cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunologic characterization of 3 murine regimens of allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Background Allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) is used to treat the symptoms of immediate type I hypersensitivity. The mechanisms driving establishment of allergen tolerance are not yet fully understood. Objective The goal of this study was to develop and immunologically characterize 3 murine models of ASIT to simulate protocols currently used to treat patients with type I hypersensitivities. Methods Ovalbumin (OVA)–sensitized mice were desensitized to OVA by means of repeated injections of OVA with a rapid, intermediate, or gradual protocol. After desensitization, mice were assessed for clinical sensitivity to OVA, and immunologic parameters were assessed. Results Mice in all treatment protocols displayed decreased vascular permeability in response to OVA challenge after desensitization. Circulating OVA-specific IgE levels, as well as basophil activation in response to OVA stimulation and IgE cross-linking, were significantly decreased in all treatment groups. Intermediate and gradual protocols, but not rapid desensitization, suppressed splenocyte proliferation and production of IL-4, IL-5, and IFN-γ in response to OVA and polyclonal activation. Similarly, significant increases in IL-10 production, numbers of CD4 + CD25 + forkhead box protein 3–positive regulatory T cells, and OVA-specific IgG 1 antibody levels were only observed in mice undergoing prolonged ASIT regimens. Conclusion Suppression of IgE-mediated activation is a common feature of all desensitization schedules. Induction of immunoregulatory networks requires prolonged desensitization schedules.
Fast and secure key distribution using mesoscopic coherent states of light

This work shows how two parties A and B can securely share unlimited sequences of random bits at optical speeds. A and B possess true-random physical sources and exchange random bits by using a random sequence received to cipher the following one to be sent. A starting shared secret key is used and the method can be described as a one-time-pad unlimited extender. It is demonstrated that the minimum probability of error in signal determination by the eavesdropper can be set arbitrarily close to the pure guessing level. Being based on the M-ry encryption protocol this method also allows for optical amplification without security degradation, offering practical advantages over the Bennett-Brassard 1984 protocol for key distribution.
Measuring the Preferences of State Supreme Court Judges

The premise of this paper is that while the comparative study of courts can address some vitally important questions in judicial politics, these gains will not be secured without a valid and reliable measure of judge preferences that is comparable within and across courts. Party affiliation of judges is a commonly used but weak substitute that suffers from pronounced equivalence problems. We develop a contextually based, party-adjusted surrogate judge ideology measure (PAJID) and subject this measure to an extensive array of validity tests. We also consider the measure's stability in predicting judge behavior over the course of the judicial career. As the results illustrate, PAJID offers a valid, stable measure of judge preferences in state supreme courts that is demonstrably superior to party affiliation in analyses of judicial decision-making across areas of law and across 52 state high courts.
Computational Cognitive Models Iso Ecologically Optimal Strategies

Our work with the Argus Prime (Schoelles & Gray, 2001) simulated task environment has uncovered a variety of strategies that subjects use, at least sometimes, during target acquisition. However, it...
The Dictyostelium LIM domain-containing protein LIM2 is essential for proper chemotaxis and morphogenesis.

We have identified limB, a gene encoding a novel LIM domain-containing protein, LIM2, in a screen for genes required for morphogenesis. limB null cells aggregate, although poorly, but they are unable to undergo morphogenesis, and the aggregates arrest at the mound stage. limB null cells exhibit an aberrant actin cytoskeleton and have numerous F-actin‐ enriched microspikes. The cells exhibit poor adhesion to a substratum and do not form tight cell‐ cell agglomerates in suspension. Furthermore, limB null cells are unable to properly polarize in chemoattractant gradients and move very poorly. Expression of limB from a prestalk-specific but not a presporespecific promoter complements the morphogenetic defects of the limB null strain, suggesting that the limB null cell developmental defect results from an inability to properly sort prestalk cells. LIM2 protein is enriched in the cortex of wild-type cells, although it does not colocalize with the actin cytoskeleton. Our analysis indicates that LIM2 is a new regulatory protein that functions to control rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton and is required for cell motility and chemotaxis. Our findings may be generally applicable to understanding pathways that control cell movement and morphogenesis in all multicellular organisms. Structure function studies on the LIM domains are presented.
Measles Immunization: Remaining Needs for Research

Highly immunogenic, safe, and effective attenuated measles vaccines, stabilized to lengthen duration of potency under field conditions, are available. Measles can be controlled while studies continue to define the molecular change in the viral genome responsible for attenuation and to clone the genes that specify for the two major surface glycoprotein antigens, the hemagglutinin (HA) and fusion (F) proteins. Purification of HA and F antigens will facilitate studies of cell-mediated immunity. Elucidation of host cell-dependent lack of synthesis of the internal membrane protein in the brains of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is needed. Control of measles will clarify the relationship between acute measles and those chronic neurologic diseases known (e.g., SSPE) or thought (e.g., multiple sclerosis) to be caused by persistent infection with measles virus. Epidemiologic studies should determine the optimal age for immunization as age-specific morbidity and mortality are reduced and should record the subsequent course of apparent vaccine failures in children immunized from seven to 15 months of age. Behavioral and operational research must examine how best to extend measles immunization throughout the world.
Status of contraceptive vaccines.

Problem This is a review of anti-sperm contraceptive vaccines (CV), and synthesis of human scFv antibodies that can be used as immunocontraceptives. Method of study Various methods of proteomics and genomics, peptide synthesis, phage display technology, and antibody engineering were used to obtain multi-epitope vaccines and human scFv antibodies from immunoinfertile and vasectomized men. The present review primarily focuses on the effect of multi-epitope vaccines and Izumo on fertility, and synthesis and characterization of sperm specific human scFv antibodies. Results The immunization with Izumo peptides causes a contraceptive effect in female mice. The efficacy is enhanced by combination vaccination, including peptides based on other sperm antigens. Using phage display technology, we were able to synthesize at least four novel scFv antibodies with unique complementarity determining regions (CDRs) that reacted with specific fertility-related sperm antigens. These antibodies inhibited human sperm function in vitro, and their immunocontraceptive effect in vivo by these antibodies is currently being investigated. Conclusion The multi-epitope vaccines may provide an efficacious and viable approach to contraception. The human scFv antibodies, if they block fertility in vivo, may provide unique and novel immunocontraceptives, the first of its kind for human use. The multi-epitope CV and preformed engineered antibodies of defined specificity may obliterate the concern related to inter-individual variability of the immune response.
The paradox of cooling streams in a warming world: Regional climate trends do not parallel variable local trends in stream temperature in the Pacific continental United States

[1] Temperature is a fundamentally important driver of ecosystem processes in streams. Recent warming of terrestrial climates around the globe has motivated concern about consequent increases in stream temperature. More specifically, observed trends of increasing air temperature and declining stream flow are widely believed to result in corresponding increases in stream temperature. Here, we examined the evidence for this using long-term stream temperature data from minimally and highly human-impacted sites located across the Pacific continental United States. Based on hypothesized climate impacts, we predicted that we should find warming trends in the maximum, mean and minimum temperatures, as well as increasing variability over time. These predictions were not fully realized. Warming trends were most prevalent in a small subset of locations with longer time series beginning in the 1950s. More recent series of observations (1987–2009) exhibited fewer warming trends and more cooling trends in both minimally and highly human-influenced systems. Trends in variability were much less evident, regardless of the length of time series. Based on these findings, we conclude that our perspective of climate impacts on stream temperatures is clouded considerably by a lack of long-term data on minimally impacted streams, and biased spatio-temporal representation of existing time series. Overall our results highlight the need to develop more mechanistic, process-based understanding of linkages between climate change, other human impacts and stream temperature, and to deploy sensor networks that will provide better information on trends in stream temperatures in the future.
Domain-Specific and General Properties of Folk Classifications

ABSTRACT Published hierarchical folk classifications of animals, plants, and a wide variety of other things are surveyed in search of similarities and differences. In contrast to classifications of other things, classifications of animals and plants distinguish more categories, are more likely to be endowed with taxonomic ranks, and obey more consistently a nomenclatural rule related to ranks. Even within the set of things other than animals and plants, there is evidence for differences among classifications of different domains. These cross-cultural regularities suggest that taxonomic judgments are not entirely determined by culture. Despite their differences, most of the classifications are similar in their average number of hierarchical levels. The small number of levels in all folk classifications suggests a general limit, possibly on memory.
Pluralism and its Discontents: Buddhism and Proselytizing in Modern China

Since the mid-1950s, the Chinese state has exerted tight ideological and administrative control over the religious activities of its citizens. And yet, as Daniel Overmyer has observed, wherever and whenever local conditions allow it, religious practices come to the surface. Lay Buddhist movements, Confucian revivalists, evangelical Christians, and members of body cultivation movements, among others, have been active outside the officially sanctioned institutions. A politically and ideologically engineered secularization and carefully micro-managed “religious pluralism”—to be understood here merely in the sense that there exist five officially sanctioned religions—create the context in which Chinese practitioners negotiate their existence vis-a-vis the state and each other. In recent years, the state, on its part, has helped promote religious sites, Buddhist ones in particular, as tourist destinations. These facts raise a number of important and as yet little explored questions. In particular, what can a Chinese practitioner or group of practitioners lawfully do? More specifically, what do the terms “religion” (zongjiao 宗 教), “superstition” (mixin 迷信 ) and “freedom of religious belief” (xinjiao ziyou 信教自由) mean in the rapidly evolving context of contemporary China? What is the relationship between religious pluralism, secularization, proselytizing and the Chinese Communist Party’s quest for a “harmonious society” (hexie shehui 和谐社会)?
High-Throughput Genetic Screens Identify a Large and Diverse Collection of New Sporulation Genes in Bacillus subtilis

The differentiation of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis into a dormant spore is among the most well-characterized developmental pathways in biology. Classical genetic screens performed over the past half century identified scores of factors involved in every step of this morphological process. More recently, transcriptional profiling uncovered additional sporulation-induced genes required for successful spore development. Here, we used transposon-sequencing (Tn-seq) to assess whether there were any sporulation genes left to be discovered. Our screen identified 133 out of the 148 genes with known sporulation defects. Surprisingly, we discovered 24 additional genes that had not been previously implicated in spore formation. To investigate their functions, we used fluorescence microscopy to survey early, middle, and late stages of differentiation of null mutants from the B. subtilis ordered knockout collection. This analysis identified mutants that are delayed in the initiation of sporulation, defective in membrane remodeling, and impaired in spore maturation. Several mutants had novel sporulation phenotypes. We performed in-depth characterization of two new factors that participate in cell-cell signaling pathways during sporulation. One (SpoIIT) functions in the activation of σE in the mother cell; the other (SpoIIIL) is required for σG activity in the forespore. Our analysis also revealed that as many as 36 sporulation-induced genes with no previously reported mutant phenotypes are required for timely spore maturation. Finally, we discovered a large set of transposon insertions that trigger premature initiation of sporulation. Our results highlight the power of Tn-seq for the discovery of new genes and novel pathways in sporulation and, combined with the recently completed null mutant collection, open the door for similar screens in other, less well-characterized processes.
A Review of “Rush to Judgment: George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and His Critics”

While he has a number of peers, Stephen F. Knott arguably knows as much as anyone about the presidency. He certainly knows more about presidents and their use of clandestine activities than all but...
Chain Trajectory of Semicrystalline Polymers As Revealed by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

Over the last half century, a chain-folding structure of semicrystalline polymers has been debated in polymer science. Recently, 13C–13C double quantum (DQ) NMR spectroscopy combined with 13C selective isotope labeling has been developed to investigate re-entrance sites of the folded chains, mean values of adjacent re-entry number ⟨n⟩ and fraction ⟨F⟩ of semicrystalline polymers. This viewpoint highlights the versatile approaches of using solid-state (ss) NMR and isotope labeling for revealing (i) chain trajectory in melt- and solution-grown crystals, (ii) conformation of the folded chains in single crystals, (iii) self-folding in the early stage of crystallization, and (iv) unfolding of the folded chains under stretching.
Laser Machining with Ultrashort Pulses: Effects of Pulse-Width, Frequency and Energy

The benefits of short pulse (femtosecond) laser machining over conventional nanosecond lasers have been well demonstrated: higher aspect ratio features with smaller remelt zones and less recast material. However, shock induced defects can degrade the mechanical, electrical and optical properties of the remaining material, especially in brittle materials. Our focus is to reduce the amount of defects created while maintaining the machining advantages of using ultra-short pulses. Utilizing a chirped pulse amplified Ti:Sapphire laser with a pulse energy of 1 mJ and a pulsewidth of 120 fs we investigated the effects of pulsewidth, laser frequency and pulse energy on the controlled micro-ablation of Kovar and silicon films. Hole morphology and diameter were characterized by SEM. Hole depth was measured by laser profilometry. Hole volumes were determined by a combination of profilometry and SEM to determine the rate of material removal. The ablation thresholds for both Kovar and Si are between 200–300 mJcm-2.
Cognitive effects of very low nicotine content cigarettes, with and without nicotine replacement, in smokers with schizophrenia and controls.

Introduction Beneficial effects of nicotine on cognitive functioning may contribute to the markedly high rates of smoking among people with schizophrenia. A reduction in the nicotine content of cigarettes to non-addictive levels is being considered as a regulatory strategy for reducing tobacco dependence in the United States. We examined whether switching to very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes impairs cognitive functioning in smokers with and without schizophrenia, andwhether nicotine replacement reverses these effects. Methods Smokers with schizophrenia (SS, n = 29) and control smokers matched on smoking rate but without psychiatric illness (CS, n = 28) smoked usual-brand cigarettes, VLNC cigarettes while wearing 2 placebo patches (PLA), or VLNC cigarettes while wearing 2 nicotine patches totaling 42mg (NIC) for 5hr, and then completed computerized assessments of visual sustained attention, motor speed, visual working memory, processing speed, inhibitory control, and response variability. Results Across conditions, SS were slower than CS in tasks of motor speed and visual working memory, and had poorer target detectability on a visual sustained attention task. Across groups, functioning in domains of visual sustained attention, inhibitory control, processing speed, and response variability was impaired in the VLNC + PLA condition relative to the usual-brand and VLNC + NIC conditions. Conclusions Dramatically reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes may impair cognitive functioning in heavy smokers with and without schizophrenia, but the use of nicotine replacement while smoking VLNC cigarettes may preserve cognitive functioning in these smokers.
Atmospheric Oxidation of CH3Br: Chemistry of the CH2BrO Radical

The Cl-atom-initiated photooxidation mechanism of CH3Br has been investigated in chamber experiments conducted under conditions applicable to the lower atmosphere. Major carbon-containing products obtained in the presence of O2 and NO, as determined by FTIR absorption spectroscopy, are CH2O and CO. In addition, HC(O)Br is observed in the absence of NO. At low temperature, in the presence of NO, CH2BrO2NO2 was also identified as a reaction product. The results are used to determine the fate of the alkoxy radical, CH2BrO. It is found that unimolecular decomposition of CH2BrO to CH2O + Br is the dominant process in 1 atm of O2 at all temperatures studied (between 228 and 298 K), while reaction with O2, CH2BrO + O2 → HC(O)Br + HO2, and the three-centered elimination of HBr, CH2BrO → HCO + HBr, are found to be minor pathways under these conditions (less than 5% each). Assumption of a rate constant of 6 × 10-14 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 for the reaction of CH2BrO with O2 (DeMore, W. B., et al. NASA JPL Publ. 1994, No....
Hybrid simulation based optimization framework for centralized and decentralized supply chains

A chemical supply chain is a network of suppliers, production facilities, warehouses, and markets designed to acquire raw materials and manufacture, store, and distribute products among the markets. The individual entities in such a network have their own goals and objectives. Usually the different units belong to different organizations and are parts of more than just one supply chain. The different processes of the supply chain are distributed depending on the structure of the network and the integration of these units. In this work, we investigate how the supply chains behave under different network structures and decision-making policies. Hybrid simulation based optimization frameworks have been used to predict the optimal operation under the different scenarios.
Stabilizing Cu2S for photovoltaics one atomic layer at a time.

Stabilizing Cu2S in its ideal stoichiometric form, chalcocite, is a long-standing challenge that must be met prior to its practical use in thin-film photovoltaic (PV) devices. Significant copper deficiency, which results in degenerate p-type doping, might be avoided by limiting Cu diffusion into a readily formed surface oxide and other adjacent layers. Here, we examine the extent to which PV-relevant metal-oxide over- and underlayers may stabilize Cu2S thin films with desirable semiconducting properties. After only 15 nm of TiO2 coating, Hall measurements and UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy reveal a significant suppression of free charge-carrier addition that depends strongly on the choice of deposition chemistry. Remarkably, the insertion of a single atomic layer of Al2O3 between Cu2S and TiO2 further stabilizes the active layer for at least 2 weeks, even under ambient conditions. The mechanism of this remarkable enhancement is explored by in situ microbalance and conductivity measurements. Finally, photolumines...
Some Limitations of the Culture Area Concept

THE student of contemporary sociological theory cannot but be impressed with the extent to which some of the trends of thought in their genesis are traceable directly to the work of the American school of anthropologists. The more recent textbooks, to cite but one example, are filled with references to cultural materials, and the cultural material itself is presented against a background of culture theory that has been formulated largely by the anthropologists and in the light of their experiences and research among primitive peoples. The concepts were not originally formulated by the sociologists who are now so generally using them but because of their assumed value they were taken over. These newer concepts were quickly seen to be useful. They permitted an approach to the study of human behavior that had previously been wanting. As Kroeber has pointed out in his article on "The Anthropological Attitude," they enabled the student of social life to regard it with an objectivity not previously achieved.' While the debt of the sociologists to the anthropologists is great, and while it is true that there has been a stimulation to work along new lines because of the sharing of concepts, there is a real danger that sociologists may accept too quickly, and accordingly too uncritically, some of the materials from the neighboring field. This danger may be seen in the willingness to accept the culture area concept and the application of it, without reformulation or modification, in the analysis of contemporary cultures .2 Two points may be raised: I) The culture area concept, stated as it customarily has been in rather rigid geographical terms, is perhaps invalid when applied in the study of nonprimitive peoples, or, more specifically, in the study of the complex contemporary cultures. z) Geography is, in the modern world, secondary to modes and channels of communication in studying cultural distributions. Several writers have recently introduced material suggesting the validity of these two points. Professor Redfield in his discussion of certain Mexican groups demonstrates rather clearly that Wissler's formulation of the culture area concept, perhaps even in the study of pre-literates, certainly in studying contemporary civilizations, does not altogether hold. Wissler has always argued that the culture area is a type or unity-a functional interrelationship-characterized by a concentric grouping of the traits that characterize it around a culture center; and further, although this is incidental here, that there is relation between age and spread of traits. In his new volume, An Introduction to Social Anthropology, this position is virtually unchanged.3 The "natural" diffusion of traits under primitive conditions might be expected to give rise to the type of culture area that Wissler has envisaged-a ripple-like distribution-but even this has been effec-
SWOT analysis of the influencing factors and countermeasures in control and prevention of infectious diseases in the 26th Summer Universiade in Shenzhen

Objective To summarize the work experience on control and prevention of infectious diseases during the 26th Summer Universiade in Shenzhen( hereinafter referred to as the Shenzhen Universiade),and to analyze the influencing factors and coping strategies of controlling and preventing infectious diseases in large- scale activities. Methods The method of SWOT analysis was used to enumerate the strengths,weaknesses,opportunities and threats of risk management on infectious diseases,and SWOT matrix analytical method was employed to analyze the strategies of strengths- opportunities( S- O),weaknesses- opportunities( W- O),strengths- threats( S- T) and weaknesses- threats( W- T). Results There were 5 factors of strengths,3 factors of weaknesses,2 factors of opportunities and 2 factors of threats enumerated. And we also respectively formulated 2 strategies for S- O,W- O,S- T and S- T. Conclusions The infectious disease control and prevention strategies based on SWOT analysis in Shenzhen Universiade have practical guidance significance in effectively conducting infectious disease control and prevention work,which are suitable for popularization and application in grass- roots medical institutions.
Predictability and Control of Gene Bursting in Live Mammalian Cells

Transcriptional bursting is a hallmark for cellular variability across species. Whether predictability and output control exist within the stochastic bursting process is unknown. Here, we advance that collective behaviors from transient bio-molecular interactions help confer gene expression control in mammalian cells. We developed a live cell super-resolution approach to uncover the correlation between mRNA synthesis and the dynamics of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) clusters at a gene locus. For endogenous β-actin genes in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, we observe that short (∼8 s) Pol II clusters correlate with basal mRNA output. With serum stimulation, a stereotyped increase in Pol II cluster lifetime correlates with the proportionate increase in mRNAs synthesized minutes later. An additional burst of mRNA synthesis can be induced, at will, with a drug that stalls then releases Pol II clustering. Our findings reveal that transient clustering of Pol II constitutes a pre-transcriptional regulatory event which dynamically controls gene expression output.
The German Länder

The German cases share broad similarities. Regional responses to decline in the Saarland and North Rhine–Westphalia were rarely region wide in scope, were inherently politicized, and remained well-insulated from the effects of federal policy initiatives. As such, they depart in key respects from the patterns of interaction uncovered in Britain. While theoretically significant differences between the German Lander emerge, the common elements are more striking, and can be traced to the presence of regional governmental institutions, engaged political parties, and a highly institutionalized, multilateral policy-making framework, each of which is wholly absent in the British regions. These factors create distinctive resource distributions among subnational actors and greater latitude for responses bearing the imprint of a partisan logic. The Saarland, 1960–86 The Saarland is the smallest and youngest of the original German Lander, having joined the Federal Republic officially in 1959. The origins of the state's economic travails are a matter of scholarly and political controversy. The debate pits those who emphasize political factors – unstable boundaries, unfair treatment at the hands of the French, and late incorporation into the Federal Republic''s economy – against those who point to the constraining role of economic and structural factors like poor quality coking coal, outmoded production methods, and the late take-up of new technology. In any event, the Land's decline can be traced back to the turn of the century, by which time the coal and iron-working industries in the region had lost production and market battles with competitors in the Rhine-Ruhr area, as well as those in nearby Lorraine and Luxembourg. The Saarland is a typical mining region whose economy has always been based on coal and steel.
The EU and its southern neighborhood: capacity to create institutional change

The interplay of domestic actors and institutions sets the scene for institutional change, but exogenous factors also promote or prohibit the process. This chapter examines the EU’s capacity to trigger change through its neighborhood policies. While Morocco has relations with a number of different international institutions and actors, this chapter examines its distinguished cooperation with the EU. The singularity of this relationship is built around its economic driving force, overarching various policy fields and its long history reaching back to the founding treaties of the EU.
Congruences for 2F1 Hypergeometric Functions Over Finite Fields

In a recent paper, Ono and Penniston proved a family of congruences for 3F2 hypergeometric functions over finite fields. They use the relationship between these functions and the arithmetic of a certain family of elliptic curves to obtain their congruences. Here we prove analogous congruences for 2F1 hypergeometric functions.
Establishing a nursing student learning center for women's reproductive health in Nepal.

The goal of this paper is to describe the establishment of a self-sustaining Student Learning Center (SLC) employing humanistic anatomical models to aid in the teaching of family planning and reproductive health clinical skills to nursing students in Nepal. In response to a local needs assessment a plan was developed to implement more thorough training of nursing students in family planning clinical skills. Nepalese nursing leaders worked together with a U.S. Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to implement this project. This paper details the need for the SLCs, the content and structure of the SLCs, and the process of establishing an SLC at Tribhuvan University, Maharjgunj Nursing Campus in Kathmandu, the largest of all nursing campuses in Nepal.
Simulation and wake analysis of a single vertical axis wind turbine

Because of several design advantages and operational characteristics, particularly in offshore farms, vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are being reconsidered as a complementary technology to horizontal axial turbines. However, considerable gaps remain in our understanding of VAWT performance since cross-flow rotor configurations have been significantly less studied than axial turbines. This study examines the wakes of VAWTs and how their evolution is influenced by turbine design parameters. An actuator line model is implemented in an atmospheric boundary layer large eddy simulation code, with offline coupling to a high-resolution blade-scale unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes model. The large eddy simulation captures the turbine-to-farm scale dynamics, while the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes captures the blade-to-turbine scale flow. The simulation results are found to be in good agreement with three existing experimental datasets. Subsequently, a parametric study of the flow over an isolated VAWT, carried out by varying solidities, height-to-diameter aspect ratios and tip speed ratios, is conducted. The analyses of the wake area and velocity and power deficits yield an improved understanding of the downstream evolution of VAWT wakes, which in turn enables a more informed selection of turbine designs for wind farms. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficacy of α-Copaene, Cubeb, and Eucalyptol Lures for Detection of Redbay Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

Redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff, is a wood-boring pest that has now invaded nine states in the southeastern United States. The beetle's dominant fungal symbiont (Raffaelea lauricola) is phytopathogenic, inducing laurel wilt in trees within the family Lauraceae. Members of the genus Persea are particularly susceptible to the lethal disease, including native redbay (P. borbonia) and swampbay (P. palustris), as well as commercial avocado (P. americana). Cubeb oil lures are the current standard for detection of X. glabratus, but recently eucalyptol and a 50% α-copaene oil have been identified as additional attractants. This study used a combination of binary-choice bioassays, field cage release-and-recapture assays, and a 12-wk field trial to compare efficacy of eucalyptol and copaene lures relative to commercial cubeb lures. In addition, GC-MS was used to quantify emissions from lures field-aged for 12 wk. In laboratory bioassays, copaene lures were more attractive than eucalyptol lures. In field cage assays, copaene lures recaptured a higher percentage of released beetles than cubeb lures. In the field test, cubeb lures captured fewer beetles than copaene lures, and lowest captures were obtained with eucalyptol lures. Combining eucalyptol with either copaene or cubeb lures did not increase captures over those lures deployed alone. Both copaene and cubeb lures were effective in attracting X. glabratus for 12 wk, but field life of eucalyptol lures was only 4 wk, consistent with the quantification of lure emissions. Results suggest that the 50% α-copaene lure provides the best pest detection currently available for X. glabratus.
VOLTTRON™: Using distributed control and sensing to integrate buildings and the grid

New smart grid technologies are creating a significant potential for smart building systems to provide grid services to power system operators. Communication networks and advanced control systems are a necessary enabler of this new potential. VOLTTRON™ was designed as an open-source distributed control and sensing platform for integrating buildings and the power grid by connecting devices, agents in the platform, agents in the Cloud, and signals from the power grid.
Multimodality Imaging-based Evaluation of Single-Lumen Silicone Breast Implants for Rupture

Breast implants are frequently encountered on breast imaging studies, and it is essential for any radiologist interpreting these studies to be able to correctly assess implant integrity. Ruptures of silicone gel-filled implants often occur without becoming clinically obvious and are incidentally detected at imaging. Early diagnosis of implant rupture is important because surgical removal of extracapsular silicone in the breast parenchyma and lymphatics is difficult. Conversely, misdiagnosis of rupture may prompt a patient to undergo unnecessary additional surgery to remove the implant. Mammography is the most common breast imaging examination performed and can readily depict extracapsular free silicone, although it is insensitive for detection of intracapsular implant rupture. Ultrasonography (US) can be used to assess the internal structure of the implant and may provide an economical method for initial implant assessment. Common US signs of intracapsular rupture include the "keyhole" or "noose" sign, subcapsular line sign, and "stepladder" sign; extracapsular silicone has a distinctive "snowstorm" or echogenic noise appearance. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the most accurate and reliable means for assessment of implant rupture and is highly sensitive for detection of both intracapsular and extracapsular rupture. MR imaging findings of intracapsular rupture include the keyhole or noose sign, subcapsular line sign, and "linguine" sign, and silicone-selective MR imaging sequences are highly sensitive to small amounts of extracapsular silicone. ©RSNA, 2017.
Directive-based tile abstraction to distribute loops on accelerators

Optimizing applications for the next generation of super-computers requires next generation compilers. These compilers need to provide an abstraction for the developer to describe the inner working of applications. And, next generation compilers need to be able to intelligently apply optimizations to a wide variety of algorithms solved by scientific applications. They need to optimize applications for any workload targeting any architecture. In this paper, we present an important component of any next generation supercomputer compiler that we call TileK. TileK is a tile abstraction used to generate distributed kernels from nested loops. It provides a high-level abstraction used to decompose the iteration space of loop nests. Its directives-based language enables an effective and efficient placement of multi-dimensional computations on the 3D topology of accelerators (e.g. graphics processing units, GPUs). We implemented both the tile abstraction and the kernel generator in ROSE Compiler. We used TileK to parallelize linear algebra kernels and stencils, targeting multicore CPUs (pThread) and GPUs (OpenCL). TileK enabled us to explore and evaluate a large optimization space of many versions of these kernels for varying input sizes. Our results shows that the selection of a given optimization for a specific input size is a challenging problem.
Economic Assimilation and Skill Acquisition: Evidence From the Occupational Sorting of Childhood Immigrants.

We study the economic assimilation of childhood immigrants to the United States. The linguistic distance between English and the predominant language in one’s country of birth interacted with age at arrival is shown to be closely connected to occupational sorting in adulthood. By applying big-data techniques to occupations’ detailed skill requirements, we provide evidence that childhood immigrants from English-distant countries who arrived after the primary school years reveal comparative advantages in tasks distinct from those for which (close to) Anglophone immigrants are better suited. Meanwhile, those who arrive at younger ages specialize in a bundle of skills very similar to that supplied by observationally equivalent workers. These patterns emerge even after we net out the effects of formal education. Such findings are compatible with the existence of different degrees of complementarity between relative English-learning potential at arrival and the acquisition of multiple capabilities demanded in the U.S. labor market (math/logic, socioemotional, physical, and communication skills). Consistent with the investment-complementarity argument, we show that linguistic distance and age at arrival also play a significant role on the choice of college major within this population.
Three-Year Visit

Tao Fernandez lives with his mother in an inner-city neighborhood in subsidized housing. Their elevator often breaks down and another family shares the apartment. His mother Melinda Costa never finished high school in El Salvador because her parents needed her to help take care of her younger siblings. When she became pregnant, Ms. Costa had no one to help her. The father occasionally drops by to take Tao to the park or bring a present when he has money. Tao weighs 12.5 kg (27.5 lb), stands 91 cm (36.4 in.), and head circumference is 47 cm (21.3 in.). He is in the 10th percentile for physical growth. He is scared when the doctor takes his blood pressure and screams when blood is drawn and at vaccination. He talks deliberately and has understandable speech. His vocabulary has about 500 words. He knows his name and he can speak two to three sentences together. A neighbor watches Tao when the mother goes to work part time in a bakery sweeping the floors or attends GED classes, but this time is mostly spent watching TV. Tao likes to help at home but doesn’t always listen. The mother says she has a hard time disciplining Tao and admits sometimes losing her temper and yelling at her son. Tao feeds himself and mostly sits still at the table for his meals. Tao has been toilet trained for a couple of months but has many accidents. He doesn’t get to play with many other children.
Ecology and Mary: An Ecological Theology of Mary as the New Eve in Response to the Church’s Challenge for a Faith-Based Education in Ecological Responsibility

The Church’s interpretation of the current ecological crisis as a moral crisis is the catalyst for this essay, which proposes a newly constructed faith-based model for ecological dialogue and education. The exploration and reinterpretation of the traditional Church doctrine of the Virgin Mary as the new Eve provides a theme from which an ecological theology of Mary is constructed. Papal and Episcopal statements that call for a moral concern and response to the growing urgency of the ecological crisis are discussed in order to promote awareness of the involvement of the Church’s leadership in the issue. Analyses and interpretations by scholars in the second century Church on the doctrine of Mary as the new Eve are presented and reinterpreted to create a viable model with the potential to nurture ecological awareness and responsibility in the contemporary Church. The construction of an ecological Marian theology is approached through review and analysis of the 1974 visionary pastoral letter of Pope Paul VI, Marialis Cultus (To Honor Mary), the writings of Catholic feminist theologian and Sister of St. Joseph Elizabeth Johnson, Catholic Ecuadorian-American theologian Jeanette Rodriguez, and those of other major feminist, womanist, and liberationist theologians.
Soft-inflatable exosuit for knee rehabilitation

In the case of individuals with paresis, generation of the required knee-extension moment, so as to perform common mobility tasks, is partially lost [1], [2]. Robotic solutions such as rigid exoskeletons are often heavy and bulky and may lead to discomfort and increased dependency on supervised physical therapy. Therefore, there is a need for lightweight devices that offer a higher degree of compliance to the user and can successfully assist in rehabilitation scenarios. One such device to assist the knee extension motion in patients recovering from stroke is presented.
Correction to: Enhancing Academic Quality and Collegial Control: Insights from US Policy on the Ethical Conduct of Human Subjects’ Research

In the last sentence of the first Conclusion paragraph “micro-regulatory” should be “meta-regulatory”.
Endocytosis and function of the hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor.

When desialylated, plasma glycoproteins, including some hormones, become ligands for recognition by this galactosyl (Gal) receptor (Ashwell and Harford, 1982; Schwartz, 1984). The interaction of the receptor with most ligands is of high affinity; dissociation constants are in the nM range. The ligand used most predominantly is desialylated αl-acid glycoprotein (also called orosomucoid), which is a soluble-plasma acute-phase protein. Neoglycoproteins, synthetic polymers, or solid surfaces containing a sufficient density of Gal groups will also be bound by the receptor. The receptor is found only in hepatocytes. Only 10–25% of the total cellular receptors are on the cell surface, while 75–90% are inside the cell. There are about a half-million receptors per cell. The receptor recycles both in vivo and in vitro. Ligand dissociation occurs below pH 6, and Ca2+ is required for binding. Oligosaccharide binding to the receptor requires a relatively high Ca2+ concentration; the apparent Kd is approximately 1.5 mM, and about 3Ca2+ are bound/polypeptide chain of the rabbit receptor (Andersen et al., 1982). Very little ligand binding (<1%) occurs in the absence of Ca2+ or the presence of chelators such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). This fact is often used as the basis for most easily determining the nonspecific binding of radiolabeled ligands.
Approximately Optimal Distributed Data Shuffling

Data shuffling between distributed workers is one of the critical steps in implementing large-scale learning algorithms. The focus of this work is to understand the fundamental trade-off between the amount of storage and the communication overhead for distributed data shuffling. We first present an information theoretic formulation for the data shuffling problem, accounting for the underlying problem parameters (i.e., number of workers, K, number of data points, N, and the available storage, $S$ per node). Then, we derive an information theoretic lower bound on the communication overhead for data shuffling as a function of these parameters. Next, we present a novel coded communication scheme and show that the resulting communication overhead of the proposed scheme is within a multiplicative factor of at most 2 from the lower bound. Furthermore, we introduce an improved aligned coded shuffling scheme, which achieves the optimal storage vs communication trade-off for K $K$ ≥ 5.
Abstract 1499: Vitamin D promotes differentiation in patient-derived organoids in benign and cancer prostate models

Deficiency in the prohormone vitamin D is associated with increased risk of lethal prostate cancer (PCa) and less-differentiated, more aggressive tumors. As cancer progresses there is aberrant expression of vitamin D metabolic genes causing dysregulation of the vitamin D pathway, indicating its role in disease. Vitamin D has many chemopreventive actions in vitro, including promotion of differentiation and apoptosis. The ability for vitamin D to drive differentiation has been explored in various cell types and cancer lines, but its mechanism of action in the prostate is not well defined. Our lab found that vitamin D treatment globally upregulates microRNAs (miRs) in prostate cell lines, primary cells and patient samples. Temporal regulation of miRs is critical for differentiation and levels of mature miRs are globally lower in PCa. Given the relationship between vitamin D and microRNAs, and their influence over differentiation, we hypothesize that vitamin D promotes differentiation in the prostate in a microRNA-dependent manner and that this process is disrupted during cancer. Here we examined organoid differentiation in the presence of 1,25D, the active metabolite of vitamin D. Organoids were grown in matrigel from human primary prostate epithelial progenitor cells. Differentiation was assessed by organoid size and branching, and by expression of epithelial markers. Organoids grown in the presence of 1,25D were strikingly larger and formed more complex branching structures than those treated with control. Whole mount immunofluorescence revealed expression of basal and luminal epithelial cells in the organoids. Flow-sorted organoids had a greater composition of basal cells when grown in the presence of 1,25D. RT-qPCR analysis of the flow-sorted epithelial populations revealed an enhancement in the WNT pathway with 1,25D, this pathway is critical in prostate development and dysregulated in cancer. The role of miRNAs was determined by reducing global miRNA levels via knockdown of Drosha, an essential miRNA-processing protein. Knockdown abrogated the effect of 1,25D, as evidenced by reduced size, round shape, and protein expression. Together our findings indicate a role of 1,25D in normal prostate development and branching, a phenotype that is lost when mature miR levels are reduced. Ongoing studies examine these phenotypes in PCa organoids. Citation Format: Tara N. McCray, Giovani Lugli, Larisa Nonn. Vitamin D promotes differentiation in patient-derived organoids in benign and cancer prostate models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1499.
Cognitive Processing of Visually Presented Data in Decision Making.

Objective:Intelligence analysis is a necessary operation for organizations engaged in adversarial decision making in military, criminal justice, and civil spheres. In particular, we focus on studyi...