cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of crystal properties of TmP/GaAs and GaAs/TmP/GaAs heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Single-crystal thulium phosphide (TmP) was grown heteroepitaxially on (001) GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy with the orientation relationship [100]TmP//[100]GaAs and {001}TmP//{001}GaAs. The crystal properties and the defects in TmP/GaAs, GaAs/TmP/GaAs heterostructure were characterized through x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. TmP was found to have a huge difference in thermal expansion coefficient compared GaAs, which produced high tensile residual stress and may result in the formation of defects. The major defects in the top GaAs layer are stacking faults or microtwins, and they directly correlated with the islandlike surface morphology of the GaAs overlayer. The composition profiles of the TmP/GaAs heterostructure were measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The reason for surface segregation of Tm and Ga atoms is discussed and is primarily due to their higher diffusion coefficient near the surface as compared to that in the TmP epilayer bulk. The thermally stable characters of the TmP/GaAs heterostructures allow them to be promising candidates in various device applications.
The MR: a Meteorological Data Sensing, Recording and Telemetering Package for Use on Moored Buoys

Abstract A new meteorological sensing, recording, and telemetering package based on digital data processing techniques has been developed for long-term (6-month) deployments on surface buoys moored in the ocean. Data are recorded on magnetic cassette tapes and telemetered via satellite and Service Argos. Sensors for measuring vector-averaged wind speed and direction, air and water temperature relative humidity, solar radiation, and barometric pressure were selected for accuracy and reliability. Except for relative humidity, performance of the sensors has been excellent. Results of ship-to-buoy comparisons of wind speed and air temperature sensors show agreement within the basic ship sensor accuracies, i.e., 0.1 m s−1 and 0.4°C.
Through-focus image balancing of alternating phase-shifting masks

Image imbalance refers to the phenomenon that printed image sizes are different between etched and unetched openings if the effective phase and transmission of an alternating phase shifting mask (PSM) are not ideal. The root cause of the phenomenon is the presence of a 0-th diffraction order. When the 0-th order interacts with plus or minus 1 orders, depending on location, it constructively or destructively interferes with the ideal sinusoidal fields generated by the plus or minus 1 orders, causing aerial image difference between the etched and unetched openings. Furthermore, the image imbalance affect changes through focus because optical path length of the 0-th order differs from that of the plus or minus order. An analytical solution of the aerial image has been derived to quantitatively understand the phenomenon. It can be shown that the contributions of phase error and transmission error are orthogonal, thus both errors must be eliminated to eliminate the 0-th diffraction order. The biased etchback approach proposed by Ferguson et al. has been shown to be effective in correcting transmission errors. Detailed implementation of the technique are explored in this presentation. The technique consists of multiple steps of uniform wet etch coupled with aerial image measurements after each etch step. After transmission error is corrected, a phase trimming process may be necessary to improve through-focus image balance.
SIMULATION OF MOTION OF AN ELECTROMAGNETICALLY LEVITATED SPHERE

This paper studies the vibrator vertical motion of a metallic sphere placed in a time-varying magnetic field. The magnetic field is produced by a set of coaxial loops carrying high-frequency electric currents. A mathematical model for the motion of the sphere is developed and examined via numerical simulations for various materials and magnetic field parameters. The contribution of this paper is the development of the levitation force as a function of the specimen velocity.
Off-shell amplitudes in two-dimensional open string field theory.

In this article we present an explicit procedure for the regularization of tree level amplitudes involving discrete states, using open string field theory. We show that there is a natural correspondence between the discrete states and off-shell states, later acting as a regularized version of the former. A general off-shell state corresponds to several physical states. In order to obtain the well-defined [ital S] matrix elements one has to choose representatives close but not equal to the desired values of external momenta. The procedure renders finite all four-point amplitudes with an even number of (naively) divergent channels even after the regularization is removed. The rest of the amplitudes can be defined by means of such regularization.
The uncoupling agent 2,4-dinitrophenol improves mitochondrial homeostasis following striatal quinolinic acid injections.

It is now generally accepted that excitotoxic cell death involves bioenergetic failure resulting from the cycling of Ca2+ and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by mitochondria. Both Ca2+ cycling and ROS formation by mitochondria are dependent on the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) that results from the proton gradient that is generated across the inner membrane. Mitochondrial uncoupling refers to a condition in which protons cross the inner membrane back into the matrix while bypassing the ATP synthase. As a consequence of this "short-circuit," there is a reduction in Δψm. We have previously demonstrated that animals treated with the classic uncoupling agent 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) show significant protection against brain damage following striatal injections of the NMDA agonist quinolinic acid (QA). In an effort to elucidate the mechanism of neuroprotection, we have assessed the effects of DNP on several parameters of mitochondrial function caused by QA. The results presented herein ...
Hunting In The Borderlands ( For Oleg Grabar)

In an article now three decades old, I suggested that the Paintings of the Hall of Justice of the Alhambra used Arthurian iconography as part of a fashionable admiration for Gothic style and the language of chivalry in the Nasrid court, one which was subverted by the polarizing imagery of a Muslim and a Christian fighting. However, I failed at the time to take into full account the extraordinary hunting cycle of the Hall of Justice paintings, discrete groups of hunters and their prey that were interspersed with surprising episodes from romance narratives. These images picture Christians and Muslims as polarized and opposed. In fact, I believe it is in these very images of domination and apparent differentiation that a deep interconnectedness can be found. This study uses the painting cycle from the Hall of Justice of the Alhambra as a means of exploring, not just common styles and motives, but artistic meanings that were held in common between courts. In particular, hunting as an attribute of lordship and sovereignty is key here, in a world in which relationships between Nasrids and Castilians were still largely feudal and many meanings shared, allying the parties we once supposed to be 'other.' There, hunting as iconographic shorthand for ownership of the land appears in surprising and deflected ways. Through a discussion of the Palace of Pedro I at the Alcazar of Seville, contemporary literary evocations of the courtly tradition and of the practice and meaning of the hunt, as these were known on the Iberian peninsula, and the exploration of narrative and emblematic languages of form, I hope to reveal an imagery which suggests domination but masks a complicit, symbiotic interaction. Hunting imagery becomes the means by which both Nasrids and Castilians act out a ceremonial opposition to another with whom they are socially and culturally intertwined.
Multislice computed tomography after left main drug-eluting stenting: are we putting the cart before the horse?

Coronary stenting has become the dominant therapy for patients referred for coronary revascularization. Because of their documented efficacy in reducing in-stent restenosis (ISR),1–3 drug-eluting stents (DES) are used for this purpose in most percutaneous revascularization procedures. Although intended primarily for use in native, de novo stenoses in coronary vessels 2.5 to 3.5 mm in diameter, DES currently are implanted in a diverse array of patients and lesions, including total occlusions, large and small vessels, acute myocardial infarction, and saphenous vein grafts, despite the absence of convincing trial efficacy data in some of these circumstances. Article p 645 Despite the growing perception by cardiac interventionalists of their ability to percutaneously address increasingly complex patient subsets, the diseased left main coronary artery (LM) generally has been regarded as the exclusive purview of the cardiac surgeon. This rationale has centered around older trials documenting enhanced survival and reduced symptoms in surgically treated symptomatic patients with LM disease compared with patients randomized to medical therapy, which generally did not include percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).4 Surgical referral of symptomatic patients with LM disease was subsequently corroborated by results from interventional studies in the balloon angioplasty and bare metal stenting eras.5,6 Retrospective analysis of data from the Unprotected Left Main Trunk Investigation Multicenter Assessment (ULTIMA) registry suggested that unprotected LM stenting might be successfully performed if guided by a simple patient risk stratification, limiting treatment to younger individuals not exhibiting shock who have relatively preserved left ventricular systolic function.6 Given the deliverability and low restenosis rates of currently available DES, the plausibility of percutaneous therapy targeting unprotected LM stenoses has resurfaced and has initially been addressed in a series of single-center reports and collected registries, most of which suggest improved outcomes compared with bare metal stents7,8 and acceptable results when contrasted …
Genomic Tics in Tourette Syndrome

1 I t is a striking observation that studies of copy number variation (CNV) in neurodevelopmental phenotypes continue to report an excess of rare variants in case populations. This astonishing esult has been observed and replicated in studies of intellectual isability (1), autism (2), schizophrenia (3), and epilepsy (4). In a tudy published this month in Biological Psychiatry, Tourette synrome (TS) is now added to this growing list (5). In their newly published study, Fernandez et al. (5) found a 2.45-fold excess of de novo CNV in cases compared with controls. They also found that these CNVs are larger and affect more genes than de novo events present in controls. Although these results are not statistically significant, owing to the small sample size under study, this trend is similar to what has been seen for other neurodevelopmental phenotypes, including autism. Additionally, TS case CNVs are enriched for autism candidate genes, such as contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2), fragile histidine triad protein (FHIT), and astrotactin 2 (ASTN2). This result does reach statistical significance, suggesting that there is a shared pathway between TS and autism. The shared-pathway hypothesis is supported by a prior report of a neuroligin 4 (NLGN4) deletion discovered in an autistic proband. In this pedigree, a brother of the autistic proband who shares the NLGN4 deletion has TS (6). One interpretation of these data is that inherited susceptibility alleles give rise to a core neurobiological insult that could result in any of a range of phenotypes. Current evidence suggests that this range includes both TS and autism, with environmental influences or modifier genes mediating the specific phenotypic manifestation. These intriguing hypotheses will require additional investigation in larger cohorts of TS patients. The authors chose to explore the qualitative nature of genes affected by rare CNV in their TS cases, using well-known methods to identify biological pathways or processes that might be commonly affected in their TS cases. They find evidence for involvement of the histamine receptor-signaling pathway. This dovetails with prior work of these authors, in which they investigated a Mendelian form of TS. In a pedigree with nine affected individuals, in which TS is segregating in a dominant fashion, linkage analysis, and subsequent sequencing of all genes in the linkage interval identified a rare stop codon mutation in the gene for L-histidine decarboxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in histamine production (7). The authors showed that this mutation led to a decrease in both enzyme activity and histamine concentration, suggesting that a decrease in histamine transmission may underlie some forms of TS. In a very recent case report of an adult male with TS and narcolepsy, a pharmacologic intervention was tailored based on the results of the pedigree analysis discussed above. The patient had been treated with various agents, and although some were successful in treating his narcolepsy, they simultaneously in-
EPOXIDATION OF 4-VINYLCYCLOHEXENE BY HUMAN HEPATIC MICROSOMES

Carcinogenicity studies have shown that chronic administration of 4-vinylcyclohexene (VCH) will induce ovarian tumors in B6C3F1 mice but not F-344 rats. This occurs because the blood level of the ovotoxic VCH metabolite, VCH-1,2-epoxide, is dramatically higher in VCH-treated female mice compared with rats. This species difference in VCH epoxidation is also reflected in the rate of VCH metabolism by hepatic microsomes (female mouse greater than female rat). The present study assessed the ability of microsomes obtained from human liver to metabolize VCH to epoxides since humans are exposed to VCH in certain occupational settings. The production of VCH-1,2-epoxide and VCH-7,8-epoxide from VCH (1 mM) by human hepatic microsomes was linear with respect to microsomal protein concentration (0.25-1.0 mg/ml) and incubation time (5-20 min). VCH-1,2-epoxide was the major metabolite, while the rate VCH-7,8-epoxide formation was about 6-fold lower and in some cases was below the limit of detection. There was no dramatic difference in the rate of VCH epoxidation by hepatic microsomes obtained from male and female humans. The rate of VCH-1,2-epoxide formation by female human hepatic microsomes was 0.71 +/- 0.35 nmol/mg microsomal protein/min (n = 4). This is 13- and 2-fold lower than the rate of VCH-1,2-epoxide formation by female mouse and rat hepatic microsomes, respectively. Therefore, if the rate of hepatic VCH epoxidation is the main factor which determines the ovotoxicity of VCH, then the results of these studies suggest that rats are the more appropriate animal model for extrapolation of animal data to humans.
AIEE in electrical engineering education — Yesterday or tomorrow?

A discussion of some of the major problems and opportunities in engineering education facing the Institute. A new operating group or National Division, allied with the Education Committee, is urged to draw into activity the many willing members for whom there is no place within the present scope of the Education Committee.
A Full Kinematic Model of Thread-Starting for Assembly Automation Analysis

This work addresses the geometry of threaded fastener insertion at a detailed level in order to determine the nature of contact between a bolt and nut during the initial phases of thread mating. The assembly problem was modeled as a constrained three-dimensional analysis to gain an understanding about how contacts between the bolt and nut change during the thread starting counterclockwise motion. We introduce a fully detailed thread profile model which is parametrically adaptable to all practical thread forms. From this geometric representation, we derive contact state maps graphically represented as axial discs. From these maps we show the phase relationship of the bolt and nut in the critical thread-starting process. This model is based on the premise that an unspecified active or passive device will be employed for correcting alignment errors. The model serves to visualize the contact conditions which could lead to wedging and jamming events, and provides one component for such analyses.
Short communication: effect of temporary glycosuria on molasses consumption in Holstein calves.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of experimentally increased glucose demand on voluntary consumption of molasses by dairy calves. Three-weekold calves received 0.365 g of phlorizin by s.c. injection. Urinary output and molasses consumption were measured hourly, and urinary glucose concentration was screened. Molasses consumption for the 24 h after treatment was (mean ± SE) 72.0 g (±7) for the control group and 142 g (±1) for the phlorizin-treated group. Urinary output for the 8-h test period was 1.13 kg for the control group and 1.67 kg for the phlorizin-treated calves. Mean urinary glucose peaked at 10 g/L by 4 h after treatment for calves given phlorizin, whereas the concentration for the control group remained close to 0 g/L. Phlorizin treatment increased voluntary consumption of molasses in 3-wk-old Holstein calves.
Does immunity vary with population density in wild populations of Mormon crickets

Background: Parasite transmission rate often increases with population density, and selection is expected to favour individuals that differentially allocate immune resources according to future population density (density-dependent prophylaxis). Laboratory studies uphold these predictions, but field studies sometimes contradict them. Question: Do wild populations of Mormon crickets show density-dependent prophylaxis? Organisms: Cryptically coloured low-density, and darkly melanized high-density, populations of Mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex). Methods: Over 2 years, we assessed two measures of immunity, encapsulation ability and lysozyme activity, in populations with known genetic relationships. Results: Individuals from consistently high-density populations showed greater immune responses. Increases in each immune parameter were positively associated with cuticular melanization. Despite the broad correspondence between high population density and increased immunity, immune variation in wild Mormon crickets appears to be predominated by population-level effects, as opposed to the short-term flexibility in immunity expected under a conventional interpretation of density-dependent prophylaxis.
Shock-wave structure and intermolecular collision laws

The nonlinear Boltzmann equation has been solved for shock waves in a Max-wellian gas for eight upstream Mach numbers M1 ranging from 1·1 to 10. The numerical solutions were obtained by using Nordsieck's method, which was revised for use with the differential cross-section corresponding to an intermolecular force potential following an inverse fifth-power law. The accuracy of the calculations of microscopic and macroscopic properties for this collision law is comparable with that for elastic spheres published earlier (Hicks, Yen & Reilly 1972).We have made comparisons of the detailed characteristics of the internal shock structure in a Maxwellian gas with those in a gas of elastic spheres. The purpose of this comparative study is to find the shock properties that are sensitive as well as those which are insensitive to the change in collision law and to find effective ways to study them.The variation of thermodynamic and transport properties of interest with respect to density and to each other was found to depend only weakly on the change in collision law. The principal effect on the macroscopic shock structure due to the change in intermolecular potential is in the spatial variation of the macroscopic properties. The spatial variation of macroscopic properties may be determined accurately from the corresponding moments of the collision integral, especially in the upstream and downstream wings of the shock wave. The results for the velocity distribution function exhibit the microscopic shock characteristics influenced by a difference in intermolecular collisions, in particular the departure from equilibrium in the upstream wing of the shock and the relaxation towards equilibrium in the downstream wing. The departure of several characteristics of weak shock waves from those of the Chapman-Enskog linearized theory and the Navier-Stokes shock is also insensitive to the change in collision law. The deviation of the half-width of the function ∫fdvyduz from the Chapman-Enskog first iterate at M1 = 1·59 is in agreement with an experiment (Muntz & Harnett 1969).
Identification of Medically Actionable Secondary Findings in the 1000 Genomes

The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) recommends that clinical sequencing laboratories return secondary findings in 56 genes associated with medically actionable conditions. Our goal was to apply a systematic, stringent approach consistent with clinical standards to estimate the prevalence of pathogenic variants associated with such conditions using a diverse sequencing reference sample. Candidate variants in the 56 ACMG genes were selected from Phase 1 of the 1000 Genomes dataset, which contains sequencing information on 1,092 unrelated individuals from across the world. These variants were filtered using the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) Professional version and defined parameters, appraised through literature review, and examined by a clinical laboratory specialist and expert physician. Over 70,000 genetic variants were extracted from the 56 genes, and filtering identified 237 variants annotated as disease causing by HGMD Professional. Literature review and expert evaluation determined that 7 of these variants were pathogenic or likely pathogenic. Furthermore, 5 additional truncating variants not listed as disease causing in HGMD Professional were identified as likely pathogenic. These 12 secondary findings are associated with diseases that could inform medical follow-up, including cancer predisposition syndromes, cardiac conditions, and familial hypercholesterolemia. The majority of the identified medically actionable findings were in individuals from the European (5/379) and Americas (4/181) ancestry groups, with fewer findings in Asian (2/286) and African (1/246) ancestry groups. Our results suggest that medically relevant secondary findings can be identified in approximately 1% (12/1092) of individuals in a diverse reference sample. As clinical sequencing laboratories continue to implement the ACMG recommendations, our results highlight that at least a small number of potentially important secondary findings can be selected for return. Our results also confirm that understudied populations will not reap proportionate benefits of genomic medicine, highlighting the need for continued research efforts on genetic diseases in these populations.
New methods of representing terrain

The present paper is a preliminary report on work being carried out at Princeton. The methods of representation constitute an offshoot of work on the general problem of surveying with photographs from aeroplanes, with which the author has been engaged over a number of years. The general method of air-survey, as at present practiced, consists in setting up pairs of overlapping photographs from aeroplanes in such a way that a stereoscopic image of the terrain, to known scale and orientation, is produced, and then securing measurements, etc., of this image. In ordinary practice this results in a topographical map of the usual type. The writer has been working on a variation of this procedure in which a three-dimensional carving, or relief-map, of the terrain is produced, having any desired relation of vertical and horizontal scales. The carving, or a replica of the carving, is then photographically sensitized, returned to position beneath the projectors casting the plastic image, and exposed, the result being a photographic relief-map free from parallactic distortion. (A model of this type was exhibited at the meeting.)
Associative symmetry in the pigeon after successive matching-to-sample training.

If an organism is explicitly taught an A→B association, then might it also spontaneously learn the symmetrical B→A association? Little evidence attests to such “associative symmetry” in nonhuman animals. We report for the first time a clear case of associative symmetry in the pigeon. Experiment 1 used a successive go/no go matching-to-sample procedure, which showed all of the training and testing stimuli in one location and intermixed arbitrary and identity matching trials. We found symmetrical responding that was as robust during testing (B→A) as during training (A→B). In Experiment 2, we trained different pigeons using only arbitrary matching trials before symmetry testing. No symmetrical responding was found. In Experiment 3, we trained other pigeons with only arbitrary matching trials and then tested for symmetry. When these pigeons, too, did not exhibit symmetrical responding, we retrained them with intermixed identity and arbitrary matching trials. Less robust symmetrical responding was obtained here than in Experiment 1. Collectively, these results suggest that identity matching may have to be learned concurrently with arbitrary matching from the outset of training for symmetry to emerge.
Stable Isotopes: Origins and Safety

Fundamental studies of the atomic elements in the first quarter of the 20th century resulted in the recognition of the isotopes of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and finally hydrogen. The unique character of a hydrogen isotope led quickly to its enrichment, to the investigation of its biologic effects, and ultimately to its use as a tracer in biologic transformations. As a tracer, deuterium provided a totally new appreciation of the living organism: as one in constant flux. Together with 15N, 13C, and 18O, the foundation of modern biochemistry was laid. The milestones in stable isotope history, their architects and their impact on the research of that time are reviewed.
Quality assurance/utilization review as a practice option: the influence of a residency program.

The author examines the concept of a Quality As surance/Utilization Review residency program from the perspective of a program director in an estab lished specialty. Quality Assurance/Utilization Re view could develop into a specialty that is oriented heavily toward administration. In order to maintain a more appropriate orientation toward clinical med icine, the specialty must develop into an attractive practice option for the graduating medical student.
A model-based approach to multi-modal mass tuning of a micro-scale resonator

The signal-to-noise ratio of axisymmetric vibratory gyroscopes is maximized when a pair of coriolis-coupled modes resonate at the same frequency. The manufacturing process of micro-scale resonators creates random minute mass and stiffness asymmetries that cause the natural frequencies of these modes to deviate from one another, thereby degrading sensor performance. One method of “tuning” these modal frequencies to equality involves using electrostatic forces to selectively soften the stiffness at points in the resonant structure. This generally requires large volume electronics that are incompatible with application requirements common to these sensors. Alternatively, modal frequency tuning by mass perturbation of the resonator is a promising approach because it is permanent and requires no ancillary electronics. In this paper, a novel micro-scale resonator is presented which lends itself to mass perturbation experiments. A resonator model, based on empirical frequency response data, is used to guide the mass perturbation process and demonstrates how multiple pairs of modes can be tuned.
Prediction of both conserved and nonconserved microRNA targets in animals

Motivation: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in many diverse biological processes and they may potentially regulate the functions of thousands of genes. However, one major issue in miRNA studies is the lack of bioinformatics programs to accurately predict miRNA targets. Animal miRNAs have limited sequence complementarity to their gene targets, which makes it challenging to build target prediction models with high specificity. Results: Here we present a new miRNA target prediction program based on support vector machines (SVMs) and a large microarray training dataset. By systematically analyzing public microarray data, we have identified statistically significant features that are important to target downregulation. Heterogeneous prediction features have been non-linearly integrated in an SVM machine learning framework for the training of our target prediction model, MirTarget2. About half of the predicted miRNA target sites in human are not conserved in other organisms. Our prediction algorithm has been validated with independent experimental data for its improved performance on predicting a large number of miRNA down-regulated gene targets. Availability: All the predicted targets were imported into an online database miRDB, which is freely accessible at http://mirdb.org. Contact: xwang@radonc.wustl.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Qualitative properties of α-weighted scheduling policies

We consider a switched network, a fairly general constrained queueing network model that has been used successfully to model the detailed packet-level dynamics in communication networks, such as input-queued switches and wireless networks. The main operational issue in this model is that of deciding which queues to serve, subject to certain constraints.In this paper, we study qualitative performance properties of the well known α-weighted scheduling policies. The stability, in the sense of positive recurrence, of these policies has been well understood. We establish exponential upper bounds on the tail of the steady-state distribution of the backlog.Along the way, we prove finiteness of the expected steady-state backlog when α
Noradrenergic mechanisms in γ-hydroxybutyrate-induced seizure activity

Abstract The electroencephalographic (EEG) response of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-treated and control rats to γ-butyrolactone (GBL) the prodrug of γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), was determined. Neonatal treatment with 6-OHDA produced a significant reduction of noradrenaline in cortex and hippocampus while sparing noradrenaline in the hypothalamus. Brain dopamine was unaffected. The electrographic seizure produced by GBL was significantly prolonged and more severe in the 6-OHDA-treated animals. That portion of the hypersynchronous seizure induced by GBL which is pharmacologically sensitive to antipetit mal anticonvulsants, Stage 1, was however shortened in the 6-OHDA-treated animals. Reduction of forebrain noradrenaline seems to have a complex effect on GBL-induced seizure in that it results in a reduction of hypersynchronous EEG activity but in a prolongation of the more severe EEG changes of burst suppression normally seen with higher doses of GBL.
Quantifying the effects of mutations on receptor binding specificity of influenza viruses

Hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza viruses is a cylindrically shaped homotrimer, where each monomer comprises two disulfide-linked subdomains HA1 and HA2. Influenza infection is initiated by binding of HA1 to its host cell receptors and followed by the fusion between viral and host endosomal membranes mediated by HA2. Human influenza viruses preferentially bind to sialic acid that is linked to galactose by an α2,6-linkage (α2,6), whereas avian and swine influenza viruses preferentially recognize α2,3 or α 2,3/α2,6. For animal influenza viruses to cross host species barriers, their HA proteins must acquire mutations to gain the capacity to allow human-to-human transmission. In this study, the informational spectrum method (ISM), a bioinformatics approach, was applied to identify mutations and to elucidate the contribution to the receptor binding specificity from each mutation in HA1 in various subtypes within or between hosts, including 2009 human H1N1, avian H5N1, human H5N1, avian H1N1, and swine H1N2. Among others, our quantitative analysis indicated that the mutations in HA1 of 2009 human H1N1 collectively tended to reduce the swine binding affinity in the seasonal H1N1 strains and to increase that in the pandemic H1N1 strains. At the same time, they increased the human binding affinity in the pandemic H1N1 strains and had little impact on that in the seasonal H1N1 strains. The mutations between the consensus HA1 sequences of human H5N1 and avian H5N1 increased the avian binding affinity and decreased the human binding affinity in avian H5N1 while produced the opposite effects on those in human H5N1. Finally, the ISM was employed to analyze and verify several mutations in HA1 well known for their critical roles in binding specificity switch, including E190D/G225D in H1N1 and Q192R/ S223L/ Q226L/ G228S in H5N1.
Real-time video communication improves provider performance in a simulated neonatal resuscitation

Abstract Aim To determine if a real-time audiovisual link with a neonatologist, termed video-assisted resuscitation or VAR, improves provider performance during a simulated neonatal resuscitation scenario. Methods Using high-fidelity simulation, 46 study participants were presented with a neonatal resuscitation scenario. The control group performed independently, while the intervention group utilized VAR. Time to effective ventilation was compared using Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Providers' use of the corrective steps for ineffective ventilation per the NRP algorithm was compared using Cochran–Armitage trend tests. Results The time needed to establish effective ventilation was significantly reduced in the intervention group when compared to the control group (mean time 2min 42s versus 4min 11s, p In the setting of ineffective ventilation, only 35% of control subjects used three or more of the first five corrective steps and none of them used all five steps. Providers in the control group most frequently neglected to open the mouth and increase positive pressure. In contrast, all of those in the intervention group used all of the first five corrective steps, p All participants in the control group decided to intubate the infant to establish effective ventilation, compared to none in the intervention group, p Conclusion Using VAR during a simulated neonatal resuscitation scenario significantly reduces the time to establish effective ventilation and improves provider adherence to NRP guidelines. This technology may be a means for regional centers to support local providers during a neonatal emergency to improve patient safety and improve neonatal outcomes.
Adaptive behavioral control of collaborative robots in hazardous environments

Terrain exploration carries with it significant hazards. Robots attempting to map a piece of unknown terrain must be able to make decisions and react appropriately to dynamic and potentially hostile conditions. However, because of constraints on size and cost, robots may have limited ability to store and process necessary information. In addition, knowledge discovered by others may be difficult to share. This paper proposes a system using a powerful master controller, operating from a safe environment, directing the movements of numerous robots exploring a piece of terrain. The master controller processes the information from the robots, updates the decision process and distributes these updates back to the robots. This process allows for a cooperative, effective search environment while also maintaining a small processing footprint. It also allows the robot to employ adaptive, subsumptive behavioral modification as new information is made available. A test simulation of a hazardous environment demonstrates that even robots with little intrinsic intelligence can learn complex behaviors in order to reach their goal.
TEMPORAL SEQUENCE OF EYE FIXATIONS IN THE ORIENTING RESPONSE OF INFANT CHIMPANZEES.

Eye fixations upon a visual stimulus are maximal immediately after the presentation of the stimulus, and they decline regularly during the following minute. Five infant chimpanzees were used in three experiments to test the hypothesis that the character of a stimulus affects the level, but not the shape of the eye fixations curve. In each experiment, stimuli were presented for 1 min., and the durations of each fixation and the periods between fixations were recorded. In the first experiment, the stimuli were lights flickering at 10, 30, 60, and 90 flashes per second. In the second experiment, lights of three different intensities were used, and in the last experiment, discs rotating at 0, 30, and 60 rpm were the stimuli. The main hypothesis was supported. The results also indicated that the decreasing curve in eye fixations was partly a function of an initial fixation occurring immediately after the presentation of the stimulus and partly due to a reduction in duration and concentration of fixations in su...
Ground States of Degenerate Quasilinear Equations

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the ground states of degenerate quasilinear equations. In 1989, Chipot and Weissler introduced the interesting quasilinear elliptic equation and in particular obtained the existence of ground states when the parameter values p and q satisfy. Their study of ground states for (I) was extended to arbitrary exponents p > 0 and q > 0 in a recent paper of the present authors. The chapter obtains the existence of ground states for equation (I), in the supercritical case. Because (I) m has a radially symmetric structure, one can seek in particular the existence of radial ground states. In addition, the chapter also discusses the non-existence of ground states.
Diagnostic Interviewing for Psychophysiological Disorders

Psychophysiological disorders bring many clients to their first interaction with mental health professionals—the diagnostic interview. More than for any subsequent interaction, the client is filled with trepidation, worrying about being labeled crazy, thereby forfeiting rights to serious medical evaluation in the future. The novice mental health professional may be filled with concern over blundering in front of a new client, and there is the potential of misdiagnosing the problem. The experienced mental health professional, however, often finds it a rewarding experience; sensitive detective work, deductive reasoning skills, and hypothesis testing can fit pieces of a complex puzzle into a comprehensive pattern.
Candidate Antimetastasis Drugs Suppress the Metastatic Capacity of Breast Cancer Cells by Reducing Membrane Fluidity

Despite the high mortality from metastatic cancer, therapeutic targets to prevent metastasis are limited. Efforts to identify genetic aberrations that predispose tumors to metastasis have been mostly unsuccessful. To understand the nature of candidate targets for metastatic disease, we performed an in silico screen to identify drugs that can inhibit a gene expression signature associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Compounds discovered through this method, including those previously identified, appeared to restrict metastatic capacity through a common mechanism, the ability to modulate the fluidity of cell membranes. Treatment of breast cancer cell lines with the putative antimetastasis agents reduced membrane fluidity, resulting in decreased cell motility, stem cell-like properties, and EMT in vitro, and the drugs also inhibited spontaneous metastasis in vivo When fluidity was unchanged, the antimetastasis compounds could no longer restrict metastasis, indicating a causal association between fluidity and metastasis. We further demonstrate that fluidity can be regulated by cellular cholesterol flux, as the cholesterol efflux channel ABCA1 potentiated metastatic behaviors in vitro and in vivo The requirement for fluidity was further supported by the finding in breast cancer patients that ABCA1 was overexpressed in 41% of metastatic tumors, reducing time to metastasis by 9 years. Collectively, our findings reveal increased membrane fluidity as a necessary cellular feature of metastatic potential that can be controlled by many currently available drugs, offering a viable therapeutic opportunity to prevent cancer metastasis. Cancer Res; 76(7); 2037-49. ©2016 AACR.
Competition and tying in agrichemical and seed markets.

Genetic engineering technologies that better align crop seeds with field crop product demands and with other crop inputs are rapidly entering commercial markets. Central to the success of these new technologies are corporate strategies on product market segmentation and input interactions. Input suppliers possessed of technical advantages may seek to exploit their positions through marketing restrictions such as product tying and bundling. We interpret the economic literature on vertical restraints and use these existing results to understand the motivation and behavior of some of the participants in the evolving glyphosate and Roundup-ready soybean seed markets.
Dynamic Geometry Technology in High School Classrooms

This article describes the theoretical foundations and key elements of the dynamic geometry approach – an approach to high school geometry that utilizes dynamic geometry software and supporting instructional materials to help students construct mathematical ideas through active explorations and investigations. Due to its benefits to students’ learning, this instructional approach should be implemented in as many classrooms as possible. The focus of the article is hence on how this approach will be operationalized in the classrooms.
Biofilm Formation by Listeria monocytogenes Utilizes a Primary Colonizing Microorganism in Flowing Systems

Listeria monocytogenes serotype 3a and Pseudomonas fragi ATCC 4973 were examined for attachment capability and biofilm development on glass coverslips under flowing systems. Tryptic soy broth supplemented with yeast extract was the growth medium. A continuous flow slide chamber was developed for in situ observations using phase-contrast microscopy. Glass coverslips were examined by epifluorescent and scanning electron microscopy for biofilm formation. The ultrastructure of attached test organisms was examined for the presence of exopolymers using transmission electron microscopy. In pure cultures, attachment of L. monocytogenes to glass coverslips was sparse, while P. fragi accumulated on glass coverslips as a confluent layer of cells. When L. monocytogenes was grown in mixed culture with P. fragi , an exopolymer-producing microorganism, attachment and microcolony formation by L. monocytogenes was enhanced. Results suggest that under flowing conditions the presence of an exopolymer-producing microorganism may be more important than hydrophobicity, surface charge, or flagellar movement in attachment of L. monocytogenes to inert surfaces.
Surviving the Game: Burdens of Proof in Civil and Criminal Cases

The law that allowed Terri Schiavo to be legally killed by a judge upon her adulterous husband’s request was heinous and shocking (Hentoff, 2005). This man got the law to do what he could not murdered his wife by euthanasia so he could benefit from the insurance money and marry his mistress with his two kids upon her death. This takes the word "until death do us part" to the next level in socialization. Trayvon Martin case is the result of another heinous state created danger, “standing your ground.” Like Terri Schiavo, Trayvon Martin wasn’t in the commission of a crime nor was he the aggressor, but because of his ethnicity he was in the wrong community standing his ground unarmed. On the other hand George Zimmerman was supposedly doing the same, but as the armed aggressor (Johnson, 2012; Cadet, 2012). Without investigating these killings, this makes the law arbitrary; because it allows actors of the state whether employees or empowered members in the community to murder under the color of law (AZ, 2011; Online Sunshine, 2011). This paper will explore the recent rulings on qualified immunity for street justice laws that have been extended not just to cover law enforcement, but those private citizens acting under the authority of the state, called “state actors” (Justia, 2012). This could create bullies and without refinement this law takes bullying to the next level. However, true self-defense is a must when encountering danger and there is no way to escape. This paper explores the burden of proof in street justice.
Depositional dynamics of cyclic carbonates from the Interlake Group (Lower Silurian) of the Williston Basin

A set offour transgressive-regressive cycles is recognizable in the "Lower to Middle" Interlake Group of central Manitoba. The initial Silurian transgression reached its maximum with development of Virgiana (brachiopod) beds in the Fisher Branch Formation. Three subsequent transgressive peaks are identified by coral-rich layers in the upper part of the overlying Inwood Formation, the whole of theAtikamegFormation, and the middle part of the Cedar Lake Formation. These are separated by strata with flat to domal stromatolitic structures or other very shallow water features occurring in the lower to middle parts of the Inwood Formation, the upper part of the Moose Lake Formation, and much of the East Arm Formation. Regressive phases are marked by thin, reddish-brown shale beds bearing abundant frosted quartz grains. These marker beds are best known from middle and lower levels in the East Arm Formation (v and u2 horizons) and the middle of the Inwood Formation (ul horizon). A similar marker bed separates the Interlake Group from the underlying Stonewall Formation of latest Ordovician or earliest Silurian age. The number and spacing of these cycles suggest a correlation with other carbonate cycles found in the East Iowa, Michigan, and Anticosti Basins. While a Bahamian bank model of mosaic-facies deposition explains some aspects of the shallow-water Manitoban cycles, modification of the Israelsky wedge concept (facies in phase) enhances the interpretation of a vast, dynamically interconnected sea stretching far beyond the confines of the Williston Basin. During the first 10 m.y. of the Silurian, the Williston Basin was not an isolated topographic depression. Available evidence suggests that the region was still one of the shallowest parts of the periodically, extensively flooded North American platform.
Tethered capsule OCT endomicroscopy for upper gastrointestinal tract imaging by using ball lens probe (Conference Presentation)

While endoscopy is the most commonly used modality for diagnosing upper GI tract disease, this procedure usually requires patient sedation that increases cost and mandates its operation in specialized settings. In addition, endoscopy only visualizes tissue superfically at the macroscopic scale, which is problematic for many diseases that manifest below the surface at a microscopic scale. Our lab has previously developed technology termed tethered capsule OCT endomicroscopy (TCE) to overcome these diagnostic limitations of endoscopy. The TCE device is a swallowable capsule that contains optomechanical components that circumferentially scan the OCT beam inside the body as the pill traverses the organ via peristalsis. While we have successfully imaged ~100 patients with the TCE device, the optics of our current device have many elements and are complex, comprising a glass ferrule, optical fiber, glass spacer, GRIN lens and prism. As we scale up manufacturing of this device for clinical translation, we must decrease the cost and improve the manufacturability of the capsule’s optical configuration. In this abstract, we report on the design and development of simplificed TCE optics that replace the GRIN lens-based configuration with an angle-polished ball lens design. The new optics include a single mode optical fiber, a glass spacer and an angle polished ball lens, that are all fusion spliced together. The ball lens capsule has resolutions that are comparable with those of our previous GRIN lens configuration (30µm (lateral) × 7 µm (axial)). Results in human subjects show that OCT-based TCE using the ball lens not only provides rapid, high quality microstructural images of upper GI tract, but also makes it possible to implement this technology inexpensively and on a larger scale.