cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dimensions of calcium release domains in frog skeletal muscle fibers

The spatiotemporal properties of the Ca 2+ release process in skeletal muscle fibers were determined using an improved confocal spot detection system. Muscle fibers were loaded with the low affinity fluorescent Ca 2+ indicator OGB-5N and localized action potential-induced fluorescence signals were recorded from consecutive locations separated by 200 nm within a single sarcomere. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the Ca 2+ transients illustrate the existence of domains of increased fluorescence around Ca 2+ release sites in the neighborhood of the T-tubules. We estimated the dimensions of these domains by drawing isochronal curves (∆ F/F vs. spot position) and fitting Gaussian profiles to them. It was found that the earliest detectable full-width-at-half-maximum of these profiles was 0.77 ± 0.25 µm and increased rapidly with time to 1.4 ± 0.2 µm at their peak (18 o C). A brief, but statistically significant, delay of 0.8 ± 0.42 ms was observed between the onset of the fluorescence transients at the Z- and M-lines. Our results are compatible with the possibility that, in response to AP stimulation, Ca 2+ is not released exclusively from the junctional region of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, but from a broader expanse of the triadic region.
Effect of hydrocortisone and epinephrine on glucose uptake by the rat diaphragm.

Hydrocortisone inhibited glucose uptake by the rat diaphragm incubated in a Krebs-Ringer phosphate medium, when added in vitro at a concentration of 40 μg./ml., or when injected into rats at dose levels of .3 mg. daily for 7 days, or 2 mg. 6 hours before sacrifice. In a bicarbonate medium, 1 and 5 mg. doses of hydrocortisone were totally ineffective and a 10 mg. dose had only a slight effect on glucose uptake. The in vitro addition of 4 or 40 μg. of hydrocortisone to the bicarbonate medium, or of 40 μg. of hydrocortisone to the phosphate medium in which the concentration of Mg ions had been raised twofold, did not affect glucose uptake. Adrenalectomy increased basal glucose uptake by the diaphragm and abolished the inhibitory effect of epinephrine on glucose uptake. Hydrocortisone in vitro did not restore the epinephrine effect. The combined addition of epinephrine in vitro and of hydrocortisone either in vitro or in vivo to normal diaphragms incubated in the phosphate medium produced an inhibition of glu...
Size Effect and Strength Variability of Unidirectional Composites.

Statistical theories have been proposed for damage accumulation and tensile failure of unidirectionally reinforced fibrous composites. These theories involve the mechanical properties of the constituent fibers, the geometry of the composite, and some inadequately known functions such as stress distributions in the vicinity of single and multiple fiber breaks. As a result in trying to correlate theory and experiment some quantities have to be treated as unknown parameters.
Sonic Hedgehog Activates the GTPases Rac1 and RhoA in a Gli-Independent Manner Through Coupling of Smoothened to Gi Proteins

The vertebrate Hedgehog (Hh) pathway has essential functions during development and tissue homeostasis in normal physiology, and its dysregulation is a common theme in cancer. The Hh ligands (Sonic Hh, Indian Hh, and Desert Hh) bind to the receptors Patched1 and Patched2, resulting in inhibition of their repressive effect on Smoothened (Smo). Smo is a seven-transmembrane protein, which was only recently shown to function as a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with specificity toward the heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(i). In addition to activating G(i), Smo signals through its C-terminal tail to inhibit Suppressor of Fused, resulting in stabilization and activation of the Gli family of transcription factors, which execute a transcriptional response to so-called "canonical Hh signaling." In this Presentation, we illustrate two outcomes of Hh signaling that are independent of Gli transcriptional activity and, thus, are defined as "noncanonical." One outcome is dependent on Smo coupling to G(i) proteins and exerts changes to the actin cytoskeleton through stimulation of the small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) RhoA and Rac1. These cytoskeletal changes promote migration in fibroblasts and tubulogenesis in endothelial cells. Signaling through the other noncanonical Hh pathway is independent of Smo and inhibits Patched1-induced cell death.
ENTRAINMENT RATES IN TURBULENT SHEAR FLOWS.

The rate of entrainment of ambient fluid across a turbulent interface has been defined as the mean rate of increase of turbulent fluid in the flow direction. Experiments to measure this quantity by conditional sampling in a two-dimen- sional wall jet are described. Further, estimates of this entrainment rate were made for the turbulent boundary layer, two-dimensional wake, two-dimensional jet and round jet and the results are discussed.
Femtosecond X-ray generation in the water window using 25-fs laser pulses

Summary form only given. Recent advances in laser technology have led to high-harmonic generation using ultrashort pulses with pulse durations in the range of 5-25 fs. We have shown that the cutoff harmonic photon energy, is inversely proportional to the square of the log of the laser pulse. Our experimental results for argon gas, are in excellent agreement with our predictions. The above formula also explicitly shows how the cutoff photon energy changes with the laser wavelength, the atomic species, and the electron quantum state. From the formula, under our experimental conditions (25 fs laser and helium gas), we expect to observe harmonics up to order 333 (corresponding to an energy of 518 eV). Experimentally, using a 25-fs Ti:sapphire laser centered at 800 nm, we observed discrete harmonic peaks in He up to the 221st order.
Thermal and crustal evolution of Mars

[1] We present a coupled thermal-magmatic model for the evolution of Mars' mantle and crust that may be consistent with estimates of the average crustal thickness and crustal growth rate. By coupling a simple parameterized model of mantle convection to a batch-melting model for peridotite, we can investigate potential conditions and evolutionary paths of the crust and mantle in a coupled thermal-magmatic system. On the basis of recent geophysical and geochemical studies, we constrain our models to have average crustal thicknesses between 50 and 100 km that were mostly formed by 4 Ga. Our nominal model is an attempt to satisfy these constraints with a relatively simple set of conditions. Key elements of this model are the inclusion of the energetics of melting, a wet (weak) mantle rheology, self-consistent fractionation of heat-producing elements to the crust, and a near-chondritic abundance of those elements. The latent heat of melting mantle material is a small (percent level) contributor to the total planetary energy budget over 4.5 Gyr but is crucial for constraining the thermal and magmatic history of Mars. Our nominal model predicts an average crustal thickness of ∼62 km that was 73% emplaced by 4 Ga. However, if Mars had a primary crust enriched in heat-producing elements, consistent with SNC meteorite geochemistry, then our models predict a considerably diminished amount of post 4 Ga crustal emplacement relative to the nominal model. The importance of a wet mantle in satisfying the basic constraints of Mars' thermal and crustal evolution suggests (independently from traditional geomorphology or meteorite geochemistry arguments) that early Mars had a wet environment. Extraction of water from the mantle of a one-plate planet such as Mars is found to be extremely inefficient, such that 90–95% of all water present in the mantle after the initial degassing event should still reside there currently. Yet extraction of even 5% of a modestly wet mantle (∼36 ppm water) would result in a significant amount (6.4 m equivalent global layer) of water available to influence the early surface and climate evolution of the planet.
Thromboembolism risk reduction in multiple myeloma patients treated with immunomodulatory drug combinations

Deep vein thrombosis and its lethal complication pulmonary embolism are manifestations of venous thromboembolism (VTE),which is typically associated with cancer and recent major surgery. Certain solid tumors and hematologic malignancies impose an inherently elevated risk of VTE that is compounded by chemotherapy and other risk factors. Multiple myeloma (MM) and other plasma cell dyscrasias are thrombogenic as a consequence of their multiple hemostatic effects, including elevated interleukin-6 levels, pro-coagulant antibody formation, paraprotein interference with fibrin structure, activated protein C re- sistance, and endothelial damage.The oral immunomodulatory drugs thalidomide and lenalidomide have produced major therapeutic responses in patients with MM when used in combination with oral steroids and chemotherapy, but a high incidence of VTE has been reported.VariousVTE prophylaxis strategies with thalidomide- and lenalidomide-containing combinations have been investigated in clinical studies.This review discusses emerging results on the use of VTE prophylaxis to minimizeVTE risks associated with MM treatment regimens containing thalidomide and lenalidomide.
Tune modulated beam-beam resonances in the Tevatron

During the 1988-9 Tevatron collider run, six antiproton bunches were colliding head-on with six proton bunches at 12 crossing points symmetrically distributed around the ring. The normalized transverse proton emittance (95% definition) was typically 25 pi mm-mr on both planes and the antiproton transverse emittance was typically 18 pi mm-mr. The working point (unshifted horizontal and vertical tunes) was near 19.41. Given the working point and typical tune spreads of about 0.024, it is unavoidable that the twelfth-order resonance will affect some of the antiprotons. This resonance was certainly felt by the a>2 sigma particles in the 1988-9 run when proton and antiproton emittances were equal. The situation improved when the proton emittance was increased. The question of whether or not the twelfth will be harmless in future collider runs remains, since the beam-beam tune shift parameter will be much higher than it was in the 1988-9 run. This question is answered by applying the analytic theory of tune-modulated beam-beam resonances to the 1988-9 run and to the main injector upgrade scenario. The analytic theory neglects long-range tune shifts and resonances. >
Quality of Life Assessment in Postoperative Patients with Upper GI Malignancies

Background By current estimates there are more than 10.8 million cancer survivors in the United States. Increasingly, oncologists are realizing that despite the “success” of cancer therapies, cancer survivors are facing previously unrecognized psychosocial issues related to cancer survivorship. In GI cancers, the medical and surgical oncologists charged with the care of the patient are not well-equipped to deal with these issues. At our institution's GI Cancer Survivorship Clinic, we utilize a multi-disciplinary model, led by surgical oncologists, that includes psychologic and pastoral support as a priority. The goal of this study was to assess our patients' quality of life (QOL) in order to better understand their survivorship needs and to optimize survivor care. Materials and Methods Patients with upper GI malignancies undergoing post-treatment evaluation completed the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spirituality Scale (FACIT-Sp) questionnaire that includes five domains of QOL: physical well being; social/family well being; emotional well being; functional well being; and spiritual well being. Results The results of our evaluation of health related QOL in a sample of 99 patients revealed higher self-reported QOL than those seen in a normative sample of cancer patients. Social/family well being was strongly associated with total QOL scores, and married patients reported higher social/family well being, as well as higher overall QOL. Conclusions Cross-sectional evaluation of health related QOL in our patients revealed higher self-reported QOL than those seen in a normative sample of general cancer patients. Despite aggressive surgical and medical treatment for malignancies with a generally poor prognosis, the results of our pilot study suggest that cancer survivors treated and followed in a multidisciplinary setting can experience acceptable health-related QOL.
Broadband eigen-analysis for three-component seismic array data

Outlines an eigen-structure algorithm for passive seismic array data. The approach combines broadband multicomponent and narrowband multi-sensor eigen-structure routines. Synthetic data is used to demonstrate the algorithm's ability to resolve multiple signals in both bearing and wavenumber. Analysis of three-component seismic array data is also shown. >
Compensatory Behavior of Drivers When Conversing on a Cell Phone

Experimental studies have found that driving degrades when the driver is conversing on a cell phone. Naturalistic driving studies (NDSs), however, have not found conversing on a cell phone to be associated with increased risk of a safety-critical event (SCE). NDSs have found commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers to be at decreased SCE risk when conversing on a hands-free cell phone. This study used naturalistic driving data sets to investigate whether driver adaptation took place when drivers of light vehicles and CMVs were conversing on a cell phone. Baseline epochs 30 s prior to cell phone calls were sampled. Drivers' travel speeds, headways, inclinations to travel in the slowest lane, inclinations to change lanes, and lane-keeping performances were compared. There was no indication that drivers increased their longitudinal safety margins when conversing on a cell phone. Their headways to a lead vehicle did not differ despite CMV drivers significantly increasing their speeds by 4 km/h (2.5 mph) when co...
Predictors of injury in REM sleep behavior disorder

Introduction REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is widely recognized to involve potentially injurious dream enactment behaviors (DEB), but which clinical factors are associated with RBD-related injuries remain largely unknown. We aimed to identify injury predictors in RBD. Materials and methods We surveyed consecutive RBD patients seen at Mayo Clinic between 2008 and 2010 regarding RBD-related injuries and reviewed medical records to determine idiopathic (iRBD) or symptomatic RBD diagnosis. Associations between injuries prior to treatment and demographic, clinical, and medication variables were then determined with odd’s ratios and multiple logistic regression analyses. The primary outcome variables were injury and injury severity. Results Fifty-three patients (40%) responded. Median age was 69 years and 35 (75%) were men. Twenty-five (47%) had symptomatic RBD. Twenty-nine (55%) reported injury, including self (37.8%) and bed partner (16.7%) injury. iRBD diagnosis (OR = 6.8, p = 0.016) and dream recall (OR = 7.5, p = 0.03) were associated with injury, and iRBD diagnosis was independently associated with injury and injury severity, adjusting for age, gender, DEB frequency and duration. Falls during DEB ( p = 0.03) were also associated with more severe injury, while DEB frequency was not associated with injury, injury severity, or falls. Conclusion Injuries are a frequent complication of RBD. iRBD patients are more likely to suffer injury, and more severe injuries, than symptomatic RBD patients. In addition, recall of dreams was also associated with injury, and DEB-related falls were associated with more severe injuries. Frequency of DEB did not predict RBD-related injuries, highlighting the importance of timely initiation of treatment for RBD in patients having even rare DEB episodes. Acknowledgements The project described was supported by the National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, through Grant No. 1 UL1 RR024150-01. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
Isosinglet neutral heavy lepton production in high energy e-γ collisions

Abstract We evaluate the potential for searching for isosinglet neutral heavy leptons (N), such as right-handed neutrinos, in the next generation of e + e − linear colliders, paying special attention to contributions from the various γe →WN initiated by photons from beamstrahlung and laser back-scattering. We find that these mechanisms are both competitive and complementary to the standard e + e − → ν N annihilation processe for producing neutral heavy leptons in these machines and greatly extends the search range over HERA and LEP200.
Effects of dietary components on high-density lipoprotein measures in a cohort of 1,566 participants

Recent data suggest that an increased level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is not causally protective against heart disease, shifting focus to other sub-phenotypes of HDL. Prior work on the effects of dietary intakes has focused largely on HDL-C. The goal of this study was to identify the dietary intakes that affect HDL-related measures: HDL-C, HDL-2, HDL-3, and apoA1 using data from a carotid artery disease case–control cohort. A subset of 1,566 participants with extensive lipid phenotype data completed the Harvard Standardized Food Frequency Questionnaire to determine their daily micronutrient intake over the past year. Stepwise linear regression was used to separately evaluate the effects of dietary covariates on adjusted levels of HDL-C, HDL-2, HDL-3, and apoA1. Dietary folate intake was positively associated with HDL-C (p = 0.007), HDL-2 (p = 0.0011), HDL-3 (p = 0.0022), and apoA1 (p = 0.001). Alcohol intake and myristic acid (14:0), a saturated fat, were each significantly associated with increased levels of all HDL-related measures studied. Dietary carbohydrate and iron intake were significantly associated with decreased levels of all HDL-related measures. Magnesium intake was positively associated with HDL-C, HDL-2, and HDL-3 levels, but not apoA1 levels, while vitamin C was only associated with apoA1 levels. Dietary fiber and protein intake were both associated with HDL-3 levels alone. This study is the first to report that dietary folate intake is associated with HDL-C, HDL-2, HDL-3, and apoA1 levels in humans. We further identify numerous dietary intake associations with apoA1, HDL-2, and HDL-3 levels. Given the shifting focus away from HDL-C, these data will prove valuable for future epidemiologic investigation of the role of diet and multiple HDL phenotypes in heart disease.
Use of Standardized Uptake Value Ratios Decreases Interreader Variability of [18F] Florbetapir PET Brain Scan Interpretation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Fluorine-18 florbetapir is a recently developed β-amyloid plaque positron-emission tomography imaging agent with high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in the detection of moderate-to-frequent cerebral cortical β-amyloid plaque. However, the FDA has expressed concerns about the consistency of interpretation of [18F] florbetapir PET brain scans. We hypothesized that incorporating automated cerebral-to-whole-cerebellar standardized uptake value ratios into [18F] florbetapir PET brain scan interpretation would reduce this interreader variability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized, blinded-reader study used previously acquired [18F] florbetapir scans from 30 anonymized patients who were enrolled in the Alzheimer9s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 2. In 4 separate, blinded-reading sessions, 5 readers classified 30 cases as positive or negative for significant β-amyloid deposition either qualitatively alone or qualitatively with additional adjunct software that determined standardized uptake value ratios. A κ coefficient was used to calculate interreader agreement with and without the use of standardized uptake value ratios. RESULTS: There was complete interreader agreement on 20/30 cases of [18F] florbetapir PET brain scans by using qualitative interpretation and on 27/30 scans interpreted with the adjunct use of standardized uptake value ratios. The κ coefficient for the studies read with standardized uptake value ratios (0.92) was significantly higher compared with the qualitatively read studies (0.69, P = .006). CONCLUSIONS: Use of standardized uptake value ratios improves interreader agreement in the interpretation of [18F] florbetapir images.
MISSA is a highly efficient in vivo DNA assembly method for plant multiple-gene transformation.

We describe a highly efficient in vivo DNA assembly method, multiple-round in vivo site-specific assembly (MISSA), which facilitates plant multiple-gene transformation. MISSA is based on conjugational transfer, which is driven by donor strains, and two in vivo site-specific recombination events, which are mediated by inducible Cre recombinase and phage l site-specific recombination proteins in recipient strains, to enable in vivo transfer and in vivo assembly of multiple transgenic DNA. The assembly reactions can be performed circularly and iteratively through alternate use of the two specially designed donor vectors. As proof-of-principle experiments, we constructed a few plant multigene binary vectors. One of these vectors was generated by 15 rounds of MISSA reactions and was confirmed in transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). As MISSA simplifies the tedious and time-consuming in vitro manipulations to a simple mixing of bacterial strains, it will greatly save time, effort, and expense associated with the assembly of multiple transgenic or synthetic DNA. The principle that underlies MISSA is applicable to engineering polygenic traits, biosynthetic pathways, or protein complexes in all organisms, such as Escherichia coli, yeast, plants, and animals. MISSA also has potential applications in synthetic biology, whether for basic theory or for applied biotechnology, aiming at the assembly of genetic pathways for the production of biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and industrial compounds from natural or synthetic DNA.
Communicating the Consequences of Early Detection: The Role of Evidence and Framing:

Abstract Despite the enormous benefits of early-detection products, consumers are reluctant to use them. The authors explore this reluctance, testing alternative approaches to communicating the consequences of detection behaviors. The results suggest that anecdotal messages are more involving than statistical messages and that positive anecdotes (about gains from screening) are less persuasive than negative anecdotes (about the losses from failing to get screened); positive anecdotes appear to cause a “boomerang” effect. The authors discuss implications for promoting consumer risk-reduction behaviors.
The effects of screw length on stability of simulated osteoporotic distal radius fractures fixed with volar locking plates.

Purpose Volar plating for distal radius fractures has caused extensor tendon ruptures resulting from dorsal screw prominence. This study was designed to determine the biomechanical impact of placing unicortical distal locking screws and pegs in an extra-articular fracture model. Methods We applied volar-locking distal radius plates to 30 osteoporotic distal radius models. We divided radiuses into 5 groups based on distal locking fixation: bicortical locked screws, 3 lengths of unicortical locked screws (abutting the dorsal cortex [full length], 75% length, and 50% length to dorsal cortex), and unicortical locked pegs. Distal radius osteotomy simulated a dorsally comminuted, extra-articular fracture. We determined each construct's stiffness under physiologic loads (axial compression, dorsal bending, and volar bending) before and after 1,000 cycles of axial conditioning and before axial loading to failure (2 mm of displacement) and subsequent catastrophic failure. Results Cyclic conditioning did not alter the constructs' stiffness. Stiffness to volar bending and dorsal bending forces were similar between groups. Final stiffness under axial load was statistically equivalent for all groups: bicortical screws (230 N/mm), full-length unicortical screws (227 N/mm), 75% length unicortical screws (226 N/mm), 50% length unicortical screws (187 N/mm), and unicortical pegs (226 N/mm). Force at 2-mm displacement was significantly less for 50% length unicortical screws (311 N) compared with bicortical screws (460 N), full-length unicortical screws (464 N), 75% length unicortical screws (400 N), and unicortical pegs (356 N). Force to catastrophic fracture was statistically equivalent between groups, but mean values for pegs (749 N) and 50% length unicortical (702 N) screws were 16% to 21% less than means for bicortical (892 N), full-length unicortical (860 N), and 75% length (894 N) unicortical constructs. Conclusions Locked unicortical distal screws of at least 75% length produce construct stiffness similar to bicortical fixation. Unicortical distal fixation for extra-articular distal radius fractures should be entertained to avoid extensor tendon injury because this technique does not appear to compromise initial fixation. Clinical relevance Using unicortical fixation during volar distal radius plating may protect extensor tendons without compromising fixation.
Games, Montage and the First Person Point of View

Interactive montage combines the elements of play and visual representation. The analysis of four examples of interactive montage in reference to a first person point of view highlights the importance of control and spatial reference between player-character and virtual environment. Both emerge as conditions for meaningful interactive montage. The resulting visualization style adjusts to the new conditions and refers to but often breaks cinematic rules. A critical view at the value of classic film theory for this style concludes the paper.
Toward Accessible Assessments: The Promises and Limitations of Test Item Adaptations for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners

When do item adaptations veer from their intent and, instead of increasing access, modify the construct being measured? This study analyzed early elementary student achievement data from a statewide field test containing both standard and adapted science items. Four student groups were included in this analysis: English language learners, students with learning disabilities, students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and a control group of non–individualized education program native English speakers. This study included a qualitative evaluation of the items by experts with backgrounds in working with students with disabilities. Small sample sizes and restricted numbers of items available made generalizations of the results difficult, but findings suggest unexpected focal group differences in performance on the adapted items. The authors suggest that attention needs to be paid to whom items are adapted for, and steps need to be taken during item development to ensure that changes have the intended effect.
The shunt: an FPGA-based accelerator for network intrusion prevention

The sophistication and complexity of analysis performed by today's network intrusion prevention systems (IPSs) benefits greatly from implementation using general-purpose CPUs. Yet the performance of such CPUs increasingly lags behind that necessary to process today's high-rate traffic streams. A key observation, however, is that much of the traffic comprising a high-volume stream can, after some initial analysis, be qualified as "likely uninteresting." To this end, we have developed an in-line, FPGA-based IPS ac-celerator, the Shunt, using the NetFPGA2 platform. The Shunt functions as the forwarding device used by the IPS; it alone processes the bulk of the traffic, offloading the memory bus and leaving the CPU free to inspect the subset of the traffic deemed germane for security analysis. To do so, the Shunt maintains several large state tables indexed by packet header fields, including IP/TCP flags, source and destination IP addresses, and connection tuples. The tables yield decision values the element makes on a packet-by-packet basis: forward the packet, drop it, or divert it through the IPS. By manipulating table entries, the IPS can specify the traffic it wishes to examine, directly block malicious traffic, and "cut through" traffic streams once it has had an opportunity to "vet" them, all on a fine-grained basis. We base our design on a novel series of caches, with a "fail safe" miss policy, coupled to a host PC to handle both cache management and higher level IPS analysis. The design requires only 2 MB of SRAM for its extensive caches, and can sup-port four Gbps Ethernets on a single Virtex 2 Pro 30.
Efficacy of transgenic cotton expressing Cry1Ac and Cry1F insecticidal protein against heliothines (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L, plants expressing Cry1Ac and Cry1F (Phytogen 440W) insecticidal crystal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner, were evaluated against natural populations of tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), and bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), across 13 southern U.S. locations that sustained low, moderate, and high infestations. The intrinsic activity of Phytogen 440W was compared with nontreated non-Bt cotton (PSC355) and with management strategies in which supplemental insecticides targeting heliothines were applied to Phytogen 440W and to PSC355 cotton. Infestations were composed primarily of bollworm, which is the least sensitive of the heliothine complex to Cry toxins. Therefore, damage recorded in these studies was primarily due to bollworm. Greater than 75% of all test sites sustained heliothine infestations categorized as moderate to high (10.6–64.0% peak damaged bolls in nontreated PSC355). Phytogen 440W, alone or managed with supplemental insecticide applications, reduced heliothine-damaged plant terminals, squares (flower buds), flowers, and bolls equal to or better (1.0–79.0-fold) than managing a non-Bt cotton variety with foliar insecticides across all infestation environments. Rarely (frequency of ≤11% averaged across structures), sprayed Phytogen 440W reduced damaged structures compared with nontreated Phytogen 440W. Protection against heliothine-induced plant damage was similar across the three levels of infestation for each viable management strategy, with exception to damaged squares for nontreated Phytogen 440W. In situations of moderate to high heliothine infestations, cotton plants expressing Cry1Ac and Cry1F may sustain higher levels of damage compared with that same variety in low infestations. No significant difference in yield was observed among heliothine management strategies within each infestation level, indicating cotton plants may compensate for those levels of plant damage. These findings indicate Phytogen 440W containing Cry1Ac and Cry1F provided consistent control of heliothines across a range of environments and infestation levels.
A Diagnostic Study of Jet Streaks: Kinematic Signatures and Relationship to Coherent Tropopause Disturbances

Abstract A diagnostic study is conducted of the kinematics and evolution of upper-level jet streaks representative of three (of the four) phases in the Shapiro conceptual model of a jet streak progressing through a synoptic-scale baroclinic wave over North America. The three phases selected for consideration apply to those segments of the wave pattern where jet streaks are relatively straight. The 1200 UTC 2 December 1991 case (trough-over-ridge) considers a strong jet streak located over eastern North America and constitutes the bulk of the study; the other two cases, which also concern jet streaks over North America, are from 0000 UTC 11 November 1995 (northwesterly flow) and 0000 UTC 28 October 1995 (southwesterly flow). Kinematic signatures consistent with the classic four-quadrant conceptual model for a straight jet streak are evident in all three cases, although flow curvature and thermal advection lead to significant departures from this conceptual model. The position of the jet streak within the s...
Unique functions of Gata4 in mouse liver induction and heart development

Gata4 and Gata6 are closely related transcription factors that are essential for the development of a number of embryonic tissues. While they have nearly identical DNA-binding domains and similar patterns of expression, Gata4 and Gata6 null embryos have strikingly different embryonic lethal phenotypes. To determine whether the lack of redundancy is due to differences in protein function or Gata4 and Gata6 expression domains, we generated mice that contained the Gata6 cDNA in place of the Gata4 genomic locus. Gata4(Gata6/Gata6) embryos survived through embryonic day (E)12.5 and successfully underwent ventral folding morphogenesis, demonstrating that Gata6 is able to replace Gata4 function in extraembryonic tissues. Surprisingly, Gata6 is unable to replace Gata4 function in the septum transversum mesenchyme or the epicardium, leading to liver agenesis and lethal heart defects in Gata4(Gata6/Gata6) embryos. These studies suggest that Gata4 has evolved distinct functions in the development of these tissues that cannot be performed by Gata6, even when it is provided in the identical expression domain. Our work has important implications for the respective mechanisms of Gata function during development, as well as the functional evolution of these essential transcription factors.
Patterns and Factors of High School Dropout Risks of Racial and Linguistic Groups

This study examined the dropout trajectories of racial and linguistic minority students and explored the effects of students' contextual factors on their high school dropout risks. Our motivation was to identify the dropout patterns of Black, Hispanic, and Hispanic English language learner (ELL) students, who have comparatively high dropout rates, and to suggest ways to promote high school completion. We employed a survival analysis using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The results showed that the 3 minority groups displayed significantly higher dropout risks than the White group. The overall pattern of dropout risks increased over time, with the dropout rates of the Black students high in the 1st and 2nd years of high school and the highest dropout rates for Hispanic ELL students in their senior year. A gender difference was found among the students, with male students having higher dropout risks than female students. It was also found tha...
Multistable Behavior of Compliant Kaleidocycles

We present an analysis of the compliant kaleidocycle, a mechanism which, unlike other compliant mechanisms, may undergo continuous rotation. We analyze the strain energy characteristics of this mechanism during its motion and show that by varying the stiffness and orientation of the flexures, kaleidocycles may be designed to achieve customizable multistable behavior. These devices may be designed to include up to four distinct stable equilibrium positions and may also include regions of neutral stability.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Role of Situational Context in High School Teachers Use of Graphing Calculator in Mathematics Instruction

By taking into consideration the significance of the socio-economic contexts, this research investigates teachers' perceptions of the role of graphing calculators, as mediating tools, to help facilitate mathematics instruction of students from two different SES backgrounds. The main source of data are in-depth semi-structured interviews with four teachers, two from each SES school. In general, the participants' perceptions of the role of the graphing calculator were dependent on the context within which it was used. Also, the participants played a crucial role in determining the nature of graphing calculator use with the low-SES school's participants appearing not to involve their students in lessons that capitalized on the powerful characteristics of graphing calculators. To tease out the role of the situation context, a four-component framework was conceptualized consisting of teacher, student, subject matter, and graphing calculator use. The components of the framework were taken to be continuously in interaction with one another implying that a change or perturbation in one of the components affected all the other components. The continuous interactions of the components of this framework suggest that equity issues in connection to the nature of graphing calculator use should be an ongoing process that is continuously locating strategies that will afford all students appropriate access and use of graphing calculators.
Sedimentation of Eperythrozoon coccoides.

SummaryFrozen and thawed Eperythrozoon coccoides in spleen homogenates was biologically active but aggregated. As a result, it was completely sedimented after 30 minutes at 5,000 × g, whereas from freshly prepared homogenates it was not completely sedimented even after one hour at 100,000 × g. In fresh infectious plasma, E. coccoides exhibited extreme particle heterogeneity as determined in a sucrose density gradient following centrifugation for 1 to 2 hours at 93,850 × g. Possible reasons for this behavior are discussed.
ROLF KRAKE: EUROPE'S FIRST TURRETED IRONCLAD

(1998). ROLF KRAKE: EUROPE'S FIRST TURRETED IRONCLAD. The Mariner's Mirror: Vol. 84, No. 1, pp. 56-63.
Survey of Attrition Factors of Xinjiang Heroin Addicts Treated on Methadone Maintenance

Objective To explore the impact of loss factors on enrolled patients with methadone care in order to adopt scientifically-sound intervention measures aiming at reducing such loss factors in the future.Methods The survey was conducted face-to-face in 156 patients currently enrolled in program treatment for more than six months and 130 people who were not currently.The study used a Logist regression analysis of loss factors.Results Among the 130 patients,primary reasons for attrition from methadone treatment are patients' encounters with the PSB(37.7%),the influence of drug-user friends(25.4%) during the period of treatment.Patients' lack of confidence(14.6%) is also a factor.The results of the Logist regression analysis showed that whether patients contact with drug-abusing friends continuously or not and whether patients can afford the daily cost of treatment or not are factors that affect patient attrition.Conclusions In order to maintain the treatment programs and their positive results,future work should strive to reduce the rates of attrition.Such efforts should adopt targeted interventions that prolong patients' treatment time.
P53 Oncogene Mutations in Human Prostate Cancer Specimens

Abstract Eighty-five prostate cancer specimens from prostate resections were analyzed for the presence of p53 gene mutations by immunohistochemical staining for P53 protein. DNA from thirty-four of these samples was also analyzed for mutations in exons 5–8 by single-strand chain polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. One sample had P53 staining by immunohistochemistry, one sample was positive for a p53 mutation by SSCP, and one sample was positive by both techniques. Mutations in the two samples that were positive by SSCP were confirmed by nucleotide sequencing. In a separate study of ten lymph nodes that contained prostate cancer metastases, one had detectable P53 protein by immunohistochemical staining. Therefore, p53 mutations appear to be low frequency events in primary prostate cancer.
Clonal hematopoiesis as determined by the HUMARA assay is a marker for acquired mutations in epigenetic regulators in older women

Recent large cohort studies revealed that healthy older individuals harbor somatic mutations that increase their risk for hematologic malignancy and all-cause cardiovascular deaths. The majority of these mutations are in chromatin and epigenetic regulatory genes (CERGs). CERGs play a key role in regulation of DNA methylation ( DNMT3A and TET2 ) and histone function ( ASXL1 ) and in clonal proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells. We hypothesize that older women manifesting clonal hematopoiesis, defined here as a functional phenomenon in which a hematopoietic stem cell has acquired a survival and proliferative advantage, harbor a higher frequency of somatic mutations in CERGs. The human androgen receptor gene ( HUMARA ) assay was used in our study to detect the presence of nonrandom X inactivation in women, a marker for clonal hematopoiesis. In our pilot study, we tested 127 blood samples from women ≥65 years old without a history of invasive cancer or hematologic malignancies. Applying stringent qualitative criteria, we found that 26% displayed clonal hematopoiesis; 52.8% displayed polyclonal hematopoiesis; and 21.3% had indeterminate patterns (too close to call by qualitative assessment). Using Illumina MiSeq next-generation sequencing, we identified somatic mutations in CERGs in 15.2% of subjects displaying clonal hematopoiesis (three ASXL1 and two DNMT3A mutations with an average variant allele frequency of 15.7%, range: 6.3%–23.3%). In a more limited sequencing analysis, we evaluated the frequency of ASXL1 mutations by Sanger sequencing and found mutations in 9.7% of the clonal samples and 0% of the polyclonal samples. By comparing several recent studies (with some caveats as described), we determined the fold enrichment of detecting CERG mutations by using the HUMARA assay as a functional screen for clonal hematopoiesis. We conclude that a functional assay of clonal hematopoiesis is enriching for older women with somatic mutations in CERGs, particularly for ASXL1 and TET2 mutations and less so for DNMT3A mutations.
"Homeless killer": an analysis of the media's portrayal of the victims of a serial killer

ABSTRACTPrevious research has examined the newsworthiness of homicide victims and explored many characteristics of victims. To date, there is no research examining homeless homicide victims even though homeless individuals are more susceptible to being victims of violent crimes. This study examines the online media coverage of four homeless homicide victims murdered by a serial killer in 2012 to ascertain how housing status impacts media coverage. Specifically, this study explores through content analysis what kind of coverage homeless individuals receive and how they are portrayed. Findings suggest that housing status is a salient characteristic in the newsworthiness of victims.
A typology of hackers

Cyber attacks continue to increase in frequency and variety, making cyber malfeasance a rising area of study and a major policy issue. Categorizing cyber attackers aids targeted organizations in efficiently directing resources to enhance security. However, extant hacker typologies do not fully account for the multifaceted nature of cyber malfeasance, including the rise in socially and ideologically motivated hacking (e.g. crowdsourcing, hacktivism). I clarify the current state of the field by uniting recent case studies on hackers with existing categorization techniques. Previous researchers have employed circumplex models-visualizations which depict relationships and boundaries between groups-as a way to organize hacker types. I propose an updated model-a weighted arc circumplex model-that is designed to represent the multidimensional nature of contemporary hacker types by offering a means of visually representing multiple motivations simultaneously. Finally, I demonstrate how archetypical circumplex models can be wed with sociograms to depict social and technical relationships between hacker groups.
Survival of Captive Chimpanzees: Impact of Location and Transfers

To inform the retirement of NIH owned chimpanzees, we analyzed the outcomes of 764 NIH owned chimpanzees that were located at various points in time in at least one of 4 specific locations. All chimpanzees considered were alive and at least 10 years of age on January 1, 2005; transfers to a federal sanctuary began a few months later. During a median follow-up of just over 7 years, there were 314 deaths. In a Cox proportional hazards model that accounted for age, sex, and location (which was treated as a time dependent covariate), age and sex were strong predictors of mortality, but location was only marginally predictive. Among 273 chimpanzees who were transferred to the federal sanctuary, we found no material increased risk in mortality in the first 30 days after arrival. During a median follow up at the sanctuary of 3.5 years, age was strongly predictive of mortality, but other variables, including sex, season of arrival, and ambient temperature on the day of arrival, were not predictive. We confirmed our regression findings using random survival forests. In summary, in a large cohort of captive chimpanzees, we find no evidence of materially important associations of location of residence or recent transfer with premature mortality.
Emulating direct products by index-shuffle graphs

In the theoretical framework of graph embedding and network emulations, the author shows that the index-shuffle graph (a bounded-degree hypercube-like interconnection network, introduced by Baumslag and Obrenic (1997) efficiently approximates the hypercube in general computations, by emulating the direct-product structure of the hypercube. In the direct product G=G/sub 1//spl times/G/sub 2//spl times/.../spl times/G/sub k/ let any factor G/sub i/ be an instance of any of the three following graphs: cycle, complete binary tree, X-tree. Given an N-node index-shuffle graph /spl Psi//sub n/, were N=2/sup n/, and any collection of 2/sup l/ copies of G, such that: |G/sub i/|/spl les/2(n/sub i/), for i=1,...k, where l+/spl Sigma//sub i=1//sup k/ n/sub i//spl les/n and 2([log/sub 2/ l])/spl middot/(max/sub 1/spl les/i/spl les/k/n/sub i/)/spl les/n, /spl Psi//sub n/ emulates any factor G/sub i/ in all copies of G in this collection with slowdown O(log k+log n/sub i/)=O(log log N). As a consequence of these and previous results, the index-shuffle graph emerges as a uniquely "universal" bounded-degree hypercube substitute. The index-shuffle graph emulates (multiple copies of) multi-dimensional tori and meshes of trees (or X-trees) with slowdown doubly logarithmic in the size of the graph, which currently cannot be achieved by either butterflies or shuffles. Furthermore, the butterfly is emulated by its (like-sized) index-shuffle graph with slowdown triply logarithmic in the size of the graph, which is currently impossible by shuffles. Finally, the index-shuffle graph contains the (equal-sized) shuffle-exchange graph, thus demonstrating communication power not known to be present in the hypercube itself.
Human power extender: an example of human-machine interaction via the transfer of power and information signals

A human's ability to perform physical tasks is limited by physical strength, not by intelligence. We define "extenders" as a class of robot manipulators worn by humans to augment human mechanical strength, while the wearer's intellect remains the central control system for manipulating the extender. Our research objective is to determine the ground rules for the design and control of robotic systems worn by humans through the design, construction, and control of several prototype experimental direct-drive/nondirect-drive multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic/electric extenders. The design of extenders is different from the design of conventional robots because the extender interfaces with the human on a physical level. Two sets of force sensors measure the forces imposed on the extender by the human and by the environment (i.e., the load). The extender's compliances in response to such contact forces were designed by selecting appropriate force compensators. This paper gives a summary of some of the selected research efforts related to extender technology, carried out during 80's.