

An electronic field notebook system, for the rapid collection and analysis of geologic structure data, was developed at Purdue University with the assistance of Marliave funding. Potentially useful in numerous engineering and geologic applications, the system has been used to examine slope stabilities in Virginia, Indiana, and New Jersey. The system prompts the operator to enter appropriate information into a lightweight computer carried in the field. Various analytical procedures may be performed upon the collected data immediately. The availability of electronic field notebook hardware and software is briefly discussed. Data may also be easily transmitted by phone line from the field area to a main office if desired. This ability to rapidly manipulate large quantities of field data led to the totally new concept of a Discontinuity Significance Index (DSI). This index permits the ranking of discontinuities in terms of importance to slope stability. The stability of a major road cut at Cedar Bluff, Virginia is examined and the results are presented. A failure, predicted utilizing electronic notebook techniques, occurred during the spring of 1983 at Cedar Bluff, Virginia. Steps in the analysis are provided. The system increases the speed and efficiency of existing analytical procedures while providing for the development of new analytical techniques. As with all analyses derived from what are often subjective, or hard-to-quantify parameters, results must be tempered with experience and sound engineering judgment.
Epithelial–stromal interactions in the mouse and human mammary gland in vivo

This review deals with the development and hormonal responses of mouse and human mammary glands. A major focus of the review is the role of mesenchymal-epithelial interactions in embryonic mammary development and the role of stromal-epithelial interactions in mammary gland biology. Finally, we present a new model for studying growth, differentiation and hormonal response in human breast epithelium grown in vivo in nude mouse hosts. This new model involves the construction of tissue recombinants composed of human or mouse mammary fibroblasts plus human breast epithelium in polymerized collagen gels. In the model, mouse mammary fibroblasts and human breast fibroblasts appear to support the normal differentiation and growth of human breast epithelium equally. This observation raises the possibility of using mouse mammary fibroblasts from various mutant mice to assess the role of specific paracrine-acting gene products in human mammary gland biology and carcinogenesis.
Genome-wide association identifies multiple genomic regions associated with susceptibility to and control of ovine lentivirus.

Background Like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), ovine lentivirus (OvLV) is macrophage-tropic and causes lifelong infection. OvLV infects one quarter of U.S. sheep and induces pneumonia and body condition wasting. There is no vaccine to prevent OvLV infection and no cost-effective treatment for infected animals. However, breed differences in prevalence and proviral concentration have indicated a genetic basis for susceptibility to OvLV. A recent study identified TMEM154 variants in OvLV susceptibility. The objective here was to identify additional loci associated with odds and/or control of OvLV infection. Methodology/Principal Findings This genome-wide association study (GWAS) included 964 sheep from Rambouillet, Polypay, and Columbia breeds with serological status and proviral concentration phenotypes. Analytic models accounted for breed and age, as well as genotype. This approach identified TMEM154 (nominal P = 9.2×10−7; empirical P = 0.13), provided 12 additional genomic regions associated with odds of infection, and provided 13 regions associated with control of infection (all nominal P<1×10−5). Rapid decline of linkage disequilibrium with distance suggested many regions included few genes each. Genes in regions associated with odds of infection included DPPA2/DPPA4 (empirical P = 0.006), and SYTL3 (P = 0.051). Genes in regions associated with control of infection included a zinc finger cluster (ZNF192, ZSCAN16, ZNF389, and ZNF165; P = 0.001), C19orf42/TMEM38A (P = 0.047), and DLGAP1 (P = 0.092). Conclusions/Significance These associations provide targets for mutation discovery in sheep susceptibility to OvLV. Aside from TMEM154, these genes have not been associated previously with lentiviral infection in any species, to our knowledge. Further, data from other species suggest functional hypotheses for future testing of these genes in OvLV and other lentiviral infections. Specifically, SYTL3 binds and may regulate RAB27A, which is required for enveloped virus assembly of human cytomegalovirus. Zinc finger transcription factors have been associated with positive selection for repression of retroviral replication. DLGAP1 binds and may regulate DLG1, a known regulator of HIV infectivity.
Distinguishing Between Selection and Population Expansion in an Experimental Lineage of Bacteriophage T7

Experimental evolution of short-lived organisms offers the opportunity to study the dynamics of polymorphism over time in a controlled environment. Here, we characterize DNA polymorphism data over time for four genes in bacteriophage T7. Our experiment ran for 2500 generations and populations were sampled after 500, 2000, and 2500 generations. We detect positive selection, purifying ("negative") selection, and population expansion in our experiment. We also present a statistical test that is able to distinguish demographic from selective events, processes that are hard to identify individually because both often produce an excess of rare mutations. Our "heterogeneity test" modifies common statistics measuring the frequency spectrum of polymorphism (e.g., Fu and Li's D) by looking for processes producing different patterns on nonsynonymous and synonymous mutations. Test results agree with the known conditions of the experiment, and we are therefore confident that this test offers a tool to evaluate natural populations. Our results suggest that instances of segregating deleterious mutations may be common, but as yet undetected, in nature.
The Dynamics of Both Right and Left Ventricles at Rest and During Exercise in Patients with Heart Failure

Right auricular pressure, pulmonary "capillary" pressure (a measure of left auricular pressure) and cardiac output were measured at rest and during exercise in 14 patients with cardiovascular disease affecting primarily the left ventricle. In five patients these measurements were normal at rest, in nine abnormal. In all physiologic abnormalities developed on exercise in the sequence: increased pulmonary "capillary" pressure, increased right auricular pressure, decreased cardiac output. Definite abnormalities of left ventricular function were demonstrable when right ventricular function was entirely normal. These results are discussed in relation to the clinical status of the patients.
COX-2: A Target for Colon Cancer Prevention

Disease prevention is one area that both public and governmental agencies strongly support owing to its potential for an improved lifestyle and a reduction in health care costs. In this review, we focus on the clinical development of one target for cancer prevention, the COX-2 enzyme. This provides an excellent example of how basic research in biochemistry and pharmacology can lead to translational studies and eventually to approval of a drug by the FDA for use as a chemopreventive agent in humans. It is hoped that, as the genome sequence is understood more clearly, other targets will emerge that will provide even more effective drugs for future cancer prevention.
Cav3.1 (α1G) T-Type Ca2+ Channels Mediate Vaso-Occlusion of Sickled Erythrocytes in Lung Microcirculation

In the present study, we demonstrate that lung microvascular endothelial cells express a Ca v 3.1 (α 1G ) T-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channel, whereas lung macrovascular endothelial cells do not express voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels. Voltage-dependent activation indicates that the Ca v 3.1 T-type Ca 2+ current is shifted to a positive potential, at which maximum current activation is −10 mV; voltage-dependent conductance and inactivation properties suggest a “window current” in the range of −60 to −30 mV. Thrombin-induced transitions in membrane potential activate the Ca v 3.1 channel, resulting in a physiologically relevant rise in cytosolic Ca 2+ . Furthermore, activation of the Ca v 3.1 channel induces a procoagulant endothelial phenotype; eg, channel inhibition attenuates increased retention of sickled erythrocytes in the inflamed pulmonary circulation. We conclude that activation of the Ca v 3.1 channels selectively induces phenotypic changes in microvascular endothelial cells that mediate vaso-occlusion by sickled erythrocytes in the inflamed lung microcirculation.
No man can serve two masters Party politicians, party members, citizens and principal–agent models of democracy

Both the classic mass party model of democracy and the more recent Downsian model initially appear consistent with the same, simple, principal–agent model of democratic party government. Once party...
Sexual Selection: Harem Size and the Variance in Male Reproductive Success

Sexual selection is potentially stronger than natural selection when the variance in male reproductive fitness exceeds all other components of fitness variance combined. However, measuring the variance in male reproductive fitness is difficult when nonmating males are absent, inconspicuous, or otherwise difficult to find. Omitting the nonmating males inflates estimates of average male reproductive success and diminishes the variance, leading to underestimates of the potential strength of sexual selection. We show that, in theory, the proportion of the total variance in male fitness owing to sexual selection is approximately equal to H, the mean harem size, as long as H is large and females are randomly distributed across mating males (i.e., Vharem=H). In this case, mean harem size not only provides an easy way to estimate the potential strength of sexual selection but also equals the opportunity for sexual selection, I(mates). In nature, however, females may be overdispersed with Vharem H. We show that H+(k-1) is a good measure of the opportunity for sexual selection, where k is the ratio Vharem/H. A review of mating system data reveals that in nature the median ratio for Vharem/H is 1.04, but as H increases, females tend to become more aggregated across mating males with V(harem) two to three times larger than H.
Tales of Two Regimes for Regulating Limited Liability Law Firms in the U.S. and Australia: Client Protection and Risk Management Lessons

This essay contrasts the regimes that allow limited liability partnerships in the US and fully incorporated legal practices in Australia. The essay argues that Australia has taken advantage of an opportunity to develop innovative and necessary regulation of law firm ethical infrastructure with the introduction of incorporated legal practices, but the United States has not yet adequately addressed the consumer and ethical risks of limited liability partnerships. This essay raises the issue of whether Australia’s requirement that incorporated law firms should implement “appropriate management systems” to ensure ethical conduct is a model that could fruitfully be applied to all law firms.
Dynamic (transient) analysis of layered anisotropic composite‐material plates

A shear-flexible finite element is employed to investigate the transient response of isotropic, orthotropic and layered anisotropic composite plates. Numerical convergence and stability of the element is established using Newmark's direct integration technique. Numerical results for deflections and stresses are presented for rectangular plates under various boundary conditions and loadings. The parametric effects of the time step, finite element mesh, lamination scheme and orthotropy on the transient response are investigated. The present results agree very closely with the results available in the literature for isotropic plates, and the results for composite plates should serve as bench marks for future comparisons by other investigators.
Resuscitation-Promoting Factors Are Required for β-Lactam Tolerance and the Permeability Barrier in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterial resuscitation-promoting factors (RPFs) have been of great interest since the discovery that they promote the growth of nonculturable Mycobacterium tuberculosis cells. Yet, their precise role in mycobacterial survival and infection has remained elusive. We performed a chemical screen to identify molecules that show preferential killing of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutant lacking RPFs over wild-type bacilli and found that the mutant has enhanced sensitivity to the β-lactam class of antibiotics. By monitoring β-lactam diffusion across the mycobacterial outer membrane, we found that the RPFs are required to maintain the outer membrane integrity, as their deletion results in an increase in outer membrane permeability.
Analytical Tropical Cyclone Asymmetric Circulation for Barotropic Model Initial Conditions

Abstract The flow field around a tropical cyclone can be decomposed into the symmetric vortex, an environmental steering flow, and an asymmetric circulation that is the residual after the first two components are removed. In a barotropic model with a quiescent environment, the asymmetric circulation is associated with a propagation vector that is defined to be the difference between the storm-motion vector and the steering flow. An analytical specification derived by Carr for the asymmetric circulation and the corresponding propagation vector is proposed for use in the initial conditions of dynamical track-prediction models. One widely used method for estimating the environmental steering flow has been to average the wind components in radial bands centered on the storm position. It is shown that the portion of the asymmetric circulation that is included within these radial band averages results in a systematic rotation of the propagation vectors defined relative to the steering flow, which is quite simil...
Feature extraction and matching in content-based retrieval of functional magnetic resonance images

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has become a widely used technique in neuroscience research. Brain regions corresponding to certain cognitive functionalities can be located by studying the intensity change in a series of 3D brain scans. Although fMRI has been widely studied, little attention has been paid to content-based (“content” means the explicit or implicit cognitive process) retrieval of images despite the existence of databases equipped with textual description (fMRIDC). Content-based retrieval is potentially useful in discovering brain activation patterns, and in diagnoses by comparing observed patterns with those of known diseases, leading to clinical applications. We conducted a comprehensive investigation of feature extraction and similarity measures used in several research communities (including information retrieval (IR), signal processing, and computer vision(CV)), to set up a content-based retrieval framework for a large, heterogeneous database. We developed methods for both hypothesis-based (stimulus known) and hypothesis-free (stimulus unknown) schemes. For the former, we adapted and extended an adaptive Finite Impulse Response (FIR) Model to get a more robust estimation of the activation level of brain regions. We then relaxed the assumption that the brain responds as a linear time-invariant (LTI) system, by using a 4-parameter ordinary differential equation to model brain responses. We then evaluated a number of similarity measures used in IR and CV, such as Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI), TFIDF, and Mahalanobis distance, etc. For the latter, we used a heuristic to select independent components with low mean temporal frequency, and applied a maximum weight bipartite matching technique to integrate component-level similarity and give a more robust retrieval performance. For feature selection, we found that an FIR model with a smoothing factor can improve retrieval performance significantly. For feature matching, a method similar to “dilation operators” used in image processing gives better and more robust retrieval performance than other methods.