cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and use of a chromogenic substrate analog for Ap4A catabolic enzymes.

ATP was coupled with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate using a water-soluble carbodiimide to yield 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl tetraphospho-5′-adenosine (BClp 4 A) which is an analog of diadenosine 5′,5′″-P 1 ,P 4 -tetraphosphate (Ap 4 A). BClp 4 A is a chromogenic substrate for three different types of Ap 4 A catabolic enzyme in alkaline phosphatase-coupled reactions. Ap 4 A phosphorylase I from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used as a model enzyme to demonstrate that BClp 4 A stains for enzymic activity in polyacrylamide gels under nondenaturing conditions. A yeast colony assay was developed to detect Ap 4 A phosphorylase I activity in situ using BClp 4 A as a chromogenic substrate. Ap 4 A phosphorylase I was assayed in situ in yeast transformed with a multicopy plasmid containing APA1 , the gene encoding Ap 4 A phosphorylase I. BClp 4 A should facilitate screening of genomic or cDNA libraries for genes encoding Ap 4 A catabolic enzymes.
The limits of market triumphalism in rural China

Abstract China's contemporary paradox springs from spectacular economic growth built upon a foundation of environmental degradation. Combined with rapid social stratification, serious challenges to the state's legitimacy result at a time when its ability to meet the needs of the broad majority is constrained by both structural and political limitations. These contradictions will become increasingly apparent as more critical assessments are made of the reform era. The agrarian sector, through articulation into new markets, is being transformed through short-term practices that emphasize individual income over long-term sustainable development. Using a multi-level analysis, this paper illustrates these issues through village and household case studies in northeast China, contextualized within a brief overview of the reform era, and China's rapidly changing global position.
Characteristics of Dual Reflector Antennas With Gaps Between the Panels Forming the Subreflector: MOM and PO Analysis

Beam shaping is primarily performed by shaping the main reflector. An alternative way to shaping the main reflector is to shape the subreflector in a dual reflector system where mechanically movable panels can be deployed. Panels placed on the subreflector can potentially place their own signature on the antenna pattern, a topic which is investigated in this paper. To visualize and categorize generalized panel alignments as a result of panel movements, MoM and PO/PO methods are devised and applied to 2-D geometries based on TM and TE analysis. It should be noted that the panel movements on the subreflector create gaps between the panels which would also increase antenna cross polarization levels which is not addressed here due to 2-D nature of the analysis. Consequently, this study will focus on the antenna pattern characteristics and the required number of panels in conjunction with minimizing grating/sidelobe signature left by the panels displacements with gaps in axial and lateral directions. In additi...
Spatial Variation in Chemical Properties of Forest Floor and Surface Mineral Soil in the North Central United States

Samples of both forest floor and surface mineral soil (0–25 cm) were collected from plots in 171 forest stands across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Five forest types were represented: Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., Pinus banksiana Lamb., Pinus resinosa Ait., Populus tremuloides Michx., and norther
In vivo staphylococcal superantigen-driven polyclonal Ig responses in mice: dependence upon CD4+ cells and human MHC class II

Staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) B and seven other staphylococcal superantigens (SAg), despite promoting vigorous Ig production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures, are exceedingly poor at eliciting Ig responses in cultures of spleen cells from C57BL/10J (B10) or C3H/HeJ mice. In contrast, SEB elicits Ig responses in cultures of spleen cells from human MHC class II-transgenic mice. Whereas i.p. administration of SEB (0.2-20 microg) to non-transgenic B10 mice elicits very weak in vivo Ig responses, identical treatment of CD4(+) cell-intact (but not CD4(+) cell-depleted) human MHC class II-transgenic mice elicits dramatic increases in both splenic Ig-secreting cells and serum Ig levels. Over a 2-week period, the SEB-induced in vivo Ig responses peak and then plateau or fall in association with a preferential increase in splenic CD8(+) cells. Nevertheless, in vivo depletion of CD8(+) cells has no sustained effect on SEB-driven Ig responses. Taken together, these observations demonstrate that the effects of SAg on in vivo humoral immune responses are highly CD4(+) cell dependent, are substantially CD8(+) cell independent and can be successfully investigated using human MHC class II-transgenic mice. This model system may be useful in investigating the polyclonally activating effects of microbial products (prototypic environmental insults) on the development of systemic autoimmunity.
A Fix-Point Semantics for Rule-Base Anomalies

A crucial component of an intelligent system is its knowledge base (KB) that contains knowledge about a problem domain. KB development involves domain analysis, context space definition, ontological specification, and knowledge acquisition, codification, and verification. KB anomalies can affect the correctness and performance of an intelligent system. In this article, we describe a fix-point semantics for a KB that is based on a multi-valued logic. We then use the fix-point semantics to provide formal definitions for four types of KB anomalies: (1) inconsistency, (2) redundancy, (3) incompleteness, and (4) circularity. We believe such formal definitions of KB anomalies will help pave the way for a more effective KB verification process.
Field Stiffness Reduction Evaluations from Back-Analysis of Pile Load Tests

Starting with the fundamental small-strain shear modulus (Gmax), the mechanical nonlinear stress-strain-strength behavior of soil manifests itself in the form of stiffness reduction under loading. Back analyses of 105 pile load tests combined with a knowledge of soil parameters at the site and pile geometries provide a framework for evaluation of operational stiffnesses at different levels of loading. This paper explains the framework for obtaining the operational stiffnesses from pile load tests and presents stiffness reduction curves (G/Gmax) in terms of logarithm of pseudo-strain (w/d), where w = pile displacement and d = pile diameter. The result affords an approach to evaluating the nonlinear load-displacement response of piles without resort to evaluating the pile capacity. The framework utilizes the Randolph elastic pile model to generate stiffness reduction curves from top-down axial compression load tests, tension tests, and O-cell configurations.
In-hospital outcomes associated with stent-assisted endovascular treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms in the USA

Background Adjunctive stenting has increasingly become an acceptable option for the endovascular treatment of unruptured aneurysms. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was used to compare US in-hospital outcomes related to coiling with and without adjunctive stenting for unruptured aneurysms. Methods Hospitalizations for coiling of unruptured cerebral aneurysms from 2004 to 2008 were identified in the NIS by extracting ICD-9-CM codes for the diagnosis of unruptured aneurysm (437.3) and intracranial stenting (00.65) with coiling (39.52, 39.79 or 39.72) of cerebral aneurysms. All patients with a diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage (430) and/or intracerebral hemorrhage (431) were excluded. Mortality and discharge to a long-term facility were compared between stent and non-stent patient groups using multivariate regression analysis. Results Patients treated with stent-assisted coiling had an in-hospital mortality rate of 0.08–0.8% compared with a death rate of 0.5% (95% CI 0.3% to 0.7%) for patients who did not receive a stent during coiling (p=0.36). Patients in the stent group had a 3% rate of discharge to a care facility (95% CI 1.5% to 5.8%) compared with 5% (95% CI 4.5% to 5.6%) for those in the non-stent group (p=0.14). Patients treated with a stent had a similar likelihood of in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR, 2.12 (95% CI 0.32 to 7.11), p=0.34) and a lower likelihood of discharge to a long-term care facility (adjusted OR 0.59 (95% CI 0.24 to 1.16), p=0.16) compared with the non-stent group. Conclusions Adjunctive stenting adds little in-hospital risk to the endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms. However, the need for dual antiplatelet therapy may predispose to delayed hemorrhagic complications and discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy may lead to delayed thromboembolic complications.
Stylomandibular tunnel widening versus narrowing: a useful tool in evaluating suprahyoid mass lesions.

Aim To evaluate whether qualitative and quantitative assessments of stylomandibular tunnel asymmetry are useful in lesion localization and differentiation. Materials and methods The stylomandibular tunnel was measured in 60 control patients at CT to determine normal side-to-side variation. Twenty-one patients in the study group with suprahyoid neck masses were divided into two subgroups, those with widening and those with narrowing of the pathological side. Surgical and pathological findings in these subgroups were compared for site of origin and histology. Results Stylomandibular tunnel diameters in the control group had a mean variation of 0.9 mm (range: 0–3 mm, SD: 0.83 mm). Two-tailed t-test yielded a p-value of 0.018 for a variation of 3 mm and this was chosen as the threshold for disease. The widened stylomandibular tunnel group all had parotid gland lesions extending into the pre-styloid parapharyngeal space. The narrowed stylomandibular tunnel group had adenopathy, schwannomas, and paragangliomas/glomus vagale tumours arising from the post-styloid parapharyngeal space. Conclusion Qualitative assessment for asymmetry of the stylomandibular tunnel surpass the 3 mm threshold for pathology. Widening of the stylomandibular tunnel is primarily from deep lobe parotid lesions extending into the pre-styloid parapharyngeal space. Narrowing of the stylomandibular tunnel can be from adenopathy, schwannomas, and paragangliomas arising from the post-styloid parapharyngeal space.
Diversity Gains of Power Control With Noisy CSIT in MIMO Channels

A multi antenna channel with partial channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) is studied. The partial CSIT takes the form of the channel matrix corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) with a variance that is assumed to decay as a power of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). It is shown that under a long-term power constraint and in the regime of asymptotically high SNR, a large diversity gain over the channel can be achieved by using rarely a high power at the transmitter that compensates for bad channel realizations. Examples relating the diversity gain of the systems with the channel Doppler bandwidth are discussed.
A cautionary note for retrocopy identification

Motivation: Retrocopies are important genes in the genomes of almost all higher eukaryotes. However, the annotation of such genes is a non-trivial task. Intronless genes have often been considered to be retroposed copies of intron-containing paralogs. Such categorization relies on the implicit premise that alignable regions of the duplicates should be long enough to cover exon–exon junctions of the intron-containing genes, and thus intron loss events can be inferred. Here, we examined the alternative possibility that intronless genes could be generated by partial DNA-based duplication of intron-containing genes in the fruitfly genome. Results: By building pairwise protein-, transcript-and genome-level DNA alignments between intronless genes and their corresponding intron-containing paralogs, we found that alignments do not cover exon–exon junctions in 40% of cases and thus no intron loss could be inferred. For these cases, the candidate parental proteins tend to be partially duplicated, and intergenic sequences or neighboring genes are included in the intronless paralog. Moreover, we observed that it is significantly less likely for these paralogs to show inter-chromosomal duplication and testis-dominant transcription, compared to the remaining 60% of cases with evidence of clear intron loss (retrogenes). These lines of analysis reveal that DNA-based duplication contributes significantly to the 40% of cases of single exon gene duplication. Finally, we performed an analogous survey in the human genome and the result is similar, wherein 34% of the cases do not cover exon–exon junctions. Thus, genome annotation for retrogene identification should discard candidates without clear evidence of intron loss. Contact:mlong@uchicago.edu; zhangy@uchicago.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Earthquake and wind damage repair to return a building to its pre‐event condition

This paper presents an answer to the statement ‘Please recommend the damage repair to the building that is required to restore the building to its pre-hurricane or earthquake condition.’ Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells

A review of the entire research program since its inception ten years ago is given. The initial effort focused on the effects of impurities on the efficiency of silicon solar cells to provide figures of maximum allowable impurity density for efficiencies up to about 16 to 17%. Highly accurate experimental techniques were extended to characterize the recombination properties of the residual imputities in the silicon solar cell. A numerical simulator of the solar cell was also developed, using the Circuit Technique for Semiconductor Analysis. Recent effort focused on the delineation of the material and device parameters which limited the silicon efficiency to below 20% and on an investigation of cell designs to break the 20% barrier. Designs of the cell device structure and geometry can further reduce recombination losses as well as the sensitivity and criticalness of the fabrication technology required to exceed 20%. Further research is needed on the fundamental characterization of the carrier recombination properties at the chemical impurity and physical defect centers. It is shown that only single crystalline silicon cell technology can be successful in attaining efficiencies greater than 20%.
Disparate outcomes for very low birth weight infants: genetics, environment, or both?

Despite these ongoing reductions in overall infant mortality rates, a disturbing racial disparity in infant mortality rates persists, with black infants facing a two- to threefold greater risk of dying than white infants within the first year of life. One source of the racial disparity in mortality rates is the threefold greater rate of births of VLBW infants in the black population, a difference that is independent
Capillary-based separation microtechnologies for pattern profiling of phosphoproteins involved in T cell signaling

Current methods of determining pathogen exposure are bound by the proliferation of the pathogens within the bloodstream, by antibody production, or by the appearance of symptoms as the disease progresses. It is therefore advantageous in treatment, or containment, to have a technique that can detect exposure at an earlier stage. Because protein phosphorylation is an integral part of cell signaling, and one of the earliest indicators of immune system activation, phosphoproteins are an attractive target. We have used sensitive micro-analytical separation techniques, such as capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) coupled to laser induced fluorescence detection, to probe differences in phosphoprotein populations extracted from immune cells. Using both general and specific modes of activation, we have consistently been able to differentiate between profiles or 'fingerprints' from resting and activated T cells. Further experiments are underway to determine the robustness of the method. Development of this application may lead to a tool for rapid determination of immune system activation, which can be beneficial to the medical and biological research communities.
A reduced-size silicon micromachined high-Q resonator at 5.7 GHz

This paper depicts the progress toward a novel high-quality-factor miniaturized resonator operating in the 5.6-5.8-GHz range. The design of the resonator is based on a micromachined cavity loaded with a high dielectric-constant material. Energy is coupled into the cavity from input and output microstrip lines via slots. Quality factors up to 640 are demonstrated on silicon planar structures with a volume of 177 mm/sup 3/. Further size reduction yields a volume of 24.5 mm/sup 3/ and quality factors ranging from 152 to 197, while keeping the resonator integration ability. Bonding techniques and the dielectric loss of the loading material are proven to be the limiting factors in achieving higher quality factors.
Outcomes of late preterm birth: who is at risk and for what?

Studies of outcomes of late preterm (LP) birth, defined as delivery at 32 to 36 6/7 weeks' gestational age (GA), have implications for the largest and fastest growing segment of the preterm population. Neonatal mortality and morbidity are more common in LP children than in those born full term (FT) with normal birthweight
Automated microfluidics for genomics

The Genomation Laboratory at the University of Washington is developing an automated fluid handling system called "Acapella" to prepare microliter reactions for genome analysis. The system prepares 5,000 samples in 8 hours for general-purpose chemistry analysis including DNA sequencing reaction preparation.
Effectiveness of Massage Therapy for Chronic, Non-Malignant Pain: A Review

Previous reviews of massage therapy for chronic, non-malignant pain have focused on discrete pain conditions. This article aims to provide a broad overview of the literature on the effectiveness of massage for a variety of chronic, non-malignant pain complaints to identify gaps in the research and to inform future clinical trials. Computerized databases were searched for relevant studies including prior reviews and primary trials of massage therapy for chronic, non-malignant pain. Existing research provides fairly robust support for the analgesic effects of massage for non-specific low back pain, but only moderate support for such effects on shoulder pain and headache pain. There is only modest, preliminary support for massage in the treatment of fibromyalgia, mixed chronic pain conditions, neck pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. Thus, research to date provides varying levels of evidence for the benefits of massage therapy for different chronic pain conditions. Future studies should employ rigorous study designs and include follow-up assessments for additional quantification of the longer-term effects of massage on chronic pain.
Efficient Synthesis of a Uniformly Spread Layout Aware Pareto Surface for Analog Circuits

Accurate and fast optimization of analog circuits is an important requirement of current synthesis methods. Obtaining the entire pareto optimal surface for conflicting performance objectives is essential for design space exploration as well as circuit sizing. Layout parasitics prevent the circuit from realizing the estimated optimal performance values but are not considered in most existing pareto-front generation methods. We develop a layout-aware circuit matrix modeling method along with an efficient multi-objective optimizer to synthesize the parasitic inclusive pareto-optimal performance surface. The algorithm achieves a pareto surface with points spread uniformly in all regions. The sensitivity of critical performance to candidate design points is used to select the best sizing solution during synthesis. Experiments on benchmark circuits show the effectiveness of the proposed method in obtaining a speedup of an order of 10$^{3}$ with negligible loss of accuracy as compared to SPICE.
“Don’t Let Them Die in Vain” Casualty Frames and Public Tolerance for Escalating Commitment in Iraq

This article builds on past framing research to probe the impact of casualty frames on the public’s willingness to expend additional “blood and treasure” in an ongoing war. The rhetoric of “sunk co...
Physics of electromagnetic and material stresses in optical manipulation

Modeling the dynamics of optical manipulation experiments relies upon a precise mathematical representation of electromagnetic fields and the interpretation of optical momentum and stresses in materials. However, the momentum of light within media has been an issue of debate over the past century. Multiple energy-momentum models have been advanced, each, under certain conditions, agreeing with experimental observation and mathematically consistent with classical electromagnetism. The modern view is that the various formulations of electrodynamics represent different divisions of the total energy-momentum tensor, with the separation of field and matter being ambiguous. Recently, a proposed view of photon momentum identified two leading forms as the kinetic and canonical momenta. The Abraham momentum is responsible for the overall center-of-mass translation of a material, while the Minkowski momentum is responsible for translations with respect to the surrounding medium. However, the Abraham momentum corresponds to multiple, unique electromagnetic energy-momentum tensors that attempt to separate field from material responses (e.g. Abraham, Chu, and Einstein-Laub). However, only the form of the kinetic momentum density has been revealed, while the formulation that uniquely separates the kinetic stress tensor has remained ambiguous. In this correspondence, multiple formulations are considered within the framework of relativistic electrodynamics. We apply various mathematical techniques to identify the kinetic subsystem of electrodynamics. While optical manipulation is usually modeled using a stationary medium approximation, the lessons from relativistic electrodynamics reveal a specific distribution of electromagnetic stress in media. The physics of optical and static manipulation of dielectric particles are described within this framework.
SURFACE DEFORMATION IN ICELAND AND CRUSTAL STRESS OVER A MANTLE PLUME

The horizontal radial flow of plastic material near the top of a mantle plume excerts stresses on the lower lithosphere. The velocity of this flow is a function of the distance from the center of the plume. The radial stress in the lithosphere will be tensional over the plume but compressional outside of the plume, while the tangential stress is tensional throughout the whole region of the radial flow. The difference between radial and tangential stress represents a shear stress. This has a maximum a short distance outside of the plume. If both radial and tangential stress is tensional, as above the plume, the surface deformation will be related to normal faults. High volcanic activity is expected but seismic activity will be low and only small earthquakes will occur because of the low tensile strength of crustal rocks. Where the radial stress is compressional and the tangential stress is tensional, as in areas outside of the plume, the ground de-formation will be largely associated with strike-slip faults. Volcanic activity is expected to be low, but seismic activity may be high with occasional large earthquakes because of the relatively great shear strength of crustal rocks.
Aluminum Nitride and AlON Ceramics, Structure and Properties of

The AlN–Al 2 O 3 system contains three important materials: AlN, AlON, and Al 2 O 3 which have a wide range of properties and uses. This article explores phase relationships in the AlN–Al 2 O 3 system, the crystal structure and chemistry of polytypes, processing and microstructural features of AlN and AlON, and properties and applications of the AlN and AlON phases. The development of AlON as an impact resistant visible light/IR transparent material is highlighted as is the use of AlON in luminescent materials.
Use of Quartz Microtextural Analysis To Assess Possible Proglacial Deposition For the Pennsylvanian–Permian Cutler Formation (Colorado, U.S.A.)

Abstract SEM analysis of quartz microtextures has been shown to be useful for the study of depositional environments in Quaternary strata, and more recently has been applied to ancient strata. Certain microtextures such as curved grooves, straight grooves, deep troughs, and mechanically upturned plates have been found to be distinctive of glacial processes in particular. SEM analysis of quartz microtextures from the proximal ( 3 km) facies of the Pennsylvanian–Permian Cutler Formation where exposed adjacent to the Uncompahgre uplift, along with qualitative (histograms), semiquantitative (ternary diagram), and quantitative (nMDS) techniques were used to assess the hypothesis that this unit may reflect, in part, proglacial deposition. The proximal lacustrine facies depositionally onlaps Unaweep Canyon, a modern feature hypothesized to be an exhumed valley formed initially by late Paleozoic glaciation. The proximal lacustrine facies exhibits an abundance of high-stress microtextures consistent with a glacial influence. Grains from the distal fluvial facies exhibit fewer high-stress microtextures and more percussion fractures, which are expected to increase with transport distance a priori, owing to more prolonged entrainment in the fluvial system. Multiple approaches to data analysis, including visual inspection of raw data histograms, semiquantitative classification of textures using ternary diagrams, as well as quantitative nonparametric multivariate ordination techniques (nMDS) produce consistent results that suggest that the proximal-most Cutler Formation may reflect proglacial deposition. Despite the abundance of precipitation (diagenetic) features inherent to sedimentary strata of this age, SEM microtextural analysis is a useful tool for the study of ancient alluvial systems where other climate indicators are generally lacking.
Imaging Of Airway Remodeling In A Murine Model Of Bronchial Hyper-Responsiveness Using Hyperpolarized Gas MRI

K. Emami, J. N. Rajaei, Y. Xin, P. Mongkolwisetwara, H. Profka, S. J. Kadlecek, H. Hamedani, Y. Xu, A. Barulic, S. Pickup, N. N. Kuzma, B. Ducka, A. Haczku, M. Ishii, and R. R. Rizi Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Pulmonary & Critical Care Division, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States, Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Automatic Analysis of Aeromagnetic Images for Gold Exploration

Archaean lode gold mineralisation is known to occur near major crustal breaks manifesting as large-scale shear zones; which act as conduits for mineralising fluids. Mineralisation occurs in regions of structural complexity adjacent to the shear zones. This paper reports on-going image processing research that aims to automatically detect such geologically significant characteristics from aeromagnetic data for the prospectivity analysis. The current system finds the regions of magnetic discontinuity that are related to shear zones and lithological boundaries, and then identifies prospective regions nearby. The regions of magnetic discontinuity are detected using a combination of texture analysis and bilateral symmetric feature detection, where line-like features representing high local magnetic variations are identified. Then the areas adjacent to the regions of magnetic discontinuity are examined using a 2D fractal surface analysis technique to search for areas with complex magentic expressions that are related to structural complexity. A preliminary experiment was conducted using aeromagnetic data from the Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia and the regions selected by the proposed system contained over 76% of all known deposit locations and 82% of the greater than 1 tonne-deposit locations. Our on-going research also includes identifying the major shear zones from the regions of discontinuity to examine their spatial and geometrical characteristics.
Some Effects of Parental Rearing Conditions and Age on Progeny Birth Weight, Growth, Development, and Reproduction in the Apple Aphid, Aphis pomi (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Parental rearing temperature, rearing nutrition, and morph influenced progeny birth weight and postnatal bionomic processes in the apple aphid, Aphis pomi De Geer. Parental rearing at high temperature resulted in severely reduced progeny birth weight, postnatal relative growth and developmental rates, number of eyed embryos in the ovaries at maturity, and reproductive rate. Values of these parameters were also reduced by parental rearing at low temperature but less severely. Progeny of apterae reared with poor nutrition and progeny of alatae were also small at birth but partially compensated with greater relative growth. Progeny of alatae developed more slowly than progeny of apterae but had as many eyed embryos at maturity. Progeny of malnourished apterae developed at the same rate as progeny of well-fed apterae but contained fewer eyed embryos. Weight of the largest embryo in the aphid ovary was linearly correlated with aphid weight. A linear relationship was found for number of eyed embryos versus mature weight, but the regression slope was steeper for aphids reared below 10°C than for those reared above. Reproductive rate of apterae reared and kept at 20°C peaked 1 week after maturity, then declined exponentially. During the first 2 weeks, reproductive rate was proportional to number of eyed embryos. Adult aphid weight and embryo weight declined with reproductive age. Apterae reared at high or low temperatures had fewer eyed embryos and lower reproductive rates. Reduction in reproductive rate was greater than reduction in embryo number, and was most severe when aphids reared at low temperatures were transferred to high temperatures for reproduction, or vice versa.
The Historical Process of Sinification of Marxism:from the Perspective of Integrity

Reviewing the historical process of sinification of Marxism from the perspective of integrity,it experienced an early period of exploration in which the Communist Party of China was founded; in the period of new-democratic revolution,the first historical leap took place after a preparative stage and the theory of Chinese new-democratic revolution was formed; in the period of socialist construction,the second historical leap occurred after a preparative stage and the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics came into being. These two leaps have different features in respect of historical topics,tense of process and theoretical contributions.
Critical Roles of the Na+/K+-ATPase in Apoptosis and CNS Diseases

The Na+/K+-ATPase is a transmembrane protein that serves as the primary electrogenic ion transporter in the plasma membrane of all mammalian cells. In addition to this critical ubiquitous function, the Na+/K+-ATPase is also essential for several important tissue-specific functions, which include Na+ resorption in the kidney, muscular contraction in cardiac and skeletal myocytes, and membrane repo-larization. Although the Na+/K+-ATPase was first discovered in neuronal tissue, its function has been much more extensively characterized in cardiac and renal tissues, and the roles of the Na+/K+-ATPase as a novel drug target in these systems have been recently reviewed (1, 2). The goal of this chapter is to review the function and dysfunction of the plasma membrane Na+/K+-ATPase in the context of neuronal diseases. More specifically, this chapter will outline the structure, function, and regulation of the Na+/K+-ATPase under normal as well as hypoxic/ischemic conditions. We will review recent evidence on the relationship between the Na+/K+-ATPase and K+ homeostasis in neuronal apoptosis, outline the emerging role of ouabain and other Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitors as endogenous hormones, which activate specific signal transduction cascades by binding to the Na+/K+-ATPase, and evaluate the impact of these signal transduction functions on the role of Na+/K+-ATPase in CNS diseases.
Primary Events in Vision Probed by Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy

A decade of picosecond absorption spectroscopy on visual pigments has unraveled a number of fast dynamical properties about the primary photochemistry of the visual process. The visual pigment consists of a single chromophore, 11-cis retinal covalently bound to a protein in a form of a protonated Schiff base. The visual process is initiated by the absorption of a photon and the subsequent formation of bathorhodopsin. It was established very early that the primary event of vision takes place in less than 6 psec [1]. In fact, this first step still remains unresolved. The observation of weak fluorescence from rhodopsin [2,3] shows that the fluorescence lifetime can be below a picosecond. In this work we will summarize some recent work in our laboratory on picosecond fluorescence spectroscopy in order to understand the underlying molecular changes occurring during vision.
Toward integrating Structural Health Monitoring with Internet of Things (IoT)

Most of the existing Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems are vulnerable to environmental and operational damages. Yet, majority of these systems cannot detect the size and location of the damage. Guided wave techniques are widely used to detect damage in structures due to its sensitivity to different changes in the structure. Finding a mathematical model for such system will help to implement a reliable and efficient low-cost SHM system. Moreover, it can lead to integrate the SHM with the Internet of Things (IoT) for rapid response, off-loading computational power, store data, and and remotely monitoring. In this paper, a mathematical model is proposed to detect the size and location of damages in physical structures using piezoelectric sensor. The proposed model combines both pitch-catch and pulse-echo techniques, and has been verified through out simulations using ABAQUS/Explicit finite element software.
Medium- and long-term consequences of pollution on labor supply: evidence from Indonesia

We use a natural experiment in Indonesia to study the medium- and long-term effects of air pollution on labor supply. We find that exposure to air pollution reduces hours worked and while the medium-term effects are larger in magnitude, some effects do persist in the long term. More interestingly, we are able to provide some insight regarding the underlying channels that contribute to the reduced labor supply. Own health seems to be the only responsible channel in the long term, while in the medium term, a different channel based on dependent caregiving is the most important. JEL Classification: J22, Q53
Increasing College Students' Engagement and Physical Activity with Classroom Brain Breaks

The purpose of this article is to provide practical advice for implementing brain breaks within the college classroom. The article highlights student reactions to the use of brain breaks and provides recommendations for implementing them in the university setting.
Genetic and Genomic Tools for Cannabis sativa

ABSTRACTThe Cannabis industry is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. Given the changing legal status of the plant, and the rapidly advancing research, updated information on the advancement of Cannabis genomics is needed. This versatile plant is used as medicine and for food, fiber, and bioremediation. Insights from modern, high-throughput genomic technology are revolutionizing our understanding of the plant and are providing new tools to further improve our knowledge and utilization of this unique species. This review quantifies and evaluates the currently available genomic resources for Cannabis research, including six whole-genome assemblies, two transcriptomes, and 393 other substantial genomic resources, as well as other smaller publicly available genetic and genomic resources. The open-source approaches followed by many leading scientists in the field promote collaboration and facilitate these rapid advances.
Limb flexion-induced twist and associated intramural stresses in the human femoropopliteal artery

High failure rates of femoropopliteal artery (FPA) interventions are often attributed to severe mechanical deformations that occur with limb movement. Torsion of the FPA likely plays a significant role, but is poorly characterized and the associated intramural stresses are currently unknown. FPA torsion in the walking, sitting and gardening postures was characterized in n = 28 in situ FPAs using intra-arterial markers. Principal mechanical stresses and strains were quantified in the superficial femoral artery (SFA), adductor hiatus segment (AH) and the popliteal artery (PA) using analytical modelling. The FPA experienced significant torsion during limb flexion that was most severe in the gardening posture. The associated mechanical stresses were non-uniformly distributed along the length of the artery, increasing distally and achieving maximum values in the PA. Maximum twist in the SFA ranged 10-13° cm-1, at the AH 8-16° cm-1, and in the PA 14-26° cm-1 in the walking, sitting and gardening postures. Maximum principal stresses were 30-35 kPa in the SFA, 27-37 kPa at the AH and 39-43 kPa in the PA. Understanding torsional deformations and intramural stresses in the FPA can assist with device selection for peripheral arterial disease interventions and may help guide the development of devices with improved characteristics.
Correlation between electrocardiographic changes and coronary findings in patients with acute myocardial infarction and single-vessel disease.

Background: Correlation of ST-segment elevation on the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) with the expected affected coronary territory is established in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), correlation of ischemic ECG abnormalities with the affected coronary territory has not been well-established. We sought to investigate the correlation of electrocardiographic abnormalities with the location of 1-vessel obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with both STEMI and NSTEMI. Methods: In this retrospective study, the charts of all patients referred for coronary angiography in 2012 were reviewed. Patients with a single obstructive coronary artery plus angina-equivalent symptoms and an elevated cardiac troponin I was included. Available ECGs were interpreted by an experienced cardiologist (WSA) blinded to the result of angiography. Patients with complete bundle branch block or ventricular pacing were excluded. Ischemic ECG changes were correlated to a coronary territory based on predefined criteria. Results: Of 131 included patients (mean age 64±13 years; 74% male), 29 had STEMI and 102 had NSTEMI. Eleven of 11 patients (100%) with anterior STEMI had left anterior descending artery (LAD) obstructive CAD. Of 18 patients with inferior STEMI, 14 (78%) had right coronary artery (RCA) obstructive CAD, 3 (17%) had left circumflex artery (LCX) artery obstructive CAD, and 1 (5%) had LAD obstructive CAD. Of 102 NSTEMI patients, 53 (52%) had definite ECG ischemic abnormalities. Of 31 patients with anterior definite ECG ischemic abnormalities, 30 (97%) had LAD obstructive CAD, and 1 (3%) had RCA obstructive CAD. Of 22 patients with inferior definite ECG ischemic abnormalities, 14 (64%) had RCA obstructive CAD, 5 (23%) had LCX obstructive CAD, and 3 (14%) had LAD obstructive CAD. Conclusions: Patients with anterior STEMI had LAD obstructive CAD. Patients with inferior STEMI were highly likely to have RCA or LCX obstructive CAD. Only half of NSTEMI patients had definite ischemic ECG abnormalities. When present, anterior ischemic ECG changes in patients with single vessel CAD with NSTEMI were predictive of LAD obstructive CAD.
System identification of a NiTi-based SMA actuator using a modified Preisach model and adaptive control

We present an experimental method for the modeling and system identification of shape memory alloy-based (SMA) wire actuators, employing minimum-variance adaptive tuning and control to find the parameters of a proposed modified Preisach model. The material compositions of SMAs have inherent properties that induce phase transformations between austenitic and detwinned martensitic crystal structures, with the former occurring at high temperatures and low stresses and the latter at low temperatures and high stresses. Thermally- and mechanically-induced phase transformations, known as the shape memory effect (SME) and superelasticity (or pseudoelasticity), respectively, allow the recovery of plastic deformations and enable SMA wires to behave as actuators. For both phenomena, forward and backward phase transformations display hysteretic nonlinearities. Here, we classify the SME phase transformation hysteresis and modify the classical Preisach model to account for superelastic characteristics observed experimentally. By simultaneously controlling the temperature and stress during static and dynamic experiments, we can identify the nonlinear mapping between temperature, stress, and strain, which combined with the thermodynamic model of actuation cycles describe the complete dynamics of the SMA actuator. The actuator model is validated with experiments in which the SMA wire is statically and dynamically loaded.
Role of Fly Cleaning Behavior on Carriage of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Flies are known to be mechanical vectors of bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases. Although flies are known to transmit disease, the effects of cleaning behavior have not been well studied. This study quantified the cleaning effectiveness and behavior of three fly species: Sarcophaga bullata, Musca domestica L., and Drosophila virilis. Flies were transferred to plates of Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa and allowed to walk on the bacteria for a total of 5 min. After the flies were contaminated, they were either immediately collected to quantify bacteria or were placed onto sterile plates to clean for 5 or 10 min. After cleaning, flies were placed into tubes with 1 ml of sterile 0.85% saline and were gently shaken for 1 min to remove bacteria. A serial dilution was made and 50-µl spot titers were plated. Cleaning behavior was also monitored and scored for a period of 5 min. Results demonstrate a bacterial reduction for both bacteria on all three fly species. Sarcophaga bullata and D. virilis both showed a significant reduction of both bacteria within 10 min, whereas M. domestica only showed a significant reduction in P. aeruginosa. Cleaning behavior increased significantly in flies that were exposed to bacteria compared to flies that were not exposed to bacteria. This study is important, as it demonstrates that fly cleaning could affect mechanical transmission of disease, and additional studies should look at flies' abilities to remove other types of microorganisms.
Complex Pattern Formation from Current-Driven Dynamics of Single-Layer Homoepitaxial Islands on Crystalline Conducting Substrates

Nobody likes micromanaging---never mind nanomanaging. Instead of complex processing, it is very handy to have nanostructures form on their own, according to physical law. This presumes that we know how to set them up to succeed, by engineering their circumstances. Systematic simulations elucidate the kinetics responsible for intriguing, symmetrical patterns of self-assembled islands. This insight enables processing strategies for complex nanopatterning by precise control of a $m\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}c\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}r\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}s\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}c\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}p\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}c$ force, with potential applications in optoelectronics and data storage.
Derived equivalences and sl2-categorifications for Uq(gln)

Abstract We give a construction of sl 2 -categorifications for U q ( gl n ) , for generic q and for q a root of unity.
Family Functioning and Mental Health of Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Youth in the Trans Teen and Family Narratives Project.

Transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGN) youth are at increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes, but better family functioning may be protective. This study describes TGN youth’s mental health and associations with family functioning in a community-based sample. Participants were from 33 families (96 family members) and included 33 TGN youth, ages 13 to 17 years; 48 cisgender (non-transgender) caregivers; and 15 cisgender siblings. Participants completed a survey with measures of family functioning (family communication, family satisfaction) and mental health of TGN youth (suicidality, self-harm, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, resilience). TGN youth reported a high risk of mental health concerns: suicidality (15% to 30%), self-harm (49%), clinically significant depressive symptoms (61%); and moderate self-esteem (M = 27.55, SD = 7.15) and resiliency (M = 3.67, SD = 0.53). In adjusted models, better family functioning from the TGN youth’s perspective was associated with better mental health ou...
Double Auction With Hidden User Information: Application to Energy Transaction in Microgrid

In this paper, a general-purpose double auction mechanism that is specifically relevant for energy transactions among competing buyers and sellers, i.e., agents, in a microgrid has been investigated. This auction algorithm is implemented by means of a microgrid controller (MC), and is individually rational, weakly budget balanced, and efficient (social welfare maximizing). Furthermore, the mechanism does not violate any physical grid constraints and does not require agents’ private information. These characteristics of the auction are accomplished by a suitable surrogate objective function which implicitly maximizes the social welfare while the agents place bids in a selfish manner and can sell or procure energy. The sellers of energy are modeled as prosumers that are equipped with photovoltaic panels as well as advanced smart meters and are willing to participate in selling their excess energy due to saturation in their energy consumption utility curves. Buyers of energy are assumed to be conventional consumers with smart meter capabilities to communicate with the MC and place bids to get optimal allocations. Buyers aim to maximize their energy usage utility plus their payment amount whereas sellers maximize their own energy consumption utility plus the reimbursement that they receive for selling their excess generation. Furthermore, the mechanism allows the possibility of sellers’ coalition where a fair redistribution of the energy supply is possible in a competitive market with less demand and more supply.