cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research on the Transferring of Rural Land-use for Construction on the Premise of Making Collective Sovereignty Clear——Taking an Example of H Village of Shanghai

Be based on the situation in H village in Shanghai,this paper points out the main reasons that hinder the further development of the transferring of rural land-use for construction,these include: unclear property rights of rural collective land,irrational distribution of income transfer,and heavy tax burden of collective organization.In response to this,this paper proposes some methods for pushing the transferring of rural land-use for construction forward,these are: on the premise of making collective property rights of farmers clear,strengthening the reform concerning organization property rights system of rural collective economy;resolving some problems of present rural collective organization,thus improving the property income of farmers,establishing long-term income mechanism for farmers.
Mystical Experience and the Apophatic Attitude

Apophaticism in mainstream analytic theology and philosophy of religion has come to denote a metaphysical and semantic thesis: that, due to divine transcendence, God is ineffable, inconceivable, or incomprehensible. But this conception fails to properly take account of the central claim of apophaticism as a special type of mystical theology. As such, the apophatic commitments to divine ineffability (however understood) are instrumental. More fundamental is the function of theological ignorance to uniquely inform the task of theology and transform the theologian in union with God. Taking Jonathan Jacobs’ recent account as a test case, I argue that reconstructions of apophaticism need to be supplemented by an account of this informational and personally transformative value that apophatic mysticism places on its commitment to divine incomprehensibility. I supply the needed account of apophatic valuing in terms of wonder as the appropriate emotional attitude toward divine transcendence.
Digital Blue: A New Paradigm to Solve the Illiteracy Problem in India by the Year 2020

Researchers have cited the lack of availability of results on effective strategies to improve school quality in developing countries. Strategies for improving school quality in developing countries must be adaptable, efficient and scalable. In this analysis, we assess the effectiveness of the project Padippum Inikkum for enhancing reading levels of school children in Tamil Nadu, India. The Padippum Inikkum project in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, trains teachers in an innovative teaching methodology based on collective learning and group psychology, and provides inputs to schools and augments their resources. In the Padippum Inikkum project, the focus of the problem was maintained on improving reading levels as opposed to learning as a whole. The results indicate that there was a statistically significant improvement in the reading levels of elementary school children under the project (P-value
Bioinformatics Prediction of Polyketide Synthase Gene Clusters from Mycosphaerella fijiensis

Mycosphaerella fijiensis, causal agent of black Sigatoka disease of banana, is a Dothideomycete fungus closely related to fungi that produce polyketides important for plant pathogenicity. We utilized the M. fijiensis genome sequence to predict PKS genes and their gene clusters and make bioinformatics predictions about the types of compounds produced by these clusters. Eight PKS gene clusters were identified in the M. fijiensis genome, placing M. fijiensis into the 23rd percentile for the number of PKS genes compared to other Dothideomycetes. Analysis of the PKS domains identified three of the PKS enzymes as non-reducing and two as highly reducing. Gene clusters contained types of genes frequently found in PKS clusters including genes encoding transporters, oxidoreductases, methyltransferases, and non-ribosomal peptide synthases. Phylogenetic analysis identified a putative PKS cluster encoding melanin biosynthesis. None of the other clusters were closely aligned with genes encoding known polyketides, however three of the PKS genes fell into clades with clusters encoding alternapyrone, fumonisin, and solanapyrone produced by Alternaria and Fusarium species. A search for homologs among available genomic sequences from 103 Dothideomycetes identified close homologs (>80% similarity) for six of the PKS sequences. One of the PKS sequences was not similar (< 60% similarity) to sequences in any of the 103 genomes, suggesting that it encodes a unique compound. Comparison of the M. fijiensis PKS sequences with those of two other banana pathogens, M. musicola and M. eumusae, showed that these two species have close homologs to five of the M. fijiensis PKS sequences, but three others were not found in either species. RT-PCR and RNA-Seq analysis showed that the melanin PKS cluster was down-regulated in infected banana as compared to growth in culture. Three other clusters, however were strongly upregulated during disease development in banana, suggesting that they may encode polyketides important in pathogenicity.
Fast and Reliable Detection and Identification of Missing RFID Tags in the Wild

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems have been deployed to detect and identify missing products by affixing them with cheap passive RFID tags and monitoring them with RFID readers. Existing missing tag detection and identification protocols require the tag population to contain only those tags whose IDs are already known to the reader. However, in reality, tag populations often contain tags with unknown IDs, called unexpected tags. These unexpected tags cause unexpected false positives, i.e. , due to them, missing tags are detected as present. We take the first step toward addressing the problem of detecting and identifying missing tags from a population that contains unexpected tags. Our protocol, RUN, uses standardized frame slotted Aloha for communication between tags and readers. It executes multiple frames with different seeds to reduce the effects of unexpected false positives. At the same time, it minimizes the missing tag detection and identification time by first estimating the number of unexpected tags in the population and then using it along with the false-positive probability to obtain optimal frame sizes and minimum number of times Aloha frames should be executed to mitigate the effects of false positives. RUN works with multiple readers with overlapping regions. It is easy to deploy, because it is implemented on readers as a software module and does not require any modifications to tags or to the communication protocol between the tags and the readers. We implemented RUN along with four major missing tag detection and identification protocols, namely, TRP, IIP, MTI, and SFMTI, and the fastest tag ID collection protocol TH and compared them side by side. Our performance evaluation results show that RUN is the only protocol that achieves required reliability in the presence of unexpected tags, whereas the best existing protocol achieves a maximum reliability of only 67%. RUN identifies 100% of missing tags in the presence of unexpected tags, whereas the best existing protocol identifies a maximum of only 60% of missing tags.
Multi-pinhole cardiac SPECT performance with hemi-Ellipsoid detectors for two geometries

SPECT is primarily used in the clinic for noninvasive cardiac myocardial perfusion imaging. However, sensitivity is impaired due to the need for collimation in SPECT. New second generation systems including those with multi-pinhole collimation has shown high sensitive acquisitions. This has enabled faster or lower dose “stress-first” acquisitions, but not both. Here a third generation dedicated Cardiac SPECT system is proposed which yields higher sensitivity by a factor of ∼3.1 compared to second generation systems (and more than order of magnitude over Generation I systems), by using hemi-Ellipsoid shaped detectors with pinhole collimation. This may ultimately enable ultra-low-dose imaging (∼3mCi) in less than 4 min.
Thermodynamic and electrical transport investigation of URu2Si2-x P x.

Magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and heat capacity results are reported for the chemical substitution series URu2Si2-x P x for [Formula: see text]. This study expands in detail on work recently reported in Gallagher et al (2016 Nat. Commun. 10712), which focused on the small x region of this substitution series. Measurements presented here reveal persistent hybridization between the f- and conduction electrons and strong variation of the low temperature behavior with increasing x. Hidden order and superconductivity are rapidly destroyed for [Formula: see text] and are replaced for [Formula: see text] by a region with Kondo coherence but no ordered state. Antiferromagnetism abruptly appears for [Formula: see text]. This phase diagram differs significantly from those produced by most other tuning strategies in URu2Si2, including applied pressure, high magnetic fields, and isoelectronic chemical substitution (i.e. Ru → Fe and Os), where hidden order and magnetism share a common phase boundary. Besides revealing an intriguing evolution of the low temperature states, this series provides a setting in which to investigate the influence of electronic tuning, where probes that are sensitive to the Fermi surface and the symmetry of the ordered states will be useful to unravel the anomalous behavior of URu2Si2.
Distribution of 9p24 Abnormalities in Hematologic Malignancies with an Emphasis on Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Introduction: 9p24 contains genes that are critical for immune evasion and propagating cell division. The loci for PD-L1, PD-L2, JAK2, and the histone demethylases KDM4C/JMJD2C are linked on 9p24 (Van Roosbroeck et al. Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer 2016). Amplification or rearrangements of this region have been described in the pathogenesis of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) and primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (Ansell et al. New England Journal of Medicine 2015). Additionally, JAK2 amplification up-regulates PD-L1 and L2, which leads to increased T-cell inactivation and suggests synergy between these drug targets. The recent success of PD-1 blockade in numerous malignancies has led to the development and approval of PD-1 inhibitors in cHL as well as other cancers. Targeted therapies are approved for JAK2 inhibition, such as ruxolitinib, and are in development for histone demethylases, which illustrates the utility of identifying the 9p24 amplicon in hematologic malignancies (HM) (Van Roosbroeck et al. Genes, Chromsomes and Cancer 2016). The goal of this analysis is to better understand the distribution of 9p24 abnormalities across a broader range of leukemias and lymphomas in order to facilitate future studies of targeted therapy. Methods: The National Cancer Institute9s Mitelman Database of Chromosome Aberrations and Gene Fusions in Cancer was queried for 9p24 breakpoint abnormalities within HM. Incidence of additions and rearrangements in chromosome 9p24 for all subtypes of HM listed in the Mitelman Database were calculated. Individual references were manually reviewed and pathologic data was extracted as available from the primary sources. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cases were further assessed for co-incident rearrangement of MYC (8q24), BCL2 (18q21) and BCL6 (3q27) with 9p24. All subtypes with greater than 2% incidence of additions and/or rearrangements in chromosome 9p24 were reported. Results: 48,761 patients (pts) with HM across 74 lymphoid and myeloid subtypes were identified. 361 ( Conclusion: Amplifications and rearrangement of 9p24 are rare in HM within the Mitelman database. Our study suggests that patients with DLBCL, adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, intravascular B cell lymphoma, peripheral T-cell lymphoma, and extranodal marginal zone B-cell may be considered for further studies with FISH and aCGH to further define the incidence of 9p24 alterations and potentially for targeted clinical trials. 9p24 abnormalities did not correlate with previously described phenotypic subtypes of DLBCL. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Vernal freeze damage and genetic variation alter tree growth, chemistry, and insect interactions.

Anticipated consequences of climate change in temperate regions include early spring warmup punctuated by intermittent hard freezes. Warm weather accelerates leaf flush in perennial woody species, potentially exposing vulnerable young tissues to damaging frosts. We employed a 2 × 6 randomized factorial design to examine how the interplay of vernal (springtime) freeze damage and genetic variation in a hardwood species (Populus tremuloides) influences tree growth, phytochemistry, and interactions with an insect herbivore (Chaitophorus stevensis). Acute effects of freezing included defoliation and mortality. Surviving trees exhibited reduced growth and altered biomass distribution. Reflushed leaves on these trees had lower mass per area, lower lignin concentrations, and higher nitrogen concentrations, altered chemical defence profiles, and supported faster aphid population growth. Many effects varied among plant genotypes and were related with herbivore performance. This study suggests that a single damaging vernal freeze event can alter tree-insect interactions through effects on plant growth and chemistry. Differential responses of various genotypes to freeze damage suggest that more frequent vernal freeze events could also influence natural selection, favouring trees with greater freeze hardiness, and more resistance or tolerance to herbivores following damage.
Deep convolutional neural networks for segmenting 3D in vivo multiphoton images of vasculature in Alzheimer disease mouse models.

The health and function of tissue rely on its vasculature network to provide reliable blood perfusion. Volumetric imaging approaches, such as multiphoton microscopy, are able to generate detailed 3D images of blood vessels that could contribute to our understanding of the role of vascular structure in normal physiology and in disease mechanisms. The segmentation of vessels, a core image analysis problem, is a bottleneck that has prevented the systematic comparison of 3D vascular architecture across experimental populations. We explored the use of convolutional neural networks to segment 3D vessels within volumetric in vivo images acquired by multiphoton microscopy. We evaluated different network architectures and machine learning techniques in the context of this segmentation problem. We show that our optimized convolutional neural network architecture with a customized loss function, which we call DeepVess, yielded a segmentation accuracy that was better than state-of-the-art methods, while also being orders of magnitude faster than the manual annotation. To explore the effects of aging and Alzheimer’s disease on capillaries, we applied DeepVess to 3D images of cortical blood vessels in young and old mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease and wild type littermates. We found little difference in the distribution of capillary diameter or tortuosity between these groups, but did note a decrease in the number of longer capillary segments (>75μm) in aged animals as compared to young, in both wild type and Alzheimer’s disease mouse models.
Rare Events, Large Deviations

There are many situations where we want to estimate the probability of a rare event with some precision. For example if we toss a fair coin n times the probability of getting n heads in a row is clearly small, and for large n is very small. We know its exact value as 2−n and in logarithmic scale we can write it as e −n log 2. While in this case the exact probability is easy to evaluate, there are many situations in which a direct exact calculation is impossible and we need to develop indirect methods that will provide us with estimates.
Console over Ethernet.

While console support is one of the most mundane portions of an operating system, console access is critical, especially during system debugging and for some low-level system-administration operations. As a result, densely packed servers and server appliances have either keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) cabling and KVM switches or serial ports, cabling, and concentrators. Further increases in the density of server appliances and blades require eliminating these items. We did so in the design of a prototype dense-server-blade system that includes none of the standard external ports for console devices. Since the standard means for console accesss, KVM or serial, were not possible, we developed lowlevel software to redirect console activity to the Ethernet interface. This paper describes the console support over the network interface that we developed for both our LinuxBIOS-based boot-time firmware and the Linux operating system. We refer to this code as console over Ethernet or etherconsole. We found it invaluable in debugging and evaluating our prototype server blades. We also describe ways of extending our work to make it more transparent to existing firmware and operating systems.
Utilization of KRAS mutation status testing in stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in the United States: National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) analysis.

e15172Background: KRAS mutation status is considered a predictive biomarker of personalized treatment in advanced stage CRC. Its testing is recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network ...
Embedded planning

We present a planner that generates nonlinear plans in real-time to control an autonomous agent. Requirements of plan generation in an embedded system are obtained by extending the action representation of [Chapman 87] and [McAllester & Rosenblitt 91] regarding locations, arithmetic equations and variable's domain. The implementation of this planner exhibits attractive real-time performances. This planner is used to generate plans on the fly for a mobile robot performing various tasks to assist in office work.
Religion and Health in Rural Malawi

While research has found important links between religion and health, there is a gap in knowledge in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between religion and health in rural Malawi. After controlling for baseline health, results show that: (1) the relationship differs between younger (15–44 years) and older (45 + years) adults; (2) among younger adults, Muslims are relatively less healthy, whereas Muslims are healthier in older age; (3) religious activities have a stronger relationship with health than do other measures, especially for women; and (4) religious activities have a relationship with health only for two or more activities. These findings suggest that religion is tied to health in Malawi, especially for older women. This paper was originally presented at the European Conference on African Studies in June 2017.
A Low-Cost, Passive Release Device for the Surveillance and Control of Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes continue to be a major threat to global health, and the ability to reliably monitor, catch, and kill mosquitoes via passive traps is of great importance. Global, low-cost, and easy-to-use outdoor devices are needed to augment existing efforts in mosquito control that combat the spread of disease, such as Zika. Thus, we have developed a modular, portable, non-powered (passive), self-contained, and field-deployable device suitable for releasing volatiles with a wide range of applications such as attracting, repelling, and killing mosquitoes. This unique device relies on a novel nested wick and two-reservoir design that achieves a constant release of volatiles over several hundred hours. Devices loaded with one of either two compounds, geraniol or 1-methylpiperazine (MP), were tested in a controlled environment (32 °C and 70% relative humidity), and both compounds achieved a constant release from our devices at a rate of 2.4 mg/h and 47 mg/h, respectively. The liquid payload can be volatile attractants or repellants as well as mosquitocide-containing feeding solutions for capture and surveillance. This low-cost device can be utilized for both civilian and military mosquito control purposes, but it will be particularly important for protecting those in economically repressed environments, such as sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America.
Local immune and microbiological responses to mucosal administration of a Liposome-TLR agonist immunotherapeutic in dogs

Non-specific immunotherapeutics have been evaluated previously in dogs, primarily for cancer treatment. However, there remains a need for a more broadly targeted, general purpose immunotherapeutic capable of activating innate immune defenses for non-specific protection or early treatment of viral and bacterial infections. To address need, our group has developed a liposomal immune stimulant (liposome-TLR complexes, LTC) containing TLR 3 and 9 agonists specifically designed to activate mucosal immune defenses in sites such as nasal cavity and oropharynx, following topical delivery. In this study, we evaluated the local immune stimulatory properties of LTC in vitro and in healthy purpose-bred dogs, including activation of cellular recruitment and cytokine production. The ability of LTC treatment to elicit effective antiviral immunity was assessed in dogs following a canine herpesvirus outbreak, and the impact of LTC treatment on the local microbiome of the oropharynx was also investigated. These studies revealed that LTC potently activated innate immune responses in vitro and triggered significant recruitment of inflammatory monocytes and T cells into the nasal cavity and oropharynx of healthy dogs. Administration of LTC to dogs shortly after an outbreak of canine herpesvirus infection resulted in significant reduction in clinical signs of infection. Interestingly, administration of LTC to healthy dogs did not disrupt the microbiome in the oropharynx, suggesting resiliency of the microflora to transient immune activation. Taken together, these results indicate that LTC administration mucosally to dogs can trigger local innate immune activation and activation of antiviral immunity, without significantly disrupting the composition of the local microbiome. Thus, the LTC immune stimulant has potential for use as a non-specific immunotherapy for prevention or early treatment of viral and bacterial infections in dogs.
P395 Acceptability of point of care testing for Chlamydia trachomatis in adolescents: if we make it, will they take it?

Background Women 15–19 yo have the highest prevalence of C. trachomatis (Ct) infection in the US. Despite the increase in the number of cases reported, chlamydia may still be under reported as the majority of patients do not have symptoms. Point of care tests (POCT) for Ct and other STIs are currently under development. Should these tests be made available for purchase over the counter (OTC)? Methods An anonymous 12-item questionnaire was administered to patients attending the Adolescent clinic at University Hospital of Brooklyn, NY. The clinic serves an inner-city population that is predominantly African American and Caribbean American. Results Completed questionnaires were obtained from 99 adolescents, 12–21 yo, median 18, 74 females, 25 males. 86 responders identified themselves as straight; 1 girl as gay, 12 as bisexual. Only 27% of responders (17% girls, 44% boys) reported an adequate knowlege of Ct infection including transmission and complications. 16 girls and 3 boys reported prior positive test for Ct, all stated they were treated but 2 girls did not inform their sexual partners. Only 43.3% indicated that they would be interested in purchasing a Ct OTC (9(36%) boys, 34(46%) girls), 62% were willing to pay $20 or less. Although almost 100% indicated that they would report to their doctor and get treatment for partner, 4 would not inform their partners. Conclusion Less than half of the respondants indicated they would buy an OTC for Ct if available. Many of these young people also had poor understanding of the transmission and risks of Ct infection. Cost was also an issue, with the majority willing to pay $20 or less. Especially worrisome was that a small number were unwilling to notify their partners of a positive test, and had not done so in the past. The impact on linkage to care may have important public health implications. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Multifunctional sucrose acid as a ‘green’ crosslinker for wrinkle-free cotton fabrics

In this study, a ‘green’ crosslinker was developed using sucrose, an inexpensive natural resource, as replacement for conventional durable-press finishing agents for cotton fabrics. Sucrose was oxidized using a benign oxidizing agent, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and carboxylated using malic acid to form multifunctional sucrose acid (MSA). Changes in chemical structure and presence of multiple carboxylic acid groups after oxidation and carboxylation were confirmed using both ATR-FTIR and 13C NMR. Cotton fabrics treated with MSA showed a maximum wrinkle recovery angle (WRA) of 202°, over 77% improvement compared to 114° for untreated fabrics. More importantly, the chemical crosslinks introduced in the fabrics after MSA treatment as confirmed by ATR-FTIR were found durable to multiple laundry washings. MSA treated fabrics showed only 18% loss in tensile strength in the warp direction and SEM images of the treated fibers did not show any surface change. This suggested that MSA could be used to replace currently used dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea or 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid based finishing agents which are toxic and expensive, respectively. The crosslinking mechanism using MSA and the changes in the physical properties of the fabrics such as WRA, color and tensile strength and strain are discussed.
Moving academic research forward during COVID-19.

A gradual, stepwise approach to reopening, informed by public health expertise, will be essential
Wedge Resection Offers Similar Survival to Segmentectomy for Typical Carcinoid Tumors

Current guidelines recommend anatomic lung resection of typical bronchopulmonary carcinoids. Typical carcinoid tumors have excellent prognosis and sublobar resection has been associated with noninferior long-term survival. It's unclear whether wedge resection is acceptable for small typical carcinoid tumors. We hypothesize there is no difference in survival between wedge resection and segmentectomy for Stage I typical bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumors. Using the National Cancer Database from 2010 to 2016, we identified clinical T1N0M0 typical bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumors by wedge resection or segmentectomy. Short-term outcomes included length of stay, lymph nodes evaluated, pathologic node status, positive margin status, and 90-day mortality. Primary outcome was overall survival and estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. 821 patients were identified: 677 receiving wedge resection, 144 receiving segmentectomy. Segmentectomy was more commonly performed in an academic setting (70.0% vs 57.3%, P = 0.005). The mean tumor size for segmentectomy was 1.7 cm versus 1.4 cm for wedge resection (P
The use of BokaFlo™ instrument to measure salivary flow.

Dry mouth currently affects roughly 20% of the population and is a condition characterized by chronic hyposalivation and/or subjective reports of xerostomia. Low saliva flow can be indicative of other undiagnosed diseases, such as primary Sjogren’s syndrome, and may contribute to difficulty chewing, increased caries susceptibility and infection. The passive drool test (PDT) is the primary method used to evaluate patients for hyposalivation but it is time-consuming and inconvenient. New methodology is needed to facilitate increased testing for hyposalivation in the dental clinic. The aim of this study was to evaluate an alternative method to measure salivary flow in dental offices. In this study, we tested a new biomedical device, the BokaFlo™, to measure salivary flow in subjects in comparison to the current PDT standard. Participants completed an oral health questionnaire and saliva flow was evaluated by the PDT and the BokaFlo™ system. Saliva flow as measured by the BokaFlo™ positively correlated with the saliva flow measured by the PDT methodology (r = 0.22, p < 0.05). The device predicted low saliva flow in subjects with a sensitivity of 0.76 and specificity of 0.84 for subjects with hyposalivation, defined as a saliva flow rate of ≤ 0.1 ml/min. A significant negative correlation between the total oral health questionnaire score and the likelihood of participant exhibiting low salivary flow was observed (r = − 0.31, p < 0.006). The BokaFlo™ was effectively able to measure low saliva flow correlating with the PDT methodology and may provide more efficient testing of saliva flow in the dental office.
Translation of pulmonary protein therapy from bench to bedside: Addressing the bioavailability challenges

Abstract Protein-based therapeutics are significantly reaching the market owing to strides in genetic engineering and target specific drug design. However, majority of the products are available as parenteral and subcutaneous dosage forms. The lungs provide a noninvasive passage for systemic absorption of proteins, with advantages like large surface area (50–75 m2), milder local microenvironment and proteolytic activity as compared to the gastrointestinal tract and a permeable epithelial layer with perfuse vasculature. Even so, the proteins delivered to the lungs are subjected to some degradation via proteolytic enzymes, macrophage assisted clearance, degradation due to chemical destabilization and physical hindrances to permeation. Recent research has been targeted towards identifying these challenges and using formulation development as a tool to overcome one or several of these questions. Preparation of nano-sized and micron-sized polymeric or lipid-based protein formulations offers unmatched advantages such as sustained protein release, distribution and retention in lungs and stabilizing by shielding from local microenvironment. However, degradation of proteins while manufacturing, regulation of particle size, scale-up, long-term safety for chronic conditions (like diabetes or growth hormone deficiency) and translation from bench-to-bedside are some major challenges. Strategies for pulmonary permeation enhancement via paracellular and trans-cellular mechanisms and protein stabilization by prevention of degradation have also been evaluated. This review provides in-depth summary to identify and evaluate the potential of the pulmonary route for delivery of therapeutic proteins.
Synaptic Scaffolds, Ion Channels and Polyamines in Mouse Photoreceptor Synapses: Anatomy of a Signaling Complex.

Synaptic signaling complexes are held together by scaffold proteins, each of which is selectively capable of interacting with a number of other proteins. In previous studies of rabbit retina, we found Synapse-Associated Protein-102 (SAP102) and Channel Associated Protein of Synapse-110 (Chapsyn110) selectively localized in the tips of horizontal cell processes at contacts with rod and cone photoreceptors, along with several interacting ion channels. We have examined the equivalent suites of proteins in mouse retina and found similarities and differences. In the mouse retina we identified Chapsyn110 as the scaffold selectively localized in the tips of horizontal cells contacting photoreceptors, with Sap102 more diffusely present. As in rabbit, the inward rectifier potassium channel Kir2.1 was present with Chapsyn110 on the tips of horizontal cell dendrites within photoreceptor invaginations, where it could provide a hyperpolarization-activated current that could contribute to ephaptic signaling in the photoreceptor synapses. Pannexin 1 and Pannexin 2, thought to play a role in ephaptic and/or pH mediated signaling, were present in the outer plexiform layer, but likely not in the horizontal cells. Polyamines regulate many ion channels and control the degree of rectification of Kir2.1 by imposing a voltage-dependent block. During the day polyamine immunolabeling was unexpectedly high in photoreceptor terminals compared to other areas of the retina. This content was significantly lower at night, when polyamine content was predominantly in Muller glia, indicating daily rhythms of polyamine content. Both rod and cone terminals displayed the same rhythm. While polyamine content was not prominent in horizontal cells, if polyamines are released, they may regulate the activity of Kir2.1 channels located in the tips of HCs. The rhythmic change in polyamine content of photoreceptor terminals suggests that a daily rhythm tunes the behavior of suites of ion channels within the photoreceptor synapses.
Inflation Volatility Versus Institutions: A Growth and Development Study

here are many studies addressing the role of the economic policy versus the role of institutions in growth. However, few of these studies have addressed the role of the second moments of the policy instead of the policy itself in affecting growth. In this study, the role of inflation volatility versus the role of institutions in growth is studied by adding the volatility of inflation and its interaction term with legal and financial institutions to the growth regression. The aim is to determine how the total effect of inflation volatility on growth is affected by the level of institutional development. The main contribution of this chapter is that it shows that while the level of inflation does not have a significant effect on growth, which is in line with previous studies; inflation volatility does significantly impact growth. Thus, inflation volatility does have an effect on growth even for countries with moderately high levels of inflation. This chapter also finds that improving either legal or financial institutions will statistically significantly help to reduce the harmful effects of inflation volatility on growth. In addition and in contrast to the results of Acemoglu, Johnson, Robinson and Thaicharoen and Easterly, the chapter shows that inflation volatility does not act as a proxy for either type of institutions.
TU‐AB‐201‐10: Novel Conformal Skin Brachytherapy Device

Purpose: A novel conformal skin brachytherapy (CSBT) device was developed to provide patient specific treatment for small inoperable lesions and irregular surfaces that are not good candidates for electron external beam, e.g. eyelids, nose, lips, ears, etc. Methods: A prototype was built and tested using radioactive seeds spaced by 1.5 mm attached to a 3D printed template. Seeds were allowed to move independently at treatment surface to conform to target geometry. Beta-emitter Praseodymium-142 (half-life: 19.12 h, average beta energy: 809 keV) and Iodine-125 Model 6711 (half-life: 59.4 days, average gamma energy: 28 keV) seeds were used to test the feasibility of the device in solid water phantom for different prescription depths and surface areas. Percent depth doses and dose profiles were analyzed. MCNPX2.6 Monte Carlo Simulation and Gafchromic EBT3 film measurements were performed for a single Pr-142 seed. Treatment with nineteen I-125 seeds was planned in BrachyVision and measured experimentally for a total dose of 500 cGy at 5.0 mm depth. Results: For a single Pr-142 seed, dose was 500.0 cGy at surface and 17.4 cGy at 5.00 mm. BrachyVision planned and film doses for I-125 seed matrix were 500 cGy and 473.5 cGy at 5 mm depth and 171.0 cGy and 201.0 cGy at 10 mm depth. Total covered surface area for Pr-142 and I-125 were 2.35 mm2 and 88.24 mm2 respectively. Profile dose fall-off showed to be very conformal to contact area with 50% of the total surface dose from a single Pr-142 and array of I-125 seeds being deposited at 0.72 mm and 0.65 mm respectively from the central axis. Conclusion: CSBT device provides a high conformal dose to small surfaces. BrachyVision can be used to predict clinical dose distributions for multiple seeds matrix. Different radioactive seeds can be used to suit prescription depth and treatment area.
Computersysteme Der 5.Generation

Im Oktober 1981 kuendigte die Japanische Regierung ein zehnjaehriges Forschungsprogramm an, dessen Ziel die Entwicklung der naechsten Computergeneration ist. Bis zum Ende dieser Dekade soll die Computertechnologie soweit entwickelt werden, dasz der Mensch in nahezu allen Bereichen des taeglichen Lebens durch „intelligente“ und extrem leistungsfaehige Computersysteme unterstuetzt werden kann. Dieses Programm ist eine wesentliche Komponente des japanischen Wirtschaftsplans, dessen Ziel die Befriedigung der voraussichtlichen Beduerfnisse der japanischen Gesellschaft in den 90-iger Jahre ist. Japan, ein Land mit unbedeutenden Rohstoffvorkommen, hat erkannt, dasz Information und Wissen die bedeutendsten Ressourcen fuer seinen Wegins post-industrielle Zeitalter sind. Man ist ueberzeugt, dasz die auf dem Gebiet der Informations und Wissensverarbeitung fuehrende Nation auch wirschaftlich in der naechsten Dekade dominieren wird.
Elastic-plastic fracture mechanics for high-temperature fatigue crack growth

Application of linear elastic and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics parameters to high-temperature fatigue crack growth is examined to determine which parameter provides a better correlation of crack growth data. It isconcluded that the J-integral concept is applicable to fatigue, and methods of determination of J for both load-controlled and displacement-controlled fatigue are discussed. The J-integral parameter is shown to be better than the linear elastic parameter K in correlating fatigue crack growth, particularly so in materials that undergo metallurgical changes during test resulting in changes in flow properties. Application of the J-integral concept to time-dependent and combined cycle and time-dependent crack growth is discussed in detail.
A molecular evaluation of the Liagoraceae sensu lato (Nemaliales, Rhodophyta) in Bermuda including Liagora nesophila sp. nov. and Yamadaella grassyi sp. nov.

We have undertaken a comprehensive, molecular-assisted alpha-taxonomic examination of the rhodophyte family Liagoraceae sensu lato, a group that has not previously been targeted for molecular studies in the western Atlantic. Sequence data from three molecular markers indicate that in Bermuda alone there are 10 species in nine different genera. These include the addition of three genera to the flora - Hommersandiophycus, Trichogloeopsis, and Yamadaella. Liagora pectinata, a species with a type locality in Bermuda, is phylogenetically allied with Indo-Pacific species of Hommersandiophycus, and the species historically reported as L. ceranoides for the islands is morphologically and genetically distinct from that taxon, and is herein described as L. nesophila sp. nov. Molecular sequence data have also uncovered the Indo-Pacific L. mannarensis in Bermuda, a long-distance new western Atlantic record. DNA sequences of Trichogloeopsis pedicellata from the type locality (Bahamas) match with local specimens demonstrating its presence in Bermuda. We described Yamadaella grassyi sp. nov. from Bermuda, a species phylogenetically and morphologically distinct from the generitype, Y. caenomyce of the Indo-Pacific. Our data also indicated a single species each of Ganonema, Gloiocallis, Helminthocladia, Titanophycus, and Trichogloea in the flora.
A generic XACML based declarative authorization scheme for java

Security and authorization play a very important role in the development, deployment and functioning of software systems. Java being the most popular platform for component-based software and systems, Java security is playing a key role in enterprise systems. The major drawback in the security support provided by J2EE and J2SE is the absence of a standard way to support instance level access control. JAAS does provide some help, but it is not without its share of problems. The newest standard related to security – XACML, provides a standard simple way to represent security policies. In the paper we propose a unique way to extend JAAS technology so that it can support class-instance level access control in a declarative manner. We then showcase how this extension can be molded in the XACML architecture, thereby providing an end-to-end standard based access control specification and implementation for J2SE and J2EE applications. The major advantage of our technique is that, being declarative it does not require any change to the security code when – either the security policies are changed or the security infrastructure is deployed in a new environment.
Building a Humane Society’: An Intellectual Sketch of H. Odera Oruka

This paper discusses Odera Oruka’s philosophical work from the perspective of its emphasis on the ‘practical’ impetus that Oruka himself underlined. In different ways, his various projects - his sage philosophy, his philosophy of liberty, his environmental philosophy and, perhaps most importantly, his critiques of African (and implicitly Kenyan) social and political realities - can be seen as manifestations of his commitment to the practical relevance and social significance of knowledge, and his conviction about the potentially liberating force of philosophical critique. Here, I try to provide an overall sketch of this agenda, seeking to initiate more thorough and detailed discussion for the future. As a main reference point for discussion, I look at how the term ‘humanism’ has been used (and can be used) to describe Oruka’s work, in contrast to the invocation of this term by some nationalist political ideologies, in particular Moi’s so-called ‘ nyayo philosophy’. Oruka’s work could be more explicitly appreciated and explored, I argue, for the ways in which he observed and actively criticized instances of inhumanity and ‘false humanism’ in post-colonial Africa. Key Words Odera Oruka, humanism, liberty, freedom, ideology
Polymerization of Actin from Maize Pollen

Here we describe the in vitro polymerization of actin from maize (Zea mays) pollen. The purified actin from maize pollen reported in our previous paper (X. Liu, L.F. Yen [1992] Plant Physiol 99: 1151-1155) is biologically active. In the presence of ATP, KCl, and MgCl2 the purified pollen actin polymerized into filaments. During polymerization the spectra of absorbance at 232 nm increased gradually. Polymerization of pollen actin was evidently accompanied by an increase in viscosity of the pollen actin solution. Also, the specific viscosity of pollen F-actin increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The ultraviolet difference spectrum of pollen actin is very similar to that of rabbit muscle actin. The activity of myosin ATPase from rabbit muscle was activated 7-fold by the polymerized pollen actin (F-actin). The actin filaments were visualized under the electron microscope as doubly wound strands of 7 nm diameter. If cytochalasin B was added before staining, no actin filaments were observed. When actin filaments were treated with rabbit heavy meromyosin, the actin filaments were decorated with an arrowhead structure. These results imply that there is much similarity between pollen and muscle actin.
Nonabsorbed carbohydrate: effect on fecal pH in methane-excreting and nonexcreting individuals

To determine whether the acidifying effect of malabsorbed carbohydrate on fecal pH differed between methane-excreting and nonexcreting individuals, we administered the poorly absorbed disaccharide lactulose to five CH4 excretors and six CH4 nonexcretors. Lactulose, 20 g twice daily for 1 wk, significantly lowered fecal pH among CH4 nonexcretors as compared with CH4-excreting individuals (5.38 +/- 0.66 vs 6.90 +/- 0.61, p less than 0.01). To determine whether this observation was due to differences in acid production from bacterial carbohydrate fermentation, feces from each subject were incubated with lactulose. There were no differences in in vitro acid or hydrogen production between groups. We conclude that malabsorbed carbohydrate fails to induce in vivo colonic acidification in CH4 excretors. In contrast, in vitro fecal carbohydrate fermentation is similar among CH4 excretors and nonexcretors. These results suggest differences between these two groups in the colonic absorption of fermentation products.
Quantum-resolved stimulated surface reactions

Stimulated reactions of coadsorbates on Pt(111) surfaces have been probed using laser resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectroscopy on the gas-phase neutral products. In particular, electron stimulated dissociation of N02(a) coadsorbed with up to 0.75 ML of atomic O on Pt(111) has been studied. Adding coadsorbed O to the surface enhances the specific dissociation yield, narrows the NO translational energy distribution, reduces the NO internal energy, and produces gas-phase O dissociation fragments. Reactive scattering between coadsorbates has also been studied. Specifically, NO2(d) production has been observed during electron-beam irradiation of NO coadsorbed with O2 on Pt(111). The NO2(d) was indirectly observed as NO(ν=5) and O(3Pj) gas-phase photodissociation fragments. We assign NO2 production to a collision between NO(a) and a hot O atom which was produced by electron-stimulated dissociation of adsorbed O2.
Bit-plane-wise unequal error protection for Internet video applications

This paper presents a new bit-plane-wise unequal error protection algorithm for Internet video applications. The proposed algorithm protects a compressed embedded bitstream generated by a 3-D SPIHT algorithm by assigning unequal forward error correction (FEC) codes to each bit-plane. The proposed algorithm reduces the amount of side information needed to send the size of each code to the decoder by limiting the number of quality levels to the number of bit-planes to be sent while providing a graceful degradation of picture quality as packet losses increase. To get additional error-resilience at high packet loss rates, we extend our algorithm to multiple-substream unequal error protection. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is simple, fast and robust in hostile network conditions and therefore can provide reasonable picture quality for Internet video applications under varying network conditions.
Effect of initiator on photopolymerization of acidic, aqueous dental model adhesives

This study evaluated different initiator systems in self-etching model adhesives, in which camphorquinone (CQ) or [3-(3,4-dimethyl-9-oxo-9H-thioxanthen-2-yloxy)-2-hydroxylpropy] trimethylammonium chloride (QTX) was employed as a photoinitiator (dye). N-phenylglycine (NPG), ethyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate (4E) or 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) was used as the coinitiator (CI). The role of diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate (DPIHP) in the polymerization process was also studied. The concentrations of dye, CI, and DPIHP in model adhesives were all maintained at 0.022 mmol per gram monomer. The model adhesive contained two monomers: (bis[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] phosphate) (2MP) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) whose mass ratio was 1:1, thus representing an acidic and hydrophilic formulation. The polymerization rate and the degree of conversion (DC) of the model adhesives with 5, 15, or 25% water content were determined using FTIR/ATR with a time-based spectrum analysis. The results indicated that with CQ as the photoinitiator, 4E appeared to be the most efficient CI, whereas the CQ-DMAEMA combination led to very low radical generation efficiency (DC < 5%). DPIHP exhibited little effect on the polymerization process. With QTX as the photoinitiator, however, DPIHP played an essential role. Without DPIHP, all three QTX-CI systems failed to initiate polymerization (DC < 5%). The QTX-DPIHP combination, on the other hand, was found to be a viable initiator system. The above results provide the critical information for the development of self-etching adhesive systems.