cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crystallization of bacteriorhodopsin from bicelle formulations at room temperature

We showed previously that high-quality crystals of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) from Halobacterium salinarum can be obtained from bicelle-forming DMPC/CHAPSO mixtures at 37°C. As many membrane proteins are not sufficiently stable for crystallization at this high temperature, we tested whether the bicelle method could be applied at a lower temperature. Here we show that bR can be crystallized at room temperature using two different bicelle-forming compositions: DMPC/CHAPSO and DTPC/CHAPSO. The DTPC/CHAPSO crystals grown at room temperature are essentially identical to the previous, twinned crystals: space group P21 with unit cell dimensions of a = 44.7 A, b = 108.7 A, c = 55.8 A, β = 113.6°. The room-temperature DMPC/CHAPSO crystals are untwinned, however, and belong to space group C2221 with the following unit cell dimensions: a = 44.7 A, b = 102.5 A, c = 128.2 A. The bR protein packs into almost identical layers in the two crystal forms, but the layers stack differently. The new untwinned crystal form yielded clear density for a previously unresolved CHAPSO molecule inserted between protein subunits within the layers. The ability to grow crystals at room temperature significantly expands the applicability of bicelle crystallization.
Cooperative middleware specialization for service oriented architectures

Service-oriented architectures (SOA) will provide the basis of thenext generation of distributed software systems, and have already gained enormous traction in the industry through an XML--based instantiation, Web services. A central aspect of SOAs is the looser coupling between applications (services) that is achieved when services publish their functional and non-functional behavioral characteristics in a standardized, machine readable format. In this paper we argue that in the basic SOA model access to metadata is too static and results in inflexible interactions between requesters and providers. We propose specific extensions to the SOA model to allow service providers and requestors to dynamically expose and negotiate their public behavior, resulting in the ability to specialize and optimize the middleware supporting an interaction. We introduce a middleware architecture supporting this extended SOA functionality, and describe a conformant implementation based on standard Web services middleware. Finally, we demonstrate the advantages of this approach with a detailed real world scenario.
Characterization of the RNA Silencing Suppression Activity of the Ebola Virus VP35 Protein in Plants and Mammalian Cells

ABSTRACT Ebola virus (EBOV) causes a lethal hemorrhagic fever for which there is no approved effective treatment or prevention strategy. EBOV VP35 is a virulence factor that blocks innate antiviral host responses, including the induction of and response to alpha/beta interferon. VP35 is also an RNA silencing suppressor (RSS). By inhibiting microRNA-directed silencing, mammalian virus RSSs have the capacity to alter the cellular environment to benefit replication. A reporter gene containing specific microRNA target sequences was used to demonstrate that prior expression of wild-type VP35 was able to block establishment of microRNA silencing in mammalian cells. In addition, wild-type VP35 C-terminal domain (CTD) protein fusions were shown to bind small interfering RNA (siRNA). Analysis of mutant proteins demonstrated that reporter activity in RSS assays did not correlate with their ability to antagonize double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase R (PKR) or bind siRNA. The results suggest that enhanced reporter activity in the presence of VP35 is a composite of nonspecific translational enhancement and silencing suppression. Moreover, most of the specific RSS activity in mammalian cells is RNA binding independent, consistent with VP359s proposed role in sequestering one or more silencing complex proteins. To examine RSS activity in a system without interferon, VP35 was tested in well-characterized plant silencing suppression assays. VP35 was shown to possess potent plant RSS activity, and the activities of mutant proteins correlated strongly, but not exclusively, with RNA binding ability. The results suggest the importance of VP35-protein interactions in blocking silencing in a system (mammalian) that cannot amplify dsRNA.
Autonomous color learning on a mobile robot

Color segmentation is a challenging subtask in computer vision. Most popular approaches are computationally expensive, involve an extensive off-line training phase and/or rely on a stationary camera. This paper presents an approach for color learning on-board a legged robot with limited computational and memory resources. A key defining feature of the approach is that it works without any labeled training data. Rather, it trains autonomously from a color-coded model of its environment. The process is fully implemented, completely autonomous, and provides high degree of segmentation accuracy.
Evolution of Development

Attheendofthenineteenthandbeginningofthetwentiethcentury, the ﬁelds of evolutionary and developmentalbiology were inseparable. Evolutionary biologists usedcomparative embryology to reconstruct ancestors andphyletic relationships, and embryologists in turn usedevolutionary history to explain many of the processesobservedduringanimaldevelopment.Thiscloserelation-shipendedaftertheriseofexperimentalembryologyandMendelian genetics at the beginning of the twentiethcentury.Now,afteralmost100yearsofseparation,thesetwoﬁeldshavereunitedtoformadistinctdisciplinecalled‘evolutionary developmental biology’, whose aim is tounderstandtherelationshipbetweenevolutionofgenotypeandevolutionofphenotype,aswellashowdevelopmentalgenesandprocessesevolve.
Actively Closing the Gap? Social Class, Organized Activities, and Academic Achievement in High School.

Participation in Organized Activities (OA) is associated with positive behavioral and developmental outcomes in children. However, less is known about how particular aspects of participation affect...
How Profitable is Capital Structure Arbitrage

This paper examines the risk and return of the so-called capital structure arbitrage, which exploits the mispricing between a company's debt and equity. Specifically, a structural model connects a company's equity price with its credit default swap (CDS) spread. Based on the deviation of CDS market spreads from their theoretical counterparts, a convergence-type trading strategy is proposed and analyzed using 135,759 daily CDS spreads on 261 obligors. At the level of individual trades, the risk of the strategy arises when the arbitrageur shorts CDS and the market spread subsequently skyrockets, forcing the arbitrageur into early liquidation and engendering large losses. An equally-weighted portfolio of all trades produces Sharpe ratios similar to those of other fixed-income arbitrage strategies and hedge fund industry benchmarks. However, the monthly excess returns on this portfolio are not significantly correlated with either equity or bond market factors.
Recent Etiologic Hypotheses Concerning Breast Cancer

A few studies have noted moderate elevation in the risk of breast cancer among women with residential exposure to electromagnetic fields, among women without a history of much strenuous physical activity, and among women with in utero exposures that may indicate high levels of maternal estrogen. The relative risk for each of these associations has generally been less than 2, with little adjustment for possible confounding factors. Also, several studies have not been able to confirm these relations. Currently there is scant or no evidence that silicone breast implants or psychological factors increase the risk of breast cancer. Despite the limited number of studies, the inconsistent results, and the difficulty of measuring several of these exposures, the plausible biologic mechanisms for each indicate that more research on these hypotheses is warranted. 66 refs.
Family and Teacher Characteristics as Predictors of Parent Involvement in Education During Early Childhood Among Afro-Caribbean and Latino Immigrant Families:

Parent involvement is a robust predictor of academic achievement, but little is known about school- and home-based involvement in immigrant families. Drawing on ecological theories, the present study examined contextual characteristics as predictors of parent involvement among Afro-Caribbean and Latino parents of young students in urban public schools. Socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with lower home-based involvement. Several factors were associated with higher involvement, including parents’ connection to their culture of origin and to U.S. culture, engagement practices by teachers and parent–teacher ethnic consonance (for Latinos only). Findings have implications for promoting involvement among immigrant families of students in urban schools.
Using Transverse Patterns for All-Optical Switching

We observe that a transverse optical pattern changes orientation in the presence of an ultra-low-light-level beam. This switch displays transistor-like behavior.
Chronic treatment with a carbon monoxide releasing molecule reverses dietary induced obesity in mice.

ABSTRACTChronic, low level treatment with a carbon monoxide releasing molecule (CO-RM), CORM-A1, has been shown to prevent the development of obesity in response to a high fat diet. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that chronic, low level treatment with this CO-RM can reverse established obesity via a mechanism independent of food intake. Dietary induced obese mice were treated with CORM-A1, the inactive compound iCORM-A1, or saline every 48 hours for 30 weeks while maintained on a high fat (60%) diet. Chronic treatment with CORM-A1 resulted in a 33% decrease from initial body weight over the 30 week treatment period while treatment with iCORM and saline were associated with 18 and 25% gain in initial body weight over the same time frame. Chronic treatment with CORM-A1 did not affect food intake or activity but resulted in a significant increase in metabolism. CORM-A1 treatment also resulted in lower fasting blood glucose, improvement in insulin sensitivity and decreased heptatic ste...
Attachment to God moderates the relation between sociocultural pressure and eating disorder symptoms as mediated by emotional eating

Research suggests that secure attachment to God protects against eating disorder risk factors, but studies have not examined how attachment to God might moderate the effects of sociocultural pressure on eating disorder symptoms. Moreover, models testing moderation in combination with mediation by eating in response to negative emotions have not been tested. Questionnaires collected from 102 women (19–57 years) recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk were analysed. Participants had diverse religious affiliations and beliefs. Insecure-anxious attachment to God moderated the effect of sociocultural pressure on eating disorder symptoms; women with higher anxious attachment were more susceptible to the effects of sociocultural pressures. Eating in response to negative emotions mediated the relation between sociocultural pressure and eating disorder symptoms, and moderated mediation analyses revealed that participants with average or above-average levels of anxious God attachment had an increase in emotional ea...
Breakdown of the Kondo insulating state in SmB 6 by introducing Sm vacancies

SmB6 is a proposed topological Kondo insulator where the presence of topological nontriviality can be tuned by variations in the Sm valence. Experimentally, Sm valence can be changed by tuning stoichiometry of SmB6. We show that Raman scattering can detect vacancies lower than 1% of Sm sites in SmB6 crystal by probing the intensity of defect-induced scattering of the acoustic phonon branch at 10~meV. In the electronic Raman spectra of SmB6 at temperatures below 130~K, we observe features developing in A$_{1g}$ and E$_g$ symmetries at 100 and 41~meV which we assign to excitations between hybridized bands, and depressed spectral weight below 20~meV associated with the hybridization gap. With the increased number of Sm vacancies up to 1% we observe an increase of spectral weight below 20~meV showing that the gap is filling in with electronic states. For the sample with the lowest number of vacancies the in-gap exciton excitations with long lifetimes protected by hybridization gap are observed at 16-18~meV in E$_g$ and T$_{2g}$ symmetries. These excitations broaden as a decrease in the lifetime with increasing number of vacancies and are quenched by the presence of in-gap states at concentration of Sm vacancies of about 1%. Based on this study we suggest that only the most stoichiometric SmB6 samples have a bulk gap necessary for topological Kondo insulators.
History of Our Understanding of the Causes of Congenital Heart Disease

Because the dawning of the era in which interventions for congenital heart disease (CHD) became possible, the primary intellectual framework undergirding pediatric cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery has been based on morphology and hemodynamics (henceforth, the M/H model). This model has been wildly successful, enabling practitioners to devise creative interventions for even the most complex forms of CHD. Today, we are confronting new challenges as we have awakened to the realization that longer-term outcomes for CHD, both cardiac and extracardiac, are well below earlier expectations.1 Relying on the M/H model that has permitted us to discover the unnatural history of CHD, our field is bringing scientific rigor to examining those outcomes and developing interventions to improve them. Although this M/H model–based approach to improving outcomes is eminently reasonable, sole reliance on it is ultimately limiting. Use of a model based on causes might enable us to envision other therapies for CHD. For example, the principal risk associated with bicuspid aortic valve is valve calcification in later adulthood. Using the M/H model, we have attributed bicuspid aortic valve–associated valve calcification to hemodynamic stresses and used surveillance of valve function to determine the timing of surgical intervention. Operating under the causation model, it was discovered that a small percentage of patients with bicuspid aortic valve harbor NOTCH1 mutations, which are associated with early valve calcification.2 Aside from improving prognostication, the cause-based understanding of this form of bicuspid aortic valve suggests that therapies altering NOTCH signaling might prevent the deterioration of aortic valve function. The causation model once occupied a larger role among CHD thought leaders. This period preceded the development of heart surgery and catheterization, when the only viable route seemed to be preventative strategies. Early thinkers emphasized environmental factors and, less importantly, heredity. Today, we still point to those 2 …
A group of subject-verb agreements: finding quantity in group and number

This study characterizes the subject-verb agreement that occurs with group of NP and number of NP. These two complex noun phrases can agree with a verb as a singular or plural noun. These two particular items were selected as number of NP has a relatively firm description of its quantification behavior described in existing literature while group of NP has not been shown to have describable rules governing its quantity. Using data collected from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), 1200 concordance lines centered on group of and number of which agree with a verb in a clause were extracted for study of several co-occurring features. Individual features such as determiners and modifiers are examined with respect to their distribution with singular or plural-agreeing verbs to identify patterns of agreement and potentially indicate trends, if not causal relationships. Some features, such as determiners preceding the first noun number, show trends with respect to the verb-demonstrated quantity of the noun phrase. Other features, such as premodifiers on either noun in group of NP do not appear to co-occur in demonstrable patterns. By creating a description of quantification in this way, this study lays the foundation for more targeted future studies of quantification in cognition, grammar, and semantics.
Implications for the Thin-Film Densification of TiO2 from Carboxylic Acid-Modified Titanium Alkoxides. Syntheses, Characterizations, X-ray Structures of Ti3(μ3-O)(O2CH)2(ONep)8, Ti3(μ3-O)(O2CMe)2(ONep)8, Ti6(μ3-O)6(O2CCHMe2)6(ONep)6, [Ti(μ-O2CCMe3)(ONep)3]2, and Ti3(μ3-O)(O2CCH2CMe3)2(ONep)8 (ONep = OCH2CMe3)1

Carboxylic acid (HORc)-modified Ti(OR)4 products were used to study the effect that similarly ligated species with substantially varied structures have on the final densification of the resultant ceramic (in this case TiO2). The 1:1 stoichiometric products isolated from the reactions of [Ti(μ-ONep)(ONep)3]2 (1, ONep = OCH2CMe3) and a variety of sterically hindered carboxylic acids [HORc: HOFc (HO2CH), HOAc (HO2CCH3), HOPc (HO2CCHMe2), HOBc (HO2CCMe3), or HONc (HO2CCH2CMe3)] were identified by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and solid-state 13C MAS NMR spectroscopy as Ti3(μ3-O)(OFc)2(ONep)8 (2), Ti3(μ3-O)(OAc)2(ONep)8 (3), Ti6(μ3-O)6(OPc)6(ONep)6 (4), Ti2(μ-OBc)2(ONep)6 (5), and Ti3(μ3-O)(ONc)2(ONep)8 (6). Compounds 2, 3, and 6 adopt a triangular arrangement of Ti atoms linked by a μ3-oxide moiety with ORc and ONep ligands supporting the basic framework. Compound 4 adopts a distorted, hexagon-prism geometry of two offset [Ti−O−]3 rings with each six-coordinated metal possessing a terminal ONep and two mo...
A New Gas Turbine Combustor Alloy

A wrought, nickel-base superalloy based on the Ni-Cr-W system has been developed for applications in the hot section of gas turbine engines. The new alloy is solid solution strengthened and very thermally stable. It particularly resists the formation of detrimental intermetallic compounds and contains little or no cobalt. Various mechanical and oxidation properties of the new alloy were measured, and the microstructural features were characterized. These were compared with those for other solid solution strengthened, high-temperature alloys. A number of advantages of the new alloy are defined.© 1984 ASME
Resonance Raman Spectroscopy Reveals pH-Dependent Active Site Structural Changes of Lactoperoxidase Compound 0 and Its Ferryl Heme O−O Bond Cleavage Products

The first step in the enzymatic cycle of mammalian peroxidases, including lactoperoxidase (LPO), is binding of hydrogen peroxide to the ferric resting state to form a ferric-hydroperoxo intermediate designated as Compound 0, the residual proton temporarily associating with the distal pocket His109 residue. Upon delivery of this “stored” proton to the hydroperoxo fragment, it rapidly undergoes O–O bond cleavage, thereby thwarting efforts to trap it using rapid mixing methods. Fortunately, as shown herein, both the peroxo and the hydroperoxo (Compound 0) forms of LPO can be trapped by cryoradiolysis, with acquisition of their resonance Raman (rR) spectra now permitting structural characterization of their key Fe–O–O fragments. Studies were conducted under both acidic and alkaline conditions, revealing pH-dependent differences in relative populations of these intermediates. Furthermore, upon annealing, the low pH samples convert to two forms of a ferryl heme O–O bond-cleavage product, whose ν(Fe═O) frequenci...
Luminescence Properties of Ytterbium and Oxygen Coimplanted InP

In this work we report a systematic study of the effect of oxygen on ytterbium 4f- 4f emission by coimplanting Yb and O into InP. The PL spectra of InP: Yb and InP: (Yb+O) as a function of annealing temperature and duration were studied. In addition the photoluminescence and kinetic processes were investigated as a function of temperature and excitation intensity.The investigation shows that the codoped oxygen reduces drastically the Yb 3+ emissioon from SI and n-type InP:Yb under intrinsic excitation. The codoping of Yb and 0 may create a complex involving a Yb In and O p . This structured isoelectronic (Yb In - O p ) complex, may behave as a deep trap (or a deep donor) located approximately at the middle of bandgap. Exciton bound to such centers will not have sufficient energy to excite the core Yb 4f electrons by Auger direct energy transfer process.
The Information Paradox: Researching Health Service Information Systems Development

This paper is based on a 2008 chapter Shahtahmasebi, 2008 exploring the availability of information for public health policy purposes which argued its ineffectiveness to add insight and inform the process of policy development. Processes are dynamic by nature which politicians and professionals often neglect in addressing public health issues. The Chapter argued that whilst information is a major currency within health systems a lack of understanding of what constitutes information has disguised available data as small change. Since 2008, against a backdrop of reorganisations, restructuring, buzzwords, and coupled with the rapid advancement in technology the issues remain the same but are somewhat more complicated due to the feedback effect of dynamic processes. For example, a curious persistence of various governments with electronic health records has done nothing to address the gap in "information" or incompatibility in the information systems developed and managed by various care agencies. Furthermore, changing information to "intelligence" e.g. Public Health Intelligence Units or "observatories" to carry out similar tasks of reporting health outcomes using the same routine data will not solve the problem. This paper proposes a re-evaluation of the author's focus on informatics and suggests a move away from a technological "solution" based approach to a human behaviour-led approach that utilises the full potential of technologies to address important issues. To this end, this paper proposes a conceptual model to improve access, over and above clinical data, to health data.
Enhanced viability after in vitro fertilization of bovine oocytes matured in vitro with high concentrations of luteinizing hormone.

The purpose of this study was to better understand requirements for oocyte maturation to yield viable embryos after bovine in vitro fertilization (IVF). High proportions (95% to 100%) of cumulus-surrounded oocytes matured in vitro in all treatments, but subsequent development was enhanced after maturation with high concentrations of purified bovine luteinizing hormone (LH). Beneficial effects of undisturbed cumulus cells were demonstrated. Improved IVF followed insemination of cumulus-surrounded oocytes, but not denuded oocytes, after maturation with high LH (100 μ g/ml) versus low LH (10 μ g/ml), implicating cumulus cells in mediating hormonal enhancement. Oocytes matured with high LH resulted in embryos of superior viability, as reflected by cleavage to 4- to 8- cell stages. Pregnancy resulting from transcervical embryo transfer further documented embryonic viability. These findings should be useful in further development and implementation of reproductive and genetic technologies.
XII. Subfamily Arundinoideae Burmeist. (1837)

Perennials; caespitose, rhizomatous, or stoloniferous, tall and reed-like to minute and moss-like. Ligule membranous or a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence branches branched. Spikelets laterally compressed. Callus of flower pubescent. Style branches 2, generally free. Hilum short or long-linear. Epiblast absent, scutellar cleft present, mesocotyl internode elongated, embryonic leaf margins meeting or overlapping. Leaf epidermal papillae absent.
Distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates within two temporary ponds

We investigated the distributions of macroinvertebrates within two temporary ponds (Spring Peeper Pond and Taylor-Ochs Pond) in central Ohio and examined what environmental factors may be driving those distributions. We sampled macroinvertebrates in Spring Peeper Pond three times from May to July 2001, and Taylor-Ochs Pond two times from May to June 2001. Macroinvertebrate distributions were significantly aggregated on all sampling dates in both ponds. Bivalve abundance in Spring Peeper Pond was higher in shallower water. The distribution of bivalves in Taylor-Ochs Pond was not correlated with any variable we measured. Dragonfly nymph abundance in Taylor-Ochs Pond decreased between the first and second sampling dates, whereas in Spring Peeper Pond no factor examined was correlated with dragonfly nymph density. Snail densities in Spring Peeper Pond were negatively related to dissolved oxygen and depth. In Taylor-Ochs Pond, snail abundance was positively related to temperature. The densities of damselfly nymphs in Spring Peeper Pond were positively related to dissolved oxygen and depth and declined across the study. In Spring Peeper Pond, hemipteran densities were negatively related to depth and increased across the study. Damselfly nymphs and hemipterans were not common enough in Taylor-Ochs to analyze. In general, the abiotic and biotic factors we examined explained relatively little (<37% in all cases) of the within pond distribution of the macroinvertebrates in our two study ponds.
New Geographies of the American West: Land Use and the Changing Patterns of Place

Since World War II, increasing population growth and economic prosperity have dramatically changed urban, suburban, and rural land use patterns across the United States. Perhaps nowhere is this mor...
METHODS OF APPROACH FOR THE ISOLATION OF β-ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses methods of approach for the isolation of β-adrenergic receptors. The first goal and major problem in beginning to attempt to isolate a receptor for a hormone, for a neurotransmitter or for a drug is finding some means of recognizing and assaying for the receptor after the tissue has been disrupted. The use of snake venom toxins, such as α-bungarotoxin has provided the greatest impetus to the successful study and isolation of cholinergic receptors. It is also possible to isolate cholinergic receptors using reversible labels such as must be used in the case of β-adrenergic receptors. It is possible to postulate a number of guidelines which should be followed in the use of reversible ligands to isolate a given β-adrenergic receptor. Techniques such as differential and gradient centrifugation can be used to obtain a relatively highly enriched starting material. Approximately, 10-fold enrichment in cholinergic receptor protein was obtained by the use of differential centrifugation of a homogenate of Torpedo electric tissue. Thus, in a study of β-adrenergic receptors, the first step should probably be to try to obtain membrane fragments which are enriched in epinephrine sensitive adenylate cyclase.
CMCS: Current-Mode Clock Synthesis

In a high-performance VLSI design, the clock network consumes a significant amount of power. While most existing methodologies use voltage-mode (VM) signaling, these clock distributions lose a tremendous amount of dynamic power to charge/discharge the large global clock capacitance. New circuit approaches for current-mode (CM) clocking save significant clock power, but have been limited to only symmetric networks, while most application specific integrated circuits have asymmetric clock distributions. In this paper, we propose the first CM clock synthesis (CMCS) methodology to reduce the overall clock network power with low skew. The method can integrate with traditional clock routing followed by transmitter and receiver sizing. We validate the proposed methodology using ISPD 2009 and 2010 industrial benchmarks using an extracted SPICE model distributed in 1.4–275.6-mm2 area and consists of 81–2249 sinks. This methodology saves 39%–84% average power with similar skew on the benchmarks using 45-nm CMOS technology simulation of clock frequencies range from 1–3 GHz. In addition, the CMCS methodology takes $2.4-9.1\times $ less running time and consumes 20%–26% less transistor area compared with synthesized, buffered VM clock distributions.
Targeting Argonaute to chromatin

In many eukaryotes, siRNAs bound to Argonaute proteins guide chromatin-modifying enzymes to complementary loci, resulting in transcriptional gene silencing. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that siRNAs base-pair with longer RNAs produced at target loci, but the possibility that siRNAs base-pair directly with DNA remains an attractive hypothesis. In a recent study, Shimada et al. (pp. 2571-2580) conducted experiments that address these alternative hypotheses, yielding additional evidence that fission yeast siRNA-Argonaute silencing complexes are recruited to target loci exclusively via interactions with nascent transcripts.
A universal functional for the physical description of fatigue crack growth in high-cycle and low-cycle fatigue conditions and in various specimen geometries

Abstract A simple universal functional is shown here to correlate fatigue crack growth data of a wide variety of materials (metals, polymers), test conditions (high-cycle and low-cycle fatigue), and specimen configurations (tension and bending). The proposed functional is a power law that relates the normalized remaining ligament size to the normalized remaining fatigue life in a cyclically loaded specimen. The functional evolved from the idea that at any stage during fatigue, the remaining fraction of cycles required to fracture the specimen, completely, depends on the remaining fraction of section to be broken by the fatigue crack before that final fracture. More importantly, the surrogate form of the functional is shown to provide excellent descriptions of the raw crack-length-versus-cycles data in fatigue crack growth. The functional provides a new physical basis to characterize fatigue crack growth in materials and is promising for extensions in to more complicated fatigue loading conditions.
Measurement Error and Bias in Value-Added Models

By aggregating residual gain scores (the differences between each student's current score and a predicted score based on prior performance) for a school or a teacher, value-added models (VAMs) can be used to generate estimates of school or teacher effects. It is known that random errors in the prior scores will introduce bias into predictions of the current scores, and thereby, into the estimated residual gain scores and VAM scores. The analyses in this paper examine the origins of this bias and its potential impact and indicate that the bias is an increasing linear function of the student's prior achievement and can be quite large (e.g., half a true-score standard deviation) for very low-scoring and high-scoring students. To the extent that students with relatively low or high prior scores are clustered in particular classes and schools, the student-level bias will tend to generate bias in VAM estimates of teacher and school effects. Adjusting for this bias is possible, but it requires estimates of generalizability (or reliability) coefficients that are more accurate and precise than those that are generally available for standardized achievement tests.
Carleson measures and Douglas’ question on the Bergman space

Motivated by Douglas’ question about the invertibility of Toeplitz operators on the Hardy space, we study a related question concerning the Berezin transform and averaging function of a Carleson measure for the weighted Bergman space of the disc. As a consequence, we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for the invertibility of Toeplitz operators whose symbols are averaging functions of these Carleson measures.
Noise voltage analysis of spiral inductor for on-chip buck converter design

This paper investigates the impacts of capacitive and inductive parasitics in the floating spiral inductor design required for an on-chip buck converter. Inductor is the primary bottleneck of the on-chip implementation of the switching regulator. Since inductors require large chip area and exhibit various parasitic issues, inductors are normally implemented off-chip or fabricated as part of the package. This work focus on on-chip implementation of spiral inductor and the effect of capacitive and inductive coupling noise in the spiral inductor design. This paper also presents a solution to minimize the coupling noise voltage generated by the parasitic effects that will be dominant especially at higher frequency at which an on-chip voltage regulator is expected to perform very well. The operation and the efficiency of the on-chip buck converter would be affected seriously if the coupling noise cannot be mitigated.
Cardiorespiratory Responses to Pool Floor Walking in People Poststroke.

Abstract Objective To compare cardiorespiratory responses between pool floor walking and overground walking (OW) in people poststroke. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University-based therapeutic exercise facility. Participants Participants (N=28) were comprised of 14 community-dwelling individuals poststroke (5.57±3.57y poststroke) and 14 age- and sex-matched healthy adults (mean age, 58.00±15.51y; male/female ratio, 9:5). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures A telemetric metabolic system was used to collect cardiorespiratory variables, including oxygen consumption ( V ˙ o2), energy expenditure (EE), and expired volume per unit time ( V ˙ e), during 6-minute walking sessions in chest-depth water and on land at a matched speed, determined by average of maximum walking speed in water. Results Individuals poststroke elicited no significant differences in cardiorespiratory responses between pool floor walking and OW. However, healthy controls showed significant increases in mean V ˙ o2 values by 94%, EE values by 109%, and V ˙ e values by 94% (all P V ˙ o2, in which the control group increased V ˙ o2 from OW to pool floor walking, whereas the stroke group did not. Conclusions Our results indicate that people poststroke, unlike healthy adults, do not increase EE while walking in water compared with on land. Unlike stationary walking on an aquatic treadmill, forward locomotion during pool floor walking at faster speeds may have increased drag force, which requires greater EE from healthy adults. Without demanding excessive EE, walking in water may offer a naturally supportive environment for gait training in the early stages of rehabilitation.
Macrophage polarization and meta-inflammation

Chronic overnutrition and obesity induces low-grade inflammation throughout the body. Termed "meta-inflammation," this chronic state of inflammation is mediated by macrophages located within the colon, liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. A sentinel orchestrator of immune activity and homeostasis, macrophages adopt variable states of activation as a function of time and environmental cues. Meta-inflammation phenotypically skews these polarization states and has been linked to numerous metabolic disorders. The past decade has revealed several key regulators of macrophage polarization, including the signal transducer and activator of transcription family, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, the CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBP) family, and the interferon regulatory factors. Recent studies have also suggested that microRNAs and long noncoding RNA influence macrophage polarization. The pathogenic alteration of macrophage polarization in meta-inflammation is regulated by both extracellular and intracellular cues, resulting in distinct secretome profiles. Meta-inflammation-altered macrophage polarization has been linked to insulin insensitivity, atherosclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and autoimmunity. Thus, further mechanistic exploration into the skewing of macrophage polarization promises to have profound impacts on improving global health.
The Therapeutic Use of the Fairy Tale “The Buried Moon” to Inspire Hope in Caregivers and Their Clients

Fairy tales and myths can be used as therapeutic tools for caregivers—helping professionals such as counselors, therapists, clergy, social workers, and teachers. The universal themes and rich metaphors in these stories can be used to promote healing and encourage personal growth. This article utilizes a case study to illustrate how the British fairy tale “The Buried Moon” can be examined from a Jungian perspective and used to provide inspiration to both caregivers and the clients they serve.
Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus

This chapter provides an overview of the classification and description of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, its hosts, the key developments regarding the virus, and the diagnostic techniques and reagents. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus causes high fever, hyperemia, hemorrhages, and death in humans. It is a tick-transmitted disease, but nosocomial spread has been reported. The hosts that are infected by the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus include man, cattle, camels, sheep, goats, donkeys, pigs, hedgehogs, and hares. The cases of disease in man is so far restricted to the USSR, parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It has been suspected that the disease has spread by migratory birds from the USSR to other continents.
Well-differentiated thyroid cancer and robotic transaxillary surgery at a North American institution.

Abstract Background Recent studies from Asia have reported the safety and feasibility of robotic-assisted thyroid surgery. In the United States, several small series and case reports have been published, mostly regarding treatment of benign disease. The aim of our study is to report the safety and feasibility of robotic surgery for well-differentiated thyroid cancer patients at a North American institution. Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study using a prospectively collected single-center clinical database at Tulane University Medical Center. We included all well-differentiated thyroid cancer patients who underwent robotic-assisted or conventional cervical approach thyroid surgery with or without lymph node dissections at our institution from January 2015 to June 2017. Patient demographics and perioperative data were collected and analyzed. Results A total of 144 surgeries for thyroid cancer were performed; 35 (24.3%) were robotic-assisted. There were no significant differences in estimated blood loss, operative times, complication rates, specimen sizes, positive microscopic margins, number of lymph nodes removed with associated lymph node dissections, patient follow-up duration, or clinical recurrence rates between the two groups. Overall length of stay was shorter for robotic-assisted surgery, at 0.6 ± 0.9 d, versus 1.1 ± 1.2 d for conventional open surgery (P = 0.009). For robotic-assisted surgery, 19 patients (54.3%) were discharged on the day of procedure, and only one patient was admitted as inpatient to the hospital (2.9%). Conclusions Robot-assisted thyroid surgery is a safe, feasible, and oncologically sound approach for a select group of well-differentiated thyroid cancer patients. However, long-term studies are needed.
The difference between optimal and germane communities

Networks often exhibit community structure and there are many algorithms that have been proposed to detect the communities. Different sets of communities have different characteristics. Community finding algorithms that are designed to optimize a single statistic tend to detect communities with a narrow set of characteristics. In this paper, we present evidence for the differences in community characteristics. In addition, we present two new community finding algorithms that allow analysts to find community sets that are not only high quality but also germane to the characteristics that are desired.
Reconstructing Fragmented Gel Files Created by Model 377 DNA Sequencers

To our knowledge, the most widely used automated DNA sequencers are manufactured by PE Applied Biosystems (Foster City, CA, USA). Our laboratory uses Model 377 Sequencers equipped with the XL upgrade (i.e., collection software Version 2.0 and analysis software Version 3.0). Power transients, network noise, an excessively fragmented hard disk or other such incidents can cause a sequencer to prematurely stop data collection. If such an incident occurs, the most common practice used to salvage as much of the data as possible is simply to restart the data collection software. As a result of this maneuver, two (or more) gel files are created, each containing fragments of the data from the same DNA samples. In our laboratory, this situation occurred in an experiment in which a sample of pGEM labeled with Energy Transfer Dye Primers (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Piscataway, NY, USA) was run. The first of the gel file fragments created was 1624-scans-long, while the second was 6792-scans-long. Figure 1 shows the two electropherograms produced. Note that the first trace fragment (Figure 1A) is completely unusable, while the second (Figure 1B) has five base calls that deviate from the known sequence of pGEM (3). The errors are underlined in the figure. Note that PE Applied Biosystems sequencing analysis software calculates the base-spacing by averaging the peak-to-peak distance in the raw electropherogram between scans 1000 and 2000 relative to the location of the primer peak (2). Thus base-calling from fragmented gel files can be problematic if the analysis software attempts to use this criteria to evaluate base-spacing when the primer peak is not where the analysis software assumes it is. After application of a short C program, called GelWeld, one large gel file was reconstructed from the two gel-file fragments. Figure 2 shows the electropherogram extracted from the reconstructed gel file. Note that the three base-calling errors present in Figure 1B have been corrected. GelWeld works by manipulating the data storage architecture of the Macintosh computer (Apple Computer, Cupertino, CA, USA) in general and of PE Applied Biosystems gel files in particular, both of which have already been discussed elsewhere (1). Specifically, it copies the information resident in the data forks of both the fragment files over the data fork of a third “template” file. The original contents of the template file’s data fork are deleted in the process, so it is important to keep a backup copy of the template file before running GelWeld. GelWeld is available for download at: http://gestec. swmed.edu/gestec2.htm along with a complete set of instructions. A copy of the source code is also provided should
The Measurement of Global Carbon Monoxide Using the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)

One goal of the Earth Observing Systems (EOS) is to measure concentrations of key atmospheric gases on a global scale in order to understand biogeochemical cycles in both the natural, unpolluted atmosphere, and in regions where anthropogenic activities have perturbed the concentrations of gas-phase species. A particular concern in tropospheric chemistry is that increasing levels of carbon monoxide (CO) may lead to a decrease in atmospheric hydroxyl (OH), which would reduce the atmosphere’s ability to scavenge other trace gases.
Weight‐Loss Outcomes from a Pilot Study of African Dance in Older African Americans

Objective Obesity is a risk factor for both cognitive and physical impairment in late adulthood. Though the rates of obesity are high in many groups, older African Americans are disproportionately affected. A randomized pilot intervention of African Dance was conducted with 28 African American older adults with obesity (mean age = 68.4 ± 5.1 years; mean BMI = 33.4 ± 6.2). The goal of the study was to evaluate the physiological outcomes of a culturally sensitive exercise intervention and specifically changes in weight. Methods Participants were randomly assigned to an African Dance (experimental) or Culture Education (control) group. They attended their assigned class for 1 hour per session, 3 days per week, for 6 months. Results There was a significant group × time interaction on weight (P = 0.005) such that the African Dance group lost weight (mean = 4.0 ± 6.0 lb) while the Culture Education group gained weight (mean = 2.6 ± 3.9 lb). Conclusions These results suggest that a culturally sensitive form of physical activity, African Dance, may be effective for promoting weight loss in a population at increased risk for obesity and cognitive decline.
Characterization of a novel intratracheal aerosol challenge model of Brucella melitensis in guinea pigs

B. melitensis is considered the most virulent of the Brucella species, and a need exists for an improved laboratory animal model of infection that mimics natural transmission and disease. Guinea pigs are highly susceptible to infection with Brucella spp. and develop a disease syndrome that mimics natural disease after aerosol inoculation. Intratracheal inoculation is a targeted means of generating aerosols that offer advantages over aerosol chamber delivery. To establish this delivery method, female, Hartley guinea pigs were infected via intratracheal inoculation with PBS or 16M B. melitensis at low dose (101 to 103) or high dose (106 to 108) and monitored for 30 days for signs of disease. Guinea pigs in the high dose groups developed fever between 12-17 days post-inoculation. Bacteria were recovered from the spleen, liver, lymph nodes, lung, and uterus at 30-days post-inoculation and demonstrated dose dependent mean increases in colonization and pathologic changes consistent with human brucellosis. To study the kinetics of extrapulmonary dissemination, guinea pigs were inoculated with 107 CFU and euthanized at 2-hours post inoculation and at weekly intervals for 3 weeks. 5.8x105 to 4.2x106 CFU were recovered from the lung 2 hours post-inoculation indicating intratracheal inoculation is an efficient means of infecting guinea pigs. Starting at 1-week post inoculation bacteria were recovered from the aforementioned organs with time dependent mean increases in colonization. This data demonstrates that guinea pigs develop a disease syndrome that models the human manifestation of brucellosis, which makes the guinea pig a valuable model for pathogenesis studies.