cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adapted from the October 2017 Convening Opening Address: CPED Beyond 10 Years

Adapted from her opening address at the October 2017 CPED convening, Perry offers reflections on the importance of documenting and sharing evidence within the CPED consortium as the organization moves into its next 10 years.
Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Awareness Among HIV-Positive Gay and Bisexual Men: A Qualitative Study.

Abstract Purpose: This study explores HIV-positive gay and bisexual men's (GBM) understanding of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine. Methods: Researchers conducted 15 in-depth interview...
XNOR-RRAM: A scalable and parallel resistive synaptic architecture for binary neural networks

Recent advances in deep learning have shown that Binary Neural Networks (BNNs) are capable of providing a satisfying accuracy on various image datasets with significant reduction in computation and memory cost. With both weights and activations binarized to +1 or −1 in BNNs, the high-precision multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) operations can be replaced by XNOR and bit-counting operations. In this work, we propose a RRAM synaptic architecture (XNOR-RRAM) with a bit-cell design of complementary word lines that implements equivalent XNOR and bit-counting operation in a parallel fashion. For large-scale matrices in fully connected layers or when the convolution kernels are unrolled in multiple channels, the array partition is necessary. Multi-level sense amplifiers (MLSAs) are employed as the intermediate interface for accumulating partial weighted sum. However, a low bit-level MLSA and intrinsic offset of MLSA may degrade the classification accuracy. We investigate the impact of sensing offsets on classification accuracy and analyze various design options with different sub-array sizes and sensing bit-levels. Experimental results with RRAM models and 65nm CMOS PDK show that the system with 128×128 sub-array size and 3-bit MLSA can achieve accuracies of 98.43% for MLP on MNIST and 86.08% for CNN on CIFAR-10, showing 0.34% and 2.39% degradation respectively compared to the accuracies of ideal BNN algorithms. The projected energy-efficiency of XNOR-RRAM is 141.18 TOPS/W, showing ∼33X improvement compared to the conventional RRAM synaptic architecture with sequential row-by-row read-out.
The Digital Life of Small Market Newspapers

The established narrative around newspapers and their relationship with “digital” is predominantly gloomy. We’ve learned how newspapers missed the mark regarding digital distribution and how tradit...
Small Wineries’ Entrepreneurial Marketing Practices and Social Media Use: An Abstract

Companies are increasingly using social media strategies to build relationships and engage their customers. Social media is cost-effective and can disseminate information quickly to a large audience. As wineries are facing an increasingly competitive marketplace with new wineries constantly coming to market, we investigate wineries’ entrepreneurial marketing practices and their social media strategies.
Split Apart: Differentiation, Diversion, and Coordination in the Market for Superpremium Ice Cream

I explore recent behavior in the market for superpremium ice cream. I first document that the flavors offered in supermarkets by Ben & Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs became increasingly differentiated from 2006–2013. Using an estimated model of demand, I show that this differentiation increased profits for both firms. Also, unilateral deviation from the set of products offered in 2013 would have increased variable profits for the deviating firm. These facts, when coupled with anecdotal evidence, suggest that these firms tacitly coordinated their choice of flavors. A companion piece, Sullivan (2019), formalizes this result and quantifies the implications for outcomes and welfare.
Potentiation of performance in an Eriksen flanker task

Abstract This experiment examined the effects of a redundant cue that predicted the target response to a target stimulus in a response conflict procedure using a flanker task. Participants received trials with five-character arrays with a central target character and distractor flanker characters that matched (compatible) or did not match (incompatible) the central target. Participants’ expectancies for compatible and incompatible trials were manipulated by presenting pre-trial cues that signaled the occurrence of compatible or incompatible trials. Some groups received a single cue predicting the target stimulus and the required target response. Other groups received this cue along with a second redundant, predictive cue. The presence of a second, redundant cue during training in which incompatible trials were predicted facilitated performance (errors were reduced) compared to when only a single cue was present. This finding is consistent with the potentiation effect in conditioning and learning. Extinction of the nontarget cue prior to testing on the target (a retrospective revaluation manipulation) had no effect on performance. The finding of potentiation between pre-trial cues that predict incompatible trials, but not cues that predict compatible trials, suggests that different strategic processes may occur during adaptation to conflict when different kinds of trials are expected.
General forms of Bivariate survival functions with reliability applications

Abstract We develop a new general theory for the problem of constructing bivariate probability distributions given two arbitrary marginals. The new approach and the associated theory is competitive to the usually deployed copula methodology. The main area of application of the construction methods, as well as new specific classes of bivariate models, is the reliability of systems with dependent component lifetimes. However, the applicability of our approach goes far beyond that set of reliability problems, especially toward biomedical settings and econometrics. This significantly wide spectrum of possible applications is a result of the high generality of the theory. As it is shown, any arbitrary bivariate survival function can be represented in one, common for all such functions, universal form as the arithmetic product of two marginal survival functions and the defined “dependence function” (the joiner) which impose stochastic dependence. Thus, the main task in any bivariate model's construction is to find a proper joiner given two fixed marginals. For that we formulate sufficient conditions for candidate functions of two variables to be proper joiners “connecting” two, given in advance, marginal survival functions into a bivariate distribution. Based on that criterion we construct three specific, but very wide, classes of bivariate stochastic models which can be applied in reliability as well as in other areas of scientific practice. In Section 3 of this chapter we investigate seven classical bivariate models in light of the newly created theory using new tools. Some interesting new observations on the properties of that seven distributions were obtained independently of the existing knowledge associated with these models.
Expected and empirical coverages of different methods for generating noncentral t confidence intervals for a standardized mean difference.

Different methods have been suggested for calculating “exact” confidence intervals for a standardized mean difference using the noncentral t distributions. Two methods are provided in Hedges and Olkin (1985, “H”) and Steiger and Fouladi (1997, “S”). Either method can be used with a biased estimator, d, or an unbiased estimator, g, of the population standardized mean difference (methods abbreviated Hd, Hg, Sd, and Sg). Coverages of each method were calculated from theory and estimated from simulations. Average coverages of 95% confidence intervals across a wide range of effect sizes and across sample sizes from 5 to 89 per group were always between 85 and 98% for all methods, and all were between 94 and 96% with sample sizes greater than 40 per group. The best interval estimation was the Sd method, which always produced confidence intervals close to 95% at all effect sizes and sample sizes. The next best was the Hg method, which produced consistent coverages across all effect sizes, although coverage was reduced to 93–94% at sample sizes in the range 5–15. The Hd method was worse with small sample sizes, yielding coverages as low as 86% at n = 5. The Sg method produced widely different coverages as a function of effect size when the sample size was small (93–97%). Researchers using small sample sizes are advised to use either the Steiger & Fouladi method with d or the Hedges & Olkin method with g as an interval estimation method.
How to evolve a neuron

A natural neuron can function as a nonlinear down-sampler, or in the extreme, as a coincidence detector. I will describe artificial life experiments in which agents capable of general computation evolve an artificial reaction network capable of performing coincidence detection. They also develop spike-timing-dependent plasticity, thought to be an important mechanism for learning.
Time to diagnosis of acute complications after cardiovascular implantable electronic device insertion and optimal timing of discharge within the first 24 hours.

Background More than 3 million cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are implanted annually. There are minimal data regarding the timing of diagnosis of acute complications after implantation. It remains unclear whether patients can be safely discharged less than 24 hours postimplantation. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the precise timing of acute complication diagnosis after CIED implantation and optimal timing for same-day discharge. Methods A retrospective cohort analysis of adults 18 years or older who underwent CIED implantation at a large urban quaternary care medical center between June 1, 2015, and March 30, 2020, was performed. Standard of care included overnight observation and chest radiography 6 and 24 hours postprocedure. Medical records were reviewed for the timing of diagnosis of acute complications. Acute complications included pneumothorax, hemothorax, pericardial effusion, lead dislodgment, and implant site hematoma requiring surgical intervention. Results A total of 2421 patients underwent implantation. Pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade was diagnosed in 13 patients (0.53%), pneumothorax or hemothorax in 19 patients (0.78%), lead dislodgment in 11 patients (0.45%), and hematomas requiring surgical intervention in 5 patients (0.2%). Of the 48 acute complications, 43 (90%) occurred either within 6 hours or more than 24 hours after the procedure. Only 3 acute complications identified between 6 and 24 hours required intervention during the index hospitalization (0.12% of all cases). Conclusion Most acute complications are diagnosed either within the first 6 hours or more than 24 hours after implantation. With rare exception, patients can be considered for discharge after 6 hours of appropriate monitoring.
Erratum: Quadricuspid pulmonic valve found on well exam.

The online version of the original article can be found under doi:10.1186/s40779-015-0037-2.
A Radiorespirometric Study of the Effects of a Chemical Substance on Carbohydrate Metabolism in the Intact Fish

The effects of potassium pentachlorophenate (KPCP) on carbohydrate metabolism in the fish (Cichlasoma bimaculatum) were studied using radiorespirometry. Analysis of the patterns of radiolabeled carbon dioxide ( 1 4 CO 2 ) recovery from fish exposed to 0, 0.2, and 1.5 ppm of KPCP and metabolizing specifically labeled carbon-14 ( 1 4 C)-glucose and acetate indicated that this species of fish uses the Embden-Meyerhoff-Parnas (EMP), pentose phosphate (PP), and glucuronic acid (GA) pathways in conjunction with the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle for metabolizing carbohydrates. The KPCP stimulated the EMP pathway and the TCA cycle and presumably reduced the utilization of the PP and GA pathways.
The First Chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission

AFTER THE PASSAGE of the Securities Act of 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt reminded the United States that this first national attempt at regulation of securities issuance was to be followed by national regulation of the stock exchanges. The job of curbing the abuses of the world of finance, displayed to the country through the show window of the Senate's "Pecora" investigation, was only partly done. Legislation putting stock exchanges under federal control, however, was far more bitterly assailed than had been the earlier Truth-in-Securities Act, as it was known, which had been assigned to the Federal Trade Commission to administer. The New York Stock Exchange, a leader in the attempt to defeat securities legislation, took an even more active part as the unrelenting spearhead of opposition to legislation regulating the stock exchanges of the nation. In the course of the unsuccessful efforts to halt such regulation, the idea of a separate agency to administer the new act instead of the stern hand of the FTC was insistently advanced by the financial community, which hoped at least to influence several appointments on any freshly created board and thereby insure the banking and brokerage point of view a dominant role in the new Commission's councils. Actually, the separate agency idea proved chiefly to be a convenient political lightning rod and swapping point for the Roosevelt adminstration to use in its Congressional tactics, permitting retention in the bill of some of its sterner restrictions. Thus a new agency, the Securities and Exchange Commission, was created June 6 by the President's signature on the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and charged with the duties of regulating the nation's stock exchanges. The bitter-end campaign of the New York Stock Exchange and its Wall Street allies effectively operated to nullify their hope of a commanding voice in the separate regulatory body which the financial world's spokesmen had helped to create, as the initial appointments revealed. The tremendous discretionary powers vested in the newly formed Commission made it obvious to all that upon the choice of the President's
When seconds are counted: tools for mobile, high-resolution time-motion studies.

Abstract Time-motion (TM) studies are often considered the gold-standard for measurements of the impact of computer systems on task flow and duration. However, in many clinical environments tasks occur too rapidly and have too short of a duration to be captured with conventional paper-based TM methods. Observers may also with to categorize caregiver activities along multiple axes simultaneously. This multi-axial characteristic of clinical activity has been modeled as multiple, parallel finite-state sets and implemented in three computerized data collection tools. Radiology reporting is a domain in which tasks can be characterized by multiple attributes. A radiologist may also switch among multiple tasks in a single minute. The use of these tools to measure the impact of an Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) system on Radiology reporting is presented.
Abstract P143: Hemoglobin A1C Screening in 31546 Adolescent Blood Donors

Objective: While the global epidemic of diabetes mellitus in adults is well documented, there are few reliable estimates of the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in adolescents in the United States. We conducted systematic hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) screening in a very large adolescent blood donor population. Methods: A screening program was implemented in which HbA1C was measured at the time of blood donation among 31,546 volunteer high-school blood donors, 16-19 years of age, who participated in school blood drives conducted by Carter BloodCare, the largest independent blood program in Texas, between 2011 and 2013. The main study measures were the prevalence of HbA1C in the prediabetes range, 5.7-6.4% (39-46 mmol/mol) and in the diabetes range, ≥ 6.5% (≥ 48 mmol/mol), in the overall cohort as well as stratified by sex, race/ethnicity, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: In the overall cohort, the prevalence of HbA1C in the prediabetes range was 11.0% (95% CI 10.7, 11.4), and the prevalence of HbA1C in the diabetes range was 0.53% (95% CI, 0.46, 0.62). The prevalence of HbA1C ≥ 5.7% (including prediabetes and diabetes) was higher in boys compared with girls (15.7% vs.7.9%, P Table ). Conclusions: HbA1C values in the prediabetes or diabetes range are common among adolescent blood donors, particularly among boys and ethnic minorities. Blood donation programs can be used as a valuable portal for public health screening, and may provide the opportunity for targeted public health interventions, triaging of donors to medical care, and research programs for community-based participatory interventions.
Automatic segmentation of scanning electron microscopy images for molecular aggregation profiling

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging has made it possible to obtain accurate inferences about functional intra-cellular events by the indirect observation of cell surface receptors' aggregation. Such observations are made with the use of colloidal gold particles that bind to the surface of specific ligands that cross-link to the desired receptors. Since the reliability of statistical inference methods about intra-cellular activities based on the observation of the receptors depend on the quality of the data set in hand, we propose in this paper a method to automatically segment gold labels in SEM images. This method includes an automatic thresholding operation aiming at simultaneously minimizing probabilities of false alarm and missed detection errors. Morphological filtering is used to deal with the partial superposition cases of structures of interest and additional median filtering is used for noise reduction purposes. We validate the method against a set of manually processed images of rat basophilic leukemia cells and we present results for the automatic estimation of aggregation density.
Evidence for hybrid rodent and human insulin receptors in transfected cells.

Chinese hamster ovary cells and NIH 3T3 cells overexpressing mutant human insulin receptors were examined for the presence of hybrid receptors composed of human and rodent insulin receptors. In the present studies, most of the endogenous rodent receptors were found to be immunoprecipitated from the transfected cells but not the parental cells with a monoclonal antibody specific for human receptor. These data indicate that in these transfected cells, most of the endogenous rodent receptors are in a hybrid complex with the overexpressed human receptor. These results together with the in vitro studies of Treadway et al. (Treadway, J.L., Morrison, B.D., Soos, M.A., Siddle, K., Olefsky, J., Ullrich, A., McClain, D.A., and Pessin, J.E. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 214-218) showing that hybrid receptors exhibit transdominant inhibition explain the prior finding indicating that overexpression of defective insulin receptors interferes with the normal signaling of endogenous receptors.
Comparison of occupant restraints based on injury-producing contact rates

The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of restraints in preventing injury-producing contacts of specific body regions, such as the head, chest, with specific interior components. Injury-producing contact rates are compared for four restraint configurations: unrestrained, three-point belted, driver air bag alone, and driver airbag plus three-point belt. The three-point belt provides substantial reductions in driver-injury rates for head/face and torso contacts with the glazing, pillar/rails, and steering assembly. The addition of the driver airbag to the three-point belt appears to offer further reductions in these injury rates.
Quinones and quinone methides—V: Further rearrangements of the dimer from 5-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenylmethyl)-1,4-benzoquinone

Abstract In strongly acid solutions the dimer 3 dissociates to the quinone 1 and quinone methide 2 which recombine with elimination of p -methoxybenzyl alcohol to form the xanthylium salt 9a . With zinc and acetic acid 3 yields isormeric meso- and dl-ethylenediquinol derivatives 14a . Sodium borohydride reduction of 3 yields an alcoholic quinol 5a which rapidly reoxidizes to the spiro-tetrahydrofuran derivative 24a . Possible mechanisms which may be involved in the formation of these rearranged products are discussed.
Oxidation of cholesterol-26-C14 by rat liver mitochondria: effect of nicotinic acid

The effect of nicotinic acid upon the oxidation of the terminal carbon atoms of cholesterol-26-C14 by rat liver mitochondrial preparations has been studied. Addition of nicotinic acid, as the potassium salt, to incubation mixtures containing normal rat liver mitochondria enhances the oxidation of cholesterol-26-C14. Liver mitochondrial preparations from rats administered nicotinic acid in drinking water (12 mg. per day) or diet (0.75 per cent) also oxidize cholesterol-26-C14 to a greater extent than do similar preparations from control rats. The mitochondrial preparations from nicotinic acid-fed rats, in the absence of boiled supernatant, exhibit a greater oxidative capacity than do control preparations. This heightened oxidative capacity is further enhanced by addition of the boiled supernatant fraction from these preparations. Addition of boiled supernatant from control preparations has no enhancing effect. Nicotinic acid exerts little effect on the oxidation of sodium pyruvate-2-C14 and may have a slightly inhibitory effect upon the oxidation of sodium octanoate-1-C14. No significant differences were observed between serum cholesterol levels of rats ingesting nicotinic acid for 3 weeks and controls.
Molecular characterization of the vaccinia virus hemagglutinin gene.

Abstract The vaccinia virus hemagglutinin (HA) is a glycoprotein found on the plasma membrane of infected cells and the envelope of extracellular virus. Two forms of HA (85 and 68 kDa) are detected by immunoblot analysis. Although hemagglutination activity is only readily detectable late in infection, the 85-kDa HA appears early and accumulates throughout infection, whereas the 68-kDa form appears only late in the cycle. Production of the 68-kDa HA but not the 85-kDa HA was inhibited by either cytosine arabinoside or rifampin. Analysis of HA gene expression reveals a complex pattern of expression. The HA gene is transcribed early to yield a 1.65-kb dicistronic early transcript, consisting of the 945-bp HA open reading frame (ORF) fused to a 453-bp downstream ORF. Transcription from this site initiates 7 bases upstream of the AUG initiating codon of the HA ORF. Due to the discrepancy between the calculated size of the HA protein (33 kDa) and that reported for the unglycosylated HA protein derived from in vitro translation (58 kDa), we placed an early transcription termination signal (TTTTTAT) directly downstream of the 945-bp HA ORF. This led to a reduction in size of the early HA mRNA to 1.2 kb, as expected, but had no effect on the formation of either the 85- or 68-kDa protein. Transcripts originating from the early promoter are found throughout the infection cycle. However, after DNA replication, transcription from a second, late promoter ensues. The transcriptional start site of the late promoter is within a consensus TAAATG sequence located 135 bases upstream of the transcriptional start site of the first promoter. The late transcriptional start site is also found within an upstream ORF.
Facile chemical synthesis of S,S-isodityrosine, a naturally-occurring cross-linking amino acid

Abstract Ullmann coupling of the two protected S-tyrosine derivatives 6 and 9 afforded the protected isodityrosine 10 which was converted into the natural bis-amino acid S,S-isodityrosine 1 in good yield.
Beyond averaging: The use of discriminant functions to recognize event related potentials elicited by single auditory stimuli

Abstract A test of the stepwise discriminant analysis (SWDA) procedure for assessing single-trial event related potentials (ERPs) is presented. Discriminant functions (DFs) were built from a data base composed of single-trial ERPs from sixteen subjects who were presented trains of loud and soft tones. Loud tones occurred randomly on 10% of the trials. Subjects either counted the rare-loud stimuli or solved a hidden-word puzzle. Various DFs at three electrode sites (F z , C z and P z ) were obtained to assess the feasibility of performing pairwise discriminations between the various combinations of events which are defined by this procedure. For the pair of events which yielded the most striking differences between their average ERP waveforms it was possible to classify correctly, an average of 84% of the events using information from one electrode site, and 89% of the events if information from multiple electrode sites was used. A “subject-independent” DF was developed from these data and applied to data obtained from seven new subjects. This subject-independent function proved to be sufficiently generalized to classify correctly 81% of the trials. The nature of classification errors by this procedure is discussed.
Relation of Fourth-Order to Second-Order Moments in Stationary Isotropic Turbulence

An investigation is made of the hypothesis that the fourth-order moments of the two-time velocity amplitude distribution in stationary, isotropic, incompressible turbulence are related to second-order moments as in a normal distribution. It is concluded that this hypothesis is inconsistent with the equations of motion, and the inconsistency is exhibited as a gross violation of energy conservation in the inertial range. The origin of the inconsistency is discussed. The arguments developed are used to demonstrate inconsistencies in Chandrasekhar's recent theory of turbulence. Qualitative considerations are presented with regard to the consistency of the hypothesis that fourth-order moments of the simultaneous amplitude distribution are related to second-order moments as in a normal distribution. The general validity of this restricted hypothesis is questioned also.
Improvements in the phase-amplitude method for calculating free–free gaunt factors and spherical bessel functions of high angular momentum

Abstract Standard quantum mechanical calculations of free–free gaunt factors can be computationally exacting due to the fine radial mesh required to resolve the oscillations in the continuum wavefunctions. Introducing a wavefunction representation in terms of amplitude and phase allows a coarser radial mesh leading to considerable speed up. However, special treatments of solving the non-linear differential equation for the amplitude and evaluating the radial dipole integrals are required. These algorithmic details are presented and contrasted to earlier schemes. A non-recursive method for calculating spherical Bessel functions of large order is also given.
Onondaga Lake, New York: Legacy of Pollution

ABSTRACT Onondaga Lake, NY, has been described as the most polluted lake in the United States. This medium size (surface area of 12 km2 and mean depth of 10.9 m), rapidly flushed (average of 3.9 flushes/y), urban lake has received large quantities of domestic and industrial waste associated with development of the Syracuse area. Selected features of the history of development of the area, including municipal and industrial inputs to the lake, are reviewed. Presently about 20% of the inflow to die lake is municipal wastewater effluent Standards for dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, free ammonia, nitrite, clarity, and mercury concentration in fish flesh are violated routinely in the lake, a state guidance value for total phosphorus concentration is exceeded annually, and the lake's stratification/mixing regime and littoral zone have been impacted. Enforcement actions, now underway against die primary sources of municipal and industrial waste, are described. The design of die research program for die lake is...
Octopamine enhances neuromuscular transmission in developing and adult moths, Manduca sexta

The effect of octopamine on neuromuscular transmission was examined in developing and adult Manduca sexta. Intracellular recordings were made from the dorsal longitudinal muscle (DLM), superfused with solutions containing DL-octopamine or other amines. In untreated adult moths and pharate adults nearly ready to eclose (stage Day 19), stimulation of the motor nerve evokes a large excitatory junction potential (EJP), an active membrane respons, and a twitch. In adults and Day 19 animals DL-octopamine (10−7 to 10−4M) has no effect on the amplitude and rise-time of the electrical response in normal saline, but 10−6 to 10−4M DL-octopamine increases the amplitude of the excitatory junction potential recorded in saline containing one-third the normal calcium concentration. Immature (Day 16) muscle, which normally produces only small EJPs following stimulation of its motor nerve, responds to 10−6 to 10−4M DL-octopamine by an increase in the EJP above threshold for an active membrane response and a contraction. When the muscle has developed sufficiently to spike and contract in response to nerve stimulation in the absence of exogenous octopamine (Days 17 and 18), application of DL-octopamine increases the maximum rate at which the muscle contracts in response to each stimulus in a train (designated the maximum following frequency, MFF). The threshold dose for an effect on the MFF of Day 18 immature moths is less than 10−10M. At this stage 10−8M DL-octopamine increases the MFF four-fold. The effect on the MFF is dose-dependent over the range 10−10M to 10−6M. The biogenic amines DL-epinephrine, DL-norepinephrine, tyramine, DL-phenylethanolamine, 2-phenylethylamine, and dopamine, applied at concentrations of 10−8 or 10−4M, do not change the MFF. Both DL-synephrine (10−8M) and serotonin (10−7M) mimic the action of 10−10M DL-octopamine on the MFF. The action of DL-octopamine (10−7M) is blocked by phentolamine (10−4M) but not by propranolol (10−4M). The octopamine content of hemolymph was determined with a radioenzymtic assay. The concentration of octopamine in the hemolymph increases 3.6-fold, from 5 × l0−8 M on Day 18 (duration of adult development is 19 days) to 1.85 × 10−7M one day following eclosion. The concentration of octopamine in the hemolymph on Days 14 and 16 is not significantly different from that on Day 18. This concentration is sufficient to increase the MFF of Day 18 preparations. These data provide evidence for a modulatory role of octopamine on developing neuromuscular junctions of a fast flight muscle.
Quantitative histology of changes with age in rat bone cortex

Changes with age in bone cortex of the rat were investigated by establishing histological parameters which could be quantitated to estimate age at death. Decalcified cross sections of mandible, femur and tibia were prepared from rats two to 120 days old, and measurements were made of: (1) number of osteons, (2) average number of lamellae per osteon, (3) average Haversian canal diameter, and (4) number of non-Haversian (primary) canals. Multiple regression techniques were used to estimate age at death from several combinations of these variables. With age, the number of osteons per unit area of bone and the number of lamellae per osteon increased, but Haversian canal diameter and the number of primary canals decreased. Multiple regression analyses indicated that age at death could be estimated to ± 3 days of the true value in 95% of the cases. Nomographs based on histological measurements of each bone were prepared which can provide accurate estimates of age between two and 120 days in the Sprague-Dawley female rat. It was concluded that microstructure of bone cortex can not only be quantitated to provide accurate estimates of age but it may also constitute a sensitive measure of the metabolic state of the organism. The techniques utilized should prove useful in anthropology as well in studies of bone aging.
Probe measurements of the PDX divertor plasma in ohmic and neutral beam heated discharges

Abstract A graphite-shielded probe was recently installed in the divertor region of PDX to continuously monitor local electron temperature, electron density (from the ion saturation current), and plasma floating potential throughout divertor discharges. In ohmically heated deuterium plasmas, the electron temperature near the separatrix was 6 to 12 eV; these values confirm the low T e inferred from the density dependence of Balmer line emission from the divertor plasmas. During neutral beam heating, PDX divertor discharges were characterized by a sharp transition at which time the main chamber plasma density increased rapidly, the divertor H α emission dropped, and the global energy confinement increased abruptly. At later times, edge relaxation oscillations, characterized by spikes in the H α emission, occurred and were accompanied by a clamp in the density rise and lower confinement time. Limited scans of the temperature and density measured by the divertor probe indicated that these parameters changed with discharge conditions primarily near the separatrix. With the onset of neutral beam injection the temperature and density rose by a factor of 1.5 and 2–4 respectively. Transient drops in T e to values as low as 2 eV and concomitant rises in n e were sometimes observed near the time of the transition into the high confinement mode. Later in the discharge, the values returned to their pre-H-mode level. TV camera observations of the divertor probe revealed a “shadow” along the field lines indicating a well-defined flow in the vicinity of the separatrix.
Nongovernmental Regulation and Construction of Value in Global Markets: The Rise of Fair Trade, 1961–2006

The past 70 years has seen the rise of a new type of actor that falls outside traditional conceptions of regulation and value. Fair trade organizations regulate production and distribution processe...
A new evaluation of United States census data on the extreme aged.

Population and mortality data for the extreme aged have generally been considered subject to a large degree of error, particularly for nonwhites. In this study, estimates of the United States population 85 years of age and over in 1960 are devised through a procedure known as the “method of extinct generations,” which permits the reconstruction of “extinct” population cohorts from a series of annual death statistics. Estimates of the total population by single year of age and of sex-color groups by five-year age groups are compared with the 1960 census. With some exceptions, the data for whites show remarkable correspondence; the tally for nonwhites developed from death records falls considerably short of the census count, indicating a greater overstatement of age in the latter source.
Mascons and the moon's gravity field

Abstract The apparent surface mass M of the mascon in a lunar ringed mare is approximately proportional to the area A of the deep mare material in the basin: M∝A δ where σ lies between 0.85 and 1.20 with a most probable value of 1.02. This relationship can be interpreted in terms of thin plates of dense rock whose thickness is the same for all ringed maria. This characteristic thickness may be associated with the depth to a lunar “Moho”. For a crust-mare density contrast of 0.5 g/cm3, the thickness of the plates would be 8.32 km. The effective diameters ( A 1 2 /π ) and the surface masses of six earthside ringed maria are listed in table 1. Effective diameters and surface masses of mascons in lunar ringed maria Mascon Mass Diameter (× 10−6 lunar masses) (km) Serenitatis 22.44 ± 1.73 650 ± 35 Imbrium 19.40 ± 1.65 625 ± 35 Crisium 11.52 ± 1.50 450 ± 25 Nectaris 9.67 ± 1.41 420 ± 20 Fecunditatis 7.19 ± 1.41 375 ? Humorum 4.36 ± 0.87 300 ± 35 Orientale 5.25 ± 0.50 315 ± 15 Smythii 7.25 ± 0.75 370 ± 20 The mass-area relationship predicts mascons in Maria Orientale and Smythii on the west and east limbs of the Moon which are consistent with Lunar Orbiter Doppler data. These are also listed in table 1.
A novel distributed privacy paradigm for visual sensor networks based on sharing dynamical systems

Visual sensor networks (VSNs) provide surveillance images/video which must be protected from eavesdropping and tampering en route to the base station. In the spirit of sensor networks, we propose a novel paradigm for securing privacy and confidentiality in a distributed manner. Our paradigm is based on the control of dynamical systems, which we show is well suited for VSNs due to its low complexity in terms of processing and communication, while achieving robustness to both unintentional noise and intentional attacks as long as a small subset of nodes are affected. We also present a low complexity algorithm called TANGRAM to demonstrate the feasibility of applying our novel paradigm to VSNs. We present and discuss simulation results of TANGRAM.
Metabolic and temporal studies on pancreatic exocrine cells in culture

An approach is described whereby cells with definitive markers are followed from their source through dissociation and fractionation, then during long-term maintenance in vitro. Such sequential studies should enable investigators to define factors regulating proliferation and function of specific cells since ambiguity concerning identity is readily avoided. Pancreatic cells of guinea pigs were isolated by enzymic dissociation, and exocrine cells were enriched by centrifugation with solutions of serum albumin. Resulting populations consisting of up to 95% exocrine cells were then incubated with gyration to produce aggregates, and these were seeded to standard culture plates for further study. Colonial aggregates of exocrine epithelia develop in culture and can be maintained for 20–30 days. The cells exhibit changes with time that are qualitatively similar to those known to occur during serial cultivation of diploid fibroblastlike cells from human and other species. The uptake of tritiated thymidine decreases with maintenance time. Autoradiographic examination indicates that this is due to a reduction in the number of epithelial cells incorporating the isotope. Cell diameters increase from an average of 21 μm at day 0 to 44 μm by day 26, and a marked increase in heterogeneity of this parameter is also evident. Cellular DNA and protein accumulate during the same interval. Incorporation of tritiated leucine during 24-h exposures increases until about the 10th day in vitro and remains relatively constant for at least 2 weeks thereafter. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that exocrine pancreatic cells like other diploid cells in culture, progress to terminal differentiation under the culture conditions employed. The role of physical, nutritional, and humoral evironmental factors on this process will be the subject of future reports.
A Philosophical Essay about A General Theory of Competition: Resources, Competences, Productivity, Economic Growth

Shelby Hunt has produced one of the most important books in marketing in decades. He basically challenges us to engage in the discussion of competition based on what develops as “resource-advantage.” The extensive essay is based on a comprehensive examination of the foundations of competition with the hopes of offering a synthetic theory. Although Hunt provides compelling arguments worthy of serious attention, the major shortcoming of the work is the absence of competitive theory drawn from the theory and practice of marketing, that lodged directly in the marketing discipline. Nevertheless, the integration of competition can more easily flow now that a basic framework has been provided.
Increased effect of target eccentricity on covert shifts of visual attention in patients with neglect

Debate continues regarding the mechanisms underlying covert shifts of visual attention. We examined the relationship between target eccentricity and the speed of covert shifts of attention in normal subjects and patients with brain lesions using a cued-response task in which cues and targets were presented at 2° or 8° lateral to the fixation point. Normal subjects were slower on invalid trials in the 8° as compared to 2° condition. Patients with right hemisphere stroke with neglect were slower in their responses to left-sided invalid targets compared to valid targets, and demonstrated a significant increase in the effect of target validity as a function of target eccentricity. Additional data from one neglect patient (JM) demonstrated an exaggerated validity × eccentricity × side interaction for contralesional targets on a cued reaction time task with a central (arrow) cue. We frame these results in the context of a continuous ‘moving spotlight’ model of attention, and also consider the potential role of spatial saliency maps. By either account, we argue that neglect is characterized by an eccentricity-dependent deficit in the allocation of attention.
Thumb inhibitor binding eliminates functionally important dynamics in the hepatitis C virus RNA polymerase

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has infected almost 200 million people worldwide, typically causing chronic liver damage and severe complications such as liver failure. Currently, there are few approved treatments for viral infection. Thus, the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (gene product NS5B) has emerged as an important target for small molecule therapeutics. Potential therapeutic agents include allosteric inhibitors that bind distal to the enzyme active site. While their mechanism of action is not conclusively known, it has been suggested that certain inhibitors prevent a conformational change in NS5B that is crucial for RNA replication. To gain insight into the molecular origin of long-range allosteric inhibition of NS5B, we employed molecular dynamics simulations of the enzyme with and without an inhibitor bound to the thumb domain. These studies indicate that the presence of an inhibitor in the thumb domain alters both the structure and internal motions of NS5B. Principal components analysis identified motions that are severely attenuated by inhibitor binding. These motions may have functional relevance by facilitating interactions between NS5B and RNA template or nascent RNA duplex, with presence of the ligand leading to enzyme conformations with narrower and thus less accessible RNA binding channels. This study provides the first evidence for a mechanistic basis of allosteric inhibition in NS5B. Moreover, we present evidence that allosteric inhibition of NS5B results from intrinsic features of the enzyme free energy landscape, suggesting a common mechanism for the action of diverse allosteric ligands.
Nanosphere−Microsphere Assembly: Methods for Core−Shell Materials Preparation

Core−shell composite materials consisting of a silica core and a polystyrene (PS) shell were prepared by colloidal assembly of PS nanospheres onto silica microspheres. The assembly process was controlled by specific chemical (amine−aldehyde) or biochemical (avidin−biotin) interactions between the nanospheres and microspheres. Colloidal assembly was performed using polymer nanoparticles (100−200 nm diameter) and silica particles (3−10 μm diameter). Heating the assembled materials to temperatures above the glass transition (Tg) of the polymer nanoparticles allows the polymer to flow over the microsphere surfaces, resulting in uniform core−shell materials. Nanosphere packing density on the microsphere surfaces influenced the uniformity of the resulting polymer shell. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning force microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the materials presented in this paper.
COMMD1 regulates inflammation and colitis-associated cancer progression

NF-κB is a master transcriptional regulator of inflammation that plays an important role in oncogenesis, particularly in tumors that arise in the context of inflammation. Copper metabolism MURR1 domain-containing 1 (COMMD1) is a negative regulator of NF-κB. Recent genetic-based studies in both mice and human patients indicate that COMMD1 has an important role in controlling intestinal inflammation and constraining progression to colitis-associated cancer.
Sex allocation in hermaphroditic plants

Hermaphroditic plants allocate their reproductive resources to different functions: male, female and pollinator attraction. While earlier sex-allocation models considered only male and female functions, more recent ones can divide reproductive resources into multiple functions. The basic predictions derived from these models are similar. While most models predict sex allocation at the fruit stage (pollen and seeds), some have examined allocation at the flower stage (pollen and ovules). Selfing rate, mode of pollination and competition among offspring of the same parent are some of the factors that can influence sex allocation among populations. Although the empirical evidence lags behind the theoretical development, sex-allocation theory has been quite successful at predicting trends among populations.
Analysis of a novel docking technique for autonomous robots

Autonomous robot docking requires accurate path following and ultimately, accurate alignment with the target location, typically a docking station. In this paper we develop a novel, partially heuristic, technique that allows accurate docking for Ackerman-steered vehicles. The technique is validated via simulation. Multiple experiments were performed to better understand and analyze the heuristic element of the technique. The results underscore the impact of the vehicle's steering characteristics in docking precision and may prove valuable in attempting to remove the heuristic element.
Genetic requirements for initiating asexual development in Aspergillus nidulans

Conidiation in the filamentous ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans requires activation of brlA, a well-characterized transcriptional regulator of genes that are induced specifically during asexual development. We have isolated and characterized developmental mutations in six loci, designated fluG, flbA, flbB, flbC, flbD, and flbE, that result in defective development and reduced brlA expression. These mutants grow indeterminately to produce masses of aerial hyphae resulting in the formation of cotton-like colonies with a “fluffy” morphology. The results of growth and epistasis tests involving all pairwise combinations of fluffy mutations indicate complex hierarchical relationships among these loci. We discuss these genetic interactions and propose that there are multiple mechanisms for activating brlA.
How PIP2 Lipids Regulate the Position and Phosphorylation of the Syntaxin N-Terminus

Syntaxin, a member of the family of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor proteins can bind and regulate plasma membrane ion channels and neurotransmitter transporters (NSS). Studies of such mechanisms for the dopamine transporter (DAT) have established the N-terminal segment of Syntaxin as the site of direct interactions, and have shown the critical role of highly charged PIP2 lipids in regulating Syntaxin-DAT interactions. We used a computational approach that combines mesoscale continuum modeling of protein-membrane interactions with all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to compare conformational states of Syntaxin in complex with PIP2-enriched and PIP2-depleted membranes. Our mesoscale approach is based on non-linear Poisson-Boltzmann theory of electrostatics and diffusion-like Cahn-Hilliard dynamics that makes possible the quantitative tracking of lipid-type demixing in the membrane due to the interaction with the protein. The calculations with this method identified strong electrostatic interactions of specific sites of Syntaxin with PIP2 lipids that diffused to their vicinity. MD simulations of the resulting system established that as many as five PIP2 lipid molecules can simultaneously bind Syntaxin. The attending segregation of PIP2 lipids appears to have a dramatic effect on the positioning of the Syntaxin N-terminal segment with respect to the membrane/water interface. These results are discussed in the context of the suggested role of PIP2 lipids in regulating Syntaxin-DAT interactions by modulating phosphorylation of Syntaxin at its N-terminus.