cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lunar mare deposits associated with the Orientale impact basin: New insights into mineralogy, history, mode of emplacement, and relation to Orientale Basin evolution from Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) data from Chandrayaan‐1

[1] Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) image and spectral reflectance data are combined to analyze mare basalt units in and adjacent to the Orientale multiring impact basin. Models are assessed for the relationships between basin formation and mare basalt emplacement. Mare basalt emplacement on the western nearside limb began prior to the Orientale event as evidenced by the presence of cryptomaria. The earliest post-Orientale-event mare basalt emplacement occurred in the center of the basin (Mare Orientale) and postdated the formation of the Orientale Basin by about 60–100 Ma. Over the next several hundred million years, basalt patches were emplaced first along the base of the Outer Rook ring (Lacus Veris) and then along the base of the Cordillera ring (Lacus Autumni), with some overlap in ages. The latest basalt patches are as young as some of the youngest basalt deposits on the lunar nearside. M3 data show several previously undetected mare patches on the southwestern margins of the basin interior. Regardless, the previously documented increase in mare abundance from the southwest toward the northeast is still prominent. We attribute this to crustal and lithospheric trends moving from the farside to the nearside, with correspondingly shallower density and thermal barriers to basaltic magma ascent and eruption toward the nearside. The wide range of model ages for Orientale mare deposits (3.70–1.66 Ga) mirrors the range of nearside mare ages, indicating that the small amount of mare fill in Orientale is not due to early cessation of mare emplacement but rather to limited volumes of extrusion for each phase during the entire period of nearside mare basalt volcanism. This suggests that nearside and farside source regions may be similar but that other factors, such as thermal and crustal thickness barriers to magma ascent and eruption, may be determining the abundance of surface deposits on the limbs and farside. The sequence, timing, and elevation of mare basalt deposits suggest that regional basin-related stresses exerted control on their distribution. Our analysis clearly shows that Orientale serves as an excellent example of the early stages of the filling of impact basins with mare basalt.
Plasmid-conferred tetracycline resistance confers collateral cadmium sensitivity to E. coli cells

Abstract E. coli HB101 cells transformed to tetracycline resistance with the plasmids pMB9 or pBR322 display a 10 5 –10 6 -fold lower plating efficiency on agar containing 440 μ m CdCl 2 than nontransformed cells. When DNA is inserted into the Bam H1 site of the plasmid tet gene, or when DNA spanning the Bam H1 site is deleted, tetracycline resistance and cadmium hypersensitivity are both lost. In contrast, insertion of DNA into the ampicillin resistance gene does not affect cadmium hypersensitivity.
Glycoproteomics using fluid‐based specimens in the discovery of lung cancer protein biomarkers: Promise and challenge

Lung cancer is the leading cancer in the United States and worldwide. In spite of the rapid progression in personalized treatments, the overall survival rate of lung cancer patients is still suboptimal. Over the past decade, tremendous efforts have been focused on the discovery of protein biomarkers to facilitate the early detection and monitoring of lung cancer progression during treatment. In addition to tumor tissues and cancer cell lines, a variety of biological material has been studied. Particularly in recent years, studies using fluid-based specimen or so-called "fluid-biopsy" specimens have progressed rapidly. Fluid specimens are relatively easier to collect than tumor tissue, and they can be repeatedly sampled during the disease progression. Glycoproteins are the major content of fluid specimens and have long been recognized to play fundamental roles in many physiological and pathological processes. In this review, we focus the discussion on recent advances of glycoproteomics, particularly in the identification of potential glyco protein biomarkers using fluid-based specimens in lung cancer. The purpose of this review is to summarize current strategies, achievements, and perspectives in the field. This insight will highlight the discovery of tumor-associated glycoprotein biomarkers in lung cancer and their potential clinical applications.
Capturing the semantic relationship between clinical terms with current MeSH bibliographic coding.

Abstract This paper compares bibliographic retrieval using current MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) to bibliographic retrieval using explicitly coded semantic relationships between index terms. In a previous study, ten lists of abstracts, each list containing 20–40 papers discussing a specific pair of terms, were analyzed to identify the specific relationship(s) between those terms discussed in each paper. In the present study, we analyze how well current MeSH coding, using topical subheadings and check tags, can selectively retrieve those papers discussing each semantic relationship.
Transfection with manganese superoxide dismutase attenuates hypoxic HIF-1a induction in lung cancer cells

Abstract Introduction: Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD)is diminished in numerous cancer types and restoration of MnSOD levels has an anti-tumor effect. Numerous cancer types also demonstrate increased levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1a (HIF-1a), a transcription factor linked to more malignant tumor phenotypes. We investigated a possible link between restoration of MnSOD levels and inhibition of HIF-1a induction in lung cancer cells. Methods: Human lung adenocarcinoma (A549, A427, NCI-H522), squamous cell carcinoma (NCI-H520), and transformed normal bronchial epithelial (HBE4-E6/E7) cell lines were maintained in vitro in 21% O2 and exposed to 4hrs of 1% O2 for hypoxic treatments. Cellular lysates underwent activity assays for antioxidant proteins and Western blotting. Growth curves were performed at 21% O2. MnSOD transfection occurred via adenoviral vector (AdMnSOD). AEOL 10150, an SOD mimetic, was solubilized in PBS for cell treatment. Results: MnSOD protein and activity appeared diminished in all lung cancer cell lines except A549 relative to HBE4-E6/E7. Hypoxic HIF-1a was greater in all lung cancer cell lines than in HBE4-E6/E7. The degree of HIF-1a induction correlated to cell growth with A549 and NCI-H520 showing the highest HIF-1a and shortest cell doubling times. NCI-H520 cells treated with AdMnSOD or AEOL 10150 showed diminished hypoxic HIF-1a levels. Conclusions: MnSOD appeared generally diminished and hypoxia-induced HIF-1a increased in lung cancer cell lines compared to normal bronchial epithelial cells. Restoration of SOD activity into cancer cells attenuated hypoxia-induced HIF-1a, pointing to a possible future therapeutic modality in the treatment of lung cancer.
Hypersensitive Carotid Sinus Syndrome Due to Neurofibromatosis‐1 and Manifested by Repeated Episodes of Syncope

A 28-year-old patient with neurofibromatosis-1 presented with syncope. The exam demonstrated a mass adjacent and inferior to the right occiput that extended to the posterior lateral right-sided neck. Initial invasive and noninvasive testing was negative. Imaging of her head and neck demonstrated a large neurofibroma enveloping her right carotid sinus without vessel occlusion or evidence of malignancy. An event recorder documented asystole. A pacemaker was implanted to avoid the surgical morbidity of removing the neck mass. The patient has since been free of syncope. We believe neurofibromatosis-1 should be included in the differential of syncope.
The Systemic View of Violence: An Ethical Perspective

Systems theory has been critiqued by a number of feminist writers who felt that it did not adequately address the issues of violence and male domination in families. This essay argues that systems theory describes the world from an "exogenic" perspective--the scientific world of nature, which is intrinsically amoral. In the exogenic world all causality is circular, as nature maintains a system that has survived for billions of years. Bateson found "mind" to be within the system of nature, implying that mind must also be amoral. However, most people view the world from an "endogenic" perspective, a personal construction of reality molded by the environment in which they live, and which inevitably incorporates morality. Humans believe that violence is wrong, not for intellectual reasons, but for moral reasons. Implications for therapy are presented. A postmodern or constructivist position is taken as a way to acknowledge the influence of relationships on problems and definitions of problems, while allowing for a moral or legal consensus to pervade the therapeutic enterprise.
Propylthiouracil, but not other antithyroid treatments, lengthens hamster circadian period

Two experiments were performed to evaluate the role of the thyroid gland as a mediator of circadian rhythms in the hamster. In experiment 1, the antithyroid drug propylthiouracil (PTU) lengthened the circadian period (tau), increased thyroid weight, and eliminated detectable thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) from blood. A low-iodine diet greatly reduced T4 levels but had no effect on T3 or tau. Treatment with 500 microCi of 131I failed to alter any parameter of physiology or rhythmicity measured. In this experiment, some animals in the low-iodine and PTU groups had greatly reduced testes sizes, and testes size was inversely correlated with change in tau. In experiment 2, T4 and T3 levels detected 11 wk after surgical thyroidectomy were significantly less than those found in sham-operated animals, but concentrations of the two hormones varied widely across the thyroidectomized group. Thyroidectomy did not increase tau either 4 or 11 wk after surgery, nor was there evidence from individuals that level of thyroid function was associated with change in tau. The results from these experiments suggest that diminished thyroid function is not causal of lengthened circadian period.
The Consequences of Terrorism for Financial Markets: What Do We Know?

The objective of this article is to outline what we, as researchers, know and, more importantly, what we do not yet know about the consequences of terrorism for financial markets. I argue that a number of the efforts used to assess quantitatively the risk of terrorist attacks are limited in scope and are hampered by the limits of the databases used to operationalize such models. I also describe some of the most recent research that has sought to measure the magnitude of the impact of terrorist attacks on financial markets. Most of them have focused on the events surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks, though a few have broadened the perspective over time and for countries beyond the U.S.
Automatically and accurately conflating orthoimagery and street maps

Recent growth of the geospatial information on the web has made it possible to easily access various maps and orthoimagery. By integrating these maps and imagery, we can create intelligent images that combine the visual appeal and accuracy of imagery with the detailed attribution information often contained in diverse maps. However, accurately integrating maps and imagery from different data sources remains a challenging task. This is because spatial data obtained from various data sources may have different projections and different accuracy levels. Most of the existing algorithms only deal with vector to vector spatial data integration or require human intervention to accomplish imagery to map conflation. In this paper, we describe an information integration approach that utilizes common vector datasets as "glue" to automatically conflate imagery with street maps. We present efficient techniques to automatically extract road intersections from imagery and maps as control points. We also describe a specialized point pattern matching algorithm to align the two point sets and conflation techniques to align the imagery with maps. We show that these automatic conflation techniques can automatically and accurately align maps with images of the same area. In particular, using the approach described in this paper, our system automatically aligns a set of TIGER maps for an area in El Segundo, CA to the corresponding orthoimagery with an average error of 8.35 meters per pixel. This is a significant improvement considering that simply combining the TIGER maps with the corresponding imagery based on geographic coordinates provided by the sources results in error of 27 meters per pixel.
Flow cytometric investigation of heterogeneous copper-sensitivity in asynchronously grown Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The variable stress-sensitivity of individual cells within pure cultures is widely noted but generally unexplained. Here, factors determining the heterogeneous susceptibility to copper toxicity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were examined with a rapid non-perturbing approach based on flow cytometry. By determination of the DNA content (with propidium iodide) in cell fractions gated by forward angle light scatter (an indicator of the cell volume), it was shown that forward angle light scatter measurements gave an approximation of the cell cycle stage. Thus, our observation that cells in different forward angle light scatter fractions displayed differing Cu-sensitivities indicated that heterogeneous Cu-sensitivity is a function of the cell cycle stage. Furthermore, cells sorted by their Cu-sensitivity and -resistance and subsequently analyzed for DNA content were found predominantly to occupy G1/S and G2/M cell cycle stages, respectively. The oxidant-sensitive probe 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate was used to show that the Cu-sensitivity of G2/M phase S. cerevisiae was correlated with greater levels of pre-existing reactive oxygen species in these cells. The results indicate that differential Cu-sensitivity in a S. cerevisiae culture is linked to the cell cycle stage and this link may be determined partly by cell cycle-dependent fluctuations in basal reactive oxygen species generation.
Up-regulation of TLK1B by eIF4E overexpression predicts cancer recurrence in irradiated patients with breast cancer

Background The overexpression of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), which is a critical component of the RNA helicase complex important in the translation of messenger RNAs with long and/or complex 5′ untranslated regions, appears to impact malignant transformation and predict cancer recurrence in patients with breast cancer, independent of nodal status. Tousled-like kinase (TLK1B) is a mammalian threonine kinase with a long 5′ untranslated regions in the messenger RNA. In vitro, malignant cells with eIF4E overexpression appear to have corresponding TLK1B elevation. Additionally TLK1B phosphorylates histone 3, which is a protein that is involved in chromatin assembly, plays an integral role in radioresistance in cell lines. Our hypothesis is that patients with breast cancer with high eIF4E overexpression have increased TLK1B and a higher risk for recurrence after adjuvant radiation therapy. Methods One hundred fifty-eight patients with stage I to III breast cancer were accrued in a prospective study that was designed to detect cancer recurrence in patients who had been treated with adjuvant radiation therapy. A standardized surveillance and treatment protocol was used to maximize treatment homogeneity and to detect the study primary end point, cancer recurrence. All patients received adjuvant radiation therapy either for high-risk node-positive disease or as a part of breast conservation therapy. TLK1B and eIF4E levels were quantified by Western blot. Statistical analysis was performed and included Spearman correlation, survival analysis by the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazard model. Results Both eIF4E (15.4 ± 0.6, mean ± SD) and TLK1B (18.8 ± 1.5) were increased in all breast cancer specimens. Increasing eIF4E overexpression was correlated highly with increasing TLK1B ( r = 0.35; P P = .015 and .049, log rank test, respectively). After adjustment for stage of disease, age, and estrogen/progesterone receptor status, data showed that patients in the highest TLK1B group had a 3.0-fold increase in relative risk for cancer recurrence after adjuvant radiation therapy ( P = .036; 95% CI, 1.0-5.0), compared with patients in the low TLK1B group. Conclusion The overexpression of eIF4E is correlated with TLK1B increase in cancer specimens from patients with stage I to III breast cancer. High TLK1B increase in tumor specimens was associated with a higher risk for cancer recurrence after adjuvant radiation therapy. Resistance to radiotherapy may be 1 mechanism whereby eIF4E overexpression in breast cancer portends a worse prognosis.
Excitation and detection of surface-plasmon polariton waves on Cu(111) with gratings of rare gas monolayers.

We excited surface-plasmon polariton waves (SPPWs) on Cu(111) by coupling optical beams with adsorbed xenon gratings. The SPPWs's excitation causes a resonancelike dip in the angle-resolved reflectivity difference measurement. From the resonance we determined optical constants eCu(633 nm)=−9.53+i0.142 and eCu(780 nm)=−13.44+i0.18. The grating-coupled SPPWs can be used to study mass transport on thin films.
Lipid Depletion in Atheromatous Coronary Arteries in Rhesus Monkeys after Regression Diets

Lipids were measured in the coronary arteries of monkeys on an atherogenic diet and in the arteries of matched monkeys on the atherogenic diet followed by regression diets. Cholesterol content was 51 mg/g dry weight in the arteries of monkeys with atheromatosis; after 40 months on the regression diets it was 18 mg/g. Cholesteryl ester was 69% lower and free cholesterol 53% lower after the regression diets. Decreases in triglycerides and phospholipids were not significant. The cholesterol content of the arteries of two monkeys autopsied after 20 months on the regression diets was close to the mean value after 40 months. The data show that cholesterol in both its free form and its ester form is depleted from experimentally induced coronary atheromatosis by dietary regression regimens. The data also suggest that most of the cholesterol depletion occurs during the first half of regression; the susceptibility of the residual excess arterial cholesterol to mobilization from the vessel wall by dietary means is questionable.
Inductive learning methods for knowledge-based decision support: a comparative analysis

This paper describes the inductive learning methods for generating decision rules in decision support systems. Three similarity-based learning systems are studied based on: (1) the AQ-Star method, (2) the Tree-Induction method, and (3) the Probabilistic Learning method. Loan evaluation examples and empirical data are used as a basis for comparing these inductive learning methods on their algorithmic characteristics and decision support performance.
Preliminary results of laboratory toxicity tests with the mayfly, Isonychia bicolor (Ephemeroptera: Isonychiidae) for development as a standard test organism for evaluating streams in the Appalachian coalfields of Virginia and West Virginia.

Selecting the most appropriate test species for sediment and water column assays has been a primary goal for ecotoxicologists. Standard test organisms and established test guidelines exist, but the USEPA-recommended species may not be the most sensitive organisms to anthropogenic inputs. This paper describes preliminary results of toxicity tests with the mayfly, Isonychia bicolor (Ephemeroptera). Results suggested that Isonychia were moderately sensitive to NaCl after 96 h with an average LC50 value of 3.10 g NaCl per liter. This value decreased after 7 days of exposure, resulting in a mean LC50 value of 1.73 g NaCl per liter. When exposed to a coal-mine-processed effluent, Isonychia generated LC50 values that ranged from 13% to 39% effluent. I. bicolor were more sensitive to the coal processing effluent than Ceriodaphnia dubia with conductivity lowest observable effects concentration (LOEC) values for mayfly survivorship that ranged from 1,508 to 4,101 μS/cm, while LOEC values for C. dubia reproduction ranged from 2,132 to 4,240 μS/cm.
New Insights Into Molecular Players Involved in Neurotransmitter Release

The strength of a synapse can profoundly influence network function. How this strength is set at the molecular level is a key question in neuroscience. Here, we review a simple model of neurotransmission that serves as a convenient framework to discuss recent studies on RIM and synaptotagmin.
Leptospira interrogans stably infects zebrafish embryos, altering phagocyte behavior and homing to specific tissues.

Leptospirosis is an extremely widespread zoonotic infection with outcomes ranging from subclinical infection to fatal Weil's syndrome. Despite the global impact of the disease, key aspects of its pathogenesis remain unclear. To examine in detail the earliest steps in the host response to leptospires, we used fluorescently labelled Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni to infect 30 hour post fertilization zebrafish embryos by either the caudal vein or hindbrain ventricle. These embryos have functional innate immunity but have not yet developed an adaptive immune system. Furthermore, they are optically transparent, allowing direct visualization of host–pathogen interactions from the moment of infection. We observed rapid uptake of leptospires by phagocytes, followed by persistent, intracellular infection over the first 48 hours. Phagocytosis of leptospires occasionally resulted in formation of large cellular vesicles consistent with apoptotic bodies. By 24 hours, clusters of infected phagocytes were accumulating lateral to the dorsal artery, presumably in early hematopoietic tissue. Our observations suggest that phagocytosis may be a key defense mechanism in the early stages of leptospirosis, and that phagocytic cells play roles in immunopathogenesis and likely in the dissemination of leptospires to specific target tissues.
The limit of information propagation speed in large-scale multihop wireless networks

This paper investigates the speed limit of information propagation in large-scale multihop wireless networks, which provides fundamental understanding of the fastest information transportation and delivery that a wireless network is able to accommodate. We show that there exists a unified speed upper bound for broadcast and unicast communications in large-scale wireless networks. When network connectivity is considered, this speed bound is a function of node density. If the network noise is constant, the bound is a constant when node density exceeds a threshold; if the network noise is an increasing function of node density, the bound decreases to zero when node density approaches infinity. As achieving the speed bound places strict requirements on node locations, we also quantify the gap between the actual achieved speed and the desired bound in random networks in which the relay nodes are not located as desired. We find that the gap converges to zero exponentially as node density increases to infinity.
Effects of feral free‐roaming horses on semi‐arid rangeland ecosystems: an example from the sagebrush steppe

Feral horses (Equus caballus) are viewed as a symbol of freedom and power; however, they are also a relatively unmanaged, non-native grazer in North America, South America, and Australia. Information about their influence on vegetation and soil characteristics in semi-arid rangelands has been limited by confounding effects of cattle (Bos taurus) grazing and a lack of empirical manipulative studies. We compared vegetation and soil surface characteristics in feral horse grazed areas and ungrazed exclosures at five sagebrush (Artemisia) steppe sites in northern Nevada. Horse grazed areas had lower sagebrush density and plant diversity, greater soil penetration resistance, and lower soil aggregate stability than ungrazed areas. Herbaceous cover and density generally did not differ between grazed and ungrazed treatments, with the exception of heavily grazed sites in which perennial grass cover was reduced. The cumulative effect of feral horses on soil characteristics suggests that they may affect the ecological function of semi-arid rangelands by increasing the risk of soil erosion and potentially decreasing availability of water for plant growth. The two-fold increase in sagebrush density with horse exclusion suggests that feral horses may limit sagebrush recruitment and thereby negatively impact Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and other sagebrush associated wildlife. The effects of feral horses on sagebrush and other semi-arid ecosystems should be considered when developing conservation plans for these ecosystems and associated wildlife.
Environmental sources of microbial contaminants in shellfish and their public health significance

Shellfish-harvesting waters are subject to a variety of pollution sources. Different sources pose different public threats; human sources are of more concern than nonhuman, and domestic animals are of more concern than wild animals. The type of source is also important because management strategies for eliminating sources may not be available for some wild animal sources. Water samples were collected from shellfish waters at two sites in coastal New Hampshire (NH) and on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, and were analyzed for Escherichia coli. E. coli isolates were ribotyped, and their ribopatterns were statistically compared to databases containing patterns from known source species. Each study area was significantly impacted by different types of source species including humans and pets at one NH site, wild animals at the other NH site, and birds at Martha's Vineyard. Strategies are available for managing these sources to improve water quality and reduce the public health threat.
Continuous‐mixture kinetics and equilibrium for reversible oligomerization reactions

Reversible oligomerization of distributions of molecules yields distributions of monomers, dimers, trimers, tetramers and higher-order oligomers. The distributions can be functions of molecular weight, carbon number, or other variables that may be considered continuous. Rate expressions are formulated for the rates of generation of oligomers and loss of reactants due to combination (fusion) reactions and for the generation of fragments and loss of oligomers due to cracking (fission) reactions. Two types of cracking reactions are proposed: proportioned fission where products are precisely proportioned to yield monomers, dimers or trimers of given molecular weight; random fission where the fission products are distributed over all molecular weights up to that of the reactant. The zero moment of a distribution is the species concentration, which satisfies molar equilibrium and kinetics relationships. The temporal evolution of molecular-weight moments is expressed in terms of differential equations for continuous-flow and batch stirred reactors. By setting forward and reverse rates equal, equilibrium relations are developed for zero- and higher-order moments, thus generalizing the mass-action equilibrium concept. Equilibrium states for proportioned and random fission manifest infinitesimally narrow and infinitely broad distributions.
Conditionally induced RAGE expression by proximal airway epithelial cells in transgenic mice causes lung inflammation

Receptors for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) are multiligand cell-surface receptors expressed abundantly by distal pulmonary epithelium. Our lab has discovered RAGE-mediated effects in the orchestration of lung inflammation induced by tobacco smoke and environmental pollutants; however, the specific contribution of RAGE to the progression of proximal airway inflammation is still inadequately characterized. We generated a Tet-inducible transgenic mouse that conditionally overexpressed RAGE using the club cell (Clara) secretory protein (CCSP) promoter expressed by club (Clara) cells localized to the proximal airway. RAGE was induced for 40 days from weaning (20 days of age) until sacrifice date at 60 days. Immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and qPCR revealed significant RAGE up-regulation when compared to non-transgenic controls; however, H&E staining revealed no detectible morphological abnormalities and apoptosis was not enhanced during the 40 days of augmentation. Freshly procured bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from CCSP-RAGE TG mice had significantly more total leukocytes and PMNs compared to age-matched control littermates. Furthermore, CCSP-RAGE TG mice expressed significantly more tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 7 (IL-7), and interleukin 14 (IL-14) in whole lung homogenates compared to controls. These data support the concept that RAGE up-regulation specifically in lung airways may function in the progression of proximal airway inflammation.
A partially molten magma ocean model

Under the assumption that the outer 300-400 km of the moon was at first only partially, rather than fully molten, an explanation of the properties of the lunar crust and upper mantle is obtained according to which nuclei of anorthositic crust formed over localized bodies of magma segregated from the partial melt, and then grew peripherally until fully covering the moon. Over most of its growth period, the anorthosite crust floated on a layer of magma whose thickness was regulated by the opposing forces of (1) loss of material by fractional crystallization, and (2) addition of magma from the partial melt below. The clustering of Eu, Sr and Mg values found among pristine ferroan anorthosites are predicted by this model.
A meshfree unification: reproducing kernel peridynamics

This paper is the first investigation establishing the link between the meshfree state-based peridynamics method and other meshfree methods, in particular with the moving least squares reproducing kernel particle method (RKPM). It is concluded that the discretization of state-based peridynamics leads directly to an approximation of the derivatives that can be obtained from RKPM. However, state-based peridynamics obtains the same result at a significantly lower computational cost which motivates its use in large-scale computations. In light of the findings of this study, an update to the method is proposed such that the limitations regarding application of boundary conditions and the use of non-uniform grids are corrected by using the reproducing kernel approximation.
Nonlinear Tracking of Natural Mechanical Systems for HWIL Simulation

Dynamic-inversion is an effective alternative control structure when compared to a conventional proportional-derivative structure for the nonlinear dynamics of a flight motion simulator. Results indicate the dynamic-inversion controller significantly reduced the lag and motion errors in system response while accommodating a larger bandwidth of motion. Perturbations affected the dynamic-inversion performance, however, dynamic-inversion is recommended over the conventional proportional-derivative controller.
O Antigen Modulates Insect Vector Acquisition of the Bacterial Plant Pathogen Xylella fastidiosa

Hemipteran insect vectors transmit the majority of plant pathogens. Acquisition of pathogenic bacteria by these piercing/sucking insects requires intimate associations between the bacterial cells and insect surfaces. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the predominant macromolecule displayed on the cell surface of Gram-negative bacteria and thus mediates bacterial interactions with the environment and potential hosts. We hypothesized that bacterial cell surface properties mediated by LPS would be important in modulating vector-pathogen interactions required for acquisition of the bacterial plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa, the causative agent of Pierce's disease of grapevines. Utilizing a mutant that produces truncated O antigen (the terminal portion of the LPS molecule), we present results that link this LPS structural alteration to a significant decrease in the attachment of X. fastidiosa to blue-green sharpshooter foreguts. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that this defect in initial attachment compromised subsequent biofilm formation within vector foreguts, thus impairing pathogen acquisition. We also establish a relationship between O antigen truncation and significant changes in the physiochemical properties of the cell, which in turn affect the dynamics of X. fastidiosa adhesion to the vector foregut. Lastly, we couple measurements of the physiochemical properties of the cell with hydrodynamic fluid shear rates to produce a Comsol model that predicts primary areas of bacterial colonization within blue-green sharpshooter foreguts, and we present experimental data that support the model. These results demonstrate that, in addition to reported protein adhesin-ligand interactions, O antigen is crucial for vector-pathogen interactions, specifically in the acquisition of this destructive agricultural pathogen.
Evaluation of the Osteoinductive Capacity of Polydopamine-Coated Poly(ε-caprolactone) Diacrylate Shape Memory Foams

Recently, a novel shape memory polymer foam based on the photopolymerization of poly(e-caprolactone) diacrylate (PCLDA) has been developed. These PCLDA foams enter a temporary softened state when briefly treated with warm saline (Tsaline > Tm of PCLDA), allowing them to conform to irregular bone defect “boundaries” prior to shape setting. When coated with a mechanically stable polydopamine (PD) layer, these PCLDA foams have previously been demonstrated to induce hydroxyapatite deposition. In the present study, the osteoinductivity of these “self-fitting” PD-coated PCLDA (PD–PCLDA) materials was evaluated relative to uncoated PCLDA (U-PCLDA) controls using bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (h-MSCs). When cultured in the absence of osteogenic media supplements, PD–PCLDA scaffolds expressed similar levels of Runx2, alkaline phosphatase, and osteopontin protein as U-PCLDA scaffolds cultured in the presence of osteogenic media supplements. In addition, PD–PCLDA scaffolds cultured without osteoge...
Variation in the Biochemical Constituents during Different Moulting Stages in Green Tiger Shrimp, Peneaus semisulcatus

A hallmark of crustacean physiology is the periodic shedding of their old exoskeleton achieved by moulting as an external manifestation of a discontinuous growth process. Crustacean metabolism, reproduction and behavior are all affected by the periodic shedding of the exoskeleton and the characteristics of moulting cycles. There are major gaps in our understanding of moulting patterns of commercially raised shrimp; hence, further investigations on the duration of each moult stage, in-moult cycle and the relationship between biochemical constituents and moult cycling are essentially needed. The present research work was aimed at describing characteristic features and biochemical changes that occur at various stages (A-D) during moulting cycle of the Indian green tiger shrimp Penaeus semisulcatus. Experimental animals (wet weight, 20 ± 2 g) were reared individually in aerated plastic aquaria under normal laboratory conditions (12L: 12D; 28.2oC) and 50% of the water was replaced daily for one month. Animals were provided twice daily with commercial Magnum Scampi feed ad libitum and were observed regularly for moulting by setal development and biochemical analysis in conjunction with established parameters for morphological changes during the moulting cycle. Results Original Research Article Annual Research &Review in Biology, 4(6): 985-997, 2014 986 showed that muscle protein content peaked during the post-moult stage A (51.23  2.51 mg/g) and gradually declined through the inter-moult and pre-moult stages. Similarly in the hepatopancreas, distinct increase in the total protein content was observed during the post-moult stage B (15.78  0.26 mg/g) and a steady decline was noticed thereafter (p < 0.05). Significantly higher levels of total sugars from muscle tissues were observed in late post-moult stage B (51.23  2.65 mg/g) and minimum level of total sugars were observed in late pre-moult stage D2-3 both in muscle tissue (28.43  2.98 mg/g) and in hepatopancreas (18.79 1.62 mg/g). A sharp fall in lipid content of muscle tissues was observed in inter-moult stage C (19.54  1.45 mg/g) and a corresponding decline (48.21  3.25 mg/g) was observed in the hepatopancreas. The present study documents and further expands our understanding of the physiological and biochemical changes occurring in P. semisulcatusduring four different moulting stages and will provide useful criteria for identifying different stages in the life cycle of this commercially farmed shrimp.
Conceptualizing Methodology for Building an Ontology for Construction Claim Knowledge

Sharing comprehensive and professional knowledge about construction contractual claims through ontology could be a good way to improve contractual management. However, when it comes to the implementation of the ontology development, regarding the characteristics of claim knowledge, the practical and feasible conceptualization methodology is not yet well developed. This paper explores a synthesized methodology to fulfill the conceptualization work for the domain knowledge of construction claims. Based on a literature review on knowledge sharing in the construction claims area and ontology building methodologies, as well as the target ontology’s definition and scope, the conceptualization activity in the ontology developing methodology of METHONTOLOGY, was selected as a raw conceptualizing methodology to use in the validation case study. The case study was designed to conceptualize the claim knowledge contained in the AIA A201 General Conditions of Contract Document. The results of the case study indicated that METHONTOLOGY provides a valid framework and work flow for this domain. INTRODUCTION In today’s construction industry, claims and legal issues have become more and more unavoidable due to the increasing complexity and uncertainty involved in projects (Hackett and Dancaster 2000). However, solid and reliable legal advice is not available and not convenient to obtain due to its expensiveness and the remoteness of job site locations. Therefore, sharing the domain knowledge about claims and legal issues among the project management team members would necessarily be beneficial in dealing with contractual claims and disputes. It has been widely accepted that ontology-based development can be an effective methodology for sharing domain knowledge. Many ontology-based studies have been conducted
Aggregations of the Potato Leafhopper in Alfalfa Fields in Wisconsin

Distinct aggregations of adult potato leafhoppers, Empoasca fabae (Harris), formed at margins and topographically elevated portions of alfalfa fields in southern Wisconsin during July and August of several successive years. Formation of aggregations usually coincided with periods of highest seasonal population density. Aggregation at elevated portions of fields appeared to be associated with microclimatic differences; aggregation at field margins may have been due to accumulation of migrants.
Framing Religious Conflict and Violence: An Historical Institutionalist Approach

With the unexpected and disconcerting reemergence of religion as a first order cleavage in global politics, scholars and policy makers have been scrambling to bring some analytical order to the phenomenon. Most of the approaches that have been articulated by scholars and in the public domain fall into one of two broad categories: 1) in academic circles, “Liberal” approaches predominate in which the emphasis is on the “political” nature of “religious” conflict and violence; and 2) in the public domain the “theological” and “micro-individual level” approach is predominant in which the emphasis is on explicating possible causality between theology and individual motivations to engage in “religious” violence. In this article I seek to show why the existing approaches to religious violence are limited in their explanatory value. In the first approach, there is a denial of the significance of religious cleavages writ large. In the second approach there is an excessive emphasis on theology and individual motivations. Instead, in this article I offer an approach derived from historical institutionalism and argue that this approach generates a useful and different frame within which to understand the phenomenon of religious conflict and violence.
A Case of Engineering Quality for Mobile Healthcare Applications Using Augmented Personal Software Process Improvement

Mobile healthcare systems are currently considered as key research areas in the domain of software engineering. The adoption of modern technologies, for mobile healthcare systems, is a quick option for industry professionals. Software architecture is a key feature that contributes towards a software product, solution, or services. Software architecture helps in better communication, documentation of design decisions, risks identification, basis for reusability, scalability, scheduling, and reduced maintenance cost and lastly it helps to avoid software failures. Hence, in order to solve the abovementioned issues in mobile healthcare, the software architecture is integrated with personal software process. Personal software process has been applied successfully but it is unable to address the issues related to architectural design and evaluation capabilities. Hence, a new technique architecture augmented personal process is presented in order to enhance the quality of the mobile healthcare systems through the use of architectural design with integration of personal software process. The proposed process was validated by case studies. It was found that the proposed process helped in reducing the overall costs and effort. Moreover, an improved architectural design helped in development of high quality mobile healthcare system.
Informality and the politics of temporariness: Ethnic migrant economies in Little Bangladesh and Little Burma in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This article examines two ‘ethnic’ economies in Kuala Lumpur (KL) to study how transnational migrants build new communities in the city. These communities consist of largely temporary migrants form...
Ecological and Health Risks of Metals

The dissemination of metals in the environment from industrial activities ensures that a significant portion of the population is exposed to these contaminants. Depending on the degree of exposure and environmental setting, a fraction of the population may be at risk. Another fraction of the population may be at risk due to occupational exposure. Toxicological effects of metals to humans, particularly those of Cd, As, Hg, and Pb, have been well documented (see also individual chapters on these elements later in this book). Their ecotoxicological effects on agricultural, forest, and aquatic ecosystems are also well documented.
Transpubic Approach for Lower Urinary Tract Surgery: A 15-Year Experience

AbstractSurgery on lower urinary tract organs sometimes is hindered by the symphysis pubis, which by its position and bulk could severely restrict maneuverability. Since 1972 we used a transpubic approach to improve surgical exposure in 287 patients operated on for prostate, bladder or urethral cancer, post-traumatic strictures and other conditions. The type of pubectomy performed (total, partial superior or partial inferior) depended upon whether a suprapelvic or infrapelvic diaphragm organ was the primary target of the approach. Total pubectomy was used in 137 patients, partial superior bone resection in 140 and partial inferior resection in 10 patients. Technical details for each type of pubectomy are illustrated.The transpubic approach was particularly useful for repair of posterior urethral strictures or removal of bulky tumors. Among the 3 types of approaches used, total pubectomy was associated with a high complication rate including bleeding, pelvic instability, urinary incontinence and stricture ...
What Undergraduate and Graduate Students Should Know About Disability

Children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often encounter a healthcare network that is limited in scope, size, and preparation.This system often results in lower quality of care and gaps in service owing substantially to the absence of appropriately trained providers.It is evident that the way in which we prepare physicians, psychologists and other practitioners needs greater attention. This chapter will address the many ways that health education programs can address disability issues: didactic instruction, community service encounters, clinical clerkships, standardized patient (SP) encounters, panel discussions with patients, advocates, and family members; in addition to home visits where students interact with individuals with disabilities outside of a healthcare setting.
Groups with Various Minimal Conditions on Subgroups

We briefly review some recent works on groups with the weak minimal condition on nonnilpotent subgroups. We also study the class of groups with the weak minimal condition on non-(soluble of derived length d) subgroups.
Targeted Marketing Using Balance Optimization Subset Selection

Customers today are faced with a plethora of choices of products to buy and consume. The sheer volume of choices can be daunting, and customers forced to sift through the products are likely to become dissatisfied. Retailers have the ability to solve this problem by providing customers with recommendations of products that are likely to be of interest to each specific customer. This can be done by profiling each customer and identifying products that similar customers like. This paper presents a balance optimization approach, where customers are characterized and matched as groups. By identifying and analyzing a group of customers who have shown positive reactions to a specific product, we propose a technique to find a comparable group who we hypothesize will show a similar positive reaction. This allows for the creation of targeted advertisements, mailing lists, and other material to recommend products to customers. The methodology is tested using a Netflix dataset, where we are able to show a statistically significant improvement on the mean rating of selected users over random selection of 0.384 when the ratings are on a scale of 0–5.
Efficacy, Side Effects, and Monitoring of Oral Cyclosporine in Interstitial Cystitis-Bladder Pain Syndrome.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of oral cyclosporine A (CyA) in the treatment of refractory interstitial cystitis-bladder pain syndrome (IC-BPS) and to assess safety using drug level and renal function monitoring. Materials and Methods Patients with IC-BPS who failed at least 2 prior treatments were enrolled in an open-label study of oral CyA. Medication was started at 3 mg/kg divided twice daily for 3 months. Dose was adjusted based on side effects and the drug level was measured 2 hours after the morning dose (C2). The primary end point was moderate or marked improvement of global response assessment or >50% improvement on the Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index (ICSI) or Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index at 3 months. Results Twenty-two of 26 patients completed the 3-month follow-up; 18 completed the poststudy evaluation. The median symptom duration was 66 months (12-336). At 3 months, 31% (8/26) improved by global response assessment, 15% (4/26) had >50% improvement in the ICSI score, and 19% (5/26) had an improvement in the Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index score. Hunner lesions (HLs) predicted an improvement in the ICSI score (odds ratio = 15.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.7-224.6, P = .01), with 75% (3/4) of the responders having HL. Two patients withdrew because of hypertension or elevated serum glucose. The mean nuclear glomerular filtration rate declined at 3 months (98.9 ± 31.6 vs 84.2 ± 25.5 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , P = .01) and reversed to baseline after discontinuation of treatment. C2 levels did not correlate with symptoms but allowed dose reduction in 11 patients. Conclusion Per American Urological Association guidelines, CyA can be effective in a proportion of patients with refractory IC-BPS. Patients with HL are more likely to benefit. Monitoring of C2 rather than trough levels can lead to dose reduction, thereby minimizing toxicity.