cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth and characterization of CdS crystals

A growth method for the physical vapor transport of compound semiconductors in closed ampoules is described. With the unique techniques applied in the heat treatment of the starting materials and the temperature profiles provided by the three-zone translational furnace, large crystals of CdS have been grown successfully by the method at lower temperatures than previously used. Both unseeded and seeded growth have been investigated. The CdS crystals were examined using optical and scanning electron microscopies (SEM) to study the microstructure and the dislocation etch-pits. The crystals were further characterized by infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) transmission measurements.
The relationships of competitive orientations and self-efficacy to goal importance, thoughts, and performance in high school distance runners.

Abstract The current study examined 2 expectancy-value models of athletic performance suggested by research (Martin & Gill, 1991; Martin & Gill, in press; Vealey, 1986). Both models hypothesized that competitive orientations, goal importance, self-efficacy, and goal thoughts would predict performance. Path analyses of data from 86 high school runners indicated a model examining win orientation and normative based cognitions explained 29% of the variance in race place whereas a model examining goal orientation and self-referenced based cognitions explained only 3% of the variance in race time. Specific path coefficients supported hypothesized relationships among win and goal orientations and goal importance and between self-efficacy and performance. For example, runners with a strong win orientation chose important place goals and had strong place self-efficacy. Furthermore, runners with strong place self-efficacy thought about their place goals during races and placed high relative to runners with lower p...
In-Device Spatial Cloaking for Mobile User Privacy Assisted by the Cloud

Spatial cloaking has been proposed and studied to protect mobile user privacy when using location based services (LBS). Traditional spatial cloaking methods are carried out by a trusted proxy known as location trusted server (LTS) to generate a region that contains at least k users for every request. The LTS is assumed to know the location of all users at all times, and perform the cloaking for all user requests. There are a number of disadvantages of relying on a single service for privacy preservation, including the scalability concern and the appropriate worry that this service “knows too much”. To ameliorate this single-service problem, in-device spatial cloaking may be more desirable. However, the sticky problem is that the device does not know, at the time of the request, the locations of all other users, which are necessary to obtain an appropriate cloaked region. With cloud services, it may be appropriate to assume that user-density information is available from cloud servers. These servers may collect user location information for different regions, or may use sophisticated method to estimate user densities for different places. When a request needs to be anonymized, the device goes to the cloud to acquire appropriate user density information to perform spatial cloaking. In this operating environment, traditional spatial cloaking methods such as Casper [9] need to be modified in order to guarantee safety. This paper proposes and studies a new algorithm and reports performance evaluation of the new algorithm and its optimized version, aiming at provably safe cloaking with minimized communication cost. Experimental results show that the new algorithms work well in the realistic evaluation environment.
Changes in auxin patterns in developing gynophores of the peanut plant (Arachis hypogaea L.).

The peanut plant (Arachis hypogaeaL.) produces flowers aerially, but buries the recently fertilized ovules in the soil in order for the fruit and seeds to mature underground. The organ that carries the seeds into the soil is called the gynophore. The growth of the peanut gynophore is regulated primarily by indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). A monoclonal antibody raised against IAA was used to successfully detect and localize this growth substance in the tissues of developing peanut gynophores. Five different stages of development were analysed: (1) before fertilization; (2) after fertilization; (3) during downwards growth; (4) at soil penetration; and (5) at the early stages of fruit formation. While no auxin signal is visible in the unfertilized ovules and ovary region, an asymmetric signal is observed in the gynophore wall after fertilization. During downwards growth, the auxin signal is located in both the meristematic region and in the area encircling the seeds, as well as in the cortex and epidermis region of the elongation zone. Upon soil penetration, the auxin signal in the meristematic region disappears, and most of the signal is detected in the gynophore wall near the tip. At the early stages of peanut fruit development, auxin signal is found at the lowermost area of the bending fruit, which eventually causes the fruit to be positioned horizontally. The results of this study suggest that the possible source of auxin within the gynophore may be the area of the gynophore wall close to the tip.
12-L-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid, a chemotactic fatty acid, is incorporated into neutrophil phospholipids and triglyceride

Abstract Platelets contain a lipoxygenase which converts arachidonic acid to 12-L-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) which has been shown to be chemotactic for human neutrophils and eosinophils. [14C]-12-HETE was biosynthesized, purified and incubated at a concentration of 1 μM with human neutrophils. Lipids were extracted from the neutrophils and the media, and the radiolabeled products identified. 26 percent of the radiolabel was found in the cells after 30 min incubation, essentially all of it esterified into phospholipid and triglyceride. The radiolabeled phospholipids and triglycerides were transesterified and the liberated fatty acid was identified as [14C]-12-HETE. This is the first demonstration of direct alteration of membrane components by a chemotactic agent and may be an example of a more generalized mechanism for altering membrane characteristics.
The optimal approach to recursive programs

The classical fixedpoint approach toward recursive programs suggests choosing the “least defined fixedpoint” as the most appropriate solution to a recursive program. A new approach is described which introduces an “optimal fixedpoint,” which, in contrast to the least defined fixedpoint, embodies the maximal amount of valuable information embedded in the program. The practical implications of this approach are discussed and techniques for proving properties of optimal fixedpoints are given. The presentation is informal, with emphasis on examples.
Sclerosis Retributive Justice and the Rwandan Genocide

In the 1994 Rwandan genocide 800,000 people were massacred. The victims were overwhelmingly of the minority Tutsi ethnic group and the aggressors of the majority Hutu group. At present, 125,000 Hutu prisoners remain incarcerated while awaiting trial on genocide-related charges. This article argues that these trials, and the extensive incapacitation that necessarily precedes them, may do little to promote justice, regime legitimacy, or national reconciliation in Rwanda. This, in turn, raises broader questions about the role of criminal punishment and sentencing in situations of mass violence. Criminality usually attaches to deviant conduct. Mass political violence - from Nazi Germany to Serbia to Rwanda - generally involves significant levels of public participation and complicity. How, then, should we punish conduct that, at the time it was committed, was not deviant? The thesis is advanced that restorative and transformative justice initiatives are effective at deconstructing complicity and can play a va...
The Incorporation of Predictive Genomic Testing into Genetic Counseling Programs

This study explored whether genetic counseling programs are incorporating instruction about the applications and techniques of predictive genomic testing (PGT) based on student recollection, and whether this is perceived as adequate by those students. For the purpose of this study, PGT was defined as the use of genome-based testing to assess a person’s risk, or susceptibility, of developing a disorder with either a known or suspected genetic component. Surveys from 114 graduates were analyzed. The majority of respondents indicated that PGT was covered in their curriculum including methodology, information generated, benefits, risks, limitations, and impact on the field of genetic counseling. A statistically significant increase in incorporating information about PGT as a whole from 2008 to 2011 was also reported. The majority of respondents reported that coverage of PGT prepared them for the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) board exam (80.6 %), to interpret PGT test results (60.2 %) and to identify clinical situations warranting testing (53.1 %). Although the majority of respondents indicated learning about a wide variety of aspects surrounding PGT, many recent graduates indicated their training was less likely to cover aspects essential for the clinical application of PGT. Therefore, genetic counseling programs should place a greater emphasis on these skills, and the development of continuing education opportunities aimed at increasing genetic counselors abilities to interpret and discuss PGT tests and identify clinical situations warranting such testing may be helpful.
The Second Wave of Incorporation in Latin America: A Conceptualization of the Quest for Inclusion Applied to Argentina

Between 1996 and 2009, a process of struggle for and (after 2002) partial achievement of the second incorporation of the popular sectors took place in Argentina. This process involved a combination of routine and contentious political dynamics that reformulated state-society relations in the postcorporatist period. As a continuation of the first incorporation (1943–55), the second incorporation displayed some similar features; other attributes were specific to this second process, mainly that it was not corporatist but territorial and that the central agents of transformation were not trade unions but the disincorporated popular sectors, which were territorially organized into a “reincorporation movement.” This article conceptualizes these dynamics and analyzes the role played by the main political actor related to this historical process, the piquetero (picketer) movement.
A diffusion model for selective-area epitaxy by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

A single-species diffusion model for selective-area epitaxy by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) has been developed. The model is solved analytically using conformal mapping and a new parameter, β, which accounts for the probability that an organometallic compound will reach the window by surface diffusion on the mask. The model correctly predicts the trends observed in selected-area growth rates with mask and window sizes. The model also reveals that different values of β for the group III sources leads to a dependence of the alloy composition on the feature size. This new model can be used as a design tool to identify mask materials and process conditions leading to successful selected-area growth processes.
Revision of the genus Lisposoma Lawrence, 1928 (Scorpiones: Bothriuridae)

The endemic Namibian genus Lisposoma Lawrence, 1928, comprising two described species, represents one of two basal African genera in the Gondwanan family Bothriuridae Simon, 1880. All other, more derived genera of Bothriuridae occur in South America, India and Australia. Although the phylogenetic position of Lisposoma has become an increasingly contentious subject, three cladistic analyses based on morphological data have confirmed that it is a basal bothriurid. In view of those findings, the present contribution serves to revise the generic diagnosis of Lisposoma, last revised by Lamoral (1979), who placed the genus in the Scorpionidae Latreille, 1802 and constructed his diagnosis accordingly. A considerable number of new specimens, many representing new records for the two species of Lisposoma, have also accumulated since Lamoral's (1979) revision. These new data justify the provision of revised diagnoses and descriptions for the two species, together with a key to their identification, brief summaries of their ecology and conservation status, and a distribution map plotting all known locality records.
Tidal currents in the central Weddel Sea

Abstract A 349-day series of consecutive hourly readings from a single current meter mooring in the deep water of the Weddell Sea was analysed to determine the tidal currents. Amplitudes and Greenwich phase-lags were found for both the east-going and north-going components of velocity for the eight principal harmonic constituents. Constituents tidal ellipses were drawn for the four most energetic constituents O 1 , K 1 , M 2 , and S 2 ; the current vectors rotated clockwise in each case. Analysis of each successive quarter of the time series yielded results consistent with those from analysis of the entire record. The amounts of barotropic and baroclinic energy in the diurnal and semidiurnal tidal bands are consistent with the barotropic nature of circulation in the Weddell Sea.
Calmodulin is a selective mediator of Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release via the ryanodine receptor-like Ca2+ channel triggered by cyclic ADP-ribose.

Abstract The ryanodine receptor-like Ca2+ channel (RyRLC) is responsible for Ca2+ wave propagation and Ca2+ oscillations in certain nonmuscle cells by a Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) mechanism. Cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR), an enzymatic product derived from NAD+, is the only known endogenous metabolite that acts as an agonist on the RyRLC. However, the mode of action of cADPR is not clear. We have identified calmodulin as a functional mediator of cADPR-triggered CICR through the RyRLC in sea urchin eggs. cADPR-induced Ca2+ release consisted of two phases, an initial rapid release phase and a subsequent slower release. The second phase was selectively potentiated by calmodulin which, in turn, was activated by Ca2+ released during the initial phase. Caffeine enhanced the action of calmodulin. Calmodulin did not play a role in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced Ca2+ release. These findings offer insights into the multiple pathways that regulate intracellular Ca2+ signaling.
Tyrosine residues affecting sodium stimulation of carnitine transport in the OCTN2 carnitine/organic cation transporter.

Abstract Primary carnitine deficiency is a disorder of fatty acid oxidation caused by mutations in the Na+-dependent carnitine/organic cation transporter OCTN2. Studies with tyrosyl group-modifying reagents support the involvement of tyrosine residues in Na+ binding by sodium-coupled transporters. Here we report two new patients with carnitine deficiency caused by mutations affecting tyrosyl residues (Y447C and Y449D) close to a residue (Glu-452) previously shown to affect sodium stimulation of carnitine transport. Kinetic analysis indicated that the Y449D substitution, when expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, increased the concentration of sodium required to half-maximally stimulate carnitine transport from 14.8 ± 1.8 to 34.9 ± 5.8 mm (p < 0.05), whereas Y447C completely abolished carnitine transport. Substitution of these tyrosine residues with phenylalanine restored normal carnitine transport in Y449F but resulted in markedly impaired carnitine transport by Y447F. This was associated with an increase in the concentration of sodium required to half-maximally stimulate carnitine transport to 57.8 ± 7.4 mm (p < 0.01 versus normal OCTN2). The Y447F and Y449D mutant transporters retained their ability to transport the organic cation tetraethylammonium indicating that their effect on carnitine transport was specific and likely associated with the impaired sodium stimulation of carnitine transport. By contrast, the Y447C natural mutation abolished the transport of organic cations in addition to carnitine. Confocal microscopy of OCTN2 transporters tagged with green fluorescent protein indicated that the Y447C mutant transporters failed to reach the plasma membrane, whereas Y447F, Y449D, and Y449F had normal membrane localization. These natural mutations identify tyrosine residues possibly involved in coupling the sodium electrochemical gradient to transmembrane solute transfer in the sodium-dependent co-transporter OCTN2.
Determination of patient-specific internal gross tumor volumes for lung cancer using four-dimensional computed tomography

To determine the optimal approach to delineating patient-specific internal gross target volumes (IGTV) from four-dimensional (4-D) computed tomography (CT) image data sets used in the planning of radiation treatment for lung cancers. We analyzed 4D-CT image data sets of 27 consecutive patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (stage I: 17, stage III: 10). The IGTV, defined to be the envelope of respiratory motion of the gross tumor volume in each 4D-CT data set was delineated manually using four techniques: (1) combining the gross tumor volume (GTV) contours from ten respiratory phases (IGTVAllPhases); (2) combining the GTV contours from two extreme respiratory phases (0% and 50%) (IGTV2Phases); (3) defining the GTV contour using the maximum intensity projection (MIP) (IGTVMIP); and (4) defining the GTV contour using the MIP with modification based on visual verification of contours in individual respiratory phase (IGTVMIP-Modified). Using the IGTVAllPhases as the optimum IGTV, we compared volumes, matching indices, and extent of target missing using the IGTVs based on the other three approaches. The IGTVMIP and IGTV2Phases were significantly smaller than the IGTVAllPhases (p < 0.006 for stage I and p < 0.002 for stage III). However, the values of the IGTVMIP-Modified were close to those determined from IGTVAllPhases (p = 0.08). IGTVMIP-Modified also matched the best with IGTVAllPhases. IGTVMIP and IGTV2Phases underestimate IGTVs. IGTVMIP-Modified is recommended to improve IGTV delineation in lung cancer.
The Proteasome as a Target for Cancer Therapy

The proteasome is a multicatalytic proteinase complex responsible for the degradation of most intracellular proteins, including proteins crucial to cell cycle regulation and programmed cell death, or apoptosis. In preclinical cancer models, proteasome inhibitors induce apoptosis, have in vivo antitumor efficacy, and sensitize malignant cells and tumors to the proapoptotic effects of conventional chemotherapeutics and radiation therapy. Interestingly, transformed cells display greater susceptibility to proteasome inhibition than nonmalignant cells. Therefore, proteasome inhibition holds promise as a novel approach to the treatment of cancer. Inhibitors of the proteasome impact on cells in part through down-regulation of nuclear factor κB, but also through modulation of cell cycle proteins and other pro- and antiapoptotic pathways. Bortezomib (VELCADE; formerly PS-341), the first such inhibitor to undergo clinical testing, has demonstrated impressive antitumor activity and manageable toxicities in Phase I and II trials both as a single agent, and in combination with other drugs. It has been approved recently by the Food and Drug Administration for therapy of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior regimens and progressed on the last of these. Ongoing preclinical evaluations of the mechanisms that underlie the antitumor effects of proteasome inhibitors, and clinical trials in a variety of tumor types, will allow additional refinement of the role these agents will play in cancer therapy. Below we discuss the rationale behind targeting the proteasome for cancer therapy, and review the preclinical and clinical data on proteasome inhibitors alone, and in combination with conventional chemotherapeutics.
A homotopy algorithm for reduced order compensator design using the optimal projection equations

A deficiency of an LQG (linear quadratic Gaussian) compensator is that its dimension is equal to the dimension of the plant and may thus violate practical implementation constraints. This practical consideration has lead researchers to develop tools for synthesizing or approximating optimal reduced order controllers. The authors consider the synthesis of optimal reduced order controllers using optimal projection equations. A novel homotopy algorithm is proposed and illustrated. >
Remediation of alachlor and atrazine contaminated water with zero-valent iron nanoparticles

Zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI, diameter < 90 nm, specific surface area = 25 m2 g−1) have been used under anoxic conditions for the remediation of pesticides alachlor and atrazine in water. While alachlor (10, 20, 40 mg L−1) was reduced by 92–96% within 72 h, no degradation of atrazine was observed. The alachlor degradation reaction was found to obey first-order kinetics very closely. The reaction rate (35.5 × 10−3–43.0 × 10−3 h−1) increased with increasing alachlor concentration. The results are in conformity with other researchers who worked on these pesticides but mostly with micro ZVI and iron filings. This is for the first time that alachlor has been degraded under reductive environment using nZVI. The authors contend that nZVI may prove to be a simple method for on-site treatment of high concentration pesticide rinse water (100 mg L−1) and for use in flooring materials in pesticide filling and storage stations.
Development of a quantitative RT-PCR assay to examine the kinetics of ribosome depurination by ribosome inactivating proteins using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model

Ricin produced by the castor bean plant and Shiga toxins produced by pathogenic Escherichia coli (STEC) and Shigella dysenteriae are type II ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs), containing an enzymatically active A subunit that inhibits protein synthesis by removing an adenine from the α-sarcin/ricin loop (SRL) of the 28S rRNA. There are currently no known antidotes to Shiga toxin or ricin, and the ability to screen large chemical libraries for inhibitors has been hindered by lack of quantitative assays for catalytic activity that can be adapted to a high throughput format. Here, we describe the development of a robust and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay that can directly measure the toxins' catalytic activity on ribosomes and can be used to examine the kinetics of depurination in vivo. The qRT-PCR assay exhibited a much wider dynamic range than the previously used primer extension assay (500-fold vs. 16-fold) and increased sensitivity (60 pM vs. 0.57 nM). Using this assay, a 400-fold increase in ribosome depurination was observed in yeast expressing ricin A chain (RTA) relative to uninduced cells. Pteroic acid, a known inhibitor of enzymatic activity, inhibited ribosome depurination by RTA and Shiga toxin 2 with an IC(50) of ∼ 100 μM, while inhibitors of ricin transport failed to inhibit catalytic activity. These results demonstrate that the qRT-PCR assay would enable refined kinetic studies with RIPs and could be a powerful screening tool to identify inhibitors of catalytic activity.
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for the treatment of squamous cell anal cancer with para-aortic nodal involvement.

Purpose To determine the rates of toxicity, locoregional control, distant control, and survival in anal cancer patients with para-aortic nodal involvement, treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and concurrent chemotherapy at a single institution. Methods and Materials Between 2001 and 2007, 6 patients with squamous cell anal cancer and para-aortic nodal involvement were treated with IMRT and concurrent infusional 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. The primary tumor was treated with a median dose of 57.5 Gy (range, 54–60 Gy), involved para-aortic, pelvic, and inguinal lymph nodes were treated with a median dose of 55 Gy (range, 50.5–55 Gy), and noninvolved nodal regions were treated with a median dose of 45 Gy (range, 43.5–45 Gy). Results After a median follow-up of 25 months, none of the patients had a recurrence at the primary tumor, pelvic/inguinal nodes, or para-aortic nodes, whereas 2 patients developed distant metastases to the liver. Four of the 6 patients are alive. The 3-year actuarial locoregional control, distant control, and overall survival rates were 100%, 56%, and 63%, respectively. Four of the 6 patients developed Grade 3 acute gastrointestinal toxicity during chemoradiation. Conclusions Intensity-modulated radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy could potentially serve as definitive therapy in anal cancer patients with para-aortic nodal involvement. Adjuvant chemotherapy may be indicated in these patients, as demonstrated by the distant failure rates. These patients need to be followed carefully because of the potential for treatment-related toxicities.
Menthol modulates oral sensations of warmth and cold

Aqueous solutions of menthol were found to affect oral thermal sensation in the following ways: When menthol solutions were sipped and held in the mouth for 5 sec, solutions above oral temperature felt significantly warmer than deionized water of the same temperature (warmth enhancement). Menthol solutions below oral temperature felt cooler than water of the same temperature, but only slightly so (cold enhancement); Pretreating the mouth with 0.02% menthol for 5 min strengthened cold enhancement but attenuated sensations of warmth (warmth attenuation); Pretreating for 10 min produced continued cold enhancement while judgments of warmth returned to normal levels; L-menthol cooled more effectively than d-menthol, but d-menthol attenuated warmth at least as much as l-menthol. Possible explanations for the intermodal differences are discussed, and suggestions are made for future research into menthol's unexpectedly complex perceptual effects.
Reflex modulation is linked to the orientation of arm mechanics relative to the environment

To successfully complete a motor task, it is necessary to control not only the kinematics and dynamics of a limb, but also its mechanical properties. In a multijoint task such as the control of arm posture, limb mechanics are directional, resisting external disturbances more effectively in certain directions than others. It has been demonstrated that feedforward neuromotor pathways can regulate these directional characteristics of the arm to compensate for changes in the mechanical properties of the environment. However, it is unclear if spinal reflex pathways exhibit a similar specificity. The present results suggest that the sensitivity of the human stretch reflex also can be tuned to adapt the mechanical properties of the arm in a task appropriate manner. We hypothesized that the orientation of arm mechanics relative to the mechanical properties of the environment would influence reflex adaptation. Two destabilizing environments, oriented relative to the mechanical properties of the arm, were used to test this hypothesis. These environments were simulated using a 3 degrees of freedom (DOF) robot, which also was used to perturb arm posture. The resulting reflexes, assessed by electromyograms recorded from 8 muscles, were found to modulate in accordance with how the environmental instability was oriented relative to the mechanical properties of the arm. Our results suggest that stretch sensitive reflexes throughout the arm are modulated in a coordinated manner corresponding to the orientation of arm mechanics relative to the environment.
Dendritic Cells Transduced with SOCS-3 Exhibit a Tolerogenic/DC2 Phenotype That Directs Type 2 Th Cell Differentiation In Vitro and In Vivo

Dendritic cells (DCs) have been suggested to direct a type of Th differentiation through their cytokine profile, e.g., high IL-12/IL-23 for Th1 (named DC1/immunogenic DCs) and IL-10 for Th2 (DC2/tolerogenic DCs). Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-3 is a potent inhibitor of Stat3 and Stat4 transduction pathways for IL-23 and IL-12, respectively. We thus hypothesize that an enhanced SOCS-3 expression in DCs may block the autocrine response of IL-12/IL-23 in these cells, causing them to become a DC2-type phenotype that will subsequently promote Th2 polarization of naive T cells. Indeed, in the present study we found that bone marrow-derived DCs transduced with SOCS-3 significantly inhibited IL-12-induced activation of Stat4 and IL-23-induced activation of Stat3. These SOCS-3-transduced DCs expressed a low level of MHC class II and CD86 on their surface, produced a high level of IL-10 but low levels of IL-12 and IFN-γ, and expressed a low level of IL-23 p19 mRNA. Functionally, SOCS-3-transduced DCs drove naive myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-specific T cells to a strong Th2 differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Injection of SOCS-3-transduced DCs significantly suppressed experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a Th1 cell-mediated autoimmune disorder of the CNS and an animal model of multiple sclerosis. These results indicate that transduction of SOCS-3 in DCs is an effective approach to generating tolerogenic/DC2 cells that then skew immune response toward Th2, thus possessing therapeutic potential in Th1-dominant autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis.
Cell Fates as High-Dimensional Attractor States of a Complex Gene Regulatory Network

Cells in multicellular organisms switch between distinct cell fates, such as proliferation or differentiation into specialized cell types. Genome-wide gene regulatory networks govern this behavior. Theoretical studies of complex networks suggest that they can exhibit ordered (stable) dynamics, raising the possibility that cell fates may represent high-dimensional attractor states. We used gene expression profiling to show that trajectories of neutrophil differentiation converge to a common state from different directions of a 2773-dimensional gene expression state space, providing the first experimental evidence for a high-dimensional stable attractor that represents a distinct cellular phenotype.
Digital compressive chemical quantitation and hyperspectral imaging

Digital compressive detection, implemented using optimized binary (OB) filters, is shown to greatly increase the speed at which Raman spectroscopy can be used to quantify the composition of liquid mixtures and to chemically image mixed solid powders. We further demonstrate that OB filters can be produced using multivariate curve resolution (MCR) to pre-process mixture training spectra, thus facilitating the quantitation of mixtures even when no pure chemical component samples are available for training.
Fluorescent silver nanoclusters as DNA probes

Fluorescent silver nanoclusters (few atoms, quantum sized) have attracted much attention as promising substitutes for conventional fluorophores. Due to their unique environmental sensitivities, new fluorescent probes have been developed based on silver nanoclusters for the sensitive and specific detection of DNA. In this review we present the recent discoveries of activatable and color-switchable properties of DNA-templated silver nanoclusters and discuss the strategies to use these new properties in DNA sensing.
Peroxisome remnants in pex3delta cells and the requirement of Pex3p for interactions between the peroxisomal docking and translocation subcomplexes.

During peroxisomal matrix protein import, the peroxisomal targeting signal receptors recognize cargo in the cytosol and interact with docking and translocation subcomplexes on the peroxisomal membrane. Using immunoprecipitations of multiple protein components, we show that in Pichia pastoris the docking subcomplex consists of the unique peroxins Pex13p, Pex14p and Pex17p, whereas the putative translocation subcomplex has all three RING-finger peroxins, Pex2p, Pex10p and Pex12p, as unique constituents. We identify Pex3p as a shared component of both subcomplexes. In pex3D cells, the unique constituents of the docking subcomplex interact as they do in wild-type cells, but the assembly of the translocation subcomplex is impaired and its components are present at reduced levels. Furthermore, several interactions detected in wild-type cells between translocation and docking subcomplex components are undetectable in pex3D cells. Contrary to previous reports, pex3D cells have peroxisome remnants that pellet during high-speed centrifugation, associate with membranes on floatation gradients and can be visualized by deconvolution microscopy using antibodies to several peroxins which were not available earlier. We discuss roles for Pex3p in the assembly of specific peroxisomal membrane protein subcomplexes whose formation is necessary for matrix protein import.
Preserving low cost electricity while improving the riverine environment: Part two — Model results

This paper reports on a case study for Ghana's thermal/hydroelectric generation system that evaluates the incremental cost of returning dam outflows to pre-dam or near pre-dam conditions. This mode of operation is termed Run of River (ROR) operation. It appears that two key factors — the availability of alternatives for economically expanding hydro generation and the existence of well developed markets for energy and electricity — have a large influence on the increase in cost of ROR operation relative to the least cost operating rules.
Addressing violence in the emergency department

Abstract Violent injury remains a major cause of death and disability for children and youth in this country, even with the dramatic declines in violent injury rates experienced in recent years. Most youth and adolescents with or who are at risk for violence-related injuries present in emergency department (ED) settings, although some come to the attention of the police. Similarly, many women present to EDs with injuries related to domestic violence, and it is well described that children exposed to such situations suffer both short- and long-term consequences from these exposures. Given the significance of these issues with respect to the health and well-being of children, it is important for emergency care and primary care professionals to consider the roles they can play in the acute management, assessment for future risk, screening for risk, and follow-up services involved in the response to violent injury.
Notes on the behavior and ecology of Reliquia santamarta, an Alpine butterfly (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, with comparisons to Nearctic Alpine Pierini

Summary Reliquia santamarta is an unusual Pierine butterfly endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of northeastern Colombia, where it flies above 3500 m. Its biology is of particular interest because of the possibility that it might be a relict derived from the otherwise Holarctic Pieris callidice group, which it strongly resembles phenotypically. Its behavior was studied afield for comparison with Nearctic members of that group. Male R. santamarta are vigorous hilltoppers, assembling to topographic prominences, while females are frequently encountered at lower elevations. Flight patterns, thermoregulatory postures, and interactions between and within the sexes are all virtually identical to high‐montane and alpine Nearctic Pieris. The natural host plant was not determined. The role of seasonality in the biology of R. santamarta is discussed. Behavior data alone are inadequate to determine whether R. santamarta is closely related to or strongly convergent with the Nearctic taxa.
An Algorithm for Power Line Detection and Warning Based on a Millimeter-Wave Radar Video

Power-line-strike accident is a major safety threat for low-flying aircrafts such as helicopters, thus an automatic warning system to power lines is highly desirable. In this paper we propose an algorithm for detecting power lines from radar videos from an active millimeter-wave sensor. Hough Transform is employed to detect candidate lines. The major challenge is that the radar videos are very noisy due to ground return. The noise points could fall on the same line which results in signal peaks after Hough Transform similar to the actual cable lines. To differentiate the cable lines from the noise lines, we train a Support Vector Machine to perform the classification. We exploit the Bragg pattern, which is due to the diffraction of electromagnetic wave on the periodic surface of power lines. We propose a set of features to represent the Bragg pattern for the classifier. We also propose a slice-processing algorithm which supports parallel processing, and improves the detection of cables in a cluttered background. Lastly, an adaptive algorithm is proposed to integrate the detection results from individual frames into a reliable video detection decision, in which temporal correlation of the cable pattern across frames is used to make the detection more robust. Extensive experiments with real-world data validated the effectiveness of our cable detection algorithm.
Growth of Accountable Care Organizations in California: Number, Characteristics, and State Regulation

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) result in physician organizations' and hospitals' receiving risk-based payments tied to costs, health care quality, and patient outcomes. This article (1) describes California ACOs within Medicare, the commercial market, and Medi-Cal and the safety net; (2) discusses how ACOs are regulated by the California Department of Managed Health Care and the California Department of Insurance; and (3) analyzes the increase of ACOs in California using data from Cattaneo and Stroud. While ACOs in California are well established within Medicare and the commercial market, they are still emerging within Medi-Cal and the safety net. Notwithstanding, the state has not enacted a law or issued a regulation specific to ACOs; they are regulated under existing statutes and regulations. From August 2012 to February 2014, the number of lives covered by ACOs increased from 514,100 to 915,285, representing 2.4 percent of California's population, including 10.6 percent of California's Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries and 2.3 percent of California's commercially insured lives. By emphasizing health care quality and patient outcomes, ACOs have the potential to build and improve on California's delegated model. If recent trends continue, ACOs will have a greater influence on health care delivery and financial risk sharing in California.
Combined β-blockade and Splanchnic Venous Compression in the Treatment of POTS

decrement comparing brain to calf perfusion. Conclusion: In pediatric and adolescent dysautonomia patients, there was significant decrease in perfusion from baseline in cerebral hemispheres, shoulders, low back, and calves during HUTT. The degree of perfusion impairment in the brain was similar to the gastrocnemius, suggesting a defect in vascular reactivity [cerebral autoregulation] and muscle vasculature. The physiological mechanism requires further investigation.
Hamstring Stretching and Posture

To the Editor: I read with interest the article by Li et al entitled “The Effect of Hamstring Muscle Stretching on Standing Posture and on Lumbar and Hip Motions During Forward Bending,” the invited commentaries by Drs Sahrmann and Snyder-Mackler, and the authors' response (August 1996). I commend the authors for their efforts. Together, the article, the commentaries, and the authors' response take us one step closer to understanding the influence, or lack of influence, of hamstring muscle length on static and dynamic postures and the difficulties and the controversies associated with attempts to study this. Given that I have some research experience assessing hamstring length with both the active-knee-extension (AKE) test and the passive straight-leg-raising (SLR) test, as well as some research experience examining the influence of hamstring length on postural characteristics, I was stimulated to participate in this lively written discussion. [ ARTICLE][1] [ ARTICLE][2] [ ARTICLE][3] [ ARTICLE][4] [ ARTICLE][5] [1]: /lookup/volpage/76/836?iss=8 [2]: /lookup/volpage/76/845?iss=8 [3]: /lookup/volpage/76/847?iss=8 [4]: /lookup/volpage/76/847-a?iss=8 [5]: /lookup/volpage/63/1085?iss=7
Defining urban, suburban, and rural: a method to link perceptual definitions with geospatial measures of urbanization in central and eastern Massachusetts

Developing greater understandings of socio-ecological relationships across urbanizing areas is increasingly recognized as important for the conservation and management of natural resources in a variety of development contexts. Efforts to do so have been hindered by a lack of consistent measures of urbanization and the challenge of integrating socio-cultural characteristics into definitions of urban. We present a novel method for linking perceptual definitions of urban, suburban, and rural to geospatial characteristics and demonstrate how the method can be used to map urban, suburban, and rural areas at multiple scales in central and eastern Massachusetts. Our method can facilitate comparative approaches to urban ecology, be used to scale up socio-ecological studies, and inform conservation research and practice in urbanizing areas.
A Higher Order Immersed Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Element Method for the Acoustic Interface Problem

We present an interface discontinuous Galerkin finite element method on non-fitted meshes for solving acoustic wave propagation problems in nonhomogeneous media. The proposed method uses the standard discontinuous Galerkin finite element formulation with polynomial approximation on elements that contain one material while on interface elements containing multiple materials it uses a specially build piecewise polynomial shape functions that satisfy the interface jump conditions. We present several computational results that suggest that the proposed method has optimal convergence rates.
Abstract 9: Perfusion-based Selection Leads To Improved Outcomes Compared With Time-based Selection For Endovascular Reperfusion Therapy In Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Controversy exists on the role of perfusion imaging-based selection of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) for endovascular reperfusion therapy (ERT). We hypothesized that perfusion imaging based selection would improve functional outcomes at 3 months compared to time based selection alone. Methods: We reviewed consecutive patients with anterior circulation strokes, baseline NIHSS score > 8, and treated with ERT at 4 centers between 2006 and 2011. Data were collected on demographics, initial NIHSS score, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA), use of perfusion imaging (CT or MRI), time from onset to groin puncture, reperfusion grade using the modified TICI scale, symptomatic hemorrhage, and functional outcome using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months. Using univariable statistics and multivariable logistic regression, we assessed whether patients who underwent perfusion imaging had better outcomes than those selected based on time alone. Results: One-hundred eighty-five patients (mean age 66.7 years; median NIHSS score 19; MCA occlusion 73% and ICA occlusion 27%) were included. TICI 2b or 3 reperfusion grade was achieved in 49.7% while symptomatic hemorrhage (PH1, PH2, or perforation) occurred in 10.8%. Perfusion imaging was used in 69 (37.3%) patients (45 CT and 24 MRI) and was associated with increased onset-to-groin puncture time (359 vs. 298 minutes, P=0.019). Patients who underwent perfusion imaging were also older (73 vs. 63 years, P Conclusions: In this multi-center observational study, patients with AIS who underwent perfusion imaging were over 2-fold more likely to have good outcomes following ERT despite a delay in time to treatment and advanced age compared to time-based selected patients. Further studies should continue to address the optimal perfusion imaging criteria for patient selection for ERT.
Dietary restriction with and without caloric restriction for healthy aging

Caloric restriction is the most effective and reproducible dietary intervention known to regulate aging and increase the healthy lifespan in various model organisms, ranging from the unicellular yeast to worms, flies, rodents, and primates. However, caloric restriction, which in most cases entails a 20–40% reduction of food consumption relative to normal intake, is a severe intervention that results in both beneficial and detrimental effects. Specific types of chronic, intermittent, or periodic dietary restrictions without chronic caloric restriction have instead the potential to provide a significant healthspan increase while minimizing adverse effects. Improved periodic or targeted dietary restriction regimens that uncouple the challenge of food deprivation from the beneficial effects will allow a safe intervention feasible for a major portion of the population. Here we focus on healthspan interventions that are not chronic or do not require calorie restriction.
Historical Experience and the Haitian Revolution in the History Classroom

ABSTRACTThe article examines a mainstream curricular unit on the Haitian Revolution, centered on a culminating role-play activity. Cultural studies, subaltern studies, and hermeneutics are applied as theoretical frameworks to read the curriculum unit and its activities. These theoretical lenses sharpen an understanding of what it means to experience history in the classroom. These lenses are used to consider the political relations of power within the historical moment being studied and the political notions of power within the production of historical knowledge itself. The author conducts an analysis of the epistemological and hermeneutic problem spaces within this curriculum, with particular attention to how this curriculum unit might be translated into an urban school setting that accounts for marginalized student positions.
Rethinking computing

Computing is undergoing a major paradigm shift. Radical new approaches to hardware and software will transform our online and offline lives, seamlessly combining the power of the internet with a world of devices. Craig Mundie, Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer, will discuss the possibilities and show how close we are to realizing them.
Obscuring urinary incontinence. Diapering of the elderly

To assess the prevalence, evaluation, and treatment of urinary incontinence in an institutionalized elderly population, the charts of 511 residents in a New York City nursing home were reviewed. Whereas the nurses' notes documented urinary incontinence in 62.4% of the total resident population, the physicians' notes listed this as a problem in only 10% of the residents. Most (90.3%) of the cases of incontinence were not classified as to etiology or pattern. Treatment emphasized the use of diapers in 78.2% of the cases, which was combined with bladder conditioning in most instances. This treatment approach had been initiated, administered, and monitored by the nursing staff. Indwelling catheters were used in 4.0% of the situations, and pharmacologic therapy was used in 2.5% of the cases. It is suggested that adult diapers may not be the optimal treatment for urinary incontinence since they treat the symptom instead of the cause. There should be a systematic approach to the classification and treatment of urinary incontinence prior to the long-term utilization of diapers. J Am Geriatr Soc 33:842, 1985