cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The evolution of life in the Universe: are we alone?

In his book Plurality of Worlds, Steven J. Dick (1984) has chronicled the millennia of discourse about other inhabited worlds, based upon deeply held religious or philosophical belief systems. The popularity of the idea of extraterrestrial life has waxed and waned and, at its nadir, put proponents at mortal risk. The several generations of scientists now attending this General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union at the beginning of the 21 st century have a marvelous opportunity to shed light on this old question of habitable worlds through observation, experimentation, and interpretation, without recourse to belief systems and without risking their lives (though some may experience rather bumpy career paths). The newly-named and funded, multi-disciplinary field of astrobiology is extremely broad in its scope and is encouraging IAU members to learn and speak the languages of previously disparate disciplines in an attempt to answer the big picture questions: 'Where did we come from?', 'Where are we going?' ,a nd'Are we alone?' These are questions that the general public understand and support, and these are questions that are attracting students of all ages to science and engineering programs. These questions also push the limits of modern instrumentation to explore the cosmos remotely across space and time, as well as to examine samples of interplanetary space returned to the laboratory and samples of distant time teased out of our own Earth. Within my personal event horizon, the other planetary systems long-predicted by theorists have been uncovered, along with many whose structures were not predicted. The 'just-so' con- ditions requisite for the comfort of astronomers have been understood to be only a very narrow subset of the conditions that nurture extremophilic, microbial life. Thus the potentially habit- able real estate beyond Earth has been greatly expanded and within the next few decades it may be possible to detect the biosignatures or technosignatures of inhabitants on distant worlds, should there be any.
The Effects Of Rapid Thermal Annealing On Si-Implanted GaAs

Undoped and Cr-doped LEC GaAs substrates were implanted with Si at 150 keV with doses from 4x10 12 to 1x10 14 /cm 2 . The wafers were encapsulated with sputtered Si3Nt1 and annealed in a flash-lamp system at temperatures from 850 to 1025°C for times between 5 and 80 seconds. Channel dose implants into undoped LEC wafers give mobilities between 4700 and 4800 cm 2 /V-s for 1000°C, 5 sec. anneals, which are comparable with furnace annealed wafers. A sheet resistance of 61 ohms/sq and a mobility of 2500 cm2/V-s was obtained for a 1x10 14 /cm 2 implant dose. Reproducible threshold voltages can be obtained for both undoped and Cr-doped substrates using rapid thermal annealing.
Chemical effects of thermonuclear plasma interactions with insulator and metal surfaces

Abstract The interactions of chemically reactive ions with insulator and metal surfaces result in specific chemical effects which must be considered in sputtering, blistering, trapping and re-emission processes involving these projectiles. Chemical sputtering and chemical trapping of ion beam flux are examples of chemical interaction effects which are discussed. Bombardment of a niobium surface by oxygen and nitrogen ions results in the formation of sputtered niobium oxide and nitride molecules. The molecular species are identified and characterized by means of their vibrational spectra using isotopic substitution and matrix isolation techniques. Results using matrix isolation spectroscopy for both physical and chemical sputtering studies on materials of CTR interest are presented. Chemical trapping is evaluated as a method of chemically pumping the major fraction of ion beam flux in the divertor of next generation tokamaks.
Increasing precipitation event size increases aboveground net primary productivity in a semi-arid grassland

Water availability is the primary constraint to aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) in many terrestrial biomes, and it is an ecosystem driver that will be strongly altered by future climate change. Global circulation models predict a shift in precipitation patterns to growing season rainfall events that are larger in size but fewer in number. This “repackaging” of rainfall into large events with long intervening dry intervals could be particularly important in semi-arid grasslands because it is in marked contrast to the frequent but small events that have historically defined this ecosystem. We investigated the effect of more extreme rainfall patterns on ANPP via the use of rainout shelters and paired this experimental manipulation with an investigation of long-term data for ANPP and precipitation. Experimental plots (n = 15) received the long-term (30-year) mean growing season precipitation quantity; however, this amount was distributed as 12, six, or four events applied manually according to seasonal patterns for May–September. The long-term mean (1940–2005) number of rain events in this shortgrass steppe was 14 events, with a minimum of nine events in years of average precipitation. Thus, our experimental treatments pushed this system beyond its recent historical range of variability. Plots receiving fewer, but larger rain events had the highest rates of ANPP (184 ± 38 g m−2), compared to plots receiving more frequent rainfall (105 ± 24 g m−2). ANPP in all experimental plots was greater than long-term mean ANPP for this system (97 g m−2), which may be explained in part by the more even distribution of applied rain events. Soil moisture data indicated that larger events led to greater soil water content and likely permitted moisture penetration to deeper in the soil profile. These results indicate that semi-arid grasslands are capable of responding immediately and substantially to forecast shifts to more extreme precipitation patterns.
Reduction in proliferation with six months of letrozole in women on hormone replacement therapy

The objective of this study was to determine if 6 months of the aromatase inhibitor letrozole, administered to postmenopausal women taking a stable dose of hormone replacement remedy, would be safe and would modulate biomarkers of breast cancer risk. The intent was to reduce the proliferation marker Ki-67 while maintaining adequate systemic levels of estradiol so as to avoid perimenopausal symptoms. Postmenopausal women at high risk for development of breast cancer and taking a stable dose of estrogen or estrogen plus progestin were screened by random periareolar fine needle aspiration (RPFNA). To be eligible, the acquired breast epithelial cells had to be characterized as cytologic atypia or borderline atypia with ≥1,000 epithelial cells on the cytomorphology slide; plus ≥500 epithelial cells on a slide processed for Ki-67 immunocytochemistry. Forty-two women were enrolled in the one arm study and received 2.5 mg letrozole per day for 6 months, followed by repeat assessment of biomarkers. Ki-67 was reduced by a median relative value of 66%. There was no significant change in breast cell cytomorphology; ER weighted index score; serum estradiol, testosterone, or IGF-1:IGFBP-3 ratio; mammographic breast density, or frequency or severity of perimenopausal symptoms. Given the dramatic reduction in proliferation, the effect of letrozole on risk and response biomarkers should be explored further in a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase IIB breast cancer chemoprevention trial.
Bayesian methods for erasure insertion in frequency-hop communication systems with partial-band interference

The erasure of unreliable symbols improves the performance of most types of error-control coding if a good method is used to decide which symbols should be erased. Bayesian decision theory is employed to obtain such a method for use in frequency-hop communications with Reed-Solomon coding and errors-and-erasures decoding. The performance of frequency-hop communications with Bayesian erasure insertion is analyzed for channels with both partial-band and wideband Gaussian noise. The Bayesian technique is compared with Viterbi's ratio-threshold test, and these are compared to receivers that do not erase and use errors-only decoding. Comparisons are also made with receivers that erase all the symbols that are affected by the partial-band interference. When interference is strong, large coding gains result from the Bayesian method, and error probabilities are reduced by several orders of magnitude. >
Guaraní voiceless stops in oral versus nasal contexts : An acoustical study

This acoustic study investigates voiceless stops in Guarani that are described as transparent to nasal harmony. Voiceless stops in oral versus nasal contexts are examined in relation to theoretical issues of locality and phonetic implementation. First, the oral/nasal and voicing properties of the stops are considered in connection to proposals in phonological theory that feature spreading produces strictly continuous spans of a spreading property. The stops are discovered to display the acoustic attributes of voiceless oral obstruents; no evidence of nasal airflow energy was observed during closure nor was the closure fully voiced. These results suggest that strict continuity of a spreading featural property is not always found in the phonetic output. Second, the timing of the voicelessness is addressed. Interestingly, the duration of voicelessness of the stops [p, t] remains the same across oral/nasal environments, although the voiceless interval shifts to persevere longer into the following vowel in nasal contexts. The velar stop does not exhibit an increased perseverance of voicelessness after closure release-it displays the longest VOT of all places of articulation, and its VOT remains unaffected by oral/nasal context. It is suggested that incorporating a notion of conflicting realizational requirements in models of phonetic implementation is important in interpreting these results.
The Case for Subsystem Climates in Organizations

The article discusses research on organizational climate (OC), the question of whether OC is an individual or organizational property, and the idea that OC exists at subsystem levels and is independent from them. The OC perceived by an individual employee—for example, a departmental climate—is considered a subsystem climate of the organization. Studies mentioned include: “Organization and Environment,” by P. R. Lawrence and J. W. Lorsch; and “Organizational Climate and Job Satisfaction: A Conceptual Synthesis,” by R. L. Payne, S. Fineman, and T. D. Wall.
The Use and Abuse of Mead: A Case Study

Does anyone read Mead in detail? Kuhn (1964) stated that decades ago knowledge about Mead was transmitted in large part by “oral tradition.” One heard about Mead’s thoughts from his students. Since different students would emphasize different points or drift into their own interpretations, there arose considerable confusion about Mead’s actual position-especially since many people did not take the time to read Mead’s work carefully. The number of misunderstandings that continue to surround Mead‘s views suggest that even today few people read Mead closely and that many still rely on oral tradition or the secondary literature. Collins’ work provides several nice examples of common confusions about Mead’s ideas. Further, it is shocking how people tend to use Mead to legitimate theories that have little to do with Mead‘s own position. For example, Blumer claimed to base his work on Mead’s; but careful analysis reveals major differences, many of which result from Mead’s being an empiricist while Blumer was skeptical of empirical methods (McPhail and Rexroat 1979; Baldwin 1988). Collins is not as far from Mead as Blumer was, but the following paragraphs present observations on Collins’ work that suggest that he has misinterpreted Mead and used Mead as a platform from which to launch and legitimate his own theory without sensitive concern for the actual details of Mead’s work. I agree with Collins that there is room for improving on Ma& and I hope that dialogue such as this will help stimulate work on the reconstruction of pragmatic theories of mind, self, behavior, and society. Since commentators were asked to limit references, I will direct the reader to Mead’s original work by citing the pages in my book, George Herbert Mead: A Unzfring Theoryfor Sociology (Baldwin 1986), where abundant references to Mead’s work are presented. Collins’ elaborate theory of “Mead’s publication block” is quite speculative. Dozens of alternative hypotheses could be presented. Mead appears to have been a poor writer at the beginning of his career, though he improved. In a 1910 article, he admitted that his
Estadificación del cáncer de pulmón mediante punción aspirativa con aguja fina guiada por ultrasonografía endoscópica y endobronquial

Resumen La utrasonografia endoscopica y la endobronquial son metodos complementarios. Combinadas, permiten una estadificacion mediastinica casi completa del cancer de pulmon sin cirugia. Son mas potentes cuando se utilizan simultaneamente, ya que cada una de ellas tiene puntos fuertes y puntos debiles. Es de esperar que con la utilizacion de ambas se reduzca el uso de la mediastinoscopia (un proceso mas caro e invasivo). Se ha demostrado que el empleo de ambas tecnicas conduce a la realizacion de menos toracotomias, lo que beneficia no solo a los pacientes, sino tambien a la sociedad, ya que se ahorran costes. En el articulo se realiza tambien una reflexion sobre los avances mas recientes en este ambito, se examinan los debates actuales al respecto y se presenta una perspectiva para el futuro.
Higher order moment detection of transients in measured shallow-water noise

A comparison between second and fourth order moment detectors is made for three low frequency transient signals embedded in measured ambient shipping noise from a shallow-water area. Detector evaluations must be made over short periods of time because of the nonstationary nature of the noise. Results indicate that the fourth order moment detects better than the second order moment for the two nonGaussian transient signals, but not as well for the more Gaussian transient signal. This suggests that the fourth order moment detector be used in addition to the second order moment detector, rather than as a replacement. The results of detection simulations with independent Gaussian noise are given for comparison to the results with the measured shipping noise. The comparison indicates that gains for the fourth order moment detector over the second order moment detector are higher in the shipping noise than in the Gaussian noise for the two nonGaussian signals.
Individuality of handwritten characters

Analysis of handwritten characters (allographs) plays animportant role in forensic document examination. However,so far there lacks a comprehensive and quantitative study onindividuality of handwritten characters. Based on a largenumber of handwritten characters extracted from handwritingsamples of 1000 individuals in US, the individuality ofhandwritten characters has been quantitatively measuredthrough identification and verification models. Our studyshows that in general alphabetic characters bear more individualitythan numerals and use of a certain number ofcharacters will significantly outperform the global featuresof handwriting samples in handwriting identification andverification. Moreover, the quantitative measurement ofdiscriminative powers of characters offers a general guidancefor selecting most-informative characters in examiningforensic documents.
Meibomian gland secretion

The author proposes a new mechanism of meibomian gland secretion based on a histopathological study of 34 human eyelid specimens. Valve-like projections were found to be present in all of the eyelids examined. These consisted of a central collagenous core (being the continuation of the septae separating individual acini) and an outer keratinous covering. They were shorter in the lower eyelid versus the upper eyelid, and in childhood versus adulthood. The mechanism of drainage of sebaceous secretions seemed to differ between the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid due to differences in the caliber of the collecting ducts, the arrangement of the orbicularis muscle fibers around the ducts, and the size of the valve-like structures. In the upper eyelid, the collecting duct of each meibomian gland is narrow and surrounded by orbicularis muscle fibers just before reaching the outer orifice of the gland. In the lower eyelid, the collecting duct is widely dilated and relatively more completely surrounded by orbicul...
Criterion for light localization in random amplifying media

Dimensionless conductance for light propagating through a random medium with amplification tends to diverge with an increase of gain. This raises questions on the applicability of the localization criteria based on this quantity. To circumvent this problem, we study the properties of the ratio between the transmission (conductance) and the energy stored in the random medium. We argue that the generalized conductance gG ¼ g �ð E0=EÞFconductance normalized by the energy buildup (ratio between energy stored in the medium with gain E to that in the passive system E0)—may be a convenient quantity on which a localization criterion can be built.
Rapid membrane responses to dihydrotestosterone are sex dependent in growth plate chondrocytes

Sex steroids are important regulators for longitudinal growth, bone mass accrual, and sexual dimorphism of the skeleton. 17β-Estradiol regulates proliferation and differentiation of female chondrocytes via a membrane-associated signaling pathway in addition to its estrogen receptor (ER) mediated effects. In contrast, testosterone does not elicit a similar membrane response, either in male or female cells. Whereas female rat growth plate chondrocytes convert testosterone to 17β-estradiol, male chondrocytes produce 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Previously DHT was found to mediate sex-specific effects of testosterone in male cells, but it is not known if a membrane-signaling pathway is involved. In this study, we hypothesized that DHT can induce sex-specific rapid membrane effects similar to other steroid hormones. Confluent cultures of chondrocytes isolated from resting zones of growth plates of both male and female rats were treated with 10(-10)-10(-7)M testosterone or DHT for 3, 9, 90 and 270min and protein kinase C (PKC) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activities were measured. To examine potential signaling pathways involved in PKC activation, male chondrocytes were treated with 10(-7)M DHT for 9min in the presence or absence of the phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U73122, the secretory PLA2 inhibitor quinacrine or the cytosolic PLA2 inhibitor AACOCF3; the Gαi inhibitor pertussis toxin (PTX) or Gαs activator cholera toxin (CTX), and the general G-protein inhibitor GDPβS; thapsigargin, an inhibitor of a Ca-ATPase pump in the endoplasmic reticulum; verapamil and nifedipine, inhibitors of specific L type Ca2+ channels on the cell membrane; and cyproterone acetate (CPA), which is an inhibitor of the classical androgen receptor (AR); as well as the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D, or the translation inhibitor cycloheximide. DHT induced a dose-dependent increase in PKC and PLA2 activity in male cells with the highest increase at 10(-7)M DHT (p<0.05), whereas testosterone had no effect. PKC activity was augmented at 9 and 90 min, and then decreased to baseline at 270min. Neither testosterone nor DHT affected PKC in female cells. U73122, quinacrine, and AACOCF3 inhibited DHT-induced activation of PKC. DHT treatment for 9 min had no effect in [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation in quiescent confluent cultures but caused a dose dependent increase in alkaline phosphatase specific activity. Inhibition of PLC reduced the response of to DHT in a dose dependent manner, indicating that PLC is involved. In conclusion, our study indicates that DHT, but not testosterone, has sex-specific rapid membrane effects in male growth plate chondrocytes involving PLC and PLA2-mediated PKC signaling pathways. Together with previous observations showing that male cells convert testosterone to DHT, these results suggest that DHT might act in the membrane through an autocrine/paracrine mechanism.
Quality pneumonia care: distinguishing community-acquired from health care-associated pneumonia.

Purpose. Differences in the definition, demographics, risk factors, etiology, and treatment for health care-associated pneumonia (HCAP) versus community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are discussed. Summary. Health care-associated infections (HCAI) represent a population of outpatients with exposure to health care institutions and procedures who develop nosocomial-like infections. HCAI are etiologically similar to nosocomial infections with gram-negative organisms, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens predominating. These patients are ambulatory, community residents who often present to hospital emergency departments as would patients with community-acquired infection. Although many differences between HCAI and community-acquired infections, as well as HCAP and CAP, remain to be elucidated, the emerging evidence has identified multiple and important differences. Because of etiologic differences between CAP and HCAP, treatment strategies necessarily differ. Mistaking HCAP for CAP may result in the use of inappropriate empirical therapy, which is an established source of treatment failure, morbidity, and mortality. Thus, it is essential for physicians to be capable of recognizing risk factors for HCAI and HCAP as well as competently select and implement appropriate treatment strategies. Conclusion. The etiologic differences between HCAP and CAP require different treatment strategies. No clinical or demographic characteristics nor signs and symptoms distinguish HCAP from CAP. Rather, physicians must rely on a thorough and careful history of each patient as well as their own clinical judgment.
Changes in unbound sex steroids and sex hormone binding globulin- binding capacity during oral and vaginal progestogen administration

Abstract Four groups of five cycling women each received either a contraceptive vaginal ring containing a combination of either levonorgestrel or norethindrone with estradiol or oral contraceptives containing a combination of either dl -norgestrel or norethindrone with ethinyl estradiol. Pretreatment as well as 2- and 7-week treatment serum samples were assayed for sex hormone binding globulin-binding capacity (SHBG-BC), estradiol, non-SHBG-bound estradiol, testosterone, and non-SHBG-bound testosterone, d -norgestrel, non-SHBG-bound d -norgestrel, and norethindrone. SHBG-BC was significantly increased in the norethindrone oral contraceptive group, unchanged in the norgestrel oral contraceptive group, and significantly reduced in both contraceptive vaginal ring groups. These findings indicate that the positive effect of oral ethinyl estradiol on SHBG-BC offsets the suppressive effects of d -norgestrel on SHBG-BC, while the estradiol in the d -norgestrel or norethindrone contraceptive vaginal rings is insufficient to alter the suppressive effect of d -norgestrel or norethindrone on SHBG-BC. In contrast, the ethinyl estradiol in the norethindrone oral contraceptive overcame the suppressive effect of norethindrone on SHBG-BC, resulting in a significantly increased SHBG-BC level. Although total circulating estradiol was significantly decreased in the contraceptive vaginal ring groups, the percentage of unbound serum estradiol was significantly increased in both contraceptive vaginal ring groups and significantly reduced in the norethindrone oral contraceptive group. Although total circulating testosterone was significantly reduced only in the norgestrel oral contraceptive group, the percentage and mass of unbound testosterone were significantly decreased in the norethindrone oral contraceptive group, while the percentage of unbound testosterone was significantly reduced in the norgestrel oral contraceptive group and significantly increased in the norethindrone contraceptive vaginal ring group. As levels of unbound (biologically active) steroid differ markedly from levels of total steroid, it is essential to measure levels of non-SHBG-bound estradiol and testosterone in order to detemine effects of steroidal contraceptives on physiologically active circulating endogenous steroids.
The human herpesvirus-8 (Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus) ORF 40/41 region encodes two distinct transcripts

The human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) locus encoding ORFs 40/41 is a candidate homologue for the Epstein-Barr virus BBLF 2/3 gene, which encodes the putative primase-associated factor. Northern blot data revealed that two transcripts originated from the HHV-8 ORF 40/41 region. The sizes of these transcripts (2.2 and 0.7 kb) suggested that one transcript was the result of a spliced form of ORFs 40 and 41 and the second transcript originated from a region within ORF 41. cDNA sequence and 5' RACE analysis revealed the removal of an intron between ORFs 40 and 41 and a transcriptional start site 82 nt upstream of ORF 40. The start of transcription for the smaller transcript was mapped to within ORF 41. Regions upstream of the transcriptional start sites were subcloned into a luciferase reporter vector, and transient luciferase assays indicated that distinct promoters drive the expression of each transcript.
The 1893 bogotazo: Artisans and Public Violence in Late Nineteenth–Century Bogotá

Bogota suffered its most severe outbreak of public violence of the nineteenth century on 15 and 16 January 1893. Indeed apart from the bogotazo of 9 April 1948, it was perhaps the worst violence that the Colombian capital has ever experienced.1 For twenty-four hours the city experienced serious social disorder, which was brought under control only by the use of regular army troops at a cost of an unknown number of casualties. Surprisingly, the January 1893 bogotazo has not been subjected to serious historical examination. The role of craftsmen in the outbreak of violence offers a window in the largely unknown course of artisan political activity in Bogota after the decline of the Democratic Society of Artisans in the mid-century reform period. More broadly, whereas the relationship between wage labourers and violence has attracted many scholars, the propensity of the artisan class to engage in violent activities in nineteenth-century Colombia (and in Latin America as a whole) deserves more scholarly investigation. What were the causes and the nature of the 1893 riot? Were they typical of nineteenth-century urban violence? Finally, how does the 1893 riot fit within the broad sweep of Colombian collective violence?2 Before attempting to answer these questions it is necessary to look briefly, by way of background, at Bogota in the late nineteenth century, its economy and society, at the nature of Colombian politics and, in particular, at the role of artisans in bogotano politics and in earlier episodes of urban disorder.
Sexual orientation and demographic, cultural and psychological factors associated with the perpetration and victimization of intimate partner violence among Hispanic men

Hispanics are disproportionately affected by intimate partner violence (IPV). Most of the research describing factors associated with intimate partner violence among Hispanics has focused on Hispanic women or Hispanics in heterosexual relationships. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship among sexual orientation (heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual), and demographic, cultural, and psychological factors and intimate partner violence among Hispanic men. A cross sectional questionnaire was administered to 160 Hispanic heterosexual men and men who have sex with men. Demographic factors (age, education, and income), acculturation, depressive symptoms, and self-esteem were assessed using standardized instruments. Data was analyzed using ANOVA, and simple and multiple logistical regression. Differences in education, income, and self-esteem were noted across participants identifying as heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual. Bisexual Hispanic men had almost four times greater odds of reporti...
Peer Relations and Social Adjustment of Latino and Chinese Children in Head Start Classrooms

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: The present study investigated the role of ethnic similarity in the peer preferences and play quality of Latino and Chinese children enrolled in Head Start classrooms and the relationship between peer acceptance and social adjustment in these groups. Participants were 244 children (M = 4.6 years old) from Head Start preschools located in the greater Los Angeles area. Results showed that both Chinese and Latino children played more with same-ethnic than cross-ethnic peers, but only Latino children showed same-ethnic preferences in friendship nominations. Play dyads of the same ethnic group engaged in more complex play than those of different ethnic groups. Practice or Policy: Findings suggest that preferences for same-ethnic peers are starting to emerge in preschool classrooms. In addition, prosocial behaviors may be important for all children, regardless of ethnicity, to gain peer acceptance. Implications for practice are addressed.
Effects of Surface Roughness on the Pool Boiling of Water

The effect of surface roughness on the pool boiling of water is studied. Five aluminum surfaces of varying roughness were prepared: one polished (0.062 μm RMS) and four roughened by electrical discharge machining (EDM) with surface roughness of 1.37, 2.81, 7.37, and 12.53 μm RMS. All experiments were performed in water at atmospheric pressure and saturation temperature. The roughest EDM surface showed up to a 100% improvement in the heat transfer coefficient compared to the polished surface. The other EDM surfaces (1.37, 2.81, and 7.37 μm) showed up to a 60% enhancement in the heat transfer coefficient compared to the polished surface. Constants are proposed for prediction of pool boiling in water from the polished and rough aluminum surfaces studied using the Rohsenow pool boiling correlation.© 2007 ASME
A model for marker-assisted selection among single crosses with multiple genetic markers

Trait means of marker genotypes are often inconsistent across experiments, thereby hindering the use of regression techniques in marker-assisted selection. Best linear unbiased prediction based on trait and marker data (TM-BLUP) does not require prior information on the mean effects associated with specific marker genotypes and, consequently, may be useful in applied breeding programs. The objective of this paper is to present a flanking-marker, TM-BLUP model that is applicable to interpopulation single crosses that characterize maize (Zea mays L.) breeding programs. The performance of a single cross is modeled as the sum of testcross additive and dominance effects at unmarked quantitative trait loci (QTL) and at marked QTL (MQTL). The TM-BLUP model requires information on the recombination frequencies between flanking markers and the MQTL and on MQTL variances. A tabular method is presented for calculating the conditional probability that MQTL alleles in two inbreds are identical by descent given the observed marker genotypes (G k obs) at the kth MQTL. Information on identity by descent of MQTL alleles can then be used to calculate the conditional covariance of MQTL effects between single crosses given G k obs. The inverse of the covariance matrix for dominance effects at unmarked QTL and MQTL can be written directly from the inverse of the covariance matrices of the corresponding testcross additive effects. In practice, the computations required in TM-BLUP may be prohibitive. The computational requirements may be reduced with simplified TM-BLUP models wherein dominance effects at MQTL are excluded, only the single crosses that have been tested are included, or information is pooled across several MQTL.
Modeling Low-K Dielectric Breakdown in the Presence of Multiple Feature Geometries and Die-to-Die Linewidth Variation

Backend geometries on chips contain a wide variety of features. This paper analyzes data from test structures implemented on a 45nm technology test chip to relate geometry to failure rate statistics for low-k dielectric breakdown. An area scaling model is constructed which accounts for the presence of die-to-die linewidth variation, and a methodology is proposed to determine if low-k materials satisfy lifetime requirements in the presence of die-to-die linewidth variation.
Calcium Influx through TRPV1 Inhibits Piezo Channels via Phosphoinositide Depletion

Capsaicin, the activator of the noxious heat sensor TPRV1 is clinically used to relieve chronic pain. Desensitization of TRPV1 involves downstream PLCδ activation, but the mechanism how capsaicin treatment can also alleviate mechanical allodynia is unknown. Piezo2 encodes rapidly adapting mechanically activated currents in sensory neurons. Expression of these novel mechanosensitive ion channels in a subset of TPRV1 positive neurons suggests their role in pain related sensory mechanotransduction.Our study shows that capsaicin application inhibited rapidly adapting mechanically activated currents in TRPV1 expressing sensory neurons. We also show that TRPV1 activation inhibited heterologously expressed Piezo1 and Piezo2 ion channels in whole-cell patch clamp experiments. Inclusion of either phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] or its precursor PI(4)P in the patch pipette alleviated this inhibitory effect. Activation of PLCβ by stimulating muscarinic receptors only marginally inhibited mechanically activated Piezo1 currents. Experiments using phosphoinositide sensors revealed that activation of PLCδ by a robust calcium influx through TRPV1 severely depleted PI(4,5)P2 and PI(4)P. On the other hand, muscarinic stimulation of PLCβ significantly decreased PI(4,5)P2 levels, but only induced a small decrease of PI(4)P. This differential activation of PLC isoforms may explain the difference between the inhibitory effects of these PLC pathways. Targeted depletion of PI(4,5)P2 and PI(4)P using a chemically inducible lipid phosphatase replicated the inhibition of Piezo1 currents. Additionally, PI(4,5)P2 and PI(4)P applied to excised inside-out patches inhibited the rundown of Piezo1 activity further emphasizing the significance of these phosphoinositides in Piezo channel regulation.Here we demonstrate that the activity of Piezo channels require the presence of either PI(4,5)P2 or PI(4)P and severe depletion of both phosphoinositides by TRPV1 activation limits channel activity. In conclusion our data may explain how capsaicin alleviates mechanically induced pain.
Stochastic Poisson game for an online decentralized and coordinated parking mechanism

This paper proposes a decentralized and coordinated online parking mechanism (DCPM), which seeks to reduce parking congestion at multiple parking facilities in a central business district (CBD) through guiding the parking decisions of a parking coordination group. To establish this DCPM, this study develops a stochastic Poisson game to model the competitions among parking vehicles en route at multiple parking facilities. The equilibrium condition for the proposed stochastic Poisson game is formulated through involving travelers’ parking choice behavior described by multinomial logit model. Furthermore, we prove that the stochastic Poisson game is a potential game with a unique equilibrium. A simultaneously updating distributed algorithm is developed to search the equilibrium solution of the DCPM. Its convergence is proved by both mathematical analysis and numerical experiments. The numerical experiments are conducted to test the efficiency of the DCPM, based on a real-world CBD covering Guicheng Community, Nanhai District at Foshan in China. The performance of the DCPM is compared to three greedy strategies following the nearest first, cheapest first, and least cruise first policies, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the DCPM significantly reduces cruise vehicles and average cruise distance per vehicle from all other three greedy strategies; the least cruise first strategy, which takes advantage of the real-time open spots information at parking facilities, performs better than the nearest first and the cheapest first strategies without the access to real-time information. The DCPM can further improve the benefit of the real-time information. Additionally, in terms of walking distance and parking cost, the DCPM provide a trade-off solution between the nearest first and the cheapest first strategies.
A Macrocyclization of 1,8-Bis(dithiafulvenyl)pyrenes

Dithiafulvenyl (DTF) end groups were linked to the 1 and 8 positions of a pyrene core directly or via phenylene bridges to afford redox-active pyrene derivatives. Upon oxidation, the 1,8-bis(DTF)pyrene underwent stepwise electron transfers to form radical cation and dication species, whereas the phenylene-extended bis(DTF)pyrene derivative was cyclized into a macrocyclic trimer through sequential DTF oxidative coupling reactions in solution and in the solid state. The structural, electronic, and supramolecular properties of the pyrene-based macrocycle were investigated using various spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling studies.
Parallel LOD for CAD model rendering with effective GPU memory usage

AbstractLack of memory is one of reasons that makes rendering of massive CAD models challenging on a single workstation. As CPU main memory size reaches tens of gigabytes, GPU memory is far behind. To render a model with several gigabytes of vertices and triangles, Level-Of-Detail (LOD) algorithms are used to view-dependently select potions of datasets from the data repository on CPU, and then transfer them to GPU at each time a frame being rendered. But, the question of how to effectively and fully utilize GPU memory to achieve best possible rendering quality for an oversized CAD model has not been addressed. In this paper, we propose a parallel LOD approach that uses both view parameters and GPU memory size for adaptive adjustments of geometric complexity. Also, our GPU out-of-core technique minimizes the size of CPU-to-GPU data transfer by taking advantages of frame-to-frame coherence. The experimental results show that our approach effectively renders Boeing 777 airplane model, composed of over 300 mi...
Cardiovascular effects of cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibitors: a mechanistic and clinical perspective

This article is part of a joint Themed section with the British Journal of Pharmacology on Targeting Inflammation to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk: a Realistic Clinical Prospect? The rest of the Themed section will appear in a future issue of BJP and will be available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1476-5381 Prostaglandin (PG) H synthase 2 [also referred to colloquially as cyclooxygenase (COX) 2] represents a key enzyme in arachidonic acid metabolism in health and disease. It is both constitutively expressed in several human tissues (e.g. kidney and brain) and induced in various cell types (including monocytes/macrophages, vascular endothelial cells and colorectal cancer cells) in response to inflammatory cytokines, laminar shear stress and growth factors. Products of COX-2 activity (e.g. PGE2 and prostacyclin) are involved in diverse physiological and pathophysiological processes, including renal haemodynamics and the control of blood pressure, endothelial thromboresistance, pain and inflammation, and colorectal tumorigenesis. Therefore, it is not surprising that COX-2 inhibitors display multifaceted clinical effects, ranging from reduced pain and inflammation to increased blood pressure, an increased risk of atherothrombotic events and a decreased risk of colorectal cancer. The aim of the present article was to review the cardiovascular effects of COX-2 inhibitors [traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (tNSAIDs) and coxibs alike], with a focus on the mechanisms contributing to the clinical readouts of COX-2 inhibition.
Unique anesthetic problems in the elderly patient coming to surgery for fracture of the hip.

Summary This discussion is not intended to recommend one technique over another. We have reviewed some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with various techniques. The point must be made that each patient requires individual evaluation, and the technique selected must take into consideration the evaluation of the patient, the ability of the anesthetist, and the requirement of that particular surgical procedure for that particular surgeon. The anesthetic technique must be designed to fit the patient and not the patient to fit the technique. “When faced with a wet and slippery road on a dark night, a first class driver does not alter his technique in any essential way. He merely doubles his normal safeguards and precautions. He avoids rapid acceleration and braking and reaches his destination very nearly as safely and quickly as he does under good conditions.”33 In other words, it is the anesthetist more than the anesthetic technique that is important.
Fragmentation of [Ni(NO3)3](-): A Study of Nickel-Oxygen Bonding and Oxidation States in Nickel Oxide Fragments.

Gas-phase nickel nitrate anions are known to produce nickel oxide nitrate anions, [NiOx(NO3)y]− upon fragmentation. The goal of this study was to investigate the properties of nickel oxide nitrate complexes generated by electrospray ionization using a tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer and theoretical calculations. The [Ni(NO3)3]− ion undergoes sequential NO2• elimination to yield [NiO(NO3)2]− and [NiO2(NO3)]−, followed by elimination of O2. The electronic structure of the nickel oxide core influences decomposition. Calculations indicate electron density from oxygen is delocalized onto the metal, yielding a partially oxidized oxygen in [NiO(NO3)2]−. Theoretical studies suggest the mechanism for O2 elimination from [NiO2(NO3)]− involves oxygen atom transfer from a nitrate ligand to yield an intermediate, [NiO(O2)(NO2)]−, containing an oxygen radical anion ligand, O•–, a superoxide ligand, O2•–, and a nitrite ligand bound to Ni2+. Electron transfer from superoxide partially reduces both the metal and oxyge...
A Four-DOF Laparo-Endoscopic Single Site Platform for Rapidly-Developing Next-Generation Surgical Robotics

Minimally-invasive laparoscopic procedures have proven efficacy for a wide range of surgical procedures, but have notable shortcomings, including limited instrument motion and reduced dexterity. Endoscopic robots, like the intuitive surgical da Vinci system, have become an effective tool for many types of surgeries; however, these tools still have fundamental limitations with manipulator access, which reduces their effectiveness for many surgical procedures, like colectomy, cholecystectomy, and gynecologic oncology. Laparo-endoscopic single-site (LESS) robots operate in vivo, and overcome many of these limitations. Here, a four-degrees of freedom (DOF) surgical robot is presented as a tool to enable refinement of the LESS platform as a surgical tool, while also looking forward to applications in telesurgery and haptic feedback.
Diet Quality and Its Association with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Vary by Hispanic and Latino Ethnic Background in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

BACKGROUND Healthful diet quality has been associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in several populations, but reports on Hispanic and Latino cohorts, grouped or by ethnic background, have been limited and inconsistent. OBJECTIVE We aimed to examine diet quality by using the 2010 Alternate Healthy Eating Index [(AHEI) range: 0-110, lowest to highest quality] and its cross-sectional association with MetS and its cardiometabolic components across 6 Hispanic and Latino backgrounds. METHODS We studied 12,406 US Hispanics and Latinos, aged 18-74 y and free of diabetes, from the multicenter, population-based Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos cohort. Food and nutrients were assessed from two 24-h recalls. MetS was defined by using the 2009 harmonized guidelines. Complex survey procedures were used in multivariable-adjusted linear regression models to test the association of the AHEI with continuous markers and in logistic regression models with MetS as an outcome. RESULTS The prevalence of MetS was 24.2%. Overall, Hispanics and Latinos had low scores for intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juices, whole grains, and fruit and favorable scores for trans fats and nuts and legumes, according to AHEI criteria. Adjusted mean AHEI and its individual components differed by ethnic background (P < 0.001), ranging from 43.0 for Puerto Ricans to 52.6 for Mexicans. Overall, adjusted odds (95% CIs) of having MetS were 22% (9%, 33%) lower for each 10-unit increase in AHEI. This association was modified by ethnic background (P-interaction = 0.03), with significantly lower odds observed only for Mexicans (30%; 95% CIs: 13%, 44%) and Central Americans (42%; 95% CIs: 9%, 64%) for each 10-unit increase in AHEI. AHEI was inversely associated with waist circumference, blood pressure, and glucose among Mexicans and Puerto Ricans and with triglycerides among Mexicans only, and positively associated with HDL cholesterol among Puerto Ricans and Central Americans (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Diet quality differed by Hispanic or Latino background. Although healthier diet quality was associated with lower odds of MetS in the overall Hispanic and Latino cohort, the association of AHEI and cardiometabolic factors varied by ethnic background. Nutrition-related research and interventions among ethnically diverse groups should consider individual ethnic backgrounds to optimally address diet quality and cardiometabolic health. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02060344.
Bumblebee sonication behavior changes with plant species and environmental conditions

Bumblebees collect pollen from some plants by grasping flowers and vibrating their flight muscles—a behavior termed buzz pollination, or sonication. The extent to which bees can and do alter their sonication has been scarcely documented. We show that bumblebees are capable of changing their vibration frequency. In two field studies, we found that relative humidity, date, and bee size are associated with sonication frequency and/or duration. We found that the frequency and duration of sonications differed on different plants. In a greenhouse study, we found that individual bumblebees change their sonication frequency and duration when collecting pollen from flowers of three different Solanum plants. This suggests that bees may change their sonication behavior to optimize pollen release from different types of flowers.
Orbit Determination Sensitivity Analysis for the Europa Multiple Flyby Mission Concept

This paper details the results of parametric variations on the notional Europa Mission Concept tour navigation strategy on orbit determination delivery and knowledge errors and the associated statistical ∆V consumption. Approach maneuver placement at encounter minus two and a half days and at encounter minus three and a half days is compared to the reference encounter minus three days location as well as variations to the data cutoff for approach maneuver design, which is baselined one day prior to maneuver execution. An execution error model with fixed and proportional components assigned to the magnitude and pointing directions is applied to each maneuver in a Monte Carlo simulation. Variations on the fixed and proportional contributions to both component errors are simulated and analyzed to show the effect of varying thruster characterization levels. The effects of varying levels of a priori satellite ephemeris errors are also characterized in this study.
Hepatitis B and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening Practices in Chinese and African Immigrant-Rich Neighborhoods in New York City.

Background Immigrants from China and Africa have high rates of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, primary care physician (PCP) adherence to screening guidelines in at-risk communities is not well understood.