cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thinking about Self in a Family Way

I never had to worry about my identity as a middle school music teacher. Or as an off-hours videotape editor. Or as a paper boy, retail clerk, or warehouse worker. As an academic, though, I think about it all the time-perhaps not identity so often as subjectivity, and perhaps not my own so much as others'. Yet the connections between self and subject are seemingly obvious. My first book, Playing Indian, tried to take seriously people with pale faces who would be "Indian."' "That," said some acquaintances, "has got to be personal!" My next project turns to my own family, asking how mixed blood and culture bounded and created my grandparents and great-aunt. In effect, it stands as a matched bookend to the first project: one concerned with whiteness, the other with a family way of thinking about race, culture, and Indianness. While I continue to insist that these projects are not about me, per se, I can hardly deny that they are informed by my own curious position. It feels as if a recent self, apparent for perhaps fifteen years, asks most of my questions. That self is taken with dualisms, both as structuring devices and as things to worry at, contemplate, and complicate. It quests for a usable past, not necessarily to explain itself to others but to make its questions visible through narrative and metaphor. Explanation and visibility, though, go hand in hand. My recent self has two stories to tell, and they necessarily implicate both self and subject. The first tends to function as history; the second as parable. My brother and I began in 1971 an utterly haphazard ethnographic project. We brought our grandfather Vine Deloria Sr. together with our father's tape recorder, and we pushed the record button. A Dakota native clergyman in the Episcopal Church, my grandfather had spent much of his life collecting stories, and he was a gifted teller. His father and grandfather were Yankton Dakota, and he had inherited their stories, which spoke to Yankton life on the middle Missouri River. My grandfather had been raised farther north, however, on the Standing Rock Reservation, and he had thus also come to know a second set of stories, those of the Lakotas upriver. As he traveled during the 1930s and 1940s among small chapels scattered across the Rosebud and Pine Ridge reservations, he also learned the histories of the western and southern Lakotas-the Oglalas and Brules. He kept a diverse collection of narratives-historical, spiritual, funny, and fanciful-from traditions scattered across
Universally conserved positions in protein folds: reading evolutionary signals about stability, folding kinetics and function.

Here, we provide an analysis of molecular evolution of five of the most populated protein folds: immunoglobulin fold, oligonucleotide-binding fold, Rossman fold, alpha/beta plait, and TIM barrels. In order to distinguish between ‘‘historic’’, functional and structural reasons for amino acid conservations, we consider proteins that acquire the same fold and have no evident sequence homology. For each fold we identify positions that are conserved within each individual family and coincide when nonhomologous proteins are structurally superimposed. As a baseline for statistical assessment we use the conservatism expected based on the solvent accessibility. The analysis is based on a new concept of ‘‘conservatism-of-conservatism’’. This approach allows us to identify the structural features that are stabilized in all proteins having a given fold, despite the fact that actual interactions that provide such stabilization may vary from protein to protein. Comparison with experimental data on thermodynamics, folding kinetics and function of the proteins reveals that such universally conserved clusters correspond to either: (i) super-sites (common location of active site in proteins having common tertiary structures but not function) or (ii) folding nuclei whose stability is an important determinant of folding rate, or both (in the case of Rossman fold). The analysis also helps to clarify the relation between folding and function that is apparent for some folds. # 1999 Academic Press
Lessons from the 2006 Illinois Electricity Auction

The high prices of the outcomes of the 2006 Illinois Electricity Auction have generated considerably controversy because of their impacts in increasing retail electricity prices in Illinois. In this work, we present a review and a critical analysis of the design of, and the results obtained in, the reverse auction performed in September of 2006 for the two major distribution companies, ComEd and Ameren. Our work is from the vantage point of power system operations and economics, and aims to assess how well the auction process was designed, putting special emphasis in the consequences of the definition of the products.
Andrea Yates and the Criminalization of the Filicidal Maternal Body

On March 12, 2002, Andrea Yates was found guilty of murder for drowning her five children. Media reports of the Yates trial indicate that she was judged according to the idealization of mothers as ...
Preliminary Proficiency Testing Results for Succinylacetone in Dried Blood Spots for Newborn Screening for Tyrosinemia Type I

Background: Succinylacetone (SUAC) is the primary metabolite accumulated in tyrosinemia type I—an inborn error of metabolism that, if untreated, can cause death from liver failure during the first months of life. Newborn screening laboratories measure SUAC in dried blood spot (DBS) samples to detect asymptomatic tyrosinemia type I. We used panels of SUAC-enriched DBSs to compare and evaluate the performance of these screening tests. Methods: We prepared sets of DBS materials enriched with predetermined SUAC concentrations and distributed samples of these materials, along with a screening practices questionnaire, to laboratories that perform SUAC tests. We compared their reported SUAC concentrations and questionnaire responses to identify screening practices that affect SUAC test outcomes. Results: Data from 2 pilot surveys showed large differences among laboratories in SUAC recoveries, reproducible within-laboratory recoveries, and stable performance of the DBS materials. Results from 257 proficiency test analyses contained a total of 6 false-negative misclassifications. Reported recoveries of added SUAC ranged from 0 to >200%. Low-biased SUAC recoveries were associated with 1 method used by 5 laboratories. All laboratories that reported SUAC recoveries ≥100% used DBS matrix calibrators. Conclusions: The wide ranges of SUAC concentrations reported for pilot and proficiency testing specimens demonstrate a need to harmonize quantitative results among laboratories. Although DBS matrix calibrators are important for optimizing SUAC recoveries, the preparation of these calibrators is not standardized among laboratories. Certified DBS-based SUAC calibrators are needed for accuracy and harmonization.
A novel algorithm for agent based reconfiguration of ring-structured shipboard power system

The shipboard power system supplies energy to electric equipment on ships. It is critical for the system to be reconfigurable for the purpose of survivability and reliability. In one of authors earlier work a decentralized approach for a radial shipboard power system reconfiguration is successfully developed. Each agent in this system only communicates with its immediate neighbors, which reduces the dependency on the system topology. However, the ring structure in this agent system leads to the problem of redundant information accumulation among the agents, making the information flow in the system unstable. In this paper, the authors propose the use of the spanning tree algorithm in IEEE 802.1d protocol for an agent system to detect and break the ring structure in the agent system. Then an algorithm for reformulating the information flow without redundant information accumulation is put forward. Finally the proposed methodology is illustrated through a test case on a simplified shipboard power system.
Collapsed tetragonal phase and superconductivity of BaFe2As2 under high pressure

High pressure x-ray diffraction and electrical resistance measurements have been carried out on BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} to a pressure of 35 GPa and temperature of 10 K using a synchrotron source and designer diamond anvils. At ambient temperature, a phase transition from the tetragonal phase to a collapsed tetragonal (CT) phase is observed at 17 GPa under nonhydrostatic conditions as compared to 22 GPa under hydrostatic conditions. The superconducting transition temperature increases rapidly with pressure up to 34 K at 1 GPa and decreases gradually with a further increase in pressure. Our results suggest that T{sub C} falls below 10 K in the pressure range of 16-30 GPa, where CT phase is expected to be stable under high-pressure and low-temperature conditions.
PathVisio-MIM

Motivation: A plugin for the Java-based PathVisio pathway editor has been developed to help users draw diagrams of bioregulatory networks according to the Molecular Interaction Map (MIM) notation. Together with the core PathVisio application, this plugin presents a simple to use and cross-platform application for the construction of complex MIM diagrams with the ability to annotate diagram elements with comments, literature references and links to external databases. This tool extends the capabilities of the PathVisio pathway editor by providing both MIM-specific glyphs and support for a MIM-specific markup language file format for exchange with other MIM-compatible tools and diagram validation. Availability: The PathVisio-MIM plugin is freely available and works with versions of PathVisio 2.0.11 and later on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Information about MIM notation and the MIMML format is available at http://discover.nci.nih.gov/mim. The plugin, along with diagram examples, instructions and Java source code, may be downloaded at http://discover.nci.nih.gov/mim/mim_pathvisio.html. Contact:margot@discover.nci.nih.gov; augustin@mail.nih.gov Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Google image swirl, a large-scale content-based image browsing system

We demonstrate the first large-scale image browsing system applied to 200,000 popular queries which utilizes image content to organize image search results. Given a query, the system extracts image content features such as color, shape, local features, face signatures and metadata from up to 1000 image results, and hierarchically clusters them to form an exemplar tree. A dynamic web-based user interface allows the user to navigate this hierarchy, allowing fast and interactive browsing. The exemplars of each cluster provide a comprehensive visual overview of the query results, and allow the user to quickly navigate to the images of interest.
Idiosyncratic gating of HERG-like K+ channels in microglia.

A simple kinetic model is presented to explain the gating of a HERG-like voltage-gated K+ conductance described in the accompanying paper (Zhou, W., F.S. Cayabyab, P.S. Pennefather, L.C. Schlichter, and T.E. DeCoursey. 1998. J. Gen. Physiol . 111:781–794). The model proposes two kinetically distinct closing pathways, a rapid one favored by depolarization (deactivation) and a slow one favored by hyperpolarization (inactivation). The overlap of these two processes leads to a window current between −50 and +20 mV with a peak at −36 mV of ∼12% maximal conductance. The near absence of depolarization-activated outward current in microglia, compared with HERG channels expressed in oocytes or cardiac myocytes, can be explained if activation is shifted negatively in microglia. As seen with experimental data, availability predicted by the model was more steeply voltage dependent, and the midpoint more positive when determined by making the holding potential progressively more positive at intervals of 20 s (starting at −120 mV), rather than progressively more negative (starting at 40 mV). In the model, this hysteresis was generated by postulating slow and ultra-slow components of inactivation. The ultra-slow component takes minutes to equilibrate at −40 mV but is steeply voltage dependent, leading to protocol-dependent modulation of the HERG-like current. The data suggest that “deactivation” and “inactivation” are coupled through the open state. This is particularly evident in isotonic Cs+, where a delayed and transient outward current develops on depolarization with a decay time constant more voltage dependent and slower than the deactivation process observed at the same potential after a brief hyperpolarization.
Activation of NF-κB in intestinal epithelial cells by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

The initial response to infection is recruitment of acute inflammatory cells to the involved site. Interleukin (IL)-8 is the prototypical effector molecule for this process. Transcription of the IL...
Organometal additions to alpha-iminoesters: N-alkylation via umpolung.

α-Iminoesters are useful precursors to substituted α-amino acid derivatives and are utilized in a number of organic transformations. As a consequence of the adjacent ester functionality, these imines are more reactive relative to other types of imines. While a significant body of work has focused on nucleophilic additions to the imine carbon (C-alkylation), a second pathway that involves nucleophilic reaction at the nitrogen (N-alkylation) is much less explored. This tutorial review highlights work that has exploited this unusual α-iminoester reactivity mode.
Do Connections Matter? Social Capital and the Likelihood of Welfare Use and Exit in the Post-Welfare Reform Era

The editorial board announced this article has been retracted on October 28, 2015. If you have any further question, please contact us at: jsss@macrothink.org
Mutation spectrum of Drosophila CNVs revealed by breakpoint sequencing

Background: The detailed study of breakpoints associated with copy number variants (CNVs) can elucidate the mutational mechanisms that generate them and the comparison of breakpoints across species can highlight differences in genomic architecture that may lead to lineage-specific differences in patterns of CNVs. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of Drosophila CNV breakpoints and contrast it with similar analyses recently carried out for the human genome. Results: By applying split-read methods to a total of 10x coverage of 454 shotgun sequence across nine lines of D. melanogaster and by re-examining a previously published dataset of CNVs detected using tiling arrays, we identified the precise breakpoints of more than 600 insertions, deletions, and duplications. Contrasting these CNVs with those found in humans showed that in both taxa CNV breakpoints fall into three classes: blunt breakpoints; simple breakpoints associated with microhomology; and breakpoints with additional nucleotides inserted/deleted and no microhomology. In both taxa CNV breakpoints are enriched with non-B DNA sequence structures, which may impair DNA replication and/or repair. However, in contrast to human genomes, non-allelic homologousrecombination (NAHR) plays a negligible role in CNV formation in Drosophila. In flies, non-homologous repair mechanisms are responsible for simple, recurrent, and complex CNVs, including insertions of de novo sequence as large as 60 bp. Conclusions: Humans and Drosophila differ considerably in the importance of homology-based mechanisms for the formation of CNVs, likely as a consequence of the differences in the abundance and distribution of both segmental duplications and transposable elements between the two genomes.
Automatic extraction of road intersections from raster maps

Numerous raster maps are available on the Internet, but the geographic coordinates of the maps are often unknown. In order to determine the precise location of a raster map, we exploit the fact that the layout of the road intersections within a certain area can be used to determine the map's location. In this paper, we describe an approach to automatically extract road intersections from arbitrary raster maps. Identifying the road intersections is difficult because raster maps typically contain multiple layers that represent roads, buildings, symbols, street names, or even contour lines, and the road layer needs to be automatically separated from other layers before road intersections can be extracted. We combine a variety of image processing and graphics recognition methods to automatically eliminate the other layers and then extract the road intersection points. During the extraction process, we determine the intersection connectivity (i.e., number of roads that meet at an intersection) and the road orientations. This information helps in matching the extracted intersections with intersections from known sources (e.g., vector data or satellite imagery). For the problem of road intersection extraction, we applied the techniques to a set of 48 randomly selected raster maps from various sources and achieved over 90% precision with over 75% recall. These results are sufficient to automatically align raster maps with other geographic sources, which makes it possible to determine the precise coverage and scale of the raster maps.
Price-based channel time allocation in wireless LANs

In access-point based wireless networks employing the IEEE 802.11 protocol in DCF mode, without bandwidth management and rate control, users pump data into the network as fast as it is generated. This results in a loss of QoS for the user and performance degradation of the network. There is a need for bandwidth allocation and for users to cooperatively control their rates based on the allocated bandwidth. We use price as a signal for bandwidth allocation in wireless hot spot networks. We allocate more bandwidth to users that pay more. At the same time, we also aim to maximize channel utilization and increase mean satisfaction across all the users.
Soft-partition-based weighted sum filters for image enhancement

Images are nonstationary in nature. Hard-partition-based weighted sum (HWS) filters give good results in handling both flat regions and details in application such as image enhancement. But due to their non-differentiable filtering operation, their global optimization is difficult to achieve. In this paper, we introduced a new type of soft-partition-based weighted sum (SWS) filters, whose filter operations are differentiable, allowing a steepest decent adaptive optimization to be applied. It is shown that SWS filters provide better performance than HWS filters in an image enhancement application. SWS filters are, therefore, an effective class of nonlinear filters for image enhancement.
Coefficient of Friction Characterization of Surface-Modified Polycrystalline Alumina

Applications in dental medicine sometimes require efficient and reproducible sliding, while maintaining biocompatibility and aesthetics. Several techniques of surface modification are explored for polycrystalline alumina materials: ion implantation, diamond-like carbon coating, and plasma deposition. Using a light-load, low-velocity, single-pass device, the frictional coefficients of orthodontic appliances are simulated. Materials that were investigated include couples of polycrystalline alumina (PCA) against stainless steel (SS) or β-titanium (β-Ti). Although all techniques of surface modification reduced the frictional coefficients below those values for the control couples, plasma deposition and diamond-like carbon coating proved best for the PCA/SS and PCA/β-Ti couples, respectively. In these cases, values decreased below those of conventional SS against SS and β-Ti against SS, respectively.
Efficacy of intravaginal 0.75% metronidazole gel for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of 0.75% metronidazole vaginal gel, formulated at pH 4.0, for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. METHODS Fifty-three women with bacterial vaginosis (clue cells of at least 20% plus vaginal pH of at least 4.7, amine odor, or homogeneous discharge) were enrolled. Women with concomitant infection by Candida, Trichomonas, Chlamydia trachomatis, or Neisseria gonorrhoeae were excluded. Five grams of metronidazole gel or placebo was inserted intravaginally twice daily for 5 days. Response to therapy was evaluated at 4-16 days and 1 month after treatment. RESULTS Twenty-six of the 30 women (87%) who received metronidazole were free of bacterial vaginosis 9-21 days after enrollment, compared with only four (17%) of 23 placebo-treated women (P < .001). Women who were cured were followed prospectively. Those who had persistent bacterial vaginosis were crossed over to metronidazole gel in an open trial; bacterial vaginosis was eradicated in 21 of 23 (91%) of these women at the 2-week follow-up. Recurrent bacterial vaginosis developed within 1 month in four (15%) of 26 women who were initially cured after receiving metronidazole gel. Response to therapy was accompanied by a decrease in vaginal Bacteroides, Gardnerella vaginalis, and Mycoplasma hominis. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with intravaginal metronidazole gel resulted in a clinical cure in 87% (placebo-controlled trial) to 91% (crossover trial) of women with bacterial vaginosis. The recurrence rate of 15% at 1 month after treatment is similar to that reported with oral metronidazole.
Arm-Locking with the GRACE Follow-On Laser Ranging Instrument.

Arm-locking is a technique for stabilizing the frequency of a laser in an inter-spacecraft interferometer by using the spacecraft separation as the frequency reference. A candidate technique for future space-based gravitational wave detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), arm-locking has been extensive studied in this context through analytic models, time-domain simulations, and hardware-in-the-loop laboratory demonstrations. In this paper we show the Laser Ranging Instrument flying aboard the upcoming Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission provides an appropriate platform for an on-orbit demonstration of the arm-locking technique. We describe an arm-locking controller design for the GRACE-FO system and a series of time-domain simulations that demonstrate its feasibility. We conclude that it is possible to achieve laser frequency noise suppression of roughly two orders of magnitude around a Fourier frequency of 1Hz with conservative margins on the system's stability. We further demonstrate that `pulling' of the master laser frequency due to fluctuating Doppler shifts and lock acquisition transients is less than 100MHz over several GRACE-FO orbits. These findings motivate further study of the implementation of such a demonstration.
VARIATION IN NATIVE CRAYFISH AGONISTIC RESPONSE TO THE INVASION OF THE RUSTY CRAYFISH ORCONECTES RUSTICUS (GIRARD, 1852)

The consequences of biological invasions warrant continued research on the mechanisms underlying the spread of exotic species, yet interspecific behavioral interactions are largely overlooked as a contributing factor or consequence of introductions of exotic species. Our study evaluates how native crayfish species, Cambarus bartonii (Fabricius, 1798) and Orconectes propinquus (Girard, 1852), respond behaviorally to the invasion of the rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus (Girard, 1852) in the Upper Susquehanna River Basin, NY, USA using experiments in a semi-natural setting. We found significant effects of species, sex, year, novelty to invasion, and abiotic environment on the proportion of time native crayfish species exhibited agonistic behavior toward invading rusty crayfish. Cambarus bartonii females were generally more aggressive than males, particularly in year two, but the opposite was true for O. propinquus as males were more aggressive than females. Behavioral variation in recipient crayfish communities is a potential mechanism influencing the spread of introduced crayfishes although future study is necessary to assess the relative extent of such influence. The mechanisms driving the spread of invasive species are clearly complex and interactive, but the development of effective management plans is limited by the completeness of our understanding, which thus far has been lacking a substantial ethological component.
Somatostatin inhibits pancreatic enzyme secretion at a central vagal site

The mechanisms and site of action of somatostatin-induced inhibition of pancreatic enzyme secretion were investigated using different stimulants of pancreatic secretion acting on different sites in anesthetized rats. Administration of graded doses of somatostatin-14 resulted in a dose-related inhibition of pancreatic protein secretion evoked by 2-deoxy-D-glucose, a central vagal stimulant that acts by stimulating the dorsal vagal nuclei. The lowest effective dose of somatostatin-14 was 1.0 microgram.kg-1 x h-1; maximal effective dose was 25 micrograms.kg-1 x h-1, which resulted in complete inhibition of protein output. Similarly, somatostatin-14 at a dose of 25 micrograms.kg-1 x h-1 also completely inhibited pancreatic protein secretion in response to a physiological concentration of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8), which acts via a vagal afferent pathway. In contrast, pancreatic protein outputs evoked by bethanechol, which directly stimulates pancreatic muscarinic receptors, or electrical stimulation of the vagal trunk, which activates the vagal efferent pathway, were unaffected by somatostatin-14. In separate studies, we demonstrated that perivagal treatment with the sensory neurotoxin capsaicin impaired pancreatic responses to CCK-8 but had no effect on the inhibitory action of somatostatin-14 on pancreatic secretion evoked by 2-deoxy-D-glucose, ruling out an effect of somatostatin on the vagal afferent pathway. Similarly we also demonstrated that perineural capsaicin treatment of the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglia did not affect the inhibitory action of somatostatin. These findings indicate that somatostatin inhibits 2-deoxy-D-glucose- and CCK-8-evoked pancreatic enzyme secretion via a vagal pathway.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Reflected infrared imaging revisiting the fundamentals

Reflected infrared imaging has been used as an investigation tool for paintings and paper conservation since the 1930s. The technique can reveal underdrawings, expose compositional changes, provide information about manufacturing process and technique, and differentiate materials. As digital camera technology and computing have evolved, the technique has continued to advance, improving the applications for cultural heritage documentation. However, there is very little published on the use of the technique for three-dimensional cultural heritage object documentation. The term object refers to three-dimensional works of art that include archaeological, ethnographic, historic, sculptural, decorative, and contemporary arts, composed of a wide variety of materials and combinations of materials. Some of these materials are similar to those in paintings and others are quite different, and the optical properties of the materials influence the interaction with infrared radiation and the imaging results. This paper looks at the current applications of reflected infrared imaging in conservation and research documentation and explores the fundamentals of why the technique is successful and how that success might transfer to the documentation of 3-D objects. Examples from an imaging case study with the Freud Museum are included to illustrate the arguments.
Life History and Habits of Trogoderma Tarsale (Melsh.), a Museum Pest

H. F. Jayne (1882) in his “Revision of the Dermestidae of the United States” gives the following description of Trogoderma tarsale , which he says is identical with T. inclusum : “T. inc1usum (Lec.)—Oval, somewhat oblong, black, clothed with moderately long, semi-erect black pubescence. Elytra with four sinuous confluent bands of red, bearing whitish pubescence. Head coarsely and densely punctured, quite sparsely pubescent. Eyes deeply emarginate in front, not very prominent. Antennae testaceous. Thorax finely punctate, moderately pubescent. Elytra black, with four irregular bands of red, bearing grayish pubescence, the rest with sparse black pubescence, coarsely punctate. Body beneath piceous, coarsely punctate, with cinereous recumbent pubescence. Antennal fossa deep, occupying nearly all the space between the front and lateral margins. Prosternum short, moderately wide, convex, not carinate. Abdominal segments rufous, apical margins paler, pubescent. Legs rufo-testaceous. Length.08—.16 inch; 2—4 mm. Male antennal joints 1and 2 large, 3—4 very small, 5—11 forming the club, which is not deeply pectinate.
Water-Dispersible Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles with Versatile Surface Functionalities

We report a simple one-pot strategy to prepare surface-function-alized, water-dispersible iron oxide nanoparticles. Small organic molecules that have desired functional groups such as amines, carboxylics, and thiols are chosen as capping agents and are injected into the reaction medium at the end of the synthesis. A diversity of functionalities are effectively introduced onto the surface of the nanoparticles with a minimal consumption of solvents and chemical resources by simply switching the capping ligand to form the ligand shell. The resulting nanocrystals are quasi-spherical and narrowly size-distributed. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies suggest a successful surface modification of iron oxide nanoparticles with selected functionalities. The colloidal stabilities are characterized by dynamic light scattering and zeta potential measurements. The results imply that functionalized nanoparticles are very stable and mostly present as individual units in buffer solutions. The pedant functional groups of the capping ligand molecules are very reactive, and their availabilities are investigated by covalently linking fluorescent dyes to the nanoparticles through the cross-linking of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride. The quenched quantum yield and shortened lifetime of the dyes strongly indicate a direct bonding between the functional group of the nanoparticles and the fluorescent molecules.
Development and Application of Methodology for Determination of Hydraulic Roughness for Vegetated Floodplains

Methodology for the determination of hydraulic roughness of floodplains containing woody vegetation has been developed in collaborative research conducted by the U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center’s Waterways Experiment Station and Utah State University. The methodology developed through the cooperative research requires only the determination of plant stiffness and standard hydraulic geometric and flow values to determine hydraulic roughness due to shrubs and other woody vegetation. The roughness can be expressed in terms of shear velocity or Manning’s n values. The use of the equations requires a value for the stiffness modulus of the plants being evaluated. A methodology is presented to estimate a plant stiffness modulus for use in the equations developed in this study. This stiffness value can then be used in the developed equations to estimate Manning’s n values and shear velocities for shrubs and other small woody vegetation in the floodplain. This paper summarizes the development of the methodology, the research behind the methodology, and the equations that have been developed. The application of this methodology is presented in a detailed example for compound channels. This example will guide the reader / practitioner through the application of the methodology under practical conditions.
Complex-valued Correlation And Seismic Attributes

The detection and characterization of discontinuities such as faults in seismic images can be performed by coherency analysis. I analyze the coherency of the instantaneous phase of the complex seismic trace by using circular statistics and defining a complex-valued correlation. The method, applied to neighbouring seismic traces, can extract at once two seismic attributes: correlation amplitude defining coherency and lateral phase shift relating to dip of events. This technique is computationally inexpensive and does not require any scanning or iteration while the local windowing ensures smooth results. I apply the method on real data from Gulf of Mexico.
Augmented virtuality in real time for pre-visualization in film

This project looks into creating an augmented virtuality pre-visualization system to empower indie filmmakers during the onset production process. Indie directors are currently unable to pre-visualize their virtual set without the funds to pay for a high-fidelity 3D visualization system. Our team has created a pre-visualization prototype that allows independent filmmakers to perform augmented virtuality by placing actors into a computer-generated 3D environment for the purposes of virtual production. After performing our preliminary usability research, we have determined a clear and effective 3D interface for film directors to use during the production process. The implication for this research sets the groundwork for building a pre-visualization system for on-set production that satisfies independent and emerging filmmakers.
Nicotine Deprivation Produces Deficits in Pain Perception that are Moderately Attenuated by Caffeine Consumption.

ABSTRACTDuring withdrawal, nicotine users experience aversive withdrawal symptoms, such as increased nociceptive processing, which may be responsible for subsequent use. Smokers often consume more caffeine than non-smokers and the combined effects of these two psychoactive drugs result in an enhanced analgesic effect of nicotine. We examined the effects of caffeine (via coffee consumption) and nicotine withdrawal on pain perception in minimally deprived smokers and non-smokers. Pain threshold and pain tolerance were assessed using a radiant heat stimulus before and 30 minutes after caffeine consumption. Nicotine deprivation (2 hrs) produced increases in pain threshold and decreases in pain tolerance representative of hyperalgesia. When smokers are nicotine deprived, caffeine consumption diminished baseline elevations in pain threshold, but had no effect on pain tolerance. These data suggest that caffeine consumption can dampen deficits in sensory discrimination related to pain during nicotine deprivation ...
140 REGULATION OF p53 IN NEONATAL HYPOXIA-ISCHEMIA.

Background Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury is mediated by both caspase-dependent and caspapse-independent pathways. Prior studies in our laboratory have shown that deficiency of p53 decreases neonatal HI by 50%, suggesting that p53 is involved in neuronal cell death following neonatal HI. However, the mechanism of p53 action in neonatal HI is unknown. Objective To determine whether neonatal HI results in changes of subcellular localization of p53 protein or in protein levels of p53-regulated proteins, including mdm2, a p53 inhibitor or in apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), a caspase-independent regulator of apoptosis. Methods Postnatal day 7 mice underwent left carotid ligation followed by 45 min exposure to 8% oxygen and then were sacrificed 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hrs later. Frozen 10 micron-thick coronal brain sections were stained with cresyl violet or processed for immunohistochemistry using antibodies against cleaved "activated " caspase 3, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), p53, mdm2, and AIF. Alternatively, nuclear and non-nuclear fractions were prepared from left and right cortex and hippocampal homogenates at the same time points. Results At time 0, mdm2 immunoreactivity was most prominent in the CA2-CA3 region of the hippocampus but decreased markedly in the ischemic left hippocampus 3-6 hours following neonatal HI and then returned to baseline levels 24 hrs after neonatal HI. In contrast, both p53 and AIF immunostaining was observed within the CA1 region of ischemic hippocampus 6-12 hrs following neonatal HI. Subcellular fractionation experiments showed p53 immunoreactivity peaked 6-12 hrs in non-nuclear fractions of ipsilateral cortex and hippocampus and then decreased by 48 hrs. Conclusion These studies suggest that p53 and regulators of p53 action are involved in neonatal HI.
New frontiers in ovarian cancer diagnosis and management.

Abstract Ovarian carcinoma is now the leading cause of death among women. Surgery has reached its limits, and further aggressive surgery will result in an inordinate morbidity and mortality. Ovarian carcinoma is ideally treated by complete surgical removal of the cancer, followed by anti-cancer chemotherapy. Since it is often impossible to remove all of the cancer, adjunctive chemotherapy is playing an increasingly important role in the management of the cancer. New anti-cancer drugs must be found or synthesized, and new combinations of current anti-cancer drugs with mechanisms to protect the bone marrow must be explored. The field of genetics and the identification of the patient at high risk because of a familial history of ovarian cancer must be expanded. The role of tumor markers and oncogenes requires more in-depth study so that these signs can play a greater role in monitoring and identifying the patient with early ovarian cancer. The emerging fields of genetic engineering and biologic response modifiers are opening up new avenues for additional modalities of therapy. The expanding areas of research in cancer are starting to dispel the doom and gloom of the last three decades with a spirit of optimism for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer, as the new century approaches.
2004: Managing Exchange Rates: Achievement of Global Re-Balancing or Evidence of Global Co-Dependency?

How are exchange rates related to the US external accounts and macro policy management? There is no doubt that further depreciation of the dollar will be part of the package of policy moves and economic responses that will yield “global re-balancing.”1 This term implies the complementary narrowing of two imbalances around the world. One is the yawning US current account deficit, and the other is the widely geographically disbursed but nevertheless persistent dependence of the rest of the world on net exports to the United States. Underlying these external imbalances are internal imbalances in both countries and regions with respect to savings and investment and to domestic demand and production.
Amartya Sen's Capabilities Approach and Communication for Development and Social Change

This article argues that Amartya Sen's capabilities approach to development should be employed as an overarching conceptual framework for studies of communication for development and social change ( CDSC), presenting two justifications. First, the capabilities approach offers CDSC researchers a definition of development, one that is interdisciplinary, cosmopolitan, and oriented to public communication. This approach resembles the scope of modernization theory but is free of modernization theory's dichotomous thinking, neoliberal assumptions, and ethnocentrism. Second, CDSC research can contribute to the capability approach's analysis of communication. I review key capabilities concepts and illustrate the relevance to the capabilities approach of CDSC theory and research. A conclusion summarizes benefits of a capabilities approach to the study of CDSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Developmental plasticity shapes synaptic phenotypes of autism-associated neuroligin-3 mutations in the calyx of Held

Neuroligins are postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecules that bind to presynaptic neurexins. Mutations in neuroligin-3 predispose to autism, but how such mutations affect synaptic function remains incompletely understood. Here we systematically examined the effect of three autism-associated mutations, the neuroligin-3 knockout, the R451C knockin, and the R704C knockin, on synaptic transmission in the calyx of Held, a central synapse ideally suited for high-resolution analyses of synaptic transmission. Surprisingly, germline knockout of neuroligin-3 did not alter synaptic transmission, whereas the neuroligin-3 R451C and R704C knockins decreased and increased, respectively, synaptic transmission. These puzzling results prompted us to ask whether neuroligin-3 mutant phenotypes may be reshaped by developmental plasticity. Indeed, conditional knockout of neuroligin-3 during late development produced a marked synaptic phenotype, whereas conditional knockout of neuroligin-3 during early development caused no detectable effect, mimicking the germline knockout. In canvassing potentially redundant candidate genes, we identified developmentally early expression of another synaptic neurexin ligand, cerebellin-1. Strikingly, developmentally early conditional knockout of cerebellin-1 only modestly impaired synaptic transmission, whereas in contrast to the individual single knockouts, developmentally early conditional double knockout of both cerebellin-1 and neuroligin-3 severely decreased synaptic transmission. Our data suggest an unanticipated mechanism of developmental compensation whereby cerebellin-1 and neuroligin-3 functionally occlude each other during development of calyx synapses. Thus, although acute manipulations more likely reveal basic gene functions, developmental plasticity can be a major factor in shaping the overall phenotypes of genetic neuropsychiatric disorders.
Common mollusk genera indicate interactions with their predators were ecologically stable across the Plio-Pleistocene extinction

Abstract We use the trace-fossil record left by the shell-drilling and crushing predators of marine mollusks to investigate the paleoecology of mass extinction. The pulsed extinction of mollusks during the Plio-Pleistocene, in the Western Atlantic, was part of a dramatic faunal turnover coinciding with a decrease in relative abundance of predatory gastropods and an overall relaxation of competition in the predatory milieu. We test the hypothesis that these changes affected the coupled strength and outcome of predator-prey interactions—including those involving the myriad shell-crushing predators in marine food webs, utilizing repaired shell damage and drill holes on five common, or bellwether, prey: Anadara , Cyclocardia , Glycymeris , Plicatula , and Olivella . Predation and abundance data were collected from bulk samples (> 5 mm fraction), comprising one late Pliocene (Duplin Formation), one early Pleistocene and two middle Pleistocene (Waccamaw Formation) age localities from southeastern North Carolina, USA. The results do not support our hypothesis because there was no unambiguous change in the frequency of repair scars on any of the bellwether prey taxa. The significant difference in Glycymeris repairs per shell ( p
Effect of Chemical Modification of α-Thrombin on Its Reaction with Platelets and Nucleated Cells

Considering the pivotal role of the serine protease thrombin (EC 3.4.21.5) in blood coagulation and cell activation, an intense evaluation of the structure of thrombin is warranted and could allow a molecular evaluation of how thrombin functions. Insight into the biological control mechanisms in which thrombin is involved may be aided by observing how thrombin interacts with its many diverse substrates. Results of experiments observing the effects of thrombin on cells and tissues in vitro should be interpreted with caution unless it can be demonstrated that these reactions also occur in vivo. Some of the in vitro effects of thrombin may mimic physiologic events while others may arise from the ability of thrombin to substitute for other serine proteases or hormones found in vivo.
Frailty and the Role of Obliterative versus Reconstructive Surgery for Pelvic Organ Prolapse: A National Study

Purpose: We sought to determine whether frailty affects the type of pelvic organ prolapse surgery performed and the odds of postoperative complications.Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of women who underwent obliterative and reconstructive surgery for pelvic organ prolapse in ACS (American College of Surgeons) NSQIP® (National Surgical Quality Improvement Program) from 2005 to 2013. We quantified frailty using NSQIP-FI (Frailty Index) and applied logistic regression models predicting the type of procedure (colpocleisis) and the odds of postoperative complications.Results: We identified a total of 12,731 women treated with pelvic organ prolapse repair, of which 5.3% were colpocleisis procedures, from 2005 to 2013. Among women undergoing colpocleisis, the average age was 79.2 years and 28.5% had a NSQIP-FI of 0.18 or higher, indicating frailty. Women undergoing colpocleisis procedures had higher odds of being frail (NSQIP-FI 0.18 vs 0 OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.4–2.6) and were older (age 85...
Patterns of Velopharyngeal Closure in the Nonpharyngeal Flap Patient

This chapter will describe the spectrum of patterns of velopharyngeal (VP) closure that can be seen using multiview videofluoroscopic techniques in subjects who do not possess pharyngeal flaps. A discussion of the appearance of the VP portal in patients with pharyngeal flaps will be presented in Chapter 10.
Gender Differences and Inequality in the U.S. Labor Market

Gender differences in the labor market can be better understood by looking at specific trends within and between each gender group. In this paper, we look specifically at income inequalities that exist between certain segments of the male and female labor force in addition to examining inequalities that exist within each gender group. Dividing male and female workers into cohorts first by age, and then by characteristics such as marital status, unionization rates, and occupational category, we find evidence to support a number of leading hypotheses that help explain the narrowing of the gender gap in the American workforce between 1979-2013.
Utility of incomplete right bundle branch block as an isolated ECG finding in children undergoing initial cardiac evaluation.

Objective This study evaluates the ability of experienced pediatric electrophysiologists (EPs) to reliably classify incomplete right bundle branch block (IRBBB) and assesses its clinical utility as an isolated ECG finding in a group of healthy outpatient children without prior cardiac evaluation. Design We performed a retrospective analysis of all electrocardiographic and echocardiographic records at Boston Children's Hospital between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2014. Echocardiographic diagnoses were identified if registered between the date of the index electrocardiogram and the ensuing year. A selected subset of 473 ECGs was subsequently reanalyzed in a blinded manner by six pediatric EPs to determine the consistency with which the finding of IRBBB could be assigned. Results Of the 331 278 ECGs registered in the BCH database, 32 127 (9.7%) met inclusion criteria and were analyzed for the prevalence of isolated right bundle conduction disturbance findings. The mean age was 12.1 ± 4.0 years, and the population was 49% male. Of the 32 127 ECGs, 72.5% were coded normal, 3.0% were coded IRBBB, and 0.5% were coded complete right bundle branch block (CRBBB). A total of 7.3% of patients coded as normal had an ensuing echocardiogram, compared to 12.5% coded IRBBB. Echo findings were recorded in 0.1% of normal and 0.2% of IRBBB. Patients with ASD-secundum type were no more likely to have isolated IRBBB on previous ECG than the general population (2.5% vs 3.0%). Analysis of inter-reader variability in ECG findings and conduction disturbance identification was high (range of IRBBB prevalence 1-20% among readers). Reinterpretation of ECGs using explicit diagnostic criteria did not demonstrate consistent discrimination of IRBBB and Normal ECGs. Conclusions IRBBB is not uncommon in a healthy school age population and is observed to have high inter-reader variability. It was associated with increased use of echocardiographic exam but was not associated with increased rate of echocardiographic findings when compared with rates for normal ECGs.