cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exotic Pest Information Collection and Analysis (EPICA) – gathering information on exotic pests from the World Wide Web*

This paper describes the Exotic Pest Information Collection and Analysis (EPICA) project, a cooperative effort of the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST) and the National Science Foundation's Center for Integrated Pest Management (CIPM). The EPICA team identifies, archives, evaluates, and communicates relevant information about exotic plant pests from around the world that potentially threaten US agriculture and the environment. The goal of the EPICA project is to provide key groups within USDA's Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) with regular updates of vital pest information to enable a proactive safeguarding approach.
PHOTON ASYMMETRY IN THE BREMSSTRAHLUNG OF TRANSVERSELY POLARIZED ELECTRONS

There is a left-right asymmetry in the bremsstrahlung emitted by transversely polarized electrons analogous to the left-right asymmetry in Mott scattering. The magnitude of this effect has been calculated from the second Born approximation, where it appears in the cross terms between the matrix elements of order $Z{e}^{3}$ and those of order ${Z}^{2}{e}^{5}$. Principal contributions come from the Feynman diagram in which the photon is emitted between the Coulomb interactions with the nucleus, while the largest terms from the diagrams with the photon emitted before or after both Coulomb interactions are of relative order $\frac{v}{c}$ compared to the principal terms. The contributions of all three diagrams to relative order ${(\frac{v}{c})}^{2}$ are included in the final result. As is the case in Mott scattering, the asymmetry in bremsstrahlung depends only on intermediate states which lie on the energy shell. The reason for this has not been investigated here. It does not seem feasible to integrate the cross section over electron momenta analytically. In order to reduce geometric complexity, the calculation is performed in detail for forward electron momentum. The matrix elements for this case are listed explicitly so that other polarization-dependent effects may be conveniently calculated. An outline of the evaluation of the integrals which appear, and a discussion of the divergences associated with the no-cutoff limit of the Coulomb field, as they apply to bremsstrahlung, are included.
Understanding the Chiapas Rebellion: Modernist Visions and the Invisible Indian

* Preface * Acknowledgments * Introduction: Approaching the Indian in World Politics * Chapter 1. Maps of the Mind: Spanish Conquest and the Indian Soul * Chapter 2. Enlightenment Legacies: Colonial Reform, Independence, and the Invisible Indian of the Liberal State * Chapter 3. The Governmental State: Indian Labor, Liberal-Authoritarianism, and Revolt * Chapter 4. Institutionalizing the Indian: Corporatismo, Indigenismo, and the Creation of an Authoritarian Regime * Chapter 5. Neoliberal Governmentality: Social Change, Contested Identities, and Rebellion * Chapter 6. Visible Indians: Subcomandante Marcos and the "Indianization" of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation * Conclusion: Modernist Visions and the Invisible Indian * Notes * Bibliography and Interviews * Index
Design versions in a distributed CAD environment

A mechanism is presented for dealing with evolving design objects in a distributed design environment. A design activity is decomposed into subprojects that can in turn be divided into smaller databases. Designers working on similar projects are governed by some simple rules that are based on this hierarchy, such as version visibility, mutability, write access, etc. Concurrency control problems on a design version are deassociated from the design activity; designers perform their updates on a new version, which is a copy of the original one, in their own private database. The authors discuss system architecture issues based on the generally accepted server/client model. >
Surgical Management of Cardiac Liposarcomas

Cardiac liposarcoma is an uncommon tumor with a poor prognosis. The diagnosis and surgical treatment of this malignant tumor are the subject of this review.
The National Stream Quality Accounting Network: a flux-based approach to monitoring the water quality of large rivers†

Estimating the annual mass flux at a network of fixed stations is one approach to characterizing water quality of large rivers. The interpretive context provided by annual flux includes identifying source and sink areas for constituents and estimating the loadings to receiving waters, such as reservoirs or the ocean. Since 1995, the US Geological Survey's National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) has employed this approach at a network of 39 stations in four of the largest river basins of the USA: the Mississippi, the Columbia, the Colorado and the Rio Grande. In this paper, the design of NASQAN is described and its effectiveness at characterizing the water quality of these rivers is evaluated using data from the first 3 years of operation. A broad range of constituents was measured by NASQAN, including trace organic and inorganic chemicals, major ions, sediment and nutrients. Where possible, a regression model relating concentration to discharge and season was used to interpolate between chemical observations for flux estimation. For water-quality network design, the most important finding from NASQAN was the importance of having a specific objective (that is, estimating annual mass flux) and, from that, an explicitly stated data analysis strategy, namely the use of regression models to interpolate between observations. The use of such models aided in the design of sampling strategy and provided a context for data review. The regression models essentially form null hypotheses for concentration variation that can be evaluated by the observed data. The feedback between network operation and data collection established by the hypothesis tests places the water-quality network on a firm scientific footing. Published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Computerized Image-Based Detection and Grading of Lymphocytic Infiltration in HER2+ Breast Cancer Histopathology

The identification of phenotypic changes in breast cancer (BC) histopathology on account of corresponding molecular changes is of significant clinical importance in predicting disease outcome. One such example is the presence of lymphocytic infiltration (LI) in histopathology, which has been correlated with nodal metastasis and distant recurrence in HER2+ BC patients. In this paper, we present a computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) scheme to automatically detect and grade the extent of LI in digitized HER2+ BC histopathology. Lymphocytes are first automatically detected by a combination of region growing and Markov random field algorithms. Using the centers of individual detected lymphocytes as vertices, three graphs (Voronoi diagram, Delaunay triangulation, and minimum spanning tree) are constructed and a total of 50 image-derived features describing the arrangement of the lymphocytes are extracted from each sample. A nonlinear dimensionality reduction scheme, graph embedding (GE), is then used to project the high-dimensional feature vector into a reduced 3-D embedding space. A support vector machine classifier is used to discriminate samples with high and low LI in the reduced dimensional embedding space. A total of 41 HER2+ hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained images obtained from 12 patients were considered in this study. For more than 100 three-fold cross-validation trials, the architectural feature set successfully distinguished samples of high and low LI levels with a classification accuracy greater than 90%. The popular unsupervised Varma-Zisserman texton-based classification scheme was used for comparison and yielded a classification accuracy of only 60%. Additionally, the projection of the 50 image-derived features for all 41 tissue samples into a reduced dimensional space via GE allowed for the visualization of a smooth manifold that revealed a continuum between low, intermediate, and high levels of LI. Since it is known that extent of LI in BC biopsy specimens is a prognostic indicator, our CADx scheme will potentially help clinicians determine disease outcome and allow them to make better therapy recommendations for patients with HER2+ BC.
Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Infarction in Rats: DISTRIBUTION OF CORTICOSTERONE

Mature male rats with isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction and normal controls were injected intravenously with [1, 2- 3 H] corticosterone ( 3 H corticosterone). Blood and tissue samples (liver, brain, adrenal glands, "normal" and necrotic areas of the heart) were collected 15, 30, and 45 minutes after tracer injection. Gross and histopathological changes were noted. The metabolic clearance rate of corticosterone was greater for the experimental group (11.9 liter/day) than in the normal group (8.4 liter/day). The production rate of corticosterone was approximately 4.45 mg/day for both groups of animals. The percent serum protein-binding of corticosterone was lowered from a normal of 70.3 to 56.7 in the group with cardiac necrosis. The data indicated that during myocardial infarction there was a decrease in the synthesis or availability of the corticosteroid-binding globulin. The increased uptake of 3 H corticosterone by the adrenal glands reflected the increased adrenal glandular steroid metabolism as well as depletion of its corticosterone reserve in animals during the stress of cardiac necrosis. There was a greater uptake of 3 H corticosterone by the hearts and brains of the animals with myocardial infarction; but during the acute phase of infarction, there was no selective uptake of 3 H corticosterone by necrotic vs. normal-appearing areas of the heart.
Reaction of Aryl Fluorides with Sodium Sulfide: Investigation into the Selectivity of Substitution of Fluorobenzonitriles to Yield Mercaptobenzonitriles via SNAr Displacement of Fluorine.

A variety of substrates undergoes SNAr reaction of fluorine with Na2S to produce the corresponding mercaptobenzonitriles.
Investigation of B2 and Related Phases in the Ti-Al-Nb Ternary System

Alloy compositions around Ti2 AINb were studied to establish phase equilibria and transformations during cooling from 1100°C and 1400°C. In addition to general results obtained on a wide range of compositions, which include evidence for a broad B2 phase field, transformation of BCC Ti4 Al3 Nb to a phase with an omega-type structure is reported. Detailed analysis indicates that this phase has the B82 structure after annealing at 700°C.
Alternative Procedures for Preparing HMX

Three new procedures are described for preparing HMX from hexamine, each involving acetylation followed by nitrolysis. One of these — involving DADN as intermediate — gives a better yield of HMX than the established Bachmann process on the basis of hexamine and acetic anhydride, but involves the use of sulfuric and polyphosphoric acids, which are not required in the Bachmann approach. It was shown that DADN can be produced rapidly and continuously on a pilot scale in good yields, and that spent acid recovery involves no unusual problems.
Four-Stream Spherical Harmonic Expansion Approximation for Solar Radiative Transfer

Abstract This paper presents a four-stream extension of the δ-Eddington approximation by considering the higher-order spherical harmonic expansion in radiative intensity. By using the orthogonality relation of the spherical harmonic functions, the derivation of the solution is fairly straightforward. Calculations show that the δ-four-stream spherical harmonic expansion approximation can reduce the errors in reflection, transmission, and absorption substantially in comparison with the δ-Eddington approximation. For the conservative scattering case, the error of the new model is generally less than 1% for optical thickness greater than unity except for gracing incident solar beam. For nonconservative scattering cases (single scattering albedo ω=0.9), the error is less than 5% for optical thickness greater than unity, in contrast to errors of up to 20% or more under the δ-Eddington approximation. This model can also predict the azimuthally averaged intensity to a good degree of accuracy. The computational ti...
Advising as Servant Leadership: Investigating the Relationship.

Advisors serve in many, often overlooked, roles. We investigated the supposition that McClellan (2007a) espoused between academic advising and servant leadership. Our hypotheses, that measures of servant leadership and developmental advising are correlated and that wisdom is the best predictor of developmental advising behaviors, were supported. We used Winston and Sandor's (1984) Academic Advising Inventory and Barbuto and Wheeler's (2006) Servant Leadership Questionnaire to examine the relationship. Our sample consisted of 223 undergraduates at a midsized university in the southeastern United States. Implications for practice include enhancing advisor training and development.
Lost in the Chaos: The Palestinian Leadership Crisis

The latest upsurge in Palestinian-Israeli violence has raised familiar questions about the possibility of a “third Intifada,” or Palestinian uprising against the Israeli military occupation. Often ...
Temporal Contrast Measurements of a Noncollinear Optical Parametric Amplifier Seeded by White-Light Continuum

Temporal cross-correlation measurements of a white-light-seeded noncollinear optical parametric amplifier (NOPA) show that its prepulse contrast exceeds the 105-dB dynamic range of the broadband NOPA-based cross-correlator.
Understanding the Relationship between Humans and Nature: A Study of Organic Farming Values in the European Union

This paper pursues a dual task. The first part examines the ethics of organic farming practices identifying the common core of values that distinguishes organic from conventional practices. It is argued that to make normative sense of organic farming, the cultural and social components of the practice must be taken into account. The second part analyses Council Regulation 834/2007, a Regulation passed to amend Council Regulation 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products and to make it ‘more transparent’ and principled. We suggest that the principles forming the basis of the 2007 Regulation fail to reflect the normative account of organic farming as developed in the first part of the paper. Council Regulation 834/2007 sees the value of organic farming in the end product, the consumer good produced, rather than in the practice itself. The paper argues that such an approach is flawed. Moreover, the 2007 Regulation significantly neglects the distinctive position of small organic producers in the overall framework of organic production, placing small producers at EU level in a supposed and unfair competition against industrial producers.
Addition of Selenium Improves Immunomodulative Effects of Glucan

Background: Selenium (Se) is an established essential nutrient that plays a role in various biological processes including cancer development. Similarly, stimulation of immune reactions by β-glucans is well-documented. Aims: In the current study, we focused on the stimulation of phagocytosis and interleukin (IL)-2 production and on potentiation of anticancer immunity by a combination of glucan with two types of Se. Materials and Methods: Phagocytosis was evaluated using synthetic microspheres; cancer development was measured either using breast cancer cells or using lung cancer cells. Results: Using two different murine models of cancer, we showed that the Se/glucan combination strongly suppressed the growth of cancer, mostly probably via stimulation of immunity. Conclusions: A combination of glucan with Se offers superior stimulation of immunity and inhibition of cancer growth.
Metabolism and Temperature Regulation of Kiwis (Apterygidae)

One of the most distinctive group of birds is the ratites, a group that includes the Ostrich (Struthio camelus), rheas (Rhea spp.), cassowaries (Casuarius spp.), Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), kiwis (Apteryx spp.), and possibly tinamous (Tinamidae) among living birds, and elephant birds (Aepyornithidae) and moas (Dinornithidae) among extinct species. At various times this group was considered to be natural (i.e. monophyletic), and at other times the result of convergence on large size and flightlessness (i.e. polyphyletic). Recent work on the biochemical taxonomy of ratites (Sibley et al. 1988, Cooper et. al. 1992) favors a monophyletic origin and places them, including tinamous, in the Parvclass Ratitae. The position of the tinamous, however, is such that they may be considered a sister taxon to a more narrowly defined group of ratites (Cracraft 1974). Although most ratites (sensu stricto) are large (> 20 kg) and have omnivorous to vegetarian diets, kiwis (Apterygidae) are characterized by a mass of 1 to 4 kg and by feeding principally on soil invertebrates. Kiwis are collectively confined in distribution to the three major islands of New Zealand and are an autochthonous element of New Zealand's fauna. Robertson (1985) has summarized the contemporary distribution of kiwis in New Zealand. The Brown Kiwi (Apteryx australis) is found on North, South, and Stewart islands. The Little Spotted Kiwi (A. owenii) was found in the mountains of North Island, as well as on South Island, but today is limited to Fjordland on South Island and to some offshore island refuges (such as Kapiti Island) to which it was transported. The Great Spotted Kiwi (A. haastii) is limited to western and northwestern regions of South Island. The unique origin and distinctive habits of ratites make them worthy of extensive study, but because of their large size and distribution in the Southern Hemisphere, they have been the subject of few studies, especially in terms of experimental biology. Furthermore, few kiwis are held in captivity outside New Zealand. Therefore, few data are available on kiwi physiology. They include Farner's (1956) measure-
Abstract 1708: Metabolic regulation of the ubiquitin+proteasome system.

The ubiquitin+proteasome system (UPS) is a highly complex network that maintains protein homeostasis and cell viability through the highly regulated and selective turnover of targeted proteins. The proteasome is the major intracellular protease in eukaryotes and serves as the catalytic core of the UPS. The cytotoxic effect of proteasome inhibition has been translated therapeutically to dramatically improve the overall survival of patients diagnosed with the plasma cell malignancy multiple myeloma (MM). Bortezomib has emerged as the standard-of-care therapy for MM to catapult the UPS into a position of prominence in cancer biology and drug development but significant obstacles remain since many patients do not respond to bortezomib, clinical responses are not sustained and drug resistance inevitably emerges through unknown mechanisms. Gene profiling was performed as an unbiased approach to address the precise molecular events that promote bortezomib-resistance. Results indicated that effectors of energy metabolism were differentially expressed in cells resistant to bortezomib. Subunits of the cellular energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were expressed at lower levels in resistant cells relative to the parental cells. Real-time, cell-based metabolic measurements demonstrated that bortezomib rapidly and dramatically reduced tumor cell oxygen-consumption while bortezomib-resistant cells were less sensitive to metabolic deregulation. Genetic ablation of the AMPKα1/α2 encoding-genes also reduced the effect of bortezomib to promote autophagosome formation as well as bortezomib-induced cytotoxicity. Similarly, knockout of the AMPK-substrate and autophagy-initiating kinase ULK1 also reduced bortezomib-induced autophagosome formation and cell death. Proteasome inhibition promoted ULK-1 association with the autophagosome initiators ATG13, FIP200 and beclin-1. The AMPK activator AICAR further enhanced bortezomib-induced cytotoxicity in myeloma, lymphoma, leukemic and solid tumor cells. Proteasome inhibitors induce AMPK+ULK-mediated autophagosome formation that is coupled to apoptosis and can be exploited as a novel anti-cancer therapeutic strategy. Citation Format: James J. Driscoll, Sajjeev Jagannathan. Metabolic regulation of the ubiquitin+proteasome system. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1708. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1708
Orthotopic injection of pancreatic cancer cells

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is an aggressive disease with a 5-yr survival rate of only 5%. The location of the pancreas in the abdomen, where it is obscured by other organs, makes it a difficult tissue to study and manipulate. This protocol describes in detail how to orthotopically inject cancer cells into the pancreas in mice. This technique is particularly useful when the cells must be manipulated in ways that cannot be modeled genetically.
Determination of inositol in functional beverage by GC-MS and GC-FID

Objective:To establish a method for determination of inositol in functional beverage.Methods:With sorbitol as internal standard,samples were dried under nitrogen stream at 60℃.Then the remains were silanized with trimethylchlorosilane: hexamethyldisilylamine: N,N-dimethylformam=1:2:8 at 70℃ for ten minutes,then the reaction was terminated by 5ml water added.N-Hexane was used to extract the derived inositol.A GC-FID method and a GC-MSD method were engaged simultaneously for the determination,the result of methods were compared.Results:The of inositol with both FID and MSD were compared at a range from 20 to 500 μg/ml.In FID,the linear equations was y=0.0022x-0.0147,the correlation coefficient(r) was 0.999,the limit of detection(LOD) was 5 μg/ml,the relative standard derivation(RSD) was 3.78%(n=8),and the recovery rates were was ranged from 96.6% to 98.8%.In MSD,the linear equation was y=0.0021x+0.0097,r=0.999,LOD was 10 ng/ml,RSD was 1.07%(n=8),and the recovery rates were was 98.8 to 99.2%.Conclusion:Both GC-FID and GC-MS methods are accurate,precise and reliable for the determination of inositol in functional drink,while GC-MS method is much more sensitive.
The Optimization Design of High Building Fire Water Supply System

High building resolves the land pressure for its easy using,but its complex internal function and more combustible fuel cause high possibility of fire.Because high building fire spreads fast and is difficult to save,and material assets are not easy to evacuate,to save fire mainly depends on its own fire control facilities in the building.Based on this,this paper,combining the importance of high building fire water system design,makes a careful analysis of the problems existing in high building fire system in China,and discusses effective measures to optimize fire water system.
The relationship between the second subglottal resonance and vowel class, standing height, trunk length, and F0 variation for Mandarin speakers.

The relationship between vowel formants and the second subglottal resonance (Sg2) has previously been explored in English, German, Hungarian and Korean. Results from these studies indicate that vowel space is categorically divided by Sg2 and that Sg2 correlates well with standing height. One of the goals of this work is to verify if the above findings hold true in Mandarin as well. The correlation between Sg2 and sitting height (trunk length) is also studied. Further, since Mandarin is a tonal language (with more pitch variations compared to English), we study the relationship between Sg2 and fundamental frequency (F0). A new corpus of simultaneous recordings of speech and subglottal acoustics was collected from 20 native Mandarin speakers. Results on this corpus indicate that Sg2 divides vowel space in Mandarin as well, and that it is more correlated with sitting height than standing height. Paired t-tests are conducted on the Sg2 measurements from different vowel parts, which represent different F0 regions. Preliminary results show that there is no statistically-significant variation of Sg2 with F0 within a tone.
Existence and Smoothness of the Navier-Stokes Equation in Two and Three-Dimensional Euclidean Space

A solution to this problem has been unknown for years and the fact that it hasn’t been solved yet leaves a lot of unanswered questions regarding Engineering and Pure Mathematics. Turbulence is a specific topic in fluid mechanics which is a vital part of the course when it comes to real life situations. In two and three dimensional systems of equations and some initial conditions, if the smooth solutions exist, they have bounded kinetic energy. In three space dimensions and time, given an initial velocity vector, there exists a velocity field and scalar pressure field which are both smooth and globally defined that solve the Navier-Stokes equations. There are difficulties in two-dimensions and three dimensions in a possible solution and which have been unsolved for a long time and our goal is to propose a solution in three-dimensions. Lets see if we can relate a couple of courses of pure mathematics to come up with an implication.
Second Messenger Diffusion Pathways

In this chapter, the discussion of second messenger pathways is specialized to a calcium trigger. Some triggers initiate a spike in calcium current which enters the cell and alters the equilibrium between free calcium in the cell and calcium stored in a variety of buffering complexes. This provides useful ways of regulating many biological processes. A careful discussion of a mathematical model of this type of event in terms of diffusion is provided culminating in ideas on how to approximate the effects of the calcium current input pulse.
Die chemische Heteroduplexspaltung — Ein Verfahren zur Entdeckung von Mutationen in Östrogen- und Progesteronrezeptorgenen beim Mammakarzinom

Die Bestimmung der Zytosolkonzentrationen von Ostrogen- und Progesteron-rezeptormolekulen durch einen Hormonbindungsassay ist wegen ihrer prognostischen Aussagekraft zum Bestandteil der pathologischen Aufarbeitungsroutine von Mammakarzinomen geworden. Subtilere Struktur/Funktionsanalysen der Rezeptoren sind jedoch so nicht moglich. Aus neueren Untersuchungen ist bekannt, das in der Genfamilie der Steroidrezeptoren bereits Punktmutationen an kritischen Orten der Nukleinsauresequenz zu funktionellen Konsequenzen fuhren konnen (Evans 1988, Hughes et al. 1988). Da das Klonieren und Sequenzieren jeder Gewebsprobe fur jegliche klinische Anwendung zu zeit- und kostenaufwendig ware, wurde mit dem Ziel einer Eignung fur die Aufarbeitungsroutine eine Methode zur Untersuchung der Nukleotidsequenz der Ostrogen- und Proge-steronrezeptorgene aus nur 1 mg Tumorgewebe entwickelt und erprobt: RNS wird aus der Biopsie isoliert und mittels der Reversen Transskriptase in cDNS ubersetzt. Durch Polymerase-Kettenreaktion wird jede Rezeptorinformation bis zu 2millionenfach multipliziert. Radioaktiv markierte einzelstrangige Normal-DNS wird mit Tumor-DNS zu einem Heteroduplex zusammengelagert. Mutationen selbst eines einzelnen Basenpaares verhindern eine perfekte Aneinanderlage-rung beider Strange in dem entsprechenden Bereich. Nach chemischer Behandlung der nicht ubereinstimmenden Basenpaare mit Hydroxylamin und Osmium-tetroxyd wird der Heteroduplex mit Piperidin behandelt.
Prevention of Perioperative Infections in Organ Transplant Recipients

Solid organ transplant has become a therapeutic option for selected end-stage organ diseases. Advances in surgical techniques and immunosuppression and administration of effective antimicrobial prophylaxis against opportunistic pathogens have significantly improved survival among organ transplant recipients. Nevertheless, infections during the peritransplant period remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In the early posttransplant period, organ recipients are vulnerable to nosocomial-acquired infections, donor-transmitted infections, and, most importantly, surgical site infections. These infections are largely preventable. Understanding the epidemiology, risk factors, and microbiology of early-onset posttransplant infections, and surgical techniques and complications are essential for clinicians in caring for solid organ transplant recipients.
Influence of electrochemical trees on the electrical properties of extruded polymeric insulation

The existence of electrochemical trees in high-voltage extruded-type cables installed in numerous locations was first examined and reported by Lawson and Vahlstrom.1 An analysis and further laboratory studies of this phenomenon was reported by Bahder et al.2 This reference paper defines electrochemical trees caused by ingress of moisture from the environment and demonstrates that, under highly accelerated test procedures, this type of tree formation can be generated within weeks in the laboratory when frequency acceleration is used. The correlation between electrochemical treeing and the electrical properties of selected commercial insulations used on underground cables was further analyzed by Bahder et al. 3 This analysis discusses the various mechanisms of tree formation in extruded type cables exposed to moisture and indicates the role that electrochemical tree growth plays in electrical properties.
Modeling the effects of single-microphone noise-suppression

Many different algorithms have been proposed for single-microphone noise suppression. Comparing algorithms can be difficult, however, since different studies use different speech stimuli, different types of noise, and different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). This paper proposes the HASPI intelligibility and HASQI quality metrics as effective tools to measure and compare the performance of noise-suppression algorithms. The stimuli are sentences presented in multi-taker babble at SNRs ranging from 20 to +40dB. Six different noise-suppression algorithms are compared: Wiener, power, and magnitude spectral subtraction, a smoothed gain-vs-SNR approach that limits the maximum attenuation, binary mask processing, and auditory masked transform noise suppression. Exact restoration of the speech envelope and no processing provide reference conditions. Also investigated are the impact of differing amounts of knowledge about the noise signal and the effects of impaired versus normal hearing. In general, the algorithms that worked best for normal hearing were also most effective for a simulated moderate hearing loss. The results indicate that many algorithms provide high predicted intelligibility under ideal conditions where the speech and noise power are known for every segment within each frequency band, but that the performance degrades to that measured for no processing when the local noise power is replaced by the power averaged over all of the segments within the band. The upper bound to algorithm performance is shown to be exact restoration of the noisy speech envelope to match that of the noise-free signal.
Radical C–H Fluorination Using Unprotected Amino Acids as Radical Precursors

We report a unique example of utilizing unprotected amino acids for benzylic C–H fluorination via a radical process. α-Aminoalkyl radicals are readily generated via oxidative decarboxylation of unprotected amino acids using a simple silver(I) catalyst and Selectfluor, which serves as both a mild oxidant and source of electrophilic fluorine. Mechanistic investigation shows that coordination of the unprotected amino acid plays a crucial role in lowering the oxidation potential of Ag(I), enabling oxidation under mild conditions. Mono- or difluorination is possible by controlling the stoichiometry of amino acid and fluorine source.
Data Mining Approach Based on Information-Statistical Analysis: Application to Temporal-Spatial Data

An information-statistical approach is proposed for analyzing temporal-spatial data. The basic idea is to analyze the temporal aspect of the data by first conditioning on specific spatial nature of the data. Parametric approach based on Guassian model is employed for analyzing the temporal behavior of the data. Schwarz information criterion is then applied to detect multiple mean change points -- thus the Gaussian statistical models -- to account for changes of the population mean over time. To examine the spatial characteristics of the data, successive mean change points are qualified by finite categorical values. The distribution of the finite categorical values is then used to estimate a non-parametric probability model through a non-linear SVD-based optimization approach; where the optimization criterion is Shannon expected entropy. This optimal probability model accounts for the spatial characteristics of the data and is then used to derive spatial association patterns subject to chisquare statistic hypothesis test.
Computing Stereopsis Using Feature Point Contour Matching

Computational models of the human stereo system can provide insight into general information processing constraints that apply to any stereo system, either artificial or biological. In 1977, Marr and Poggio proposed one such computational model, that was characterized as matching certain feature points in difference-of-Gaussian filtered images, and using the information obtained by matching coarser resolution representations to restrict the search space for matching finer resolution representations. An implementation of the algorithm and its testing on a range of images was reported in 1980. Recent computational experiments applying the algorithm to a variety of natural images, especially aerial photographs, have led to a number of modifications. In this article, we present a version of the Marr-Poggio-Grimson algorithm that embodies these modifications, and is characterized as matching extended contours of feature points obtained from a range of different spatial frequency tuned channels. We illustrate its performance on a series of natural images.
From SCOBA development to implementation in concept-based instruction: Conceptualizing and teaching Japanese addressee honorifics as expressing modes of self

Japanese addressee honorifics are clause-final forms, either masu-form or plain form, which are traditionally believed to be chosen based on wakimae, or discernment of the interlocutor’s social status, social distance, and the formality of the setting. Japanese language instruction uncritically accepts wakimae, while Japanese usage data show deviations from this prescriptive, norm-based system. Cook’s (1996, 1997) analyses guide an understanding addressee honorifics as part of how dialectic modes of self (Rosenberger, 1989) are expressed by children and adults at home. Seen through the lens of Vygotsky’s (1978) ontogenetic method, modes of self comprise a developmentally primary framework, with wakimae overlaying this earlier-established system; Japanese adults’ honorifics use can thus be understood as expressing modes of self while also guided by wakimae rules. For teaching Japanese addressee honorifics, modes of self provide an appropriate conceptual foundation for creating SCOBAs, materializations of the target concepts for pedagogical purposes. This paper follows the author’s process of developing SCOBAs to be used following Gal’perin’s (1978/1992) instructional stages for concept-based instruction (CBI). CBI using these SCOBAs in an intact third year Japanese class is presented, along with findings that illustrate the conceptual development of the entire class, focusing on the transformation in one student’s understanding and use of addressee honorifics forms.
Atlas…t, patterns from every cell

In the decades since the first images ( 1 , 2 ) of patterned gene expression in embryos revealed the correspondence between the emerging structures of developing embryos and the locations of proteins and the RNAs that encode them, it has been an aspirational dream of developmental biologists to create an “atlas” that records the pattern of expression for every gene throughout the transition from egg to adult. Such data could, it is hoped, reveal how the plans for complex multicellular plants and animals are encoded in DNA and how these instructions are implemented by the molecular machinery of the cell. On page 194 of this issue, Karaiskos et al. ( 3 ) apply recently developed methods for sequencing RNA from individual cells to embryos of the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster and come tantalizingly close to achieving this dream.
Functional traits in cover crop mixtures: Biological nitrogen fixation and multifunctionality

Cover crop mixtures with complementary plant functional traits including biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) may supply nitrogen (N) to farm fields while simultaneously providing other ecosystem functions such as N retention and weed suppression (i.e., multifunctionality). Understanding variation in these relationships across farms can help advance trait-based research in agroecology and ecological approaches to nutrient management. This on-farm experiment explored the contributions of two- and three-species cover crop mixtures, which combined legumes, brassicas and cool season grasses, to ecosystem functions across a gradient of soil fertility levels driven by farm management history. I evaluated the predictions that functional trait diversity of the cover crops would explain variation in multifunctionality, and that legume biomass and BNF within mixtures would be inversely correlated with indicators of soil N availability from organic matter across the farm gradient. Ecosystem functions varied widely across farms. As expected, functional diversity was a significant predictor of multifunctionality, although the relationship was weak. Cover crop mixtures had significantly greater multifunctionality than a cereal rye monoculture, though not at the highest observed levels of each function, indicating trade-offs among functions. Linear regression models showed that legume biomass and BNF were negatively correlated with soil properties indicative of N availability from soil organic matter, whereas non-legume and weed biomass were positively correlated with other measures of soil fertility. Synthesis and applications. Cover crop mixtures can increase functional diversity within crop rotations. Designing mixtures with complementary plant traits may be particularly effective for increasing multifunctionality and agroecosystem sustainability. On-farm research to understand variation in biological nitrogen fixation, which is both a plant trait and a key ecosystem function, across heterogeneous soil conditions, can inform management of soil fertility based on ecological principles.
Severity of Acute Infectious Mononucleosis Correlates with Cross-Reactive Influenza CD8 T-Cell Receptor Repertoires.

Fifty years after the discovery of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), it remains unclear how primary infection with this virus leads to massive CD8 T-cell expansion and acute infectious mononucleosis (AIM) in young adults. AIM can vary greatly in severity, from a mild transient influenza-like illness to a prolonged severe syndrome. We questioned whether expansion of a unique HLA-A2.01-restricted, cross-reactive CD8 T-cell response between influenza virus A-M158 (IAV-M1) and EBV BMLF1280 (EBV-BM) could modulate the immune response to EBV and play a role in determining the severity of AIM in 32 college students. Only ex vivo total IAV-M1 and IAV-M1+EBV-BM cross-reactive tetramer+ frequencies directly correlated with AIM severity and were predictive of severe disease. Expansion of specific cross-reactive memory IAV-M1 T-cell receptor (TCR) Vβ repertoires correlated with levels of disease severity. There were unique profiles of qualitatively different functional responses in the cross-reactive and EBV-specific CD8 T-cell responses in each of the three groups studied, severe-AIM patients, mild-AIM patients, and seropositive persistently EBV-infected healthy donors, that may result from differences in TCR repertoire use. IAV-M1 tetramer+ cells were functionally cross-reactive in short-term cultures, were associated with the highest disease severity in AIM, and displayed enhanced production of gamma interferon, a cytokine that greatly amplifies immune responses, thus frequently contributing to induction of immunopathology. Altogether, these data link heterologous immunity via CD8 T-cell cross-reactivity to CD8 T-cell repertoire selection, function, and resultant disease severity in a common and important human infection. In particular, it highlights for the first time a direct link between the TCR repertoire with pathogenesis and the diversity of outcomes upon pathogen encounter.IMPORTANCE The pathogenic impact of immune responses that by chance cross-react to unrelated viruses has not been established in human infections. Here, we demonstrate that the severity of acute infectious mononucleosis (AIM), an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced disease prevalent in young adults but not children, is associated with increased frequencies of T cells cross-reactive to EBV and the commonly acquired influenza A virus (IAV). The T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and functions of these cross-reactive T cells differed between mild- and severe-AIM patients, most likely because these two groups of patients had selected different memory TCR repertoires in response to IAV infections encountered earlier. This heterologous immunity may explain variability in disease outcome and why young adults with more-developed IAV-specific memory T-cell pools have more-severe disease than children, who have less-developed memory pools. This study provides a new framework for understanding the role of heterologous immunity in human health and disease and highlights an important developing field examining the role of T-cell repertoires in the mediation of immunopathology.
Exercise, heat shock proteins and insulin resistance.

Best known as chaperones, heat shock proteins (HSPs) also have roles in cell signalling and regulation of metabolism. Rodent studies demonstrate that heat treatment, transgenic overexpression and pharmacological induction of HSP72 prevent high-fat diet-induced glucose intolerance and skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Overexpression of skeletal muscle HSP72 in mice has been shown to increase endurance running capacity nearly twofold and increase mitochondrial content by 50%. A positive correlation between HSP72 mRNA expression and mitochondrial enzyme activity has been observed in human skeletal muscle, and HSP72 expression is markedly decreased in skeletal muscle of insulin resistant and type 2 diabetic patients. In addition, decreased levels of HSP72 correlate with insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease progression in livers from obese patients. These data suggest the targeted induction of HSPs could be a therapeutic approach for preventing metabolic disease by maintaining the body9s natural stress response. Exercise elicits a number of metabolic adaptations and is a powerful tool in the prevention and treatment of insulin resistance. Exercise training is also a stimulus for increased HSP expression. Although the underlying mechanism(s) for exercise-induced HSP expression are currently unknown, the HSP response may be critical for the beneficial metabolic effects of exercise. Exercise-induced extracellular HSP release may also contribute to metabolic homeostasis by actively restoring HSP72 content in insulin resistant tissues containing low endogenous levels of HSPs. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Heat shock proteins as modulators and therapeutic targets of chronic disease: an integrated perspective’.
Managing technical professionals: Things to remember (Part 2)

"MANAGING Technical Professionals: Things to Remember" was published in December 2016 and the article discussed the fundamental questions such as why "become a manager," and whether we are born with management skills or learn them. Dealing with the differences between management and leadership, presents the most challenging aspect of management and the differences common mistake made by managers. In this article, I would like to focus on things that managers should keep in mind: Accept the new role and responsibilities; make changes after becoming a manager; and learn how to improve people skills, delegate tasks, and always remember to use common sense.
Homosexual Men in San Francisco: Estimation of Parameters and Incidences

San Francisco (SF) has been chosen as the site for modeling HIV transmission in homosexual men because very good data are available there. The large open community of homosexual men in SF has been the source of numerous sexual behavior surveys. Additionally, data are available in SF for AIDS incidence each year and for HIV incidence as early as 1978. In this application of the simulation model, men who have sex with men (homosexual and bisexual men) are called homosexual men. Since most (85%) of the reported AIDS cases in SF have occurred in homosexual men, the modeling here does not include transmission between homosexual/bisexual men and others such as their heterosexual partners or homosexual intravenous drug users.
Regenerative concepts in cardiovascular research: novel hybrid therapy for remodeling ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Treatment for coronary artery disease includes medical management, percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), and coronary artery bypass grafting. However, despite optimal medical therapy and revascularization, ischemic cardiomyopathy is responsible for 538,000 deaths per year in the U.S. alone (1). Stem cell transplantation provides an opportunity to reduce mortality through its potential to fully heal and replace infarcted myocardium.
Zoning as a Form of Social Engineering

Zoning affects almost every aspect of life in the U.S. It helps determine where and how homes, factories, parks, hospitals, schools, roads, sewers and other essential services are located in our communities. Strong market forces, as well as individual and societal values play a major role in decisions regarding types and intensities of land uses. For instance, developers, preservationists, homeowners, renters, businesses, planners and politicians have respectable but different perspectives concerning the use of land. In this sense, zoning mirrors the clash of values in our society. This chapter discusses the history and evolution of zoning as a land use regulatory tool in the U.S. The nature, purpose, legal basis and the limitations of zoning as practiced in the U.S. are also discussed. Zoning involves the division of a community into districts and determining what can and cannot be built on the parcels of land within each district. Historically the districts or zones took the shape of a pyramid in structure and this is typically known as the Euclidean zoning. A major criticism of Euclidean zoning was its inflexibility. In response, local governments have increasingly enacted sophisticated zoning tools designed to resolve rigid and conflicting interests in land use. More flexible zoning methods like overlay zones, floating zones, conditional and performance zoning have evolved to support more sustainable communities. The chapter concludes with a discussion of specific case examples that underline the fact that zoning is a form of social engineering designed to ensure both flexibility and predictability in land use decisions in the U.S.
Assessing Psychosis in Hispanics

The assessment and diagnosis of psychosis can be a difficult task and perhaps may pose an even greater challenge in culturally diverse populations. Specifically, it is both essential and challenging to validate diagnostic criteria and assessment items to ensure that they measure symptoms and indicators of psychosis as opposed to reflecting ethnic and socioeconomic factors, cultural beliefs, or religious practices. In this chapter, we will evaluate commonly used assessment and diagnostic tools for psychosis and provide relevant, research-based guidelines for using these measures with Hispanic populations.