cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perinatal Loss of Ts65Dn Down Syndrome Mice

Ts65Dn mice inherit a marker chromosome, T(1716)65Dn, producing segmental trisomy for orthologs of about half of the genes on human chromosome 21. These mice display a number of phenotypes that are directly comparable to those in humans with trisomy 21 and are the most widely used animal model of Down syndrome (DS). However, the husbandry of Ts65Dn mice is complicated. Males are sterile, and only 20–40% of the offspring of Ts65Dn mothers are trisomic at weaning. The lower-than-expected frequency of trisomic offspring has been attributed to losses at meiosis, during gestation and at postnatal stages, but no systematic studies support any of these suppositions. We show that the T(1716)65Dn marker chromosome is inherited at expected frequency and is fully compatible with development to midgestation. Disproportional loss of trisomic offspring occurs in late gestation and continues through birth to weaning. Different maternal H2 haplotypes are significantly associated with the frequency of trisomy at weaning in patterns different from those reported previously. The proportion of trisomic mice per litter decreases with age of the Ts65Dn mother. These results provide the first statistical and numerical evidence supporting the prenatal and perinatal pattern of loss in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS.
IL-7 receptor signaling is necessary for stage transition in adult B cell development through up-regulation of EBF

Cytokine receptor signals have been suggested to stimulate cell differentiation during hemato/lymphopoiesis. Such action, however, has not been clearly demonstrated. Here, we show that adult B cell development in IL-7(-/-) and IL-7R alpha(2/-) mice is arrested at the pre-pro-B cell stage due to insufficient expression of the B cell-specific transcription factor EBF and its target genes, which form a transcription factor network in determining B lineage specification. EBF expression is restored in IL-7(-/-) pre-pro-B cells upon IL-7 stimulation or in IL-7R alpha(-/-) pre-pro-B cells by activation of STAT5, a major signaling molecule downstream of the IL-7R signaling pathway. Furthermore, enforced EBF expression partially rescues B cell development in IL-7R alpha(-/-) mice. Thus, IL-7 receptor signaling is a participant in the formation of the transcription factor network during B lymphopoiesis by up-regulating EBF, allowing stage transition from the pre-pro-B to further maturational stages.
Dielectric Studies in the System CdO-Nb2O5

Results of studies on the effect of compositional changes and impurities on the electrical characteristics of single-crystal, hot-pressed, and dry-pressed and fired cadmium niobate are presented. Specimens of compositions from CdNb2O6 to Cd2.1Nb2O7.1 were studied optically, electrically, and by X-ray diffraction. Cadmium metaniobate remains paraelectric from –180° to +400°C. and acts primarily as a diluent to the ferroelectric properties of cadmium niobate. The Curie point of cadmium niobate occurs at approximately –85°C. with a dielectric constant peak of 6600 for a [110] crystal cut. Indications of antiferroelectricity are discussed. Room-temperature measurements in the paraelectric phase at 21 kilomegacycles indicate a dielectric constant of 150 with a dissipation factor of less than 0.002 as compared with the high losses of BaTiO3 in this frequency range.
A Simulation Framework to Introduce Modern DSP Based Synchronization Techniques in a PLL Course

In a traditional course on phase-locked loops (PLLs) with applications, analog PLLs are the major focus. Indeed, there are many PLL fundamental topics that need to be understood before moving on to applications. It is within the context of this course that the need to expose the students to pure digital signal processing (DSP) based synchronization arises. To introduce synchronization using a pure DSP implementation, a MATLAB simulation framework was created. This paper describes the framework which includes transmitter, channel, and receiver m-code modules. Carrier phase tracking and symbol synchronization schemes are built into the framework, along with a means to stress these subsystems with carrier frequency and phase offsets, and sampling clock error relative to the symbol rate
Utilizing genetic algorithms for the optimal design of electromagnetic devices

The application of genetic algorithms (GAs) to the design optimization of electromagnetic devices is presented. The method is applied to a magnetizer to design its pole face. Optimization is sought to achieve a desired magnetic flux density distribution in the device. The shape of the pole face is constructed from the control points by means of uniform nonrational b-splines. The results obtained signify the efficiency of the method.
An implantable multichannel ultrasonic pulsed Doppler blood flowmeter

An optimal architecture for an implantable multichannel ultrasonic pulsed Doppler blood flowmeter, based on power consumption, implant volume, channel isolation, and signal processing, is presented. The theoretical limits are determined by studying the effects of the system variables on the range of measurable blood velocities. A real-time discrete Fourier transform frequency estimator is implemented in the multichannel flowmeter to facilitate faster and more accurate frequency estimates than those obtained by the conventional zero-crossing counter. The design of a prototype three-channel flowmeter is introduced, and the feasibility of simultaneous multichannel flow measurements is demonstrated. >
A Social Networking Website for AEC Projects

Architecture, Engineering and Construction projects involve a number of individuals and organizations with different roles and responsibilities. In a new project, participants may initially not know each other; however, to be effective, those with a common interest must be able to easily find each other to share their knowledge about the project. Another requirement for effectively managing a project is the ability to easily add new knowledge to the project knowledge base. The current format for representing, accessing, and sharing project data cannot take advantage of the full potential of the Internet. The Internet allows producing distributed information that can be easily combined and shared. It is also a powerful medium for communication among individuals with a common interest who may not know each other. This paper presents a project social networking website that facilitates professional interactions among a project’s participants and provides a dynamic project knowledge base that would allow combining knowledge created during various phases of a project lifecycle. The participants in a new project may join the project website using OpenID. The project website uses a Semantics-based approach to information modeling that allows project website members to add new knowledge to the project knowledge base and perform graph query on project data. The project website members can tag any piece of information in the project knowledge base to their social interactions.
THE EFFECT OF VARYING THE AMOUNT OF REALISTIC DETAIL IN VISUAL ILLUSTRATIONS DESIGNED TO COMPLEMENT PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTION

Abstract This experiment was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of eight types of visual illustrations used to complement programmed instruction. The various types of visual illustrations were evaluated in terms of their ability to improve student achievement on five criterion measures. 175 freshmen students at the Pennsylvania State University were randomly assigned to one of the nine treatment groups. Each student received a pre‐test, participated in his respective programmed presentation and received four individual criterion measures. The results indicate that some types of visuals are more effective than others in facilitating student achievement of specific educational objectives. The analyses also indicated that the addition of colour in specific types of illustrations is an important instructional variable to be used in increasing student achievement of specific educational objectives. * This research was supported by the Central Fund for Research, The Pennsylvania State University.
MINDO/3 Calculation of carbocation heats of formation

Heats of formation calculated by MINDO/3 are reported for 42 carbocations for which experimental heats of formation have been published. Errors associated with these calculations can be large, with an overall range of ±13 kcal/mol. Correction of systematic errors in the MINDO/3 calculations by means of hydrocarbon models and isodesmic relationships results in a reduction in the range of errors to ±8 kcal/mol. Comparison with experimental heats of reaction of hydride transfer equilibria minimizes experimental errors and gives an average absolute error of 2 kcal/mol with a range of ±3 kcal/mol.
High level waste immobilization forms

Various solid HLW forms compared for leach resistance, irradiation stability, processing, and physical properties yield alkali borosilicate glass and titanate based ceramics as leading waste forms. Titanates offer the possibility of higher waste loading. Glass waste forms offer the advantage of simpler and demonstrated full-scale and radioactive remote processing operations. Predictions of glass-repository performance based upon leaching kinetics, solubility limits, thermodynamics, and multiple films are confirmed by in situ burial tests.
Elder Mistreatment in the Nursing Home: A Systematic Review

Because of their significant dependence on others for their care, nursing home residents are potentially vulnerable to abuse and/or neglect. The topic of elder mistreatment, whether in the nursing home or other living environments, received little attention from clinicians and researchers until the past 2 decades. Original research is now emerging that sheds light on the scope of the problem and the challenges to timely prevention, identification, and management. Practitioners may use this information to recognize and change factors associated with a higher likelihood of nursing home mistreatment.
Floor plate-derived sonic hedgehog regulates glial and ependymal cell fates in the developing spinal cord

Cell fate specification in the CNS is controlled by the secreted morphogen sonic hedgehog (Shh). At spinal cord levels, Shh produced by both the notochord and floor plate (FP) diffuses dorsally to organize patterned gene expression in dividing neural and glial progenitors. Despite the fact that two discrete sources of Shh are involved in this process, the individual contribution of the FP, the only intrinsic source of Shh throughout both neurogenesis and gliogenesis, has not been clearly defined. Here, we have used conditional mutagenesis approaches in mice to selectively inactivate Shh in the FP (ShhFP) while allowing expression to persist in the notochord, which underlies the neural tube during neurogenesis but not gliogenesis. We also inactivated Smo, the common Hh receptor, in neural tube progenitors. Our findings confirm and extend prior studies suggesting an important requirement for ShhFP in specifying oligodendrocyte cell fates via repression of Gli3 in progenitors. Our studies also uncover a connection between embryonic Shh signaling and astrocyte-mediated reactive gliosis in adults, raising the possibility that this pathway is involved in the development of the most common cell type in the CNS. Finally, we find that intrinsic spinal cord Shh signaling is required for the proper formation of the ependymal zone, the epithelial cell lining of the central canal that is also an adult stem cell niche. Together, our studies identify a crucial late embryonic role for ShhFP in regulating the specification and differentiation of glial and epithelial cells in the mouse spinal cord.
Experimental and finite difference modelling of borehole Mach waves1

Abstract A series of model experiments was performed in an ultrasonic laboratory to study the radiation of downhole sources in a variety of formations. Three models were used in the experiments. They were a Lucite model, a Lucite model with a free glass pipe in the centre, and a glass‐cased soil model. In addition, a finite‐difference modelling technique was used to simulate the wave propagation in these models and the results of the laboratory and numerical experiments are compared. In the Lucite borehole model the waveforms recorded in the experiment agree very well with the finite‐difference synthetics. The snapshots of the wavefield from the finite‐difference simulation show the radiation pattern of the P‐ and S‐waves in the Lucite formation. These patterns are consistent with the theoretical calculations. In the Lucite model with the free glass pipe, the finite‐difference synthetics are also in good agreement with the experimental observations, especially for the conical P‐wave arrival. The angle between the wavefront of the conical P‐wave and the borehole axis, observed from the snapshot, agrees with the theory. In the cased soil model, the arrival time of the finite‐difference synthetics is in good agreement with the laboratory measurements. The relative amplitudes of the P‐wave and the Mach wave are not correctly modelled because intrinsic attenuation is not included in the finite‐difference calculation. The Mach cone angle from the snapshot agrees with the theoretical prediction. Finally, a finite‐difference method was used to simulate Mach‐wave propagation in a formation with two horizontal layers. In the case of two slow layers, the Mach‐wave generated in the first layer is reflected back from and transmitted through the boundary and another Mach wave is generated at the second layer when the Stoneley wave travels into the second layer. In the case of a formation having one slow and one fast layer, the Mach wave generated in the slow layer is reflected back at the boundary and leaked into the fast layer. There is no Mach wave in the fast layer.
Rate and quantity of delivery of venom from honeybee stings

To determine the rate and completeness of delivery of venom from honeybee stings, European bees were collected at the entrance of a hive and studied with the use of two laboratory models. In one model bees were induced to sting the shaved skin of anesthetized rabbits. The stings were removed from the skin at various time intervals after autotomization, and residual venom was assayed with a hemolytic method. In the other model the bees were induced to sting preweighed filter paper disks, which were weighed again after removal of the sting at various intervals. Results of both experiments were in agreement, showing that at least 90% of the venom sac contents were delivered within 20 seconds and that venom delivery was complete within 1 minute. The data suggest that a bee sting must be removed within a few seconds after autotomization to prevent anaphylaxis in an allergic person. The extensive variation found in the amount of venom delivered at each time point may explain inconsistencies in relationships among reactions to field stings, sting challenge testing, venom skin tests and RAST.
Thermal properties of some hydrogenated poly(α-methyl styrenes)

The Synthesis of poly(isopropenyl cyclohexane) via the hydrogenation of poly(α-methyl styrene) is described. Depending on the reaction time and catalyst system a homopolymer or a copolymer is obtained. Under the conditions of synthesis both materials are highly syndiotactic. For the pure hydrogenated homopolymer (>99.9%) the glass transition temperature was found to be 185.4°C, about 20°C above Tg of poly(α-ethyl styrene). Contrary to expectations, the glass transitions of the 92/8, 33/67 poly(isopropenyl cyclohexane-co-methyl styrene) and poly(α-methyl styrene) are almost identical, as are the decomposition temperature ranges. Thermal data indicate that the decomposition mechanism of the copolymers and hydrogenated homopolymer is random scission. The thermogravimetric curves also indicate that the copolymers are random. Thus, chain stiffness appears not to increase rapidly with hydrogenation of this highly syndiotactic polymer.
GENETIC STRUCTURE OF PILEOLARIA PSEUDOMILITARIS (POLYCHAETA: SPIRORBIDAE)

The genetic structure of Pileolaria pseudomilitaris was studied by means of gene-diversity analysis of allozyme frequencies. At an esterase locus, most of the gene diversity was due to subdivision of the population into colonies and subpopulations separated by less than 100 meters. Gene frequencies at a phosphoglucose isomerase locus were similar over many kilometers, but differed between two habitat types. Differences between colonies are attributed to drift and founder effect; similarities over greater distances are attributed to similar selection pressures. A mathematical appendix details the method of gene diversity analysis for a multi-leveled, hierarchically subdivided population.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Vpr Induces Apoptosis in Human Neuronal Cells

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection of the central nervous system (CNS) causes AIDS dementia complex (ADC) in certain infected individuals. Recent studies have suggested that patients with ADC have an increased incidence of neuronal apoptosis leading to neuronal dropout. Of note, a higher level of the HIV-1 accessory protein Vpr has been detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of AIDS patients with neurological disorders. Moreover, extracellular Vpr has been shown to form ion channels, leading to cell death of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Based on these previous findings, we first investigated the apoptotic effects of the HIV-1 Vpr protein on the human neuronal precursor NT2 cell line at a range of concentrations. These studies demonstrated that apoptosis induced by both Vpr and the envelope glycoprotein, gp120, occurred in a dose-dependent manner compared to protein treatment with HIV-1 integrase, maltose binding protein (MBP), and MBP-Vpr in the undifferentiated NT2 cells. For mature, differentiated neurons, apoptosis was also induced in a dose-dependent manner by both Vpr and gp120 at concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 ng/ml, as demonstrated by both the terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase (Tdt)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling and Annexin V assays for apoptotic cell death. In order to clarify the intracellular pathways and molecular mechanisms involved in Vpr- and gp120-induced apoptosis in the NT2 cell line and differentiated mature human neurons, we then examined the cellular lysates for caspase-8 activity in these studies. Vpr and gp120 treatments exhibited a potent increase in activation of caspase-8 in both mature neurons and undifferentiated NT2 cells. This suggests that Vpr may be exerting selective cytotoxicity in a neuronal precursor cell line and in mature human neurons through the activation of caspase-8. These data represent a characterization of Vpr-induced apoptosis in human neuronal cells, and suggest that extracellular Vpr, along with other lentiviral proteins, may increase neuronal apoptosis in the CNS. Also, identification of the intracellular activation of caspase-8 in Vpr-induced apoptosis of human neuronal cells may lead to therapeutic approaches which can be used to combat HIV-1-induced neuronal apoptosis in AIDS patients with ADC.
High Ability, Rural, and Poor: Lessons From Project Aspire and Implications for School Counselors

This article describes a grant-funded effort to improve the lives of academically able middle and high school students living in rural poverty. The program, Project Aspire, attempts to increase the number of these children in the most rigorous math and science coursework available in their schools. To that end, Project Aspire assists 14 school corporations by helping faculty in those settings increase the level of rigor of their courses and by offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses through multiple platforms of distance education technologies. A primary component of the project is the attempt to assist the school counselors' work with their students, in hopes that the students' lives will be improved. To prepare the counselors, ongoing training has been provided. This paper reports an analysis of the ideas and experiences shared during the lengthy training sessions with 21 school counselors. From the analysis and a literature review, the authors offer in three tables concise information for effectively working with high-ability middle and high school students living in rural poverty.
Heuristic-based Service Composition for Business Processes with Branching and Merging

One of the challenges in SOA is to identify the services that can be used to build a service process. An SOA infrastructure must provide an efficient and effective way to select compatible web service(s) and compose them into a functional service process that satisfies a user's needs. Moreover, the web services(s) selected may be integrated with structures such as branches and merges to fulfill a task. This paper describes our system architecture and strategies on web services composition based on semantic matching. Our strategies include backward service composition using a breadth-first search tree and heuristic prioritization.
A New Wave in the History of Corporate Governance

This special issue showcases a new wave of historical research on corporate governance. The new wave is reacting to the exhaustion of the intellectual agenda of the initial scholarship devoted to the question of the emergence and variable development of corporate governance systems in different national economies. Indeed, in many ways the new wave represents a moment of genuine intellectual liberation. Much of the old literature focused nearly exclusively on questions regarding the concentration or dispersion of ownership, and attendant issues of the strength of minority protections, the role of banks, and the depth of the securities market in different countries. New wave scholars are asking historical questions about types of corporate governance and the evolution of national systems that literally could not be seen within the categories of the old debate—or if they could be seen, were thought to be so tangential to the dynamics of efficient governance that they were ignored. How is it possible, for example, for there to have been a deep securities market and strong universal banks in pre World War I Germany? Or, what role in national economic development did pyramid holding structures playin turn of the century Japan? Did the existence of a legal alternative to the joint stock company, such as the private limited liability company (PLLC) affect the manner in which different countries embraced the joint stock corporation? New questions have also stimulated search for new kinds of data, and most of the new wave historians of corporate governance have been immersed in archival research that was simply not characteristic of the work that their predecessors undertook. This close archival work has in turn generated new observations and new questions. How did the various stock exchanges in the USA between 1880 and 1930 actually work? Who bought what, where, how, and to what effect? Or, how did the cosmopolitan character of London impact the relationship between finance and the large and numerous British global corporations? How was family ownership concretely related to the dispersal of stock? All of the above questions are posed and, to a degree, answered by the essays in this issue. The purpose of this brief introduction will be to outline why those are interesting and quite new questions in the context of the historiography of corporate governance. The first section will outline how the first wave of research into the comparative history of corporate governance exhausted itself and, thereby, created the possibility for new wave scholars to pose alternative sorts of questions. The second section sets out the thematic and methodological distinctiveness of the new wave of research. The third section outlines the specific contributions to the special issue.
Surface-specific effects of a PPARγ agonist, darglitazone, on bone in mice

It has been hypothesized that activation of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) by thiazolidinedione drugs can increase adipogenesis at the expense of osteogenesis, leading to bone loss. However, the reported skeletal effects of these compounds are varied and their effects on cortical bone are unknown. In this study, we examined the changes in both cancellous and cortical bone of 6-month-old male mice treated with darglitazone, a potent and selective PPARgamma agonist, at 10 mg/kg/day by dosing the compound in a food mixture for 2 or 8 weeks. At 2 weeks, we observed significantly increased marrow adipose tissue area, decreased trabecular bone density of distal femur, and decreased surface referent bone formation rate of lumbar vertebrae in the mice treated with darglitazone compared with controls. At 8 weeks, lower cancellous bone mass was seen at both distal femurs and lumbar vertebrae of the mice treated with darglitazone. In addition, mineralizing surface was significantly lower, whereas osteoclast surface and number were significantly higher in the lumbar vertebrae of darglitazone-treated mice. At the femoral diaphysis, darglitazone treatment caused bone loss on the endocortical surface. Interestingly, periosteal mineral apposition rate and surface referent bone formation rate were significantly increased in darglitazone-treated mice. In bone marrow cell cultures, darglitazone suppressed alkaline phosphatase activity, osteoblastic gene expression, and mineralized nodule formation while increasing adipogenic gene expression and lipid accumulation. In summary, darglitazone enhanced adipogenesis and caused cancellous bone loss by increasing bone resorption and decreasing bone formation in mice. In addition, darglitazone induced cortical bone loss on the endocortical surface but increased bone formation on the periosteal surface. These data suggest that PPARgamma plays a role in regulating bone resorption and formation and reveal surface-specific effects of a PPARgamma agonist on bone.
High-resolution measurement of water-vapor overtone absorption in the visible by frequency-modulation spectroscopy

We demonstrate the use of near-shot-noise-limited frequency-modulation spectroscopy in the study of a weakly absorbing transition of water vapor at 16 940.27 cm−1. The high sensitivity of the technique allows a detailed study of the line shape to yield accurate air-induced pressure-broadening and line-center shift coefficients and the self-induced pressure-broadening coefficient of the transition.
Weary of the Stress Time to Put Another Notch In Cardiomyopathy

See related article, pages 1233–1243 Heart failure affects more than 5 million people a year in the United States, and the underlying molecular causes are still poorly understood. Many studies have reported that pathways important for cardiac development are also important for adult cardiac homeostasis and response to injury and stress. In this issue of Circulation Research , Kim et al report the identification of a new Notch ligand, weary ( wry ), using an elegant genetic screen in Drosophila . wry is expressed in the Drosophila dorsal tube, the analog of the mammalian heart, and loss of wry results in dilated cardiomyopathy. The protein structure of wry suggests high similarity to known Notch ligands; however, it lacks the highly conserved Delta–Serrate–Lag domain found in other Notch ligands, suggesting divergence in both structure and function. Despite this difference, the authors show that wry can regulate Notch-mediated transcription in flies. These studies identify a new Notch ligand and show that this critical developmental pathway may be an important new target for future therapies directed toward adult cardiomyopathy. The adaptive response of the adult mammalian heart to various stressors and environmental insults is limited by its lack of regenerative potential. The result is often extensive cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, eventually followed by cardiomyocyte death, dilated myopathy, and heart failure. Although certain therapies can alleviate symptoms, there are no cures for heart failure outside of transplantation. Thus, new mechanistic insights into this important disease, as well as novel therapeutic targets, are essential for progress to occur. One of the standing paradigms in cardiac biology is that signaling and transcription pathways important for cardiac development are often reactivated in the hypertrophic response and subsequent heart failure. Much of the support for this argument comes from findings showing that embryonic isoforms of cardiac specific genes including myosin heavy …
Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia Evolving From Preexisting Myelodysplasia Shares Many Features With De Novo Disease

The majority of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) cases arise de novo; cases evolving from preexisting myelodysplasia (MDS) or myeloproliferative diseases have not been well-studied. We conducted the present study to determine the clinicopathologic features and to study possible underlying molecular and cytogenetic mechanisms involved in this evolution. Between April 1995 and November 2005, we identified 120 CMML cases, of which 20 (16.7%) had a previous diagnosis of MDS. Of the 20 patients with MDS, 6 had relative monocytosis at diagnosis. At the time of MDS to CMML evolution, mutations in JAK2 (V617F), FLT3 (ITD), K-ras-2, or N-ras were not acquired, and only 1 (6%) of 17 evaluable cases showed cytogenetic progression. The median time to evolution from MDS to CMML was 29 months, and the median survival following CMML development was 13 months. Three cases (17%) transformed to acute myeloid leukemia. These findings indicate that in some cases of otherwise typical MDS, the progenitor cells may have some capacity for monocytic proliferation at diagnosis and manifest rapid disease progression once a monocytic proliferation supervenes.
Effect of Wintering Duration and Temperature on Survival and Emergence Time in Males of the Orchard Pollinator Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

We measured winter survival, emergence time following incubation at 20°C, and postemergence longevity in males of the orchard pollinator Osmia lignaria Say exposed to 25 artificial wintering treatments differing in duration (30, 90, 150, 210, and 270 d) and temperature (0, 4, 7, 10, and 13°C). For all temperatures, survival was highest at 90 d of wintering. Temperatures ≥10°C were unsuitable for wintering O. lignaria populations even for short periods. At 7°C, bees showed increased mortality, signs of excessive fat body depletion, and decreased longevity when wintered for >150 d. Wintering durations ≥210 d required temperatures ≤4°C for acceptable survival. Time to emerge following incubation at 20°C decreased with increasing wintering duration and wintering temperature. Many bees emerged before incubation when wintered for long periods at the warmest temperatures. Postemergence longevity was highest when bees were wintered at 0°C for 210 d. Managing the activity of O. lignaria to coincide with fruit tree bloom initiation is much more easily accomplished with the use of populations exhibiting short emergence times. Several wintering treatments that resulted in acceptable survival and longevity (150 d at 0, 4 and 7°C, and 210–270 d at 0 and 4°C), produced mean emergence times ≤5 d. Our results can be used to establish appropriate wintering regimes for O. lignaria populations managed to pollinate orchard crops differing in bloom time (from almonds in February to apples in May), and therefore, allowing for shorter or longer wintering durations.
Social Media and the Struggle for Society

This piece argues that all communication media are inherently social. The term “social media” emerged at the time that companies began harnessing what people were already doing online, turning soci...
Subcutaneous Insulin: A Guide for Dosing Regimens in the Hospital

Insulin continues to be the preferred method for the management of hyperglycemia in the inpatient setting. It can be titrated easily, does not have a ceiling dose, and can be administered intravenously and subcutaneously. Details of IV insulin, including the transition from IV to subcutaneous, are discussed in Chapter 3: IV Insulin. In this chapter, we focus on subcutaneous insulin regimens.
A Note On Job Market Conditions And Students' Academic Performance

This paper presents a model of student effort and resulting grade performance under varying labor market conditions. Following previous studies that have found a negative relationship between the expected income and grades by discipline, we extend the analysis to the effect of changing labor market conditions on student effort and the resulting changes in the average grades. The empirical results support the theoretical models conclusion that reduced employment opportunities result in higher average grades by discipline.
Resolving Too-Big-to-Fail Banks in the United States

The belief that some banks are too big to fail (TBTF) became reality during the financial crisis of 2007-2009 when the biggest banks in the United States were bailed out. Since then, big banks have grown much bigger and have become increasingly complex. This development has led to far greater attention on the need to resolve the TBTF problem. This paper examines the way in which the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has resolved troubled banks both historically and in the current TBTF situation in which the United States now finds itself. The paper examines post-crisis regulatory reform by focusing on the new orderly liquidation authority the Dodd-Frank Act provides to the FDIC to serve as the receiver for big banks whose failure poses a significant risk to the country’s financial stability. We assess whether this process will indeed eliminate the TBTF problem.
RCA with conditional BEC in CSLA structure for area-power efficiency

Carry Select Adder (CSLA) is used for arithmetic operations for better speed at the expense of area and power. In this paper we present novel structure of Conditional Binary to Excess-1 adder based on carry select adder design on gate level. Regular CSLA is area-consuming due to the dual Ripple-Carry Adder (RCA) structure. For reducing area, the CSLA can be implemented by using a single RCA and a Binary to excess-1 circuit instead of using dual RCA. A conditional BEC block is proposed which can be implemented in place of regular BEC block and multiplexer to add one to the output of modified RCA or pass the output without any change. This approach reduces necessity of multiplexers for CSLA hence reduce delay, area and power consumption compared to BECCSLA. Characteristics of modified RCA are compared with regular CSLA and two recent CSLA designs with SQRT structure. Result and analysis shows modified CBEC-CSLA have better area and power consumption than the regular dual RCA-CSLA, CBEC-MRCA, BEC based carry select adder and CS- based CSLA.
Numerical laplace inversion of (s 2+a 2)−(n+½)(s 2+b 2)−m

A numerical method is developed for the computation of a function H mn (t) which is the Laplace-inverse function of (s 2+a 2)−(n−½)(s 2+b 2)−m The method consists of expanding the function H mn (t) in a series whose typical term is associated with a Bessel-like functions G i (a t). A simple technique, suitable for the purpose, is developed for the computation of the function G i (a t). A few typical results for H mn (t) are given.
Preliminary imaging results of a high NA miniature injection-molded objective designed for fiber-confocal reflectance microscopy

In collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin and the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center a fiber optic confocal imaging system has been designed and tested for the detection of cervical and oral cancers. This system along with specially developed techniques has achieved an unprecedented specificity and sensitivity to the diagnosis of certain cancers in limited clinical trials. The goal of this instrument is to provide a clinically viable pre-cancer screening which is currently unavailable without an intrusive biopsy. The initial prototype optical probe for this imaging system was made from an all glass design. In order to transform this research tool into a clinically viable instrument disposable optical probes are desired. Design of a 7-mm OD, NA=1 water immersion injection-molded objective will be discussed and preliminary imaging results will be presented.
Roles for N-terminal extracellular domains of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) β3 subunits in enhanced functional expression of mouse α6β2β3- and α6β4β3-nAChRs.

Functional heterologous expression of naturally expressed mouse α6*-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (mα6*-nAChRs; where “*” indicates the presence of additional subunits) has been difficult. Here we expressed and characterized wild-type (WT), gain-of-function, chimeric, or gain-of-function chimeric nAChR subunits, sometimes as hybrid nAChRs containing both human (h) and mouse (m) subunits, in Xenopus oocytes. Hybrid mα6mβ4hβ3- (∼5–8-fold) or WT mα6mβ4mβ3-nAChRs (∼2-fold) yielded higher function than mα6mβ4-nAChRs. Function was not detected when mα6 and mβ2 subunits were expressed together or in the additional presence of hβ3 or mβ3 subunits. However, function emerged upon expression of mα6mβ2mβ3V9′S-nAChRs containing β3 subunits having gain-of-function V9′S (valine to serine at the 9′-position) mutations in transmembrane domain II and was further elevated 9-fold when hβ3V9′S subunits were substituted for mβ3V9′S subunits. Studies involving WT or gain-of-function chimeric mouse/human β3 subunits narrowed the search for domains that influence functional expression of mα6*-nAChRs. Using hβ3 subunits as templates for site-directed mutagenesis studies, substitution with mβ3 subunit residues in extracellular N-terminal domain loops “C” (Glu221 and Phe223), “E” (Ser144 and Ser148), and “β2-β3” (Gln94 and Glu101) increased function of mα6mβ2*- (∼2–3-fold) or mα6mβ4* (∼2–4-fold)-nAChRs. EC50 values for nicotine acting at mα6mβ4*-nAChR were unaffected by β3 subunit residue substitutions in loop C or E. Thus, amino acid residues located in primary (loop C) or complementary (loops β2-β3 and E) interfaces of β3 subunits are some of the molecular impediments for functional expression of mα6mβ2β3- or mα6mβ4β3-nAChRs.
Back Pain in the Young Athlete

Back pain is common in children and adolescents, especially those involved in sports or fitness training. Although acute injuries such as fractures and disc herniations occur, in young athletes, back pain is usually attributed to overuse and can be resolved with symptomatic treatment. Activity modification, structured physical therapy programs, and possibly a brace are effective treatments for most causes of LBP in young athletes. Physical therapy focusing on flexibility and core strengthening is critical to a successful return to activities. Although controversial, bracing in certain conditions is effective in healing and resolution of symptoms. Patients who fail conservative treatment may be candidates for corticosteroid injections or surgery, depending on the etiology.
Probleme am Ende des Lebens

Um die aktuellen Probleme wurdigen zu konnen, die sich mit den ethischen Fragen des Lebensendes im Bereich der Medizinethik beschaftigen, mus man sich erst uber einige Grundfragen und Grundgedanken klar werden. Ich will hier also zunachst kurz besprechen, was „Sterben“ fur verschiedene Menschen in unterschiedlichen Kulturkreisen bedeutet, und anschliesend den Begriff „Leben“ beleuchten: Aus letzterem Begriff geht hervor, warum man das Toten (oder Sterbenlassen) eines Menschen in fast allen Kulturen fur sittUch problematisch halt. Obwohl das Gesundheitswesen sowie die Mediziner als ein Teil ihrer Kultur verstanden werden und auch als solcher handeln mussen, haben Mediziner und deren Mitarbeiter eine lange und fast einzigartige Tradition und eine spezielle kulturelle Rolle, die sie von anderen Berufen un-terscheidet. Daher sind auch die berufliche Ethik und die Pflichten etwas anders. In der Medizinethik handelt es sich also um die Pflichten von Arzten, Schwestern und anderen Mitarbeitern im Rahmen ihrer besonderen Tradition. Die Behandlungspflicht des Arztes, der Krankenschwester und der Institution ausert sich aber in einem gewissen Kulturkreis und zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt und hat vor allem eine lange, fur uns nicht unwichtige Geschichte.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses diagnosis and treatment of dementia. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), defines dementia as a clinical syndrome featured by progressive memory decline and impairment in at least one other cognitive domain. The cognitive changes must be acquired and of sufficient severity to compromise social or occupational function. Dementia is mostly a disorder of the elderly and the incidence rises an estimated five percent per every five years after the age of 65. The most important causes of dementia to consider are those that could potentially be reversible, leading to stabilization or reversal of the dementia syndrome. Thoughthese causes are rare, they do merit investigation. Dementia with Lewy bodies, originally described by Japanese investigators, is a relatively newly recognized dementia syndrome. With a prevalence of between 10 and 30% of late-onset dementias this disorder is now believed to be the second most common form of dementia following Alzheimer's disease (AD). The consensus criteria are divided into central, core, and supportive features. The central feature is that of cognitive impairment sufficient to interfere with daily, social, or occupational functioning. The chapter discusses Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal degeneration, vascular dementia, and other dementia syndromes.
High Flow Priapism in a Pediatric Patient after Circumcision with Dorsal Penile Nerve Block.

We report the first documented case of high flow priapism after circumcision with dorsal penile nerve block. A 7-year-old male who had undergone circumcision three years before presented to our institution with a 3-year history of persistent nonpainful erections. Workup revealed a high flow priapism and, after discussion of the management options, the patient’s family elected continued observation.
Essay Selection Methods for Adaptive Rater Monitoring

Constructed-response items are commonly used in educational and psychological testing, and the answers to those items are typically scored by human raters. In the current rater monitoring processes, validity scoring is used to ensure that the scores assigned by raters do not deviate severely from the standards of rating quality. In this article, an adaptive rater monitoring approach that may potentially improve the efficiency of current rater monitoring practice is proposed. Based on the Rasch partial credit model and known development in multidimensional computerized adaptive testing, two essay selection methods-namely, the D-optimal method and the Single Fisher information method-are proposed. These two methods intend to select the most appropriate essays based on what is already known about a rater's performance. Simulation studies, using a simulated essay bank and a cloned real essay bank, show that the proposed adaptive rater monitoring methods can recover rater parameters with much fewer essay questions. Future challenges and potential solutions are discussed in the end.
Anisotropic Helmholtz and wave–vortex decomposition of one-dimensional spectra

We present an extension to anisotropic flows of the recently developed Helmholtz and wave–vortex decomposition method for one-dimensional spectra measured along ship or aircraft tracks in Buhler et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 756, 2014, pp. 1007–1026). Here, anisotropy refers to the statistical properties of the underlying flow field, which in the original method was assumed to be homogeneous and isotropic in the horizontal plane. Now, the flow is allowed to have a simple kind of horizontal anisotropy that is chosen in a self-consistent manner and can be deduced from the one-dimensional power spectra of the horizontal velocity fields and their cross-correlation. The key result is that an exact and robust Helmholtz decomposition of the horizontal kinetic energy spectrum can be achieved in this anisotropic flow setting, which then also allows the subsequent wave–vortex decomposition step. The anisotropic method is as easy to use as its isotropic counterpart and it robustly converges back to it if the observed anisotropy tends to zero. As a by-product of our analysis we also found a simple test for statistical correlation between rotational and divergent flow components. The new method is developed theoretically and tested with encouraging results on challenging synthetic data as well as on ocean data from the Gulf Stream.
The Role of Public Relations in Social Capital

Public relations research has traditionally focused on how public relations efforts make organizations more effective. Recently, scholars have argued for the broader role of public relations in society. That is, how can public relations be used to improve society rather than simply making organizations more effective? Existing studies have emphasized the relationship between internal public relations and organizational social capital. Lack of scholarly attention has been paid to how public relations efforts affect citizens’ social capital in general. To fill the gap in this area, this study examines how different types of public relations efforts contribute to citizens’ social capital. Specifically, this study uses data from the 2010 Pew Internet and American Life Project ‘Social Side of the Internet’ survey to examine the influence of public relations efforts by various organizations in individuals’ social capital. Overall, the analyses suggest that organizations’ face-to-face meetings with their members enhance interpersonal trust and civic engagement, and that organizations’ strategic use of social media boosts civic engagement, whereas strategic communication via email, blogs, and websites decreases civic engagement. This study provides empirical evidence and practical implications for the important role of strategic social media use and interpersonal communication in enhancing social capital.
Science as the Third Form of Experience

Collingwood’s description of science is especially interesting. For him science represents an enormous step forward over art and religion. In science, for the first time, thought becomes aware of its nature as an act of assertion. That is, for the first time, the thinker distinguishes between thought and the language which expresses it. Whereas in religion, the language in which an assertion is expressed is identified with truth itself, in science thought frees itself from regarding language as truth, recognizing thought, not language, as truth. In so doing, science makes language a servant of thought and no longer its master. This emancipation leads to distinction between literal and metaphorical use of language. Collingwood holds that all language is symbolic, in other words, metaphorical; language never is its own meaning, but always points to some “meaning” beyond itself, in the mind of its user. He says that when a user is not aware of the metaphorical character of all language, he identifies language with its meaning, and this Collingwood, in a seeming paradox, calls a metaphorical (or poetic) use of language. But when the user becomes aware of the metaphorical character of all language, then he is in a position to triumph over language. He may then attempt to use it “literally” to designate or stipulate whatever he wishes it to mean.