cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting the Success and Failure of an Information System for Product Quality

This paper analyzes the adoption and successful use of an information system by one department, and the rejection and failure of the same system in a similar department of the same company. Since the technical features of the system and the work performed are identical in both departments, the reasons for success and failure are traceable to organizational and human differences. Indeed, the technical features of the system studied are entirely irrelevant to the adoption and rejection of the system. In many studies of implementation, the MIS parameters are not well controlled or measured, and many types of organizations are studied together. In our study these sources of experimental error are controlled, thereby focusing attention on the individual, organizational, and process differences between the adopting and rejecting departments.
Coding Sequences Enhance Internal Initiation of Translation by Hepatitis A Virus RNA In Vitro

Hepatitis A virus (HAV), unlike other picornaviruses, has a slow-growth phenotype in permissive cell lines and in general does not induce host cell cytopathology. Although there are no published reports of productive infection of HeLa cells by HAV, HAV RNA appears to be readily translated in HeLa cells when transcribed by T7 RNA polymerase provided by a recombinant vaccinia virus. The 5′ noncoding region of HAV was fused to poliovirus (PV) coding sequences to determine the effect on translation efficiency in HeLa cell extracts in vitro. Conditions were optimized for utilization of the HAV internal ribosome entry segment (IRES). Transcripts from chimeric constructs fused precisely at the initiation codon were translated very poorly. However, chimeric RNAs which included 114 or more nucleotides from the HAV capsid coding sequences downstream of the initiation codon were translated much more efficiently than those lacking these sequences, making HAV-directed translation efficiency similar to that directed by the PV IRES. Sixty-six nucleotides were insufficient to confer increased translation efficiency. The most 5′-terminal HAV 138 nucleotides, previously determined to be upstream of the IRES, had an inhibitory effect on translation efficiency. Constructs lacking these terminal sequences, or those in which the PV 5′-terminal sequences replaced those from HAV, translated three- to fourfold better than those with the intact HAV 5′-terminal end.
Spiel Appeal: Play, Drug Use and the Culture of 1968 in West Germany:

‘Spiel Appeal’ offers a cultural reading of one important element of the youth consciousness which underpinned events in West Germany between 1967 and 1969 and which shaped the legacy of those year...
Architecture and Performance of the HI-Space Projector-Camera Interface

This paper presents the architecture and configuration of the Human Information Workspace (HI-Space) interaction environment. HI-Space is a projector-camera-microphone system that recognizes gesture, object and speech input. The system creates input stream events and uses HI-Space aware interface components allowing the creation of independent applications through an API. To help understand performance characteristics of HI-Space, a procedure is presented that was used to determine the total system lag of the HI-Space to be 71 ms with an 11 ms standard deviation. A study is also presented that directly compares HI-Space and a mouse in the task of acquiring stationary targets. The study shows that users can acquire targets faster and just as accurately on the HI-Space system. Finally, an example application to support analysis of 3D biological data sets is discussed. The application is an ongoing research effort to explore complex interface design using the HI-Space architecture.
Characterisation of the behaviour of steel bridge bearings under cyclic load reversal

Seismic hazards pose a significant concern for older steel bridges in the Central and Eastern USA. The majority of these bridges still use steel bearings that are not designed to sustain earthquake loads. To assess older bridge vulnerability, an understanding of the cyclic behaviour of their components, such as steel bolster and rocker bearings, is needed. A theoretical analysis is conducted to understand steel bearing behaviour and their potential limit states, which also serves to validate bearing finite element models. The high fidelity models are used to evaluate the hysteretic behaviour of the bearings. The influence of gravity load on the response is evaluated to consider different bridge configurations, while varying the friction coefficient between steel surfaces allows for consideration of effects from ageing and corrosion. These parameters are shown to influence the response suggesting the need to consider ageing effects in assessing the vulnerability of in situ bridges.
Improving CBS tool development with technological spaces

The complexity of computer based systems (CBSs) requires that multiple levels of abstraction be available to a designer in order to facilitate their formal specification. Generating final executable code from the model of the system is preferred to hand-coding the implementation, but this is seldom done in one step-usually there are several cascading transformations that eventually result in the executable system. We explain how the concept of the technological space (TS) can be used to define and describe the layers between cascading transformations, and the transformations themselves. TSs are also shown as a categorization that better distinguishes between a domain and the technology used to store information in a domain.
Ultrasonic, non-invasive classification/discrimination of liquid explosives (LEs) and threat liquids from non-threat liquids in sealed containers

This paper focuses on a set of laboratory measurements acquired with a Container Screening Device (CSD) that has been applied to several types of liquids in small commercially available plastic containers. The objective of this study was to further understand the critical acoustic measurement discrimination/sensitivity issues associated with quantifying the effectiveness of the approach for classifying and discriminating liquid threats from benign and commercially available liquids. A list of pertinent threat liquids was generated and measurements were conducted to demonstrate the CSD's ability to acquire accurate and repeatable acoustic information for effectively classifying and discriminating these liquids from non-threat liquids such as wine, whiskey, water, shampoo, etc. The device was used to measure the acoustic velocity, (the primary discriminator) and relative attenuation of 180 liquids at room temperature, while recording the key parameters that play a role in the accuracy and precision (repeatability) of the measurement. Density data were manually generated and evaluated to determine the effects of an additional acoustic signature on the discrimination algorithm. Results showed that by using a 3-parameter measurement approach (velocity, attenuation, and density), the methodology can be effectively employed for the rapid and accurate classification/discrimination of threat liquids versus non-threat liquids in small, carry-on, standard “stream-of-commerce” containers.
Internet Inequalities: Financial Aid, the Internet, and Low-Income Students

This article focuses on the Web-based resources available to low-income students as they build their perceptions, make their decisions, and engage in financial aid activities. Data are gathered fro...
Effects of ACTH and cytokines on dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase messenger RNA in human adrenal cells.

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) is the major adrenal androgen produced in the fetal and adult human; its formation is dependent upon the action of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase (DST). Since the factors that regulate DST are poorly characterized, we investigated the effects of ACTH, which stimulates DS production, and the cytokines transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α), both of which are inhibitory to adrenal steroidogenesis, on cultured human fetal adrenal cells. Cellular levels of DST mRNA were increased in a dose dependent fashion in response to ACTH; DST mRNA was less responsive to ACTH stimulation than was 17 hydroxylase (CYP 17) mRNA. The stimulatory effects of ACTH on DST mRNA levels were blunted by both TGF-β and TNF-α; the inhibitory effects of TNF-α on DST mRNA were more striking than were those on CYP 17 mRNA. These data suggest that DS production can be altered by several agents acting on the DST gene.
Developing a problem-based learning simulation: An economics unit on trade

This article argues that the merger of simulations and problem-based learning (PBL) can enhance both active-learning strategies. Simulations benefit by using a PBL framework to promote student-directed learning and problem-solving skills to explain a simulated dilemma with multiple solutions. PBL benefits because simulations structure the information students receive to focus learning on the intended curriculum and increase the strategy's effectiveness in a wider variety of venues. A combined strategy--a PBL simulation-- places its simulation at the forefront of learning and helps students and teachers sift through the overwhelming complexity that can arise in a more pure PBL. The authors illustrate the strength of a PBL simulation with an economics unit on trade, titled THE GREAT AWAKENING.
Elevated endogenous cortisol reduces autonomic neuroendocrine and symptom responses to subsequent hypoglycemia

We tested the hypothesis that increased endogenous cortisol secretion reduces autonomic neuroendocrine and neurogenic symptom responses to subsequent hypoglycemia. Twelve healthy young adults were ...
Impact of cardiovascular magnetic resonance on management and clinical decision-making in heart failure patients.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) can provide important diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with heart failure. However, in the current health care environment, use of a new imaging modality like CMR requires evidence for direct additive impact on clinical management. We sought to evaluate the impact of CMR on clinical management and diagnosis in patients with heart failure. We prospectively studied 150 consecutive patients with heart failure and an ejection fraction ≤50% referred for CMR. Definitions for “significant clinical impact” of CMR were pre-defined and collected directly from medical records and/or from patients. Categories of significant clinical impact included: new diagnosis, medication change, hospital admission/discharge, as well as performance or avoidance of invasive procedures (angiography, revascularization, device therapy or biopsy). Overall, CMR had a significant clinical impact in 65% of patients. This included an entirely new diagnosis in 30% of cases and a change in management in 52%. CMR results directly led to angiography in 9% and to the performance of percutaneous coronary intervention in 7%. In a multivariable model that included clinical and imaging parameters, presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was the only independent predictor of “significant clinical impact” (OR 6.72, 95% CI 2.56-17.60, p=0.0001). CMR made a significant additive clinical impact on management, decision-making and diagnosis in 65% of heart failure patients. This additive impact was seen despite universal use of prior echocardiography in this patient group. The presence of LGE was the best independent predictor of significant clinical impact following CMR.
Photocurrent-assisted wavelength (PAW) conversion with electrical monitoring capability using a traveling-wave electroabsorption modulator

A new mechanism of cross-absorption modulation is proposed and experimentally demonstrated to assist wavelength conversion using a traveling-wave electroabsorption modulator (TW-EAM). The photocurrent signal generated by the pump propagates along the TW electrodes and changes the absorption of the waveguide, which imprints data to the probe. The photocurrent signal can also be received by an external electronic circuit to provide monitoring capability. This photocurrent-assisted mechanism does not rely on the saturation of absorption and has the potential to reduce the high pumping power required by EAM-based wavelength converters. Using 2.5-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero data, the conversion range can cover 30 nm in C-band and the lowest power penalty is 0.5 dB.
Synchronized Auditory and Cognitive 40 Hz Attentional Streams, and the Impact of Rhythmic Expectation on Auditory Scene Analysis

We have developed a neural network architecture that implements a theory of attention, learning, and trans-cortical communication based on adaptive synchronization of 5-15 Hz and 30-80 Hz oscillations between cortical areas. Here we present a specific higher order cortical model of attentional networks, rhythmic expectancy, and the interaction of higher-order and primary, cortical levels of processing. It accounts for the "mismatch negativity" of the auditory ERP and the results of psychological experiments of Jones showing that auditory stream segregation depends on the rhythmic structure of inputs. The timing mechanisms of the model allow us to explain how relative timing information such as the relative order of events between streams is lost when streams are formed. The model suggests how the theories of auditory perception and attention of Jones and Bregman may be reconciled.
Touring Arcadia: Elements of Discursive Simulation and Cultural Struggle at a Children's Summer Camp

I get up and begin to walk slowlyfrom the stafftable to the center of the dining hall. It used to be called a mess hall, but several years ago a particularly civicand public relations-minded camp director decided the military connotations were bad for the camp's image. Now, these years later, the issue seems hardly worth the antagonism it caused at the time. We still owned mealtime. It's true that endless staff meetings were held to address the problem of too much rowdiness, yelling, and singing at the end of meals. It was even decided to make breakfast the mellow meal of the day. The loss of breakfast meant, however, an implicit recognition that meals were unchangeable at Camp Jack Hazard (CJH). You could scale them back, ask for some concessions, but you could never eliminate what was a reified centerpiece of the camp's spirit. You could rename the building, but we still owned mealtime.
A hydrometric and geochemical approach to test the transmissivity feedback hypothesis during snowmelt

To test the transmissivity feedback hypothesis of runoff generation, surface and subsurface waters were monitored and sampled during the 1996 snowmelt at various topographic positions in a 41 ha forested headwater catchment at Sleepers River, Vermont. Two conditions that promote transmissivity feedback existed in the catchment during the melt period. First, saturated hydraulic conductivity increased toward land surface, from a geometric mean of 3.6 mm h 21 in glacial till to 25.6 mm h 21 in deep soil to 54.0 mm h 21 in shallow soil. Second, groundwater levels rose to within 0.3 m of land surface at all riparian sites and most hillslope sites at peak melt. The importance of transmissivity feedback to streamflow generation was tested at the catchment scale by examination of physical and chemical patterns of groundwater in near-stream (discharge) and hillslope (recharge/lateral flow) zones, and within a geomorphic hollow (convergent flow). The presence of transmissivity feedback was supported by the abrupt increase in streamflow as the water table rose into the surficial, transmissive zone; a flattening of the groundwater level vs. streamflow curve occurred at most sites. This relation had a clockwise hysteresis (higher groundwater level for given discharge on rising limb than at same discharge on falling limb) at riparian sites, suggesting that the riparian zone was the dominant source area during the rising limb of the melt hydrograph. Hysteresis was counterclockwise at hillslope sites, suggesting that hillslope drainage controlled the snowmelt recession. End member mixing analysis using Ca, Mg, Na, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and Si showed that stream chemistry could be explained as a two-component mixture of groundwater high in base cations and an O-horizon/overland flow water high in DOC. The dominance of shallow flow paths during events was indicated by the high positive correlation of DOC with streamflow ( r 2 a 0.82). Despite the occurrence of transmissivity feedback, hillslope till and soil water were ruled out as end members primarily because their distinctive high-Si composition had little or no effect on streamwater composition. Till water from the geomorphic hollow had a chemistry very close to streamwater base flow, and may represent the base flow end member better than the more concentrated riparian groundwater. During snowmelt, streamwater composition shifted as this base flow was diluted—not by shallow groundwater from the hillslope, but rather by a more surficial O-horizon/overland flow water. q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Thermal annealing of laser damage precursors on fused silica surfaces

Previous studies have identified two significant precursors of laser damage on fused silica surfaces at fluences 35 J/cm2 after annealing at approximately 750°C. Larger fracture networks require longer or higher temperature treatment to achieve similar results. At an annealing temperature >1100°C, optical microscopy indicates morphological changes in some of the fractures surrounding the indentations, although remnants of the original fractures are still observed. We demonstrate the potential of using isothermal annealing to improve the laser damage resistance of silica optics, and provide a means of further understanding the physics of optical damage and mitigation.
8.4.4 Integrating a Geographically Distributed Team using Commercial Technology

Current web-based information management systems (IMS) offer a wide variety of tools for a team to work with in a virtual environment. When choosing such a system, users should envision possible tools required and supplemental processes to develop effective communication architectures. This paper discusses the approach that the Polar Night team used during a 9-month proposal preparation phase to develop a virtual team from ten geographically diverse/distributed organizations, and the lessons learned from combining commercially available IMS to develop an integrated systems engineering application.
CRANIAL ANATOMY OF PAKICETIDAE (CETACEA, MAMMALIA)

Abstract The skulls and isolated tympanics are described for the earliest whales, pakicetids, from the H-GSP Locality 62 in the Ganda Kas area in Northern Pakistan. Currently three pakicetid genera are known: Pakicetus, Ichthyolestes, and Nalacetus. Ichthyolestes is smaller than the two other genera. Nalacetus and Pakicetus are similar in size, but morphologically different. Pakicetids have a nasal opening at the tip of the rostrum. Their palate retains an incisive foramen. This study reveals three characters of the cranial anatomy useful for systematic analyses. In pakicetids the orbits are orientated dorsally, and there is no supraorbital shield. The dorsal orientation of the orbits is diagnostic for the family, and the lack of supraorbital shield distinguishes pakicetids, ambulocetids, and remingtonocetids from the other Eocene archaeocetes. The intertemporal region of the pakicetid skull is very narrow, a feature that also occurs in many other Eocene cetaceans. The tympanic, which is the most abundant...
Chemical reporters for exploring protein acylation

Proteins are acylated by a variety of metabolites that regulates many important cellular pathways in all kingdoms of life. Acyl groups in cells can vary in structure from the smallest unit, acetate, to modified long-chain fatty acids, all of which can be activated and covalently attached to diverse amino acid side chains and consequently modulate protein function. For example, acetylation of Lys residues can alter the charge state of proteins and generate new recognition elements for protein–protein interactions. Alternatively, long-chain fatty-acylation targets proteins to membranes and enables spatial control of cell signalling. To facilitate the analysis of protein acylation in biology, acyl analogues bearing alkyne or azide tags have been developed that enable fluorescent imaging and proteomic profiling of modified proteins using bioorthogonal ligation methods. Herein, we summarize the currently available acylation chemical reporters and highlight their utility to discover and quantify the roles of protein acylation in biology.
Periorbital Laser Resurfacing

The use of laser resurfacing in the periorbital area is a valuable tool for the correction of rhytids and lower lid cutaneous laxity. CO2 lasers were introduced in 1990 and soon became the primary nonsurgical treatment option for lower lid laxity and rhytids. Other technologies such as erbium and fractionated lasers with better safety profile have followed. Despite the advances of less invasive technology, Ultrapulsated CO2 lasers remain the gold standard in the treatment of lower lid rhytids. The protocols for treatment with the Ultrapulsated CO2 laser and non-invasive fractionated laser are described.
Ranibizumab A Review of Its Use in the Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema

Objective: To evaluate the pharmacotherapy role of ranibizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor, for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). Data Sources: PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov searches (January 2000-May 2015) were conducted for articles published in English, and limited to clinical trials using the key words ranibizumab, DR, DME, anti-VEGF, and DR treatment. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Following PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov searches, 4 clinical trials were identified and included in this review. Phase III/IV studies evaluating the clinical efficacy of ranibizumab versus placebo, ranibizumab versus laser, and ranibizumab versus other anti-VEGF agents were selected and evaluated. Data Synthesis: Ranibizumab administered to patients with DME for 12 to 36 months improved and prevented worsening of visual acuity. At month 36 the ranibizumab-treated eyes ha...
Impact of chloride on denitrification potential in roadside wetlands

Developed landscapes are exposed to changes in hydrology and water chemistry that limit their ability to mitigate detrimental impacts to coastal water bodies, particularly those that result from stormwater runoff. The elevated level of impervious cover increases not only runoff but also contaminant loading of nutrients, metals, and road salt used for deicing to water bodies. Here we investigate the impact that road salt has on denitrification in roadside environments. Sediments were collected from a series of forested and roadside wetlands and acclimated with a range of Cl− concentrations from 0 to 5000 mg L−1 for 96 h. Denitrification rates were measured by the isotope pairing technique using 15N–NO3−, while denitrifying community structures were compared using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of nitrous oxide reductase genes (nosZ). Chloride significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited denitrification in forested wetlands at a Cl− dosage of 2500 or 5000 mg L−1, but the decrease in denitrification rates was less and not significant for the roadside wetlands historically exposed to elevated concentrations of Cl−. The difference could not be attributed to other significant changes in conditions, such as DOC concentrations, N species concentrations, or pH levels. Denitrifying communities, as measured by T-RFs of the nosZ gene, in the roadside wetlands with elevated concentration of Cl− were distinctly different and more diverse compared to forested wetlands, and also different in roadside wetlands after 96 h exposures to Cl−. The shifts in denitrifying communities seem to minimize the decrease in denitrification rates in the wetlands previously exposed to Cl. As development results in more Cl− use and exposure to a broad range of natural or manmade wetland structures, an understanding of the seasonal effect of Cl on denitrification processes in these systems would aid in design or mitigation of the effects on N removal rates.
Final State Effects in Liquid 4He: An Experimental Test

In principle, high energy inelastic neutron scattering measurements provide direct information on the atomic momentum distribution n(p) when the Impulse Approximation (IA) is valid.
Roadmapping Power

How will today's technology advance to the enablement of hundreds of teraoperations per square centimeter of silicon, and hundreds of terabits per second transmitted both intra- and inter-chip, delivering the desired user experiences while always staying within market-determined power limits? This is where a "power roadmap" comes into play, bringing issues that are examined in this column.
Кодекс группового судопроизводства: модель для стран континентального права (The Class Action Code: A Model for Civil Law Countries)

The English version of this document can be found at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=930439 La versione italiana di questo articolo puo essere trovata in: http://ssrn.com/abstract=951889 A versao em portugues deste artigo pode ser encontrada em: http://ssrn.com/abstract=947207 La version francaise de ce document se trouvent a: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1406310 La version en espanol de este articulo puede encontrarse en: http://ssrn.com/abstract=952445 Автор предлагает принятие Кодекс группового судопроизводства в России. Предложенный Модельный кодекс широко регулирует все аспекты групповых исков. Цель - улучшение возможностей защиты прав группы или неопределенного круга лиц в условиях континентальной правовой системы и с использованием международного опыта групповых исков. This is the Russian translation of a paper in which the author proposes the enactment of a Class Action Code in civil law countries. The proposed Model Code extensively regulates all aspects of modern class actions, including standing, adequacy, prerequisites, certification, notice, proof, settlement, judgment, res judicata, lis pendens, attorney fees, injunctive class actions, class action for damages, calculation of damages, distribution of the award, fund for group rights, defendant class actions, etc. The objective is to inspire the creation of the best possible code for class action suits, in light of the needs and peculiarities of civil law countries and the international experience with class actions. Although the proposal is focused primarily on civil-law countries, it may also prove useful to common law countries considering the adoption or improvement of class action rules.
ON THE EFFECTS OF TIME SCALING ON THE NOISE RADIATED BY THE X-33 ENGINE PLUME

Following the experimental and numerical results presented in [1], a study on the effects of time scaling on the predicted acoustic radiation results is carried-out in the present paper. CFD results obtained with a (£, s) turbulence model are used to obtain far-field acoustic spectra using four different time scales. The first three time scales are associated with the inverse of the meanshear, the production and the dissipation rates of the turbulent kinetic energy, respectively. The fourth time scale referred to as "dual time scale" takes into account both the production and the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy. It is found that the calculated spectrum using the "dual time scale" gives the best agreement with that measured across the entire frequency spectrum. The calculated spectra using the production rate and the mean-shear give a reasonably good agreement at low frequencies, whereas the spectrum obtained using the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy gives a fair agreement only at high frequencies.
Encapsulation of Metal Clusters within MFI via Interzeolite Transformations and Direct Hydrothermal Syntheses and Catalytic Consequences of Their Confinement

The encapsulation of metal clusters (Pt, Ru, Rh) within MFI was achieved by exchanging cationic metal precursors into a parent zeolite (BEA, FAU), reducing them with H2 to form metal clusters, and transforming these zeolites into daughter structures of higher framework density (MFI) under hydrothermal conditions. These transformations required MFI seeds or organic templates for FAU parent zeolites, but not for BEA, and occurred with the retention of encapsulated clusters. Clusters uniform in size (1.3-1.7 nm) and exposing clean and accessible surfaces formed in BEA and FAU zeolites; their size remained essentially unchanged upon transformation into MFI. Encapsulation selectivities, determined from the relative hydrogenation rates of small (toluene) and large (alkyl arenes) molecules and defined as the ratio of the surface areas of all the clusters in the sample to that of external clusters, were very high (8.1-40.9) for both parent and daughter zeolites. Encapsulation into MFI via direct hydrothermal syntheses was unsuccessful because metal precursors precipitated prematurely at the pH and temperatures required for MFI synthesis. Delayed introduction of metal precursors and F(-) (instead of OH(-)) as the mineralizing agent in hydrothermal syntheses increased encapsulation selectivities, but they remained lower than those achieved via interzeolite transformations. These interconversions provide a general and robust strategy for encapsulation of metals when precursors can be introduced via exchange into a zeolite that can be transformed into target daughter zeolites with higher framework densities, whether spontaneously or by using seeds or structure-directing agents (SDA).
Asthma phenotypes and endotypes: a personalized approach to treatment.

Purpose of review Asthma is quite common and is better described as a syndrome with a heterogeneous presentation than as a single disease. Although most individuals can be effectively managed using a guideline-directed approach to care, those with the most severe illness may benefit from a more targeted therapy. The review describes our current understanding of how asthma phenotypes (observable characteristics) and endotypes (specific biologic mechanisms) can be employed to gain insight into asthma pathobiology and personalized therapy. Recent findings Our understanding of the heterogeneity of asthma is increasing. The concept of asthma phenotype has become more complex, incorporating both clinical and biologic features. Several asthma endotypes (e.g., allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis, aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease, severe late-onset hypereosinophilic asthma, etc.) have been proposed, but further research is needed to delineate specific mechanisms underlying asthma pathogenesis. Several biologic therapies targeting certain phenotypes are in development and are expected to broaden our armamentarium for treatment of severe asthma. Summary Asthma is a heterogeneous condition with diverse characteristics and biologic mechanisms. Severe asthma is associated with significant morbidity and even mortality and represents a major unmet need. Stratification of asthma subtypes into phenotypes and endotypes should move the field forward in terms of more effective and personalized treatment.
Changing asthma mortality.

BACKGROUND Rates of death from asthma in the United States have increased progressively since 1978. OBJECTIVE To identify recent trends in asthma mortality. METHODS The National Center for Health Statistics supplied asthma mortality data (ICD 493), and the Bureau of the Census supplied population data that permitted calculation and graphing of mortality data by age group, race, sex, and region and calculation and tabulation of mortality rates by state. The Departments of Health and Vital Statistics of Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and New Zealand provided data that permitted calculation and graphing of rates of death from asthma (ICD 493) in those countries. RESULTS Rates of death from asthma in the United States increased from 0.8 per 100,000 in 1977 and 1978 to 2.0 in 1989, fell to 1.9 in 1990 and then increased again to 2.0 in 1991. Rates have been much higher for blacks than whites; age-adjusted rates for blacks increased from 1.5 in 1977 and 1978 to 3.5 in 1991; those for whites, from 0.5 in 1977 to 1.2 in 1991. Rates of death from asthma have increased with age and across time have increased in almost all age groups. The greatest proportional increase has occurred at 10 to 14 years of age with rates of 0.1 in 1979, 0.5 in 1987, and 0.4 in 1991. Rates of death at 5 through 34 years of age have increased for both blacks and whites in all regions of the country. Increases in rates of death from asthma have also occurred in other countries, but rates have been falling in New Zealand since the peak of 8.1 in 1980 and in Australia since the peak of 5.7 in 1989. CONCLUSIONS The recent plateau in increases in rates of death from asthma in the United States may suggest effectiveness of improved management of asthma that may have followed increased awareness of the importance of optimal management.
Candida albicans Gene Deletion with a Transient CRISPR-Cas9 System

ABSTRACT Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated gene 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) systems are used for a wide array of genome-editing applications in organisms ranging from fungi to plants and animals. Recently, a CRISPR-Cas9 system has been developed for the diploid fungal pathogen Candida albicans; the system accelerates genetic manipulation dramatically [V. K. Vyas, M. I. Barrasa, and G. R. Fink, Sci Adv 1(3):e1500248, 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500248 ]. We show here that the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic elements can function transiently, without stable integration into the genome, to enable the introduction of a gene deletion construct. We describe a transient CRISPR-Cas9 system for efficient gene deletion in C. albicans. Our observations suggest that there are two mechanisms that lead to homozygous deletions: (i) independent recombination of transforming DNA into each allele and (ii) recombination of transforming DNA into one allele, followed by gene conversion of the second allele. Our approach will streamline gene function analysis in C. albicans, and our results indicate that DNA can function transiently after transformation of this organism. IMPORTANCE The fungus Candida albicans is a major pathogen. Genetic analysis of this organism has revealed determinants of pathogenicity, drug resistance, and other unique biological features, as well as the identities of prospective drug targets. The creation of targeted mutations has been greatly accelerated recently through the implementation of CRISPR genome-editing technology by Vyas et al. [Sci Adv 1(3):e1500248, 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500248 ]. In this study, we find that CRISPR elements can be expressed from genes that are present only transiently, and we develop a transient CRISPR system that further accelerates C. albicans genetic manipulation.
Identification of a residue responsible for UDP-sugar donor selectivity of a dihydroxybenzoic acid glycosyltransferase from Arabidopsis natural accessions.

UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) plays a major role in the diversity and reactivity of plant specialized metabolites by catalyzing the transfer of the sugar moiety from activated UDP-sugars to various acceptors. Arabidopsis UGT89A2 was previously identified from a genome-wide association study as a key factor that affects the differential accumulation of dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA) glycosides in distinct Arabidopsis natural accessions, including Col-0 and C24. The in vitro enzyme assays indicate that these distinct metabolic phenotypes reflect the divergence of UGT89A2 enzyme properties in the Col-0 and C24 accessions. UGT89A2 from Col-0 is highly selective toward UDP-xylose as the sugar donor, and the isoform from C24 can utilize both UDP-glucose and UDP-xylose but with a higher affinity to the glucose donor. The sequences of the two isozymes only differ at six amino acid residues. Examination of these amino acid residues in more natural accessions revealed a strong correlation between the amino acid polymorphism at position 153 and the DHBA glycoside accumulation pattern. Site-directed mutagenesis that swapped residue 153 between UGT89A2 from Col-0 and C24 reversed the UDP-sugar preferences, indicating that residue 153 plays an important role in determining sugar donor specificity of UGT89A2. This study provides insight into the key amino acid changes that confer sugar donor selectivity on UGTs, and demonstrates the usefulness of natural variation in understanding the structure-function relationship of enzymes involved in specialized metabolism.
Tensor Total-Variation Regularized Deconvolution for Efficient Low-Dose CT Perfusion

Acute brain diseases such as acute stroke and transit ischemic attacks are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, responsible for 9% of total death every year. ‘Time is brain’ is a widely accepted concept in acute cerebrovascular disease treatment. Efficient and accurate computational framework for hemodynamic parameters estimation can save critical time for thrombolytic therapy. Meanwhile the high level of accumulated radiation dosage due to continuous image acquisition in CT perfusion (CTP) raised concerns on patient safety and public health. However, low-radiation will lead to increased noise and artifacts which require more sophisticated and time-consuming algorithms for robust estimation. We propose a novel efficient framework using tensor total-variation (TTV) regularization to achieve both high efficiency and accuracy in deconvolution for low-dose CTP. The method reduces the necessary radiation dose to only 8% of the original level and outperforms the state-of-art algorithms with estimation error reduced by 40%. It also corrects over-estimation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and under-estimation of mean transit time (MTT), at both normal and reduced sampling rate. An efficient computational algorithm is proposed to find the solution with fast convergence.
What Is a Language

What is a language? You may well be wondering why I ask this question when everyone knows what a language is—it’s what you’re expressing and I’m comprehending, you say. Let’s change the question’s form a bit: how would one identify something as a language if he encountered what might be one in an obviously nonhuman species—for example, flowing kaleidoscopic color patterns on the bulbous bodies of octopuslike creatures who land in a space ship right in one’s own backyard? And, for that matter, is the natural signing of deaf-mutes a language? the game of chess? and what about the “language” of music or art? Or suppose that pale, eyeless midgets were discovered in extended caverns far below the present floors of the Mammoth Cave—emitting very high-frequency pipings from their rounded mouths and apparently listening with their enormous, rotatable ears. How might one decide whether or not these cave midgets have an identifiably humanoid language?
Spatial and temporal variability in Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powellii) emergence under strip tillage with cover crop residue

The objectives of this research were to evaluate temporal and spatial variability in the impact of strip tillage and oat cover crop residue on Powell amaranth emergence and to determine the role of rainfall in mediating these effects. In field experiments conducted in 2010, 2011, and 2012, Powell amaranth seeds were sown in a fully factorial combination of two tillage types (strip tillage [ST] vs. full-width tillage [FWT]) and cover crop residue (oats vs. none) at either 0 d after tillage (DAT) or 7 to 13 DAT to monitor emergence at two timings. In ST plots, seeds were sown both in the tilled zone (“in-row,” IR), and between these tilled zones (“between-row,” BR). In 2011 and 2012, three levels of rainfall were simulated in subplots by either excluding rainfall, allowing natural rainfall, or supplementing rainfall with irrigation. In most cases, ST and oats residue either had no effect on or suppressed emergence of Powell amaranth sown at the early planting date. In contrast, the emergence response to ST and residue at the later planting date was generally smaller and more variable, with increases in emergence observed in several cases. Differences between tillage systems in emergence were most pronounced in the BR zone but also occurred IR in some cases, suggesting that interzonal effects on biotic or abiotic factors influenced emergence. Oat residue effects—but rarely tillage effects—were often mediated by simulated rainfall, with increases in emergence occurring mostly in dry conditions and decreases occurring more commonly in wetter conditions. These results demonstrate that the suppressive effects of cover crops and ST on weed emergence are inconsistent, temporally and spatially variable, and dependent on complex interactions with factors including rainfall.Nomenclature: Powell amaranth, Amaranthus powellii S. Wats AMAPO, oats, Avena sativa L.
Indium-phosphide photonic-lntegrated-circuits

▸ 1970's — OEICs on GaAs for high-speed computing ▸ 1980's — InP photonics/fiber; integration & tunables for coherent → Reach ▸ 1990's — Widely-tunables, laser-mods, small-scale int. for WDM and cost ▸ 1990's — VCSELs for datacom and optical interconnection ▸ 2000 — Bubble: Explosion ofstrangeideas, bandwidth-demand satisfied by DWDM → crash; but bandwidth needed by 2010. ▸ 2000's — InP PICs & PLCs expanded and matured; increasing use of VCSELs in high-speed datacom and computing interconnects ▸ 2006+ — Emergence of Si-PICs with several different goals: low-cost OEICs; high-performance PICs; or stop Moore's-Law saturation ▸ 2008+ — Use of advanced modulation formats/coherent receivers for improved Spectral Efficiency — need for integration at both ends of links ▸ 2010's — Increased InP-PIC use; maturity of Si-photonics solutions; improved VCSEL performance; heterogeneous integration approaches ▸ 2017 — Some delineations; InP-PICs for long-haul/metro; Si-photonics beginning to emerge in high-volume short-data/metro
Seeing the Big Picture: Sustaining Success in Liaison Services.

ABSTRACTWhile the liaison program at the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences has existed for more than 15 years, it has yet to be fully evaluated. This article seeks to evaluate the scope and impact of the program at a broad level using quantitative and qualitative data. Descriptive statistics to summarize liaison activity were collected for the fiscal years 2012–2016. In addition, liaisons and users were surveyed to gain insight into the effectiveness and the perception of the program. Program statistics show that users’ engagement with liaisons is high and growing. Qualitative data reveals that while better methods are needed to assess the extent of the program’s impact, users appreciate the value that liaisons bring by supporting the educational and research missions of various programs.
Kallikrein Gene Transfer in Hypertension, Cardiovascular and Renal Disease, and Stroke

Tissue kallikrein cleaves low-molecular-weight kininogen substrate to produce the potent vasodilator kinin peptide, which binds to kinin receptors and triggers a wide spectrum of biological effects. Tissue kallikrein levels are reduced in humans and animal models with hypertension and cardiovascular and renal disease. We investigated the role of the tissue kallikrein-kinin system in the cardiovascular, renal, and central nervous systems by systemic and local delivery of the human tissue kallikrein gene using a plasmid DNA or an adenovirus vector. Enhanced kallikrein/kinin levels following kallikrein gene transfer reduce blood pressure in several pressure- and volume-overload hypertensive animal models. Kallikrein gene transfer also exerts beneficial effects in protection against cardiac remodeling, renal fibrosis, restenosis, cerebral infarction, and neurological deficits. The improvement in cardiovascular, renal, and neurological function following kallikrein gene transfer is independent of kallikrein’s ability to lower blood pressure. Kallikrein gene transfer has pleiotropic effects on apoptosis, inflammation, proliferation, hypertrophy, fibrosis, and angiogenesis in the heart, blood vessel, kidney, and brain. These effects are blocked by icatibant, a bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist, indicating a kinin-mediated event. Mechanistically, kallikrein gene transfer leads to increased nitric oxide (NO) levels and decreased oxidative stress and inflammatory response. These novel findings indicate that kallikrein/kinin, through NO formation, may act as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent in protection against cardiovascular and renal disease in animal models, and may uncover new drug targets for the prevention and treatment of heart failure, end-stage renal disease, and stroke in humans.
Abrazando Nopales—Prickly Embrace: Undocumented Women’s Life Stories/Poetic Performance Narratives:

I chose poetic performance narratives to create a provocative piece offering a glimpse of the reality, tragedies, dreams, and hopes lived daily by more than 12 million people in the United States. ...
Frame synchronization for OFDM using cyclic prefix and pilot carriers

We present an optimal frame timing estimator for OFDM signals that utilizes both cyclic prefix (CP) and pilot-carrier-aided channel estimation. Combining the periodic nature of the embedded pilot signal information with the correlation present in the cyclic prefix allows improved frame timing estimates relative to use of either one. Following a derivation of the ML estimator, a processor diagram is provided, and simulation results compare the performance of the new synchronizer with that of Sandell et al [1] that employs only the CP structure. In the present paper, we assume negligible frequency offset due to Doppler and/or oscillator frequency error.
Online Patient Ratings Are Not Correlated with Total Knee Replacement Surgeon–Specific Outcomes:

BackgroundDespite potential concerns regarding their validity, physician-rating websites continue to grow in number and utilization and feature prominently on major search engines, potentially affe...
Male Accessory Glands: Molecular Mechanism of Development

Over the past decade, knowledge of human sexual differentiation has greatly expanded to understand the processes involved in the development of male accessory glands. Sexual differentiation occurs in three consecutive levels. The chromosomal sex is determined by distribution of sex chromosomes during meiosis. This is followed by gonadal sex determination by the Sry locus on the Y chromosome, leading to development of the testis. The testis induces two hormones, namely, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and testosterone, determining the somatic sex. AMH causes regression of Mullerian ducts whereas testosterone maintains the Wolffian ducts and induces male genital tract and male phenotype formation. In the absence of the sex-determining region of the Y chromosome (SRY), the ovary develops from the indifferent gonad. In the absence of AMH and testosterone, the Mullerian ducts constitutively differentiate and the Wolffian duct regresses resulting in the formation of a female external phenotype. Present knowledge on the role of different factors mediating development of male accessory glands is based on key experiments performed by several investigators (1–5). In 1940, Jost demonstrated a role for AMH using a rabbit embryo, castrated in utero (1). In 1942, Raynaud demonstrated a role of testosterone during embryonic development (2) and in 1967, Ohno identified the Sry locus determining the testis (3).