cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aerosol retrievals under partly cloudy conditions: challenges and perspectives

There are many interesting and intriguing features of aerosols near clouds – many of which can be quite engaging, as well as being useful and climate- related. Exploring aerosols by means of remote sensing, in situ observations, and numerical modeling has piqued our curiosity and led to improved insights into the nature of aerosol and clouds and their complex relationship. This chapter conveys the outstanding issues of cloudy-sky aerosol retrievals and outlines fruitful connections between the remote sensing of important climate-related aerosol properties and other research areas such as in situ measurements and model simulations. The chapter focuses mostly on treating inverse problems in the context of passive satellite remote sensing and how they can improve our understanding of the cloud-aerosol interactions. The presentation covers basics of the inverse-problem theory, reviews available approaches, and discusses their applications to partly cloudy situations.
Culture of Human Intestinal Cells in Simulated Microgravity

We have used the rotating wall vessel (RWV) technique to culture standard cell lines as cell aggregates under conditions of very low fluid shear stress in aerobic and microaerophilic conditions (90% N2, 5% O2, and 5% CO2). The human intestinal adenocarcinoma cells lines Caco-2 and HT-29 in conventional two dimensional culture have been used for a wide range of research purposes. However, HT-29 cells when cultured in the RWV (Synthecon), formed large aggregates of up to 1 cm in their longest dimension. Haematoxylin and eosin stained sections of HT-29 aggregates showed large structures of cells with a small central zone of cell death compared to spheroids of HT-29 cells produced under standard two-dimensional conditions. Histochemical studies of the RWV aggregates (HT-29) showed populations of acid and basic mucin-secreting cells with basic mucin secretions predominant which encapsulated the aggregates. Caco-2 cells as expected did not show mucin secretion, but did show large vacuoles within RWV aggregates of about 30 cells which formed after 9 days in culture. Our work with the RWV system has demonstrated the value of this low shear stress system in enabling novel cell aggregate configurations with useful applications in the fields of pathogenesis of infection and tissue engineering.
PRISM theory of the structure, thermodynamics, and phase transitions of polymer liquids and alloys

The recent development of a microscopic theory of the equilibrium properties of polymer solutions, melts and alloys based on off-lattice Polymer Reference Interaction Site Model (PRISM) integral equation methods is reviewed. Analytical and numerical predictions for the intermolecular structure and collective density scattering patterns of both coarse-grained and atomistic models of polymer melts are presented and found to be in good agreement with large scale computer simulations and diffraction measurements. The general issues and difficulties involved in the use of the structural information to compute thermodynamic properties are reviewed. Detailed application of a hybrid PRISM approach to calculate the equation-of-state of hydrocarbon fluids is presented and found to reproduce accurately experimental PVT data on polyethylene. The development of a first principles off-lattice theory of polymer crystallization based on a novel generalization of modern thermodynamic density functional methods is discussed. Numerical calculations for polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene are in good agreement with the experimental melting temperatures and liquid freezing densities. Generalization of the PRISM approach to treat phase separating polymer blends is also discussed in depth. The general role of compressibility effects in determining small angle scattering patterns, the effective chi-parameter, and spinodal instability curves are presented. New theoretical concepts and closure approximations have been developed in order to describe correctly long wavelength concentration fluctuations in macromolecular alloys. Detailed numerical and analytical applications of the PRISM theory to model athermal and symmetric blends are presented, and the role of nonmean field fluctuation processes are established. Good agreement between the theory and computer simulations of simple symmetric polymer blends has been demonstrated. Strong, nonadditive compressibility effects are found for structurally and/or interaction asymmetric blends which have significant implications for controlling miscibility in polymer alloys. Recent generalizations of PRISM theory to treat block copolymer melts, and nonideal conformational perturbations, are briefly described. The paper concludes with a brief summary of ongoing work and fertile directions for future research.
Subsequent experience in hybrid PET-MRI for evaluation of refractory focal onset epilepsy

Abstract Purpose Epilepsy surgery is the most successful method of treating medically unresponsive epilepsy, but carries a risk of morbidity. PET/MR is an emerging technique that increases detection of focal lesions whose resection may result in symptom remission. Methods Retrospective review of 74 focal epilepsy patients over a period of 3 years who had a PET/MR was performed following IRB permission and informed consent. 27 patients underwent surgery or RNS (responsive neurostimulator) placement. Results Hybrid PET-MR identified new anatomic or functional lesions in 10 patients not identified with standalone 3 T MR. Of the 27 patients who underwent focal surgery (19) or RNS placement (8), 24 showed improvement (Engel’s I-III), 2 did not (Engel’s IV), and one had an RNS explanted due to infection. MR and PET were read by 2 separate neuroradiologists and nuclear medicine physicians, respectively. Modalities were evaluated in terms of ability to detect the correct lobe and side for a focal lesion whose resection improved symptoms. Prior standalone MR exhibited 71–77% sensitivity and 0% specificity (as there were only 2 nonresponders), MR associated with PET/MR had 68–71% sensitivity and 0–50% specificity (depending on whether a lesion was seen on one of the nonresponders), and PET had 68–71% sensitivity and 25–33% specificity. Using either PET or MR to identify a focal lesion, PET/MR had sensitivity of 78–82% and specificity 0–50%. Conclusions PET-MR provides additional sensitivity when used as two combined modalities for detecting possible epileptic foci.
The nonlinear ultrasound needle pulse.

Recent work has established an analytical formulation of broadband fields which extend in the axial direction and converge to a narrow concentrated line. Those unique (needle) fields have their origins in an angular spectrum configuration in which the forward propagating wavenumber of the field ( k z) is constant across any z plane for all of the propagated frequencies. A 3 MHz-based, finite amplitude distorted simulation of such a field is considered here in a water path scenario relevant to medical imaging. That nonlinear simulation had its focal features compared to those of a comparable Gaussian beam. The results suggest that the unique convergence of the needle pulse to a narrow but extended axial line in linear propagation is also inherited by higher harmonics in nonlinear propagation. Furthermore, the linear needle field's relatively short duration focal pulses, and the asymptotic declines of its radial profiles, also hold for the associated higher harmonics. Comparisons with the Gaussian field highlight some unique and potentially productive features of needle fields.Recent work has established an analytical formulation of broadband fields which extend in the axial direction and converge to a narrow concentrated line. Those unique (needle) fields have their origins in an angular spectrum configuration in which the forward propagating wavenumber of the field ( k z) is constant across any z plane for all of the propagated frequencies. A 3 MHz-based, finite amplitude distorted simulation of such a field is considered here in a water path scenario relevant to medical imaging. That nonlinear simulation had its focal features compared to those of a comparable Gaussian beam. The results suggest that the unique convergence of the needle pulse to a narrow but extended axial line in linear propagation is also inherited by higher harmonics in nonlinear propagation. Furthermore, the linear needle field's relatively short duration focal pulses, and the asymptotic declines of its radial profiles, also hold for the associated higher harmonics. Comparisons with the Gaussian fi...
Teachers’ Meanings for Function and Function Notation in South Korea and the United States

Teachers’ thinking about the concept of function is well researched. However, most research focused on their understanding of function definitions and properties. This paper addresses a more nuanced examination of teachers’ meanings and ways of thinking that are affiliated with what might come to mind as teachers deal with functions in day-to-day interactions with students, such as “What does f mean in f(x)?”. We report results from using the Mathematical Meanings for Teaching secondary mathematics (MMTsm) instrument (Thompson in Handbook of international research in mathematics education. Taylor & Francis, New York, pp. 435–461, 2016) with 366 South Korean middle and high school teachers and 253 U.S. high school mathematics teachers. South Korean middle and high school teachers consistently performed at a higher level than U.S. high school teachers, including U.S. teachers who taught calculus.
Trimming the Hairball: Edge Cutting Strategies for Making Dense Graphs Usable

The application of modern NLP and ML techniques to large-scale datasets can generate implicit graphs that are so densely connected as to be unusable when rendered as node-link diagrams. We present a two-stage approach to extracting usable, map-like layouts from large, dense input graphs. This approach uses edge-cutting strategies based on node and edge metrics to reduce a graph to a skeletal structure showing only essential relationships, before filling in the resulting communities to create dense but usable layouts. Through a case study on a 145k-document adversarial health communication dataset, we show that each edge-cutting strategy has advantages and disadvantages, and that the appropriate choice of strategy depends on the data, user, and task.
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura and Hemolytic-Uremic Syndromes

Abstract Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, Shiga toxin-associated hemolytic-uremic syndrome and atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome often present with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) and thrombocytopenia. These disorders are often classified as thrombotic microangiopathies, which in turn are considered synonymous with the syndrome of MAHA and thrombocytopenia. In this chapter, a mechanistic scheme of classifying disorders that may cause the syndrome of MAHA and thrombocytopenia is delineated and the pertinent features of these three disorders are reviewed.
Total Knee Arthroplasty: Fitness, Heart Disease Risk, and Quality of Life

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may decrease coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in patients with advanced osteoarthritis by reducing pain and allowing for a more active lifestyle. We examined cardiovascular fitness, CHD risk factors, and quality of life in patients for 1 year after TKA compared with matched controls who did not undergo surgery. A total of 14 patients, 7 surgery patients and 7 matched controls, were tested for measurements of body composition, knee range of motion, resting blood pressure, strength testing, a maximal exercise test, quality-of-life questionnaires (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 and Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS]), and activity monitoring, fasting blood glucose, and lipids at 0, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery or baseline testing. Comparison between the two groups was analyzed. Twelve months after surgery, patients with TKA had significantly (p < 0.05) lower pain scores, increased fat free mass, lower resting mean arterial pressure, and improved scores on the KOOS for pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, and quality of life. Initially, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and body fat percentage were reduced in the TKA group but returned to baseline at 12 months. The results of this study indicate that there are immediate and long-term improvements in pain and quality of life in patients with TKA, but physical function, exercise capacity, leg strength, and some lipid profiles may take longer than 12 months to improve. This is a level II, prospective, Therapeutic study, comparative study.
Restoring Boldness and Reducing Apathy

The narrative doesn’t end with diminished risk-taking. The sharing model on the Internet enhances the human experience in a spirit of equality and so we value transparency, trust, literacy and inclusion. Enterprises of risk are best supported in a culture of trust. An equal-valued exchange rests upon faith that the counterparty will fulfill their side of the bargain. Mistrust and fear might cloud even the initial bargaining process, so no transaction is made. Moreover, a forceful desire for privacy can perpetuate mistrust since it suggests fear of others mishandling one’s information as well as fear of people’s trivia invading one’s private mental space. How do we reconcile privacy with the sharing model? How do we guarantee and enforce property rights when personal data and cognitive bandwidth are private property? Individual liberty and free will are to be balanced against community and networks of trust when the goal is to move ahead with bold enterprises.
A Wearable, Extensible, Open-Source Platform for Hearing Healthcare Research

Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults worldwide. Frequent complaints from the users of modern hearing aids include poor speech intelligibility in noisy environments and high cost, among other issues. However, the signal processing and audiological research needed to address these problems has long been hampered by proprietary development systems, underpowered embedded processors, and the difficulty of performing tests in real-world acoustical environments. To facilitate existing research in hearing healthcare and enable new investigations beyond what is currently possible, we have developed a modern, open-source hearing research platform, Open Speech Platform (OSP). This paper presents the system design of the complete OSP wearable platform, from hardware through firmware and software to user applications. The platform provides a complete suite of basic and advanced hearing aid features which can be adapted by researchers. It serves web apps directly from a hotspot on the wearable hardware, enabling users and researchers to control the system in real time. In addition, it can simultaneously acquire high-quality electroencephalography (EEG) or other electrophysiological signals closely synchronized to the audio. All of these features are provided in a wearable form factor with enough battery life for hours of operation in the field.
Mining Marine Vessel AIS Data to Inform Coastal Structure Management

AbstractThis study demonstrates the use of a multiyear country-scale automatic identification system (AIS) data set to partition a nationwide portfolio of navigation structures managed by the US Ar...
Further evidence that only children are not more narcissistic than individuals with siblings

Abstract Are only children more narcissistic than individuals with siblings? Prior research on the topic has produced conflicting and/or inconclusive results. Dufner et al. (2019) published a recent and widely reported empirical test of this hypothesis and concluded that only children are not more narcissistic than non-only children. One of their acknowledged limitations was that their study was limited to the German population. They called for additional tests in other countries. In this paper, we report results from a high-powered test of this hypothesis using multiple measures of narcissism (i.e., two full-scale and 10 facet-level measures) and a large sample (N = 8689) of American college students. Despite this study possessing extraordinary statistical power, we likewise fail to observe any notable differences in narcissism between only children and non-only children. Follow up equivalence and Bayesian testing suggested generally strong to very strong support for the null hypothesis that only children and non-only children are equivalent in terms of narcissism.
Chemogenetic Inhibition of Infralimbic Prefrontal Cortex GABAergic Parvalbumin Interneurons Attenuates the Impact of Chronic Stress in Male Mice.

Abstract Hypofunction of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) contributes to stress-related neuropsychiatric illnesses. Mechanisms leading to prefrontal hypoactivity remain to be determined. Prior evidence suggests that chronic stress leads to an increase in activity of parvalbumin (PV) expressing GABAergic interneurons (INs) in the PFC. The purpose of the study was to determine whether reducing PV IN activity in the Infralimbic (IL) PFC would prevent stress-related phenotypes. We used a chemogenetic approach to inhibit IL PFC PV INs during stress. Mice were first tested in the tail suspension test (TST) to determine the impact of PV IN inhibition on behavioral responses to acute stress. The long-term impact of PV IN inhibition during a modified chronic variable stress (CVS) was tested in the forced swim test (FST). Acute PV IN inhibition reduced active (struggling) and increased passive coping behaviors (immobility) in the TST. In contrast, inhibition of PV INs during CVS increased active and reduced passive coping behaviors in the FST. Moreover, chronic inhibition of PV INs attenuated CVS-induced changes in Fos expression in the prelimbic cortex (PrL), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and also attenuated adrenal hypertrophy and body weight loss associated with chronic stress. Our results suggest differential roles of PV INs in acute versus chronic stress, indicative of distinct biological mechanisms underlying acute versus chronic stress responses. Our results also indicate a role for PV INs in driving chronic stress adaptation and support literature evidence suggesting cortical GABAergic INs as a therapeutic target in stress-related illnesses.
Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) Block in Combination With the Quadratus Lumborum Block Analgesia for Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Case Series

Orthopedic procedures involving the hip have remained challenging for regional anesthesia given the complex innervation, painful nature contributing to difficulty positioning, and a desire to maintain mobility to hasten postoperative recovery. The revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) poses a greater challenge for an effective regional analgesia due to complex surgical approach, scarring from previous surgery and limited patient mobility. The quadratus lumborum (QL) block has demonstrated to provide effective analgesia for primary hip surgery in recent studies. The pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block has also shown to provide analgesia in patients with hip fractures. There is no standard of care regional anesthesia technique for hip surgeries, and the regional practice varies widely among anesthesia providers. This retrospective case series studied the effect of combining the QL with PENG block on the revision THA analgesia.
Coastal erosion and structural damage due to four consecutive-year major hurricanes: Beach projects afford resilience and coastal protection

Abstract This paper presents a forensic analysis of the coastal erosion and structural damage associated with four consecutive-year, Atlantic-basin major hurricanes. The investigation focuses on Hurricanes Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Michael (2018) and Dorian (2019) and their impact on the sandy shorelines and coastal construction of Florida, located in the southeastern United States. The study identifies the degree of resilience and coastal protection of different coastal construction methods and beach management programs under varied conditions associated with major hurricane impacts. The study results demonstrate a coherent relationship between observed peak storm tide and surveyed measures of coastal erosion and structural damage. The storm tide generated by the natural forcing of tropical-cyclone winds is variably influenced by the wide continental shelf of Florida's gulf coast and the meso-tidal regime of Florida's east coast. As our data show, beyond the obvious metric of storm strength, as expressed in terms of maximum wind speed, coastal impacts by hurricanes are additionally (or more predominantly) driven by storm size, as expressed in terms of wind radii for tropical storm- and hurricane-force winds. Of socioeconomic relevance, the results demonstrate that beach management projects of sand placement provide dune and berm protection as well as mitigation against damage to coastal property and infrastructure. The findings of this study are directly relevant to other coastal regions with recreational beach, dense populations and vulnerable infrastructure, subject to erosional and destructive events caused by tropical cyclones.
Bystander Intervention Efficacy to Reduce Teen Dating Violence Among High School Youth Who Did and Did Not Witness Parental Partner Violence: A Path Analysis of A Cluster RCT

Youth who witness parental intimate partner violence (IPV) are at increased risk of teen dating violence (DV). This analysis of secondary data investigated whether a bystander intervention program, Green Dot, was effective at reducing physical and psychological DV victimization and perpetration among youth who had and had not previously witnessed parental IPV. The parent RCT assigned 13 schools to control and 13 schools to the Green Dot intervention. Responses from 71,797 individual surveys that were completed by high school students were analyzed across three phases of a 5-year cluster randomized control trial. Multigroup path analyses revealed that students in intervention schools who witnessed parental IPV had a reduction in psychological (p < .001) and physical DV (p < .01) perpetration and psychological DV victimization (p < .01) in Phase 2 of the intervention, while those who did not witness parental IPV had a significant reduction in psychological DV victimization (p < .01). Individuals in the intervention received more training (p < .001), which was associated with lower levels of violence acceptance (p < .001). Violence acceptance was positively associated with DV victimization and perpetration (p < .001), especially for individuals who previously witnessed parental IPV. Green Dot is an effective program at reducing DV victimization and perpetration among the high-risk group of youth who previously witnessed parental IPV, largely operating through violence acceptance norms. This underscores the bystander intervention approach as both a targeted and universal prevention program.
MiR-147: Functions and Implications in Inflammation and Diseases.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs (19~25 nucleotides) that regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level through repression of mRNA translation or mRNA decay. miR-147, which was initially discovered in mouse spleen and macrophages, has been shown to correlate with coronary atherogenesis and inflammatory bowel disease and modulate macrophage functions and inflammation through TLR-4. The altered miR-147 level has been shown in various human diseases, including infectious disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, a neurodegenerative disorder, etc. This review will focus on the current understanding regarding the role of miR-147 in inflammation and diseases.
HALMA: Humanlike Abstraction Learning Meets Affordance in Rapid Problem Solving

Humans learn compositional and causal abstraction, \ie, knowledge, in response to the structure of naturalistic tasks. When presented with a problem-solving task involving some objects, toddlers would first interact with these objects to reckon what they are and what can be done with them. Leveraging these concepts, they could understand the internal structure of this task, without seeing all of the problem instances. Remarkably, they further build cognitively executable strategies to \emph{rapidly} solve novel problems. To empower a learning agent with similar capability, we argue there shall be three levels of generalization in how an agent represents its knowledge: perceptual, conceptual, and algorithmic. In this paper, we devise the very first systematic benchmark that offers joint evaluation covering all three levels. This benchmark is centered around a novel task domain, HALMA, for visual concept development and rapid problem solving. Uniquely, HALMA has a minimum yet complete concept space, upon which we introduce a novel paradigm to rigorously diagnose and dissect learning agents' capability in understanding and generalizing complex and structural concepts. We conduct extensive experiments on reinforcement learning agents with various inductive biases and carefully report their proficiency and weakness.
The Genetic Architecture of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Contribution of Liability to OCD From Alleles Across the Frequency Spectrum.

Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is known to be substantially heritable; however, the contribution of genetic variation across the allele frequency spectrum to this heritability remai...
Targeting the γ-Herpesvirus Bcl-2 – Mediated Inhibition of Autophagy and Apoptosis

γ-herpesviruses (γHVs) are common human pathogens that encode homologs of the anti-apoptotic cellular Bcl-2 proteins, which are critical to viral reactivation and oncogenic transformation. Bcl-XL, a cellular Bcl-2 homolog, and the γHV68 Bcl-2 homolog, M11, both bind to a BH3 domain within the key autophagy effector BECN1 with comparable affinities, resulting in the suppression of BECN1-mediated autophagy. Despite this similarity, the different residues lining the binding site of M11 and Bcl-XL dictate varying affinities for BH3 domains from diverse proteins. Here we delineate BECN1 differential specificity determinants for binding to M11 or Bcl-XL by quantifying autophagy levels in cells expressing different BECN1 mutants and either M11 or Bcl-XL, and we show that a G120E+D121A BECN1 mutant selectively prevents suppression of BECN1-mediated autophagy by Bcl-XL, but not by M11. We use isothermal titration calorimetry to identify a BECN1 BH3 domain-derived peptide that selectively binds to M11, but not to B...
Blocking the receptor for advanced glycation end-products but not Toll-like receptor 4 attenuates the progression of OA (835.13)

Receptors for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE) and Toll Like Receptor 4 (TLR-4) have been shown to play a role in the development of Osteoarthritis (OA). We have previously shown that knocking out RAGE in mice slows the disease progression in articular cartilage of the knee. The objective of this study was to determine if application of the compound TAK-242, a TLR-4 specific inhibitor, in conjunction with knocking out RAGE could further attenuate the disease. Destabilization of the medial meniscus of RAGE KO and Wild Type (WT mice) was performed, and severity of OA was qualitatively analyzed through two standardized scoring systems (Mankin and OARSI). We also performed immunohistochemistry to analyze levels of HtrA1 and TGF-β1, known biomarkers for the disease. Surprisingly, addition of the TLR blocker disrupted the protection afforded by knocking out RAGE, and its application to WT mice had no protective effect. We conclude that while blockage of the RAGE pathway alone is beneficial to the attenuat...
Uridine metabolism in chronic liver disease.

A method for the quantitative analysis of uridine in the urine is described. No significant difference was found in the 24-hour excretion of uridine in 6 patients with chronic liver disease and encephalopathy as compared with normal controls. The intravenous administration of uridine, as well as cytidine, to patients with liver disease and encephalopathy produced no significant change in their clinical condition or electroencephalograms.
The Inter‐American Democratic Charter: A Collective Mechanism to Defend and Promote Democracy

The Inter-American Democratic Charter should not only defend democracy, but also promote it. To achieve this, it is not necessary to make changes to the existing document. Rather, the definition of threats to the democratic process should be reworked, the Secretary General and the Organization of American States should have more power, and member states should present their concerns to the Permanent Council. EL CDI debe no solamente defender la democracia, sino promoverla. Para lograrlo, no es necesario hacer cambios al documento existente. En vez de esto, la definicion de amenazas al proceso democratico deberia volver a trabajarse, el Secretario General y la Organizacion de los Estados Americanos deberian tener mas poder y los estados miembros deberian presentar sus preocupaciones ante el Consejo Permanente.
Workflow and Performance Under Computer Mediated Interruptions

Technologically enhanced computer mediated communication (CMC) environments create a trade-off between eliminating delays and increasing performance. In such environments, incoming interruptions can break the “flow” of work and deteriorate performance. In this regard, we describe a mechanism that explains why particular types of information are attended to, and how such interruptions interrupt work flow creating deterioration in performance. Specifically, this study investigates to specific facets of interruptions, the influence of task presentation format and interruption relevance on performance. Results showed significant performance differences related to different presentation format and interruption relevancy. Furthermore, flow had a significant effect on work performance. Future research should future propose more comprehensive taxonomies of both interruption in task characteristics, and examine the effects of such interruptions in systematic ways and in different contexts.
The Relative Importance of Flower Color and Shape for the Foraging Monarch Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Flowers attract and guide pollinators via a wide array of sensory stimuli, including colors, odors, textures, and even sounds. Bees are known to respond to and learn multimodal and multicomponent floral cues, whereas, historically, studies of learning in butterflies have focused on a single visual stimulus component, most often color. In this study, we examine whether Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.) can learn to associate a compound visual stimulus, i.e., color and shape together, with a nectar reward. We also examine the relative importance of color and shape as cues for foraging butterflies. Our results indicate that within the visual modality, foraging Monarchs learn color more readily than shape. Monarchs, however, are capable of learning to associate shape with a sugar reward independent of color, and they may also be capable of learning the compound stimulus of color and shape in the context of foraging. We suggest that the hierarchical importance of cues is likely to vary depending on ecological context, and that although color may be most relevant for a nectar-foraging butterfly, shape may be a more useful cue for a butterfly searching for an oviposition substrate.
Ad.Flt3L/Ad.TK (+GCV) gene therapy induces intracranial glioma (GBM) regression and long term immunological memory which inhibits GBM growth in the periphery in a syngeneic, rat GBM model

2855 The efficacy of our newly developed combined FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) and thymidine kinase (TK) adenoviral gene therapy strategy for treating GBM (Ali et al. Cancer Res 2005, 65:7194-7204) was tested against additional tumor cell implantation in the periphery. Lewis rats injected stereotactically with 5,000 CNS-1 cells in the striatum were treated on post implantation day 9 with intratumoral injections of saline or Flt3L-TK and systemic ganciclovir. Control animals succumbed around day 20 and 80% of Flt3L-TK treated rats survived long term (P 6 CNS-1 cells in the flank; naive rats injected similarly served as controls. Following tumor inoculation, the length and width of the skin lesion were measured regularly. The skin lesion in long-term survivors reached maximum size on day 3 (14.8±4.1 mm 3 ; mean±SEM), whereas that in naive rats continued to grow reaching 903.3±58.5 mm 3 on day 12 (P Support: NIH/NINDS 1R01 NS44556.01; 1R21-NSO54143.01; 1UO1 NS052465.01 to M.G.C.; NIH/NINDS 1RO1 NS 054193.01; RO1 NS 42893.01 and 1R21 NS047298-01 to P.R.L.
HIGHER IN VIVO SEROTONIN‐1A BINDING IN POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: A PET STUDY WITH [11C]WAY‐100635

Background Brain serotonin-1A receptors (5-HT1A) are implicated in anxiety. We compared regional brain 5-HT1A binding in medication-free participants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and healthy volunteers using fully quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) methods.
Likelihood Ratio Tests for High-Dimensional Normal Distributions

In their recent work, Jiang and Yang studied six classical Likelihood Ratio Test statistics under high-dimensional setting. Assuming that a random sample of size n is observed from a p-dimensional normal population, they derive the central limit theorems (CLTs) when p and n are proportional to each other, which are different from the classical chi-square limits as n goes to infinity, while p remains fixed. In this paper, by developing a new tool, we prove that the mentioned six CLTs hold in a more applicable setting: p goes to infinity, and p can be very close to n. This is an almost sufficient and necessary condition for the CLTs. Simulations of histograms, comparisons on sizes and powers with those in the classical chi-square approximations and discussions are presented afterwards.
Unconditional Self-Acceptance and Psychological Health

Low self-esteem is usually considered unhealthy, but according to rational-emotive behavior therapy, any level of self-esteem reflects a dysfunctional habit of globally evaluating one's worth; it would be preferable to accept oneself unconditionally. This hypothesis was tested by examining several correlates of scores on a novel questionnaire measure of unconditional self-acceptance (USA). In a nonclinical adult sample, statistically controlling for self-esteem, USA was inversely correlated with anxiety symptoms and with narcissism, positively correlated with state mood after imaginal exposure to negative events. Other predicted associations of USA (with depression, happiness, and self-deception) either were not evident or became nonsignificant when self-esteem was taken into account. Discussion centered on the conceptual and operational distinctions between self-esteem and self-acceptance.
Use of 2.4 GHz frequency band for Communications Based Train Control data communications systems

The increasing deployment of CBTC by public transit agencies that use a data communications systems based in the 2.4 GHz ISM band has raised the concern of RF interference between CBTC equipped trains and the variety of new and existing users of this band. The vast number of RF devices that currently operate in this band (like microwave ovens, cordless telephones, medical devices etc.) have recently been augmented by the proliferation of "Wi-Fi" hotspots and wireless computers permitting untethered Internet access by the public and RF identification (RFID) technology. While the popularity of the band is a source of concern, paradoxically, this same popularity yields many advantages and benefits to CBTC systems that use it. Often the fact that a frequency band is "crowded" or heavily used (however that is defined) immediately precludes its use for those systems or services that consider themselves to be mission critical. While avoiding a heavily used frequency band for an important application is a prudent course of action, it might not be possible or, upon closer examination, even necessary. There might not be any other spectrum available or, if there is, the cost and technical risk of obtaining regulatory approval or developing the unique radio equipment could prove prohibitive. Additionally, technical advances in radio equipment and signal processing might completely obviate any perceived interference.
RELATIONS OF TIME AND MAINTAINED TEMPERATURE TO GERMINATION PERCENTAGE FOR A LOT OF RICE SEED

In Haasis's (I928) paper on the germinative energy of lots of seed of pitch pine and of other coniferous trees it is stated that a lot of rice seed was included in the experimentation there described, which was carried out at the Laboratory of Plant Physiology of the Johns Hopkins University in I927 and I928. The present paper presents the main results of the experiments with rice there referred to, together with some discussion of relations between time, temperature, and germination percentage. In the preparation of this article we have had critical and bibliographic help from Dr. Thomas I. Edwards, of the School of Hygiene and Public Health, of the Johns Hopkins University. The standard cultures of rice were essentially like the standard cultures of pitch pine seed described by Haasis, and those employed in Edwards's (I933) study of soybean seed were similar in many respects. Each culture regularly contained 50 seeds, taken as a random sample of the lot. After an hour of preliminary soaking, at about 20? C., the seeds were uniformly distributed on agar plates in covered Petri dishes. To the water in which the seeds were to be soaked was added 0.25 g. of " Semesan " powder for each IOO ml. According to the statement of the manufacturers, this material contained 35 per cent, by weight, of hydroxy-mercuri-chloro-phenol. For the agar plates, the granulated preparation called " Bacto-Agar " was used, IO g. for each liter of water, and each culture dish contained 20 Ml. of the mixture. A series of tests at temperatures between 8? and 24? included seed samples soaked in distilled water as well as those soaked in antiseptic solution, but there was no indication of any significant difference between the results froni the two soaking treatments. We may regard the antiseptic treatment as without considerable effect on the results of this study, but it was a regular feature of the experimental background. Tests with seed samples that had not received any preliminary soaking at all gave results that were essentially like those secured with soaked seeds, excepting that the time period needed to give any specified germination percentage with a given maintained temperature was somewhat longer when unsoaked seeds were used, as might be expected. When hulls were removed from the seeds before they were distributed on the plates, without preliminary soaking, the results were like those secured when unsoaked seeds were used with hulls still present.
On regular self‐complementary graphs

A regular self-complementary graph is presented which has no complementing permutation consisting solely of cycles of length four. This answers one of Kotzig's questions.
The hypotonic aqueous humor of teleost fishes

Abstract Evidence indicating the hypotonicity of the aqueous humor of teleost fishes is revised. The low osmolarity is due to a low concentration of sodium and chloride in the aqueous humor. This gradient can be abolished by metabolic inhibitors, ouabain and by repeated paracentesis. The posterior epithelium of the iris, in the area where the ciliary body should be found, exhibits microvilli and the cells have the characteristics of a secretory epithelium. In electronmicrographs, the K-ATPase was localized histochemically on the cells and microvilli of this region. The fluid of the anterior chamber of teleost fishes is probably produced in part by a process of re-absorption of sodium towards the blood.
Case based reasoning method for computer aided welding fixture design

This paper presents a case-based reasoning (CBR) method for welding fixture design, a critical issue in the manufacturing of large and complicated equipment. However, previous fixture design research has mainly focused on machining fixtures rather than welding fixtures. In this paper, an approach of data abstraction for fixture design information representation is proposed, first to systemize and manage myriads of fixture related resources, e.g., past fixture design solutions, fixture units depository. Based on this approach, a multi-level CBR method for welding fixture design is then presented. This method could help designers, by referencing previous design cases, to make a conceptual fixturing solution quickly and, finally, finish the detailed solution of fixture design.
The Middle East and the United States: A Problem of “Brain Drain”

In explaining the determinants of economic growth, economists have attempted to distinguish the relative contributions made by various inputs. Theodore Schultz concluded that improvements in human capital have made larger contributions to growth than increases in physical capital. E. F. Denison was even more specific in his pioneering studies of changes in real national income in the United States from 1927 to 1967, estimating that 23 percent of the growth could be explained by improvements in the educational level of the labor force and 20 percent by advances in technological and managerial knowledge. On the basis of such results, we may conclude that expenditures on education and training, public health, and general research contribute significantly to productivity in the industrialized nations by raising the quality of human capital; thus these outlays command a continuing return in the future.
A Pitfall in Using Far-Field Bipolar Electrograms in Arrhythmia Discrimination in a Patient with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator

Analysis of stored electrograms from bipolar far-field electrodes is considered to be useful in differentiating supraventricular from ventricuiar arrhythmias. A case of inappropriate ICD shocks for sinus tachycardia is presented whereby successive shocks caused marked widening of the ventricuiar electrograms. Analysis of these stored electrograms, recorded from far-field bipolar electrodes, gave the false impression of ventricuiar tachycardia. The widening was due to the current of injury effects, probably a consequence of the large amount of intervening myocardium between the bipoies. While analyzing recordings from far-field bipolar electrodes is generally useful, it is not always reliable, for changes in electrogram morphoiogy, reiative to baseline rhythm, may result from other factors like current of injury.
Smeared-Property Models for Shock-Impact Reliability of Area-Array Packages

Portable electronics is subjected to extreme accelerations in shock and drop impact. Product development cycle times and the cost constraints often restrict the number of design variations tested for drop robustness prior to identification of the final configuration. Simulation models capable of predicting transient dynamics can provide valuable insight into the design reliability under shock environments. In this study, explicit finite-element models have been used to study the transient dynamics of printed circuit boards during drop from 6 ft. Methodologies for modeling components using smeared-property formulations have been investigated. Reduced integration element formulations examined include shell and solid elements. Model predictions have been validated with experimental data. Results show that models with smeared properties can predict transient-dynamic response of board assemblies in drop impact fairly accurately. High-speed data acquisition system has been used to capture in situ strain, continuity, and acceleration data in excess of 1X10 6 samples/s. Ultra-high-speed video at 40,000 fps has been used to capture the deformation kinematics. Component types examined include plastic ball-grid arrays, tape-array ball-grid array, quad-flat-no-lead package, and conduction-cooled ball-grid array. Model predictions have been correlated with experimental data. Impact of experimental error sources on model correlation with experiments has been also investigated.
An in-flight simulation of VTOL hover control concepts

Results of several parametric ground-based simulations covering a variety of VTOL in-hover control concepts are reviewed. The systems considered are angular acceleration, rate, and attitude control, as well as translational rate control. Since many cues are severely restricted by ground-based simulation (e.g., motion, peripheral vision, and environment), some form of in-flight validation of these results is desired. Such a study has been undertaken utilizing the NASA Ames X-14B VTOL aircraft. This in-flight simulator has been configured with a fly-by-wire capability in the hover mode through an analog-/digital variable stability system. This system permits the implementation of either response-feedback or model-following type of control. A comparison of flight- and ground-based data is shown for the attitude control system with the X-14B being flown in both a tethered hover and a free-flight hover.
Phylogenetic Analysis of New Plant Myosin Sequences

We have sampled a large number of plant taxa, ranging from brown algae to angiosperms, for the presence of myosin sequences. Using phylogenetic analysis, we show that all but two of the new plant myosin sequences fall into two of three preexisting myosin classes. We identified two outlying sequences, which do not fall into any preexisting myosin class. Additionally, all genomic sequences encoding class XI myosins contain an intron in the region studied, suggesting that this genomic region has been conserved over at least 1 billion years of plant evolution. With these data, we can rapidly and consistently classify partial myosin sequences from plants. Our data show that plant myosins do not have clear orthologues in other kingdoms, providing interesting insights into the diversification of myosins.
Development of an online hazards atlas to improve disaster awareness

Understanding the causes, effects and geographic patterns of local hazards is important for helping individuals make educated decisions about how to respond to their threat. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to find comprehensive sources of information about local hazards. In this paper, we discuss the development of an online hazards atlas for the state of South Carolina. We have designed this atlas to facilitate awareness about the causes and effects of hazards. An effective method for communicating this information is through education and awareness programs for children, so we have designed this atlas primarily as an educational tool for K-12 students. However, we have also structured the atlas to ensure that it provides details of interest to the general population. In this paper, we focus on educational, methodological and technical aspects of development of the online hazards atlas to highlight both the benefits and challenges of this type of product and to emphasize where it fits as a tool for ...
Sequence of a segment of yeast chromosome II shows two novel genes, one almost entirely hydrophobic and the other extremely asparagine-serine rich.

A 3·2 kb EcoRI fragment of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was entirely sequenced. Two new open reading frames were identified. The first is extremely hydrophobic, and would likely be an integral membrane protein. It has significant similarity to only one reported gene, a gene of unknown function from Drosophila melanogaster. The second ORF is asparagine-rich and very serine-rich, with a remarkable stretch of nearly 26 consecutive asparagine residues comprised of the same codon. It has no significant similarity to any reported gene. The fragment maps to chromosome II on the left arm between the CDC27 and ILS1 loci. The nucleotide sequence reported in this paper has been deposited in the GenBank database with the Accession Number M89908.