cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of Transgenic Pesticidal Crops

Transgenic pesticidal crops have the potential of revolutionizing modern crop production. Commercial transgenic pesticidal varieties of potato, cotton and maize have been used in the United States for several years. Of the three, transgenic Bt maize appears to have the greatest potential for transforming crop production in the US. Two scientific concerns, however, need to be addressed by policy makers to ensure that farmers benefit from these technologies over medium to long range time horizons. First, these transgenic plants may harm nontarget species, including butterflies, natural enemies, other crops, and other species. Second, the pests may evolve resistance to the transgenic plants, rendering them useless. Scientific knowledge can contribute substantially to provide sound, science-based strategies for addressing these issues. Small but significant low magnitude effects, however, are very costly to evaluate and have not been tested prior to commercialization. Scientists must be perfectly clear for policy makers that this class of risks cannot readily be evaluated in small-scale experiments, and will become observable only when the plants are grown on a commercial scale.
Retinal Degeneration in Monkeys Induced by Deficiencies of Vitamin E or A

The effects of vitamin E or vitamin A deficiency on the retina were assessed in monkeys for as long as two and three-quarters years. A macular degeneration developed after two years in monkeys fed vitamin E-deficient diets. The lesion was characterized by focal, massive disruption of photoreceptor outer segments attributed to lipid peroxidation of these lipoprotein structures containing highly unsaturated fatty acids. The focal nature of the lesion precluded any evidence of clinical blindness. Vitamin A deficiency was typical of that described by others, and was accompanied by xerophthalmia, keratomalacia, and clinically impaired vision. Anatomic evidence suggested that the structural disruption of photoreceptors was more advanced in cones and was most pronounced in the macula with a lesser involvement of the peripheral retina.
Conductivity measurements of organic materials using field-effect transistors (FETs) and space-charge-limited current (SCLC) technique

This chapter describes in detail two major techniques used to estimate the charge carrier mobility in organic semiconductors: field-effect transistors (FET) and space-charge-limited current (SCLC) measurements. While the calculations using FET structures provide details about material properties at the interface with gate dielectrics, the bulk-mobility can be extracted from SCLC data. The values of mobility obtained from the two methods are often very different due to anisotropy arising from molecular packing along various crystallographic directions, or as a result of different structure or chemistry of the surface versus the bulk. For this reason, these techniques address different aspects of the organic solid, thus are complementary.
Dynamics of the HIV outbreak and response in Scott County, IN, USA, 2011-15: a modelling study.

Summary Background In November, 2014, a cluster of HIV infections was detected among people who inject drugs in Scott County, IN, USA, with 215 HIV infections eventually attributed to the outbreak. This study examines whether earlier implementation of a public health response could have reduced the scale of the outbreak. Methods In this modelling study, we derived weekly case data from the HIV outbreak in Scott County, IN, and on the uptake of HIV testing, treatment, and prevention services from publicly available reports from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and researchers from Indiana. Our primary objective was to determine if an earlier response to the outbreak could have had an effect on the number of people infected. We computed upper and lower bounds for cumulative HIV incidence by digitally extracting data from published images from a CDC study using Bio-Rad avidity incidence testing to estimate the recency of each transmission event. We constructed a generalisation of the susceptible-infectious-removed model to capture the transmission dynamics of the HIV outbreak. We computed non-parametric interval estimates of the number of individuals with an undiagnosed HIV infection, the case-finding rate per undiagnosed HIV infection, and model-based bounds for the HIV transmission rate throughout the epidemic. We used these models to assess the potential effect if the same intervention had begun at two key timepoints earlier than the actual date of the initiation of efforts to control the outbreak. Findings The upper bound for undiagnosed HIV infections in Scott County peaked at 126 around Jan 10, 2015, over 2 months before the Governor of Indiana declared a public health emergency on March 26, 2015. Applying the observed case-finding rate scale-up to earlier intervention times suggests that an earlier public health response could have substantially reduced the total number of HIV infections (estimated to have been 183–184 infections by Aug 11, 2015). Initiation of a response on Jan 1, 2013, could have suppressed the number of infections to 56 or fewer, averting at least 127 infections; whereas an intervention on April 1, 2011, could have reduced the number of infections to ten or fewer, averting at least 173 infections. Interpretation Early and robust surveillance efforts and case finding alone could reduce nascent epidemics. Ensuring access to HIV services and harm-reduction interventions could further reduce the likelihood of outbreaks, and substantially mitigate their severity and scope. Funding US National Institute on Drug Abuse, US National Institutes of Mental Health, US National Institutes of Health Big Data to Knowledge programme, and the US National Institutes of Health.
Dissociative electron attachment studies with hyperthermal Rydberg atoms.

Earlier studies of the velocity distributions of heavy-Rydberg ion-pair states formed in collisions between potassium Rydberg atoms with low-to-intermediate values of n, 10 ≲ n ≲ 15, and targets that attach free low-energy electrons have shown that such measurements can provide a window into the dynamics of dissociative electron capture. Here we propose that the reaction dynamics can be explored in much greater detail through studies using hyperthermal Rydberg atoms. This is demonstrated using, as an example, helium Rydberg atoms and a semi-classical Monte Carlo collision code developed specifically to model the dynamics of Rydberg electron transfer in collisions between Rydberg atoms and attaching targets. The simulations show that the outcome of collisions is sensitive not only to the lifetime and decay energetics of the excited intermediate negative ion formed upon initial Rydberg electron capture but also to the radial electron probability density distribution in the Rydberg atom itself, i.e., to its l value.
Edwin Seligman, initiator of global progressive public finance

This article surveys the global acquaintances of Edwin Robert Anderson Seligman, a world-renowned authority on progressive public finance and professor of political economy at Columbia University between 1885 and 1933. Through his published writings, networks, and internationalist efforts, Seligman extended an emerging theory of progressive taxation to an international arena. This empowered his students, especially his Asian students, to build an analysis of the limitations of imperial political accountability and suggest bold financial reform. These links are uncovered for the first time and reveal Seligman’s place in the intellectual and political history of tax reform in American and European formal and informal empires. Consequently, the article also sheds new light on the history of what the legal historian Ajay Mehrotra has called the ‘early Columbia school of taxation and economic development’.
Pulsed salmonfly emergence and its potential contribution to terrestrial detrital pools

Abstract Adult aquatic insects are a globally important subsidy in terrestrial food webs. However, our understanding of their importance is largely limited to studies that measure predation of live insects by terrestrial predators. Yet the flux of adult aquatic insects to terrestrial detrital pools may also be an important subsidy pathway, particularly in cases where insect production exceeds the consumption capacity of predators. We used empirical measures of giant salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica) emergence from 37 sites to model potential detrital deposition in nearshore riparian soil food webs. Typically, giant salmonflies emerge en masse for one week each year, and can be locally superabundant. Median detrital deposition by salmonflies ranged between 0.4 and 0.7 gC, 0.04 to 0.09 gN, and 0.002 to 0.005 gP/m2/yr, depending on whether 25% or 100% of available salmonflies entered detrital pools. For a small number of sites with large salmonfly populations, deposition equaled or exceeded annual secondary production of terrestrial insects, annual atmospheric N deposition, and annual atmospheric P deposition. The fact that these values rival yearly nutrient budgets is particularly striking because giant salmonfly deposition represents a subsidy from a single species emerging over a single week. The consequences of this deposition in terrestrial food webs are largely unknown, but it is likely that salmonflies can have important effects on nearshore soil nutrient budgets similar in magnitude to those of other important ecosystem processes.
I Impact of a morphokinetic selection on the outcome of euploid embryos

Introduction The development of incubators with built-in time-lapse technology has enabled continuous non-invasive monitoring of embryo development from fertilization to blastocyst stage and the possibility of appraising the precise timing of embryonic cell divisions. Many studies have tried to connect, more or less conclusively, embryo development, timing of mitotic divisions, embryo viability, aneuploidy and implantation. However, to the best of our knowledge, morphokinetics of euploid embryos have not been explored regarding which time points are critical for their implantation. Material and Methods This observational study was based on 143 patients (mean age: 35.07) applying for preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) due to advanced maternal age (>37) or a history of abnormal fetal karyotype. Patients with structural abnormalities were not included in the analysis. Cases included in the analysis had at least two euploid embryos and all embryos were cultured in a time-lapse incubator (EmbryoScope™). Good or top-quality blastocysts (at least 4BB) were biopsied and analyzed either by next generation sequencing (NGS) (PGM platform, ThermoFisher) or by array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH, Illumina). Embryo morphokinetics of 57 patients with a negative outcome were compared to 86 patients with an ongoing pregnancy. Results Morphokinetic variables for all cleavage events up to the expanded blastocyst stage were annotated. All relevant events (fertilization, cleavages, morula and blastocyst formation) were checked on a daily basis, and time of cleavage to two-cell embryo (t2) and subsequent divisions t3, t4, t5, t6, t7, t8 and t9+ were recorded in the EmbryoViewer® workstation. The time of all mitotic events was expressed as hours post-ICSI. Error! Not a valid link.The kinetics of euploid embryos was evaluated according to their pregnancy outcome. Implanted euploid embryos were faster for each embryonic event or cleavage time annotated. When median values were compared, a time difference of 0.3-3.28h was found between implanted and non-implanted euploid embryos, statistically significant differences being found for pronuclei appearance (tPNa) (p=0.0065) and the time to achieve 9 cells (t9) (p=0.0132). Conclusions Although many algorithms regarding the deselection of aneuploid embryos have been published, none have focused on the selection of euploid embryos. Our study showed that, overall, implanted euploid embryos were faster for each embryonic event or cleavage time annotated. Additionally, the first event annotated, the pronuclei appearance and last cleavage (t9) are significantly different in implanted and non-implanted euploid embryos. These morphokinetic criteria may be used to prioritize euploid embryos for transfer.
Understanding Correlations Among Spatial Processes

The Pearson product-moment, Spearman’s rank, point biserial and phi correlation coefficients are calculated to quantify the nature and degree of linear correspondence between observation pairs of attributes. Bivand (1980) and Griffith (1980) were among the very first spatial analysts to address the impacts of spatial autocorrelation (SA) on conventional Pearson correlation coefficients. In the decades since their studies, an increasing understanding has been attained about correlation coefficients computed with georeferenced data. This understanding includes how: SA alters conventional degrees of freedom and sample size, the nature and degree of SA affects correlation coefficients, and SA can simultaneously inflate and deflate correlation coefficients. The primary objective of this chapter is to review each of these topics, adding some extensions when possible.
Protons Contained in the Thylakoid Sequestered Domains are Utilized for Energizing ATP Synthesis

Evidence has accumulated in recent years indicating that protons can be sequestered in membrane-associated domains in non-energized thylakoids. These protons form a metastable pool and remain out of equilibrium with the bulk aqueous phases for periods as long as an hour unless uncouplers are added [1].
The outcome of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) in North American patients with advanced well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (WD-NETs).

e14600 Background: PRRT is frequently used in Europe for patients with advanced WD-NETs, but it is not yet readily available in the USA. We analyzed data on 135 North American patients seen at our ...
Duration and amplitude of tone production in children with cochlear implants

The purpose of the present study was two-fold: (1) to examine whether Mandarin-speaking children with CIs showed distinctive durational and amplitude features for the four lexical tones in their tone production; (2) to compare the duration and amplitude patterns of Mandarin lexical tones in monosyllables produced in citation form between CI children and age-matched normal-hearing (NH) children. The participants included 14 prelingually deafened Mandarin-speaking children with CIs and 14 NH children, all aged between 2.9 and 8.3 years old. Each participant produced five CV syllables (fa, fu, pi, xu, ke) in four tones through a tone drill activity. The vowel duration and rms amplitude values at nine equidistant time locations over the vowel duration were obtained. The results revealed that the CI children can produce distinctive duration and amplitude features for the four lexical tones. Their durational pattern and amplitude contours were highly similar to the NH children on tone 1, 2, and 4 but differed from the NH children on tone 3. In addition, NH children showed positively correlated amplitude contour and F0 contour but the CI children demonstrated inconsistent amplitude and F0 contours for tone 3. This finding suggested that the amplitude contour of a tone and the F0 contour of the same tone may not always be highly correlated.
Gender-Based Favoritism Among Criminal Prosecutors

Despite exercising enormous power in criminal cases, the behavior of individual criminal prosecutors is almost completely unstudied by quantitative empirical scholars. Because prosecutors enjoy wide discretion in the decisions they make and often work in autonomy, it is possible that their decisions are influenced by bias. This paper presents evidence of gender-based bias among federal prosecutors. I find that while female and male prosecutors exhibit small and statistically insignificant differences in their treatment of defendants overall, they appear to favor defendants of their own gender. Being assigned a prosecutor of the same gender lowers a defendant’s base offense level (a proxy for charging severity), reduces the probability that a defendant will be charged with an offense carrying a mandatory minimum, and reduces a defendant’s sentence length.
A novel sensitive assay for detection of a biomarker of pericyte injury in cerebrospinal fluid

Introduction Blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and loss of brain capillary pericytes contributes to cognitive impairment. Pericytes express platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFRβ) that regulates brain angiogenesis and blood vessel stability. Elevated soluble PDGFRβ (sPDGFRβ) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) indicate pericyte injury and BBB breakdown, which is an early biomarker of human cognitive dysfunction. Methods A combination of reagents and conditions were tested, optimized, and validated on the Meso Scale Discovery electrochemiluminescence platform to develop a new sPDGFRβ immunoassay that was used to measure sPDGFRβ in human CSF from 147 individuals. Results We developed standard operating procedures for a highly sensitive and reproducible sPDGFRβ immunoassay with a dynamic range from 100 to 26,000 pg/mL, and confirmed elevated CSF sPDGFRβ levels in individuals with cognitive dysfunction. Discussion This assay could be applied at different laboratories to study brain pericytes and microvascular damage in relation to cognition in disorders associated with neurovascular and cognitive dysfunction.
Combining Ecological Systems Theory and Child Rights to Improve Research and Evaluation

This chapter describes a conceptualization of research methods utilizing an ecological framework that can contribute to accounting for child rights within research inquiry. An argument is put forth that this framework can simultaneously enhance research validity evidence and account for child rights and ethics. A broad structure for thinking about research or evaluation processes that orients a focus on child rights within an ecological systems theory (EST) framework is presented. Although EST application calls researchers to account for context at various levels, the application of the theory and related methods is not itself context dependent. From a methodological point of view, explicitly accounting for child rights via an EST lens can be accommodated in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods work. The examples provided review application of these ideas to case studies, randomized controlled trials, policy research, program evaluation, and survey research. Although existing professional standards, ethics, and research practice already promote child rights, there is a clear argument for furthering work in this arena and doing so more intentionally, since this can bring greater clarity to research and evaluation questions and even enhance research validity.
On Librational and Rotational Motions of Aromatic Rings in Layered Sn(IV) and Zr(IV) Phosphonate Materials: A Variable-Temperature 13C, 31P Solid-State NMR Study.

According to the solid-state 13C, 31P NMR study and 13C chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) measurements, aromatic rings in the layered metal(IV) phosphonate materials behave as low-energy rotors at ro...
Antibacterial calcium phosphate composite cements reinforced with silver-doped magnesium phosphate (newberyite) micro-platelets

Abstract This article demonstrates our efforts in developing and evaluating all-ceramic, biodegradable composites of calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) reinforced with silver (Ag)-doped magnesium phosphate (MgP) crystals. Two primary goals of this study were to 1) enhance CPC's poor mechanical properties with micro-platelet reinforcement, and 2) impart antibacterial functionalities in composites with the aim to inhibit surgical site infections (SSI). The work embodies three novel features. First, as opposed to well-known reinforcements with whisker or fiber-like morphology, we explored micro-platelets for the first time as the strengthening phase in the CPC matrix. Second, in contrast to conventional polymeric or calcium phosphate (CaP) fibrous reinforcements, newberyite (NB, MgHPO4.3H2O) micro-platelets belonging to the less explored yet promising MgP family, were evaluated as reinforcements for the first time. Third, NB micro-platelets were doped with Ag+ ions (AgNB, Ag content: 2 wt%) for enhancing antibacterial functionalities. Results indicated that 1 wt% of AgNB micro-platelet incorporation in the CPC matrix enhanced the compressive and flexural strengths by 200% and 140% respectively as compared to the un-reinforced ones. Besides, antibacterial assays revealed effective bactericidal functionalities (>99% bacteria kill) of the AgNB reinforced CPCs against Escherichia coli. Finally, cytocompatibility studies confirmed favorable pre-osteoblast cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro. Hence, this effort was successful in developing a self-setting and injectable AgNB reinforced CPC composition with favorable mechanical and antibacterial properties.
Participant-perceived occupational outcomes after two years of yoga for chronic pain:

IntroductionThe study aim was to investigate the perceived impact and experience of long-term involvement in community-based group yoga for people with chronic pain.MethodsEleven participants, who ...
Staying Connected and Prepared for Collegiate Athletic Competitions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“Drastic times call for drastic measures”—Hippocrates. The COVID-19 pandemic has had vast and lasting impacts on virtually every aspect of life. Without question, the sports world today looks very different than it looked a year ago. Professional sports leagues adapted to the pandemic by implementing bubbles and strict testing protocols (Dove et al., 2020), but college sports have been slower to adapt. All spring college athletes lost a full season of competition when National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) leagues canceled sporting events in March 2020 and the same thing happened for some fall and winter athletes. With many gyms and other training facilities closed due to the regional lockdown regulations due to the pandemic around the country, it is difficult for college athletes to train on their own and be physically prepared for a collegiate season. More importantly, being separated from teammates has long term impacts on team culture and both mental and physical health. The question remains: how do college athletes stay connected with teammates and prepare for competitions despite being spread out across the country or even the world?
Development of Personas to Communicate Narrative-Based Information About the HPV Vaccine on Twitter.

Introduction: Personas are based on real-life typologies of people that can be used to create characters and messages to communicate important health information through relatable narrative storylines. Persona development is data-driven and can involve multiple phases of formative research and evaluation; however, personas are largely underutilized in digital health research. The purpose of this study was to create and document persona development to deliver narrative-focused health education for parents on Twitter with the goal of increasing uptake of HPV vaccination among adolescents. Methods: Leveraging data from a mixed-method study conducted in the U.S. with a diverse population of parents with adolescents ages 9-14, we used both qualitative and quantitative data (e.g., the National Immunization Survey – Teen, focus groups, and social media) to create personas. These data sources were used to identify and develop key characteristics for personas to reflect a range of parents and their diverse understandings and experiences related to HPV vaccination. A parent advisory board provided insight and helped refine persona development. Results: Four personas emerged and were characterized as the (1) Informed Altruist, (2) Real Talker, (3) Information Gatherer, and (4) Supporter. Characteristics differed across personas and provided insights into targeted narrative strategies. Described attributes included demographics, psychographics, communication style, vaccine goals and aspirations, vaccine challenges and frustrations, and vaccine hesitancy. Discussion: This work demonstrates how multiple data sources can be used to create personas to deliver social media messages that can address the diverse preferences and needs of parents for HPV vaccine information. With increasing usage of social media for health information among parents, it is important for researchers to consider marketing and design thinking to create health communication messages that resonate with audiences.
Angiopoietin-like 3 inhibition of endothelial lipase is not modulated by angiopoietin-like 8.

Abstract High plasma triglyceride (TG) levels and low HDL-C levels are risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Both plasma TG and HDL-C levels are regulated in part by the circulating inhibitor, angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3). ANGPTL3 inhibits the phospholipase, endothelial lipase (EL), which hydrolyzes the phospholipids of HDL, thus decreasing plasma HDL levels. ANGPTL3 also inhibits LPL, the lipase primarily responsible for the clearance of TGs from the circulation. Previous studies have shown that ANGPTL3 requires complex formation with the related ANGPTL protein, angiopoietin-like 8 (ANGPTL8), to efficiently inhibit LPL, but the role of ANGPTL8 in EL inhibition is not known. In this study, we characterized inhibition and binding of EL by ANGPTL3 and investigated the role of ANGPTL8 in EL inhibition. We found that inhibition of EL by ANGPTL3 was dose dependent and temperature dependent. Interestingly, this inhibition was diminished when EL was bound to endothelial cells or in the presence of heparin. Unlike previous findings with LPL, we found that ANGPTL8 did not significantly alter the binding or the inhibition of EL by ANGPTL3. In addition, we found that a common ANGPTL8 variant, which encodes an R59W mutation, altered the ability of ANGPTL3 to bind and inhibit LPL but not EL. Together, our data indicate that ANGPTL8 is not necessary for EL inhibition. We conclude that ANGPTL8 is specific for the regulation of TG-rich lipoproteins through the LPL pathway and that therapeutically targeting ANGPTL8 for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia or cardiovascular disease may have different outcomes than targeting ANGPTL3.
Professionalism, organizational‐professional conflict and work outcomes: A study of certified management accountants

This study examines the relationships among professionalism, organizational‐ professional conflict and various work outcomes for a sample of Certified Management Accountants. We assessed professionalism using Hall’s Professionalism Scale, and tested the relationships among professionalism, organizational‐professional conflict, organizational commitment, job satisfaction and turnover intentions using a structural equations model. The results indicate that two dimensions of professionalism (dedication to the profession and autonomy demands) were positively associated with perceptions of organizational‐professional conflict. As hypothesized, individuals who perceived higher levels of organizational‐professional conflict were less committed to the organization, had lower levels of job satisfaction and also had higher turnover intentions.
Toughening Mechanisms for Ceramics in Automotive Applications

Insuring the strength of ceramic materials in automotive applications requires the understanding of the operative strength-determining parameters, one of which is the fracture toughness. Toughening mechanisms in ceramics will be reviewed here, including crack shielding and crack interaction mechanisms. Also covered in this review will be a discussion of surface strengthening effects, as well as recent developments in ceramic matrix fiber composites. Experimental examples of each of the toughening mechanisms will be presented.
Mining digital data for smarter mental healthcare

Human interactions with Computers (and especially the Internet) are ever increasing, As a consequence, the field of CyberPsychology, which studies the thinking, behavior and attitudes of the person using the computer has assumed immense importance. In this paper, we report our findings and conclusions from several experiments conducted among college students to demonstrate the feasibility of assessing behavior (especially, mood disorders) from monitoring Internet usage. The core novelty of our work is that these experiments are believed to be the first to use real Internet data, collected unobtrusively and preserving a high degree of privacy. Specific contributions are a) Deriving new Internet usage features after mining NetFlow data that are indicative of negative mood; b) Demonstrating statistically strong correlations among many Internet usage features and negative mood; c) Demonstrating the feasibility of designing classification algorithms to predict negative mood and changes in mood from passive Internet usage monitoring.
Tedizolid clearance by in vitro continuous renal replacement therapy model

Tedizolid is an oxazolidinone antibiotic approved to treat acute bacterial skin and soft tissue infection and is under investigation for treatment of nosocomial pneumonia, common in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury. There are limited data on tedizolid disposition in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). This study's purpose was to assess continuous hemofiltration (CHF) and continuous hemodialysis (CHD) influence on tedizolid clearance.
On-demand control of ventilation systems

In this paper a new strategy for controlling ventilation systems is described. The strategy provides fresh air at a flow rate proportional to an estimate of the rate at which occupants generate carbon dioxide. Thus, the ventilation rate is nearly proportional to the occupant density even under transient conditions. It is shown that this control strategy is a concentration-limiting strategy. This strategy is compared to a concentration regulating strategy in a simulation. The new strategy is shown to respond rapidly to a change in the occupant density and to keep the concentration at or below a threshold.
A note on the product-limit estimator under right censoring and left truncation

SUMMARY In many applications involving follow-up studies, individuals' lifetimes may be subject to left truncation in addition to the usual right censoring. Here we consider the product-limit estimator of the survival curve S or an appropriate conditional version of S. The asymptotic behaviour of the estimator is briefly described together with an example.
Cyber-Physical Codesign of Distributed Structural Health Monitoring with Wireless Sensor Networks

Our deteriorating civil infrastructure faces the critical challenge of long-term structural health monitoring for damage detection and localization. In contrast to existing research that often separates the designs of wireless sensor networks and structural engineering algorithms, this paper proposes a cyber-physical codesign approach to structural health monitoring based on wireless sensor networks. Our approach closely integrates 1) flexibility-based damage localization methods that allow a tradeoff between the number of sensors and the resolution of damage localization, and 2) an energy-efficient, multilevel computing architecture specifically designed to leverage the multiresolution feature of the flexibility-based approach. The proposed approach has been implemented on the Intel Imote2 platform. Experiments on a simulated truss structure and a real full-scale truss structure demonstrate the system's efficacy in damage localization and energy efficiency.
Universalism in Context

Summary Using the neurological syndrome kuru as a frame, Warwick Anderson examines the social dynamics and material culture of its medical investigation among the Fore people conducted by D. Carleton Gajdusek beginning at midcentury. The Collectors of Lost Souls: Turning Kuru Scientists into White Men uses a postcolonial framework to complicate dominant/subordinate binaries and diffusionist accounts of indigenous contacts with medical science. Anderson proposes that colonies are specific sites of production of medical knowledge. He draws a distinction between traditional and advanced economies in regard to individual rights to make an argument in support of context-specific ethical regulation for medical research and suggests a role for historians of science in interrogating the process of globalisation.
Analysis of a time-domain finite element method for 3-D Maxwell’s equations in dispersive media

Abstract We consider the time dependent Maxwell’s equations in dispersive media on a bounded domain in three-dimensional space. A fully discrete finite element scheme is developed to approximate the electric field equation derived from the Maxwell’s equations. Optimal energy-norm error estimates are proved for Nedelec curl-conforming edge elements. This is the first finite element error analysis for Maxwell’s equations in dispersive media.
The EarthKAM project: creating space imaging tools for teaching and learning

Abstract The EarthKAM Project is a NASA-supported partnership of secondary and university students with Earth Science and educational researchers. This report describes an ongoing series of activities that more effectively integrate Earth images into classroom instruction. In this project, students select and analyze images of the Earth taken during Shuttle flights and use the tools of modern science (computers, data analysis tools and the Internet) to disseminate the images and results of their research. A related study, the Visualizing Earth Project, explores in greater detail the cognitive aspects of image processing and the educational potential of visualizations in science teaching and learning. The content and organization of the EarthKAM datasystem of images and metadata are also described. An associated project is linking this datasystem of images with the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names, which will allow users to access a wide range of geographic and political information for the regions shown in EarthKAM images. Another project will provide tools for automated feature extraction from EarthKAM images. In order to make EarthKAM resources available to a larger number of schools, the next important goal is to create an integrated datasystem that combines iterative resource validation and publication, with multimedia management of instructional materials.
Agency Theory and Bounded Self-Interest

Agency theory draws attention to certain behaviors of CEOs and boards that, in aggregate, create losses for society. The empirical literature, however, characterized by contentious findings, suggests that the current form of agency theory is not supporting a clear understanding of these behaviors and their costs. We propose a change to one assumption, with potentially profound implications. Expanding on the assumption of narrow self-interest underlying agency theory, we apply an empirically well-established refinement that self-interest is bounded by norms of reciprocity and fairness. The resulting logic is that perceptions of fairness mediate the relationships derived from standard agency theory through positively and negatively reciprocal behaviors. This mediating variable provides a parsimonious new way to help explain extreme results found in prior studies. Rather than aiming to limit CEOs’ self-serving behaviors, boards that apply these arguments improve social welfare by initiating positive reciproc...
Twist induces an epithelial-mesenchymal transition to facilitate tumor metastasis.

Tumor metastasis--the spreading of primary tumor cells to distal organs--is the major cause of death of cancer patients. The metastatic process consists of four distinct steps, invasion, intravasation, extravasation, and metastatic growth, and primary tumor cells need to acquire different genetic characteristics to accomplish each step. The main players during the metastatic process remain, however, largely unknown. A recent report in Cell by Robert Weinberg’s group (Yang et al., Cell. 2004 Jun 25;117(7):927-39) adds the transcription factor Twist to the list of metastatis regulators. Suppression of Twist expression in tumor cells inhibits the metastatic potential, whereas its overexpression induces an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in epithelial cells. This study provides direct evidence that EMT may be an essential process during metastasis and should appropriately stimulate further investigations of EMT in many laboratories.
3D CFD Predictions and Experimental Comparisons of Pressure Drop in a Ball Valve at Different Partial Openings in Turbulent Flow

A three dimensional computational fluid dynamics model, using the STAR-CD software, has been developed to simulate fluid flow in a commonly used flanged ball valve at different partially open settings. The Reynolds number (Re) range for the flow simulations was varied between 105 and 106 to simulate a variety of flow conditions. Each flow Re number is studied with three open positions for the valve, i.e., fully open, two-thirds open, and one-third open. The simulation was used to calculate two important parameters used in characterizing the flow properties in a typical valve namely the loss coefficient, K , and the flow coefficient, Cv . An attempt was also made to compare some of the simulation results with experimental data and available American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) data on valves. The simulations agree reasonably well with recently published experimental results and indicate that in most cases the K factor is independent of Re . The ASHRAE data for...
Technology Transfer, Licensing Contracts, and Incentives for Further Innovation

Technology licensing is common in agricultural and natural resource sectors. An important characteristic of technology licenses is that they provide incentives for further innovation on the part of the buyer. This paper develops a risk-sharing model to analyze how risk preferences and expectations about further innovation possibilities alter technology payments and the incentives for complementary local innovation. Higher buyer risk aversion, which is associated with lower fixed payments, reduces the technology buyer's level of innovation. Sellers are generally better off when innovation is anticipated, but buyers are generally better off when innovation is unanticipated, although less innovation may be realized.
A quantitative dendritic analysis of wernicke's area in humans. I. Lifespan changes

Age-related increases and decreases have been described in cortical dendritic neuropil. Here, we examine age-related changes in the basilar dendrites of supragranular pyramidal cells in human superior temporal gyrus (i.e., Wernicke's area) of left and right hemispheres. Tissue was obtained from 20 neurologically normal right-handers from 18-79 years: 10 males (Mage = 52.2 years; SDage = 17.4) and 10 females (Mage = 47.8; SDage = 20.5). In tissue prepared by a modified rapid Golgi technique, ten pyramidal cells were sampled from each hemisphere and evaluated according to the following parameters: total dendritic length, mean dendritic length, and dendritic segment count. Despite considerable interindividual variation, the data exhibited significant dendritic degeneration with aging. There was an age-related decrease in total dendritic length (r[20] = -0.44; P < 0.05) and especially in mean dendritic length (r[20] = -0.69; P < 0.001) with increasing age. Age-mean dendritic length correlations were negative for all segment orders and revealed a progressive decrease in segment length in more distal branches. The number of dendritic segments remained relatively stable across the age span sampled. The data also indicated that interhemispheric dendritic asymmetries decreased with age. Individuals under 50 years of age had significantly greater total dendritic length values in the left hemisphere. Interhemispheric dendritic differences were not significant in individuals over 50.
Experimental ocean acidification alters the allocation of metabolic energy

Energy is required to maintain physiological homeostasis in response to environmental change. Although responses to environmental stressors frequently are assumed to involve high metabolic costs, the biochemical bases of actual energy demands are rarely quantified. We studied the impact of a near-future scenario of ocean acidification [800 µatm partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2)] during the development and growth of an important model organism in developmental and environmental biology, the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Size, metabolic rate, biochemical content, and gene expression were not different in larvae growing under control and seawater acidification treatments. Measurements limited to those levels of biological analysis did not reveal the biochemical mechanisms of response to ocean acidification that occurred at the cellular level. In vivo rates of protein synthesis and ion transport increased ∼50% under acidification. Importantly, the in vivo physiological increases in ion transport were not predicted from total enzyme activity or gene expression. Under acidification, the increased rates of protein synthesis and ion transport that were sustained in growing larvae collectively accounted for the majority of available ATP (84%). In contrast, embryos and prefeeding and unfed larvae in control treatments allocated on average only 40% of ATP to these same two processes. Understanding the biochemical strategies for accommodating increases in metabolic energy demand and their biological limitations can serve as a quantitative basis for assessing sublethal effects of global change. Variation in the ability to allocate ATP differentially among essential functions may be a key basis of resilience to ocean acidification and other compounding environmental stressors.
Ikaros, Notch, and GATA1 cross paths during megakaryopoiesis.

In this issue of Blood , Malinge et al[1][1] describe new reciprocal interactions between Ikaros, Notch, and GATA transcription factors during megakaryocyte development. Ikaros represses megakaryocytic genes and selected Notch targets, while being turned off by GATA1 upon terminal differentiation
Detection and imaging of cracks in reinforced concrete structures using RF tomography: Quadratic forward model approach

Imaging of rebars inside a concrete block is investigated using the quadratic forward model of RF Tomography for three different antenna configurations. Reconstructed images are obtained using the method of moments.
Shipboard electrical system modeling for early-stage design space exploration

In early-stage design exploration, it has been found that electrical dynamics do not significantly affect the dependability of an integrated engineering plant. Therefore, it has been found useful to neglect these electrical dynamics and focus on mechanical, thermal, and fluidic dynamics in assessing system performance. Previous methods of accomplishing this goal involve the use of linear programming to describe the behavior of the electrical system. Herein, two significant shortcomings of the existing linear programming methods are identified, and a method of representing the electrical system that addresses these shortcomings is proposed. The proposed method is demonstrated in several system studies.
Interactions of sugars with membranes

Water profoundly affects the stability of biological membranes, and its removal leads to destructive events including fusion and liquid crystalline to gel phase transitions. In heterogeneous mixtures such as those found in biological membranes the phase transitions can lead to increases in permeability and lateral phase separations that often are irreparable. Certain sugars are capable of preventing these deleterious events by inhibiting fusion during drying and by maintaining the lipid in a fluid state in the absence of water. As a result, the increased permeability and lateral phase separations that accompany dehydration are absent. The weight of the evidence suggests strongly that there is a direct interaction between the sugars and lipids in the dry state. Although the evidence is less clear about whether these sugars can interact directly with hydrated bilayers, there are strong suggestions in the literature that sugars free in solution or covalently linked to membrane constituents can also affect the physical properties and presumably the stability of bilayers. Finally, we have far less evidence concerning the mechanism by which they do so, but the same sugars are also capable of preserving the structure and function of both membrane-bound and soluble proteins in the absence of water. We believe these effects may be important in the survival of intact cells and organisms such as seeds in the absence of water. Furthermore, in view of the practical importance of preserving biological structures we suspect that the results described here will ultimately have important applications in biology and medicine.
Early nonsense: mRNA decay solves a translational problem

The nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway ensures that mRNAs that harbour premature termination, or nonsense, codons are targeted for rapid degradation. New insights into the process of NMD have provided unexpected glimpses of the complexity of translation termination. Gene expression is highly accurate and rarely generates defective proteins. Several mechanisms ensure this fidelity, including specialized surveillance pathways that rid the cell of mRNAs that are incompletely processed or that lack complete open reading frames. One such mechanism, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, is triggered when ribosomes encounter a premature translation-termination — or nonsense — codon. New evidence indicates that the specialized factors that are recruited for this process not only promote rapid mRNA degradation, but are also required to resolvea poorly dissociable termination complex.
Congenital malformations: from superstition to understanding.

Throughout most of human history, congenital anomalies were perceived as omens, portents, or punishments of supernatural origin. This concept is reflected in the term “monster,” probably derived from the Latin verb monstrare (to show or reveal). Other explanations for congenital abnormalities included witchcraft, astrological configurations, or emotional experiences of the pregnant mother. Malformed humans and animals also inspired many of the characters populating the literature, mythology, art, and religion of every culture. By the eighteenth century superstition still dominated public conceptions of malformations, but this topic was beginning to attract serious attention from physicians and scientists. Abnormalities such as conjoined twins were a popular subject for anatomists, who produced some superb morphological studies. However, scientific investigation of causes and mechanisms of abnormal development were delayed because of persisting support for the concept of preformation of embryos. Toward the end of the century, epigenesis finally achieved acceptance by leading scientists, opening the door to the investigation of normal and abnormal development. By the dawn of the nineteenth century, a foundation had been established for the study of abnormal development, which was destined to become one of the most productive of biomedical sciences. The ultimate mechanisms of normal and abnormal development are now explored at the molecular level, and the lives of countless individuals born with malformations have been greatly enhanced by advances in medicine and surgery. No other biomedical science provides a more colorful and instructive illustration of the long journey from superstition to understanding. The older literature in this field, in addition to its historical interest, is a source of knowledge and information of unique value for scientists and practitioners.