cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeted e-commerce marketing using fuzzy intelligent agents

E-commerce has become an important means of transacting business spanning a wide range of interactions, including business to business, business to consumer, and individual to individual. Fuzzy set-based intelligent agents can autonomously and instantaneously determine which ad to display on a Web site, on the basis of the viewer's characteristics. This approach works when several advertisers must compete for one ad space or when one advertiser must choose from several different ads. I focus on one potential application of fuzzy technology, targeted Web marketing, and show how Iona College's Machine Intelligence Institute is developing intelligent agents for this application.
Making Scientific Instruments in the Industrial Revolution

A. D. Morrison-Low, Making Scientific Instruments in the Industrial Revolution. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, 2007. xiii + 408 pp. $99.95/£55.00. ISBN-13 978-0-754-65758-3. Few topics in the histo...
Frontal sinus obliteration: an operation for the archives or modern armamentarium.

Osteoplastic frontal sinusotomy with obliteration was popularized by Goodale and Montgomery in the 1950s and has been considered the gold standard procedure for the surgical management of frontal sinus disease for many years. However, with advancements in functional endoscopic sinus surgery since the mid 1980s, the role of this operation has been questioned. Goodale and Montgomery in 1958 and Hardy and Montgomery in their subsequent review article describe the results of osteoplastic frontal sinusotomy with fat obliteration in 250 patients. Abnormalities included chronic frontal rhinosinusitis, frontal sinus mucocele, frontal sinus fractures, and complicated acute frontal rhinosinusitis. Patients were evaluated clinically using plain radiography and early-generation computed tomography. In the last 20 years numerous articles have been written about the endoscopic management of frontal sinus disease. Technology and instrumentation have advanced to the point that the frontal sinus can be accessed successfully and with minimal morbidity via transnasal endoscopic approaches. The purpose of this article is to examine the role of osteoplastic frontal sinusotomy with obliteration as the treatment of frontal sinus abnormality in an age of minimally invasive functional endoscopic sinus surgery. The pros and cons of this procedure will be presented, and reasonable indications will be outlined. A comprehensive description of anatomy is beyond the scope of this article. However, a brief review of frontal sinus anatomy is useful to understand the anatomic effects of inflammatory disease processes and the importance of appropriate choice of surgical approach to the frontal sinus. Unfortunately, the term nasofrontal duct continues to appear in the literature when in fact no such duct exists anatomically. Early anatomists recognized this long before the endoscopic era. The drainage from the frontal sinus is variable and at times difficult to ascertain, even with mutliplanar imaging, but most simplistically can be thought of in terms of the “frontal sinus outflow tract” (FSOT). The FSOT resembles an hourglass on sagittal view and includes the frontal sinus infundibulum, frontal sinus ostium, and frontal recess. Each of these areas can be affected by the varied pneumatization patterns of the ethmoid sinus, and each, if compromised, can lead to obstruction of outflow from the frontal sinus and secondary inflammatory disease. For example, an osteoma in the frontal sinus infundibulum may eventually obstruct outflow from the frontal sinus. The patient may develop a mucocele, mucopyocele, acute frontal rhinosinusitis with osteomyelitis (Pott puffy tumor), or chronic frontal rhinosinusitis. A large obstructing agger nasi cell or type I/II frontal cell can lead to the same scenarios by obstructing the frontal recess. In each of these clinical situations, however, the problem is not with the frontal sinus primarily but with obstruction of drainage within the FSOT.
Bastions, Beads, Baptisms, and Burials: Evidence for Epidemic Disease among the Arikara and their Ancestors

AbstractNative Americans suffered severe depopulation in the centuries after the first Europeans arrived. The timing, severity, and causes of this loss of life are less certain and the subject of continuing debate, particularly concerning the relative contribution of factors such as epidemic disease, warfare, and socioeconomic disruption. This paper reviews the historical, archaeological, and osteological evidence for epidemic-induced depopulation among Coalescent Tradition peoples living in earthlodge villages along the Missouri trench. Changes in the number, location, and structure of sites, as well as material culture alterations and burial data, support the hypothesis that epidemic disease, particularly smallpox, caused a severe demographic collapse that began as early as the 1600s.
Canonical forms and parameter identification problems in perspective systems

We introduce canonical forms for perspective dynamical systems under the action of a perspective group and illustrate their application to parameter identification with the aid of a single charged coupled device camera. We show that the parameters in the canonical form can be identified uniquely using an Extended Kalman Filter.
Enduracidin analogues with altered halogenation patterns produced by genetically engineered strains of Streptomyces fungicidicus.

Enduracidins (1, 2) and ramoplanin (3) are structurally and functionally closely related lipodepsipeptide antibiotics. They are active against multi-drug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens, including MRSA. Each peptide contains one chlorinated non-proteinogenic amino acid residue, Cl2-Hpg or Cl-Hpg. To investigate the timing of halogenation and the importance of chlorination on bioactivity and bioavailability of enduracidin, and to probe the substrate specificity and portability of the ramoplanin halogenase, we constructed the mutant strain SfΔ30 in which the enduracidin halogenase gene orf30 had been deleted and complemented it with the ramoplanin counterpart orf20. We also expressed orf20 in the enduracidin wild-type producer. Metabolite analysis revealed SfΔ30 produced the novel analogues dideschloroenduracidins A (4) and B (5), while the recombinant strains SfΔ30R20 and SfR20 produced monodeschloroenduracidins A (6) and B (7) and a trichlorinated enduracidin (8), respectively. In addition, orf30 self-c...
Context-specific regulation of LINE-1

The present study was conducted to evaluate the contextual specificity of long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) activation by cellular stress and the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) transcription factor and oxidative stress in the gene activation response. Activation of the AHR by the genotoxic carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) increased L1 expression in human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells, human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC), mouse vascular smooth muscle cells (mVSMC) and mouse embryonic kidney cells (mK4). In contrast, challenge with a different AHR ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), or UV irradiation (10-20 J/m(2)), induced L1 only in HeLa cells. Transactivation of the mouse L1Md-A5 promoter was observed in all cell types challenged with BaP, while TCDD was without effect, and UV only activated L1 in HeLa cells. Genetic and pharmacological experiments implicated the AHR and oxidative stress as contextual determinants of L1 inducibility by cellular stress.
Heavy ion dynamics and auroral arc formation in the Jovian magnetosphere

This paper gives a brief review of some of the current controversial issues surrounding the Jovian aurora. In particular, the manner of its excitation be it that of electron or heavy ion precipitation is examined critically in the context of proposed models for magnetospheric dynamics, particle energization, and auroral energy input. A model for the X-ray aurora based on bremsstrahlung by a primary electron beam and its ionization secondaries is high-lighted and the connection to the outward magnetospheric transport of heavy ion plasma from the satellite Io is made.
Imagine: An Interview with Svante Pääbo

Svante Paabo works on the edge of what's possible. He ignites our imagination, unlocking tightly held secrets in ancient remains. By patiently and meticulously working out techniques to extract genetic information from skin, teeth, bones, and excrement, Paabo has become the leader of the ancient DNA pack. Sloths, cave bears, moas, wooly mammoths, extinct bees, and Neanderthals—all have succumbed to his scrutiny.
A study of a large sociogram.

Sociometry is concerned with networks of relationship among groups of people. If the group is very large, the work of tracing all the relationships becomes tedious, and the task of describing the resulting net precisely becomes impossible. Here the problem of such large sociometric nets is approached with probabilistic and statistical methods.
Smoking characteristics of patients with oral carcinoma and the risk for second oral primary carcinoma.

A prospective study of 174 patients treated and followed for oral carcinoma confirms an association between smoking and mouth cancer. The risk of developing a second oral primary cancer was greatly increased by the continued use of tobacco. Conversely, quitting the habit appears to reduce the risk to a magnitude comparable with patients who have never smoked. Increased use of tobacco seems to account for the rising number of oral cancers in women. These findings should motivate the dentist toward the responsibilities of counseling patients regarding the health hazards of tobacco.
Analysis of Immune Cell Infiltrates during Squamous Carcinoma Development

Infiltration of leukocytes into tissue is a common feature of many physiological and pathological conditions. Histopathologically, the diversity of leukocytes that infiltrate a tissue associated with a pathophysiologic response cannot be appreciated and/or examined unless highly selective immunologic detection methods are utilized. Specific populations of infiltrating leukocytes into squamous tissues harboring pre-malignant and/or malignant keratinocytes have recently been demonstrated to play a functionally significant role in the pathogenesis of squamous carcinomas. To evaluate immune cell types and quantify changes in their relative presence and localization during multi-stage neoplastic progression, we performed flow cytometry and histochemical detection using lineage-selective markers. Herein, we provide detailed methodology facilitating these analyses.
Glucagon stimulation of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase phosphorylation in rat hepatocytes

Summary Hepatocytes from fed rats were incubated with [32p]PO4 in the absence and presence of glucagon. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase was isolated from extracts of the hepatocytes by the addition of antiserum specific for the enzyme, and the amount of 32p incorporated into the enzyme was determined after sodium dodecyl sulfate/gel electrophoresis. Glucagon (10 nM) stimulated 32p incorporation by 60 percent. Half-maximal stimulation of 32p-incorporation was observed with 1.5 nM glucagon. The enzyme had an apparent Mr of 41,000 after sodium dodecyl sulfate/slab gel electrophoresis. The relationship of phosphorylation to activity of the enzyme is discussed.
Europeans Work to Live and Americans Live to Work (Who is Happy to Work More: Americans or Europeans?)

This paper compares the working hours and life satisfaction of Americans and Europeans using the World Values Survey, Eurobarometer and General Social Survey. The purpose is to explore the relationship between working hours and happiness in Europe and America. Previous research on the topic does not test the premise that working more makes Americans happier than Europeans. The findings suggest that Americans may be happier working more because they believe more than Europeans do that hard work is associated with success.
Integrate the Hungarian Method and Genetic Algorithm to Solve the Shortest Distance Problem

In Traveling Salesman Problems, there are n! possible routes for a tourist to visit n cities, by only passing through each city once before finally returning to the city of departure. The difficulty of this problem is in finding the shortest from among these n! possible routes quickly and effectively. This research integrates the Hungarian Method and Genetic Algorithm to find the shortest distance route and the distance or the approximately shortest distance route and the distance, and constructs the shortest distance route system for traveling. The system needs only a personal computer to find the shortest distance route and its corresponding distance quickly and effectively.
Effect of exogenous gibberellic acid, abscisic acid, and benzylaminopurine on epicotyl dormancy of cultured herbaceous peony embryos

Epicotyl dormancy was broken in cultured peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) embryos after topical application of agarose gels containing gibberellic acid, with optimum growth at 1.5 mM gibberellic acid. Addition of 100 μM abscisic acid to the medium resulted in complete inhibition of gibberellic acid-stimulated promotion of dormant epicotyls. Epicotyl dormancy was also broken in embryos by culture on media containing 1 or 10 μM benzylaminopurine. A highly significant increase in leaf number occurred when embryos were both cultured on medium containing benzylaminopurine and treated topically with gibberellic acid. Anatomical and morphological studies indicated that the increase in shoot growth was due to the development and growth of 1) buds formed at the cotyledonary node, 2) axillary buds, and 3) adventitious meristems originating from subepidermal parenchymatous tissue.
Analysis of genes for 5S rRNA from the cricket, Acheta domesticus: two classes of repeating units.

Abstract To examine the modulation of 5S rRNA gene activity during development in the cricket, Acheta domesticus , 5S · DNA was isolated from a λ Charon 4 genomic library and characterized. Southern blot analysis of cloned A. domesticus genomic DNA revealed that restriction fragments of 3.0 and 2.1 kb represent two size classes of 5S · DNA repeating units; over 90% of the repeats measure 3.0 kb. Restriction analysis of two 5S · DNA clones suggests that the 2.1-kb repeats are not randomly interspersed within clusters of the larger 3.0-kb repeating units. Heteroduplex and restriction mapping of several clones indicate that the spacers of both repeating units account for their unusual length. The major difference between the two classes of repeats may lie in 0.9-kb spacer sequences to the 3.0-kb repeats.
A pilot study: design patterns in parallel program development

The software engineering community has widely used design patterns to solve software design problems and improve software development. However, there is little evidence about whether the use of design patterns has the same effect in a parallel computing environment. The growth of high-performance computing (HPC) has been achieved through massive parallelization. This paper presents a pilot controlled experiment with an objective to verify the experimental design and instrumentation. The study assessed the usability of design pattern implementations versus alternative implementations of the parallel program implemented with the Message Passing Interface (MPI). This paper describes the research questions, hypotheses and experimental design. The collected data indicated that the study design and materials produced the necessary results to be able to analyze and answer the research questions. Additionally, this paper discusses lessons learned from the experiment in order to be useful for the full-scale study.
Local Contrast Enhancement Using 2-Dimensional Recursive Filters

An unsharp masking type local contrast enhancement method that uses spatially adaptive 2-dimensional (2-D) recursive filters is presented. The proposed 2-D recursive filters are a family of exponential smoothing filters. Three different forms are proposed: separable extension of the 1-dimensional (1-D) case, non-separable filter that uses 4-neighbors, and non-separable filter that uses 8-neighbors. The isotropy of the transfer function improves when moved from the first to the last; hence, better visual quality is obtained in the real video experiments. The computational complexity of the proposed recursive filters, unlike non-recursive filters, is independent of the desired cut-off frequency. This independence enables different levels of smoothing simply by spatially adapting the recursion coefficients without any additional computation.
Incidence of Adrenal Insufficiency in Patients with Multiple Myeloma during High Dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Stem Cell Transplant

s / Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 21 (2015) S127eS146 S142 Conclusions: More than half of patients with int-risk AML in CR1 achieved sustained remissions using autoSCT. Of those who relapse, nearly 50% proceed to alloSCT and 31% are long-term disease-free survivors. Relapse-free survival has likely decreased in the most recent era due to changes in patient selection. AutoSCT remains a reasonable option for int-risk patients with AML in CR1, with outcomes rivaling those currently achieved with alternative donor alloSCT.
The stock market reaction to fraudulent financial reporting

Explores the impact that recent fraudulent financial reporting has had on the capital markets. Attempts to examine the stock market reaction, both to return and risk, to fraudulent financial reporting that has occurred in major corporations during the decade 1990‐1999. Finds that capital market impact is significant in dollar terms with strong negative announcement effects the day before and on the day of a news event. Concludes that auditor and regulator vigilance needs to be strongly maintained in monitoring firms’ financial reporting.
Ethnic differences in preferences for female weight and waist-to-hip ratio: a comparison of African-American and White American college and community samples.

Abstract This study examined both ethnic differences and differences between college and community samples in male preferences for ideal body size and shape in women. As expected, it was found that African–American men were more likely to choose heavier figures as ideal than White American men did. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences in chosen ideal weight between college and community subsamples. As expected, both ethnic groups chose figures with a low waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), but African–American men were more likely to choose a very low WHR as ideal. The findings replicate and extend research showing weight to be a more important cue than WHR in the mate-selection process and support the theory that African–American men's preferences may serve as a protective factor against eating and body image pathology in African–American women.
Weight Cycling and the Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes among Adult Women in the United States

Objective: To assess the role of weight cycling independent of BMI and weight change in predicting the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Research Methods and Procedures: A six-year follow-up of 46, 634 young and middle-aged women in the Nurses’ Health Study II was conducted. Women who had intentionally lost ≥20 lbs at least three times between 1989 and 1993 were classified as severe weight cyclers. Women who had intentionally lost ≥10 lbs at least three times were classified as mild weight cyclers. The outcome was physician-diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Results: Between 1989 and 1993, ∼20% of the women were mild weight cyclers, and 1.6% were severe weight cyclers. BMI in 1993 was positively associated with weight-cycling status (p < 0.001). During 6 years of follow-up (1993 to 1999), 418 incident cases of type 2 diabetes were documented. BMI in 1993 had a strong association with the risk of developing diabetes. Compared with women with a BMI between 17 and 22 kg/m2, those with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 were approximately seven times more likely to develop diabetes, and those with a BMI ≥35 kg/m2 were 63 times more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for BMI, neither mild (relative risk = 1.11, 95% confidence interval, 0.89 to 1.37) nor severe (relative risk = 1.39, 95% confidence interval, 0.90 to 2.13) weight cycling predicted risk of diabetes. Discussion: Weight cycling was strongly associated with BMI, but it was not independently predictive of developing type 2 diabetes.
Compliance With Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Children With Vesicoureteral Reflux: Results From a National Pharmacy Claims Database

Purpose: Antibiotic prophylaxis is commonly used for medical management of vesicoureteral reflux. Little information exists on compliance with antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with vesicoureteral reflux.Materials and Methods: We queried the i3 Innovus (Ingenix®) pharmacy claims 2002 to 2007 database for patients 18 years old or younger with vesicoureteral reflux (ICD-9 code 593.7 plus claim for cystogram) and analyzed those with at least 1 year of followup data. Criteria for management with antibiotic prophylaxis were 2 or more 30-day supplies of antibiotic prescriptions, or 4 or more 14-day supplies of prescriptions if the antibiotic was a penicillin or cephalosporin. Antibiotic prophylaxis compliance was determined using a medication possession ratio, an estimate of the proportion of time that patients have a prescribed drug available for use. Compliance was established as a medication possession ratio of 80% or greater, meaning coverage with antibiotic prophylaxis for 80% of the year or more.Results:...
Optic disc boundary segmentation from diffeomorphic demons registration of monocular fundus image sequences versus 3D visualization of stereo fundus image pairs for automated early stage glaucoma assessment

Despite the current availability in resource-rich regions of advanced technologies in scanning and 3-D imaging in current ophthalmology practice, world-wide screening tests for early detection and progression of glaucoma still consist of a variety of simple tools, including fundus image-based parameters such as CDR (cup to disc diameter ratio) and CAR (cup to disc area ratio), especially in resource -poor regions. Reliable automated computation of the relevant parameters from fundus image sequences requires robust non-rigid registration and segmentation techniques. Recent research work demonstrated that proper non-rigid registration of multi-view monocular fundus image sequences could result in acceptable segmentation of cup boundaries for automated computation of CAR and CDR. This research work introduces a composite diffeomorphic demons registration algorithm for segmentation of cup boundaries from a sequence of monocular images and compares the resulting CAR and CDR values with those computed manually by experts and from 3-D visualization of stereo pairs. Our preliminary results show that the automated computation of CDR and CAR from composite diffeomorphic segmentation of monocular image sequences yield values comparable with those from the other two techniques and thus may provide global healthcare with a cost-effective yet accurate tool for management of glaucoma in its early stage.
Large woody debris and flow resistance in step-pool channels, Cascade Range, Washington

Abstract Total flow resistance, measured as Darcy–Weisbach f, in 20 step-pool channels with large woody debris (LWD) in Washington, ranged from 5 to 380 during summer low flows. Step risers in the study streams consist of either (1) large and relatively immobile woody debris, bedrock, or roots that form fixed, or “forced,” steps, or (2) smaller and relatively mobile wood or clasts, or a mixture of both, arranged across the channel by the stream. Flow resistance in step-pool channels may be partitioned into grain, form, and spill resistance. Grain resistance is calculated as a function of particle size, and form resistance is calculated as large woody debris drag. Combined, grain and form resistance account for less than 10% of the total flow resistance. We initially assumed that the substantial remaining portion is spill resistance attributable to steps. However, measured step characteristics could not explain between-reach variations in flow resistance. This suggests that other factors may be significant; the coefficient of variation of the hydraulic radius explained 43% of the variation in friction factors between streams, for example. Large woody debris generates form resistance on step treads and spill resistance at step risers. Because the form resistance of step-pool channels is relatively minor compared to spill resistance and because wood in steps accentuates spill resistance by increasing step height, we suggest that wood in step risers influences channel hydraulics more than wood elsewhere in the channel. Hence, the distribution and function, not just abundance, of large woody debris is critical in steep, step-pool channels.
Myths of Mars

To Utopia And Back: The Search for Life in the Solar System. By Norman H. Horowitz. W.H. Freeman: 1986. Pp.168. Hbk 17.95, 17.95; pbk 11.95, 11.95.
Density-Dependent Effects on Entomopathogenic Nematodes (Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae) within an Insect Host

Abstract Density-dependent factors within a host can have an important influence on the population dynamics of parasites. We compared the effects of increasing entomopathogenic nematode ( Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora ) density within a Galleria mellonella larva. Although the number of invading nematodes increased with increasing dose, percentage penetration declined. This density-dependent penetration was not sufficient to prevent the detrimental effects of overcrowding. Although both S. carpocapsae and H. bacteriophora had optimal survival at a density of approximately 100 nematodes per host, H. bacteriophora was better able to tolerate higher densities. Fecundity, measured as female size and infective juvenile production, declined at densities above and below 100 nematodes per host. The longest infective juveniles were produced at the lowest nematode densities, indicating a tradeoff between size and number of progeny. Effects of high density appear to result from competition for limited nutrients within the host. Effects of density should be taken into account in the laboratory culture and field release of entomopathogenic nematodes.
Re)imagining Literacy and Teacher Preparation Through Collaboration

This article reports the outcomes of the first 3 years of an ongoing participatory action research (PAR) project that brought together literacy and content-area teacher educators. The purpose of our collaboration was two-fold: (a) to develop shared understandings or theories related to literacy and the place of literacy instruction in content-area classrooms, and (b) to make changes to our work with preservice teachers in order to prepare them to support adolescents’ content learning and discipline-specific literacy development. The findings reveal that the collaborative activities allowed participants to embrace broad notions of text and literacy that are useful in making sense of disciplinary aims and pedagogy. Furthermore, as teacher educators came to shift their thinking about literacy and disciplinary learning and teaching, their work with preservice teachers changed. Implications for future collaborative activities to promote content-area literacy are discussed.
Scalability of parallel machines

We define the scalability of a given architecture to be the fraction of the parallelism inherent in a given algorithm that can be exploited by any machine of that architecture as a function of problem size
Application of block pulse functions in a polyphase digital distance relay

This paper presents a digital distance relay scheme for power transmission line protection. The scheme uses a single criterion to determine the fault distance during the ten types of shunt faults on a three-phase transmission line. The criterion is derived using a modal transformation. The scheme uses a recently developed algorithm based on block pulse functions to compute fundamental frequency voltage and current phasors of fault signals. The scheme is tested using simulated voltage and current signals obtained from the electromagnetic transient program (EMTP). These simulations are performed on a 230 kV transmission line of a six bus power system model.
Clinical Approach to the Anemic Reptile

Abstract Anemia is a relatively common blood disorder but a seemingly underreported and investigated condition in reptiles. Better characterization of anemia in the sick reptile could help determine which available diagnostic tools could be best utilized to determine the cause of low red blood cell counts in these animals. There are, however, a number of limitations that exist when trying to interpret hematologic data for the large number of reptilian species presented to the exotic animal practitioner, including interspecific and intraspecific variation in hematological reference values, limited availability to specific reagents, and a lack of scientific-based studies that focus on anemic conditions in reptiles. Therefore, better documentation and consistency in the scientific-based studies of reptile anemia and rapid dissemination of this information are considered necessary to increase our knowledge in this area of reptile medicine. Collaborative research efforts between practitioners, owners, reptile collection curators, pathologists, immunologists, microbiologists, toxicologists, and laboratory scientists are urgently needed to augment our understanding of anemia and other hematological disorders in reptiles.
Information systems project management decision making: The influence of experience and risk propensity

Managing information systems (IS) projects is a notoriously difficult task. The project manager is a crucial player in a successful IS development project. This research examines how a project mana...
Advances in Multifrequency Phase and Modulation Fluorescence Analysis

Abstract The first report of luminescence is credited to the Spanish physician, Monardesm who is 1565 noted that water contained in a wooden cup made from Ligirium nephiticiem exhibited a strage blue shimmer. Today, 325 year later, scientists are still using the emissive characteristics (spectral, temporal, and polarization) of fluorophores to probe directly and indirectly many diverse physical phenomena. Over the years, the utility of fluorescence measurments has made a tremendous impact in numerous subdisciplines of chemistry. For further information into this diverse area, the interested reader in encouraged to consult the many reviews and textbooks in the field.1–8
Defensive display behaviour in some Australian and Papuan‐New Guinean pygopodid lizards, boid, colubrid and elapid snakes

The defensive display behaviour is described in 34 species of snakes and 3 species of pygopodid lizards based upon field and laboratory observations. Various aspects of the behaviour are categorized and their significance discussed in relation to survival value.
Glucose sensor membranes for mitigating the foreign body response

Continuous glucose monitoring devices remain limited in their duration of use due to difficulties presented by the foreign body response (FBR), which impairs sensor functionality immediately following implantation via biofouling and leukocyte infiltration. The FBR persists through the life of the implant, culminating with fibrous encapsulation and isolation from normal tissue. These issues have led researchers to develop strategies to mitigate the FBR and improve tissue integration. Studies have often focused on abating the FBR using various outer coatings, thereby changing the chemical or physical characteristics of the sensor surface. While such strategies have led to some success, they have failed to fully integrate the sensor into surrounding tissue. To further address biocompatibility, researchers have designed coatings capable of actively releasing biological agents (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor, dexamethasone, and nitric oxide) to direct the FBR to induce tissue integration. Active release approaches have proven promising and, when combined with biocompatible coating materials, may ultimately improve the in vivo lifetime of subcutaneous glucose biosensors. This article focuses on strategies currently under development for mitigating the FBR.
Human ZMPSTE24 disease mutations: residual proteolytic activity correlates with disease severity

The zinc metalloprotease ZMPSTE24 plays a critical role in nuclear lamin biology by cleaving the prenylated and carboxylmethylated 15-amino acid tail from the C-terminus of prelamin A to yield mature lamin A. A defect in this proteolytic event, caused by a mutation in the lamin A gene (LMNA) that eliminates the ZMPSTE24 cleavage site, underlies the premature aging disease Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS). Likewise, mutations in the ZMPSTE24 gene that result in decreased enzyme function cause a spectrum of diseases that share certain features of premature aging. Twenty human ZMPSTE24 alleles have been identified that are associated with three disease categories of increasing severity: mandibuloacral dysplasia type B (MAD-B), severe progeria (atypical ‘HGPS’) and restrictive dermopathy (RD). To determine whether a correlation exists between decreasing ZMPSTE24 protease activity and increasing disease severity, we expressed mutant alleles of ZMPSTE24 in yeast and optimized in vivo yeast mating assays to directly compare the activity of alleles associated with each disease category. We also measured the activity of yeast crude membranes containing the ZMPSTE24 mutant proteins in vitro. We determined that, in general, the residual activity of ZMPSTE24 patient alleles correlates with disease severity. Complete loss-of-function alleles are associated with RD, whereas retention of partial, measureable activity results in MAD-B or severe progeria. Importantly, our assays can discriminate small differences in activity among the mutants, confirming that the methods presented here will be useful for characterizing any new ZMPSTE24 mutations that are discovered.
The use of testosterone as a male contraceptive

Testosterone functions as a contraceptive by suppressing secretion of the pituitary gonadotropins luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone. Low levels of these hormones decrease endogenous testosterone secretion from the testis and deprive developing sperm of the signals required for normal maturation. Interference with sperm maturation causes a decline in sperm production and can lead to reversible infertility in men, raising the possibility that testosterone could be utilized in a commercially available contraceptive. To this end, testosterone has been studied alone and in combination with either gonadotropin releasing hormone analogues or progestins in efforts to improve its contraceptive efficacy. In this chapter, we will review efforts to use testosterone to create a safe, convenient, efficacious contraceptive method for men.
Exploiting In-Memory and On-Disk Redundancy to Conserve Energy in Storage Systems

Today's storage systems place an imperative demand on energy efficiency. A storage system often places single-rotation- rate disks into standby mode by stopping them from spinning to conserve energy when the workload is not heavy. The major obstacle of this method is a high spin-up cost introduced by passively waking up the standby disk to service requests. In this paper, we propose a redundancy-based hierarchical I/O cache architecture called RIMAC to solve the problem. The idea of RIMAC is to enable data on the standby disk(s) to be recovered by accessing a two-level I/O cache and/or active disks if needed. In parity-based redundant disk arrays, RIMAC exploits parity redundancy to dynamically XOR-reconstruct the data being accessed toward standby disk(s) at both the cache and disk levels. By avoiding passive spin-ups, RIMAC can significantly improve both energy efficiency and performance. In RIMAC, we developed 1) two power-aware read request transformation schemes called Transformable Read in Cache (TRC) and Transformable Read on Disk (TRD), 2) a power-aware write request transformation policy for parity update, and 3) a second-chance parity cache replacement algorithm to favor the request transformation rate. We evaluated RIMAC by augmenting a validated storage system simulator, DiskSim, and tested three real-life server traces, including HP's cello99, UlUC's OLTP, and SPC's search engine. Comprehensive results indicate that RIMAC is able to reduce energy consumption by up to 18 percent and simultaneously improve the average response time by up to 34 percent compared with threshold-based power management schemes for single-rotation-rate disk- based RAIDs.
The Effects of Self-Enhancement and Self-Improvement on Recovery From Stress Differ Across Cultural Groups

Extant research shows that individuals can reflect either adaptively or maladaptively over negative experiences. However, few studies have examined how culture influences this process. We examined the effects of self-enhancement and self-improvement reflection on emotional and physiological recovery from a laboratory social stressor among 56 Asian Americans (interdependent cultural group) and 58 European Americans (independent cultural group). The extent to which people gained emotional and physiological benefits from self-reflection depended on whether the self-reflection processes were congruent with individuals’ heritage cultural backgrounds. When there was a cultural match, participants showed improved emotional recovery, quicker return to baseline levels of cortisol, and greater persistence following the stressor. These findings provide evidence suggesting culturally distinct processes through which individuals recover from negative experiences.
Abnormal mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial loss and mutant huntingtin oligomers in Huntington's disease: implications for selective neuronal damage

The purpose of our study was to determine the relationship between mutant huntingtin (Htt) and mitochondrial dynamics in the progression of Huntington's disease (HD). We measured the mRNA levels of electron transport chain genes, and mitochondrial structural genes, Drp1 (dynamin-related protein 1), Fis1 (fission 1), Mfn1 (mitofusin 1), Mfn2 (mitofusin 2), Opa1 (optric atrophy 1), Tomm40 (translocase of outermembrane 40) and CypD (cyclophilin D) in grade III and grade IV HD patients and controls. The mutant Htt oligomers and the mitochondrial structural proteins were quantified in the striatum and frontal cortex of HD patients. Changes in expressions of the electron transport chain genes were found in HD patients and may represent a compensatory response to mitochondrial damage caused by mutant Htt. Increased expression of Drp1 and Fis1 and decreased expression of Mfn1, Mfn2, Opa1 and Tomm40 were found in HD patients relative to the controls. CypD was upregulated in HD patients, and this upregulation increased as HD progressed. Significantly increased immunoreactivity of 8-hydroxy-guanosine was found in the cortical specimens from stage III and IV HD patients relative to controls, suggesting increased oxidative DNA damage in HD patients. In contrast, significantly decreased immunoreactivities of cytochrome oxidase 1 and cytochrome b were found in HD patients relative to controls, indicating a loss of mitochondrial function in HD patients. Immunoblotting analysis revealed 15, 25 and 50 kDa mutant Htt oligomers in the brain specimens of HD patients. All oligomeric forms of mutant Htt were significantly increased in the cortical tissues of HD patients, and mutant Htt oligomers were found in the nucleus and in mitochondria. The increase in Drp1, Fis1 and CypD and the decrease in Mfn1 and Mfn2 may be responsible for abnormal mitochondrial dynamics that we found in the cortex of HD patients, and may contribute to neuronal damage in HD patients. The presence of mutant Htt oligomers in the nucleus of HD neurons and in mitochondria may disrupt neuronal functions. Based on these findings, we propose that mutant Htt in association with mitochondria imbalance and mitochondrial dynamics impairs axonal transport of mitochondria, decreases mitochondrial function and damages neurons in affected brain regions of HD patients.
Sensitivity of the Modeled North American Monsoon Regional Climate to Convective Parameterization

This paper documents the sensitivity of the modeled evolution of the North American monsoon system (NAMS) to convective parameterization in terms of thermodynamic and circulation characteristics, stability profiles, and precipitation. The convective parameterization schemes (CPSs) of Betts‐Miller‐Janjic, Kain‐Fritsch, and Grell were tested using version 3.4 of the PSU‐NCAR fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) running in a pseudoclimate mode. Model results for the initial phase of the 1999 NAM are compared with surface climate station observations and seven radiosonde sites in Mexico and the southwestern United States. The results show substantial differences in modeled precipitation, surface climate, and atmospheric stability occuring between the different model simulations, which are attributable to the representation of convection in the model. Moreover, large intersimulation differences in the low-level circulation fields are found. While none of the CPSs tested gave perfect simulation of observations everywhere in the model domain, the Kain‐Fritsch scheme generally gave significantly superior estimates of surface and upper air verification error statistics.
Everybody Loves Joe

This is a case about an entrepreneur who has spent his entire life riding, fixing, and selling bicycles. While the business is a family business, there is little doubt that it revolves around the owner and his reputation as not only a smart businessman, but also as a very honest, friendly, approachable individual. The case discusses the business in detail, from the early days to the present. The owners of the business, Joe and Cheryl Russell, have seen the marketing landscape change greatly in the past thirty-five years. Making advertising decisions is not as easy as it used to be, thanks to all the new media choices. In addition to making the proper selections, the Russells also wonder if they are spending too much money on advertising and promotion. Many other bicycle dealers spend much less on promotion than the Russells do.
Data science foundry for MOOCs

In this paper, we present the concept of data science foundry for data from Massive Open Online Courses. In the foundry we present a series of software modules that transform the data into different representations. Ultimately, each online learner is represented using a set of variables that capture his/her online behavior. These variables are captured longitudinally over an interval. Using this representation we then build a predictive analytics stack that is able to predict online learners behavior as the course progresses in real time. To demonstrate the efficacy of the foundry, we attempt to solve an important prediction problem for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): who is likely to stopout? Across a multitude of courses, with our complex per-student behavioral variables, we achieve a predictive accuracy of 0.7 AUCROC and higher for a one-week-ahead prediction problem. For a two-to-three-weeks-ahead prediction problem, we are able to achieve 0.6 AUCROC. We validate, via transfer learning, that these predictive models can be used in real time. We also demonstrate that we can protect the models using privacy-preserving mechanisms without losing any predictive accuracy.
It’s Not My Place: Formative Evaluation Research to Design a Bystander Intervention Campaign

Sexual misconduct remains a problem on college campuses despite years of documentation and research, and program development and implementation. The purpose of this study was to conduct systematic theory-based formative audience research to understand how college women and men make meaning of sexual assault and bystander intervention. A total of 69 men and women aged 18 to 24 years participated in eight gender-specific focus group discussions. A grounded theory approach was used to identify patterns and themes across the data. Themes emerging from the data included the following: (a) female participants’ experiences of sexism and misogyny, (b) the myth that rape is falsely reported, (c) complex understandings of consent and entitlement, (d) the reluctance to stop someone from having a “good time,” (e) the role of alcohol as a moderating factor in sexual misconduct and bystander intervention, and (f) preference for direct and impactful messaging. This study informs researchers and practitioners about colle...
Spontaneous Activity in Isolated Rabbit Atria Below 5°C

SummarySpontaneous propagated activity was maintained at low temperatures in rabbit atria with a combination of catecholamines and low potassium in the perfusion fluid. Under these conditions, atrial activity was present at temperatures below S°C. Heretofore, spontaneous cardiac activity at such temperatures has been observed only in hibernating species.
Reduced Order Modeling for Closed-Loop Control of Three Dimensional Wakes

Technological advances in sensors, actuators, on-board computational capability, modeling and control sciences have offered a possibility of seriously considering closed-loop flow control for practical applications. We can now attempt addressing problems that have over the years not been effectively solved using passive means and/or open-loop techniques. The main strategies to closed-loop control are a model-independent approach, a full-order optimal control approach based on the Navier Stokes equations and a reduced order model strategy. This effort emphasizes the methodology based on the low-dimensional, proper orthogonal decomposition method applied to the problem concerning the suppression of the von Karman vortex-street in the wake of a circular cylinder. Focus is on the validity of the low-dimensional model, selection of the important modes that need representation, incorporation of ensembles of snapshots that reflect vital transient phenomena, selection of sensor placement and number, and linear stochastic estimation for mapping of sensor data onto modal information. Furthermore, additional issues surveyed include observability, controllability and stability of the closed-loop systems based on low-dimensional models. Examples based on computational and experimental studies on the cylinder wake benchmark are presented to illuminate some of the important issues. Finally, the paper summarizes some of the important lessons learned and notes the open issues that need to be addressed in future work.
Analysis on New Bunia virus infections in Wuxi City

Objective To investigate and analyze the epidemic status,infection spectrum,epidemiological characters and risk factors of the new bunia virus in human,animals and arthropods in Wuxi City. Methods Cases were investigated with the unified diagnostic criteria. Overall antibodies to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome were detected by a novel double antigen sandwich ELISA. Reverse transcription-PCR( RT-PCR) was also used for nucleotide diagnosis. Results A total of 66 suspected SFTSV-specific antibodies were found in Wuxi City,and the positive rate of suspected SFTSV-specific antibodies was 7. 58%. The mortality rate was 60. 00%( 3 /5). The positive rate of the total antibody was 0. 23%( 2 /866). SFTSV-specific antibodies were found in total number of 337 domestic animals( 2. 08%) and 115 wild animals( 1. 74%). The higher positive rates of animals were geese( 33. 33%),sheep( 6. 76%) and chicken( 0. 67%) in domestic animals,and mice( 2. 13%). Nucleic acid detections were all negative with arthropods. Conclusions The results indicated that the spectrums of infection of SFTSV include the latent infection and the apparent infection( with slight,serious and dead cases). The disease might be perhaps a zoonosis. Mice,sheep and chicken can be host animals. The elderly and those who live in hilly areas can be risk factors of the SFTS.