cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cropping systems control winter annual grass weeds in winter wheat

Downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.), jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica Host), and volunteer cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) are winter annual grass weeds that are increasingly troublesome in the winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Thell.)-fallow rotation areas of the western USA. Six dryland cropping systems-continuous no-till winter wheat, winter wheat-fallow with fall tillage, winter wheat-fallow with fall applied herbicide, winter wheat-fallow-fallow, winter wheat-sunflower-fallow, and winter wheat-proso millet-fallow-were compared for their effect on winter annual grass densities in winter wheat. Winter annual grass densities averaged 145, 4.4, and 0.4 plants/sq yard for the 1-, 2-, and 3-yr systems, respectively. Eradication of the winter annual grasses was not achieved with any of the systems. Dockage and foreign material levels in wheat grain were lower in 3-yr than in 2-yr cropping systems. Jointed goatgrass was the most persistent annual grass investigated.
ON q‐CONDITIONED PARTIAL CORRELATIONS

. In attempting to develop a procedure for fitting linear multiple autoregressive-moving average models to observed data, perhaps the most difficult problem is to achieve a reasonable initial model selection. A recent paper by Jenkins and Alavi suggests, as one possibility, the examination of so-called q-conditioned partial correlations. We show that the sampling properties of these statistics are such as to render them of dubious value for this purpose.
A Monte Carlo strategy for data-based mathematical modeling

We establish the mathematical basis for building the MC-HARP data-processing environment. The MC-HARP strategy determines the functional structure and parameters of a mathematical model simultaneously. A Monte Carlo (MC) strategy combined with the concept of Hierarchical Adaptive Random Partitioning (HARP) and fuzzy subdomains determines the multivariate parallel distributed mapping. The HARP algorithm is based on a divide-and-conquer strategy that partitions the input space into measurable connected subdomains and builds a local approximation for the mapping task. Fuzziness promotes continuity of the mapping constructed by HARP and smooths the mismatching of the local approximations in the neighboring subdomains. The Monte Carlo superposition of a sample of random partitions reduces the localized disturbances among the fuzzy subdomains, controls the global smoothness of the mean average mapping, and improves the generalization of the approximation. We illustrate the procedure by applying it to a two-dimensional surface fitting problem.
Matrix photolysis of (C6H5)2CH2, (C6H5)2CHBr, (C6H5)2CHCl and (C6H5)2CCH2. Visible and ultraviolet spectra of the transient products

Abstract Absorption spectra (1400−300 nm) of (C 6 H 5 ) 2 CH 2 , (C 6 H 5 ) 2 CHBr, (C 6 H 5 ) 2 CHCl and (C 6 H 5 ) 2 CCH 2 samples in argon matrices subjected to argon resonance radiation are described. The three diphenylmethane compounds give a sharp band at 327 nm due to the diphenylmethyl radical. The chloride and bromide give a broad band at 448 nm, which is assigned to the daughter cation (C 6 H 5 ) 2 CH + . The chloride gives an additional band at 567 nm, which decreases on photolysis and a new maximum forms at 556 nm; these bands are believed to be due to isomeric parent cation structures. The diphenylethylene precursor gives a 326 nm band for the methyl diphenylmethyl radical and photosensitive bands at 1280 and 367 nm for the parent cation. Addition of hydrogen to the discharge produces a new 433 nm band for (C 6 H 5 ) 2 (CH 3 )C + at the expense of the parent cation.
ARF tumor suppression in the nucleolus

Since its discovery close to twenty years ago, the ARF tumor suppressor has played a pivotal role in the field of cancer biology. Elucidating ARF's basal physiological function in the cell has been the focal interest of numerous laboratories throughout the world for many years. Our current understanding of ARF is constantly evolving to include novel frameworks for conceptualizing the regulation of this critical tumor suppressor. As a result of this complexity, there is great need to broaden our understanding of the intricacies governing the biology of the ARF tumor suppressor. The ARF tumor suppressor is a key sensor of signals that instruct a cell to grow and proliferate and is appropriately localized in nucleoli to limit these processes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Role of the Nucleolus in Human Disease.
Distribution of the Swift Fox (Vulpes velox) in Texas

Abstract Swift foxes (Vulpes velox) once occupied ca. 79 counties in Texas, but surveys in 1997–1998 indicated the range of the species was reduced to two counties. We used scat-transects and live-trapping during 2005–2007 to assess current distribution of the species in Texas. Our results indicated that distribution of the swift fox in Texas remains significantly reduced from the historical distribution and that population densities are low where the species currently exists.
Electron-phonon effects in copper. I. Electron scattering rate and mass enhancement

Phonon-limited quasiparticle-mass enhancement ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}}$ and low-temperature lifetimes $\frac{1}{{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}}}={c}_{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}}{T}^{3}$ are calculated for Cu. Experimental phonons, Korringa-Kohn-Rostocker wave functions and the rigid-muffin-tin (RMT) model have been used. The results are compared with calculations of other groups and with experiment. It is found that the experiment of Doezema and Koch (DK) was not performed at a low enough temperature ($T$) to give the correct limiting value of ${c}_{\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}}$. The results at higher $T$ match well the data of DK and the calculation of Schmidt and Mann, but do not agree closely with the calculations of Nowak and Das. In contradiction to an earlier suggestion, the RMT model seems to work well at small momentum transfers.
Requirements for accurate estimation of fractal parameters for self-affine roughness profiles using the line scaling method

A new concept of feature size range of a roughness profile is introduced in the paper. It is shown that this feature size range plays an important role in estimating the fractal dimension,D, accurately using the divider method. Discussions are given to indicate the difficulty of using both the divider and the box methods in estimatingD accurately for self-affine profiles. The line scaling method's capability in quantifying roughness of natural rock joint profiles, which may be self-affine, is explored. Fractional Brownian profiles (self-affine profiles) with and without global trends were generated using known values ofD, input standard deviation, σ, and global trend angles. For different values of the input parameter of the line scaling method (step sizea 0),D and another associated fractal parameterC were calculated for the aforementioned profiles. Suitable ranges fora 0 were estimated to obtain computedD within ±10% of theD used for the generation. Minimum and maximum feature sizes of the profiles were defined and calculated. The feature size range was found to increase with increasingD and σ, in addition to being dependent on the total horizontal length of the profile and the total number of data points in the profile. The suitable range fora 0 was found to depend on bothD and σ, and then, in turn, on the feature size range, indicating the importance of calculating feature size range for roughness profiles to obtain accurate estimates for the fractal parameters. Procedures are given to estimate the suitablea 0 range for a given natural rock joint profile to use with the line scaling method in estimating fractal parameters within ±10% error. Results indicate the importance of removal of global trends of roughness profiles to obtain accurate estimates for the fractal parameters. The parametersC andD are recommended to use with the line scaling method in quantifying stationary roughness. In addition, one or more parameters should be used to quantify the non-stationary part of roughness, if it exists. The estimatedC was found to depend on bothD and σ and seems to have potential to capture the scale effect of roughness profiles.
Defining Critical White Matter Pathways Mediating Successful Subcallosal Cingulate Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Background Subcallosal cingulate white matter (SCC) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an evolving investigational treatment for depression. Mechanisms of action are hypothesized to involve modulation of activity within a structurally defined network of brain regions involved in mood regulation. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to model white matter connections within this network to identify those critical for successful antidepressant response. Methods Preoperative high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging data, including diffusion tensor imaging, were acquired in 16 patients with treatment-resistant depression, who then received SCC DBS. Computerized tomography was used postoperatively to locate DBS contacts. The activation volume around the contacts used for chronic stimulation was modeled for each patient retrospectively. Probabilistic tractography was used to delineate the white matter tracts traveling through each activation volume. Patient-specific tract maps were calculated using whole-brain analysis. Clinical evaluations of therapeutic outcome from SCC DBS were defined at 6 months and 2 years. Results Whole-brain activation volume tractography demonstrated that all DBS responders at 6 months ( n = 6) and 2 years ( n = 12) shared bilateral pathways from their activation volumes to 1) medial frontal cortex via forceps minor and uncinate fasciculus; 2) rostral and dorsal cingulate cortex via the cingulum bundle; and 3) subcortical nuclei. Nonresponders did not consistently show these connections. Specific anatomical coordinates of the active contacts did not discriminate responders from nonresponders. Conclusions Patient-specific activation volume tractography modeling may identify critical tracts that mediate SCC DBS antidepressant response. This suggests a novel method for patient-specific target and stimulation parameter selection.
Refractive-index-sensitive, plasmon-resonant-scattering, and surface-enhanced Raman-scattering nanoparticles and arrays as biological sensing platforms

The intense color of noble metal nanoparticles has inspired artists and fascinated scientists for hundreds of years. These rich hues are due to the interaction of light with the nanostructure's localized surface plasmon (LSPR). Here, we describe three optical sensing modalities that are dependant on the effects of the LSPR. Specifically, we will demonstrate the use of LSPR supporting particles as analogues to fluorescent probes and labels for multiplex detection, sensing based on observation of changes in the LSPR spectrum caused by alteration of the local refractive index upon analyte binding, and the spectroscopic labeling of cells and tissues with Surface Enhanced Raman Scatting (SERS) active nanoparticles probes.
A technique for laparoscopic retraction of the acutely inflamed thick-walled gallbladder

Utilizing the described technique, we have been able to obtain adequate cephalad retraction of the acutely inflamed, tense, and thick-walled gallbladder with minimal trauma. This has made it possible to more adequately identify key anatomical landmarks and to more safely perform the dissection in this area. We believe that the benefits of a shorter hospital stay, decreased postoperative pain, and earlier return to normal activity that patients realize when having an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy for chronic cholecystitis can be made available as well to more patients presenting with acute colecystitis.
Inhibition of Camp-Dependent PKA Activates β2-Adrenergic Receptor Stimulation of Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 via Raf-1/Mek/Erk and Ip3-Dependent Ca2+ Signaling in Atrial Myocytes

We previously reported in atrial myocytes that inhibition of PKA by laminin (LMN)-integrin signaling activates β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) stimulation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2). Here, we determined the effects of zinterol (0.1 μM; zint-β2-AR) to stimulate ICa,L in atrial myocytes in the absence (+PKA) and presence (-PKA) of the PKA inhibitor (1 µM) KT5720 and compared these results with atrial myocytes attached to laminin (+LMN). Inhibition of Raf-1 (10 µM GW5074), phospholipase C (PLC; 0.5 μM edelfosine), PKC (4 μM chelerythrine) or IP3 receptor (IP3R) signaling (2 µM 2-APB) significantly inhibited zint-β2-AR stimulation of ICa,L in -PKA but not +PKA myocytes. Western blots showed that zint-β2-AR stimulation increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation in -PKA compared to +PKA myocytes. Adenoviral (Adv) expression of dominant negative (dn) -PKCα, dn-Raf-1 or an IP3 affinity trap, each inhibited zint-β2-AR stimulation of ICa,L in + LMN myocytes compared to control +LMN myocytes infected with Adv-βgal. In +LMN myocytes, zint-β2-AR stimulation of ICa,L was enhanced by adenoviral overexpression of wild-type cPLA2 and inhibited by double dn-cPLA2S505A/S515A mutant compared to control +LMN myocytes infected with Adv-βgal. In -PKA myocytes depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores by 5 μM thapsigargin failed to inhibit zint-β2-AR stimulation of ICa,L via cPLA2. However, disruption of caveolae formation by 10 mM methyl-β-cyclodextrin inhibited zint-β2-AR stimulation of ICa,L in -PKA myocytes significantly more than in +PKA myocytes. We conclude that inhibition of PKA removes inhibition of Raf-1 and thereby allows β2-AR stimulation to act via PKCα/Raf-1/MEK/ERK1/2 and IP3-mediated Ca2+ signaling to stimulate cPLA2 signaling within caveolae. These findings may be relevant to the remodeling of β-AR signaling in failing and/or aging heart, both of which exhibit decreases in adenylate cyclase activity.
Effect of Silica Fume and Superplasticizer Addition on Setting Behavior of High-Strength Mixtures

An investigation was performed to assess the influence of silica fume and superplasticizer on setting behavior of high-strength concrete mixtures. Both admixtures were added in various proportions to a mortar mixture, and setting times were determined by means of penetration resistance of freshly cast mortar. The influence of temperature was also investigated by exposing mortar specimens to different storage temperatures. Silica fume was found to shorten initial set times, whereas superplasticizer was found to delay initial set. Statistical analysis identified an interaction effect between these admixtures: the influence of one admixture on initial set depended on the amount of the other admixture. Mortar temperature not only affected initial and final set times, but also influenced the time interval between initial and final set.
Hybrid Optical/Digital Interframe Image Data Compression Scheme

AbstractImage data compression methods have been dominated by digital computations. In this pa-per we discuss a data compression concept which employs optical computations as part of thecompression process. Simple optical processes are used to separate an image into lowfrequency and high frequency components. These components are then subjected to temporalcompression, for multiframe imagery, by using a DPCM frame -buffer structure. Simulationsof the process are shown, with reasonable performance being seen at multiple frame com-pression rates of 1.75 bits per pixel.IntroductionImage data compression is a very active topic of research in image processing. This isnot surprising when one considers the extensive sources of imagery currently being used fora variety of purposes, e.g., LANDSAT imagery, medical imaging, non -destructive testing, etc.Many such imagery situations require either the point -to -point transmission of imagery and/or the archival storage of imagery. Given the economic costs associated with transmissionor archival storage of masses of image data, the desirability of image data compression toreduce these costs is obvious.Image data compression schemes have been dominated by digital processes. That is, therequired computations for an image data compression scheme have been implemented by digitalprocesses. This is not surprising, given the emphasis on compression schemes which requirethe inherent flexibility of a digital scheme, e.g., adaptive cosine transform compression.However, an investigation of different architectures for image data compression can revealfeasible data compression methods for which optical computations can replace digital compu-
COX-2 Selective Inhibitors in the Treatment of Arthritis: A Rheumatologist Perspective

COX-2 selective inhibitors were developed in order to provide similar efficacy to traditional nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) but with improved upper gastrointestinal safety. This paper presents an overview of randomized clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of COX-2 selective inhibitors for the treatment of patients with arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, COX-2 selective inhibitors have been shown to be more effective than placebo and similarly effective as standard doses of nonselective NSAIDs. There are currently few randomized clinical trials comparing the efficacy of the 2 first-generation COX-2 selective inhibitors, celecoxib and rofecoxib, in osteoarthritis. Of 4 head-to-head studies comparing the 2 agents, 3 indicated similar efficacy, while the other demonstrated superiority of rofecoxib at a dose of 25 mg qd compared with celecoxib at a dose of 200 mg qd. There are no clinical trials comparing the efficacy of different agents for treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Some studies have also demonstrated efficacy for COX-2 selective inhibitors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and gout. In aggregate, these data show that COX-2 selective inhibitors provide effective relief of pain in patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, with efficacy that is similar to traditional NSAIDs. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility studies suggest, however, that their use should be limited to patients at high risk of serious upper gastrointestinal side effects, including complicated ulcers.
DNA-assisted binding of microspheres on glass substrates and their laser-induced release

Abstract DNA hybridization has been increasingly adopted in materials sciences due to its complementary nature of single stranded DNAs. This unique property could be potentially used in the realization of 2 dimensional (2D) arrays of colloidal microspheres as a precursor to further build more complicated superstructures. In order to precisely understand this DNA-assisted assembly of colloidal particles, we quantitatively assessed the surface density of grafted and hybridizing accessible DNA oligomers on both substrate and colloidal particles. The DNA grafting densities were determined by UV–Vis of dye-functionalized complementary DNA oligomers, in conjunction with theoretical models. The variations of the concentration of hybridized DNA as a function of parameters such as the number of DNA base pairs (bp), the length of spacer and the size of sphere were also investigated to determine the immobilization strength of colloidal microspheres on the substrate. Dehybridization of the particle was conducted by utilizing a focused laser beam. These results were also compared with the particle hybridization energies and modeled according to the sum of DNA bindings as a function of the number of hybridized bases.
Attributions of Causes for Chronic Illness Among Aged Persons

Who is to blame for the chronic illnesses that are increasingly important as we age? Two hundred and three independently- living persons were interviewed, 45 under the age of 55 and 158 over 55, to determine whether they employed blaming or nonblaming attributions concerning chronic illnesses. Being older, having more illnesses, mood (depression), and weight (obesity) all were related to the respondents' attributions. Older persons were significantly more blaming of themselves and other people in relation to illness than were younger people. Reasons for this are suggested: the religious upbringings many older people experienced that paired guilt and suffering, and current emphasis on a healthy life style as a way to avoid the chronic problems the older person already has. Since blaming (internal) attributions lead to higher levels of depression and declines in physical health for those who adopt them, it is suggested that professionals working with elderly persons examine their own atlributions in regard ...
Providing a Safe Environment for Children Infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus

The number of school-age persons who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to increase. HIV is infectious to others and increases the susceptibility of the person with HIV to infection from other viral and bacterial diseases. This article addresses health care of children with HIV and infection control precautions and presents recommendations for personnel preparation and policy development necessary to create a safe educational environment for all children and personnel, including those with HIV.
Specification of a coprocessor for efficient access of data structures

Most of todays applications are developed using high-level programming languages, which allow information to be represented as various types of data structures. However, the support provided by current architectures for accessing these types of data is very limited, Previous research proposed the use of an access coprocessor (AP). The authors define the access coprocessor instruction set, specify the access-execute processors synchronization protocols and illustrate the working of the system with three benchmark algorithms. Their results show that substantial speedup in program execution-time can be achieved by EP-AP concurrency and the use of special instructions by the AP to efficiently access data structures. >
Active sonic boom control

A theory and simulation code are developed to study non-steady sources as means to control sonic booms of supersonic aircraft. A key result is that the source of sonic boom pressure is not confined to the length of the aircraft but occupies an extensive segment of the flight path. An aircraft in non-steady flight functions as a synthetic aperture antenna, generating complex acoustic waves with no simple relation to instantaneous volume or lift distributions. The theory applies linear acoustics to slender non-steady sources but requires no far-field approximation. The solution for pressure contains a term not seen in Whitham's theory for sonic booms of distant supersonic aircraft. The term describes a pressure field that decays algebraically behind the Mach cone and, in the case of steady flight, integrates to a ground load equal to the weight of the aircraft. The algebraic term is separate from those that describe the sonic boom. Two non-steady source phenomena are evaluated : periodic velocity changes (surge), and periodic longitudinal lift redistribution (slosh). Surge can attenuate a sonic boom and covert it into prolonged weak reverberation, but accelerations needed to produce the phenomenon seem too large for practical use. Slosh may be practical and can alter sonic booms but does not, on average, result in boom attenuation. The conclusion is that active sonic boom abatement is possible in theory but maybe not practical.
Leveraging Probe Data to Assess Security Checkpoint Wait Times

The process of traveling to an airport, passing through various processes, and ultimately departing the airport involves many activities. This paper focuses on the use of probe data obtained from phones with discoverable Bluetooth devices to sample the time needed for passengers to travel from the nonsterile to the sterile side of an airport facility. To collect these data, the Kenton County Airport Board partnered with Purdue University to conduct a study at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport, Hebron, over a 4-week period during the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday. Bluetooth monitoring stations (BMSs) were used to collect unique identifiers from approximately 46,000 devices and to compute more than 1.5 million travel times between 17 BMSs. With a Pareto distribution approach, hourly security wait times were ordered, and a methodology was developed to identify periods for which opportunities might exist to reduce wait times (relative to a specified maximum wait time) by opening more security...
Integration with Writing Programs: A Strategy for Quantitative Reasoning Program Development

As an inherently interdisciplinary endeavor, quantitative reasoning (QR) risks falling through the cracks between the traditional “silos” of higher education. This article describes one strategy for developing a truly cross-campus QR initiative: leverage the existing structures of campus writing programs by placing QR in the context of argument. We first describe the integration of Carleton College’s Quantitative Inquiry, Reasoning, and Knowledge initiative with the Writing Program. Based on our experience, we argue that such an approach leads to four benefits: it reflects important aspects of QR often overlooked by other approaches; it defuses the commonly raised objection that QR is merely remedial math; it sidesteps challenges of institutional culture (idiosyncratic campus history, ownership, and inertia); and it improves writing instruction. We then explore the implications of our approach for QR graduation standards. Our experience suggests that once we engaged faculty from across the curriculum in our work, it would have been difficult to adopt a narrowly defined requirement of skills-based courses. The article concludes by providing resources for those who would like to implement this approach at the course and institutional level.
Plot Structure in L'Etourdi and George Dandin

The first part of the present study examines the structure and function of the plot of L'Etourdi and George Dandin. It explains how structural patterning enables Moliere to dramatize the gap between human wish and attainment. Despite the pain or embar-rassment associated with unfulfilled expectations, Moliere keeps his plays within the bounds of the comic. The second part of the essay, then, explains how the playwright relies on patterning to prevent spectators from becoming emotionally involved with the characters and their dilemmas.
Spins, Phonons, and Hardness

In crystals (and/or glasses) with localized sp3 or spd-bonding orbitais, dislocations have very low mobilities, making the crystals very hard. Classical Peierls-Nabarro theory does not account for the low mobility. The breaking of spin-pair bonds which creates internal free-radicals must be considered. Therefore, a theory based on quantum mechanics has been proposed (Science, 261, 1436 (1993)). It has been applied successfully to diamond, Si, Ge, SiC, and with a modification to TiC and WC. It has recently been extended to account for the temperature independence of the hardness of silicon at low temperatures together with strong softening at temperatures above the Debye temperature. It is quantitatively consistent with the behaviors of the Group IV elements (C, Si, Ge, Sn) when their Debye temperatures are used as normalizing factors; and appears to be consistent with data for TiC if an Einstein temperature for carbon is used. Since the Debye temperature marks the approximate point at which phonons of atomic wavelengths become excited (as contrasted with collective acoustic waves), this confirms the idea that the process which limits dislocation mobility is localized to atomic dimensions (sharp kinks).
Discussion: Androgyny, Personality Theory, and Psychotherapy

Recently formulated conceptions of psychological androgyny appear to involve a variety of metaphorical models whereby masculinity and femininity are said to be balanced, tempered one by the other, integrated, or transcended. Through an application of Stephen Pepper's (1942) root metaphor theory to these models, it is argued that validational research will prove more profitable than theoretical debate over which vision of androgyny is “best.” The importance of including measures of self-esteem in sex role research is also emphasized.
Regulation of Notch 1 signaling in THP-1 cells enhances M2 macrophage differentiation

Macrophage polarization is emerging as an important area of research for the development of novel therapeutics to treat inflammatory diseases. Within the current study, the role of Notch1R in macro...
Linking covalent histone modifications to epigenetics: the rigidity and plasticity of the marks.

the DNA double helix, is organized into a complex chromatin structure with the assistance of histone and nonhistone proteins. As such, chromatin is the physiologically relevant form of eukaryotic genomes. While it is largely uncontested that different genetic compositions of individual species underlie their unique physiology and final morphology, chromatin provides an additional layer for dictating the translation of genetic information into meaningful biological readouts (for review, see Strahl and Allis 2000; Jenuwein and Allis 2001; Felsenfeld and Groudine 2003). Increasing evidence underscores an emerging theme in biology wherein “epigenetic” mechanisms, defined as mechanisms operating outside of changes in DNA sequence, govern gene function by creating potentially heritable alternative states of chromatin. DNA methylation and covalent modifications of histones, such as methylation, acetylation, and phosphorylation, are thought to contribute to these chromatin states by serving as a platform that integrates cell differentiation signals and environmental cues as well as regulating the timely release of the appropriate genetic information (Cheung et al. 2000; Schreiber and Bernstein 2002). Several of the above histone modifications are readily reversible through enzymatic means; others are potentially static (Bannister et al. 2002; see below). One central problem that remains to be resolved is how these mechanisms are regulated either during normal developmental conditions or under various pathological conditions. EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS UNDERLYING DIFFERENTIATION DURING MAMMALIAN EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT
Perspective---Scholarship, Scholarly Institutions, and Scholarly Communities

Scholarship is less an individual than a collective activity. The history of A Behavioral Theory of the Firm illustrates two key aspects of the collective nature of scholarship. The first aspect is the dependence of scholarship on the institutions of scholarship. For a period of about 10 years beginning around 1954, The Graduate School of Industrial Administration at the Carnegie Institute of Technology was an extraordinary incubator of ideas, the “Vienna Circle” of its time. The second aspect is the cooperative interdependence of communities of scholars. Ideas take form and reproduce through an intergenerational, international pyramid of promiscuous and acrobatic intellectual intercourse.
Microbial Biofilms on Needleless Connectors for Central Venous Catheters: Comparison of Standard and Silver-Coated Devices Collected from Patients in an Acute Care Hospital

Microorganisms may colonize needleless connectors (NCs) on intravascular catheters, forming biofilms and predisposing patients to catheter-associated infection (CAI). Standard and silver-coated NCs were collected from catheterized intensive care unit patients to characterize biofilm formation using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods and to investigate the associations between NC usage and biofilm characteristics. Viable microorganisms were detected by plate counts from 46% of standard NCs and 59% of silver-coated NCs (P = 0.11). There were no significant associations (P > 0.05, chi-square test) between catheter type, side of catheter placement, number of catheter lumens, site of catheter placement, or NC placement duration and positive NC findings. There was an association (P = 0.04, chi-square test) between infusion type and positive findings for standard NCs. Viable microorganisms exhibiting intracellular esterase activity were detected on >90% of both NC types (P = 0.751), suggesting that a large percentage of organisms were not culturable using the conditions provided in this study. Amplification of the 16S rRNA gene from selected NCs provided a substantially larger number of operational taxonomic units per NC than did plate counts (26 to 43 versus 1 to 4 operational taxonomic units/NC, respectively), suggesting that culture-dependent methods may substantially underestimate microbial diversity on NCs. NC bacterial communities were clustered by patient and venous access type and may reflect the composition of the patient's local microbiome but also may contain organisms from the health care environment. NCs provide a portal of entry for a wide diversity of opportunistic pathogens to colonize the catheter lumen, forming a biofilm and increasing the potential for CAI, highlighting the importance of catheter maintenance practices to reduce microbial contamination.
Free fatty acids, insulin resistance, and pregnancy.

Acute elevation of plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels causes insulin resistance to rise dose dependently in pregnant and nonpregnant women. Plasma FFA levels are commonly elevated during late pregnancy, partly due to rising blood levels of lipolytic placental hormones, and are a likely cause for much of the increase in insulin resistance occurring at that time in all pregnant women. Plasma FFA levels are similar or higher and the insulin resistance is comparable or more severe in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) than in nondiabetic pregnant women. In contrast to healthy pregnant women, insulin secretion in women with GDM is defective and, therefore, is unable to rise adequately to compensate for the insulin resistance; the result is hyperglycemia. The mechanism by which elevated plasma FFA levels cause insulin resistance in skeletal muscle includes intramyocellular accumulation of diacylglycerol, which activates protein kinase C (the β II and δ isoforms). This results in reduction of tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate-1 and inhibits activation of phosphoinositol-3 kinase, an enzyme that is essential for normal insulin-stimulated glucose uptake.
Toward Estimating the Incidence of Journey-to-Work Costs:

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the extent to which the daily travel to work costs are passed forward to employers in the form of higher wages. The incidence is estimated from a sample of Glasgow, Scotland workers who relocated their residences within the city. It was found that the elasticity of wages with respect to travel costs is greater than zero for both men and women and, perhaps, as much as one for men. Since the relocation within the city led to substantial job change, it would seem that wages should be expected to adjust to changes in policy areas such as transport and land zoning which make it cheaper or more expensive for workers to get to employment opportunities.
Massively parallel algorithms for trace-driven cache simulations

Considers the use of massively parallel architectures to execute a trace-driven simulation of a single cache set. A method is presented for the least-recently-used (LRU) policy, which, regardless of the set size C, runs in time O(log N) using N processors on the EREW (exclusive read, exclusive write) parallel model. A simpler LRU simulation algorithm is given that runs in O(C log N) time using N/log N processors. We present timings of this algorithm's implementation on the MasPar MP-1, a machine with 16384 processors. A broad class of reference-based line replacement policies are considered, which includes LRU as well as the least-frequently-used (LFU) and random replacement policies. A simulation method is presented for any such policy that, on any trace of length N directed to a C line set, runs in O(C log N) time with high probability using N processors on the EREW model. The algorithms are simple, have very little space overhead, and are well suited for SIMD implementation. >
Density drives polyandry and relatedness influences paternal success in the Pacific gooseneck barnacle, Pollicipes elegans

Polyandry is a common mating strategy in animals, increasing female fitness through direct (material) and indirect (genetic) benefits. Most theories about the benefits of polyandry come from studies of terrestrial animals, which have relatively complex mating systems and behaviors; less is known about the potential benefits of polyandry in sessile marine animals, for which potential mates may be scarce and females have less control over pre-copulatory mate choice. Here, we used microsatellite markers to examine multiple paternity in natural aggregations of the Pacific gooseneck barnacle Pollicipes elegans, testing the effect of density on paternity and mate relatedness on male reproductive success. We found that multiple paternity was very common (79% of broods), with up to five fathers contributing to a brood, though power was relatively low to detect more than four fathers. Density had a significant and positive linear effect on the number of fathers siring a brood, though this relationship leveled off at high numbers of fathers, which may reflect a lack of power and/or an upper limit to polyandry in this species. Significant skew in male reproductive contribution in multiply-sired broods was observed and we found a positive and significant relationship between the proportion of offspring sired and the genetic similarity between mates, suggesting that genetic compatibility may influence reproductive success in this species. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show high levels of multiple paternity in a barnacle, and overall, patterns of paternity in P. elegans appear to be driven primarily by mate availability. Evidence of paternity bias for males with higher relatedness suggests some form of post-copulatory sexual selection is taking place, but more work is needed to determine whether it operates during or post-fertilization. Overall, our results suggest that while polyandry in P. elegans is driven by mate availability, it may also provide a mechanism for females to ensure fertilization by compatible gametes and increase reproductive success in this sessile species.
ON THE CONSUMPTION TAX AND THE TAX TREATMENT OF BEQUESTS IN DIFFERENT MODELS OF BEQUEATHING BEHAVIOUR

The tax treatment of bequests under the consumption tax policy is studied in two models of bequeathing behaviour, a model where the parent cares about the bequest itself and a model where the parent cares about the welfare of his offspring instead. It is shown that the two models make precisely opposite predictions of the effects of the consumption tax including the conditions under which the tax is neutral, the differential incidence of the tax in a closed economy when it is non-neutral, and the international transmission effect of the tax when it is non-neutral.
GENETIC AND MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS

The first part of this review summarizes the two best understood aspects of the two best understood circadian systems, the feedback oscillators of Neurospora and Drosophila, concentrating on what we know about the frequency (frq), period (per) and timeless (tim) genes. In the second part, the general circadian genetic and molecular literature is surveyed, with an eye to describing what is known from a variety of systems about input to the oscillator (entrainment), and how the oscillator might work and be temperature compensated, in emerging systems including Synechococcus, Gonyaulax, Arabidopsis, hamsters, and mice. Finally, the conversation of the molecular components of clocks is analyzed: both frq and per are widely conserved in their respective phylogenetic classes. Pharmacological data suggests that most other organisms use a day-phased oscillator of the type seen in Neurospora rather than a night-phased oscillator such as in Drosophila.
Soil moisture-based drought monitoring at different time scales: a case study for the U.S. Great Plains†

Short-term agricultural drought and longer term hydrological drought have important ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Soil moisture monitoring networks have potential to assist in the quantification of drought conditions because soil moisture changes are mostly due to precipitation and evapotranspiration, the two dominant water balance components in most areas. In this study, the Palmer approach to calculating a drought index was combined with a soil water content-based moisture anomaly calculation. A drought lag time parameter was introduced to quantify the time between the start of a moisture anomaly and the onset of drought. The methodology was applied to four shortgrass prairie sites along a North-South transect in the U.S. Great Plains with an 18-year soil moisture record. Short time lags led to high periodicity of the resulting drought index, appropriate for assessing short-term drought conditions at the field scale (agricultural drought). Conversely, long time lags led to low periodicity of the drought index, being more indicative of long-term drought conditions at the watershed or basin scale (hydrological drought). The influence of daily, weekly, and monthly time steps on the drought index was examined and found to be marginal. The drought index calculated with a short drought lag time showed evidence of being normally distributed. A longer data record is needed to assess the statistical distribution of the drought index for longer drought lag times.
Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: The Yin and Yang of Inflammation and Neoplasia

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is acknowledged to be a neoplastic process with clonal malignant T cells that can metastasize to regional lymph nodes and, occasionally, to visceral organs (Hwang et al., 2008). Similar to other solid tumors, large, bulky CTCL tumors can be both disfiguring as well as serve as portals for infection if they begin to ulcerate. Moreover, in contrast, CTCL cells are immune cells themselves, often originate from CD4+ T cells in mycosis fungoides (the most common form of CTCL) and respond to immunomodulatory agents such as corticosteroids and imiquimod (Dummer et al., 2003). CTCL tumors develop in a complex immunological environment that comprises macrophages, dendritic cells, innate immune cells, and other T cells (Kim et al., 2005). Recent clinical data suggest that the presence of certain immune cells (i.e., CD8+ T cells) in the skin can correlate with a better prognosis in CTCL and that others (i.e., macrophages) correlate with a poor prognosis (Sugaya et al., 2012).
Growth inhibitory effect of ceramide-incorporated nanoliposomes in human pancreatic cancer cells

14105 Background: In cancer therapy, it is a challenging task to develop an optimal therapeutic regimen with an improved drug delivery vehicle and a cancer targeting strategy. Liposome-based drug d...
Collaborating with STEM Faculty Across the Team

The Alliance for the Advancement of Florida’s Academic Women in Chemistry and Engineering (AAFAWCE, 2013), a joint collaborative ADVANCE-PAID (Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation, and Dissemination) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF, 2012), involved five public Florida universities: University of South Florida (USF, lead institution), Florida State University (FSU), University of Florida (UF), Florida International University (FIU), and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).
Products of Nevanlinna-Pick kernels and operator colligations

The Schur classSd of analytic functionsf ofd complex variables for whichf(T1,T2,...,Td) has norm at most one for everyd-tuple of commuting strict contractions is characterized by J. Agler [1] in terms of a Szego kernel factorization property and in terms of a transfer function of a certain type ofd-variable unitary colligation. Replacing the Szego kernel by positive kernels whose reciprocal has one positive square we can define a new Schur class in terms of a kernel factorization property. By using, in part, the approach found in Ball and Trent [3], we characterize this Schur class in terms of a transfer function of a certain type of unitary colligation. Further, with these results we establish a Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation theorem for our Schur class. Such interpolation theorems already exist in the literature for two special cases where [1] all kernels are taken to be the Szego kernel, and [2] d=1.
Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation of self-assembly and surface adsorption of ionic surfactants using an implicit water model

We perform coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations for sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant using a modification of the Dry Martini force field (Arnarez et al. 2014) with implicit water. After inclusion of particle mesh Ewald (PME) electrostatics, an artificially high dielectric constant for water (e(r) = 150), and reparameterization, we obtain structural and thermodynamic properties of SDS micelles that are close to those obtained from the standard Martini force field with explicit water, which in turn match those of atomistic simulations. The gains in computational efficiency obtained by removing explicit water allow direct simulations of the self-assembly of SDS in solution. We observe surfactant exchange among micelles and micelle fission and fusion and obtain realistic, equilibrated micelle size distributions at modest computational cost, as well as a transition to cylindrical micelles at high surfactant concentration or with added salt. We further apply this parametrized force field to study the adsorption of SDS onto hydrophobic surfaces and calculate the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium adsorption isotherm. The greatly increased speed of computation of surfactant self-assembly made possible by this Dry Martini method should allow future simulation of competitive adsorption of multiple surfactant species to surfaces, as well as simulation of micellar shape transitions.
Reduction of Elevated Plasma Lipid Levels in Atherosclerosis following EDTA Therapy

SummaryIn 34 patients exhibiting various clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis, 14 diabetic, 20 nondiabetic, abnormally high plasma lipid levels were observed to be depressed, in many instance...
Skill of puncture on the child scalp veins

Objective To improve success rate of the child scalp venus punctures, decrease the ill children′s, pain, and improve the quality of nursing. Methods To retrospectively analyze some process which must be attentioned in doing scalp venus punctures. Results The first puncture was successful, the ill children and their parents were satisfied with our technique of punctures. Conclusion Perfoming child scalp vein puncture is very hard. So systaltic and processible nursing is important to improve success rate of the child scalp venus punctures.
Study on the Optimal Method of War Emergency Material Support Plan Based on Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation

Based on war emergency material resources support principle,the quantification method of resource points support capabilities based on the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is proposed in the paper,then the optimal method of war emergency material support plan is discussed,as well,the mathematical model of emergency material support plan is constituted in the paper.The method will enhance the rationality of war emergency material support plan formulation to a certain extent.