cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can diet prevent nonmelanoma skin cancer progression

Nonmelanoma skin cancer is the most prevalent malignant disease among light-skinned individuals in the USA, accounting for approximately 1 million new cases annually. Solar ultraviolet radiation is known to be the major cause of skin cancer. The idea that diet, particularly dietary fat, may play a role in modulating cancer incidence has been based largely upon indirect epidemiologic evidence. However, few studies have found correlations of dietary fat intake with skin cancer incidence. Nevertheless, a large body of evidence with experimental animals and one clinical intervention trial, the latter avoiding the pitfalls of many epidemiologic investigations, clearly demonstrate that the level of dietary fat intake can have a significant influence on the occurrence of skin cancer in individuals at high risk.
Damped resonant appendages to increase inherent damping in buildings

It is demonstrated that the addition of a tuned mass-spring-dashpot system with a relatively small mass and a high damping ratio can be an effective way to increase the inherent damping characteristics of buildings and reduce, thus, their response to earthquake excitations. The demonstration is based on a theoretical formulation and on numerical and experimental studies that confirm this formulation. In the theoretical formulation, it is shown first that, if certain conditions are satisfied, the damping ratios in two of the modes of the system that is formed by a building and an appendage in resonance are approximately equal to the average of the corresponding damping ratios of the building and the appendage. Based on this finding, it is then shown that an attached appendage with a high damping ratio and tuned to the fundamental frequency of a building may increase the damping ratio in the fundamental mode of the building to a value close to half the damping ratio of the appendage. In the numerical study, the response of a ten-storey shear building is analysed under two different earthquake ground motions with and without the proposed resonant appendages. Appendages with damping ratios of 20 and 30 per cent are considered. In this study, it is found that under one of the ground motions the maximum displacement of the building's roof is reduced 30 per cent with the appendage with 20 per cent damping and 39 per cent with the one with 30 per cent damping. Similarly, with these two appendages the building's base shear is reduced 31 and 41 per cent, respectively. In the experimental study, a wooden three-storey structural model is tested in a shaking table with and without an appendage designed and constructed to have a damping ratio of 53-5 per cent. The test is conducted under random and sinusoidal base excitations. In the shaking table test under random excitation, the attached appendage reduces the response of the model 38-6 per cent, while in that under sinusoidal vibration 45-2 per cent.
A probabilistic approach for the prediction of seismic resilience of bridges

This paper proposes a probabilistic approach for the pre-event assessment of seismic resilience of bridges, including uncertainties associated with expected damage, restoration process, and rebuilding/rehabilitation costs. A fragility analysis performs the probabilistic evaluation of the level of damage (none, slight, moderate, extensive, and complete) induced on bridges by a seismic event. Then, a probabilistic six-parameter sinusoidal-based function describes the bridge functionality over time. Depending on the level of regional seismic hazard, the level of performance that decision makers plan to achieve, the allowable economic impact, and the available budget for post-event rehabilitation activities, a wide spectrum of scenarios are provided. Possible restoration strategies accounting for the desired level of resilience and direct and indirect costs are investigated by performing a Monte Carlo simulation based on Latin hypercube sampling. Sensitivity analyses show how the recovery parameters affect the resilience assessment and seismic impact. Finally, the proposed approach is applied to an existing highway bridge located along a segment of I-15, between the cities of Corona and Murrieta, in California. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stochastic Modeling Of The Optical Distributed Arithmetic Unit

Considerable attention is being focused on the development of high speed optoelectronic devices not only due to their inherent speed and parallelism but also because of the ease with which these devices can be interfaced with existing electronic devices. This paper presents a novel optoelectronic device called the Optical Distributed Arithmetic Unit (ODAU). The ODAU is comprised of a laser, lens and semiconductor components which are integrated to perform high speed binary arithmetic based on the theory of distributed arithmetic. A simple carry unit is responsible for performing the necessary carry operations in order to make the ODAU a binary device and also function as a data regeneration unit. A description of the ODAU as well as a mathematical model and statistical equations are presented. Simulation as well as analytically derived performance measures and a simple application involving the implementation of a filter are also given.
Mitochondrial Reprogramming Induced by CaMKIIδ Mediates Hypertrophy Decompensation

Rationale:Sustained activation of Gαq transgenic (Gq) signaling during pressure overload causes cardiac hypertrophy that ultimately progresses to dilated cardiomyopathy. The molecular events that drive hypertrophy decompensation are incompletely understood. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II δ (CaMKIIδ) is activated downstream of Gq, and overexpression of Gq and CaMKIIδ recapitulates hypertrophy decompensation. Objective:To determine whether CaMKIIδ contributes to hypertrophy decompensation provoked by Gq. Methods and Results:Compared with Gq mice, compound Gq/CaMKIIδ knockout mice developed a similar degree of cardiac hypertrophy but exhibited significantly improved left ventricular function, less cardiac fibrosis and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and fewer ventricular arrhythmias. Markers of oxidative stress were elevated in mitochondria from Gq versus wild-type mice and respiratory rates were lower; these changes in mitochondrial function were restored by CaMKIIδ deletion. Gq-mediated increases in ...
A low-profile high-performance crystal oscillator for timekeeping applications

A crystal oscillator is described that uses various unusual techniques to achieve double-oven class temperature stability with a single oven. Stability of better than 1 part in 10/sup 11/ over a temperature range of -40/spl deg/ to +85/spl deg/ C has been demonstrated. The use of the single stage oven allows for a form factor with a relatively low height (19 mm. or 3/4 inch) for an oscillator of this performance class. The low profile facilitates card-based designs. In timekeeping applications such as wireless and telecom synchronization, the temperature coefficient of frequency (tempco) is more important than ever. The temperature extremes involved in wireless base stations increase the error due to temperature while the use of GPS timing receivers to discipline quartz oscillators greatly reduces the error due to aging, leaving tempco as the major component. Numerous design innovations are described such as a hermetic oven mass assembly and a non-ovenized digital temperature controller. This controller permits automated optimization of the oven set point and thermal gain. An overview of a novel zero-gradient oven technique used to achieve the double-oven performance is given, with more details in a related paper. Frequency pulling due to the oscillator circuit components is greatly reduced by a novel balanced-bridge controlled oscillator circuit that is described briefly here and in more detail in another related paper.
Determining Functional Relations in Multivariate Oceanographic Systems: Model II Multiple Linear Regression

AbstractA method for estimating multivariate functional relationships between sets of measured oceanographic, meteorological, and other field data is presented. Model II regression is well known for describing functional relationships between two variables. However, there is little accessible guidance for the researcher wishing to apply model II methods to a multivariate system consisting of three or more variables. This paper describes a straightforward method to extend model II regression to the case of three or more variables.The multiple model II procedure is applied to an analysis of the optical spectral scattering coefficient measured in the coastal ocean. The spectral scattering coefficient is regressed against both suspended mineral particle concentration and suspended organic particle concentration. The regression coefficients from this analysis provide adjusted estimates of the mineral particle scattering cross section and the organic particle scattering cross section. Greater accuracy and effic...
Analog Representation of Poisson's Equation in Two Dimensions

A new analog device, called a Poisson cell, has been developed which aids in obtaining solutions to either Laplace's equation or Poisson's equation. The cell may be used to simulate such potentials as electric potential, magnetic potential, gravitational potential, and the velocity potential of irrotational flow; it has applications in the fields of hydrodynamics, heat conduction, and aerodynamics. The cell is a solid volume-conducting medium made from a homogeneous mixture of hydrostone and graphite. Electrode configurations may be painted on the surface with conducting paint or imbedded directly in the structure. In the case of Poisson's equation, where ?2?(x, y) = f(x, y), the function f(x, y) is simulated by injecting currents into the underside of the cell. The application of the Poisson cell to numerous problems and in particular to problems in electron flow is discussed m detail, along with the incorporation of the cell into either an analog computer system or a combined analog-digital computer system.
Dyadic green's functions for general two-layer anisotropic geometry with source embedded inside the anisotropic layer

Over the last decade, several methods [1–8] have been developed to obtain the dyadic Green's functions (DGFs) of layered anisotropic media. The most commonly used methods to find the DGFs are the Fourier transform method with differential formulation [6], the method of eigen-function expansion [7], the matrix formulation [8], and the dyadic decomposition techniques [5, 9–11]. In [8], the dyadic Green's function is formulated based on the tangential electric field and current at the interface, which is not suitable for the problem with z-directed current. The dyadic decomposition techniques as discussed in [5, 9–11] are more general and can provide the complete set of the dyadic Green's functions but only the case when the source is in the free space has been considered. If the source is located in a biaxial slab, then reciprocity theorem for the Green's function can be invoked to obtain the DGFs as in [12]. However, the reciprocity holds true only when the slab is filled with reciprocal medium such as uniaxial medium, biaxial medium, etc. For non-reciprocal medium such as the gyroelectric or gyromagnetic medium, the reciprocity relation for the Green's function no longer holds. The DGFs for source located in a non-reciprocal slab cannot be obtained using the reciprocity theorem.
Testing evidence accrual models by manipulating stimulus onset

Many models of response time assume that subjects accrue stimulus "evidence" samples in time (e.g., random walk models, counter models). In this paper, the concept of one stimulus dominating another is used to construct a test of the whole class of evidence accrual models. For an example of dominance, consider stimuli that are presented either virtually instantaneously (stepped) or in a gradually increasing manner (ramped). Ramped stimuli are presented such that the ramped portion precedes the stepped onset of stepped stimuli. In this case ramped stimuli dominate stepped stimuli. In this paper the class of evidence accrual models is formalized. It is shown that under appropriate assumptions evidence accrual models do predict more accurate responses to dominating stimuli. However, this result does not hold for response latencies. There are anomalous cases where an evidence accrual model (the accumulator model of Vickers (1970, Ergonomics 13, 37-58)) predicts slower mean correct response latencies to dominating stimuli. It is shown through extensive computer simulation that these anomalous cases occur only when response criteria are so asymmetric that there are exceedingly extreme response biases. For experiments where response biases are not exceedingly extreme, random walk and accumulator models predict more accurate and quicker correct responses to dominating stimuli. In sum, manipulating the time course of stimuli in accordance with the concept of dominance can provide empirical tests of the class of evidence accrual models. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.
Analysis of Yarn Tension in Air-Jet Filling Insertion

Yarn tension during air-jet filling insertion is analyzed experimentally and theo retically for drum and loop storage systems. In the case of drum storage, yarn tension is higher and more even. The...
‘What can I do to help?’: Postsecondary students with learning disabilities' perceptions of instructors' classroom accommodations

This qualitative research report adopts a critical pedagogy perspective to examine the provision of classroom accommodations for postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Although instructors in the United States are bound to abide by disability rights laws, we also believe instructors can act in ways that allow students to feel comfortable in disclosing their disabilities and in requesting and accessing accommodations for these disabilities. We engaged the voices of 10 university students living with learning disabilities through a series of semi-structured interviews. These students offered a variety of statements on the ways that their disabilities were accommodated or not by their instructors. We classified these perceptions into three kinds of accommodation perceived by university students with learning disabilities: non-accommodation, formal accommodation and accommodation for all students. We discuss the implications that these types of accommodations have for pedagogy and offer recommendations for effective techniques for accommodating for all. We hope the voices of these students will serve to enhance communication between students with learning disabilities and their professors.
BRICK1 Is Required for Apical Cell Growth in Filaments of the Moss Physcomitrella patens but Not for Gametophore Morphology

When BRK1, a member of the Wave/SCAR complex, is deleted in Physcomitrella patens (Δbrk1), we report a striking reduction of filament growth resulting in smaller and fewer cells with misplaced cross walls compared with the normal protonemal cells. Using an inducible green fluorescent protein–talin to detect actin in living tissue, a characteristic broad accumulation of actin is observed at the tip of wild-type apical cells, whereas in Δbrk1, smaller, more distinct foci of actin are present. Insertion of brk1-yfp into Δbrk1 rescues the mutant phenotype and results in BRK1 being localized only in the tip of apical cells, the exclusive site of cell extension and division in the filament. Like BRK1, ARPC4 and At RABA4d are normally localized at the tip of apical cells and their localization is correlated with rapid tip growth in filaments. However, neither marker accumulates in apical cells of Δbrk1 filaments. Although the Δbrk1 phenotypes in protonema are severe, the leafy shoots or gametophores are normally shaped but stunted. These and other results suggest that BRK1 functions directly or indirectly in the selective accumulation/stabilization of actin and other proteins required for polar cell growth of filaments but not for the basic structure of the gametophore.
Dietary K intake regulates the response of apical K channels to adenosine in the thick ascending limb.

We used the patch-clamp technique to study the effect of adenosine on the apical 70-pS K channel in the thick ascending limb (TAL) of the rat kidney. Application of 1 μM cyclohexyladenosine (CHA), ...
Withdrawing Implantable Defibrillator Shock Therapy in Terminally Ill Patients

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to review a multidisciplinary strategy used to identify patients with terminal illnesses and initiate withdrawal of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) shock therapy as part of a comprehensive comfort care approach. With indications for ICDs increasing, more patients are receiving devices. Once protected from an arrhythmic death, these patients may develop other terminal diseases such as cancer or congestive heart failure. It is appropriate to withdraw defibrillator shock therapy when such patients desire only comfort care. Methods The charts of ICD patients who had died were reviewed. Two groups emerged: Group 1 (20) included patients whose defibrillator was turned off through the comprehensive comfort care approach. Group 2 (43) included patients whose clinical course was so rapid that the defibrillator was not turned off. Pacing therapy was not withdrawn in either group. Results Defibrillator discharges, cause of death, and time from ICD discharge to death were compared. Group 2 patients died more acutely than Group 1. Group 1 experienced fewer shocks prior to death when compared to Group 2. Comparing pacemaker dependent and non-dependent patients, there was no difference in the time between therapy discontinuation and death. Conclusion This is the largest study to date to review the characteristics of patients with ICDs and terminal illness. Only one-third of terminally ill patients with ICDs were able to have shock therapy withdrawn as part of a comfort care strategy. These patients experienced fewer shocks in the final days of their illness.
Digital labor is the new killer app

Research on digital labor tends to fall into idealized, oppositional binaries that are judgmental rather than based on detailed analyses of the actual system or site. Our goal in this article is to provide a view on digital labor that is grounded less in speculation but in narratives from the producers of the platforms and content of the digital economy. To provide original perspectives on digital work we emphasize the agency of the producers and freelancers working at the global outsourcing firm Samasource and the cable television network Current TV. Our analyses of these two cases reveal important questions regarding 1) the values and organizational culture of firm founders and executives and 2) the mobility of freelance workers within the networks of digital labor. In conclusion we interrogate how wealth is distributed within the network. Across these questions, we introduce a research agenda that considers to bridge the ethical challenges of labor exploitation as well as the promises of social entrepr...
Transgenic fish: is a new policy framework necessary for a new technology?

Abstract Worldwide, transgenic fish have emerged as a means of more efficiently meeting demand for seafood. At this time, the environmental impacts of raising transgenic fish remain uncertain and resistance to their commercial production appears to exist among consumers in some countries. Regulatory approval of the first transgenic fish for human consumption is currently being considered by the U.S. and Canadian governments. This paper examines the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval process for transgenic fish and finds if it will likely prohibit effective regulation of this fish, consequently risking the environmental health of aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, the closed-door process causes three problems: (1) concerned interests do not have access to information and are thus forced to rely on speculation, (2) the process is unable to take into account the values of the public and (3) any opportunity for meaningful public comment on environmental impacts is lost. We propose that policy makers consider creating a regulatory framework that is capable of addressing the unique environmental risks posed by transgenic fish and incorporating public participation into the process. This paper briefly examines possible frameworks and mechanisms for public participation and suggests the most promising alternatives.
The maximum approximate composite marginal likelihood (MACML) estimation of multinomial probit-based unordered response choice models

Abstract The likelihood functions of multinomial probit (MNP)-based choice models entail the evaluation of analytically-intractable integrals. As a result, such models are usually estimated using maximum simulated likelihood (MSL) techniques. Unfortunately, for many practical situations, the computational cost to ensure good asymptotic MSL estimator properties can be prohibitive and practically infeasible as the number of dimensions of integration rises. In this paper, we introduce a maximum approximate composite marginal likelihood (MACML) estimation approach for MNP models that can be applied using simple optimization software for likelihood estimation. It also represents a conceptually and pedagogically simpler procedure relative to simulation techniques, and has the advantage of substantial computational time efficiency relative to the MSL approach. The paper provides a “blueprint” for the MACML estimation for a wide variety of MNP models.
Intermediate filament assembly: dynamics to disease

Intermediate filament (IF) proteins belong to a large and diverse gene family with broad representation in vertebrate tissues. Although considered the 'toughest' cytoskeletal fibers, studies in cultured cells have revealed that IF can be surprisingly dynamic and highly regulated. This review examines the diversity of IF assembly behaviors, and considers the ideas that IF proteins are co- or post-translationally assembled into oligomeric precursors, which can be delivered to different subcellular compartments by microtubules or actomyosin and associated motor proteins. Their interaction with other cellular elements via IF associated proteins (IFAPs) affects IF dynamics and also results in cellular networks with properties that transcend those of individual components. We end by discussing how mutations leading to defects in IF assembly, network formation or IF-IFAP association compromise in vivo functions of IF as protectors against environmental stress.
Focus issue: Refining the war on cancer.

Treating cancer involves not only stemming the growth of the primary tumor but also preventing its progression to metastatic disease. Advances in our understanding of the molecular pathways that transform healthy cells and maintain the proliferative advantage of tumor cells have enabled the development of targeted therapeutics, but preventing drug resistance and the switch to metastatic disease remains challenging. As this week’s issue of Science Signaling highlights, dissection of the pathways that regulate inflammation in the tumor microenvironment and insight into the molecular changes that occur in cells in response to therapy may improve clinical strategies, particularly for aggressive breast and skin cancers.
CHRIST AND HISTORY: HERMENEUTICAL CONVERGENCE IN CALVIN AND ITS CHALLENGE TO BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

When we grasp Calvin's emphasis on the covenant history in its theological and Christological aspects and the relationship of this emphasis to Calvin's humanistic understanding of history, then we can understand the convergence of the historical and the Christological senses in Calvin's reading of Scripture. This understanding of Calvin's approach questions modernity's narrow historiographical bounds for discerning Scripture's historical sense, opening us to a consideration of a wider array of practices. Brueggemann's historiographical suggestions about the importance of Israel's witness and practice for reading scripture both historically and theologically fall within this broader frame and are congenial to Calvin's work.
Induced CD4+Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells in Immune Tolerance

Regulatory T lymphocytes are essential to maintain homeostasis of the immune system, limiting the magnitude of effector responses and allowing the establishment of immunological tolerance. Two main types of regulatory T cells have been identified—natural and induced (or adaptive)—and both play significant roles in tuning down effector immune responses. Adaptive CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T (iTreg) cells develop outside the thymus under a variety of conditions. These include not only antigen presentation under subimmunogenic or noninflammatory conditions, but also chronic inflammation and infections. We speculate that the different origin of iTreg cells (noninflammatory versus inflammatory) results in distinct properties, including their stability. iTreg cells are also generated during homeostasis of the gut and in cancer, although some cancers also favor expansion of natural regulatory T (nTreg) cells. Here we review how iTreg cells develop and how they participate in immunological tolerance, contrasting, when...
Virtual Reality Spaces for Visual Data Mining with Multiobjective Evolutionary Optimization: Implicit and Explicit Function Representations Mixing Unsupervised and Supervised Properties

Multi-objective optimization is used for the computation of virtual reality spaces for visual data mining and knowledge discovery. Two methods for computing new spaces are discussed: implicit and explicit function representations. In the first, the images of the objects are computed directly, and in the second, universal function approximators (neural networks) are obtained. The pros and cons of each approach are discussed, as well as their complementary character. The NSGA-II algorithm is used for computing spaces requested to minimize two objectives: a similarity structure loss measure (Sammon’s error) and classification error (mean cross-validation error on a k-nn classifier). Two examples using solutions along approximations to the Pareto front are presented: Alzheimer’s disease gene expressions and geophysical fields for prospecting underground caves. This approach is a general non-linear feature generation and can be used in problems not necessarily oriented to the construction of visual data representations.
Semantic Representation of Negation Using Focus Detection

Negation is present in all human languages and it is used to reverse the polarity of part of statements that are otherwise affirmative by default. A negated statement often carries positive implicit meaning, but to pinpoint the positive part from the negative part is rather difficult. This paper aims at thoroughly representing the semantics of negation by revealing implicit positive meaning. The proposed representation relies on focus of negation detection. For this, new annotation over PropBank and a learning algorithm are proposed.
Scheduling granularity in underwater acoustic networks

Underwater acoustic networks have many distinct channel characteristics when compared to terrestrial networks. Long propagation delay, one such characteristic, allows scheduling methods with varying granularity that tradeoff schedule quality with protocol overhead. This work examines several channel scheduling methods to determine at what point protocols find the best balance between performance and overhead. To accomplish this, five scheduling options are detailed and then compared through numerical and simulation results between themselves and to other protocols. The results indicate that scheduling links provides the best performance for the resource investment and that other scheduling options either require significant overhead or provide insufficient performance. While the results show that direct sequence spread spectrum techniques, common at the physical layer in underwater networks, do not yield an improved schedule, they do reduce protocol overhead and scheduling complexity by reducing conflicts in the network.
PARALLEL RACE FORMATION AND THE EVOLUTION OF MIMICRY IN HELICONIUS BUTTERFLIES: A PHYLOGENETIC HYPOTHESIS FROM MITOCHONDRIAL DNA SEQUENCES.

Mimicry has been a fundamental focus of research since the birth of evolutionary biology yet rarely has been studied from a phylogenetic perspective beyond the simple recognition that mimics are not similar due to common descent. The difficulty of finding characters to discern relationships among closely related and convergent taxa has challenged systematists for more than a century. The phenotypic diversity of wing pattens among mimetic Heliconius adds an additional twist to the problem, because single species contain more than a dozen radically different-looking geographical races even though the mimetic advantage is theoretically highest when all individuals within and between species appear the same. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) offers an independent way to address these issues. In this study, Cytochrome Oxidase I and II sequences from multiple, parallel races of Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene are examined, to estimate intraspecific phylogeny and gauge sequence divergence and ages of clades among races within each species. Although phenotypes of sympatric races exhibit remarkable concordance between the two species, the mitochondrial cladograms show that the species have not shared a common evolutionary history. H. erato exhibits a basal split between trans- and cis-Andean groups of races, whereas H. melpomene originates in the Guiana Shield. Diverse races in either species appear to have evolved within the last 200,000 yr, and convergent phenotypes have evolved independently within as well as between species. These results contradict prior theories of the evolution of mimicry based on analysis of wing-pattern genetics.
Rapid, label-free, electrical whole blood bioassay based on nanobiosensor systems.

Biomarker detection based on nanowire biosensors has attracted a significant amount of research effort in recent years. However, only very limited research work has been directed toward biomarker detection directly from physiological fluids mainly because of challenges caused by the complexity of media. This limitation significantly reduces the practical impact generated by the aforementioned nanobiosensors. In this study, we demonstrate an In2O3 nanowire-based biosensing system that is capable of performing rapid, label-free, electrical detection of cancer biomarkers directly from human whole blood collected by a finger prick. Passivating the nanowire surface successfully blocked the signal induced by nonspecific binding when performing active measurement in whole blood. Passivated devices showed markedly smaller signals induced by nonspecific binding of proteins and other biomaterials in serum and higher sensitivity to target biomarkers than bare devices. The detection limit of passivated sensors for bi...
Carcinoembryonic Antigen-Binding Immunoglobulin Isolated From Normal Human Serum by Affinity Chromatography

A human immunoglobulin that binds carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was isolated from four individual normal human sera by affinity chromatography with the use of a CEA-Sepharose solid adsorbent. The yield of isolated protein, termed human CEA-binding protein (HCBP), ranged from 1.8 to 10 microgram/ml serum. HCBP is a gamma-globulin of restricted electrophoretic heterogeneity as shown by immunoelectrophoresis. HCBP was shown to bind radioiodine-labeled CEA both by a radioimmune precipitation assay and by a radioimmunoelectrophoresis assay. This protein was of practical interest because of its potential usefulness as a carrier of radioactivity or therapeutic agents to a CEA-producing tumor for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes.
Mills and Veblen: An Institutional Analysis

This inquiry considers and also seeks to establish theoretical relationships between the thinking and contributions of Thorstein Veblen and C. Wright Mills. Selected writings of Veblen have not only formed new approaches to the discipline of Economics, but also influenced prominent scholars, like Mills. In his contributions, Veblen employs various approaches to social science analysis, such as use of dichotomy (Veblenian Dichotomy), subreption, and cumulative causation in his efforts to describe social change within an evolutionary-institutionalist framework. While not being explicit, some contributions of Mills utilize similar approaches advanced earlier by Veblen. In summary, Mills’ contributions to sociology appear to be heavily influenced by Veblen’s seminal contributions to institutional thought.
Atypical toxigenic Staphylococcus and non-Staphylococcus aureus species on the horizon? An update

Staphylococcal food poisoning is a commonly reported illness caused by the ingestion of preformed staphylococcal enterotoxin in foods, With some exceptions, enterotoxin production is associated with coagulase-positive rather than coagulase-negative staphylococci. Of the coagulase-positive staphylococcal species, S. aureus was historically thought to be exclusively implicated in human foodborne illness. More recently, however, other coagulase-positive and some coagulase-negative staphylococcal species have been associated with foodborne intoxication, Coagulase activity has been used to indicate pathogenicity of a foodborne isolate, and thermostable nuclease is being suggested as a more reliable indictor of enterotoxigenicity. Evidence suggests that the metabolic expressions that are the bases of the tests may not be reliable indicators of pathogenicity. A more useful approach to determine the pathogenicity of a Staphylococcus species is to test directly for enterotoxigenicity with one of the new rapid methods. None of the conventional ancillary identification tests has been conclusively associated with enterotoxin synthesis. Furthermore, evidence exists that enterotoxin production is a characteristic of several species in the genus Staphylococcus .
On the Relationship Between Belief and Acceptance of Evolution as Goals of Evolution Education. Twelve Years Later

The issue of the proper goals of science education and science teacher education have been a focus of the science education and philosophy of science communities in recent years. More particularly, the issue of whether belief/acceptance of evolution and/or understanding are the appropriate goals for evolution educators and the issue of the precise nature of the distinctions among the terms knowledge, understanding, belief, and acceptance have received increasing attention in the 12 years since we first published our views on these subjects. During that time, our own views about these issues have evolved, and this article presents a reconsideration of both these distinctions and the propriety of these goals. In particular, the present paper continues our discussion of the nature of belief as it relates to science education, and more specifically to evolution education. We extend that work to consider the import of the distinction between belief and acceptance.
Military Geography Research Notes

Military Geography is a subject that has interested many people for centuries. Military professionals, academics and historians have studied the impacts of physical and human landscapes on military operations in great detail. Today, interfacing with geographic information science and technology, applied geospatial research and the follow-on implementations thereof have greatly impacted the full range of military and homeland security operations. Complex uses of geospatial applications across many domains, in both the physical and social sciences, have become increasingly necessary. These include rapid data collection from disparate satellite, aerial, and terrestrial collection platforms, coupled with human intelligence, with follow-on injection into data bases registered to different security levels. Responsive data distribution from which integrated automated and manual geospatial analysis has also been conducted. Products generated from these data, systems and applications have enabled multiple services and agencies to "see" terrain as a common operating picture COP.
Interactions Among Measures of Productivity Growth, Returns to Scale and Capacity Utilization

So far we have considered traditional methodologies for productivity growth (technical change) and capacity utilization measurement. We have also touched briefly on the idea of scale economies and their relationship to capacity utilization measures. Although the standard theoretical motivations and measurement techniques for these different characteristics of the production process vary, it is clear they are closely related. In fact, erroneous measures may be generated if interactions among technical change, capacity utilization and scale are not explicitly recognized. As already mentioned a number of times, this suggests that traditional productivity growth measures should be adjusted to identify the impacts of fixity and returns to scale independently of technical change.
Gαi2-Protein–Mediated Signal Transduction Central Nervous System Molecular Mechanism Countering the Development of Sodium-Dependent Hypertension

Excess dietary salt intake is an established cause of hypertension. At present, our understanding of the neuropathophysiology of salt-sensitive hypertension is limited by a lack of identification of the central nervous system mechanisms that modulate sympathetic outflow and blood pressure in response to dietary salt intake. We hypothesized that impairment of brain Gαi2-protein-gated signal transduction pathways would result in increased sympathetically mediated renal sodium retention, thus promoting the development of salt-sensitive hypertension. To test this hypothesis, naive or renal denervated Dahl salt-resistant and Dahl salt-sensitive (DSS) rats were assigned to receive a continuous intracerebroventricular control scrambled or a targeted Gαi2-oligodeoxynucleotide infusion, and naive Brown Norway and 8-congenic DSS rats were fed a 21-day normal or high-salt diet. High salt intake did not alter blood pressure, suppressed plasma norepinephrine, and evoked a site-specific increase in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus Gαi2-protein levels in naive Brown Norway, Dahl salt-resistant, and scrambled oligodeoxynucleotide-infused Dahl salt-resistant but not DSS rats. In Dahl salt-resistant rats, Gαi2 downregulation evoked rapid renal nerve-dependent hypertension, sodium retention, and sympathoexcitation. In DSS rats, Gαi2 downregulation exacerbated salt-sensitive hypertension via a renal nerve-dependent mechanism. Congenic-8 DSS rats exhibited sodium-evoked paraventricular nucleus-specific Gαi2-protein upregulation and attenuated hypertension, sodium retention, and global sympathoexcitation compared with DSS rats. These data demonstrate that paraventricular nucleus Gαi2-protein-gated pathways represent a conserved central molecular pathway mediating sympathoinhibitory renal nerve-dependent responses evoked to maintain sodium homeostasis and a salt-resistant phenotype. Impairment of this mechanism contributes to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension.
Second-Guessing Second-Guessing: Yet Another Comment

Though Shakespeare’s familiar caveat counsels that both borrowing and lending are social taboos, most people, including the Bard himself, would doubtless opt for the latter practice over the former. To be cast in the role of lender implies possession of some economic, social, or intellectual resource deemed sufficiently valuable to be coveted by others not fortunate enough to possess it in adequate supply. By contrast, borrowing is a humbling activity, for borrowers are forced to concede that through the vagaries of either fate or chance or because of some character or performance flaw, they have failed to amass a sufficient store of the valued resource.
Clarification of contraceptive drug pharmacokinetics in obesity

Related to concerns about the role of obesity in the efficacy of contraceptive drugs, a review of the literature was carried out in regard to the pharmacokinetics of ethinyl estradiol and various progestins given by various routes of administration. Most studies show that obese women exhibit modestly lower plasma concentrations of these drugs (circa 30%) when given the same doses as normal-weight women. While the mechanism is uncertain, precedence in the literature suggests that this is due to body weight-related differences in metabolism rates. Confusing in some of the literature is that a few studies have reported erroneously calculated pharmacokinetic parameters after multiple dosing of oral contraceptives. A demonstration of appropriate pharmacokinetic methodology is provided.
1.5: Latino Studies en tránsito

Drawing on the metaphor of the “1.5 generation” in studies of immigration, Decena proposes it as “the moment” in the life cycle of Latino Studies as a field because of how it pushes us to attend to continuities and departures in pedagogically inspired scholarly practice. This reflexion advances the following claims: first, that while the need to “document” US Latino populations persists given our political climate, inquiries in the field have also begun to grapple with the multiple significations and investments for community formation, institution-building and state regulation that pivot the term Latino; second, that movements to “document” or move away from documentary efforts in Latino Studies respond to the uneven influence of Latino Studies in traditional disciplines; and finally, that intellectual questions raised by initial and contemporary views of US Latino populations challenge us to center and explore transnational linkages with Latin America, thus prompting engagements and intellectual travel between Latino and Latin American studies.
Literal Perceptual Inference

In this paper, I argue that theories of perception that appeal to Helmholtz’s idea of unconscious inference (“Helmholtzian” theories) should be taken literally, i.e. that the inferences appealed to in such theories are inferences in the full sense of the term, as employed elsewhere in philosophy and in ordinary discourse. The argument consists in first defending a minimal conception of inference based on Gilbert Harman’s account (Harman 1973), and then arguing that Helmholtzian computational models of perceptual inference such as those proposed in Hinton and Sejnowski 1983, Hinton et al. 1995, and Friston 2005 implement the type of process Harman describes. In the course of the argument, I consider constraints on inference based on the idea that inference is a deliberate action (Boghossian 2014, Broome 2014, Wright 2014), and on the idea that inferences depend on the syntactic structure of representations (Mandelbaum 2016). I argue that inference is a personal-level but sometimes unconscious process that cannot in general be distinguished from association on the basis of the structures of the representations over which it’s defined. I also critique the argument against representationalist interpretations of Helmholtzian theories in Orlandi 2015, and argue against the view that perceptual inference is encapsulated in a module.
The Monongahela Clearcutting Controversy: Scientists and Land Managers Develop an Alternative Practice on the Fernow Experimental Forest

The clearcutting controversy that erupted on the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in West Virginia in the mid-1970s is best known for its public outcry and resulting litigation. However, there is more to this story than vocal opponents and lawsuits. This chapter reveals firsthand accounts of the partnerships between land managers on the MNF and USDA Forest Service scientists working on the Fernow Experimental Forest. It was this cooperation, formed over decades, which provided a scientific basis for responding to the controversy and led to a viable alternative to clearcutting. This chapter briefly details the history of the MNF and describes the reasoning behind using even-aged forest management in the 1960s. A review of the controversy illustrates how the concerns of vocal opponents and the ensuing lawsuits led to a more integrated approach to land management on the MNF as well as all national forests in the 1970s. Cooperative research between MNF land managers and Fernow scientists resulted in the expanded use of two-aged forest management in the 1990s. Finally, this chapter includes recommendations for building and maintaining similar partnerships.
Surface spiral parallel and antiparallel winding designs for low spatial voltage stress, high efficiency, inductive wireless power transfer systems

Surface spiral winding has been demonstrated to achieve low skin and proximity effects copper losses, and low air-gap magnetic flux density in MHz, kW level inductive wireless power transfer systems. Even though different dielectric geometries have been proposed to reduce dielectric losses, dielectric losses are still the limiting factor to further improve the coil-to-coil power transfer efficiency. In addition, high spatial voltage stress between the first turn and the end turn limits the power scalability due to the voltage breakdown possibility. This paper develops coil geometric solutions to reduce dielectric losses and proposes a surface spiral parallel winding design to improve the coil-to-coil power transfer efficiency, and a surface spiral antiparallel winding design to equalize dynamic voltage stress between adjacent turns and improve power scalability while maintaining high coil-to-coil power transfer efficiency.
Spatiotemporal Optimization Through Gaussian Process-Based Model Predictive Control: A Case Study in Airborne Wind Energy

This brief presents a model predictive control (MPC)-based spatiotemporal optimization strategy that is applied to the problem of optimizing the altitude of a type of airborne wind energy (AWE) system, specifically a buoyant airborne turbine. Altitude optimization for AWE systems represents a challenging problem under which the wind speed varies with both time and altitude, is only instantaneously observable at the altitude where the AWE system is operating, and dictates the net power produced by the system. The proposed MPC strategy avoids the need for a computationally expensive Markov process model for characterizing the wind speed and is structured in a way that the need for instantaneous power maximization (termed exploitation ) is balanced with the need to maintain an accurate map of wind speed versus altitude (termed exploration ). The MPC strategy is calibrated through a Gaussian process regression framework. Real wind speed versus altitude data have been used to validate the strategy.
Mining the tree of life: Host defense peptides as antiviral therapeutics.

Abstract Discovering new therapeutics for human viral diseases is important for combatting emerging infectious viruses and omnipresent circulating viruses as well as those that can become resistant to the drugs we currently have available. The innate host defense peptide (HDP) repertoire present in animals is a wealth of potential antimicrobial agents that could be mined to meet these needs. While much of the body of research regarding HDPs is in the context of bacteria, there is increasing evidence that they can be an effective source for antivirals. Peptides can be identified in a number of ways, including eco-conservation-minded approaches. Those shown to have antiviral properties can be modified to exhibit desired properties as the relationship between structure and function is elucidated and then developed into therapeutics for human use. This review looks at the discovery and therapeutic potential of HDPs for human viral infections.