cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tyrphostins Disrupt Stress Fibers and Cellular Attachments in Endothelial Monolayers

Abstract Endothelial permeability, which plays a critical role in many physiologic and pathologic processes, depends on the integrity of intercellular and cell–substrate attachments and the actin cytoskeleton. The proteins located at the cytoplasmic face of adherens and focal contact junctions are rich in sites of tyrosine phosphorylation. To better understand the role of tyrosine phosphorylation in regulating endothelial cell shape, actin stress fibers, and cell junctions, we treated confluent calf pulmonary artery endothelial cells with 14 different tyrphostins, a class of specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Using immunofluorescence microscopy to assess cell shape, phosphotyrosine levels, actin stress fibers, and focal contact and junctional proteins, we found that the effects of the tyrphostins could be grouped into three categories. Four tyrphostins had no discernible effect on stress fibers or cell attachments. Seven tyrphostins produced cell retraction with concomitant disruption of both stress fibers and cell–substrate attachments. One member of this group, tyrphostin 25, showed greater specificity for cell–cell junctions than the others, causing cell separation without significantly affecting actin stress fibers or focal contacts. The third group of tyrphostins had the opposite effect, completely disrupting stress fibers and focal contacts without causing cell separation. The ability of specific tyrphostins to disrupt cell–cell or cell–substrate attachments and/or actin stress fibers implies that a certain steady-state level of tyrosine phosphorylation is necessary to maintain these structures and that there may be independent tyrosine kinase signaling pathways controlling them. Comparison of the phosphotyrosinated proteins affected by each group of tyrphostins should provide a useful new approach toward understanding the regulation of endothelial cell–cell and cell–substrate junctions.
Exposure to Feedborne Mycotoxins T-2 Toxin or Ochratoxin A Causes Increased Mortality of Channel Catfish Challenged with Edwardsiella ictaluri

Abstract To evaluate the effect of mycotoxins on the disease resistance of juvenile channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, we conducted an experiment in aquaria under controlled environmental conditions. Catfish were fed a nutritionally complete semipurified diet containing two concentrations of either T-2 toxin (1.0 or 2.0 mg/kg diet) or ochratoxin A (OA; 2.0 or 4.0 mg/kg diet). Mycotoxins were supplied as pure, crystalline T-2 toxin diluted to a known concentration in a carrier of casein and Aspergillus ochraceus culture material containing a known concentration of OA. After 6 weeks of feeding, catfish were challenged by immersion in situ with a virulent isolate of Edwardsiella ictaluri suspended in nutrient broth that provided an estimated 2.25 × 106 colony forming units per milliliter of water. At 21 d postchallenge, significantly (P < 0.05) greater mortalities occurred among catfish fed T-2 toxin, 1.0 or 2.0 mg/kg diet (84.11% and 99.30%, respectively) than among control fish. Fish fed the OA diet (4.0...
Some factors affecting differential excretion of D-phenylalanine in man.

SummaryThis study represents an investigation into the physiological basis of the differential excretion of D-phenylalanine in man after its oral administration. Of the processes investigated: adsorption of the substrate into the blood, inversion to the L form, oxidative deamination to phenylpyruvic acid, and renal function, differences in absorption and renal function were important in accounting for the differential excretion of D-phenylalanine.
Alterations in the hemostatic profiles of dogs with naturally occurring septic peritonitis.

Objective To characterize derangements in the hemostatic profiles of dogs with naturally occurring septic peritonitis and determine if such derangements were predictive of survival. Design Prospective, observational single cohort study. Setting University veterinary teaching hospital. Animals A total of 27 client-owned dogs with naturally occurring septic peritonitis. Interventions Standard treatment included fluid resuscitation, antimicrobial therapy, supportive care, and surgery provided at the discretion of the primary clinician. Blood was collected preoperatively and on days 1 and 3 postoperatively for platelet count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, D-dimer and fibrinogen concentrations, total protein C (PC) and antithrombin (AT) activities, and thromboelastography. Measurements and Main Results Sixteen of 27 (59%) dogs survived. Preoperative PC deficiency was identified in 10 of 11 (91%) nonsurvivors and 2 of 15 (13%) survivors. Preoperative AT deficiency was identified in 10 of 11 (91%) nonsurvivors and 14 of 15 (93%) survivors. Compared to survivors, nonsurvivors had lower mean preoperative PC (98 ± 24% versus 49 ± 26%; P < 0.001) and AT (53 ± 9% versus 32 ± 16%; P < 0.001) activities. Anticoagulant activities decreased on day 1 postoperatively. As a predictor of survival, preoperative PC activity of more than 60% achieved a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 82%. Preoperative AT activity of more than 41.5% achieved a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 82%. The maximum amplitude, α angle, and coagulation index from preoperative thromboelastograms of survivors were significantly greater (more hypercoagulable) than nonsurvivors (P < 0.01), with the maximum amplitude being the most specific predictor of survival (100%). Conclusions Deficiencies of PC and AT and hypercoagulability appear to be consistent features of naturally occurring canine sepsis and may be useful prognostic indicators in canine septic peritonitis.
Collision avoidance techniques for tele-operated and autonomous manipulators in overlapping workspaces

This paper describes the integration of several techniques for cooperative control of both tele-operated and autonomous redundant manipulators with overlapping workspaces. Motivating this research is a tele-operated surgical manipulator(s) supported by autonomous robot(s) that insert/remove items from the surgical workspace. The dynamic and unpredictable location of obstacles in a small workspace requires a complete strategy to avoid collisions when completing critical tasks and minimizes the need for user (i.e. the surgeon) intervention to make path planning decisions or resolve impasse situations. Three techniques are integrated into the decision-making for the manipulators: an intelligent and intuitive EEF velocity scaling, coordinated null-space optimization across affected manipulators, and collision detection. Central to all three techniques is an estimated time- to-collision formulation that combines distances between objects with their higher order properties, thus only objects currently moving towards each other are included in the collision avoidance techniques. The use of multiple techniques derived from the terms of a single metric results in a computationally efficient strategy for tele-operated and autonomous manipulators sharing the same workspace.
Dual infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis and a spotted fever group Rickettsia: A case report

Well-documented cases of simultaneous human infection with more than one tick-borne pathogen are rare. To our knowledge only two dual infections have been reported: simultaneous human infection with the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis and Borrelia burgdorferi and simultaneous human infection with B. burgdorferi and Babesia microti (1-2). Rocky Mountain spotted fever has long been known to be endemic in North Carolina; cases of human ehrlichial infection were recognized there soon after Ehrlichia chaffeensis was recognized as an important cause of tick-borne disease in the southeastern United States. Because both Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis are prevalent in North Carolina, occasional cases of simultaneous human infection by rickettsial and ehrlichial agents would not be surprising; however, no such cases seem to have been reported.
Impact of high-mobility radio jamming in large-scale wireless sensor networks

Denial-Of-Service (DOS) attack is recognized as a biggest threat against the operation of large-scale wireless sensor networks (WSN). Especially, high-mobility radio jamming like vehicles carrying radio jamming device can cause a serious damage in performance of WSNs. Because of resource-constraint design of sensor node, it is hard to provide enough protection against high-mobility jamming attack. Therefore, large-scale WSNs are extremely vulnerable to that type of DOS attack. Recognizing the importance of the problem, we conducted a simulation study to investigate the impact of radio jamming on the performance of a large-scale WSN. Based on the simulation results, the moving speed of radio jamming source has the most conspicuous effects on the WSN performance such as packet delivery success ratio and delay. As the speed changes from 8 m/sec to 1 m/sec, the success ratio drops by up to 10%. On the other hand, the delay increases by up to 55%.
The behaviour of Przewalski's horses and its importance to their management

Abstract Przewalski's horses (Equus przewalskii) are believed to be extinct in the wild; the current known population of 797 animals exists wholly in zoos. The Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is proposing to reintroduce this endangered species into its former Mongogian habitat within the next decade. Knowledge of the behavior of harem-forming equids in general and of Przewalski's horses in particular, is of great importance to the captive propagation and eventual reintroduction of this species. Horses are rarely solitary by nature. Solitary captive animals are prone to pacing. Juvenile male feral horses (Equus caballus) form bachelor herds upon dispersal from their natal band. Zoos can set up bachelor herds as a way of managing surplus males. The older, more dominant feral horse bachelors are the first to acquire mares. Bachelors do not generally obtain females until they are 4 or 5 years of age. The first females acquired are usually 1- and 2-year-old fillies dispersing from their natal band. Because of the age differential, the stallions are generally dominant to their mares. Behavioral impotence may result if captive stallions are given a harem at too young an age, especially if the harem contains older, more dominant, females. Typical harem sizes in the wild are 3–5 mares. Captive stallions with too large a harem may become either apathetic or aggressive toward their mares. Wild horses spend 60–70% of their time foraging. Captive animals may quickly consume their limited amounts of food and develop vices out of boredom. Provision of hay ad libitum reduces the amount of pacing seen in captive animals, and virtually eliminates coprophagy.
Chitosan Film Mechanical and Permeation Properties as Affected by Acid, Plasticizer, and Storage

The effects of acid (acetic, formic, lactic, propionic) concentrations, plasticizer concentrations, and storage time (up to 9 wk) on mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, and oxygen permeability of solution-cast chitosan films were determined. Measured water vapor permeability coefficients ranged from 5.35 to 13.20 x 10 -1 g/m.day.atm. Oxygen permeated coefficients ranged from 0.08 to 31.67 x 10 -3 cc O 2 / m.day.atm. Neither property was affected by storage time. Tensile strength (6.85-31.88 Mpa) also was not time dependent, but elongation (14-70%) decreased with storage time. Lactic acid solutions produced the lowest oxygen permeability values, formic acid the highest. Films formed with 7.5% lactic acid solutions had uniquely high values for elongation at break.
Intracellular activated Notch1 is critical for proliferation of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-associated B-lymphoma cell lines in vitro.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human tumor virus expressing latent antigens critical for pathogenesis. The mechanism by which KSHV mediates oncogenesis has not been fully elucidated. Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway controlling diverse events related to development, proliferation, and tissue homeostasis. Deregulation of Notch signaling has also been shown to be highly correlated with oncogenesis. Here we show that the activated intracellular domain of Notch1 (ICN) is aberrantly accumulated in latently KSHV-infected pleural effusion lymphoma cells and results in increased proliferation. Specifically, growth of the infected cells was dramatically inhibited at the G1 phase by treatment with a γ-secretase inhibitor which specifically blocks the production of ICN. Increased ICN also up-regulated the cyclin D1 cell cycle regulator. Taken together, these studies define an important mechanism directly linking latent KSHV infection to induction of oncogenesis through dysregulation of the conserved Notch signaling pathway.
Software reuse—facts and myths

The concept of systematic software reuse is simple: the idea of building and using "software preferred parts." By building systems out of carefully designed, pre-tested components, one will save the cost of designing, writing and testing new code. The practice of reuse has not proven to be this simple however, and there are many misconceptions about how to implement and gain benefit from software reuse. >
Production preferences cannot be understood without reference to communication

MacDonald (2013) proposes that comprehenders are sensitive to statistical patterns in their language input (Claim 1). These patterns are hypothesized to result from speakers' preferences in production, aggregated over the population (Claim 2). Production preferences are taken to be primarily determined by biases that serve production ease, thereby improving fluency (Claim 3). These three claims, together constituting the core of the PDC, are an ambitious endeavor to tie together several lines of research in psycholinguistics and linguistics. Here, I focus on the second and third claim, that it is predominantly “production ease,” rather than communicative pressures, that drives production preferences and hence language form (M, p. 13; cf. Bard et al., 2000; Ferreira and Dell, 2000; Arnold, 2008; Ferreira, 2008; Lam and Watson, 2010). In contrast, I argue that production preferences and language form are unlikely to be understood without reference to communication. Specifically, production preferences are the result of at least two competing type of biases: biases toward production ease and biases toward ease, or at least success, of comprehension (Zipf, 1949). I refer to a weak version of the second type of bias as robust information transfer.1 Two hypotheses about how robust information transfer might affect production preferences are often conflated in the literature. First, speakers might continuously “estimate” their interlocutors' beliefs and structure their utterances based on these estimates. This claim, often referred to as audience design, is what production researchers (incl. M) tend to have in mind when they reject the idea that production preferences are affected by communicative biases. Many consider this claim implausible because production seems too demanding to allow additional computations (Ferreira, 2008). I share Tanenhaus's position that such intuitions are often misleading (Tanenhaus, 2013). Here, however, I pursue an alternative hypothesis, that communicative biases affect production preferences through learning and generalization across previous experiences (building on Jaeger and Ferreira, in press).
Care-Related Decision-Making Satisfaction and Caregiver Well-Being in Families Caring for Older Members

Families provide care and make decisions regarding care within the context of specific structural characteristics and the broader family environment. This research analyzes data from 244 adult child and spouse caregiver interviews. It examines the impact of structural variables (e.g., caregiver type, elder impairment) and family environment (adaptability, conflict, cohesion) on satisfaction with care-related decision making and caregiver well-being. Regression analysis results indicate that aspects of family environment such as adaptability and conflict are the best predictors of decision-making satisfaction are the best predictors of caregiver depression.
Effectiveness of microporous polysaccharide hemospheres for achieving hemostasis in mohs micrographic surgery.

BACKGROUNDMicroporous polysaccharide hemospheres consist of controlled-porosity spherical particles manufactured from bioinert plant polysaccharide. Microporous polysaccharide hemospheres facilitate hemostasis by rapidly absorbing the fluid component of blood, concentrating platelets and clotting fa
A coherent gradient sensor for crack tip deformation measurements: analysis and experimental results

A first order diffraction analysis of an optical interferometer, Coherent Gradient Sensor (CGS), for measuring surface gradients is presented. Its applicability in the field of fracture mechanics is demonstrated by quantitatively measuring the gradients of out-of-plane displacements around a crack tip in a three point bent fracture specimen under static loading. This method has potential for the study of deformation fields near a quasi-statically or dynamically growing crack.
The Strain Index: A Proposed Method to Analyze Jobs For Risk of Distal Upper Extremity Disorders

Based on existing knowledge and theory of the physiology, biomechanics, and epidemiology of distal upper extremity disorders, a semiquantitative job analysis methodology was developed. The methodology involves the measurement or estimation of six task variables (intensity of exertion, duration of exertion per cycle, efforts per minute, wrist posture, speed of exertion, and duration of task per day); assignment of an ordinal rating for each variable according to exposure data; then assignment of a multiplier value for each variable. The Strain Index is the product of these six multipliers. Preliminary testing suggests that the methodology accurately identifies jobs associated with distal upper extremity disorders versus jobs that are not; however, large-scale studies are needed to validate and update the proposed methodology.
Bandpass filter design using a microstrip triangular loop resonator with dual-mode operation

A bandpass filter (BPF) design using a dual-mode microstrip triangular loop resonator is presented for the first time. The circuit produces frequency responses with one real finite frequency transmission zero and one imaginary finite frequency zero on either side of the passband. Depending on the perturbation arrangement, the nature of the coupling between degenerate modes causes the zeros to exchange their axis locations from real to imaginary and from imaginary to real while keeping their magnitude. This behavior results in frequency responses that are suitable for applications with asymmetrical requirements. Results show 8% bandwidth filters with insertion loss ranging from 0.82 dB to 1.4dB at 10 GHz. Advantages in size reduction and design flexibility are demonstrated when the triangular loop is compared to other dual-mode resonators.
A Systematic Study on Peer-to-Peer Botnets

Botnet" is a network of computers that are compro- mised and controlled by an attacker. Botnets are one of the most serious threats to today's Internet. Most current botnets have centralized command and control (C&C) architecture. However, peer-to-peer (P2P) structured botnets have gradually emerged as a new advanced form of botnets. Without central C&C servers, P2P botnets are more resilient to defenses and coun- termeasures than traditional centralized botnets. In this paper, we systematically study P2P botnets along multiple dimensions: bot candidate selection, network construction, C&C mechanisms and communication protocols, and mitigation approaches. We carefully study two defense approaches: index poisoning and sybil attack. According to the common idea shared by them, we are able to give analytical results to evaluate their performance. We also propose possible counter techniques which might be developed by attackers against index poisoning and sybil attack defenses. In addition, we obtain one interesting finding: compared to traditional centralized botnets, by using index poisoning technique, it is easier to shut down or at least effectively mitigate P2P botnets that adopt existing P2P protocols and rely on file index to disseminate commands.
A new VSL scheme for multi-rate DS-CDMA systems

This paper considers multiuser detection in variable-spreading-length (VSL) multi-rate direct-sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) systems. In such systems, linear multiuser receivers for users transmitting at data rates higher than the basic rate in general need to be time-varying. This makes the adaptive implementation of these receivers difficult. Here, a two-layer spreading code scheme is proposed which facilitates the low complexity adaptive implementation of linear MMSE multiuser receivers in a dual-rate system. Extension of this scheme to more general multi-rate systems is straightforward. It is demonstrated via analysis and simulation results that this scheme achieves good performance.
Long-Term Effects of Perinatal Loss

A small-scale interview study of 34 randomly identified adults who had experienced amongst them 55 instances of perinatal loss explored the memory of the event and the personal meaning ascribed to it, the nature of support involved, and ways of dealing with grief that had lasted over periods as long as 44 years. Individuality of experience, and interpretation of it, changes over time, dissonance between spouses' reactions, mourning for disappointment with husbands' supportiveness, and lack of use or usefulness of professional support systems are primary findings.
Limitations on Structural Principles of Distributive Justice: The Case of Discrete Idiosyncratic Goods

Part V features analyses of justice conceptions and processes in resource exchange. In Chap. 22, Richard Galvin and Charles Lockhart distinguish among types of goods which have significant implications for theories of distributive justice. They provide a general account of two sets of properties on the bases of which goods can be distinguished: fungibility versus nonfungibility and divisibility versus indivisibility. Further, they contend that these distinctions entail complications for structural principles of distributive justice (i.e., principles such as maximin that distribute payoffs to positions). As an example Galvin and Lockhart consider James Fishkin’s (Fishkin, J. S. (1983). Justice, equal opportunity and the family. New Haven: Yale University Press.) discussion of structural principles, arguing that his view (1) that value, structure, and assignment are independent holds only to the degree that the goods considered are fungible and divisible, (2) that structural principles face difficulties beyond those which Fishkin (Fishkin, J. S. (1979). Tyranny and legitimacy: A critique of political theories. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.) identifies and addresses with his principle of nontyranny, since structural principles cannot accommodate highly nonfungible, indivisible goods, and (3) that these difficulties can be managed through the application of a value-sensitivity proviso. The authors show that two important goods, medical care and advanced education, are highly nonfungible and indivisible and thus support the distinctions drawn earlier. Finally, they specify the nature of complementary contributions as well as coordination problems between structural principles and the value-sensitivity proviso in their application to distributive justice issues.
An internal-multiple elimination algorithm for all first-order internal multiples for a 1D earth

The ISS (Inverse-Scattering-Series) internal-multiple attenuation algorithm (Araujo et al. (1994),Weglein et al. (1997) and Weglein et al. (2003)) can predict the correct time and approximate amplitude for all first-order internal multiples without any subsurface information. When combined with an energy minimization adaptive subtraction, the ISS internal multiple attenuation algorithm can effectively remove internal multiples when the primaries and internal multiples are separated, and not overlapping or proximal. One of issues that the adaptive subtraction is addressing is the difference between the amplitude of the internal multiple and the approximate amplitude of the attenuation algorithm prediction. However, under certain circumstances, both offshore and onshore, internal multiples are often proximal to or interfering with primaries and the criteria of adaptive subtraction may fail, since the energy can increase when e.g., a multiple is removed from an interfering primary. Therefore, in these situations, the task of removing internal multiples without damaging primaries becomes more challenging and subtle and currently beyond the collective capability of the petroleum industry. Weglein (2014) proposed a three-pronged strategy for providing an effective response to this pressing and prioritized challenge. One part of the strategy is to develop an internal-multiple elimination algorithm that can predict both the correct amplitude and correct time for all internal multiples. In this paper, we provide an ISS internalmultiple elimination algorithm for all first-order internal multiples generated from all reflectors in a 1D earth and provide an example from an elastic synthetic data that shows the value provided by the new algorithm in comparison with the value provided by the internal multiple attenuation algorithm.
Implementation of Forestry Best Management Practices on Biomass and Conventional Harvesting Operations in Virginia

Logging residues are often utilized as a Best Management Practice (BMP) for stabilizing bare soil on forest harvesting operations. As utilization of woody biomass increases, concern has developed regarding availability of residues for implementing BMPs. The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) inspects all logging operations in Virginia and randomly selects a portion of harvests for more intensive audits. The VDOF BMP audit process intensively evaluates implementation of BMPs in seven categories (84 specific BMPs) on 240 sites per year. This research analyzed three years of audit data (2010–2012) to quantify differences in BMP implementation between biomass and conventional harvesting operations. Among 720 audited tracts, 97 were biomass harvests, with 88 occurring in the Piedmont region. Only the streamside management zone (SMZ) category had significant implementation percentage differences between biomass (83.1%) and conventional harvests (91.4%) (p = 0.0007) in the Piedmont. Specific areas where biomass harvesting operations had lower implementation were generally not related to a lack of residues available for implementing BMPs, but rather were from a lack of appropriate SMZs, overharvesting within SMZs, or inadequate construction of roads, skid trails, and stream crossings. Existing BMP recommendations already address these areas and better implementation would have negated these issues.
Deposition of Fluorinated Silicon Nitride using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition Technique

High hydrogen content of ammonia/silane deposited silicon nitride films has been linked to instability in electronic devices such as MOSFET's MNOSFET's and TFT's. Fluorine has been proposed to help reduce the hydrogen content of these films. In this work, NF 3 was used as a fluorinating agent. Optical and electrical properties were studied as a function of NF 3 flow rate. A maximum optical gap of 5.3 eV was obtained with NF 3 as compared to 3.2 eV without. The dielectric strength improved from 4 to 10 MV/cm with the addition of NF 3 . FTIR data show that the Si-N peak shifts to higher wave numbers and the Si-H peak drops below the detection limit with the addition of NF 3 . Also, the broad Si-N peak at 850 cm -1 is composed of many individual peaks which become discernable when a stainless steel screen is placed in front of the substrate. As the NF 3 concentration is increased, a new peak at 1030–1060 cm -1 appears. This may be associated with a N-F vibration (1030 cm -1 ).
Click Conjugation of Peptide to Hydrogel Nanoparticles for Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery

Here we introduce a modified peptide-decorated polymeric nanoparticle (NP) for cancer cell targeting, which can deliver drugs, such as doxorubicin (Dox), to several kinds of cancer cells. Specifically, we employ a nucleolin-targeting NP, with a matrix based on a copolymer of acrylamide (AAm) and 2-carboxyethyl acrylate (CEA). The negatively charged co(CEA-AAm) NP was conjugated with a nucleolin-targeting F3 peptide using a highly efficient and specific copper(I) catalyzed azide–alkyne click reaction. F3 peptide binds to angiogenic tumor vasculatures and other nucleolin overexpressing tumor cells. Attaching F3 peptide onto the NP increases the NP uptake by the nucleolin-expressing glioma cell line 9L and the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Notably, the F3-conjugated NPs show much higher uptake by the nucleolin-overexpressing glioma cell line 9L than that by the breast cancer cell line MCF-7, the latter having a lower expression of nucleolin on its plasma membrane surface. Moreover, the F3 peptide also drama...
Design of A WSN Platform based on ZigBee Technology

Through the research of the ZigBee wireless sensor network technology,a wireless sensor network platform based on ZigBee is designed using Atmega128L and CC2420 chips.This paper gives a detailed description of the structural design for the hardware platform,and the test shows that this platform has the advantages of low power consumption,high reliability,easy networking and good stability,which has wide application foreground.
The Uncertainty Principle of Game Theory

In 1928, von Neumann's minimax theorem [33] on two-player, zero-sum games showed that, in general, optimal strategies of players are random, even if the rules of the game do not involve chance. In this paper we investigate the degree of uncertainty or randomness possible in optimal strategies. We show that Heisenberg's uncertainty principle of physics corresponds to a similar principle for zero-sum games and derive an explicit lower bound for the uncertainty of a game. We also demonstrate that this lower bound is a constraint on the set of possible optimal strategies and apply it to develop a simple but effective method for finding an approximately optimal strategy. A two-player, finite, zero-sum game is traditionally described by a payoff matrix A = iatj), where the rows correspond to the strategies of the first player (P) and the columns correspond to the strategies of the second player (Q). (The reason for these particular player "names" will become apparent later.) The individual strategies / and j are called pure strategies. The real number ai} is simply the amount of money or payoff that the first player receives from the second player if the first player chooses strategy "/" and the second player chooses strategy "/'; the chosen strategy of the opponent is unknown to each player. If
Computing Motion Dependent Afferent Activity During Cat Locomotion Using a Forward Dynamics Musculoskeletal Model

The structure and function of mammalian locomotor central pattern generators (CPGs) and their control by afferent feedback in vivo are not completely understood. The aim of this study was to develop a forward dynamics model of cat hindlimbs that using neural or muscle activity as input generates realistic locomotion mechanics and motion-dependent afferent activity. This model can be combined with CPG models to study the spinal control of locomotion using a comprehensive closed-loop neuromechanical model. The developed planar, 10-DOF model of two cat hindlimbs with 18 Hill-type muscle actuators generated realistic walking mechanics and firing rates of muscle type Ia, Ib, II and paw pad cutaneous afferents matching experimental results. The afferent activities were obtained from computed muscle fiber length and velocity, tendon force and simplified relationships transforming these mechanical variables to the afferent firing rates. The computed afferent signals were consistent with their suggested role in triggering locomotor phase transitions.
Temperature Dependent Thermal Conductivity and Elastic Properties of a-InGaZnO 4 and a-In 2 Ga 2 ZnO 7 Thin Films

Amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O is an important oxide semiconductor in advanced display technologies. Despite its importance, little has been reported on the thermal and elastic properties of this material. Here, the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity, shear modulus, and internal friction of a-InGaZnO4 and a-In2Ga2ZnO7 films are presented. The thermal conductivity of a-In2Ga2ZnO7, measured from 100 K to room temperature, was found to be larger than that of a-InGaZnO4 over the entire temperature range. At room temperature the thermal conductivities were 1.9 W/m K and 1.4 W/m K for the a-In2Ga2ZnO7 and a-InGaZnO4 films, respectively. The shear modulus and internal friction of these films were measured in the temperature range of 340 mK to 65 K. At 4.2 K the shear modulus of the a-InGaZnO4 and a-In2 Ga2ZnO7 films was 44 GPa and 42 GPa, respectively. The internal friction of thin films at each composition exhibited a temperature dependence and magnitude that is in agreement with that observed in all amorphous solids. As the self-heating effect is of concern in the development of amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O based thin film transistors on low thermal conductivity substrates, a thermal model of such a device utilizing a-In2Ga2ZnO7 or a-InGaZnO4 as the active layer was explored. It was found that the temperature increase of the thin film transistor channel is essentially independent of the thermal conductivity of the active layer.
Social Rhythm Therapies for Mood Disorders: an Update

Social rhythms are patterns of habitual daily behaviors that may impact the timing of the circadian system directly or indirectly through light exposure. According to the social rhythm hypothesis of depression, depressed individuals possess a vulnerability in the circadian timing system that inhibits natural recovery after disrupting life events. Social rhythm therapies (SRTs) support the implementation of regular, daily patterns of activity in order to facilitate recovery of circadian biological processes and also to improve mood. The majority of SRT research has examined interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) for bipolar disorder. Recent studies have examined IPSRT in inpatient settings, using alternative modes of delivery (group, combined individual and group, internet-based applications) and with brief timeframes. New forms of SRTs are developing that target mood in individuals who have experienced specific types of stressful life events. This manuscript reviews the theoretical and biological bases of SRTs and current literature on SRT outcomes.
Introduction: High Performance Computing and the Technology of Switch-based Computer Networks

Many important research problems in mathematics, science and engineering can only be solved by means of very demanding computations on supercomputers. Since these machines are very expensive, they are rare. Hence it is difficult to get access to them. The recent introduction of new high-speed network technologies may change this situation. In the near future, the combined computational power of a cluster of workstations interconnected by a high-speed local area network is likely to be comparable to that of a current stand-alone supercomputer. Such cost-effective and scalable facilities promise to become the workhorse of future large-scale scientific and engineering applications. Access to such facilities is particularly important for universities, as a more cost-effective substitute for expensive, traditional supercomputers.
Lasting Effects of Wing Tags on Ring-Billed Gulls

Etude des effets a long-terme des marquages sur Larus delawarensis. Les effets sont etudies en relation avec le comportement reproducteur et plus particulierement les performances reproductrices des individus portant differents types de marque
Small Representations of Finite Classical Groups

Finite group theorists have established many formulas that express interesting properties of a finite group in terms of sums of characters of the group. An obstacle to applying these formulas is lack of control over the dimensions of representations of the group. In particular, the representations of small dimensions tend to contribute the largest terms to these sums, so a systematic knowledge of these small representations could lead to proofs of important conjectures which are currently out of reach. Despite the classification by Lusztig of the irreducible representations of finite groups of Lie type, it seems that this aspect remains obscure. In this note we develop a language which seems to be adequate for the description of the “small” representations of finite classical groups and puts in the forefront the notion of rank of a representation. We describe a method, the “eta correspondence”, to construct small representations, and we conjecture that our construction is exhaustive. We also give a strong estimate on the dimension of small representations in terms of their rank. For the sake of clarity, in this note we describe in detail only the case of the finite symplectic groups.
Multimodal registration of SD-OCT volumes and fundus photographs using histograms of oriented gradients

With availability of different retinal imaging modalities such as fundus photography and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), having a robust and accurate registration scheme to enable utilization of this complementary information is beneficial. The few existing fundus-OCT registration approaches contain a vessel segmentation step, as the retinal blood vessels are the most dominant structures that are in common between the pair of images. However, errors in the vessel segmentation from either modality may cause corresponding errors in the registration. In this paper, we propose a feature-based registration method for registering fundus photographs and SD-OCT projection images that benefits from vasculature structural information without requiring blood vessel segmentation. In particular, after a preprocessing step, a set of control points (CPs) are identified by looking for the corners in the images. Next, each CP is represented by a feature vector which encodes the local structural information via computing the histograms of oriented gradients (HOG) from the neighborhood of each CP. The best matching CPs are identified by calculating the distance of their corresponding feature vectors. After removing the incorrect matches the best affine transform that registers fundus photographs to SD-OCT projection images is computed using the random sample consensus (RANSAC) method. The proposed method was tested on 44 pairs of fundus and SD-OCT projection images of glaucoma patients and the result showed that the proposed method successfully registers the multimodal images and produced a registration error of 25.34 ± 12.34 μm (0.84 ± 0.41 pixels).
Reproductive Development of Female Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Mid-Atlantic: Presence of Multivoltine Populations

The plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), is a key pest of pome and stone fruit throughout eastern and central North America. There are two strains of plum curculio, the univoltine ‘north...
Prospective risk factors for post-deployment heavy drinking and alcohol or substance use disorder among US Army soldiers.

BackgroundInvestigations of drinking behavior across military deployment cycles are scarce, and few prospective studies have examined risk factors for post-deployment alcohol misuse.MethodsPrevalence of alcohol misuse was estimated among 4645 US Army soldiers who participated in a longitudinal survey. Assessment occurred 1–2 months before soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 (T0), upon their return to the USA (T1), 3 months later (T2), and 9 months later (T3). Weights-adjusted logistic regression was used to evaluate associations of hypothesized risk factors with post-deployment incidence and persistence of heavy drinking (HD) (consuming 5 + alcoholic drinks at least 1–2×/week) and alcohol or substance use disorder (AUD/SUD).ResultsPrevalence of past-month HD at T0, T2, and T3 was 23.3% (s.e. = 0.7%), 26.1% (s.e. = 0.8%), and 22.3% (s.e. = 0.7%); corresponding estimates for any binge drinking (BD) were 52.5% (s.e. = 1.0%), 52.5% (s.e. = 1.0%), and 41.3% (s.e. = 0.9%). Greater personal life stress during deployment (e.g., relationship, family, or financial problems) – but not combat stress – was associated with new onset of HD at T2 [per standard score increase: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.20, 95% CI 1.06–1.35, p = 0.003]; incidence of AUD/SUD at T2 (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.25–1.89, p < 0.0005); and persistence of AUD/SUD at T2 and T3 (AOR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.08–1.56, p = 0.005). Any BD pre-deployment was associated with post-deployment onset of HD (AOR = 3.21, 95% CI 2.57–4.02, p < 0.0005) and AUD/SUD (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.27–2.70, p = 0.001).ConclusionsAlcohol misuse is common during the months preceding and following deployment. Timely intervention aimed at alleviating/managing personal stressors or curbing risky drinking might reduce risk of alcohol-related problems post-deployment.
Where should I lay my eggs? Oviposition choices of a shelter‐building moth and the shifting danger of being parasitized

Young unable to move freely depend on their parents to place them in sites with superior resources or protection from unfavorable factors. The preference‐performance hypothesis holds that females should oviposit on sites that maximize the performance of their offspring. Shelters may provide their inhabitants with superior food resources, protection from enemies, and ameliorated physical factors. Accordingly, one might predict that females would prefer shelters to alternatives, since they might provide enemy‐free space. However, Herpetogramma theseusalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) fern moths oviposited both in shelters constructed on sensitive ferns (Onoclea sensibilis L., Dryopteridaceae) and on exposed fern pinnae, perhaps as a bet‐hedging tactic. The moths laid eggs on the outer parts of the shelters, but after hatching the young caterpillars moved toward the center of the shelters, often beyond the reach of their common larval parasitoid, Alabagrus texanus (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Although caterpillars in both areas grew at the same rate, those in shelters were parasitized less frequently than those on exposed pinnae. However, shelters senesced from the center to the periphery, depriving the caterpillars of progressively more of their food source and eventually forcing them into the open, potentially increasing their vulnerability. But numbers of wasps decreased simultaneously; hence, most caterpillars were not exposed until danger from the parasitoids had greatly diminished. Thus, offspring of females ovipositing in shelters experienced superior success, consistent with the preference‐performance hypothesis, but through lowered mortality via use of enemy‐free space, rather than superior feeding conditions.
Health Financing Functions in Community Based Health Insurance Schemes and Health Equity in Kenya

The aim of this study was to establish how the healthcare financing functions are modeled within CBHIs and how they have impacted on realization of health equity with government stewardship being treated as the moderating factor. The study adopted descriptive and explanatory research designs to collect data from four members each management team of all registered CBHIs in Kenya. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, path analysis and multivariate regression analysis in terms of structural modeling equation (SEM) were conducted to determine the hypothesized relationships between the health financing functions and their impact on health equity in Kenya. The study shows that enrolment and strategic purchasing in CBHIs accounted for variation in health equity in terms of increasing access to quality healthcare services. With the introduction of government stewardship as the moderating factor, the variation of health equity accounted for by enrolment and strategic purchasing increased. It was therefore inferred that the government should define the place of CBHIs within the context of the national health financing policy for realization of health equity by instituting the necessary legal and regulatory framework.
Green Library Buildings: A Sustainable Process

Abstract Due to the rapid growth of technology, we have reached the tipped point where we can re-invent and revamp administrative structures. Green buildings are also one of the creations of modern architectures that are widely used in latest technologies. US based LEED and Indian based IGBC are accredited with their rating scale to show how modern buildings are constructed as eco-friendly with the nature. Library and librarian are directly related to the society, they should not harm our nature but they should play as role leader to save our natural environment. This paper deals with what green library building is, how they are accredited, what are the things required for, and also what is the future of Green Library Buildings in our modern India.
Induction immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients older than 60 years of age : safety and efficacy of ATGAM, OKT3 and Simulect.

The choice of induction immunosuppression for kidney transplantation in elderly recipients is dictated by the consideration of the risk of infection as well as efficacy in the prevention of acute rejection, thus allowing a reduction in subsequent maintenance immunosuppression and its attendant long-term adverse effects. To compare the efficacy and safety of the antibody induction immunosuppression strategies in elderly recipients of kidney transplants. We present retrospective data analysis on 183 kidney transplant recipients ≥60 years of age at Hahnemann University Hospital (Philadelphia, PA, USA) over a 12-year period. We compared four consecutive cohorts of kidney transplant recipients receiving lymphocyte immune globulin, equine antithymocyte globulin (ATGAM®) [n = 29]; muromonab CD3 (OKT3®) [n = 45]; basiliximab (Simulect®) with corticosteroid maintenance [n = 40]; and Simulect® without corticosteroid maintenance (n = 69). Delayed graft function (DGF) was observed in 48% of patients receiving ATGAM®, 35.6% in the OKT3® group and 35% in the Simulect® group with corticosteroid maintenance and 36.2% in the Simulect® group without corticosteroid maintenance. The rejection rate within the first 3 months was 31% in the ATGAM® and OKT3® groups, 17.5% in the Simulect® group with corticosteroid maintenance and 14.5% in the Simulect® group without corticosteroid maintenance. These differences for DGF and acute rejection were statistically significant between patients receiving ATGAM® and OKT3®, ATGAM® or OKT3® and both groups of Simulect® (all p < 0.05). Patients receiving Simulect® were free of adverse effects typically encountered by patients receiving polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies for induction. Patients receiving Simulect® had much shorter hospital stays and benefited from significant reduction of costs compared with other groups. Our data indicate that kidney transplant recipients ≥60 years of age benefit from induction therapy with Simulect® followed by corticosteroid-free maintenance immunosuppression.
NRF2 and the Hallmarks of Cancer.

The transcription factor NRF2 is the master regulator of the cellular antioxidant response. Though recognized originally as a target of chemopreventive compounds that help prevent cancer and other maladies, accumulating evidence has established the NRF2 pathway as a driver of cancer progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. Recent studies have identified new functions for NRF2 in the regulation of metabolism and other essential cellular functions, establishing NRF2 as a truly pleiotropic transcription factor. In this review, we explore the roles of NRF2 in the hallmarks of cancer, indicating both tumor suppressive and tumor-promoting effects.