cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation of ribosomal gene chromatin

Abstract A procedure is described for isolating amplified nucleoli from immature oocytes of Xenopus laevis. Adult ovaries are dissociated by digestion with collagenase-papain and immature, pigment-free oocytes (Dumont stages II and III) are isolated by a series of 1g sedimentation steps followed by centrifugation through 1.7 M sucrose. The immature oocytes are then homogenized and nucleoli are isolated by buoyant density banding in gradients of Metrizamide. Nucleoli isolated by this procedure have normal morphology by both light and electron microscopy. They contain intact ribosomal RNA precursor molecules and an active endogenous RNA polymerase which has the characteristics of the form I or nucleolar polymerase. The nucleoli also contain an enzymatic activity which relaxes superhelical turns in closed circular DNA. This activity follows RNA polymerase activity in a Metrizamide gradient suggesting that this enzyme may be involved in transcription. Electrophoresis of total nucleolar proteins on SDS-acrylamide gels shows most of the proteins migrating with protein from cytoplasmic ribosomes. Some nonribosomal proteins are clearly visible however, among which are proteins which comigrate with histones H2a, H2b, H3, and H4. Using this procedure nucleoli may be isolated completely free of any DNA component other than amplified ribosomal DNA. They represent the first case in which it has been possible to purify a single gene with its proteins still attached.
Patterns of Anti-Gay Violence An Analysis of Incident Characteristics and Victim Reporting

This nonexperimental, descriptive study investigates anti-gay victimizations and reporting practices to the police. In this analysis of 241 self-reported incidents, the results partly support previous research on victimization. Differences were also found between gender identities and offense, reporting to police, and injury. Race appeared also to be a factor in offense and reporting to police.
Laser-Raman spectra of crystalline K2Cr04, Rb2CrO4 and Cs2CrO4

Abstract The Raman spectra of oriented single crystals of K 2 CrO 4 and Rb 2 CrO 4 and of fine randomly oriented crystals of Cs 2 CrO 4 are reported. The spectra are assigned in terms of the factor group symmetry of the crystals. The forms of the A g internal modes are indicated by comparison of the magnitudes of the changes in the three α jj components of the polarizability tensor for K 2 CrO 4 . A trend towards lower frequency and increasing degeneracy occurs with increasing cation size for both internal and external modes. The ordering and intensities of the internal modes are similar for all compounds, and the frequencies of these modes decrease linearly with the square of the cation-chromium distances in the crystals. This relationship does not apply to the external modes. The ordering and intensities of the external modes are unique in each case, suggesting that rotatory and translatory modes have different dependencies on the mass of the cation.
1995: the year of the calcium antagonist controversy.

The year 1995 has been an unsettling one in the history of the treatment of hypertension and ischemic heart disease. A fierce debate has sprung up about the safety of calcium antagonists, particularly the dihydropyridine nifedipine. A widely publicized case-control study showed that compared with diuretics and beta-blockers, short-acting calcium antagonists, when used in the treatment of hypertension, were associated with a higher risk of myocardial infarction, an effect which appeared to be dose related. A second study focused on clinical trials of nifedipine in patients primarily with acute myocardial ischemia syndromes. The meta-analysis showed an increased risk in the relative mortality rate of 1.16 associated with the use of short-acting nifedipine at doses of 80 mg/day or higher. The mechanisms responsible for these results were also discussed. Both publications were accompanied by editorials, and there were subsequently other commentaries published which pointed out weaknesses in the design, conduct, analysis and interpretation of the studies, and these have also been reviewed. Arising from this controversy, important questions have been raised which need to be addressed. First, are the data valid and are these drugs safe? If not, can the data be extrapolated from short-acting dihydropyridines, to the newer formulations and other sub-classes of calcium antagonists? Second, do these agents reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality? Finally, what are the alternatives to their use and the clinical implications? These studies have raised questions about safety, and there is little evidence to show any actual benefit on the incidence of cardiovascular events. For most patients there are clinically tested and proved therapeutic alternatives, i.e. diuretics and beta-blockers, and therefore the burden of proof must now be on those who primarily recommend the use of calcium antagonists. Recommendations and guidelines for treatment, where the primary goal is to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality must be supported by adequate data.
AN AUTORADIOGRAPHIC STUDY OF HUMAN GLIOMAS: GROWTH KINETICS OF ANAPLASTIC ASTROCYTOMA AND GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME

When 3H-thymidine was administered either intravenously or intra-arterially to 9 patients with gliomas (5 glioblastoma multiforme, 3 anaplastic astrocytoma, and one mixed glioma) shortly before operation, and tissue obtained from the biopsy and, subsequently, at autopsy was examined by autoradiography, it was found that 2 of the glioblastomas diluted out the labelling in the two- to four-month interval between labelling and autopsy, whereas 3 other glioblastomas and the 2 anaplastic astrocytomas retained labelled neoplastic cells in parts of the tumours at autopsy after intervals of from three weeks to five months following labelling. Most patients whose tumours demonstrated foci of labelled cells at autopsy survived longer (1.5 to 7 years). Certain neoplastic cells in anaplastic astrocytomas and some glioblastomas appear either to limit cell division or to differentiate even in an environment favourable to cell proliferation.
Crustaceans as Powerful Models in Aquatic Chemical Ecology

Crustaceans use chemical cues to find and assess mates, signal dominance, recognize known conspecifics, find favored foods and appropriate habitats, and assess threats such as the presence of predators. The behavior demonstrating these cues is dramatic (e.g., males of some species will guard and try to copulate with sponges, rocks, or even other males treated with water holding receptive, conspecific females), but the specific chemicals eliciting these behaviors have rarely been unambiguously described. Here I discuss the known compounds that affect crustacean behaviors and note that identifying active chemical signals and cues may be a challenge because these chemicals may: (1) occur at low concentrations in a media holding many other metabolites, (2) be complex blends instead of particular pure compounds – and it may be the blend itself (the specific ratio of different signaling molecules) that carries information, (3) be “combination-lock” cascades of chemical signals and cues that have to occur in the correct order to generate a critical behavior, and (4) have been selected as critical molecules eliciting behavior because they rapidly degrade, thus preventing maladaptive behavior based on old data. These potential traits will make separation and structural determination difficult. Despite many signals and cues being delivered via water, there are several examples of cuing compounds being lipid-soluble; it is important for biologists to realize that even lipids dissolve to some degree in water and can thus function as waterborne cues. Because of the critical role that crustaceans play in marine and freshwater food webs, the effects of chemical mediation of crustacean behavior can reach far beyond the direct effects on crustaceans to impact community organization and even ecosystem-level processes.
The Economics of NASCAR

Stick and ball sports have attracted most of the attention in the growing academic literature on the economics of sports. Less attention has been paid to motorsports, even though spectator attendance at automobile racing events matches or exceeds that of most other sporting events. This paper examines the sanctioning of motorsports in the U.S. by NASCAR and explores how the business model of this sanctioning body is distinguished from other sports. The economic incentive for contract compatibility between NASCAR and the tracks is explained and an economic rationale is provided for the generous contracts NASCAR has with downstream tracks. A statistical analysis of the uncertainty of outcomes for NASCAR and other professional sports provides a rationale for the growing popularity of stock car racing. This article has been accepted for publication in: The Oxford Handbook of Sports Economics, vol. 1, ed. by Leo H. Kahane and Stephen Shmanske, forthcoming 2010.
Noise and gain measurements of high-power 1.3-/spl mu/m InGaAsP/InP tapered amplifiers

We report gain and noise measurements on an improved InGaAsP/InP tapered semiconductor amplifier. These results represent the highest gain and output power achieved from one of these amplifiers. The amplifier structure has a single-mode ridge waveguide at the input, followed by a tapered gain region wherein the beam expands by diffraction with no transverse index guiding. Both facets are antireflection-coated to roughly 1% reflectivity. The actual feedback from the front facet is <1% because of diffraction. The active layer consists of three compressively strained quantum wells. This device is polarization sensitive, and all results reported use the TE polarization (parallel to the plane of the active layer).
Nonparametric cyclic-polyspectral analysis of AM signals and processes with missing observations

By viewing discrete-time amplitude-modulated signals and processes with missing observations as cyclostationary signals, nonparametric, mean-square-sense consistent, and asymptotically normal single record estimators are developed for their kth-order cumulants and polyspectra, along with the asymptotic covariances. The proposed estimation schemes use cyclic cumulants and polyspectra, and are theoretically insensitive to any additive stationary noise. In addition, schemes of order k>or=3 convey complete phase information and are insensitive to additive cyclostationary Gaussian noise of unknown covariance. The conventional approaches cannot recover mixed-phase linear processes, are susceptible to additive noise, and are a special case of the proposed schemes. Simulations demonstrate superior performance of the proposed algorithms. >
A new model for the p-n junction space charge region capacitance

Depletion-approximation-based junction capacitance versus voltage characteristics are adequate for reverse bias but, contrary to experiments and computer simulations, predict an infinite capacitance when the applied voltage equals the built-in potential. A new, physically justified model for the semiconductor space charge region capacitance is derived. This new model takes only three input parameters, i.e., the zero bias capacitance, the built-in potential and the junction grading coefficient, thus eliminating the fitting parameter FC currently used in SPICE (Simulation Program with IC Emphasis). This new model eliminates the singularity found in the depletion approximation model and is applicable for any applied voltage. This new model is compared with capacitance results extracted from the PSPICES device simulator and with earlier capacitance model formulations. >
The sbcDC Locus Mediates Repression of Type 5 Capsule Production as Part of the SOS Response in Staphylococcus aureus

Most strains of Staphylococcus aureus produce one type of capsular polysaccharide that belongs to either type 5 or type 8. The production of these capsules has been shown to be regulated by various regulators. Here we report that the sbcD and sbcC genes are involved in the repression of type 5 capsule production. Chromosomal deletions in the sbcDC genes resulted in increased capsule promoter activity, capsule gene transcripts, and capsule production. The survival rates of the sbcDC deletion mutant were reduced upon UV irradiation compared to those for the wild-type strain Newman, suggesting that the genes are involved in DNA repair in S. aureus. The two genes were organized as an operon and were expressed very early in the exponential growth phase. A subinhibitory concentration of ciprofloxacin or mitomycin C induced sbcDC transcription but repressed the capsule promoter activity, suggesting that the sbcDC genes and the capsule genes are part of the SOS regulon. By reporter gene fusion and Northern blotting, we found that sbcDC regulated capsule by downregulating arl and mgr. Further genetic studies indicate that sbcDC functions upstream of arl and mgr in capsule regulation. Collectively, our results indicate that sbcDC, upon the SOS response, represses type 5 capsule production through an arl-mgr pathway. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that an SbcDC homolog was involved in transcriptional regulation.
On the Control of Non-Minimum Phase Systems

In this paper we present a compensator configuration for non-minimum phase systems that has some novel features. It is shown that using "feedthrough" compensation, the augmented system can be made minimum phase. A feedback compensator is then obtained from the characteristic polynomial of augmented plant. Closing the loop with a high gain constant output feedback then stabilizes the system.
Eosinophilic infiltration in advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Tumor-associated tissue eosinophilia (TATE) has been related to prognosis in epithelial cancers, including cancers at several head and neck sites. This study prospectively examined 248 patients with stage III and IV laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma to determine prevalence and potential prognostic significance of TATE. Pretreatment tumor specimens were histopathologically evaluated. Presence and degree of TATE were analyzed with regard to other tumor characteristics, patient characteristics, and outcome criteria. Median follow-up was 48 months. Eosinophilia was found in 22.5% of specimens and was not related to tumor site, stage, patient age or sex, or treatment modality. Overall and disease-free survival rates and response to induction chemotherapy did not differ significantly with respect to TATE. This study represents the first long-term, prospective evaluation of TATE and its prognostic significance in a single head and neck site. Contrary to the findings of earlier preliminary reports, our results suggest that TATE is not a clinical useful prognostic parameter in advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
TOPO: Routing in Large Scale Vehicular Networks

A vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is a high mobility wireless ad hoc network that is targeted to support vehicular safety, traffic monitoring, and other commercial applications. Routing in large scale VANET is an important issue, because road complexity and traffic variety may bring many potential problems that existing routing protocol can not address. In this paper, we introduce a two-phase routing protocol (TOPO) that incorporates map information in routing. The proposed protocol defines an overlay graph with roads of high vehicular density and forwards packet along the pre-calculated path in the overlay. We argue that the proposed TOPO can serve as a framework integrating existing VANET routing protocols. In particular, we adopt modified AODV and GPSR in the access (residential area) to send packets to overlay, while greedy forwarding is used in overlay. We also consider the data diversity in VANETs and design TOPO as an ITS friendly protocol. To validate our design philosophy and the routing protocol, we use real world road layouts in Orlando, and generate vehicular mobility traces following some mobility models. We feed the traces to network simulator and study the routing behavior. Simulation results show the performance and effectiveness of our proposed routing protocols for large scale VANET scenarios.
A new learning control based on the Lyapunov direct method

This paper illustrates a new learning control design using Lyapunov direct method. It has been shown that under the proposed learning control a class of nonlinear systems is always guaranteed to be be asymptotically stable with respect to the number of trials. The proposed control is also robust in the sense that the exact knowledge of the nonlinear dynamics is not required except for bounding functions on the magnitude.
Native harvester ants threatened with widespread displacement exert localized effects on serpentine grassland plant community composition

Seed-harvesting ants can influence the abundance and distribution of plant species through both the selective harvesting of seeds and the construction of nutrient-rich nest mounds, but the relative contributions of these two mechanisms have not been addressed by previous studies. Furthermore, the impact of ant seed harvesting in California serpentine grasslands remains unresolved because of divergent results from several previous experiments. This study investigates the influence of harvester ants on serpentine grassland plant species composition by examining two potential signatures of seed harvesting ants on plant community composition: species composition on versus off ant nest mounds, and species abundance as a function of distance from nest mounds. Of the 28 plant species identified in this study, 22 exhibited spatial patterns consistent with effects of seed harvesting, nest construction, or both. Although most species showed significant gradients in abundance with distance from a nest, there were no clear relationships between plant species distributions and previously reported harvester ant seed foraging patterns. Harvester ant nest mounds supported plant communities that were distinct from the surrounding serpentine grassland, with notably higher densities of legumes and invasive annual grasses. Comparison of our results with those of previous studies indicates that the patterns we observed are generally consistent over time, but affect more species and a larger fraction of the grassland than previously reported. Unaffected areas of the grassland seem likely to serve as important refuges for some plant species.
The Effect of Obesity on Medical Students' Approach to Patients with Abdominal Pain

Because widely held stereotypes characterize obese people as less intelligent, unhappy, lacking in self control and more prone to psychological problems, we tested whether obese appearance alone would affect medical students' decisions about the diagnosis and management of simulated patients. We videotaped 4 patient simulators presenting each of 4 cases in 2 states: normal and obese (by using padding and bulky clothing). Seventy-two clinical students at 2 medical schools viewed the cases and answered questions about diagnostic tests and management. We found the expected biases toward patients when in their obese form as well as pessimism about patient compliance and success of therapy, but there were no significant differences in tests or treatments ordered except where appropriate for an obese patient (e.g., weight reduction diet). Thus, the appearance of obesity alone biased the students' impressions of the patients, but did not affect diagnostic test ordering.
Salt Pollution of a Shallow Aquifer —Indianapolis, Indiana

Application of deicing salts to streets and highways is a common phenomena to those living in the northern and border States. This paper points out one problem that can occur from runoff from large quantities of deicing salts. Tests of water samples from shallow wells in 1967, 1968, and 1973 document the loss of a water supply in an Indianapolis, Indiana, suburban housing development and the subsequent natural purging of high chlorinity waters.
Cracking the neuronal code

How does the brain code information? Ferster and Spruston weigh the evidence in favor of a rate code (that the rate of action-potential firing carries the key information) and a temporal code (in which the pattern of firing is crucial, not just the rate).
History Of Search Engines

As the number of sites on the Web increased in the mid-to-late 90s, search engines started appearing to help people find information quickly. Search engines developed business models to finance their services, such as pay per click programs offered by Open Text in 1996 and then Goto.com in 1998. Goto.com later changed its name to Overture in 2001, and was purchased by Yahoo! in 2003, and now offers paid search opportunities for advertisers through Yahoo! Search Marketing. Google also began to offer advertisements on search results pages in 2000 through the Google Ad Words program. By 2007, pay-per-click programs proved to be primary money-makers for search engines. In a market dominated by Google, in 2009 Yahoo! and Microsoft announced the intention to forge an alliance. The Yahoo! & Microsoft Search Alliance eventually received approval from regulators in the US and Europe in February 2010. Search engine optimization consultants expanded their offerings to help businesses learn about and use the advertising opportunities offered by search engines, and new agencies focusing primarily upon marketing and advertising through search engines emerged. The term "Search Engine Marketing" was proposed by Danny Sullivan in 2001 to cover the spectrum of activities involved in performing SEO, managing paid listings at the search engines, submitting sites to directories, and developing online marketing strategies for businesses, organizations, and individuals. Some of the latest theoretical advances include Search Engine Marketing Management (SEMM). SEMM relates to activities including SEO but focuses on return on investment (ROI) management instead of relevant traffic building (as is the case of mainstream SEO). SEMM also integrates organic SEO, trying to achieve top ranking without using paid means of achieving top in search engines, and PayPerClick SEO. For example some of the attention is placed on the web page layout design and how content and information is displayed to the website visitor.
The other fuel: Quasi-fiscal policy in Russia's economic fluctuation, 1992-2004

The conjunction of oil and Russia's economic recovery in 1999-2004 links many themes. On September 16, 1998, the Central Bank of Russia mandated repatriation of 50 percent of foreign exchange revenues. On December 31, 1998, it raised the mandated repatriation rate to 75 percent. This rule affected primarily fuels and metals exports. In the next several years, world oil prices started to climb. The Central Bank of Russia subsequently reduced the mandated repatriation rate from 50 to 30 to 25 percent of foreign exchange revenues. Rising oil prices both incited this reduction and compensated for it. Russia's economy shifted from the great contraction in 1992-98 to a partial recovery in 1999-2004.
Abstract 362: Diagnostic Value of Non-invasive Computed Tomography Perfusion Imaging for Assessing Hemodynamically Significant Native Coronary Artery Lesion: A Meta-analysis

Background: Traditionally, hemodynamic significance of a native coronary artery lesion is determined by invasive coronary angiography and fractional flow reserve. Computed tomography perfusion imaging (CTP) is a novel non-invasive method for determining hemodynamic significance of a coronary artery lesion. The objective of our meta-analysis is to determine the diagnostic performance of CTP with and without computed tomography angiography (CTA) in assessment of hemodynamically significant coronary artery lesions in comparison to invasive angiography. Methods: PubMed was searched through December 2014. Nine original studies were found evaluating the diagnostic performance of CTP with and without CTA to invasive coronary angiography in evaluation of hemodynamic significance of coronary lesions (n=951). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR- respectively) were calculated using hierarchical summary receiver operating curves and compared with bivariate random-effects model to accommodate for heterogeneity due to study design, population and diagnostic tests. Results: Total of 951 coronary vessels were evaluated for hemodynamically significant lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, LR+ and LR- values for CTP with CTA to diagnose hemodynamically significant coronary artery lesions were 83%, 91.7%, 86.4%, 89.4%, 9.94, and 0.19 respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, LR+ and LR- values for CTP alone were 82.9%, 84%. 76.1%, 88.9%, 5.18, and 0.20 respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, LR+ and LR- values for CTA alone were 89%, 72%, 64.2%, 92.1%, 3.18, and 0.15 respectively (Figure). Conclusion: The results of our meta-analysis assessing diagnostic value of CTP with or without CTA suggest that adding CTA to CTP significantly improves diagnostic performance of hemodynamic significance of coronary artery lesions compared to CTP alone. CTA with CTP is closely comparable with invasive angiography in assessing hemodynamic significance of coronary artery lesions in patients with stable coronary artery disease. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
The algebraic functional equation of an elliptic curve at supersingular primes

Since the analytic functional equation holds for the $\pm$-$p$-adic $L$-functions constructed in \cite{pol}, the algebraic functional equation for the $\pm$-Selmer groups is expected to hold as well. In this paper, we show it following the ideas of \cite{gre1} and \cite{kim}.
Electromigration Reliability of Glass Ceramic Multilayer Substrate with Various Surface Finishes

The process speed of high-end servers and supercomputers are steadily increasing. As a result, the backbone of the high speed processing, such as high-end LSI (flip-chip type), and associated substrate circuits is also becoming more dense and miniaturized, while supporting higher current densities. However, recent studies indicate that the higher current density triggers an electromigration (EM) at the solder bumps connecting the under bump metallurgy (UBM) of the flip-chip pad (e.g. Ni) and substrate pads (e.g. Ni/Au). This electromigration leads to voids within the solder joints, which may result in an open circuit. As of result, the life-cycle of the packaged devices is shortened. Thus solution to the EM issue is critical. To respond to such concerns, we have studied the mechanism of the void development, by closely examining differences in diffusion rate among the connective metals - within the pads and the solders. We have mitigated the EM occurrence by reducing the differences in diffusion rate by u...
Increases in ambient particulate matter air pollution, acute changes in platelet function, and effect modification by aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids: A panel study

Increased particulate matter (PM) air pollutant concentrations have been associated with platelet activation. It was postulated that elevated air pollutant concentrations would be associated with increases in measures of platelet function and that responses would be blunted when taking aspirin and/or fish oil. Data from a sequential therapy trial (30 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus), with 4 clinic visits (first: no supplements, second: aspirin, third: omega-3 fatty acid supplements, fourth: aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids) per subject, were utilized. Using linear mixed models, adjusted for relative humidity, temperature, visit number, and season, changes in three platelet function measures including (1) aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP), (2) aggregation induced by collagen, and (3) thromboxane B2 production were associated with interquartile range (IQR) increases in mean concentrations of ambient PM2.5, black carbon, ultrafine particles (UFP; 10-100 nm), and accumulation mode particles (AMP; 100-500 nm) in the previous 1-96 h. IQR increases in mean UFP and AMP concentrations were associated with significant decreases in platelet response, with the largest being a -0.43 log(pg/ml) decrease in log(thromboxane B2) (95% CI = -0.8, -0.1) associated with each 582-particles/cm(3) increase in AMP, and a -1.7 ohm reduction in collagen-induced aggregation (95% CI = -3.1, -0.3) associated with each 2097-particles/cm(3) increase in UFP in the previous 72 h. This UFP effect on thromboxane B2 was significantly muted in diabetic subjects taking aspirin (-0.01 log[pg/ml]; 95% CI = -0.4, 0.3). The reason for this finding remains unknown, and needs to be investigated in future studies.
Understanding Practitioner Perceptions of Responsiveness to Intervention

This mixed methods study explored elementary and secondary educators’ perceptions of their school district’s responsiveness to intervention (RTI) initiative. Teachers and administrators were survey...
Effect of energetic fuel additives on the temperature of hybrid rocket combustion

Ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy was used as a non-intrusive probe to measure OH radical temperature in the plume of a 2.5in. hybrid rocket motor. Continuous radiation from a xenon arc lamp was passed through the rocket plume onto the entrance slits of a monochromator equipped with an intensified silicon diode array detector and absorption was measured around 306 nm. Two energetic materials, guanidinium azotetrazolate (GAT) and aminoguanidinium azotetrazolate (AGAT) were incorporated (separately) into the hydroxylterminated polybutadiene fuel grains to determine their effects on combustion temperature. Both additives effected measurable reductions in plume temperature. A second correlation, plume temperature versus oxidizer (gaseous oxygen) flow rate was indicated by the data. This showed that the plume temperature rose somewhat as flow rate was increased up to a point, at which the temperature began to decrease. *Professor of Chemistry, Member AIAA ‘Assistant Professor of Physics, Member AIAA ‘Undergraduate Student “Professor of Applied Science and Chemistry,
Compressive Sensing-Based Topology Identification for Smart Grids

Smart grid (SG) technology transforms the traditional power grid from a single-layer physical system to a cyber–physical network that includes a second layer of information. Collecting, transferring, and analyzing the huge amount of data that can be captured from different parameters in the network, together with the uncertainty that is caused by the distributed power generators, challenge the standard methods for security and monitoring in future SGs. Other important issues are the cost and power efficiency of data collection and analysis, which are highlighted in emergency situations such as blackouts. This paper presents an efficient dynamic solution for online SG topology identification (TI) and monitoring by combining concepts from compressive sensing (CS) and graph theory. In particular, the SG is modeled as a huge interconnected graph, and then using a dc power-flow model under the probabilistic optimal power flow (P-OPF), TI is mathematically reformulated as a sparse-recovery problem (SRP). This problem and challenges therein are efficiently solved using modified sparse-recovery algorithms. Network models are generated using the MATPOWER toolbox. Simulation results show that the proposed method represents a promising alternative for real-time monitoring in SGs.
Gray Partridge foraging ecology in eastern South Dakota

We examined crop contents of 217 Gray Partridge ( Perdix perdix ) collected during a two-year period in eastern South Dakota. Row crop grains (corn, sunflowers) dominated late fall, winter, and spring diets. Small grains (oats, barley, wheat, rye) were rarely consumed although fields of small grains were widely available. During a severe winter when waste row crop grains were buried by snow, partridge consumed more leafy vegetation. Insects dominated the early summer diet, while foxtail ( Setaria spp.) seeds were a major late summer and early fall food.
Nanometer Measurements of Material Viscoelasticity Based on Iterative Learning Control

Atomic force microscope(AFM) is an important instrument to characterize various nano-scale material properties,such as material viscoelasticity.During the nanometer measurement process of material viscoelasticity,slow measurement velocity and large measurement error are caused by the hysteresis and creep characteristics of piezo actuator which is the core component of AFM.In order to solve the problem,an inversion-based iterative learning control approach was proposed in this paper.By learning the dynamic characteristics of the AFM system in frequency domain,dynamic error in z-axis direction was compensated for to realize the fast and precise positioning of the AFM system.With the proposed approach,the complex modeling process was avoided and the accuracy of the output tracking of expected input was improved.Tribo Indenter produced by DI Inc.was used to measure nanometer viscoelasticity of polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS).The applicability and effectiveness of the proposed approach were verified by the experimental results.
A Method to Evaluate Vibration State and Lifetime of Overhead Transmission Lines Based on Onsite Short-Term Measured Data of Aeolian Vibration

To grasp the vibration state of overhead transmission line accurately and to ensure the operational security of transmission line, it is necessary to evaluate the vibration state and fatigue lifetime of both old and newly built transmission lines. The main means of the evaluation is onsite measurement of the vibration of conductors in the short-term since the vibration amplitude of conductors can be used as basis for evaluation of vibration life of overhead line. Due to the evident discrepancy of meteorological conditions of different seasons in a year, directly applied the short-term measured vibration data to the evaluation will bring about big error unless these data are deduced and analyzed. In this paper a method to evaluate vibration state and life of overhead line in a year based on short-term onsite measured data is proposed. Starting from the main meteorological factors impacting vibration of overhead line, the impact of conductor tension variety on self-damping feature of conductors is analyzed according to state equations of overhead line, and by use of energy balance principle (EBP) the variation of vibration level is calculated and the vibration life under different meteorological conditions are obtained. Applied the proposed evaluation method to the analysis of a certain engineering example, the obtained results show that the problem of evaluating lifetime of overhead line in a whole year by short-term measured data is effectively solved.
The entry of bacteria into the urinary tract and the establishment of urinary tract infection.

Repeated urinary tract infections occur, not because of the persistence of bacteria from inadequate treatment, but because of persistence of the abnormalities that led to the original infection.
Nonlinear Dynamics and Analysis of Intracranial Saccular Aneurysms with Growth and Remodeling

A new mathematical model for the interaction of blood flow with the arterial wall surrounded by cerebral spinal fluid is developed with applications to intracranial saccular aneurysms. The blood pressure acting on the inner arterial wall is modeled via a Fourier series, the arterial wall is modeled as a spring-mass system incorporating growth and remodeling, and the surrounding cerebral spinal fluid is modeled via a simplified one-dimensional compressible Euler equation with inviscid flow and negligible nonlinear effects. The resulting nonlinear coupled fluid-structure interaction problem is analyzed and a perturbation technique is employed to derive the first-order approximation solution to the system. An analytical solution is also derived for the linearized version of the problem using Laplace transforms. The solutions are validated against related work from the literature and the results suggest the biological significance of the inclusion of the growth and remodeling effects on the rupture of intracranial aneurysms.
Preventing Post-ERCP Pancreatitis: Update 2016

Post-ERCP remains a major challenge, although significant progress has been made in predicting risk and methods of prevention. Facets of post-ERCP pancreatitis can be divided into the four “P’s”: they are patient-related factors, procedure-related factors, pancreatic stents, and pharmacoprophylaxis. New information about risk factors includes a description of IPMN as a patient-related risk, with smoking and chronic liver disease as protective factors. Procedure-related factors include one or more deep passages of a guidewire into the pancreatic duct as a salient risk, perhaps outweighing difficult cannulation or contrast injection, but one that can be mitigated by placement of a pancreatic stent. In addition, placement of transpapillary metallic stents has emerged as an independent risk for post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). Although there has been a rising wave of enthusiasm for rectal NSAIDs as a kind of panacea for prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis, the newest data question their efficacy in unselected cohorts. Pancreatic stent placement remains the most proven and reliable method of preventing post-ERCP pancreatitis in both mixed- and high-risk ERCP. Success at placement of protective pancreatic stents is a paramount for safety and efficacy, and technical expertise at placing pancreatic stents widely among centers. The use of specialized techniques including very small caliber guidewires and stents is necessary to approach 100 % success.
Assessing exchange-correlation functional performance for structure and property predictions of oxyfluoride compounds from first principles

Motivated by the resurgence of electronic and optical property design in ordered fluoride and oxyfluoride compounds, we present a density functional theory (DFT) study of 19 materials with structures, ranging from simple to complex, and variable oxygen-to-fluorine ratios. We focus on understanding the accuracy of the exchange-correlation potentials $({V}_{xc})$ to DFT for the prediction of structural, electronic, and lattice dynamical properties at four different levels of theory, i.e., the local density approximation (LDA), generalized gradient approximation (GGA), metaGGA, and hybrid functional level which includes fractions of exact exchange. We investigate in detail the metaGGA functionals MS2 [Sun et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 106401 (2013)] and SCAN [Sun et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 036402 (2015)], and show that although the metaGGAs show improvements over the LDA and GGA functionals in describing the electronic structure and phonon frequencies, the static structural properties of fluorides and oxyfluorides are often more accurately predicted by the GGA-level Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof functional for solids, PBEsol. Results from LDA calculations are unsatisfactory for any compound, regardless of oxygen concentration. The PBEsol and Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE06) functionals give good performance in all-oxide or all-fluoride compounds. For the oxyfluorides, PBEsol is consistently more accurate for structural properties across all oxygen concentrations; however, we stress the need for detailed property assessment with various functionals for oxyfluorides with variable composition. The ``best'' functional is anticipated to be more strongly dependent on the property of interest. Our study provides useful insights in selecting an ${V}_{xc}$ that achieves optimal performance compromises, enabling more accurate predictive design of functional fluoride-based materials with density functional theory.
Ultrastructure of the human submaxillary gland

Myoepithelial cells in the human submaxillary gland are stellate in form, with long, tapering processes. They are interposed between the base of the secretory cells and the basement membrane, and are bound to the secretory cells by desmosomes. Their cytoplasm contains numerous myofilaments measuring approximately 40 A in diameter, which frequently aggregate to form structures similar to the dark bodies seen in smooth muscle cells. The myofilaments are anchored to the plasma membrane by attachment devices. The myoepithelial cells are often accompanied by cells which have a similar shape, but possess an extremely electron-lucent cytoplasm that contains almost no organelles or inclusions. Electron microscopical observations indicate that these cells, termed clear cells, are transformed directly into myoepithelium, since all morphological intergrades between the two cell types have been recognized.
Deformation and failure in extreme regimes by high-energy pulsed lasers: A review

Abstract The use of high-power pulsed lasers to probe the response of materials at pressures of hundreds of GPa up to several TPa, time durations of nanoseconds, and strain rates of 10 6 –10 1 ° s −1 is revealing novel mechanisms of plastic deformation, phase transformations, and even amorphization. This unique experimental tool, aided by advanced diagnostics, analysis, and characterization, allows us to explore these new regimes that simulate those encountered in the interiors of planets. Fundamental Materials Science questions such as dislocation velocity regimes, the transition between thermally-activated and phonon drag regimes, the slip-twinning transition, the ultimate tensile strength of metals, the dislocation mechanisms of void growth are being answered through this powerful tool. In parallel with experiments, molecular dynamics simulations provide modeling and visualization at comparable strain rates (10 8 –10 10 s −1 ) and time durations (hundreds of picoseconds). This powerful synergy is illustrated in our past and current work, using representative face-centered cubic (fcc) copper, body-centered cubic (bcc) tantalum and diamond cubic silicon as model structures.
Phenotypic variability and community interactions of germinating Streptomyces spores

A case can be made for stochastic germination and interactions among germinating spores as beneficial germination strategies in uncertain environments. However, there is little data on how widespread, species-specific or diverse such phenomena are. Focusing on Streptomycetes, a platform was developed for quantification of germination and early growth within communities of spores. We found that the germination process is stochastic at three levels: spores vary in their germination times, mycelium networks grow at different rates, and a fraction of germlings stall their growth shortly after germination. Furthermore, by monitoring how these stochastic properties are affected by spore density and chemicals released from spores, germination interactions were quantified for four species. Stochastically germinating spores were frequently promoted or inhibited by compounds released by spores from the same or different species, and all species had distinct interaction profiles. The spatial distribution patterns were important with clusters of spores behaving differently than individual spores. Aged spores exhibited higher dormancy but could efficiently geminate in the presence of chemicals released during germination. All interactions were specific to germination and only weakly affected growth rates. This work suggests that stochastic germination is commonly affected by the community context and species have adapted diverse germination strategies.
Asynchronous Cholinergic Drive Correlates with Excitation-Inhibition Imbalance via a Neuronal Ca2+ Sensor Protein.

Summary Excitation-inhibition imbalance in neural networks is widely linked to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, how genetic factors alter neuronal activity, leading to excitation-inhibition imbalance, remains unclear. Here, using the C. elegans locomotor circuit, we examine how altering neuronal activity for varying time periods affects synaptic release pattern and animal behavior. We show that while short-duration activation of excitatory cholinergic neurons elicits a reversible enhancement of presynaptic strength, persistent activation results to asynchronous and reduced cholinergic drive, inducing imbalance between endogenous excitation and inhibition. We find that the neuronal calcium sensor protein NCS-2 is required for asynchronous cholinergic release in an activity-dependent manner and dampens excitability of inhibitory neurons non-cell autonomously. The function of NCS-2 requires its Ca 2+ binding and membrane association domains. These results reveal a synaptic mechanism implicating asynchronous release in regulation of excitation-inhibition balance.
Inbred Strain Variant Database (ISVdb): A repository for probabilistically informed sequence differences among the collaborative cross strains and their founders

The Collaborative Cross (CC) is a panel of recently established multiparental recombinant inbred mouse strains. For the CC, as for any multiparental population (MPP), effective experimental design and analysis benefit from detailed knowledge of the genetic differences between strains. Such differences can be directly determined by sequencing, but until now whole-genome sequencing was not publicly available for individual CC strains. An alternative and complementary approach is to infer genetic differences by combining two pieces of information: probabilistic estimates of the CC haplotype mosaic from a custom genotyping array, and probabilistic variant calls from sequencing of the CC founders. The computation for this inference, especially when performed genome-wide, can be intricate and time-consuming, requiring the researcher to generate nontrivial and potentially error-prone scripts. To provide standardized, easy-to-access CC sequence information, we have developed the Inbred Strain Variant Database (ISVdb). The ISVdb provides, for all the exonic variants from the Sanger Institute mouse sequencing dataset, direct sequence information for CC founders and, critically, the imputed sequence information for CC strains. Notably, the ISVdb also: (1) provides predicted variant consequence metadata; (2) allows rapid simulation of F1 populations; and (3) preserves imputation uncertainty, which will allow imputed data to be refined in the future as additional sequencing and genotyping data are collected. The ISVdb information is housed in an SQL database and is easily accessible through a custom online interface (http://isvdb.unc.edu), reducing the analytic burden on any researcher using the CC.
Set Cover Problems with Small Neighborhood Covers

In this paper, we study a class of set cover problems that satisfy a special property which we call the small neighborhood cover property. This class encompasses several well-studied problems including vertex cover, interval cover, bag interval cover and tree cover. We design unified sequential, parallel and distributed algorithms that can handle any set cover problem falling under the above framework and yield constant factor approximations. The algorithms run in NC in the parallel setting and can be executed in polylogarithmic communication rounds in the distributed setting.
The Effect of Telehealth on Spending: Thinking Through the Numbers.

Telehealth can often be provided at a lower cost than other types of care, but it may increase the total amount of care delivered. The effect on spending depends on how much telehealth substitutes ...
Assessment of Community Pediatric Providers' Approach to a Child With Celiac Disease and Available Serological Testing Associated With a Large Tertiary Care Center.

An evidence-practice gap for use of celiac disease testing can lead to poor resource utilization. False positive tests may lead to unnecessary diet changes, gastroenterology consults, parental/pati...